THE GIRL WITH NO EARS?

(NOTE: THe little girl in the picture above is NOT the little girl without ears I once knew so many years ago. She just represents her).

“They have ears, but they cannot hear” 

(Psalm 115:6, NASB).

Many years ago, when I was a young boy of around 8 or 9 years old, I was admitted into the hospital for sick children in Ontario, to undergo a serious operation on my kidneys. I remember being self-conscious around other children my age in regards to my missing thumb on my left hand. I remember one day while playing in the children’s toy room, which was rather large from what I can remember. There I frequently talked with and played with other sick children. Then one day, a couple of little girls I haven't seen before, roughly around my age, came into the play room. Feeling a little self-conscious, I hid my left hand in my pant pocket. I was feeling a little depressed that day as I thought about my missing thumb and the fights I would get into with other kids who would mock me, and remind me of my missing body part, which usually would erupt into a fight. Anyway, a girl who was a couple years older than me noticed I was sad. She was familiar with me coming to the play room each day. She new the arguments and fights that sometimes would happen over the fact I had no left thumb. So after enquiring about why I was sad, she introduced me to a beautiful dark haired girl who had come in with the other girls I hadn't seen before. The older girl told me my missing thumb was only a minor disability. She then said "try getting through life deaf and having no ears." Then she drew my attention to the pretty little girl with us, and said she was deaf and had a birth defect where she had no ears.  Funny how people who are deaf, or have no ears like this little girl can hear the needs of others far better than those of us who have ears and can hear. How true are the words of the psalmist, “They have ears, but they cannot hear” (Psalm 115:6, NASB). Often we can be just like these dumb idols.

FEELING DISSATISFIED, BE SATISFIED IN CHRIST!

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV).

There are times when I am alone with my thoughts that I experience a sense of dissatisfaction with the things of this present life. For example, my birthday should be a time of celebration for God’s goodness to me over the past year. Yet, I find myself experiencing the hollow dissatisfaction of spending my Birthday alone. Then there is Christmas time and all its commercialism that kills the true meaning of the holiday season. I enjoy each year spending Christmas home with my family, still that sense of being bored or dissatisfied is still with me. It’s like such times have lost their meaning, their freshness and life. Not only that, but it seems I have more of a keen awareness of being dissatisfied with a lot of things in my life. Despite how I feel, I am determined to find my delight in the Lord and Him alone. For true lasting satisfaction can only come from Him. For the Christian, Christmas is much more than jolly feelings during this festive time, it’s about remembering and celebrating the birth of Christ and why He came into the world. Satisfaction is not found in the passing things of this present life, but rather true satisfaction can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist writes: “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:9, ESV). See also “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:10, ESV); “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11, ESV); “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matt. 5:6, ESV). The term satisfied is expressed in each of these Bible verses mentioned in these key phrases, “satisfies, fills,”  “lack no good thing,” “No good thing does he withhold,” “satisfied.” 

Dissatisfaction or Contentment,

These fruits are quite the pair!

One is rotten, while the other is fresh,

Choose one if you dare!

Two fruits with one choice,

One is bitter, while the other is sweet!

One is awful to the taste,

While the other is a treat that can't be beat!

The fruit of discontentment eats away at your soul,

While you eat of its bitterness.

The fruit of satisfaction fills the emptiness inside,

While you eat of its sweetness,

In Christ you must abide!

Others May, You Cannot!

 by George Watson, 1845-1924

"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 16:24-25

If God has called you to be truly like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience, that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other believers do things which He will not let you do.

Others who seem to be very religious and useful, may push themselves up to be admired, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or in having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold—a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, while keeping you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit in you, which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but He will keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without others knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done. This to teach you the message of the Cross and humility.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.

If you absolutely give yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other Christian people say and do many things which you cannot.

However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, then you will have found the vestibule of Heaven, the high calling of God.

Genesis 6:1-4

By: Timothy Klaver

Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." There were tyrants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:1-4)

Where did the fabulous (something of fables) interpretation of angels co-mingling with women and producing extraordinary offspring come from? Is it another of the grand imaginations of Dispensationalism? Probably not, but they do seem to give the most impetus to it.

The first two verses are pretty straightforward. We may accept them as they stand. לקח אשׁה (to take a wife) is a standing expression through the entire Old Testament for the marriage relationship established by God at creation, and it is never applied to πορνεια or the simple act of physical connection. Any idea of polygamy is also excluded. It merely indicates discriminating selection of beautiful wives, choice from among those who were eligible. The statement of these two verses is sufficient enough in itself to exclude any references to angels. Christ Jesus stated clearly that angels cannot marry (Matt. 22:30; Mark 12:25; cf. Luke 20:34).

