CREATION—Genesis Chapter 1

The idea of the universe being the result of a Divine origin is not of itself Judeo-Christian.  The definition of creation being a work of the God of Scripture is distinctly religious  and owes its content to Biblical revelation.

Creation as it is in Genesis 1:1ff is a statement of the eternity of God first and the origin of all things secondly.  The creation of Genesis 1:1ff follows on the power and priority of God.

Before time, before space, before any process and before any created thought—God is.  Once that is understood and believed then the universe can be investigated and its lessons learned.

But one says, “I do not believe in God and I do not believe in a created universe.”  Yes, you are exactly right, the creation of the worlds is a faith concept. Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.  In the same way as God is known only by faith. Hebrew 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  What your unbelief has done is encourage your ignorance of the single most important truth in the universe, “God is.”

There is a truth which follows immediately on the truth that “God is.”, “God is Spirit.”  This requires an act of God for His own recognition and purpose.  He must reveal Himself.

From the first words of Scripture through the last there is in it an absolute disclaimer.  God is not material.  He is Spirit. Having stated this then, it becomes imperative to determine if God has revealed Himself and to what extent He is revealed.

It is stated in Scripture that they reveal God. Deut. 8:3  So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.  The Westminster Catechism so aptly reminds us that the Scriptures are ours so that we may know God and know how to serve Him.  Jesus sums up all the Law and Prophets who were before Him had to say.  It is in Him that the final, perfect, and complete revelation of God comes to His people. John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Paul, in Colossians 1:16 points us to Christ as the creator of all things and follows this in Colossians 1:17, giving Him the prerogative of being the infinite sustainer. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 

There is a secret to believing Creation in the Scriptures.  It is believing the Gospel.  The Gospel is the revelation of the Son of God as the risen Redeemer.  The Triune God has chosen to reveal Himself in the Son; miss the Son and miss God; miss God in the Son and Creation is religious foolishness to be dismissed at will.  Millions perish for less.

2/12/26

A MESSAGE TO FRIENDS

I recently had a serious illness with a radical medical treatment.  Life is about change.  The whole experience will mean a great deal of change for me.  What I eat and what I drink has more serious consequences than what I considered before.  I accept the changes as part and parcel of God’s providence and have no complaint.

That said, as I considered writing again, the question was where to start.  This has caused me to examine my approach to Scripture.  Beyond my unyielding commitment to context, what else matters?  As I thought about this I came across some writing from the past in the fly-leaf of a favorite reference book.  I have decided the thoughts there will be my starting place.  These are personal hermeneutical principles and I cannot tell you where I got them.  But I can guarantee you they are not original.  Again, let me say I doubt if I ever have an original thought.  Here I come—ready or not.

1.       Any Biblical fact is to be understood in the context in which it is written.

2.      No Biblical fact should be forced to an understanding of a later revealed truth.

3.      No fact will contradict the context of the author.

4.      No fact will contradict the unity of Biblical Revelation.

5.      Doctrine is important in the order of it’s revelation, ie First is creation.  Nothing is more important than Biblical Creation and the truths it represents.

a.       The most basic relationship of the Mediator to the world is creator, John 1:1-2.

b.      The most basic relationship of man to God is creature to his Creator, Ps. 100:3.

c.       The sin of man is rebellion of the creature against the Creator, Eccles. 7:29.

d.      Salvation is a restoration of man to a right relationship with the Creator,

Heb. 12:22-24.

6.      The unifying theme and dominant principle of Revelation is the Kingdom of God and the relationship of this world to Him as His kingdom, Ps. 9:4, 7-8; 10:16; 22:27-29 and many others.

7.      Revelation consistently describes Kingdom citizens as rebels, false servants, and true servants with the false and true indistinguishable to human understanding, Matt. 24-30.

8.      There are some whom God favors and some whom he disfavors, Gen. 4:2-12;

Rom. 9:13, 18.

9.      Revelation presents mercy and justice as non-contradictory, Ps. 111:1-10.

10.  Revelation presents redemption as an act of Kingship or sovereignty, Gen. 3:15;

Matt. 25:31-46.

I would have it plainly understood I do not believe anyone can do justice to the truth of Scripture beginning with man and looking up.  The Bible presents every truth from God’s perspective, and until the reader sees that view of truth, it will at the best be severely distorted.

My best to you and yours.

Bill

A TRIBUTE....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Revelation 14:13 NJKV

 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

The instructors in the Bible School I attended were a varied and as a whole were a poorly equipped group of men.  But there were a few exceptions and one in particular stood out.  He was a gifted preacher; he was an excellent Bible student and an able instructor; he was a truly spiritual man.  It was my great privilege to be taught, mentored, and befriended by Avery Rogers.

