BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

This journal is published for the promotion of Bible knowledge, maintaining the historical accuracy of the Scriptures and the validity of their miraculous and prophetic content viewed in the light of modern understanding. It stands for the pre-millennial Advent of our Lord and his reign of peace and justice on earth. It is supported entirely by the voluntary gifts of its readers and all such gifts are sincerely appreciated.

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England

Editorial & Publishing A. O. HUDSON (Milborne Port)

Secretary & Circulation Mgr. DERRICK NADAL (Nottingham)

Treasurer: B. G. DUMONT (Gloucester)

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Back in 1968 the "Monthly" featured a series of studies in the Book of Zechariah headed "Zechariah Prophet of the Restoration" which elicited a great deal of interest at the time and in fact was later on translated into Swedish by the Swedish Bible Students and circulated there. The vivid imagery of the Book, so reminiscent of the New Testament Book of Revelation, renders this Book of absorbing interest and it is felt that many later readers, as well as those who saw it then, will find it of equal interest now. The first installment appears in this issue.

Another perhaps rather unusual series. "In the World that Was", also appears in this issue, endeavoring to analyze what little is said about the antediluvian Era on the basis of regarding the first eleven chapters of Genesis as the work of a man or men who lived at the time of the earliest writing at present known, about 2500 B.C., which in Biblical terms is about the time of the patriarchs Eber and Peleg, some five hundred years before Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees. Contrary to 19th century ideas that Moses was the original writer of Genesis, the wealth of Sumerian and Akkadian words in the first eleven chapters makes it plain nowadays that they originated at a much earlier date and Moses was the editor of these when in due time he came to compile his famous "Five Books". Someone in days of those earlier patriarchs must have compiled these chapters from perhaps preexisting records unknown to the world nowadays, so that the stories of Eden and the Flood are set in terms of the geography of the land as known at that time. Although of necessity the conclusions drawn must be regarded as only approximately valid, they are based on logical deductions from what little is said in Genesis and might at least offer a general picture of that earlier but fascinating era of human history.

The Book of Zechariah 1. The Prophet and the Book

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A strange and thrilling time was the Era of the Restoration, when fifty thousand eager pioneers left Babylon and set out across the desert for the ruined country of Judea, there to build a Temple and a homeland. Few of them had seen Judea before; seventy years had elapsed since their fathers had been taken captive to Babylon, fifty-one since the Temple and city of Jerusalem had been destroyed, and most of the returning pilgrims had been born and brought up in Babylon and knew of their ancestors’ homeland only by repute and description. But now Babylon was fallen, given into the power of Cyrus the Persian conqueror, and Cyrus had granted leave to all of the Jewish community in his new conquest to go back to the land of their fathers and there restore their Temple, their national worship, and some semblance of their old-time communal life, requiring only that they continue loyal to the suzerainty of Persia. So they came, bearing with them the sacred vessels of the Temple so ruthlessly despoiled by the soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar half a century ago, exhibited as trophies of conquest in the Babylonish Temple of Marduk, and now destined to stand in their rightful place and serve their rightful role in the ritual of the worship of the God of Heaven. No wonder they sang, as the Psalmist says they did sing, on that arduous journey "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.. (Ps 126:1-2) No wonder they came into the desolated land camped among the ruined buildings of what had once been Jerusalem, seeing around them, by the eye of faith, the glorious land that was soon to be, and they themselves, the people of the Lord, exalting Israel once again to a place among the nations, mighty in the strength of the God of Israel.

It was not long before the golden vision faded and the old enemies of greed, indifference and moral laxity asserted themselves. Commercialism replaced sacrifice; the acquisition of property and the building of houses attracted more attention than the erection of the Temple of God. The community suffered accordingly. "Is it time for you, O ye" thundered Haggai the prophet "to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this Temple lie waste? Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled; ye clothe you, but there is none warm. Why? saith the Lord of Hosts. Because of my Temple that is waste and ye attend every man unto his own house!". (Hag 1:4-9) Sixteen years it was since the pioneers came to Jerusalem with such high hopes, and this was all there was to show for it! No wonder Zerubbabel, the governor of the colony, and Joshua the High Priest, were ashamed as they led the people in a great outburst of enthusiasm which sought to rectify the wrongs which had been allowed to develop.

It is at this point that Zechariah comes into the picture. A much younger man than his fellow-prophet Haggai, he had nevertheless shared in the journey from Babylon and from the nature of his prophetic visions shows that he must have known much about life in that notorious city. Like Haggai, he was possessed of a burning zeal for the establishment in Judea of a true theocratic State, and a certainty that all the Divine promises relating to the coming glory of Israel must most certainly come to pass. In this the two prophets were markedly different from the Governor and the High Priest, both of whom seem to have failed to display those qualities of leadership and foresight necessary for so great a purpose.

Zerubbabel had been appointed Governor of the colony by Cyrus, responsible to him for maintaining its loyalty to Persia. The appointment was obviously a diplomatic move. Zerubbabel was the legal heir and successor to Jehoiachin the deposed King of Judah. He was probably in his early thirties and does not seem to have been particularly distinguished. Joshua the High Priest was a grandson of Seraiah, High Priest at the time of Jerusalem’s destruction, who was executed by Nebuchadnezzar; he was most likely a much older man. These two figure largely in Zechariah’s prophecy. Zechariah himself was of the priestly tribe. He says of himself that he was the son of Berachiah and grandson of Iddo. From Ne 12:15 it is evident that Zechariah was still alive in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah some seventy years after the Return, by which time he must have been of a considerable age. Tradition has it that—unusually for a Hebrew prophet he survived and died peacefully in extreme old age and was buried beside his old friend and colleague Haggai. His prophetic ministry must therefore have spanned at least fifty years.

The Book of Zechariah consists of three main divisions, and the style and subject matter of the third is of a vastly different nature from that of the other two. The first division, occupying chapters 1 to 6, dated in the second year of Darius (520 B.C.) the year in which the building of the Temple was resumed, comprises a series of visions the subject of which is the restoration of Jerusalem and of Judah as a nation, leading onward in time to the consummation of Israel’s history in the Millennial Kingdom and accepted Divine rule over all the earth. These visions are highly symbolic and the imagery is taken from the writings of the prophets who preceded Zechariah; to understand their meaning to any extent even today requires a reasonably detailed knowledge of the Old Testament. Thus in the first vision the prophet sees Israel in captivity to the great nations of then current history—Assyria, Babylon, Persia and the time come for God to redeem his promise of deliverance for Jerusalem. From that the scene changes to the preparation of the Promised Land for the returning multitudes and a hint that the complete fulfilment of this must extend into a then far future day. Next comes the preparation of the royal Priest-King who is to rule "in that day" accompanied by the Divine instrument of salvation forged from amongst men—the "servant" of Isaiah, to be a light to the nations to declare God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. Following that comes the promulgation of Divine Law which will root out all evil and establish everlasting righteousness, and finally the regathering of all from the many dispersions which have afflicted God’s people during the course of history, and the full establishment of the Millennial order of things. In these visions Zechariah takes his stand in the land of Judah of his own day and looks forward to the end of time, describing what he realizes are the principles of the Divine purpose yet to be worked out. In all of this he gives evidence of a clear-sighted understanding of the basic laws of God and the road which, not only Israel, but all men, must traverse to reach the objective God has set.

The second division, given two years later, whilst the rebuilding of the Temple was actively proceeding, covers chapters 7 and 8 and consists of two "oracles", or messages from Heaven to be declared to those of the people in Zechariah’s day directly concerned. Although at first sight these chapters appear to be of purely local application to events in the time of Zechariah, closer examination reveals that here is enshrined a statement of the essential principles upon which God ultimately bases his acceptance of Israel at the end of the Age and the manner in which He will use Israel in the work of his Kingdom. The entire picture is presented in the form of what, in mediaeval England, was called a masquerade, a kind of play in which the actors take their places, asking and answering questions in which the message to be given is contained. In this instance representatives from the religious fraternity of Israel come to Zechariah to enquire as to the propriety of certain ceremonial observances; the prophet tells them, in effect, that since their past observances have been characterized by ritualism rather than sincerity, God is not interested in their offerings anyway. This gives opportunity for a stirring exhortation to sincere repentance and reformation of life that they might be truly fitted for the Divine purpose; that purpose is then revealed to be nothing less than the exaltation of Israel and the Israel land as the center of Divine administration on earth when the due time should come, but all this is dependent upon faith and sincerity. So the terminal point of the oracles is the same as that of the visions of chapters 1-6, the glory and blessing of the Millennial Kingdom. In the visions the necessity as well as the certainty of Divine power and action to establish the "new heavens and earth" is shown; in the two oracles the necessity of repentance and willing subservience to the Divine will on the part of Israel before the new heavens and earth can become a reality is pictured. With both these factors established the groundwork is laid for the final division of the Book. This tells of events more closely associated with the actual passing of the kingdoms of this world into the Kingdom of God. This third division, chapters 9 to 14, is of a fundamentally different style and nature from the earlier parts. Where chapters 1 to 6 comprise a succession of symbolic pictures based on past Old Testament literature, and 7 to 8 are hortatory, enshrining principles of Divine Law applicable to any Age and generation, these last chapters 9 to 14 are frankly prophetic, foreseeing the shape of things to come in the logical outworking of events determined on a basis of cause and effect. It is easy, and it is true, to say that the revelation of happenings yet in the future is possible by the power of the Holy Spirit, but it has also to be remembered that the Spirit-filled mind of a man like Zechariah, attuned in a very real sense to the mind of God, was of itself empowered to foresee the outcome, in future history, of events and forces belonging to his own time. The prophet clearly comprehended the ultimate purpose of God; he understood the manner in which, and the extent to which, the unbelief and the belief, the opposition and the concurrence, of men in his own day and in future times would influence and modify the road by which that goal would eventually be reached, and by that means the Spirit was able to guide him to an appreciation of "things which shall be hereafter" in so definite a fashion that he was able to set down in these chapters so detailed a description of things which had not yet—and in great degree have not yet—transpired.

The striking difference between the two earlier divisions of the Book and this one has led a number of scholars of the "Critical" school to claim that chapters 9 to 14 are not by the Zechariah of the Restoration era but by an unknown writer of much later times. In point of fact, this difference in style is logically to be expected. The first two divisions, written in the second and fourth years of King Darius, are the product of Zechariah’s youthful years; he was a man of round about thirty. Chapters 9 to 14 are not dated, but the general background and a certain amount of internal evidence would point to a time nearly half a century later, at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. It may reasonably be taken that the prophet had reached the maturity and insight of old age after a lifetime spent "In tune" with God and this in itself amply accounts for the difference in style and the rich coloring of his prophetic vision.

This section commences with an outline sketch of the forces that were to affect Israel after the then present Persian domination had passed away. A new ruling power was to come upon the stage, one that we now know to have been the Greek power, which overthrew Persia. In this crisis Jerusalem was to be preserved, for the good work of the Restoration was still bearing some fruit. Hope of the climax to lsrael’s expectation would come to the front; the promised King would be manifested and offer himself to the people. But despite Divine assurance that He would indeed ultimately reign, a darker hue is drawn over the scene. Israel apostatizes and rejects the King who is also their Shepherd, and for an Age that rejection endures whilst God as it were turns his back upon the unrepentant people. But He has not done so forever nor ever in reality; in the fulness of time and when some through the generations have shown themselves ready to serve him, God arouses to action. There is a regathering of his ancient people to their ancient land, a time of opening of eyes and of repentance, and a great cleansing, preparatory to the coming of Messiah and the Millennial Kingdom. Simultaneously there is a moving of powers of evil in the world in opposition, seeking to destroy what seems to be the incipient establishment of the new and righteous world order. The consequence is a further test of faith, a second apostasy and a second rejection of the Shepherd; but a remnant preserves faith and to this remnant the Lord comes in complete and permanent deliverance. So transpires the great event to which all human history has been tending, the revelation of the Lord from Heaven to all mankind, the overthrow of all evil dominating power and the establishment of Divine sovereignty on earth. The glorious vision closes in the spectacle of, not only Israel, but the whole of humankind, delivered from the darkness of sin and death, fully entered at last into the eternal light and life of the illimitable future.

The Book of Zechariah is a remarkable book; remarkable because of its unshakeable confidence in the ultimate execution of the Divine purpose despite the shortcomings and frailty of man. The prophet lived his life in an age that of itself provided a picture in miniature of the glories he foresaw in prophetic vision, but it was an age that, after Zechariah’s death, belied its early promise and the light faded into darkness again. He himself in full confidence of faith looked toward a day when the darkness would not return, and in so doing coined, at the close of his book, a phrase which has become immortal; "At evening time it shall be light".

To be continued

The Churches of Revelation

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"To the church of the Laodiceans write, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot". (Re 3:14-15)

Salter, traveling through Turkey a few years ago, visited Laodicea("IntroducingTurkey"1961). From before the First Advent, he says, Laodicea was the principal market in the Roman world for the exchange of western and oriental monies, retaining its importance in banking business and remaining "rich and increased with goods" until the time of the Crusades. Near the town there is a hundred foot high cliff down which a hot mineralized stream flows into a pool, built more than two thousand years ago, where the water, at a temperature of 99 deg. F, was a place of resort for the cure of various ailments. But often there is snow on the surrounding ground. Here possibly is the source of the allusion in Re 3.

The Children of Promise

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"We, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.". (Ga 4:28-29)

The favorite exposition of this verse is to the effect that Ishmael "persecuted" Isaac at the weaning feast recorded in Ge 21:8-11. The incongruity of a fifteen-year-old lad "persecuting" a young child is not easily realized when a theological implication lies behind the situation and requires to be justified. In fact the word "mocking", in the Genesis account, which gave rise to the idea, has the meaning of light-hearted play or "larking about", as we would say, and this much better fits the case of a teen-age lad and his baby brother.

The word tsachaq occurs about a dozen times and means lighthearted play or familiarity, delighted laughter, sporting, jesting or levity with companions. Thus "Isaac was sporting with his wife Rebecca"; (Ge 26:8) Samson’s captors were making sport at his expense; (Jud 16:25) Sarah "laughed" at the promise of the birth of Isaac; (Ge 21:6) Israel "rose up to play before the golden calf; (Ex 32:6) Lot "seemed as one that mocked" when he told his sons-in-law of the coming doom of Sodom; Potiphar’s wife complained that Joseph "came in to me to mock me". (Ge 39:3-7) The idea of "persecution" is absent.

Abraham had already expressed his preference for the older lad. "Oh that Ishmael might live before thee" he had said when the Lord told him that Isaac was to be the heir. Sarah, jealous for her own son, said scornfully "the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac". (Ge 21:10) She claimed the advantage of the laws of Sumer, the land of their birth, which gave the priority to the son of the first wife, even though born later than the son of the second, and the Lord supported her.

In fact two much more momentous themes are contained within this remark by St. Paul. In the first place it should be noticed that in verse 24 he says the story of Hagar and Sarah, of Ishmael and Isaac, is, for his then immediate purpose, an allegory; what he goes on to talk about is obviously an allegorical application of the story. There are two spheres in which the relation of Ishmael to Isaac in the allegorical field enshrine this idea of "persecuting".

In the first place, although all the O.T. evidence, such as it is, goes to show that the literal Ishmael and Isaac lived their lives apart without interfering with each other and came together in friendly fashion at the burial of their father, the same was not true of their descendants. The tribes sprung from Ishmael were often found amongst Israel’s foes and at this very day their descendants as represented by various Arab peoples are Israel’s bitter enemies. This is one sense in which he that was born after the flesh (Ishmael) persecutes him that was born after the Spirit. This will not always be so; God told Abraham that He has a purpose for the sons of Ishmael also, and would make of them a great nation dwelling in the presence of their brethren of Isaac. We can expect a reconciliation and unity in time to come which may seem most unlikely today when one looks at the political situation.

The other sense within the context of St. Paul’s meaning concerns the relation between national Israel "after the flesh" and spiritual Israel, the Christian church, "after the Spirit". This was a matter of moment in St. Paul’s own day. Natural Israel, Jews under the Mosaic Covenant, bitterly opposed the incipient Christian church and did all in its power to arrest and thwart its growth. This aspect is the one St. Paul had particularly in mind. "Even so it is now" he says; "We, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise". Although opposed, persecuted and liable to be ensnared by the "children of the bondwoman" he exhorts his Galatian readers to "stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage". (Ga 5:1) Even here, of course, the "persecution" and the enmity is not to endure forever. Again, in the coming Millennial Age, God has a place and purpose for the natural House of Israel which will bring them into harmony and amicable relations with the spiritual House. The Church of Christ in the heavens, and restored and purified Israel on earth, will then be twin instruments in the Lord’s hand for the conversion of the world and the establishment of everlasting righteousness.

The God of All Space

1.Beginning of History

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Perhaps the most tantalizing part of the entire Bible is that enshrined in the first six chapters of the Book of Genesis, the history of that period which St. Peter calls "the world that then was", (2Pe 3:6) the world that subsisted before the Flood. So long a period, some two thousand years, yet so little said about all that men must have thought and done during that time. The coming into being of our first parents, their lapse into sin and expulsion from the garden, the first act of violence leading to the first death; two generations later, the bare statement that men "then began to call upon the name of the Lord". In the seventh generation, a holy man "walked with God, and was not, for God took him" without any explanation of where, why or the outcome. Then at much the same time the arts of metal-working and of music came into existence, and the emergence of a nomadic habit of life for some. Finally a mysterious irruption of heavenly beings who introduced a reign of terror and lawlessness in the world which led to a well-nigh universal corruption and a position when "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". (Ge 6: 5.) Not much on which to build a detailed history.

A detailed analysis can yield something of a picture, which, hypothetical as it must be on account of the paucity of material, might at least offer some perception of the nature of that world which now lies buried for ever under the sand and silt swept over it by the great waters. The very full geographical indications in the story of the Garden of Eden, when combined with the later narrative of Noah’s Flood, does at least give basis for setting out the stage upon which the events took place. That should enable a better mental picture of that world to be drawn. The very complete data recording men’s ages at death and at the birth of their eldest sons makes it possible to hazard an estimate of the growth of population from its beginning in Eden to its catastrophic end in the Flood which is at least better than the traditionary complete ignorance.

Most important of all, the story as here represented has to be taken on the literal reality of the Genesis statements. No other treatment is possible. Tentative as must be the conclusions and suggestions here made, they do at least show the reasonable and humanly possible nature of the account as it stands. The fact that all the characters lived a life span of some nine hundred years, and had their firstborn children in the region of two hundred years, ten times the present condition, must be accepted. The fact that angels from heaven did come to earth and accentuate the lawless conditions of human society towards the end must be accepted. Unusual and almost incredible as these things may appear to be to modern man, it has to be realized that the present is no guide to what may have been in the past. The continuing researches of modern geologists and climatologists and archaeologists in this Twentieth century are increasingly demonstrating that fact.

So we start where the Bible does, at the beginning, and look at the land which is described as the place God prepared for his intended human creation. At the center of that land lay the renowned Garden of Eden. This is not the place to discuss the details of Adam’s creation, the coming of Eve, the nature of the sin which involved the sentence of death, the fate of the Garden, the murder of Abel by Cain. All this has been presented elsewhere (BSM Jan/Feb 1981 to July/Aug 1982) so it must be the geographical element which is now to be predominant.

The second chapter of Genesis presents a full geographical statement, complete with names, defining the Garden of Eden. It lay on a river below the confluence of four tributaries, each of which is named. The names of the countries each tributary watered are also given. In addition, the name of the land to which Cain was exiled after his sin is given and its position relative to the Garden of Eden. One important principle must be observed; these names are not necessarily the names of those same places, if they can be identified, by which they are known today. Neither did they bear those names at the time of the events. The account in Ge 2. Vss. 1-10 and 15-25 is in the past tense; that is history. The description of the rivers and countries in Vss. 11-14 is in the present tense; these are the names existing when the present account was put into writing.

A Twentieth century writer, describing events of the Roman occupation of Britain in the First century and bringing the fighting around Leicester into his story would not use the then name of that city, "Ratae" if he wanted his readers to know what he was talking about. He would say "Leicester". So did the compiler of Ge 2: the next step is to identify that compiler, if possible.

Moses compiled the Book of Genesis from preexisting documents. The first eleven chapter contain a wealth of Sumerian words—words derived from the people of Sumer, the land from which Abraham came at the first, the earliest people of which known history yields any trace. This goes back to several centuries before Abraham, probably in the time of Eber four or five centuries earlier. Of the five territorial names recorded, four are known in Sumerian records; of the four rivers two are known. This is sufficient to pinpoint the area the 2500 B.C. writer had in mind when he compiled the account. It is an area some two hundred miles south of the present head of the Persian Gulf, now covered by the sea. "Eden" is the Sumerian Edinu, the Plain. the flat country of southern Iraq. "Nod" where Cain was exiled, is Nadu on the eastern side of the Gulf; where the River Mand (ships of Nadu) still perpetuates the name. "Cush" was the western side of the Gulf where lay the 2,000 B.C. land of Dilmun, celebrated in Sumerian legend as the site of the Garden of Eden. Assyria retained its name until the sixth century B.C. Havilah (properly Khavilah) lay in the present north-western area of Iran, where the name of the Caspian Sea was the "Sea of Khavilah" until the 10th century AD.

The four rivers are identified as the modern Euphrates and Tigris (Hiddekel) in Iraq, the Kherkhah (Pison) in Iran, and the Wady el Batin (Gihon) in northern Arabia. all of which converge together at the northern end of the Gulf (although the Wady el Batin has been dried up since the seventeenth century AD. due to the slow elevation of eastern Arabia).

This, at any rate, is where the earliest known editor of the Book of Genesis believed to be the place where man first appeared on earth—and he lived much nearer to the events than do we today.

The literal authenticity of the story of Adam and Eve, the Temptation, the Fall, the expulsion from the Garden, and so on, has been dealt with in detail in the past (BSM 1981—1982) but this analysis of what little is said about the pre-deluvian world has to take the story as literally true even though there may be more behind the setting of the narrative than appears. The sin involved in the partaking of the forbidden fruit, for example, may have been in the significance of the act and not the act itself, just as the partaking of bread and wine in the celebration of the Last Supper is of no merit in itself; it is the significance of the ceremony which matters.

What happened to the Garden? In the story there was placed at its border "Cherubim, with a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep (inviolate) the way of the Tree of Life". Cherubim, the mystic guardians of God’s Throne, with a mystic Flaming Sword, is evidently poetic. Whatever it was, the stricken pair could never go near the Garden again. lt is a geological fact that a wide stretch of oil and gas-bearing strata crosses the Persian Gulf just at the point where the ancient chronicler located the Garden and marine oil wells exist there today. Was that "Flaming Sword" a dim reminiscence of a catastrophe somewhat similar to that of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the underground oil deposits erupted in a cataclysm of flame and fire which destroyed the Cities of the Plain? A similar occurrence did happen in the Zagros Mountains in Iran not far from the site of Eden in early Sumerian times, giving rise to the legend of the seven Scorpion Gods whose fiery plumes desolated an area of four hundred square miles for several centuries before burning themselves out. Is that what happened to Eden?

How long the time of innocence in Eden? No one knows. The pre-christian Rabbis hazarded a guess at six hours. Nineteenth century chronologists made a case for two years. There is no data to go upon. It may or may not have been before the birth of Cain and Abel, but certainly before the act which brought about the first death, and it was that act which closed the first recorded story in human history.

It is a well-known story, how Cain and Abel both brought offerings of their respective labors to the Lord in recognition of his goodness, Cain of the fruits of the ground, for he was an agriculturist, and Abel of his flocks, for he was a stock-keeper, God rejected Cain’s offering and accepted Abel’s, and Cain, moved by resentment and jealousy, killed his brother. It is not stated why God rejected the offering of Cain and the AV. does not make it clear. The Hebrew words employed reveal the truth. Abel brought the firstborn of his female lambs, the best he had to give. Cain brought. not the first fruits, nor yet the best of his crop, but the later and inferior summer fruits (see BSM Sept./ Oct. 1987 for full analysis of the story). Abel gave of his best; Cain of his second best. So the Divine sentence was pronounced. Banishment from the family circle and the land in which he had been brought up, an outcast with his wife into an alien land in which he and his family were to live and labor apart from the rest of Adam’s family.

That land, said the ancient chronicler, was the land known in his own times, 25th century B.C. as the land of Nadu (Nod in the AV) on the present coast of Iran to the east of his site for the Garden of Eden, which is what Genesis says. The name remains to this day in the name of its chief river, the river Mand. A rugged. mountainous and inhospitable country, it rises to heights of six or eight thousand feet, with just a narrow plain through which the River Mand makes its way. A valley about thirty miles by twenty is the only place where Cain could settle and raise crops for the sustenance of his growing family. Here the sons of Cain must have eked out a meager living: in the eighth generation they were miners, extracting copper and iron from those same mountains. as men did in historic times thousands of years later.

So the geography of the Garden of Eden and the land of Nod can be traced today on modern maps, just as it is recorded in the Book of Genesis.

So the "world that was" had its commencement, there, in a land long since submerged by the waters of the Persian Gulf, where two solitary human beings. created and given life by the Most High God, awakened into conscious life and recognized themselves for what they were, and started the whole process of human history which, thousands of years later, has brought the world of man to its present condition. That world came to its end some two thousand years afterwards by the Flood of Noah’s day, when sin had submerged the world in such a morass of corruption and misery that God brought it to an end and made a fresh start. The first episode in the history of humankind opens with the creation of a perfect human pair, capable of living their lives in harmony and communion with God and so into eternity; it closes with their open rebellion against God and his righteousness and their banishment into an unfinished environment in which they had to experience for themselves the wages of sin. History opens in Genesis with the entry of sin; it goes on into prophecy and the Book of Revelation which closes the story with recovery from sin.

To be continued.

Prayer

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"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mr 1:35)

The details are quite graphic and paint for us a clear picture of Jesus during those happy days of his popular ministry in Galilee. Yet He was aware of the dangers of popularity and of spending too long in one place. As we read on, it is apparent that the sun was up and people were about again, searching for their hero. Jesus knew better, and if there had been any doubt in his mind when He arrived at that quiet spot. He now knew, after communion with his Father, what He must do. He said to the eager disciples. "Let us go somewhere else—so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come. (vs.38)

Luke gives the most complete record of our Lord’s prayer life. Luke was the Gentile writer of the New Testament who spent much time with Paul on his journeys. He is the evangelist who shows us the words of Paul in action "Pray continually... "pray in the spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests..." (1Th 5:17 Eph 6:18)

Luke clearly establishes the links between the teachings of Paul and the work of Jesus. While it is Luke who tells us where and when Jesus prayed, it is John, the writer of the Fourth gospel, who gives us a detailed prayer of our Lord in chapter 17.

Like many children brought up in the fear and nurture of God, Jesus must have learned how to pray at his parents’ side. By the time He had reached twelve years old He understood that God was his Father. (Lu 2:49) In Gethsemane He called God by the familiar form for Father

"Abba" (in our language, "Daddy" (Mr 14:36) which is the confident but tender address of a child to its father.

There are skills that need to be learnt, as in making requests and expressing appreciation for the goodness and gifts of a parent. Parents who explore these experiences with their children as they grow from birth, communicate with their offspring long before actual speech is learnt. These are the first lessons in prayer and perhaps have reference to Ro 8:15,16,26.

As a child. Jesus would learn extensive portions of the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament). He must have become very familiar with the stories of the great heroes of Israel. He would have known about Abraham’s, great intercessory prayer on behalf of the cities of the plain. (Ge 18:16-33) He would probably be able to recite the great dedication prayer of Solomon. (2Ch 6) He would have known well the prayerful yearnings of Samuel and Jeremiah over a people and king who were backsliding from God. He would have read the expectant yet repentant prayers of Nehemiah and Daniel. as they looked forward to the restored Israel. Perhaps most of all he pondered the mighty Moses who had enjoyed "face to face" communion with his God. (Ex 33:11)

Jesus teaching about prayer, and the prayers recorded of him, demonstrate the spirit of childhood which Jesus said would characterize those who entered the kingdom of heaven. The characteristics are dependence and need. Development of those traits enables praying believers to focus upon God and not upon self.

The first reference to our Lord praying is in Lu 3:21, as He came up out of the waters of Jordan. He appears to be having a two way conversation with his Father. There we have the first of those remarkable utterances from Heaven "this is my son" said at the critical point in the life of Jesus from which He began his ministry. It was an event which showed the Jewish people that He was about to lay down his life in order to bring them salvation. It is an example to every believer that at such important experiences in our lives we should pray to our heavenly Father, that He may direct our paths by his Holy Spirit. Jesus urged his disciples to pray for the Holy Spirit. Immediately following his baptism in the River Jordan, Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the desert where He was tempted by Satan. At each succeeding critical point in his life it is recorded that Jesus specially devoted time to prayer.

When the Lord prepared to select the apostles, the men who were to be trained and sent out as the foundation members of the Christian Church, he spent all night in prayer. (Lu 6:12) Jesus needed to be sure that He was choosing the right men for this job. They were gifts received from his Father, and He, the sinless son of God, filled with the Holy Spirit, needed to pray about such decisions. He could be tempted to choose leaders of the Church for the wrong reasons by putting his own human feelings before the purpose of God. In another prayer just before his death He was praying again about these men and their special needs in the days that would follow his Departure."they were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your Word."(john17: 6). Jesus had great concern for these men, and it was no easy task protecting and strengthening such raw recruits to be the leaders of the new kingdom. As the suffering drew near, Jesus had much to teach men like Peter the way of the Lord. "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail...", (Lu 22:32) Jesus could not wave his hand over the band of disciples to protect them by magic. This was the real world and they had to face real temptations. It was in such situations that Jesus had grown spiritually and it was in such situations that his disciples also grew to be like him.

Another very critical time in the work of Jesus came when He did the miracle of "the feeding of the five thousand". The year of popularity was really ended but He continued to be the center of attraction, and great crowds went to him. As the thousands dispersed from the meal of bread and fish Jesus told his disciples to get into a boat and go ahead of him to the other side of the lake. He needed to be alone with God. He had been bereaved of his cousin John the Baptizer. He had been or was about to be challenged by the crowd to become their king. So He withdrew to the mountainside and there spent time in prayer. (Mt 14:23) To reject the people’s support would be more than a disappointment for them. Jesus loved these people but now they would turn away from him. This was a turning point in his life and He needed the Father’s strength as He laid bare his life in deep humility and patience. Jesus wanted the kingdom to come as much as we all do. He suffered more than we, as He looked at stricken humanity in all its poverty and sickness. Yet He must wait and pass through the valley of shadows itself.

In such an atmosphere He came to Caesarea Philippi with the "twelve" and asked them the momentous question "Who do men say that I am?" Lu 9:18 records that this question was asked "when Jesus was praying in private". The crucifixion was approaching and He and the disciples must be prepared. Thus it was that while they were in an attitude of prayer the great revelation was made known. Jesus began to speak to them of his suffering and death. A little later the three most intimate disciples were to go with Jesus to a mountain, (Lu 9:28) for the specific purpose of praying, and while they were there, Jesus was changed, his face and clothing became bright white and they all saw a vision of Elijah and Moses. This is not the place to examine what happened to them all just then but this was further preparation for the coming ordeal and it occurred while Jesus was praying.

While the three disciples were on the mountain with Jesus the others were on the lower slopes and were attempting unsuccessfully to heal a very sick boy. When Jesus returned and healed the boy it was natural for the disciples to ask why they had been unable to perform the miracle. While Matthew’s account tells us that they were short of faith, Mr 9:29 says that Jesus explained to them the need for much prayer.

The implication in Luke’s record is that these great spiritual experiences which reveal the immediate purpose of God and the work of Jesus Christ were linked with prayer. There could be a parallel with our experience. Times of prayer can become the wonderful moments when God reveals something of his guidance and glory.

There were times when Jesus was in agony of mind over the conditions around him and there were great stirrings of his human emotions. There were other times when He praised God with much thankfulness for the wonderful things that were happening. One of these was on the return of the "seventy" (or was it seventy two disciples?). As the disciples had gone around preaching and healing, Jesus had seen the powers of darkness shaken and realized that the conquest of evil was in sight. Luke records that "at that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit said, I praise you Father, Lord of heaven and earth..." and again "Father, I thank you that you, heard me". (Joh 11:41) It is apparent from the accounts that Jesus need not have made audible public praise, for communication with God was continuous from within. Yet so that the disciples and the people around should know what was going on, He spoke audibly in prayer and thus the praise of God overflowed among those who were with him in spirit.

The deep feelings are of another nature in the next chapter when Philip brought the Greek enquirers to him. The glory of the Father can only be fully revealed in the intense suffering and death of the days ahead. From this point onwards until Gethsemane, He utters groans and questions, with tears and sighs of intense agony. These are referred to in Heb 5: 7, "During the days of Jesus’s life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission...". This was learning obedience through what He suffered and attaining maturity through agony of soul. In all these experiences Jesus wanted only to know and to do the Father’s will, so that God could be glorified in the life and death of his Son. It is when we catch the spirit of those glories and groanings, joys and sorrows, for that one reason and purpose, the glory of the Father, that we truly follow Jesus.

On one occasion the disciples went to Jesus while He was praying and asked him to teach them to pray. (Lu 11:1) Do we need to learn to pray? Surprisingly Jesus had already given them some instruction in prayer during the Sermon on the Mount. What prompted the question now? They were aware that John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray and that it was the custom of the Pharisee teachers to do the same for their followers. They were also becoming aware perhaps that Jesus’ approach to God was very different from anything they or anyone else had ever been taught.

An examination of the parable of the two sons (Lu 15:11-32) gives us an insight into the way in which we may first approach God. We, like the prodigal son, come to our senses at last and realize that we ought to seek our Father. It is one of the most enlightening stories in the world. It teaches us how the most derelict sinner may draw near to the great Creator of the Universe, the majestic and holy God. If coming to him so often with our every want breeds contempt by familiarity then we need to ponder his majesty and greatness. Our perception of him is almost certainly too small. Should we not adopt the attitude and spirit of the prodigal who was determined to go to his father and confess his faults and admit that he hardly deserved the lowest place in the household. At once the vision changes and we see the outstretched arms of the father wanting him to come home as a son. How much that picture of God reflects the words of Jesus to a sinful woman of Samaria—"the Father seeketh such", to worship him not on a sacred mountain or in a mighty temple, but anywhere, so long as the searching is made without hypocrisy but in sincerity and in reality.

The same attitude of heart and mind is shown in Jesus’ other teachings about prayer recorded in Mt 6 and Lu 18. It is so easy for committed disciples of the Lord Jesus, now, to think that the religious leaders and pagans of the First century were the only ones to have the wrong spirit concerning prayer. When Jesus told the parable of the two men praying in the Temple, He had in mind also those who would believe on him because of the message of the early disciples. Many a Christian has silently prayed wishfully "dear Lord, I give thanks I am not as that Pharisee". There is such a danger in the Twentieth century to believe that we can enter the presence of God with feelings of pride, of achievement and of self exaltation, to the extent that we suffer from the sin of conceit in our hearts and lives. If that is so, then we shall not be ready for what follows in the teachings of Jesus, nor the model prayers of Mt 6. and Lu 11. The primary principle of prayer is the hardest lesson to learn and is focusing attention upon God rather than upon self. In the parable it is not the words of the sons which are of paramount importance but the words of the father. In the joy of reconciliation, there is a gentleness in the rebuke of the father, not of wrath and upbraiding. His one desire was to have the erring son back in the homestead, to restore the relationship and renew the fellowship. The story should be read alongside every passage in the Old and New Testament which speaks of the wrath of God. The question for the believer today is "Have I truly come home?" —have I really entered into the spirit of that home and have I discovered the compassion and joy of that home? The Father eagerly awaits his child, but the child may yet have disappointed the Father.

TRAVELS OF ABRAHAM

1. Ur to Canaan

13

He was named, by his father, Abu-Ramu "the storm-god thy father", more familiarly known by the Hebrew equivalent Abram. His father Tarakhu (Terah) was an idolater, a devotee of the Moon-god. Terah’s name itself meant "Gazelle of the Moon-god" and the gazelle itself was a sacred animal in Moon-god worship. But in that pagan religion there was an element of a once older faith for Abram’s brother Har-Anu (Haran) meaning "Anu the great One" was an acknowledgment to Anu, the Most High God, the God of Heaven, supreme of all the gods of Sumer, revered as the only One God in the distant past of Abram’s ancestors, Noah and Eber, who served the Most High God when there were no other gods known to man. And something of those early patriarchs must have come down to Abram, for he too revered and served that same Most High God and rejected all the other gods of Sumer.

Abram was married to Sar-ai (Sarai) one of several names applied to the heavenly wife of the Moon-god. She was a daughter of his deceased brother Haran, ten years younger than himself. Together with Sarai’s younger brother Lu-Utu (Lot) "man of the Sun-god" and the other brother Nahor and his wife Mal-katu (Milcah), another name for the wife of the Moon-god, Sarais sister, they lived together in one large and well-equipped house in the busy industrial and merchant city of Uri-ki (Ur of the Chaldees) at the northern end of what is now called the Persian Gulf, (although the ruins of Ur are now a hundred miles from the sea). To that city came the merchant vessels from distant lands bringing valuable metals like copper and gold, and the products of tropical countries from afar, from lands like Dilmun (now Bahrein) and Magan (south Arabia) and Melukha (now Pakistan) and from places farther east where they met vessels from China and exchanged goods and traded, for that time was much like the present and commercialism held sway and trade was brisk. So life was pleasant and busy and profitable in Ur of the Chaldees and in all probability Abram himself was a prosperous trader for he would certainly have no part nor lot in his father’s equally profitable business in the manufacture of teraphim, little images of the gods which every respectable Sumerian kept in his house to protect from demons and all harm.

But times were changing. The great days of the Third Dynasty of Ur were now a century or more in the past, when its last king Ibi-Sin was slain by the invading Elamites from the eastern mountains, and Elamite power was in the ascendancy. Now the city-state of Babylon in the north under its famous king Hammurabi (Amraphel in Ge 14) was threatening Elam and before long would be dominant. So the future of Ur began to look bleak. and Terah may not have been the only one wondering what to do about it.

It was at this juncture that the word of the Lord came to Abram.

"Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, to a land that I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed".

And Abram did as the Lord commanded.

He did not go alone. His wife and brother-in-law Lot accompanied him, and his father Terah. It is very likely that Terah, reviewing the current political situation, felt that there were probably safer places in the world than Ur, and that trade might well be equally brisk in Ur’s twin-city Kharanu (Haran) in the far north some six hundred miles away, a merchant city like Ur, sacred to the Moon-god like Ur, and situated on the great trade route which came in from Siberia in the east and went on to the land of the Canaanites on the shores of the Mediterranean, from whence their merchant vessels carried goods to and from the far west. A mainly Sumerian city, inhabited by a mixture of Sumerians and Semites and Canaanites, there would be just as much demand for his teraphim as in Ur. So to Haran they decided to go. Nahor and his wife Milcah remained, although they did follow some sixty years later, by which time Terah was dead and Abram long settled in Canaan.

They went northward, almost certainly accompanying one of the caravans of traders which were always traversing the land, following the road which ran more or less alongside the great river, the River Euphrates, the life-blood of the land, through the wheatfields and date-palm groves and vegetable farms which in Abraham’s day constituted the granary of the ancient world, although today that same land only produces oil and cannot feed itself. Northward through Uruk (Erech, Ge 10) one of the earliest of cities, one of whose kings was Gilgamish who was reputed to have traveled to the ends of the earth to find his ancestor Noah who survived the great Flood, to get from him the secret of eternal life, and failed in his quest. Then to Shuruppak, the city where the Ark was built, so said the legend, and landed safely on the Mount of the East. A hundred and fifty miles from Ur he passed through the gates of Babylon, not yet the world’s greatest city but rapidly on the way to becoming so, sacred to the sun-god, the Son of the Most High God, Redeemer of mankind, champion of the gods. But in Abram’s time he was hardly known as a god; so recently as two centuries before Abram was born the name of the city meant "the Gate of God" but when he passed through it the name was "the Gate of the gods" and that change is significant for when Babylon was founded there was only one God known—the Most High God. Even in Abram’s time he was known as "Abram of the Most High God".

So on until Sumer was left behind and the little company traversed the land of Man, and entered its capital city with its magnificent palace and temples and monuments, the very existence of which was quite unknown until the early part of the present century. Semites, not Sumerians, descended from Shem like Abram himself, but idolators; these were the people of Man—but here was no Promised Land. Then, at last, six hundred miles from Ur, Terah’s immediate goal, Haran, city of the Moon-god, even though its very name testified to its being sacred to the Most High God of Heaven in the days of its founding, when there were no false gods. Here they stayed for probably some twenty years, with every likelihood of Terah resuming his trade.

Abram too must have prospered in Haran. He almost certainly took up farming, for it was at this time he increased his establishment and had servants and laborers, with children born to them. (Ge 12:5) — the description does not fit a merchant trader but it does fit a typical farming community. And so, twenty years later, he could have been a fairly well-to-do farmer, halfway through life at seventy-five, and still no sign of the land which God had promised to show him... for Haran was a Sumerian city and by no means the undefiled land he had been promised.

Then, at the age of two hundred and five, Terah died.

By Sumerian custom, the father was the head of the family until his death. Until Terah’s death Abram was not altogether a free agent. but now he was free. His only brother Nahor was still back in Ur of the Chaldees. Now, surely, the sign would come!

Perhaps he needed no sign. He was free to forsake this land of many gods and seek one where he could serve his Lord in spirit and in truth. He may or may not have heard tell of the land of Canaan, a land of wide pastures and no traders. Whether or not, it was to be southward now, toward the land of Canaan, that his thoughts turned. So he disposed of his land, gathered his servants and herdsmen, his flocks and herds, together, and set out to go to the land which God would show him. There must have been some form of Divine guidance which told him that there to the south lay the place to which he had been called to go.

Two hundred miles through the northern plains, where busy cities followed one after another, interspersed with smiling farmlands in between, caravans of merchants making their way to the east where the Canaanite Phoenicians waited to barter for their goods and carry them in their ships to the distant countries of the West; a thriving land indeed, where stood in Abram’s day prosperous cities whose buried remains have only in this twentieth century been discovered and excavated, revealing so much of what is known of the shining civilization of the ancient East—Ras Shamra and Alalykh and Ebla—but Abram passed them by without stopping, for he sought "a city that hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God". (Heb 11:10) Now the pasture-lands were left behind, and he faced the forbidding mountains of Lebanon. He must have seen the celebrated forests of cedars, famous and coveted throughout the ancient world, and labored to ascend the precipitous roads with all his possessions. A weary journey it must have been, all hundred miles of it, until at length he scaled the heights of Mount Hermon and viewed, far below and far away, a land greener and fairer by far than any he had as yet encountered in his travels. And he knew within himself that this was the land he sought, the land to which God had guided him—the land of Canaan.

So, thankfully, he descended to the plain, finding there rich herbage for his flocks and herds, and there, perhaps, remained awhile to recuperate from the rigors of the mountain passage. The land was almost uninhabited at that time; a tiny village here and there and plenty of room for newcomers.

The few tribesmen he did meet would have been friendly and allowed him to pass without interference; there was plenty for all. So, onward by degrees, another hundred miles and then, perhaps five on six months after leaving Haran, he came to the shores of a great land-locked sea, a lake which in later days men were to call the Sea of Galilee, and there he must have rested again.

Perhaps it was the Spirit of the Lord that led him to continue a little farther. Setting out once more, and skirting the western shores of the lake where in later days the Lord Jesus was to minister in towns as yet unbuilt, he went another hundred miles until he came to a place the native people told him was called Shechem. There, by what means we know not, he knew that this was the land to which he had been guided. There he pitched camp and there he built an altar to the Lord. At last he was in his Promised Land!

To be continued.

The Glory of Jesus

15

"He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him". (Isa 53:2)

It is illogical to take these words as descriptive of our Lord’s personal appearance when one remembers that He was humanly perfect as was Adam and that the physical aspect of Jesus must have been one of overpowering beauty and majesty. It is unthinkable that the Son of God should walk this earth in any form other than one suited to the fact that He was indeed the Son of God. It is a significant fact that the descriptions of Jesus dating from the days of the Early Church all present him as possessed of grace and beauty; it was not until later centuries, when the influence of a gloomy asceticism was fastening itself upon the Church. that the conception of Jesus as physically unlovely took the lead, and texts like this were taken out of their setting and inter-preted in a grossly literal sense.

The glory of Jesus was not of this world. That was the truth over which Israel stumbled and that is why they saw no beauty in him to desire. A king must, in their eyes, be possessed of outward majesty and glory; he must be arrayed in costly raiment and flashing jewels; he must have courtiers and servants and a shouting crowd to attend him wherever he went. There were three things, yea, four, said the Wise Man in Proverbs, which "go well" and are "comely in going". A lion, which is strongest among beasts, a greyhound, a he-goat, and a king, "against whom there is no rising up". (Pr 30:29-3 1) He marveled at the strength of the lion, the speed of the greyhound, the irresistible force of the he-goat, and the power of the king.

These things, he said, are "comely" —but there was none of that in the demeanor of the Prince of Peace.

I AM OF...

A discussion on Christian unity

16

One of the deepest and most elusive aspects of the believer’s standing in Christ is the fact that all believers are members of one Body—a Body over which the Lord Jesus is the Head. The statement of the Lord that He is the true Vine of which every Spirit-united believer is a branch has stood before the Christian Church since its earliest days, yet in all the years of the Church’s pilgrimage, it may not be too much to say, the truth of that fact has never been fully realized. From those early days the tongues and pens of her ablest sons have tried repeatedly to explain what that sacred "One-ness" means, but never have they made the outward organization of the Church agree with deductions drawn from the Holy Word. It is one thing to hold this doctrine as an article of faith; it is quite another to realize it as a matter of experience. Even in those days when the disciples had all things in common, the early company of believers failed to realize that full degree of Christian unity. An Ananias was found among them—a token that other interests had crept in. The widows of the homeland Jews were getting more attention than the widows of the Grecian Jews and dissatisfaction and murmuring arose. While these symptoms were of no great severity and were promptly put right, yet they were as the small occasional bubble rising to the water’s rim which showed that there was fermentation down below. We find the microscopic pattern of the whole Christian Church within the walls of the Corinthian ecclesia. It had not reached the unity of Christ. "It hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren... that there are contentions among you, Now this I mean, that each of you saith, ‘I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ ".( 1 Con. 1. 11-12 R.V.) What these divisions were may be gathered from careful scrutiny of Paul’s epistles to his Corinthian friends. Phrases here and whole paragraphs there describe the peculiarities and differences of this party and that, so that it is possible to construct an outline of these hostile elements pretending to fellowship as one whole.

The churches resulting from Paul’s earliest missionary labors were composed of two hostile and incompatible elements they contained both Jews and Gentiles. Long-standing hereditary animosities had to be overcome in the converts from either side, and, so long as outside adverse elements did not introduce themselves these animosities were curbed, if not suppressed, by the thrill of belonging to the same Lord, and by mutual participation in salvation through his blood. The first disturbing influence to break into these happy scenes proceeded from the mother Church at Jerusalem. In that city many thousands, who in some measure had believed (Ac 21:20) still remained zealous of the Law, and strove hard against Paul to maintain the rites and practices inherent in the Law. Learning of the large influx of Gentiles into some of the distant churches, they sought to compel them to submit to circumcision—telling them "Unless ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved". (Ac 15:1) Emissaries from James and the mother-Church followed in the wake of Paul and crept into the little companies he had gathered, and in his absence sowed these seeds of disturbing thought. This happened everywhere where Paul’s intensive labor had gathered a little nucleus of believing souls, and rent the perplexed companies in twain.

The baneful influence of Jerusalem had been felt in the Corinthian Church. At least two sections of this divided Church had been created by this influence. These were the parties professing to follow Peter and Christ. These parties held themselves aloof from the un-circumcised Gentile converts, and where the influence from Jerusalem was strong (as at Antioch, see Ga 2:11-13) would not deign to eat with their Gentile brethren. This separation of the Jewish element had its reaction on the Gentile element. Greece had long been notorious for its speculative philosophies—its communities, as at Athens (Ac 17:21) always seeking to learn some new thing. As at Jerusalem, where over-zealous souls sought to blend the Gospel into the Law, so at Corinth enthusiastic tutors sought to amalgamate the Gospel with native philosophy and teach things which the Jewish section could not accept. These were the men who lined themselves behind the name of Apollos, himself a native of Alexandria where Oriental philosophy had established its principal school. It was from this section denial of the resurrection of the dead arose (1 Cor. 15). Then there were some who misinterpreted Christian liberty. Taking as their warranty Paul’s teaching that the true believer in Christ was set free from the Law, they stretched this teaching to mean that they were not under law on restraints of any kind, that no act was to be accounted sinful or censurable. All kinds of gross immorality were tolerated and excused—such immorality as was not sanctioned even in the unbelieving Gentile world (1 Cor. 5).

But there were others who understood Paul aright and sought, like their father-in-God, to live holy and upright lives—some, who from among the Jews, had found the burden of the Law intolerable; some also from the Gentiles who rejoiced in the salvation brought into their lives through Jesus’ sacrifice. What strange admixture of outlook and teaching was gathered together in this one ecclesia at Corinth! Truly it seems as if that Church was the dumping-ground for all the theological and philosophical garbage of the earth! Together with the proclamation of the pure Gospel of Grace and the Cross of Christ. there was the enunciation of Mosaic claims, and the propagation of Oriental mysteries, interspersed by the impudent clamor of those brazen enough to excuse the blackest sin. With diversities such as these is it to be expected that anything but division could ensue? Without doubt every section could offer some justification for its attitude and for its separateness, and throw on some other group the blame for the disunited state of the Church. Seeing that neither Paul, Peter, nor Apollos, were resident elders in the Corinthian Church it is obvious that every group must have had some leading man or men at its head around whose dominating personalities the members of each party were ranged. Apostles and evangelists paid no more than flying visits, then went on their way. Resident elders remained to carry on where Apostles left off.

This was where the trouble began. Division was not engineered nor sanctioned by the Apostolic visitor, but no sooner had he left than comparisons were drawn and preferences expressed concerning the nature of their several ministries. And they who became the most readily articulate were just those who should have deprecated such comparisons and rebuked such preferences. Thus, as the forefront brethren expressed their preference for this or that style of utterance and for this or that view of the outworking of the Divine Plan, the rank and file ranged themselves in alignment with this or that leading elder in his approval and support of this Apostle or evangelist, and his attack upon the nest of the visiting ministers. The rank and file were not much to be blamed—they only followed where they were led. The fault was in the shepherds of the flock who, forgetful of the task laid upon them by the Lord, turned away from the ministry of holy things to discuss personalities with their merits and relative demerits. Each group could justify its attitude and make out a good case for the position it assumed.

"If only Paul would be content to be like Peter, and not open the door widely to Gentile dogs, there would be far more of our own kith and kin embrace Gospel truth." "Paul does not seem to realize that what he gains from Gentile lands he more than repels from among his own people." "If only he was content to be like Peter and James—men who really saw the Lord, and heard the Gospel from his mouth, there would be thousands more who, though still remaining zealous of the law, would accept Jesus as the Messiah of Israel." Thus spake the supporter of Peter’s claims.

More violent and dangerous than these were the "holier-than-thou" "go-to-the-fountain-head" zealot who said he was "of Christ". Is it assumed that here, at last, was one party beyond reproach, and knew where its allegiance should be placed? Not a bit of it! Headed, perhaps, by some venerable patriarch who had visited Jerusalem in the Masters earthly days, and heard the discourse of He who spake with such authority, had accepted and believed his testimony direct, he carried it away to this foreign soil, he forgot much and mistook much of what the Blessed One had spoken. so that now it was but a travesty of what it should have been.

It is to this group Paul refers when he writes again. (2Co 10:7) "If any man trusteth in himself that he is Christ’s, let him consider this again with himself that, even as he is Christ’s, so also are we. Of Paul, this section had not one good word to say. They challenged his Apostleship, first, because he never saw the Lord in the flesh, and next because he did not presume to live upon the brethren, but labored with his own hands. Though admitting that his letters were weighty and strong, they held in ridicule both his personal presence and his speech. He was "straight-laced" "not-as-these-other-men", Phariseeism masquerading in a supposed Christian garb, and justifying it all in the name of him who accepted all.

What was amiss? Why did all this fleshliness of outlook prevail? Because they had not understood the purport of the Gospel call. It was a new thing in the world. Judaism had been divided into rival schools, Heathenism had had its myriad cults. They could not conceive that the Gospel call was of a different nature altogether. Every leader lived for and fostered the interests of his own following. Each one was partisan and sectarian. No single one could labor for the good of all. Not one amongst them could or would say "We are all of Christ" on viewing the broken ranks, say "Let us all together strive to be of Christ". That was their fault they were myopic, hard-hearted, suspicious, and uncharitable. They scrupled not to interdict, to slander and defame those for whom Christ had died, and who had been sent forth in his Name.

There was a little truth, or some semblance of truth, in the teachings of each group. What they would not see was the truth held by the rival groups. They did not realize that they saw only "in part" and not the whole truth. They did not see that truth must be progressive and grow from bud to bloom. Each section thought it had "the truth. the whole truth and nothing but the truth", and would not for a moment allow that any rival section subscribed to truth. Each rival leader thought he had all the truth and ministered what he had for his own following alone. To one group and its leaders Cephas possessed the hallmark—to another group Apollos was the criterion, to still another Paul, and to the straitest group of all, an earthly Christ. And as at Corinth, so has it been throughout the Age. So truly has the glorious ideal of Christian Unity been at once both mirage and morass—a mirage to draw onward, and a morass to engulf.

There may have been some true saints in every section of the Corinthian Church, but no single elder or leader therein was able to minister to all such saints, because the deeper and profounder things of the Christian faith had been overlaid and obscured by lesser and shallower things. Nor. so long as the dividing boundaries were observed, could saint reach out to saint over the barriers. But—and this is the great fact outstanding in true Christian relationship—while their sense of oneness was dulled and impaired, it made no difference to the actual One-ness in the heavenly Courts. That actual One-ness is an other-worldly spiritual thing, registered in heaven above. It is a mystic union of kindred souls, joined to the Lord, who died with him in his death, and were raised with him because He lives, yet running their earthly course, centuries apart, perhaps, with whole continents or oceans lying between their habitats and found one here, and another there; —but in spite of all earthly handicaps, linked and joined up to their Lord and Head. The Shepherd of the flock knows all his sheep and no man plucks them from his hand, no matter how that man despoils the pasture, or fouls the flowing streams of truth.

It is not easy to maintain the sense of unity, even today. While the real interests of every sheep is in the great Shepherd’s hands, the sense that we are of one calling can be blurred and dulled by an elder’s unhelpful ministry. Too much insistence upon secondary things can upset the balance of the mind concerning more important things and tend to divert attention from the all-essential relationships. Such over-insistence may suit a "following", but it does not minister to the needs of the whole flock. It tends to apply itself to only a "part" —and that is Corinth over again!

Mistakes in theology may indeed need to be corrected, and a stand may have to be made for Truth, but the Christian cannot live on negatives or on denials of another man’s theology. He must have the positive affirmations of the Word as his provender. And more than that, while "truth" must be, at times, defended and proclaimed, "Truth" is not the greatest thing in the Christian economy. The proclamation of Truth is but a means to an end, and the end is greater than the means. God revealed his Truth to win for himself a family and every son and daughter today is greater in God’s sight than any spoken means that led them into that relationship. The child is more precious in the Father’s sight than even the most correct definition of a truth. Let us never forget that fact.

This conclusion remains. There are some aspects of Truth which separate the flock and divide its interests. There are some other aspects that unite, and deepen the present sense of unity. Insistence on secondary things can work present injury to sensitive souls, and draw barriers down the ranks, keeping saint from kindred saint. Only when minds have been dulled by deprivation of essential truth do they reach the point where they begin to say "I am of...."

Is it not the duty then of every pen and voice to seek the interests of all the flock—of all the brethren known and unknown, both inside and outside our present fellowship and seek to feed the wearied sheep with such provender that will make the sense of one-ness keen and sharp? Then, as any modern Paul may plant or some present-day Apollos water. God can use both to produce increase to the flock.

Jethro the Midianite

19

Handsome of person. tall and lean, thoughtful in demeanor and a man of few words. That is how the medieval Arab commentators of the Koran described Jethro the Midianite—Shoaib as they called him, surnamed Khatib al Anbiya, "preacher of the prophets". The Koran says it was he who gave Moses the power to work miracles before Pharaoh, and speaks with pride of the fact that he was Moses’ father-in-law; pride, because Jethro was not an Israelite, he was an Arab, and as an Arab was used to play a prominent part in the out-working purposes of God.

The Koran has not much else to say about Jethro, and what there is has little value compared with the much more detailed and life-like picture given in the Bible. This hitherto unknown desert sheik was destined to play a vital role in the preparation of Moses for his memorable work as the Leader of Israel in their journey to the Promised Land.

The story commences forty years before the Exodus, when Moses, becoming aware of Israel’s need of a champion, had killed an Egyptian taskmaster and in consequence was being hunted by Pharaoh’s officers. Somehow or other he must flee Egypt and find refuge in some distant land where Pharaoh could not find him. He got across the frontier without being apprehended and found himself on the Sinai side of the Red Sea where forty years later all Israel was to cross with a mighty deliverance. His first impulse was probably to make his way to Canaan, two or three weeks’ journey through sparsely inhabited territory, but he would quickly reflect that Canaan was under Egyptian influence and he might easily be detected or betrayed and taken back to Egypt. The alternative was to turn southward and plunge into the mountainous terrain of Central Sinai. Even so he must needs observe caution, for in that direction, only forty miles from Mount Sinai itself, were the copper mines of Serabit el Khadim, where a strong force of Egyptian soldiery superintended the work of the slave miners, and the high road to the mines, always busy with traveling officials and convoys of copper being taken to Egypt. Moses must have made his way cautiously, perhaps traveling mostly by night, until he was clear of the mines and well on the way to the south.

So it came about that, seeking to put as great a distance as possible between himself and Egypt, he rounded the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, climbed the mountain barrier which rears its peaks five thousand feet in the air and divides Western Sinai from Eastern Sinai, and then, looking down from those heights, saw the place he sought.

They call it Sharm el Sheikh nowadays; since the six-day war Israel has built a holiday resort there. When Moses looked down upon the land he saw a green plain something like fifteen miles long by ten wide, bounded upon three sides by the mountains on which he was now standing, and upon the fourth by the blue waters of the Gulf of Akaba. A perfect haven, he must have thought; cut off from the world, far from Egyptian influence he had come nearly three hundred miles since leaving Egypt and an opportunity for his identity to be lost so that Pharaoh would never hear of him again. Thankfully he made his way down the mountain slopes into the grasslands and sat down to rest beside a well.

It was there that the seven daughters of Jethro found him—seven shepherdesses, come to draw water for their father’s flocks. Once more Moses found himself involved in a fight. A party of shepherds jostled the girls out of the way in order to get water for themselves; Moses intervened and compelled them to desist. The seven went home to their father full of their story of the Egyptian stranger who had so chivalrously taken their part. And Jethro, true to the traditional hospitality of the Bedouin Arab, insisted that the stranger be found and brought to his tent as an honored guest.

Jethro was a Midianite, and Midian was a son of Abraham by his third wife Keturah. Nearly six hundred years had elapsed since Abraham’s time: the descendants of Midian had grown into a company of tribes inhabiting both sides of the Gulf of Akaba, Sinai on the west side and Arabia on the east. With some of these Midianite tribes Israel was later to come into violent conflict and after the settlement, in the days of Gideon, to win a notable victory over them. It is evident, though, that here in this remote corner of Sinai the little community of which Jethro was the head had become more or less separated from its brother clans and was leading a quiet untroubled existence undisturbed by their fellows in the wider world. The fact that Jethro is described in Jud 1:16 as "the Kenite", which in the Hebrew is of "Kain". shows that he had a forebear named Kain who gave his name to this sub-division of the Midianite people. The names of Midian’s five sons are recorded in Ge 25; there would have been three or more generations between those sons and Jethro and in one if those generations this Kain probably settled in this spot and gave his name to the growing community.

It is evident that Jethro formed a liking for the stranger and invited him to make his home with them, an invitation which Moses accepted. Similarity of religious faith probably had a great deal to do with it, and also the fact, which must have quickly emerged in conversation, that they shared a common ancestor, Abraham. Moses served and worshiped the God of Abraham, and so did Jethro. It is likely the latter had not previously known of the existence of the Israelites, or of their sojourn in Egypt; after the death of Abraham, when Jacob was only fifteen years old, there was almost certainly no contact between his father’s family and the sons of Keturah, now forming their own settlements well outside Canaan. But his forebears had evidently remained true to the faith of Abraham so that Moses on his part must have been greatly interested in finding another people, not of the line of Isaac and Jacob, who also served and reverenced God. The two men must have had a great deal to talk about and perhaps Moses, who had known of the Arab descendants of Abraham only by hearsay heretofore, learned many things which were to be of inestimable value in later life.

So Moses became a member of Jethro’s household and undertook the duties of shepherd and herdsman, the occupation of probably nearly all the male members of the tribe, and perhaps anticipated spending the rest of his days in this quiet and sunlit valley, almost another world compared with the Egypt he had left. Eventually—perhaps not at once, but eventually—he married Zipporah, one of the daughters of Jethro, and became the father of a son. The roots were beginning to strike deep. As the years multiplied—for he spent forty years in this valley he must have wondered at times whether God did indeed intend to use him at all, or whether Israel would in fact be delivered from Egypt. It is very probable that at such times the sage counsel of the older man allayed his impatience and quieted his restless spirit. When the day’s work was done, the darkness of the night settled over the land, and the lamps flickered low in the tents, long and earnest must have been the conversations between these two, as each related to the other those things relating to the One true God which had come down to them from their respective forefathers. Much of Moses’ deep insight into the character of God and the inviolability of His promises was probably instilled into him by Jethro; part of the credit for the successful outcome of the Exodus must assuredly be awarded to this almost unknown desert sheik.

There is one other significant contribution which Jethro may have made, although there is no proof, only deduction. The origin of the Book of Job, and how this Arab book having only Arab actors in its drama, got into the Hebrew Bible, is a mystery to all except those modern scholars who assert that it was a much later compilation by some pious Jew and falsely accredited to an ancient but mythical hero. The internal evidence of the Book discredits that fanciful theory anyway. The background of the book, and its allusions, no less than its plain statements, attest that it relates to events which happened in the territory to the east or south east of Canaan a few generations after Abraham but at least several centuries before the Exodus. Israel in Egypt could not have known the book, for the happenings it records took place whilst they were in Egypt. At least three, perhaps more, of the historical characters in the book were descendants of Abraham, and one of them, Bildad, did in fact derive his ancestry from Shuah the brother of Jethro’s own forebear Midian. The land of Uz, in which the story of Job is set, was in the area peopled at the time indiscriminately by Midianites, Edomites and Amalekites. Is it reasonable to entertain the possibility that a copy of the Book of Job in its original form, already a couple of centuries old, was in the possession of Jethro the Midianite, whose people had originated in that very land, and that when Moses set out for Egypt and the execution of his life’s mission one of the treasures he carried with him was this book which afterwards became incorporated in the Old Testament to the enrichment of the Word of God and the inspiration of succeeding generations? There is no proof that it was so, but the hypothesis does at least provide a suggested solution to a problem that otherwise has so far remained an enigma.

But now things were happening in Egypt. Says Ex 2:23. "it came to pass, in process of time, that the king of Egypt died". Thothmes III, one of the greatest military conquerors of all time, after a reign of thirty-four years went the way of all flesh. He it was who sought Moses’ life and caused Moses to flee into Midian. But that was nearly forty years ago and the new Pharaoh, Amon-hotep II, the Pharaoh of the Exodus, had not been born then. The affair of Moses was past history and forgotten; it was safe for him to return to Egypt. But after so long a time in Midian he needed some very special indication from God that he was indeed to go back, and that sign he received in the incident of the burning bush. Traversing the mountains of Horeb somewhere near Mount Sinai, Moses underwent a tremendous spiritual experience in which he heard the voice of God telling him to return to Egypt, "for all the men are dead which sought thy life", and prepare to lead the people of Israel to the Promised Land. Moses demurred at first; he was not at all convinced that he was the man for this great work, but at last he accepted the Divine commission and went home to tell Jethro.

A vivid sidelight on the old man’s character is revealed here; one might have expected him to object. Moses was as good as a member of the tribe now; he was married to Jethro’s daughter and his sons were Jethro’s flesh and blood. The proposed course of action could only lead to hard labor and travail for his son-in-law and his daughter and he himself would see them no more. But there is no word of dissent or opposition. Jethro must have realized that this was the Divine leading and like all true servants to God he bowed to the Divine Will. "Go in peace" he said to the younger man, and Moses went.

They met once more, a little over a year later. The Exodus had become a fact, Israel was across the Red Sea and in Sinai, and Moses was leading them to their goal in Canaan. News came to Jethro that the host was approaching Mount Sinai, only forty miles from his village, and he went to meet Moses, taking with him Zipporah and her sons who had evidently been left in safety with him while the dangerous process of negotiation with Pharaoh was proceeding. Now for the first time Jethro saw for himself the kind of task with which his son-in-law was faced. It is probable that the old Midianite had never seen so many people all at once in his life before. Ex 18 recounts the meeting. He listened to Moses’ recital of all the wonders the Lord had wrought on behalf of Israel and of all his hopes for the future, and he rejoiced with him and acknowledged the mighty power of God. When in verse 11 he says "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods" he is not indicating a sudden conversion to a faith he had not formerly professed; the expression is a Semitic idiom testifying to a renewed confirmation of a faith already held and does not even imply a belief in the reality of other and lesser gods. "This is a proof to me that the Lord is supreme above all things" in the fact of His power manifested against the power of Pharaoh and his hosts.

Now here is a strange thing. Jethro offers sacrifices of burnt offerings to God on behalf of Israel, before Moses and Aaron themselves had organized or embarked on any such innovation themselves. The making of the Covenant at Sinai and the institution of the Aaronic priesthood were yet in the future and the erection of the Tabernacle was not to be accomplished for another twelve months. The sacrificing of burnt offerings at this juncture and the ceremonial meal shared between Jethro, Moses, Aaron and the elders of Israel on behalf of the nation was a solemn act of thanksgiving to, and communion with, God on account of a great boon. In this case it was clearly an act of national thanksgiving for the deliverance from Egypt and a symbol of entry into the family of God. Says Ex 18:12 "... and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses father-in-law before God." The meaning of this ritual was that God himself shared a meal with the participants, his portion being represented by the consumed burnt offering. In accordance with the age-old custom of the Semitic East, those thus having eaten bread together could never be enemies henceforth; they were tied together in the bonds of family relationship. In a very real sense Jethro had anticipated the Covenant so soon to be made at Sinai, and taken the lead in expressing to the Most High on behalf of Israel the gratitude for deliverance, and the pledge of family union, which Israel so far had failed to express for themselves. For, be it noted, despite the marvelous deliverance they had experienced, the delivered ones had so far done nothing but grumble. Just before the Red Sea crossing they cried to Moses "because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. Three days later, at Marah, the people murmured against Moses saying "What shall we drink?" A few weeks after that, in the wilderness of Sin, the cry was "would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt.....when we did eat bread to the full, for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then at Meribah, the complaint was "Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst." Apart from the song of triumph immediately after the crossing there was no acknowledgment to God, and even that song savors more of exaltation over the fate of the Egyptians than humble gratitude to God for the deliverance. It was left to someone outside the commonwealth of Israel, a desert Arab, of the despised sons of Keturah, to be the first to offer up formal thanksgiving to God for the wonderful thing He had done for His people. In that solemn act Jethro identified himself with the people of the Lord and testified to his conviction that God would indeed fulfill His declared intention of making this nation His own chosen instrument for the progressive fulfillment of His eternal purposes. It was no credit to Israel, but to the eternal honor of Jethro, that he was the one who spontaneously performed this act.

The astuteness of Jethro’s perception is shown by the next great service he rendered Moses. On the morrow after the ceremonial feast he stood by whilst Moses held his usual daily audience of the people, dealing with all comers, adjudicating in all disputes, great or small, from morning to evening. Jethro expostulated with him on the impossibility of one man carrying such a load of detailed administration indefinitely. "Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone" (ch. 18: 18). He urged on Moses the imperative necessity of delegated authority and decentralized administration, the appointing of local overseers over thousands, and hundreds, and so on, to handle normal matters so that Moses was only called upon to deal with really important cases. The caliber of the man is well attested by the qualifications he counseled Moses to look for in the candidates he would thus appoint "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness." It is good to know that Moses took his father-in-law’s advice and organized the national administration on such sound lines that the principles he laid down continued more or less unchanged for six or seven centuries thereafter.

This is the last we see of Jethro. "Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land". He never saw him again. He was an old man, probably nearing a hundred and twenty which was a normal life span in those days. A year later, when the host was about to leave Sinai for the long trek to the Promised Land, Moses invited Hobab, the son of Jethro, to throw in his lot with Israel and come with them, and although in the narrative in Nu 10 Hobab declined the invitation, it is evident that he did eventually accept, for his descendants lived in Israel until the Babylonian captivity. Probably Jethro felt himself too old to undertake such a venture and retired to live out his remaining days in his own quiet valley in the south; Hobab, younger and perhaps equally persuaded of the Divine calling of Israel, went with Moses accompanied by a few of the younger members of the tribe, and these became the progenitors of the Kenites who lived in Israel in later centuries. They remained tent-dwellers, nomads, never assimilating to the settled pastoral and city life of the Israelites, but always sternly rigid in their allegiance to the principles they inherited from their illustrious forefather. So late as the days of Jeremiah, when the Babylonians brought the kingdom of Judah to its downfall and the independent nationhood of Israel came to an end, the Kenites were among them and still dwelling in tents, abstaining from wine, and in all respects following the traditions of their noble predecessor. So great was their faithfulness in these respects that the Lord cited them as an example to Israel (Jer 35:6-19) and promised that there would always be a man of their house to stand before him for ever. Known at that time as the House of Rechab, a Kenite who lived about B.C. 900, they have given their name to a modern Friendly Society based on the principle of temperance, the Rechabites, and in this at least there is an echo of the sterling rectitude of the remote ancestor of Rechab whose name is forever linked with that of Moses.

What of the future? Has God anything in store for this son of Abraham who rendered such faithful service in those long-past days of Moses’ exile and the succeeding Exodus? It is well established that the patriarchs of Biblical history who "received a good report through faith" (Heb 11:39) are to be leaders and administrators upon earth in the days of Christ’s kingdom, when righteousness will prevail and evil be restrained with firm hand. Here also is one who was faithful to God and zealous in His service, who played a vital part in the Divine purpose in his day, a man who for uprightness, mature judgment and loyalty to God ranks with those who are indicated in Scripture as destined for such high office. May it not be expected that God, who is no respecter of persons, with whom there is no intrinsic difference between Jew and Greek, Israelite and Arab, has already entered upon the roll of those who in the Millennial day shall emerge from the grave to be "princes in all the earth," the name of an upright, courteous and wise old Bedouin, Jethro the Midianite?

23 Two of the Shortest Parables

Two of the shortest recorded parables, together occupying only three verses! Their teaching and intent are identical, the one being merely a reiteration of the other, against a different background. One wonders why they are so brief; surely Jesus must have rounded out his stories in much more comprehensive form than is here written down; perhaps their very brevity as recorded is intended to emphasize one plain, clear-cut truth without the distracting effect of side issues.

The Kingdom of Heaven, He said, is like a treasure buried in a field and discovered by a man who promptly goes away and realizes on his assets in order to raise the capital necessary to buy the field. We need not stop to reflect upon the morality of the man’s action; Jesus used stories based upon real life to illustrate his teachings, and this is how many men would behave under such circumstances. In any case we are entitled to assume that the then owner of the field was not the man who put the treasure there, and a good argument could be put up for the discoverer’s right to the treasure. The whole point is that he saw something in that field which other men, including the owner, did not see, and he was prepared to sacrifice all that he possessed in order to acquire it.

The other story concerns the world of trade. A merchant man, in the market for valuable pearls, found one that was superb and excellent above all that he had seen or heard of before. Such was his professional appreciation of the technical merits of this particular pearl, such his estimate of the commercial possibilities inherent in its possession, that he did not hesitate to invest the whole of his financial resources in this one single pearl, and count himself a happy man to have obtained it.

The very brevity of these two parables creates some small difficulty in being at all dogmatic as to their intended application. The fact that they point to the giving up of all things in order to obtain a much to be desired end is plain; but two very obvious and definite interpretations at once suggest themselves. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave up all in order to "seek and to save that which was lost", and however much one may question the intrinsic value of this sin-sick and dying human race which He came to save, it is not possible to deny that He saw something in man which He regarded as of value and suffered even the death of the cross in order to obtain it. Christians who have set to their seal that God is true, and on that basis have given ourselves to the Lord Christ, we also have found a treasure which involves the willing and eager selling of all that we have, that we might obtain that treasure.

The two parables certainly take us deeply into the realms of Christian theology. There were certain heresies in the days of the Early Church which taught that Christ had no pre-existence before his advent upon earth, that He first knew life in the same way as other men. Only after his death was He exalted to the Father’s right hand. Had such indeed been the case, then Christ gave up nothing and "sold" nothing in order to redeem man. In fact He had nothing wherewith He could redeem man, for as the Psalmist says of all men and any man "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him" (Ps 49:7. The understanding of the Apostle Paul was to the contrary. "— Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that.... every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father". (Php 2:5-11 RSV) The R.S.V. is quoted here because it expresses so much more accurately St. Paul’s meaning than does the A.V. which presents a very poor rendering at this place. The definition in human terms of the relationship between the Father and the Son, and the Divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ, has always been a difficulty, as witness the theological wrangles on this subject throughout the Christian era; but this passage in Philippians taken side by side with the two parables under discussion do at least demonstrate very clearly that the One who "IN the beginning..... with God" (Joh 1:1) partaker of the Divine glory, divested himself completely of that superlative state, and, again in the simple language of John "was made flesh and dwelt among us". "The Son of Man" He said himself "is come to seek and to save that which was lost" and in his coming He gave evidence that in lost humanity, degraded and sinful and rebellious though they be, there is something worth saving, something that to him is as treasure hid in a field, needing only to be dug up and cleansed; a pearl of great price, needing only to have its lost luster restored and be set in a frame of beauty suited to its intrinsic merit. One of the great lessons we Christians have to learn—and sometimes it is very difficult to learn is that God has faith in the possibilities of man and will yet have that faith vindicated in the emergence of a sinless undying world in which all that is of sin and rebellion will have passed away. "Are there few that be saved?" asked the disciples of Jesus. He gave them to understand that those who eventually attain to joint-heirship with himself (Ro 8:17) will indeed be a "little flock" because of the stringent conditions of the calling; outside of that there is the greater call the fruits of which yield the picture of multitudes coming to God and all the ends of the earth turning to him, when the ransomed of the Lord will return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isa 35:10 Re 21:3-5) The old theology declared that the few, the very few, would pass the Divine scrutiny and be admitted to heaven; the vast majority of God’s intelligent creatures would be rejected as wastage and pass into the hopeless eternity of hell. God is not so inefficient a workman as that! He will work continuously and patiently with each refractory individual until it has become abundantly clear that by no means whatever can that individual be truly and sincerely converted to live for, and give loyalty and allegiance to, the Savior Christ. Only then will He let go and leave the sinner to the wages of sin—death.

So the purpose of God will be achieved in a triumphant and gloriously successful ending to the mission of One who sold all that He had to win mankind for himself. What of the other application of the parable?

Perhaps the best avenue of approach is through the Apostle Paul’s words, expressing his own attitude of heart to his calling "Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him".. (Php 3:7-9 RSV) Here is expressed the utter devotion to God and God’s service which is demanded of every believer who would come "into Christ". There is a world of difference between the one who believes in Christ and his message and endeavors to live in conformity with it, and the one who not only thus believes but comes to Christ in full surrender and dedication of life, possessions, abilities, all, to his service as He shall direct. Only these latter will at the end "reign with Christ" (Re 20:4) and be associated with him in the direction of the mighty evangelical work of world conversion which is to characterize the coming era of Christ’s reign, when human power and kingdoms have passed away. It is only "if we suffer with him" now that "we shall reign with him" then. That word suffering does not mean wholly nor even primarily the idea of physical pain as so many believe; it means endurance. He that "endures to the end, the same shall be saved" whether the endurance be in the realm of physical ill-health, literal persecution, or the insidious wearing-down processes of the world, the flesh, and the devil battling against our faith. So the Kingdom of Heaven in this aspect consists of those who have "forsaken all, and followed thee" and in consequence, "in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory", will be associated with him in that glorious reign. (Mt 19:28) The "regeneration" is the time of giving new life, the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ at his Second Advent. It is not without significance that Jesus’ words above quoted were spoken at the time the rich young ruler "went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions". Here was one who came in sight of the buried treasure, the costly pearl, but he was not prepared to sell all that he had to obtain the coveted possession. And he went away a disappointed and unhappy man.

In that lies the lesson. We have the opportunity of giving ourselves in full surrender to God, without reserve or condition, to be used in His service as He may direct. Home service, foreign service, prominence, obscurity; it may be any of these, or a combination of them as life goes on. We do not know. We only know that God calls us, again in the language of the great Apostle (Ro 12:1) to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable unto God, your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind". In so doing we shall be following the example of One who himself sold all that he had, and bought that field".

FIN

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

This journal is published for the promotion of Bible knowledge, maintaining the historical accuracy of the Scriptures and the validity of their miraculous and prophetic content viewed in the light of modern understanding. It stands for the pre-millennial Advent of our Lord and his reign of peace and justice on earth. It is supported entirely by the voluntary gifts of its readers and all such gifts are sincerely appreciated.

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England

Editorial & Publishing A. O. HUDSON(Milborne Port)

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Thought for the Month

"Who art thou that judgest another mans servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth!". (Ro 14:4)

It is so fatally easy to value another brother’s or sister’s service by one’s own bushel measure. We all desire very earnestly to serve our Lord and the interests of his Kingdom. We generally take delight in speaking of him and of the Divine Plan to any who will listen. And we all have our own ideas of how best the Gospel may be preached. Is it the very intensity of our own earnestness in this direction that makes us want every other bondslave of Jesus Christ to serve in just the same manner that seems good to us? Is it the measure of our own personal talent and success in one particular field of ministry that blinds us to the possibility of effective service being rendered in another manner, in other hands?

"There are diversities of gifts.., there are differences of administrations... but it is the same God that worketh". (1Co 12:4-6) When will we learn that the grandest characteristic of all God’s handiwork is variety, and that He has ordained the accomplishment of His service in such a fashion that "every joint" supplieth a contribution fitted to its place in the body?

Says one, loftily, secure in his ability and privilege to address the assemblies as befits the office of an elder in the Church, "there is no doubt that the preaching of the Word is the great means the Lord has ordained for the spiritual growth of his people." All very well—but what discouragement to the brother who is temperamentally quite unable to stand before an audience and deliver a prepared discourse, but in his own quiet way can lead a study circle in leisured discussion of the Scriptures to the very real edification of his fellows....

It was teacher’s birthday. For weeks beforehand her pupils had been busy making pretty aprons and tending little plants in pots to give her on the day, for this teacher was greatly beloved. At length lesson time was over and they crowded round with their offerings, stepping back with gratified smiles as the teacher expressed her surprise and delight at each successive gift. Last of all came the "black sheep" of the class, grubby and untidy, half hesitating and half defiant, avoiding the amused looks of his classmates as he extended a tightly clenched fist and deposited into teachers hand—a hot and sticky piece of butterscotch and three marbles.

But that teacher was wise—wiser than many who have attained eldership in the assemblies. "Oh, how lovely" she cried, smiling down at the anxious little face below her. "Its years since anybody gave me marbles for my birthday; and I just adore butterscotch."

The grubby one made his way back to his desk, head held high and face radiant. He loved his teacher, and he had so feared his gift would be rejected, but she had understood. He had done what he could.....

Brethren in the Lord! Be very careful how you disparage the service another is trying to render, just because you "cannot see what good it will do" You may be the means of dashing the enthusiasm of one who will never be able to serve, but is nevertheless trying to contribute some small mite to the work of the Master Whom we all love. "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones.

A glimpse of the Early Christians

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"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers... and all that believed were together, and had all things common... and the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul; neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common... and great grace was upon them all.., and they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart... and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Ac 2:42-47, and 4: 32-33).

A tremendous spiritual force was born of the enthusiasm and zeal of those first Christian converts. In days of disappointment and disillusion, such as those in which many of us now live, it is difficult to realize what mighty energy resides in the concerted action of a company in which every member is animated by fellow-feeling. "The fellowship of kindred minds" is a real fellowship indeed when those minds are bent toward the realization of a common ideal, and these early believers had an ideal of the highest and most exhilarating nature to inspire and direct their communal actions. They set out, quite naturally and quite spontaneously, to preach the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, with all that implied both of life and blessing for all mankind "in due time" and a high spiritual calling for those who would in this day and time be joined to this company and serve as "ministers of reconciliation", to become in due time associates of the risen Savior, joint heirs with Christ in his Kingdom, and sons of the living God.

That was the driving force behind this wonderful family fellowship of the primitive Church. It drew its inspiration from the apostles’ memories of the Last Supper. Up there in the quietness of that upper room their minds had received an impression which could never be effaced. "This do... in remembrance of Me". In remembrance of him! How could they ever forget? The mystic ceremonial of bread and wine had bound them to eternal association with Jesus their Lord, and now that they had seen him alive after death, were witness of his Resurrection, they knew without doubt, as Peter declared thirty-five years afterwards, that they had not followed "cunningly devised fables" but had been actual eye-witnesses of the most tremendous event in all history. Christ was risen! That they knew, and now all the rest would come to pass in due time. He had gone away, but He would surely come again, and even if they in the meantime must sleep awhile in death, He would raise them to be with him in glory and manifest them with himself to all the world in that day when the golden visions of the prophets became glorious reality. There was no doubt about it; all was true; the Kingdom would surely come; and now they must cling together as brethren and "tell the whole world these blessed tidings". That was the joyous theme which engrossed their thoughts and loosened their tongues as they met from one house to another and began to lay the foundations of a Church destined to endure to all eternity.

It was in the house of Mary the mother of Mark the evangelist that the Christians first assembled. If tradition be true, it was in that very house that the Last Supper itself had been held. There, just outside the walls of the Old City, remote equally from the Palace of Herod, the residence of the High Priest, and the official quarters of Pilate the Roman governor, the ones and twos stole out of the city gate and gathered to share with each other the joys and hopes of their new found faith. There was much scanning of the Old Testament Scriptures to be undertaken; much listening with shining eyes and eagerly parted lips as the apostles, one after another, expounded the new meaning they now saw in those ancient records. The overshadowing of the Holy Spirit was upon every such gathering, and as the flickering lamps cast their fitful shadows on the walls and the night outside grew dark and quiet, the subdued voices went on and on, telling of the glorious destiny in store for mankind and the mighty work of witnessing to which they themselves had been called.

The listeners became conscious of a deeper note. Their calling was not to be that of mere publicists, advertising the King and his Kingdom along purely informative and intellectual lines. They were called to live the Kingdom, to show all men by their own pattern of life what the teachings of their Lord could do to a man or woman who is utterly and irrevocably committed to him. It was that which came so startlingly new to those who so recently had been in bondage to the dead letter of Judaism and its Law. This was a personal relationship into which they had entered with their Lord, and with that close intimacy was bound up the moral obligation, so much more compelling than the "thou shalt not" of the Mosaic Law, to show their love for their Master by putting his precepts into practice.

So it was that, instantaneously, the company of believers became a family. It could not possibly be otherwise. The possessions of each were no longer personal property—they belonged to the family. The necessities of those who were without means at once became the concern of the family, for they were brothers and sisters in Christ. The apostles, the eleven who were known by all to have been the closest attendants on the Lord Jesus, became in a peculiar sense his personal representatives, and quite naturally assumed the position of fathers in the family. The broad lines of the community were drawn out by them, and without any question at all the company of believers accepted the apostles’ "doctrine and fellowship". There were no objections; there was no dissension; the spontaneous joy which burst forth from every heart and found expression in the Pentecostal cry "He is risen" became a medium in which the fellowship of the Spirit had its birth and grew to take full possession of the infant Church.

It is in this atmosphere that Christian missionary work is effective. "See how these Christians love one another" said the wondering Tertullian a hundred and fifty years later. The witness of the life is always tenfold more eloquent and convincing than that of the lips. No wonder that of this time it is said "and the Lord added daily to the church such as should be saved". This was no arbitrary, Calvinistic act of the Father, selecting individuals here and there and attaching them willy-nilly to the growing community. The family spirit and the missionary enterprise of this band of crusaders made it possible for God to direct into their company those of Jewry whose hearts were already in a waiting attitude before him, and who would recognize in this new spirit that had come into the world that of which the prophets had spoken. The Lord added, but the church retained, those who came into the family, saw with their own eyes what Christ had done for these people, and remained to take their place and share in the work that lay before that family.

Little did those early believers dream that life for them was to go on into old age without their realizing the fruition of their hopes. In the first rosy flush of the promise "I will come again" they looked for his appearing in the clouds of heaven to take them to be with him and to set up his Kingdom upon earth, this year, next year perhaps, certainly in the third year. He had gone away, but He would come again. They knew now, as they had not known before, why He must needs go away. He had suffered and died for them and now in the glory of his resurrection must go to the Father from Whom he had come in order that He might receive the ovation of triumph due to a conqueror. He had overthrown the gates of death and broken down the bars of hell. Satan and all his minions were defeated and now the angels of heaven were acclaiming the One who beforetime had been preeminent amongst them, had laid aside the glory which He had with them before this world was, had been born of a virgin, was found in fashion as a man, manifested the glory of God in the embodiment of human perfection, and at the hands of wicked men had been crucified and slain. He had gone to be seated at the right hand of the Father whilst his disciples were to execute the commission of witnessing to his Name among all the nations. The world was a small place; they would complete that work within the next few years; and then He would come.

So it was that in their annual commemoration of that last meal together they repeated to each other the longing words "Till He come!" It became a solemn ritual among them, a phrase combining within its compass all the faith and all the hope and all the ardent desire that possessed their minds and nerved their hands to action and endurance. "Till He come" —surely it will not be long! As each lifted the cup to his lips he realized anew the significance of the action. He was partaking of the blood of his Lord; he had become blood-brother to his Lord; now and for all time he was irrevocably associated with his Lord in the work of reconciliation. "This cup is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins... Drink ye all of it." They knew that the Old Covenant was passing away, for it had failed to bring life to man, failed to effect release from the thraldom of sin. The blood of bulls and goats, offered year by year without ceasing, had given a measure of communion with God and a feeling of peace to Israel, but it had not taken away sin. Moses the deliverer had brought them out of Egypt and led them to Canaan where they might live a life of peace and prosperity, but he had not given them everlasting life. And the unbelief of Israel had nullified and made of none effect all the glorious promises which had been told unto the fathers by the prophets. But God had promised a new Covenant, one that would succeed where the old one had failed, one that would take away the stony hearts of Israel and give them hearts of flesh, one under which every man would know the Lord and sit under his own vine and fig-tree with none to make him afraid. And now Jesus had told them that in his own Person He was about to make that new Covenant possible by the offering of his life to God, just as the blessings of the Old Covenant were made possible by the offering of a sacrificial bullock to God. The day had not come, even when Jesus spoke, for that New Covenant to go into operation. Sin must reign unchecked yet for a season. The stony hearts could not yet be turned into hearts of flesh, nor the pure language be heard on the lips of the people. But the offering had been poured out "for sin". (Isa 53:10) For three and a half years had the anti-typical bullock lain on the altar, its blood covering the mercy-seat which is in Heaven itself, mute testimony to the loving devotion of that Son who had said "Lo, 1 come (in the volume of the book it is written of me), to do thy will, O God". (Heb 10: 7) But even with the final consuming of that offering the time had not come. Although those early believers knew it not, sin was to continue yet for another two thousand years the while the offering continued. "Drink ye. all of it" the Master had said. Slowly the realization filtered into each mind that they, too, were called to devote their lives’ best endeavors, their abilities, their talents, their resources, all that they had and were, to this same laying down of life because of the world’s sin and the world’s need of reconciliation from that sin.

What wonder then that in after days Paul told them that God had made them "able ministers of the New Covenant"? (2Co 3:6) They were to stand as representatives and ambassadors of that new order of things which was to be instituted at their Lord’s return. More, they themselves were, by their devotion to and association with their Master, to be joined with him in the grand future work of writing Divine law in the hearts of men. By virtue of this mystic ceremony they had become separated from all that was of the world and were now ’fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God". They were a company of brethren, looking forward to a life of sacrificial service until their Lord should come, and then to the ministerial duties of that New Covenant under which Israel, and not Israel only, but the whole world of man, are to receive the Divine blessing of life.

So that brave-hearted brotherhood stepped out into the unknown. It was on the promises of God that they took their stand, and in full assurance of faith that they challenged the world with their witness. It was not long before dark storms began to rage against them—the arrest of Peter and the anxious time when the Church, gathered together, made prayer unceasingly on his behalf; (Ac 12) the trial and martyrdom of Stephen; (Ac 7) the menace of Saul of Tarsus, and finally, the fearful catastrophe of A.D. 70, when the armies of Rome encompassed Jerusalem and the ageing men and women who had been youths and maidens when Peter preached his Pentecostal sermon hurried quickly out of the doomed city and across Jordan to Pella. They remembered the Master’s prophetic words, told them by their fathers in the faith, "When ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains". (Lu 21:21) And when they returned, Jerusalem was no more. The alien had destroyed the city and the sanctuary, and nothing was ever the same again.

But in the hearts of those whose faith had survived even that crowning disaster there burned still the passionate hope "He will come again!" They waited still, and year by year continually, as old age crept upon each one of the fast diminishing brotherhood, they comforted one another with the sure and certain knowledge of the things they had learned in past and happier days, and talked of that Jesus Who had walked with and taught them forty years before. And year by year continually, as they gathered together to keep the feast, shaking hands held the cup, and quavering voices repeated, in tones of certainty and triumph, the thrilling words "Till He come!"

The Teachings of Jesus

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"The teachings of Jesus do not have the appearance of a fresh philosophical theory or of a new truth, kindling in him a constant surprise and intensity. It seems rather like unconscious knowledge. He speaks of the great invisible world as if it had always lain before him and, as familiarly, as to us stretches out the landscape which we have seen since our birth. The assertion of a future state is scarcely to be met with in his teachings: the assumption of it pervades them". Henry Ward Beecher

A Reflection

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"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified:". (1Th 4:3 NIV)

Paul was writing about the ultimate purpose of God. It is a direct command of God that His people shall be cleansed and made ready for His future work. It is a process by which His people can express now His love for all mankind and especially His concern for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only in this way can they be changed into his likeness. How does this affect our day to day, minute by minute, experiences in life?

God gave to the people Israel a law which revealed His will for them in fairly detailed terms. Priests and prophets interpreted that law so that men and women could understand what was a good moral behavior. Jesus’ life and teaching did the same for Christians, assisted by apostles and teachers. In this last decade of the Twentieth century, in an affluent and democratic society, basic principles are unchanged. The problem of making decisions and facing temptations are a little more complex than they were in the days of Jesus or Abraham. An examination of the means by which God revealed himself in Bible times may provide clues as to how He might do so today.

The most important factor in discovering the will of God is our relationship to Him. That friendship demands complete penitence of heart, and total surrender of our will to Him. (Ro 12:1-2) Constant prayerful meditation upon the Bible enables this relationship to develop into a consciousness of God which will affect everything we say and do. The Word of God contains many examples of the way in which He spoke to His people of old. It is fascinating to notice the number of times that God’s message was the opposite of human inclinations. Some, like Abraham, seem to argue with him. (Ge 17:18 Ex 3-4) The revelation must have been very clear, leaving no doubt about God’s intention.

The way in which Abraham’s servant discovered a bride for Isaac is an interesting example of God’s communication. (Ge 24) How different was Jacob’s experience (Gen. 28-35). He went back to the land Isaac was forbidden to go to, chose one of his wives and was married to the other by deception. There is also a contrast in determining God’s will in the lives of two exiles wanting to return to Jerusalem. Nehemiah was escorted by a military guard, while Ezra believed that was not God’s will for him. (Ne 2:9 Ezr 8:22) God has revealed himself in different ways to different people all through history. Sitting in judgment of others in this matter will not make it easier for any child of God to interpret His will more clearly. Patient waiting upon God will.

The central goal of Jesus’ life was to do his Father’s will. It was his food and drink and He taught his disciples to pray for it. When He came to his last great ordeal He prayed to God about it, as he had done at other critical times in his life.

It is also clear that God gives liberty in the making of decisions. Hence some of the disagreements which occurred in New Testament times, beautifully summarized in Ro 14. The color of our coat or the way we cook our food may not affect our Christian life. Nevertheless there are guiding principles which as stewards of God’s gifts we shall need to observe. The way we plan our day and choose our activities will be qualified by whether it is God’s will. (Jas 4:13-17)

George Muller of Bristol said that discovery of God’s will could be likened to a captain navigating his ship into harbor. At one port around British coasts there were three lights and when the helmsman steered his ship so that all three lights were lined up one behind the other, he knew that he was on course to enter the harbor. So the Christian may line up three important factors in life’s experiences and when they agree there is good reason to move forward. They are; the inner conviction of the Holy Spirit within our hearts; the circumstances of our lives; and prayerful thoughts upon the Word of God. Others have witnessed to the fact that this is how they discover the will of God.

What job do I take? What house do I buy? Where should I go for a holiday? What book should I read? Should I join a club? As a Christian may I have a hobby? These are the kind of questions which each child of God must answer for himself. It is disobedience to the Word of God to pass harsh judgment upon other believers. We do know that God wants every soul surrendered to Him, to use his or her gifts for His Kingdom. Therefore in our job we should be serving the interests of God’s Kingdom, (not just paying expenses for our earthly life). Whichever house we live in (rented or bought), it will be a home we share with God. The touchstone in all these questions is whether or not we can do it to the glory of God.

Living with a consciousness of God’s presence every day and trusting that He will lead us to do those things He wants us to do, we will avoid anxiety and arrogance concerning the decisions we make. It will help us to develop confidence, obedience and a sensitivity to the Divine leading such as a child has in its father’s or mother’s strong grasp.

The Visions of Zechariah

2. The Rider in the Myrtle Trees

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The series of visions comprising the first six chapters of Zechariah are very similar in style to those of the Book of Revelation, the outstanding difference being that whereas Revelation deals with the Church’s conflict with evil during this present Age, Zechariah’s visions include Israel and her conflict with evil during the times before Christ. Both reach to the same period—that of the Messianic Kingdom upon earth. The style of symbolism, based on Old Testament history and prophecy, is common to both and it is likely that Zechariah, like John on Patmos, saw these strange and picturesque tableaux in waking moments, closely attuned to the influence of the Holy Spirit and completely unconscious of the everyday world around him. Whether they appeared as optical views before his physical sight or were directly impressed upon his brain is of no consequence; in either case the understanding was conveyed to his mind so that to Zechariah it was as if he indeed stood and observed in a world where these things were real.

The first vision (Zec 1:8-2:13) showed him a man, riding a red horse, standing motionless in a grove of myrtle trees at the bottom of a deep valley. Behind the rider appeared others, also mounted on horses, denoted red, speckled and white. Zechariah enquires as to the identity of these riders, and an angel—the "revealing angel" who remains with the prophet throughout the visions—tells him that they are those whom the Lord has destined to wander through the earth. At this point the riders address a cry to their leader on the red horse complaining that in their wanderings they find that all other peoples in the earth are at ease and rest; they alone apparently are compelled to wander eternally. At this the leader on the red horse, who is now called "the Angel of Jehovah", raises his voice to God, desiring Him that He will show mercy to Jerusalem and Judah, who have been under his displeasure for seventy years. The Lord replies with an assurance that the time has come for His displeasure to be lifted, for Jerusalem to be rebuilt, and prosperity come to Israel. At this point a pair of horned bulls appear on the scene and the prophet becomes aware of the menace of their four powerful horns. To his further enquiry the angel declares that these horns are the powers which have scattered Israel and Judah over the earth but their power is about to be broken. Behind the bulls come four craftsmen bearing the tools of their trade; these, said the angel, come to restrain and break the power of the horns and make possible fulfilment of the Divine promise.

The key to this rather strange imagery is contained in verse 12, where the Angel of Jehovah cries "O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?" This is obviously in reference to the Babylonian captivity recently ended, which was always described in terms of a punishment of seventy years. On this basis the subject of the vision is Israel at the time of the Restoration and this is the starting point of Zechariah’s prophecies.

The mounted riders, sent by the Lord to "walk to an fro through the earth" are symbols of the people of Israel, condemned to banishment, to be wanderers and exiles among all nations. The other nations of mankind, by contrast, "sitteth still and is at rest" in their homes, but Israel has no home. Because of past apostasies the Lord has dispersed Israel thus. Now the time has come for her to be regathered to her own land, symbolized by the myrtle trees in the deep valley. The myrtle, indigenous to Canaan, is used as a symbol of the Holy Land; in Zechariah’s day Judah was not, as at other times, exalted to the tops of the mountains, but occupied a very subordinate position as a province of Persia, hence "in the valley" (A.V. "bottom ). There were three groups of horses, distinguished by three colors. The Israelite riders are carried by the horses "to and fro through the earth"; evidently in the horses we are expected to see the hostile nations which conquered Israel and took the people into captivity. There were three such up to Zechariah’s day, Assyria, Babylon and Persia. One group of horses was red, one "speckled", and one white. The rendering of "speckled" is open to question; the word only occurs once elsewhere, in Isa 16:8 where it is translated "principal plant". Ellicott suggests that "seruqqim" here is a corruption of "shechorim" which means black, and this supposition if accepted creates a harmony between these horses and those of the later vision in chapter 6, which lends support. On the assumption that this conclusion is justified there is a certain fitness in the colors. The red horses picture the Assyrian power, the first to exile Israel from the land and carry them away "through the earth"; red is the color of blood and hence a symbol of war, and Assyria more than the others waged frightful and unrelenting war in the pursuit of its ends. The black horses picture Babylon, the next nation to enslave Israel. The Babylonians were not so outrageously cruel as the Assyrians; they waged war only for the attainment of their object and Israel’s bondage to them was characterized more by the hopelessness of captivity in a strange land without hope of release. The blackness of death was a fitting symbol of Babylonian bondage. "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion". (Ps 137:1) In contrast to that, the Persian rule which succeeded Babylon was one of tolerance and favor, opportunity for the exiles to return and rebuild their homeland. Hence the white horses fitly indicate Persia.

Now the wanderers have returned to the homeland. They stand among the myrtle trees, and with them is their princely champion, the Angel of Jehovah, himself riding a red horse. He also has come forth for war, but in his case it is war for the deliverance of the oppressed people. They have someone to plead their cause before God and to lead them unto victory. This is not the first time that the Old Testament hints at an other-worldly power pledged to the defense and triumph of Israel. Joshua, contemplating his plans for the conquest of the Promised Land, was met by a celestial visitant, a soldier with drawn sword, who told him "as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. (Jos 5:13-14) In the days of Hezekiah the Angel of Jehovah appeared in the night and decimated the Assyrian army (2Ki 19:25) . In the last great conflict, said the revealing angel to Daniel, Michael the great prince will stand up to deliver Israel and bring the evil powers to an end (Da 12:1) and Michael here is but a cover name for the Angel of Jehovah. His true identity is made known in the Book of Revelation, where in chapter 19 the Heavenly Rider appears to make short work of the armies of evil, and reveals his name; the Word of God! Here in Zechariah. then, the Angel of

Jehovah is the Divine Logos, later to be personified on earth as Jesus Christ the Son of God, here pictured as superintending the regathering of Israel and the overthrow of Israels enemies. In all of this there is a vivid foreview of a greater regathering and a greater overthrow when this same Divine Word, "this same Jesus", is revealed in the power of his Second Advent for the worlds deliverance.

The Angel of Jehovah cried to the Lord for an end to Israel’s exile and suffering; the answer came, not to him but to the revealing angel with a message for the prophet. "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I am zealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great zeal" ("jealousy" in the O.T. has the meaning for which we now use the word "zeal") "... I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; ... my cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad, and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem" (ch. 1: 13-17).

Here is the basic promise. The people shall be restored and Israel shall rise again. The national enthusiasm aroused by this message did indeed have the effect of creating a revived Jewish State, even though subject to Gentile rule, for a few centuries, but eventually the heavy hand of the oppressor came down upon them again. The promise had only a limited fulfilment, for the people were not yet ready for their high destiny.

"Then lifted I up mine eyes and saw and behold, four horns" (Zec 1:18). These were most likely representations of the horns of bulls, used so often in the Scriptures as metaphors for the idea of power or brute force, and by extension of ideas to denote, prophetically, earthly powers or kingdoms. Thus "the horn of Moab is cut off" (Jer 48: 25) denoting the end of Moab as a nation; there are many similar instances. The angel explained the horns as symbolizing the powers "which have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem" (Zec 1:19). Immediately behind the horns came four "carpenters (A.V.). The Hebrew word means any craftsman or worker whether in wood, metal or stone; perhaps "craftsmen" is the happiest rendering since nothing is said as to whether they were carpenters, blacksmiths or stonemasons. Whereas the horns pictured the earthly powers which had desolated Israel, the craftsmen, said the angel. represented a further power which was to destroy the horns. "These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head; but these" (the craftsmen) "are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the nations" (Zec 1:21). This word "fray" is rendered by most modern translators to terrify or frighten; "fray" in modern English means to rub or file down or to wear away, but in mediaeval English and therefore in the A.V. it meant to terrify or affright, and is the root of our modern words "afraid" and "affray". It is tempting to think of the four horns finding reality in the four empires which held Israel in thrall, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, but in such case there would need to be found four individual powers to act as their conquerors. It might well be that since the number four is associated with the idea of universality as respects things on the earth—four winds of the earth, four corners, and so on—the idea here conveyed is that of the entire assembly of hostile nations at enmity with Israel helpless in the face of a new development, the appearance of a corps of craftsmen, of builders, who not only cannot be resisted but eventually strike terror into the hearts of the enemy. From this point of view the vision may well picture the commencement of a great development in the out-working purpose of God. Up to this time, the people of God have been helpless in the grip of their enemies. That grip has been loosened and there now appears a company of builders, of craftsmen, who are going to build the Temple of God and make it an architectural and artistic creation to the glory of God, and there is nothing the nations can do to stop it. And when that Temple is complete its builders will become a means in the Lords hand to annihilate all evil. No wonder the enemies are terrified. The horns of evil are to be broken and scattered; the craftsmen rejoicing in the edifice they have erected, will emerge triumphant.

To a decree this vision had an application in the building of the Second Temple and the restoration of the Jewish State in the days of Zechariah, but only to a degree. Other horns were afterwards to appear with their threats of oppression; other builders come upon the scene to build an even greater and spiritual Temple. The symbols must surely find their full scope in the work of all Gods servants, whether Old Testament Jew or New Testament Christian, laboring to build that edifice which will become the meeting place between God and man in the coming Age of blessing. The builders of times gone by, the builders of today, all will find that their combined lifes labors have resulted in the weakening and final downfall of the horns of the nations. Had Israel in the days of the Restoration been all that was indicated, one solitary craftsman could have filled the picture; the fact that four craftsmen, as four horns, are seen, denotes that in them is included the entire, the universal, company of laborers for God in all ages, united together in one great work, the builders of the symbolic Temple of God and the elimination of all evil from among the nations.

All this was still in prospect. Jerusalem as yet was still in ruins and the prophet was painfully conscious that his people needed positive assurance of the future. That assurance was now given. Chapter 2 opens with a new character in the drama, a man carrying a "measuring line", more properly a surveyors cord, for this man is a surveyor, come to measure out the ground and plan the new Jerusalem. This was the answer he gave to the prophets enquiry. "To measure Jerusalem" he said "to see what is (to be) the breadth thereof and the length thereof (Zec 2:2). This is the first result of the promise given in chapter 1 "I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies, saith the Lord of Hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem". The city destroyed seventy years before by Nebuchadnezzar was to rise again.

But there is a new aspect to this restoration of the ancient city. Whilst the surveyor was getting on with his task, the revealing angel left Zechariah’s side and "went forth" to meet "another angel" who was advancing towards him. It seems very likely that this "other angel" was in fact the "Angel of Jehovah" of chapter 1, for the words he speaks in the following verses and the position of authority he seems to occupy are hardly appropriate to anyone of lesser rank. He gives the revealing angel an instruction. "Run, speak to this young man" he says, referring to Zechariah, who was a silent observer "saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein" (Zec 2:3-4). These few words expand the scope of the prophecy at one step to include the glory of Israel at the end of this present Age. The expression "towns without walls" is exactly the same as the "unwalled villages" of Eze 38:13. "Perazoth" denotes unfortified country villages, incapable of defense against an enemy. At only one time in history can Jerusalem be described by the epithet "perazoth" and that is when the inhabitants thereof have put their entire trust in God for deliverance from their foes. "For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her" (Zec 2:5). This is an expression definitely associated with Israel’s final triumph. "The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory". (Isa 60:19) "In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city, salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks". (Isa 26:1) Verses 4 and 5 are clearly intended to extend the scope of the vision from the Restoration of Zechariah’s own day to the greater and final restoration at the time that God comes in power for the salvation of men. To express the same thing in New Testament language, it is the time of our Lord’s Second Advent and the establishment of his Millennial Kingdom.

On the basis of this promise God now calls his people back from captivity. Here there is an extension of prophetic view into future times, for at this moment the nation had already returned from Babylon and were engaged in the rebuilding of their national polity. But not all. There were more Jews remaining in Babylon than returned with Zerubbabel and Joshua. In the days of the Book of Esther, only thirty years later, they were to be found in every province of the Persian Empire, from Egypt in the west to India in the east. The vast majority of the Ten Tribes had not come back; they were still in the mountains of Assyria and Media. and most of them never did come back. Here in the prophecy the Lord is looking to a greater and still future Return and a correspondingly greater Restoration.

"Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the Lord; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven... Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon" (Zec 2:6-7 R.S.V.). There is a two-fold Return envisaged here. Those who still dwell with Babylon are bidden to escape to the homeland whilst yet there is time; those who have been scattered to the four winds of heaven, an expression indicating the widespread lands of all the earth, are called to take their flight homeward. As respects this latter injunction, at the time of the vision Israel had not yet been scattered, in that sense, to the four winds of heaven, so that here again we have a word which carries us forward in time to the day, to use the words of Jeremiah, when God will send for fishers and hunters to seek out his people from every part of the world and send them home. (Jer 16:16) And the next two verses clinch the argument, for the Lord goes on to declare that He will shake His hand over the enslaving nations and they will become a spoil to Israel (ch. 2: 8-9). That cannot be until the close of this world order. In no sense of the word did Persia in Zechariah’s day become "a spoil" to Israel, nor have the powers of this world at any time since. To the contrary, before many centuries had passed Jerusalem entered that phase foretold by our Lord when He said that Jerusalem would be trodden down of the Gentiles until the Times of the Gentiles should be fulfilled.

The rest of the vision almost explains itself. "I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord" (Zec 2:10). Words of tremendous import mirrored in John’s visions of Revelation "the dwelling place of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God. shall be their God", (Re 21:3) and if the Revelator’s words in fact take in their scope, not Israel alone but all mankind, that does not destroy the analogy for both are true in point of time. The next verse in Zechariah demonstrates that. "And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee ... and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto you" (Zec 2:10-11). Words such as these can only be true at the end of this Age when Heaven comes down to earth for the salvation of mankind. This entire vision, which begins its story with the return of a band of Jewish exiles to their ruined land in about the year 536 B.C. as riders upon red, black, white horses, led by the Divine Lord on his red horse, closes with the greater return from all countries of the earth and at the end of this world-Age, led still by that same Divine Lord. His name now, in this greater and more momentous context, is called the Word of God. He appears from the heavens, still mounted upon a steed for war, and of him it is said "in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (Re 19:11) What wonder that this first of Zechariah’s visions closes with the commanding words "Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord; for he is raised up out of his holy habitation".

To be continued

Thy Will Be Done

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"My Father, help me as a follower of Christ to say ‘Thy will be done’. Thou wouldst not have me accept thy Will because I must, but because I may. Thou wouldst have me take it, not with resignation, but with joy, not with mere absence of murmur. but with song of praise ... Give me. O Father, the blessedness of the man whose delight is in thy Law, who can tell of thy Statutes rejoicing the heart. Then shall I obey thee with perfect freedom and say from my heart ‘Thy Will be done’."

Abraham

2. Sojourn in Egypt

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Quietly settled at Shechem after the four hundred miles trek from Haran, Abraham had time to consider his position. He had probably been something like four months on the journey traveling in stages of perhaps ten miles or so every alternate day, pitching camp at night and resting his flocks and herds the next day and starting out again on the day following. As a moderately prosperous stock breeder at Haran he probably had a labor force of twenty or so men with their wives and families and a few personal attendants together with a tradesman or two, a carpenter, a blacksmith and a medical helper with some cooks and workers in fabrics for tent and clothing makers. Altogether there could have been as many as seventy or eighty persons in his entourage together with sheep and goats and cattle, and now they had entered a sparsely inhabited rural area they had to be completely self-sufficient for all their needs. And somehow or other when passing through Damascus he had picked up an individual who later figured in Ch. 15: 2 as "Eliezer of Damascus" who became steward of his house and a trusteed overseer of all his possessions. It is probable that the entry of his sizeable party into Canaan was quite an event in the lives of the existing inhabitants.

Shechem later became the Capital of Samaria, the Ten Tribe Kingdom, but in Abraham’s day it could not have been more than a village, it was, however, obviously even then an important center, for the foundations of a massive fortress or walled area, dating from this time, have been discovered. Some important chieftain exercising authority over the surrounding area must have made this his center and around his stone-built headquarters must have nestled the wattle huts of his people. The village lay in the middle of a fertile and well-watered plain about ten miles by eight and there was probably plenty of room for an immigrant with the consent of the local chieftain. Abraham settled down and began farming; his food stores must have been getting exhausted and he needed fresh crops of grain and foodstuffs for his people and his stock. That meant a twelve months stay while the crops were growing by which time something like a permanent settlement, a village, would have grown up. He built an altar to the Lord (Ch. 12: 7) which looks as though he expected to stay, but he could not have remained in Shechem for more than twelve months—just enough to replenish his food stocks. Then it was tent-pegs up and off again, still going south.

No reason is given for the move. It may be that the existing community of Canaanites began to feel that this comparatively numerous party of settlers was going to threaten the resources of their little valley and the early friendship began to come under strain. It may be that Abraham himself became conscious of a Divine leading urging him to go farther—this was not the place the Lord intended for him. At any rate, Ch. 12: 8 has him on the move again to the district of Bethel up in the highlands thirty-five miles away, so that a week later found him selecting a suitable spot not already occupied by Canaanites and there he pitched camp again and built another altar to the Lord. Presumably he thought that this was to be the place of his settlement. It was not to be. Within another twelve months, time enough for another crop of foodstuffs, he was on his way again, this time to an undefined place vaguely described in Ch. 12: 9 as "journeying" to the south, i.e. the Negev, the southern part of the present land of Israel where Hebron and Beer-Sheba are located. This was probably another forty mile journey and he most likely finished up somewhere in the Shephelah, the fertile plain lying between the Judean Highlands and the sea; here perhaps resides another possible reason for this constant journeying from place to place, for Ch. 12: 10 says ominously "and there was a famine in the land". One of those periodic famines which in later times figured so much in the history of Israel, as in the story of Jacob and later of Ruth, was afflicting the land, and the provision of food for a traveling company such as that for which Abraham was responsible became a vital problem. Apparently even the fertile plain of Judea was insufficient for his needs, for vs. 10. goes on to say "and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was grievous in the land".

Less than three years after entering the Land of Promise Abraham was leaving it again, making his way to a strange land and a strange people, with no guarantee that he would be well received, only hoping that he could find a place where he could settle awhile and sustain his people. That must have been a trial of faith! It was a long journey, some two hundred miles through what is now a desert waste, but in that day well forested almost down to the sea coast and relatively uninhabited. He probably followed the coast trade route, finding abundant water and enough wild growing food to feed his company for the two months or so he was on route to Egypt. So at last, he came to the land of the Pharaohs, where the famine had not penetrated. Here he came up against an unexpected obstacle, the "Shur", the wall and line of fortifications which in much earlier times the Egyptians had built along their frontier to control the entry of Asiatics into their land. Here he must have encamped for a while whilst the Egyptian officials took down in writing full details of his company, the place from which they had come, their purpose in coming to Egypt, the proposed length of their stay, all the formality and "red tape" of modern officialdom, and a long wait whilst all this information was transmitted to Pharaoh and his August decision awaited.

The verdict was favorable. Abraham and his company were to be permitted to enter. They passed the massive ramparts which guarded the frontier into a land strangely like their own native land of Sumer which Abraham had left twenty years or so previously, a land of wide fertile fields with running streams, rural villages of land-workers at intervals, and here and there cities with magnificent buildings and monuments just like those he had known in those past days. He must have wondered why the Lord had allowed him to come into a land so much like the one he had left to go to Canaan. But he settled down; there was plenty of room. The population of all Egypt at that time is said by Aldred ("The Egyptians" 1961) to have been no more than a million or so that for all its magnificence the land was very sparsely inhabited.

He took over a piece of unoccupied land and began to build up his probably by now somewhat attenuated flocks and herds. This was not the Promised Land, Abraham must have been fully conscious of that, but he was without doubt content to wait until he received a definite indication from the Lord as to his next move. In the meantime, however, trouble threatened, Sarah’s beauty attracted the attention of the Egyptians, and the fact was communicated to Pharaoh. The known history of Egypt at this early period is not very exact. Unlike the Sumerians in Abraham’s native land, who inscribed their records on baked clay tablets many of which have survived to this day to be recovered intact and deciphered by investigators, the Egyptians wrote theirs on a kind of parchment made from the papyrus reed which grew profusely in their rivers and streams, but which perished with the years, so that what is known is derived mostly from paintings in the tombs of dead and gone notabilities. Abraham’s visit coincided with a time when Egypt was emerging from a period of general confusion and disorder on account of contenders for power; one or other of these rulers must have been the Pharaoh concerned in the narrative but there can be no certainty which one. What is certain is that, in common with all eastern kings of ancient time, this Pharaoh arrogated to himself the right to take into his harem any woman who took his fancy. Abraham had anticipated this possibility and had told Sarah not to reveal that she was his wife—eastern kings were not above having a man murdered if that was the easiest means of obtaining his wife but to say that she was his sister (Ch. 12: 12-13). The word rendered "sister" means any female blood relative; "kinswoman" is the best English rendering, and Sarah was of course Abraham’s niece as well as his wife. He probably reasoned that this artifice might give him time to appraise the position once in the country and get out again in time if this eventuality appeared likely. He miscalculated; Pharaoh’s emissaries got there first, and Sarah found herself added to his probably already quite numerous collection. Before condemning the Patriarch too heavily for this evident temporary lack of faith it might be realized that he was approaching a people and a culture he had probably heard of by repute, but with which he had no practical experience, only that it was violently different from his own, and he was temporarily quite unsure how to act. Even the best of men do have their off moments. He need not have worried

this Pharaoh was evidently an honorable and upright man. As soon as he discovered the truth he restored Sarah to her husband and roundly upbraided him. "Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, saying, She is my sister? Behold thy wife; take her, and go thy way" (Ch. 12: 18-19). He had apparently given rich gifts of slaves, flocks and herds to Abraham in consideration of the arrangement, and there is no indication that he asked for them back. But Abraham was no longer acceptable in his country; he was to go.

It was the Lord who indicated the truth to Pharaoh, by the infliction of what is described as "great plagues" upon him and his house (Ch. 12: 17). How the Monarch discerned the connection is not stated, Egypt at that time, like the Sumerians, had but recently begun to adopt the worship of many gods, but they still revered the Supreme God, the Most High. The only difference was that they called him Amon, the uncreated, the universal God, where the Sumerians called him An, the Most High God. In some way the God of Abraham "got through" as we would say, to this man, and he reacted immediately as an honorable man, and Abraham, chastened, one would hope, by the experience, was in the desert on his way back to Canaan, admittedly enriched in this world’s goods, with Pharaoh’s reproof still ringing in his ears. He had been in Egypt about three years.

It is possible that he did not return by way he had come, what was in ancient days known as "the way of the sea", following the sea coast, the high road between Canaan and Egypt habitually used by traders and armies alike, Canaan at that time was nominally under the political control of Egypt, and Pharaoh’s soldiers were constantly passing and re-passing that way. Unlike his former journey, Abraham was now a rich man; Ch. 13: 2. indicates that he left Egypt not only with much cattle, but much silver and gold. Evidently Pharaoh had been very lavish with his gifts, but here in the wilderness Abraham’s party with such possessions could be an easy prey to unscrupulous traders or rapacious soldiers. It is possible that with this in mind he took the alternative and more difficult route over the mountains, known as "the Way of Shur", thirty miles to the south, where such perils were less likely. That would bring him into Canaan in the area where he spent most of his after life, past Beer-Sheba and Hebron (at that time known as Mamre), until at last he got back to Bethel from whence he had set out three or four years previously. Genesis gives no indication which route he did take, but the fact that very soon afterwards he selected this whole area, from Hebron to BeerSheba, and to the south, for his wide-ranging interests, might at least indicate this prior acquaintance with this particular territory. So he came back to the altar he had built at Bethel, to a district still unpopulated just as he had left it, "unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first, and there Abram called on the name of the Lord" (Ch. 13: 4).

There is nothing more said about the famine. Evidently while Abraham was away in Egypt the hot dry seasons had passed and the rains had come. He now had many more sheep and cattle and other animals than he possessed when here before, and his household was considerably augmented with men and women workers given him by Pharaoh only about four years later, according to Ch. 14, he had no less than three hundred and eighteen "trained servants" the word means a disciplined body of men, guards or soldiers—who pursued the Elamite invader a hundred and fifty miles, engaged in combat and defeated the latter’s forces, recovered the captives and booty and returned in triumph. A force of that dimension must indicate that Abraham now headed a very large and growing community which demanded an extensive area of land.

