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Scripture Studies:  Vol. IX, No. 9 - November 2002
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In this issue:

Old Testament Study - Exodus 1:15-22
Patience in Affliction, pt. 15, by Richard Baxter
New Testament Study - Matthew 13:47-58
A Topical Study - Self-Examination, pt. 2
A Study in Psalms - Psalms 56


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Old Testament Study - Exodus 1:15-22
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The Heroic Midwives
-------------------


15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names
were Shiphrah and Puah, 16"When you help the Hebrew women
in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it
is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live."
17The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the
king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
18Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked
them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys
live?" 

19The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like
Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the
midwives arrive." 

20So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased
and became even more numerous. 21And because the midwives
feared God, He gave them families of their own.


22Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy
that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every
girl live." 



As we learned in the previous issue, some years after they
went to live in Egypt, the children of Israel began to face
persecution.  The Egyptians resented their growing numbers
and prosperity, so the Egyptians enslaved them.  The result
was not what the Egyptians intended:  "But the more they
were oppressed, the more they multiplied" (Ex. 1:12).  So,
in this passage, the Pharaoh takes more drastic measures: 
"The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names
were Shiphrah and Puah, 'When you help the Hebrew women in
childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is
a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live'" (vss.
15-16).  

During any time of persecution and affliction, there are
normally heroes, who go beyond what is expected of them,
and who show bravery in the face of danger, in order to aid
the afflicted.  Shiphrah and Puah are two such heroes. 
There is no consensus among commentators as to whether they
were Hebrew women (as the NIV translation "Hebrew midwives"
suggests), or Egyptian women (a reading which would favor a
translation of "midwives for the Hebrews").  Their names
were Egyptian, and it seems to me that their dialogue with
Pharaoh suggests that they were Egyptian.  I cannot imagine
that Pharaoh would expect Hebrew women to kill Hebrew
children.  Also, I do not think Pharaoh would have shown
such lenience to Hebrew women who failed to carry out his
commands.

It seems that these two were in some way in charge of all of
the midwives for the Israelites, for they were given the
command by Pharaoh, and then they were called to account
for the carrying out of the command.  The command by
Pharaoh was horribly evil. "What blood so guiltless as that
of a child new-born?" [Henry, on vs. 15ff].  Apparently,
the king wanted the midwives to act secretly, clandestinely
killing the defenseless children without the knowledge of
the mothers. "Pharaoh's project was secretly to engage the
midwives to stifle the men-children as soon as they were
born, and then to lay it upon the difficulty of the birth,
or some mischance common in that case" [Henry, vss.
15ff].

The midwives would have none of the Pharaoh's evil plan: 
"The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the
king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 
Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked
them, 'Why have you done this?  Why have you let the boys
live?'  The midwives answered Pharaoh, 'Hebrew women are
not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth
before the midwives arrive'" (vss. 17-19).  It took a great
amount of courage to defy a direct order from the Pharaoh. 
The source of their courage and their admirable behavior in
this episode was that they "feared God."  The fear of God
is a good thing.  It keeps us from evil.

This is an early and instructive example of ordained civil
disobedience, of obeying God rather than man.  They refused
to obey an evil law of man, because to do so would have
caused them to break a law of God.  In general, of course,
we are to obey the laws of the land, and in fact, we are
commanded to do so (see Rom. 13; Matt. 22:21).  But when
the laws of the land conflict with God's laws, we are to
say, with Peter, "We must obey God rather than man" (Acts
5:29).  

Now, some would fault the midwives a bit for lying to the
Pharaoh when they told him that they never arrived in time
to kill the babies.  Some would say that the midwives
should have boldly told Pharaoh that they disobeyed his
command.  In my opinion, to not lie in that situation would
have been exceedingly reckless, and would have bordered on
putting God to the test.  To tell the Pharaoh that they
purposely disobeyed him may have put the lives of other
midwives in danger, and would certainly have put their own
lives in danger.  Someone might say, "Well, they should
just tell the truth, and trust that God would save them." 
But would not doing such a thing be testing God, by
expecting some sort of miraculous delivery from the
Pharaoh's wrath?  Is not a much more natural way to get out
of danger to tell a lie to the evil Pharaoh?

I cannot fault the midwives for their lie.  I certainly
cannot agree, as some would contend, that there are
absolutely no circumstances when it is proper to lie. 
There are the trivial examples, such as when your wife asks
you, "Does this dress make me look fat?"  There are also
more profound examples.  Such as, suppose you are hiding
Jews from the Nazis in your attic.  If an SS man comes to
your door and asks you if you are hiding Jews, should you
not lie to him?  Or should you turn in the people you are
hiding?  Of course you should lie.  And why?  Because to
turn in the Jews would be cowardly, and it would be a sin. 
To turn them in would essentially be aiding in the murder
of them.  To turn them in would be to gravely disobey the
law of love:  "Love your neighbor as yourself."  This is
the crux of the matter.  What I would consider to be
permissible lying are times when to not lie disobeys the
law of love.  In such cases, we have conflict between two
laws of God.  We are not to lie, but at the same time we
are to love our neighbor as ourself.  When these
commandments conflict, the law of love trumps, for it is
the second greatest commandment (see Matt. 22:39). 


