The Mystery of Darkness
March 23, 2017

"And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 22:5)

The Bible reveals that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5), and also that, in the ages to come, there will be no more darkness. God promises twice that there shall be "no night there" (Revelation 21:25; 22:5) in the very last references to night in the Bible.

Why, then, is there darkness, and where did it come from? God gives the answer: "I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness" (Isaiah 45:6-7). Light was always in and with God, but the darkness had to be created! And, it has a purpose, serving as a contrast to the light.

Men and women were created to love and have fellowship with their Creator, not as robots but in freedom. Darkness thus served as the choice that could be made against God and the light, for those so minded. Satan and his hosts of fallen angels and wicked spirits have become "the rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephesians 6:12). The tragedy is that ever since Adam, men have "loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19), and so have been practicing "the works of darkness" (Romans 13:12), and deserving nothing but "the blackness of darkness for ever" (Jude 1:13).

But our Creator has become our Redeemer. He "hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9), paying the great price for our redemption on the cross. The Father "hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians 1:13); we are now free to enter into the eternal fellowship with God that He had planned before the world began. We should "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11). HMM

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God's Son in the Old Testament
March 24, 2017

"I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee" (Psalm 2:7)

There are many today (especially Muslims, Jews, and Christian “liberals”) who are monotheists, believing in one supreme God but rejecting the deity of Christ. They argue that the doctrine that Jesus was the unique Son of God was invented by the early Christians and that the God of the Old Testament had no Son. Orthodox Jews in particular emphasize Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD."

The fact is, however, that there are a number of Old Testament verses that do speak of God's only begotten Son. Note the following brief summary.

First, there is God's great promise to David: "I will set up thy seed after thee, . . . I will be his father, and he shall be my son. . . . thy throne shall be established for ever" (2 Samuel 7:12, 14, 16).

Consider also the rhetorical questions of Agur. "Who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?" (Proverbs 30:4).

Then there are the two famous prophecies of Isaiah, quoted so frequently at Christmastime. "Behold, a [literally 'the'] virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [meaning 'God with us']" (Isaiah 7:14). "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: . . . and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

Perhaps the most explicit verse in this connection is our text. "The LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son” (Psalm 2:7). Then this marvelous Messianic psalm concludes with this exhortation: "Kiss the Son, . . . Blessed are all they that put their trust in him" (Psalm 2:12). HMM

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His Word Is with Power
March 25, 2017

"And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power" (Luke 4:32)

God's words, whether spoken by Jesus or written in Scripture, are indeed full of power, and it is noteworthy how many and varied are the physical analogies used to characterize and emphasize its power.

For example, consider Jeremiah 23:29. "Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" The fire analogy is also stressed in Jeremiah 20:9, when the prophet became weary of the negative reaction against his preaching: "Then I said, I will not . . . speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay."

God's Word is also called a sharp sword wielded by the Holy Spirit. As part of the Christian's spiritual armour, we are exhorted to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17). "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

Even more significantly, perhaps, it is compared to light, for light energy is really the most basic of all forms of energy, or power. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path." "The entrance of thy words giveth light" (Psalm 119:105, 130). The first spoken words of Christ our Creator were "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3).

But no earthly form of power can compare to the power in the words of the One who is Himself the living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is actually "upholding all things by the word of his power" (Hebrews 1:3). HMM

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The New Heavens and New Earth
March 26, 2017

"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind" (Isaiah 65:17)

There is a glorious future awaiting the redeemed. Although God's primeval creation of the heavens and the earth is eternal (note Psalm 148:6, etc.), these are now groaning in pain under the effects of sin and the curse. When the Lord returns, they will be "delivered from the bondage of corruption into . . . glorious liberty" (Romans 8:21), and God will make them all new again, with all the scars of sin and death burned away by His refining fires (2 Peter 3:10).

There are four explicit references in the Bible to these "renewed" heavens and Earth. In addition to our text, which assures us that they will be so wonderful that this present earth and its heavens will soon be forgotten, there is the great promise of Isaiah 66:22: "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain." Thus, that heavens and Earth will remain eternally, and so will all who dwell there, with their true spiritual children. Note also that both God's "creation" and "making" powers will be applied to the new heavens and new earth, just as they were to the first (Genesis 2:3).

