What had she done with her life? That question challenged a young woman named Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879). When she was twenty-two, she went to visit relatives in Germany. One day, she came in from an excursion, weak and weary. She seated herself in the parlour to rest and, looking up, observed a large painting of Christ.
In the picture, Jesus is stripped to the waist, bound, and crowned with thorns. Pilate, is in the act gesturing toward Him, calling to the boisterous crowd below, “Ecce homo!” (Behold, the Man!) Beneath the painting Miss Havergal read these words: “This have I done for thee; what hast thou done for Me?” The penetrating question stirred her heart, moving her to tears. She found a scrap of paper and a pencil, and quickly created a poem on the theme.
On her return to England, Frances Havergal re-read the words she had written. Thinking they were not worth keeping, she threw them into the fire. However, a sudden downdraft blew the scorched paper out into the room again. It was later found by her father, who read the lines and urged her to have them published. That is the origin of our hymn, “I Gave My Life for Thee,” with its corresponding question, What hast thou done for Me?”
The hymn begins, “I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed, / That thou might’st ransomed be, and quickened from the dead; / I gave, I gave My life for thee, what hast thou given for Me?”
The point, of course, is not that the Lord requires us to somehow pay Him for Calvary. That is an impossibility. Salvation is offered as a free gift to be received in faith. Christ has paid its full price. The Bible says salvation is “by grace”–God’s unmerited favour, and “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).
Not only that. By grace He has already conferred upon the Christian every spiritual blessing–either as ours to claim now, or reserved for us in heaven (Eph. 1:3; I Pet. 1:3-4). These are ours apart from anything we have done or could do for Him.
By grace through faith we are saved eternally and accounted as “complete in Him” (Col. 2:10). Good works are irrelevant to the principle of grace, at least in terms of earning it. Grace that is somehow earned is no more grace (Rom. 4:4-5; cf. 3:24).
If all the riches of grace already belong to the child of God, trying to earn them is an insult the Giver–like trying to pay someone for a birthday gift. What we do after accepting God’s free grace is not a payment for it, but a loving response to it. Our conduct under grace is to arise from grateful hearts, freely responding to what God has done.
The motivation is not an iron-bound obligation. Instead, it is the Christian’s willing expression of love that provides an answer to the question, “What hast thou done for Me?” As Paul puts it, “the love of Christ compels us” (II Cor. 5:14). It urges and impels us to respond in kind. It becomes, in the words of J. B. Phillips’s paraphrase, “the very spring of our actions.”
Repeatedly, in the epistles, God’s Word “beseeches” us (pleads with us) to live for Him, on the basis of all that grace has accomplished. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God [after all that God has done for you], that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1; cf. Eph. 4:1).
The believer is invited to gaze into the thorn-crowned face of the Saviour, reflecting upon all that God has given him, in Christ. Then, spurred on by love, and empowered by the Spirit of God, his overflowing heart can only compel him to surrender all to God and live to serve Him.
The Lord’s Prayer is recited word for word, week after week, in many churches. However, that was not the Lord’s intent in teaching it. We read of no one in the New Testament ever offering this prayer. Also, Luke records a slightly different version of it–which would be a problem if we were always to use these exact words. Rather than words to recite over and over, it seems to be a suggested pattern showing the kind of things that ought to be included. To simply repeat these words over and over could become an example of the kind of “vain repetition [mindless babble]” the Lord condemns (Matt. 6:7-8).
For Jesus’ listeners, there was nothing particularly new in the prayer . All of the basic truths in it can be found in the Old Testament. However the teachings of the rabbis had encrusted the subject of prayer (and many other topics) with unbiblical traditions and practices (cf. Matt. 6:5). No wonder one of the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk. 11:1). His answer gets us back to the essence of what prayer is all about.
About The Musical Version
Flickering images danced across the screen in the darkened projection room as the musician watched. During his time at the Disney Studios, it was Al Malotte’s job to compose background music for the antics of characters in the “Silly Symphonies” and other animated features. But he had a more serious side. Albert Hay Malotte (1895-1964) was also a virtuoso on the organ. And though he remained in Hollywood, occasionally writing music for films, he soon focused on his first love, playing and teaching the organ. A Presbyterian layman, Mr. Malotte also wrote sacred music.
One day in 1934, the composer sat listening to the radio–the weekly broadcast of hymn selections by an extraordinary singer named John Charles Thomas. The son of a pastor, Mr. Thomas went on to star on Broadway, and at the Metropolitan Opera, giving concert performances across America and in other countries as well. A music critic once stated he had one of the three greatest voices he ever heard. He was also the vocal coach for a young, up-and-coming gospel soloist named George Beverly Shea.
As Malotte listened to the radio, deeply impressed by the singer’s God-given gift, he made a decision. He would write a piece of sacred music especially for John Charles Thomas to sing. The text he chose was from Matthew’s Gospel. And the result is a piece many of us have heard from time to time at weddings and other special events. It is Albert Hay Malotte’s beautiful setting of “The Lord’s Prayer.”
The Lord’s Prayer Bible Study
Though the Bible passage is commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer, it has been pointed out it could more precisely be labelled the Disciples’ Prayer. It is intended for His followers, not for Christ Himself. (Jesus had no need to ask for forgiveness of sins.) In fact, this prayer seems especially suited to God’s people gathering together to pray. Each of the personal pronouns is plural (our, us). We would be less likely to pray that way in our personal devotions (cf. Matt. 6:6).
