Correspondence: Heb. 10:25; Hab. 3:3; Iniquity, Transgression, Sin; Genealogoes

From: Correspondence

From: Young Christian: Volume 5, 1915

• 2 min. read • grade level: 6

Ques. 124. Does Heb. 10:25²⁵Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25) mean the Lord's coming for us, or the day of judgment?

M. T. K.

Ans. Hebrews looks on to God's eternal kingdom. It is in view of it, and God's judgment on every false way. (Chapter 12:28, 29.)

Ques. 125. Please explain: "God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran." Hab. 3:3³God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. (Habakkuk 3:3). M. B.

Ans. Deut. 3:2²And the Lord said unto me, Fear him not: for I will deliver him, and all his people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, which dwelt at Heshbon. (Deuteronomy 3:2) would show us that there were places where God came forth to deliver His people from their enemies. (See also Obad. 1:9-14⁹And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. ¹⁰For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. ¹¹In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. ¹²But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. ¹³Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; ¹⁴Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. (Obadiah 9‑14).) The prophet encourages Israel by this to trust in Jehovah.

Ques. 126. What is the difference between "iniquity," "transgression" and "sin"? Have we all iniquity? M. B.

Ans. Iniquity is self-will and unrighteousness.

Transgression is breaking the law.

Sin is offense against God.

We have all sinned against God, but we may say, as in Isa. 53:6⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6), "Jehovah hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Ques. 127. Why are the genealogies in Matthew and Luke different? P. H.

Ans. The difference will be better understood by considering the subject of each gospel.

Matthew presents the Lord Jesus as heir of the promises and heir of the throne of Israel. To be this he must have a legal title by His birth through Joseph, who was the natural heir to the throne. So Matthew's gospel gives Joseph's geneology, who was the husband of Mary; this gave Jesus the title as Joseph's Son.

In Luke the Lord is presented as Son of man. Jesus was of the royal lineage of David, but was only supposed to be the Son of Joseph. Matt. 1:20²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:20) and Luke 1:35³⁵And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35) show His miraculous conception by the Holy Ghost. We must find therefore the actual geneology in Luke. Mary, therefore, was of David's line, but through Nathan, not Solomon; from there the line is different. Now Joseph, the supposed father of Jesus, was not the son of Heli, but was the son of Jacob (Matt. 1:16¹⁶And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:16)). So we must leave out the words in Italics and read: Jesus.... was of Heli, of Matthat, of Levi (etc.),... of Adam, of God. Jesus was of all these.

From David's sons the line varies because the one is Joseph's and the other Mary's geneology.

Mark presents the Lord as the Son of God as Servant, so begins when His service begins, with no geneology.

John presents Him as Son of God, the eternal Word, who was with God and was God. God has no beginning, no parentage.

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