THE KING’S BUSINESS
666
Paul said was, “I was wishing (was on the way to wish, or I was in course of wish ing).” There was something that kept Paul back from actually wishing himself accursed from Christ in behalf of his brethren, and yet for their sakes the wish was forming in his heart. What was it that kept Paul back from actually wishing it or praying it? This, being accursed •from Christ would involve not merely misery for himself, that he would be willing to endure, but it would involve also alienation from Christ and moral ruin. This a holy man and lover of Christ could not desire no matter what it would bring to others. Yet such was Paul’s love for his kindred, and desire for their sal vation, that he was in course of praying that he in their stead might be accursed from Christ (Ex. 32:3^, 33). Israel had had a glorious portion. Theirs was the placing •as sons (cf. Ex. 4:22; Hos. 11:1; Deut. 14:1) the glory, i. e. the Shekinah that be tokened God’s presence in their midst . (throughout Jhe Old Testament, ‘Ithe glory” has a definite reference to the mani fested presence of God, see e. g. Num. 16: 19, 20). Theirs also were the covenants (cf. Eph. 2:12), and giving of the law, the j service of God, the promises, the fathers. But above all, “out of them the Christ came according to the flesh.” Glorious history, but how abused! Having spoken of Christ’s origin on the human side, Paul cannot restrain himself from declaring the other side, that Jesus Christ “is over all, God blessed forever.” This is a tre mendous statement of the absolute Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some .commenta tors try to escape the force of it by read ing it something like this: “He who is over all, God, be blessed for ever.” But this is utterly unnatural and foreign to the context, and would never have been thought^ of except as a theological makeshift. If one simply seeks to determine on strictly grammatical grounds, what Paul actually said, instead of reading into what Paul said what we think he ought to have said, the translation of our Authorized Version
death, nor life, nor angels, nor principali ties, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height (of Heaven), nor depth (of Hell), nor any Other creature (created thing), shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” I wonder what P au l. did when he had finished writing these words. Did he fall back utterly over come with the wonder of God’s love, or did he burst into tears of rapturous joy? I think I will ask him when I meet him. But how do I feel as I read them ? How do you feel? Monday, July 23 . Rom. 9 : 1 , 2 . Paul now turns from the glorious por tion of the believer in Jesus to the sad con dition of Israel because they refused to receive Jesus. Paul does not glory over them in their sad estate. He speaks with heart-breaking sadness. For them he had “great sorrow and unceasing pain in” his “heart.” How strangely joy and sorrow are blended in the true Christian experi ence: “joy unspeakable and full of glory” because of our own present privileges and future glory, but along with this “great sorrow and unceasing pain” over the lost. Have you this love for souls which Paul had? It is not so pleasant as the rapturous joy, but it is as necessary for well grounded character ' and . mighty achieve ments for Christ. How strongly Paul affirms this sorrow and pain in his heart. He knew it would be questioned so he says, “I say’the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Ghost.” Could you assert this of yourself with such, positiveness? It was one great secret of Paul’s power and of his
untiring activity. Tuesday, July 24 . Rom. 9 : 3 - 5 .
Note Paul’s exactness of statement. Paul did not say that he did wish (or pray) that he might be accursed from Christ, but that he could almost wish- (or pray) this. That is about the force of Paul’s words. Literally translated, what
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