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Monthly Publication of the BIOLA FELLOWSHIP Voi. 5 No. 9 SEPTEMBER, 1965 CONTENTS ISRAEL, GOD'S PEOPLE ............... 3 WHEN MESSIAH CAME ............... 4 ISRAEL'S HOPE .................... 5 A CONCERNED APOSTLE ........... 6 AN ADOPTED PEOPLE ................. 7 CHILDREN OF THE FATHER .... 8 CHILDREN OF PROMISE ............. 9 CHILDREN OF GRACE .................. 10 CHILDREN OF ELECTION ........... 11 CHILDREN OF SOVEREIGNTY ....12 THE BIOLA FELLOWSHIP PLAN 13 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ....15 PARABLES AND PEARLS ............. 20 THE CHRISTIAN WAY OF LIFE .........................25 COVER: Featured on this month's broadcasts of "The Biola Hour" are two favorites, Dr. Ralph L. Keiper (left), of the Evangelical Foundation, Philadelphia, and Dr. Lloyd T. Ander son, pastor of the Bethany Baptist Church of West Covina. Y O U R C H R I S T I A N W I L L Did you know that there is a way to invest in Biola lor the training of students while saving costly estate taxes. Ultimately you may be able to leave more money for your loved ones. As a Fellowship member you are under no obligations when you write for information or counsel. BIOLA STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT STA FF President ............ S. H. Sutherland Editor ..................... Al Sanders Production .............Virginia Luber Photography ............. Bill Ehmann Published monthly by the Radio Dept. BIBLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17, Cal. Controlled circulation postage paid at Los Angeles, California.
4:00 P.M. Sun 9:30 A.M. MTWTF 8:30 A.M. Sun. 8:30 A.M. MTWTF 8:00 P.M. MTWTF 8:00 A.M. MTWTF 8:30 A.M. MTWTF 9:00 A.M. MTWTF 11:00 A.M. MTWTF 10:30 P.M. MTWTF 8:00 A.M. MTWTF 8:00 A.M. MTWTF
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(R adio L og continued on page 26)
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AUGUST RADIO SERIES
ISRAEL, GOD’S PEOPLE
by Dr. Ralph L. Keiper
I N R omans 9, 10 and 11, we find an outstanding portion of God’s Word dealing with the subject of Israel in prophecy. The entire epistle, of course, is perhaps one of the greatest sec tions of Scripture explaining the full meaning of the Gospel, containing the story of man’s complete ruin in sin and God’s perfect remedy through Christ. In the brief outline form, the open ing chapters point out how all are un der God’s condemnation because of sin. Chapters 3 to 5 reveal the won derful story of God’s merciful and gracious provision of salvation. From chapters 6 to 8 there is the signifi cance of our salvation unfolded. Chap ter 12 to the end of the book gives us the picture of our obligation in Chris tian service. We learn here bow we are to live for Him who died for us. Unfortunately there is the mistaken idea that Christianity is merely a Gentile religion. In chapter 9 through 11, however, we see beyond a shadow of a doubt how the Holy Spirit through Paul reveals God’s dealings with Israel, past, present and future. One reason the Jews did not recognize their Messiah was that, under the yoke of Roman oppression, they wanted to be free and were seeking a
triumphant king who would deliver them from bondage. They had over looked the fact that before this time a Paschal Lamb should come who was to be sacrificed for their sins. This was Christ, of whom John the Baptist spoke when he said, “Behold the lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.” In this introductory message, we want to ask a pertinent question as to the nature of modern Israel. While this query could be answered relig iously, technically or ethically, we want to examine it Scripturally and spiritually. There are three key verses on the subject in this great epistle. In Romans 2:21-24 we have the state ment of one who is himself a Jew. He speaks with great authority and shows to the people where they failed in their religion. He quotes from the Old Testament to point out what matchless benefits the Lord has given them down through the centuries. In the light of this, three great indictments are is sued. They taught the law but they didn’t do it. They demanded purity but were not pure. They claimed to honor God, but yet dishonored Him by their lives. He showed them that they were living as “practical atheists.” That is, they professed their knowl- 3
slain, could give the guilty conscience ease or wash away its stain. But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, takes all our sins away, a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they.” God in His great grace knew that the sacrifices were but a testimony of the perfect Lamb He would provide as the atonement for the sins of all mankind. God gave the law so that men might see how fa r they have strayed from His perfect and holy requirements? The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was not something novel. It was not unforeseen because, from the very beginning of c r e a tio n , God planned to provide this g ift of love to all mankind. From G e n e s is 3:15 throughout the rest of the Old Testa ment this promise is given. Between the rigors of the law and the sinner, was the blood of the atonement. One of the greatest chapters of the Old Testament, dealing with Christ’s per fect sacrifice, is Isaiah 53. Looking forward to the cross, the inspired writer could give a perfect picture of the suffering and shame of God’s only begotten Son on our behalf. As David wrote in the long ago, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” The Messiah had come to bring salva tion and eternal life. God plays no favorites. All men are sinners, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. Regardless of their color, station in life, education or any other basis, the g ift is available to all. Prior to the coming of Christ, men would have to stand in His presence alone, however, now they come not in their personal merit but through His pres ence, dressed in His righteousness, having at their side as Advocate, the Saviour Himself. As the hymn writer puts it, “When he shall come with trumpet sound, 0 may I then in Him be found. Dressed in His righteous ness alone; faultless to stand before His throne. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.” The means whereby this is made possible is found in Romans 4:25, “ (Christ) Who was delivered for our 4
