Scripture Studies - Vol. IV; No. 8 - October 1997
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In this issue:

Old Testament Study - Genesis 32:1-21
A Study of Christ - John 1:17
New Testament Study - Matthew 2
A Study for Young Christians - 
    Concerning the Novelty of Godliness, by Richard Baxter
A Study in Psalms - Psalm 32
Bibliography and Suggested Reading
Postscript:  True Godliness
Footnotes

----------------------------------------------------

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May God bless you as you study His Word.





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Old Testament Study - Genesis 32:1-21
=====================================



Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
---------------------------


32:1Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met
him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of
God!" So he named that place Mahanaim.

3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in
the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He instructed them:
"This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your
servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have
 remained there till now. 5I have cattle and donkeys, sheep
and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending
this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your
eyes.'"

6When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went
to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and
four hundred men are with him."

7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who
were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and
camels as well. 8He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one
group, the group that is left may escape."

9Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my
father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, 'Go back to your
country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,'
10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you
have
 shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this
Jordan, but now I have become two groups. 11Save me, I pray,
from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will
come and attack me, and also the mothers with their
children. 12But you have said, 'I will surely make you
prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the
sea, which cannot be counted.'"

13He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he
selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14two hundred female
goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty
rams, 15thirty female camels with their young, forty cows
  and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male
donkeys. 16He put them in the care of his servants, each
herd by itself, and said to his servants, "Go ahead of me,
and keep some space between the herds."

17He instructed the one in the lead: "When my brother Esau
meets you and asks, 'To whom do you belong, and where are
you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?'
18then you are to say, 'They belong to your servant   Jacob.
They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming
behind us.'"

19He also instructed the second, the third and all the
others who followed the herds: "You are to say the same
thing to Esau when you meet him. 20And be sure to say, 'Your
servant Jacob is coming behind us.'" For he thought, "I will
  pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later,
when I see him, perhaps he will receive me." 21So Jacob's
gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night
in the camp.

-----------

In the previous chapter, Jacob took his final leave of
Laban.  In doing so, he effectively promised Laban that he
would not return (see Gen. 31:52).  So, there is now only
one way for Jacob to travel, and that is home to Canaan.
But,
  ahead of him is Esau, his brother who at one time vowed to
kill him (see Gen. 27:41).  Thus, Jacob is (proverbially
speaking) between a rock and a hard place.  However, God is
with Him, and makes His presence known to him:  "Jacob
also went on his way, and the angels of God met him" (Gen.
32:1).  God is good.  Sometimes obedience to His commands is
not easy.  We face difficulties in carrying out His will.
Jacob was commanded to return to Canaan (see Gen.   31:13).
This was a difficult command for Jacob to carry out because
of Esau's pledge to kill him.  But God showed Jacob that He
was with him, and that Jacob was indeed within the will of
God in returning to Canaan, by sending   "angels" to meet
Jacob in his journey.  So we learn that God tests us and
send trials so that we might mature in our faith; but we
also learn that God is with us through the trials,
supporting us and strengthening us.  Paul taught:    "No
temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And
God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what
you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also
provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (I
  Cor. 10:13).

Again:  "the angels of God met [Jacob]," and so note this:
angels are real.  The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews
asks rhetorically (thereby teaching us the office of
angels):  "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to
serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Heb. 1:14).  There
are special promises concerning the protection of believers
by angels, among them:  "If you make the Most High your
dwelling--even the Lord, who is my refuge-- then no harm
 will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.  For
He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in
all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that
you will not strike your foot against a stone" (Ps.
91:9-12).  Jacob was blessed by God in that he was shown the
angels that were protecting him:  "When Jacob saw them, he
said, 'This is the camp of God!' So he named that place
Mahanaim" (Gen. 32:2).  Jacob acknowledged the presence of
  the angels and the protection of God by naming the place
"Mahanaim".  "Mahanaim" means "two camps".  Jacob not only
had his own camp (which was formidable in itself) with which
to confront Esau, but was also accompanied by a camp of
  God's angels.

Jacob devised a plan in order to try to mitigate some of his
brother's anger:  "Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his
brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He
instructed them: 'This is what you are to say to my   master
Esau: "Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with
Laban and have remained there till now.  I have cattle and
donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now
I am sending this message to my lord, that I may   find
favor in your eyes."'" (vss. 3-5).  Jacob's plan was to let
Esau know about his riches--his "cattle and donkeys, sheep
and goats, menservants and maidservants"--so that Esau would
not see him as a threat to reclaim all the riches
  of the birthright.  Also, Jacob went out of his way in
order to appease Esau by using phrases such as:  "my master
EsauŠyour servant JacobŠto my lordŠ"  Such humiliation of
himself on Jacob's part was not within the will of God.   In
 the oracle God gave to Jacob's mother Rebekah, He had said,
"The older will serve the younger" (Gen. 25:23).  Thus, by
using such humiliating language, Jacob was ceding to Esau
what was rightfully his own, given to him by God.   Jacob
was hardly stepping out in the faith of someone who had a
camp of angels protecting him.  On the contrary, though the
camp of angels was with him, Jacob was still walking in his
own power, and in his own ability to devise his  own  plans
and schemes, rather than turning to God for strength and
wisdom.

Note in passing that Esau was not even living in the
promised land of Canaan, but was living in "Seir, the
country of Edom", which was on the other side of the Dead
Sea from the land of Canaan.  We are not given the specific
reasons   for this, but we can speculate that the tension
between Esau's Hittite wives and his parents Isaac and
Rebekah (see Gen. 26:35) had not improved, and so, Esau
moved out of the promised land.  Given this, Jacob, in
wanting to return to
  Canaan, was absolutely no threat to Esau's wealth and
property.

Jacob's scheme did not work very well:  "When the messengers
returned to Jacob, they said, 'We went to your brother Esau,
and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are
with him'" (vs. 6).  The "four hundred men" were   clearly
meant to be a threat to Jacob.  Esau was bringing an army to
meet his brother, whom he had not seen for twenty years.
"In great fear and distress", Jacob withdrew.  He "divided
the people who were with him into two groups,   and the
flocks and herds and camels as well.  He thought, 'If Esau
comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may
escape'" (vs. 7-8).

Up to this point, from a worldly point of view, Jacob had
acted with wisdom, had done everything that was right in
order to assess the threat of Esau and to protect his own
family.  From a godly point of view though, Jacob had
neglected to do a very important thing, something which he
should have done first, before coming up with his own
scheme:  he should have first prayed to God.  Now finally,
in verse 9, after his own scheme had failed, we read:  "Then
  Jacob prayed."  We so often turn to God only as a last
resort.  When the situation gets utterly hopeless, when we
have backed ourselves into a corner, then and only then do
we turn to God in prayer.  Why do we wait so long?  Pray
first!  If we would pray first, we would save ourselves a
lot of distress.  Jacob's fear of the "four hundred men"
drove him to prayer.  God often uses trials to get our
attention, and to turn us back to Him.

Believe it or not, Jacob's prayer here is only the second
recorded prayer in the Bible.  The first recorded prayer
(recall) was an intercessory prayer when Abraham pleaded
with God not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (see Gen.
18:16ff).
   So, this is the first recorded prayer that deals with
one's own needs.  And it is (for the most part) a model
prayer, a prayer we would do well in using as an example.
Jacob began by addressing God as the God of the covenant
promises:  "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father
Isaac" (vs. 9).  Jacob's invocation of the God of the
Covenant of his people is similar to us invoking the God of
our Covenant by saying, "Our Father in heaven" (Matt. 6:9).
  Jacob continued:  "O Lord" (or "YHWH", the name of God)
"who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your
relatives, and I will make you prosper.'"  We are always on
solid ground in our prayers when our actions are in line
with a   command of God, and our petitions are consistent
with a promise of God.  Though Jacob was appealing to a
promise of God, he didn't treat the promise as something
that God owed him due to his own merit.  Rather, he prayed:
"I am   unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you
have shown your servant" (vs. 10).  Jacob prayed with
humility before God, realizing that he did not deserve the
blessings and favor of God.  He looked back to the work that
God had   done on his behalf throughout his life:  "I had
only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have
become two groups" (vs. 10).  After this prelude, Jacob came
to his petition:  "Save me, I pray, from the hand of my
brother   Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me,
and also the mothers with their children" (vs. 11).  To end
his prayer, Jacob again appealed to a promise of God:  "But
you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make
  your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be
counted'" (vs. 12).  God, of course, does not need to be
reminded of His promises, but our remembrance of them boosts
our confidence in prayer, and strengthens our faith.

