Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Open thou mine eyes is a prayer to be made personally to God whenever the Bible is studied, asking Him to open the eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law. Opened eyes means spiritual sight, the eyes of the heart, mind and understanding opened to discern heavenly truth and the wonders in the law. The prayer is answered for the humble, teachable seeker who does not rely on intellect or cling to preconceived opinions, but searches diligently, compares Scripture with Scripture, meditates, and brings belief into agreement with the Word. The Holy Spirit and Christ as Teacher then open the understanding, removing human traditions and superstitions that obscured the law, giving neglected truths and familiar texts new breadth and fullness, and revealing the law's glory and deeper meaning in Jesus, His righteousness, love, incarnation and cross. Beholding those wonders convicts of sin, converts the soul, purifies the life unto joyful obedience and keeping of the commandments, and fits teachers and workers to communicate its beauty and transforming power to others.
Prayer for Opened Sight
David's prayer asks God to open the eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law, and it is to be made personally whenever the Bible is studied. Understanding of the law depends on God opening the eyes to its wondrous fullness, which leads to rightly understanding the Word, treasuring its truth in the mind, and glorifying and serving God. The Bible should never be studied without prayer, for only through such prayer does the Spirit open truth to the mind and apply it to the heart. This preparation enables the reader to feel the importance of plain truths and to avoid twisting difficult ones, while the heart is charmed by Scripture's beauty, warned by its warnings, strengthened by its promises, and made ready with promises in memory to meet Satan with Scripture when temptation would otherwise prove irresistible. Answered prayer gives clearer and broader views unbiased by preconceived opinion, more penetrating discernment, better balanced and far-seeing judgment, and expanded understanding from contemplating exalted truths.
Opened eyes means spiritual sight, the eyes of the heart, mind, and understanding being opened to discern heavenly truth and the wonders in the law. Insight into the truth of the Word comes as God gives light through the Holy Spirit to the humble seeker who searches diligently. As God heard and answered David, He hears and answers those who ask with humility and firm belief, filling them with gladness and rejoicing. Human wisdom and confidence in mistaken ideas about Scripture leave people spiritually blind, keeping an outward form of righteousness while missing the way to heaven and failing to show a righteous, meek, patient, and loving character. The verse therefore calls for more than casual reading, requiring deep searching until lessons are understood, and careful comparison of Scripture with Scripture rather than rejecting truth without investigation or turning others from obedience.
The prayer expresses consecration of heart and mind to God, asking Him to teach, guide, and give understanding so that His servant may live by and keep His word. It belongs to those who love God and delight in His law rather than feeling it a burden, whose love is shown in delighting to do His will. It joins loving meditation and faithful observance, presenting the law as worthy of close attention, with purifying of life and choosing obedience. The opened word gives light and understanding to the simple, and the one who keeps the testimonies because they are wonderful finds them his delight and counselors, better than thousands of gold and silver, loved and meditated on all the day, sung in the house of pilgrimage, making him wiser than enemies, teachers, and the aged and turning him from every false way. Given for young men and women to awaken desire to heed the way of the Lord, it is a prayer to be offered continually, united with reliance on the merits of the blood of the crucified and risen Saviour and trust for sanctification through belief of the truth.
The law whose wonders are sought belongs to a psalm that exalts God's law as the guide of life, revealing principles of righteousness and distinguishing right from wrong and truth from error. It is a chart pointing out the way to heaven with waymarks whose directions are to be followed closely. Understanding it leads to valuing truth as a treasure to store the mind. Looking to Jesus changes the beholder into His likeness so His glory shines through to others, whereas looking at others' imperfections makes one like imperfection.
Humble Diligent Study
The Bible is never to be studied without prayer for light, for understanding the wonders in God's law requires God Himself to open the eyes. This prayer for insight into the truth of God's Word is to be made before study, with humble, teachable spirit, singleness of purpose, and earnest longing after righteousness, looking to the Holy Spirit to open the understanding through diligent searching rather than trusting intellect, human wisdom, or mistaken ideas. Humble waiting before God in earnest prayer brings insight into the times, a fuller understanding of His purpose, and greater effectiveness in saving souls, and it is especially needed when searching the Scriptures about the righteousness of Christ in connection with the law. The heart must be prepared to understand and value Scripture, for the Spirit helps the reverent seeker recognize the importance of plain truths and keeps from twisting difficult ones, while humble learners at Christ's feet have truths presented clearly and discern their significance and value.
Understanding does not come by casual or hurried reading but by sinking deeply into the Word as into a treasure house of knowledge, searching until treasures of lessons are found and understood. A passage must be studied carefully until its significance is clear and its relation to the plan of salvation is evident, with Scripture compared with Scripture and meditation added to prayerful inquiry, which is safer than rejecting truth without investigation or leading others away from obedience to God's law. God regards the sincere prayer for opened eyes of the mind and reveals truth with deep satisfaction, so that His words become sweet and more desirable than great riches. As seekers draw near to God and follow on to know the Lord, light and understanding increase and teachings become clearer, revealing truths hidden or overlooked and deepening understanding of truths already found, including a fuller knowledge of Christ and the incarnation, unto thorough equipment for good works.
