i —
m m tm
D r . T a l b o t ’ s G ì n a e s t i o n
B o x
come forth as gold” (Job 23:10), and “ though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). Sometimes God permits one of His saints to be an example to an un godly world of the sufficiency of God’s grace. Such was Job, an ex ample before Satan, angels, men and demons. His example has en couraged thousands to trust God, even when they could not under stand why they were called to suf fer. Job did not know of Satan’s ac cusation to God; yet his faith did not waver. JEPHTHAH'S VOW Q. Was God pleased with Jephthah’s a/wful vow, the story of which is recorded in Judges 11:80-10? A. The Bible makes no comment, one way or the other, about Jeph thah’s vow; but Jephthah is listed in Hebrews 11:32 as one of the heroes of faith; certain it is that he worshipped the God of Israel. Jephthah did not offer his daugh ter, his only child, as a human sac rifice, for that was an abomination unto the Lord. The heathen nations round about Palestine did offer hu man sacrifices to their false gods, but Jehovah repeatedly warned Is rael not to do this very thing. Since Jephthah was a God-fearing judge of Israel, and since he knew that hu man sacrifices were an abomination to God, he offered his daughter as a “ spiritual burnt-offering” unto the Lord, in the sense that she was set apart for His service, forever to be a virgin. SALVATION AND CROWNS Q. If the believer in Christ is eter nally secure, why should the Lord give him the warning of Rev. 8:11: “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” ? A. The Lord Jesus did not say, “ that no man take thy salvation,” but He did say, “ that no man take
ORIGIN OF OLD TESTAMENT Q. How did we get our Old Testa ment? Who compiled it? A. Ezra and a com pany of men known as “ The Great Synagogue,” devout Jews, compiled the Old Tes tament. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, as the Holy Spirit in spired him. These books are called “ The Law.” At the close of his life, Moses wrote, saying that God told him to place the book of the law “by the side of the ark of the covenant” (Not “ in the side of the ark of the covenant,” as we read in the Au thorized V e r s io n ). (Read Deut. 31:24-26, R. V.) The ten command ments were kept in the ark; but the scrolls of parchment, or vellum, upon which the books of the Bible were written, were kept in the Holy of Holies “ by the side of the ark of the covenant.” Later on, during the apostasy of Israel, the long-hid den Scriptures were discovered in God’s house, opened, and read to the people. As, one by one, the inspired books were written, they were put with the books of Moses. Then it was that Ezra and his company of devout Jews compiled the whole Old Testament. Assuredly God overruled the work, and guided as to arrange ment in the divine order. Certainly Christ acknowledged it to be the in spired Word of God (Luke 24:27). GLORYING IN TRIALS Q. I am a new Christian and I can not understand how “ Tribulation worketh patience,” and how can I glory in tribulation? A. Compare this statement in the fifth chapter of Romans, with James 1:3 and you will be enlightened. Trials may embitter those who do not love God, but they bum up the dross in the Christian as he lets his all-wise Father mold and shape his life. With Job, the tested one may say, “When he hath tried me, I shall
thy crown.” These two statements mean entirely different things. Sal vation is the free gift of God. The crowns are rewards for service ren dered in Jesus’ name and for His glory, “ after” one has been born again. They are to be given at “ the judgment seat of Christ,” where only the redeemed shall stand before God and His holy angels. (See Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10.) I cannot see any difficulty in this passage. If you are a really born- again soul, no one can take your sal vation from you. But if you neglect your duty, and allow others to step in and do what Christ intends you to do, then they will receive your crown, or reward. FOREKNOWLEDGE Q. God must have had foreknowl edge that man would sin before He created Adam. Why did He not make Adam with willpower strong enough to resist temptation to sin? A. God did make Adam with will power strong enough to overcome temptation. There was no necessity for his falling had he but looked to God for needed help and confided in Him instead of listening to the voice of his wife, who had first listened to the voice of the serpent through whom the devil spoke. We need to remember that the de termination on the part of God to make an intelligent creature capable of giving Him a voluntary love and obedience necessitated the creation of being who could, if he would, give God hatred instead of love. A being who was good because he had to be, and loved God because he could not do anything else, would be a mere automaton. God has shown His power to make creatures who have to act according to an undeviating law in the animal creation. How much we would have lost if we were but “ specialized animals” ! Our obe dience is not a forced obedience, but it becomes the obedience of love when we know Him.
38
THE KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter