FOR six thousand years earth has been a battle-ground. The supremacy of the world, the kingship originally given to Adam, is the stake for which Christ and Satan, as leaders of mighty opposing forces, have contended. Strange indeed it appears that heaven should have entered into controversy with one whose power is limited and who in justice might have been blotted from existence.
Why the controversy has been so long drawn out may be partly understood when we consider that this world is but "the lesson-book of the universe." See 1 Cor. 4:9. The influence of Lucifer's fall in heaven was wide-spread, and Infinite Wisdom saw that to overcome this influence "the whole universe must see the deceiver unmasked." "Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence." And to convince all created intelligences of the horrors of sin and the blessedness of righteousness, Satan has been given a free hand and much time to manifest the true character of his effort. There can be but one outcome, therefore—the complete triumph of the principles of mercy and love. Jesus Christ will take the throne.
Just how thoroly our Redeemer shall put down and eradicate sin, just how fully He shall one day "reign in righteousness" (Isa. 33:1), is beautifully told by another: "The work of redemption will be complete. . . . The earth itself, the very field that Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed but exalted. Our little world under the curse of sin, the one dark blot in His glorious creation, will be honored above all other worlds in the universe of God. Here, where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity; where the King of Glory lived and suffered and died; here, when He shall make all things new, the tabernacle of God shall be with men, 'and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.'"
Regarding this glorious ending of the great controversy, already closing, the word of God abounds with many strong assurances. Said the angel to Mary, "The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign . . . forever." Luke 1:32, 33. The prophet Isaiah wrote, "The government shall be upon His shoulder. . . . Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever." Isa. 9:6, 7. And Jeremiah adds: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth." Jer. 23:5.
The extent of His glorious dominion is also pictured: "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." Ps. 72:8. This is the whole earth. Just as to the first Adam was committed the dominion over all, so to the second Adam is given universal control. This agrees with the prophetic promise of Micah, "And Thou, O Tower of the flock, the Stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto Thee shall it come, even the first dominion." To Daniel it was said, "And the kingdom and dominion . . . under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom." Dan. 7:27.
His will be an eternal reign. "His seed also will I make to endure forever, and His throne as the days of heaven." Ps. 89:29. Even "as the sun," "established forever as the moon," thus His throne shall be. Verses 36, 37. In that day the people "shall be all righteous." Isa. 60:21. And "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." Hab. 2:14.
Now all this is comprehended in God's great plan of salvation thru the Christ. The Son of Man came "to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10. The lost dominion, the lost home, must be restored together with the man himself. And while to-day we see that "the whole world lieth in wickedness" (1 John 5:19), and the wicked rule with iron hand, yet in the gift of the Holy Spirit we are given "the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession." Eph. 1:13, 14. By His sacrifice Christ purchased both man and inheritance, and, therefore, so surely as sin is removed from the life of the man, so surely it shall be taken away and destroyed from off the face of the earth. How shall it be done?
Until the close of this world's history, sin and righteousness will continue together. Matt. 13:30. But the end will come, and "the Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire." Verses 40 to 42. Sin and sinners shall be destroyed utterly. Mal. 4:1. And that baptism of fire which destroys sinners will by direction of Jehovah cleanse the earth from its defilement. 2 Peter 3:10.
In Edenic Beauty.
Forth from the fiery elements the world will come in its Edenic beauty made new. 2 Peter 3:13. "All things" will then have been rejuvenated and regenerated. Rev. 21:5. There will be the New Jerusalem, there, the throne of the Infinite. Rev. 21:1-3; 22:3. There the curse shall be no more; no more tears, nor death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. Rev. 21:4. The Gospel of the great Physician will have done its full healing work, and men shall be strong and glad forever.
For that day Christ, the King-Priest, is now waiting. Read carefully 1 Cor. 15:24-28. To-day He serves as mediator upon the throne of mercy, and in that work He will continue until Jehovah has put all things under Him. Then He will cease to be priest and will take His own throne, His own kingdom, and begin to reign. Then Rev. 11:15 will be fulfilled—the kingdoms of earth will become His. Then every knee shall bow, whether saint or sinner (Phil. 2:10, 11), for as "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" He will come with His rewards and punishments (Rev. 19:11-20; 1 Thess. 4:15-18).