And we should also note the time and the audience of the prayer. It was given to the believing Jews, before the cross. This does not make it inappropriate for Christians to use. However, there are many things the prayer does not contain which have become relevant now. There is nothing here about the death and resurrection of Christ, nothing about the birth of the church at Pentecost. Nor is the prayer offered “in Jesus’ name,” as we now are to pray (cf. Jn. 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24). The latter only became appropriate after Christ’s ascension to take up His work as our great High Priest. Nonetheless, there is a great deal here which can be instructive for us.
1) Looking an outline of the prayer (below), what do you notice about the order of things?
Introductory Address(I). Prayer for God’s Glory(A). The Reverence of His Name(B). The Coming of His Earthly Kingdom(C). The Accomplishment of His Will(II). Prayer for Human Needs(A). Daily Sustenance(B). Forgiveness of Sins(C). Protection from the Evil One Concluding Doxology
Insight: The pattern is similar to that of the “Ten Commandments” which introduce the Law of Moses (Exod. 20:1-17). It begins with a focus on the honour and glory of God, and then moves on to the practical concerns of human beings.
2) What lesson is there in this for our own prayers?
3) To whom should prayer be addressed, according to vs. 9?
Insight: This is in keeping with God’s instructions to the church as well. “For through Him [Christ], we both [Jew and Gentile] have access by one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18). Since both the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ are fully God, it is not necessarily wrong to pray to them. But that is not the pattern God has given us. We should address our prayers to our Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name [His authority], depending on the aid of the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:26-27). God is spoken of as our “Father” in every New Testament book but one (the little book of III John).
4) Who are the ones who can rightly call God “our Father”?
Insight: We are able to draw near to God because of the “new and living way” opened up for us “by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19-22). This does not mean God may not graciously respond to the prayer of an unsaved person, but that is the exception. If we have not trusted in the finished work of Christ, we are not on praying ground, because we are not part of the family of God (Jn. 1:12; Gal. 3:26).
Insight: The word “hallowed” is a form of a word also translated sanctified, holy, and saint. It means: separated or set apart, set apart from evil and unto what is good and righteous. The “name” of God represents His Person.
5) With the above facts in mind, what does it mean to pray that God’s name be hallowed?
Insight: This is certainly done in heaven. But as with the next two petitions the desire here is to see the same thing taking place on earth.
6) What kind of behaviour represents the opposite of hallowing God’s name?
7) There is also a kind of phoney version of hallowing God’s name. What is it (Matt. 15:8)?
Insight: The next petition requires an understanding of what is meant by the “kingdom.” God is absolutely sovereign over the entire universe. Nothing that exists is outside His control. In that sense the earth is already part of His universal kingdom, so that is not what is in view. In another sense, when we are born again we become a part of a spiritual kingdom (Jn. 3:3; Col. 1:12-13). Then Christ rules in our hearts. But more than that is intended here.
The reference is to what theologians call the mediatorial kingdom, God’s rule administered on earth through a human representative or mediator. In the beginning, Adam was commissioned with that task (Gen. 1:26, 28), but he failed through sin. It will be Christ, at His second coming, who succeeds where Adam did not. Thus, what is spoken of here is especially the coming earthly kingdom when Christ will reign over the earth.
8) Did the Jews want this to happen (see Jn. 6:15)?
9) What are two things many Jews did not understand about God’s program (see Lk. 24:26 and Ps. 2:6)?
10) When the earthly kingdom is ushered in, what will happen on earth that is now consistently taking place in heaven (Matt. 6:10)?
Insight: Now much of the allegiance of men is mere lip service. As Jesus put it, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Lk. 6:46).
11) What would a society be like if the Lord were to be obeyed consistently by everyone (and what would be missing from it then)?
Insight: “Contrary to much emphasis in the evangelical church today, true prayer, like true worship, centres on God’s glory, not on man’s needs” (John MacArthur). Even so, we are also encouraged to bring our requests to the Lord (Phil. 4:6).
Insight: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Likely this petition is intended to represent all our temporal needs–for food, clothing, shelter, health, companionship, etc. We can certainly appreciate how someone in poverty in a third world country would need to pray for bread. But perhaps we feel it is unnecessary here.
12) Why is it important for us in North America to pray this kind of prayer?
13) Why is the focus put on our daily bread?
Insight: “Forgive us our debts [that which is owed, that which is legally due].” This is a reference to our sins, to how we have wronged and offended God. (“Sins” is the word used in the parallel passage, Lk. 11:4.) It is a reminder that we are not doing God a favour by obeying Him. We owe Him our obedience.
14) If we expect God to forgive us, how are we to treat others (vs. 12; and see vs. 14-15)?
Insight: What is in view here is not God’s judicial forgiveness from the eternal penalty of sin. For the Christian that was taken care of once and for all at the cross. What the prayer is speaking of is God’s parental forgiveness of His child within the family. Forgiveness that is necessary if our fellowship with Him is to be unhindered here and now. How can we expect to have free fellowship with the Lord if we are holding a grudge against someone else?
15) What is the next petition of the prayer (vs. 13)?
16) Why is this petition a little puzzling (compare Jas. 1:13)?
Insight: The nature of temptation is that it suggests the acceptability–or even the advantage–of behaviour that is not righteous. Being Himself fully righteous, God cannot tempt us to evil. But behind this prayer is a humble recognition of human weakness–weakness that is fully known to God. It is a plea that the Lord will protect us from those dangerous situations where Satan can take advantage of us and cause us to stumble.
17) The companion request to this is what (vs. 13)?
