Welcome to Bible Anatomy (1) … the kind of talk that’s ‘different’ for a mid-week meeting !
Here are
Beards & Bones & Eyes and Fingers …
more on Bible Anatomy (2) & (3)
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BIBLE BEARDS!
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Beards are mentioned about twenty times in Scripture. A look at some of these references … and the incidents connected with them … will reveal some interesting and helpful lessons.
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1. A LESSON IN CONDEMNATION
Isaiah 7:20 must rank as one
of the strangest texts in Scripture … at first glance, anway! What is the Lord doing shaving His beard??
In the same day shall the
Lord shave with a razor that is hired, namely, by them beyond the river, by the
king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the feet: and it shall also consume the beard.
The answer is that the
Israelites have sinned to such an extent that God is going to cut them down. It will be like a razor slicing through the
land. And the instrument He will use to
bring such destruction upon His people will be the King of Assyria and his
army. The following verses reveal that
a survivor will be lucky if he still has one cow and a couple of sheep
left. And the vineyards that once
brought in valuable revenue will be over-run by briars and thorns (Isaiah
7:21-23).
This prophecy came to pass
in 721 BC, when the Assyrians did attack Israel and carry them into
captivity.
After pleading with His
people through His prophets to forsake their sinful ways lest judgement fall
upon them, the stubborn Israelites eventually found that God’s warnings were
not to be ignored.
He is a Holy God.
2. A LESSON IN SALVATION
The same prophet, Isaiah,
who revels something of God’s wrath upon sin in chapters 1-39, also tells of
His mercy in chapters 40-66. Therein we
read of the coming Messiah … the One who would be announced by a fore-runner
(Isaiah 40:3-5; Matthew 3:3); the One
described as God’s Servant (Isaiah 42:1-4;
Matthew 12:18-21); the Man of
Sorrows who would bear our sins (Isaiah 53:3-6; Matthew 8:17). The whole
of this 53rd chapter is a remarkable prophecy of the Lord Jesus.
And in Isaiah 50:4-9 we hear
the Messiah speaking through Isaiah … His tongue (v. 4); His ears (vs. 4b-5); His back (v. 6); His face (vs. 6-7); and
“the hair upon His cheeks” (v. 6). To
pull out a Jew’s beard was an act of deep humiliation. II Samuel 10:4-5 tells of other Jews who
were ashamed to be seen until their beards grew again.
The verses in Isaiah 50 are
a reminder, therefore, of the terrible physical suffering our Saviour underwent
as a prelude to the cross. But … and it
must be admitted … down through history many have suffered similar torture at
the hands of cruel men. It is not our
Saviour’s physical suffering that is unique … but His spiritual
suffering. For on the cross He bore our
sins and the punishment we deserved.
Now, by faith in Him, we can know His salvation.
3. A LESSON IN SEPARATION
The strange text of
Leviticus 21:5 has caused some folk to think they must not trim their
beards. It is understood that way by
orthodox Jews.
Two things should be
said. Christians are no longer under
the Law of Moses. It has nothing to do
with believers today … Jew or Gentile (Romans 6:14).
And secondly, it was a Law
for the Jews in Old Testament days not to copy the practices of the Egyptian or
Canaanite priests. God’s people were
not to conform to the customs of the world around them (Romans 12:1-2).
4. A LESSON IN JUBILATION
Psalm 133:1-3 describes the
anointing of the High Priest. He was
drenched with oil! It ran over his head
and down onto his garments.
And when the Lord Jesus was
anointed as High Priest with “the oil of gladness” (Hebrews 1:9), we shared in
that anointing. The oil is an emblem of
the Holy Spirit and Joy is but one of the fruits He bestows upon us.
He is the Head, we are the
body, and as the holy oil not only covered the High Priest’s head but also his
body (like the dew that descends upon Mt Hermon flows down the mountain-side,
v. 3) so the Holy Spirit in all His fullness is able to “flow over” us and
bless us with Eternal Life. And that is
not just Life forever more in eternity, but a new quality of life – “Life more
abundant” – here and now!
