14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)
The Messiah was to be born from the seed of a woman. That is to say, He was to be virgin born! The first biblical text to proclaim this is admittedly rather cryptic. It is found in Genesis 3:14-15 which says, “So the LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on you belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Two key Messianic Prophecies from the Prophet Isaiah which parallel Genesis 3:14-15. They are as follows.
Isaiah 7:13-14 – “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 9:6 – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The question remains as to whether the New Testament teaches that Jesus Christ met the qualification of being born of a virgin? What does the New Testament account of Jesus Christ’s birth have to say? We’ve already looked at Matthew 1:18-25. Today, we’ll examine Luke 1:26-38.
The text says, “26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
Dr. John MacArthur writes, “The importance of the virgin birth cannot be overstated. A right view of the incarnation hinges on the truth that Jesus was virgin-born. Both Luke and Matthew expressly state that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived (Matt. 1:23). The Holy Spirit wrought the conception through supernatural means (Luke 1:35; Matt. 1:18). The nature of Christ’s conception testifies of both his deity and his sinlessness.”
The prophecy from Genesis 3:14-15 is reiterated in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Both accounts teach that the prophecy of the virgin birth was fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly sets forth that He is the Seed of the Woman born to crush the head of the serpent.
In light of this prophecy, do you identify yourself as belonging to the Seed of the Woman, Jesus Christ? If not, then you belong to the seed of the serpent. There is no middle ground and no other alternatives. Think about it.
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;” (1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)
This is the final essay on the importance and discipline of prayer. Today’s excerpt is from Waiting for God’s Answer by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981).
I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. – Habakkuk 2:1-3
I. THE ATTITUDE OF FAITH
AFTER telling God about his perplexity in Habakkuk 1 the prophet goes on to say, in chapter 2, `I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved’ (2:1). The last phrase may mean, `what I shall answer when I am reproved by those who will not like my message,’ or ‘when I am reproved by God for what I have said,’ or ‘what He will say unto me when He answers my complaint.’ But the important consideration is that Habakkuk now realizes that the one thing to do is to wait upon God. It is not enough just to pray, to tell God about our perplexities, and just to cast our burden on the Lord. We must go further and wait upon God.
(a) Commit your problem to God
What does this mean in practice? First, we must detach ourselves from the problem. The prophet’s words suggest that interpretation by picturing a tower set upon a high elevation which commands a wide view and a grand prospect, such as is used by military observers in order to anticipate the arrival of an enemy. The watchman is far above the plains and the crowds of people, occupying a point of vantage where he can see everything that is happening. `I will watch to see what he will say unto me.’ Now here is one of the most important principles in the psychology of the Christian life, or the understanding of how to fight in the spiritual conflict. Once we have taken a problem to God, we should cease to concern ourselves with it. We should turn our backs upon it and center our gaze upon God.
Is not this precisely where we go astray? We have a perplexity, and we have applied the prophetic method of laying down postulates and putting the problem in the context of those propositions which we have laid down. But still we do not find satisfaction, and we do not quite know what to do. It may be the problem of what we are to do with our lives; or it may be some situation that is confronting us which involves a difficult decision. Having failed to reach a solution, despite seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, there is nothing more to do but to take it to God in prayer. But what so frequently happens is this. We go on our knees and tell God about the thing that is worrying us; we tell Him that we cannot solve the difficulty ourselves, that we cannot understand; and we ask Him to deal with it and to show us His way. Then the moment we get up from our knees we begin to worry about the problem again.
Now if you do that, you might just as well not have prayed. If you take your problem to God, leave it with God. You have no right to brood over it any longer. In his perplexity, Habakkuk says, `I am going to get out of this vale of depression; I am going to the watch-tower; I am going up to the heights; I am going to look to God and to God alone’—one of the most important secrets of the Christian life! If you have committed your problem to God and go on thinking about it, it means that your prayers were not genuine. If you told God on your knees that you had reached an impasse, and that you could not solve your problem, and that you were handing it over to Him, then leave it with Him. Resolutely refuse to think about it or talk about it.
