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Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 08:53:52 +-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, 77
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Exodus 33:15 - Travel not without God
2. Jeremiah 50:31 - The proud punished
3. Revelations 21:4 - The tears wiped away
1. Exodus 33:15 - Travel not without God
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Weekly reading: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26
Exodus 33:15
And he said unto him,
If thy presence go not [with me], carry us not up hence.
What would become of us, when we had to go our journey on earth alone?
What would become of us, if God forsook us? We live in the midst of
lions on this earth. How soon, think you, would we be torn in pieces,
when God would not be with us? LORD, "if Thy presence go not with us,
carry us not up hence".
Because of our stiffneckedness, God refused to go with us. "I will not
go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I
consume thee in the way", Exodus 33:3. When we always and ever do our
own will, without asking for God's will, then God will forsake us.
Then He will give us what we asked for: to be left alone. He then
gives us over to the vain thoughts of our own heart, so that we may do
our own will, and rush headlong forth to destruction. But when God has
mercy on us, then He will put an obstacle in the way, that we may be
stopped in our course to death, and return to the right ways.
The man who is taught by God, instead of doing his own will and
desires, prays with Moses: "If thy presence go not with me, carry us
not up hence." Let we say with Moses, after having confessed our sins
that made separation between God and us: "If now I have found grace in
thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a
stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us
for thine inheritance." Exodus 34:9. Pardon our iniquity, LORD, and go
with us. Take away our stiffneckedness, break our stubbornness,
incline our will to Thy right paths, and go with us. LORD, forsake us
not, but go with us.
We all have had, and will have in the future, moments of important
decision. We are put before the choice. Shall we go this way? Or shall
we go that way? Is it God's will that we go here, or that we go there?
What wilt Thou, LORD, that I shall do? Should I do this, or should I
do that? A true believer dares do nothing without God's will and
approval. If he doesn't know God's will, then he rather chooses to
stand where he stands, or to continue in the way wherein he presently
walks, then that he decides on own authority. One that fears God does
not dare do anything without His approval. When he is put before the
choice, he prays: "If thy presence go not [with me], carry us not up
hence."
The people that not know God always go their own ways. They care not
whether God goes with them or not. Why should they? They think that
they can do all without God's aid and assistance. They go their own
ways. "Aren't we own master?" they say. They say not "if Thy presence
go not with me, carry us not up hence", but they say "no matter if
Thou go with us, we will go our own ways". These are the ignorant and
the ungodly. Let we learn from them, seeing the end of their ways.
They always end up in destruction. All the ungodly go to the place
where they belong. Let we say: LORD, without Thee we dare do nothing.
Let us not walk in our own vain thoughts, and in our own ways. Let us
not alone, o God; forsake us not. If Thou go not with us, carry us not
up hence. LORD, be with us, and make us do Thy will.
2. Jeremiah 50:31 - The proud punished
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Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud,
saith the Lord GOD of hosts:
for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.
It may be that the proud people live for some time in their pride, but
yet their time will come. Tough they may live during some time in
their sin, the time will come that God will visit them. The proud
people raise themselves against God. They raise themselves, and think
that they are their own master, without God or any other authority.
These are the proud people, of whom the text says, that God is against
them, and that their day is come, the time that God will punish them.
It is written that "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the
humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God." James 4:6,7. And Peter
once wrote: "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.
Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with
humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the
humble." 1 Peter 5:5.
Who are the proud people? They are proud who refuse to listen to the
Word. Or who refuse to listen to the ministers of the Word. They are
so proud that they think up their own ways and doctrines, against the
Word. "And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken
unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy
God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put
away the evil from Israel." Deut. 17:12. The proud people do their own
will, even if they are convinced that they correspond not with the
expressed will of God. It is difficult, nay, nearly impossible, to
convince the proud people of their pride. They are so presumptuous,
that they reject every advice and every warning. They know all, they
think, so what need do they have of advice or wisdom? But,
fortunately, our God still lives. He will humble the proud. "Behold, I
am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for
thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee."
Solomon told us: "When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the
lowly is wisdom." Proverbs 11:2. When one is caught by pride, then he
may expect his shame soon. God will always resist the proud, so that
they will be covered with great shame. Their pride will be thrown down
in the sight of all men. When pride comes, then also comes shame. But
with the lowly is wisdom. Another result of pride is contention. "Only
by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom."
Prov. 13:10. The arrogant people think that they are right, always and
ever. So, if they experience resistance, or other opinions, they begin
to content. "Only by pride comes contention".
God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. This may
comfort us, when we see the entire world ruled by the proud rulers.
