Scripture Studies - Vol. IV; No. 7 - September 1997 =================================================== In this issue: Old Testament Study - Gen. 31:22-55 A Study of Christ - John 1:16 New Testament Study - Matthew 1:18-25 A Study in Psalms - Psalm 31 Bibliography and Suggested Reading Postscript: Consistency in Christianity - II Footnotes ---------------------------------------------------- "Scripture Studies" is edited by Scott Sperling and published ten times a year by Scripture Studies, Inc., a non-profit organization. It is distributed all over the world by postal mail and via the internet, free of charge. If you would like to financially support the publication and distribution of "Scripture Studies", send contributions to: Scripture Studies Inc. 20 Pastora Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 USA Contributions are tax deductible in the United States. If you do not live in the United States, and would like to support "Scripture Studies", please send international postal coupons. 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May God bless you as you study His Word. =========================================================== Old Testament Study - Genesis 31:22-55 ====================================== Jacob on the Run ---------------- 22On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad." 25Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You've deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war. 27Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so that I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? 28You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-bye. You have done a foolish thing. 29I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' 30Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?" 31Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. 32But if you find anyone who has your gods, he shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods. 33So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah's tent, he entered Rachel's tent. 34Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. 35Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period." So he searched but could not find the household gods. 36Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. "What is my crime?" he asked Laban. "What sin have I committed that you hunt me down? 37Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us. 38"I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. 40This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you." 43Laban answered Jacob, "The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us." 45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46He said to his relatives, "Gather some stones." So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. 48Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." That is why it was called Galeed. 49It was also called Mizpah, because he said, "May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50If you ill-treat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no-one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me." 51Laban also said to Jacob, "Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. 52This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. 53May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. 54He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there. 55Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home. ------------------------ In the previous section, Jacob fled from Laban, on the sly, to return to the promised land. Jacob's return to the promised land was commanded by God (see Gen. 31:3). Jacob's fleeing was not dishonorable. He took with him only the livestock that he had worked for, fair and square. Jacob left secretly to avoid any further schemings by Laban to get him to stay longer. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Jacob, Rachel (his beloved) stole the household idols of Laban (see Gen. 31:19). Here, Laban learns that Jacob and his family left: "On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead" (vs. 22, 23). Laban took his relatives, presumably to form a makeshift army to come against Jacob. "Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.'" (vss. 24). This was an idiomatic way of saying, "Keep your hands off Jacob!" Jacob was within the will of God, and so God protected him. God would not allow any interference to Jacob, as he was following God's purpose. It is so important to strive to be within God's perfect will. If you are not within His will, God often allows affliction to come upon you to drive you back to Him. However, if you are within God's perfect will, why would He allow anything to harm you? When Laban caught up with Jacob, he gave him a tongue lashing: "Then Laban said to Jacob: 'What have you done? You've deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war. Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so that I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps? You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-bye'" (vss. 26-28). Laban makes like the reason that he is mad about Jacob's departure is that he will miss his daughters and grandchildren; however, is there any evidence that Laban ever showed true love for his daughters? Laban's empty words were not backed up by the actions of love toward his daughters. All we have seen Laban do has been driven by selfishness. Love is the antithesis of selfishness, as Paul says: "[Love] is not self-seeking" (I Cor. 13:5). Next, Laban all but threatens Jacob: "You have done a foolish thing. I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.'" (vss. 28-29). So we see that the dream that God sent Laban was necessary and effective. Laban apparently did have in his mind to harm Jacob and his family. Laban has an exaggerated perception of his own power. He says: "You have done a foolish thing. I have the power to harm you." With these words, he is evocative of Pilate questioning Jesus. Pilate self-confidently stated to Jesus: "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" (John 19:10). But Jesus answered: "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above" (John 19:11). Likewise, Laban had no power to harm Jacob, because God would not allow it. We often have an exaggerated sense of our own power and ability to do whatever we want. We forget that God is in control, and works everything to His will. Next, we discover the real reason that Laban is so upset at Jacob's departure. It is not because Jacob took his daughters and grandchildren, as he tried to make it out to be. There was something more valuable to Laban that was missing. He asks Jacob: "But why did you steal my gods?" (vs. 30). As we pointed out in the last issue, it is a very sad thing to have gods that can be stolen. It is also very sad that Laban, who had been spoken to directly by the True and Living God (see vs. 24), did not acknowledge the True God as his own God, but instead, continued to worship man-made idols. Many people who do not worship God say, "Well, if God would just show Himself to me personally, then I would believe in Him." They lie to themselves. Paul tells us that, indeed, God has revealed Himself to all men, "since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:19-20). Like Laban, all those who do not worship God choose not to worship Him, not because they have insufficient revelation of God, but because they desire to worship gods of their own making. Jacob, unaware that it was Rachel who stole Laban's gods, pronounces a death sentence upon her: "[I]f you find anyone who has your gods, he shall not live" (vs. 32). Rachel, though, being Laban's daughter and Jacob's wife, had learned herself to be sly: "Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. Rachel said to her father, 'Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period.' So he searched but could not find the household gods" (vss. 34-35). Since Laban could not find the gods, Jacob (thinking he and his family had been falsely accused) adopted an attitude of self-righteousness, and proceeded to launch on a diatribe to Laban concerning the mistreatment he received all the years he was in Paddan-Aram (see vss. 38-42). For the most part, Jacob's diatribe is ridiculous to us, given that we know his family was indeed guilty of stealing Laban's gods. Moreover, the diatribe has a touch of hypocrisy because Jacob chastises Laban for his trickery, while throughout his life, Jacob had been guilty of a great amount of trickery himself. Jacob's diatribe should show us how ridiculous we ourselves look when we adopt a self-righteous attitude. Though most of Jacob's diatribe is ridiculous, he does deserve credit for acknowledging God's work in his life throughout his stay in Paddan-Aram: "If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night He rebuked you" (vs. 42). In the end, Jacob and Laban make peace. Laban proposes a treaty, bounding Jacob to treat Laban's daughters well (vs. 50). Laban's treaty also requires both Laban and Jacob to stay on their respective sides of a pillar that he erects (vss. 51-52). This clause in the treaty is significant in that it effectively seals Jacob's return to the promised land: there was no going back for him. And so, after twenty years of deceiving each other, scheming against each other, and practicing under-handedness with respect to each other, Jacob and Laban are finished with each other. What a relief! =========================================================== A Classic Study - John 1:16 =========================== [Once again, we will use a sermon by C. H. Spurgeon for our study in the Prologue of John. Mr. Spurgeon preached this sermon on the evening of February 28th, 1869 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. It can be found in Volume XV of The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (Sermon #858).]