Certainly, there is no evidence that God faulted the
midwives for their lies.  On the contrary, He blessed them
for their courage and obedience:  "So God was kind to the
midwives and the people increased and became even more
numerous.  And because the midwives feared God, He gave
them families of their own" (vss. 20-21). "The services
done for God's Israel are often repaid in full" [Henry, on
vs. 15ff].  The midwives saved the children of the
Israelites, and so God blessed them with "families of their
own."

Pharaoh, frustrated that his plan to destroy Hebrew children
by using the midwives failed, gave an order to all the
Egyptian:  "Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people:
 'Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but
let every girl live'" (vs. 22).  Pharaoh's order to the
midwives was secretive.  His plan was that the midwives
would kill the children without the mothers even knowing
that the children were murdered.  Here, Pharaoh goes public
with his evil plan and enlists all of the Egyptians to help
in the slaughter of God's people. "The tyrant, finding that
his snares and deceit availed nothing, now shakes off fear
and flies to open violence... Lest there should be any lack
of executioners, he gives this charge to all the Egyptians,
whom he knew to be more than ready for the work" [Calvin,
on vs. 22].






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Patience in Affliction, pt. 15, by Richard Baxter
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A Classic Study by Richard Baxter (1615-1691)



[Here, we continue a reprint of excerpts from Richard
Baxter's work entitled Obedient Patience.  In each article,
Mr. Baxter gives advice on how to be patient through a
specific type of affliction.]-Ed.



Settled Doubts of Sincerity and Salvation;

Temptations to Despair, pt. 2
-----------------------------


(Continued from last month's issue.  Mr. Baxter is
enumerating 

considerations concerning this type of affliction)



8.  It is one thing to have grace, and another thing to know
that we have it:  many have it, who doubt whether it be
sincere.  And it is an unspeakable mercy to have it, though
you doubt of it.  God knoweth His grace in us, and will own
it, when we doubt of it or deny it.  As long as this
foundation of God is sure, that God knoweth who are His,
and while we name Christ we depart from iniquity, we are
safe, though through fear we are uncomfortable.

9.  Though true faith do of its own nature tend to the peace
and quietness of the believer, yea, and to fill his soul
with joy; yet it does not always quiet it; but it always
consenteth to the baptismal covenant, which maketh us
Christians, and so far trusteth Christ for pardon, grace,
and glory, as to cast our souls and hopes upon Him, and to
forsake all other trust and hopes rather than to forsake
Him.  As I have oft said, if a prince say to a beggar, "Go
out of thy own country with me in this ship, and trust me
to convey thee to Mexico or China, and I will make thee a
lord or prince"; if he venture and go with him, though he
trembles with fear at every wave or pirate in the voyage,
he truly trusteth him, and shall speed accordingly.  If a
physician say, "Trust me and take my medicine, and I will
undertake to cure you;" if the patient take his medicine,
he shall be cured, though he tremble with fear, and doubt
of the success:  he trusteth him practically, if he cast
his hope upon him, though with fear.  Though faith and
obedience be formally two things, faith, which will cause
us to consent, venture, and follow or obey Christ,
preferring heaven, whatever we lose by it, is saving faith,
whatever doubts, fears, or disquietment remain.  If this
were better understood, timorous and dark or melancholy
Christians (who know there is none but Christ to trust to,
and therefore resolve to be ruled by Him) would not so
ordinarily think they have no true faith, because it does
not cast out all their doubts and fears, and quiet and
comfort them; which indeed a strong faith would do, which
is not hindered by error or diseases.

10.  We greatly wrong God and ourselves in contenting
ourselves with poor, diminutive thoughts of the essential
love and goodness of God.  When we think of the sun (a
thousand times bigger than all the earth), and of all the
stars, and the incomprehensible orbs of the heavens, and
the unconceivable swiftness of their motions, and the power
and extent of their rays of light and emanations, we are
overwhelmed with the thoughts of the greatness, power, and
wisdom of God; but when we think of His goodness and love,
we scarce think much more highly of it than of the goodness
and love of a father, a friend, or some excellent man.  And
should we match His power but with a man's, what madness
and ugly blasphemy were it!

Yet I would not have the presumption here to mistake, and
hence to conclude that a God so good will not condemn the
rejecters of His grace, and say, essential, infinite love
will make all men as happy as He can.  For, 1. Experience
assureth us of the contrary; that He maketh great variety
of creatures, and permitteth pain and misery in the world. 
2. And the execution of justice on the impenitent, wicked
subjects is good as a means to the right government of free
agents.  3. And the infiniteness of God's goodness and love
does not appear in His loving any creature which is finite,
but in loving that which is infinite.

But yet we must conceive of His essential attributes as
equal in themselves.  And if God's goodness and love were
conceived of by man, in any proportion to His greatness and
power, we could never so easily suspect His kindness, nor
fear that He will damn those who unfeignedly desire to
please Him; nor should we fly from Him as from a hurtful
enemy, but long to be nearer Him in holy communion, as we
desire the company of our wisest, dearest friends; nor
should we be so distrustful of Him, as if He were no
security to us from our dangers; but the name of the Lord
would be our strong tower, to which when we fly, we should
believe that we are safe, and our trust in God would be the
quieting of our tormenting fears and cares.

