Giving 'em Watts

From Wikipedia, re: the Battle of Springfield in the American Revolution (1780):

"As the American artillery ran low on wadding, James Caldwell, the Continental Army chaplain who had lost his wife during the Battle of Connecticut Farms [two weeks earlier], brought up a load of hymn books published by English clergyman Isaac Watts to use instead. 'Give ‘em Watts, boys!', he advised."

In the spirit of Mr. Caldwell, today I'm going to "give YOU Watts," i.e. a wonderful hymn of his (#70), in long meter, subtitled, "God's dominion over the sea.  Psa. cvii, 23, &c."  This is taken from the Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts, previously published by Soli Deo Gloria Publications (currently out of print to my knowledge--glad I grabbed it!).

1  GOD of the seas!  thy thund'ring voice

Makes all the roaring waves rejoice,

And one soft word of thy command

Can sink them silent in the sand.

2  If but a Moses wave thy rod,

The sea divides and owns its God;

The stormy floods their Maker knew,

And let his chosen armies through.

3  The scaly flocks amidst the sea,

To thee, their Lord, a tribute pay;

The meanest fish that swims the flood

Leaps up, and means a praise to God.

4  [The larger monsters of the deep    

On thy commands attendance keep;

By thy permission sport and play,

And cleave along their foaming way.

5  If God his voice of tempest rears,

Leviathan lies still and fears;

Anon he lifts his nostrils high,

And spouts the ocean to the sky.]

6  How is thy glorious power ador'd

Amidst these wat'ry nations, Lord!

Yet the bold men that trace the seas,

Bold men, refuse their Maker's praise!

7  [What scenes of miracles they see,

And never tune a song to thee!

While on the flood they safely ride,

They curse the hand that smooths the tide!

8  Anon they plunge in wat'ry graves,

And some drink death among the waves;

Yet the surviving crew blaspheme,

Nor own the God that rescued them.]

9  O for some signal of thine hand!

Shake all the seas, Lord, shake the land;

Great Judge! descend, lest men deny

That there's a God that rules the sky. 

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A few comments:

1.  I believe the bracketed sections are ones that could be omitted if the song was to be sung more easily, and the overall theme and strength of the hymn still retained.

2.  In stanza 4, the word "monsters" can be found in a King James Bible (Lam. 4:3) and in the context refers to whales (sea monsters giving suck to their young ones).  Also, I believe that the "leviathan" referred to in Ps. 104:26 refers to the whale, since the whale is the only fish named in scripture, and thus would be the only cross-reference (except for Is. 27:1, which I'll touch on shortly).   No matter what any scientist says, a whale is a fish.  If you don't believe that, you are making a liar out of Jesus Christ (Jonah 1:17; Mt. 12:40). 

3.  The fearful connotation that "monsters" has for most people, I believe, stems from the whale's connection with Satan, since most whales and large sea animals are peaceful creatures.  Job 41, the most detailed description of Satan in scripture, introduces him as "leviathan," and the same name is given to him in Is. 27:1, where he's said to be a "piercing serpent...crooked serpent...dragon in the sea."  So the whale, then, is a physical type of the devil.  The earthly leviathan is king of all the aquatic animals, and the spiritual leviathan is king over all "the children of pride" (v. 31) and all "spirtual wickedness in high places" (Mt. 12:26; Eph. 6:12). 

Praise God for giving us such hymns and preserving them for posterity.  "Give ‘em Watts, boys!" 

Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  Colossians 3:16

Were Those Living Before Sinai Really "Under Grace"?

It has been assumed by some that those living before the dispensation of the law at Sinai were "under grace" like those in this age (Rom. 6:14-15).  I have seen this assumption used to prove that tithing existed before the law (which it did--cf. Gen. 14:20; 28:22) "under grace," and therefore should be practiced now.  That's another study of its own, but I would like to raise the question as to whether people living before Sinai were truly "under grace." 

Now, it's evident that the grace of God spans the dispensations, but I believe that it's not manifested the same way and to the same degree in every age.  In no other age is grace said to "abound" and even "reign" like in the present one (Rom. 5:15, 17, 20-21).  True, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Gen. 6:8), but scripture doesn't say that he was "under grace" like a saint in this age.  God was gracious throughout the the old testament and told Moses this in no uncertain terms in Exodus 34:6-7, as they were communing together on Sinai.  Thus, God had shown himself gracious up to that point (Gen. 43:29), and will continue to do so through the ages, since that is part of his character (Ex. 22:27).  But I think to say that those living before the giving of the law at Sinai were "under grace" is erroneous.

