Reading 1 – Deu 8:2

“Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands” (Deu 8:2).

“This is the lesson of chastisement. Not forsaking but purifying, not casting down but building up. Had Israel but seen these things and turned to God instead of to mourning, murmuring and despair, then would she have blossomed in the wilderness, the Lord would have opened the windows of heaven for her and brought her early to the land. The Lord had withheld food and drink but not to starve and shrivel His people. He asked simply that they would know that ‘man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord.’ Have we learned the lesson? In this affluent age have we been tempted to rely on the abundance of sustenance to be had by daily work, rather than the increase of faith which comes by daily prayer?” (Harry Tennant, “The Man David” 173).

Reading 2 – Ecc 3:11

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecc 3:11).

“Eternity” is the Hebrew “olahm” — the age, or the hidden time: in essence, the concept if not the hope of life everlasting. “If a man is not conscious of ‘eternity in his heart’, he ought to be” (LG Sargent). Although each person has at least the concept of eternity in his heart, only Christ can provide ultimate satisfaction, joy, and wisdom.

“Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be” (William Hazlitt, 1819).

This is something of the meaning, surely, of man being created in the “image” of God. Physically, he is nothing more than another beast (Ecc 3:18-21), but mentally and spiritually, he is a special creature, made in the “image” of God, and capable of understanding and appreciating eternal things!

Those men and women who are believers must live in the “border land” between what is and what will be! Seeing the day-to-day world for what it is — the place where daily bread must be found, where practical choices must be made, where ordinary life must be lived. But especially seeing the invisible world, the world which is hidden, but right around the corner, or just over the horizon — the “real” world of all hopes and aspirations, the world of “our better natures”, the world of the coming King. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2Co 4:17,18).

Reading 3 – John 20

“Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb” (John 20:10,11).

Now Mary, following behind the men, returned the second time to the tomb (still unaware of the angel’s appearance to the other women: Mar 16:2-7). There was no reason why she should linger here, except that this was the spot where she had last set eyes on her friend. In the past two days she had shed tears as never before, and now more than ever they refused to be restrained. If only she might be able to express her love in some last act of devotion to his poor dead body! But even this was denied her, for apparently his body had been stolen away. To this pathetic figure of sorrow and despair was soon to come one of the greatest privileges of all time: the first sight of the resurrected Lord! Within moments, the deepest despair was to give way forever to the greatest joy! (Cp with Song 3:2-4.)

*****

“…And saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot” (v 12).

The tomb of the risen Christ is the true mercy-seat, the true Most Holy Place. Here is the ark of the covenant, and the mercy-seat, flanked by the cherubim, where the blood of the one true sacrifice has been poured out.

*****

“They asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she said, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. ‘Woman,’ he said, ‘why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher)” (vv 13-16).

She seems to have expected no help nor comfort in response to her appeal, for she is already moving away when one spoken word (“Mary”) stops her in her tracks. Does not that voice have a strangely familiar ring? She turned around, stared in shock, and then in a moment was at his side — grasping for the evidence by which to turn the impossible into certainty, and all the while incoherent with joy. There was nothing to say except one exultant word of greeting and self-reproach: “Rabboni!” The silent road from which no traveler returns had yielded back the one whom she longed to see above all others, and how blind she had been not to recognize it sooner. A wild jumble of emotions rushed through her mind, and all the while she sought added assurance by the evidence of her senses.

“My Lord, who dead and buried lay, of late

Made void this tomb and stood before my face;

And I was first of all his ransomed race:

At first I knew him not! nor pondered there

By what strong means at that unseemly hour

The gard’ner should with some uncanny power

Have borne him hence beyond my reach.

But when he spoke, calling out my name,

And I beheld my Saviour standing there,

My heart did leap with sheer and utter joy;

‘Twas then, O Lord, that recognition came:

With tear-dimmed eyes my precious Lord to greet,

I knelt in the dust to grasp his feet.”

Reading 1 – Josh 24:14,15

“Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Josh 24:14,15).

“We must choose wisdom and reject folly. We are faced with this choice every moment of our lives. All our thoughts, words and actions fall into one category or the other. They will all naturally be in the category of folly (and death) if we do not consciously and deliberately place them in the category of wisdom (and life). This is the constant battle against the diabolos — the devil — our natural selves. This is the required overcoming: ‘He that overcometh shall inherit all things.’ He that does not overcome shall not inherit anything. The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. We must diligently build up the Spirit’s lust (desire) by study and meditation and prayer, so that it is stronger than the flesh’s lust” (GV Growcott).

Reading 2 – Isa 29:20,21

“The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down — those who with a word make a man out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice” (Isa 29:20,21).

“It comes out the worst when a man is half conscious of having a weak case and is making desperate efforts to convince himself that he does well to be angry. If he believes in the Bible he needs then to remember that all who watch for iniquity and make a man an offender for a word shall be cut off (Isa 29 : 20). It is usually an easy matter to collect reports derogatory to any man or any body of men. There is quite a temptation to use these ‘make weights’ in time of controversy, especially if the original cause of dispute is slight. One on the defensive can be kept busy chasing the false reports and unfair interpretations, but never succeeding in catching one before the next is on the wing.