Insight: The Greek word here can simply by translated “evil,” or “wicked.” But a number of times it is used of the devil himself (cf. Matt. 13:19) and that certainly fits. We need God’s protection against the wicked one. Note that the teaching on the Christian’s armour protecting us against the devil ends with this appeal, “Praying always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:10-18).
Insight: The prayer concludes, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Many modern versions omit this closing doxology on the basis that some ancient manuscripts do not have it. However, it is certainly biblical. Similar sentiments are expressed in a prayer of David’s (cf. I Chron. 29:11). Furthermore, out of about 500 manuscripts containing the prayer, only 8 leave this part out. It is also found in many other ancient version of the Bible. All things considered, it belongs there!
18) What does the ending show about the basic reason behind all our praying (“For [because, since]…” vs. 13)?
19) How might this study of the Lord’s Prayer affect your own praying in the future?
The Bible book Daniel begins with a look at his teen years. This study of Daniel Chapter 1 provides vital life principles concerning how to stand for God in a corrupt society. It should be of special value to young people, but its lessons are for us all. For more about Daniel, see either of these two fine books: Robust in Faith, and All the Men of the Bible. In the first, by J. Oswald Sanders, notes that Daniel was “Prime Minister Under Five Kings.” In the second, Herbert Lockyer calls Daniel “The Man Who Kept His Window Open,” referring to an incident in Chapter 6.
Daniel is one of the most outstanding saints of Bible times. A man of godly wisdom, and a man of prayer, he lived in Babylon through the entire seventy years of the Jews’ captivity there. Thought to be of royal descent (likely related in some way to King Hezekiah, II Kgs. 20-17-18; Dan 1:3), Daniel was captured during Nebuchadnezzar’s attack on Jerusalem in 605 BC. He was approximately 15 years old at the time, and he lived to the age of about 90 (in 530 BC).
The book he wrote provides important keys to Bible prophecy, especially as it concerns a period Jesus called “the Times of the Gentiles” (Lk. 21:24), extending from the beginning of Babylon’s domination of Israel (in 605 BC) until Armageddon and the defeat of the Antichrist, up ahead (Dan. 2:34-35, 44). The great overarching theme of Daniel is the sovereignty of God over all the affairs of men.
The book of Daniel can be divided into two equal parts. Chapters 1-6 are mainly narrative, with some important prophecies included. Chapters 7-12 are mainly prophetic visions, with a bit of narrative along the way. In the first half of the book, Daniel’s story is told in the third person (he, him). In the last half of the book, Daniel presents his prophecies in the first person (“I saw…” “I watched…” etc.). This study will concentrate on Chapter 1.
1) What significant event launches the book of Daniel (vs. 1)?
Insight: Of the thousands of slaves taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, he asked his chief eunuch to separate out certain ones.
(Please read Daniel 1:3-5)
2) Which slaves were singled out? And what job were they to be prepared for?
3) What kind of preparation was planned for this select group?
Insight: In vs. 6-7 we learn that among these favoured young men were Daniel and three of his friends. To begin the preparation process, each was given a new name. In ancient times, the power to name something (or someone) showed your authority over it (cf. Gen. 1:28; 2:20). Also, the Babylonians did not want to have their slaves named in honour of “gods” whose people they had conquered. They gave them names honouring their own gods. “Daniel” means God is my Judge. “Belteshazzar [Bel-ta-SHAZ-ar]” means Bel protect the king. (Bel was one of the idols of the Babylonians.) The aim was to completely divorce the slaves from their former life. They were taught “the language and literature of the Chaldeans [Babylonians]” (vs. 4) and given Babylonian food (vs. 5).
(Please read Daniel 1:8-13)
4) What matter of conscience did this raise for Daniel (vs. 8)?
Insight: It is likely some things in the diet were off limits for the Jews on the basis of their Law (such as pork, Lev. 11:1, 7). Also, the food would have been prayed over in the name of an idol, and dedicated to an idol. In accepting it, one could be seen as honouring the benevolence of an idol god.
5) If Daniel had been less committed, how might he have tried to talk himself into making a compromise in this situation? (That is, what excuses might he have thought of?)
6) Sometimes compromise with the unbelieving world seems the easiest way. Why? And why is it not the best way?
Insight: We are told Daniel “purposed in his heart” (vs. 8)? (The NIV’s “made up his mind” seems weaker. It suggests Daniel simply decided something. But the original means he established a purpose deep in his innermost being?)
7) What prior influences or experiences do you think led up to such a commitment?
8) The Babylonians had changed many things in Daniel’s life. What were they not able to take away from him?
9) Is there a lesson here for young people attending secular schools today? (And for their parents?)
Insight: Though Daniel had personal convictions, he recognized he was under the authority of the Babylonians. He did not react in arrogant pride.
10) What approach did Daniel try (vs. 8)?
Insight: God has been at work in the heart of Daniel’s superior (vs. 9). But, in part, the Lord worked through Daniel to bring this about.
11) What kind of things might Daniel have been doing by which the Lord was able to encourage the good will of the one over him?
12) Of what was the eunuch afraid (vs. 10)?
12b) What suggestion does Daniel make (vs. 12-13)?
Insight: There are some important lessons here with regard to making an appeal to those in authority over us. 1) Daniel seems to have built a good relationship by a gracious attitude, hard work, and reliability. 2) He went through the proper line of authority. 3) He showed courtesy and a desire to cooperate rather than prideful resistance. 4) He discerned that the desired goal was not wrong. (The Babylonians simply wanted the young men to be in the best physical condition.) 5) He suggested a way to reach the desired goal which did not violate his own conscience. (This is sometimes called a creative alternative.)