An interesting confirmation that it was just at this time the famine did cease comes from a totally different source. From the chronological indications afforded by the Old Testament and by known Sumerian and Babylonian history of the period, it is possible to deduce that Abraham’s expedition to Egypt and his return took place some years before 2000 B.C. The 20th Century climatologist, C.E.P. Brooks, in his "Climate through the Ages (1948) has shown that about 2200 B.C. the world in general entered upon a two-century period commencing with an excessively hot and dry climate lasting more than a hundred years or more followed by a change to a heavy rainy period towards its end.

Abraham must have returned to Canaan about three quarters of the way through this period. Just one of the many incidental confirmations that Old Testament history is remarkably accurate.

And so, for the second time, Abraham found himself in Canaan, the Land of Promise.

To be continued

The Prophecy of Jonah

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"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth". (Mt 12:40)

On the surface it seems a simple statement relating to our Lord’s lying in the grave, between his death and his resurrection. The somewhat unusual expression "the heart of the earth", does provoke the question as to whether some other and less obvious meaning is intended.

This is the only one of the some hundred and fifty instances of "kardia" in the New Testament where the word does not refer to the human heart. In English usage "the heart of the earth" implies a considerable depth below the surface; a body interred in a cave tomb only just below ground level hardly merits the term and it is this which usually gives rise to the query. But what did the term really mean on the lips of Jesus?

The Old Testament speaks of the "heart of the (Red) sea" (Exod. 15: 8) and the "heart of Egypt" (Isa 19:1) where the obvious meaning of the term is "midst". The Hebrew for "heart" is leb or lebah, appearing some 450 times in reference to the human heart, but also translated in the A.V. fourteen times "midst" where this is the obvious meaning. Thus we have "midst of heaven" (De 4:11) "midst of the sea" (Ps 46:2 Pr 30:19 Eze 27 4) and Absalom caught by his hair "in the midst of the oak". (2Sa 18:4) More relevant to the point at issue is Jon 2:3 "thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas". Perhaps this is the source from which Jesus took his allusion. Both in the Hebrew Bible and in the Septuagint Greek, which latter was in general use in Jesus’ day, this reference to Jonah’s immurement in the "midst of the seas uses the word "heart". Jesus normally spoke in Aramaic, which was the contemporary form of Hebrew, but whichever language He used, it could well be that He was thinking of Jonah’s expression "the heart of the seas" and repeated it for his own case except that it then became "the heart of the earth". Nothing more than a preview of his own death and burial precedent to his resurrection would appear to have been in his mind.

The "three days and three nights" has also provoked much discussion and not a little controversy. The accepted Christian tradition as well as customary reading of the New Testament allow for parts only of three days including two nights, from three oclock on Friday to dawn on Sunday. Various reconstructions have been worked out to extend this period to a full seventy-two hours but these of necessity come up against two apparently unassailable facts; one, that 14 Nisan of AD. 33, the year of the Crucifixion, ended on Friday 3rd April at 6:00 P.M.; two, the fixed conviction of the Early Church that the Resurrection took place on Sunday morning. Much more can be said on both sides of the question than will be attempted here, but it is possible that the expression "three days and three nights" in the Greek New Testament is analogous to the Old Testament Hebrew "evening-mornings", metaphorically indicating any period extending over parts of the stated number of days. We use a similar colloquialism today in saying, for example "I shall be away for three days" although in fact we leave at midday on Wednesday and arrive back at 3:00 P.M. Friday. Nothing more than this may be intended by the New Testament narrative.

A memorial talk

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It is impressive how fast the years glide by. As the various special seasons of the year come and go, it seems so little time has elapsed since the last. So Memorial follows Memorial, the years glide by, and we are growing older. With the passing of the years this present evil world becomes more unstable—so from two angles one wonders how many more Memorial seasons the church of God will keep this side of the vail, or this side the Kingdom. As one grows older, physical strength weakens, and at the same time the demands made by the modern world grow greater under the acceleration of the great increase of knowledge in this day of rushing to and fro. Consequently one hears on all sides the lament of weariness "I am so tired". Physical weariness may, to an extent, be offset by taking more rest and reducing the pressures around one by doing a little less, and this is often a wise procedure. But as consecrated Christians’ attention is toward the things of the Spirit. When peculiar difficulties of the ‘narrow way" are added to the physical weariness of "earning a living" and "providing things honest in the sight of all men", a Christian sometimes faces a special dilemma. God has not ordained that those striving toward joint heirship with Jesus in the throne of his Kingdom should have an easy and trouble free life. The way is one in which one can expect to feel weariness. How do we re-act? May the Heavenly Father make it profitable to reflect for a short time upon an answer to this question.

Jesus came to give his life a ransom for all. As a perfect man He knew no sin, therefore need not have suffered or endured any weariness. But time and again his healing hand reached out to some poor ailing sinful human, and each time "virtue went out of him"; in other words He surrendered some of his own vitality or strength. Many such occasions during the three and a half years of his ministry brought him to a condition, physically, much on a par with the fallen creatures He had come to save, so that as He was led to crucifixion He stumbled beneath the weight of his cross, and another was commandeered to help him carry it. The same healing missions doubtless, caused him to sit down on the well, "being wearied with his journey", as He talked to the Samaritan woman. It was because of his many wearinesses that our Lord became such a great High Priest Heb 4:15 reads, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities..." —no, indeed, He experienced what we experience; and so it is that we are able to come so boldly to the throne of grace, and obtain "mercy... and help in times of need". The Amplified Version of Heb 4:15 is so simple and beautiful—For we do not have a high priest who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a fellow feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning".

It is this One upon whom thoughts especially dwell at this season of the year—the Memorial; He "who in the days of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him who was able to save him from death...". (Heb 5:7) Truly, He is touched with the feeling of our infirmities; all who remember him are fully assured He understands their trials, and will ever reach out his help at every call. Memorial services are occasions to pay tribute to the memory of one who has gone from us, to recall features and characteristics of the departed one’s life which proved inspiring and helpful. With earthly friends, particularly parents and close relatives, we sometimes spent moments musing upon memories; and as Christians it is most profitable to dwell often upon the life of our Savior, the perfect One. He trod the way of weariness which all know something about. What were his re-actions? The answer should be the same to the earlier question, What should be ours? If one falls short of it, as many do in their imperfection, yet it is the will, the desire, to draw examples which can be set before us, to follow as nearly as one can. Long before our Lord’s time, the Psalmist David wrote several psalms which were largely prophetic of our Lord’s experiences. One such is psalm thirty one used now particularly because of verse five. The Lord had many times delivered David from his enemies, so that he had learned to put his trust in Him when he was oppressed, and verse five is how he expressed it "Into thine hand I commit my spirit..." (my life, my being). He trusted God to take care of him. So also did Jesus during all the earthly experiences as the Lamb of God who was to be sacrificed to take away sin. How He suffered, was straitened, in difficulty. until his baptism unto death was accomplished, (Lu 12:50) but He never lost the peace of God in his heart! Into his Heavenly Father’s hand He committed his being. though we do not find him using the exact expression of David until He was about to draw his last breath on the cross. Lu 23:46 (Amplified Version) reads—"And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. And with these words he expired". A short time later the first disciple of Jesus to suffer martyrdom used the same expression—in Ac 7: 59, "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit".

As we consider our Savior now during this memorial season, may we be helped towards the distress relieving spirit of committing our way fully to the Lord at all times. Especially when we have gone all the way, "have resisted unto blood" (actual death) "striving against sin", (Heb 12:4) may we be able to say with full assurance—"Into thy hands I commit my spirit". Such an attitude, if we can maintain it continually during our daily walk, will prove a blessing. This is shown in a very beautiful way by the words of one who has long since finished the way. His words will bear repetition—"To be a true and faithful servant I must put myself daily into Almighty hands, and say, ‘Into thy hands I commit my spirit’ —for this day and every day.

These words Jesus himself used when, on the cross, he was looking out on death; but they had been, before that, the words of one who was looking out, not on death, but on the difficulties and trials of life. (Ps 31:5) If they were enough for my Master to die upon, they are more than enough for me to live upon, and so I say—Into Thy protecting hands I commit my spirit, for the keeping of it. Life is full of temptations, the world full of snares; I cannot keep myself, but thou canst keep me from falling; I trust myself to thee. Into thy tender hands I commit my spirit, for the comforting of it. The sorrows of my life may be many, the waters deep, the furnace hot; I may have thick darkness over me soon in which I could lose all my joy, but if thou wilt whisper to me then, ‘I am with thee still’, I will fear no evil. Into thy correcting hands I commit my spirit for the sanctifying of it. I am willing to be chastened if only the chastening makes me purer than before. Take what way thou wilt with me, I will bless the hand that smites. Into thy molding hands I commit my spirit for the consecrating of it. Use me to thy glory. I would not live to myself. Let self be killed that Christ may be all in me. Turn me as the clay is turned in the potter’s hands. I would fain be a vessel for the Master’s use, filled with the Master’s grace, and thou canst make me so. And then if death should come even suddenly, I will hear thee calling, and reply, ‘Into thy redeeming hand I commit my spirit for the glorifying of it. Thy creating hands fashioned me, thy preserving hands have kept me, thy guiding hands have led me, thy appealing hands have beckoned to me, thy smiting hands have chastened me, but they were always saving hands that delivered me, and sheltering hands that covered me. I ever found them to be loving hands, I have proved them to be strong, and so I trust myself entirely and for ever to thee; Into thy hands I commit my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth’."

He who has made it possible for us to enter into this blessedness, to know such godliness with contentment, which is such great gain, is the One whom we, at this season, are especially remembering. He led the way none other had ever trod before, and He made it possible for us to receive the privilege of entering into his suffering experiences that we may know the fulness of his joy at his right hand in the kingdom. As we lift the cup that signals our participation with him as members of his body in the experiences of the present time, may we commit our spirits to him in the glad anticipation of soon drinking it "new" with him on the other side of the Vail.

No power to separate

40

"Who shall separate us from the love of the anointed one? Afflictions? Distress? or Persecution? or Famine? or Nakedness? or Peril? or Sword?""all of which things we are liable to whilst dwelling in the flesh. How overwhelming any of these experiences might seem to be at anytime! And, physically, we are no better equipped to endure them than are other people; many of whom succumb in despair. Nevertheless these experiences, when they do come, are not able to separate us from the love of the Anointed. They may have the effect of deepening and strengthening that love, but cannot separate us from it.

Clearly the way of triumph for all of us is, to hear his voice and follow him unhesitatingly. Indeed "In all these things do we more than overcome, through him that loved us."

2. Be Fruitful and Multiply

41

No picture of the antediluvian world can be complete without giving some attention to the question of population. The general conception of that world is one that was occupied by swarming multitudes something like the world we know today. A little thought will show that it could not possibly be anything like that. The Genesis narrative declares that the human race started with one pair. Biologically there is nothing whatever against that, and since our first parents, fresh from the hand of their Creator, were obviously free from present day demerits of "inbreeding" the story is logical enough. It follows therefore that for quite a few generations the number of human beings on the earth was exceedingly small. Since from the data given the length of life and interval between successive generations was ten times that usual at present, the associated time scale, measured by present day standards. was exceedingly long.

The antediluvians are said to have lived for periods of more than 900 years. After the Flood, according to Genesis, there was a gradual drop to two hundred at the end of the next thousand years. Later Biblical records brought it down to something like the present in another thousand. Historians of two thousand years ago record earlier historians of a thousand years before their time as confirming much of this with examples of such long-lived men quite independent of the Bible account. No one knows why. It may have had something to do with climatic changes, for experienced climatologists like Brooks have shown a pattern of world climate deterioration since 3000 B.C. which almost exactly mirrors the steps of shortening human life recorded in the Bible (see "Longevity of the Ancients", BSM Jan/Feb 1976). Ancient Babylonian, Sumerian and Egyptian records give the same picture of extraordinary long life in very ancient times. Fantastic as the idea may seem to the modern mind, it must be accepted as a fact.

It is noticeable, too, in the Genesis account, that the ages of marriage and first births increased in proportion. Before the Flood eldest sons were born when their fathers were 160/200 years of age. In the first thousand years after the Flood the age was around 130. In the days of Abraham it was down to 70. It is evident also that the ratio between the woman’s fertility period and the length of life was the same as now, and this implies an age span of about 170 to 500 of the average antediluvian age of 920. This determined the rate of growth of the population.

The other factor is the size of the average family. The Scriptural data is very scanty. Adam had three recorded sons and other sons and daughters, but how many more is not stated. All his recorded descendants had sons and daughters. Noah, at the end of the period, had three known sons and no intimation as to others. His three sons who survived the Flood with him had, respectively, seven, five, and four sons; in these cases it is implied in Ge 10 that these were the only ones. The average family of sons between all these and a few succeeding generations is only a little above four. If the much later cases of Terah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by their most fertile wives is included the average is still the same. Jewish legends stemming mainly from the immediate pre-Christian centuries credit Adam with, variously, five, seven, and nine sons, but these quite definitely have their source in the fertile imaginations of enthusiastic Rabbis. For the purpose of building a tolerably realistic picture of the antediluvian world, therefore, it might be discreet to adopt a figure of six sons, and as many daughters, per family, born over a period of 340 years in each case. There can be no certainty, yet on the other hand there is no means of approximating nearer the truth and this will at least afford an idea of the likely position.

In such case there would have been a birth at an average interval of thirty years, ten times a very usual figure nowadays, just as the normal life span then was ten times as much. Since records began in relatively modern times it has always been found that male and female births are consistently, and remarkably, equal in number. Experts in eugenics can explain why this is so, but usually in technical terms not always understood by others. It does indicate though that each man in those early days could find for himself a wife, although for the first generation or so from Adam that wife would have to be a sister. In this connection it is rather remarkable that in the apocryphal "Book of Jubilees" (c) 150 B.C.) enshrining Jewish legends about those days, it is stated that Cain, Seth, Enos and Cainan in the first three generations all married their sisters—only after that did the relationship extend more widely. The Genesis narrative does put the ages of the firstborn of these at a higher figure than their successors, as though they had to wait for a younger sister to grow up.

Seth was born, according to Ge 4, when Adam was 230 years old (130 in the AV) which allows for Cain to have been born at the lower limit of 160/ 170 and a daughter a little later on who eventually became Cain’s wife. This figure of 230 may provoke a question in the minds of some since the AV gives Adam’s age at the birth of Seth as 130, and a word on this point is desirable here. The figures for the ages of the patriarchs between Adam and the time of Abraham in the AV are those of the standard Hebrew Bible, which was last revised by the Jewish scholars known as the Masorites in the ninth century AD. This revision was on the basis of a former revision made by earlier Masorites in the first century AD. In both cases certain alterations to these ages were made by the Masorites to avoid the claim that, because the pre-Christian Hebrew Scriptures indicated the near close of six thousand years from Adam at the birth of Jesus his Messiahship, appearing at about that time, was vindicated. All ancient writers of the day, including Josephus the Jewish historian, many of the early Church Fathers, and Apocryphal books such as the Gospel of Nicodemus, the Book of Adam and Eve, and the like, together, with the Greek Septuagint which was translated from the Hebrew Bible about 250 B.C., unite in testifying to the longer ages. A number of internal evidences go to show that in the first century revision the Masorites deducted six hundred years from the ages of some of the antediluvian patriarchs so that the six thousand years would not terminate until about AD 1100 and so refute the Christian claim. By the 9th century the critical date was getting uncomfortably near again and the Masorites of that era did the same with the post-deluvian patriarchs and so advanced the date to the 17th century AD. There is no question at the present time as to the general accuracy of the Septuagint chronology.

With Cain gone, Adam and Eve were alone until Seth was born, perhaps not many years after the tragic death of Abel. "God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew" (Ge 4:25) said Eve. It has been surmised that in fact Cain and Abel were twins, and there may be some basis for the supposition. Instead of the usual formula "and Adam knew his wife, and she bare Cain" (or Seth later on), Gen. 4: 2 has it "and she again bare his brother Abel", where the word "again" means addition or completion, as though the second half is indicated. This would at any rate fit the time periods of the story for it could allow both Cain and Abel to be say fifty or sixty years old at the time of the tragedy and Cain’s banishment, and allow for one sister, born in the interim, to accompany him into exile, later to become his wife. Presumably Adam could have had four more sons and five daughters, born between Seth at year of the world 230 and the last son or daughter at year 500.

So, five hundred years after creation, Adam’s family was complete, one son and daughter in exile, the remainder fast growing up and taking their share in the work of raising food for sustenance. By that time Seth could have had three children and Cain, away in the Land of Nod, five. The human community was very small, twenty-two in all, and the Divine sentence was "cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field, in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground". (Ge 3:17-19) The nature of the world outside the Garden has always been a matter of speculation, it is probable that it was very largely forest, as was most of the world in early historic ages. Men have to cut down the trees and make clearings to grow crops for food, as they have done throughout historical times. It must have been a hard life, largely a struggle to glean the wild grain (the herb of the field which is upon the face of all the earth, Ge 1:29 and 3: 18 denotes the wild grain from which our modern wheat, barley and maize etc. have been developed through the ages), an arduous process of daily food gathering until they could clear areas of ground for cultivated grain and other foodstuffs. Until he was more than four hundred years of age Adam did not even see any grand-children, and no sign of any action on the Lord’s part to indicate his moving to fulfil the promise that eventually the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head.

This may be the reason behind the rather cryptic comment on the birth of Enos, first son of Seth and first grandson on whom Adam’s eyes fell. Four hundred and thirty five years after Adam awoke to conscious life in the Garden his grandson Enos was born, says the chronicle; (Ge 4:26) "and to Seth, to him also there was born a son, and he called his name Enos. Then began men call upon the name of the Lord". The marginal reading in the A.V. "to call themselves by the name" has nothing to commend it; the Hebrew preposition is definitely "off" and not "by". So soon after creation there would be little point in the alternative, there were only Adams sons in existence and they must still at least have been known to each other as acknowledging the power that had created their parents. But to call upon his Name was a quite different thing. The arduous life hitherto led by this little family must have led to a longing for some sign from the Lord that He would soon redeem his promise of eventual deliverance. The first generation, by now comprising only five sons and maybe five daughters, had not yet yielded the promised seed? Was there hope in the second generation? Eve’s reference to the Seed at the birth of Seth had not so far yielded anything. Was there any hope in this son of Seth?

The "men" referred to in vs. 26 could only comprise Adam, Seth and at the most four more. This was no mighty congregation lifting its corporate voice in prayer to God in some imposing building, it could only have been a small family gathering united in supplication to the Lord that this new entrant to the world might be the promised Deliverer from the woes of life and alienation from God. It was a mercy that those distant ancestors of ours had no inkling of the truth. More than seven thousand years later men are still looking and waiting for that deliverance, Abraham had to come and go, and Moses, and the nation of Israel, and the Christian Church of this present era, and still the Deliverer has not come, but the hope and belief

has never died. Two thousand years ago St. John closed the last book of the New Testament with the fervent supplication "Even so, come, Lord Jesus", And it will surely be; even though those few supplicants were destined to wear out their lives in nearly a thousand years of arduous labor, there is evidence that their faith held, onward through their generations. Although there is no knowledge of the language they had begun to evolve between themselves nor the names, if any, by which they designated God, it is a fact that nearly all the Hebrew names by which the antediluvian patriarchs are known in the Bible, transliterated from the Sumerian language in which they were recorded three thousand years after creation, embody the then Sumerian names for the Most High God, the God of Heaven, who before the days that idolatry crept in they worshiped, as had their father Noah before them, as the only true God. During at least the first thousand years or so before the Flood, man must have acknowledged and worshiped God.

Of all that thousand years of history, until the death of Adam, nothing more has survived, not one intimation of what men thought and said and did, nothing more than lists of the eldest sons in the two lines of Cain and Seth. The human race survived and increased, although slowly. The second generation, that of Enos, could only have amounted to thirty-six men and presumably as many women and it was the year 675 before the last of them were born. The third generation yielded about 400 but many of these were not born until after the death of Adam. Altogether, calculating from the ages and genealogical figures given in Genesis, the two communities at Adam’s death a thousand years later could only have amounted to about 200 in the land of Nod with Cain, and one thousand born of Seth and his other brothers somewhere near the lost Eden.

Illustrating relation of birth period 160/500 years in antediluvian era. Solid squares —birth dates of sons as stated in Genesis. Open circles —remaining birth dates approximated.

In the year 930 Adam died. That must have been a shock to the entire community. Apart from Adam, Eve, Cain and his wife none of them had ever seen death. The eldest ones among them had lived eight centuries and not seen death. The event must have brought home to them the grim reality of what their fathers had repeatedly told them but they themselves perhaps could hardly visualize. Perhaps again, as in the days of Enos five hundred years earlier, they "called on the name of the Lord". Like the Psalmist many centuries later, some must have wondered if "God had forgotten to be gracious". A thousand years of human history and all that is known or can be inferred is comprised in the story of the Garden of Eden, the crime and banishment of Cain, and that on the birth of the grandson Enos "men began to call upon the name of the Lord". In that thousand years the human community had increased to less than two thousand persons, probably occupying an area no greater than ten or twenty miles square. It has been reliably established that in ancient as well as modern historical times primitive peoples tend to grow in communities to a maximum of a hundred persons; the community then divides to establish two or more and repeat the process. This could well have been the custom in those pre-Flood days, by Adam’s death a scattering of a dozen villages a few miles from each other.

The antediluvian world was a very small one in those early days. But now things were going to change. Population was going to increase rapidly and the generations after Adam’s death would change the scene. This is marvelously confirmed by the first verse of Ge 6 "it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth"., Another generation was to see a population of something like ten thousand, and growing rapidly. And at the same time, the shadows began to darken.

To be continued

An Open Door of Faith to the Gentiles

44

"And when they arrived, they gathered the church together and declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.". (Ac 14:28)

What is so extraordinary about this report made by Paul and Barnabas of their missionary trip is they did not tell the Church of Antioch all that they had done and how they had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. They gave God all the glory! There is not the slightest trace of self-glory in this report. They could have recounted some exciting experiences that had befallen them, for they had traveled through Cyprus, crossed the arm of the Mediterranean Sea which separates Cyprus from the mainland, traveled through the provinces of Pamphylia, Pisidia, and into Galatia. They had founded churches and ran into the opposition of Jews who resented the success the two missionaries had among the Gentiles. The opposition grew into violence "against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. ".(Ac 13:50) Later, after an attempt to stone them in Iconium, "they fled to Lystra and Derbe". More wonderful things happened when Paul healed a man crippled from birth and the crowd, thinking they were gods come down in likeness of men, wanted to offer sacrifices to them. With great difficulty the two missionaries restrained the multitude from offering up the oxen. Following this, the Jewish leaders again stirred up the people and seized Paul, stoned him, and left him for dead. Oh, what a story they could have told the brethren, with themselves as the heroes, but they did not! They said God was the one who had done wonderful things.

What a lesson for us whenever we begin to think God cannot accomplish His purposes without us. That which is of greatest import is not what we are doing, but what God is doing with us. Unless it is God working through us, all our activities come to nothing. We are His instruments to achieve His purposes, and only as we yield ourselves to Him will His blessing be upon our efforts to serve Him. (Cicero "Berean News)45

The little priestly settlement at Shiloh, where the Tabernacle stood for four centuries during the period of the Judges, had lain desolate since the disastrous day when the Ark of God was captured by the Philistines in the time of Eli and Samuel. It was still inhabited, but its glory had departed, for the Tabernacle had been hurriedly taken down and re-erected at Nob out of the Philistines’ reach. Later it went to Gibeon, and now, in the middle of the reign of Solomon, it had for twenty years past been superseded by the magnificent Temple the Israelite king had built at Jerusalem. But Shiloh had still one claim to its credit; it was to produce the first of the long line of Hebrew prophets who rose up, one after another, to call kings, priests and people from their indifference and idolatry back to the worship of God and allegiance to the Mosaic Covenant. That line terminated in Malachi, who, four hundred years before Christ, foretold the coming of a Herald of Messiah and then Messiah himself, the Sun of righteousness, to arise with healing in his wings. Malachi was the last of those prophets, and the first, more than five hundred years before him, was Ahijah of Shiloh.

Ahijah, like Malachi, recorded his prophecy in a book. Unlike Malachi, his book has not survived. All that is known of his preaching and work is contained in the First Book of Kings. From that brief record we can draw a picture of the man and his character, a picture which is tantalizing because it is so dim. But the fact that he conveyed the Divine message to the principal figure in the secession of the Ten Tribes in the days of Rehoboam shows that he was a man of God and stalwart for the delivery of His message in a day of general apostasy.

It was at the time that King Solomon, at the height of his power and glory, had begun to relapse into idolatry himself that Ahijah comes on the stage. The great king had multiplied himself wealth and possessions beyond all kings of his own time and before, extended his dominion from the borders of Egypt to the Euphrates, increased the number of his wives and concubines, erected imposing buildings and splendid palaces, and now all these things had stolen his heart away from God. Among the people, who had been compelled to pay heavy taxes for all this glory, and labor at the arduous work involved, discontent was rife. The prediction of Samuel had come true, and the people who had clamored to have a king over them like other nations were now paying the price. And God, looking down from heaven, foresaw unerringly the disruption to which all this must inevitably lead. So he sent Ahijah to declare His judgment.

At a time which cannot be closely determined, but was probably about ten years before Solomon’s death, his attention had been attracted to one of his servants, an upstanding, courageous and industrious young man named Jeroboam, an Ephraimite of Zereda, a village in the Jordan valley. Solomon needed a trusty man to supervise the forced labor levies in Ephraim; Jeroboam was given this commission and set out to assume his new duties. As a member of the working classes he probably had no ambitions beyond earning a reasonable living and keeping out of trouble; better men than he had dabbled in politics and either succeeded or failed and that was not for him. The duty now laid upon him by the great king was an honor and a promotion and he considered himself fortunate but that was as far as his thoughts went. Until he met Ahijah!

The way to Ephraim from Jerusalem led past Shiloh. As he drew near the almost deserted village he saw coming towards him a strange figure, a man, clothed in skins, with flowing beard and burning eyes. Jeroboam knew that this was a prophet of the Lord and entitled on that account to some respect but he could have had no idea whatever of the message and the admonition he was to receive. The story is found in 1Ki 11; "it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field. And Ahi]ah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces" (vs. 29-30). Rather strange conduct, and disconcerting, to say the least. Jeroboam, conscious of the dignity of his new position and the desirability of impressing his subordinates and workmen, had invested in new apparel suited to the situation; now this complete stranger had come up to him and torn the garment into twelve pieces. But before he could so much as expostulate, Ahijah had thrust ten of the pieces into his unwilling hands and told him that God intended to sever ten of the tribes from the kingdom of Solomon and make Jeroboam king over them. Because Solomon had forsaken God, and worshiped the abominable gods and goddesses of the surrounding nations, and had failed to keep God’s statutes as had David his father, then at his death this judgment would come upon his kingdom. Came the charge to Jeroboam "it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that 1 command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee" (vs. 38). Then, abruptly, the prophet turned and stalked away, his gaunt figure receding rapidly into the distance, and Jeroboam was left standing alone, holding the torn pieces of his new garment helplessly in his hands.

He had a lot to think about as he continued his journey. It has to be assumed that Jeroboam was at this time a faithful worshiped of God and adherent to the Covenant. The Lord would hardly have called and appointed him otherwise. That mandate and exhortation which had just sounded in his ears could only mean one thing, that he was to have the opportunity with the ten tribes which both Saul and Solomon had with all Israel, and both had thrown away. He was to be a king, and reign as king in Ephraim. But he was to lead the ten tribes in firm allegiance to the God of Israel. That was the condition; there is little doubt that at that moment of time Jeroboam fully intended to implement that condition. It must have been, almost immediately afterwards, either by overt action or indiscreet word, Jeroboam revealed abroad what Ahijah had told him, for news came to Solomon and he sent emissaries to execute Jeroboam; high treason in the kingdom was not to be tolerated. Jeroboam got away to Egypt and remained there until Solomon’s death, but not before he had so impressed his fellow Ephraimites that he was marked out as their champion when the inevitable rebellion broke out. So soon as Solomon’s son Rehoboam had ascended the throne, representatives of the ten tribes, with Jeroboam at their head, came to the new king with requests for the alleviation of the servitude his father had imposed on them. This part of history is well known, how that Rehoboam refused and promised them even greater burdens so that the Ten Tribes revolted from Rehoboam and set up a separate kingdom under Jeroboam as their first king. Thus the prediction of Ahijah was fulfilled.

Now, for a span of years, Ahijah drops out of the picture. The sequel shows that he continued to dwell quietly at Shiloh. Rehoboam went to war in the endeavor to regain his lost subjects but to no avail. Jeroboam was firmly in the saddle and he set about organizing his new kingdom on a permanent basis. There is no reason to doubt his sincerity and endeavor to exalt the worship of the God of Israel among his subjects. There was one serious handicap. He had no center of worship, no Temple as had Rehoboam in Jerusalem; instead, there was the opposition sanctuary in the town of Dan in the north, established several centuries previously by Jonathan the grandson of Moses and served still by his descendants, still nominally worshiping God but with many of the appendages of idol worship. It seems to have been this which gave Jeroboam his idea. To dissuade his people from going to Jerusalem to worship and becoming too intimate with the subjects of Rehoboam and perhaps repenting of the separation and so threatening his own kingship, he determined to institute two sanctuaries to Jehovah in his own territory, one at Dan where the existing establishment could be utilized, the other at Bethel in the south of his dominions where he would install a priesthood of his own creating. For each sanctuary he provided an image of Jehovah in the form of a golden bullock, and invited all his people to join him in worship. "And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan......and Jeroboam offered incense upon the idol altar (1Ki 12:25-33) and the people assented, and that day the fate of the Ten Tribes Kingdom was sealed.

For how long Jeroboam thus led Israel away from God cannot be determined precisely, but the judgment of God was near and the erring king was once more to meet the man who at the first had conferred the Divine commission upon him and declared the condition. Considering that he first built his new capital of Shechem and spent probably a few years organizing his political framework before thinking about his religious sanctuaries the apostasy would not have come at once. It is recorded that Shishak of Egypt, first Pharaoh of the 23rd dynasty, invaded Judah in the fifth year of Rehoboam and forced the Hebrew king to surrender all his treasures; since Jeroboam had been given refuge in Egypt by this same Shishak it is probable that these two had formed a political alliance aimed at embarrassing Rehoboam, and if this be so it might well have been fifteen years or so before Jeroboams apostasy at last incurred its inevitable retribution.

The son of Jeroboam fell sick, and the sickness seemed to be unto death. Although he is called a "child" in 1Ki 14, the word really means a son without limiting his age to early childhood; in this case he must have been at least a youth for it is stated that "in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam." It would seem that his father had brought him up in the "nurture and fear of the Lord" to such good effect that the son had not followed his father into apostasy. He was probably the heir to the throne, and Jeroboam was deeply concerned. In this concern, he bethought himself of the prophet Ahijah whose prediction so many years ago had come so startlingly true. He told his wife to disguise herself, go to Ahijah and ask what would be her son’s fate; "he shall tell thee what shall become of the child."

This is where the prophet comes back into the picture. It does not seem to have occurred either to the king or to his wife that if the prophet could indeed read the future he could also see through any disguise. And, of course, the disguise was useless. "When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam: why feignest thou thyself to be another? I am sent to thee with heavy tidings." Then, in all its awful solemnity, came the judicial sentence. "Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people lsrael, and rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to thee; and yet thou hast not been as my servant David.... but hast done evil above all that were before thee.... made thee other gods, and molten images.... therefore I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam.... and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam.... for the Lord hath spoken. Arise, get thee to thine own house, and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. (1Ki 14:16-12)

So the unhappy woman returned, and as she entered her house, her son died, and all Israel mourned for him, for he was well loved. But Ahijah had said that he only of all the house of Jeroboam would go to his grave in peace because he only was righteous in the Lord’s sight and he was to be taken from the wrath to come. And from that day to the time two centuries later when Shalmaneser of Assyria overran the Ten Tribe Kingdom, and brought it to an end, and transported its people to remote corners of his empire, there were no good kings, only bad ones, and the people sank further and further into idolatry. There were many prophets sent to them after Ahijah, but they heeded them not, and at last the penalty of the violated Covenant was exacted from them.

Of Ahijah we hear no more. He probably died at Shiloh, and with his passing a light went out of Israel. He wrote his prophecies in a book, for it is referred to in 2Ch 9:29 and from that reference it would appear that he must have lived through the reign of Solomon; the story in 1 Kings reveals that he was old and blind when Jeroboam’s wife visited him. As a youth he probably saw the rise of the kingdom under David and shared in the high hopes of so many at that time that the kingdom would endure forever under David and his successors, by the power and blessing of the God of Israel. As a mature man he lived through Solomon’s reign and witnessed the gathering worldliness and indifference to the things of God which increasingly characterized king and people. He must have spoken out against that. Then came his mission to Jeroboam and perhaps he had high hopes of this enthusiastic and upstanding young man whom God had appointed to make a fresh start with Israel, only to have those hopes dashed when he saw the old evils, and more, creeping in again. So, as an old man whose life’s work was nearly done, he became the messenger of judgment and knew that after his death final disaster must come. Perhaps, though, it was also revealed to him, as it was to Daniel at a much later date, that despite all these apparent failures of God’s purposes with Israel, there would at the end come success, a day when Israel shall have learned the lessons and come wholeheartedly to God in a loyalty that will thenceforth never falter. Like so many of his fellow-prophets, he must have died in supreme content, assured that evil will one day pass away and everlasting righteousness be supreme.

Ahijah’s book has not survived. It is just possible, though, that part of the First Book of Kings is from his hand. Chapter 11 vs.1 to chapter 14 vs.20 constitutes a self-contained account of Solomon’s decline into idolatry and its consequence in the emergence of Jeroboam, with Jeroboam’s own similar course, ending with his death. The details given can only have been known to someone familiar both with Solomon’s reign and the intimate incidents of Jeroboam’s life. A man of God, living in the northern kingdom, is indicated. It is to be noted also that only in this account is the story of Solomon’s idolatry to be found. The remaining portion of 1 Kings, and the parallel narrative in 2 Chronicles, contains no hint of this and from these accounts it would be assumed that Solomon was faithful to God to the end of his life. It might well be, therefore, that these particular chapters in 1 Kings represent all that remains of the lost book of Ahijah the Shilonite. If that is so they constitute a testimonial to a faithful man who lived his life in obscurity but was used of God to do great things.

The Little Foxes

48

"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes". (So 2:15)

Jackals, they were, abundant in Israel in those days—the AV translators were rather weak in their Natural History. Packs of little jackals, nibbling voraciously at the stems of the vines, inhibiting their growth so that the fruit withered and died. The Hebrew word for "spoil" means to corrupt to destruction. Fitting simile for the little things of daily life which can lead astray unless regulated by our knowledge of the Divine Will.

But how to discern that Will? In the bigger things of life the way is usually fairly clear; the dividing line between what is right and what is wrong in the Lord’s sight is so plainly stated in the Word, so evident in the light of our knowledge of the Divine principles, that there is little doubt. We choose either the right way or the wrong way, knowing what we do, and abide by the outcome. But in these little things, so apparently trivial, so everyday in their occurrence, so seemingly unimportant, does it really matter so much? Is the Lord really so concerned? Will it really have so much effect on our Christian lives?

It is then that we have to remember the little foxes.

Just a little nibble at the stem, and the fruit withers.

It is related of William Penn, the celebrated colleague of the Quaker leader George Fox, and later on founder of the American State of Pennsylvania, that shortly after his conversion he had such a problem. William Penn was a highly placed member of society, a nobleman in the 16th century Court of King James of England. As such, and in common with his equals, he was expected to wear his sword at all times when in public; to appear at Court, as he was frequently required to do, without it, would be taken as an insult to His Majesty. In the past care-free days that presented no problem, but now that he was a Christian, and a Quaker to boot, —well, that was different. What would the Lord have him do? So he came to George Fox with his problem.

The Quaker leader surveyed him dispassionately. "Wear it as long as thou canst, friend William" he said.

At their next meeting Fox looked at his friend. "Where is thy sword, friend William"? he enquired.

The answer came equally seriously. "I took thy advice, friend George. I wore it as long as I could".

There, perhaps, lies the answer. Our Lord is not so demanding that we in our insufficiency must make the right decision in this field in every little problem and facet of life as that we think about it and decide for ourselves what would be the right thing to do. If we have made the wrong choice in all sincerity, He can easily put it right—or perhaps leave it to the outcome so that we can learn the lesson for ourselves. Pupils in the school of Christ do not always get their sums right first time, but so far as the Teacher is concerned the important thing is that they pass the examination at the year’s end. In the meantime, "he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are but dust". (Ps 103:14)

St. Paul had a healthy outlook on questions of this nature. In his day one of the minor problems was the propriety in the Lord’s sight of eating food, usually meat, which had previously functioned as an offering on the altars of the pagan gods of Rome. Such food was afterwards sold in the public markets, (1Co 10:25) and formed a major part of the daily food of the poor—and many of the early Christians were poor. Said Paul "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself—but to him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean". (Ro 14:14) The Lord places more importance upon the sincere endeavor of the Christian to form a right judgment than upon the rightness of the decision. Should he or should he not devote a measure of time to the pursuit of good music which might otherwise be given to the study of the Scriptures? The Lord loves good music; he spoke of little children playing their pipes, and anyway there are harps and trumpets, or their celestial counterparts, in Heaven. Is it judicious participation in a social festivity? One of the first things our Lord did after his baptism was to attend a wedding; not only so, when the wine ran out He provided some more. Is it a due meed of personal adornment? The first clothes any human being ever wore were fabricated by the hand of God in the Garden. It is for us to use all things gratefully, moderately, wisely, to His glory. "Whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all to the glory of God.

FIN

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

This journal is published for the promotion of Bible knowledge, maintaining the historical accuracy of the Scriptures and the validity of their miraculous and prophetic content viewed in the light of modern understanding. It stands for the pre-millennial Advent of our Lord and his reign of peace and justice on earth. It is supported entirely by the voluntary gifts of its readers and all such gifts are sincerely appreciated.

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England

Editorial & Publishing A. O. HUDSON(Milborne Port) Secretary & Circulation Mgr. DERRICK NADAL (Nottingham) Treasurer: B. G. DUMONT (Gloucester)

51 A discourse for today

"Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.". (Ec 8:6)

Men can neither judge their times nor time their judgments; God can do both. It is because He can do so that those who believe in God’s fixed intention to lead mankind into a life of everlasting peace can rejoice and be exceeding glad at a time when the misery of man is so great upon him that it almost invariably shows itself plainly in his face. Man is notoriously incapable in his handling both of time and judgment. He has been endowed with a brain of so complex a structure, and mental and intellectual faculties of so high an order, that God can say to him, as He did once through the prophet Isaiah, "come, let us reason together". At any rate, those faculties are more than sufficient for the intelligent planning of human life on earth so that all may take their fill of earth’s bounty and live in the full and unrestrained acceptance and enjoyment of all that God has provided for their happiness. But man’s judgment is so much at fault that he finds himself ploughing back into the land thc food he has grown, instead of consuming it; throwing back into the sea the fish he has caught, instead of eating that; going to war to preserve his freedom but accepting in order to do so a bondage from which he finds he cannot escape when the war is over, and in a hundred ways demonstrating to the observer’s satisfaction if not his own that the misery that is great upon him is very largely his own fault. The continued degeneration of the human race in consequence of its unrestrained use—or abuse—of its own powers of judgment is equaled only by the progressive deterioration and despoiling of this planet on which it lives, and that is another consequence of the same cause.

Neither has man made any better use of time. Historical records go back five thousand years Bible history goes farther. The Bible is more candid about the results than is ordinary his tory, . but the consequences today are getting plain enough for all to see. Throughout this long span of man’s time, man has succeeded in doing nothing except make tolerably certain that his time has about come to an end. and that if anything is to follow at all it must be God’s time. Men have had plenty of opportunity to try out their judgment on how the world ought to be run and society conducted. and all they have to show for the outcome is that the misery of man is great upon him. The only apparent fruitage of man’s experiment with time appears to be that, unless God intervenes, a few more decades will see the end of the experiment, and time, so far as man is concerned, be no more.

But Solomon was not thinking about human manifestations and use of time and judgment when he uttered his famous dictum. He was thinking of time and judgment of a higher order, of that associated with God. Solomon knew, what so many today do not know, that the center of all things both in space and time is God, and that whatever is, is by His permission if not of His direct interposition. No one who has any real understanding of the character of God would accredit him with responsibility for the entrance of sin and evil into the world, or suggest other than that God hates evil with all the vehemence of His Divine purity; that same understanding should guarantee an appreciation that the fact that evil is still with us after these many thousands of years does not by any means indicate that God has lost either interest or control. The whole point is that God is bringing two great influences to bear upon mankind. The one is time, and the other judgment. When both have done their work God will have achieved His great intention, an intention that has never altered, and man will have achieved his destiny. And if one should cavil at the suffering experienced by man while the process is being worked out, it may very reasonably be asked what about God? Is He not affected also? Man has at most seventy or eighty years of life in which to experience his greatness of misery; God has been watching the unbelief, the perversity, the wickedness of man, the oppression. the injustice, the devilry, for a hundred times as long. And who of mankind can hope to understand the grief of One who created this fair earth a garden and placed upon it a creature made in His own image and likeness, only then to watch His creation reduced to a shambles and His creature transformed into the image and likeness of the Devil? For full five thousand years the love of God was held in leash until His judgment decreed the time ripe to intervene in human affairs by sending His Son to show mankind the way out. Not until then had the development of mankind progressed to that point at which the message could do its work; not until then could He inspire the sublime words "God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life"!

Men rejected him; their judgment at fault again! "Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of Life." Time had not run its full course; men in general were not yet ready to listen to the voice that spoke from heaven. Judgment came upon that generation but still they did not repent. For two thousand years longer man has set his face determinedly away from God; and still is his misery great upon him.

But the end of even the longest day comes at last, and all the signs now are that the time of man’s dominion has nearly expired; God is about to take over. The world is very evidently entering into judgment; the imminent collapse of the present world order will affect all nations and races of men on the face of the earth for all now are dependent one upon another. The collapse is due to the selfishness and greed of men and their refusal to abide by the standards and laws of God; it is therefore the judgment of God upon them even although it is at the same time the natural and inevitable sequel to their own wrongful course. But when it is over men will be ready to listen to God; they will have to, for there will be no other in a position to speak with any confidence or authority. So time and judgment come to their climax together and God is able at last to talk to mankind with some prospect of being heard.

Now this is just for what the disciples of Christ have been waiting for hundreds of years. It is foretold that "the saints shall judge the world". The sublime promise given through Isaiah was that the consecrated people of the Lord would be employed in opening the blind eyes, bringing out the prisoners from the prison, and those that sat in darkness out of the prison house. The net result of their ministrations would be that every man should sit under his own vine and fig tree, and none make them afraid. The prospect of so desirable a consummation to the message and work of Christianity is of itself so attractive that the danger is we forget there is something to be done first.

That something is the training and the qualifying of the teachers and leaders.

One reason that time and judgment has had to delay the introduction of this long hoped for future Age of universal well-being has been that God, in His inscrutable wisdom, decreed that the teachers and leaders of men in that Age must themselves have been drawn from the ranks of men, and must be trained and fitted for their future work by the manner in which they make use of life’s experiences now, and the knowledge of human frailty and sin that they gain now. Until the teachers are thus qualified God is not ready to make a start. Time and judgment, therefore is operative in a special sense towards the disciples of Christ at this day and hour. Time, because God is working to a timetable and the opportunity to join with Him in the work of restoring mankind to righteousness must eventually close, and judgment, because the calling to which we are called is a serious and important one and there must be a decision at the end as to whether we are really fitted for the duties to be required of us. Jesus spoke of many who said "Lord, lord, in thy name have we done many wonderful works... we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets" but He had to say, nevertheless, "I never knew you; depart from me". Whatever they may ultimately become fitted for, they are not fitted for the work of administering the affairs of the Kingdom of Christ in the Millennial Age.

A very natural but a very tragic mistake on the part of those who would "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth" even to association with him in the conduct of Millennial affairs is the conclusion that a life of extreme piety and much acquiring of Christian doctrinal knowledge together with considerable withdrawal from contact with the world and its affairs, is the life to which God is calling. If the Lord should be looking for inmates to staff a celestial monastery in the hereafter there might be something in the suggestion, but He is not. He is looking for workers, for men and women who will be able to go out into the Millennial highways and byways and bring the lost and dying to the warmth and light of Christ’s fold. He is looking for those who will be like the Lord himself, merciful and sympathetic administrators; merciful and sympathetic, because they have learned mercy and sympathy in their experiences with their fellow men in life before. So that while piety is very necessary, and knowledge very useful, in the formation of that mature Christian character without which no one will see the Lord, it must be the piety and the knowledge which is acquired in conjunction with the world and with some very first hand knowledge of its problems. The religion which will at the end be stamped with the hallmark of Divine approval will be that which was branded by the Lord’s own half brother, James, as "true religion and undefiled before God", the religion that not only keeps its professor unspotted from the world but also visits the fatherless and widows in their affliction. On the memorable day when Jesus began his life’s work by preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth He took the book of the prophet Isaiah and read these words "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised". And forever after that day He discharged that commission in terms of going about doing good—preaching the gospel of the kingdom, yes, but at the same time accompanying that preaching by acts of goodness and benevolence, so that little children ran toward him and the afflicted and sorrowing brought their troubles to him. That is the example we are bidden to follow, and although it is not within our power to work the miracles that He worked it is by all means well within our power to manifest his spirit of kindness and benevolence toward all who are in affliction and sorrow, and do what we can to lighten the weariness of the way for those who begin to find life well nigh intolerable. There are plenty such

now, and there are going to be plenty more in the very near future. "inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren" says the king at the last "ye have done it unto me!" That parable relates to humankind in the next age, but the principle is equally applicable to us in this Age and day. The sincerity of our desire to help and lead mankind into the way of peace in the Age when we have all power is attested by the degree to which we try to do it in this Age, when we have little or no power. Until the fulness of time has come the misery of man must remain great upon him. Until the judgment of God upon a dying world order has been executed the misery of man must remain great upon him. But while these two factors continue to hinder the emergence of mankind into the life and light of the Millennial kingdom there is much that we can do to alleviate the lot of some, if only a few, of earth’s children, and so demonstrate that we have indeed partaken of the spirit of our Father which is in Heaven.

Israel’s Regathering

53

They come from far, as the Old Testament prophets said they would. The old vigor and tenacity returns as soon as they set foot upon the sacred soil, and the old arrogance. Not for nothing are those born in the land known as "sabras" the name means a prickly pear. The land is being restored and built up; the desert is beginning to blossom as the rose; their advances and discoveries in scientific and technical knowledge are beginning to spill over into the wider world to the greater benefit of man generally. Of old time Isaiah said, "they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations". (Isa 61:4) They are doing all this, and nothing can stop them. Despite their continuing unbelief, God’s purpose is directly involved, and no one can fight against God. One final time of stress is ordained, one last trial of faith, an event which will bring to the surface all the underlying devotion of which Israel is capable and leave them, at last, fully ready for their destiny. The continual progress and prosperity of Israel will excite the jealousy and antagonism of the wider world, and, perhaps, some dawning realization that this emerging nation is indeed as the Bible has so consistently declared, the initial phase of the incoming earthly Kingdom of God which is to overcome all evil and institute everlasting righteousness. Whatever the reason, there will be a great coalition of alien powers and interests intent upon destroying Israel. Ezekiel (chaps, 38-39) pictures this attempt under symbol of the 8th century B.C. invasion of the Middle East by the Scythians, Gog of the land of Magog and much people with him. Israel is pictured as defenseless so far as material weapons are concerned, but resting in faith that God will deliver—and God does deliver. That deliverance, and the vindication of Israel, and the overthrow of the "hosts of Gog". mark the time of Israel’s complete conversion and acceptance of her destiny. "So the house of israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that time and forward" is the prophet’s comment on his account of this momentous event.

54

The tribes of Israel, journeying from Egypt to the promised land, provide a fitting picture of the Church on her pilgrimage to her heavenly home. Throughout their journey the Israelites were tent-dwellers, and their meeting place with God was a tent. This arrangement, necessitated by their journeying, gave way to a permanent disposition when they reached their goal. The Apostle Peter uses this picture of a tent-dweller to portray his condition as a pilgrim when in 2Pe 1:13-14 he writes "Yea, I think it meet as long I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me". The word translated "tabernacle" means simply "a tent" and Moffatt puts it "so long as I am in this tent I deem it proper.... since I know that my tent must be folded up very soon". The Apostle Paul also uses this picture when in 2Co 5:1-4 he writes, "I know that if this earthly tent of mine is taken down I get a home from God, made by no human hands eternal in the heavens. I do sigh within this tent of mine with heavy anxiety, not that I want to be stripped—no, but be under cover of the other, to have my mortal element absorbed by life". (Moffatt.) We, living in the overlapping of the ages, and viewing from Pisgah’s mountain the home we hope soon to reach, can surely echo these sentiments.

This longing however, was tempered with a contentment which we, in these last days, do well to emulate. The Apostle Paul tells us that he had LEARNED, in whatsoever state he found himself, to be content. We would suggest that, to the Apostle Paul, this was a lesson not easily learned. Fiery, impetuous and fanatical as he was, he would not take kindly to anything savoring of passive acquiescence, yet the fact remains that he DID learn to be content.

This contentment should not, however, be confused with satisfaction, for although the two words are used synonymously there is an important difference. At the time when the Authorized Version was written, the word "content" was limited to earthly or mundane things, whereas satisfaction was raised to a much higher level. To be content meant to have the desires limited by present enjoyment, having a quiet mind, accepting one’s surroundings. Secular writings demonstrated the value of this quality, for Thomas Decker wrote

"Art thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers, Oh sweet content.

Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplexed Oh, punishment."

Shakespeare, who wrote during the same literary period, put it,

"Poor and content is rich, and rich enough."

Two hundred years later Shelley wrote,

"Alas I have no hope or health, Nor peace within or calm around, Nor that CONTENT SURPASSING WEALTH

The stage in meditation found,

And walked with inward glory crowned."

The difference between contentment and satisfaction is seen in the words of Thackeray "which of us is happy in this world, which of us has his desire, or, having it is satisfied"; and is concisely summed up in these words of Mackintosh, "It is right to be content with what we have, never with what we are". It is somewhat unusual to quote from secular writings, but our sole purpose is to emphasize the subtle difference between contentment and satisfaction.

Let us consider "what we have", noting first what the children of Israel had on their pilgrimage. They had dwelling places which provided simple yet adequate shelter, yet which could be easily moved. They were provided with food sufficient for their needs, but above all they had a place wherein their leader could meet their God—the tabernacle, or "tent of meeting". This could be taken down and transported when they were on the move. This "tent of meeting" contained, among other things, the Ark of the Covenant, or "ark of the presence" and the Shekinah glory, representing God’s presence in their midst, shone from between the cherubim. This representation of God’s presence penetrated, as it were, the fabric of the tent and was manifested as a cloud of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. This sign of the Presence moved from above the tent as an indication that they were to move on, and came to rest when they were to remain encamped.

We as travelers to a heavenly realm have all these things in antitype. These bodies of ours, weak and frail though they may be, are adequate as temporary coverings, but if at any time they seem woefully insufficient to stand up to the storms and tempests of life, we can and should strike our tents and move them into the shadow of the Rock of ages, where our feeble frames can borrow strength, as it were, from that great crag which was cleft that we might find a refuge. We, too, have a "tent of meeting" with its "Ark of the Presence" —a sanctuary into which we may, nay must, withdraw, that we may have fellowship with those of like precious faith, and hold communion with our Father and Lord. The benefits and blessings (and the responsibilities) provided by this temporary tent of meeting are too many and varied to be discussed here and are well known to us all, but we should like to consider briefly that cloud that sometimes "tarried long". (Nu 9:19)

When it moved it indicated that it was God’s will that they (the Israelites) should continue on their pilgrimage, and when it tarried long it just as effectively indicated that it was God’s will that they should be content to remain and await God’s time. How often do we feel, as pilgrims and strangers, that it is time we moved on, and just as often do we allow earthborn clouds to obscure that pillar of fire, which assures us not only of God’s abiding presence but also of His infallible guidance. Nevertheless that abiding cloud continues to hover over all who are making their way to a heavenly reward, and will indicate to each one of us how and when we are to move nearer to that desired haven. This picture can only be applied very loosely, for whereas in the type the children of Israel moved on in a body and entered Canaan as a nation, in the antitype each individual member down the Age has been led by that pillar of cloud to the gates of the New Jerusalem. there to await the call to enter in. It may well be that at this late hour the cloud that has tarried long will soon rise from about the "tent of meeting" and lead the remaining members of the Church into eternal fellowship with the Lord and all the saints. Who knows!? Our attitude should surely be that of the Apostle Paul as he "longed to be under cover of his home from God". He said "1 am prepared for this change by God, Who has given me the Spirit as its pledge and instalment. Come what may, then, I am confident; 1 know that while I reside in the body I am away from the Lord, and in this confidence fain would I get away from the body and reside with the Lord. Hence also I am eager to satisfy him, whether in body or away from it". (2Co 5: 5-10 Moffat) The Apostle was "eager to satisfy him" and here indeed is the crux of the matter.

We have very briefly considered "what we have" with which we should be content, and as tent-dwellers we should indeed be content to wait with patience until the cloud that has tarried long lifts and bids us enter in, but as was suggested earlier we must never be content with what we are.

If we would be "satisfied", with a heavenly home, we must first satisfy him who is to be Judge of all. It is a sobering thought that "what we shall be" depends entirely upon "what we are". This may seem a sweeping statement but it is based upon the Apostle’s words in 2Co 5:10. Rotherham’s translation reads "For we all must needs be made manifest before the Judgment seat of Christ, that each may GET BACK the things done by means of the body, according to the things practiced, good or corrupt". Moffatt’s translation reads "For we all have to appear, without disguise, before the tribunal of Christ, each to be reputed (paid back) for what he has done with his body. good or ill". The term "body in this text is synonymous with the term "tent" as used by both Peter and Paul, so whilst we have to be content with this body of ours, we must never be content with what we are doing with it. As we sojourn here below we have to mingle with all sorts and conditions; with neighbors, tradesmen, colleagues or workmates, as well as being privileged to meet from time to time with those of like precious faith, and we do find that every contact we make, every book we read, every meeting we attend, in fact that every experience which comes our way, leaves some impression upon these "tents" of ours. These impressions may be erased or retained according to the standards of behavior which govern our conduct. They may be shallow or deep according to the intensity of the experience, so some are much more difficult to erase than others; but even as we can only keep our physical senses keen and alert by keeping our bodies clean, so we must keep our minds clean that our perceptive faculties may remain unimpaired. In this connection our Lord’s words in Mr 7:15 are very much to the point "Nothing outside a man can defile him, it is what comes out defiles him ". So while we remain here as tent dwellers, waiting for the cloud that tarries to lift and guide us to our heavenly home, our lives should be a blending of quiet contentment and sanctified activity, our attitude should be one of acquiescence to the revealed will of God. At the same time we should seek that growth in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.

Even as contentment is limited to earthly and mundane matters, and satisfaction raised to a higher level of living, so if we are content with our lot now, shall we be satisfied with our heavenly reward. Satisfaction is not a mere acceptance of what is there, but a fulfilled desire for something else. With what shall we be satisfied? "1 shall be satisfied when I can break the fetters of flesh and be free. When the arms of my Father encircle his child, O, I shall be satisfied then." The height of all spiritual aspiration is reached in the words of the Psalmist. "I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness". Rotherham translates this "in righteousness shall I behold thy face, shall be satisfied when awakened by a vision of thee". Leeser puts it "As for me, in righteousness shall I behold thy face, I shall be satisfied when I awake with contemplating thy likeness". Would you wish to be awakened by a vision of the Lord? Would you be satisfied to be awakened contemplating his likeness? If so you must first satisfy him. We are all waiting for, longing for, praying for this glorious change. So, whilst thus waiting for this the greatest of all blessings, let us be content but not complacent, let us work as well as watch, let us fight and not faint, let us be content with what we have, but let us stretch every nerve, pressing on to attain, by God’s abounding grace, the victory which belongs to all overcomers, so that "at the bidding of the up-goings of the cloud from off the tent" we may be ready to move forward and enter into the Heavenly Canaan.

As pointed out at the beginning, the temporary dwelling of the wilderness gave way to more permanent dwellings when Israel settled in the promised land; likewise when each member of the Church reaches the end of the way, their tent will be folded up, but what will take its place?

Jesus said "In my Fathers house are many mansions", and even as the tent, which is the meanest of dwellings, is a fit picture of our earthly body, so the mansion, which may be considered the ideal dwelling, is a fitting picture of our "home from heaven". Now we dwell in a tent, but when the cloud that has tarried long ascends finally into heaven, we shall be admitted into heavenly mansions. Shall we be satisfied with these celestial dwelling-places? Shall we not forget the tarrying of the cloud when, lost in wonder, we view with rapture our eternal home? Now we see as through a dim window. Then, we shall see face to face. Now, we are limited, frustrated by the frailty of our earthly tents. Now we are hampered by the imperfections of our finite minds. Now we become tired, faint and weary. Then, we shall enjoy unfailing and eternal energy—then, untrammeled by inherent weakness, we shall be gloriously endued with inherent life. Now we must needs spend our days in earth’s defiling atmosphere, now we must rub shoulders with evil and degraded men. Then we shall spend eternity in the pure atmosphere of heaven in the presence of our God, our beloved Lord, and all the heavenly hosts. So we might continue, endeavoring to grasp the wonder, the beauty, the grandeur of our heavenly abode, but alas, these finite minds of ours cannot begin to comprehend the superlative dwelling places which await all who successfully pass the Judgment seat of Christ.

So, whilst we wait with patience for the final up-going of the fiery cloud, let us, whilst there is yet time, seek to attain that perfect character-likeness to our Lord which will enable us to take our place in the sanctified assembly which will be ushered into heaven, there to dwell through all eternity in one of our Father’s many mansions.

Thoughts For the Month

56

Surely it takes years of Christian experience and overcoming to be able to say from the heart that "All things come of Thee". There is no second cause to the true child of God, but rather the daily faith that every experience is ordered of the Father because He sees that it works out for our highest good, now and hereafter.

***

No amount of preaching that "God is Love" will impress our hearers if we have not love one toward another. It is of no use expounding Joh 3 16 if we ourselves are not also found to be "giving" of our best and dearest that others might be saved, nor of talking about the One Who came to be servant and serve mankind if we show no disposition to serve them too.

***

"The one great hope for the whole creation, towards which, blindly and unconsciously, if not with intelligent desire, all are reaching forward, is the ‘marriage of the Lamb’. It is the hope of the Bride who shall then be one with the Lord in all his glory, and power, and fullness of blessing. It is the hope of the nations, who shall then know the blessedness of righteous rule. It is the hope of the sore burthened earth, which longs to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. And it is the hope of the Lord himself, whose heart yearns over his Church, purchased with his own blood, but still lying in the desolateness of death, or amidst the defilements of this evil world, and whose word of promise is, ’Surely I come quickly’. Let our response ever be, ’Even so, come Lord Jesus’. Let our hearts be broken through our sympathy with the burdens and sorrows of all, and let us utter in his ear continually the cry that shall hasten the common deliverance." (William Andrews. 19th cent.)

The Visions of Zechariah

3. The Cleansing of the Priest

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Then he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him" (Zec 3:1 R.S.V.).

A new vision appears. The wide view of Jerusalem is gone: the prophet stands in spirit, probably in the Court of the Temple. witnessing a ceremony which seems to have much in common with the Levitical consecration of the High Priest. Joshua was High Priest in the days of Zechariah, the spiritual head of the nation just as Zerubbabel was its secular head. Now Zechariah sees this man standing before the Lord, arrayed in unclean garments. and Satan present to accuse him before God. The accusation is rejected; the Lord commands that Joshua be clothed in new and clean garments and a diadem placed upon his head. Then comes a solemn charge. If Joshua will faithfully discharge the duties of his priestly commission he will inherit an enduring place in the company of God’s ministers. And he is to prefigure the Messiah who will come in the fulness of time to lead the nation into the promised era of righteousness and peace when every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree with none to make them afraid. (Mic 4:4)

It is logical to think that the vision was intended to have an immediate although limited application to Israel in Zechariah’s day, even although its major significance has to do with the wider aspects of the Divine Plan. Thus Joshua in his "filthy garments" fitly pictured the defiled priesthood and Temple worship, consequent upon Israel’s captivity in Babylon and the desecrated Temple. Satan, standing to accuse him, symbolized the hostility of the surrounding nations anxious to induce the Persian power to withdraw its support of the newly established Jewish State. But here God steps in. "The Lord rebuke thee, 0 Satan" he says "is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Zec 3:2). Israel at this time. so recently delivered from Babylon. was in very truth a brand plucked out of the fire. So Joshua is clothed with new garments and crowned with a diadem as a symbol of the restored State and new glory of the returned exiles.

This indeed was a fresh start for Israel; now, at last, the failures and apostasies of those five centuries when the kings reigned could be forgotten and the nation go forward to its destiny. So the charge to Joshua (ch. 3: 7): if he should walk in God’s ways and keep God’s charge, then his rulership should be confirmed forever. He would see the fulfilment of the old-time prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah concerning the emergence of a "branch" of David. a descendant of David’s line, who should rule as both King and Priest. The outcome was to be the removal of the iniquity of the land and the eternal peace and prosperity of its inhabitants.

The golden vision was never realized. True, the Temple was built and for a while the zeal of the people for their God was great; probably the lifetime of Joshua was marked by a continuing national allegiance to the covenant. But old sins of cupidity, lawlessness and irreverence were still under the surface; by the time of Ezra, fifty years later, the nation had relapsed into its old ways, and corruption had penetrated into the priesthood. Ezra’s notable prayer on the occasion of his coming to Jerusalem (Ezr 9 & 10) highlights the situation. "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up into the heavens". It is true that Ezra brought about a national revival and reform, , but that was short-lived. Thirteen years later Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judah and found that all Ezra’s work had been undone and Jerusalem was again a desolation. For twelve years he ruled and labored among a fickle and, at heart, unbelieving people; but at the end of the twelve years he was recalled to Persia and immediately the nation relapsed again. He returned to Jerusalem subsequently and instituted further reforms, but as with Joshua, so with Nehemiah, after his death the light went out, priests and people alike abandoning all pretense of serving God and belief in the high destiny of their nation. So the fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy in the person and work of Joshua and the generation he served as High Priest was not realized because of unfaithfulness and unfitness: the only possible fulfillment is that which runs its course through the Christian Dispensation and the one that follows, the Millennial Era in which the climax of Zec 3 finds its reality.

It would seem. then, that this chapter takes us away from the background and the events of the prophets own day and leads irresistibly into the future. The climax of the vision, the emergence of the "Branch" —a title the Scriptures confine to the Lord Christ in his Messianic glory—the removal of iniquity, and the Millennial setting of verse 10 all point to this. Hence Joshua the High Priest clothed in unclean garments which are taken away and replaced by clean ones, is clearly a figure of the Christian Church of this Age in process of cleansing and fitting for her future work in the next Age.

On this basis the elements of the vision fall into place. The central figure is the Royal Priesthood of the Millennial Age. A great deal of Old Testament imagery pictures our Lord uniting within himself the combined offices of King and Priest. The Psalmist lays down the principle that when that Age dawns Christ is to be a "priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek". (Ps 110:4) That is a reference back to the Genesis story of the Priest-King of Salem (Jerusalem) in Abraham’s day, the story which the seventh chapter of the book of Hebrews uses so effectively to picture the work of Christ at his Second Advent. Whereas at his First Advent and in his sacrificial role, He was prefigured by the order of Aaron, a sacrificing and a dying priesthood, at his Second Advent and in the power of his glory He appears as a royal priest, a Priest-King, after the order of Melchisedek. But the New Testament shows that He is not alone in this; there is to be associated with him in that restorative work among mankind of the future Age the company of his faithful disciples of this Age, the Christian Church, those who in Re 17:14 are said to be "called, and chosen, and faithful". And it is the Book of Revelation, which indicates that this same Christian Church is to be considered as sharing with her Lord the honored title of the Royal Priest-King. "He hath made us kings and priests unto God". "They (that have part in the first resurrection) "shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years". (Re 6 20:4) Joshua, standing in an unclean condition, can fitly picture the company of his disciples who, after cleansing, ultimately become part of the "Royal Priest". Hence verses 1-3 of Zec 3 can logically represent the Church of this Age standing, by virtue of the consecration of its members to God, in the presence of the Lord, the "angel of Jehovah" of verse 1, clothed with unclean garments, the defiling influence of sin, which is now to be taken away. The clothing with "change of raiment" (verse 4) is easily seen to represent the "being arrayed in fine linen clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints". (Re 19:8) Justification, reconciliation with God, the life of sanctification and dedication to the High Calling, all this is what is involved in this being arrayed in a change of raiment. How apt in this context are the words of verse 4 "1 have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment".

Satan, the enemy of Joshua, is equally the enemy of all who would enter into a covenant of service with the Lord. It is noteworthy that he disappears from the vision so soon as the Lord’s reproof is uttered. So in the reality. The Prince of Evil has great power and influence in the world of men but the power of the Lord is greater and every "brand snatched from the burning" and brought to Christ is immune from the Adversary’s devices.

Who are "those that stood before him" (i.e. before the angel of Jehovah, the Lord) in verse 4? These are the ones who actually strip the unclean garments from Joshua and array him in the new ones. Probably, just as Satan represents the powers of evil that would endeavor to keep Christian disciples in the way of sin, so "those that stood before" the Lord represent his ministers, whoever they are and from whencesoever they come, who are the instruments employed by the Lord in his work of transforming the hearts and lives of the believers, which is the real fulfillment of the change of garments. What has often been called "the ministry of angels" might well have its place here. Now comes the indication of royalty, of a "fair mitre" —more accurately, a brilliant diadem—being placed on the head of Joshua. It is sometimes thought that this is the ‘mitre" which formed part of the Levitical priests’ —Aaron’s—regalia, but the word used makes it more likely that a royal crown or diadem is intended, as in Isa 62:3 "Thou shalt be... a royal diadem in the hand of thy God". The symbol could well speak of the insignia of royalty which the prospective "Royal Priesthood" even now possesses, whilst still in this life. "Ye are... a royal priesthood". (1Pe 2:9) So the Christian Church, as yet but a prospective heir to the glory that shall be revealed, stands in clean garments and with a royal diadem, acceptable in God’s sight.

That commission is stated in verses 6-7. "The angel of the Lord enjoined Joshua, Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here" (R.S.V.). Now this appears to envisage the discharge of a present duty as the essential preliminary to receiving certain administrative authority, and entering into a place or joining a company which stands in close relation to God. It ought not to be difficult to discern the application. The injunction laid upon all who come to the Lord as members of his Church is both to walk in his ways and keep his charge, Consecrated Christians of this Age, having been faithful to their calling and having learned well all that the Divine Providence in the circumstances of life has taught them, will be privileged in the next Age with duties of oversight and instruction of the whole race of mankind then to be called to repentance and reconciliation. The final phrase is then the obvious comment. These who are thus found fitted and qualified for eternal association with the Lord in his future works are destined to be with him, translated from this terrestrial world to that which is outside the range of human sense, but which is nevertheless the home of radiant beings always and altogether devoted and active in the service of God. Dr. Moffatt may have had more than a flash of insight when he rendered this particular sentence "I will give you right of access to this company of mine". Whatever the precise meaning of the original, it is a definite assurance that the faithful are eventually to be admitted to a condition of being, of life, an eternal home, which is in the presence of God and of those who, metaphorically perhaps, stand before his Throne.

Now comes the inspiring sequel to the vision, one that reveals in a few simple phrases the inflexible purpose of God to remove evil from the world and lead mankind into a condition of everlasting contentment. "Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at..." (ch. 3: 8). This is the prelude to a most important announcement; but first of all the characters thus addressed have to be identified. If Joshua the high priest is a picture of the Church in the flesh, who then are "thy fellows that sit before thee" "men wondered at"? It is not easy to find a class of men in this present order of things who can fitly be described as "fellows" to the disciples of Christ. The qualifying expression "men wondered at" is difficult to apply; the Hebrew word means a miracle or a sign but the context would certainly not be satisfied by describing them as "miracle men". Every translator has his own slant on this phrase; thus the R.S.V. renders "your friends... men of good omen", Dr. Young "Men of type they are", Leeser "distinguished men are they", Rotherham "men to serve as signs", and Ferrar Fenton "they are witnessing men. Now most of these expressions have been from time to time applied to Israel, the nation that was God’s witness in the world and became not only a sign to all men of Divine power but a type of the later arrangement in Christ which was to come after his First Advent. Even the expression "miracle men" would not be out of place; the survival of that nation throughout history despite all that has endeavored to destroy it, and its territorial resurgence in this our own day, has frequently been described as a miracle. And the fact that both Joshua and the "men wondered at" are bidden to heed the Lord’s declaration that He will bring forth his servant the "Branch", and none among men save the Christian Church and believing Israel could have the faintest idea of the meaning of that expression, goes far to encourage the conclusion that this is the understanding intended.

"For, behold" says the Lord "I will bring forth my servant the Branch" (Zec 3:8). The "Branch" in Scripture metaphor is Christ—at his Second Advent and during his Millennial reign. It has its origin in the fact that Jesus, as a man, came in descent of the line of David and so fulfilled in his own person the prediction that Messiah would come of David’s seed. Thus we have Isa 11:1. "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse" (David’s father) and a Branch shall grow out of his roots". The rest of this chapter describes the Millennial rule of Christ and its beneficent consequences for men. Says Jer 23:5 "The days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth". Again the same prophet declares (Jer 33:14-15) "ln those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David: and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land". From these allusions it is obvious that Zec 3:8 relates to the establishment of the Millennial administration upon earth, in which both the Church and regathered Israel, the heavenly and earthly instruments of world conversion in God’s hand, will occupy significant positions.

"For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree" (Zec 3:9-10).

A stone, having seven "eyes", engraved by the hand of God, becoming the means of removal of evil, resulting in men calling or inviting their fellows to the shelter of the vine and fig tree. The Hebrew word here rendered "stone" (eben) may equally refer to a precious stone, a pebble or a boulder of granite. The context has to decide. In this case the background is that of the coming Millennial Kingdom and immediately the "stone cut out of the mountain without hands" of Da 2:34-45, this same Millennial Kingdom, comes to mind. The "stone set before Joshua" could well symbolize this same Kingdom. The usage of the term "engraving" is perhaps not too happy a one; "Pathach", means primarily to open a thing, as a door, a book, the gate of a city, or to loose a thing, as bonds or girdles, and only secondarily to engrave. In fact it is rendered "Open" some 80 times and "engrave" only twice. It may be therefore that having "set", or established, the stone which symbolizes the Kingdom, the Lord throws it open for all who will to enter, much as the gates of the holy city of Re 21:25, are thrown open to redeemed humanity. This would make sense of the succeeding phrase "I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day", for the entrance to the "stone" kingdom being thus thrown open the logical consequence is the conversion and reconciliation of mankind in the Millennial Day.

The seven eyes are significant. In chapter 4: 10 they are referred to as the "eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth". This idea of the all-seeing supervision of his creation by the Most High is very prominent in Scripture. "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" says the writer of Proverbs (15: 3). Elihu, that far-sighted young man in the days of Job, said "his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings". (Job 34:21) A little known seer, Hanani of Judah, warned King Asa "the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth", .( 2Ch 16:9) And in more poetic frame the Revelator sees the "seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth". (Re 5:6 1:4) These expressions indicate God’s awareness of all that goes on in His creation; as the writer to the Hebrews says, "all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do". (Heb 4:13) This does not imply that there are seven literal dissociated eyes traveling over the earth’s surface to behold what is going on. The seven is the symbol of completeness, and the seven eyes picture the many-sided and universal Divine perception from which nothing is hid. In point of fact "ayin" can equally well mean "aspect" or "face of and is used in these senses frequently in the Old Testament. It is probably more logical to think that what Zechariah saw in the vision was not a boulder of rock adorned with representations of seven human optic organs, but rather a seven sided stone block, a stone having "seven facets" as some translators put it, so that one-seventh of the stone faced in each of seven directions. Thus would be well symbolized the Divine supervision of the Kingdom, seeing and ruling in every direction.

So the stone comes to rest on the ground before Joshua; the Kingdom is established on earth, Joshua and his fellows are ready, and the Millennial work commences. "In that day" (as Rotherham) "ye shall invite one another to come under the vine and under the fig tree" or the LXX "ye shall call together every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree" or, again, the R.S.V. "In that day, says the Lord of Hosts, everyone of you will invite his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree". The essence of this final scene in the vision is the fact of invitation. Vine and fig tree are symbols of the Millennial Age; in that day men will invite their fellows to share in the blessings of that Age. The basic principle is laid down in Re 22:17 "And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come, And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely". This is the time when all men everywhere will have the opportunity to hear and accept the grace of God in Christ and progress, if they will, to a condition of full reconciliation with God and entry into the eternal state of the blessed. It will be by invitation and not of constraint; by persuasion and not of command. But the prospect is that of a world in which sin and evil are done away; the progress and development of the sons of men unhindered and untrammeled by violence, fear, selfishness, disease or death. Man will, at last, have attained his place in creation.

To be continued.

Charity

60

Charity should begin at home, but it should not stay there. Life is service. Service is a part of life; it is the only real human life, and from Christs own experience we see the great example of it.

The Coming of Christ

61

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him". (Re 1:7)

This is a reference to the Second Advent and the revelation of Christ to the world at that Advent. The point at issue is whether that revelation is made through the natural sight or what might be termed spiritual vision or mental sight. In past ages the question did not arise; the prevalent belief that our Lord was resurrected in his fleshly human body led to the logical conclusion that He would return in that same body and hence would be seen of men by natural sight. The more up-to-date view is that our Lord rose from the dead in the glory of his Divinity, a glory that cannot be sensed by natural sight, and the human body buried in Joseph’s tomb is not part of his present being. It follows therefore that at his return, unless He "materializes" in human form as He did upon certain occasions between the times of his resurrection and ascension, He is not perceptible to human sight, and the fact of his return must be discerned by other evidences.

It is not sufficient, though, thus to dismiss this Scripture, for the statement here is that "every eye shall see him." Some have pointed out that the word is opsetai, which is said to mean the seeing with natural sight, and hence that the text should be taken literally despite the considerations which have been expressed. Now in fact this word, in its various grammatical constructions, has both uses in the New Testament, to "see" with the physical eyes and to "see" mentally. Since this is a rather important point, a few instances of this latter usage are given here in order to establish the matter.

Joh 3:36 "He that believeth not the Son shall not see (opsetai) life"

Lu 3:6 "All flesh shall see (opsetai) the salvation of God"

Mt 27:4 "What is that to us? see (opsei) thou to that".

In the Greek O.T. (the Septuagint:

Ps 49:9 "That he should still live for ever and not see (opsetai) corruption".

Zec 9:5 "Ashkelon shall see (opsetai) and be afraid".

And in the Apocrypha:

Baruch 4: 24-25 "The neighbors of Zion shall see (opsontai) your salvation...thine enemy hath persecuted thee but shortly thou shalt see (opsei) his destruction".

These instances—there are others—indicate that the word is not used exclusively to mean the seeing by physical sight; it does on occasion indicate seeing with the mental sight and it does not follow therefore, that the use of opsetai in the text concerned teaches that Jesus at his return be necessarily visible to men.

The next thing to consider is the thought in John’s mind when he wrote the words. What did he mean to convey? What is the understanding that the Holy Spirit sought to impart to us through John’s ready pen?

The verse stands by itself; it has no direct connection with either the preceding or the succeeding verses. It is an ecstatic outburst, as it were, on John’s part, using the language of the Old Testament. He offers his greeting, a greeting of grace and peace from the Father, the Son and the angelic host, the "seven spirits before the Throne", to extol the One who has both saved us and made us kings and priests. Having concluded this greeting it is as if a new thought strikes him and he exclaims "Behold, he cometh...", seeing the ultimate end of what he was about to witness in vision on Patmos. We should take the verse as being, not a bald, sober statement of an expected physical appearance, but a rhapsody of praise for a forthcoming event expressed in familiar Scriptural terms. The words of this verse are repeated from the sayings of Jesus and the utterances of the prophets and it is to those origins that we should turn rightly to understand the text.

The memory immediately in John’s mind must have been the reply of Jesus to the High Priest. (Mt 26:64) John was present at that scene (Joh 18:15) and heard the words: "hereafter ye shall see (opsontai) the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven". That was a direct reference to Da 7:13 "One like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven.. . and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people should serve him". Now that verse in Daniel, in common with the whole of the chapter, is clearly metaphorical. We do not expect the Most High in the form of a bearded patriarch to set himself upon a material throne and superintend the burning of a literal ten-horned beast. Neither do we expect that the Lord Jesus will be literally brought before a throne of fire in order to receive his kingdom. John knew all this when he quoted those words in Re 1:7 and there was no doubt in his mind as to the reality of that Coming even although he knew himself to be describing it in metaphorical terms.

Perhaps John’s thoughts ranged farther back still than the time of Daniel, and recalled the golden visions of Isaiah, in which the same word is used for the same event. "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see (opsetai) it together"; ( Isa 40:5) "For they shall see (opsontai) eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion". (Isa 52:8) John probably associated with these Scriptures another theme, that upon which the prophet Zechariah dwelt when he said (Zec 10:10) "they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for an only son". John had already associated that word with a limited fulfilment at the time of the Crucifixion; (Joh 19:4-7) now he associates it with a greater. Not only would the "watchers", as in Isa 52:8, see the Lord returning to Zion; not only would "all flesh", all the world, as in Isa 40:5, see the glory of the Lord revealed; not only would the wicked who had risen up for judgment, as in Da 7, see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, but those who in John’s sight were the farthest of all removed from God—"they also which pierced him" —would experience this same realization of his return for judgment and blessing. None can escape the Coming of the Son of Man. All are to be brought before him that he might separate them as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. (Mt 25:32) Just as in Zechariah there is a world-wide mourning for an only son so also in John’s ecstasy he foresaw that "all kindreds of the earth shall wail over (not because of) him". The idea is that of mourners wailing over a dead beloved one. The correspondence between Zec 10:10 and Re 1:7 on this point is exact.

It should be clear then that since the "seeing" in the Scriptures which gave John his inspiration for this verse in Revelation is not physical but metaphorical, John is hardly likely to have intended his words to be interpreted to mean physical sight. He knew that the seeing in those texts was with the mental sight and it is reasonable to conclude that in alluding to them he applied the same meaning.

Incidentally, if "they that pierced him" are literally to witness his coming in the clouds of heaven it follows that they must be resurrected before the Second Advent takes place, and this is certainly not the case. The Lord comes, first, admittedly, to raise his faithful ones. After that, and with the Church, He is revealed, in some perfectly convincing fashion, to the living world as the world’s Savior. Only after that event, and the manifest establishment of the Messianic kingdom in power, will the General Resurrection commence and "they that pierced him" be awakened from death to stand before the "Great White Throne". They will not, they can not, physically witness his return to this sphere of man, but they will "see" him then in exactly the same way that we, now, see, "eye to eye", the Lord returning to Zion.

Waters of Death

62

A writer in the "Jerusalem Post", some years ago bewailed the polluted state of some of Israel’s rivers. He said "Wadi Sorek, which was once a most beautiful approach to Jerusalem, has now been turned into a 40 kilometer sewer, open and running all the way from Jerusalem itself to the Mediterranean". We in this country, of course, are equally familiar with polluted rivers, but in this particular case there is a special association which high-lights the circumstance very vividly. The Wadi Sorek is the river which was in the mind of Zechariah when, in his vision of the Millennial Kingdom, he spoke of living waters going out from Jerusalem "half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the hinder sea".. (Zec 14:8) In his vision he saw the two rivers he knew so well, the Kidron running into the Dead Sea and the Sorek into the Mediterranean, and pictured them as rivers of life, carrying everlasting life to all the people of earth. But under the conditions of this present world the Sorek is a river of death, foul and polluted, no fitting subject for Zechariah’s eloquent simile. It will take the remedial judgments and living gospel of the Age of Christ’s rule over the earth to convert it to a river of life, "living waters", a fitting symbol of the purifying and ennobling influences which will cleanse men from the defiling impurities of evil.

3. Chedorlaomer King of Elam

63

Back at Bethel after the return from Egypt, Abraham, now about eighty years of age, began to settle down in the land to which the Lord had called him. (Ge 13:3) High up in the highlands, a healthy and normally fertile locality, he might reasonably have expected to remain and prosper as his household and possessions expanded. God had promised to make of him a great nation so that eventually through his seed, his descendants, all the families of the earth would eventually be blessed. He had returned from Egypt a much richer man than he had entered it—beside his original sheep and cattle, considerably multiplied whilst in Egypt, he now had asses and camels, men and women slaves, gold and silver given him by Pharaoh, and was well on the way to becoming a major power in the land—as in fact he did so become not many years later.

But temporal prosperity brings its problems and Abraham found this out almost at once. His nephew Lot, his wife’s brother, who had elected to leave Ur with him and share his fortunes, was now building up an establishment of his own. Says the narrator in Ge 13:5 "and Lot also, which went with Abraham, had flocks and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance was great, that they could not dwell together". In other words, the land available was becoming inadequate to sustain their joint households, and, says the narrator rather ominously (vs 7) "and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land". The existing inhabitants were beginning to look rather askance at these two numerous communities in their midst. And too, "there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle". The most important factor in the stock raising process was the water supply, and it is obvious that the water resources were beginning to prove insufficient.

It was Abraham who took the initiative. He told Lot they would have to separate, each to an area adequate for their own purposes. As the senior of the two he could rightfully claim to have first choice of the available alternatives, but he did not. He gave his nephew the first option. "The whole land is before you" he said, "you go the way you choose, and I will go the other, and we shall remain brethren". It is evident that Canaan was still insufficiently peopled to create any difficulty in choice "Is not the whole land before thee" said Abraham; (Ge 13 9) that meant that Lot had virtually untrammeled choice of an attractive area for his establishment.

"And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoan" (The A.V. has Zoar, the settlement near the ill fated Sodom and Gomorrah in which Lot and his daughters took refuge during their destruction, but this is a mistake in the Hebrew for Zoan, in the fertile Delta area of Egypt which they had so recently left, and is so stated in the Syriac). And as he looked down from the Judean highlands to that luxuriant tropical valley with its ill-fated "Cities of the Plain", he unhesitatingly elected to go there and dwell among the Canaanites, of whom the narrator observes caustically "but the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly", a choice that was to bring him disaster some seventeen years later.

The character of Lot is a strange one. According to Peter he was a righteous man who vexed his soul from day to day with his fellow-citizens’ wickedness (2Pe 2:8) and he attempted to defend the two wayfarers from the violence of the mob not knowing they were angels well able to defend themselves, yet on the other hand he must have known what kind of community he was joining. The advantages of the fertile land in which he could settle apparently outweighed the demerits. At any rate, he went the fifty or so miles down into the Plain and left Abraham in possession at Bethel. His character is painted as hesitant and indecisive, righteously inclined but not moved to make any real effort to forego the advantages of this world’s amenities for the sake of the things of God. He reaped the fruits of that disposition in disaster at the end. He is last seen with his two daughters bereft of all his worldly possessions and just surviving in a cave halfway up a barren mountain.

Now the Lord appeared unto Abraham, in what fashion is not indicated but in some guise or by such means as to make the message quite plain. He was to survey the land of Canaan in all directions and all that he surveyed was in a future day to be his possession, and that of his descendants. At his first appearance to the patriarch at Shechem. some seven years previously, the Lord had promised the land to Abraham’s seed—now the promise included him personally. It has often been remarked that he himself never did possess any part of it—-he was always a wanderer, a temporary occupant of land he did not own. The writer to the Hebrews (chap. 11) includes him among those stalwart worthies of ancient times who counted themselves but strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Since Jesus himself did say that "yourfather Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad" one can only assume that it will be in that yet future day that this particular promise will be fulfilled, that the old patriarch will live again, and tread the soil of the land over which he once wandered. and see for himself the fulfilment of the promise that his seed shall inherit the land and from that land go out. as Isaiah was to predict many centuries later. to declare God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.

And it was in the course of that survey of the land that Abraham decided to move location once more, some thirty miles to the south. to a valley high up in the highlands of what later became Judea, to a place called by the local people Mamre, later to become known as Kirjath-arba "the town of the Arabah", the south part of the Holy Land, and still later Hebron, its name still, for the town is still there after four thousand years. And there Abraham built his third altar to the Lord. The locality was the territory of three Amorite chieftains. Mamre, Eshcol and Aner, brothers, and it was in Mamre’s area that Abraham settled, apparently with ready consent on the part of the occupants, for a little later on those three were "confederate with Abram". (Ge 14:13) This wide-spreading land which was so fertile in those days became desolate and deserted until the new-born sovereign state of Israel began colonizing it and restoring its ancient fruitfulness. Here on the border of "the south", the Arabah, Abraham probably hoped to enjoy a period of quietness and prosperity with friendly neighbors and plenty of room to expand.

His hopes were doomed to frustration. Within two years of parting from Lot, grave news came by messengers. The land was threatened by invasion and warfare.

Whilst Abraham was still back in Haran, the Elamites from the eastern mountains (now Iran) had conquered Ur of the Chaldees and other city-states of Sumer and had extended their power westwards to the Mediterranean Sea which included Canaan so far as the borders of Egypt. The burden on the Canaanites was light—an annual tribute of the produce of the land was all that was demanded and for twelve years this had been forthcoming and the Elamites had left them alone. But in the thirteenth year they rebelled and withheld the tribute. Inevitably, in the following year the Elamites took action.

The story is recorded in Chap. 14. Chedorlaomer (native name Khudur-Lagamar) King of Elam gathered some of his vassal kings to his side, called up his forces, and marched the thousand miles to Canaan to take the necessary action. He had with him Amraphel King of Shinar (Hammurabi of Babylon) soon to overthrow him in turn and take possession of the Empire, although he did not know that at the time, Arioch King of Ellasar (Eri-Aku of the Sumerian city-state of Larsa) and Tidal King of nations (a petty chieftain of the wild independent mountain tribes east of Babylon) each with a contingent of men, and went out after that tribute. It need not be thought that it was a very large army by modern standards. When the renowned Sargon of Agade, reputedly the first great military conqueror of history, only some two hundred years before Abraham, went out to war, his army consisted of six hundred men, and with these he extended his sway over the same area, from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean. In his recorded narrative of his campaign against these same Elamites he says "the carnage was fearful—sixty Elamites were killed and 1 took sixty more as prisoners". If Khudur-Lagamars army was of the same dimension the eventual victory of Abraham with his three hundred and eighteen "trained servants" plus some help from his Amorite allies is more understandable.

So the hostile army approached from Damascus in the north, down the eastern side of the Jordan, the tribes occupying that side seemingly being the more guilty in this little matter of the tribute. First came the turn of the reputed giants, the men of Ashtaroth Karnaim, for all their renowned physical prowess helpless before the invaders as they were again when Joshua led Israel against them five hundred years later. Then it was the turn of the Zuzims, another tribe of giant men, and the Emims likewise; by now the invaders were at the southern end of the eastern side of the Dead Sea where the state of Jordan is now, and already carrying with them much plunder. So to the south, where Edom was later to be, and as far as the oasis at Kadesh-Barnea, where Israel at the Exodus was one day in the future to spend forty years. Back again into Canaan proper to smite the Amorites, and then their final prize, the wealth of the Cities of the Plain where Lot lived.

This is where Abraham comes into the story. The men of the cities fought hard but they were defeated, their kings slain, their homes ransacked. The victors took their way home, carrying with them Lot and his family and all his possessions, along with the others, back to the land Lot had left with Abraham some thirty years earlier. And when, a few days later, Abraham heard the news, he called up his force of three hundred and eighteen men trained to guard his now wide spread interests and protect his possessions, and in company with his Amorite friends set out in pursuit.

They caught up with them a hundred miles away at Dan, says the account. Some later editor of the Book of Genesis must have modified the original to make it more intelligible to his readers, for it was not called Dan until a section of the tribe of Dan annexed that territory in the days after the Exodus. In Abraham’s time it was a peacable settlement of Canaanites named Laish. (Jos 18:2-9) Here they attacked by night and put the enemy to ignominious flight which means they must have left the plunder behind. Not content with this, however, Abraham continued the pursuit for another fifty miles to Hobah on the north of Damascus (A.V. and the Hebrew say "left hand" and since the Hebrews viewed the east as in front "left hand" always means north.) Since Ge 14:17 refers to the "slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings that went with him" it does look as though Abraham was out to make sure the unwelcome intruders did not come his way again. It is true that for the rest of the patriarch’s life there is no record of the men from the East troubling Canaan. Hammurabi and Eri-Aku at least do figure in later Babylonian history so they at least did get away; of Chedorlaomer nothing more is known.

So Abraham returned in triumph with his brother-in-law and family, all the other rescued captives, and all the looted property. The new kings of Sodom and Gomorrah succeeding those slain in the onslaught on the cities—came out to meet and congratulate him. It is to be noted that these and their people had not troubled to join Abraham in the pursuit—the Amorites of the highlands were evidently of more martial spirit than the Canaanites of the valley. And in addition with them there came another important personage, Melchizedek king of Salem, Priest of the Most High God, a royal priest ruling a people who, like Abraham, still worshiped the Most High God.

Salem is of course, Jerusalem, and this is the earliest mention of the name in any record that has survived.

The name gives evidence of its antiquity—for the Hebrew form, Yeru-shalom, is the transliteration of the Sumerian "uru" —city— ;" Salim" god of peace; hence, city of peace. The presence of a community here still serving "the Most High God" is evidence of their establishment long before Abraham entered the land. Perhaps earlier members of the race of Abraham in Sumer emigrated here before he did, maybe several centuries before, in the days of Serug or Reu, forsaking the idolatry of Sumer just as Abraham had done now; And now Melchi-zedek, two Hebrew words meaning "king of righteousness", derived from the original Accadian language of Abraham’s ancestors, Malikatseduk, meaning the same, was one of perhaps a long line of rulers keeping the worship of One God alive in this land. When Joshua and the Israelites invaded it six hundred years later the king of Jerusalem was Adoni-zedek, Lord of Righteousness. That is significant.

A great deal of romantic fantasy has surrounded the name. Jewish legend, followed by Christian speculation, led to a claim that he was in fact the patriarch Shem, son of Noah and ancestor of the Semitic peoples. That is not possible; Shem was dead five hundred years before Abraham was born. Another legend associated him with Enoch brought back from heaven for the purpose. Perhaps the most bizarre is that he was the Son of God himself. sojourning on this earth for a short period, long before his birth at Bethlehem, for the purpose of this one incident. In point of fact he was just one worshiped of the One God, probably descended from Shem through his son Aram who is believed to have fathered the Semites who first colonized the land now known as Syria, and appears in history for this one brief interlude and then disappears again.

So Abraham returned to Hebron and settled down to his farming interests and Lot returned to Sodom to rebuild his life there. For the rest of Abraham’s life the alien forces from the east interfered with Canaan no more perhaps they had learned their lesson.

After some nine years in the land there was still no evidence of the fulfilment of the Divine promise that once in the land he would become the father of a great nation. His wife Sarah was nearly seventy-five and no children yet, at a time when in another fifteen years or so it would be too late, but no sign in the record of doubt or apprehension in Abraham’s mind. The Lord promised and that was good enough for him, and in the meantime he got on with his farming and supervised his growing area of occupancy, by now probably reaching well to the south of Hebron, and waited in quiet faith on the Lord.

(To be continued).

Polluted Soil

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Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather little in; for the locust shall consume it" (De 28:38) This was the penalty that Israel had to pay if they ignored the Divine way of life and chose to follow their own instead. They did choose their own way, becoming at last under Solomon and succeeding kings a commercially orientated nation of traders which brought them much of the luxuries of this world and destroyed the original land culture and husbandry which gave them their early virility as a people. From tillers of the soil and breeders of cattle they became merchants and traders and builders and artisans, all for monetary profit. They left the villages for the towns, and the land died under them. Isaiah declaimed against their luxury and material wealth anti prophesied the disaster that it would bring them. When Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem at the end he took from the Temple treasures, the value of which at today’s prices is estimated at three billion pounds, and left the sacred edifice a smoking ruin.

History repeats itself. Today we sow our seed in soil that is increasingly devitalized and polluted and reap the result in constantly deceasing or impoverished harvests. The food that does get grown is taken up by commercial interests and converted, treated. preserved, canned, frozen. packed in cardboard and polyethylene and colored tinsel and made subject to all kinds of Government regulations regarding the extent to which harmful additives may be included, and the resultant product is often a caricature of the original. So much wasted effort and the end is inferior to the beginning. The business man jets to the other side of the world in six hours at the expense of a heavy consumption of fuel and energy, and once there he has to rest for twenty-four hours before he is sufficiently adjusted to do his business. Great corporations swallow up their competitors and become so big that there are ten administrators to every one who actually does the work. Schools in Britain have a thousand or more pupils and so much effort is needed to operate the centralized administrative machinery that the personal aspect of the children’s education is submerged with consequent repercussions on the efficiency of their instruction.

Man was not designed to be big or to do things in a big way. Anthropologists have noted that aboriginal tribes living near to Nature allowed their communities to grow usually to about a hundred persons and then "hive off" to start new communities. Not for them the big city with its problems. Scientists have found to their surprise and dismay that the native peasant with one cow and a crude wooden plough produces his food with an energy consumption only one fifth of that demanded by all the intermediaries in up-to-date practice culminating in the modern combine harvester. In a world where resources of energy are at a premium, the big man with all his paraphernalia of large scale production machinery uses five times as much energy to produce a ton of food as does the small man with primitive devices. Perhaps Isaiah "had something" when he foresaw the time when men will plant their own vineyards and eat the fruit of them!

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

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"There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth". (Mt 8:12) This used to be considered the principal occupation of those unfortunate enough to be consigned to the old-time Hell; now that a more logical view of the purpose of God for man has for the most part replaced that old belief there is scope for a fresh examination of this expression and a fresh appraisal of its meaning. It occurs seven times in the New Testament; six in the Gospel of Matthew and one in that of Luke. Three times it is associated with outer darkness and twice with a furnace of fire, Luke’s reference is a parallel account to one of Matthew’s so that there are really six instances; five of these are parables which are in their contents symbolic of spiritual or dispensational truths.

In each of the six cases those represented as thus giving vent to their feelings are shown as having lost some greatly desired prize or been excluded from some greatly desired position, and are expressing their resentment, their impotent fury and frustration in the face of this loss. Repentance or remorse is not implied, only rage and animosity. The word for weeping or wailing in these instances, and only once else in the N.T., is klauthmos, which is an intensive development of klaio, to weep, and denotes a violent breaking forth or paroxysm of disappointed grief. The gnashing of teeth is used in the Scriptures as an indication of hatred and enmity of the wicked against the righteous, as can be perceived by the following instances. Job 16:9. "He who hateth me teareth me in his wrath; he gnasheth upon me with his teeth. Mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me". Ps 35:11-16, speaking of David’s enemies "False witnesses did rise up... they rewarded me evil for good... in mine adversity they rejoiced... they gnashed upon me with their teeth". Ps 37:12. "The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth". Ps 112:10. "The wicked shall see it" (i.e. the prosperity of the righteous) "and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish". La 2:16. All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee; they hiss and gnash the teeth

In the Greek Septuagint the word for "gnash" is rendered in Pr 19:12 the "roaring" of a lion, and in the Apocrypha, Ec 51:3 "delivered me from the teeth of them that were ready to devour me". These examples illustrate the malevolent nature of the action thus described.

Coming now to the occasions in which the expression is used, the first occurs during Jesus’ encounter with the Capernaum centurion (Mt 8:12) when He commended the Centurion’s faith as greater than that of Israel generally and said that many from outside the polity of Israel would come from east and west and north and south, and sit down with Abraham and others in the kingdom of God. "but the children of the kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth". The "children of the kingdom" were, of course, all who by virtue of their Divine calling, originating with the Mosaic covenant at Mount Sinai, were the first to whom the opportunity of accepting Christ was offered. In the main, they rejected him, and in consequence, as Jesus said on another occasion, "the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Mt 21:43) The "outer darkness" was the exclusion from this aspect of the Divine purposes and the weeping and gnashing of teeth the animosity and resentment of those thus excluded. The early chapters of the Book of Acts reveal the intensity of that animosity. The parallel reference in Lu 13:28 may or may not refer to the same incident but the situation was the same and the purport of the Lord’s word is the same as in Matthew.

The next example, in Mt 22:13, concerns the man in the parable of the marriage of the King’s Son, an invited guest who was discourteous enough to decline the usual proffered festal garment at the feast. In consequence he was cast into outer darkness where was weeping and gnashing of teeth. This parable relates to the successive calling of Jews and Gentiles to the Gospel of Christ, the acceptance of those who answer the call on the basis of their justification by faith in Christ (Ro 5:1) and the elimination from this company of the unfit who repudiate that justification. These latter could include, at the time Jesus uttered this parable, those Jews who trusted in "the works of the Law", salvation through the Mosaic Covenant, rather than through faith in Christ. Consequently they were excluded from the feast in the parable. "cast into outer darkness", suffering the same fate as their fellows in the earlier reference. It must also include those who in later times repudiate their justification and so lose their places in the Church of Christ.

The third example occurs as the sequel to the Parable of the Talents in Mt 25:30. Here the servants who traded with their talents and made increase were commended but the one who allowed his to lie idle and useless went into the outer darkness and the weeping and gnashing of teeth. The general application of this parable is to the Christian life and opportunity of serving our Lord’s interests during the course of this Age prior to his Second Advent. The "reckoning" at the end of the parable, when the master returns and enquires as to the use his servants have made of the "talents" entrusted to them, is not the Last Judgment or anything like that. It relates to the members of the Church of this Age, the dedicated followers of Christ who, if faithful to their calling, will be associated with him in the evangelical work of the next, the Messianic Age. The decision as to the fitness or unfitness of each such individual will be made at the Advent when the Lord comes for his own, and the casting of the unprofitable servant into outer darkness and the weeping and gnashing of teeth is again a figure of speech for the exclusion from that high honor. An important point to observe here is that progress is a law of the spiritual life as it is of Nature. The fault of the unprofitable servant was not that he had failed to achieve great things like the one who had doubled the value of his trust but that he had achieved nothing at all. He could at least have put his lord’s money in the bank and had some interest to show for the period, but he had not done even that. He threw his lord’s bounty back in his face and libeled him into the bargain and demonstrated, not merely apathy, but hostility to his lord; so, like some of the Pharisees of old, he well merited the sentence of exclusion from the heavenly kingdom which his hostility had earned.

After this comes the story of the faithful and evil servants of Mt 24:51, one in which the ministers of Christ are pictured fulfilling their task of "feeding the flock of God" (1Pe 5:2) in watchful anticipation of the imminent Second Advent. One such minister has no faith in the imminence of the Coming and he uses his position not as a faithful minister of the faith, but to serve his private interests and indulgences. Again, as in the previous case, the Lord comes unexpectedly and passes the same sentence. Because of unworthiness and apostasy from the obligations of his sacred mission he is cast out and again there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The final two instances form a pair. The parable of the wheat and tares culminates in Mt 13:42 by the tares being cast into a furnace of fire where there is "wailing and gnashing of teeth". That of the dragnet culminates in Mt 13:49 by the useless fish in the catch being treated similarly. In both cases the combined allusion depicts the exclusion of the unfit from the society of the fit at the end of the period of the trial. The sowing of the wheat and intrusion of the tares pictures the work of this present Age with the harvest of the wheat, the true and faithful adherents of Christ, and separation of tares, the opponents of Christ, at its end. The sweeping of the net gathering fish of every kind and the process of separation into good and bad equally well pictures the work of the Messianic Age when all mankind will be brought into the net of the Divine call and invitation of that Age, and once again, the true and the apostate will be separated.

One vital principle runs through all these instances. The symbol of gnashing of teeth indicates that those who fail to attain their invited place in God’s purposes do so, not because of ignorance, inability or even apathy, but because of deliberate hostility to God. They depart as they are bidden, but as they depart they gnash their teeth in rage and enmity. That was true of the Pharisees who could have entered the Kingdom but refused, and hounded Jesus to death. It is true of those who, having once entered and embraced the Christian way, deliberately repudiate it and engage in hostile action against it. It is true of those who, at the end of the Messianic Age when mankind’s Day of probation comes to its end, resolutely defy the goodness of God and the only basis upon which life can continue, and remain unrepentant to the last. There is a terrible finality in the words of those men in the parable of the pounds (Lu 19) "wewill not have this man to reign over us.

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He that is much in prayer shall grow rich in grace. He shall thrive and increase most that is busiest in this, which is our traffic with Heaven, and fetches the most precious commodities thence.

3.Enoch and the children of Cain

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Adam died in the year 930. By that time he had seen some of his descendants to the fourth generation including his great-great-grandson Mahalaleel who was destined to carry on his line to Noah and eventually to Abraham, but the human community was still very small; as his eyes closed in death there were still only about six hundred persons in the community. But now there was beginning to emerge what in modern times is called a population explosion. Within another three hundred years, when Enoch was a little over a century old, that six hundred had increased to something like ten thousand, and what had been at most a few little village communities living close to each other became a more widely spread system of Clans or Tribes leading increasingly separate life-styles. The extent to which the descendants of Cain were still alien from the remainder of the community is impossible to determine, but the fact that Ge 4 preserves the record of their pedigree down to at least fifteen centuries from Eden does show that some connection was maintained. It is hardly likely that the original separation was maintained into later generations, and the story of the first murder became more remote and relegated to the past. What is more intriguing is the fact that whereas ten generations of Adam’s descendants through Seth to Shem, Ham and Japheth at the time of the Flood are recorded, those through Cain extend only to the seventh, so that Tubal-Cain and his half-brothers Jabal and Jubal would be roughly contemporary with Methuselah. At that time, for reasons which do not readily appear, knowledge of Cain’s later posterity was not recorded, although the record does close with a vivid picture of the development of that posterity.

That picture involves the only real indication of human activity in the pre-deluvian era apart from the intimation that at the first Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain a tiller of the ground. Three descendants of Cain in the seventh generation are recorded as the first to embark upon three distinct spheres of human enterprise, the keeping of cattle, the invention of musical instruments, and the production of copper and iron implements. All this was round about fifteen hundred years from Eden. According to Ge 4. Lamech in the sixth generation from Cain had three sons, by two wives, named Jabal, Jubal and Tubal-Cain. Jabal, says the account, was the father of tent-dwellers and cattle-breeders—the expression means that he was the originator, the first, to introduce the nomadic way of life associated with cattle breeding. One wonders why, at this stage, the breeding and care of cattle should be introduced. At the beginning with Adam man’s food was to be the natural products of Nature—grain, vegetable, fruit. It is true that after the Flood the Lord permitted the addition of animal flesh. Cattle could be kept for only one purpose—food. Is it that after six or seven generations accustomed to tilling the soil men were beginning to find that the production and consumption of animal flesh provided easier means of obtaining nutriment than growing crops? It would be at just about this time the father of Noah uttered a remark, recorded in Ge 5:29, concerning "the labor and toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed". If Jubal and his tribe were the first tent-dwellers the implication is that from living in permanent houses or farmsteads they adopted the nomadic style of life, allowing their herds to wander over continually fresh ground, following them as they went. Perhaps with the rapidly increasing population the need to spread further afield to find space for necessary crop-raising was becoming a problem.

Jubal, the narrator goes on, invented musical instruments, the harp or lyre, and the flute, (mistranslated "organ" in the AV.). Stringed and wind instruments! This implies a more settled form of society; here was a community which was proceeding toward the development of the arts and sciences. This section remained as farmers dwelling in settled villages; but already the inventive genius of man was beginning to emerge. And the third son, Tubal-Cain, took his people up into the mountains, away from the others, for up there they had found strange substances embedded in the rocky outcrops, metallic ores, and they discovered how to smelt the copper and the iron out of that ore and fabricate tools, utensils, ornaments and things of beauty and perhaps weapons also, for now another dark page in the history is opened to view, to reveal a second murder.

Lamech, the father of these three, killed a man who had done him some injury, and now was boasting about it to his two wives. If this man, a murderer and a polygamist, was at all typical of his generation, then the human race was already declining into that condition of corruption which the Lord condemned so severely on the eve of the Flood seven centuries later. It is a strange little story in Ge 4, all the more so because of its brevity. If Cain by Divine command was to be immune from the vengeance of his fellows by a sevenfold Divine retribution then Lamech claimed one seventy times as much. It is hardly likely that this Lamech was a God-fearing man; more perhaps that this was a threat to his fellows of dire consequences if they interfered. The nature of the incident and the fact that it has a place in the scanty record of those times might justify the inference that this was the first murder since the days of Cain fifteen centuries earlier. Perhaps it was now that men really did begin to turn away from God and commence that descent into ungodliness which called forth the Divine condemnation. It need not be thought that all Cain’s descendants were apostates. Both Lamech’s father and grandfather had names incorporating the name of God, evidence that some of them at least shared the faith of the sons of Seth.

Nothing is known of the descendants of Cain after this time, seven centuries before the Flood, Ge 4 goes to seven generations and there stops. Ge 5 gives the complete list of the line of Seth to Noah, nine generations. That leads to some enquiry as to who wrote these chapters in the first place and when. The Hebrew form of early Genesis gives evidence of translation from a Sumerian original of about the 25th century B.C., five hundred years before Abraham. That is as early as researchers are ever likely to go; no kind of writing earlier than that has ever been discovered. But the account of the Flood was obviously first set down in writing by an eye witness. and, for all that we know, the story of Eden may have been preserved by Adam himself in his later years. One clue is afforded by the reiterated expression ’these are the generations of Noah" "these are the generations of the sons of Noah", and so on some eleven times in Genesis. The Hebrew word "toledoth", translated ‘generations". does not mean a generation of men, for which "dor" is the term in the O.T.; it denotes a family history, its origins, and appears as the concluding remark of a particular section. So the first sentence in Ge 5:1, "this is the book of the generations of Adam" is the conclusion to Ge 2 to 4. Apart from the history of the Cainite Lamech and his sons that might well have been recorded by Adam himself. In the early centuries of course no necessity existed for writing, when so few of men had been born; only when the population had measurably increased, toward the end of Adam’s life, would the need arise and that in turn bring about the invention of the art. It only needed someone to add details of the last two Cainite generations. by someone living some time after Adam’s death, to render "the book of the family history of Adam" complete as we have it today in the form of Ge 2 to 4. The earlier narrative, Ge 1, the "origins of the heavens and of the earth when they were created" (Ge 2:4) were possibly written down by Divine revelation at the same time.

The Sethite patriarch living more or less contemporaneously with the sons of Cainite Lamech was Enoch younger than Lamech but older than his sons; perhaps this is why the story of the Cainites ends with this generation. Enoch could have completed the story to his own times but after he passed off the scene no one included the Cainites in the Genesis history. Perhaps, after all, they had become too profligate to be considered worthy of mention. The sons of Lamech could have been a couple of centuries old when Enoch disappeared from earth—Ge 4 could have been completed during that time, and there the history of the Cainite peoples, by then perhaps something like four thousand strong, comes to an end so far as Genesis is concerned.

This is where Enoch comes upon the scene—Enoch, seventh from Adam, in the line of Seth, the mystic sage around whose name so much mystery and not a few fanciful speculations have been woven. The Genesis history is singularly reticent; it merely states, in the genealogical table which constitutes chapter 5, that Enoch "walked with God, and he was not, for God took him", (Ge 5:14) this at the age of three hundred and sixty-five years, after which apparently no man saw him again and no one knew where he was. Jewish tradition has made up the deficiency with a wealth of legend which, by the time of our Lord, had him spirited away by angels to experience a kind of guided aerial tour over all the earth which, expressed in modern geographical terms, would seem to have embraced all the territories known in our Lord’s time from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the frontiers of India, including a sight of the lost Garden of Eden, and after that conducted through seven distinct heavens above the earth until he found himself in the presence of the Deity. Here he was instructed as to the Divine intention to destroy the earth by a great flood on account of the wickedness of man, and told to go to the "angels that sinned", (Ge 6) to convey the Divine sentence to them. After all this he was caught up by the "chariots of the spirit" and conveyed to the Garden of Eden, where he spent the rest of his life alone. He was credited with being the inventor of writing, on account of which he had the name "scribe of righteousness", and the originator of astronomical science, as well as the author of the antediluvian histories now forming the first few chapters of Genesis. Altogether a remarkable set of achievements for one man’s lifetime.

References to all this occur in several apocryphal books of the time around the First Advent, the most complete being the so-called "Book of Enoch" (I Enoch) at about 150 years before Christ. The Bible itself gives no information on all this; Jude in his epistle quotes part of its opening concerning the Lord coming "with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon all" and applies this to the Second Advent of Christ, although in the Book of Enoch it is the Most High himself who comes down on Mount Sinai for the same purpose; Jude was evidently quoting from the book, which was well known in his day, merely to illustrate his point, not to claim Divine authority. The writer to the Hebrews mentions Enoch in his eleventh chapter as an example of sterling faith, who "was translated that he should not see death, and was not found for he had this testimony, that he pleased God", .( Heb 11:5) The idea found in some modern Christian circles that Enoch was taken to heaven without dying is nowhere implied in the Scriptures; whilst it sounded reasonable enough in the 18th century it is a bit absurd in the 20th. The ancient Jewish idea was that he spent the remainder of his life isolated from men and no one knew where he was.

Legends like this do grow from a basis of some historical truth and it may well be that some unrevealed happening does lie behind the Genesis allusion to Enoch’s disappearance. It is right to attach little or no importance to the excessively fanciful allusions in the Book of Enoch to his aerial/celestial travels. But there is one interesting element in Sumerian tradition which may have a bearing. Various Sumerian epics of the time of Abraham and later record the names of ten kings who were claimed to have ruled before the Flood (it has to be admitted that these epics often get mixed up between the great Biblical Flood and several lesser floods which occurred round about the time of the Patriarch Eber and onward nearly to Abraham, so should not be taken too seriously). But in these records there appears the name of the sixth or seventh from the first king. one En-sib-zi anna, King of Larak (which incidentally did not come into existence until long after the Flood) who, like Enoch, is credited with having introduced the art of writing and other amenities to the Sumerians; the meaning of his name in the Sumerian language is "the lord the faithful shepherd of God". The same epics called the first king of the ten by a name which meant "man" and the tenth, said to be king of the city-state of Shuruppak, was the man who built an Ark under instruction from his God to save himself, and his family from a great Flood. It is unlikely that there can be any affinity between this Sumerian legend, dating from before 1700 B.C. and the much later Jewish writer who says concerning Enoch, that he was first among men that are born on earth who learnt writing and knowledge and wisdom and who wrote down the "signs of heaven" (Jub. 4: 17), but taken together they do add an important element to the brief statement in Genesis to the effect that Enoch "walked with God" or as the Greek Septuagint has it "was well pleasing to God". Somehow an ancient fact of history, embellished through the ages with a great deal of amplification and distortion, but itself not recorded in the Bible, lies behind this age-old conviction that a man, seventh in descent from Adam, started the developing human race in its insatiate thirst for knowledge which has brought mankind to the position it finds itself in today.

It is impossible to be dogmatic or even tolerably certain but there is the possibility that the structure of early Genesis points to Enoch as the man who first set down in readable characters the story of mankind from creation to his own day, a period of fifteen hundred years, in a script no modern man has ever seen or is likely to see, one, that as mankind increased again after the Flood, was translated into the earliest language now known, thence into Hebrew, and finally into modern languages of the present day.

That was not the end of Enoch. According to the same legends, he was prominently concerned in the great catastrophe which was now about to fall upon the human race, a reign of tyranny and violence which was going to plunge the earth into a condition of corruption which led the Lord God to bring about a great change and to start all over again but before that change could come about the utter inability of man to order his life without God had to be manifested before salvation could come. The lesson of Eden had to be learned again.

To be continued.

A sometimes misunderstood word

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More than twenty times in the Old Testament is it said that God is a jealous God. The statement is often misunderstood, naturally enough since the word "jealous" in modern English has a very definite and not very pleasant meaning. The Hebrew word translated "jealousy", however has a wider range of meaning, and a systematic examination of the use of the word in the O.T., and its Greek equivalent in the N.T., soon removes from the Divine character any suspicion of the attitude of heart and mind normally associated with English usage of the word "jealousy". The "jealousy" of God is his concern and zeal for the preservation of his own holiness in the sight of men, and for the fulfilment of his Word. The word is translated "zeal" about as many times as it is translated "jealousy" and if every text in which the word occurs is examined it will readily be seen that "zeal" is as good a rendering as "jealousy". As an example, take Zech, 1:14 "I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy". In this passage God declares his concern at the treatment of Jerusalem by the other nations and his determination to deliver her. So Na 1:2 "God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth". Here it is God’s coming judgment on the heathen city of Nineveh for its oppression of Israel that is in view. Again Isa 42:13 "The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war" against the enemies of the chosen people. "All the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy" He says through Zephaniah. (Zep 3:8) In a rather different setting we have the jealousy of God for his own good Name and worship. as in Ps 78:58 "For they (Israel) provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images". In De 32:16 we have "they provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger" and in Eze 5:13 (where the word is rendered "zeal") "I the Lord have spoken in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them". This same jealousy of God is shown as the driving force which accomplishes his purposes. In Isa 9:7 we have, speaking of the Messianic kingdom one day to be bestowed upon the Child that should be born "The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform this", and in Isa 37:32 the same expression is used with reference to the Divine determination to restore Israel to the Holy Land after the time of desolation. One of the Messianic Psalms (Ps 69:9) represents the Messiah as saying to the Father "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up" an allusion to the consecrated mission of our Lord Jesus Christ when He came to earth at his First Advent. (St. John quoted this verse and applied it to Jesus on the occasion of his expelling the money-changers from the Temple—see Joh 2:17).

It is not surprising, then, to find that the same word is used by the New Testament writers in the same fashion. "I am jealous over you with godly jealousy" says St. Paul to his converts in 2Co 11:2 . Obviously "zeal" is his meaning there. as also in Ro 10:19 "Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people." God would incite Israel to greater zeal by the spectacle of his dealings with the Gentiles. The elders of the church in Jerusalem, visited by St. Paul, said to him "Thou seest how many thousands of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous of the Law". (Ac 21:20) In his epistle to Titus (2: 14) St. Paul speaks of the church of God as being "zealous of good works", and in Re 3:19 the Lord Jesus himself bids certain backsliding ones to "be zealous therefore, and repent".

When, therefore, God declared to the people of Israel (Ex 20:5) "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me", He was saying in effect that in his zeal for the exaltation and establishment of righteousness and the eventual fulfilment of his purpose, He would allow the evil of evil men to run its course through the generations, as it has done, that it might bring forth its inevitable fruit and so at the end disappear from his creation. Divine jealousy and Divine zeal for righteousness are one and the same thing.

Those who have come into real heart sympathy with God have learned to see him as the Fountain of all goodness and truth and blessing. To them He is the one altogether lovely. His law is their delight. his friendship and love are their very life. When the heart has become thus centered in God. it is the most natural impulse to commit its way unto him.

Illustrating how rapidly God’s command to "breed abundantly" (Ge 8:17) after the Flood could be obeyed by the lower creation is the fact that two rooks imported into Australia in the year 1900 increased to half-a-million by 1950. and now present a major problem to farmers.

FIN

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

This journal is published for the promotion of Bible knowledge, maintaining the historical accuracy of the Scriptures and the validity of their miraculous and prophetic content viewed in the light of modern understanding. It stands for the pre-millennial Advent of our Lord and his reign of peace and justice on earth. It is supported entirely by the voluntary gifts of its readers and all such gifts are sincerely appreciated.

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England

Editorial & Publishing A. O. HUDSON(Milborne Port)

Secretary & Circulation Mgr. DERRICK NADAL (Nottingham) Treasurer: B. G. DUMONT (Gloucester)

74 THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

"Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these, for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this." (Ec 7:10).

How prone we are to look back upon the "old days", those early times in the way of Christ which seem as though surrounded by a rosy halo. In contrast with the disappointment and frustration of the present they offer themselves as much more to be desired than the things of to-day; the fondest hope of quite a few is that in some way or other the interests and activities of long past times may be recaptured. We would fain resurrect those departed glories from the dust of oblivion, dress them up once more in their faded trappings, and seek to regain for ourselves the joys and thrills of our "growing-time" in the way of the Truth.

Now King Solomon tells us that such procedure is exceedingly unwise. He does not even recommend our sparing time to cast so much as a few longing thoughts back upon the irrevocable past. With masterly restraint of language he says "thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this ". And how right he is! The successful business man may be understood if he decides to re-visit his native village and look upon the scenes of his boyhood, but should he start to run around in knickerbockers and try to accommodate his portly frame to his old school desk he will only succeed in making himself look ridiculous. And is it so very different for the Christian? We have, surely, progressed since those early days. Our spiritual stature, the breadth of our theological understanding, the scope of our Christian outlook and activity, will, if we have faithfully used our privileges and opportunities, have expanded out of all comparison with the immature efforts of our babyhood in Christ. Roseate as the backward view may seem, it has no place for us now, and to achieve the aim of restoring those days and re-establishing those activities would assuredly bring disillusion and disappointment on a greater scale than anything we have ever experienced.

