Too Busy Living to see that I'm Enjoying it.

Kevin deYoung has started a three part article on the sin or danger of busy-ness.  But I've been too busy to read it.  Click here

I try every day to leave work and have lunch with my family.  But I've been too busy to appreciate it.

Today, at lunch, though the busy-ness and stress of work was perhaps at the top of 1 to 10- scale, I was blessed to at least caution myself while admitting, "I've allowed myself to be too busy to note the enjoyment God has given me."

So as a way of counting my blessings, I want to enumerate the numerous enjoyments my lunchtime this noon provided.

1) The meal was delicious.  My soon-to-be-17-daughter and my 14-yr-old-daughter both prepared me a nice luncheon and took good care of me as we dined together.

2) Resulting from her enjoyment of, and appreciation for the Preface to Robin Hood, My 17 yr old asked: "Dad, have you read the preface to Robin Hood? It's so well written, so expressive, and so much fun too read."  And so my 14-yr-old retrieved said book and my 17-yr-old proceeded to read the same.  And this reminded me of a recent blog article I had read, written by Doug Wilson, in which he mentioned Robin Hood. This made for good discussion as we compared modern sentiment, the book, the article and what we think of all that.  click here for D. Wilson's article.

3) I then proceed to read to my girls from Ralph Erskine's Large Explicatory Poem on the Song of Solomon. Oh, how we enjoyed those poetic words.  Some of which were from Song 1:7-8.  See below at the bottom of the post to read for yourself those joyful words we also read.

Reading those words we then went on to discuss poetry, as my 14yr old explained from her reading that very day how beat and metre and even "thump" is built into certain styles of the poetry.  "Do you hear the thump, Dad?  You have to listen for the beat?"  she exulted.

We then proceed to discuss Song 2:1 "I am the Rose of Sharon..." and who is the person of that verse.  Is it Christ?  Is it the bride?  Both Poole and Gill mention both possibilities, but they both proceed with large explanation why the received understanding is the correct.  Christ himself is the Rose of Sharon.   We saw good cause for both sentiments but the words "I AM" struck us in the verse.  So then we searched the Song using MySword and discovered all the "I am's."   "I am Black,"  "I am the Rose of Sharon,"  "I am come into my Garden,"  "I am sick of love,"  "I am his,"  "I am a wall."   Others escape me, but we did enjoy the commentators explanation of how this assertion is not unbecoming of Christ, not in this poetical language of love. 

I then made note to my girls how Erskine also has a preface to his poem.  In fact he has two.  He as a preface To the Curious Reader, and a second To the Serious Reader.  And so we read a little from the second.

"But if you are exercised unto godliness, and acquainted with the sweet life of fellowship and communion with our Lord Jesus Christ, I hope you shall see here a picture and representation both of his heart towards you, and of your heart towards him : and a portraiture of the sweetest experience of intimacy with heaven, that the bride of Christ can have upon earth. And I judge, that a song upon this subject is not unseasonable amidst these evil days, wherein the songs of the temple are like to be turned into bowlings, and wherein the bride, the Lamb's wife, is ready to hang her harp upon the willows. How desirable were it, if this little book might prove a mean for helping her to sing away her sorrows, and to harmonize with the design of that precious promise, Hos. ii. 15. " I will give her the Valley of Achor for a door of hope, and she shall sing there !" To drive away the night of trouble with songs of praise, would be a work and exercise most suitable to that gracious name our Lord takes to himself, Job xxxv. 10. " God our Maker, who gives songs in the night."

Oh, and how those words gave us cheer and warmed our hearts in hope!

We then ruminated together, who could enjoy this Song, and who could appreciate this poem.  Would this not make such a gift to a brother, a sister, suffering trials?  Someone, who perhaps themselves, also, to busy living to take note how they enjoy life.  And so we really did have much enjoyment.  Thus beware the busy life, how good it is stop and praise God, who gives such precious gifts from above.

Ralph Erskine - The Song explained in poetic form.  Click here.    On Song 1:7-8

THE CHURCHES WORDS:

For why should I that am thy bride 

Be left to starve and stray, 

Or seem as one that turns aside 

To any crooked way ? 

All other loves my soul abhors, 

Thy rivals I disdain ; 

With flocks of thy competitors 

Why should I wander then ?

