King's Business - 1949-12

B U S IN ES S

DECEMBER, 1949

REVEL L PRESENT S CHILDREN’S MISSIONARY LIBRARY By Vernon Howard Illustrated by J. L. Craig r HUDSON TAYLOR ' ; i ......... 1 I > v fSÜ BOOK I— David Livingstone BOOK 2— Hudson Taylor BOOK 3— Adoniram Judson BOOK 4— Mary Slessor At last the heroic stories of great missionaries are made available to children of the 9-12 group. These are the first four books of a twelve book set, each telling the dramatic story of a well known missionary. Children will love these stories— as colorful as the comics, as in spiring as Horatio Alger, and as reverent as the Scriptures. Each book contains 17 beautiful illus trations in four colors. Parents and teachers, everyone who works with children will enthusiastically welcome these books. . . . Each 75c

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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

THE H in # A BUSINESS Official Publication of The Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Incorporated

Crable

â>ong of tfje

Betty Bruechert Managing Editor

William W. Orr, D.D. Associate Editor

Louis T. Talbot, D.D. Editor in Chief

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No. 12

DECEMBER 1949 Christmas Number

Vol. 40

Pabe

CONTENTS Editorially Speaking ..................................................................................... 4 Then and Now, Robert G. Lee ............................................................... 5 “ Unto Us a Child Is Bom ,” Song Nancy H. Griffin and Herbert G. Tovey .......................................... 6 The Gift o f Death, Donald Grey Bamhouse ........................................ 7 I Saw the Wild Men o f Borneo, Louis T. T a lb o t ................................ 9 Etching o f Innocence, Martha Snell Nicholson .................................... 11 Cur Deus Homo? A Meditation on the Incarnation, Bernard Ramm 11 Junior King’s Business, God’s Trees, Helen Frazee-Bower ............. 12 Biola Family C ircle ...................................................................................... 13 The Bible in the News, WiUiam W. O rr ................................................. 14 Dr. Talbot’s Question B ox........................................................................... 16 Young People’s Topics, Walter L. Wilson .............................................. 18 Worldwide Bible Reading, American Bible S o c ie ty ........................... 19 Sunday School Lessons, Homer A . Kent, Allison Arrowood . . . . 23 Object Lessons, ElmerL. Wilder ................................................. Picture Credits: Cover, Eva Luoma, Weirton, W. V a .; p. 5 , Wilde’s Bible Pictures; pp. 7 & 12, Ransom Marvin, Sprague, Washington. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION— “The King’s Business” is published monthy; $2.00, one year; $1.00; six month; 20 cents, single copy. Clubs of three or more at special rates. Write for details. Canadian and foreign subscriptions 25 cents extra. It requires one month for a change of address to become effective. Please send both old and new addresses. REMITTANCES—Payable in advance, should be made by bank draft, express, or post office money order payable to “ The King’s Business.” Date of expiration will show plainly on outside wrapper or cover of magazine. ADVERTISING—For information, address the Advertising Manager, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 13, California. MANUSCRIPTS—“The King’s Business” cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to manuscripts mailed to us for consideration. Entered as second-class matter November 7, 1938, at the Post Office at Los Angeles, Cali* fornia, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in the Act of February 28, 1925, embodied in paragraph 4, section 538, P. L. and R., authorized October 1, 1918, and November 13, 1938. ADDRESS: The King’s Business, 558 So. Hope St., Los Angeles 13, California. Page Three

X -

Sleep, Holy Babe, Upon Thy mother's breast; Great Lord of earth and sea and sky, How sweet It is to see Thee lie In such a place of restl

Sleep, Holy Babe, Thine angels watch around,

All bending low with folded wings, Before the incarnate King of kings, In reverent awe profound.

Sleep, Holy Babe, While I with Mary gaze

In joy upon that face awhile, Upon the loving infant smile, Which there divinely plays.

Sleep, Holy Babe, Ah, take Thy brief repose;

Too quickly will Thy slumbers break, And Thou to lengthened pains awake, That death alone shall close. Then must those hands Which now so fair I see, Those little pearly feet of Thine, So soft, so delicately fine, Be pierced and rent for me.

Then must that brow Its thorny crown receive;

That cheek, more lovely than the rose, Be drenched with blood, and marred with blows, That I thereby may live.

-—Edward Caswell

D E C E M B E R , 1949

(Ebitorial, Stoberttetng anb Circulation Bepartment* of Cfje lUngg ^Business. > f > f > f gain the whole world and lose his own soul” or, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation” or, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” It is a tragedy for intelligent human ity to make life’s greatest mistake, be cause this mistake involves not only the period called time, but an unending eternity as well. Only by knowing and doing the will of God in life can men ever hope to dwell eternally with Him in Heaven. Oh! the need today to press home this truth! The archenemy of our soul would lull us into a deadly disre gard of this greatest of all choices. May God give strength and wisdom to the preachers of the Gospel as they in Christ’s stead beseech men and women to be reconciled to God. Modern Evangelism 1 0S ANGELES for Christ! At the J time this edition of the magazine goes to press, the city-wide evangelistic meetings in Los Angeles will have been in progress for seven weeks, under the able leadership of Dr. Billy Graham. This blasé city has been treated to a series of soul-stirring messages which have set everyone to wondering. At first the size of the tent was looked upon skeptically, because of its six thousand seats, but, after the meetings got under way, these six thousand seats proved all too inadequate for the multitudes that came night after night. Dr. Graham was true to the Word of God, and as God always honors His Word, at the invitation time each night streams of people convicted in soul and desirous of knowing Christ as Saviour came to the altar. Nor were all the converts unknown. Several very promi nent radio and motion picture figures have come out boldly and unequivocal ly for Christ. So much so, that even the gospel-hardened newspapers of this metropolis have reported the evangel istic meetings as having outstanding news value. Let it be remembered that there is no walk of life too difficult for God to meet; nor is there any city too harden ed for the Spirit of God to break through. Los Angeles has seen multi tudes of meetings of the super-colossal nature, but it is safe to say that this evangelistic gathering is one of the greatest which this city has ever wit nessed. There is a real call for Chris tian people to pray—not only for more souls to be saved—but for real growth in grace and in the knowledge of Christ for those who have already come to know the meaning of the new birth. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

