Testimony Magazine September 2015

Vol. 85 No. 1,008 September 2015 TESTIMONY For the study and defence of the holy Scripture 335 The Brotherhood and inspiration Also in this issue: How Jesus understood Genesis 353 An olive field in Africa 347 More on Israel and the Jews 345, 351 NEW MINI SERIES: Events at Jericho 341 Contents TESTIMONY Editors: DAVID BURGES. 7 Whitehead Drive, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9PW. Tel. 01789 842692; email: [email protected] Science; Archaeology Contents SHAUN MAHER. 5 Birch Court, Doune, FK16 6JD. Tel. 01786 842996; email: [email protected] Publishing Editor’s column 329 The Letter to the Hebrews Watchman 25. Hebrews 12:23-29 The faithful of old—studied Peter Caudery 356 ERIC MARSHALL. The Pines, by the young Ling Common Road, Castle Stephen: full of faith and Your Letters Rising, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, of the Holy Spirit Why preach? 358 PE31 6AE. Tel. 01553 631279; Ben Hole 331 Moab in the latter days 359 email: [email protected] Correction Exposition Inspiration 360 2. Theories of inspiration: the On the way to the Kingdom JOHN NICHOLLS. 17 Upper Christadelphian experience (Review) Trinity Road, Halstead, Essex, CO9 Reg Carr 335 Connie Stiles & 1EE. Tel. 01787 473089; email: Geoff Henstock 361 [email protected] Studies in faith at Jericho Reviews 1. Achan The sin that abounded Geoff Henstock 341 John Mitchell 362 JEREMY THOMAS. 22 The cost of divorce Kingswood Close, Kings Clippings—Israel and the Norton, Birmingham, B30 Jews 345 Geoff Henstock 366 3NX. Tel. 0121 444 6810; “The field . and all the trees At the memorial meeting email: [email protected] 6. Music and singing Exhortation; Principles, which were in the field” preaching and problems Jeremy Thomas 347 George Booker 367 A spotlight on Israel Bible coins GEOFF HENSTOCK. 13 Alpha Shaun Maher 351 17. Corinth: money, power, Crescent, Panorama 5041, sex and games S. Australia. Tel. 8277-0730; email: Jesus’ reading of Simon Dean [email protected] Genesis 1–2 XVI Australia Editor; Prophecy Peter Heavyside 353 Publishing Editor: Testimony books JEREMY THOMAS (see above) Articles for publication Articles to be considered for publication are welcome and should be Testimony website: forwarded to the Publishing Editor (in Australia, the local editor) in the http://testimonymagazine.com first instance. Publication of articles in the Testimony does not presume editorial endorsement except on matters of fundamental doctrine, as defined in the Birmingham Amended Statement of Faith. XV “And [Joseph] commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according to the word TESTIMONY that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? ye have done evil in so doing” (Gen. 44:1-5). Cover picture: “Benjamin’s sack,” Events series, Abigail Halstead Publishing Editor’s column OW LONG WOULD it take you, do you is easy to see. A healthier workforce is likely think, to walk a million steps? In my case to be more productive, efficient and motivated. Hit took eighty-one days—not nonstop, of We employees have a bit of fun too, comparing course, but at an average of nearly 12,500 steps team performance within the office, which drives per day. On 27 May I embarked, with a number constructive competition. Everybody gains, as we of my colleagues, on the 2015 Global Corporate knew we would if we entered into things with a Challenge, described on its Wikipedia page as spirit of commitment, and prepared to make the “a workplace health and engagement program changes that would be necessary if we wanted to which improves the performance of employees benefit ourselves and not to let the team down. around the world.” This has required me simply to set myself a target number of steps to walk each First the natural, then the spiritual day, and to carry around in my pocket a small Much more unexpectedly, there have been spir- gadget which counts my steps for me. At the end itual benefits too. A couple of days each week I of each day the steps I’ve walked are entered on now leave the car at home and walk to the railway a website which then tells me whether I’m meet- station. I have to get up a few minutes earlier on ing my target, my average steps per day, my total those days, but the walk in each direction has number of steps, how my team is performing given me more thinking time and more praying relative to other teams across the world, and so on. time. I’m also developing the knack of reading as The results, if not spectacular, are noticeable. I I walk, useful for occasions when the magazines decided to enter the one-hundred-day Challenge, have been piling up. having for some time been conscious that I would My daily walks often take me along a canal benefit from losing weight. I’ve lost quite a few towpath. For company I tend to have only a family pounds, my clothes fit better (moving up a notch of friendly ducks, and a thirty-one-strong gaggle on the belt was especially satisfying), and I’m sure of Canada geese, distinctly less friendly. On the that I’m fitter. At the time of writing, I’ve walked way home, a slight detour for variety’s sake takes 437 miles (just over five miles per day). And—if me to a small reservoir, where I’ve had the pleas- I’m to believe the statistics on the website—I’ve ure of watching a mated pair of grebes carrying burned up 44,348 calories, equivalent to ninety- their recently-hatched young on their backs. All two cheeseburgers, and somehow offset twenty- this has been a delight, and I’ve praised God for five kilogrammes of carbon in the process. it. I’ve been left with a much better appreciation The reason why my employer encouraged us of the handiwork of the Almighty that there is to participate in the Global Corporate Challenge on my doorstep, more than my urban lifestyle Testimony, September 2015 Contents 329 previously afforded me. “O LORD, how many are God” (9:9), being “a righteous man, blameless in Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; his time.” Abraham was told by God, “Walk before the earth is full of Your possessions” (Ps. 104:24).1 Me, and be blameless” (17:1). The exhortation was heeded, for much later on in his life we read of Biblical language him talking to a trusted servant about “the LORD, Walking is a metaphor used frequently in the before whom [he had] walked” (24:40). Scriptures—we may be so used to it, in fact, that Jacob spoke of how Isaac had followed his we’ve not stopped to consider why this word is father’s example (48:15). God’s nation was en- used so often to assess the lives of God’s people. couraged by both Moses and Joshua “to walk Here are a few suggestions: in all [God’s] ways and love Him” (Deut. 10:12; • If we’re walking, we’re not standing still. We Josh. 22:5). Later, however, they “walked after started in one place, but now we’re moving the Baals” (Jer. 9:14)—and since, like all idols, towards another place. The saying is a cliché, the Baals weren’t doing any real walking (see Ps. but life is a journey. God loved us as we were 115:7), it’s clear that Jeremiah was talking about when He called us to the gospel; yet He re- Judah’s way of life, especially regarding their quires us not to remain where we were but to relationship with their God. They were walking move closer to the example of His Son—what towards a dead end. And so the biblical examples Paul calls “[attaining] . to a mature man, continue. to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Light or darkness • When we walk, usually we don’t merely amble The Lord Jesus brought into sharp relief the aimlessly, but have in mind a route by which implications of the manner of life we choose by to reach that ‘other place’ where we need to using ‘walking’ language. For him, ultimately, end up. We’re likely to have to make choices there are only two options: either we walk “in about the route we take, taking into account the light,” mentally and spiritually enlightened not only its relative ease or difficulty, but also by his Word and sinless example, and therefore the implications of our choices. Jesus said morally equipped for conduct that honours the that “the way is narrow that leads to life, and God in whose image and likeness we are made there are few who find it” (and fewer still who (see Gen. 1:26), or we walk “in darkness,” in effect complete it). In contrast, there is a broader way, choosing wilful spiritual ignorance, and rejecting where we’ll have plenty of company and find the grace of God by which our sins were forgiven.

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