The Christian is not like a road-roller. He has to keep going on in one direction only. He is the original inventor of the one-way Street."forgetting the things that are behind" cries Paul "and reaching forth unto the things that are before. I press toward the mark." What a good thing it is that our God also forgets the things that are behind! Not many of us but would prefer to forget quite a lot of things that happened in those "good old days". None there are who, even if they could attain to their desire for a revival of the position of fifty years a go, would wish for their personal failures and mistakes and shortcomings to come to life again and be repeated. Contrary to the thought sometimes expressed, we Christians are not called upon to enquire for the old paths; we are expected to press forward as pilgrims seeing always the vision of a celestial city, thinking never of the past, not much about the present, but a great deal about the future. And if it be a choice between the roseate glow which lingers about past glories, a glow which is a dying one anyway, like sunset, and the golden radiance of the everlasting city which is tinging the sky above the distant hills in front of us well then, how foolish we should be to prefer the fading radiance of the past to the shining brilliance of the future. Let our eyes and hearts and hands, thought and word and action, be turned forward, reckoning nothing of that which is past and can never be recalled, but reaching always to that which is before, hastening to higher and farther reaches of endeavor and achievement until, at the last, we appear triumphantly "before God in Zion"!

4. The Lampstand and the Olive Trees

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The Lampstand and the Olive Trees! Picturesque symbolism this, relating somewhat of Israel’s ancient ceremonial to its reality in the Kingdom of God. It is evident that this fourth chapter of Zechariah is looking forward into the future much more than it looks back into the past, for it displays as its main feature the active operation of the Holy Spirit in a world where the supremacy of God is unchallenged, and this happy state is not yet.

Zechariah saw a golden lampstand, reminiscent of that which stood in the "Holy" of the Tabernacle and later in Solomon’s Temple. It had the seven lamps, apparently carried on seven arms diverging from a central column, but there the similarity ended. Each lamp on Bezaleel’s construction had its own reservoir for oil which had to be filled daily by the attendant priests. The lampstand seen by Zechariah possessed a central "bowl", a common oil container, from which seven pipes radiated to the lamps so that they drew a continuous supply of oil from the bowl and needed no replenishing. On each side of the lampstand stood an olive tree, with branches overshadowing, and from each tree a "funnel" or connecting pipe leading to the bowl. From the olives on the trees a continuous supply of olive oil flowed through the two funnels into the bowl and from thence to the seven lamps so that their light was continuous; they never went out.

In answer to the prophet’s question the revealing angel told him that the vision was a symbolic representation of the manner in which the Holy Spirit of God would execute the Divine purpose. "This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel" he said (ch. 4:6-10) "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, thou, O great mountain, before Zerubbabel shalt become a plain, and he shall bring forth the headstone". At first sight there may seem to be no rational connection between a lampstand with two olive trees and a mountain becoming a plain with an emerging headstone. There is, however, one readily discernable link—the work of God denoted by the angel’s words is executed by the power of the Holy Spirit; the principal element in the symbol is the olive oil, flowing from the two trees into the lamps and giving light. The Holy Spirit is frequently symbolized by olive oil, as witness its use in the anointing of the Levitical priesthood in symbol of dedication to Divine service, and Peter’s application of the same to Jesus; "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Ac 10:38). This allusion is almost certainly derived from Psa. 45: 7 in which the victorious Messiah in the days of his glory is addressed; "God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows". That the followers of Christ, dedicated to his service, participate in this anointing is clear from 1 Jno. 2:27 and the phrasing of this verse makes crystal clear that it is the possession of the Holy Spirit that constitutes the anointing, and thus the fact that this is the meaning of the oil in Zechariah’s vision is confirmed.

Now the two olive trees are called by the angel "the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth" (ch. 4:14). "Sons of the oil" is the literal Hebrew expression. The trees are the twin sources of the oil which flows to the lamps and gives universal enlightenment. There is only one time in history when two channels of the Holy Spirit are discharging their duty simultaneously side by side, and there is sevenfold illumination in consequence, and that is in the Millennial Age, when the Lord’s twin instruments, the Christian Church in Heaven and the restored and converted Holy Nation on earth, are engaged in their work of sending the light and life of the Divine call worldwide. "The nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising" said Isaiah of the earthly Holy Nation (Isa 60:3). "The light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days" he says again in Isa 30:26 and this might well be the basis for our Lord’s words describing the position of his followers of this present Age, the Church, when He said of that coming day "then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Mt 13:43).

The lampstand, then, represents the Millennial Kingdom on earth, shedding its light which implies life upon all mankind, dispelling the darkness of sin and leading men into the light of eternity. The oil, flowing from the trees into the lamps and therein converted to light, indicates the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh through the medium of the earthly and heavenly aspects of the "Servant", the two anointed companies who have been found fitted for the task of world conversion. In Nature, of course, the tree does not create the oil: it is able to produce oil only because it receives energy and power from sunlight with which so to do. So in the reality. The Lord’s servants are not originators of the Holy Spirit of power; they are mediums for its transmission and the power comes to them from the center and source of all life and power—the Eternal.

Fully to appreciate the relation between the lampstand vision and the "headstone" application it is necessary to examine the structure of the chapter. It is very possible that some dislocation of the text has occurred at a very early date; verses 11-14 have to do with verses 1-5, and the message respecting the headstone, which appears in the center of the chapter, would seemingly be more appropriate at the end. If in fact there has been such dislocation it must have occurred quite soon after the writing of the book, for the Septuagint, which was translated from the Hebrew Scriptures about 250 B.C., has the same arrangement as our A.V. Zechariah probably did not complete his writings until late in his life which would hardly be more than two centuries before the Septuagint. In between these two dates came the time at which the Old Testament canon was closed, reputedly by Ezra, and it might well have been then that the slight confusion in the text occurred. There is no difference to the interpretation of the chapter in either case, but the re-arrangement does cause the passage to run more smoothly and understandably. and helps to clear up the very obscure A.V. rendering of verse 10. An endeavor is made here to offer what is thought to be probably the correct reconstruction.

Thus arranged, the chapter first describes the vision of the lampstand and olive trees, and the angel’s explanation (vss. 1-6a, 10b-14) picturing the Lord’s two anointed ones, Israel and the Church, commencing their work in the Millennial Age as channels of the Holy Spirit to the world of men; next it presents the angel’s declaration respecting the demolished mountain and the setting of the headstone (vss. 6b-7) picturing the passing away of the kingdoms of this world at the instance of the victorious Christ in kingly power in the same Age; finally it records the word of the Lord to Zechariah himself (vss. 8-l0a) assuring him that the completion of the Temple in his own day under the administration of Zerubbabel was to be a sign to his fellows of the Divine authority behind his prophecy. On this assumption the chapter is consistent and logical.

On this basis, after saying in verse 14 that the two olive trees are the two anointed ones which stand by the Lord of the whole earth, the angel concludes his explanation of the lampstand by saying (in vs. l0b) and referring obviously to the seven lamps, "those seven are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through all the earth". Chapter 3 speaks of the stone, laid before Joshua the High Priest, which had seven facets or eyes, a seven-sided stone, so to speak, picturing the universal surveillance of the "stone" Kingdom, the Kingdom of God, in the earth during the Millennial Age. Now here in chapter 4 the same idea is expressed but this time the universal power and surveillance of the Holy Spirit "in that day" is pictured by the sevenfold light from the lampstand, also going forth into all the earth, the "seven eyes of the Lord".

The picture here is that the holy city, the New Jerusalem, comes down to earth out of Heaven (Rev. 21) and as a city crowning the summit of a great mountain ("the length and the breadth and the height of it were equal" Re 21:6) rules supreme over all the earth. Zerubbabel here is an alias for the Messianic King, the Lord Jesus Christ. Zerubbabel himself neither moved a mountain or saw any earthly kingdom fall prostrate before him. He died as he lived, a governor of Judea, subordinate always to the Persian King. But Zerubbabel as the representative of royal power in Judea at that time fitly pictures the King who shall reign in the day which sees the reality of the vision. And this is where the "headstone" comes into the picture.

The "headstone" or "corner stone" was the principal foundation stone of a building and served in ceremonial fashion much as do the "foundation stones" of modern buildings, laid in a formal ceremony by some notability and as often as not blessed by some ecclesiastical dignitary. (At least this was the rule a generation or so ago; the concrete and glass monstrosities of the present are usually put up with too much haste to allow for such leisurely preliminaries). The basic idea was the same; the foundation stone in theory determined the position and size and purpose of the building and was in a sense representative of the building. This principle is used in the Scriptures to delineate the Lord Christ as the foundation and sustainer of the edifice which God is building in this Age; first the Christian Church, of whom He is said in Eph 2:20 and Pet. 2:6 to be the chief corner stone", and later the Holy City of the next Age of which he is both chief corner stone and its everlasting light. "The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner" sang the Psalmist in Ps 118:22."behold" said the Lord through the prophet Isaiah "1 lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone a sure foundation; he that believeth shall not be confounded" (Isa 28:16). Here in Zechariah this same corner stone is brought forth amid general rejoicing to initiate the building of that new Divinely ordained structure which is to succeed the leveling of the "great mountain" of this world. ln this context the picture is that of the building of the New Jerusalem. the Holy City, upon the ruins of the destroyed "kosmos" of this Age, and the exaltation of Christ as supreme. When earth’s new king once asserts his power and authority in the earth He will not desist until his work is finished by the entire human race being brought to a full knowledge and understanding of the Christian Gospel, and every individual has made his deliberate and final choice for good—or evil. "He shall not fail nor be discouraged" says Isaiah of our Lord at this same time "til he have set judgment in the earth, and the coast lands" —the extremities of the earth—"shall wait for his law". (Isa 42:4).

This ends the second section of the chapter. The demolished mountain and the headstone which replaces it, an exhibition of Divine power by the Holy Spirit in contrast to human might and power, of vss. 6-7, have nothing to do with the rebuilt Temple in a "day of small things" of vss. 8-10. In any case the one is a revelation to Zechariah by the angel and the other a direct word to him from the Lord. The two sections relate to distinct and dissimilar matters.

It is possible that vss. 8-10 are not intended to have other than a local and immediate prophetic application. The word of the Lord was to Zechariah directly; it told him that Zerubbabel, who had already started building the Temple, would also finish it, and by this sign, said Zechariah to his hearers or readers, they would know that he was a true prophet. that the Lord of Hosts had in truth sent him to them. Those who had despised the "day of small things", the meager results, so far, of the Jewish restoration in Jerusalem and Judea, would yet rejoice when they saw the plummet instrument used in building construction in the hand of Zerubbabel. The R.S.V. puts it very succinctly "For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice. and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel".

The prediction was certainly literally fulfilled. Zechariah had this word from the Lord in the second year of Darius of Persia (Zec 1:1) which was 519 B.C. The Temple was started under the administration of Zerubbabel in 536 B.C., stopped by order of Cambyses of Persia in 529, resumed by permission of Darius in 520, and finally completed by Zerubbabel in 516, three years after Zechariah uttered these words. Throughout that frustrating period of twenty years, with the very existence of the new Jewish colony menaced by powerful enemies, it must often have seemed that the people lived in a "day of small things"; their present situation bore very unfavorable comparison with the glories of the old days before the captivity, when Solomon’s Temple was still standing and the city of Jerusalem the wonder of nations. So those who crowded to hear Zechariah’s colorful predictions on the occasion of their first utterance, seeing, figuratively speaking, "the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel", realized three years later that the words of the prophet had come true and stamped those words with the seal of Divine authority.

It is possible to draw a parallel with the future. Whether that parallel is intended in this passage may be questioned, but it is true that in the day of Christ’s power soon to come, when in the glory of his Kingdom the Holy City shines resplendent and complete, those amongst men who in this day and this life have despised and ignored the apparent weakness and futility of the Divine program, or have not believed in any God-given destiny for mankind, will "rejoice" at the then evident power and activity of earth’s new rulership. At any rate an earlier prophet, Isaiah, was in no doubt about the fact when he declaimed (Isa 25:9) "It shall be said in that day, Lo this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation ". And if, in the wonder and rapture of that moment, they conveniently forget that in the past they were largely unbelievers and agnostics and were only unknowingly "waiting for him" there will be no recriminations on that score from our God. Like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son, all He wants is to have his erring sons repent, and reform, and come home. That is why the Holy City comes down to earth.

(To be continued)

Spurgeon on the Millennium

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C.H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) was one of the most famous of British preachers. The following extract from one of his sermons shows how fully he accepted the Millennial teaching of the Bible.

***

"We stand on the borders of a new era. The present dispensation is almost finished. In a few more years, if prophecy be not thoroughly misinterpreted, we shall enter upon another condition. This poor earth of ours, which has been swathed in darkness, shall put on her garments of light. She hath toiled a long while in travail and sorrow. Soon shall her groanings end. Her surface which hath been stained with blood, is soon to be purified by love, and a religion of peace is to be established. The hour is coming when storms shall be hushed, when tempests shall be unknown, when whirlwind and hurricane shall stay their mighty force, and when ‘the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. But you ask me what sort of kingdom that is to be, and whether I can show you any likeness thereof. I answer ‘No’.’Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things

which God hath prepared for them that love hin in the next, the Millennial, dispensation; ’but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. Sometimes when we climb upwards. there are moments of contemplation when we can understand that verse ’From whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and can imagine that thrice-blessed hour when the King shall put on His head the crown of the universe; when He shall gather up sheaves of scepters, and put them beneath his arm; when He shall take the crowns from the heads of all monarchs and welding them into one, shall put them on his own head, amidst the shout of ten thousand times ten thousand who shall shout His praises. But it is little enough that we can guess of its wonders. O Christians, do you know that your Lord is coming? ln such an hour as ye think not, the Man who once hung quivering on Calvary will descend in glory: the head that once was crowned with thorns will soon be crowned with diadem of brilliant jewels. I do look for his pre-millennial advent, and expect he will come here again, Jesus, our Lord, is to be King of all the earth, and rule all nations in a glorious, personal reign."

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It is an idle dream which now possesses so many that the Church is to bring in the Kingdom in the absence of the King. There is not one word for it in all the Scriptures. It contradicts the exhortations for continual watchfulness for him not for death, but for him who is the conqueror of death which imply the possibility of his coming in any generation, and therefore the certainty of his coming before the long, fixed period of the Millennium, which is the time for rest, not for watching.

4. Ishmael

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Three times had the Lord spoken to Abram and each time declared that from him would spring a great nation and the land would be the possession of that nation forever. He had been in the land now for nine years and as yet the Lord had given him no children. He and his wife were halfway through life and he would not have been human had he not began to wonder when the promise would be fulfilled. Now, as recorded in Gen. 15, the Lord spoke to him again, and he took advantage of the opportunity to broach the subject ’What wilt thou give me" he asked "seeing I am childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus" (vs. 2). The man who exercised oversight over all his household seemed destined to inherit it all in the absence of a son of the family and this was definitely not what the Lord had promised.

In response the Lord entered into a covenant with Abram the celebrated "Abrahamic Covenant" which ranks first among the three great "salvation covenants" of Scripture, the Abrahamic, the Law Covenant of Sinai and the New Covenant of the coming Millennial Age. This Covenant sealed Abraham’s right to the land in which he now dwelt, The Lord made a similar covenant with Noah after the Flood to signal his promise that the earth would never again be devastated.

Now the promise of eternal inheritance of the land was to be ratified by a symbolic ceremony. Abram was to take from the best of his stock a heifer, a goat and a ram, with a dove and pigeon, cut them all in half, and arrange the pieces in two parallel rows. At the moment of the ceremony both Abram and the Lord were to pass between these two rows, symbolizing their joint association in the matter of the promise. When the time came, and Abram played his part, he found himself accompanied by a supernatural radiance surrounding a fiery torch, (described somewhat clumsily in the English AV translation as a smoking furnace and a burning lamp), and in that experience Abram knew that the Lord was with him. And it was at that time he heard the voice of the Lord confirming his word "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates" (ch. 18). In that simple ceremony of association together the Lord gave His word, a word that will never be broken.

But there was something else. The future was not all sunlight. There was a dark shadow also. Vs. 12 tells that before the ceremony during the afternoon, Abram fell asleep, "and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him". That word means fear or apprehension. The progress toward fulfilment of the promise embodied also some great catastrophe was indicated in the words of the Lord (vs. 13), "know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years, and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge, —and afterward shall they come out with great substance..... But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again". That is a most remarkable statement, for it foreshadowed, and accurately foreshadowed, events which were not to happen for another six centuries. Abram’s great-grandson did go down into Egypt two hundred years later; they grew there into a nation but it was a slave nation, oppressed and afflicted. Four hundred years later still they followed Moses out of that land bearing with them the riches of Egypt, and under Joshua returned to the land which was theirs by promise.

Unless one asserts that the Book of Genesis is an elaborate work of fiction, compiled long after the events it professes to relate, it has to be accepted that the Lord knows in advance what is going to happen in the affairs of men. It was a famine in Canaan in the 19th Century B.C. which led Jacob to take his family into Egypt to ensure sustenance. It was jealousy of certain of the sons of Jacob which was the means of Joseph being in Egypt to receive them and ensure their acceptance. But had an unknown caravan of Midianite traders not happened to pass by when the jealous brothers were about to kill Joseph he would never have gone to Egypt at all. And had Moses not been saved by his mother from the edict of Pharaoh, perhaps Israel would never have left Egypt at all. Divine foreknowledge consistent with the exercise of man’s own freewill is something beyond the range of human understanding. Man’s mental capacity cannot take it in; but the Lord did say on one occasion "I am God... .declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done... .1 have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass—I have purposed it, I will also do it (Isa 16:10-lI).

Twelve months later Sarai gave up hope. She was now seventy-five years of age and had been married some thirty or forty years without any sign of a child. "The Lord hath restrained me from bearing" she said to Abram. If the Lord’s promise was to be fulfilled and Abram was to have a son and heir, she would not be the mother. That, at any rate, was how it seemed to her. It must have been a bitter blow, for she had shared her husband’s journeys and vicissitudes of fortune evidently with the same faith that was his characteristic and now it seemed that all was to be of no avail. Yet the word of the Lord had to be fulfilled; Abraham must assuredly become the father of a son who would become the heir of the promise. So she came to Abram and suggested he take one of her slave-girls in the endeavor to provide the much needed heir. "I pray thee" she said"go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her" (ch. 16:1-3).

Before criticizing the morality of this proceeding it must be realized that this, in the society of that day, was an eminently proper and customary thing to do. The laws of Sumer and of Man, the lands from which Abram and Sarai had come, in which they had been born and brought up, directed this proceeding in the event of this situation arising: The wife was under obligation to select and present one of her slave-girls to her husband for this purpose. Upon the birth of a male child that child became the legal heir to the father’s estate and the mother became automatically a free woman and the legal second wife of the father. If however, the first wife did at a later date succeed in presenting her husband with a boy, then that boy became the legal heir and the former slave-girl’s son took second place, with such provision as his father saw fit to provide for him. The mother however, did not lose her status of freedom; she remained the second legal wife and the father henceforward had two wives.

Sarai’s choice fell upon Hagar, one of the slave-girls given her by Pharaoh during the brief sojourn in Egypt. Hagar has been described as an Egyptian, but that only need mean that she was born in Egypt. The name is a Semitic one and there was always a population of Semitic peoples in Egypt, descendants of Shem drifting in from Asia in times of famine and staying on. An Egyptian slave was more likely to be Semitic than native Egyptian, and Sarai, conscious like Abram of the special destiny of the expected child, would probably insist on Semitic blood. And so Abram took Hagar—who was not likely to have been given any choice in the matter, although the prospect of thereby becoming a freewoman could have been a definite inducement—and almost immediately a child was on the way.

Unfortunately, and as said in ch. 16:4, Hagar, in her exultation, "gave herself airs", as would be said nowadays. "Her mistress was despised in her eyes"; she had achieved what Sarai could not achieve and the latter was resentful. She "took it out", as the saying goes, on her husband, oblivious to the fact that the whole enterprise was at her instigation in the first place. "Thy maid is in thy hand" he responded "do to her as it pleaseth thee". Abram has sometimes been unjustly denigrated for this remark; he was in fact only reminding Sarai that the same law which made the whole thing possible also provided that if the second wife in any way tried to usurp the first wife’s position she must be returned to her former status, at least until a male heir should be born. It seems from the account that Sarai took this provision a little too literally. The account says "dealt hardly with her" and in the margin, "afflicted her", and in consequence the girl ran away.

"And the Angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness....on the way to Shur" (vs. 7). She had done pretty well if, as was certain, she was on foot, The well of water where the Angel found her was named there and then Beer-lahai-roi, and it was close on a hundred miles from Hebron where she started. Hagar must have been at least six or seven days on the journey, sleeping at night where she could. She probably had set out with the idea of finding her way back to Egypt and was following the mountainous road known as the "way of Shur" which Abram had probably so recently traversed on his way back from Egypt. Unfortunately she had somehow lost track of the road. It is still there, and nowadays is a main motor road but in Hagar’s day was no more than a dirt track for Beer-lahai-roi is twenty five miles away from that road and Hagar would never have made Egypt and undoubtedly would have perished in the wilderness. The Angel evidently thought so too, for his greeting was "Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence comest thou, and whither wilt thou go"? And quite simply and probably feeling "dead beat" anyway she just responded "I flee from my mistress Sarai". So the Angel of the Lord told her gently to return to her mistress and quietly submit, that she was destined to bear a son who she was to name Ishmael, meaning "whom God knows", for the Lord knew of her affliction at the hands of Sarai and her consolation was to be that the Lord had a purpose for that son. He was to be a "wild ass of the desert" the wild ass was a noble animal, roaming the wilderness, untamed by man, free to go where and how he wished (vs. 12). And Hagar in reverence and humility bowed her head and said in effect "Lo, behold, do I then see God, and live?" for she knew, as did all in those far-off days, that only a very few in all the ages were permitted to see God and live still and to her was this vision granted. That is implicit in the name which Hagar there and then gave to that well where the Angel had found her Beer-lahai-roi, "the well where I saw God, and lived". And be it noted that the word in that instance is one that means seeing in vision or with the mental sight". That slave-girl underwent a profound spiritual experience on that day in the Sinai Desert and perhaps that experience fitted her for her destiny. She became the matriarchal ancestor of a substantial proportion of the Arab world of today. The founder of one of the world’s three great monotheistic religions, Mahomet the prophet of Islam, claimed descent from Ishmael, so that in a sense Hagar the slave girl of

Abram takes her place beside Mary the mother of Jesus and Jochebed the mother of Moses.

So Hagar retraced her steps that hundred miles back to Hebron, made her peace with Sarai, and settled down quietly to await the birth of her son

.The next thirteen years are a blank. Life was apparently uneventful and Abram probably prospered and extended his possessions and territory, living in peace amid amity with his Amorite neighbors. The Genesis record is completely silent as to the events of those thirteen years. Abram was probably now reasonably content he had the promised son whom he thought, wrongly as it turned out to be, was the promised seed of blessing, and as Ishmael grew up into early boyhood he must have begun to think that all was now well.

Then the Lord appeared again to Abram.

The story is in Gen. 17. It comprises an account of the Lord’s reiteration of the Covenant entered into fourteen years earlier with an extension of the promise to include Abram’s descendants to distant generations as a people specially set apart for the Divine purpose. "Thou shalt be a father of many nations" said the Lord "I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee". As a sign and symbol of that setting apart for Divine service of those coming generations the Lord instigated the rite of circumcision for all who came within that pale; this extension of the covenant was sealed by Abram’s willing acceptance of the rite for himself and all his house. From now and onward they were a people separate from the other inhabitants of the land, a people for a purpose, consecrated to the service of God. Now, perhaps, and for the first time, Abram began dimly to perceive something of the manner in which he and his were to be used of the Lord in blessing all the families of the earth, the promise which had led him to forsake the old life in Ur of the Chaldees more than forty years previously.

But there was more to come. The Lord now had a personal word for him. He and Sarai his wife were to adopt new names. "Neither shall thy name be any more called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham, for a father of many nations have I made thee. ... as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be" (Vs. 3. & 15). The old pagan name Abu-Ramu, "the storm god my father" was to be Ab-raham, "father of nations". Sarai the moon-goddess was to be Sar-ah, "princess". The new relationship to God was to be accompanied by new names. The old association with the land of the idolators was gone for ever.

And now came an intimation that was as unwelcome as it was unexpected"And 1 will bless her" (Sarah) "and give thee a son also of her, Yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations—; kings of people shall be of her". And at that, Abraham, prostrate before the Lord, made light of the remark inwardly, ("laughed" in the AV means literally to treat lightly). Abraham at this point just did not take the Lord seriously, he was unbelieving. "Shall a barren wife of ninety years of age bear a child?" And the need was no longer there he already had a son who was obviously the apple of his eye, so he reminded the Lord of the Fact."oh that Ishmael might live before thee". Surely the Lord could see that here was the solution to the problem of the Seed; why interfere with the established position now.

But the Lord had the last word, "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, 1 have heard thee. Behold I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year". "And he left off talking with him" (vs. 19-21).

The patriarch must have pondered over those words a long time. Not one son, but two sons. Both of them to have some part in the outworking of the purpose of God. The second son, Isaac, to be the heir of the promise; through him and his were all families of the earth to be blessed. But the first also was to be fruitful and multiply exceedingly until he became a great nation. Perhaps the full implication of that second promise is not apparent to us even now. It has often been remarked that the Semitic race, whether Israel or Arab, is the most spiritually minded of the three great races of humankind. It is true that the Semitic race has given the world the three great monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. And all three worship the same God. That fact is not always realized as it should be. The life’s mission of Mahomet was to wean his fellow-Arabs away from their idolatrous worship of many gods and bring them to the one true God, and to Mahomet that God was the God of Israel of his day. The gap between Judaism and Islam is not very wide, and when the true relationship between the Father and the Son is understood, not so very wide between Christianity and Islam either. And Father Abraham is a prophet to all three. Abraham could not of necessity foresee anything of all this, but he must have had plenty to think about during those quiet times at Hebron, and wondering perhaps what further revelations of the Divine Will were yet to be made to him.

(To be continued.)

Preaching and Teaching

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Our Lord enshrined two distinct thoughts in his final instructions to his disciples respecting their life work—and therefore our life work. According to Luke and Mark He told them to preach repentance and remission of sins among all nations, and to preach the Gospel to the whole creation. (Lu 24:47; Mr 16:15). According to Matthew He also told them to teach all nations, bidding them observe whatsoever I have commanded you". (Mt 27:19). There is a world of difference between the words "preach" and "teach", and there is no reason to doubt that all three Evangelists’ accounts embody part only of all that Jesus said to them at his departure, and each injunction was actually spoken separately and in its own setting. We might do well, therefore to examine more closely than we have done heretofore the differences between these several versions of his parting words.

The word "preach" is from the Greek "evangeliso, meaning "I tell good news", or from "kerusso". which means "1 proclaim as a herald". "Teach", on the other hand, is from "matheteuo", which denotes the instruction of pupils or learners, the making of disciples. In the Christian way preaching comes first and is followed by teaching. The Apostles at Pentecost first proclaimed good news and went about as heralds, announcing the Kingdom of Heaven, and then settled down to teach their converts. In the individual Christian life it is inevitable that the early years are taken up with declaring the message, telling out the good tidings of redemption that is in Christ Jesus: only when the experiences of the way, and progress in the faith, has brought maturity of knowledge and character, can the believer begin to teach. Preaching belongs to youth and teaching to mature age; preaching is the work of the morning but teaching that of the evening.

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"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1Pe 2:9).

Peter had been in darkness until Jesus came. He was a Galilean and Matthew wrote... "Galilee of the Gentiles —the people living in darkness have seen a great light." (Mt 4:16, Isa 9:2)no matter how well Peter tried to keep the Law as a Jew, he needed to be called out of darkness. It was a darkness of human prejudice of meanness of spirit and of unwillingness to see any possible goodness in the peoples of the nations around him. It took Peter a long time to be totally rid of that darkness. Nor was he alone, for the barriers which people erect around their own little group take a long time to be demolished by the Spirit of God. Labels which are stuck on to other people take a great deal of removal.

When Peter heard the Lord talking about clean and unclean practices and what goes into the mouth and what comes out of it, (Mark 7) he could never have imagined the possibilities of those words. A few years later he was sitting on the roof of a house in Joppa when he had a vision. It might have reminded him of the words of our Lord by Galilee. Peter traditionally was at Mark’s elbow when the younger man wrote his gospel. In Mr 7:19 there is a brief word of explanation by the writer-"In saying this Jesus declared all foods ‘clean".

Peter was praying on the flat roof in the seaport of Joppa. Out at sea he might have seen the billowing sails of the ships. He saw in his vision, let down in a kind of sail cloth, all kinds of animals, some "clean" and some "unclean". A voice told him to kill and eat but he refused. He recognized the voice of the Lord, yet twice more he refused saying that he had never eaten anything that was "unclean". The unclean condition had nothing to do with hygiene. These were animals which were pronounced by the Law as unholy, unfit for God’s service as food.

The light which flooded Galilee and Judea from the son of God must shine into the hearts and lives of the Gentiles. It was Peter who was once more to launch forth into the deep. Until the day when Peter visited Cornelius at Caesarea, he regarded Gentiles as unclean and unholy and unfit for the presence of God (Acts 10). Peter had been on a journey visiting early Christian believers in Judea between Jerusalem and the Great Sea coast. He stopped at Lydda and healed a man called Aeneas. Then he went on to Joppa and raised Tabitha from the dead. Finally, he stopped at the house of Simon who was a tanner by trade. (Acts 9). It was quite something for any respectable Jew to stay in the house of a man who earned his living from handling animal carcases. After the vision he went a step further and invited some Gentiles to sleep under the same roof. Next he went up country with these men to the house of Cornelius in Caesarea. Jews did not enter the Roman city if they could help it. They certainly did not enter the house of a pagan to stay and eat there. When he arrived back in Jerusalem eventually, the Christian church there was aghast at the thought that he actually ate with those un-circumcised heathen (Acts 11).

Peter made it clear to the brethren in Jerusalem that not only did he have fellowship with these Gentiles and declare the Gospel to them but the Holy Spirit had been poured out on them, just as it had been on the first disciples in Jerusalem at Pentecost. Later Peter was to write "... chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for the obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood" (1Pe 1:2).

The language that Peter uses in his letter shows he had discovered that the privileges which had been the prerogative of Jewish priesthood were now for all disciples of the Lord Jesus. Privileges which once belonged only to Israel now could be enjoyed by all of any nation who would accept Jesus as their Savior and give their hearts to him. The writer to the Hebrews takes our minds back to the tabernacle ritual and the consecration of the High Priest who alone was allowed to enter into the presence of God in the Holy of Holies. Here the greater High Priest had entered the Most Holy with his own blood and produced a real atonement for the sin of the people.

Now all priests were allowed to enter the sanctuary and stand before the presence of God.

brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse its from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water (He 10:19-21).

In a sense the picture is carried a stage further by Paul’s words at the beginning of chapter 12 in his letter to the Romans. Paul uses very serious language relating to the priestly service. It is the presentation of our bodies as a holy sacrifice. Yet although those bodies are accepted as holy. in the next verse the apostle goes on to exhort the brethren "Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity" (Phillips). These words of Paul clearly define two phases of sanctification. The first is the consecration of the life by God which makes it immediately acceptable to him. The second is the slow and sometime painful cleansing process. God does in our human lives.

Writing to the church at Ephesus (5:26) Paul says Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of the water with the word". The word "cleanse" in this text is similar to the Greek word used in Joh 15:3 where Jesus speaks of branches being pruned or purged. The cleansing agent for members of the Church which are the branches in the vine is the Word of God. By an intelligent reading of the Bible and resolute application of its teachings in the life, the Word of God does cleanse slowly but surely, those things which are "spots and wrinkles" and cause us so much pain. That they are in our flesh there can be no denial (1Jo 1:8) and to do so would be self-deception. But the previous verse makes it clear that we may be cleansed through Jesus’ blood. The word, retained in our memories through the Holy Spirit, is ready for use to combat the enemies within. To change the analogy it is like the probing scalpel of a surgeon or High Priest.

The ultimate picture of holiness is given in the chapters in the Corinthian letter where this study began (2Co 6:16). "For we are the temple of the living God." Paul is contrasting the possibility of becoming the temple of idols. The world worships the things that it most prizes. These cannot be allowed dominance in the minds of God’s people. They can be a polluting influence. Modern media in press and television carry many things which Jesus would not approve of were He sitting beside us. If they are allowed to remain in the innermost recesses of our mind, controlling our thinking and thence our speech and actions, they will be the molding force in our lives to shape us according to their pattern and not the "pattern seen in the holy mount" —that of Jesus Christ the holy one of God.

We are stewards of Gods dwelling place. It is vital, as we read the Word of God and consider the things which occupy our attention, that we remove that which clutters up God’s Temple. Rigorous treatment is demanded, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to repair and restore God’s work in our lives. This is not just a matter of worldly activities or reading. Sometimes they would have been more spiritually healthy than the tortuous and bitter arguments of former days within the Church. There have been meetings and services among the Lord’s people since the days of the Corinthian church, until this day, which have not been holy.

The purest and loveliest souls among the Lord’s people have followed their Master into the poorest homes and chatted with those considered to be the worst in the social order. Jesus was filled with the Spirit, not with the wine of his hosts. He was spiritually strong and could not be pulled down, but He lifted many up. Before we can reach such souls, we too must be broken at the foot of the Cross.

We are only fit as the dwelling place of the Most High if we permanently recognize our need of him in lowliness of heart. We need to accept God’s discipline, for it is by that means we share his holiness (He 12:10). That discipline is often given by the experiences of life which are too easily resented. It may be by the word of a brother or sister in the Lord, it may be by a colleague or acquaintance; but we must beware of resenting God’s hand of discipline. "... without holiness no one will see the Lord." (v.14). The word "purity" of Mt 5:9 "Blessed are the pure in heart", and the cleansing of Joh 15:2 "and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes" are connected with that characteristic which Jesus so much admired, "without hypocrisy", a character without guile. Only contrition before the Lord can reach that standard. We must allow his searching love to root out every kind of bitterness which would spoil our fellowship with him. He only wants the best for us. This is not the case of an Old Testament High Priest, nor a law court judge, not even a twentieth century "big brother" looking over our shoulder to see what we are doing wrong. Jesus is our Savior who loved us so much that He died for us. He is our bridegroom who loves more than an earthly spouse. When Peter committed the sin of denying the Lord there is no record of Jesus’ recriminations over the event; no record that He spent an hour "tearing strips" off the fallen disciple to humiliate him. Jesus looked at Simon and the strong fisherman melted into tears. We need to do just that sometimes.

In nearly all of Paul’s letters he writes to the saints. For the apostle it was another way of addressing all the believers in Christ Jesus. All who have given their hearts to the Lord and accepted him as their Savior, whose lives have been consecrated by God for his service in the "perfecting" of the Lord’s disciples, they are the saints, the Holy Ones of God. These are not special disciples. They have no particular recognition from the Church. They are those in whom God lives. First impressions of such may be rather misleading. They may appear to be very ordinary folk and quite unprepossessing by the world’s standards of goodness. Paul once wrote "The Lord knows those who are his" (2Ti 2:19). They are words which probably go far back into the history of God’s people, perhaps so far as Israel’s wanderings in the desert. They are words which give everlasting comfort to those who seek to bear the holy image of the Master. They are words which ignore the boundaries and barriers of human invention which divide and separate God’s people. They are words which carry a responsibility too for those that are Christ’s must bear the pure light of his face to a dark world. These are the ones described as "Blessed and holy" and who will be priests of God and of Christ (Re 20:6).

Earlier in that same second letter to the Corinthians, Paul had described how it was possible for the unholy children of men to reach that sublime condition in God’s presence. In this present time they "reflect the Lord’s glory, being transformed into his likeness". When plants such as vines grow and produce fruit they soak up the sunshine. We must not allow any cloud or shadow to come between us and the Sun of Righteousness. Then we shall live in true holiness.

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"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit." (Joh 15:8).

In our endeavor to bring forth fruit to his praise, let us bear in mind the old illustration of the wild rose stock into which you have grafted a choice rose. In due time you know that you will have beautiful roses, but you know, too, that there is a tendency for the old stock to send out shoots. and if you allow it to do that you will have nothing but wild roses from the old stem. The gardener, therefore, every time he sees a shoot coming from the old stem, takes a sharp knife and cuts it off. So let us, by the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body, that we may live and produce fruit to the glory of God.

***

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. (Isa 40:31)

Walking increases our vision, so we faint not. Running increases our progress, so we are not weary. Flying increases our elevation, away from the bonds of earth to wait upon the Lord. In the natural realm, walking is ordinary, running is sometimes difficult, flying is impossible. The Lord, however, gives us strength for the mundane, the challenge, and, to us, the Impossible.w. J. Pell

Do you walk the streets with seeing eyes? Do you scan the faces of those you meet? Do you see care written large on every countenance, the wrinkled brow, the furtive look, the gripping teeth, the pursing lips, the hurried walk? What does it all mean? Tension, really hyper-tension; life’s fitful fever, speed, hurry, getting there! Some to attain money and honor, others to hold their jobs.

That lack of ease—dis-ease, can invade our other world too. The fight within, without, may be so grim that we cannot relax. It keys us up too much, like a string tuned up above pitch, and we get spiritual wrinkles, gripping teeth and pursing lips. We cannot rest, we cannot break the tension, we must be doing.

Nerve doctors say there is a knack in releasing this condition that might be likened to an over-wound spring. It is nothing more than reclining, and letting the limbs fall as dead; the arms, legs, body, and head, until the chair carries the weight. It is not a matter of doing something to break the tension, it is not doing; that is all, but when it comes about it is rest, refreshing rest. So with the tired, over-tense spirit, when it is allowed to become "dead" in Jesus. "I will give you rest."

Revelation 20

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"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that ancient serpent, which is the devil, Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more (Re 20:1-3)

This 20th chapter of Revelation pictures the work of the Millennial Age, when the Lord Christ is the acknowledged ruler of this earth and all its peoples are to be made fully conversant with the Divine standards of life and enjoy the opportunity to make their momentous choice, for good or evil, for life or death. The decision is to be a personal one, and none will be able to say that powers of evil from outside have hindered or thwarted their desire to be converted and find reconciliation with God. In that Age a man will die only for his own sin, only because, with full knowledge and ability to choose and practice that which is right in God’s sight. he nevertheless elects to remain evil for the love of it. Hence this picture in these few verses, drawn to delineate the suppression of the power of external evil so that it can no longer adversely influence or affect men against their will. In that Age it is to be true that "they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" (Isa 65:25) In order to accomplish that end it is obvious that the Devil himself, the Archangel of all evil must be deprived of his power to instil evil and sin into the hearts and actions of men, and this essential preliminary to the work of the Millennial Age logically introduces this 20th chapter.

The literal personality of the Devil is not always accepted nowadays; many feel that the Scripture references to Satan and Satanic power can be well understood as allusions to the presence and influence of evil in an abstract sense over humanity. There is no doubt, however, that the New Testament writers believed in Satan as a powerful celestial being in a state of open rebellion against God, directly responsible for the introduction of evil into the world at the beginning, for its promotion and development throughout human history, by Divine permission, and destined for ultimate destruction when it has been abundantly demonstrated that he remains unrepentant and unregenerate to the last. It is true that Origen in the 2nd century claimed that not only all mankind. but eventually the Devil himself, will succumb to the drawing power of Christ and so become reconciled and attain eternal life, but it cannot be denied that at least three of the inspired writers John, Isaiah and Ezekiel—foresee the irrevocable extinction of the personal Satan with the passing of evil from the Divine creation.

The background is this world at the time during the course of the Second Advent when the Lord Christ, having already resurrected his Church to be associated with him in his Millennial work, has broken the power of those of earth’s forces which have stood in opposition to his assumption of power. Included in these forces are all those institutions of men which are in themselves evil and have oppressed the sons of men. Under symbols of the "beast", the "false prophet", the "kings of the earth", in chapter 19, these are pictured as drawn up in battle array to contend with the Rider on the White Horse from Heaven—the Lord Christ in martial guise—and they all are defeated and destroyed, their destruction being symbolized by the fiery lake. Only the dragon remains, and this 20th chapter identifies this dragon of Revelation with the serpent of Eden and Satan the destroyer, thus completing the identification. The lesser evil powers having been dealt with, and the time having come for the resurrection of all the dead to experience the call to conversion and life of the new Age, it remains to deal with Satan so that the last hindering influence is removed. Hence the angel descending from heaven with a great chain in his hand is another representation of our Lord at his Second Advent, specifically as respects that aspect which has to do with the restraint of the Evil One.

This "binding of Satan, that he should "deceive the nations no more , presupposes that he has possessed and exercised the power to deceive men and instill evil thoughts and influences into their minds during the present and past spans of human history and this supposition is confirmed by our Lord’s reference to him as the "prince of this world" and Paul’s "the god of this world". (Joh 14:30; 2Co 4:4). It is this power and freedom which will be taken from Satan throughout the whole period of the Millennium and this constitutes his "binding. His personal freedom of movement, so to speak will not be limited any more than will be the personal freedom of evilly disposed men on earth during that Age, but he will be powerless to reach men’s minds in any way. This same prohibition will of course apply to men themselves; none will be prevented from thinking evil thoughts or harboring evil desires and intentions, but the power to inflict evil or harm, physical, mental or moral, upon others, will be lost. We do not know how Divine power will be exercised here in a fashion of which we have little, if any, conception today, but it will be true that although a man may formulate an intention to do evil to another he will find himself physically and mentally unable to put that intention into effect. That restraint will operate throughout the Millennial Age.

A glance at daily events shows that the binding of Satan has not yet taken place and is not yet even in progress. The powers of evil have greater control today in earth’s affairs than at any past time. Many of the devices and acts of certain classes of men are characterized by a cold blooded ferocity and disregard for human suffering which can quite literally be said to be devil-inspired. The fearful experiences through which so many of earth’s people must pass today are evidences that the archangel of evil is still the god of this world and that his subjects still render him service. The entire setting of the passage which tells of this "binding" indicates that it takes place concurrently with the outward assumption of authority by the Lord Christ in the sight of all mankind, when the law of the Lord goes forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isa 2:3) and after the power and influence of all earthly evil institutions and forces has been broken and destroyed. That point in history will be the true commencement of the Millennium.

The vision of Revelation 12, depicting a conflict between Michael the archangel and the dragon, culminating in the dragon being expelled from heaven and thrown down to earth, is sometimes claimed to be connected with the "binding of Satan" but this is not so. In Rev. 12 the dragon, after being dealt with by Michael. is in no sense bound, but very much alive and active, and remains so to the end of the chapter. The interpretation of this particular symbolic presentation has to be sought in the realm of past history, of the relation and inter-action between, first, Judaism, from which came Christ the man-child, and Roman paganism and the emerging organized Christian power which ultimately overthrew and succeeded paganism. It certainly does not apply to any aspect of the Second Advent.

God is omnipotent. "He spake , and it was done; he commanded, andit stood fast" (Ps 33:9) His ends are achieved by means of orderly development. and He permits the continuance of evil up to a pre-determined limit for a wise purpose, yet when his time to act against evil and evil-doers has come, none can resist his will. He brought the evil of the antediluvian world to an end without calling upon the help of Noah. He destroyed the Cities of the Plain without any assistance from Lot. When the hosts of evil converge upon the Holy Land in the last great day of this Age it will be God himself, alone, who will act. As it was in the days of Jehoshaphat and the Moabites "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle—for the battle is not yours, but God’s (2Ch 20:15-47), so with the binding of Satan. Divine power will operate from heaven to end, in one moment of time, every scrap of power and influence Satan may possess over man and spirit.

One may begin to wonder at this point just what is the attitude of Satan himself to all this. How does he regard this already well-publicized picture of his approaching doom? After a very successful career of crime, what, if any, preparation is he likely to make to resist any threat to the continuance of his present activities? What, if any, resistance can he offer to the omnipotent power of God? Is there any likelihood that Origen was right after all, and that eventually the Devil will abandon his evil ways and embrace righteousness? In the face of the positive statements of Scripture above referred to this would not seem likely. What perhaps is more probable is that in fact Satan, a fallen being separated from God by millenniums of sin, does not really believe in his heart that the threatened fate will ever materialize. The position is much the same with many of mankind. Men today, in general, do not really believe in God. They have lost their knowledge of him, and with that vital belief in his power or interest in them. "If there is a God, he either does not care or has no power to put right things that are wrong in this world!" That sentiment fairly expresses the considered judgment of the natural man who has been separated from God by sin from the beginning. Yet in that beginning man knew God, walked with God, talked with God; that is clear from the Genesis story. The difference has been effected by sin. It is reasonable to think that the same principle can hold good in the case of Satan. He also had the privilege of knowing God, walking with him, talking with him, and appreciating his power. He embraced sin, and since nothing that is of sin can stand in the Divine Presence, he too from that moment must have been banished, separated from God just as truly as was Adam. Would it be surprising , therefore, if Satan, blinded by his own sin, concludes that after all this time God is evidently unable to complete his designs. and that sin can continue indefinitely on its apparently successful course.

If this hypothesis be well founded, the great enemy of man will continue busily with his plans, waging war against all that is holy and true and lovely upon earth, unbelieving until the hour has struck. In the heyday of his dominion, attendant angels carrying out his dark orders, the cry of his suffering prisoners going up to heaven, his power will vanish as one snaps off the electric light. Suddenly he will find himself bereft of power, of influence, of servants, of an empire—alone. Too late, he will realize that the omnipotence of God has waited for this moment, and that his long course of rebellion against his Creator, with all its terrible consequences for mankind, has ended.

Can one picture that lonely spirit through all the thousand years of earth’s jubilee? Free to roam through the vast spaces of God’s creation, free to observe, to meditate, to scheme, but powerless to affect or influence in any way the mind or the heart of the weakest or humblest of God’s creatures. Seeing all, hearing all, unable to interfere, the seal of Divine authority marks him out and sets him apart like Cain, an outcast, an exile, one upon whom is the judgment of God. He may translate himself out of our material universe into that spiritual sphere which is beyond the scope of human sense or understanding. and wander through the celestial land as alone and remote from the presence of God as when he presided over earth’s destinies. He may come back into our world of time and space to find the thousand years of restitution still in progress, but wherever he goes and whatever he does, Satan will be bound, altogether unable to interfere further in the plans of God for his creation.

Of his being "loosed out of his prison" at the end of the thousand years, as stated in Re 20:7, it is necessary to speak guardedly, for this is the only Scriptural reference to this aspect of the subject and the words are vague and obscure. It is difficult to think that any of humanity, after all the experience with good that they have had under the Millennial reign, would again fall for Satan’s blandishments. Perhaps it is intended as an opportunity for him to demonstrate whether, after all that he has seen, he may yet, at the eleventh hour, repent of his evil deeds. If the prophetic Scriptures are to be taken literally, there is no repentance, no turning again, nothing but an irrevocable determination to fight against God. Perhaps, even then, he does not really believe that "the wages of sin is death". Once, a long time ago, in the beginning, he deceived Eve, saying "ye shall not surely die"; can it be that at the end he deceives himself? At any rate, if that should be his determination, in the face of all that he knows of the goodness and love of God, then there can be only one possible Sequel."i will bring thee to ashes upon the earth .... and never shalt thou be any more." (Eze 28:18-19).

Christ the Center

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As the sun is the center of our solar system, so Christ is the Christian’s sun and center of desire. As gravitation holds the planets in their proper orbits, so love holds the trusting heart in the pathway of willing obedience. As in completing the solar circuit, the earth receives the pleasing variety of seasons adapted to beauty and health, and to promote all organic life, so in our loving service of Christ, there is a pleasing and useful variety of gracious and profitable experiences. Sometimes fierce storms sweep across our pathway to drive us into the shelter of his promised grace. Sometimes the cold repulsiveness of the world’s unbelief and sin chills us like a winter’s blast, driving us to the central, steady sunlight of a Savior’s constant love, causing springtime to burst forth in the Christian’s heart, and bursting buds of developing faith and love to expand into the fruits of Christian grace. But there is no winter in the sun, and he who has the Sun of Righteousness in his heart will have constantly the springtime of his abiding love.

***

There is much that is disappointing and saddening and unsatisfactory in our daily lives and it is easy to let the mind dwell on the future glories that are promised the faithful ones and hope fervently for their speedy coming. But the world also is groanIng and travailing in pain together, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God and their distress is far greater than ours, for they have not the hope that we have, no knowledge or expectation of future deliverance, nothing but a dull despair that sees no avenue of escape from the oppression of this world’s evil.

4. Apostasy from Heaven

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The world of man was fifteen hundred years old, and Adam had been dead for nearly six hundred years. The community of mankind sprung from him now numbered perhaps twenty-five thousand, reaching down to the generation of Methuselah, now more than three hundred years old, and the successive families must by now have been spreading outwards along the four rivers of Eden to find living space. The translation of Enoch was thirteen years in the past and if there is any kernel of truth in the Jewish legendary stories related in the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees about his activities with the rebellious angels, this would be the time. It is interesting to perceive that this is the period when the population began noticeably to increase. This twenty-five thousand was to become well over a hundred and twenty-five in the next three hundred years, which fits in with Ge 6:1, and here has to be related the story of the "Angels that sinned"of Jude 6, and the "angels that kept not their first estate" of 1. Pet. 3:20. That story is so apparently bizarre that modern expositors can perhaps be excused for refusing to credit it, but that is only because in the main they have not advanced beyond the 16th century conception of angels, disembodied spirits wearing a material white robe and furnished with a pair of very material wings wherewith to fly from the celestial regions to earth. Modern knowledge coupled with an up-to-date and exhaustive study of the Bible text warrants a very different conception of the subject. The story as related in Gen. 6 is that when mankind began noticeably to increase in the earth some of the "sons of God", the angels, assumed human form and took wives of "the daughters of men", producing in consequence a race of quasi-human beings whose conduct instituted a reign of terror in the earth and, in conjunction with the increasing lawlessness of mankind, led the Almighty eventually to destroy the entire community in the great Flood and start again. Says the narrator "and it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and took them wives of all which they chose There were "nephilim" in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of Renown"(ge 6:1-4), This latter verse gave the A.V. translators a lot of trouble, "Nephilim" was endered "giants" from the Septuagint which had rendered "nephilim" gigantos, or gigantic. "Also after that" is more accurately rendered by the intensive "indeed", followed by the demonstrative "afterwards" so that the verse is better rendered "the nephilim were in the earth in those days, and indeed afterwards, whenever the sons of God went into the daughters of men, and they bare to them gibborim(mighty ones) which were of olden times, the renowned ones". The"nephilim" were the quasi-human progeny of the angels and their human wives. How could such a thing be?

According to the Bible, the ancients were more accustomed to the visits of angelic beings from the celestial world than is the case to-day. In all instances some—forty or so in the Scriptures—they appeared sometimes as radiantly glorious beings, more often as an ordinary everyday man arrayed in the usual garments of the particular period. The one who appeared to Joshua did so as a military commander with a drawn sword in his hand; the three whom Abraham accosted at Hebron as traveling wayfarers. The assumption by these latter of human form was such that they could partake of a hearty meal of roast lamb before proceeding on their way. Although it is clear that the angelic creation exists and is adapted to a world fundamentally different from this terrestrial world the evidences are that in order to become perceptible to, and to deal with, human beings in this world they must, as it were, leave that world and transform themselves temporarily into beings adapted to this world—almost as if they had to change their wavelength, to use a strictly modern term. Our Lord after his resurrection and before his ascension appeared as a gardener to Mary, a stranger to the two on the way to Emmaus, and so on. It follows then that if angels from heaven did indeed take human women as wives they did so with all the powers and attributes of human beings themselves. If God created the body of Adam from the atoms of which all terrestrial substances are composed; if Jesus could produce fish, bread and wine in the same manner, it is logical to visualize angelic beings present on earth for the execution of some definite commission appearing among men and making use of the same powers as did their compatriots in Bible history. Why were they present on earth at all? Genesis states the fact but gives no hint as to the reason. According to the Book of Enoch, recounting legends current among the Jews, they were sent by the Lord to teach men the useful arts such as metallurgy and agriculture, and the sciences such as astronomy. Nowhere in the Scriptures is there any hint that they were commissioned for such purposes. If the Book of Jubilees statement that it was in the days of Jared that they came to earth is worth anything it is perhaps just a coincidence that this is the time of Tubal and Jubal of the line of Cain, who are said to have been the first to practice metallurgy and develop musical instruments. It is true also that Berosus, the Babylonian priest-historian of 275 B.C., recorded the ancient tradition that in antediluvian times supernatural beings came up out of the sea to teach men the arts and sciences and the origin and nature of the universe. "and since then" said he "nothing new had been discovered", it is probably justifiable to conclude that if they were on earth at all. it must have been for a purpose beneficent to humanity and they came as the messengers of God, perfect and sinless—once here they renounced their allegiance, and embarked on a course of conduct alien to their commission, a course which ended in disaster.

The New Testament confirms this. Jude calls them "the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation (Jude 6). The fixed opinion of First century Jewry and Christianity alike, and the contemporary historian Flavius Josephus and theologian Philo of Alexandria, was that such an event did indeed happen in the days before the Flood and gave rise to the Genesis account and the related legends.

What was the object? To think that life on earth in the company of degenerate and dying women, no matter how beautiful, could be attractive to angels accustomed to an infinitely more glorious environment "beyond the stars" has only to be suggested in order immediately to be rejected. To abandon their own world with its powers and possibilities, unknown to us, but admittedly infinitely greater and more glorious than anything on this sin-cursed earth, with presumably an eternal succession of dying wives, was surely not likely to be an attraction worthy of the consequent alienation from God.

It is possible that the motive behind this action on the part of the angels was not self-indulgence, but rather meritorious in its impulse, and it turned out disastrous because of the angels’ own measurable ignorance of the position. That the angels do not have all knowledge is indicated by several Scriptures even though they are of a higher order than humans. Suppose in their state of incomplete knowledge of the situation they conceived a plan by which they could help the Almighty remedy the disaster of Eden and infuse new life into the dying human race. They must have known of the Divine promise in Eden that in a future day the seed of the woman would bruise the serpent’s head (Ge 3:15), that the serpent, temporally triumphant at having seduced the first human pair into rebellion and therefore death, would eventually be defeated and the original everlasting life restored to man. They themselves, the angels, possessed that enduring life. Suppose they could find a way of infusing that enduring life into the human race? That surely would be a good thing in the eyes of the Almighty.

Something like this could perhaps be suggested by the origin of the term nephilim, by which the Hebrew historian knew the progeny of the angels. Modern commentators usually say the word is derived from the Hebrew and Arabic verb naphal, to fall or to drop. and so, "fallen ones". in the Old Testament and in the Talmud naphal is used of a premature birth or an abortion, as in Job 3:16, Ps 58:8 and Ec 6:3, for example. The later legends surrounding the name might well justify the description of monsters, or abortions. Nevertheless this is one example of a common fallacy associated with every attempt to explain the meaning of Biblical proper names. When men first coined this name there was no Hebrew language, nor for more than two thousand years thereafter. Whatever the meaning or derivation of the name, it must have had its meaning in the language of the antediluvians and no one knows the nature of that primitive tongue; the nearest one can get to it are the archaic Sumerian and Akkadian, about 2500 B.C., in the days of Eber. There is plenty of evidence that the story of antediluvian times existed in written form at that date.

It is possible that the word comes from the akkadian napistu-ilu, which in that form means life-breath of God. If this appeared in the original account, when it came to be translated into Hebrew a thousand years later it would become nephesh-elohim, which in ordinary speech would merge into nephilim or neph-ilim.

If this hypothesis can he held to be reasonable then the story becomes lucid. All men without exception were dying and would die, primarily because of Adam’s sin by virtue of which he could only pass imperfect dying life to his descendants. The New Testament is adamant about that. All men die in Adam. The New Testament makes clear that Christ, the resurrected Christ. can and will give eternal life, undying life, to all of Adam’s race who at any time will renounce sin and accept him as Redeemer. But there was no New Testament in the days before the Flood. Did those angels, knowing that in themselves reposed undying life, reason that by infusing that life into the human race they could create future generations which, freed on that account from the death which is the common lot of all men, might succeed where Adam had failed?

It must have appeared workable, and surely the Lord God who had sent them to earth to help and instruct mankind would approve so laudable an object. They could create a race of super-men who would transform mankind. After all, leading scientists today are trying to do much the same kind of thing in what they call genetic engineering and could unwittingly, as did those angels, bring about a similar disaster. For disaster it was, whatever their motives. There was an unknown factor in the matter which nullified all that they were trying to do.

For when those women, whether willingly or unwillingly, had given birth to these children and they began to grow to man’s estate, instead of being models of uprightness leading man in the paths of righteousness, they turned out to be monsters of cruelty of whom men went in terror. The language in Genesis is very restrained; it only says that they were mighty men of renown. It was an evil renown. The apocryphal books of the centuries just before Christ came preserve the memory of those times. "They consumed all the acquisitions of men, and when men could no longer sustain them, the nephilim turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds and beasts and reptiles and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh and drink the blood" (1 Enoch 7:3-5). "And the women have born nephilim, and the whole earth has thereby been filled with blood and unrighteousness" (I Enoch 9:9). The book of Jubilees describes how they "took themselves wives of all which they chose, and they begat sons the nephilim and they were different and they devoured one Another"(jub. 7:21). In consequence "lawlessness increased on the earth, and all flesh corrupted its way, alike men and cattle and beasts and birds and everything that walketh on the earth, all of them corrupted their ways, and their orders, and they began to devour each other and every imagination of the thoughts of all men was thus evil continually" (Jub. 5:20).

Had the angels grievously erred? Is it that the Lord in creating man implanted something which differentiated man from the entire animal creation of earth, something above the purely physical and instinctive, something which gave him the qualities of reverence for and loyalty to his Creator, of distinguishing right from wrong and deliberately choosing one or the other? Was it that the angels did not know this, and all they succeeded in doing was to produce a race of creatures which had the form of human beings but the mentality and instincts of ravening animals. If the traditions recounted in Enoch and Jubilees have any basis of truth stemming from ancient times such hypothesis well fits the description. Did the angels succeed only in fathering sons who were complete and probably very impressive biological specimens of humanity, but in actual fact were brutish and savage animals which followed the laws of their nature by ravaging and devouring as the accounts say they did.

According to the traditions it was during the lifetimes of Jared and his son Enoch that this condition of things upon earth began. That was about seven centuries before the Flood and only six after the death of Adam. In that case this terrible oppression persisted for seven hundred years through the times of Jared to Noah and probably two more unnamed generations before the Lord acted to remove it by means of the Flood. One wonders why He waited so long. It was only in the generation of Noah that He declared the world of man was so utterly corrupt that there was only one way out. And even Noah had to be six hundred years old before deliverance came.

To be continued.

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Let this then be our resolve, that, casting aside all that makes for disunity and un-brotherliness, and scrupulously respecting each others convictions in those matters of our faith and practice which do not violate the fundamentals of the faith, remembering that as servants we stand or fall to our own Master, we may become a community united in our fellowship, persuaded of the truth of our message, possessed with a sense of the urgency of the times in which we live and the imminence of the Kingdom. 92

A Study in Job 28:1-11

The Book of Job excels in descriptions of the virtues of Divine Wisdom."where shall wisdom be found" asks Job "and where is the place of understanding? The depth saith ‘It is not in me. .. but unto man God saith ‘Behold the reverence of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding" (Job 28:28). It is in the development of that theme that Job prefaces his picture of the search for wisdom with a natural illustration which must have been familiar to all of his hearers—a description of man’s quest for mineral treasures below the surface of the earth. Job’s description of a miner at work in his own day is a fine piece of literature.

It is not merely as literature, however, that we look upon this passage. The Bible is much more than an anthology of the world’s finest writings. It is a book of instruction for the man of God, and every one of its chapters has been set in its place by the overruling providence of the Holy Spirit, to the intent that teaching, exhortation and encouragement may be given to those who in every age have sought to know God’s ways. Even so prosaic a subject as a day in the life of a Sinai copper miner has been transformed by the inspired tongue of this man of God into a vivid illustration of the search for the Divine wisdom, and an analogy with the salient features of the Divine Plan, the embodiment of that wisdom.

The passage in question is Job 28:1-11. It is primarily descriptive of the art of mining as carried out in Job’s own day and betokens his own close acquaintance with the details. As he reflects aloud on the ardor with which men search underground for metals and precious stones whereby to serve and enrich the life of man, he directs the mind to that parallel search "in the dark places of the earth" for the wisdom that will eventually make men like gods, "knowing good and evil". There is a striking contrast here between the attitude of the first human pair, who sought to obtain that knowledge by the easy way of self-indulgence, and failed, and this conception advanced by Job in which Divine knowledge and wisdom can be attained by men, but only at the cost of great suffering and hardship—perfection coming through suffering, as in the New Testament setting, "through much tribulation shall ye enter the Kingdom". (Ac 14:22).

Job commences his parable by alluding to the known fact that the valuable metals silver, gold,

iron and copper—could be obtained only by sinking mines in the mountains and rocky places of the earth. He goes on to describe how men take no heed of the darkness of their mine workings, how they sink a shaft and are let down by ropes, swinging to and fro until they reach the bottom; how that the birds and animals of the earth will not venture into such places, but the intrepid miner, burrowing his tunnels under the very mountains themselves, restraining and leading off the waters that break out and would flood the workings, diligently seeks and finds the precious objects of his quest. So he comes out again into the light, enriched with his discoveries. So, says Job, is the lot of the man who has found Divine wisdom after the harrowing experiences of this world of sin and death.

The translators of the Authorized Version were academic scholars but not technically minded men, and when translating the Book of Job, a book which abounds in technical terms connected with the arts and sciences of the ancients, they were often uncertain or ignorant of the meanings of those terms. The A.V. renderings in the Book of Job often requires correction in the light of present-day knowledge. In such light read the patriarchs words, adapted from the A.V. with necessary corrections.

For there is a mine for silver;

And a place for the refining of gold.

Iron is extracted out of the ore,

And copper is smelted out of the rock.

Man setteth an end to darkness.

And searcheth out to the farthest bound.

He hath sunken a shaft away from the dwellings of men.

They have no support for the foot,

They hang down, far away from men

They swing to and fro.

Out of the earth cometh bread,

And underneath it is turned up—as it were fire!

Among its stones are found sapphires,

And it hath ore of gold.

That path no bird of prey knoweth!

Neither hath the vultures eye seen it.

The proud beasts have not trodden it,

Nor hath the lion passed thereby.

He putteth forth his hand upon the red granite

And undermines the foundations of the mountains

He excavates channels among the rocks

And restrains the streams that they trickle not,

His eyes discovereth every precious thing,

And the hidden things he brings forth to light.

There is an indication of the date of the Book of Job in the first verse, The order of the four metals is in the order of the relative value at the time before the Exodus. Silver was extremely rare and therefore of more value than gold until after the entrance of Israel into the Promised Land, and iron was more valuable than copper. Not until the Phoenicians began to bring silver from Spain during the times of the Judges did gold become the more valuable metal. There is this indication that the passage is older than the Exodus or the time of Israel in Egypt.

Modern research has demonstrated the accuracy of Job’s description. He speaks of iron and copper being smelted from the crude ore. The blast furnaces of Egypt are referred to in De 4:20, and remains of such furnaces dating back to the time of Abraham have been found in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Blast furnaces have been found in Cyprus almost identical in principle and construction with those built in the North of England during the 18th and 19th centuries. The description of the mine shaft in which men were let down standing in a loop of rope, or a crude box, swinging to and fro, with "no support for the foot" is true to life. Such shafts, up to three hundred feet deep, and four thousand years old, have been found in the Sinai mountains. But the Holy Spirit did not cause this description to be recorded for the light it sheds upon the industries of the ancients. It was preserved for the light it can shed upon the life of the man of God, and it is because Job, with his knowledge of God and his close communion with God, was able to frame his description in words which suggest deeper truths to our minds that we can linger over this chapter with profit.

Silver, gold, iron, copper and sapphires. These are the fruits of the seeker’s activity. To obtain them he must separate himself from the world of men, tunnel a way through the darkness under every possible condition of toil and danger and fight against floods of waters which threaten to break through and overwhelm him. Dark and dismal is his lot, but he is at least shielded from the danger of wild beasts and birds of prey whilst he remains in the mine; they do not dare to penetrate the "secret place" in which he abides.

There are several analogies which may be drawn with this picture, but the one which comes most readily to the mind is that which applies familiar Scriptural symbolism of the metals mentioned. Taken in harmony with the theme of the chapter, the search for wisdom, it presents a miniature picture of the Divine Plan. The first obligation laid upon one who renounces the world’s interests and becomes a "co-worker together with God" is to seek Divine wisdom, the Truth from above—and silver is often used in the Scriptures as a symbol of that wisdom and truth. "The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven Times"(ps 12:6). "The tongue of the just is as choice silver" (Pr 10:20). "If thou seekest her (wisdom) as silver" (Pr 2:4). Just as the ancient miner went first for the silver, esteeming it as of more value than anything else, so do those that seek the Lord search for his truth, counting it as of supreme value to their lives and standing before him. From this receiving of heavenly wisdom, truth from above, into good and receptive minds, comes the understanding of Divine law which leads us so to walk before God that we may become partakers of the Divine nature (2Pe 1:4), symbolized by gold—another object of the miner’s quest. The crude ore, as gathered from the mine, had to be completely crushed and the pure gold refined ,— an apt picture of the crushing, fiery experiences which are necessary to us before the fine gold of the Divine nature can be revealed in us. But when at length that longed-for end has been achieved, comes the turn of the iron. Iron, too, is a symbol, a symbol of earthly things that are strong and unyielding, and in this connection an apt illustration of the strong, irresistible rule that is to be established upon earth after the "sons of God" of this Age have been clothed upon with the Divine nature and shone forth "as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father". (Mt 13:4), It is this event for which the world is waiting, as seen so clearly by Paul when he said "the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God" (Ro 8:19).

Even this strong rule of the coming Age cannot be set up without prior preparation and endurance. The strength of that kingdom lies in the fact that its rulers, its administrators, have all been previously tried in the fire and found worthy. Iron is weak and valueless until it has been smelted from its ore in a blast furnace, and then worked by rolling, forging and hammering until all its latent strength is brought out. So with the rule of the Messianic Age. Its force, its power, its authority, its very effectiveness, is not derived merely from an arbitrary decree of the Most High, but from the rigorous course of development and testing to which its "princes" have been subjected. The "kings and priests" of that Age will have found their way to that position through the darkness of the mine workings and therefore the "iron" that they have produced is adequate to every demand that will be made upon it. The kingdom will not break in pieces like other kingdoms, but it shall stand for ever. (Da 2:44).

So to the copper—familiar symbol of perfect humanity. Just as the silver of heavenly wisdom and truth results in the bestowment of the gold of Divine Nature upon the Church, so does the iron of Kingdom rule result in the copper of perfect human nature to mankind. The final fruitage of the miner’s activities will be the "smelting of copper out of the rock". Men in the next Age will achieve perfection only through hard trial and endurance; that Age, pleasant and favorable in many aspects, will have its call to stern endeavor and endurance. Men must build strong characters and be able to stand for righteousness to all eternity. The copper must literally, in the words of Job, be melted out of the rock.

Thus is achieved the overspreading presence of God’s majesty in all creation. "The dwelling place of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and be their God" (Re 21:3). When all that hath breath shall praise the Lord, and every tongue in heaven and on earth gives honor and glory and blessing to him that sitteth upon the throne, for ever and ever (Re 5:13) then indeed will the miners of this Age have extracted the last treasure from the earth. Perhaps Job was guided by the Holy Spirit when, of all the dozen or so precious stones mined by the ancients he chose for mention "among its stones are found sapphires". Sapphires are pre-eminently stones of faithfulness which guarantees that as truly as God lives, all the earth shall be filled with his glory. "I will lay thy foundations with sapphires", He says to Zion (Isa 59:11). There was under his feet, when He appeared in vision to the elders of Israel in the days of Moses, a "paved work of a sapphire stone" (Exod. 24:10). When later on, Ezekiel also saw him in vision, there was "an appearance as a sapphire stone" (Eze 1:26). So it will be when God at last appears to men in the accomplishment of his plans; his faithfulness will be manifest; there will be a sapphire stone "as the body of heaven in clearness" (Exod. 24:10).

Let the miners, then, go on in all diligence, seeking precious treasure. The enemies of God and righteousness, the birds of prey and the fierce lions, will not be able to harm them as they go about their work, for such do not know the path. The vulture’s eye does not see it, the wild beasts do not tread it and the fierce lion dare not enter, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty... . there shall no evil come nigh thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling" (Ps 91:1, 10). That is the promise; whilst we are doing the work of God, the Lord will preserve us from evil, and we shall come forth into the light of day bearing precious treasure for the world’s salvation.

So do we challenge this world and all its might, fearing not to put our hands upon the solid granite rocks in faith that those rocks can be riven by the power of our God. So do we tunnel under the foundations of the mountains, taking from the very heart of the kingdoms of this world those things which shall be treasure indeed in the kingdom to come. So do we excavate channels among the rocks to entrap and lead off, to dam up and restrain the floods of error and opposition, of evil and unrighteousness. So we go on, in supreme confidence that it may be said of us, as was said of that unknown miner of long ago; "his eyes discovereth every precious thing; and the hidden things he brings forth to light."

Prospect of Peace

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"In that day there shall be a highway out of Egypt into Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine Inheritance"(isa 19:23-25).A wonderful conclusion to the chapter; a picture of universal peace! Throughout Israel’s history Assyria and Egypt were alternately at warfare with the nations around Israel, or with each other, marching and counter-marching across the fair lands of Judah and Israel and ravaging wherever they went. The picture of a highway between the territories of these two great empires with the citizens of both passing and re-passing upon their lawful business, must have seemed a very unlikely one, especially in the days of Isaiah, when Assyria and Egypt were locked in a death-grip which had to end with the crushing of one. But that is what Isaiah saw, a day when the contending factions of mankind would have resolved all their enmity and jealousy into that calm and quiet fraternity which is to be the hallmark of the next Age. The highways of that day will be the highways of peace, and war and violence will be no more.

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Referring to the article "Armageddon" in the Nov/Dec 1992 issue, a reader suggests that the omission of the H (Arm ... instead of Har. .) makes the prefix mean "city" (Heb. Ar) rather than "mountain" (Har) and is more likely to mean "city of God" rather than the traditional "Mount of Destruction" usually favored by commentators. The reader enquires if this justifies the thought taken in conjunction with the phrase "Behold, I come as a thief" in the context, that "Armageddon" refers to the gathering of the Church to her returned Lord rather than the gathering of the nations as is usually thought. This investigation is the outcome.

*** Armageddon

The A.V. "Armageddon" in Re 16:16 is stated in that verse to be a Hebrew word. Commentators and theologians alike for centuries past have associated it with the ancient Canaanite town of Megiddo (still existing and now known as Leijun but still marked on some modern maps as Megiddo), close to the north side of the Carmel range of mountains not far from Haifa. This town commands the main road crossing the range used in ancient times by traders and hostile armies in the frequent wars between Egypt from the south and Hittites, Assyrians and Babylonians from the north, hence its reputation. Barak fought Jabin king of Hazor there, Israelite kings Joram, Ahaziah, and Josiah died there. Commanding the pass over the mountains between the Plain of Esdraelon and the Judean lowlands, the area became the scene of military conflicts, not all of which are recorded in the O.T., hence the term "Mount of Destruction" usually given as the meaning of the name. This comes from the Hebrew "arm", to be high or lifted up, and "gadad" to break or crush in pieces, "arm-gadad" which is not much like "Armageddon" and may be thought by the critical to be a bit strained. Adding an H to make "har-magiddo" where "har" is the Hebrew "mountain" does nothing to improve the position since the Greek aspirate for H does not appear in Re 16:16. and in addition there is a final N in the word in Revelation which does not exist in the town name Megiddo. mentioned eleven times in the O.T.

One similar word does occur in the O.T. Zec 12:11 speaks of a great mourning in Israel at the Time of the End, when Israel will perceive and accept the returning Christ at his Second Advent, "as the mourning of Hadad -Rimmon in the valley of Megiddon ". Here is a word similar in construction to that in Re 16:16. The Douay Bible (English translation from the Latin) spells the name "Magedon" as does the Greek "Armagedon" of Re 16:16. And that provokes the question: was John referring, not to the town of Megiddo in Israel, but to an annual event in Syria far to the north?

Throughout the Middle East, as far back as history and legend can be traced, there was an annual springtime commemoration of the death and resurrection of the Sumerian—Babylonian god Tammuz, Syrian name Adonis or Rimmon, son of the Most High God, who met an untimely end and went down into the world of the dead. At his going the sun darkened, the cattle died, crops and vegetation failed, and there was universal mourning. Then his betrothed, the goddess Inanna, Ishtar or Venus, followed him into that world to bring him back. Upon their return the sun came out and Nature was restored, to widespread rejoicing. (For details see "The Mourning of Hadad-Rimmon", BSM Mar/Apr 1988). Every springtime the peoples of the Middle East observed a ceremonial lamentation lasting a week in memory of this (Eze 8:14) "women weeping for Tammuz" refers to this observance even in Israel in his day).

In Phoenicia and Syria to the north of Israel the river Adonis in its spring floods runs red due to the red clay banks bordering its higher reaches. That, said they in those days, was the blood of the slain god and immediately the lamentation began. This was the "mourning of Hadad-Rimmon" of Zechariah, and this apparently is the basis of John’s use of the word. A little thought may reveal the application.

Zechariah 12 refers to events occurring at the end of the Age when Israel is being re-established in her own land in face of the enmity of the whole world which is intent on destroying her. Concurrently with this, the conversion of Israel as a whole and their acceptance of Christ as their Messiah takes place. "They shall look on me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as for an only son". Then in chaps. 14 and 15 the Lord intervenes to save them, overthrow the forces of the world and set up his Millennial kingdom. John has the same vision The "sixth seal" of Re 16:12-16 pictures the gathering of the kings of the earth against the Lord and it also includes his "coming as a thief—during his Second Presence, prior to his open revelation to the world—for the purpose of gathering his Church, concurrently with the re-gathering of Israel and their conversion, and the gathering of the earthly powers to the final conflict. So three gatherings are progressing simultaneously, all pictured to John’s mind by the vision of Zechariah.

John says "a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armagedon (Greek spelling). "Ar" is the Hebrew word for city, town, dwelling-place, place, derived from Sumerian "Uru", a walled place. (Cain built an "ar" a city, in AV but it was no more than a walled dwelling for his family). "Maged" is a Semitic word meaning to exceed in honor and glory, derived from "gagad", chief, noble. It comes originally from the Sumerian "magu", most noble. ("Rab-mag", twice in Jeremiah, "most noble chief, was the Babylonian official title of Nergal-Sharezer, commander-in-chief of Nebuchadnezzar’s army besieging Jerusalem in 587 BC, and who ultimately became king of Babylon after the death of the latter’s son and successor.) "Adon" is the Hebrew word for Lord, the title of Adonis or Adonai. Hence Ar-magedon can stand for "place of the most noble lord" just as the Syrian title "Hadad-Rimmon" means "mighty lord" The "place of the most noble Adonis" was the valley of the river Adonis in Syria, the principal scene of the annual lamentation.

Did John then use the vision of Zechariah as the basis for his own vision of the gathering both of the forces of this world and those of the next for the "battle of the great day", during which the members of the Church are being translated to be with their Lord in the celestial world, Israel is re-gathered and converted, awaiting her final trial of faith, and the forces of this world gather together to face the forces of Heaven? Revelation 19 records the outcome, at the appearance of the Lord as the "Rider on a white horse", with his Church, come for the salvation of all men, even for those who so ignorantly oppose him. As the article which inspired this examination stressed, Armageddon includes both judgment and blessing—but the blessing triumphs!

The Eternity of God

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God is an eternal Being. Then a thousand years with him are as one day, and one day as a thousand years. That is to say, a thousand years and one day are such inconsiderable measures of duration, that whatever disproportion they may have to each other, they appear to have none when compared to the duration of eternity. There is a great difference between one drop of water and the twenty thousand "baths" which were contained in that famous vessel in Solomon’s temple, which, on account of its matter and capacity, was called a sea of brass; but this vessel itself, in comparison with the sea properly so called, was so small that when we compare all that it could contain, with the sea—one drop of water with the sea is as twenty thousand baths, and twenty thousand baths is as one drop of water. There is a great difference between the light of a taper and that of a flambeau; but expose both to the light of the sun, and their difference will be imperceptible. The light of the taper before the sun is as the light of a flambeau, and the light of a flambeau as the light of a taper. In like manner, eternal duration is so great an object, that it causeth everything to disappear that can be compared with it: a thousand years are no more before it than one day. We minute creatures consider a day, an hour, a quarter of an hour, as a very little space in the course of our lives; we lose, without scruple. a day, an hour, a quarter of an hour; but we are very much to blame; for this day , this hour, this quarter of an hour, should we even live a whole age, would be a considerable portion of our lives. But God revolves, if I might venture to say so, in the immense space of eternity. Heap millions of ages upon millions of ages; add new millions to new millions: all this is nothing in comparison with the duration of an eternal Being. In this sense, a thousand years are but as one day, and one day as a thousand Years.(selected from an old book).

FIN

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

This journal is published for the promotion of Bible knowledge, maintaining the historical accuracy of the Scriptures and the validity of their miraculous and prophetic content viewed in the light of modern understanding. It stands for the pre-millennial Advent of our Lord and his reign of peace and justice on earth. It is supported entirely by the voluntary gifts of its readers and all such gifts are sincerely appreciated.

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England

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AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

The attention of all readers is directed to this announcement. The time has come for younger hands to take over much of the work of the BFU from those who have handled it for the past four or five decades. As from 1st January, 1994, the central address, to which all correspondence of a non-editorial nature should be directed, will leave Hounslow and be located at: —BIBLE FELLOWSHIP UNION

4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone,

NOTTINGHAM, NGI3 9JL, England.

Derrick Nadal of Barnstone has been appointed Secretary. Nicholas Charcharos of Tring succeeds Basile Dumont as Treasurer as from 1st January. Albert Hudson remains Editor of the Monthly and other publications. Basile Dumont remains a member of the Advisory Council. It is felt that these changes will enable the conduct of the Monthly to continue normally into the future. The Literature Stockroom and Circulation control is already centered at Nottingham, handled by a new team of helpers.

The Announcement is made this early since the Monthly takes seven weeks to reach the American continent and up to three months to Australia and the Far East, and it is desired that all readers be appraised in time for their letters to be correctly addressed. Any that are received at Hounslow after the end of this year will of course be sent on to the new center at Nottingham although this will inevitably involve a little delay in handling.

NOTICES

"The Plan of God in Brief. This 100-page abbreviated version of the "Divine Plan of the Ages, first produced in 1922 and running through four English, two Swedish and one Hebrew edition, has now been re-printed in its eighth edition and is available on request. The B.B.1. in Australia and the P.B.I. in the U.S.A. are holding stocks and readers in Australia are requested to send their requests to the Berean Bible Institute, 1 Springfield Street, Briar Hill 3088. Victoria, Australia, and those in the U.S.A. and Canada to the Pastoral Bible Institute, 3802 James Street No. 67. Bellingham, WA 98226, U.S.A. For those in U.K. and other parts of the world, apply to Hounslow until 31st December, then to Nottingham. For those who do not know this book it may be said that it comprises a well-planned exposition of the Divine purpose for mankind.

Christian African Relief Trust, The June 1993 Newsletter relating to the work of this Trust is to hand and reveals a remarkable increase in the quantity of food and clothing sent to nine African countries consequent upon the financial support of well-wishers, all being spontaneous free-will offerings. Following the old tradition of which most readers of the "Monthly" are aware, no appeals for money are made, on the principle that if our Lord wishes a certain work to be done He will inspire his people to make it possible. In consequence the last eighteen months has seen five thousand boxes of food and forty-five metric tonnes (forty British tons) of clothing despatched and carefully distributed by local ministers, pastors and other responsible Christian workers in the countries concerned. Readers interested in helping with gifts of good unwanted clothing, etc. or who would like to be kept in touch by means of the periodic Newsletter may contact the Secretary of the Trust, Mr. G. O. Tompkins, "Whitegates", Tinker Lane, Lepton, Huddersfield, HD8 OLR.

The Visions of Zechariah

5. The Flying Roll

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Of all the strange visions of Zechariah perhaps that of the flying roll in chapter 5 is the most bizarre. The prophet looked toward the sky and perceived a giant roll, of the kind used in his day for the writing of books, a roll of either parchment or dressed goatskin probably the latter but of a size no ordinary roll had ever attained. Thirty feet long and fifteen feet across, it swooped down almost like a modern dive-bomber; as it swooped it entered into the houses of the wicked, destroying them with the force of its impact and by reason of the writings it contained—this much is implied though not stated—compelling the occupants to stand and be judged for their misdeeds and separated into the penitent and the impenitent....the scene changed and now the prophet beheld a large earthenware measure, a store jar, inside which crouched a woman prevented from emerging by reason of a heavy cover of lead. Even as he looked, two flying figures, women with the wings of storks, swooped down from the sky, laid hold of the jar, and flew away carrying it, so the watching prophet was told, into the land of Shinar, where it was to be permanently established. Strange pictures, flickering across his consciousness and without any attempt by the revealing angel at explanation. What did it all mean?

The key to the chapter is the flying roll itself. The angel said of it, in chapter 5: 3 "this is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth". The word rendered "curse" means, not only an execration or an imprecation. which is the usage of "curse" in English, but also an oath, and in this sense is associated with the Divine promises and covenants. Thus De 29:12 "that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day". The "oath" between Abraham and Eliezer in connection with the latter’s commission to find a bride for Isaac (Ge 29:41) is another instance. Quite often the word appears in connection with Moses as the intermediary. The fact that this "flying roll" is shown as meting out judgment upon the thieves and perjurers in verse 3, and destroying their houses in verse 4, is sufficient to indicate that the "curse" in this instance refers to the Divine oath, or promise, or covenant, and so the roll becomes the symbol of Divine righteousness or Divine Law by which all things are to be judged. This conclusion is confirmed by the dimensions given—twenty cubits long by ten cubits wide. This was the size of the second compartment of the Mosaic Tabernacle, the Holy, where stood the golden lampstand and the altar of incense. It was also the size of the "Porch" of Solomon’s Temple—and in all probability of the rebuilt Temple of Zechariah’s day—the place from which the High Priest emerged to bless the people. Thus the flying roll is associated with Divine Law, Divine judgment and Divine blessing. The fact that it is effective, destroying evil, judging sin and creating a separation between the righteous and the wicked stamps it at once as having its application in the Millennial Age, the only Age when such things are completely true. So the setting of the chapter becomes evident; this is the Divine Law of the Millennial Age, going out to do the work of that Age to the elimination of evil and the establishment of everlasting righteousness.

Now the A.V. says of this flying roll "everyone that stealeth shall be cut off on this side according to it, and every one that sweareth shall be cut off on that side according to it... it shall enter into the house of the thief and... of him that sweareth falsely... and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof (ch. 5: 3-4). The determinant words here are "cut off" and "consume"; it is clear that the A.V. does not have the last word, for various translators offer one or other of two quite contradictory meanings in the case of "cut off". Thus Leeser has "destroyed", the LXX "punished", and Margolis "swept away", but Rotherham gives "let off". Young "declared innocent", R.V. "purged out" and Ferrar Fenton "reformed". The reason for these variations is that niqqah, which means primarily to be pure, innocent, cleansed, free from blame, pardoned, etc... also has the meaning of being "cleaned out" as we would say, vacant, empty, hence can easily be rendered "to clear" in Ex 34:7 where God "will by no means clear the guilty"; in Nu 5:19 "be thou free from this bitter water"; Ex 21:19 "he that smote him shall be quit", Job 19:28 "I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent": Jud 15:3 "now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines" and Ps 19:13 "then shall I be innocent from the great transgression". The cutting off of the sinner, by the flying roll, therefore, means, not his destruction, but the cutting off from his sin, his being made clean, pronounced innocent. Since this can only be achieved by his repentance and conversion, we have here a further insight into the basic principle of the coming Age. As the Wise man said (Pr 16:6) "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged; and in the reverence of the Lord men depart from evil".

But it is different with the houses of the wicked. The same Divine standard which cleanses the sinner from his sin makes short work of the erection he has built. It enters into the houses and consumes them with the timber and stones thereof. That is a significant expression. In the Levitical Laws for dealing with leprosy in a house it was provided that the priest should "break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof and all the mortar of the houses; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place". (Le 14:4-5) Leprosy is a well known symbol of sin in Biblical allegory; there can be little doubt that the reference in Zechariah to the houses being consumed "with the timber and stones thereof" is intended to picture the obliteration of sin by that which is pictured by the flying roll.

These first four verses of Zec 5, therefore, may well be taken to describe in allegorical language the operation of Divine Law in the Millennial Age, both in its aspect of judgment upon sin and that of conversion of the sinner. The two specific crimes mentioned, that of swearing falsely by God’s name, and that of stealing, relate to the third and eighth commandments of the Mosaic covenant. The roll was written on both sides "stealeth... this side" and "sweareth

that side" (vs.3); on the assumption that in a symbolic sense the roll contained all ten commandments, five on each side, those mentioned would be the middle ones of their respective sides; thus the "stealing" and "swearing" might well be representative of the entire Law. By the impact of this Law the houses—works of men—are utterly destroyed, but by means of repentance and conversion the men themselves may be saved and pronounced clean and free from guilt. This is the work of the flying roll and the result is that repentant sinners are separated from their sin and made acceptable in the sight of God.

What happens to the dominion of evil? Does it remain, possibly to rise again and pollute the cleansed earth, or is it removed for ever? The answer to that question is shown in the second stage of the vision, the woman in the "ephah".

The prophet beheld a strange sight. He saw what is described as an "ephah" with a woman sitting inside it. Strictly speaking, the ephah was a Hebrew measure of capacity used for liquids and loose materials such as grain, and was equal approximately to nine gallons. But no woman, no matter how diminutive, could possibly have squeezed into an ephah measure. It is clear from Old Testament usage, however, that the word "ephah" was used as a term for measures of indeterminate value. Thus De 25:14-15 speaks of "divers measures" and "just measures"; Pr 20:10 "divers weights and divers measures are alike abomination to the Lord"; Mic 6:10 "the scant measure that is abominable" are some of the instances where "ephah" is translated "measure". It is correct therefore to say that Zechariah saw a "measure", an earthenware jar, large enough to contain a woman. Such a measure would be the homer, equal to ten ephahs, and this implies a jar say two feet across and five feet high. This is adequate to the vision in which a woman is seen crouching inside.

Now the angel defined the woman "this" he said "is wickedness" and he cast her down inside the measure and imprisoned her therein by sealing the open top of the jar with what is described as a "talent of lead" (vs. 7). The talent was a measure of weight roughly equal to an English hundredweight. A piece of lead of that weight made to fit the top of a two foot jar would be some six inches thick—a very effective seal and not much chance of. the woman ever getting out. It is to be noted here that the word rendered "talent" is kikkar which properly means a circle or sphere, hence anything circular such as a circular tract of country, a loaf of bread (made as a circular flat cake in those days) or a coin or piece of money, it is only therefore necessary to suppose that this kikkar or "talent" of lead was merely what the A.V. margin calls it, a "weighty piece" of circular form made to fit the top of the earthenware jar in which the woman was imprisoned.

This woman represents the evil and wickedness which had, as it were, been "driven underground" by the work of the flying roll. The earth and its inhabitants are cleansed from the taint, and all sin and evil, symbolized by the woman, has been concentrated in this earthenware jar and by reason of the enclosing cover unable ever again to escape to pollute the earth. Sin has been sealed up for ever. Now the prophet lifts up his eyes again and sees a new apparition in the sky (ch. 5, vss. 9-11), two flying figures, women having long wings like those of the stork, "and the wind was in their wings". Swooping down upon the sealed up measure with its imprisoned occupant, they laid hold of it and soared up again into the sky, flying with strong strokes eastward until they were lost to the sight in the distance. "Whither do they bear the measure?" asked Zechariah of the revealing angel. "To build it a house in the land of Shinar" was the reply "and when that is ready they will set the measure there in its own place. This is an evident picture of evil, finally and forever overthrown, taken away out of the land and banished to "its own place" whence it can never return to trouble mankind. The stork-winged women are the Divine agents employed to execute this mission. The stork. although an unclean bird in the Levitical law owing to its habit of devouring serpents, frogs, lizards and the like, was given its Hebrew name chasidah, " the merciful one" from chasid meaning to be merciful or pious, on account of the reputed love and solicitude existing between parent bird and its young". which was famous among the Israelites. It thus became a symbol of love and devotion and of a benevolent protecting power watching over family life, for which reason storks were allowed to nest and breed in and about the homes of men without interference. In point of fact, our English word "stork" is from the Greek storgos, meaning natural or family affection; this word appears in the New Testament to render storgos several times, such as Ro 1:31 and Tim. 3: 3 "without natural affection and Ro 12:10)" be kind/v affectioned one to another". Thus these stork-like creatures might well picture the powers of mercy and piety which in the next Age will have the effect of removing sin and evil far away. "The wind was in their wings" says the prophet; in all the prophetic Scriptures there is a strong association of thought between the blowing of terrestrial wind and the Holy Spirit in active operation in the earth the same word ruach is used for both "wind" and "spirit" and the translators could with equal propriety have rendered "the Spirit was in their wings". Thus it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that the burden of the world’s evil is lifted up and away from the places of men and taken to a far land from which it can never return.

In the prophecy that land is said to be "the land of Shinar" (ch. 5: 11). Shinar, as a territorial name, had long since passed out of use in Zechariah’s day. Shinar was the ancient Sumir (Sumer in English). one of whose cities was Ur of the Chaldees in Abraham’s time, and another, Babylon. In Biblical history Sumir, or Shinar, figured in the story of the Tower of Babel and the founding of Babylon. Just as Jerusalem and Judea represented the land of God and his righteousness from the ideal standpoint. Babylon and Shinar represented all that was anti-God and idolatrous, depraved and evil. The fiercest diatribes of the Hebrew prophets were directed against the evil city of Babylon and great was the acclamation when that city fell at length. never again to rise. If a place on this earth had to be chosen to represent the home and repository of evil then that place would surely be Babylon. Fitting, then, the measure with its imprisoned woman was taken, in defiance of the laws of space and time, to the ancient, no longer existing. land of Shinar. to be permanently established there and never return.

The most fitting commentary on that final scene in the vision is a New Testament one. "And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire". (Re 20:14-15) The lake of fire is, of course, metaphorical, the destruction, passing out of existence, which was suggested by the consuming fires of Jerusalem’s garbage dump, the Valley of Hinnom (Heb. Gay-Hinnom. Gk. Ge-Henna) outside the city. Just so will evil and all incorrigible, irrecoverable evildoers pass away and be no more when the combined mercy and judgment of the flying roll has completed its work. The way into the New Jerusalem, the city of light and life and love, is open to all who will enter, and the opportunity to be cleansed of all defiling influences in order that entry may be gained will be freely vouchsafed. ”The Spirit and the Bride say come... and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely". (Re 22:17) That is the mercy aspect of the flying roll. But it remains true that "there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth ... but only they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life". (Re 21:27) and "the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers" and so on "shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire, which is the second death". (Re 21:8) That is the judgment aspect.

So evil and all wickedness is buried at last in the city of the dead, established in the land of Shinar, "in its own place". It is a remarkable fact that Isaiah’s magnificent prediction of the doom of Babylon has remained true through the ages when other ancient cities have been rebuilt and restored to human habitation. "Babylon the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldee’s excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there....but wild beasts of the desert shall lie there: and their houses shall be full of howling creatures, and owls shall dwell there and satyrs shall dance There....".(isa 13:19-21) To this

day the site of that ancient city is a waste of broken brickwork and drifting sand, shunned by men and infested with wild animals. The place where once stood the proud Tower whose top was to reach unto heaven is now a reed-grown swamp, every vestige of that one time magnificent edifice gone save a few rows of moldering bricks. There, in that desolation, Zechariah saw the earthenware jar, with its captive symbol of evil, carried to share the oblivion which has fallen upon that place. Here is the realization of the promise made to the Kingly Priest in the vision of chapter 3 "I will remove the iniquity of the land in one day". And it is removed to a place from which it can never return. When Zechariah was told that ephah was to be established or set in its own place he must have thought of the famous Temple of Marduk in Babylon, standing in all its glory alongside the great Tower which Genesis calls the Tower of Babel. There, in that center of world idolatry, devoted to the service of all the false gods of mythology, he must have pictured the final resting place of the ephah. There it would be set "upon its own base" in the very center of the land of Shinar and in its principal shrine. But today all that is left of that proud Temple lies buried beneath sixty feet of alluvial soil and sand, deposited by the annual floods of the River Euphrates through the centuries. That is where Zechariah’s vivid allegory leaves all that is evil and alien to God—buried far underground whence it can never emerge to trouble man again.

To be continued.

The Name of God

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"Say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you". In those words, rightly understood, God asserts his own eternity and in fact removes himself from association with any question of designating names. The word used there is hayah, which is the present tense of the substantive verb "to be" in the first person. The substitution of the third person for the first gives yahweh which has become transliterated, clumsily, into the English word Jehovah and used in some circles as a proper name for God. It is in fact nothing of the kind. The word should always be rendered as in fact Dr. Moffatt usually renders it, "the Eternal". That is the only possible manner of referring to, or describing, God, who is from everlasting to everlasting, having no beginning and no ending, who is, and was, and shall be, the Almighty. That is the only way of differentiating God Most High, maker of heaven and earth, from all the false gods of the nations, all of whom have their own names and characteristics and none of whom are eternal. To give God a name, as men and false gods have names, is to bring him down to the level of those false gods and make him one among them. A little thought will usually be sufficient to show how meaningless must be a proper name applied to God, who is himself the maker and sustainer and container of all things. The idea frequently encountered that God intended Moses to understand this term as a proper name the "name" of God, probably comes from the Lord’s word in 3: 15 "This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations" but the word for "name" here—shem —is based on the idea of renown or fame, as when we say "he made himself a name", and "memorial" —zeker—is remembrance or memory. "For ever" —leolam— extends the name and the memorial, the fame and the memory, into the illimitable future, into a continuance without a stipulated or visible ending. 102

"Make me to know Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation: for Thee I wait all the day long." (Psa. 25: 4,5 RSV).

Love for truth lies at the foundation of a righteous life. If we want to be the precious treasure of the Lord, if we want him to claim us as his own, we must establish habits of thought which will keep the truth fresh, lively and inspiring to us. Whatsoever things are true, of the truth, think on these things.

On 1Ch 4:9-10

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Hidden away amongst a lot of chronicled generations, somewhat like we might term in our day a giant "family tree", we have a record of a woman (who is not named) and her son whom she bare, named Jabez. It seems remarkable that in chapter after chapter narrating these ancients of previous time only this one man Jabez has special mention regarding character.

Scholars tell us that there was a city in Judah which bore that name at one time, but practically nothing is known about it except that there dwelt there "families of scribes". (1Ch 2:55) Jabez may have become the head of one of these families. Jabez lived a long while ago and everything concerning him is very obscure, except that there is quite a sermon which is of interest to us. For the chronicler to break off simply from the narration of names to make this comment about Jabez in particular suggests that Jabez must have been an out-standing personality, especially in relation to his standing with God, his Creator. He must have been one of those whom Ps 65:4 refers to: "Blessed is the man whom thou chooseth and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts."

Like Jabez we should be very appreciative that we have been drawn or introduced to Jesus so that we can approach unto God and learn how to "dwell in his courts". There was something which seems to have given Jabez a "flying start" to this blessed condition. He had a good mother. How do we know that Jabez had a God fearing mother?

The margin of the AV says that the name Jabez means "sorrowful". The concordance says it means "height". Possibly both are right. Sorrowful is how Jabez’s mother saw his birth in the first place, and height may well be associated with what God decreed Jabez should become. We will deal with the latter thought further on.

Jabez’s mother said she bare him with sorrow. What does that mean? One of the reasons, perhaps the main one, was that as a God fearing woman she was conscious of her fallen estate and would have Ge 3:16 in her mind, knowing that because of our first parent’s transgression "in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children". She knew the truth that Job declared in Job 14:4. "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean, not one". The Psalmist too in Ps 51:5 realized the same truth—"Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me". This is the truth expressed by the Apostle in Ro 5:12 "....by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin..... But Jabez’s mother was one of those who, because of her faith in God was, "saved in child bearing". (1Ti 2:15) Her faith lifted her above many mothers who had not such faith in God. She believed God would over-rule all her affairs and would offset the consequences of the Fall in her particular case.

She lived before the advent of Jesus, but she was one of those to whom Heb 11:32 refers. She was one of those whom the Apostle said he had no time to mention. She was one of those who saw (better) "things far off", and acknowledged they were strangers and pilgrims in the present environment. She received in advance a portion of the blessing that Jesus was to bring to God’s people a little later on. She found no contentment walking "according to the course of this world" with its desires of flesh and mind, the nature that constitutes the "children of wrath" (Eph 2:3) God had been mercifully kind to her and had lifted her up to higher ground. It can be assumed that it was the influence of a godly mother that caused her son Jabez to have such desire to walk close to God.

This is where the Concordance meaning of Jabez’s name comes in; it means "Height". He may be seen as a kind of fore-runner of those who in a later time, during the Gospel Age, God would raise up to seek the "heavenly places in Christ Jesus", those who would seek things higher than things of earth, the "things above", not the lower things (Eph 2:6 & Col 1:2) Jabez desired above everything else the blessing of the God of Israel. Is that not what all members of the "body of Christ" seek? The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich indeed, and every real Christian’s concern is that they do not obstruct the blessing’s flow. It is necessary to remember our fruitfulness for God depends upon his blessing. We may by his grace be permitted to sow or lodge some seed in the heart or mind of another, but it is God who must water and tend it that it may prosper and grow. Care must be taken not to obstruct God’s work by forcing our opinions on others, or by displaying an attitude that might hinder another from taking heed further to the Gospel message.

Jabez was seeking in advance what Jesus’ followers desire now—to be led of the Spirit of God and kept from leaning to their own understanding to find that way of holiness, that godliness with contentment which is such great gain, and be kept from the snares and temptations of earthly things which have appearance of good to the fleshly mind but which, allowed to encumber the spirit mind, drown in destruction and perdition. (1Ti 6:6-11) Moffat translates this portion of 1Ch 4:10 —"Oh that thou wouldst prosper me and enlarge my lot: Oh that thy hand might aid me: Oh that thou wouldst ward me from the evil, that no hurt may befall me". The A.V. version gives the last phrase "that it may not grieve me". Another translation renders it "that it be not to my sorrow". So the thought seems to be—keep me from the evil which would make me sorry afterwards. Surely such thoughts "ring a bell" for every mature Christian. The wrong courses we take in our human weaknesses and our headstrong attitudes and doings in youthful days and throughout our life’s experiences, eventually "come home to roost". In course of time, sooner of later, they bring grief and sorrow.

What an amazing insight Jabez had! He was one of those who, though too early to run for the rich blessing of the Gospel age himself, was able to offer very good advice to those privileged so to run. The good report we have of him here in Chronicles assures us he will be numbered with those who have received a "good report" and will awaken to a "better resurrection". (Heb 11:32-35) That thou wouldst keep me from evil—long before the time of Christ’s First Advent Jabez uttered the words of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray—Abandon me not in times of temptation, but deliver me from the evil one. God himself never tempts anyone. It is Satan who does the tempting, and he is more than a match for us many times on our own for he is a wily and powerful foe. This is where the real meaning of the prayer comes in—we are asking God to help us combat the Devil.

"And God granted that which he requested". How beautiful: What a real man of God this Jabez must have been! We do not know any details about his life at all, only the mention of his name in two verses of the whole Bible. But the chronicler must have known more, and though he had not the time nor space to give more of his history in his "family tree" he felt at least compelled to make a special mention of him among all the other names.

What were the requests that Jabez made and which God granted him—that he would enlarge his "coast"; other translations give "enlarge his border". In present day language it would mean "make a better man of me". He asked God to keep him from evil so that no hurt came to him. And God answered his prayer. There are no details of Jabez’s life so exactly HOW God answered his prayer is not known. We can be sure however that God did not shield him from all temptations and little failures along the way. Great man he apparently was, but he was still a "fallen" man, therefore would not do all things at all times PERFECTLY. God would have dealt with him as he did with David and the Old Testament worthies. David said of himself in (2Sa 22:36) and reiterated in Ps 18:35 that "God’s gentleness made him great". Further concordance reference suggests that God’s gentleness is exercised towards those who are truly humble in spirit.

David said of himself in Ps 4:1 that "God enlarged him in distress" Farby translates it "in pressure thou hast enlarged me". How beautifully true these sentiments are of all the Lord’s true people. If we maintain the right spirit before him, every slip and stumble will be turned to profit—all things will work together for our good and our characters will grow, be enlarged more and more to reflect the image of Jesus. As one has expressed it "Our failures and shortcomings do not picture the end of our progress, but they help to promote God’s end for us". So what are our requests made unto God? Are they of such a nature that we can say nothing could please us better than to know God will grant them all to us? A searching thought.

Is our prayer superlative for the granting of that which God has said he is pleased to give us if we ask him for it—his Holy Spirit. May our lives be as genuine and sincere as Jabez must have been for God to grant him what he requested.

Jabez must have been a man such as the writer of Proverbs referred to in Pr 16:7 "When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him". He surely must have been one according to Ps 21:2 "The Lord gave him his hearts desire...."

The Memorial

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The Memorial is a time when we come together to commemorate, not only our Lord’s death for us, but also his death for the world; not only the privilege we have of association with him in present sacrifice and future service, but also his intention to give life and human perfection to all men in due time; not only our fellowship together as one family, as fellow-heirs of the Abrahamic Covenant, but also our future service together as able ministers of the New Covenant.

The Journeys of Abraham

5. Doom of Sodom

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It had been a warm morning and now it was midday with the sun beating down fiercely. Abraham was resting from his activities in the shade of the portico of his tent. The AV just calls it the "tent door" (Ge 19:1), but the tent of an eastern emir like Abraham would have been a much more elaborate and luxurious creation than the everyday word would suggest. Abraham, as befitted his position, would have been sitting inside a covered porch which gave entrance to an elaborate and spacious pavilion of sheepskins and goatskins, the interior divided into compartments by tapestry curtains, within which all the affairs of daily life were conducted. Sarah his wife was busy inside with her own affairs and responsibilities. The men of the establishment were out of sight, inside their own tents and huts, waiting for the sun’s heat to decline before they could emerge to resume their work.

Came into view three men, travelers, as though making their way to a distant destination. They would have passed on, but Abraham, true to Eastern ideas of hospitality, hastened out to intercept them and urge them to stop and refresh themselves, and rest awhile in the shade of his trees, and join him in a meal, before resuming their journey. Graciously, they assented, settling themselves under the trees while Abraham hastened first to his wife, requesting her to make bread for the meal, then to the herd to select a choice calf, which one of his men was instructed to prepare, and so set the meal before his guests, standing by them to meet any subsequent need while they ate. All of which was in the true stream of hospitality of the day and Abraham had probably done the same thing many times before. But this time there was a difference. The visitors had finished their meal and the heat of the day was lessening, for the sun had passed its zenith and the time must have been getting on for three in the afternoon, and ordinary travelers would be anxious to be on their way to arrive at their destination before nightfall. But these three showed no inclination to move. Abraham waited, courteously.

One of them spoke, suddenly, "Where is Sarah, thy wife"?

A strange question, and one which in that Eastern culture could easily be misconstrued. Womenfolk were customarily kept well in the background, especially when strangers were present. And how did this stranger know the name of Abraham’s wife? Who were they anyway? And why in no hurry to leave? For the first time the patriarch began to feel there was more in this visit than he had thought. Was the Lord’s hand in this? He checked the reply in ordinary circumstances that he might have made and said quietly "Behold, in the tent", and waited.

"I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son".

So that was it. These men were from the Lord, Angels, come to earth to announce the imminent birth of the son the Lord had promised him thirteen years previously, when he had pleaded for Ishmael and the Lord told him Sarah would indeed bear to him the "seed of promise" in the fullness of time. That promise had been between the Lord and himself and now here he was being told that the time was at hand for the fulfillment of the promise. He began to look upon these men with a new respect and waited to hear what next they had to say.

Sarah, inside the pavilion behind the hangings. also heard the words. Probably, curious, she was listening anyway, and she dismissed the idea straight away. The AV says she "laughed within herself" the Hebrew word means to make light of a thing, to dismiss it as fanciful. "At my age, and my husbands age, what nonsense!" But the next words pulled her up sharply and she panicked. "Wherefore did Sarah make light of this; is anything too hard for the Lord? Sarah shall have a son!" These men were not ordinary men. They could read her thoughts! Then they must be from the Lord. Swiftly she came out to the little group and uttered a feeble denial, but to no avail. The chief one of the three looked at her, perhaps contenting himself with saying in effect "Oh no, you really did not believe me". Abraham and Sarah must have had much to talk about that night after the strangers had gone.

Now the three did move into the open, indicating that they were about to leave—and in the narrative, stood and looked in the direction of the notorious city of Sodom, forty miles away. four thousand feet below them down in the valley of the Plain. In some way not mentioned it appears they indicated that as their destination, for the next that is said is that Abraham went a short distance with them to point out the way.

At this point it seems that a remarkable revelation was made to Abraham. One of these three men begins in the account to be referred to as the Lord, the Deity himself. Was it the expression used—"shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?... because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sin is very grievous, I will go down now and see". The two other men had left them now and were walking in the direction of Sodom, leaving Abraham standing before the Lord. Did Abraham suddenly recollect that the last time God had said "I will go down" to see what men were doing was at the time of the Tower of Babel and that involved judgment. Did that cause Abraham to realize that judgment on Sodom was imminent and now there was to be another overthrow? And is that why he at once began to plead with the Lord to avert the threatened judgment for the sake of the few righteous men there might still be in the doomed cities? The rest of Chapter 18, which tells the whole story, seems to read that way.

But did the Deity himself really come down in body of flesh to stand on the earth and talk to Abraham? Is such a thing conceivable? King Solomon was in no doubt about that. He said No. "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built. (2Ch 6:18) To us now, as to the ancients then, the idea is unthinkable. The one who held converse with Abraham must have been one who was the Lord’s representative, endowed with and manifesting his power to the extent that it could be said with truth that he was the Lord’s manifestation to Abraham in exactly the same manner that Jesus was when on one occasion He said "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" and John "No man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son...... he hath declared (manifested) him. (Joh 1:18) God declared through the prophet Isaiah that he was the creator of all things (Isa 45:12) and yet Paul told the Colossians (1: 10) that by the Son were all things created in heaven and earth. Here, clearly, is a case where our Lord in his pre-existence appeared to Abraham and spoke in the name of and in the stead of his Father. The two men disappeared in the distance, on the way to Sodom. It was a difficult journey over rocky mountainous terrain, forty miles of it, descending the mountains to the extent of four thousand feet. It must have been about half past three in the afternoon; by five o’clock they were walking through the gates of Sodom. No mortal man could have done that. These two had powers which belong only to the citizens of Heaven.

So Abraham began his plea "Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked. Peradventure there be fifty righteous in the city... .That be far from thee, to slay the righteous with the wicked.... Shall not the judge of all the earth do right!" The Lord must have looked upon his servant compassionately, for he must have felt the same way himself, and yet, throughout all history the righteous have suffered with the wicked when the wickedness of evil men has brought suffering and death upon a community. Even though in the out-working in the Plan of God those who suffered in that imminent disaster will stand again upon the earth, in a day when evil is to be restrained, and Christ is universal King, and have opportunity to turn from their ways, and live. That word came to Israel from the Lord in a much later day. "I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth; Wherefore turn ye from your evil ways, and live ye; for why will ye die, O ye house of Israel?" (Eze 8:23, 31-32)

"If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes" (Ge 18:26). The patriarch knew within his heart that there were not fifty righteous. Would the Lord exact the penalty if there were several short? Would the Lord destroy the city just for the lack of five? "If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it". Perhaps only forty? "I will not do it for fortys sake" —Thirty? "I will not", Twenty? "I will not". "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but this once; peradventure ten shall be found there" "I will not destroy it for ten’s sake."

Someone has estimated—on the basis of what is known of Canaanite settlements of the period—that the combined population of the Cities of the Plain was probably in the region of fifty thousand. And not even ten righteous. Lot and his two daughters were saved; the two angels saw to that.

Abraham gave up, The decree of the Lord must stand. The nest of evil must be rooted out, and the Lord went his way. Early next morning, Sodom and Gomorrah blew up.

The story of the overthrow is no part of the story of Abraham (for full analysis of that account see B.S.M. (Sept/Oct and Nov/Dec 1987). He almost certainly never knew what was its cause and nature, nor set eyes on the subsequent desolation of the fertile valley in which the cities stood. He probably never saw Lot again nor knew what had happened to him—Lot is never mentioned in connection with Abraham after this point. Subsequent and modern research has established what happened, how that underground oil, gas, bitumen and sulphur deposits underlying the Dead Sea and the plain where the cities stood became ignited, probably by a combination of earthquake and lightning, and blew up in a blazing holocaust of fire which destroyed everything on the plain. When it was over the plain was no more; its place was occupied by the shallow waters of what is now the southern part of the Dead Sea where the water is only about twelve feet deep. Lot and his daughters, taking refuge in a cave high up on the mountains on the eastern side of the sea, viewed the inferno hopelessly. The fires could have continued for many years. A similar occurrence took place at a much earlier time in the Zagros mountains east of Baghdad, where similar deposits are known to exist. Seven crevasses opened in a ten-mile stretch of mountain and the escaping oil and gas, ignited by lightning, burned for several centuries, giving rise to the Sumerian legend of the seven Scorpion Gods whose fiery plumes desolated the land for miles around and whose poisonous breath killed all who came near. To this day a stretch of mountainside ten miles long by four wide leaves a legacy of white limestone carbonized and turned black by the intense heat.

Isaiah used the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah to illustrate his conception of the last judgment at the end of this Age, when the Lord arises to bring the dominion of evil to an end and institute his own world of everlasting righteousness, "It is the day of the Lord’s vengeance..., and the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch" (bitumen) "and the dust thereof into brimstone" (sulphur) "and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. lt shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever." (a long indefinite time) from generation to generation it shall be waste. None shall pass through it for ever and ever". (Isa 34:8-10)

The catastrophe happened in the early morning. The two angels stayed the night in the house of Lot, but "when the morning arose" (Ch. 19: 15) meaning about 5.00 a.m. they urged Lot to flee at once, even taking the hands of the three to compel haste. Vs. 27 of the same chapter tells how Abraham went "early in the morning" to the place where he had stood before the Lord, and looked toward the land of the Plain, "and lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace". That was the end of the Cities of the Plain.

It must have been immediately after the destruction of the cities that Abraham moved his headquarters once again. The reason is not stated and is a little obscure he had been settled at Hebron for some sixteen years, was occupying an extensive area of farmland with several hundred families in the community looking to him for a livelihood, and on good terms with his Hittite neighbors. It may have been the disaster in the Plain that prompted the move. The fires continued to burn and he might have no knowledge of whether they would ever go out. That, and perhaps the memory of the earlier invasion of Chedorlaomer, may have decided him to get further away. He did not however abandon his holding altogether, for in later years those same Hittite Chieftains counted him as one of themselves (Ch. 23: 6) and Sarah died and was buried at Hebron, but from now on most of the patriarch’s life was spent in the land of Gerar, forty miles south-west of Hebron, verging upon the desert regions of Sinai yet itself a well watered and fertile land adjacent to the sea-coast.

Chapter 20 recounts the story "Abraham journeyed from thence" (Hebron) toward the south country and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar". The capital of the country, probably only a small settlement, was also called Gerar (not many miles from the present town of Gaza in the well known "Gaza Strip") and the "king" really a tribal chieftain; was named Abimelech. It is uncertain whether he and his people were of Canaanite or Egyptian origin. His own name is Semitic but that of his army commander-in-chief is Egyptian. The land is referred to in the account as the Philistine’s land but this is only an explanatory note of a later editor for the Philistines did not penetrate there from Crete until the time of the Judges. So Abraham came into the locality, settled in an area of vacant land, and carried on with his farming.

Strangely, Abraham repeated his mistake of twenty years earlier by again concealing the fact that Sarah was his wife and letting it be known that she was his sister. One would think that once was enough but apparently not so. The consequence was that "Abimelech took her into his harem" —; this incidentally is one argument in favor of Egyptian origin. This custom was common among Egyptian rulers but not Canaanites. But the Lord intervened at this point and this revealed that this ruler and his people were worshipers, like Melchisedek and his people, of Abraham’s God, the Most High God. Said Abimelech "Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation, said he not unto me, she is my sister. In the integrity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this". And the Lord replied reassuringly "Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, for 1 also withheld thee from sinning against me" (Ge 20:4-6). This man must have been very close to God.

So the story of Pharaoh in Egypt was repeated, Abraham was called into the ruler’s presence, and asked why he had thus dissembled. The same feeble excuse. The same downright reproof from the other. "Thou hast brought on me and my kingdom a great sin. Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done". It is impossible not to admire the dignity and rectitude of this otherwise unknown man who ruled in complete sincerity a God-fearing people.

If these people were in fact of Egyptian stock it might be easier to understand Abraham’s actions on these two occasions and on no other. With Canaanites and Amorites he knew where he was—there was little or no likelihood of this kind of thing happening. With the Egyptians it was the norm. It is easy to accuse Abraham, the man of faith, of lack of faith in this particular direction, but there is always one chink in the armor of the best of men.

At any rate Abimelech did not, like Pharaoh on the former occasion, expel Abraham from his dominions. "My land is before thee" he said "Dwell where it pleaseth thee". He gave him sheep and oxen, menservants, and a thousand pieces of silver, no inconsiderable sum in those days, by way of compensation for the unintentional wrong he had effected. In later days the two became firm friends. So Abraham settled in the area east and south of the town of Gerar, and here he remained for the rest of his life, extending the scope of his activities and becoming, without much doubt, the leading Stock-breeder in the land. For seventy-five years he supervised his many interests and it was during that seventy-five years that the most momentous event of his life took place.

For it was at Gerar, before many more months had elapsed, that the long-promised, long hoped-for, almost disbelieved-in event took place. Sarah, Abraham’s wife, at ninety years of age, gave birth to Isaac, the Seed of promise, Abraham’s son and heir.

(To be continued).

He shall be great

108

"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest.". (Lu 1:32) In this world men are accounted great because they have achieved some noteworthy thing that has produced immediate results. A skillful general wins a crucial battle—he is accounted a great soldier. A commercial magnate welds a number of trading organizations into one enormous unit, controlling a major part of some vital commodity—he is a great business man. A shrewd and plausible politician rises to the top by his astute handling of foreign affairs—he is a great statesman. None of these is called great while as yet he is in the state of progress towards his goal, while his plans are developing, but only when he has "arrived". The world demands, not only success, but the visible evidences of success, before it will bestow its diploma. The man who patiently and zealously builds for the future, knowing that his goal will not be reached in his own lifetime, and that the fruit of his labors will only be reaped by posterity, is never esteemed great whilst yet he lives, even though recognition may come after his death, when at last the realization of all his dreams is there for all to see.

So be it then, with our Lord Jesus Christ. Of all great men He is the greatest. He came down from Heaven to achieve the greatest work of all time, the redemption and reconciliation of mankind and the consummation of God’s creative Plan. His greatness was not recognized then, but in days to come it will be plain for all to see. "He shall be great" —that is the promise and it cannot fail of fulfillment. Men, and angels too, will join together in worship and adoration, praising and blessing the name of the Son, that name which is exalted above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Heirs of God

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We think of an heir as someone who inherits wealth and status from someone who has died, usually by being related to that person. In the Old Testament the word ‘heir more often refers to shared out possessions. This is the idea in De 4:20 (RSV) "... the Lord has taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own possession." There is a similar thought in De 9:29. In the New Testament Jesus becomes the heir of God’s promises and God’s kingdom. He actually uses the word "heir" in his parable of the "Tenants in the Vineyard". (Lu 20:14) Paul, in his letter to the Romans, couples with Jesus those who believe on him, as joint or fellow heirs. (Ro 8:17) There was no difficulty in Jewish Christian thinking about sharing with Jesus as heirs of God until early Christian churches began to have mixed congregations of Jews and Gentiles. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul had to explain that non-Jewish Christians were also fellow heirs in Christ. "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus" Eph 3:6 (NIV). Such an idea was resisted in the Christian church of the first century. Human nature, because of fear and prejudice, had built a barrier between Jews and all other peoples. In the centuries before Jesus came that barrier had developed in an effort to keep God’s people pure and free from contamination with "pagans". At our Lord’s First Advent this hatred of Gentiles was shown by their response to his message in the Nazareth synagogue. (Lu 4:24-30) Paul experienced a similar reaction when he spoke to the Jews of Jerusalem, recorded in Ac 22:21-22.

Peter had the great privilege to break through this barrier when he visited Cornelius. His address to those first waiting Gentiles began "I now realize that it is true that God treats everyone on the same basis. Whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him, no matter what race he belongs to". (Ac 10:34 GNB) But Peter found it difficult to apply that principle in practice. (Ga 2:11-14) There are echoes of the problem still with us, but there can be no doubt about God’s view of the matter. The Scriptures from the beginning show the universal love of God. There are many examples of the way in which men and women overcame the kind of barriers which are constructed by human thinking. Those that share the work and the joy of their Creator allow nothing to come between them.

The "promise" referred to in Eph 3:6 was mentioned by Paul in Ga 3:29 where he wrote that those who are Christ’s are "heirs according to promise". To discover that promise we must turn back to Ge 12:3 , for God told Abraham that through his descendants He would bless "all the families of the earth". One of the most outstanding examples of being "heirs together" is found in the relationship between Abraham and Isaac. Abraham’s trusting obedience was based on a love for God which outweighed even his affection for the boy. Through this son, God had said that he would fulfil all his promises and even if the lad died, the old patriarch believed that God "would provide". It is not an easy story to understand, particularly to our western minds four thousand years later. It serves as a remarkably acted parable, giving us an insight into the relationship between Jesus and his Heavenly Father. It serves as a remarkable reminder to the people of Israel that child sacrifice was utterly repugnant to God and was not part of their worship.