The main thing to clarify and get out of the way is the content of verse 3. Some Christians believe and teach that this verse is saying that the age of man will be capped at 120 years, that he will not age beyond that. Given the context of the chapter, this notion is ridiculous. It is correctly understood as God giving a respite of 120 years to those presently living on the Earth. God's sentence was made known to Noah in his 480th year, to be preached by him as "preacher of righeousness" (2 Pet. 2:5). "Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of water came upon the earth" (Gen. 7:6).

So, the first three verses are clear enough to us. There exist no problems with our understanding of these three verses. Where the confusion exists is regarding verse 4, quite frequently ripped from its immediate context and applied with fantastical (something of fantasies) interpretations. So this is where we will focus our examination.

There were tyrants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. (v. 4)

In the Septuagint, נפלים is rendered as γιγαντες, which is likely where our idea of "giants" is derived. However, how do we know that ancient English translations used "giants" in the manner our modern minds like to conjure up first? (Our modern minds have the same failure when it comes to the words "unicorn" and "dragon," too.)  The term "mighty men . . . of renown" may explain the word "giants," or it may explain the children born to the sons of God. "Mighty," gibbowr, means "powerful, mighty, strong; by implication: warrior, champion, valiant man, hero." "Renown," shem, means "a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication: honor, authority, character, fame, reputation, renown." There are three ways in which we can approach this verse:

1. Giants: Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language defines "giant" as: "n. 1. A man of extraordinary bulk and stature. 2. A person of extraordinary strength or powers, bodily or intellectual. The judge is a giant in his profession." If "mighty men . . . of renown" explains the word "giants," then the second definition seems appropriate, further describing the character and reputation of these men.
    
2. Tyrants: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defines the Hebrew word nephilim as "fellers: a bully or tyrant." It comes from the Hebrew word naphal, "to fall, to cast down, to fell, to slay, to smite." (See Joshua 11:7.) If "mighty men . . . of renown" explains the children born to the sons of God, it likely points to outstanding good men. They were possibly champions of impeccable character and reputation who stood against the tyrants that were in the Earth in those days. Keil & Delitzsch, in their Commentary on the Old Testament, write: "'The same were mighty men:' this might point back to the Nephilim; but it is a more natural supposition, that it refers to the children born to the sons of God. 'These,' i.e., the sons sprung from those marriages, 'are the heroes, those renowned heroes of old.'"
    
3. Tyrants: The term "mighty men . . . of renown" may explain the word "tyrants," further describing the character and reputation of these men. Martin Luther called them "tyrants," commenting, "Nephilim non dictos a magnitudine corporum, sicut Rabbini putant, sed a tyrannide et oppressione quod vi grassati sint, nulla habita ratione legum aut honestatis, sed simpliciter indulgentes suis voluptatibus et cupiditatibus." That is, "The Nephilim are not named from the size of their bodies, as the Rabbis say, but from tyranny and oppression by violent force, without consideration for laws or honour, but simply indulging in their pleasures and desires." Matthew Poole, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, writes: "Giants; men so called, partly from their high stature, but principally for their great strength and force, whereby they oppressed and tyrannized over others: for this is mentioned as another sin, and cause of the flood; and therefore they seem to be here noted, not for the height of their stature, which is no crime, but for their violence, which also is expressed beneath, ver 11, 13. ... men of renown, i.e. famous in their generations; when indeed they should have been infamous for the abuse of their stature and strength to tyranny and cruelty."

This verse states clearly that "The [nephilim] were on the Earth in those days, and also after that." So the imaginative notion that the nephilim were the miraculous result of these marriages is outrageous and far fetched. Matthew Poole comments, "After that time there arose a new generation or succession of that sort of men." The verse is likely saying, "In those days, there were tyrants on the Earth, and also after that when the Sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them." Quite possibly the children may have been influenced by the violent, oppressive, wicked men before them and thus rejected the virtue and religion of their ancestors.

There are two substantial problems with the two major views of this verse where "giants" is understood to mean individuals "of extraordinary bulk and stature."

