The Joyful Sound
By Jack Davis
“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.”
Ps. 89:15-16
The Joyful Sound has been sent to bless mankind. God says we are blessed in knowing. He speaks of that which is realized in the heart. It is sad to say that not all who have opportunity to hear ever come to receive, respond to, and even fewer resound the joyful sound. Most never come to grasp the meaning, nor enjoy the benefits. Let us notice here some aspects of knowing. And some elements of the blessing. May the Holy Spirit make us realize in experience that we indeed have something going for us.
They shall WALK in the light of His countenance, the realm of joyful conduct, far exceeds staggering around in the dark, lost. Thank God, we can know where we are going. In the light of His countenance we enjoy the blessed favor of His presence, when we are aware that He is looking upon us with grace. It is indeed a joy to our Father to watch us progress and grow. This phrase could be translated, “proceeding under your smile,” or “marching firmly along in the radiance of your presence.”
In His name shall they REJOICE. As we walk in His light, it’s in His name that we delight, take pride in, make our boast. His name is our basis for a continual boasting. God’s name is a part of the way He has chosen to reveal His characteristics unto His people. It’s a joy to be called children, saints, sons “of the living God.” We read in Jeremiah 15:16, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them: and the word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, “O Lord God of hosts.”
In thy RIGHTEOUSNESS they shall be exalted. It is only in His righteousness that mankind may come to the celestial heights of eternal glory. Thank God for clothing us in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are made the righteousness of God in Him. In Him we are made fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. We who have borne the image of the earthly, shall also bear the image of the heavenly. The exalted place the saints of the most high God will enjoy eternally will always be in His righteousness.
Rev. 19:6-8, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters and…mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” The announcement of the granting of BRIDAL ADORNMENT will be to her a “Joyful Sound,” for she will have been exalted in His Righteousness.
In the New Testament is heard the echo, and re-echoing of the Joyful Sound of the Gospel of our salvation. The message sent down from the throne of God, and the heart of God to save unto the uttermost. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring GLAD TIDINGS OF GOOD THINGS! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world” – Rom. 10:13-18. So there is to be a resounding, passing it on.
God spake in time past unto the Fathers by the prophets, But “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son…Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?” – Heb. 1:1-2 & 2:1-4.
The Joyful Sound began to be spoken by the Lord. Jesus expressed it and sounded it out in word and deed. He said: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” – Jn. 15:11. In John 16:13-22, he was promising the advent of the Holy Spirit, which came with the sound of a rushing, mighty wind. He was also promising Resurrection, which someone has called good news from the grave yard. The announcement of Jesus birth came as “good tidings of great joy.” On the day that is called Palm Sunday, Jesus came into Jerusalem with shouts of hosannas ringing. The city was moved, the children, disciples, the multitude making a joyful sound. The religious leaders were displeased, and urged Jesus to quiet down. Jesus told them, that the stones would cry out if these all would remain still. Many heard these sounds but they didn’t all appreciate, or enjoy them. They didn’t know or understand their meaning. They weren’t tuned in.
Feastal Call: The amplified Bible translates our text thus; “happy, fortunate, to be envied are they who appreciate, and understand the spiritual blessings symbolized by the feast.” Do you know the feastal call? Note how some are knowing and making Joyful Sounds. Paul gave thanks for the Colossians after hearing of their faith, love, and hope laid up for them in Heaven, “whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,” which he said brought forth fruit in them since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth.”
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” – Col. 3:16.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (drinking of the new wine) speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” – Eph. 5:18-19.
In our text, it says, “they shall rejoice all the day.” The joyful sound can be a daily thing as the result of staying current with the Word, and responsive to the Holy Spirit. Oh, how blessed we are to be guided by the Holy Spirit, for He uses the Word to talk to us, and cheer our hearts. When I get grouchy or grumpy, I know that I am not listening to the Spirit through the Word.
J. D.
Friday, November 7, 2014
THE LAST DAYS
Anita Clark
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." Matthew 24:7
The verse definitely describe conditions in the world today. In the book of Luke chapter 21, as he rehearses what Jesus said at this same time, Luke repeats Jesus’ phrases to comfort our hearts, for instance in verse 9. "But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, [instability and disorder] be not terrified [scared or frightened] for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by." Luke 21:34-36 are especially meaningful in our day. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged [to burden] with surfeiting [drunkenness, glut or debauchery], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare [a trap, a trick, temptation] shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the Son of man."
EBOLA OUTBREAK - Saints of God, the Lord does not want us to have fear. Fear is not of God. Faith tells us that God is in control of all things. We need to trust God right now more than ever before. Don’t let Satan torment you. Pray for protection over you and your loved ones. Our God is great and mighty. Also, let us pray for people in foreign lands who are living everyday with this threat right in their midst. God’s people need to humble themselves and pray for deliverance for God’s people. This is the end time. These things are predicted in the Word of God. Let us have faith and gain more faith by reading God’s Word (Romans 10:17). You who live in foreign lands and get this magazine, lift up your heads and believe. Jesus Christ is coming so soon. These are signs of the end of this Age. Let us all be ready for the catching away as recorded in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. Claim the promises of God.
WARS AND EARTHQUAKES – The USA is involved in another Middle East war. There will always be wars until the Lord terminates them with His power at the end of the tribulation when He comes in power and great glory. We need not worry, but trust in the Lord.. The plan is in the works, just as God has ordained.
According to CBS.COM, "Scientists say that the highest rates of great earthquakes ever recorded did take place in 2014. There were more than twice as many big earthquakes in the first quarter of 2014 as compared with the average since 1979." Tom Parsons, and Eric Geist, USGS researchers, and geophysicists have been studying this increase of large quakes. They were trying to find a link between the quakes to see if one big quake affected others on a global scale, but have come to the conclusion that these earth quakes this year seem to strike at random. They feel that researchers may simply lack the data to understand such global "communication." They are calling these happenings a earthquake storm. We understand that we are experiencing what the Scripture has foretold. God is in control of His creation. All things are being worked out according to His master plan. let not your heart be troubled (John 14:1).
