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B u s i n e s s
November 1930
identical with the word meaning “my God.” Elijah signified “my God is JAH .” 36— A SPUNGE FULL OF V INEGAR— This was given in answer to His cry, “I thirst” (cf. John 19:28, 29), and was fur ther fulfillment of prophecy (cf. Psa. 69:21). Crucifixion* pro duced a most intense thirst; such thirst is referred to by David in what has rightly been called “the crucifixion Psalm!’ (cf. Psa. 22:14, 15). 37— CRIED W IT H A LOUD VO ICE— As it is said they always do who die of a broken heart. This cry was probably, “It is finished” (one word in the original, “ nishlawm” ) the great triumphant cry that indicated at once the completion of thè re demptive work, the fulfillment o f all the Mosaic types, and the end of all His sufferings upon earth. It should be noted that this occurred at the ninth hour, (a) The time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, i.e., the lamb which was offered daily as a burnt offering for the people and typified their complete surrender to God. Christ was our Great Burnt Offering, who surrendered Himself wholly as our representative to God, and so made an at- one-ment between the divine and ourselves. [His at-one-ment of course needs our personal surrender to make it effective in our case], (b) Also, it was the time of the slaying of the passover lamb, which was a type of Him who was the true passover Lamb (cf. 1 Cor. 5:7) gazing upon whose blood God passes over us that we die not with an eternal death (cf. Ex. 12:13). This coincidence of times was not fortuitous, but was by divine dispen sation. EXP IRED— He died in óur stead (cf. Rom. 5 : 8 ) ; He died on account of our sins (cf. Isa. 53:5; 1 Cor. 15:3) ; He died that we might live (cf. 1 Thess. 5:9, 1 0 ),.for all life is the out come o f death. 38— The veil of the sanctuary (that is,, of the Holy of Holies in the temple) W A S RENT IN TW A IN — This veil typified the separation between man and God which was the con sequence of sin (cf. Isa. 59:2). But that separation need no longer exist; we are no longer debarred from direct communion with God (cf. Eph. 2:18; Heb. 10:19, 20). FROM TH E TOP TO THE BOTTOM— That is, by God, not by man ; no human effort or sacrifice or penitence could ever have rent that veil. 39 — TH E CENTUR ION BEHOLDING , etc.— The testi mony of the centurion was influenced by the whole demeanor of the sufferer (especially, it may be supposed, by the committal of His spirit to the Father) ; the impression being enhanced by the earthquake and other portents that followed His death (cf. Matt. 27:51-54). A SON OF GOD (not the Son of God)—W e must not suppose .that the centurion was converted ; his phrase no doubt only equalled “a son o f the gods” ; yet even so, we should note that the effect on his mind was chiefly the result of the patient and forgiving attitudes of Christ upon the Cross. 40— W OM EN LOOK ING ON (together with all His ac- qaintance; cf. Lk. 23:49)— The women had ministered tó Him (see verse 41). The disciples forsook Him and fled, but the women remained faithful to the end. In this pathetic group was the mother of our Lord. AFAR OFF— Even they dared not draw- near, lest they should be identified with Him. The courage that was to brook martyrdom did not exist until the Holy Ghost was given. This standing afar off was a further fulfillment of prophecy (cf. Psa. 38:11). 42— EVEN ING H AV ING ALREAD Y COME— That is, the “second” evening, or sunset. The Jews reckoned two evenings, one from noon, and one from sunset. SINCE IT W A S TH E PREPARAT ION— On the one hand the body must not be left upon the Cross all night (cf. Deut. 21 :22, 23), on the other hand it could not be taken down after twilight endèd, as that would be to break the Sabbath. (To be continued )
know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). Eternal life is qualitative as well as quantitative. It must be measured by the change that it effects in our experience as well as by its duration. Sweet ness, joy, strength, victory constitute eternal life. 2. The Conditions of, Fellowship. “ If we walk in the light, as he is in the light”—this is the condition of fellowship. Self-will, disobedience, and sin bring darkness. Only as we walk in the light of God’s full will can we have fellowship with Him. 3. The Consequendes of Fellowship. “ The. blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” We need a daily cleansing; and God supplies it in Christ. Salvation, though complete in Christ, is never ended in its work in our lives. The life of fellowship is a life of increasing purity. III. The Fullness o f Life. “ And these things we write in order that your joy may be full.” God desires that we shall be possessed by a settled, abiding joy of soul, a gladsome peace that will keep our life always serene. This is the heritage of every Christian who shares the eternal life of God. —Merrill C. Tenney. —o—1 Seed Thoughts from St. Mark ( Continued from page 515) His by right. TH A T W E M A Y SEE AND BELIEVE— That is the constant cry of the unbeliever: “Let us see that we may be lieve” ; forgetful that faith and sight are incompatible ; that faith is the acceptance of the truth of testimony to the unseen (cf. Heb. 11:1). TH EY TH A T W ERE CRUCIFIED v . . W ERE RE PROACH ING H IM— That is at first; later, one of them was converted, no doubt by His meek and forgiving spirit. 33— TH E S IXTH HOUR ARR IVING , etc.— The sixth hour (according to St. Mark’s reckoning) was noon; the ninth hour three o’clock in the afternoon. DARKNESS— The sun was darkened (cf. Lk. 23:45). This must have been miraculous (there could have been no eclipse as the moon was at the full) and was at least the first fulfillment of the prophecy uttered by the prophet Joel (cf. Joel 2:3 1; Acts 2:16-20: If the moon was above the horizon at this time it would have, no doubt, more or less the appearance of blood). «There is to be a second fulfillment of this prophecy in the latter days (cf. Rev. 6:12). This, hiding of the sun was typical of God hiding His face from Jesus be cause the latter had become sin (cf. Psa. 84:11— the sun a type of God; Hab. 1:13; Ezek. 39:24). The Pharisees had asked for a sign from heaven! They had one now, yet they did not believe. No sign will convince the heart that is unwilling to believe. 34— ELOI, ELOI, etc.— [the words should be pronounced ay-lo-ee; they are Aramaic form, probably used by Christ Him self, the Hebrew being ay-lee]. This is a quotation from Psa. 2 2 :1. The fact that He cried out W IT H A GREAT VO ICE marks the intense agony of spirit which wrung the cry from His dying lips. W H Y H A ST THOU FORSAKEN ME?— This was not the hallucination of a dying mind, but an actual fact— why? Because He had become sin on which (as we have just seen) God could not look (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21). He was our sin offering, and the sin offering under the Mosaic law was identified with sin itself; in the original Hebrew it is not called a “sin offering” but “sin.” 35— HE CALLETH ELIAS— This was a misconception due to the fact that the first two syllables of the name “Elijah” were
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