“In a court of law a litigant is tied down to the actual charge. It is useless for him to try to fatten out his suit by all sorts of complaints remote from the original accusation. We are free from any such legal restrictions now, but it is well to remember that we have to go before a judgment seat far more searching than any ever set up by man, and for ‘every idle word’ that we have spoken we shall have to give account. Do not let us watch for iniquity, then, either in those we accuse of specific errors or in those who accuse us. Such watching inevitably leads to countless idle and evil words” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 3 – Heb 12:11

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless AFTERWARD it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Heb 12:11).

“How happy are tried Christians, AFTERWARDS. No calm more deep than that which succeeds a storm. Who has not rejoiced in clear shinings after rain? Victorious banquets are for well-exercised soldiers. After killing the lion we eat the honey… Our sorrows, like the passing keels of the vessels upon the sea, leave a silver line of holy light behind them ‘afterwards’… See, then, the happy estate of a Christian! He has his best things last, and he therefore in this world receives his worst things first. But even his worst things are ‘afterward’ good things, harsh ploughings yielding joyful harvests. Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls, he lives by dying, and becomes full by being emptied; if, then, his grievous afflictions yield him so much peaceable fruit in this life, what shall be the full vintage of joy ‘afterwards’? If his dark nights are as bright as the world’s days, what shall his days be? If even his starlight is more splendid than the sun, what must his sunlight be? If he can sing in a dungeon, how sweetly will he sing in God’s Kingdom! If he can praise the Lord in the fires, how will he extol Him before the eternal throne! If evil be good to him now, what will the overflowing goodness of God be to him then? Oh, blessed ‘afterward’! Who would not be a Christian? Who would not bear the present cross for the crown which cometh afterwards? But herein is work for patience, for the rest is not for today, nor the triumph for the present, but AFTERWARDS” (CHS).

Reading 1 – Josh 18:3

“So Joshua said to the Israelites: ‘How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?’ ” (Josh 18:3).

“Having spent many years wandering in the wilderness — during which time the older generation died — the younger generation of Israelites now found themselves on the western side of Jordan, in the Promised Land. Yet, despite years of privation and hardship, many Israelites were prepared to lightly cast aside their new-found inheritance.

“Seven tribes indicated that they were tired of fighting. They had fought the Canaanites for seven years — a long and protracted war. Now, their earlier dedication had waned. Their faith in Yahweh and zeal for His cause had dissipated.

“They had fought valiantly; and now — poised on the brink of final and complete victory — they had given up the struggle. They were ‘slack to go to possess the land’ [v 3].

“This was a tragic state of affairs: not merely because of the inactivity of the people but because of their disposition.

“At the Judgment Seat of Christ, how many will be found to have started out on their walk towards the Kingdom full of zeal and wholehearted dedication, fired by a love of Yahweh and His saving Truth — only to surrender to pressures from within and without, and never gain the final victory. Satisfaction or compromise with the existing worldly environment; divided loyalties; a general attitude of indolence; or lack of faith… are influences which may lead men and women of faith to desert the cause they have espoused, and fall by the wayside” (John Ullman, “Joshua: His Life and Times” 193,194).

Reading 2 – Isa 24:23

“The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously” (Isa 24:23).

Here is pictured “the long-overdue repentance of the nation, its self-humiliation before the Man — whom, formerly, they would not have to reign over them. At that time not only those who are the Lord’s true temple, his mount Zion, but also the entire city of Jerusalem will gladly receive Jesus as ‘the Lord our Righteousness.’ And with them there will be the ‘ancients’ of the race, the Fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David — men of faith who received promises, believed them with heart and soul, but who have slept through long centuries till the day of fulfillment. Here, and not here only (Isa 25:8; 26:19) is Isaiah’s confident doctrine of the resurrection” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 264).

Reading 3 – Heb 6:8

“But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned” (Heb 6:8).

The word “adokimos” is translated “reprobate” (Rom 1:28; 2Co 13:5-7; 2Ti 3:8; Tit 1:16), “castaway” (1Co 9:27), and “rejected” (Heb 6:8). It is used to describe a counterfeit coin, deficient as to weight or quality of metal. It is also used, figuratively, to describe a cowardly soldier who fails the test of battle; a candidate rejected for office; and a stone rejected by the builders. In each case, that which is “reprobate” has promised something by its outward appearance which it cannot deliver! It has, perhaps, a “name to live”, but it is dead — like clouds that promise rain, but give none; like stars in the heavens that appear fixed, but prove to be “wandering stars”, or meteors.

Reading 1 – Jos 14:11

“I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then” (Jos 14:11).

“For fighting, and for all the intercourse and manifold activities of life, his sinews are as braced, his eyes as clear, his spirit and limbs as alert as they were in those old days. No doubt you will say that was due to miraculous intervention. No doubt it was; but is it not true that, in a very real sense, a man may keep himself young all his life, if he will go the right way to work? And the secret of perpetual youthfulness lies here, in giving our hearts to God and in living for Him. Christianity, with its self-restraint and its exhortations to all, and especially to the young, to be chaste and temperate and to subdue the animal passions, has a direct tendency to conserve physical vigour; and Christianity, by the inspiration that it imparts, the stimulus that it gives, and the hopes that it permits us to cherish, has a direct tendency to keep alive in old age all the best of the characteristics of youth. Its buoyancy, its undimmed interest, its cheeriness, its freedom from anxiety and care — all these things are directly ministered to, and preserved by, a life of simple faith that casts itself upon God, and dwells securely, in joy and in restfulness, and not without a great light of hope, even when the shadows of evening are falling.