--Ed John 1:16 - The Fullness of Jesus, the Treasury of Saints --------------------------------------------------------- 16And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.[1] -------------- These are not words spoken by John the Baptist, as a cursory reader might imagine, but they were written by John the Evangelist. The verse preceding is a paragraph cast into the midst of the gospel causing a temporary break. Omitting that verse, we read as follows: "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth; . . . and of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John 1:14,16). In its more limited meaning, as it stands in its connection, the text appears to teach that while Jesus Christ dwelt on earth, there was a divine glory about His person and character, which His apostles and disciples clearly beheld, perceiving in Him and in His teaching a fullness of grace and truth; and further, that this grace and truth were divinely contagious, so that the disciples participated therein, and men took this being especially true of the apostles, who drank most fully into the life and power of Jesus, and continued to reveal to the world, after their Master was taken up, the grace and truth of the gospel committed to them. But this passage is not to be restricted to so limited a sense: it is of far wider range and of much greater depth. We understand it of our Lord Jesus in the whole of His character and work; looking beyond His earthly life we see Him in His crucifixion, His resurrection, His ascension, His session at the right hand of God and His Second Advent, and beholding Him as the all-sufficient Savior, we this day behold His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth; and we, that is, the whole range of the saints in all ages past and in all periods to come, we receive out of this fullness superabundant grace. I. In discussing this text, I shall first remind you of the one glorious person concerning whom this verse is written. There are other persons in the verse, but they are comparatively insignificant. "All we" are mentioned as the receivers; we occupy the humblest place, but the one throne of the text (and a glorious high throne it is) is reserved for Him who is intended in the pronoun "His". "Of His fullness have all we received"; we know that this is no other than that august personage whom John calls "The Word", or the speech of God; so called, because God in nature has revealed Himself, as it were, inarticulately and indistinctly, but in His Son He has revealed Himself as a man declares his inmost thoughts, by distinct and intelligible speech. Jesus is to the Father what speech is to us; He is the unfolding of the Father's thoughts, the revelation of the Father's heart. He that hath seen Christ hath seen the Father. "Wouldst thou have me see thee?" said Socrates, "then speak"; for speech reveals the man. Wouldst thou see God? Listen to Christ, for He is God's Word, revealing the heart of Deity. Lest, however, we should imagine Jesus to be a mere utterance, a mere word spoken and forgotten, our apostle is peculiarly careful that we should know that Jesus is a real and true person, and therefore tells us that the divine Word, out of whose fullness we have received, is most assuredly God. No language can be more distinct. He ascribes to Him the eternity which belongs to God: "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1). He peremptorily claims divinity for Him: "The Word was God" (John 1:1). He ascribes to Him the acts of God: "Without Him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:3). He ascribes to Him self-existence, which is the essential characteristic of God: "In Him was life" (John 1:4). He claims for Him a nature peculiar to God: "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (I John 1:5), and the Word is "the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9). No writer could be more explicit in his utterances; and beyond all question he sets forth the proper deity of the Blessed One of whom we all must receive if we would obtain eternal salvation. Yet John does not fail to set forth that our Lord was also man. He saith, "the Word was made flesh" (John 1:14)--not merely assumed manhood, but was made; and made not merely man, as to His nobler part, His soul but man as to his flesh, His lower element. Our Lord was not a phantom, but one who, as John declares in his epistle, was touched and handled. "The Word dwelt among us" (John 1:14). He tabernacled with the sons of men--a carpenter's shed His lowly refuge, and the caves and mountains of the earth His midnight resort in His after life. He dwelt among sinners and sufferers. among mourners and mortals, Himself completing His citizenship among us by becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross. See, then, my beloved brethren, where God has treasured up the fullness of His grace. It is in a person so august that heaven and earth tremble at the majesty of His presence, and yet in a person so humble that He is not ashamed to call us "brethren". The apostle, lest we should by any means put a second person in comparison with the one and only Christ, throughout this chapter continually enters caveats and disclaimers against all others. He bars the angels and shuts out cherubim and seraphim by saying, "Without Him was not anything made that was made!" (John 1:3). At the creation of the world no ministering spirit may intrude a finger; angels may sing over what Jesus creates, but as the builder of all things He stands alone. Further on, the apostle guards the steps of the throne against John, and virtually against all the other witnesses of the Messiah; albeit among those that are born of women there was not a greater than John the Baptist, yet, "he was not that Light" (John 1:8). The stars must hide their heads when the sun shines; John must decrease and Christ must increase. Nay, there was one whom all the Jews reverenced and whose name is coupled with that of the Lamb in the truimphant song of heaven; they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and of the Lamb. But even he is excluded from the glory of this text, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Moses must sit down at the foot of the throne with the tables of stone in his hands, but Jesus sits on the throne and stretches out the silver sceptre to His people. Lest there should remain a supposition that another person yet unmentioned should usurp a place, the apostle adds, "No man at any time hath seen the Father" (John 1:18). The best and holiest have all alike been unable to look into that excellent glory; but the Word has not only seen the Father, but has declared Him unto us. The text is as Tabor to us, and while in its consideration, at the first we see Moses and Elijah and all the saints with the Lord Jesus, receiving of His fullness, yet all these vanish from our minds, and our spirit sees "no man, but Jesus only" (Matt. 17:8). Gazing into this text, one feels as John did when the gates of heaven were opened to him and he looked within them, and he declared, "I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Zion" (Rev. 14:1). He saw other things afterwards, but the first thing that caught his eye and retained his mind was the Lamb in the midst of the throne. Brethren, it becomes us as ministers, to be constantly making much of Christ, to make Him indeed the first, the last, and the midst of all our discourses, and it becomes all believers, whenever they deal with matters of salvation, to set Jesus on high and to crown Him with many crowns. Give Him the best of your thoughts, and works, and affections, for He it is who fills all things, and to whom all things should pay homage. II. Secondly, there are two precious doctrines in the text. The first doctrine teaches us that in this glorious person of Jesus all fullness is treasured up, and the second, without which the first might yield us little comfort, that all this treasure of grace is received by His saints, so that all His saints receive all they have that is gracious and truthful from Himself. 