edge of God, however, they lived as if He didn’t even exist. (Much like many people in our own land today!) They had the veneer of religion but were very secular in their lives. How care ful they were not to pronounce the holy name of God lest they might com mit an offense. Yet by their very words in daily conduct they were an offense to Him. The purpose of Israel was to be an example to the Gentiles around them. (This is our purpose as believers to day.) In the third chapter, God points out these terrible errors of His people: they were not on the level, they were not seeking after Him, and they were not doing good (Rom. 3 :9 ). God shows that because all have sinned, so all are under condemnation. “There is none righteous, no not one.” The word “righteous” is a very interesting term. We might translate it to the ter minology of the day by saying, “There is no one ‘on the level.’ ” Men may appear to be religious but actually they are not. Cutting corners they seek to avoid God’s law and are will ing to compromise. As Israel looked at the law, she could only come to one conclusion: she had not pleased God. Crying out, “Where shall we turn? What must we do? Can we be justified by the law?” The answer came back solemnly, “No, by the law shall no flesh be justified, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” This is why, “The wages of sin is death, but the g ift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” W h en man squarely face his own unrighteousness in the light of God’s holy law, he cannot help but an swer the question, “How can anyone stand before the Lord while he is in all of his sins?” Israel had ceremo nies, worship, ritual and sacrifices. Yet she might well have sung, “Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars When Messiah Came
Christ and the Holy Spirit to authen ticate his vital point. He uses not merely informative language but also that which is emotional. The reason for all of this is Paul’s true love for Israel which was far from s om e th in g merely academic. There are too many “professional lov ers” today. Yet, “out of sight is out of mind.” We so quickly forget our feelings expressed on the spur of the moment. Paul said, on the other hand, that he had a “great heaviness and continual sorrow” in his heart for Is rael. “Heaviness” actually refers to sadness and grief, while “sorrow” has to do with physical pain or mental wretchedness. Paul sees Israel not as a group but as individuals; real persons whom he knew and loved. He wanted to give them his Saviour for he knew the joy it would bring them if they only knew Him. Still they would not listen and they actually considered him a trai tor. When he attempted to minister among them, he was thrown out of the synagogue. He Went so fa r as to declare from the depths of his heart, “For I could wish myself were ac cursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsman according to the flesh.” In other words, he was willing to go to the extreme, losing his own salva tion, in order for his people to be It««. Ray Weiskopf (left), retiring director of the Biola Stewardship Department, welcomes his successor, Mr. John Isaac. Due to ill health Mr. Weiskopf was forced to resign after more than t3 years of fruitful service for tho Lord.
offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” Som eone may ask, “How can you be so sure that this is all true?” The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead is the eternal guarantee that God has justified ungodly men. This text shows us that the Lord hasn’t merely gra ciously forgiven man, but also He has justly forgiven us. He has actually taken the wrath for us, paying the penalty of our sins which is death. Romans 5:1 gives us the assurance, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This means we have access into His very presence. This is the wonderful privilege today for those who know the Lord Jesus as personal Saviour. Has He become your Paschal Lamb? Come to Him in your weaknesses and sins. You do not need to approach Him in fear, but with joy, knowing that at God’s right hand is your Advocate. O NE OF THE MOST FASCINATING as pects of the Spirit-filled and Spirit-directed writings of the Apos tle Paul is to feel his very heart-throb. In the ninth, tenth and eleventh chap ters of Romans, he clearly reveals his love for his own people after the flesh, Israel. He expresses his earnest de sire and prayer that they might come to know Him, whom to know is life eternal. The first three verses of Romans 9 reveal Paul’s intense longing for them. It is not a manufactured emo tion or something which is merely ex ternal, but rather a continuing, real and sincere burden. He calls upon God to bear witness to his statement as though he were using a mighty oath. He uses his conscience, as well as the Holy Spirit, to bear him wit ness. For a Christian this would be very strong language, however, for a Jew, who is very careful with the name Jehovah, it was intense lan guage. Paul calls upon the Lord Jesus Israel's Hope
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Jesus Christ. Nationally, it is for the country which will “be born in a day.” .This, then, was Paul’s great desire for his people, that as they came to know the Saviour, they might also come to know the blessed hope which is their future. Do you have this blessed as surance today? Is there a Jewish friend to whom you could witness? You are the only Christian somebody knows. Let your life be a testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ no matter what your circumstances may be. E very C h r istia n should have a “ firm grasp on the truth of Israel’s place in God’s great plan of redemp tion. While the eighth chapter of Ro mans ends on a note of triumphant victory, the ninth starts with the sound of grief and sorrow. It is still Paul speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, however, a differ ent subject is before us. The Apostle never f o r g o t his brethren after the flesh. His Spirit- led discussion deals with Israel’s present position and how God, in His sovereign grace, has given them the Gospel, as well as He has to the Gen tiles. As a parenthesis, the eleventh chapter illustrates Israel’s glorious future. Listen to the heartbeat of this earnest servant as he declares his love for Israel, “I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost.” His concern is personal (verse 1 ),) griev ous (verse 2 ), and intense (verse 3 ). See how Paul brings both the second and third Persons of the Trinity to witness in what he has to say. This shows the intensity of his burden. How often have we told friends, almost in passing, “Well, I ’ll be pray ing for you” ? Are we actually faith ful in this? Too frequently, “out of sight is out of mind.” Such was not true with Paul when he assured Israel of his petitions to God on their be- 6 A Concerned Apostle