ISRAEL MUST APPEAR IN GENEVA BEFORE THE UNITED NATIONS – Israeli officials testified before the U.N. Human Rights Committee on Monday, October 20, 2014 with regard to its military activities in Gaza this summer during Operation Protective Edge. Israel submitted a detailed report concerning many issues such as gender, LGBT, child, and minority rights at his meeting. This committee has censured Israel more than any other country. The group brought up that Israel had killed 2,000 Palestinians during this summer’s Gaza war, which Israeli leaders defended, stating, "Israel had to launch air strikes on Gaza in response to hundreds of rockets fired at Israel by Hamas and to June’s kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers." It is amazing how lopsided the opinions of the world community is against Israel. The Jerusalem Post reports, "This group is headed by Canadian human rights expert William Schabas who already publicly stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be brought before the International Criminal Court." Israel is not cooperating with this probe, whose results will be presented to the Human Rights Council in March 2015. God is in control and will allow hard times for Israel, and cause them to cry out to the living God for help.
TEL AVIV UNHOLY CITY – Although Israel is the nation that God chose to be especially favored, by giving Abraham a wonderful promise, that through his seed (speaking of Jesus) all the world would be blessed, Israel today is full of sin against God. It is a fact of the Scripture that God made an everlasting covenant with Israel, and will restore them to their place as His people after the tribulation, yet, their sins as a people have been great. They have been judged severely by God in time past, and will be greatly judged in the future. During the tribulation of seven unparaleled years of wrath, two-thirds of them will be slain (Zech 13:8). Right at the present time sex slavery is prominent in Israel, according to Knesset Member Zehava Gaion of Israeli’s Parliamentary Committee. He states that 3,000 to 5,000 young women are smuggled into Israel annually, creating a booming sex trade industry that rakes in more than a billion dollars a year. Most of these women come from the former Soviet Union. According to the article all types of Israelis are customers, including soldiers, and Orthodox Jews who stuff their skull caps into their pockets when they enter these brothels Many of these women were brought to Israel by sex traders of the Israeli-Russian Mafia, who according to this article smuggle hundreds of these women into Israel each month. How grievous this must be to God’s heart. God chose Israel to be a light to the Gentiles, a witness to the other nations of the world.
Israeli government works to turn Tel Aviv into the Gay Capital of the World. According to this article from Maozisrael/NEWS, "Thirty years ago there were so few homosexuals in Tel Aviv that seeing them on the streets was truly am anomaly. But all that has changed drastically, and Tel Aviv is now considered a haven for gays." The statement about Tel Aviv becoming the "Gay World Capital" is according to Israel’s leading newspaper, Yediot Aharonot. Israel’s Hotel Association Director-General El Zvi, has discovered a new market in gays, who as he states, "will travel about anywhere for a good party, even the middle east and, they are loaded with money." It’s all about the Money! The idea is to increase tourism to Israel.
Read Ezekiel 20:33-38. In this passage God declares what He will accomplish for Israel. Verse 33 says, "As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you;" God is fully aware of all that His people do, and He will met out the appropriate judgment in His own time. Verse 34 tells that God will gather Israel back to their land. He has begun to do this, however there are still many Jews who are enjoying life in other nations and have no desire to move to Israel, but they will come eventually.
Ezekiel 38:4 says, “I will...put hooks in thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth.” Ezekiel 20:37-38 states, "And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD." God is in control! He will judge and correct His people, and Israel that is left will see their Redeemer coming in the clouds at the end of the seven years of tribulation, "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so Amen" (Revelation 1:7). They will believe and accept their King Messiah.
HOW RELIGIOUS ARE ISRAELI JEWS TODAY?– According to a new report from Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, "The overwhelming majority, about 80% are in the secular camp, while 20% are religious. In 1948, when Israel was founded, socialist Zionism was in control and there were many more atheists in the country than there are today." However, to state that there are 20% religious Jews does not mean they are real believers in God. The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reports that there are 158,000 Christians in Israel, which represents 2 % of the total population. Of these 80% are Arabs. According to these statistics, this group is growing at a slower rate than all other sectors. However, we know that the majority of these claiming Christianity are probably not born again individuals, but church goers or on church roles. This is sad to think about. The Scripture says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee" (Psalms 122:6). This we will continue to do.
It is a very disheartening that sin is rampant in Israel as it is in all the world.. Israel will be judged greatly for her sins, especially, the greatest being the sin of rejecting their Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are living on the edge of the seven years of tribulation in which all the world will experience the wrath of Almighty God, but Israel will experience a time so great and horrible as Jesus spoke of, "For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" Matthew 24:21. This tribulation will come after Israel signs a peace treaty with the nations at the beginning of the seven years soon coming on the earth. It will seem that peace is finally achieved. But, suddenly chaos will break out and "the Man of Sin" who seemed to be the Savior of the World will manifest his true colors. He will exalt himself as ruler of the world, and turn against Israel. Oh, what an awful time is coming upon this earth in the near future. Read: Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24; Luke 21; Revelation 13 & 17. The Word of God is true and will come to pass just as it is prophesied.
"Look up. Your redemption draw nigh." Lay hold upon the words of Jesus. Stand on His promises. We are seeing "the beginning of sorrows" which He spoke about. He will return right on God’s designed time. He is not late. Praise the Lord our God! Don’t allow Satan to make you fearful. He is a liar from the beginning. Soon he will be put forever under Christ’s feet, what a day that will be, what rejoicing in Christ’s presence.
Anita Clark
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." Matthew 24:7
The verse definitely describe conditions in the world today. In the book of Luke chapter 21, as he rehearses what Jesus said at this same time, Luke repeats Jesus’ phrases to comfort our hearts, for instance in verse 9. "But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, [instability and disorder] be not terrified [scared or frightened] for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by." Luke 21:34-36 are especially meaningful in our day. "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged [to burden] with surfeiting [drunkenness, glut or debauchery], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare [a trap, a trick, temptation] shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand before the Son of man."
