Perhaps no area in our life in the Truth is more sensitive than our attitude toward money, and what it can buy, in our materialistic society. Here certainly is one of those areas where it is very wrong for any believer to judge the motives or conduct of his fellows. But, at the same time, here especially is an area of life where each believer must examine his or her own attitudes and actions. It is in this spirit, and with a desire only to help and not to legislate or coerce, that the following is offered.

While caring for oneself and one’s family is an obligation of the Truth (1Ti 5:8; 2Th 3:8-12), there is also a need not to over-emphasize the importance of money and possessions. The “now syndrome”, so much a part of modern expectations and demands, is in conflict with the call of discipleship (2Ti 2:3,4; Mat 6:24-34; Pro 30:7-9). “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luk 12:15). The headlong pursuit after cars, well-furnished houses, and an array of sports equipment and amusement devices does not, in itself, guarantee happiness. ‘If only I had… such-and-such, and so-and-so… things would be so much better’ is a view of the world which underlies the appeal of lotteries, TV give-away programs and advertisements. It is a mistake to think that the more one has, the better things will be. What is required is a determination to live within one’s income and to have the right perspective on this world’s goods. No less a prophet than Elisha was furnished with only a bed, lamp, table, and chair!

“Buy now, pay later” may be the attitude of the world whose citizenship is very much a part of this system of things, but the attitude of those whose citizenship is in heaven is very different:

“Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1Ti 6:6-10).

Tithing

There are numerous religious communities whose members “tithe”, that is, devote 10% of their income to the service of their church. The question inevitably arises: Should we be doing the same? Are we doing as much? And, would we not be in a much stronger position in our witness to our faith if we did tithe? (As a matter of fact, some in our own community do tithe.)

The English words “tithe” or “tithes” occur only eight times in the NT, and not at all in a context which suggests that tithing was an obligation upon NT believers. To sum up the NT usage: The orthodox Jews paid tithes of trivial things while neglecting weightier matters, and were condemned by Jesus for doing so (Mat 23:23; Luk 11:42). The Pharisee of Jesus’ parable boasted of his tithing without receiving any blessing from the Lord for doing so (Luk 18:12). Abraham acknowledged his subordination to Melchizedek by giving him 10% of his spoils (Heb 7:6,8,9).

There is in fact no NT doctrine which speaks of the obligation of Christians to tithe their incomes, in the Lord’s service.

In the apostolic period, there were certainly men who could well have used all their time in the service of the gospel, and there may have been some who actually did so. The Lord Jesus has certainly established the right that “they that preach the gospel shall live of the gospel” (1Co 9:14). But Paul used this privilege very little because he desired to avoid any indebtedness to men who might misuse their patronage. The funds for such maintenance as was accepted, as well as for the relief of the poor, plainly came from voluntary contributions whose extent was not imposed from without. If from time to time it was very generous, it could also be very tight-fisted; its amount rested entirely with the giver (Act 2:44,45; 4:32-37; 5:1-11; 11:27-30; 1Co 16:1-4; 2Co 9:1-15).

No one has the right to demand that all members of the ecclesia should tithe; but, equally, no one has the right to criticize the decision of individuals to do so if they choose. Our basic principle should be that, though such-and-such is no longer demanded by law, the true believer from the fullness of his heart should do at least as well, or even better.

Two kinds of treasure

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Mat 6:19), but… “Lay up treasures in heaven” (Mat 6:20), for… “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Mat 6:21).

This is perhaps the most comprehensive and searching of all the commands of Christ, because it deals with the whole direction and motivation and purpose of life. Broadly defined, “treasures on earth” means anything related to this present mortal life.

The natural way is to accumulate “treasures” of many different kinds. “Mammon” (Mat 6:24) includes riches, material possessions, and pleasures. This desire to lay up treasures… this acquisitiveness (a nice word for simple greed!)… is so universally taken for granted that it is almost heresy to question it. It is the foundation assumption of almost all advertising. Even many “believers” consider it “foolish” and “impractical” even to try to imitate Christ in this respect, and they quote such passages as 1Ti 5:8 and Ecc 9:10 with more than usual vigor, to help set “the proper balance”!

How much impact does this command of Christ have upon us? Whether we consider job promotions, or consumer goods, or “the good life”, how many times have any of us made the conscious decision: ‘No! I will go no further. I have more than I really need already. I will not pamper myself!’ Probably, for most of us, not nearly often enough. It is in our natures (and simply learning “the Truth” does not change our natures) to want “treasures” both in heaven and on earth, to seek both salvation and present advantage. It is so easy to forget that Christ specifically said we cannot have both: “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mat 6:24).

God wants us to be different from the world, with our minds on very different things. Of course, most of us must work, in one way or another, to provide for necessities. Certainly Jesus worked at a trade until the time came for his special mission. And Paul, as he moved about the ecclesias, found work from place to place so as not to be a burden to the believers. But for them these daily affairs had importance only insofar as they were related to eternal things. “Seek ye first the kingdom” (v 33) was the rule of Christ’s life, and of Paul’s life. Is it the rule of our lives?

“Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on” (v 25).