After his prayer, Jacob devised another plan.  He sent a
large gift ("two hundred female goats and twenty male goats,
two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with
their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female
  donkeys and ten male donkeys") ahead of him to Esau, with
servants to attend to the gift.  This was a wise plan.  If
Esau accepted the gift, he could not (for honor's sake)
attack Jacob.  If he did not accept the gift, Jacob would
have plenty of time to react to the rejection of the gift
and prepare for a conflict.  Jacob advised his servants to
tell Esau, in response to an inquiry concerning the gift:
"They belong to your servant Jacob.  They are a gift sent
 to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us" (vs. 18).
Again, I believe that Jacob went overboard on his humility
in saying to Esau "your servant JacobŠ my lord Esau."
"There is a difference between genuine repentance and
grovelling humiliation."[1]  Jacob did not have to renounce the
exalted position that God had given him.  Jacob did not need
to humiliate himself in front of Esau.  What he needed to do
was apologize to and ask for forgiveness from Esau
 for his scheming.  Jacob here is typical of those who need
forgiveness from God:  they send gift after gift (by doing
"good works") thinking this will appease God.  What they
really need is to repent and receive the forgiveness of God
 that is available for the asking through Jesus Christ.



God Wrestles with Jacob
-----------------------

32:22That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two
maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the
Jabbok. 23After he had sent them across the stream, he sent
over all his possessions. 24So Jacob was left alone,
  and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When the man
saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket
of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled
with the man. 26Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is
  daybreak."

But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless
me."

27The man asked him, "What is your name?"

"Jacob," he answered.

28Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but
Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and
have overcome."

29Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."

But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed
him there.

30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I
saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."

31The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was
limping because of his hip. 32Therefore to this day the
Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of
the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near
 the tendon.

-----------

Now we come to this strange, almost surreal, event in
Jacob's life, where he wrestles an angel of the Lord.  Jacob
apparently could not sleep due to his anxiety over meeting
Esau.  So, "that night Jacob got up and took his two wives,
 his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the
ford of the Jabbok" (vs. 22).  Presumably to get a quieter
environment so that he may sleep better, Jacob took everyone
and all his possessions across the river, but he himself
  remained on the other side.  Jacob (I'm sure) felt that he
needed lots of rest before confronting Esau; however, God
had other ideas:  "So Jacob was left alone, and a man
wrestled with him till daybreak" (vs. 23).  Because this
narrative is told from Jacob's point of view, the wrestler
is originally called a "man".  We learn from the book of
Hosea that the wrestler was an "angel" (see Hosea 12:4).  At
the end of the episode, Jacob believed that he wrestled
with God Himself (see vs. 30).  So, who was this wrestler?
I believe (as do many other commentators), that the wrestler
was an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ Himself.  We
do know (whoever the wrestler may have been) that he
  was sent from God and that this struggle represents God's
ongoing struggle with Jacob.

It is significant that the "man wrestled with [Jacob]" (vs.
24).  Some see in this event a symbol of how believers can
achieve their objectives through struggling with God in
prayer.  This interpretation, however, does not fit the
details of the event.  It was not Jacob wrestling with God,
but God wrestling with Jacob.  This event is a symbolic
picture of God's grace and care for us.  Rather than
overpowering us, forcing us to do His will, or (on the other
  hand) rather than ignoring us when we are disobedient, God
wrestles with us to turn us toward Him.  Jacob (typical of
us) was always trying to get things done his own way, always
devising schemes to achieve his own purposes.  God   forever
was wrestling with Jacob to get him to depend on Him.
Finally, in order to get Jacob to cling to Him, God "touched
the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he
wrestled the man" (vs. 25).  This again is the   grace of
God.  God could not get Jacob to change (He "could not
overpower him") by just wrestling with him:  Jacob rather
than give up would just keep wrestling.  God had to send an
affliction, had to cripple him, in order to get him
 to stop wrestling.  Note, the affliction was sent as a last
resort, because it was the only thing that could get Jacob
to stop wrestling with God and start clinging to God.

God, through the wrestler, achieved His purpose:  "Then the
man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.'  But Jacob
replied, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me'" (vs.
26).  Jacob was clinging so hard that the angel had to ask
him to let go.  The Lord through Hosea gives us a clearer
picture of how desperately Jacob was clinging to the
wrestler:  "[Jacob] struggled with the angel and overcame
him; he wept and begged for his favor" (Hosea 12:4).  Jacob
would
  not let go until he received a blessing from the wrestler.
 Jacob, it appears, was well aware that he was wrestling a
representative (if not a representation) of God, for he knew
that the wrestler had the power to bless him.

The wrestler answered Jacob by changing his name:  "Your
name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have
struggled with God and with men and have overcome" (vs. 28).
 The name "Jacob" (which literally means, "heel catcher")
  is a picture of Jacob's struggles with men; his new name
"Israel" (which seems to mean "he struggles with God") is a
picture of Jacob's struggle with God.  Significantly,
"Israel" could also be translated "God struggles".  This
latter  translation best fits this episode because, as we
have said, it was God who was wrestling with Jacob.

Interestingly, the wrestler said that Jacob struggled with
God, and that Jacob had "overcome".  I would hardly call
someone who was permanently crippled and clinging to his
adversary as being the one who had "overcome".  However, it
 was in God's eyes that Jacob overcame, for God has defined
what it means to overcome:  "For everyone born of God
overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome
the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the
world?
  Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (I John
5:4,5).  The only true victors in the world are those who
are "born of God".  After the wrestling match, "the sun rose
above Jacob".  This could be symbolic of Jacob's new
birth.  He is a new person.  He was Jacob, now he is Israel.
 He did depend upon his own schemings, now he clings to God,
and depends on Him.   We should all learn from Jacob.  Let
us all stop wrestling with God and start clinging to
 Him, so that we too, in this way, may "overcome".




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A Study of Christ - John 1:17
=============================


Here, we continue our verse by verse study of the Prologue
to John's Gospel.



John 1:17 - Grace and Truth
---------------------------


17For the law was given through Moses;
  grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

-----------

The first thing we must note about this verse is that it
refers to the previous verse.  John says:  "For the law was
given. . ."  By saying "For", John is giving this verse as
the source of what the previous verse said.  In the
previous verse, John told us:  "From the fullness of His
grace we have all received one blessing after another" (John
1:16).  Now we are given the source of all the blessings
that we have received:  "For the law was given through
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

Many see John in this verse as putting "the law" and "grace
and truth" in opposition to each other.  I disagree with
this.  I see this verse as showing "the law" as being a step
in a progression toward "grace and truth".  As John   says,
"We have all received one blessing after another" (vs. 16):
the first blessing, "the law was given through Moses"; then
another blessing, "grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ."  Make no mistake.  The law, as given by God,
  was a great blessing.  David teaches:  "The law of the
Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord
are trustworthy, making wise the simple.  The precepts of
the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands
of  the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.  The
fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances
of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.  They are
more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are
sweeter  than honey, than honey from the comb.  By them is
your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward"
(Ps. 19:7-11).  The law teaches us true morality.  The law
teaches us what God considers to be right and wrong.
Without  God's law, we would have to guess by our own
feelings what is right and wrong.  We would be like ships
without rudders without the law of God.

