 VOLUME   X X I                                       M A R C H   1 ,   1 9 4 5                                   NUMBER 11

                                                                 because he bath  poured out his soul unto death : and he
         MED,I,TATION                                            `was numbered witli the transgressors ; and he bare the
                                                                 sin of many, and made  intercession for the transgres-
                                                                 sors." Isa.. 53 : 10-12.
                                                                     Then! . z . .
          Interceding. On IThe Cross                                 0, if exacily  at that moment, and because of the  =
                                                                 character of that moment, this intercession had not
                                                                 been possible 
                     Aad  w&en they were come to the place,                            ; or if the Captain of  `our salvation had
                                                                 found that moment too terrible, too abounding with
              wlhich  is caUed  Cab&r-y,  theye they cru&ied8    evil and hatred and malice, to pray for the very trans-
              .him, atid the malefactors,  one on the "right     gressors that so filled tha.t moment; all would have
              hand, and the other 0~. the-Feft.  .Then  said
                                                                 been lost !-
           Jesus, Father, frorgive  {hem;  for they know                                                                   ,
              noit wh,at they do.            Luke 2?3:33,34.         But now, this intercession, for. these transgressors,
                                                                 and ,at this moment4  proves  it,,salvation  is, indeed, pos-
  T&e&,!  . . . .                                                .&ble
     Signi,ficant  moment                                                  !    W,hat  is. impossible with men is possible_ wiih
                              !                                  `God
    ,Then,  at that particular moment, said Jesus, Father                 !
                                                                    -`The Jove,  of God is more powerful than all the
forgive them, for they know not `what they do!         '         hatred of men!
    ,Precisely  then He made intercession for the trans-                                                          _
g r e s s o r s !                                                    Now, it is become evident through thirs.  very inter-
     An,d that, even at that moment, such intercession           oession  at this moment, that `this Capbain  is capable
wa.s at all possible, that there was evea  at that moment,       to lead His brethren from the dqths  of sin ,and- ,death
and for the transgression that was committed then,               on to the heights of eternal righteousness and heavenly
a ground. for intercession, so that it nrlight be accepted       glory !
by the Father,-that `is the mystery of the atonement,                He is the most meek among men!

and ,of  the  salvation of ?che elect!                               Meeker even.than  Moses ! Where Moses failed, He
     That He, Jesus, the Captain of the salvation of His         capkies right on ! For, even though also of the medi-
bre`thren,  through Whom i$ pleased the Father to l'ead          ator  of the Old Testament it could be said in his day
many children to glory, was strong enough to utter               that he was more meek than any man, at the crucial
this intercessory prayer precisely at this moment, that          moment he failed: in hot  a,nger  he became impatient
`was His yictory  ! For even now, .at the moment of His          with his brethren, struck the rock, *called the Church
crucifixion, He ,began  to s&e  H&Y seed. And exactly            a crowd of rebels, and Was un'willing  to give them
this prayer rev&s beyond a shed'ow  of -doubt that,              drink ! Add he himself cou1.d not lead his bsethren  into
although He,submerges  in death, even the death of the           the promised yesi.          But this Man, having arrived at,
cross, He shall pr&ong  His days, and "t&e  pleasure of          the most crucial momelit  of His work does not fail.
the Lord shall prosper in His hand."         He shall s!ee of    When all looks clark,  when all hands are turned against
the travail of His soul, iand even at this moment he ,!s         Him, when His own re  jetted  Him, when it appears
assured of it. He shall jushify many, for He bears               as if the very elect. have- been swallow'ed  up by the
their iniquitiea, and He is quite conscious of it at this        hatred of the world,-then He made intercession fo!
moment, and willing to bear `that terrible burden  `even         the transgressors !
io th& end-. `God will "divide him a portion with the                T h e n ! . . . .
great, la.!& he shall divide the spoil tith the  strong;             0, let not the simplicity of the record induce you  t3


                238                                    T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A B E R                                                  u         c

                overlook the tremendous import of this indication of                          nought, pressed the thorny crown on His brow, scours-
                the. exact time of this interoossion!                           ..`,'
                                                               ,                              ed Him, <demanded that l%rabI+s be released rather
                       It was "`when they were come to the place,  which                      than He, obtained from the R,oman ,governor  the Ben-
                is called Calvary."                                                           tence of death against Him, and had led  Him away to
                       It was when they had crucified with Him "the male-                     be crucified ! : , . .
                factors, one on His right hand, and the other on the  -                         So they, Jesus and His enemies, Jesus and the whk
                left."                                                                        world, Jesus and we as we are of that  world by nature,
                       Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them!,                                came to the place which is called Calvary!
                       For they know not what they do                                            And there they finished their evil work!
                                                         !
                It means complete victory !                                              j      There they crucified Him!
                       The victory of the cross!                                                 There they numbered Him with the transgressors,
                                                                                              and clearly expressed this their intention by placing

                                                                                              His cross in the mi.dst  of two others, of two criminals,

                       Tremendous moment !                                                    one at His right, and the other at His left!
           I           ,They vfiere  come to the place, which is called Cal-                      That ,was  the moment !
                vary ! They, that is, Jesus and His ,enemies  ! But let                          But is not this, then, the  en,d ?
                us rather at once include ourselves as we are of this                            Is not the very character of this moment such that
                world by nature : Jesus aed we had come to the Place I it has become for ever impossible to make intercession
                of the Skull!                                                                 for the transgressors?
     -           And, 0, `we and He had not just come there, as if                               Is it not precisely  impossible for t%s Mlan, the only
                it were a mere incident.      It did not simply happen, we                    One from Whose lips intercession for the transgres-
                know not how, that He and we came to that place.                              sors might be expected, to pray for  these transgressors,
                No : we had led Him thither ! And the way He and we that have thus come to the placeO'which is called Cal-
                travelled,  together to that horrible place of the death                 vary, and there have filled the measure of i.niquity  by
                of the Son of God, is one terrible testimony against                          crucifying the Son of GodI?
                us, a horriblxe  testimony of our sin, of our hatred of                       H a r k ! . . . .

                God an,d His anointed!                                                           Then ,said  Jesus! . . . .
                       For that they now came to the place that was called                       When these transgressors have thus travelled the

                Calvary, was but the inevitable outcome of their whole                   .way of iniquity to the very end, and have accomplished
                attitude against Him for the last three  yeans.            He had             all their furious hatred against Him. .  i .

                come unto His own, a,nd  His own received Him not.                             l%en He sai:d : Father,, forgive ! . . . _          ~
           .He  had revealed Himself among them, had spoken to                                   Awful paradox !`
                thsem  as the revelation- of the Father, the Light of the
          I world, the Bread an'd Water #of life, the Resurrection                               Marvellous love!
                and the Life, the Way ,and  the Truth.              And they ha.d                What is impossi.ble with men, is possible with God!
                loved Idarkness  rather than `light. They had opposed                            Nay more t man's impossibility is the precise mo-
                Him, hardened their hearts against Him, filled Him                       ment of the revelation of God's efficient power!
                with reproach, contradicted Him, land  repeatedly they                           For look again, and you will discover that this cross
                had sought some occasion against Him to condemn                               is more than man's cross: it is also God's.     It is more
                Him to death, or even attempted to lay thteir  hands on                  tian the expression of man's hatred: it is also the
                Him to kill Him.                                                         revelation of God's love.
                 And now, they were, come to-the place which was                                 They came to the place which is called Calvary be-
                called Calvary !                                      a                  cause the enemiles  led Him thither, to be sure; but no
                   In the direction <of that place they had constantly                   less b&cause  He sought that place, and voluntarily sur-
           moved!                                                                        rendered Himself into their power, .in order `that there

                   hd especially during th'e last *few hours they had                    He might lay `down His life for His sheep!
           moved with almost inconceivable speed. Madly they                                     Look again, and does it not strike you that they have
           .had rushed-on! For, accor,ding  to Mtark,  it was only                       come to the place which is called Calvary?           10, we are
           the third hour of the day ! The last stretch of the way not particularly interested in the question how this
           to' Calvary had been literally covered with iniquity.                         ,little  hill outside' of Jerueajlem  had acquired that pe-
          They had taken Him captive in the garden, led Him                              ,culiar  name : place of the Skull. But the point is that
           to Annas,  assembled the council in the hollow of the                         it is outside of Jerusalem, or as the Word of God in
.          night, sought accusations against Him in vain, con-                           Hebrews 13 :12 remin,ds us, "without the gate." And
           demned Him to. death, maltreated Him in their fury,                           that means that there on Calvary, is the final realiza-
           blindfolded., buffeted, mocked Him, spit in His face ; tion of the sacrifice of atonement that, was wont to be
           they had led Him- to Pilate! to Herod,  put Him to                            offered annually in the Holy City, For it was the


                                             TH'E,, :sT'ANDA~_`D-,B.~,A:Ri.E:k                                                                                  `ii39
                                       __--.__:


 "bodies of those. beasts, whose blood  i&ought into                       this moment He still- knows that ,He, is not done, and
                                                                           that the Father  is'_&*:.H,`&
the sanctuary by the high priests for sin," that were

burned without the camp !             (, p.~.                                  Father ! ; i .- ,. :i,:. : - .                                `Z
     ' He came to the place which is cahed  Calvary, for                       My Father, and Father' of, them for whom I die,
now we'see  only ZWZ, ais our High Priest, to take upon                    and in whose.  behal&  .I. intercede ! (.., :
Him all the sins of all His people, then to shed His                           Forgive!  . :: ::'

blood for them, oarry  it into the real Holy of Holics                         0, to ,be sure;`.although  this is not'mentioned in the

before the face of the Father and have the body of sin                     prayer, the sin for the forgiveness of which He pleads
completely destroyed without the camp 1 ci * J .`.                         is; particuBa.rly,  the'awful transgre&ion  of'the i-&n&tit.

      O,* thes  it is inde.ed  possible to say : Father, forgive !         But let us not forget that this is the climax~!$`:the
      Look again, and ldo you not remember the signifi-                    depth of all sin.      In the, death, thef  utter, rejection. of
cance of the death of the cross? They crucified Him!                       the .Son .of  ,God,  the sin of -man:.&  the world:lr;becdmes
And, to be sure, the cross in itself means,  not,hing. .A                  fully manifest as sin.             If this sin is not forgiven,. no
thousand crosses had, perhaps, stood  `on that- same                       sin is remitted ; if there~ is forgiveness for this horr.ible
place. And even at this moment  therle  are two other                      deed, there is remission of all sinK+..                                    . ;:i p.1
crosses planted next to His.         But as ,God.`s cross, `this               Forgive !                                         ; :                 ..: .t;*: ?:`
cross of Jesus has the significance I God put `into. it :                    -.. The word lmust be taken inits Ifull significance; ? It
,Cursed  is every one that hangeth on a t&e! -He bears                     does not mean':' postpone judgment; that tl$yyri&y  l$ve
the curse, the expression of the ivrath  of God~.~against                  another trial:'    It isigrilifies : iniput2.$ot  !I;,: I@kdhi  `not
sin, not His own, but the sin of .His brethren. i: He.  is                 this sin, the most ~~~~~Ie..nianifest~~ion.of~`~jn,                        al1. sin,
the Lamb.of  Go,d  that taketh away the sin of thve &orld!                 against them!        Let me:  .$ie for this~.sin;  for all their
      But then He may and surely must say: Father; for-                    sin, and, let them be'treated  as if th$`.never  committed
give i                                                          !. ~ .i
            ,                                                        .!    this. sin, any sin! I Let these transgressors `be'~clothed
      Look again, land  you will `discover that He willingly . `with eternal, righteousness, that even, as I_.die,_.so  they
and consciously tastes all there is in  ,death:  For, Mat-                 .:my  live in. Thy-  sight!. _L-;;L .                   -_                 _...
                                                                                                                                -; :yi-_j...
thew records how they offered Him*the  anaesthetic,                           Forgive !               ..I 7 :,,.-71
vinegar mixed with gall, that was prepared. for simh                           For they~ kn.ow not what they do !                               '
occasions by some -humane ladies' society in Jerusalem';                       0, not as if their ignorance could be a' growtd  for
but He would n,ot  Idrink it.       For He must not simply                 their forgiveness, for that may be found only in the
die : He must taste death ; all there is of wrath and #death of that Son of God ! Nor as if they Idid. not con-
desollation,  of divine righteousness and justice and holi-                sciously and knowingly rejeot  the Righteous One : they
ness, He must experience, willingly, obediently, in the                    knew that they sinneld,  and that they delivered Him in
loveofGo.d!...*.                                                           their hatred. But they did not know the mystery of
      But then He brought the perfect sacrifice!-                    -:    that cross. They did not understand that from that
      Them that cross, man's impossibility, is God's  .power               accursed tree floWed,  .even  then, the blood of atone-
of salvation !                                                             ment.    Had they known that, they woulld  have despised
.     And the crucified Ode may intercede for the trans-                   the blood of the New Testament, and-there would have
gressors !                                                                 been no sacrifice for sin left  for them.                     Now, forgive-
      Thm, precisely then, He may say : Fathler,  forgive !                ness was possible through the very blood  th,ey  shed!
                                                          .,
      Anld intercede He does!                                                  Forgive!            ' .._ ' _ `\ :

     Amazing .love !                                                           Forgive thesmm!
                                                                             .wllo?

                                                                               A certain ,class? The soldiers that hammered the
      Father, forgive them !                                               spikes through His hands and feet? Pilate that had.
      Brief intercession, but every `word of which is more                 conbdemned  Him?       The leaders that haid delivered Him?
than full to oalpacity  with significance..                                The people that had demanded His blood? But no  !
      ~Still,  the crucified One addresses Go,d  as Fathey!                The prayer of our Lord transcends all classes!
Presently, He will descend into that darkness of  idesola-                     All men? Impossible! Jesus prays not for the
ticm.  .in which He experiences all the agony of being                     "`worl,d."  Besides, His prayer is surely hear,d.  Yet,
forsaken of God.          And in the amazement of that                     all men Iare  not forgiven!
moment it woulld  seem thfat  the Father's face is hid                         His own! His `children, as they are in, and` by
from Him, though He still cries out: "My God, my                           nature of,' that worlld  that crucified Him!
IGodc!"    Soon after that darkest moment He once more                     .., For them H,e prayed, and still intercedes with the
ascends out of the #depth. into the light of the. Father's                 F a t h e r !                               -`, .
countenance, and, conscious that all is finished, com-                        Sure ground of hope!
mends His Spirit into the Father's hands, Here,  at                                                                    . .               I H. H:
                                                                                                         r


i240                                                                                                                  TILE  S T A N D A R D  BE_`AREiX                                                                                       ~




                                                                                                                                                                                                                     - EDITORIAL!3
        Semi-Monthly, except Monthly  in July and  August

                                                                 P           u           b          l         i        s          h          e          d                       b          y

                  The Reformed Freq  Publishing Associatiq,

                                              946 Sigsbee  Stree,  S. E.                                                                                                                                            The Text ,of a ;Complaint
                                 EDIToR  - Rev. II. Hoeksema

  dontributing :&tore-Revs.  J. Blankqpor,  A. Cammenga,                                                                                                                                                      The first point of the compltiint  concerns the doc-
  $$.. De, Bo.er,  J. D. de Jqng,  H. :D;e Wolf, L. Doqzema,                                                                                                                                               trine of the incomprehensibility of ,Go.d.
  .tiI `&&&s,  C. Hanka,  B. K6k,  G. Lbbbers,  G. M. Ophoff,                                                                                                                                                 The complainarits  first rather elaborat&ly  explain
  A.`"&&er,  M. S hi
                                         c        pper, J. -Vanden  Breggen, H, Veldmirn,                                                                                                                  that. the doctrine t,h#  God, though knowable, is in-
  R. Feldman, L. Verme&r,  9. Vis, G. Vos, W. Hofman,
 _. J. Heys,  iQ.   S .   D e  Vj-i:es..                                                                                                                                                                   comprehensible, is taught by all Reformed theologians,
                                                                                                                                                                                                          maintained by the Confessions and clearly based on
  Comqmications  relatii+  .to contents shouid be addressed
  to RE,?.  II; IIOEKS,EM&  1139 Fraiklin  St., S. E., tind                                                                                                                                               Scripture.      This part is rather clea.a,  and easy to follow.
  .&pids,  -Michigan. .                                                                                                                                                                                    Nor is one liable to differ with the complainants on
  .Communicationg  relative  to subscription should be ad-                                                                                                                                                this point.
  dressed to MR. GERRIT .PIPE,  946 Sigsbee S&et.  S. E.,                                                                                                                                                    When, however, they proceed to compare Dr. Clark's
  Grand Rapids, Mich.  All AnnounceT_ents  and Obituaries                                                                                                                                                 teaching on this score with what they claim to be their
  must be sent to the  tibove  address anil  will not be placed                                                                                                                                            own, an&  of course, the orthodox conception of the
  unless  the regular fee of $1.00 accompanies the notice.                                                                                                                                                 incomprehensibility `of God, it is not so easy to follow
                                        Subs&iption  $a50  per year                                                                                                                                       them, and to discover just wherein lies  the accused's
  Entered as second class mail at Grand Rapids, Michigan                                                                                                                                                  heteroidoxy.
                                                                                                                                                                                                              The troublle,  in part appears to be that Dr. -Clark's

