The
Spirit of the Word
"The words that
I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life."-- Jesus
Christ
"The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life."-- Paul
Vol.
1. One Dollar Annum. No.1 - ISSUED
MONTHLY
March
15, 1885 - A. P. Adams, Beverly, Mass., P.O. Box 948
(Entered
at the Post Office at Beverly, Mass., as second class mail matter).
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ALL
THINGS ARE OF GOD
There is no statement in the Bible, that was made by an apostle,
that is more remarkable and even startling than this statement. When you
think of it seriously, it seems as though Paul was very unguarded and careless
in his language. We are apt to think that he ought to have modified and
limited it in some way, such as for instance, all good things are of God.
But no, Paul makes the sweeping, unqualified statement, "All things are
of (literally, out of) God." Furthermore, so important did Paul consider
this truth that he repeats it over and over again. The direct statement
is made no less than six times in the writings of the apostle. See Rom.
XI. 36; 1 Cor. VIII. 6, and XI. 12; 2 Cor. V. 18; Eph. I. 11, and Heb.
II. 10. Now was the apostle careless and a little too bold in these
utterances, or did he mean just what he said, and are they true, taken
full strength? I say, without any hesitation, yes, to the two latter questions.
The more we learn (the more revelation) of God's works and ways the more we shall understand
that in a sense absolutely "all things are of God;" or in other words,
as it has been often expressed God is in everything. We will notice a few
passages that will set forth the Bible teaching on this point.
Says Christ, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them
shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of
your head are all numbered." (Matt. X. 29, 30). In Luke XII. 6, we read,
"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten
before God." Do you realize friend reader, the stupendous character of
this statement? How many millions of sparrows think you are there in the
world? And of course it is not sparrows alone that God cares for, but all
creatures, not one of them is forgotten, and even the very hairs of your
head are numbered. The great men of the earth manifest their greatness
by their close attention to so called great things; the affairs of state,
national interests, business ventures involving the risk of millions, vast
philanthropic schemes, and such like matters of world-wide importance.
These men generally have very little care, and pay very little attention
to the common every-day affairs of life: But God, between whom and the
greatest of all earth's great ones there is an infinite disparity, displays
His greatness by caring for what would seem to be the most trivial interests
of his creatures, like the numbering of the hairs of their heads, and taking
notice of apparently the most unimportant events, like the falling of a
single sparrow. Well may we exclaim with Faber, in view of such greatness,
O, God? thy loving greatness ever lies
Outside us like a boundless sea;
We
cannot lose ourselves where all is home,
Nor drift away from thee.
Thus
doth thy grandeur make us grand ourselves,
Thy goodness quells our fear;
Thy
greatness makes us brave as children are
When those they love are near.
If you would see this thought of God's universal providence carried out
in every detail, read Psalms CIV., CVII. and CXLVII.
See the case of Joseph for an illustration of how God is in affairs of
greater moment as it would seem. His unnatural brethren determined to kill
him; (Gen. XXXVII. 12, etc.). Being dissuaded from this they sell him to
the Ishmaelites, thus bringing upon him a cruel servitude, and upon their
aged father a heart-breaking agony. A blacker or more wicked deed could
scarcely be imagined; and yet in the sequel of the story, when Joseph is
made ruler of Egypt, and his brethren coming down to buy corn at last discover
that he is their long-lost brother, whom they had so cruelly wronged, he
reassures and comforts them by saying, "Now therefore, be not grieved nor
angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither, for God did send me before
you to preserve life. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God."
(Gen. XLV. 5, 8). Could we have a more striking and positive illustration
of how "all things are of God?" He is in everything. even in the crimes
and cruelties of man. Take another illustration not so prominent in the
Bible but just as positive. See Judges XIV. 1-4. Samson becomes enamored
of a Philistine woman and must have her for his wife. In vain his parents
try to dissuade him from so improper an alliance as it would seem, Samson
is completely bewitched and insists upon having her. Who would suppose
that God had anything particular to do with this apparently foolish love
affair? and yet it was of him. For the 4th verse reads, "But his father
and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion
against the Philistines." For another illustration see 2 Chron. X.
15, XI. 4.
