<BrethrenVoice> <SUNDAY-GLEANINGS> <18 August 2002> Contents: --------- (1) <Devotional> "Treasury of David - Psalm 84:2"- C.H.Spurgeon (2) <Bible-Study> "Exposition of the Levitical offerings" (Pt-2)-C.E.Wigg (3) <Doctrinal> "Instrumental music in Christian worship..." (Pt-1)- C.H.Brown (4) <Bible-Study> "The way into the Holiest - Hebrews" (Pt-1)-F.B. Meyer (5) <Bible-Study> "Synopsis to the Book of Daniel" Chs 10&11 - J.N.Darby (6) <Biography> "Harold G. Mackay" (7) <Hymn> "When I survey the Wondrous Cross" - Issac Watt (1) <DEVOTIONAL> TREASURY OF DAVID - PSALM 84:2 C. H. Spurgeon Exposition ---------- Ver. 2. My soul longeth, it pines, and faints to meet with the saints in the Lord's house. The desire was deep and insatiable— the very soul of the man was yearning for his God. Yea, even fainteth; as though it could not long hold out, but was exhausted with delay. He had a holy lovesickness upon him, and was wasted with an inward consumption because he was debarred the worship of the Lord in the appointed place. For the courts of the Lord. To stand once again in those areas which were dedicated to holy adoration was the soul longing of the psalmist. True subjects love the courts of their king. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God. It was God himself that he pined for, the only living and true God. His whole nature entered into his longing. Even the clay cold flesh grew warm through the intense action of his fervent spirit. Seldom, indeed, does the flesh incline in the right direction, but in the matter of Sabbath services our weary body sometimes comes to the assistance of our longing heart, for it desires the physical rest as much as the soul desires the spiritual repose. The psalmist declared that he could not remain silent in his desires, but began to cry out for God and his house; he wept, he sighed, he pleaded for the privilege. Some need to be whipped to church, while here is David crying for it. He needed no clatter of bells from the belfry to ring him in, he carried his bell in his own bosom: holy appetite is a better call to worship than a full chime. Explanatory notes and quaint sayings ------------------------------------- Ver. 1-2. See Psalms on "Ps 84:1" for further information. Ver. 2. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, etc. Every amiableness is not so great to make a longing, nor every longing so great to make a fainting; nor every fainting so great to make the soul to faint; Oh, then, consider how great this amiableness is, which makes my soul not only to long, but to faint with longing! And blame me not for fainting, as though it were my own fault for not restraining my longing; for seeing his Tabernacles are of infinite amiableness, they must need work in me an infinite delighting, and that delighting an infinite longing; and what restraint can there be of that which is infinite? No, alas, my fainting is but answerable to my longing, and my longing but answerable to the amiableness. If I had the offer made me, which was made to Christ, to enjoy all the kingdoms of the earth, but with condition to want the Courts of the Lord; this want would bring to my soul a greater grief than that enjoying would give it contentment: for seeing his Tabernacles are so amiable, where He is Lord of Hosts, how amiable must they needs be, where he is Prince of Peace? and Prince of Peace he is in his Courts, though in his camp he be Lord of Hosts. (Sir Richard Baker) Ver. 2. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth. The word hlk (fainteth) signifies to be consumed with longing, as the Latin says, "deperire aliquem amore" (he is dying of love), that is, he so vehemently loves, and is enflamed with so great a desire to obtain the loved object, that he wastes and pines away unless his wish is gratified. Therefore, an ardent longing is meant, which so torments and burns the mind, that flesh and marrow waste away, so long as it is not permitted to enjoy the thing desired. (Mollerus) Ver. 2. soul...heart...flesh. Marking the whole man, with every faculty and affection. The verbs are also very expressive. The first longeth, means literally, "hath grown pale, "as with the intensity of the feeling; the second, fainteth, is more exactly "faileth, "or "is consumed." Job 19:27. (J. J. Stewart Perowne) Ver. 2. Crieth. The word that is here rendered crieth, is from (Heb.), that signifies to shout, shrill, or cry out, as soldiers do at the beginning of a battle, when they cry out, Fall on, fall on, fall on, or when they cry out after a victory, Victory, victory, victory! The Hebrew word notes a strong cry, or to cry as a child cries when it is sadly hungry, for now very whit of the child cries, hands cry, and face cries, and feet cry. (Thomas Brooks) Ver. 2. Living God. Ps 42:2, My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, is the only other place in the Psalms where God is so named. This particular form of expression, El Chay, occurs but twice beside in the Bible, Jos 3:10 Ho 1:10. (J. J. Stewart Perowne) _______________________________________________________________________ (2) <BIBLE-STUDY> THE BREAD OF GOD - AN EXPOSITION OF SOME OF THE LEVITICAL OFFERINGS (PART-2) Charles E. Wigg .... Secondly, we see the importance of what God says. This shows us that if our worship is to be acceptable to God, what we offer to Him must be according to His Word. Over the centuries, men have tried to formalize the worship of God's people. This has been done because believers have never been encouraged to use their God-given talents, or to exercise their priesthood, all being done by the priest, minister or pastor. Thus Collects, Orders of service, Prayer books, Liturgies, and many such things have been produced, in order to keep the public worship of the people in some kind of ritual, avoiding confusion, but all is contrary to the Word of God. It is clear that the children of Israel had been offering sacrifices to God before the giving of these instructions in the book of Leviticus. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all offered sacrifices, and Moses repeatedly told Pharaoh that the purpose of Israel's leaving Egypt, was to offer sacrifice to Jehovah. However, latterly it seems that their method of offering sacrifice was not pleasing to God, even though their desires may have been right. It would seem that during their hundreds of years of sojourn in Egypt, they had been somewhat affected by the idolatrous practices of the Egyptians, as the sacrifice to the golden calf in Exodus 32 would prove. Up until this time they did not have any written instruction as to the manner of offering that was acceptable to God, so God gave the instructions that we are to examine, to teach them what was acceptable to himself. True worship comes from the heart of the believer, it is a response of love, and it is comforting to know that God knows what is in our hearts, and what we really desire to offer to him. But as well as affection, God desires intelligence in our worship, that what we offer to him should be according to his word, that we should worship him, "In spirit and in truth", (John 4;24.) In that chapter the woman of Samaria, though a sinner, and living a life of sin, yet called herself a worshipper, and was prepared to argue with the Son of God as to the place and manner of worship. Gently the Lord Jesus revealed to her the fact that all she was doing, even her worship was offensive to God, that her worship was in ignorance, "Ye worship you know not what", the Lord Jesus told her, but she did become a true worshipper, and later learned that worship was not related to a place , nor was it the repetition of a ritual, and she learned to worship the true God from her heart, in "spirit and in truth". This all shows that God not only wants our motives and desires in worship to be right, but also our method of worship to be according to his word. The instructions given in the book of Leviticus were to guide and regulate the response of the people in worship and sacrifice thereafter. God's ways and principles do not change, and we would do well to learn from this, that our worship if it is to be acceptable to him, must be according to his word, and be "in spirit and in truth". There is a common notion amongst believers who are not properly taught in the scriptures, that worship must be exciting and entertaining to men, that we must "feel comfortable with it". Because of this there is a tendency to regard thoughts that are deep and rich, and not easily understood, to be too heavy, to be dull and boring. Because of this men have introduced into worship, things that are light, entertaining, and exciting. Whether such things are according to scripture, or pleasing to God, does not seem to matter any more. People sing again and again in "vain repetition", things that are quite unscriptural, and which often don't make sense, but do so because it "feels good" , and "has meaning for them". However, in spite of the foregoing, it must be said, that true worship that comes from the heart, when sincerely offered to God, springs from the deepest emotions of the redeemed heart. Because of this when such worship is offered in the power of the Holy Spirit, and by his leading, it does bring a deep spiritual joy to the heart of the offerer. When such worship is offered audibly, it will also move the hearts of other true believers who are listening, and may lead them to offer worship also. But this does not alter the fact that when one offers audible worship and praise to God, one is not thinking of their own satisfaction or enjoyment, nor the entertainment of those who are present. The worshipper is not seeking to impress them, because true worship is to God, and for God alone, whether it be to God in the absolute sense, (that is to Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the tri-une Godhead, or to the person of the Father, or of the Son distinctly or separately. There is no example in Holy Scripture of worship or prayer being offered to the person of the Holy Spirit as distinct from the Father or the Son. These instructions, (in Leviticus,) were given to the covenant people of God, before Christ came, to teach them what was acceptable to him, and from the time of their giving were to regulate their worship, and the offering of sacrifice. Likewise for our worship to be acceptable to God, and to be glorifying to him, it needs to be offered according to the word of God. Thus when we discern spiritually how the Old Testament offerings speak of Christ, we get spiritual guidance in the principles of worship in our day, the day of grace. [To be continued...] _______________________________________________________________________ (3) <DOCTRINAL> INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP AND TESTIMONY (PART-1) C. H. Brown Foreword --------- During the half century that the author