Q. Sacrament«, California — “M y wife and I disagree. She thinks we ought to force our two children to go to Sunday school. I believe, if they go, it ought to be of a voluntary nature.” A . It should rather be that by our example and persuasion, our children want to go to Sunday school. We as parents set the example! It was J. Edgar Hoover who said while most people tell their children what time to go to bed, what they are to eat, and what medicine to take, yet when it comes to vital Sunday school training, we let them do as they please. What folly. Q, Santa Barbara, California — “Does thè Scripture teach that a man must wait a year after his wife has died before remarrying?” A. There is nothing in Scripture dic tating any such practice. It is a custom which has generally been accepted out of respect for the departed one. Some wait longer, some shorter and some, of course, never remarry. Q. Long Beach, California — “Why did Miriam and Aaron call Moses1wife an Ethiopian? Did he have two wives?” A. This statement is given in Scrip ture, “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman” (Num bers 12:1). That word “Cushite” is actually “Ethiopian.” Some believe that this wife has reference to Zipporah who is mentioned in Exodus. As the daughter of Jethro^ however, she had to be a Midianitess. Then, too, it would have been a very late hour for Miriam and Aaron to speak against Moses’ wife
when he had been married to her for a great length of time already. It was not God’s original pattern, however, Moses evidently did have two wives. Many of the patriarchs had more than one wife. God’s norm and standard is shown in Genesis where he gave Adam just one woman. Q. Bellingham, Washington — “If God knows everything from the beginning, how could he repent that Hb had made man?” A. It is certainly true that God has known everything from the beginning. In our English translation we do read of God’s repentance that He had made man. But let us be careful to under stand that when man repents, he changes his mind, when God repents, He changes His methods. God is not taken by surprise through any turn of events. He knows all along what is going to take place. He does, however, change His methods of dealing with men. Q. Coos Bay, Oregon — “/ have never understood why God punished David for numbering Israel when He actually moved David to do this.” A. To understand II Samuel 24:1 and 2 we must also read 1 Chronicles 21:1, 2 for the other side of the picture. It states, “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” You see, David was desirous of knowing how many people he could depend upon; how many were in his army. He was lifted up in pride as Satan urged him to do it. In H Samuel we see the mercy and longsuffering of God in that He allowed Satan to move (continued on next page) 25
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