                                                                                                                                                                                                          vie'w #does,not  involve an outright denial of God's in-

                                                                                                                                                                                                           comprehensibility. Both he and the complainants ad-
                                                                 CONTENTS
                                                                                                                                                                                                          mit that God cannot .be comprehended.             The difference
.tiE)DIfFATION.  -                                                                                                                                                                                        between them, therefore, rather concerns the question.
                                                                                                                                                                                                          as to just what must be understood by the incompre-
   INTERCEDIN~G                               ON THE C,ROSS                                                     . ..a.........  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237                   hensibility of ,Go!d.    And this r'enders  the whole :dispute
           Rev. H. Hoeksema
                                                       .                                                                                                                                                  rather a(bstract,  a matter, it would seem,  to ,be dis-
EDITORIALS -                                                                                                                                                                                              .cussed  by a conference of theqlogians  rather than to

   T,HE  "I\EXT  OlF A COiMPLAINT                                                                                                                                                                         be used as a ground for protest against the licensure of
                                                                                                         . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240      a candi,date  for the ministry.         Write the complainlaJnts
   SiCZQDER . . . . . . . . /AND OTtHEiRS! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :...: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..I.... 241                                                                                                                                                   :
                                                                                                                                                                                                              "It is true indeed that Dr. ,Clark  accepts the term
  .T&IE  EVANGELICAL AND REB'ORMED  CHURCH . . . . . ...241
                                                                                                                                                                                                          `incomprehensible' as a ,quality  of God.,        (`This is rather
   EXROSITION  OF THE HEIDELBERG  ,CATECHI.SM  . ...242
                                                                                                                                                                                                          carelessly `expressed.      One cannot v&y well accept  a 
           .Rev.  H. Hodsema                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        -,
                                                                                                                                                                                                          term as a quality, though one might accept that a term
   SAMSON JUSTIFIED IN HjI:S SEEKING OCCASION....246                                                                                                                                                      denotes a real quality, H.H.).           But the issue of course
  PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE %HURICH . . . . . . . . . . . . .  ..t................  249                                                                                                                       is not-settled by the bare acceptlance  of the language of
           ,Rev.  `G. M. Ophoff                                                                                                                                                                           the standards. . . .        It is our contention that Dr.
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Clark's view of the incomprehensibility of God, is tdefi-
   OPENT  UWEN'  MOND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .                                                                                                                2
                                                                                                                                              ..~............................... 5 0
                                                                                                                                                                                                          nitely at variance with the meaning that this  ,doctrine
          ;Rev.  G. Vos                                              .                                                                                                                                    has in Christian theology;" p. 5..
  DEBATE                . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 252        What,  then, is the exact point of difference?' '
           kffirmative-Rev.  C. Hanko                                                                                                                                                                         According to the complainants, it is this, that, while
           Negative-Rev. H. Hoeksema                                                                                                                                                                      they hold that the difference between the contents of
                                                                                                                                                                                                          the kliowledge  of God and. the contents of our know-
  THE PUBPQSE O F ABRAHAM% SEPARATION . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
                                                                                                                                                                                                          ledge, is both qualitative and quantitative, Dr. Clark
          .Rev.  M. `Gritters                                                                                                                                                                             insists that it is only quantitative. An#d here the corn-                       .
  JERI'OHO              THEOLOGY. . . . ..a . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257                                                 plainants mention three specific points of difference
          iMr.- J.. H. Hoqkstra                                                                                                                                                                           between Dr. Clark's vie'w and their own:              .
                                                                                                                                                                                                              1. According to Dr. Clark all truth, in God and in
  PHAiRAOH'S  HARQENING  PEOCESS                                                                                              . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258         man,  is propositional, i.e. assumes the form of propo-
          Rev. J. De Jong                                                                                                                                                                                 sitions (,God  is good, man is motial,  two times two are

                                                                                                                                                                                                          four, the whole is greater  ~&UJ
 eL . :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              spy of its parts, etc.


                                           r;HE  S'I,ANDARD  BEARERLi'.!  1                                                        241

  The illustration's are mine). The complainants Ideny                      Ekhilder :.                And ,Others!
  this, at least with regard to `God's  knowledge.                                             . `. .                        k
      2. Dr. Clark hol!dis tha.t  man's knowledge .of %ny
  proposition is identical wi+h .God's  knowledge of the                 From ;the Christian Reformed- "De Wachter" we
  same proposition.      Any proposition has the same mean-          quote the following news  item:
  ing for (God  as for man.      The complainants deny this.             "Uit bevrijd Nederlanld  schreef mij ,dezer  dagen een
  As an item of interest we may mention here that during             Ipredikantszoon,  `wiens Vader  lid van `de voortgezette
  the Ne&minatio,n  of Dr. Clark ,by  the presbytery of              Synode (van Utrecht?) was, dat de Syno.de  van 1943
  Philadelphia the question was asked him: "You would                in conflict ktiam  met Schillder, ,Greydanus  an enderc
  say then, that all that is revealed in the Scripture is            "&angeklaa&e"  mannen.  Sch.ilder  en Greydanus en
  ,capable  of being comprehended by the mind of man?"               enkele anderen werden  afgezet  en het einde is nolg nir?l;
  And the answer was given by him: "Oh yes, that is                  t,e bezien. Een verschrikkelijk iets in dezen  tijd.".
  what it is given us for, to understand it." p. 5.                      We say: if these men were unjustly  deposed, as we
      3. Dr. Clark teaches that God's knowledge. con-                consider most likely to have been the case, it is a "ver-
 sists of an infinite number of, propositions, while only a          schriskkei.ijb  iets"  per&$.
  finite number' can ever be revealed. to man.         And this          We are very eager to hear more about all this,
  shows that, accorlding to him, the difference between              especially about the grounds for this sd,eposition.          Until
  God's knowledge a.nd man's knowledge is only `quanti-              we know something defini;te,  however, we must refrain
  tative: God sihply  knows infinitely more than man:                from comment.
  The complainants insist that it is also `qualitative: it               In the meantime, we woul,d advise the editor of  The

  also concerns the question as to the nature and mod,e  of          Banner; who can see nothing but  Schild,er-and-common-
  God's knowledge and ours.                                          &ace, to do the same thing, lest pr.esently  he has to
      Yet, it does not seem certain that Dr. Clark himself           swallow too many of his "I toId you so's."
  woulld  subscribe to this presentation of his views by                                                             H. H:
  his opponents.        They  themselve,s  state: "At   o t h e r
  points, indeed, Dr. iC@rk  seems to be empl,oying  a
  different `conception of infinity, as when he states

that the attributes are infinite' as  beipg  limited by
  nothing outside .of himselif:"  And again: "he freely
  recognizes a fundamental difference between the mode                                The. Evangelical              '
  of God's knowledge and that of man's knowledge."                                                    and
  To be more clear on this point  wte will have to wait for
  the a,nswer  that ,is being' prepared to this "Complaint"                      The- Reformed Church
  by the presbytery of Philadelphia, which we hope to
  receive.                                                               We were to furnish some examples of the teaching

      Howev`er,  even now one begins' to wonder whether              &at is tolerated in the merged church known as the
  the real question in this controversy is, not `whether             E. and R..
  God,  but whether His revelat&  to us in the Scriptures                As early as 1937 a complaiiht  against the nature and

  is cotiprehensible,  that ,is,  can be logically understood        contents of Sunday Scho61 literature published by the

  nby  the mind Qf man.      Dr. Clark's positidn  is that all of    Board of Christian Eldu&ion of the E. an,d R. was

  Scripture i,s given us that we might understand it, that           negistered  with the Synod of the Northwest by the
  all of it is adapted to our human mind,  so that, even             Revs. Pfeiffer and Hauser.  A committee tyas ap-
  though there be many things  .in that reyelation-  of IGod         pointed to ifivestigate  this matter,  and this committee
  which we cannot fatTtom,  there is nothing in it that is           -reported to the Synod of the Northwest iti 1938.
contraq to human intelligence an,d logic;           And the op-      From this report `we-learn that the "Junior "`l&iform
  ponents appear to deny this.                                       Lesson Guide," in an explanation of a. passage from
   And if this ehould  be the real, `underlying issue,               the book of Judges, tried- to inculcate into the minds
  if the complainants take the stand that Scripture re-              of the youth of the Church the `following :
  veals things .that, are, not above and far beyond,  ,but               "In the time when much of ithe Old Testament  was:
  c,ontrary  to, in conflict with the human mind, it is my           written, people djid not understand wha,t  God is I&~
  conviction that the  complainanltrs  should be indicted of         They thought that he was much like them and would
  heterodpxy,  and of undermining all sou?d' theology.               get aingry and punish people when they  .did what was
     Either &he logic o? revel&ion  is our logic, or thlere          wrong.    Later on people began to realize that God is
  is no ,revelation.                                                 -like- a kind father"  or mother; that he ,is sad to tsee
      This proposition I am prepared to d'efend  at any              people do what is `wrong but  ,ready  %o forgive when
 time.                                                 H. H.         they are sorry for. their wrong."       " . . _                  ,


  242                                        T$IE :;S;T,AND4l$D  :BEARER  -". *
                                                                                                                    _
                                                                         _.-
          Needless to offer comment on this mo'dernistic  dis-           to &e c&use of self-extermination? The answer to
  tinction between the O&and  th,e .Ncw .~e++@~nt,  and`                 both these questions is ai unqualified1 `No !' "
  on this unbiblitil  presentation of the love and forgiv-                 1 .Again : a
  ing mercy of .Gdd  as in conflict wjth His. righteous                             "Finally, and equally important to peace,  men'3
  anger and punitive justice.           Th6  implication is, of          hea&s  must be indoctrinated frdm  birth `with a higher
  course, a denial'.of  the atoning blood of, Christ.                    sp&@ual  motivation.                     The moral sin of war, the basic
  Similarly :                                                            rep&  for the thoughts ,aad opinions of his fellowman,
  : "In the days of the judges people thought you should                 a@the  great truth that  man's prayers should be ans-
  loye  Gpd an{ hate your enemy., Whee  Jesus  came to                   wered here on earth by man-these are the precepts
. 1iv.e .;on this earth to show people what  G.$, was like,              of peace.             Heaven on earth is not as much God's prob-

- he ,taught nbt only that we ,T+t love God but also love                lem as it is man's."
  &nd  help. our #enemies, or th0F.e people who,,are  `unkind                      We, refrain from commefit.
  to .us .-and do not show love to gs.       Wha$  things would                     But how- is it. possible for any man, minister or
  be changed if people kept Jes,us'  Law?`: :                            layman, who knows and loves the truth of the gospel,
          The committee recotiended.  .`%pat -.the. Syno.d  `of , not to speak of the Reformed faith, to remain in a
 the Northwest disapproves of such ,denials  of @e Faith                 Church in which he, is powerless to prevent the dis-
 `of the ;Church and insists that, all Church Scho.ol                    semination. 9f such modernistic principles as are ex-
  materials published by an agency of, the Church should                 pressed-in the `above quotations?
  conform to the Constitution -and' creed of. the ,Chureh.,!                      `, My answer is : that is irmpossible!
     ,This was a,dopted  `by the Synod, a@ & was  ,res@ved                                                                                       H. H.
 that "this action shall be submit$d..t+  the ,?3oard  of                                                                                 . .
 `Education of General &mod and to,t)!e  General Counci!
  of the Evangelical and Reformed Church."

    ' What, action was taken by these bodies we are not
 in a position, to state.                                                 `i' The `Triple Knowledge
          Nor, it seems to me, does it make much  <difference.
 What can be expticteda  -from .a; rcreedle'ss  church?            Or
                                                                                                 `_
 what good can any synod&l  legislation do in a church                   - &I Ex*sition  Of The Heidelberg
 thak  has advaticed  on the road of Modernism to the
 extent revealed `in the abovg,  qi_&$i@s ?                              :....                                Catechism
     When we were in South  Dgkota last fall, we visited
 one of the church buildings of:the  E. a,nd R., and seeing                                                     Part Two.
 some literature  in the Bulletin  Box,;  W@o_?k  a sample                             _.;zlc.'  :`* ;.    Of M&n's  Redemption
 of it along. It is @led. "Evangelical and Reformed                      . ^                   ..:            Lord's Day XIV
 @urch Bulletin," and. fro% it, are made-..the  following                                                                            '           '
 q@a$ions:,                                                                                           &. 35. What is the meaning of these  words--"He
                                 ::,.:., `,.:. :: I ., -                                     was coiiceived  by the  Holy Ghost, born of the virgin
          "It is the responsibility of reli,gion  to bring ys $t:,
                                                                                             l&ry  t,9
 such.a relatio$hip  ,titb2?.:-God  $hat. He :can,open  up our                                                   '
                                                                                                      A. That- God's eternal Son, who is and continueth
 life.      We  shall lack the ,spiri;tgf  service.. and consecra-
                                                                                            J&e  and eternal God, took upon him the nature of
 tion. until our, life,  is sq. ope$ed.  . <. . . . Ho'wever -Go4                            man, of the flesh .and blood of  the V.irgin  mary, by
 can tdo nothing for us_un&ss.-.ye..realize  our .dependence
 upon fli.p.       A gr+$, numbe?  .qf people in these  @fficult                       A     the  operation of the Holy  Ghost; that he might also
                                                                                            be the true seed of David, like unto his brethren in
 Idays  -aFe,  finding $beir 4pes ,opened  .because  thex  are           `.,
                                                                                             all things, sin excepted.
 throwing themselves upqn God. Nu~,e~ous  examples.
                                                                                               `Q: 36. What profit dost thou receive by Christ's
 of this, are to, be fo?pd among .people,:  who..as  Moffatt
                                                                                             holy conception and nativity ?
 tran$ates  the passa"ge,  tare  .+t their  wit's end' and who
                                                                                                 A. That he is our Mediator; and with innocence
 say, `It's up tQ you now God ; there is nothing more I                                      tind `ierfect  holiness, covers in the sight of God, my
. can do'. . . .      In these days of : desperate qgsd,,,  ?$: us                           sins, wherein  I was conceived `and brought forth.
 permit, God to open OL& iives.         Then we -tom +$al& obey                        ,
 Him, and life will be meaningful,  wl@ever  may comq,`,:.                                                       .l.
                                                                         ;.

b i. From an %&5cle entitled "The  .P&h.  c$.Peace,"  in.                                               Without The Will Of Man
. the same Bulletin, `we quote the fol@wings,7,               '
          "Man hati done  much $Q master$be  na+~al sciept;e?,                     Except for the adjective "true" or "real" modifying
 Is. .it too altrui,stic  $9 believe him .+apa)!e  05 mqst,arlng         "nature of man,, in the thirti-fifth  answer. (W&V
 himself?                                                                yy+whliche  .JVatw),  .our t,ext  is a correct translation
                , Is the undertakipg  any .m6re  prod@us~$@,
 the campaign of destructipg  Fnd.  the, f+na$ical.,devotion             of t4e  sriginal  German.