Not only the ruler are proud, often, but also we. Who is there, that
thinks not that he is good? Who is there, that is not content with
himself because of his qualities, (as he thinks)? Some hide their
pride under a cloak of humility, but under that cloak their heart
swells. But God knows the heart, and He surely will visit your pride.
"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination
unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent
blood ..." Prov. 6:16,17. They that hide their pride under the cloak
of humility may then have no proud look in a man's eyes, but for God
he has. God looks to the heart, and He sees every proud look. This is
an abomination before Him.
God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble. Some are so
humbled at the sight of their own sins, that they lose all gladness.
Their sins continually are set before them. Every thing they do is
defiled, as they rightly experience it, with sin. Even their best
works - even these are stained by several sorts of sins. Have they
done a good work in the sight of the people, they yet become not
proud, because they know the defilement of that good work, which is
invisible to the others. This knowledge keeps them from becoming
proud. These people ask themselves whether they be accepted by God.
Looking at their sinful nature, they are assured of the great breach
between God and them. Sins make the gap between God and man wider. But
God will take care of these people, that are humbled because of their
sins, and that despair about their salvation, and that convert
themselves, and return to God, confessing their sins. "For thus saith
the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I
dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite
and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive
the heart of the contrite ones." Isa 57:15.
Behold, the day is come, says my God, that I will throw off all pride,
but will elevate all those that have humbled themselves before Me. Let
then everybody that wishes to be accepted through God, humble himself,
cast away all his pride, and pray for grace to God. Who knows, God
will give them faith in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, and
will forgive their sins.
3. Revelations 21:4 - The tears wiped away
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And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed away.
Though the saints are in great distresses on the earth, yet, there
will be put an end to their sorrows. Though they daily fight with
world, sin, satan and own corrupt flesh; though they often shed tears,
yet God will wipe away all their tears from their eyes. The world
laughs at the saints, and they are scorned. The believers are
accounted nothing more then offscouring. "Being defamed, we intreat:
we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all
things unto this day." 1 Cor 4:13. The world looks down upon the
believers, as if it were better that they be put to death today rather
then tomorrow. The faster they disappear, the better it is, thinks the
world. But though they are dishonoured daily on this earth, yet the
time will come that they will be crowned with glory. God shall come,
and wipe away all tears from their eyes. Being on earth, they often
suffered much for God. But there will come an end to all their
afflictions. Their journey might have been long and difficult, but yet
the end is in view. The heavenly Jerusalem is no longer so far away,
but it comes in view. And then God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes. "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD
will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people
shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken
it." Isa 25:8. The time will come for the children of God that they
are freed from the present scorn, and from all their enemies that aim
at their honour and life. Then they will be always with Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God. Then "the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne
shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters:
and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Rev 7:17. When
they have finished their race on earth, they will enter heaven, and
will be always and ever with God and the Lamb. This new and blessed
state will be free from all troubles and grief. All results of former
griefs will be taken away. Being on earth, we have often shed much
tears. We wept because of our sins. We wept because of grief. We wept
because of the disasters that struck our congregations. But then all
tears will be wiped away from our eyes. No sign of former griefs will
be left over. No thought of their grief will remain. Nothing will
diminish their beatitude. Nothing remains but that what can increase
their new salvation, and make it fuller and greater. God Himself will
be their tender Father, and with His compassionate hand will He wipe
away all tears from the eyes of His children.
"There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Death, the king of terror, will there be no more. Only life remains,
eternal life. Death, the result of our sins, will be got over. Death
and life have nothing to do with each other. Only life will be there,
and there shall be no more death. "O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Cor 15:55. All results of sin, as
death, sorrow, crying, pain, and so on, will there be no more, because
all former things are passed away. We then will see our Lord, Whom we
have loved here on earth. Our sanctification will then be complete, so
that no sin, pain, crying, sorrows, evils and hurts will remain. Then
we will see, nay, be in a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven
and the first earth will be passed away, and there will be no more
sea. They we will see the truth of the words once spoken by our
Saviour, the Lamb of God: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My
words shall not pass away", Matt 24:35. God's words are firm. None of
them will fall, but they all will be accomplished. None of God's words
shall pass away, but heaven and earth will be rolled up like a
garment. We know that the fashion of this world is passing away, until
it finally vanishes completely. We longingly look forward to the day
of the LORD, which will come as a thief in the night. In that great
day the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up. And then the death will be locked up in
the pool of fire, and no more sorrow, nor crying and pain will be in
heaven. All the world passes away, and all what is therein, but we,
that have done, presently do, and shall do the will of God, abide
forever. God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. There shall be
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain. For the former things are passed away. And He who sits on
the throne says: "Behold, I make all things new".
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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
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file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/so: s-open-077.txt
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