It is a revolutionary concept, totally foreign to our natural inclinations. But Jesus does not bid us obey him without reasons. He gives, in fact, seven good reasons why this philosophy makes sense:

• Verse 25: Life itself is more important than those things that sustain it. If our lives come from God and are held in His hand, then certainly, when we do our part faithfully in the great adventure of dedication and service, the lesser matters will be taken care of.

• Verse 26: The birds do not make frantic provision. They do not worry or scheme or plan. And you, Jesus says, are much more important than they are (Mat 10:29-31).

• Verse 27: “Which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?”

• Verses 28-30: If God takes such care for the flowers that will soon shrivel in the heat, will He not provide much better for you, His children, made in His image?

• Verse 32a: The nations that do not know God worry and hoard riches. Surely you will not be like them!

• Verse 32b: Your Heavenly Father knows what you need. He will not forget.

• Verse 34: “One day at a time”: The world is such an evil place that we need as much of our mental resources as can be spared to face the spiritual trials of today. To borrow worries from next week is to overburden our capabilities and risk failure in spiritual pursuits.

“For thou art my God”

We recognize that the world, even the nominally Christian world, does not heed Christ’s advice. But do we do any better, or are we swept up and molded into conformity with the world around us? This is an age dedicated to getting more and yet more money, in order to spend it on more and yet more selfishness: fine houses, fine foods, expensive trips, and the worship (yes, it is “idolatry” — Col 3:5!) of car and garden and, last but not least, our own adorned, deodorized, tanned, and groomed selves! It is an age when millions succumb to the enticements of health spas and country clubs, to exercise, and diet, and build the new and improved “You”. One cannot help but draw the analogy to Isaiah’s ironic description of the idolater — who seeks out a tree trunk and cuts and shapes and polishes it into a natural beauty, finally to fall down and worship it:

“Deliver me, for thou art my god” (Isa 44:14-17).

Different? Or the Same?

What are our ambitions, our goals in life? Are they different from the world, or are they all too similar? Are our older folks eager for retirement, so they can take it easy and enjoy life? Are our middle-aged folks keen on “security”? Are our younger folks caught up in the “timetable syndrome” — get an education, get a good job, get married, get a house, “get ahead” — and each goal by a certain date, or they are falling behind? And if they — the young ones — are that way, whose example have they followed?

What sets us apart from the masses around us who have no true hope? Is it enough that we believe differently, without living differently? Do we preach separateness from the world one day a week, and then live the other six days as though we were still very much a part of that world? In our pious preaching, do we even manage to convince ourselves that we are really following Christ’s example?

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth.” The use of our money may be the touchstone, the truest indicator, of our heart’s desires. Why? Because the obtaining and the using of money makes up so great a part of our daily lives — we are always spending money! — so that our ordinary life must be much the same in nature as our ordinary ways of spending money. If we spend our money for purchases that appeal to pride or pleasure, then we are demonstrating in the most practical way possible that those characteristics have firm hold on our lives, to the exclusion of God’s truth.

Common Objections

There are several common objections to giving money to help the poor. What is so attractive about these objections is that they masquerade as Scriptural, wise, and prudent — putting a “good face” on the greed that hides behind them:

(1) “Since Jesus said, ‘The poor you have with you always’ (Joh 12:8), and we cannot change the world, why should we bother trying?”: But Jesus did not say, “Forget the poor because they are always there.” He said, in effect, “You will always have opportunities to help the poor.” When Jesus was present, his followers lavished gifts upon him, and they did well. But now that he is absent, we may forget that we can give gifts to Jesus just as well by helping his poor brethren. Who would ignore the needs of the Master? But now he sits at the right hand of God, and he can no longer use the cup of cold water, the food, the clothing. But someone else can!

One of Christ’s parables was most explicit as to the grounds of rejection at his judgment. It is enlightening to note that the wicked were not rejected for holding some false doctrine. They were not rejected for failing to preach the Truth. They were not even rejected for neglecting to attend a specified number of ecclesial meetings. They were rejected because they ignored the simple, material needs of their brethren, and thereby they ignored Christ (Mat 25:41-45)!

(2) “If I am not careful and prudent (which really means selfish!) I may give charity to someone who does not deserve it, or someone who does not use it properly”: This is a common Christadelphian “worry”. And it sounds all too much like the businessman proclaiming to the board of directors the “virtue” of the preservation of capital. But in showing love for others through our material gifts, we are exemplifying the character of our Father in Heaven, who sends His rain on the just and on the unjust (Mat 5:45). God loves us whether we deserve it or not. He loves us even when we definitely do not deserve it. He loves us even when we do despite to His grace and turn our backs on His outstretched hand. He is not “careful” or “responsibly prudent” about His gifts.

(3) “By giving away my money (or the ecclesia’s money) I encourage others to be beggars and irresponsible”: But then, why should I ever forgive anyone? It will just “encourage” him to do wrong again. Or why should I give medicine to a sick person? It might just “encourage” him to get sick again.

(4) “It’s more important to use our money in preaching the Truth than to give it to the needy”: This is the only one of these four common objections to charity that can stand up to any examination at all. It is true that to give a dying man the gospel is better than to give him a crust of bread. But it can hardly be denied that both could be useful!

The only response to this objection is: If you really believe this, then do it! Do not be like the Pharisee who cried “Corban” when reminded that others could use his material help, and then when the need was past, kept his riches for himself anyway!