                                          T H E  STAN.DARD   B E A R E R                                                  243


         This Lord's Day offers a brief exposition of the              Even in very!  early times several false doctrines
     words of the Ap,ostolicum~:  "conceived ,by  the Holy         developed in regar,d  to the humanity of Christ, as .well
     Ghost, born of th,e virgin Mary."    While in the preced-     as in respect to His true divinity.       There were t.hose
     ing Lord's Day the subject was th,at  the,man  Jesus is       who taught that the Son of God. assumed merely the
     the true and eternal Son of God, in the present chapter       appearance of a human nature.           Even as angels oc-
     of the Heidelberg ,Catechism  the..emphasis  falls on His     casionally appeared in the form of man, so Christ  wa.s
     humanity: the Son of God is become man, the Word is           not really flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone, but
     become flesh.    We are confronting two questions here  :     appeared in t,he form of a man.        Others presented the
     1. that concerning the mystery of the tw,o  natures of        view that Christ assumed only a partial human nature  :
     Christ, or the union of the human nature with the             He took upon Himself a human body, and a human
     divme  in Him ; and 2. that of the origin of Hiis human       soul, but not a human "mind" or spirit  ; the place of the
     nature, or the mode of the accomplishment of this             latter was taken by the divine n,at,ure.  Still others
     union of the ldivine and human nature.     Strictly speak-    erred in regard to the union of the two natures, some
     ing, the Apostolic Confession speaks only of the latter  :    speaking of two persons as well as two natures in
     the Church confesses that Jesus, the only begotten Son        Christ, only one of whom was crucified and raised from
     of God `uur  Lord, was conceived by the Holy Ghost,           the dead ; others presenting this union as a merging
     born of the virgin Mary.       This would!  seem to refer     of the two natures into one "theanthropos," a God-man.
     only to the origin of the human nature of the Saviour,        In modern times the inca.rnation  is denied as purely
     to the way in which the Word became flesh.       Yet, this    and exclusively a wonder of God: God did *not  come
     "historical" statement certainly implies the entire mys;      down to man in the incarnation of the Son, but man is
     tery of the incarnation, and of the union of the two          reaching out for God, becomes God-conscious.
     natures in the Person of the Son of God. And once                Over against all these old .and_new errors the Church
     aga.in  we marvel at the comprehensiveness of the corn-'      must hold fast to the t(ruth  concerning the mystery of
     parat,ively  ,brief  explanation by the Catechism of this     the incarnation. She lives, not by human philosophy,
     statement of the Apostoliiicum.  In its answer to the         but by faith in revelation.    And by that faith she con-
     thirty-fifth question our Instructor ,explains:  1. That fesses, that Christ assumed a real human nature, body
     the assumption of the human nature of Christ is strict-       and `soul, from t.he flesh and blood of the virgin Mary;
     ly la work of God, wholly and immediately, i.e., with-        that in His human nature He is of the seed of David,
     out the ,will and instrumentality of man.       God alone     in every respect like unto His brethren, sin excepted ;
     is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; also according        that the human nature through the wonder of the.
     to His human nature: the Son of ,Go:d; the second             incarnation Idid not merge with the divine, nor was
     Person of the Holy Trinity,nWho  as Son is never to be        ever separated from the divine nature, but is and re:
     separated from the Father, by the operation of the            mains for ever united with Christ's deity in the unity
     Holy Spirit, the ,Spirit that proceeds from the Father        of the Person of the Son of` God.         And in the same
     and the Son, took upon Him the  nat,ure of man  2. That       faith she confesses that. the incarnation is in no sense
     by this divine act the nature of the. Godhead did not         an act of m&n,  but solely of IGod.     Man did not reach
     change : the `Son is and continueth true and eternal          out for God, or develop to new heights of God:,
     God. 3. That through the act of the incarnation the           consciousness, but God came down to us, ever to re-
     human nature retained its own identity, and was merg-         main with us and dwell with us. The incarnation is
     ed into the Godhead: he took the true or real human           the revelation of the living ~God ! The Creator united
     nature upon Himsdf,  and that, too from `the  flesh and       Himself most intimately with the creature ; the Lord
     blood of a woman.      4. That this woman, who through        also became servant; the Eternal One came into time,
     the wonder of God's omnipotence was -chosen and               the Infinite IOne  into space. *Great is the mystery of
     "graced" to become the mother of Jesus Christ, was a          godliness : `God is manifest in the flesh !
     virgin.    5. That through the birth of this Son of God in       This truth it is which the Church meant to express
     the flesh .from  the virgin Mary;He  was the true seed        in the words of the Apostolicurn: "conceived by the
     of David, born in the line of the promise.    6. And that     Holy Ghost, .born of the virgin Mary."                    _.
     thus He, the incarnated Son of God, became like unto           The two parts of this confession are intimtitely  ,
     His brethren `in all things, ,except that also in His related. They constitute ,one whole. They are only
     human nature He was without sin.                              aspects of one and the same truth: that God alone is'
         These various elements,. therefore, are now the           the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, even according to
     subject of our further exposition. ..                         ,His human nature, although He was not created but
        And these truths must be maintained by the Church          had a human mother, and was born of us. `It is the
     in opposition t.o every form of false doctrine, both of truth that the birth of. the Son of `God is a human
     the early centuries of the history of- the Church, and        impossibility, a revelation of the ,God  of our salvation;
     `of modern times.                                             Christ was born without the will of man.





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            244.                                         T H E   S T A N - D A R D  B.EARER


                    That -this is the.`testimony  of Scripture cannot be              shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

            (doubted.                                                                 And he shall reign ,over  the house of Jacob for ever:
                    Even in the ol,d_dispensation  the sign of the virgin             and of his kingdom there shall be no end."          And it is

            that would conceive and bear a son was `given : "There-. then" that Mary a.sks  her question of astonishment:
            ,fore the Lord himself shall give you a sign ; Behold a                   "H,ow shall this be, seeing that I know not a man?"
            virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, a.nd  shall call his                   Now there is reason to ask: what induced Mary to
            namie Immanuel."            It is true that those who ,deny  the          ask'this question?       The mere fact that, at the moment,
            virgin birth of Christ point out that the Hebrew word                     Mary was still a virgin, would. handly  seem sufficient
             used in this text for `fvirgin" may also refer to a young                to explain this.       It is true, of course, that she was not
             woman recently~married,.          Fact i's, ho,wever,  first of `all,    as yet married. But it is also a fact that she "was
             that the word signifies the' age of puberty, a per&son  of               espoused to a man named Joseph." She was, there-
             marriageable age but not yet married ; and secondly,                     fore, about to be m.anried.       How, then, could she be so
            that the text speaks definitely of .a.  si@.         Now a sign is        absolutely certain that she would "not know a man?"
             a phenomenon that draws the attention of men by its                      Certai.nly  there was nothing in the words of the angel
             extraordinary character, its being radically  aifferent                  that would suggest this, far less raise it beyond a doubt
             from the facts of experience, a wonder of grace.                But      that she would become pregnant without the norma!
             there certainly would be nothing extraordinary in the                    intercourse to cause such a condition. Why could she
             fa,ct that a young woman would conceive and .bear  a                     not interpret the words of the angel as meaning that
            son.      We maintain, therefore, th,a.t the prophecy in Isa.             she would get married to Joseph as soon as possible,
             `7 :14 ,ultimately  looks forward to the wonder of the                   and that then, in the normal way she would become
            `birth,  of our Lord from the virgin Mary.                                with child? Would not that have :been the most
                    This is, moreover,corroborated  by the passage in                 natural conclusion for her to draw from the announce-
             Matt. 1 :X3-25.     In the twenty-second and twenty-third                ment of th,e angel, rather than at once think of  th.e
            `verses we read: "Now all this was Idone, that it might-                  astounding possibility that she would conceive'withouf
            be fulfilled which .was  spoken of the Lord by the pro-                   knowing a man? Yet, of this one thing she appears
             phet., saying, Behold, a virgin shall -be with child, and                :a:bsolutely  sure.    ,She  will not know a man. An'd be-
             shall ,bring  forth a son,  and they shall call his na.me , cause of this, the words of the angel appear to her to
             Immanuel, which being i.nterpr,eted  is, God with us."                   be humanly i.mpossible  of rea1izatio.n.      How must, this
             The "word of the Lord by the prophet'.' is,  evild:ently                 certainty on the part of Mary be explained?
             a reference to Isa. 7  :14..  And "all this was done"                        It seems to -me that there can only be one answer
             refers to what is narrated in the preceding verses.                      to this. question: th:ere  was no man for her to know,
      Joseph, h.aving  noticed Mary's condition, had been                             i.e., there was no man left in the royal line of the
             minded t,o leave his espoused wife secretly, but the                     promise that could beget the promised Messiah. The
             Lor,d  had revealed to him in a dream that she was                       Davidic  generation of royal seed that, according to th.e
             quite innocent of the sin he had suspected her to have                   promise, was expected to bring forth the Christ, had
             committed, "for that which i,s conceived in her is of                    ended i.n a virgin ! The realization of the promise had
             the Holy #Ghost."  vs. 20. This. passage, therefore, is                  become an impossibiiity from a human viewpoint.
             not only in itself a `clear proof for the virgin birth                   Long before Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth the
             of the Saviour, but also corroborates the view that in                   glorious tree of David had been cut down to the ground,
             Isa. 7 :14 this amazing wonder was predicted.                            and never Bad it flourished again since the Babylonian
                    Moreover, that the Scriptures plainly teach the                   captivity.    But at the moment of the annunciation all.
             virgin birth is also evident, from the a.nnunciation  of                 that was left of it was a `%oot  i.n a ,dry ground."    There
             the birth of Christ by the angel  `Gabriel  to Mary in                   was no male Idescendent  in the line of the generations
             Nazareth, the narrative of which we find in Luke 1:26-                   of the promise.. Only a virgin was left. And, there-
             38.     We may note here specially the question of Mary :                fore, when the angel came to announce to her that she s
             "How shall this be, seeing I know not a  ma.n?"                There     would become, the. mother of Him that would reign
             is more implied in this question than what may apnea:                    over the house of Jacob for ever, the question arose
       I
.'           on the surface.          The angel had saluted Mary with the             immediately: But how shall this be, seeing I do not
       w o r d s : "Hail, thou thht art highly favored, the Lord                      know a man?
             is with thee.: blessed art thou among women." vs. 28.                        This explanation is based on the conviction that iu
             And when Mary was evidently troubled  at this strange                    Matt.  1.~1-1'7  the evangelist gives us very really  "the
             salutation, the angel continued: "Fear not, Mary: for                    book, of the generation of Jesus Christ," that is, not
             thou hast found favor with God. And,  b,ehold,  thou                     the legal.line of Christ's fathers according to the flesh,
             shalt. conceive in thy wo,mb, and bring forth a son, and                 but the organ&line.         In other words, in this "`book of
             shalt call his name Jesus.         He shall be great, and shall,         generation" we have the genealogy, 1not of Joseph, but

            be called the Son of the Highest, : .an'd*  the Land,  Cod                of Mary. If this is true, the sixteenth verse of the
                                 .


                                        T H E  STANDAriD   B E A R E R                                                          245
                                                                                                                              ..-
first chapter of Matthew must mean that Jacob had no             possible situation has been created,  in onder  that He

male children, that Mary'was the only heir, and that,            may be revealed as the Lord, Who not,  oni+ calls the
when Joseph married Mary he was received and in-                 things that are not as if they were, but Who also
scribed legally in the registers of generations that ran         quickem  the dea.d; Only when  we are forced to ask
from David over Jacob (vs. 16) to  th!e mother of                the questiop : "how shall this be?" does God give us
Jesus. In this legal sense Joseph was of the house and           the answer : What is impossible with men,_ is pbssible
lineage of David.      W.hether  he was also of the genera-      with God. The virgili  $birth  is a sign, a aevelation of
tions of Davi,d  in the organic sense, is a question that        the mystery of the conception by the Holy Ghost. The
depends on the other question ,whethes  or not in the            two are inseparably connected.
third chapter of the gospel adcording  to Luke we hav,?             And this is quite in harmony with the answer Mary
thle geneslogy :of Joseph.       There is good ground to         receives through the a.ngel tp her perplexing problem.
believe that also in Luke we meet with the genealogy of          .For the.  !a.ngell  replied: "The Holy Ghost shall come
Mary, although legally it is that of Joseph.       &Io.wever     upon thee, .and the Ijowler  of the Highest shall oyer-
this may be, if our `interpret&ion of M&t.  1:16 be car-         shadow thee.: therefore also that holy thing which shall
rect,  Jo&p11  was .not  of that line of getierations,'  that    ,be born of thee shall be  called  the Son of God."           The
continued line of Davidic kings (II Sam. 7  :12ff;. Ps.          answer to Mary's question : how stia.11 a virgin conceive
89 :19ff), that would culminate in the Messiah.          Mary    `and bear a child? is, therefore, through the coiweptim
alone was left.     Is it not probable that,she  often "pan-     by the Holzj  Ghost. We refrain, of course, from any
,dered  this in her heart," beforie  the angel cameit visit      attempt to [explain this profoun'd mystery. All t7iie  can
her with his amazi!ng message, and that the question             say about it is &at  it signifies that the Son of God
that had frequently troubled her soul arose tb her mind          Himself, by His Spirit, that proceeds from the Father
at once as she listened to the, angel's words: But how           atid the Son, so operated upon the flesh and blood of
shall this .be?    How shall `the' promise be fulfilled, see-    the virgin Mary, that she conceived' in her womb,  and                I
ing there is not a man, and I am the only one left  of           bkought  forth her fir&born Son.         Eliminating the will
the royal ge:lerations  of David?                                of man, the Person  of the Son of God, prepared His
    If this is correct, we can understand why denial             own human nature and that, too, from the flesh  and
of the virgin birth of Christ usually implies or leads           blood of.. the virgin Mary. And this means, seeing
to the denial of the incarnation od the Son df God,              that the Persons in the holy Trinity can  never be
the truth that Jesus Christ cnme  &to  the flesh.      There     separated,,  &a.t the triune God is the Father of our
are those who would maintain the truth `of the inca.rna-         ILord Jesus Christ also in His human nature. It also
tion and of the real (divinity of Christ, but who deny           implies that Christ is flesh of our flesh,  and.blood  of
that He was born of a virgin, and claim that Christ's            0171  ,blood.  ,As to `His Person He came from without,
assuming our human nature did not necessarily require            froth  &bove,  out of eternity and infinity, to unjte Him-
His birth of a virgin.       The Son of God could just as        self with us for ever ; as to ,His huma.n  ,na&e,  He is of                F
well unite Himself with our nature as it is normally             us, not <especially created, but conceived  and ;born.
conceived and born from a huEan  mother and by the               "Forasmuch then as the children are *artak$rs  of
will .of man.      Now, this is, to say the least, a. propo-     flesh and blood, he also'hitiself  likewise  took part of
sition that is difficult to prove, if not impossible.     We     the sa.me  ; that through death He might destroy him
know very little about the mystery of the conception             that had the plower if death, that is the devil;  and d&
and birth of a normal child, much less about the birth           liver them who through fear of death  weFe  .a11  their
of the Son of God in the flesh.       Even though we may         lifetime subjiect  to bondage." Helj.  2:14 ,15.
not be able to ldemonstrate  the truth of this propo-               Thus understood, the words tiith  ,which  th;he angel
sition, we-much  rather as&me,,on  the ba.sis  of Scrip-         concludes his message to Mary become irit&gible,  and
ture, that the virgin birth of Christ was also  ontologic-       receive a new meaning: "For with `God nothing shall
ally .necessary,  that is, that thle  Son of God could as-       be impossible." . The impossibility-is the virgin without;
sirne  the human nature only by way of eliminatidn of            a man. The ,divine possibility is realized by the won-
the will of man.       But, whether this be s,o or not, cer-     der of God expressed in the words of the  Apostolicurn:
ttiin it is that God purposely creates the sign of the           conceived by the Holy Ghost . And in the light tif this
virgin ;b@th  to make known unto us that Jesus Christ's          revelation, through faith, the Church calls "that holy
coming into the flesh is His act exclusively, and that           thing" that was born of Mary the Son of God  ! For
`Christ is Born, not by the will of man, but by the              "every spirit that confesseth that Jesus. Christ is come
`conception of the Holy Spirit. ,God reveals Himself             into'the  flesh is of `God: And every spirit that>confess-
where, all human possibilities have- come to an end.             e'ch not that Jesus Christ is come into the  flesh&is not of                    :I'
The incarnation does not take place until  t,he  genera-         Go'd: and this is that spirit. of  la.ntiehrist';  whereof -ye
`tions from which Be tvas to be born according to the            have heard that it should cotie; and even now already

promise have ended  in a virgin, t&t  isI t&Q an. im-            is it in the worl`ci."  I J&n 4:2, 3.               H. H;


                               .._.. - ._:.           a.--
                . .Lj46                                        T H E  STANDARD   B E A R ' E R


                                                                                          mockem.         It has been nsticed  hsw 06me  6f the liberal
                                                                                          interpreters view the -explsits  S% Samson,  1x1 their
                                                 Occasion:                                `eyes  the slaying of those  Ashkelonites  was :a.n  atrocious
                                                                I A i                     .crime  csmmitt.ed  in cold blood by a man stung by
                                                                                          personal injuries and moved  by selfish and vain pas-
                           Arriving. with his parents  in Timna.h, Samson and             sions.      And they are <as indigna&  with Samson .a~'
                 the `wop&n,  so we saw, were married. On the marriage-                   with the Philistines when  they  burned Samson's `wife
                 feast Samson pet forth a riddle for his  .Philistine  guests             and her father. As has already been                        this
                                                                                                                                      made dear, 

                 to propound..            He was to give them thirty shirts and           appraisal of Samson7s  exploits is .to  be rejected. Any
                 thirty changes of garments, should they find the ;a,nswer                inter.preter,  who qasses such judgment on the man and
                 to rhis  riddle within the seven days of the feast.           Should     his deed shows.thereby  that he i,s woefully incompetent
                 they fail in this, they were to give. him the same                       as an interpreter of sacred histpry.
               .-amount of :garments.                Samson's wife, so we saw,                Yet `Samson's doi*ng  on this marriage-feast-his.
                at once -bEgan-  .to:  tease him for the solution.            Refusal     seeking occasion against the Philistines and his slay-
                :dr&e- herto  t?ke  recourse to tears and reproaches.                     ing thirty of their number-may, at first glance, strike
                 As to her countrymen, fo$.  the first three  ,days they                            wrong though it b'e t,hat  in these works Samson
                                                                                          us as 

                 labored with the ridsdIe  without .being able `to find the               was above reproach. ,Samson's  guest.s.  had dealt  ,dp-
                 answer.`          .On , the third ~ day they .began  to plough           ceitfully with him, ,but  consider that he had pur-
                ,with  Samgon'a.  heifer :but  without ta,king recourse to                posely occasioned that deceit by propounding that
                 threats.        But on the seventh: day, when they found                 riddle. Then there is also this question. Did their
                that the:.wife's  importunities could accomplish nothing                  treachery, which Samson himself had occasioned,  justi-
                 they resorted to threats against her.             She must entice        fy his slayi'ng  thirty of their number? This doing
                 her ,husband;  that he may declare unto them the riddle,                 of Samson was right in the sight of God  ; but .on
                `or they  .would  burn .her  and:  her father's house with                what  grounds is it to be justified? Was the punish-
          1     `fire. *Thus  threatened, s the woman's &treaties took ment, whic,b he on that occasion meted out to the
                -on. -such. a violence that Samson yielded  ; and she Philistines, commensurate with the injury that had
               -hastened. with the answer to` her peqple,  who in turn                    been done him? In appraising these doings of Sam-
                 rushed into -Samson's presence and - expounded the son, in showing  that they were right, we must begi>
                 riddle. And, though it #was BS plain as. day that they                   with his seeking occasion against the Philistines. Some
                had - gotten the answer,~from  the young wife, they iwell-meaning  interpreters, in their zeal and determina-
                . nevertheless insisted that Samson give them the speci-                  tion to set forth Samson as a saint without a flaw,
               .fied  amotint  of garments. In this way did- they mock                    so edellineate  on the ,character  and the doings of the
               and  contempt him, the Hecbrew,  and all that he repre-                    man as to deny, by implication, that he <actually sought
a               . sented.        Samson `:-went down to Ashkelon  ;and slew               occasion against the Philistines. The cause of their
                 tpirty  .men.  of them,. and- took their spoil ,and  gave                denial is, that, i2n their judgment, the action was  un-