to be worshiped, that both they and their families will follow this wise ex ample and with their heart’s true de votion adore the new-born King. Life’s Greatest Mistake T HE Pollsters are still at it! A re cent survey by the American In stitute of Public Opinion put the fol lowing question to a cross section of our adult population: “Everybody makes a mistake now and then. Will you tell me what you consider to be the biggest mistake of your life so far?” The answers were interesting. Of those queried, 22% stated that their greatest mistake was in not getting enough education; 10% their marriages; 8% wrong choice of career; 7% busi ness errors, and 6% admitted person ality problems, drinking, temper, etc. The breakdown in relationship to men and women showed that the women gave more importance to the marital mistakes and less importance to educa tion, business errors and careers. Be this as it may—and we see no reason to dispute the findings of the American Institue of Public Opinion, probably the mistakes were unavoidable in many cases. After all, men and women are possessed of only limited knowledge and have no real ability to foresee the future. Very often momen tous possibilities hinge on seemingly in significant decisions. To blame those who make these mistakes is not neces sarily justifiable. But any of these mistakes, or all of them together, do not begin to have the importance of one great life decision. That is, of course, to accept Christ as Saviour, and to know and love the will of God. It is inexcusable for any mem ber of the human race today to fail to appreciate the fact that he is but a creature of a Higher Power. Under neath his feet, over his head, and on every side are overwhelming evidences of the omniscience and omnipotence of the Lord. Written upon every ability that man possesses, and even upon his very body, are unanswerable proofs of God’s creatorship. One must needs to be the blindest of the blind and the most foolish of the foolish to fail to under stand his responsibility to this all-wise, all-powerful Creator. The Word of God insistently argues: “What shall it profit a man if he should

Robbing Christmas Of Its Christ T HE thievery still goes on! This tender and beautiful day is Christ mas ! A celebration of the birth of Christ! The story is exceedingly simple, yet absolutely satisfying to the human heart. God in Heaven did something about the woe on earth. He sent His Beloved Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, to be the Emissary of His love to a desperately needy world. The Son became incarnate by the miracle of a virgin birth. Shepherds worshiped in wonder. The Heaven that night was filled with anthems of angels. Later wise men from the East made a pil grimage to the Baby’s home. Joseph watched, and Mary treasured all these things in her heart. Everybody loves this story! God gave it as a panacea for all mankind. But Satan hates it, for if you believe that God came into the world as a Babe you must also believe that He died on Calvary’s cross as a Saviour. There fore Satan, who is a thief and a liar, attempts to substitute worldly nonenti ties for its beautiful truth. First of all, there are football games and visits with friends to crowd out the true heart’s worship of the Infant King. Instead of messages from the imperishable Word of God on our Christmas cards and scenes of Bethlehem’s miracle, there are Santa Clauses and Scotty dogs and trees and snow and sleighbells—this and that and everything else. Nor does the thievery stop there, for in place of Christmas carols which spring from the loving hearts of godly musicians there are substituted songs which mention Christmas but no Christ, which dwell on the feasting and festivi ties without mentioning the Person, which stress the gifts (even to a pair of front teeth) without any mention whatsoever of giving anything to God. Nor are the wise men mentioned who brought their treasures for the Holy Child. But, thank God, there are some wise men today who will not allow their lives nor the lives of their families to be pauperized in this manner. They will remember that the heart of Christmas is Christ and that without Him there is no Christmas. They will see to it that as the ancients bowed in loving worship before Him whose right it is Page Four