Do not go to the first Christian you meet and say, ‘You know, I have an awful problem; I don’t know what to do.’ Don’t discuss it. Leave it with God, and go on to the watch-tower. This may not be easy for us. We may have to be almost violent in forcing ourselves to do this. It is none the less essential. We must never allow ourselves to become submerged by a difficulty, to be shut in by the problem. We must come right out of it— ‘I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower.’ We have to extricate ourselves deliberately, to haul ourselves out of it, as it were, to detach ourselves from it altogether, and then take our stand looking to God—not at the problem.
There are endless illustrations of this important principle in the life of faith in the Scriptures themselves, and in Christian biography. Looking to God means not dealing with a problem yourself, not consulting other people, but depending entirely upon God, and `waiting’ only upon Him.
Habakkuk looked at this problem but he could see no light. He was confronted by the fact that God was going to take up those appalling Chaldeans, people altogether worse than his own nation, and was going to use them for His own purpose. He could not understand it, nor reconcile it with the holiness of God. But he could and did take it to God. Having done so, he looked to God and ceased to look at his difficulty. That is the true basis of spiritual peace. That is exactly what Paul meant in Philippians, ‘in nothing be anxious’ (see Phil. 4:6, 7).
It does not matter what the cause is; never let yourself be anxious, and never let yourself be burdened or worn down by care. You have no right to be perturbed; you must never have that anxious care that is not only spiritually crippling but also physically debilitating. Never be anxious but ‘in everything’—it is all-inclusive— ‘by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.’ And then, ‘the peace of God, which passed all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ Get up into your watch-tower and just keep looking up to God. Look at nothing else, least of all your problem.
(b) Expect an answer from God
But we must go further and we must look for the answer. `I will watch to see,’ says this man. The military watchman’s task is to keep his eye on that landscape in front for the slightest indication of movement on the part of the enemy. Habakkuk is looking for the answer. We so often fail because we just pray to God and then forget about it. If we pray to God we must expect answers to our prayers. Do we in fact, after we have prayed, continue to look to God and eagerly await the answer? Are we like this man on his watch-tower, expecting it to come at any moment?
God, of course, may answer in a number of different ways. For instance, you can expect God to answer you as you read His Word, for it is the commonest way of all in which He does this. As you are reading Scripture, suddenly a strange and wonderful light is cast upon your problem. If you say to yourself, `This is the Word of God through which He speaks to men and I wonder what He has to say to me,’ then you are likely to obtain your answer. Watch and wait for it.
Then God sometimes answers directly in our spirits. The prophet said: `I will watch to see what He will say in me’ (cf. AV margin). God speaks to me by speaking in me. He can so lay something upon the mind that we are certain of the answer. He can impress something upon our spirits in an unmistakable manner. We find ourselves unable to get away from an impression that is on our mind or heart; we try to rid ourselves of it, but back it comes. So, does God answer at times.
Then again, He sometimes answers our prayers by so providentially ordering our circumstances, and the day-to-day happenings of our lives, that it becomes quite plain what God is saying. God never calls us to do any work without opening the door. He may take a long time, but if God wants us to do some special task He will shut other doors and open that particular one.
Our whole life will be directed to that end. This is a common experience of the Christian life. God often allows obstacles to arise, but the way ahead remains clear. God’s will is certain. The point is that we must be looking for these answers, and ready to recognize them when they come. Having committed my problem to God I must expect God to answer. I should also compare one indication of guidance with another, because if God is always consistent with Himself in His dealings with me, I can expect them all to converge.
(c) Watch and wait for the answer
The third and last principle illustrated for us is that we must watch eagerly and persistently, like this watchman upon his tower. We must believe that God is always true to His word, and that His promises never fail. So, having committed myself and my problem to God, I must persist in looking with an eagerness which knows that God is certain to answer. It is dishonoring to God not to do so.
If I believe God is my Father, and that the very hairs of my head are all numbered, and that God is much more concerned about my welfare and my well-being than I am myself; if I believe that God is much more concerned about the honor of His great and holy name than I am, then it is surely dishonoring to God not to look for an answer after I have prayed to Him. It is indicative of a serious lack of faith. Nothing so shows the character of our faith as our conduct and attitude after we have prayed.
The men of faith not only prayed, but they expected answers. Sometimes, in a panic, we pray to God; then, after the panic is over, we forget all about it. The test of our faith is whether we expect an answer. The prophet stood upon his watch, and set him upon the tower. Though he could not understand God’s actions, he took the problem to God and then looked for an answer.
