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THE KING’S BUSINESS
upon) • what is the dispensation (more accurately, stewardship, i. e., the world-wide distribution through the stewards o f God, o f the knowledge) o f the mystery which from all ages (literally, from the aeons) hath been hid in God who' (the one who) - created all things.” The verb translated “to make see” means to “ illuminate,” or “throw light upon,” the-same word as that _ used in 2 Tim. 1:10 and translated there, somewhat inaccurately, “brought to light.” Truths once in shadow are by the gos pel brought out into the sun.” Paul adds o f God, in whom from all ages the secret had been until now hidden, that He “ cre ated all things.” It was indeed in vast unexplorable depths that this secret, which the gospel makes known, was hidden. The purpose for which it was given to Paul to illuminate this long hidden secret was not for man’s sake alone, but “to the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made through the church, the manifold wisdom of God.” The word translated “manifold” means “much variegated,” “many tinted:” God’s wisdom is not all o f one color, it is a many colored wisdom. It is at this point that many o f us get into difficulty. Some o f us take in those, rays o f God’s wisdom which are o f one color, and others o f us fhose o f another color, and so get into con troversy with one another, because none o f us have the. manifold wisdom o f God. The -whole statement contained in verse. 10 is o f stupendous significance. It tells us there are things about the wisdom o f God, which is o f many form and colors, that even the angelic world did not understand until they were brought to see it by the revelation o f God’s purpose concerning the church. There was much about God’s deal ing with the Jews and Gentiles that was a perplexing problem to the angelic world until the church was revealed as the solu tion. I f even the angels had to wait for ages before God explained His ways to them, can we not wait a little while for the explanation o f the questions that perplex us about the heathen world today, and about
other questions that perplex us in matters where God has not seen fit to reveal His mind and purpose? It is worse than vain to speculate. It is well to ' always bear in mind when God does things, or reveals things for which we cannot see the reason, that “the secret things belong unto Jehovah our Lord, and the things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the works o f this law (Deut. 29:29). The major part of our difficulties arise from our unwilling ness to leave the secret things with God, and instead o f being willing to ponder, believe, and obey the things which God has been willing to reveal, we spend our time and strength in beating the wings o f our thought against the bars that, shut us out from knowing the things which God does not see fit as yet 1 to tell us. I f we would spend the time in living out the truth we do know, that we squander in trying to peer into the things we cannot know, we would make far more rapid advances in our Christian experience and Christian conduct. It will all be made clear some day and we will praise God for His “manifold wisdom” when we come to see the whole plan. “The principalities and the powers in the heavenly places” mentioned in verse 10 , are both the good (cf. ch. 1 : 20 , 21 ) and the bad (cf, ch. 6:12)*pahgels. To the good angels it was made known to the satisfaction o f an age-long desire (cf.. 1 Peter 1 : 12 ) and to their adoring joy. To the bad angels it was made known to their chagrin and despair. But just to think o f it that it is “through the church,” the church o f which you and I are members, that the highest revelation o f the manifold wisdom o f God even to angels has been made. I would rather be a member o f the church, the real church, than to be a member o f the most royal family that ever walked this earth. Sunday, July 14 . Eph. 3 : 1 1 - 13 . This making known to the angels, “the principalities and the powers in the heav enly places” by means o f the church, o f the manifold wisdom o f God, was according to
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