MIME-Version: 1.0 Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 08:25:58 +-200 Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel From: Teus Benschop Subject: ChrExp, The Scriptures opened, 78 To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP Contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Leviticus 9:8-10 - God's servants holy 2. Lamentations 1:18 - I am the rebel 3. Matthew 1 - Jesus Christ, the Son of David 1. Leviticus 9:8-10 - God's servants holy ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly reading: Leviticus 9 - 11 Leviticus 9:8-10 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: [it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; Let the priests, Aaron and his sons, when they serve in the tabernacle, drink no wine, nor strong drink. When they in spite of this prohibition yet drink wine, they will die. "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die". Wine brings the mind more or less under influence. Priests, and also ministers, when they drink wine or strong drink, are under influence in some degree, and are unfit for the holy service in the tabernacle and in the church. God's servants should not be under influence, but they should be soberly. God's servants are not blinded by wine or other dainties, but they are sober-minded. They don't fulfil the lusts of the flesh, but they fulfil their callings. Ministers: drink no strong drink nor wine. And let this be "a statute for ever throughout your generations". God commanded Aaron and his sons, the priests, to drink no wine in their service. Also in the New Testament we have the same. Ministers and elders should be people, that are not fond of wine. Paul writes: "A bishop then must be blameless, ... not given to wine ...", 1 Timothy 3:2,3. And elsewhere he writes, "For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine", Titus 1:7. So let the ministers refrain from wine and other delicacies during the time the serve the LORD, that is, day and night. One of the tasks of Aaron and his sons, the priests, is: "And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean". They should teach the people the statutes of the LORD. They should teach them the true doctrine, and also how to take heed for false doctrine. The people should learn the difference between truth and falsehood, that they may be kept from being entangled in the snares of untruth. The priests, and also the ministers, should be diligent in their calling, that they may teach the people the difference between clean and unclean, and between holy and unholy. Let the people know what is the Word of God, and what is the word of the adversary, the prince of this world. Let them know what is a holy life, and what belongs to an unholy life. Teach them the ways wherein they should go, and the dangerous ways they should avoid. Be a good example for them, that they, seeing your example, may follow you, and also walk in the right path. Teach them not only by words, but also by your lives. Let your words and lives agree. Beware of drinking strong drink and wine during your work, lest they follow your example, and are overcome by drunkenness. Let your words be holy and clean, and also your lives. Those that combine the fulfilment of the lusts of the flesh, and the service of the LORD, are not the true, obedient servants of God. Were they true and obedient, they would forsake drinking wine and strong drink during the time they serve in God's temple on earth. But since they are false, they combine wine and preaching - whose god is their belly, who speak earthly things, who glory in their shame, whose eyes are covered with fat, whose end is destruction. The world is full of these servants that drink wine during the time they are in the "tabernacle", but let's reject these false preachers. Reader, listen only to such as obey the commandment of God. They will tell you the truth. 2. Lamentations 1:18 - I am the rebel ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. Jeremiah. The prophet who lamented over the destruction of Jerusalem and over the inhabitants thereof. He lamented over his people, men and women, who were gone in captivity or were killed. This prophet had foretold all these evils. But they refused to listen to his warnings; they refused to repent and to return to God, forsaking their sins. They refused to convert to God, and confess their sins with a sincere heart. They refused to listen to God's word through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah. And now? Ruins everywhere. "The LORD is righteous", says Jeremiah. Why is the LORD righteous? He is righteous in punishing us. We have deserved this ruin. "The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment". When we have rebelled against God; when we have sinned wilfully and designedly, then God will punish us. He is righteous, because I have rebelled against Him. Rebels find no favour in His sight. Rebels, as we all are, will be punished by the righteous God. "Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgements." Ps 119:137. Have we sinned for a long time? Have we done what is evil in His sight? Has finally His punishment come? Let us say with Daniel: "O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee." Dan. 9:7. "I have rebelled against his commandment". The prophets always have warned me. They told me that I should return to my God. They said that God would come and punish such great evils as I have committed. "Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy." Lamentations 1:5. For the multitude of my sins, God has afflicted me. He is righteous, but we are the sinners. We have treasured up heaps of wrath in the past, and now God's clouds of angers are emptied on our heads. "Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed", Lam. 1:8. The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: "hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity." All people on the earth, behold my sorrow. Learn of me what the result will be of sin. Pay much attention to my grief and to the captivity of my virgins and my young men. The flower of the nation is gone into captivity. And why? Because we have sinned grievously. Hear, I pray you, all nations on the earth. Behold the terrible judgements of God over my nation, because of our transgressions. Learn from this, and subject yourselves to this God. Repent in good time, lest the same afflictions happen also to you. When God has converted somebody to Himself, and when He has given this person His Holy Spirit, then there is great peace in the heart. This child of God experiences the favour of God towards him. The influences of the Spirit daily refresh him. His heart is opened, and he walks the way of