The eyes of the mind are opened only in humble, prayerful study free from prejudice and from effort to make Scripture support cherished opinions. Searching must be to learn what God says, not to defend preconceived, inherited, cherished, or cultivated opinions, setting them aside and learning meekly, with understanding shaped by the Word rather than used to defend prior beliefs. When Scripture corrects those opinions, beliefs must be brought into agreement with the Word and its light accepted rather than altered or distorted to fit them.
This opening of sight calls for willingness to recognize truth and the defects in life and character revealed by the law as God's standard of judgment, rather than closing the eyes to what it shows. Searching with a heart free from pride, prejudice, and self-righteousness opens the eyes to wonderful things in God's law, while self-righteousness and unwillingness to humble oneself keep those wonders unseen. Accepting the truth may involve a cross, but rejecting it leaves people trusting in self-righteousness, and those unwilling to see and follow advancing light remain behind and become adversaries to those who accept it and bear the cost of following truth.
Spirit's Enlightening Work
The Holy Spirit gives light and grace to the reverent, earnest seeker who searches to know the divine will, opening the understanding to behold the wonders of the law. Neglected truths long overlooked are revealed, familiar texts gain new meaning, and the Word becomes as a new revelation with a breadth and fullness never seen before. Faith is quickened to living faith, the treasures of the Word are made fuller and more meaningful, and this transforms character and equips for communicating spiritual life to others. The teacher in particular is to pray for the eyes of understanding to be opened in this way.
Christ as Teacher opens the understanding to perceive the true light, depth and glory of the law and its far-reaching claims. He removes the rubbish of human opinions, traditions and superstitions that obscured it, redeeming precious truth from error and setting its jewels free in native purity to shine near and far. The law thus seen is the foundation of the throne of God, the holy, just and good standard of righteousness enduring as long as heaven and earth. Humble, teachable learners at His feet have their minds opened to discover these clearly presented truths and to recognize their significance and value, with lessons from cultivating the soil helping them understand the Word and the Creator's work.
Heavenly angels prepare the heart to be charmed by the beauty of Scripture, warned by its warnings and strengthened by its promises. The Holy Spirit alone causes the mind to feel the importance of plain truths easy to be understood and keeps from twisting truths difficult of comprehension. Understanding depends less on power of intellect than on singleness of purpose and earnest longing after righteousness. Ministering angels also help recognize God's work in nature and human events and the eternal things revealed by the Spirit, surrounding those willing to be taught and bringing needed truths to remembrance in temptation so the promises are ready in memory to meet Satan with Scripture.
God hears and answers humble, believing prayer for insight as He heard David, giving light and truth through the Holy Spirit to understand Scripture. He is willing to reveal wondrous things from His law through the Comforter to those who wait humbly before Him and pray earnestly for understanding, for insight into the times, for fuller understanding of His purpose, and for greater effectiveness in saving souls. He fills such seekers with gladness and rejoicing, prepares and strengthens them to receive the importance of His message and work, and their lives show they have been with Jesus.
The earthly mind finds no pleasure in contemplating the Word and sees it as a desolate wilderness, while the mind renewed by the Holy Spirit has celestial light shining from the sacred page so that wilderness becomes a land of living streams of divine beauty. Close relationship with Jesus Christ opens the eyes to wondrous things otherwise unseen, as the Spirit's softening and subduing influence makes understanding possible. Study, meditation, prayer, reverence, trust, communion with God and fuller appreciation of His love and character quicken the heart, dispel short-sightedness, soften the heart to receive light, and keep it open to discern heavenly realities. The light thus given brings to view with light and joy great truths long obscured by superstition and false teaching. Truths that defeat great intellects can be understood by new believers, while even learned interpreters may miss them when ignorant of Scripture and God's power, for the Spirit guides humble, diligent seekers to grasp what was previously unknown and to see the excellence of Christ and the glories of the better world.
Wonders Seen in Law
The glory of the law and its deeper meaning are seen in Jesus Christ, in His character and righteousness and love, in His incarnation and in the cross of Calvary, in the mysterious conflict in which He engaged and defeated the powers of darkness, and in the humiliation of the infinite God in His Son that sinners might be elevated to a place with Him upon His throne. Contemplating these facts purifies and elevates and ennobles, gives better knowledge of personal weakness, grows faith and humility, helps avoid past sins, cleanses every stain of corruption from the character, and makes hearts willing to see. Beholding Christ in this way brings understanding of the law rightly and leads toward transformation by the Spirit, with sinking deeply into the treasure house of the Word helping students understand Christ more fully.
