title was conferred upon him by the Roman Senate. By courtesy he was called "king." In these days God intervened. The world's intellectual environ ment had reached the peak of culture from both Greeks and Romans. The Greek language and literature went everywhere. Rom ans dominated the people and built roads, establishing universal com munications and commerce. These were the days of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Yet there was an un mistakable, deadly gloom which pervaded all of society. Luke gives us the history of the dawn of the new day with the coming Messiah. Regardless of how dark the days and the circumstances, there is still that tremendous, glorious truth that God is with us. Quite frankly, it seems almost beyond comprehen sion why God would desire to live with mankind. Yet, this is exactly what the Word teaches. John tells us that the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus Himself declared, "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age." The subject of the presence of God affords us one of the richest, noblest and most glorify ing truths we can possibly study. To the ancient people of Israel, there was nothing worse than to have the presence of God taken from them. Psalms records the earnest prayer, "Take not thy pres ence from me, O God." God cer tainly knows the conditions of the world. He knew about them in the days before Christ was born. Some times we get the idea that we should inform the Lord about things going on here. How foolish when He already knows it all. More Page 34
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