Looking ovor well-stocked Biola tract racks are students from loft to right: Bill and Linda Marty, Fullerton, California; Bob Tedrow, Yuma, Arizona; Linda Stewart, El Paso, Texas; and Dave Rogers, Richmond, California. Tracts are always available (or students to carry with them for distribution. saved. To those of us who are born again comes the powerful question, “Is there someone in my household or acquaintanceship who is lost? Do I love him enough through Christ that for the sake of his salvation I would myself be willing to be lost?” This is a tremendous, although hypothetical question. The answer, however, is a gauge of true love. In a measure, it may help us to understand Paul’s love for his own people Israel. Listen to his powerful, consuming purpose, “Brethren, my heart’s de sire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to es tablish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (10 :1 -3 ). Paul commended his people for their mis placed zeal. They had sought to ob serve all of the forms, laws and rit uals, however, this was all legalistic and would not lead to true repentance and salvation. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul saw that God was going to restore His people (Rom. 1 1 :1 ), for He loves them de spite their willful disobedience and wickedness. We may well ask what Israel’s hope is today. Individually, it is eternal sal vation for all who believe in the Lord
as we are, yet He was completely apart from all sin. Because He was sinless, He could become the perfect sacrifice for us all. He died the criminal’s death that we in turn might go free. Paul knew this and for this reason had such a great de sire to see his people turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, t h e ir only Paschal Lamb. Let us pray that God will give us a tender heart toward Israel, seeking to win them to the Messiah, our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. O NE CAN NEVER OVERLOOK Paul’s. great concern for Israel. It was a consuming portion of his life. In Ro mans 9 :4 we find God’s description of these people spiritually speaking. The Old Testament reminds us that the Lord chose a people who were not a people and of how He made them a people by His sovereign grace. Israel, of course, was the new name given to Jacob. The name means “a prince with God.” This is exactly what the nation became. The Lord selected Israel not be cause of any merit of their own, but simply because it pleased Him. In the same way believers in this age are ob jects of God’s sovereign grace on an individual basis. His selection of Is rael was so that He might provide a line for the Messiah, and in order that to pagan nations His people might give an outstanding testimony to the one and only true God. Today, we who are Christian Gentiles can re joice in the heritage God has given us through His ancient people. The Bible tells us that they also re ceived the glory. The Lord dwelt among Israel making His presence known in the wilderness by day and night. Later His glory was found in the tabernacle. When the permanent building was finished it remained in the temple. When Isaiah witnessed the glory of the Lord, he had to claim, “I am a man with unclean lips, An Adopted People
half. These were his brethren after the flesh. Verse two describes his heaviness and continual sorrow for them. In working a crossword puzzle I might take these words as synonyms. The Greek, however, expresses several wonderful thoughts. The first is an idea of deep inward pain, while the other is that which is outward. Paul had such an emotional stirring and desire to see his people saved that it actually affected him physically, men tally and emotionally. Do we have such a burden for the lost? Do we fully realize that the human heart, apart from the Saviour, can never find rest and peace? At one time Paul, with his own people, had tried to carry out the law with all of its rituals. He realized that these were sacrifices without peace, joy, and blessing. When he found the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour his heart re joiced in this wonderful experience. Those of us who have been born again can know how he felt. Does our faith cause us to want to share this great joy with others? While Paul knew that he could never be s e p a r a te d from Christ (8:38, 39 ), yet in hypothetical rea soning he declared, “I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” This was not a boast but an outward expression of his great heart of love. You remember this same was true with Moses who also desired to be blotted out from the presence of God if it would bring sal vation and restoration to his people (Exodus 32:32, 33). Of course, there is no possibility for an individual to give his salvation to another. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” and every man, even though he be a religious genius must come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ for himself. The only person who could become a curse for another is the Lord Him self. He was tempted in all points like