of the following paper has been among brethren gathered to the Lord's name alone, on the ground of His promised presence in the midst of the two or three (Matt. 18:20), he has witnessed repeated attempts to introduce instrumental music as an adjunct to gospel testimony. So far this effort has been confined to "Sunday school" work, mission work, young people's meetings, gospel meetings, weddings and funerals. Inasmuch as this tendency is present among us, we deem it timely to re-examine the whole matter of the scriptural relationship, if any, between instruments of music and Bible Christianity. We shall seek grace to do this, not in a spirit of controversy, but rather through a sober and thoughtful searching of the Word for the mind of the Lord in the matter. God's Word is ever the last court of appeal in all that has to do with order in His house. May we then approach the question with teachable hearts, and seek only His mind as He has been pleased to reveal it to us. "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20. The New Testament Pattern -------------------------- All of us are prone to fall in with the popular concept that, "Whatever is, is right." As children born into this scene, we find ourselves surrounded with a church already functioning according to accepted patterns of thought and method. It is quite natural to us as we develop in our mental and spiritual capacities, to accommodate ourselves to what we find about us, on the supposition that it possesses Biblical sanction. The author, as a child, attended a so-called "church," where the organ was used at every service. The propriety of all this was taken for granted. As he later enlarged his sphere of associations he found the piano, the organ, and even the orchestra, occupying a place of more or less prominence in all the different religious groups he contacted. Nor did it ever occur to him to question their presence. He accepted all as having always been a part of church worship and testimony. We venture to say that such an attitude is quite typical among Christians today. Soon after his conversion at the age of about seventeen years, the author was invited to attend a little meeting of believers gathered in simplicity to the name of the Lord Jesus. All seemed to him so different from anything he had ever seen. There was no organ, nor musical instrument of any kind, nor was there any sign of a choir. The singing was congregational, with no visible director. All this impressed him as most peculiar, nor did he feel at all attracted by the strange simplicity of it all. He had not at that time reached the place in his spiritual growth where he had any disposition to seek out the reason for all this, if reason there were. Now it is just at this point that the inquiry proposed by the chapter assumes definite form. Let me state it as clearly as possible in this bold query: From the beginning of the history of the Church of God on earth, down through the Apostles' time, and on into the early centuries, and thereafter, did instrumental music form any part of church worship or gospel testimony? In answer to this question, the following facts are adduced. Let us remind ourselves, to start with, that the proper "Christian" or Church dispensation did not begin until the day of Pentecost. When our Saviour was on earth He told Peter in Matt. 16:18, "Upon this rock I will build My church": Not, "I am building My church," nor, "I have built My church," but "I will build": it was a thing still future. The only other mention of the Church in any of the four Gospels is in Matt. 18:17: "Tell it unto the Church." But an attentive examination of verses 15 to 20 will show us that our Lord is here contemplating the days to come after His departure from earth. This is clearly seen if we weigh verse 20: "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." This was anticipating the time subsequent to His ascension to heaven, when He would grant His unseen, though real, presence in the midst of the two or three gathered together unto His name. The actuality of the Church as a present functioning body upon earth takes its beginning from the day of Pentecost as described in Acts 2. This is definitely substantiated by the word in 1 Corinthians 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." The first time the word "church" (properly "assembly," from the Greek word "ekklesia") is used in the Acts to designate this new body, is in chapter 5:11. "And great fear came upon all the church." So we are quite sure of our ground if we conclude that we must confine our investigation of apostolic practice in the Church, to those portions of the New Testament which are subsequent to the four Gospels. With this in mind we will proceed with our subject. The first thing that strikes us as we examine the book of the Acts is the silence as to anything resembling present day use of musical instruments in the Church. In fact, the only mention of singing in the whole of the Acts is on the occasion of the imprisonment of Paul and Silas at Philippi. "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God." Acts 16: 25. We feel confident no one would think of musical instruments in that dark and inner dungeon. [To be continued....] _______________________________________________________________________ (4) <BIBLE-STUDY> THEY WAY INTO THE HOLIEST - EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS (CH 1) F.B. Meyer THE WORD