“One of the greatest and most blessed of the characteristics of youth is the consciousness that the most of life lies before us; and to a Christian man, in any stage of his earthly life, that consciousness is possible. When he stands on the verge of the last sinking sandbank of time, and the water is up to his ankles, he may well feel that the best and the most of life is yet to be.

” ‘They shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be full of sap and green.’ A gnarled old tree may be green in all its branches, and blossom and fruit may hang together there. The ideal of life is, that into each stage we shall carry the best of the preceding, harmonised with the best of the new… The fountain of perpetual youth, of which the ancients fabled, is no fable, but a fact; and it rises, where the prophet in his vision saw the stream coming out, from beneath the threshold of the Temple door” (Alexander MacLaren).

Reading 2 – Isa 19:11-15

“The officials of Zoan are nothing but fools; the wise counselors of Pharaoh give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, ‘I am one of the wise men, a disciple of the ancient kings’? Where are your wise men now? Let them show you and make known what the LORD Almighty has planned against Egypt…” (isa 19:11,12).

Verses 11-15 picture a “sustained and contemptuous exposure of the experienced statecraft of Egypt. The political skill of that land’s priests and Pharaohs had wide reputation outside its own borders (Exo 1:10; 1Ki 4:30; Act 7:22). Yet it would all prove useless to stave off the downfall and chaos purposed by the Lord of the hosts of angels, who in Moses’ day had wrought such havoc in that land of unmatched prosperity (Psa 78:49)” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 229).

Reading 3 – Tit 2:14

“(Jesus) gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Tit 2:14).

“(Jesus) gave himself for us”: Jesus laid down his life, deliberately, willingly (John 10:11,15,18; 1Pe 2:23), on our behalf. The preposition “for” is “huper”, as also in 1Ti 2:6 (“a ransom on behalf of all men”), which can bear this meaning; Jesus may be seen as a representative — dying ON BEHALF OF men — and not as a substitute — dying INSTEAD OF men.

The original word for “redeem” here is “lutron”, which means to release for a price, or — put simply — to buy. It is one of the several words (or word groups) translated “redeem”, “redemption”, and “ransom”.

The word translated “his very own” (“peculiar people”: KJV) is the Greek “periousios”, which literally means “something beyond”. Paul is quoting from the Old Testament: “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be MY TREASURED POSSESSION (Heb ‘segullah’) . Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo 19:5,6). “Segullah”, we are told, referred to the private treasure of kings; in societies where kings were more or less absolute dictators, everything in their realm was considered to be legally their property — but even a king could not control and spend and enjoy all properties in his kingdom, and so he would possess certain properties, properties which were set apart as his own “special treasure”, his “peculiar” or unique property, and no one else’s.

In the figure here, God Almighty is the great king, and all the universe belongs to Him, and all men, and all they have — it is all His. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him! But… the Heavenly Father has condescended to choose a special few of all His subjects to be His own family, His own special possession, His own cherished riches. They stay close to His person; they recline in His bosom; they hear His whispers of endearment; they feel the tender touch of His special love. They are dearer to Him than the stars in the heavens, or the glorious snow-topped mountains. They are dearer to Him than the treasures of the richest mines, or the harvests of the richest fields. They are the ones He has redeemed with the precious blood of His Son. “Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. ‘They will be mine,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him’ ” (Mal 3:16,17).

Reading 1 – Jos 9

“The other cities of Canaan were not more brave [vv 1,2], they were only more foolish than Gibeon [vv 3-27]. They lacked the imagination of faith which could realise the fate awaiting them. They dreamed of safety without taking measures to secure it. They believed in that ‘chapter of accidents which is the Bible of the fool.’ Like some Oriental governments which we have seen, they stared destruction in the face, and did nothing to ensure success in averting it. Wisdom averts the preventible, but sets itself to work at once to accept the inevitable. And Gibeon deserves credit for its clear perception of its danger, and its sagacity in trying to make the best of what could not be avoided. Perhaps, being more republican than any of the other nationalities, we have here an instance of the superior wisdom of the popular instinct to that of the rulers. Without dwelling, however, on the source of their wisdom, we may with advantage follow its example. One of the chiefest parts of the art of life is frankly, promptly accepting the inevitable. Whatever the pressure that you cannot avoid, proceed at once to make the best of it. If it be poverty, do not with desperate ventures attempt to win back wealth, but with contentment and industry set yourself to make the best of it. If disease affects you from which you cannot free yourself, come to terms with it. Send your ambassadors and make a covenant with it. And accepting the situation in which you find yourself, address yourself to gather the ‘sweet uses of adversity,’ and you will find weakness a great teacher and not without its compensations. If you have done wrong, and to humble yourself is a necessity of honour, do so like Gibeon, at once. If submission to your redeeming God has become a necessity of your case, do not, like the other cities of Israel, dream and defy, and then fall before the destroyer; but with timely overtures seek Him while He is near. Thus in all relations of life accept frankly the inevitable. Agree with thine adversary quickly, and with the force you cannot resist make such terms as will allow you to enjoy a less dignity, but yet some degree of happiness.

