Date: Wed, 14 Dec 1994 09:17:07 CET
Reply-To: t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: The Scriptures opened, 9
Contents
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1. Weekly reading, Genesis 48:21
2. Psalm 41:4
3. New Testament, John .3:2,3
4. Books
1. Weekly reading, Genesis 48:21
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Genesis 48:21
And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and
bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
This history shows us the man Israel at the end of his life on this earth.
He is standing before his death, and has now called Joseph and his two
sons. Israel stood before his death. He knows this very well, and
therefore says: "Behold, I die". That is the end of all people on this
earth. When we have lived our lives, shorter or longer, the death
irrevocably comes also for us.
While Israel is going, while he is dying, is now the hope of his sons also
dying with him? No, fortunately not. Israel says: "I die, but God shall be
with you". People may die, but God always lives. While people fall away,
God stays "with you". It is like Isaiah said: "All flesh is grass, and all
the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth,
the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely
the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word
of our God shall stand for ever." (Isa.40:6-8) This is it what Isaiah
says: The people die a grass, but the Word of our God shall stand forever.
Reader, do you think about your coming death? How will it be with you in
the judgement of God? Are you righteous in God's eyes?
When we see that the people get old and die, we can think: "what will
happen with mankind?" However, do not think this, because God will stand
forever. Rely therefore not on the people, but only on God.
It is as if Israel says: Yes, I die, but the truth of God's promise does
not depend on me but on Himself. God shall be with you. Although I am
going the way of all flesh, God will be with you, "and bring you again
unto the land of your fathers". This was the promise, and will surely be
fulfilled. God's fulfilling does not depend on the live of Israel, but on
Himself. Let we bear this in our minds when we cannot see how God's
promises will be fulfilled. When it seems impossible to us, then it is
God's time to stand up and do His work.
Later, Joseph said the same to his brothers. "And Joseph said unto his
brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this
land unto the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."
(Gen.50:24)
All people die, but God will be with us. All flesh is like grass, but the
Word of God stands forever.
Has God fulfilled this promise, to bring them back to Kenaan, the land of
the fathers? Yes, He has done it. However, in later times, because of the
sins of the people Israel, He had to throw them out their land to diffuse
them among the heathens. But, in His great grace, He brought the tribe of
Judah and parts of other tribes back to their land. However, again because
of their sins, God again had to throw them out of their land to live
between the heathens. This time, it lasted thousands of years. But again,
in God's great grace, He brought them back to Israel, the present state.
We see in this history the faithfulness of God in sharp contrast with the
godlessness of the people. Therefore, it is only because of God's grace
that we are still living now, not because of us, or because of our
forefathers.
Let us keep this in our minds: The people die, but God shall stand
forever.
2. Psalm 41:4
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Psalm 41:4
I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against
thee.
This Psalm is of David. At the moment, he is ill, and the enemies are
around him expecting his fall. He is in great distress. Many, when they
are in need, begin to complain about themselves. What am I in distress!
All the other people have no problems, but look at me; feel sorry for me!
When they are ill, like David here, they groan and you cannot speak to
them. However, with David it was totally different. For he said: "I have
sinned against Thee". That is the difference. He did not complain about
himself, but he sought the guilt of his distress in his sins. Surely, a
right thought of him. It would be useful for us to do the same. When we
get setback after setback, let we seek the cause in our sins; it is God
who is at work with us, and want to show us our sinful reality.
David was punished because of his sins. He knew this. Therefore, he did
not begin to complain about those punishments. Behind these punishments,
he saw the hand of God. Through these punishments, he saw his wicked
nature, his sins. Seeing this is the right result of being punished by
God.
Many, when they are in the problems, become desperate. They do not see
outcome, and have not the belief in God. Being desperate is an infallible
sign of not having belief in God. For, when they had belief, they would
know that God is mighty to save them out their distress. See this in
David. He did not become desperate, but he began to pray. "I said, LORD,
be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee." He
took his refuge to God's mercy. His knowledge of God saved him from
becoming desperate, and lead him to take his refuge to Him.