The law thus beheld is the foundation of God's throne, the holy and just and good standard of righteousness enduring as long as heaven and earth, the great standard of character and transcript of His character, eternal truth that cannot be changed or annulled, lifted from beneath the feet of men to its rightful place at the throne of the Infinite. Christ opened eyes to its true light and far-reaching claims, which had been obscured and buried beneath a mass of rubbish of human opinions and traditions and superstitions. He came as the Light and Truth and Author of all truth to remove that rubbish, to redeem precious truth from companionship with error, to bring to light its jewels in native purity, and to set truth free to send its bright beams near and far.
Seeing the wonders means recognizing the light of the cross and Christ's righteousness and love, rather than separating the law from the gospel or neglecting mercy and the love of God. Law and gospel together convict of sin and reveal Christ, and seeing Christ's character in this way brings people to see the law's deeper meaning unto transformation by the Spirit.
The wondrous things include truths neglected or forgotten and truths new to those who truly love God, including Spirit-inspired truth drawn from Daniel and Revelation. They include the work appointed for the present time revealed in Isaiah 58 as an eye-opener to those who pray sincerely. They include lessons from creation and from cultivating the soil, which under Christ's teaching and discipline help those who walk humbly with God to understand the Word and the Creator's work and to receive wonderful revelations.
The discovery brings conviction that the judgments of the Lord are altogether true and righteous, more to be desired than much fine gold and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, warning His servant with great reward in keeping them. His spoken law becomes better than thousands of gold and silver, His words sweet and more desirable than great riches, His testimonies delight and counselors, loved and meditated on all the day and sung in the house of pilgrimage. His opened words give light and understanding to the simple, and His commandments and precepts abiding with the keeper make him wiser than enemies and teachers and the aged and turn him from every false way. Such treasures are found not by casual reading but by laboring for the food that endures to everlasting life and searching deeply until lessons are understood.
Scripture as Christ's instruction reveals the grace of Christ progressively, like light advancing from dawn to noonday, to those whose eyes are opened by heavenly anointing. It is the same sight by which Moses endured in seeing the Invisible, given through humble contrite searching revived by the lofty One who inhabits eternity. Even those who have preached truth for a lifetime still have many things to discover by understanding truths in a new aspect of breadth and harmony and bearing on other truths now dim to comprehension. Defects of character not overcome darken the understanding and prevent discovery of truth in its matchless loveliness, while the oil of grace in the vessel with the lamp enables discovery, and vigorous searching rewards the student by making him after the similitude of God, whereas minds supposed to be wise stay satisfied with their knowledge because of ignorance.
God desires all people to willingly open their eyes to behold these things, and He will not compel obedience, yet He gives warnings about His law and has the message of the third angel, the commandments of God, proclaimed as a city set upon a hill which every willing mind can understand. The law is full of positive promises to all who obey, and obedience to that law is necessary to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, with special claim upon the commandments and especially the Sabbath. The lesson of Adam and Eve's disobedience protects the human family, while ministers who feel the force of the truth yet refuse its claims do so because obedience would involve a cross.
Transformed Obedient Life
Answered prayer opens truth to the mind and applies it to the heart, giving clearer and broader views unbiased by preconceived opinion, more penetrating discernment, better balanced and far-seeing judgment, and expanded understanding from contemplating exalted truths. Those exalted truths are Jesus the Son of God coming to this world, engaging in the mysterious conflict that defeated the powers of darkness, and the humiliation of His Son by the infinite God so that sinners may be elevated to a place with Him upon His throne. Contemplating them purifies, elevates and ennobles, gives better knowledge of personal weakness, grows faith and humility, helps avoid past sins, and cleanses every stain of corruption from the character. The humble in heart receive this enlightenment, which is more precious than the boasted wisdom of the world, and by faith in the Son of God the child of wrath becomes the child of God and passes from death unto life through His infinite sacrifice as propitiation for the repenting sinner's transgressions. Made spiritual, such a one discerns spiritual things and sees wonderful truths in the law, receiving pardon, a righteousness that will bear the scrutiny of the all-knowing God, victory over the powerful enemy of God and man, and eternal life and joy as a theme of rejoicing to the humble who hear and are glad, with transformed character fitted to communicate spiritual life to others.
Looking into the mirror of the law brings condemnation for sin and reveals defects in life and character, and the prayer asks for opened eyes rather than closed eyes before what the law reveals as the standard of judgment. With Christ as the Pattern continually in view and His infinite sacrifice contemplated to redeem from the thralldom of sin, the convicted one stops further transgression, turns fully about, and washes the robe of character in the blood of the Lamb so that it becomes spotless. This is joined with reliance on the merits of the blood of the crucified and risen Saviour and trust in sanctification through belief of the truth, instead of squandering entrusted time and means upon self and children and meeting a fearful account at the bar of God. It belongs with earnest prayer for reform, repentance, faith and obedience, in denying self, bearing the cross, cherishing virtue and resisting vice.