Even though a written law was given at Sinai, there was an unwritten law that had been operative for about 2500 years:  the law written in men's hearts, the conscience (Rom. 2:14-15).  Adam and Eve acquired the knowledge of good and evil (i.e. conscience) upon their fall, and this knowledge was passed on, innately, to all of their offspring (Deut. 1:39; Rom. 7:9).  Hence, it is probably more correct to say that everyone living before the gospel of God's grace was revealed to Paul (Acts 20:24, Gal. 1:11-12) was "under law," either written or unwritten.  All of those living before Sinai, and the Gentiles living thereafter, were living under an unwritten law.  In some dispensational systems, the age between the fall and the flood is referred to as the "dispensation of conscience" (Scofield, Larkin, Chafer, et al.).  But conscience continues after the flood and after the written law is given to Israel, which distinguishes that people even further from the Gentiles than circumcision did (Deut. 4:8; Ps. 147:19-20).  From 1500 B.C. (Sinai) to Paul, the Gentiles were not "under grace" while Israel was under the law, were they?  Nor were they under the written law (Rom. 2:14; 1 Cor. 9:21). 

What clears this up, and the notion that everyone before Sinai was "under grace," is the understanding that, though the law may not have been written down until Sinai, it was operating within men, and God held them accountable for heeding it (Gen. 4:7; 2 Pt. 2:5).  Hence, the antediluvians were under law rather than under grace, albeit an unwritten law, as were Gentiles living while Israel was under the written law.

So, even though it may sound right that those living before the written law was given were "under grace," it's really not an accurate statement.  Those truly living "under grace" are the ones that the apostle Paul said were: believers in this age who have believed his gospel (Rom. 6:14-17) and entered the body of Christ thereby (Eph. 3:6).  As before, grace spans the dispensations because it's the character of God to be gracious, but technically only those saved in this present age by believing the gospel of grace are truly living "under grace." 

The Spiritual Growth of Simon Peter

A few brief thoughts on this.

1.  Note how Peter introduces himself in his two epistles.  In the first, it's "Peter, and apostle of Jesus Christ" (1 Pt. 1:1); in the second, it's "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ" (2 Pt. 1:1).  Peter was the name given to him by Christ to signify his spiritual strength, Simon his birth name, pointing to his humanity and weakness.  Perhaps he is intimating by adding "Simon" that, "I may be an apostle, but I'm merely a man" (Acts 10:26).  Also note how in 2 Pt. 1:1 "servant" precedes "apostle."  Seems quite a bit humbler, doesn't it, to add servant and mention it before his apostleship?  Compare Paul's self-introduction in Rom. 1:1, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle..."

2.  Notice that Peter's epistles emphasize spiritual growth, from start to finish.  He mentions it in 1 Pt. 2:2, 1 Pt. 5:10 ("make you perfect"), 2 Pt. 1:5-8, and 2 Pt. 3:18 (his last recorded words!).  To be burdened about others' spiritual growth is evidence of one's own. 

3.  When Peter and John are arraigned before the council of Jewish elders in Acts 4, they are classified as "unlearned and ignorant men" (Acts 4:13).  But, wow, how the tables are turned at the end of Peter's life!  Please read 2 Peter 3:5, 8, and 16.  In these passage, Peter speaks of others' ignorance (vv. 5, 8) and of them being unlearned (v. 16). He may have seemed ignorant and unlearned to the Jewish elders, but in reality they, and those mentioned in 2 Pt. 3 turn out to be the ignorant and unlearned ones.  In 2 Pt. 3:16, Peter also rebukes certain men's instability, and prays for God to "stablish" kingdom saints (1 Pt. 5:10), signifying his own stability, in contrast to his instability before Pentecost. 

Truly, the apostle Peter demonstrates remarkable spiritual growth for us and lived what he taught!      

NOW the serpent...

A few quick thoughts on Genesis 3:1.

I just noticed tonight what immediately precedes the devil's appearance: the first marriage and the institution of the home.  Satan has always been the enemy of the home, and he moves to destroy the first one as soon as it's created. 

Note also, "Now the serpent..." The serpent is doing NOW what he's always done--trying to destroy homes, using the same tactics now as then (see Eph. 6:11; 1 Tim. 2:14; 1 Peter 3:7).  So I don't think I'm erring to say that every Christian couple should expect opposition and not give place to the devil (Eph. 4:26-27).  In the Pauline passages I've cited, our apostle gives us two major ways to avoid giving place to Satan: 

(1) men, be the spiritual leaders in your homes and women, quietly follow them (1 Tim. 2:11-15)--Adam and Eve blew it on both accounts, when she led and he followed;

(2) don't go to bed mad at each other--you are asking for it if you do; make up so you don't get bitter (Heb. 12:15) and BREAK up.