and I dwell in the midst of the land of a people with unclean lips.” Then Israel also had the covenants. This word signifies a specific contract, the first of which was made with Abraham (Gen. 1 7 :7, 8 ). These prom ises were repeated and expanded through Isaac and Jacob, and on through God’s witness to Joseph, Moses and David. The portion of Scripture we are studying also shows how the children of Israel were given the perfect law of God. In addition, the Lord made provision that when the law was broken, a prescribed course could be followed, pointing to the promise of the Redeemer. The various rituals Israel carried out through their priests were the means whereby they might keep in fellow ship with God. The Lord gave Israel many prom ises indicating what He would do for them. The five books of the Old Tes tament reveal this very plainly. We can’t follow the historical, poetical, or prophetical books of the Bible with out seeing this very real and evident fact. The sad part of it is that in spite of Israel’s untold privileges she drifted from these great blessings. We need to learn a lesson from their history. You and I have received great privileges and blessings from God. In the Lord Jesus Christ we, too, have been adopted. We know His glory as the Holy Spirit dwells within our hearts. We have been given His Word that we might walk in newness of life and daily fellowship with Him. As we see how Israel drifted from all of her blessings, we need to ask, “Are we squandering our heritage, too?” Let us take stock, making a spiritual inventory of where we stand. W E have talked about the great privileges God gave to His peo ple as to their name being Israel, as to their adoption, as to God’s pres ence manifested in His glory, and as to the fact that they were a covenant people. Children Of The Father
Now in Romans 5 :9 we come to the fact of their identity with God Him self through the patriarchs, “Whose are the fathers, and of whom as con cerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.” This expression, “whose are the fathers,” is very important in the light of the Old Testament. In the New Testament when Paul speaks of his relationship to God the Father, as a believer he in variably addresses Him through the Lord Jesus. In the Old Testament the approach was somewhat different, for the prophets speak of God as “God, the father of Abraham, Isaac and J a cob.” Since Paul is speaking of his ancient people, he uses this great ex pression, “whose are the fathers.” In Exodus 3:14-15 Moses asked God, “If you want me to lead the peo ple of Israel, whom shall I say to them hath sent me?” “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM : and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of J a cob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this my memorial unto all generations.” Here God iden tifies Himself with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In so doing He sets forth His wonderful name, “I AM THAT I AM.” This title is wonderful because it tells of promise and of God’s great blessing. Paul also introduces us to one of the reasons why Israel was chosen. It was to bring us the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. In this fifth verse we have both the humanity and the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ stressed. Micah prophesied Christ’s coming through Israel, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephra- tah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose going forth have been from of old, from everlast ing” (Micah 5 :2 ). Israel confirms this for us in his prophecy, chapter 9 verse 6, “For unto us a child is born, 8
unto us a Son is given: and the gov ernment shall be upon his shoulder: and his name! shall be called Wonder ful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,” Here again the two aspects of our Lord Jesus are brought forth, His human nature and His divine nature: “unto us a child is bom.” In contrast with that we have, “unto us a Son is given.” Romans 1 :3-4 makes this same contrast as does the Old Testament, “Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, ac cording to the Spirit of holiness, by the ressurection from the dead.” Notice the benediction Paul gives us in Romans 9:5, “God blessed for ever, Amen.” This is not so much that God is doing the blessing, but rather is another title of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul recognizes Him to be God, raising His glorious name now and forever. Truly we can rejoice that our Saviour is none other than Israel’s Messiah. Children Of Promise •_____ ,-• '; :. Ill O NE OF THE CENTRAL THRUSTS of the letter of Paul to the Romans is to point out to them that while the Gospel has come to the Gentiles, it does not mean that God has forgotten His ancient people Israel. The Scrip ture gives us a very careful definition as to who Israel really is. These were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had received God’s ir revocable promises. The Glory of God, a visible sign of His actual presence, appeared in their midst. They were given the law and the covenants, as well as the exceeding great and pre cious promises. In the plan of God a place was made in Israel for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the world. To come to earth, there had to be a family line established, which was Israel. Out of the multitudes of people God chose a nation that was nothing (Deut. 7 :6 -8 ). When Christ
came, He brought together the human and the divine side of God’s ancient promises. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the gov ernment shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonder ful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” With Paul, we might ask the ques tion as to just how many Jews are in the world today. The information re veals to us a startling effect on the an swer Paul gives. Last year two of our great national magazines carried ar ticles defining the Jew. These were written by outstanding Hebrew schol ars who raised a number of questions such as, “Are they a culture, a race, a religion, or just what are they?” No one, even these great scholars, can seem to agree on the answer. No one would question the truth that the Jews today are far different from the Jews of the Old Testament. For example no one goes to the tem ple or the tabernacle. Nationally, much less individually, they do not ob serve the various burnt and meal of ferings. Israel today doesn’t have the priesthood of which the Old Testa ment speaks. Paul is asking the question, however, for another rea son. Many had not accepted the Messiah while He was here upon earth. ( “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”) Does this mean that God’s word has no effect? Romans 9 :6 amply answers that argu ment. You see, Paul was not only jealous for his own people, but also he was jealous for the Word of God. Now with these two questions Paul Biola students in the School of Missionary Medicine receive specialized training in the tropical disease laboratory. From left to right they are Mario Armenia, Dale Gregory, Gloria Smith, Gordon Fraser, and Ralph Malloy.
