Scripture Studies - Vol. V; No. 6 - August 1998 =============================================== In this issue: Old Testament Study - Genesis 42 A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 7, by John Flavel New Testament Study - Matthew 5:27-32 A Study for Young Christians - On Affliction; On Avoiding Extremes A Study in Psalms - Psalm 40 Bibliography - Suggested Reading Postscript - The Work of Conscience 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. 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May God bless you as you study His Word. ====================================================================== Old Testament Study - Genesis 42 ================================ Jacob's Sons Go to Egypt ------------------------ 1 When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" 2 He continued, "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die." 3 Then ten of Joseph's brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt. 4 But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him. 5 So Israel's sons were among those who went to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan also. 6 Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. "Where do you come from?" he asked. "From the land of Canaan," they replied, "to buy food." 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, "You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected." 10 "No, my lord," they answered. "Your servants have come to buy food. 11 We are all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest men, not spies." 12 "No!" he said to them. "You have come to see where our land is unprotected." 13 But they replied, "Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan. The youngest is now with our father, and one is no more." 14 Joseph said to them, "It is just as I told you: You are spies! 15 And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. 16 Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!" 17 And he put them all in custody for three days. 18 On the third day, Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: 19 If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. 20 But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die." This they proceeded to do. 21 They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." 22 Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." 23 They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. 24 He turned away from them and began to weep, but then turned back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. 25 Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, 26 they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. 27 At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. 28 "My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?" 29 When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, 30 "The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. 31 But we said to him, `We are honest men; we are not spies. 32 We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.' 33 "Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, `This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. 34 But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.'" 35 As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!" 37 Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back." 38 But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my grey head down to the grave in sorrow." --------------- Here we return to find out how things are going with Jacob and his sons. It has been some thirteen years since Joseph was sold into slavery. As we were told in the previous chapter: "[T]he famine was severe in all the world" (Gen. 41:57). Thus, Jacob and his sons were feeling the effects of the famine. At some point, "Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt" (vs. 1). Now, since his sons most likely got out and about more than Jacob did, they must have heard that there was grain in Egypt before Jacob did. So, Jacob wondered why his sons had not acted on this knowledge. He asked them: "Why do you just keep looking at each other?" (vs. 1). We might here make a conjecture that the reason Jacob's sons kept "looking at each other" (instead of going to Egypt to get food) is that the sons were afraid to go to the country where Joseph was sold into slavery. Perhaps they feared that they would in some way be called into account for their great sin. Nevertheless, Jacob ordered them to action: "I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die" (vs. 2). So here, the amazing events that brought Jacob's sons face to face with Joseph were set in motion. On second thought, these events were set in motion by God long before that. The entire history of Joseph's life--his being sold into slavery, his false imprisonment, his interpretation of dreams, his exaltation in Egypt--contained the events that God used to bring his people to Egypt. Through the hindsight we have from Moses' narrative, we can clearly see God's hand in the events. What a great lesson in the workings of God's providence this passage is! And so, ten of Jacob's sons set out for Egypt (vs. 3). "But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with the others, because he was afraid that harm might come to him" (vs. 4). It seems that Jacob suspected his sons of some sort of wrongdoing for the disappearance of Joseph. He did not want the same thing to happen to Benjamin, the last of his beloved Rachel's children. At this time in Egypt, "Joseph was the governor of the land, the one who sold grain to all its people" (vs. 6). Joseph, as we have previously pointed out, was a model of the work ethic. No matter what his position--whether slave in Potiphar's house, prisoner in Pharaoh's jail, or second-in-command to Pharaoh--he always went about his work diligently and faithfully, and in so doing, he always gained the respect and admiration of his superiors. We are exhorted by Paul to have such a work ethic: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Col. 3:23-24). We see here that the duties of our profession--whether we be a plumber, a teacher, a police officer, an engineer, an manager of others--I say, the duties of our profession are part of our service to Christ. We should labor as diligently for our bosses at work as we would if we were working directly for our Lord Jesus Christ. "So when Joseph's brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground" (vs. 6). This is a direct fulfillment of the dream that Joseph had so many years before. Recall that passage: "Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, `Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of corn out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered round mine and bowed down to it.' His brothers said to him, `Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?' And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said" (Gen. 37:5-8). The fulfillment of Joseph's dream is evidence that God was in control from the beginning, that He was engineering the events all along. God gave Joseph those dreams so that we who read this account would know that God was engineering the events. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the chief evidences of Himself that God gives to us. The Lord Himself tells us this through Isaiah: "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do" (Isa. 46:9-11). "As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them" (vs. 7). Interestingly, Joseph did not remember his dream right away when his brothers bowed in front of him, though he did recognize his brothers. And it seems that his remembrance of the dream caused Joseph to become even harsher with them: "Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, `You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected'" (vs. 9). Quite possibly, Joseph's remembrance of his dream also caused him to remember how cruel his brothers were to him. It was in large part because of Joseph's dreams that the brothers sold him into slavery. At that time, they were jealous of Joseph's dreams and hated the idea of Joseph being exalted over them. Ironically, it is the fulfillment of the dreams that leads to their salvation from the famine. In this passage, and throughout the account of Joseph's life (as we have mentioned before in these studies), we find much typology that subtly prophesy Jesus' life and mission. Joseph's brothers in one sense are typical of the unsaved, with Joseph being typical of Jesus, their Savior. The brothers hated the idea of bowing to their savior, yet it is their bowing to him that would lead to their salvation. Likewise, unbelievers despise the Lordship of Christ. If you tell them that God has exalted Christ such that "every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil. 2:10-11), they bristle at the thought of bowing to Christ and confessing that He is Lord. Yet, it is their bowing to Him that would lead to their eternal salvation. Joseph persisted in insisting that the brothers were spies. We may well ask, "Why the charade? Why the harsh tone?" Was this merely Joseph's way of getting back at his brothers? I don't think this is the reason for Joseph's harshness. Revenge was very much not a part of Joseph's character. So then, if not for revenge, why the charade? In verses 14 through 16, we get a clue as to Joseph's motive: "Joseph said to them, `It is just as I told you: You are spies! And this is how you will be tested: As surely as Pharaoh lives, you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies!'" Joseph very much wanted to see his younger brother Benjamin. However, Joseph was not entirely sure that Benjamin would be safe in his brothers' hands. Joseph perceived that threatening the lives of the brothers was the best way to get them to bring Benjamin safely to him. After reinforcing his threat by keeping them in custody for three days, Joseph gave them a less harsh proposition: "Do this and you will live, for I fear God: If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die" (vss. 18-20). Joseph tried to reassure them that he would hold up his side of the bargain by saying, "I fear God". Quite possibly Reuben took this to heart because, as we shall see later (see vs. 37), he was convinced that Benjamin would not be harmed by being brought to Egypt. The brothers were astonished at the strange things that were happening to them in Egypt. They could think of only one explanation: "They said to one another, `Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us.'" (vs. 21). This is a striking example of the power of conscience, to have such a strong effect after so many years. The pangs of conscience do not go away on their own. Guilt, shame and the pangs of conscience are often the basis of aberrant psychological behavior, because of the crippling effect a guilty conscience can have on us. The world's remedy for a guilty conscience is to try to ignore it, to pretend that there is no such thing as guilt. They do this through psychology, as well as through redefining morality, in an attempt to decrease the sins that lead to their guilty feelings. But all this is ineffective because the conscience is God-given and is based on His law. Attempts to ignore one's conscience will be fruitless. Such attempts can only cover over a guilty conscience, not cleanse it. True cleansing of conscience comes only through "the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, [that He may] cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God" (Heb. 9:14). For the unbeliever, the way to cleanse a guilty conscience is to accept the gift of Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, so that we may stand guiltless before God. For the believer,--yes, even a believer can be troubled by a guilty conscience because, sadly, we continue to sin even after coming to Christ--I say, for the believer, the way to cleanse a guilty conscience is to confess one's sins before God. John, by the Holy Spirit, has promised us: "If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). Guilt, shame, and pangs of conscience, far from being bad things, are gifts of God, spurring us to repent from sin and to turn to Him for forgiveness. Joseph was touched by the work of their consciences: "He turned away from them and began to weep" (vs. 24). But Joseph realized that a guilty conscience does not necessarily imply that the sin has been repented from. Joseph realized that he must continue with his plan: "He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes" (vs. 24). Many commentators believe that the reason Joseph chose Simeon to be imprisoned was that Simeon was the ringleader in the selling of Joseph. We know that Simeon was a ruthless and violent man. He, with Levi, was the instigator in the slaughter of the Shechemites in retaliation for the defiling of Dinah (see Gen. 34:30). Also, later, when Jacob gives his sons his death-bed blessings, he has nothing good to say about Simeon (see Gen. 49:5-7). If Simeon was the ringleader, his imprisonment would have especially caused the rest of the brothers to see these events as retribution by God for the selling of Joseph. In an attempt to bless their journey, "Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey" (vs. 25). But when the brothers discovered this, they were frightened that it would lead to punishment by Joseph (whom they only knew as Pharaoh's governor): "At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. `My silver has been returned,' he said to his brothers. `Here it is in my sack.' Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, `What is this that God has done to us?'" (vs. 27-28). Here again we see the detrimental effects of a guilty conscience. Their guilty consciences turned the blessing into a curse. As Solomon points out: "The wicked man flees though no one pursues" (Prov. 28:1). Note, when they were trembling, they said: "What is this that God has done to us?" (vs. 28). Significantly, this is the first time that we have ever seen the brothers refer to God. This happens often. Men ignore God until they have something to blame Him for. They overlook all the blessings He has poured out upon them abundantly, but are quick to blame Him for the slightest affliction. "When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them" (vs. 29). Jacob did not know what to think. He certainly didn't know whether he could believe this fantastic story that his sons were telling him. Jacob must have suspected foul play on the part of the brothers concerning Joseph, because he replied to them: "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin" (vs. 36). Then Jacob exclaims: "Everything is against me!" In this respect, how wrong he was! In reality, God was working these strange events to Jacob's good. Jacob was judging by appearances, instead of seeing things from a heavenly perspective. Perhaps this is why Moses reverts to using Jacob's old name "Jacob", rather than the new name that God had given him "Israel" (see Gen. 35:10). Jacob was acting like his old worldly self, rather than the new creation that God had made him. Brothers and sisters, see that you do not revert to your old self. As Paul exhorts: "[L]et us live up to what we have already attained" (Phil. 3:16). ====================================================================== A Classic Study - Navigation Spiritualized, pt. 7, by John Flavel ================================================================= A Classic Study by John Flavel (1628-1691) [Here, we continue our reprint of excerpts from John Flavel's book *Navigation Spiritualized*. John Flavel was a 17th Century minister in the seaside town of Dartmouth, England. A good many of his parishioners made their living on the sea, and so Mr. Flavel wrote *Navigation Spiritualized*, a book which draws parallels between things of the sea and spiritual things. This book is a masterpiece in the way it communicates spiritual truths in the language of its target audience, the seamen of Dartmouth. In fact, it was written specifically for the seamen to take on voyages and read, so that (for example), while they sailed the boundless seas, they could read of God's boundless mercies; or, while they adjusted their sails for shifting winds, they could read how to prepare their souls for the shifting winds of life; etc. And indeed, though few of us are seamen, we are all on a voyage through this life, so (I dare say) we may all profit from this study.]*--Ed.* Conscience ---------- *How small a matter turns a ship about,* *Yet we, against our conscience, stand it out.* OBSERVATION. It is a matter of admiration to see so great a body as a ship is--and when under sail too, before a fresh and strong wind by which it is carried as the clouds with marvellous force and speed--to be commanded with ease by so small a thing as the helm is. The scripture takes notice of it as a matter worthy of our consideration. "Behold also the ships, which though they be great, and driven of fierce winds; yet they are turned about with a small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth" (James 3:4). Yea, Aristotle himself, that eagle-eyed philosopher, could not give a reason of it, but looked upon it as a very marvelous and wonderful thing. APPLICATION. To the same use and office has God designed conscience in man, which being rectified and regulated by the word and spirit of God, is to steer and order his whole conversation. Conscience is as the oracle of God, the judge and determiner of our actions, whether they be good or evil. And it lays the strongest obligation that is imaginable upon the creature to obey its dictates, for it binds under the reason and consideration of the most absolute and sovereign will of the great God. So that as often as conscience from the word convinceth us of any sin or duty, it lays such a bond upon us to obey it, as no power under heaven can relax or dispense with. Angels cannot do it, much less man; for that would be to exalt themselves above God. Now therefore it is a high and dreadful way of sinning, to oppose and rebel against conscience, when it convinces of sin and duty. Conscience sometimes reasons it out with men, and shows them the necessity of changing their way and course, arguing it from the clearest and most allowed maxims of right reason, as well as from the indisputable sovereignty of God. As for instance: it convinceth their very reason that things of eternal duration are infinitely to be preferred to all momentary and perishing things (see Rom. 8:18; Heb. 11:26) and it is our duty to choose them, and make all secular and temporary concernments to stand aside, and give place to them. Yet though men be convinced of this, their stubborn will stands out, and will not yield up itself to the conviction. Further, it argues from this acknowledged truth, that all the delight and pleasures in this world are but a miserable portion, and that it is the highest folly to adventure an immortal soul for them (see Luke 9:15). Alas! what remembrance is there of them in hell? They are as the waters that pass away. What have they left, of all their mirth and jollity, but a tormenting sting? It convinceth them clearly, also, that in matters of deep concernment it is an high point of wisdom, to apprehend and improve the right seasons and opportunities of them: "He that gathers in summer is a wise son" (Prov. 10:5). "A wise man's heart discerns both time and judgment" (Eccl. 8:5). "There is a season to every purpose" (Eccl. 3:1), viz. a nick of time, a happy juncture, when if a man strikes in, he doth his work effectually, and with much facility: such seasons conscience convinceth the soul of, and often whispers thus in its ear: Now, soul, strike in, close with this motion of the Spirit, and be happy forever; thou mayest never have such a gale for heaven any more. Now, though these be allowed maxims of reason, and conscience enforce them strongly on the soul, yet it cannot prevail; the proud, stubborn will rebel, and will not be guided by it. See Eph. 2:3; Job 34:36; Isa. 46:12; Ezek. 2:4; Jer. 44:16. REFLECTION. Ah! Lord, such an heart have I had before thee: thus obstinate, thus rebellious, so uncontrollable by conscience. Many a time hath conscience thus whispered in mine ear, many a time hath it stood in my way, as the angel did in Balaam's, or the cherubims that kept the way of the tree of life with flaming swords turning every way. Thus hath it stood to oppose me in the way of my lusts. How often hath it calmly debated the case with me alone? and how sweetly hath it expostulated with me? How clearly hath it convinced of sin, danger, duty, with strong demonstration? How terrible hath it menaced my soul, and set the point of the threatening at my very breast? And yet my headstrong affections will not be remanded by it. I have obeyed the voice of every lust and temptation (see Tit. 3:3) but conscience hath lost its authority with me. Ah Lord! Lord! What a sad condition am I in, both in respect of sin and misery! My sin receives dreadful aggravations, for rebellion and presumption are hereby added to it. I have violated the strongest bonds that ever were laid upon a creature. If my conscience had not thus convinced and warned, the sin had not been so great and crimson colored (see James 4:17). Ah! this is to sin with a high hand (see Num. 10:30), to come near to the great and unpardonable transgression (see Ps. 19:13). O how dreadful a way of sinning is this, with opened eyes! And as my sin is thus out of measure sinful, so my punishment will be out of measure dreadful, if I persist in this rebellion. Lord! Thou hast said, such shall be beaten with many stripes (see Luke 12:48). Yea, Lord, and if ever my conscience, which by rebellion is now grown silent, should be in judgment awakened in this life: O! what a hell should I have within me! How would it thunder and roar upon me, and surround me with terror! Thy word assures me, that no length of