zJHen anJ flo u , Robert G. Lee, D. D.*

“ And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let ns now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us” (Luke 2:15). T HERE is only one object that can satisfy the eye of the mind. That object is Jesus—Son of man without sin; Son of God with power. Simeon, having waited long for “the consolation of Israel,” seeing the Christ who in Eternity rested motherless upon the Father’s bosom and in time rested fatherless upon a woman’s bosom, clasping the Ancient of Days who had become the Infant of Days, said: “ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.” Would that such satisfaction would possess our hearts through the eyes of our minds—as we turn our eyes away “from beholding vanity.” Let us fix our minds’ eyes upon Bethlehem. Bethlehem! Not Jerusalem—city of thousands of national memories—glorious and guilty, with evil girt with diadem inside her walls. Not Athens — the intellectual center of the world: Not illustrious Rome — festering on the spoil of war. But Bethlehem — called by some “ a weed patch ignored by world travelers” — a small village in which nothing had occurred to aggrandize it. Bethlehem, drawing a new star to lighten its obscurity, drawing sages from the east, drawing the angel of the Lord, drawing of the heavenly hosts a multi tude — remembered in all generations. “ Thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, 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.” Consider t h e - Dutiful Diligence “ Shepherds . . . keeping watch over their flock” (Luke 2:8). These shepherds — poor, honest, industrious — were not leaders of armies, not expounders of philosophies, not advo cates of political theories, not bankers counting piles of money — rather just throwers of stones to keep the wolves away. Watchers of their flocks, to these who were dutifully diligent in their common tasks, the good news was first announced — teaching us to be “diligent in . . . business” — urging us to remember that our modest work and the hero’s sacrifice are one in the unseen realm of duty, showing a woman’s two mites and a rich man’s great gifts are the same in the realm of love, showing that God seeks people in humble places for service and the honors of service. “ Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Pet. 3:14). As we look upon Bethlehem, let us see to it that this dili gence possesses us. Give ears to the— Divine Declaration To Joseph “ the angel of the Lord appeared . . . saying . . . fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife . . . she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:20,21). To the shepherds the angel of the Lord said, “ Fear not . . . For unto you is born . . . a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10, 11). To these same shepherds a multitude from the heavenly choir sang, “ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). Had they made a declaration that poverty, war, plague and disease would be forever banished from the earth such an announcement would have been as discord to melody, as the chatterings o f nonsense to the speakings of wisdom, when put in the light of this divine declaration. But we should see the— Deep Descent What deep descent — from the heights of glory to the depths of shame, from the wonders of Heaven to the wicked- *Pastor of the Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, Tenn. D E C E M B E R , 1949

ness of earth, from exaltation to humiliation, from the throne to the tree, from dignity to debasement, from worship to wrath, from the hails of heaven to the nails of earth, from the coronation to the curse, from the glory place to the gory place at the cross! In Bethlehem, humility and glory in their extremes were joined. Born in a stable. Cradled in a cattle trough. Wrapped in swaddling clothes of poverty. No room for Him who made all rooms! No place for Him who made and knows all places! Oh, deep humiliation of the Creator — born of the creature woman! But His descent was the dawn of mercy. Because we could not ascend to Him, He descends to us. Forget not the— The information God gave, the shepherds wisely put into action immediately. Not the delay of a week — nor a day, nor an hour, nor a minute. The Saviour of men born in the City of David? “ Let us go and see Him now.” Not “when a more convenient time presents itself.” Not “ after we go home and talk it over with our families.” But now. Not “ after we visit again the sheep markets.” But now. Not “when we make sure no wolves will attack our sheep.” But now. Not “when we make sure no money will be lost.” But now. And the wise men made the same improvement of their information. In a distant country they saw His star and followed its direction — defiant of all distances, discouraged by no vast expanse, downcast by no far reach of miles. “ Let us now go.” What—at midnight? Cool and calculating reason would have argued that it was an unreasonable hour. Had covetousness spoken it would have asked questions as to the welfare of the sheep. Had procrastination prevailed, it would have put off until “ a better time.” But these plain men, who had left their beds to attend their flocks, now left their flocks to inquire about the Saviour. “ They came with haste.” To inquire after Jesus, to see Jesus, to serve Jesus, to follow Jesus is our first business—let us do it quickly. Page Five Delay-less Doing “ Let us now go.”

Deity Displayed God’s first promise to guilty man was that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). As to the flesh, Jesus is the seed of the woman. But He is infinitely more. Paul says, “ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4, 5). Necessary it was to our redemption that the Saviour of men should be a man. But had Christ been produced in the ordinary way of human generation, He must have been a partaker of a sinful nature. This was prevented by the miraculous way of His concep tion — by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus the virgin-born Christ was “ holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” — fit to become sin for us because He knew no sin. Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. Let us go to Bethlehem and see this great sight. Glorious mystery. We cannot fully comprehend it. Men may speak and write of it, but as they at tempt to describe it, a woeful sense of inadequacy oppresses the mind. We may speak of it, but the most we can say is that it is unspeakable. And the most we know is that it passeth knowledge. Think, too,' of the— Deplorable Darkness When Jesus came it was night in Egypt, night in Rome, night in Athens, night in Syria, night in Palestine — night everywhere. Darkness blacker than “ a murderer’s mark of crepe.” Darkness, as Keats would say, like “the parentage of chaos.” The world was dark “ as if it were dipped in the death shadow.” Poe spoke of the darkness “ as the caves wherein earth’s thunders groan” — and it was groaning “ ever darker and darker like the shadow of advancing death.” Thomas spoke of a condition “ dark as the inside of a whale,” and Whittier of a matter “ dark as the brooding thundercloud.” The world was, as Milton described Samson, “ dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon.” Yes, deplorable darkness had long covered the earth — and the wisest of men bowed down “ to an unknown God.” But, glory to His Name, “ the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). This is He who is “the brightness of . . . [the Father’s] glory, and the express image of his person” (Heb. 1:3) — “the image o f the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). This, too, is unspeakable. But we believe and adore. Let but the light shine into our hearts to give us “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” and it is enough. But consider as to Christ the— Design of Death What was the grand design of the Saviour’s birth? The re demption, by His death, of fallen, guilty, helpless man. That was the grand design. “ God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law” (Gal. 4 :4). He was named Jesus — because He came to “ save his people from their sins.” There is something so sublime, so delightful, in the name Saviour. Cicero, the Roman orator, said that when traveling in Greece he saw a pillar inscribed with the word saviour. He admired the fullness in the name, but he was as ignorant of its Christian meaning as an owl is of astronomy. How much more may every redeemed sinner admire that name— Saviour! But, seeing the things come to pass at Bethlehem, let us hate the — Despicable Disgrace What mean I by that? As, at Bethlehem, we see God in all His glorious perfections manifested in the Person of Jesus, we should engage our souls to adore and love and praise Him — magnifying “the Lord God of Israel.” “ The Lord . . . hath visited and redeemed his people.” But we see the disgraceful way in which some celebrate the season called CHRISTmas. Vain, frothy, carnal — these three words — can be written over the celebrative ways of those who “make merry” at the Christmas season. Foolishly, even iniquitously, do they contra dict as much ad possible the design of His coming as the “In fant of Days” to Bethlehem. Jesus came to “ destroy the works of the devil.” So many at Christmas seek to keep up the works of the devil. What have vulgar dances to do with the birth of Jesus? What does participation in the degradation of human Page Six

