HIS ETERNAL SONSHIP

HIS ETERNAL SONSHIP 

"Jesus . . . the son of Adam, the son of God" Luke 3:23, 38

While there are supposed to be difficulties in reconciling the TWO GENEALOGICAL TABLES OF MATTHEW AND LUKE, it is obvious that Mary and Joseph came of the same stock, and that both were of the house of David, and of the seed of Abraham. As a matter of fact there are no difficulties—or should not be. In Matthew we have THE LEGAL BIRTH BOOK OF JESUS AS THE ADOPTED SON OF JOSEPH. In Luke we have HIS ACTUAL GENEALOGY THROUGH HIS MOTHER. The peculiar value of Luke's is that in it he passes back through this house and seed to the human origin in Adam. The last named in his table is Adam, and through the successions Jesus is the SON OF ADAM. But Adam is here called the SON OF GOD, and so in this way also Jesus is the SON OF GOD. This is a matter of utmost importance in the light it throws upon human relationship to God.

Our Lord was “THE” SON OF GOD in a separate and lonely sense, but as the Son of Mary, a child of the human race, He was also “A” SON OF GOD. That then is the deepest fact of all human life, and it is when the fact is realized that the appalling tragedy of human life is also realized. By sin man is alienated from his birthright, cut off from God, degraded and lost. Jesus of Nazareth, Child of Mary, and ultimately Son of Adam and Son of God, was sinless in His human nature, and so lived in His birthright, in fellowship with God, full of grace and truth. Herein we find THE ELEMENT WHICH MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO ACT WITH GOD FOR MEN; as the other, that of HIS ETERNAL SONSHIP, enabled Him to act WITH MEN for God, and as God.

WORKING TOGETHER WITH HIM

WORKING TOGETHER WITH HIM 

"The manna ceased" Josh. 5:12

The manna had been God's supernatural provision for the needs of His people during the time of their journeying’s in a wilderness where cultivation of the soil was impossible. They were now in a land already cultivated, and capable of cultivation. They were now fed with the corn of the land, and their future supply would depend upon their own labor. They would be as surely fed by God in the land as they had been in the wilderness; but they would now be responsible for co-operation with Him in the labor of their own hands. This has always been so. For the needs of His people, God always provides. When they are in such circumstances, under His direction, as THEY ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES, HE CARES FOR THEM WITHOUT ANY ACTION ON THEIR PART. When it is possible for them TO ACT AND TO WORK, He provides for them through that ACTIVITY. God never employs supernatural methods of supplying needs which can, be met by natural means. In other words, He puts no premium upon laziness by His provisions for men. If for any reason, within the compass of His government of our lives, we are unable by our own effort to obtain what is necessary for our life and service, we may count upon Him to provide for us. When the hour comes in which that inability no longer exists—when we are able by thought and toil to secure necessary things—He demands that we use the strength He has provided, and in such use, He works together with us (2 Cor. 6:1). The manna always ceases when by industry we are able to produce bread.