Was it allowed for David to pray for deliverance from his enemies and
needs? Yes, of course this was allowed. David is even doing this in verse
11. However, it is not allowed to stay here, and to ask no more. Often, we
do so. When we have problems, we pray and ask if we may be saved from
those problems, and we ask no more. This is very bad. Let I give you an
example of this bad practice. When you are ill, and you do not know how to
recover, you will call the doctor. What will you ask him? Will you ask if
he is willing to suppress the symptoms only? I think no. You will also ask
if he will check you and will seek the causes of your illness. Right, the
same is it with David. He does not only ask if God is willing to save him
from his enemies, but he is also and above all asking if God will heal his
soul. That is the root of his problems. He says: "be merciful unto me:
heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee". He asks for healing of his
soul.
David is saying: "heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee". He does
not say: I have sinned against Thee, but wait Lord, I will pay through
good works. He does not say this because he knew too well that even his
best works had no worth in God's eyes. He does not rely on his good works,
but on the grace of God, saying: "Be merciful unto me", o LORD. Let we
look at this good example of David, and do the same.
3. New Testament, John .3:2,3
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Joh.3:2,3
The same (Nicodemus) came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we
know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these
miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except
a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
These two verses follow upon the first verse, where is written: "There was
a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews". This man,
Nicodemus, was of the Jewish sect of the Pharisees. They knew very well
that Jesus came from God, as Nicodemus said: "Rabbi we know that Thou are
a teacher come from God". They knew it by themselves, but denied it in the
public. Look how hard their heart was. They saw the miracles which He did;
nevertheless they did not confess in the public that He came from God.
Let we now look at the third verse. Jesus answered him, saying that a man
needed to be born again. Is this an answer on what Nicodemus said? No, it
is not an answer. Why did Jesus say this? He said this, because he wanted
directly to come to the point. Not wasting time with speaking about Him,
but directly to the point of the rebirth.
Jesus answered and said unto him: "Verily, verily". Why this? Jesus wanted
to prepare Nicodemus' heart for His message. Verily, verily; that means:
surely, what I am saying is true, pay attention to it.
"Except a man be born again", he cannot see the kingdom of God. What is
this, to be born again? Is this a natural birth? No, because Nicodemus was
already naturally born. What does it mean? It means a birth from water and
Spirit. "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
(Joh.3:5) To be born again is to get the spiritual life of the Spirit of
God. A natural man, not born again, cannot come in the kingdom of God. God
gives His Spirit in the man; and then he will be born again.
Do not think, reader, that this is something special from the New
Testament. It is taken from the Old Testament. See an example from it,
that God gives His Spirit. "And I will put my spirit within you, and cause
you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."
(Ezekiel 36:27) When a man is born again, he will walk in God's statutes,
and he will keep God's judgements, and do them.
Nicodemus did not understand this. "Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a
man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's
womb, and be born?" (Joh.3:4) Why did he not understand this? It was not a
common teaching among the Jews of that time, although Ezekiel had said it.
Also in present times, the doctrine of the rebirth is rejected. However,
without any reason; that means, without any biblical reason.
Let us accept this teaching as a divine teaching: Except a man be born
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Only accepting this teaching is
not enough. More is needed. Reader, it is necessary that also you be born
again; otherwise, you will not enter the kingdom of God. It is needed that
also you get the Spirit of God. Pray for it, because you cannot give it
yourself; God's action is needed here.
4. Books
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John Calvin, Sermons on Timothy and Titus
Calvin's expository sermons to the great congregation of St. Peter's,
Geneva, were among the most sought-after volumes of the 16th century. In
the late 1570s, translated from the French, none was more popular than the
"One Hundred Sermons on the Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy and Titus"
which appeared for the first time in 1579.
This is a magnificent facsimile of that edition.
ISBN 0 85151 374 3
1280 pp. Cloth-bound.
Price around $55,00. Ask your local bookstore or order from:
Lindenberg
Slaak 4-14
3061 CS Rotterdam tel. 31 104111607
The Netherlands fax. 31 104136682
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Chr-Exp, a Christian explanation of the Tanach and the New Testament
Editor: Teus Benschop - t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
No copyrights on this publication - Translated by a Dutchman
Institution Practical Bible-education, the Netherlands
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