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Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 08:47:37 +-100
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: The Scriptures opened, 53
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Genesis 4:13 - Cain's unbelief
2. Habakkuk 3 - The Prayer of Habakkuk, part 1
1. Genesis 4:13 - Cain's unbelief
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Reading Genesis 1 - 6:8
Text Genesis 4:13
And Cain said unto the LORD,
Mine iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven.
Here we have the words of Cain, after he has slain his brother Abel.
The LORD came to him, and made known unto him how great an iniquity he
had committed, in slaying his brother, the righteous Abel. "And he
said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth
unto me from the ground." (Genesis 4:10) Cain understood that he was a
wretched man, who had committed such a sin. Then he says: "My iniquity
is greater than that it may be forgiven". He thinks too low of God. As
if God cannot forgive even greater crimes. Cain thinks very low of
God. He has no belief in Him. Mine iniquity is too great to be
forgiven, he says. Faith would say: LORD, though mine iniquity is very
great, yet forgive me, for Thine sake. Forgive me, LORD, a great
sinner. "O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer
not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are
called by thy name." (Daniel 9:19) This is the language of the
believer, but the unbeliever says: LORD, mine iniquity is too great.
There is no hope for me. This is the language of Cain, and other
ungodly.
As long as the ungodly continue in their way, they harden
themselves, and flatter themselves in their way. But when God comes,
and makes known their evil works, they become frightened. When the
coming punishment is pronounced, they are terrified much. The sight of
the coming punishment drives them in despair. Instead of hoping on
God's goodness and mercy, they give up all hope. Mine iniquity is too
great to be forgiven, they say in their desperation.
Some translate our text in a slightly different way. They say
that it has to be: "And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is
greater than I can bear." (Genesis 4:13) When we take it thus, we see
that Cain complains about the greatness of his punishment. After God
pointed out his evil, and made known his punishment, Cain complains
that it was too great for him. Such a punishment, that is unbearable,
he says. He does not humble himself under God's hand, but disagrees
with God. As if God is a man, about Whose words any discussion is
possible.
Mine iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven? No. "The
law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound:" (Romans 5:20) When sin became more, much
more became grace, to wash the filth of sin away. The law entered.
That means: our iniquities were made known to us. For, that is what
the law doing. It says: "You are transgressing me; so you are a
sinner". What will we answer? Will we say with Cain: "Our iniquities
are too great then that they may be forgiven"? No, we say with Paul:
Where sin abounded, grace did much more about". The law entered in, to
awaken us from our sleep, to open our eyes for the truth. Without the
law, we have no need of grace. But now the law entered, that we might
cry for God's grace. Sin abounds in our sight. May God given then,
that we also experience that grace abounds much more.
2. Habakkuk 3 - The Prayer of Habakkuk, part 1
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Habakkuk prophesied that the people would fall in the hands of
Chaldees. "For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty
nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess
the dwellingplaces that are not theirs". (Habakkuk 1:6) The prophet
warns against the sins of the people.
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
This chapter gives us the prayer of Habakkuk to God. As can be read in
the following prayer, the prophet is very impressed by God's majesty.
Such a high God, as opposed to people made of dust. Isn't that enough
to be terrified?
The prayer of him is "upon Shigionoth". This word can also be
found in Psalm 7. The word is derived from the root "shagah", what
means to go astray, to err.
2 O LORD, I have heard thy speech, [and] was afraid: O LORD, revive
thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make
known; in wrath remember mercy.
The prophet heard the speech of the LORD, and was afraid. That is the
result of hearing God speak. His speech is terrible, when it is heard
with an opened ear. His speech is nothing but truth, and that
terrifies us when we are sinners. LORD, I have heard Thy speech, and I
trembled on my feet. The prophet says: "In wrath remember mercy". So,
God's speech was speech of wrath. He said that His wrath would be
poured out on the people. When we hear such a speech, will we not
tremble? Will we not be afraid, when we hear God say, that He will
destroy us, or our congregation soon? God, in wrath remember mercy.
Revive Thy work, O Lord. This people, they are Thine work. LORD, Thou
have chosen this people, and now they are Thine. Revive us then, o
God, in the midst of the years.
The prophet Habakkuk trembles much, for he has heard God's
speech. It was of destruction, of war, of enemies, of fire and sword,
of persecution and violence. Here follows what the holy prophet has
heard, and why he was so much afraid: "Behold ye among the heathen,
and regard, and wonder marvellously: for [I] will work a work in your
days, which ye will not believe, though it be told. For, lo, I raise
up the Chaldeans, [that] bitter and hasty nation, which shall march
through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that
are not theirs." (Habakkuk 1:5,6) Nothing but destruction and
devastation await this people. O Lord, prays the prophet for his
people, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the
years make known; in wrath remember mercy. Should then the whole land
become one desert? Will all people be killed through the Chaldees? No
wonder, that the prophet is trembling.