1. First, consider this master truth, that all grace is treasured up in Christ Jesus. "His fullness," says the text. Ah! what a word, "His fullness"! If I had no other text given me to preach from until all preaching should be ended, this might suffice. His fullness! O brethren, here is a fullness which cannot be measured for length, or breadth, or depth, for He is filled with all the fullness of God. "In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9). The fullness of which the text speaks particularly is His double fullness of grace and truth. There is in Jesus Christ a fullness of essential grace, for it is His nature to overflow with free mercy to the miserable sons of men. It was a fullness of grace in Him that made Him enter into the eternal covenant and undertake suretyship engagements for us; it was a fullness of love and grace which sustained Him in the discharge of His liabilities as our Great Substitute, and the fullness of grace it is which constrains Him still to persevere in His work, saying, "For Zion's sake I will not rest, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not hold my peace" (Isa. 62:1). In Christ there is a fullness of grace to impart to us, and to that the text refers a fullness of pardoning grace, so that no sin can ever exceed His power to forgive; a fullness of justifying grace, so that He justifieth the ungodly; a fullness of converting grace, so that He calleth to Him whom He pleases; a fullness of quickening grace, for "He quickeneth whom He will" (John 5:21). Here is a fullness of purifying grace, for His blood cleanseth us from all sin, and a further fullness of comforting grace, of sustaining grace, of satisfying grace, of restoring grace--Jesus has a fullness in whatever office you regard Him, and with whatsoever needs. He is never limited in any gift or grace, but always full thereof. This fullness time would fail us to rehearse. Drink you of it; plunge you into it, and you shall know far more than I by any possibility can tell. This, however, I may say--the fullness which dwells in Christ is from the text clearly proved to be an abiding fullness, for, mark, "All we," saith he, "have received of it"; and yet he calls it a "fullness" still. It was a fullness before a single sinner came to it to receive pardon--before a solitary saint had learned to drink of that river the streams whereof make glad the church; and now, after thousands, and even myriads of blood-redeemed saints, have drank of this life-giving stream, it is just as overflowing as ever. We are accustomed to say, that if a child takes a cupful from the sea it is just as full as before, but that is not literally true, there must be just so much the less of water in the ocean; but it is literally true of Christ, that when we have not only taken out cups full--for our needs are too great to be satisfied with such small quantities--when we have taken out oceans full of grace--and we want as much as that to carry us to heaven--there is actually as much left. Although we each have drawn upon the exchequer of His love to an extent so boundless that we cannot understand it, yet there is as much mercy and grace left in Christ as there was before, and it is a "fullness" still, after all the saints have received of it. Brethren, there is a fullness of truth in our Lord as well as grace, that is to say, everything which Christ says is not only true, but emphatically true; and not only true in one sense, but true in multiplied senses--true to the letter and to the jots and to the tittles; true today and true tomorrow, and true forever; true to one saint and true to every saint; true at one season and true in all seasons. There is a blessed emphasis of divine reality in Christ Jesus. Every word He speaks is as the decree of God; every doctrine that He promulgates is clear as the great white throne. In Him there is no admixture of error. "Never man spake like this man" (John 7:46), because His teaching is unalloyed from heaven. Brethren, there is an abiding fullness of truth in Christ; after you have heard it for fifty years, you see more of its fullness than you did at first. Other truths weary the ear. I will defy any man to hold together a large congregation, year after year, with any other subject but Christ Jesus. He might do it for a time; He might charm the ear with the discoveries of science, or with the beauties of poetry, and His oratory might be of so high an order that He might attract the multitudes who have itching ears, but they would in time turn away and say, "This is no longer to be endured. We know it all." All music becomes wearisome but that of heaven; but oh! if the minstrel doth but strike this celestial harp, though he keepeth his fingers always among its golden strings, and be but poor and unskilled upon and instrument so divine, yet the melody of Jesus' name, and the sweet harmony of all His acts and attributes, will hold His listeners by the ears and thrill their hearts as nought beside can do. The theme of Jesus' love is inexhaustible, though preachers may have dwelt upon it century after century, a freshness and fullness still remain. 2. The second doctrine is that all the saints have received all of grace out of the fullness of Christ. It is not one saint who has derived grace from the Redeemer, but all. "Of His fullness have all we received." And they have not merely derived a part of the blessings of grace from Jesus, but all that they ever had they received from Him. It would be a wonderful vision if we could now behold passing before us the long procession of the chosen, the great and the small, the goodly fellowship of apostles, the noble army of martyrs, the once weeping but now rejoicing band of penitents. There they go! Methinks I see them all in their white robes, bearing their palms of victory. But you shall not, if you stay the procession at any point, be able to discover one who will claim to have obtained grace from another source than Christ; nor shall one of them say, "I owed the first grace I gained to Christ, but I gained other grace elsewhere." No, the unanimous testimony is "of His fullness have all we received." My inner eye beholds the throng as the processing pauses before the throne. Oh! see you not, how every man prostrates himself before the throne of the Lamb, and altogether they cry, "Of His fullness have all we received." Whoever we may be, however well we may have served our Master, whatever of honor we have gained, though our Lord has helped us to finish our course and to win the prize, yet it's all of Him--Not unto us, not unto us, but unto Thy name be all the praise. What a precious truth, then, we have before us, that all the saints in all ages have been just what you and I must be tonight if we would be saved--receivers. They did not any one of them bring anything to Christ, but received from Him. If they at this moment cast their crowns at His feet, their crowns were first given to them by Him. Their robes are wedding garments of His providing. The whole course of saintship is receptive. None of the saints talk of what they gave; none of them speak of what came of themselves, but they all bear testimony without a solitary exception that they were all receivers from Jesus' fullness. Oh, but this casts mire into the face of human self-sufficiency! What, not one saint who had a little of his own? Not one of all the favored throng who could furnish himself? No, not one. Did none of them look to the works of the law? No, they all went to Jesus and His grace, and none to Moses and the law. Did none of them trust in priests of earthly anointing? Did none of them bow down before holy fathers and saintly confessors to obtain absolution? There is not a word said about such gentry, nor even a syllable concerning appeals to saints, but all the saved ones received direct "from His fullness" who filleth all in all. I must not leave this second doctrine, however, without noting that these receptive saints received very abundantly. They drew from an abundance, even a fullness; and they also drew largely, as indicated by the words, "and grace for grace," which words are only difficult to understand by reason of the extent of meaning hidden in them, for they might be translated a dozen ways with equal accuracy. Do they not mean this?-- Just as Samson slew so many Philistines that he cried out, "Heaps upon heaps" (Judges 15:16), so our Lord has given to His people grace at such a rate that they have grace upon grace for abundance. They have received from Him such a plenty, such a pleroma of grace and truth, that as the ancients fabled Mount Pelion to be piled upon Ossa by the giants, to make a staircase the the skies, so our great Savior has piled mountains of grace upon mountains of grace, that on these, as on stupendous ladder, His elect might climb to the throne of God. Yet not one step to heaven is other than of grace: all comes out of His fullness. III. We advance to the third point, and mark three experiences indicated by the text. And first, beloved in the Lord, if you and I would receive of the fullness of Christ, it is imperatively necessary that we should have an experience of our own emptiness. All saints receive of Christ, but no vessel can receive beyond the measure of its emptiness. The more full it is, so much the less is its capacity for reception, and the more empty it is, so much the greater the space which can be filled. This is a hard lesson for human nature, for we firmly believe in ourselves. Thou sayest, "I am rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing"; we learn this with our mother tongue, and we repeat it so often that we believe it, and like the Pharisee, make it our daily boast, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are." (Luke 18:11). The Pharisee would see no chaff in his wheat, whereas grace makes us to be like the publican, who could see no wheat in his chaff, and would only say, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). It is hard going down the ladder of self-knowledge. We give up with great reluctance our flattering opinions of ourselves. We are hard to empty of the notion of our own inherent merit; and if the Lord spills that upon the ground, we then hold to the idea of our own inherent strength. What if we have no merit, yet at least we will have some by-and-by, and we spin out our poor resolves as freely as a spider spins her web, and the fabric is as frail. And if our notion of power be taken from us, we then betake ourselves to our self-justification, by endeavoring to persuade ourselves that we are not responsible; or wrapping ourselves in despair, we declare that we cannot help ourselves, and wickedly cast our ruin upon destiny. Man is hard to be dragged away from the rock of self-justification. Like Theseus in the old mythology, he is glued so fast to the great stone of self-conceit which lies hard by the gates of hell, that a stronger than Hercules is needed to tear him from it; and even such a deliverer must rend him from it, leaving the skin behind. When the Lord comes and makes the sinner stand before his bar and plead, "Lord, I am guilty," the man is made ready