The Scripture speaks of us …
Jesus and the believer … “as one” (Hebrews 2:11-12). And in His presence is “fullness of JOY”! (Psalm 16:11)
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BIBLE
BONES
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Introduction. In 1912 Charles Dawson displayed to the
British Museum a few old bones. Scientists
examined them and said they were “over
half a million years old.” For 40 years the Piltdown Man ( as this find
was popularly known) was seen in
Museums and text-books as proof of the ‘missing link’.
In 1956 the hoax was exposed. Piltdown
Man was the stained teeth and bone ( to make them look old ) of an orangutan. Today every book on the
subject of ‘hoaxes’ has a chapter dealing with this remarkable fraud
perpetrated on the scientific
community. ….. and the world, for that matter.
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+ Popular Sayings…..are
a-plenty concerning ‘bones’.
“Give a dog a bone.”…
“I’ve got a bone to pick with you !”….. “He made no bones about it .” …
and “He’s a boneless wonder.” ….. to
cite a few.
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+ Relics…. ( a) their origin may well have been full of
good intentions. Bones of martyred
Church leaders in those early centuries were often gathered by some of their
faithful congregation and given a
decent burial . Such sites were then of
hallowed memory.
(a) Extreme practices soon
set in. Skulls were collected and stored for all to see. There are monasteries
today that hold thousands of skulls … a
reminder to the monks that “it is appointed unto men once to die.” We are but mere mortals.
(b) The abuse
of these skulls and bones is fostered by the Roman Catholic Church who teach
that the bones of some saints have
“magical” powers. Pilgrimages to these
“sacred” bones are supposed to work miracles or result in less years in
Purgatory !
Altars in Roman
Catholic churches need the bone of a saint
enclosed within them before being
properly consecrated. All of which is foreign to the teaching of the New
Testament.
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(1)
THE
BONES OF JESUS.
(a) What
the Bishop said….. Bishop J.
Robinson ( But that I can’t believe
! p.13) and Malcolm Muggeridge ( Jesus, the Man who Lives
p. 184) both speak of the
‘bones of Jesus’ still being in Palestine.
As far as they are concerned ( as with many others…William Barclay
…Bishop Spong…) there was no bodily
resurrection of our Lord. Despite
Romans 10:9-10 !!
(b)
What the Bible says…
In John 19 the beloved disciple records how a prophecy was remarkably
fulfilled at the time of the crucifixion.
The Roman soldiers “brake the legs” of the two thieves but Jesus was
dead already. His bones were not broken. (John
19: 33) Our Passover Lamb, the
Lord Jesus, thus fulfilled the type …as it was on the night of the first
passover…the lamb was male, without blemish, sacrificed on the 14th
of the month Nisan…and “not a bone was to be broken !”( Exodus 12:46)
In the King James Version we have the
words used at the communion service, “This is my body broken for you.”( 1
Corinth. 11:24) Nearly every modern
translation omits the word “broken”. It
does not appear in the best manuscripts from which the New Testament has been translated…but which were not
available in the days of King James ! ( See NIV ; ARSV ; Moffat trans ; RV. ; RSV. Good News Bible; Goodspeed
trans; etc. etc. etc. !!)
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(2)
THE
BONES OF JUBILATION.
Ezekiel 37 tells of the prophet seeing a
“valley of dry bones” in his vision. He
preaches to them at the Lord’s bidding
and they come alive.
(a) The Prophetical ( or Preposterous !!) Theory. Many books today apply this to the Jewish
nation being reborn in our day. ( 1948 A.D. !) And they see it as a …or the…sign of the times !
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(b) But the Proper Fulfillment is surely that the Jews who have lost hope during their captivity in
Babylon ( “our bones are dried and our hope is lost” was their cry Ezek. 37:11) will one day come alive and return to Jerusalem. Babylon
was not to be Judah’s grave.