11. And we have these poor thoughts of the love of God to
man, because we do not sufficiently study the miraculous
demonstrations of it in our Redeemer:  diversions cause us
to neglect this study; and perverseness and unbelief do
cause us to give it too narrow a room and too slight and
short entertainment in our thoughts.  Nothing in this world
does better deserve our most diligent and delightful study,
than the gospel of Christ, and the wonderful work of divine
love in man's redemption and salvation:  study this till
you firmly believe it, and taste it, and it will be as
angels' food, a heavenly feast here sent down to earth, to
draw men's hearts to God in heaven.  The love of God will
turn your very hearts into returning holy love.  It was
drops of love that Christ sweat in the shape of blood in
His agony, and it was a stream of love which flowed from
His pierced side, in the shape of blood and water.  It is
love which the three witnesses on earth, and the three from
heaven, attested.  God knew how much sin had obscured His
love and goodness to man, more than His power and
greatness, by making man an unmeet receiver and discerner
of it, by reason of guilt, fear, and naughtiness of heart;
and therefore how very backward man is to believe and
relish God's love.  Therefore while Satan more
industriously enticeth the soul of man to the idolatry of
creature carnal love, than ever He did entice the bodies of
men to worship Baal or such like; God hath set up His own
image sent down to man from heaven, in opposition to
Satan's idols, that sense may have suitable means for the
moral conquest of the tempter, and the replenishing of the
soul with a truly excellent facilitating love; and in a
congress of the love of God and man, in and by Him that is
God and man, heaven may be here begun, and may have a
fuller communion with souls on earth, than it had before
Christ's incarnation.  Study the gospel aright, as the book
of divine love, and it will turn you from many unprofitable
studies, and cure sinful, melancholy fears, better than all
other medicines in the world.  And even those that said
with Thomas, "Unless I may see and feel, I will not
believe" (John 20:25), or as a holy divine in deep
melancholy rashly said to me, "If an angel from heaven
should tell me that I have free grace, I would not believe
him"-they would repent as both these did.  And when by
faith you have as it were put your finger into His wounded
side, the sense of divine love will make you cry out, "My
Lord, and my God" (John 20:28).

12.  And it greatly hurteth Christians, that they are not
duly sensible, how much it is Satan's design and work in
all his temptations to misrepresent God to man, and hide
His love and goodness from us:  as he does it in the wicked
by drawing them to fleshly, deluding love, and making them
ignorant, unbelieving, or forgetful of the love of God; so
he does much against better men by raising many objections
against it, and filling them with false imaginations, and
diminutive or suspicious thoughts against God, as if He
were far more terrible to us than amiable.

13.  And it wrongs some that they misunderstand the office
of conscience, as if it always spoke as an oracle from God,
whereas it is but the act of a dark understanding, which
very usually erreth, and misjudgeth of our state; and a
mistaking conscience accusing falsely, as graceless, etc.
shall no more condemn us at God's bar than a slandering
enemy.  "I judge not my own self," saith Paul, "I know
nothing by myself, [inconsistent with sincerity], yet am I
not thereby justified:  There is one that judgeth me, even
the Lord" (I Cor. 4:4):  that is, it will not really go
with me as I judge, but as God judgeth.

14.  And alas!  When fear beareth down both faith and
reason, as to the act, no silencing reason prevaileth with
the soul.  I prove to them from the gospel this great
truth; that Christ damneth none (that hear the gospel) but
those that willfully reject Him and refuse His offered
grace, out of greater love to something else, and this to
the last.  I oft convinced dejected Christians that this is
true, and that this is not their case; they do not continue
to refuse Christ and His grace by preferring something
else.  And yet this quieteth them not, nor receive they the
conclusion; for fear, and feeling, and weakness, and
melancholy, overpowereth their reason; as bitter physic
would not let children believe that it was good for them,
and given them in love.

15.  Though no pretence of patience must abate our desires
after full assurance and perfection, yet while we find by
experience that God will have men on earth to differ much
from those in heaven, and to have but low and little things
in comparison of their joy and glory, it is our great duty
to be thankful for our present measure, and to wait in hope
for more.  He that hath no comfortable apprehension of his
condition, can have no thankfulness for it:  and we are all
obliged to great thankfulness for the least degree of grace
and hope:  and thankfulness is somewhat more than patience,
and therefore does include it.

The acts of the understanding and of the will go together: 
and if we had as full an understanding of the heavenly
state, as those have that possess it, our wills by
answerable love and joy would now enjoy it; and so we
should have the peculiar privileges of the glorified here
on earth.  But this is no more suited to our present state
in flesh, than it is to an infant in the womb to know what
cities, courts, and churches are, or what trades, and
merchandise, and husbandry is, or what books, and arts, and
sciences are, or what meat, and drink, and recreation are. 
We must be content on earth with the measure which God
designeth unto earth.  We see by constant experience, that
He hath precluded the heavenly state from all our senses;
He will not let us see what is done above.  The first
martyr had such a sight by miracle, but we must not expect
it.  He will not let our departed friends appear to us here
to give us notice of what they see.  He will not send
angels to satisfy our desire of such knowledge; nay,
infernal devils shall appear but rarely:  the rareness of
all these leaveth sadness in doubt whether there be any
such thing or not.  And Paul's sight of paradise was such
as must not be uttered to us.

