Date: Mon, 16 Jan 1995 11:24:02 -0600
Reply-To: t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: The Scriptures opened, 14
Contents
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1. Weekly reading, Exod.20:18,19
2. Isaiah 9:5
3. New Testament, Matthew 4:1-11 (part 2)
4. Books
1. Weekly reading, Exod.20:18,19
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Exod.20:18,19
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise
of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it,
they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou
with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
The nation Israel has come to the lawgiving at the mountain Sinai. They
have seen the terrible holiness of God, Who does not allow any sin. He is
holy, and He shows it by signs understandable for the people. The whole
nation saw the thunderings, and the lightnings. God uses the weather to
show His signs. Also in our times, He does the same. Let we keep this in
mind, when it is thundering and lightning. These are God's signs, by
which He shows His holiness, majesty and power. The people also heard the
noise of the trumpet, that is the shofar. This was not an ordinary
trumpet, but it was God's sound. The mountain also smoked because of
God's presence there. All these great sins had as a goal to show the
people God's holiness. They had to be brough away from the idea that God
is only a lovely Father. He also is righteous, holy, majestuous, truth,
high, terrible. When we hear the Commandments, we ought to have these
feelings.
"When the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off." Who would
not be frightened by seeing and hearing those signs of God's presence?
They now saw and heard signs of God in His pure majesty. Who will be able
to stand upright when God shows His power? Nobody! God is so holy that
people cannot see or hear Him and stay alive. They felt this, and
therefore they removed, and stood afar off.
"And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but
let not God speak with us, lest we die." They were so frightened by God's
majesty, that they knew that they could not exist before Him. Therefore
they asked Moses as a mediator between them and God. "Speak thou with us,
but let not God speak with us". We see here, that there needs to be a
mediator between man and God, lest he dies. God is so holy, that he
cannot have directly to do with the unholy people. The holiness of God
would devour us because of our sins.
We can learn something of this. Many people always say that they not
need a mediator between God and them. But in this text they will see that
they will die without someone between them and God. In the desert, Moses
was the man who stood between God and man. In later times, the prophets
brought God's words to the people. But in the times of the New Testament,
it is Jesus Christ, Who is the Mediator between God and people. He is the
chief of all the prophets, and the only Saviour we have. Who would try to
go to God without Him will be devoured. The office of the Messiah, Jesus
Christ is fore-depicted in Moses.
2. Isaiah 9:5
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Isaiah 9:5
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government
shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The rabbis of old times have rightly connected this verse with this
week's reading. The coming Sabbath you will hear of the legislation at
Sinai, and of the impossibility for man to keep the law. They asked Moses
as the mediator between them and God. Rightly, the old rabbis have
connected this verse of Isaiah with the reading. For here, Isaiah
prophecies the coming of the new Mediator. That Child, Who is born, is
called Wonderful and Counsellor. But above that, He is also called God,
yea, even the everlasting Father. This cannot be only a man, but He must
be also God. For only God is called mighty God, and only God is called
everlasting Father. This prophecy speaks about the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
For, as you know, the New Testament teaches us that Jesus is both God and
man. This teaching justly fits this prophecy, which also speaks about one
who is both man and God. He is man, because he is called a child who is
born. God cannot be born like a man, because He is everlasting. Isaiah
also speaks about God, because he calls Him God and everlasting. When we
therefore this prophecy say in our own words, we get the following:
"For unto us a child is born", namely Jesus Christ, who was born of the
virgin Mary. "Unto us a son is given", namely Jesus Christ the Son of
David. "And the government shall be upon his shoulder", because Jesus
Christ is made the ruler over his kingdom. "And His name shall be called
Wonderful", because Jesus Christ did many wonders in the time that He was
on the earth. "Counsellor", because Jesus Christ gives counsel to
everybody who asks Him for it. "The mighty God", because Jesus Christ is
God, and has all powers both in heaven and on the earth. "The everlasting
Father", because Jesus Christ was God, is God, and will be God. "The
Prince of Peace", because He gives His peace to everybody who believes in
Him, and confesses Him as the given Mediator between God and us, and as
the Messiah of God.