The same prayer purifies the life and joins understanding with choosing to obey, presenting the law as worthy of close attention and loving meditation. With Christ's meekness and strength a person can delight in heaven and run in the way of the commandments, hastening to fulfill the gracious commands of a wise and compassionate God rather than treating them as a yoke of bondage. Those who approach the Word reverently and earnestly seeking His will receive light and grace to see its wonders, the Spirit reveals truths long neglected and brings new meaning to familiar passages, so the Bible is unsealed and its truths become clear.
Prayerful study keeps God's promises ready in memory to meet Satan with Scripture weapons, for only the Holy Spirit can make plain truths feel important and keep from twisting difficult truths, while heavenly angels prepare the heart to be charmed by its beauty, warned by its warnings and strengthened by its promises. When prayer and study are neglected temptation feels irresistible, but angels surround those willing to be taught and bring needed truths to remembrance in time of great necessity, so that when the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit lifts up a standard against him. Opening of blind eyes is needed now so that warning is heeded, finding fault and censuring cease, the heart is set in order, and labor is given for those perishing in sin.
The prayer awakens to spiritual danger and leads the mind away from the world, for God's perfect law converts the soul and the law is a chart pointing out the way to heaven with waymarks whose directions are to be closely followed. Eyes are opened when the heart is reformed through humble confession and devotion to Christ, and with the eye single to God's glory the soul is filled with light, beholds Christ as the Lamb who takes away the world's sin, and lets that light shine out to others. Looking to Jesus changes into His likeness so His glory can shine through to others, while looking at other people's imperfections makes one like imperfection. Seeing requires willingness to look and to turn attention to truth rather than refuse to hear it, and by such willingness souls are gained, as sought for J. H. Kellogg that he would see the law's truth and be turned away from the world. Those unwilling to see and follow advancing light remain behind and become adversaries to those who accept it and bear the cost of following truth, as with ministers who feel the force of truth yet refuse to see the law's claims because obedience would involve a cross, especially over the commandments and the Sabbath.
Sharing Light with Others
Teachers are to make the word of God their meditation and study and to pray for opened eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law. When the teacher relies upon God in prayer, communication comes from God by His own Spirit to the soul, and the Spirit of Christ comes upon him so that God works through him by the Holy Spirit upon the mind of the student. The Holy Spirit enlightens the mind, revealing the treasures of the Word and making its truth fuller and more meaningful, so the words of truth grow in importance and assume a breadth and fullness of meaning never dreamed before. The answer fills mind and heart with hope and courage and Bible imagery to be communicated to the student, and gives the beauty and virtue of God's word a transforming influence upon mind and character. Sparks of heavenly love then fall upon the hearts of children as inspiration that brings hundreds and thousands of children to Christ, equipping teachers to communicate spiritual life to their students.
God-connected teachers lead students to study and obey God's law, to consider eternal interests, and to grapple with difficult Bible questions. Such grappling strengthens their minds to grasp noble themes while showing that truth extends beyond what they can yet comprehend. As those who learn from His Word grow day by day, God opens their eyes to see its wondrous truths and their understanding is enlightened. This growing understanding awakens a sense of God's mercy and greatness and leads to humble, submissive, willing service.
The Great Teacher Himself opens the understanding of workers He calls to His service so they can see wondrous things in His word and learn how to serve and work for Him. The Lord must be given opportunity to work upon minds to show men their duty, calling men as He called the humble fishermen, even from the plow and other occupations, to give the last note of warning to perishing souls. He Himself gives them instruction regarding their field of labor and the methods they should follow in the many ways of working for the Master, including medical missionary evangelists. God Himself must open a person's eyes to see wonderful truths in His law, bringing strength and blessing and the spiritual knowledge that makes him a person of high principle, able to weigh important matters thoroughly and reason from cause to effect. Taught in Christ's school and given the education they need, such workers are fitted to give spiritual instruction to others instead of relying on limited experience and their own judgment.
Through proclamation of the gospel, God opens spiritually blind eyes to see His statutes and writes His law on the hearts of the truly penitent. The Spirit works through human messengers to unite believers in love for God and obedience to His commandments, preparing them for translation. Ministering angels help people recognize these wondrous things, along with God's work in nature and human events and the eternal things revealed by the Holy Spirit, while reverence, trust, and communion with God help keep the heart open to this light. Studying and trusting the Word as God's voice helps believers receive that light and open the Scriptures plainly so others can see its truths, expressing its treasures and precious truths plainly. It is a fitting prayer for God to help even a mother see the truth.