II. FAITH REWARDED
Verses 2 and 3 of chapter 2 contain the answer Habakkuk was given. ‘Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ This lesson is invaluable. It is an absolute law in the spiritual realm that if we adopt Habakkuk’s method, and behave as he behaved, God will always honor His promises.
In effect, God said, ‘It is all right, Habakkuk, I have heard your prayer, I understand your perplexity. Here is My answer. The Chaldeans whom I am going to raise up to punish Israel will themselves in turn be completely routed and destroyed.’ The greatness of the Chaldeans was going to be short-lived. It was God who for a special purpose raised them up; but they took the glory to themselves and became inflated with a sense of their own power. Then God struck, and raised up the Medes and Persians who utterly destroyed the Chaldeans. God told the prophet to write the prophecy very clearly, so that any one reading it could at once understand and run to obey and warn others.
For the next several days, we will present several essays on the importance and discipline of prayer. Today’s excerpt is from Prayer by John Bunyan (1628-1688).
There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. “It is that language wherein a creature holds correspondence with his Creator; and wherein the soul of a saint gets near to God, is entertained with great delight, and, as it were, dwells with his heavenly Father.”God, when manifest in the flesh, hath given us a solemn, sweeping declaration, embracing all prayer–private, social, and public–at all times and seasons, from the creation to the final consummation of all things–”God is a Spirit, and they that worship him MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH” (John 4:24).
The great enemy of souls, aided by the perverse state of the human mind, has exhausted his ingenuity and malice to prevent the exercise of this holy and delightful duty. His most successful effort has been to keep the soul in that fatal lethargy, or death unto holiness, and consequently unto prayer, into which it is plunged by Adam’s transgression.
Bunyan has some striking illustrations of Satan’s devices to stifle prayer, in his history of the Holy War.
When the troops of Emmanuel besiege Man-soul, their great effort was to gain “ear gate” as a chief entrance to Man-soul, and at that important gate there were placed, by order of Diabolous, “the Lord Will-be-will, who made one old Mr. Prejudice, an angry and ill-conditioned fellow, captain of that ward, and put under his power sixty men called Deaf-men to keep it,” and these were arrayed in the most excellent armor of Diabolous, “A DUMB AND PRAYERLESS SPIRIT.”
Nothing but the irresistible power of Emmanuel could have overcome these obstacles. He conquers and reigns supreme, and Man-soul becomes happy; prayer without ceasing enables the new-born man to breathe the celestial atmosphere.
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;” (1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)
For the next several days, we will present several essays on the importance and discipline of prayer. Today’s excerpt is from A Guide to Prayer by Isaac Watts (1674-1748).
Prayer is a word which has broad meaning in Scripture. It includes not only a request for mercies, but it denotes the address of a creature on earth to God in heaven about everything that concerns his God, his neighbor or himself, in this world or the world to come. It is the conversation which God allows us to maintain with himself above, while we are here below.
It is that language in which a creature communicates with his Creator and in which the soul of a saint often gets near to God, experiences great delight and, as it were, dwells with his heavenly Father for a short time before he comes to heaven. It is a glorious privilege with which our Maker has indulged us, as well as a necessary part of the obedience which he requires of us at all times and in every circumstance of life. ‘Pray without ceasing’ (I Thess. 5:17). ‘In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God’ (Phil. 4:6).’Praying always with all prayer and supplication’ (Eph. 6:18).
Prayer is a part of divine worship that is required of all men and is to be performed either with the voice or only in the heart, and is called vocal or mental prayer. It is commanded to individuals in their private lives, in a more solemn and consistent manner; and in the midst of the businesses of life, by secretly and suddenly lifting up the soul to God. It belongs also to communities, whether they be natural, as families; or civil, as corporations, parliaments, courts, or societies for trade and business; and to religious communities. When persons meet together for any godly purpose, they should seek their God. It is required of the churches especially, for the house of God is the house of prayer.
Since it is a duty of such absolute necessity for all and of such universaluse.it is fitting we should all know how to perform it aright, that it may be accepted by the great God, and become a delightful and profitable exercise to our own souls and to those that join with us.
I shall deliver my thoughts on the nature of prayer in the following order: (1) as a duty of worship;(2) as it is to be performed by the gifts or abilities God has bestowed upon us; (3) as it must be attended with the exercise of our graces;(4) as we are assisted in it by the Spirit of God; and (5) I shall then conclude with an earnest address to Christians to seek after this holy skill of conversation with God.