13) How is this plan an expression of Daniel’s faith in God?
14) What if Dad says to his young daughter, “If Mr. Smith phones, tell him I’m not at home”–when it would be a lie? Suggest some steps the girl could take to apply Daniel’s method described above and avoid doing wrong.
15) Daniel says, “as you see fit, so deal with your servants” (vs. 13). But suppose the test doesn’t work in his favour. Do you think he means he will then accept the king’s food?
(Please read Daniel 1:14-21)
16) How did the test actually turn out (vs. 15)?
Insight: This may have involved the miraculous intervention of God. But it could also be that the king’s food was rich, and not particularly healthy! When he saw how well Daniel and his friends thrived on a diet of vegetables and water, the eunuch was willing to go along (vs. 16).
17) Vs. 17 describes some special gifts the Lord gave to Daniel. What are they?
18) Is there a connection between what happens in vs. 8 and in vs. 17?
19) What important principle does this illustrate (cf. Matt. 24:45-47; Rev. 2:10)?
Insight: Then, at the end of their three years of training (vs. 5), the young men were interviewed by Nebuchadnezzar, a brilliant and able man in his own right.
20) What did the king discover (vs. 18-19)?
Insight: In His high priestly prayer (in John 17), the Lord Jesus speaks of His followers being “in the world” but not “of the world” (vs. 11, 14). We are in the world in the sense that we live out our mortal lives on planet earth. But those who put their faith in Christ become citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20), and we are therefore to live our lives on the basis of spiritual and eternal values (Col. 3:1-2).
21) What are the problems with earthly values, according to the following passages (Matt. 6:19-21; 31-33; and I Jn. 2:15-17)?
Insight: There is an old gospel song that begins, “Dare to be a Daniel, / Dare to stand alone; / Dare to have a purpose firm, / And dare to make it known…” Situations will arise in all our lives when there is a need to do that very thing. What will our response be?
22) If a Christian today makes the kind of commitment Daniel did, what results can he expect in the short-term? And in the long-term (Matt. 5:11-12; I Pet. 4:12-13, 19)?
22b) What kind of help from the Lord can the believer expect in such circumstances (I Cor. 10:13; Phil. 4:12-13)?
Samson, the Bible strong man, is surely one of the most enigmatic and tragic figures in the Scriptures. Such were the dramatic contrasts in his personality and behaviour that he almost provides a parallel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s fictional Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde. A man of great strength and crippling weakness. A man called to be a leader who became instead an independent loner. A man of faith who was defeated by sinful compromise. A man whose name means “Sunny” who ended his days in darkness. His story is the stuff of legends. But the story of Samson is not a myth. It is all too sadly true. For further study of Samson’s life, here are two fine books: Robust in Faith and All the Men of the Bible. The first, by J. Oswald Sanders, calls Samson “The Champion Who Became a Clown.” The second, by Herbert Lockyer, calls him “The Man of Contrasts.”
Samson’s 20-year judgeship comes near the end of the period of the judges in Israel. He came from the tribe of Dan, whose territory lay along the Mediterranean cost, just north of the land occupied by the Philistines. Samson confronted the Philistines in the west, while Samuel was judging the people further east. Their judgeships overlapped. The record of Samson’s life is found in Judges 13–16.
1) What was happening in Israel as the story opens (Jud. 13:1)?
1b) According to Judges 2:11-12, what kind of “evil” were the Israelites involved in, during the time of the judges?
Insight: The Philistines were an idol-worshipping Gentile people. Tall and white-skinned, they did not have the Semitic ancestry of the Jews. (They are sometimes referred to in the Bible as the “uncircumcised”–Jud. 14:3, etc.) Philistia was a great seafaring nation, with advanced knowledge in metallurgy that gave them superior weapons of war for that time. The people settled along the Mediterranean coast of Canaan, around the time of Abraham. “Philistia” was eventually used as a name for the whole area. The Greek form of the word is Palaistine (or Palestine). This pagan nation caused trouble for the Israelites until the time of King David. During the period of the Judges, the Lord allowed the Philistines to oppress His people as a means of disciplining their disobedience and unbelief.
2) What problem and later blessing did Manoah’s wife have (Jud. 13:2-3)?
Insight: “The Angel of the Lord” is treated as Deity in the Old Testament (cf. Jud. 13:22). From all the evidence, He seems to have been the pre-incarnate Christ.
3) What special restrictions were to be placed upon the boy (Jud. 13:5, 7)?
Insight: The word “Nazirite” (or Nazarite) means one who is separated (or holy). Becoming a Nazirite involved a special vow of separation to the Lord (Num. 6:2). Such a vow was usually taken–either by a man or a woman–for a set period of time. But occasionally there were individuals who were Nazirites for life. Samson is one, and likely John the Baptist is another.
4) According to the Law, what were three key elements of a Nazirite vow (Num. 6:3-4; 6:5; 6:6-7)?
Insight: Each of these things provided a reminder or a picture of spiritual truth. 1) That the believer is to find his joy primarily in the Lord, not in earthly pleasures (cf. Ps. 104:15); 2) That he needs to be willing to bear reproach, for the Lord’s sake (cf. I Cor. 11:14; Heb. 13:13); 3) That he is committed to live a holy life, separated from sin and corruption–represented by the physical death which came upon creation as a result of Adam’s sin (Gen. 2:17).
Insight: The birth of Samson is described (Jud. 13:24), but the account then skips forward to his adult years.
5) What are we told about Samson, as the record of his life and deeds is introduced (Jud. 13:24-25)?