to receive of Christ's merits because he is emptied of his own. Hear him again: "Lord, I would fain repent and believe, but oh! for this I have no strength; be thou my helper." The man's own power is gone, and with it his hardness of heart. He confessed that he has willfully and wickedly sinned, and now the Lord pours of His grace and mercy. Our Lord withholds from those who are full, but He is always ready to give to those who are empty. Never does He keep back anything from those who are consciously in need. Never does He give aught to those who say they need nothing. There must be in each of us, then, an emptiness of self if we are to enjoy the fullness of Christ. But he who knows the emptiness of self is not [thereby] saved. The man who knows he has the fever, is not cured by that knowledge. The man who knows he is condemned to die, is not for that reason pardoned. It is a dreadful thing to stop short with a mere sense of sin; we must go on to the second experience--a personal reception of Christ Jesus. Here I shall put the question to each of my hearers, especially to professors of religion: Have you received out of Christ's fullness? I am not asking you whether you are church members. We sorrowfully know that it is one thing to be that, and quite another thing to receive Christ. I do not ask you whether you received the ordinance of the Lord's-supper. Alas! to receive bread and wine is a very different thing from feeding upon the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. The one is a carnal act which Judas might perform, who had a devil, but the other is a spiritual act, possible only for spiritual men. "Oh," saith one, "do not put high standards before us." No, I am not. I am putting the lowest standard that can prove a soul to be saved--have you received Christ? I want to call your attention to the marvelous simplicity of this one act by which salvation comes to all the saints. It is receiving. Now, receiving is a very easy thing. There are fifty things which you and I cannot do, but, my dear friend, you could undoubtedly receive a guinea, could you not? There is not a man, nor woman, nor child, here, so imperfect in power as to be unable to receive. Everybody seems capable of receiving to any amount. Mark, then, in salvation you do nothing but merely receive. There is a hand, a beggar's hand, and if it be wanted to write a fair letter, it cannot do that, but be assured it can receive. Try it, and the beggar will soon let you know. Look at that hand again, see you not that it has the palsy? It quivers and shakes! Ah, but it can receive for all that. Many a palsied hand has received a jewel. But do not you see that in addition to being black, and filthy, and palsied, it has a foul disease? The leprosy lies within, and is not to be washed out by any mode of purification known to us, and yet it can receive. The saints all came to be saints, and remained saints, through doing exactly what that poor black, leprous quivering hand can do. All their grace came by receiving. So, dear hearer, I am not setting up a high test, though I am assuredly setting up a very safe and needful one. Have you received out of the fullness of Christ? Did you come all empty-handed and take Jesus Christ to be your all? I know what you did at first. You were for accumulating the shining heaps of your own merits, and esteeming them as if they were so much gold, but you found out that your labour profited not, so at last you came empty-handed, and said, "My precious Savior, do but give me Thyself and I will have done with merit. I renounce all merit, and all doing and working, and I take Thee to be everything to me." Then, friend, you are saved if that be true, for the acceptance of Christ is the mark of the saint. I said there were three experiences: the first was emptiness; the second is receiving; and the third is that blessed experience, the discovery that all we receive comes to us by grace. Look at the last words, "And grace for grace," which words may be read, "And grace because of grace;" that is to say, the only reason why we get grace is because of grace. Grace is the cause of itself. It is a self-creating thing. God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. He is gracious because He is gracious, and He gives grace to men not because they deserve it, or ask for it, but because He is gracious, and chooses to bless them. I trust, beloved brethren, you all have experienced this. If you know your own emptiness and Christ's fullness, I am sure you know in a measure the doctrine of grace, and I hope you will go on to know it more and more. May you also get grace to have more grace; grace to qualify you for a higher degree of grace. Now, you do not get some grace from God's grace, and then the rest from your own efforts, but every step you have to go from the gate of the City of Destruction up to the pearl-gate of the New Jerusalem, it is all grace. The road to glory is paved with stones of grace. The chariot in which we ride to heaven is all of grace. The strength that draws it, and the axle that bears it up, is all of grace and grace alone. In the whole covenant of grace, from the first letter of the charter down to its last word, there is nothing at all of merit or man's goodness, but it is grace, grace, grace. As grace laid the foundation, so grace brings out every stone, and as we sing-- "It lays in heaven the topmost stone, And well deserves the praise." I cannot make out where some of the Lord's children get their creed from when they preach up the dignity and free will of man. There are good people, but who seem to me to use part of the speech of Ashdod, and only part of the speech of Jerusalem. To my mind, free will seems such an incongruity when tacked on to grace, and makes a man's ministry like Nebuchadnezzar's image, with its head of gold, and its feet of clay: the two things do not consort. O for a gospel that is all of a piece, that reveals the sinner as saved by grace from first to last, that God may have all the praise. IV. As briefly as possible we shall speak of four duties. 1. First, if we have received from Christ all we have, then let us praise Him. If we live on His fullness, let us magnify and bless His name. Gratitude is a natural virtue, and it ought always to be in us a spiritual grace. O let our tongues talk well of Him to whom we owe everything! There was a poor man who was a pauper, but a kind friend had taken care of Him, and the old man was never better pleased than when he could garrulously tell out his thanks to passing strangers. "That's a dear man who lives up at the white house there, sir. Do you see these clothes? He has given me all. I have not a rag on me but what is of his finding, and I have a nice little cottage down there, and, you know, he gave it to me--told me I might live there rent free. He lets me walk through his grounds, and tells me I am welcome to all I can desire." It was the old man's joy to expatiate upon the extraordinary goodness of his benefactor. I wish we all imitated him. Do you see anything that is happy and peaceful in me? It all came from Jesus. I am a poor worm with nothing at all in myself that I could boast of, but if there be anything at all that could commend the gospel, I received it all from my dear Lord and Master, who has done more for me than tongue can tell. Brethren, speak more of Him and sing more His praise. If you have the gift of song, never prostitute it (as I think it must be) to light, giddy, loose verses. Keep your sweetest notes for Him. Music, reserve thy charms for Him. If the things of this world might claim a note or two, yet, oh! let Him have the loudest of your harmony. Ye daughters of Israel, go forth to meet your David; for if any of this world hath helped you, if Saul hath slain his thousands, this David hath slain his ten thousands. The mightiest of your foes He has overthrown. One of the best ways of praising Jesus is by trusting Him more. Faith is often compact praise. A trustful heart has in it the quintessence of music. Jesus loves to be trusted: it is a true, if indirect, form of gratitude, when we repose confidence because of mercies received. Once more, if you wish to praise the Prince of Peace, as I trust you do, go and beg harder of Him. Go to Him this very night and say-- " The best return for one like me, So wrethced and so poor, Is from Thy gifts to draw a plea, And ask Thee still for more." You cannot do your Lord a better turn, nor make His heart more glad by way of praising Him, than by opening your mouth wider than ever tonight, that thou mayst receive more out of His fullness than thou hast ever had since thou hast known Him. 2. The second duty is this: if up till now we have received out of Christ's fullness, then let us repair to Him again. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. I find it my best and safest way, and I recommend it to you all, to live daily on Christ, as I did when first I trusted in Him. If I have ever known Him at all, if He has ever been revealed to me and in me, if He has ever answered my prayers, if He has ever blessed me to your souls and made me the spiritual parent of any that are in the skies, I do know that I had it all from Him, for I never had a grain of anything good of my own, but all my grace has been the free grant of His sovereign will. But, the devil says, "Ah, but you never knew Jesus!" Well, if I never did, I know what to do now; I will go to Jesus at once. If I never did go to Him before, I will hasten to Him now. Now, when I go to Jesus Christ in that way, not as a saint but as a sinner, not as a preacher but as a poor, miserable offender, I find my comfort return to me. I would like to be as a babe, always hanging on the breast of Jesus' love. I would like to be the fruit which remains on the bough and so grows ripe and sweet. I would like to be always locked up in Christ's buttery, and never to live on what I had aforetime fed on, but feeding evermore. To this duty I invite you tonight. If you have received, come and receive again; you have not received the whole of Christ's fullness yet. But all that is in Christ is meant to be received. Jesus Christ is like the sun, He is a storehouse of light, but the light is there to be shed abroad. He is like the clouds, a storehouse of waters, but all that is in Him is to descend in showers upon thirsty souls. There is nothing in Christ but what was meant to be distributed. He is like Joseph's granaries in Egypt, full of corn for hungry men. Dost thou read of mercy in Christ?