love What does greed? Or gluttony? Or drunkenness? What do the works of the flesh have to do with the birth of Jesus? Jesus come to save His people from their sins — not to urge them to participation in them. Why should more sins be com mitted at the Christmas season in a few days than in many weeks at other times? Why should sin be aggravated by let ting it pass under the guise of religious joy? Why should many choose to “ steal the livery of Christmas to serve the devil in” ? Such disgraceful observance of the birth of Christ is an affront to a holy God, a reproach to the Christian name, a ruinous matter to the souls of men. Riotous revelry instead of reverence and worship and gratitude is of hell — not Heaven — of man — not God. "UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN” Isaiah 9 :6 and John 3:16 NANCY HEARN GRIFFIN HERBERT G. TOVEY

i - to us a Child is born, Child is born, Un-t o us a Son is giv- en 5 ” 2. The Lord of d o - ry has come down, Born of vir- gin maid so low - ly$ 3. He came to die up - on the cross, Bringing us His free sal-va-tion; i^ F iy r ffirrrtfp 1. “ For un -to

Come and let us wor-ship Him, God’s be-lov- ed Son from heav-en. Thus an-nouncedby- an-gel voice, Je-sus came,our Sav-iour, ho - ly. Lamb of God for sin-ners slain, Bless-ing ev- ’ry tribe and na-tion.

S OMETIME ago I was asked to write a Christmas song for a Christian music magazine. My answer seemed to be ki the negative because of time and other things, but just about that time I walked out into my yard to attend to some of the flowers. Suddenly the words of Isaiah 9:6— “ For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given—” came into my mind with rhythmic melody. I was thrilled in soul as I thought of the blessing of Christ to the world. There flowed into my heart the words of a new song, which evidently was the answer to the request of the person ask ing for a Christmas song. When I came to writing a re frain, I thought no better refrain could be written than John 3:16, because after all that is why Christ came into the world—to save the lost. So the completed song has its Christmas message and its evangelical message, which can sing its story into the hearts of people everywhere, in this and other lands. The song is published for the first time in this issue of The Kms ’s Business. By Mrg_ N_ H Griffin

T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

By DON ALD GREY BARNHOUSE*

O NE of the scenes that we have before us at Christmas time is that of the visit of the wise men of the Orient to the birthplace of the young Child. This is a scene upon which the imagination easily lays hold. The great artists have put the picture on many canvases and have furnished us with scores of types of Oriental poten tates bringing gifts. We must be careful not to get our Bible knowledge from paintings, hymns, or tradition of any kind. God has given us the Book. From the Bible story of the visit of the men with their gifts from the East, we know but little. We do not know that there were three men. It is doubtful that the Magi were even kings, and it is more than probable that they arrived in Bethlehem long, long after the traditional date. The only ac count of this incident which we possess is in the second chapter of Matthew. Tradition has drawn upon vivid imag inations for the expansion of the idea, but we pass over all that and come to the simple Biblical account. We come for one detail only. We want your at tention fastened on the three gifts these men brought, that you might consider their significance, and particularly the reason for one of them. “ Gold, frankincense and myrrh . . .” Gifts fit for a king, it has been said. And it would take no argument at all to show that gold is a royal gift. The tombs of the Egyptian kings would be evidence enough. This same value at tached to gold seems to have existed at all times and in all places. Almost the earliest records of the human race show the attachment for the precious metal. It is not surprising, therefore, that men of a splendor that attracted the attention of all Jerusalem should have brought gold with them. Nor is it sur prising that the Holy Spirit should speak of the gift of gold in this first Gospel which was written to the Jews to prove that Jesus was the expected Messiah. Gold for a king; what more suitable gift? But it is more than likely that the great providence of God, who was watching over every detail in connec tion with the coming of His Son into this world, was providing Joseph with sufficient funds to take the young Child and His mother for the flight into Egypt which was necessitated by the begin ning of a series of Satanic attacks upon the life of the One who was to be the Saviour. Frankincense was one of the ingredi ents in the oil of anointing for the priests of Israel. It was also mixed with the meal offerings that were the offerings of praise and adoration to God. They are typical of worship. Although D E C E M B E R , 1949