Christ, of course, has the utmost respect for the law, and
lest we misunderstand His ministry, He told us:  "Do not
think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I
have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  I   tell
you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the
smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any
means disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished" (Matt. 5:17-18).  Our text in John describes
Christ's fulfilling of the law:  "For the law was given
through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
The law needed to be "fulfilled" because, though the law is
"holy, righteous and good" (Rom. 7:12), it is an
incomplete revelation of God and His plan.  The law by
itself condemns us.  As Paul teaches:  "Law brings wrath.
And where there is no law there is no transgression" (Rom.
4:15); and then, "All who rely on observing the law are
under
  a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does
not continue to do everything written in the Book of the
Law'" (Gal. 3:10); and then again, "Therefore no-one will be
declared righteous in [God's] sight by observing the law;
  rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Rom.
3:20).  The law is incomplete in that it sets out commands
that we are required to obey, but it does not give us the
strength or the means to obey, nor does it adequately
provide us with a process by which we may atone for our
sins. Yes, the law does set out the means for limited
atonement through animal sacrifices, but this means of
atonement is incomplete.  As the writer of Hebrews stated:
"But   those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins,
because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to
take away sins" (Heb. 10:3-4).  These ritual sacrifices were
purposely left incomplete by God.  In fact, rather than
being   the true means of atonement, they were meant to be
prophetical in pointing to the true means of atonement.
"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are
coming--not the realities themselves.  For this reason it
can never, by
 the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year,
make perfect those who draw near to worship" (Heb. 10:1).
As stated, "the law is only a shadow of the good things that
are coming".  It is a "shadow" of the true means of
atonement:  the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  The
writer of Hebrews points out the difference between the
"shadow" and the true means of atonement:  "Day after day
every priest stands and performs his religious duties;
again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins.  But when this priest [Jesus Christ]
had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down
at the right hand of God" (Heb. 10:11-12).  Paul also
explains:  "For what the law was powerless to do in that it
was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His
own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering"
(Rom. 8:3).

So the law was purposely left incomplete so that it may
point us to Christ.  The law set out commandments which were
impossible for sinful man to carry out.  Thus, the law
showed us that we needed the grace of God in order to avoid
 the judgment of God.  In the law we were given elements of
this grace through the limited atonement provided by the
ritual sacrifices, but (as stated above) this grace was
imcomplete, and meant to be a shadow of the true grace that
 would come through Jesus Christ.  So, what John states is
now clear:  "For the law was given through Moses; grace and
truth came through Jesus Christ."  The full measure of God's
"grace" came through Jesus Christ.  "Truth" also came
through Jesus Christ in that He is the fulfillment of the
things to which the law pointed.  And so, the law as given
through Moses is not in opposition to the grace and truth
that came through Jesus Christ, rather it is a step in the
 progression that leads us to the complete revelation of God
as given through the life and work of His Son Jesus Christ.
Paul taught:  "So the law was put in charge to lead us to
Christ that we might be justified by faith" (Gal.   3:24).
Yes, indeed, the law is good, in that it points us to
Christ, the ultimate source of all blessings, the ultimate
source of all grace, the truth of God revealed to man.

Yes, Father, we praise You and thank You for the law You
have given us.  We praise You that it leads us to Your Son,
Jesus Christ.  We thank You for the grace  with which You
have showered us through the forgiveness of sins through
Jesus.  And we thank You for Your magnificent Word, through
which we know of Your perfect plan that allows us, sinful
men and women, to be reconciled to You, through Your Son
Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray these things, Amen.





===========================================================


New Testament Study - Matthew 2
===============================



Visitors from the East
----------------------

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time
of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and
asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?
We saw His star in the east and have come to worship   Him."

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all
Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the
people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked
them where the Christ was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in
Judea,"   they replied, "for this is what the prophet has
written: 6"'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by
no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you
will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people
Israel.'"

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them
the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to
Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the
child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too
 may go and worship Him."

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and
the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until
it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they
saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the
house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they
bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their
treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of
incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream
not to go   back to Herod, they returned to their country by
another route.

13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to
Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and
His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you,
for Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him."

14So he got up, took the child and His mother during the
night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death
of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said
through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

16When Herod realised that he had been outwitted by the
Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the
boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old
and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from
the
 Magi. 17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was
fulfilled: 18"A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great
mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be
comforted, because they are no more."

19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream
to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, "Get up, take the child and
his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were
trying to take the child's life are dead."

21So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to
the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was
reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was
afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he
withdrew
  to the district of Galilee, 23and he went and lived in a
town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through
the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

-----------

Here we have the familiar episode of the visit of the Magi
to Jesus.  However, despite its familiarity, most of us have
many misconceptions about the Magi and their visit to Jesus.
 These misconceptions have crept in through   traditions
that have evolved over the years concerning the celebration
of Christmas.  These misconceptions include:  the Magi were
kings (in fact, they were not kings), there were three of
them (in fact, we do not know how many there
 were), they visited Jesus while He was in the manger (in
fact, they visited Jesus some time later, after the Holy
family had taken residence in a house, see vs. 11).  The
reason I bring this up is not to disillusion you concerning
our   Christmas traditions, but to use this as an example of
what can happen when we stray from consulting the Bible for
the truth concerning biblical matters.  As we can see from
the story of the Magi, man has a way of embellishing the
truth so that, in the end, he has embellished it so much
that it no longer resembles the truth.  While the details
concerning the visit of the Magi are not theologically
significant, there are many theologically significant truths
  that have been embellished by man and the traditions of
various faiths, such that they also no longer resemble God's
truth.  And so, we must be careful to seek God's truth in
God's Word, not in the traditions of men.  On questions
concerning the tenets of Christianity, we should turn to the
Bible as the final authority.  We should only turn to men
for such answers insofar as they can help lead us to the
truth in God's Word.

So now, let's look at what really happened:  "After Jesus
was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked,
'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw
His
 star in the east and have come to worship Him'" (vss. 1-2).
 Note first, this all happened "after Jesus was born".  The
Magi, as stated, did not visit Jesus when He was still in
the manger.  At this time, Herod was ruling Israel under
the authority of Rome.  He was given by the Senate in Rome
the title "King of the Jews", even though he himself was not
a Jew (he was Idumean).  Thus, as we shall see, he felt
threatened when the Magi asked:  "Where is the one who  has
been born king of the Jews?"

The Magi were "from the east", probably Persia (formerly
Babylon).  It is quite possible that this group of Magi were
descended from the astrologers and magicians that Daniel
ruled over in Nebuchadnezzar's court (see Dan. 1:20; 2:2;
4:7; 5:7).  If so, they quite possibly had access to the
writings and prophecies of Daniel.  This would explain their
knowledge of the coming of the Messiah to Israel, especially
since Daniel 9:25 is very explicit as to when the   Messiah
would come.  Possibly because of these prophecies,
contemporary historians (Josephus, Tacitus, and Suetonius)
tell us that there was a widespread feeling that a world
ruler would come out of Israel.  God Himself must also have
  spoken to the Magi in some way so that they related the
"star in the east" to the coming King of the Jews, for the
Magi called the star "His star".

There has been much speculation concerning what exactly this
"star" was.  Many astronomers have exerted much effort to
try and find a "natural" explanation for the star.  They
have looked at the paths of comets to see which ones may
have been near the earth at the time of Christ's birth; they
have determined what conjunctions of planets and stars may
have occured at the time that might account for an
abnormally large looking star; they have speculated that a
supernova may have occurred, that would generate a large
looking star.  In my opinion, none of these explanations is
adequate, especially given that the star later "went ahead
of [the Magi] until it stopped over the place where the
child was" (see vs. 9).  The best explanation for the star
is a miraculous one, not a natural one.  The "star", given
its un-starlike behavior, must certainly have been a special
creation of God to lead the Magi (and others) to the   Lord
of the universe.  Certainly, there were many other miracles
surrounding the birth of our Savior:  the virgin conception,
the annunciation by angels, the special guidance by God of
Joseph and Mary through dreams and visions, and   for that
matter, the knowledge of the Magi from Persia that a Jewish
king was coming, could all be considered miracles of God.
Why not also a miraculous star?

We may ask, why did God go to so much trouble in guiding the
Magi to Jesus?  We could give many reasons.  First, though
Jesus was specifically a Messiah for the Jews,--"King of the
Jews", as the Magi called Him--He was also sent so   that
"all peoples on earth would be blessed" through Him (see
Gen. 12:3).  Therefore, it makes sense that His birth was an
event that God would not leave unheralded among the
Gentiles.  Though they were not Jews, the Magi sought the
King of the Jews, somehow knowing His kingship would apply
also to them.