--say, "That mercy was meant for needy sinner: I will even have it." Little children, when they come to table, seem to know by instinct that everything there is meant to be eaten; so they cry, "Give me this, give me that." Now, in this be ye children. If you see anything in Christ, however rich and rare, however precious and choice, say, "Lord, give me that, and give me that;" for it is all meant to be given away--it is all provided on purpose to meet the needs of the Lord's people. So we leave that duty, but I trust not till we have attended to it. 3. The third duty is, if you have been receiving of Christ, try to obtain more; for the text says, "Grace for grace" -- that is, grace upon grace -- grace to fit you for higher grace. If you are no richer than the old believers under the law, and you have found only Jewish grace, come and ask for clearer views; if you have grace as a babe, ask grace to be a young man; and if you have grown to be a young man, ask grace to be a father. Aspire to the highest point of Christian perfection. In other matters we are very covetous, but in the things of God, what an accursed contentment we soon fall into. I use the word advisedly, for it is accursed, since it brings the curse of barrenness upon us. I loathe to hear a believer say, "Well, if I am but just saved, that is enough for me; if I may but just get in behind the door in heaven, I shall be content." So you will, my dear brother, but you ought not to talk in that way. Your business is to show forth as much of Christ to His glory as you possibly can. What! are you so selfish that if you can creep into heaven that will content you? I would like to carry my Master a whole casket of jewels in my bosom; I would fain say to Him, "Here am I and the children whom thou hast given me" (Heb. 2:13; Isa. 8:18). I would desire to die with the sweet satisfaction, "I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of life that fadeth not away" (II Tim. 4:7-8). Do wrestle for more grace. If you are up to your ankles, wade into this river of gracious but do not be content. I ask you to advance till you are up to your loins, and be not fully satisfied even then. Forget the things that are behind, be not satisfied till you find a river to swim in; strike out till you feel you are utterly out of your depth, and then dive into it and strike out; glory in Christ to think that it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, and be glad that you have learned to comprehend with all saints what are the heights and depths, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. 4. The last duty and the last word. If you have received of Christ, encourage others to receive of Him. Indeed, you need not go far for the encouragement, for you may first of all look at home. If Jesus Christ received you, whom will He not receive? If my Master's heart opened wide its doors to let me in, I know He has received one of the blackest that ever was accepted; and I feel confident in recommending you, poor, needy, troubled, conscience-stricken sinner, to come to Jesus by simple trust tonight. I am sure if He had meant to reject you, He would not have accepted me. If you want to encourage souls to come to Christ, what a wonderful text this is: "Of His fullness have all we received." I must bring that little dream of mine up to your mind's eye again. There are all the saints--millions of them-- and they tell you, all of them, that they were all receivers. Now, suppose you were a beggar. You know what beggars do. If they go to a door and get anything, they make a little mark; you and I do not understand it, but it means "Good house to knock at;" and the next beggar who comes sees that token, and he knocks boldly. If they get nothing, of course, they make some scurvy remark or another, after their own fashion, which the next beggar understands. Now, I have already made that mark on Christ's door, and I have told you of it; it is a good house to knock at, for I have tried it. But suppose, being a beggar, you were to meet some fifty or sixty tramps, all coming down the street, and they were to say to you, "Are you in the same trade as we are?" "Yes, I am a beggar." "Well," say they, "there's a good house down there, we have all of us been to it, and they have given us all something." "What, given something to all of you?" "Yes, to every one of us." "What, to that man yonder? why, he looks good for nothing!" "Oh, well they gave him something." "What, to the whole of you?" "Yes." "Then I shall be as quick as I can to knock and get the next turn." Why, of course, everybody would feel that that is the shop to beg at where nobody has been rejected. Now, since the world began there never has been a sinner who sincerely asked for mercy through faith in the precious blood of Jesus who has been rejected. Since Adam was cast out of the garden, there has never been a sinner, whoever he might have been, that has cast himself by simple trust upon the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, whom God has cast out. Well, but if they all received, and all received "of His fullness," why not you? One thing more: it may be that you will still say, "Perhaps the Lord will change His mode of dealing, and reject me!" Oh, but let me tell you, He has pledged Himself that He will not, for, in addition to all those who have received at His hands, there is a promise given, "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). He cannot cast you away, for He has said He will not, and that word "no wise" is like the flaming cherub's sword, which turns every way, not to keep you out of the garden of life, but to keep out all your doubts and fears. Observe, "I will in no wise cast out." Then, if any man says, "But I am too old," that cannot be the reason for your rejection, for Christ has said, "Him that cometh, I will in no wise cast out." "Oh, but I have sinned beyond all reason, I have gone to an excess of riot: Sir, I'm a damnable sinner; no one can say too bad of me." I do not care what you are; He cannot cast you out, for He has said, "in no wise," that is, on no account, on no consideration, under no circumstances. If you come to Christ, heaven and earth may pass away, and yon blue sky shall be folded up and put away as a worn-out mantle, and the stars shall fall like withered leaves in autumn, and the sun be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood; but never shall a praying, trusting sinner be cast away from the presence of God. O come, then, thou most guilty, thou most empty, thou most worthless, come and welcome. Hark, the silver trumpet sounds tonight, "Come and welcome! come and welcome! come and welcome!" Come to the dear wounds of Jesus and be hidden there. Come to the fountain filled with blood, and be cleansed there. Come to the heart of Christ in heaven by trusting Him, and be saved both now and ever. May God bless you, and every one in this great house tonight. May He bless every one of you young women up there, and of men down there, and you strangers thronging the aisles; may every one of us have to say, "Of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." The Lord bless you. Amen. =========================================================== New Testament Study - Matthew 1:18-25 ===================================== The Birth of Jesus ------------------ 18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." 22All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-- which means, "God with us." 24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus. ------------------ Having in the previous section looked at the genealogy of the Messiah, here we learn about the miraculous events surrounding the conception and birth of the Messiah. Matthew begins: "This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit" (vs. 18). So, we first learn of the miraculous conception of Jesus. He was conceived in Mary, while she was still a virgin, "through the Holy Spirit". The phrase, "through the Holy Spirit", implies some miraculous act of creation of the seed in Mary by the Holy Spirit. For some reason, many people have problems believing the virgin conception of Jesus. However, a far greater mystery lies in how the Son of God, through whom "all things were made" (John 1:3), limited Himself so as to be able to dwell in a fleshly body and become a man. This is the real miracle. If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and is fully man and fully God, we should have no problem believing that Mary conceived while still a virgin. Matthew's narrative focusses on the episode as seen through Joseph's eyes (as opposed to Luke, who focusses on the episode as seen through Mary's eyes, see Luke 2). Matthew continues: "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly" (vs. 19). This situation must have been the greatest trial ever faced by Joseph. Think of it. The woman to whom he