Bible Commentaries

Genesis 20:11 — A GODLY MAN’S LAPSE ‘And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place.’ Genesis 20:11 The true fear of God was at that moment in Abimelech’s heart, and not in Abraham’s; it was Abimelech who was playing the faithful part, that of the child of the light and of the day; Abraham for the moment was the child of fear, darkness, and night.

Exodus 33:2 — God’s futures. No uncertainty shall harbour here; it comes in the infallibility of a prophecy and the sovereignty of a fiat: ‘My presence shall go with thee.’ It is personal, intimate, minute, appropriate. IV. The presence of God brings rest. There is (1) a rest by God, when a justified soul rests through the blood of Jesus from the torment of its fear; (2) a rest on God, when the sanctified spirit reposes on the bosom of the promises; and (3) a rest with God, when the battle of life is over, and the

Exodus 33:2 — imperativos del futuro de Dios. Ninguna incertidumbre albergará aquí; viene en la infalibilidad de una profecía y la soberanía de un decreto: "Mi presencia irá contigo". Es personal, íntimo, minucioso, apropiado. IV. La presencia de Dios trae descanso. Hay (1) un descanso de Dios, cuando un alma justificada descansa a través de la sangre de Jesús del tormento de su temor; (2) un reposo en Dios, cuando el espíritu santificado reposa en el seno de las promesas; y (3) un descanso con Dios, cuando termine la

1 Kings 22:34 — THE LAST ACT OF A TRAGEDY ‘Carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.’ 1 Kings 22:34 King Ahab appears here in the last act of his career, just as we have seen him always hitherto, devoid of religious or moral character. His penitence had, as we see from the story before us, borne no fruit. I. His attitude toward Jehovah

2 Chronicles 33:20-25 — did not inherit his father’s goodness. Josiah was the child of an ungodly parent, and yet he became a godly child. These two lessons are plainly written in the history, the one to make the presumptuous humble, the other to give the despairing hope: (1) a Christian father cannot secure the safety of an unbelieving son, and (2) an unbelieving father cannot drag down a child in his fall if that child follows the Lord. Illustrations (1) ‘Manasseh is the prodigal son of the Old Testament. He left his

Psalms 38:2 — evidently in a desperate plight, for this psalm has been described as a long-drawn wail, passionate at first, but gradually calming into submission and trust, though never passing from the minor key. Thrice over David invokes the name of God ( Psalms 38:1 ; Psalms 38:9 ; Psalms 38:15). I. O Lord, rebuke me not.—Three ingredients had been pressed into the Psalmist’s cup of woe. First, God’s judgments; second, the heavy consciousness of sin; and, third, his mental and physical sufferings. Let us never

Psalms 88:5 — for him at least, a freedom of isolation, of solitariness, of exile and expulsion, rather than of release, independence, and joy. I. We are all conscious of the possibility of a freedom which should have nothing in it either of comfort or honour.—(1) ‘Free among the dead’ will have no cheerful sound if it be taken to mean, as probably the Psalmist meant it, cast out of the sight of God, forsaken by the Divine superintendence, left to shift for himself in a world of shadowy forms and unsubstantial

Isaiah 27:8 — passage, the great truths presented by it are the same. The subject is the adaptation of trial to the state of those who are afflicted. I. Sorrows are strong forces.—They are winds; they act as winds; they are forces before which we bend and bow. (1) The wind acts upon the sapling or the young tree, and shaking it, it roots it. So do troubles act upon young Christians. (2) The wind acts upon ripe fruit, which hangs upon the boughs of the tree ready to fall, and which requires a slight mechanical

Ezekiel 1:20-21 — THE WHEELS OF LIFE ‘For the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood.’ Ezekiel 1:20-21 I. Though the movement referred to by the prophet is the movement of the life of the universe, yet it applies also to the lives of the world and our own lives.—Remember the picture by Burne-Jones of the wheel of fortune, to which two men are