these offerings with frankincense were used in the temple of Israel for the offerings of praise, God particularly said that no frankincense was to be mixed with any of the offerings for sin. We think of this when we turn to the life of Christ and see how that life was lived. He was without sin. His whole life was lived as a fragrance of praise and worship to God. The Word of God tells us that when the enemy, Satan, came to tempt the Lord Jesus, he found nothing within upon which he might lay hold. When Satan comes to tempt us, how different is the story! We have within us an old nature upon which the deceiver may work. There is an enemy in the midst of our lives which is a sworn ally of the devil. But our Lord was the spot less One. It was fitting that frankin cense should be offered to Him. So we see from the symbolism of these gifts that the eternal royalty and holiness of Christ were announced from His earliest years. He had come forth from Heaven to perform the work of redemption, and He was prepared in every way to do the Father’s will so that He might fulfill every demand and obligation of the law. Thus only would He become eligible to die an the cross; and by that cross alone redeem the world. But at this Christmas time we want to call especial attention to the third of these gifts which the wise men bore to the Lord Jesus. It was the gift of myrrh. This special substance was greatly used in ancient times. Large quantities of myrrh were used by the rich of the world of that day in the preparing of the bodies of their dead for burial. Myrrh is the most significant of the gifts that were brought to the Lord Jesus by the wise men of the East. The proof of that fact lies in one of the prophecies of the Old Testament. We must not forget that both the first com ing and the second coming "of the Lord Jesus are foretold in the Old Testament. The purpose of His first coming is suf ficiently indicated by the great outline of the work of His suffering of which we read so much in the Old Testament. Not only was the coming glorious Messiah to be Jehovah’s righteous serv ant, but beyond that, He was to go to the cross. He who, in the twenty-fourth Psalm, is the King of Glory, before whom the gates and the everlasting doors are lifted up, is the One who cried out in the twenty-second Psalm, “ My God, my God, why hast thou for saken me?” We need not take up the great prophe cies of the splendid, resistless Sovereign who is yet to come. The hundreds of Page Seven

*Pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

passages that form the basis of the yet future Messianic hope of the Jewish people are well known. But there is one passage in Isaiah which speaks of that coming in glory which must be brought into contrast with the visit of the wise men and their offering of myrrh at the feet of the Child Christ. Every one who knew the Old Testament should have seen the significance of this gift of myrrh as soon as it was brought to the Lord. In the sixtieth chapter of the prophecy of Isaiah there is a great reference to the future coming of the Messiah of the Jews at the time when we who know Him now as Saviour will see Him re turn for both His own among the Jews and the believers whom He has called out from among the Gentiles. We read, “ Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising” (Isa. 60:1-3). This is a prophecy of the future glory of Jeru salem at the time of the return of the Lord, the coming of Christ as the Mes siah of Israel. By no stretch of the imagination can any literal fulfillment be claimed for this passage at present. But when Christ comes again, all these blessings shall come upon the Jews. The prophecy continues, “ . . . the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee . . . they shall bring gold and frankin cense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord” (Isa. 60:5, 6). Do you catch the significance of the prophecy ? When Christ comes again, God’s Word tells us that there shall be gifts brought to Him. What gifts? Gold and frankincense. When He came the first time, what did the wise men bring Him? Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Why did they bring Him myrrh ? They brought Him myrrh because He had come into the earth to die, and myrrh was the sign of death. But when He comes again, though they bring Him gold and frankincense, there will be no myrrh. That, thank God, has been fin ished forever. If we turn to our Bibles and look at the varied uses of myrrh we shall find some most significant statements. It is easy to understand, of course, why there should have been myrrh mingled with the oil of anointing that was to set apart the High Priest of Israel. Was not the High Priest the one who offered the blood sacrifice of the lamb? On the great day of atonement it was he who took the blood within the veil and placed it upon the mercy seat. Yes, there must be myrrh in the oil that set him apart for his task of death. Then, in the book of Proverbs, there is a startling use of myrrh. It is in thé Page Eight

chapter that warns young men against the way of the prostitute. She speaks and invites the young man to accom pany her. “ I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry . . . I have per fumed my bed with myrrh . . .” (Prov. 7:17.) What do we find here? Myrrh, the perfume of a prostitute’s bed. I do not think we shall ever realize all that it cost the Lord Jesus to take upon Himself the load of our sin and to be bom into this world. There is that which though a perfume in the nostrils of the world is death in the thought of God. When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, He took not only the polite sins of a cultured civilization, but He took the horrors, the curse, the unspeak able vileness of men’s souls. He bore it all. He “ emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:7,8 R.V.) That is why the wise men brought myrrh to Bethlehem. There was one use of myrrh in ancient times which the Lord refused. In those days when ether and chloroform were unknown, those who suffered wanted something to numb their pain. Myrrh was a poor substitute, but it did stupefy the senses and deaden pain to a certain degree. So we read that when He came to be crucified, “ And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not” (Mark 15:23). Why did He refuse the myrrh in this manner? It was because He was going to take all that suffering and death could pos sibly bring to man. He was the Saviour. He was made sin for us, He “who knew no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21). It was not that He was not thirsty. Can we ever forget that cry, “ I thirst” ? When that cry was given, they did bring Him something to drink. This time He partook of it. Why? It was vinegar. It would heighten His thirst, make it more terrible than it had been before. But happily when this had occurred, His work was done. Then it was He cried, “ It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30). Now the work which He came to do was done. They had brought myrrh to Him in Bethlehem and now they brought myrrh to Him in the garden tomb. He had dismissed His spirit. Those who had been His followers did not realize all that He was doing in His death. He had cried, “ I lay down my life . . . No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:17, 18). But though He had told them, they understood it not. They had not under stood that it was written, “ For thou ■yyilt not leave my soul in hell [hades]; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption” (Psa. 16:10). And because they did not realize that His body was to be kept supematurally,