EBOLA OUTBREAK - Saints of God, the Lord does not want us to have fear. Fear is not of God. Faith tells us that God is in control of all things. We need to trust God right now more than ever before. Don’t let Satan torment you. Pray for protection over you and your loved ones. Our God is great and mighty. Also, let us pray for people in foreign lands who are living everyday with this threat right in their midst. God’s people need to humble themselves and pray for deliverance for God’s people. This is the end time. These things are predicted in the Word of God. Let us have faith and gain more faith by reading God’s Word (Romans 10:17). You who live in foreign lands and get this magazine, lift up your heads and believe. Jesus Christ is coming so soon. These are signs of the end of this Age. Let us all be ready for the catching away as recorded in I Thessalonians 4:13-18. Claim the promises of God.
WARS AND EARTHQUAKES – The USA is involved in another Middle East war. There will always be wars until the Lord terminates them with His power at the end of the tribulation when He comes in power and great glory. We need not worry, but trust in the Lord.. The plan is in the works, just as God has ordained.
According to CBS.COM, "Scientists say that the highest rates of great earthquakes ever recorded did take place in 2014. There were more than twice as many big earthquakes in the first quarter of 2014 as compared with the average since 1979." Tom Parsons, and Eric Geist, USGS researchers, and geophysicists have been studying this increase of large quakes. They were trying to find a link between the quakes to see if one big quake affected others on a global scale, but have come to the conclusion that these earth quakes this year seem to strike at random. They feel that researchers may simply lack the data to understand such global "communication." They are calling these happenings a earthquake storm. We understand that we are experiencing what the Scripture has foretold. God is in control of His creation. All things are being worked out according to His master plan. let not your heart be troubled (John 14:1).
ISRAEL MUST APPEAR IN GENEVA BEFORE THE UNITED NATIONS – Israeli officials testified before the U.N. Human Rights Committee on Monday, October 20, 2014 with regard to its military activities in Gaza this summer during Operation Protective Edge. Israel submitted a detailed report concerning many issues such as gender, LGBT, child, and minority rights at his meeting. This committee has censured Israel more than any other country. The group brought up that Israel had killed 2,000 Palestinians during this summer’s Gaza war, which Israeli leaders defended, stating, "Israel had to launch air strikes on Gaza in response to hundreds of rockets fired at Israel by Hamas and to June’s kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers." It is amazing how lopsided the opinions of the world community is against Israel. The Jerusalem Post reports, "This group is headed by Canadian human rights expert William Schabas who already publicly stated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be brought before the International Criminal Court." Israel is not cooperating with this probe, whose results will be presented to the Human Rights Council in March 2015. God is in control and will allow hard times for Israel, and cause them to cry out to the living God for help.
TEL AVIV UNHOLY CITY – Although Israel is the nation that God chose to be especially favored, by giving Abraham a wonderful promise, that through his seed (speaking of Jesus) all the world would be blessed, Israel today is full of sin against God. It is a fact of the Scripture that God made an everlasting covenant with Israel, and will restore them to their place as His people after the tribulation, yet, their sins as a people have been great. They have been judged severely by God in time past, and will be greatly judged in the future. During the tribulation of seven unparaleled years of wrath, two-thirds of them will be slain (Zech 13:8). Right at the present time sex slavery is prominent in Israel, according to Knesset Member Zehava Gaion of Israeli’s Parliamentary Committee. He states that 3,000 to 5,000 young women are smuggled into Israel annually, creating a booming sex trade industry that rakes in more than a billion dollars a year. Most of these women come from the former Soviet Union. According to the article all types of Israelis are customers, including soldiers, and Orthodox Jews who stuff their skull caps into their pockets when they enter these brothels Many of these women were brought to Israel by sex traders of the Israeli-Russian Mafia, who according to this article smuggle hundreds of these women into Israel each month. How grievous this must be to God’s heart. God chose Israel to be a light to the Gentiles, a witness to the other nations of the world.
Israeli government works to turn Tel Aviv into the Gay Capital of the World. According to this article from Maozisrael/NEWS, "Thirty years ago there were so few homosexuals in Tel Aviv that seeing them on the streets was truly am anomaly. But all that has changed drastically, and Tel Aviv is now considered a haven for gays." The statement about Tel Aviv becoming the "Gay World Capital" is according to Israel’s leading newspaper, Yediot Aharonot. Israel’s Hotel Association Director-General El Zvi, has discovered a new market in gays, who as he states, "will travel about anywhere for a good party, even the middle east and, they are loaded with money." It’s all about the Money! The idea is to increase tourism to Israel.
Read Ezekiel 20:33-38. In this passage God declares what He will accomplish for Israel. Verse 33 says, "As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you;" God is fully aware of all that His people do, and He will met out the appropriate judgment in His own time. Verse 34 tells that God will gather Israel back to their land. He has begun to do this, however there are still many Jews who are enjoying life in other nations and have no desire to move to Israel, but they will come eventually.
Ezekiel 38:4 says, “I will...put hooks in thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth.” Ezekiel 20:37-38 states, "And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD." God is in control! He will judge and correct His people, and Israel that is left will see their Redeemer coming in the clouds at the end of the seven years of tribulation, "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so Amen" (Revelation 1:7). They will believe and accept their King Messiah.
HOW RELIGIOUS ARE ISRAELI JEWS TODAY?– According to a new report from Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, "The overwhelming majority, about 80% are in the secular camp, while 20% are religious. In 1948, when Israel was founded, socialist Zionism was in control and there were many more atheists in the country than there are today." However, to state that there are 20% religious Jews does not mean they are real believers in God. The Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reports that there are 158,000 Christians in Israel, which represents 2 % of the total population. Of these 80% are Arabs. According to these statistics, this group is growing at a slower rate than all other sectors. However, we know that the majority of these claiming Christianity are probably not born again individuals, but church goers or on church roles. This is sad to think about. The Scripture says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee" (Psalms 122:6). This we will continue to do.
