In This Issue

• THE TRUE LIGHT

• QUIETLY GREAT: PHINEHAS

• WHY DO PEOPLE NOT STUDY THE BIBLE?

• MORE INFORMATION...

THE TRUE LIGHT

The apostle John was an eyewitness of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. He was, perhaps, Jesus’ closest friend. It was he Jesus selected to care for Mary after the crucifixion (John 19:26-27). There is also strong circumstantial evidence that Jesus and John were first cousins, that their mothers were sisters.

John used a description of Jesus that no other New Testament writer used – “The Word.” John referred to Jesus by that description in no less than five passages: John 1:1; John 1:14; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 5:7, and Rev. 19:13.

As he opened his account of the gospel, John declared that Jesus (the Word) existed “in the beginning;” that at that time He was WITH God (the Father), and that “the Word” Himself WAS divine. He also tells us that Jesus took part in the creation of this universe and that “without Him nothing was made that was made.” The declaration of the apostle Paul is in agreement: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist (Col. 1:16-17).

After introducing his reading audience to the pre-existent “Word,” John turned his attention to the man God chose to be the first to announce the presence of Jesus, whom he called the Light. “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (John 1:6-9). 

Note that John, the son of Zebedee, is telling us of another man named John. This second one is, as we learn from other passages, the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth. See Luke 1:5ff. Elizabeth and Mary, Jesus’ mother, were kinfolks. (The King James Version says “cousin,” but the Greek word is more literally translated “relative.”) John the son of Zacharias is most commonly known as “John the Baptist.” The word “Baptist” describes one who baptizes.

John the apostle tells us that John the Baptist was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify that Jesus is the Light – the true Light who gives light to every man coming into the world. Later, Jesus said of Himself, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12).

For centuries, God had been gradually revealing His will through the patriarchs, Moses, and the prophets and making Himself known to man – but He was about to make Himself much more fully known through the manifestation of Deity in the flesh – “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…”

-Clarence R. Johnson

QUIETLY GREAT: PHINEHAS

Who are the great leaders of the children of Israel? We can list them pretty easily, can’t we? Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, David, Hezekiah, Phinehas, Josiah.

Phinehas?

While the others on that list are all well known to us, Phinehas is not, but it is God who proclaims Phinehas a great leader and deliverer of His people. Whenever God commends someone in Scripture, it is important for us to take note.

So who was Phinehas?

Phinehas was the son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron. He was therefore in the line of Aaronic priests, but it is not in the performance of his priestly duties that Phinehas shines. In the 24th chapter of Numbers, the people of Israel are camped at Shittim, and Moses tells us that they began “to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab” (vs. 1). There is a great deal involved in that phrase, as it conveys not just that they committed fornication, but also that they worshipped and sacrificed to the idols of Moab, angering Jehovah, who had rescued them from Egyptian bondage and had brought them through the wilderness and to the edge of the promised land.

God commanded the execution of those who had caused them to go astray, and as those executions were being carried out, the leaders of Israel stood weeping at the tent of meeting (vs. 4-6). As the leadership watched, an Israelite named Zimri brought a princess of Moab into his tent. Seeing such a blatantly defiant act of sin, Phinehas grabbed a spear, ran to the man’s tent and pierced both the man and the woman through.

At this point, God speaks, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold I give him My covenant of peace; and it shall be for him and his descendants after him a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel’” (vs. 11-13).

The number of Israelites who died because of this harlotry was 24,000, but it is clear from Num. 25 that it could have been many more if not for the zealousness of Phinehas, and God remembered Phinehas again when he recounted the rebellious nature of the Israelites in the 106th Psalm. In fact, there the actions of Phinehas are said to have been “reckoned to him for righteousness” (Psa. 106:31).

What do we learn from the story of Phinehas? Clearly, the message is not that we should take the law into our hands, acting as some kind of avenger for God, even though the story has been unfortunately interpreted that way by some. First, Phinehas was a priest, with some duty to judge and enforce God’s commandments. Second, Zimri was supposed to be a child of God. Finally, we live under a different system, one that commands us to obey civil authorities, Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17. So, God is not calling us to take up spears and run sinners through. What then?

What we should take from Phinehas is the great sorrow caused by sin. Phinehas was wounded by this blatant disregard for God’s word, and because he cared so much for that word, he took action. We too, should be hurt when we see God’s word ignored by His people, and we should not be timid in speaking out against any sin. We cannot allow sin to go unchallenged.

Phinehas went on to lead the warriors of Israel against the Midianites (Num. 31), to be a judge in the matter of the altar at Gilead (Josh. 22), and served to guard the tent of meeting (1 Chron. 9:20), so his care for the things of God was not a singular action but a lifetime endeavor. So should ours be.

You and I may never be mentioned among the great leaders of God’s people, but if we are zealous for God’s word, and act against sin, God will take notice, just as He did with Phinehas. And that notice is what we should be striving for.

-Rusty Miuller, Abundant Life, April 2005.

WHY DO PEOPLE NOT STUDY THE BIBLE?

If we were to make this question personal, we would get many answers – ”I don’t believe it. I don’t have time…I can’t understand it…It is not relevant.” These answers would likely be offered in self-justification or in excuse. The real reason more than likely would be, “I do not really want to.”

Many factors could be cited to answer the question “Why Do People Not Study The Bible?” We will confine ourselves to three basic ones.

The Nature of Study

Study is work, real work! It requires time, energy and concentration. It is easy for students to put off study because it requires such effort. It said, “Five to ten percent of the people think for ninety to ninety five percent of the people.” Most of us had rather seek some entertainment or ready-made answer. Since we are seldom put to a test of our Bible knowledge, it is easy to say, “Why should I knock myself out and sacrifice my time?” After all there are no term papers, forced recitation, finals or grades and it will make no difference on our income. We will not likely be embarrassed by friends and neighbors for our lack of Bible knowledge for those about us probably know even less than we do. If we are ever put on the spot we can either joke about our forgetfulness or speak of the difficulties understanding some things in the Bible.

Failure to Recognize the Blessings of Bible Study

Space will not allow us to list all the blessings of Bible study. A consideration of just four should make the case.

It can save our souls. (Jas 1:21) Bible study will show us the reality and value of the soul. It will show us the need the soul has for salvation. It will create a desire in our to study so we can grow (1 Pet 2:1,2)

It is a guide to blessings. (Psalms 1:1-3) A great man once said of our nation, “If we abide by principles of the Bible we will go on prospering.”

It is will reveal to us the way of happiness. (Matthew 5:1-12; Phil 4:4) It gave the early Christians such joy that even persecution could not take it from them (Heb 10:34). It will give one “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding…” (Phil 4:6). 

It will build us up and prepare us for a heavenly inheritance. Acts 20:32. Nothing else can do this. 

A Lack of Conviction of the Necessity for Bible Study

A lack of Bible study is really a failure to understand that man’s honor and respect for God can only be shown by honoring and respecting His word. The proper honor and respect for God cannot be shown by sacrifices, great deeds, impressive words or moving music. Man honors God when he trusts Him, and humbly enthrones His word in his heart and is governed by it in life. Many cannot see why it was wrong for Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. One said, “What is so wrong about eating an apple?” By her eating the fruit, Eve dethroned God and enthroned her own wisdom. She showed a lack of respect for God by not honoring His word. That is indeed serious! People do not understand that they reject God when they reject His word. Israel did this in their request for a king (1 Sam 18:5-7). Saul was rejected as king for a lack of respect for God’s word (1 Sam 15:24). On the other hand, the most natural way we can show our love for God is to read His word. 

Why do we not study the Bible?

-Robert W. Goodman

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