Second, the response of the Magi to the birth of the
King--that they embarked on a long journey to "come to
worship Him"--in contrast to the response of the chief
priests and of Herod, is valuable for us to study.  It is
significant   that the Magi, Gentiles from a faraway land,
were the first men to announce the birth of the Messiah.
Where were the chief priests and teachers of the law?  As
for them, they did not seem at all interested.  After the
Magi had   inquired of Herod concerning the birth of the
"king of the Jews", Herod inquired of the "chief priests and
teachers of the law" concerning where the Messiah was to be
born (vs. 4).  They were well acquainted with the prophecies
that   foretold where the Messiah was to be born, and cited
one of them to Herod:  "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of
Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for
out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my
 people Israel" (vs. 6; cf. Micah 5:2).  Sadly, though they
knew the Bible, they had no desire to know the King.  One
would have thought that they would have been interested in
what the Magi had to say, that they would have marveled
that a star guided the Magi to Israel, that they would have
pleaded to accompany the Magi to see if, indeed, the King
had been born.  Certainly John's words are borne out in the
behavior of the chief priests and the teachers of the   law:
 "He came to that which was His own, but His own did not
receive Him" (John 1:11).  It is a sad truth that it is not
always the "religious" leaders who serve God best.  Perhaps
the chief priests and teachers of the law had grown
 too accustom to the teachings of the Bible:  the Word of
God no longer stirred their hearts.  We must be careful that
apathy concerning things spiritual does not set in in our
lives and service.  "The scribes should be a warning to
all religious teachers, in the pulpit, the Sunday-school,
the family; they told others where to find the Saviour, but
did not go to Him themselves."[2]

Herod's response to the inquiries of the Magi was not
apathy, but opposition:  "When King Herod heard this he was
disturbed" (vs. 3).  Herod, considering himself to be the
one and only king of the Jews, felt threatened by "the one
who
  has been born king of the Jews" (vs. 2).  Note that Jesus
was "born king of the Jews", He did not have to wait to
become the king.  Herod, on the other hand, had to petition
the Senate at Rome to be given the title "king of the
Jews".   So Herod was, in a sense, a usurper.  Herod
demanded the worship of the Jews; the Jews should have been
worshipping the true king of the Jews, Jesus Christ.  Even
given all this, though, it is surprising that Herod could
have
 felt so  threatened by an infant.  Herod, being aged, must
surely have realized that he would be dead and gone well
before this infant king could become any sort of threat to
him.  Herod had the paranoia that power and riches can
bring.  Power  and riches can oftentimes be dangerous to the
soul.  Given that this new "king of the Jews" was prophesied
in the Word of God to be born, did not Herod realize that in
opposing the child he was opposing God?  It is a  very
stupid thing  to fight against God.  One can never win such
a battle.  It is especially stupid to fight a loving God,
such as we have.  Why would one fight a loving, forgiving,
gracious God?

Herod put on a show to the Magi, pretending that he desired
also to worship this new king:  "Then Herod called the Magi
secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had
appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go   and
make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find
Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him'"
(vs. 7-8).  Herod's reply notwithstanding, the Magi must
have thought it strange that there was not more interest
in Israel to worship this new king.  They had travelled
hundreds of miles to worship, yet the people whose king the
child was, including the religious leaders, did not seem to
care.  This behavior of the locals is evocative of those
who live in so-called "Christian" nations, and yet, have no
desire to learn about the Christian faith, to learn about
their Savior Jesus Christ.  It seems that it is much easier
to get a total stranger to the faith interested in the
Gospel message than those who have been exposed to it in
some form or another all their lives.

A third reason that (I believe) God sent the Magi was to
show us that He can and does speak to those of other lands
who are not exposed to the truths of God through more
conventional means of revelation.  Clearly, the Magi were
given
 some special revelation by God.  Not only did they have the
star to guide them to where Jesus was born, but they were
given the knowledge to relate the star to the birth of the
king of the Jews.  They said:  "Where is the one who has
  been born king of the Jews?  We saw His star in the east"
(vs. 1).  It also seems that they were given some sort of
revelation from God concerning the gifts that they should
give Jesus:  "On coming to the house, they saw the child
with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped
Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with
gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh" (vs. 11).  The
gifts can be seen to be prophetic to the offices of Jesus
 Christ.  The gold speaks of His royalty; the incense (which
was commonly used in sacrificial offerings) speaks of His
deity; the myrrh (which was used in the embalming of
deceased bodies, see John 19:39) points to His death and
thus
 speaks of His priesthood.  And so, it seems that somehow
God inspired these gifts given by the Magi.  Most
importantly, the Magi were inspired to "worship" Jesus.
Their actions disclose the fact that their worship was true.
 They   travelled many miles, went to great trouble to seek
Him out, were overjoyed when the guiding star reappeared,
and then, when they found Him, "bowed down and worshipped
Him" (vs. 11).  All this suggests that the Magi had a saving
  knowledge of Jesus.  They must have understood who He is,
and that salvation comes through Him.  In addition to the
Magi, there are others in the Bible who have come to a
knowledge of God without the benefit of His normal means of
 revelation:  witness Melchizedek, Jethro and Job.  Let's
not underestimate God.  Many people ask, "What about the guy
in a far-off country who has not heard of Christ?  Can he be
saved?"  The knowledge of God as demonstrated by the   Magi
implies that, yes, God can reveal Himself to them.

A fourth reason that (I believe) God sent the Magi was that
their visit set off a chain of events that led the Holy
family first to Egypt, and then finally to Nazareth, where
God wanted them.  This course of events began when the Magi
  visited Herod.  News of the birth of the true "king of the
Jews" disturbed Herod.  After finding out from the chief
priests and teachers of the law where the Messiah was
prophesied to be born (vss. 4-5), Herod "called the Magi
secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had
appeared" (vs. 7).  We learn later that Herod wanted this
information in order to determine how old the child would be
(see vs. 16).  Herod also told the Magi:  "As soon as
 you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and
worship Him" (vs. 8).  Herod of course had no desire to
worship the king, but was already planning to kill Him.

God foiled Herod's plan, though, and warned the Magi in a
dream to not return to Herod.  God also sent an angel to
warn Joseph:  "Get upŠtake the child and his mother and
escape to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is
 going to search for the child to kill Him" (vs. 13).
Joseph, as we have always seen him do, obeyed God to the
word:  "So he got up, took the child and His mother during
the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the
death of
  Herod" (vs. 14-15).  Matthew uses this event to teach us
about Old Testament typology.  He states:  "And so was
fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Out
of Egypt I called my son'" (vs. 15).  This passage is taken
 from Hosea 11:1, and if one turns there and reads the
context, he will find that the Lord is speaking through
Hosea concerning the disobedience of Israel.  The passage
upon plain reading does not at all seem prophetic of Christ.
 So,
 why would Matthew cite it then?  Didn't he know that the
context of the passage concerned the history of disobedient
Israel?  What has this to do with Christ?  Of course Matthew
knew the context of what he was citing, yet he was
inspired by the Holy Spirit to cite the passage anyway.
This passage was cited not to confirm an obvious prophecy,
but to teach us concerning a not-so-obvious prophecy.  If we
delve into the question, "How does this prophecy relate   to
Christ?", we can learn something about prophecy and typology
in the Old Testament.  Since the passage in Hosea obviously
concerns the history of Israel, Matthew must be telling us
that the history of Israel is typical in some way   of the
life of Christ.  A cursory inspection of the history of
Israel and the life of Christ reveals some similarities:  as
Matthew tells us, they both were exiled to Egypt; they both
faced trials in the desert (Israel for forty   years, Jesus
for forty days); Christ is God's son, Israel was also called
God's son (see Ex. 4:22-23; Jer. 31:9).  We also find
passages of prophecy in the Old Testament where prophecies
concerning Israel and prophecies concerning   Christ are
intertwined (most notably, see Isa. 42 through 53).  There,
of course, is a noteworthy difference between the history of
Israel and the life of Christ:  Israel was disobedient,
Christ was obedient.  Jesus is what Israel   should have
been.  Israel should have been God's son, a light leading
the Gentiles to God, teaching the surrounding nations about
God's law, an exemplary nation in obedience to God.  But
Israel failed in this, and so Christ needed to
 come to earth to be what Israel failed to be.  Isaiah 5
speaks of Israel as a vine in God's vineyard, given special
care by God.  But the vine yielded only bad fruit.  Jesus,
in John 15, states:  "I am the true vine" (John 15:1).  So
  again we see, Jesus is what Israel should have been.

These are some of the truths we learn by digging into
Matthew's citation:  "Out of Egypt I called my son."  Some
would have turned to Hosea, read the context, and concluded
(without digging into it) that Matthew did not know what he
 was talking about.  Many do this.  They read a portion of
the Bible and, because they do not immediately understand
it, they conclude that it is a mistake.  Then they throw up
their hands and say, "See!  The Bible is full of mistakes
 and contradictions!"  This statement reflects their
ignorance, laziness and arrogance.  They show their
ignorance by not understanding what the Bible is saying,
their laziness by not seeking a true understanding of what
the Bible is
 saying, their arrogance by jumping to the conclusion that
the Bible is flawed just because they do not understand what
it is saying.  The Bible is God's Word.  Our minds do not
immediately understand many things in it.  But I have
found, God rewards greatly those who dig in to difficult
passages, with the desire to learn the truth about what the
passages are saying.

