HELP FOR HOME LIFE - 4JacobAs we reflect on the story of Jacob and his family, there is much instruction, encouragement and hope for every God-fearing parent today, no matter how dark and perplexing one's outlook may be. Not only is family life being demeaned and threatened increasingly in society around us, but too often we can be aware, like Jacob, that the consequences of earlier failures have caused us to be found in circumstances that are not God's ideal for us nor for our families. But behind the intensely human face of Jacob's story we can clearly trace the loving, guiding hand of the faithful God of Jacob-faithful to the promise He made at Bethel when Jacob first left home. "Behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again to this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done to thee that which I have spoken to thee of" Gen.28:15. In the dawning days of Divine revelation God associated His Name with three of the patriarchs, saying in Ex.3:6 to Moses. "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob". In the fuller light of New Testament revelation, we know that our God exists in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (see Matt.28:19, where we have one Name but three Persons). If Father Abraham helps us to understand the heart of our heavenly Father as He gave His only Son for us at the Cross, and Isaac, the son on the altar, helps us to understand the heart of the Son of God who laid down His life for us, then the life of Jacob helps us to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, working out the gracious purposes of God. We now have that great gift, as the Lord Jesus promised. "(The Father) shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth". John 1 4:16,1 7. As we follow the life of Jacob then, we see God at work, guiding, instructing, convicting, encouraging and maturing, often working through circumstances, so that lessons were learned in the hard, and sometimes bitter school of experience. Underlying Jacob's outlook on life from his early days, was a deep desire for the blessing of God, but his faith in God was feeble at first, and it was often coupled with his own ingenuity and subtlety. Even at Bethel, where God first appeared to him, his response was in the form of a bargain, as he made His vow in Gen.28:20-22. After he had served his uncle faithfully at Padanaram for seven years, Laban's deception over Rachel, in substituting the older for the younger daughter, would be a bitter reminder of how he had deceived his own father over the birthright. it also proves to us the truth of the scripture, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap". Gal.6:7. The seven years that followed were surely years of domestic turmoil as Jacob lived with Rachel and Leah. The Lord saw Leah's unenviable predicament and He gave her conception, so that she bore a number of sons, but Rachel was childless. In the intense rivalry that followed, they each gave their maid to Jacob to have sons by her. As the sons were born, their names were chosen by Leah and Rachel as if each would mark in this way, her personal advance in this strange contest. Yet in spite of all this, when they did call on God in prayer, He heard them both, see chapter 30:17,22. Who would have thought that some day, the names of those boys would be written on the gates of the Holy City (Rev.21:12). All this time, Jacob was suffering under Laban's harsh and deceptive dealings, and when at length they agreed over the cattle for his wages, Jacob tried to exploit this arrangement for his own benefit with the rods in the troughs (ch.30:35-43). However, he learned the true cause of his increase later. God had seen Laban's oppression, and influenced the behaviour of the flocks so that Jacob's were multiplied (ch.31:12). While there is much in the story that we dare not condone let us be encouraged. Mothers in the home, fathers in their responsibilities, when pressures mount and all seems confused and hopeless, remember, "The God of Jacob is our refuge" and He is interested in the welfare of our families. On the return journey, there was the dreaded meeting with Esau and his four hundred men to be faced as they came near the homeland. in his distress and fear Jacob wrestled alone all night with God, saying, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me". The Lord asked, "what is thy name?" thus probing the old deception of his father, when he had sought a blessing from him years before. When he confessed his true name Jacob, he was given the new and noble name, Israel, and the hollow of his thigh was touched and the sinew shrank, so that from thence forth he limped. Such an experience with God will always have an indelible effect on the family, and so it was with Jacob's. Down through their generations they would not eat of the sinew that shrank, because they remembered the place where the hand of God touched their father. Not only so, he taught the family that since they now bore the new name of Israel with him, the moral standards of the people around them were not compatible with such a high honour, see ch.34:7. The meeting with Esau proved to be a happy one, and with those fears behind him, Jacob moved on to Shechem, where he bought a piece of ground and settled down. Shameful things happened in the family while he was there, things that deeply distressed him, and this is a warning to us of the dangers to which the family is exposed when the father leaves, the pathway of obedience. God spoke to him again and urged him on to Bethel, the house of God. Jacob, increasing in his knowledge of God, said to his household, "Put away !all the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments, and let us go up to the house of God". When they arrived at Bethel Jacob built an altar to the Lord, and God graciously confirmed the promises again to him. But life still held many sorrows for Jacob. First, in the bereavement of his beloved Rachel, then because of bitter envy among his sons, her son Joseph, so dear to him, was taken from him. There he was, deceived by his sons with the blood of a goat and his grief was inconsolable. As well as this, Reuben his firstborn shamefully disgraced himself. But God was at work. Joseph, sold into Egypt, was fitted for the highest place of rule through deep testing and trial. Judah, who had callously proposed that they sell Joseph, was convicted and humbled by his own failure, became spokesman for his brethren on the glad day of reconciliation, and became worthy of their praise. The famine, so sore in the land, drew the brothers again and again to Egypt into the presence of Joseph, unbeknown to them,. At last, searched and brought to repentance by the wise and gracious dealing of Joseph, they all were reconciled. For Jacob, there was the overwhelming joy of seeing Joseph again, and living the rest of his days under his care. In Hebrews 11 we see this grand old saint, near the journey's end, serene in his faith in God, keen in spiritual discernment, blessing Joseph's sons contrary to the dictates of nature, and worshipping, leaning on the top of his staff. As we review the testings and sorrows and joys of Jacob in his personal and family life, and the sovereign, gracious hand of God behind it all, then we think of the demands of family life today, truly we can say with the Psalmist, "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help". - R.M. Goatley THE LORD'S SUPPER Cont.
