"IF YE WILL INQUIRE, INQUIRE YE."
By Editor
This Inquirers' Department is conducted for the purpose of helping those who are studying the Bible. The answers are oftentimes only suggestive. They are never to be considered infallible, only as they agree with the infallible Word. The writer who may answer them does not consider that his opinion is infallible. He will simply give the best that he has, and plead with the inquirer to search the Word. Such questions only will be answered as, to the editors, seem to minister to the good of the readers and to the mission of the paper. We can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable. No letters are answered which do not contain the name of the writer. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply. Will you kindly give me a little light on the following? Matt. 7:7-9; Ps. 37: 2-7. What things can we have by asking for them? Can people who believe be healed of sickness and disease now as they were healed by Christ and His apostles?
R. S. H. There are always conditions implied, if not expressly mentioned, in connection with prayer. You will find, if you look up the kindred texts, that these conditions are required: We must ask in faith; we must ask in the name of Jesus; we must ask according to His will. These three conditions, perhaps, embrace all, and these may all be summed up in one, for asking in the name of Christ is not merely the mention of His name in our petition. It is having the same submission that our Lord Himself did, asking in the same disposition, the same humility, as did He. We will not, in such cases, have any rebellion in our heart, or any enmity against others. Asking in faith is asking according to God's Word, believing that whatsoever He has promised, He will perform; and asking according to His will is according to what He has revealed. There are some things that are very clearly revealed that we may ask for in all assurance. For instance, we read in the 4th chapter of 1 Thessalonians, "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." We read again, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is the will of God that men should come to Him, for He invites us to come—"whosoever will." Now in all these things in which God has expressly revealed His truth to men concerning every one, having to do with character (for He is no respecter of persons), we can ask with all assurance, and know that God grants it. When it comes to the matter of healing, that may be a different thing. We may be able to learn some lessons in sickness that we could not learn in health, and the Lord understands that. The psalmist says, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word." One has to be thrown down, sometimes, to know how weak he is. But if, on the bed of sickness, we can come to that place where we recognize our utter helplessness, and will cast our souls on Jesus in the same way that we did to be relieved from sin, we may seek with great assurance that the Master will heal us. He is just as ready and just as willing to heal now as He ever was. The only thing that lies between His mighty healing now as compared with what He once did is our own unbelief, or our failure to give all the glory to Him. Sometimes our own sins have brought on our sickness. If we expect to be healed we should give up the sin and the indulgence. So, in Psalm 37, we read: "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." He may not answer our prayers in just our way, but He will answer them in a better way. Let there be with our prayer the same submission that was in the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Note the two petitions in Christ's prayer: first, "Father, . . . let this cup pass from Me"—the human cry; and secondly, "Nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt"—the divine submission. There was one prayer above the human prayer, and that was that He might be in perfect harmony with the divine will. Such prayers can never return unanswered. 3802 — Private Ownership of Land
After careful study of social conditions and their causes to-day, and study of the 5th chapter of Nehemiah, I am convinced that it is wrong for Christians to uphold private ownership of land, which makes for such great injustice. What sayest thou?
E. R. If conditions were ideal, all the land would belong to the Lord. As the Bible has stated again and again, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." When God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, He divided the land among the tribes, to each tribe and to each family its inheritance, this inheritance to be ever kept with the tribe; and if at any time mortgaged or leased, it was to return to its own tribe in the Year of Jubilee. In the matter of simple justice there is very much to be said for the public ownership of land and the single tax theory; but the "Signs of the Times" is not in politics, and inasmuch as these are political questions, and ramify through the whole length and breadth of the political scheme, it is not for us to endeavor to change the order of things. We may point out principles, and teach the way of righteousness; but further than that it is not our duty. So it was with our Lord. There must have been many unjust things in His day. He pointed out the infraction of principle and of law, but He made no political attempt to change things. He stood alone, apart from the world,—in the world, but not of the world, endeavoring to lift the world to a higher estimate of manhood. 3803 — Time of Beginning the Sabbath
I am fully convinced that Saturday, the seventh day, is our Lord's Sabbath, but I am not convinced as to the time of the beginning of the Sabbath. Will you please, through the question column, advise why Matt. 28:1, "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn," does not mean that it ended at daybreak? And if this is the case, should the Sabbath begin at dawn?