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and looked down upon everyone who was not one of them. They had put a great store on the external signs. As a parallel today we might con sider the rite of baptism which is something very wonderful for the be liever. It is an outward testimony to an inward work of grace in our hearts. God meant this ordinance to be of great blessing. But as in the Old Tes tament, so in the New. What He means for a blessing could turn to a curse. It is possible to so magnify baptism that we totally ignore the real meaning and purpose. Some churches seem more interested in how many people are baptized rather than in how many are truly born again. As in Is rael’s case, it was not the circumcision of the flesh which made a true Jew, but the circumcision of the heart which was simply obedience to God. The Pharisees, of whom we read in the Gospels, were performing formal religious rites while their hearts were fa r from God. This is shown from their unjust conduct, taking advan tage of the common people and put ting unnecessary burdens upon the poor. For this John the Baptist loudly condemned them. That is why Paul makes such a point of this. While the people may be called Israelites nation ally, they are not truly this spiritu ally. The Lord Jesus forcefully stated, “Ye are of your father, the devil.” When Abraham and Sarah were Mrs. Margaret Sanders, organist for "The Biota. Hour" records her half hour pipe organ pro gram for KBBI, Los Angeles (heard Sunday evenings af 9:30 P.M.). She is pictured at the three manual Lansing Memorial Shantz organ located in Biota's recital half.
begins to treat the verses which are before us. Without question, Is rael’s unbelief is not due to the in effectiveness of the Scriptures. God’s Word does bring life from the dead. God’s Word does have the power to convert the soul. Yet, this is not the reason why many in Israel have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as per sonal Saviour. You know this fact to be true. Tracing the history of this unusual people, even the most blatant infidel will have to take note of their unusual protection and their distinc tiveness preserved by the Lord Him self down through the ages. E ven in th e day of the Apostle Paul the Jewish people were not like those in the Old Testament who had the priesthood or the sacrifices. Some of the people had asked the ques tion as to whether the Word of God had the power to convert the heart. Paul, as the logical attorney, points out that the problem is wholly with man. He points out the difference be tween formalism on the one hand, which has a great outward religious display, and real experience on the other hand, born of the heart and life. From God’s point of view, it isn’t so much the physical, intellectual, or social characteristics which set apart an Israelite; it is really one’s per sonal devotion to God. To emphasize this point Paul takes Israel in gen eral, then Abraham, and finally con siders it in the light of Esau and Jacob. He declares, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Rom. 9 :6 ). In Romans 2:28-29 a true Israelite is marked. The basis, in the flesh, was circumcision. This was the sign of a covenant between Abraham and his offspring, and God. Israel, however, rpisinterpreted the sign. They forgot about the Lord and ignored the spir itual aspect of the covenant. Instead of being a sign of blessing, it became a curse. They felt they were superior Children Of Grace
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election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth” (Romans 9:10, 11 ). Paul sets forth that just as Abra ham by divine election was chosen from all the pagan people of the world, so now there must be another determination inasmuch as Rebecca has two sons. As yet, Esau and Jacob haven’t been in a position where they could earn any merit or demerit. This reveals that God’s choice is not be cause one is better than the other. If one looked at it from a point of works, there is a certain sense in which Jacob could be considered worse than Esau. Jacob was subtle and sly. The choice was made simply because it pleased God. At the very beginning, God’s sov ereign will is in view. The first principle set before us is that God is going to be a blessing to Israel in the same way in which He is to us. We think of such verses as Ephesians 2 :8 , 9. God selected Jacob to demonstrate to the world His abso lute power, grace and mercy. No man could ever say thereby that he had anything to do with it. We sometimes sing, “Naught have I gotten but what I received; grace hath bestowed it since I have believed. Boasting ex cluded, pride I abase, I’m only a sin ner saved by grace.” Jacob finally came to this very place. He wrestled with the Lord until God showed him the woeful inadequacies of his own life. (This is much like the struggle one goes through today before he finally lets go, and lets God.) What about the phrase, however, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” ? It may seem on the surface as something very strange. The prob lem comes due to the change in our language. When we refer to hatred, we consider it a lack of love. Contrari wise, speaking of love signifies an ab sence of hatred. To bring the picture into sharper focus, consider Jacob who fell in love with Rachel. For sev en years, he worked for her. But he himself was tricked for the elder daughter, Leah, had to be married first. He loved Rachel more, and while he had to take Leah, he worked seven 11