And full subjective certainty of salvation, which excludeth
all doubts and fears, is so high a degree as few in flesh,
I think, obtain.  Objective certainty every true Christian
hath; that is, his salvation (if he so die at least) is
absolutely certain itself, so that his belief and hope of
it shall never deceive him.  But to be certainly known to
men, that is, with an apprehension which as much excludeth
doubts and fears as sight and possession would do, or as
the light and visible objects exclude all doubts whether we
behold them, or as we know that two and two are four, or
that every effect hath a cause, and every relate a
correlate, and that full contradictions are inconsistent; I
think this degree of certainty none have on earth, without
some miraculous inspiration or revelation.  But we may
attain to so firm an apprehension of that truth and
blessedness, which is certain in itself, as may make our
hope, and joy, and desire far greater than our doubts, and
fears, and aversion.  And this joyful life of well-grounded
hope may be called a certainty or full assurance; though
yet it be far short of perfect, and the certainty of
beatifical vision and fruition.  And alas!  It is but very
few true Christians who attain this quieting, joyful
degree.

All this being considered, you see that while we are on
earth, we must not expect heaven; nor in the wilderness
expect the Land of Promise:  Joshua and Caleb's encouraging
words, and the bunch of grapes, and God's promise and
presence, and His conducting light, provision, and
protection, must quiet us in our journey:  and some few
have Moses' Pisgah-sight.  Murmuring at wilderness-wants,
dangers, and difficulties, was the Israelite's sin and
fall.  We must not look for the harvest at seed time, nor
for more knowledge, and assurance, and joyful apprehensions
of heaven, on earth, than is suitable to the state of
travelers in flesh:  we are yet, alas, too sinful; and sin
will breed doubts and fears:  we are here very ignorant,
and conscious that we are very liable to err; and that
every man hath many errors; and therefore we are apt to
doubt even of that which we see and feel, yea, and to fear
where we see convincing evidence of certainty; and we can
scarce tell when and how to trust our own understandings: 
we are in a dark world; and in a dark body, and chained to
it in our actings; all our grace and goodness is imperfect;
and till every grace be perfect in us, assurance of
salvation will not be perfect; for the perfection of every
grace is necessary to it.  And is it any wonder that such a
wight as man, in flesh, and sin, and under temptations, and
in a dark, malignant world, which God hath very much
forsaken, should not have the joy of full assurance of
invisible glory?  The Christians of all those ages, who
held that none (or only a few rare persons) could be
certain of their salvation, could not have that certainty
which they thought none had.  Yet they did, and we must,
rejoice in hope, and be thankful here for a traveling
degree.










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New Testament Study - Matthew 13:47-58
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Separation of the Wicked from the Righteous
-------------------------------------------


47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was
let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When
it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then
they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but
threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of
the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from
the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."




Jesus tells one more parable about the kingdom of heaven: 
"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was
let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.  When
it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore.  Then
they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but
threw the bad away" (vss. 47-48).  Jesus also gives an
interpretation of the last part of this parable:  "This is
how it will be at the end of the age.  The angels will come
and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them
into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth" (vss. 49-50).   This parable keeps with
the theme of all of the parables in this chapter, that is,
the intermingling of the righteous and wicked in this
world.  In the last part of the parable, Jesus speaks of
the divisional judgment of these men, when the wicked are
thrown into the "fiery furnace, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth."  Note that when Jesus speaks of the
"fiery furnace", this is the interpretation of the parable.
 The "fiery furnace" is not part of the parable, but part
of reality.  The punishment of the wicked is real, and
horrid.  The Lord of the Universe has stated that it is
real. "Those who would have us think lightly of the
punishment of the ungodly have no countenance in the
teachings of the Lord Jesus" [Spurgeon, on vss.
49,50].

Jesus tells us that the final separation of the wicked from
the righteous will take place "at the end of the age." 
Until then, of course, the wicked and righteous share this
world.  The "righteous" are not righteous by their own
merits, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God" (Rom. 3:23).  Rather, they are those who have been
clothed with the righteousness of Christ, through faith in
His atoning sacrifice on the cross.  The "wicked" are those
who have not accepted the divine forgiveness offered freely
to them, and so, they will be judged on their own merits;
and on those merits, they will come up short.

Jesus does not give us an interpretation of the first part
of the parable, where the gathering of the fish into the
net takes place.  We will assume that the gathering into
the net is the preaching of the Gospel, in an attempt to
draw people into the fellowship of believers.  Note that
the gathering into the net seemed successful, for the net
was full.  However, the success was not as great as it
seemed, for there were many bad fish that were gathered in.
 In the same way, churches often mistakenly count success
in terms of attendance.  But the success of a church should
be measured by the quality of believers, not the quantity
of attendees.  







Understanding Jesus' Teachings
------------------------------


51"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked.


"Yes," they replied. 52He said to them, "Therefore every
teacher of the law who has been instructed about the
kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings
out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."




After He finished telling His disciples the parables, Jesus
asked them:  "Have you understood these things?"  The
disciples replied:  "Yes."  Hmm.  If the disciples truly
understood all of the parables correctly, I sure wish they
had given us an interpretation of all of them!  As we have
pointed out in our discussion of the parables in this
chapter, there are many disputes as to the proper way to
interpret them.