Open thou mine eyes is a prayer to be made personally to God whenever the Bible is studied, asking Him to open the eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law. Opened eyes means spiritual sight, the eyes of the heart, mind and understanding opened to discern heavenly truth and the wonders in the law. The prayer is answered for the humble, teachable seeker who does not rely on intellect or cling to preconceived opinions, but searches diligently, compares Scripture with Scripture, meditates, and brings belief into agreement with the Word. The Holy Spirit and Christ as Teacher then open the understanding, removing human traditions and superstitions that obscured the law, giving neglected truths and familiar texts new breadth and fullness, and revealing the law's glory and deeper meaning in Jesus, His righteousness, love, incarnation and cross. Beholding those wonders convicts of sin, converts the soul, purifies the life unto joyful obedience and keeping of the commandments, and fits teachers and workers to communicate its beauty and transforming power to others.
Prayer for Opened Sight
David's prayer asks God to open the eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law, and it is to be made personally whenever the Bible is studied. Understanding of the law depends on God opening the eyes to its wondrous fullness, which leads to rightly understanding the Word, treasuring its truth in the mind, and glorifying and serving God. The Bible should never be studied without prayer, for only through such prayer does the Spirit open truth to the mind and apply it to the heart. This preparation enables the reader to feel the importance of plain truths and to avoid twisting difficult ones, while the heart is charmed by Scripture's beauty, warned by its warnings, strengthened by its promises, and made ready with promises in memory to meet Satan with Scripture when temptation would otherwise prove irresistible. Answered prayer gives clearer and broader views unbiased by preconceived opinion, more penetrating discernment, better balanced and far-seeing judgment, and expanded understanding from contemplating exalted truths.
Opened eyes means spiritual sight, the eyes of the heart, mind, and understanding being opened to discern heavenly truth and the wonders in the law. Insight into the truth of the Word comes as God gives light through the Holy Spirit to the humble seeker who searches diligently. As God heard and answered David, He hears and answers those who ask with humility and firm belief, filling them with gladness and rejoicing. Human wisdom and confidence in mistaken ideas about Scripture leave people spiritually blind, keeping an outward form of righteousness while missing the way to heaven and failing to show a righteous, meek, patient, and loving character. The verse therefore calls for more than casual reading, requiring deep searching until lessons are understood, and careful comparison of Scripture with Scripture rather than rejecting truth without investigation or turning others from obedience.
The prayer expresses consecration of heart and mind to God, asking Him to teach, guide, and give understanding so that His servant may live by and keep His word. It belongs to those who love God and delight in His law rather than feeling it a burden, whose love is shown in delighting to do His will. It joins loving meditation and faithful observance, presenting the law as worthy of close attention, with purifying of life and choosing obedience. The opened word gives light and understanding to the simple, and the one who keeps the testimonies because they are wonderful finds them his delight and counselors, better than thousands of gold and silver, loved and meditated on all the day, sung in the house of pilgrimage, making him wiser than enemies, teachers, and the aged and turning him from every false way. Given for young men and women to awaken desire to heed the way of the Lord, it is a prayer to be offered continually, united with reliance on the merits of the blood of the crucified and risen Saviour and trust for sanctification through belief of the truth.
The law whose wonders are sought belongs to a psalm that exalts God's law as the guide of life, revealing principles of righteousness and distinguishing right from wrong and truth from error. It is a chart pointing out the way to heaven with waymarks whose directions are to be followed closely. Understanding it leads to valuing truth as a treasure to store the mind. Looking to Jesus changes the beholder into His likeness so His glory shines through to others, whereas looking at others' imperfections makes one like imperfection.
Humble Diligent Study
The Bible is never to be studied without prayer for light, for understanding the wonders in God's law requires God Himself to open the eyes. This prayer for insight into the truth of God's Word is to be made before study, with humble, teachable spirit, singleness of purpose, and earnest longing after righteousness, looking to the Holy Spirit to open the understanding through diligent searching rather than trusting intellect, human wisdom, or mistaken ideas. Humble waiting before God in earnest prayer brings insight into the times, a fuller understanding of His purpose, and greater effectiveness in saving souls, and it is especially needed when searching the Scriptures about the righteousness of Christ in connection with the law. The heart must be prepared to understand and value Scripture, for the Spirit helps the reverent seeker recognize the importance of plain truths and keeps from twisting difficult ones, while humble learners at Christ's feet have truths presented clearly and discern their significance and value.
Understanding does not come by casual or hurried reading but by sinking deeply into the Word as into a treasure house of knowledge, searching until treasures of lessons are found and understood. A passage must be studied carefully until its significance is clear and its relation to the plan of salvation is evident, with Scripture compared with Scripture and meditation added to prayerful inquiry, which is safer than rejecting truth without investigation or leading others away from obedience to God's law. God regards the sincere prayer for opened eyes of the mind and reveals truth with deep satisfaction, so that His words become sweet and more desirable than great riches. As seekers draw near to God and follow on to know the Lord, light and understanding increase and teachings become clearer, revealing truths hidden or overlooked and deepening understanding of truths already found, including a fuller knowledge of Christ and the incarnation, unto thorough equipment for good works.
