Day 30- Job 41-42; Matthew 2-3; Psalm 11

I get it, "the wrath of God,"  I just hope that I never meet it the way Job did.  I guess that was what the Resurrection was about.  Henry summarizes at the end of Job that he, too, has been troubled by the Book of Job, but alas, he breathes a sigh of relief at the end and finds that all grievances are redressed and all is set right.  I think that I learned that we are to study and learn, but we will never know ALL.  Maybe that is the point is that we are always learning and with each new day comes a new lesson from God.

In Matthew 2, Henry makes a statement, which I find to hold true today.  The magi were nearest to Herod, but furthest from his wealth and riches.  They were desperate to follow Herod, but wise enough to heed the prophecy.  Henry says, "Note, Many times those who are nearest to the means, are furthest from the end."  I get from this that God sets us in our "class" or our "position" to best prepare us to hear his Word.  Henry goes on to explain that God sent his message to the Jewish by an angel and the Gentiles by a star, each in the language that they would best understand. 

Can you imagine how far they traveled to bring tidings?  Henry notes, "Note, Those who truly desire to know Christ, and find him, will not regard pains or perils in seeking after him." How far would you travel?  Where should we travel?  I think our journey is more inherent and further a journey then the physical walking journey.

In speaking of the women who were somewhat gossiping of Jesus, Henry notes, "Note, There is more gross ignorance in the world, and in the church too, than we are aware of. Many that we think should direct us to Christ are themselves strangers to him."  Don't you feel sometimes at church you really get the wrong message? 

Matthew 3, following the baptism, is really the beginning of the Gospel of Christ.  Henry points out the rest was really background and foreshadowing.  He also points out the story of John the Baptist is not indicated.  However, he explains that John the Baptist was a wondering preacher who had not bbelieved and then came to believe.  Henry writes,

Note, True penitents have other thoughts of God and Christ, and sin and holiness, and this world and the other, than they have had, and stand otherwise affected toward them. The change of the mind produces a change of the way. Those who are truly sorry for what they have done amiss, will be careful to do so no more. This repentance is a necessary duty, in obedience to the command of God (Acts. 17:30 ); and a necessary preparative and qualification for the comforts of the gospel of Christ. If the heart of man had continued upright and unstained, divine consolations might have been received without this painful operation preceding; but, being sinful, it must be first pained before it can be laid at ease, must labour before it can be at rest. The sore must be searched, or it cannot be cured. I wound and I heal. 2. The argument he used to enforce this call was, For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The prophets of the Old Testament called people to repent, for the obtaining and securing of temporal national mercies, and for the preventing and removing of temporal national judgments: but now, though the duty pressed is the same, the reason is new, and purely evangelical. Men are now considered in their personal capacity, and not so much as then in a social and political one. Now repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; the gospel dispensation of the covenant of grace, the opening of the kingdom of heaven to all believers, by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a kingdom of which Christ is the Sovereign, and we must be the willing, loyal subjects of it. It is a kingdom of heaven, not of this world, a spiritual kingdom: its original from heaven, its tendency to heaven.

I think this explanation ties together my indicated fear of the wrath of God and how we can avoid it as preached by John the Baptist and told here in the Gospel of Matthew,

Note, (1.) There is a wrath to come; besides present wrath, the vials of which are poured out now, there is future wrath, the stores of which are treasured up for hereafter. (2.) It is the great concern of every one of us to flee from this wrath. (3.) It is wonderful mercy that we are fairly warned to flee from this wrath; think—Who has warned us? God has warned us, who delights not in our ruin; he warns by the written word, by ministers, by conscience. (4.) These warnings sometime startle those who seemed to have been very much hardened in their security and good opinion of themselves.

On Psalm 11 - Did you get this out of that?

In this psalm we have David’s struggle with and triumph over a strong temptation to distrust God and betake himself to indirect means for his own safety in a time of danger. It is supposed to have been penned when he began to feel the resentments of Saul’s envy, and had had the javelin thrown at him once and again. He was then advised to run his country. "No,’’ says he, "I trust in God, and therefore will keep my ground.’’

I am going to reread on the wrath of God part, see you tomorrow!