Question Corner

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · May 12, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 19.

To Our Inquirers.—

(1) The name and address of all who ask questions must accompany questions, not necessarily for publication, in token of good faith, and that we may reply by letter if thought best. All communications will be considered confidential if so desired, and no name will be published unless requested. But we have no time to give to anonymous or unsigned epistles or articles. (2) Let the questions be to the point. Do not say, “Explain Josh. 7:1-8,” but state the thing upon which help is desired. (3) Questions can not be answered immediately in this department. Sometimes it will mean a month or more of waiting. We can not reply to the same question frequently. Read answers to other questions; you may find reply to yours. (4) Members of the Bible Band will kindly enclose stamp if answer is desired by letter. Others will please enclose ten cents. This does not begin to meet expenses oftentimes. (5) “Foolish . . . questions avoid.”

2839.—2,300 or 2,400.

I enclose an article in which it is stated that the Seventy, or Septuagint, has 2,400 days in Dan. 8:14 instead of 2,300. Is this as reliable as the Common Version or the Revised Version? A SUBSCRIBER.

The Septuagint gives 2,400 days, but the Alexandrian Septuagint gives 2,300 days. There is but one ancient copy that gives 2,400 days. There is one ancient copy that gives 2,200 days, but all of the very best copies of Hebrew and otherwise give 2,300 days. There is no question regarding this on the part of critical scholars. The only ones who question it are those who have some theory to sustain. The cleansing of the sanctuary was not a work to be done by the restoration of the Holy Land or the cleansing of this earth. It was a heavenly, spiritual work to be wrought by our great High Priest on high, and in the hearts of God’s children. If the writer of the article enclosed had understood this he would not have endeavored to sustain the reading in the Septuagint.

2840.—The Rest that Remains.

Please explain the rest spoken of in Heb. 4:1-8. Some have thought that it is the rest of the Sabbath that is referred to, others, the rest of the children of Israel after they entered the land. C. B.

The one thing above all which is referred to is the great, eternal rest of God. All other rests were types or shadows or pledges of this rest. Before sin entered of course that rest was assured when God created the earth and gave it to men. God rested on the seventh day. That was God’s pledge of an eternal rest; an eternal Sabbath-keeping to His people, for the Sabbath pertains not simply to one day of the week, but to all time. But because of sin man failed to enter the rest at that time. He brought misery and unrest upon the race. God offered it to His people when He called them out of Egypt. He tells us that men’s days would have been “as the days of heaven upon the earth” if they had obeyed Him, but they failed again. They did not enter into His rest because of unbelief, so the eighth verse implies that Joshua (“Jesus” in the Common Version, “Joshua” is the Hebrew form, of which “Jesus” is the Greek form) did not give them rest. Therefore the Lord referred to another day, quoting from the Psalms. It was “to-day” then that they could enter into His rest, a spiritual rest. Our Lord Jesus Christ offers us the same rest, giving up our own sins, our own works and accepting of the rest which is in Christ Jesus and His works. For that rest the Sabbath is a pledge, and he only truly keeps the Sabbath who knows the rest of Christ. That rest is a pledge of the eternal rest when all God’s children will enter the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world. See the article, “The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast,” in the SIGNS of April 28.

2841.—The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away.

Please give an explanation of the passage of Scripture (Job 1:21): “Jehovah gave, and Jehovah hath taken away; blessed be the name of Jehovah.” What part does the Lord have in taking away our loved ones from us? O. R. G.

What the Lord permits to be done, is often spoken of as He did it; because it is possible for Him to control all circumstances, as expressed in Rom. 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” Ps. 84:11: “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Job evidently felt that God had in his trouble some good for him, and so, whatever came to him, he would bless God, even if it meant the removal of those who were dear to him. The Lord knew all about it, and he would bless the Lord for that. So ought His children always to do. It may bring sorrow of heart, and yet this need not take from us our faith in the overruling providence of God. This does not mean that it was through the Lord’s agency that death came. Death entered into our world as the result of sin, but the Lord permits death to remove from us those we love; and that not because He has enmity against us, but He suffers the consequences of sin upon all the human race. From these consequences He will redeem all His children.

2842.—Conversation on the Sabbath.

What course should be pursued when on the Sabbath I am asked a question in which only worldly interests are involved? D. A. F.

