Omniscient

God possesses all (‘omni’) knowledge (‘science’). He has no need to learn; but more than this, He has never learned and cannot learn. "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counsellor hath taught him? With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and showed to Him the way of understanding?" (Isa. 40:13,14; see also Rom. 11:34). Who can imagine God sitting at the feet of a teacher? He perfectly knows Himself and all that can be known. In contrast, how imperfectly do any of us know even ourselves_what lurks within the depths of our hearts and minds.

God knows everything to know about the entire created universe. He knows each person through and through_every thought, word, action, the deep recesses of our minds and hearts, all our secret sins. As an example of this, Job was outwardly upright and God-fearing (Job 1:8); but God detected a root of pride and self-righteousness in Job, so He tested him until Job himself discovered what was truly in him:"I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6).

God’s knowledge is totally independent of any time frame.He knows the future as thoroughly as the past. "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare:before they spring forth I tell you of them" (Isa. 42:9). "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done" (Isa. 46:9,10). "Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world" (Acts 15:18). "God . . . calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Rom. 4:17).

God also knows all things that are possible but never became actual. For example, listen to the declaration of the Lord:"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes . . . And thou, Capernaum, … if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day" (Matt. 11:21,23).

The Scriptures have much to say concerning God’s omniscience. Let us read a few of the passages.

"But He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

"O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. . . . Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it" (Psa. 139:1-6).

"He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names" (Psa. 147:4; see also Matt. 10:30).

"Thus saith the Lord, … I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them" (Ezek. 11:5).

"Thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly. . . . Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.. . . Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things" (Matt. 6:4,8,32).

Not only is God the Father omniscient, but God the Son and God the Holy Spirit likewise possess all knowledge. Concerning the Son we read:"And immediately when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?" (Mark 2:8). "And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from heaven, but He, knowing their thoughts, said . . ." (Luke 11:16,17). "And He said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" (Luke 22:34). "But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man; for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24,25).

The omniscience of the Holy Spirit is brought out in the following verses:"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). "God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.. . . The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:10,11).

In consideration of the omniscience of God, let us stop and think back over the past 24-48 hours_our thoughts, words, and deeds. Does it not make us ashamed to realize that God was watching and listening to it all_our silliness, grouchiness, anger, self-pity, complaining, and so forth? May the fact of God’s omniscience have a positive effect upon our behavior. Also, may we seek to lay hold of the measure of knowledge_about Himself, about ourselves, about His creation_that God has revealed to us in His Word. While our knowledge in this life is only partial, we surely look forward to that eternal day when we shall know even as we are now known by God (1 Cor. 13:12).

We conclude our meditation on the omniscience of God by exclaiming with the apostle Paul, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:33).

Omnipotent

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude. . . saying, Alleluia:for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" (Rev. 19:6). The same Greek word here translated "omnipotent" is elsewhere translated "almighty." For example, "I am Alpha and Omega . . . which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8). "And the four beasts . . . rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" (Rev. 4:8). "I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it" (Rev. 21:22).

God is omnipotent, almighty, all-powerful. His "eternal power" is displayed in His creation (Rom. 1:20). I believe it is not amiss to say that all His acts are done without effort. God expends no energy that must be replenished. Unlike ourselves, He does not need to look outside of Himself for a renewal of strength.

Let us look at some scriptures that show various effects and results of the omnipotence of God the Father and of Jesus Christ, His Son:

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. . . . And God said, Let there be light; and there was light" (Gen. 1:1,3).

"Ah Lord God! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee" (Jer. 32:17).

When Sarah doubted the word given to her that she was to bear a child in her old age, "The Lord said unto Abraham, … Is any thing too hard for the Lord?" (Gen. 18:14).

"Say unto God, How terrible art Thou in Thy works! through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee" (Psa. 66:3).

The power of the Lord Jesus was displayed in a variety of ways:healing many people of their diseases (for example, leprosy, Matt. 8:3; palsy, Matt. 8:13; fever, Matt. 8:14; an issue of blood, Matt. 9:22), casting out demons (Matt. 8:16, 28-34), calming the winds and sea (Matt. 8:26,27), turning water into wine (John 2:7-11), raising from the dead (Lazarus, John 11:43; the daughter of Jairus, Luke 8:49-55; Himself, John 10:18), and forgiving sins (Matt. 9:6).