(Ezek. 37:12) The reference is not
to our day but to 536 B.C. when
their captivity would come to a close amid great rejoicing !
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(c) A Possible Interpretation is also to be seen in the New
Testament. The sinner is spiritually dead…”dry bones !” But the faithful preaching of God’s Word
coupled with the “wind “of God’s Spirit
can bring them to an experience of eternal life. ( John 5:24.) And that’s a real cause for Jubilation !!
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(3)
THE BONES OF JUDGEMENT !!
Jeremiah 8:1-2 speak of bones galore !!
And makes little sense to the average
reader of Scripture.
Mmmmmm?
(a) Learn a lesson in Hermeneutics ! One needs to understand the background of
such a passage of Scripture as this… for that matter, such a statement is a
good rule to observe for reading any
passage of Scripture ! Who wrote it ? When ? Where was he when he wrote it ? Is
it written in prose or poetry ? Are there any other Bible verses that allude to
this passage ? These are but some of
the questions a serious Bible student will ask. ) A study of Hermeneutics will
even reveal the chapter division is in the wrong place. Instead of Chapter 7
ending at verse 34... it should end at 8: 3 !
That’s what Hermeneutics is
all about !
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(b) Learn a lesson in History… It is about 620 B.C. when Jeremiah pens
these words. The nation of Judah have
forsaken God and turned to the worship of idols…. even setting such
abominations up in their Temple ! ( Jeremiah 7: 30) Child sacrifice is being performed by those who consider
themselves God’s people !! ( Jer. 7: 31)
(c) The
worship of the sun & moon & stars
is rampant in the nation. ( 8:2) So in the verses before us ( 8:1-2) the
prophet is telling of the coming judgement upon them when the Babylonians
attack in but a few years time. And he
predicts how the enemy will even desecrate their tombs as they search for
treasures oft times buried with the dead. ( 8:1)
(c) Learn a Lesson in
Holiness ! This
picture of doom and destruction is a reminder that “it is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the Living God!”( Hebrews 10:31) Too many people see Him as a God of Love.
And whilst that is true… we need to remind ourselves that it is but one side of
the picture. He is a Holy God whose very nature demands that sin be
punished.
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((4) THE BONES OF JOSEPH !
(a) An Old Testament Incident. As Joseph was dying …and he had been in
Egypt about 80 years at this time…he made the request that when the
Israelites returned to the Land of
Israel , they were to take his bones
with them ! ( Genesis 50:24). Sure
enough, about 200 years later…we read of his bones being carried by the Israelites through the
wilderness for forty years ( despite their disobedience in so many other
matters ). ( Exodus 13:19) We also read of the burial of those bones in the
days of Joshua. ( Joshua 24:32) So what ? Why this emphasis upon the
bones of Joseph ?
(b) A New Testament Illustration. The writer of Hebrews uses this incident
as an example of Joseph's faith. ( Hebrews 11:22)
There are many other incidents he could have
chosen. But Joseph said “WHEN…not IF…you return…” The eye of his faith looked
beyond the coming Egyptian bondage and
saw the glorious exodus when God would deliver His people and restore them to
the land promised to Abraham.
Like wise we see
beyond the trials and troubles of this life to a Promised Land and the House of Many Mansions or Saviour is
preparing for those who have placed their faith in Him.
There’s a Land that is fairer than day
And by faith we can see it afar…
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CONCLUSION. There are another 70 “bones” or so scattered throughout the pages
of the Bible. And you will find plenty of “meat” on them for your soul if you
take time to study. Meanwhile, chew
over the bones we have just dished up !!
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BIBLE EYES
(No. 1 : God’s
Eyes)
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In this study we meditate upon five references to “eyes” of God … as found in the Book of Psalms. And each reference brings before us a different emphasis.
1. THE LIVING GOD … He who created the eye of man
(Psalm 94:9).