To continue, Joseph (as stated) was obedient to God, and
fled to Egypt.  There were many Jews in Egypt at the time
(so we learn from contemporary historians), so this journey
was not all that unusual.  Herod went on to "kill all the
boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old
and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from
the Magi" (vs. 16).  When he says, "in accordance with the
time he had learned from the Magi", Matthew is referring
back to verse 7, when Herod "found out from [the Magi] the
exact time the star had appeared."  Thus, we can infer that
the star appeared to the Magi about two years earlier.
Herod interpreted this to mean that the child they were
seeking was born at that time, and so he decided to "kill
all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two
years old and under."  This, of course, was a very cruel
act.  This cruel act, though, is consistent with what we
know   from history about King Herod.  Herod's paranoia and
cruelty led him to kill three of his own sons, and one of
his wives.  Also, in order that the whole nation would mourn
his death, Herod ordered that upon his death one member of
every family in Israel be put to death (this order was not
carried out).  So here we see more of Herod's cruelty in
killing the boys in Bethlehem.

Matthew here cites a passage from Jeremiah as being
fulfilled:  "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great
mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be
comforted, because they are no more" (vs. 18, citing Jer.
31:1).  "Rachel" is seen as the mother of Israel.
Certainly, Rachel would have mourned for her children in
Bethlehem being murdered by Herod.  The context of the
passage in Jeremiah from which this verse is taken speaks of
the   suffering of Israel (specifically during the exile),
and the future blessings upon Israel by God through their
Redeemer.  So again, we have a passage where prophecies
concerning the history of Israel and the life of Christ are
 intertwined.  I encourage you to turn to Jeremiah 31 and
read the whole context of this passage.

After Herod's death, Joseph was told in a dream to return to
Israel (vs. 20), and again Joseph was completely obedient
(vs. 21).  Joseph feared to return to Judea, though, since
Archelaus (Herod's son) was reigning there (vs. 22).
Instead, "having been warned in a dream, [Joseph] withdrew
to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town
called Nazareth" (vss. 22-23).  So, as stated, the visit of
the Magi to Herod set off this whole chain of events   that
eventually brought Joseph and his family to reside in
Nazareth, where God wanted Jesus to reside during His youth.
 Matthew says:  "So was fulfilled what was said through the
prophets:  'He will be called a Nazarene'" (vs. 23).
 Here, Matthew is not quoting a specific prophecy (you
cannot find these exact words in the Old Testament), but
rather he is referring to an impression gleaned from a
number of prophecies concerning the Messiah.  This is why he
says,
 "Šwhat was said through the prophetsŠ"  Matthew uses the
plural "prophets" because, again, he is not referring to a
specific prophecy.

So, what does the statement, "He will be called a Nazarene",
mean.  Nazareth was an obscure and unimportant town, known
for its depravity.  In fact, when Christ's disciple Philip
told Nathaniel about "Jesus of  Nazareth", Nathaniel   said:
 "Nazareth!  Can anything good come from there?"  And so,
the statement, "He will be called a Nazarene", is really
synonymous with, "He will be despised, He will be looked
down upon, He will be known as one who comes from an
obscure and unimportant place."  This fulfills a number of
prophecies, among them:  "He grew up before Him like a
tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground" (Isa.
53:2); "He was despised and rejected by men" (Isa. 53:3);
"But I
 am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the
people" (Ps. 22:6).  It is significant (and I think Matthew
here is implicitly pointing out the fact) that Jesus was
known as "Jesus of Nazareth", not "Jesus of Bethlehem"
(though He had every right to be known as "Jesus of
Bethlehem").  Bethlehem was the City of David, and so the
appellation "Jesus of Bethlehem" would have suggested
royalty.  God chose the humble road for His Son.  He
directed Joseph   to Nazareth, so that Christ would be known
as "Jesus of Nazareth".  Jesus grew up in a humble family,
in a rough neighborhood.  No one would be able to say:  "Oh.
 Jesus was sinless because He had it easy."  And so, no
matter what our
  lot in life, we have no right to complain.  We cannot say:
 "God.  I'm a sinner because of what you made me, where you
put me.  Look at this neighborhood I live in!  Look, I am
poor!"  Don't complain.  You are walking in the  footsteps
of your Savior.  Jesus, the Creator of the universe, allowed
Himself to be known as "Jesus of Nazareth".

Lord, we praise You for allowing Your Son to take the humble
road, so that He may be an example to us, whatever our lot
in life.  May we see the value in our life in the service we
do for You, not in the material possessions we have.
  And may we seek You as the Magi did; may we desire to
worship Your Son as they did.  We thank You for the depth of
Your Word, that we may learn from it again and again, even
as we read familiar passages.  We pray these things in the
  name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.




===========================================================


A Study for Young Christians
============================


A Classic Study by Richard Baxter (1615-1691)


[With this study we embark on a reprint of Chapter 2 from
Richard Baxter's classic tome "A Christian Directory"[3]. This
chapter consists of twenty directions to (as Mr. Baxter
says) "young Christians or beginners in religion, for their
 establishment and safe proceeding."  Though these studies
were written specifically for "young" Christians, I think
that you will find (as I did), there is much in here worthy
of meditation for those who have been walking with God for
  many years.]--Ed.



Direction I - Concerning the Novelty of Godliness
-------------------------------------------------

Take heed lest it be the novelty or reputation of truth and
godliness, that takes with you, more than the solid evidence
of their excellency and necessity; lest when the novelty and
reputation are gone, your religion wither and   consume
away.

It is said of John [the Baptist] and the Jews by Christ, "He
was a burning and a shining light, and ye were willing for a
season to rejoice in his light" (John 5:35).  All men are
affected most with things that seem new and strange to
  them.  It is not only the infirmity of children, that are
pleased with new clothes, and new toys and games; but even
to graver, wiser persons, new things are most affecting, and
commonness and custom dulls delight.  Our habitations,
  and possessions, and honours, are most pleasing to us at
the first; and every condition of life doth most affect us
at the first:  if nature were not much for novelty, the
publishing of news-books would not have been so gainful a
trade so long, unless the matter had been truer and more
desirable.  Hence it is that changes are so welcome to the
world, though they prove ordinarily to their cost.  No
wonder then, if religion be the more acceptable, when it
comes
 with this advantage.  When men first hear the doctrine of
godliness, and the tidings of another world, by a powerful
preacher opened and set home, no wonder if things of so
great moment affect them for a time:  it is said of them
that   received the seed of God's word as into stony ground,
that "forthwith it sprung up," and they "anon with joy
received it" (Matt. 13:5,20); but it quickly withered for
want of rooting.  These kind of hearers can no more delight
still   in one preacher, or one profession, or way, than a
glutton in one dish, or an adulterer in one harlot: for it
is but a kind of sensual or natural pleasure that they have
in the highest truths; and all such delight must be fed with
  novelty and variety of objects.  The Athenians were
inquisitive after Paul's doctrine as novelty, though after
they rejected it, as seeming to them incredible:  "'May we
know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is?  For
thou   bringest certain strange things to our ears:  we
would know therefore what these things mean.'  For all the
Athenians and strangers which were there, spent their time
in nothing else, but to tell or hear some new thing" (Acts
17:19-21).

To this kind of professor, the greatest truths grow out of
fashion, and they grow weary of them, as of dull and
ordinary things;  they must have some new light, or new way
of religion that lately came in fashion;  their souls are
weary of that manna that at first was acceptable to them, as
angels' food.  Old things seem low, and new things high to
them; and to entertain some novelty in religion, is to grow
up to more maturity: and too many such at last so far
 overthrive their old apparel, that the old Christ and old
gospel are left behind them.