The only other thing to be said here is that surely there are resources lying dormant which are sufficient for sizeable efforts on both fronts. At the absolute minimum, resources are available so that our own spiritual family at home and abroad need not suffer hunger and illness, while their brethren are well-off and with goods to spare.

Christ gave everything, even life itself, for us. What can we give him? What “price-tag” do we put on our redemption?

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

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Out of this life I shall never take The things of silver and gold I make; All that I cherish and hoard away After I die, for others will stay.

Though I call it mine, and boast its worth, I must then give it up for mother earth; All that I gather and all that I keep, I must leave behind when I fall asleep.

I wonder often just what I shall own, When I pass before the Judgment Throne; What shall I find and what shall he see In the life and character that makes up me.

Shall the Great Judge learn when I am through That my life has gathered the riches true? Or shall at last be mine to find That all I had worked for I left behind?

When dealing with the debate about whether Moses himself authored (when I say “authored” of course I mean that he was directly inspired by God), it is appropriate to begin with what the Pentateuch and the rest of the Scriptures have to say about the topic.

First, however, it is important to note that many verses which refer to the writings of Moses, particularly in the Pentateuch itself, only refer to small sections and therefore are themselves mostly irrelevant to the larger question of who authored the Pentateuch as a whole. For example, in Exo 24:4 we read of Moses writing down all the words that God had just spoken, and in verse 7 we read of Moses taking this “book of the covenant” and reading it before all the people. Verses like this do not affirm the authorship of all five books of the Pentateuch and thus, while helpful in their own way with regard to other matters, do not deal with the question of the Documentary Hypothesis. But there are a number of references which do claim authorship by Moses for the “entire” Pentateuch (I enclose “entire” in quotation marks because it is understood that these claims do not deal with the extremely small number of isolated incidents where words that are in the Pentateuch today are probably not from Moses’ own hand).

Before considering these references, there is one other matter that must be briefly attended to. According to the DH the books of Joshua, Judges-Ruth, Samuel, and Kings were written as part of the so-called “Deuteronomistic history” at the same time Deuteronomy was composed, namely during the early years of Josiah’s reign. (Allowance is made by critical scholars for Kings being finished only a couple of decades later, perhaps by the same person (even Jeremiah or Baruch, according to some) or one of his close contemporaries.) Thus, when we consider references from these books, or from Chronicles, we generally must assume for the sake of argument that these claims carry no weight of proof, being claims only and not evidence. It is beyond the scope of this short study to examine the authorship of these post-Pentateuchal historical books, although (a) this issue is not nearly as serious in its implications as the issue of the authorship of the Pentateuch is, and (b) is largely determined by resolving the question of the authorship of the Pentateuch.

Having mentioned this brief caveat, let us turn our attention to the words in Jos 1:7-8, which refer to the Mosaic authorship of not just one small section, but rather of the entire “book of the law”, which I take to refer to at least Exodus through Deuteronomy, if not Genesis as well.

Next we consider the record of Jos 8:30-35, which describes the altar that Joshua built to Yahweh Elohim of Israel upon Mount Ebal. V 31 refers to building the altar of unhewn stones just as Moses had commanded. This commandment is recorded in Deu 27, in a section that critical scholars universally attribute to the original Deuteronomist of Josiah’s day. Jos 8:32 continues by mentioning the writing of the words of the law upon the stones of the altar, and vv 34 ,35 refer to Joshua reading all the words of the law of Moses to the people, including the blessings and the cursings. The blessings and the cursings are taken from Lev 26 and Deu 28, two sections which are also universally attributed by critical scholars to authors living hundreds of years after Moses.

Still in Joshua, we come to Jos 23:6, which is very similar to the Jos 1:7-8 reference cited above. Although as I have mentioned these references do not by themselves seem to deal directly with the question of the authorship of the book of Genesis, it is conceded by all that, were Exodus through Deuteronomy written by Moses, Genesis would have been too. Thus the claim for Mosaic authorship is effectively made here even though not directly made.

The next significant reference is in 1Ki 2:3, where it is recorded that as David charged his son Solomon, reference was made to the written Law of Moses. This clearly restates our basic claim.

The last two claims in the OT that we shall consider both concern events during the time of Joash, roughly eighty years before the time of Hezekiah, and thus at least that many years before the writing of either the P or D material, according to the critical scholars. In 2KI 14:5-6 we read of Joash refraining from executing the children of the murderers, and of holding this policy precisely because of the words of Moses recorded in Deu 24:16, part of the D material according to the DH. And in 2Ch 23 we read of Jehoiada making arrangements in accordance with what was written in the book of the Law of Moses. Significantly, these two references both claim to be verifiable in the exilic days, as reference is made to “the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel” in 2Ki 14:15 and to “the story of the book of the kings” in 2Ch 24:27. These both refer to court documents that we know for certain must have existed, as demonstrated by the accuracy of the regnal lengths of the kings of Israel and Judah as shown by Edwin Thiele in his book “The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings.” If in fact these claims in both Kings and Chronicles are demonstrably false, the authors of these records must have been quite bold in not only these two verses, but in others as well, in challenging their contemporaries to examine the facts when the facts were demonstrably different.