The eyes of the mind are opened only in humble, prayerful study free from prejudice and from effort to make Scripture support cherished opinions. Searching must be to learn what God says, not to defend preconceived, inherited, cherished, or cultivated opinions, setting them aside and learning meekly, with understanding shaped by the Word rather than used to defend prior beliefs. When Scripture corrects those opinions, beliefs must be brought into agreement with the Word and its light accepted rather than altered or distorted to fit them.
This opening of sight calls for willingness to recognize truth and the defects in life and character revealed by the law as God's standard of judgment, rather than closing the eyes to what it shows. Searching with a heart free from pride, prejudice, and self-righteousness opens the eyes to wonderful things in God's law, while self-righteousness and unwillingness to humble oneself keep those wonders unseen. Accepting the truth may involve a cross, but rejecting it leaves people trusting in self-righteousness, and those unwilling to see and follow advancing light remain behind and become adversaries to those who accept it and bear the cost of following truth.
Spirit's Enlightening Work
The Holy Spirit gives light and grace to the reverent, earnest seeker who searches to know the divine will, opening the understanding to behold the wonders of the law. Neglected truths long overlooked are revealed, familiar texts gain new meaning, and the Word becomes as a new revelation with a breadth and fullness never seen before. Faith is quickened to living faith, the treasures of the Word are made fuller and more meaningful, and this transforms character and equips for communicating spiritual life to others. The teacher in particular is to pray for the eyes of understanding to be opened in this way.
Christ as Teacher opens the understanding to perceive the true light, depth and glory of the law and its far-reaching claims. He removes the rubbish of human opinions, traditions and superstitions that obscured it, redeeming precious truth from error and setting its jewels free in native purity to shine near and far. The law thus seen is the foundation of the throne of God, the holy, just and good standard of righteousness enduring as long as heaven and earth. Humble, teachable learners at His feet have their minds opened to discover these clearly presented truths and to recognize their significance and value, with lessons from cultivating the soil helping them understand the Word and the Creator's work.
Heavenly angels prepare the heart to be charmed by the beauty of Scripture, warned by its warnings and strengthened by its promises. The Holy Spirit alone causes the mind to feel the importance of plain truths easy to be understood and keeps from twisting truths difficult of comprehension. Understanding depends less on power of intellect than on singleness of purpose and earnest longing after righteousness. Ministering angels also help recognize God's work in nature and human events and the eternal things revealed by the Spirit, surrounding those willing to be taught and bringing needed truths to remembrance in temptation so the promises are ready in memory to meet Satan with Scripture.
God hears and answers humble, believing prayer for insight as He heard David, giving light and truth through the Holy Spirit to understand Scripture. He is willing to reveal wondrous things from His law through the Comforter to those who wait humbly before Him and pray earnestly for understanding, for insight into the times, for fuller understanding of His purpose, and for greater effectiveness in saving souls. He fills such seekers with gladness and rejoicing, prepares and strengthens them to receive the importance of His message and work, and their lives show they have been with Jesus.
The earthly mind finds no pleasure in contemplating the Word and sees it as a desolate wilderness, while the mind renewed by the Holy Spirit has celestial light shining from the sacred page so that wilderness becomes a land of living streams of divine beauty. Close relationship with Jesus Christ opens the eyes to wondrous things otherwise unseen, as the Spirit's softening and subduing influence makes understanding possible. Study, meditation, prayer, reverence, trust, communion with God and fuller appreciation of His love and character quicken the heart, dispel short-sightedness, soften the heart to receive light, and keep it open to discern heavenly realities. The light thus given brings to view with light and joy great truths long obscured by superstition and false teaching. Truths that defeat great intellects can be understood by new believers, while even learned interpreters may miss them when ignorant of Scripture and God's power, for the Spirit guides humble, diligent seekers to grasp what was previously unknown and to see the excellence of Christ and the glories of the better world.
Wonders Seen in Law
The glory of the law and its deeper meaning are seen in Jesus Christ, in His character and righteousness and love, in His incarnation and in the cross of Calvary, in the mysterious conflict in which He engaged and defeated the powers of darkness, and in the humiliation of the infinite God in His Son that sinners might be elevated to a place with Him upon His throne. Contemplating these facts purifies and elevates and ennobles, gives better knowledge of personal weakness, grows faith and humility, helps avoid past sins, cleanses every stain of corruption from the character, and makes hearts willing to see. Beholding Christ in this way brings understanding of the law rightly and leads toward transformation by the Spirit, with sinking deeply into the treasure house of the Word helping students understand Christ more fully.