We who are believers in Christ can realize the power of God in a variety of ways in our own lives. Consider the following scriptures in this connection:

” The gospel of Christ… is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Rom. 1:16).

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9).

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Eph. 6:10,11).

We "are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:5).

In conclusion, the apostle Paul prayed that we might know "the exceeding greatness of His [God’s] power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power," and also that God "would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man" (Eph. 1:19; 3:16).

Omnipresent

God is present everywhere. Adam and Eve tried to hide from Him (Gen. 3:8), but were found out by Him. Jonah tried to run away from God (Jonah 1:3), but God prepared a storm and a great fish to bring Jonah back to where He could use him (1:4,17; 2:10).

The omnipresence of God is marvelously described by David in Psalm 139:7-12:"Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee, from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee."

Other references to God’s omnipresence include:"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Prov. 15:3). "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth?" (Jer. 23:23,24).

God the Son is also omnipresent, although this attribute was temporarily laid aside while He was a man on earth. As Christ was about to return to heaven following His resurrection, He said to His disciples:"Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matt. 28:20).

It is most comforting and encouraging to the believer in Christ to know that God is present everywhere, and therefore always close to us. We need not go to a special city or into a special building, put ourselves into a particular posture or position, or have an intermediary of any sort in order to commune with God. His ears are always open to our prayers (1 Peter 3:12). And companies of believers in all parts of the world can simultaneously claim the promise made by the Lord Jesus, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20).

In future issues, if the Lord tarry, we shall continue this series with a consideration of some of the moral attributes of God, such as His love, grace, and holiness.

The ministry of prophecy had a special place in the Old Testament as well as in the New. It furnished the people with a direct link with God. He communicated His mind and will to the people by the means of His servants the prophets.

There were times when He made His mind known by dreams and visions; then again by the medium of angels. But in the ministry of prophecy, the prophet had a special nearness to the Lord; to him He revealed His secrets (Amos 3:7) and to him communicated His messages to the people. This fact the woman of Samaria recognized when the Lord read the secrets of her life before her:"The woman said unto Him, Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet" (John 4:19).

The ministry of the prophets has a dual form, both in the Old Testament and in the New. First, when the Lord communicates His Word it has a present day application to His people_a ministry for both their heart and conscience according to the need. If the prophecies from Isaiah to Malachi are read with care, it will be readily seen that a large part of them take this form. They are by no means confined to predicting future events. Only a part looked forward to the future; much that fills them was a searching ministry from a faithful God to His people_a people who had, alas, often wandered from the truth already given, and known by them. And in this we learn how grieved He was on account of their neglect of the truth already known, or their departure from it. By means of the prophets He sent searching messages concerning their sins; then follow the tender heart-yearnings of a Saviour-God who desired their return of heart to Himself.

In this first form of prophecy the principles of righteousness were never overlooked when there was departure from God. The need of repentance was pressed, and when those faithful messages were unheeded_as was too often the case, alas_there followed further revelations concerning the punishment of the guilty. These principles abide for us now, the same as in Old Testament times. God’s government does not change.

The second form of prophecy is concerning the future_a foretelling of what is in the mind and will of God toward His people Israel and the other nations of the earth. In the plans and purposes of God Israel has a special place and the other nations are in relation to them. In these prophecies we are furnished with light and truth concerning the judgment of the wicked on the earth, whether among the Jews or among the nations. None are exempt. In the New Testament prophecies apostate Christendom will not escape. Their light has exceeded that of past dispensations; their privileges have been greater, and their judgment will be correspondingly greater (see Rom. 11:13-26).

After this judgment of the wicked upon the earth_which will take place when the Lord again returns to the earth_there will follow the establishment of a kingdom upon earth in which men, Jews and Gentiles, will do the will of God on earth as in heaven.