Insight: Physical abilities, as well as spiritual endowments, are a gift of God. The Spirit of God came upon Samson, giving him supernatural strength so he could help deliver Israel from Philistine oppression (Jud. 13:5).Often, in Bible story books, Samson is pictured as a large man, with rippling muscles. But that was not necessarily the case. It could well be that he was a man of ordinary stature, without any outward evidence of special strength. His powers were miraculous, and not based on his physique.
6) What was the result of Samson’s early contact with the Philistines (Jud. 14:1-2)?
6b) In spite of his godly parents’ objections, Samson insists. Why (Jud. 14:3b)?
Insight: This early comment of Samson’s is a key to his contradictory character. Though he had faith in God, he was all too often ruled by fleshly passions.
Insight: The statement of Judges 14:4 that his desire to marry a Philistine woman was “of the Lord” does not mean that God approved of it. Rather, it simply means that a sovereign God was going to use his foolish action to ignite an intense conflict between Samson and the Philistines.
7) What was the first instance when Samson made use of his supernatural strength (Jud. 14:5-6)?
Insight: The wording of vs. 5 seems to suggest that his father and mother were with him. But vs. 6 indicates they were not. The second sentence in vs. 5 seems to describe a separate incident.
8) On a later visit to Timnah, when he went to claim his bride, what did Samson observe (Jud. 14:8)?
8b) And what did he do on that occasion (Jud. 14:9)?
Insight: Significantly, by touching the carcass, Samson thoughtlessly violated one part of his Nazirite separation.
Insight: At Timnah, Samson’s wedding feast was attended by thirty young Philistine men. As was the custom, the feasting continued for a week. (If wine was served during the celebration–and it is almost certain it was–it is possible Samson violated another provision of his vow at this time.) But he seems unconcerned about it. For their entertainment, Samson posed a riddle.
9) What was the riddle (Jud. 14:14)?
10) What did Samson offer as a prize for solving the riddle (Jud. 14:12)?
11) By what means did the young men discover the answer (Jud. 14:15)?
Insight: When they were successful and told Samson the answer, he had to admit they were right. But he was enraged by their devious method of getting the solution (Jud. 14:16-18).
12) How did Samson provide the prize for the thirty men (Jud. 14:19)?
Insight: Without his knowledge, the woman he had married was given to his best man, instead (vs. 20). When Samson brought her a gift, expecting to be received by his wife, her father turned him away (Jud. 15:1-2).
13) What did Samson do to get revenge (Jud. 15:3-5)?
13b) With what response from the Philistines (Jud. 15:6)?
Insight: Yet again, Samson retaliated, killing many of the Philistines (Jud. 15:7-8). This caused the Philistine army to go searching for him in Judah, in order to arrest him (Jud. 15:9-10). The people of Judah did not appreciate having the Philistines in a hostile mood toward them.
14) What did the army of Judah do to keep the peace (Jud. 15:11-13)?
14b) What was the outcome of this (Jud. 15:14-16)?
15) What did Samson do at Gaza (Jud. 16:1)?
Insight: City gates in that day were large and heavy. But they often had a smaller door within the larger gate, allowing for the passage of an individual in or out without the need to open the gate. The men of Gaza surrounded the place where Samson was, intending to kill him. But he escaped in the night. Coming to the city wall, he simply ripped its small door off its hinges and walked off carrying it with him! (Jud. 16:2-3).
Insight: There is a puzzle here. Samson has just committed an immoral act with the enemy of God’s people. Now God gives him supernatural strength to escape! How can this be? Perhaps the church at Corinth can be seen as a parallel. Paul says of them, “You are enriched in everything by Him…so that you come short in no gift” (I Cor. 1:4-7). But he also says, “You are still carnal…and behaving like mere [unsaved] men.” And regarding their attitude toward immoral conduct in the church, “You are puffed up and have not rather mourned” (I Cor. 3:1-3; 5:1-2).
16) What conclusions can we draw from this?
16b) What conclusions should we not draw from it?
Insight: Once again Samson becomes immorally involved with a Philistine woman. The lords of the Philistines promised Delilah money if she could discover the secret of Samson’s great strength (Jud. 16:4-5). Three times, Samson teased her, with false information (Jud. 16:7, 11, 13).
17) What do you notice about this last suggestion of Samson’s that shows he is dangerously playing with fire (Jud. 16:13)?
17b) Can you think of an example of a person doing this sort of thing today (trying to get as close to the fires of sin as possible without getting burned)?
17c) What is wrong with this practice?
17d) What should a Christian seek to do instead?
Insight: Each time, Samson was able to cast aside restraint and he was once more able to defend himself. But the end of the game was near. Day after day, Delilah pestered him to tell his secret, saying, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me?” (Jud. 16:15-16).
18) What is wrong with this argument, and with the whole situation?
19) What did Delilah do when Samson at last revealed his secret (Jud. 16:18-19)?
Insight: In this way, Samson violated the third element of his Nazirite vow. It is clear that Samson’s ability was sovereignly given by the Lord, and not fully conditioned on his good behaviour. However, there are limits to the “day of grace.” God, who had been gracious to Samson over and over again, finally withdrew His empowering presence.
20) How did Samson respond when he was awakened (Jud. 16:20)?
Insight: This is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. It speaks of a man who has played with temptation so long he has become careless of the danger, and insensitive to its affects on him.
21) What happened to Samson then (Jud. 16:21)?
Insight: If this was a small hand grinder, the task was considered women’s work. If it was a larger one, it was the work usually done by an animal. In either case it was meant to humiliate the conquered champion of Israel.