It is a very disheartening that sin is rampant in Israel as it is in all the world.. Israel will be judged greatly for her sins, especially, the greatest being the sin of rejecting their Messiah, Jesus Christ. We are living on the edge of the seven years of tribulation in which all the world will experience the wrath of Almighty God, but Israel will experience a time so great and horrible as Jesus spoke of, "For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be" Matthew 24:21. This tribulation will come after Israel signs a peace treaty with the nations at the beginning of the seven years soon coming on the earth. It will seem that peace is finally achieved. But, suddenly chaos will break out and "the Man of Sin" who seemed to be the Savior of the World will manifest his true colors. He will exalt himself as ruler of the world, and turn against Israel. Oh, what an awful time is coming upon this earth in the near future. Read: Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24; Luke 21; Revelation 13 & 17. The Word of God is true and will come to pass just as it is prophesied.
"Look up. Your redemption draw nigh." Lay hold upon the words of Jesus. Stand on His promises. We are seeing "the beginning of sorrows" which He spoke about. He will return right on God’s designed time. He is not late. Praise the Lord our God! Don’t allow Satan to make you fearful. He is a liar from the beginning. Soon he will be put forever under Christ’s feet, what a day that will be, what rejoicing in Christ’s presence.
Terror
We all have been affected in some way by the terrorism of our time. There is a general feeling of fear and helplessness that overcomes people at times like this. The purpose of terrorism is to generate a spirit of fear in the people. And, just in case terrorism is not enough, we have the Ebola virus to worry about now as well.
Maybe you would like me or someone to assure you that all of this will be just fine and get much better soon. I would be a fool to try to calm someone’s fear in that way. Things in this world are not getting better, but will go from bad to worse. Some may now be considering me a fearmonger. Well, I do have some good news to share.
First of all, we need to know that God is still in control. None of these things have caught Him off guard. As one man commented, “The Holy Trinity never met in emergency session.” God is still on His throne, and is over all. We must simply put our trust in our God. The psalmist says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in Him.” Psalm 56:3.
So, why do these things happen, that brings so much destruction and sadness. Well, at the very heart of all evil, of course, is sin. There will always be sadness and destruction and evil in this world, until Jesus comes to reign and is sovereign in this world. We must always keep God’s Word in view to understand these happenings.
We are told plainly that in the last days would be perilous times. Men would be lovers of their own selves, and without natural affection. 1 Timothy 3:1-5. This is the nature of man without Christ. We must not get caught up in the thinking that man will solve this problem. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the only Prince of Peace.
This is a time to share our hope with others. We can let others know of Jesus, and the peace that He brings to our life. Many are seeking answers in this time, and we have exactly what they need. It is a time for our testimony of God’s grace and peace in our lives to shine forth.
What could God’s people want with this world? We have a heavenly calling. How foolish we are when we cling to things that are temporal instead of seeking eternal riches and blessings.
If you have become concerned about the events of this world, please consider the Word of God. Jesus tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1. What a great consolation and hope Jesus gives to us.
Let your light shine to others at this time, and maybe others will come to know Jesus through your testimony.
Gordon Crook
We all have been affected in some way by the terrorism of our time. There is a general feeling of fear and helplessness that overcomes people at times like this. The purpose of terrorism is to generate a spirit of fear in the people. And, just in case terrorism is not enough, we have the Ebola virus to worry about now as well.
Maybe you would like me or someone to assure you that all of this will be just fine and get much better soon. I would be a fool to try to calm someone’s fear in that way. Things in this world are not getting better, but will go from bad to worse. Some may now be considering me a fearmonger. Well, I do have some good news to share.
First of all, we need to know that God is still in control. None of these things have caught Him off guard. As one man commented, “The Holy Trinity never met in emergency session.” God is still on His throne, and is over all. We must simply put our trust in our God. The psalmist says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in Him.” Psalm 56:3.
So, why do these things happen, that brings so much destruction and sadness. Well, at the very heart of all evil, of course, is sin. There will always be sadness and destruction and evil in this world, until Jesus comes to reign and is sovereign in this world. We must always keep God’s Word in view to understand these happenings.
We are told plainly that in the last days would be perilous times. Men would be lovers of their own selves, and without natural affection. 1 Timothy 3:1-5. This is the nature of man without Christ. We must not get caught up in the thinking that man will solve this problem. We must keep our eyes on Jesus. He is the only Prince of Peace.
This is a time to share our hope with others. We can let others know of Jesus, and the peace that He brings to our life. Many are seeking answers in this time, and we have exactly what they need. It is a time for our testimony of God’s grace and peace in our lives to shine forth.
What could God’s people want with this world? We have a heavenly calling. How foolish we are when we cling to things that are temporal instead of seeking eternal riches and blessings.
If you have become concerned about the events of this world, please consider the Word of God. Jesus tells us, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:1. What a great consolation and hope Jesus gives to us.
Let your light shine to others at this time, and maybe others will come to know Jesus through your testimony.
Gordon Crook
RUTH
Debra Isenbletter
Ruth 2:13 – “Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.”
In this verse Ruth expresses her gratitude to Boaz for his grace and her desire to continue to please him. She talks about His Favor, His Comfort, His Friendship and finally she compares herself to His Handmaidens.
His Favor: “Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord;” Ruth sees his grace, she has experienced his grace, she has tasted and seen “that the Lord is good” (Ps 34:8) but she doesn’t yet realize fully it is hers by right and that there is a continual supply. Ruth tells Boaz that she wants to continue to experience this grace; she wants to continue to enjoy his “favor.” The word for “favor” is the same as the word “grace” in verse 10. She is speaking of his “graciousness” and “kindness” to her. All she sees is his grace! Because of this desire Ruth makes a petition of him, “Let me find favour.” Another translation of this is: “May I continue to find favor in your eyes” (NIV) or “My Lord, I hope I continue pleasing you” (Jewish Bible). The word “find” comes from “to come forth to (enjoy),” it also means “to lay hold on.” Ruth is speaking of what she wants to do and what he will do. She wants to appropriate this grace, lay hold of it. This is her purpose of heart. Only she can “find,” and “come forth (by faith) to enjoy,” only she can lay hold of and use that grace in her daily life. Having experienced his favor she wants to continue to enjoy it, what a precious desire!
