752
December 1928
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
eternal, immortal, invisible” (1 Tim. 1: 17). He dwells in “ light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen nor can see” (1 Tim. 6:16). 4. H e is S pirit . He does not dwell in a corporeal body, is not, therefore, limited by the bounds of time or space as we are (Jn. 4 :24). He is not confined to some remote place, although His throne is in heaven. Because He is a spirit Being, He can be worshiped only with that part of our being which is spirit, and in accor dance with His truth (cf. Acts 17:24-25). 5. H e is interested in . th e affairs of m en . He takes oversight over every crea ture, even to the birds. He-is interested in flowers of the field and exerts His power to. make the worl^-fbeautiful (Mt. 6:26- 30). Surely He is more interested in hu man life, than in these things;.;fo£,.man is the crown of His creation. In Mt. 10:29- 30 Jesus assures us that His providential care extends to all occurrences of the lives ,of His people. He t akesmor e thought for us than we do for ourselves. 6. H e has been revealed in J e ^ us C hrist . Jesus said : “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9). “The word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14). Humanity had searched in vain to find some way to con nect the infinite and the finite. Deity was fully declared to men in the -only be gotten Son (Jn. l.:18). The Saviour was the naked truth about God. He revealed deity to men in terms that men could un derstand. “In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead in bodily form” (Col. 2: 9). “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). 7. H e may be personally known . “This is life eternal, that t h e y might know thee the only true God” (Jn. 17:3). “No man edmeth to the Father biit by me,” said our Lord (Jn. 14:6). Said Je hovah : “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom . . . . Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth', for in these things I delight, saith the Lord” (Jer. 9 : 23-24). We are educating thousands today without bringing to pass something that is vital to the soulSreligious' experience. “The world by wisdom knows not God”; There can be no heart rest where there is no personal acquaintance with God. A king was once crossing the desert in a caravan. All were parched with thirst. There is nothing worse than be ing in a dry and thirsty land without water. The sands were strewn with the remains of caravans, the skeletons of men. A copper sun was overhead. One cried out : “Let the harts loose.’! These animals have à keen scent of water. Soon the caravan, following the harts, rested beside a beautiful spring. Then the king remembered the Psalmist’s words: “As the hart panteth after the water brook, so panteth my soul after thee, 0 God” (Psa. 42:1). Many today are in a dry and thirsty land of materialism without God, with out Christ and without hope. Jesus alone can lead one to the waters of rest in God. He is “the way, the truth and the life” (Jn. 14:6). "We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have re ceived thè reconciliation" (Rom. 5:11). Do you know Him “whom to know aright is life eternal”?
the ranks and looked earnestly down the street. A soldier tried to pull him back, saying, “My boy, stand back, your em peror is coming.” “He may be your emperor,” , said the lad, “but he is my father’’ } It is one thing to know God as Creator, quite another to know Him as Father. “The Lord pitieth them that fear Him” (reverence—implying relation ship). “We are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” ■ ' P utting O ur H eavenly F ather F irst Matthew 6 :24-34 This is the time of year when New Year resolutions are made, when the idea of a fresh start is abroad. Might it not be well for the boys and girls to take as a r — O —
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTLINE
G od I s
G r e a t —Psa. i06:i O O D—Psa. 135 :5 RACIOUS—Psa. 86:15 Like' as a Father.—Psa. 103:13
G od in th e O ld T estament Critics have pointed to the various titles ' of deity in the Old Testament as evidence that the Hebrews had different “tribal gods.” In Gen. 1,’ we have the name “God” ( Elohim,) which suggests power, might, strength. It presents Him espe cially as Creator. As we come to Gen. 2 :7, where the personal history of man begins, the name “LORD God” is used (Jehovah). This term does not indicate - another God, as critics assert, but is the title used of deity in relation to man. The very union of the "two names' “LORD God” throughout chapters 2 and 3, is a blow to i4|he. notion that Jehovah and Elohim were two separate Gods. J The new names of deity appear as it is desired to bring out some new aspect of God’s character. The title is significant in every place. ■ Elohim —the Creator—used 2700 times. V.-f-J ehovah- —t$*e eternal, unchangeable One (defined in Gen. 21:33). 1 /a/i—Jehovah as having .become man’s salvation. See Exo. 15:2. El —God omnipotent ( El-Olim —Go d putting omnipotence in operation as Cre ator). ' Eloah —God who is to be worshiped (see Deut. 32:15, 17). : Elyon —Most High (see Gen. 14:18). Adon —(translated ' “Lord”)B-Master, Ruler. We have various combinations of the above, full of meaning in every place. We have the name “Jehovah” combined with ten other words, forming the Je hovah titles,. such as “Jehovah — Jireh” (Gen. 22:14)£f“the Lord will providq” ; “Jehovah — Ropheka” (Exo. 15 :26)-—“the Lord that healeth thee”’ - “Jehovah — Nissi” (Exo. 17:15^S the Lord my- ban ner,” etc. Remember that what is said of Jehovah in the Old Testament is said of Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus is deity in re lation to man-SEmmanuel”-—' “God with us” (see Lk. 2:11; Phil. 2:11; Acts 10: 36; Mt. 1 :23). —o— G olden T ext I llustration Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him (Psa. 103:13). Spurgeon tells of an English peasant who inscribed on his weathervane the words: “God is love.” “Do you mean that God’s love is as changeable as the weathervane?” inquired the preacher in dignantly. “No,” replied the peasant, “I mean that God is love, whichever way the wind blows.” A Roman emperor was returning after a number of great battles. The streets of Rome were lined with subject? to wel come him, while soldiers kept the road way clear. Suddenly a boy broke through Adonai —Lord as. Blesser. Adonim —Lord as Owner.
sort of slogan the words w i t h which our Bible opens, “In the beginning God,” having in mind our topic “Putting Our Heavenly F a t h e r First” ? Our b o y s a n d girls are at an age when -,in a marked degree desires and tastes are indulged, impressions ma d e
and habits formed. Like men and women, they must make choices daily between things that are right or wrong for them to think or say or do or be interested in ; and our heavenly Father wants them to have their lives what He knows they should be, •so to help us He has told us to keep in mind the fact that we “cannot serve" God and mammon.” . “Mammon” is not the name of some god, but another word for riches; which are right enough if properly used, but must not be allowed to have a bigger place in one’s life than God Himself. Boys and girls may say that it -is not pos sible for them to have enough riches to cause this saying of Jesus to apply to them; but let us not be too sure of that, since it may not take as much to put them in.the place of danger in this respect as it would a grown person. Desire may have the ;same effect as possession, and mammon can mean to boys and girls whatever they allow to have first place instead of the heavenly Father. Five times;Vi n this lesson we read,. “Take no thought,” or words that give the same meaning concerning life, food, clothing, stature and the.. morrow; and boys and girls going to school to learn more about these very things might well be confused unless they see that what is meant is that we are not to be. over anxious about such things. With a loving heavenly Father who cares for the birds and flowers, and in whose sight we are “much more than they,” why should we be over-anxious? Boys and girls may not be over-anxious about such things, but if they are so in terested as to be unmindful of the Fa ther’s goodness and fail to give Him due thanks for all His care, is not that about the same thing? Is not that putting God s e c o n d to other things ? The child usually shows some appreciation of an earthly father’s care, and shall the same not be expected for the heavenly Father? We must not put old heads on young shoulders by having them concerned with things beyond their day; but each day has
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