A possible motive for Jesus asking this question was to
impress upon us the importance of understanding His
teachings, beyond merely hearing His teachings. "The mere
form of hearing a sermon can profit no man, unless he
comprehends what it means... His intellect must be set in
motion, and his heart impressed:  ideas must be received
into his mind; he must carry off the seeds of new thoughts.
 Without this he hears in vain...  There are thousands who
go regularly to places of worship, and think they have done
their religious duty, but never carry away an idea, or
receive an impression...  Let us take with us to church,
not only our bodies, but our minds, our reason, our hearts,
and our consciences" [Ryle, 155].  And then, once we have
understood the teachings of our Lord, we are to go beyond
understanding and apply His teaching to our lives.

In addition, we are to share our understanding with others: 
"He said to them, 'Therefore every teacher of the law who
has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the
owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new
treasures as well as old'" (vs. 52). Having understood, we
are to be hospitable with our knowledge, and give it freely
to others. "Fresh knowledge, Christ is saying, carries
fresh responsibility" [Thomas, on vs. 52].

Actually, Jesus, in this case, is speaking to the "teachers
of the law" who are instructed in the teachings of the Old
Testament.  Having heard and understood Jesus' teachings,
they were to bring out "new treasures as well as old." 
They were to still teach the truths of the Old Testament,
as well as teach the truths of the Gospel.





Jesus in His Hometown
---------------------


53When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from
there. 54Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the
people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did
this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they
asked. 55"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't His
mother's name Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph,
Simon and Judas? 56Aren't all His sisters with us? Where
then did this man get all these things?" 57And they took
offense at Him. 

But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own
house is a prophet without honor." 

58And He did not do many miracles there because of their
lack of faith. 



"When Jesus had finished these parables, He moved on from
there" (vs. 53).  Jesus was always on the move, making the
most of His short time on earth.

"Coming to His hometown, He began teaching the people in
their synagogue, and they were amazed.  'Where did this man
get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?' they asked. 
'Isn't this the carpenter's son?  Isn't His mother's name
Mary, and aren't His brothers James, Joseph, Simon and
Judas?  Aren't all His sisters with us?  Where then did
this man get all these things?'  And they took offense at
Him" (vss. 54-57).  Here we have a classic case of
familiarity breeding contempt.  Despite the wisdom of His
teachings, and despite His astonishing miraculous powers,
both of which the people acknowledged, rather than
worshipping Him, they took "offense at Him." "This episode
shows how easily men are made willing to oppose truth if it
happens to go contrary to their own preconceived ideas and
inclinations" [Thomas, 210].  They weren't expecting the
Messiah to come from their hometown Nazareth, and so Jesus
(in their eyes) could not be worthy of respect.

Jesus responded to His treatment in Nazareth:  "But Jesus
said to them, 'Only in his hometown and in his own house is
a prophet without honor'" (vs. 57).  There seems to be a
bit jealousy in the townspeople's reaction to Jesus.  They
took offense, thinking, "Well, I'm from Nazareth.  Why
wasn't I given such powers, such wisdom?"  We should learn
from this not to despise God's work on those who are close
to us, not to be jealous of God's anointing upon our family
members or close friends.  We should rather rejoice in the
work of God in those around us, and support them in their
service to our Lord.

The offense they took was only to their detriment:  "And He
did not do many miracles there because of their lack of
faith" (vs. 58). "The despising of Christ turns to the
disadvantage of the despiser.  Despising of the ministers
prejudges men of the blessing of the ministry, and
misbelief is punished by the Lord's hiding His power from
the misbeliever" [Dickson, on vs. 58]. "Unbelief bound His
hands.  Why should He spend His sacred energy among a
people who would not be profited thereby?" [Spurgeon,
185].








===========================================================

A Topical Study - Self-Examination, pt. 2
=========================================

A Discourse of Self-Examination, pt. 2

by Stephen Charnock (1628-1680)
-------------------------------


Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith:  prove your
own selves.  Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus
Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (II Cor. 13:5,
AV).  



Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith;
test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is
in you-unless, of course, you fail the test? (II Cor. 13:5,
NIV).



(At the end of the previous study, Mr. Charnock told us why
self-examination is a necessary duty.  Here he speaks of
the diligence required for self-examination) 



2.  'Tis a duty that requires diligence and care.  That
which is of infinite consequence in the state of your
souls, ought not to be built upon sandy and slight
foundations.  'Tis called communing with a man's own heart
(see Ps. 4:4).  Not a slight glance and away, but a
sweeping and looking with a candle (see Luke 15:8),
wherewith every cranny and chink is pried into.  There are
many parts of the body hidden with fat, so there must be
careful removing of several things to come at them:  a
searching for some precious filings of gold in a heap of
dust.  An employing all the faculties of the soul in a
diligent search:  "My spirit made diligent search" (Ps.
77:6).  'Tis expressed by counting: "I thought on my ways"
(Ps. 119:59), he looked over the acts of his soul, one by
one.  The heart is called the "inward parts" or depths of
the belly (see Prov. 20:7), as the bowels are folded
together in many coats and coverings, that they are not
easily come to; so the heart of man if full of
devices.