1. The Fallen Angels View: Jesus made it clear that angels cannot marry (Matt. 22:30; Mark 12:25; cf. Luke 20:34). Enough said. If that is not sufficient, then answer these: Do angels, by nature, possess a material corporeality adequate to the contraction of a human marriage? Or, by rebellion against their Creator, can they acquire it? Are there some creatures in heaven and on earth which, through sinful degeneracy, or by sinking into an unnatural state, can become possessed of the power, which they have not by nature, of generating and propagating their species? Another point of consideration; if angels are the villains, then why is God's anger directed against humans?
2. The Sethite View: Scripture says, "Do not be bound together with unbelievers" (2 Cor. 6:14). A believer (the Sons of God) marrying an unbeliever (the daughters of men) will not result in offspring that is physiologically different from their parents. This is the kind of belief that gives rise to the heresy that children of inter-marriages or "unequally yoked" marriages are demonic, in contradiction to Scripture: "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy" (1 Cor. 7:14).

Given the context, what seems to be the more likely interpretation of verse 4? Clearly not the two views above if "men of extraordinary bulk and stature" is understood. Every other place that "giants" appears in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word רפא (rapha) is used. Nephilim only appears in two verses in the Old Testament: Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33. Concerning the passage in Numbers, a footnote in Keil & Delitzsch's Commentary on the Old Testament reads, "the term Nephilim cannot signify giants, since the spies not only mention them especially along with the inhabitants of the land, who are described as people of great statue, but single out only a portion of the Nephilim as 'sons of Anak'."

The union of the Sons of God and the daughters of men is not what provoked God. God's annoyance is not with their nuptial arrangement. The Bible tells believers not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14), but God does not condemn such marriages (1 Cor. 7:12-14). Children are considered holy if even one parent is a believer. Some people point out that God's displeasure comes chronologically before the Nephilim, and therefore He is provoked with their illicit nuptial unions. This concept has its problems as the Law regarding unequally yoked marriages had not yet been instituted. What provoked God was the violence and oppression impressed upon their fellow man by these tyrants. This is verified by the contents of verses 11 and 13: "Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. ... Then God said to Noah, 'The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.'" God was not destroying the Earth because of their marriage partners. He would have said as much to Noah otherwise.

Based on the information we have just looked at, here are two verses that help put things in perspective:

"These four were born to the giant (rapha, רפא) in Gath, and they fell (naphal, נפל—from where Nephilim, נפלים comes from) by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants" (2 Sam. 21:22).
"These were descended from the giants (rapha, רפא) in Gath, and they fell (naphal, נפל—from where Nephilim, נפלים comes from) by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants" (1 Chron. 20:8).

When you eliminate the illogical and nonsensical, whatever remains is likely closer to the truth than the fantastical and fabulous imaginations you had prior. Examine the context, interpret Scripture with Scripture, and consult the whole counsel of the Word of God. Be responsible students of God's Word, having great reverence and respect for it.

WHAT A KISS MEANS

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine" 

(Song of Solomon 1:2, ESV).

Notice here first that the bride says "let him kiss me." There is no mention of her initiating the kissing. She is the one being pursued, not her pursuing him. It would have been overbearing and unlady like for her to kiss him. "We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19, KJV). The truth is, it is God who pursues us. How can a sinner who hates God pursue Him? Second, we read in the text above about the Shulammite woman's desire for her lover's kisses. To her, his love is better than wine. The meaning here is simple. The young Shulammite bride is saying her groom's affectionate kisses are better than earthly pleasure. This truth is further brought out in verse 4: "We will rejoice in you and be glad; We will extol your love more than wine. Rightly do they love you." Here we see three actions the daughters of Jerusalem did. First, they "rejoiced" in the King's person; Second, they "extolled" [praised, exulted] the King's great love more than earthly pleasure; Third, they "rightly" love the King. They are commended for loving the King. His reputation won the respect, affection, and admiration of the Shulammite and the virgins. 

From verses 1 to 4 we are given the reasons why the Shulammite Bride and maidens love the King. 

1. The King's "love" is genuine, not FALSE. A love that brings security to the one loved.

2. The King's "oils" carry a bad smell, but a pleasing FRAGRANCE (see Song 4:10; John 12:3). There is nothing displeasing about his character. Is not Christ fragrant in His person? We read in John 12:3 that not only was the sinful woman’s worship costly, its fragrance was pleasing to the Lord Jesus as well. Yet, here we read in Song 4:10 of the fragrance of the king’s oils. His oils are also costly. So costly, that it cost God the Father to send His only beloved Son to die for our sins. The Father could say of the Son’s earthly life, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" (Matt. 17:5, NASB). Is He not worth worshipping?

3. The King's "name" is not soiled, but is like oil FILTERED (see Eccl. 7:1; Prov. 22:1). The King was known for his good reputation. Neither fine oils or riches can ever compare to a good name. A reputation not soiled by deceit or corruption.