               ` change v of-garments unto them that had expounded                        Iethical-which  of `course it was not-and th:a.t there-
                        riddle.       This attack was the beginning `of a, war-
               the.                                                                       fore it cannot be harmonized with the goodness of
                 fa,re  in which the ^ Philistines were submdued .by t&e                  the man.         If the interpreters of the liberal school
               , (hand. of Samson, the lone warrior of God. Before                        can find nothing but moral ugliness in the man, these
                .*we pass on. to the remaining- exploits of Samson, .we                   well-meaning iiterpreters  have nothing but words of
                must concentrate on this first attack to see whether                      praise for him; they c1ea.r  him of guilt and know ,how
                ..it can be,  justified.        The facts here a?e these.                 to put him. in -the clear al'ways. But the praise of
                      Samson  .had -sought occasion against the Philis-                   these worshippers of Samson is ill-conceived ; it is
               -tines. ,.T.he  text is plain ,here. "But his father .and                  th;erefore,as  untrue and ,damaging  to Sakson,  as arc
               -mother  :knew not that it was of the Lord, that he                        the hard words spoken of him by the liberal com-
               -sought  occasion `against -the Philistines. . . ."               -The     &entatoris,.      Samson, say these well-meaning inter-
                .thought  conveyed .is .that  the ocwsion  was- soyght                    preters, "really loved the maiden of Timnah, and took
                -by &mson.  and that- this was .of  the `Lord.               It is un-    the full measure  of youthful ,delight  in the nup;tial
               .$teniably  true that Samson wanted the  .Philistines                      banquet an.d festival.      He was  too genial of .nature to
                -to ado,hirn, a personal~injury  that could serve him as                  suppose and foresee "that covenants, seven  in $he  .sim-
                the immediate inciting circumstan,ce  for the war that                    plest  reMions ,of life, ca.nnot  be ma,de with those who
                                                -wanted the Phil&tines  to offend
     '         -he  must wage. He                                                         are opponents in principle atid tyrants in dis.position".
                with respect to him personally. That  offence  would                      T,hus he actually expected",.to  find a covenant of love
                Ibe the occasion that he sought. The. Philistines did                     and fidelity in a Philistine ..family  ; only. he deceived
                offend ; and Samson went ,down and slew thirty Ash- himself. "Everything appeared to be harmonious when
                k&miteg  and  tur,ned over  the spoils of-battle to his                   he propounded the riddle. .He dig ii in the most peacc-


                                               T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                           247


  ful spirit, from the-impulse of an active mind". But                 their &dgme,nt,  the action` was wrong.       Their reason-
  it immediately, contrary to the desire and expectations              ing is that, if Samson was gui1t.y  of this, he was a-
  of Samson. "brought the hidden antag6nism  to light".                vicious man, every *bit as deceitful and treacherous as
  of Samsons,  `5brought  the hidden antagonism to light".             those uncirctimcised  Philistines. And they don't  want
  it was proposed were Philistines.               Tthe  nobility of    to think of him :a.s  being such a character.      And it is
  his .disposition  is supposed to reveal itself "in contrast          well that they .do .not,  as no statement occurs  in the
  with their vu1ga.r nature also in this that he,  for his             sacred narrator on which to ground such a  view of the
  part, risks thirty times the value of what, in case of               man. According to the Testimony of the Scriptures.
  failure, ea'ch of the thirty has, to pay." The young                 Samson was a true believe?, a hero of Faith.        What is
 ,wife teases him for the solution. of the  ri;ddle,  bi.&  to         to be commended in these well-wishing interpreters
  no avail.      "Finally, on the~seventh  day she so torment-         is that they 1oGe the man on account of his faith, and
  ed the hero, that  hB told it to her.  `Ee ha;d a heart              therefore delight in finding .in .him  nothing-but true
  not only great but also tender, which at last succumbs               `goodtness.     But it will not do to ignore what the Scrip-
  to the prayers and.the  tears of t,he wife whom he loves             tures repor't  of these Old Testament worthies, just
  and holds to. be true. The treachery is completed.                   ,because  the report .is damaging and militates against
  The misertible  Phiiistines  act as if they had thkmselves           our pre-conceived notions of the sanctity of these
  foun;d the solution, land claim the reward. Then,                    worthies. We dan't be ,less critical of them than the
  for the first time, a light goes .up for Samson. He                  Scriptures. As to Samson, it is inconceivable in the
  now sees the contrast,-the incongruity and error of                  light of the Scriptures that in  hi,s. eyes the Philistines
  marrying into that Philisti'ne  family." He sees that                were a noble race of men, who had his implicit.  confi-
  he deceived himself when he expected to find a cove-                 dence and whose fiellowship  he craved. Samson was- I
  nant of love in such a family.            "The ,mists  with which    a hero df faith and these Philistines were heathen -and
  a seductive sensuality had o&scured  his vision are                  idolaters; they were wicked5  unprincipled and violent

  scattered.     National wrath arid national`strength awake           men, thoroughly unscrupulous. They were defiers pf,

  in him.      His whole greatness no'w  -reveals itself."             God ; and they persecuted God's people. They had
      L& us not fail to g&p  the thrust of this  depiction             .dominion  over Israel and were daily practicing. their
  of the man._         It is verily' this. Samson actually             abominations in Canaan's .bordsrs.         It can't be .that
imagined that the Philistiaes were virtuous ieople                     Samson loved these men in  ignoran-e,-of  their true
  `With whom an Israel.itish  man could fraternize and                 character, la,n:d  that he fir& lear:.ed  to k,now  them on

  into whose circle he cou1.d  marry without incurring                 h& marriage feast The conception is thoroughly
  the ,displeaisure  of God and without ,doing  injury to              wrong.         It had been revealed to Samson that God
  his own soul. This being his imagining, he married                   wanted war ,with  the Philistines and that he  wa,s  the
  that woman, thus married her in the firm belief that                 one. to wage that war; and the Spirit of  `God had
 she ,would  make him a good wife.                To her country-      already begun to move him so that he was  ea.ger  for
  mea he was ,well  .disposed.       He trusted them implicitly        the conflict andi began seeking an o-zcasion  against the 1
  and entertained tdward- them the kindliest feelings                  Philistines.      This is what the sacred narrator tells us.
  and sctually  believed that the loTie  he bore them wa::             And therefore `it is not true that Samson wanted to
 mutual. He therefore little suspected, trusting soul                  preserve the peace with t.he Philistines, that with this
  that he was, that in their bosom lurked a hidden an-.                end in vi&w  he married into that Philistine family
  tagonism  to be brought to light by his riddle, that .he             and propounded hi,s riddle on. the marri:a,ge-feast-

  expoutided  to them in a peaceful apirit. He wanted                  propound& it in a spirit of -peace--,  that in a paroxysm
  nb trouble. He expected: no t.rouble. What he looked                 of rage he slayed  thirty Philistines, because his guests .
  for in these men is good will, kindly tr&ment,  true                 instead of taking him to their .bosom  as he had ex-
  fellowship a'nd fair play. But he found deception,                   pected, dealt treacherously with him in the matter of
  treachery ,and derision.        Then there went up for him           his riddle. All such views do  San-&on  a grave in-
  a light.      For the first tiinle'  he &aw  his error; and he       justice ; they ,militate against the Scriptures, in parti-
  ,realized  that he dealt with Philistines. In his wrath              cular against that statement asserting that he sought
  that :a.*woke  in him he threw to his deceivers the  spoils          occasion against them.
  of `clzirty  slain men-men slain by his own hand-                        As to Samsop's  seeking occasion against the  Philis-

  alnd the conflict was 0~11.    There is this question. Is this       tines Jet us determine the meaning, necessity, and
  <depiction of Samson, of his character, motives, and                 character of this adoing.  Samson's doing, his seeking
  expectations true to the Scriptures?. SCertainly  it is              occasion, indicates that the Philistines,  2,s -masters of

  not. It militates :a.gaiinst the statement that he "sought           thbe people, of' Israel-they had dominion over Israel-
  occasJon  against. tile  i Philistintis."     `This statement, as    were not making themselves especially insufferable .
  was said, these .:tiell-wishing  interpret&s choose to               through atrocious rule.         Isr,ael  had known fiercer.

  overlook.' ' They ftiil to take.  notice of it because in            enemies in the past 
                                                               .'                                . The Midianites, to cite one  ey- '
                                       .


2    4    8     .`,                         T H E   S T A N D A R D `  BEARER

                                                                        i
ample, had encamped against Israel-the northern                     ed with Samson's heifer,           That was their offense,
tribes-and had left no substance for them,  neither                 a.nd it formed the occasion that Samsoi sought and
sheep, nor ox, nor ass. They ,destroyed  the increase               wanted  . He now had. a, caye and could begin his
of t.he  earth. They pluncle~ed  and devastated. every              conflict with them. And he did so. Did Samson do
part of the land they entered, killing and dragging                 well in seeking that occasion?       Might he take recourse
with them every living thing.            They would retire wit'u    to such a tactic-expound to them a riddle that they
their booty in the autumn, only  t.o reappear again in              might offend?       Was the doing consistent with the
the spring to swarm over t,he land and to trample down              moral law of God? One answer  will do: Samson did
the crops with their camels ancd herds, after the Heb-              well. For the sacred narrator justifies the  d_ead. The
rews had ventureid  forth from the dens and the caves               justifying statement reads, "It was of the Lord, that
ii1 the mountai.ns  to sow their grain.          But the Philis-    he sought occasion against the Philistines: for at that
tines .did not so.            They were not the fiercest men        time the Philistines had dominion over Israel."       Neces-
among the za.,dversaries  of Israel. 1 Their rule- waz              city had been laid upo.il Samson from on High to
reasoned iin comparison ;. ,and the men of. Judah deliver Israel from that dominion, though they willed
acqiesced  in their dominion and were tributary t?                  not to ;be delivered.    There was war between the Lord
them without complai,nt.            Though the .Philistines were    and Samson on the one hand and the Philistines on the
idolaters aid enemies of God's cause,  Philistine3 and              other, !a war that the Lord had  ,declared  and that
Israelites got along sp!&didly  together. There was                 Samson must wage. His occasioning  by his riddle
no friction between them.            Why should there be, seeing    their decepti,on  in order that he might have occasion
that .Israel  -brought up regularly the required tribute            against them for commenlcing  the conflict must be
and seeing that s.o many of them were crowding the                  regarded as forming a kind of ,craft  that he could use
t,&mp!es  of the .Philistine  gods. 1 They were furious             with impunity. It was not .deception  ; but it was a
with Samson for starting  a war with the Philistines.               strictly honest test to which he put them, `but a test
S?mson  ,in their eyes,  `was a disturber of the  peace,            that they ,did not endure because  of their treachery.
of the good relation between them ani& the Philistines.             That'he wanted them to offendjwhich he did, for he
In. their wrath finally they actually took the man, bound           sought occasion-is but equivalent to saying. that he
him hand :a,nd foot, and would have delivered him into              want.ed  the enemy destroyed that Israel might be free.
the hands of their masters.            For they had no quarrel      And he must .want  to .destroy  them for !God's sake.
with the PhiJistines  ; hut they dild have a quarrel with           And he must serve as a willing agent for their  ,destruc-
Sa,msop.  For he wanted war. He was eager for WZLY.                 tion.    But there is still this question. Did the treachery
For the Lord had command,ed  him and was moving                     of his guests-they ploughed with his heif,er-justify
him ,by  His Spirit.           But :no one desired. war but be.     his. going down %o Ashkelon aed  slaying thirty Philis-

This was Samson's problem and also his predicament.                 tines? Does deception such as they had practiced
He was the only one among his .brethren  whB wante,:l               against  him-deception in the matter of a riddle-call
war,  And as to the PhilisCnes,  they wqre  as little               for a punishment so severe; does it call for capital
war-minded as were the people o$ Israel. Samson                     punishment? Besides, in meeti,ng  out punishment, he,
set fire to their wheahfields;  and all they demanded               passes by the actual offenders and slays- thirty inno-
of the people of Israel, of the men of Judah, is that               cent men . With the spoils of the combat he returns
they collaborate with them in dispatching Samson. The               tp the culprits an,d  meets their unjust claim. How is
people of Israel agreed to do that very thing.           As the     this doing of Samon to <be jestified?     On what grounds
allies of the Philistines they made war a.gOain$  Sam-              is it to be justified ? On the following. 1. Every Philis-
son. For they did aot want to  .be delivered. They                  tine `cieserved  to die quite apart from the treachery of
losed  their  masters and their bondage and their mas-              .Samson's  thirty guests, being, as they were, wicked
ters' gods.+ So what. was Samson to do. .It would not               men, defiers of God and oppYessor,s--  of His people.
do for, him suddenly to begin slaying pe%ve-loving                  They had dominion over Israel. 2. The Lord had
Philistines.           They must offend in some ,way,  as Midian    ordered them ,destroyed.     3. .The  command had come to
had offended.             Woul,d that they encamped against         Samson. Thus the thirty Eshkelonites and as many
Israel with war-like purposes. But they wanted. no                  Philistines & fell in thia war, died not as innocent
war, ,a.pd  thus, did *not  .,offend,  -gave -him no occasion.      men on account of the treachery, of Samson's guests
Btit:: Samson wanted  war.  For the Spirit of God                   but they died on account of their own sins.      They were
moved him.              @o what the Philistin&  failed to give      slain by Sal&on  because the .Lord  had given command
hi&,.  he: sough&-he so,ght  aa_ occasion against them.             to him t6 kill the Philistines.     Of this killing, of Sam-
He threiv himself into thei,?  combany  and propound&l              soq's co.n:flict.  with the Philistines, the treachery of his
hi?: &ddle  ,because  he sought ocea,gion  ,against  them.          guests was but the i.mmediate  instigating circumstance.
Being treacherotis,  proud, and  lJlstfu1  tien, the riddle         The reason that this treachery could serve this purpose
-became.  to them a snare.         They offended. They plough-      is'that what  Samson had suffered at the hands of his


                                        THE  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                                    249

 thirty guests, all Israel was suffering at the hands of             spiritually and by faith. Eating, Christ is a spiritual
 the Philistine nat,ion.    If then, in appraising the slay-         act. Eating Christ-eat,ing Hds flesh and drinking
 i1n.g of the thirty and the exploits of Samson in general,          His blood-is possible for the following reason. Christ
 we take into consideration the wickedness of the Philis-            is revealed to us,  in the Scriptures, thus presented to us
 tines, the command of God'to Samson ,and Samson'.s                  by the written word that forms our Bible.          Presented
 own faith, we perceive that these  .doings of the -man              t,o us is Christ as the Lamb of Go&d  that taketh  away the
 are essentia.lly  good' works well pleasing unto God.               sins of the world, as the resurrection and the life, as
 It is only when' we leave God out of  cosideration  and             the way and the truth and the life, presented to us in
 refuse to take account of the report of the Scriptures              all the glorious sigmficance  that He has fir His people.
 to the effect that Samson,  was a believer, that the                The Scriptures, in a word, is the revelation of Christ.
 exploits of the man stand out in our minds  :a.s atrocious          by word and symbol, thus a revelation in,the  face of
 sins and the man himself as the vilest of culprits.                 Christ of the triune Jehovah, the God and Father of
                                                G. M. 0:             Christ and.in  Him the God and Father of His people.
                                                                     It is the revelation of the Christ, thus the Word that
                                                                     sets forth the Christ, that he `believers acually  eat as
                                                                     to their spirits by a living faith.     And eating the Word