The third and fourth references are in the New Testament. "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). Not only will no sin be present there, neither will the results of sin and the curse. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; . . . And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:1, 4). HMM

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The Land of Uz
March 27, 2017

"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job" (Job 1:1)

Uz was a son of Aram and a grandson of Shem (Genesis 10:22-23). Shem's first son, Arphaxad, was born two years after the Flood, and his remaining sons would have been born in some reasonable sequence thereafter, probably around 36 years apart (Genesis 11:10-26). It is unlikely that Aram, Uz's father, was born past the first century after the Flood. The events at Babel took place during the fifth generation (the generation of Peleg), and Uz would have been alive then.

The land of Uz is later associated with the territory of Edom (Lamentations 4:21), which is near the area southeast of the Dead Sea, toward the upper reaches of the Sinai Peninsula, east of Egypt and just north of the Red Sea. Although that area is not very pleasant now, at the time of Abraham it was "well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar" (Genesis 13:10). Quite likely, this was one of the more beautiful spots that was safely away from the rule of Nimrod and farther away from the climate shifts that were leading to the coming Ice Age.

We must guard against seeing the message in the light of our own experience, education, and entertainment. When we read that Job had vast herds of "camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household" (Job 1:3), our first reaction is to reject that as pure exaggeration since we "know" that that whole area is desert and could not possibly support that kind of lifestyle. Perhaps we need to "let God be true, but every man a liar" when we approach the words of Scripture (Romans 3:4). HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Job and Friends
March 28, 2017

"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite" (Job 2:11)

When this epic poem begins, Job is wealthy by any standards (Job 1:3). He was likely a tradesman, something of an import-export businessman, with vast livestock and wholesale food supplies, equipping distance caravans for himself and others.

His friends lived at different points across the Arabian Peninsula. Eliphaz was from Teman, a city in the northern part of the land later known as Edom. Bildad was from Shuhu, somewhat south of Haran near the southern borders of what is now Turkey. Zophar was from Naamah, which was likely located to the east in the south of Canaan. Elihu, the young man who speaks later in the book, was from Buz, in northern Arabia.

These men came to comfort Job from some distance, but although they had a strong conviction about a Creator God, they struggled with a "works" salvation, continually accusing Job of having a secret sin of some sort. But God had said, "Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Job 1:8.).

In his own defense, Job insisted that everyone knew of his godly behaviour. "When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me. . . . I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind. . . . I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth" (Job 29:11-17). Would to God that each of us could have the same confidence in our behaviour. HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Satan's Arrogance in Heaven
March 29, 2017

"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it" (Job 1:6-7).

This startling piece of information does not fit with the common idea that Satan was cast out of heaven prior to Genesis 3 or as described in Luke 10:18. Many suggest that the same event is in view in Revelation 12:7-9 when Michael led the battle against Satan, casting him and his demons to Earth to become "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2) and confining him to Earth, where he worked feverishly to assemble the ultimate human army to defy the Creator.

If that is so, then the rather nonchalant appearance of Satan in Job 1:6 among the "sons of God" in the throne room seems very much out of place.

Perhaps the arrogance of Satan is based on the freedom he believes he has as one of the chief angels, "going to and fro" with apparent impunity, "seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8.). Whatever may be the actual state of Lucifer's freedom under the sovereignty of almighty God, Satan responds to God's question regarding Job with little fear of contradiction or any concern for personal rebuke.

Please remember: Satan was a created being with such majesty and beauty (Ezekiel 28:15-17) that he believed he could overthrow the Creator Himself (Isaiah 14:12-14). This short passage, which appears no other place in the Bible, gives us unique insight into the nature of the angelic world and the sovereign confidence of the One who knows "the end from the beginning" (Isaiah 46:10). HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Satan's Proposition
March 30, 2017

"Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face" (Job 1:9-11).

Satan acknowledges the sovereign power of God, whether in pretense or flattery, by conceding that God has "made a hedge" around Job and that He has "blessed the work of his hands." Satan had the power to do damage (and he does have great power), yet he appears to understand that no damage could be done unless the Creator Himself gave the permission. Even in his blatant disdain for everything God represents, Satan knows that God must withdraw the "hedge" before any "touch" on Job could occur.

The Lord said to Satan, "Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand" (Job 1:12). So, Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Although God's "thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways [His] ways" (Isaiah 55:8,) He does extend His protective authority on all of His twice-born. "No temptation [has] taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Whatever may happen "to them who are the called according to his purpose" in this life, God is overseeing and protecting every moment so that "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28). HMM III

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Satan's Malice
March 31, 2017

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? . . . Still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face" (Job 2:3-5).