“In the action of the Gibeonites there is the good of a rudimentary faith, and there is the evil of deceit. It is to be observed that, while the evil is punished, the good is not ignored. God does not require the retraction of the oath; and when, centuries later, Israel breaks the oath, He shows His disapproval of their course. God sanctions their being spared, and thus approves the good that is mixed with evil. Happily for us, God is still the same. Perfect motive He never finds, and unmixed good He never looks on. But, in His infinite compassion, whatever of good there is in our action receives a rich reward. His love holds as keen a scrutiny as His justice, and wherever in the action of men the slightest good appears, then He rewards it” (PC).

Reading 2 – Isa 13; 14

“It is to be expected that these burdens will have a Last Days reference, in addition to their contemporary relevance. This is the normal characteristic of nearly all Messianic prophecy. In several places (eg, Isa 17:13; 13:5,6; 19:23-25; 22:22) clear links with other Last Days prophecies seem to demand this…

“Who can doubt that the further fulfillment of Isa 13; 14 will produce the very situation which made the reign of Hezekiah one of the most exciting in all history? Once again, as then, there will be wrath on the state of Israel for its godlessness and lack of faith; the Land will be overrun by a confederacy of enemies; vast numbers will be herded away as slave labour in the lands of their conquerors; then, through the repentance of the faithful remnant and the merits of one Man whom God has smitten with undeserved suffering for the sake of His people, there will come sudden incredible divine deliverance, and the City of God will be safe; a gracious year of jubilee will be celebrated, with the joyous return of all the captives; and then will ensue a reign of righteousness and peace and prosperity more adequate to fulfill all the long-cherished dreams of God’s pious and faithful ones. Not all of this picture comes in Isa 13; 14; but much of it is there, and the other details are copiously filled in, in Isaiah’s later prophecies” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 194, 200).

Reading 3 – 1Ti 4:8

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1Ti 4:8).

“Physical training” is from the Greek “gymnasia”. By this term Paul means more than physical effort. He means the coordination of body and mind, in consistent and tireless training and effort, to master some skill. The pianist or dancer or athlete practices continually, striving always toward perfection, but never quite achieving it. Another type of such bodily “exercise” is the adherence to strict rules of diet, such as fasting (Luke 18:12: “I fast twice in the week”), which Paul mentions in v 3, or the other ascetic tendencies to self-denial which characterized both Jewish and Greek thinkers in that time: going barefoot, wearing sackcloth, abstaining from marriage and meat.

“Physical training is of some value”: “Bodily exercise profiteth little” (KJV) — or “for a few things” — in contrast to the all things for which godliness is profitable. Or, as the KJV mg indicates, “for a little time only”: Physical health lasts only a few years, and a skill lasts hardly longer. They are but man’s feeble efforts and they are bounded by his own inherent limitations — sickness and death. If man does not appeal to one greater than himself, he cannot rise above what he is by nature. If he places confidence in his own strength, to deny himself this or that, he may have removed temptation, but he is no better for it — if he has not replaced these items with positive, godly thoughts and works. He is like water, running down, seeking its own lowest level. He is like the man who has rid his house of one foul occupant only to see seven unclean spirits fill the void. Without God in his life, nothing can profit him very much.

“But godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” What can we add more than this! Godliness in this present life brings to the disciple of Christ a sense of spiritual “peace”; a feeling of oneness, or unity with God; wellbeing and consolation even in the midst of trials. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat 6:33).

Such a person gains “peace” and contentment now, even as he looks expectantly toward that greater “rest” of the Kingdom.

To have peace with God makes all possible worries harmless and out-of-place. This is godliness with contentment (1Ti 6:6). It can only come with complete, undivided dedication to one goal of life. Peace is not freedom from external strife. It is freedom from internal strife, because our minds are full of love and “Perfect love casteth out fear… he that feareth is not made perfect in love” (1Jo 4:18). Jesus, even in the anguish and anticipation of his terrible sufferings, was still able to say: “Peace I leave with you… In the world ye shall have tribulation; but in me ye shall have peace… Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:27). The godly person, just as Christ, has already “overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Reading 1 – Josh 19

In Josh 18:11 through Josh 19:48, the seven remaining tribes receive their inheritances according to lot: Benjamin (Jos 18:11-28); Simeon (Jos 19:1-9); Zebulun (Jos 19:10-16); Issachar (Jos 19:17-23); Asher (Jos 19:24-31); Naphtali (Jos 19:32-39); and Dan (Jos 19:40-48).

“These are the territories that Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun and the heads of the tribal clans of Israel assigned by lot at Shiloh in the presence of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. And so they finished dividing the land” (v 51).

Reading 2 – Isa 25:7,8

“On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken” (Isa 25:7,8).

“It is the picture of the angel of the Lord personally wiping away for ever the tears of sadness which have been inevitable in the experience of all saints in Christ. This incomparable comfort will be one of the greatest of the blessings of the kingdom of God. For the assurance of the sore-tested believer it is so picked out in two Apocalyptic visions of the age to come (Rev 7:17; 21:4). Behind these words is yet a further comfort. More than once it has been said: ‘How shall I be able to enjoy the blessedness of the kingdom if one whom I have so long and so dearly loved does not share it with me?’ To this Isaiah’s answer is that even such tears will be wiped away. The implication is that all memories involving sadness will be blotted out by the imparting of a superb faculty for forgetting: ‘Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded’ (Jer 31:16)” (Harry Whittaker, “Isaiah” 269).