God be merciful to our homes! 

"Swedenborg an Entertaining Madman" (Wesley)

Taken verbatim from Wesley's Journal.  I think that the date is December 28, 1769. 

Wednesday, 28.  I sat down to read and seriously consider some of the writing of Baron Swedenborg.  I began with huge prejudice in his favor, knowing him to be a pious man, one of a strong understanding, of much learning, and one who thoroughly believed himself.  But I could not hold out long.  Any one of his visions puts his real character out of doubt.  He is one of the most ingenious, lively, entertaining madmen that ever set pen to paper.  But his waking dreams are so wild, so far remote both from Scripture and common sense, that one might as easily swallow the stories of "Tom Thumb," or "Jack the Giant-Killer." 

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Commentary (mine):

Acts 17:11.  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

1 Thes. 5:21.  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

I'm not an expert on Swedenborg, but he seems to have had a baleful influence on John Chapman (aka Johnny Appleseed), Helen Keller, E.B. Browning, Coleridge, and others.  Just Google "Famous People Influenced by Swedenborg" and decide for yourself.   

Are YOU a Nuisance to the Devil (Acts 19)?

The inspiration for this post comes from T. Austin-Sparks' Daily Open Windows (courtesy Emmanuel Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA), p. 134, and from my pastor, David O'Steen, who is teaching through Acts on Wednesday evenings.

"The Holy Spirit is positive, and not negative, and if the Holy Spirit is really Lord in  our lives, our lives will count for something.  There will be an influence from our lives which will be eternal.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit!  Let us be sure to ask the Lord that the anointing shall have a free way in our lives.  The effect of the Holy Spirit may be to condemn some people, and it may be to redeem others, but He cannot be neutral, and if the anointing is upon you and upon me, the devil will take account of it.  May the Lord help us to see that that may not be a bad thing!  Do you want the devil to say:  'Oh, that man, that woman, does not matter.  You need not bother about him, or her!'  I had a friend once who, whenever we were parting and going our different ways, took hold of my hand and said: 'Goodbye, old man. The Lord make you a nuisance to the devil!'  Well, that is how it will be if the Holy Spirit is really upon us, for that it how it was with the Lord Jesus."

[Doctrinal note: the only Pauline reference to anointing is to one that all believers received at salvation, per 2 Cor. 1:21 (note "hath anointed us...hath...given the...Spirit in our hearts").  I think that Sparks may be referring to the anointing in 1 John 2:27, which is not doctrinally aimed at the body of Christ, but rather to kingdom saints in the first century historically and to saints in the great tribulation prophetically.]

"A nuisance to the devil" reminded me of what the devil-possessed man said to the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19:15, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?"  The Lord Jesus and Paul, respectfully were nuisances to the devil:

1.  The Lord Jesus "went about healing all that were oppressed of the devil" according to Peter in Acts 10:38.

2.  Handkerchiefs and aprons that merely touched Paul's body were used to exorcise evil spirits in Ephesus (Acts 19:12), so I assume that many such spirits were exorcised there.  Paul had also exorcised at Philippi (Acts 16:18) and likely other places. 

It's not necessary, of course, to exorcise to be a nuisance to the devil.  Faithfully preaching the gospel will also do it (Acts 24:5--a pestilent fellow), and also a powerful prayer life (Eph. 6:12, 18). 

The Lord make YOU a nuisance to the devil! 

Who's at the Top of YOUR Prayer List?

From Christian History & Biography (CH&B), Issue 88 (Fall 2005), re: C.S. Lewis' ministry during World War II:

"But perhaps the most practical thing Lewis did in his war service was to pray for his enemies, praying every night for the people he was most tempted to hate.  He told his brother in a letter that Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini were at the top of his prayer list.  He wrote to another correspondent that, when he prayed for Hitler and Stalin, he tried to recollect how his own cruelty might have blossomed under different conditions into something as terrible as theirs, to remember that Christ died for them as much as for him, and that, at bottom, he himself was not "so different from these ghastly creatures." 

I'm also reminded of Festo Kivengere and his remarkable book, I Love Idi Amin (1977).  Kivengere, an Anglican bishop from Uganda, was expecting arrest from Amin, the African dictator routinely referred to as "Africa's Hitler," and escaped the country on foot in early 1977.  Within the year he had published the book.  He survived Amin's reign, and after Amin's ouster was able to return to Uganda for years of fruitful ministry.  He died of cancer in 1988 (aged 69).  [Source: CH&B, Issue 94, Spring 2007]

For further inspiration, read 1 Timothy 2:1-6 in the King James Bible.