In the NT we begin by considering the clear claims of Jesus with regard to the Mosaic authorship of all sections of the Pentateuch. In Mar 10:3-5 Jesus asks a question regarding “what did Moses command” with regard to divorce. In Mar 12:26 he refers to the burning bush recorded in Exo 3, as being in the book of Moses. According to the DH, the account of the burning bush was not written down until at least the time of Solomon. In Luk 5:14 Jesus commanded the cleansed leper to go and make his offering “just as Moses commanded”. According to critical scholars, the relevant section of the Law was not written until at least the time of Hezekiah. In Luk 24 there are two references to the Pentateuch as being the words of Moses, once by Luke in v 27 and once by Jesus in v 44. In Joh 7:19 we read of Jesus castigating the Jews for not obeying the law which Moses gave.

And in Joh 5 we come to a very important reference. In vv 45-47 we read: “Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (KJV) Clearly in none of these refs is there even the slightest hint that Jesus allowed for the possibility of most of the Pentateuch being written during or after the time of Hezekiah, or of it being put into the form that we now have sometime after the return from exile. For believers in Christ like ourselves, these claims by Jesus carry enough weight to carry the argument by themselves. For skeptics and for critical scholars, they are claims only but the fact remains that these are still clear claims. Jesus did not believe in anything even remotely like the DH. (DB)

“And now David, being freed from wars and dangers, and enjoying for the future a profound peace, composed songs and hymns to God, of several sorts of metre… He also made instruments of music, and taught the Levites to sing hymns to God, both on that called the Sabbath-day, and on the other festivals. Now the construction of the instruments was thus: the viol was an instrument of ten strings, it was played upon with a bow; the psaltery had 12 musical notes, and was played upon by the singers; the cymbals were broad and large instruments, and were made of brass” (Josephus, quoted by Ern Wilson in “Psalms” 21-26).

We’ve travelled together, My Bible and I, Through all kinds of weather, With smile or with sigh! In sorrow or sunshine, In tempest or calm! Thy friendship unchanging, My lamp and my psalm.

We’ve travelled together, My Bible and I, When life has grown weary, And death e’en was nigh! But all through the darkness Of mist or of wrong, I found there a solace, A prayer and a song.

So now who shall part us, My Bible and I? Shall “isms” or “schisms” Or “new lights” who try? Shall shadow for substance, Or stone for good bread, Supplant thy sound wisdom, Give folly instead?

Ah, no, my dear Bible, Exponent of light! Thou sword of the spirit, Put error to flight! And still through life’s journey, Until my last sigh, We’ll travel together, My Bible and I.

This chapter presents ideas very far removed from traditional Judaism. It speaks of “seeking the Lord” when the “pious” Jews of Christ’s time claimed the right to special benefits — simply because they were natural descendants of Abraham. It speaks of faith, humility, and repentance as the only proper basis of approach to the Supreme Being. These traits, and nothing else, are the essentials of true religion. Any services done only mechanically or with the idea of impressing others are worse than no service at all. God gave warnings against such false, hypocritical religion in Hos 6:6: “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” This was quoted by Jesus once as he spoke to his countrymen.

In Jer 6:19,20, God said,

“Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruits of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto My words, nor to My law, but rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to Me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto Me.”

And here is a lesson for us today: As a community of believers of the gospel, Christadelphians have flourished for more than 100 years. As we get further and further from our “roots”, there may be the tendency to forget the reasons we separated ourselves in the beginning. There may be tendencies to join in worship automatically, with lip-service but not heart-service!

We have before us the example of the Christian ecclesias of the first and second centuries. With the apostles all deceased by the year 100 or so, the early Christians were left to find their own leaders. They began to forget their original objectives. They came to see more and more in the pleasures of the Gentiles around them and gradually forgot their role as strangers and pilgrims in the earth. They tried to make themselves and their curious practices more palatable to a heathen world in which they should have had no part.

And so, as the years passed, first one vital doctrine and then another was dropped from the Faith, just as parts of a mighty building are allowed slowly to crumble away. Pagan ideas of heaven-going, immortal-soulism, and the Trinity crept in to fill the void. Such materialistic and worldly ideas were questioned at first, but gradually any barriers that existed fell away. True faith in and reliance upon the Scriptures were submerged and finally drowned in the elaborate rituals and pretensions of a church fast growing into Catholicism.

Truly this Is a frightful picture, and we are tempted to say that this can never happen to us. But let us remember that the believers of the first century were more privileged than us in knowing of Christ through men who had seen and lived with him. Our only link with the beginnings of Christianity and our only source of true faith is the Bible. We should always revere the Bible as God’s word and use it to ensure that our faith is steadfast and living within us, and not only in external ceremonies.

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isa 55:1).

In Psa 42:1,2: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God…”

The thirst to which the prophet alludes is a thirst for God, for the knowledge of His ways and the assurance He can bring to us while we live in the midst of spiritual desolation:

“O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see Thy power and Thy glory, so as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary. Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee” (Psa 63:1-3).

