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Date: Tue, 9 Apr 1996 08:25:58 +-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, 78
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Leviticus 9:8-10 - God's servants holy
2. Lamentations 1:18 - I am the rebel
3. Matthew 1 - Jesus Christ, the Son of David
1. Leviticus 9:8-10 - God's servants holy
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Weekly reading: Leviticus 9 - 11
Leviticus 9:8-10
And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,
Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee,
when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die:
[it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your generations:
And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy,
and between unclean and clean;
Let the priests, Aaron and his sons, when they serve in the
tabernacle, drink no wine, nor strong drink. When they in spite of
this prohibition yet drink wine, they will die. "Do not drink wine nor
strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the
tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die". Wine brings the mind
more or less under influence. Priests, and also ministers, when they
drink wine or strong drink, are under influence in some degree, and
are unfit for the holy service in the tabernacle and in the church.
God's servants should not be under influence, but they should be
soberly. God's servants are not blinded by wine or other dainties, but
they are sober-minded. They don't fulfil the lusts of the flesh, but
they fulfil their callings. Ministers: drink no strong drink nor wine.
And let this be "a statute for ever throughout your generations".
God commanded Aaron and his sons, the priests, to drink no wine in
their service. Also in the New Testament we have the same. Ministers
and elders should be people, that are not fond of wine. Paul writes:
"A bishop then must be blameless, ... not given to wine ...", 1
Timothy 3:2,3. And elsewhere he writes, "For a bishop must be
blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not
given to wine", Titus 1:7. So let the ministers refrain from wine and
other delicacies during the time the serve the LORD, that is, day and
night.
One of the tasks of Aaron and his sons, the priests, is: "And that ye
may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and
clean". They should teach the people the statutes of the LORD. They
should teach them the true doctrine, and also how to take heed for
false doctrine. The people should learn the difference between truth
and falsehood, that they may be kept from being entangled in the
snares of untruth. The priests, and also the ministers, should be
diligent in their calling, that they may teach the people the
difference between clean and unclean, and between holy and unholy. Let
the people know what is the Word of God, and what is the word of the
adversary, the prince of this world. Let them know what is a holy
life, and what belongs to an unholy life. Teach them the ways wherein
they should go, and the dangerous ways they should avoid. Be a good
example for them, that they, seeing your example, may follow you, and
also walk in the right path. Teach them not only by words, but also by
your lives. Let your words and lives agree. Beware of drinking strong
drink and wine during your work, lest they follow your example, and
are overcome by drunkenness. Let your words be holy and clean, and
also your lives.
Those that combine the fulfilment of the lusts of the flesh, and the
service of the LORD, are not the true, obedient servants of God. Were
they true and obedient, they would forsake drinking wine and strong
drink during the time they serve in God's temple on earth. But since
they are false, they combine wine and preaching - whose god is their
belly, who speak earthly things, who glory in their shame, whose eyes
are covered with fat, whose end is destruction. The world is full of
these servants that drink wine during the time they are in the
"tabernacle", but let's reject these false preachers. Reader, listen
only to such as obey the commandment of God. They will tell you the
truth.
2. Lamentations 1:18 - I am the rebel
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The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment:
hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow:
my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.
Jeremiah. The prophet who lamented over the destruction of Jerusalem
and over the inhabitants thereof. He lamented over his people, men and
women, who were gone in captivity or were killed. This prophet had
foretold all these evils. But they refused to listen to his warnings;
they refused to repent and to return to God, forsaking their sins.
They refused to convert to God, and confess their sins with a sincere
heart. They refused to listen to God's word through the mouth of the
prophet Jeremiah. And now? Ruins everywhere.
"The LORD is righteous", says Jeremiah. Why is the LORD righteous? He
is righteous in punishing us. We have deserved this ruin. "The LORD is
righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment". When we have
rebelled against God; when we have sinned wilfully and designedly,
then God will punish us. He is righteous, because I have rebelled
against Him. Rebels find no favour in His sight. Rebels, as we all
are, will be punished by the righteous God. "Righteous art thou, O
LORD, and upright are thy judgements." Ps 119:137. Have we sinned for
a long time? Have we done what is evil in His sight? Has finally His
punishment come? Let us say with Daniel: "O Lord, righteousness
belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day;
to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all
Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries
whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they
have trespassed against thee." Dan. 9:7.
"I have rebelled against his commandment". The prophets always have
warned me. They told me that I should return to my God. They said that
God would come and punish such great evils as I have committed. "Her
adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath
afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children
are gone into captivity before the enemy." Lamentations 1:5. For the
multitude of my sins, God has afflicted me. He is righteous, but we
are the sinners. We have treasured up heaps of wrath in the past, and
now God's clouds of angers are emptied on our heads. "Jerusalem hath
grievously sinned; therefore she is removed", Lam. 1:8.
The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment:
"hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my
young men are gone into captivity." All people on the earth, behold my
sorrow. Learn of me what the result will be of sin. Pay much attention
to my grief and to the captivity of my virgins and my young men. The
flower of the nation is gone into captivity. And why? Because we have
sinned grievously. Hear, I pray you, all nations on the earth. Behold
the terrible judgements of God over my nation, because of our
transgressions. Learn from this, and subject yourselves to this God.
Repent in good time, lest the same afflictions happen also to you.
