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Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 09:50:20 +0200
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
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From: Teus Benschop
Subject: The Scriptures opened, 34
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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Numbers 7:89, The voice of God
Isaiah 40, part 3, All flesh is grass
Mark 10:46-48, The blind Bartimaeus
Numbers 7:89, The voice of God
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Weekly reading: Numbers 4:21 - 7:89
And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to
speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from
off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between
the two cherubims: and he spake unto him. (Numbers 7:89)
In this chapter, the princes of Israel, heads of the houses of their
fathers, have brought their offerings, for the consecration of the
tabernacle. When that was done, we read in the text, that Moses was
gone into this tabernacle. He went into the place of the congregation
to speak with God. Before the setting up of the tabernacle, God has
spoken with Moses on mount Sinai, and elsewhere. But now, the
tabernacle of the congregation was the appointed place for that. He
went in that place to speak with Him, and ... he heard His voice,
speaking unto him from off the mercy seat. That seat was a place
between the two cherubim. It was a seat of mercy. Because of the
exceedingly great amount of sins of the people, much mercy was needed.
God was a God of mercies, for all who called upon His Name in
sincerity. Here, Moses went in the tabernacle to speak with Him, and
he heard God's voice. The mercy seat was between the cherubim, where
God was. For that reason is said, that God is "the LORD of hosts,
which dwelleth [between] the cherubims." (1 Samuel 4:4) He is the
"LORD God of Israel, which dwellest [between] the cherubims." (2 Kings
19:15) There, on that seat of mercy, was the glory of God, a visible
light, shining into the sanctuary. Therefore Asaph called God the
"Shepherd of Israel, thou that dwellest [between] the cherubims". He
asked that God would show His glory, when he said: O LORD, "shine
forth." (Psalms 80:1)
When Moses went into the tabernacle, the LORD spoke with him. He
had promised this to him, when He said: "And there", namely from upon
the ark of testimony, "I will meet with thee, and I will commune with
thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which
are upon the ark of the testimony." (Exodus 25:22)
We see how clearly God revealed Himself to Moses. We learn from this,
that where God dwells, He also makes Himself known to us through these
kind of signs. Therefore, if you never have experienced the existence
of God, make haste, for He does not dwell where you live. Go to a
place, where He works powerfully. Go to places, where many are
converted to the one God. Go to places, where they visibly serve God
in truth and uprightness. Make haste, escape your present dead place.
Moses went into the tabernacle to speak with God. Moses, being the
leader of Israel through the desert, could not perform this task on
his own. He always needed God's power and strength, for he was unable
to do it by himself. Therefore, we often read about his entering the
tabernacle, namely to pray and to speak with God. All people, who
think that they are strong enough to do their tasks in own power, will
never pray for help. Moses however, a very good example for us, daily
spoke with God, either face to face, or by prayer, or both. The proud
people think that they have no need of God, but the true servants of
God always need Him. Who neglects the prayer, deprives himself of the
salvation. Who chooses the world instead of the sanctuary, will also
perish with that world. But the faithful, the believers, are daily
communing with God through the reading of His Word, and through the
prayer.
Moses went into the tabernacle, and, he heard God's voice. Also
now, when people are in distress, and pray unto God in truth, I assure
you that you will get an answer. Not on your time, of course, but on
God's time, according to His will. Moses went into the tabernacle, and
got an answer of God. So, when you need God, cease not praying, but
keep doing it. When you get no answer today, maybe tomorrow, or next
week, or next year. But do not cease, for that would be a sign that
you not seek Him in truth.
He still sits on His seat of mercy. We know that the tabernacle was
replaced by the temple, and that the temple is destroyed. So, where is
His mercy seat? The answer is: Do not think so materially of God, just
as if He needs any seat to give mercy. He still sits on His mercy
seat, because He still gives mercy. As long as the world stands, so
long will He give mercy. But on the end of the world, the time of
mercy is gone. While you still live in the time of grace, call upon
His Name, and He will answer you. Maybe, tomorrow the end is there,
and then it may be too late. Today, when you hear God's voice, call
upon His Name. Delay may be destructive for you. Today, today is the
day of salvation; while you hear His voice, be not stiffnecked, but
listen to Him.
Isaiah 40, part 3, All flesh is grass
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6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is
grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
Here we have the order to Isaiah. A voice said: Cry! Isaiah, you must
cry, said God. It is the task of a preacher to cry publicly. But he
didn't know what to say, therefore he answered: What shall I cry? This
always happens in the callings of true prophets, and in the callings
of the present true preachers. They get the command to preach: Cry!
But they consider themselves too weak for such an important task. Who
is able to be God's mouth? They shudder to think about that very
important task, that dreadful task to be God's mouth, and to speak it
without their own thoughts. That is why they ask: "What shall I cry".
They say, O God, give me Thine word, because I have not. Please,
instruct me, o God, and tell me what I must do. Isaiah, so much having
need of God's instruction, also gets it. When he asked "What shall I
cry", God's answer was: "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness
thereof is as the flower of the field". All mankind is like grass. In
the morning, it is green and young, but in the evening it is cut off,
or devoured by the beasts. All the goodliness of people, that is, all
their beauty, is like the beauty of the flowers of the field. In the
morning, they flourish, but in the evening, they come to an end. That
is a lively picture of the human race. Our life is no more than grass,
nor more then flowers of the field. "[As for] man, his days are as
grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind
passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it
no more." (Psalms 103:15,16) Also James says of the people that their
lives are very short, "because as the flower of the grass he shall
pass away." (James 1:10) To say such things belongs to the charge of
the true preachers, sent by God. So, when you hear them saying these
things, do not think: "What a pessimist". But rather acknowledge them
as true prophets, who try to execute their tasks.
