Q-In what sense has God been hiding his power, as expressed in Hab. 3:4?
Answer-God is opposed to sin in every form, and should he exercise his power, instead of hiding it, then every sin would meet with its penalty in this life. Instead, God is permitting some so disposed to reproach and evilly treat those who are disposed for righteousness, and thus the hearts of men are made manifest. The Psalmist (Psa. 74) asks how long this condition will continue, and why God does not pluck out his hand (power) from his bosom (hidden condition). When God's power is manifested, during the reign of Christ, then the people must be obedient, but with some this will be feigned (Psa. 66:3, margin); hence at the end of the thousand years Satan will be loosed again, to demonstrate who are at heart loyal to the Lord (see also Psa. 110:3).
Q -Please explain Luke 16:9: "And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."
Answer-This is part of our Lord's application of the parable of the unjust steward. Having heard that his stewardship was to be taken from him, he used the opportunity which he still had to secure for himself the friendship of his master's debtors. The mammon of unrighteousness is any wealth or valuable possession the follower of Jesus may have. These he can either use to his advantage or his disadvantage. By disposing of them unwisely they may easily be a hindrance, whereas by using them wisely they may help to secure his everlasting welfare. We are not to make the mammon our friend; we are to make it a means of gaining friends- "make to yourselves friends with the mammon. " Our Lord exhorts us to use it so as to gain the
friendship of our heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (see Luke 11:41 and 12:33). The Vatican MS has "when it fails," meaning, when these early possessions are taken from us. Then we will be called upon to give an account of our stewardship, and God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom we have made our friends, will give us an abundant entrance into the everlasting habitation.
Q -When was the prophecy in Gen. 15:13-16 fulfilled? And is the rendering of Exo. 12:40, as given by the RV, "Leeser" and "Young" correct?
Answer-The periods of 400 and 430 years have given rise to a great deal of controversy, and yet when viewed from the Bible standpoint they are both correct and harmonious. The Bible shows a period of 215 years between the Abrahamic covenant and Jacob's entrance into Egypt. It is evident, therefore, that Israel's actual residence in Egypt was 215 years (215 + 215) -430. The revisers have purposely rendered Exo. 12:40 to describe Israel as being in Egypt 430 years, and by so doing they have fallen into two astonishing errors, viz., if Israel were in Egypt 430 years, then (1) Moses must have been born when his mother was 253 years old; and (2) his birth must have taken place eighty years after his father's death! The affliction of the wed 400 years is another matter, and like the sojourning did not all take place in Egypt. The Apostle Paul points out that this affliction began when Israel "mocked" or ill treated Isaac, at the time of the feast, when Isaac was weaned (Gal. 4:28 -30; Gen. 21:8 -12). This topic should be of great interest to every Scripture student, and a careful research will without doubt make the matter clear.
Q -Please explain 1 Tim. 2:14 as to why the woman was the greater transgressor, "she being deceived and Adam eating knowing the penalty." [HGL692] Answer-Evidently you have mis-read the Apostle's statement. He merely says that Eve was in the transgression with Adam who was not deceived, hence he must have transgressed with a fuller realization of the sin, and with the penalty in view, knowing certainly that he must die. We can readily see what was the temptation which impelled him thus recklessly to incur the pronounced penalty. Bearing in mind that they were perfect beings, in the mental and moral likeness of their Maker, the god-like element of love was displayed with marked prominence by the perfect man toward his beloved companion, the perfect woman. Realizing the sin and fearing Eve's death, and thus his loss (and that without hope of recovery, for no such hope had been given), Adam, in despair, recklessly concluded not to live without her. Deeming his own life unhappy and worthless without her companionship, he willfully shared her act of disobedience in order to share the death-penalty which he probably supposed rested on her. Both were "in the transgression," as the Apostle shows (Rom. 5:14; 1 Tim. 2:14). But Adam and Eve were one and not "twain;" hence Eve shared the sentence which her conduct helped to bring upon Adam (Rom. 5:12, 17 -19).
