Q . Cottage Grove, Ore. — “Are we ex pected to be perfect on earth? Please give your definition of perfect.” A. When it comes to perfection we can only use that word in the absolute re ferring to God. In connection with man, it is always a relative term, sig nifying spiritual maturity. This is what Peter meant when, under the in spiration of the Holy Spirit, he ex horts us to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ.” James 3 :2 gives us a very good Scriptural definition of human “perfectness.” Q . Thermal, California — “Could you help me with Isaiah 58:12 ‘Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgres sors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the trans gressors.’ ” A. This is a tremendous portion of God’s Word. One could preach out of it numerous times with added bless ing for each study. It may well be that as many Jews who have been brought to the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah have done so through these verses more than any other sec tion of the Old Testament. Through out Isaiah 49 to 57, the prophet has but one Person in view as the Servant, namely the Messiah of Israel. Re member in Acts 8 :34 the eunuch asks about this portion whether the writer is speaking of himself or of some other who would come. Philip then leads this man to a knowledge of Christ. As an interesting outline for study, Isaiah 52:13-15 speaks of the presentation or preeminence of the Servant. Chapter 53:1-3 gives the per son of the Servant; 53:4-6 gives the passion of the Servant; 53:7-9 the perserverence of the Servant; and 53:10-12 the portion of the Servant. So the verse in question comes at the end of the 5th stanza. Here it is God the Father speaking, the God of Is rael. He declares the reward of the 20
Q . Victoria, B.C., Can---- “How can we still have a free will if God is omnipo tent, omnipresent and omniscient?” A. The Bible says that we have a will. We have been bound by sin ever since Adam’s fall. We have the opportu nity to choose right or wrong. Show ing man’s individual will is the mean ing of passages such as, "Whosoever will may come.” Q. Pullman, Wash. — “Where in the Bible does Handel’s Messiah come from?” A. It is all based upon Scripture, each section taken from a different portion of the Word of God, and the entire wonderful oratorio coming from both Old and New Testaments. Q . Glendale, Calif. — “Please explain what appears to be a contradiction in the Bible. Genesis 1:25 and 26 states that man was made after the beasts, but Genesis 2:18-20 states that man was made before the beasts.” A. In the first chapter of Genesis we have the proper order showing that man was made after the beasts of the field. Man was the crowning point of God’s creation. The picture in the sec ond chapter, however, does not discuss the entire creation. We do not have a secondary creation period but rather a recapitulation. Here we have Adam’s unique position in the universe as well as the indication that he did not have, in all of creation, one who would an swer exactly to his nature, which, of course, was Eve. The animals were brought to Adam so that he could name them, but they had already been created before him. Q , Norwalk, Calif. — “What does it mean that the Lord provoked David to number Israel (1 Chron. 21:1)?” A. This simply means that God per mitted Satan to tempt David. It was entirely permissive for the Lord does not tempt, nor can He be tempted by, any man.
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