Reading 3 – Heb 9:16,17

“In the case of a will [Greek ‘diatheke’: the same word as ‘covenant’] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living” (Heb 9:16,17).

The whole of this translation, not that much different from the KJV and various other versions, presumes the Greek word “diatheke” to be a will, or testament, which is only in force after the death of the testator. But the primary meaning of this word is ‘covenant’, not ‘will’ or ‘testament’. This is a very secondary and specialized meaning of the word. In short, every will is a covenant, but not every covenant is a will!

However, some translations (notably the Emphatic Diaglott) seem to have gotten it right, assuming the more general meaning of “covenant”. And thus we might translate vv 16,17:

“For where a covenant is made, there must of necessity be the death of the covenant-victim. For a covenant is only in force over a dead body [this is Jer 34:18-20!], because it is not binding as long as the covenant-victim lives.”

Weymouth’s translation has this footnote: “It is possible that the real meaning is, ‘For where a covenant is made, there must be evidence of the death of the covenant-victim…’ “

With this Bullinger is in general agreement, and Rotherham has an interesting note on the word “covenant”: “The NT word ‘diatheke’ signifies ‘covenant’ because it is the LXX rendering of the Hebrew ‘berith’ which everywhere in the OT means covenant and covenant only… It is a word in common use to denote all sorts of covenants between all sorts of persons.” Rotherham then goes out to trace the obvious connections with “berith” (covenant) in Exodus 24 and “diatheke” (covenant) in Mat 26:27,28 — as a guide to its meaning in the Letter to the Hebrews.

The point is obvious: If Christ were making a “last will and testament”, then it could only have effect if he remained dead. But he has been raised from the dead, to share in the benefits of the “diatheke”, indeed, to receive the benefits of the “diatheke” first of all for himself, before it could be for others. And so — since Christ is not dead, but gloriously and eternally alive — the whole idea of a testament and a testator breaks down totally when applied to him and the saints.

Christ therefore is being described here as the “covenant-victim” (cp Gen 15:17; Jer 34:18,19): his death — in addition to being a sacrifice for sins — was also the antitype of the death of the special animal called the “covenant-victim”. It was through this death that the new covenant was ratified (cp generally Luk 1:72,73; Rom 15:8; Acts 3:25,26).

Reading 1 – Deu 33:27

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deu 33:27).

“The word ‘refuge’ may be translated ‘abiding-place,’ which gives the thought that God is our abode, our home. There is a fulness and sweetness in the metaphor, for dear to our hearts is our home, although it be the humblest cottage, or the scantiest garret; and dearer far is our blessed God, in whom we live, and move, and have our being. It is at home that we feel safe: we shut the world out and dwell in quiet security. So when we are with our God we ‘fear no evil.’ He is our shelter and retreat, our abiding refuge. At home, we take our rest; it is there we find repose after the fatigue and toil of the day. And so our hearts find rest in God, when, wearied with life’s conflict, we turn to Him. At home, also, we let our hearts loose; we are not afraid of being misunderstood, nor of our words being misconstrued. So when we are with God we can commune freely with Him, laying open all our hidden desires; for if the ‘secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him,’ the secrets of them that fear Him ought to be, and must be, with their Lord. Home, too, is the place of our truest and purest happiness: and it is in God that our hearts find their deepest delight. We have joy in Him which far surpasses all other joy” (CH Spurgeon).

Reading 2 – Isa 6:5

” ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty’ ” (Isa 6:5).

“Whenever God has chosen men for some great duty and has prepared them for it by the vision of His holiness, their complete unfitness for divine use has been realized: ‘I am a man of unclean lips,’ said Isaiah, when he had heard the three-fold acclamation of God’s holiness. This was not because he was base or depraved; on the contrary he was a ‘holy man of God’ chosen to be the channel of the most outstanding revelations of the Messiah. And not only did he realize his own uncleanness of lip, but he felt also that his race, his people, were likewise unclean: ‘And I dwell in the midst of an unclean people.’ The sin-conscious man is aware of his oneness with his fellows as members of a sin-enthralled race” (John Carter, “Galatians” 71).

Reading 3 – Col 3:5

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5).

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”. It is as though we can, and should, “recreate” ourselves in a more pleasing image — an object suitable to be “idolized”! 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 an extraordinary beauty, finally to fall down and worship it: “Deliver me, for thou art my god” (Isa 44:14-17).

Reading 1 – Josh 20:2,3

“Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood” (Josh 20:2,3).

These six cities of refuge could guarantee one’s life for a time, but not for eternity. This only the seventh city of refuge (that is, Zion: Exo 21:13,14) can do. “We have a strong city, salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks” (Isa 26:1).

With three cities west of Jordan, and three east, spaced out from north to south, and the seventh city of refuge being Jerusalem, in the approximate center of the land, the whole seven cities of refuge may be compared, roughly, to the seven-branched lampstand, or menorah.

