Bible Commentaries

Psalms 137:4 — NO HEART TO SING ‘How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’ Psalms 137:4 I. The condition of the exiles in their new abode was attended with much less of hardship than the mention of captivity suggests.—It is an entire mistake to think of them as in a state of slavery, like their fathers in Egypt. They were transported

Jeremiah 31:27 — A GOOD TIME COMING ‘The days come.’ Jeremiah 31:27 I. The hopefulness of God’s message to Israel.—The kingdom was doomed, but yet there were good times coming. The characteristic of true religion is that it has always more future than past. An ill day for a people, a church, or any one person when

Jeremiah 36:23 — to get possession of all the Christian books; many suffered death for refusing to give them up. Antiochus attempted to destroy the Jewish scriptures. Illustrations also found in martyr ages. II. Reasons for burning the Book.—Jehoiakim’s reason. (1) It testifies against men’s wrongdoing, and points out their danger. Describe how anxious the wreckers who wanted to plunder shipwrecked vessels would be to get the light in the lighthouse put out. (2) It sets men free—from superstition, from error,

Ezekiel 22:30 — be spared from heavy calamities, unless there be a change for the better in our national spirit and manners.—We shall no longer be fit to be God’s messengers of life and blessing to the world, unless our filthiness is consumed out of us ( Ezekiel 22:15). In Jerusalem, the prophets, priests, and princes were specially reprehensible; because they were the leaders in the national apostasy their retribution was to be proportioned to their opportunities. We have amongst us many godly men, who sigh and

Ezekiel 24:18 — THE TEARLESS SORROW ‘So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.’ Ezekiel 24:18 I. We all know the striking though brief notice of the death of Ezekiel’s wife: she was taken away simply that the prophet’s conduct might be a type to the people. No sorrow was to be considered by him tantamount to fulfilling in each part his ministry;

Daniel 7:2 — China, the judgment sits, and the dominion of the persecutor has an end. We are now witnessing the judgment of God which is being executed on the nations of the earth. Let it not be forgotten that Great Britain is standing at that bar! Illustrations (1) ‘The very forces of man himself built up great empires, tyrannies under which human life, manhood, was a thing of no account: its blood was shed like water in ceaseless war; the labour of its countless multitudes was piled into pyramids and palaces

Matthew 11:7 — THE BAPTIST’S CHARACTER ‘What went ye out into the wilderness for to see?’ Matthew 11:7 ‘What went ye out for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? A man clothed in soft raiment? A prophet?’ Three classes of objects are here presented as contained in the ‘ what went ye out for to see?’ (1) Nature as represented by the reed shaken with

Matthew 25:46 — fact. Poor humanity has always tried to escape the logic of facts. I cannot see the possibility of evading the conclusion that in some sense of the term what is called eternal punishment is a part of the Christian Revelation (St. Mark 9:45; Revelation 14:10-11; Revelation 20:10). II. A most difficult fact.—We go on from this to point out that it is not only a fact, but it is the most difficult fact in the Christian religion—quite the most difficult. In the region of abstract thought the subject is

Matthew 28:5 — must be a time of fear to those who feel that they are not improving. Christ was changed at His Resurrection: and each anniversary of it reminds us that if we are His we must be changing too. ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature’ (see also 1 Corinthians 5:7). What must they feel at Easter who are not a whit altered from the bad courses and tempers of last year! IV. Easter gladness.—But Easter is also a time of gladness and rejoicing; Christ never meant His Resurrection to put thoughts

Matthew 6:1-4 — ALMSGIVING ‘Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them … thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.’ Matthew 6:1-4 In this part of the Sermon on the Mount the Lord Jesus gives us instruction on the giving of alms, a subject to which the Jews attached great importance. It is also one which deserves the serious attention of all professing Christians. I. The duty

Mark 11:1-6 — to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, He sendeth forth two of His disciples.… And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them even as Jesus bad commanded.’ Mark 11:1-6 This incident of Gospel story is emblematic of the whole social influence of Christ as the great Emancipator of the world. ‘Why loose ye the colt?’ ‘The Lord hath need of him.’ Here is a question and an answer. A question, expressing an outraged

Mark 8:6 — despair while Jesus lives. In Him there is a boundless store of mercy and grace laid up for the use of all His believing members, and ready to be bestowed on all who ask in prayer. “It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell” ( Colossians 1:19).’

Luke 15:6 — THE SHEEP FOUND ‘Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.’ Luke 15:6 A beautiful sight to see the shepherd in Palestine sitting amid his flock, or walking with his staff, while in long line his sheep follow him. Christ’s own words are the best comment on His own parable: ‘I am the Good Shepherd, and I know My sheep,’

Luke 9:13 — NO POWER IN OURSELVES ‘Give ye them to eat.’ Luke 9:13 There is an important principle underlying these words. It is that men are often put under obligation to do that for which they have, in themselves, no present ability. I. Human strength.—It is the nature of human strength and bodily fortitude to

John 3:1 — NICODEMUS ‘There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.’ John 3:1 The accounts given us in Holy Scripture of Nicodemus are, in many respects, of peculiar interest. I. A night visitor.—Of the early years of Nicodemus we know nothing. We first hear of him in this third chapter of John. It may be asked, Why did Nicodemus

Romans 1:14-15 — THE SPHERE OF SPIRITUAL SERVICE ‘I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise, … I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.’ Romans 1:14-15 To whom was the Apostle sent? We are lost in wonder at his greatness. Natural prejudices, class prejudices, religious prejudices—all went down before him. He declares that his mission is to embrace not only his own people, but the outside nations,

Romans 1:16 — JEW AND GREEK ‘To the Jew first, and also to the Greek.’ Romans 1:16 The Jew and the Greek were respectively the loftiest and the noblest exponents of the races and religions of the East and the West. St. Paul shows the fitness of the gospel to meet and to satisfy the needs and requirements of nationalities so widely

Romans 5:20 — a monument, a miracle of grace. I. It arrested him.—‘Suddenly’ it laid its strong and tender hand upon him. Here we see its absolute sovereignty, for Saul of Tarsus was altogether undeserving. ‘I was apprehended,’ he says, ‘of Christ Jesus’ ( Php_3:12 , R.V.). There was no preparation, no sense of sin, as far as we know; there was certainly no fitness. II. It transformed him.—See that young fanatic breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord: is there any power on

1 Corinthians 4:2 — THE WHOLE DUTY OF A STEWARD ‘It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.’ 1 Corinthians 4:2 So St. Paul, in the year of our Lord 59. Does the twentieth century agree? Not altogether. The world cares very little about faithfulness; it worships success. Nelson’s signal was, ‘England expects every man to do his duty.’ The dictum

2 Corinthians 1:12 — ‘THE TESTIMONY OF OUR CONSCIENCE’ ‘For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience.’ 2 Corinthians 1:12 Conscience is a power, perhaps it will not be too much to say the greatest power in the world; a power which resides in every man. A man is responsible for his conscience, whether to weaken or destroy, or to increase it and secure it in healthiness