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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
November 1926
Light
The Bible: A Little Candle and a Big PROFESSOR LEANDER S. KEYSER, D.D.
Dr. Keyser, the author o f this article, whose picture adorns the cover o f this issue o f The King’ s Business, is so well known and so well beloved that it is hardly necessary to say a word concerning him, but for our new friends we will say that he is Professor o f Systematic Theology at Hamma Divinity School, Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio, an author o f note, a stalwart Defender o f the Faith, and a familiar friend o f The King's Business Family. Learn to love him and pray for him.
A “ lamp!” In the margin we read “ a candle.” A candle that is simply “ a light to our feet” , Is only a little candle. It illumines a space only a short distance ahead of us and around us; It casts about us only a small area of light, while a vast region of darkness lies beyond. Probably older read ers will remember the old-fashioned lard lamp, or the little tallow-dip, or the farthing rushlight, or the little perforated lantern which we used in feeding the cattle In the barn In winter long after dark in the evening or long before day light In the morning. These small candles lighted up enough of the space before us to enable us safely to take one or two steps at a time, and thus we did not need to grope our way in the darkness and run into danger. The Bible Candle In some respects the Bible Is Just such a little candle In the spiritual realm and the realm of providence. For His own wise reasons God does not reveal all knowledge to us; does not solve all our problems for us. For example, He has not told us what matter is in its essence, nor what mind is, nor how mind and matter are co-ordinated In the human brain. What an Insoluble problem the “ mind-body” problem is today, even for the most learned psychologists and phy siologists! Nor does the Bible reveal to us what time, space, eternity and Infinity are. And how mysterious oftentimes are the ways of providence! Why all the casualties In the realm of nature? Sometimes the most useful men and women are cut off “ In the midst of their years,” Just when they seem to be most needed. Yes, wonderful as are the revelations given In the Bible, over many of the problems of life it per mits the veil of mystery to hang darkly, and many people wonder why, and others even grow skeptical of God’s good- ness- The Divine Reason But there is a divine reason for this method of God’s deal ings with His people. He wants to see our faith developed and disciplined. He knows that such a course is good for us. It is better for us morally and spiritually sometimes to “ walk by faith rather than by sight." God sees more good In humble faith than He would find In encyclopedic knowl edge. Faith keeps men humble, and humility is a very fine Christian virtue. An apostle enjoins us to “ be clothed with humility,” which is surely a beautiful garment. “ Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” is one of the first of the beatitudes. Christ extolled the grace of humil ity when He said, “ He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The world is much hurt by pride, especially pride of intellect, but it is never Injured by true humility, which comes to men when they cannot know everything, and must acknowledge their ignorance, and trust God to lead them aright. And this' is one of the fundamental reasons why the Holy Spirit led David to write the first clause of the verse, "Thy Word Is a candle to my feet.” “ One step enough for
UR title is not a contradiction. You will see that If you read this article through. To explain at once, It Indicates that the Bible Is adapted to our diversified needs, and reveals precisely the things that we ought to know— no more, no less. The suggestion of this title and discussion comes to us right straight from the Bible itself, being found in Psalm 11 fltiOS: "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a Ilfeni untomy path.” This verse is not repetition, but each part of It expresses a distinct thought. David, who undoubtedly wrote this great Psalm, was speaking about his Bible. How much of our present Bible he had in his possession we do not know for certain. It Is very probable that he had the five books of Moses, Joshua, Judges, part of First Samuel, the book of Ruth, and the Epic of Job. There are some reasons to believe that he had other divine revelations that have not been handed down to us in the Biblical canon, but of that we cannot be sure. Now, If David could say of the small part of the Bible which he had In his possession, "Thy Word Is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” how much more can you and I say the same of our Bible, which contains the rest of the historical and prophetical books of the Old Testament and all the books of the New Testament, setting before us so clekrly and fully God’s plan of redeeming love and grace through Jesus Christ! We surely may exclaim with all our hearts, “ Thy Word Is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path!” The writer of this article has high ideas of the divine Inspiration of the Bible— yes, and of the whole Bible. No doubt David was divinely led to write the verse Just quoted. He may not have fully realized of himself what a great truth he was uttering. He could not have measured Its full meaning and Importance for the ages to follow his day; but the Holy Spirit, who Impelled and guided him, compre hended Its full significance for all time, and therefore led him to write it and led others to Include It In the Biblical canon, In order that all people even down to our own age might know how wonderful, relevant and enlightening the whole Word of God was and Is. Surely when we come to look at the Bible, both In the large and in detail, we can underwrite the Psalmist’s tribute toward It, and may per haps see even more In It than the Psalmist himself saw. Analysis Leads to Adoration Suppose, now we analyze David's adage regarding the Word of God. If you pick a flower to pieces for scientific purposes, you spoil Its beauty and destroy Its life. Not so with the truths of the Bible. The more you analyze them, the more they are enhanced In beauty, the more they grow In power and life. So with this pregnant verse of the Holy Spirit. Take the first phrase of the passage: “ Thy Word Is a lamp unto my feet.” *
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