In the land of Canaan, cities of refuge were so arranged, that any man might reach one of them within half a day at the most. The main roads leading to each of the cities were strictly preserved, every river was bridged, and every obstruction removed, so that the man who fled might find an unimpeded path to the refuge. Once a year the city elders went along the roads and inspected them — nothing must cause the fugitive, through delay, to be overtaken and slain. How wonderfully do the promises of the gospel remove stumbling blocks from the way! Wherever there were side-roads and forks, there were erected signposts, with the inscription upon them — “This way to the city of refuge!”

Likewise, every ecclesia — and every member of every ecclesia — ought to stand ready to direct every “fugitive” to the ultimate place of safety. Signs should be erected, and nothing should be allowed to stand in the way: “This is the way to the cross of Christ, and to the gospel of saving truth. ‘Come unto Christ, and you will find rest!’ “

Reading 2 – Isa 26:20

“Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by” (Isa 26:20).

This verse alludes to both the ark of Noah (Gen 7:16) and the passover of Moses (Exo 12:22,23) — the doors shut, the protecting presence of the angel of Yahweh, while all outside was hopelessness and death. But the most direct historical context is the action of Hezekiah who, when he received the threatening message from Sennacherib, promptly went to the house of God, secluding himself there to pray (Isa 37:1,14,15). Thus was Jerusalem made a strong city, the walls thereof appointed to salvation (Isa 26:1); and the people who fled to the city were protected from the Assyrian host by the Divine Hand. But the “chambers” of protection can be anywhere that a believer turns to God for help. So Jesus can exhort his followers: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Mat 6:6).

Jewish men wore a garment called a “talith”, “talis”, or “prayer shawl”, all the time, not just at prayer. “Talith” consists of two Hebrew words; “tal” (tent) and “ith” (little). Thus, each man had his own little tent. (The apostle Paul was a Jewish Pharisee, but also a tentmaker. Some believe that he made prayer shawls, not tents to live in.) Since all Jews could not worship in the Tent of Meeting at one time, God gave to each Jew his own private sanctuary where he could meet with God. In prayer, the man would pull it up over his head, forming a tent, where he could retreat to call upon Yahweh. It was intimate, private, and set apart from anyone else — enabling him to totally focus upon God. It was his prayer closet.

Reading 3 – Heb 10:25

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another– and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:25).

Only two “rites” are absolutely commanded to the believer: baptism, and the Breaking of Bread. By the first we join God’s family, and by the second we regularly reaffirm our membership in this family.

It is surprising that there are any with full opportunity to attend regularly who are content to be at the Breaking of Bread just now and then. For this most important service is essentially a thanksgiving. A casual attitude toward it, with irregular attendance, in effect declares, “I am thankful to God for the Lord Jesus Christ and what he has done for me, but not much! And there are other things which I regard as being more important.”

Put down in black and white, this looks horrible. But is there really anything unfair about such a diagnosis?

Would there be such a careless attitude to the Table of the Lord if it were properly appreciated what this meeting can mean? Consider the familiar words, “My blood of the new covenant… shed… for the remission of sins” (Mat 26:28).

Here is the identical phrase which is used about our baptism into Christ. These two holy rites are designed to supplement one another. Baptism washes away every sin committed up to that moment. But — such is human frailty and human thinking — spotless robes of righteousness invariably begin to become drab and soiled. However, the disciple who lives by faith in Christ knows that with the Memorial Service comes remission (forgiveness) of sins. There the robe of righteousness resumes its original brightness.

Yet faced with such startling but delightful truths as these, there are some who are indifferent to this most important thing in life, and do not mind openly asserting, by their lack of enthusiasm, that this is how they feel!

From time to time, believers find themselves away from their homes, and their home ecclesias, on a Sunday. Such times are fine opportunities to get to know other Christadelphians, by attending memorial meetings of other ecclesias. A little foresight and planning before weekend trips or vacations can be spiritually rewarding, in experiencing at first hand the true worldwide family fellowship of our brotherhood. A week or two spent on business in a strange city far from home, rather than being a desolate and lonely time, can be a wonderful time of sharing with people who are truly “family” — family in a more meaningful sense, quite often, than one’s own natural family. As Jesus said,

“Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? Pointing to his disciples, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Mat 12:48-50).

There will be times, of course, when it will be clearly impossible — or extremely difficult — to attend a Sunday meeting of Christadelphians. What should be done then? The partaking of the bread and wine, accompanied by suitable Bible readings and prayers, can be a tremendously fresh and rewarding experience — even for an individual or a couple temporarily isolated from all other spiritual companionship.

Reading 1 – Jos 3:1,2

“Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. After three days…” (Jos 3:1,2).

And so they camped before the Jordan, that impassable obstacle, for three full days (v 2).

“Those three days before that unfordable river were the necessary preparation for what followed — the background from which the following miracle might be the more evident to and the more appreciated by Israel. Man’s extremity furnishes the most suitable opportunity for God to display His power. And it is not until man is made painfully aware of his extremity that he turns unto the Lord and seeks His intervention. That truth is writ large across the 107th Psalm, which forcible illustrates and exemplifies what we have been seeking to express. ‘Hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble’ (Psa 107:5,6). ‘There was none to help: then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them’ (Psa 107:12,13). ‘They draw near unto the gates of death: then they cry unto the Lord’ (Psa 107:18,19). They ‘are at their wits’ end: then they cry unto the Lord’ (Psa 107:27,28). They are brought into a desperate situation, to the end of their own resources, and then it is that they — not merely utter a few cold and formal petitions, but — ‘cry unto the Lord’, and such a cry is ever responded to by His deliverance.