The light of the gospel is speedilier communicated, than the
heat; and this first part being most acceptable to them, is
soon received; and religion seemeth best to them at first.
At first they have the light of knowledge alone; and
 then they have the warmth of a new and prosperous
profession:  there must be some time for the operating of
the heat, before it burneth them; and then they have enough,
and cast it away in as much haste as they took it up.  If
preachers would only lighten, and shoot no thunderbolts,
even a Herod himself would hear them gladly, and do many
things after them; but when their Herodias is meddled with,
they cannot bear it.  If preachers would speak only to men's
  fancies or understandings, and not meddle too smartly with
their hearts, and lives, and carnal interests, the world
would bear them, and hear them as they do stageplayers, or
at least as lecturers in philosophy or physic.  A sermon
 that hath nothing but some general toothless notions in a
handsome dress of words, doth seldom procure offence or
persecution:  it is rare that such men's preaching is
distasted by carnal hearers, or their persons hated for it.
"It
 is a pleasant thing for the eyes to behold the sun" (Eccl.
11:7); but not to be scorched by its heat.  Christ Himself
at a distance as promised, was greatly desired by the Jews;
but when He came, they could not bear Him; His doctrine
  and life were so contrary to their expectations.  "The
Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into His temple,
even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:
behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.  But who may
  abide the day of His coming?  and who shall stand when He
appeareth?  for He is like a refiner's fire, and like
fullers' soap" (Mal. 3:1-3).  Many when they come first (by
profession) to Christ, do little think that He would cast
them
  into the fire, and refine them, and purge away their
dross, and cast them anew into the mould of the gospel (see
Rom. 6:17).  Many will play a while by the light, that will
not endure to be melted by the fire.  When the preacher
cometh once to this, he is harsh and intolerable, and loseth
all the praise which he had won before, and the pleasing
novelty of religion is over with them.  The gospel is sent
to make such work in the soul and life, as these tender
persons will not endure;  it must captivate every thought to
Christ, and kill every lust and pleasure which is against
His will, and put a new and heavenly life into the soul; it
must possess men with deep and lively apprehensions of
 the great things of eternity; it is not wavering dull
opinions, that will raise and carry on the soul to such
vigorous, constant, victorious action, as is necessary to
salvation.  When the gospel cometh to the heart, to do this
great
  prevailing work, then these men are impatient of the
search and smart, and presently have done with it.  They are
like children, that love the book for the gilding and
fineness of the cover, and take it up as soon as any; but it
is to   play with, and not to learn; they are weary of it
when it comes to that.  At first many come to Christ with
wonder, and will needs be His servants for something in it
that seemeth fine; till they hear that the Son of man hath
not the   accommodation of the birds or foxes; and that His
doctrine and way hath an enmity to thier worldly, fleshly
interest, and then they are gone.  They first entertained
Christ in compliment, thinking that He would please them, or
not   much contradict them; but when they find that they
have received a guest that will rule them, and not be ruled
by them, that will not suffer them to take their pleasure,
nor enjoy their riches, but hold them to a life which they
  cannot endure, and even undo them in the world, He is then
no longer a guest for them.  Whereas if Christ had been
received as Christ, and truth and godliness deliberately
entertained for their well-discerned excellency and
necessity,   the deep rooting would have prevented this
apostasy, and cured such hypocrisy.

But, alas!  poor ministers find by sad experience, that all
prove not saints that flock to hear them, and make up the
crowd; nor "that for a season rejoice in their light," and
magnify them, and take their parts.  The blossom hath its
  beauty and sweetness; but all that blossometh or appeareth
in the bud, doth not come to perfect fruit:  some will be
blasted, and some blown down; some nipped with frosts, some
eaten by worms; some quickly fall, and some hang on till
the strongest blasts do cast them down; some are deceived
and poisoned by false teachers; some by worldly cares, and
the deceitfulness of riches, become unfruitful and are
turned aside; the lusts of some had deeper rooting than the
 word; and the friends of some had greater interest in them
than Christ, and therefore they forsake Him to satisfy their
importunity;  some are corrupted by the hopes of preferment,
or the favour of man; some feared from Christ by   their
threats and frowns, and choose to venture on damnation to
escape persecution; and some are so worldly wise, that they
can see reason to remit their zeal, and can save their souls
and bodies too; and prove that to be their duty,   which
other men call sin (if the end will but answer their
expectations); and some grow weary of truth and duty, as a
dull and common thing, being supplied with that variety
which might still continue the delights of novelty.

Yet mistake not what I have said, as if all the affection
furthered by novelty, and abated by commonness and use, were
a sign that the person is but a hypocrite.  I know that
there is something in the nature of man, remaining in the
best, which disposeth us to be much more passionately
affected with things when they seem new to us, and are first
apprehended, than when they are old, and we have known or
used them long.  There is not, I believe, one man of a
thousand, but is much more delighted in the light of truth,
when it first appeareth to him, than when it is trite and
familiarly known; and is much more affected with a powerful
minister at first, than when he hath long sat under him.
   The same sermon that even transported them at the first
hearing, would affect them less, if they had heard it
preached a hundred times.  The same books which greatly
affected us at the first or second reading, will affect us
less   when we have read them over twenty times.  The same
words of prayer that take much with us when seldom used, do
less move our affections when they are daily used all the
year.  At our first conversion, we have more passionate
sorrow   for our sin, and love to the godly, than we can
afterwards retain.  And all this is the case of learned and
unlearned, the sound and unsound, though not of all alike.
Even heaven itself is spoken of by Christ, as if it did
participate of this, when He saith, that "joy shall be in
heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety
and nine just persons, that need no repentance" (Luke
15:7,10).  And I know it is the duty of ministers to take
notice of this disposition in their hearers, and not to dull
them with giving them still the same, but to profit them by
a pleasant and profitable variety:  not by preaching to them
another Christ, or a new gospel:  it is the same   God, and
Christ, and Spirit, and Scripture, and the same heaven, the
same church, the same faith, and hope, and repentance, and
obedience, that we must preach to them as long as we live;
though they say, we have heard this a hundred   times, let
them hear it still, and bring them not a new creed.  If they
hear so oft of God, and Christ, and heaven, till by faith,
and love, and fruition, they attain them as their end, they
have heard well. But yet there is a   grateful variety of
subordinate particulars, and of words, and methods, and
seasonable applications, necessary to the right performance
of our ministry, and to the profiting of the flocks:  though
the physician use the same   apothecary's shop, and
dispensatory, and drugs, yet how great a variety must he use
of compositions, and times, and manner of administration.

But for all this, though the best are affected most with
things that seem new, and are dulled with the long and
frequent use of the same expressions, yet they are never
weary of the substance of their religion, so as to desire a
 change.  And though they are not so passionately affected
with the same sermons, and books, or with the thoughts or
mention of the same substantial matters of religion, as at
first they were; yet do their judgments more solidly and
tenaciously embrace them, and esteem them, and their wills
as resolvedly adhere to them, and use them, and in their
lives they practise them, better than before.  Whereas, they
that take up their religion but for novelty, will lay it
 down when it ceaseth to be new to them, and must either
change for a newer, or have none at all.

And as unsound are they that are religious, only because
their education, or their friends, or the laws or judgment
of their rulers, or the custom of the country, hath made it
necessary to their reputation:  these are hypocrites at
the first setting out, and therefore cannot be saved by
continuance in such a carnal religiousness as this.  I know
law, and custom, and education, and friends, when they side
with godliness, are a great advantage to it, by affording
 helps, and removing those impediments that might stick much
with carnal minds.  But truth is not your own, till it be
received in its proper evidence; nor your faith divine, till
you believe what you believe, because God is true who
 doth reveal it; nor are you the children of God, till you
love Him for Himself; nor are you truly religious, till the
truth and goodness of religion itself be the principal thing
that maketh you religious.  It helpeth much to discover   a
man's sincerity, when he is not only religious among the
religious, but among the profane, and the enemies, and
scorners, and persecutors of religion;  and when a man doth
not pray only in a praying family, but among the
prayerless,  and the deriders of fervent constant prayer;
and when a man is heavenly among them that are earthly, and
temperate among the intemperate and riotous, and holdeth the
truth among those that reproach it and that hold the
contrary;   when a man is not carried only by a stream of
company, or outward advantages, to his religion, nor
avoideth sin for want of a temptation, but is religious
though against the stream, and innocent when cast
(unwillingly)  upon  temptations; and is godly where
godliness is accounted singularity, hypocrisy, faction,
humour, disobedience, or heresy; and will rather let go the
reputation of his honesty, than his honesty itself.



(We will continue this study with Direction II to young
Christians in the next issue.)