In this form of prophecy God by His servants foretells future events. The things to come are opened up for all who have ears to hear, and that with no uncertain sound. All the outlines are given with such precision, with such detail and perfection, that it commands the admiration of all who reverence the Word of God. And so much of what has thus been predicted along the way has already been fulfilled, fulfilled with such accuracy, that not a doubt can lurk in our souls concerning further portions yet to be fulfilled.

But we do not need prophets now to bring new and fresh revelations to us, for Scripture is completed (Col. 1:25). What we need now is to search the prophetic scriptures and learn from them what God has said. They are as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn and the morning star arise (2 Peter 1:19). The whole purpose of God has been given, and the Word of God now in our possession is the believer’s prophetic chart to guide him unto the end.

There is, however, an aspect of prophecy that abides, namely, presenting the mind and will of God to His people. As already stated, this is not from any new revelation from God, but the bringing out from the Word of God needed truth according to the condition of God’s people. If chapters 12 through 14 of 1 Corinthians are carefully read, the place of this ministry will be clearly seen; they who prophesy now, whether in the assembly of God’s people or otherwise, will be those who bring home to the hearts of His people the mind of God from the suited portion of His Word for present "edification, and exhortation, and comfort" (1 Cor. 14:3).

Would that we felt and realized now the need of such a ministry as the apostle pressed upon the assembly at Corinth in 1 Cor. 14! May there be among us everywhere a revival of this much-needed ministry of prophecy, a ministry that will keep the mind of God before us, so as to preserve us from the influences which prevail at the present time.

Evil doctrines abound and multiply in seductive forms to seduce the weak and those young in the faith; the ministry of the Word of God alone can build up and fortify them against the rising tide. Worldliness in a multitude of forms is seeking to press in to the destruction of piety; and that not only here and there, but in most places. To check this and reprove it with such ministry is so very necessary! When this is neglected, little by little forms of teaching neither wholesome nor edifying are liable to develop. If the neglect continues, the Christian standard of walk is lowered, worldly associations are formed, and the words of the prophet may be applied:"Woe to them that are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1). Are there not many gatherings of the Lord’s people which bear this characteristic mark? Where this is true the world comes in, and devotion and spirituality depart.

"Follow after love, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy" (1 Cor. 14:1). These words throw much light on the need and use of this ministry in the assembly. Evangelists may preach the gospel and sinners be saved; teachers may expound the Word, and many be enlightened; these gifts have their God-given place, for which we can be truly thankful, yet they can never supply the ministry of prophecy.

For a gathering of God’s people to maintain a true Christian testimony, there is need of more than the evangelist, more than the teacher. The Word must not only be preached and taught; it needs also to be applied; and this is prophesying. This ministry appeals especially to the conscience, so much so that even unbelievers coming in are searched by it (1 Cor. 14:24,25).

Oh, for a revival of the ministry of prophecy in the power of the Holy Spirit among us everywhere, so that the standard of true spirituality of life and heart may be on a higher plane, and freshness and devotedness take the place of indifference and worldliness. We need the exercise as individuals_prayerful exercise of heart_as to what first pleases the Lord Jesus, the Holy and the True; then, by those thus exercised, both men and women, private prophesying from house to house, between individual and individual (Acts 21:8,9; 1 Cor. 11:5); and also in the assembly of God’s people, with the men only participating (1 Cor. 14:23-40).

"Wherefore, brethren, covet [or desire] to prophesy. . . . Ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted [or encouraged]" (1 Cor. 14:31,39).

(From Help and Food, Volume 29.)

In the previous two issues we have considered aspects of the deity of Christ. We have seen Him as coequal with God, the Son of God, the image and revealer of God, the one who came from and returned to God, one who was better than the angels and who received worship, and one who manifested attributes ascribed to Jehovah God of the Old Testament. But the Scriptures also reveal Christ as the one who has become fully man as well as being fully God. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). Let us now consider what God’s Word has to say concerning the humanity of Christ.

The Humanity of Christ

Birth and Growth. Christ was conceived. "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call His name JESUS" (Luke 1:31). "That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 1:20).