                                                                     they very actually eat Christ for the very reason that

                                                                     the Word of the Scriptures is a true  r>velation  of the
     `Public WorslGp  In The Church                                  Christ.    And the believers t,aste that Christ is good, and
                                                                     they are admonished to desire the sincere milk which

     The Lord's Supper. - This sacrament of the Lord                 is Christ, an,d to grow in th!e  grace and the knowledge
 Supper was instituted Idirectly ,by Christ.     Matt. 26 :28 ;      of Christ. The word of Christ, "`Eat my flesh and
 Lnke 22:19.  To Christ certainly the bread and the                  drink my blood" must no more be taken in the physical
 Iwine were signs of His broken body and shed  #blood,               sense than the admonition, "Feed the flock of <God."
 that is,' of His human nature i.n.which  He atoned the                  The cantention  of Walker is that we find in John's
 sons of His people.     Not His, So be sure, was the teach-         gospel ,and  in this very sixth chapter, the germs of
 ing that these elementsare  changed into His very flesh             the Romish and Lutheran conceptions, thus the germs
 and .blood,  80 that the communicants eat Him physical-             of the transubstantiation idea.        But this is ab&rd.
 ly. Thus the statement, "This is my body" means,                        Whether the early church grasped the true meaning
 `!This symbolizes my body, my human nature."               It iS    of the Lord's Supper is difficult to  ,determine  . This is
t true  that this is nowhere in the Scriptures stated in             pcertain  that the early church fathers attached great
 just these words, yet it must be evident that such is the           significance  to this sacrament. Ignatius  calls- it the
 construction to be placed on the statement of Christ in             "flesh of our crucified and risen Christ and the  ,con-
 .question.  Yet apparently the exponents of the doctrine            secrated .bread  a medicine of immortality and an ante-
 of transubstantiation do find some support in the Scrip-            d0t.e  of spiritual ,death."    Iranaeus says repeatedly that
 tures.     They may point to this word from Christ's own            Lbread and wine in the sacraments become lby the pre-
 lips, "Verily, verily, I say unt oyou,  Except ye eat the           sence of the Wor:d  of God and the power of' the Holy
 flesh of the Son of man, and .drink his blood, ye have              Spirit the body and the blood of Christ, and that the
no life i.n you. Whoso  eateth  my flesh and drin.keth               reception of the elements strengthens the soul unto
 my blood, hath eternal life; and  I will raise him up               eternal life.    Yet we cannot ascribe the idea of trans-
 at the last day.     For my flesh is meat indeed and my             substantiation to this church father.       For he also calls
 #blood is `cirink  indeed."    John 6 :52-55. Here Christ           the cbread and win:e antitypes and thus clearly N&tin-
 ,emphatically  states that His flesh. must be eaten and             guishes the <bread and wine from the body and the blood
 His blood' drunken and that he, failing in this, has no             of ,Christ. Tertullian did likewise. He takes "This
 life in himself. This is plain language.  This,;teaching            is my body" to mean, "This is a figure of my body."
 must ,be maintamed  in all its force.      Christ must cer-         It cannot be shown from the writings of the fathers
tainly  be eaten. For He is the true bread of life. But              that by the middle of the second century the concept.ion
 the question is, how this is' done.    Not certainly in the         of a real physical presence of Christ in the Supper was
 physical sense. What spiritual benefit could. the be-               widesprea,d,  ,or even spread at all.
 liever derive from eating Christ's flesh in the physical                The Lord's Supper was further regarded by the
 sense? No beneft whatever. Phys,ical  food is a means               primitive church as an eternal and true sacrifice of the
 of support .of the physical many only, of His lower                 new covenant that took the place of the passover.        Yet.
 nature.     Physical fooid is for thte upbuilding of the body       the anti-Nicene fathers .did not regard this sacrifice-
 but not for the upbuilding  of the spirit, of the new               the Lord's Supper-as an unbloody repetition of the
 man. Yet eating Christ is possbile for the believer                 atoning sacrifice of Christ upon the cross, ;but they re-
 and is actually doae by the believer. He  eats  Christ              garded it simply as a thankoffering of the whole church


       gjo                                                    T H E   S T A N D
                    1..                                                                                A R D   B E A R E R  -                              .

   ,for, the blessings -of God  in' creation and redemption.
     And- to thiis  sacrifice, they `gave  the `name  Eucharist                                                      j Opimt Uiven ,Mond!
     meaning "thankoffering". It was especially Cyrian
     who ,developed  the doctrine of the Lor,d's  Suppers  as a                                                                     :(Psalm      8    1         )

     sacrifice, offered to God ,by a priest. We have this
                                                                                                           Hoogstwaarschijnlijk  is dit een psalm van Asaf,,
    .from  his.pen,  "For if Jesus Christ ,ouP Lord and God,
                                                                                                        zoowel als voor Asaf. Want d&e 0. .T. heilige was
     is himself the chief priest of God" the Father, and has
                                                                                                        opperzangmeester in Israel. Het is een heerlijk lied,
     first offered `himself a sacrifice to the Father, and has
                                                                                                       ,een lied, dat spreekt  van Gods groote goedheid.
     ,commanded'this  to be done in commemoration of him-
                                                                                                           Deze  psalm is de eerste dien we  leerden  in Neder-
     self ;certainly  that priest truly discharges the office
                                                                                                       land. Welk kind, in.~Gereformeer~de  kringen geboren,`
     of Christ, who imitates that. which Christ did ; and .he                                          kent Psalm 81, vers  12 (berijmd) niet.?
     then offersa full -and true sacrifice in the church when

     he proceeds, to offer it according to what he sees Christ                                                           Oplent  uwen mond ;
     himself to ,have  offered,." Thus the task of the Chris-                                                            ,Eischt  van Mij vrijmoedig,
     tian priest is "to serve the altar and to celebrate the                                                             Op Mijn trouwverbond ;
     divine sacrifices."             Here then,was  being lai,d  the founda-                                             Al wat u ontbreekt,
     tion of ,that  ,latter  doctrine that this sacrifice is the                                                         Schenk Ik, zoo gij `t smeekt,
     very flesh and blood of Christ with atoning value.                                                         .        Mild en overvloedig.!
                                                                      !G. MI  0 .
        :'                                                                                                  D,a:arom  heb ik de inzet van de versj,e  b`oven  dit
                                                                                                       schrijven geplaatst.

                                                                                                           Ja,i.als  +de  kleintjes nog maar  amper kunnen praten
        . . . ,.                                                                                       leerden  zij .dit versje.      En als dan Oom of Tante over-
                           A T T E N T I O N ,  CLA,SSIS  WE,ST _.                                     kwam, dan moesten.wij  d.a.t versje opzeggen. Later,
                                                                                                       even later,.leerden  w!e "Heer, ai, maak mij Uwe wegen,
                   classis West will convene D.V. Wednesday, March 7                                    door Uw Woord en Geest bekend  !"                  En dan volgde
      i tt the Sioux Center Prot. Ref. Church;                       Will those who                     al- spoedig 
      desire lodging please contact the unld'ersigned.                                                                  : " `t Hijgend hert >der `jacht tontkomen,
                                                                                                       schreeuwt  niet sterker naar  -`t genot van ,d!e  frissche
                                                  Rev. M. Gritters,  .S.' C.                           waterstrobmen,  dan mijn .ziel  verlangt naar  ,God  !"
                   _'                                                        I                            ~0, ik weet wel, ldat ,.wij .die zaken waarvan we
        _... ;                                                                                   `.     stamelden niet .verstonden,  dat wij a.1 die versjes on-
                                                                                                       0 nadenkeud  zongen. Hoe kon het anders?  .Wat kan
                                                                                                        een vijf- of vier-jarige.weten  van Gods trouwverbond,
                                       IN MEMORIAM                                                     Zijn we,gen of den dorst naar `t eeuwig Wezen  ! En
                   On the-morning'of  January 30 the Lord in His infinite wis-                         tech is `t schoori, lieflijk  en goed,  da,t wij onze kinderen

     dom'took out of our midst our beloved husband,  %father,  grand-                                  spoedig wennen aan  de lofzangen  Israels.  Later,' veel

f a t h e r   a n d   g r e a t - g r a n d f a t h e r ,                                              later, .als wij de kinderschoenen ontwiesen, wanneer ,de
        ..                                                                                              Heilige Geest 0~s dieper  mleidde, waren we aan de
                                     maAis  SCIZUPFEB                                                   Woorden Gods .gewend  en verstonden de zaken van
      at the age ,of 87 years.                                                                          Gods koninkrijk zoo veel te spoediger. .Daarom  is

                   We have the assurance that God, whom he served, has                                  er .zoo  groot verschil tusschen het verbondskind; dat tot
      taken him to .His  eternal Home for the which he longed in the                                    zichzelf k.wa.m  ,dloor ,Gods.  Geest en de uitverkorene die
      last'days  he was here. We are greatly comforted hereby.                                         van uit & wereld geroepen wordt, iets dat somtijds,
                                                    Mrs. .Klaas  Schipper                              niet vaak, geschiedt.         De laatst,genoemde  mo;et  dan zoo
                                                    Mrs. Alice Schaaphok                                ontzaglijk veel inhalen.-  En sommige dingeu  haalt
                                                    Mrs. Anne Vos                 '                     hij nooit meer in.     De heerlijkste en diepste indrukken
                                                    Mr. and Mrs. George Schipper                        krijgen'wij  in lde jeu.gd.     Reden  waa.rom  God Zijn ver-

                                                    Mr. and Mrs. John Schipper                          bondskindreren  toeroept : .Gedenkt  .aan uwen Schepper
                                                    Mr. and Mrs. Dick Bouma                             in de dagen uwer jongelingschap !
                                                    M%.  Jacob Schipper .                                 --De psalm begint met een  opwekking om den Heere
                                                    Mr. and Mrs. Simon De  Haan                         te prijzen : "Zingt vroolijk.,Gode  ooze  sterkte ; juicht
                                                    Mr. and Mrs. John Engelhard,                        den God Jakobs !?' Ge kuntwel  een'boek schrijven ovei
              _-                                    Dr. and Mrs. James Butt                             d i t  Bene vers :El-k-  woord-is   z e e r  zwaar;
                                                                                                          Men zingt -als :alle  nooden vervuld  zijn. Dat -wil
        ;`.                                         Miss -Henrietta Schipper           -
              .




                                                       36 grandchildren                     8           zeggen, de.*whre  jubel*is  een jubel des geluks. Er is
      i- Grand. Rapids, .Michigan                      13 great-grandchildren.                          zingen,  dat idoor  God' gekenmerkt wordt als een  tioren.


       .-                                    7TBI$  YSTANDARD  *BÈARE'R                                                  0         `251


       Amos  .5 :23. .,`.`Doe  `het getier  uwer. liederen van Mij          Van Godswege waren er zelfs.  baztiinen  in de kerk..
       weg, ook mag Ik uwer luiten spel niet  hooren."  Dat             Er was zelfs een feest van  trbmpetten.        Ter bestemder
       is' vneéielijk.    Zingen wordt tieren voor God als ge het       tijld. ,op.den feestdag, maast men op de bazuin' blazen,.

      `hart verre van Hem, houdt. Alle zingen, d.at uitreea             Want het was een inzetting in Israel, zegt  -ons Asaf.
       ,dankbaa.r,  blijm,oedig  hart tot God'  opgezonden I wordt      Het .is aduidelijk  uit het verband, dat het feest waarvan
       is Hem -liefelijk `en aangenaam.                                 Asaf  spreekt, het Paaschfeest gewe&t  is.       Want in het
              Zingt vroolik  ! Zingt `nu blij ta m;oe. `t. Machtig verband ,s.preekt  hij van de uittocl$:uit  <Egypte. HeU
       ,Opperwezen  eenen  lofzang toe! Jesaja heeft psalm              .blazen  .op de .baiuin was een inzetting in Jozef  ,`ge-

       81 gezongen. Later zou hij het ons vertellen, dat de             worden, onidat God .hen  verloste uit het .-dienstC_&
       Heere den vroolijke ontmoet en  .dien  die gerechtigheid         der slavernij. ;Aldaar,  zégt  Asaf,  heb ik e'en Spraak

       doet. De ,beteekenis  is, dat God tden man bemint  die           gehoord die ik niet  verstond. Ik denk, dat we  tiier

       iblij is als hij gerechtigheid mag werken. Men zingt             niet  allereerst :te denkèn  `nebbe11  aan de Egyptische

       God Zeo  vroolijk  en blij te moe, als  men'Hem  liefheeft.      taal, +swel  de Egyptische afgoderij. Immers, in het

       als `men vol is van God, als men  naä.r Hem verlangt             verband is er sprake. va.n  de st.emmen  Van menschen
       meer dan naar iets .of iemand anders.                            Gods  in het gezang en van de  stemmen der. mLiziëk

        ' Waarom zouden wij niet zi.ngen?  Hij is imlners               om Go#d te loven! Daartegenover nu stelt ,Asaf den
     onze sterkte ! Wat (zit daar veel,  in. Men moet, aller- wanklank der -Egyptische afgoderij.                      Het `was: een
     eerst,, zeer nedig zijn om dit te zingen.              .Gulweg     mompelen en schreeuwen dat ijdel `en boos was. :En
       erkent men dan, dat wij geen sterkte hebben, ,dtit  wij          het motief w,as  vijandschap tegen God. Want tege-
     afsoluut afhankelijk zijn van Hem.            "Van Wien het        lijkertijd spreekt hij, als i.n.  éénen adem van den  ,la&
       volk zijn sterkte heeft!"      "Hij .is de kracht van hunne      en' *de potten.    De schouder van Israel was van _ den
       kracht !"     En aoo._zouden  wij voort .kunnen  ga.an ,olti     last  onttrokken en hunne hanld,en van de:pott&.  "Die
       het uit ,den Bijbel te bewijzen, dat God de kracht is            last en die potten zien op de  vreeselijke'  arbeid d'er
       van on,ze  kracht. Hij is dat zelfs van den duivel en            sl,a,vernij  in Egypte, waar zij de gebouwen der  F&ao'<
       van alles. Hij ,is ,de Almachtige. Doch hier .beteekent          moesten bouwen.         Die potten waren  de -werktuigen- dich

       het iets zeer speciaa.ls.     Hij is de sterkt,e  van Gods       zij gebruikten -om de zware `steen  te sjouwen tot een
       volk.om  goed, lieflijk, rechtvaardig, ,en schoon te zijn.       last -der schouders.
       Zou er daarom op volgen "juicht den ,God  Jakobs?"                   Doch de Heere had hen verlost.         Daarom die vroo-
       Indien iemand,; dan heeft Jakob uitgevonden,  ,dat  God          lijke zang en die stemmen der muziek. .En  onder di,

       zijn sterkte was . Hij probeerde gedurig om den Heere muziek was de bazuin ,de voornaamste. De bazuin is
       een Zlandje t.e helpen, doch alles brak hem bij de handen        1de stemme Gods  tot zegen of tot vloek. Er was een
       af.     .Hij moest, leeren,  dat God alléén Zijn heerlïjk        b%zuingeklank  bij het Paasehfeest.       De priesters moes-
       Huis  bouwt. :                                                   ten op md:e  zilvere  tba..zuipes  blazen. H.et  was symbool

              "Heft ee:?  psalm op, en geeft de trommel, *de liefe-     van Gods  ltefejijke  stemme ter verlossing.          Doch  er
       lijke harp met ,de luit." Dat was een inzetting i.n Israel.      zal ook bazuingeklank'zijn bij het komen. van Jezus.
     ! Zolekt  liet maar op in. 11 Kron. 5 :12 en 30 :21.     Daar      Doch dan is het hqofdzakeli.j$  het proepen  van God
       staat, dat men den Heere moest loven met die muziek-             tegen de goddeloozen.        Dan komt Hij ten oordeel.
       instrumenten.       Alles om toch maar een schoon harmo-            Van -uit de beea.uwdhedén  der Egyptische slavern:,;
       dsch geheel  te mogen hebben- in..het  rijk der stemmen          hadden zij tot God geroepen. En hoewel het scheen

       en klanken opstijgende door de  atmosf,eer  tot -voor            eerst  alsof de ,Hee,ye  ,dopf  was, toch had Hij hunne
      tden tpoon  Gc%.       Ik kan het ma,a.r  niet begrijpen, dat,    smeekbede gehoord want Hij riep Mozes en,Aäron  Om
      men vroeger soms tegen muziek  was in,,de  kerk:          `Ook    Zijn volk uit te. leiden.     Hij antwoorflde  Zijn volk "uit;
       nu is ons volk nog wel wat sober . Het gebeurt maa.r             de schuilplaats odes donders."      Dat zal zien op de vuur-
      hoogst zelden, dat men r&er  dan orgel of piano muziek            kolom ,en ,de  wolkkolom . Wat heeft God wonderlijk en
in de kerk,  toeliet . . IOf er `geen gevaar  is? .Ja, dat,             mqjestieus  geroepen in die dagen. Het antwoord de!.

       stemmen wij direkt toe . Doch .a.lle misbruik veroor- verlossing voor Israel was tevens een vreeselijk woe$en
       deelt het goede gebruik .niet,.  -In elk geval moeten wij        t.egen  de Egyptenaren. Vanuit d.ie sc'huilplaats  des
       er voor zorgen, dat de wereld van maziek  gevonden               ,donders  heeft Hij gestaard met "groote  gramschap `op
       w'ordt  in onzen godsdienst. Hier en op veel  meerde1            d.e vijanden Zijns volks en heeft heil  verdorven.        Deriki.
      plaatsen.in  Gods  Woord, wordt dé keik  opgewekt om              aa.n -het woord in Exodus 14  :24.  Daar staat dat d(l

       ook met #de muziek Hem te loven en te prijzen.      Daarom       Heere slechts zag op het leger der Egyptenaren. E:I
      is een pij:porgel  in #de kerk zoo  mooi.    In ,een pijporgel    zie, zij werden verschrikt, de raderen hunner wagenen
      zitten zooveel,  stemmen, verschillende klanken.  En              stieten tegen elkaar en zij werd& opgeslokt door dc
      als men dan -*iemand `heeft .die .het spelen machtig is,          baren van ,Gods .wraak.. `Doch Israel heeft toes g-.
       dan ka.n het ons zoo  schoon dienefi  in den openbaren           zongen "blij -te moe".

      eeredienst,                                                          Toen heeft de Heere Zijn volk beproefd aan  `do
.