Abraham was not under automatic compulsion. Had this been so the nature of the test would have been worthless. It is more than just believing and obeying. Faith exercised by the heroes of Scripture was a bond of trust which sprang from a wonderful relationship between God and his people. It enabled them to do the things which were the exact opposite of their natural inclinations. They must have been very sure that the message they received was from God. This has been the basis for martyrdom through the centuries.

Father and son were spiritually richer for the experience. For one it was the culmination of a life of service for God. For the other it was a threshold of learning to trust and obey. This was a shared experience of two men who were "heirs of the promise" in a very special way. It stands as a reminder that in God’s service differences in age are not a problem. Old and young serve the same God and must learn to walk hand in hand before him.

Another remarkable record of loving trust is found in the story of Naomi and Ruth. It is a remarkable story of two people, of different ages and backgrounds, joining together their hearts and lives for comfort and support. Naomi’s faithfulness to her God had stirred the deepest emotions of her daughter-in-law. Their friendship could have been stifled by fear and prejudice. It was rewarded by them sharing a child who was to become an ancestor of Israel’s great king David and of the Messiah himself.

Within the early life of David there is another classic story of how two people may move together in the purpose of God. His friendship with Jonathan was not the most likely turn of events. One was a prince, brought up in the circle of his father’s court. Saul hated David and did everything possible to kill him. The king, knowing that David might become his successor, expected that Jonathan would share his hatred for the young, tough shepherd. As the story unfolds we see a remarkable friendship, devoid of pride and jealousy, where joys and sorrows are shared, and each seeks to protect and comfort the other. Jonathan looked beyond the intrigue and corruption of an earthly royal court and saw the noble qualities of David’s character. He also looked beyond the time of David’s persecutions, to when he, Jonathan, the king’s son could be second to David in the nation. All this helped to prepare David for the great work in God’s purpose which he would do as king of Israel.

There are other stories of companionship in both Old and New Testament which illustrate the idea of "heirs together". They were people of contrasting characters but who worked together for mutual good. They were ready to endure difficult experiences for each other. These were not chance meetings of people who just happened to "bump into each other". Their common goal was to do what God wanted them to do. They fulfilled a role in the history of redemption. So it is for many of God’s children now.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome. "In that cry, Abba, Father, the Spirit of God joins with our spirit in testifying that we are God’s children; and if children, then heirs. We are God’s heirs and Christ’s fellow-heirs, if we share his sufferings now in order to share his splendor hereafter". (Ro 8:16-17 NEB) In his prayer recorded in Joh 17:22-23 we have the first glimpses of what that sharing can mean, because He has given us his glory and we have become one with him. How does the Spirit testify with our spirit that we are the children of God? At first the sinner must be convinced of sin. (Joh 16:8) Then there is the transforming and renewing work through the glory of God which brings victory in our lives. (2Co 2:14 3:17-18) He demonstrates his power in the lives of his people, in their activities and in the gifts of the Spirit. God, living in us, speaks to us through his Word and by the inner conviction of our hearts. God’s over-ruling providence is seen at work in the lives of his people. He answers their prayers in a very practical way. They have joy in each other’s fellowship. All these things, and much more, are part of the "earnest" or guarantee of the Spirit. (Eph l:14) They produce a fruitage of the Spirit in lives that are surrendered to him.

Sharing heirship with Jesus has a dual promise. It concerns our life here and now; it concerns our life hereafter. Both are an integral part of God’s purpose for our lives. He promised that in a life of real service for him there will be peace and rest. To this added the joy of learning to love, as Jesus loved. The second phase of the promise concerns the promise made to Abraham so long ago and which now becomes increasingly meaningful in the light of world events. "All the families on earth will pray to be blessed as you are blessed". (Ge 12:3 NEB)

We are fellow-heirs with Christ if we share his suffering. (Ro 8:16,17) Those who have given their lives to Christ daily share their lives with him. The Bible characters mentioned earlier give a valuable picture of this; the early disciples counted it all joy that they were allowed to share in the sufferings of Christ. Jesus had led them to expect this. (Mt 5:10-11 Ac 5:41) Living with Christ now, is a time of getting to know him; (Php 3:10) it is all part of a shared and integrated experience which leads to sharing the inheritance in his kingdom. That glory will be a showing forth of the love of God in giving to all humanity unparalleled happiness. The tears of yesterday in famine, disaster and disease will be dried in the everlasting joy of full life, completely free from sin and death.

In his first letter to scattered Christians of the First century Peter writes about relationships. He first discusses slaves and masters. (1Pe 2:18-20) Then he goes on to matters concerning husbands and wives. At first sight a careless reader might obtain the impression that the Apostle is giving support to a husband who wields arrogant dominance. Such an attitude has been prevalent within the Christian Church through its long history. It has not been confined to husbands or even masters of slaves. The words of Jesus at the Last Supper (Lu 22:25-27) should have been enough to eradicate that spirit from his church. Taken seriously, anyone who has a leading part in the human family of the family of God must behave like a slave to the rest. These are words for parents and teachers as well as for elders and pastors. For the husband and wife, Peter reminds them that they are "heirs together of the grace of life". (1Pe 3:7) The partnership began when God said that "It is not good that man should be alone". (Ge 2:18) It should have been so sweet and precious; sin shattered the vision of continuous happiness but the principles of partnership have never changed.

Human beings survive adverse conditions better in social clusters. More importantly they need the interaction of others to develop and maintain the high intellectual activity for which they are unique. Isolation does not promote qualities of character which the Creator planned. He designed the partnership of marriage so that each should serve and please the other. The Master endorsed this in his words, recorded in Mr 10:7-9. It is a picture of his own relationship with the church and each individual in the church. (Eph 5:22-33) So Peter reminds husbands and wives within the church that they have a common inheritance in Christ. This is the opportunity to exercise sacrificial love in a way which no other human relationship offers. The word used for hinder in 1Pe 3:7 is one used to describe the breaking up of a road surface to impede progress. Any injury to the partnership interrupts the line of communication in prayer to God. Moodiness and wanting ones own way stifles a Christian’s prayer life. All who love the Lord Jesus and have given their hearts to him have a very special friendship; none are left out, whatever else of life they have missed or lost. He remains the companion and guide of their lives; in him we have the sweetest and most dependable fellowship. In the bitterest experience or amid endless monotony of ordinary life, Jesus is the most important factor; however hard we fall He will pick us up. No matter how depressed or distressed He is there to comfort. Do we remember him?

We are heirs of a wonderful future in radiating happiness to all the families of the earth—and we can enjoy that heritage now.

The Second Epistle of John

Part 1. A two part essay

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The Second Epistle of John is thought to have been written at Ephesus, following the writing of the First Epistle (eight of its thirteen verses are to be found in the First Epistle also) and to have been addressed to a sister in Christ otherwise unknown to history. It is this question of the Epistle’s purpose that has given rise to the most disputed point in its short length of only thirteen verses. "The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth" is how he opens the epistle. Some commentators and scholars, reluctant perhaps to give the honor of an entire New Testament epistle to a woman, however saintly, especially to one who is not identified in any other extant writing, have suggested that under that pseudonym John intended the church at Ephesus, or perhaps the entire church on earth, to be understood. It is not a convincing suggestion; the fact that the elect lady has children who are associated with her in the greeting, and moreover has a sister who in turn also has children (verse 13) makes the supposition practically impossible of serious consideration. It seems virtually certain that John was writing to an actual person of his acquaintance, one whom he esteemed very highly "in the Lord" and the only question is, who was she?

There is not much likelihood of that question being answered, this side of the Vail. Some have hazarded the view that Mary the mother of Jesus is the one to whom the Epistle was written. That is hardly likely; Mary must almost certainly have died many years before this date. Mary’s children—James, Joses, Jude, Simeon, Salome, would have been well advanced in years themselves, almost John’s own age. It has to be concluded that we have no clue to this sister’s identity.

The word "lady" in verses I and 5 is Kyria which was a Greek woman’s name, the equivalent of the Hebrew "Martha" and also a Greek term of respect roughly equivalent to our English word "madam". John would be no more likely to use "madam" in preference to the more intimate term "sister" than would we toward one who is well known to us and highly esteemed as a sister in Christ. The most reasonable conclusion then is that the sister’s name was in fact Kyria. and that the Apostle knew her sufficiently well to address her habitually by her "Christian" name. She was evidently a convert, perhaps Jewess, more likely Greek, probably middle-aged and with a family of children, "teenagers" as we would say, living in one of the Greek towns of Asia where there were brethren, perhaps Colosse or Laodicea or Smyrna. within reach of the Apostle’s traveling abilities.

She had a sister, whose children at least apparently lived in Ephesus itself so that when the Apostle wrote this letter to his friend Kyria he would quite naturally add the words of greeting from those children with which the Epistle is ended.

The entire letter therefore is just a little personal word, a gem of Christian correspondence, somewhat akin to Paul’s similar letter to his friend Philemon of Colosse, preserved in the New Testament as an example to us of how the believers in that day felt towards each other. John’s solicitude for the spiritual welfare of his friend and sister in Christ comes out very prominently in these few words.

His reference in verse 1, to himself as "the elder" may be equally well a reference to his age or his office. The word "presbyter" may be understood either way and is normally interpreted in harmony with the context. John must certainly have been one of the oldest brothers in the Faith at the time—probably not far short of a century of years had passed over his head. It is true, moreover, that all the other Apostles had long since gone to their rest, and it may well be that John in humility had ceased calling himself by the name of Apostle since he was now the only Apostle living, and contented himself with the title of "elder" in its sense of a pastor in the church, perhaps referring to himself as "the Elder" as indicative of his realization that the office of leader or chief shepherd of the flock on earth had now devolved upon him as the sole survivor of those who once walked and talked with Jesus, having known him in the flesh. John was the only one left on earth to have heard the memorable words "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.

There is a world of meaning in verse 2 which we can well take to ourselves in these latter difficult days. "For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever." So many have become apathetic and indifferent, having lost their first zeal and left their first love, often because of disappointment with some one or other aspect of the faith in which they had placed great trust and which did not turn out as they expected. Some have built their faith on chronology, and when the arrival of the set date and non-fulfillment of the expected event has proved their hopes ill-founded, have given up the Faith in despair and disappointment. We need always to remember that if we do properly and completely appreciate the Truth and allow it to take root in us, giving ourselves in complete and unreserved consecration to God, not to a date nor to work nor on a the basis of a doctrine, then the Truth that is in us will remain with us for ever, and neither the failure of the date or the work or the doctrine will make any difference to that. Even though the work and labor of a life-time disintegrate in ruins about us, all that we have constructed and supported and administered come to an end like the things in the Epistle to the Hebrews that, having decayed and waxed old, are ready to banish away, we can stand up freed from all the obligations and responsibilities that those things have laid upon us and say "Lord, what wilt thou have me do next?" God will never have us idle, neither will disappointment have any place in our lives, whilst we can so profit by our experiences that the Truth remains in us for ever.

Verse 3 is a wonderful greeting. "Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." Here in this text we have the ideal expression of the relationship subsisting between the Father and the Son. Spoken of separately, the two are one in the bestowal of these wondrous blessings of favor, mercy and peace. We cannot say these things come from the Father more than the Son, nor yet from the Son more than the Father. John has no use here for the later "Dark Ages" idea that the Son in his mercy stands between a wrathful Father and a condemned world to save that world from the Father’s vengeance. Here we have the Father and Son in perfect unison and perfect oneness extending heavenly blessings upon those in this world who are in the right attitude of heart to receive those blessings. Here we have assurance that in the Age to come the Shepherd who goes out to seek and save the lost sheep and the Father who goes out to meet the returning prodigal are working together in the closest harmony, so that, as Jesus himself said. "I and my Father are one". To these blessings sent from heaven there are conjoined the twin earthly blessings of truth and love. Neither is very much use to us without the other. Together, they yield us all that we need to make our calling and election sure. Truth regulates our intellectual faculties and love regulates our emotional faculties. Neglect either, and we become unbalanced Christians, either all heart and no head, or all head and no heart. In either case we shall not be of those who will need both heart and head for the onerous work of the next Age. This does not mean that we have to excel in the accomplishments both of heart and head before we can be acceptable to God, as though in one ordinary, everyday person are combined all the attributes of Francis of Assisi and

Augustine. It is not given to many to reach up to the stature of great men. What is really needed is a due balance, so that the heart does not run away with the head nor the head stifle the impulses of the heart. We each of us, need to pay attention to both attributes, to truth and to love, in our lives.

It is in verses 4 to 6 that John impresses this point with a practical and personal application. "1 rejoiced greatly," he says to the unknown sister Kyria, "that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, Kyria, not as though 1 wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, that, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it". Here are truth and love again associated, and this time brought into contact with the commandment and so with our Christian walk, which is a practical application indeed. He finds Kyria’s children walking in truth, and he rejoices greatly on that account. That is the Father’s commandment and he is glad to find them so. Now he beseeches that they walk in Love, which is also God’s commandment. He makes haste to affirm that he knows this is not a new commandment—even though Jesus himself had called it such. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another". To John and his disciples it was no longer a new commandment; they had heard it expounded and commended to them every day of their Christian lives. But it was still necessary to re-affirm that commandment more constantly and more fervently than the other. Even in those early days it was easier to follow the law of intellectual knowledge than the law of brotherly love.

So it is with us to-day. Too often is love despised as a weak emotional thing of no real value in the Christian conflict, and knowledge extolled as the be-all and end-all of Christian endeavors. Too easily we forget St. Paul’s immortal dictum. "Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge... , and have not love, I am nothing". (Cor. 13: 2). Here in this Second Epistle John remains resolutely set upon the theme which appears so prominently in his First, that the Truth of God can only be effectually manifested against a background built up of intellectual appreciation based on absolute sincerity in the quest for Divine Truth, and a heartfelt love for the brethren and for all mankind that is an accurate reflection of the love that God himself bears toward all his creatures. Kyria had evidently brought her children up "in the nurture and fear of the Lord" to understand well these things, and John, knowing that thus they had been taught "from the beginning" has no fonder desire than that they might continue so to walk to the end of their days, living witnesses to the truth that dwelt in them and should remain with them for ever.

(To be concluded)

A Tyari custom

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"The Christians of Tyari, a small town in Kurdistan—Armenia are in the habit of treating lunatics by burying them alive, with the full Church burial service, but leaving a small hole through which the patient can breathe. After twenty-four hours they disinter the lunatic to find that the nervous shock sometimes has beneficial results.

"In one case which came under my notice" (says the Rev. Wigram, an Anglican minister resident in the district) "the man was buried all right and in due time his friends came to disinter him. As soon as the stones were removed he sprang up, crying ‘I am risen! I am risen. It is the Last Day!’ Then, looking round upon the men who had come to resurrect him, he exclaimed disgustedly, ‘But whoever would have expected to see you at the Resurrection of the Just?" (Wigram in "The Cradle of Mankind." late 19th century.)

So many of us are inclined to limit the scope of Divine salvation to a narrow circle of fellow-believers, or consign to Divine disfavor those who may not agree with us on the interpretation of the Scriptures or the practice of the Christian life. Maybe our Master, seeing deeper than do we, does not attach over-much importance to these little eccentricities of ours. But it is good for us to realize that He is quietly choosing his own from every part of the "field", and that we do not well to condemn other earnest souls as unworthy of the Kingdom because in some fashion or another they do not measure up to our own conception of the Divine calling.

TO KNOW GOOD AND EVIL

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"And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever; therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken". (Ge 3:22-23) It has generally been assumed that Adam was expelled from the garden to prevent his having access to the tree of life and so living for ever despite his sin. A little thought shows that this could not have been the case; if the wages of sin is death, then Adam’s sin ensured his death, tree of life or no tree of life. Perhaps it is desirable to go behind the AV and other English versions to the Hebrew text and see what the Lord actually did say.

The first point to examine is the expression "is become as one of us". "Is become" is the word hayah, which is the verb "to be", "to exist". The AV translators rendered this in the present tense, "is" but in fact it is in the past tense "was", as in Ge 3:1 "the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field", and Da 8:27 1 Daniel fainted and was sick". "To know" employs a word meaning intelligence, understanding, wisdom. The preposition "to" means equally to, towards, for, according to the context. Adam’s practical knowledge of good and evil can hardly have advanced very much so quickly after the transgression. But he must already have had some theoretical knowledge of the difference from the time the Lord first spoke to him, some understanding of right and wrong. This phrase could better be rendered "Lo, the man was like one of us for the understanding of good and evil" i.e., before the Fall. "And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life" gives the impression—with modern usage of the English word "lest" —that the Almighty had to act immediately to bar him from the tree lest Adam should defy the edict—and defy God—, by eating, and so escape the penalty, which, if true, would make mockery of the entire story. Adam, was told that if he ate of the "tree of knowledge of good and evil" he would die, with no intimation, stated or implied, that any subsequent eating of the tree of life would be an antidote. An examination of the two words "and now" turns thoughts in a different direction. The Hebrew copulative "vav" is either "and" or "but" according to the requirements of the context, whilst "now", "yattah", is an adverb of time present, signifying, literally, "this", "this being so" or "at this time" descriptive of a present existing condition compared with that obtaining previously. Examples are Ne 5:3 "yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren" and 1Sa 27:1 "Doth not David hide himself". Because of the sin, the position has changed; the sentence could better read "but now, this being so".

So to the critical element in the verse "lest he put forth his hand". "Lest" here is pen, from a root panach, to turn away from, and is used often, according to Gesenius, when joined to its subject, as a negative conjunction of removing, prohibiting or hindering, having a negative meaning not always evident in modern usage of the English word "lest". The same word is used thus in Ge 3:4, when the serpent said to Eve "ye shall not surely die", and Ge 24:6 when Abraham instructs Eleazar "Beware that thou bring not my son hither again". There are other instances in the O.T. The expression "lest he put forth his hand" should therefore be rendered "he shall not stretch forth his hand".

The passage could therefore reasonably be rendered "And the Lord said, Lo, the man was like one of us, for the understanding of good and evil. But now, this being so" (this development having taken place) "he shall not stretch forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live for ever. Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken".

It would seem that the setting of the passage is the fact that man, as originally created and placed in the garden, was made acquainted, by the Lord, of two principles, good and evil, before he had any practical experience of either. In this he was like the celestials who must also be cognizant of the difference. It is a real question how, if he had remained loyal to God and never disobeyed, he could ever come to an appreciation of the sad consequences of sin. He would then never have witnessed sin in operation. But he did transgress, and the Lord said, in effect, "this has changed the situation. He cannot now have access to the tree of life and continue living indefinitely; he must surely die".

And so in the story he is barred from the tree of life by being expelled from the garden.

5. The Powers of the Heavens

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And now that world was coming to its end. With the birth of Lamech the father of Noah very few of his generation and none of the next were destined to live out the allotted span before the waters of the great Flood were to come upon them and destroy all that they had built. Methuselah, the man whose life-span of nine hundred and sixty-nine years is the longest of any recorded life, died six years before the Flood. His son Lamech, father of Noah, predeceased him by about thirty years according to the record. The remainder were included with those of whom Jesus said, much later on, that they were heedlessly "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage... .and knew not, until the Flood came, and took them all away" (Mt 24:38-39) But, "the mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceeding small". Under Divine supervision and control, the forces of Nature were gathering for the cataclysm which was to put the whole of that ungodly world into an age-long sleep from which in the yet future Millennial day they will awake to an opportunity of returning to, and reconciliation with, God. But as yet they knew nothing of all this; their hearts were set on wickedness and every form of evil, so that when God looked down He saw only that "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". (Ge 6:5)

It is only during this present century that the true cause of Noah’s Flood has been established with tolerable certainty. So far as the incipient human community was concerned, confined as it was to the general Arabian-Iraq area, its impact was in the form of a gigantic tidal wave coming in from the Indian ocean and flooding the whole of those lands to a depth, temporarily, of probably up to a thousand feet. Geological investigation and examination of the soil has established that. As to the cause of the tidal wave, the work of the German scientist Liebnitz in AD 1690 provided the first clue in his conclusion that in the early stages of the earth’s evolution masses of water and minerals were vaporized and flung off to circle round the earth in the way Saturn’s rings can be seen to do today; to quote his words "when the outer crust of the earth had cooled down sufficiently to allow the vapors to be condensed, they fell, investing the entire globe". This was elaborated by the 10th century French Naturalist Lamarck who said the great oceanic flood must have invested the earth long after it became the home of living beings, Immanuel Kant, a little later, asserted that this was the deluge of the Bible in the days of Noah. At the close of the 19th century the American Professor Isaac Vail published his "The Earth’s Annular System" in which he rationalized all that hereto had been said on the subject, picturing a vast canopy of water circling the skies of the antediluvian world, eventually, in the days of Noah, to descend at the Poles in the form of icy water and snow which not only deluged the planet but changed its climate from Pole to Pole, to its present variable condition.

A great many facts, unknown to these early investigators, have come to light during this present century which support the thesis. Vail was able to claim that the then known rings of Saturn and belts of Jupiter were examples of the same phenomenon. During this present century it has been established that Uranus, Neptune and Venus also possess the same, (Venus as recently as 1974). It seems fairly conclusive therefore that this process did characterize the development of the earth during its preparation as a habitat for man.

The net effect of this, so far as the antediluvian world was concerned, and particularly as respects the equatorial regions where the then human race was congregated, was that instead of men looking upward to a clear sky in which both sun and moon were plainly visible, they would only have been faintly visible if at all, and men saw instead a brilliant expanse of diffused light by the sun shining upon the outer surface of this canopy of water vapor circulating above the denser atmosphere and maintaining its position by centrifugal force as it rotated with the earth. But gravity was also playing its part; as time went on, the canopy was pulled inexorably towards the poles where centrifugal force is weakest, and eventually by gravitational attraction descended, condensing as it did so, to the surface of the planet. That in turn gave rise to the giant tidal waves which emerged from Arctic and Antarctic regions to sweep over the earth. Whilst the canopy persisted, the earth was in a kind of greenhouse condition from Pole to Pole in which vegetation flourished in an air temperature higher than now. Apart from the special region especially suited to man’s introduction to the earth the Garden of Eden, it is probable that terrestrial vegetation was lush and rank with mainly extensive dense forests. Land would have to be cleared before food could be grown, and this for an extremely limited number of men at the first, with no tools, might well explain the meaning of the Divine sentence after the Fall "thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to..... thee in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (ch. 3:16-17). For a good many years they must have had to scratch a living as best they could. Even at the end, Lamech the father of Noah alluded to "our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed" (ch. 5: 29).

A number of Scripture allusions support this picture of terrestrial conditions during this pre-flood era. So far back as the second creative day. Ch. 1: 6-9 describes the development of this water canopy as separation of the waters above the firmament from those below. The word "firmament" here in the AV comes from the Latin "firmamentuni", meaning something solid, and this is because in the Middle Ages, when the Ptolemaic cosmogony was the scientific understanding of astronomy, heaven was believed to be on a kind of solid transparent globe encircling the earth. The Hebrew word is ragia which means. literally, an expanse. In short, the atmosphere was to intervene between the seas below and the canopy above. Hence the later story of the Flood. when all the fountains of the great deep" (tehom, abyss, outer space) "were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" (ch. 7: 11). Reminiscence of this comes in Ps 104:6-9 "thou coveredst it" (the earth) "with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled—; at the voice of thy thunder they hastened away. They go up by the mountains, they go down by the valleys, unto the place thou hast founded for them. Thou hast a bound that they may not pass over, that they turn not again to cover the earth.". It would seem that David and his countrymen of the 10th century BC, knew more about this cosmological phenomenon than is generally realized.

A rather obscure expression in Ch. 2: 5-6 is illuminated by realization of the existence of this water vapor canopy. "The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground, but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole face ofthe ground.". The vegetable world—grass, plants, trees—on the third day had come into existence but as yet there was no rain. The explanation was first noticed by Vail. Rain as now known is caused by solar evaporation from the oceans carried in the form of clouds over the land where it condenses again into water and falls as rain, seeping into the earth and so to the rivers which run into the oceans and so the cycle is repeated. But in the antediluvian world under the canopy there was no wind to carry the clouds even if they could form. for winds are caused by dissimilar temperatures and under the canopy the world was of equal temperature in all parts, But this very condition induced another process. The sun shining upon the canopy on one side of the earth during the day warmed the atmosphere which absorbed moisture from the ground (the "mist which went up from the ground" (Ch.2: 6) until the air was laden with moisture (as in a present day greenhouse). When night came and that side of the earth was turned away from the sun the atmosphere cooled and consequently shed its load of moisture—the colder the air, the less moisture can it hold in suspension. Instead of the present localized impact of rainstorms as dictated by wind direction and power with consequent drought in one place and floods in another, this must have been a gentle up and down movement of a saturating mist which watered the whole face of the ground every night. This is Vail’s explanation.

Next comes the rainbow it is clear from the narrative that the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds after the Flood was a new phenomenon. a sign from the Lord that He would never again desolate the world by a flood. It would have had no meaning if Noah had seen one before. The rainbow is caused by sunlight passing through raindrops and being refracted into its constituent colors when it meets the eyes. There being no rain before the Flood there could therefore be no rainbow. This reference in Ge 9:12-17 is corroborated by a similar reference to the rainbow in the Sumerian legend of the Flood, written at a much later date, where it is poetically likened to a necklace of jewels round the neck of the goddess Ishtar, Venus. That obviously is a corruption of the original story originating when the worship of many gods—and goddesses—had developed.

So the general picture of the antediluvian world is one in which the entire world possessed a genial climate and more or less equable temperature, warmer and more humid than now, windless and rainless. a consistent climate and the seasons marked by only moderate changes of temperature as the earth moved on its axis relative to the sun. The sky by day was a shining expanse of diffused light and by night, even when moonless, would still maintain a clear twilight due to the refraction of sunlight as it encountered the canopy and then slanted downward toward the sunless side of the earth. Nights must have been much shorter.

Of that final six centuries of the old world the only record is contained in a few verses of chapter 6, where the story of the apostate angels is recorded very briefly and the Lord’s intimation to Noah that He was going to bring that world to an end. There is the rather cryptic remark in Ch. 6: 3. "The Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh; yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years". Why the Spirit of the Lord, the Holy Spirit, should be thought to be "striving" with man in that antediluvian Age is not explained, nor yet what is really meant by the hundred and twenty years. It is evident that the translators had a little trouble with this verse, for various authorities, ancient and modern, have insisted that "strive" should have been rendered, variously, abide in, be humbled in, call; none of these alternatives help much to elucidate the meaning.

The usual explanation of the verse is to the effect that after the coming Flood the life-span of man would be limited to a hundred and twenty years. This is manifestly not the meaning, for the first thousand years after the Flood the life span was from five hundred to two hundred. It was another thousand years before the usual figure was down to a hundred and twenty. And even until the present time there have been cases of men living up to a hundred and fifty or so. Something having a more definite relevance to the time of the Flood must be inherent in this verse.

A possible clue is afforded by the Septuagint rendering, translated from the Greek Bible of our Lord’s day; "my spirit shall certainly not remain among these men for ever, because they are flesh, but their days shall be a hundred and twenty years". "strive with" becomes "remain among" and "man" singular becomes "these men," plural. The Douay, from the Latin, goes part of the way with "shall not remain in man for ever". It is known that there were three different versions of the Hebrew Bible during the two or three centuries before our Lord, possessing various minor differences in wording like those between our Authorized Version and Revised Version and so on. The translators who rendered these into the Greek version, the Septuagint, some two and a half centuries B.C. had to select which of these minor differences they would adopt. In the Second Century A.D. the Jewish scholars called the Masorites undertook the task of preparing a "standard text" Hebrew Bible from these same versions, which standard text, known now as the Masoretic, had to be treated similarly. Hence the occasional differences between the Septuagint and the Hebrew Bible of today. This instance appears to be one of the differences. But which is the right one?

The word "strive" in the AV, is in Hebrew. "dun", and this is its only occurrence. There is another Hebrew word lun (sometimes lin) which does mean to remain, continue, abide. If in fact the Masorites used a version which had an incorrectly spelt word "dun" instead of lun then the discrepancy between the two would be explained. The difference between the singular "man" and plural "men" is only one letter in the Hebrew so that the Septuagint may well preserve the original text. The same word in Hebrew has the same meaning both of "with" in "strive with", or "in" or "among" in "remain", so the two expressions do match up fairly well.

In which case what did the Lord mean, if He really said that his spirit was not to remain among "these men" for ever because they are flesh? Obviously there was no sense in which the Holy Spirit of God was residing in or with men in that degenerate world in which every imagination of the thoughts of men’s hearts was only evil, and that continually. But the word ruach not only denotes the Spirit of God, it also means breath. The breath of life is the spirit of life. "These men" are not men yet to be born in a future age whose lives are thus to be limited. Perhaps this is a word the Lord gave just one hundred and twenty years before the Flood. "Ever" here is "olam", meaning an age or long period of time. Men heretofore had been living some nine hundred years. But no more. The life-breath of God which kept them alive was to be summarily cut short by the Flood one hundred and twenty years hence.

There is another possibility. Verse 3 applied to men reads awkwardly between verses 2 and 4. which refer, not to men of Adam’s race, but to the nephilim—almost as if it ought to come between 4 and 5. And why say "these" men, who are "also" flesh. All of Adam’s race were flesh. Is there a possibility that the Lord was referring, not to Adamic man at all, but to those semi-human creatures the nephilim? It has already been shown that this word is a Hebrew transliteration of Akkadian napistu -ilu, meaning "life-breath of God, and that they, though of human form, were probably in fact unreasoning and savage animals and as such, like the entire human and animal creation, possessed the breath of God, but would return to their

dust when their life span had ended, as it did when the Flood came. Did the Lord mean to indicate that the scourge of these nephilim, who "also were flesh", similar in physical body to Adamic men, would come to their end at the expiry of the hundred and twenty years?

Noah would have been four hundred and eighty years old when those words were spoken. Was that the first intimation he received as to precisely when the catastrophe would occur; Noah was clearly responsible for concluding the genealogical list which is chapter 5 of Genesis and that list includes the death of Methuselah which was only six years before the Flood. Then, but before the Flood came, he ended the record with the subscription in Ch. 6: 9. "These are the generations" (the family histories) "of Noah".

So that world approached its end. The world of man, sunk in depravity and lawlessness, long since having abandoned God and his righteousness, groaning and suffering under the tyranny of the Nephilim and unable to find release. Up in the skies the forces of Nature moving into position for the final act in the drama, when the earth was to be swept clean in preparation for a fresh start.

And in the darkness God found his man, one in all the multitude who stood out from his fellows in his stand for righteousness, and in that man the Lord ordained the way of salvation for the children of Adam. He looked down upon a well-nigh corrupt earth,"but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord".

(To be concluded)

Sowing

"There went out a sower to sow". (Mr 4 3)

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So simple a beginning to a story but how full of potential instruction. In the sowing of seed there reposes infinite possibilities. On the one hand, arrant failure, if weather is unpropitious and the soil sterile; on the other, continuing growth and fruitage, further seeding, and increase through season after season that may never end. The deserts of the earth are the cemeteries of by gone plants and trees that once flourished but whose seeds eventually perished and failed to reproduce their kind; the lush pastures and thick forests of the earth are the descendants of countless generations of plants that fruited and seeded and brought forth anew year after year because the soil was good, and sun and rain played their part. All this was inherent in the word-picture Jesus drew for the multitude that this moment was gathered by the lakeside to hear his teaching.

The parable is evidently intended to illustrate the various degrees of receptiveness to the Gospel message displayed by different hearers. Here is the reaction of every man who evinces any appreciation of the Word of God and the appeal of Jesus Christ whatever. Here are the varied results of the lodgment of the seed of righteousness in the hearts of men. This parable is fulfilled over and over again as generation succeeds generation, in all the years that have elapsed since Pentecost to the present. It is not, like some of the parables, a picture of some aspect of the end of this Age or the characteristics of the coming Kingdom of God. It is not a dispensational parable. It is the story of the impact of the Gospel upon the mind and heart of every one who gives heed, if only for a moment, to its message, and the ultimate consequence of the impact.

"There went out a sower to sow". A simple approach, but how direct! The vision is flashed as in a moment on the screen, and we see the wide, ploughed field awaiting the seed, the pathway skirting its borders, the line of rocky boulders and large pebbles, cleared from the field, lining the pathway in rugged profusion. and the sower himself, striding along the narrow track, his hand already in the capacious bag of seed slung across his shoulders. "There went out a sower to sow. His methods were not as the methods of to-day. To and fro across the field he must needs walk, scatter the seed handful after handful, trusting to wind and rain to spread it evenly and bed it down into the soft ground. No drills to turn up the ground and soften it to receive the seed; no great wheeled machines to accomplish the task in a fraction of the time human hands would require to do it. No mechanical aids at all; the seed was simply broadcast over the waiting ground and found lodgment where conditions were favorable. So it is with the message of Jesus; it succeeds best when it is sown without the artificial assistance of man’s devising, publicity schemes and organized pressure groups and the like. As with Paul, who knew nothing among the Corinthians "save Jesus Christ, and him crucified" following the relative failure of his more intellectual approach to the philosophers of Athens, so with all who would be efficient "sowers". The simplicity of the Gospel is its greatest recommendation.

But as the sower walked along the edge of the field the winds carried the seed across the hard, beaten pathway he had just left, and there it lay, bleaching in the sun. He went on his way, and the flocks of birds, watching from a safe distance, swooped down quickly on that pathway and quickly devoured every visible shining grain before the return of the sower caused them rapidly to take flight and settle on the trees bordering the field, watching. There was nothing he could do about it. The seed had to be sown broadcast so that at least every piece of good ground received its quota, and in the process it was inevitable that some should fall on ground that was completely unreceptive. Perhaps in another season of sowing that same ground, softened by rain and broken up by man’s labor, might receive the seed again and this time allow it to germinate and bear fruit. God does not limit his offer of salvation to one opportunity only; it is open for so long as there is any chance or possibility of response, and hearts that may at the first be hard and unyielding may eventually by the circumstances of life or the persuasiveness of God become soft and receptive and at the last produce the fruit of the good ground. But in the meantime, the word of God falls on the ears but leaves no lasting impression. Idle it lies, finding no real lodgment, no vibrating chord, until Satan, the arch-deceiver, by one of the many means at his disposal obliterates the transient impression which had been made and it is as if the word had never been spoken at all. Like Israel in the days of Ezekiel "Thou art unto them a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and that can play well upon an instrument, for they hear thy words, but they do them not". The word spoken has vanished as surely as did the seed on the pathway after the birds had swooped.

Now he was coming back, a little farther from the path this time, but even so, much of the seed fell among the piles of rocks and boulders which separated path from field. It was safe enough there in the nooks and crannies; the birds were unable to reach it and there was a certain amount of soil and moisture which allowed the seed to germinate and grow. But later on, as the green stems began to show above the pieces of rock, the fierce heat of the sun dried up what moisture there was and the tender green shriveled up and vanished away, for there was nothing in which the roots could spread and find sustenance. The seed was, after all, only seed. It had within itself the power of life but must take to itself the constituents of growth, the soil, moisture and air necessary to enshroud that life in a material entity which would ultimately play its part in the economy of the world. So often it happens that there is a conversion inspired by the enthusiasm of the moment, engendered perhaps by the emotional atmosphere of a revival meeting or the apparent attraction of finding a life of peace and satisfaction "in Jesus" without realizing that such a life is going to involve more than just taking the word from him without doing anything about it or beginning to "grow up in him". Such will receive the word with every manifestation of appreciation and gladness. "This is what we were looking for" say they, and for a while they are very vocal in their expressions of joy and appreciation. But presently there is difficulty, opposition or persecution. Perchance they become disappointed or impatient. Things are not as they expected; the test of time finds them out; the life of consecration to God’s service is too narrow, too onerous. It involves giving up things they do not wish to give up. They are like the man who having put his hands to the plough, looked back, and so manifested his unfitness for the Kingdom of God. These, then, like the seed falling upon the rocks, endure for a time, but when the sun’s heat beats upon them, they wilt and vanish away.

Turning the corner of the field, the sower trampled over a patch of weeds and thorny scrub. Unheedingly, he scattered his seed over that patch and it germinated and grew, strong and healthy at first. But the weeds and thorns grew too, and faster and stronger than the wheat, and soon there could be seen only a few pallid fruitless stalks half-hidden among the fast spreading thorns. Discouraging for the sower; the weeds and thorns had only been incipient and barely noticeable when he scattered the seed. Later on, after he had left the field for sun and rain to do their work, they grew so strongly and quickly that the stems and leaves resulting from the good seed became eclipsed and ultimately completely submerged. The nature of the ground may have had something to do with it; weeds normally grow in poor ground, soil that has become deficient in the essential constituents required to make good plants. Perhaps prolonged fertilizing was what was wanted here, and a clearing away of weeds and thorns so that in another season seed might be sown that would have a better chance of maturing. At any rate God has provided a future Age for such a re-fertilizing and elimination of all that offends so that the seed may be sown again in ground that then may be found more responsive. But this does not appear in the parable, for Jesus was talking about the Gospel as it is preached in this Age, the Age in which it is possible for the "cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in" to "choke the word". So here must be seen those who attain a more advanced position at first. More resolute, more determined, they are not easily turned aside by opposition or persecution. They ride over the disappointments and disillusionments and become pillars of strength in the Christian community, and as the years pass by it seems impossible that they could ever fall away. Yet they do fall away. Some meet with success in business and become wealthy in the riches of this world; some attain high honor among men; some have their attention distracted by other aims and pursuits and interests. Imperceptibly at first, but nonethe- less surely, their progress in the things of the Spirit slows, and stops, and so they become progressively surrounded and hidden by those interests of this world upon which their hearts have become set, and at last, they are seen no more.

And now the sower is well into the field, his strong hands flinging handful after handful of seed over the soft, yielding soil, where it will lie and germinate, and grow stronger and taller, receiving nourishment from the soil along with the benefit of sun and rain, until at last it stands, proudly erect, a golden glory awaiting the coming of the reaper. This is the kind of labor and reward that every witness for the truth as it is in Jesus desires to experience and receive. "Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields" He said "for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal". That is the vision which inspires every one of the sowers as he goes out like that worker in the parable, ardently scattering the seed on ground which he knows to be good, and because he has that knowledge already sees in his mind’s eye the harvest that will surely come. Despite the wayside, the stony ground, the weeds and thorns, there are still those who not only hear the Word and receive it into sincere hearts, and allow the Spirit to do its great work, but throughout life, be it short or long. remain faithful to their covenant with God, in steadfast faith looking unto Jesus who is not only the Author but also the Finisher of their faith. These survive all the vicissitudes of storm and tempest, the gales of wind and the crushing hail, by virtue of their strong roots penetrating far down into the good soil and taking firm hold thereof, their long, shapely leaves reaching up into the air to receive the sun and rain which is God’s gift, attaining at the last that full-fruited maturity which the Apostle Paul in Ephesians calls "the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ".( Eph 4:13)

To the end this parable talks of individuals, and the response of individuals to the message of the Gospel. Although it is true that the sowing in good ground eventually produces a company of dedicated and tried and approved believers associated together in one Church which is the Body of Christ, a means in his hand for the reconciliation to God of "whosoever will" in the Messianic Age, there is no reference to this or trace of it here. The sown seed comes to maturity because it was sown in good ground but there is no intimation of the ultimate purpose for which it was sown or the use to which the crop will be put. That belongs to a different sphere of thought. There is no question of reaping or harvest here. The end is reached when the sown grain has reached the stage of bringing forth fruit, thirty, sixty, a hundredfold, it matters not. After the full cycle of development has been traversed, the sowing of the seed of the Word has brought forth its fruit in the life of the individual, and that individual is ready for God’s purpose.

Vox Populi, Vox Dei.

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Alas, poor fallen human nature! How little it is to be relied upon! How untruthful is the proverb, "Vox populi, vox Dei" —"The voice of the people is the voice of God" If we could suppose the world filled with perfect men and women, in the image and likeness of God, and actuated by the spirit of holiness, then, indeed, we could suppose that the voice of the multitude would be the voice of God. But the very reverse is not infrequently the case; the voice of the people is often the voice of the demons who are deluding them, as the Apostle intimates, saying, "The God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe Not."in accord with this thought, that the judgment of the world is not to be depended upon under present conditions, is our Lord’s suggestion to all of us, "Marvel not if the world hate you; ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world" (blind, still servants of sin, in fellowship instead of opposition to the principles of selfishness now prevailing) "the world would love its own. But now ye are not of the world, for I have chosen you out of the world, that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruitage should be perpetual." To us, then, the voice of Jesus is the voice of God, and we his sheep hear his voice and follow him.

FIN

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

This journal is published for the promotion of Bible knowledge, maintaining the historical accuracy of the Scriptures and the validity of their miraculous and prophetic content viewed in the light of modern understanding. It stands for the pre-millennial Advent of our Lord and his reign of peace and justice on earth. It is supported entirely by the voluntary gifts of its readers and all such gifts are sincerely appreciated.

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England

Editorial & Publishing A.O.HUDSON (Milborne Port)

Secretary & Circulation Mgr. DERRICK NADAL (Nottingham) Treasurer:b. G. DUMONT (Gloucester)

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Narratives of the Hebrew Bible. D. W. Gunn & J. N. Ferrell.

263 pp. Oxford University Press. 1993 £ 35 ISBN 0-19-213244-X.

This is "concerned with the correct way of interpreting Biblical narratives" by "reading these narratives as we might read modern novels or short stories". It does not necessarily support the historical veracity of Bible narrative, but offers literary criticism of the text by modern standards. It particularly cites certain characters, Adam-Eve, Abraham-Sarah, Tamar-Judah, Jephthah, Jonah. Daniel/Nebuchadnezzar showing some of these in a more unfavorable light than is usually assumed, in others illuminating some common misconceptions, such as Jonah’s flight from God. That regarding the request of Achsah the daughter of Caleb derived from a single verse in Judges is excellent. The stricture on Daniel’s "repetitive style" ignores the fact that this is a characteristic of the Sumero/Babylonian literature of his and earlier days and tends to confirm the historic authenticity of the Book rather than the opposite. The suggestion that Abraham sold his wife to Pharaoh in exchange for goods and slaves is certainly not Biblical; the text attributes the initiative to the "princes of Pharaoh" and perhaps Tamar of Judah was unnecessarily libeled when all she did was to invoke the action of the times which afterwards became the Levirate Law, the nearest living relative to raise up a son and heir to the dead. It is suggested that "Eve did not sin; she opted for reality" and that "God put the tree of knowledge in the midst of the garden but failed to consider the outcome". On the other hand there are some penetrating flashes of insight; "The plot of the Book of Jonah could have involved Jerusalem or Samaria instead of Nineveh—and stayed the same". Perhaps the most revealing word is that which closes the book—speaking of the effect of the Bible in whatever manner it is interpreted—"They may be uncovering a world in need of redemption and healing and a world-view much in need of change".

Indexes: General, Bible names, Texts cited. Full Bibliography.

"Prophecy and the Biblical Prophets" J. F. A. Sawyer. 180 pp PB. Oxford University Press. 1993 £ 9.95. ISBN 0-19-826209-4. The author undertakes the ambitious task of surveying the field of Biblical prophecy from Moses to Malachi, investigating its nature and principles. The treatment is analytical, largely on the basis of the prophet’s own inner impulses.

The background is of the "critical" school and this envisages the suggestion that many of the prophecies were written after the events they predicted, as in the case of Daniel and Antiochus. This does not detract from some penetrating comments on their messages—Hosea, a good exposition on human relationships; the transformation of Amos from a prophet of doom to a prophet of hope, the outlook and character of Jonah. Stress is laid on the relevance of O.T. prophecy to N.T. doctrine, and, perhaps, importantly, an admission that the theme of many prophecies is the foreseen end of this Age and its transformation into a new Age of peace and prosperity. A minor slip on page 88; the Bible does not state that Uzzah met his death by fire from God (in fact it was probably heart failure upon the sudden realization that he committed the unforgivable sin in touching the holy object). A printer’s error on page 107 where "kills" should be "spills" thus spoiling the sense. The book deals very adequately with the human expression of the prophetic consciousness without touching on the Apostle Peter’s dictum "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit".

There is a general index, index of texts cited, and Bibliography.

A Christmas discourse

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"For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder.". (Isa 9:6)

Long centuries before Jesus was born, and Christmas became a Christian festival, the peoples of Bible lands—Assyria, Babylonia, Canaan—made the end of December a time of celebration and rejoicing. It marked the change of shortening days and the turning of the sun to climb higher in the heavens; it gave promise of ripening crops and the joys of harvest. The ancient Babylonians used to drag their Yule logs into their homes on what corresponds to our Christmas Eve and consume them by fire; the following morning they decked with gifts the Tree of Life which they pretended in symbol had grown from the ashes of the dead log—the prototype of our "Christmas tree" —thus, said they, would life come out of death, in due time, by the favor of the gods.

Where did they get the tradition from, tradition so strangely true to fact? Was there some lingering memory of the true faith once held and taught by their common father Noah, their racial ancestors Shem, Ham and Japheth, the patriarchs of their families like Peleg and Heber? It would almost seem so! For it is true that out of the ashes of death will come new life; that after the destruction of the dead wood of this world there will arise a Tree of Life whose fruit shall be for food to mankind and whose leaves shall be for the healing of the nations, rich gifts indeed for the sons of men, in that greatest of all Christmas festivals when the Kingdom of light and life has succeeded upon the ending of this world of darkness and death.

Isaiah had something of this in mind when he saw the vision of the Great Light. Like so many of the prophets’ revelations, he viewed this representation of things to come against the background of his own day. There is a temptation to read the thrilling passage "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given," as though it were a completely disjointed piece of revelation sandwiched unthinkingly into a passage dealing with the local troubles of Israel in the prophet’s own day having nothing to do with the subject of the Kingdom. That is not so; chapters 7 to 12 of Isaiah’s prophecy comprise one complete and harmonious presentation of Millennial truth in which the vision of the Everlasting Father finds its proper place. And in order to understand the full harmony that exists between these wonderful chapters we must endeavor to put ourselves in the prophet’s place and look at them through his eyes.

The story starts with Isaiah’s seventh chapter. Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, King of Israel the "ten-tribe" kingdom, have joined together to attack Judah, the "two-tribe" kingdom of which Ahaz was the apostate king. They have besieged Jerusalem, but the Lord has not yet suffered them to take it. The people of Judah are nevertheless greatly afraid, for they have long since abandoned their faith in God and they know not where to turn for help.

This is Isaiah’s opportunity. At the bidding of the Lord he goes forth to meet Ahaz and give him an assurance that the Lord is going to defend Jerusalem for his own Name’s sake; certainly not on account of any piety or faith on the part of the wicked king. But Ahaz does not believe; he does not want to believe. "If ye will not believe," says Isaiah, "surely ye shall not be established". Therefore a second word came to Ahaz. "Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God." commands Isaiah. But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I prove the Lord". His rebellion is deliberate and calculated; it cannot be excused. Therefore the message of condemnation, already given to the ten-tribe kingdom. A young woman shall bear a son, and call his name Immanuel. That son is the sign; before that child has grown to youthful maturity, Assyria shall have desolated Samaria and ravaged Judah. Ten-tribes, and some from among the two-tribes, shall have gone into captivity for their sins. The seventh and eighth chapters trace the sad history of that terrible time of the invading Assyrian hosts; the people, said Isaiah, would finally look unto the earth, "and behold trouble and darkness, dimness and anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness".

Now these were not just empty words, spoken by the prophet after the manner of a gramophone record. Isaiah, inspired as he was by the Holy Spirit, was seeing these things, future though they were, and he described what he saw. His prophetic vision showed him the grim Assyrian warriors marching through the land, and fleeing multitudes pressing on brokenly before them. He saw the deeds of violence, the slaughter of helpless captives, the brutal treatment of women and children, the burning villages, the desolated vineyards and pastures, the clear Judean skies clouded and darkened by drifting smoke. As he gazed upon that dread scene his prophetic vision sharpened, and in the spirit of his mind he was carried over nigh on three thousand years of time, to see the events which this Syrian invasion in the days of Ahaz and Hezekiah pictured. He saw the last great onslaught of the forces of darkness, the hosts which we call the armies of Gog and Magog, descending upon God’s ancient people at the end of this age. Isaiah still beheld Assyrian soldiers, he still identified the people and the villages and the scenery of the land he knew, but with that mysterious certainty that is sometimes our own experience in dreams he knew that he was looking now at a scene representing the end of this Age and the time of the greatest deliverance of all; and as he looked, straining to see into the murky blackness which all but shrouded the vagueness of the moving figures, men, women and children writhing under the terror that had come upon them, he saw something else, something which caused him to look up and break into the tremendous declaration that commences at verse 2 of chapter 9.

"The people that walk in darkness," he cried in exultation, "have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

Away there on the horizon, beyond the tops of the eastern mountains, above the darkness of the present terror, the glorious radiance of coming day was racing up the sky. The time of light, the time of life, was come, and the darkness would soon be overpast. The Lord was coming as it were from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran, his glory covering the heavens, and his brightness as the light of day, as the sun. Isaiah saw the Assyrian soldiers cower and flee before that terrible radiance, the arrows of Heaven’s artillery raining upon them, and all their armies put to flight. The Lord had risen up to the defense and deliverance of his people, and from behind the hills there came into sight the rising of the Sun of righteousness, with healing in his wings. And the people, so lately bound in the darkness and in the shadow of death, rejoiced in this great appearance which had delivered them from the kingdom of darkness and brought them forth into the kingdom of light. That is what Isaiah saw, and for the moment all thought of his countrymen’s present troubles and dangers was forgotten, the while his eyes drank in their fill of those resplendent glories symbolizing earth’s Millennial day.

This is the Christmas vision indeed, the turning of the old, darksome, dying year into the new, lightening, living age of light and life for all men. Here is at hand the time of promise and of gifts unto men, the prospect of harvest and all the joys that come with harvest, the toil of ploughing and harrowing but a memory. Here in very truth is the day for which Isaiah so long had looked, and concerning which he was yet to preach and teach persistently and consistently through many dark years. But for the present the vision was leading him onward into a glory of revelation.

"Thou hast multiplied the nation; thou hast increased the joy." So the Margolis version has it, and Rotherham confirms with "Thou hast increased the exultation; thou hast made great the joy." (The "not" in verse 3 of the A.V. is an incorrect rendering). "They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. "Here is a picture of mankind, freed at last from the fear of evil things and evil men, from death and all that death implies, "multiplied" upon the fair Millennial earth, destined to be the home of resurrected hosts. Isaiah sees here the beginning of the Millennial kingdom; perhaps he saw, or thought he saw, the promised multiplication of his own nation, Abraham’s seed, "as the sands by the seashore" but it is just as correct to apply his prophetic outburst to the greater increase of all men, the entire human family, in that day. He had just seen the great light burst upon a world of evil and put the darkness to flight; now he sees the consequent increase of men and the increase of their joy. "It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God. We have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

Why do they thus rejoice? The next verse supplies the answer. "For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian." The rout of the Midianites in the days of Gideon was one of Israel’s greatest victories. The brave three hundred, having nothing but lights concealed in earthen pitchers, by that means and that alone defeated the enemy host. Did the Holy Spirit suggest that defeat of Midian to Isaiah with set intent? Is it not true that this coming greater defeat of the powers of greater evil at the end of this Age is going to be because another "three hundred" will have had their inner light revealed by the breaking of their earthen pitchers? "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father!". (Mt 13:43)

"For every boot stamped with fierceness, and every cloak rolled in blood, shall even be for burning, for fuel of fire." Thus runs the Margolis rendering, and other translators agree with the thought, not easily discernible in the Authorized Version, that the rejoicing is on account of the implements of warfare, the armor and clothing of the soldiery, and the grim relics of war, being all consumed in the fire. "He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the earth." War is no more; the time of peace has come, and the devouring fire has consumed all the institutions of unrighteousness.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder." Was it that Isaiah heard, eight hundred years before it floated over Judea’s quiet fields, the angels’ song of Bethlehem? Did the Holy Spirit in some wonderful manner convey to his attentive mind those strains that later fell upon the ears of the shepherds? It reads almost like a song. "Unto us a child is born.... unto us a son is given......" Mysterious, sweet cadences, rising and falling on the calmness that has succeeded the vision of slaughter. "Unto us a child is born ... a child is born!" That surely must be the fulfilment of Divine promise, the birth of earth’s new King, come to rule in righteousness. "Unto us a son is given!" The truest son of Israel that Israel would ever know, a prophet like unto Moses, a king like unto David, a priest like unto—Melchisedek; yes, a priest upon his throne. "A child is born!... a son is given!" So the music must have gone on as Isaiah listened. "Unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord... Unto us a child is born... a son is given... and the government shall be upon his shoulder!"

The heavenly song fades away—perhaps the vision passes from his sight also, but the inspiration of the Spirit is strong upon Isaiah and he opens his mouth, only partially comprehending the significance of his words, yet knowing that they have to do with that coming Day for which he looks.

"His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor." The comma ought not to be there. The expression is a combined one. The word for "wonderful" possesses the meaning of exceptionally singular or unique, something as it were beyond the understanding of mere man. When Manoah asked his celestial guest his name, and the angel told him it was "secret" the same word is used. (Jud 12:18) The word "counselor" is one that is used of royalty’s closest confidants and advisers (as King David’s counselor in 2Sa 13:12). Our coming King is, then, in the first place, the Wonderful Counselor. Of whom is He the confidant? Surely of his Father and our Father, who will do nothing without revealing his purposes to the beloved Son in whom his plans are centered and by whom they are executed. In the visions of Revelation one like unto a slain Lamb takes the sealed book from the hand of the Deity upon the Throne and reveals what is therein written. We do not know, we cannot visualize, the intimacy of fellowship and oneness of understanding that must exist between the Father and the Son, giving such depth of meaning to Jesus’ own words, during his earthly life, "I and my Father are one". Surely He indeed is the One who "was by him, as one brought up with him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him". (Pr 8:30) Yea, indeed, his name is "Wonderful Counselor".

But it is also "the Mighty God". Not El Elyon—" The Most High". Not "El Shaddai" —"The Almighty". Not "Jehovah" —"The Eternal One". The Hebrew is "Gibbor El". Gibbor is the word for giantlike, powerful, mighty, and the giants and mighty men of the Old Testament are "gibborim" (the plural form of gibbor). But El itself means "mighty one". The plural form, elohim, refers to God himself or to the heathen gods, or to angelic or supernatural beings, or even to mighty men, as in Ps 82:7 ("I have said, ye are gods, and all of you children of the Most High) so this name "the mighty God" really means "the mightiest mighty one". Is not that a fitting name for the One to whom is committed all power in heaven and earth? Is not that a fitting name for the One to whom every knee in heaven as well as on earth, is to bow, and every tongue, angelic and earthly, confess? "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore; and have the keys of hell and of death." There is a wonderful passage in the Apocryphal "Gospel of Nicodemus" in which the risen Lord is pictured as storming the gates of hell and rescuing its hopeless inhabitants. "When the prince of hell heard" (that Jesus was coming) "he said" (to Satan) "I adjure thee by the powers which belong to thee and me that thou bring him not to me. For when I heard of the power of his word, 1 trembled for fear, and all my impious company were disturbed. And while Satan and the prince of hell were discoursing thus to each other, on a sudden there was a voice as of thunder and the rushing of winds, saying.... Lift up your gates, O ye princes: and be ye lifted up, ye gates of hell, and the King of Glory will enter in... And the mighty Lord appeared in the form of a man, and enlightened those places which had ever before been in darkness; and broke asunder the fetters which before could not be broken; and with his invincible power visited those who sat in the deep darkness by iniquity, and the shadow of death by sin." This is assuredly our Mighty One, to whom has been given all power in heaven and in earth, and will exercise that power to overcome death and all evil and establish the reign of everlasting righteousness.

What then of his third title—Everlasting Father? Does He here usurp the prerogative of the One upon the Throne of Creation, the God and Father of us all? We know at the outset that such a thing can never be. At the close of the Millennial Age, when Christ the King will have subdued evil and vanquished death, when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and all power that opposes his benevolent and life-giving sway, (1Co 15:24) when mankind are, at long length, reconciled to God, and in full perfection of life have entered upon their eternal inheritance, "then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in alt". (1Co 15:28) The thought in this title is that given by Rotherham; the "Father of Futurity" or the Father of the Coming Age. It is Jesus who has redeemed and purchased the entire human race by means of his own death on the cross; it is Jesus who receives them back to life in the Millennial Age soon to begin, and becomes their Mediator—the mediator between God and man during the remaining period of man’s insufficiency. It is Jesus who gives them life; who by means of his priestly and kingly work will so influence the hearts and minds of men that all in whom is any possibility of reclamation will eventually repent and be converted, and come to Jesus, the Lord of Life, that they might have life. He will be the world’s great Life-giver, the world’s Father, during that Age and the life that men will receive they will receive at his hands. As it is in Adam that men die, so it is in Christ that men will be made alive. (1Co 15:22)

In so many ways He will be a father to redeemed humanity. "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd" sings Isaiah "and gently lead those that are with young. There will be such infinite patience and understanding in that day. No longer will there be the hard, unyielding iron of the law, demanding its "pound of flesh", its demands against the sinners. There will be instead the wise, loving albeit firm discipline of the understanding parent, and a growing up into maturity, "whosoever will", under that paternal rule. The wilful sinner, if he will not repent, must remain a sinner still, but at the end he finds himself shut out of the Holy City, for he has rejected life, and without life he cannot enter. (Re 21:27) But he that overcometh will be presented at the end before the Father Himself and experience the glorious liberty of the Sons of God.

The Prince of Peace! There is no mistaking the meaning of that name! it brings to the mind at once all that is fondest in the dreams of men, in the hopes and beliefs of those who to-day are the Lord’s disciples. "Peace on earth; goodwill to men. So many have given up hope that it will come; but we know differently. "In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.. (Ps 72:7-8) "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.". (Ps 85:10-11) "And the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever".. (Isa 32:18)

Not only is He the prince of that peace which is to be man’s inward possession, peace of heart, of mind, of soul, that peace with God which is the result of justification in his sight ("Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God"), (Ro 5:1) that peace which comes with the realization of human perfection and possession of everlasting life. He is also the Prince of that outward peace which will be characteristic of human society in that blessed day. The same passage in Isa 32 tells of that. "My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places" (vs. 18). What a contrast to this present day of distress and trouble, strife and tumult! "They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid.". (Mic 4:4) In every picture of the future day that we have, this thought of peace is prominent and predominant. "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like a flowing stream."

This is our King! This is earth’s King, dis-esteemed as yet by those who will, one day, many of them and most of them, become his devoted and adoring subjects. "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice even for ever"

TRAVELS OF ABRAHAM

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The birth of Isaac, the child of promise, at Gerar soon had its repercussions. It was between twenty-five and thirty years since Abraham first entered Canaan and he was now a prosperous farmer and stock breeder occupying two substantial areas of land, one at Hebron and one in the vicinity of Gerar some forty miles distant, absorbing the energies of a large labor force whose families depended on him for their living. He had one fifteen-year-old son and another recently born and the continuance of his family tree seemed assured. It was now, perhaps, that he began to feel settled in life and could begin to take things more easily.

It was not to be. Trouble loomed on the domestic front. Ge 21 8 records that "the child grew, and was weaned and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned". The time of this occurrence is a little difficult to determine. In modern times the weaning of a child is normally at an early stage in the child’s life; in this case it is said that "the child grew" a word which means literally "to become great", and implies at least some years of life before the word fits. The account goes on to say that Sarah saw Ishmael the son of Hagar "mocking", and this aroused her resentment. This word in the particular grammatical connection means to play with or make sport with, and this again is more likely with a child several years old. It has been suggested that weaning in the East is, or was, delayed until the child was four or five years old; whether this is so or not the balance of probability seems to be that the incident happened when Isaac was about three to five years old and Ishmael therefore seventeen to nineteen. Some playful familiarity between these two at such ages would be the most natural thing in the world.

Sarah, however, did not see it that way. She was still bitterly resentful of Hagar and Ishmael and also apprehensive that the elder lad might yet supersede her son as the principal heir of Abraham. "Cast out this bond-woman and her son" she said to Abraham contemptuously "for the son of this bond-woman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac". The depth of her resentment is shown by her use of the term "bond-woman", for according to the law and custom of the time Hagar had become a free woman upon the birth of Ishmael and was Abraham’s legal second wife, and there was nothing Sarah could do about that.

The patriarch was in a dilemma. "The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son". But the Lord intervened and told him to accede to Sarah’s wish; He himself would take care of the couple and eventually Ishmael would become the father of a great nation. That word, incidentally, was amply fulfilled. A substantial proportion of the Arab peoples now in Arabia are descended from Ishmael; the prophet of Islam, Mahomet, claimed descent from Ishmael, and some of the tribal names of the Arabs are those of some of the sons of Ishmael.

Abraham, of course, knew nothing of all this, but he probably realized the wisdom of the Lord’s instruction. There was going to be no peace with Sarah and Hagar in the same house. So, early in the morning, he "took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar.... and sent her away" and she "wandered in the desert of Beer-Sheba".

Abraham has been criticized for an apparently heartless action in sending a woman to almost certain death in the wilderness. It was really not like that at all. His plan was to separate the two women, at least temporarily, until the storm blew over. Some twenty miles from Abraham’s headquarters lay the oasis of Beer-Sheba where the immediate sequel shows that his stockmen had dug a well and evidently made a little local center for his widely spread interests. (It was not called Beer-Sheba at that time; it was just a place in the open country where they had found water, as yet unclaimed, although it became the subject of dispute with the king of Gerar’s herdsmen very soon afterwards.) What more natural than that Abraham should instruct Hagar to make her way there and settle down with his stockmen until he judged it safe for her to return. The bread and water was sufficient for the day and she could be there before evening.

Unfortunately the girl lost her way. There were no roads, only occasional track-ways, the countryside largely desert with occasional fertile areas surrounding springs of water and her goal probably no more than a collection of huts. Ch. 21: 14 and 21 intimates that she wandered in the "wilderness of Beer-S he ba" and finished up at last in the wilderness of Paran. A look at the map shows that she must have passed the Beer-Sheba settlement five or ten miles or so to the south and after that got completely lost. She probably encountered a camp of Bedouin in the desert and threw in her lot with them, and there the lad Ishmael grew to manhood.

"At that time", runs the account, Abraham’s short sojourn in the vicinity of Gerar came to an end. He could have been there only three or four years. The occasion was the usual one in that land at that time, a dispute over water. He had apparently for some time occupied this extension of his holding twenty miles away where his servants had dug a well for their needs. The men of Abimelech king of Gerar had forcibly ejected them and taken possession of it. The king, oblivious of this, had come to Abraham with a proposal for an agreement of eternal friendship, recognizing that Abraham’s growing influence in the land made him a person with whom friendship was preferable to hostility. The story is recorded in chap 21: 22-32. Abimelech protested his ignorance of the seizure and the outcome was a pact, a covenant, attested by a gift of sheep and cattle by Abraham, signaling agreement that the well, and presumably the area of land which it served, was rightfully the preserve of Abraham. The affair having been amicably settled, Abraham was left in undisputed possession. Abraham named the place Beer-Sheba, meaning "the well of the oath", in memory of the agreement, and moved his headquarters to that place. He had been in the vicinity of the king’s city of Gerar only about three or four years, and the cluster of huts at Beer-Sheba, which had probably already been there for some time, probably entered into a phase of considerable building activity and extension. It was on or near the road which ran northward to Hebron and Damascus and southward to Egypt and this must have been a good business move, probably opening up some new markets for Abraham’s products. The town, of course, is still there, and preserves the ancient name.

It is possible that Abraham realized that this was going to be his last move, for the incident closes in vss 53-54 with the intimation that he planted a "grove" there, and called upon the name of the Lord. The word "grove" in the A.V. usually denotes an "asherah", a grove of trees devoted to idolatrous worship and ceremonies. Here, though, it is "eshel" meaning a tree or trees memorializing a significant event, and this strengthens the supposition that he felt he had come to the end of his journeying. This in fact was the place of his dwelling until the day of his death.

Abraham did make one more journey of a few days and that must have been the most momentous of his life—the well-known mission to Mount Moriah to sacrifice his son Isaac at the behest of the Lord. Many have been the theories purporting to explain how Abraham came to think that the Lord had commanded him to do this thing, but none can deny the plain fact that the narrative declares quite positively that in fact the Lord did so, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering". That must have been a staggering blow. After all the years of hoping and waiting, of the unavailing episode of Ishmael, at last the unexpected birth of Isaac, with all the accompanying promises of God, the growth of that son to his present probable age of about fifteen—and now commanded to slay him by his own hand! The burnt offering was traditionally an act of thanksgiving to God for benefits received, such as plenteous crops in time of harvest, and part only, the best part, was offered to the Lord in recognition of his munificence. But here Abraham was to offer all. With Isaac dead, there was nothing left, and all the golden promises of future blessing for mankind through the line of Isaac were become null and void. Truly the works of the Lord are mysterious, and his ways past finding out, Abraham must have thought disconsolately, as he pondered the Lord’s word to him.

But another thought must have come to him also. If he was to make an offering to the Lord at all, it must be that which was most precious to him. Nothing less than the best would do. And that most precious thing to him was his son Isaac, in whom all the promises rested. And still another thought. The God who gave and then took away, could as easily give back. The writer to the Hebrews declares that "God was able to raise him up, even from the dead". (Heb 11:19) He would do as he was bidden, and leave the outcome to God.

The rest of the story is well known, how the two of them journeyed to Mount Moriah fifty miles away, and prepared for the sacrifice on the very spot where in much later years the Temple at Jerusalem was to be built, and how at the last minute God stayed his hand and provided a ram for the purpose and Isaac was reprieved. So they returned home again, with Abraham having passed the supreme test of faith and earned the unqualified approval of the Lord.

It was probably only a few years after this happening that Abraham received what was prob-ably quite unexpected news. The story is told in chap 22: 22-24. "And it came to pass after these things" (the offering of Isaac) "that it was told Abraham, saying Behold, Milcah, she hath also borne children unto thy brother Nahor", and then follows their names, eight of them. The inference is that Abraham knew nothing of this heretofore. The information probably came to him from merchant traders making their way through Beer-Sheba on the road from the north to Egypt. It emerged that Nahor was now living at Haran and like his brother was a stock-breeder and farmer. Nahor and his wife Milcah, Sarah’s sister, had remained in Ur of the Chaldees when the others had emigrated to Haran more than sixty years previously but had evidently in their turn moved to Haran at some later date unknown to Abraham. One of their sons was Bethuel, father of Rebekah who eventually became the wife of Isaac. This might well have been the first news of his elder brother Abraham had received since he himself left Ur of the Chaldees.

There comes now something like a twenty year break in the narrative during which nothing of moment happened except that at some time during this period Isaac, now a young man, started farming on his own account at Beer-lahai-roi, sixty miles south of Beer-Sheba, where Hagar met the angel at the time of her flight from Sarah. Whether this betokened a further extension of Abraham’s own activities or was Isaac’s own venture is not clear but this remained Isaac’s headquarters at least until his father’s death.

But now, long before that climax to the story, there came another bereavement, equally close to home. His mother Sarah, who had shared the vicissitudes of her husband’s career for so many years, died at Hebron at the age of a hundred and twenty-seven years. It is not said why she was at Hebron when Abraham was at the family home at Beer-Sheba. Perhaps she was on a visit; Abraham still had business interests at Hebron. At any rate chapter 23 tells of the burial ceremonies, how Abraham, possessing no suitable burying place there, negotiated with his neighbors for a suitable tomb. His old Amorite friends, Mamre, Eshcol and Aner (Ge 14:13) were apparently no longer there, or at least had now been joined by a tribe of Hittites, the "sons of Heth" (ch. 23: 5). So Abraham bargained with one Ephron the Hittite for the purchase of a field possessing a suitable cave, the cave of Machpelah, (ch. 23: 9) and after a typical piece of Eastern bargaining the tomb was his.

The tomb is still there, in a crypt below a Moslem mosque. Abraham is a revered prophet to Moslem as to Jew and Christian and the tomb has been jealously guarded for nearly four thousand years. It is claimed that the remains of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Leah, are still there, but no one really knows if that is so, nor perhaps will know until the coming resurrection when those worthies live and stand again upon earth. But there, in that crypt below that mosque, is the place where the three great faiths of the world, all united in the worship of the One True God despite their differences, are united in one.

There is no record of any more travels of Abraham. He was now a hundred and thirty-seven years old probably beginning to feel the weight of years. He apparently spent the rest of his life quietly at Beer-Sheba. But now one thing began to trouble him. Isaac, now nearly forty years of age, was as yet unmarried. The evidences are that at this time in world history marriage and fatherhood was generally at an age of fifty or sixty years but Abraham would not be the God-fearing man he was if he did not feel that before his own death he should play his part in securing the continuance of the line through which the Divine promise would eventually be fulfilled. And it was unthinkable that Isaac should be joined with his neighbors, Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, all of alien race. The bride of Isaac must be of Semitic blood

It was then that he thought of the news he had so recently received regarding the children of Nahor his brother, away up in Naran.

The story occupies the whole of chapter 24, a long chapter of sixty-seven verses in the A.V. It is a well known one, how Abraham, unable now to make such a journey himself, entrusted his steward Eliezer with the task of going to Haran, finding the house of Nahor, by now boasting children and grandchildren, and inducing a suitable one from among them to become the bride of Isaac and returning to Abraham with her. On the surface it would seem a fantastic quest with little hope of a successful outcome, but Abraham’s faith came to the top. "The Lord God of heaven" he said "will send his angel before thee and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence". And that faith was justified when Eliezer, after a journey of some six hundred miles, reached the object of his quest, found that the first person he spoke to was of the family of Nahor and in fact the destined bride of Isaac.

Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, must have been about twenty years of age to fit into the time scale of the two families. None of Nahor’s children were born before Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees, and this family was entirely new to Abraham. Perhaps the most remarkable part of the story is the willingness of Rebekah to trust herself to this stranger on a six hundred mile

journey to marry a man she had never seen, and that of her father and family to allow it. The same faith in God which characterized Abraham’s family was evident here and so it was that a few weeks later Isaac, walking on his land at Beer-lahai-roi, met his bride.

And now the sands were running out. There is no more to say about the "father of the faithful" beyond the account in chapter 26 of his marriage to Keturah. The name is a Semitic one, meaning "fragrance of incense". It is most unlikely that the patriarch would take any woman not of his own race and Keturah was perhaps a daughter of one of his own Semitic servants whom he had acquired from Pharaoh many years earlier. It is just possible that she was one of the handmaidens who had accompanied Rebekah on her journey to Isaac (ch. 24: 61). Keturah bore him six sons which implies that the marriage must have taken place immediately after Sarah’s death, with Abraham then aged one hundred and thirty seven years old. Then ch. 25: 6 tells of his giving "gifts" to the "sons of the concubines which Abraham had" and sending them away into the "east country" to leave the succession of Isaac to his major property unchallenged. These men must at the time have been at least in their thirties which would imply their birth at least during the closing years of Sarah’s life. (It is sometimes suggested that Keturah was also a concubine on the strength of 1Ch 1:32 but this cannot be so. The writer of Ge 25 uses the word for wife "Ishshah" in vs. 1 and the regular word for concubine for the others in vs.6. It is more likely that when Chronicles was written a thousand years later, the writers, scandalized that Abraham should take a legal wife after Sarah, used the word for concubine in their account, to soften the implication. The writers of Ge 26 were Ishmael and Isaac, as evidenced by ch.26:12,19, and they must be allowed to know more about it than the priests of the 8th Century B.C.)

"And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred three score and fifteen years. Then Abraham yielded up his spirit and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people" (Ge 26:7-8).

Isaac and Ishmael together buried him beside his wife Sarah in the cave of Machpelah. There was never any enmity between these two and it is very possible that they, living their lives within a hundred miles or so of each other in the south country, had been in friendly contact for many years. Although Isaac was, and is, the seed of Promise, spiritual and natural ancestors of those who in time to come shall be the Lord’s agents in blessing all families of the earth, it is equally true that the Lord said Ishmael also is to be the progenitor of a great nation because he also was Abraham’s seed. The enmity is there today, but it is significant that in the prophetic foreview of the last attack by earthly powers and interests on the natural "Seed" when the Lord comes forth to deliver, the onslaught of "Gog and Magog" described by the prophet Ezekiel, the long catalogue of nations pictured as joining in the onslaught does not contain one Semitic name. They are all either of Japheth or of Ham. Does that mean there is to be a reconciliation before the final crisis. At the present time that would appear unlikely. But even if not, when the day comes, as come it must, when the sons of Isaac and the sons of Ishmael come face to face with their common father, raised from the dead to his destiny as one of the leaders of the nations, and stands before the two peoples of which he was the common father.... What then?

The End

The Doctrine of Christ

Part 2.

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"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." (vs. 7.)

These words are virtually a repetition of those in the early part of chapter 4 of John’s First Epistle. There were many theories abroad in John’s own day which would, as we would say, "deny the Ransom". They were directed toward doing away with the reality of Jesus’ earthly life, denying that the "Man Jesus Christ" was in actual fact the Son of God sent down from heaven, trying to find some doctrinal philosophy which would do away with the necessity of believing that Jesus did indeed die on the Cross, descend into the grave, and rise again on the third day. So they supposed, variously, that the visible man Jesus of Nazareth was an ordinary man of Adam’s race in whom the Divine Spirit Jesus dwelt for three and a half years, from Jordan to Calvary, taking his departure at the moment the human man died on the Cross, or that the whole appearance of Jesus on earth was a phantom, a kind of optical illusion, the Divine Spirit being himself invisible but manifesting himself through an appearance like unto a man having no reality. All such theories deny the very basis of the Atonement as we understand it and as John understood it. To him, as to us, the Word was made flesh, born of a virgin, and lived on earth a Man amongst men, experiencing the joys and sufferings common to men. His death on the Cross was a real death and for that short time in Joseph’s tomb He was truly dead. His resurrection on the third day was a true resurrection and from thence He sat on the right hand of God, "from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead". All this was essential doctrine to John and it is essential doctrine to us. We cannot maintain Christian faith without it and we cannot "profess and call ourselves Christians" unless we believe it. Hence John is by no means extreme or fanatical when he brands all who refuse thus to confess that Jesus came in the flesh as deceivers and antichrists.

We must note here that the creeds of Christendom themselves claim that Jesus came in the flesh: Christian churches in general do hold to the reality of our Lord’s humanity. The old gnostic and other theories of John’s day no longer have any influence among responsible Christian people. Certain small groups of "mystics" who try to create synthetic religions compounded partly of Christian ethics and partly of Hindu or other Eastern philosophies do propound views somewhat akin to these First Century heresies but such groups are manifestly far removed from practical Christianity. It is true today, as it was in that of John, that the real test by which professing Christians should be tried is the one that is before us here. "What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He?" It is true that not many have a really accurate understanding of the manner in which He laid aside the glory He had with the Father before the world was, and became Man, but if at any rate it is believed that He did in fact come to the world as Man, and did literally die on the Cross, and was truly resurrected then at least there is no ground for the charge of being an antichrist.

"Look to yourselves, that ye lose not those things which ye have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward." (vs. 8.)

The A.V. has "we" in this verse, but it should really be "ye". John is exhorting his friend and sister in Christ to continued zeal and faithfulness. Like the Apostle Paul thirty years previously, Sister Kyria had fought a good fight and kept the faith, and now a crown of righteousness was laid up for her "against that day" —the day when all who should "sleep in Jesus" throughout the Age were to receive the things for which they hoped and prayed. But even at this point there is danger of backsliding and consequent loss. That was made clear in John’s First Epistle and it is made clear again here. This verse has been a constant warning and exhortation through all time since John first inscribed the words upon his sheet of papyrus. To-day it is used as a word of greeting, a message sent from one to another, valued because of its combined assurance of glory to come and warning against losing that glory by carelessness when it is almost as it were within our reach. The very language reminds us that if we do fail of gaining the prize it will not be because God has been unfaithful but because we have been. We are not bidden to look to God lest we lose things, as though He would deprive us of them if we are not diligent in holding Him to the compact. We are bidden to look to ourselves, lest we lose. That is where the danger lies. He ever abideth faithful; He will not let go our hands. We may insist on being unfaithful; then it is we who separate ourselves from Him and go our own way alone. So we need very carefully to watch ourselves, that we maintain our confidence and faith steadfast to the end.

"Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." (vs. 9.)

This word "transgresseth" does not mean a mere departure from the right way or path. It does not indicate a lapse into some erroneous or inaccurate understanding of some element of the faith. The Greek means to go forward or beyond or in advance. The reference is to those who claim to be entering into a state of "advanced" doctrine so far forward of what has been revealed by the Holy Spirit that they are in fact running in front of God. He grants "meat in due season for the household of faith" and allows the veil obscuring further understanding of Divine truth to be drawn aside more and more as fast as his people are able to comprehend that further understanding. It is good and praiseworthy for any of us to seek the being always watchful in following that enlargement of understanding whenever the Spirit leads. But we also have to remember that for each of us individually as well as for the Church as a whole there must be the times of halting to assimilate the new truths revealed and to consolidate the ground gained. Progress in Divine truth is always characterized by this alternate advance into new light and then the halting while that new light is fitted into the fabric of Christian life and belief. Now the Apostle is not denouncing that kind of advancing neither is he branding as transgressors those who thus seek to know ever more clearly what the Lord is revealing. He is talking rather of those who in their eagerness to find something "new" or something "different" wherewith to "shine" before their fellows, would go beyond what God is opening up and themselves add to the revealed Word. That is how the 20th Century translation puts it, in words that seem accurately to represent John’s thought. "Who goes beyond the limits of the teaching of Christ has failed to find God." In modern parlance, the man has over-reached himself. Rather than rest content with the rate of progress in Divine Truth which the teaching and leading of the Holy Spirit affords him, he would force his own way forward and blaze his own trail through the unknown, putting his own imaginations for doctrines and his own words for God’s. It is not surprising that in such case, to use the words of the 20th Century, he "fails to find God".

"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds" (vs. 10-11). This needs thinking about. It is true that many believers are so dogmatic about their own doctrinal outlook that a text such as this is very gladly and literally received and all who do not subscribe to their own outline of doctrine and agree with them in every matter of Christian belief are unhesitatingly relegated to this category and cut off from fellowship. The thoughtful Christian knows, however, that this cannot possibly be the meaning of John’s exhortation here. It is quite absurd and illogical to expect all of Christ’s disciples to view every doctrinal teaching in just the same light. Differences of viewpoint arise for a multitude of reasons, many of them quite outside our own control. There is not a shadow of justification for suggesting that failure to agree on some aspects of Scripture teaching, whether it be in connection with the time or manner or object of the Second Advent, the relation between the symbols of spiritual truths themselves, details of prophetic interpretation, or any other such matter, justifies the application of this verse to any fellow-believer with whom we may have such a difference. John is talking, not about these secondary doctrines, but about the fundamental basis, the primary doctrine, of our faith, "What think ye of Christ?". It is the one who denies the humanity of Jesus Christ while upon earth who is to be excluded from the benefits of fellowship, the one who refuses to accept the basic Scriptural truth that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners". It is the one who denies that we stand in need of salvation and without Christ and his atoning sacrifice can never receive salvation that must not go on his way with the sound of "God speed" ringing in his ears.

In this our day such people fall into two classes. There are those who find no place in their theology for the Fall of man, the condemnation to death, the necessity for the coming of Jesus in the flesh to give his life a Ransom for all, and in his resurrection to become Lord of all, of the one class. There are the modernists, materially-minded believers who disown the same things and disclaim belief in the miraculous element in Scripture, who likewise have no place for a suffering Christ. In both cases the particular theology of the group may have much to commend it; there is usually a high appreciation of the ethical value of the teachings of Christ and a great reverence for him as a Teacher, but that is all. Human salvation is to come by a conscious and deliberate conformity of one’s self to the example of Christ, by one’s own power. There is no admission that fallen man is quite unable to do such a thing unaided. Like Israel of old the cry is "all that the Lord hath spoken will we do, and be obedient" and, again like Israel, no realization at all that the thing is impossible.

So these are they whom we are not to receive into our houses nor bid them God speed. The injunction is not to be held to apply to the ordinary conventions of politeness and courtesy, but to the closer circle of Christian fellowship in the Church. Such are not to be granted the privileges of the brotherhood, the spiritual communion of fraternal intercourse of the ecclesia. "What concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?". (2Co 6:15) The basis of our fellowship is the Ransom for all given by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That Ransom, and the doctrines upon which it depends and which are indissolubly associated with it—Fall, Condemnation, Repentance, Justification, Reconciliation, resurrection—are the fundamental doctrines upon which we must be agreed and without which we cannot have fellowship. Other doctrines are secondary and there is room for difference of thought provided we respect our brother’s views and display tolerance in the expression of same, and there is no excuse for divisions on that account. We all would surely do as well to re-examine our own position in these matters and see to it that in contending earnestly for the faith we do choose the fundamental doctrines about which to contend.

The word "God speed" here is a translation of a Greek salutation which had the significance of wishing prosperity and success and was used in correspondence in much the same way as we begin our own letters with "Greetings" and perhaps close them with "all good wishes". Ac 15:23 is an example of Christian usage of the word: "The Apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles" and so is Jas 1:1 "James. .. to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting". Such good wishes, insofar as the practice and service of the Christian faith is concerned, should not be extended toward those who come under the ban of the Apostle in verses 7-10 of this Epistle.

John has a great deal more to say, but for reasons unexplained he preferred to finish his Epistle at this point. The rest was to be said by word of mouth. "Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with pen and ink—but 1 trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full" (vs. 12). The 20th Century says "I would rather not trust it to pen and ink". The shadow of persecution was still dark over the Church; perhaps there were matters to be talked about, truths to be taught, that in the then suspicious attitude of the civil powers were best not committed to paper. John expected to see his sister-in-the-faith Kyria at some future time and promised that all the rest would be said then, to their mutual edification and joy. And so with his usual thoughtfulness he closes this brief letter with the final greetings from those who were with him "The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen". (vs. 13.) A little homely touch, these young people in the Truth taking advantage of this opportunity to send their personal greetings to their aunt according to the flesh, their sister according to the Spirit, in the faraway city, and in so doing attaining for themselves an immortality that they never for one moment suspected. We do not know their names, until the great assembly beyond the Vail. But we know them to be our brethren and sisters in the Lord also, and we reach hands back to them over the span of two thousand years and see in them some of the great army of unnamed ones who have preceded us in the Christian walk and been faithful unto death. Perhaps this is the most encouraging thought we can take in concluding our consideration of this short Epistle. In all the ages of the Church’s history there have been unnamed ones, quietly pursuing their allotted tasks and treading their allotted paths, known only to their Savior and Master, but brought safely home by him at the last. So it can be with us; we may never have done anything spectacular or stood in any prominent position or been known by any but the tiniest circle of brethren, but Jesus knows our names and watches our course in life, and will welcome us just as warmly as the more well-known ones, when we reach Home.

The End

The Defects of a Preacher

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The defects of a preacher are soon spied. let a preacher be endued with ten virtues, and have but one fault, that fault will eclipse and darken all his virtues and gifts, so evil is the world in these times. A good preacher should be able to teach plainly and in order; he should have a good head, a good power of speech, a good voice, and a good memory, and should know when to stop: he should be sure what he means to say, and should study diligently; he should be ready to stake body and life, goods and glory, on its truth: and he must suffer himself to be vexed and criticized by everybody. Martin Luther

BOASTING

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To boast is not an endearing characteristic in ordinary human society. Yet it is common to every sphere of life. It is customary in sports and the arts. It is the norm in advertising and commerce. Children like to think of their popular hero as "the best". As one turns back the pages of history the story is the same; arrogant boasting from the lips of kings, politicians and generals. The Bible contains its own catalogue of braggarts, from the Evil One who was determined to be like the Most High to the king who died as his subjects worshiped before him.

The objective in boasting is so often power and wealth. It affects those involved by fostering pride and arrogance. It encourages distortion of truth if not outright lies. It stirs up envy and bitterness. Worse, it has provoked rebellion against God. Pharaoh boldly challenged Moses by saying "Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?". (Ex 5: 2) Israel felt inferior to other nations while they had no king. A humble man, Saul the Benjamite was given the task. Once in power his attitude changed. Power corrupts and this self effacing young man grew arrogant and envious of others. Goliath dared to defy God and challenged the Israelites to find a champion who could stand up against him. His boastful words to David went before a fall. When David desired to boast, albeit subtly, of his armed forces, he took a census and his people suffered the consequences. Boasting is the opposite of trusting in God. Benhadad, king of Syria, boasted that he would sweep across Samaria but was reminded by the king of Israel "Let not him that girds on his armor boast himself as he that puts it off". (1Ki 19:11) As Sennacherib hammered at the gates of Jerusalem he boasted against the Lord as Pharaoh had done. The story ended with similar results. Nebuchadnezzar had achieved much in building the empire of Babylon. He had shown wisdom in his exploits and government, yet his pride also went before a fall. He spent years of humiliation as an animal of the field. The power building game and the accumulation of material wealth does not develop a character which God can use in his purposes.

With the Scriptures there is an exaltation of spirit which has a different objective from boasting and it promotes good qualities of character. This finds its noblest expression in Jer 9:24. "Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the Lord" (RSV). It is fascinating the way the words "glory" and "boast" have been used in translating this and its quotation by Paul in 1Co 1:30,31. The apostle was writing to Christians who had developed cliques within their church. They boasted of their group-leaders, their knowledge and their spiritual gifts. Paul insists that they may only glory or boast in knowing God personally.

It is important to notice that there is a distinct difference between boasting that exults in what is good and boasting which distorts truth and is done for personal advantage. The difference is clearly shown in the Authorized Version where the Greek words are distinguished by using "glory", (2Co 12:2) and "boast". (Ro 1:30) Most modern translators have found it difficult to update the word "glory", which is not used so commonly today. This has resulted in the word "boast" being used to translate two quite different Greek words. However, the context often gives a clue as to whether it is permissible boasting or not.

The Greek word used in Ro 1:30 2Ti 3:2 and Jas 4 10 is derived from the charlatan wanderer who sold medicines, he tried to persuade ordinary folk that his remedies would cure far more than they actually could. Paul generally uses the word "kauchaomai" in his exultation about godly things. Incidentally, it was this word that scholars of 2000 years ago used in the Septuagint in Jer 9:23,24. Paul rejoices in the Lord and their experiences together. In his second letter he specially makes a point of his "joy" in sharing the sufferings with his Savior. Perhaps this is best summed up in the apostle’s words to the Galatians (6: 14 RSV)..... far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

Life and Duty

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Christianity is clear as to rules of life and duty. There is no mystery left about the directions to man, yet there is a Divine mystery enfolding it, which tells of its Divine origin, and promises a fuller revelation when man is fitted to receive it. If it were not so, we would call it man’s invention. We turn from Revelation, because it contains some things we cannot comprehend; yet we plunge into a deeper, darker mystery, when we embrace the theory of an external, self-existing universe, having no intelligent creator, yet constantly creating intelligent beings. Can anyone understand how matter creates mind?

The Visions of Zechariah

6. Chariots of Judgment

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The last of the visions is simple in its elements. Two mountains, from between which come four chariots, passing before the watching prophet and his angelic guide to proceed in differing directions until they are lost to sight. Apparently insignificant, but in reality full of meaning.

"There came four chariots out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of brass" (Copper)(zec 6:1). What is signified by the two mountains? The Hebrew text has the definite article "the two mountains" as though something specific is intended, not just mountains in the general sense. What could such an expression have conveyed to the Israelites who first heard Zechariah’s words? Mountains consisting of solid copper are unnatural to say the least, but every Israelite was well acquainted with the Divine promise to their forefathers concerning the land they were to inherit "a land... out of whose hills thou mayest dig copper". (De 8:9) Primitive Israel existed in what we call the Bronze Age, in which copper held the place today occupied by steel, and the land of the mountains of copper, to every true Israelite, was the land of Israel. The two mountains of the vision, then, might very well picture the dual kingdoms of Israel and Judah, as they existed side by side in the years before the great captivities.

Against the background of these two kingdoms are displayed the four chariots. The foremost one was drawn by red horses, the second by black, the third by white, and the fourth by what the A.V. calls "grisled and bay" horses (Zec 6:3), actually "dappled strong" horses. "Amutstism", rendered "bay", is a word meaning strong, active or nimble, as applied to horses. (The A.V. "bay", meaning a deep red, arises from the desire of the A.V. translators to find a place in Zec 6:7 for the red horses appearing in Zec 6:2 who otherwise have no assigned destination, and is based upon the assumption that amutstism should be read adamim, for which there is no warrant). In reply to the prophet’s query the revealing angel told him that these chariots were the "four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of the whole earth" (Zec 5:5), that the one drawn by black horses goes into "the north country" and is followed there by the white, and that the dappled ones go into the south country. Here the A.V. confuses the issue by postulating an extra chariot drawn by the "bay" going "to and fro through the earth" and this has to be corrected. The sense of Zec 6:6-7 is that the dappled ones go forth first toward the south country, and that being active or nimble (the "most strong" as the Douay version has it) proceed to penetrate other parts of the earth. They "sought to go", says the narrator "that they might walk to and fro through the earth" (Zec 6:7). This expression "to and fro", is derived from the verb halak, " to go" continuously as with settled intent, in specific directions not otherwise defined but not necessarily an alternative on a single path as is meant by the present usage of "to and fro". Our modern term "hither and thither" more accurately represents the term to us today.

Now what is the explanation? It will not escape notice that the colors of the first three horses are the same as those of the riders in the vision (ch. 1: 8). (The notes in chapter 1 have already shown that "speckled" in that chapter should properly read "black"). The fourth color, grisled or "dappled" is new. It must also be noted that although four chariots come before the prophet’s attention only three are assigned destinations. Of the first, the red, nothing more is said.

As a symbol the chariot pictures judgment, usually Divine judgment. "For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury.. (Isa 66:15 )" The chariots of God are twenty thousand...., the Lord is among them, as in Sinai.... to God the Lord belong the issues from death, but God will wound the head of his enemies, ..... such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses". (Ps 68:17-21) These chariots, said the angel, are synonymous with the "four spirits—or winds—of the heavens", and the four winds of heaven are also used as a symbol of Divine judgment. The eloquent passage in Ps 13: illustrates that. "The earth shook and trembled... the Lord thundered in the heavens... the foundations of the world were discovered, O Lord... as the blast of the breath of thy nostrils". (Ps 18:7-15) "With his mighty wind shall he (the Lord) shake his hand over the river and shall smite it". (Isa 11:15) Speaking of his judgment on Israel, God says "But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not". (Zec 6:14) Hence these four chariots are vehicles of Divine judgment, symbols of the wrath of God going out to whoever and whatever is represented by the "north country" and the "south country".

Consistently in the Old Testament Babylon is depicted as the "north country", the land of the north; although geographically it lies east of Israel the fact that its invading armies had to descend on the Israelites from the north in order to avoid the intervening desert gave rise to the name. The "south country" is Egypt and Arabia. With these facts in mind the interpretation of the vision begins to take shape. It is a picture of Divine retribution overtaking the powers which through history had oppressed and enslaved Israel, or were yet to do so. The standpoint from which the chariots are viewed is that of Zechariah’s own day and this explains the omission of the red horses’ onward progress. As in chapter 1, the red horses represented Assyria, the power to which Israel was enslaved in the first of the great captivities, and in Zechariah’s day judgment on Assyria had already been executed. Assyria, with its capital city Nineveh, disappeared from history a century before Zechariah lived. That chariot had already passed on its way. "I will break the Assyrian in my land" the Lord had said through the prophet Isaiah "and upon my mountains tread him underfoot... the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it?". (Isa 14:25-26) The red chariot of judgment upon Assyria appeared to Zechariah’s prophetic consciousness but he did not see it proceed on its mission because that was already past history. Assyria had fallen and was no more.

Not so the case with the chariot of black horses. That again, as in chapter 1, pictured Babylon and the judgment to come upon that land. Said the angel (vs. 6) "the black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them". The white logically picture Persia, as in chapter 1. Divine retribution began to come upon Babylon in Zechariah’s own lifetime; he was there at the time and he witnessed the fall of the city and the death of Belshazzar its last king. Although Persian rule commenced there and then the Babylonian nation continued and the city did not disappear at once; something like two centuries elapsed before Babylon completely lost its commercial importance and the city reverted to its dust. Judgment was being executed all that time. And more or less contemporaneous with the latter part of that period the succeeding empire, Persia, began to receive its due at the Lord’s hand by the agency of Greece, so that by the time of Alexander of Greece that white-horsed chariot also had completed its mission. Both Babylon and Persia in turn had suffered the fate of Assyria their predecessor even as the Hebrew prophets had foretold. It is of these chariots that the proclamation of vs. 8 is made: "these that go toward the north country have quieted my Spirit in the north country". That word quieted means to permit rest or to pacify. The downfall and destruction of the successive empires. Assyria Babylon, Persia, as it were satisfied the Divine justice; after the chariots of judgment had completed their work the Divine Spirit was "pacified" so far as those lands were concerned. Something like this must have been in the mind of Jeremiah when he contemplated the same kind of retribution coming upon other of the enemies of God. "O thou sword of the Lord" he declaimed "how long will it be ere thou be quiet? Put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still. How can it be quiet, seeing the Lord hath given it a charge...". (Jer 47:6) Here in the case of the "north country", the sword of the Lord, at last, was quiet.

There is still the fourth chariot to consider. This went forth "to the south country". In Zechariah’s day this was yet to come. After the fall of Persia the dispersion and exile of Israel lay in the south and west rather than in the north and east. Greece succeeded Persia as Israel’s overlord but there was no captivity in Greece. From this time the dispersion of Israel was, first, south into Egypt and Arabia, and later, about and after the time of the First Advent, when Rome succeeded Greece, into North Africa and Europe, the west. So the dappled strong horses may well represent the variable but mainly harsh rule of Greece which sent so many of the sons of Israel southward, followed by the fall of Greece and of Egypt before the armed might of Rome. Then came the time when the "strong" of the horses began to go "hither and thither" through the earth. Just as the power of Rome has extended throughout the earth—the Mediterranean world which is what the Old Testament means by the term—and just as the dispersion of Israel has extended similarly, so does the chariot of judgment follow, bringing Divine displeasure upon every vestige of evil rule and evil power until all is destroyed before the coming of earth’s new King. Perhaps this fourth chariot is still going "hither and thither" through the earth and the disruption and disintegration so prevalent today is the final manifestation of its presence. The whole earth has entered into judgment, but afterwards comes the reign of the Prince of Peace.

Thus seen, this last of Zechariah’s visions pictures the progressive judgments of God upon evil powers in the earth preparatory to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. From the re-establishment of Israel in the sixth century B.C., pictured in the first vision, the prophet had seen in symbol the development of the Christian Church, the preparation of the earthly Holy Nation, the dawn of the Messianic Age with its light and life, its standards of right and wrong, the elimination of evil, and the completion of retribution upon the evil forces of this world. Now the vision comes to an end. As commentary upon the whole he was now to engage in a kind of sym-bolic charade in which he with his fellows would present in dramatic form a picture of the Mill-ennial world which is yet to be, and this is the meaning of the remaining passage in chapter 6.

Verses 9-15 tell how the word of the Lord came to Zechariah telling him, in effect, that three men were coming from Babylon, apparently bearing gifts of gold and silver to the Jewish community. He was to take a portion of this tribute, and of it construct a crown with which, in a symbolic ceremony, he would crown Joshua the High Priest and proclaim him as the Lord’s anointed, the "Branch", a Messianic title. Thus consecrated, Joshua was to reign as a royal priest in the day of the completed Temple, and foreigners from far-off lands would come and share with Israel in the work and service of God. All of which was a wonderful idea never realized in that day; Joshua never became a ruler on a throne, and foreigners were never accepted within the ranks of Israel. The entire proceeding was a prophecy of a then far future day.

"Take from the exiles Heldai, Tobiah and Jedaiah, who have arrived from Babylon, and go the same day to the house of Josiah, the son of Zephaniah. Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown." This is the R.S.V. rendering of Zec 6:10-11, supported by other modern translators. The A.V., based on the Vulgate, has confused the text and rendered it difficult to understand. The plural "crowns" as in the A.V. refers to several circlets of which the single crown is composed (this incidentally is the meaning of the "many crowns" of Re 19:12). it was a common thing for visitors from the Jewish community in Babylon to visit their brethren in Judea bringing valuable gifts for the new Temple. None of the four individuals here mentioned can be identified elsewhere in Old Testament history although two Jedaiahs, both priests, were in Judea at the time of Zechariah. Suffice it that these three had come from Babylon with their gifts, that Zechariah met them and went with them to the home of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, and there made this crown. Evidently Joshua the High Priest was present, and probably a company of others, so that Zechariah was able in an impressive fashion to crown Joshua and declare the Divine decree.

"Thus saith the Lord of Hosts:

Behold the man whose name is THE BRANCH,

For he shall build the Temple of the Lord,

And he shall bear the glory

And shall sit and rule upon his throne.

And he shall be a priest upon his throne.

And the counsel of peace shall be between them both" (vss. 12-13)

This can only be understood as a Messianic prophecy and the whole proceeding as a tableau depicting the ruling power of the Messianic Age. To depict Joshua himself as a crowned ruler in Judea at that time would not only be treason in the eyes of Persia, for Judea was a subject State, but treason against God, for the one who was to become both king and priest and dignified with the title of "the Branch" (of David) must come of Judah, the royal tribe. Joshua was of Levi, the priestly tribe. Thus the interpretation must be carried forward into the day when the Royal Priest, the one "after the order of Melchisedek" (Heb 7) assumes his office and power "in glory", and this points unmistakably to our Lord "at his coming and his Kingdom". To this the language fits. "The Branch" is his title as the scion of David’s house, the "root and offspring of David". (Re 22:16) He "grows up out of his place" from the days of his humanity at his First Advent to the glory of his Second Advent. He shall sit and rule upon his throne both as king and as priest with complete harmony between the two functions; "the counsel of peace shall be between them both". One could picture this declaration as the Divine announcement to all the world at the time of the investiture of earth’s rightful King in the dawn of the Millennial Age, calling all men to take heed to the new world order headed by this Priest-King for their salvation.

It is noteworthy that whereas Joshua was used in chapter 3 to prefigure the cleansing and development of the Church during this present Age he becomes, in chapter 6, the symbol of the reigning Christ in the next; it will not escape notice in this connection that the Church is destined to be associated with her Lord in the kingly-priestly work of that Age so that the use of Joshua as a symbol of both "Christ the Head and the Church which is his body" is perhaps not altogether accidental.

"And the crown shall be, to Heldai, and to Tobiah, and to Jedaiah, for a memorial in the Temple of the Lord. And they that are far off shall come and build in the Temple of the Lord" (vss. 14-15). Two minor corrections in the text have to be made. "Helem" in vs. 14 is obviously "Heldai" as in vs. 10, this is evidently a copyist’s error at some early date, the daleth yod (DI) at the end of the word having been mistaken for mem (M), a mistake due to similarity between the characters if written somewhat carelessly in the manu-script. "Hen" in the same verse is not a proper name and by some translators is linked with a word meaning favor or kindness; thus the R.V. and others render "for the kindness of the son of Zephaniah" which removes all disparity between this verse and verse 10. It is now possible to take a look at the apparent meaning of the statement. The crown, following its use for the ceremonial crowning of Joshua, is said to be laid up in the Temple as a memorial to the three pious men who brought the original gift from Babylon, and to record the "kindness" of Josiah the son of Zephaniah who received them into his house and provided a place in which the ceremony could be performed. Since the entire proceeding has its setting in the Millennial Age and the "crown" is laid up in the newly built Temple after the Priest-King has been crowned and therefore presumably entered upon the duties of his office, the Temple can hardly represent other than the edifice built during that Age, the all-righteous system of world government instituted and presided over by our Lord and his Church-corresponding to some extent to the Holy City of Revelation. Within that system of administration there will be a memorial of some who in a past time brought their gifts away from the lands of unrighteousness, and within the confines of a friendly house contributed their symbol of faith that the time for the reign of earth’s great Priest-King had come. If we take it that those three unknown men, Heldai, Tobiah and Jedaiah, pictured all of Israel who in the Last Days come in faith, away from the lands of the old world into the friendly land which is to be the nucleus of the Kingdom on earth, and for a short time join concert with those who, like Josiah the son of Zephaniah, are already in that land living in faith and hope, expressing their belief in the imminent coming of earth’s new King, then perhaps the house of Josiah can symbolize the land, and the four figures in the tableau, the people, whose faith and works immediately prior to the establishment of the Kingdom in full sight of all people will be remembered forever—a "memorial in the Temple of the Lord."

Logically enough, it is then that "they that are far off shall come and build in the Temple of the Lord". In that glorious Age men will come from all nations, from earth’s remotest bound, to play their part in the building of the new social system which is described so succinctly in the New Testament as "a new heavens and a new earth, in which dwelleth righteousness".

To be continued.

The Framing of the World

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God took time to frame the world and to fit it for human habitation; time to give the world its necessary experience with evil; time to prepare for the advent of Christ as the world’s redeemer; time for the preparation of the church to share in his glorious reign; and time must be allowed for the shaping and adjusting of the individual affairs of all his people. God has not forgotten when the answers to our prayers seem to tarry long. He who heeds the sparrow’s fall and numbers the very hairs of our heads is not indifferent to the faintest call or the smallest necessity of his humblest child.

6. The End of the World

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He is one of the most famous men in history and the first of them all to live, celebrated in epic and legend, a subject of serious investigation on one hand and semi-humorous comment on the other, renowned as the man who built a ship in which to save his family when the rest of the world perished in a great flood. No other man has been the hero of a catastrophe so overwhelming that many refuse to believe that it ever happened, despite the physical evidences brought to light in modern times to the contrary.

The patriarch Noah was born six hundred years before the onset of the flood with which his name is forever associated. He was the son of Lamech, in the ninth generation from Adam the first man, but since the generations in those days were some two centuries apart that was a long time earlier. A remark by Lamech in Ge 5:29 is the only one recorded in all that long period when he said, at his sons birth, "this shall comfort us concerning our labor and toil of our hands because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed". It is evident that the human community, even after so long a span of subduing the uncultivated land outside the original Garden, was still finding the going hard. Perhaps Lamech was one of the earliest upon whom the prophetic spirit had been conferred and he knew by Divine inspiration that this child was destined to be a world deliverer. There is an old Jewish legend recorded several centuries before Christ which declares that when Noah was born he was such a strikingly beautiful child that his father Lamech was amazed and when the newborn babe immediately began to praise the God of heaven, Lamech straightaway went to his own father Methuselah for counsel. That worthy, being equally nonplused, journeyed to "the ends of the earth" to his own father Enoch with the problem. Enoch told him that because of the sin of the angels and the corruption of mankind, there would be a Deluge and great destruction for one year but that this babe Noah would be saved with his three sons and repopulate the earth. Just a legend, probably an example of the "religious fiction" of the times, but it does show the veneration with which the patriarch was regarded in later times.

Lamech died before his father Methuselah, thirty five years before the Flood. Methuselah himself ended his life of nine hundred and sixty-nine years, the longest recorded of any man, six years before that event. In the past, when the Masoretic chronology as presented in the Authorized Version was virtually unchallenged, he is presented as dying at the time of the Flood itself, and this led to a theory in the early years of this century by one Arthur Gook that the meaning of his name was "when he is dead, it shall be sent", referring to the Flood. Thus he was supposed to be a living warning to mankind of the imminence of judgment. The idea was based upon the Hebrew words muth, to die, and shalach, to send, thus meaning "dead—send", which is not very informative. In any case the Hebrew language did not exist until fifteen hundred years after his birth; if the name had any meaning at all it would have been in the antediluvian language, which is quite unknown. The earliest known language, about a thousand years after the Flood, would make the name mean "Man (or men) preaching peace which has a likeness to 2Pe 2:5 where Noah his grandson is said to have been a "preacher of righteousness". There may be some substance in the ancient insistence—outside the Book of Genesis—that Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah were all godly men; perhaps there was one ancestral line from Adam through Seth and Enos in which the true faith was never lost. In such case it might well be that with the death of Methuselah six years before the Flood, as given in the pre-Christian manuscripts, Noah and his sons were the only true believers left. That this was the case is inferred by the fact that none others but those were saved from the catastrophe.

Of the life of Noah during the first five hundred years nothing is known. The remark in Ge 5:32 that "Noah was five hundred years old and Noah begat Shem, Ham and Japheth" need only mean that at this age he concluded recording the genealogy which forms the subject of Ge 5 and passed on to the separate story of the angelic incursion and the subsequent Flood, in which his three sons were, with him, intimately concerned. Shem was born ninety-eight years before the flood and it is likely that Japheth was the eldest. Since all three were married at the time of the Flood they must have been, in accordance with the times, at least a hundred years of age to be old enough for parenthood. The one clue to a slightly earlier time in Noah’s life must lie in the cryptic statement in Ge 6:3 concerning the limitation on the life of "these men", whether men or "nephilim", to one hundred and twenty years. This would have been in the four hundred and eightieth year of Noahs life.

The "population explosion" previously referred to was now attaining fantastic proportions. On the basis previously referred to (Ch. 1 this series) that the average family throughout comprised twelve children born between the parents’ ages of 160 and 500, which is consistent with modern proportions, the number living two thousand years from the first pair would have been about six hundred thousand. A century later it would have attained a million and by the time of the Flood nearly one and a half millions would have experienced the disaster. Because of the very small number born during the first thousand years—not more than six hundred or so—the vast majority of the human race born to Adam were still alive at the time of the Flood. They would have been occupying an area perhaps two or three hundred miles each way, no larger than England. If sprung from one pair as stated in Genesis, the antediluvian world could have been no larger than this and so far as mankind was concerned could well have been limited to the area whose geographical location is well defined in Ge 3, modern Iraq and Arabia.

Noah himself may well have had children before the three whose names are mentioned. Shem, Ham and Japheth obviously were born at the close of the child-bearing period, Noah’s fourth century. He may well have had other children at an earlier time, but if so, they must have been unbelievers and uninterested in their father’s faith and activities. By this time they would have had families of their own. There were two more generations after Noah during the final four centuries, but of them nothing is recorded. All the emphasis at this point in the narrative is in the faith and obedience of Noah himself as he obeyed the Lord’s instructions.

So the stage was set for the final act in the drama. The Lord appeared to Noah and told him of the coming Flood and that only he himself, his three sons and their four wives would be saved. He was to build a vessel suitable to withstand the onset of the Deluge and bring into it specimens of all the local animals with sufficient food to sustain them whilst they were in the Ark. That turned out to be just over twelve months. Even by modern standards, the project was a colossal one. A structure five hundred and forty feet long, ninety wide and fifty-four high would daunt the design capabilities of even modern ship-builders. At least six thousand tons of timber would be needed for its construction and the fabrication of such a huge vessel which could be trusted to float without breaking its back as soon as placed in the water would have demanded technical skill of the highest order. There can be no doubt that the antediluvians had made considerable progress in the arts and sciences during that two thousand years.

The Lord gave Noah directions for the size of the Ark and some details of its interior structure but in fact a tremendous amount of professional calculation and design would have to be undertaken before a tool could be raised to fell the first tree. Even that would be a major task. The Hebrew text says it was to be made of "gopher" wood; a lot of time was spent by 19th century commentators trying to find out just what kind of wood that was. Lingual experts have found the answer, "Gopher" is the Hebrew transliteration of the Sumerian word "gipparu", meaning forest timber of any kind. This part of Genesis was originally written in the Sumerian language long before Abraham left Ur of the Chaldees. In his day, as now, the Euphrates! Tigris plain grew no trees except the date palm, but the Iranian mountains to the east were thickly forested with giant oaks and cedars. From here the timber was probably obtained for the Ark; even so, something like two or three thousand of those giant trees must have been felled, cut to size and transported perhaps a couple of hundred miles to the erection site before work could begin. The size of the Ark is known almost beyond dispute, being stated by Moses in Genesis as 300 cubits long by 30 high and 50 wide, naturally by the then Egyptian cubit of 21.6 inches, whereas the 8th BC century Assyrian tablet found by George Smith expresses it as 600 long by 60 high and 60 wide, by the original Sumerian cubit of 10.8 inches, both agreeing therefore on a length of 540 English feet. The difference in the figures given for the width is accounted for by the fact that the clay tablet inscriptions are easily defaced by handling after thousands of years’ burial in the ground. The Sumerian sign read by Smith as 60 only needed the obliteration of two small wedge shaped marks to have originally read 100 and so come into line with Genesis. (The figures on this tablet, during the early 20th century, have been entirely obliterated in this way; this is a common trouble with inscribed clay tablets). The actual size therefore was 540 English feet long by 54 high by 90 wide (or following Moses example and in deference to modern usage, 160 meters long by 16 high and 27 wide. The reference in Ge 7:20 to fifteen cubits probably indicates that the occupants found that the Ark was floating with one half of its height submerged and this in turn, since the loaded weight of a vessel is equal to the weight of water displaced, leads to the calculation that the loaded weight of the Ark was 27,000 tons. An approximate estimate indicates that probably about 6,000 tons of timber was used in its construction; the cargo therefore would amount to some 21,000 tons—much of it food for the occupants for twelve months, but also doubtless, in considerable degree all kinds of articles and materials wherewith to set up the normal activities of life when it was all over. There must have been some signs, in those closing days of the old world, that the forces of Nature were gathering strength for the final act. If the Valian thesis is correct in detail, the aerial canopy was now visibly moving towards the poles and tending to the catastrophic descent. The skies may not have been as clear as they are today but there would probably have been a noticeable difference. If so, it went unheeded, for Jesus is authority for the statement that "they knew not, until the flood came and took them all away". The preaching and warnings of Noah had gone unheeded. In a sense the position was as it is today, when after millenniums of human history during which Nature has remained relatively unaffected by man’s presence on earth, the present depopulation of its resources and pollution of land, sea and air is appreciably creating a condition in which life will become impossible. Such voices as are raised against this continuing process go unheeded and humanity proceeds to what would surely be the disappearance of the human race in measurable time if it were not that the imminence of the Divine Kingdom on earth will arrest the process and create a new order in which Nature will come into her own. Said Jesus, in talking of his Advent and the conditions on earth which herald the Advent "except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved..., but those days shall be shortened". (Mt 24:22)

And so at last, the work was finished and the Ark stood waiting. There must have been a great deal of scoffing and ridicule on the part of those who had witnessed the progress of the work over the term of years. No one else believed; no one else had any faith in God. "Thee I have seen righteous in this generation" said the Lord to Noah. (Ge 7:1) That word was spoken during the six years following the death of Methuselah, who could have been the last God-fearing man of the old world apart from Noah and his sons. Had there been any others they would have been saved. But there were no others.

So they went in, and all was silent. There is some element of doubt how long they waited. According to Ch. 7: 1 the Lord told them to come into the Ark because in seven days’ time the Flood would come. In verse 23 it is stated that it came "the selfsame day" that they went in. The two statements can be harmonized by assuming that they were given seven days’ notice to complete their preparations and get inside. Obviously the storage of goods and provisions would have been completed—several thousand tons of such would require weeks of work—and probably the animals were safely installed and being looked after. An analysis of the story shows that the wild carnivorous animals, called in the Wot. "beasts of the earth" or "beasts of the field" were not taken in. They survived on the surrounding mountains, untouched by the Flood. Those in the Ark were the "behemah", the mainly domestic and herbivorous animals, called "cattle" in the O.T. They need not have been so numerous or extensive as is popularly supposed. Perhaps it was that at the last minute the Lord gave the signal, and that this is the meaning of the expression in 7: 18 "the Lord shut him in".

And the jeering, scoffing, unbelieving crowds, tired of gazing upon the silent structure with its closed door, went back to their eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying and giving in marriage, and knew not.... Until....

The End!!

In the Beginning God Created

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"Through faith we understand that the worlds came into being and still exist at the command of God.". (Heb 11:3) Man is not responsible for the existence of the earth. lt revolved in space long before it was leased out to his race. Were it not under the control of a merciful and wise Intelligence, it could be shaken like a paper bag and there would be few men left. The things men have built upon it would quickly disappear, but the earth itself on its strong foundations abides forever. Such is the difference between God and man, the Infinite immortal and the finite mortal.

"In the beginning God created". The words are addressed to the readers of faith. There is no long speculation on spontaneous combustion, no scientific dissertation on a slow and complicated evolution of species from red-hot lava or dead matter, to animate, intelligent existence. In the beginning God! From that great source of invisible power came the visible. Globe, vegetation, the animal kingdom and man were God-made. The same power keeps them going, holding the earth in its place. Not the earth only but the whole vast, mysterious universe, the work of his fingers, are upheld by the word of his power.

Beside all this awe-inspiring grandeur what is man, "the microbe seeded on a sixpence" as one of his more jocular students of the skies has been pleased to describe him? The Word of God describes him in rather more gracious terms as "created a little lower than the angels". Faith accepts this statement as defining the true status of man in the ranks of living creatures. Man, made upright in the image of God. God, for the first time in his works of creation, allied to flesh and blood the Divine parent of a human race. Searching for the springs of life the scientist looks first in primeval mud, then to the apes, then to the stars, exalting his evolved creature to a place in the heavens. Faith sees man fallen from his first estate, a little lower than the angels. It is not interested in space but in salvation, the only means by which man and the earth may be restored, reconciled with the Maker of both to their original beauty and harmony.

Science has produced enough power to destroy the earth and its contents. God safeguards the earth from any such calamity. He will save the race whose welfare he has watched through many ages, for whom He has made such bountiful provision. Man must come face to face with his Maker on his own doorstep, not in the heavens nor in the haunted swamps of the dinosaurs, but on the earth where he belongs. The intelligent, responsible human being, minted out of the dust of the earth, beautifully formed and mentally endowed with superior qualities, to rule a flourishing productive planet must attain the ideal of God’s purpose.

This is faith’s answer to the fears and perplexities of the modern world. The kingdom of God is beauty, peace and perfection. Through much tribulation shall the earth and her peoples enter that kingdom, but enter it they will and must, because God has spoken the word.

The Power which produced order out of chaos, the Voice which commanded light and rebuked the oceans, which put living creatures in every part of the globe, adapting them to their places, will at a fore-known hour rebuke evil. The tumults of man will cease and the earth will enjoy her rest. Because faith understands that He made the earth for his own purposes, that He produced man from its various elements, that He has kept faith with the human race, it accepts with full assurance of faith that he will complete that purpose. "As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord".

The Dawn of the Millennial Morning

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The brethren are not in the darkness respecting the dawn of the Millennial morning, and they rejoice in the inspired testimony that, although "weeping may endure for the night (of sin’s predominance), joy cometh in the morning" of the great day of the Lord. And as the dawn of the new day, the day of Christ, becomes more and more distinct, many besides the brethren can and do see signs that "the night is far spent and the day is at hand"; and by and by, notwithstanding the dark clouds and terrible storm of trouble that will temporarily hide the signs of morning from them, all the world will awake to the fact that "the morn at last is breaking".

Woe is unto me, If I preach not the Gospel

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"Woe is unto me, if I preach not the Gospel". (1Co 9:16) The life story of the Apostle Paul is testimony to the passionate conviction with which he penned these words to the Corinthian Church. Just as fraught with meaning as his other declaration of similar import "for me to live is Christ", enshrining his fixed determination to proclaim abroad throughout his life the evangel he found on the Damascus road. The Christian faith is a missionary religion and without the evangelical fervor that leads its devotees to proclaim aloud by every means within their power the message they have received, that faith becomes a sterile and useless thing. The man who serves the Lord Christ merely to ensure his own eternal salvation and has no heed for others who also need the message is likely to find himself in the company of those others when, at the last, our Lord makes up the personnel of that devoted company which is to constitute the "ministry of reconciliation", (2Co 5:18-20) his instrument for the conversion of the world in the Millennial Age now so evidently close at hand.

There is a maxim which was quoted more frequently a couple of generations ago than it is today: "the Christian community which loses the missionary spirit signs its own death warrant". History testifies to its truth. More than one quite notable reform in the Christian world, having its rise around the person of some celebrated preacher or evangelist, has grown and prospered in the power of a significant advance in the understanding of Christian truth, a significantly clearer and deeper understanding of the Divine Plan and perhaps the importance of the times in which they live. The impulse to spread the message—and perhaps success in winning the interest and support of the many who become adherent in their turn—evokes an enthusiasm and creates a fellowship which then becomes a force in the Christian world which for a term of years plays an important part in the onward development of Christian truth.

But that generation passes, with its leaders, and its successor in its turn. And now the pioneers have nearly all gone to their Lord, and the third knows of the battles and labors—and the success and triumphs—of those days only by repute. Then comes the fourth generation, born long after the first fresh enthusiasm has run its course and subsided and that fourth cannot even visualize the zeal and euphoria which characterized the first. So the movement becomes quieter, more addicted to submerging the original emphasis upon complete and utter consecration to the Lord’s Cause to a position below the other interests of this life—career, family, spare-time pursuits. And because this is more characteristic of the denominations generally, they begin to recede into that same background and forget—if they ever understood the advance in Divine revelation which created the fellowship which they inherited. And so the lamp goes out in the Temple of God, because Eli has gone to sleep.

But always there is Samuel, resolute and eager to maintain and hold aloft the light which galvanized those early pioneers to do the work they did. Though the love of many wax cold, as our Lord said it would; though the great deeds of the past and the proclamation of the message which was once shouted from the house-tops be heard now only in muted guise, there still remain those who once caught the vision and gave themselves in utter devotion to the furtherance of that gospel, the gospel of the kingdom, which Jesus said must be proclaimed in all the world for a witness before the end could come. These are they who can say with Jeremiah the prophet of Israel in a day which was so frighteningly similar to the day in which we now live "his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up within my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay". (Jer 20:9) Though all Israel reject his message—and they did he was determined to proclaim it to the end and he did. And in the end he was vindicated, for what the Lord had commissioned him to declare came to pass. That outcome was to Israel’s dismay but a vindication of the progress of the Divine Plan and of the prophet.