OF GOD ----------------- "GOD-who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." HEBREW 5 i.1,2. GOD." What word could more fittingly stand at the head of the first line of the first paragraph in this noble epistle! Each structure must rest on him as foundation; each tree must spring from him as root; each design and enterprise must originate in him as source. "IN THE BEGINNING-GOD," is a worthy motto to inscribe at the commencement of every treatise, be it the ponderous volume or the ephemeral tract. And with that name we commence our attempt to gather up some of the glowing lessons which were first addressed to the persecuted and wavering Hebrews in the primitive age, but have ever been most highly prized by believing Gentiles throughout the universal Church. The feast was originally spread for the children of the race of Abraham; but who shall challenge our right to the crumbs? In our endeavor to gather them, be thou, 0 God, Alpha and Omega, First and Last. In the original Greek, the word "God" is preceded by two other words, which describe the variety and multitudinousness of his revelation to man. And the whole verse is full of interest as detailing the origin and authority of the Word of God, and as illustrating the great law which appears in so many parts of the works of God, and has been fitly called the law of VARIETY IN UNITY. That law operates in Nature. The earliest book of God. No thoughtful man can look around him without being arrested by the infinite variety that meets him on every side. "All flesh is not the same flesh; . . . there are celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one; and the glory of the terrestrial is another. . . . One star differeth from another star in glory." You cannot match two faces in a crowd; two leaves in a forest; or two flowers in the woodlands of spring. It would seem as if the molds in which natural products are being shaped are broken up and cast aside as soon as one result has been attained. And it is this which affords such an infinite field for investigation and enjoyment, forbidding all fear of monotony or weariness of soul. And yet, amid all natural variety, there is a marvellous unity. Every part of the universe interlocks by subtle and delicate links with every other part. You cannot disturb the balance anywhere without sending a shock of disturbance through the whole system. Just as in some majestic Gothic minister the same idea repeats itself in bolder or slighter forms, so do the same great thoughts recur in tree and flower, in molecule and planet, in diatom and man. And all this because, if you penetrate to Nature's heart, you meet God. "Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things." "There are diversities of operations; but it is the same God which worketh all in all." The unity that pervades Nature's temple is the result of its having originated from one mind, and having been effected by one hand, the mind and hand of God. That law also operates throughout the Scriptures. There is as great variety there as in Nature. They were written in different ages. some in the days of "the fathers"; others at "the end of these days" for us. In the opening chapters, under the guidance of the Spirit of God, Moses has embodied fragments of hallowed tradition, which passed from lip to lip in the tents of the patriarchs; and its later chapters were written when the holy city, Jerusalem, had already been smitten to the ground by the mailed hand of Titus. They were written in different countries: these in the deserts of Arabia; those under the shadow of the pyramids; and others amid the tides of life that swept through the greatest cities of Greece and Rome. You can detect in some the simple pastoral life of Palestine; in others the magnificence of Nebuchadnezzar's empire. In one there is the murmur of the blue Aegean; and in several the clank of the fetter in the Roman prison-cell. They were written by men belonging to various ranks, occupations, and methods of thought.. shepherds and fishermen, warriors and kings; the psalmist, the prophet, and the priest; some employing the stately religious Hebrew, others the Chaldaic patois, others the polished Greek-every variety of style, from the friendly letter, or sententious proverb, to the national history, or the carefully prepared treatise, in which thought and expression glow as in the fires--but all contributing their quota to the symmetry and beauty of the whole. And yet, throughout the Bible, there is an indubitable unity. What else could have led mankind to look upon these sixty-six tractlets as being so unmistakably related to each other that they must be bound up together under a common cover? There has been something so unique in these books that they have always stood and fallen together. To disintegrate one has been to loose them all. Belief in one has led to belief in all. Their hands are linked and locked so tightly that where one goes all must follow. And though wise and clever men have tried their best, they have never been able to produce a single treatise containing that indefinable quality which gives these their mysterious oneness; and to lack which is fatal to the claims of any book to be included with them, or to demand the special veneration and homage of mankind. The world is full of religious books; but the man who has fed his religious life upon the Bible will tell in a moment the difference between them and