of the week. This really doesn’t have any point as far as we can deter mine.
place from which Rebecca came to marry Isaac. Jacob also fled here from Esau. So what was Balaam’s home area?” A. He is connected with several areas. We first see him when Israel is encamped on the plains of Joab. This is on the eastern side of the Jordan. King Balak w an ts them cursed so he sends for this prophet. In Numbers 22:5 Balaam is known as “the son of Beor” of “Bethor which is by the river of the land of the children of his people.” Num bers 24:25 tells us that he “rose up, and went and returned to his place.” This would have to be back to Bethor. In the Mosaic books, when anything is said about the river, there is only one which is meant, “the fruitful one,” the River Eu phrates. Bethor has been identified by Old Testament scho lars and archaeologists as being in Mesopo tamia. Deuteronomy 23:4 does con nect it in this fashion. So all of what the questioner has said is cor rect. Incidentally, Mesopotamia is from two Greek words meaning “middle of the rivers,” separating the Tigrus-Euphrates valleys. . Q. Salem, Ore. — “We would like to believe that our son, his wife and children, and the rest of our loved ones, will not only have an oppor tunity to receive Christ as Saviour but also will make an acceptance of Him. We base our beliefs on Acts 16:31 and Matthew 18:19, 20. One of our pastors says we can definitely claim our brothers and sisters and entire family. Do you think this is correct?” A. The passage in Matthew is a wonderful passage, con ta in ing a blessed promise of the Lord. But Acts 16:31 has more bearing on your question, particularly th e phrase, “and thy house.” The clear revelation
Q. Mount Ridge, Kans. — “In I John 1:1 wo’re admonished to try the spirits whether they be of God. Then, in verse 2, it tells us to know the Spirit of God. This Scripture has troubled me because there are cults which seem to believe that Christ came in the flesh and yet they’re in great error.” A. The admonition means that we’re not to be gullible, believing every one who comes with some profession. John says to test the spirits; get out your measuring stick. God isn’t go ing to reveal something that’s dia metrically opposed to what His eter nal truth is through the centuries. Remember that there are other spir its, too. They are satanic and demon ic. We know of no cults which can pass this test in the sense which Scripture means it. Many of them admit that Jesus was a man, but not the divine, everlasting Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. Q. Vancouver, B.C., Can. — “Will the mentally disturbed or retarded be saved?” A. While no Scripture expressly states this, yet we do believe that those who mentally have never come to the age of accountability are saved, even as little children are. When one knows right from wrong, and understands that he is to accept Jesus Christ as his Saviour, then he has the responsibility to receive or reject Him. Q. Chowchilla, Calif. — “In Numbers 22:5 and 21:25 there is a question as to Balaam’s home area. Deuter onomy 23:1 seems to connect him w ith Mesopotamia. A c co rd in g to Strong’s Concordance, this is the
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