Today, more than ever, we need the spirit of Jeremiah. He began his course as a young man of perhaps twenty-five under good king Josiah when the people were true worshiper. He lived through the reigns of four successive bad kings and saw Israel desolated at the last. But he never lost faith. Like him in spirit, we today are called to continue, without faltering, the proclamation of the word which is in our hearts: "Christ is Lord; the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England

Chairman: A. O. HUDSON (Milborne Port)

Editor & Secretary: D.NADAL (Nottingham)

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New feature for 1995.

The serial feature "Zechariah Prophet of the Restoration" which has appeared in the "Monthly" for the past two years, will reach its conclusion at the end of 1995. Parallel with this there will be a reprint of the series "The Mission of Jonah" which appeared some twenty-five years ago and is perhaps ripe for a new generation of readers. As is usual with such reprints dealing with ancient history, the presentation will include a few revisions of the original treatise to take account of new facts coming to light since that treatise was written. The "Tower of Babel". This serial feature was concluded in the November/December issue of the "Monthly" but due to an adverse circumstance a modern photograph of the present-day remains of the Tower which was intended to be displayed failed to be available in time for inclusion. The photograph therefore is included on page 19 of this issue and perhaps will afford an impression of the reality of the story which could not have been done so effectively in any other way.

"The Almighty—the Eternal".

A treatise published fifteen years ago under this title, which attracted much interest at that time, is now available as a 40-page booklet, and will be sent upon request. The booklet deals in depth with the relationship between the Father and the Son from the purely Scriptural standpoint and may suggest lines of thought unfamiliar to students who find orthodox theology on this subject not altogether satisfying.* **

Literature List.

A list of all available literature can be had on request and readers are reminded that all our publications are sent free of charge and post free, on the principle that the ministry of the Christian gospel should be "without money and without price". It is held, and the experience of many years has testified to its truth, that if our Lord wishes a particular ministry to continue and prosper He will stir the hearts of some of his followers to make it financially possible, and so all may benefit irrespective of individual financial abilities. Conversely, if He does not so make provision, this must be taken as an indication that in His wisdom it is time for that particular service for Him to close down and He turns to another corner of His vineyard.

This may be the right point to remind readers that all contributors to the funds may receive a copy of the audited annual accounts at the end of the year upon request.

***

A correction

—especially for U.S.A. readers. A U.S.A. journal, "Bible Students Newsletter", to our knowledge read by one circle of our readers, contains in its Fall (Autumn) 1994 issue an account of a tombstone in the form of a pyramid in the town cemetery at Yeovil, England, relative to William Hallett, died 1921, bearing a wealth of Scripture quotations. It is said, mistakenly, that the present Editor of the "Monthly" was acquainted with this William Hallett and will be writing a book on the early history of the Yeovil group of Bible Students with which he was associated. This is not so; the present editor never met or knew this William Hallett and has little or no knowledge of his period, although he was acquainted with his two sons in later years; but they also have long since departed this life, and to the date of this notice no one has been traced who can throw further light on this relic of the past. If such does become known it will be communicated to our friends of the "Newsletter" for their interest and possible use. It will be futile therefore for anyone having seen the "Newsletter" account to apply to us for copies of the hypothetical book.

The Night is Far Spent-The Day is at Hand

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"The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light". (Ro 13:12)

The beginning of a New Year is an appropriate time mentally to view the dawn of a new era, a new world, the world of righteousness of Divine promise. The receding of the longer nights, the promise of longer days, brighter days, evokes an anticipation of better things to come, a lifting up of hearts and a looking forward to the future. That is what the Apostle had in mind when he penned these words; but he was not just talking about the changing seasons. Something of which the evolution of night into day was but a symbol, a shadow, an illustration. "It is high time to awake out of sleep" he urged "for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed". No matter how long or short a time measures out the period any of us can count as the span of our discipleship, it is an unassailable fact that the duration of our earthly pilgrimage is less now—perhaps considerably less—than it was when we started. And Paul adds a proviso that, although short, is pungent with meaning. "Knowing the time" he says. We know the day is at hand because we are awake; many do not know it because they are still asleep, and so although they share in the benefits of the new day when they do awake and it has already started they miss the glory of the sunrise. Jesus used that simile when, talking of his own Advent, He said "As the radiance" (lightening, lightning)"cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, even so shall the coming" (parousia—presence) "of the Son of man be". (Mt 24:27) Was He thinking, when He uttered those words, of the vivid picture drawn by the prophet Isaiah, illustrative of the same event, expressed against the background of the prophet’s own day, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy Rising".(isa 60:1-3)

But so many wake up early, while it is yet dark, and failing to perceive the incipient signs of early dawn, turn over and go to sleep again. And so they miss the dawn altogether and when they do wake up again it is already full day. Against the background of the Apostle’s words, that’s often so sadly true of the one-time enlightened believer who waits and watches for his Lord’s coming. Said the Apostle again, writing to the Thessalonians, "Ye are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch, and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night; but let us, who are of the day, be sober".. (1Th 5:4-8) The constant exhortation of the Lord to His disciples, and through those disciples to we who succeed them, to be watchful in looking and waiting for His promised return, is in itself a warning against wearying of waiting and consequently a slackening of watching and so finally that lamentable conclusion expressed by the unfaithful servant pictured by Jesus "my Lord delayeth his coming". And that at the very time when the testimony of the outward signs which He said would indicate that the ending of night and the dawning of day should be so conclusive to the observant disciple that there could be doubt no longer. That was the gist of Paul’s insistence "the night is far spent; the day is at hand". The foolish virgins in the parable missed the wedding feast not because of lack of love and devotion to the bridegroom, or appreciation of the invitation to the wedding. but because, at the crucial moment, after waiting a while, which seemed too long a time to wait, they went to sleep again.

Is the simile of "going to sleep" too strong a one to fit every case? Many there must be—many there certainly are—who are as ardently desirous of His coming to establish His kingdom as any, and yet are not convinced that the time is ripe. It is not such who can rightfully be accused of saying "my Lord delayeth his coming", not such who are included in the category of those whom Peter speaks when he says "There shall come in the last days scoffers, saying, where is the evidence of is presence, for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as from the beginning of creation".. (2Pe 3:1-2) The certitude that now is the time, these days in which we live are indeed and in truth the "Last Days", that the powers of Heaven are in fact now working, bringing the affairs of this world to an end in preparation for the powers of the next, is born either from the claimed indications of Bible chronology, which in the past has oft times not fulfilled the expectations claimed for it, or upon correlation of the current condition and trend of world affairs, political ecclesiastical, financial, ecological, with the foreviews given by Jesus himself two thousand years ago, and this can be much more illuminating. The true basis for a sound faith in the surety of the promise lies not in the prediction of a stated event at a point of time twenty, forty, a hundred years hence. It resides in the truth enunciated by our Lord to the unbelieving Pharisees "Ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" To relate the condition of the world in which one lives and the direction in which it is heading to the onward sweep of the Divine Plan as it is outlined in the Scriptures is the surest base for perceiving that the time has come and the expected is happening.

And here is the force of the basic simile "The night is far spent; the day is at hand". The night begins to give place to the coming day perceptibly before the full blaze of meridian day illuminates the world. A light in the eastern sky—the taking shape of objects which in the darkness of night were only dimly seen or not seen at all. Clearer and sharper as the light grows stronger unto meridian day shows them up in all their perfection. The Lord comes "as a thief" —it has been justly observed that a thief does not blow a trumpet to announce his arrival. Only he who is awake and watchful is conscious of His presence; all others are asleep. And yet a time comes when "every eye shall see Him", when the fact of His presence is so patently obvious that no one in all the world is oblivious to the fact. "Watchman, what of the night?" was the call recorded by Isaiah all those centuries ago. "The morning appeareth, but it is yet dark" was the response as rendered in one version. The priestly watchmen, waiting on the roof of the Temple for the approaching dawn, were the first to see the signs of the coming sunrise over the eastern mountains and announced the fact to their fellows below, waiting to commence the morning sacrifice, whilst the rest of the world was still asleep.

So should we, entering a New Year with all the unknown happenings and experiences as yet unrevealed, see in the fast fading night and the ever broadening day the pattern of our Christian experience, and, too, our expectation of the revelation of our Lord. Every eye shall see Him—do they as yet? That question is easily answered. The world "lieth in the Wicked One" as John put it, and increasingly so as time goes on. He is not yet revealed to them. But He comes as a thief, so we detect a thief-like approach, an aspect in which the powers of Heaven are quietly working in world affairs diverting and bringing them to that focus which results in "the kings of the earth, and their armies" and all the powers of this world, finding themselves in unison together facing the "Rider on the White Horse and his armies" in that final battle which results in the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdom of our Lord; "and He shall reign for ever and ever". That is when every eye shall see Him and as Isaiah, again, exultantly proclaims, they will cry out "Lo, THIS is our God. We have waited for him, and He will save us. We will rejoice and be glad in His salvation". (Isa 25: 9) But mark this well, the last members of His Church will not witness that great sequel from this earth, for they with all their fellows of past ages will be in those armies which follow Him at that appearing, partakers with Him of the glory of the celestial. That is when the victorious Lord is pictured as binding Satan, that he should deceive the nations no more. That is the full dawn of the thousand-year era of world conversion and restoration, when there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor sighing, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. The night will be finally gone; the day will have come.

What can I wish that this week may bring to me? A few friends who understand me, and yet remain my friends. A work to do which has real value, without which the world would feel poorer... an understanding heart... a story of something beautiful the hand of man has made... a little leisure and the patience to wait for the coming of these things, with the wisdom to know them when they come.

The prayer of a great sailor, Sir Francis Drake, could well be ours: "O Lord God, when Thou givest to Thy servants to endeavor any great matter, grant us to know that it is not the beginning but the continuing of the same, until it is thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory." So we go back to normal with stronger resolutions.

Jonah

Chapter 1. Running away from God

The prophet who ran away

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The great ship lay by the quayside, rising and dipping on the slow Mediterranean swell. Men thronged her deck carrying bales of merchandise and boxes of goods to be stowed away in the capacious hold. Her bearded Phoenician captain stood on the quay arguing volubly with the merchant whose goods he was about to transport overseas, interrupting himself now and then to shout hoarse instructions to the laborers staggering across the gangway with their loads. The blue sea, with its fringe of golden sand, the white houses of Joppa, and the green hills behind the town formed a picture of rare loveliness. The great waves rolled in from the ocean, flinging white spray over the jutting rocks which lay beyond the stone pier, lifting the ship gently as they passed under her keel, and raced in glistening foam across the flat beach. The hot sun bathed the beach in a vivid white glare, the stone paving slabs reflecting the heat and causing little eddies and swirls of hot air to rise quivering here and there.

Into that bustle and confusion came Jonah the prophet of Gath-hepher, fleeing from his mission and his God. "Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD."

The simple sincerity of the story is a witness to its truth. Was ever flagrant defiance of God’s command recorded with such candor and frankness? No attempt to excuse the action; no plea of justification or extenuation; just a plain, unimpassioned statement that this man, commissioned to perform a specific duty in a stipulated place, deliberately ignored the command and sought to make its fulfilment impossible by taking himself off to the other end of the world!

Jonah came from Gath-hepher, in Galilee, three miles from Nazareth. The only mention of him outside the book which bears his name is in 2Ki 14:24-27 which records his prediction that Israel would recover possession of certain lost territories, which prediction came true in

the reign of Jeroboam II. It is possible that Jonah lived shortly before that time, not long after the death of Elisha, and this would point to a date about 800 B.C. He might even, in his youth, been one of the "sons of the prophets", disciples of Elisha, sharing that stalwart old warrior’s life in Galilee and the Jordan valley. Such an environment would surely be the place for God to find a man for His purpose. Galileans were proverbially fiercely patriotic and fearless in their loyalty to God. That Jonah himself was not without courage is testified by the later events in the story. Why then did he make up his mind to flee to Tarshish? It was not that he was afraid of the mission. He was too true a prophet for that. Nor did he expect that by fleeing to Tarshish he would be out of the sight of his God. He knew God too well for that. Neither could it have been altogether national prejudice, reluctance to take the good news of God to an alien people, for his attitude to the crew of the ship, most of whom must have been non-Israelites, betokens a consideration for their safety even at the cost of his own life which speaks volumes. A man willing to give his life for Gentiles must surely have been willing to preach the righteousness of God to Gentiles.

The motive underlying Jonah’s flight can only be understood in the light of the dread with which Israel regarded the Assyrian people, whose capital city was Nineveh. The Assyrians were the most cruel and ruthless people of antiquity; wherever their victorious armies appeared there followed ruin, desolation, suffering and death. Their unfortunate captives were treated with every imaginable form of barbarity, and those of the people who escaped torture or death were transported long distances into strange lands, there to eat out their hearts in fruitless longing for the homeland they would never see again. Under the Assyrians nearly a century after Jonah’s day, the "Ten Tribes" were taken into the captivity from which they never returned.

At the time of Jonah the Assyrian empire was in a very unstable condition. It was threatened on the north by the Medes and Scythians and on the south by the Persians. The three great rulers. Tiglath-Pileser, Sargon, and Sennacherib, who are mentioned in the Old Testament, had not yet arisen to restore Assyrian greatness, and the golden days of its earlier power had passed away. During the period in question the rulers of Assyria were undistinguished men occupied with internal troubles and revolutions, and powerful enemies on the north and northeast frontiers. In consequence, Israel was enjoying a time of rest from oppression, and a hope that Assyria would never recover her former power to ravage and destroy as she had done; they prayed that these troubles and tumults might culminate in the destruction of Assyria. With their fixed belief in the ultimate triumph of righteousness, they were sure that Assyria and its great city of Nineveh must inevitably come into the judgment and be overthrown when it had filled up the measure of its wickedness and they longed earnestly for the day to come. The Prophet Nahum, who lived near Nineveh nearly two hundred years after Jonah’s death, gave voice to this longing in vivid fashion: "God is jealous, and the LORD revengeth; the LORD revengeth and is furious; the LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies... with an overrunning flood He will make an utter end of the place thereof and darkness shall pursue His enemies..... Woe to the city of blood! it is aIl full of lies and robbery... There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous; all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap their hands over thee; for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?"

Jonah, sharing in these sentiments with all the depths of his passionate nature, was appalled at receiving the Divine commission to go and preach repentance to the Ninevites. On one hand he had cause for rejoicing in that their wickedness had come up before God, that the time had come when destruction must be meted out—the destruction for which every true son of Israel longed. On the other hand, suppose his preaching was successful and Nineveh repented! What then? Jonah knew his God well enough to realize that He takes no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, but is ever willing for the sinner to turn from his evil way and live. (Eze 18:31-32) The threatened doom of Assyria could be averted by national repentance, and he, Jonah, would have been the means of that repentance. There would be no vengeance exacted for all the innocent blood which had been spilt in Israel by the Assyrians; moreover, they would survive as a nation and might easily return to their old ways and inflict fresh suffering on Israel. Jonah shrank from going to Nineveh, not because he was afraid of failure, but because he was afraid of success. He knew that God would be gracious and he could not bear that knowledge.

There was only one thing to be done. He must go away; must put as great a distance as possible between himself and Nineveh; make the execution of the commission a physical impossibility, so that God might have time to think again, and relent, and inflict upon the Assyrians the punishment they so richly deserved. In any case, if he did not go to Nineveh, they would not have the message. If they did not have the message, they would not repent. If they did not repent, God would most assuredly visit his judgment upon them. So Jonah resolved to flee unto Tarshish.

Tarshish was a mystery land to the ancients. The tribes of Dan and of Zebulun—in whose territory Gath-hepher was situated—knew all the stories about Tarshish. Dwelling as they did close to Tyre and Sidon, the cities of the Phoenicians, they could not but become involved in much that appertained to that nation of merchants. They were themselves, many of them, seafarers, joining with the Phoenicians in their voyages to the ends of the earth, and this maritime connection of these tribes is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. (Ge 49:13 Jud 5:17 Eze 27:19) Those seafarers brought back marvelous stories of the wonders beyond the seas, of the Pillars of Hercules (the twin rocks of Gibraltar and Ceuta) sentinels at the gateway to the Western Ocean (the Atlantic) through which none but Phoenicians knew the way, of the Golden Islands (the Azores), the Sea of Mud—now called the Sargasso Sea—into which ships, penetrating, became fast and never returned, and in the mysterious north, the Tin Islands—Great Britain source of the rare metal which meant so much in the making of tools and other goods. The Canaanites and Israelites listened with awe to these wonderful tales and never tired of watching the loaded merchant vessels set out on their long journeys to the west. "Ships of Tarshish" they called them, irrespective of their actual destination, and it is by that name they are referred to repeatedly in the Old Testament. Any large ocean-going vessel was a "ship of Tarshish" and Tarshish as a name defined any of the far distant lands, unknown to all save the Phoenicians, to which their trading vessels penetrated. From the list of goods they brought back, recorded in the Old Testament and elsewhere, ranging from African ivory and apes to British tin and Baltic amber, it would seem that, for vessels plying from Joppa and the Phoenician ports of Tyre and Sidon, Tarshish was the general name given to the lands lying outside the Straights of Gibraltar—western Africa, the Azores, the West Indies and South America, Western Spain and southern Britain. Since Britain was a land with which a regular and heavy trade was conducted, it is by no means improbable that the ship upon which the prophet embarked on that fateful day was actually bound for our own shores. Had that wonderful intervention of God not taken place, Jonah might well have ended his days among the ancient tin miners of Cornwall or the shepherds of the South Downs.

So it was that the captain turned from his discussion with the merchant to find a stranger waiting for an opportunity to bargain a passage on his ship. It would be no unusual request; in days when passenger ships were unknown and travelers not numerous, it would be possible to make the journey only in some such manner. Quite often the would-be passenger was a fugitive fleeing from justice or from the wrath of some powerful man; provided the passage money was good and the applicant willing to make himself useful on the voyage, there would be no awkward questions asked. Jonah evidently had anticipated this and had a sufficient sum with him to meet the captains demand, for we are told in verse 3 that he "paid the fare thereof upon boarding the ship. It is unlikely that a fixed tariff existed for such journeys, as would be implied by our own usage of the word "fare", but rather that a little bargaining took place. An agreement having been reached, Jonah would be free to go aboard.

Jonah had perhaps seen ships of Tarshish at the ports of Tyre and Sidon so near his own home, but this was probably the first time that he had set foot on one. Surely he hesitated before crossing the gangway! Up to now there had been opportunity for repentance and a turning back to execute his mission. Once the ship had sailed there could be no turning back. Rightly or wrongly, he must go on, away and still farther away from his mission and his God. What thoughts possessed his mind at that moment we do not know—only that he stepped on board with unshaken resolution to "go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD".

We are indebted to the world of engineering research rather than to classical or Biblical scholarship for our knowledge of ancient ships. The academic scholar thinks largely in terms of kings and battles, and ignores such things as houses and ships and the lives of common men. But in consequence of the labors of research workers interested from a technical point of view there is quite a mass of detailed knowledge available regarding the ships of the ancients (Torr’s "Ancient Ships" is perhaps the best authority on the subject). It is likely that the ship upon which Jonah set foot was a typical Phoenician merchant galley. Built especially for carrying merchandise, such galleys were about two hundred feet long and rose some forty feet from water-line to deck. The bow and stern were curved upwards another ten or fifteen feet, the bow ending in a carved figurehead. One tall and immensely strong mast, rising from the center, carried a spar supporting a great square sail. There were sometimes one or two smaller masts with sails. The mainsail was relied upon when the wind was available, manipulated by means of ropes handled by men called in Hebrew chobbelim, meaning "rope-men" (the ‘pilots’ of Eze 27). The Mediterranean, however, is a sea where there is sometimes no wind for day’s together, and therefore no vessel equipped only with sails could rely on making steady progress.

Oars were therefore employed in addition to sails. In a ship of this type there could be as many as a hundred thirty-foot oars, requiring three hundred rowers, sitting on benches immediately beneath the main deck. It would be down amongst these rowers, if not, indeed, below them, with the cargo, that Jonah was found fast asleep during the storm. The ship was steered by means of two long paddles, fastened one at each side, at the stern, and not by rudder as in modern vessels. Somewhere near the stern there was also fixed a paddle wheel device by means of which the distance traveled could be ascertained. According to records of actual ship performances which have been left by ancient writers, such a vessel could do seven knots (eight miles per hour) and the average daily rate was five knots (nearly six miles per hour). It was customary to hug the coast, keeping within sight of land, for as much of the voyage as was possible, and to cast anchor when darkness fell, resuming the journey on the following morning. Under these conditions the voyage from Joppa to Britain would occupy four or five months.

And now there is growing excitement amongst the small crowd of people on shore. The loading of the ship has been completed and the crew are going aboard, ready for their long journey. It may be eighteen months before they see the homeland again. Here comes a crowd of swarthy Phoenicians who have been to offer propitiatory sacrifices in the Temple of Dagon up on the hill in the middle of the town. Dagon will ensure them a favorable voyage and good trading. A knot of Israelites and Hittites, also members of the crew, have been to Baal for the same purpose—for, alas! the worship of Baal was all too common in Israel in those dark days. And here come three men with light complexions, fair hair and blue eyes, to take their places among the rowers. They are Britons, fresh from offering to the British god Lud, a great deity indeed in their own far-off land, with a temple on a hill destined in later years to be known, in his memory, as Ludgate Hill, but an unknown god indeed in this land of Dagon and Chemosh and Baal and Ashtaroth. Therefore they had no temple in Joppa in which to worship Lud, but a small shrine in a corner of the quay on which they had placed their tribute and trusted that he would take them back safely to their own land.

The captain had already made his private offering to Dagon, as befitted a respectable member of the community. He was probably a man who had knocked about the world a good deal and seen many religions and forms of worship, and reserved the right to be liberal about them all. His words to Jonah a few hours later give the impression that he placed all gods on a more or less equal footing and was prepared to judge by results. Probably his chief concern was to see that none of the gods had been omitted from their share of the usual observances, so that he could put to sea without apprehension that any of them thus slighted would show his displeasure by some form of disaster.

Jonah’s fellow passengers came aboard: let us suppose, two prosperous Carthaginian merchants returning home to Carthage; a Government official on a political mission to the same city; a shifty-looking Hittite who was evidently glad to get away from the country and would quickly make himself scarce at the first port of call. The captain, glancing with practiced eye at sea and sky, took his stand at the stern and gave the order to cast off. Mooring ropes were quickly thrown ashore; a signal made to the towing boats riding on the waves far ahead, and as the men in them bent to their oars, the tow-ropes tautened and the great ship began to glide away from the land.

The mallachim—literally "ocean-sailors"—stood around the sides with long sweeps wherewith to ward the slowly moving vessel away from the treacherous rocks which run out to sea at Joppa. Two more stood in the bows waiting for the captain’s gestures, signaling in turn to the rowboats ahead; the steersman bore heavily first on one steering paddle and then on the other, while the rowers waited with their long oars held close to the vessel’s sides and the rope-men for their time to hoist the great sail.

The rocks were cleared. A final signal, and the towing ropes slackened and were cast off. The three small boats turned and began riding the billows on their way back to shore. A word of command, a hundred oars flashed in the sunlight and dipped into the water with a quick splash; the mainsail unfolded steadily and billowed out in the wind; the ship turned her nose to the west and began to plough her way through the open sea. Jonah’s voyage had begun.

The sandy beach, the white houses, the low green hills of Joppa faded into the distance and were gone. To the left, as Jonah leaned over the stern of the ship, rose the bluff headland of Mount Carmel. It was there that Elijah not so long ago, had slain the priests of Baal and then himself most unaccountably run away into Sinai. But he had gone back. For Jonah there could be no going back. For the sake of his people, he was deliberately going into exile. "It is expedient," he may have thought, "that one man should die for the people and the whole nation perish not." What kind of life lay before him he did not know. He only knew that the pleasant land of Israel, with its tender associations and stirring history, was gone from his sight for ever, that for the sake of the people, and to ensure the coming of Divine judgment upon the Assyrians, he must stay away and never come again into a position where he could be called upon to go and preach repentance to Nineveh.

So the afternoon wore on, until at last Carmel itself disappeared below the horizon. The rope-men sang their sea-shanties as they manipulated the great sail to get the best out of the scanty wind, the monotonous call of the oar-master was echoed by the grunt of the rowers as they bent to their task, and the ship quivered and shook as she steadily made her way onwards into the west—on to Tarshish.

And Jonah, worn out by fatigue and grief, shrinking from the companionship and the conversation of his fellow voyagers, made his way below deck into a secluded part of the vessel, and there, alone with his heartache, found peace at last in the kindly arms of Sleep.(to be continued)

The Sundial of Ahaz

"So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down". (Isa 38:8)

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The story of the sun’s shadow going backwards on the "sundial of Ahaz" in the days of Hezekiah is well known and the most likely explanation—that the phenomenon was caused by the emergence of the Shekinah light from the Temple, "brighter than the sun at noon-day", has already been published in these columns. An alternative possibility was suggested a century ago by one Benjamin Scott, F.R.A.S. in the words "The going back of the shadow on the dial has repeatedly been noticed, even in the present (19th) century. It is dependent, not on astronomical, but on meteorological causes. The shadow is not invariably dependent upon the position of the sun, but upon the brightest point of light in the sky. If when the sun nears the western horizon a dark impenetrable cloud covers the orb, the shadow will be cast by the bright silver lining of

the cloud, which may be near the zenith, and the shadow will repeat nearly a quarter of the circle, in the present (19th) century an instance is recorded by the Canon of Metz Cathedral. In the case under consideration, the object was the satisfaction of Hezekiah that the promise made to him was from God. The prophet is accordingly directed to foretell, as a sign, a natural phenomenon which was about to occur".

It might be remarked that this is likely to be of comparatively frequent occurrence and so unlikely to constitute a "sign" to the observers; the cause of the phenomenon would be discernible by anyone and there would be nothing remarkable about it. Something quite out of the usual was required, a happening only explainable as an instance of Divine intervention; the sudden shining of the Shekinah from the Temple, its brilliance temporarily eclipsing the sun and blotting out the shadow on the "steps of Ahaz", would well explain the occurrence.

"....always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus... for we... are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake. .. so then death worketh in us, but life in you". (2Co 4:1-12) It was a case of Paul putting Paul to death, for his brethren’s benefit, that life, and strength might be induced in them. It was the life’s-blood of Paul that became the quickener, the energizer of these, his dear brethren in the Lord. When other men might be taking life leisurely, yea, when many of his brethren were taking life easily, Paul was intensively seeking ways and means of putting himself at the service of these believers, hoping thereby to produce spiritual energy in his brethren. Persecution might stop some men, but not this seasoned warrior perplexities might daunt less determined men but not this unconquerable spirit—"On every side pressed hard, but not hemmed in, without a way, but not without a by-way; pursued but not abandoned, thrown down, but not destroyed. At all times the putting to death of Jesus, in our body bearing about." That is Rotherham’s beautiful translation of Paul’s intensive words, as he describes what it means for him to serve his Corinthian brethren.

Bible Questions

What is the meaning of "shutteth up his bowels of compassion" in 1Jo 3:17, "If any bowels and mercies" in Php 2:1, and similar texts?

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A.the word had a different meaning in Apostolic days to that which is its general use to-day. Anatomically, it meant the vital organs, the heart, lungs and liver; metaphorically was denoted the tender affections, love, sympathy, kindness, etc. (much as to-day the heart is regarded as the seat of the affections). There are two instances where the word is translated in this manner, in 2Co 7:15 ." His inward affection is more abundant toward me", and Lu 1:78, "through the tender mercy of our God whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us". If the occurrences where it is translated "bowels" be examined it will be seen that in all instances save one, (Ac 1:18) the reference is to this inner feeling of compassion and tenderness. (see 2Co 6:12 Php 1:8 2:1) The same word used in its verbal form is rendered "moved with compassion" in Mt 9:36 14:14 18:27; and "had compassion" in Mt 15:32 20:34 Mr 8:2.

There is a link, too, with the Old Testament. In the Levitical types the "inward parts" of the sacrifice, the heart and the other organs, were offered up on the altar "a sweet savor unto God"; it has been pointed out that this symbolizes the heart’s best endeavors and affections, given to God. Now this same word translated "bowels", splagchna, was the term used by the Greeks to denote this sacrifice of the inward parts of animals, having the same idea in mind. We can say therefore that the "inward parts" represents our hearts’ best affections, manifested toward each other and to our Lord, offered up to our Heavenly Father in sincere consecration of life in His service and the service of His people.

Q. If the flood story is literal how did Noah feed the carnivorous (flesh eating) animals the twelve months they were in the Ark?

A. There is every reason to think that Noah did not take any carnivorous animals into the Ark. Popular belief pictured lions and tigers in the voyage but examination of the Genesis text does not bear this out. There are distinct and separate Hebrew terms for predatory and non-predatory animals. Domestic cattle, sheep, etc. are almost invariably from tson, migneh or behemah, the latter word also applying to wild grazing animals, and in the A.V. these words are normally rendered "cattle" or "beast" the latter word without further qualification. Predatory animals are referred to as "beast of the field", "beast of the earth", "beast of the forest", "wild beast" or "evil beast", in all but a few cases from chaiyah which means "living creature". In about a dozen instances "beast" appears without any qualification and in such cases refers to a grazing animal.

Seven times in the narrative reference is made to the animals taken into the Ark and in no instance are the terms for predatory animals used. "Cattle" and "beast" from behemah, " beast" and "living thing" from chaiyah, " creeping things" from remes—this refers to small ground animals such as rodents, lizards, etc. no predators.

As soon as Noah was out of the Ark (chapter 9) the predators appear. The fear of man is to be upon every "beast of the earth" (vs. 2). God makes a covenant of peace with Noah, his sons, and all living creatures including the "beasts of the earth" (vs. 10). The covenant, is "with every living creature that is with you" (in this new world into which Noah had entered) "FROM all that go out of the Ark TO every beast of the earth". The beast of the earth were not included among those that came out of the Ark; the covenant was to extend over the whole animal creation, from those that were in the Ark to those that were outside it.

It is generally accepted nowadays that the Flood was not universal; only part of the earth’s surface was submerged. The extensive plain which is now Iraq was under deep water but the mountainous districts to the east and north—Persia and Armenia—remained above water, and here there would be plenty of predatory animals to survive the disaster. Many years must have elapsed before such animals spread into the plain, allowing ample time for the small collection saved in the Ark to populate this region before their enemies began to take their toll of them. And, without flesh-eating animals on board, Father Noah’s food storage problems would be considerably lessened.

Studies in History

"I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.". (Ro 16:22)

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That is all that is known about Tertius, this first century Greek Christian of Corinth who was Paul’s scribe for the writing of the epistle to the Romans. Nowhere else in the whole of the Scriptures is he mentioned. He looks in at the door, as it were, introduces himself as the one who wrote at Paul’s dictation, conveys his greetings—and shuts the door again. We have a brief glimpse of—possibly—dark hair, grey eyes, finely modeled features and a pleasing smile, and then he is gone. This is Tertius, whose hand first traced on parchment or papyrus the words of that immortal epistle which the English poet Coleridge declared to be "the most profound work in existence" and Luther "the masterpiece of the New Testament, the purest gospel". Admiration of this epistle has been expressed in many a glowing phrase from the lips and pens of Christian leaders, from reformers and theologians alike. Many in our midst echo their sentiments, and the Epistle to the Romans is a favorite subject for class study. In thought one naturally sees the outstanding figure of Paul, the master-mind whose creation it is; but when we think of the stalwart and indomitable Apostle of the Gentiles laying bare his soul in this his exposition of Christian doctrine, an exposition that has profoundly influenced the lives of Christians in all ages since his day, we do well to grant a fleeting thought also to the zealous and devoted penman who sat so constantly at his side taking down the burning words, filling sheet after sheet with the cogent arguments, at the end adding those salutations in which his own name appears, and then pasting the sheets together to form the long roll which was the original copy of the Book of Romans.

The Epistle to the Romans was written at Corinth in Greece, probably during the course of Paul’s third and last visit to the Church in that city, and not long before the final journey to Jerusalem which resulted in his being carried a prisoner to Rome. The Corinthian Church had been founded by Paul about the year 52, nearly thirty years after the Crucifixion, and the Epistle was written, probably. about six years later. Two years more and Paul himself was in Rome, having followed his epistle thence. Tertius was one of the Corinthian converts and might very well have known the truth for six years, but could not have known it longer, when he was privileged to render this act of service to the Apostle and the Church, and in consequence had his name inscribed, to be preserved for ever, on the pages of the New Testament. Tertius would not have dreamed at the time that his work would have such far-reaching consequences or that the simple, fervent mention of his own name would resound through the world and throughout the centuries, to lands and peoples of whose existence he had no conception, as it has done. He was probably a young man, or at least in middle age, perhaps a scribe or clerk by profession, and an earnest member of the little Christian community at Corinth. When it became known that Paul was minded to send a long and important letter to the Christians at Rome, and because of his own weak eyesight required an assistant to write at his dictation, someone would quickly respond, "Why, Tertius?" "He will appreciate the privilege and he will do the work well". In the great day of the Bible commentators, a century ago now, it used to be suggested that Tertius was possibly the same as Silas, who figures several times in New Testament narratives and on one occasion—at Philippi—was imprisoned with Paul, an imprisonment that gave birth to the Philippian Church. (Ac 16) There is no foundation for the suggestion; it was made on account of the fact that "Tertius" is the Latin for "third" and that the Hebrew consonants SLS found in the name Silas are those forming the Hebrew word for the numeral "three". In point of fact, Silas is the Greek abbreviation for the Latin name Silvanus, which in turn denotes a forestry worker or woodman (Compare our English word "sylvan" as applied to woodlands and the like). We are still left therefore with that picture of the young man who puts his head in at the door and says, "1, Tertius salute you" and is gone.

The Corinthian Church was a remarkable church. It seems that it consisted almost entirely of Gentiles—Greeks. Paul’s first work at Corinth had been with the Jews but they had rejected him and sought to have him expelled from the city. (Ac 18) The dispute came before the notice of the Roman proconsul of the city, Lucius Junius Gallio (called Gallio in the book of Acts), a man described by secular historians as a just and cultured man, of a genial and even lovable disposition. Something of his judicious and impartial administration can be sensed in the story in Acts, where it is apparent that he quickly saw through the Jews’ trumped-up accusations against Paul and contemptuously dismissed the charges and acquitted Paul. It was following this that Paul found a hearing ear among the Greeks, and the Corinthian Church began its ordered existence in the house of Justus. It was a church that had many undesirable features, for Corinth was in more than one respect an undesirable city, and the Christians had been born and brought up in that environment and educated in those standards and customs. But it was a church that was very dear to the heart of Paul, and although he had on more than one occasion to be utterly scathing in his condemnation of their shortcomings and their failings, there was evidently much there that he dearly loved. Probably Tertius was one of those whom he held in high esteem, not only for his works’ sake but for his Christian integrity and sincerity. Even if Tertius did not realize the importance of this epistle he was writing, it is certain that Paul did, and that he knew that it was going to be a text book of Christian instruction and belief, not only for the Roman Christians to whom it was addressed, not only for the scattered Christian Churches of his own day, but for all Christians in all ages everywhere to the end of time. Knowing this, he would not be likely to choose other than a clean vessel to enjoy the honor of being the scribe of this Epistle.

We may take it, then, that Tertius was zealous, sincere, full of faith and anxious to serve in whatever way he could be of service. There were others, of course, in the fellowship of whom Paul speaks approvingly and who sent their greetings also to the brethren at Rome. "Timotheus my workfellow" he says—we all know Timothy and the sterling service he rendered in after days as elder of the Church at Ephesus—".... and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. Gaius mine host, Erastus the treasurer of the city, and Quartus a brother". Erastus must have been an important man in Corinth; he was the city treasurer and Corinth was one of the wealthiest cities of the Empire. But he was a Christian. Quartus was, maybe, a brother in a much more humble and obscure walk of life; he might even have been a slave; but he also was a Christian. And they were all one in Jesus Christ, these men who with the womenfolk met for praise and worship and fellowship in the house of Justus. It is a picture quite at variance with that of the Church of Corinth drawn in other parts of the New Testament where that church is pictured as being in many respects anything but a model of Christian behavior and conduct and witness. Perhaps however, the Apostle’s oft reproofs had their effect and there had been, by the time of this his last visit, some repentance and reformation. We do not know. In any case the Church at Corinth never became noted for Christian fervor and example as did, for example, those at Ephesus and Colosse and Berea.

Nevertheless, it is probably true that even in its darkest days the Corinthian assembly had a minority of earnest ones who did not countenance or endorse the behavior of the majority and who on that account were drawn together more into a little spiritual fellowship of their own. Perhaps these whose names appear here in his salutation at the end of the Epistle to the Romans were such. We have seen the same kind of thing happen in our own day—most true Christians have in every century—and perhaps can understand and appreciate the position.

What happened to Tertius after the Epistle had been dispatched and Paul had left Corinth for Jerusalem, never to return? We do not know. He is unknown to history. Perhaps in after years he left Corinth on some kind of missionary work, emulating in some small degree the Apostle he had once served in so signal a fashion. Perhaps he remained at Corinth, serving as a faithful minister, through all the vicissitudes of a life spent in a fellowship that was both light and dark, that savored much of this world even although it professed much of the next. One likes to think that he did remain faithful, that the vessel chosen to do Paul’s work in the days of his presence remained a chosen vessel to the end of the way. If such was indeed the case, one can picture him growing older with the passing years, ministering faithfully and consistently, never weary of reminding the brethren of the exhortations left by the founder of their church, Paul the minister of God to the Gentiles. He would have heard, in time, of Paul’s death in far away Rome, and with that news would have felt suddenly older. There would be the parting with Timothy, gone to assist the failing John in the administration of the Church at Ephesus and all the communities in Western Asia who looked to Ephesus as a center. Then perhaps the slow lapse of twenty or thirty years; news comes to Corinth of the death of John, the last of the Apostles. No one is left now who saw the Lord in the flesh; very few remember anything of the early struggles of the infant Church and the herculean labors of its founders. A new generation had grown up around Tertius, and—who can doubt it—he saw, rapidly increasing and flourishing unchecked, more of those evils against which his beloved mentor Paul had spoken and written so many years ago. But now there was no Paul with his forthrightness and fiery eloquence, to bring into the assembly that sense of shame that in times past had brought godly repentance and a great cleansing. Perhaps in the interim Tertius himself had acquired something of Paul’s ability and could himself induce a reformation in the Church; perhaps not. Perhaps he could only pray and intercede for the erring ones in the solitude of his own home, or endeavor by quiet word and remonstrance to turn this one or that one from the error of his ways. Perhaps, at the end, and in spite of all his faithful service, he was ignominiously turned out from the apostate assembly and his name branded as one to be avoided and spurned.

We do not know, only that all these things have happened to faithful servants of Christ in church after church, century after century, and that such experiences have often befallen those who have sought consistently and persistently to "warn their brethren night and day with tears". (Ac 20:31) It would not be a strange thing if it had happened at Corinth to Tertius.

But we also know something else. We know that to every sincere disciple of Christ who has been true to his Master and true to himself, and has not denied his Masters Name, there comes at the end a reflection that must have come at the end to Tertius too, in whatever state he encountered that end. It is the reflection that came to Paul himself and which he expressed in fervent words, confident words, immortal words, saying them on our behalf as well as his own, that we may take fresh courage in anticipation of the coming of such a time. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.". (2Ti 4:18)

One may picture Tertius, in that day, at the time of the fulfilment of the promise, approaching towards the glory of the Throne, around which the triumphant hosts of heaven are standing, beholding the ones he had known and loved in life before, his loved master Paul among them. The weight of earthly years falls away and vanishes, and he steps forward in the wonder and the glory of his resurrection life to greet his long-lost brethren, brethren with whom he had borne the heat and burden of the day back there in the First Century at Corinth in Greece. And as he sees them, at last, face to face, in the image of the Master, enshrouded in that radiant glory which is the inheritance of all who have been raised to live with Christ, perchance there comes again, unbidden, to his lips, those words penned so long ago, I, Tertius.... salute thee".

The Brain in the Next Age

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According to the "Moody Monthly" (1964), experts say that no man has ever used more than one five hundredth part of his brain capacity. If that statement is correct, and bearing in mind that God certainly did not provide man with a brain that was not intended to be used, we can visualize what mighty increase in mental powers must be the order of the day in the next Age when evil is restrained and men are encouraged to use all the powers which God has given them in the manner he intended. Doubtless sin and death are responsible for the limited use we now make of our brains; in that glad day when sin and death are things of the past men will indeed "enter into the inheritance prepared for them from the foundation of the world."

The Rapid Increase of Israel in Egypt

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A note in the Jerusalem Post" dated 22nd February 1964 forms an interesting commentary on the rapid increase of Israel when Jacob’s sons settled in Egypt. The June 1963 installment of the Bible School on Exodus showed how that increase could well be possible with an average life span of 110 years or more and that four or five generations could well have been born in that time. The note referred to is as follows:

"Ashkelon— Yitznak Hachamon died here last week-end at the age of 110. He leaves nearly 100 descendants, including great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. He came to this country from Libya and lived in Ashkelon with one of his sons. He was reported to be mentally alert to the last."

Ministers of God

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Just who qualifies as a Minister? Does the term only apply to Priests, Vicars, Pastors, Elders and Deacons, or can it be applied to other or even all Christians? For the answer one needs to look at the origin of the word minister. In the Hebrew "minister" comes from the root verb sharath which had the meaning of one who serves. In the New Testament common or Koine Greek an equivalent word is diakonos. A literal meaning is through (dia) and dust (konis). In the early Christian congregation it would have the meaning of one who became dusty by running in the service of God and fellow humans. The term applied to both brothers and sisters. In the King James Bible and some other versions the word is translated as Deacons but a better and more accurate meaning would be minister (one who ministers or serves. A servant.)

In most Churches and Congregations brothers are appointed to take the lead, and whether they are elders or pastors, always assuming that because of their love and maturity and many other qualifications not only are they appointed by the brethren but also ordained by God then that brother can rightly be called a Minister. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he makes clear the responsibilities of overseers and Ministers. So we come to another question. Does one have to be appointed by the Congregation to be a Minister? Certainly all Christians should strive to attain the spirituality and high standard of the faithful and true Christian overseer. The Scriptures tell of brethren who had ministries to serve in various ways. That applies to Overseers in our day too. Some have gifts of making clear God’s Truths from a platform. Some are good organizers. Some are gifted in the preaching work, either publicly or from door to door. Stephen, who was described in Acts ch. 6 verse 4 as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, along with six other brethren all men of good report, served in the daily ministration. That would be serving the food and probably a distribution of all the necessities of the brethren. Verse 8 says "And Stephen, full of grace and power wrought great wonders and signs among the people." There are many examples of other ordained ministers who served God and the brethren in a mighty way. The finest example of a faithful and true Minister is that of our Lord Jesus. How wonderful are the Words of Life which our Lord gave to a great crowd of people, in Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7. After Jesus had addressed the crowd everyone would be tired and hungry and feeling the weariness caused by the heat of the day. So did Jesus say "God bless you all and now you can all go home and dwell upon my words?" No, instead He miraculously provided the practical blessing of feeding them all and the disciples helped him in the ministering. To follow Jesus’ example a minister should of necessity provide not only spiritual but also practical help.

All the Apostles were Ministers and Paul was greatly favored and blessed by becoming the Apostle to the Gentile nations. He ministered to the Congregations as is seen by his letters but Paul also took gifts and collections of money to the poorer brethren. Part of our ministry is to serve others just as Martha did when she provided for Jesus and many other sisters are mentioned in the Bible both for their witnessing the Word and serving the brethren. All have a Ministry. Some brethren can work in the proclamation of the Gospel. Some may not be able to do this, possibly due to shyness or some disability. One can send letters or phone people or witness to visitors. But there are other ways of fulfilling the ministry. If we are better off financially than some of our brethren maybe we can assist there. If we have a car we can offer the brethren lifts. Do we welcome brethren into our home for a meal. There is always an opening to give out the Gospel and there is always an opening to give practical help too and one needs to look for those opportunities. Some may not be appointed by the Congregation to be overseers but if they do things for others and bring glory to our Heavenly Father by using their talents even though these talents may be small, then they are Ministers, maybe not appointed in the Congregation but certainly ordained by God.

"Let intellectual and spiritual culture progress and the human mind expand as much as it will; beyond the grandeur and the moral elevation of Christianity, as it sparkles and shines in the Gospels, the human mind will not advance." Goethe

The Prophecies of Zechariah

13. Sinners in Zion

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We come now to the most difficult passage in the whole of Zechariah’s prophecy—difficult, because the opening sentences seem on the surface as though they could apply only to the First Advent whilst almost immediately there appear expressions which can only refer to the Second Advent. The sword is raised against the Lord’s Shepherd and in consequence the sheep are scattered. Two parts among them die but the third part is preserved in the fires and becomes the people of the LORD. The Day of the LORD dawns and the nations surround Jerusalem. One part of the citizens is led into exile but the other part is preserved. At this point the LORD rises up to defend Israel and scatter the besiegers. The difficulty lies in reconciling the smiting of the LORD’s shepherd with the rising up of God to overthrow all evil and deliver those who trust in Him.

"Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of Hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones" (ch. 14: 7). This "shepherd" who is also the LORD’s "fellow" can be none other than Christ; the word rendered "fellow" is literally my companion", the "man of my fellowship", and indicates one bound to the Father by the closest possible ties of association, much more so than the ordinary bonds of friendship. Abraham and Moses were said to be the "friends" of God; Daniel was the "greatly beloved", but this word indicates a closer and more constant oneness and when associated with God cannot be applied to other than the Son. Zechariah must have known this and seen in the expression a reference to Israel’s Messiah. Jesus endorsed this. (Mt 26:31) The R.S.V. adopts a rendering which is peculiarly fitting; "the man who stands next to me". However the passage is interpreted, this, the central figure, is undoubtedly Christ the Messiah. The smiting of this Shepherd is then the rejection of him by the flock; not only that initial rejection which led to his crucifixion in the days of his humanity, but the long-continued rejection which has subsisted throughout the Age and is still true, at least in part, at the Age’s end. In this the rejection of chapter 13 differs from the rejection of the same Shepherd in chapter 11, where the reference is only to the First Advent. But to perceive how this can be it is necessary to examine the structure of the passage more closely.

The point that emerges most noticeably is that chap. 13: 7 to 14: 2 is written in a style dissimilar from that which goes before or comes after. It really forms a self-contained little section in its own right. Up to chap. 13: 6 and also from chap. 14: 3 onward the style is prose narrative, telling in the one case of the progress of Israel’s repentance and cleansing, and in the other of active Divine intervention and the establishment of the Kingdom. But this little section is not narrative and it is not prose; it is poetry written in the characteristic style of Hebrew poetry, and gives every evidence of being a kind of triumph song in highly rhetorical terms inserted at this point to give maximum effect to what it has to say. The passage consists of nine couplets, the typical form of Old Testament poetry, arranged in sets of three each. Couplets 1 to 3 tell of the smitten Shepherd and the consequent scattered flock, of whom two parts die and a remnant is left. Couplets 4 to 6 describe God’s care for the "remnant" which is saved out of that scattering, and couplets 7 to 9 sing of the further purifying of that remnant by the elimination of a further part proved unworthy so that a fully tried and tested nucleus remains to experience deliverance. Thus understood. the passage stands in the following fashion.

1. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd;

And against the man that is my fellow.

2. Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered;

And I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

3. And it shall come to pass that in all the land two parts therein shall be cut off and die:

But the third shall be left therein.* ***

4. And I will bring the third part through the fires;

And I will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried.

5. They shall call on my name;

And I will hear them.

6. I will say, it is my people;

And they shall say. the Lord is my God.* ***

7. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh;

And thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

8. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle;

And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished.

9. And half of the city shall go forth into captivity;

But the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Now if this is recognized as a "theme song" then its theme is clearly that the rejection of God’s Shepherd has become a means whereby the apostates are separated from the faithful, the dross from the pure metal, until only the true-hearted "remnant" remain in the land of God’s choosing and faces the massed evil of the world in complete faith that God will deliver. Perhaps this is why the "song" is inserted at this point, between the account in chaps. 12 and 13 of the preparation of the land and nation for the final battle, and the stirring picture in chap. 14 in which the kingdoms of this world pass away and the Lord becomes King over the whole earth. If this is so it becomes easier to accept the language of this song as covering, in a poetic fashion, the entire story of apostasy and faith from the First to the Second Advents, so that Jesus could logically apply ch. 13: 7 to himself in His earthly life, when the rejection began, and yet prophetically Zechariah could see that rejection still persisting at the time of His coming again, when, as Jesus predicted, there would still be a lack of faith in the earth. At the same time the rapid development of the "remnant" which is to face the final challenge becomes a very real and present part of the picture.

Who are the sheep that are scattered and what is meant by God turning his hand "upon the little ones". In chap. 11 the sheep are the whole house of Israel and they are abandoned to dispersal and death because of their rejection of the Shepherd. That was fulfilled in full measure at the First Advent. This later picture might well extend the same theme to the whole of the Age with particular relevance to the Age’s end. Throughout the Age, the sword has been smiting the Shepherd and the sheep have been scattered, for Israel has been continually "abiding in unbelief". (Ro 11:23) And if the whole history of Israel’s rejection of Messiah is looked at from the viewpoint of the resultant situation at the end of the Age a solution to the problem of the two parts that are cut off and die presents itself. Out of Israel there have always been, and are still, those who remain in the lands of their dispersion, in every part of the world, by choice, having no faith in the promises of God and no intention of taking any part in the rebuilding of the Land of Promise. These constitute one part. Then there are those who do settle and live in the Land, sharing in the creation of that State and people, but either do so from a purely nationalistic motive or, if they start out on the basis of faith in the Divine promise, later repudiate that faith and revert to the standards and expectations of this present world. These form the second part. One part still in the Dispersion, and one part within the frontiers of Israel, but both parts have rejected the shepherd and both parts, so far as inclusion in the Divine purpose is concerned, are "cut off and die". Like their forerunners in the days of Jesus, they see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets, sit down in the Kingdom of God, whilst they themselves are thrust out. (Lu 13:28)

There remains the "third part" which is left therein. This third part would seem to be identical with the "little ones" of verse 7. The Shepherd is smitten and the sheep scattered but, says God, "I will turn mine hand upon the little ones". The "little ones" are, literally, those who are esteemed mean, despised, small in other’s view. This can well fit the few who retain their faith in God. The expression "turn mine hand upon" is not so easy to interpret. "Upon" is a word having a negative power, most frequently used in the sense of forbidding or being against a thing, and would be more accurately rendered "against the little ones" which is how the RSV and a number of other modern translations render it. In fact the same word is rendered "against" twice in this same 7th verse. The Septuagint uses the Greek epi to translate the Hebrew word all three times in this verse, and epi has the sense of being on, upon or over the subject. It might be then that the hand of God is "over" or "upon" the little ones in the sense of protection and this is the view usually taken of this verse. Since however the "third part" is later said to be brought into the fires of testing it might be in this sense that God turns his hand "against" them. Zephaniah, speaking of this same "third part" in the same prophetic setting, says that God will "leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD". (Zep 3:12) It may be therefore that the expression is intended to indicate that from the onlooker’s point of view the LORD, having allowed his Shepherd to be smitten and the sheep scattered, has indeed turned His hand against His little ones, although from the long term angle it is clear that He is dealing with them, to use Malachi’s expression, as a refiner and purifier of silver.

This is where the second stanza of the poem comes before notice. "I will bring the third part through the fires, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on my name and I will hear them. I will say, it is my people, and they shall say, The LORD is my God. "This refined and purified and tested people is, of course, the Remnant, the stalwart nation of faith which will experience the Deliverance. The time can only be the end of the Age and the eleventh hour of the End at that, for at no time in history will such a national faith in God, and such a consequent Divine acceptance, be true. Despite the smiting of the Shepherd which has subsisted throughout the Age, and the falling away of so many, God has at last completed the formation of His earthly elect. Ready for their glorious destiny they stand in their places in the land they have made ready, waiting.

So to the third stanza which appears in the A.V. as the first two verses of chapter 14. Were this poem set to music, here most certainly would come the fanfare of trumpets. "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee." The time has come, the time of Israel’s victory, and nothing can now hold back the march of events already irrevocably ordained in the Divine time-table. The powers of Heaven and earth are drawn up in martial array and they face each other, waiting.

A failure to understand aright the nature of this prophetic picture of the attack upon Jerusalem leads some to see in this expression the division, among the attackers, of spoil taken from Israel at this time. The idea of such proceeding is not consistent with the basic principle that this is the time, not of Israel’s defeat, but of Israel’s victory. Neither does the text read that way. "Thy spoil" means Israel’s spoil. Had it been otherwise the passage would read "Their" spoil shall be divided..." The point here is that despite the overwhelming physical superiority of the enemy and their proud boast that they have come "to take a spoil and to take a prey" (Eze 38:12-13) it will be the devoted people in the city who will take spoil of their attackers, as Ezekiel again says in 39: 10 "They shall spoil those that spoiled them". And the nature of that spoil is well described by Isaiah; it will be no less than the allegiance and devotion of the erstwhile godless nations to the standard of righteousness which will be unfurled by the Holy Nation in that day, "spoil" more valuable to the people of God by far than treasure of gold or silver or possessions or lands. "The nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. .. the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee... the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee... ye shall eat the riches of the nations, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves... and the nations shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory.., thou shalt be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God" (Isa. chaps. 60-62). The forces of the LORD in that day will have no need of earthly treasures for their spoil; their God already owns "all the gold and silver, and the cattle upon a thousand hills". The spoil they look for and will take is something much more precious, the hearts and minds and the lives of men, and this it is that will be yielded to them at that historic period of human history.

But first there has to come the peak, the crucial phase, of the refining fire that is to winnow all that is dross from the community of Israel. Chap. 14 verse 2 presents what is to all appearances a strange and unexpected anticlimax. At that momentous hour when God moves in, as it were, to intervene and deliver, the prophet sees the city "taken", the houses rifled, the women ravished. and half of the inhabitants driven into exile. Nowhere else in all the many Old Testament foreviews of this dramatic time is such an eventuality pictured; in every other instance the attacking forces come immediately up against the irresistible powers of Heaven and are utterly broken. Here in Zechariah the very next verse presents the same theme, and shows the all-powerful LORD advancing to the battle. What then is the significance of this strange diversion, introducing itself as it were at the last minute of the eleventh hour?

It must be remembered that we are still hearing the strains of the "triumph song" which closes with this verse 2. To a great extent the language used reflects past occasions of triumph and rejoicing in Israel’s history, and the nature of the coming event is described in terms reminiscent of past similar happenings in Israel’s history. The man of Israel, hearing or reading the words, was expected to cast his mind back to the former event and visualize the predicted reality within the general background of that event. In this case there is not much doubt that the background is that of Sennacherib’s defeat outside Jerusalem in the days of Hezekiah. In both cases the enemy surrounds Jerusalem in confidence that he will capture the city with ease; he openly defies God, God answers the challenge, and he is defeated and expelled from the land—Jerusalem is saved. In both cases that salvation is in consequence of faith and reliance upon God. Hence to understand this verse it is necessary to compare it with the things that happened in the days of Hezekiah. There is an abundance of material upon which to draw for the record of that celebrated event, the defeat of Sennacherib, is repeated no less than four times in the Old Testament, in 2Ki 18-19, 2Ch 32, Isa 22 and Isa 37, with another "triumph song" extolling the victory in Isa 33. As if all this were not enough, we in our day have the additional advantage of Sennacherib’s own account of the campaign, inscribed on a six-sided cylinder which is at present in the British Museum. and another which is held by the University of Chicago. From all of this the aptness of this incident from history to illustrate the deliverance of Israel at the end of this Age is very marked.

The city shall be taken" says the A.V. "Taken" is asaph, to gather or encompass, as in a net. Ho 4:3 uses the word of fishes of the sea thus taken, and the meaning here is that the city is surrounded or besieged, but not captured in the sense of a forcible entry being effected. Incidentally the same word is used for "gather" in the same verse where God says He will gather all nations against Jerusalem; the enemy encompasses the city but God encompasses the enemy!

It is rather remarkable that Sennacherib uses the same term in his account. "Hezekiah himself, like a bird in a cage, I shut up within Jerusalem, his royal city." And of course Sennacherib, despite his boasting, never did get inside the city! From this picture it would seem justifiable to conclude that in a poetic manner Zechariah is saying what all the other prophets do say, that the enemy will surround the Holy Land but not actually capture it; the intervention of God will come first as it did in the case of Sennacherib.

Now Zechariah expands his theme. "The houses shall be rifled and the women ravished" he says. This at first sight would seem to contradict the inviolability of the city. Again the historical precedent can be a guide to the meaning. According to the account in 2 Kings there was a period immediately before the great deliverance when faith on the part of Hezekiah and his people was not as strong as it should have been and they yielded to the Assyrian demands for treasure and tribute. The cylinder of Sennacherib gives a more complete list of the booty the invader took from Hezekiah at this time. "Thirty talents of gold, eight hundred talents of silver, precious stones of all kinds, pearls, thrones adorned with ivory, tusks of ivory, sandal wood, ebony, the contents of Hezekiah’s treasure house, his daughters, the women of his palace, and his male and female slaves."

All these did the Assyrian take and send to Nineveh, the treasure for the adornment of his city and the women for the rest of their lives to be at the mercy of their captors. Not only so, but during the actual siege some there were who left the city trusting to the Assyrians rather than in God, and these too were captured and sent also to Nineveh. "I threw up mounds against him" goes on the remorseless conqueror and I took vengeance upon any man who came forth from the city. All who came outside the great gate of the city were captured and led off" That there were a number of such among the leaders of Israel is recorded by Isa 22:3 which is an account of this siege. "All your rulers have fled together, without the bow they were captured. All of you who were found were captured though they had fled far away" (RSV). So that when Zechariah declares that the houses were rifled, the women ravished, half of the city go forth into exile, he is telling us that just as in the days of Sennacherib there was an element of unbelief which led to the loss of all part in the coming deliverance for some of the people, so will it be now. After all

the purging fires of the Age which has resulted in a dedicated people awaiting in a dedicated land the onslaught of the enemy, there will be at the last moment a portion whose faith does not hold and who in consequence are abandoned to the powers of this world. The particular details given by Zechariah are symbols only, drawn from the story of Sennacherib. The reality is that, for the last time, unbelief is found in Israel, and because deliverance can only come by faith and God is now waiting to deliver, the unbelievers go forth into exile.

Isaiah seems to have had a keen insight into this position. The language he uses in Isa 33:14 although primarily directed to the unbelievers who left the city in Hezekiah’s day, is even more cogently applicable to the similar situation at the end of the Age. "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites" he says, and poses their terrified questions "who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" The prophet gives the obvious answer; "He that walketh righteously..." and so on, but from other prophetic writings it is evident that he is not heeded. When Amos comes to speak of the same great Day he says "All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, the evil shall not overtake us" (Am 9:10) and then immediately the Lord proceeds to "raise up the tabernacle of David which is fallen" i.e. introduce the opening stage of the Millennial Kingdom.

"But the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city." That is the concluding triumphant line of this victory song. This word "residue" is the one so often rendered "remnant" in reference to the people of faith found ready for the Divine purpose at the end. And here Zechariah concludes his poem and prepares to draw aside the curtain to reveal the last great act in this wonderful drama. The enemy is in position around the Holy Land, all unbelievers and idolaters have been excluded from within its borders, the "remnant" is fully prepared and strong in faith. All things are now ready.

"Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of Battle."(to be continued)

The Tower of Babel

Appendix to the "Tower of Babel"

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(Series 1994)

The accompanying photograph shows all that remains to-day of the Tower of Babel, that was to "reach unto heaven" and stand for all time as a symbol of the people who would make themselves a name on the earth. Just that one line of broken brickwork. The people who built it, and with it the first great civilization to rise on the earth after the Flood, disappeared from history four thousand years ago. The man Abraham, born into that civilization, rejected it, obeying the Divine call to leave it for a land which God would show him, and became the progenitor of a nation which will yet stand forth as a light to the nations, to declare Divine salvation to the ends of the earth.

The Coming of the King and Kingdom

An Expository Talk

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The New Testament begins with the birth of earth’s rightful king and immediately commences the ministry of John the Baptist calling upon Israel to repent for the "kingdom of heaven is at hand". And thus a momentous change began in God’s dealings with His chosen people. Throughout their history men of God had arisen calling them back to their allegiance to the Lord God and the law of His servant Moses, but to none of those faithful prophets was given so vivid and so definite an announcement as was charged upon John. Though those ancient worthies had spoken of and looked forward to the day God’s kingdom would be upon earth, and of the glories of the King who would reign in righteousness, not to them the honor of heralding, and seeing, that King. That so signal a message was given to John to announce was not unexpected when one recalls the miracle of his birth and the prophetic words of his father concerning him and his destiny, which caused the people to exclaim "What manner of child shall this be!" To him, the last of the old line of prophets, was deputed the honor of introducing Israel’s king. What an honor! What a message! John "grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing to Israel" and it may well be that by the time he had grown to manhood some of the prophetic words about John had been forgotten and a new generation had arisen; yet there was in Israel an expectancy that God was about to intervene on behalf of His people. That He did intervene at that time through the prophet John and His Son the King of Israel is the basis of the New Testament gospel. Though John was of priestly descent his mission did not begin at the temple or in the city. It was ever so with prophets—no code of practice governed them as kings, priests and judges were ruled; they arose any time and anywhere. Their unconventional appearance on the scene of Israel’s life often made for their rejection by the nation and John was no exception though many were baptized of him and his message stirred the rulers in Israel enough to send emissaries to hear from John himself his status and message.

What did the Jews understand by the mandate of John, or better, what should they have understood. Further, what should the Christian of to-day, looking back over the years, see in the phrase "the Kingdom of Heaven"? Because the Scriptures were read every Sabbath day the Jewish nation would know of the exhortation to impress upon their own hearts and minds the words of the Mosaic law and promises, and by that would know in themselves that they had failed as a people to reach that standard of righteousness which would give them the "days of heaven upon earth" (De 11:18-21) , and thus they would reason that the prophets’ call to repent was to encourage them back to their obligation to their God and Savior. But there was more in it than that. And those who heard John would recall the words of Daniel that "the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High" and they would assume that the days were near when they would be in their proper status at the head of the nations. If they were expecting their own national ascendancy the course of events and the passage of time would prove that the kingdom was not at hand as they hoped. And the course of events has induced Christians to hold differing thoughts as to the meaning of the kingdom in heaven, some apply the expression to the church of God or to missionary work, yet it must be clear that none of these ideas quite fit the story. Others believe that John was calling on all to repent, for the king, not the kingdom, was at hand. The king was there in their midst, yet He did not encourage Israel to believe that because the king had come the kingdom on earth was imminent. (In point of fact the work and mission of Jesus at that time was more in keeping with his title of Son of Man—his title of king being more appropriate when He reigns over all His subjects.) As He drew near to Jerusalem for the last time and knew that the people would receive Him with "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" He gave to his disciples the parable of the ten pounds so that they might not harbor false ideas of the imminence of the earthly kingdom. But how quickly the mood of the people changed, for some charged him before Pilate that He claimed to be a king. Pilate straightly asked him "Art thou the king of the Jews" and even had the words "This is the king of the Jews" placed over his head on the cross in Greek, Latin and Hebrew, that all might know. What was in Pilate’s mind we cannot know. Possibly he considered that of all men Jesus was most worthy to be Israel’s king if imperial Rome would allow it, for he had clearly heard of the teachings and miracles of Jesus and his wife regarded him as being a man of God. Shortly after the resurrection of our Lord the disciples asked Him "Wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" They were thinking of the kingdom in terms of earthly glory. Though their expectations were incorrect, their question was pertinent, for in their midst now in resurrection glory was Israel’s king and many Scriptures had already been fulfilled concerning Him.

What did the coming of the king entail upon Israel? From later verses in Mt 3 it is apparent that His coming meant a time of judgment and no claim that they were the children of Abraham would avail them then—hence the need to repent lest they be burned as chaff in the fire of judgment. The chapter closes with the opening of the ministry of Jesus, yet the voice from heaven which inaugurates and blesses his mission did not proclaim him as Israel’s king. He then received His anointing and benediction but not His kingdom. Shortly after, the tempter offered Him the kingdoms of this world which offer was rejected out of hand. The Tempter was in fact insulting the King, inasmuch as no usurper can offer a kingdom to its true king. All these considerations have not served to explain the meaning of the phrase "the kingdom of heaven" and we must look elsewhere in Scripture for help, particularly in regard to the First Advent. The king was there but not the expected kingdom on earth under the rulership of heaven. Yet in spite of the fact that Israel rejected their own king and had Him crucified by the Roman power the announcement of the kingdom of heaven being at hand was not annulled. In fact some remarks of our Lord tell that the kingdom of heaven had come to Israel whether they accepted their king or not. Lu 10:9-11 is an example of this. Here the commissioned seventy disciples were to heal the sick and say to them that the kingdom of heaven is come nigh, and if they were received ungraciously by the cities they visited they were still to say the kingdom had come. And so we observe that whether received well or scorned the kingdom had come to those people who had heard the message of grace. Hence the judgments to come upon Chorazin, Tyre, etc., who rejected the specially chosen disciples endued with powers to gather the harvest of that time. Lu 16:16 is another example of this "The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it". Strange words indeed if in no sense the kingdom had come! These very words may help us in our examination of the topic for they speak of dispensational change—the law and the prophets ordained of God closed with John; since then something new which the Bible calls the kingdom of heaven is in vogue. This reminds us of Joh 1:17 "For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" —dispensational change again. These words do not mean that prior to the coming of Jesus Christ the grace of God was unknown and that since the coming of Christ the law of Moses is no longer necessary. But it is certainly true that before the First Advent the love of God was set upon one people who had entered into covenant agreement with Him on the basis of the law mediated through Moses, and that since His coming a much freer approach is made for all men, whether Jew or Gentile, and the grace of salvation is theirs in believing that this Son of God is the redeemer of all. This is grace and this is truth. It was even possible for the publican and sinner to enter into this grace, this kingdom of heaven, before the meticulous observer of the law and traditions who prided himself on his works. To this agree our Lord’s words"... (Mt 21:31-32) the publicans and harlots go (not will go); into the kingdom of God before you, for John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not, but the publicans and harlots believed him.

It will be observed that the expression "the kingdom of God" appears synonymous with the phrase "the grace of God" in these few texts and the question must arise as to whether we may regard them as alternatives in other cases. A good example of this alteration occurs in Paul’s words to the Ephesian church (Ac 20:24-25) "But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God. shall see my face no more". How clear it is that in Paul’s use these phrases are interchangeable! Surely this is why we read of the gospel of the kingdom! For in that kingdom (present or future) and that gospel, the grace of God shines forth.

The Investigation of Bible Chronology

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The investigation of Bible chronology in order to determine the date of the Second Advent has been the pre-occupation of many devout students throughout the Christian Era. Those of the nineteenth century were the most prolific; more than fifteen dates within the confines of that century were predicted, followed by half a dozen or more in this twentieth. The sincerity manifested by so many seeking to ascertain the "time of His appearing" forbids dismissal of the subject as mere obsession.

The starting point for all these calculations is always the same, the ancient Jewish impression that the Messiah would appear at the end of six thousand years from creation, the time of the Garden of Eden. Rabbi Elias in 200 B.C. was apparently the first to advance this hypothesis on the analogy of the seven creative days of Genesis, six thousand years under the dominion of man, and the seventh the reign of the Messiah. At a later date, in the early Christian Era, the Kabbalists, a school of Jewish mystics, claimed that the six occurrences of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, aleph. in the first verse of Genesis, indicates six millenniums of world history to be followed by the seventh of rest. On such nebulous foundations was built the belief, for several centuries before and after the First Advent, that Messiah would appear at the end of six millenniums. and since the pre-Christian Scriptures enshrined a chronology indicating that something like five and a half thousand years had already elapsed it is not surprising that, at that time, it is recorded that "all men were in expectation". Thus began a series of calculations which set date after date, beginning with A.D. 350 in the 2nd century, going on to A.D. 500 by a number of famous early Christian leaders in the 2nd to 4th centuries, then a few dates around the A.D. 1000 mark, after that, among many, Christopher Columbus who in 1543 opted for 1653, William Whiston the scientist in 1700 who made it 1766, James Napier the mathematician who in 1550 said it would come in 1786. But from 1600 onwards with the introduction of Bishop Usher’s chronology based on the "Received Text" of the Hebrew Bible of the 9th century (the Masoretic) the 19th century became the favorite, and with the political upheaval in Europe caused by the French Revolution of 1793 expectation of the Advent reached a scale never before known.

But in all the claims and counterclaims for one particular date or another, sometimes even naming the particular month and day, it does seem that one factor escaped attention, or at least was ignored. Dependent, as every system had to be, on the addition of the ages of the patriarchs of Genesis at the birth of their sons in the ancestral line, it had to be assumed that each son was born on the day the father reached the stated age. Thus the A.V. says that Adam was 130 years old at the birth of Seth, and Seth 105 at the birth of Enos; thus the period from Adam to Enos is made the sum of these two, 235 years. But this could only be true if Seth was born the day Adam attained the age of 130, and Enos born the day Seth attained 105, and so on through all the patriarchs from Adam to Jacob, and this is in the highest degree unlikely. The statements would be equally true and in accordance with ordinary usage if Adam was 130 years and 11 months old at Seth’s birth, and Seth 105 years and eleven months old at that of Enos, and the period then would not be 235 but 237. A man is said to be forty years old, say, until he attains his forty-first year.

In later Bible history there are a number of occasions where fractions of years must be involved in the periods stated. In the egress of Noah from the Ark in November to the Exodus of Israel from Egypt in April, for example, there is of necessity a half year involved. Taking all such factors into consideration, it would appear that the addition of whole years, which has been the normal procedure, may be short of the truth by anything up to half a century. If the law of averages is taken into consideration, which is probably as near the truth as can be expected, it still remains true that the calculated date can be short of the truth by as much as twenty-five years.

Is there really a problem here? Is it not true that when the disciples asked the momentous question "What shall be the sign (signal) of thy presence, and of the end of the Age?" Jesus did not say anything about adding up Biblical time periods? Did He not answer the question by saying that when they, or their successors, perceived a certain combination of events taking place in the world, wars, revolutions, general anarchy, the breaking down of ordered government, of financial institutions, of social conditions; the resurgence of Israel as a sovereign State, the world ecological system breaking down, causing famines and pestilences; when they should see these things happening on a scale which led to "mens hearts failing them for fear, and for looking to those things which are coming upon the earth", then that would be the time? Not a stated day in a given year, but a period, during which one world would pass away to be succeeded by another which would never pass away! Is that what Jesus referred to when He spoke of "the days of the Son of man?" The plural; not "the day" but "the days"; And he did say, back there in A.D. 33, that He himself did not know when it would be. If fallible man can add up a few sets of figures in the Scriptures to reveal the secret, surely Jesus could have done so there or then! He did say that it would be when the world of man had reached a state of hopeless disruption, and that then those who then considered His words would know that the time had come.

Perhaps, after all, the chronology students have been right, but are just trying to be too exact. Not just one little point of time, like the old-fashioned theology when the Lord was to appear in the sky at a certain moment and immediately start judging sinners. Not just twenty-four hours of solar time of which the faithful must be made previously cognizant, lest they miss the great event. Rather a period, a period of earth’s history which sees the inevitable end of a social system founded upon human greed, injustice and cruelty, passing away under the weight of its own corruption and being replaced by a new order of things "wherein dwelleth righteousness" "WHEN ye see these things come to pass" said Jesus "THEN know." Is that the true chronology?

I Know that my Redeemer Liveth

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"I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and after my skin has been thus destroyed yet from my flesh shall I see God". (Job 19:25-26 RSV)

This is the most remarkable pre-Israelite expression of faith in the resurrection to be found in the Old Testament. That such a faith could exist at so early a time in human history is considered by modern theologians so unlikely that the evident meaning of the passage is disputed and all kinds of variant explanations offered to minimize its significance. Even so, it may well be asked how the old patriarch acquired his very definite faith in a resurrection to earthly life in which happy state he would "see" God.

The present Hebrew text of vs. 26 is admitted by all scholars to be "corrupt", that is to say, it has been mutilated by successive copyist and translators so that the Hebrew is now almost unintelligible. The A.V. rendering "and though after my skin worms destroy this body" does not make sense. amd "worms" has been supplied by the translators anyway; the Revisers substituted (as in the margin) "after I shall awake, though this body be destroyed" by adopting a possible variant reading. Of the few modern translators who have made serious attempts to get at the probable original meaning Margolis has it "when after my skin this is destroyed then without my flesh shall I see God; ‘ Leeser "after my skin is cut to pieces will this be, and then freed from my body shall I behold God, Rotherham "and though after my skin is struck off this followeth, yet apart from my flesh shall I see God; Ferrar Fenton "and after my skin is destroyed I shall yet in my flesh gaze on God", and Douay "I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see my God". The RSV gives what is probably the best rendering "after my skin has thus been destroyed yet from my flesh shall I see God." The International Critical Commentary (Vol. "Job"—S. R. Driver and G. B. Gray) says that the Hebrew words "from my flesh" can equally mean "from within my flesh" or "away from, outside, my flesh". Most translators appear to have adopted the latter meaning and this obviously with the theological idea that Job would, in the after-life, "see God" in heaven where the body of flesh is a thing of the past. This however ignores the fact that neither Job nor any of his contemporaries had any conception of a spiritual world or a heavenly salvation; whatever understanding of a future life they had was one to be lived upon earth. The passage is therefore best understood as an expression of Job’s faith that although. his present disease being incurable and his state hopeless, his skin now ulcerated and corrupting from his afflictions must surely perish and his whole body inevitably be destroyed in death, at a future day his Redeemer would come to earth and stand upon the earth and restore him to life in a new terrestrial body. From within that new body of flesh he will look out and see his Redeemer, God who had so inexplicably hidden himself from Job during the term of the patriarch’s suffering but in whom he had never lost faith. Job knew that his misfortunes and sufferings had been at least permitted by God, if not directly inflicted by Him. He had long since given up hope that he would recover: death was the only sequel he could see and in his agony he longed and prayed for death. But death was not the end of all things for Job; he knew that he would live again. He expressed that faith in words of rare beauty in ch. 14: 14-15 "all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come, Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands". The notable thing about his declaration in ch. 19 is his knowledge that this life by resurrection is to be accomplished by means of a redeemer in the New Testament sense. Christ became man’s Redeemer by paying a price, the yielding up of his human life upon the Cross. In both instances where the term "Ransom" is used the word implies a deliverance effected in consideration of a price paid. Our Lord does not deliver man in the fashion of a military conqueror who batters down the prison by brute force and so sets the captives free; the act of redemption cost him suffering and death. Now Job uses the Hebrew term which indicates this same idea. Of the two words for "redeemer", "padah" and "goel", padah has the meaning of procuring freedom or release, to deliver, unconditionally; goel means the same thing but upon payment of a price. Job used the word goel, and in so doing anticipated Isaiah, who a thousand years later described the Lord as the goel, the Redeemer, of Israel, some nineteen times in his prophecy. There are thus three important principles embodied in this 25th verse of which Job was aware and convinced; that the act of redemption was going to cost something, that the Redeemer ever liveth, and that he would "stand upon the earth" at the Last Day, when Job would hear His call, and would answer it. Job knew nothing of Christ; the Redeemer he visualized was God whom he worshiped, but all that he saw and believed and hoped for is fulfilled in the person and work of Christ who is the manifestation of Deity to man.

Job also understood that resurrection is by re-creation, the re-emergence of the identity, the personality, in a new body. This is a fundamental principle; at death the old body returns to its dust and its constituent atoms coalesce again with the whole terrestrial mass. In the resurrection, as St. Paul explains in 1Co 15, "God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him" a newly-created organism or body adapted to the environment in which the resurrected one knows himself for who he was and who he is. Job fully realized this. Though this skin and this body be destroyed, yet in my flesh, from within my flesh, I shall see God. This is a fair paraphrase of his utterance. He knew full well that his present body, disease-ridden, emaciated, corrupting, must inevitably pass into the grave and be destroyed, but he shouted to the heavens his faith that in a day yet to come he would stand upright in a body of new flesh and in that flesh see God, his Redeemer. "Whom I shall see for myself, and not another, though my body be consumed within me" he says (vs. 27). That is an affirmation of faith in the preservation of his identity, his personality, even although during his sojourn in the grave his terrestrial body has dissolved away and nothing is left. "Then shall the dust return to earth as it was, and the spirit unto God who gave it" says the Preacher in Ec 12:7 and this was Job’s understanding. He knew that his personality was safe in God’s keeping until the day of resurrection and that he would then arise and take up the thread of conscious existence just as a man does when he awakens from his nightly sleep.

From whence did Job obtain this knowledge? There was no Bible—not even the Old Testament—in his day. God had not yet spoken to Israel by Moses and anyway Job was not an Israelite. It is evident that in those early days God had means of imparting knowledge of Himself and His plans of which we now know little or nothing. Since Job was of the land of Uz, which took its name from Uz the son of Nahor, Abraham’s own brother, it is possible that Job was a descendant of Nahor. In such case, and since Nahor, like Abraham, was a worshiper of God, it could be that the primitive understanding of the Divine purposes which was undoubtedly passed down from father to son from earliest times, and through Noah and Shem at the time of the Flood, reached down to Job through Nahor and afforded the sorely-tried but steadfastly faithful old patriarch this faith in the coming redemption and resurrection which enabled him to endure his affliction in hope of a future guaranteed by the promise of God.

FIN

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27

"My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death; tarry ye here, and watch. (Mr 14:34)

Says the literal Greek rendering, in the Emphatic Diaglott", "extreme/v sorrowful is the soul of me, even to death". A colloquial English equivalent could be "encompassed with a deadly anguish" or "full of intense anguish". The account in the Gospel of Mark, the only one who could actually have heard the words uttered, for the disciples were all asleep, is a graphic portrayal of the intense mental suffering of our Lord on that fateful night in the garden of Gethsemane. "He prayeth", says Mark, "that if it were possible this cup might pass from Him

Upon coming into the garden. to quote the A.V., "He began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy". More lucidly, as the same word is rendered in Ac 3:21. "the people came together, greatly wondering", or Mr 9:15, "the people, when they beheld (Jesus) were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him". This word can equally denote amazement in the sense of being stricken with terror or apprehension, or wonder at something difficult to understand. And in this verse He was "very heavy" in the same sense as the word in Php 2:26. "For he (Epaphroditus) was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick." So on that fateful night, the picture we have of our Lord is one which shows Him to be in the throes of an intense mental sadness mingled with some sense of depression at the situation in which He found Himself. To Him it was a bitter cup, a cup from which He prayed that, if it should be His Father’s will, He should be spared. To Him, it was a stressful hour, a time from which He would fain be delivered. "All things are possible unto thee", He said to the Father, "take away this cup from me; nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." He prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.

What was this cup, this hour, from which He would fain be delivered if it should be the Fathers will?

It has been suggested that in order fitly to take the sinner’s place in giving His life a "ransom for all" He must experience a period of utter despair and isolation from God, as though the Father had, after all, deserted Him at the last: This is the interpretation so often put upon the well known words "my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me", words which the agnostic philosopher and writer H. G. Wells in the early 20th century once described as "an eternal enigma to the faithful." That cannot possibly be the explanation of that cry. Many a Christian martyr has gone to his death in full faith and without any such cry, and the disciple cannot be greater than his Lord. The instructed Jew, if not the rest, knew what that cry meant. They knew that in times past, when their forebears, suffering the relentless persecution of their enemies, particularly during the time of Greek persecution immediately prior to the First Advent, shouted the same cry at the moment of their expiry, surrounded by their relentless enemies. Knowing that there was no hope and they must surely die, they shouted out the opening phrase of Ps 22, the psalm which opens on a note of despair and closes on one of victory, and so attested faith that despite their hopeless situation all would yet be well. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me? they cried out, and so they died. And those who heard remembered the ending of the psalm. "Be not thou far from me, O LORD.... deliver my soul from the sword.....save me from the lion’s mouth"; and then the triumphant affirmation of faith "In the midst of the assembly will I praise thee.... He hath not despised the affliction of the afflicted, neither hath He hid His face from him, but when he cried unto Him, he heard". In that triumphant cry they voiced their faith that although they must go into certain death they would nevertheless live again beyond the power of their enemies. So Jesus: in the very next breath He uttered the words of faith, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" and so passed, knowingly, into the eternity from which He had originally come. No despair, no sense of separation from God, but a triumphant arrival, at His knowledge that He was about to return to the Father.

If, then, His feelings of intense sorrow and heaviness was not due to apprehension at the prospect immediately before Him, what did He really mean? Was it His realization of the utter failure of His disciples to understand why He must suffer death before entering His glory? Was it genuine sorrow at the defection of Judas, even now entering with the priests to betray him. sorrow not for Himself but for Judas? Was it His realization that Peter’s confident assertion half an hour previously. "although all shall be offended, yet will not I" were but empty words, that before another half hour had passed Peter with all the others would have panicked and left Him alone in the hands of His enemies? Was it that He already knew, as He had just said to Peter, that in the next few hours, Peter would deny all knowledge of Him, not once, but three times in succession? Was it because He deeply desired that His closest followers should watch with Him during His hour of trial, and yet knew already that they, insensible to His need, would go to sleep and fail Him at the critical time? Was it because He was living again that triumphant entry into Jerusalem when the people cried "Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LORD" and knew that very soon now those same crowds would be crying "Crucify Him; crucify Him"? Was it the bitter knowledge that the nation to whom He had come for their salvation had so far failed to understand Him that they resolutely rejected Him, and that nothing now could save them from the national disaster that did come upon them forty years later? His sorrow and anguish, perhaps, was not for Himself but for them, even although He must have known that it was going to be like this. "To this end was 1 born."

Jesus had one advantage that his followers do not possess. He knew the world He was about to enter for He had come from that world. "I left the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." "In my Father’s house are many mansions; I go to prepare a place for you.... that where I am, ye may be also." How clear it is that Jesus at the end of His earthly life must have had a clear vision of that celestial realm from which He had come and to which He would now return, a world in which there would be no enemies and no rejection. If the angels of heaven rejoice at one sinner who repenteth. how great must have been the exultation at His coming following the end of His brief earthly sojourn. "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain" they sang "to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." If His followers on earth can be faithful unto death despite all the agonies of martyrdom, having never seen or known that world, and visualizing it by the eye of faith, necessarily imperfectly, going into death in complete assurance, how much more must Jesus have looked forward to His re-entry into that world, so soon to be accomplished, from His knowledge of it in His pre-human life.

Is it not evident that He was keenly anticipating His re-union with the Father and with the heavenly hosts? "Father", He said in that wonderful time of communion recorded by John, "the hour is come, Glorify thy Son....I have glorified thee on earth; I have finished the work thou gavest me to do. Now, O Father, glorify me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.... and now I am no more in the world.... and now come I to thee. How plain it is that the recorded anguish of spirit, the cup He would fain have pass from him, was not the anticipation of the death He must shortly die, not any feeling of separation from the Father or rejection by the Father, but rather the intense feeling of loneliness at the end, failure on the part of the disciples, whom He so dearly loved, to understand His position and to be with Him in spirit at the last, and the failure of the people, to whom He came to minister to receive His words of life and His redeeming power. For Himself, He had no fears; for them, only an over riding sorrow. "Daughters of Jerusalem" He said to them, "Weep not for me but weep for yourselves, and for your children." At that time of crisis, His thought was not for Himself, but for them.

Surely He hath borne our grief, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken smitten of God, and afflicted."

28

He that is much in prayer shall grow rich in grace. He shall thrive and increase most that is busiest in this, which is our traffic with Heaven, and fetch us the most precious commodities thence He that set often these ships of desire, that makes the most voyages to the land of spices and pearls, shall be sure to improve his stock most, and have most of heaven on earth.

In a deep sense it is possible for me to be living in heaven, even while still on earth. My heart can be resting in the peace of heaven: my mind seeing by its light; my soul drawing strength and inspiration from that other world. I shall feel increasingly that that is the world to which I really belong, and that the things of that world matter most to me.

29

It was the eighteenth year of the reign of good King Josiah that the great Passover was kept—the most memorable Passover that Israel had known since the day of his entering into the land. "Surely there was not holden such a Passover", wrote the historian, "from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah". (2Ki 23:22) It was a famous Passover, one to be remembered and preserved in tradition and exhortation throughout their generations. There had been some seven hundred Passovers celebrated since the invading hosts had crossed Jordan and built the stones of Gilgal, but this one was the greatest. What was there about it that made it so noteworthy? Perhaps it was the freshness and enthusiasm of the whole thing. The story in 2Ch 35 reads like that of a revival in nineteenth century England. Faith in Israel had fallen to a very low ebb. The days of Hezekiah had long since passed—he had been dead for about seventy five years. Judah had suffered under the sway of two idolatrous kings. Manasseh the son of Hezekiah and Amon the son of Manasseh. Under those two men the knowledge and worship of God had languished and died. The idolatrous religion of the surrounding nations had been set up in its place and the people had, in the main, readily accepted the change. Manasseh had erected the symbols of Baal worship all over the land and images even in the Temple itself: he it was who first gave to the Valley of Hinnom its evil reputation, and caused his son to pass through the fire to Moloch. When Josiah came to the throne, as a young lad, the land and the people were steeped in wickedness and the word of the LORD was silent; there was no open vision.

Now it was when king Josiah was twenty-six years of age that he became seized with the desire to rebuild and repair the Temple of the LORD, which had evidently suffered seriously from neglect and consequent decay. Exactly ninety years previously that Temple had been the scene of a mighty deliverance in Israel. Sennacherib the Assyrian had lain encamped with his army outside the walls of Jerusalem demanding unconditional surrender. Isaiah the statesman-prophet had gone into the Temple and laid the insulting letter before the LORD, pledging the faith of King and people that God would deliver.... and the angel of the LORD had gone forth that night, and slain in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred and eighty-five thousand men: and Sennacherib returned with shame of face to his own land, there to meet death by the assassin’s dagger. Thus was Jerusalem delivered. But all that was ninety years ago, and the people who had rejoiced in that great thing were now asleep in the grave. and their sons and their grandsons no longer believed that such things could be, and they bowed down before Baal and Ashtoreth and Moloch and delighted themselves in the abominations of the heathen—until Hilkiah found the Book of the Law among the Temple treasures.

It was finding that book of the Law that brought about the great reformation and the great Passover. Josiah had ordered the restoration of the Temple. It was whilst bringing out of the treasury the silver that was stored up therein, wherewith to meet the cost of the work, that Hilkiah the High Priest discovered a greater treasure still, the Book of the Law of Moses. He gave it to Shaphan the scribe to take it to the king.

Hilkiah was the High Priest but he had not known that this treasure was in his keeping. To what depths must the priesthood and the Temple service have sunk! Quite evidently the old injunction that the Law was to be recited in the ears of the people and taught to the children had not been honored for a long while past. The consternation that was evoked when the contents of the Book were made known to Josiah a little later reveals that the Law of Moses was in general unknown to Judah at this time. It had been forgotten, and with it the ceremonies and ritual of the Day of Atonement, the Passover. and the feast days must have fallen into disuse. Probably Hilkiah knew that such a book had once existed; maybe he had heard his grandfather and predecessor in the priestly office speak of some such thing: and there may have been a vague tradition that a copy had once reposed somewhere in the Temple archives. But he had never seen it and was probably much more concerned with the "modern religious thought of his own day". There seems to be something of awe in his tones as he says to Shaphan, surely in hushed words "I have found the Book of the Law in the House of the LORD". And Shaphan took it to the king.

Shaphan was much more indifferent. He merely remarked to Josiah "Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book." It meant nothing to him; just an old book found in the recesses of the Temple, and probably hopelessly out-of-date. It was perhaps with a feeling of boredom that he began to read it before the king. But the effect upon Josiah was immediate and decisive. He realized at once that his ambitious plans for the rebuilding and rededication of the Temple counted for nothing in God’s sight without a deeper and more important thing, the existence of which had not until now even occurred to him. The Temple was but the outer shell: without the worship and service of a consecrated people, conscious of its own weakness and shortcoming, but confident in the saving power of God, the beauty of the restored Temple would be as ashes and its sacrifices an abomination in the sight of God. In the midst of his schemes for the restoration of the Divine Sanctuary in the sight of all Israel, Josiah heard the terms of the Divine Law, and he rent his clothes.

Just so, it may be, do we, in the midst of all our planning and scheming, activity and service for our Master and our brethren, all our preaching and witness to the world. come up suddenly against the essence of the Divine Will for us, and realize that all these outward things are of no account in his pure sight unless we have first made our hearts right with him. The will of God for us is, first of all, our own sanctification, and it is after we have started on that consecrated walk that He leads us to opportunities of outward service for him. It is the consecration that hallows the service, and not the service that vitalizes the consecration. "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices", asked Samuel of Saul, "as in obeying the voice of the LORD?" The question comes down the ages and rings in our ears, with its answer "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice". Happy are we if, like good king Josiah, we can realize the situation directly the word of the LORD falls on our ears, and act, swiftly and decisively.

Josiah did not content himself with rending his clothes. Repentance is a necessary preliminary to justification and no progress can be made until that first step has been taken, but it is not a condition in which to linger. "Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation" says Paul in 2Co 7:10, and unless there is that tangible fruit of repentance, and a speedy fruit at that, the repentance is not very genuine. So Josiah called his ministers of state and his court attendants, and sent them speedily to enquire of the LORD’s will for him at the hand of one who could rightfully claim to speak on His behalf. They seemed to know where to go: they made their way to Huldah the prophetess, who, for all that the information we have is very scanty, seems to have been of some repute and held in some respect. Her words leave us in no doubt as to the forthrightness of her own allegiance to the God of Israel. Her reply was framed in terms of the strongest condemnation. Albeit there was a word of approval for the king’s own personal condition of heart before God, the old lady made it plain that Israel as a nation must suffer the inevitable consequence of its sinful way. Judgment must needs come upon them before times could be better. "Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods. that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched.". (2Ch 34:25)

Here is a principle that applies in our own day also. Again have men the whole world of so-called "civilized men" this time forsaken God their Creator and Sustainer, and rendered homage to gods of their own creating, to works of their own hands. In the midst of the distress and trouble which that course of action has brought upon them we proclaim the coming of a new and better order, the Millennial Kingdom, in which evil and lawlessness will be put down with firm hand and all men walk in the light of the glory of God and in the peace of His laws. But before this roseate picture can become a reality there must first be judgment upon the world for its wrongdoing. The Lord Jesus is to be "revealed from heaven, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those that know not God and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ" (2Th 1:8) before He comes with clouds, glorious in the retinue of His saints, and all the people of the earth join in that great mourning which is at once the evidence of their realization of His Advent and the sign of their repentance. God waits to bind up the broken-hearted and give liberty to the captives, but nothing now can avert that Divine judgment under which the last vestiges of the rulership of this "present evil world" will pass away, never to return. And in our witnessing and preaching we should remember that. Not only must we, as Paul on Mars Hill, declare that God commandeth all men everywhere to repent, and like Peter at Jerusalem, speak of the coming pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh, but we must also, like that faithful old prophetess in the dim long ago, pronounce the inevitability of Divine judgment on this world, to burn out its evil as by fire, to consume the defiling images and symbols and sweep clean the corruption off the land. It is only when God has thus devoured all the earth with the fire of His jealousy that He will be able to turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon His name to serve Him with one consent. (Zep 3:9)

The king’s decisiveness did not fail him. Unwelcome as the news of the coming desolations of Israel must have been to his ears, he nevertheless took the only course that could be right with God. He summoned the elders and the people, gathered them together, with the priests, in the Temple, and there, in the presence of the God of Israel, he caused to be "read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of th LORD". There was to be no further excuse for ignorance. All Israel was to hear the Law read, and the authority of no less a person than the king himself lay behind the injunction to heed the words. And then the king drove home to all the seriousness with which he regarded the position. He "stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD. and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in the book" (2Ch 34:21) . That was a mighty thing to do! Josiah stood before his subjects. openly confessing himself to be a breaker of the Mosaic Covenant and worthy only of its curses because of his shortcoming. and then solemnly and formally made a covenant between his God and himself that he would in future keep the words of the Law as a true son of Israel. He publicly repudiated his own past sin, his nation’s sin, and espoused afresh the holy calling of the chosen nation. It was a great thing to do, and it was the only thing. Thus was he able to call all Israel to pledge themselves to follow his example: so he "caused all Israel to stand to it" and the people entered once more into the covenant made with their fathers.

It was in that strength that Josiah proceeded to the logical end of his reform. He went straight from the making of the covenant to a great sweeping away of the idols and the images from the land. The thoroughness and speed with which he conducted that campaign of destruction is shown more clearly in the parallel account in 2Ki 23. Up and down the land he went, breaking down images, grinding them to pieces and scattering their dust to the winds, defiling the sacred places of the idolatrous religions, turning out their priests, demolishing their buildings, desecrating their sacred symbols and smashing their works of art, until nothing was left of paganism in all the land from Bethel to Beer-Sheba, and the land was cleansed.

And it was only after all that, after the king had shown the sincerity of his repentance by his determination to be clean in God’s sight. that he came to the Passover!

The greatest of all Israel’s Passovers was that held by King Josiah after his reformation work was done, and it was the greatest, not because it was organized and directed by a king, but because it was inspired by a man who had become clean in the sight of God. Just as the ancient Hebrew women used to take their lamps and sweep out every corner and cranny of their houses the night before the Passover, that not the slightest trace of leaven might remain in their homes. So did King Josiah with resolution and ruthlessness seek to sweep out every trace of personal and national uncleanliness in the sight of God, that his Passover might be truly acceptable to the Most High.

There is a challenge for us! We approach another Memorial season, another day of coming together in a ceremony which goes to the very roots of all we hold most dear. "Till He come!" we repeat the words and cling to our faith that the time will not be much longer delayed and the angel of deliverance come to us and to all the world. It is thus that we gain much of the strength to sustain us for another year of pilgrimage. "So let a man examine himself!" come the solemn words of Paul to us, "and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup". As did Josiah, so let us, approaching this season, stand to our covenant with our God, and renew it in the sight of our brethren, go forth to cleanse out of our hearts all that stands between us and God, all that divides us from our brethren, with ruthlessness and determination rooting out everything that savors of the world, the flesh and the devil. And being thus cleansed, thus zealous for the righteousness of God. thus filled with the Spirit, we can come with our brethren to partake of the feast and feel its life-giving influence entering into and permeating every fibre of our being. This wine is life, said our Lord to his disciples—My life, given to you. This bread is My flesh, given for you. Can these things do aught but revivify us to greater works than ever before and a closer following than ever before, if we are clean? One there was at the Last Supper who was not clean, and he had no part or lot at the fellowship of that table. But to those who did share in the broken bread and poured out wine, because they were clean, there came a union in fellowship which lasted as long as life itself, and inspired them to go forth as one family to turn the world upside-down for Christ and His Kingdom. And they did turn the world upside-down!

May we. then, at this season, remember King Josiah and his Passover, and how he prepared himself for that Passover by first becoming clean in the sight of God and removing out of his kingdom those things that did offend and cause iniquity. Let us prepare in like manner, cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.

32

The contemplation of the grandeur and diversity of things revealed by the Holy Spirit, the power of God, in Divine Revelation, constitutes in thought and variety a very wide spectrum of God’s plans and purposes, as manifested by the Prophets and by the Gospel of our Lord, and His apostles. None but Jesus Christ can reveal the glory of the Father. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is something more than that which gives splendor, or a symbolic mantle, as an insignia of high office. The glory of God must be explained as the August content of God’s own nature, embracing the aggregate of all His attributes according to their undivided yet revealed fulness. Who would not reverence and glorify God, knowing His manifestations of wonderful goodness. How greatly it appeals to the contrite heart that He is indeed the affectionate Father, ever ready to accept the deep satisfaction of requited love, and to exercise and impart to His people the delicious sense of his Fatherly affection. Should we not therefore take down our harps from the willows and have them tuned in harmony so as to unite our spiritual hearing in unison with the splendid rendition upon the harp of God, comprising the master composition of things both old and new, which brings the very virtuosos of Divine Truth into an orchestrated whole within the human heart? As the strains of this glorious melody emanate from the score of a heavenly composition which epitomizes the joyful sound produced through having the knowledge of the Divine Plan sown in our hearts, we are indeed edified by the words of the Psalmist (19:15), "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound; they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance".

Advanced truth can be received only by those whose minds have been prepared to receive it. If the soil of both mind and heart be not porous it will not absorb sufficient moisture to mature the perfect grain of fuller growth into the likeness of Christ.

That humility gives evidence of a priceless quality of character is expressly attested by the Father of lights, as He speaks through his Prophet Isaiah (57:15) "For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit". Words of wisdom indeed are these, pointing to the way of humility, and admonishing to humbleness of mind. Jesus, during His ministry, manifested the sublime quality of self abnegation, whereby we are enriched in the spirit, by His testimony (Mt 11:29) "Take my yoke on you, and be taught by me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and your lives will find a resting place" (Diaglott).

With hearing ears attuned to spiritual revelation, for such as would be favored with continuous light from heaven upon his pathway, and walking in the light, as God gives us to see the light, we may visualize by faith the wonders of foreknown purposes, manifesting the exceeding riches of His grace in his kindness toward us through "JESUS CHRIST". (Eph 2:7) By enjoying our reasoning in accordance with the Divine attributes of Wisdom, Justice and Love, we may look up to HIM before whose grandeur all men must keep awed silence, and true reverence in our adoration for the gift of such sublimities, of eternal distinction, in a boundless Universe, having been called out of darkness into His marvelous light.

THIS IS MY BODY

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We come to the Memorial season again and hear the familiar words repeated. "This do in remembrance of Me". Living two thousand years later one must receive these words a little differently from those early disciples who heard them for the first time. They had known our Lord personally and the poignant events that closed His earthly life would fill their memories strikingly every time they heard the words uttered. The memory of any incident or happening is much more meaningful to a person who experienced it, than to one who merely learned about it from someone else. Memory is a wonderful thing. Some memories give pleasure and some give pain. Some serve to lift up, and some to depress. To quote from the writing of another: "The power of memory is lasting and influential....No man can be solitary who has memory. The poorest of us, if we have memory, is richer than he knows, for by it we can reproduce ourselves, be young even when the limbs are failing, and have all the past belonging to us when the hair is silvery and the eyes are dim. It is a rare and divine Endowment...."at this season of the year when we gather to carry out our Lord’s injunction. "Do this in remembrance of Me", we remember only what we have been told. Not that it is the less important or real on that score, for we have been brought along a way where we can say with another of time past. We have not been persuaded to know Jesus Christ merely because of what we have been told, but we have heard Him ourselves and know that this is indeed Jesus the Savior of the world." So faithfully and impressively did the early disciples narrate, for our benefit, their "memories" of our Lord. that we seem to find ourselves within the circle or circuit of their own understanding and memories; brought very close to the actual happenings. So that it means as much to us as it did to them on the first anniversary of our Lord’s death—"Do this in remembrance of Me." The delivery of Israel out of Egypt by the plagues God used, when all the first-born in the land perished in one night except for those for whom the blood of a slain lamb effected deliverance, was a picture of the deliverance of both the church and the world through the sacrifice of Jesus. Israel, through the Passover, remembered annually in a special way their deliverance from the Egyptian bondage. Later, as Jesus effected the greater deliverance, the Passover remembrance was superseded by the Memorial instituted by Jesus "This do in remembrance of Me".

It is not possible by mere words to prepare anyone to observe our Lord’s injunction: only Christian experience can whet the appetite for such spiritual observance, if we have not come to know the Lord personally and individually through the verities of His word, believed in and acted upon, then the Lord’s table can provide no satisfying fare, but if we have learned to appreciate the great ransom sacrifice on our behalf, and have entered into the Divine service as a result, then at the Lord’s table we will find communion sweet. Jesus took bread. gave thanks. Brake it and gave to the disciples saying. "Take, eat, this represents my body broken for you." Upon what do our minds dwell as we take and eat the bread? Not the wafer in our mouth, but the body that was broken that night and not merely that night. It was consummated that night, but it had steadily been "broken" for the whole three and a half years of his ministry "My flesh I will give for the life of the world." He took the cup, gave thanks and invited his disciples to drink. saying "This is my blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins." The bread and the cup represented the complete sacrifice to atone for the sins of the whole world. The flesh of our Lord was daily put to death. He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life a ransom for all. He thought not of His own interest. but of the interests of others, and above all, the will of His heavenly Father—"Not my will, but thine, be done."

For as long as it was the will of His Father that His body should continue to be broken, His life was preserved. Whole nights spent on the mountains in prayer without physical rest, days of great privation, often reduced Him to weariness. The powers that be sought to slay Him, but until His hour was come no power formed against Him could prosper. In the Father’s plan there was a pre-arranged period during which His body should be broken and His flesh expended. Nothing could interfere, except it be the Son’s own choice.

Said Pilate. "Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee? Replied Jesus. "Thou couldst have no power at all except that it were given thee from above." We read of Him in Joh 18:4; Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth ....continually offering His body to be broken.

At last in the Father’s program, it was time for blood to flow. "Jesus, knowing that His hour was come...." He had submitted to His body being broken for three and a half years, but all the time conscious of his Father’s protecting care and supervision. Now the consummation of His sacrifice was at hand "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." Before our Lord lay the betrayal, the arrest, the trial with its mockery and humiliation, then death amid the ignominy of the cross. These physical sufferings alone made an anguish that was terrible to endure. Another element of our Lord’s suffering was the falsity of the human hearts about him. There was the traitorous kiss of Judas, the sad denial of Peter, the flight and desertion of the other disciples, the rejection and crucifixion by the people He had come to save. It could be safely assumed our Lord had meditated well upon the twenty-second psalm which so fully portrays His earthly sufferings. and the words of the first verse were His expression in the hour of His extremity:—"My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" So at last, body broken, flesh expended and blood spilt, the sacrifice was complete.

"This do in remembrance of Me." Why? Is it merely to recall our Savior’s great sacrifice for ourselves and all men, that we may be stimulated to appreciate it anew at this season, the anniversary of its consummation? Undoubtedly that is one purpose. But is it all? Have we not been brought clearly to see, by the and of the Spirit’s power, that those who during this Age accepted Jesus sacrifice have been privileged to become members of his body. Does not the Scripture reveal that the Church will one day rule with Christ in his Kingdom? And does it not just as clearly reveal conditions to be fulfilled? If we suffer with him, we will reign with him. "Are ye able to drink of the cup that 1 shall drink of?", was the question asked of one who sought the kingdom position with Christ. "In this world ye shall have tribulation. If they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you also." If during this age any are going to be associated with Jesus their bodies are going to be broken too. Not that further sacrifice for sin is required, but that we may taste of His experiences—"filling up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ."

None will question that consecration spells service, and Christian service spells "broken bodies", expended flesh. He that will save his life in this world shall lose it, but he whom loses it (expends it in Divine service made possible through Christ’s sacrifice will find it (in the Kingdom by and by. We are always "bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus...", (2Co 4:8-10) and like Jesus our Head, as our bodies are being "broken" we are conscious of our Father’s protection—the Christian is immortal until his work on earth is done. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed (La 3:22. He is wonderfully good to us in all our ways, giving us the strength we need in all the buffeting experiences against the world, the flesh and the devil. "Far from my home on life’s rough way, Oh teach me from my heart to say, Thy will be done".

Soon, like our Lord and head, our life of service will be consummated. While blood flows through our veins the Heavenly Father will keep us faithful to the end. The end is yet before us—we have not yet resisted unto blood... Not yet. (Heb 12:4) But the implication is clear that we are required to do so, therefore "Consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be weak and faint in your minds.". (Heb 12:3) This is of the closest relation to the admonition we dwell upon at this season of the year "Do this in remembrance of Me." By appreciating our Lords earthly experiences we find a strength which helps not to grow weary and faint, but humbly press on in the Narrow Way. All difficulties can be faced: There is no problem that cannot be solved by remembering our Lord’s earthly experiences and the manner in which He met them. Let a man examine himself as he eats the bread and drinks the cup. Have we elected to follow him faithful unto death.? If that is not our desire we eat and drink unworthily. May the remembrance of our Lord at this season be one that lingers with us throughout the year, helping to provide the strength that enables us to win victories, and to be numbered with the overcomers at last who will eat and drink it new with Him in the Kingdom.

The Prophet Who Ran Away 34

"Seeing that we are all ordained to be citizens of the one Everlasting City, let us begin to enter into that way here already by mutual love." Old Elizabethan prayer35

Chapter2: The Storm

The prophet who ran away It is an interesting fact that the only two stories of the sea contained in the Bible one in the Old Testament and one in the New—are each concerned with the same locality and both tell of Divine intervention for the salvation of the mariners. In both cases a great storm threatened to engulf all; in both cases not a life was lost. The narrative of Paul’s shipwreck on his voyage to Rome (Ac 27) parallels that of Jonah’s adventure, except that Paul’s ship was wrecked, whilst Jonah’s apparently got back safely to port.

"But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken" (verse 4). The exactitude of the words used enables us to reconstruct the scene with great accuracy. The prevailing wind in the Eastern Mediterranean, in springtime, the season when the ancient long-distance ships commenced their voyages, is E.N.E.. blowing away from the land and speeding the ships on their way. Climatic conditions on the mainland sometimes cause this wind to increase to a veritable gale, blowing down from the mountains of Asia, if this gale meets a hot south wind coming up from the African coast the result is a raging whirlwind over the sea. This is the "tempestuous wind, called Euryclydon" of Ac 27:14, which caught and eventually wrecked Paul’s ship nearly a thousand years later. (This same wind in the Mediterranean is today called the "Levanter" and behaves in precisely the same way, a striking testimony to the accuracy of the Bible narratives. The word translated "tempest" in this fourth verse is one which means a whirlwind, and the Greek equivalent has given us our English word "typhoon". The expression "was like to be broken" is literally "to be shattered to pieces." The tremendous strain on the ship’s structure by this terrific wind pressure upon the great sail and tall mast tended to strain the ship’s timbers and cause her to go to pieces. The sailors would at once take the regular precaution against this threatened disaster by passing stout ropes over the bows, sliding them under the ship and securing them round the hull. This is the meaning of the expression in Ac 27:17. "They used helps, undergirding the ship"; for the Alexandrian corm-ship on which Paul traveled would have been a very similar vessel to the "ship of Tarshish" on which Jonah had embarked.

The next verse indicates that disaster had overtaken the vessel, for the mariners (the "ocean-sailors", or general crew of the ship are found calling upon their gods for succor and throwing the cargo overboard in order to lighten the vessel. That Phoenicians should dispose of their precious goods in this salutary fashion indicates a definitely serious state of affairs. Since in verse 13 it appears that the ship’s only hope lay with the rowers who "rowed hard to bring it to the land", it is probable that the mainsail had been blown to ribbons by the wind, if indeed the mainmast had not gone and taken the sail with it.

So one might imagine the whirling clouds in the dark sky above, the wind roaring and screaming through what was left of the ship’s rigging, the great sail in tatters billowing and sweeping from side to side to the danger of every man on deck, the vessel itself wallowing helplessly in the raging seas, pitching and tossing as if in its death agony and threatening to capsize at any moment. Below deck the rowers strained with their oars while up above the steersman labored to keep the ship head-on to the wind, and the captain’s hoarse voice spurred the men to renewed efforts as they jettisoned the cargo to lighten the vessel and enable it the more easily to ride the towering waves.

Amidst all this clamor and confusion. Jonah lay deep down in the ship, fast asleep. This was not the uneasy tossing of a man haunted by a troubled conscience: sleep under such circumstances must surely have been the deep slumber of one who had made his resolve, even though at great personal sacrifice, and that sought relief from his grief and heartache in the land of forgetfulness.

"What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not." The shipmaster (rab chobel—chief rope-man probably the captain of the vessel) had descended into the "sides of the ship" a technical term meaning the interior, or "below deck" to seek out the sleeper. Perhaps he had been missed at a time when all had been summoned to assist in working for the vessel’s safety. At any rate. Jonah was admonished to add his prayers to those of his fellow’s in distress. Perhaps his God could succeed where others failed or would look with greater favor on his devotee than the other gods did upon theirs. The captain did not seem to be too sanguine probably he had been in such storms before and found himself left to extricate himself and his ship by his own skillful seamanship—but still, any way of escape was worth trying.

It would seem that Jonah had no opportunity to call upon his God, for as soon as he set foot upon deck he found himself in the middle of an excited, and probably, badly frightened crowd of men intent on discovering the cause of their calamity. The sailors were evidently no longer attributing this storm to natural causes; with the superstition of their kind and indeed in line with the common state of mind in those days, they had decided that someone among their number had incurred the wrath of one of the gods and that he was being pursued by this form of vengeance. It became a matter of necessity to find out the guilty man.

"And they said every man to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is come upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah" (verse 7)

The casting of lots was resorted to in ancient times as a means of determining the answer of Heaven to a specific question. The "lots" usually consisted of two small tabs of wood or metal, one white and one black. The scene can be imagined; the gale shrieking its violence and the ship shuddering and plunging like a mad thing. the rowers pulling hard at their oars and the steersman at his paddles, and an excited group on the deck oblivious to all but the matter in hand. The two lots were in the bag and the first cast was to be between the captain and the crew. The captain strode forward, put his hand into the bag and withdrew it. One of the crew stepped out and did likewise. The two men opened their hands and all crowded round to look. The mariner held the black lot!

Once again the process was repeated. between the crew and the passengers. This time one of the passengers held the black lot. So, eventually, the choice lay between one other man and Jonah. The gambling instincts of the sailors would by now have been thoroughly aroused and a close circle formed around the two men facing each other over the bag. Who would draw the black tab?

"And the lot fell upon Jonah!"

"Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil be upon us? —What is thine occupation? Whence comest thou? What is thy country? Of what people art thou?"

The excited questions rained upon him from all sides. Customary discipline was completely laid aside; the paramount need was to ascertain who this man was, what he had done to offend his God, and how that God could be appeased: and there was no time to be lost.

The "critics" object that these questions are ungrammatical and illogical, and not to be taken as a record of an actual occurrence. A most telling comment on this attitude has been made by one student of the Book of Jonah in the words, "That a mob of excited and angry sailors gathered round Jonah and feeling themselves in danger of being drowned and of losing their ship through his fault should, one put one question, and another another, not in strict logical sequence and not expressed in accurate literary grammar, is a difficulty that could hardly have occurred to anyone but a professor who had, perhaps, never had any experience of a great storm at sea". Sailors are not the most grammatical or logical of men even at their best: and these men were not at their best.

And so, at last, Jonah was forced into full and frank avowal of that faith which was in him all the time, but had been thwarted and suppressed by the specious arguments of worldly reasoning. He had been a greatly honored prophet of God: his words had been received with respect away in Galilee before his ignominious flight; and we know that his prophecies came true. (2Ki 14:25) But he had allowed what we would call the reasoning of the natural mind to take priority over the leading of the Spirit, and in consequence, instead of going on in his prophetic office to even greater works of service for his God, he found himself face to face with complete disaster, and worse still he had involved other and innocent men in his ruin. In this crisis the true nature of the man comes to the top. The worldly wisdom with all its pretense falls away and he takes his stand, whatever the consequences, upon the only foundation left to him his relationship to his God. "I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land" (verse 9).

This is the great turning point in Jonah’s life. Before this declaration, he had been an apostate, a renegade. running away from God and planning for himself. Now he turns and puts himself into God’s hands, announcing his allegiance and loyalty in no unmistakable terms. We can lay great stress on that expression, "the God of heaven". The storm had come from heaven; it was raging in the air: and the mariners now had no doubt that it had been sent by the God of heaven, to pursue and overtake a guilty devotee. Jonah signed his own death-warrant in avowing himself a servant of this mighty God; there was no question now but that he, and he alone, was responsible for the calamity that had overtaken the vessel.

So much is evident from the mariners’ horror stricken query in verse 10, which, correctly rendered, is "What is this that thou hast done?" (The Hebrew is the same as in Ge 3:13, where God says to Eve, "What is this that thou hast done," and as in Ge 12:18. It implies a recognition of the serious nature of the action that has been taken and a bringing it home to the offender.) These sailors, Gentiles, heathens, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, looked askance at this man who had so defied his God and disobeyed His command.

These sailors probably had good reason, aside from the evidence of the storm. to believe in the power of the Hebrew’s God. The scene on Mount Carmel, when God sent down fire from heaven upon the sacrifice, and Elijah slew the priests of Baal, was probably not more than a generation in the past, and these Phoenicians, whose home towns of Tyre and Sidon lay so near to Carmel, must have been quite familiar with the story. Now that Jonah had told them he was fleeing from this same Jehovah, they had good reason to be afraid.

Now what was to be done? That was the question uppermost in their minds. It is a testimony to Jonah’s evident sincerity of repentance at this stage that the sailors should ask his advice. They were apparently assured that he, a prophet of Jehovah. would give them right counsel irrespective of the consequences to himself. For Jonah, too, the issue was no less clear. To what extent he received guidance from above at this point we do not know we only know that without any hesitation he instructed the sailors to cast him overboard into the raging sea. Only thus could their lives be saved.

It is to their credit that they did all they could to avert this drastic remedy. The rowers plowed their oars through the water in the vain endeavor to bring the ship to land. The effort was futile; they were fighting against God, and no man can do that and be victorious. They realized at length that it must be Jonah’s life or theirs. The God of the Hebrews had them at his mercy.

Now here we have the supreme act in this drama of the sea. These pagans with one accord came before God in prayer, acknowledging his almighty power and beseeching forgiveness. "Who hath resisted His will?" asked Paul on a much later occasion. These men must have felt like that. "We beseech thee, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man life, and lay not upon us innocent blood; for Thou, O Jehovah hast done as it pleased thee." (verse 14).

VOYAGES OF PHOENICIAN MERCHANT SHIPS

Time of Jonah

A saddening reflection it is that Jonah’s own countrymen, throughout their long history, hesitated not to lay hands upon their own prophets and put them to death. "Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted?" asked Stephen at his trial before the Sanhedrin (Ac 7:52 And yet these rude, uncultured men strove with might and main to avoid laying violent hands upon this man who by his own confession, had brought them all into dire peril. They respected his prophetic office more than did the people to whom the prophets were sent.

"So they took up Jonah and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging" (verse 15. The same Divine intervention that had caused the storm to strike the vessel at the commencement of its voyage now caused the same storm to cease suddenly. The sailors believed that the God of heaven had personally intervened to deliver them; and they were right. The effect upon their minds is shown by the next verse. They were profoundly impressed. and delayed not to offer sacrifice and make vows.

The sacrifice would probably be of slain beasts, offered there and then upon the vessel. These ships, setting out on voyages which occupied several months, usually carried a number of living animals chiefly sheep—to be slain en route to provide food for the crew. Tinned meat and refrigerators were unknown in those days. There would be the necessary sacrifices at hand, therefore, and vows that more opulent and appropriate ones would be offered directly the adventurers set foot upon shore again. So the battered vessel came limping back to Joppa bearing a company of subdued and thoughtful men. Out there, in the raging and tumult of the storm, they had come face to face with God; perhaps life was never quite the same for them afterwards. It must have been an Israelite who had voyaged in a Phoenician ship who first suggested those stirring words to the Psalmist; "Those that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the Deep."(to be continued)

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"Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasury" (treasury, internal room in which the family valuables were kept) "things new and old." (Mt 13:52) Coming as it does in the conclusion to the parable of the wheat and the tares, declared by Jesus to have its application at the end of this world-age and the inception of the Millennial Kingdom, this word has considerable significance. Things new and things old; a happy combination of old things which are valuable and must be conserved, and new things which now have but recently been acquired. In this setting these things are the truths respecting both the sowing and growth of the seed of the Gospel during the Age, and the harvest of some at the end of the Age when the final witness is given preparatory to the establishment of the Divine Kingdom on earth. It was not therefore an idle remark: it enshrined a fundamental truth that the "instructed scribe", at whatever time during the progress of the Age, must expect to hold and preserve those fundamental truths which were the heritage of the Church from the beginning, and at the same time expect to discern new truths, or enhanced understanding of truths formerly held but now illumined by the progress of events. These are things which our Lord called "signs of the times." He did reprove some of the Pharisees on this score for their failure to observe the significance and trend of outward events in their own day and the connection these had with the foreviews of their ancient prophets. "Ye can discern the face of the sky", He accused them, "but can ye not discern the signs of the times?". (Mt 16:13) Their failure was terribly revealed forty years later when the Romans desolated Judea and invested the city, when one solitary man during the entire three years siege went about the city proclaiming "woe to this city, woe to this people"; neither indifference nor maltreatment persuading him to desist. And when, the Romans, having temporarily lifted the siege, they thought the threat was ended and gave themselves up to feasting and rioting, the besiegers came back and captured the city, sending the inhabitants into slavery and scattering the Jews among all nations, the prediction came terribly true.

So must it be at the end of this Age. The instructed scribe knows what is coming because he reads aright the signs of the times. A wise old elder of three generations ago was fond of saying "the Lord has given us the signs of the times but He has not given us the times of the signs." And how right he was. These things are derived from observation of the world around us and the relevance of the affairs of that world to the clear foreviews of the Scriptures. How should we know when the time of the end of the Age is due, asked the disciples of Jesus in Mt 24. Clear and ambiguous came the answer. When you see certain things happening in the world in conjunction with each other, then you will know that the end is at hand. You will be living in that period which He himself described as "the days of the Son of Man". "Then know", He said "that the kingdom of heaven is at hand". Within the ambit of these signs will reside the evidence that the powers of Heaven, the long promised Advent of the Lord himself, is taking place.