they brought a hundred pounds of spices to embalm it. Here was myrrh. Care fully they prepared the linens. They wound them around His body, packing in the myrrh between the folds. And when their work was done, they had left the body wound like a mummy, bound in myrrh. When next the disciples saw that linen, it was lying like the discarded chrysalis of a butterfly. In His resurrection He had passed right through the linen and the myrrh and left the hollow shell of death empty forever. “ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Is it any wonder that we read of the impression this sight made on the keen spiritual mind of John? When Peter dashed into the open tomb, the more reverent John fol lowed hesitantly. We read that “ Peter . . . went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, And the napkin that was about his head . . . Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed” (John 20:6-8). John, the beloved disciple, believed in the resurrection, believed in all that was compassed in our Lord’s incarnation when he saw the linen redolent with myrrh. Can you not see and believe today? The myrrh that was brought to His feet by the wise men was the sym bol of death. You who were dead in trespasses and sins may now look to the cross of Christ with confidence. This was the purpose of the incarnation. This is the real meaning of Christmas. There is no other meaning to Christmas. Any attempt to get any other meaning out of Christmas is to play fast and loose with the Word of God. “ For unto you is bom this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). DR. BARNHOUSE RESIGNS We are glad to publish, at the request of Dr. Barnhouse, the following explana tion in regard to his recent resignation from Revelation: Dr. Barnhouse, who for nineteen years edited Revelation magazine, has resigned, along with all regular contributors and most of the occasional contributors, be cause they would not condone a divorce and remarriage of one of the Board of Directors of the magazine. The Sunday School Times published an explanatory announcement of Dr. Barnhouse’s resig nation and almost all of the fundamen tal forces in Philadelphia have approved his stand. Dr. Barnhouse stepped out without the mailing list, and all sub scribers who wish to follow Dr. Barn house in his stand may write to him per sonally at Box 2000, Philadelphia 3, Pa. His new magazine, ETERNITY, will be gin publication in March. T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

ÿÇau> y he Wild tflen cjfScrnec

By Louis T. Talbot, D.D.

The Editor’s Two Weeks with the Dyaks

Dr. Talbot preaching to Dyaks who not many years ago were head hunters, with Mr. Mouw interpreting.

T HE month of October, 1949, will always be remembered by me for one of the most extraordinary ex periences of my life. From the time our Catalina Flying Boat landed with a splash in the river at the drowsy old port town of Pontianak, on the west coast of Borneo, to the day when, two weeks later, we set forth on another leg of our missionary journey around the world, every moment was filled with in credible sights and sounds. For years I had read about the wild men of Borneo and their dense jungles in the uncivilized part of the Dutch East Indies, but the reality far exceeded my wildest imagin ings. But the wonder of wonders that I beheld, surpassing all the natural phe nomena and the amazing customs of the people, was the Dyak Christian church, which the missionaries have claimed from that wilderness for God. To see those men and women who such a short time before were savage head hunters, worshipers of the wild pig, believers in the efficacy- of the blood of a chicken, and haters of their own kind, transform ed into lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ, was a sight I would not have missed for anything. The work in Borneo is certain ly one of the outstanding miracles of the grace of God in this generation. Before I proceed with the story of my travels, I desire to pay tribute to that noble band of missionaries who are doing such a mighty work of God in those parishes which number thousands. I wish I knew the names of all of them, but I desire particularly to mention Mr. and Mrs. Buck, Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Schisler and, of course, our host and his wife, Rev. and Mrs. J. Arthur Mouw. I am proud to say Mr. Mouw attended the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. He has labored in those jungle fastnesses for seventeen years under the Christian and Missionary Al liance Mission. When I saw what had been accomplished under his leadership, I immediately placed him in the ranks of Adoniram Judson, J. Hudson Taylor, and David Livingstone. These mission aries are all held in highest esteem by the Dutch and native officials. Their exploits read like the Book of Acts, and my visit with them gave me an entirely new con- D E C E M B E R , 1949

vided marvelous refreshment in that steaming, sticky atmosphere. The meth od was simple: you soaped yourself, dipped the water out of the bucket and poured it over you, and it drained away through the cracks in the floor! You weren’t obliged to be sparing of the water, for Rambu was only too happy to draw more from the river for you. Adventure with a Sandbar When we started up the river in the late afternoon of the seventeenth, it looked very picturesque and peaceful. Along the banks grew the graceful palms and stately banana trees, and in the dis tance we had glimpses of huge rubber plantations. Occasionally we observed an impressive dwelling with a veranda reaching to the bank—home of some plantation owner or oflicial—and there were many quaint huts of Malay coolies who work from daybreak to dusk cutting the rubber trees and collecting the sap that we at home may run our cars on real rubber tires! In the moonlight the river was a yellow ribbon.

cept of the missionary enterprise. While their ministry has spiritual compensa tions which we at home cannot com prehend, still it is a difficult, dangerous, and lonely life, and they need our con stant prayers. Up the River The flight from Singapore along the Malay peninsula over Sumatra to Java was inspiring. We found Batavia, the capital of the Dutch East Indies, a mod ern city. After spending two days there, we set off for Borneo. Since the pilot was an old Australian college friend whom I had providentially encountered in that “jumping off place of the world,” Dr. Bauman and I were permitted to sit be side him at the controls for the four- hour flight, I shall never forget the thrilling spectacle as we wove in and out among the great masses of white clouds. As there is no airfield at Ponti anak, we came down on the river whence we were conveyed to a little wharf. Great was our joy to see among a group of bronze-skinned natives, Mr. Mouw and Mr. Buck. They welcomed us most warmly. We were also greeted by a young cloudburst, common to that region of 200-inch annual rainfall! Since the equator runs right through the town, we felt as if we were being ushered into a Turkish bath. But we had no time to lose. Hastily purchasing some provisions and loading them into the missionary launch, we started on our 250-mile journey up the Kapoeas and Belitang Rivers to Balai Sepoeak. Five of us were on board the Kalam Hiedup (Word of Life)—the two mis sionaries, Dr. Bauman, a 16-year-old Christian Dyak boy, Rambu, and L The craft had a fairly good motor, but since the river was running rapidly and we were traveling against the current, the best speed we could make was five miles per hour. Racks on the side of the boat served as sleeping quarters, and at the stern there was a little kitchen. But the most popular spot was the improvised shower bath which we frequented many times a day. It was only a little booth under a canvas containing a ten-gallon bucket of water and a can, but it pro

A head hunter—“ the wild man of Bor neo.” In the background are Christian Dyaks. Page Nine

But soon the picture changed. Fewer and fewer houses appeared. The skies grew dark and the silence deepened. I had always heard you could cut the jungle quiet with a knife, and now I believe it. Now all we could discern along the river banks were deep, dark thickets. The sultry stillness was only broken by the chattering of the monkeys in the tops of the trees, the chug-chug of our motor, and occasionally the call of some gorgeously-colored bird. It was evident we were leaving civilization, and this was the real thing. We battled sleep because we did not want to miss any thing, but finally the lethargy of the tropics overcame us, and after some salmon sandwiches, a few mangoes, and hot coffee, we retired to our bunks. We had planned a non-stop trip, so our two missionaries were relieving each other at the wheel. Suddenly, about 3 A.M., we were awakened by a terrific jolt. We sprang to our feet to discover to our dismay that, making our way in the pitch black ness without any lights on the boat, we had stuck fast on a sandbar. Our Dyak boy was the calmest of us all, and in his child-like faith in God, he assured Mr. Mouw that all would be well. We tugged at the boat for some time; then we prayed. Almost at once a Chinese trad er craft, equipped with a powerful motor, drew alongside. Throwing us a line, they pulled us free into the deeper channel. This was a real answer to prayer; the missionaries stated that boats were often held up for weeks in this manner. Monkey Stew for My Birthday The next three days and nights were broken only by a stop overnight at the station of Mr. and Mrs. Williams and breakfast at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Schisler. Mr. Schisler’s parents are mem bers of the Church of the Open Door; it was heartwarming to be welcomed at their dock by forty or more native Christians singing “ Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus.”

As we continued slowly up the river, we plied the missionaries with questions. Our hearts were moved as they rehears ed God’s ways with them throughout the years, and told almost unbelievable tales of these twice-born men. One day Mr. Mouw shot a monkey in the top of a tall tree in the forest. Quickly Rambu swam over and retrieved it. It was skinned, and soon monkey stew was cooking in our little kitchen. This was a special treat for me for my birthday which I celebrated on the third day of our river trip! Yes, I ate it, but my stomach asked many questions. At least, it was different from my usual birthday dinner at home! About 7:30 on the evening of October 20th we reached Mr. Mouw’s station. Mrs. Mouw had prepared a delicious American meal which tasted like manna from heaven to us. After a good night’s sleep, we prepared for our next great adventure—the trek into the jungle. Deep in the Jungles About noon the next day, after the “ tenderfeet” had been equipped with heavy clothing and stout boots, the two missionaries, Dr. Bauman and I, ac companied by eleven Dyaks with packs on their backs, took the narrow path above the Mouw’s houseboat home, and immediately plunged into the jungle. Our objective was the Christian Dyak churches, the first of which was thirty miles away, and could only be reached on foot. My powers of description fail in pic turing a jungle like that—as primitive as it was at its original creation. A foot path twelve inches wide had been gouged out by the natives. Beneath our feet lay a web of inextricably-entangled roots which caught our feet and gave us no end of trouble. In addition, there were tough grasses, moss, vines and ferns. Over our heads hung an impenetrable thicket of trees and vines, striking us in the face, and shutting out air and light. Everywhere were inch-long ants, spiders, scorpions, and millions of mos-

Rev. J. Arthur Mouw, native of Pasa dena, California, and a former student of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, who with his family has labored for sev enteen years in the jungles of Borneo. quitoes and fleas. We knew there were pythons, boa constrictors and king cobras lurking in the bush, but fortu nately we did not encounter them. It had rained heavily the night before, and although some branches had been laid lengthwise along the path, they did not help much. We walked in ooze, occasion ally sinking to our hips and once to our waists in the water. Mr. Mouw told us he often went down as far as his arm- pits, so we were thankful to be spared that. It was unbearably hot' and humid. When we came to a pool, I could not re sist plunging in, clothes and all. It was a great relief, and in a short time my (Continued on Page 15)

One of the famous “ longhouses” of Borneo, where almost the entire village resides. Families live separately in beliks, or private apartments, usually consisting of one room, opening onto a runway the length of the building. The livestock live beneath the house.

The Kapoeas River in Borneo. Dr. Talbot traveled four days up this river to reach Mr. Mouw’s station. It was in the river that their boat was stuck on a sandbar. Note the dense jungle on either side.

