July, 1937
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
259
BLACKBOARD LESSON
ness; and in order to do what the law de mands, man must have life and power. But man has neither righteousness, nor life, nor power. Hence unless man can find a gracious God, there is no hope for him. And God provides just what man needs in the person and by the work of Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:17). II. T he S ubjects of the L aw (2) It is generally supposed that this law, embodied in the Ten Commandments, was given to all the world; but in reality the law was given to a special people whom the Lord had brought out of Egypt. “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.” The law can bring only cursing, and con demnation, and death, to all who fail to meet its demands. But we must remember that the law does not create the evil which it condemns; it merely reveals that evil; and while it reveals, it cannot remove the evil. The law cannot show mercy (Heb. 10:28, 29), or forgive (Heb. 2:2), or jus tify (Rom. 3:20), or give power (Rom. 5:6; 8:3), or give rest to the soul (Rom. 4:14), or give life to the spiritually dead (Gal. 3:21). It brings to light the evil character, conduct, and condition, of man kind, and thus performs a good work by forcing men to look elsewhere than to the law for some ground upon which to stand before God—a ground of righteousness. And such a meeting place is provided in and by our Lord Jesus Christ for all who trust in Him (cf. Rom. 3:23-26). The law demands perfect obedience; it
In the Ten Commandments, there are six that affect man’s dealings with men. There are injunctions, first, against parental dis honor (v. 12), second, against murder (v. 13), third, against impurity- (v. 14), fourth, against stealing (v. 15), fifth, against lying (v. 16), sixth, against covetousness (v. 17). It will be seen that these are all prohibi tions, beginning with parents, the represen tatives of the Creator, and ending with covetousness, which is idolatry or self worship. In discussing the law, we should always remember that “He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes . . . unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they [that is, other nations] have not known them” (Psa. 147:19, 20). Christians are not under law, either as a medium of salvation or as a rule of life and conduct. Salvation is by grace through faith; and the rule of conduct for Christians is something far higher and more exacting than the law. Even the godless world condemns the things forbidden in the law, but it does not condemn the things that are offenses under grace. The law is useful for the purpose God gave it (cf. Gal. 3:23-25). Points and Problems While the chapter divisions of our Eng lish Bible are not always perfect, the care ful student will find Exodus 20, which contains the lesson, almost a perfect model of literary and doctrinal unity. Notice the three main divisions and their logical and spiritual relationship.
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makes no allowance for partial obedience (Jas. 2:10), or excuses of any sort (Rom. 3:19, 20), or extenuating circumstances of any kind (Ezek. 18:20), or ignorance of its demands (Lev. 5:2, 3 ); and by it no guilty one can be cleared (Ex. 34:7; Nahum 1:3; Heb. 2:2, 3). How, then, can any one be saved ? The answer to this question is simply: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30, 31; cf. Rom. 3:23-26). III. T he S ubstance of the L aw (3-17) Of the Ten Commandments, four of that number concern man’s relation to God. First, God must be supreme, without a rival of any sort (v. 3). Second, He must be conceived as being spiritual; there may be no humanly devised physical representa tion of Him (vs. 4-6). Third, He must be reverenced as being holy (v. 7). His “name” stands for His character, or all that God is. Fourth, He must be accepted as the sovereign God (vs. 8-11).
Looking Back on Your Summer Vacation— Will You Have Memories of the Things o f the World or of Things that Pertain to God?
Inspiration, information, and recreation for the whole family are the features of the Third Annual Summer Bible Conference of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and the Church of the Open Door, to be held at the Pacific Palisades from August 28 to September 6. Young people of high school and college age will hear mes sages of special interest throughout the entire conference period. Each evening from 7:00 to 7:50, gatherings arranged by Elmer Olson, Director of Young People’s Work at the Church of the Open Door, will feature group singing, special musical numbers, and challenging messages by outstanding young people’s lead ers. The last week-end of the conference will be devoted largely to young people and their opportunities of today. Adults—and young people, too—will find a spiritual feast in a series of messages on prophecy, a study of the significance of the tabernacle, missionary messages from distant parts of the world, and helpful studies in the victorious Christian life. Throughout the entire conference there will be a strong evan gelistic appeal.
Object Lesson on the Sand The Children’s Special Service Mission, di rected by Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hooker, with students from Biola as assistants, is planning a complete and most varied program for the chil dren during the entire conference period. Prom 9:00 until 11:15 A.M. the children will be taught Bible truths by the latest methods in child evangelism. Prom 2:00 until 3:30 P.M. the chil dren will be taken to the beach for recreation and instruction by object lessons on the sand. The conference grounds at the Pacific Palisades are in a canyon near the sea, twenty miles from the heart of Los Angeles. A Tent House a t the Pacific Palisades consists of board floors, four-foot board sides, and a canvas top and is equipped with kitchenette with complete cooking and eating utensils. Hates include light, water, gas, blankets, linen, and housekeeping equipment. A ten-day vaca tion for two people in one of these Tent Houses costs $13.00; for
Exceptional Recreational Facilities
three people, $16.00; and for four people, $20.50. More elaborate accommodations, including Gasitas, Green Cottages, and New Type Cabins, may be had at slightly higher prices. Guests may take their meals at the cafe on the conference grounds, if they so desire. For those who care to do their own cooking, food may be purchased at reasonable prices from stores within walking distance of the conference grounds. Write for further information. THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES, INCORPORATED Extension Department 558 South Hope Street Los Angeles, Calif.
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