time can wear out of its memory what I have done (see Gen. 42:21), no violence or force can suppress it (see Matt. 27:4), no greatness of power can stifle it; it will take the mightiest monarch by the throat, (Ex. 10:16; Dan. 5:6); no music, pleasures, or delights, can charm it (see Job 20:22). O conscience! Thou art the sweetest friend, or the dreadfulest enemy in the world; thy consolations are incomparably sweet, and thy terrors insupportable. Ah! let me stand it out no longer against conscience; the very ship in which I sail is a confutation of my madness, that rushes greedily into sin against both reason and conscience, and will not be commanded by it; surely, O my soul, this will be bitterness in the end. ====================================================================== New Testament Study - Matthew 5:27-32 ===================================== Do Not Commit Adultery ---------------------- 27 "You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell." --------------- In this section, we continue the portion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus teaches us the full meaning of God's Law. As we mentioned in the last issue, the Law, as given in the first five books of the Old Testament, for the most part consists of commandments regulating external behavior. The reason for this is that the Law was given specifically to the nation of Israel for enforcement. Men, of course, can only enforce laws that regulate external behavior. The full intent of the Law of God, as given here by God's Son Jesus Christ, does regulate the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. God has commanded His people: "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy" (Lev. 19:2), and true holiness deals with thoughts and attitudes, as well as external actions. Given this, we should not be surprised that the Law of God has such a far reach. Jesus teaches: "You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (vss. 27-28). Jesus is saying essentially that the crime is in not only the act, but the intent is enough to make one guilty of breaking God's law. As the LORD Himself told us: "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (I Sam. 16:7). These days, in the world, adultery is taken very lightly. For the most part, modern society does not treat the sin of adultery with proper gravity. In most societies, adultery is not even a crime. Many people of the world consider the sin of adultery a private matter between the husband and wife affected by it. Many people even would say that adultery is not a sin as long as the husband and wife allow the adultery. Recently, here in America, we have seen the President of our nation accused of adultery by many women. The attitude of the public toward such accusations can be summarized as follows: "Well, as long as his wife accepts these things, everything is all right. This is a personal matter between them." This attitude is not a godly view of adultery, or marriage (for that matter). In God's law, marriage is a sacred institution, a vow before God, and so, adultery is a very serious crime, a capital offense, every bit as serious as murder. In fact, adultery is like murder in this respect: adultery murders the *one* person created from the union of marriage. As it is written: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). Adultery rips apart the "one flesh" that has been joined together through marriage. As no one would tolerate a mad man tearing apart a body with an ax, so no one should tolerate the tearing apart by adultery the "one" body united through marriage. Given the seriousness of adultery, we can also understand the seriousness of the sin of lust. Lust is the first step on the road towards adultery. There has never been an instance of adultery where there was not first the sin of lust. Thus Jesus teaches concerning lust: "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (vs. 28). As the godly man is properly expected to flee from adultery, so he should also flee from lust. As the godly man is properly expected to confess to God and repent from the sin of adultery, so he should also ask forgiveness from God the sin of lust and treat the sin of lust with the seriousness that Jesus here treats it. And in fact, Jesus speaks very seriously of the sin of lust. He goes on to say: "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell" (vs. 29). This is a radical saying. With it, Jesus is trying to communicate the seriousness of the sin of lust. He goes on to speak of the seriousness of sin in general: "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell" (Matt. 5:30). Complete and utter righteousness is required for salvation from being "thrown into hell." If the loss of an eye or hand could lead to righteousness and, thus, salvation, it would be worth gouging it out or cutting it off. Of course, sin comes from the heart of man, as Jesus later teaches: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander" (Matt. 15:19). And so, the cutting off of the hand of a sinner would leave a handless sinner, and the gouging out of the eye of a sinner would leave an eyeless sinner. There is a much better way to achieve righteousness, a way that was not yet available when Jesus spoke these words. Later, Jesus Himself did a far more radical thing for our righteousness than the cutting off of a hand or the gouging out of an eye. He gave His life for us that we may be righteous. As Peter teaches: "He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed" (I Peter 2:24). Thus, it is not necessary for us to gouge an eye out or cut a hand off. To be righteous, we must accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the punishment of our sins, turn our lives over to Him as our Redeemer, put the confidence of our salvation upon Him as our Savior. In this way, we do far more for our righteousness than cutting off our hand would do. We say as Paul said: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). On Divorce ---------- 31 "It has been said, `Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery." --------------- Given the preceding teaching on the seriousness of the sin of adultery, we can understand more clearly the teachings of the Bible on divorce. Jesus teaches: "It has been said, `Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery" (vss. 31-32). To begin, Jesus cites a passage from the law that was being greatly abused at the time. Here is the entire context of that passage: "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD. Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance" (Deut. 24:1-4). Note that the thrust of this passage, rather than being to explicitly allow divorce, was to forbid remarriage of a husband to his original wife after they had been divorced. As Stonehouse comments: "Whatever grounds for divorce the Mosaic enactment may have had in view, the thrust of the passage in its original setting is not to establish grounds for divorce, but presupposing the practice of divorce on various grounds, to provide some protection for the woman from the harshness of her husband. The aim of the legislation is not to condone divorce as such, but to mitigate its evil consequences."