That will be a day of exaltation for "the Son of Man." "The throne of David," the throne of eternal glory, is His. And as before Him gather His people, other sons of men, others who, like Him, have overcome, He says, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. 25:34. Then the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Matt. 13:43.
In truth, it will be the kingdom of the Father. Even the Son Himself will be "subject" unto God, that thru the eternal ages "God may be all in all." 1 Cor. 15:28. And when in that glad day men shall stand side by side with their King and Brother, they shall see with immortal vision something more of the glorious eternal purpose which was laid in Christ before the foundation of the world, and with all the redeemed they shall ascribe "blessing, and honor, and glory, and power" "unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." Rev. 5:13.
The Chimney-Sweep and the Lilies.
By Anna R. Crever
So keenly he felt that he matched in his heart
The soot and the grime of his dolorous art,
That his soul-windows opened to catch all the
airs
That are poisoned and heavy from sin's thoro-
fares.
And the sight of the lilies that bloomed by
the wall
Seemed to lie on his heart like the snow on a
pall;
The thought of their purity glistened and
gleamed
On the night of his conscience till darker it
seemed.
But the lilies they bloomed by the wall in their
place,
Nor thought of their loveliness, sweetness and
grace;
And the Sweep read their lesson each night
as he passed
Till, within, he resembled the lilies at last.
And tho he still toils mid the soot and the
smoke,
His heart is as pure as the lilies that spoke
With such eloquent silence, not dreaming at all
Of the good they were doing just there by the
wall.
—Anna R. Crever.
O. H. M. S.
THE following story is told of Henry Drummond when at school in Stirling:
“Our present king (then Prince of Wales) was married, and the boys in Stirling school celebrated the event with many festivities and decorations. Among other things, they cut out designs of Prince of Wales’ plumes in pink and blue paper, and pasted them in the windows. The supply of pink paper running short, a sixth-form boy said to Drummond (then a small boy), ‘Drummond, run down-town and buy two-penny worth of pink paper,’ to which he replied, ‘Shan’t.’ Then the big boy looked at him, and he knew what that look meant, as he said, ‘Drummond, you’d better skip, and remember it’s “O. H. M. S.” (On His Majesty’s Service.) Then, says Drummond, I started off. And I didn’t let the grass grow under my feet as I fled to the town for that pink paper, and all the way down and back I kept saying to myself, ‘O. H. M. S.’ And many times in my Christian life, when I’ve had hard, uninteresting duties to perform, I’ve said to myself, ‘O. H. M. S.,’ and this has made them easy and light.”
The Test of Life.
LOVE is the sure test of your spiritual life. The man or woman who does not love has no spiritual life. “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death.” Hate or indifference is the attitude toward others that the prince of death tries to make us assume. We need not hate every one, either; if he can get us to hating only one or two with a good, warm hatred, that is enough for his purposes. He knows that then death has begun to set in. The love of which John writes is not possible in our own strength; it must come from the Lord of Life. But we may make sure of it, if we want it. It is not a feeling; it is the unselfish preferring of others, putting them always ahead of ourselves, in thought and word as well as in act. When, in Christ’s strength, we are winning the fight that it takes to do this, we have begun to live as He meant we should live. For God is love, and love is life.—S. S. Times.
Our Bible Reading
The Second Advent—Adventists.
1. What does the word "advent" mean?
"The coming or arrival, as of any important event or person. The coming of Christ."—"Standard Dictionary."
2. What is an "Adventist"?
"One who lays special stress on Christ's second coming."—"Standard Dictionary."
3. Who was one of the first Adventists?
"Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones." Jude 14.
4. What was the faith of the patriarch Job?
"As for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, and at last He will stand up upon the earth." Job 19:25.
5. To what event did David look forward with joy?
"Our God cometh, and doth not keep silence." Ps. 50:3.
"Let the hills sing for joy together before Jehovah; for He cometh to judge the earth." Ps. 98:8.
6. What is Isaiah's view of the advent?
"Behold, Jehovah will come with fire, and His chariots shall be like the whirlwind." Isa. 66:15.
