Scriptures and a few thoughts

A few scriptures that are working me over recently, and, I am thankful for the exercise!




O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.                    Psalm 43:3






 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.    Lev 1:4


The willing sinner, in a demonstration of faith, putting or leaning,  his hand on the animal's head from his flock(a male without blemish) and effectively transferring his sin and guilt to the animal that will shortly shed his blood in death. Doing all of this "before the Lord"! In light of that, Isaiah wrote "and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all".






It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.   Luke 1:3-4


Oh, did I instruct them the way I was suppose to instruct them? I don't know, I don't know.

a plain book designed for plain people

From the letters of John Newton

Oh, what a reminder for me personally.


All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 
 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:        John 16:13

 
A few minutes of the Spirit's teaching will furnish us with more real, useful and experimental knowledge--than toiling through whole folios of commentators and expositors! It will be our wisdom to deal less with the streams--and be more close in applying to the fountain-head. The Scripture itself, and the Spirit of God--are the best and the only sufficient expositors of Scripture. Whatever men have valuable in their writings--they got it from Scripture; and the Scripture is as open to us--as to any of them. There is nothing required but a teachable, humble spirit; and academic learning, as it is commonly called, is not necessary in order for this.

As a minister, I endeavor to avoid all panaceas, singularities, 'hidden truths' and 'new discoveries' in Scripture. I wish to advance nothing which I cannot maintain upon the authority of the Bible in our English language--which I deem sufficient to make us and our hearers wise unto salvation.

The New Testament is a plain book designed for plain people. The gospel is to be preached to the poor and simple, who are just as capable of receiving it as the educated--and in some sense more so. I therefore lay little stress upon any academic learning--which depends upon a knowledge of original Greek and Hebrew languages, or requires a larger degree of capacity and genius to be understood.

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 
  2 Timothy 3:15

September 18, 2010

I came across these two quotes by Augustine, one is a prayer, the other is a warning, both are excellent.

"O let your scriptures be my pure delight; let me not be deceived in them, neither let me deceive by them."

"They that despise God's will inviting them shall feel God's will taking vengeance of them."

The second quote reminded me of the cry of Wisdom in Proverbs 1:20-33;

Wisdom cries without; she utters her voice in the streets:  She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying,  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?  Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;  But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear comes;  When your fear comes as desolation, and your destruction comes as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish comes upon you.
 
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:  They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.  

For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkens unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

May the God of all grace bless your souls on this day, Saturday, September 18, 2010. May He be pleased to blow upon your garden that the spices thereof may flow out. (Song of Solomon 4:16)