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T HE K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
But the Word of God is as a two- edged sword, and cuts both ways. If Christ is divine because the Scriptures prophesy of Him, then the Scriptures which prophesy of Him are also divine i—that is, the original manuscripts as they came from the writers— since He establishes and confirms them.- POSTERITY STANDS BEFORE TPS Jean Paul Richter reminds us that “ when Antipater demanded fifty chil dren as hostages from the Spartans they offered him in their stead a hun dred men of distinction.” He con tinues: “ The Spartans thought rightly and nobly. In the world of childhood all posterity stands before us, upon which we, like Moses upon the prom ised land, may only gaze, but not en ter.” Let us win the children for Christ. Accept, good Lord, this opening year With Thee we trust it, knowing still Each needed way, that Thou art near, To sanctify both thought and will. Oh, make the future all Thine own. No strength have we to walk alone. 1 Sam. 7:12 We give Thee praise for boundless Grace, And past year’s leading by Thy power. Thy mercies manifold we trace, Encircling us in danger’s hour, All these sweet tokens from above Now help us trust Thy future love. Prov. 3:6 The unknown veils our joys and woes, We know not if the strife is long; But we rejoice because He knows; We rest because Thine arm is strong. We would not mar life’s destined way, Through Grace, we would Thy will obey. — Lottie Clifford Hasler. IN GOD’S HANDS Matt. 26:42
My reply, in substance, was as fol lows: “Well and good. In accord ance with this you will now perhaps tell us why Jesus was allowed to make ar rangements for two thieves to be cruci fied with Him in order to fulfill Isaiah’s prediction in his fifty-third chapter. You must tell us whether Judas ar ranged with the chief priests to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver merely in order to fulfil the word of the pro phet; and, after Judas had hanged him self, who it was that arranged for a potter’s field to be bought with the money which the betrayer flung down in the Temple, and whether it was done in order to fulfil the prophecy to that effect! You will also doubtless show us how, while hanging on the Cross, Jesus persuaded the four Roman sol diers who crucified Him to divide His outer garments into four parts and to cast lots for His inner robe, as the 22nd Psalm had described! You will also need to explain whether His enemies gave Him vinegar to drink in His agony of thirst in order to fulfil the 69th Psalm. If your theory is to hold good you must explain to us how it was that, after Jesus was dead, the soldiers de cided not to break His legs, as they did to the two thieves by His side. Did they desire to make Him fulfil the type of the Passover lamb in the twelfth chapter of Exodus and the ninth of Numbers, or the reference in the 34th Psalm? Did they act as accomplices with Jesus in thrusting a spear into His side, because Zechariah had said in the name of Messiah, “ They shall look upon Me whom they pierced?” How did Jesus arrange that all these details should be fulfilled in Himself?” My friend had nothing more to say. If the reader does not desire to ride rough-shod over all the rules of logic he must admit that the fulfilment of these prophecies marks out Christ as a divine Person separate from all others who have lived on this earth.
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