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Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1996 08:51:39 +-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, 80
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Leviticus 16 - General atonement
2. Ezekiel 12:1,2 - The rebellious house
3. Matthew 7:13,14 - The strait and the wide gate
1. Leviticus 16 - General atonement
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Weekly reading: Leviticus 16 - 20
Are we able to deserve our salvation by works? No. For it is written
that they offered: "when they offered before the LORD", Vs. 1.
Is our salvation through our own works, or is it by grace? By grace.
For it is written that there was a mercy-seat in the tabernacle,
whereupon God appeared: "the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; (...)
for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat." Vs. 2.
Should there be given payment and made satisfaction for our sins, in
our stead, to God? Yes, it should be given. Need we atonement made for
us? Yes, we need that. Are we defiled in God's sight? Yes, we are as
black as mud. There is written:
1. "A young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt
offering." Vs. 3.
2. "Two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a
burnt offering." Vs. 5.
3. "Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for
himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house." Vs. 6.
4. Aaron shall "offer him (the goat of the LORD) for a sin
offering." Vs. 9.
5. "...to make an atonement with him," Vs. 10.
6. "Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for
himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house,
and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself",
Vs. 11.
7. "Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the
people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as
he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy
seat, and before the mercy seat", Vs. 15.
8. "He shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the
uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their
transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the
tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst
of their uncleanness." Vs. 16.
9. "He goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place", Vs. 17.
10. "And have made an atonement for himself, and for his household,
and for all the congregation of Israel." Vs. 17.
11. "And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and
make an atonement for it", Vs. 18.
12. "Hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel." Vs.
19
13. "And when he hath made an end of reconciling...", Vs. 20.
14. "And confess over him all the iniquities of the children of
Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them
upon the head of the goat," Vs. 21.
15. "The goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land
not inhabited", Vs. 22.
16. "...and offer his burnt offering, and the burnt offering of the
people, and make an atonement for himself, and for the people." Vs.
24.
17. "...the fat of the sin offering..." Vs. 25.
18. "And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin
offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy
place..." Vs. 27.
19. "...on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to
cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD."
Vs. 30.
So, are we wretched sinners, daily adding to our debts? Yes, we are;
Scripture testifying, practice proving and our conscience witnessing.
Need we offerings for our sins? Yes, we need; we need the Mediator
Jesus Christ, Who died for our sins at the cross. He was shadowed
forth in the O.T. in many of the offerings. After His coming on earth,
and after He had perfected all former offerings, the reconciliation
was made. Having the one perfect offering of Christ, we no longer need
those old and imperfect ones.
2. Ezekiel 12:1,2 - The rebellious house
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The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,
Son of man,
thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house,
which have eyes to see, and see not;
they have ears to hear, and hear not:
for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 12:1,2
We have here the word of the LORD coming to Ezekiel. "Son of man",
that is the title God uses to address him. When God addresses His
ministers, He uses such titles that will make them humble. He says not
"Father", as certain groups do to glory in the flesh. God glories not
in our flesh. He addresses him with "Son of man" instead of "Dear
Prophet". Ezekiel, it may be that you are a prophet, but yet you are
no more then a "son of man". The office of prophet is honourable and
much demanding, but, compared with Me, the infinite God, you are but a
"son of man".
"Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house".
Ezekiel lived amidst of the Jews in Chaldea. They were carried captive
to Babylon. We wonder why they were so rebellious. God calls those
that were led captive a "rebellious house". They were driven in exile
because of their sins. But it appears from this place that they had
learned nothing from it. They were rebellious before they were driven
in exile, and being there, they continued in their rebellious state.
Ezekiel, you live in the midst of a rebellious house. God's strokes,
which were meant to bring them back to Him, didn't bring about the
desired effect. They remained rebellious. Son of man, you dwell in the
midst of a rebellious house, namely the Jews in Babylon. By the way,
already in the beginning of Ezekiel's service as prophet, when he was
called to this office, God had told him that they were rebellious.
"And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for
they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a
prophet among them." Ezek 2:5.
Son of man, Ezekiel, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house,
namely in the midst of the Jews in Babylon, "which have eyes to see,
and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a
rebellious house". They have eyes to see, and see not. With their very
own eyes they saw that they were led captives because of their sins.
Yet they see not; that is, they refuse to acknowledge their own sins
as the cause of their exile. "They have ears to hear, and hear not".
They have heard the prophets, warning them to return, lest God's wrath
would burn against them. Yet, they refused to hear. Their punishments
didn't bring them to repentance. They did not see, inwardly, what was
the cause of all their trouble. So blind and deaf were they. They had
ears and eyes, but yet they were spiritually deaf and blind. We see
that, though a man has ears and eyes, yet God's Spirit only can open
the spiritual eyes and ears of our understanding. Only by divine light
we see and hear the truth. "Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and
see ye indeed, but perceive not." Isa 6:9. All the warnings and the
sermons of the prophets were in vain, because though they had ears,
they yet understood not. Likewise may we listen to many sermons, but
not understand them. Only when God teaches us inwardly we begin to
understand the truth. Like those Jews in Babylon, we also have our
present people that hear but understand not; that have eyes but see
not. Tell them the truth - yet they refuse to listen because they are
"a rebellious house".