[1] God never approved divorce. He explicitly stated: "I hate divorce" (Mal. 2:16). Jesus tells us that it was "Moses [who] permitted you to divorce because your hearts were hard" (Matt. 19:8). There were those in Israel who would use Moses' permission of divorce as a way to present themselves as being guiltless before the law, while being unfaithful to their wives. For example, a man would divorce his wife (yet keep her in his house), marry a mistress and, when he tired of his new wife, divorce her, then remarry his first wife again. By going through the legal formalities, the man would use the law to bless his dalliances, and get around being accused of committing adultery. This passage in Deuteronomy forbids such manipulation of the law. It places three restrictions on divorce: there must be something "indecent" in the wife; the husband must give his wife a certificate; remarriage to each other is forbidden. These restrictions discourage hasty divorce. Getting the certificate was a legal proceeding. The "indecent" thing he has found must be significant enough for the certificate to be granted. The prohibition of remarriage forces the husband to think about whether he is really sure that he wants the divorce, because it is irrevocable. In the time that Jesus spoke, just as in our time, divorce had become far too common. Moses' allowance for divorce was still being abused. Jesus here is reestablishing the importance and sacredness of marriage, and God's abhorrence of divorce. In this passage, Jesus is laying guilt upon the man who divorces his wife. The man who divorces his wife is leading her into adultery; he is, in effect, prostituting his wife. As Calvin points out: "As it was the object of the bill of divorce that a woman released from her first husband should go on to a new match, he is well condemned as an enticer, who prostitutes his wife to others, against all right and religion, when she has been given him in holy matrimony."[2] The only case in which the man is not guilty of leading his divorced wife into adultery is when she has already been unfaithful. Read this passage carefully. Do not read too much into it. Note well this: Jesus is not here allowing divorce in cases of marital unfaithfulness (God, in all cases, "hates divorce"). Rather, He is merely saying that in those cases, the man is not guilty of causing the divorced wife to commit adultery. Again, Jesus is not here allowing or in any way approving of divorce in any case, including cases of marital unfaithfulness. This is consistent with another passage in which Jesus speaks on divorce: "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." (Mark 10:11-12). Here, Jesus gives no qualification. He states that "anyone" who divorces and remarries is guilty of adultery. This all supports the sacredness of marriage in God's eyes. In God's eyes, a man and a woman who marry are *literally* one person. Moreover, they are *one* person that God Himself has joined together. And so, as Jesus our Lord stated unequivocally: "What God has joined together, let man not separate" (Mark 10:9). ====================================================================== A Study for Young Christians - On Affliction; On Avoiding Extremes ================================================================== [Here we continue our reprint of Chapter 2 from Richard Baxter's classic tome *A Christian Directory*.[3] This chapter consists of twenty directions to (as Mr. Baxter says) "young Christians or beginners in religion, for their establishment and safe proceeding." Though these studies were written specifically for "young" Christians, I think that you will find (as I have), there is much in here worthy of meditation also for those who have been walking with God for many years.]--*Ed.* Direction IX - Warnings Concerning Ill Effects of Affliction ------------------------------------------------------------ Take heed lest any persecution or wrong from others, provoke you to any unwarrantable passions and practices, and deprive you of the charity, meekness, and innocency of a Christian; or make you go beyond your bounds, in censuring, reviling or resisting your rulers, who are the officers of God. Persecution and wrongs are called temptations in Scripture because they try you, whether you will hold your integrity. As many fall in such trials, through the fear of men, and love of the world, and their prosperity; so when you seem most confirmed against any sinful compliance, there is a snare laid for you on the other side, to draw you into passions and practices that are unwarrantable. Those that are tainted with pride, uncharitableness, and schism, will itch to be persecuting those that comply not with them in their way; and yet, while they do it, they will most cry out against pride, uncharitableness and schism themselves. This is, and hath been, and will be too ordinary in the world. You may think that schism should be far from them, that seem to do all for order and unity. But never look to see this generally cured, when you have said and done the best you can: you must, therefore, resolve, not only to fly from church division yourselves, but also to undergo the persecutions or wrongs of proud or zealous church dividers. It is great weakness in you, to think such usage strange: do you not know that enmity is put, from the beginning, between the woman's and the serpent's seed? And do you think the name or dead profession of Christianity doth extinguish the enmity in the serpent's seed? Do you think to find more kindness from proud, ungodly Christians, than Abel might have expected from his brother Cain? Do you not know that the Pharisees (by their zeal for their pre-eminence, and traditions, and ceremonies, and the expectation of worldly dignity and rule from the Messiah) were more zealous enemies of Christ than the heathens were? and that the carnal members of the church are oft the greatest persecutors of the spiritual member? "As then he that was born after the flesh, did persecute him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now," (Gal. iv. 29), and will be. It is enough for you, that you shall have the inheritance, when the sons of the bondwoman shall be cast out. It is your taking the ordinary case of the godly for a strange thing that makes you so disturbed and passionate, when you suffer: and reason is down, when passion is up. It is by overwhelming reason with passion and discontent, that "oppression maketh" some "wise men mad," (Eccles. vii. 7); for passion is a short, imperfect madness. You will think in your passion, that you do well, when you do ill; and you will not perceive the force of reason, when it is never so plain and full against you. Remember, therefore, that the great motive that causeth the devil to persecute you is not to hurt your bodies, but to tempt your souls to impatience and sin: and if it may be said of you as of Job: "In all this Job sinned not," (Job. 1:22), you have got the victory, and are "more than conqueror" (Rom viii. 37-39). Doth it seem strange to you that "few rich men are saved," when Christ telleth you it is "so hard" as to be " impossible with men"? (Luke xviii. 