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;” (1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)
For the next several days, we will present several essays on the importance and discipline of prayer. Today’s excerpt is from The Secret Key toHeaven by Puritan Thomas Brooks (1608-1680).
Dear friends, the following discourse on closet prayer I heartily recommend to your serious perusal. I have many reasons to hope, that when you have once read it over, you will be more in love with closet prayer than ever, and that you will set a higher price upon closet prayer than ever, and that you will make a better and fuller improvement of closet prayer than ever yet you have done. Consider what I say in my epistle to the reader, and labor so to manage this little treatise, which now I put into your hands, that God may be glorified, your own souls edified, comforted, and encouraged in the ways of the Lord, and that you may be “my crown and joy, in the great day of our Lord Jesus,” 1 Thes. 2:19-20.
Christian Reader—The epistle dedicatory being so large, I shall do little more than give you the grounds and reasons of sending forth this little piece into the world, especially in such a day as this is. Now, my reasons are these:
1. First, because God by his present dispensations calls more loudly for closet prayer now, than he has done in those last twenty years that are now passed over our heads. See more of this in the 16th argument for closet prayer.
2. Secondly, because I have several reasons to fear that many Christians do not clearly nor fully understand the necessity, excellency, and usefulness of this subject, and that many, oh that I could not say any, live in too great a neglect of this indispensable duty; and that more than a few, for lack of light, err in the very practice of it.
3. Thirdly, for the refreshing, support, and encouragement of all those churches of Christ that walk in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Spirit, etc., especially that particular church to whom I stand related.
4. Fourthly, to preserve and keep up the power of religion and godliness both in men’s houses, hearts, and lives. The power of religion and godliness lives, thrives, or dies, as closet prayer lives, thrives, or dies. Godliness never rises to a higher pitch than when men keep closest to their closets, etc.
5. Fifthly, because closet prayer is a most sovereign remedy, a most precious antidote of God’s own prescribing, against the plague that now rages in the midst of us, 1 Kings 8:37-39, etc.
6. Sixthly, because every man is that really which he is secretly. Never tell me, how handsomely, how neatly, how bravely, this or that man acts his part before others; but tell me, if you can, how he acts his part before God in his closet; for the man is that certainly, which he is secretly. There are many who sweat upon the stage that are cold in their closets.
7. Seventhly, though many worthies have done worthily upon all other parts of prayer—yet there are none either of a former or later date, that have fallen under my eye, who have written any treatise on this subject. I have not a little wondered that so many eminent writers should pass over this great and princely duty of closet-prayer, either with a few brief touches, or else in a very great silence. If several Bodies of Divinity are consulted, you will find that all they say clearly and distinctly as to closet-prayer, may be brought into a very narrow compass, if not into a nutshell. I have also inquired of several old disciples, whether among all the thousand sermons that they have heard in their days, that ever they have heard one sermon on closet-prayer? and they have answered, No. I have also inquired of them, whether ever they had read any treatise on that subject? and they have answered, No. And truly this has been no small encouragement to me, to make an offer of my mite; and if this small attempt of mine shall be so blessed, as to provoke others who have better heads, and hearts, and hands, than any I have, to do Christ and his people more service, in the handling of this choice point in a more copious way than what I have been able to reach unto, I shall therein rejoice.
8. Eighthly, and lastly, That favor, that good acceptance and fair quarter that my other poor labors have found, not only in this nation—but in other countries also, has put me upon putting pen to paper once more; and I hope that the good will of him who “dwelt in the bush,” will rest upon this, as it has to the glory of free grace rested upon my former endeavors. I could add other reasons—but let these suffice.
Good reader, when you are in your closet, pray hard for a poor, weak, worthless worm, that I may be found faithful and fruitful to the death, that so at last I may receive a crown of life. So wishing you all happiness both in this lower and in that upper world, I rest, Yours in our dear Lord Jesus, Thomas Brooks
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;” (1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)
For the next several days, we will present several essays on the importance and discipline of prayer. Today’s excerpt is from A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther.
I will tell you as best I can what I do personally when I pray. May our dear Lord grant to you and to everybody to do it better than I! Amen.
