530
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
November 1929
fat things to another simply that he may have a glow of satis faction in his own breast, is neglecting his duty and will fail ultimately of real profit. COMMANDED . . . SHOULD DESCRIBE TO NO MAN—The word means to narrate fully; how much they, were allowed to tell we do not know, but they evidently understood it as a total prohibition and told none of the things which they had seen (cf. Luke 9:36). WHEN SHALL HAVE RISEN—To tell it before would only cause speculation and confusion, as indeed it evidently did in the minds of the Three who had witnessed it. Moreover, the truth the vision was intended to teach was not true until the resurrection; until then Moses and the Prophets retained all their force and sanctions. 10— QUESTIONING AMONG THEMSELVES—Their in veterate and incurable habit—if only we would seek His en lightenment upon vexed questions, instead of reasoning in our own hearts or disputing with one another, how much wiser and happier we Should be! WHAT THE RESURRECTION, etc.— The question was not as to the general resurrection, but that of their Master; the idea of His death and special resurrection puzzled them, for they did not fully realize His character and mission. 11— THEY ASKED HIM—They did put a question, but it is noteworthy that it was about a matter which, comparatively, did not concern them. We are so anxious to know about things that do not immediately affect ourselves, and are yet willing to leave vital problems really unsolved. THE SCRIBES SAY THAT ELIAS, etc.—And were justified in so saying (cf. Mai. 4:5). The disciples’ view was that he had just come; but if so, Jesus must needs be the Messiah; yet how could that be if He was to be rejected and crucified? (Note they had overlooked the fact that Elias was to do a certain work when he came, which He had certainly not done that day. Parts of the divine declarations are often misleading if the remainder of them be neglected.) 12— ELIAS FIRST COMING RESTORETH—(Saint Mat thew has “shall restore”; the present tense of Saint Mark is a future present,) Christ’s words evidently refer to the future; the real fulfillment of Mai. 4:5 is yet to come and is to be before the “great and terrible day of the LORD,” i.e.t. the day of final judgment. The words of Malachi are too definite to refer sim ply to John the Baptist. It seems more than probable that Eli jah himself, will return in the latter days as one of the two wit nesses mentioned in Rev. 11 (which see). What the restoration of all things means is not at all clear; it refers no doubt to the same thing as the restitution of all things in Acts 3:21, and the regeneration mentioned in Matt. 19:28. HOW IS IT WRIT TEN, etc. ?—Reminding them that they had omitted that fact in their calculation; their idea was of a triumphant Conqueror, but they should have carefully considered Isa. 53, and many other passages of like import. Intensive Bible study is our only safe guard against error as regards Christ and all that concerns Him ; we so often fail to seek for Him in the Old Testament as we should. SET AT NAUGHT—Considered as of no account, treated with contempt. Not only did this happen then, but men are doing the same thing still; many who would not actively deny Him, passively treat Him as though He were of no ac count; these will suffer the same penalty as though they ver bally rejected or denied Him. 13— ELIAS HAS COME—Here He is referring to John the Baptist, whose coming was a partial fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy (many prophecies, if not all, have a double fulfillment, some of them a double literal and some a literal and a spiritual fulfillment) ; he came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (cf. Luke 1:17) but he was not Elias himself (cf. John 1:21), AS IT IS WRITTEN OF HIM—An apparent reference to Jere miah 2:30. The prophet’s vision is cast into the future and he
We Thank Thee B y V irg in ia M. C ornell That Thou hast brought us through another year; That thou hast lifted now and then the haze Which hangs between our eyes and future days; That Thou hast made our pathway sometimes clear, And we have walked a while in pleasant ways, We thank Thee! That Thou has kept our eyelids sometimes sealed ’Gainst sights we begged with streaming eyes to see; That Thou hast left Thy secrets safe with Thee, And shown us, when our hearts at last were healed, That Thou wert wiser in Thy plans than we — We thank Thee! That nothing great or small eludes Thine eyes, Which look to where the deeps within us dwell, And mark the thoughts we have not words to tell, For that Thine ears are turned towards human cries; That Thou art wise and doeth all things well, We thank Thee! — Selected. it is not a beloved son, but the (one) beloved Son. HEAR YE HIM—The word means not simply to hear, but to heed with a view to obedience. As though He would say: “Hitherto ye have heard Moses and the Prophets” (i.e., the Law and human teaching); “henceforth they are superseded; from this time forth ye are to hear my Son.” The Law was superseded by His fulfillment of it; the teaching of the Prophets by Himself as the Great and Infallible Teacher. Yet the Law and the Prophets must be heard ere we shall be willing to accept Him as their ful fillment and expounder (cf. Luke 16:29, 31). 8 SUDDENLY LOOKING AROUND—At the touch of Christ—in their terror they had fallen on their faces—encour aged by His voice they look round, probably to see whence the other voice came. NO LONGER SAW ANY ONE AT ALL BUT JESUS ONLY—An optical representation of a great truth: the Law and the Prophets in their visible embodiment were gone and there remained only the Christ; a truth we need fully and carefully to learn. “Jesus Only": (1) Our only Righteousness, for the law of offerings is fulfilled in Him and “there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin”; henceforward we are saved, not by the deeds of the Law (cf. Rom. 3:20) but on account of His sacrifice for us on Calvary’s cross. (2) Our only Guide, Ex ample, and Teacher: human testimony and doctrine are hence forward only to be accepted in so far as they are in accordance with His words; nay, we are to look to Him for personal in struction, for He has not ceased to teach (cf. Acts 1:1— “began . . . . . t o teach”). WITH T11EMSELVF.S—Moses and Elias were gone, but Christ remained; a type of the fact that while they were transitory He is eternal, and that though they fail us He remains with us “all the days” (cf. Matt. 28:20). 9—COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN—But would it not have been better for them to remain up there with Him? No! For there was work to be done below. Such experiences are given to fit us for service, and should be sought for that purpose; the man who runs from one feast of
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