Commemoration. "This do". The Lord's supper looks back to the night of its institution and to the event with which it is closely associated-the sacrifice of the cross. We remember that event. In national commemorative occasions, such as Anzac Day, or, more distantly, Trafalgar Day, their significance and impact diminish over time. This is not so with the Lord's supper, for the Person who instituted it is not dead, but lives. Not only so, but He is present in the midst of His people. It is not then just that an event is commemorated, wonderful as that is, but it is the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself who fills our minds and hearts. He said "Remember Me". He is the Person we remember; His eternal Godhead. His virgin birth, His sinless life, His mighty acts, His incomparable words, His atoning death, His glorious resurrection and ascension and His coming again. We remember Him in the loveliness of His Person and the grace of His stoop to the Cross. Proclamation. "ye do proclaim". "Proclaim"-AV "show" is sometimes incorrectly interpreted as a "showing forth". The showing or proclaiming is not a symbolic re-enactment, but a declaration. it is a proclamation to the world of men, of the Lord's death. In partaking of the supper we declare and own Him to be our Lord-the all-sovereign One, the Lord of history, the Lord of human destiny, the Lord of life and the Lord of glory. He is Lord of all. We own the high dignity of His Person, and the majesty and honour that are His, and it is the Lord's death that we announce. We declare that He died vicariously, redemptively and atoningly. He died to put away sin. We declare that His death is the foundation of our acceptance before God, and the basis of all our hope. In a world where He is still rejected, we own our allegiance to Him, we declare that He is Lord, and that His death is the only and sufficient basis of salvation. Anticipation. "till He come". At the Lord's supper we not only look back to the cross, but we look forward to the Lord's coming. At the supper the Lord said, "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom" (Matt.26:29). The Lord was going out to the cross to partake of the cup which His father would give Him, but the day would come when He would enter into His joy. He will see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied. The cross leads to the throne and the crown, and the suffering to the glory. The time will come when in the great "supper room" of heaven, the Lord's supper will give way to the marriage supper of the Lamb. It will be "the day of His espousals and the gladness of His heart". Examination. "let a man examine himself". As we think of the Lord's supper and our association with Him, we recognise the need for conformity of life with what is proclaimed in the supper. Chapter 10 of First Corinthians indicates that our associations in daily life should be consistent with what we profess. Chapter 11 indicates that our behaviour at the supper should reflect a conscious realization of the purpose for which we have come together. There should not be unresolved differences between one another, nor distractions that would mar our contemplation on, and remembrance of our Lord. Conclusion. "wherefore brethren" In our participation in the Lord's supper therefore, let us ever keep before our hearts - The Person we remember our Lord Jesus Christ in all His dignity and loveliness. The fact that we announce-the Lord's death in its atoning value. The event for which we wait-His coming again. - A.G. McEwan CLOSING CHAPTERS2 Timothy 4When Paul wrote 2 Timothy, he was lying in a Roman prison, old and cold, and believing his days on earth were numbered. Someone once likened him to a man waving back from the scaffold signaling his unshaken confidence in all that he had lived for and urging his friends to remain faithful to the end. Of all Paul's friends none was more constant, more loyal and more valued than Timothy. This was despite their many points of difference. Paul was "a Hebrew of the Hebrews", but Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and a Gentile father. Moreover, Timothy belonged to a younger generation than Paul, and was actually his son in the faith. We read of Timothy's "often infirmities", whereas Paul must have had a remarkably strong constitution to survive his many privations and persecutions. Most of all, Paul was a man of outstanding courage and resolution, while Timothy was apparently timid by nature. It was not without cause that Paul once wrote to the Corinthians, "If Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear". We might well wonder if he was the right man to cope with conditions at Ephesus. But Paul recognised Timothy as a godly gifted man, with a genuine call to the work of the Lord. It was concerning Timothy that he had once written to the Philippians, saying, "I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state". Paul's great concern was