She knows that the continuance of his favor is dependent upon her obedience, her faithfulness. She is saying, if I do this, as I do this, let me continue to experience and enjoy your favor. Ruth knows that everything she does will be seen by Boaz, for she says “in thy sight,” this is the one she wants to please and serve. Ruth calls Boaz “my Lord” (my master). She acknowledges she is his handmaiden, she is his servant and he is her master. She begins with this relationship, this submission. This is how we begin our relationship with Jesus, it is through our service and submission to Him that we are able to lay hold of and appreciate His “favor,” and “grace.” Ruth is in a sense saying that she wants Boaz to know that his grace is not bestowed in vain (2 Cor 6:1). She will see his grace “abound” and the result is that she will have “all sufficiency in all things” (2 Cor 9:8). And as she serves Boaz (and as we serve Christ) He is able to “show the exceeding riches of his grace” (Eph 2:7). We have said I want more, show me and He shows us!
His Comfort: “thou hast comforted me,” or “given me comfort”- Boaz Cared! She is acknowledging the comfort he has given her with his promises and his gracious words. The word “comfort” comes from “to sigh,” it can mean “to be sorry for” (in a favorable way), or “to pity.” The comfort given to her is an expression of his compassion for her. Compassion means sympathy, empathy, concern. And this compassion of Boaz is a type of Jesus, who felt compassion for those in need. Over and over it says that Jesus was “moved with compassion” or “had compassion on.” Jesus was “moved with compassion” for the multitudes, for those that “fainted” and “were scattered … as sheep having no shepherd.” (Mt 9:36). When He saw the multitudes that were sick He “was moved with compassion toward them and he healed their sick” (Mt 14:14). When he saw those that were hungry, He said, “I have compassion on the multitude” (Mt 15:32) and He fed them. It wasn’t just multitudes Jesus had compassion for, it was also individuals. When the two blind men came to Jesus, He “had compassion on them” (Mt 20:34) and healed them. When the leper came to Jesus, He was “moved with compassion” (Mk 1:41) and healed him. When He saw the widow who had lost her son, “he had compassion on her” (Lk 7:13) and raised her son. Jesus had compassion, He cared, and every act and every word brought comfort to those He met and were an expression of His grace. Jesus sees the need and meets that need. He CARES! The need draws Jesus to the individual and the individual to Jesus! Do we take time to say to Jesus, as Ruth said to Boaz: “thou hast comforted me?”
His Friendship: “thou hast spoken friendly,” his friendship, is how her relationship begins! The word “friendly” comes from a root meaning “the heart.” It means literally “to the heart of” – “You have spoken to the heart of” (Amplified). It can be translated “kindly, kindness” – “You have spoken kindly to” (NIV) or “You have encouraged me” (Jewish Bible). It can be translated “to take care for” and there his actions match his words. Ruth hears the words of Boaz and two things happen. First: The “heart” of Ruth is moved and affected; it will never be the same! Ruth also sees his “heart,” and the motive for his “kindness” – it is Grace! Second, The “heart” of Boaz is touched by her need and in his “heart” he promises to care for her. It is through his care OF her that he will begin to care FOR her. Everything begins with the heart, our heart influences our actions and our attitude. It is from this foundation that her relationship and love will grow. He will begin first as her “friend” and end as her “beloved.” This is what the Shulamite said of her relationship to Solomon when she described him to others. At the end of her description she said: “This is beloved and this is my friend” (Song 5:16). “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mind” (Song 6:3). Is Jesus both our beloved and our friend? He begins as our friend but wants to be our beloved.
His Handmaidens: “though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.” or “though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls” (NIV). Ruth compares herself to Boaz’s “handmaidens” and sees the difference between them. She says: “though I be not like.” She sees them and herself and wonders why Boaz notices her! She sees only that she is not worthy; she doesn’t see how his grace makes her worthy. She knows these “handmaidens” belong to him, for she says “thine” – but she also belongs to Boaz now. The word “handmaiden(s)” comes from the foot “a class of persons; a family.” It means a “bond handmaiden” or a “female slave” – part of a household. The fact is that through his promises to her, her standing and status has changed. She is no longer a “stranger,” she is his “servant,” his “handmaiden.” She is his responsibility to care for and provide for, she is part of his “family.” Though she is not like them, she is counted as one of them. She sees her difference (not like unto) them as something negative. She doesn’t see her worth, doesn’t feel worthy. She doesn’t see how she can be one of his handmaidens. But Boaz sees her difference (not like unto) them as something positive. He sees her worth, and it her acceptance of his promises that make her worthy, he sees her potential, he sees what she can be! It will be her difference that sets her apart, she is unique. Whether she feels worthy or not, she is one of them, she belongs to him. We can wonder and not see our worth, but it won’t change the fact that we are the Lord’s. Our worth is not dependent upon how we see ourselves, or how others see us (how Boaz’s servants may have seen Ruth). Our worth is dependent only upon how our Lord sees us. We begin as His servants but can end as His Bride!
Continued
Debra Isenbletter
Ruth 2:13 – “Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.”
In this verse Ruth expresses her gratitude to Boaz for his grace and her desire to continue to please him. She talks about His Favor, His Comfort, His Friendship and finally she compares herself to His Handmaidens.