F. The beginning of the day as set forth in Genesis 1, as intimated regarding the yearly sabbaths in Lev. 23:32, a comparison of Matt. 8:16, Mark 1:32, Luke 4:40, together with Neh. 13:19, clearly shows that the Sabbath began and ended with the setting of the sun. The Jews would not come to be healed during the time of the Sabbath, but as soon as the Sabbath had closed, at sunset, they came in great multitudes. Some good commentators tell us that the "began to dawn" (Matt. 28:1) simply means began to come—it was approaching. "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week," simply meant that immediately after the Sabbath closed, the next day in its light part began to draw near. What to our mind is better than this is to read Matthew 27 in connection with Matthew 28. In the original there is no division between chapters and verses. In fact, in the most ancient copies there is no division between words. The Jews were very anxious that Christ's words should be made false. They went to Pilate on the Sabbath day and said that this Man declared that He would rise after three days. Now before that time is up we ask that you command that the sepulcher be made sure. Pilate told them that they had a watch, or a guard; to go their way and do it. "So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch, in the end of the Sabbath." It was right down in the very closing part of the Sabbath day they did these things. Then when the morning dawned, "as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher;" that is, the light part of the day, often called the day in distinction from the night. The other scriptures which we have cited show very clearly when the Sabbath day itself began. Will you kindly explain the following texts of Scripture in your "Question Corner"? Do not these scriptures plainly set forth the fact that the destiny of every soul was fixed before they were born into the world, even before the foundation of the world? Rom. 9:18-23; 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4, 5; 1 Cor. 26, 28; 1 Peter 11.
J. E. J. Two of these scriptures are uncertain. Our inquirer has given simply 1 Cor. 26, 28, and 1 Peter 11. This of course leaves it very uncertain. Presumably 1 Cor. 1:26, 28 is meant, and perhaps 1 Peter 1:11. Many other texts could have been cited along the same line. The whole question of the doctrine of election is not difficult to understand if we will remember certain principles. But first let us say: That the destiny of every soul is not fixed is shown clearly by 2 Peter 1:10, "Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure." If one's case was irrevocably fixed, how could he be consistently exhorted to make it sure? How could we understand such scriptures as Heb. 3:14, "For we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end," and Matt. 24:13, "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved"? The important thing which God regards is character. That is more precious to Him than all else. The names written in the Lamb's Book of Life from before the foundation of the world are names of characters. To those various characters God calls the children of this earth. To one of those characters God called Cain. Character stands written in the Book of Life from the beginning. Cain failed, however, and some one else was called in to take his place. This is quite evident from Rev. 3:11, "Hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown." Certainly God would not thus warn us unless there was danger. And again, the words of Jesus (Matt. 24:13): "He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved." In the light of these principles, all the texts may be harmonized; as, for instance, Rom. 9:18-23. In this scripture is set forth God's sovereign power, His right to do, His long-suffering and kindness. It does not mean that Pharaoh was born for the purpose of destruction, but God brought him to the throne in order that He might show His power and glory through him. Pharaoh had the privilege of having the Lord show that power and glory by being obedient, and helpful to God's people, by yielding to God just as Nebuchadnezzar did. He would not do it, and therefore he went down under the mighty hand of God. Yet equally the glory and power of God were shown. Rom. 8:28-30 simply shows this,—that God is able to carry through to the very end all those who will yield to Him and submit to His plans and ways. You will get much help by reading the Bible Students' Library, No. 67, entitled "Bible Election." Price 3 cents. Looked upon in the right way it is a very comforting matter indeed; looked upon in the wrong way it is discouraging. 3805 — Inspiration of Nebuchadnezzar
Was Nebuchadnezzar inspired as were Daniel and the other prophets?
W. T. We do not understand that he was. The book of Daniel is an inspired book, and it simply gives the correct record concerning Nebuchadnezzar in chapters 1, 2, 3, 4; that is all. He evidently came to see that God was just and right and his own ways evil, and he submitted to God, and sent out his own great conception of God and God's goodness and God's power; but there is nothing to indicate that he himself was "inspired," or that his words were. The record that tells us this is inspired. In the meaning of the Bible it is the word that is inspired, not the man. 3806 — "Blessing" the Lord
Can we "bless" the Lord, as is used in Dan. 2:19; Ps. 103:21, 22; 134:1-3, etc.? It has been said that this could not be true, as it takes the greater to bless the lesser, as a blessing is a gift.
W. T. The Hebrew word "barak" means "to kneel" simply, to bless God as an act of adoration. When coming from God to man it is a benefit. The word is used in different senses. It is used oftentimes in the sense of praise, praising God instead of blessing God. It is adoration and praise on man's part; it is a bestowal of gifts on the part of the greater.