22) What further indignity did Samson suffer (Jud. 16:23-25)?
Insight: The Philistines took no notice that Samson’s hair began to grow again (Jud. 16:22). But with it, there was an apparent return of his supernatural strength. Based on his later words (vs. 28), it would seem that Samson was truly repentant in prison, and he cast himself upon the grace of God.
23) What does Samson request of the slave boy who had led him into the temple of Dagon (Jud. 16:26)?
Insight: Dagon was an ugly stone idol with a fish’s body and a man’s head. It may have been a fertility god, and god of the harvest. (Having Samson grind grain would then be an attempt to show Dagon was superior to Jehovah.) The temple of the idol was full of Philistine men and women, plus another 3,000 “on the roof”–perhaps a roofed in area surrounding a central open courtyard where Samson was displayed (Jud. 16:27).
24) What two things did the blind man do then (Jud. 16:28, 29-30)?
25) So many of Samson’s feats of strength seem petty and self-centred. Why did God help him get revenge this last time? (Compare Jud. 16:23-24, and Isa. 42:8.)
Insight: After this slaughter of the Philistines–killing more people than Samson had killed in his lifetime (vs. 30)–the dead man’s family came and claimed his shattered body. They buried it between Zorah and Eshtaol, where the Lord had first come upon him (Jud. 16:31; cf. 13:25).
26) What important fact is given about Samson in Hebrews 11:32-34?
26b) Based on this passage, do you think that Samson realized his great strength was a gift of God?
26c) What then was his basic problem? And what do you see as the basic lesson of Samson’s life?
26d) How can we avoid this in our own lives?
Insight: God gives to each of His children certain gifts and abilities we are responsible to use for His glory and the good of others. But there are two dangers to be avoided. 1) Taking our gifts for granted, and assuming the power to exercise them properly lies within us, rather than coming from the Lord. 2) Focusing on our areas of strength and failing to realize we each also have areas of particular weakness. (We may forget this, but Satan certainly does not!)
27) Is it possible for an area of strength to also be an area of potential weakness? (Explain.)
28) How can we protect ourselves from this danger (Matt. 26:41; I Cor. 10:12-15; Gal. 6:1)?
Few things in nature seem as awe-inspiring as thunder and lightning. For the Christian, the flash and echoing din are a reminder of the greatness of our God. That is how it was for Carl Boberg, one day in 1886. Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940) was a Swedish pastor, and later a senator in the Swedish parliament. He went for a walk one summer day and got caught in a sudden thunderstorm. The rolling thunder and torrents of rain, followed by the return of the bright sunshine and the singing of the birds overwhelmed him. He dropped to his knees in worship. Later, out of that experience, Pastor Boberg created a lovely poem about the greatness of God.
Though he did not realize it at the time, that poem would one day become one of the most popular hymns of the latter part of the twentieth century. But before that happened, the song was to pass through many hands, and cross many national boundaries. Several years after he penned the words, Carl Boberg attended a church service and was surprised to hear them sung by the congregation to an old Swedish melody. Shortly after it was introduced in Sweden, the hymn was translated into German. Then, in 1907, the German version was translated into Russian and published in a Russian hymn book in 1922. That is how it came to the attention of English missionary Stuart Hine a year or so later. He and his wife were serving in the Ukraine when they heard the song, and they began using it as a duet in evangelistic services.
When war broke out in Europe, in 1939, the Hines had to return to England. There Mr. Hine translated Boberg’s hymn into English, adding a fourth verse of his own about the return of Christ. In 1949, the song was printed (with his English translation) in a gospel magazine produced by the Hines for Russian war refugees then in Britain. So many requests came for a copy of the hymn, from all over the world, that Stuart Hine had it printed in leaflet form. One of those leaflets was given to song leader Cliff Barrows, in 1954, and he introduced the “new” hymn to an appreciative audience at Billy Graham’s Toronto Crusade, in 1955. There soloist Bev Shea, assisted by a large volunteer choir, first sang the stirring words of “How Great Thou Art.” By 1974, it was voted the number one hymn in America.
God Himself is infinitely great, so that is bound to characterize all He does. Job says He does “great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number” (Job 5:9). One of the most wonderful displays of this is found over our heads on any clear, starry night. “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power” (Isa. 40:26). As the psalmist says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised” (Ps. 48:1). And “His greatness is unsearchable” (Ps. 148:3).
The believer has access to this omnipotence by faith. “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.” And “those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isa. 40:29, 31). In times of difficulty and distress, it is encouraging to renew our faith in the greatness of the Lord. Problems that seem overwhelming shrink before our awareness of the One we serve. In the words of our hymn, “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder / Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made, / I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed! / Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee; / How great Thou art!”
We are familiar with the story of how Joseph, and Mary (expecting the birth of her Child), arrived in Bethlehem. They found it a beehive of noisy confusion, and we’re told, “There was no room for them in the inn” (Lk. 2:7) The poor innkeeper has long been criticized and berated for turning them away. But of course he had no idea who they were, or of the wonderful event that would transpire during the night. And, in reality, he did not turn them away. He apparently found them a place that was warm and dry, out in the stable.
But while we point our fingers at the innkeeper–perhaps unjustly–we must attend to our own response to Christ. Is it possible that in our own lives we have turned Him away, that we have made no room for Him? Or is it possible that where there was once a generous place for Him, other things have begun to crowd Him out?