27; Mark x. 27). Or is it strange that rich men should be the ordinary rulers of the earth? Or is it strange that the wicked should hate the godly, and the world hate them that are "chosen out of the world"? What of all this should seem strange? Expect it as the common lot of the faithful, and you will be prepared for it. See therefore that you "resist not evil" (Matt. v. 39), by any revengeful, irregular violence. "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers, and not resist, lest they receive damnation," (Rom. xiii. 1-3). Imitate your Lord, that "when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered He threatened not, but committed all to Him that judgeth righteously; leaving us an ensample, that ye should follow in His steps," (Pet. ii. 21, 22). An angry zeal against those that cross and hurt us is so easily kindled and hardly suppressed, that it appeareth there is more in it of corrupted nature than of God. We are very ready to think that we may "call for fire from heaven" upon the enemies of the gospel; but "you know not what manner of spirit ye are then of" (Luke ix. 55). But Christ saith unto you, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. v. 44, 45). You find no such prohibition against patiently suffering wrong from any. Take heed of giving way to secret wishes of hurt to your adversaries, or to reproachful words against them: take heed of hurting yourself by passion or sin, because others hurt you by slanders or persecutions. Keep yourself in the way of your duty, and leave your names and lives to God. Be careful that you keep your innocency, and in your patience possess your souls, and God will keep you from any hurt from enemies, but what He causes to work for your good. Read Ps. 37. "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noon-day. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of Him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pan. Cease from anger and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil" (Ps. 37. 5-8). Direction X - On Avoiding Extremes ---------------------------------- When you are repenting of or avoiding any extreme, do it not without sufficient fear and caution of the contrary extreme. In the esteem and love of God, your ultimate end, you need not fear overdoing: nor anywhere, when impediments, and backwardness or impotency do tell you that you can never do too much. But sin lieth on both sides the rule and way: and nothing is more common, than to turn from one sin to another, under the name of duty or amendment. Especially this is common in matter of opinion. Some will first believe, that God in nothing else but mercy and after, take notice of nothing but his justice. First, they believe that almost all are saved, and afterwards, that almost none; first, that every profession is credible, and next, that none is credible without some greater testimony; first, that Christ satisfied for none at all that will not be saved, and next, that he died for all alike; first, that none are now partakers of the Holy Spirit, and next, that all saints have the Spirit, not only to illuminate and sanctify them by transcribing the written word upon their hearts, but also to inspire them with new revelations instead of Scripture... Now, they are for legal bondage, and anon for libertinism; today for liberty in religion to none that agree not with them in every circumstance, and tomorrow for a liberty for all; this year, all things are lawful to them, and the next year, nothing is lawful, but they scruple all that they say or do. One while, they are all for a worship of mere show and ceremony; and another while, against the determination of mere circumstances of order and decency, by man. One while, they cry up nothing but free grace; and another while nothing but free will. One while, they are for a discipline stricter than the rule; and another while, for no discipline at all. First, for timorous compliance with evil and afterwards, for boisterous contempt of government. Abundance of such instances we might give you. The remedy against this disease is to proceed deliberately, and receive nothing and do nothing rashly and unadvisedly in religion. For, when you have found out your first error, you will be affrighted from that into the contrary error. See that you look round about you, as well, to the error that you may run into on the other side, as into that which you have run into already. Consult also with wise, experienced men; and mark their unhappiness that have fallen on both sides; and stay not to know evil by sad experience. True [balance] is the only way that is safe: though negligence and lukewarmness be odious, even when cloaked with that name. ====================================================================== A Study in Psalms - Psalm 40 ============================ Psalm 40 -------- For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. 6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. 7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." 9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD. 10 I do not hide Your righteousness in my heart; I speak of Your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal Your love and Your truth from the great assembly. 11 Do not withhold Your mercy from me, O LORD; may Your love and Your truth always protect me. 12 For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me. 14 May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. 15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame. 16 But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!" 17 Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay. --------------- At first reading, this psalm seems to speak of a child of God appealing to the Lord in his distress. And, as such, it is a very good psalm, as it speaks of the Lord's deliverance from "the slimy pit" (vss. 1-3), as it speaks of the blessedness of the man who waits on the Lord (vs. 4), as it speaks of the greatness of God's plan for us (vs. 5), as it speaks of the importance of obedience to God's law (vss. 6-8), as it speaks of the importance of preaching on attributes (vss. 9-10), and as it closes with a prayer for deliverance (vss. 11-17). However, there is more to this psalm than the foregoing reading of it. We are told this by the inspired writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews. He states: "Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: `Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, "Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God"'" (Heb. 10:5-7). So we see, Christ Himself spoke the words in vss. 6-8 of this psalm. Now, as we read this psalm, we find that there is no apparent change of narrator. Therefore, if Christ spoke vss. 6-8, then one can infer that He also spoke all of the verses. Knowing this, this psalm takes on a whole new meaning for us. Rather than just being a psalm about the experience of a child of God in distress, it becomes a psalm about the history of God's plan of salvation for mankind by chronicling the experiences of Jesus Christ. With this reading, this psalm first celebrates the deliverance of Jesus Christ from the grave, the exaltation of Jesus by His resurrection from the dead, and the great wonder of salvation that God has provided through the sacrifice of Christ. Then, it recounts the counsel of the Father with His Son concerning the plan of salvation. The psalm ends with a prayer of Christ from the cross, as He carries out this plan of salvation. Praise God that the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews shed light on the