 I all thy feign'd companions hate, - 

They are a bane to me ; 

My soul affects no other mate, 

No other Lord but thee. 

O if I knew thy fix'd abode, 

 I'd lodge for ever there ; 

Where may I then enjoy my God ? 

O tell me, tell me where ! 

CHRIST'S WORDS:

O thou my bride, whom I esteem 

The fairest of thy race, 

However black thy form may seem 

While griefs do veil thy grace ; 

Dost thou not know, my lovely bride, 

The shadow of the rock ? 

Nor pastures green where I abide 

And feed my little flock ? 

Come follow my directing grace, 

Which I afford to thee ;

 I'll lead thee to the sweetest place 

 Of fellowship with me : 

That hence thy feet may never swerve, 

 Nor fall in snares and wrack, 

The footsteps of the flock observe, 

And follow thou the track. 

See how they climb the rock in droves,

To social worship prone, 

And forthwith haunt retiring groves, 

To meet with me alone. 

Keep thou the beaten good old path, 

Yet new and living way, 

Which all my saints have trod by faith 

And prayer night and day. 

Though none of their dislik'd escapes

Must be a rule to thee ; 

Yet follow them in all the steps 

Wherein they follow me. 

And, while my under shepherds tents

Are kept in good repair, 

 Attend them still ; for heav'n presents 

My choicest dainties there. 

These holy ordinances are 

The pastures of my grace : 

There feast thyself, nor thence debar 

Thy little tender race. 

Bring children, servants, all thy kids 

Along to feed with thee ; 

Thy Lord all comers welcome bids 

In offers full and free. 

Make all within thy charge to haunt 

These goodly tents of mine ; 

For there my feasts of love I grant 

To nourish thee and thine. 

Thus, that thy feet no more appear 

With other flocks to roam, 

In these my best inclosures here 

Stay till I bring thee home. 

Matthew Henry on Song 2:1

What Christ is pleased to compare himself to; and he condescends very much in the comparison. He that is the Son of the Highest, the bright and morning star, calls and owns himself the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys, to express his presence with his people in this world, the easiness of their access to him, and the beauty and sweetness which they find in him, and to teach them to adorn themselves with him, as shepherds and shepherdesses, when they appeared gay, were decked with roses and lilies, garlands and chaplets of flowers. The rose, for beauty and fragrance, is the chief of flowers, and our Saviour prefers the clothing of the lily before that of Solomon in all his glory. Christ is the rose of Sharon, where probably the best roses grew and in most plenty, the rose of the field (so some), denoting that the gospel salvation is a common salvation; it lies open to all; whoever will may come and gather the rose-buds of privileges and comforts that grow in the covenant of grace. He is not a rose locked up in a garden, but all may come and receive benefit by him and comfort in him. He is a lily for whiteness, a lily of the valleys for sweetness, for those which we call so yield a strong perfume. He is a lily of the valleys, or low places, in his humiliation, exposed to injury. Humble souls see most beauty in him. Whatever he is to others, to those that are in the valleys he is a lily. He is the rose, the lily; there is none besides. Whatever excellence is in Christ, it is in him singularly and in the highest degree.

Pilgrim's Progress Talkative and an Object Lesson

Continuing on with the lesson on Talkative and how we can discover the weakness and strength of our faith, I was concerned that my three little girls did not confuse weak-faith with no-faith and so we discussed. I asked them if a weak faith person was a Christian? They responded that he must be for there was such a man in Pilgrim's progress called Mr. Fearing and he was a Christian. We will learn more about Mr. Fearing in PART II where we can read:

"Mr. Honest: He was a very zealous man, as one may see by the relation you have given of him. Difficulties, lions, or Vanity Fair, he feared not at all; it was only sin, death, and hell, that were to him a terror, because he had some doubts about his interest in that celestial country.

Mr. Great-Heart: You say right; those were the things that were his troublers; and they, as you

have well observed, arose from the weakness of his mind thereabout, not from weakness of spirit as to the practical part of a pilgrim’s life. I dare believe that, as the proverb is, he could have bit a firebrand, had it stood in his way; but the things with which he was oppressed, no man ever yet could shake off with ease.

