Ques. Can we apply the truth of Song of {s 22221}Solomon 5:22I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. (Song of Solomon 5:2), "I sleep, but my heart waketh" to saints now? Is it like Rev. 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)? A. M.
Ans. Such scriptures picture declension of soul, getting asleep in the world. Christ has not the place He once had in her affections, but she has no comfort, is restless and unhappy. The Lord is knocking at her door. Twinges of remorse and pain mix with her so-called pleasures. She has lost the enjoyment of His love. She may be sure of salvation, but she has no joy in it. He calls, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from among the dead, and Christ shall shine upon thee." Eph. 5:1414Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. (Ephesians 5:14).
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him," will give My sympathy and help in his things, "and he shall sup with Me." "I will give him to enjoy what I enjoy"; and to feed and delight with Christ in all the Father's love, and in all that He is to the Father.
Ques. Did God say, when He created everything, that it was very good? Did God bless His creatures and man, and then curse them; and make the ground bring forth thorns and thistles? Did He put away man forever, and cause him to return to dust? How can Matt. 24:3535Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Matthew 24:35), be true? P. G.
Ans. When God created everything, all He did was very good (Gen. 1:3131And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31)). He blessed the animals (ver. 22), and man (ver. 28). So it remained till man's sin ruined God's fair creation, it broke God's rest, and God commenced to work again to bring in a new creation that will glorify Him, and be the display of His character, where sin can never come in to spoil it (John 1:29; 5:1529The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
15The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole. (John 5:15); Rev. 21:1-71And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21:1‑7)).
God cursed the serpent, and for him there is nothing but eternal judgment (Gen. 3:1414And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: (Genesis 3:14); Matt. 25:4141Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41); Rev. 12:9; 20:109And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)
10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)). God also cursed the ground for man's sake, so that it produced thorns and thistles, and gave the man hard work to gain his living (Gen. 3:17-1917And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. (Genesis 3:17‑19)). Also God cursed Cain, the one who rejected God's testimony, and would not hearken to God's pleading, and murdered the just one; a type of the Jew who rejected and killed Christ, and deliberately departed from God (Gen. 4:5-165But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? 10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 13And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. 16And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (Genesis 4:5‑16)).
This wickedness of Cain's line went on to the flood, which God sent to destroy them all. But though God repented that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart (Gen. 6:5, 65And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. (Genesis 6:5‑6)), He always made provision for repentant sinners who believed on Him, and He found a ransom for them (Job 33:2424Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. (Job 33:24)). Thus He ever seeks their salvation (Psa. 90:33Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. (Psalm 90:3)). Man, as such, is lost, but God calls him to return, and be saved.
There are no promises to Adam as head of a fallen race; all are made to Christ (Gal. 3:1616Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. (Galatians 3:16); 2 Cor. 1:2020For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. (2 Corinthians 1:20)). God let Adam hear the curse He pronounced on the serpent, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise His heel." On hearing that, Adam realized that a Savior was to be of the woman's seed, Who would destroy Satan's, the old serpent's power. In doing this, He would Himself need to suffer (Heb. 2:14, 1514Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14‑15)). Precious truth that Christ would suffer and die for sinners. Though Adam's body became mortal and went to dust, the Lord tells us that all, both saved and unsaved, will rise again in bodies that will never die. The saved to be in glory with Christ forever; and the unsaved to be cast into the lake of fire, to suffer torment forever (John 5:28, 2928Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. (John 5:28‑29); Rev. 20:15; 21:815And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)).
When Adam heard God's sentence on the serpent, and of the coming Savior, he used it as a promise, and called his wife's name Eve, which means, the mother of all living, and that showed his faith in God's word. Both of them were believers, and God made coats of skins and clothed them. This was grace, and those coats of skins were types of Christ, the righteousness of God put upon the believer, like the robe put upon the prodigal (Luke 15). See 2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) for our best robe obtained through Christ's sacrifice. Yet Adam was driven out of the garden, and a flaming sword kept the way of the tree of life, lest man should eat of it and be forever a sinner.
The earthly, paradise is gone forever, but when heaven and earth shall pass away, God's word shall still stand (24: 35), and be fulfilled, for there will be a new heavens and a new earth, full of redeemed people, where sin can never come, where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:1313Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13); Rev. 21:1-71And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21:1‑7)).
All taint of sin shall be removed;
All evil done away,
Where saints shall dwell with God's Beloved
Through God's eternal day.
Do You Know the Lord?
The Lord abhors the pretensions to goodness which man is so ready to entertain, but delights to unveil the beauty and simplicity of His grace to the humble soul.
One Lord's day evening a preacher, who had been speaking of Christ to a small company in a room, was asked to speak to a middle-aged man, who remained after the service had closed. He had listened attentively throughout the evening, and now his face wore a troubled expression.