the sea” (Isa. 11:9). We can but pray, as we think of the wonderful millennial rule of our Lord over this world: “ Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven . . . For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” “His N ame ” Highly significant are the names of our Lord as given in the Scriptures. They are numerous because one or even a dozen names can never tell the wonders o f His person and His work. It is stated that more than five hundred proper names and descriptive terms are used in the Bible to portray the Holy Trinity. In Bible times the names had a prophetic signifi cance. Names were often given after one had accom plished something worth while for God. The Lord Him self changed the name o f Abram, meaning “ high father” to Abraham “ the father o f many nations.” He did become the father o f the Israelites, the Ishmael- ites, the Midianites and other ancient nations. In a wider, spiritual sense, he became “ the father of us all” by faith, who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Saviour of sinners. Pharaoh’s daughter gave Moses his name because it means “ drawn out” and miraculously had the Lord pre served the life o f the infant who was to become Israel’s great leader. The name of Jacob was changed to Israel because o f what God had done in his life. From a sup- planter he became “ a prince with God.” When he saw in a dream the ladder reaching from earth to Heaven (typifying the Lord Jesus Christ as our means to Heaven) he called the place Bethel, “ the house of God,” and he named the spot where he wrestled with the angel Peniel, “ the face o f God.” All twelve o f Jacob’s sons received names suggestive of circumstances surrounding their birth. Samuel appropriately means “ asked of God” and David signifies “ beloved.” We could go on for a long time relating the names Hebrews gave to their children and the importance attached to them because o f their character or exploits. Naturally, the nation of Israel was deeply impressed with the names which God used for Himself in connection with their history. Take, for instance, when He spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He called Himself “ I am that I am,” indicating self-existence and eternity. Likewise, when He was upon earth, the Lord Jesus Christ applied this name o f deity to Himslf: “ Before Abraham, I am,” He said to the unbelieving Jews who sought to stone Him for thus claiming to be God which He was (John 8 :58 ). He also declared: "J am the light o f the world” ; “I am the bread of life” ; “ I am the good shepherd” ; “ I am the door” ; “ I am the vine” ; “ I am the way, the truth and the life” ; “ I am the resurrection and the life.” The name Jesus means “ Jehovah is Saviour.” The Hebrew word Messiah in Greek is Christ, the Anointed One. His title, The Lamb o f God refers to Christ’s sac rificial work, the redemption obtained for us on the cross. Lord speaks o f his deity; Jehovah is the Old Tes tament word often used for. Lord and it means “ The self-existent One who reveals Himself.” Son of God, occurring often in the New Testament, also emphasizes the deity o f Christ whereas the term, Son of Man, also appearing frequently, particularly in Luke’s Gospel, has to do with His humanity.
the virgin Mary, without a human father; because God was His Father, and He was born of the Holy Spirit, He was the sinless God-Man. Because He was perfect Man, He could suffer and die for us; because He was eternal “ God manifest in the flesh,” He was sinless, all- powerful, divine. Let us never fail to recognize the clear teaching of all the Scriptures, that, as a Child, He was “ born” into the world on that first Christmas morning, but as the Son of God, He was “ given” to become the world’s Saviour and Israel’s Messiah. T he V irgin ’ s S on Matthew and Mark, guided by the Holy Spirit, wrote the wondrous story of the birth o f the Christ Child, born o f the virgin Mary. Poets have sung of the wise men and the star, o f the shepherds and the angels, o f the manger and the faithful care given to the Infant Jesus by the godly Joseph. Luke has recorded how Joseph and Mary fulfilled the law of Moses in taking the Child into the temple when He was eight days old, to obey every single command given to the godly Jews. Luke wrote of the adoration o f Simeon and Anna in the temple, and Mary’s words of praise as she rejoiced in God, her “ Saviour.” She well knew her Infant Son was her Saviour and Lord. From our churches and on the radio and television we hear this song re-echoed — the song sung first on Judean hills — which still rings out its “ Christmas Chimes” in a sin-weary, war-torn world. “ There’s a song in the air” at this Christmas season which makes glad our burdened hearts. “ A nd the G overnment shall be upon H is S houlder ” Beautiful and wonderful as is the Christmas story, it would hold no abiding meaning for a world in sin if the Christ Child had not lived a sinless life on earth; if He had not gone to the cross to pay the penalty of sin for a bankrupt humanity; if He had not risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven there to intercede for His own; if He had not promised to return in glory to usher in everlasting peace and righteousness. It is the prophet’s reassuring promise that “ the government shall be upon his shoulder” which gives hope to a world in sin, a world in which wars continue, a world in dark ness and despair. This promise is but one of hundreds o f prophecies by God’s prophets and the foretelling of similar promises by the Lord Himself when He was upon earth and by His inspired apostles after He returned to Heaven. “ The government shall be upon his shoulder . . . Of the increase o f his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne o f David, and upon his king dom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal o f the Lord o f hosts will perform this” (Isa. 9 :7 ). When Jesus comes again, when “ the government shall be upon his shoulder,” then will there be justice for all; the poor will no longer be oppressed; minorities and majorities will not be persecuted; poor suffering Israel will not be hunted and treated with cruelty and contempt; the wicked shall be “ cut off,” immediately compelled to obey the righteous laws o f the King. Today “ the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations o f cruelty” (Psa. 74:20,) but in that coming day “ righteousness shall cover the earth as the waters cover
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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