Christ was born a man child. "She . . . brought forth her firstborn son; and he [Joseph] called His name JESUS" (Matt. 1:25). "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes" (Luke 2:7).

Christ was circumcised. "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, His name was called JESUS" (Luke 2:21).

Christ progressed in normal fashion through childhood and youth to manhood; as a child He was submissive to His parents. "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit. . . . He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. . . . And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature" (Luke 2:40-52).

Manifestation of Physical Needs

Christ became hungry and thirsty. "And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungred" (Matt. 4:2). "Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungred" (Matt. 21:18). "Jesus saith unto her [the woman of Samaria], Give Me to drink" (John 4:7). "I thirst" (John 19:28).

Christ became weary and needed sleep. "Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well" (John 4:6). "And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves; but He [Jesus] was asleep" (Matt. 8:24).

Death and Burial

"But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs; but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water" (John 19:33,34). "And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. . . . And he [Joseph] bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre" (Mark 15:37,46).

Human, Yet Superhuman

Amidst the many manifestations of Christ’s humanity there were repeated evidences that He was more than human.

Mary conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and not by a man. "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee" (Luke 1:35).

He was precocious in His interest in spiritual things. "[He] waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. . . . When He was twelve years old … they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions" (Luke 2:40-46).

He could rise above His physical needs. "His disciples prayed Him, saying, Master, eat.. . . Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:31-34).

While He died and was buried, seemingly like any other human, yet He was in full control of His life. His death was not involuntary but He "yielded up" His Spirit (Matt. 27:50) at the appointed time. Also, after the predetermined period in the tomb, He took back His spirit, His life, and arose from death and the grave. Foretelling the laying down of His life, He said, "No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again" (John 10:18).

Human, Yet without Sin

While Christ was fully man, in one respect He was totally unlike all other human beings:He was totally without sin. Jesus asked the Jewish leaders, "Which of you convinceth [or convicts] Me of sin?" (John 8:46). His sinlessness was not simply an empty claim on Jesus’ part; His life gave witness to it. Pilate proclaimed to the Jews, "I find in Him no fault at all" (John 18:38). The repentant thief testified, "This Man hath done nothing amiss" (Luke 23:41).

Christ’s uncompromising submission to His Father is beautifully manifested both in the wilderness and in the garden of Gethsemane. In the wilderness, Satan tested Him with, no doubt, the most severe temptations he could think of, and Jesus came through them all without wavering (Matt. 4:1-10). (Notice the marked contrast with the temptation of the first man and woman in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were surrounded by "every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food," but they took of the one tree denied to them; Christ, on the other hand, was in the
wilderness without food for 40 days, and resisted the temptation to feed Himself without the Father so directing Him.) In the garden of Gethsemane, anticipating the awfulness of the cross, Jesus prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt" (Matt. 26:39).

Three other scriptures give testimony to the sinlessness of Christ. "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21). "Christ . . . did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). "He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin" (1 John 3:5). The common teaching that Christ could have sinned, but did not, denies the scripture that says "in Him is no sin." It is claimed that Jesus was like Adam before the fall_having the freedom of choice to disobey God’s law. However, Jesus was "the Holy One" (Luke 1:35; 4:34; Acts 2:27; 3:14; 4:27), an attribute never ascribed to Adam.

Son of Man

Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" (Matt. 16:13). And in Matt. 8:20 He says, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests:but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head." We are all sons (or daughters) of man; that is, we are all born of human parents. But Christ was uniquely the Son of man. It is taken for granted of ourselves; no one questions it. But the life of Christ was so extraordinary in His frequent displays of power, knowledge, and wisdom, that one might have been tempted to think of Him as not being human at all, only divine. In His frequent references to Himself as the Son of man, Christ seems to have been attempting to remind the people of His true nature and condescension_the Son of God come down from heaven, who "took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7).

God and Man

Thus, we see from Scripture that the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. As such, He_and He alone_is the suited mediator between God and man. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2:5). Christ has revealed God to man, and has made a way for man to approach God. He is also our "advocate with the Father" when we sin (1 John 2:1).