===========================================================


A Study in Psalms - Psalm 32
============================





Psalm 32


Of David. A maskil.


1Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,

    whose sins are covered.

2Blessed is the man

    whose sin the Lord does not count against him

        and in whose spirit is no deceit.



3When I kept silent,

    my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

    my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.   Selah



5Then I acknowledged my sin to You

        and did not cover up my iniquity.

    I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"

        --and You forgave the guilt of my sin.   Selah



6Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You

        while You may be found;

    Surely when the mighty waters rise,

        they will not reach him.

7You are my hiding-place;

    You will protect me from trouble

        and surround me with songs of deliverance.   Selah



8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

    I will counsel you and watch over you.

9Do not be like the horse or the mule,

        which have no understanding

    but must be controlled by bit and bridle

        or they will not come to you.

10Many are the woes of the wicked,

    but the Lord's unfailing love

        surrounds the man who trusts in Him.



11Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;

        sing, all you who are upright in heart!

-----------

This psalm fulfills a promise of David's that he made in
Psalm 51. That psalm (which most certainly predates this
one) is a prayer to God for forgiveness for his sin with
Bathsheba.  David, smarting under guilt for his sin, asked
God:  "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation" (Ps. 51:12).
 Then David promised:  "Then I will teach transgressors Your
ways, and sinners will turn back to You" (Ps. 51:13).   And
so here, David teaches us of the joy of the Lord's
salvation when he proclaims:  "Blessed is he whose
transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered" (vs.
1).  Many need instruction in this.  They don't know the joy
of the Lord's forgiveness.  They have not yet discovered the
  value of the Lord's pardon.  They have their minds set on
the wealth of the world, having not yet experienced the
riches of imputed righteousness and a clear conscience
before God.



The Blessedness of the Forgiven
-------------------------------

1Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,

    whose sins are covered.

2Blessed is the man

    whose sin the Lord does not count against him

        and in whose spirit is no deceit.

-----------

David begins by stating:  "Blessed is he whose
transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against
him and in whose spirit is no deceit" (vss. 1-2).  This is
only one of   two psalms that David begins by teaching us
who is "blessed".  In Psalm 1, David declares:  "Blessed is
the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or
stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers"
(Psalms 1:1).
   In that psalm, David speaks of the blessings of the
righteous man; in this psalm, David speaks of the blessings
of the forgiven man.  It is appropriate that the other psalm
comes first.  Certainly, the blessings of the truly
righteous take precedence.  I would much rather be "blessed"
because I am righteous; but, alas, I sin.  As we begin
reading the book of Psalms, we read first of the blessedness
of the upright man.  Yes, I say, as we begin reading this
  book of Psalms, just as if we were beginning our journey
in life, we read of the blessedness of the truly righteous,
and agree that, yes, this is true blessedness, worthy of our
effort.  But as we continue reading in the Psalms, we
 read of David's trials and struggles, even as we continue
in our own life's journey and in our own trials and
struggles, and we realize (as did David), in our own effort,
we cannot fully attain the blessings of the truly righteous.

 We sin, we stumble, we fall.  And so, the realization comes
to us that the blessings spoken of in the first psalm are
foreign to us, because we cannot live the life of the
upright man.  Then we come to this psalm, and we find that,
 through the grace of God, we too can live a life full of
God's blessing through His forgiveness.  Indeed, we too can
shout with David:  "Blessed is he who transgressions are
forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose
 sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit
is no deceit."

Since we fall short of true righteousness, it follows that
the blessedness spoken of here is the source of all God's
blessings, and the greatest manifestation of His love for
us.  Yes, all true and lasting happiness comes from God's
forgiveness of our sins.  How can the man who is not at
peace with his Maker be blessed in life?  He may (by God's
grace) have temporary blessings in this life.  He may enjoy
the fruit of his labor; he may marry and revel in happy
times with his family; he may experience and marvel at the
wonderful works of God's creation; he may soar in emotional
highs through the world's joys of the arts, athleticism,
professional achievement; he may live a life of leisure
and peace with his neighbors through his hard-earned
prosperity; but though these things give him temporary
happiness, these blessings must all come to an end if he be
not at peace with God.

And in our sin, we cannot be at peace with God.  God is
holy, and so cannot allow His Name to be tarnished through
the approbation of anyone in sin.  Praise be to God that He
has provided a way by which we may be forgiven!  David knew
  of God's forgiveness through the rituals and sacrifices in
the law, but he also knew that these were insufficient, only
a shadow of the true forgiveness that God would provide
later.  He said to God:  "You do not delight in  sacrifice,
or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt
offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a
broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise" (Ps.
51:16-17).  God has since provided His Son as the  true
sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.  We can experience,
more fully than David ever could, the "blessed"ness of he
"whose transgressions are forgiven", because we know the
whole plan of the salvation offered by God through  Jesus
Christ.



The Need to Confess Sin to God
------------------------------


3When I kept silent,

    my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;

    my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah



5Then I acknowledged my sin to You

        and did not cover up my iniquity.

    I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"

        --and You forgave the guilt of my sin.   Selah



6Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to You

        while You may be found;

    Surely when the mighty waters rise,

        they will not reach him.

7You are my hiding-place;

    You will protect me from trouble

        and surround me with songs of deliverance.   Selah

-----------

To experience the blessedness of forgiveness, we must
acknowledge our sin before God.  John teaches:  "If we claim
to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not
in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness" (I John 1:8-9).  The blessedness of
forgiveness comes to those (as David says) "in whose spirit
is no deceit" (vs. 2).  Those who fail to acknowledge their
sin   before God have a "spirit" of "deceit".  They attempt
to deceive God by ignoring their sin before Him.  In truth,
of course, they are only deceiving themselves:  God sees our
sin.  He knows of it before we confess it.  To fail to
confess a sin is to continue in it.  To fail to confess a
sin is to deny God's sovereignty; it is to say:  "This needs
not confessing because I have decided it needs not
forgiveness."

We are all guilty of this at one time or another.  We all
have sins that we commit over and over, and are so reluctant
to bring before God because we want to continue in them.  We
do not want to acknowledge them as sin, because then   we
cannot with a clear conscience continue in them.  Praise be
to God that He seeks to remedy this in His people through
the work of His Spirit via our conscience.  He sends the
"heavy hand" (see vs. 4) of guilt and affliction to urge
  us to turn back to Him and confess our sin.  David had
experience with this:  "When I kept silent, my bones wasted
away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night
Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in
the  heat of summer" (vss. 3-4).  We see, the cost of
unconfessed sin is dear.  Not only do we miss out on the
"blessed"ness of being forgiven, but we experience the
affliction of God's "heavy hand".  David experienced bodily
affliction.   His "bones wasted away", his "strength was
sapped", even "day and night".

The affliction of God did accomplish its purpose:  "Then I
acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity.
 I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord'--and
You forgave the guilt of my sin" (vs. 5).  David did
 finally turn to God to confess his sin.  Most commentators
believe that David is looking back on his confession of his
sin with Bathsheba.  In that case, David waited months
before confessing it to the Lord.  It was not until after
the son of David and Bathsheba was born that Nathan the
prophet visited David to elicit the confession (see II Sam.
12:14).  My friend, do not follow David's example in this by
waiting so long to confess sin.  Do you enjoy the "heavy
 hand" of God upon you?  (For my part, I would much rather
be lifted up by God's hand).  Don't you want to experience
the "blessed"ness of the forgiven?  When your sins are
forgiven, there is nothing standing in the way of God's
fountain of blessings.

David encourages the same thing:  "Therefore let everyone
who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when
the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him" (vs. 6).
Note David says: "Šwhile You may be found" (vs. 6).   We
 take for granted that we will always be in a position to
have the opportunity to confess our sin and receive
forgiveness.  We think:  "Oh, God will always be there.  I
don't need to repent now.  I can always do so later."  Yes,
God   will always be there, but will you be able to find
Him?  Sin most often leads to further sin; and further sin
leads to a hardened heart.  Thoughts of God flee hardened
hearts.  The need to confess your sin may not later burden
your   heart. As Paul stated:  "I tell you, now is the time
of God's favor, now is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:2).

The change in David's life after confessing his sin was
evident from the way he viewed God:  "You are my hiding
place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with
songs of deliverance" (vs. 7).  In verse 4, under the weight

 of guilt, the hand of God was "heavy upon" David; here in
verse 7, free of the guilt of sin, God is David's "hiding
place".