Christiana: Then said Christiana, This relation of Mr. Fearing has done me good; I thought nobody had been like me. But I see there was some semblance betwixt this good man and me: only we differed in two things. His troubles were so great that they broke out; but mine I kept within. His also lay so hard upon him, they made him that he could not knock at the houses provided for entertainment; but my trouble was always such as made me knock the louder."

BACK to our discussion regarding "is one with weak Faith truly a Christian:"

I asked my girls how much faith does an UNBELIEVER have?

They answered: NONE

So by definition an unbeliever does not have weak faith but NONE. A true Christian though his faith is weak is yet a Christian. But he does not so glorify Christ as he should in joy and peace and desire and service.

Unbelieving is like saying UN-Faithing. No Faith = No belief.

They asked me: "Dad what is Faith?"

I tried to answer them according to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which to my shame, I have never taught them, "Faith is a grace, a gift whereby we take hold in dependance upon Christ. " Quoting Eph 2:8-9, and Rom 12:3. Better said: "A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." click here and see Ques 86.

There was also a subtle lesson I wanted to impart to my girls in all this. It did not come out so clear and fully developed as I intended but it was this:

In the WORD-OF-FAITH movement we can be taught that we are sick or not healed or die because our faith is NOT strong enough. Because we do not have enough faith. But Jesus said if you have only faith as a grain of mustard seed you can say to this mountain be moved and cast into the sea and so shall it.

Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Hence, weak faith or strong, all that is required is some faith and even that is a gift and grace from God who ought to be thanked for it. And so hoping to deliver my girls from the bondage of the Faith Movement into a proper understanding of the nature of Faith I attempted to show them that even weak faith is TRUE FAITH INDEED.

And now for the object lesson:

My 10 year old, who this spring has discovered a love for plants and flowers and hopes someday to be a florist herself, has been busily planting a large variety of seeds in little pots of dirt, which she keeps in her room and in our garage waiting for the weather to warm and transplant outside. This morning, upon hearing of the "mustard seed faith." 10 year old pointed out to us that she was very reluctant to plant the tiny seeds. She said, "I didn't think those small seeds were nearly so likely of growing as the bigger seeds." But she soon discovered to her surprise and reported to us this morning, "It was always the small seeds that grew every time."

Let the weak faith grow into the strong and beautiful flower it is destined to become.

Matthew Henry - Quotable Quote

A friend and Elder in our church sent me the following quote worthy of memorization and meditation. Succinctly Matthew Henry summarizes here truths we have been learning and applying to our lives from the first six chapters of Romans:

“The righteousness of Christ imputed to us is our breast-plate against the arrows of divine wrath. The righteousness of Christ implanted in us is our breast-plate to fortify the heart against the attacks which Satan makes against us.... Faith is all in all to us in an hour of temptation. ” - Matthew Henry Eph 6:14 and Eph 6:16

In Justification we have righteousness of Christ imputed to our account, He is our representative, our Head, our divine substitute, the one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.

In Sanctification we have the righteousness of Christ implanted in us or imparted to us by the working of the Spirit of God so that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling knowing that GOD works in us both TO WILL and TO DO of his good pleasure.

Praise His holy Name. Praise him, Hallelujah to his glorious name. Thank you Jesus. Praise GOD. All blessing and glory and honor to him who alone is worthy to be praised - God Blessed forever. AMEN. My heart swells with joy, Amen.

Romans - Chap 6 The Necessity of Sanctification #7

Continuing on with the NECESSITY OF SANCTIFICATION while borrowing from the outline found in Matthew Henry's Commentary:

Previously:
1. Rom 6:2 We are dead to sin, to sin is a contradiction of our profession.
2. Rom 6:3 Baptized into his death so it is necessary to conform to Christ's death.
3. Rom 6:9-10 Buried with him It is necessary also to conform unto Christ's RESURRECTION
4. Rom 6:14 we have new covenant promises, effectual and mighty, shall we sin against such love and grace.
5. Rom 6:15 to think we have license with such promises of encouragment is to "suck poison from them."
6. Rom 6:16 Our state is known by that to which we yield obedience.

Now:

7. THE CHANGE CAME ABOUT BY CONVERSION:
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

The gospel is the great rule both of truth and holiness.