Why?

As we conclude our meditations upon the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, we are compelled to ask, "Why?" Why did the eternal Son of God leave His place of glory in the third heaven, beyond the created universe, to become a man on earth? We know that He came down to die for sinful man as our Redeemer. He paid the tremendous price of God’s wrath and judgment as our substitute, to redeem us to God. But again, Why? Why did He do this? "He loved us," you say. Well, that is surely the best answer we can give, yet does it really answer the question? How could God love and find so much value in us who by nature are rebellious, willful, selfish, and "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God"? How could Jesus die for us knowing that even after we were saved we would often manifest our sinful nature and dishonor and displease Him?

I don’t know. There is something in God’s nature and character that is totally above and beyond our comprehension_something that finds such value in us as to cause His Son to suffer horribly that we might be brought into the closest union with Himself. We read in Heb. 12:2 that it was the prospect of future joy that motivated Christ:"Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Think of it! It is going to fill Christ with joy to have us, His redeemed ones, united with Him for eternity! Surely it is incomprehensible, but what a motivation this is for us to bring Him joy in everything we say and do in this present life!

FRAGMENT The Lord Jesus … is the summing up of all possible beauty and perfection in Himself.

FRAGMENT What was the life of this Jesus, the Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief? A life of activity in obscurity, causing the love of God to penetrate the most hidden corners of society, wherever needs were greatest. . . . This life did not shelter itself from the misery of the world . . . but it brought into it the love of God.

FRAGMENT The gospels display the One in whom was no selfishness. They tell out the heart that was ready for everybody. No matter how deep His own sorrow, He always cared for others. He could warn Peter in Gethsemane, and comfort the dying thief on the cross. His heart was above circumstances, never acting under them, but ever according to God in them.

FRAGMENT We find admirable affections in the apostles. . . . We find works, as Jesus said, greater than His own.. . . But we do not find the evenness that was in Christ. He was the Son of man who was in heaven. Such as Paul are chords on which God strikes, and on which He produces a wondrous music; but Christ is all the music itself.

FRAGMENT May God grant unto us to value the perfect beauty of that Jesus who came to us.

Our present purpose in calling attention to the study of the prophetical books of the Old Testament is to notice especially their importance in disclosing what is of great value in the personal and practical walk of the believer. We should see to it that the dispensational or doctrinal part of God’s Word does not supplant what is practical. He would never have one side of His truth displace another. Let us, then, look at a few of the truths in the prophets which are of a distinctly practical and personal importance.

The majesty and holiness of God

The prophet Isaiah enters upon his special service after having had such a view of God’s glory as brought him to his face in self-abhorrence (Isa. 6). Like Job, he had heard of Him by the hearing of the ear, but when his eye saw Him, he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. But our blessed God does not reveal Himself to dazzle or to smite, so we see grace mingling with the glory. It is only sin which makes us not at home in His presence, and the coal from off the altar speaks to us of a holiness which has found food there and does not burn but heals the sinner. This is a sweet type of that work (and the fragrance of the person of Him who did it) in which God’s holiness was so vindicated and manifested that it now comes forth to kiss away sin from defiled lips.

In Habakkuk 3 we have a most magnificent description of God’s majesty. "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise . . . His brightness was as the light. . . He stood, and measured the earth . . . and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow" (verses 3-6). All His enemies are scattered, but though the believer is filled with awe, he says, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom … yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (verses 17,18). God seen and known in this way becomes an object of worship and reverence. Is there not a serious absence of that fear of God which is not only the beginning of knowledge, but the characteristic of His people at all times? The love which casteth out fear never casts out godly fear. Assurance and trembling go together as 1 Peter 1 and Philippians 2 would show us. Were God ever before our hearts in His holiness and majesty, self-pleasing could have no place, conscience would be active, and the path of obedience would be plain and not difficult to walk in. Nor would joy, liberty, and praise be wanting. And the flippancy, looseness of walk, hastiness of tongue would be gone. No flesh can glory in His presence. May we not say, "Lord, increase our fear," as well as "Lord, increase our faith"? Then we would go forth to the world with the message of grace, and our word would be with power.