He is not some blind idol such as the heathen worship. They have eyes that see not (Psalm 135:16). Worse than that is the fact that these gods are made in the image of man and man becomes “like unto them” (v. 18).
The gods of heathenism produce immoral and cruel lifestyles. Read the history of the ancient civilizations … and read Romans 1:22-23!
But the God revealed in Scripture is the God who created all things, and lives!
2. THE HOLY GOD … “The Lord is in His holy temple … His eyes behold … the children of men” (Psalm 11:4).
It was this Psalm, full of the majesty of God, that brought comfort to the Rev. John Welch during his 16-month imprisonment in Blackness Castle (in 1606). To know our God is Holy and to walk before Him with a clear conscience brings peace to the heart and mind. But it brings woe to the rebel.
3. THE GUIDING GOD … He who loves His people wants to guide them in the right paths (Psalm 32:8-9).
The very dimness of my sight
makes me secure…
For what I cannot, He can
see; and in His care I saved shall be,
Forever blest! (J. Parker)
4. THE PROTECTING GOD … “The eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him (Psalm 33:18-19).
His eye is on
the sparrow and I know He watches me.
Even if death eventuates (as it did for thousands of martyrs), His eye is upon those who trust Him.
The Old Testament speaks in terms of material deliverance. The New Testament speaks in terms of spiritual.
5. THE SOVEREIGN GOD … “He ruleth by His power for ever; His eyes behold the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves (Psalm 66:7).
He is not just the God of the Jews … or the God of the Christians … or the God of the British … or the Asians … or the Africans … He is God of the nations!! And to Him they should bow. To refuse to do so is to court disaster.
The Christ of the Andes (not the statue, but the person) is the only One who can solve the problems of mankind.
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BIBLE EYES
(No. 2 : Man’s
Eyes)
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Many verses of Scripture refer to eyes … some to the “eye of the Lord” watching over us … “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me!”
Other verses refer to the eyes of man … and that forms the subject of our meditation. The eyes of men are often defective.
George Whitfield, England’s preacher extraordinary, was called “Dr Squintum” by his detractors because of his eye defect.
Maria, wife of Hudson Taylor, is described as “The girl with the squint” by her biographer.
Notice five eyes described by the inspired writers.
1. SINFUL EYES …
“In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
Which pretty well sums up that sorry period of Israel’s history. With God’s Law set aside, anarchy prevailed. And with it followed suffering and judgement … “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes; but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15).
Ecclesiastes 11:9 also describes the folly of he who “walks in the sight of his own eyes” rather than in the way God has chosen for him.
2. SAVED EYES …
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).
Of course, the help does not come from the hills … but the God who made those hills. Read it in a modern translation! It may be of course, the psalmist is in some foreign land and he is thinking of Mt Zion and Mt Moriah … those sacred hills where God has revealed Himself in days before.
In any case, he turns to the Lord. There is none other who can save him.
“Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in
the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of
servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto
the hand of her mistress; so our eyes
wait upon the Lord our God, until that He have mercy upon us” (Psalm
123:1-2).
The psalmist also uses the lovely figure of speech concerning those who have placed their faith in the Lord … they are as precious to Him as the “apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8).
And that means He will look after us!!
3. SPIRITUAL EYES
The curious story found in Mark 8:21-25 is a lesson to all disciples that sometimes we, too, may need a second touch from the Lord.
True, we have been saved, spiritually blinded eyes have been opened … but do I see my fellow man as somebody for whom Christ died and to whom I am commissioned to tell the gospel.
Or are they of no more importance to me than “walking trees”??
4. SORROWFUL EYES … Lamentations 3:40-51.
These are the words of Jeremiah, grieving over the sin of his people, Judah, and the judgement of God that has befallen them. There are some things that ought to make God’s people weep. Jesus wept over the multitudes who were lost (Matthew 9:36; 14:14).