In the book of Revelation, we read of the Lord Jesus saying, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). Sometimes, that verse is used as an individual call to trust Christ for salvation. However, in the context, the words are directed to a church. In John’s day, the church at Laodicea was wealthy and self-satisfied. But its wealth was material, not spiritual. Spiritually, the Lord describes the congregation as “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (vs. 17). About the things of God, they were merely “lukewarm” (vs. 15-16). Though they may have had all the right ceremonies, and clearly were impressed with themselves, they had shut Christ out. His name may have been found in their rituals, but He had ceased to be a living presence in their church life.
Major Daniel Webster Whittle (1840-1901) was a veteran of the American Civil War, who later went into evangelistic work. In 1878, he revised a poem from an unknown source, and turned it into a hymn. His hymn is based upon Revelation 3:20, and in it he raises the crucial question, “Have You Any Room for Jesus?” The song begins, “Have you any room for Jesus, He who bore your load of sin? / As He knocks and asks admission, sinner, will you let Him in?”
Though Whittle intended it as an invitation to salvation, it remains a question worth asking by every child of God as well. Our lives sometimes bustle with even more hectic activity than the inn at Bethlehem. Not that the things that occupy us are necessarily wrong or sinful. More often, it is a case of the good crowding out the best. And for that reason, we need to periodically assess our priorities. Perhaps we have made room for family and friends, room for hobbies, room for what we desire to do, but what about the Saviour? The second verse of our hymn says, “Room for pleasure, room for business, / But for Christ the crucified, / Not a place that He can enter, / In the heart for which He died.” What a tragedy!
Perhaps the Lord Jesus has been shunted off into a corner of our busy days, to a spot labelled “Church Stuff,” or something of the kind. Perhaps we expect Him to be content with being a part of our Sunday morning tradition, between eleven and noon, then letting us do our own thing the rest of the time. What an insult to the One whom Scripture says is “Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). Every aspect and area of our lives should be open and accessible to such a One. His lordship ought to extend to every part. That is justly His right. It is not for us to say to the Lord, “No room!”
Reginald Heber (1783-1826) was one of the great figures in the Anglican Church during the early 19th century. His passion for world missions caused him to take an active interest in the spread of the gospel of God’s grace to other lands. Eventually, he was appointed bishop of Calcutta, where he served faithfully until his untimely death three years later. He is credited with giving new impetus to hymn-singing in the church, writing many new songs himself. One of his hymns, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” is sung weekly by some congregations.
On one occasion in 1819, Heber was visiting his father-in-law’s home on a Saturday evening. A service with a missionary theme was planned for the next day. His father-in-law (the vicar) wondered if he could write something for them to sing. Reginald Heber went to the other side of the room, away from the buzz of conversation, and in minutes returned with the first three verses. “That will do nicely,” said the vicar, who disliked long hymns. Others present expressed their enthusiasm too. But the author was not satisfied.
“No, no,” responded Heber, “the sense is incomplete.” He wanted to carry his theme beyond the present time, and on to the glorious return of Christ. His insistence on this prevailed, and he sat down and wrote a fourth verse. The hymn, entitled “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains,” was eventually published in the Evangelical Magazine in July of 1821.
In spite of its Victorian perspective, it is still considered one of the finest missionary hymns in the English language. The author expresses the desperate plight of earth’s remotest tribes where, “In vain with lavish kindness / The gifts of God are strown; / The heathen in his blindness / Bows down to wood and stone.”
The last verse of the song–finishing the theme–presents the ultimate end and goal of world missions. The message of salvation is to be shared far and wide, “Till o’er our ransomed nature / The Lamb for sinners slain, / Redeemer, King, Creator, / In bliss returns to reign.”
How beautifully that sums it up! How well it ties together Christ’s first coming and His second, when “the Lamb…returns to reign.” In that day, ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands will cry before the throne, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honour and glory and blessing!” (Rev. 5:12).
Why proclaim the gospel? Certainly, in the church, it is a cause for praise and worship among God’s people. But we are also to share it beyond the community of believers, because a lost and dying world needs to know and experience His power to save. “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14). The unfinished hymn reminds us of the unfinished task. Therefore, let us make known the message of Calvary love, calling sinners to put their faith in the Saviour, until “the Lamb…returns to reign.”
That glorious consummation would not be possible without the cross. John Donne once wrote, “No pain, no palm; / No thorns, no throne; / No gall, no glory; / No cross, no crown.” The celebration of the Lord’s Supper (the Communion Service) reminds us of the relation of the two events as it looks both backward and forward. We are to “proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (I Cor. 11:26).
Similar to Heber’s hymn, that encompasses a time frame within which we are to announce the good news of salvation to all. As Heber’s hymn puts it, “Shall we, whose souls are lighted with wisdom from on high, / Shall we to men benighted the lamp of life deny? / Salvation! O salvation! The joyful sound proclaim, / Till earth’s remotest nation has learned Messiah’s name.” Christ has assigned to believers a work to do for Him until He comes.
In my teens, I can recall visiting with my parents a full-sized replica of the Mayflower, the ship that transported the Pilgrims to the New World, nearly four centuries ago. What impressed us at the time was the smallness of the vessel. Yet over a hundred passengers spent two harrowing months crossing the stormy Atlantic in it. And they shared cramped quarters, with few amenities and little privacy. It was not an easy voyage. Even in our day of huge ships driven by powerful engines sea travel is not without its dangers and difficulties. But in the era of smaller crafts, rigged with sails, journeys were much longer and more hazardous.
Several instances of storms at sea are recorded for us in the Bible–in Jonah Chapter 1, and Acts 27, in addition to incidents in the Gospels (Matt. 8:23-27; 14:22-33). The Bible graphically describes “those who go down to the sea in ships,” and what it was like when a tempest foamed about them. As their bark is tossed about by the waves, the fearful crew members “mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble” (Ps. 107:23, 26-28).
