Month: March 2014

More than a theoretical knowledge of God

“Acquaint now yourself with Him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto you” (Job 22:21). “Thus says the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty glory in his might, let not the rich glory in his riches: But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands, and knows Me, that I am the Lord” (Jer 9:23-24). A spiritual and saving knowledge of God is the greatest need of every human creature.

The foundation of all true knowledge of God must be a clear mental apprehension of His perfections as revealed in Holy Scripture. An unknown God can neither be trusted, served, nor worshipped. In this booklet an effort has been made to set forth some of the principal perfections of the Divine character. If the reader is to truly profit from his perusal of the pages that follow, he needs to definitely and earnestly beseech God to bless them to him, to apply His Truth to the conscience and heart, so that his life will be transformed thereby.

Something more than a theoretical knowledge of God is needed by us. God is only truly known in the soul as we yield ourselves to Him, submit to His authority, and regulate all the details of our lives by His holy precepts and commandments. “Then shall we know, if we follow on (in the path of obedience) to know the Lord” (Hos 6:3). “If any man will do His will, he shall know” (Joh 7:17). “The people that do know their God shall be strong” (Dan 11:32).

— Preface to “The Attributes of God” by Arthur W. Pink

Mercy

“Herein we shall resemble God in His goodness, which is the greatest glory: “Ye shall be the children of the Highest, shall be owned by Him as His children, being like Him.” It is the glory of God that He is kind to the unthankful and to the evil, bestows the gifts of common providence even upon the worst of men, who are every day provoking Him, and rebelling against Him, and using those very gifts to His dishonour. Hence He infers (Luk 6:36), Be merciful, as your Father is merciful; this explains Mat 5:48, “Be perfect, as our Father is perfect. Imitate your Father in those things that are His brightest perfections.” Those that are merciful as God is merciful, even to the evil and the unthankful, are perfect as God is perfect; so He is pleased graciously to accept it, though infinitely falling short. Charity is called the bond of perfectness, Col 3:14. This should strongly engage us to be merciful to our brethren, even such as have been injurious to us, not only that God is so to others, but that He is so to us, though we have been, and are, evil and unthankful; it is of His mercies that we are not consumed.”

— Matthew Henry on Luke 6.36

To bind up the broken-hearted

“He was to be a healer. He was sent to bind up the broken-hearted, as pained limbs are rolled to give them ease, as broken bones and bleeding wounds are bound up, that they may knit and close again. Those whose hearts are broken for sin, who are truly humbled under the sense of guilt and dread of wrath, are furnished in the gospel of Christ with that which will make them easy and silence their fears. Those only who have experienced the pains of a penitential contrition may expect the pleasure of divine cordials and consolations.”
—Matthew Henry on Isaiah 61.1

“The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is on me; because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to those who are bound…”
—Isaiah 61:1

“He [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, Because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim release to the captives, Recovering of sight to the blind, To deliver those who are crushed, And to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began to tell them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
—Luke 4:16-21

Suffering Messiah

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Yahweh revealed?

2 For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form nor magnificence that we should see Him; nor form that we should desire Him.

3 He is despised and abandoned of men, a Man of pains, and acquainted with sickness. And as it were hiding our faces from Him, He being despised, and we did not value Him.

4 Surely He has borne our sicknesses, and He carried our pain; yet we esteemed Him plagued, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His wounds we ourselves are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have each one turned to his own way; and Yahweh made meet in Him the iniquity of all of us.

7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, but He did not open His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a ewe before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from justice; and who shall consider His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; from the transgression of My people, the stroke was to Him.

9 And He appointed Him His grave with the wicked, but He was with a rich man in His death; though He had done no violence, and deceit was not in His mouth.

10 But Yahweh pleased to crush Him, to make Him sick, so that If He should put His soul as a guilt offering, He shall see His seed; He shall prolong His days; and the will of Yahweh shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul; He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge the righteous One, My Servant, shall justify for many, and He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Because of this I will divide to Him with the great, and with the strong He shall divide the spoil; because He poured out His soul to death; and He was counted with those transgressing; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for those transgressing.