Because water is something which naturally brings life, to plants and animals alike, it is a fitting symbol of the teachings of Christ, the only means whereby we may be brought to eternal life:

In John 4:14, Jesus says, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

We are told that we may come to these waters and buy, although we have no money. The woman of Samaria did just this merely by asking that Jesus give her the water. But, although the teachings of Jesus cannot be bought with money, they are by no means easy to obtain. Jesus’ parable of the merchant who gave up all he possessed for the one pearl of great price is a good picture of what we must do to buy those “living waters”.

But what we pay to God is… our time, our energy and our devotion, not our wealth. This is quite apparent when we read the words of David. After the people had brought great riches for God’s temple, he said:

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding” (1Ch 29:14,15).

Our money and our other worldly possessions are of no use to God. The importance of any gift to God is the sentiment behind it. It must represent a voluntary, loving submission of our desires to God’s wishes.

Jesus told men to forsake father or mother or whatever hindered them, and to take up their crosses and follow him. This is part of that “price” we do pay — something in many ways much more difficult to give than mere money. The truth is free for the taking, but there are no promises that it will be easy or that it will require something less than an all-out effort.

Both the “wine” and “milk” are also fitting symbols of Christ in one respect or another. To the Jews, wine showed God’s love for His people in providing them with abundant harvests, indeed with everything necessary for their daily well-being. In return, the Jews were to dedicate a substantial part of what they gathered to God, for it all belonged to Him in the first place.

We find the same significance in Jesus’ crucifixion and indeed throughout his life. More than anything else, JESUS shows God’s love for us in providing us with an acceptable sacrifice to cover our sins. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

We are “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood” (Rom 3:24,25).

In our memorial service, the wine represents Christ’s blood, or life (the comparison between the two being made in Lev 17:11). Throughout his life (and by his death), Jesus showed a complete dedication to God that should always accompany a knowledge of the truth. Consequently, we are told to present our bodies as living sacrifices. As Paul did, we are to strive to know the “fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death”.

Wine in symbol thus shows God’s love for us, shown through Christ, and reminds us of the need to reciprocate God’s love through a life of holiness and obedience. We remember this each Sunday as we partake of the wine “in remembrance of” Christ.

Milk is the simplest, most nutritious food. It represents the basic teachings of Christ’s gospel (1Pe 2:2). In studying and attempting to teach our brethren and others, we should show a humility before God’s word. It is not something to be cleverly manipulated to demonstrate our own intelligence, but rather something to handle with caution and reverence.

Verse 2

“Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Isa 55:2).

There is nothing sadder than God’s words about His people in Jeremiah 2:13: “For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Israel’s omissions hold warnings for us today. There are goals connected with the gospel which are always the same, goals which we are likely to put aside and forget. We should continually evaluate our position to see that our labor is in the right direction. In Jer 6:16: “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”

Verse 3

“Incline your ear, and come unto me.”

Jesus said much the same thing in Mat 11:28-30:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

It might seem to us that our burden is not light. But we are forgetting to rely upon God for strength, to ask His help. “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

We are told that, if we hear, our soul shall live; that is, live eternally. This, therefore, involves immortality, as seen in 2Sa 23:5, in which David says that God “hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire…”

It is a sure, or certain, promise, as seen in Jer 33:25,26:

“Thus saith the Lord: If My covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.”

Verse 4

In verse 4, God has given him (that is, David) for a witness. Here is a direct reference to Christ. As “David” means “beloved”, and as David was “a man after God’s own heart”, so he represents Christ, “a leader and a commander to the people”. “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious” (Isa 11:10).

Verse 5

Verse 5 brings all the Gentiles into the picture, as “nations that knew not Thee”. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul explains how God’s sure mercies and covenants apply to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews:

“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal 3:16,27-29).

There is then no reason that the Gentiles cannot be fellow-heirs of the Kingdom of God. Here is a basic part of the gospel, hidden (we might say) in the Old Testament.

Here is the mystery: “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory…” (Col 1:26-27).

For the Old Testament view, we might refer also to Isaiah 60:5: “Then thou shall see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.”

And especially might we read Zec 8:21-23: “And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of Hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”

Here is something the Jews never accepted: that the Gentiles could be God’s people also. This is quite an unhealthy attitude: We should never question God’s motives nor judge Him as we would a mere man — but only submit meekly to the majesty and authority of His revealed word. For us, there is Christ’s injunction in Mat 7:1,2: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Verses 6,7

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near; Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

Here is repentance and humility, traits which are all too uncommon to modern man — to natural man of any time. In Ecclesiastes 7:29, there is a true-to-life picture of natural man: “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.” This has been true since the time of Adam. Virtually everything God has given to man has been polluted and corrupted, in disregard for his obligations to God.

If we are to approach to God, we must abandon all our previous life and all our misdirected ambitions. This is true Biblical “repentance” — not simply feeling sorry for wrong deeds, but actively determining to correct them. This is difficult: but if we have the determination, then we have the assurance that God will abundantly pardon.

Verses 8,9

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts”.

Mankind is inherently evil. This is the plain teaching of numerous passages of Scripture: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9). “The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” (Ecc 8:11).

Even more plain is the truth that God is inherently good: “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God…” (Mat 19:17). “The Lord is righteous…” (Psalm 129:4).

