All Articles For Numbers

George Ophoff was Professor of Old Testament Studies in the Protestant Reformed Seminary in its early days. Reprinted here, in edited form, are articles which Ophoff wrote at that time for the Standard Bearer. We have seen that, already at the dawn of human history, the mother promise was a most remarkable revelation of the course of events determined upon by Jehovah God. Two seeds, there are—the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Between the two there will be, throughout all of history, perpetual strife—a strife set by none other than God Himself. And the outcome...

George Ophoff was Professor of Old Testament Studies in the Protestant Reformed Seminary in its early days. Reprinted here, in edited form, are articles which Ophoff wrote at that time for the Standard Bearer. Previous article in this series: December 15, 2004, p. 128. We are engaged in examining typical events and transactions in sacred history for the purpose of ascertaining the principles of interpretation that these typical materials exhibit. There remain two rules, to which we now desire to call attention. Fourth principle of interpretation The first of these may be stated thus: The meaning of the type should...

Reprinted from When Thou Sittest In Thine House, by Abraham Kuyper, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1929. Used by permission of Eerdmans Publishing Co. Man in his calling To hide behind dark figures in the background, or, without being called, to stand bravely and heroically in the foreground, are the two elements between which our natural impulse continuously moves back and forth. On one side timid fear so much as to hear one’s name mentioned, and on the other side even ardent desire, where it concerns a noble cause, to have a place among “the men which...

REJECTION OF ERRORS 

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified...

8. And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea, and half of them to the western sea, in summer and winter shall it be.  9. And Jehovah shall be king over all the land; in that day Jehovah shall be one and his name one.

Rev. Kleyn is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Edgerton, Minnesota. Money consumes a large part of our lives. One of the reasons for this is that we all need money. It is impossible to survive in today’s society without it. We need it for the very basics of earthly life: food, clothing, and shelter. It is not simply a commodity, but a necessity. But money also consumes a large part of our lives by choice. We not only use it for the necessities of life, but for many other things besides. We are constantly dealing with it—either earning...

And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel . . .  He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse...

And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come defy Israel.  How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD bath not defied?  Numbers 23:7, 8 Balaam arrived in the land of Moab firmly determined in one way or another to bring a curse upon Israel. He knew it would not be easy. God had said to him before he left Aram, “Thou shalt not curse the people: for...

The content of Article 71 of our Church Order is contained in two separate articles in the 1956 proposed revision of the Church Order by the Christian Reformed Church. These articles read: “Art. 71—Christian discipline is spiritual discipline and exempts no one from civil trial and punishment; nor does action by the civil authorities exempt one from discipline by the church. “Art. 72—The purpose of Christian discipline is the maintenance of God’s honor, the restoration of the sinner, and the removal of offence from the church of Christ.” Substantially these two articles are the same as Article 71 of our...