Page Ten

T H E

K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S

onto

C ^ ii r r * £ ) e u ô

A MEDITATION O N THE. IN C A R N A T IO N by BERNARD RAMM , M.A.*

O NE of the most famous books in the history of the Christian church bears this title: Cur Deus Homo? It was written by that great theologian of the Middle Ages, St. Anselm. Trans lated into English, this title reads: “Why did God become Man?” The ques tion is asked because of the positive affirmation of Christianity: God became Man! Christianity centers around Bethlehem and Jerusalem. At Bethlehem Jesus was bom. At Jerusalem He was crucified. At Jerusalem He rose from the dead. At Jerusalem the Holy Spirit came. The eternal plan of redemption was wrought out within the few miles between Beth lehem and Jerusalem. Bethlehem means the incarnation. Calvary means the atonement. Easter means the resurrec tion. Pentecost means regeneration! Christianity is not a speculative re ligion about what God ought to be like; it is an historical religion about what God has done. Thus, each of the great theological affirmations of Chris tianity is tied in with an historical event. History gives us factuality, definiteness, specificness. Theology gives us interpre tation and meaning. And so Christianity is theological history and historical the ology! The historical part of Christian ity—Jesus Christ, born, crucified, risen— saves us from the endless reveries of speculation and the changing sands of philosophy. The theological part of Christianity gives life its true and di vine interpretation. And so Christmas is a day in a history book. It is not a dream of some seer, nor the fancy of a poet. It is history. It is something that literally, actually hap pened in 3 or 4 B.C., according to what historians tell us. It happened in a town we may see to this day—Bethlehem, and in circumstances that historians and archaeologists have verified as not fic titious. It occurred to a people with a long history before and after the event. It was not done in a corner, but was heralded by the wise men of the east in the very court of Herod! But Christmas is more than a birth day. It is that, for sure, but Christmas is more! Christmas is theology. Christ mas is this truth: God became Man! If it were merely a birthday, it would be a most ordinary affair, for the greatness of a man is not how he was born, but how he lived, and what he did. Christ mas is what God accomplished through His Son, Jesus Christ. Notice the attestations of God to this birth to show that it is as much theology as a natal day. Angels appeared to the *Head of the Department of Apologet ics of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. D E C E M B E R , I 9 49

of the Gentiles. The wise men signify that all the true wisdom of life is found in this Child, and that the truly wise man is he who is wise unto salvation that is through faith in this Holy One of Bethlehem. Christmas is theology. The dreams, the angels, the star, the shepherds, the wise men, the providences of God, all bear witness to this fact. But what is the theology of Christmas, but the in carnation? Our salvation depends upon the fact that the Holy Spirit has come to regenerate those who believe. The urection. His resurrection is dependent coming of the Spirit is dependent upon the glorification of Christ. The glorifica- tionof Christ is dependent upon His res- rection. His resurrection is dependent upon His death. One can only die if he has a body. Christ could have a body only by an incarnation. So the keystone in the arch of salvation is the incarnation. The first and holding link in the chain of redemption is the incarnation. All that happens afterwards is dependent upon it. Christmas first, foremost, always means to the Christian, the incarnation! Christmas is a birthday; but it is also theology. But what is the theology of the incarnation? The incarnation is grounded upon two focal points. The first is the sin of man. If there were no sin, there would be no incarnation, for the incarnation is the foundational block in the pillar of sal vation. The other point of reference is the eternal love of God. If there were no love, there would be no incarnation. Sin and love—what a strange mixture! And even more strange, the incarnation is found at the center of sin and love! Sin is of man; love is of God. What else could mediate between them but the in carnation? The love of God planned, commissioned and sent. The sin of man demanded a payment, a payment that could only be paid with a body. And so, a body had to be provided, and provided within the full requirements of the Old Testament sacrificial system. The answer was the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem, land of the Jews, under the rulership of the Romans. God He was. This was clearly promised in the Old Testament Scriptures. It is not too difficult a task for a good theo logian to show that the Messiah of the Jews was a Divine Person—in Christian terminology, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. God He was, for it is even more facile to prove from the pages of the New Testament that Jesus of Nazareth is God. This forever puts Jesus of Nazareth out of the class of mere prophet, mere teacher, the mere founder of a religion. He stands transcendent ( Continued on Page SU) Page Eleven

parents of John the Baptist to ade quately prepare the scene in Israel for the Messiah’s day of presentation. An gels came to Mary and Joseph that they might know that this was not only a hu man birth, but theology in the making. The marvelous providence of God so moved the kings and kingdoms of this world that Jesus was born in Bethlehem

Etching of Innocence

He lay there in a manger, He had no proper bed, Nor any downy pillow Beneath His lovely head.

Cattle slept about Him, Their breath was warm and sweet.

Perhaps a furry kitten Cuddled at His feet.

Picture baby Jesus, So rosy He, and fair, Among the gentle creatures. I know He liked it there. Sweet, tender baby Jesus, Could I tiptoe in And lay my heart before you? It is so stained with sin!

— Martha Snell Nicholson

as prophesied of the Messiah in the Old Testament. Angels sent the shepherds to behold the Child. These were unusual shepherds. Scholars tell us that there was a special tower near Bethlehem that was kept by shepherds employed by the temple. Any sheep straying as far as this tower could be taken by these shep herds back up to Jerusalem to keep the sacrificial services in progress. So the shepherds of the altar are brought to see the Lamb of God who would end all of their trips to Jerusalem with His sacri ficial death. Through the mysterious providences of God, wise men of the east were brought by the miracle of a star to Bethlehem. What a star that was! Its movements were so close and definite that the wise men could follow it right to the house where the Lord was. Yet it neither burned nor scorched the earth. Nor did the other inhabitants of the land apparently see it. It was His star; and revealed only to those whom He chose to see it. The wise men mean that this Child, though King of the Jews, is a Saviour

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