Vol. 81 No. 966 November 2011 TESTIMONY For the study and defence of the Holy Scripture For the Study and Defence of the Holy Scripture New study series 386 John’s First Epistle David: giant slayer and king-in-waiting 360 & 354 Prayer under pressure 364 The fate of the temple treasures 372 Are we ready and waiting? 379 The Creator’s palette 383 PS—The importance of ‘as’ 390 “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” TESTIMONY editors: DaviD Burges. 7 Whitehead Drive, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9PW. Tel. 01789 842692; email: [email protected] science; archaeology Contents sHauN MaHer. 35 Feus, Auchterarder, PH3 1EP. Tel. 01259 743172; email: [email protected] Watchman Convicted by sin—Editorial 353 What happened to the temple treasures? Trevor MaHer. 5 Birch Court, David—the man after God’s 1. A remarkable journey Doune, Perthshire, FK16 6JD. own heart Jeremy Thomas 372 Tel. 01786 841830; 18. The Lord’s anointed email: [email protected] News from the nations Principles, preaching, problems 19. King-in-waiting John Mitchell 354 Joan Brooks 377 eriC MarsHall. The Pines, Bishops and neighbours— Ready and waiting? Ling Common Road, Castle Shaun Maher Rising, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, taking care 379 PE31 6AE. Tel. 01553 631279; Stephen Hole 357 The autocrat rides again email: [email protected] Geoff Henstock exposition The faithful of old—studied 382 by the young The chemical elements— JoHN NiCHolls. 17 Upper Trinity David: the giant slayer the Creator’s palette Road, Halstead, Essex, CO9 1EE. Nathan Kitchen Tel. 01787 473089; email: 360 David Burges 383 [email protected] Answers to the ultimate John’s First Epistle reviews questions: The story of Job 1. “That which was from the JereMY THoMas. 22 Kingswood 5. Prayer under pressure beginning” Close, Kings Norton, Birmingham, Stephen Hill 364 Mark Allfree 386 B30 3NX. Tel. 0121 444 6810; email: [email protected] “Things hard to be P.S. assistant editor; exhortation understood” (Review) The importance of ‘as’ John Nicholls 366 Mark Vincent 390 geoFF HeNsToCK. 13 Alpha Crescent, Panorama 5041, Gibbon and Revelation Testimony Book Exchange 391 S. Australia. Tel. 8277-0730; email: 6. Corruption of the early Scenes of Syria [email protected] ecclesia australia editor; Prophecy 13. Temple of Baal, Ugarit Geoff Henstock 367 Jeremy Thomas Xviii Publishing editor: eriC MarsHall (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 www.testimony-magazine.org first instance. Cover design: Rachel Otter 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. XVII Convicted by sin—Editorial HERE ARE TIMES in our discipleship that they are all under sin” (v. 9); yet the Law of when we become starkly aware of human Moses, by obedience to which a God-fearing Jew Tsinfulness in the sight of God. The Apostle would measure righteousness, is not mentioned Peter, aboard ship with the Lord Jesus on Galilee, until chapter 2. The sins listed by Paul in chap- experienced such an incident when, after hav- ter 1, therefore, had particular resonance for the ing caught nothing all night, he found himself Gentile world, whose guilt was never in question overwhelmed by the innumerable multitude of to the Jew. fish which teemed in his net—sufficient not only But the self-evident sins of the Gentiles were to break the net, but almost to sink two sturdy not to blind the Jew to his own sins—particularly fishing vessels too. Struck by the power of his if they were of the very same character. Thus the Master in a way he had never before appreciated, self-righteous Jew, puffing out his chest in pride Peter’s emotional reaction revealed how he now that he was not like those miserable Gentiles, saw himself in the light of Jesus’ miracle: “When would be startled to hear the same charges made Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, against him too: “Therefore thou art inexcusable, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for Lord” (Lk. 5:8). Confronted with such a display wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest of authority, his sense of personal unworthiness thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same was understandable enough. things . And thinkest thou this, O man, that Experiences like this need not dismay us, for, judgest them which do such things, and doest as in Peter’s case, they can become a springboard the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment to greater things. If a sudden awareness of guilt of God?” (2:1,3). leads to repentance, a sincere change of thinking The