3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His
glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
Here, the prophet, in his prayer, remembers God's glory, when He gave
the law at Sinai. When God gave that law, His glory was visible and
audible everywhere. It covered the heavens, and the whole earth was
filled with His praise and glory. Habakkuk uses Moses' words: "The
LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth
from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his
right hand [went] a fiery law for them". (Deuteronomy 33:2) God's
majesty was visible at Sinai. This is it, which both Moses and
Habakkuk are referring to. "And it came to pass on the third day in
the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick
cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so
that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought
forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at
the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a
smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke
thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked
greatly." (Exodus 19:16-18) If then God's majesty and holiness were so
great, when He gave the law, that the whole people trembled, let then
nobody think that he is able to keep that law in own strength.
Thinking that is nothing but deceiving yourself. Let then everybody
tremble at the sight of God, and not think that God is like man,
winking at sins.
4 And [his] brightness was as the light; he had horns [coming] out of
his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
When God appeared, there was a great brightness, as the light. His
majesty shone forth; it was visible as the light. Darkness will
vanish, when God appears. By His light, all works of darkness are
discovered. Let all sinners then tremble. God's majesty was greater
then the sun's. He also had horns out of His hand. Horns are signs of
power. That is why the prophet continues with "and there was the
hiding of his power", namely with those horns out of his hand. His
power is great, very great, infinite. He is the King of kings, and
rules all. Every child of God is always safe. No enemy will remain
standing before Him. They all will fall down before God's infinite
power. The prophet says that in those horns was "the hiding of His
power". For, when God's power would be visible in its true and full
force, at Sinai, all and everything would be devoured in one moment.
That is why the power was hidden somewhat. Yet there was power enough
to let the whole mountain shake and quake, and the people tremble. Let
we then keep in mind what sort of God we have. We have not such gods
as the modern heathen have. Their gods consist of an insurance, which
cannot save; of money which cannot deliver in time of need; of weapons
which are useless when not God fights for us; of land which does not
yield fruit without God's blessing. These and many other are the gods
of the modern heathens, but we have the living God.
5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his
feet.
Before earthly kings go their servants. But before God went the
pestilence and burning coals, as well as His angels as His servants.
The pestilence was a punishment God used, when the people no longer
obeyed Him. Also burning coals, to set the matter on fire, went before
him. That is our God, in His own nature. Outside Christ, our God is a
devouring fire. Only in Christ, we are protected and safe. Every
denier of Christ is exposed to God's pestilence and His burning coals.
"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the
hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who
among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" (Isaiah 33:14) Those
sinners speak of God. They cannot dwell with God, a Devouring Fire.
They cannot dwell with God, Who is like the everlasting burnings. Let
we then keep in mind Who God is. Let the truth make its impression
upon our heart, our will and mind.
6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the
nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual
hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.
God stood there, so that everybody could see Him. He measured the
earth, when He decided which part of the earth would be for which
nation. Every nation got his own part. He stood there, and His work
was visible for everyone. When there happens any great thing,
everybody knows: this is God's own work. "He beheld, and drove asunder
the nations". When Israel entered Canaan, God drove away the previous
inhabitants. He drove asunder the nations. And even the solid
mountains, which we think will never move or tremble, even those
everlasting mountains were scattered. And the perpetual hills did bow,
when God showed forth His infinite power. Maybe that the hills were
called "perpetual", but yet they bowed. Maybe that the mountains were
called "everlasting", but yet they were scattered. There is One, Who
only is everlasting, and that is our God. "His ways are everlasting",
not the mountains. He who has such a God as this God, needs never
fear. If all our ways seem to be shut up; if all seems to be
impossible, let us trust our God, the everlasting God. He has shown in
the past that His strength is infinite, and that His will always shall
be done. Having shown this in the past, we trust that He will continue
to help His people, since He cannot change. He is everlasting. All
things under this sun and moon are temporal and fading, but God does
never change.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: [and] the curtains of the
land of Midian did tremble.
"I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction", says the prophet. He hereby
refers to the story found in the book of Judges, when Cushan, king of
Mesopotamia, came against Israel because of their sins. But the LORD
sent Othniel to deliver them, warred against Cushan and put "the tents
in affliction", when he prevailed against him. See for this Judges 3:8-
10. "Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he
sold them into the hand of Chushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and
the children of Israel served Chushan-Rishathaim eight years. And when
the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a
deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, Othniel the
son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. And the Spirit of the LORD came
upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD
delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his
hand prevailed against Chushan-Rishathaim." The prophet reminds the
people of Israel of this story, to encourage them to put their trust
in God, Who has delivered them in the past, and Who will do so in the
future. He also saw that "the curtains of the land of Midian did
tremble". This story can be found in Judges 6 and 7. The Midianites
destroyed the land of Israel, and the people cried unto God, Who sent
a prophet to preach, and also Gideon to deliver.
The prophet had told the people of the Chaldees, who would come
and destroy the land. That can be read in chapter one. The Chaldees
would come, because of the sins of the people, and terrify and destroy
the people. But now, the prophet reminds the people of previous
stories of terror and destruction, and of deliverance. He does so to
encourage the people. For, the godly saw nothing before them but
darkness and fright. By reminding them of former deliverance, the
prophet tries do encourage them. Look people, he says, God has helped
your forefather. Shall He then not also help you? Put your trust then
in Him. Cry to the LORD. Forsake the sins, and serve God. Put away the
idols, for there is but one God.
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file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/so: s-open-053.txt
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