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Date: Tue, 12 Sep 1995 10:06:39 +0200
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: The Scriptures opened, 48
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Deuteronomy 27:26 - Cursed is the transgressor
2. 2 Samuel 7 - The prophecy of Nathan, part 3/3
1. Deuteronomy 27:26 - Cursed is the transgressor
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Reading: Deut.26:1-29:8
Deuteronomy 27:26
Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do
them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
The meaning of this verse is, that he, who not confirms the words of
the law by doing them, will be cursed. This being cursed, when
forsaking the whole law, is the opposite of being blessed, when
keeping the law. Some verses further you will find this blessing: "And
all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou
shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God." (Deuteronomy 28:2)
He, who rejects the law, will be cursed. And all the people shall say,
"Amen". That is, they all will confirm it. They all confirm, that,
when they forsake the law, they will be cursed.
The law has to do with God's will. It is His will, that we do
what is written in the law. God is very holy, nay, He
HehddddDCDsssdddddddjasdooousadosHe is the Holiness itself. Also His
law ought to be kept perfectly. Not one yod of it will fall at the
ground. The law is not a rule, which asks not more of us, then we can
perform. The law is not to be winked at. It is the expression of God's
will, not the description of what we are able to do. It is the
original law, which was already in force before the fall of the first
man. God's will changes not; so His will was the same, both before and
after the fall of Adam. He gave commandments, such as, do this, and do
that not. And, all what you do, do it with your whole heart. The law
then is holy, and good. All who confirm not the words of it, are
cursed.
There is no man, who does the law. We all transgress, as Solomon
said: "If they sin against thee, (for [there is] no man that sinneth
not,)" (1 Kings 8:46) Nobody does the law. However, many think they do
the law, since they have made the law powerless. They have first
deprived the law of its original power and holiness, and then they
think to keep that powerless one. But the real law, nobody keeps.
Since nobody keeps the rule of God, nor is able to do so,
everybody lies under the curse, as is written: "Cursed be he that
confirmeth not the words of this law to do them." Can we be freed from
that curse? Yes, we can. Moses said: "Who will keep the law will
live". So, one might think that keeping the law is the way to life.
But, as we have already seen, this way is shut up. For, nobody can
keep the law, as Solomon said. Keeping the law was originally a way to
life, but after the fall of Adam, this way is made impossible through
the weakness of our flesh. Keeping the law is still a way to life, but
nobody can go on that way. There was One, who walked on this way. And
that was Jesus Christ, Who kept the whole law. He walked on the way of
righteousness. Not a defective righteousness, but a complete one.
Jesus had no sins, and fulfilled the whole law. But for us, sinful
people, the way of life through the law is shut up for always and
ever. Only he, who is found in Christ, shares in His righteousness.
His way to life lies in Christ. Through faith in Him, one is in
Christ, and is counted righteous in Him. That is our way to life.
Believing in Christ, Who kept the whole law, without blemish.
If our way to life, and our way to escape the curse of the law,
lies in Christ through faith, then the question arises: How can one
get this faith? The answer to the question, how to get the faith, is
easy. Scripture says that faith is given by the Father to whom it
pleases Him. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8) Through grace, one
escapes the curse of the law. Cursed is he that confirms not the words
of the law to do them. But blessed is he that has escaped the curse,
through faith in Jesus Christ. He will be restored in the favour of
the Father, through Christ the Mediator.
Who is in Christ, is saved from the curse of the law. Let then
the law try to rage against us. If we are in Christ, then the law
rages against Christ, and not against us. We, being in Him, are
protected against that tempest. Who remains in Christ will be safe,
but who forsakes Him, will soon experience the curse of the law, and
perish. Only in Jesus you are safe; nowhere else. We have so severely
sinned, and greatly transgressed, that it is nowhere safe for us,
except in Christ. Everywhere, death and curse threaten us, except in
Christ. He will protect them, who are given Him by the Father.
2. 2 Samuel 7 - The prophecy of Nathan, part 3/3
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Outline of the chapter:
1-2 David has settled down, and wishes to build a house for the
LORD.
3 The prophet Nathan praises this.
4-7 But God immediately forbids David's plans, through Nathan.
8-17 God repeats the great benefits which He has bestowed on David in
the past, and gives a promise of a still greater future. His son
Solomon will build the house of the LORD, and the Messiah would
arise from his seed.
18-22David is very surprised at this, he rejoiced in it, and he
heartily thanks the Lord.
Continuation of last week's part.
18 Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he
said, Who [am] I, O Lord GOD? and what [is] my house, that thou
hast brought me hitherto?
After David had received the promises of his eternal kingdom, and of
his seed, sitting on the throne for always, and of the Messiah, who
would spring from him, he went in the house of the LORD. These
promises were too great for him, then that he could speak. He could
but say: "Who am I, O Lord God?" He means, that he is nothing, so, why
has God given those great promises to a worthless man? David had not
merited such benefits. "Who am I, and what is my house, that Thou hast
brought me hitherto?" Both I and my house are nothing. It has pleased
Thou, O God, to do us well. It is only grace.
19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but
thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to
come. And [is] this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?
"And this was yet a small thing in Thy sight, O God. Thou have brought
me and my house hitherto. But that is not all, for Thou have also
spoken of my house for a great while to come. Thou have not only
protected me until now; Thou have not only given me the kingdom; but
Thou have also spoken of the far future."