Not surprisingly, many hymn writers spoke of peril at sea, and the need to depend upon God for deliverance. One of these is William Whiting (1825-1878), for over thirty-five years the music director at Winchester College in England. Whiting wrote a poem to encourage a student about to sail for America in 1860. It eventually became known as the Marine Hymn (or Navy Hymn). The four verses, loaded with biblical allusions, begin, “Eternal Father, strong to save, / Whose arm doth bind the restless wave, / Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep / Its own appointed limits keep: / O hear us when we cry to Thee / For those in peril on the sea.”
Succeeding verses address the other two Persons of the Trinity: “O Saviour, whose almighty word / The winds and waves submissive heard…” (cf. Matt. 8:26). And “O sacred Spirit, who didst brood / Upon the chaos dark and rude…” (cf. Gen. 1:1-2). The prayer concludes with a plea for those traveling by sea: “O Trinity of love and power, / Our brethren shield in danger’s hour; / From rock and tempest, fire and foe, / Protect them wheresoe’er they go: / And ever let there rise to Thee / Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.”
Over the years, Whiting’s original has been revised and augmented a number of times. With the advent of air travel, Mary C. D. Hamilton gave us, “Lord, guard and guide the men who fly / Through the great spaces in the sky…” Poetically superior is Robert Nelson Spencer’s, “O Wind of heaven, by Thy might / Save all who dare the eagle’s flight…” But none of the variations has succeeded in replacing the original. It is still sung at naval functions on both sides of the Atlantic, and was used in the funeral services of U.S. presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, and John F. Kennedy in 1963.
The fearful tempests that whip the sea into a fury provide a fitting metaphor for life’s most daunting difficulties and alarming crises. As David writes, “For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble” (Ps. 32:6-7; cf. Ps. 55:1-8). In the most difficult times of our lives, we can be assured that “The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea” (Ps. 93:4). The tempests still heed His voice, and He can speak peace to our souls.
Contemporary issues articles deal with topics and questions that are either current, or that have come up in recent years. They offer some insights to consider from God’s Word on a multitude of subjects.
We are inundated with many voices, each claiming to have the truth. How are we to evaluate what is being said on contemporary issues? The key to our assessment lies in a careful study of the Word of God. As the Lord Jesus said to His heavenly Father, “Your word is truth” (Jn. 17:17).
Truth is not to be decided on the basis of a democratic vote, but on the basis of what God has said. Even if the Scriptures stand alone, they remain true. “Let God be true but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).
We seem to be guilty of two common distortions of the cross of Christ–both of which miss the mark. One is to turn it into a sterile symbol, a mere decoration to adorn our houses of worship and other things. But in the very familiarity of that polished ornament we sometimes lose the awareness that Calvary was a place of terrible suffering. Many today wear crosses as articles of jewellery, while seeming to have no concern for what happened there.
The other error is to see all the pain and gory horror of the cross, but miss the joy and eternal blessing of it. (The much analyzed film, The Passion of the Christ, has this weakness, among others.) Yes, Calvary was a scene of ugly cruelty. To some, that is so repulsive they even edit from their hymn books any songs about “the blood.” All this talk of a bloody sacrifice appals them. But there is an awesome beauty in the cross which they have missed. What Christ accomplished in His death is glorious beyond compare. That is where the Word of God places the emphasis, and so should we.
There is a relatively brief reporting of what happened at Calvary. John says simply, “They crucified Him” (Jn. 19:18). In contrast there is passage after passage, in the epistles, explaining the spiritual and eternal meaning of the cross. In effect, the cross planted on Golgotha’s hill towers upward to the very throne of God. The death of Christ is so significant God has planned for us to have eternal reminders of it. We know the resurrection body of Christ, a glorified body, still bore the wounds of Calvary (Jn. 20:26-28). And apparently those identifying marks will be visible in heaven. In Revelation, John sees a vision of Christ in the midst of God’s throne appearing as “a Lamb as though it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6).
Matthew Bridges (1800-1894) was an English poet who spent the latter years of his life in Canada. In 1851, he wrote the hymn “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” Twenty-three years later, an Anglican clergyman named Godfrey Thring (1823-1903) added some verses of his own. In our current hymn books, stanzas one, two and four are usually Bridges’, and the third verse Thring’s. The song is based on the words of Revelation 19:12, “On His head were many crowns.” It pictures our worship of the Saviour around the heavenly throne. Verse four says, “Crown Him the Lord of love! Behold His hands and side, / Rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified: / All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou hast died for me: / Thy praise shall never, never fail, throughout eternity.”
That is striking imagery. Our attention is drawn to Christ’s “rich wounds, yet visible above.” In that realm of infinite perfection, when all the saints have been clothed in glorified, resurrection bodies, do you expect your body to retain the scars and imperfections of earth? I don’t! Yet apparently there will be one jarring exception to that, the scars in the hands and feet and side of Jesus. But far from being distracting and repellent, those wounds will be, for us, heaven’s most beautiful sight. Why? Because of the richness of their meaning. Because they are the evidence of God’s matchless love.
The emblems of Christ’s passion will forever remind us of how we came to be there. That He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (I Pet. 2:24). That He “loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Rev. 1:5) That “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). To us the marks of Calvary will be “rich wounds” indeed, radiant with the beauty of grace. In the words of an ancient love song we will say, “He is altogether lovely, this is [our] Beloved, and this is [our] Friend” (Song 5:16).
