J E H O V A H J I R E H !
So Abraham named the place where God stayed his hand and provided a lamb for the sacrifice instead of his son Isaac— "The Lord will provide.” And almost a thousand years later David declared "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine ene mies.” Today we of The American Board of Missions to the Jews humbly and wholeheartedly thank God for His un failing providence as our 62nd Annual Report is presented. The table that is spread before us each day is a plenti ful one but far transcending the merci ful and ample supply is the fact that it is our Lord Himself who prepares the table. As we scan the Annual Report, we ask in wonder "How is all this pos sible?” Brethren there is only one reason—He who even in the very midst of enemies supplies our every need. Jehovah Jireh— the Lord will provide. Without fanfare or drive He tenderly provides our necessities. We simply carry out the task He has given us. How we thank God for Himself. The table He has prepared is sur rounded by faithful friends who loyal ly support the work with their prayers and sacrificial giving. And there is another marvelous pro vision which our Lord has spread be fore us in the group of consecrated business men who serve on our Board of Directors often to the neglect of per sonal affairs of pressing importance. But even this is not all. There are the missionary workers laboring in the vineyard day in and day out truly in the presence of enemies for Jewish mis sion work is not an easy task. If you are led to share in this work with your prayers and gifts, let us send you the Annual Report Number of our magazine THE CHOSEN PEOPLE. Fill in the coupon and mail today. A M E R IC A N BO ARD OF M IS S IO N S -------- 1 TO TH E JEWS, INC. 1 236 West 72nd Street, Dept. 8 I New York 23, N.Y. Canadian Office: God bless your efforts to evangelize 1 I the Jews. Please send me a copy of I I the Annual Report Number of THE | CHO SEN PEOPLE. I 39 King W illiam St., • Hamilton, Ont., Canada
WORDS WORD by Charles L. Feinberg, Th.D., Ph.D., Director, Talbot Theological Seminary from the
B lasphemy
T he English word blasphemy is de rived from the Greek blasphemia which means abusive language, slander, speech injurious to another’s good name; then specifically, it refers to impious and derogatory speech in jurious to the divine majesty. In classical and New Testament Greek the word has a wider reference than to the relation of man to God; it has a general and universal sense of slan derous speech against either God or man. Several words in the Old Testament are employed to convey the concept of blasphemy. The verb bardkh (translated also to curse') is found in 1 Kings 21:9-13 in the account of the conspiracy against Naboth on the false charge of blasphemy. Giddeph appears in the defiance of the God of Israel by Sennacherib and his army in the time of the godly King Heze- kiah (2 Kings 19:6, 22 with its paral lel in Isa. 37:6, 23; see also Num. 15: 30; Ps. 44:16; Ezek. 20:27). Isaiah uses the word haraph in 65:7 to show that idolatry is clearly blasphemy against the-true and living God. Evi dently a precedent was set when the name of God was blasphemed in the camp of Israel in the wilderness ( naqabh in Lev. 24:11,16) and the will of God was sought concerning the penalty for such a serious offense. When David caused the enemies of God to blaspheme because of his sin, the word used is ndats (2 Sam. 12:14; cf. also Ps. 74:10,18; Isa. 37:3 with 2 Kings 19:3; Isa. 52:5; Ezek. 35:12). In tire Old Testament blasphemy involves sacrilege in word or act to ward the Lord (2 Kings 18:22; 19:4), either directly or through men or that which is connected with Him as His people (Isa. 52:5) or His holy land (Ezek. 35:12). Instances of blas phemy in deed are profaning the Sab bath by work (Ex. 31:14), neglect of the rite of circumcision (Gen. 17: 14) and idolatry of every kind (Ex. 22:20). To the commonly understood sins of blasphemy, the Jews added the
sin of the pronunciation of the name of Jehovah through a misunderstand ing of the word “pronounce” in Levit icus 24:16 because of a failure to properly evaluate the context of the Leviticus passage. Thus the Septua- gint (the work of Greek-speaking Jews) translated Jehovah by kurios, and the Hebrew-speaking Jews used Adonai and Elohim which they do to this hour. Punishment for blas phemy was cutting off (Num. 15:30) or death by stoning (Lev. 24:10-16). The New Testament employs the word blasphemia in several ways. At times it carries the force of evil speaking in general and is equiva lent to slander (see Acts 13:45; 18:6; Rom. 3:8; 1 Tim. 6:4; 2 Pet. 2:11). It is used of speaking against a hea then goddess in Acts 19:37. Its distinc tive use in the New Testament relates to anything which is derogatory of the divine glory. This includes speak ing impious words (Rev. 13:1,5,6 and elsewhere in the same book). The unbecoming conduct of Jews (Rom. 2:24) and believers (1 Tim. 6:1) is designated as blasphemy. Christ was accused of blasphemy, the charge being that He usurped God’s authority (Matt. 9:3; Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21), that He declared Himself the Messiah (Matt. 26:65) and that He made Himself God (John 10:33, 36). Saul tried to make Christians blaspheme their Lord through his persecutions (Acts 26:11). He him self was a blasphemer (1 Tim. 1:13). It was on the charge of blasphemy that Christ was delivered to the Ro mans (John 19:7) and Stephen was stoned (Acts 6:11; 7:57). Unless one owns the deity of Christ, he takes his stand with those who accused Him of blasphemy. He did not blaspheme, for He was and is very God. (This article treats the theme of blasphemy in its more general aspects in the Old and New Testamentsj in a follow ing article the specific sin called the blasphemy against the H oly Spir it w ill be dealt w ith.) END.
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It is a great delusion to think that the times of prayer ought to differ from other times; we are as strictly obliged to adhere to God by action in the time of action as by prayer in the season of prayer. — B r o t h e r L a w r e n c e
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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