His Favor: “Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord;” Ruth sees his grace, she has experienced his grace, she has tasted and seen “that the Lord is good” (Ps 34:8) but she doesn’t yet realize fully it is hers by right and that there is a continual supply. Ruth tells Boaz that she wants to continue to experience this grace; she wants to continue to enjoy his “favor.” The word for “favor” is the same as the word “grace” in verse 10. She is speaking of his “graciousness” and “kindness” to her. All she sees is his grace! Because of this desire Ruth makes a petition of him, “Let me find favour.” Another translation of this is: “May I continue to find favor in your eyes” (NIV) or “My Lord, I hope I continue pleasing you” (Jewish Bible). The word “find” comes from “to come forth to (enjoy),” it also means “to lay hold on.” Ruth is speaking of what she wants to do and what he will do. She wants to appropriate this grace, lay hold of it. This is her purpose of heart. Only she can “find,” and “come forth (by faith) to enjoy,” only she can lay hold of and use that grace in her daily life. Having experienced his favor she wants to continue to enjoy it, what a precious desire!
She knows that the continuance of his favor is dependent upon her obedience, her faithfulness. She is saying, if I do this, as I do this, let me continue to experience and enjoy your favor. Ruth knows that everything she does will be seen by Boaz, for she says “in thy sight,” this is the one she wants to please and serve. Ruth calls Boaz “my Lord” (my master). She acknowledges she is his handmaiden, she is his servant and he is her master. She begins with this relationship, this submission. This is how we begin our relationship with Jesus, it is through our service and submission to Him that we are able to lay hold of and appreciate His “favor,” and “grace.” Ruth is in a sense saying that she wants Boaz to know that his grace is not bestowed in vain (2 Cor 6:1). She will see his grace “abound” and the result is that she will have “all sufficiency in all things” (2 Cor 9:8). And as she serves Boaz (and as we serve Christ) He is able to “show the exceeding riches of his grace” (Eph 2:7). We have said I want more, show me and He shows us!
His Comfort: “thou hast comforted me,” or “given me comfort”- Boaz Cared! She is acknowledging the comfort he has given her with his promises and his gracious words. The word “comfort” comes from “to sigh,” it can mean “to be sorry for” (in a favorable way), or “to pity.” The comfort given to her is an expression of his compassion for her. Compassion means sympathy, empathy, concern. And this compassion of Boaz is a type of Jesus, who felt compassion for those in need. Over and over it says that Jesus was “moved with compassion” or “had compassion on.” Jesus was “moved with compassion” for the multitudes, for those that “fainted” and “were scattered … as sheep having no shepherd.” (Mt 9:36). When He saw the multitudes that were sick He “was moved with compassion toward them and he healed their sick” (Mt 14:14). When he saw those that were hungry, He said, “I have compassion on the multitude” (Mt 15:32) and He fed them. It wasn’t just multitudes Jesus had compassion for, it was also individuals. When the two blind men came to Jesus, He “had compassion on them” (Mt 20:34) and healed them. When the leper came to Jesus, He was “moved with compassion” (Mk 1:41) and healed him. When He saw the widow who had lost her son, “he had compassion on her” (Lk 7:13) and raised her son. Jesus had compassion, He cared, and every act and every word brought comfort to those He met and were an expression of His grace. Jesus sees the need and meets that need. He CARES! The need draws Jesus to the individual and the individual to Jesus! Do we take time to say to Jesus, as Ruth said to Boaz: “thou hast comforted me?”
His Friendship: “thou hast spoken friendly,” his friendship, is how her relationship begins! The word “friendly” comes from a root meaning “the heart.” It means literally “to the heart of” – “You have spoken to the heart of” (Amplified). It can be translated “kindly, kindness” – “You have spoken kindly to” (NIV) or “You have encouraged me” (Jewish Bible). It can be translated “to take care for” and there his actions match his words. Ruth hears the words of Boaz and two things happen. First: The “heart” of Ruth is moved and affected; it will never be the same! Ruth also sees his “heart,” and the motive for his “kindness” – it is Grace! Second, The “heart” of Boaz is touched by her need and in his “heart” he promises to care for her. It is through his care OF her that he will begin to care FOR her. Everything begins with the heart, our heart influences our actions and our attitude. It is from this foundation that her relationship and love will grow. He will begin first as her “friend” and end as her “beloved.” This is what the Shulamite said of her relationship to Solomon when she described him to others. At the end of her description she said: “This is beloved and this is my friend” (Song 5:16). “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mind” (Song 6:3). Is Jesus both our beloved and our friend? He begins as our friend but wants to be our beloved.
His Handmaidens: “though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.” or “though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls” (NIV). Ruth compares herself to Boaz’s “handmaidens” and sees the difference between them. She says: “though I be not like.” She sees them and herself and wonders why Boaz notices her! She sees only that she is not worthy; she doesn’t see how his grace makes her worthy. She knows these “handmaidens” belong to him, for she says “thine” – but she also belongs to Boaz now. The word “handmaiden(s)” comes from the foot “a class of persons; a family.” It means a “bond handmaiden” or a “female slave” – part of a household. The fact is that through his promises to her, her standing and status has changed. She is no longer a “stranger,” she is his “servant,” his “handmaiden.” She is his responsibility to care for and provide for, she is part of his “family.” Though she is not like them, she is counted as one of them. She sees her difference (not like unto) them as something negative. She doesn’t see her worth, doesn’t feel worthy. She doesn’t see how she can be one of his handmaidens. But Boaz sees her difference (not like unto) them as something positive. He sees her worth, and it her acceptance of his promises that make her worthy, he sees her potential, he sees what she can be! It will be her difference that sets her apart, she is unique. Whether she feels worthy or not, she is one of them, she belongs to him. We can wonder and not see our worth, but it won’t change the fact that we are the Lord’s. Our worth is not dependent upon how we see ourselves, or how others see us (how Boaz’s servants may have seen Ruth). Our worth is dependent only upon how our Lord sees us. We begin as His servants but can end as His Bride!
Continued
THE DISPENSATIONS
Earlene Davis
First Dispensation: The Age of Innocence
This age began in the Garden of Eden, and ended with the fall. It is also called Paradise, because that is what the garden of Eden was. During this time God kept Adam and Eve for their faithfulness and obedience to Him.