true meaning of this psalm, leading us to its true meaning! Granted, we can find a good lesson in this psalm if we read it as it applies to the child of God. However, if we read this psalm as it applies to Jesus, if we see (as does the writer of Hebrews) these words as being spoken by Jesus Christ Himself, we gain great insight into the gift of our salvation, which God has graciously given us. The Deliverance and Exaltation of Christ ---------------------------------------- 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. --------------- The psalm starts with an overview of Christ's suffering, deliverance and exaltation. Jesus here looks back on his suffering: "I waited patiently for the LORD; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire" (vss. 1-2). Thank God that Jesus "waited patiently" in His trials. At any time, He could have called down His angels to save Himself, yet He chose to bore the sufferings of the cross all the way through to completion, "waiting patiently" until the time when the Father deemed that the price was paid. Where would we be if Jesus did not bear His afflictions patiently? We would be lost in our sins, headed for judgment. Jesus spent hours on the cross, and then three days in the grave, the "slimy pit", the "mud and the mire". Where would we be if Jesus did not wait patiently in His afflictions until the will of God was completed? Again, we would be lost. Should we not, then, wait patiently in our own afflictions? Should we not bear them with courage as we wait for the will of God to be fulfilled in our lives? The result of Jesus' patience was deliverance and exaltation: "He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God" (vss. 2-3). We are told that Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn after the first communion (see Matt. 26:30). If Jesus could sing a hymn of praise to His Father when He was facing the cross, what a new song of praise He can sing in His exaltation! "Justice magnified and grace victorious; hell subdued and heaven glorified; death destroyed and immortality established; sin o'erthrown and righteousness resplendent; what a theme for a hymn in that day when our Lord drinketh the red wine new with us all in our heavenly Father's kingdom!"[4] Jesus next speaks of the blessings we receive as a result of being redeemed and having fellowship with the Father: "Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare" (vss. 3-5). Those of the world can see and be blessed by the wonders of God's creation, but we who are redeemed can, in addition to the wonders of the creation, glory in the greatness of God's redemption. Indeed, God's plan of salvation is the greatest of the "wonders [He has] done." And implicitly here is the promise of many wonders to come, as Jesus says: "The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." Things here on earth can seem grim at times. But let us always look ahead to the glory that will follow this life. As children of God, we have "an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade", that is "kept in heaven for [us]" (I Pet. 1:4). This inheritance can be nothing but magnificent, because it is the inheritance of the child of God, coming from the riches of God's glory. God's Plan of Salvation ----------------------- 6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. 7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll. 8 I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." 9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as You know, O LORD. 10 I do not hide Your righteousness in my heart; I speak of Your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal Your love and Your truth from the great assembly. --------------- According to the writer of the Epistle of Hebrews, the passage reads: "[W]hen Christ came into the world, He said: `Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body You prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings You were not pleased. Then I said, "Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do Your will, O God"'" (Heb. 10:5-7; see vss. 6-8 above). I will comment on this translation of these verses. This translation of these verses was taken from the Septuagent, which was a translation of the Old Testament into Greek that Hebrew scholars made before the time of Christ. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews gives sanction to this translation of these verses which, though written before the time of Christ, is a clearer statement of the plan of salvation than the more recent translations of this passage. Actually, I do not need to comment much on this passage myself, because the writer of the Epistle of Hebrews himself makes clear its meaning: "First [Christ] said, `Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor were You pleased with them' (although the law required them to be made). Then He said, `Here I am, I have come to do your will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. 10:8-10). The original laws concerning "sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings" were not sufficient to truly remove the sins of the offerer, thus, God was not "pleased with them." Rather, those offerings were merely a shadow of the true Offering that would be sufficient to please God. Such an offering could only be made by one who was pure and blameless himself, thus Jesus resolved, as He came into the world, to be pure, sinless and blameless, saying: "Here I am, I have come--it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart" (vss. 7-8). This is the essence of the Gospel, God's plan of salvation, which is the theme of the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments. As Jesus here says: "It is written about me in the scroll" (vs. 7). "The scroll" refers to the writings of the Old Testament. Jesus can be found on nearly every page of the Old Testament. On many pages, we see Jesus in types and shadows of things to come. When Abraham offered his son Isaac at the altar, this is a shadow of our Father in Heaven offering His Son. When Joseph was thrown into prison then exalted in the kingdom, this is a shadow of Christ going into the grave then being exalted in His kingdom. When the nation of Israel passed through the Red Sea and then faced forty years of testing in the desert, this is a shadow of Christ being baptized and then facing forty days of testing in the desert. And so on. Jesus is also seen in the Old Testament in the many prophesies concerning the Messiah. We see the sufferings of the Messiah, we see the glory of Messiah, and we see the coming in judgment of the Messiah. Indeed, "it is written about [Jesus Christ] in the scroll." This is, perhaps, the greatest objective evidence of the truth of Christianity that we have: that hundreds, even thousands, of years before He came to earth, Jesus Christ was written about in the Scriptures. "If any ask our reason for receiving Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, we point to `the volume of the book' of God, and there find that Messiah was to be, to do and to suffer just what Jesus was, and did, and suffered, and that no other person, who has ever appeared on this earth bore those prophetic marks."