well beyond the age of biological pos sibilities, God brought forth a mar velous miracle. (There was an inter esting paradox here since Abraham’s name literally means “father of a mul titude.”) We need to consider, too, that our new birth in Christ is just as miraculous, while not through the efforts of the flesh, but simply by the sovereign work of God through our Lord Jesus. In John 1:13 we read, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Truly we, too, are born of promise. We can see how God in sovereign grace has abundantly blessed us as in dividuals, as on the day He began' to bring His blessing through Isaac and ultimately down through Christ. How we can rejoice in the Lord’s matchless provisions for our eternal salvation. I N studying the identity as well as the definition of Israel, we have traced from Scripture that they are not only children of promise, but also children of grace. A further revealing truth is that they are children of elec tion. Now, whenever the word “elec tion” is used, some people immedi- atelly get on the offensive or defen sive. Yet, this is a wonderful term from God’s Word which we need to understand clearly as it relates to Israel. Paul makes three important facts clear. It is by means of election that God is able to carry out His promise. In the case of the births of Esau and Jacob the elder (Esau) was to serve the younger (Jacob ). We find the somewhat startling statement “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” In Romans 9:10 we read, “And not only this (not only is Israel an ob ject of God’s love and promise); but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; (For the children being not yet born, nei ther having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to Children Of Election
more years for her. The Bible says that God saw that Leah was hated. This was not hatred in our sense of the word, but rather preference. Again, our Saviour speaks about one hating his mother and father in order to be completely “sold out” to Him. This doesn’t mean that to be a disciple of the Lord that we must “hate” our parents. I t is a case of preference; loving the Lord more than anyone else. As further proof for this interpre tation, we think of God’s love for Esau in that He looked and watched over Esau, blessing him abundantly. So the hatred here has no reference to what we think of today. As we consider God’s eternal pur pose, we have no grounds on which to accuse Him of being unfair. One can never understand this as long as he has the idea that God owes him some thing. The Lord owes us absolutely nothing. He can bestow His grace upon whomosever He will. Only when we fully realize this fact can we truly appreciate the doctrine of grace. Then we can really rejoice that we have be come the objects of His special favor. God knows the end from the begin ning and blesses us not because of what we will do, but because of His matchless love and grace. Dr. Milton (. Gould (right), pastor ot the First Baptist Church of Downey, California, and past-president of the Biota Alumni Association, welcomes incoming president Re*. Harry Bas- com. Mr. Bascom is head of the Southern California Christian ia ii Workers.
Children Of His Sovereignty
I srael has always been a unique peo ple. They were children of promise, children of grace, children of God’s election as well as children of His sovereignty. In Romans 9:14 we read, “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God for bid.” The question is really, “Does God bless unrighteousness? Does He reward injustice?” The answer, of course, is a very obvious “no!” Yet, as one looks at the life of Jacob it might appear as though God does re ward deceit. Such a conclusion is fa r “off base” since God has already flatly said that Jacob was chosen not because of his works. God knew what Jacob was going to do. There was nothing in this man’s life to commend him for such a high position which God bestowed upon him. Verse 15 tells us of God’s own pur pose in the matter as He reveals, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” The two words may seem to be synony mous, while actually they are not. The word “compassion” means “to act with feeling.” It describes our inward state, for, generally speaking, our outward conduct is determined by the way we feel inside. “Mercy” on the other hand deals with the external situation. As a result, God points out to us that it is not because man de serves His goodness, but only because of what he says. This simply means that if God were to give man what he really deserves, man would be in hell today. A moment here for a parenthesis. Some suggest the fact that the reason God blesses us is because we have been good to Him. Such an erroneous view presupposes that we have been faithful in meeting God’s require ments. Stopping to think about it, however, each of us would have to admit that this is one thing we do 12
and the glory. They could have said such things as, “Pharaoh helped us,” or “The weather was clear and the roads were fine.” Turning to Exodus we see the trouble Israel had in Egypt. Plagues were necessary which brought much suffering and death. God hard ened Pharaoh’s heart in order that His power might be demonstrated. This is a wonderful thing for you and me to know today. Here in 1965 God is still on the throne, acting in His own absolute sovereignty and accomplish ing His eternal purpose. THE WEAKEST LIN K A football scandal in recent years de veloped when some gamblers follow ed members o f a leading team around, ob serving their every action. One day, a certain player was seen intentionally to have skipped paying a bus fa re. They said, “That’8 our man." They had found a vulnerable w eak link in the team. It was one player’s dishonesty. The Apos tle Paul exorts us as believers to walk worthily so that we might bring honor to the fam ily name o f our Lord Jesu s Christ. copy of this publication, please pass it along to a friend so that he may also enroll in the Plan and receive these helpful monthly features from the broadcasts. Since all materials from the Biola radio programs are included in the BROADCASTER, publication is gen erally completed near the ‘end of the specific month. Your patience is greatly appreciated. □ I would like to become a member of the Biola Fellowship. Biola Fellowship Members receive a packet of envelopes (24 to expire in two years for monthly contributions). I am enclosing $.....................this month, and would like to send $---------------- monthly for the ministries of Biola.