One of the principal fallacies of popular religion is the idea that man is by nature an immortal being living only temporarily in a body of flesh, and that he is entitled without question to special privileges from his Creator. For believers in such a theory, it is quite impossible to understand the true positions of God and man in respect to one another — the best possible relation being that of a benevolent master to an humble servant.

There is never a question of “human rights”, but only of God’s rights “Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?” (Isa 45:9).

Between the two, God and man, is a vast chasm, steadily growing wider since the first sin of man. The preaching of the gospel is an invitation from God, leaving man the free choice — once he realizes the consequences — of accepting or rejecting it. It is for us to make the move to close the gap. Only if we draw nigh unto God will He draw nigh to us.

Verses 10,11

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

God’s purpose cannot fail, no matter how men feel or what they do to prevent it. God will not be frustrated. As we read in Rev 1:9, the kingdom of Jesus Christ may suffer tribulation — for a time, but not forever. God’s word is backed up with all the power in the universe. All we can do finally is to find ourselves rightly associated with God. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38,39).

Verses 12,13

The last two verses of Isaiah 55 are among the most beautiful in the Bible:

“For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off”.

This reminds us of many wonderful passages detailing the blessings which, as a natural consequence, follow an earnest belief in God’s truth and acceptance of His invitation:

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: Thy faithfulness shalt Thou establish in the very heavens. ‘I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn unto David My servant, thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations'” (Psa 89:1-4).

And in special relation to the life-giving waters of Isaiah 55:1 are the promises of Psa 1 and Rev 22:

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord: and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

In Pro 9, wisdom is personified as a woman crying through the streets, offering the way of righteousness to the foolish. May we only stop to realize our positions unless God stoops to help us, and may we always be thankful for His loving invitation to us through the Gospel of the Kingdom.

“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! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counselor? Or who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

Exo 3:8: So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey — the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

Exo 3:17: And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites — a land flowing with milk and honey.’

Exo 13:5: When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites — the land he swore to your forefathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey — you are to observe this ceremony in this month:

Exo 33:3: Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.

Lev 20:24: But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations.

Num 13:27: They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.

Num 14:8: If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.

Num 16:13: Isn’t it enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert? And now you also want to lord it over us?

Num 16:14: Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you gouge out the eyes of [ Or you make slaves of; or you deceive ] these men? No, we will not come!”

Deu 6:3: Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.

Deu 11:9: and so that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your forefathers to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deu 26:9: He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;

Deu 26:15: Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Deu 27:3: Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.

Deu 31:20: When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant.

Jos 5:6: The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land that he had solemnly promised their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Song 4:11: Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk and honey are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like that of Lebanon.

Jer 11:5: “Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey — the land you possess today.” I answered, “Amen, LORD.”

Jer 32:22: You gave them this land you had sworn to give their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Eze 20:6: On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands.

Eze 20:15: Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the desert that I would not bring them into the land I had given them — a land flowing with milk and honey, most beautiful of all lands.

• Hosea: The LORD loves Israel despite her sin.
• Joel: Judgment precedes Israel’s future spiritual.

• Amos: God is just and must judge sin.

• Obadiah: Sure retribution must overtake merciless pride.

• Jonah: Divine grace is universal in its sweep.

• Micah: Bethlehem-born Messiah will be mankind’s Deliverer.

• Nahum: Doom is to descend on wicked Nineveh.

• Habakkuk: Justification by faith is God’s way of salvation.

• Zephaniah: The Day of the LORD must precede kingdom blessing.

• Haggai: The LORD’s Temple and interests deserve top priority.

• Zechariah: The LORD will remember His people Israel.

• Malachi: Let the wicked be warned by the certainty of judgment.

According to most NT scholars, this is the earliest of the four gospels. The Gospel of Mark portrays the person of Jesus more by his actions, and portrays him particularly as a servant.

The Gospel of Mark is evidently written for Gentiles, and for Romans in particular. Mark translates Aramaic and Hebrew phrases (Mar 3:17; 5:41; 7:34; 14:36); he transliterates familiar Latin expressions into Greek, for example, “legion” (Mar 5:9), “quadrans” (“kodrantes”: NIV mg) (Mar 12:42), “praetorium” (Mar 15:16), and “centurion” (Mar 15:39). Moreover, Mark presents Romans in a neutral (Mar 12:17; 15:1-10), and sometimes a favorable (Mar 15:39), light.

Mark begins his gospel with the statement, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mar 1:1); and the last human to speak in the gospel is the centurion who confesses at the cross, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (Mar 15:39).   Like the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark does not mention the name of its author.

One of the first people to identify the author was Papias (AD 60-130), a bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor (Turkey). Papias then noted that Mark had not followed Jesus during his lifetime, but later had written down Peter’s recollections accurately, although not always in their proper order. This will account for the problem of sequential differences between the Gospels of Matthew & Mark.

The Mark believed to have written this gospel is John Mark. He was a native of Jerusalem (Act 12:12), and later became an associate of both Peter (1Pe 5:13) and Paul (2Ti 4:11). The gospel has many characteristics of an eyewitness account, for which Peter would have been responsible (Mar 1:29-31).   It may be that as a youth Mark was present at the arrest of Jesus and that he has left an “anonymous signature” in the story of the young man who eluded arrest and fled away naked (Mar 14:51,52).   Main themes

One of the unique points about this Gospel is what some term the “messianic secret.” Mark records how, often following a miracle, Jesus would command persons healed, onlookers, disciples, and even those healed of demons to be silent about his great works (Mar 1:34; 1:44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26; 8:30; 9:9). It has long puzzled readers why Jesus, who came into the world to make himself known, would work at cross-purposes with his mission by trying to remain hidden.