After Satan suddenly plunges Job into total poverty and rips his children from him, "Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Nakẹd came I out of my mother's womb, and nakẹd shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (Job 1:20-22).

Nonchalantly appearing among the "sons of God" again, Satan callously suggests that if God would strike "His hand" against Job—this time by ruining his health—Job would rebel and disavow his relationship with God. All of heaven must have cowered as Satan maliciously baited God again. But the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown" (Job 2:6-7).

As Job moves to the trash heap to scrape the oozing pus from his sores, his wife throws a final slur at his face: "Curse God and die." But Job simply says, "What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (Job 2:10). May the example of this good man encourage us to trust God even in times of woe. HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Pain and Suffering
April 1, 2017

"Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him . . . they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. . . . And none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great" (Job 2:11-13).

If God is sovereign and omnipotent, why does He permit "bad" to exist? Since pain and suffering exist, God seemingly must not be omnipotent, or not good, or both. Those who have been hurt by evil often conclude that if God cannot stop it, He does not deserve worship. Although this debate won't be settled in this short devotional, some Bible facts must be considered.

When Adam and Eve chose to embrace the lie of self-determination and reject the rule of the Creator over them, God pronounced a sentence of death on all life and the sentence of disorder on all functioning systems in the universe. Death, of course, is the source of all pain and suffering, and "thorns and thistles" represent the ultimate decay of function and order in everything else. Pain and suffering are the result of evil, not the cause (Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:22).

Satan reverses that truth and would have mankind believe that God is the source of evil and must be placated.

Since Job was suffering, and God was sovereign, the only solution seemed that Job had violated one of God's laws and therefore was suffering because he had sinned. Logic dictated that God was good and right, therefore Job was wrong and evil. The trouble was, of course, that human logic could not take into account the inscrutable omniscience of an omnipotent Creator. "All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies" (Psalm 25:10). HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Health and Wealth
April 2, 2017

"If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase" (Job 8:6-7).

Bildad was reflecting the half truths and logic Satan used with Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3). When theology or philosophy differ from Scripture, the choice is either one or the other. Attempting to amalgamate the differences always leads to error. The prosperity gospel often taught today is an extension of that error.

Satan refused to understand that some of the human race were "perfect and upright" like Job (Job 1:1) and loved and trusted God for their eternal destiny. Such godly people cannot be bought by possessions or circumstances. As Job later said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (Job 13:15).

Satan's original lie to Adam and Eve was that they could obtain the power of God by grasping the "secret" of evil. As the human race grew more despicable, embracing Satan's lie, Satan began using the duplicity of angelic power and human procreation (Genesis 6:1-4) to attempt his coveted coup (Isaiah 14:13). That was destroyed by God with the great Flood.

Satan tried again with Nimrod at Babel and was defeated when God confounded human language. Lucifer then attempted to "trick" God into taking away His blessing on Job so Satan would have an example to show of God’s capricious care. All Satan got for his efforts was the testimony of this great man enshrined in Scripture to encourage the rest of humanity. "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy"

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Human Sufficiency
April 3, 2017

"If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; if iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear" (Job 11:13-15).

Zophar clearly summarised the belief that the human will is all that is necessary to reach perfection. He believed in a Creator God. He knew that God was holy, but Zophar had bought into Satan's first lie: "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5).

Satan needed a lesson in sovereignty, but also a lesson in love. Satan's logic would have it that all love is self-serving. He had deceived himself into believing that he could overthrow the Creator, that he could win the worship of the human race by throwing his largess of power and brilliance on those who follow his leadership. (Sounds suspiciously like the history of political manipulation over the millennia.)

Throughout the Scriptures, God presents Himself as sovereign over the affairs of men. "Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?" (Romans 9:20-21).

The theological debate is whether the salvation event is by God's grace alone (Calvinism) or if mankind must willingly cooperate with God to obtain and maintain salvation (Arminianism). The great mystery of the human will and the choice to submit to and love God is beyond explanation. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Job's Gospel
April 4, 2017

"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day on the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me" (Job 19:25-27).

The main thought among Job's friends concerning righteousness seems to be reciprocity. That is, if you are good, good things will happen to you. If you are bad, bad things will happen. However, it is very clear that this reciprocity was not the belief system that motivated Job. His friends may well have bought into the growing philosophy that "works" would suffice for salvation, but not this "perfect and upright" servant of God (Job 1:1).