rhetorical “O man” to whom Paul writes and direction in life, it is no bad thing; for this is carries an echo of Micah 6, where the prophet an essential step in the search for forgiveness and too is demonstrating that righteousness is to reconciliation with God. It may lead us to greater be attained not by means of sacrifices and confidence in the love of our heavenly Father in burnt offerings, but rather via a change of heart Christ Jesus, enabling us to imagine the Lord’s prompted by a conviction that all God’s people reassuring words to Peter being spoken afresh are answerable to Him: “Will the LORD be pleased to us: “Fear not.” An appreciation of the grace of with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands God touching his own life would not only colour of rivers of oil? . He hath shewed thee, O man, the remainder of Peter’s walk but equip him to what is good; and what doth the LORD require of exhort others too. “Humble yourselves therefore thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to under the mighty hand of God, that He may ex- walk humbly with thy God?” (vv. 7,8). There is no alt you in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6), he could write, room here for finger-pointing. Micah’s focus is on knowing for himself now how “God . giveth a meaningful individual response to the aware- grace to the humble” (v. 5). ness of personal sinfulness, not on unprofitable Ironically, our response when we become comparisons with others. aware of the sins of others may be harder to “The sins of some are obvious, reaching the direct towards such profitable thinking. There is place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of oth- something so perverse about human nature that ers trail behind them” (1 Tim. 5:24, NIV). There we find it easy to find fault even in those who may be surprises aplenty at the Lord’s return, are guilty only of the same sins as ourselves. with some granted eternal life whom we never The Epistle to the Romans shows clearly what expected to see in the Kingdom, and others of a danger this was in the first century for the whose salvation we were confident rejected—with Jews, who had enjoyed a relationship with the Biblical characters in both groups. In preparation Almighty unequalled in any other nation. Paul is for that Day we do well to maintain a healthy robust in his allegation that all the world—Jews awareness of our own need for God’s mercy, included—is under the condemnation of sin (for not making the mistake of presuming that our example, Romans 3:19). position is secure merely because we are aware By this point in his carefully reasoned argu- of the faults of others. ment Paul has “proved both Jews and Gentiles, Jeremy Thomas The Testimony, November 2011 353 Exhortation David —the man after God’s own heart 1 John Mitchell 18. The Lord’s anointed EJOICE NOT when thine enemy falleth, that he should be king over Israel after Saul. He and let not thine heart be glad when already had the crown of Saul handed to him by he stumbleth: lest the LORD see it, and an Amalekite, but that to him was a mere bauble. “R There is no indication in the record whether he it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him” (Prov. 24:17,18, AV). So wrote Solomon. even wore it. What David desired above all was David’s son, in a proverb whose meaning he to be anointed king by God’s high priest in ac- learned from the example of his father on the cordance with divine precedent. He could hardly death of Saul. Ever conscious that the Lord knows have imagined, however, that the fulfilment of and looks upon the heart of man, David held Saul the prophecy would require three anointings and in respect as the Lord’s anointed, bitter though the passage of more than seven years before his Saul’s enmity had been. At no point in his life kingship was made sure to him. before becoming king did David’s graciousness The trouble was that the whole land of Israel rise higher than when he mourned the death of was in a state of flux after the overwhelming King Saul, and lamented the end of his relation- defeat of Saul’s army by the Philistines on Mount ship with Jonathan the prince: Gilboa. Abner, Saul’s chief of staff, partly out of “Saul and Jonathan were lovely and self-interest and partly to prevent the Philistines pleasant in their lives, overrunning more territory in the north, gathered And in their death they were not divided: together the remnants of Saul’s army and set up They were swifter than eagles, his headquarters in Mahanaim on the other side They were stronger than lions.