was pledged to be married is found to be with child. What could he do? Even though Joseph and Mary were not yet married, but only pledged to be married (or betrothed), in that culture, a divorce was required to terminate the betrothal (notice that in verse 19, Joseph is called Mary's "husband"). In other words, the betrothal was just as binding as a marriage. Since Joseph "was a righteous man", he could not go through with the marriage, because that would bring guilt upon himself. Yet, Joseph "did not want to expose [Mary] to public disgrace", so he decided "to divorce her quietly." Joseph no doubt thought that he had come up with the best solution to the problem; and, given the facts that he knew about the case, who could argue with his solution? He could continue to be considered "righteous", and at the same time show mercy to Mary. According to the law, Joseph could have had Mary stoned (see Deut. 22:23). However the Law specifies that both adulterers, the man and the woman, be stoned. In Mary's case, the man was nowhere to be found (because, of course, Mary was a virgin), so Joseph chose to show mercy upon Mary by "divorcing her quietly" (interestingly, this same mercy is shown by Jesus to the adulteress in John 8:1-11). So yes, Joseph's solution to the problem was commendable; however, God had a better solution: "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit'" (vs. 20). God's solution was for Joseph to take Mary home as his wife. At times, we think we have everything figured out, and we come up with our plans to handle certain situations, and then God comes along and changes everything! "Lord!", we say, "What are you doing?" We must realize that God knows much more about the situation than we do. At times, God asks us to act on faith, not giving us all the details for doing things His way. Joseph was blessed by God in that he was given the reason that it was OK to go ahead and marry his betrothed: "Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." All is OK. Mary is blameless in the situation. God not only gave Joseph information about Mary's blamelessness in the situation, but gave him a command. The angel of the Lord continues: "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins" (vs. 21). By commanding Joseph to "give Him the name Jesus", God was in effect commanding Joseph to adopt the son as his own. By doing so, since Joseph was in the royal line of the Davidic throne, Jesus would also be in the royal line. This was necessary to fulfill the prophecies that denoted that the Messiah would rule on David's throne. The angel gives Joseph a reason for naming his son "Jesus": "Because He will save His people from their sins." The name "Jesus" is the Greek form of the name "Joshua", which means, "the Lord saves". The name "Jesus" at that time was a fairly common name. Perhaps parents named their sons "Jesus" with the secret hope that their "Jesus" would be the Messiah. Joseph was commanded by God to give the true Messiah the name "Jesus". Now, the angel is very explicit in specifying what sort of salvation Jesus the Messiah would bring: "He will save His people from their sins." The Jews at that time were primarily looking for a messiah who would save them from the tyranny of the Roman Empire. God is better than that: He gives us the more important salvation. Yes, salvation from the tyranny of Rome would have made the lives of the Jews on this earth better, but such a salvation would have had no effect on their eternity, their existence after they leave this earth. Salvation from sin is the greatest gift that we have from God. Without it, we cannot be reconciled to God, and so, must spend our eternity out of His presence. With it, however, we can enter God's presence, even be adopted as His child, and thus, enjoy all the benefits and blessings of being His child throughout eternity. Many in this world, like the Jews, look to God for salvation from trials in this world, while ignoring the most valuable salvation that God offers them: salvation from their sins through His Son Jesus Christ. That the Messiah was sent to save His people from their sins fulfills a number of prophecies from the Old Testament, among them: "[The Lord] Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins" (Ps. 130:8); "But Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation" (Isa. 45:17). Notice that the angel speaking to Joseph said that Jesus would save "His people". This refers specifically to the Jews. As we read the Gospels, we notice that Jesus' ministry on earth dealt primarily with the Jews. God offered His salvation through the person Jesus Christ to His chosen nation first. Then, just as it was prophesied that through the seed of Abraham all nations would be blessed (see Gen. 12:3), so Christ commanded that the salvation from sin be offered to all nations, when He said: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19). As Paul says, the gospel message is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile" (Rom. 1:16). By the way, when the angel says to Joseph: "He will save His people from their sins", he means "He and only He". There is no one else in heaven and on earth who can save people from their sins. Jesus is the answer to the great "mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God" (Eph. 3:9). The mystery: How could sinful man be reconciled to Holy God? Ever since Adam, because of man's sin, he has not been able to enter into full communion with God. Our Holy God cannot allow Himself to be tainted by the sin of man, lest our sin compromise His perfect holiness. Because of this, "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). However, God had promised (as cited above) that "Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation" (Isa. 45:17); He promised to "redeem Israel from all their sins" (Ps. 130:8). But how was God to do this, and yet at the same time, maintain His holiness? The answer to this mystery is Jesus Christ. As Paul says (providing the answer to the mystery alluded to in Eph. 3:9): "In [Jesus] and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence" (Eph. 3:12). God sent His Son Jesus to earth, to live as a man, a sinless life. Since He was conceived miraculously through the power of the Holy Spirit, He did not inherit man's sinful nature. Since He was in constant obedience to His Heavenly Father throughout His life on earth, He could fulfill the role of the spotless lamb, and could be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of all people. Long before Jesus came to earth, in the Law that God gave to Moses, He established a way that the sins of His people may be covered through the blood sacrifice of unblemished animals. God established this law as a "shadow of the good things that [were] coming" (Heb. 10:1). However, since what was offered was only the blood of unblemished bulls and goats, these were only imperfect sacrifices, shadows of the perfect sacrifice that was to come. Being imperfect, their sacrifices had to be offered over and over in order cover the sins of the offerer. You see, the blood of unblemished goats and bulls was necessarily an imperfect sacrifice because the goats and bulls themselves knew nothing about God's law, and so were only unblemished in their outward appearance. A perfect sacrifice would have to be unblemished inwardly, obeying perfectly all of God's law. Jesus is the only man in history, who has obeyed God perfectly throughout His whole life on earth. Thus, He is the only one worthy to be a sacrifice for the sins of others, since He is the only one who did not deserve to be punished for His own sin. This is why the angel says emphatically to Joseph: "He" (and only He) "will save His people from their sins." Matthew puts all this into perpective: "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel'--which means, 'God with us'" (vss. 22-23). Matthew here cites Isaiah 7:14, saying that it is the birth of Jesus which fulfills the prophecy contained in that verse. Many people have difficulty in seeing the verse in Isaiah as referring to the birth of the Messiah. They see this verse as being a sign given specifically to Ahaz, a sign that was to be fulfilled in the lifetime of Ahaz. This is not so. Isaiah 7:14 is a sign given to all of God's people, not just Ahaz. In Isaiah 7:11, the Lord graciously allows Ahaz to ask for a sign that will confirm that Judah would not be destroyed by the Arameans. Ahaz (disobediently) rejects the Lord's offer for a sign (Isa. 7:12). The Lord is upset by this (Isa. 7:13), and so, rather than giving Ahaz a sign, He gives all of God's people a sign, saying: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you" (note: this "you" in the original Hebrew is plural, denoting that the Lord was not just speaking to Ahaz, but to all of God's people) "a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel" (Isa. 7:14). If one continues reading the full context of this prophecy, one will see that "Immanuel" is twice more referred to (see Isa. 8:8 and Isa. 8:10). These references more clearly link "Immanuel" to the Lord Himself, not to a child in Ahaz' time given that name. Then later, in Isa. 9:6, the child spoken of in Isaiah 7:14 is more clearly identified as the Messiah in the famous passage: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). In summary, many people have problems in identifying the "Immanuel" spoken of in Isaiah 7:14 as the Messiah, because they do not read the entire context of the prophecy, which goes from Isaiah 7:1 all the way through to Isaiah 9:7. Matthew tells us that all these events surrounding Jesus' birth fulfill the prophecy: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel" (vs. 23). This