First, when I feel that I have become cool and joyless in prayer because of other tasks or thoughts (for the flesh and the devil always impede and obstruct prayer), I take my little psalter, hurry to my room, or, if it be the day and hour for it, to the church where a congregation is assembled and, as time permits, I say quietly to myself and word-for-word the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and, if I have time, some words of Christ or of Paul, or some psalms, just as a child might do.
It is a good thing to let prayer be the first business of the morning and the last at night. Guard yourself carefully against those false, deluding ideas which tell you, “Wait a little while. I will pray in an hour; first I must attend to this or that.” Such thoughts get you away from prayer into other affairs which so hold your attention and involve you that nothing comes of prayer for that day.
It may well be that you may have some tasks which are as good or better than prayer, especially in an emergency. There is a saying ascribed to St. Jerome that everything a believer does is prayer and a proverb, “He who works faithfully prays twice.” This can be said because a believer fears and honors God in his work and remembers the commandment not to wrong anyone, or to try to steal, defraud, or cheat. Such thoughts and such faith undoubtedly transform his work into prayer and a sacrifice of praise.
On the other hand, it is also true that the work of an unbeliever is outright cursing and so he who works faithlessly curses twice. While he does his work, his thoughts are occupied with a neglect of God and violation of his law, how to take advantage of his neighbor, how to steal from him and defraud him. What else can such thoughts be but out and out curses against God and man, which makes one’s work and effort a double curse by which a man curses himself. In the end they are beggars and bunglers. It is of such continual prayer that Christ says in Luke 11, “Pray without ceasing,” because one must unceasingly guard against sin and wrong-doing, something one cannot do unless one fears God and keeps his commandment in mind, as Psalm 1 says, “Blessed is he who meditates upon his law, day and night.”
Yet we must be careful not to break the habit of true prayer and imagine other works to be necessary which, after all, are nothing of the kind. Thus, at the end we become lax and lazy, cool and listless toward prayer. The devil who besets us is not lazy or careless, and our flesh is too ready and eager to sin and is disinclined to the spirit of prayer.
When your heart has been warmed by such recitation to yourself and is intent upon the matter, kneel or stand with your hands folded and your eyes toward heaven and speak or think as briefly as you can:
O Heavenly Father, dear God, I am a poor unworthy sinner. I do not deserve to raise my eyes or hands toward thee or to pray. But because thou hast commanded us all to pray and hast promised to hear us and through thy dear Son Jesus Christ hast taught us both how and what to pray, I come to thee in obedience to thy word, trusting in thy gracious promise. I pray in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ together with all thy saints and Christians on earth as he has taught us: Our Father who art, etc., through the whole prayer, word for word.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a prayerful day in the Lord.
“I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;” (1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)
The Apostle Paul’s instructions to his young protégé Timothy continue with the discipline and practice prayer. What counsel did the apostle give to this young pastor?
First, pastors and a congregation should pray for government leaders, regardless of whether they agree with these leaders or not. God has purposefully and providentially placed leaders into these government positions. It is a good thing to pray they will honor the Lord who sovereignly placed them in these positions (Dan. 2:20-23; Rom. 13:1-7).
Second, prayer has the goal and purpose of God’s people leading a peaceful and quiet life characterized by godliness and dignity. Rather than believers in Christ seeking to overthrow a government, God’s people are to submit to this God ordained authority, unless the government’s desires and commands to Christians promote disobedience to the Lord (Acts 4:13-22; I Peter 2:13-25).
Third, prayer pleases God. This should not surprise us. He especially delights in all kinds of people being saved and coming to a knowledge of the truth. This is why God called Paul not only into a covenant relationship with Him, but also into full-time ministry.
Fourthly, in today’s text Paul expressed the sincere desire for prayer to occur anywhere a believer in Christ lived and worked. The word desire (Βούλομαι; boulomai) is a different Greek word from what Paul used in I Timothy 2:4. However, though it is a different word it carries the same meaning as in 2:4. Paul took great joy and pleasure in God’s people praying.
The phrase should pray (προσεύχεσθαι; proseuchesthai) is a present, personal, and infinitive verb. It means to continually and personally intercede on behalf of someone before the Lord.
This discipline of prayer should occur in every place (παντὶ τόπῳ; panti topo). This refers to all types of locations and all sorts of occasions. No matter the geography or time frame, prayers should be invoked on behalf of others and before the One, True God who answers prayers. With the holiday season upon us, what an opportunity we have to pray when gathering with friends and family.