The gospel is a doctrine not only to be believed, but to be obeyed and that from the heart, which denotes the sincerity and reality of that obedience; not in profession only but in power

- from the heart, the innermost part, the commanding part of us.

To be a Christian indeed is to be transformed into the likeness and similitude of the gospel.

Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol VI, McDonald Publishing, P. 404.

Romans - Chap 6 The Necessity of Sanctification #6

Continuing on with the NECESSITY OF SANCTIFICATION while borrowing from the outline found in Matthew Henry's Commentary:

Previously:
1. Rom 6:2 We are dead to sin, to sin is a contradiction of our profession.
2. Rom 6:3 Baptized into his death so it is necessary to conform to Christ's death.
3. Rom 6:9-10 Buried with him It is necessary also to conform unto Christ's RESURRECTION
4. Rom 6:14 we have new covenant promises, effectual and mighty, shall we sin against such love and grace.
5. Rom 6:15 to think we have license with such promises of encouragment is to "suck poison from them."

Now:

6. Rom 6:16 Our state is known by that to which we yield obedience

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Hence such sanctification is necessary to know our true state - it reveals it to be true - without is to claim to separate justification and sanctification and cannot be.

Rom 6:17-21 From our former state -- YE WERE SERVANTS OF SIN[1]

Rom 6:19 - The body is made a drudge of sin - it was voluntarily yielded.[2]

Rom 6:20 Ye were free from righteousness[3]

[1] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol VI, McDonald Publishing, P. 403.

[2] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol VI, McDonald Publishing, P. 404.

[3] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol VI, McDonald Publishing, P. 404.

Romans - Chap 6 The Necessity of Sanctification #3

Continuing on with the NECESSITY OF SANCTIFCATION while borrowing from the outline found in Matthew Henry's Commentary:

Previously:
1. Rom 6:2 We are dead to sin, to sin is a contradiction of our profession.
2. Rom 6:3 Baptized into his death.

Now:
3. It is necessary also not only to conform to CHRIST'S DEATH BUT to CONFORM TO HIS RESURRECTION.

ROM 6:9 Death does not have dominion over him. We are to be planted together in the likness of his resurrection. It is necessary therefore that we conform to his resurrection - walking in newness of life.

Rom 6:10 He arose to live unto GOD. We must conform to this and LIVE UNTO GOD. There is a necessity therefore in sanctification - for us who believe and are justified it is an INSEPARABLE BLESSING.

Self was the chief end - but now GOD THE CHIEF END.

Romans - Chap 6 The Necessity of Sanctification #1

"It is the spirits work to persuade us to Holiness our hearts naturally opposed to it." Matthew Henry.

If you have stuck with this series through Romans Six so far you might have thought, "he really uses Matthew Henry." This is purposeful. In 1989-1990 as I was reading through Matthew Henry's Commentary and encountering Romans Six I found this chapter especially helpful. I must have stayed there quite a lengthy time, gathering an outline from Henry that has stuck in my own mind for this many years. I couldn't pass through chapter Six without once again referring to it. The last several posts discussing Mortification and Vivification follows a partial outline of how I perceived Matthew Henry to expound on this same text.

Henry, once Finished explaining the Nature of Sanctification consisting in Dying and Living, Mortification and Vivification, goes on to explain the NECESSITY of Sanctification as described In Romans Chapter Six.

Here we begin by referring to Baptism:
1. We are dead to sin
Rom 6:2
"To participate in sin is to contradict our profession, violate an obligation."

“return to that to which we were dead, like walking ghosts than which nothing is more unbecoming and absurd. Rom 4:7 Return to that slavery from which we were discharged."

Matthew Henry:
In general, we are dead to sin, that is, in profession and in obligation. Our baptism signifies our cutting off from the kingdom of sin. We profess to have no more to do with sin. We are dead to sin by a participation of virtue and power for the killing of it, and by our union with Christ and interest in him, in and by whom it is killed. All this is in vain if we persist in sin; we contradict a profession, violate an obligation, return to that to which we were dead, like walking ghosts, than which nothing is more unbecoming and absurd. For (Rom_6:7) he that is dead is freed from sin; that is, he that is dead to it is freed from the rule and dominion of it, as the servant that is dead is freed from his master, Job_3:19. Now shall we be such fools as to return to that slavery from which we are discharged? When we are delivered out of Egypt, shall we talk of going back to it again?