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the
LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
The prophet somewhat extends the picture of the flower and the grass.
As soon as the hot wind blows over the grass, it withers. Likewise the
flower. Flowers are often weak. When the climate is good and pleasant,
they flourish, but as soon as the wind blows upon it, they come to an
end. Also the people, though many think that they are strong and
healthy, yet, when the spirit of the LORD blows upon them, they wither
and fade, and die. So weak are we, people! The spirit of the LORD
blows upon us, and we are gone. Away is the grass. Away is the flower.
Away is mankind. A man is born, grows up, and is old before he pays
attention to it. In the heath of the daily life, he pays no attention
to the fact that he becomes old. Then he begins to wither; he fades
like the flowers of the field on their end; then he is thrown in bed,
and dies. Many let God be God, that is, they don't worry about Him.
So, while they lived without God, they also die without Him, to their
eternal ruin. A woman is born, grows up, and thinks of herself that
she is as beautiful as the flowers of the field. She pays all
attention to her external beauty, to become even better then a flower
of the field. But before she knows it, she comes to an end. The flower
fades, and also that woman fades. She has paid no attention to the one
God, but gave all her time to her body. While she didn't serve God in
her life, she also dies without Him, to her eternal ruin. The flower
is gone, and the woman is gone, when the spirit of the LORD blows upon
her.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God
shall stand for ever.
In this verse, we see the difference between grass and the word of
God. Grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God never
shall wither. It never shall fade, but it shall stand forever. People
die, but the word is eternal. This teaches us, that we must not put
our trust in any people, because they pass away as grass and flowers.
A man depends on his wife, and the wife on her man. They do so, until
they experience, that, whereon they leaned, was but grass; it has
gone. Let nobody trust in people, for they will be deceived. People is
like the weak grass. Let us, therefore no longer trust in nothing, but
let we put our trust in the word of God. That will stand forever. "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: But the word
of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the
gospel is preached unto you." (1 Peter 1:24,25) God will be forever,
and therefore also His word will stand forever. Who puts his trust and
belief in God, will also stand forever. Maybe he fades and passes away
like the grass of the field, yet his soul is preserved by God, and his
body will be raised from the death.
Mark 10:46-48 The blind Bartimaeus
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And they came to Jericho:
and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples
and a great number of people,
blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the highway side begging.
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out, and say,
Jesus, [thou] Son of David, have mercy on me.
And many charged him that he should hold his peace:
but he cried the more a great deal,
[Thou] Son of David, have mercy on me.
Jesus and His disciples came to Jericho. A great number of people
followed them, to hear Jesus preaching. A blind man, Bartimaeus, sat
by the highway side begging. He was blind, and had often heard of
Jesus, who healed the lame, the blind, the possessed, and all kinds of
sicknesses. "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and
the poor have the gospel preached to them." (Matthew 11:5) Jesus has
done all these things, like was foresaid by Isaiah: "And in that day
shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind
shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah 29:18)
Whereof Isaiah had prophecied, Jesus did in reality. Bartimaeus, being
blind, heard of Him. Some hope came into his heart, that also he might
be healed. In the course of time, while Jesus was walking and
preaching throughout the land, the hope increased in him. "Would it be
possible, that He also heals me?", he asked himself. So, when he heard
that Jesus of Nazareth went out of Jericho with His disciples, he
thought: "Now or never. There goes my Healer, Who is able to give me
the sight." He began to cry out, and say: "Jesus, Thou Son of David,
have mercy on me!"
We see, that when one is in need, he does not contend whether
Jesus is the Messiah or not. When you are half dead, and they offer
you the life by coming unto Jesus; when you are convinced of your lost
state, you will no longer contend; no, you will flee unto him. All
those, discussing about Jesus, whether He is the Messiah, never have
seen their own miserable estate. When one really has need of a
Saviour, he will shut his mouth, and flee unto Jesus. But the self-
righteous, deceiving themselves by a so-called righteous life, will
discuss till they die. The poor however, will be saved. Blind
Bartimaeus, amidst of so many unbelievers, cried unto Jesus: Thou Son
of David, have mercy on me. The people charged him that he should hold
his peace. But that was said to a deaf man's ears. What! Must I be
silent while my Saviour passes? The people charged him to shut his
mouth, but he cried the more a great deal. "Thou Son of David, have
mercy on me". Nobody could keep this poor man back from Jesus. And
what happened? We can read it in the continuation of the story. The
blind came unto Jesus. When He asked what was his wish, he said:
"Lord, that I might receive my sight." And Jesus said unto him, Go thy
way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his
sight, and followed Jesus in the way. (Mark 10:52)
Bartimaeus is a good picture of the healing of spiritual
blindness. He was blind, came unto Jesus in belief, and was healed by
Him. Likewise the spiritual blind. As soon as they notice their own
blindness, and as soon as they hear of a possibility of recovery, they
come unto Jesus through a true belief, and are healed by Him.
Bartimaeus, being healed by Jesus, followed Him on the way. Also
those, who are healed from their spiritual blindness, follow Jesus on
His way. They follow Jesus on His way, bear the cross with Him, are
brought to death by the world, but also stand up with Him.
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Teus Benschop | t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl | editor of the list Chr-Exp
"A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel"
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