Paul tells of being ‘sorrowful’ despite the joy of sins forgiven (II Corinthians 6:10).
Henry Barraclough writes …
And when I think of the
cross He bore
Mine eyes with teardrops
start …
As we meditate upon the cost of our salvation and the lack of spirituality and godly concern for the lost; of “sheep without a shepherd” on every side; of how the Lord’s heart must ache as He looks at the state of His church on earth today … maybe there should be a prayer like Jeremiah’s on our lips also.
Notice verse 51 again: “Mine eye affecteth mine heart …” If that is the case, then let us “Turn our eyes upon Jesus”, that we may see things as He would see them. And that will surely increase our devotion.
5. SURPRISED EYES … I Corinthians 15:51-52.
One day … unexpectedly … “in the twinkling of an eye” … the Second Coming of Christ will take place. And “every eye shall see Him”!! (Revelation 1:7). Some with joy … and some, because they are unsaved, with fear.
Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn-writer, spoke of that day when her eyes will be opened and she will gaze upon her Saviour:
Some day the silver cord will break,
And I no more as now shall sing;
But oh, the joy when I shall wake
Within the palace of the King!
And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story – Saved by grace;
And I shall see Him face to face,
And tell the story – Saved by grace.
Fanny J. Crosby
Will you see Him as your Saviour … or your Judge??
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INTRODUCTION Proverbs 6:13 speaks of the person who “
teaches with his fingers.”
So we’ll do that … although such is not what the text really
means !! Fingers are often used to communicate … to point the way or to accuse
, … one can say
“O.K.” , or “Shhh!” or “Victory !” or “ Come!” simply by the use
of fingers.
So let four references to fingers in Scripture teach us some
important lessons.
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(1) THE FINGER OF CREATION
Not only did our Creator God fling a universe into existence ..
“the work of Thy fingers”
(Psalm 8:3), the
immensity of which is revealed through a telescope ; but through the microscope
it can be seen that there are millions …trillions … of differing fingerprints !
No wonder we read of the
Heavenly choir singing as they “ cast their crowns before His throne … Thou
art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power, for Thou hast
created all things …” ( Revelation
4:10-11)
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(2) THE FINGER OF CONDEMNATION
King Belshazzar trembled as he saw the disembodied finger
writing upon the wall of the banqueting house. ( Daniel 5: 5) One of the words
was “TEKEL” meaning “weighed in the balances and found wanting.” ( Daniel 5:27)
Evangelist D.L. Moody once
pictured the sinner on the scales of God’s justice , the Ten commandments
on the other side … and the sinner was found wanting. For no one has ever
perfectly kept the Law of God . All have sinned. ( Romans 3:23) The Ten
commandments , written by the very finger of God , ( Exodus 31:18) is
described in the New Testament as “ the ministration of death , written
and engraven on stones.”
(2 Corinth. 3:7) It condemns us. The law cannot save. It reveals
our need of a Saviour.
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(3) THE FINGER OF
SEPARATION ….
The rich man in Hell
cries out for Lazarus to “dip the tip of his finger in water” and
cool his tongue for he is tormented by fire. ( Luke 16:24) But destiny is fixed
at death.
(Revelation 22:11) A
“great gulf” is fixed between saved and lost , ‘twixt Heaven and Hell. ( Luke 16:25) Hell is eternal separation
from God. Whilst many , even some preachers, deny the existence of a place of
torment after death , no one can honestly read the Scripture and deny that this
is clearly taught. Jesus, Himself, warned of Hell 13 times.
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(4) THE FINGER OF SALVATION !!
When the prodigal son came to his senses and returned home he
found his father waiting. And he was
clothed with a robe and sandals … and a ring was placed upon on his finger ! Once as dead, but now alive again , ( Luke
15:32) he took his place in his father’s family. And any who are “dead in sin” ( Ephes. 2:5) will find a
loving Heavenly Father waiting to greet
them when they come Home by way of the Cross….
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