Romans - Chapter Six Vivification #4

Having discussed Dying to SIN in previous posts, we have now begun to consider LIVING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS as described in Romans Chapter six.

So far:
1. Rom 6:4 Walking in Newness of Life
2. Rom 6:11 TO BE ALIVE TO GOD
3. Rom 6:13 Yield ourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead

So also Vivification is described in Romans 6 as:

4. Rom 6:13 Yield our members as instruments of righteousness to God
Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Not yielding to sin - yet not idle - but made use of in the service of GOD

The soul the first and immediate instrument -- yet the members of the body are also to be instruments.

“The body must always be ready to serve the soul in service of God.”

And

ROM 6:19 Yield…servants to righteousness
KJV Romans 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Righteousness unto holiness - growth and progress

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Borrowing again from Matthew Henry:
Every gracious act confirms and strengthens a gracious habit.

Serving righteousness is unto holiness.

One duty fits us for another.

The more we do the more we do for God.

Matthew Henry:
“Yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Let them be under the conduct and at the command of the righteous law of God, and that principle of inherent righteousness which the Spirit, as sanctifier, plants in the soul.” Righteousness unto holiness, which intimates growth, and progress, and ground obtained. As every sinful act confirms the sinful habit, and makes the nature more and more prone to sin (hence the members of a natural man are here said to be servants to iniquity unto iniquity - one sin makes the heart more disposed for another), so every gracious act confirms the gracious habit: serving righteousness is unto holiness; one duty fits us for another; and the more we do the more we may do for God. Or serving righteousness, eis hagiasmon - as an evidence of sanctification.

Romans - Chapter Six Vivification #2

Having discussed Dying to SIN in previous posts, we have now begun to consider LIVING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS as described in Romans Chapter six.

So far:
1. Rom 6:4 Walking in Newness of Life

So also:
2. Rom 6:11 TO BE ALIVE TO GOD
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Converse with God, have a regard, a delight, a concern, carried towards him.

Matthew Henry:
It is to be alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord, Rom_6:11. To converse with God, to have a regard to him, a delight in him, a concern for him, the soul upon all occasions carried out towards him as towards an agreeable object…

"The soul is where it loves, rather than where it lives."

Matthew Henry:
The soul is where it loves, rather than where it lives. It is to have the affections and desires alive towards God. Or, living (our live in the flesh) unto God, to his honour and glory as our end, by his word and will as our rule - in all our ways to acknowledge him, and to have our eyes ever towards him; this is to live unto God.

THROUGH JESUS CHRIST:
Christ our life,
Christ our mediator
Christ the author
Christ the head
Christ the root.
Christ all in all.

Matthew Henry:
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is our spiritual life; there is no living to God but through him. He is the Mediator; there can be no comfortable receivings from God, nor acceptable regards to God, but in and through Jesus Christ; no intercourse between sinful souls and a holy God, but by the mediation of the Lord Jesus. Through Christ as the author and maintainer of this life; through Christ as the head from whom we receive vital influence; through Christ as the root by which we derive sap and nourishment, and so live. In living to God, Christ is all in all.

John 15:5 Christ the Vine
John 14: 6 Christ the way, the truth, and the Life
1Tim 2:5 Christ the ONE Mediator

Romans- Chapter Six Mortification Continued #4

Describing in the previous posts that the nature of Sanctification as described in Romans Chapter Six consists in both mortification and vivification. - We have so far seen mortification described in Romans Six as:

1. it is to "Live no longer in Sin."
2. it is that "the body of sin must be destroyed."
3. it is to "Reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin."

With this post we continue on with Rom 6:12 further expounding what is this mortification.

4. Rom 6:12 Sin must not reign in our mortal bodies Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Matthew Henry:
Though sin may remain as an outlaw, though it may oppress as a tyrant, yet let it not reign as a king.

It refers to the mortal body. Do not obey sin in the lusts of your mortal body.

Matthew Henry:
In the lusts thereof - en tais epithumiais autou. It refers to the body, not to sin. Sin lies very much in the gratifying of the body, and humouring that. And there is a reason implied in the phrase your mortal body; because it is a mortal body, and hastening apace to the dust, therefore let not sin reign in it. It was sin that made our bodies mortal, and therefore do not yield obedience to such an enemy.