      252 c                                   T H E  `STANQARti  BEARER


      wateren van Meriba.      Die naam herinnert ons aan onze            zullen verkeeren. -Hij zal het dak van Zijn huis  OVPI
      schande. De Heere beproefde Zijn werk; doch het                     ons uitbreiden.
      vleesch is toen (bezweken.     Zij hebben ,wij hebben daav*                 De kindertjes zongen hun "opent uwen mond  !". en
      gemurmuqerd.  De H.eere  verzocht ons: er was geen                  het is goed. De Heere hoorde het en Hij heeft het
      water voor ons; ook was er veel vee dat  dorstte.           En      goedgekeurd.
,     toen heeft het vleesch  van Gods  volk getwijfeld aan               ' Hij heeft het ki<ndergezang  gehoord en het is eeuwig
      Gods wondermacht om te verkwikken. Doch Christus                    goed. Jezus heeft Iiet  geaccentueerd: Tenzij gijlieden
      verscheen in een Rots die vloeide van heerlijk water.               wordt gelijk een kindeken. . . .
      "En de rots was Christ.us  !" 1 C.or. 10.                                   Hij hoorde het stamelende vragen, snikkend vra-
          Zoo moet ge verstaan wat Asaf zingende zegt :.                  gen en kwam aangedragen, snellijk gevlogen : Hij voer
      "Mijn volk, zeide  Ik, hoor toe, en Ik zal onder U be-              U ter hulpe en met Zijne hoogheid op de bovenste
      tuigen                                                              wolken.
               ; Isr,ael,  of gij naar Mij hoordet !"     Het vloeien
      van verkwikkend water was een sprake Gods,  een                             In deze dagen hooren  wij een naklank van een
     sprake ,die hen vertelde van de groote  lie£de  Gods  in             ander vragen. Er is er Een geweest ,die Zijn mond
      het aangezicht van den liefelijken Jezus.                           wijd opengeldaan  heeft.        .Hij heeft het zelfs uitge-
          En zoo heeft de Veere  iijn volk gelokt, opdat het              schreeuwd. Doch Hij werd niet vervuld. Het WAs
      Hem zou vreezen.  Negatief `betuigde *de Heer?,  dat                Jezus.        Op dien vreeselijken Vrijdag heeft Hij het
      zij geen afgoden zouden ,dienen.  Er mocht geen u!t-'               gezegd, veel ,smartelijker-  dan zijn vader David: Mijn
      la.ndsch  god gevonden noch gediend worden. Want                    God, Ik roep `des daags een Gij antwoordt niet, des
      God. is een jalqersch  XGod  op Zijn eer.          En door het-     nachts  .en Ik heb geen stilte !
      zelfde bruischende water van den. rotssteen, en dat is                      En vanwege Zijn smart en bange Godsveriating
      `Christus, zleide.  God : "Ik ben ,de Heere Uw God!"                moogt gij nu -Uwen mond wijd open doen.              Jezus, Uw
     Denkt er toch aan, Mijn voik, Ik heb U opgevoerd van                 Jezus heeft al die zaligheden verdiend.

      uit Egypte. Er was geen andere Verlosser. En hier                    ' Opent uwen mond: `God,  uti God,, zal hem vervul-
      bij Meriba en op aden Sinai roepe Ik U toe: Doe uwen                len.
      mond wijd open : Ik za.1 hem vervullen !                                    Totdat gij allen stille wordt, stille gelijk het ge-
          Hier hebben wij het hoofdthema van den geheelen                 zoogde kind, dat in zalig ruste insluimerde zijnde aan
      psalm. IGods  groote goedertierenheid,  Gods  wonderc-              zijner moeders borsten.
      wil om te zegenen en Zijn volk wel te doen.                                 Het is o zoo  vredig in oden  hemel!
          De Heere weet, dat Wij behoeften hebben. Hij                                                                         G. V.
      schiep ons met bshoeften,  met allerlei nooddruft.

          De Heere weet, dat nadat wij in  ge zonde gevallen
      ziji een veel grootere  nooddruft gekomen is. Nu is  er

      de nood van zonde en schuldvergiffenis. ALs  die niet
      komt, `dan gaan we naar de hel.       Nu is er de nooddruft                                0
                                                                                                      Debate
      om te. loven en te prijzen tot  ,den  hemel toe.       Nu is er

      ,de  noodbruft  van het eeuwige leven.       Nu is er de nood-              RE,SOLVED-th&  the UmdergrouncZ  Novement
      druft van bescherming en bevetliging  tegen denpduivel                      in Ocmpiecl  Countries  is Revo,ktionary.
      en zijn trawanten. Er zijn bittere vijanden van  ron-
      cdom.                                                               A.ffirmative  :
          Ik weet (dat alles', zegt ,de  Heere.                                   Because  of the timely  nature  of our Subject,, the
          Daaroin:  doe uwen mond wijd open. Wie denkt                    terms used hardly need further elucidation. Ever
      hier niet aan het kleine, jonge vogelte  in het nest.'      Het     since the outbreak of the  war in Europe such  tertis
      klaa  zichzelf niet helpen.    DIezelfde  idee als. bij Agur.       as "the  underground" and "the occupied countries"
      Die spreekt van een voeden door God. Dezelfde  ge-                  have been heard repeatedaly  on the radio, r@a.d  in the
      ,dachte.  Al wat <ons ontbreekt, schenkt God zoo  wij               papers and found on every  lip.        Who  does not rbalize
      `t smeeken.    Hij wil er om gebeden worden.          Hij schiep    at once that by "occupied countries" is meant  those
      en, herschiep ons tot" Zijn lof.    IHij wil een afhankelijk        countries in Europe which have been overrun  by the
      volk, dat ldoor  Hem rijk, schoon, zalig en eeuwig ge-              Geiman  war-machine  anld have )3ince  been under Nazi
      lukkig tgemaakt'  zal worden; opdat zij tot in alle eeuwig-         control  ?
      heid voor Hem zullen staa.n `om  met luider keel Hem                        The "UndeFground"  is also  familiar to al1 as thz
      op `t hoogst te prij.zen.                                           subversive attempts of the people in the occupied coun-
          Doen we dan. onzen mond wijcd -open.             Er zijn bij    $ries to interfere with and ldestroy  by acts of sabotage
      ,den Heere ,oceanen  van genade en heil. Er .is een                 the hated domina.`tion  of the Nazi's.     The underground

      $rQuwverbond.  Dat, `wil zeggen, Sdat'wiJ  in Gods Hui3             haq ma&!  its appearance  either w  a  well-organi.zed


 movement of a certain group, or otherwise as the                    that the dissoluteness of men might be restrained, and
 efforts of certain inldividuals  to interfere with the Nazi         all things carried on among them with good order and
 control.     In some cases the movement proceeds ac-                decency."
 cording to a definite and well -established plan, as was                And this in turn  is based on the testimony of the
 the case in France at the'time  of the allied invasion.             `Scripture!. The elders appointed to govern Israel in
 In other cases the individual-takes the law in his own              the old dispensation were called go'ds  because it was
 hands to work against the enemy in every `way pos-                  their calling to exercise judgment "not for man, but

 sible. Many of these Fattempts  are reported to               in    for God."     Jesus refers to this when He  sa.ys,  "If
                                                        us

 the papers. `Some are less drastic than others, as for              <Scripture  called them gods to whom the word of God
 example, the secret agreement of all the employees in               came. . . . .", which can only mean that God invested
 a certain warplant  in Holland to blow their noses e$ery            them by His Word with divine authority to rule in
 five minutes in order to waste precious seconds of the              His name. And Wisdom declares, "By Me princes
 Nazi time, which taken over a whole day-for all the                 rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth."
 employees would `amout  to considerable loss of time                Prov. 8 :15, 16.     While Paul tells us that "there is no
 and effort for the enemy.      Other attempts are of a far          power but of God.       The powers that be, are ordained
 more serious nature, including the destruction of life.             of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power; re-
 and property, as for example, transferring a guard                  sisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist
 into the icy waters of-a canal under cover of the night.            shall receive to themselves.,damnation."  Ram. 13 :l, 2,
 All these efforts together form the uederground  move-                  That is sufficient evidence to prove my first con-

 ment we have taken under discussion, and which I, as                tention, that man owes subjection to all those' placed,in

 the affirmative, will prove to be nothing less than                 authority over him.

 violent attempts of rebellion against the proper author-                2. `The second statement, that there ark no excep-
 ities, and therefore purely revolutionary.                          tions, no matter who these powers may be, is also
        Let me concede at the outset that my worthy oppon-           readily proven.
 ent, `who will take up the defence  of these subversive                 The fact that the Nazi war-machine has overrun
 actions, has not a single sound argument on his side.'              the continent by `brutal'force  :and nefarious devastation
 From that aspect.the subject is hardly debatable.                   offers no excuse for the occupied countries to refuse
        My argument is as conclusive as it is simple, con-           subjection. Even the fact that these powers openly
 sisting of but three positive facts.      It must be agreed         refuse to acknowledge *God  and threaten to wipe out
 by all, that man owes subjection to all those placed in             religion makes no difference.
 authority over him.       Moreover, that there are `no ex-              We have a similar case in Scripture;' when wicked.
 ceptions to this, rule, no matter who these powers  may             Nebuchadnezzar, who exalted himself as' God, succeed-
`be.     And finally, that a:ny subversive &et on the part of        ed in becoming a world power by subjecting the nations '
the individual against these powers must necessarily be              of the world by the edge of the swor'd.'  Yet Daniel'
 branded as revolutionary.                                           tells him, "Thou, o king, art king,  of kings, for the
        1. The necessity of obedience to those in authority_         God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and'
 is based on the fifth commandment.            Although the          strength, and glory. And wheresoever  thee children
 commandment speaks of honoring father and mother,                   of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls
 it covers all authority in every sphere of life.     Out of         of the heaven hath He given into thy' hanld, and hath
 the family is born the.church,  the school, the state and           made thee'ruler over them all. Dan. 2 :37, 38;
 every other conceivable relation of authority  anld obedi-              Therefore the Lord demanlds of Israel by the mouth
 ence. This is certainly trule  of the state. The father             of the prophet Jeremiah that they shall bring their
 of the fa.mily  became head, of the clan, leader of the             necks under the yoke of the ,king  of Babylon and serve
 tri,be,  and ruler of the nation.    According to the ordin-        him. Jer. 29 :12.
 ance .of IGod laid down in- creation men, do not live                * Nor can the pbjection  be raised that this a,pplics
.' pelllmell like rats in the straw, but are governed by             only to Israel, for in the previous verses Jeremiah is
those -placed in authority over them, to whom they owe               instructed to give this same command to the other
 all subjection.    And let it be said here,  that  we have          nations round about, that they also su#bmit-to  the king
about as much choice of determining what power shall                 of Babylon,`upon  threat of punishment by the hand of
rule over us in the state as we have in picking out our              the Lor'd  if they refuse.    "Thus saith the `Lord of hosts,
 own parents before our birth. Both are determined                   the Gold of Israel. . . . I have made' the earth, the man.
by_ the providehce  and appointment of God.                          and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great
   Therefore in `article 36 of thse. Belgic Confession               power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it
we declare to beli,eve  that God "hath a.p~ointed  kings,            unto w*hom it seemed meet unto Me.         And now I have
princes and magistrates willing that the world should.               given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar,'
 be governed .by certain laws and policies ; to the end'             the king of Babylon, my servant  ; . . . . and all nations:


 shall  serv:e  him, anld his son, and his son's son . . . .    the responsibility of the individual, who Is also `pun-
 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom         ished accordingly upon detection.
 which will not serve the  rs,ame  Nebuchadnezzar, the             A'dd  to this the fact that these efforts are neces-
 king of Babylon, and that will -not put their neck tinder      sarily done  in secret to &cape detection of the occupy-
 the yoke of the king of Babylo&  that nation will I            in'g  foreas.  They are done simply  because the people
 punish, saith the Lord, with the sword, and'with the           unlder  a foreign yoke refuse to acknowledge that God
 famine and with the pestilence, until I have consumed          has placed these powers  over them and that they have
 them by his hand." Jer. 27 :5-8.                               no right to aris,e in revolt against them, since only
  We should not fail to tiote  that Nebuchadnezzar,             God can give deliverance by just.means  in His own time
 and Hitler as well, is a tool in. God's hand, God's ser-       .and in His own way.
 vant, and for that reason -must be obeyed, even upon              How ,entirely  !different  was the attitude of David
 threat of punishment from the hanId  of God:      For they     when he was hunted as a bea,st  of -the field by the un-
 "that resist shall receive to themselves greater damna-        righteous Saul.    Although David knew that God had
 tion."                                                         taken the kingdom awa.y  from the house of Saul beA
     What is true of Nebuchadnezzar is true of any              cause #of his wickedness, and although he himself was
 power that gains supremacy over other nations.        They     already anointed as Saul's suc'cessor,  yet he w(ould  not
 #do  not attain that power of themselves but- receive it       stretch forth his hanld against the Lord's anointed.
 from ,Go,d according to His providence, with the ac-           H,e patiently waited for the Lo~d's  time, saying, "As
 companying decree that they shall rule over these na-          the ILord liveth, the Lord shall.  smite him; or his day
 tions that have been subj,e&ed  under them.      ,Therefore    shall dome to die; or he shall descend into  ,battle  and
 the prophet Daniel can say that `God "cha,nges  the            perish. The Lord forbid that I shoulld  stretch forth
 times and the seasons ; H,e removes kings anId se& up. my hand against the Lord's anointed." I Sam. 26  :lO, 11.
 kings."      "That the living may know that the Most              And also Israel in captivity in Babyl,on is told to do
High ru,leth  in the kingdoms of men, and giveth it to          the very opposite from committing acts of violence and
 whomsoever He will an:d setteth  up over it the basest         sabotage against their dreaded oppressor.      The land of
 of men.`!  Dan. 2 :21; 4 :17. And God demands sub: `Canaan lies forsaken, without inhabitant, the city of
jection  to these powers simply because He has placed           IGod  and the temple lie in ashes, their*  property is oon-
 them in power and given to them the kingdoms of the            fiscated, th'ey are torn from their homes and driven
 e&h..                                                          into exile and miserable bondage, yet they are told to
     Those in authority must be obeyed, the just as well        seek" the peace of the city of their captivity. Be it
 as the unjust, even to the "basest of men", not for their      /aranted  `that they ti.re  obdered  to do this for their.
 sake, but for God's sake, Who places them in power.            own  peace and security, the fact retiains  that .God..
 The only exception  to this rule is when they demand           ,ord&s  them : "Build ye houses and -dwell i,n them (ip
 those things of us which are contrary to the command           Babylon) ; and plant gardens, and eat .of the fruit of
 ,of. God.    And even then we r,efuse  to obey, because we     them; take ye .wives  and beget sons and daughters;
 must obey Gsd rather than men.                                 that ye may be increased there and not diminished.
   ,A11  of which sufficiently proves that man owes sub-        And $eek  the pea.ce  of the city whither I have caused
 jection to all those placed in authority over him, with-       you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the
 out exception. The people who hake  surrendered to             l+or;d  %or it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have
the ,oQposing  forces can only submit.     They must  neces-    peace." Jer. 29 :5-7.
 sarily:lay...down  their arms a.nd in every `way subject          If we must speak of an underground movement,
 themselves to their new magistrates. *                         let it be the honest effort of the Church of Jesus Christ
     3. Which- can leave u$ but one conclusion, that  any       to ,openly  maintain itself in the Babylon of this  world
 subversive act against these powers must be branded            by being faithful fo her covenant God `and clinging

as revolutionary.                                               firmly to His promises. Only the Church is assured
     This conclusion is sustained by the fact thaf every        of the dtimate victory.    All other underground  move-
 underground movement must necessariiy  be an up-               ments -must be branded as revolutionary.
 rising of the individual against the powers that be.                                                           C. H.
 Even though the former government surredders  under
 protest, declares itself- in exile an'd surreptitiously

 o.rders its former subjects to acts of sabotage, the           A' Few Negative Suggestions 
 fact remains that this former .government  has by the                                          :
 very act of surrender lost all authority over its sub-          .The brother to whom the negative side of this de-
 jects. And even though these subjects may together             bate was assigned informed me that he could not see
set :up an organized movement opposing the power                any_ negative side to this resolution. Hence, he aban-
 that domineers over them, these efforts always  remair,        doned the attempt to debate with Rev. Hanko.