Gen. 1:26, “…God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…” The triune God had a purpose and it went far beyond the garden Eden. We don’t see this at first when we read Genesis, but God purposed a New Creation. He wanted man to have dominion, that still has to come to pass. We read in verses 26 through 28 that God gave man dominion over everything. He was to rule over all God’s creation.
Gen. 2:8-9, “…The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” God placed Adam in the garden to dress it and to keep it (2:15).
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (2:16-17). This was the stewardship of Adam. He had a responsibility to rule over creation, to keep the garden and to obey God. God tested man (the natural man) as to his ability to obey.
God made the woman (2:22). “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (for they were not put to shame – 2:25).” They didn’t even realize they were naked. There was no condition of sin in their life, no guilt. Adam and Eve were created sinless, but not holy. If they had been holy, they couldn’t have sinned. They were innocent, subject to sin. Of course God knew that, but He wanted them to find out. God wanted this on record before ALL humanity. That the natural man, even under the best of circumstances, is not able to obey God. Adam had everything he could want, didn’t have to work, just dress the garden a bit, nothing to worry about. Above all this they were innocent, didn’t know sin. They didn’t know there was good and evil. They were like children in their understanding and dealings with one another. But the serpent came on the scene
The serpent spoke to Eve (not Adam). He simply asked her a question. “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (3:1). This is Satan’s way, he asks questions. He gets people to doubt God. He caused Eve to begin to doubt the goodness of God. When Eve answered, she added to what God had said. “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” God didn’t say anything about touching it. “And the serpent said unto the woman. Ye shall not surely die” (3:4). The serpent took away from what God said (See Deut. 12:32 & Jn. 8:44). The woman should have referred the serpent to her husband. God really never spoke to Eve concerning the tree, He told Adam (2:16).
I Timothy 2:14 sounds like Adam deliberately took of this fruit, for “Adam was not deceived.” I believe he loved Eve so much and didn’t want to be separated from her. He knew she was going to die, because God said they would if they ate of that tree. This is a beautiful picture of Calvary. This is what Jesus did. He was willing to be separated form His Father and take upon Him our sin, deliberately, to be identified with us. That is what Adam did. Adam lost his stewardship in doing this.
Have you ever wondered how long they were in the garden before they disobeyed? I don’t think it was very long. Through all these dispensations, Satan had his part in trying to defeat God’s purposes. He used to be Lucifer and fell from his place and became an enemy of God. He tries to defeat all of God’s purposes. When God created such a wonderful innocent sinless man, Satan tried to destroy that. Gen. 3:6, they ate of the forbidden tree. What was so bad about that? They disobeyed God. Isn’t that how human nature is, you tell the natural man not to do something and that is exactly what he wants to do. It shows up at a very early age. In every dispensation, it didn’t matter how God dealt with men, they failed God. They were not able to do what God wanted them to do.
When Adam and Eve fell, all the human race fell. Their sin was passed on to the next generation and from there on down. Sinful parents cannot give birth to children without sin. Verses 11 through 13 of Genesis 3 tell of man’s disobedient spirit as the result of the fall. With every failure of man in these dispensations, there came a judgement. God judged the serpent, Eve, and Adam. First He judged the serpent (3:14). This judgement will not be lifted even in the Kingdom Age, the last dispensation (Isa. 65:25). When man sinned and rebelled, all God’s creation rebelled, the animals were no longer tame, but wild. In the Kingdom Age, when righteousness comes to this earth, all other animals will be released, there won’t be any ferocious beasts (Rom. 8:18-23 & Isa. 11:6-9). But the serpents will still be on their belly and eat dust.
The judgement upon the woman was concerning pain in child birth and the man would rule over her (3:16). Compare I Tim. 2:15. The judgment of Adam was concerning food. Because he ate of that tree, the ground would not produce the food it should produce. When man lost dominion, the earth rebelled and brought forth thorns, thistles, and weeds. God told Adam that until he died, he will make his living by the sweat of his face (3:17-19). This will be lifted during the Kingdom Age. Man won’t have to work hard, all the land will be tillable and produce abundantly. In their judgment, Adam and Eve were barred from the garden (3:22-24). This was God’s grace that they would not eat of the tree of life and live forever in sin.
Even today man tries to get away from his failure. He just denies everything God has said by his actions and attitudes. But man was plunged into darkness and with out hope. God was not taken unawares. Man’s need provided the opportunity for God to manifest His grace which He purposed in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1). God purposed a creation which would be holy. God gave Adam and Eve a word of prophecy, a light, a hope, a Deliverer was coming (3:15). God also clothed them with the skins of slain animals. He was teaching them that a blood sacrifice was necessary for their sins to be covered, pointing them to Calvary. God instituted sacrifices, pointing forward to Christ, our Sacrifice. Redemption is the way God has obtained this holy creation. Christ is the head of this new creation and everyone who will believe on Jesus Christ may become a new creation. In each dispensation, God tested humanity and man always failed and must be judged. Only the believers escape judgment, because Jesus bore the judgment for our sins on Calvary (Jn. 5:24).
Next issue: The Age of Conscience
Earlene Davis
First Dispensation: The Age of Innocence
This age began in the Garden of Eden, and ended with the fall. It is also called Paradise, because that is what the garden of Eden was. During this time God kept Adam and Eve for their faithfulness and obedience to Him.
Gen. 1:26, “…God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…” The triune God had a purpose and it went far beyond the garden Eden. We don’t see this at first when we read Genesis, but God purposed a New Creation. He wanted man to have dominion, that still has to come to pass. We read in verses 26 through 28 that God gave man dominion over everything. He was to rule over all God’s creation.
Gen. 2:8-9, “…The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” God placed Adam in the garden to dress it and to keep it (2:15).
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (2:16-17). This was the stewardship of Adam. He had a responsibility to rule over creation, to keep the garden and to obey God. God tested man (the natural man) as to his ability to obey.