the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. The eye can instantly detect the absence of life in the artificial flower; the tongue can immediately and certainly detect the absence or presence of a certain flavour submitted to the taste; and the heart of man, his moral sense, is quick to detect the absence in all other religious books of a certain savour which pervades the Bible, from Genesis, the book of beginnings, to the Apocalyptic announcements of the quick coming of the King. And in the possession of this mysterious attribute, the Old and new Testaments are one. You cannot say there is more of it in the glowing paragraphs of the Apostle Paul than in the splendid prophecies and appeals of the great evangelic prophet, Isaiah. It is certainly in the Gospels; but it is not less in the story of the Exodus. Throughout, there is silence on topics which merely gratify curiosity, but on which other professed revelations have been copiously full. Throughout, there is no attempt to give instruction on science or nature; but to bend all energy in discussing the claims of God on men. Throughout, the crimson cord of sacrifice is clearly manifest, on which the books are strung together as beads upon a thread. And throughout, there is ever the subtle, mysterious, ineffable quality called Inspiration: a term which is explained by the majestic words of this opening verse, "God, having spoken of old to the fathers, hath at the end of these days spoken to us." Scripture is the speech of God to man. It is this which gives it its unity. "The Lord, the mighty God, hath spoken, and called the earth." The amanuenses may differ; but the inspiring mind is the same. The instruments may vary; but in every case the same theme is being played by the same master-hand. We should read the Bible as those who listen to the very speech of God. Well may it be called "the Word of God." But the Scripture is God's speech in man. The heavenly treasure is in vessels of earth. "He spake unto the fathers in the prophets. . . He hath spoken unto us in his Son." It is very remarkable to study the life of Jesus, and to listen to his constant statements as to the source of his marvellous words. So utterly had he emptied himself, that he originated nothing from himself; but lived by the Father, in the same way as we are to live by him. He distinctly declared that the words he spake, he spake not of himself; but that words and works alike were the outcome of the Father, who dwelt within. Through those lips of clay the eternal God was speaking. Well might he also be called "the Word of God"! And here the words of the prophets in the Old Testament are levelled up to the plane of the words of Jesus in the New. Without staying to make the least distinction, our writer tell us, beneath the teaching of the Spirit, that he who spake in the one spake also in the others. Let us then think with equal reverence of the Old Testament as of the New. It was our Saviour's Bible. It was the food which Jesus loved, and lived upon. He was content to fast from all other food, if only he might have this. It was his one supreme appeal in conflict with the devil, and in the clinching of his arguments and exhortations with men. And here we discover the reason. The voice of God spake in the prophets, whose very name likens them to the up-rush of the geyser from its hidden source. As God spake in men, it is clear that he left them to express his thoughts in the language, and after the method, most familiar to them. They will speak of Nature just as they have been accustomed to find her. They will use the mode of speech whether poem or prose which is most habitual to their cast of thought. They will make allusions to the events transpiring around them, so as to be easily understood by their fellows. But, whilst thus left to express God's thoughts in their own way, yet most certainly the divine Spirit must have carefully superintended their utterances, so that their words should accurately convey his messages to men. In many parts of the Bible there is absolute dictation, word for word. In others, there is divine superintendence guarding from error, and guiding in the selection and arrangement of materials: as when Daniel quotes from historic records; and Moses embodies the sacred stories which his mother had taught him beside the flowing Nile. In all, there is the full inspiration of the Spirit of God, by whom all Scripture has been given. Holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, . . . searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify" (2 Tim. iii. i6 ; 2 Pet. i. 20, 21 ; 1 Pet. i. ii). We need not deny that other men have been illuminated; but the difference between illumination and inspiration is as far as the east is from the west. Nor do we say that God has not spoken in other men, or in these men at other times; but we do say that only in the Bible has God given the supreme revelation of his will, and the authoritative rule of our faith and practice. The heart of man bears witness to this. We know that there is a tone in these words which is heard in no other voice. The upper chords of this instrument give it a timbre which none other can rival. The revelation in the Old Testament was given in fragments (or portions). This is the meaning of the word rendered in the Old Version sundry times, and in the Revised divers portions. It refers, not to the successive ages over which it was spread, but