7. What hope did Jesus Himself offer to His disciples?
"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:3.
8. What is the great theme of Paul's teaching?
"The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God." 1 Thess. 4:16.
9. What message from the Lord did John hear?
"Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to render to each man according as his work is." Rev. 22:12.
10. What, then, should be the prayer of every believer?
The advent cry, "Amen: come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22:20.
H.
Faith—Growth.
FAITH is a matter of growth. Abraham, the great example of faith, was a faithful seeker of truth in the midst of the error of heathenism. God found him to be sincerely worshiping, teaching, living; and He called him out from his heathen surroundings that He might reveal to him greater light. “So Abraham departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him,” not knowing whither he went, but with faith that he could follow safely. God rewarded his faith by giving him a view of the land of Canaan, where He renewed the promise of the inheritance and the great nation. With the renewed promise came another test, the long wait for the promised son. The old patriarch became impatient at times, and in his human strength and wisdom endeavored to do for himself that which only God could do; but at length Isaac was born.
Thru all the years that Isaac was growing to manhood, the Lord was training Abraham in obedience that prepared him for the greatest test of his life—the offering of that beloved son on the altar of sacrifice. In all the years that he had walked with God, Abraham had become stronger and stronger in faith; so when the command came, without delay he “rose up early in the morning,” and started toward Moriah, where with the same unflinching trust he bound his only son upon the altar, and raised the gleaming knife to slay him.
This was the climax in the life of Abraham, and he met it; not because his faith was strong that day alone, but because with a foundation of a life of faith, his character was fixed. The death on the cross of Calvary was the climax in the earthly career of the Saviour of men; but the suffering of that hour was but the cumulation of a life filled with cruel crosses and crowns of thorns. Day by day the life of the Christian must be such a growth in faith and consequent strength of character that the crucial tests will find him strong to endure the most fiery trial.
H.
A Song of Cheer.
By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle
I STROLLED one morn up the mountainside,
Ere the sun had the valley kissed,
And the village spires in the quiet dell
Gleamed white in a veil of mist.
But the winding stream with its grassy banks,
And the vine-clad cots as well,
Were hid from sight 'neath the veil of white
Which covered the verdant dell.
But while I gazed, the fiery steeds
Of the crimson god of day
Their race began; and the mighty sun
Quick scattered the mists away.
E'en thus, I said, is the path of life;
Tho the flowers are hid from sight,
And the mist comes down o'er our sorrowing
hearts,
And we grope in the shades of night,
Still let us smile for our brother's sake;
'Twill lighten his heavy load;
Let us laugh and sing till the heavens ring
As we journey along the road.
Look up, and hope! for the sun will shine,
And the mists be rolled away,
And the shadows black in the onward track
Give place to eternal day.
The Second Advent of the Messiah
By Rev. G. W. Bosworth, D.D.
I WOULD as soon relinquish all hope of salvation and of heaven and immortality, as give up the expectation of seeing the Saviour in person on the earth, just as His disciples last saw Him near Bethany. Surrender the second advent of the Messiah?—Never. It is the one sublime event.—Rev. G. W. Bosworth, D.D.
Authority Reveals Character
“AUTHORITY is the revelation of character; give a man office and you will see what is in him.”
"Written with the Finger of God."
By Arthur L. Manous
1. What command did God give Moses at one time?
"The Lord said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there." Ex. 24: 12.
2. What should he there receive?
"I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments WHICH I HAVE WRITTEN; that thou mayest teach them." Ex. 24: 12.
3. How were these commandments written?
"He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, WRITTEN WITH THE FINGER OF GOD." Ex. 31: 18.
"The tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and THE WRITING WAS THE WRITING OF GOD, graven upon the tables." Ex. 32: 15, 16.
4. When Moses broke the tables of stone, what command did God give him?
"The Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I WILL WRITE upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest." "And He [God] wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments." Ex. 34: 1, 28. See also Deut. 4: 13; 5: 22; 9: 10; 10: 4; Rom. 3: 4. ARTHUR L. MANOUS.
The Signs of the Times.