Paul instructed prayer to involve the lifting of holy hands. This refers to a morally pure and consecrated posture in approaching the Lord. Such moral, pure and consecrated prayer must be absent of anger and quarreling between fellow believers.
“Paul is not emphasizing a specific posture necessary for prayer, but a prerequisite for effective prayer (cf. Ps. 66:18). Though this posture is described in the OT (1 Kings 8:22; Ps. 28:2; 63:4; 134:2), so are many others. The Greek word for “holy” means “unpolluted” or “unstained by evil.” “Hands” symbolize the activities of life; thus “holy hands” represent a holy life. This basis of effective prayer is a righteous life (James 5:16),” explains Dr. John MacArthur. “Anger” and righteousness are mutually exclusive (James 1:20; cf. Luke 9:52–56). “Quarreling” refers to a hesitant reluctance to be committed to prayer.”
John Calvin states, “I wish therefore that men may pray This inference depends on the preceding statement; for, as we saw in the Epistle to the Galatians, we must receive “the Spirit of adoption,” in order that we may call on God in a proper manner. Thus, after having exhibited the grace of Christ to all, and after having mentioned that he was given to the Gentiles for the express purpose, that they might enjoy the same benefit of redemption in common with the Jews, he invites all in the same manner to pray; for faith leads to calling on God. The material argument holds good, from faith to prayer, and from prayer to faith, whether we reason from the cause to the effect, or from the effect to the cause. This is worthy of observation, because it reminds us that God reveals himself to us in his word, that we may call upon him; and this is the chief exercise of faith.”
The daily practice of reading, meditating and applying God’s Word in our lives results in the daily practice of prayer. May we each continue to discipline ourselves for this daily consecration. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)
The Messiah was to be born from the seed of a woman. That is to say, He was to be virgin born! The first biblical text to proclaim this is admittedly rather cryptic. It is found in Genesis 3:14-15 which says, “So the LORD God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on you belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Two key Messianic Prophecies from the Prophet Isaiah which parallel Genesis 3:14-15. They are as follows.
Isaiah 7:13-14 – “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 9:6 – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
The question remains as to whether the New Testament teaches that Jesus Christ met the qualification of being born of a virgin? What does the New Testament account of Jesus Christ’s birth have to say? Today, we’ll look at the first NT text which is Matthew 1:18-25.
The text says, “18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
One theologian writes, “Scholars sometimes dispute whether the Hebrew term in Isaiah 7:14 means “virgin” or “maiden.” Matthew is quoting here from the Greek Septuagint (LXX), which uses the unambiguous Greek term for “virgin.” Thus Matthew, writing under the Spirit’s inspiration, ends all doubt about the meaning of the word in Isaiah 7:14.”
Dr. John Walvoord writes, “The Child Mary carried in her womb was a unique Child, for He would be a Son whom Joseph should name Jesus for He would save His people from their sins. These words must have brought to Joseph’s mind the promises of God to provide salvation through the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–37). The unnamed angel also told Joseph that this was in keeping with God’s eternal plan, for the Prophet Isaiah had declared 700 years before that the virgin will be with Child (Matt. 1:23; Isa. 7:14). While Old Testament scholars dispute whether the Hebrew ‘almâh should be rendered “young woman” or “virgin,” God clearly intended it here to mean virgin (as implied by the Gr. word parthenos). Mary’s miraculous conception fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, and her Son would truly be Immanuel … God with us. In light of this declaration Joseph was not to be afraid to take Mary into his home (Matt. 1:20). There would be misunderstanding in the community and much gossip at the well, but Joseph knew the true story of Mary’s pregnancy and God’s will for his life.”
Dr. J. Gresham Machen, in his book entitled The Virgin Birth of Christ, explains that, “According to a universal belief of the historic Christian Church, Jesus of Nazareth was born without a human father, being conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary. It may be held that the Church came to believe in the virgin birth for the simple reason that the virgin birth was a fact; the reason why the creed came to say that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary is that He was actually so conceived and born.”
When next we meet, we will examine the second significant NT text regarding the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (1 Timothy 2:5–7 (ESV)
In today’s text, the Apostle Paul inserted another autobiographical section in his letter to Timothy. He previously drew personal application in the importance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ unto salvation (1:12-17). He now stressed the importance of his proclamation of the same Gospel.