This man was a truly spiritually-minded person.  He was not so heavenly-minded that he was of no earthly good, but it is no exaggeration to commend him as a heavenly-minded person.

There is none that I have ever met who are his equal in spiritual dedication.  I have known Francis Schaeffer, Harvey Conn, and John Sanderson;  and Sanderson is the only person who impressed me in the same way Rogers did.  All the names mentioned were men of whom it can be said “this world’s loss is heaven’s gain”.  I would love to see and hear John Sanderson again.  I miss Avery Rogers.

As an instructor Rogers impressed three pastoral principles on me.

1.      The pastor of the church must be a man of principles.  He must be honest, pure in his friendship with women, free from greed and faithful in his responsibilities.

2.      He must be a worker in the Lord’s vineyard.  Rogers illustrated this by a personal practice.  He said in his first pastorate after completing Southwestern Seminary he was called to a country church.  The members were nearly all farmers.  The lights in their homes came on at 4:00 each morning as they arose early for their day.  Rogers determined that they would not see his home dark.  He arose each morning at the same hour as his parishioners so that they would know the man they paid was not sleeping while they worked to earn his salary.

3.      He was, from the beginning, determined that we should know the value of teaching the whole Bible.  He told us if he ever came to see us he did not want to see Bibles whose pages were only “dirty” in Paul’s Epistles, or even the New Testament only.  I must say that this alone was worth the price of admission.

My grandfather’s sister and my father’s sister both attended the church he pastored.  One didn’t like him.  “He preached too much about sin”.  The other was rather indifferent and would only say, “All I can remember was, he preached too loud.”  Both were true because Avery preached loud and he preached without exception about sin.

But ask my wife what is her favorite sermon she has ever heard and she will tell you “Brother Rogers preaching that great sermon, The Wounds of Christ.  Me too!

THE QUEEN'S BEAUTY AND BLESSING....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 45:14  NIV

In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
 her virgin companions follow her—
 those brought to be with her.

I have in my library a set of books, The Treasury of David, edited and with a large contribution by C.H. Spurgeon.  I want to put an emphasis on the word Treasury.  For it truly is.  I have chosen for today’s thought a quote from Vol. 2, on the 45^th Psalm.  The quote is by a man I do not know and from a book with which I am not familiar.  As you read it decide for yourself whether it deserves a spot in the Treasury.

“Verse 14. The virgins her companions that follow her. These are members of the church, but the figure of a bridal train is employed to sustain the allegory. What bright train the Royal Bride will have as she goes forth to meet the Bridegroom! King's daughters will be there, for every crowned head on earth shall one day bow at the foot of the cross. The daughter of Tyre shall be there—Tyre, the ancient emporium of the nations—to show that the merchandise of the world shall be holiness from the Lord. The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Jews and Gentiles will be there—representatives from all peoples, and tongues, and nations. They are virgins. They keep themselves unspotted from the world. They are weaned from its idols; they dread its contaminations. Their first care is to preserve the whiteness of their souls by daily washing in the blood of the Lamb...They follow the royal Bride. They keep by her side in storm and sunshine. They follow her in the regeneration. They follow her in the search after her Beloved. They follow her to the green pastures and the still waters. They follow her without the camp bearing his reproach. Like Ruth, they leave father and mother to follow her. Ru 1:16. Like Caleb, they follow the Lord fully. When a crisis comes, and the question, "Who is on the Lord's side?" involves heavy issues, and hollow hearted professors fly away like swallows before the storm, they follow her. When persecution comes, and Christ's faithful witnesses have to prophesy clothed in sackcloth, and perhaps to pass through a baptism of blood to the crown, they follow her: like Peden, when—the bloodhounds of persecution in full chase after him, and the lone moor his home—he thought of Richard Cameron gone to glory, and sighed "Oh, to be with Richie!" Duncan Macgregor, M.A., in "The Shepherd of Israel; or, Illustrations of the Inner Life," 1869.”

The Treasury of David Vol. II, C.H. Spurgeon, pg 874.

WHO HE WAS; IS; AND WILL BE, GOD THE SON....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Hebrews 1:8-9  NIV

⁸ But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
    by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

A Psalm is guaranteed to be Messianic when it is quoted with Messianic intent in the New Testament.  In Hebrews 1:8-9 the subject of Psalm 45 is identified as the Messiah and all the description of Him in Hebrews 1:5-13 is applied to this same person.  The quote in Hebrews one is very close to being exact with that in Psalm 45-6-7.

There are three features in these two verses which are of great interest.  The first is the title given to Him, “O God”, the second is the nature of His kingdom, “justice and righteousness”, the third is exaltation above all humanity, “God…has set you above your companions.”

