cated at Oxford and recipient of great academic honors, states in his Life and Times of the Messiah; “ If the astronomical calculations of Idel- er and Wurm are correct, the eclipse recorded by Phlegon could have taken place in the very year of our Lord’s death . . . but I cannot attach weight to such testimonies nor yet to the sayings of Origen, Tertullian, etc. . . . There are frequent notices in classical writers of eclipses preced ing disastrous events such as the deaths of great men like Caesar. But these were, if correctly related, eclipses in the true sense, and as such, natural events, having in no way a supernatural bearing and hence in no way analogous to this darkness at the crucifixion.” A. The nations had their opportu nity to receive the truth of God but they turned their backs upon the light. These people were idola ters, corrupt in their lives and a menace to the people of God. When a certain part of the human body becomes diseased, it is often neces sary to amputate a limb in order to save the life. The command God gave for the extermination of the Canaanites, for instance, suggests the depths of degradation and per version to which these pagan peo ples had sunk. In allowing nations which had become so morally, phys ically and spiritually diseased to con tinue would have accomplished noth ing except the corruption of sur rounding nations. God has a concern for the human race as a whole. He gave His Son for the whole world. This is the age of grace. God is not acting in judgment—yet. But the time will come when this age of grace will be over and the Judge will bring an end to wickedness. GOD'S DESTRUCTION OF THE HEATHEN Q. Since God is a God of love, why did He instruct Israel to fight against and even destroy the heath en nations around them? Why does He not operate that way now?
who may be able to advise, and who certainly can join you in prayer. 7. By being willing and glad to fol low the Lord wherever He may lead. These verses give assurance of God’s direction: Psalm 32:8; Exodus 33:14; Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1: 9; Psalm 37:3-5; Isaiah 30:21; 41:10; Matthew 18:19; Romans 8: 28. CAP ITAL PUNISHMENT Q. The question of capital punish ment comes up constantly these days. Do you believe in it? Do you think it is taught in the Bible? A. I have answered this question many times. Yes, I do believe in capi tal punishment, for it is a deterrent to murder. Yes, it is taught in the Word of God, laid down as a princi ple by God in the early days of the race before the law was given. Please note Genesis 9: 6: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made he man.” THREE-HOUR DARKNESS A T TH E CRUCIFIXION Q. Was the darkness which occurred at the crucifixion an eclipse which had been predicted by the astrono mers? A . We must remember that all of the events connected with the crucifixion of Christ, and His resurrection, were supernatural. The earthquake, the rending of the thick veil in the tem ple from top to bottom (not from bottom to top as man would have done it), the opened graves — all were contrary to nature. When God’s own beloved Son was hanging on a cross between earth and heaven, bearing our sins; and when He over came death in His resurrection, it was nothing for the Father to in terfere with His own natural laws to speak to this sinful earth of those events. Dr. Alfred Edersheim, the famous converted Hebrew theologian, edu
CAN THE JEWS BE DESTROYED? Q. Please give me some Scriptures which prove that the Jewish nation will not be destroyed. A . There are many such promises in the Word of God. In spite of the dis obedience of the nation, we read such assurances as these: “ I will not cast them away, nei ther will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly” (Lev. 26 :44 ); “ For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall re main before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name re main” (Isa. 66:22); “ Thus saith the Lord: If heaven above can be meas ured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord” (Jer. 31:37). God chose Is rael irrevocably and His covenants will be fulfilled to the letter. FINDING TH E W ILL OF GOD Q. I want to do the will of God but it is hard to know what He would have me do. Can you give me any help on learning His will? A. Of course this is a personal ques tion which must be decided between the Christian and the Lord. How ever, here are some rules which have been followed by the Lord’s people and found helpful. God’s will may be determined: 1. By the prayerful, consistent study of His Word. 2. By definite, earnest prayer. 3. By doing well the thing at hand to do, trusting God to open and close doors according to His pleas ure. 4. By taking into consideration the responsibilities and duties God has placed in your path. 5. By heeding an urgent desire to respond to God’s call. This may be the result of listening to the need of the Gospel in some par ticular spot at home or abroad. 6. By asking the prayers and coun sel of earnest Christian friends
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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