LEARNING ABOUT MY GRACIOUS GOD

"So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” 

(Luke 15:20, NASB).  

I remember a number of years ago, when I went through a dark period in my walk with Christ, I fell into deep depression and rebellion. It was a period I would rather not recount. However, even when we are at our worse, the Lord is always at His best. Anyway, I had left the local Church I was a part of for awhile. During this dark time, I frequented some of the bars with some friends. During this period, God had shown glimpses of Himself to me. Reminders that He had not forgotten me and that I was still his child. I had once again drunk from the putrid waters of pleasure from a world I was redeemed from. I fed off the husks of the world, and experienced the emptiness and dissatisfaction, when my Father had the fatted calf, the signet ring, and robe in waiting.  Here I was, a child of the King wallowing in the pigpen of the world. Yet, the moment came, when I came to my senses. One night while returning home, I turned aside from the sidewalk I was on, and found a quiet dark corner in between a building. There I met with my heavenly Father, wept, and repented of my sin and rebellion. I had expected God to really come down on me hard with the discipline of His judgment, instead, I was met with the discipline of His Grace!  Like the father who lovingly welcomed back his rebellious son, so the Lord welcomed me back. I cannot change the past, but I sure can change the present with the Lord’s help, which in turn will change my future for the better for God’s glory! So what was the Lord teaching me through all this? He was purging me of the unbeliever’s version of God. A god created from the clay of the unbeliever’s vain imaginings and misconceptions of who God really is. Wherein I thought to be met with an angry and vengeful God for the wrong I did, I was met instead by a gracious and loving Father. Now that’s grace! Amazing GRACE!

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

-John Newton.

Beloved Lord, indeed, your grace astounds me! Yes, how slow we are to grasp the truth that You are not a tyrant ready to beat us over the head the moment we slip up and get out of line. You are much gracious than that! Even though we deserve Your judgment, You instead entreat us with Your kind grace. What an awesome God we serve! Amen!

THE ORIGINAL ROOT OF EVIL IN MAN

"Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful." 

(Romans 7:13, KJV).

Modern Christianity talks a lot about the fruit of evil almost to the exclusion of the root of evil. Sure, the Church may talk about Satan, the fall, sin, evil, etc. But it is mostly surface stuff, and like I said, most of the focus is on the fruit of evil as opposed to the root of evil. More focus needs to be put into a better understanding of the root of evil. For it is only when we gain a better understanding of the root of evil, will we begin to gain a greater understanding and awareness of how bad evil truly is. It is hard to meet and fight an enemy on the battlefield, if we are ignorant of his motives and strategy of warfare he wages against us. FIRST, God's law from His Word like an x-ray reveals to us our sinfulness.  "For through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." (Rom. 3:20, NASB). SECOND, another way of gaining a better understanding of our own sinfulness is to get into the presence of God. There we will experience His holiness, which in turn, the light of His holiness will expose the sin and evil in our own hearts. For he who is intouch with the evil in his own heart will be intouch with the evil in his neighbor's heart. Peter received a revelation of his own sinfulness, when he confessed: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8, ESV). In the Old Testament, Job also got a revelation of his own sinfulness before God and said: "therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:6, ESV). The Prophet Isaiah, when he saw the Lord of Glory, cried out: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isa. 6:5, ESV).

A lot of people balk at the idea of God judging sin so severely, they contend what the big deal is about sin and evil, and why does God's judgement on sin have to be so harsh? Especially when the subject of hell is brought up, which reveals their lack of understanding the evil nature of sin. Such people do not understand God's holiness, justice, and judgment. Until they understand the pernicious nature of sin, only then will such a person comprehend the evil nature of sin and the harm it does, and why God must judge those who are unrepentant of their sinfulness. Of course, the exceeding sinfulness of our sin cannot be understood, let alone comprehended until God reveals it to us. This indeed, is a kindness of God, since we are dead in our trespasses and sins (see Eph. 2:1). It is only when we are awakened to face the dreadfulness of our sin will we be ready to seek for a remedy for our sin problem. This is where Christ comes in and the value of His sacrifice on the Cross for our sin.

O Lord, give us a keen sense of our sinfulness, lest we boast in our self-righteousness; give us an awareness of Your holiness, lest we lose our reverence and awe of You; give us a sense of our own emptiness apart from You, lest we be full of our sinful selves, when we should be filled with Your holy presence. In Christ Jesus name we ask, Amen.