By Editor
NOT this paper and its name, but that which Jesus denominated "the signs of the times," the events indicative of world-conditions and the progress of development in God's purpose of the ages. In His day it was the first advent and its meaning to the church, sunken in tradition and spiritually dead in formalism. In our day we should read in the signs of the times, in the light of His word, the proximity of His second advent, and the necessity of preparation for that great event.
The artist has pictured on our cover-page not less than a quarter-hundred of commonly recurring and widely prevalent omens in the world to-day. Study the picture. It is not pleasant, we grant, but it is highly instructive if you will let God's word illuminate it. We need not name these signs; the artist has done this. We do, however, wish to call your attention to certain scriptures which foretell all these things for the last days. We have not space to quote the scriptures; but we will tell you where they are found. Please read them.
For the synchronous peace cry by the ministers of God who ought to be sounding the alarm instead of soothing God's people with falsehood, read Isa. 2:3-6; 1 Thess. 5:3.
All these and much more are foretold in the "more sure word of prophecy" for these days in which we live. It is not pleasant, but sad to say this picture is so common in the daily press that it is no longer a matter for serious consideration.
Laws innumerable have been placed upon the statute-books to stop the fraud, the deception, the violence, the strife, the inequality; they are but mild and laughed-at protests, which are forgotten on the morrow, while some prince of grafters poses as a world benefactor, and is "honored" by the multitude because he is "successful."
We are not pessimistic; these are only occurrences of the night of sin and evil. But "the night is far spent; the day is at hand."
This picture, these scenes, should teach the child of God these lessons: (1) He should not be deceived by any smooth story which popular preachers might tell. The preacher is himself a sign that his message is false. (2) The Christian should do all in his power to enlighten and save the souls in darkness, before it is too late.
Christ is coming. Men may deny it. Inspiration said they would; and the very denial becomes a sign of the great event. For "there shall come in the last days scoffers . . . saying, Where is the promise of His coming?" Read 2 Peter 3:3-5.
Christ is coming. Be glad that the reign of sin is about to end. The glad dawn of eternal day is at hand.
Studies in Romans
The Medium of Salvation.
GOD has a definite plan for the salvation of men. This plan is set forth in many portions of His word, and among the scriptures that tell the story clearly is the following:
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!
"But they did not all harken to the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily,
Their sound went out into all the earth,
And their words unto the ends of the world.
"But I say, Did Israel not know? First Moses saith,
I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation,
With a nation void of understanding will I anger you.
"And Isaiah is very bold, and saith,
I was found of them that sought Me not;
I became manifest unto them that asked not of Me.
"But as to Israel He saith, All the day long did I spread out My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people." Rom. 10: 13-21.
"Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." This is the plain and comforting promise. There is no respect of persons with God. We do not need to have some influential friends to present us to Him, but whosoever will may come to Him.
But the apostle immediately raises the question, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?" There must be belief in Him before they can call on Him. This fact is perfectly apparent. It would not be possible for an individual to call on, or make request to, a person that he believed did not exist.
Then the next questions to be asked are, "How shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent?" And from all these questions the apostle draws the conclusion, "So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
Belief must come of hearing the word of Christ. It is the word that imparts the intelligence that enables the individual to lay hold on salvation. Securing salvation is not a blind leap in the dark. It is a definite thing, to be secured in a definite way. The individual is to hear the word of God, and hearing that word he is to believe it and act upon it. This will bring salvation to every one who follows the divine plan.
The individual who has taken the word of God as his guide, and who is intelligently following it, knows that he is secure of salvation if he continues faithful. He has found something that gives him perfect satisfaction and complete rest. He is no longer filled with an awful dread of death or of the future; he looks into the future with perfect joy because he has made the acquaintance of Jesus the Saviour of men, and he knows that His Lord will save every one who reposes trust and confidence in Him.
But do not lose sight of the fact that this desirable prize is not gained in a haphazard, come-by-chance way. "Belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." We can not get this belief—we can not hear the things that bring it—except by the word of Christ. We must read that word. We must reverently listen to that word. We must pray to God to impress that word upon mind and heart, if we are to have salvation.