not do. None of us are sufficiently faithful to earn God’s blessings. We are not always faithful in prayer. We are not continually walking in His way. We are not, moment by moment, day by day, or hour by hour, doing His will. I f we were to be blessed on the basis of our devotion to God, we would be paupers, indeed. How thank ful we should be that He rather deals with us in sovereign grace. It is not because of our faithfulness but rather because of His. The Bible reminds us, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his com passions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22, 23 ). As an example of God’s provision we read in Romans 9:17, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be de clared throughout all the earth.” Had the Lord taken Israel out of Egypt without any difficulty whatsoever they would not have given Him the credit If you are not receiving copies of the BROADCASTER monthly, you may have them come to your home or office automatically by being a member of the Biola Fellowship. This is a group of faithful dontfrs who invest monthly in the distinctive ministries of the Bible Institute of Lbs Angeles, Inc. Specific monthly amounts are not set; this is a matter between you and the Lord. In maintaining this 53 year old work for the Saviour, we have found that faithfulness on the part of God’s stewards is the important thing. You are invited to become co-laborers with us in this vital testimony. The invest ment you make will bring you this publication monthly, hereafter, without your request. If you are already a member of the Fellowship and have received an extra Name .........................................................— Address ...........................................................
The Biola Fellowship Plan
City and State
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PRAYER FOR TODAY O Father, grant me calm amid this world's confusion; Serenity against the strain, the strife. Let not unrest and tumult find intru sion Into the pattern of my daily life. Discerning what is false/ what is vain, defective; Committing the unknown to Thee in trust, Help me to keep all things in true perspective, Remembering the transiency of dust. Forgetting not Thy love in joy or sor rows, Walking with Thee in quietness aIway, Leaving within Thy keeping all tomor rows— So shall Thy peace attend me each today. A boy will be let down. In his eyes you're always right. Your morals are his own. When you "fudge" and habits slip He sees no harm in them; Heroes never can do wrong. That's what you are to him. Don't do it, dad! One day the boy will wake, And realize that you were, wrong And then his heart will break; Because the dad he thought he had, Was not a man at all, But a weak - kneed, self - indulgent soul Who caused his boy to fall. Don't do, it dad! The cost is much too high To be an idol to a lad, Then see it shattered die. The cost is pain— frustration To the boy who thought you true. Deeper still your hurt will be, Because he followed you. — R. W. Cooper W A T CH IN G YOU Don't do it, dad!
THE FATHER'S HANDS
My little boy oft rides with me And plays that he is driving, too; His chubby hands with mine I feel Upon the auto steering wheel, And ever we go safely through. When dangers threaten, sudden, grim, And fears our very hearts congeal, My boy smiles up into my face, And says with artless childhood grace, "M y daddy's hand is on the wheel." Oh, priceless faith of tender years! Would it were ours when cares beset! When on the sea or on the land To learn to trust the guiding hand; And trust and trust and ne'er forget! Our heavenly Father bideth near; His constant presence we may feel. Or on the land or on the sea, No harm can come to you and me; The Father's hand is on the wheel. — C. Fellows "T A P S " Out of this life I shall never fake Things of silver and gold I make; All that I cherish and hoard away After I leave, on this earth must stay. Tho' I call it mine and boast its worth, I must give it up when I leave this earth; All that I gather, all that I keep, I must leave behind when I fall asleep. And I often wonder what I shall own In that other life, when I pass alone. W ill the Great Judge say, when the task is through, That my spirit has gathered some riches, too? Or shall, at last, it be mine to find That all I worked for, I left behind? And took with me only a record of sin, And nothing that would be of value to Him.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS with Dr. Samuel H. Sutherland. President, the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Inc. and Dr. Charles L. Feinberg, Dean, Talbot Theological Seminary
Q . Yakima, Washington — P lease ex plain what Jesu s m eant when He said, “But the children o f the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness” (Matthew 8 :11 ). A. This concerns the incident where the centurion asks the Lord to heal his servant who was ill. with palsy. The soldier displayed a great measure of faith. He used the occasion to point out the weakness of Israel in a simi lar acceptance of the truth. We need to remember that he was not saying that the kingdom was to be taken away. It does mean, however, that those who miss the opportunity to enter in to the kingdom promised them, will be cast into outer darkness. These are those who refused to believe in Christ. Salvation is always based on an ‘individual and personal level. This does not refer to the future res toration of the nation of Israel. Q . San Francisco, Calif. — “I would be interested in knowing what your far vorite texts are as m inisters. I have made it a hobby o f m ine to collect fav orite verses o f outstanding Chris tian leaders." A, (Dr. Sutherland) Hebrews 12:1-2 is my life stand, although it is difficult to choose just one verse. This presents the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ in such a wonderfully challeng ing manner. Others I especially enjoy are, Galatians 2:20, Romans 12:1-2, and John 10:27 and 28. (Dr. Fein berg) If I were limited to one verse,