to the numerous "portions" into which it was broken up. No one prophet could speak out all the truth. Each was entrusted with one or two syllables in the mighty sentences of God's speech. At the best the view caught of God, and given to men through the prophets, though true, was partial and limited. But in Jesus there is nothing of this piecemeal revelation. "In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." He hath revealed the Father. Whosoever hath seen him hath seen God; and to hear his words is to get the full-orbed revelation of the Infinite. The earlier revelation was in many forms. The earthquake, the fire, the tempest, and the still small voice-each had its ministry. Symbol and parable, vision and metaphor, type and historic foreshadowing, all in turn served the divine end; like the ray which is broken into many prismatic hues. But in Jesus there is the steady shining of the pure ray of his glory, one uniform and invariable method of revelation. Oh the matchless and glorious Book, the Word of God to men-to us; revealing not only God, but ourselves; explaining moods for which we had no cipher; touching us as no other book can, and in moments when all voices beside wax faint and still; telling facts which we have not been able to discover, but which we instantly recognize as truth; the bread of the soul; the key of life; disclosing more depths as we climb higher in Christian experience: we have tested thee too long to doubt that thou art what Jesus said thou wast, the indispensable and precious gift of God. [To be continued...] _______________________________________________________________________ (5) <BIBLE-STUDY> SYNOPSIS TO THE BOOK OF DANIEL CHS. 10 & 11 John Nelson Darby .... In chapter 10 we return to the East. (-17-) Chapters 10, 11 and 12 form but one prophecy; only chapter 11 closes the history of the Gentiles, and chapter 12, as we remarked at the beginning, is occupied with the condition of the remnant during the last period of the Gentile power, and with their deliverance (concluding thus the revelation of God's mind with respect to the remnant who are preserved in the midst of the Gentiles). (-17-)It may be remarked that in both cases the revelation given to Daniel, as to his people, is in reply to his exercises of heart in intercession or fasting; the revelations in chapters 7, 8 as to the western or eastern destroying powers are not. They are given when God pleases. These were in the time of Belshazzar; the two former, after Babylon was taken The Jews were then really in a new position till Christ was rejected, and then the great forsaking came, when time does not count till they are in their own land, and God begins to deal with them again. Then, after the display of their unbelief in receiving the power of evil and in idolatry the last grand tribulation comes, and then judgment in the Person of the Lord from heaven. Daniel, ever intent on the welfare of his people, made supplication (v. 2, 3, 12) to God, with a renewed and a persevering desire to understand His dealings. After three weeks of fasting and prayer an angel is sent to him, revealing the opposition of the enemies of God's glory to the accomplishment of His purposes of favour to His people, and to the communication of these purposes for their encouragement. But if faith is exercised, God is faithful; and the perseverance of Daniel puts him morally in a condition to appreciate the communications of God, being a proof of his fitness to receive them. The angel informs him that the vision has reference to the Jews, and that it belongs to the latter days (chap. 10:14). The strength which is given him enables him to receive the communication. The kings of Persia, under whose reign he received the vision, are enumerated; and the attack on Greece by one amongst them is announced. This gives rise to an attack on Persia by Greece; and the Greek empire is established; but it is afterwards divided into four parts. Two of these four monarchies shall be more powerful than the others. They are also territorially in relation with the Jews. It is on the territory of the latter that their wars are carried on. The history of the kings of these two monarchies, thus in conflict on the territory of Israel, is given with considerable detail under the names of king of the north and king of the south. I do not enter into these details. The history is carried on until the intervention of the Romans, the ships from the coast of Chittim,(-18-) and the attack upon the Jews, and the temple, and the holy covenant. The king of the north allies himself with the apostate Jews; he pollutes the sanctuary, and sets up an idol; he takes away the daily sacrifice; he leads the wicked into apostasy (this is the force of the expression in verse 32). But they who know God shall be strong, and shall act with energy. They who understand, being taught of God, shall instruct the many. Thus far is the succession of the first kings, and the history of the Maccabees, and of Antiochus Epiphanes. (-18-) The intervention of these in favour of the young king of Egypt, whom Antiochus Epiphanes had conquered, led to his going back and raging against the Jews, profaning the temple, and forbidding Jewish worship. The result, on to the end, is then given in general terms-the last part of the preceding history being a type of what shall happen in the last days. The people again fall for a time under the hands of their