There are thousands of people who know about the word of God. There are thousands of people who know that there is such a book as the Bible. But there are very few comparatively who have read that Book till they know its wealth of promises and instruction. And it is only those who reverently read and study the Book that can receive its benefits. We may hear about the delights of a goodly land, but that does not give us a personal knowledge of it. We must actually enter that land and taste of its rich fruits, and breathe its blossom-perfumed breezes, in order to really know anything about it. It is thus with the word of God. We must have an experience that comes from reading and studying it ourselves if we would really know the solid foundations that our God has placed beneath His plan of salvation.9
The apostle quotes from the nineteenth psalm to show that God has given evidence to every one. There is the great universe that the Father in heaven has created, and it tells of His existence. There is no excuse for any one. God brings His existence before us thru the things that He has created, and in this way He sets us to inquiring after Him. Then He brings us in contact with His written word so that we are left without excuse. Every one may find Him if he will, and may rest securely in the deep and abiding joys of an assured salvation. This salvation depends upon the Mighty One who controls the universe, and He can not fail.
A New Reformation.
It has many times been said that a new reformation is demanded. It is. Many are looking for it to come by a union between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Others think that it will come thru Socialism. Many are expecting it by the means of civic righteousness. But all these are futile.
A union between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism means the triumph of the Papacy, and centuries of the past have demonstrated the unworth of its rule.
Socialism is looking for a purely mechanical regime, which does not, can not, change the human heart with its ambitions, passions, and lusts. All civic measures fall into the same category. Hopeless, utterly hopeless, is every change which does not change the unregenerate, carnal, sinful, easily deceived heart of man. Such a movement may promise the gold of heaven; it will pay in the dross of earth.
Friends, workers, brethren in Christ, and all wishers for the better, why not take the reformation which God has given in His word for these very times? There it is, written in the fourteenth chapter of "the Revelation of Jesus Christ." It is all based on "the everlasting Gospel" with its setting for this time. It calls from giving glory to men, calls from human fear and worship to the fear of God, to the glory of God, to the worship of the Creator.
Why not turn from the perishing, confusing creeds of Babylon to the sure word of God? Why not turn from Babylon's fornication—false relationship with the world—and unite with Christ Jesus?
Why not cast off the beast and his image—all world-powers and worldly combinations of church and state which seek to enforce worship—for the pure worship of God—heart worship and voluntary, for "the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus"?
There is reform, true reform, in this message from God for this time. It is greater than creed, greater than church, greater than all combinations of men.
This message is potent and vibrant with all the might and power and life of the eternal Creator. It will save the sinner. It will blot out his sin and write righteousness in his heart. It will make him honest, devoted, self-denying, a help to his community, a blessing to his race.
It will take men from every creed and nationality, and race and nation, and land and clime, and make them one in Christ Jesus, not to rule or to be served, but to serve the Lord Christ. And this has been demonstrated for more than a quarter of a century.
Why not then accept God's message of reform?
Suggestive Notes.
By Editor
Our readings for this week finish the books of Job and Matthew. In Job 32 to 36 we have the instructive discourses of Elihu. In chapters 38 to 41 God speaks to His servant. Job had asked that the Almighty should come and speak to him as a man, and the great God condescends to speak to His servant, bringing to him so many common things, things that were constantly before Job which he could not understand, and showing Job's folly in questioning the providences of God. And yet while He aims to speak to Job's understanding, how many wonderful revelations are disclosed in these few chapters!
Read verse 31 in the Revised Version, rather than in the Common Version, "Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades?" There was an old heathen tradition that as the Pleiades appeared in the northern hemispheres in the spring, their influences had their effect upon the earth. That is not the thought of the passage. "Canst thou bind the cluster of the Pleiades?" The naked eye can discern six stars in that cluster. A common opera-glass will show fifteen or twenty, but a large telescope presents before us a great cluster of living diamonds of light, some of them perhaps millions of miles apart, and yet God's hand has bound that cluster of the Pleiades and kept them in their relative places during all the centuries. "Or loose the bands of Orion?" In the constellation of Orion are many mighty suns, stars of a peculiar character, which are called Orionic stars. It would seem as the great constellation would separate and the stars go different ways, but it is not possible for man to change them. The bands of Orion can be loosed only by Him who created them.