“Do not close your eyes to the Jordan — the problem, the difficulty, the obstacle — that confronts you, but face it. Do not attempt to minimize it, but take its full measure. Continue contemplating it until you plainly realize your own helplessness to cope with the same, and then trustfully turn unto Him who is capable of dealing with it” (AW Pink).

Reading 2 – Isa 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6).

THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON HIS SHOULDERS: The government of Israel is here symbolized by one of its emblems: the royal robe fastened at the shoulder. In Jdg 16:3,4: Samson possesses the gate of his enemy Dagon, carrying it on his shoulders to Hebron. (The gate, especially of one’s enemies, also symbolizes governmental power (Rth 4:1, and other refs).

When we come to the New Testament, reference to the royal shoulder suggests the shoulder of Jesus, that bore the cross (John 19:17). THAT was HIS emblem of office!

WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE: This is probably intended to be all one name, like Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isa 8:1). Following the Soncino Bible, this could be read: “Pele-joez-gibbor-el-abi-ad-sar-shalom” = (perhaps) “The wonderful counselor, the mighty God, IS the everlasting father of the prince of peace”. (Some of these same “names” are combined elsewhere: in Isa 28:29; 25:1, for examples, about God Himself.)

COUNSELOR: Used by Micah in Virgin Birth prophecy (Mic 4:9). “Counsel” refers to the personal fellowship between God and His Son: Psa 16:7; Mar 1:35; Joh 6:15; 5:19,20; 8:28; 12:49; 14:10. True counsel, wisdom, only from God: Jer 10:23; Job 12:13; Isa 40:12-14; 11:2-4. Christ brought God’s counsel (Deu 18:15-18), as “one having authority” (Mat 7:29). See also 1Co 1:30; Col 2:3; Zec 6:12.

MIGHTY GOD: “El Gibbor” = “mighty hero” (Moffatt). The Father has given His own Name to His Son as well (Phi 2:9; cp Psa 45:3,6; Heb 1:8). In general Scriptural terminology, one who acts on behalf of God may be called “God”: (a) angels: Gen 16:13; 18:13; Exo 23:20,21; Hos 12:3,5; (b) men: Exo 22:28; 22:6; 21:8 (elohim); Psa 138:1; Joh 10:34 (cit Psa 82:1,6); (c) the Messiah: Isa 8:13,14; 61:1,6; 64:4; 65:16; Zec 12:10; Mal 3:1; Joh 20:28; Heb 1:8.

EVERLASTING FATHER: In Hebrew idiom, “father” may signify “master, leader, teacher” (ie, Isa 22:21; Gen 45:8; 2Ki 5:13; Jdg 18:19; Gen 4:20,21). So, literally, this phrase may mean “father of the age to come” (LXX).

PRINCE OF PEACE: As was Melchizedek (Gen 14; Heb 7). “The peace” — or the “prince who brings peace” — “when the Assyrian comes into the Land” (Mic 5:5). Compare the angels’ testimony at the announcement of Jesus’ birth: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE to men on whom his favor rests” (Luk 2:14).

Reading 3 – 1Th 5:4

“But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief” (1Th 5:4).

The “thief-like” advent is not so much to the unheeding world as to the “brothers”, that is, the saints, who are unprepared. The coming of Christ SHOULD not surprise any believers, but it WILL surprise some: Rev 3:3; 16:15; 2Pe 3:9,10.

What IS the point of Paul’s simile “as a thief” in regard to believers at the return of Christ? When a burglar has broken into a house and slipped away with all the money and the choicest items of wealth it contains, the householder suddenly awakes to the fact that what he deemed to be his most treasured possessions are gone forever. For those who are not prepared to meet their Master, his coming will be most unexpected and most unwelcome. It will bring a day of acute self-awareness, as though they awake from a dream. Things will have been turned upside-down, and nothing can be “put right” again! Everything that once seemed so important will be suddenly both useless and meaningless, as though it had been stolen by a thief: cars, clothes, homes, bank accounts, hobbies, entertainments — all vanished! And he who was perhaps put second, or even ignored at times, will be all-important.

“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mat 24:28-51).

Those who speak (or, even more to the point, those who act) as though they are indifferent to the Lord’s coming (cp 2Pe 3:4 — “Where is the promise of his coming?”) are within the church, and not its critics on the outside! Of course, no “responsible” believer ever denies the second coming in so many words; not a few deny faith in it, sadly, by their actions (or inactions?).

Reading 1 – Deu 27

“On entering the land the nation is to gather great stones, and — whitening them with lime — they are to write thereon the words of the Law. In addition, an altar is to be erected upon Ebal the Mount of Cursing: a wonderful type of the purpose of Yahweh in Christ as expressed in the Gospel. The nation is to assemble at the place selected to hearken to and endorse the cursings and blessings of the Law. These principles set forth the terms of the impending reign of Yahweh in the Land. It shows that submission to His rule is the secret of success on the part of His people (vv 1-8); that those who attempt to obey will enjoy His grave or favour (vv 9,10); and that the responsibility of doing so rests upon each individual (vv 11-26). To sum up these requirements: if Yahweh is Lord of the heart, He will be Lord of everything else! His influence will motivate action and establish a character fitted for eternity” (HP Mansfield, “Christadelphian Expositor”).