enemies. They shall be helped a little: some shall cleave to them with flatteries. A few even of those who understand, who might have been expected to be preserved providentially by God, will also fall by violence, to try the faith of all, and purge them, until the time of the end. For this state of things is to continue until the period appointed by God. It is the condition of the Jews, especially in those days, that is, of the Seleucidae and Lagida, kings of north and south, and in general, until the last days. Some observations on the details may here be of use to the reader. In chapters 9: 27, 11: 33, 12: 3, the word translated "many" has the article in Hebrew, and signifies the mass of the people, which makes the force of these verses much more simple. The reader will also remark, in contrast with the masses (chap. 11: 33), "the Maschilim," a word found in the titles of many of the Psalms. They that understand, they that are taught of God, shall instruct the many: there will be the activity of love for the truth in these times of trial. In chapter 12: 3, we have again those that understand associated with those that instruct the many in righteousness. Compare chap. 11: 33. They become victims, in verse 35, to violence. This last verse reaches, as we have seen, to the end of this people's history, while under the dominion of the Gentiles. But more positive details are given with respect to the end. The king(-19-) is introduced-the wicked one who will exercise power in Judea at the end of the age; and will prosper until the indignation comes to an end-a period of which we have already spoken. It is a king who acts in the land of Judea; one of an impious character, and who follows his own unbridled will, exalting himself above all, forsaking the religion of his fathers, regarding neither Christ nor any God, blaspheming the God of heaven, and establishing idolatry; but in a way of his own; "he shall cause them to rule over the many, and shall divide the land for a reward." It is rather difficult to say who these are that he will cause to rule-I apprehend his followers; but the general character of this self-willed, impious, and idolatrous king who magnifies himself above all, is sufficiently plain. We find, as the chapter goes on, that the king of the south pushes at him, and the king of the north comes against him like a whirlwind, overflows and passes over and enters into the land of delight, Judea. But Edom, Moab, and Ammon escape his power, being reserved (Isaiah 11: 14) to be subdued by Israel itself. But he stretches out his hand over the countries and pillages them. Egypt does not escape, and they who dwell in Africa are at his feet. But, disturbed by tidings from the east and north, he sets up his tabernacles between Jerusalem(-20-) and the sea, and comes to his end, with none to help him. The end of the king is not given here. It is the end of the king of the north, the subject here being the nations and the land of Israel, and that which shall happen to the people of Daniel in the last days. In the land there will be the wicked and impious king, who shall be attacked by the king of the south. The king of the north then pillages all the countries round, with the exception of three, and he perishes in the land of Israel. (-19-)Compare Isaiah 30: 33 (reading "for the king also") and 57: 9. He has the tide of "the king" in the eyes of the Jews-a title which of right belongs only to Jesus, the true Messiah and King of Israel. (-20-)This is the regular meaning of the Hebrew. [To be continued...] _______________________________________________________________________ (6) <BIOGRAPHY> HAROLD G. MACKAY* Harold G. Mackay was born on May 7, 1907 in Galt, Ontario Canada. Coming from Scottish ancestry, Harold's grandparents emigrated from Scotland to Canada in the nineteenth century, settling in southern Ontario. Harold was the second child, being preceded by one older sister of seven years. Harold's salvation came on May 24, 1926 at the age of nineteen. The place was the Galt Gospel Hall in Galt, Ontario, Canada. From this same assembly he was later commended to full time service. The next step was a visit to North Carolina. He was accompanied by the man who led him to Christ, a kindly man named William Gillespie Sr., a wise and successful soul winner. The year was 1928, and the journey was to Asheville in the North Carolina mountains. Through the winter months there was a definite moving of the Spirit of God. Several preachers from the assemblies were already laboring there. Harold and William took up residence in a house, with two of them. A wooden sided tent, complete with coal stove, was secured and preaching got underway in an area known as Canton. God graciously honored the preaching of His Word. Souls were saved and the work continued through the winter months. Returning to Ontario in the spring, Harold ministered in assembly halls and tent meetings, accompanied this time by William Gillespie Jr. The labors there for the Lord continued for the next two years. Next was pioneering work in West Virginia, then back to Galt Ontario where Harold met Gertrude Marjory Eckert, known as "Gertie." They met at a Bible Conference in the nearby city of Hamilton. They were to see each other frequently, and Harold was invited to the Eckert home. Interest in each other soon led to affection and then true love. Harold continued preaching in West Virginia from a gospel tent in