Another very striking example of how all things are of God is brought out
in the case of the priestly house of Eli. Read l. Sam. Il. 30-33. Now see
how the fulfillment of this prediction was brought about in 1 Sam. XXII.
18-20. A more cold-blooded, barbarous butchery was never perpetrated, and
yet it was the carrying out of the purpose of God. In 1 Sam. II. 31, God
says, "I will cut off thy father's house." According to the account in
chapter XXII, it was Doeg that did the awful deed, and yet it is plain
to see how God was in it. Abiathar escaped the massacre; the denunciation
was against the entire house of Eli. Abiathar must be banished from
the priesthood. See how it was done in 1 King II. 26, 27. "So Solomon thrust
out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord; to fulfill the word of the
Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh." Is not this
a very plain illustration of the great truth we are considering. The
awful deeds of wicked men are "of God" in such a sense that he makes them
conducive to the carrying out of his own plans and brings good out of them
in the end. "Surely the wrath of man shall praise him; the remainder of
wrath [that which he cannot turn to his praise] will he restrain." "All
are his servants." (Psa. CXLX. 91). "Fire and hail, snow and vapour,
and stormy wind fulfill his word." (Psa. CXLVII. 8.).
The heathen king Cyrus is another illustration of this truth. See Isa.
XLV. 1-7. Cyrus was God's "anointed" to do His work. God used him as
an instrument to accomplish a certain purpose, though Cyrus knew
not that he was thus being used of God; (See verses 4.5). The case of the
Assyrians is still more marked. God was using them just as the carpenter
uses his tools. See Isa. X. 1-19; especially verse 15; and in the same
connection see Jer. LI. 19-20.
Again, see Josh. XI. 15-20. Israel destroyed the Canaanites and made peace
with none of them, except the Gibeonites, "For it was of the Lord to harden
their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle that He might
destroy them utterly." See also a very remarkable illustration in Psa.
CV. 25. God sent his people down into Egypt, having sent Joseph before
them (verse 17; this verse confirms Joseph's own statement that God, and
not his wicked brethren, sent him), to prepare the way for them. God increased
his people and made them stronger than their enemies (verse 24) and now
mark, "He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal deceitfully
with his servants." What! did God incline the hearts of the Egyptians to
hate his own people, to deal deceitfully with his own servants? So the
record reads. Truly, "All things are of God."
Take still another illustration from the New Testament. The crucifixion
of Christ is always looked upon as the most awful crime that ever was committed,
and the perpetrators of it are considered as deserving the most severe
retribution; and yet they simply did what God's hand and counsel
determined before to be done, (Acts IV. 28). And Peter tells us that
Christ was "delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God." (Acts II. 23). Thus we see how even this stupendous crime was of
God, and since we know that he worketh all things after the counsel of
his will," (Eph. I. 11) we can readily understand from the illustrations
cited how true it is that "all things are of God." Thus in God's universal
sovereignty fully established by the plain teachings of the word. "He
doeth according to his will, in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants
of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him what doest thou?"
(Dan. IV. 35). See also Isa. XL whole chapter, and Rev. XVII. 17.
(Editor's Note: we see again that God's universal sovereignty was fully
established as it was prior to the beginning of time, in that God purposed
the reconciliation of all mankind. God provided the Lamb, Jesus Christ,
and in the reconciliation of all through His Lamb each child would be
returned to God with full inheritance. Truly, "All
things are of God" and ALL THINGS SHALL BE RETURNED TO GOD THAT HE MAY BE ALL
IN ALL. End of Note).
To the child of God this truth is most precious and reassuring. It teaches
us how absolutely safe we are while we "abide under the shadow of the Almighty."
His power extends not simply to the smallest affairs, like the hairs of
our head and the birds of the air, but also to greater things, individuals,
communities, states, nations, and worlds, and no creature moves but by
his appointment or permission. "All things are of God," therefore I
can understand how all things work together for good to them that love
God;" and how, also, all things shall yet turn for good to man, since God
loves him. God uses the forces of the world whether human or otherwise---
just as one would move the pieces on a chess-board. They are so many instruments;
tools, in his hands. Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth
therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it?
As if a rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if
the staff should lift up itself as if it were no wood." (Isa. X. 15).
But now these considerations lead us to another great subject, which we
will examine in the next article.
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Book of Revelation
Reconciliation of all mankind