3. New Testament, Matthew 4:1-11 (part 2)
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The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (part two)
In the previous chapter, Matthew 3, Jesus was baptized by John the
Baptist. While Jesus came up out the water, He got testimony by the voice
of the Father from heaven, and by the Holy Ghost Who came in the form of
a dove upon Him. God the Father said about Jesus: "This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matt.3:17) After this, the story
continues. In the fourth chapter, we have seen the last time that the
devil tempted Jesus. First he tempted Him by saying that He Himself had
to make bread to alleviate His hunger. Secondly, the temptation consisted
in perverting the Scriptures by keeping silent about a part of the text,
and saying that Jesus had to jump down from the temple. In the following
text, the devil starts the third temptation.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and
sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
"The devil takes Him up into an exceeding high mountain." And from that
very high place, he "shows Him all the kingdoms". We know that there is
no mountain, whereof you can see the whole world. Therefore, there is not
written that he showed all the world, but "all the kingdoms of the
world". We have to take the exceeding high mountain literally. So, the
devil took Him op unto mount Nebo (806 metres) or mount Hermon (2814
metres), or any other high mountain. And while they were on the mountain,
the devil showed Jesus all the worldly glory in the spirit. This is a
common temptation of the devil. He often tempts people by showing them
the worldly glories. But who is taught by God will know that this world
is vain, and vanishes away. The Scripture says about this world, and its
glory: "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower
of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away." (1
Pet.1:24) But Satan, in his never-ending opposition to the Scripture,
tries to show the glory as if it was solid and everlasting. A comfortable
house, a loving wife, a good husband, a good job, lovely children, a safe
country, a nice car, etc., all this vanishes away, and is idle. "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)
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt
fall down and worship me.
He said unto Jesus: "All these things will I give thee". The Satan here
arrogates himself a power which he not has, for only God gives all things
to whom He wills. "I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are
upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have
given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me." (Jer.27:5) So, if one needs
some things of this earth, like food or a place to live, or cloths, let
him ask God. He does not need any other.
All these things will I give thee, "if thou wilt fall down and worship
me". All centuries, the satan has done it so. He promises all vain
things, when you only will worship him. There have been people who sold
their soul and salvation to Satan, in order that he gave them some power,
or any other vanishing and temporal thing. Here, he tempts even Jesus.
Jesus came unto the world to save the world through His payment by the
cross and the death and His resurrection. But here, the Satan tempts Him,
saying: "You need not to go that difficult way. When you only fall down
before me, and worship me, I will give you all the world. Why would You
do it difficult, while it is also possible in this easy way?" The
temptation consisted herein, that Jesus would transgress the Commandments
by worshipping any other than God, and secondly that Jesus would choose
another way to save the world, than ordered by God.
There is another temptation of the satan, which has also to do with
our salvation. While the Old Testament abundantly shows the need of
sacrifices for the forgiving of our sins, yet, the Jews are fallen in
satan's snare, and now believe that it is also possible without any
sacrifice. Reader, when you also are fallen in this point, then I advise
you to turn back from that snare. You need a sacrifice, because that is
the way which God commanded. While the animal sacrifices have ceased, you
need the only offering of Jesus Christ, the Sacrifice for everybody who
believes in Him. And when you reject His sacrifice, I say you, that there
is not any other possibility for you to have your sins forgiven. You will
then receive God's severe punishment, which is too dreadful to speak well
about it.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve.
Jesus, as the Victor, resisted the temptation, and conquered him. "Get
thee hence, Satan". Satan is the adversary, the opponent, the hater. He
is called so because he is the enemy of all people.
"It is written: Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt
thou serve". This quotation comes from: "Thou shalt fear the LORD thy
God, and serve him." (Deut.6:13) The same is written in: "Thou shalt fear
the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave."
(Deut.10:20) Fearing God involves worshipping Him. You shall not serve
Satan, but only God.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered
unto him.
Jesus resists the devil, and as a result "the devil leaves Him". In this
example we see how true it is what James wrote: "Resist the devil, and he
will flee from you." (James 4:7) See also Peter, when he writes that we
have to resist the devil. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Whom resist stedfast in the faith." (1 Pet.5:8,9)
"Behold, angels came and ministered unto him". The angels are the
messengers of God. They are called good spirits because they are sent out
by God to execute His orders. "Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel
in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his
word." (Ps.103:20) These obedient spirits, the angels, came to minister
Jesus. Jesus was hungry, what was one of the causes for the devil to
tempt Him. But now, after Jesus had gotten over, He needed no longer to
be hungry. He also did not need to make bread for Himself from the
stones. Because of His relying on God His Father, God sent His messengers
to serve Him. They gave Him all what He needed.
Let us draw some good lessons from this story. It is not allowed that
we help ourselves without relying on God. By the way, all what we do
without faith is sin. Who does not have the faith, cannot please God.
Therefore, all what we do in our life, we need to do it in faith. Yes,
also our daily work. Also when we eat our food, which is given us by God,
and which needs His blessing. "Therefore take no thought, saying, What
shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be
clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your
heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek
ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things
shall be added unto you." (Matt.6:31-33)
4. Books
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John Bradford, The writings of John Bradford
Although converted to Protestant Christianity only in 1547, imprisoned in
1553 and burned to death in 1555, Bradford in the influence of his life
and preaching belonged among the foremost of the English Reformers.
2 Volume Set ISBN 0 85151 359 X
Vol 1 604 pp. Vol 2 480 pp. Cloth-bound.
Price around $42,00.
Ordering: ask your local bookstore or reply this description to the
editor, t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl - he will forward your order to a
distributor. When ordering by reply, include your full name, address,
ZIP-code and state and/or country.
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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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file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/so: s-open-014.txt
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