A fair explanation is that Jesus’ command to silence was intended to protect himself from false expectations of the Messiah that were current at that time. It seemed most saw the “messiah” or “anointed one” as a military hero who would come to overthrow the Roman rule of Palestine; such was the crowd’s attitude at Christ’s “triumphant” entry into Jerusalem. Jesus had no intention to play the part of a great warrior; rather, he took upon himself the attitude of a servant.

Outline

1.	Mar 1:1 – 13: The Prologue
	a)	Mar 1:1 – 11: John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism
	b)	Mar 1:12 – 13: Jesus’ temptation
2.	Mar 1:14 – 10:52: The Ministry
	a)	Mar 1:14 – 20: The disciples called
	b)	Mar 1:21 – 3:12: In the synagogue; teaching and healing
	c)	Mar 3:13 – 35: Twelve chosen
	d)	Mar 4:1 – 34: Parables
	e)	Mar 4:35 – 5:43: Stilling the storm and other miracles
	f)	Mar 6:1 – 13: Further teaching
	g)	Mar 6:14 – 29: The death of John the Baptist
	h)	Mar 6:30 – 10:52: More teaching
3.	Mar 11:1 – 16:20: The Crucifixion and Resurrection
	a)	Mar 11:1 – 26: Entering Jerusalem
	b)	Mar 11:27 – 13:37: Questions and answers
	c)	Mar 14:1 – 72: The approaching suffering
	d)	Mar 15:1 – 47: The trial and the crucifixion
	e)	Mar 16:1 – 20: The resurrection and ascension

“Our Father in Heaven, we ask your gracious blessing on this couple, who have decided to bind their lives to one another, publicly and formally, and in the sight of these witnesses. In them, we see the pattern and picture of your Beloved Son, and his “Bride”, the believers of all ages — bound together for all eternity.

“Dear Father, help them — and us — realize the tremendous commitment of love and devotion and obedience involved in this choice, and give them the strength and dedication to fulfill that commitment, every day for the rest of their lives. This we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”

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The first man was created with a remarkable potential… he was made in the “image of God”… his hands could perform complicated maneuvers; his mind could comprehend eternal things; his spirit could reach out and touch the face of God.

But something was lacking, and God Himself observed it:

“It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a companion fit for him.”

Adam needed a counterpart of himself, someone who could be a companion and a true friend.

Adam was created a social being… designed (physically and emotionally and spiritually) for togetherness. Despite all his talents and all his potential, he could realize the highest level of his being only in the company of others.

And he could most easily find true joy and fulfillment in the company of one special person: at the same time like himself and different.

“So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman”, for she was taken out of man.’ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”

This Bible passage, from Genesis 2, includes the first recorded words of a human being, and they are… a marriage vow — a recognition that God had indeed provided a perfectly suitable companion.

A wise man once said,

“Eve was made from a rib taken from Adam’s side, not from his head that she might be his superior, nor from his feet that she might be trampled on, but from his side… that she might be his equal — and from next to his heart… that she might be cherished, and loved.”

The profound nature of the marriage bond is expressed in one short phrase; “They shall be ONE flesh.” No longer each living for himself or herself, they now hold fast to one another, for the rest of their lives.

Jesus added his own commentary: “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate… I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

And again he said, “But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”

“THEY SHALL BE ONE FLESH.”

The two vital features of marriage are expressed here.

The first is total commitment, without reservation or qualification, without conditions or escape clauses. From the beginning, the One who created us all does NOT present commitment as an option. Instead, He EXPECTS commitment… in a number of ways. He expects us to make a commitment to honesty and integrity in ALL of our relationships. He expects us to make a personal commitment to love and serve Him, and to worship no false “gods”. And He expects that — if we marry — we make an unqualified, life-long commitment to our spouse.

The second vital feature of marriage is its exclusiveness. One man and one woman, bound to one another and to no one else. Belonging to each other, as is so beautifully expressed in the Old Testament Song of Songs, where the young woman rejects the advances of other shepherds, and yearns for her Beloved only — waiting for his invitation to “Come away with me…” Then she rejoices with the words: “I belong to my Beloved, and my Beloved belongs to me!”

We hear much talk about “love” all around us, and much that is CALLED “love” is nothing at all like the “love” defined in God’s Word. The desire to share physical intimacy with an attractive and responsive partner may be called “love”… but — if an absolute commitment to one another, perpetually and exclusively, is lacking — then it may be… desire, it may be… lust, it may be… temporarily satisfying… it may be amusing… it may be exciting… BUT IT IS NOT… LOVE!

And — if the primary object of either party is to indulge oneself — then the moment ANYTHING changes to that person’s dissatisfaction, whether it be one’s health, or physical appearance, or financial arrangements, or whatever! — THAT is the moment that the pressure to pull apart may start to become greater than the pressure to stay together. Hence, if there is no true legal commitment, OR no true moral and spiritual commitment… then… in effect, there is no REAL marriage!