The apostle declared the biblical truths of one God and one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ, Paul then acknowledged God’s divine appointment in sovereignly calling him, the former persecutor of Christ, to be a preacher, apostle, and teacher on behalf of Christ.
To be appointed (ἐτέθην; etethen) means to be placed in a location or to be entrusted with a responsibility. This appointment was an active work of God upon Paul. It was a divine appointment. It was not something Paul sought, but rather a calling God bestowed (2 Tim. 1:11; 2 Peter 2:5).
“In order that God’s plan for the salvation of men from every tribe and nation (not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles) might be carried out, Paul had been divinely appointed. He was no usurper, no claimer of authority which was not his by right. He had not forced his way to the front, but had been called to office by no one less than God himself. Moreover, he was God’s chosen vessel “to bear (Christ’s) name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (not only before the children of Israel, but also—yes especially—before the Gentiles and kings). He was to be a witness to “all men.” He was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes, that they might receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ. All this is plainly stated in Acts 9:15; 22:15, 21; 26:17, 18,” states Dr. William Hendriksen.[1]
God appointed Paul to be a preacher. A preacher (κῆρυξ; keryx) is a herald or proclaimer. God entrusted Paul with the good news of the Gospel.
“In the ancient world a “herald” was the person who by order of a superior made a loud, public announcement. Thus, in public games it was his function to announce the name and country of each competitor, and also the name, country, and father of the victor.That is the very heart of “preaching,” that is, of “heralding.” Rebels—for sin is rebellion—who had deserved a message of woe receive good tidings of weal. The picture is beautiful. It is not the rebellious city which sends out an ambassador to sue for peace-terms, but the offended King of kings who sends his own herald to proclaim peace through a ransom, and that ransom: the blood of his own dear Son!”[2]
Not only was Paul a God appointed preacher, but also a God appointed apostle. An apostle (ἀπόστολος; apostolos) was a special messenger.
“Paul had been appointed to be not only a herald but also an apostle, representing Christ, fully clothed with delegated authority over doctrine and conduct, an authority continuing for life and extending over the entire church, wherever it existed on earth. It was in this broad capacity as apostle that Paul was a herald.”[3]
Thirdly, the Lord appointed Paul to be a teacher (διδάσκαλος; didaskalos). This refers to providing instruction. Biblical instruction is what the apostle had in mind. This teaching ministry was to the Gentiles in union with their faith in Christ and the truth of God.
“Having been appointed to be a herald and apostle, Paul was “a teacher of the Gentiles in (the realm of) faith and truth,” that is, he and his message were used by God as means to bring to the minds and hearts of the Gentiles living faith in the truth of the gospel.”[4]
Paul wanted the hearers of this letter to know he was telling the truth. Then he wrote he was not lying. It was an emphatic statement regarding his integrity and fidelity to the Gospel.
God calls each believer in Christ to share the Gospel (Matt. 28:19-20). We are not to change or adjust the message in order to receive a favorable response from those who listen. The Gospel will offend people, but believers are not to be offensive.
May the Lord bless your efforts to share the good news of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Have a great day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
[1] William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Pastoral Epistles, vol. 4, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953–2001), 100.
5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:5–6 (ESV)
As previously noted, the Lord takes delight in the sinner’s salvation from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin (I Tim. 2:4). This salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Rom. 3:21-26; Eph. 2:1-9).
The Scriptures do not advocate a syncretistic salvation. Syncretism is reconciling or fusing differing systems of beliefs, philosophies, or religions. The perspective is that all roads, or in this case religions, ultimately lead to God. An individual once said to me, “There are many roads which take you into a major city or town. Therefore, many different religions take you into the presence of God. You decide which road is preferable.”
The Bible makes no such syncretic claim. Rather, biblical Christianity teaches exclusivity. In brief, this exclusivity pertains to the Scriptures being the only Word of God, the God of the Scriptures being the only One, True God, and Jesus Christ being the only Savior of sinners (Isaiah 44:6-8; 45:5-7; John 14:1-6; Acts 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Jesus compared salvation to a narrow gate where the way is hard and those who find it are few (Matt. 6:13-14).