The law thus beheld is the foundation of God's throne, the holy and just and good standard of righteousness enduring as long as heaven and earth, the great standard of character and transcript of His character, eternal truth that cannot be changed or annulled, lifted from beneath the feet of men to its rightful place at the throne of the Infinite. Christ opened eyes to its true light and far-reaching claims, which had been obscured and buried beneath a mass of rubbish of human opinions and traditions and superstitions. He came as the Light and Truth and Author of all truth to remove that rubbish, to redeem precious truth from companionship with error, to bring to light its jewels in native purity, and to set truth free to send its bright beams near and far.
Seeing the wonders means recognizing the light of the cross and Christ's righteousness and love, rather than separating the law from the gospel or neglecting mercy and the love of God. Law and gospel together convict of sin and reveal Christ, and seeing Christ's character in this way brings people to see the law's deeper meaning unto transformation by the Spirit.
The wondrous things include truths neglected or forgotten and truths new to those who truly love God, including Spirit-inspired truth drawn from Daniel and Revelation. They include the work appointed for the present time revealed in Isaiah 58 as an eye-opener to those who pray sincerely. They include lessons from creation and from cultivating the soil, which under Christ's teaching and discipline help those who walk humbly with God to understand the Word and the Creator's work and to receive wonderful revelations.
The discovery brings conviction that the judgments of the Lord are altogether true and righteous, more to be desired than much fine gold and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb, warning His servant with great reward in keeping them. His spoken law becomes better than thousands of gold and silver, His words sweet and more desirable than great riches, His testimonies delight and counselors, loved and meditated on all the day and sung in the house of pilgrimage. His opened words give light and understanding to the simple, and His commandments and precepts abiding with the keeper make him wiser than enemies and teachers and the aged and turn him from every false way. Such treasures are found not by casual reading but by laboring for the food that endures to everlasting life and searching deeply until lessons are understood.
Scripture as Christ's instruction reveals the grace of Christ progressively, like light advancing from dawn to noonday, to those whose eyes are opened by heavenly anointing. It is the same sight by which Moses endured in seeing the Invisible, given through humble contrite searching revived by the lofty One who inhabits eternity. Even those who have preached truth for a lifetime still have many things to discover by understanding truths in a new aspect of breadth and harmony and bearing on other truths now dim to comprehension. Defects of character not overcome darken the understanding and prevent discovery of truth in its matchless loveliness, while the oil of grace in the vessel with the lamp enables discovery, and vigorous searching rewards the student by making him after the similitude of God, whereas minds supposed to be wise stay satisfied with their knowledge because of ignorance.
God desires all people to willingly open their eyes to behold these things, and He will not compel obedience, yet He gives warnings about His law and has the message of the third angel, the commandments of God, proclaimed as a city set upon a hill which every willing mind can understand. The law is full of positive promises to all who obey, and obedience to that law is necessary to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, with special claim upon the commandments and especially the Sabbath. The lesson of Adam and Eve's disobedience protects the human family, while ministers who feel the force of the truth yet refuse its claims do so because obedience would involve a cross.
Transformed Obedient Life
Answered prayer opens truth to the mind and applies it to the heart, giving clearer and broader views unbiased by preconceived opinion, more penetrating discernment, better balanced and far-seeing judgment, and expanded understanding from contemplating exalted truths. Those exalted truths are Jesus the Son of God coming to this world, engaging in the mysterious conflict that defeated the powers of darkness, and the humiliation of His Son by the infinite God so that sinners may be elevated to a place with Him upon His throne. Contemplating them purifies, elevates and ennobles, gives better knowledge of personal weakness, grows faith and humility, helps avoid past sins, and cleanses every stain of corruption from the character. The humble in heart receive this enlightenment, which is more precious than the boasted wisdom of the world, and by faith in the Son of God the child of wrath becomes the child of God and passes from death unto life through His infinite sacrifice as propitiation for the repenting sinner's transgressions. Made spiritual, such a one discerns spiritual things and sees wonderful truths in the law, receiving pardon, a righteousness that will bear the scrutiny of the all-knowing God, victory over the powerful enemy of God and man, and eternal life and joy as a theme of rejoicing to the humble who hear and are glad, with transformed character fitted to communicate spiritual life to others.
Looking into the mirror of the law brings condemnation for sin and reveals defects in life and character, and the prayer asks for opened eyes rather than closed eyes before what the law reveals as the standard of judgment. With Christ as the Pattern continually in view and His infinite sacrifice contemplated to redeem from the thralldom of sin, the convicted one stops further transgression, turns fully about, and washes the robe of character in the blood of the Lamb so that it becomes spotless. This is joined with reliance on the merits of the blood of the crucified and risen Saviour and trust in sanctification through belief of the truth, instead of squandering entrusted time and means upon self and children and meeting a fearful account at the bar of God. It belongs with earnest prayer for reform, repentance, faith and obedience, in denying self, bearing the cross, cherishing virtue and resisting vice.