prophecy not only predicts the virgin conception of Jesus, but also gives Him an additional name: "Immanuel". Now, as far as we know, no one during His life on earth called Jesus by this name. However, "Immanuel" expresses the nature of Christ, for it means "God with us". And so, when we state that Christ is Son of God and Son of Man, we are in effect calling Him "Immanuel", "God with us". With the two names in this passage that are given for the Messiah-- "Jesus" and "Immanuel" -- we are greatly blessed. The first expresses His office, the second His nature. With the first, we are reminded that He came to save us from our sins, to bring eternal life to us, to reconcile us to God through His sacrifice. With the second, we are reminded of God's great love to send His own Son, the second person of the Trinity, to earth, so that through Him, God is indeed "with us". What a blessing! Praise be to God! This chapter is concluded by showing Joseph's obedience to the Lord: "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave Him the name Jesus" (vss. 24-25). Notice that Joseph obeyed God immediately: "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him." Notice that Joseph obeyed God completely: he did everything the angel had commanded of him. This obedience of Joseph was non-trivial. Undoubtedly, gossip had spread around the village concerning Mary's being with child. By taking Mary home as his wife, Joseph was opening up himself for suspicion. But, apparently Joseph was unconcerned about this. The Lord commanded him, and he obeyed. We must always make sure that we are more concerned about what the Lord thinks of us, than what men think of us. At times, we must obey the Lord, even though the world misunderstands our actions. So, Father, help us to be obedient to Your will in all that we do, even when the world misunderstands Your will in our lives. We praise You and thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins. We thank You for the love that You have expressed to us by sending Your Son. May He be glorified in our lives, as we live in obedience to You. In the name of Your Son, who has saved us from our sins, we pray these things, Amen. =========================================================== A Study in Psalms - Psalm 31 ============================ Psalm 31 -------- For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness. 2Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me. 4Free me from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge. 5Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth. 6I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the Lord. 7I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. 9Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends --those who see me on the street flee from me. 12I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. 14But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." 15My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love. 17Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I have cried out to You; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. 18Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. 19How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You. 20In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues. 21Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. 22In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from Your sight!" Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help. 23Love the Lord, all His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. 24Be strong and take heart, all You who hope in the Lord. -------------- This is a psalm about trusting in the Lord. Though David speaks of great affliction and anguish, he does so against a backdrop of trust that the Lord will preserve him. David begins by describing the Lord as his refuge and fortress (vss. 1-6); then, he brings his petitions before the Lord concerning his dire situation (vss. 7-13); next, David affirms his trust in the Lord, that He will deliver him from his affliction (vss. 14-18); finally, David speaks of the goodness of God, and consequently, our obligation to praise Him (vss. 19-24). The Lord as David's Refuge -------------------------- 1In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness. 2Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me. 4Free me from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge. 5Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth. 6I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the Lord. ---------------- David begins this psalm of trust in the Lord, by stating: "In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge" (vs. 1). Interestingly, in this prayer, David begins with the solution to all his problems (that is, taking refuge in the Lord). With the Creator of the Universe as a fortress, there is sure victory. Who could break down His walls of protection? In the subsequent verses, David goes on to describe how this is a solution to his problems. In verses 1 through 5, each petition is assumed to be answered, as long as the Lord is his refuge. In verse 1, David says: "In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge", and because of this, "let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness." Since David has taken refuge in the Lord, he expects to be delivered from shame. In verse 2, David expects to be rescued in his battle, as long as the Lord is his refuge: "Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me." In verse 3, David expects guidance from the Lord, as long as the Lord is his refuge: "Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me." In verse 4, David expects deliverance from future attacks of his enemies, because the Lord is his refuge: "Free me from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge." Finally, in verse 5, David expects redemption from sin because the Lord is his refuge: "Into Your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O Lord, the God of truth." It is important that, before we pray for our specific situation, we acknowledge our desire that the Lord be our refuge. We should pray as David: "Into Your hands I commit my spirit" (vs. 5). Though these words are used often by Christians on their death-beds (Jesus Himself left this world with these words, see Luke 23:46), we must also commit our spirits to the Lord while we are still alive. To do so is the first step to effective prayer. Many times, affliction is used by God to draw us nearer to Him. If you are unwilling to "commit [your] spirit" to Him, He cannot free you from such afflictions. David concludes this section by contrasting himself and those of the world: "I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the Lord" (vs. 6). Those of the world take refuge in "worthless idols", choosing not to "trust in the Lord". Many in this day and age think that idolatry is a thing of the past in modern civilization. However, David here implies that an idol is anything that a person puts his trust in, to the exclusion of trusting in the Lord. Given this definition, we realize that idolatry is alive and well. There are many who put their trust in their bank accounts, or their college education, or their status in their profession, or their beautiful physique, etc. These are all "worthless idols", worthless because they have no real power to save. By the way, David uses a very strong word for his regard for idolaters. He says: "I hate." Certainly, the sin of idolatry should be hated, just as it is hated by God. But given our Lord's commandment to us to "love [our] enemies" (Matt. 5:44), I would not say that I hate idolaters. Rather, I pity them for putting their trust in worthlessness, and ignoring our faithful and loving God. David's Specific Petitions -------------------------- 7I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. 8You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place. 9Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 10My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. 11Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends --those who see me on the street flee from me. 12I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. 13For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. ------------------ Now David comes to the specific petitions which have prompted this prayer. It appears that David here is praying concerning an on-going struggle, for he first shows his appreciation for the fact that, to this point, God has blessed him and kept his enemies at bay: "I will be glad and rejoice in Your love, for You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place" (vs. 7-8). The tense that David uses here is interesting. He says: "I will be glad and rejoice". This tense shows David's faith that he will be delivered; yet it also shows the depth of his current anguish, for he cannot bring himself (it appears) to rejoice at the present time. David is speaking with the mind of faith, but he has not yet convinced his emotions to react to this faith. He can boldly say: "I will rejoice", but he cannot yet say (in the midst of his struggle): "I am rejoicing." The strength of David's mind of faith came from his evaluation of the fact that God has always delivered him in the past. Even in his current situation, David remembers God's hand of deliverance: "You saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul. You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place" (vs. 7-8). Next, David presents his first petitions concerning his present situaton. These first petitions relate to the state of his emotions--his mental anguish and distress: "Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak" (vss. 9-10). Then, David goes on to describe the physical situation which caused his mental anguish: "Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends--those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life" (vss. 11-13). It seems from this passage that the occasion for praying this prayer was the one descibed in II Sam. 15. In that chapter, Absalom (David's son) slandered David to try and turn the people away from him. Absalom largely succeeded in this, as evidenced by the fact that Ahithophel (formerly a counselor of David) joined Absalom's camp. David, as a result of increasing disfavor among the people, was forced to flee Jerusalem. It is sad that, in spite of David's great accomplishments and all he had done for the nation of Israel, the people were so ready to believe Absalom's slander and turn against David. We see this attitude today, also. So many people are willing to believe gossip and slander, and so few are willing to seek after the truth. A Reiteration of David's Trust ------------------------------ 14But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." 