And the accompanying injunction was to go into all the world to proclaim to all and sundry that the time had come. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness and then shall the end Come"the (Mt 24:14) editorial in a recent issue of a contemporary journal utters a word of warning in this connection. "There is a danger in grabbing at events and hoping they fit the prophecies. Let us watch soberly as in 1Th 5:6." "Grabbing at events" may not be a very elegant expression but it does express a vital truth. Ofttimes the most fanciful of claimed "fulfillments" are attached to current world events, only to be nullified when the passage of time proves them to be unjustified. Nevertheless this does not vitiate the purpose and practice of predictive prophecy. The Scriptures are full of examples of pious men of old who pondered and considered the significance of current events in their own day and were proved to have been rightly guided. Daniel "understood by books the number of the Years"(da 9:2) when the LORD would fulfil His promise to deliver his people from their captivity: three years later he saw the reality. John the Apostle on Patmos was given a revelation of "things which must shortly come to pass" which he recorded in a series of metaphorical visions which could only be understood by those thoroughly familiar with the Old Testament records upon which they were based—records unknown to the enemies of the Church in that day and largely unknown to its enemies in this. And the reference to 1Th 5:6 is particularly apt, for in that passage Paul stresses his confidence that his readers, because they were watchful, were conscious of the significance of the times in which they lived whilst all others were not. They are children of the light, of the day, whereas the others are of night, of darkness, asleep. The people in captivity with Ezekiel had lost faith in the promised future deliverance-"The days are prolonged and every vision faileth" they said. Came the word of the Lord to them through the prophet "say unto them, the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision", (not later on, in prospect) said the Lord "I will perform it" and He did!

A significant expression in Lu 12 deserves notice in this connection. The admonition to the watchful servants that they must be ready for their Lord to arrive home to find them expecting him and will in consequence gird himself and serve them with their meal implies a sense in which the coming is associated with the present experience of the Church. In no sense can our Lord be pictured as serving His own servants in the eternal state. This would seem to imply a present experience at the end but before the full revelation to all men which is the outward expression of the Advent. The servants partake of a feast ministered by the Lord which becomes perhaps the first manifestation of the Advent and this, perhaps, is the feast of the fuller understanding of the Divine Plan which is due at the end of the Age, as was promised to the prophet Habakkuk "The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie" (Hab 2:3. The word "cometh" in the A.V. of Lu 12:36-37 , is not explicit enough; it is in the aorist tense which denotes a present and continuing action, so that "having come" is nearer the sense. He comes to serve them as with a meal before He takes them to be with Him in the celestial state and so be revealed with them at His open revelation, the final aspect of His coming.

But here we touch upon matters appertaining to what may be termed the "laws" of the celestial world and because of our physical limitations we must needs picture these in largely human terms. We can no longer think, as did our forebears of the 16th century, of our Lord traveling through space from some distant point in our universe to arrive here, as it were, "spot on time." We have to reconcile as best we can what we know as the "omnipresence" of our Lord since his resurrection (Eph.) "to fill all things"; (pleroma, to occupy the full space completely, so that He is, as it were, everywhere at the same time, with a sense in which He comes and is present at a point of time when He was not so present previously. Mankind in general will know of that presence only by the physical senses, "every eye shall see him"). The watchers, the instructed scribes, will discern it, as our Lord told them they would, by the signs of the times, by world events, and this is where they become "instructed scribes" -

Bible Questions

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Q. The May/June(1994) issue of the "Monthly" under title of "Seven Times of Nebuchadnezzar" referred to the Sumerian/Babylonian calendar year as comprising twelve months of thirty days each followed by five "non-days" at the end to comprise 365. The July/August(1994) issue under "The Lunar Month in Prophecy" gave a period of 360 days as the "prophetic year". The latter article stated that this "prophetic year" did not seem to rest on a very sure foundation. Does this not render the two articles mutually inconsistent?

***

A. Not really. The 360 days and five "non-days" has nothing to do with Biblical "prophetic" years, which are expressed by the Hebrew word "yom", usually meaning a twenty-four hour day but sometimes longer periods, such as the six creative days, the day when the Lord made heaven and earth, the day of the Lord, and so on. The Babylonian calendar, up to about 1500 B.C., unlike Israel’s. was not based on the length of the lunar month of 29 ½ days but on the apparent passage of the sun across the twelve signs of the zodiac of slightly above thirty days each, this for convenience being expressed as twelve months of thirty days plus the balance of five days, called "non-days". The Israel calendar had twelve months of alternately 29 and 30 days each, totaling 354, but every three years or so they added an extra month, Ve-adar, at the end, to make up an average of 365. That is why the statement is made that the lunar year of either 354 or 360 days in interpreting prophetic periods does not rest on a very sure foundation. Every ancient nation made its year one of 365 days by one means or another. Only the Muslim world measures time by the moon. In short, the ancient nations knew only of one year, the solar year measured by the passage of the earth round the sun. Any other method brings the year out of step with the seasons in a short time and has to be adjusted.

Q.da 12 4. In "the Time of the End, many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased". Does this refer to the knowledge of God and His ways or to general knowledge of human and terrestrial matters?* **

A. Commentators have applied these words to the unprecedented increase of travel and of knowledge in every department of human affairs, characteristic of the "Time of the End". This text led Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century to predict that men would one day be able to travel at the "amazing speed" of sixty miles an hour. (Horses were the fastest means of locomotion in his day) The French philosopher Voltaire poured scorn upon him and said he must be getting into his dotage. Whilst such an increase of travel and knowledge has come to pass and is a sign of the "Time of the End", it is possible that the revealing angel was also talking about knowledge of Divine things. The expression "run to and fro", in addition to its literal meaning, was also used metaphorically to define running through a book, to examine a book thoroughly. In this sense the Lord spoke to Habakkuk at much the same time as to Daniel telling him to "write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it". (Hab 2:2) i.e: that he may understand it thoroughly. In this sense the angel’s words to Daniel could well mean that a feature of the Time of the End would be the giving of increased attention to the Divine revelation and a clearer understanding of the Divine purpose. This has certainly been true of the past two centuries even though a lesser number of people are sufficiently interested to give themselves to its study. For those who do, there is recompense in a sane and balanced view of what God is now doing and will do in the face of rapidly disintegrating world conditions.

There is no witness of the Christian Church like its own unity. Jesus, knowing this, and realizing how divided his followers were, prayed earnestly to his Father "That they may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (Joh 17:21)

The Valley of the Mountain

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"Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle". (Zec 14:3)

This is the climax, this the farthest limit of the powers of this world. At this point God breaks through into human history, and for the first time, perhaps, since the days of Jehoshaphat, the armed forces of earth come up against a power which is from heaven, and because it is from heaven cannot be resisted. The LORD comes forth to war, as He did do several times in Israel’s national history, but this time He comes forth not only for the deliverance of the Holy Nation from its immediate enemies, but the deliverance of all mankind from the great enemy. Here, at this time, the dominion of evil is to be overthrown and in its place instituted an order of things "wherein dwelleth righteousness".

How does the LORD go forth and with what weapons does He fight? There are not wanting expositors who visualize a sanguinary combat in which all the instruments of devilry devised by man are used on both sides, and a victory distinguished by masses of dead and wounded strewn over a blood-soaked land. It is true that many of the prophetic foreviews of this final conflict are couched in such terms but this is because men, accustomed to such scenes, can only visualize a conflict in which one side gains the victory and the other suffers defeat in some such manner. These foreviews must be taken as pictures illustrating the principles involved; the issues to be decided in this battle are greater by far than can be resolved by the indiscriminate slaughter of human beings, most of whom are still so ignorant of the eternal verities that, like the men of Nineveh in Jonah’s time, they cannot "discern between their right hand and their left hand". Just as Jesus said "the Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them" so now, when God is pictured as descending upon the Mount of Olives amid awesome cataclysms of Nature it is not that He might destroy men, opposed to His righteousness and unregenerate as they are, but that He might destroy their capacity for accomplishing their evil designs and reduce them to a condition of submissiveness before Him, that He might then "withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man". (Job 33:17) It must be expected therefore that the actual concrete actions and events by means of which the prophecy is to be accomplished can be only imperfectly visualized, involved as they are with celestial powers the nature of which is outside our ken. The natural picture presented by Zechariah, the descent, the earthquake, the battle and so on, is to be regarded as a picture, a painting which, when regarded and considered, conveys a message; it is the message that is of importance.

Perhaps the cardinal principle to be built into a satisfactory understanding of this passage is that which was illustrated on those previous occasions when Israel, exercising faith, was delivered in the face of apparently hopeless odds. "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD " said Moses just before the Red Sea crossing. "The Egyptians whom you have seen today, ye shall see them no more again for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace". (Ex 13:14-15) The people obeying, in faith stepped down into the sea-bed and were delivered. "Be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him" was good King Hezekiah’s exhortation to his people at the time of the siege. "With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah". (2Ch 32:7-8) And in that night the host of the armies of Assyria melted away. When the forces of Moab and Ammon and Edom invaded Judah, to cut them off from being a people, "all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives and their children" while King Jehoshaphat, standing in the Temple court, lifted up his voice to God "we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee": (2Ch 20:12-13) their faith was vindicated and Judah was saved. So in this, the greatest and final deliverance, the situation that is pictured is one in which the cleansed and dedicated Nation manifests serene confidence as to the outcome, the enemy surrounds the land with every expectation of an easy victory; the armies of heaven advance to the battle and in an awe-inspiring display of other-worldly power frustrate the invaders’ purpose and reduce their armed might to nothingness.

The features which Zechariah saw in his prophetic vision are well known. The people. in the city, waiting. The invaders, having already taken captive and sent into exile the fainthearted and apostates from among the people, preparing to follow up their advantage. Only the men of faith remain and it seems that even for them there is now no hope. Perhaps they have all gathered in the Temple courts as did their predecessors in the days of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah to pray for deliverance, the while the enemy is already rifling the houses. And at that moment besieged and besiegers alike look up into the skies and behold a stupendous sight; God Most High, the Ancient of Days, descending, accompanied by His attendants and holy ones, descending upon the Mount of Olives, His feet touching the sacred soil, a mighty earthquake, the Mount cloven in two, a deep chasm from west to east separating the mountain into two parts, that great multitude of exultant foes halting in their tracks as they move in for the kill, finding their eyes being burned out of their sockets by the dazzling radiance, their tongues stilled and destroyed by the terror and thunder of the earthquake, their bodies maimed and destroyed as the earth heaves and opens and swallows them up; a blind unreasoning panic seizes them and they turn each against other, the blind, the dumb and the maimed until, at the end, there are none left. The mountainous districts surrounding Jerusalem which, from time immemorial, had looked down upon the city from their superior height of several hundreds of feet, are broken up by the earthquake and sink down to form a low-lying plain like the plain of Jordan, and within that broken up terrain is buried forever the remains of the host that had defied the living God. In the center of the plain stands, proudly, Jerusalem upon her hills, exalted "above the tops of the mountains". And so the Nation is saved, and so perish all the enemies of the Lord. That is the picture as drawn in verses 4-15 of Zechariah’s 14th chapter. How should it be interpreted?

"And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives... and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half of it toward the south" (Zec 14:4).

This is an earthquake; but is it a literal or a metaphorical earthquake? It is a very common practice among prophetic students to interpret the whole of this passage upon a literal basis. Geologically, there is nothing against the possibility. The entire land is in an earthquake zone which runs up from the Red Sea and into Galilee and Syria. Earthquakes have occurred there a goodly number of times in history and Zechariah refers to one such in his very next verse. There is nothing in the prophetic description from verse 4 to 11 which is physically—geologically—incapable of realization. That does not demand, of course, that the prophecy is intended to have such literal fulfillment; the possibility that this is a figurative use of language, in line with practically the whole of Zechariah’s prophecy, to picture happenings and processes of a more fundamental nature and involving greater issues, must also be considered. It could also be argued that the prophecy has a dual function, possessing literal and figurative elements. But it has to be shown that the interpretation suggested has some valid place and purpose in the outworking of the plan, that it contributes towards the attainment of the predetermined end, which in this case is the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom, and this will be the endeavor here.

The descent of the LORD upon the Mount of Olives obviously marks the moment of Divine intervention in earth’s affairs. This is true whether the descent is literal, the Deity in visible human form taking His stance upon the mountain top, or figurative. This same theme is dwelt upon elsewhere. "The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake" says Joel. (Joe 3:16) "The LORD cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth, and the mountains shall be molten under Him, and the valleys shall be cleft" is Micah’s contribution (Mic 1:3) although here the prophet is talking about Divine judgment imminent upon Israel and Judah of his own day. In like fashion Nahum tells of coming judgment upon Assyria; "The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries the mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His presence". (Na 1:5) In these latter two instances the language is figurative; history shows that. Likewise the variety of allusions in the Old Testament to the event now under consideration directs the conclusion that the language here is figurative also. In Joel the LORD "roars out of Zion" —Jerusalem. In Da 7 He appears on a heavenly throne to conduct the Last Assize and invest the Son of Man with the rulership of earth. In the apocryphal Book of Enoch, quoted by Jude, (Jude 14-15) and possibly enshrining some very ancient prophecy not otherwise included in the canonical books, the place of descent is said to be Sinai, "The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling, and the eternal God will dwell upon the earth, on Mount Sinai, and appear in the strength of His might from the heavens... and the high mountains shall be shaken and the high hills shall be made low, and the earth shall be rent in sunder and behold, He cometh with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment upon all (Enoch 1: 3-9). In any case this whole picture has to be interpreted in the light of the New Testament revelation that it is Christ the Son who comes in person to the earth at this time to deliver Israel and subdue all evil; since this deliverance is but one of the sequence of events occupying the Parousia, his presence, the descent on the Mount of Olives becomes the symbol of the first outward evidence that His Presence is an accomplished fact. Up to that point of time many will have continued to say "where is the promise of His coming, for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as from the beginning of creation". (2Pe 3:4) Beyond that point, all will realize the fact, and believe.

The impact of that intervention upon men, and its consequences upon the enemy, is likened to an earthquake. At the coming of the Lord the earth will quake, the heavens pass away, the sun and the moon become dark, the stars cease to shine, the works of man be burned up—all these symbols are used to describe the disintegration and utter destruction of man’s world, which in this context is synonymous with evil things, because man’s world is predominately evil. A new world is to follow in which all the good that has survived—for such good as does exist in this present world, because good is lasting, will survive—will blossom forth into greater good under the more favorable conditions of that world. So Zechariah tells of a great earthquake which splits the Mount of Olives into northern and southern parts with a valley between. Geographically that valley, running east-west, would be exactly opposite the East Gate of the Temple; the idea is irresistible that the prophecy intends some notice to be taken of that fact.

The succeeding verse has given translators—and expositors—a great deal of trouble. As it appears in the A.V. the meaning is very obscure. Speaking of this valley the verse says "ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah King of Judah; and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee" (ch. 14: 5). When the descent and the earthquake are held to be literal it is said that the citizens of Jerusalem will flee into this valley for protection and shelter—ignoring the fact that people do not run toward the site of an earthquake for safety but away from it. In any case the text, as with all such obscure passages, needs closer examination before interpreting. The preposition "to" is in italics, having been supplied by the A.V. translators because there is no preposition in the Hebrew, which should read in the A.V. "ye shall flee the valley" i.e. away from it and not into it.

The word Azal has been put in as a place name but no such place in the district is known. Properly, the word is el-atsal and some expositors have suggested that this may be intended for the Beth-e-zel of Mic 1:11 which, say some hopefully, was perhaps to the east of the Mount of Olives. In fact this place was near Beer-Sheba, twenty-five miles in the other direction, so that geographically this could not have been intended.

The mention of the earthquake in the days of Uzziah should next be investigated. Zechariah refers to this as though it was a well known event to the people of his day even although it was by then over two centuries in the past. No account of this earthquake is given in Biblical history, the only other allusion being by the prophet Amos, who says he began his prophetic ministry in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam, king of Israel, "two years before the earthquake". (Am 1:1) It was evidently a happening which made a deep impression and of which the memory was long lasting. Fortunately Josephus gives an account of it; his account reveals the similarities which led Zechariah to use it as an illustration in this later picture of Divine intervention and Divine judgment. It will be remembered that the books of Kings and Chronicles relate how Uzziah arrogated to himself the priestly duty of offering incense in the Temple, for which sacrilege he was smitten with leprosy. Josephus declares that the earthquake came as Divine judgment for the act. He says (Ant. 9: 10. 4). "Uzziah was corrupted in his mind by pride accordingly, when a general festival was to be celebrated, he put on the holy garment and went into the temple to offer incense to God upon the golden altar, which he was prohibited to do by Azariah the High Priest... and when they cried out that he must go out of the temple, he was wrath at them and threatened to kill them, in the meantime a great earthquake shook the ground, and a rent was made in the temple, and the bright rays of the sun shone through it, and fell upon the king’s face, insomuch that the leprosy seized upon him immediately; and before the city, at a place called Eroge, half the mountain broke off from the rest on the west, and rolled itself four stadia (about half a mile) and stood still at the east mountain, till the roads, as well as the king’s gardens, were blocked by the obstruction". The source of Josephus’ information is unknown and no independent check on its veracity is possible; physically however, the account is consistent with the topography of Jerusalem. His "east mountain" is the Mount of Olives; the "west mountain", the heights of Ophel at the south-eastern corner of the city half a mile away, on the slopes of which were the "king’s gardens", and at the foot, the "fountain of the fowler" called En-rogel, the "Eroge" of his account. It would appear that part of Ophel collapsed and fell four hundred feet into the valley separating it from the Mount of Olives and blocked the valley besides burying the king’ gardens. Such a line of cleavage, extended northward, would intersect the Temple area and account for the effect noted by Josephus.

With this background story in mind attention can be turned back to verse 5. The first important factor to notice is the expression "ye shall flee", appearing twice in the verse. A great many ancient authorities adopt a term meaning "to be blocked up" in lieu of this expression and this rendering, which is also that of the Septuagint, has been adopted by modern translators such as the R.S.V., Moffatt and Rotherham. The determining word in the original Hebrew, which was without vowels, is ynstm, which is printed in some manuscripts as yenastem, "ye shall flee", and in others as yenistam, "shall be blocked up". The expression in the A.V. "shall reach unto Azal", critically rendered, means to turn toward each other so as to touch or join together. Thus the sense of this verse is not that of anyone fleeing, either into or away from the valley, but of the valley itself being closed or blocked up. This is where the analogy of Uzziah’s earthquake holds good; Josephus says that the valley was blocked by the earthquake. So the best translation of this verse, supported by the LXX(Septuagint) and the modern translators mentioned, would read "and the valley of the mountains shall be blocked up, for the valley of the mountains shall close together as it was blocked up by the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah".

So far for the rendering, but what does it mean? Why should there be an earthquake, creating a valley through the center of the Mount of Olives, if the next step is to close up that valley again? Is the solution connected with the remaining elements in the verse "and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with him"?

This, in fact, is the answer. This dividing of the Mount of Olives pictures not only the last event of "this present evil world" but also the first event of the "world to come, wherein dwelleth righteousness". It pictures God, in Christ, not only coming to judgment upon the last adversaries to resist the incoming Kingdom, but also His coming in splendor to take up His dwelling with men, as realized in the Millennial Presence. And to appreciate this it is necessary to associate this vision of Zechariah with that of his predecessor Ezekiel when that prophet saw, in like manner, the glory of the LORD coming from the East to take up residence with His people.

The 43rd chapter of Ezekiel’s prophecy describes how he took his stand by the East Gate of the Millennial Temple. "And behold, the glory of the God of israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory". And the glory of the LORD came into the Temple by the East Gate, and a proclamation was made to the effect that the LORD was now to dwell with Israel for ever and then the East Gate was shut, never again to be opened. The reason? "This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut". In figurative sense, the Lord had come, finding the gate open to receive Him. He was never again to go away, for now His people were ready to accept Him and not repudiate Him again. No need for another to come would ever arise, for He will be all-sufficient. So the gate would never need to be used again; it could be shut and the way closed for all time.

Now this is what Zechariah also saw. Within the limits of his vision he saw Jerusalem and its Temple, with its own East Gate fronting directly upon the Mount of Olives. He saw the enemies of Israel around the city and he knew that God was coming, not only for their overthrow but to dwell with Israel eternally. And the valley through the middle of the Mount of Olives made a passage for the God of Israel, coming from the East straight to that East Gate. That is why, when before his eyes that great chasm appeared in the Mount, and he saw also the Lord advancing through it toward the city he cried out in ecstasy "And the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with Him".

That explains why the valley is to be blocked up. Just as in Ezekiel’s vision the East Gate of his Temple was to be permanently closed after the God of Israel had passed through it into the Temple, so here, the valley is similarly to be blocked up after the God of Israel has passed through it on His way to deliver His people. The symbols used by the two prophets differ, but the principle is the same. There are yet other effects of the earthquake to be described in succeeding verses, but here at this point, the Lord comes, His holy ones with Him, to deliver His people and remain with them Forever.(to be continued)

Jesus’ Ancestry

45

Doubt is sometimes expressed as to the reliability of the genealogical tables of our Lord’s ancestry preserved by Matthew and Luke on the grounds that over certain periods the number of names is so great as to demand sons being born to their fathers at an unreasonably early age. During the periods between Solomon and Josiah, for example, there were sixteen kings which averages 20 years per generation; over the same period Mary’s descent from Nathan involved eighteen progenitors which averages 18 years per generation. For so many men to become fathers at such ages is said to be so unlikely as to be incredible and the account viewed with suspicion accordingly. It is interesting therefore to note in a past issue of "Jerusalem Post" (23rd April 1974) in an account of the plight of Jews resident in Syria, the following remark: "Unbearable as their situation is, it might seem less tragic if the population were an aged remnant destined soon to die out. But they are young and prolific with the boys and girls marrying between 15 and 17 and producing 10 children by the time they reach 30."

That national characteristic was evidently the same in those distant days of the monarchy; Matthew and Luke are not so suspect after all. And neither is the still older story of the apparently unbelievable increase of the Israelites in Egypt prior to the Exodus.

Eldad and Madad

45

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: ye shall be unto me a holy nation" (Ex 19:4-6) here are God’s first words to his people; He speaks of redemption and its blessings, fellowship with Himself: "Ye have seen how I brought you into myself" God’s will is the expression of His holiness; as we do His will. we come into contact with His holiness. The link between redemption and holiness is obedience. Obedience: not knowledge of the will of God. not even approval, not even the will to do it, but the doing of it. Knowledge, and approval, and will, must lead to action. The will of God must be done. It is not faith, and not worship. and not profession, that God here asks in the first place from His people. when He speaks of holiness: it is obedience. Gods will must be done on earth, as in heaven. A moment’s reflection will make the reason of this clear to us. It is in a man’s work that he manifests what he is. I may know what is good, and yet not approve it. I may approve, and yet not will it. I may in a certain sense will it, and yet be wanting in the energy, or the self sacrifice, or the power that will rouse and do the thing. Thinking is easier than willing, and willing is easier than doing. God wants His will done. This alone is obedience. In this alone it is seen whether the whole heart, with all its strength of will, has given itself over to the will, of God; whether we live it, and are ready at any sacrifice to make it our own by doing it. God has no other way for making us Holy.(andrew Murray 1890).46

Eldad and Medad had been slaves in Egypt. Born slaves of a nation of slaves, they hardly dared hope that deliverance would come in their own lifetime. Until Moses came their way. The name of Moses had been familiar for many years to all their friends and acquaintances in the slave village which was their home. He was a great man and lived at the King’s Palace, and was reputedly the son of the King’s daughter. Eldad and Medad knew better; it was whispered from mouth to mouth, when the Egyptian taskmasters were looking the other way, that Moses was in reality one of themselves. Some of their own kindred had seen and spoken with his father and mother. Miriam his sister, and Aaron his brother, were slaves like themselves. There was a reason, too, for Moses being at the King’s Palace. He was learning all the wisdom of the Egyptians so that one day he could lead the slaves out of their bondage into a land where they could live as free men. Eldad and Medad, young men both, straightened their backs and their eyes glowed with pride and hope as they talked about that. They had been brought up by godly parents and although very few of their fellow-slaves believed in God or had any hope that He might one day deliver, Eldad and Medad had been well instructed in the ancient stories of their ancestors and they knew of God’s promise to their forefather Abraham, that after many years in Egypt He would cause them to be delivered. There was no outward evidence that the time had yet come or was anywhere near, nevertheless there were days when they hoped, and talked with brighter eyes and fast-beating hearts. Then came the bitter disappointment when Moses left the King’s Palace and disappeared—none knew where. There was talk of some trouble; an Egyptian overseer had been killed and Moses was concerned in it; no one seemed to know much about the details but one thing was definite—Moses was no longer their hoped-for champion. Eldad and Medad conversed about it at times but for the most part they kept their thoughts to themselves, even yet hoping against hope that in some wonderful way God might remember them and fulfil His promise.

***

They had waited a long time—forty years since the disappearance of Moses and in all that long period no sign that God either knew or cared. Eldad and Medad were no longer young men now; they had both passed their three score years and began to find the daily task of brick making strangely arduous, much more so than of yore. But there were compensations. To the little circle of slaves that, unlike the majority of their fellows, refused to worship the gods of Egypt but held fast to the dim traditions of Abraham and the promise, Eldad and Medad had become pillars of strength. They still believed, strong in faith, and looked daily for the coming of the Deliverer. Somehow there was in them the workings of a Spirit, telling them that the time would not be much longer delayed.* **

He came with breathless haste, that young man, so zealous for the honor of his master and leader, the great Moses. From the center of the camp of Israel he had run, across the level sand shimmering in the blinding glare of the noon-day sun, to where Moses stood at the gate of the Tabernacle. The seventy elders, grave, dignified sons of Israel, supremely conscious of their position of ministers to the LORD’s people, made way somewhat reluctantly to give him access to the Leader, Joshua, taut and rigid in his soldiers attire, stepped forward a half pace, hand on sword, almost as if to challenge the newcomer’s progress. Only Moses remained calm, unruffled.

The runner halted, panting. He was almost out of breath, but not so much that he could not turn and point, with not altogether steady finger, to the dense crowd of men and women which could be discerned, even at this distance, in the great space at the center of the black goatskin tents. He spoke, hurriedly, his voice one in which subservience and indignation were strangely mingled, and as he spoke the enquiring eyes of the listening elders sought the face of Moses and remained fixed on him. "Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp"

It was true! While the rest of the elders of Israel had gathered at the Tabernacle to hear the instructions of God at the mouth of Moses, the Divine Spirit had rested upon those two who had remained back there in the Camp and now they were telling them of the things of God, without any mandate or permission from Moses the Leader. Disapproval showed itself on each countenance; resentment that these two men should apparently have appointed themselves to proclaim and teach the truth of God without waiting for or seeking an ordination from Moses the accepted leader of the people in things relating to their covenant with God. A whispering began, a shaking of heads; these two men were surely slighting the company of the elders, setting up their own judgment as against the judgment of the majority. This independence of thought and action ought to be stopped; the Lord surely had already shown that His favor was with the organized body of elders and the priesthood in whose care reposed the Tabernacle and all its ceremonies. What right had these two, owning responsibility to no influential company in Israel, subject to no kind of control from priest or prince, to assert for themselves the privilege of preaching to the people? Surely Moses would quickly put a stop to this incipient heresy. He had been in the mountain with God and had spoken with God and God had given him the Law which he had written with His own finger; Moses would surely very soon put these upstarts in their proper place. The elders turned towards him expectantly, still burning with indignation at this audacity. "Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp."

Joshua had sprung forward, his youthful features alive with fiery zeal. The hand grasping the sword twitched nervously. There was outraged loyalty and hot jealousy for his Leader’s honor in his tone, as he cried impetuously "My Lord Moses, forbid them!"

The magnificent figure of Moses stood motionless, his clear eyes piercing into the distance straightly to those two dynamic forms in the middle of the crowd, moving from side to side and gesturing with hand and arm as they addressed the multitude. Long did he gaze, and slowly withdrew his eyes from viewing that distant scene to turn them upon those who now crowded around him so closely. He looked upon the runner, waiting before him, so secure in his knowledge of duty well done; upon the righteous elders, every movement of their robes betokening the quivering of outraged dignity; upon Joshua, standing there in wrathful indignation; and as he looked, the keen eyes suddenly softened, the stern lips, almost hidden by the shaggy beard, parted in a half smile and in an indulgent, almost fatherly tone, he asked them "Enviest thou for my sake?" The strong hands moved suddenly in a gesture of entreaty; the fine eyes looked upward with an expression of unutterable longing. "WOULD TO GOD", cried the great Prophet of Israel, "WOULD TO GOD THAT ALL THE LORD’S PEOPLE WERE PROPHETS AND THAT THE LORD WOULD PUT HIS SPIRIT UPON THEM!"

***

More than three thousand years have passed since that memorable day. We have not learned the lesson yet. We, many of us, still circle around our favorite leader, our favorite organization. our favorite avenue of service, and refuse to admit to ourselves the supreme truth that God, Who has all the resources of all His creation at his command, all the heart’s devotion and life’s endeavor of all who have given their lives to Him on which to call, is not limited to one means of expression or one channel of revelation in the world of men. The One Who "hath made everything beautiful in His time", (Ec 3:11) Who has evolved the flowers and the trees, the insects and the birds, the mountains and the valleys, into a thousand different forms and has never made any one sunset exactly like another must surely be pleased to beautify his truth with the same variety of expression and diversity of ministration. The Apostle Paul tells us as much. Does he not say "there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operation, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.... all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will" (1Co 12:4-11) ? We must needs be positive in our own beliefs in Divine Truth and zealous in the discharge of the work that has been committed to our hands; that does not entitle us to assume that there can be no other acceptable service for our Lord nor that none who have not received their ordination to ministry through our own channel can share in the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. No single well can give forth all the stored waters of the earth and no one river can carry all the rainfall from the heavens; neither can any one of us comprehend, far less expound and minister, more than the veriest fraction of the accumulated treasures of wisdom and knowledge that are gathered up within God’s holy Word.

Let us then in our own service and ministry bear this great truth in mind and look with sympathetic brotherliness upon all who are serving with their talents our gracious Master. Let us seek to find true fellowship wherever the Spirit of Christ is manifest and let us, in our own allegiance to the things we ourselves have received, try to help, rather than hinder, those who are laboring in a different corner of the vineyard. The disciples tried once to restrain some who "followed not with us", and Jesus reproved them. "Forbid them not" He said "for there is no man that shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me". (Mr 9:38-40) When Peter, more concerned about the Lord’s intentions for others than for himself, asked "Lord what shall this man do?" he was told, very kindly but none the less plainly, to mind his own business and see to the execution of his own commission. "Go thou and preach the gospel." So with us; we enter most into the spiritual presence of our Lord if we realize that He is conducting a great work here on earth in this our day; that to each one of us is committed some very small and yet some very definite and very important part of that work; that we individually are not permitted to view the whole work in its entirety and indeed could not do so, but that our Master has all the threads in His own strong hands and will bring all together in one harmonious pattern in His own due time. Meanwhile we do well to pray and labor for the increase of the number of those who will serve the Lord. "Pray ye the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth laborers into the harvest." The need is great, there is room and yet room for all who will come and serve our Lord. Would to God, let this be our prayer, would to God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them!

Tithing

48

The propriety of tithing is one of the questions to which the short answer is that the Christian is not subject to the law given at Sinai but to a higher rule which embodies the spirit of the older law without holding to its letter. The Mosaic Law required that every Israelite yield one tenth of his annual increase, whether of cattle or crops, or other forms of wealth, to the Lord, by the agency of the priesthood. This was a method of acknowledging that all that they had achieved and gained came from the Lord and it was obligatory; no man could be a true son of Israel unless he paid his tithe. Inevitably the response became mechanical and the tendency with many was to feel that, having paid their tithe, their duty to God was done and they could thereafter please themselves with what they did with the rest. Some, like the woman of Jesus’ parable, who cast two mites into the treasury, did more. She gave "all the living that she had" and in so doing pointed to a deeper understanding of the principle behind tithing, which was later to find its full expression among Christians. The propriety of tithing is, on occasion, a subject of discussion today. It sometimes extends to refinements such as whether the Christian should "tithe his income" before or after rates and taxes have been deducted. All of this is really going back to the Mosaic Law which was given to Israel only and has nothing to do with today. Jesus gave a higher law and one that called for, not just ten percent, but complete, one hundred percent, dedication to God. In short, the Christian lives for the purposes and service of God, and all his endeavors, his abilities, his possessions, and income, are entrusted to him as a stewardship to be used according to his discretion to the glory of God. This is the difference between Christ and Moses. Each individual believer is a steward and no regulations are laid down as to the administration of his stewardship; that he must decide for himself on the basis of his knowledge of the Divine Will and the measure of his zeal for its accomplishment. St. Paul told the Corinthians (1Co 16:2) "let every one of you lay by in store, as God hath prospered him ", for the needs of the Church. No fixed ten per cent, but each to be judged of his own contribution. When Ananias brought his offering St. Peter conceded that the disposition of the proceeds from the sale of his land was entirely within his own discretion. (Ac 5:4) This is the tithing that is incumbent upon the Christian, a considered and reverent placing of his life and all its attributes in the manner which he discerns is acceptable to God.

FIN

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50 Progress in Prophetic Understanding

"Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord". (Mt 13:51) And they thought they had! He had told them about the men who had received the seed of the Word, some into good and some into stony ground; other men who sowed, some, the wheat, and some, the tares, in the wheatfield; the man who discovered hidden treasure in a field, and the merchant who invested all his assets in one magnificent pearl, the fishermen who drew a netful of fish to the shore and found it contained some good and some bad. When He had finished He asked them if they had understood all that He had told them, and they said yes, we understand it all. And of course they did not. Their knowledge, limited by the confines of the Judaistic theology in which they had been brought up, limited their comprehension within a frame which allowed them to interpret His words only in line with their own Messianic beliefs, the coming of an all-conquering Messiah riding a war-horse and wielding a great sword with which He would lead them to martial victory over the ungodly, the rejected ones of the parables. In their day they could do nothing else than equate those with the hated Gentiles and picture His own followers at the head of the righteous, the accepted ones of the parables, the people of the Lord, His Israel. The manifold peoples of this wide earth, many of whom they did not even know existed; the long sweep of two thousand years of coming history, of which they had no conception; the preaching of the gospel over all the earth, the extent of which was known to none of them in that day; the magnitude of the resultant harvest at its end; how could they have had any conception of its reality? "Yes, Lord, we understand completely and there is nothing more left to learn."

And are we so very different? We come to an understanding of Divine truth based on these same sayings of Jesus and we see so much more in them than they, limited as they were by the state of human knowledge and current conception of the Divine purpose which was inevitable in their day, could ever hope to see. Like them, we immediately conclude that, having attained to that greater degree of understanding, there is no further progress to be made and we have the final understanding of truth. In a totally different context the Lord reminded the Pharisees of their claim that if they had lived in the days of their fathers they would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets, (Mt 23:30) but of course events proved that they were. And we in our turn, unless we are very careful and honest with ourselves, are apt to condemn past generations for their refusal to walk in the light of progressive truth and then do the same thing ourselves. If at the end of our Christian walk we have no deeper understanding of the faith than we had at the beginning we have not learned much.

But that is not the same thing as rejecting advances that have been made, and going back to the position obtaining in past and earlier days. Progress in Christian understanding must of necessity be based upon what has been attained to date, but it must enlarge into a deeper and more accurate understanding as time goes on. It cannot stand still. The Christian cannot be like the old-time steam-roller, forever going forwards and backwards over its limited stretch of road until that road is completely flattened.

"We all, with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, by the spirit of the Lord."

51 The prophet who ran away

Chapter 3. A Seafaring Story

The story of the most astonishing happening related in the Bible is recorded in three short verses comprising no more than fifty-five words:

"Now the LORD had prepared (Heb., appointed) a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly... And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land."

No writer of fiction could have contented himself with so brief a reference to so amazing an occurrence. One of the indications that this story is in fact a strictly historical account is the restraint with which the marvelous is subordinated to the main purpose of the book. To Jonah the incident of the great fish was a purely personal matter. He learned a vital lesson from the experience and that lesson he has put on record in words of distinct beauty, (Jon 2:2-9) but he relates only so much of the actual experience as is necessary to his purpose.

Of course enquirers and skeptics in these days are not content with that. That a man should be swallowed by a giant fish and come out alive seems so incredible and apparently impossible a thing that to profess belief in the story is usually to elicit a pitying smile. It is in fact this part of the account that has done so much to discredit the book. Rather than believe that such a thing did actually occur, men prefer to dismiss the entire narrative as a pure invention having no basis in fact.

Reasons for accepting the Book of Jonah as true history have already been given. Those reasons should be sufficient ground for accepting the fact that this amazing thing really did happen to Jonah and Christians need not feel that any additional evidence is needed so far as their own faith is concerned. It is good, however, to investigate such further arguments and evidences as can be brought forward, for the assistance of others who may still be honestly incredulous of the entire proceeding.

Such arguments and evidences do exist and they make interesting reading. It would almost seem as if God, knowing what a strain this story would put upon the intellectual credulity of many in our day, has seen to it that independent testimony to the possibility and the probability of this having actually happened has been placed upon record.

On the score of possibility, modern history does afford two authenticated instances of a man being swallowed by a whale and being rescued alive. (Nothing in the book of Jonah requires that the fish concerned must be a whale, the expression being in the Hebrew "a great fish". The Hebrews had no word for whale, but the translators of the Septuagint adopted the Greek ketos, " whale", and the A.V. translators used the same word in the N.T. when our Lord referred to the story.) Whales were abundant in the Mediterranean in ancient times, and up to the advent of the steamship. They are rare today but are occasionally seen. The London "News Chronicle" of 17 May 1957 reported the stranding on a beach in Cyprus of one which had to be disposed of by a detachment of the British Army, wearing gas masks. On the score of probability, there are a number of indications in classical literature which go to show that the town of Joppa in Canaan was at one time the scene of some strange and memorable happening connected with a whale. It is appropriate to examine these evidences.

On August 25, 1891, the French Journal des Debats (a leading French journal founded in 1789) published the results of an investigation by its Scientific Editor, M. de Parville, into the story of a strange happening reported to have occurred a few months previously. M. de Parville, with a fellow scientist, had verified the facts and published the story, with the comment that he now found it quite possible to believe in the Biblical story of Jonah. The reputation of the Journal des Debats is such that an account of this nature would not be published in its columns unless the evidence was conclusive, and the fact that it was afterwards published in the British Literary Digest of April 4, 1896 offers a further guarantee.

It appears that in February, 1891, the "Star of the East", a whaling ship hailing from Liverpool, was engaged in hunting whales in the South Atlantic near the Falkland Islands. In the ordinary course of the work a whale was sighted and two boats sent in pursuit. The first boat to approach the animal harpooned it, whereupon the whale swam away at high speed, dragging the boat for about five miles, then turning and coming back towards the other boat, the harpooner in which also succeeded in sending a harpoon home. Both boats were towed about three miles by the whale, after which it "sounded" or went below the surface. As was customary in such cases, the men in the boats began to wind in the ropes attached to the harpoons with the object of bringing the whale to the surface, and soon it unexpectedly broke through the water and began to beat about in its death agony. In the confusion one boat was struck by the whale’s nose and upset, the occupants being thrown into the water. All save two were rescued by the other boat.

The survivors rowed back to the ship, and in a few hours had made the dead whale fast to the ship’s side and were busy cutting it to pieces. They worked all that day—the incident having taken place in the morning and part of the night. Next morning they resumed, and eventually came to the stomach, which was to be cut loose and hoisted to the deck. Whilst engaged in this task they were startled to find that something inside the stomach was giving spasmodic signs of life. Upon cutting it open, one of the missing sailors, James Bartley, aged thirty-five, was found inside doubled up and unconscious. He was soon revived, but for two weeks his mind was unhinged. By the end of the third week he had recovered sufficiently to go about his duties again.

The sailor remembered being lifted into the air and dropping into the water. After that he recalled a fearful rushing sound, which he thought might have been the beating of the water by the whale’s tail, and then he was enveloped in a terrible darkness and found himself slipping along a smooth passage that seemed to yield and carry him forward. He felt about him, and his hands came in contact with soft walls that seemed to shrink from his touch. He finally realized that he had been swallowed by the whale, and although he tried to face the situation with fortitude, he evidently fainted, for his next recollection was awakening in the captain’s cabin.

Upon the whaler’s return to England, Bartley was taken to a London hospital. His skin had been bleached and wrinkled to the appearance of old parchment by the gastric juices of the whale’s stomach, and never regained its natural appearance. He enjoyed normal health, nevertheless, after his recovery. The happening was said among the whaling captains to be unique in that, whilst it frequently happened that men were swallowed by pain-maddened whales, there had never been known any other instance where a man came out alive.

Shortly after its publication in the Journal des Debats, the story appeared in various American newspapers at the instance of a Pittsburgh business man, James I. Buchanan, who had received it from his cousin, a Scottish captain named George Jarvie. The latter knew nothing of the earlier newspaper account, but had received the story in his contacts with South Atlantic seafarers, among whom, he declared, it was generally vouched for and believed.

The second case is that of Marshall Jenkins, seaman on a Mediterranean whaler, who in 1758 was swallowed by a twenty-foot whale and disgorged alive almost immediately. Whilst the facts in this instance are not so fully recorded as those of James Bartley they are regarded as equally authentic. A few more recent factual incidents may be of interest as relevant to the subject. In December 1964 a Russian whaling ship killed a sperm whale and took from its stomach a still live giant squid weighing 450 lb. (London "Daily Mail" 31 Dec. 1964). This creature, weighing nearly four times as much as a man, must have been some eight feet long and five round. How long it had been in the whale’s stomach is not known, but that it should be recovered alive is supporting testimony to the stories both of James Bartley and of Jonah. Hans Hass, the famous under-sea explorer, tells in one of his books ("We come from the Sea" London 1958) of a fifty-foot whale captured off the Azores in 1953, inside the stomach of which was found two half-digested sharks, exceeding ten and eight feet in length respectively. A giant tunny fish forty-five feet long caught near the Florida coast in 1917 had within its stomach a 400 lb. octopus and an unknown fish weighing nearly three quarters of a ton; these were dead. And in November 1946 fishermen killed a twelve-foot tiger shark thirty miles out to sea from Bombay and found in its stomach the complete skeleton of a man and some clothing. In a somewhat different sphere some thirty years ago the world’s press carried the story of a schoolmaster in India who punished a small native boy for some misdemeanor by locking him in the school woodshed and forgetting to release him. Upon going to the woodshed twelve hours later he found no boy but a large serpent giving visible evidence of having swallowed a heavy meal whole. The reptile was killed and the boy extracted. He was still living, although he died a few days later in hospital. Much more recently, the London "Daily Express" of October 8, 1987 carried the story of a man a few days earlier fishing in the River Pechora seven hundred, miles east of Moscow, whose dog, swimming in the river, was seized and swallowed by a large pike six feet long. The fisherman caught the pike and cut it open, whereupon the dog jumped out, barking and unhurt. With these authentic reports on hand the story of Jonah might not look so fantastic after all.

The reference to the "belly of the fish" need only be taken as referring, in a general way, to the monster’s interior, although if Jonah was actually swallowed he would obviously have ended up, as did the nineteenth century sailor, in the whale’s stomach. From a biological point of view, there are some grounds for thinking that Jonah, upon being swept up by the fish, was in fact carried, not in its stomach, but in its capacious mouth. This hypothesis was put forward in a paper read before the Victoria Institute of London in 1924. The species of whales known to have existed in the Mediterranean in former times attains a length of anything up to one hundred feet. The mouth is between ten and twenty feet in length, eight to twelve feet wide and eight to fifteen feet high, the front portion being closed in with a screen of long flexible bones which forms a network or kind of giant strainer. This screen of bones is so devised that it opens inwards to admit solid objects, but allows only water to pass out. The animal obtains its food by swimming along the surface with its mouth open, sweeping up small fish, seaweed and any floating matter, all of which is retained in the mouth whilst the seawater filters out again.

It was thought this whalebone screen retained him in the mouth into which Jonah was swept after he had been thrown into the sea. If the whale was a full-grown specimen, eighty or one hundred feet long, it could have swallowed him without difficulty. If a small one, it could not have swallowed him and he must perforce remain lying on its great tongue, unable to go either forward or backward. Certain considerations which will be presented in the succeeding chapter give some grounds for thinking that this particular whale could in fact have been a small one forty feet long. Jonah would then be lying in a cavity about the size of an ordinary living-room, with plenty of fresh air—and sea water—so long as the whale was cruising on the surface. The average temperature of the water in the Mediterranean is 70° F., so that he was not likely to be suffering from cold. At frequent intervals, however, the whale would "sound", i.e. dive below the surface and remain below for periods usually of ten minutes or so at a time. Now, a whale is not a true fish; although a sea creature, it is a mammal, breathing by means of its lungs like any

This deep sea monster was killed off the east coast of Florida in 1917. Scientists claim that it was comparatively young. In its stomach were a black fish weighing 1,500 pounds, an octopus of 400 pounds, besides 500 pounds of coral. It could easily have swallowed ten Jonahs without trouble. Length 45 feet; weight 30,000 pounds; hide three inches thick. Was mounted on a house-boat, and exhibited in many coast and river cities of the United States.

Consequently, when below the surface it exists by breathing the air contained in its huge mouth and lungs, and must return to the surface before that air is exhausted. Whilst there was air in the mouth of the whale, there was air for Jonah too, so that although at such times he was in dense darkness he at least had air to breathe, and, moreover, would be warm and comparatively dry. A man requires seventy cubic feet of air per hour for breathing, and since the capacity of even a small whale’s mouth is at least six hundred and fifty cubic feet, there would be no risk of Jonah suffocating. The sea-bath to which Jonah was treated when the whale swam along the surface might have become monotonous, but at least endurable. The swimming speed is only four miles an hour, so that there is no need to imagine foaming torrents of water pouring in and around Jonah, but rather a gentle swirling stream flowing in and out again. This is strikingly borne out by Jonah’s words in verse 3, "Thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas; and the flood was round about me; all thy waves and thy billows passed over me". The word for "flood" is nahar, which means a stream or river, the other words being rightly used for the waves and billows of the sea.

When the whale "sounded", i.e. dove toward the sea bottom, Jonah, though safe and able to breathe, was in intense darkness and excessive heat. The downward or perhaps undulating up-and-down motion must have been terrifying in the extreme, and this would be equally true whether he was in the creature’s mouth or in its stomach. How could he have expected, in the natural way, ever to survive this awful experience. It is here that his sterling faith comes to the top; quite evidently Jonah, for all his frowardness in refusing God’s commission for him, still had faith in Divine power, and now that he was in this terrible predicament his heart turned to God in true repentance. "The waters compassed me about, even to the soul. The depth (Heb., abyss) closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever. Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God" (verses 5-6).

We must not be misled by the use of the past tense in that last phrase. Jonah uttered this prayer whilst he was being carried by the whale, not after his escape. It is common in Hebrew literature for happenings yet future, but regarded as absolutely certain to happen, to be stated in the past tense as though they had already happened. Jonah realized that Divine power, preserving him hitherto in this marvelous manner, had done so for a purpose. God had not let go his hold of Jonah His servant. And He had afforded an opportunity for repentance and a retracing of steps which could not have been obtained by Jonah himself in any way whatsoever. Without the intervention of God, Jonah was irrevocably committed to going to Tarshish, but the hand of God took hold of him and brought him back.

It is evident then that Jonah’s repentance took place during his sojourn inside the whale. As the great mammal plunged into the green depths, down to the very foundations of the mountains, into the ravines and valleys of the sea bottom which threatened to hold Jonah prisoner for ever, the prophet’s prayer went up to God who sits on the throne of the universe, and keeps watch and ward over every one of his creatures. Surely He heard that petition, and in His mercy gave command that the suffering of His wayward child be no more prolonged.

It is likely that Jonah, like the sailor in the modern story, speedily became unconscious in his prison. Human endurance, even although buttressed by faith in God, could hardly be expected to be equal to seventy-two hours of such a fearful ordeal. Some such sequel seems to be indicated by verse 7: "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple". As sensibility faded into unconsciousness, the last thought in Jonah’s mind must have been that his prayer had been heard and that he would be saved. He suffered the shades to gather about him in confidence that he would awake and find deliverance.

Here is a perfect picture of our Lord’s death and resurrection. Jesus once said that this experience which befell Jonah was a figure of His own passing into and through the shades of death closing round Him and said, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit", then to lie in the garden grave until that momentous morning when the event occurred at which the "keepers did shake, and became as dead men."

So with Jonah! The instrument of destruction became the vehicle of salvation. Whilst master of himself, confident in the possession of ways and means whereby he could plan his own course in life and avoid the Divine call, Jonah had brought upon himself the loss of all things and, apart from Divine interference, certain death. His repentance changed that, and what had been Jonah’s grave became instead his gateway into a new world, a world in which unswerving obedience to the word of his God would be his joy and delight.

"I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD." (Jon 2:9)

And so it came to pass, as is recorded in words of the most exquisite simplicity, words that instantly convey to man, woman or child of any intellectual level the utter control God has over His creation, that "the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land".

(To be continued)

Pure Religion

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"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.". (Jas 1:27) There is a very manifest tendency in these days of extremes to lay the emphasis upon that aspect of the Christian calling for which one has a preference and to ignore that which does not suit one’s own taste. There are, it may be, three types of those who "profess and call themselves Christians", in any sect or group; we might define them the Professional, the Pious and the Practicing. They have their distinguishing characteristics which separate them the one from the other, and each a varying degree of usefulness in the Lord’s cause, but one of the three is the more likely to learn the lessons of life and to be fitted for the future work of the Church than are the others.

The Professional Christian places his church or sect foremost, upholding it and its institutions and its traditions, right or wrong. He is not usually conspicuous for his knowledge of the Scriptures or his appreciation of the call of discipleship, but he is well informed on affairs of the day, details of current events, and those things which have to do with church activities, social interests, youth welfare, and so on. The Church is, to him, a convenient background for table tennis parties and whist drives, and the presiding minister a useful contact to give "tone" to whatever is being done. If he ever had studied the Bible to satisfy himself as to the basis of his faith it was a long time ago and he is more concerned now with keeping the church attendance up to normal and the finances in a sound condition. He has never heard—or never heeded—the call to consecration, and the phrase "a covenant by sacrifice" means nothing to him. He knows a lot about this world but very little about the next. That does not worry him, for all his interests and ideas are wrapped up with the things of this world, and the hidden Christ is only a historical figure, the long-since-dead founder of the institution which he himself today actively supports. Of the coming of Jesus to establish an earthly Kingdom he may have heard, but if so, has given so fantastic an idea no credence. If such an event did happen he would of course quickly accommodate himself to the new situation and say, importantly, to his new leader, "Lord, Lord, in thy name I have done many wonderful works..

The Pious Christian is of different stamp. His Christianity is to him a very intimate and personal thing, a means by which he may attain his own salvation but not an instrument wherewith to influence his fellows, the "world", outside. He holds tenaciously to the Scriptural truth that God has appointed a day in the which He will deal with the world of men, and is not disturbed therefore if little or none of the light he possesses reaches them now. As often as not he lays considerable emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge and the desirability of Scriptural research for its own sake, and is therefore a keen student of the Scriptures, and an expert in matters of prophetic interpretation. He is intensely—and sincerely—devotional, attaching supreme importance to personal Christian experience, to the inward sense of the indwelling Holy Spirit and the consciousness and confidence of salvation. He has heard the call to consecration and counts himself a footstep follower of the Lord Jesus; but his solicitude for his own spiritual welfare and perhaps that of his immediate fellow believers excludes in great degree any thought for the interests, spiritual or material, of humanity in general. Scorning and despising "the flesh", and this life and world and all that is in it, he looks only to the next life and next world, waiting with some impatience for the day when he can meet his Lord and say "Lord we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.....

Apart from both these is the Practicing Christian, the one who has made his faith a personal thing and goes on from that to make his Christianity effective in the world. He is separated from men by his consecration but associated with the world for his service, service to fellow-men which is also service to God. He is a light in the world, showing outwardly an illumination which is all-pervading within. He holds forth the bread of life, bread which he himself has received from the One Who gives living bread from heaven. His service is according to his ability and opportunity, but it is always a service that conveys to other men something of the good that he himself has received and shows them something of the life that he himself lives in Christ. To him Christianity is a way of life, and every aspect of life has to be shaped and controlled by the faith for which he stands. He has learned to effect the proper division between outward works and inward piety, between service for this world and preparation for the next, and in so doing he is becoming well fitted for appointment to the exalted position of joint-heir with Christ, a Priest and King, for the world-wide work of the next Age. It was of such that the Savior declared they were to be in the world but not of the world: the Professional Christian is IN the world and OF the world: The Pious Christian is NOT IN the world and NOT OF the world: neither of these is the injunction left us by our Lord. "IN the world but NOT OF the world" is His ideal, and the only position that can earn His commendation at the end "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord".

The Apple of His Eye

"He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye (Zec 2:8)

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A proverbial expression derived from the Old Testament, expressive of the little image of oneself seen in the pupil of another’s eye when looking closely into it. This word "babah" means "little man" or "little figure" and is found in other languages as Syriac bobo, Italian bambino, Latin pupa, and English baby. In several other instances a different word is used having the same meaning: "Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye" (Pr 7:2) "He" (God) "kept him" (Israel) "as the apple of his eye". (De 32:10) "Keep me as the apple of the eye". (Ps 17:8) The idea of personal attachment and even kinship is inherent. This conveys the idea of something that is kept close to the heart. Remembering that man is said to have been made "in the image and likeness of God" it is perhaps not too fanciful to think of this expression as relative to God looking closely into the eye of man and seeing his own image there. It may not look very much like it at present when so many of the works of man are anything but godlike, but may it not be that God looks into the hearts of the creatures He has made and knows what He can do with them, in due time, when the lessons of this unsatisfactory life have been learned and under the administration of the Messianic kingdom the many who are reclaimable do turn to "call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent"?. (Zep 3 9) In the meantime, those who have yielded heart and life to Christ can take to themselves the inspiration of knowing that they are growing into His image and likeness. ". We all, ... beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory unto glory, by the Spirit of the Lord". (2Co 3:18)

We would willingly have others perfect, and yet we amend not our own faults. We would have others severely corrected, and will not be corrected ourselves. The large liberty of others displeaseth us, and yet we will not have our own desires denied us. We will have others kept under strict laws, but in no sort will ourselves be restrained. And thus it appeareth how seldom we weigh our neighbor in the same balance with ourselves. Thomas A Kempis.

James

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A stern, unbending figure, rigid in his adherence to the Law of Moses and a fervent upholder of the Covenant in all its detailed ritual, a Nazarite from his youth to the day of his death; that is James the Just, known and respected by all sincere God-fearing Jews in Jerusalem during the days of Jesus. In one respect he was like the Apostle Paul in that at first he rejected the teachings and ministry of Christ, but after the Resurrection became a convert and died a martyr for the faith. In another respect he differed from Paul in that whereas Paul gave his life to preaching the Gospel to all, whether Jews or Gentiles, traveling the world over in the endeavor to extend the faith, James limited his work and his outreach to Jews alone, Jews of the homeland and Jews of the Dispersion, and after his conversion probably never went outside Jerusalem and certainly never left the homeland of Judea and Galilee. He was a natural brother of the Lord Jesus, the first born to Joseph and Mary after the birth of Jesus. There were three more brothers—Joses, Jude, Simon (in Hebrew Joseph, Judah, Simeon) and at least two sisters. There used to be all sorts of theories advanced to avoid the plain implication in the New Testament that Mary was the mother of these children, devised at a time when the idea of Mary having other children after Jesus was considered improper or God-dishonoring. So it was suggested, without a shadow of evidence, that these children were those of Joseph by a former marriage, ignoring the fact that were this so, James, as the firstborn of Joseph, and not Jesus, would have been heir to the throne of David. Another supposition was that the reference to Jesus’ brothers really means cousins and that they were the children of Mary and Cleophas, which contradicts plain Scripture statements. The frequently repeated assertion to the effect that the same Greek word in the N.T. can mean either "brother" or "cousin" has no foundation in fact. "Adelphos" is used consistently for exactly the same purposes as English "brother". Where cousin or other kinsfolk are intended "suggenes" is used.

James, therefore, a few years younger than Jesus, grew up with Him in the little home at Nazareth, sharing in all the joys and sorrows of the family life centered around Joseph’s work as the village carpenter from the fruits of which he supported a growing family of at least six children. Nothing is recorded of those early years but there is one vivid side-light which gives a clue to James’ later character. Mt 1:19 says that Joseph was a "just man". This expression implies much more than it would normally denote in colloquial English. Spoken of a First Advent Jew, it means that Joseph was a wholehearted and rigid devotee of all the minute ritual and ceremonial of the Mosaic Law. It means that in that humble Nazareth home every requirement of the Covenant was scrupulously observed; the feasts properly celebrated, the Sabbaths kept, synagogue obligations honored, the Scriptures read and the children instructed all as commanded by Moses. In this atmosphere both Jesus and James grew up; the one went through Jordan and preached a new message which took him to the Cross, the other became a pillar of orthodoxy and an unyielding allegiance to the Law of Moses.

One wonders what kind of discussions took place between these two youths, fast approaching manhood, the one already reaching out in spirit to the wider understanding of God’s purpose, and His own place in that purpose, which was so soon to lead Him away from Judaism and make Him the Light of the world, the other, steeped in the Rabbinic lore of the past and zealous, like Paul, for the salvation of his own people, not yet ready to receive the new light that was due. Nothing is said of all that; James only figures in the story of Jesus’ ministry twice. Once, soon after choosing the twelve disciples, Jesus’ mother and his brothers came to him apparently in some alarm to take him home, saying "he is beside himself". (cp. Mt 12:46 Mr 3:21) Again, later on, the brothers cast doubts upon the validity of His mission and work; "for neither did his brothers believe on him". (Joh 7: 3-5) There is not much doubt that James, as the eldest among them, took the lead in all this, and that right up to the Crucifixion he remained at best unconvinced by the ministry and teaching of his brother. It is significant that neither he nor his brothers were present at the Cross. To the orthodox Jews he was a man to be admired and emulated. "James the Just" they called him because of his outstanding rigid virtue. He was a Nazarite, like Samuel and others of old, having taken the vows of that order in his youth, thereafter abstaining from wine or strong drink, never allowing razor to come upon his flowing locks, and dressing always in white robes in symbol of purity. Because of his Nazarite status he had the advantage of the priestly concession whereby members of that order were permitted certain privileges of entry into the Temple. He was called the "camel-kneed" because, it was said, he had knees like those of camels from being so often in the Sanctuary in prayer for Divine forgiveness of the people, James was an out-standing Judaist of his day.

But immediately following the death and resurrection of Jesus he became a Christian!

No explanation for this sudden about face is given in the New Testament. The first intimation of the fact appears in Ac 1 where the brothers of Jesus are found gathered with their mother and with the Apostles in the "upper room" in that continuing fellowship which preceded the stirring events of the Day of Pentecost. An apocryphal work, the "Gospel according to the Hebrews" does offer an explanation but its historical accuracy is doubtful. It certainly represents a tradition current in the Early Church and there may be some basis of fact. It states in brief that Jesus immediately after his resurrection, "went unto James and appeared to him, for James had sworn that he would not eat bread from that hour wherein he had drunk the Lord’s cup until he should see him risen again from among them that sleep... He took bread and blessed and brake and gave it unto James the Just and said unto him, My brother, eat thy bread, for the Son of Man is risen from among them that sleep." There is one obvious fault in this account; James the Just was not at the Last Supper. The account cannot be taken as true history, but it may well enshrine the conviction of the Early Church that the conversion of James did take place in consequence of the Resurrection. Paul says definitely, but without indicating the source of his information, that Jesus appeared to James at least soon afterwards. (1Co 15:7) . The evidence, scanty but precise, is that James threw in his lot with the believers immediately after the death of Jesus, his life thereafter being bound up with the history of the Christian community in Jerusalem.

Paul met him, perhaps for the first time, five years later. (Ga 1:19) but there is no indication of James’ precise position in the Jerusalem Church then. By AD. 48, however, fifteen years after the Crucifixion, he was the acknowledged leader. By this time most of the Apostles were scattered over the Roman world fulfilling their commission of preaching the gospel to all the nations. It seems that home affairs were by common consent left in the hands of James. Some six years earlier the Apostle James, brother of John, had been killed by Herod. Now the Church was entering into a theological crisis, the gathering storm over the burning question whether Gentile converts were to be subject to the Law of Moses. The native Jewish Christians in Judea still observed the Mosaic Law; it had never occurred to them to do otherwise. But there were Gentile churches beginning to spring up; Paul and Barnabas with others had labored mightily at Antioch and a zealous and missionary-minded assembly was the result. Now some of the brethren from Judea came to them with the demand that they take upon themselves the obligation of the Mosaic Law (Ac 15:1) and this they would not have. So a general council was called at Jerusalem, and Paul, Barnabas and others attended to plead the case of the Gentiles.

At this, the first Church Council called to discuss a major doctrinal controversy, James presided. He was still a Nazarite; he must have presented a striking figure with his flowing, uncut locks cascading over the shoulders of his snow-white robes. He must, too, have realized the momentous nature of the conference over which he was called to preside. On the one hand his eyes fell upon the Pharisees and others who, though having accepted Christ for themselves, retained their fanatical Jewishness which refused entry into the Christian fellowship to any Gentile who would not submit to the Mosaic Law and become, in effect, a proselyte to Israel. Messiah was for Israel alone and those who became Israelites by adoption. On the other hand, he looked upon the representatives of the Antioch Church there present, and those of Jerusalem who had themselves begun to see that "God is no respecter of persons", and he must have prayed silently for wisdom and grace to direct the issue aright.

James’ concluding judgment shows the progress he had made in that fifteen years. His every instinct must have urged him to add his sympathy to the arguments of the Pharisees. His own life’s training cried out Amen to all that they said. But he could not be blind to the fact that there were longer vistas in the Divine revelation than he or his had ever dreamed of or could be contained within the framework of Judaism. He would have listened attentively as Peter adduced his own testimony to the manner in which God had used him to carry the faith to the Gentiles. There had been much "disputing" (Ac 15:7) which incidentally means orderly debate and argument, not acrimonious wrangling as the English word would imply to us. Then Paul and Barnabas held the assembly silent as they recounted the story and the success of their own extended missionary work among the Gentiles of Roman Asia.

James’ summing up at the end reveals how clearly he had grasped the fundamentals of the Divine Plan as revealed by the life and death of Jesus. His knowledge of Old Testament prophecy and doctrine came into focus with all that Jesus had said, and with the logic of events as related to the missionary endeavor of those who had gone into the world with the Christian message. For the first time, perhaps, a clear and succinct expression of the three-fold purpose of Christ’s Advent was enunciated and placed on record; he quoted the words of Amos of old to demonstrate his point. Israel must first be scattered ("sifted") among the nations that from them all God might find and take a "people for his Name", the Church of this Age, partly Jew and partly Gentile. Following the completion of that work the scattering of Israel would be reversed and the nation be restored and rebuilt in its own land, purified, converted and an instrument of God’s hand for the future. Finally an opportunity for all mankind who remain, the "residue", to call upon God and be reconciled. The twin purposes of this Christian Age and the forthcoming Messianic Age are well expressed in the words of James. The conviction with which his conclusions struck home, no less than the respect in which he was held by all present, ensured the unanimous acceptance of his judgment. The threat of a serious division in the Church was averted and the delegates from Antioch went home with, maybe, a new respect for the rigid Judaist who had until then stood before their minds as an immovable exponent of the old order which they knew was now in process of passing away.

This was James’ greatest recorded achievement. He and Paul met once more, some ten years later, upon the occasion of Paul’s final visit to Jerusalem. Even then it is obvious that elements of the Mosaic Law lingered within the practices of the Christian fellowship and it was through getting involved with these that Paul figured in the Temple riot which led to his arrest and despatch to Rome and his first trial. (Ac 21) It is probable that there was always a certain amount of more or less tolerant difference of viewpoint between these two. Paul’s breadth of vision, his depth of doctrinal understanding, and the restless spirit which drove him ever on to fresh fields of service probably grated upon the other man with his essentially narrower outlook and quiet determination to serve the interests of the flock in the place where he himself found Christ. James on his part, try as he might and undoubtedly did, never really had much enthusiasm for the wider missionary outreach.

The Epistle of James was most likely written after all these things had happened, when he was approaching sixty years of age. The Church at Jerusalem was well established by then and included a good proportion of "second generation" converts; the outward events in Judea and Galilee began to portend the fearful tragedy which was to befall the nation ten years later at the hands of Titus the Roman general. The Epistle reflects all this. First of all it breathes an atmosphere of the Mosaic Law with its insistence upon "works". Paul brought to light the doctrine of justification by faith but James still insisted upon the place of "works"; ’faith without works is dead". His zeal for the Law, though, is tempered by his Christian interpretation. There are probably more references and allusions to the words of Christ in this epistle than in any other. He wrote to the Christians of the "twelve tribes scattered abroad" —this fact alone dates the epistle as late in James’ life since there were no Christians in those lands until the missionary journeys of Paul and others—and the abuses such as "respect of persons" in the assemblies to which he refers show that some of these assemblies were already losing their first love. His strictures on the "rich men" in chapter 5 might very well refer to the state of Jewish society generally at the time, just before the nation came to its end. In fact, it has been said that the Epistle of James is the final appeal to both Jews and Jewish Christians before the end of their existence as a nation. Although not of the twelve, James did, like Barnabas and Paul, rank as an Apostle, and it might be a fair appraisal to say that he exhibited at one and the same time the marks and characteristics of a Hebrew prophet and a Christian apostle. He stood before his fellows and his nation as representative both of the old dying covenant and the new one which came in with Christ.

He died, a martyr, in the year A.D. 63, seven years before the destruction of Jerusalem. During the few months’ interval between the sudden death of the Roman governor Porcius Festus—the one who sent Paul to Rome—and the arrival in Judea of his successor Albinus, the High Priest Ananus took advantage of the absence of Roman authority to persuade his colleagues illegally to condemn James and murder him by throwing him from a pinnacle of the Temple. Thirty years of faithful service to the church founded by Peter and the eleven on the Day of Pentecost came to an end, and the first Bishop of the Church at Jerusalem sealed his testimony with his blood.

Torment

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The word "torment" occurs some sixteen times in the New Testament, of which about five have been used one time or another to buttress the mediaeval idea of physical suffering as the ultimate penalty for sin. A brief survey of its uses and meanings may not be out of place. The Greek word is basanizo, and when the New Testament was written it did bear the general meaning of our English word "torment", but only in a secondary and somewhat restricted sense. At the time of the First Advent criminals suspected of committing, or known to have committed, serious crimes were commonly subjected to physical torture in order to extract the truth from their otherwise sealed lips. To this process was applied this word basanizo, derived from the name of a certain kind of stone, basanos, which when rubbed on various precious metals, such as gold, indicated their purity. On account of this property it was called the touchstone. Liddell and Scott define the word as meaning, primarily, to rub on the touchstone, to try the genuineness of a thing, to test or make proof of, and then as a secondary meaning to put to torture. Whenever the word is used in the New Testament it should be read either with its primary meaning, of the subject being tested or subjected to severe strain, or when the secondary sense is applicable, as an allusion to the searching enquiry and retribution which comes upon that which has entered into judgment with God. Thus Thayer, who gives the shades of meaning of words as they were used by New Testament writers, defines basanizo as the testing of metals by a touchstone, the questioning or investigation by torture, the being harassed, distressed or vexed as by pain. Vine applies it to the doom of evil spirits and to retributive judgments upon impenitent mankind at the close of this present Age. Thus the classical Greek primitive everyday meaning, a crucial test of genuineness with the implied rejection of the unfit, became transmuted in the New Testament to the theological concept of an intense investigation into the righteousness or unrighteousness, the good or evil, of the subject, and the consequent rejection of the evil and the unrighteous. This is how "torment" should be understood in the relevant texts, and Vine’s definition of "retributive judgments", associated with the Divine law "the wages of sin is death", would seem to come near the truth.

An associated word "basanistes" occurs once in the parable of the unforgiving servant, as the name of the functionaries in the prison to which the guilty man was committed. Mt 18:34 in the A.V. says he was "delivered to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due" but the word would be better rendered examiners or questioners, as Liddell and Scott define it; the fact that these officials used torture as an aid to their work is secondary, RSV renders "jailers" although perhaps the modern word "inquisitors" would be quite apt in current English.

Three occurrences of "basanizo relate to mental or physical stress and three more to the stress of physical pain due to natural causes, disease etc. In most of these instances the A.V. translators realized that "torment" would be an inappropriate translation and used other words more suitable to the situation—vexed, tossed, toiling, pained. Nevertheless in all these texts the primary meaning of the word—a test of fitness under stress—can be discerned. Thus we have:—

2Pe 2:8. "That righteous man" (Lot) "vexed his righteous soul with their unlawful deeds" Mt 14:24. "The ship was in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves"

Mr 6 48. "He saw them toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them"

Mt 8 6. "My servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented"

Mt 4 24. "They brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments"

Re 12 2. "She being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered"

Three more instances have to do with the final judgment of evil spirits whom Jesus is declared to have exorcized from obsessed men.

They are:—

Mt 8:29 "Jesus, thou Son of God, art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"

Mr 5:7. "Jesus, Son of the most high God, I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not" Lu 8 28. Virtually the same as Mr 5 7.

Behind these three texts lies the Scriptural insistence that these "evil spirits" or demons obsessing the man were of those "angels that sinned" as recorded in Ge 6. and now "reserved unto judgment" (2Pe 2:4) so that the question as to torment "before the time" could logically infer these demons’ recognition that judgment and retribution must be their lot eventually at the Day of Judgment, but not yet, not at the time of the First Advent.

There remain six occurrences of this word, one in the Gospels and five in the Book of Revelation, all metaphorical (symbolic) and therefore to be interpreted with some caution. That in the Gospels is found in the parable of Dives and Lazarus. (Lu 16:19-31) Putting it very briefly, the rich man in that parable pictured the unbelieving Pharisees and unbelieving Israel at the First Advent, Lazarus the despised Gentiles at that time outside the purposes of God. The position was reversed when the nation was cast off in consequence of its rejection of Jesus, and the Divine calling went to the Gentiles. This was when the rich man "died and was buried, and in Hades he lift up his eyes, being in torments" This "torment" was that condition of judgment and retribution into which the unbelieving nation passed when its land was desolated by the Romans and the people scattered among all nations after the Crucifixion.

This leaves five instances in the Book of Revelation. Of these, two can be quickly dismissed. The first is in connection with the plague of symbolic locusts in chapter 9, emerging out of the abyss to "torment men five months" with stings like the stings of scorpions. The "men" thus tormented are, of course, the unbelieving world as contrasted with the "saints" who have already been "sealed" in chapter 7; the locusts with their king, Apollyon, are evil forces of some description and the torment here might very well picture the trouble and anguish brought upon the unbelieving world by influential evil powers in this world. The second has its place in chapter 11 where God’s "two witnesses" are said to "torment" dwellers on the earth by reason of their consistent and persistent witness for righteousness. The "torment" in this case is obviously the annoyance caused to the unbelievers by the implied reproof of an expressed standard of morality and conduct which they could not refute but at the same time refused to accept into their own lives.

Finally we have the three cases which do undeniably have to do with the final judgment of God upon evil institutions and evil men and it is here that a dispassionate view of the somewhat lurid symbols employed can be helpful. In chapter 14, against a setting which speaks very clearly of the end of this Age and the imminence of the Messianic Kingdom which is itself the Day of Judgment, an announcement is made that great Babylon is fallen, and that any man who continues to worship—support—the mighty complex of evil powers in this world which is what is meant here by Babylon, will incur the wrath of God and be "tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the Lamb" —of the Lord Christ. A parallel description of the same event in chapter 18, this time from, the standpoint of the "kings and merchants of the earth" —the political and financial ruling powers—bewails this catastrophic ending to the institutions built up by the greed and selfishness and inhumanity of man, and refers to it as "torment" in vss. 7, 12 and 15. Now whilst one can logically conceive the process of physical torment as applied to a human being it is impossible so to apply it to a universal world system of power such as is intended here by the description "Babylon". "Torment", "plagues", "sorrow, mourning", "famine", "death", "burning", "desolation"; all these terms are used to express the magnitude of the colossal disaster that has come upon this great system and its supporters.

Of these apostate supporters of this doomed system of evil it is said, in addition to their being "tormented with fire and sulphur" that "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever (ch. 14: 11). This allusion is a clue to the source of the symbolism. The basis of all references in Revelation to the lake of fire and sulphur ("brimstone" in Old English) and the torment of those who are cast therein, is the Old Testament story of the fiery destruction of the corrupt cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Ge 19. When the subterranean bitumen and oil and sulphur deposits underlying those ill-fated Cities of the Plain erupted in one of the greatest cataclysms of Nature the history of mankind has known, the adjoining Dead Sea became a lake of fire and the heavens above rained down burning oil and sulphur over the whole area. The cities with all their contents and all their populations were wiped out in a holocaust of fire and the story has never been forgotten. From that time to this, four thousand years, the very site has lain sterile and desolate. Isaiah alludes to the same disaster when he sought a canvas on which to paint his own picture of the downfall of world evil at the end of this Age. "The streams shall be turned into bitumen and the dust thereof into sulphur, and the land thereof shall become burning bitumen. It shall not be quenched night or day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever". (Isa 34:9-10) The expression "for ever and ever" ("to the ages of the ages" in the Greek) does not indicate perpetuity as is the usual implication of the English expression. It implies a long period of indefinite length. According to Vine it is an idiomatic expression betokening an undefined period; another definition is "the sum of all the ages in which God is working out his redemptive plan". Obviously the smoke of Sodom has not been "going up for ever"; the fires went out long ago. The fire burned while there was something to burn, and when they went out there was nothing left. So too with this latter-day repetition in the Book of Revelation. The whole fabric of our modern world is entering into judgment with God and stands in the "presence of the Lamb" for the Lord Christ at his Second Advent comes to execute the judgment. So far as men, human beings, the creatures of God’s making, are concerned that judgment will be a thousand years long and there will be every opportunity and encouragement for each and all to "forsake sin and serve the living God" even though their past obduracy will have earned them the "torment" which is retribution for the past. But the institutions themselves, the vast edifices and empires of greed, graft and corruption which men have built through the ages will go at once, destroyed by the fires of their own inherent evil, and great will be their fall. No wonder that the kings and merchants of the earth will bewail the loss of all they held dear when they perceive the ‘’torment the retributive judgment, which has come upon their creations. Easy it is to understand how their supporters "have no rest day nor night" while they are passing through this agonizing experience.

But the end of the longest day comes at last, and after the torments have done their work these same, chastened by what they have gone through, will perceive the radiant glory of Christ’s Messianic Kingdom taking the place of the old defunct world order, and a new morality, a new way of life to which they may aspire, and, attaining, find that they have entered into life indeed.

One more allusion, and this is indeed the last. At the end of the Messianic Kingdom, when sin and evil has been eliminated from the earth and all who remain have found "peace with God through Jesus Christ" and so enter into eternal life, when death is no more and mankind has achieved its true destiny, the Revelator sees the final act of the drama. "The devil that deceived them" he says "was cast into the lake of fire and sulphur, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever". (Re 20:10) The entire expression is metaphorical; there is no literal lake of fire and here again the picture is one of judgment, final and irrevocable. The torment is God’s retributive judgment, the "day and night for ever and ever" "the lake of fire" indicative of the utter destruction of all that is defiled and unclean in the sight of God. The Scriptures support the idea of a personal Devil and present him as unrepentant. Hence his end is described in no uncertain terms: "a fire from the midst of thee.... shall devour thee.... I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth.... and never shalt thou be any more". (Eze 28:18) The lake of fire is that destruction, and the judgment stands for all time.

There are one or two other places in the New Testament where the word "torment" occurs but is rendered from other Greek words not always fully justifying the translation. In Joh 4:18 torment is from kolasis, meaning restraint, in Lu 16:24 and 25 from odunao, meaning anguish, in Heb 11:37 from kakoucheo, to do harm, and in Heb 11:35 from tumpanizo, which does mean torture in the ordinarily accepted sense. None of these words include the idea of retributive judgment as does basanizo.

LET HER BE COVERED

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"Every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head; for that is even all one as if she were shaven....Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?... For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head, because of the angels" (1Co 11: 5, 13: 10). The Apostle Paul was not referring to hats, which were not in use by women in his day. He was talking about the long veils, or mantles, with which Eastern women enshrouded themselves when in the open air or any place of public resort. These veils covered the face and head with the exception of the eyes, and it is this complete concealment of the features to which Paul refers. There were two reasons for the prohibition, neither of which have application in this twentieth century. The Christian church was gaining a footing in a pagan world, and sought to show by the purer and holier lives of its adherents the power which resided in the faith of Jesus Christ. To this end the Apostles were careful to counsel the avoidance of any custom or practice which might bring reproach upon the body of believers.

It was usual for women devotees of paganism to throw off their veils and dishevel their hair when under the stress of strong emotion. This practice was sometimes carried to extreme lengths, and the woman would relapse into a trance, and exhibit all the symptoms of demon obsession. The damsel who brought much gain to her masters by soothsaying, and who, meeting Paul and Silas, called out: "These men be the servants of the Most High God, which show unto us the way of salvation" (Ac 16:17) was one such example. It would be in the highest degree undesirable that any suspicion of such practices should rest upon the Christian assemblies, and hence Paul’s instruction that the Christian women remain veiled. He said that to be unveiled was equivalent to being shorn or shaved, a reference to the fact that priestesses at the pagan altars usually had their heads shaven; the reputation of these priestesses was such that Paul found it necessary to dispel any impression that the Christians had similar priestesses associated with their worship. In the background hovered the sinister forces of demonism, and it is this fact which explains Paul’s allusion to the woman having "power" on her head "because of the angels", the fallen angels, the "wicked spirits in high places" of Eph 6:12. "angels that sinned" of 2Pe 2:4. whom the Lord Himself recognized as demons. It was a Rabbinic belief that the wearing of the veil by a woman was a safeguard against evil spirits, who, as in the days of Ge 6, still sought to ensnare "those whom they chose". And although Paul should not be understood as necessarily endorsing Rabbinic teaching, it is evident that he perceived a connection between the pagan religion and demonic forces and would have no suspicion entertained by any that the Christians had any such association. The word rendered "power" is exousia, which means "authority"; Paul’s meaning here seems to be that the wearing of the veil by the woman became a sign of her submission to the authority of Christ, and there should be no suspicion on the part of neighbors or strangers that she had any part or lot in the practices for which the pagan women were notorious. Paul’s use of the word "power" to denote the veil reveals his familiarity with the Old Testament scriptures, for the Old Testament word for "veil" or "mantle" is radid, which comes from the idea of spreading out or prostrating on the ground, hence introducing the idea of submission. In the Old Testament therefore, the wearing of the veil involved the thought of submission, the woman subject to the authority of her husband, or if unmarried, to her father or the menfolk of her house. In Paul’s epistle, this thought is carried to a higher plane, and the veil is made a symbol of submission to Christ, for woman stands on an equal footing with man "in Christ", where there is neither male nor female, bond or free, Jew nor Greek, but all are one in him.

It is obvious that these pagan considerations have not now applied for many centuries, and that St. Paul’s prohibitions in this chapter no longer have any force and need not be invoked as the basis of modern customs. Nevertheless, whilst rejoicing in the liberty which is ours as Christian believers in these things, we need to remember that the spirit of Paul’s injunction still holds good. It was to avoid the behavior of Christian believers and their assemblies falling into disrepute that he, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, established the rule. In our own day we should regard this as still important, and if in some particular assembly the abandonment of a custom which has the sanctity of centuries would lead to misunderstanding and reproach it is our Christian privilege to maintain the tradition, not of necessity but that the faith may not be lightly spoken of. That is not often the case nowadays; it is sixty-three years since the then Archbishop of Canterbury ruled that the wearing of hats or head coverings in church need not be considered obligatory, but it may well be that an explanation of the true reasons for St. Paul’s words on the subject would lead some to feel easier in mind on the matter.

Discipline of Wisdom

"The profit of the earth is for all; the king himself is served from the field.". (Ec 5:9)

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King Solomon is known to have been an expert on horticulture (1Ki 4:33) and in this remark in Ecclesiastes he showed himself possessed of an insight which seems lacking in the economic world today. "The abundance of the earth is for everyone. The king is dependent on the tilled field" is the Septuagint rendering; those old scholars who translated the ancient Hebrew into Greek certainly caught the essence of Solomon’s idea. The economics of ancient civilizations were based on the growing of crops and the keeping of flocks and herds. Their arts and crafts, their industries and manufactures, all that made for the refinements of their cities and their trading enterprises, were not allowed to affect the fertility of their soil or the welfare of their pastoral interests. Sunk in idolatry as were so many of them, they knew that the perpetuation of human life upon earth depended upon their husbandry of the soil and that which Nature causes to spring forth. In their religious observances "fertility rituals" which had as their object the maintenance of the god’ interest and influence in the productiveness of Nature were the most prominent feature, and in this those pagan religions showed something of early man’s understanding of the essential need for man to co-operate with Nature and to preserve the balance of Nature, if man is to continue upon earth.

Modern man ignores this. Modern man, arrogantly contemptuous of those earlier generations, goes on his way heedless of Nature’s laws and the needs of the future. He turns fertile land into dust bowls in his greed for quick profits; he despoils the land of trees in his insatiable appetite for raw materials and industrial development, depriving the birds of their homes and reducing their numbers. Insect pests increase and so he poisons with insecticides the earth already polluted by industrial "smog" and the exhaust gases of tractors. He defiles the streams and rivers with chemical waste and kills the fish, and now has started dumping radioactive waste in the sea with the bland assurance that there is too much water in the oceans for it really to matter. New diseases attributable to the vitiated and poisoned food thus produced appear and terrifying drugs are invented to counteract the diseases. A few enlightened voices are raised in protest and warning, but they are dubbed cranks and old-fashioned and the mad orgy of destruction goes on. And the thoughtful Christian, who, like his Master, loves humanity and the earth of God’s creating, wonders where it is all going to end.

It ends when God intervenes in human affairs and establishes the Messianic Kingdom. This orgy of destruction is one of the evidences that the time is very near for the close of man’s rule on earth and the inauguration of the reign of Christ. Then will be the time that the wilderness and desert places, —largely man-made will rejoice and blossom as the rose. The cleansing of the rivers and seas and the re-fertilizing of the earth will be a long process but it will be accomplished and the words of the Psalmist fulfilled "Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God shall bless us.

The family discipline is the discipline of wisdom. He who administers it is the only wise God. What deep wisdom there must be in all His dealings; He knows exactly what we need and how to supply it, He knows what evils are to be found in us and how they may best be removed. His training is no random work, it is carried on with exquisite skill. The time, the way and the instrument are all according to the perfect wisdom of God.

Jerusalem Exalted

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Following Israel’s dramatic deliverance at Jerusalem, marked by the revelation of the LORD from Heaven and his assumption of kingly power, there is a kind of orderly procession of related events which have the effect of leading the whole world into the light and life of the Millennial Kingdom. Here in Zechariah’s 14th chapter there is a short passage, verses 6-11, which has its place between the great deliverance and the full establishment of the Messianic reign over all the earth.

Only after relating, in symbol, the nature of those happenings does the prophet bring his book to a close in the glories of the Kingdom itself. As with the previous part of the chapter, the physical setting of the prophecy is the literal city and its surroundings, and in fact these verses are closely connected with the earlier description of the besieged city, the advent of Israel’s deliverer, and the earthquake.

So, after completing his account of the Lord’s coming, with all his holy ones, the defeat of the besiegers and the salvation of the city, Zechariah says (vs. 6-7) "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark, but it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light". Not a very lucid passage, but that is because some of the words have proved difficult to translate correctly, and even today scholars are dubious as to their meaning. It is evident that the verses refer to the entire "Day of the LORD" of chapter 14 so that this darkness followed by light at the end becomes a familiar picture. As Joel says in reference to this same period "the sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining" (Joe 3: 15) and Amos "the day of the LORD will be darkness, and not light; even very dark, and no brightness in it". (Am 5:20) The "one day known to the LORD" of verse 6 is an emphatic expression indicating that this day is a unique day, no other day is just like it; which is just what Jeremiah says in the same connection: "alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it". (Jer 30:7) Very fittingly, therefore, do these two verses stand where they do. All that goes before them is the time of darkness, of battle and tumult and the overpowering of evil forces. That which comes after them is of the new day of light, of healing and rejoicing, of life and righteousness. In a very real sense the next verse, verse 7, can be said to picture the beginning of true Millennial blessing.

This verse is quite evidently relative to the coming of new life to the world. The King is now in control and the powers of his Kingdom begin to become evident. "It shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be". The "former sea" (the sea in front) in Zechariah’s geography is the Dead Sea, east of Jerusalem. The "hinder sea" (behind) is the Mediterranean, on the west. "Living waters" are perennial streams, not flowing in the rainy season only, like so many rivers of the land, but there all the time, "in summer and in winter" so that they become truly rivers of life to the people. In symbol, therefore, rivers of life are to spring up in Jerusalem, one flowing eastward into the Dead Sea and the other westward to the Mediterranean. Zechariah is not the only prophet to take this theme. Joel, in the passage already quoted, follows the deliverance of Jerusalem by saying "a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim". (Joe 3:18) The valley of Shittim (acacias) was the name of the region where the Jordan enters the Dead Sea (as indicated by Mic 6: 5 and Nu 25:1) so that this river seen by Joel corresponds in symbol to the eastern stream seen by Zechariah. Ezekiel likewise saw a river proceeding from the restored Temple and going down into that same valley and so into the Dead Sea "which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed". (Eze 47:1-12) And, of course the vision of John in Re 22:1-2 comes readily to mind, the seer beholding a river of water of life proceeding from the Holy City, with trees of life on its banks, yielding fruit for food and leaves for "the healing of the nations", Quite evidently, therefore, we have here a vivid picture of the place of the restored and now victorious Holy Land and Holy Nation in the purposes of God, the agency by means of which all the Divine blessings, cleansing from sin and impartation of everlasting life may come to the nations. Ezekiel and Joel saw this in terms of the cleansing of the land; the Dead Sea was to be made sweet that fish might live in its waters and vegetation surround its shores: but Zechariah was universal. He saw a second river of life making its way in the opposite direction to mingle its waters with the Great Sea which encompassed all the earth, so that eventually the whole world of mankind would draw benefit from its life-giving waters. In no more eloquent fashion could the universal power of Messiah’s Kingdom, bringing life and health and freedom from sin to men in every place under the sun, be pictured than by this vision of the two rivers.

It is not generally realized that two such streams do actually at present exist although they are not perennial; they flow only in the winter. The Kidron, mentioned often in the Scriptures, rises on the north side of the city and flows alongside the eastern wall of the Temple, past the Pool of Siloam and in a southeasterly direction to the Dead Sea. There is the prototype of Zechariah’s stream flowing into the "former sea". Then on the western side of the city, not far from the present railway station, there commences the Wady al Werd, a stream which flows westward, more or less following the railway, joining other streams en route until at last it falls into the Mediterranean, seven miles south of Tel-Aviv, as the Wady Sorek. This is the stream which gave the prophet his figure for that one which flows to the "hinder sea". In other words, he took as his picture two existing streams and made of them a symbolic scene—twin rivers of life carrying life-giving energy and powers of healing to all the world in the day when God "turns to the people a pure language", that they may call upon him to serve him with one consent".. (Zep 3:9)

There are some expositors who amplify the content of verse 8 regarding the two rivers to infer that there is to be a continuous waterway from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea via Jerusalem, and onward through the south valley to the Red Sea, so that Jerusalem becomes a seaport controlling world trade between Europe and the Far East. Why the Holy City should thus become involved with mundane world affairs does not readily appear and the connection of all this with God’s intention to make Jerusalem the earthly center of Divine administration is far from obvious. In point of fact the idea is, physically, impracticable. Jerusalem stands more than two thousand feet above sea level, and no city at that elevation could ever be a seaport... The Jordan valley up to the Sea of Galilee is well below sea level so that such a waterway, if it ever came into being, would also flood an appreciable area of the Holy Land. This element of the prophecy is clearly a picture of two separate streams, each having its source in or near the City, flowing outward in opposite directions.

What wonder, then, that the Prophet should break out into the fervent declamation of verse 9 "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one". He might well have had in mind the noble words of Ps 46 "the nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered His voice, the earth melted. ‘Be still, I will be exalted among the nations: I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of Hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge". Zechariah in his vision beheld the reality of which these words were a poetic portrayal. Now the Lord had taken His great power and was reigning as King.

Once more the prophet turns his gaze upon the whole land of Israel, viewing it in his minds eye much as Moses must have seen it from the top of Mount Pisgah, and he sees the final effect of the earthquake in the promised exaltation of the mountain of the Lord’s house above the tops of the mountains. (Isa 2:2) In this vision he saw the sinking of the highlands of Judea into the plain so that Jerusalem stood proudly erect upon the twin hills of Mount Moriah and Mount Zion in the center. Physically, the heights of Hebron to the south and Samaria to the north tower anything up to a thousand feet above Jerusalem, so that the expression "as the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people" (Ps 125:2) is no figure of speech, but based on reality. Now, symbolically, all the heights of the country sink down to leave the Holy City towering supreme above. "All the land shall become encompassed as the Arabah" (the plain of the Jordan valley) "from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem, and she" (Jerusalem) "shall be raised on high, and inhabited in her place". So is the opening phrase of verse 10. "Rimmon south of Jerusalem" was to the north of Beer-sheba, forty-five miles from Jerusalem, at the southern end of the Judean highlands; Geba the name of several places in ancient Israel — a town seven miles north of Samaria, now called Jaba, at the northern end of the highlands where they begin to slope down into the valley of Megiddo, some forty miles north of Jerusalem. "Geba to Beersheba" is used in 2Ki 23:8 as an expression indicating the full extent of the land; here in Zechariah it pictures the exaltation of Jerusalem in the Holy Land and in its extreme symbolic sense the prominence of the Holy Nation and the Holy Land in the sight of all the world, as the people and the city of the Great King. Both Isaiah and Micah spoke of Jerusalem being established in the tops of the mountains and exalted above the hills, using the same metaphor as did Zechariah, and in none of the three cases is anything other than the metaphorical meaning intended. Any suggestion that a literal fulfilment is implied would have to take into consideration the fearful havoc and destruction to which the restored and rebuilt Holy Land would be necessarily subjected if something like half its surface area were suddenly to be precipitated between two and three thousand feet downwards into the bowels of the earth.

But there is yet more to come in this cameo picture of Jerusalem’s prosperity. The same verse goes on to say that "she shall be inhabited" (or abide) "in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate: and from the tower of Hananeel unto the King’s wine presses". What is to be made of this bit of geography? The inference is that the city as thus defined has up to this time lain desolate, or at least not in the possession of God’s Israel, but that from now on she shall be permanently established and take her place as the ruling center of the land, and, according to verse 11 never again be disturbed: "men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited."

There is a certain amount of uncertainty about the precise boundaries of Solomon’s and Nehemiah’s Jerusalem: the eastern walls were practically those of the "Old City" today, but the northern wall was not so far north as at present, running more or less level with the north side of the Temple area, whilst the southern wall extended more to the south, as far as the Pool of Siloam. Zechariah’s description has to be understood in this context.

"Benjamin’s Gate"—also known as the Gate of Ephraim—seems at that time to have been located at the western end of the north wall, not far from the present Jaffa Gate. Some distance east of this point there had been in earlier times a gate known as the "Old Gate" or "First Gate", in Zecharia’s time long since blocked up—he calls it "the place of the First Gate" indicating that it was no longer there. There were several points on the wall to which the name "Corner" was applied but the easterly direction implied by this verse seems to demand that the "Corner Gate" here was at the point Nehemiah calls the "Corner"—the eastern end of the wall where it turned south by the Temple area. Today that point is marked by St. Stephen’s Gate. Hence the full width of the Old City as it was then, from west to east, was defined.

The Tower of Hananeel, one of the defensive structures on the wall, was about half-way along the north wall, where the Tower of Antonia, the Roman garrison, stood in Jesus’ day, adjacent to the Temple. The "king’s winepresses" were in the gardens of Ophel, then bounded by the south wall. Hence the full length of the city, north to south, was thus indicated.

In this phrase, therefore, Zechariah is saying that the entire city, west to east and north to south, would be the possession of Israel and never again be disturbed or threatened. There can be no doubt that this promise is to be literally as well as spiritually fulfilled. In the latter respect, it is synonymous with the enduring prosperity of the Holy Nation as the Divine instrument in the earth for world conversion. In the former, Jerusalem has already spread over a greater area than that defined by Zechariah but the promise remains; west to east, north to south, to the utmost extent of the Holy City.

There is a rather intriguing parallel to this passage in the writings of Jeremiah. His celebrated 31st chapter, which speaks of the final restoration in the Holy Land and the New Covenant which God will make with his people, concludes with a promise which, obscure on the surface, well repays examination. "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the city shall be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananeel to the gate of the corner. And the measuring line shall go forth against it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath. And the whole valley of the dead bodies, and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the brook of Kidron, unto the corner of the house gate toward the east, shall be holy unto the LORD: it shall not be plucked up, nor thrown down any more for ever". (Jer 31:38-40) Both prophets refer to much the same time in history; both take the city of Jerusalem as their stage; what is there in Jeremiah’s words which may add to what Zechariah has said?

"From the tower of Hananeel to the gate of the corner" obviously means the same as the similar expression in Zechariah; this is a promise of the rebuilding of the city, or the Temple, or both. Now Jeremiah departs from Zechariah. From this corner gate, which was at the north-eastern corner of the Temple area, the measuring line is to "go forth" (go straight forward, is the meaning) over the hill called Gareb, sweep round in a curve (the meaning of "compass") to Goath, and then, including the valley of the dead and the fields of the river Kidron, come to the "corner of the horse gate toward the east". This corner was the southeastern corner of the Temple area. The area thus delineated by the measuring line would therefore apparently be the piece of land lying immediately to the east of the Temple—the Kidron valley and the Mount of Olives.

Gareb and Goath, as place names, appear nowhere else in the Bible and not one commentator or expositor, so far as can be ascertained, has done more than suggest they must have been places near Jerusalem. It has been necessary to embark upon a little original research therefore to find some meaning in this passage. The meaning of Ha-Gareb is the "Mount of the Lepers", the word coming from a Hebrew root defining scabs or scurvy, and used for leprosy in Syriac. The only eminence on the east side of Jerusalem is the Mount of Olives, by which name it was known in the days of David, and again by Zechariah and later. But there is reason for thinking that in between these times it bore a more opprobrious name. 2Ki 23:13, relating to the time of Josiah, knows it as the Mount of Corruption. That at least could be fitting for a place which was the habitation of lepers. The same chapter reveals that Solomon had built, on the Mount of Olives, idolatrous sanctuaries, "high places", for Ashtoreth and Chemosh and Molech; Josiah pulled them down and defiled them "with the bones of men". What more natural that in order to complete their desecration the mountain should at that time, or soon afterwards become a place to which lepers were banished and lived their lives, and so earn the name it bore in the days of Jeremiah?

So the line went out from the north side of the Temple over the Mount of Olives, and curved round to Goath. Another difficult word! It comes from the Hebrew term for the lowing of cattle—cows and oxen. "The place of lowing" would be its literal force. How to find where such a place was located in that day? 2Ki 23:13 helps again here; the narrator says that the high places of Ashtaroth and the rest stood on the "right side" of the Mount of Corruption, i.e. on its southern aspect. Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, was usually represented as a cow. The measuring line, curving round Olivet to "Goath", would come to the place where Solomon built the idol sanctuary. The sanctuary itself was destroyed by Josiah; the place where it stood was still known in Jeremiah’s day, perchance, as the "place of lowing"—Goath. From there a straight line back to the Temple would bring in the countryside leading down to the river Kidron, include the valley running along the east wall of the Temple, used then as it has been ever since as a general cemetery for Jerusalem’s dead and also for the disposal of the ashes from the Temple sacrifices, and finish at the Temple south wall, exactly as described in Jer 31:40.

What then is the purpose of this geographical exercise? It evidently meant something very real to Jeremiah; can it mean as much to us?

As an addition and a sequel to Zechariah’s vision of the restored city it is full of meaning. Zechariah saw the LORD descend on the Mount of Olives and, as it were, advance upon the city from the great valley that had been created and enter the Temple, never more to depart. The valley itself was closed up, just as in Ezekiel’s parallel vision the East Gate was closed up, because the LORD had entered that way and never again could it be used by others. For all time that way is sacred. Now Jeremiah, seeing the city restored and knowing the LORD has come in, sees the whole tract of land thus hallowed by the LORD’s coming, that whole Mount of Olives, cleansed from its past defilements, measured and marked out and separated from secular uses that it might be, as he says in chapter 31: 40 "holy unto the LORD". When one considers the stirring events in our Lord’s earthly life associated with the Mount of Olives, few would dispute that it could very properly be made a holy place in the new earth that is to be. The spiritual meaning is the more important; the coming of the Lord has sanctified forever all that formerly was evil and unclean but now is cleansed and good, but a strictly literal fulfillment of this particular vision would also be entirely proper. Perhaps, one day, when the peoples of earth come up to Jerusalem to worship and go to see the place from which the Lord of all creation ascended to His Father, they will meet, in spirit if not in letter, with the injunction "take off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground".

(To be concluded)

Bible Questions 69

Q. The Golden Gate at Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Bible; did it exist in earlier times under another name?

***

69

There are little sights and sounds with which we are all familiar, that have a healing effect upon the mind that is overstrung with work and worry. The ripple of the silvery stream beneath the shady trees; the hum of the bees and the chirping of the grasshopper in the clover; the golden corn waving in the soft breezes; the flitting butterfly amid the fragrant flowers; the glittering insects in the grass basking in the warmth of the sun; the rustle of the rabbits in the undergrowth; the cheerful singing of the birds; the fleecy clouds floating in the blue skies; the melodious skylark soaring exultingly above all. Such influences are too subtle for human explanation. Little voices they are, proclaiming the grand harmony, the peace universal in nature, and they act as a restorative mentally and physically. But there are other little sights and sounds of a spiritual kind that tend to heal the heart that is overwrought with failure and sorrow. These are little voices proclaiming a loving God who is watching and caring; a great High Priest who is sympathetic, understanding and ready to help. What sights and sounds are these? The kindly word gently spoken in a tone of cheer; the sudden sparkle of a gracious smile; the unexpected gleam of a sympathetic tear; the little extra pressure of the hand; the secret act of self-sacrifice, unseen, unheard; the silent look that can find no words yet shows it has heard and understood. These are powerful little voices. They require no scholarship, no talent, no skill beyond the scholarship, talent and skill that the spirit of God bequeaths to every loving and earnest heart.

(Forest Gate Bible Monthly)

Beneath His Wings

"So he bringeth them unto their desired haven".

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It is impossible for us to realize the depth of disappointment that swept through the Master’s heart as He wept over a callous Jerusalem and resigned Himself to its fate. How repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, He had tried to gather it beneath his wings, and protect it from its own perverted self as well as from its enemies! Oh! the bitterness of that sad lament".... I would....but ye would not....! Had His coming and presentation to the nation not been the theme of psalm and prophecy over many preceding centuries the situation could not have been so tense, nor fraught with such tragic disappointment when, at last, He came to them. Had Scripture forecast not touched His life at so many points, the nation might have been able to tender some excuse for rejecting Him, notwithstanding His miracles! Everything that could be done to prepare His way before Him had been done.... and yet when He, the subject of every type, psalm and prophecy, "came to His own, His own received him not".

The waves of time stand not still on the broad bosom of history. Mis-spent years, with their unembraced opportunities return no more. Their intended blessings pass away unreaped, but more than that, the crucial moments, passing un-improved, turn the drift and set of circumstance into an ebbing tide, thenceforth to bear away towards the deep the unresponsive and heedless dreamer in the boat. So had it been with Jerusalem. Her hour had come—the hour for which the city and nation had waited long, and with His coming a tide of opportunity had presented itself to people and priesthood alike, and He, as Heavens messenger, as Pilot and Ship-master too, had presented Himself to guide the ship into port, to bring this hitherto supremely favored nation into the haven of its centuries-old desire. But they would not let Him take them to His heart, nor would they take Him to theirs. The crucial eventful moment passed, and the opportunity, ungrasped, was gone "....I would....ye would not.... henceforth...."; bitter sequence indeed!

But there was another side to that story. There are some better things to relate. It was not true to say of all "but ye would not". There had been a few who had heard, as it were, the tender call and found shelter beneath His protecting "wings". As a brooding hen He had gathered them and drawn them close to Himself, and when at last the long-threatening storm broke destructively upon the nation, these cherished objects of His care were kept safely nestling close to His loving heart! The hour of opportunity, rightly taken by this few, had brought them to rest beneath the out-spread wings of heavenly love and care, so fitly represented by the golden cherubim above the sprinkled Mercy seat!

Again, another hour of opportunity is with us today. A fuller, deeper call to consecration has come to us. Of many churches and peoples in many lands the Master will yet have to say.... .I would... but ye would not....! Again a spirit of indifference, and of "little faith" prevails among those whom He expected to hear His call. The opportunity will pass—has almost passed, and few indeed have heard the invitation to pass under His wings and find comfort and shelter here.

Do you know the warmth and shelter of His loving heart, dear brother and sister in the Lord? It is open to you to be as one of His "chicks", by day and night, safe kept by love Divine amid the gathering storm-clouds of this momentous day! One tiny word makes all the difference to the comfort and protection of your life—it is either "ye would not" or "ye would", that is all! Of Himself our loving Master can still truly say "I would"—what can He say of you... and of me? Let our prayerful resolve henceforth be to remain

Under His Wings

Under His wings I am safely abiding,

Though the night deepens and tempests are wild.

I know I can trust Him, I know He will keep me,

He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Under His wings; what a refuge in sorrow,

How the heart yearningly turns to His rest,

Often when earth has no balm for my healing,

There I find comfort and there I am blest.

Under His wings, O, what precious enjoyment,

Here will I hide till life’s trials are o’er,

Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,

Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.

Prayer is the silken thread God has placed in our hands by which we draw down from Heaven the strong cable of Almighty power and strength for our daily need.

Repentance

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It was at a time of crisis like the present that one of the most singular figures of history came to the front. John the Baptizer was a man of obscure parentage, the son of a priest, brought up in a country village and never moving more than a hundred miles from his birthplace. But his influence upon world history and the fates of nations has been tremendous. The principles he enunciated, the moral teaching he expounded; above all, the startling declaration which formed the chief burden of his message, all have been proven true, gloriously true or tragically true according to the notice men have or have not taken of them, throughout all centuries since his day. He was born two thousand years ago, and was executed by a tyrant whilst still a young man. He was thirty before he came into the public eye, but within six months he had an entire province of the Roman Empire waiting on his words. His short-lived appearance prepared men for the coming of the greatest teacher the world has known—Jesus of Nazareth! But the impetus of that forward move which accomplished the birth of Christianity has spent itself, and now the world we know faces an even greater crisis than that which destroyed Judea two thousand years ago.

The effects of society’s disease are manifest. Crime, vice and immorality; rampant and increasing. Respect for the law; vanishing. The most elementary rights of the weaker are habitually denied them by the stronger. Fundamental qualities such as self-denial and generosity are discounted as signs of weakness; selfishness, self-seeking and greed are exalted in their place. Honor in business and political life has given place to intrigue, bribery and corruption. The social fabric is undermined by laxity in the marriage relationship, dishonesty in daily life and excessive addiction to debasing pleasures and diversions. Twenty-year-old boys shoot policemen and gangs of children rob houses. A dry rot permeates society and causes grave concern to all serious observers. And the question comes "Why?

The peoples of earth—speaking now more particularly of the so-called "civilized" peoples—have renounced God and in the main no longer acknowledge his supremacy. The moral principles of the Bible have been cast aside and many men take whatever course their inclinations, desires and passions dictate. There is no real belief in judgment to come, or in the certainty or likelihood of retribution for their crimes. Therefore many indulge themselves according to their fancy without thought of the consequences to themselves or their fellows.

But the Bible still proclaims the basic principles of creation: that which is evil cannot endure; it may subsist, uneasily, for a time, but it must eventually pass away. It bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction. That is why St. Paul says in one place "the wages of sin is death" and Ezekiel in another "the soul that sinneth, it shall die", and St. Peter, referring to the order of things instituted by man upon earth, speaks of a heaven and earth of evil repute, which now exists, being destroyed as by fire and replaced by a new heavens and earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. The operation of this Divine law implies retribution, judgment, and so a secondary maxim is propounded: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap".

The world is reaping a bitter harvest, one of its own sowing. The ills from which we suffer have their origin in the things we or our fathers have done in times past. There is no escape; it is inevitable that the world should enter into this period of judgment and suffer the calamities that must come upon it. It is unjust to blame God. We are created with the ability to govern ourselves along lines of benevolence and equity, but we have elected to take the easier way and must find for ourselves that it leads only to destruction. God means to save: He does not will that His purpose in creation should be frustrated; but men must learn their lesson.

Now although there can be no universal deliverance from the judgment of this world, there can be, and is, individual deliverance from the state of mind and way of life that has led to this state of things. That is the first step. Multiplied a thousand, a million, ten million fold, it will bring world judgment to an end and usher in an eternity of peace. But it can only be attained by means of repentance.

The word "repentance" is associated with the emotional fervor of nineteenth century revivalism, conjuring up visions of the old-fashioned "penitent form" in mission halls and impassioned appeals to leave one’s sins at the foot of the cross. Now this does enshrine a fundamental principle, but it is not the whole meaning of the word. To "repent" means to change the mind, to repudiate a previous course of action, to enter upon a new way. Applied to men and women conscious that all is not well with the world in which they live, nor with themselves, it means to consider what there is in one’s own way of life that is out of accord with the principles of rightness, and to resolve that those things shall be banished and a new way of life adopted, a way which shall have as its object due acknowledgment of the supremacy of God, and the well-being and happiness of one’s fellows. Since no such resolve can be put into effect to any appreciable degree without close attention to the examples and precepts of Jesus Christ, it follows that such repentance must of necessity involve belief in the efficacy and integrity of His teaching and acceptance of His leadership in life.

This of itself is not enough. Many have sought to model their lives after the example of great philosophers and teachers, becoming powerful influences for good in consequence; but they have not banished the evil that is in the world, and nothing short of the elimination of evil can solve the problems which distress mankind. The acceptance of Jesus and His message involves something more than any other teacher demands. Jesus claimed to have come from above, from God, to bring His world-saving message. He declared the necessity of His death as a man in order that men might be saved, and also His intention of returning again to earth after the lapse of a pre-determined period of time—during which the seed of His teaching was to germinate and spread among the nations—to complete His work of abolishing evil and bring all men into fellowship with God. If Jesus is to be accepted as a reliable guide to a new way of life all this must be accepted too. If He was mistaken in this theological aspect of His message, forming as it does the whole framework within which His teaching is set and upon which that depends, then He was a misled and completely deluded man and no leader in whom men today, with the problems they have to solve, can afford to repose confidence.

Jesus was not mistaken! He did come from God. In His Divinity He is supreme over all created things, and comes again in the glory of that Divinity, a glory not perceptible by human sense but none the less real, to finish His work on earth. There can be no physical or intellectual proof of all this, for these are matters transcending human values and means of measurement. The proof comes after, and not before, the repentant individual has "turned" to serve God. Having accepted Christ, not only as a guide to conduct and instructor in morals, but a personal Deliverer from sin and the effects of sin, he becomes increasingly conscious of a new and different sphere of understanding which advances satisfactory and convincing proofs not capable of demonstration by the materialistic arguments of every day.

Repentance, then, does involve coming to Jesus in submission as to a Master and leader. It does involve claiming Him and accepting Him as a personal Savior and subordinating one’s whole life and interests to His service. The object is not merely that one may be "saved from the wrath to come". God does not look with approval on people whose sole desire is to save their own skins, and advance their own interests. The world has seen too much of that already. Rather should one come to God in dedication of life to be used by Him in the further reclamation of the world from evil. It implies service, and it implies hard work. The day set aside by God for this purpose is the still future Millennial Age, during which all men, including the returned dead, will be taught the ways of God and be led to choose between good and evil and decide their future destiny for themselves. Nevertheless there is much that can be done in this present day, before God breaks through into human affairs with His promised Millennial Kingdom. That is why the repentance and dedication to Christian service of any man or woman has an immediate effect upon the prevalence of evil. It is one more blow struck for right dealing and right living, one more influence making for peace and rectitude in the affairs of men and nations, leading immediately to some mitigation, however slight, of the troubles that now afflict mankind.

This then is God’s call. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the LORD; and He shall send Jesus Christ... whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things". (Ac 3:19-21)

FIN

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 (JL, England

Chairman: A. O. HUDSON (Milborne Port)

Editor & Secretary: D.NADAL (Nottingham)

Treasurer: R. J. HAINES (Gloucester)

74

The first Editor of this journal, from its inception in 1924 to the year 1935, was Ebenezer Housden, who retired from that duty in the latter year on account of age. His successor, Albert Hudson, has occupied the Editorial chair from that time until the present, a span of sixty years, but the time has come, for the same reason, to give place to a younger occupant. From this issue onward that occupant will be Derrick Nadal. As is the immutable decree of Nature, the new Editor will probably make the same initial mistakes as did his predecessor when he embarked upon these responsibilities, and it may be that the more discerning or critical of our readers will find cause for mild criticism, and with that an opportunity for the exercise of Christian understanding and charity. The expressed objects of the journal outlined at the top of this page remain, it must be though, that "the path of the just is as the shining light" the sun "which shineth more and more unto the perfect day". The "Monthly" will continue in its endeavor to remain in the forefront of advancing understanding of Bible truth as illumined by continued study of the Divine Word, and further discoveries in any field of human knowledge which shed greater light on its contents. As the great Apostle said in another connection, "forgetting the things which are behind, arid reaching forth unto the things which are before, I press forward." The theology of the Bible has to be expressed and re-expressed with every advance in human knowledge and in the language of each successive generation. To that extent the understanding of past centuries can be expected to expand into new reaches undreamed of by our predecessors, yet firmly founded on the principles they were used to uncover and expound in the days of their service. "Other men labored, and we are entered into their labors." The retiring Editor expects to continue as a contributor to the contents of the journal. There are two further things that should be said. As indicated above, the BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY will continue with the same objectives that it has always had. No changes are foreseen in the immediate future and if they occur they will be made very slowly as led by the Lord.

Many readers have, in their letters over the years, expressed their warm appreciation for the help and enlightenment they obtain from the Monthly. These thanks are due in large measure to the retiring editor who has worked tirelessly for these many years. God has made him a blessing to countless readers all over the world. ”For we are laborers together with God:"

Studies in History

Chapter 4. Unexpected Witnesses

75

The prophetwho ran awayIt is not often that Greek and Roman classical writers are called in to add their testimony to the truth of the Scriptures, but there does seem to be justification for relating certain scattered allusions in Pliny, Strabo, Ovid and Herodotus to the story of Jonah, allusions which indicate that at a time remote in history the town of Joppa in Judea had cause to commemorate some event which was connected with a whale.

The chain of testimony commences with Pliny, a Roman historian and naturalist who lived at the same time as the Apostle Paul and perished in the eruption of Vesuvius which buried the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum in A.D. 79. Pliny is the author of a voluminous work on natural history. In Book IX of this work he speaks of a well-known Roman statesman. Marcus Scaurus, who, during the year of his aedileship, staged a great natural history exhibition at Rome. Scaurus imported hippopotami, crocodiles, leopards and many other animals strange to the citizens. He also brought, from the town of Joppa in Judea, the skeleton of a monster which, from Pliny’s description, is agreed by modern naturalists to have been that of a whale some forty feet long and between ten and fourteen feet high. This skeleton had been preserved for many centuries in a temple at Joppa, apparently in order to commemorate some noteworthy event. Pliny himself says that the skeleton was that of the monster which figured in the Greek legend of Andromeda and Perseus. According to the story, the hero Perseus, returning home to Greece from traveling to the farthermost parts of the earth, and passing Joppa in Canaan, found a maiden named Andromeda chained to a rock on the seashore. She had been placed there to placate a terrible sea monster which was ravaging the land. Perseus slew the monster and delivered Andromeda.

Pliny, like other educated Romans of his day, looked on these tales much as we do today—highly embellished poetic legends handed down for ages and having their origin in some barely recognizable basis of truth. The fact of the skeleton itself, however, is quite a different thing. It is known that Marcus Scaurus was Aedile of Rome in the year 58 B.C., and there can be no reason to doubt that Pliny’s account of this exhibition, held only a generation before his own time, is accurate. We are left, therefore, with this reasonably well established fact, that for an unknown length of time prior to the year 58 B.C., the skeleton of a forty-foot whale reposed in a temple at Joppa to memorialize some far-off forgotten event.

The story of Andromeda is given at length by the Latin writer Ovid, who was born in 43 B.C. Ovid’s description of the monster is strongly suggestive of a whale, as witness the following extracts:

"But see, as a swift ship with its sharp beak ploughs the waves, driven by stout rowers sweating arms, so does the monster come, rolling back the water from either side as his breast surges through... Smarting under the deep wound, the creature now reared himself on high, now plunged beneath the waves, now turned like a fierce wild boar when around him a pack of noisy hounds give tongue... The beast belches forth water mixed with purple blood" (Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Book IV, 670). The Greek geographer Strabo (A.D. 20) also says that Joppa was the scene of this exploit, in his Geography, Book I, 34.

The legend goes back a long way. for Euripides, the Greek playwright, who lived at Athens, 480-406 B.C. (about the time of Nehemiah), wrote a play on the story; incidentally, in his play the monster is definitely called a whale. Sophocles, another Greek playwright, at about the same time, also introduced the story into his plays. Something noteworthy must have happened at Joppa to set these men romancing for the benefit of Greek audiences four hundred years after the time of Jonah.

Herodotus, the Greek historian, says that the Persians in the time of Artaxerxes, included descendants of Andromeda and Perseus, so that, whilst he does not detail the story of the monster, it was evidently current in his day (440 B.C.) as having occurred at least several generations earlier say, in the sixth century B.C. at latest. This is getting nearer to Jonah’s day.

Herodotus also records the story of Arion and the dolphin. He is evidently a little dubious as to its truth, for instead of employing his usual definite style, he prefaces each statement with "they say", as though he is not personally prepared to vouch for its accuracy. The story is set in the time of Periander, King of Corinth (sixth century B.C.). A renowned Greek musician, Arion, was returning from Italy and overheard the sailors of the vessel conspiring to throw him overboard in order to seize his possessions. Entreaties were in vain, and eventually, after taking his stand on the rowing benches and singing to his own accompaniment what was known as the Orthian strain, Arion leaped, fully dressed, into the sea. A dolphin received him on its back and carried him home to Corinth, where he arrived ahead of the ship, much to the astonishment and dismay of the sailors when they in their turn came into port. The narrative in full is to be found in Herod, Book 1, 23. Strabo repeats it briefly in his Geography Book XIII, 4.

Although Herodotus assigns this story to the sixth century B.C., there is evidence that it has an older basis. There is an engraving in a tomb at Praisos, in the island of Crete. dating from about 800 B.C., picturing a man being carried on the back of a giant fish. The story behind this tomb painting is quite unknown, but it is evidently in the same category as the later one of Arion and the dolphin. The Cretans in 800 B.C., were in close touch with the Phoenicians and the Israelites—the Philistines who figure so much in the Old Testament were Cretan colonists, engaged in the growing of wheat for export to their own land and a great many of the Greek tales came from the earlier civilization of Crete.

But before dismissing the story of Arion and the dolphin as pure fantasy, there has to be noted a modern equivalent. The London "Daily Mail" of 26 August 1969 reported the case of a Swedish cargo ship which, a few days previously, was sailing a few hundred miles off the coast of Nicaragua in Central America. The lookout man, discharging his normal duties, stiffened, blinked, and looked again, thinking he could see in the sea ahead a man, riding on the back of a large turtle. He took a second look: the man was still there, riding on the back of a large turtle. At the sight of this rather unusual phenomenon, the seaman sent for the captain to take a look and tell him he was seeing things. The captain came, and looked. and told him he was certainly seeing things. There was a man out there, riding on the back of a large turtle. The vessel was maneuvered to approach closer and a boat was lowered to rescue the traveler, probably to the considerable relief of the turtle. The rider turned out to be a Korean seaman from a Liberian ship who hadfallen overboard unnoticed, had encountered the turtle, and had been clinging to its back for fifteen hours with little or no hope of rescue. He was eventually landed at Los Angeles little the worse for his experience.

But putting on one side for the moment these stories of strange happenings at sea, what can be learned from this mass of fairy tale and folk lore? Is there anything of value in connection with our study of the Book of Jonah?

There seems to be a common thread running through all these legends. one which fits in with the historic fact recorded by Pliny. That thread. stripped of the fantasy and embellishment, may tell us this.

Jonah’s experience with the whale. recorded in the book which bears his name, occurred at a time probably between 810 B.C. and 850 B.C. The fact that the whale vomited out Jonah upon dry land denotes unmistakably that the animal became stranded on a shelving beach, and Jonah was able to escape without even having to "swim for it"! What is more appropriate than that God should return Jonah to the very beach—the beach at Joppa from which he had set out so determinedly a few days before? With what force would the futility of fighting against God be impressed upon the prophet’s mind. And, from a different angle of view, would the prophet not take this as an indication that God had blotted out all that had happened since the ill-fated ship set sail? Jonah was back again at his starting point, with an opportunity to make a fresh start.

Granted that this assumption is correct, it may be expected that the ship would have arrived at Joppa before Jonah. It is true that the Bible account does not say what became of the ship, but a little reflection will suggest that the mariners, having already cast overboard the wares which they were taking to Tarshish for purposes of trade, (Jon 1:5) have no reason for continuing their voyage and must perforce have returned to their home port. The storm had fallen, but their sails and masts were gone, and they were compelled therefore to rely upon the rowers. Under these conditions, they would make about five miles an hour, not much faster than the whale, but whereas they would steer straight for Joppa and make all haste to get their unseaworthy ship safe to land, the whale would swim more or less aimlessly and take perhaps three times as long to reach the shore. We can expect, therefore, the arrival of the disabled ship with its relieved crew, full of the tale they had to tell about the strange passenger, and how his God, wroth with him, had pursued their ship with a fearful storm and only relented when they had cast him into the sea. They probably told the story in subdued tones, with an anxious glance over their shoulders as they did so; this Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, had shown himself to be a most powerful God.