1.       Whoever doubts the deity of Christ must deal with Psalm 45:6 and Hebrews 1:8.  The subject of this context is found in both the Old and New Testament.  We can find help from both sides of Biblical Study; from the Old Testament we shall use James May, a contemporary who was a professor at Union Theological Seminary in Va. who was a Moderate Presbyterian.  For the New Testament we use the study written by Phillipe Hughes who was teaching at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, and is a Conservative Anglican.  Both of these men are excellent teachers.  I use both of their books extensively.  Mays with some caution, Hughes with confidence.  Hughes has contributed extensively to Church literature.  Whatever his subject, you will find it both interesting and a valuable help.

A.     Mays states the following on the Vocative, O God.  The Psalm is not only an unusual and extravagant complement; it is unique in addressing the king with the title “god.”  After some discussion of how this designation can be understood to avoid deity he concludes, “But ‘elohim’ does seem to be the limits of adoration of a human king in a religion by the principle of “no other god.”  Interpretation Psalms, Luther James Mays, pg 181.

If this was all we know about the statement in VS 6 we might well accept May’s conclusion.  But it

is not.  We have the Inspired New Testament author of Hebrews in 1:8 who interprets it for us. 

B.      Now let us look at Hughes speaking of the contrast between the preceding verses and VS 8, he writes “The former describes the subservient position of the angels, whereas here the everlasting sovereignty of the Son is declared in words taken from Psalm 45.”  Hebrews Phillip Edgcumbe  Hughes, pg 63.

2.       The nature of His Kingdom is to be justice and righteousness.

Mays:  The king is a mighty warrior who defends the cause of truth and right and defeats his enemies.”  He is “dedicated to the support of righteousness and opposition to wickedness.”  Ibid, pg 180

Hughes:  These and the other messianic passages that we have cited indicate also how appropriately the declaration, the righteous scepter is the scepter of thy kingdom, is applied to the incarnate and exalted Son.  The everlasting rule of the son is marked by absolute justice and equity, whereas even in the best of human dominions there is some admixture of injustice and discrimination

3.       The third truth of this text is His exaltation above all humanity.  Mays:  He by and large passes over this truth in the Psalm.  But he does write:  “The writer of the letter to the Hebrews found in the worrisome lines of verses 6-7 precisely the language to speak of the person and office of the Son of God (Heb. 1:8-9)  Guided by these directives, Christians have traditionally understood the psalm as a song of the love between Christ and his church.  This interpretation is also a safeguard against attributing the divine right of rule to any other save Christ, in whose hands it is utterly safe.” Ibid. pg 182

Hughes:

“The main reason for the introduction of this quotation here is to underline the contrast between the royal and eternal office of the divine Son and subservient function of the angels.”

If above the angels which I must agree is the intent of the text, then it is certainly above all humanity.

Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Fair is the sunshine,
Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast.

All fairest beauty, heavenly and earthly,
Wondrously, Jesus, is found in Thee;
None can be nearer, fairer or dearer,
Than Thou, my Savior, art to me.

Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor, praise, adoration,
Now and forever more be Thine.

Munster Gesangbuch, 1677

THE GLORY OF MESSIAH....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 45:2-6  NIV

² You are the most excellent of men
    and your lips have been anointed with grace,
    since God has blessed you forever.

³ Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
    clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously
    in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
    let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
⁵ Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
    let the nations fall beneath your feet.
⁶ Your throne, O God,^[c] will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

The judicious Calvin, as I have read, allowed that only those Psalms quoted in the New Testament as Messianic were to be treated as Messianic Psalms.  This seems a safe way to understand those ancient writings.  This degree of conservatism became unpopular in the 18^th century and has been nearly forgotten in our time.  Be that as it may, the 45^th Psalm is accepted by all Evangelicals as a Messianic Psalm.

This assures us that we receive real truth about the Person and Work of the Messiah in such a Psalm.  The New Testament will give us no information about Messiah that does not agree with and confirm the Psalmist.  So whatever truth is found in the 45^th Psalm will be true about Messiah as He is the deliverer of God’s people.

The translation used is the NIV.  It is not my favorite, though my copy is the translation completed in about 1972 and I find it very helpful particularly in the Old Testament.  This Psalm is one of the Old Testament examples of the accuracy of translation.

There are 4 principle truths in this passage.  When these truths are recognized the Person and Work of Christ becomes increasingly clear.  They are:

1.       VS 2  The excellence of Messiah is declared and that in the superlative degree.  Two results of His excellence is named.

a. His speech is gracious, Luke 4:14-15, 17-22.  However angry His auditors would become, the fulfillment of Scripture and their attestation had already been given to the grace and authority of His words.

b.  He, in all He did, is blessed or accredited by God and that forever.  Christ failed in nothing He did; attempted anything He did not complete; taught anything that was not absolute truth.  He, as He said of Himself, always pleased the Father.