"And this the manner of man, O Lord God". Literally, "and this
the law (torah) of man". What does this, "the law of man", mean? There
are three possibilities. The first one is, "this is [according to] the
law of man". Then God would be speaking of David's future, like the
people are wont to speak of the future through their last will and
testament. Another explanation is, "this is a teaching of man". This
means, that God, though He was majestic, spoke with David in a
friendly manner. He spoke through Nathan with David in a manner as is
common among men. The third explanation is the one found in our
translation. "Is this a manner of man?" That means, is this the way to
deal with man? No, this is not the common way wherein God speaks with
man. Commonly, God does not reveal His will to man. But here He does.
He spoke of the far future, and that was very uncommon.
20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord GOD,
knowest thy servant.
David is so overwhelmed by God's great deeds and words, that he is
unable to speak out what is in his heart. But though he is unable to
put into words what he wishes to say, God knows His servant. God knows
what is in the heart of David, and that is enough.
21 For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast
thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know
[them].
God has promised all these great things, concerning the eternal
kingdom and the Messiah. Why? For David's sake? Was David such a good
king, who merited all these things? No, the answer is, that God has
done all these great things for His Word's sake, and according to His
own heart. He has done these great things for His Word's sake. That
is, according to former promises, God has renewed them. It pleased
God, not for any human merit, but because He loved to do so, to do all
these great things. But when God intends to do something in the
future, and He does not tell it to the people, His plan is still hid
for us. We cannot rejoice in the promise then, for we still don't know
it. But now, He has told His will to David. That is why the king says,
that God has done all, "to make Thy servant know them".
22 Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for [there is] none
like thee, neither [is there any] God beside thee, according to
all that we have heard with our ears.
Lord, Thou are great, for Thou have brought David and his house
hitherto, though that house had no meritorious value in itself. Lord,
Thou are great, for it was but a small thing in Thy sight to bring
David and his house hitherto; Thou have also spoken of the king's
house for a great while to come. Thou are great, Lord, for it has
pleased Thou to come down from heaven, and speak all these things in a
friendly way to me. Thou are great, o God, for my heart is not hid
from Thee, and Thou knows all what is in it. It also has pleased Thee
to do all these great things, to confirm the former promises.
Wherefore Thou are great, O Lord God: "for there is none like thee,
neither is there any God beside Thee, according to all that we have
heard with our ears." We have heard with our ears all the great
wonders God has done, and all His greatness. None of the idols of the
heathens did so. There is no other god beside Thee, O God.
23 And what one nation in the earth [is] like thy people, [even]
like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and
to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible,
for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee
from Egypt, [from] the nations and their gods?
God went to redeem Israel, to make them a nation for Himself. Israel
has then to keep in mind, that they not are of themselves, but of God.
They cannot decide what is good, and what they will do. The decision
is not theirs. God will do, for He is the God, Who has redeemed them
from Egypt, to make them a people for Himself. With no other nation
God dealt the same.
24 For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel [to be] a
people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.
God has 1confirmed Israel to Himself, to be a people for Him forever.
And the LORD became their God. Let the people then love their God, Who
so merciful dealt with them. He redeemed them from Egypt. He led them
through the desert. He gave them a good land. He gave them the hope on
Him. Let the people then obey God, and love Him.
25 And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning
thy servant, and concerning his house, establish [it] for ever,
and do as thou hast said. 26 And let thy name be magnified for
ever, saying, The LORD of hosts [is] the God over Israel: and let
the house of thy servant David be established before thee.
"And now, O LORD God, Thou have spoken such a good word concerning me,
Thy servant David, and Thou also have spoken such a good word
concerning the house of David; and now, establish it forever. The
things Thou have promised, O God, carry them out as Thou have said to
me." David not only asks for the establishment of God's words
concerning his house, but he also asks that God's Name may be
magnified forever. Let we then learn, that we live to the honour of
God. That is the goal of our life. Lord, may Thy Name be magnified,
everywhere on this earth. David also asks if his house might be
established "before God". That means, that he wished that also his
seed might live before God. He hopes that also they will belong to
God's people. For, he knows that this God is the true God, and that
all the rest are hand-made.
27 For thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy
servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore hath thy
servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto thee.
We see that David found this prayer in his heart. Why? Who laid the
prayer therein? It was because the Lord of hosts has revealed His
goodness to David. As Paul wrote "that the goodness of God leadeth
thee to repentance", (Romans 2:4) so also here we see that the
goodness of God lead David to prayer. "God, Thou have revealed Thy
pleasure to me, therefore I have found this prayer in my heart".
28 And now, O Lord GOD, thou [art] that God, and thy words be
true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant:
David totally depends on God. Since it is God, Who has promised this
goodness unto him, David is sure, since God will remain the same, that
His words will be fulfilled in their own time.
29 Therefore now let it please thee to bless the house of thy
servant, that it may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O
Lord GOD, hast spoken [it]: and with thy blessing let the house
of thy servant be blessed for ever.
Let the house of David be blessed forever before God. Let it subsist
for ever and ever. For the LORD has said it, and that means, that it
is true. The house of David, and his kingdom, still subsist. It has
existed from David's time until now. The question may arise, where it
is now. For, soon after David's death, the kingdom began to crumble
off. It became smaller and smaller. Where was the promised glory?
Would not David's kingdom subsist for ever and always? Yes, for God
had promised it. But, where is David's kingdom now? We don't see it in
its original form. The answer on the question, where David's kingdom
is, is easy. The Messiah is David's seed, and the new King. His
kingdom endures forever. Jesus' kingdom is present. All who submit
themselves to Him, belong to His kingdom. The kingdom of heaven, as
the name already intimates, is not of this earth. It is a kingdom of
heaven. That is the continuation of David's kingdom, and it exists for
ever and ever, like God had promised it.
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Teus Benschop -- t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
Listowner of chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl
"A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel"
Institute Practical Bible-education
Web: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/ipbe-home.html
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