Although Job continually protested he had lived a righteous life and was mystified why God had allowed the calamities to descend on him, Job still understood that he was a sinner by nature and needed the cleansing only God could provide.

"What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?" (Job 7:17)
"But how should a man be just with God?" (Job 9:2)
"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." (Job 14:4)

The New Testament simplicity of the gospel through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ may not yet have been clear to Job. However, even God Himself said of Job, "Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" (Job 1:8.) Job knew the "good news" of a holy, loving, saving Creator and coming King. HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Job's Flood Facts
April 5, 2017

"Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden? Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood: which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?" (Job 22:15-17).

The many references to the Flood in the book of Job are couched in the language of those who had personal knowledge of the event. Modern creationist and Flood geologists can only surmise what may have happened during the year of the Flood. Job and his friends were living during the lifetime of Noah and his sons and had heard the account of the Flood.

The families of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar had spoken to the original occupants of the Ark, and they knew! If these men had not heard directly from the mouths of Noah or one of his sons, then they had heard from their fathers or their fathers' fathers, who had heard directly. Noah lived 350 years after the Flood. Shem lived 502 years beyond the day they disembarked from the Ark. Shem outlived Abraham!

The horrible consequences of the great Flood were still fresh in their minds (Job 12:14-15). Once the evil of the world became intense and widespread, the gracious and omnipotent Creator offered 120 years of opportunity to repent (1 Peter 3:20). But when that opportunity ran its course and Noah, the "preacher of righteousness," gave his last invitation, God shut the door to the Ark, and the judgment waters came and overwhelmed the earth (2 Peter 2:5; 3:6).

Our generation openly mocks the authority and power of God. "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 1:20-21). HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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God's Behemoth
April 6, 2017

"Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee" (Job 40:15).

As God responded to Job, He spent an unusual amount of time referring to animals Job would be familiar with—lions, goats, unicorns (probably the aurochs or wild ox), peacocks, the ostrich, the horse, hawks, and eagles, all within 33 verses.

Then, as though Job needed to pay special attention, God took 44 verses to talk about two animals—behemoth (Job 40:15-24) and leviathan (Job 41:1-34)—citing the behaviour and descriptions of these very large animals. Why the interest? Why should it matter?

To begin with, behemoth was "made with thee." Whatever it was, it was created at the same time as man. Behemoth was an enormous animal that "moveth his tail like a cedar" and had bones like "strong pieces of bronze" and "bars of iron." Behemoth was "the chief of the ways of God; only he that made him can make his sword to approach him." This animal illustrates something of the enormous power of the Creator and gives evidence that only God could control it (Job 40:15-19).

Today, with only fossil bones to give some idea of the enormity of this animal, science would likely call behemoth an Apatosaurus. This creature really lived in the past. The fossils indicate it was between 70 and 90 feet long and nearly 15 feet high at the hips. The tail was about 50 feet long (remember the cedar tree), and it had peg-like teeth that suggest its diet was plants. The legs were like columns. Estimates suggest that the animal weighed around 35 tons.

With this much known evidence, it is sad to see the notes in the margins of many Bibles insisting that the behemoth was either an elephant or a hippopotamus. Perhaps these "scoffers" are "willingly ignorant" (2 Peter 3:3-5). HMM III

Adapted from The Book of Beginnings by Dr. Henry M. Morris III.

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Judgment Is Coming
April 9, 2017

"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).

There is only one thing that is absolutely sure to happen to every person—everyone will have to face God some day. Not even "death and taxes" are certain for every one, but meeting God for an accounting of one's life is certain!

Therefore, as the prophet Amos warned some 2,500 years ago: "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel" (Amos 4:12). "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

To the Christian believer, of course, there is no need to fear hell, for there is "now no condemnation [that is, 'judgment'] to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). The Lord Jesus has paid for our sins and purchased our redemption with His shed blood. He "was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25).

Nevertheless, we as Christians still "must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10), where "the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide . . . he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire" (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

Those who die in unbelief, however, not having trusted Christ as their Saviour, will face a different meeting with God. John describes the awesome scene as he saw it in his prophecy. "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Revelation 20:12). But no one can ever be saved by his works (Ephesians 2:9). Therefore, "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). HMM

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A Good Name
April 10, 2017

"A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth" (Ecclesiastes 7:1).