It is impossible to answer categorically a question of this kind. The rule for Sabbath conversation is given us in Isa. 58:13: “Not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words.” Of course when we are brought into connection with those who have no regard for the Sabbath we must expect that they will ask all sorts of questions and will also enter into all kinds of worldly conversation. We must have the wisdom of God on such occasions as these,—true Christian tact to answer so wisely that we ourselves shall neither break the Sabbath nor willingly offend the other party. There are no questions but what can be answered as a Christian ought to answer, it seems to us. We can either give the answer that is desired, or we can kindly say that those are questions that we would prefer not to talk about on the Sabbath day. It must, of course, depend upon the question, the circumstances, the persons. All these are involved. God must give the wisdom. It is always well to remember that it is better even to offend than to sin, but all such difficulties can easily be obviated if we have the Spirit of Christ and the wisdom which He is willing to give. In such cases, no reasonable person will be offended.

2843.—The Life of the Boy Jesus.

Why is there nothing said in the Bible about the life of Jesus from the time He was twelve years old until His baptism? READER.

From twelve years old, the Bible puts it. At the age of twelve the child became responsible under the Jewish customs. It was then that our Lord was taken to the temple in Jerusalem. Between that time and the time when He was baptized, His whole life is summed up in one sentence: “And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52. Of what special benefit would it have been to us if the Lord had given us the history of His Son in detail? The Bible never ministers to human curiosity. There are many things that as we read we wish the Lord had revealed, but Infinite Wisdom did not see necessary; Infinite Wisdom did not deem it necessary that a detailed account of our Lord’s life should be given during the age of youth. And we may believe that we have lost nothing by it, or the Lord would have given it.

2844.—Ascended into Heaven.

Have you any tract or reading that will harmonize 2 Kings 2:11 and John 3:13? L. J. R.

There is no inharmony. Elijah ascended and was carried to heaven with angels. These companies of angels were arranged in the form of chariot and horses of fire. John 3:13 is referring to another thing. It is not the mere abstract statement that no man ascended into heaven, but no man entered into heaven and came back again to teach the things that Jesus was teaching. He is the only one who came from heaven to do that work. Understanding the passage in that way there is no trouble. Elijah ascended into heaven; Moses was raised from the dead and taken to heaven; Enoch was translated, but none of them have come back to teach us as did our Lord. Read verse 11 in connection with verse 13. “We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen.” Reading the context you will see that verse 13 refers to the matter of teaching the things in which our Lord was instructing Nicodemus.

2845.—Asking the Blessing.

Will you please tell me which is correct, to ask your company to ask the blessing at the table, or to ask it yourself? M. W.

It is quite common in some lands and among some peoples for the head of the family to always ask the blessing. It is not considered a breach of etiquette so to do, and yet as a general thing if our guest is a minister or an aged experienced Christian, it is always proper to ask him if we so desire. There are some who might consider it a breach of etiquette not to do it. Where the person who is our guest is a young person, or one of little experience, it is well for the head of the house to ask God’s blessing, not only upon the food, but upon the stranger who may be at the table. Let us follow the Golden Rule, guided by the Spirit of God in this part of the Lord’s worship as well as in others.

2846.—Which Law.

In 2 Cor. 3:7-17 was Paul speaking of the moral law or the ceremonial law? J. S.

It seems clear to us that the apostle was speaking of the moral law. Note that he does not say that the law was done away, but the condemnation which the law brings is done away. Note, too, how that condemnation is done away. It is done away only when one believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. There was a glory connected with the giving of the law; that glory was so great that when Moses was in converse with God it caused his own face to shine; shone out in fact from Moses’ heart, so that the children of Israel looking upon Moses’ face felt condemned, and in their unbelief in God asked that a veil be put over Moses’ face so they could not see that glory. The Lord wanted them to feel that condemnation so that they would put away the sin and receive of His glory that would cause that sin to be abolished and the glory of justification, or righteousness, take the place of the glory of condemnation. That would have placed the law within their own hearts so that they would have loved it and would not have been condemned by it. They would not do that; consequently the law was to them condemnation, and condemnation only. It is the condemnation which the Lord Jesus Christ takes away. It is the glory of the condemnation which fades in the greater glory of righteousness. For a much fuller explanation see No. 149 of “Bible Students’ Library: ‘What Is Done Away in Christ?’”

2847.—Breaking the Covenant.

Please explain Zech. 11:10. I thought that any covenant always meant the Ten Commandments, and it sounds as though this meant that God broke them Himself. Ps. 89:35 says, “My covenant will I not break.” O. S. J.

What the Lord is here showing are the conditional promises which He had made to Israel. These promises are most clearly stated in Jer. 18:7-10. Just as long as His people will walk in His way and trust Him, all His promises will hold good; when they are determined to walk in their own way, necessarily He must permit them to do it. He breaks His covenant only when they put themselves into that condition that it is impossible for Him to fulfil it. God would have done wonderful things for His people in the days of the prophet. He would have restored them to their own land and have made them a power and a praise in the earth, the one people above all other peoples. They would not let Him do it; consequently the promises which He had made concerning them could not in the very nature of the case be fulfilled.