to ensure that Timothy used his God-given gifts to the full in the work of the ministry. This was specially so as he contemplated his own approaching end and foresaw how "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse" (3:13). According to this epistle, three factors had contributed to the molding of Timothy as a servant of the Lord: the influence of his godly mother and grandmother (3:15); the exemplary life of Paul (3:10); and the effect of the Scriptures in his own life (3:15). It is pre-eminently the word of God which equips a man for the work of God, and it was that word which "throughly furnished" Timothy for the challenge of the next chapter. Chapter 4 consists of three parts: vv. 1-5, mainly concerning Timothy; vv. 6-9, mainly concerning Paul; and vv. 10-22, mainly concerning others. TIMOTHY. The very wording of Paul's charge to Timothy here suggests great solemnity. It was given as before God Himself and the Lord Jesus Christ in His role as the ultimate judge of all mankind (cf. John 5:22). That truth, and all truth, had to be preached with great urgency-"in season and out of season"covering every variety of need with faithfulness and patience. Timothy was also warned to expect great difficulty in his work, because people were going to turn from fact to fiction and reject divine truth in favour of the speculations of men. Thus he had a great responsibility to watch and work, to rise to his full potential in service to God and men, no matter how much suffering that might entail. PAUL. Paul's appeal to Timothy was followed by a touching reference to his own position at the time. in a few short sentences he summarized his present, his past and his future. As for the present, he believed the end was near, and viewed his life-blood as a libation soon to be poured out before God, death being but a welcome release from the woes of earth. As for the past, he had no regrets. Whether his life as a Christian be considered as a contest, or a race, or a stewardship, he could review it all with a clear conscience before God. As for the future, he looked forward to receiving from "the righteous judge" a victor's crown, a "crown of righteousness", which would fully offset all the injustices he had suffered on earth. And similar honours lay ahead for all who had lived their lives for God. For the present, however, Paul was a lonely man and begged Timothy to join him in Rome with all speed. OTHERS. Paul's mind then turned to others (v.10). First he spoke of some who had left him, two apparently in the service of the Lord. But this was not so with Demas; he had departed because he "loved this present world"-in contrast to those in v.8 who loved Christ and longed for His return. Paul also referred to one still with him, Luke "the beloved physician", an old and trusted friend, who had so lovingly ministered to Paul's recurring needs. Then he asked Timothy to bring with him a former co-worker, even Mark, who had been a most useful man, despite a disappointing lapse at one stage in his career. But Mark had proved himself in many other ways, and Paul was happy to commend him as "profitable to me for the ministry" (v.11). At the same time he told Timothy to bring some sundry items, which indicated that he wished to live as normal and useful life as possible till the end (v. 13). Then he warned Timothy about Alexander the coppersmith, a man who had harmed him by opposing his words (perhaps at his trial), and so great was his opposition that Paul simply left him for God to deal with. After that he spoke, no doubt sadly of those who had deserted him when he was tried. In their case, however, Paul prayed that the Lord would not lay it to their charge (vv. 14-16). Why the difference, we may ask, in his reaction to them and to Alexander? His was a case of sheer wickedness; theirs, of weakness and fear-like the disciples at Christ's trial before Pilate. In contrast, the apostle testified how the Lord had stood by him and actually turned the trial into a triumph, giving him a fresh opportunity to preach the Gospel to others. He had every confidence, therefore, that the Lord would be with him till the end (vv. 1 7,18); but he did want Timothy too, to cheer his closing days (v.21). Among those mentioned in the remaining verses we find Trophimus, who had been unable to travel with Paul on account of sickness. From this we gather, that as the Pentecostal age was ending and the NT writings were already taking shape, apostolic miracles were not continuing in the same way as before. Paul was not demanding a miracle to save himself from death, nor to restore Trophimus to health. But he believed the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (vv. 22) would never fail the people of God and would suffice for their every need, whether in sickness or health, whether in life or death. W.P.W. McVey THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH
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