Q -Please explain what is meant by the statement that job was perfect and upright (Job 1:1). It is generally understood that the Lord Jesus Christ was the only perfect man.
Answer-We should not understand this passage to convey the thought that job's perfection was absolute. "There is none righteous, no not one." Rotherham's translation gives "blameless" instead of "perfect," and this appears to describe correctly job's character. His imperfections were not serious in their nature but rather involuntary, and due to inherited weakness as a member of the fallen race. His heart was perfect towards God, as was abundantly proved by his patience, and entire conduct under the most severe trials a man could be subjected to. Our Lord's perfection, on the other hand, was absolute. He was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners, not being a member of the fallen human race. With the Christian nothing short of perfection of heart will be satisfactory, hence our Lord's exhortation, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Perfection of flesh is not the goal for which we strive, but a spirit perfection, "as he is perfect."
Q -Please explain as thoroughly as your space will permit Isa. 4:1 "In that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will cat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach."
Answer Throughout the Scriptures a woman is a symbol of the church-a corrupt woman of a false church. Thus our Lord represented the condition of the Church at the time of his second coming, by two classes of virgins-wise and foolish. The number seven is well recognized as being throughout the Scriptures a symbol of completeness. We assume that it here signifies all of the Churches who have proved disloyal to the Lord. Many believe that we have now
come to the time when the seven women, feeling the reproach of their illegal union with the world, are, with one heart and voice, calling out to the man, representing our Lord, the heavenly bridegroom, desirous of having their reproach taken from them by the receiving of his name. They desire to be called Christians, caring nothing for the doctrines of Christ nor having any faith in the redemption through his blood. They trust rather in their own righteousness which the Revelator declares is as filthy rags, and eat the food of their own preparation instead of accepting with gratitude the nourishment furnished at his table. They say, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel, only let us be called by thy name" (Rev. 22:11; Isa. 28:8; Luke 12:37).
Q -What is the holy Sabbath day, mentioned (Exo. 20:10) as coming on Saturday, the 7th day? Who changed the Sabbath and by what right? Christ kept the Sabbath day and his disciples, did they not? Are the Jews the only class of people who keep the holy Sabbath of God? If not, mention a class. Is not Sunday a man made Sabbath?
Answer-The law of the Sabbath as given to the Jews instructed the observance of the seventh day, the seventh month and the seventh year. There were also additional Sabbaths which came on different days of the week and years other than the seventh, for instance, Pentecost and the Jubilees. The Sabbath of Exo. 20:10 is the seventh day. God has never changed his law regarding the Sabbath nor given it to anybody except the Jews. Christ and his disciples were Jews and therefore kept the Sabbath. We would have to become judges of men's hearts if we were to decide who are keeping the Sabbath today, for the Sabbath of this dispensation is not one of outward observance, but a peace, a rest of heart which extends throughout the Christian's life time (Heb. 4:3. Read Heb. 4:1 -11). The Apostle Paul indicates that it is a very dangerous position to be observing days (Gal. 4:10). He feared lest he had bestowed his labor in vain on the Galatian friends who had returned to the observing of Sabbaths. Of course the Apostle would not object to holiness on any day, but he would remind the Galatians of the freedom wherewith they had been made free from the bondage of the Law (Gal. 5:1) and encouraged them to stand fast in this liberty, trusting not in their own righteousness which they might obtain through the keeping of the Law, but in the righteousness of Christ. This they could only obtain through the keeping of his commandment, and his commandment was "Love one another as I have loved you" (John 13:34; Eph. 5:2). 'Mere has been considerable speculation as to who established the observance of the first day of the week. While it is true that in Emperor Constantine's time the observance of Sunday was established by law, it is also true that the day was observed very early in the Churches' history. It was on the first day of the week that our Lord arose from the dead (Mark 16:2), and several of his appearances were on this day (Luke 24:22; John 20:19). It was probably for this reason that the disciples later met on that day for the breaking of bread (note Acts 20:8 and 1 Cor. 16:2).