The Apostle Paul reiterated this exclusive truth claim when he wrote, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” The word one (εἷς; heis) means “single,” “once-for-all,” “unique” or “only,” or “unitary,” “unanimous,” or “one of two or many,” or “only one.”[1] When Paul wrote there is one God and one mediator, he meant only one. The word mediator (μεσίτης; mesites) means one who reconciles two enemies (Gal 3:19, 20; Heb 8:6; 9:15; 12:24)[2].
“A mediator is a go-between. He is one who stands between two or more persons or groups who are in a dispute and tries to reconcile them,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul. “In biblical terms, human beings are described as being at enmity against God. We rebel, revolt, and refuse to obey the law of God. As a result, God’s wrath is upon us. For this catastrophic situation to be changed or redeemed, it is necessary that we become reconciled to God.”
The biblical reason for the exclusivity of the salvation of sinners in the person and work of Jesus Christ is also answered in today’s featured text. Paul wrote, “who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”
The phrase who gave himself (ὁ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν; ho dous heauton) emphatically states Jesus Christ willingly, historically, and redemptively accomplished something by His substitutionary death and bodily resurrection; a ransom.
A ransom (ἀντίλυτρον; antilytron) means to liberate or free. It is the means or instrument by which release or deliverance is made possible.[3] The instrument for the sinners’ ransom was Jesus Christ’s penal, substitutionary atonement. The result of this ransom was the sinner’s deliverance from the penalty, power and eventual presence of sin. All types of sinners are in view. The testimony (μαρτύριον; martyrion), witness of this truth occurred at God’s proper time (Gal. 4:1-4).
Paul used the seemingly insignificant word for (ὑπὲρ; hyper) in vs. 6. He wrote, who gave himself as a ransom for all.” The Greek word hyper, pronounced hoopair, means on behalf of or in exchange for. Christ’s death was on behalf of, and in the place of all kinds of sinnners.
Rev. Nicholas T. Batzig, senior pastor of Church Creek Presbyterian in Charleston, S.C. writes, “When I was in seminary, I had a professor who would tell the students that the most important parts of speech when studying the Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek are the pronouns, conjunctions, and prepositions. The doctrine of the substitutionary atonement is seen most clearly in the Scriptural use of the prepositions associated with the death of Christ. For instance, in Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul says, “The Son of God . . . loved me and gave Himself for me.” When Jesus teaches His disciples about His forthcoming death, He says, “The Son of Man did come not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Geerhardus Johannes Vos (March 14, 1862 – August 13, 1949) was a Dutch-American Calvinisttheologian and one of the most distinguished representatives of the Princeton Theology. He is sometimes called the father of ReformedBiblical Theology. He explains the importance of understanding these prepositions.
“Besides ὑπέρ, ἀντί also appears, which always means “in the place of” (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45). Obviously, ἀντί in no way excludes ὑπέρ. That Christ gave Himself as a substitute for His own is not only well understandable along with the fact that He gave Himself for their benefit but also directly includes the latter consideration . . . in more than one place ὑπέρ itself has the full force of ἀντί (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20–21; Philem. 13; 2 Cor. 5:14). Here, too, we again have the same result: What Christ did as priest, He did as the substitutionary Surety of believers and, precisely for that reason, did before God and not toward man.”
“By His death on the cross, Christ paid the price necessary to free His people from their sins (Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; Titus 2:14; I Peter 1:18-19). This is the centerpiece of His work as the one mediator (vs. 5),” states Dr. Sproul.
“Verses 5–6 may represent a fragment of a familiar confession of the first century. In any case, Paul cited these unquestioned truths of the gospel: (1) There is only one God. (2) There is only one way for men to approach Him—through the Man who was God in the flesh, Christ Jesus. (3) This Jesus gave Himself up to die on the cross as a ransom (antilytron; cf. lytron, “ransom” for a slave or prisoner, in Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45) for the human race. (Cf. the chart, “New Testament Words for Redemption,” at Mark 10:45.) This act is a clear testimony, offered at just the right time (Gal. 4:4–5; Heb. 1:1–2), of God’s desire to save all (kinds of) men (cf. Titus 1:3).[4]
In Christ alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save ‘Til on that cross, as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied For every sin, on Him, was laid Here, in the death of Christ, I live. – Keith & Kristyn Getty
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
[1] Ethelbert Stauffer, “Εἷς,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 434.
[4] A. Duane Litfin, “1 Timothy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 734.
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