(1).  Diligence is requisite, because the work is difficult.
 'Tis no easy matter to be acquainted with ourselves.  The
soul is not well acquainted with its own features, and
preserves not the species of itself.  We 'behold our faces
in a glass, and soon forget what manner of men we are"
(James 1:23-24).  As man is apt to know anything but
himself; so it is more easy for him to know anything than
himself, as the eye sees everything but itself.  There must
be diligence to discern the rational workings of our soul,
to know whether we truly understand such a thing, or really
and firmly will such a good.  The judgment of man is
corrupted, and misrepresents things like a cracked glass. 
We can more easily judge of a bodily than of a spiritual
disease; because the understanding which should judge of
the state of the soul is sickly and ill affected itself. 
Our wills also being so changeable, sometimes set on one
thing, and sometimes flitting to another, the spiritual
workings of them are not so readily discernable.  This work
is done by a reflex act; and reflex acts in sprituals, as
well as naturals, are weakest and more languishing, whereas
direct acts are more powerful and vigorous.  Where grace is
small, and corruptions many, it must be hard to discern it,
as it is for an eye to discern a small needle, especially
if in the dust and rubbish.  The roots of sin also lie
deep, like Achans wedge of gold in the earth, not easily to
be found without good directions.  Lust lies in secret
corners; there is a deceitfulness of it, subtle evasions,
and specious pretences:  consideration is requisite to the
discerning of them.  External acts discover themselves; but
the inward acts of the soul, which are the surest
evidences, are not discernable without a diligent
inspection.  The natural inconstancy and levity of our
spirits divert us, and the streams of our corruptions cloud
and bemist us, and control our endeavors in self-examination, that we cannot sometimes any more fixedly
behold the motions of grace, than we can see the beams of
the sun in a black and mourning sky.

(2.)  Diligence is requisite, because man is naturally
unwilling to this duty.  He would live anywhere but with
himself, think of anything but himself; delights most in
those things which hinder him from a consideration of his
own state.  Men are more willing to have their minds rove
through all the parts of Nature, than to busy themselves in
self-reflection; would read any book or relation, rather
than the history of their own heart.  We are nearest to
ourselves physically, and furthest from our own selves
morally.  Men whose titles are cracked and unsure, are
loathe to have them tried before the judge, and come under
the siftings of conscience.  Ever since the fall we run
counter to God:  'tis the property of the Divine Nature
first to know himself, and then to know other things; but
we are cross, would know any other thing, but not
ourselves, would read others, and not so much as spell
ourselves.  We naturally abhor any actions wherein we may
be like God, though they are the most proper operations for
our souls, and suitable to the nature of them, as reflex
acts are.  There being in us a contrariety to God and His
Law, to God and His Gospel, there results from thence an
unwillingness in us to bring our hearts under the
examination of conscience, that power which acts by
authority and deputation from God.  And when grace eggs us
on at any time to the performance of the duty, do not our
hearts hang back, and our corruptions check us in it? 
Satan is no mean instrument in this; he is said to blind
the world, that they might not know their state.  He hath
lost his likeness to God in his primitive happiness, and
ever since envies man the recovery of that likeness, which
is possible to man, and impossible to himself; and
therefore diverts him from a glance towards it, and
endeavours after it, the first step to which is
self-reflection.

The unwillingness to do this duty ariseth,

[1.]  From carnal self-love.  'Tis natural to man to think
well of himself, and suffer his affections to bemist or
bridle his judgment.  A biased person cannot be a just
judge.  Every man is his own flatterer, and so conceals
himself from himself.  Very few that are uncomely in body,
or deformed in mind, but think themselves as handsome and
honest as others.  David so loved himself that he saw
nothing of his sin, but was fair in his own eyes, till
Nathan roused him up, by telling him, "Thou art the man"
(II Sam. 12:7).  Every man would be "right in his own eyes"
(Prov. 16:2).  Every Blackamore fancies himself to have a
comely colour.  This self-love keeps men off from this
work, for fear they should behold their own guilt, and
their souls be stung with anguish.  Men that are bankrupts
are loathe to cast up their accounts, lest it should appear
to them that they are undone.  Some are loathe to see their
ugly faces in a glass.  Conscience awakened by this duty,
bites and stings.  And men are loathe to impair their own
ease; because they would escape the din of an accuser in
their own bosoms. They turn fugitives from their own
hearts, and would rather go to hell in a feather-bed, than
to Heaven in a fiery chariot.  While man seeks nothing more
than himself in a sinful way, he conceals himself and flies
furthest from himself in a reflexive way.

[2.]  From Presumption and Security.  Some walk as securely,
as if there were no heaven, and it concerned them not;
others walk as presumptuously, as though they were heirs
apparent unto it, and yet have no title.  Many will have a
false persuasion of their faith and interest in Christ at
the last day (see Matt. 7:22), and cry, "Lord, Lord."  And
the foolish virgins will knock as confidently, and expect
entrance to the feast as well as the wife.  They will not
believe but they have a title to heaven, till Christ
Himself clap the door upon them, and manifest the contrary.
 Had they raked in their own souls, and been plain dealers
with themselves, they could not but have found themselves
in a lost condition.  Those that thus presume, cannot
endure to hear of the differences between hypocrisy and
sincerity; how far a cast-away may go in religion.  This
was the reason the Pharisees were such enemies to Christ,
because he raked in their consciences; they could never
come near Him, but he brought some indictment against them
of hypocrisy.  As Tertullian called heretics, "Lucifuge
Scripturarum", because they would not be cured of their
errors; so are such men also afraid to bring their hearts
to the test of the Word, because they would not be cured of
their false presumptions.  As Ahab hated Micaiah, so these
their own consciences, because they expect to hear that
from them which they think evil, and cannot have such a
view of themselves in that glass, as they desire to
have.