West Hamlin and Salt Rock. Soon he proposed marriage by way of a letter to Gertie on August 30,1931. On November 25'th. in a private ceremony attended by the two families and a few friends, they were united in marriage. The marriage took place in the home of Gertie's parents in Kitchener, Ontario. A little more than two years later, God gave a firstborn son. On March 30,1934 a nine pound son named John was born. Three years later, another son named Stanley followed. Another several years following, when by now living in Greensboro, a third son named Ronald George was given. The permanent move to North Carolina had come in 1939. Here was to follow a lifetime of service. This included the work at Forest Avenue Tabernacle and ministry in other areas. In the year 1943, radio work began from the station W.P.T.F. in Raleigh. The Lord continued to bless in ways mighty to behold. The later 1940's and early 1950's were busy with work in and around Greensboro. Another radio broadcast followed from there, being aired on station W.B.I.G. The Christian life is one of hills and valleys. In 1950, Gertie's mother went to be with the Lord, followed by her father two years later. Harold's mother was called home to heaven in 1953, and followed later by his father in 1963. In 1964 the Lord permitted Harold to be led into "the valley of the shadow of death," where he underwent brain surgery. Partial facial paralysis ensued and was thereafter a part of life for Harold. The paralysis hindered his ministry substantially at first, but by 1966 he was able to resume a full schedule of services. Soon, plans for a new assembly in Greensboro were proposed. The ground breaking ceremony took place on March 27, 1966. The Shannon Hills Chapel was underway. The first use of the new building was for a wedding on June 3, 1967. The assembly was purposefully built large. Because this was unusual, an article written by Harold was presented in the August 1967 issue of Interest magazine. Another high point came in1972. A much desired and long awaited trip to Israel was made. Oh what joy to see the Pool Of Bethesda, Mount Moriah, the Temple area, the Wailing Wall, the Jericho Road, Masada, the Sea of Galilee, seaport of Acre on the Mediterranean, Mount Carmel, Caesarae, Shechem and Jacob's Well. There was to be another trip also, this one in 1978 and celebrating fifty years of service for the Lord. So much more continued to center around Harold's ministries in North Carolina. Meetings were held, the gospel preached, and several trips were made to Park Of The Palms in Keystone Heights, Florida. Other Bible Conferences continued also, such as the well known Skyland Conferences. The minor facial paralysis continued to plague his ministry, and over the years general health gradually began to decline. Finally the decision was made for the Mackays to move to the Pittsboro Christian Village in nearby Pittsboro, North Carolina. The move came on March 2,1992. It was a comfort to have available this beautiful home with twenty-four hour nursing care and an adjoining chapel. It was only a forty-five minute drive from their former location in Greensboro. Their room was airy and attractive, already decorated with family pictures and scripture text plaques they had chosen to take. Harold G.Mackay's homecall to Glory came on a sunny Sunday morning in April 1993. A Presence unseen by others, approached a frail form in a hospital bed and whispered "Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." At the long awaited beckoning, Harold G. Mackay arose eagerly from that form and ascended with rising worship into the presence of his Savior. The funeral was conducted on April 21,1993 at the Shannon Hills Chapel, and the body lain to rest in a quiet corner of a cemetery near the Mackay home of forty years. Books by H.G. Mackay include "Assembly Distinctives" "The Story of Your Bible" "The Study of Your Bible" --- Courtesy: "Voices of Christ" _______________________________________________________________________ (7) <HYMN> "WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS" Isaac Watts ["But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Gal 6:14 "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." Phil 3:7-8a] ---------------------------------- When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most-- I sacrifice them to His blood. See, from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down; Did e'er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown? Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small: Love so amazing, so Divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all. ____________________________<BrethrenVoice>____________________________ [which seeks to be guided solely by the New Testament Biblical pattern, facilitates free flow of Christian information. To God be the glory!] Contact Moderator/Gleaner, eMail: <brethrenvoice-owner@...> Subscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-subscribe@...> Unsubscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...> FAQs & Statement of Faith, eMail:<brethrenvoice-faq@...> "BrethrenVoice" Home: http://associate.com/digests/brethrenvoice/ eFellowship Home: http://groups.msn.com/BrethrenChristiansForum/ ["Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith." 2 Cor 13:5] ["You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Jn 8:32] _______________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com