The Lord Adds to David's Instruction
------------------------------------


8I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

        I will counsel you and watch over you.

9Do not be like the horse or the mule,

        which have no understanding

    but must be controlled by bit and bridle

        or they will not come to you.

-----------

Here we have (I believe) an addition to David's instruction
by the Lord Himself:  "I will instruct you and teach you in
the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over
you. " (vss. 8).  We are forgiven by God, not so that we
 may again follow our own lusts, but that we may change and
be obedient to God.  God Himself helps us in this.  God
promises guidance to those who turn to Him.   How could we
go wrong with the Lord of the Universe guiding our steps?
 He promises guidance in four ways.  He says:  "I will
instruct youŠ teach you in the way you should goŠ counsel
youŠ and watch over you."  God "instructs" us through His
Word and His Law.  It is the wise man who is a continual
student of the Word of God.  God "teaches [us] in the way
[we] should go" through His Son.  The life of Christ is an
example of a life lived in complete obedience to God.  He
"counsels" us through His Spirit.  Jesus said, speaking of
 the Holy Spirit:  "And I will ask the Father, and He will
give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the
Spirit of truth" (John 14:16).  And through all this, the
Father Himself "watches over [us]", presiding over all
methods
  of guidance, drawing us to Him, leading us in His will.

God then tells us that He expects obedience which arises out
of our own desire:  "Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit
and bridle or they will not come to you" (vs. 9).  We   are
different than animals.  We are made in the image of God.
We have been given by God "understanding", reasoning
abilities, together with a measure of free will.  We can
choose how to live our lives.  We are not puppets of God.
God does not control us with "bit and bridle".  Sadly, man
has not lived up to this privilege.  Adam sinned and all
mankind has followed in his footsteps.  The evil in the
world is a result of the free will that God gave us.  And
yet,
  if given a choice, we would still choose free will rather
than being "controlled by bit and bridle".  We enjoy our
freedom.  God here is telling us to live up to it.  Choose
to be obedient to your Maker.  Choose to follow the
instruction and counsel of God.



Praise for the Lord's Forgiveness
---------------------------------


10Many are the woes of the wicked,

    but the Lord's unfailing love

        surrounds the man who trusts in Him.

11Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;

    sing, all you who are upright in heart!

-----------

David comments on the wisdom of following the Lord's
instruction:  "Many are the woes of the wicked, but the
Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him"
(vs. 10).  So, you have a choice.  You can choose "the woes
of the
  wicked", or you can choose "the Lord's unfailing love".

David concludes the psalm with an exhortation to praise the
Lord for His forgiveness:  "Rejoice in the Lord and be glad,
you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!" (vs.
11).  Through His forgiveness, we are imputed with
righteousness so that David can call us "you righteous. . .
you upright in heart."  There is much here to praise the
Lord for.  As stated, forgiveness of sin is the source of
all God's blessing and the greatest manifestation of His
love for us.  For this, we should continually "rejoice in
the Lord and be glad."

And so Lord, we do rejoice and praise You for Your
forgiveness of sins.  We praise You that You have provided a
way that we may seek Your forgiveness, through confession of
our sins to You.  And we praise You that You have provided a

 means for the forgiveness of our sins through the sacrifice
of Your Son.  Help us not to profane the great gift of
forgiveness by continuing in sin.  But rather, help us by
Your Spirit to follow Your instruction and counsel so that
we   may become faithful men and women of God.  We pray
these things in the name of Your Son, through whom we
receive forgiveness, Amen.



===========================================================


Bibliography and Suggested Reading
==================================

Alexander, Joseph A. Commentary on the Psalms. Grand Rapids:
Kregel, 1991.  (Originally published in 1864).

Augustine.  Homilies on the Gospel of Saint John, from
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 7.  Peabody,
Mass.:Hendrickson, 1994.

Baxter, Richard.  A Christian Directory.  Edmonton, Canada:
Still Waters Revival Books.  (Originally published in 1673).

Broadus, John.  Commentary on Matthew.  Grand Rapids:
Kregel, 1990.  (Originally published in 1886).

Calvin, John.  A Commentary on Genesis.  2 Vols. in 1.
Edinburgh:  Banner of Truth, 1965.  (Originally published in
1554).

Candlish, Robert S.  Studies in Genesis.  Grand Rapids:
Kregel, 1979.  (Originally published in 1868).

Carson, D. A.  The Gospel According to John.  Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1991.

Carson, D. A. "Matthew" from The Expositor's Bible
Commentary, Vol. VIII, ed. by Frank Gaebelein.  Grand
Rapids:  Zondervan, 1984.

Chrysostom.  Homilies on the Gospel of Saint John, from
Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 14.  Peabody,
Mass.:Hendrickson, 1994.

Dickson, David. A Commentary on the Psalms. Reprint Edition.
Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1959. (Originally published in
1653).

Edwards, Jonathan.  The Works of Jonathan Edwards.  2 Vols.
Edinburgh:  Banner of Truth, 1974.

Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, A. R.; Brown, David.  A
Commentary: Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old
and New Testaments.  3 Vols.  Grand Rapids: Eerdman's, 1993.
(Originally published in 1866).

Keil, Carl & Delitzsch, Franz. Biblical Commentary on the
Old Testament. Reprint Edition. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1971.  (Originally published ca. 1880).

Morgan, G. Campbell.  The Gospel According to John.  Reprint
Edition.  Grand Rapids:  Revell, 1992.

Morgan, G. Campbell.  The Gospel According to Matthew.
Reprint Edition.  Grand Rapids:  Revell, 1992.

Morris, Leon. Expository Reflections on the Gospel of John.
Grand Rapids: Baker, 1991.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids:
Eerdman's, 1971.

Morris, Leon. The Gospel According to Matthew. Grand Rapids:
Eerdman's, 1992.

Pink, Arthur W.  Exposition of the Gospel of John.  Grand
Rapids:  Zondervan, 1975.  (Originally published 1945).

Pink, Arthur W. Gleanings in Genesis. Chicago: Moody, 1981.

Plumer, William S.  Studies in the Book of Psalms.
Carlisle, PA:  Banner  of Truth, 1990.  (Originally
published in 1867).

Ryle, J. C.  Expository Thoughts on the Gospels:   John.
Reprint Edition.  Edinburgh:  Banner of Truth, 1991.

Ryle, J. C.  Expository Thoughts on the Gospels:   Matthew.
Reprint Edition.  Edinburgh:  Banner of Truth, 1986.

Smith, Chuck. Audio Tapes on Genesis. Costa Mesa, CA: Word
for Today, 1985.

Smith, Chuck. Audio Tapes on Psalms. Costa Mesa, CA: Word
for Today, 1988.

Spurgeon, Charles.  The Gospel of Matthew.  Reprint Edition.
 Grand Rapids:  Revell, 1987.

Spurgeon, Charles. The Treasury of David. 6 Volumes bound in
3.  Peabody, MA:  Hendrickson.  (Originally published ca.
1880).

Thomas, W. H. Griffith. Genesis:  A Devotional Commentary.
Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1988.



===========================================================


Postscript:  True Godliness
===========================

 "I know law, and custom, and education, and friends, when
they side with godliness, are a great advantage to it, by
affording helps, and removing those impediments that might
stick much with carnal minds.  But truth is not your own,
 till it be received in its proper evidence; nor your faith
divine, till you believe what you believe, because God is
true who doth reveal it; nor are you the children of God,
till you love Him for Himself; nor are you truly religious,
 till the truth and goodness of religion itself be the
principal thing that maketh you religious.  It helpeth much
to discover a man's sincerity, when he is not only religious
among the religious, but among the profane, and the
enemies, and scorners, and persecutors of religion; and when
a man doth not pray only in a praying family, but among the
prayerlessŠ;  and when a man is heavenly among them that are
earthly, and temperate among the intemperate and   riotous,
and holdeth the truth among those that reproach it and that
hold the contrary;Šand is godly where godliness is accounted
singularity, hypocrisy, faction, humour, disobedience, or
heresy; and will rather let go the  reputation  of his
honesty, than his honesty itself."



    -- Richard Baxter





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Footnotes
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1. W. H. Griffith Thomas, Genesis:  A Devotional Commentary, pg. 293.
2. Broadus, The Gospel of Matthew, pg. 21.
3. All Scripture citations in this study are taken from the King James Version.