God made the woman (2:22). “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (for they were not put to shame – 2:25).” They didn’t even realize they were naked. There was no condition of sin in their life, no guilt. Adam and Eve were created sinless, but not holy. If they had been holy, they couldn’t have sinned. They were innocent, subject to sin. Of course God knew that, but He wanted them to find out. God wanted this on record before ALL humanity. That the natural man, even under the best of circumstances, is not able to obey God. Adam had everything he could want, didn’t have to work, just dress the garden a bit, nothing to worry about. Above all this they were innocent, didn’t know sin. They didn’t know there was good and evil. They were like children in their understanding and dealings with one another. But the serpent came on the scene
The serpent spoke to Eve (not Adam). He simply asked her a question. “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (3:1). This is Satan’s way, he asks questions. He gets people to doubt God. He caused Eve to begin to doubt the goodness of God. When Eve answered, she added to what God had said. “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” God didn’t say anything about touching it. “And the serpent said unto the woman. Ye shall not surely die” (3:4). The serpent took away from what God said (See Deut. 12:32 & Jn. 8:44). The woman should have referred the serpent to her husband. God really never spoke to Eve concerning the tree, He told Adam (2:16).
I Timothy 2:14 sounds like Adam deliberately took of this fruit, for “Adam was not deceived.” I believe he loved Eve so much and didn’t want to be separated from her. He knew she was going to die, because God said they would if they ate of that tree. This is a beautiful picture of Calvary. This is what Jesus did. He was willing to be separated form His Father and take upon Him our sin, deliberately, to be identified with us. That is what Adam did. Adam lost his stewardship in doing this.
Have you ever wondered how long they were in the garden before they disobeyed? I don’t think it was very long. Through all these dispensations, Satan had his part in trying to defeat God’s purposes. He used to be Lucifer and fell from his place and became an enemy of God. He tries to defeat all of God’s purposes. When God created such a wonderful innocent sinless man, Satan tried to destroy that. Gen. 3:6, they ate of the forbidden tree. What was so bad about that? They disobeyed God. Isn’t that how human nature is, you tell the natural man not to do something and that is exactly what he wants to do. It shows up at a very early age. In every dispensation, it didn’t matter how God dealt with men, they failed God. They were not able to do what God wanted them to do.
When Adam and Eve fell, all the human race fell. Their sin was passed on to the next generation and from there on down. Sinful parents cannot give birth to children without sin. Verses 11 through 13 of Genesis 3 tell of man’s disobedient spirit as the result of the fall. With every failure of man in these dispensations, there came a judgement. God judged the serpent, Eve, and Adam. First He judged the serpent (3:14). This judgement will not be lifted even in the Kingdom Age, the last dispensation (Isa. 65:25). When man sinned and rebelled, all God’s creation rebelled, the animals were no longer tame, but wild. In the Kingdom Age, when righteousness comes to this earth, all other animals will be released, there won’t be any ferocious beasts (Rom. 8:18-23 & Isa. 11:6-9). But the serpents will still be on their belly and eat dust.
The judgement upon the woman was concerning pain in child birth and the man would rule over her (3:16). Compare I Tim. 2:15. The judgment of Adam was concerning food. Because he ate of that tree, the ground would not produce the food it should produce. When man lost dominion, the earth rebelled and brought forth thorns, thistles, and weeds. God told Adam that until he died, he will make his living by the sweat of his face (3:17-19). This will be lifted during the Kingdom Age. Man won’t have to work hard, all the land will be tillable and produce abundantly. In their judgment, Adam and Eve were barred from the garden (3:22-24). This was God’s grace that they would not eat of the tree of life and live forever in sin.
Even today man tries to get away from his failure. He just denies everything God has said by his actions and attitudes. But man was plunged into darkness and with out hope. God was not taken unawares. Man’s need provided the opportunity for God to manifest His grace which He purposed in Christ before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1). God purposed a creation which would be holy. God gave Adam and Eve a word of prophecy, a light, a hope, a Deliverer was coming (3:15). God also clothed them with the skins of slain animals. He was teaching them that a blood sacrifice was necessary for their sins to be covered, pointing them to Calvary. God instituted sacrifices, pointing forward to Christ, our Sacrifice. Redemption is the way God has obtained this holy creation. Christ is the head of this new creation and everyone who will believe on Jesus Christ may become a new creation. In each dispensation, God tested humanity and man always failed and must be judged. Only the believers escape judgment, because Jesus bore the judgment for our sins on Calvary (Jn. 5:24).
Next issue: The Age of Conscience
The Messenger
By Rebecca Asbury
One-time first rights
To Glorious Gospel
Copyright 2013
Malachi said Christ would
Come to His dwelling place,
Would suddenly come,
Blest Herald of grace.
So we think of the bleating
And cooing and selling,
Space for dove cages,
Lamb cotes and stalls,
And the clink of coins
Within fair hallowed walls:
Barter and profit
In the courts of the Lord!
We think of the tables
Of rude money changers,
And a foretaste of judgment
In a scourge of small cords.
But Christ came before,
In brave questions to delve,
And sat with the sages
As a grave Lad of twelve,
While others His age
Were so without care!
He came first to His temple,
As an infant of days,
To Simeon and Anna,
Who marveled in praise.
“The One whom you seek
Shall come to His temple”
The new covenant’s Messenger
Was suddenly there.
“…the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:1
By Rebecca Asbury
One-time first rights
To Glorious Gospel
Copyright 2013
Malachi said Christ would
Come to His dwelling place,
Would suddenly come,
Blest Herald of grace.
So we think of the bleating
And cooing and selling,
Space for dove cages,
Lamb cotes and stalls,
And the clink of coins
Within fair hallowed walls:
Barter and profit
In the courts of the Lord!
We think of the tables
Of rude money changers,
And a foretaste of judgment
In a scourge of small cords.
But Christ came before,
In brave questions to delve,
And sat with the sages
As a grave Lad of twelve,
While others His age
Were so without care!
He came first to His temple,
As an infant of days,
To Simeon and Anna,
Who marveled in praise.
“The One whom you seek
Shall come to His temple”
The new covenant’s Messenger
Was suddenly there.
“…the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:1
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