The story would go the rounds of the town for a day or so, and then be eclipsed by a new wonder. A whale, venturing too far inshore, was observed to be in difficulties. There are but few whales in the Mediterranean today, but they were common as recently as a hundred years ago and dwellers along the coast of Canaan would be moderately familiar with them. A crowd would quickly have gathered on the beach to watch this monster twisting and rolling in the waves and thrashing the water with its enormous tail, until perhaps a larger swell than usual, rolling in from the sea, lifted the forty-foot creature and swept it into shallow water with its great head driven on to the sandy beach.

By this time a goodly number would have been present, for the stranding of a whale is a lengthy process and it might have spent several hours wallowing in the shallows before it finally gave up the conflict. Some were drawn by curiosity, others with a view to killing and cutting up the stranded body and making profit of this unexpected gift from the sea. There may or may not have been present some of the sailors from Jonah’s ship, but if they were, neither they nor any others would have been in the slightest degree prepared for what happened next.

The great mouth slowly opened. and the contents of the whale’s stomach were expelled onto the beach—and among them a shape that moved spasmodically, and then, perhaps, sat up and raised shaking hands to its head. At that the onlookers must have taken fright and scattered in all directions. They would soon recover their wits and approach, cautiously, to find Jonah more or less in his right mind and capable of discoursing with them intelligently.

Probably they worshiped Jonah. He must be more than a man, who traveled the seas inside a whale and emerged alive. Certainly they worshiped the whale, Joppa had been, for centuries, the port for the Philistines, the town from which their grain ships set out with their cargoes for Crete, six hundred miles away, and the god of the Philistines was Dagon, the sea-god, part man and part fish (see 1Sa 5:1-7, esp. verse 4, margin). The sailors of Jonah’s ship must by now have heard of the occurrence and hastened to the scene, and would quickly confirm that this was the man they had cast overboard. The conclusion was obvious. Dagon had taken a hand in the matter and sent his own special messenger to pick up Jonah and transport him safely back to Joppa. There was probably a religious revival of unprecedented dimensions in Joppa that night, with both Jehovah and Dagon the recipients of fervent protestations of devotion and allegiance.

There would, of course, be no further attempts to make money out of the dead monster. As a Divine messenger, he was sacred and his remains must be duly respected. Both Jehovah and Dagon had shown that they were not to be trifled with.

The stranded whale would, however, remain an obvious fact increasingly so in the hot Canannitish sun, and the fact that there is practically no rise and fall of tide in the Mediterranean necessitated approximately eighty tons of whale meat remaining on the beach at Joppa until something was done about it. Fortunately, a feature of the Middle East is the presence of vultures (the "eagles" of the New Testament) and they are proverbially keen of sight and of scent. It is possible that nearly all the vultures in Canaan visited Joppa for a short time whilst Jonah was there.

There remained the skeleton picked clean, massive, but at least transportable. Since the vultures had not eaten that, it had to be assumed that Dagon required it to be preserved. The obvious thing was to house it in the local temple of Dagon as a permanent memorial of the most wonderful happening ever recorded in the history of Joppa. Bones are almost indestructible, and in any case the ancients were adepts at preserving such things, and the task would present little difficulty.

If something like this was in fact the sequel to the story of Jonah, it explains why, over seven hundred years later, Marcus Scaurus found the skeleton of a whale in a temple at Joppa and shipped it to Rome as a fitting subject for his great exhibition. In that lapse of time the true story associated with the relic would have been forgotten and overlaid with other explanations, or varied so much from its original form as to be unrecognizable. At the time, however, the story would spread rapidly. The very next ship to sail for Crete would carry it there and that might give rise to the inspiration for the tomb painting already referred to. In another century or so the Greeks were visiting the country in increasing numbers, and to every visitor who inspected the famous relic the story would be told and retold, with additions, and these stories, taken back to Greece. would be worked upon by the Greek poets and dramatists, giving rise to the legends here quoted. It may be that the theme of Joppa and its wonderful monster has been immortalized by the Greeks on the level of legend just as that of Jonah and the whale has been preserved by the Hebrews on the infinitely higher plane of truth.

Legends do grow on a basis of truth in this fashion. That typically British story of St. George and the Dragon is considered by many authorities to have been derived from this same story of Andromeda and Perseus. The birthplace of St. George is supposed to have been Lydda, which is nine miles from Joppa, and it was at Joppa that he is said to have slain the dragon and rescued the doomed maiden. He is also said to have then been a missionary for Christianity in Nicodemia and martyred by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Upon this rather slender basis he was canonized a saint by Pope Gelasius in A.D. 496, his birthday, April 23rd, was ordained by the Council of Oxford in AD. 1222 to be observed as an annual national holiday in England and Wales. In AD. 1350 he was instituted patron saint of the Order of the Garter by Richard III of England. It is rather intriguing to think of the possibility that the most familiar figure in English pageantry, the votary of British chivalry, the guardian spirit of the Crusades, the symbol of British patriotism, may in reality owe its origin to a legendary memory of Jonah the Israelite, the prophet of God.

And so Jonah. in chastened mood, must have retired to his native village of Gathhepher to await the next instruction from God—an instruction which he would receive in very different spirit to that in which he heard, and rejected. his first commission to go unto Nineveh, and cry against it, because their sins had come up before God.

(To be continued)

A discourse based on Ps 46:4

78

Among the many blessings which are ours through faith in the sacrifice and resurrection of our Lord, there is one, bequeathed to us by Jesus, which is especially precious to us in these days when all around us is turmoil and strife.

Peter’s desire for those who had "obtained like precious faith" to his own was that grace should be multiplied unto them "through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord". (2Pe 1:2) This "knowledge" of God implies much more than merely knowing "about" Him. It implies intimate acquaintance or personal knowledge. Rotherham’s translation of Job 22:21 conveys the thought: "Shew thyself to be one with him, I pray thee, and prosper". We may have an intellectual appreciation of God and His attributes, but it is only as we develop a heart reliance upon Him and His word, resulting from an experience of that sonship which is ours through vital union with Christ. that we can find the real peace which came to Jesus whilst He was bearing the greatest burden that a man was ever called upon to bear. It may be our portion to bear heavy losses, to stern battles, or fight to keep long and lonely vigils, but even as Jesus by communion with His Father found peace in every circumstance. so. we by learning to commune more and more with our Father, through Jesus, can find peace, perfect peace in every experience. To have this peace multiplied unto us, as Peter desires, is indeed a blessing beyond the power of human comprehension but the figure used in the prophecy concerning natural Israel in Isa 48:18 may bring some fresh thought to bear upon this wonderful subject. This verse also brings to our attention yet another factor upon which this peace depends. It reads: ”O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments; then had thy peace been as a river". This peace of Israel depended upon their obedience to the Divine Will as expressed in God’s laws, but they failed to fulfil the conditions, and thus lost the accompanying blessing; nevertheless, it is prophesied of her (Isa 66:12) "1 will extend to her peace like a river". In the meantime, the Church, as spiritual Israel, can rightly claim this blessing, if the conditions are fulfilled; as the Psalmist says: "Great peace have they which love thy law". Therefore. if we have perfect faith in God and His word, if we accept the righteousness which comes by faith in the blood of Christ, and. offering our all to Him in sacrifice, learn to know and do His will, we can and should have peace like a river.

A river is usually symbolic of plenty, constancy or perpetuity, and thus truly pictures the peace which comes from God. A river begins as a tiny stream in the hills, then, making its way through many scenes, is joined by numerous tributaries, which cause it to become wider and deeper, until it is finally lost in the sea. The changes which it may experience and the ever widening and deepening of its course as it wends its way ever onward to the sea, does indeed graphically illustrate the peace of God as it comes to his obedient children.

Cast the mind back to the time when we had no personal knowledge of God. Then we had no real peace. But, with our introduction to the new life which is the portion of all who "diligently seek", we enter into a wonderfully new experience, full of glorious possibilities. First, we learned something of the love of God (Joh 3:16) and of his justice. (Ro 3:26) and our river of peace began as a tiny stream. (Ro 5:1) It soon increased as we learned something of His wisdom and power, and as time went on our knowledge of Him and his plan increased, and each aspect of truth became as it were tributaries uniting to swell our river of peace. (Ps 46:4) Thus, for a while our river wended its way, as it were, through pleasant scenes. The sun shone, on its sparkling waters. the grassy slopes which limited its banks were refreshingly green, and the graceful willows at its edge afforded pleasant shelter. The distant lowing of the cattle and the singing of the birds complete a picture of perfect peace.

In the natural picture, as the river becomes wider and deeper, men build upon its banks, and it becomes lined with warehouses, factories and squalid dwellings. The singing of the birds or the quietness of the wilderness gives way to the noise and clangor of commerce. and the sparkling stream becomes a murky and sluggish river, for, although it continues on its way ever onward to the sea, its flow is retarded by all the commercial activity on its banks.

So, in our Christian experience, whether in the workshop, office, factory or shop, or about the duties of the house, whatever our vocation may be, contact with the world and its activities tends to slow down our river of peace, and dull its sparkling waters. Nevertheless, it is the same river, and is ever flowing towards its outlet, the sea; and as it slows down it must widen and deepen, as it should do as our heart reliance upon God is developed in the turmoil of life. Our river of peace might well be like the mountain streams which rush headlong down the rocks, to be lost in the upland lakes—pretty, but of little use; or it might continue its flow untouched by commerce and worldly activity. and flow unimpeded to the sea. Then it would be like the lives of those who shut themselves up in monasteries, convents, and like institutions. Their lives may have a serenity and beauty of a sort, but our Lord’s prayer for His own was not that they should be taken out of the world, but that they should be kept from the evil thereof. So, if our river passes through the squalor and turmoil, the smoke and the ceaseless activity of the world, let us remember how Jesus, in His perfection, moved amongst such greed and hypocrisy, such depravity and degradation as must have deeply affected His sensitive nature. Then above all the distractions of life we shall hear Him saying: "These things I have spoken unto you, that you might have peace".

As the natural river flows through the industrial area it becomes liable to pollution, and steps are taken to prevent this by laws which require every stream which flows into it to conform to a certain standard of purity. So in the Christian life our pure river is liable to become tainted with impurities, and thus our peace disturbed. So we need to be vigilant, especially in these last days, when, as foretold, many false prophets have arisen, and see that every so-called truth is scrutinized to see if it conforms to the standards set up in the Word of God. As the river nears the sea it is affected by the wind. which whips it up into angry waves. Nevertheless, those who work beneath the surface find that all is calm and quiet below. So in Christian experience the winds of affliction may blow upon us, and our river may become ruffled, but this is only the surface; deep down in our hearts the peace of God remains. The tides also affect the river, so that for a while its flow is held up, thus causing the river to widen and deepen. The tide of adversity may hold up the flow of our river temporarily, but this should only cause it to widen and deepen for even as the tides are provided to cleanse the river, so the adversity should, if we are rightly exercise, thereby, cleanse and purify us and make us ready to meet the God of peace. Sometimes the adverse wind and the tide coincide in the natural picture and floods result, with corresponding disaster. We may experience the tides of affliction and the winds of adversity together; this causes a crisis in our life which may seem to us to be a catastrophe, but the tide of affliction must ebb and the winds of adversity must abate, and soon our river flows on more swiftly to the sea, and we are strengthened and purified as a result of the apparent catastrophe.

Sometimes, however, when the "surges rise and rest delays to come", we may lose our hold on this peace. In such circumstances let us recall that our Lord’s river flowed through scenes and circumstances much more intense than any experience we have to endure. The winds of adversity and the tides of affliction were permitted to assert their full force upon Him, and we see the extent to which they bore down upon him as He cried out in Gethsemane. In such weariness of mind He sought his Father’s face, and as a result of sweet communion with Him, He went out of Gethsemane the very personification of peace.

Surrounded by the howling mob, standing before the murderous High Priest and Elders, and facing the quaking Pilate, He remained calm and composed, and that peace which came from God remained with Him until He died.

So He lived and died, but He arose, and now lives, that we might have the same peace, even as we follow Him through Gethsemane and Golgotha to the reward which He has already gained.

This peace, then, will be our portion in ever increasing measure until our river is lost in the sea.

When and where will this be? Surely it will be when ”this mortal shall put on immortality", and we enter into our eternal destiny.

Here and now, wonderful though it is, our peace is like a river, comparatively narrow, affected by the frailty of human nature and its circumstances of life, but then, when that which is perfect is come, it will open out into a boundless sea, and we shall dwell in God’s perfect peace throughout all eternity.

But this is not all. The rapidly increasing river, springing from beneath the altar in the Sanctuary, will flow out into the desert, bringing life to all who have been submerged in sin and death. (Eze 47) Thus cleansed and made whole, being freed from all that disturbs or alarms, the whole world, united under one Head. will find peace at last.

Hand and heart, instinct and motive, the whole life within and without must be transformed up to the "ideal". And only the Omniscience of God knows what that is! And only the Omnipotence of God can sustain in the making!

The Story of Moses

81

The story of Moses leading the tribes of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land is one of the epics of history; the highlight of that epic is the description of the Red Sea parting its waters to allow the fugitives to cross into safety. Critics never tire of enlarging upon the impossibility of such a happening and claim this as a bit of folklore inserted into the story. But in this particular locality it is not impossible, and a close examination of the topographical indications in the narrative and some investigation into the climatic phenomena of the district shows in a reasonably accurate fashion just what did happen. It must be remembered, however. that no matter what natural forces can be shown to have been the agents of the great deliverance the overruling providence of God cannot be ignored. It was by His disposition of things that the powers of Nature came into operation at that moment of time to effect His purpose and in that lies the essence of the wonderful thing that happened. The first factor to be considered is the territory. It was not known until almost the turn of the century that the configuration of the land has changed greatly since the days of Moses; this was established by the labors on site of the French Egyptologist, M. Edouard Naville, the British geologist. Sir J. W. Dawson. and the American geologist Prof. C. F. Wright. Between 1883 and 1900 it was ascertained by these three, working independently, that the southern part of the isthmus of Suez, where the crossing took place. has been rising, and the northern part sinking, through the ages, so that land which was once below the sea is now above it, and vice versa. Lake Menzaleh, in the Nile delta, was fertile land supporting farms and towns in the days of Moses. According to the 10th century Arab historian Mamoudy the sea began to break through in 535 AD. and within a century the present lake had submerged the sinking land. Conversely, south of present day Ismailia the sea had receded and rising land taken its place As late as Roman times, the Red Sea, which now ends at Suez, extended as far north as Lake Timsah (see accompanying map) and there was a seaport nearby called Klysma. A branch of the Nile, now dried up because of the progressive elevation of the land, entered this extension of the Red Sea at Klysma. and merchant ships from Arabia were able to sail up the Red Sea and into the Mediterranean via the Nile a kind of ancient version of the Suez Canal. Several of the Pharaohs from the 15th B.C. century onward found it necessary to dredge and deepen this branch on account of the rising land level; the last to carry out this operation was the Roman emperor Hadrian. Since then the continuing elevation has caused the sea to recede to Suez, leaving only the Bitter Lakes and Lake Timsah as evidences of its former extent.

The Red Sea thus formed a continuous barrier between Egypt and Asia except at the north, which was heavily defended against invaders. This is why the Hebrews needed Divine intervention in order to escape; the only possible land passage was barred by Pharaoh’s soldiery. Hence Moses had to turn south along the seaside, a seemingly suicidal policy since no land way across into Sinai existed.

The Exodus proper began at Succoth. "They took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness". (Ex 13:20) Succoth was near Pithom, one of the store cities built for Pharaoh by the Israelites; the site of Pithom was discovered by Naville in 1883 with the ruins of many of the store-buildings. Examination of the brickwork showed that the lower courses were of Nile clay bound with well-chopped straw, the intermediate ones with more scanty straw and the upper ones with pieces of rushes and Nile water plants instead of straw, a striking confirmation of Ex 5:12, where the Israelites were given no more straw and had to search for "stubble" instead. In Roman times the town was called Heeropolis and Naville found a Roman milestone here indicating nine (Roman) miles to the port of Klysma about eight and three quarter English miles, showing that the Red Sea still extended thus far. In fact Strabo, the Greek geographer, refers to the Red Sea as the "Heeropolitan Gulf".

From Succoth the people marched to Etham, near modern Ismailia, about twelve miles, a reasonable day’s journey for such a host encumbered with children, tents, belongings and cattle. Etham is the Hebrew equivalent of Khatem, the Egyptian name of the garrison town on the frontier through which all travelers into or out of Egypt must pass. Abraham, Joseph and Jacob all passed through Khatem. The Israelites, of course, must have encamped in the open country outside the town. Through the town and beyond it ran the road which led directly to Canaan, the Promised Land. A few weeks’ journeying on that road would have brought them to their destination, had it not been for Pharaoh’s soldiery barring the way, and too, for the Lord’s instruction to Moses bidding him at this juncture to turn southward, still on the Egyptian side of the sea, "... turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baa/-zephon: before it ye shall encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in". (Ex 14:1-2)

None of these three names have survived and resource has to be made to topography to follow the story. In going southward from Etham Moses would shortly leave the valley and find himself traversing a narrow passage a few miles wide with the sea on his left and a range of mountains, now the Gineffa mountains, on his right. This was the part of the sea which today is known as the Bitter Lakes. Some twenty-five miles from Etham the passage opens out into a broad grassy plain, ideal for an encampment such as Israel needed. At the entrance to this plain there stands one notable rock peak some five hundred feet high which is today called Jebel Shebremet, an ideal "look-out" point. "Migdol" is a Hebrew word meaning "watchtower" and this peak might well have borne this name in ancient times. Directly opposite this peak on the other side of the sea, rise the imposing precipices of the northern end of the Rahan range, with one solitary upstanding peak seventeen hundred feet high called Jebel Makassa. This could easily be the Baal-zephon of the narrative the name is Semitic, meaning "Lord of the North." and it has been suggested that it might have been conferred by Phoenician sailor men. Coming up the gulf from distant lands, the appearance of this majestic mountain looking towards the north, on their starboard bow, was a signal that the dangers of their voyage were past, they would shortly be entering the eastern Nile and so emerge into their own sea, the Mediterranean, to clock safely in their home ports of Tyre and Sidon. There, perhaps, they gave thanks to their god Baal, unknown here in Egypt, for protection in danger and a safe voyage nearly completed.

Pi-hahiroth is an Egyptian word meaning "the place of meadows". This grassy plain in which they were now encamped well fits the name It seems fairly conclusive that here, a stretch of several miles along the then sea, now mainly land just south of the Bitter Lakes, was the place of the crossing.

This explains Pharaoh’s exultant exclamation, they art entangled in the land; the wildernesshath shut them in". By following this route the Israelites were on the wrong side of the sea and had no means of escape. Southward the way was blocked by another range of mountains (the Jebel Ataka, near Suez) and behind them the narrow pass, through which they had entered, could be easily held by Pharaoh’s troops. The latter part of his words really means "the wilderness is closed to them", that is they have missed their chance of getting into the wilderness on the other side of the Red Sea outside Egypt. So he decided to recapture them It might have taken two days for Israel to reach this point from Etham: it would take a day for a messenger from the garrison at Etham to reach Pharaoh at his capital and advise him of the position—a day to collect his force of chariots and cavalry and two more days to reach the narrow pass at Migdol. The Israelites had probably just about got well settled in their camp at Pi-hahiroth when they lifted up their eyes and behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afrad. (Ex 14:10)

With the sea in front and the Egyptians behind, and no apparent avenue of escape, there is perhaps some excuse for their loss of faith, The position must have seemed hopeless. It were better, they said, that they had never attempted to leave Egypt. But Moses was equal to the occasion. "Speak unto the children of Israel" God said, "that they go forward. Lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea" (Ex 14:15-16) ,

This startling instruction had to be passed to all Israel. The number of men, women and children involved, with their flocks and herds, would require a stretch of land alongside the sea something like seven miles long by a mile deep and messengers had to be sent through all this area with Moses’ commands. There was much striking of tents and packing up of possessions and rounding up of cattle to be done before a move could be made. All this would take time but the Egyptians were not likely to be in any hurry. They had the escaped slaves neatly bottled up, or so they thought, and were camped across the only practical exit from the plain, so they almost certainly settled down for the night with the intention of commencing operations on the morrow. That they did establish a camp instead of advancing on the fugitives at once is indicated by the narrative.

Israel, on the contrary, was wide awake. The confidence of Moses must have communicated itself to the erstwhile fearful host: perhaps memories of the wonders they had so recently seen brought a measure of shame for their lack of faith and a spirit of expectancy as they gazed across the heaving waters at the opposite shore six miles away, plainly visible in the light of the full moon. In many a heart there must have been the unspoken question "What is God going to do?" So they waited, wondering And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided, And the children of Israel went into the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left" (Exod, 14: 21-22).

The natural cause of this wonder is attributed in the narrative to "a strong east wind" blowing all that night. Israel was facing the sea at the southern end of the Bitter Lakes, where the ground is now twenty-seven feet above sea level but at that time was below sea level to the amount of probably seven or eight feet, The sea here was probably about six miles wide but only this deep To the south, fifteen miles away, lay what is the present head of the Red Sea at Suez, where the water was much deeper: to the north, only a mile or so, the Bitter Lakes, where the water also was deeper. The sea lay in a valley not more than twenty miles wide between the Egyptian and Sinai mountains, running roughly north-south, And there came down from the high tableland of Northern Sinai a tempestuous easterly or more likely north-easterly gale which, deflected by the Gineffa mountain range on the Egyptian side, channeled itself at increasing force down the valley, driving the waters towards what is now modern Suez and laying bare the sea bed over the ten miles or so of shallow water. Some water would remain in the rather deeper Bitter Lakes so it was true that the waters were "a wall unto them on the right hand and on their left" They were safe from attack on their flanks; only from the rear could they be pursued.

This recession of the sea was not a unique phenomenon, occurring only at the time of the Exodus, The same north-easterly gale has acted in much the same way through the ages and still does so today. The results are not now so spectacular since there is no longer any shallow sea to be swept aside. Nevertheless the records of the Suez Canal Company show that during its first thirty years of existence the variation of sea level at the present head of the Gulf at Suez amounted to over ten feet; since there is virtually no tide in the Red Sea this is largely attributable to the action of the wind. In 1895 the waters at the eastern end of Lake Menzaleh in the Nile delta was lowered six feet by this same wind, as measured on the instruments of a British Army surveyor at the time. A confirmatory example of this effect is on record by the work of a United States Government survey of wind effects on Lake Erie (reported by Prof, G, F, Wright) The difference in water level between Toledo at the western end and Buffalo at the eastern end under certain wind conditions was found to amount to fifteen feet,

This is one of the instances in Old Testament narrative where God has intervened to time a perfectly natural and not uncommon act of Nature to occur at just the moment needed to execute some feature of His purpose It is in that fact that the essence of miracle resides.

The people of Israel, perceiving the waters ebbing away to reveal a vast expanse of flat sand stretching into the distance, rounded up their cattle, gathered up their goods, and set out to cross. The gale blew across their path but they took no notice of that. They did not go over as a procession; that would have taken an interminable time. There was at least ten miles length of exposed sea-bed and they would have crossed together as one body over much of that distance, They could have completed the six miles crossing in something like four hours. Level sand is usually quite firm after the water has left it, as witness our English beaches when the tide is out, so that progress though slow would not be difficult. With darkness falling at 6:00 p.m., and allowing a few hours for the waters to recede, they could have got started by 10 oclock and the last stragglers be walking up the opposite beach by 2:30 the following morning.

By that time one of the Egyptian sentries, making his rounds most likely had his suspicions aroused and sent an investigating party to reconnoiter the Israelite camp. The party returned with the alarming news that the birds had flown and the sea-bed was bare. This latter phenomenon might have been no new thing to the Egyptians: unless they had known it to happen before their superstitious fears would almost certainly have precluded them from attempting to follow. As it was they did not hesitate to drive their chariots onto the sea-bed in pursuit. The time would have been about 2 a.m. and the fugitives just about at the other side.

Chariot wheels and sea sand, even firm sand, are probably not a good combination. The Egyptians found the going difficult. "In the morning watch" the narrative says, the Lord "looked at the host of the Egyptians and took off their chariot wheels" so that the occupants were pitched out. The Hebrew morning watch was the period 2:00 to 6:00 a.m. It might have been about 4:00 a.m. when the pursuers began to say to each other, as narrative has it, that they had best get back to shore for it was evident that the LORD was fighting for Israel. A new factor had come in to complicate the situation; the wind had dropped.

As the force of the gale died down the banked up waters far out in the Red Sea to the south began to return. The sand became saturated with water and the erstwhile firm surface turned into treacherous quicksands. According to Ex 14:23 the pursuers had got to the midway point of the crossing so that they had something like three miles between themselves and safety. "And the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared" (this expression denotes about 5 oclock) "and the Egyptians fled against it. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh. There remained not so much as one of them" (vs, 27-28). With the cessation of the wind, the sea would have returned from Suez in a roaring tidal wave which could easily have attained a speed of sixty miles an hour. Fifteen or twenty minutes would have seen the end. The hosts of Pharaoh had no chance. The fact that their bodies, again according to the narrative, were cast up upon the eastern shore shows that the easterly gale had been replaced by a south-westerly blowing down from the Ataka mountains near Suez, which would have brought the waters back all the more quickly.

It might reasonably be queried why the cutting of the Suez Canal through this former sea-bed, or the periodic subsequent dredging of the Canal, has not brought to light objects or weapons giving concrete evidence of this disaster to the Egyptians. It is perhaps too much to expect. The Canal at this point lies towards the western side of the ancient sea-bed, so far as the boundaries of the latter can be estimated. probably two miles more from the area where the Egyptians must have been overtaken by the waters. The Canal itself was 29 feet deep when constructed and has been deepened to 42 feet in recent years but implements of comparatively modern or medieval times have been found to have sunk much more than this in the alluvial soil of Egypt so that if any remains of those chariots and the weapons do survive they will be lying at levels far below any man-made excavation of modern times. The evidence for the historical and literal accuracy of this enthralling story still lies in the exact correspondence between the narrative itself and the physical features of the territory in which it is said to have taken place.

Onesimus

85

With all the many differences in law, manners and customs, nevertheless the Romans, Greeks and Jews had one thing in common—a dependence on slave economy. However much the twentieth century mind may admire any or all of these civilizations that fact must be admitted. The difference between the Jews and everybody else on this question was that under their law no slave could be held longer than six years (in the Year of Jubilee all slaves had to be freed) and there were regulations laid down for their protection. A young female slave, for example, on reaching a marriageable age had either to be married to her master or his son, and in the eventuality of neither wanting her, she had to be freed.

The Greeks treated their slaves, on the whole, better than the Romans though this is not saying a great deal. If a Greek slave was required to give evidence in a law court as a witness he could expect to be tortured, but on the other hand his master could not put him or her to death without the consent of the Court. If any slave was in danger of having their virtue assaulted they could take refuge in a temple, and claim the right to be sold to a different master. Children born to slave women became slaves themselves.

With the Romans, however, the slave was not a person, he was a thing and absolutely in the power of his master. This is not to say that every Roman slave owner was a callous brute: many of them treated their slaves well, but being convinced of the rightness of the course they were pursuing would probably have been horrified at the suggestion that slavery was wrong.

There had been attempts to bring about a change in conditions. The Romans and the Greeks at the time Paul was writing his epistles were conscious of the pressure put on the system, less than a hundred years before, by the Thracian ex-gladiator Spartacus. The Romans particularly had cause to remember this revolt against slavery in 73-71 B.C. It had cost too many lives, and imbedded too many dangerous ideas about liberty. According to what is known of the leader of the slaves he was a humane man, and remembering that, though intended for the gladiatorial arena, unless he distinguished himself in his first fight and was subsequently freed, it meant winning every contest for three years when the doubtful mercy of two years slavery ending in freedom would be accorded him (at least that was the custom with prisoners of war and the Thracian had been a soldier). One can understand how a short cut to liberty would appeal to Spartacus.

Onesimus was a different proposition altogether. His name, by a stroke of irony, meant ‘profitable, but this apparently was the opposite of what he was in reality. After being more trouble than he was worth to his master he finally ran away, helping himself to some of Philemon’s money in the process Philemon may very probably have been glad to see the back of him, and there is no account given of any attempt on his part to follow and recapture the young man. Perhaps this was an indication of the change in Philemon’s inner feelings for even the kindest pagan slave owner would have set out in indignant pursuit.

It has been agreed that Paul wrote this letter from prison It has not been agreed where Paul was in prison. Some would argue for Ephesus and point out that it was not so far from Colossae where Philemon lived, whereas Rome, the traditionally held viewpoint, several hundred miles away, would be too far to be the objective of an escaped slave.

The answer or answers to that argument would be—

(a) No runaway slave would take refuge in any town where there was the remotest chance of his master finding him, or of being recognized.

(b) Rome was a large enough city for any runaway to hide quite successfully for a long period of time, and the underworld of the capital would always welcome one more fugitive.

(c) That was Onesimus’s purpose in helping himself to Philemon’s money.

We do not know how Onesimus and Paul met. Onesimus may indeed have seen Paul at Philemon’s house, for the apostle seemed to be on friendly terms with him and his family.

"To Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellow laborer, and to our beloved Apphia and Archippus our fellow soldier and Archippus has also been included in the farewell messages in the letter to the Colossians.

Onesimus may have been denounced as a runaway slave, Epaphras, whose position approximated to that of minister to the Church at Colossae, who was with Paul at that time may have recognized him and persuaded him to put his case to the apostle It might be asked if anyone desperate enough to run away—and a thief into the bargain would throw away his chance of freedom so easily. The penalties for runaway slaves were severe; the law would have upheld Philemon if he had put him to death, It is unlikely that any other fugitive slaves would have given Onesimus away, for they, stood together. As one writer observed, their code was "love each other, love lies, love licentiousness" and so on. A possible explanation may have been that Onesimus learned the apostle was in Rome—we know Paul had been allowed to rent a house there and to receive anyone who wanted to see him and that the memory of the teaching he had half-forgotten stirred up feelings of remorse. Perhaps Onesimus’ conscience, which hitherto had not had much opportunity of making itself heard, went into action, Perhaps he may have had a superstitious fear of the apostle which, bearing in mind Paul’s fiery preaching, is very possible.

Whatever reason finally prompted Onesimus to throw himself on the mercy of Paul, there is no cause to disbelieve that he presented the apostle with a very delicate problem. To give shelter to a runaway slave was the equivalent of being a receiver of stolen goods. Paul was quite capable of dealing with such a situation, however, and such was the influence he could exert over practically everybody that, probably overwhelmed with gratitude and relief from a remorseless conscience, Onesimus, for the first time perhaps, began to justify his name "Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me."

There is no reason to suppose that Paul approved of slavery, though he never preached directly against it for fear of its upsetting the real purpose of his life—the spreading of the Christian belief. His attitude seems to have been that if a man is free in Christ, the slavery he is enduring is a passing thing, besides which, believing in the imminent return of Christ there would have seemed little purpose in his eyes in campaigning for the freedom of slaves, Nevertheless Paul, whilst stressing the need for servants to be obedient to their masters, also emphasized the need for masters to treat their servants/slaves properly. The status of a slave was less than nothing. There were slaves who bought their freedom and some who received it as a reward, but the standard of behavior was understandably low. What incentive had men and women to try to lead moral lives if they were the property of their masters and death was the only means by which they could obtain freedom, It is almost impossible for us to realize what the advent of Christianity meant to the slave community, or what a tremendous assertion Col 3:10-11 is—"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all, and in all,"

In other words, Christ is the master of all men. The problem Paul faced was neither philosophical nor theological, but intensely practical. The apostle does not seem to have been a sentimental man, yet one can assume that there were some good qualities in Onesimus, and that he had been converted by Paul’s teaching, otherwise why should he stay there in the prison, and so we read—"Whom I would have retained with me".

It would appear that Paul had developed an affection for Onesimus, referring to him as "his son". As in other troublesome circumstances, and as it was impossible at that moment for obvious reasons to visit Colossae, Paul has to rely on his ability as a letter writer.

His letter to Philemon is unique among his writings. It is the shortest, and it is certainly the most cordial, No fiery teaching, no scathing denunciation; sweetness and light abound from the first verse The Churches at Corinth and Galatia would scarcely recognize Paul as the writer, which proves that Paul could be all things to all men.

We do not know if Philemon was rich; the fact that Onesimus was his slave is not conclusive; even persons of modest incomes owned a slave or two, but the Church at Colossae met in his house so we can perhaps assume that he was reasonably prosperous. Paul does not rush into battle on Onesimus’ behalf. The first nine verses are given to personal greetings, and one can gauge Paul’s diplomacy by—

(a) He does not refer to himself as an apostle.

(b) He refers to Apphia, Philemon’s wife/sister/daughter as "beloved" which was extraordinary in itself, unless Apphia was cast in the mold of Lydia.

There are diplomatic references to Philemon’s faith, and the love which Paul is sure he has for his fellow Christians and for Paul also. This love, the apostle continues, has made him confident enough to ask a favor of a brother in Christ. He could use his authority and command Philemon, but he would rather ask him, as an old man, and a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

This is appealing enough to bring tears to the eyes of a graven image and by this time Philemon would be in the right mood to grant anybody’s request. Paul then lays the case before Philemon. He is making this request on behalf of his son, Onesimus. There is sympathy in the recognition of the slave’s uselessness in past days, but things are very different now. Paul manages to infuse the right note of regret in the information that he is sending Onesimus back to Colossae. If he could have kept Onesimus with him he knows he would have continued to care for Paul as Philemon would have done had he been in his place. He knows, however, that Philemon will receive "his son as if he had been Paul himself. As if this is not enough to cut short any protest Philemon may have made, Paul points out how well things have turned out—"For perhaps he therefore departed for a season that thou shouldest receive him forever. Not now as a servantt, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the f/esh, and in the Lord? If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself."

It probably occurred to the apostle at this point that some reference to the stolen money might be appreciated. and so, taking the pen from whoever was writing at his dictation, he adds the following—"If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account."

Paul makes it clear, immediately afterwards, that he has written this with his own hand, so will repay anything owing, but hastens to add that he would not dream of saying how much Philemon owes him, Paul, even his very soul. If any other than Paul had written this letter it might be said to be a gentle attempt at intimidation

Paul then proceeds to assure Philemon that he knows he will do even more than he has asked. and ends by suggesting that perhaps Philemon will prepare a room for him as he hopes that through the prayers of the Church he may come to them at Colossae. He includes Epaphras in the list of farewells which is understandable since he was a minister of the Colossian Church. There may, however, be a subtle undertone. It is perhaps a way of intimating that there is a witness to his request for forgiveness on behalf of Onesimus. It would hardly do for Epaphras to return home to find Onesimus dead or sent to the mines!

Nevertheless Paul was depending upon the soundness of Philemon’s belief in Christ. It would have been no problem for him to behave in a benevolent way as long as his rights and privileges were not attacked. If it was a shallow faith Onesimus would have cause to regret returning, but Paul, who knew from his own experience how belief in Christ can alter a man’s attitude, must have been sure of the genuineness of Philemon’s faith. It was not the kind of letter to send to a pagan slave owner, although its very audacity might have carried the day.

There are reasons for thinking that Paul did not go far wrong in assessing the character of Philemon. It may be stretching the long arm of coincidence, but unless Onesimus was an inheritance, or the child of a slave girl, why did Philemon not take advantage of the law that compelled slave dealers to take back slaves sold under false pretenses (and any slave dealer in his right mind would hesitate to dwell on Onesimus’ unprofitableness) or pay compensation? Perhaps he had tried to give his slave every chance. But the strongest reason for believing that Philemon did as he was asked is that the letter is in existence, that we have it in the New Testament today. No-one seems to doubt its genuineness, and there is no reason why anyone should forge such a personal letter. Slavery was not wiped out of existence by Paul’s words: perhaps Philemon did not free his other slaves. It took centuries of the influence of the Christian spirit, an essentially practical thing, to wipe out such an iniquitous economic system, which the undoubtedly sincere Spartacus thought he could batter down by sheer force.

Over forty years later, at the time Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, was being taken to Rome to die a martyr’s death in the arena, there was a Bishop of Ephesus called Onesimus. It would be interesting to think it was the same man—it would be a satisfactory ending, and in any case in a world which the Christians were turning upside down, there would be nothing incongruous in such a solution.

The Visions of Zechariah

16. The Sword of The Lord

88

The prophet’s work was done. Through a long series of visions he had traced the story of the deliverance of God’s people from captivity and oppression, their cleansing from defilement and the exaltation of the purified and dedicated "remnant" to be the Divine instrument for world evangelism. He had told of the restoration and rebuilding of the City of Peace, its investment by the forces of evil powers resisting the incoming Kingdom of righteousness and the dramatic intervention of God Most High to overthrow the power of evil and take control of earthly affairs. There, at the point where the "kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ" (Re 11:15) the visions came to an end and left Zechariah contemplating the serene future in which the sovereignty of the Lord God was manifest to all and the knowledge of His glory beginning to "cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea". But even in this sunlit scene there are some shadows, and the prophet has to take note of them before he closes his book at the point where absolute holiness pervades the Millennial Kingdom and evil is no more.

To this end he divides this final stanza of his story into three parts. In the first (chap. 14. vss. 12-15) he looks back, as it were, to the dramatic intervention from above which has saved the Holy City and its people from the despoilers, and ruminates on the details of their destruction, the nature of the calamities by means of which they were defeated and the comprehensive and final nature of that defeat. Then he turns his attention to the early days of the Messianic era which is to follow, and in vss. 16-19 sees the peoples of earth rendering allegiance to their new King and acknowledging earth’s new center of government. At the same time he warns of the consequences incurred by those who refuse to offer that allegiance. But this is only a temporary intermission, for in vss. 20-21 he sees holiness and righteousness supreme. The Temple of the Lord has become, as it was originally intended to become, a house of prayer for all nations, and in that house prayer shall be made for Him continually, and daily shall He be praised". (Ps 72:15)

So he talks of the judgment which has fallen upon the forces of evil, choosing descriptive symbols suited to the picture he has chosen in which to present that judgment, the destruction of a mighty host outside the walls of Jerusalem. "This shall be the plague wherewith the LORD shall smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth". (Zec 14:12)

This is the first of a threefold judgment; this verse pictures what is obviously a supernatural disaster falling upon the host, the intervention of the powers of Heaven to thwart their objective. Next in verse 13 comes internecine strife whereby the invaders fall upon each other and slay each other. Finally in verses 14-15 the forces of Judah, the defenders of Jerusalem, are pictured as though they advance upon the demoralized enemy and gather all their possessions and equipment for themselves. But the commencement of this three-fold judgment is from Heaven.

Their flesh consumes away as they stand, their eyes as they gaze, and their tongue—significantly singular and not plural, in their mouth. How should this be interpreted? Not literally, for if in verse 12 they thus vanish into nothingness they would hardly be in a position in verse 13 to turn weapons upon each other and destroy each other, neither would there be anyone for Judah in verse 14 to fight. Each verse has to be understood as picturing one aspect or phase of this great debacle, and the entire four verses as enlarging in detail upon verse 3 of this chapter, the coming forth of the Lord "to fight against those nations".

The power which executes God’s purpose is celestial, from Heaven, but the hosts against whom it is wielded are very much of this earth. The vision demands that there is in the forefront of the conflict a solid phalanx of armed men surrounding the Holy Land with intention of going in to possess, backed up by all the resources of a world-wide power determined to defy God. It is upon this whole combination that the mysterious catastrophe falls. "Their flesh shall consume away as they stand upon their feet"; that could well refer to their man-power and all their equipment of war, a mysterious whittling away of men, perhaps by spontaneous desertion or flight as in the days of Gideon or by pestilence as in the days of Sennacherib, the immobilizing or loss of equipment by reason of adverse climatic conditions. In modern warfare tanks are often held fast in mud and rendered useless, planes grounded due to fog and snow, ships confined to harbor on account of hurricanes. It only needs the impact of some of the forces of Nature—wind, rain, snow, storm—to a degree of unprecedented severity to render all the might of the invading host powerless and frustrate all their fell designs. Quite possibly this is the manner in which their flesh will consume away as they stand upon their feet. and in line with this it may be expected that the eyes which consume away in their sockets may well stand for the intelligence service of the host, all their radio detectors and look-out posts, all the means by which they evaluate the forward position and the situation of their intended victims and so plan their course of action. Even today it only needs a severe magnetic storm on the sun to disrupt the world’s radio communications for twelve hours; only a super snowstorm blanketing a wide area in white to render the most efficient aerial spy camera useless. The world of Noah’s day was brought to an end simply and solely and most effectively by the unaided forces of Nature. "The world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" says Peter. And if such unexpected and unexplainable disasters befall the confident host which, in Ezekiel’s vision of the same event, boasted that they were going in to an undefended land "to take a spoil and to take a prey" what wonder that the tongue is consumed away in the mouth. The tongue, the voice of authority, the power of command, the direction and leadership of the entire adventure silent, speechless! Is it of some significance that the noun is in the singular here; not "their tongues" but "their tongue"? The supreme control of these forces of evil, frustrated in its purpose by forces it can neither understand nor withstand, stands mute in the face of defeat.

Now this is the first aspect of the threefold judgment; intervention from Heaven. The second is an earthly one; the hosts begin to fight with each other. "... a great panic from the Lord shall be among them: and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor". (Zec 14:13) This is a case of history repeating itself: on more than one occasion in Israel’s history the people were delivered by reason of their enemies falling out with each other and engaging in fratricidal combat. The case of the deliverance under Jehoshaphat is perhaps the most noteworthy. "For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came they looked, and behold they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped". (2Ch 20:23-24) So in this case: a blind, unreasoning panic born of the inexplicable disasters and defeat they had experienced leads to internal dissension and strife in the multitude and they begin to war with each other. To what extent this conflict extends into the countries of the world from which this doomed host has been drawn it is not possible to say, but it may well be that in this verse we have a terse indication of the rapid break-up and dissolution of alliances and associations between the political powers of this world which signals the final submission of these powers to the incoming Kingdom. If so, the third aspect of the judgment, the entry of Judah into the picture, is logically next in sequence.

"And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the nations round about shall be gathered together, gold and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague". (Zec 14:14-15) It may seem a little illogical to present Judah in this verse as fighting the enemy when all through the narrative the position is that Judah stands still and leaves the fighting to the LORD. There is no in harmony in reality. It is the LORD who comes forth from His place to render the invaders powerless; it is for the people of the land, here called Judah because that was the name of the people in Zechariah’s day, to accomplish the subsequent "mopping up", to use a modern military expression, and to collect the spoil. Here again there is a parallel with the historical deliverance in the days of Jehoshaphat; after the LORD had destroyed the invading armies the people of Judah went out to clear up the battlefield and to gather in the spoils, "and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much". (2Ch 20:25) So the picture here is that of the people having a definite part to play in the fight, even although that part involved, at first, remaining passive, in faith, in Jerusalem until the Lord had given victory. Then they could sally forth and collect the spoil. This can reasonably describe the aftermath of this great event when all nations on earth shall bring their tribute and offerings to the Holy Nation which has been so signally manifested as the beginning of the Divine Kingdom on earth. "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts". (Ps 72:10) And of course the greatest and most valuable "spoil" will be the sincere allegiance to earth’s new King of such among these nations as will accept the opportunity and become reconciled to God, in consequence of Israel’s evangelistic fervor. The nations shall come to thy light and kings to the brightness of thy rising" Isa 60:3). "Their seed shall be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples; all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD bath blessed". (Isa 61:9)

But all the paraphernalia of war, of strife, of man’s greed and selfishness and cruelty, will be destroyed, offered up to the Lord in a fervor of devotion and repudiation of evil. This is what is meant by the plague upon the horses, mules, camels and so on. In Old Testament days. when Israel had defeated a particularly obnoxious enemy they offered up to God the captured livestock and other spoils of war to indicate that they themselves were not to be defiled by contact with the accursed possessions of the idolators. The valuable spoils were devoted to sacred purposes and the animals and perishable things destroyed by fire. A notable case is that of the booty taken by Joshua at the capture of Jericho. The gold, silver, copper and iron vessels went into the treasury of the LORD and the city with all its other contents was destroyed. Achan sinned by abstracting for his own use some gold and silver and a ”goodly Babylonish garment and suffered the death penalty in consequence, having "trespassed in the accursed thing". It is for this reason that the Hebrew word cherem, meaning properly something devoted or consecrated to God, is also given the meaning of accursed or a curse. because the thing thus devoted is laid under a curse lest any should touch or take it, as did Achan. It has to be devoted to God and utterly destroyed, because it is inherently evil. Now this is the meaning of verse 25. The various beasts here enumerated were all part of the panoply of war horses for chariots, mules and camels for carrying goods, and so on. As such they were part of the spoils of war and must be devoted to the LORD and destroyed because they are evil things. So the same plague falls upon them as upon the marauding host and thus all evil is destroyed from the land. Only the valuable things, the good things, remain, and these pass into the custody of the Holy Nation which itself is already consecrated to God.

But one question has to be asked at this point. Is this very warlike and rather lurid picture of armies fighting each other in fashion of armies today, with all the bloodshed and suffering that is involved, really an accurate portrayal of the literal reality of things when the time comes for its enactment? Is the transition from the rule of the powers of this world to the peacable and beneficent reign of Christ over the nations to be effected by such warlike means? Must the LORD stoop to human methods of overcoming one’s enemies to win their eventual allegiance? Is it by such artifices that He must effect the purpose expressed by the prophet "the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever"?

There is no denying that many good Christians would see no inconsistency in such being the case. The old obsession of Armageddon, a time of indiscriminate slaughter of the evil-doers and final triumph of the righteous, born, it must be admitted, of the Hebrew invasion of Canaan at the Exodus, dies hard. But is this the way of the One who came once as Jesus of Nazareth. the Man of peace, and comes again as the King of peace? Has Heaven no artillery more effective than that of man’s devising?

A quiet consideration of this passage may suggest that Heaven has. In the first place it is admittedly basic that Israel’s defense against what is pictured as a marauding host is not with earthly weapons but in complete trust in and reliance upon the powers of Heaven. The parallel vision in Eze 38:39 makes this clear. The Judah of vs. 14 does not fight with carnal weapons but with their faith in God; they dwell in undefended villages and they are supremely confident despite the menacing threat by the rest of the world.

The phraseology of vs. 12, blindness, deafness, physical inability, suggests a supernatural infliction rather than one imposed by force of arms. The horses, mules, camels, asses, of vs. 15 must be metaphorical for such, customary as they were in the days of Zechariah, certainly have no place in modern physical warfare. Whatever the reality, it must be one that the attackers can neither understand nor withstand—and whether they withstand or not, a battle fought with literal weapons is one they certainly can understand. The entire passage gives the impression of a concerted attack on the incoming kingdom of righteousness as represented in the one nation, Israel, which has taken its stand and pledged its faith in that kingdom. That could conceivably include a military investment of the Holy Land, but even if so, Heaven can frustrate the attempt without the shedding of literal blood, and that perhaps is what is implied in this chapter. Behind that, it is more likely that the vision envisages a worldwide attempt to crush, by every possible political, commercial, financial, expedient this one small nation centered on Jerusalem which has dared to express its utter faith in God by relying on His protecting power, and thereby challenged all others.

After all, it does not seem very logical for the LORD God to destroy thousands of human beings in Armageddon only to resurrect them not so very long afterwards to introduce them to the Millennial Kingdom and invite their sincere conversion. Might just as well start the process immediately after their defeat when, with all opposition vanquished, the work of that Kingdom can start getting under way.

This is the end of the rule of evil in the earth. Sin has yet to be cleansed out of the hearts of men and this process will occupy the entire Messianic reign now to commence, but the outward practice of evil and oppression ceases henceforth. "In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth". (Ps 72:7) The enemies of the LORD have been overthrown, but in their overthrow they find that the Victor comes to heal, and with the destruction of all in the world that oppresses and afflicts mankind they are left with the opportunity to rebuild their lives on the principles of truth and righteousness, if they will. So the noble Messianic psalm goes on "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. All kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve Him men shall be blessed in Him; all nations shall call Him blessed". (Ps 72:6-17)

So that out of the turmoil and strife of a dying and doomed evil world a new world, wherein dwells justice and love, security and life, is born.

(To be concluded)

An incident in the life of St. Paul

Ac 21:15

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The story of Paul’s life as told in the Acts of the Apostles is the story of a ‘great heart’ the story of a faithful ‘man of God’. Yet, heroic though that story is, it is not the whole story. The careful student is enabled to fill up some of its missing chapters by extracts from Paul’s own pen.

And though Paul calls them all light afflictions, lasting but a moment, one soon comes to realize that only a man built of moral granite and steel could have endured them. He endured sufferings and privations which would have chilled the ardor and extinguished the love of probably ninety-nine out of every hundred men. We have only to read the scrap of his own autobiography as recorded in 2Co 11:22-33 , to realize how full his life was, at all times, of threatening danger and menacing death. All this extensive catalogue of suffering is omitted from the account of his life in the Acts, and much of it had been experienced before he appeared on the scene as the evangelist to the nations. It is an amazing record, and would make a heartening study to take this catalogue clause by clause and seek to bring out some aspects of the hardships which the narrative records. Five whippings by the Jewish lash, three beatings by the Roman rod, three times wrecked at sea and at the mercy of the waves (this, remember, does not include the story told in Ac 27), added to which were perils from both stranger and his own kin; limping foot-sore over wilderness track or fording with danger some river in spate: traveling from place to place, ill-clothed, cold. hungry and athirst; chased by open foes or betrayed by false friends these are the things that fell to him every day and at every turn of the road. Something of the fiery ardor of soul, which carried him through all this suffering is shown by his reactions and responses to the frequent warnings on his way up to Jerusalem for the last time. "... behold I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befall me there; save that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify the Gospel of the Grace of God. And now, behold I know that ye all among whom I went about preaching the Kingdom shall see my face no more..." (Ac 20:22-25. R.V.) Then from his lips fall words of white-hot urgency imploring the elders of Ephesus to feed the flock of God and discharge diligently and faithfully the duties of under-shepherds laid upon them by the Lord Jesus.

At a later stage of his journey one with a gift of prophecy apprized Paul of the dangers awaiting in Jerusalem, illustrating with Paul’s own girdle how he would be bound hand and foot. "So shall the Jews of Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles". (Ac 21:10-12) Sorrowing friends besought him not to proceed further on his way, but to tarry at Caesarea, or turn aside to some other less dangerous field of service. "What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus." Here is an example of unwavering resolution akin to that which dominated the heart of Jesus as He too went up to Jerusalem for the last time. (Mr 10:32-34) Knowing what awaited Him, some of the disciples were afraid, inasmuch that they marveled at His stepping resolutely ahead of them. Jesus knew the supreme hour of His earthly life was near, and fortified by the approval of His Father, He went unfaltering along to meet it.

It requires the courage of complete conviction to do this. There must be the unwavering assurance within the heart and mind that the intended step is according to the Will of God, and that God will be with His servant right through to the end of the Way. Only thus assured and fortified will men step calmly and quietly into the arms of death. This is the martyr’s courage, not the worked-up courage of the battlefield, and comes only from the presence of God in the soul. That calmly heroic attitude was only one aspect of Paul’s many-sided make-up. He could face danger better than suspense and uncertainty. He could stand before false brethren or hostile foe better than the unknown reception. This shows us that this ‘Great-heart’ was a man, much as we are ourselves. The text shows him arrived in Italy and on the last stage of the journey to Rome. For two years he had been under arrest at Caesarea, subject to the whims and caprice of the Roman governors there. Appealing to Caesar, there followed that disastrous and hazardous journey through the Levantine and Mediterranean Seas, until. at last, the centurion and his charges set foot on Italian soil. Then the journey on foot began from Puteoli (a port more than 100 miles down the coast) to the Imperial city. A delay of seven days provided opportunity for Paul to receive a company of brethren residing there, who evidently gave him a cordial welcome, for they "entreated him to stay with them". (Ac 28:14) Apparently also they sent on a messenger ahead of Paul to inform the brethren in Rome of Paul’s coming "And from thence (Rome) the brethren, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as the Market of Appii and the Three Taverns— a distance of some forty and thirty miles respectively. How would they receive him? Would they despise him for his chain? Would they scorn him for his diminished and bedraggled appearance?

For many years he had looked forward to seeing Rome, but he had not then thought of entering it bound by a chain. In the prosecution of his commission Paul had thought of entering Rome perhaps as the last stronghold of the enemies of the Lord. Years ago he had sent to them the announcement of his intention "I am ready to preach the Gospel to you that are at Rome also, for I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth". (Ro 1:16) Now, however, when the ordering of his circumstances actually found him nearing Rome, and as he thought of the abject condition in which he was making his approach—an old, weather-beaten, grey-haired broken man, a chained prisoner recently escaped from the sea, his heart was heavy within him, and though he had found some of his friends by the way, he wondered what the brethren of Rome would think and say and do!

As he approached the waiting groups his quick sensitive eye searched their faces, if haply he might read thereby the attitude of their hearts. Strong and self-reliant as he was at other times and in other places, yet he was also exceedingly sensitive to human sympathy. and in these little groups of brethren he found what he sought. Their greetings and welcome were such, that despite his chain, and the fatiguing nature of his journey thus far, his spirit rose out of its slough of despond and he thanked God and took fresh courage. Their welcome restored him to his wonted confidence and helped him to regain the optimism of which he wrote to them years before. His heart began to swell again with hope of achievement in Rome despite the chain, for he knew that he carried in his heart and mind the force and power that could win human hearts even in that proud imperial city.

That is a story from which we of little stature in Christ may gain great comfort. Paul knew that God and his Master were with him. Even as they drifted before the storm the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision and assured him that he and his sailing companions would be saved, though the ship would be lost. And Paul knew, as much as any man alive, the verity of the Lord’s presence and comfort in the dark day. Yet notwithstanding that, apprehension and uncertainty had gripped his heart as he neared Rome, as he wondered how he would be received by the brethren there. Ought he not to have suppressed his fears and told himself that the Lord was his sufficiency no matter what his brethren did? Was it a proper thing to do, when he wondered what these brethren would say? Was he allowing the coward within to overcome the martyr spirit of his earlier days? Or was he resolute before the bigger thing that lay ahead in Rome only to falter before the lesser things that met him on the road?

Do we not often find ourselves there? Nothing on earth would make us deny or prove faithless to the Lord, but oh how we tremble at what the brethren will say! Well, a great-heart giant in the Lord trod that self same way, and found new heart of grace for the bigger thing in life, because he found the look and touch of sympathy in his brethren’s eye and hand. This little episode affords a source of comfort to those who are little in their own eyes and who know, with considerable frequency, what it is to feel discouraged by the way. If a man of Paul’s stature in Christ—a man in constant communion with his Lord—could feel the bitter effects of adversity, and sink down to zero (or below) there is no need for shame or blame if a more immature follower of the Lord finds himself or herself sinking beneath the load of care. It is not the fact that we sink at times that matters most, but that, like Paul, we can rise again at a touch of Providence and take new courage and press on again.

Perhaps it may be to our greater advantage to view this illustration from the two-fold point of view, that of Paul, and then that of the brethren.

It is possible for any one of us to be like Paul a prisoner of circumstance. The bonds that bind us may not be forged of cold steel, nor is it necessary for us to be undertaking a journey, like Paul, under compulsion. Some peculiar phase of life, linking us to an uncongenial environment, may be our chain, some dominating circumstance beyond our control may have us captive in its train as we move forward to some crisis in our life, and for the time, circumstance proves too much for us, and the spirit sinks and courage fails. A depressed heart magnifies the burden out of its proportion. till it seems to fill both heaven and earth, with no way out to escape its crushing weight. Again, we say it might be any one of us, you, good Brother, you dear Sister. No one is immune from such circumstance while living in this evil world. We may not say these things are exactly orderings of Providence in every case, but always, when not Heaven-sent they are by

permission of that Supervising Power. They are secondary as well as first causes in operation in and around us, and unrighteous forces as well as the heavenly messengers may be serving the purpose of Divine Wisdom in the distressing and overbearing circumstance. But God, the All-merciful and All-wise. is watching. and when we have sunk deep into what may seem a bottomless pit, we come to our "Three Taverns" and "Appii Forums".

The smiling welcome from the brethren of Rome was a providence of God for Paul. The smile and welcome were the product of the spirit of God, long active in their lives. It was none the less a Providence because the love of the brethren is a fruit of that indwelling Spirit, that brings in the other side—the brethren’s side of this little episode. The news that Paul was nearing Rome could have left the brethren unconcerned. "What is that to us?" they could have said, "he should have been more careful and discreet in word and act, and not have brought this trouble on himself". Reasons in abundance for withholding help or comfort could have been found, and Paul could have been left to enter Rome a dejected prisoner, unwelcome and un-esteemed. But instead of imputing blame or deciding that his imprisonment was just, they saw a brother in distress and went forth to show that they were eager to help him in his distress. Even though they could not unlock his chain, nor remove him from the Roman’s supervision, there was something they could do. They could meet him on the way and when they looked into his suffering eyes, their own could smile a welcome and a "God bless you, brother", and let him see that the stigma of the chain was of no deterring consequence to them. Chain or no chain, Paul was their brother, and it was Paul they saw, not the chain.

And so, in time of need, one of Christianity’s great-hearts found grace to help, and took new courage to his heart, and sent up his thanks to God because the spirit of brotherhood—the spirit of God and of God’s great family had found expression in the hearts and faces of brethren who hitherto he had never met.

If opportunity to do this self-same thing should come to you, dear brethren in the Lord, what will you do? Will you not lend yourself to Divine Providence to work out its gracious purposes?

The Lessons of Israel’s History

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Some people think that history is boring but it can be exciting and interesting. The great value of past records lies in the lessons which can be learned by a contemporary generation from one that has gone before. Not only can mistakes be avoided but positive attitudes can be adopted to accomplish that which others have failed to do in the past. That is the thought of the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the church at Corinth about the year AD 56. He was writing to a young community of believers who had been reared in the religious ideas and practices of the Greeks and amid the immorality of the pagan Roman Empire. It was natural that they continued in some of their bad ways even after becoming Christians but Paul explained that these things must be left behind. He illustrated his teaching from the history of Israel. (1Co 10:1-14) The descendants of Jacob were slaves in Egypt for hundreds of years. When Moses led them out of Egypt in a great act of redemption they had been ‘baptized into Moses’ beneath the ‘cloud’ and in the Red Sea. There is little in the Old Testament to give specific interpretation to these events but they have great significance to followers of Jesus. Paul evidently sees all these mighty works of God as part of the process of making Israel into God’s own special people. They accepted their freedom as an opportunity to do whatever they liked and did not realize that they were a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. Their lives in Egypt would have given them no conception of what the Almighty Creator is like. They had seen something of His power and glory in the physical happenings of the Exodus but they had no idea of His wisdom and holiness.

In 1Co 10 Paul mentions some of the disasters which overtook the Israelites as they journeyed towards the Promised Land. The troubles came as a result of the Israelites yielding to temptation. Their Law strictly forbade the worship of alien gods or their idols, but as soon as Moses’ back was turned they persuaded Aaron to make a golden calf which they could see in their worship. It was their conception of the god who had led them out of Egypt. (Ex 32:1-6) They were impatient to get on with the festival and their celebrations were characterized by gluttony and sensual dancing. God made a special relationship with Israel in which the people promised to obey His laws. They enjoyed the providential care of the Almighty Creator as no other nation had ever done, yet they sought refuge in a god which was sightless speechless and powerless. This resulted in a rapid deterioration of their behavior. The book of Numbers shows that the people of Israel grumbled and rebelled as if they sought to stretch God’s patience. Fear and discontent were rife among them. Towards the end of the journey they encountered Moab, a people to whom they were distantly related. At first this tribe sought to destroy them with the curse of Balaam but failed. Then they seduced them through their women and were led into further idolatry.

One of the most distinct differences between an unbelieving world and the people of God in Old Testament times is the attitude to marriage. For Israel, as for the Christians, the marriage partnership was one in which Almighty God was personally involved. Anything which interferes with that partnership, affects the relationship with God. Centuries later, David discovered this when he sinned against Uriah the Hittite. (2Sa 11) He, who should have established the spiritual standards of God’s people as their leader, had been tempted to take another man’s wife and had succumbed to the enticing situation set up by Satan. In Ps 51:4 (RSV) we read how he pleaded with God for mercy, for "against thee, thee only have I sinned and done that which is evil in thy sight." Jesus once said something about plucking out our eye if it causes us to sin. (Mt 5:29) When David saw Bathsheba bathing on the roof top, it would have been better that he lost his sight rather than commit such sin. God had greatly blessed David yet he coveted Uriah’s wife. The only way to conquer temptation is to be filled with God’s spirit and prayerfully absorb God’s Word, and David knew that.

There were further sad consequences to God’s people when David, proud of his big army, trusted in the power and skill of his military machine. He wanted security in the knowledge of how many men he could have under arms. He gave orders to Joab to take a census of the people of Israel and Judah but the commander-in-chief remonstrated with his lord. David still yielded to temptation because of lack of trust in God. The census was taken and God’s people were smitten. (2Sa 24) Why does the record say that this happened because "the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them"? Did God tempt David? James tells us that "... God cannot be tempted by evil and does not Himself tempt anyone.The (Jas 1:13) complexity of this event increases by reference to 1Ch 21:1, where it is recorded that "Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number Israel." The question must be asked, ‘Who tempted David?’ Some scholars might argue that because the records were written by different people at different times they ascribed the event in history to different causes. But that is a superficial examination of the event. A reference to Job may help to solve the problem concerning David. The trials and distresses of Job were instigated by the malice of Satan but permitted by God so that the saintly man might grow nearer to his Maker. A similar lesson can be taken from the horrid treachery of the sons of Jacob when they sold their brother Joseph in a devilish act of cruelty. Later he told his brothers plainly, that God had sent him to Egypt to preserve life. After their father had died he reassured them again by saying ... you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.....". (Ge 45:5-20)

Paul applied the lesson of Israel’s history to the Church at Corinth. By God’s power, they too had been brought out of darkness into the light of His loving purpose. They had witnessed something of the signs which accompany conversion through the Holy Spirit. They had been baptized into Christ and fed upon the spiritual bread and water of which He had spoken in His ministry (Joh 4:14 6:22-40 and 7: 37-39). The new converts at Corinth were proud of their newly found freedom in Christ and it was necessary for Paul to write to them "if you think you are standing firm, take care, or you may fall.. (1Co 10:12) They had not achieved as much as they thought they had. They should have been free from the fears and superstitions of their old religion, just as Jewish Christians should have been free from the restrictive practices of the Law. However, this freedom appears to have become a signal for them to give way to natural inclinations and self indulgence. Redemption, knowledge and spiritual signs had not prevented Israel being tempted nor would these things stop believers in Corinth from having testing and trials. The first letter to the Corinthians shows that they had already yielded to all kinds of temptations and Paul wrote to help them avoid further failure. Their supposed spiritual growth was insufficient to detect their weakness. They had been guilty of worshiping leaders within the church and thereby forming sects. They had retained ideas of human wisdom but failed to discover the true wisdom of Christ. They were unable to keep reasonable order within the church. They who were the temple of God, and thereby should have maintained high standards of holiness before him, were in danger of becoming involved in the immorality of the world in which they lived. Corinth was notorious in the Roman Empire over a long period of time for its depravity and corruption. Within the church there was to be not even a taint of the reckless wickedness of their neighbors. If there is doubt about any practice of any kind, a Christian must steer clear of it entirely. Uprightness of behavior in every sphere of life is the only course available to the follower of Christ. The sin of the Church at Pergamum (Re 2:12-17) was that some of them held to the teaching of Balaam.

In our modern world there are the New Theology and the New Morality which could become a similar snare among God’s people. A period in world history when humanity reaches a cross roads, described by Paul then as a time when the ‘ends of the ages’ have come, leaves God’s people particularly vulnerable to being led astray. It is a time when in the foment of society, ideas and practices are being turned upside down, and that which is good and true is likely to be thrown out.

During its history the Christian Church has often repeated the faults of Israel and the Corinth church. There is a temptation to place the outward and the material above inner spiritual values. Believers cannot love the world and love the Father. "Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of—none of this comes from the Father... the world and everything in it that people desire is passing away...". (1Jo 2:16,17 GNB) The Twentieth Century has seen the greatest increase in material products that has ever taken place in the world’s history. The temptation to distort the value of material blessings has never been so great and that is especially so in the affluent western world. Those who appear to have benefitted most, have not become more content but rather developed the ‘grumbling culture’ as did Israel in the desert and the early Church in Corinth. The more that peoples of empires and nations enjoyed comfort and luxury the more prone they have become to destruction. Disciples of Jesus Christ who are not alert to the temptation will be swept along by the popular illusion that the more we possess, the happier we shall be.

Whenever the Devil creates a destructive situation his intention is to seduce someone into doing wrong and weaken their determination to resist sin. When God allows an event to occur in the lives of His people by whatever means, His intention is to enrich their faith and purify their characters by the experience That was the kind of ordeal which Abraham, Job and Joseph endured and through which they were made more resistant to what is wrong. God is sovereign lord in every experience of the lives of His people, hence the apostle is able to write "We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him and who are called according to his purpose.". (Ro 8:28) In the first letter to the Corinthians the same pen wrote "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide a ‘way of escape’, that you may be able to endure it.". (1Co 10:13) But that ‘way of escape’ must be deliberately chosen, it is not an automatic happening. God does not drive us along this ‘way out’, and we can choose the path which enables Satan to cause us more trouble. Paul urges the brethren to ‘flee from idolatry’. This A.V. translation catches the idea in the Apostle’s mind better than modern translations which tend to weaken the thought. We are not compelled to ‘flee’ but if we seek God’s path then we shall turn away from man made ‘shrines’ and the debased and often debauched conduct that goes with them.

God knows the breaking strength of His workmanship. He intends to complete that which He has begun. Therefore He will not allow us to pass through fire that burns us nor through floods which drown us. There is no occasion to fear or be impatient. Disciples of the Lord must watch and be sober for the indications of their Father’s care. They must trust God who has safely kept his people throughout the ages.

"Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2Co 1:3 4)

We work together, if far apart,

Hands in unison, heart to heart

We work as having one common aim;

We work as bearing the same good name;

We dare not loiter, but still pursue

The work of the Master, with Him in view.

FIN

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England

Chairman: A. O. HUDSON (Milborne Port) Editor & Secretary: D.NADAL (Nottingham) Treasurer: R. J. HAINES (Gloucester)

98 Prayer and Thanksgiving

"When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem; and he got down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." Da 6:10 (RSV). Was Daniel able to read the Scriptures in his Quiet Time by his window? Taken from their home in Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, the young men of royal and noble blood may have been treated like ordinary prisoners and would not have taken their libraries with them. However, it is possible that they were given somewhat better treatment than the chained slaves who walked to Babylonia in utter dejection and misery. It would be interesting to know what access Daniel and his friends had to the sacred writings of Israel. In any case they would be thoroughly taught concerning the history of their nation and would be familiar with the lives of the great and godly men such as Abraham and Moses. He would know of the great patriarch’s intercession with God to spare the cities of the plain. Daniel would be familiar with the pleadings of Moses for the forgiveness of Israel in their idolatry and for his sister Miriam in her rebellion against his leadership. Now in the period at the end of the exile. Daniel, with others. was praying for Israel’s restoration.

Jesus too, knew the power of prayer and in the Sermon on the Mount He gave commandment to His disciples when He said "... go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret;" Several times in His ministry he went apart from His followers and the crowds so that He could pray alone. They were critical events in the Master’s life but who can doubt that it was He who set the pattern for the whole church, to do "everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving". It is well for the followers of Jesus to take note of the value of prayer to the men and women of old and to have a place each day for a Quiet Time. It is a time not only for us to speak to God but for us to listen to Him. It is a time to ponder His word listening for the challenge to our personal lives. Other times can be set aside for analytical study and the discovery of the meaning of words. It is not a time to tell God again and again about our interpretation of his Word. It is a time to see afresh what our Heavenly Father has to say about a passage of Scripture. It is time to ask God for strength and courage to be obedient to what He is saying to us and that does not become clear if we are forever telling him things he already knows. Above all this, it is a time for strengthening the bonds of the relationship between ourselves and our Father. Everything else in our lives is futile if that relationship is not strong and real. Like all relationships, this one needs to be worked at. It is from that relationship with our God, that all diligent study of his Word and all faithful service for His Kingdom must spring. That relationship also is the only means by which we can become like Him.

17. The Feast of Tabernacles

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The world’s deliverance from evil is followed by the last and greatest Feast of Tabernacles. Here, and for the last time, Zechariah draws upon the historical ceremonial of the people of Israel to illustrate the nature of "things to come". Everyone in all the world, he says. (Zec 14:16) will go up to Jerusalem year by year to worship the Lord and to keep the Feast of the Tabernacles; these are obviously figurative expressions to denote the response of mankind in that day, to the blessings of the Kingdom.

The Feast of Tabernacles in Israel was a development of the normal end of year harvest celebrations which are characteristics of every people in every age. It is probable that Israel had some such celebration when in Egypt; this is referred to in Ex 23:16 as the "feast of ingathering" and was made obligatory under the Mosaic Law. Upon Israel’s entry into the land this feast was expanded in its scope: for seven days the people dwelt in temporary shelters made of tree branches and leaves, "booths", from which the feast was re-named the Feast of Tabernacles (temporary dwelling places). This period was one of rejoicing for past deliverance and promise of future blessing. "Because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice". (De 16:15) Significantly, the feast was held almost immediately following the close of the annual Day of Atonement ceremonies, which culminated in the formal affecting of atonement for the sins of the assembled people by the officiating High Priest. The typical picture therefore is that of sacrifice and offering on behalf of sin ended; the people cleansed and brought into a state of reconciliation with God, the rigors of the past forgotten. rejoicing in the plenitude of present harvest blessings and joyful anticipation of even greater blessings to come. And this is why Zechariah. looking into the roseate future immediately following the establishment of the Divine Kingdom on earth, sees it as an idealized Feast of Tabernacles.

This going up of all the nations year by year to worship and "keep the Feast of Tabernacles" as related in Zec 14:16 is obviously a picture of world-wide acceptance of the Kingdom. Men everywhere will hail the new administration with relief and joy and hasten to proffer allegiance to earth’s new King. It does not follow that this attitude of mind is universal—the process of world conversion is going to occupy a long period of time and the requirements of the text can be considered well fulfilled in the spectacle of successive contingents of converts entering into a state of reconciliation with God and, in the gladness and gratitude thus engendered, thus "keep the Feast of Tabernacles". These are they who, in Isaiahs vision declare "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation". (Isa 25:9) The delivered Holy Nation is involved in this, for the Lord says through Isaiah again (Isa 66:18-19) "I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory... and I will send those that escape (a reference to delivered Israel) "unto the nations... and they shall declare my glory among nations". Here is the missionary work of the Millennial Age in full operation and it is the result of this work which is described in terms of the nations coming up to Jerusalem to worship.

But not all of mankind are thus converted, at least at the beginning. Verses 17-19 of chapter 14 provide for those who do not thus "come up". The penalty is that upon them there shall be no rain. For some reason Egypt is singled out and specifically named among the general mass of earth’s peoples and this may well be, as is sometimes suggested, an allusion to the fact that Egypt has virtually no rainfall and obtains all its water for crop-growing purposes from the annual inundation of the Nile. The fact that Egypt is independent of the need for rain will not absolve the dissidents among them from the penalty. The meaning. of course, is that the unregenerate of the nations have no part nor lot in the life-giving blessings of the river of water of life, the symbolic medium of transmission of Divine life to man in that day. Ezekiel describes this river as he saw it in vision, and so does John the Revelator. (Eze 47 Re 22) The river flows from the sanctuary of God. and together with the trees of life which grow on its banks furnishes both food and healing for the nations. It is obvious of course that the blessing of lasting life which is offered freely to all men must be consciously accepted on the basis of true conversion and allegiance to the Lord Christ who is the channel of that life. "The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come’. And let him that heareth say, ‘Come’. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely". (Re 22:17) That is the law of the Millennial Age, and that life is available to all who will accept it on the terms offered. Such as may decline it, in the obduracy of their hearts or in their refusal to turn from the ways of evil, "upon them shall be no rain".

So the curtain rises upon the last scene, a glimpse—a very brief glimpse—of the world as it shall be when the elimination of evil is accomplished and all men and all things in the world are holy unto the Lord. "In that day shall there be upon the bridle bells of the horses ‘Holiness unto the Lord’ and the pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar". That inscription appeared on the golden mitre worn by all of Israel’s successive High Priests from Aaron downward; it denoted the complete dedication of the wearer to the service of God. In those days the High Priest stood out as one specially consecrated and sanctified individual in the midst of a secular society; in the world of the future, says Zechariah, everything from the highest to the lowest will be sanctified to the Divine service—even the beasts of burden. There may be some allusion here to the fact that the horse was peculiarly the symbol of war and the political power of this world; in that day it will be the symbol of Divine power and of peace, for God will have made "wars to cease to the ends of the earth" The "pots in the Lord’s house" were the cauldrons in which the flesh of the sacrifices was boiled, much more lowly in the scale of Divine service than the golden bowls of the altar which were used to carry the blood of the sacrifices into the presence of God. But in that day all will be equal. Whatever service or work is performed, be it lofty or menial, will be of equal value in the sight of God, for all will be done as unto him and for his glory. Yea, says Zechariah triumphantly, every vessel in Jerusalem and in all Judah shall be holy; the distinction between sacred and secular will stand in direct relation to the eternal purpose of God and nothing that exists, nothing that is done, is outside that purpose. The whole of human life and all its activities will be holy unto God.

"In that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts." Of all the alien tribes and peoples with which Israel was daily in contact the Canaanites represented idolatry and defilement in its grossest forms. Repeatedly during Israel’s history the Temple was defiled by alien peoples or alien worship. Not so in that coming day, says Zechariah. The Temple will be cleansed and holy, free from any suspicion of defiling influence. A loftier vision of the same truth was given to John when he looked upon the celestial city which pictured the completed work of God with mankind. "There shall no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life". (Re 21:27)

Thus ends what is without doubt the most colorful and eloquent book of symbolic imagery in the Old Testament, paralleled only by the Book of Revelation in the New. The two books, separated in time of writing by six centuries, do in fact constitute a remarkable pair. The Book of Revelation is an account of the conflict between good and evil as it affects the Christian Church, the heavenly instrument in God’s hand for world conversion, and closes with the overthrow of evil and the triumph of the Church. The Book of Zechariah is an account of the conflict between good and evil as it affects lsrael, the earthly instrument in God’s hand for world conversion, and closes with the overthrow of evil and the triumph of Israel. The two books commence their respective stories at separate periods on the stream of human history, but they coincide at their close, both culminating at the point where the Lord Christ at his Second Advent takes to himself his great power and commences that reign over the earth which is elsewhere described as "the desire of all nations" Perhaps the best commentary upon the whole dramatic story resides in the Lord’s words to the prophet, to be repeated to Israel, right at the commencement of Zechariah’s ministry. "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem."

The End

A discourse on 1Pe 5:1-5

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The early Christian churches were not less prone to difficulties than ours today. No assembly of which we have received knowledge through the Scriptures was immune from frictions and jealousies any more than others throughout this Age. Even the exemplary and sympathetic Church at Philippi had its little rift in the harmony—Syntyche and Euodia being the particular participants in its time of discord.

There is probably no community of men in the whole wide world where the music runs smoothly all the time. Even in cloisters, where implicit obedience is imposed by solemn vow, unspoken discontent has been known to smoulder over long years and then burst into flame under moments of intense strain, producing disruption and strife between Abbot and monk, or Abbess and nun. Temperamental differences in men and women make harmonious contacts over long periods extremely difficult to maintain. Such differences are not always due to perversity or cantankerousness. They more often arise out of variations in the mental and physical structure of the individuals concerned. These things usually determine and govern personality and as no two personalities are identical, the result in our lives that is, in our own particular ways of thinking and doing things—is that we tend to approach and assess the facts of life a little differently all around. This is a state of things which cannot be evaded or avoided, since, possessing, as we each do, a degree of freedom of will, as well as of the mind, we each tend to exercise these faculties as we deem best, and that usually means differently in every case. Ingrained habits, together with strong personal preferences, often make a person "hard to get on with". Human nature being what it is, adaptation and adjustment, each to each, is a necessity in any association where men and women come together for communion and fellowship. Everywhere, among people of every class, each society or community of men has to use compromise and adaptability as the cement to give cohesion to the whole.

When we come together in the name of the Lord the same difficulties intrude themselves. Mutual belief in the Cross of Christ does not cancel out, automatically, all the incompatibilities that arise from personality. Even those called to be saints can still rub and fret and chafe each other till they become raw in some part or other of their sensitivity. It is to help us in these times of difficulty that God has provided for us a "regulator"—his own Holy Spirit, —to enable us to discern and apply the necessary adjustments between members of the Church, and to mollify and soothe, as with holy anointing oil, the sores which friction could inflame and mortify. With the Holy Spirit shed abroad in each heart it ought to be possible to see the mutual intercourse between Christian men at its highest level, and yielding its most edifying results. Unfortunately things do not just work out that way, because there is not always heart-room sufficient for the supply of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we are like an engine that will not work because there is not enough power to make it work.

It seems to have been something like that in Peter’s day. From the evidence he gives, some of the churches of the "Diaspora" the strangers scattered abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (1Pe 1:1) had been experiencing difficulty from these natural human causes. Elders had been applying regulations and controls too stringently, and the younger element seems to have been in revolt. Peter sought to remind them of the need of suitable adaptation to each other for the sake of the flock of God. (1Pe 5:2,5) Obviously the churches had been up against a problem as old as man, the thrust and drive of youth at variance with the maturing sedateness of advancing years. In communities cradled and reared in the traditions of patriarchalism this was remarkable, and seems to indicate how severely the Elders had been "lording it over God’s heritage". Not lightly would the younger men raise revolt, yet this is just what the context seems to indicate.

Peter had a word of exhortation and advice for these Elders, basing his appeal on his own seniority, and upon remembrance of the price his Lord had paid to free them all from sin and make their Christian fellowship possible. He had a word for "ye younger", because there was both precedent and propriety in their proper subjection to maturer men. He besought both old and young to be clothed with humility, seeing that God would reject either old or young who ventured to assert their pride by placing self-assertiveness before the best interests of "the flock of God"!

The same "joie de vivre" that makes the lamb skip and gambol in the field also prompts the youthful member of the human tribe to seek outlets for his upsurge of energy and enthusiasm. Experience and observation have shown that if the young cannot give effective vent to their joy in life in acceptable righteous ways, they are likely to do so with gusto and exuberance in other ways. The "sowing of wild oats" has often been, alas, the outcome of some over-strict, over-careful parent’s indiscreet attempt to protect and shield its offspring from the "world". Undue restraints, in bygone days, applied with too much stringency by a too austere presbytery has driven forth into rebellion and sin thousands of young lives which the Church could ill afford to lose. The Puritan attitude of old, which made the whole life not merely the garb—a drab thing (even to forbidding the young, because it was the Sabbath day, the pleasure of puckering their lips to whistle off their joy), tried, and tried in vain to dam up the blithe exuberance of youth, and had much to do with making England the sink of wickedness which Wesley found when he ventured forth to visit the extensive parish which he claimed for his own.

Adaptation and adjustment is always essential where two or more people come together in the Name of the Lord, but it is even more essential when the "comers together" are both old and young. The wisdom of the "seniors"—the seniority, for that is the term which in this place contrasts best with the words "ye younger" is put on its honor so that Christian men may advise, suitably and understandingly, as to the avenues in which the "younger" can unleash its drive and energy so that it can be of service to the entire flock. Such advice, rightly directed and conditioned, is the thing that Peter here advises as requisite to make co-operation between old and young a realistic experience for all and for the flock of God.

Let us see what it is that Peter has to say to both old and young. The A.V. text says "Likewise ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility.". (1Pe 5:5) That rendering is considered doubtful by the Diaglott, yet other versions give renderings very similar to the A.V. It reads as though the "elder" and the "younger" were to take turn and turn about in their subjection each to each. But such a notion is at once ruled out by the first word of the verse "likewise". Evidently Peter had exhorted and advised the "elders" to submit themselves (not to the younger, but) to the "Shepherd of the flock", and serve both Him and it out of a ready mind, and of a good free will. Not for greed or gain, nor yet to satisfy a dictatorial craving, but as servants and under shepherds serving under Him who has the care of all the flock in His heart. And in like manner as "they" submit themselves to the leading of the Lord, so were the younger to submit themselves for guidance to the leaders of their seniors. This is where the "likewise" comes in, and thus throws upon the seniors the grave responsibilities both of copying the Lord aright, and of serving as examples to the younger element, so that they can follow in their steps. If then the Elders take their cue and pattern from the Lord, the words of Peter expectantly assume that the "younger" will copy them, taking their advice with profit to themselves and to the whole flock of God.

There is some variation in the second part of the text in various translations. The Diaglott reads, "Be ye clothed with humility". Knox says "Put on humility which is the ‘livery’ you must wear". Twentieth Century reads "Put on the ‘badge’ of humility in mutual service". Rotherham and Weymouth both have "Gird yourself with humility". Evidently the exact shade of meaning has not been easy to discover. But Weymouth in a footnote gets down to the exact thought he says "the Greek means as with the apron of one who waits upon others". Moffat comes right out with this thought in his text. He translates: "Indeed you must all put on the apron of humility to serve one another". Here we have a definition that suits every translator’s thought. The apron was the "badge" of servitude; it was the "livery" of all who serve; it could be "girded" on, "put on", and with it a servant could be "clothed"!

It was the custom in both Greek and Roman households for a slave to don an apron to protect his flowing tunic in his working hours. It was intended to shield him from any contaminating substance met with in the course of his task much as the housewife finds today when doing her household work. It caught all the smears and dirt, shielding the drapery beneath from becoming soiled or grimed.

Peter desired to see his brethren gird themselves for the task on hand, both old and young, with the slaves’ "livery" and "badge", remembering the while that both the elder and the younger elements were responsible concerning the flock to the Shepherd of the flock. But it is quite possible that a deeper illustration ran through Peter’s mind. The girding of the apron would recall for him that fateful night when the great Shepherd of the flock himself took basin, water and towel to wash their road-stained feet. Taking for himself the opportunity which every follower despised, the Master girded himself and set before them the lesson, once for all, that lowly service was sweet and precious in his sight. "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter" he said to this very man himself nor had Peter ever forgotten that scene nor the lesson it was intended to teach. He had come to "know hereafter" what it all implied." Ye ought also to wash one anothers feet" said the Master in the upper room. "Ye all should put on the apron of humility" said Peter to his own followers it seems to have been just his way of repeating his Master’s words!

"The Order of the Towel" (if we may not irreverently describe the scene in the upper room) had but one member in its illustrious rank the "Order of the Apron" stands open to all who will don its badge and insignia of surrender and servitude to the Shepherd of the flock. It is the badge of sincere under-shepherd care for the sheep of his pasture lovingly and faithfully rendered as unto Him. If then the "younger" see this badge faithfully and lovingly worn by the "Seniority" they too will come with ready zeal to throw all their fresh young energy into their desire to "copy Him"! Wise old Peter! How well he knew that you must bring the "young" face to face with the Lord himself, if you would enlist their thrust and drive in the work of the ministry. He knew and understood that their glimpse of Him—of His life and death, His resurrection and Shepherd care would control and restrain them better far than all Church restrictions or Board-of-Elder regulations. The "One" they would obey with joy, immediately; the other they might defy, with sullenness, continuously.

So much, then, for the wearing of the "apron" itself but what is that grace, that quality, that virtue with which it is associated? What is this humility? Is it not that attitude of self- depreciation which rises in a Christian’s heart when he realizes his utter inability to repay the debt he owes to God for his redemption? Is it not also that sense of insufficiency that grips the Pastor’s mind when he comprehends the immensity of the task to which he has been called? The humble mind is the one that both knows and confesses that any natural endowment, or any deeper understanding or any more mature development which he may have attained, more than another of his brethren, is owed entirely to the bounty of the Lord and not to his own achievement. He will always say "What have I that I have not received as a gift from God?"

Seeing then that all, both old and young, are under a debt to God they can never pay; seeing also that all we have attained is a gift from His hands, what ground have we for pride or self-conceit in our service for the flock of God?

God’s pattern of humility was seen at Calvary, when One who was rich emptied himself of all His glory to serve the Plan of God, even unto death! The recognition of those sufferings as Peter asserts (v. 1.) is enough to subdue our vaulting pride, and all our braggart airs when we remember that it was that precious blood and not our own worthiness that opened wide to us the gateway into the Fold.

Thus Peter’s words take "the elders which are among you" and "ye younger" also to the scene of their redemption, to remind them, each and all, of the infinite price that He has paid; to assure them of its present outcome in the existence of a "flock of God", and to invite them, old and young, to gird themselves with the "apron of humility" that they may serve the flock of God with faithful loving service to the end. With right appreciation of the great sacrifice pervading every heart, both "Elder" maturity, and "younger" enthusiasm can be linked together under God’s hand, to serve its every need. Thus beneath the great Shepherd’s care all the little differences that arise from variations in personality can be blended into a greater unity to serve a mutual need.

The invitation to us all is to "The Order of the Apron"! Let us see to it that neither youthful exuberance or assertiveness nor senior sedateness or rigidity, shall mar or smirch the "insignia" of our noble profession in the Lord.

The Return of Christ

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The mightiest event of history since the Crucifixion is the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ to complete the work He commenced two thousand years ago. Through the centuries since Pentecost the Christian Church has hoped and looked for that day when the Lord returns to fulfill the promise He made to his earliest disciples. The apparent imminence of his Return has been proclaimed and prophesied many times during those intervening years, but the fact that so many lurid happenings have been associated with that Coming has, in this matter-of-fact day, thrown the age-old expectation into disrepute. The various attempts of well-meaning Christian students to fix upon a definite date for the visible appearance of Jesus in the clouds of heaven, and the consistent failure of those predictions, has disinclined many from paying attention to what they consider so visionary a subject. It is true that many still expect the coming of Christ to be accompanied by terrific convulsions of Nature; rending rocks and falling mountains, hosts of trembling sinners brought up from the grave to hear their sins rehearsed and then condemned to everlasting punishment, a few saintly souls caught up to heavenly glory and the world and all that it contains burned up. All this is an inheritance from the literal acceptance of Bible imagery of medieval times and it dies hard. Nevertheless it is becoming more and more accepted by students that the vivid symbols of Scripture were not intended to be interpreted in so crudely literal a sense.

The return of Christ is pictured in the Bible as a time of universal rejoicing. He comes to inaugurate a reign of righteousness over the earth which has as its object the extermination of evil. The time of His return is to mark the downfall of every man-made institution and system which is founded on unrighteousness. His lightnings which enlighten the earth (Ps 97:4) reveal the inherent rights and privileges of every man and hence His return is the signal for a great clamor on behalf of liberty. This present order of things will crumble and vanish away the hills "melting like wax at the presence of the Lord" and "mountains being cast into the midst of the sea" (Ps 97:5 and 46: 2). Amidst the strife and confusion of this time of trouble which is the harvest of human misrule there will ring out commandingly the voice of One having authority: "Peace, be still". And just as it was when those words were first uttered during the storm on the Galilean lake, there will be a great calm.

The return of Jesus to this earth, and His revelation to all men, is an event to be expected. Our knowledge of the spiritual world makes it no longer necessary to insist that He must be seen by physical sight before the fact of His coming can be expected. Our Lord’s own words to Nicodemus makes it clear that one who is of the world of the spirit comes and goes "as the wind" and is not discerned as such by the natural sight. It is evident that after dwelling among men in the days of His flesh and giving His life on the cross to save men, He returned to his Father’s right hand to wait while His teaching had its primary effect. The world at the First Advent was not ready for the full revelation of all that Christ can do and will yet do for man; it was ready only for the germ of Christ’s teaching, and it is that germ which for two thousand years has worked in the hearts of a relatively small proportion of earth’s millions while the rest have followed the laws of evil and reaped the bitter harvest.

Christ returns to establish a new order of society, the spiritual administration of which will be in the hands of those who during the past two thousand years the "Christian Age" have come into heart harmony with Him and by reason of a consecrated devotion to His message and service are thoroughly trained in every aspect of the Divine law and ways. These followers of Jesus—called variously in Scripture the "Church". the "Bride of Christ", the "Little Flock", are those to whom the educational and uplift work of the next Age can be entrusted. Christian disciples who have learned well the foundation principles of their faith and have manifested their profession in daily life will have achieved a balance of judgment and a clear apprehension of right and wrong which is lacking in many of even the noblest of men and women today. It is just these characteristics which will be needed in the administration of that coming day when all men will be required to hear the word of God, and hearing, make choice of their eternal destiny. It follows therefore that the first work to be accomplished by the Lord Christ at His return is the gathering to Himself of His faithful "saints" who all through the Age have been "looking for His appearing". (Tit 2:13) In order that these may be made like their Lord, which is the promise of the New Testament, they must be "changed" from earthly to heavenly nature. Such passages as 1Co 15:35-38 and 1Th 4:14 -18 describe this change to the spiritual world as the hope and destiny of the Christian church, and it is from that new environment in the spiritual sphere that these resurrected ones, partakers of the "First Resurrection", will administer the affairs of the new Kingdom on earth, Christs Kingdom.

Thus the world in general, a groaning creation, travailing in pain, is waiting for the manifestation of the Sons of God. (Ro 8:19) In the day when the power of the Almighty Father is manifest in that new social order which is the Kingdom of God upon earth, men will look up into the heavens and will realize that, even as he promised, Christ has come.

Harvest Thoughts

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Reference to this feast of the people of Israel first occurs in Ex 23:16 "Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field." (NIV) Later in Le 23:34. more specific instruction is given. "Say to the Israelites: ‘on the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days." This was one of the three great feasts of Israel when the people were expected to appear before the Lord. It is so referred to in Joh 7:37,38 when "Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

In the King James version along with other translations this festival is referred to as the Feast of Tabernacles. This is not exactly a wrong translation but it is a little confusing since the Hebrew word used for God’s dwelling place among His people when they traveled through the wilderness is not the same as the one used for this feast. Rotherham and Strong use the word ‘booth’ in their translation and so does the R.S.V. and the new Revised English Bible. So what were these ‘booths’ or ‘tabernacles’ or tents, and why did God instruct the people of Israel to make them?

Le 23:40-43 answers these questions when it says "On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days... live in booths for seven days; ... so that your descendants will know that I made the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God". At the dedication of the Temple (2Ch 8:13) Solomon reminded the people of the law which bade them attend the Temple three times a year including the Feast of Booths. After the Jews returned from exile in Babylon they rediscovered the Feast of Booths and there is reference to this in Ne 8:14-18 where the people went into the countryside surrounding Jerusalem and their towns and brought in branches of olive, myrtle and palm. This was healthy pruning of the trees and not acts of vandalism. We are also told in Nehemiah’s account that it was a time of ‘very great rejoicing’. This kind of celebration continued right up until the coming of Jesus at his First Advent to which reference has already been made. By that time the idea of pouring water out and giving thanks for rain, had developed, and Jesus used the idea to convey what he had to offer to those who would come to Him. There may also be a reference back to the experiences in the wilderness when God miraculously gave water to Israel. When a large proportion of the population live just above the ‘bread-line’ any slight variation in climate and harvest can make all the difference to whether one’s family lives or dies of starvation. It is then that this kind of thanksgiving has real meaning.

This festival included camping out on the roof tops and in the court yards. One can well imagine the excitement of the younger members of the family. But the making of such a ‘shelter’ required the strength and skill of the older members of the family. These were shelters not from rain or snow, but from the sun and its heat.

At these festivals work stopped and they became truly seven Holy Days. They lived close to neighboring Canaanite peoples who worshiped the Baal. It was so easy for Israel in its early days to slip from the true worship of the LORD into the fertility rites of the pagan worship. These festivals, appointed by their God, were intended to direct the thoughts of Gods people to the one great almighty Creator of the Universe upon whom they were dependant. But this God was not one to be manipulated. They could not perform certain rituals and say particular formulae and expect that God would do just what they asked. Israel was a trusting family, which looked to God in love for all that He had done for them.

In the beginning God had made all things well. Everything was beautiful and functioned perfectly. God had given to mankind the privilege of being stewards of His Creation. "And God said to them ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ And God said ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food’." Ge 1:28-30. By these words God had provided the wonderful gifts of creation for the blessing of mankind and at the same time had established the relationship between all living things on the earth. Rebellion against God did not alter the privileges which God had given except inasmuch as mankind was deficient in ability to do the work properly. Man’s failure to trust God had undermined his thankfulness for all that He had done and given. Through the ages mankind has abused these gifts and in recent centuries due to the misuse of increased knowledge, has done such harm to the planet that it is reaching a state of being uninhabitable. God’s people cannot approve of such desecration of his workmanship. The Old Testament abounds with references to the wonder and the beauty of the earth and all that lives here. The clear relationship of all things that draw breath and the acknowledgment of God’s creative goodness is echoed many times. Taking our cue from Israel of old there is scope for God’s people to join their hearts and voices in adoration and praise and thankfulness for all that God has given in the natural world. Then to go forth into the world and express those sentiments in our lives. The way we perform our acts of daily worship in the handling of the physical creation and in the use of the wonderful things God has made, is the truest reflection of our heart’s devotion to the living God who made us. God’s loving protection and provision for His creatures are revealed in the tiny particles from which all things are made to the mighty forces of nature, wind and water, sun and snow.

That God will restore to full function the wonders of His creation is shown by Paul in his letter to the Colossians, for Christ is not only head of the Church but supreme over all creation. "For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth... For God was pleased to have all His fulness dwell in him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood shed on the cross. "Col. 1: 16-20 (NIM). Human alienation from God has caused disruption throughout all creation. Man’s failed stewardship has brought a return in part, to pre-creation chaos in which animal and plant life have shared the results of man’s folly. Jesus has been appointed to put that right. The discord in nature, the plagues and epidemics are part of human ignorance and greed. Paul’s words indicate that all creation shall be restored to harmony and the blessings of integration of purpose and abounding fruitfulness will bring lasting peace, joy and blessing.

So Jesus, in the Temple at the time the Feast of Booths was being celebrated, cried out His invitation to those in Jerusalem, pilgrims and citizens alike, to come to the water of life. There was spiritual drought among God’s people and their Messiah was offering them the soul reviving opportunity to come to him. But there was much more to His invitation than personal salvation, great as that is. The invitation was for the Spirit of God to flow out from them to the nations, a work which has only just started. It must go on till God’s gifts in the natural world are shared fairly and none hunger and thirst. In the last chapter of the Bible we see that work continuing as the river of the water of life flows out from the throne of God, producing flourishing trees which will spiritually heal and feed the nations. The curse, now upon the natural orders of life on earth, will be removed forever and mankind will enjoy the fruit of the labors of Christ.

Let us Thank the Lord for all his love.

Jonah

Chapter 5. The repentance of Nineveh

The prophet who ran away

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"Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying. Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh". (Jon 3:1-3)

There was no hesitation this time. The lesson had been well learned. Jonah packed the simple necessities required for his journey, bade farewell to his village home in Gath-hepher, and set out.

How did he travel? It was a long journey he had to take—about nine hundred miles. He would join a caravan of merchants and travel with them for company and protection. The trade route which from time immemorial had run from Egypt to Asia passed within a few miles of Gath-hepher, and Jonah would be in no difficulty about the start of his journey. A day came that he could have been seen striding down the hill from Gath-hepher to the road in the valley, and before long was at the foot of the hill waiting for a caravan to pass by.

He would not have to wait long. Trade by land was prosecuted as diligently as trade by sea, and perhaps even as he made his way down the hill his eyes had espied a cloud of dust in the distance, far away to his right. It was to that direction he had turned when he went to Joppa, along the road in the direction of Egypt. and he had proved by experience what his fellow prophet Isaiah was to declare a century or more later—that woe is to those who go down to Egypt for help. (Isa 31:1) Now he was going in the opposite direction, to the north instead of the south and God dwells in the "sides of the north"! Some such thought may have flashed across his mind as he sat there by the roadside waiting for the caravan that was coming up out of Egypt.

There would be no fare to pay this time. He could attach himself quite freely to the mixed multitude of men and animals and lumbering wagons, loaded with merchandise. Intermingled with the throng, and in strong contrast to the mild Egyptian and Babylonian merchants, were the fierce, well-armed Arabs whose work it was to defend the caravan against attack, for marauding bands were frequent. There would probably be men of half a dozen different nations in that motley assembly.

Down to the shores of the Sea of Galilee. and on to Damascus, where there would be a halt, and much unloading and loading of goods. Some of the merchants would be going no farther, but others would be waiting to join, and so before long the procession would be streaming out over the road that led northward, and Jonah would find himself climbing the mountains of Lebanon.

Did he reflect, as he did so, that he was following in the steps of his forefather Jacob, who went this same way in search of a wife? Did he think of Eliezer, the steward of Abraham, who came this way to bring back the bride of Isaac? Jonah’s heart must have beat quickly as he remembered the soul-stirring events of which these mountains had been witnesses.

So to Carchemish, on the River Euphrates, where Pharaoh-Necho of Egypt was to meet his doom at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, finally sealing the fate of Judah. (Jer 46:2) A halt here, for at this point the route from Egypt and Canaan joined the greater road which ran to Europe in the west and to Asia in the east. If Jonah had commenced his journey without any beast upon which to ride, it is likely that he had acquired one by now, for it was about three weeks since he had left Gath-hepher and there were yet several hundred miles to cover.

A few evenings later the caravan would be winding down the mountains towards a city which in the glinting rays of the setting sun presented a resplendent fairyland of rare beauty. Built in the shape of a vast crescent moon, lying along the hillside, its white walls and gleaming palaces set off to perfection the stately temple in its midst. Jonah’s pulse beat quicker as his eyes fell upon Haran, the city of the moon-god. Here it was that Abraham came with Terah, his father, in the dim long ago when the promise of God was fresh and new. From here did Abraham remove himself when his father was dead, away from the pomp and glitter of its cultured idolatry, to the land which God had promised should be his and his seed for ever. "In thee and in thy seed shall all families of the earth be blessed"; so had run the promise: and Jonah, given the opportunity to extend that blessing to the Ninevites, had turned away so that God’s blessing should not come to them. Perhaps the sight of that proud city, its very outline testifying to its consecration to the moon-god, strengthened Jonah’s determination to proclaim faithfully all that his God gave him to speak, be the consequences what they may.

But the glories of Haran were left behind, the palaces and markets and gardens and fountains, the elaborate ceremonies and ritual, and the caravan was in the plain. The crescent-shaped city lay hidden again in the mountains, and now the road led across long stretches of gently rolling pasture land with barely an inhabitant, frowning mountains on the left and a seemingly endless desert on the right and at its end, the River Tigris and Nineveh.

It is possible that Jonah did not pass through Carchemish and Haran. It is known nowadays that besides the main trade route which ran from Egypt through Damascus northward to join the west-east one at Carchemish there was an alternative which left the main route at Damascus and ran directly eastward to Nineveh. cutting a couple of hundred miles off the journey at the expense of an arduous desert crossing. If Jonah was in a caravan adopting this route, he would have gone east from Damascus instead of north and found himself crossing a difficult mountain range to arrive at Tadmor (now Palmyra) which had been the northern limit of Solomon’s kingdom in earlier times. (1Ki 9:18) Then came the arduous hundred and twenty miles crossing of the great Syrian desert, where the sun scorched by day and the frost chilled by night. So to the great river Euphrates at the ford of Dura (now Dier-el-Zor) where the road crossed that which ran north to Haran and south to Babylon. Jonah must have thought then of Abraham who had once passed this way.

The river crossed, he was in a different land, green with grass and trees and rippling streams. And soon then the road turned to run alongside another great river, the River Hiddekel, now the Tigris, and on that river stood Nineveh the city for which he was bound.

The journey was nearing its end. For eight or ten weeks he had been plodding forward with opportunity every time a caravan passed in the opposite direction to relent and turn back. But he did not turn back. He remained faithful to his call. And then, one day, there came a shout from an Arab at the head of the caravan, a brown arm pointed, and away there in the dim distance Jonah descried the battlements and towers of a vast city.

He had reached Nineveh!

"Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city of three days journey (verse 3).

Prior to the rise of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, Nineveh was the greatest city of the ancient world. It was in ruins before Nebuchadnezzar began to build, and that king made Babylon the greatest city of all time; but when Jonah first cast his eyes upon the place where his message was to be given it was a city calculated to impress the beholder. It had not at that time, risen to the peak of its magnificence; it was Sennacherib who did for Nineveh what Nebuchadnezzar was later to do for Babylon; nevertheless, what Jonah did see was impressive enough.

This "great city of three days journey" was actually a group of cities loosely linked together by outlying suburbs, parks and gardens, in the triangular area formed by the junction of two rivers, the Tigris and the Great Zab. This triangular space measured about twenty miles each way, and the expression "three days journey" probably refers to the time required to travel around it.

The palaces of the kings, and the chief temples, were in the well-fortified and defended portion known as Ninua, the city of the fish-god. Twenty miles downstream lay Calah, the mercantile part of the city, with its quays and docks at the head of a long lake created by a dam across the river many miles lower down. In between lay the houses and gardens of the people.

Ninua is best known today in consequence of modern excavation, but it is probable that Jonah passed right through this part of the city and preached his message among the common people. That seems to be the setting of the account. Nevertheless, he would doubtless have gazed with intense interest upon the wonders of Ninua, so different from anything he had ever seen or imagined before. Damascus would have impressed him as a city of merchants, Haran by its artistic beauty and high culture, but Nineveh in its massive architecture. Great brick fortifications, tremendous palaces faced with colored tiles and marbles, massive temples, gigantic statues of winged lions and other strange beasts at every turn; the predominant impression produced upon his mind must have been that of overpowering brute force, and that was truly characteristic of Assyria. As he wandered along the magnificent highway leading straight to the prominence upon which stood the king’s palace he may well have wondered whether any of these busy hurrying city folk would stop and listen to his message. There might have been a natural hesitancy in making a start. Perhaps he lingered on the bridge which carried the road over the canal that surrounded the palace area, and looked down into the placid water. Today that canal is merely a ditch, quite dry for most of the year, but in Jonah’s time they called it the Tebiltu Canal and planted trees and flowers and lawns on its banks. But the water only showed him his own reflection, staring back at him, and presently he must have gained the farther side of the palace area, crossed the center of the city and found himself before another elevated area, with more palaces and temples. We know nothing of these today, for this part is the hill known as Nebi Yunus (Prophet Jonah) and is crowned by an Arab village, in the center of which is a mosque, and below that mosque, say the Mohammadens, the Prophet Jonah himself lies buried. Hence no excavations can be undertaken, for the whole hill is sacred. A staircase leads from the interior of the mosque to the tomb, but no Christian is allowed to descend. As partial compensation, the visitor is permitted to examine the large piece of swordfish suspended on the wall of the mosque, and asserted to be part of the whale that swallowed Jonah. The people of the village are ready also to point across from their own hill to the other palace hill a mile away, where, they say, the body of the whale is buried and that hill is a mile long and one hundred feet high. It is only right to add that although many wonders of Assyrian art, the remains of palaces and temples, and a library of twenty-four thousand written tablets dealing with almost every conceivable subject have been brought to light in that other hill during the last two hundred years, the whale’s bones have not been discovered!

So Jonah, having entered one day’s journey into the city (verse 4) and perhaps passed out of the Ashur Gate into the residential suburbs leading to Calah and Ashur, found his voice and began to cry his message: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall he overthrown. It is a very bare announcement as recorded in the story; there can be little doubt that we are given only the outstanding expression of his preaching and that in fact he had much more to say. No prophet of God can preach without including in his preaching a call to repentance, and Jonah must have exhorted the people of Nineveh to turn from their evil ways, even though he may not have felt himself commissioned to promise that God would avert the judgment now over-shadowing the city.

And the Ninevites believed! That is the most amazing thing in the whole of this amazing story. That a people which for generations had been brought up to glory in brute force, in pillage and murder and every kind of inhuman atrocity, should repent of all their deeds at the preaching of one obscure man, is a most remarkable outcome. "The people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them to the least of them" (verse 5). Neither was the reformation confined to the lower orders, for "word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes" (verse 6).

Jonah seems to have been a most successful prophet. He promised Israel that their lost territories would be restored, and his promise came true. He so impressed the pagan sailors that they wrought with all their power to save him from death and acknowledged the supremacy of his God. Now he had, singlehanded, converted the people of the most ruthless nation of the ancient world and made them as little children the only recorded occasion in the whole two thousand years of Assyrian history when the slightest touch of softer feelings showed itself in that fierce, warlike national temperament. The conversion of Israel by Elijah on Mount Carmel is looked to as a great thing surely this conversion of the Ninevites by Jonah is equally great!

What influences brought about conversion? Was it purely the prophet’s eloquence, his sincerity, his impassioned appeal? Were there some feelings of guilt in the hearts of the Assyrians, some realization that retribution for their crimes against humanity must surely come one day? Or was there something else?

Perhaps there was. Perhaps the fearful experience through which Jonah had passed in consequence of his first attempted flight to Tarshish was having its repercussion here at Nineveh, a thousand miles away. For the Assyrians also worshiped the fish-god. Dagon. In the Nineveh palaces frequent representations of Dagon have been found, and in the very oldest mythologies of these lands he was known as Qannes, a mysterious Divine creature, half man, half fish, who came up out of the waters of the sea in the very dawn of history to teach mankind the elements of agriculture and of civilization. It is not difficult to see in that ancient legend a dim and distorted recollection of Noah, the man who came up out of the Flood to set the world going once more. The people of Nineveh, therefore, would probably be as superstitious in regard to matters connected with the sea-deity as were the people of Joppa.

We do not know what space of time separated Jonah’s second call from his first, but it was probably a matter of months. News travels fast in the East, and the caravans which constantly plied between Egypt and Assyria passed Joppa on the way. Merchandise brought from overseas to Joppa joined these caravans and found its way to Nineveh. It is quite possible—even probable that the story of the Israelite prophet who ran away from his mission and was brought back from the sea by a giant fish had found its way to Nineveh before Jonah’s arrival. It would be told in the markets by the visiting merchants and be passed from mouth to mouth through the city. The great sea-god who had thus sent his messenger to return the prophet to his duty was worshiped at Nineveh. Jonah’s story would be sure to have been elicited by his traveling companions during that ten week’s trek to Nineveh, for at night when the travelers had pitched camp and were sitting around their fires there would be nothing to do but tell stories to each other and discuss each other’s past lives and future aspirations. In such case, it would be natural for the travelers, upon arrival at Nineveh to announce that they had with them the hero of the story, and since it is quite possible that Jonah’s physical appearance was permanently altered by his sojourn in the whale’s interior, he would speedily become an object of wonder and veneration.

There may therefore have been a mixture of motives in this conversion. The king, his advisers and his priests perhaps, had a consultation and decided that their own god was evidently on excellent terms with the strange God preached by the prophet, to have gone to the trouble he did in restoring him. It might even be that Jonah’s God was superior in power to their own and had called upon Dagon to perform this service. In any case. it would seem that the preacher must be taken seriously. Hence the king issued a State decree to stamp with the seal of officialdom the repentance which had already spontaneously burst forth from the people.

The word rendered "decree" in verse 7 is a technical word for State edicts issued by Assyrian and Babylonian kings, and is used in fact by Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus and Darius, as recorded in the books of Daniel and Ezra. It is an interesting evidence that the writer of the Book of Jonah was at least in Nineveh at the time of the happening. Verse 7 preserves the official announce-ment, in its stereotyped wording, and if set out properly should read like this:

"And he caused it to be proclaimed, and published through Nineveh.

"‘BY THE DECREE OF THE KING AND HIS NOBLES

"‘ Be it proclaimed:

"‘ Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; let them not feed nor drink water. Let man and beast be covered with sackcloth and cry mightily unto God;

"‘ Yea,

"‘ Let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn, and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?"

The decree was published throughout the city, and most certainly a copy was placed in the State archives. It may be amongst those twenty-four thousand tablets which were recovered from the palace library and distributed to the world’s museums, for many of them have not yet been deciphered or translated. The crowning vindication of the story of Jonah may yet come from the labors of some cuneiform translator, patiently transcribing the records from those little fragments of baked clay and what would the critics say then?

So God repented of the evil that He said He would do unto them, and He did it not. That is so characteristic of God. He has no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, but would rather that he turns from his evil ways and lives. Like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son, He is always waiting to go out and meet the repentant one and draw him back into the light and warmth of home. So in the final outworking of the story of this world, men will find that God has been planning all the time to lead them to repentance, and no matter into what depths of degradation their past lives have been steeped, if they will listen to the "greater than Jonah", they will inherit a salvation greater by far than that which came to the Ninevites three thousand years ago. "When the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive". (Eze 18:27)

(To be concluded)

THE SPIRIT OF FEAR

Practical dissertation on a well-known text

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"God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2Ti 1:7)

The apostle Paul was one of the greatest exponents of the Christian religion. Born a Jew, of the strictest sect of the Pharisees, instructed by the famous teacher Gamaliel, he was meticulous in the observance of the Jewish faith ("as touching the Law, blameless") and most zealous in the persecution of the first Christians, being an accessory at the martyrdom of Stephen. But when Christ appeared to him in a miraculous blaze of light on the Damascus road, he did a complete volte-face. Never was there a more dramatic conversion. From that moment he served the Lord Jesus Christ and devoted his life entirely to the preaching of the Gospel and the up building of the Christian church. Moreover, the man who was famous for his own spirit of dedication taught that this is the only way to serve God. He exhorted the brethren at Rome, (and we know the message is also for us,) to present their bodies "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God". (Ro 12:1) This dedication would lead to that union with Christ which provides the answer to all man’s needs of mind and spirit.

One of the most serious problems in the world today is mental illness. A third of all hospital patients in this country are psychiatric cases. Social reformers would have us believe that better social conditions mean happiness and mental stability but a few years ago it was reported that the country with the highest standard of living, Sweden, had also the highest suicide rate.

At times we all feel depressed. Life has its stresses and strains and it is to be expected that bereavement, illness, fatigue and the troubles of those near and dear to us may make us low-spirited, if only temporarily. But the more lasting, pathological depression—can a Christian really be overtaken by this? What has the word of God to say about its avoidance or cure?

It is generally accepted that the main causes of depression are guilt, fear, frustration and anxiety, leading to a sense of inadequacy and hopelessness. But why does man feel guilty, fearful, frustrated, anxious?

As soon as Adam sinned he was aware that he had done wrong. This is proved by his attempt to hide from God and then to blame Eve for his sin. Eve reacted in the same way and blamed the serpent. Even non-Christians know when they have done wrong and it is the attempt to push this voice of conscience into the sub-conscious which often contributes to mental breakdown.

Fear, under control, is a good thing, as a warning of danger. But when it is unnecessary or exaggerated it is one of the most destructive forces in the world. People are fearful of so many things, of death, of want, of pain, of the loss of loved ones, of the hereafter. Many are afraid of fear itself, that they may be found to be cowards in the face of danger. Some are afraid of the supernatural, especially in these days when witchcraft is so widely practiced.

Why do men feel frustrated? Mainly because they desire to do so many things which they cannot accomplish. They work long hours, only to find their hard earned money depleted by heavy taxes and inflation. They are ambitious and find that younger men are promoted before them. They want, perhaps, to do good and noble things to help their fellow men and are frustrated by bureaucracy, lack of funds, etc.

Anxiety results from any or all of the other causes of depression. The occasional anxious feeling due to immediate circumstances is the experience of everyone, but anxiety in medical terms lasts much longer and goes much deeper. If it is unchecked it can lead to the loss of that hope which is so necessary for man’s well being. Only in the Scriptures, however, do we find a positive foundation for hope, whatever our condition. The psychoanalyst Jung has said "Among all my patients in the second ha/f of life, there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life".

The very antithesis of the state of disintegration above described is that peace of heart which is the gift of our Lord to his disciples. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid". (Joh 14:27)

Paul starts his letter to the Romans by proving that man had good reason to feel guilty. Very much to the point here is a recent remark in the Press that it is not guilt feelings but guilt itself which is the cause of the trouble. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." The Jews had been given God’s Law and the Gentiles had been given a conscience and the evidences of God in creation, but man did not wish to retain God in his image and the Jews, knowing the Law, continued to break it (Rom. Chapters 1 & 2). But Paul goes on to show that if one recognizes and confesses this guilt, help is at hand. All sin is primarily against a Holy God, and as this God is all loving He has himself provided the remedy by sending his Son as an atonement. So the only way to be rid of these guilt feelings is to accept the truth of Paul’s words "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus" and "being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus" (Ro 8:1 & 5: 1). Peace within our hearts leads to a peaceful attitude towards others and the effects of this change of outlook are incalculable. When we feel guilty we endeavor, unsuccessfully, to justify ourselves, but an acceptance of the simple fact that through our faith in Jesus, God, the only true Judge, no longer holds us guilty, brings a psychological release which is creative instead of destructive.

The Apostle has a great deal to say about the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin. If we have really committed our way to the Lord we are promised "Sin shall not have dominion over you, and "Now, being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life" (Ro 6:14,22) . The Christian has the joy of knowing that Christ has overcome the Adversary and he can. by faith, enter into that victory.

Fear attacks all men. Many would not admit that they are afraid of death, but it is, after all, so final in the mind of the unbeliever. Because of this the writer to the Hebrews says that men are all their lifetime subject to bondage". (Heb 2:15) But to accept Paul’s teaching of the continuing life of the Christian is to nullify such a fear. So, in accordance with the words of Jesus "Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die", the Apostle speaks of a spiritual life which begins with one’s consecration and will never end. (Joh 11:26, R8) Physical death is experienced as a momentary loss of consciousness before the Christian’s full hopes are realized. So, according to Paul, fear of death no longer exists for the Christian.

What about the fear of pain? Pain is always unpleasant and unnatural but one of the hardest things to bear is that it seems to be purposeless. But for the child of God all things have a purpose and strength is given for every trial. Suffering produces character and sympathy for others and, if endured joyfully as permitted by God for our spiritual welfare it brings us nearer to the Lord who "learned obedience by the things which He suffered". (Heb 5:8) This must be very important when we notice that the Apostle expressed his desire for this fellowship of suffering in the same sentence in which he said he wanted to "know the power of his resurrection". (Php 3:10) If we suffer with him we shall also reign with him. He who has presented his body a living sacrifice will rejoice in this opportunity to demonstrate his faithfulness and while this does not diminish the pain it leaves the mind in a state of peace. Paul, who experienced more suffering than most of us are asked to undergo sums up the position by saying "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us". (Ro 8:18) Above all we have the example of our Beloved Lord "Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross". (Heb 12:2)

We have many Scriptural answers to the fear of want. "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before you ask him", (Mt 6:8) and Paul who knew how to abound and to suffer need, wrote "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus". (Php 4:19) If we seek first the Kingdom of God all these things will be added unto us.

We may fear the loss of loved ones. This is a very natural fear but God has promised to care for the widows and the fatherless, and our knowledge of God’s plan. not only for the Church but for all men, reassures us. He has promised to be with us to the end of the way and we can safely trust Him, whatever the future may hold.

Thank God we have no dread of the next life, which promises nothing but joy as we look forward to the time when we shall sin no more, when we shall be used in the work of the Kingdom and we shall see our Father face to face.

Need we be afraid of being afraid?; Remember the timid disciples cowering in secret for fear of the Jews and suddenly finding the courage through the power of the Holy Spirit to face even martyrdom. To quote Paul again, "I can do (endure) all things through Christ who strengthens me", .( Php 4:13)

The forces of evil, whatever form they take, hold no terrors for the Christian who is equipped with the whole armor of God. We are told that we shall be able to stand against all the wiles of the Adversary because Christ was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil.

Ro 8:28 is surely the answer to any sense of frustration. If all things are working together for good, then "whatever is, is best". The Christian has committed his life to an all wise, all loving Creator and his only desire is to please him. Therefore he has no wishes of his own to be frustrated. Selfish desires and ambitions are put to death as he accepts the will of the Lord.

Any feeling of inadequacy or inferiority is also excluded since the Christian has confessed his frail nature and knows that God does not condemn him but has accepted his sincere devotion. How can one feel inferior when he has the assurance of John "Now are we the sons of God"? Yes! in spite of the sin which so easily besets us, (because of the weakness of our faith), in God’s sight we are his sons and we can humbly claim this relationship now.

If we accept the Scriptural antidote for guilt, fear and frustration there is no opportunity for that deep underlying anxiety to develop. Every day is lived in a spirit of peace, accepting all things as God’s perfect will, casting all our care upon him for He careth for us.

The very necessary condition for a faith like Paul’s is a commitment like Paul’s: "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which arc behind.... I press toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus".. (Php 3:13,14)

It is illuminating that the words holy, whole and healthy are very closely allied in derivation. Therefore a holy (dedicated) man may enjoy a whole (integrated) and healthy mental, moral and spiritual life.

Let us thank God that we have "the mind of Christ".

It is all too possible for the believer to be affected by the spirit of the age in which he lives. He can accept its maxims and adjust himself to its intellectual and social fashions. Perhaps, in the last resort, this is the meaning of worldliness. To be a worldly Christian is to be a Christian who is unduly influenced by the spirit of the times in which he lives.