I believe I would select Job 13:15. (Mr. Sanders) My wife and I have as our life verse together Hebrews 10:36. Certainly the Lord has proven Him self over and over again as this por tion suggests. Q . Seattle, Washington — “Why isn’t the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit fo r given?” (Matt. 12 :81 ; Mark 8 :2 9 ; Luke 12:10). A. Blasphemy is a sin of the mouth. It is calling the Holy Spirit, Satan. When the ungodly in the day of our Lord saw Him performing miracles in the power and the strength of the Holy Spirit, they said the one within Him was the devil. This shows the extreme depths to which unbelieving people will go naming the blessed Per son of the Trinity after such a sinis ter, devilish one. Q . Livingston, Calif. — “Why do most churches use instrumental music when it is forbidd en by God in Amos 6:5, and it is never mentioned in the New Testament?” A. Amos does not condemn instru ments. He is pointing out the sinful ness of misusing them. When such are used for the devil instead of for the glory of God, the individual is tread ing on dangerous ground. I Chronicles 23:5 shows that David made instru ments to praise the Lord. They were not condemned. We believe instru ments may be used to the glory of God as they are in so many instances. 15
Nicodemus, Jesus was referring to Ezekiel 36:24-27. Water here is a sym bol of cleansing by the Word. (Notice the similar word in John 7 :37.) The word “and” in the Greek can some times mean “even of” giving a fur ther definition. S o m e translations therefore have this, “Except a man be born of water, even of the Spirit.” “I want in for mation on what the Apostles' Creed is. Is it found in the B ible? I f not, when did it come into general usage and is it o f Protestan t origin?” A. It is probably one of the oldest statements of the church. Remember, Protestantism originated largely with Martin Luther. This valuable state ment has been traced back to about 140 A.D. As fa r as we know, it was not originated by the apostles but came into existence and usage not very many decades after the last of them died. Q . Los Angeles, Calif. — “Where in the B ible does it say that one must not harm the Jew s? ” A. There are many passages such as Genesis 12:1-3 and Zechariah 2 :8 . In the latter part of the 15th century, Spain launched a great persecution project against Israel. They have never been a first rate power ever since. We remember what happened from 1933 to 1945, as Hitler dared to touch God’s people. This is not because of who Israel is, but because of who God is, for He made the irrevocable promise. Q . Providence, R.I.— “I was saved as a child but never baptized in water. Now 1 am 18 y ears old. Should I be baptized even though I have been saved fo r several years? Won’t this look peculiar to people o f the church thinking that I ’ve ju st recently been saved?” A. It is probably not your fault that you did not receive instruction con cerning this important aspect of a be liever’s testimony to the world. This 16 Q , Pueblo, Colorado —
Q . Billings, Montana — “A re the descen dants o f A braham in Genesis 25:6 the •wise men who are sp oken o f in Mat thew 2? I thought A braham was the fa th er o f the Jew s.” A. Yes, Abraham was the father of the Jews. The difficulty may come be cause the Genesis passage mentions the East. There is nothing to indicate that the two were related. It is well to remember that before the child of promise, Isaac, that Abraham was the father, through Hagar, of another son. Then, when Sarah died, he took an other wife and by her had six more children. This does not mean that any of these, apart from Isaac, are the people of the promise. Q . Ventura, Calif. — “F o r what purpose have we been created? Was it p ri marily fo r fellow ship or fo r our good w orks?” A. There is no better definition given for our purpose than in the West minister Shorter Catechism, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” In this sense our creation was primarily for the pur pose of fellowship with the Lord. Still, we are saved to show forth good works to bring glory to our Saviour. Chris tians are twice the children of God. We are His by right of creation, and we are His by right of redemption. Q . Pueblo, Colorado — “In Jo h n 8, where Jesu s was talking to Nicodemus, he said, ‘Except a man be born o f w ater and o f the Spirit, he cannot en ter into the kingdom o f God.’ What does the word ‘water1 speak o f here? Is it bap tism?” A. No, although many try to make it so. In Acts 16 when the Apostle Paul was asked what was necessary for sal vation he answered promptly, a n d without equivocation, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” He didn’t add a single thing more. This does not mean that after one is saved he shouldn’t be baptized. We believe one should be. It, however, will not add or detract from his salvation. In talking with
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