The last of the 32d verse in the Revised Version is: "Canst thou guide the bear with her train?"—the great dipper of the North; but in our Common Version it is: "Canst thou guide Arcturus with his suns?" Here are thoughts which none of the astronomers of ancient times knew, revealed in the word of God. It is only lately that astronomers have found that the great size and immensity of Arcturus was holding with him many other stars which were seemingly separated from all other constellations. God's challenge to Job is, Canst thou guide this immense sun with his retinue of followers? One astronomer who had delved deeply into the various modern sciences told the writer that one of the great reasons why he believed in the inspiration of the Bible was the wonderful truths told in the book of Job which were so far beyond his age, and which scientists at the present time had only to see.
How the Bible Is Going
How the Bible Is Going.—The last report from the American Bible Society states that that noble organization has issued of the Scriptures or Scripture portions, 82,316,323 copies. Last year's issues numbered 1,895,941 copies. There were distributed in China last year 491,280 copies; 91,100 volumes were circulated in Japan; 151,230 in Korea; 102,999 in the Philippines; 117,791 in the Levant. The society last year spent $562,700, while its receipts from sales, made always at individual cost, amounted to $230,000, the deficit being supplied by contributors desiring to assist in the increased circulation of the Bible. Let the blessed work go on.
Bible Study Day
By Editor
Bible Study Day.—In 1900, William Rainey Harper and John Henry Barrows sent out an appeal to ministers to preach "one sermon a year in the early autumn devoted to setting forth the claims of the Bible upon the time and energies of the Christian." Ministers are asked to pledge to observe such a day. We are glad that men are pleading for even one day; but is it not strange that such a plea needs to be made? Every Christian minister, every week, whether that is his sermon topic or not, ought to manifest, in no uncertain way, his position regarding "the claims of the Bible." Only one Sunday out of fifty-two for the Bible, the word of God!
Job’s Repentance and Restoration
Job acknowledges his littleness, “Behold, I am of small account” (chapter 40:4); admits his folly and lack of knowledge, and repents in dust and ashes. His three friends are forgiven because Job prays for them, and the Lord turns the captivity of His servant as he prays for those who had condemned him so bitterly; blessing his latter end more than at the beginning. The whole book is a noble, inspired poem.
The Gospel According to Mark
In the New Testament, our readings cover the last four chapters of Matthew and the first five of Mark. The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four. It was not written by one of the twelve, but rather by a young disciple, nephew of Barnabas, whose full name was John Mark, and by this he is referred to in the epistles, as in Acts 12:12; 13:5, 13; Col. 4:10. It is supposed that he learned these great facts of the Gospel from Peter (1 Peter 5:13), but we may also believe that the Spirit of God inspired his words. It was probably written between the years 63 and 70, A.D. Its style is altogether different from that of Matthew. While giving some details not found in either Matthew or Luke, the writer passes very swiftly over the story, very clear and incisive is his style. The divine power of the Lord, His great living energy, stands out prominently in the story. One of his favorite words is "immediately," occurring not less than forty-one times. The tense which he seems to prefer is the present, the actors standing out before you as living, moving characters. He has very little preface to his work, but plunges into the story immediately.
The Meaning and Message of Ecclesiastes
The closing day of the week begins a new book, that of Ecclesiastes. The title in the Hebrew is "Koheleth." Our word "Ecclesiastes" comes from the Greek, meaning one who speaks in the ecclesia, or public assembly. There are two things set forth in the book: the one, human life from a human view-point, or its emptiness and vanity, striving after the wind; the other, God's hand is recognized over all His works. And despite all that men can do, God will carry on His purpose. God has given to man the power to enjoy life. The book was evidently written by Solomon who has expressed here his own opinion. He had sought by power and riches and wisdom, and all things influential which wealth could give, to obtain happiness, but he found it all vanity and vexation of spirit. But he concludes in bringing the reader to God as the only source of light and happiness, the only One who can solve the complex problem of life. That is stated in the last chapter: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." And this he must do in the light of the judgment. If it was written by Solomon, and the internal evidence goes clearly to show that it was, for he calls himself the son of David, it would clearly show that after all his wanderings, led away as he was by his idolatrous wives, he repented of this wickedness and returned to the Lord.