Bezaleel

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He was not a politician like Moses. He was not a priest like Aaron. He was not a soldier like Joshua. He was a simple man of Israel, undistinguished, but—he was a craftsman. He could do what none of those others could do. He could create things of beauty out of simple materials like metal and stone and wood. And what he created remained long after the politicians, the priests, the soldiers, of his generation, had run their course and slept with their fathers. Creations like his, made by men like him who lived four or five thousand years ago, repose today in many of the world’s museums, the wonder and envy of all who behold them. And without him, and his fellow-craftsman and assistant Aholiab, and the men and women of his day who worked with him, the crowning glory of early Israel, the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the center of Israel’s worship and of their most solemn ceremonies. would never have seen the light. Bezaleel was a descendant of Judah in the seventh generation, at the time of the Exodus, and was therefore probably a man in the prime of life at the time of his call his grandfather Hur was one who supported the hands of Moses at the historic battle with the Amalekites. (Ex 17:8-13) He was third cousin to Nahshon prince of the tribe of Judah at the Exodus so could be considered well connected. But he was just a craftsman, one who could take tools and materials and produce useful and beautiful objects which his fellow countrymen took in their stride without thinking much of the skill and ingenuity of the man who had made them. But the Lord knew. He who appointed Moses and Aaron and Joshua to the important posts they were to fill in the events of the Exodus knew where to find a man who could do what neither Moses nor Aaron nor Joshua could ever do. Although that man was not destined to stand out so prominently before his fellows as were these three and others like them, his contribution to the outworking purpose of God in history was none the less great in the sight of the Most High. Moses gave Israel the skill of leadership. Aaron that of approach to God, Joshua that of freedom from enemies, but Bezaleel gave Israel beauty and solemnity in worship. and without that all those other blessings would have been of no avail. When the Psalmist said "I wasglad when they said unto me, let us go unto the house of the Lord"; when he sang "0 worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" he must have been thinking of Bezaleel and his creation. When Solomon dedicated the glorious Temple that he had built and recalled that within its confines reposed its most precious treasure, the Ark of the Covenant which Bezaleel had made five hundred years earlier, still intact and as good as ever, he must have spared a thought for the man who had made it to the glory of God and the uplift of God’s people. The earthly body of Bezaleel had been lying in some forgotten grave for many centuries past; his memory remained in that magnificent edifice whose central glory was that which his hands had created, hands consecrated to the service of God.

So he comes on the scene when God calls him, he performs the task assigned to him, faithfully and well, for he is a true craftsman, taking pride in executing it, and when it is finished, as quietly disappears and is heard of no more. He is not mentioned again in Scripture except for two casual references in the Books of Chronicles which enable us to fix the chronology of his life. The Lord does not necessarily preserve the records of his faithful ones on earth, but who can doubt that those records exist in Heaven and remain for all time on the roll of the Lord’s consecrated workers? "She hath done what she could" said Jesus of Mary on one historic occasion. This short account in the Book of Exodus tells of one who at the very beginning of Israel’s history did just the same.

From whence did he get his materials? Nearly one ton of gold, two tons of silver, and three tons of copper, all to be used in this project. It must have been brought from Egypt for this was only six months after they had crossed the Red Sea. And how could a nation of slaves have accumulated such wealth? The answer lies in the Exodus story itself. The Egyptians were so glad to see them go that they loaded them with all the gifts they desired in order to speed them on their way; and Egypt under the 18th dynasty was an immensely wealthy nation. There were some six hundred thousand men aged between twenty and sixty at the Exodus; on this basis there must have been some three hundred thousand separate families of all ages up to a hundred years of age. This would imply that each family would have contributed about ten ounces of gold in the form of jewelry, a little over two pounds of silver mostly in ornaments, and a pound and a half of copper utensils, to make up the quantity stated in Ex 38. The Scripture statement that they "spoiled the Egyptians" is a considerable understatement. More expressive are the Lord’s words to Abraham six centuries earlier "Afterwards shall they come out with great substance".

And what about the timber for the building and the furniture. An approximate estimate yields the conclusion that probably at least a hundred giant trees having trunks of three feet or more across must have been felled, cut into planks and planed to shape and size. A massive forestry exercise indeed! It is known that Sinai had huge forests in those days, used extensively by the Egyptians. But from whence did Israel get the tools? It would seem that the precious metals were not the only "spoil" taken from the Egyptians. The precious stones used for the High Priest’s vestments, the linen for the curtains, the ram’s skins and seal skins (mistranslated "badger skins" in the A.V.) for the rain-proof covering, all products of Egypt, were here in the wilderness ready for the purpose. Those Israelites did pretty well when they came out.

But now Bezaleel, with his faithful Aholiab and his army of "wise hearted" (literally skillful or ingenious) helpers all qualified to engage in one trade or another, was faced with the task of translating all this mass of material into the reality which the Lord had outlined to Moses on the Mount. It may not readily be realized what a stupendous task that was. Six tons of miscellaneous small objects, all to be melted down and fabricated into the destined forms! Right at the outset they would have to set about the building of a battery of blast furnaces. He would have found some men of Israel experienced in that art; the Egyptians, like most ancient nations of their day, had already perfected it. Their famous copper mines at Serabit-el-Khadem, only about thirty miles from Sinai, had plenty of them for smelting the copper from the ore brought up by the miners; some of them are still there, together with the slag heaps left by those ancient laborers of four thousand years ago, for anyone to see today. And then the solidified metal had to be fabricated by expert hands into the golden lampstand, weighing half a hundredweight, the mercy seat and the two cherubim for the Most Holy, which, of solid gold, amounted to a couple of hundredweight each. These latter at least must have demanded the equivalent of a modern foundry, with operatives accustomed to melting the gold in a crucible and pouring it into a sand mold and then smoothing and polishing the resultant product. The same process was necessitated for the silver and copper sockets in which stood the upright wall-panels of the sanctuary and the posts for the curtains enclosing the "Court". Another army, of wood-cutters, must have been kept busy felling trees both for fuel for the furnaces and to provide the timber for the walls of the building and posts for the Court, no light task.

The sanctuary walls and its wood furniture were to be "overlaid with gold". This is usually assumed to have been effected by hammering the gold into thin sheets which were then fixed by means of a suitable adhesive. On the basis of the details given in the account, however, the amount of gold available for this purpose after the construction of the solid gold furniture and accessories would only allow a covering much too thin for hammered-out sheets. This requirement could only be met in modern times by electro-plating. But it is not possible today to electro-plate on wood; only on a base metal. It is known however that the ancients could do this but despite expert examination of examples which have been recovered from the ruined cities of ancient Babylonia it has not been possible to find out how this was done. It might well be that some of Bezaleel’s "wise-hearted" men had been employed on this process when slaves in Egypt and so used their technical skill to achieve something which modern man, with all his boasted achievements, has so far been quite unable to do.

Six months they had, to accomplish all that work and when it was finished, "Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the Lord commanded". That was all; Moses recorded the completion, and thereafter Bezaleel and his comrades fade out of the story. They play no part in future history. Raised up to perform a specific work at a certain time, they retire into the background and are heard of no more.

So it is, and so it must be, for all of the Lord’s dedicated workers who are called to a specific service, just because in the first place they are uniquely fitted for that service and in the second place are wholly and altogether dedicated to that service because the Lord thus called them. Throughout the story these twin principles stand out, ability and willingness. The people were invited, not compelled, to give up their treasures to make the enterprise possible. The workers accepted the invitation to labor—and how they must have labored! Their satisfaction at the end was the knowledge that they had played a part—only a part but it was a part which only they could play—only a part and yet an essential part in the outworking of the Divine purpose. A thousand years later, when the Babylonians advanced to destroy the city and the Temple, at least one of the treasures those men had made, the Ark of the Covenant, still reposed in the Most Holy of that Temple. What happened to it after that no man knows; when Herod built his Temple on its site, five hundred years later still, there was no Ark in the Most Holy. Perhaps it is possible that the priests at the time, realizing that the city was doomed, hurriedly concealed it in some cave near Jerusalem, hoping to retrieve it when all was over. But, they were all slain by Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers, so that no one was left who knew the hiding place. Perhaps it is still there, awaiting discovery at some future time.

So must it ever be, with all whose lives are dedicated to Lord and His service. All members have not the same office, said Paul. Many differing talents and abilities are with those who labor for Him and each is appointed to that which he can best accomplish. Our Lord is the one who weaves these varied contributions into one harmonious whole. And when we have finished and life, with its abilities begins to fade, happy are we if, like that faithful and self-effacing Bezaleel of olden time, we can pass quietly into the shadows with the unspoken reflection, "I have finished the work thou gavest me to do."

Instruction for a young leader

"This instruction has love as its goal, the love which springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a genuine faith. 1Ti 1:5 (REV).

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Paul was writing to his son in the faith, Timothy of Lystra. He had adopted this young man on his second missionary journey and Timothy had traveled with the apostle through Asia (now Turkey) and Greece. He had graduated from being a servant of the apostle to being an elder in the church at Ephesus. As a relatively young man, he was a leader in a community containing older people. Paul had given him instructions on how he was to deal with the problems within the church and mentions these briefly in verses 3 and 4. He then states how wrong were those things which caused the Ephesian believers to falter. The goal of Christians is not to acquire special knowledge which labels them as a proud elite. Only the exercise of love can set them apart un-selfconsciously from others and only love can enable them to reach the goal of their beliefs which is to be in their Heavenly Father’s home.

In the church at Ephesus there were two factions which distracted believers from following their Master. There were Jews who had never broken free from the belief that because they were descendants of Abraham they would automatically be acceptable to God. They measured their behavior against the traditions of rabbis, but self effort in obedience to a set of rules could never make them right in God’s eyes. The ability to trace their ancestry to the patriarchs had no merit in winning God’s approval. Within this church was a rival group whose background was Greek. They tried to please God through human philosophy. They believed they had a particular kind of knowledge which designated them of superior intellect and they had been initiated into the secrets of their wisdom so that they could attain the ‘better life’. Paul had shown the folly of this wisdom at the beginning of his first letter to the brethren at Corinth. True wisdom was based on knowing God and understanding His way. It could not be found by secret societies with human limitations. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was open to all who would listen and act upon it. It was not an academic appreciation of the nature of the universe discovered by human thinking. God alone could open up His purpose to the human mind. Christianity was not confined to the very intelligent and upper class of human society. It was open to the beggar and the slave and they frequently had an advantage in coming to Christ, for they had less of an image of self importance which had to be broken at the cross.

The ability to think is good, useful and necessary, but knowledge only becomes truth when we have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Structures of human thought readily collapse when one false premise is removed. Only those with a sure foundation in the work of Christ can build a sound structure. The building is done mostly in the way we live; in the way we behave and speak. It finds its expression in the motives and attitudes we have in life’s experiences and toward all people we meet. God’s purpose for the Ephesian Christians was being thwarted by human diversions. The Jewish law and the philosophy of the Gnostics needed Timothy’s serious attention in order that the good work which Paul had begun should not be brought to an untimely end. Therefore he used strong language and Timothy was charged with the task of setting right the church under his care. The word translated ‘charge in the RSV is a military instruction. It carries with it the seriousness of an order from a superior officer. This was not just an old friend giving an opinion. Paul, the aged and experienced apostle, knew what the Christian life was about. He knew what God wanted at the end of the journey. It was vital that believers’ eyes were correctly fixed on the right goal. When we undertake to do a project or task it is necessary to know the aim or goal before we begin, so that we produce the desired result. Paul says the goal in Christ is love.

The love of which the New Testament speaks to us is not the instinctive emotion of basic human behavior. The love between married partners or between friends is not only perfectly natural but it is part of our God-given lives. The feelings which develop between parents and children and between brothers and sisters is also part of God’s loving Creation. But the love which receives most attention in the New Testament is a godly love and it is well described many times in the Old Testament. This is the love which Jesus talks about in the parable of the Good Samaritan. This is a love with no ulterior motive and no expected reward. It is love for its own sake which was expressed in its highest and deepest form in the suffering and death of Jesus.

There are many people and things we can like. We cannot help liking some people. Unfortunately such loves in human nature are readily corrupted and become self satisfaction. If those human likings are genuinely brought under the control of love developed in Christ, then they can and should help us to exercise the love which He had for everyone He met. The fruit of the spirit, listed in Ga 5 22, cannot be fully developed unless the various aspects are controlled by a godly love. Nowhere is this love more fully described than in 1Co 13. In writing to Timothy, Paul shows that this love springs from a certain heart condition. "......love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith." The heart in scripture is used to denote the basis of inner life from which springs the will and decision making of a Christian. It can include emotion, reason and will, all of which have been thoroughly cleansed in the believer. Conscience is an indicator governed by an understanding of one’s self which must recognize a need for correction. It is the ability to distinguish good from evil in making positive choices for what is right. These aspects of the Christian character only operate well when they spring from total trust in God. This is a faith which shuns what is hypocritical and outward display. Paul uses these ideas, heart, conscience and faith not as independent parts of personality but central to the integrity of the whole life in Christ. They dispose of the notion of love as only passionate and emotional. This is intelligent love, full of conscious compassion, the ultimate example of which was Jesus Himself, and later manifest in His early followers.

However, there are stories in the Old Testament which show how close to God some of His ancient people came to understand what He is like. Few enjoyed companionship with their Creator as did Moses. His leadership of Israel was fraught with problems, complaints and apparent disasters. Yet through it all he reflected the character of God. On one occasion his own brother and sister rebelled against him. These two had been with him for much of his life yet they allowed jealousy to come between Moses and themselves. The seeds of envy can be very bitter between once loyal friends. The story is recorded in Nu 12 how Aaron and Miriam cast doubt on his leadership and that God had specially spoken through him. Arrogantly they said "Has the LORD not spoken through us also." They contrasted so strongly at that moment with Moses, who was "a man of great humility." Not satisfied at criticizing his leadership they had to drag into the argument the fact that Moses’ wife was a foreigner a Cushite. God made the position very clear; Moses was no ordinary prophet, for the LORD had spoken face to face with this man. He was especially gifted above all others. Moses led Israel to deliverance, through the power of God, from Egypt. He had been the one through whom the Law of the LORD was given. Moses had been the ‘go-between’ in their relationship with God at Sinai. Miriam and Aaron should, by human standards, have been so proud of their brother, and in their better moments undoubtedly they were very grateful to have been the family who guarded and reared young Moses. The ugly sin of bitter jealousy had grown in their minds until they were a danger to the people they led. There were occasions when Moses became very angry, in part at least because of the people’s rebellion against God. He was not angry as he witnessed his sister’s disease but only very, very sad. He could have turned in pride upon Miriam and told her that it served her right that she had contracted leprosy. He could have wished it equally upon his brother but in that moment he revealed the compassion of his heart as an intercessor. He prayed for the one who made herself his enemy and pleaded with God to heal his sister, "... Heal her O God I beseech thee" he cried. This story reveals what God is like, for Moses had learned to love the sinner though he hated the sin. He forgave his sister as God forgives us all. Such love forgives so that the sinner is healed. This is the sort of love which prompted God to give Jesus to the world. This is the love which will heal the nations and give new life to all people. Only those who persist in rejecting God’s forgiveness will destroy themselves. God yearns, as Moses yearned for Miriam, that the sinner will turn and be healed.

There is another wonderful story in the days of Elisha. The Syrian tribes to the north east of Israel were constantly raiding God’s people. Naaman was one such leader who was like a thorn in Israel’s side. In 2Ki 6:8-23 we have an account of how the Syrian ruler, Ben-hadad was becoming fed up with the way in which his plans always seem to be known and frustrated by Israel’s king. He began to blame his officers for leaking intelligence to the enemy. They defended themselves by saying that the source of information to King Jehoram was Elisha the prophet. They said he knew the conversation that took place in the king’s bedroom. So Ben-hadad sent a party of men to capture Elisha. On the way they were struck with blindness and Elisha led them into the city where in normal circumstances they would have been slaughtered. Instead Elisha told the king to give them a meal and send them back to Syria. The account ends with that lovely little post-script "And the Syrians came no more on raids into the land of Israel." The prophets were beginning to understand the Divine principles upon which all mankind will be reconciled to their God and to each other. Violence only begets more violence. The children of God are peacemakers. These two events in the history of Israel show us something of the Divine love. It was not always apparent among God’s people and it took hard experiences to develop it strongly. Love is pre-eminent because God is love. Only He is able to direct our lives into that love which is supreme. Only the master gardener can produce the fruitage in our lives. How does His love change us?

It doesn’t allow us to answer back when others are rude to us.

It doesn’t allow us to be jealous when someone else gets what we want.

It makes us patient with the unthankful.

It makes us gentle with the arrogant and hurtful. It makes us joyful when others get success we would like.

It makes us ready to help those who have been unkind.

This is the only goal which will make us the kind of people God needs to heal the nations. The Ephesian Christians thought knowledge and ancestry could please Him. We may go on pretending that because we have special knowledge and because we belong to a certain group that we shall eventually achieve a place of distinction in the Heavenly Kingdom. There is only one goal and aim in the life of the child of God. That is to be like Him. Only then shall we be ready, educated and fitted for the wonderful work of teaching resurrected humanity how to love.

To give praise is very becoming for the believer. It becomes as natural as breathing is to the physical body. Thankfulness and praise are twin sisters and where the one is found the other follows close in its track. Realizing the deep need of love and mercy and being the recipient of the same, causes the heart to overflow with gratitude to its donor. Like the Psalmist, the language is:

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

A study in Eph 3

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Careful students of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians are prone to remark with wonder the majestic nature of the language employed in the attempt to fit the things of God into the words of men. There is far too much of this lofty thought throughout the whole Epistle to be dealt with in this article for indeed, a whole series of articles could not scale all the heights and sound all the depths which our beloved brother Paul wrote into it.

Our attention at this time will be given to some three or four of these massive thoughts though we know that even then the half will not be told.

The first point for our consideration is in chapter 3: 8, where Paul speaks of the unsearchable riches of Christ "Unto me, who amless than the least of all saints was this grace given, to preach unto the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." The word that is translated "unsearchable" is a word that has baffled translators, for no translation has yet set forth the whole thought as expressed by Paul. Moffat renders the phrase ‘the fathomless wealth of Christ" while Weymouth has the "exhaustless wealth of Christ". Rotherham and the Concordant Version translate it "the untraceable riches of Christ" and if untraceable what purpose could have been served by Paul’s ministry? How could he inform the Gentiles of wealth which was untraceable? Does not the fact that he was charged with the mission to the Gentiles require that the subject of his ministry should be apprehensible, and therefore in some degree "traceable"?

The precise meaning of the Greek here is "that which cannot be measured out with the foot". The situation that this phrase brings to mind is that of some young worthy nobleman. newly come into a vast inheritance, despatching his trusty steward to "ride the boundaries", and survey the wealth of the estate. Furlong by furlong, day after day. he goes, and yet the end seems as far away as ever. The time fails him to "measure it out by the foot" yet with every passing step he is tracing out its dimensions, or estimating something of its buried wealth. He could report back that he had traversed a thousand stadii, but there was "more than that."

And that is precisely Paul’s thought here. As the Steward of the Lord he was tracing out the length and breadth of the Lord’s inheritance, and surveying its intrinsic wealth, yet there was always "more than that". He had never said the last word about it, at any time. No matter how he enthused about the Master’s inheritance, there was always more to say always "more than that," And for the saint, who, in thought, traversed with Paul, the wide reaches of the Lord’s heavenly estate, there was always some present satisfaction and enjoyment as they pressed along their track, but they never reached its end there was always more to come. Thus when we "trace it out," the track will have no end, and therefore we will not be able to ‘measure it out with the foot" We may measure it day by day, but we shall not be able to "measure it out" it is too great for that.

Our next point is in verse 10, where Paul speaks of "the manifold wisdom of God"... to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the Church the manifold wisdom of God." This is a wonderful statement, and merits more attention than can now be accorded to it. The word translated "manifold" or "diversified" has to do with a range of colors as, for instance the spectrum effect when light is passed through a crystal prism. The student of geology also sees this color range as he views some rock specimen under a beam of polarized light. Among its components may be seen the sparkling green of its olivine, the dark brown of its hornblende, the flashing red of its hematite, the shining silver of its felspar. Occasionally a specimen of more diverse and complex composition may be on the slide, and as he views the richly variegated coloring he is taught to call it "poikilitic." This is the very word used by Paul the "poikilitic" wisdom of God; yet that is not all that Paul has to say to emphasize this variegated wisdom of God he adds another word by way of prefix and calls it "the poly-poikilitic wisdom of God" the much variegated wisdom of God."

We are told that color-makers, working with the elements now available can produce and distinguish no less than ten thousand shades and hues within the range of the visible bands of the spectrum. Not every eye would be capable of distinguishing the slight degrees of light or shade in this vast range of color, but to the experienced eye this range would indeed be a "poly-poikilitic" one.

To the angelic hosts watching with intense eagerness the expression of the Wisdom of God as it reveals itself in the experience of the Church, the wide scope, added to the manifold variety, of their Providential leading, day by day, can be well compared to this colossal range of ten thousand hues and shades. God’s dealings take each child just as he is, each different child being the subject of a different mode of leading and development; each different child being the object towards which a different facet of Divine Wisdom is directed, so that its full individuality may be developed to its fullest possibility.

Since our "poly-poikilitic" range is limited to ten thousand hues and shades all we can say is that the Wisdom of our God has ten thousand hues and shades and more than that! Here is a Wisdom equal to every emergency and every experience the long age through in the lives of every one who will constitute the Church of God.

The next point of our survey is found in verses 18 and 19 "the love that surpasses knowledge." Here is a wonderful galaxy of words indeed. "‘Breadth,’ ‘length,’ ‘height,’ ‘depth’... the love... which passes knowledge... filled with all the fullness of God." Behind the "poly-poikilitic" Wisdom of God lies a love which outstrips all the range of our finite ken which overleaps the utmost bounds of our present comprehension.

It is related that Nansen, the Arctic explorer, having one day bored through the ice, let down his sounding-line into the waters beneath the ice-cap. Down and down it went, but it did not touch bottom. Another line was added, and another, until all the lines in the ship were tied together and let down but even then they failed to reach the ocean bed. When writing up the records of that day. Nansen wrote, "3,500 fathoms... and deeper than that." That is exactly Paul’s thought about the Love of God. It is the full measure of man’s necessity and greater than that! How much more none can ever know. Words just break down when contemplating a Love like that! When our sounding-lines have reached their utmost depth in the hearts and lives of men, all we can say is—in Nansens words "3,500 fathoms, and more than that"!

Our final point is in verse 20—"above all we can ask or think..." Here the Apostle’s words seem to fail him completely, as writing in the most highly inflected language of the ancient world, he tries to commit to the parchment the things which his illumined eyes could see. He piles up word on word, idea upon idea in his enthused attempt to utter what he knows. Now his theme is Power—after Wisdom and Love comes Power. It is a power that is "able to DO—able to do above what we ask—abundantly above what we ask—exceeding abundantly above what we ask and then as though realizing that the tongue may be less accomplished than the brain, he adds as a last attempt to state the impossible, "able to do exceeding abundantly above what we can... think." And with that our attempts at understanding reach their boundaries, and we can only say "all that we can ask or think and more than that"! And having reached that point, heart and mind and soul can only bow in reverent silence before the wealth of Grace in Christ Jesus our Lord, before the infinite resources of Manifold wisdom, before the illimitable heights and depths of Love Divine, and before the all-prevailing power of Him who is the glorious Author of it all.

Children with "wonder" minds can always see much more in life than those who are coldly calculating in their approach to things. Children of God with "wonder" minds can always see in these glowing words and thoughts of Paul more than those who are coldly statistical in their definitions of truth. These glowing words were a transcript from Paul’s own experience. It was both fact and action in his own life and character before it found its way to his manuscript, and because he lived intensely with his Lord, his pen could write with an intense intimacy about those things he received from his Lord, and which he strove so enthusiastically to write for his friends.

"If you become His man," said one old saint to an early British king, "you will come upon wonder upon wonder in His call—and every wonder true."

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Book Reviews

"The Rise of Babylon" C. H. Dyer, 236pp Paperback Illus. Index. ISBN 0 8423 5618. 5 Tyndale House Publishers, POB 80, Wheaton, IL 60180. U.S.A. $8.95.

Allusions to the modern rebuilding of Babylon have been current for some years and this book, by one who has been there to see for himself, summarizes what has been done to date and is projected for the future. It pictures the present political ruler of Iraq as aspiring to restore the ancient city to its former magnificence, the fourteen pages of photographs affording a vivid impression of what has been achieved. The palace in which Daniel once stood, the Ishtar Gate, the Processional Way, the Greek Theater, all stand today much as they did in the days of their glory. Whether the addition of a teahouse and other adjuncts of modern tourism is a help to the ultimate effect may be open to question. A feature of the book is a concise history of Babylon from 2000 BC; the detailed account of the events surrounding the time of the Captivity and Restoration is particularly good.

The latter part pictures the "Last Days" as imminent, culminating in an all-nations military attack on the land in consequence of which the rebuilt city will be destroyed, with apparently most of Iraq, preceding the coming of the Lord to set up His Kingdom. This part is in the best tradition of 19th century "End Time" theology although it may be questioned why, if He comes to reconstruct human society upon a peaceful and equitable basis, He finds it necessary to destroy a sizable proportion first? Isaiah did say that the work of righteousness was to be peace and assurance for ever. It is this destruction, suggests the author, which fulfils the old prophecies of the final irreversible doom of the city. As a record of what is currently happening. there is much in the book to interest students of prophecy.

"Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology" W. L. Craig & Q. Smith. 342pp Paperback. Index, 0 19 826383 X Clarendon Press Oxford £ 13.95.

This perhaps rather cumbersome title introduces an exhaustive examination of the argument for and against the existence of God in the light cast upon this conflict of thought by modern knowledge of the Universe. It comprises a series of alternate essays in which the relative arguments are propounded. Considerable thought is given to modern cosmological findings—hence the "Big Bang"—and one is left with the impression that despite man’s best endeavors we are still short of absolute truth. Perhaps a significant summing-up on the last page is embodied in one sentiment upon which both Craig and Smith concur. "a profound astonishment that the Universe exists at all". Maybe David, king of Israel, felt like that when he said "When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, —what is man?". On page 237 Smith advances an important principal, that if, in fact. there is an omnipotent Supreme Being. He must of necessity create a Universe and animate beings which and who must ultimately be itself and themselves supremely good, which at least disposes of the medieval doctrine of Hell torment. A book definitely for theologians and others acquainted with terms used in theological and cosmological discussions. Admittedly "the wisdom of this world"; when so read. a medium of profound thought.

Learning to Give

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With the recurring seasons come the festive days of Christmas when an attempt is made by many to recapture the spirit of goodwill expressed in the message of the Savior’s birth. Something that often lies dormant in the heart of man is called forth, as in a moment of generosity he seeks to express his feelings in a small gift. Too often the exchange of such tokens masks a commercial or other base motive. But behind the Christmas shopping and merriment lies a long history which goes back farther than the advent of mankind upon earth. The thought of "recurring seasons" brings to mind a host of memories concerning the blessings of Nature. Each breath we draw, each morsel we eat, is a token of love, planned by a wise and benevolent Creator when this planet was being prepared as a home for the human race. Too many of these gifts are taken for granted by most people without a moment’s reflection upon the greatness and goodness of a loving God. The minute care and wonderful forethought which provided us with eyes and ears, hands and feet, are lost upon a busy world too absorbed in its own important and clever enterprise. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.". (Jas 1:17) This is a principle of the natural world as well as the spiritual life. Yet apart from the "household of faith" this fact is ignored and unacknowledged.

In the natural family a tiny child for the first few weeks of its life has no recognition of those who provide and sustain its life. With the dawning intellect comes the first signs of appreciation of the love which surrounds it. In early years the child is still oblivious, for the most part, of the forethought and self-sacrifice of its parents and it is only conscious of all being well so long as necessities and comforts are to hand for the taking. As the child develops towards maturity it begins to respond and reciprocate the love that is showered upon it. How rewarding for a mother to hear the baby’s voice say "thank you" and for a father to accept a simple gift from a child’s own hand! Just as wonderful are such moments for the Heavenly Father as He watches the first responses in His growing child. After we have learned to be thankful for His bounty and care, we begin to desire to give something to Him in emulation of His love. Our giving does not amount to much compared with His vast treasure house yet to His sensitive heart there is a thrill of joy at our humble efforts to imitate Him.

The next step in learning to be generous is a willingness to give to all, regardless of their relationship to us, but especially to the poor. This is also a godly characteristic and one enjoined upon Israel in their law by Moses (De 15:11) The spirit of giving was as important as the gift itself, and there was to be no feeling of it being given grudgingly. Here and there in the history of Israel we catch a glimpse of this principle being revived, along with other reforms. Celebration of great occasions included the "sending of portions" to each other. So it was in the days of the Jewish Queen of Persia, Esther, when the Hebrews throughout the Empire were saved from annihilation. (Es 9:19) Later, at the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem and the restoration of the Law of God, under Nehemiah, the festivities were marked by the sending of portions for whom nothing was prepared. (Ne 8:10) Obviously it is a Scriptural truth that in one’s own enjoyment, thought should be given to others, who perhaps are not so well able to enjoy the festivities as ourselves.

"God so loved the world that he gave....." and of all the many, many gifts which He bestowed upon mankind, none is so great, so wonderful, so full of Divine love as the gift of His beloved Son. Sacrifice therefore characterizes Divine giving, and as imitators of our Heavenly Father, we must be prepared to give till it hurts. She ..." hath cast in more than they all" was the Master’s appraisal of the widow’s mite. Self denial had prompted her gift to the treasury and it thereby meant more to God than the well advertised large donations of the wealthy.

So Christmas comes once more, to remind us of God’s great gift. And we, to celebrate the occasion, will send presents to our friends and relatives in token of our love for them and recognition of God’s love toward us. Perhaps we shall be able to spare some generosity for those "for whom nothing is prepared" like God’s people of old. The Welfare State and National Insurance schemes have not dispensed with the need or opportunity for true almsgiving. In any case, we can copy the example of Peter and John, who having no silver and gold to distribute to the poor, "gave such as they had".

If we once more sit down to a festive meal and talk together around the family hearth, let us spare a thought for those in this and other lands who will not fare so well as ourselves during the festive season. It is winter in the northern hemisphere and many will be cold and hungry. Many more throughout the wide world will know nothing of the "Babe that was born in Bethlehem" who became the Savior of mankind. If we forget those who lack material comforts or who are ignorant of the Gospel we shall have forgotten the very spirit of Christmas, which began in a stable, was nurtured in a peasant home and became a message of peace and hope and joy unto all the world.

May the spirit of giving, the joy of making others happy, the peace of the angelic messengers who sang in the skies above Bethlehem, bring to our hearts a warmth and pleasure which will extend beyond the Holy-days which mark the end of the old year. For us it should continue on into the New Year, enriching and ennobling the life. As we celebrate the festival which commemorates His coming to live among us, may we have that spirit which will eventually fit us to live with Him.

What Must I Do to Get Eternal Life

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"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher, he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?". (Mr 10:17 NIV) Jesus and His disciples were in an area east of Jerusalem and the River Jordan known as Perea. He had already given His disciples two warnings concerning His sufferings and death in Jerusalem and a third warning followed the interview with this young man. His ministry in Galilee and the northern parts of the land had been completed and He was now in the last weeks of His life. Peter’s confession that Jesus was Israel’s Messiah had been made at Caesarea Philippi. They had visited the home at Bethany twice; the second occasion for the raising of Lazarus. Soon the Lord would be passing through Jericho, climbing the steep slopes of the Judean hills and triumphantly entering Jerusalem on a donkey. His presence in the synagogues was no longer welcome and the Jewish religious leaders had displayed bitter opposition to Him. Jesus, on the other hand, had recently blessed the children showing His compassion for young folk and His indignation that anyone should think that they are not important. This encounter with the young ruler is recorded in all three synoptic gospels, each writer contributing something to the composite picture. Matthew (chap. 19) tells us that he was young and Mark suggests as much by saying that the man ran to Jesus. Mark also says that Jesus loved him and Luke (chap. 18) records that he was a ruler. This eager young man who had been placed in a position of authority in Jewish society came to Jesus and knelt before Him. Could he have realized the urgency of the situation? He must have been aware that Jesus had been excluded from the synagogues and to approach the prophet of Nazareth in this way required considerable courage. He must have felt the need deeply and everything that we know about this man speaks of the fine qualities of his character.

The young man was stopped in his tracks as Jesus asked why he called him ‘good’ for only God may be called ‘good’. Jesus was not denying His sinlessness but He never sought equality with God. (Php 2:6) The young man should not have addressed Jesus like that. No Jewish rabbi would expect it and there is a quiet rebuke in Jesus’ reply. As always He focused people’s attention on His Father. There was no intention of turning the man away and Jesus knew the need and the value of asking questions. He knew His followers would find some of His sayings difficult to understand at this time. The young man was puzzled and Jesus was ready to help him, although he might not receive the answer he expected or desired.

"What must I do to inherit eternal life?" The word inherit had greater significance than it has in English concerning benefit from a will. It developed the extended meaning of ‘receiving a share’ (by lot) or from a spiritual point of view ‘receiving the blessings of God through his promises’. It was that which an Israelite expected to enjoy as a covenant child under the law. "What must I do"? he asked. His question characterizes the mistake of all Jews in their religious thinking. They wanted to do something which would earn them eternal life. They wished to demonstrate their goodness and piety in order to gain a reward. That is the human way of trying to please God. It runs through the history of mankind in the search for God by all cultures and religions. It is human nature to want to prove itself good enough for God’s reward. The Christian faith is unique in that it reveals God searching for the sinner and providing him with all he needs. Jesus turned the question back to the questioner, by reminding the young ruler of God’s law. He did not mention the first four commandments which concern man’s attitude to God. Jesus probed the man about his attitude to fellow man and in particular his attitude to his parents; that is why he mentioned the fifth commandment last, to give it emphasis. Jesus was leading to the next part of the discussion concerning the use of wealth but we should notice in passing that Matthew adds "... and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself." That was not in the ten commandments of Ex 20 but it occurs in Le 19:18, and was quoted in the gospels on more than one occasion. This young man had been reared and trained in the requirements of the Law of Moses. Now he claimed that he had always achieved obedience to it. It is not unlike the claim made by Paul to the Philippians (3: 6) where he recited a summary of his flawless Jewish background. He was zealous for the Law and had outshone his contemporaries in obedience to it. It took a violent experience in Paul’s life to make him realize that keeping rules and regulations could never bring the quality of life that he so much wanted. At least both these young men were aware of their need.

The young man who ran to Jesus, realized that his strict upbringing in the Jewish law with his careful attention to sacrifice and ritual could never achieve that which he longed to have. It is sad that so many who profess to serve God do not understand that self accomplishment never brings God’s approval. Jews believed and taught their young folk that if they kept the Law given by Moses they would be part of God’s people and would inherit his kingdom. This young man wanted eternal life which was more than just living forever. Eternal life in the New Testament had something to do with the quality of life which would begin in the ‘here and now’, and last through the ages.

Many Jews were like the Pharisee in the Temple, who Jesus described in his parable, also recorded in Lu 18. He was conceited about his standing before God because of what he believed he had achieved; he was self righteous and felt good about himself. He had the knowledge of God’s purposes; he belonged to the right people, so how could God miss him as the one person who deserved the highest reward. The lesson has still not been learned among many who profess to follow Jesus. They belong to the right group, they know the purposes and promises of God and they serve him zealously in proclaiming His truth. Yet they may lack the one thing that is necessary to enjoy ‘eternal life’. Paul taught, what the prophets had demonstrated, that children of Abraham lived by the grace of God through faith. At least this young man recognized, that up till now, whether he kept the law or not, he had failed to obtain eternal life. Had he in fact asked the wrong question?

Jesus said that the young ruler lacked one thing and told him to sell his property and distribute his wealth to the poor. The ‘one thing’ was not poverty, as some commentators have suggested. What the young man lacked was treasure in heaven. Earthly wealth is not a bad thing in itself but it readily becomes evil in the business of life. So often it obscures heavenly treasure and the scriptures frequently speak of material possessions as a hindrance to pleasing God. In the complexities of getting on in this life, wealth has a nasty habit of getting in the way of spiritual progress. There is a large section of the Sermon on the Mount devoted to this subject. It is referred to again and again in Paul’s writings. It is summed up nicely in the explanation of the parable of the sower recorded in Mt 13:22, "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it Unfruitful."(niv).

The lesson which the young man needed to learn is well illustrated in Lu 16 and used to be known as the parable of the Unjust Steward. but is now sometImes called the parable of the Shrewd Manager. Looked at superficially, one might believe that Jesus was encouraging the kind of fraudulent behavior common in the secular world. But that most definitely was not so. The story is about a wealthy man who discovered his manager was ‘wasting his possessions’ and so told him to quit the job. Before he left the employment, the manager so manipulated the accounts that he was able to greatly help those who were in debt to his employer. Thus he made friends with those people and hoped for their help when he was unemployed. The principle that Jesus was teaching was not fraud but the right handling of God’s stewardship of material things so that it would eventually provide spiritual blessings. God has provided us all with some material gifts in life; some more and some less. If we use them selfishly they will be spiritually unprofitable. If they are used for the blessing of others they will produce in our characters riches in heaven, prepared for the time when material things will have no further service for Christians. That is an Old Testament principle which pious Jews should have understood. Giving to the poor, caring for the deprived, helping those in trouble are ways by which men of old demonstrated that they knew God. (Jer 22:16) The rich young ruler who knelt before Jesus had the choice. He could go on being a highly respected member of the community giving a little here and a little there. In doing so he would not build up much treasure in Heaven. If he obeyed Jesus’ command, he would by so doing, store up much heavenly wealth. This is not a matter of buying a place in heaven but discovering the effect of unsparing generosity upon the development of character. It is not a once and for all donation to charity but a constant outpouring of all that we have throughout our Christian lives which changes us from selfish people into the likeness of Jesus. The young man in Perea was not the only one to ask this question for a lawyer came to Jesus and wanted to know how to obtain eternal life. He was told to love God and his neighbor as himself and he tried to justify himself by asking who his neighbor was. Jesus told the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’. The effect of helping one’s neighbor as did the Samaritan is really not so different from the words "Sell everything you have and give to the poor". Although the young ruler had more of this world’s wealth than most people have, he was dissatisfied. He lived in a land, like most ancient lands, where there was much poverty. To have the quality of life he wanted, he had to walk the streets of Jerusalem with the carpenter of Nazareth. Could he do that looking and behaving like a wealthy man? Was he prepared to go forth along the roads of Israel and beyond, with fishermen who said "silver and gold have I none but such as 1 have give I thee."? After the young man had gone Peter was heard to say "We have left all and followed thee!" The disciples were very surprised at the Master’s words when He told them how hard it was for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The terms of discipleship are very clear in the Gospels yet Christians since then have tried to revert back to the Jewish misconception of the Old Testament. It is much easier to say that we "toe" a certain doctrinal line or are involved in doing particular Christian activities than it is to say conscientiously ‘we have left all we had to follow you’.

After that Last Supper with His disciples, in the night that He was betrayed, Jesus, in His prayer recorded in Joh 17, said "this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent". To know the Father in Heaven and His son, is to be like them. To be like them, is to be ready to see them face to face. They are compassionate, concerned for the needs of the poor and deprived. (Jer 9:23,24 22:16) The young man could not afford to disobey Jesus, nor can any who follow him.

In those days the Jews regarded the rich as being specially God’s people and their wealth as denoting God’s favor. The rich were able to entertain pious pharisees and priests and so be looked upon as pious themselves.

The cost was too great; the young man could not bring himself to accept Jesus’ invitation and sadly he went away. He was not alone in his sorrow, for Jesus too was saddened by the decision. His was not a selfish sadness. He was sorry for the young man who was going to find out the hard way, that riches are deceitful and wealth is a delusion. Jesus knew that if the young ruler pursued the path he had chosen at this interview, he would be eternally poorer for the decision he had made. That other rich young man wrote, when he was getting old, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Php 3:8 (RSV).

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Jonah

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Chapter 6. Like as a Father

The prophetwho ran away"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. (Jon 4:1)

Jonah’s anger with God is a thing unique in Old Testament history. Many men rebelled against God and disobeyed him; some, like Moses ventured to remonstrate and plead with him, but of no other prophet is it said that he dared to be angry with God. Jonah must have felt very sure of his own position to venture upon this familiarity. His anger has been put down to petulance, and his character presented by nearly all orthodox commentators as that of a narrow, self-centered, ill-tempered man. There is no evidence of this in the story. He does not seek to reverse the decision of the Almighty. He does not plead with God to change His mind.. He does not advance any argument such as the peril to future generations of Israelites if the city is spared. His acceptance of the Divine decree is full and absolute, but his feeling of one-ness with God is so intense that he feels privileged to "speak his mind" as we would say to a familiar friend. "Was not this my saying," he says, "when I was yet in my own country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil" (verse 2). These words are wonderful words to have been uttered so early in Israel’s history. This is no "tribal god of the Hebrews", as some would have us believe was the only conception of God to which men had attained at that time. Here is a man who knows that God is Love, knows it so well that directly Nineveh repented he realized that the threatened destruction would not come. Against his own will and desire he had been made the instrument of salvation to the Assyrians and of future anguish to his own people. His mind could reach no farther than that. Assyria would one day forget her repentance and newly found piety and return to her old ways. He knew that. And then would come to pass the desolations of Israel foretold by prophets of old and perhaps seen by him also in prophetic vision. He knew that too, and he could not bear the knowledge. In the bitterness of his soul, he prayed that he might rest in death, for life no longer held anything of value to him. "Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live" (verse 3). Like Elijah of old, he was utterly discouraged and dispirited. He had not wrought any deliverance for Israel; he had not had any greater success than his predecessors; he could not bear to see his countrymen suffer, and so, despite all the wonderful preservation he had experienced, he prayed now that he might die.

And in all his grief he quite forgot that if Assyria could be saved by repentance, so could Israel. One of the most striking impressions one gathers from the story of Jonah is the prophet’s ignoring of his own people’s sin. He was zealous for judgment upon Nineveh, but not for judgment upon Israel.

In that fact lies a lesson for all time. Jesus brought it home to the individual, made of it a personal matter, when He spoke of the man seeking to pluck the mote out from his brothers eye, all the time failing to perceive the beam in his own. (Lu 6:41) So Jonah had yet to learn the greatest lesson of all—the overruling and overriding providence of God which is able to protect and deliver those who are sincerely His own, even although to our human reasoning there seems to be no way out.

The reply of God to Jonah is one of the most intimate touches of the Father’s attitude that we have on record. In an indulgent, almost semi-humorous tone, He asks "Art thou greatly angry?" The Hebrew can be equally well translated as in the text or the margin, but the latter does perhaps agree better with the setting. "Art thou greatly angry?" asks the Most High gently. But Jonah is in no mood to respond lightly. He is in deadly earnest. "I am angry, even unto death," or, as we would say, "I am deadly angry." Such an answer is demanded at this point. although it does not appear in the text. The conversation probably took place in the booth Jonah had erected, for although verse 5 reads as though Jonah then went out and built his booth, a number of scholars consider that the verse should read; "Now Jonah had gone out of the city and abode on the east side of the city, and there he had made him a booth, and had sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city." It is certainly more reasonable to expect that after the Ninevites’ repentance Jonah would retire and wait the forty days to see what the outcome was going to be.

We may picture him therefore as making his way eastwards, through the Ninlil Gate beside the great reservoirs which supplied Nineveh with water, over the outer ramparts and along the road leading across the plain east of the city. It is here that we come across one of the many evidences of the historical accuracy of the Scriptures which the critics so often miss. Jonah "sat on the east side of the city" and there sat "until he would see what might become of the city". Since the city, with all its suburbs, is known to have covered an area of about twenty miles along the river and more than ten miles across, an observer having this intention must needs occupy a position fairly high in altitude and a suitable number of miles away in order to have the entire city in his field of vision. Now the ruins of Nineveh—which was situated in the eastern side of the River Tigris opposite the present Iraqi city of Mossul—are in the middle of an extensive flat plain with the Kurdish mountains some fifty miles away. In the whole of this plain there are only two eminences, minor mountains. One of these heights, known today as Jebel Satra, some two thousand feet high and about a mile across, lies exactly due east of Nineveh at a distance of sixteen miles. The view from the summit of this eminence would see the horizon at fifty-eight miles away, with the entire city plainly in view below. Without any doubt it was to this locality that Jonah made his way, and built his little booth of tree branches and foliage at a height on its slopes from which he could view the city spread out, as it were, almost at his feet. Here, safe from interference, he could await the outcome.

Who, but someone who was actually there and experienced this incident, could have described so accurately what the topography of the countryside reveals to have been the position?

So there on the slopes Jonah built his little booth and sat under it, gazing upon the city spread out on the plain below him and the River Tigris winding across the desert toward the sea. There he sat on the fortieth day, waiting, hoping against hope for the catastrophe. It could be so easy for God—a great flood as in the days of Noah, a wall of water rolling down the river bursting over those lofty walls, overflowing the houses and palaces, carrying all that pride and splendor away in one vast maelstrom of rushing torrents until great Nineveh was reduced to a sea of mud. Or there could be fire and brimstone from heaven, as in the days of Abraham when God destroyed the cities of the plain. There were so many ways in which Nineveh could be overthrown but the sun came up on the morning of the forty-first day, and as the pools of mist cleared away from the plain the city stood revealed in all its accustomed magnificence; the river rolled on to the sea as serenely as ever and Jonah was exceedingly angry. But God was not finished with Jonah yet. There was a personal lesson to learn, and now was the time when the prophet would be impressionable. So as Jonah remained in his booth, a light shelter of tree branches, ill adapted to protect him from the noonday heat, a spreading vine-like plant began to grow and twine itself over the booth. The A.V. calls it a "gourd" which is incorrect, and adds that the LORD "prepared" it. This word actually means "appointed", and the implication is that the LORD had arranged for this all along; probably Jonah was led to erect his little booth just at the point where the shrub was already growing. There has been a lot of discussion as to the nature of Jonah’s "gourd". The Hebrew word is kikayon occurring only here, and is generally agreed to refer to the castor oil tree, which has large flat leaves and according to a more modern resident of Kurdish Iraq is still employed as a wind-break. It is renowned for its rapidity of growth and equally rapid withering when cut. According to the story, the Lord had arranged this "to be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief So Jonah was exceeding glad of this gourd". Apparently he sat during the day with the city in full view, hoping against hope that the threatened judgment might yet be inflicted upon the sinful though now repentant city, and this increasing mantle of shady leaves became a welcome protection from the midday sun. Considering Jonah’s present attitude, the Lord was being exceedingly understanding.

But Jonah’s contentment was short-lived. "The Lord appointed a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered". The word used, talaath, denotes the type of insect that lives on the ground and feeds on decaying vegetable matter. Apparently a horde of these insects attacked the young tree it would still be relatively immature and succulent and before long it succumbed and withered, leaving the prophet without shelter, angry and resentful. And then, as the sun began to beat down upon his head, there arose "a vehement east wind"—the words mean hot or sultry and Jonah just gave up. "1 wish I could die; it is better for me to die than to live". Came that soft voice from Heaven, inspiring itself upon his consciousness, "Art thou greatly angry because of the shrub?" And in his frustration and resentment he made answer in a tone no other prophet ever dared to use to the Almighty. "I am greatly angry, deadly angry". The shrub had sprung forth according to the dictates of Nature and was quietly pursuing its appointed course fulfilling its function in affording shade to the prophet and withal contributing something to the beauty of the environment. It could have had a useful future, Jonah may have thought crossly, but now the Lord had callously cut its life short and ended all hope for that and he himself had lost his shelter from the noonday sun into the bargain. He was deadly angry, and in his mind justifiably so, and now he wanted nothing more to do with this mission to Nineveh or with the whole matter of Nineveh’s future. He just wanted to die and be out of it all and what the Lord would eventually do with the Ninevites he neither cared nor wanted to know. It had been a very fine shrub and it had served a very acceptable purpose so far as he himself had been concerned and now the Lord had quite arbitrarily and unnecessarily destroyed it and he was bitterly resentful. Which is where the Lord came back to him.

"Then said the Lord, Thou hast pity on the shrub, for that which thou hast not labored, neither made it grow, which came up in a night, and perished in a night. And should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?"

Paraphrasing: "You are concerned about the well-being of a shrub which is destined to grow quickly in its season and to perish as quickly (Heb. idiom "A son of the night it was, and as a son of the night it died") of which you were not the creator nor have you done anything towards its creation or growth. Why then should I not be equally concerned about Nineveh, a great city of a hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants who are so ignorant of moral values that they cannot discern between good and evil—not to speak of much cattle who have just as much right to life as your shrub?" Jonah’s reply, if in fact he made any reply to the Lord at all, is not recorded. Perhaps he did not reply. What could he have said? The God he served is a God of love and mercy, and Jonah had not displayed much of either towards the Ninevites. He was in fact not so very different from a good many modern Christians, devoted to the service of the Lord they love, but more zealous for the punishment of sinners than for their reclamation. "The wages of sin is death" looms rather more prominently in their theology than does "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly".

But there was more to come. "it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said ‘It is better for me to die than to live" (verse 8).

This "vehement east wind" is a well known phenomenon in Iraq and Iran. Under certain circumstances, the sun’s heat produces an eddy of intensely heated air which can kill a man in a few seconds. The natives call it the sam or poison wind. Marco Polo, the Venetian traveler of the thirteenth century, tells of this wind having suffocated sixteen hundred horsemen and five thousand footmen on one occasion in Iran and a modern writer, so lately as 1928, tells of a case in his own knowledge where a man was struck down and suffocated in this very district. It need not be considered any exaggeration, therefore, when we read that Jonah fainted and wished in himself to die.

Again that gentle indulgent question, "Art thou greatly angry?" and again the same sullen reply, "I am greatly angry, deadly angry." Swift as an arrow came the accusation from the Almighty, "Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not labored, neither made it grow; son of the night it was, and as a son of the night it died. And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand people that cannot discern between their right and their left hand; and also much cattle?"

Jonah had no answer. The reason? The pity and mercy of God is greater by far than the sentiment of men. Jonah had admitted to feelings of pity and mercy for this creeper of the field, a few strands of vegetation whose life was inevitably for a brief span and even then only to serve as food for living creatures of a slightly higher order in creation. A son of the night it was and as a son of the night it died, and yet for this humble representative of the plant world Jonah had pity. How much more would God have pity for that great city which housed a hundred and twenty thousand human beings, with all the tremendous possibilities inherent in their hearts and minds. True, their ignorance of God was so profound that in His sight they could not yet discern between their right hand and their left but one day they will come before Him for that instruction which may well bring them into His image and likeness. They were cruel and bloodthirsty by upbringing and training, but they were not utterly depraved. Their repentance, short-lived though it was, showed that, and God knows that He can, in due time, do much with that unpromising material.

"And also much cattle." Jonah was solicitous for the creeping vine; God was tender toward the cattle. Can we take a leading point from this? Man is to be the glory of earthly creation, a king over this dominion and God took pains at the first to make him in His own image and likeness. But God does not forget that He made the cattle too, and took delight in what He had made, and has a place for them in His world. When the angel of death was hovering over the threatened city, God looked down and saw, besides repentant men, the dumb beasts His own hand had made, and on their account too He bade the angel sheath his sword.

So we leave Jonah, in his booth, waiting.......for what? We know not. We do not know whether he spent the rest of his days in Nineveh or went back to his own land. We do not know whether this experience closed his career or if he was given yet other works to undertake. What is claimed to be his tomb is shown at Nineveh, and again at the modern village which stands on the site of the ancient Gathhepher, and again in the village of Khan Yunus on the southern frontier of Israel. We do not know where he is buried. The curtain drops upon a lonely man, sitting in his little shelter away there on the Kurdish hills, bitter in his disappointment and apprehensive for the future, and yet, we may hope, conscious of a dawning realization that there is something grander and greater in the plans of God for mankind than either he or his people had ever dreamed. The full understanding of that has to wait for a later day, a day when the One whom Jonah prefigured is revealed to men at His Second Coming to complete the work He began at his First. Like Jonah, He went into death and was raised up out of death. But still the world was not converted; was not made again in God’s likeness. More; the vast majority of men have gone into death without even so much as hearing the only "name given under heaven whereby we must be saved". (Ac 4:12) The world is still waiting for that day of Christ’s reign on earth, when all, the living and the dead, will come before Him to hear the gospel of the Divine purposes proclaimed to them as it has never been proclaimed yet. The lesson of Nineveh is that God condemns no man until he has had a full opportunity to accept the Divine way of life. The reign of Christ on earth will give all, the awakened dead as well as the living, a full opportunity to learn and accept God’s ways and be reconciled to him through acceptance and discipleship of Jesus Christ. Only if and when that opportunity has been intelligently and deliberately rejected will God turn sorrowfully away and leave the incorrigible sinner to his choice. That is why Jesus said (Joh 5:28,29) that all will return from the grave, some to a resurrection to life, but others to a resurrection to judgment. That is why Daniel said (Da 12:2) some will rise to enduring life and others to shame and enduring contempt. That is why those Ninevites despite all their vices and depravity, their short-lived repentance and national obduracy, will stand face to face with others, men and women of today, mute witnesses to a long-foretold condemnation. For it was said by One having authority "The men of Nineveh shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and BEHOLD, A GREATER THAN JONAS IS HERE!"

THE END

Apologies

We apologize for the error of the name of Joshua instead of Aaron appearing on page 94 of the July/August issue.

(Note: This was fixed when prepared for use on the Internet.Our thanks to the publishers for bringing these things to our attention so that you may enjoy their efforts with minimal error. [Middletown site manager])

THE WATERS OF SHILOAH

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Spiritual truth basedon a natural fact"Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son; now therefore, behold, the Lord will bring up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory, and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks.". (Isa 8:6-7)

Deep down beneath Jerusalem there is a strata of hard, impervious rock, sloping very gently towards the south-east. All the rain that falls upon the city percolates into the ground gathers at last upon that unyielding shelf and forms underground streams which emerge at length as springs upon the hillsides outside the city. By far the most important of these springs is that known as the Virgin’s Fountain, halfway down the steep sides of the valley of Jehoshaphat. This spring never fails; the underground reservoirs feed it constantly and from time immemorial it has formed Jerusalem’s most reliable water supply. The Jebusites, long before Joshua invaded the Promised Land with his hosts, had bored a tunnel from the fountain into the mountainous mass upon which their stronghold was built and had then made a vertical shaft to the surface so that they could descend and draw water in times of siege without having to venture outside their walls. In much later times the Israelites—probably in the period between David and Ahaz had built a covered aqueduct just under the ground to convey the water from the Virgin’s Fountain to the Pool of Siloam, with the same purpose in mind. When Sennacherib invaded Judah in the reign of Hezekiah the son of Ahaz it would seem that this aqueduct had been blocked up and knowledge of its course lost, for Hezekiah set to work and excavated another tunnel through the mountain to convey the water to the Pool of Siloam, which was by then inside the city walls. In our days both Hezekiah’s tunnel and the remains of the earlier aqueduct have been found, the latter buried far underneath the soil and rubbish which has accumulated in the Valley of Jehoshaphat since the days of Isaiah.

It was this lost aqueduct to which Isaiah referred in the text. That overflowing water coming out from the heart of the mountain below the city and the Temple. never failing, always fresh and clear, was a very real Divine provision for the people. It was a kind of literal counterpart of the spiritual provision sustenance, refreshment, protection which God had made for his Chosen. Quietly, unobtrusively, safe from all attack by enemies, the waters of Shiloah "flowed softly" to meet the needs of dwellers in the city, and in just the same way God’s provision for His people was always there and always effective to meet all their needs and shield them from all harm, provided they would but exercise the faith necessary to avail themselves of its benefits.

But the people would not. They turned away from the gentle, pure, life-giving stream and fastened their covetous eyes upon other waters, waters that were outwardly more spectacular and more pleasing to the natural senses; but waters that, had they but realized the fact, were not waters of life at all. They were waters which in the end brought trouble and disaster and death.

Away across the desert, in the land of Assyria, there was a mighty river. Men today call it the Tigris, but the Assyrians gave it a name which meant "shining water". They had built their capital city of Nineveh upon that river and from there had set out to conquer the world. The Assyrians are known chiefly to students of the Old Testament for their military skill and their ruthlessness, but they were also an industrious and an artistic people, and they had harnessed their great river so that it became the principal support of their economy. The river and its tributaries had been dammed at various places to create artificial lakes, great reservoirs which stored up the water that came down from the highland in abundance in springtime, when the winter snows melted. From these lakes they had cut canals, leading in every direction through the desert, and irrigated the soil so that it became one of the most fertile countries in the world. The children of Israel knew of this lovely country, so different from their own rugged, austere Judea—many of them visited Assyria as merchants and brought back tales of its grandeur; Jonah had preached in Nineveh only a century or so before Isaiah’s day and as they compared the earthly beauty and the man-made efficiency of that widespread network of rivers and canals with their own modest, quiet, hidden stream of Shiloah, they turned away from the living waters and gave preference to the waters of the great river. They forgot their own stream had never failed them and had always sufficed for their needs, and turned instead to embrace the appeal of a worldly creation, the continuance of which depended upon the will and the whim of imperfect men.

Today, the great dams are in ruins, the canals choked up with silt and sand, the onetime fertile fields returned to desert. The river, once alive with boats and teeming with activity, now winds sluggishly through marshes choked with reeds and rushes. The work of man has utterly failed and all the glories of yesterday have become as a fading flower. But the waters of Shiloah flow still, as abundantly and as fresh and pure as in the days of Isaiah. The women of Jerusalem still draw water from the Pool, and the gardens around the south-east corner of the city are still watered from its overflow.

Assyria was the undoing of Israel eventually. Because the people had refused the waters of Shiloah, God told the prophet He Himself would bring upon them the waters of the great river to overflow and submerge them in a great destruction. And so it came to pass. In the midst of their unbelief and wilfulness and apostasy the Assyrian hosts overran their land and took them away into captivity. Thus was fulfilled the word of the Lord "I will bring upon them the waters of the river even the king of Assyria and all his glory, and he shall come up over all his channels and go over all his banks". That is always the fate of the people that turn away from the Lord’s guidance and leading and permits itself to be dazzled by the more spectacular attraction of worldly things and methods. Doubtless the scientifically arranged canals of Assyria were technically much more efficient in watering the land than the quietly flowing underground stream emerging from the rocky hillside outside Jerusalem, but those canals could only be kept in operation by a prodigious amount of labor, and when the labor failed, as all human effort and organization must eventually fail, the wonderful channels with their sluice gates and regulators and mechanical contrivances quickly went out of action and the water ceased to flow and the land dried up and became a desert. The stream that was the river of God has always remained full of water and has always made glad the city of God. Jeremiah saw this very clearly, and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he cried out aloud, "My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water".( Jer 2:13) How often in the days that have passed since Jeremiah, have God’s people repeated that tragic mistake! And it is not as though there had been no warning, no entreaty. "O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments", comes the voice of the Most High, regretful, sad, pleading. "Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.". (Isa 48:18) It is impossible not to see in that eloquent appeal the picture of the waters of Shiloah, flowing softly, quietly, steadily, surely, through their narrow channel, to supply all the needs of the people of God in the holy city. We may enjoy those waters, in a spiritual sense, if we but rely upon them and turn our backs upon the shining waters that have been gathered together by the mind and power of man. David in the twenty-third psalm sings of his being led by the LORD beside the still waters, where his soul became restored and where he found the quiet pathways of righteousness. Perhaps he too had followed the course of that crystal stream and seen in it a fit symbol of the Divine sustenance which he knew his soul needed.

This is a great truth, enshrined in this vivid picture. Divine provision for all our needs! The lesson is as necessary to us as it was to Israel after the flesh perhaps more so, for we live in a day that offers far more in the way of distraction and attraction. There are more theories abroad, more subtle reasonings that tend to turn our minds away from the "truth as it is in Jesus". Especially is it so in this latter day, the day of the world’s trouble and world’s judgment, when the keenest and brightest of human minds are busy devising plans and schemes to restore the balance of the world without calling upon the aid of God, and the constantly deferred expectations of the "saints" tempt more than a few to give some ear to the alternatives suggested by man. Is that why the forty-sixth Psalm, in the midst of its description of world judgment, reminds us once more of the river of God that will supply all our needs? "Though the earth be removed.... though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.... though the waters thereof rage and swell.... though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof Yet, for all this there is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God." In the midst of the din and clash of earth’s kingdoms, locked in deadly conflict, falling and disintegrating into irretrievable ruin, the waters of Shiloah flow softly still, yielding refreshment and strength to all who continue to put their faith in them. "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."

It is only to be expected that this Divine provision for the people of God should evoke a response of praise to God. That at any rate is the theme of the Psalmist’s words in the sixty-fifth Psalm. The whole psalm is one of praise. It opens with the well-known words "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion; and unto thee shall the vow be performed" and in verses 9 and 10 the singer seems clearly to have brought the underground "river of God" into the scope of his song, "Thou visiteth the earth, and waterest it; thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water". Now this could be a poetic phrase with no intentional application to any particular river, just a rapturous acknowledgment of the blessings of rain and water wherewith the land could bring forth its increase. On the other hand, the expression "the river of God" is significant, and the phraseology of the next verse does seem to indicate that David had the waters of Shiloah very specially in mind when he composed this noble psalm. "Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly; thou settlest the furrows thereof" The word for "furrow" is geled, meaning a man-made channel or a mechanical excavation. It is used to describe the aqueducts which were made all over the land to convey the precious water without risking its loss by evaporation. "Settlest" means to descend, to go down or to deepen. There is the thought here of the life-giving water descending or flowing down an excavation in the course of its beneficent work, an apt description of the stream from the Virgin’s Fountain flowing through the underground aqueduct to the Pool of Shiloah. In his joy at the continued providence of God thus manifested, David cries "thou crownest the year with thy goodness.... the valleys are covered over with corn, they shout for joy, they also sing." A continuous song of praise is pictured as rising to God from all things in the land, animate and inanimate, because the living water is flowing and does not fail. In a spiritual sense our lives should be like that. In all our circumstances and in all our activities the background of praise should always be evident. We may not at all times see the river flowing; our ears may not continuously hear the murmur of its waters; the outward evidence of its presence may become for a while hard to discern or appreciate, but the river is always there. The waters of Shiloah will never fail, they can never fail, for they come forth from God. And while the waters flow our welfare is assured and we can and should continue to give praise to God. Like the sunlit valleys in David’s psalm, we can shout for joy; we can also sing!

Isaiah, too, rises to this high plain of praise for the blessings of the river of God, but true to his character he wants to bring all men into the picture and extend his view far beyond the Gospel Age and the Church, into the Messianic Age and the world of men. Neither has he yet finished with those Assyrian canals on which he poured such scorn previously, even though knowing, and declaring, that the great river would triumph temporarily over the river of God insofar as unfaithful Israel was concerned. But Isaiah knew that the great river would be rolled back and the river of God come into its own again, in due time, and by a bold reversal of imagery he sees the quiet waters of Shiloah expand and increase and invade the territory of the great river and reach, with its life giving waters, all the world.

"Look upon Zion" he cries "the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby. ".(Isa 33:20-21) These "broad rivers and streams" are the ship canals and irrigation channels of Assyria, intersecting the level fields of that almost completely flat country in all directions, used both for agriculture and the transport of men and goods. Shipping of all kinds, from tiny coracles made of wickerwork and covered with bitumen, to boats capable of carrying a hundred tons of goods, crowded those waterways continually. Isaiah looked at all that in the spirit of his mind, then at the quiet little stream bubbling out of the hillside below the Temple, and said in effect "In that day when Jerusalem is pronounced holy to the LORD, He will cause those quiet waters of Shiloah to become great rivers and canals overspreading all the land and bringing life wheresoever they come. But there will be no ships"; the "galleys with oars" and "gallant ships" were the merchant vessels and the war vessels, for the Assyrians had battleships suited to their day and age; and Isaiah made it plain then and there that the evils of commercialism and militarism will have no place in that new land of living waters which the LORD God is to introduce when the "broken cisterns" of men have passed away.

The waters of Shiloah will not always flow in secret, hidden from sight, disesteemed of men and precious only in the sight of God and those who trust in God. Men will not always look to the shining waters of Assyria for their needs and put their trust in that which is man-made to the ignoring of that which is God-made. The waters of Shiloah will one day flow forth to meet the needs of all the world. It is Ezekiel who makes that so very plain. In his vision of the Millennial Temple he sees waters emerging from underneath the sanctuary, at the south side of the altar, flowing eastward and emerging again under the outer wall at the south side of the east gate. It is an interesting fact that the literal stream that has its source in some undiscovered subterranean recess deep down below the place where Solomon’s Temple stood does emerge below the city wall, half way down the side of the valley, on the south of the Eastern Gate, from thence flowing into the Virgin’s Fountain and onward to the Pool of Siloam. Ezekiel’s description is really a poetic replica of the stream that actually exists at Jerusalem. It is impossible to avoid the thought that he had that well-known stream in mind when he saw the vision. And he saw it going outward into the country, growing wider and deeper all the time, until at last as a mighty torrent it reached the eastern sea, the Dead Sea, and healed those salt laden waters so that they too became fresh and pure. "Everything shall live whither the river cometh" he said. (Eze 47:9) And as he looked, he saw trees, trees on both sides, growing rapidly and coming to maturity, evergreen trees whose leaves never faded and whose fruit was borne continually. That fruit, he said was to be for the food of man, and those leaves for medicine, for the healing of the nations, and the source of the virtue that resided in both fruit and leaves was the river of life in which the trees were rooted, a mighty flood that will encompass all the world and will reach every man, the waters of Shiloah, flowing out from the sanctuary, becoming a river of water of life to which all are invited to come, and of which all are urged to partake. "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come, And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.". (Re 22:17)

The waters of Shiloah will flow to all eternity, for life can only be sustained by the continuing power of God. Through all the long cycles of the endless ages of glory, man will depend upon God for life and will look to him for life, and that life will come ceaselessly, surely, enduringly, out of the sanctuary where God dwells, and reach to the farthest bounds of His material creation. The waters will never cease, for man himself will never cease to be. In God, the Father of all, men will live, and move, and have their being.

THE BELOVED PHYSICIAN

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"Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.". (Col 4:14) This is one of the three brief, direct references to Luke in Paul’s epistles. We may glean further information about him from the two books of the New Testament which he wrote. He was a Gentile Christian, possibly a native of Antioch in Syria and it is believed that in this city he became a Christian and first met the Apostle Paul.

There has been very little doubt throughout the history of the Church, from the days of the Early Fathers until the scholarship of recent years, that Luke was the writer of the third Gospel and of the book known as the Acts of the Apostles. Luke provides the first clue that he was in Paul’s party when it crossed into Europe. Up to this point Paul and his companions had been referred to in the third person as "they" but Ac 16:10 reads "And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go to Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them". In Philippi a persecution broke out causing Paul and Silas to leave the city hurriedly. It appears, from the language used, that Luke remained behind to consolidate the preaching that had already been done and to build up a Church which in after years earned great praise from Paul in his letter to them. It was at Philippi where Luke rejoined Paul at the close of the apostle’s third missionary journey recorded in Ac 20:6. Except for relatively short absences, Paul and Luke remained together until Luke abruptly laid down his pen in Rome never to add to his record.

As Paul traveled towards Jerusalem for the last time he gathered together those who carried the gifts from the Gentile churches to their Jewish brethren. He mentions this work in his second letter to the Corinthians and some authorities regard the reference to "the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches" to be Luke (2Co 8:18) Prior to his voyage to Rome, Paul spent two years at Caesarea and it seems probable that during this period Luke did much of the research for writing the Gospel and first episodes of the Acts.

The account of the journey to Rome is very interesting because of the many incidental details which Luke added. Like all his descriptive passages he paints a vivid picture of their adventures in the boat and towards the end, it becomes an exciting story. Finally they reached Rome together and shortly afterwards we lose sight of Luke except for two final glimpses of the ‘beloved physician’ through the eyes of his great friend. To Philemon, Paul described Luke as a fellow worker. At the close of his life, amid much trouble, in which his other brethren left him, Paul wrote to Timothy "Only Luke is with me" So he remained with the invalid apostle to attend his physical ailments and encourage him through his lonely detention.

Paul must have found a kindred spirit in this very gifted and devout follower of the Lord. Both had forsaken worldly wealth and ambition to become disciples of Jesus and to preach the gospel. They shared a great thirst for truth and neither spared effort to overthrow popular superstition and outdated tradition. It was for this reason that Luke commenced an orderly and accurate account of "those things which are most surely believed among us,". (Lu 1:1) Although no attempt was made to write a complete biography of the Master, Luke gives a fuller and more balanced picture of the Lord than the three Jewish evangelists. As a Gentile, he saw things in a different light from the other gospel writers; from a broader and more universal aspect. They were concerned to show Jesus primarily as the Messiah of Israel, he of whom the Hebrew Scriptures spoke. They looked for the restoration of their national kingdom. Luke saw Jesus as the Savior of the world, who alone could heal suffering mankind. He was interested in the pagan and outcast as well as the favored people of God. How much does the third gospel tell us about the character of the writer?

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Luke wrote the most beautiful book in the world. He was a brilliant writer and his gospel is of high literary value. He had great freedom and ability in the use of the Greek language, yet the style is simple and pure. There is a charm and earnestness in his anecdotes which appeals to the youngest reader; yet there is exactness of detail which holds the interest of the careful student.

In the third Gospel we have the setting of Christ’s life in the Roman world, and historical data is given which links our Lord’s life with the society in which he lived. Most of the information which we have about the birth and early years of Jesus are in Luke’s record. He it is who depicts our Master in the home and family life of his day. It was the custom of the first century to keep women and children in a place of inferiority and it is Luke who most clearly showed that Jesus gave them their rightful place. He emphasized the gentle and simple things in the purpose of God. All this gives evidence of Luke’s wide sympathies, which extended still further when we consider the parables and miracles which are peculiar to his record.

Luke was interested in the poor and despised, and our Lord’s visit to the synagogue at Nazareth recorded in Lu 4 was an appropriate beginning to His ministry. It is Luke’s pen that gives us the great stories of compassion in the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. It is he who tells of the striking contrasts between the Pharisee and publican praying in the Temple, and the real life study of Simon and the ‘sinful woman’. Luke emphasized the evils of class and racial prejudice in the record of the parable of the ‘rich fool’ and in Jesus’ tolerance towards the Samaritans.

As a medical doctor Luke would be intimately acquainted with human suffering, and his description of miracles of healing demonstrate his knowledge and his sympathy. He wrote about the "man full of leprosy" in Lu 5:12, and the woman who could not straighten herself (13: 11). He refers to Peter’s mother-in-law as having a ‘great fever’ (4: 38). His delicate and restrained treatment of our Lord’s experience in Gethsemane is masterly and again a singularly professional reference to the ‘drops of blood’.( Lu 22:44) The word ‘wholesome’ adopted by Paul in his later epistles is peculiar to Luke’s gospel among the evangelists, found in Lu 5:31 7:10; and 15: 27.

However, he was not only a scientist and historian; he had great interest in devotional aspects of the Christian life, and has been called the first Christian hymnologist. The remarkable poems of Mary at her visit to Elizabeth and of Zacharias at the birth of John the Baptist are a tribute to Luke’s diligence. The third Gospel gives us the greatest insight into our Lord’s prayer life. It records Jesus’ teaching about prayer and also gives us several of his prayers at critical times in his ministry, as when he spent all night in prayer before selecting the disciples. In narrating the Transfiguration on the mount, it is Luke who informs us that Jesus was praying. Finally, on the cross, his prayer of forgiveness (not spurious as some have supposed) was a precious memory of our Savior preserved by Luke.

In the third gospel and in Acts the writer added numerous facts, incidental to the main story which left him open to serious criticism if they were inaccurate. During the last hundred and fifty years many scholars have endeavored to discover faults in his writings. Their suspicions and suppositions have proved groundless. The more that Biblical and secular archaeology advance, the more evidence accumulates corroborating Luke’s statements. The matter is summed up in the words of Rendle Short in his book "Modern discovery and the Bible", "Luke correctly describes and gives the names of so many towns which he and Paul passed through in their travels that many of our Bibles contain maps to show the exact routes followed. He shows the true Greek love for the sea. He constantly, and for no apparent reason gives the names of islands passed, tells on which side the ship sailed by, whether the wind was favorable or unfavorable, what ports served inland towns, in which direction the harbor looked and so on. Later Rendle Short quotes from Bishop Gore "It should, of course, be recognized that modern archeology has almost forced upon critics of St. Luke a verdict of remarkable accuracy in all his allusions to secular facts and events... Eduard Mayer, has called the work of Luke ‘one of the most important works which remain to us from antiquity’ and Mayer has certainly no prejudices in favor of religious tradition."

In writing of the experiences of Paul, in much of which he was an eye-witness. Luke gives many geographical and nautical notes which richly embellish an exciting account of a thrilling story. In the first chapter of Acts we are given the Master’s command to the disciples, telling them that they were to be his witnesses from Judea through Samaria to the uttermost parts of the Earth. The book unfolds for us the fulfilment of that prophetic command, as the gospel was preached along the Roman highways until it reached Rome the center of the great empire. Several of the events which Luke writes in the early chapters of Acts show the impact of the Gospel on the Jewish world. The dramatic power of the Holy Spirit, the radical transformation of the first disciples, the early persecution and martyrdom, give a clear picture of obedience within the early Church to the word of the Lord. The first message of the church was salvation through the resurrected Lord, for they were "witnesses of the resurrection." Woven into the expanding story of the early Church, are anecdotes of healing which again bear testimony to Luke’s medical interest. He uses words in Acts as in his gospel which are technical terms and only normally found in standard medical works such as Hippocrates. Dr. E. H. Plumtre has shown in an interesting treatise how the vocabulary of the Apostle Paul was influenced by his companionship with Luke. In his later epistles, the Apostle introduces words which like those of Luke would normally only be found in medical text books. As in his gospel, Acts reflects the meticulous care with which Luke wrote. Yet after nineteen centuries his narrative remains vivid and real.

One of the most important lessons from Luke’s two books is his humility which stamps him as a truly great man; he never mentions himself. Except for evidence which he unwittingly gave, together with the testimony of others, we should never have known who the worthy disciple was to whom, in the Lord’s providence, we owe so much. Was this the end of his story? Some have thought it to be an abrupt end to Acts. Had he reached the end of his long roll of papyrus? Others see the Acts as a record of how the Good News was brought from Jerusalem to Rome and the author therefore had completed his task. Luke’s first book speaks to us of ‘those things which Jesus began to do and teach’. His second work is a treatise of those things which Jesus ‘continued to do and to teach’ through his followers. That story did not end with Paul, or with Luke or with any of the first disciples. It has continued through the Christian era until this day and it is our privilege to continue those things which Jesus "began to do and teach".

THE TRANSLATION OF ENOCH

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Enoch is one of the most singular characters of the Old Testament, a man who appears on the stage only to leave it immediately; visible long enough for it to be known that he was a man of God and that God took him. The Old Testament says "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him"; (Ge 5:24) the writer to the Hebrews adds "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God". (Heb 11:5) This unusual ending to the brief record of a saintly man’s life has given rise to endless 0conjecture and speculation; so much so that the question "What really did happen to Enoch?" is by no means an uncommon one.

The usual conclusion of nineteenth century commentators was that Enoch went to heaven without dying—a kind of instantaneous passage from the scenes of earth to the presence of God. Many have found this a satisfactory answer, but the fact that other words of Scripture are contradicted by this conclusion is sufficient justification for an endeavor to attain a deeper and more accurate understanding of these two cryptic texts. In such an enquiry any suggestion which may be of assistance, no matter from what source it comes, will be of value as an aid to thought.

Besides the two texts quoted above, Enoch is mentioned in only one other place in the Scriptures. Jude (verse 14) quotes him as predicting the coming of the Lord with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment. This reference contributes nothing to our knowledge of the life of the prophet and does not materially assist our enquiry. It does however stamp Enoch as one of the prophets who spoke of the coming of the Day of the Lord.

The first point of enquiry is as to the precise meaning of the words in Ge 5:24. Does the phrase "Enoch walked with God, and Enoch was not, for God took him" really mean that he was taken to heaven without dying as is so often supposed, or does it bear another meaning?

What man is he that liveth and shall not see death?" asks the Psalmist. (Ps 89:48) "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God" says Paul (1Co 15:50) and again "the King of Kings and Lord of Lords... dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen nor can see.". (1Ti 6:16) Our Lord declared "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man.". (Joh 3:13) Such Scriptures are sufficient to confirm that no man, not even Enoch, has escaped death, even had not the writer to the Hebrews stated so definitely, after including Enoch in his portrait gallery of heroes, that "these all died in faith". (Heb 11:13) It should be accepted therefore that Enoch, when his allotted span was expired, did pass into death and "slept with his fathers"

The use of that latter expression serves as a clue to this strange word in Ge 5:24. Although we must believe that Enoch did eventually sleep with his fathers, there is no record to that effect in Genesis. This is the more strange when it is noticed that in every other case the formula is consistently the same "Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son... And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.". (Ge 5:3-6) The same expressions are used for each of the patriarchs up to Methuselah, except Enoch. Why the exception?

Is it not a reasonable conclusion that the time and circumstances of Enoch’s death were not known to the men of his day, and therefore the record could not be completed? There is another fact that helps to confirm this thought. The ages of the antediluvian patriarchs ranged between 895 and 969 years, but that stated of Enoch is an exception. The record states that he lived 365 years and God took him. It is possible that the ancient historian intended his readers to understand Enoch lived 365 years among men, famed for his piety and at that age disappeared unaccountably and was never heard of again? Was it that God took Enoch away from the habitations of men perchance to carry out some work during the remainder of his earthly life, living perhaps as long as his fellow patriarchs but like Moses, ending his life in a solitary place known only to God?

"Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." The Hebrew here has the significance of "walking to and fro" as a man does with his bosom companion. That could well depict the fact that Enoch was a man living in close and habitual communion with God in a day when quite certainly the wickedness of man was increasing on the earth and "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually". (Ge 6:5) Heb. 11: 5 confirms this view by saying "Before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Picture then this venerable man surrounded, in all probability, by a godly family, attaining what would be considered "middle age" of nearly four hundred years. One day Enoch was not to be found; he "was not" for he had been "translated". What had happened?

"God took him" says Genesis. The word is "laqach" meaning "to be taken away" or "removed" as in Am 7:15 "The Lord took me as I followed the flock," and Jos 24:3 "I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood". A more definite word is used by the writer to the Hebrews when he declared that Enoch was "translated". The two occurrences of this word in this verse are from the Greek metatethemi, meaning to take up an object and put it down somewhere else. These words appear frequently in the New Testament and a clear idea of their usage is gained by noting the following occurrences:

Heb 12:27 "signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken."

Ac 7:16 "And were carried over into Sychem.

Lu 16:4 "When I am put out of the stewardship"

Ac 19:26 "Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people."

This word "translate" continued to bear this same meaning, of transference from one place to another, in much later times. There is in Wakefield Cathedral a memorial tablet to a onetime Bishop of Wakefield who, at a certain date, says the tablet, was "translated to Newcastle," meaning that he was appointed to the latter city and so was transferred from Wakefield to Newcastle.

It is not necessary to insist that the expression "was not" must imply death, or the death condition. It need only indicate that the one referred to is not present or not to be found. A striking example of the usage of this expression occurs in the Babylonian story of the Flood. (It is probable that Ge 5 was originally written in the same language-Sumerian and perhaps not very much earlier than the Flood story, which has survived in its purest form in Genesis and in a much more distorted form in the Babylonian account.) Telling of the time when he sent forth the birds from the Ark, UtaNapishtim (the Babylonian Noah) says "To and fro went the dove, and returned, for a resting place was not". In this light the expression need only mean that Enoch was not to be found, and this is exactly what Heb 11:5 declares. This usage of the term "was not" is extremely frequent in Sumerian literature.

It seems then that both the inspired writers intended their readers to understand that Enoch was taken away from amongst men, but not necessarily to heaven. It could well be to some other part of the earth. From that day onward, Enoch was never seen or heard of again, and the ancient chronicler who first compiled the history which now appears in Ge 5 —probably in the days immediately after the Flood—was unable to say any more about this venerable character beyond the well known fact that in the three hundred and sixty-fifth year of his life he "was not—for God took him". Where He had taken him was not known, and for that reason the length of his earthly life and the time of his death could not be recorded.

Now it is a remarkable fact that the traditions of the Israelites shed a distinct light on the fact of, and reasons for, this mysterious disappearance. The apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus declares (44: 16) that "Enoch pleased the Lord and was translated, being an example of repentance unto all generations". This can only be taken as a reflection of Jewish understanding of the Genesis account, but one is impelled to ask in what way Enoch could be an "example" to "all generations". Perhaps the answer is to be found in the Hebrews verse, where it is said that in faith was Enoch translated, having already pleased God. (Heb 11:5) Now in that chapter Enoch’s faith is placed on the same level as that of Abraham, Moses and others, who at the call of God left their home, kindred and country and went out to a place which God would show them, not knowing whither they went. (Heb 11:8) Perhaps Enoch also went out to a solitary place, away from men, in close communion with God, to do a work for God just as did Abraham and Moses in later days, and maybe that was the secret of his translation.

Many have wondered from what source Jude took his famous quotation when he said (Jude 14) "Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints..." and so on, for the quotation is not to be found in the Old Testament. It was more than a hundred years ago that a complete copy of the "Book of Enoch" in which this passage occurs was made available in the English language, and although none would now claim that this book was written by Enoch, competent authorities declare that not only Jude but our Lord himself was quite familiar with it. It is to this book that we are indebted for sufficient light on Judaistic tradition to confirm the suggestion advanced above as to the nature of Enoch’s disappearance.

Although the Book of Enoch was put together in its present state no earlier than one or two centuries before Christ, its nature suggests that certain portions are taken from written records which are considerably older. Apart from a great deal of pseudo-astronomical lore with which we have no immediate concern, the book purports to tell of the conditions prevailing immediately before the Flood—an amplification of the story told briefly in chapter 6 of Genesis. It is evident that various "fragments" of older records, some considerably distorted by their passage through the generations, by copying and recopying, translation and re-translation, have been put together in a clumsy and disjointed fashion with much material of later composition, but a careful study of these "fragments" does reveal one very interesting fact. That fact is that the prevailing theme of the book is the taking of Enoch away from the world of men and his establishment in some part of the earth where he could not be approached except by one or two favored ones who were aware of the secret. The story tells of both Noah and Methuselah coming to hear his words. Perhaps the most eloquent passage in this connection is 1 Enoch 12: 1, which says "Before these things Enoch was hidden, and no one of the children of men knew where he was hidden, and where he abode, and what had become of him. And his activities had to do with the Watchers, and his days were with the Holy Ones". Again chapter 70, verse 1 declares "It came to pass after this that his name during his lifetime was raised aloft to the Son of Man and to the Lord of Spirits from amongst those who dwell on the earth. And he was raised aloft in the chariots of the Spirit and his name vanished from among them."

The similarity of this to the story of Elijah is very striking, and this likeness is heightened by words which are accredited to Enoch himself. (39: 3) "And in those days a whirlwind carried me off from the earth and set me down at the end of the heavens". Elijah too was separated from Elisha by a chariot of fire and carried up by a whirlwind into the heavens (2Ki 2:11) and the translation of Enoch is depicted here as having occurred in very similar fashion. The sons of the prophets besought Elisha that they might go and search the mountains, believing that the "wind of the Lord" (Heb. ruach, translated "wind" or "spirit" as required by the context, and incorrectly rendered "spirit" in this instance in the A.V.) might have dropped Elijah somewhere within reach. (2Ki 2:16) They searched and found him not. So with Enoch; it seems the Israelites believed that he had been removed to some inaccessible part of the earth and throughout the Book of Enoch he is described as continuing in a closer and more direct communion with God and the spiritual powers of heaven than man had enjoyed since the Fall in Eden. They believed that he bore God’s message to the "fallen angels" of whom both Jude and Peter speak in the New Testament (Jude 6 2Pe 2:4) , warned Methuselah and Noah of the coming Flood, and declared that the judgment of God would come upon the ungodly; but as far as mankind generally were concerned, they knew not where he was and they never saw him again. Incidentally the Book of Enoch depicts the events of Ge 6:1 as first taking place in the time of Jared, the father of Enoch.

The "Book of Jubilees", written about two hundred years before Christ but incorporating much legendary matter from the lost "Book of Noah" of unknown antiquity, says that Enoch after his translation was with the angels of God in the lost Garden of Eden for 294 years, during which time he wrote down all the knowledge they taught him concerning the heavenly bodies, the seasons and the forces of Nature. He also recorded the sin of the angels (the "fallen angels") and the coming Divine judgment, the Flood. The origin of this piece of information is quite unknown, but it does at least indicate the popular belief that Enoch was not in heaven, but very much on earth, in the forbidden land of Eden, still guarded by the Cherubim with the "flaming sword that turned every way". Since the Book of Genesis says that Enoch was 365 years old at his translation, the addition of this legendary 294 years away from the homes of men would make him 659 years old at his death, which does at least compare fairly well with the ages of his fellow patriarchs before the Flood.

It was the opinion of Jewish tradition that Enoch was the one to whom God entrusted the secrets of astronomy, of heavenly wisdom, what we in our day would call "scientific knowledge", and of writing and other useful arts, to be revealed in turn to mankind. It is of interest therefore to find that in the Babylonian tradition of the ten kings who reigned before the Flood, sometimes thought to be a dim memory of the ten antediluvian patriarchs, the seventh, in some of the legends, the eighth, who would in that case correspond to Enoch, is supposed to have been a special favorite of the gods of heaven and to have been initiated into all the mysteries of heaven and earth. Such legends have some value in that they show a fixed idea, prevailing throughout ancient times, that there once was a man, especially acceptable to God for his piety, who was entrusted with Divine secrets and taken into some place of separation from his fellows in order that he might learn those secrets. The short remark in Genesis about Enoch, brief and uninformative as it is, is quite evidently true history.

There is a hint in Heb 11:5 that some search for Enoch was made after his translation, for the verse declares that he was "translated that he should not see death, and was not found", as though men searched for him and their efforts were fruitless.

The most difficult part of this verse is the expression "that he should not see death". Once only is the same expression used elsewhere in the Scriptures, and that is in the well known saying of our Lord "If a man keep my saying he shall never see death". (Joh 8:51) It should not be thought that this promise implied the escape of the physical human frame from the inevitable end which comes to all men when life’s allotted span is past. Our Lord referred to a far deeper truth, and a far more enduring life than that which men today are pleased to call "life". Those who are the faithful of Christ, who have been "born again" and have a life within them which is from above and not of "this corruptible seed" (1Pe 1:23) shall truly "never see death" even although their "earthly house of this tabernacle" (2Co 5:1) be dissolved. In like manner the Ancient Worthies of old who are said in Heb 11:39 to have obtained a good report through their faith have not failed of their reward, and it can truly be said of them that having manifested their loyalty and allegiance to God by their faith there is a city which God hath prepared for them. (Heb 11:16) They, too, do not "see death". Enoch was one of these; and his faith, exercised as was that of Abraham, Moses and Daniel, is an assurance that he inherits the promise which God has prepared for him and so does not "see death"; but just as surely as Abraham and Moses and Christian believers throughout the centuries, finishing their course with joy, have gone down into the grave, so, in some lonely place far from his fellow-men, Enoch must have yielded up his breath to the One Who gave it.

One can well visualize the saintly old man in his quiet retreat spending his time in meditation on the things of God, perhaps seeing in ever clearer vision the trend of events in the world of sin and death, and—who knows being the one who first discerned that impending fate which hovered over the antediluvian world. It may have been that he perceived the natural signs of the impending catastrophe many years before it happened—perhaps with knowledge born of long observation of the heavens, undisturbed by other distraction, realizing something of the mighty changes which were at work in the earth and which at length culminated in the "breaking of the great waters of the abyss" and the opening of the "floodgates of heaven". (Ge 7:11) Some dim memory of this may be the reason why those long passages about the stars, winds and forces of Nature in the Book of Enoch are accredited to this mystic personage. It seems that he lived as a righteous man in a world fast giving itself over to every form of evil, that he prophesied to it concerning coming retribution, and that in the heyday of life he was removed from his place among men and until the day of his death lived in his peaceful retreat, serving and living in "quiet fellowship with God".

ODD MOMENTS Ps 90:12

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"Possibly the greatest snare of all is the omission to use odd moments, for we all have some spare time during the day, although we may try to make others believe that we are "on the go" from morning till night. Instead of allowing the mind to be lazy at such times it is profitable to use the odd moments for meditation remembering that prayer may be uttered or unexpressed." W. A. Dinsdale141

THE HIDDEN FIRE

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A discourse on the power of prayer

"Men ought always to pray and not to faint.". (Lu 18:1)

True religion is the harmonious union of man with God and prayer is its vital link. It is more than conversation between two minds. It is a communing of spirit, a common union of thought, ideas, aims and desires, in which the lesser is charged and recharged by the mystical energy of the greater.

Enthusiasm is the hidden fire which gives to Christian life its glow, the radiant force by which natural life is changed, transfigured, into the glory of the heavenly. The word is derived from the Greek, en-theos, which is, literally, God in us. An observer of the effects of prayer in the lives of the faithful has noted that to be in touch with God by prayer ‘is to be in contact with the power-house of the universe. No wonder it has been described by a poet as "the Christian’s vital breath; the Christian’s native air." It is something above and beyond the powers and forces which man has so far harnessed for his everyday needs and pleasures. It is a transforming element in which believing intelligence "lives and moves and has its being," partaking of its very godlike nature and strength; or how otherwise understand the prayer of St. Paul for the Ephesians, "that you may be filled with all the fullness of God".

Friendship without communication fades away as fire without fuel loses its lively glow. Renewal and refreshment are alike necessary to the fire which burns on the hearth and that of the spirit which burns as a secret flame on the altar of the dedicated heart. Study of the written word, fellowship with those of like precious faith, does something toward keeping the fire burning, but it is that secret link with the Invisible which gives life its wisdom, assurance and vigor.

Walk Humbly With God

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles." (Isa 40:31)

The early heroes of faith walked and talked with God. They knew Him face to face. Theirs was a privileged state of personal friendship and communion remote from modern times. What manner of men were they? Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Job, Moses, Samuel, Joshua and David, those kings and prophets to whom God spoke, to whom they spoke freely on behalf of others as well as of their own affairs? The mental caliber of such men must have been as vigorous as the world about them. Theirs must have been, not a primitive seeking after an unknown God, as some critics would like to have it, but a pristine freshness of knowledge, a confidence and assurance largely lost by a later jaded and faded world.

It was Jesus who roused and restored man’s privilege of union and conversation with his Maker. Breathing the very essence of prayer in all He said and did, He taught his followers not only how to pray but the use and power of prayer. The apostles in their mission to men followed it up with exhortations and testimony on the efficacy of the mysterious means by which God supplies the needs of the faithful, nurtures and cultivates the filial tie between himself and those born of his love.

Down the Christian centuries prayer has been recognized as the essential element by which the problems of life have been solved and its difficulties overcome, its sorrows endured and its joys sanctified. More than a channel of blessing it has been the magnetic force which has drawn and held the human mind in the keeping power of God. Eternal light and love being the very substance and essence of his nature and character, a solemn recognition of the great privilege of prayer, of the correspondence and common union of the creature with the Creator must have a humbling effect upon all who propose in their minds to call upon Him whose ways and thoughts are so much higher and wider and deeper than the limited capacity of the earthen vessel.

To "walk humbly with God" is no hardship to those who have learned of their own littleness and of the graciousness of One who in love and benevolence is more ready to listen than His sometimes reluctant children are to speak.

Prayer has been variously described by poets, preachers and writers of Christian literature. It is a personal experience, a tryst shared by two alone, from which one receives all the benefits. As an old French peasant described it, "while He is looking at me, I am looking at Him". A wordless communion is often more deeply felt and much more effective than the long diatribes with which men have bombarded the Almighty in public or harangued Him in private by what has been called "wrestling in prayer". "Two men went into the Temple once on a time; one said his prayers in the usual way, but the other man knew no prayers to say; so he talked with God as a friend. And the Lord who knew from beginning to end, the forms the first man had used so long, was sure that today they would not go wrong, so He turned his ear and inclined his heart, to the man to whom praying was not an art, but who talked with him as a friend."

In that telling illustration of the publican and the sinner Jesus showed what prayer is not. It is not formalism, nor vain repetition, nor set words, nor gabbled requests, nor selfish pleadings, nor self-justification. nor weak excuses, nor the vanity that dares to advise or hustle the Almighty into a Divine interference in the affairs of the human race which are immovably tabulated in his own purpose and foresight. Before His wisdom the suppliant might well, like King David of Israel, be dumb with silence, holding the tongue even from saying what is good, to bow the heart before Him who needs no counselor, in unquestioning submission.

If there is an art in prayer it lies in simplicity. in brevity, almost in silence. The needs and longings of the human heart and mind cannot be formulated into words when the spirit is moved and drawn into closer contact with that life-giving force of God. God is His own interpreter. The human mind is an open book before Him. Having made man He does not need mans words, the verbal expression of his need, his desires or dissatisfactions. He asks for the heart. If He receives that He has all, and prayer "uttered or unexpressed" becomes the tie that binds the earthly child to its Heavenly Parent.

There are times when prayer must and should be vocal. Praise and prayer are almost the same word. The humble are grateful and a grateful heart must find some means of expressing its gratitude or suffer injury to itself. So the joyous burst of praise in glorious hymns whose words and music have stood the test of time is an expression of faith and gladness, a joyous adoration which is a solid foundation for the more secret communing which transform human nature into a finer substance.

A well regulated heart will begin every day with praise and thanksgiving. "Early in the morning our songs shall rise to Thee". There is so much to be thankful for. Who that count their blessings know where to stop? The catalogue of natural blessings is long. If the realization of such a full cup does not prompt heart and voice to a spontaneous outburst of praise and thanks as rapturous as a blackbirds melody in Spring, there is something sadly amiss with that heart, some hidden disorder of the spirit for which remedy should be sought immediately. If the physical voice has lost its timbre, the inner voice can still make melody in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.

It has been said that gratitude is the first essential of Christian character. That being so, it is the well-head of prayer, the place where life with God begins. Jesus certainly commended it when only one out of ten restored lepers returned to give thanks. To take for granted the common blessings of daily life, to make the words "thank God" into a common cliche is not only unbecoming conduct, but an affront to the open-handed generosity that has showered good things with absolute impartiality upon all his creatures.

While the affairs of the nations appear weighty matters to the masses composing them, to Almighty God they are no more than a drop in a bucket, the small dust of the balance, to be settled and dealt with in His own way and time; but the individual is precious. Jesus dealt with persons, with men and women, with children, knowing their needs, seeking to supply each one with more abundant life.

While He condemned the lip service of the ritualists, the hard of heart, the faithless, the self-seekers, He loved the lowly who came to him just as they were, seeking peace and comfort and life. He saw them as sheep without a shepherd and He had compassion on them. He provided the way by which the weary and heavy laden might come to God and find rest. As individuals with all their differing temperaments, needs and circumstances, men and women were invited to turn, to come, to find rest in the presence and upon the shoulder of one whose arm comfortably sustains the universe.

David, in his time, had bowed himself low, subjecting himself to the all-seeing eye. "Search me O God and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me. Lead me in the way everlasting". His was the true basis of fellowship with God. Absolute trust, honesty of heart, the courage that seeks correction, the desire to be in complete harmony with God, coupled with the confidence that the heart’s desire will be abundantly satisfied. This seems to be the essence and purpose of prayer, the unreserved trust of true love leaning upon the everlasting arms in perfect confidence.

Prayer is like the modern telephone. It is instant communication with a loved and trusted friend. In moments of stress the invisible line carries its message. Even before it is received the answer is on its way, help given, strength restored, the right thing said or done because a mystical power was set in motion which scientists have not yet been able to take apart and put into one of their pigeon holes of new discoveries. "The Lord is true, a helper tried." How many have borne this testimony to those words! Courage and strength has been infused into weak moments. The sought counsel of God has become indispensable in the perplexities of life. His loving solicitude and tenderness have conveyed his very presence into lonely moments of sorrow, saving the downcast from complete despair. Under his pure inspiring influence Christian pilgrims return to their task, their battles or their lone paths, refreshed, determined, better fitted to do whatever they have to do.

Much of the lassitude, doubt, discontent and depression which afflicts the lives of professing Christians is due to lack of prayer. The Scottish bard recognized that "A correspondence fixed with heaven is a noble anchor". The handclasp of faith moors life close to the Rock where storms cannot break the straining cable. Scepticism and infidelity have spread their infectious germs around so that some doubt the very existence of God or his readiness to assist his own. The unbelieving world busy on its own great inventions fails to realize that what they can do their Creator can do very much better. Swift communication, television, remote control, the great seeing eyes of the astronomers’ telescopes, are mere toys in the hands of man, compared to the powers and resources of the Creator, who through his prophet asks the question, "Shall not He who made the eye see?"

Nothing goes unobserved or unheard by that spiritual realm, much less the affairs, the communing of his saints, his treasure, his children, who love him, who are loved in return with Divine concern and intensity. The dull, the cheerless, the pessimistic. the wavering, are clearly not the people of the closet who pray in secret and are openly rewarded with the shining face, the serene heart, the happy confidence, the abiding vision of things to come in which the whole earth is seen lifting heart and hands in joyous praise and endless prayer, to him that sits upon the throne.

The life which draws its strength from God does not waste time in unloading its troubles onto others equally troubled. The trustful heart takes its burdens to God, seeks counsel of no man but of the Lord only and comes away with the marks of that high communion upon his brow, carrying into the world of hustle and grab and sin a shining face, though like Moses, he knows it not.

"When sorrows like sea billows roll", what human heart, however dear and sympathetic, can reach out to our frail craft? It is God who made the heart, reserving for himself those dim recesses of longing that none but He should possess the secret shrine. Men may talk with the tongues of angels and we remain uncomforted, unenlightened and uninspired, but let God speak in the still, small voice, upon the dedicated altar of the heart and new life begins to flow into the numbed soul. Whatever the battle, the need, the perplexity, the heart pours out all and rests in his presence while He gives the balm, the vigor, the counsel, the strength and the guidance. All the fret, the grief, the pain, the fear, the doubt, gives place to stillness. Faith claims his promise to sustain. "I will guide thee with Mine eye". "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" "When thou passest through the water I will be with thee". "I will teach thee and instruct thee". "Fear not, be strong and of a good courage". God’s faithfulness fulfils his word "exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think". His is no miser hand but an abundant, generous Fatherly hand. Power and love are there; it needs only faith to find it.

Those who have entered boldly to the throne of grace seeking His help, they only can tell of the coming away, of the enlightened heart and lighter step, of being carried through the day’s business as though on unseen wings, of paths cleared and difficulties surmounted, of doors opened and battles won. True it is He who dries our tears, buckles on our armor, makes a bridge of our sighs and fears, and Himself bears forward on eagle wings the souls He loves and who love Him. Who that has felt under Him the everlasting arms but treasures the memory of the dark, hard places that called out the strength of God. As one has truly written. "It is in our darkest hour that the Day Star shines the brightest". What but prayer could bring such aid? "Call to me and I will answer thee".

There is no confidence like that of a heart given to God. The feeble, unhappy, ineffectual life is the one that prays and asks amiss or never prays at all. Either the burden is laid down and immediately picked up and rushed away again on the back of little-faith, or it is never laid down at all, on the assumption that it isnt much use anyway. Saying prayers is not prayer. It is a mingling of spirit with spirit, seeing, hearing, leaning, walking continually with One whose love is measureless.

If you would know the experience of the mounting spirit, the lifted burden, the clearer insight, all the blessings which God has to give—be oft in prayer. If you know a man or woman walking through life with bright eyes, radiant face, light step, with kindly word and sweet smile, endowed with wisdom, dignity and grace, behold a soul much in prayer; a heart hourly tuned with God, a heart that seeks him early, in the busy noon-tide, at the close of day.

Such come from their tryst with the life-giving touch of the Son of God upon them. The air of heaven is about them; daily life is better for them. They have the power to diffuse our mists, to warm our chilly hearts, to quicken our belief and heal our moral diseases. Thank God for prayer and praying hearts.

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength".

FIN

BIBLE STUDY MONTHLY

FOUNDED 1924

Communications and donations to Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 (JL, England

Chairman: A. O. HUDSON (Milborne Port) Consultant Advisor: B. G. DUMONT (Hounslow) Editor & Secretary: D.NADAL (Nottingham) Treasurer: R. J. HAINES (Gloucester)

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Paradise on Earth -a 100 page booklet examining the Scriptural basis for belief in the Millennium. This doctrine, as old as the Christian era, somewhat lost in the dark and medieval period, found new interest in the last two hundred years. Consideration is given to the prophetical background, the practical aspects and the changes in earthly conditions expected.

A Glimpse of God’s Plan -a 16 page booklet, briefly reviewing Creation and the Beginning of Sin; the promise of Deliverance and the Birth of Jesus; the Ransom for All, the Church and the Kingdom to come. Based clearly on Scripture, full Bible references are given to each topic.

The above booklets are available upon request from: Bible Fellowship Union, 4 Manor Gardens, Barnstone, Nottingham NG13 9JL, England.

A Literature List will also be sent on request. All literature is sent free of charge and post free on the principle that the ministry of the Christian gospel is "without money and without price".

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"Goddesses in World Mythology"(martha & Dorothy Imel) 645 pp Qto Softback.

0 19 509199 X Oxford University Press/OUP USA £ 12.99.

This monumental work is intended for students of comparative religion. As a source of reference it calls now for a corresponding compendium listing the many gods of olden time. One of the prime difficulties in this type of research is the multiplicity of names given by different peoples to the same deity. This work associates such names together in a masterly fashion thus facilitating the elucidation of ancient epics and the like. The gallery of names is classified in fifteen territorial sections covering all countries in the world and all periods of history. Names appear in alphabetical order, each with all known alternatives, principal characteristics, nation or people to which it applies, and so on. A bibliography, and two indexes, one of goddess by name and one by attributes, completes a production which is essentially a book of reference, and as such invaluable to students of Christian or other religions or of the Bible, especially to such as are interested in the primal development of polytheism from primitive monotheism. A. O. H.

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"Discoveries in the Judean Desert" -Qumran Cave 4- Gen. -Num".

(Eugene Ulrich & Frank Cross). 272 pp Fcp Hardback. 49 Plates.

Indexes of Biblical texts and manuscript contents, 0 19 826366 1 Clarendon Press Oxford £ 70.00.

One of several volumes examining the plethora of "Dead Sea Scrolls", now available to investigators. As such it will be of value to serious investigators, especially those versed in Hebrew; but there is much of interest to less erudite students. The examples of pre-Christian manuscripts exhibited in the forty-nine excellent plates a thousand years older than the formerly earliest Hebrew texts known, afford abundant evidence that prior to the Second and Eighth Centuries A. D. Hebrew "Received Text" upon which the English A.V. is based there were many differences in various copies of the Hebrew Scriptures due to copyist’s errors, scribes’ omissions and so on. Contradictions and confusion in the A.V. are shown to have been due to such differences in older texts, with sometimes additional material not found in the A.V. Examples are the age-old queries about Esau’s wives in Genesis; the number of Jacob’s family said to have entered Egypt, in Exodus; misreading of the early Canannitish-Hebrew characters when rendering into the "square" script of Ezra is blamed for much of this. There are detailed lists of such differences, and, too, quite substantial bodies of text absent from the modern Hebrew Bible especially in Numbers, omitted by later copyists either by accident or design. AOH

A call to true worship.

B. J. Drinkwater

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Alone of all creatures on the earth man is gifted with the faculty of veneration. Grouped along with this faculty are others-conscientiousness, hope, spirituality, and benevolence-from the exercise of which spring the qualities of reverence and respect, and in co-ordination with the intellect enables man to understand and appreciate his relationship to the Higher Powers. Though linked at many points to the lower orders of creation, he yet enjoys a place apart in the realm of mental and moral values. On these higher planes he shares mutual kinship with the angelic world, in which thought and conduct is regulated and conditioned by righteousness, truth and purity. Not only do these faculties enable him to understand moral values, they also predispose him to show respect toward such values, to accept them as a rule of life, and yield reverence to the Higher Power, which, in its government and control, can superimpose these values upon its domain.

In this appreciation of moral values lies man’s likeness to God. Even now, after thousands of years of decay and degradation, they who respond most readily to the claims of such values are esteemed to be the most like God. Many noble minds can render respect to God, by reviewing Nature’s laws and ordinances. Here, Paul says, they can find the evidence of his eternal power and Deity. (Ro 1:20) But Scripture brings to view another field beyond the range of reason and creation, a field of revelation and providential oversight. Within this further field God claims from men a reverential response as his unchallenged right. Herein, it is his undoubted prerogative to command silence in his holy Presence as when, by inspiration, the Psalmist says, "Be still and know that I am God", (Ps 46:10) or again, through Habakkuk, "The Lord is in his holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before him". When breaking through into the range of man’s consciousness, He can command the beholder to stand reverently before his heavenly majesty. Even his deputies, charged with his omnipotent commission, can command the same respect "Put off thy shoe from thy foot", was the imperative command to Joshua from the heavenly visitor, "for the place whereon thou standest is holy". (Jos 5:13-15)

For the example par excellence of this reverential respect we must betake ourselves to God’s picture gallery, the place of ceremonial worship within the Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Without, on the Brazen Altar, the tokens of the people’s worship were consumed by fire, but within that Holy Place an exclusive act of reverential devotion for the priestly house was undertaken by a white-robed priest. There, the hour of incense being come, the Priest appointed brought his censer filled with fire, and depositing it upon the golden surface of the Altar of the Presence, crumbled small the finely powdered incense in his hands, and let it gently fall upon the glowing flame, from whence, in rising wreaths of scented smoke, a cloud of fragrance ascended up into the Presence of the Holiest of all. Day by day this procedure was carried through, an act of ceremonial observance oft repeated! In this simple act the illustration of devotion lies enshrined. Here, more than in any other sphere of Israelitish worship or experience, man drew nearer to God, and pledged him more in service than in any other place.

In the Holy Place this item of its furnishments stood nearer to the inner sanctum than any other article within its walls. The writer to the Hebrews places the altar as though it actually stood in the Most Holy. Undoubtedly its location was in the Holy Place, and had that writer been describing only the fixation of the furnishments he would most likely have located it there. But its relationship to the specific service for which it was used undoubtedly connects it to the furnishments of the Most Holy. Thus, for this act of devotion, the Incense Altar was coupled with the Ark, the Mercy-Seat and the Cherubim within the Most Holy. When God instructed Moses concerning the service of the Priests, He had said, "thou shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them that they may minister unto Me in the Priest’s office ".(Ex 28:41) The other items of furniture in the Holy Place were intended for the Priest’s own needs; the Candlestick for his illumination, the Table for his sustenance. Only the Altar was installed and fixed with a Godward intent; only by this could the Priest perform his ministry towards his God. That this service at the Altar was the most distinctive and important of the Priestly duties may be deduced from a comparison of two episodes in the experiences of Israel’s kings. The first relates to David, who, as a fugitive, arrived with his little company, famished and weary, at Nob, to ask for bread. Other supplies being unavailable, neither Ahimelech the High Priest, nor David, as God’s King-elect, entertained the least scruple at their partaking of the Presence Bread, though as Jesus said, it was lawful only for Priests to eat. No dire consequences followed this irregular act, nor was the least displeasure of Heaven indicated against the course pursued. (1Sa 21:1-6) The other episode is that of King Uzziah, who, flushed with pride in an hour of victory presumptuously forced his way into the Holy Place intending to burn incense there. Thereupon Azariah the High Priest withstood him to the face, reminding him that, "It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but to the priests the sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense; go out of the Sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed, neither shall it be for thine honor from the Lord God" (2Ch 26:17-18) . Hereupon Uzziah became exceeding wroth against the priests; then, as he proposed in utter disregard of their reproof and warning to continue with his presumptuous act, the anger of the Lord fell heavily upon him. Then and there, in the presence of the priests, and still within the sacred precincts of the Holy Place, the terrible scourge of leprosy smote him-a visitation so unmistakably from the Lord that he hastened himself to go out of the Holy Place, to bear the stigma for the rest of his days.

That the presentation of incense was an act of service watched over by the Lord with intense care is demonstrated, too, by the tragic end befalling Nadab and Abihu. So superlatively important was this phase of Priestly ministration that no man, even though of Aaronic line, could be permitted to trifle with his duties carelessly or presumptuously. (Le 10:1-7) In further proof of Heaven’s estimation of this Altar-service reference may be made to Eze 44:10-16 . This Scripture indicates that God reserves to himself the right to withdraw the privilege of service in the Holy Place, with its special ministry "unto Me", from any former consecrated priest guilty of participating with the people in idolatry. Only such as had faithfully kept the charge of his Sanctuary could be allowed "to come near to Me to minister unto me".

Now it is fully conceded that all these things were typical, "shadows" of "good things to come", imposed upon and observed by Israel until a time of reformation. Even so, every shadow presupposes its corresponding reality, to which, in some sense, it bears resemblance. Thus Heaven itself is the counterpart of the Most Holy; our Heavenly Place and standing in Christ, of the Holy Place; a better Priesthood with Jesus as its great High Priest, of the Aaronic House; and our "better sacrifice", of the blood of bulls and goats. Imagine then the situation in the Holy Place, the hour of incense being come. Here at the Altar stands the Priest, silent and alone. Here on the Altar stands the brazier filled with glowing coals. Carefully he begins to crush and drop the finely powdered incense into the living flame, from which arises clouds of fragrant smoke which fill the Holy where he stands, and penetrate also into the holier Sanctuary beyond. In this he has performed the most distinctive and important service to which he and his companions were called. And this solemn service was repeated every day save one! Just fire, and incense and fragrant smoke-a white robed priest, and God.

What did the everlasting God, the God of Israel, think of all this ceremonial particularity? Why must it be done "just so"? Why must that fragrant incense be reserved for him alone? Had He not caused that white-robed ministrant to know that in the strict observance of all this meticulous ceremonialism he was ministering to his God; that truly, really and actually it was a service "unto Me"? Was it really true that the fragrant smoke was a pleasant odor unto him? Most surely He had taught that son of Aaron to believe it so-but why? Behind that son of Aaron, but on a higher plane, stands the Head of a better Priesthood, of which Jesus is the High Priest! Can it be that something of that special privilege was intended to be carried up from the lowlier to that higher plane, and thus to cause the spiritually-minded son of God to know that something in his private approach to these holy things would be as fragrant and acceptable to Almighty God as that incense-smoke had been to Israel’s God? Can it also be that in these prayerful worshipful approaches there is again, on this higher plane, a ministry "unto Me"? Does the New Testament have any word to say of "odors of sweet smell" unto God? Does the New Testament have any word to say about "drawing near" to the highest and the holiest things, on the higher plane? Has it any word to say about a reverential "boldness to enter the Holy Place", there to stand before a Throne of Grace? While the right of entry to the Holy Place was a privilege common to all the Priesthood at any time, yet, when the hour of incense was come the Priest appointed must approach alone, and remain alone at the Altar till the presentation was complete. We see an instance of this in the case of Zacharias, into whose presence came the Angel Gabriel to announce the birth of a son. (Lu 1:8-11) At such a time one dominating thought must have possessed the priestly mind. While face to face with God he must relegate all other claims pertaining to the Camp to the subconscious stratum of his mind. His time and service must now be devoted exclusively to God. Woe betide him if at such a time the sorrows of the people should take first place! A rebellious and stiff-necked people may be dwelling in the Camp, but what of that? Here at this Altar he must constrain himself to quietness and attentiveness to the higher claims of his God!

Is there anything like this in the Christian’s way of life? Is there a rebellious world surrounding him on every hand, pressing, by its groans, its needs upon his sensitive and compassionate heart? Even so, he cannot give primary attention to that-his first response must be to the claims of God. It must be God first-other things will be righted in due time. The need and value of the private approach to the Holiest is beyond appraisal. What would we not give to have more detail of the solitary hours of our Lord away there on the mountain top? What would He have to say to fill the long night hours with prayer so frequently? If we take our cue from the few snatches of submissive and thanksgiving prayer put on record for us by his hearers we can be sure his hours of isolation were filled with prayers of the utmost devotion. If that intercessory prayer in the Upper Room be our guide, what sincere devotion, coupled with filial boldness was ever the keynote of his life. "Holy Father" -"Righteous Father" were the terms which sprang spontaneously from his lips. Perhaps some day, when angelic tongues are unloosed, we may come to know and understand how Jesus dropped his incense into the consuming fires and how his attestations to full devotion to his Father’s Will rose up to God as incense sweet.

What then is true devotion to God? Is it to be found in the isolation of the monastic cell, or the Cathedral’s cloistered chambers? Is it to be found in entire separation from the company of men? By no means. Jesus lived no monastic or separated life away from men, yet, in the minds of men He was separated unto God. Perhaps the old-time Quaker came near to understanding this, when, seated along with men, he could yet commune with God, without ceremony or words. "Retire thou to the Light that is within thee" was his guiding thought. Does devotion not express itself in singing hymns, in making public prayer, in the delivery of expositions or exhortations, by lecture or address? No, not necessarily so! Devotion must abound ere yet the hymn is sung, the prayer framed, or the address constructed! Each and all may be the expression of a devoted life, exactly as mental effort or muscular movement may be the expression of a life-power within our bodies, but the life-power and these are not the same thing. True devotion, veneration, reverence, is the sequel to a life lived unto God, a life that takes a delight in ministering unto him, a life that brings its choicest things to be absorbed, as incense, in the accepting fire of his love.

Devotion of this kind does not express itself first and foremost in activities towards the Camp-it knows that the world’s day is yet to come. Instead devotion of this deeper kind pays its main attention to the claims of God and to the needs of the deeper hidden life within-to the life that is "hid with Christ in God"! Its motto first and foremost is "God first"- it says, "I delight to do Thy Will, O my God"; its purpose is "this one thing I do"; its realization is "I am crucified with Christ, yet I live, and yet it is no longer I that live, but Christ who liveth in me".

Is then devotion of this kind a practicable possibility in this present day? Ought this experience to be a characteristic of the Fellowship? All who appreciate the calling of the Lord must say, "Yes, surely, it ought so to be". It could be and would be, if each one brought a spiritually-charged heart to the gathering. In this case the spirit of the whole depends upon the spirit of its individual parts.

The great desideratum is that it should be realized in the life of the individual; for as Paul reminds us, our bodies, individually, are as temples of the Lord our God. We each carry within us the structure of the Tabernacle brought down to a fine focus. We have our point of contact with the Camp-our wider work-a-day world; our contact with the "Court" -with those of religious mind; our contacts with the Holy Place-with those who walk with spiritual illumination and feed on the more deeply spiritual food; and that deeper inner Sanctum of the soul in which we feel the promise of the Savior come true. "We will come unto him and make our abode with him". (Joh 14:23) Hence every true child of God should be a copy of the Tabernacle in miniature, in the very heart of which dwells the token of a Shekinah Presence, and in which is located also, as it were, an incense altar, to which as opportunity serves, he inwardly retires, there to crumble and present the loving fragrance of an obedient life. In the words of the old Quaker dictum, it is well to "retire to that which is within thee and there commune with him that dwelleth in thy soul".

The Less Traveled Road

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Back of us lies the traveled road; before us the uncharted pathway of the New Year. We wish one another a Happy New Year, and happiness should be increasing each year if we know its true meaning and go the right way to secure it. How should the worth of the passing year be estimated? Surely not in material things, but in spiritual values! Have we grown richer in the fruit of the Spirit? Do we know Christ better than we did a year ago? Does He mean more to us, and things less? What do we plan for this year as the chief end of effort? Are we determined that it shall be a year of closer accord with the Master and the purpose of God in us? Shall life be lifted above self-regard to the joyous plane of living for others? If we have found the real meaning of life then living should be a worth-while thing to the last moment, even though it be marked by pain and disappointment, by loss and sorrow, as for most of us it must be. If we have learned the real values we will not need to hide from ourselves the fact that we are growing older by the count of weeks and months, for the real values are eternal. We are not hurrying toward an hour when everything must be dropped, but rather toward the time when hope will be realized, faith may lay hold of its richest treasures, hope come into its full inheritance. For us, life is not narrowing toward the grave, it is broadening toward eternity. There are songs for the thoughtful in the passing of the year, remembering God’s leading in the old, and laying triumphant hold upon his promises for the new.

The infallible recipe for happiness, then, is to do good, and the infallible recipe for doing good is to abide in Christ. Joy is a fruit, and like all fruits must be grown. The Christian graces come under the law of cause and effect. No one can get joy merely by prayer, although that contributes; it is one of the fruits of Christian life, and must be grown. No man can make things grow; he can arrange circumstances and fulfil conditions, but the growing is done by God. Causes and effects are eternal arrangements, but man can place himself in fulfilling conditions of growth. No violent over-strained exertions are necessary to a noble life, nothing greater than simple faithfulness.

One thing more. If seeking to lose our lives in the service of Christ means practically living for others, let us live by the day. Some of us try to grasp too much of life at a time; we think of it as a whole instead of a day. The only way to make a radiant day is to make each hour bright with the luster of approved fidelity, keeping the days as they pass pure with useful, holy living. Each day is one white page open before us, to fill in as a record of duty or victory. Let us remember our God, and remember those in need about us, to stretch forth a helping hand, and keep our heart open towards Heaven. (The "Herald of Christ’s Kingdom")

"These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth ".( Re 14:4) Christianity is not acting according to the letter of certain rules and regulations. It is following a living Christ; walking as He walked; doing as He did; imitating his example in all things. This is Christian movement -Christian action. It is keeping the eye fixed upon Jesus, and having the features, traits, and lineaments of his character imprinted on our new nature, and reproduced in our life and ways.

We would willingly have others perfect, and yet we amend not our own faults. We would have others severely corrected, and will not be corrected ourselves. The large liberty of others displeaseth us, and yet we will not have our own desires denied us. We will have others kept under strict laws, but in no sort will ourselves be restrained. And thus it appeareth how seldom we weigh our neighbor in the same balance with ourselves. Thomas A Kempis

Daniel In Babylon

1. Exile from Zion

The story of agreat man’s faith

A. O. Hudson

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He walks on to the stage a youth, life just opening out before him, an exile from his native country, doomed to attain manhood’s estate in an alien land, far from the Temple of God and all that Temple represented. When the curtain drops, we see him still on the stage, an old man and full of days, too aged and infirm to join the procession of rejoicing men and women wending their way back to the land of their fathers, there to rebuild their Temple and worship God in his appointed way. During the long years of a life spent alternately in prominence and seclusion, in honor and neglect, he maintained inflexible faith and a constant passion for the restoration of his peop