The Tenderness of God

Perhaps we little realize the tone of tenderness which pervades the prophets. There is so much of holy indignation against sin, so many warnings of judgment, that we fail, perhaps, to notice the tender pleading that often accompanies the severest denunciations. Hosea speaks from God’s heart to that of His people. In chapter 2 after describing Israel’s unfaithfulness like that of a wife untrue to her husband, and the resulting judgments, God says, "Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." What tenderness is manifested here! He cannot let the record of her sins go down without accompanying it with the promise of future blessing. Then, too, when there seems to be a desire to return to the Lord, but not full and deep, how His love pleads (Hosea 6:4)! In looking back over Ephraim’s past history_ "[I took] them by their arms, but they knew not that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love . . . How shall I give thee up, Ephraim?” (Hosea 11:3-8)_He cannot, so He will not, execute the fierceness of His wrath. He will roar as a lion, and His people shall follow Him, trembling indeed, but turning from Egypt and Assyria. Again, In Hosea 14, the very words of penitence are put in their lips, and God’s answer is given in anticipation:"I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely" (verse 4).

Jeremiah, too, that dark book of judgment, has beneath the judgment the pleading of One who would have been a husband to Israel, and who now recalls the love of her espousals. Even now, in spite of public unfaithfulness, He pleads with her to return. The tears of the messenger mingle with the judgment pronounced in God’s name.

Ezekiel 16 has a most faithful portrayal of Israel’s history under the figure of the unfaithful wife. The history begins in her infancy, and as she grew up, she was adorned with His comeliness; but she turned it all to strangers. Faithfully is the dark picture drawn, but we know that every stroke gives pain to a love which is neither blind nor insensible. After all is laid bare, love triumphs over sin; and we are pointed on to a time when the poor wanderer will be brought back, nevermore to lift the head in pride, and nevermore to dishonor Him who has won her back. How good it is to apply this to one’s personal history, and to take that lowly place of self-loathing so befitting those with whom divine tenderness has dealt.

The Unveiling of Shams and Inconsistencies in God’s People

Haggai brings a message to us as he did to the returned Jews, when he says, "Consider your ways" (1:5). May we not in this book learn some of the reasons why spiritual prosperity is at a low ebb_each looking after his own house and letting that of the Lord lie in neglect? "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s" (Phil. 2:21).

Isaiah 58 exposes the formality of a fast which is such only in name, and stirs up the conscience of any who have an ear to hear, pointing away from religiousness such as the Pharisee afterward boasted in, to the practical fruits of a real experience. The unveiling of all shams is one of the prominent characteristics of the prophets. Ecclesiastical assumption and pride, so common, are but a stench in God’s nostrils. Our place, like Daniel’s (chapter 9), is one of humiliation and confession, a real mourning and a real seeking of God’s face. He will hear.

The Spirit of Hope

Blacker pictures of earth’s destiny as they appear in the prophets could not be drawn by the most pessimistic modern writer. Nations pass across the scene to execute judgment on God’s people, or on another nation, only to feel the power of that arm, which had wielded them as His sword, in their own destruction. But in spite of slaughter, famine, and earthquake, never for a moment is lost the truth that God’s purpose is being fulfilled. It is always clear that He is above all convulsions of nations and nature and unfaithfulness of His people, and that after all the disorder peace will at last reign. Let us remember this in a day of ruin and reproach like the present, and stand firm.

The Fragrance of Christ

The person, humiliation, sorrow, death, and coming reign of Christ are put before us constantly in the prophets; had we eyes to see, doubtless we would find much more of Him there. It is by occupation with Christ that we grow like Him, and the spiritual exercise entailed in searching for and finding Him in these books is most beneficial.

We have only gleaned a few things from the prophetic books. What a field do they offer for prayerful research! They were written for a time of failure, and are, therefore, especially appropriate for the present. Written primarily for God’s earthly people, they contain principles for all time. Do we not need the spiritual exercise which would result from letting these books search and try us?

(From Help and Food, Volume 9.)