(3.)  Diligence is requisite, because man is hardly induced
to continue in this work.  That self-love which makes them
unwilling to enter upon it, renders them unfit to make any
progress in it.  When we do begin it, how quickly do we
faint in it?  How soon are our first glances upon ourselves
turned to a fixedness upon some slight object?  Every mans
heart is like an unruly horse, that will be going out of
the way, if there be not resolution to check it in its
first starts, and bring things to a judicial trial.  The
heart itself is so light and fluttering, that it wants the
stability of grace to fix it in the trial of grace.


(4.)  Diligence is requisite, because we are naturally apt
to be deceived, and to delude ourselves.  Our natural
blindness and dimness render us liable to mistake, and our
deceitful heart may sing a requiem to us while we are
fools.  We have a subtle enemy that lies in wait for us,
who can transform himself into an angel of light, and
disguise his serpentine hissings to make them appear like
the breathings of the Spirit.  If Adam in innocence, who
had an ability to discern his methods, was deluded by him,
much more may we be deceived by him in a state of
corruption, when our hearts naturally have his stamp, and
are inclined to take his part, and join with him in a
self-deceit:  "The heart of man is deceitful" (Jer. 17:9). 
'Tis the great impostor and cheat of the world, the
anti-Christ within us, the deceiver of our souls, as the
great anti-Christ is called the deceiver of the nations. 
How apt are we to take upon trust what our heart first
speaks!  James and John could tell Christ that they were
able to "drink of His cup", and no question they meant as
they spoke (see Matt. 20:22), but had it come to a trial,
they would not have endured to sip of it; and the issue
manifested it, they turned their backs upon him as well as
the other disciples.  The Israelites, had they tried
themselves by their present resolution, "All that the Lord
our God shall speak unto thee, we will hear and do it"
(Deut.5:27), might have subscribed themselves as pious as
any in the world; they spoke no other than they meant.  But
God had a further inspection into them than they had into
themselves:  "Oh that there were such a heart in them, that
they would fear me, and keep my commandments always!"
(Deut. 5:29).  Natural conscience is often silenced by a
pretence and show; and man is naturally apt to make his own
corrupt judgment, sometimes also his passion, the standard
of good and evil; and not only to frame grace according to
his own affections, but a God also:  "Thou thought'st that
I was altogether such an one as thyself" (Ps. 50:21).  The
apostle intimates it in that signal mark of caution, when
he presseth a truth to which natural conscience will
subscribe, that "neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
shall inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 5:9).  "Be not
deceived", saith he; even in these things, men may deceive
themselves with false hopes, much more in moral
righteousness.  Many boast themselves rich in spirituals,
when they are really poor; so did Laodicea think herself
rich, when God gave her another inventory of her estate,
that she was "poor and miserable, and blind and naked"
(Rev. 3:17).  There is too much resting in the world upon
outward privileges, and often beggars conceit themselves
princes because they dream of scepters.  How many extend
their hopes as far as their wishes, and these as far as a
fond fancy and imagination!

(5.)  Diligence is necessary, because to be deceived in this
is the most stinging consideration.  To drop into hell when
a man takes it for granted that he is in heaven, to dream
of a crown on the head when the fetters are upon the feet,
will double the anguish.  'Tis better for a rich man to
dream that he is a beggar, for when he awakes, his fears
vanish; than for a beggar to dream that he is rich, for
when his dream ends, his sorrow begins.  The higher the
false conceit, the lower do men sink when they fall; the
higher men's expectations of heaven are without ground, the
more stinging is their loss of it.  To have vain hopes,
till God puts us into the scale and weighs us, will be a
miserable disappointment.  For a man to deceive himself
aggravates this, as self-murder is accounted a greater sin
than the murder of another, because it is against that
charity to ourselves, which is the copy and rule of charity
to another.  For Jesus told us:  "Thou shalt ove thy
neighbor as thyself" (Matt. 19:19).

(6.)  Diligence is necessary, because many have miscarried
for want of it.  Thousands that have thought themselves in
the suburbs of heaven, have been cast down to the depths of
hell.  If all should be saved that think they shall be
saved, the strait way would be that which leads to hell: 
for what man is there almost that does not confidently
believe he shall be happy?  How many dream they are going
to paradise, and when they awake, find themselves in the
devil's arms?






===========================================================

A Study in Psalms - Psalms 56
=============================

Psalm 56 - In God I Trust
-------------------------


For the director of music.  To [the tune of] "A Dove on
Distant Oaks."

Of David.  A miktam.  When the Philistines had seized him in
Gath.



1Be merciful to me, O God, 

	for men hotly pursue me; 

	all day long they press their attack. 

2My slanderers pursue me all day long; 

	many are attacking me in their pride. 


3When I am afraid, I will trust in you. 

4In God, whose word I praise, 

	in God I trust; I will not be afraid. 

What can mortal man do to me? 


5All day long they twist my words; 

	they are always plotting to harm me. 

6They conspire, they lurk, 

	they watch my steps, eager to take my life. 

7On no account let them escape; 

	in Your anger, O God, bring down the nations.




8Record my lament; list my tears on Your scroll-

	are they not in Your record? 

9Then my enemies will turn back 

	when I call for help. 

By this I will know that God is for me. 