[5] Proclaiming the Greatness of God -------------------------------- 9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as You know, O LORD. 10 I do not hide Your righteousness in my heart; I speak of Your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal Your love and Your truth from the great assembly. --------------- After meditating on God's plan of salvation, it is natural and appropriate to next meditate on the greatness of God. Jesus goes beyond merely meditating on the greatness of God, though. He assertively proclaims God's greatness: "I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as You know, O LORD. I do not hide Your righteousness in my heart; I speak of Your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal Your love and Your truth from the great assembly" (vss. 9-10). We should not be shy in proclaiming God's greatness. Though the greatness of God should be obvious to everyone, many (sadly) need to be reminded of it. So, I urge you reader, like Jesus, boldly "proclaim" the greatness of God! Jesus here tells of how He Himself proclaims God's "righteousness", "faithfulness", "salvation", "love", and "truth". What a great God we have! He is "righteous", but He "loves" us and in His "love", offer us His "salvation". Though we lack faithfulness to Him, He overflows with "faithfulness" to us. He is a God of "truth", always fulfilling His promises. Proclaim these things. The world needs to hear them. Many in the world have wrong ideas about God. Many do not consider God to be "righteous". They see evil in the world and wrongly conclude that God is evil. Many do not know God enough to have experienced His "faithfulness". They (sadly) have not been told clearly about God's great gift of "salvation". They have not felt God's "love". They have not read His "truth", as set out in the Bible. Again, boldly proclaim these things! Do not "conceal" these things. They are not meant to be hidden in your heart. Oh that we could all be able to say: "I do not seal my lips... I do not hide Your righteousness in my heart... I do not conceal Your love and Your truth..." The world greatly needs to know the truth about God. There are so many misconceptions about His character. It is our charter, as God's children, to proclaim the truth about the greatness of God, His "righteousness", "faithfulness", "salvation", "love", and "truth". A Prayer for Deliverance ------------------------ 11 Do not withhold Your mercy from me, O LORD; may Your love and Your truth always protect me. 12 For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me. 14 May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. 15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame. 16 But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!" 17 Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay. --------------- To end the psalm, we are taken back to the cross, as Jesus prays to His Father for deliverance. In this prayer, we are given insight into Christ's agony as, for the only time, He is burdened by sin. Of course, Jesus is not burdened by His own sin--He was sinless--rather, He is burdened by our sins, as "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us" (II Cor. 5:21). Peter tells us that Jesus "Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree" (I Peter 2:24). Here, we have Christ's words as He bears the weight of our sin: "For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head and my heart fails within me" (vs. 12). We may possibly be able to imagine the physical pain of the cross. However, we who are sinners cannot possibly imagine the spiritual pain that Christ suffered on the cross, as He, the sinless one, bore the spiritual weight of all our sins. The gift of His life for us was the greatest gift ever offered to any man, yet some defiantly reject this gift. So Christ says from the cross: "May those who say, `Aha! Aha!' be appalled at their own shame" (vs. 15). To reject God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is indeed "shameful". As the writer of Hebrews points out: "Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Heb. 10:28-29). But our Lord, in His grace, remembers too those who accept the gift of salvation. He prays for us: "But may all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, `The Lord be exalted!'" (vs. 16). ====================================================================== Bibliography - Suggested Reading ================================ Alexander, Joseph A. *Commentary on the Psalms.* Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1991. (Originally published in 1864). Baxter, Richard. *A Christian Directory*. Edmonton, Canada: Still Waters Revival Books. (Originally published in 1673). 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). Calvin, John. *A Harmony of the Gospels*. 3 Vols. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1972. (Originally published in Latin in 1555). Candlish, Robert S. *Studies in Genesis.* Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1979. (Originally published in 1868). Carson, D. A. "Matthew" from *The Expositor's Bible Commentary*, Vol. VIII, ed. by Frank Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Dickson, David. *A Commentary on the Psalms.* Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1959. (Originally published in 1653). Flavel, John. *Navigation Spiritualized* from *The Works of John Flavel*, Vol. V, pg. 206ff. Reprint Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1968. (Originally published ca. 1670). 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 and 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 Matthew*. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1992. Morris, Leon. *The Gospel According to Matthew.* Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1992. 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: 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 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 - The Work of Conscience =================================== "This is the triumph that virtue hath over vice, that wheresoever she is most hated, there she is often wished for. Though they have set their heart as an adamant stone, and made their face like flint, yet grace pierceth throughout their concupiscence and they say sometime, `The way of virtue is better.' There was never so impure and dissolute an adulterer but he hath said sometime, `The chaste body is best.' There never was so blasphemous nor vile a swearer, but sometime he hath trembled at God's majesty. There was never man so proud and ambitious but sometime he remembereth he is but earth and ashes. There was never such a usurer nor covetous wretch, but sometime he thinketh his gold and silver shall canker and the rust of it shall be a witness against him... There was never so high-minded nor vainglorious a king but he hath sometime thought his crown would fall from his head, and the crown of righteousness was better." -- Edward Dering (ca. 1650) ====================================================================== Footnotes: ========== [1] Stonehouse, cited in Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, pg. 120. [2] John Calvin, A Harmony of the Gospels, Vol. I, pg. 190. [3] All Scripture citations in this study are taken from the King James Version. [4] C. H. Spurgeon, A Treasury of David, Vol. II, pg. 236. [5] William Plumer, Studies in the Book of Psalms, pg. 485.