It seems odd at first that Solomon would link these two maxims together. How is the day of death better than birth, and what has this to do with the value of one's good name? The great king had once enjoyed a name synonymous with godliness and great wisdom, but his name had eventually become so sullied with the excesses of wealth and fleshly indulgence that he began to long even for death. It is a tragic thing for godly young people to allow their good names to be ruined by careless carnality, thenceforth never to be able to fulfil the promise their lives once seemed to carry. Solomon could employ all the most costly ointments and other comforts to ease his declining years, but they could never redeem his good name. "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all" (Proverbs 22:1-2).

The Christian believer has a double incentive to maintain a good name, of course, for his words and deeds inevitably reflect, for good or ill, on the name of Christ as well. When we cause our own names to be damaged, we also (as David did) give "great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme" (2 Samuel 12:14), and there are, sadly, many such enemies eagerly watching for us to give them yet another occasion to "blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called" (James 2:7).

In a very real sense, of course, even those who do maintain a good name all their lives can joyfully anticipate the day of death. Christ has promised: "I will write upon him the name of my God . . . and I will write upon him my new name” (Revelation 3:12). That will, indeed, be a "good name" and one we shall enjoy forever! HMM

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The Same Mind
April 11, 2017

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10).

The days of the early church were the days of its greatest power because they were days of its greatest unity. "They, continuing daily with one accord . . . and singleness of heart." "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: . . . and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 2:46; 4:32-33). It was not long, however, before divisions, contentions, and schisms crept in. Therefore, the New Testament contains many exhortations toward a restoration of the unity—and thus the power—of the early church. Note the following examples.

"Be of the same mind one toward another" (Romans 12:16). "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God" (Romans 15:5-6). "Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you" (2 Corinthians 13:11). "Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Philippians 1:27). "Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Philippians 2:2). "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous" (1 Peter 3:8.)

Real unity, of course, must be both "the unity of the Spirit" and "the unity of the faith" (Ephesians 4:3, 13), and "the same mind" must be nothing less than the mind of Christ. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). HMM

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Gospel by Revelation
April 12, 2017

"But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12).

In writing to the believers in Galatia, Paul was concerned that they were "so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel" (v. 6).

What was Paul's gospel that he was so concerned about? "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever" (vv. 3-5). Furthermore, he added that "if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (v. 9). They were not to listen even if Paul or "an angel from heaven" (v. 8 ) preached another gospel.

Paul's gospel, on the other hand, was "not after man," i.e., not the sort of thing that men would make up. Human religions are all man-glorifying and God-degrading, blurring the difference between the two and tempting man with the age-old taunt: "Ye shall be as gods" (Genesis 3:5). In contrast, the gospel which Paul preached recognized man’s utter sinfulness and worthlessness and rested in a glorified Christ for His finished work.

Paul had not "received it of man." This was not the tradition among his people. "Neither was I taught it," said Paul, even though he had been taught extensively in the religion of Judaism. On the contrary, he was taught the gospel "by the revelation of Jesus Christ." We can therefore not only be sure of its accuracy, but, also with Paul, join in the "ministry, which [he] received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). JDM

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The Aroma
April 13, 2017

"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour" (Ephesians 5:1-2).

Incense in Scripture has a variety of rich and meaningful usages, particularly as related to the blood sacrifice. "And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: . . . And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee" (Exodus 30:1, 6). Without this incense, it was impossible to meet with God in this prescribed way. It was to be offered both morning and evening (vv. 7-8.) Great care was to be taken in its preparation (vv. 34-36), and it was not to be used for any other purpose (vv. 37-38).

In the New Testament we find a totally different application of this principle. As in our text, we see that Jesus Christ Himself has become an offering and a "sweet-smelling savour" to God. His freely offering Himself is an example to us to live a life of sacrifice and love.

While He was the final sacrifice, we are to "present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is [our] reasonable service" (Romans 12:1). This may even take the form of material "things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God" (Philippians 4:18).

In the mind of God, our life of sacrifice is a sweet-smelling savor. "Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). Without our willing, living sacrifice, we cannot approach God, but with it, we are a "sweet savour of Christ." JDM

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Born to Die
April 14, 2017

"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

Especially as noted in the gospel of John, Christ identified many reasons why He had been born. Consider the following sampling of verses and references. First and foremost, Christ came to redeem those who would believe: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). But under that umbrella of redemption come many other aspects.

Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34). God's will was paramount even in judgment (John 5:30) as well as resurrection. "This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). It also governed His teaching (7:16-17). In everything, Christ sought to bring glory to His Father (7:18).

Many aspects of Christ's work are to be realized in this life, for He said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). His desire in it all was that we might have an eternal relationship with God. "That they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

But the primary goal was to bring to climax His redemptive strategy. He knew that none of the other aspects of His work had any effect without atonement for sin, which was only possible if a blood sacrifice was made for that sin. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). This was the reason He came to Earth. JDM

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Hints of Redemption
April 15, 2017

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15).

When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, God pronounced the dreadful curse on all of His creation, from mankind to the animal and plant kingdoms and even the earth itself (Genesis 3:14-19). From that point on, everything began to die, but at the same time God predicted the coming Redeemer who would set things right.

There are several hints of the coming Redeemer in these early chapters of Genesis. Dr. A. T. Pierson, a Bible scholar of the late 1800s and early 1900s, mentioned an unnamed Hebrew scholar, a Jewish rabbi, who held that the names of the 10 pre-Flood patriarchs (Adam to Noah) formed a redemptive sentence when read together. Keep in mind that certain meanings of some of these names are lost in antiquity, but the exercise is interesting, if not definitive. According to the rabbi, Adam means mankind; Seth is appointed; Enos, mortality; Cainan, wailing for the dead; Mahalaleel, God be praised; Jared, He shall descend; Enoch, a mortal man; Methuselah, dismissing death; Lamech, the weary; Noah, rest. Stringing the translations together yields the following sentence: "Mankind is appointed [to] mortality, wailing for the dead. God be praised. He shall descend, a mortal man, dismissing death, [bringing to] the weary rest."

Modern scholars prefer Enoch as dedicated man, Methuselah as when he dies, judgment, Lamech (uncertainly) as conqueror, and Cainan (very uncertainly) as humiliation. Our sentence now reads, "Mankind is appointed [to] mortality, [bringing] humiliation. God be praised. He shall descend, a dedicated man. When He dies [as] judgment, [He will] conquer, [bringing] rest." JDM

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The Resurrection and the Believer
April 16, 2017

"And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).

The resurrection of Christ is no less crucial to the gospel than the death of Christ. If He did not rise from the dead, then we who believe in Him "are of all men most miserable" (1 Corinthians 15:19).

Christ's resurrection assures us, first of all, of our justification. Speaking of Abraham's faith and the imputation of God's righteousness to him, Paul writes, "For us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:24-25).

God imparts to us the power to serve Him effectively through the resurrection, "that [we] may know . . . what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:18-20). As the passage continues, Paul declares that through the resurrection Christ is now "the head over all things to the church, which is His body" (vv. 22-23 and also in our text).

In His resurrected and glorified state, Christ continues His ministry to us. "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens. . . . Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:14, 16).

Finally, Christ's resurrection assures us that we too will one day be resurrected, if we should die before He returns. "He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus" (2 Corinthians 4:14). JDM

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Blessed Assurance
April 17, 2017

"And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever" (Isaiah 32:17).

As expressed in the old gospel hymn, the "blessed assurance, Jesus is mine" is a "foretaste of glory divine." According to our text, this "assurance for ever," together with true peace of soul and quietness of spirit, are products of the "work of righteousness."

The New Testament exposition of genuine righteousness makes it clear that we who have received Christ’s work of righteousness by faith have been "made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5).

Thus, salvation is the priceless possession of those to whom Christ's work of righteousness has been imputed, through faith. On the other hand, the assurance of salvation, accompanied by quietness and peace of heart, is "experienced" only by saved believers who practice the work of righteousness in their daily walk with the Lord. If we truly have salvation, then we ought to manifest the "things that accompany salvation. . . . For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed toward his name. . . . And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end" (Hebrews 6:9-11).

We can, indeed, know that we are saved simply through faith in His work and His Word (e.g., 1 John 5:13). Nevertheless, to know that one’s faith itself is genuine, God has given us this test of faith. "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments" (1 John 2:3).

This is surely blessed assurance of salvation and a foretaste of glory divine! HMM

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Be Instant
April 18, 2017

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:2).

Paul's "charge" to young Timothy, just before the great apostle's martyrdom, was urgently needed by Christians in those early days of persecution and incipient apostasy, and his words are even more appropriate today.