God's commandments with gladness. Reading the Scriptures, and praying, is like daily food for him. When at work he longs to the time that he is alone with God, and can pour out his soul before Him. All these things are the result of the workings of God's Holy Spirit. But then comes the time that God withdraws the Spirit in some degree. He experiences less peace in his heart, and his heart grows cold. He becomes somewhat slower in religion, and his affections decrease. Afterwards he falls in some sins. In the beginning he repents, but later he sins on. Then he begins to lose the experience of God's favour. This can continue for some time. At the end this person, who began so good, ends up at a great distance from God. His sins have separated him from God. "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear." Isa 59:2. He tries to pray, to recover the old peace, but God does not hear. He remembers the good old days, when he walked with God daily, nay, hourly. But now? His iniquities have separated between him and his God. His sins have hid God's face from him. Because of this, though he prays, God does not hear. He says: "Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?" Ps. 77:9. But then he says: "This is my infirmity. It is because of my sins that God has hidden His face. I will arise now, and repent. I will mend my ways, forsake my sloppy way of living. I will return to my God. Then, when it pleases God, He again gives His Spirit to that person. By the teachings of that Spirit, he begins to see what he has done, and how unthankful he has dealt with God. Then he begins to say with Jeremiah in our text: "The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment". In the day God restores him again in His favour, he thanks God that He has forgiven his sins. "And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me." Isa. 12:1. 3. Matthew 1 - Jesus Christ, the Son of David ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; (...) 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Since the New Testament is God's Word, speaking the truth, we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of David, and the Son of Abraham. In Matthew we find "the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." It was foresaid, long ago, that in the seed of Abraham every nation would be blessed. God spoke to Abraham: "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed", Genesis 22:18. Christ, the Seed of Abraham, has been and is until this day, The great Blessing for all nations of the earth that believe in Him with a true faith. The Name of Jesus Christ the Messiah, the Son of Abraham and of David, is preached throughout the world, and every real believer that lives righteously is blessed in Him. 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Jesus Christ was the eternal Son of God. When He took the human flesh on Himself, He did that through Mary. Jesus' mother, Mary, was pregnant of the Holy Ghost. So, Jesus has God as His Father, and Mary as His mother according to the flesh. Jesus is the real natural Son of God, and the real natural Son of Mary. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Mary was a chaste virgin, but after some time it became public that she was pregnant while unmarried. Joseph also saw it. And what else could Joseph think but that she was with child of another man? What a shame must this have been for Mary. She was a chaste woman, and she knew that the fruit of her womb was not of another man. Jesus was of the Holy Ghost. But how could she tell that to Joseph? Would he not laugh at her, when she told him that she was pregnant of the Holy Ghost? Would he not rebuke her, saying that she abused the Name of God to cloak her adultery? But yet Mary was blameless. How could she tell that to Joseph? He surely would not believe her. Joseph, however, was a just man, and was not willing to make Mary a public example of an adulteress. Therefore he was minded to leave her privily, that she might marry with the man of whom she was pregnant. These thoughts were in Joseph's mind. But while he was thinking of that, how to do it, behold, and angel of the LORD came and told him the whole story. In a dream, the angel told him that Mary was pregnant, not of adultery, but of the Holy Ghost. "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost". 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. The Son of Mary will get the name of JESUS. This name means "The LORD is Salvation". His name will be Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. Note that the people that will be saved from their sins through Jesus will be "His people". Who are these people? All people in the world? No, but "His people", namely those that were given Him of the Father. The elect will be saved from their sins. The others, therefore, not being saved, will be left in their own sins. But Jesus shall save "His people", from their great sins. JESUS: The LORD is Salvation. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Isaiah already had prophesied that a virgin would conceive. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isa 7:14. This prophecy is here fulfilled in Jesus. Never had God been so literally with us as here in Jesus. Jesus was God, and Jesus was with us. He is the true Immanuel, which being interpreted is "God with us". It was said that our Lord and Saviour bears the Name JESUS, because He will save His people from their sins. So, if their is one that feels the weight of his sins, let him repent and turn to Jesus. Whosoever comes to Jesus will never be rejected. Everybody that repents and comes to Jesus in a true faith, will receive remission of sins. But only those that feel the unbearable burden of their sins will flee to Jesus. The other people, that feel no sins at all through their blindness and hardening, will never flee to Jesus. Why should they? Who is healthy, or who imagines he is healthy, why should he go to the physician? And who feels no sickness through his insensitivity, why should he call for the doctor? Likewise who feels no sin through his blindness, why should he call for Jesus the Saviour? But everybody whose eyes are opened, and who sees his terrible wound, will instantly run to Jesus to be cured. Jesus is His Name, because He will save His people from their sins. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl "A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel" Institute Practical Bible-education Web: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/ipbe-home.html Written by Teus Benschop -- t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl ---------------------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/so: s-open-078.txt