LUSTS: Struggle against them - oppose them - don’t make provision to fulfill them.

John Gill:
obey it in the lusts thereof; the lusts of the body, or flesh, which are therefore sometimes called fleshly lusts, are many, and have great power and influence; and may be said to be obeyed, when provision is made to fulfil them, when these are the business of a man's life, and the whole of his conversation is taken up in them, without struggle against them, or opposition to them; and heroin lies the reign of sin.

Romans - Chapter Six Mortification Continued #2

Keywords for Romans Chapter Six:
Dying to Sin and Living to God - or Mortification and Vivification.

Memory Verse:
Rom 6:11

Describing in the last post that the nature of Sanctification as described in Romans Chapter Six consists in both mortification and vivification - and so thus beginning to consider Mortification in the last post we saw how it is to 1. it is to "Live no longer in Sin." With this post we contine on with Rom 6:6 further expounding what this mortification is.

2. Rom 6:6 THE BODY OF SIN MUST BE DESTROYED
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Matthew Henry:
We must not only cease from the acts of sin (this may be done through the influence of outward restraints, or other inducements), but we must get the vicious habits and inclinations weakened and destroyed; not only cast away the idols of iniquity out of the heart. - That henceforth we should not serve sin. The actual transgression is certainly in a great measure prevented by the crucifying and killing of the original corruption.

Kwame's Gleanings from Numbers Chap 4

My good friend and brother in Christ, Kwame, has been exchanging emails with me almost daily as he reads his way through Numbers with the help of one of my favorite teachers, Matthew Henry. I love his remarks so much they seem blog worthy that we all may benefit.

It has been my experience that reading whole books from Henry is very profitable. I praise God to this day that nearly 20 years ago I followed Matthew Henry through Job. He helped me immensely, so that a book that often confused me is now a great blessing. I have a good friend that advised an earnest inquirer to just buy Matthew Henry and start reading from the Psalms. If you don't have a set, go get one, and buy the full multi-volume unabridged.

Kwame on Numbers Chapter 4:

Even cooler applications still in the commentary about chapter 4. In reading I can see the unchanging nature of God, the care for what is His is absolutely amazing even as He tells us he will never leave us...you know that that is truth! The coverings for the holy things, the carrying of them, the presence of the tabernacle with the people whereever they went signifying how He instructs us to utterly value the truths and doctrines and how our lives where ever we may be, should have the presence and evidence of the divine God about us because we are His temple(2 Cor 6:16) and tabernacle (2Cor 5:1). With respect to the details and extent to which God covers and protects and ensures that the holy things are kept and not defiled, Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible.

After I read Kwame's email above, I was especially intrigued to discuss further with him on his final statement: "Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible." I wrote to him as follows:

"This is a very important understanding which has helped me greatly in comprehending the purpose of the Old Covenant. Not that it was salvific. Not that they were saved under the law in the Old and now by grace in the New. But that it stood to do what you describe in this way:

"With respect to the details and extent to which God covers and protects and ensures that the holy things are kept and not defiled, Matthew Henry also says this care is rightfully needed to preserve the truths and doctrines taught in the bible."

What you say in that sentence is what I found in Galatians concerning the Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. That is, as one who watches over Israel until the fullness of time when Christ should come, the law protected and kept separate from the nations the Jewish people to whom charge was given of the oracles of God, thus preserving "the truths and doctrines taught in the bible."

To this Kwame responded:

"Amen and amen."

Kwame's Gleanings from Numbers Chap 5

Kwame finding much joy and insight reading his way through the book of Numbers has been emailing me some of his observations. Previously I posted an email on his over all take so far through the first five chapters, today I thought I would pass on something he wrote me derived from Numbers Chapter Five. click here for previous post

This morning I read some of commentary (Matthew Henry's) notes on Chapter 5. Maintaining the purity of the camp is stressed in chapter 5 and Matthew Henry talked about the need for the church to be kept pure. He mentioned how "the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable" Also the church must "separate between the precious and the vile, and purge out scandalous persons, as old leaven" This very thing God would do on the great day as He "will thoroughly purge his floor" Rev 21:27

There was a lot more but this is just a taste for this morning. Just adding to your desire to taste-that-which-is-good.

kwame