The admonition to "be instant" is worth special note. The Greek word ephistemi is translated in various ways ("be present," "be at hand," "come upon," etc.). The main idea is simply to be there, doing what needs to be done at the time it is needed. In this particular context it is stressing the Christian's responsibility to be there with the right words from the Word of God—words of exhortation, of doctrine, of reproof if needed, yet words given patiently, even when rebuffed by the hearer. "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6).

Furthermore, the charge applies not only to those times when we are officially on duty, so to speak. It applies to off-hours as well as work time. Be instant out of season, as well as in season! The Christian must always be "on call" when God calls.

The apostle could rightly issue such a charge because he himself had set such an example. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: . . . thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience" (2 Timothy 4:7; 3:10). It is touching that Paul could then use the same word (ephistemi) concerning his own coming death, when he said, "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand" (2 Timothy 4:6). He was as ready to die as he had always been to speak, for the Lord! HMM

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Ye or Thee
April 19, 2017

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matthew 6:6).

In perhaps His primary teaching on giving, prayer, and fasting, Christ used an interesting blend of singular (thee, thou) and plural (you, ye) pronouns. Since even pronouns as recorded in Scripture are inspired and profitable, there must be a lesson to be learned from them.

Although Christ begins the passage using the plural pronoun—"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them" (v. 1), evidently addressing the large group assembled—He switches and speaks in the singular. In the verses dealing with giving (vv. 2-4), with praying (vv. 5-6), and with fasting (vv. 17-18), He uses the singular pronoun and singular verbs over 30 times, but each teaching is balanced by a comparison, in the plural, to those who practice these deeds wrongly (vv. 1, 5, 16).

Evidently, our Lord is stressing the need to do these things privately, as opposed to publicly. Public giving and public fasting are often done to gain the praise of men and to appear overly spiritual. "They have their reward" (v. 5). Public prayer is certainly not improper, and indeed Christ uses the occasion to teach on public prayer by giving what has come to be called The Lord's Prayer (vv. 9-13), again in contrast to improper public prayer (v. 7). But public prayer can never totally substitute for private prayer, for there is a continuing need for the intimately personal "closet" time with our God. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret" (v. 6).

In each case, "thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly" (vv. 4, 6, 18). JDM

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Preached in All Creation
April 20, 2017

"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister" (Colossians 1:23).

Many times Christians piously say, "Why get worked up over creation, why don't you just preach the gospel?" But such a question reveals a faulty knowledge of what "the gospel" consists of, for, as has been noted many times on these pages, the gospel consists not only of the redemptive work of Christ, but His entire person and work as well. The message of the "everlasting gospel" is to "worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (Revelation 14:6-7). Elsewhere, the gospel includes His coming Kingdom (Matthew 4:23, for example). From creation to redemption to ultimate restoration, all is "good news," all the work and person of Christ.

In our text we see that the gospel "was preached to every creature," or perhaps better translated "in all creation." What was the message of the gospel for which Paul was so jealous? The answer is found in the preceding verses.

Christ is preeminent, literally "the firstborn of every creature" (v. 15), totally God (v. 19). He is the Creator of all things, both physical and spiritual (v. 16), and continues to maintain His creation (v. 17). He leads the church, assuring victory over death (v. 18). He is the Redeemer, the perfect sacrifice for sins (vv. 20-22), providing each believer total sanctification (v. 22). He will ultimately restore all of creation to its original created intent (v. 20).

Only as we recognize and believe the teachings of His Word on the entire "good news," from creation to consummation, can we hope to victoriously "continue in the faith grounded and settled." JDM

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Where Are the Nine?
April 21, 2017

"And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?" (Luke 17:17).

Ten lepers, hopeless and incurable, came to Jesus, begging for His help, and He miraculously healed them. All 10 should have fallen down to worship and thank Him, but only one praised God and thanked Him for His marvelous deliverance.

We are at first amazed at such ingratitude, until we realise that not more than 10 percent of even those people who know about Christ ever stop to give Him thanks for His innumerable blessings—life, freedom, food, shelter, health, family, and especially easy access to the Bible and His gracious offer of salvation—far greater in value than the gift of special healing received by the 10 lepers.

The thankful leper received a much greater gift than the others. "Thy faith hath made thee whole" (Luke 17:19). They had received an outward cleansing of the body, he an inward cleansing of the soul! These words spoken by Christ are found four other times in the New Testament (Matthew 9:22; Mark 5:34; 10:52; Luke 8:48), plus two times where the word for "made whole" is translated "saved" (Luke 7:50; 18:42). This word (Greek sozo) occurs many other times. For example: "He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him" (Hebrews 7:25).