Reading 2 – Song 7:10

“I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me” (Song 7:10).

This is the third in a series of similar expressions to be found in the Song of Songs:

Firstly, in Song 2:16, the girl exclaims, “My lover is mine and I am his.” In this passage her initial thought of her lover was of HER claim upon him, while his claim upon her was secondary. But later, with more maturity, she says, “I am my lover’s and my lover is mine” (Song 6:3). At this point she is thinking first of HIS claim, and only afterwards mentions her own. Now she sees that the true primacy is his! And there is yet a still further development of character in her similar words here in Song 7:10. Finally, she has at last lost sight of her claim altogether, in the rapture of belonging, solely and exclusively, to him: “I belong to my lover, and his desire is for me.” Here is the fullest attainment of faith, indicated in joy and peace: her lover is now her “all in all”!

“Desire” is “teshuwqah”, found in the OT only here and in Gen 3:16; 4:7. In these words there is a primeval Edenic purity, as the Shulammite echoes God’s words: “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you” (Gen 3:16). In this case, however, it is not just her desire to be subordinated to the will of her husband; it is his desire to serve her needs. This expresses a desire to return, a desire for oneness, a desire that the individual will (even HIS will!) should be subordinated to the needs of the unit which is the couple: “And the two will become one flesh” (Eph 5:31; cp Joh 17:21; Act 4:32; 27:23; 1Co 6:19,20). It obviously is a very strong, almost overpowering, urge. His desire for her easily equals hers for him (cp Psa 45:11; Job 14:15). She is at no disadvantage. She relishes the security of her relationship to her husband.

It may be that, in the sentence of Gen 3:16, “your desire will be for your husband” expressed the incompleteness of the marriage bond: the man, under sentence to earn a living by the sweat of his brow (Gen 3:17-19), could not — and would not — give all his attentions to satisfying his wife’s desires. Her “desire” for him would, sadly, be greater than his “desire” for her. But in the relationship described here, pointing forward to the perfect spiritual “marriage” between Christ and the church, his “desire” for her would equal — and even exceed — hers for him. (This was the sort of desire expressed by Christ in Luk 22:15: “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”) And she thinks of his “desire” toward her not as his will to dominate her, but rather his commitment to do whatever he can so as to share his joy with her. In this setting, her submission to him is no burden, but a surpassing gratitude and an intense pleasure.

“It is her greatest desire to belong to him, who on the mountain of myrrh [Song 4:6] has redeemed her unto himself, and it is understandable even to our finite minds that, in that beauty of holiness, the perfections of which the beloved has been singing, she indeed will be desirable to him, now fully attuned in heart and mind unto the Divine, she having set her mind upon him” (Atwell).

“Had he not proved [that his desire was for her] all along in their association together? Had he not revealed himself to her? Had he not taught her? protected her? provided for her? healed her? forgiven her? restored her? made her? Had he not presented her faultless before the throne of his glory with exceeding joy [cp Rom 8:28-39; Jud 1:24]?” (Hall).

All this is expressed most succinctly in Psa 119:94: “Save me, for I am yours.” Our attempts to explain this may falter, in the multiplying of phrases and descriptions — but these six simple words may come as close as anything to the heart of our faith. Here there is the confession that we are lost, that we cannot save ourselves. Here there is the absolute abandonment of self, which is the essence of sacrifice: “I am yours!” In this there is the profoundest relief: ‘I don’t have to carry this burden alone… he… who carried the cross will carry it with me!’ And here there is the most complete confession of faith — not bound up in creeds nor dependent upon the precision of our own formulation, but a faith that has dug down deep enough to find bedrock… “Save me!” “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

Reading 3 – Acts 24:15

“I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked” (Acts 24:15).

The word translated “unjust” (KJV) or “wicked” (NIV) is the Greek “adikos”; other uses of the same original word plainly include the unbaptized:

“When one of you has a grievance against a brother, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous (adikos) instead of the saints?” (1Co 6:1) — the “unrighteous” are directly contrasted with the “saints”; “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust (adikos), that he might bring us to God” (1Pe 3:18) — the “unjust” are those who are in the process of being brought to God, a perfect definition of the as-yet-unbaptized!; and “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust (adikos) unto the day of judgment to be punished” (2Pe 2:9) — the immediate context here equates the godly with Lot (v 7), and the unjust with the men of Sodom and Gomorrah (v 6), and plainly says that they — being “unjust” — will be punished on the day of judgment.

Again in the immediate context of Acts 24:15, the Gentile ruler Felix, who heard these words of Paul about a “resurrection of the wicked”, grew fearful when — only a few days later — Paul spoke to him again of “the judgment to come” (Acts 24:25). If a resurrection of the “wicked” or the “unjust” (v 15) plainly held no threat at all for any unbaptized Gentile, why did Felix tremble when told of the judgment?