Correspondence

From: Young Christian: Volume 19, 1929

Correspondence: JOS 4:1, 9; Jews vs. Christians; 1 CH 21:1-17; MAL 4:2; 1 COR 5:5

Ecclesiastes 9:5 • 4 min. read • grade level: 6

Question: What does Joshua 4:1-9¹And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, ²Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, ³And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. ⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: ⁵And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: ⁶That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? ⁷Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. ⁸And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. ⁹And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day. (Joshua 4:1‑9) teach us? T. H.

Answer: Read chapters 3 and 4. Jordan river is another type of the death of Christ.

At the Red Sea we saw all our enemies dead on the seashore. Our sins all gone.

At Jordan we see Christ’s and our death with Him.

In the stones taken out we have a memorial, a constant reminder that we came up out of that death.

In the stones put in by Joshua, is a picture that our old, man was crucified with Christ, and is now to be seen no longer.

God sees us now “in Christ,” risen with Christ, and Christ in us in the life He has given us (Col. 3:1-4¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ²Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. ³For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1‑4)). We are therefore to mortify (keep in the place of death) the members, of the old man (Col. 3:5⁵Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:5)).

Question: What is, the difference between the Jew in Romans 2:18¹⁸And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; (Romans 2:18), “approving the things that are more excellent,” and the Christians in Philippians 1:10¹⁰That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; (Philippians 1:10) doing the same thing? J. T. G.

Answer: The Apostle is convicting the Jew, having the knowledge of the law, of breaking the law, and was therefore under its curse (Rom. 3:9, 19, 20⁹What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; (Romans 3:9)
¹⁹Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19‑20); Gal. 3:10¹⁰For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (Galatians 3:10); Matt. 5:20²⁰For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:20)).

In Philippians 1:10¹⁰That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; (Philippians 1:10) the Apostle is praying for the spiritual progress of the saints in Christ Jesus, that is, all believers in Christ Jesus, that their love might abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment: that they might approve things that are excellent, or, try things that differ (margin); that they might be sincere before God, and without offense before men, till the day of Christ, and thus be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

The first is convincing the Jews of their transgression, and thus showing their need of the Saviour.

The second is encouraging the Christians to abound in love yet more and more, as the only way, to gain true knowledge, and to glorify God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Question: What was King David’s sin in numbering the people who were under him? He said, “These poor sheep what have they done?” Why did the Lord then judge the people? (1 Chron. 21:1-17¹And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. ²And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. ³And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? ⁴Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. ⁵And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. ⁶But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab. ⁷And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. ⁸And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. ⁹And the Lord spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying, ¹⁰Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. ¹¹So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee ¹²Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. ¹³And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man. ¹⁴So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. ¹⁵And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. ¹⁶And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces. ¹⁷And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued. (1 Chronicles 21:1‑17)). J. E.

Answer: God is holy, and judges sin, and will ever do so sooner or later in all parts of His universe. On the ground of the work of Christ, redemption comes in for all who are broken and contrite of heart before Him.

2 Samuel 24:1¹And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah. (2 Samuel 24:1) tells us that the people were also guilty, and that David’s sin was also their sin. We may not understand what God is doing now. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Question: Please explain Malachi 4:3³And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4:3). A. V.

Answer: Malachi is prophesying of the restoration of Israel, and of the judgment of their enemies. It is judgment of nations on earth.

Question: “The dead know not anything” (Eccl. 9:5⁵For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. (Ecclesiastes 9:5)). Is this so? F. V.

Answer: Ecclesiastes tells us what is “under the sun.” Eternal issues are seen in the New Testament, as in Luke 16:19-31¹⁹There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: ²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; ²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. ²⁴And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. ²⁵But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. ²⁶And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. ²⁷Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: ²⁸For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. ²⁹Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. ³⁰And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. ³¹And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:19‑31). What fools men are, trying to persuade their minds that there is no judgment. But the Word of God is plain, and enduring, and everyone must give an account to God, and everyone will need to bear the judgment of his own sins, unless he comes to “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Reader, do not quibble or reason! Come to the Saviour. Come as you are. Come today. Harden not your hearts.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Heb. 2:3³How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)).

Question: Can an assembly deliver a person unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus? (1 Cor. 5:5⁵To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:5)). E. M.

Answer: No. It needed apostolic authority to do that. The gathering’s simple duty when evil comes in, is to put away from among themselves that wicked person. That is obedience to the Word (1 Cor. 5:13¹³But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (1 Corinthians 5:13)).

Question: Does 1 Corinthians 5:5⁵To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:5) apply to saints? P. A.

Answer: Yes. 1 Corinthians 5:5⁵To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:5) refers to God’s discipline on His sinful child who was living in fornication. We see that he was restored, after he repented and judged his sin (2 Cor. 2:7⁷So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. (2 Corinthians 2:7).11, and 7:10, 11).

In 1 Timothy 1:20²⁰Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:20) we find two that made shipwreck of their faith, and lost their good conscience and became blasphemers. The Apostle delivered them unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme. This was in both instances the act of God by the Apostle. When the assembly puts away a wicked person, it is their simple duty (1 Cor. 5:13¹³But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person. (1 Corinthians 5:13)), but they do not deliver the person to Satan.

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