Ten lepers were healed, but only one was saved, and the proof of his salvation, received through genuine faith in Christ, was his gratitude, giving glory to God. The primary evidence of being "filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18) is that the one so controlled by God's regenerating Spirit will be "giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). Those who are not thankful to their saving Lord are the 90 percent who have not been made whole. HMM

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Joy in the Christian Life?
April 22, 2017

"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full?" (John 15:11).

The word "fun" is never mentioned in the Bible, and "entertain" is used only in reference to being hospitable. Such activities as "reveling" and "playing" receive nothing except condemnation in the Scriptures (with the exception of little children at play).

Yet, there is growing emphasis today in many churches and parachurch organizations on providing "entertainment" and "fun times" for their members—especially for teenagers and young adults. This is the way to reach them and keep them for the Lord, so they say. Perhaps so, but one wonders why neither the Lord nor the apostles nor the prophets ever told us so. Is this a program kept in reserve by the Lord just for the young people of this generation?

Actually, Christians can have something far better, more effective, and more lasting than fun and entertainment. In Christ, they can have heavenly joy! "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine," the Bible says (Proverbs 17:22), where the word for "merry" is more commonly translated as "joyful" or "rejoicing."

While the Bible never mentions "fun," it has many references to "joy" and "rejoicing." Here are just a few. "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts" (Jeremiah 15:16). "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:8 ). "For the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).

We must remind ourselves continually that the Lord Jesus daily, through His words, shares His joy with us, “that [our] joy might be full.” HMM

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The Godhead
April 23, 2017

"For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9).

The term "Godhead" occurs three times in the King James translation. Each time it translates a slightly different Greek noun, all being slight modifications of the Greek word for "God" (theos, from which we derive such English words as “theology”). It essentially means the nature, or "structure," of God, as He has revealed Himself in His Word.

The first occurrence is in Acts 17:29: "We ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." Men have been guilty throughout the ages of trying to "model" the Godhead, but this leads quickly to idolatry, whether that model is a graven image of wood or stone or a philosophical construct of the human mind.

What man cannot do, however, God has done, in the very structure of His creation. "The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:20). His tri-universe (space, matter, and time, with each component unique in definition and function, yet permeating and comprising the whole) perfectly "models" His triune nature (Father, Son, Holy Spirit—each distinct, yet each the whole).

This analogy can be carried much further, for this remarkable triunity pervades all reality. The tri-universe is not God (that would be pantheism), but it does clearly reflect and reveal the triune nature of His Godhead.

The last occurrence of the word is in our text. Although we cannot see the Godhead in its fullness, that fullness does dwell eternally in the Lord Jesus Christ. All that God is, is manifest in Him. "And ye are complete in him" (Colossians 2:10). HMM

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The Works of the Lord
April 24, 2017

"Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation" (Psalm 111:1).

The first phrase of this majestic psalm of praise, "praise ye the LORD," translates the compound Hebrew word hallelujah. The psalm in its entirety boasts about the works of the Lord (i.e., Jehovah) in various realms.

The psalmist promises to praise the Lord with his entire being, wholeheartedly extolling His works. He will do so in two spheres. First, in "the assembly of the upright," where "assembly" refers to an intimate circle of friends of like faith. Secondly, in the larger "congregation" called together for that purpose.

The next three verses identify some of the praiseworthy acts of God, each verse employing a different word for "works." The word translated "works" in verse two usually refers to God's "great" handiwork in creation, well suited for careful study (i.e., “sought out”), bringing "pleasure" to all those who recognise that "the heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1). (Incidentally, this verse two of Psalm 111 is inscribed on the entrance to the famous Cavendish Physics Laboratory in Cambridge.)

The word for "work" in verse three implies an ongoing practice and carries the connotation of His providential acts. He reigns in righteousness, honour, and glory over all His creation.

Finally, the phrase "wonderful works" (v. 4) usually refers to God’s great redemptive acts on behalf of His people Israel (vv. 5-6, 9), as well as all those who put their trust in Him (see Psalm 107:8, 15, 21, 31, for example). Surely "the LORD is gracious and full of compassion" (v. 4).

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: . . . his praise endureth for ever" (v. 10). JDM

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