The same prayer purifies the life and joins understanding with choosing to obey, presenting the law as worthy of close attention and loving meditation. With Christ's meekness and strength a person can delight in heaven and run in the way of the commandments, hastening to fulfill the gracious commands of a wise and compassionate God rather than treating them as a yoke of bondage. Those who approach the Word reverently and earnestly seeking His will receive light and grace to see its wonders, the Spirit reveals truths long neglected and brings new meaning to familiar passages, so the Bible is unsealed and its truths become clear.
Prayerful study keeps God's promises ready in memory to meet Satan with Scripture weapons, for only the Holy Spirit can make plain truths feel important and keep from twisting difficult truths, while heavenly angels prepare the heart to be charmed by its beauty, warned by its warnings and strengthened by its promises. When prayer and study are neglected temptation feels irresistible, but angels surround those willing to be taught and bring needed truths to remembrance in time of great necessity, so that when the enemy comes in like a flood the Spirit lifts up a standard against him. Opening of blind eyes is needed now so that warning is heeded, finding fault and censuring cease, the heart is set in order, and labor is given for those perishing in sin.
The prayer awakens to spiritual danger and leads the mind away from the world, for God's perfect law converts the soul and the law is a chart pointing out the way to heaven with waymarks whose directions are to be closely followed. Eyes are opened when the heart is reformed through humble confession and devotion to Christ, and with the eye single to God's glory the soul is filled with light, beholds Christ as the Lamb who takes away the world's sin, and lets that light shine out to others. Looking to Jesus changes into His likeness so His glory can shine through to others, while looking at other people's imperfections makes one like imperfection. Seeing requires willingness to look and to turn attention to truth rather than refuse to hear it, and by such willingness souls are gained, as sought for J. H. Kellogg that he would see the law's truth and be turned away from the world. Those unwilling to see and follow advancing light remain behind and become adversaries to those who accept it and bear the cost of following truth, as with ministers who feel the force of truth yet refuse to see the law's claims because obedience would involve a cross, especially over the commandments and the Sabbath.
Sharing Light with Others
Teachers are to make the word of God their meditation and study and to pray for opened eyes to behold wondrous things out of His law. When the teacher relies upon God in prayer, communication comes from God by His own Spirit to the soul, and the Spirit of Christ comes upon him so that God works through him by the Holy Spirit upon the mind of the student. The Holy Spirit enlightens the mind, revealing the treasures of the Word and making its truth fuller and more meaningful, so the words of truth grow in importance and assume a breadth and fullness of meaning never dreamed before. The answer fills mind and heart with hope and courage and Bible imagery to be communicated to the student, and gives the beauty and virtue of God's word a transforming influence upon mind and character. Sparks of heavenly love then fall upon the hearts of children as inspiration that brings hundreds and thousands of children to Christ, equipping teachers to communicate spiritual life to their students.
God-connected teachers lead students to study and obey God's law, to consider eternal interests, and to grapple with difficult Bible questions. Such grappling strengthens their minds to grasp noble themes while showing that truth extends beyond what they can yet comprehend. As those who learn from His Word grow day by day, God opens their eyes to see its wondrous truths and their understanding is enlightened. This growing understanding awakens a sense of God's mercy and greatness and leads to humble, submissive, willing service.
The Great Teacher Himself opens the understanding of workers He calls to His service so they can see wondrous things in His word and learn how to serve and work for Him. The Lord must be given opportunity to work upon minds to show men their duty, calling men as He called the humble fishermen, even from the plow and other occupations, to give the last note of warning to perishing souls. He Himself gives them instruction regarding their field of labor and the methods they should follow in the many ways of working for the Master, including medical missionary evangelists. God Himself must open a person's eyes to see wonderful truths in His law, bringing strength and blessing and the spiritual knowledge that makes him a person of high principle, able to weigh important matters thoroughly and reason from cause to effect. Taught in Christ's school and given the education they need, such workers are fitted to give spiritual instruction to others instead of relying on limited experience and their own judgment.
Through proclamation of the gospel, God opens spiritually blind eyes to see His statutes and writes His law on the hearts of the truly penitent. The Spirit works through human messengers to unite believers in love for God and obedience to His commandments, preparing them for translation. Ministering angels help people recognize these wondrous things, along with God's work in nature and human events and the eternal things revealed by the Holy Spirit, while reverence, trust, and communion with God help keep the heart open to this light. Studying and trusting the Word as God's voice helps believers receive that light and open the Scriptures plainly so others can see its truths, expressing its treasures and precious truths plainly. It is a fitting prayer for God to help even a mother see the truth.