     2.   VS 3  Messiah is a warrior King.

a.  His armor is complete.  He has all the equipment He needs to guarantee His victory.  In Revelation 19:15 this sword is seen coming from His mouth and subduing His enemies.  He is the mighty conqueror.

b.  His armor, described so perfectly in Revelation 1, is perfect to protect Him and overwhelm His enemies.  The description in Psalm 45 is “splendor and majesty.”  In the words of Scripture and the hymns of the church, His majesty is overwhelming.

   3.  VS 4  Messiah does not enter the list with any doubt in the outcome.  Just as He comes in majesty (His 

         birth and His baptism), He comes victoriously.  When on the cross the world saw a condemned and  

        defeated revolutionary, God displayed his victory banner in Messiah’s atoning sacrifice.

            a.  Messiah’s kingdom is described in its boundaries, truth, humility, and righteousness.

In the beatitudes kingdom nature conduct is described.  In Matt. 6:33 the guarantee of Kingdom provision is announced.  But note the qualification, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness.”

b.  Who can count His deeds.  It is enough to exclaim with John,  21:25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

    4.  VSS 5-6  Messiah’s Kingdom is guaranteed to have success and longevity.

            a.  The King has enemies and they will be defeated.  Phil. 2:10-11 ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.    The absolute Lordship of Messiah is stated.  It has been well said that all, each and every soul, will bow to the resurrected Christ.  Some by grace and some by judgment--but all shall bow.

Let me complete this by stating without doubt and emphatically Jesus’ Kingdom is not waiting.  He came into the world as King and He has never been less than that.  As He was King first in the stable, then King upon the Cross, he now reigns as absolute monarch of all at the Father’s right hand. 

Even so, “Come Lord Jesus.”

THE BEAUTY OF THE SAVIOR....Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Psalm 45:2  NKJV

You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever..

Those of you who have known me for a while know of my love for the Psalms.  Through the years as I have become more familiar with them my appreciation has increased as the joy I have in them has abounded.

I love Psalm One.  The 23^rd Psalm is for me both a theological masterpiece and a practical amazement.  I love Psalm 51, and Psalm 73 is for me a friend, counselor, and my resting place in discouragement.  And I cannot complete this small survey without mentioning Psalm 96 and 99.  They need no recommendation.

But for beauty, theology, and descriptive literature--both prophetic and practical--there is no equal to Psalm 45.  This without doubt is a Messianic Psalm.  As a lover of Scripture it does not matter if you subscribe to fewer or a greater number of Messianic Psalms this one makes the list.

Verse one is An alert to us what is to come.  The author “boils” with his subject and his desire to address it.  He has difficulty holding it in.  The subject threatens to boil over as he considers it.

In verse two we find him beginning an extensive description of his subject.  There are three grand statements made.  Any one of them is adequate for an extensive study.  But briefly: 

1.  You are fairer (more beautiful) than the sons of men.  Very rarely were Hebrew men handsome.  It is so unusual that whenever it is so, attention is drawn to that person, such as David’s unusual comeliness.  So this must not be taken to mean physical beauty.  The person described as “fair” in this way would be one with natural features that did not draw attention to defects, one that had the charisma that lights up a room, and a personality that displayed his equity and amiable disposition.  This one described in Psalm 45 had this “fair” quality in a superlative degree, above that of the natural male population.  As the kings of Israel were all “sons of men”, this is something other than a normal quality.  The humanity of Christ should not ever be considered separate from his superlative natural beauty.
2. Grace is poured upon your lips.  This can mean nothing less than he was endowed with a superlative measure of grace in his speech.  Those who heard Jesus speak we are told “listened gladly.”  His enemies said of Him, “no man ever spoke as this man”.  I have a red letter Bible that I use frequently.  I did not choose it, it was given to me.  I would rather not have Christ’s words set apart because all the words of Scripture are there by God’s choice.  But you cannot tell me that there is not something different in His words.  They marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.  We should marvel also at the grace beyond measure which was poured into His lips.
3. Therefore God has blessed you forever.  Calvin translated “therefore” as “because”.  He understood the “beauty” and “grace” to have a cause, God had blessed Him.  He went on to say these qualities, His beauty and gracious speech, were ample reasons to understand His special standing with God.

This would mean we should understand that in Himself and His words He is come as our mediator.  This is His commitment to bring us to God.  He is well fitted to do this.