In 1Co 13, the apostle Paul writes about genuine love, the kind upon which a true marriage must be built. While romantic love, as it is frequently thought of, can actually be very selfish… the true love Paul describes is…

“patient, it is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

THAT is the only LOVE worth having. The other is a passing shadow, a breath of wind that we feel for a moment, and then it is gone.

Sadly, many people spend their lives trying to capture that shadow, that little breeze, that fleeting feeling or illusion, only to be bitterly disappointed, time after time… because they do not understand the nature of loving commitment in true marriage.

But the love Paul describes is real, and eternal, and eternally satisfying. It never fails; it never ends. The two who stand before us today already share the fellowship of their faith in Christ and their hope for his Kingdom.

To choose a partner for life who is committed to the same ideal and the same object is truly a wonderful thing. And when that object is the service of God, then it is much, much more of a wonderful thing!

The commitment to Christ that you both have made will be the firm foundation on which you will build your marriage. No third person can be allowed to violate the exclusiveness of your relationship with one another, NO THIRD PARTY EXCEPT FOR CHRIST! He alone should be the “third party” in your marriage, who will always be present… if you let him. He will be there… if you let him… to help you through the difficulties, the rough places, that will inevitably come.

With Christ as your foundation, with the true love you have for each other, with the confidence of the commitment you are making — and realizing its profound seriousness — and with the blessing of our heavenly Father, you will build a satisfying and joyful life together.

May God bless the two of you in your commitment. All of us here join in prayer that your marriage and life together will be happy, and prosperous, and good and right. May it be a blessing to each of you, and to others. May your life together be a reflection of the “eternal marriage” that we hope to experience, one day, with Christ, as described in the Book of Revelation:

“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: ‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” ‘… Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem… prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ ”

We rejoice now in THIS marriage, and we ponder the wonders and joys of that “mystery” yet to be revealed: that “marriage” to come, when those who truly believe — men and women — will be forever joined together with Jesus Christ.

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“Our Father in Heaven, we pray that you will bless and keep this new couple, who have pledged themselves to each other in your sight. May your face shine upon them. May you give them peace, and joy. May you strengthen their faith, support their love, and reinforce their hope — as long as they both shall live, or until your Son returns. In his Name we pray. Amen.”

The Scriptures abound in warnings against alien marriage: The sons of God marrying the daughters of men resulted at last in the Flood (Gen 6-9). Abraham and Isaac, faithful sojourners looking for the Kingdom, opposed such marriages for their sons (Gen 24:3; 28:1). The Law of Moses forbade the yoking together of the clean ox and the unclean ass (Deu 22:10). Moses said to take no alien spouses (Deu 7:3,8). Solomon’s alien wives turned his heart from God (1Ki 11:1-11). Ezra (Ezr 9;10) and Nehemiah (Neh 13:23-29) tell us of the evils of such alliances, and Paul has stressed the deviation of such a union (1Co 7:39; 2Co 6:14-18).

Those who are courting or are contemplating marriage must remember that complete happiness can be achieved only when it is “in the Lord”. History and experience show that where there is no unity of thought and purpose, whether it be between God and Israel, Christ and the ecclesia, or between a husband and wife, there may follow a break in fellowship and unity. How could it be otherwise? That is the sadness and the tragedy of divorce or separation.

When the Israelites were delivered from Egypt they were told that they should not “make marriages” with the peoples of Canaan. Moses gave the reason in words which are relevant today:

“Thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods…” (Deu 7:3).

Paul had much the same thing to say when he wrote: “Do not be mismated with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?”

Marriage, properly understood and lived, is a part of the divine fellowship in which love, patience, sympathy, understanding and service can be truly learned, and happy is the couple from whom these flow to the rest of the household of faith, for their reward will be the eternal blessing of the Father.

In being prepared against the “problem” of “alien marriage”, it is not sufficient merely to quote one or two passages like “only in the Lord” and “be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers”. We should see far more clearly than that. It is the general realization and appreciation that to marry “outside” is willful disobedience to the Lord who bought us, and it is a failure to understand the loftiness of our calling. We are invited to be the Bride of Christ. How then can we be associated in the closest intimacy with one who is not a member of the called-out ones in Christ? The whole of the Word of God requires this necessary separateness.

The Lord knows all our circumstances and He arranges that which is best for us. If in all our ways we acknowledge Him, He will direct our paths. “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him” and the Psalmist assures us that finally “He will give thee the desires of thine heart”. If we thus “rest in the Lord”, then we can rest assured that in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, those are the best for us in the ultimate. If other conditions were better, then the Lord would bring them to pass.

It may be, perhaps, that celibacy is best for us — the Lord knows. If, on the other hand, marriage with a true companion is the better condition, then the Lord will see to it that the proper partner comes along. Sometimes such comes to pass later on in life. Place the whole matter in the Lord’s hands and leave it there. Above all, don’t try to short-circuit the Lord: after putting it in His hands, don’t rush hastily into a marriage pretending it is the Lord’s doing. When the Lord moves in the matter there will be no mistaking it, and then one may say: “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”