When God has converted somebody to Himself, and when He has given this
person His Holy Spirit, then there is great peace in the heart. This
child of God experiences the favour of God towards him. The influences
of the Spirit daily refresh him. His heart is opened, and he walks the
way of God's commandments with gladness. Reading the Scriptures, and
praying, is like daily food for him. When at work he longs to the time
that he is alone with God, and can pour out his soul before Him. All
these things are the result of the workings of God's Holy Spirit. But
then comes the time that God withdraws the Spirit in some degree. He
experiences less peace in his heart, and his heart grows cold. He
becomes somewhat slower in religion, and his affections decrease.
Afterwards he falls in some sins. In the beginning he repents, but
later he sins on. Then he begins to lose the experience of God's
favour. This can continue for some time. At the end this person, who
began so good, ends up at a great distance from God. His sins have
separated him from God. "But your iniquities have separated between
you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he
will not hear." Isa 59:2. He tries to pray, to recover the old peace,
but God does not hear. He remembers the good old days, when he walked
with God daily, nay, hourly. But now? His iniquities have separated
between him and his God. His sins have hid God's face from him.
Because of this, though he prays, God does not hear. He says: "Hath
God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender
mercies?" Ps. 77:9. But then he says: "This is my infirmity. It is
because of my sins that God has hidden His face. I will arise now, and
repent. I will mend my ways, forsake my sloppy way of living. I will
return to my God. Then, when it pleases God, He again gives His Spirit
to that person. By the teachings of that Spirit, he begins to see what
he has done, and how unthankful he has dealt with God. Then he begins
to say with Jeremiah in our text: "The LORD is righteous; for I have
rebelled against his commandment". In the day God restores him again
in His favour, he thanks God that He has forgiven his sins. "And in
that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast
angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me."
Isa. 12:1.
3. Matthew 1 - Jesus Christ, the Son of David
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1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the
son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; (...) 16
And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus,
who is called Christ.
Since the New Testament is God's Word, speaking the truth, we believe
that Jesus Christ is the Son of David, and the Son of Abraham. In
Matthew we find "the book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son
of David, the son of Abraham." It was foresaid, long ago, that in the
seed of Abraham every nation would be blessed. God spoke to Abraham:
"And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed",
Genesis 22:18. Christ, the Seed of Abraham, has been and is until this
day, The great Blessing for all nations of the earth that believe in
Him with a true faith. The Name of Jesus Christ the Messiah, the Son
of Abraham and of David, is preached throughout the world, and every
real believer that lives righteously is blessed in Him.
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus Christ was the eternal Son of God. When He took the human flesh
on Himself, He did that through Mary. Jesus' mother, Mary, was
pregnant of the Holy Ghost. So, Jesus has God as His Father, and Mary
as His mother according to the flesh. Jesus is the real natural Son of
God, and the real natural Son of Mary.
19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make
her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear
not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in
her is of the Holy Ghost.
Mary was a chaste virgin, but after some time it became public that
she was pregnant while unmarried. Joseph also saw it. And what else
could Joseph think but that she was with child of another man? What a
shame must this have been for Mary. She was a chaste woman, and she
knew that the fruit of her womb was not of another man. Jesus was of
the Holy Ghost. But how could she tell that to Joseph? Would he not
laugh at her, when she told him that she was pregnant of the Holy
Ghost? Would he not rebuke her, saying that she abused the Name of God
to cloak her adultery? But yet Mary was blameless. How could she tell
that to Joseph? He surely would not believe her. Joseph, however, was
a just man, and was not willing to make Mary a public example of an
adulteress. Therefore he was minded to leave her privily, that she
might marry with the man of whom she was pregnant. These thoughts were
in Joseph's mind. But while he was thinking of that, how to do it,
behold, and angel of the LORD came and told him the whole story. In a
dream, the angel told him that Mary was pregnant, not of adultery, but
of the Holy Ghost. "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto
thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost".
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The Son of Mary will get the name of JESUS. This name means "The LORD
is Salvation". His name will be Jesus, for He shall save His people
from their sins. Note that the people that will be saved from their
sins through Jesus will be "His people". Who are these people? All
people in the world? No, but "His people", namely those that were
given Him of the Father. The elect will be saved from their sins. The
others, therefore, not being saved, will be left in their own sins.
But Jesus shall save "His people", from their great sins. JESUS: The
LORD is Salvation.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,
and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God
with us.
Isaiah already had prophesied that a virgin would conceive. "Therefore
the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Isa 7:14.
This prophecy is here fulfilled in Jesus. Never had God been so
literally with us as here in Jesus. Jesus was God, and Jesus was with
us. He is the true Immanuel, which being interpreted is "God with us".
It was said that our Lord and Saviour bears the Name JESUS, because He
will save His people from their sins. So, if their is one that feels
the weight of his sins, let him repent and turn to Jesus. Whosoever
comes to Jesus will never be rejected. Everybody that repents and
comes to Jesus in a true faith, will receive remission of sins. But
only those that feel the unbearable burden of their sins will flee to
Jesus. The other people, that feel no sins at all through their
blindness and hardening, will never flee to Jesus. Why should they?
Who is healthy, or who imagines he is healthy, why should he go to the
physician? And who feels no sickness through his insensitivity, why
should he call for the doctor? Likewise who feels no sin through his
blindness, why should he call for Jesus the Saviour? But everybody
whose eyes are opened, and who sees his terrible wound, will instantly
run to Jesus to be cured. Jesus is His Name, because He will save His
people from their sins.
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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-078.txt