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                                        iicB;re :-STAND&&D  ;B%ARER                                                                                        $55
                                             - -    _.          .-                                            .._....         _ _ ._ .._._.  -__ __.__  _ _.-
     In order to render the ldliscussion  ,complete,  I .will,                 in Jerusalem. David fled and even  :went  temporarily
 therefore, offer a few arguments that might be pre-                           in exil'e.     However, he was still in.authority,  and could
 sented .by the negative party.                                                rally his forces:,$o  quell the rebellion, destroy ,tlze
     First of all I agree with the Rev. Hanko that Scrip-                      usurper,, -and be restored to the throne.                     m
 ture teaches that `we must ,be subject to those that are                          6. A.lthough  ,granting.practically  all the contentions'
 in authority over us.    We will not debate this point.                       of my opponent, therefore, as far as they have  ref_er-,
     I also agree that it mak'esl  no ,difference  i.n what way                ence  to individual acts .of rebellion and sabotage,. I
 those that are in authority come into power, whether                          must insist that as far as the underground movemenr;
 by election, by hereditary succession, or by usurpation                       is organized, and &der .the  direction of its. legal
                                                                          ;
 always we must be in subjection.            Aed  any individual               -government, it is not revolutionary.
 attempt to overthrow the government, or any personal                                                                    .., .:                   J$. fl.' .I .'
 rebellion against the higher powers is revolutionary,
aad, therefore, to be condem.ned.

     I believe that the biblical illustration ,of  the sub-                                                                    .'     i                             _ .
 jection of Israel to Nebuchadnezzar is to the point.                                           .                                     !;
     I grant Rev., Hanko that, in. as far as the under-
 ground movement in `the occupied countries is char?                                     The Purpose Of Abrihitm's  ."..
 acterized by individual sabotage and rebellion, and even
 ofTmurder,  it is to be condemne'd.                                                                   Separation.  .(_,                     `I' . . . '
                                                                                                                                             o..
     But I do not agree that the Rev.  Banko  gives us                                          :
 a fair and complete preeentatilon  of the underground                             In answering this question one is automatically giv-.
 movement. Let us take Holland for an example.                        Note,    ing his view on what the Church is, its relation to  the.
 and let the Rev. Hanko refute these arguments  :.,                            world and to heaven, as well as defining the conception

     1. The government of Holland was not <destroyed                           of the Covenant-and1  its development .in history.                          And
 by the Nazi usurper, nor did it abdicate. .On the con-                        that, it seems. to me, is quite a series. of important,

 trary, it fled to England, and was thus removed from                          subjects. So please, do not expect that I intend at
 its usual and proper place ,of operation.                But ,it still        arriving. at any one conclusion and say, "now then,.
 exists, and is the .only  rightful auth,ority-.to  whom the                   that is the'purpose  of his separation". .,
 Dutch subj,ects owe allegiance and subjection as far as                          ,,When  the question is asked why God called  Abra-,
 possible.                                                                     ham ap.art  and what may .be -God's purpose, in separat:

     2. This government in exile !does not only exist, but                     ing him from his surroun'dings,  various answers are,
 it also is still i*n a position to function to .a certain ex-                 given.        We oqght  to stop and. lo'ok  at a. few of them.
 tent. This is especi!al,ly  made possieble through the                        just .a'moment.         : : .

 radio.    The government is able to contact its subjects,                       :. You all recall, th,e  ~little  answer. w.hich .the.  Primer by

 to issue its moommands  to the subjects, and to direct                        Beets and Bosmfa  gives: that God called Abraham.

 them. as to what they ought to  Ido in their peculiar                         apart to preserve the true religion.                  The' idea is. that.
 circumstances with a view to the ultimate destruction                         after the Flood idolatry .made  suoh  an. inrush that it
 of the usurper, and their own liberation in the end.                          beca,me necessary for ,God to iet Abraham  out of the
    3. Under the tdirectibn  of their legal government.                        Ur of Chaldees and bring .him into a little. enclosure
 thousands of Dutoh  subjects have gone "underground"                          where the true religi#on  .could  be preserved. Apart
 and become organized.       They are in contact with their                    from the fact that Canaan too was ..idolatrous,  -and
 government in England, receive instructions from                              apart from .the  fact that the -true religion, historically
 them, are armed by them, do everything they  .can to;                         iat least, was not even preserved that way, apart from
 oppose the usurper, and await the moment when they                            that all, this view is dualistic. It makes it seem  as-
 ca.n meet and help the invading forces of their legal                         if God suddenly became confronted with  .the perplex-
 government, and hail the house of Orange back into                            ing problem of idolatry and to solve it,. called Abraham
 their own country.                                                            :a,part.  This is ,dualism.               _
    4. I contend that this underground, movement,                                  Premillenialism views the Abrahamic separation
 organi,zed  and directed by their own government in                           as the .beginning  of a new dispensation in which the
 exil'e,  is not revolutionary, but peonscience  boun'd to                     J'ews became the proper people of God, and ever  .after
 obey the proper "higher powers" now in England, even                          remain such. Because later the Jews reject Christ.
 though they must suffer for it.        '                                      IGod breaks off His relationship with them for a: while,.
    5. Rath.er  . than , compare the_  underground move:                       but in `due time .God  will return to the ,.Jews  and .bring
 ment with the subjection of Israel to Nebucha,dnezzar,,                       them to Canaan.          In other words, ~God by.,means  .of:.
 therefore, I would appeal to the example of Absaloms's                        Abraham's separation, sets out to  tgive  the national.,
 rebellion against David.     The rebel was on the throne                      Jews the land of Ganaap,,,,  . . their rejection.of_Chri,st..


 2%                                    T-.&E-'  S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R

interrupted this program for a while <during which            Canaan was so situated that at that spot and at no
time ,Gad  gathers a New Testament Church.  . . . but         other God's purposes with His Old Testament Church
after this God will turn a,gain to Igather  the Jews.         could :be realized. At the same time however this
And such people excitedly point to the fact that there        ,Old Testament act is also a type, which `finds its
ar,e so and so `many millions of Jews already gone back       higher fulfillment later in Christ, and especially in
to geographical- Canaan today: Such a view forgets            His ascension, Pentecost and Parousia. The separa-
that the true children of Abraham are any and all'            tion of Abraham is really going on all the time, during
,believers,  and that the Canaan w-hich  God holds before.    %a11 the days of God's Church in this world, yea, and
them when He cal.ls  Abraham is not an earthly one but        in the life of every individual Christian. Whosoever
the heavenly one, the Better Country of Hebrews 11:16.        confesses the God of Abraham today must feel the
   Another prevalent view or error is the Common              power of that Word which saith, "wherefore, come
Grace conception as worke!d! out by the late Dr. A.           ye out from among them and be ye separate".
Kuyper in his De Gem'eene  Gratie (I :349-350)  which             In the second place Abraham is the father of
runs briefly ras follows : I- After the Fall God's prim- all believers, whose Seed principly is Christ Jesus, in
ary purpose with history is to restore  .the original         Whom we are all blessed with believing Abraham.
creation ordi.nanoe.    Sin and the devil sought to wreck     When God separates Abraham. Go.d  separates him
the creation ordinance, God goes about to restore it.         .as the father of all who believe and thus God makes
Z- Common IGrace  prevailed until we reach chapter 12         all believers a separate people. Let me put it this
of ,Genesis,,but  the world became more and more steep-       way: The only `children God has  arle the chil,dren  of
ed in idolatry.    Something smust  be done to keep things    the separated Abraham.        Does not Hebrews 11:13  say
on the right road.       3- Special grace makes .its ap-      so beautifully: "These all died in faith. . . .and con-
pearance in that God calls A.braham  aipart,  isolates him    fessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the
and the cause for a.few hundred years so that it can          earth ?".    Too m,a,ny  sodcalled  Christians are not strang-
devellop  into a potent power. 4- Then, finally, in the       ers an.d pilgrims here. Instead ,of that they bathe
New Dispensation the highly developed, potent, long           themselves in fleshly lusts, seek the world and under
preserved religion returns to its common grace chan-          the guise of restoring the original creation ordinances,
nels, goes out into all the world, institutes crisis, in-     s'eek  an earthly kingdom. Let these remember that
fluences all that is `devilish, bringing judgment day,        God has no children but those of the sepa!rated  Abra-
and after the final separatio,n  making' the original         ham.    Jesus. greets these children when He says  :
work of God bloom in glory before the  T,hrone.      Such     "Ye are not of the world. . . ; I have chosen you out
is, in short of course, his view.    Many modern Kuyper       of the world".     IGod's elect are a separate people. In
advocates .have taken this conception and rushed with         the Old Testament this separation was national and
it into Postmillenialism,  teaching that the Abrahamit:       !geographical,  in the New Testament the people of
separ.ation  first, and the New Testament return to all       Abraham, through Christ, no more live in a separate
nations later, will `have its finished fruit i,n a world      country.     But they are as truly'beparate-  from the
won for Christ, where the original creation ordinance         nations as Abraham was. . . . in a much more highly
blooms.    All this makes the Abrahamic separation            #developed sense of the word.
merely ,an interlu'de  betwleen  two acts, and restored          To make this article as plainas  possible let us take

creat6on  ordinances the primary go.al  of God's work in      these general facts now and draw a few conclusions.
redemption. Thus losing sight of the election, the                1. First of all I .believe  that it is `evident to all

`Christ  and the Better Thmgs in Christ.                      that the separation `of Abraham has its purpose some-
   In considering what God is ldoing  when He calls           where in the Plan of God in re His Covenant.        It some-
Abraham apart it is necessary first of all to bear in.        how serves His Covenant and its development,  but it
mind two things:                                              !also  serves to demonstrate w,hat  kind of thing the
   .The  separation is an historical fact and as such         ICovenant  really, is. When God separates Abraham it.
it served the purpose of bringing the Covenant to its         becomes plain that God i,s inaugurating a new period.

Old Testament fulfillment. The Covenant with Adam             ,God  begins to deal with His people in a new way.

and Noah takes on a distinct significance now that            Shem, Arphaxad, Eber, Pmeleg,  Reu, Nahor and Terah
(God calls Abraham iapart.  And  this is evident from         had lived and exp,erienced  the blessedness of God's
the fact that as, soon as Abraham reaches the land of         friendship, but now, in Abraham, God does something'
Canaan God comes to him with what we read in Gen.             new. IGod takes His people as ;a, Groom taketh His:
17, aed ldiscovers  to him things which no mortal ear         Bride and He brings them into the isolation of His`
had ever heard .before.  Such was impossible without          House. The Groom with His Bride retire, as it were,
the foregoing separation.      H,ere `already the election    into one another's fellowship, jealous of one another'?:
of ,God expresses itself in separation before it finds its    love and devotion. The Covenant after all is not an
goal in the covenant relationship. Even the land of           open-house, where a:ny and all may rush in, and where


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                                         THE ~~TAN'DARD  B E A RE R                                                       257


,clean and unclean congregate. . .  ., nay the Covenant           demn all those who ma,ke this world their primary
. is ideally a relation of love and friendship-between            interest.     On the basis also of our appearing here as
God and .His  people, so glorious and so intimate, that           strangers and pilgrims IGod will afterwhile judge the
Scripture frequently tells us that it' can best be illus-         world. And all this serves the Cause  of God's Cove-
trated by the love of a Groom and Bride. Thus God                 nant. .As children of Abraha.m  therefore, let us be in
takes Abraham into that fellowship; and retires.        When      the world but having our Home in Christ and His

Babel's confusion scattered th.e families -over the face          l       o       v     e     .
of the earth, God si.ngles  out one, family and with that                                                       M. G.
family God, establishes His Covenant and makes them
heirs of all things.      Thr.ough-  Jesus Christ,` the proper

Groom, in Whom we acquired the adoption. <This
.process  of -election, calling, isolation `goes on throughout

all history., The Song of Solomon beautifully indicates                                Jericho Theolbgy
.this  same thing.     It reaches its fulfillment only when                                                                `: .
that Word is realized which saith, "Father, I will, that
twhere  I am, they be also which. Thou ha& given ame".                  During the regime of King Ahab and Jezebel the
So Abr.aham  was separated and. God reveals that His              heathen worship of Baa1  reached its zenith. Jehovah,
Covenant is a livi.ng  relationship `of friendship and            the God of the fathers ex.hibited  His wrath by visiting
love, between God an,d  His people whom He call&h                 Israel with a !great  drought an+ consequent famine.
thereto through His Word an'd Spirit.                                   Elijah, the.  prophet of God, requested the king and
         2. Although w,e thus have spiritual isolation we do      the people to gather with .him upon Mount Carme!,
not have Anabaptism.' This chosen, called and separ-              building two altars there, one for Baa1  and one for
ated people ,of God are "in the world" and when Abra-             Jehovah, and he who shou1.d answer..with  fire from
ham stood in the- land of-Canaan, he did not hi,de him-           heaven should be a-cknowledged  as God.
self in ai corner.     Nay, rather, God let all the world see           The Baa1 priests engaged themselves all morning
this family. .Nation  after nation got into contact with          to induce Baa1 to answer them with fire, but without
him. But, wherever they saw him or  .heard  him he                avail. But upon a short and strong prayer of Elijah.
appeared among them as a Friend of ,God and as a                  God answere'd  with fire from heaven, proving Himself
stranger and pilgrim in the earth.         Abraham and His        to be God and Elijah His prophet. I Kings  18.            `i
spiritul family, of tha.t time and of today, are strang-                About 15, years later, under the regime of king
ers .and  pilgrims in the earth, that is, they reveal that        Aha,ziah,  son of Ahab, the king tried, to make the
they are the Bride and Christ the Groom.           I know that    prophet of `God his captive. For that purpose the
.of the Ten Virgins, in the parable, five were foolish            king sent out twice captains with forty men each.
                                                                  They found Elijah sitting upon' a hill.     The two cap-
. . _
    . . for they are not all children of Abraham that
are called seed of Abraham.                                       tains addressing Elijah said to him: "Thou man of
                                   . . . but the believing and
faithful remnant according to the election appears                God, the king said : COME DOWN." And tw.ice  Elijah
upon this earth as a family that is spiritually married           repeated the sayi.n'g : "If I be a man of God let fire
to.Christ  Jesus.      That way the world has to see them.        come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy
So that, the purpose of Abraham's separation in that              fifty."      And both times fire came down from heaven
.respect  is that we must stand in the `midst of this             and consumed them all.
world and. confess that we are strangers. and pilgrims                 By these Signs J#ehovah  showed Israel that He is
here.        Canaan wondered at Abraham.                          GO,D,  and an idol nothing. And yet, notwithstanding,
                                                   : How they
marvelled at him when he had been promised the land               king, priest, prophet and people would not return to'
of Canaan but had not a square foot of it wherein                 the Jehovah worship of their .fathers.
to bury his' wife.       How they wondered at him when                  In the meantime, God promised His prophet the
he msisted  that instead of the land being given him              glory t.o be soon taken home, commanding him to first
he wanted to buy it with money. ,T.he world mu&                   annoint Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha inhis place.
wonder at us today. They  must-not  `understand us.               I Kings 19 :16.
Jesus saith;  "the worl'd  knoweth you not". It is too                 It seems that soon after -Elijah had that dispute
bad when the -world does know us, `that is, when it can           with the three captains, as recorded in ,2 Kings 2, that
analyze our actions because they are similar to theirs.           Elijah and Elisha walked toward, the city of Bethel,
Let the world see us as- strangers. and  pilgrims here,           where they came in. contact with some of the sons of
for sour  very appearance here as strangers  ,and pil-            the prophets.
grilms  also serves the ICause  of God`s Covenant. It                  Proceeding upon their way toward Jericho; they
serves to gather out of that world all those who love             were met with so,me  other sons of the prophets. At
God and believe.>His  truth, but it- also serves to  con-         Jericho there was a school, what we would  &ll a col-