10In God, whose word I praise, 

	in the LORD, whose word I praise- 

11In God I trust; I will not be afraid. 

	What can man do to me? 


12I am under vows to You, O God; 

	I will present my thank offerings to You. 

13For You have delivered me from death 

	and my feet from stumbling, 

	that I may walk before God in the light of life.


The occasion of this psalm was when "the Philistines had
seized [David] in Gath."  This most likely refers to the
episode in I Sam. 21:10ff, when David pretended to be
insane in order to escape the king of Gath.  David found
himself in Gath when he was fleeing from Saul, who was
himself trying to kill David.  So David found himself
facing trial after trial. "When once God's children are
entered on their trials, they meet with new and unexpected
difficulties, as David here flying from one enemy, falls
into the hands of another" [Dickson, 334].

In this psalm, David picks up where the previous psalm left
off.  Speaking to the Lord, David ended the previous psalm
with:  "But as for me, I trust in You" (Ps. 55:23).  As we
will see, though facing trial after trial in this psalm,
David sounds the refrain:  "In God I trust."

David begins his call for help with a cry for mercy:  "Be
merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day
long they press their attack.  My slanderers pursue me all
day long; many are attacking me in their pride" (vss. 1-2).
 David's cry for mercy was both a general and specific cry.
 In general, David sins, as we all sin, and so he was in
need of God's mercy.  Specifically in this situation, David
himself unwisely fled to the land of his enemies, and so,
David himself was in good part to blame for the trouble he
was facing, so he asked for mercy.

David prays to the Almighty God, for help facing mortal men,
as he says:  "Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly
pursue me."  David highlights in his juxtaposition of the
words "God" and "men" the great differences in the powers
of the two.  When one has God on his side, as David points
out a little later, "What can mortal man do to me?" (vs.
4). "It is idle to indulge engrossing fears of puny
mortals" [Plumer, 591].  Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
taught us not to fear mortal man.  He said:  "Do not be
afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul"
(Matt. 10:28). "We never act more unwisely than when we
succumb to apprehensions arising from man's wisdom or
power.   Until our foes can cope with the Almighty, can
'confront omnipotence', or 'check the stream of the divine
benignity', or 'oppose the artillery of the skies', a
righteous man, having a righteous cause, has no ground of
alarm" [Plumer, 591]. "As we must not trust to an arm of
flesh, when it is engaged for us, so we must not be afraid
of an arm of flesh, when it is stretched out against us"
[Henry, cited in Plumer, 591].

The realization of God's Almighty power is a great catalyst
for faith.  David is confident God will come through for
him:  "When I am afraid, I will trust in You.  In God,
whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid"
(vss. 3-4).  This, as we have mentioned, is the refrain of
the psalm, and in fact, the theme of the psalm:  Trust in
God to save us from evil, mortal men.  For David, fear
leads him to God:  "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
 David's confidence in God is based on his knowledge of
God's past deliverances, as documented in the Word of God. 
So David says,  "In God, whose word I praise, in God I
trust."  In praising God's word, there is probably a
reference also to the prophecy given to David by Samuel
that David would accede to the throne (see I Sam. 16).  The
Philistines could not kill David without nullifying God's
prophecy, and so, David knew that he would escape, for
God's word is true.  David's trust in God ends up
dissolving his fear:  "In God I trust; I will not be
afraid."

David's enemies worked hard at their evil:  "All day long
they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me. 
They conspire, they lurk, they watch my steps, eager to
t`ake my life" (vss. 5-6).  For their hard-working evil,
David wants God to bring them to account:  "On no account
let them escape; in Your anger, O God, bring down the
nations" (vs. 7).  

David expresses the pain he feels, hoping God's empathy will
cause Him to act on David's behalf:  "Record my lament;
list my tears on Your scroll-are they not in Your record?" 
David looks for a sign that his prayer is being answered: 
"Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help.  By
this I will know that God is for me" (vs. 9).

David then returns to his refrain of trust in God, with
praise, in the midst of his fear:  "In God, whose word I
praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise-In God I trust; I
will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?" (vss. 10-11).
"As often as we are tempted, we must again and again
profess and confirm our hope and confidence in Jehovah"
[Plumer, on vs. 11].

This time, David uses two names of God when praising Him: 
"God" (or "Elohim" in Hebrew); and "the LORD" (or "Jehovah"
in Hebrew). "The first word, Elohim, is a name belonging to
God as a judge; the second word, Jehovah, is a name of
mercy.  I will praise God whether He deal with me in a way
of justice or in a way of mercy, when He hath thunder in
His voice, as well as when He hath honey under His tongue"
[Charnock, cited in Spurgeon on vs. 10].

David finally sees his deliverance from trouble:  "I am
under vows to You, O God; I will present my thank offerings
to You.  For You have delivered me from death and my feet
from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of
life" (vss. 12-13).  Whether David is seeing here his
deliverance by faith before it happens, or whether these
words were written in retrospect after his deliverance, we
cannot tell here.  Whatever the case, David plans to
fulfill the obligation of vows he made to God when he was
in trouble.  In our desperation, we are inclined to make
vows to God, saying, "Oh Lord, if you get me out of this,
I'll do such and such..."  We must be careful when we make
such vows, for we are under a definite obligation to
fulfill them.  And indeed, we should cheerfully fulfill
them, as we enjoy life without our affliction, "walking
before God in the light of life."