15My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 16Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love. 17Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I have cried out to You; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. 18Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous. --------------- Despite his emotional anguish, David's mind of faith still trusts the Lord: "But I trust in You, O Lord" (vs. 14). At times our emotions take control and put us in a state of panic. During these times, we must, like David, sit down, remember the past deliverances of the Lord, allow our minds of faith to overcome our distressed emotions, and say with David: "But I trust in You, O Lord." David realized that the Lord was in control: "I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in Your hands" (vss. 14-15). So-called "fate" has nothing to do with our destiny. Our "times" are in the hands of God. Everything works to His purpose. Nothing is random. If we feel pain, it is by His approval. If we experience gladness, it comes from Him. "The Sovereign arbiter of destiny holds in His own power all the issues of our life; we are not waifs and strays upon the ocean of fate, but are steered by infinite wisdom towards our desired haven."[2] Agnosticism is ludicrous, an excuse for non-commitment. If there is a God, He would certainly be involved in His creation. "We might as well believe there is no God, as believe that He neither sees, nor hears, nor cares, nor acts in human affairs."[3] With his bold attitude of trust, and the realization that God is in complete control, David continues with specific petitions: "[D]eliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love. Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I have cried out to You; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie silent in the grave. Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous" (vss. 15-18). The Goodness of God ------------------- 19How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You. 20In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues. 21Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. 22In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from Your sight!" Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help. 23Love the Lord, all His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. 24Be strong and take heart, all You who hope in the Lord. ----------------- Through the act of praying, David's trust in God takes control of his emotions as well as his mind. He declares: "How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You" (vs. 19). This declaration is emanating from David's heart. One can sense in it that his anguish has disappeared. He realizes that, in the refuge of God, he is perfectly safe: "In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from the intrigues of men; in Your dwelling You keep them safe from accusing tongues" (vs. 20). David ends the psalm with praise: "Praise be to the Lord, for He showed His wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city" (vs. 21). Answered prayer must need be always followed by praise to the Lord. Remember this! David recalls his anguish, and attributes his newfound peace of mind to answered prayer: "In my alarm I said, 'I am cut off from Your sight!' Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help" (vs. 22). Many times we pray something, and then, when the prayer is answered, attribute it to luck. We downplay God's role in the deliverance. Beware of this! Give glory to God for His work in your life! David concludes with an exhortation to those who feel anguish, who are distressed, who are facing affliction: "Be strong and take heart, all You who hope in the Lord" (vs. 24). This comes from a man who was constantly bombarded with trials, a man who was no stranger to being attacked by enemies. Take his lead! Trust in the Lord! Then, through your trust, you will gain strength so that you will be able to "be strong and take heart", even in the midst of affliction. ============================================================== Bibliography and Suggested Reading ================================== Alexander, Joseph A. Commentary on the Psalms. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1991. (Originally published in 1864). Augustine. Homilies on the Gospel of Saint John, from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7. Peabody, Mass.:Hendrickson, 1994. Broadus, John. Commentary on Matthew. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1990. (Originally published in 1886). Calvin, John. A Commentary on Genesis. 2 Vols. in 1. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1965. (Originally published in 1554). Candlish, Robert S. Studies in Genesis. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1979. (Originally published in 1868). Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991. Carson, D. A. "Matthew" from The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. VIII, ed. by Frank Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Chrysostom. Homilies on the Gospel of Saint John, from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 14. Peabody, Mass.:Hendrickson, 1994. Dickson, David. A Commentary on the Psalms. Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1959. (Originally published in 1653). Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David. A Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments. 3 Vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1993. (Originally published in 1866). Keil, Carl & Delitzsch, Franz. Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971. (Originally published ca. 1880). Morgan, G. Campbell. The Gospel According to John. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1992. Morgan, G. Campbell. The Gospel According to Matthew. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1992. Morris, Leon. Expository Reflections on the Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991. Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1971. Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1992. Pink, Arthur W. Exposition of the Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975. (Originally published 1945). Pink, Arthur W. Gleanings in Genesis. Chicago: Moody, 1981. Plumer, William S. Studies in the Book of Psalms. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1990. (Originally published in 1867). Ryle, J. C. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John. Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1991. Ryle, J. C. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew. Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1986. Smith, Chuck. Audio Tapes on Genesis. Costa Mesa, CA: Word for Today, 1985. Smith, Chuck. Audio Tapes on Psalms. Costa Mesa, CA: Word for Today, 1988. Spurgeon, Charles. The Gospel of Matthew. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1987. Spurgeon, Charles. The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. Pasadena, TX: Pilgrim Publications. Spurgeon, Charles. The Treasury of David. 6 Volumes bound in 3. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson. (Originally published ca. 1880). Thomas, W. H. Griffith. Genesis: A Devotional Commentary. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1988. =========================================================== Postscript: Consistency in Christianity - II ============================================= "Like as [a compass] doth ever [look to] the north star, whether it be closed and shut up in a coffer of gold, silver, or wood, never losing its nature; so a faithful Christian man, whether he abound in wealth or be pinched with poverty, whether he be of high or low degree in this world, ought continually to have his faith and hope surely built and grounded upon Christ, and to have his heart and mind fast fixed and settled in Him, and to follow Him through thick and thin, through fire and water, through wars and peace, through hunger and cold, through friends and foes, through a thousand perils and dangers, through the surges and waves of envy, malice, hatred, evil speeches, railing sentences, contempt of the world, flesh, and devil, and even in death itself, be it never so bitter, cruel, and tyrannical, yet never to lose sight and view of Christ, never to give over faith, hope, and trust in Him." -- Robert Cawdray (1660) ---------- Footnotes ---------- 1. All Scriptures quoted in this study are taken from the King James Version. 2. C. H. Spurgeon, A Treasuy of David, Vol. II, pg. 62. 3. William Plumer, Studies in the Book of Psalms, pg. 395.