 258                                          `;T:H'E`          S;T  AN D~A:B':DD- B E A R.E R


 lege, .' or .&: Liniversity-:,.,perhaps,  but, howso'ever,  the                       ,and ,&t'                      to shame them, Elisha allowed then? to
                                                                                                         lzc5tg
 students : and perhap&  "some of the professors, tiulr-                               hunt for %tie bo,dy  of Elijah.                   After a search of three
 posely set out to meet the t,wo  men of. God.                    I            i "     days they  came back, but found h&n not.
        Naturally, they had fioticed  that `Elijah liad placed                              This is Jericho Theology. Htinting.for  dead bodies.
 his ma,ntle  upon a poor uneducated farmer, instead of                                `No, they do not believe the mouth of God. They do
 upon one.of the wise and learned men of the  graciour                                 -Ideny  His Truth.                    They turn the Word of God into the
 Jericho school.            It stands t,o reason that they.resented                    foolish ideas of. the human mind.
 such .ari action.            They were human beings and,  6f                                     Such' is Je&icho  Theology.            0 Jericho Theology was
 course, jealous.                                                                      thy spirit not very successful in corrupting our mod-
         Therefore, and on that account, their strange re-                             ern colleges and universities?                    And is Jericho Theology
 mark to Elisha, repeating the same words as uttered                                   not honored and ezalted  in our own schools and col-
 by the sons of the prophets of Bethel. They said:                                     l     e     g     e      s       ?
 ."KnGwest,  thou, dumb farmer, that the Lord will take                                     -0. thou destroyer of the temples of God.                  IGod, shall
 away  thy master from.::t!hy  head today?"               (How pious                   once shame,  sham.e  Jevkho  Theology.
 they were, speaking of the L&d).  And both t'imes,                                                                                       J. H. Hoekatra,
 Elisha feeling their insult, calmly said  :. .`:Yeic,  -I know                                                                          South Holland, 111.
 it; hold  ye your peace.".              '                .,.' .; .:_                  .` .' :.               `_.I.'
        :Met are yet,  the same; and,`.vei;y  reasonable that
 many of our own ecclesiastics act, as if they alone are

 possessors of tlie  ,H~ly  Spirit, not deeminig  it .possible
 that the Hdy'Spirit  is free to eirpress  Himself through                                   Pharaoh's Hardening Process
 `an uneducated farmer, if He ,$listed.                    I
         The two men of God, continuing their journey, in
 spite of the remonstrations of Elijah `to Elisha to tarry                                    Bur subject implies that the hardening of, Pharaoh's
 in Bethel, in Jericho, `they came ,by the river Jordan.                               heart went through a process. of progressive develop-
         Here Elijah took his mantle and smote the. river,                             ment.            The hard heart of Pharaoh beoa.me  as it were
 and the waters divided, leaving a pathway for bhem                                    harder in the-measure that the mighty strokes of God's
 to walk over.                                                                         judgments came dow,C  `upon the head of P,haraoh  and
 .'      Then said Elijah to Elisha: "Ask what I shall do                              his servants., Exodus. 4-14 gives us a tdescription  of
 for thee, before I be taken away from thee.?" And                                     that process.. And in the New Testament Romans 9
 Elisha said : `7 pray thee, let` a. double portion of thy sheds light upon the subject under discussion. .The
 spirit be upon me."              (A double portion of. the Holy                       interested reader wo&d  do ,well _to read the above
 Spirit. 0 how gloriou,s)  .            T,his was granted in case                      mentioned chapters before reading this article.
 Elisha would.be  permitted to see Elijah  taken away.                                        We are all acquainted with the fact that the harden-
        Walking and talking to&ether, a chariot of firr!                               ing of Pharaoh's heart is ascri'bed  both to himself and
 drawn by horses of fire appeared and parted them                                      to .God.  Some commentators claim that we read ten
 asunder, and Elijah went to heaven with a whirlwind-                                  times of Pharaoh that he hardened his heart and ten
       Elisha beholding this aid: "My father, my father,                               times th,a.t  the Lord hardened his heart. However,'
 ;he chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof."                                      this is a very arbitrary division which certainly is in
        Elisha. taking up the m(antle  of Elijah went. back.                           conflict with the historical facts as related in the book
 and comin,g to the                                                                    of Exodus;                    Fact is we read oftener of God hardening
                             `Jordan,  hitting the water' with the
 mantle said,: "Where `is the (God  of Elijah" ? And the                               Pharaoh's hea.rt  than of Pharaoh himself hardening
waters parted as before and Elisha went over.                                          his heart. And `some texts, as e.g. Exodus 7:22,  8:19
        When the sons of the prophets of the Jericho school                            and 9 :35 Ido not state at all who hardened Pharaoh's
 saw him, they recognized the spirit of Elijah resting                                 he&rt.  In these texts  we merely read: "Plharaoh's
 on Elisha, and they. met and bowed themselves before                                  heart .wa.s hardened."                       -
 him.        They understood that Elijah had departed  to the                                 Perhaps it also should be stated in this connection
 spirit, but that his body was somewhere cast,  dowrl                                  that in the original several different words are used
upon the mountains or in one of the valleys.                                           to `express the idea of, ha,rdening.  Our "Statenver;
        Therefore, they told- Elisha tha.t they Tepresented                            taling"  has brought out the Different  shading of these
 fifty strong men and insisted that, he should  comnianrl                              wor,ds  by translating `verstoMwn' (Ex. 4 :21), `ver-
them to look for the body of Elijah.                                   ...I _ `: `.    xwfifleri'  (Ex. 8 :15), `velrhn~den'  (Ex. 7 :3).               Looking
        But Elisha knowing Elijah went to heaven  .with                                up. these verses you will notice they state "God  ver-
 body and all. refused to accomo.date  them in their ,evil                             stokte  Paharaoh's heart, Pbapaoh  verxwaarde  his heart,
 p      l    a    n    .                      ,.. .                                    God verhardde Pharaoh's heart." That God verstokte

       Yet they refused1 to listen td the mouth of God,                                and verhwdde  Ph,araoh'a  heart means according to the


                                                T H E   S T A N D A R D   B E A R E R                                            2.59


      original words that He strengthened it, (Ex. 4:21),                realizes immediately that he is not dealing. here  wi?:h
      that He made it-sharp,*hardened  it, (Ex. 7:3).  And               a -kind request  but with a command from the God  of
      that Pharaoh uerxwattrde  his heart means that he                  the Israelites. His response? We read that in verse
      m&e it heavy,  expressing the idea of dull, insensible,            two of the fifth Ehapter: "And Pharaoh said; Who is
      ( E x .  8:15).       We merely mentioned these three ex-          the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?
      amples to show that the original uses various words                I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go."    :And
      w,hich our Authorized Vertiion  transl,a.tes  harden or            here begins as it were the hardening process `of
      hcwdened.          This implies of course that the original has    Pharaoh.      From the outset he *denies  that he knows the
      a shade of difference in the various words which is                Lord Jehovah.       Not knowing Him why should he let
      not preserved in the translation of the King James                 His people go.      And even if he did know the Lord he
      V e r s i o n .                                                    would not let Israel go.      The latter is implied in the
          And now a few remarks as to the historical setting.            expression : "Neither will I let Isra.el  go." Thus from
      Israel has been in Egypt for a  .few generations.          An-     the outset he as it were challenges God to show that
      other king has arisen who did not know Joseph.             And     He is the Lord, to manifest Himself as the God who
      as the children of Israel multiplied  very rapidly this            can command Pharaoh, ,who  as the absolute Sovereign
      new Pharaoh starts to subject them to severe hard-                 even Pharaoh must obey.

      ships with the purpose to keep them down by an iron                       We are quite well acquainted with the history
      rule.  am3 to even partially jdestroy  them.         However,      whiCh  follows this initial command of God and Phar-
      this devilish purpose ends i.n utter failure as far as             aoh's reply.     Hence, I do not deem it necessary to fol-
      the destruction of the Israelites `is concerned. The               low the process step by step. Immeditely the king
      successor of this cruel tyrant ruthlessly continues the            goes to work and increases the burden of the Israel-
      work of his predecessor.           Israel becomes a people of      ites, thereby- mocking the Lord and showing his con'
     ,bondage,  of slavery.        Finally the moment has arrived        tempt for the God of Israel. Hereupon the :Lord
     that Israel's God will bring deliverance to His people.             pours upon his head and upon the heads of his ser-
      The man chosen for the task to bring Israel out of                 vants ten great and mighty plagues . At first Pharaoh
     bondage is Moses, the medi,ator  of the Old Testament.              tries to match the wonderwork  ,of God by calling on
     *After  the Lord has prepared Moses for his life's task,            his wise men and sorcerers to perform the same  sEgn$
      first in Egypt, then in the wilderness, He calls His               which are performed by Moses  .and Aaron. It seemh
     servant Moses to go back to Egypt and :do all the Lord              as though he succeeds somewhat for we read: "`Now
     commands him to do.            And the Lord charges him to go       the magicians of E,gypt  they also did in like manner
     with this significant demand to P,h,araoh:  "When thou              with their enchantments." However, soon they fa:`l
;    goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those              altogether. The plagues of God #become  heavier, more
     wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine                   severe.     But Pharaoh is unmoveable .as a-rock, every
     hand< but I ,will harden his heart, that he shall not let           time the plague is passed he refuses to let the Israel-
     the people go. And thou shalt sa.y unto Pharaoh,                    ites go. Naturally, in the measure that God's judg-
     Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my first-               ments become more pronounced it takes a harder
     born.     And  I say unto thee, Let my son go,. that hc             heart to refuse to listen to the Word of God and heed
     may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, be-                 His command. Pharaoh certainly received. an exhibi-
     hold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn." (Ex.                tion of the pow'er  and glory of the Lord'he refused to
     4 :21-23).          From these words we learn that Israel is        acknowledge as God.        He is even brought so far that.
     ,God's  son, His firstborn, His peculiar treasure. This             more than once he acknowledges that God is God  ini
     implies of course that Pharaoh has made of God's first-             deed and that he, Pharaoh, ha.s sinned. ,(Ex. 9 27).
     ,born  a slave. And now God, Jehovah? the God of all                Still, the moment the plague is passed and the danger
     the earth comes to Pharaoh and tells him by the mouth               seems to be over Pharaoh refuses to let God's people
     of Moses and Aaron: "Let my son, so cruelly treated                 go.     To the very end, even while he is persuing  Israel
     by thee, go, that he may serve Me.  .He is not thine,               into the Red Sea, he says withi:n his heart: "There is
     he is Mine.`!-But before Moses and Aaron go the                     no God.?      Didn't he know any better. Of course he
     Lord informs them already that Pharaoh will not                     did, but he .refused  to bow .before  the Almighty, he
     let Israel go, the Lord will harden his heart and it  i::           hated the Lord with bitter hatred.     And the more and
     only after God has poured out His vials of wrath upon               the clearer God revealed himself unto Pharaoh by His
     Pharaoh and Egypt that, Israel will be ,deliverecl  by              -word and might,y  acts the more he hated Him.      It wag
     the mighty hand of God.                                             no lack of knowleclge  that Pharaoh finally perished
         Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh as told. They                     in the Red Sea but he was an utter spiritual fool.       *-
     tell him the message of the Lord : "Thus saith the Lord                    T.he  question may now be #asked:  "How do we ex-
     God of Israe:,  let my ,people  go, that they may hold  n           plain this hardening process of Pharaoh?" It seems
     feast to me in the wilderness." (Ex.  5:l). Pharaoh                 to me it should be emphasized first of all, particularly


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            2           6        0                                   T     H    E      STAN.DARD BEAR~%R.

           -.. .
           with a view to many who disagree with us on this                                  . at all.    It is the natural, rebellious mind that wants
           subject, that Plmraoh is fully responsible for the hard-                          to ~oppose  and contradict this doctrine.                       However, the
           ening of his heart and, hence, responsible for his sin.                           Ibeliever  who confesses a God who is really God and
           He hardens his heart, he deliberately wills to walk  `In                          `derives grea.t comfort from this doctrine because even
           the way ,of  sin. In the entire history as we, briefly                            though in Pharaoh w,e are dealmg with a `special case,'
           reviewed ,it P,h;a.raoh  is the rational moral creatur?                           the principle implied always holds and is true with
       L whose delight it is to walk in the ways of sin.                             Had      respect to all ,reprobate  men.                 And that is comfort.         Of
          ., you asked him                       "Why ,do you do this, .why  do, .you        course man hardens .his heart, but above man stands
                                            :
         persist in` this evil way, he would have answered:                                  IGod. And through evil men God also maintains His
  '       "Because I want to do this,' I" will oppose the Lord                               cause and realizes"His  purpose, even so much so that
           to the bitter end for I'  h.at,e Him." Still more, he                             `wickecl  man can only harden his heart because God

           might. have said : "I could do otherwise, I could let hardens him. God does not merely reign supreme in
       l&rael  80, but I refuse to.: do it  b,ecause   I   h a t e                           the physica.  world, as He so clearly demonstrated to
           the God of Isra.el."-Thus  it always is with the sinner                            Pharaoh, but also in. the ethical world, He reigns
           and his sin. Man is morally free. tGod's power and                                supreme in every. man.`s heart. That makes God all
           God's providence never an.nihil,a.tes  man's moral free-                          and man nothing.            iAnd thus the Lord is always glori-
           dom of choice. That's why man as a rational moral                                 fied. He is and remains the Potter, we are the clay.'
           :creature;  as a willing, thinking, deliberately acting                            He hath mercy on, whom He will have  ,mercy$  an;!
           person is the ;authbr  of his sin.' We certainly main-                            whom He will He hardeneth.

           tain and mu&:maintain  the responsibility of man.                                                                                                      J. D.
                  However, this does not exhaust the su.bject.  wje -are                                                                                i
           &aging with at `present.                         Scripture _in clear and' I&-
           `equivocal l&rg'ua.ge  states repeatedly that God hard-
- ened   p h a r a o h ' s   h e a r t .                  Before Moses has spoken to
           .PQr,aoh  the  Lord tells him that this is His very pur-
         `$%e.`%th  Pharaoh. (Ex. 4 :21).                          And Paul in Romanz:                                   IN MEM~RIAM  -
           9 ,a,lso"emphasizes  this very thought. Here we `read

           the words: "For the Scripture. saith  unto Pharaoh,                                    T.he  English Me&s  Society of the First Protestant Rz-

         ' even for this same purpose  havt I raised-thee up, that                           formed Church wishes to express its sincere sympathy to their

          I might show my power in  thee,  and that my name                                  fel1o.w  member, Mr. J.  Schipper  and his family in. the bereave-

           might be Ideclared  throughout, all the earth."                           (vs.    ment of his father

        ,li)..
                   Gommenta.tors  in various ways and by many subtle                                               , MR. K. S.CHE?PER
           reasonings have tried to ,mi~nimize  the force of these                                May the Lord abundantly comfort them in this time of

           words.  ! It has been said e.g. that God started hard-                             sadness and may He fill the emptiness in their' hearts with
           &ng Pharaoh's, heart after he had hardened himself                                 :he..presence  of the Holy Spirit.

           .!a.nd  showed himself to be a  hopel,ess  sinner, worthy                                                                      Mr. 0. Van Ellen, Pres.

           of God's fierce judgments.                       (Others  claim that God' per:                                                 Mr. 0. Vander Woude, Sec'y.
                                                                                                                           . . .
           mitted  Pharaoh to harden his heart. And thus we

           might mention other  attempts to soften the expression
        that "the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart.? However,
           all these',a.ttempts  are but in vain and dearly contradict

           t$e'  force am3  plain meaning yof the' above expression..
           The hardening process of Pharaoh t,eaches  us that, even                                                      IN ' MEMORIAM                       .
        $o,ugh  God maintains the ethical na.ture  of man, man's
           very ieart  and thoughts and will an,d- action is sub-                                 The English Men's society  of the First Potestant Reformed

           jectedto  the overruling, almighty will and providence                            Church wishes to express its sincere sympathy to their fellow

          `of `.`Go.d.  `God strengthens Pharaoh's heart, God m&e;                           member,.Mr.  John Boelema and his family in the bereavement
           it hard,. To put it in very plain words                                           .of his father,                                      .
                                                                          : "Just because
           God `hardens Pharaoh's heart,. Pharaoh can ha.rden                                                    -MR. JACOB BOELEMA
           his, heart."               That is Scripture: This ,does  not make
                                                                                                  May the Lord abundantly comfort them in  this  time of sad-
        ~ ,God the author of -sin, as some have claimed.  ' "But ihe
           very fact that God hardens_,Pharaoh's  heart teaches                              ness, and may He fill their hearts with the presence of the

          ,,ns:as  clearly as anywhere else in Scripture the absolute                        Holy Spirit. I
           ,_$$jereignty  of, God.-Can  we fully understand and                                                                           Mr. 0. Van Ellen,  Pres;
                                                                                                                   `.
           @&horn                                  7
                              this doctrine ?           No, but neither is this necessary
            ( ." < :                                                                                                                .'     Mr. 0. Vander bWoude, Se&.

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