They have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear
not: "for they are a rebellious house". We see that they were unable
to hear and see because of their rebelliousness. We now understand
that it is possible that one through his own stubbornness, shuts the
door of his understanding. They saw and heard not. Why? Because they
were rebellious. When fighting against God's providence, we are at the
same moment unable to listen to Him and obey His voice. Rebellion and
obedience are opposite. We should therefore first lay off our natural
rebellious nature, before we are able to listen to God and see the
truth.
Sometimes God punishes us to bring us back on the right paths. At
least that is His intention. But it happens too often that we remain
hardened under His chastisements, so that His goal is not reached. He
wished to turn us back from sins, and return to Him, but through the
hardness of our heard we continued in our own ways. When we have
outward ears to hear, but hear not, then all the work the ministers
spend on us is in vain. When we have our eyes to see, and see not,
then they preach in vain. They may justly say: "Who hath believed our
report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" Isa 53:1. The
brought forth a good report of God, but who has believed it? They
preached the gospel, but who has ever believed their report? Only
those to whom "the arm of the LORD" is revealed, are able to believe
and obey. Then God's Spirit opens our blind eyes, as Jesus did during
his time on earth. Then God's Spirit opens our deaf ears, whereof we
have examples in Jesus' opening the ears of the deaf people. What
Jesus did visibly, He also does inwardly, through His Spirit. Then
they have eyes to see, and indeed see the truth. Then they have ears
to hear, and indeed hear and obey the voice of God. It might be that
they were rebellious in former times, but by God's influence their
rebellious heart is dashed in pieces and made docile.
Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house. Unless I
pour out My Spirit on them, they will continue in their rebellion till
their death, and their children, being thus taught, will walk in their
footsteps. Unless I pour out My Spirit, they will be like stones. But
as soon as they receive the Spirit, "they shall come with weeping, and
with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the
rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble:
for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn." Jer 31:9.
We hope (and we know it once will happen) that God will pull down
every proud and rebellious heart. He may do so pouring out His Spirit,
so that they willingly subject themselves to Him. He also may do so
with violence, so that they are forced to subject themselves to Him.
"Say unto God, How terrible [art thou in] thy works! through the
greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto
thee." Ps. 66:3. One thing we know, and that is that God once will
show Himself King of the whole earth. He is the only King, treading
under foot all what rebels against Him.
3. Matthew 7:13,14 - The strait and the wide gate
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Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it.
Do you not as the multitudes do. They walk on the broad way, which
leads to destruction, though they know it not, or will not know it.
But instead of walking with the majority of the people, enter you in
at the strait gate. Many go in at the broad gate, which is a gate that
gives access to destruction. But you, enter in at the strait gate. The
strait gate gave gives access to the narrow way, and this way, in its
turn leads to the life; eternal life. The other way, whereon the
majority is walking, leads to death; eternal death; where their worm
dies not. If you wish to preserve your live, enter you then in at the
strait gate. It may be that the way after that gate is narrow, but the
end is life. The end of the broad and wide way is destruction. They
have had their pleasures in this life, but the portion of those on the
narrow way, is laid up for them in heaven. The travellers on the
narrow way have much affliction in their live. The apostles were
"exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through
much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14:22.
The way to heaven is narrow. Those that walk thereon have much
affliction during their life on earth. The gate whereat they enter is
very strait. It costs much pains to enter in through that strait gate.
Christ tells us this, that we may know it beforehand. We can then
first decide whether we wish to endure affliction with Christ in this
life, or whether we wish to have the pleasures of this life, and death
afterwards. Strait is the way to life, but broad the one to
destruction. Will you choose the pleasures of this life? Have you
rather an easy life on this earth? Then you belong to the multitude;
those that foolishly choose the wrong part. They have ease, and they
possess all what their heart desires. And their reward is death at the
end; the eternal fire. The foolish and ignorant people enter in, with
the multitude, at the wide gate. But you, reader, be wise. Listen to
Christ's words, and enter in at the strait gate. Life will be your
reward, in grace.
Many think that they believe in Jesus Christ. They think they are
saved by faith only. Many think this. But let them consider that the
same many are said to walk on the broad way, which leads to
destruction. "For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth
to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." Those many
that think they believe in Christ, therefore, deceive themselves. They
belong to the many, that have entered at the wide gate, and now walk
on the broad way. They have all pleasures, which they think are
allowed in a christian life. This is the broad way. But a few walk on
the narrow way. They have to suffer many affliction, not in the least
part of them that walk in the broad way. They have entered in at the
strait gate. That gate was so small, that they had to leave behind all
what was of themselves. Nothing could they take with them, because
every thing of themselves was too big for that gate. They could not
get those big things through that gate, so they had to abandon it. Own
honour should be abandoned. It is too big for the strait gate. Own
works deserve nothing, and nobody will get them through that gate with
its narrow passage. Pride must be abandoned: it is too broad for the
gate. Self-love should be thrown away, lest you seize up in the narrow
gate. Self should be denied. Fat people haven't passage. Love to the
creatures should be shortened, so as to subject it to the love of God
and Christ. "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me." Matt 10:37. Few be there that find that way unto life.
"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,
The Lord knoweth them that are his." 2 Tim 2:19. Though there be few
that walk on the way to life, yet there are some. A few are their,
that have find the strait gate, after much seeking and praying. Those
few are the elect of God, because they have this seal: "The Lord knows
them that are His".
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chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl
"A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel"
Institute Practical Bible-education
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-080.txt
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