Deuteronomy 11:32 — OBSERVE TO DO Observe to do all the statutes.’ Deuteronomy 11:32 The twin-secret of success is here disclosed—Live for God; and, in order to that, Live in His Word. I. Absolute surrender to all the will of God.—Their part was to ‘diligently keep all the commandments,’ etc. ( v. 23). Weakness was no hindrance

Mark 11:22 — FAITH AND SPIRITUAL LIFE ‘Have faith in God.’ Mark 11:22 If we search the Word of God, we shall find that our spiritual life owes it commencement, its continuance, and its consummation to faith. I. Spiritual life commences by an act of faith.—‘The just shall live by faith.’ The bestowal of spiritual

John 4:48-50 — him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.’ John 4:48-50 There are just three points into which the narrative seems to divide itself:— I. The nobleman applying to Jesus.—There was much to keep him away. The worldly pleasures of Herod’s court ( 2 Timothy 4:10; Luke 8:14). Like most of the Jews, he would be satisfied with his own religion ( Matthew 3:9). Our Lord was despised as a Galilæan ( John 1:46; John 7:41; John 7:52). Why, then, should this great man come to Jesus? It was outward need. One he loved

Acts 26:22 — secured.—But now we come to the all-important question, How is this continuance to be secured? What is its secret? There are two ways of looking at the question—a Divine side and a human side—and neither of them must be forgotten. ( a) The Divine side. (1) The promises of God; (2) the intercession of Christ; and (3) the indwelling of the Holy Ghost secure continuance. ( b) The human side. How are we to continue? The answer is— ( a) By faith. ‘The just shall live by faith’—that is, shall go on living

1 Corinthians 13:5 — GOOD MANNERS ‘Doth not behave itself unseemly.’ 1 Corinthians 13:5 William of Wykeham’s motto, ‘Manners makyth man,’ covered the sphere of man’s conduct in general, still manners, i.e. external behaviour, very important. It is wrong to suppose that while deeds can be controlled and words governed,

Colossians 3:16 — THE WORD OF CHRIST ‘Let the Word of Christ dwell in you.’ Colossians 3:16 Note those words ‘dwell in you.’ They mean more than that the Bible should have a place in your library or on your table. ‘Dwell in you’ means make its home in your innermost being. And thus will it be treasured in your memory, enlighten your conscience,

1 Peter 3:8-9 — THE CHRISTIAN SPIRIT ‘Finally be ye all of one mind … that ye should inherit a blessing.’ 1 Peter 3:8-9 There are certain duties peculiar to certain positions and relations of human life. These the Apostle has treated of in previous verses. And now he enjoins those virtues which are binding upon all who profess and call themselves Christians.

Revelation 1:17 — THE ‘FEAR NOTS’ OF THE NEW TESTAMENT ‘Fear not!’ Revelation 1:17 My purpose is to ask your attention to the seven ‘Fear nots’ of the New Testament. I. We take our first ‘Fear not!’ from St. Luke 8:15 .—‘But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, Fear not! believe only, and she shall be made whole.’ This

1 Samuel 17:28 — AN UNBROTHERLY BROTHER ‘Eliab’s anger was kindled against David.’ 1 Samuel 17:28 I. There is something in the character of Eliab which makes him unfit for the office of king.—Eliab seems to have become a great man afterwards. We read of him as a prince of the tribe of Judah, and of his daughter or his granddaughter

1 Samuel 5:1-12 — EL DIOS PESCADO Dagón nuestro dios. 1 Samuel 5:7 I. La posesión del arca resultó ser una maldición más que una bendición para los filisteos. —Esto se debió a que Dios, en cuya presencia estaba el arca, no recibió el lugar que le correspondía. Colocaron el arca junto a la imagen de su dios,

1 Samuel 5:7 — THE FISH-GOD ‘Dagon our god.’ 1 Samuel 5:7 I. The possession of the ark proved to be a curse rather than a blessing to the Philistines.—This was because God, for whose presence the ark stood, was not given His proper place. They placed the ark beside the image of their god, which