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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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