Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 21 August, 2016
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind …” (Rom. 12:2)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
The Life of Jacob (1)
The Birth of Jacob [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Genesis 25:1-26
Text: Genesis 25:21-26
I. A Child of Prayer
II. A Child of the Antithesis
III. A Child of Wrestling
Psalms: 92:1-8; 5:8-12; 65:1-5; 135:1-7
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Life of Jacob (2)
The Doctrinal Significance of Jacob’s Birth [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Romans 9:1-24
Text: Malachi 1:2-5 & Romans 9:10-13
I. According to Malachi 1
II. According to Romans 9
III. For His Life
Psalms: 100:1-5; 6:1-10; 5:1-8; 115:1-11
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: https://cprc.co.uk/live-streaming/
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quotes to Consider
Robert Harbach on Genesis 25: “The verb ‘struggled’ is very intensive; it means that the children in [Rebekah’s] womb dashed themselves against one another. Thus continued the enmity between the two seeds, the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, the struggle between the two nations—the nation not bringing forth the fruits of the kingdom and that holy nation, between the kingdom of Satan and the kingdom of God, between the false church and the true church” (Studies in the Book of Genesis, p. 509).
Herman Hoeksema: “… the apostle emphatically states that the Word of God, which was the revelation of the purpose of God according to election, came to Rebekah before the children were born, neither had done good or evil [Rom. 9:11]. Had the Word of God come to Rebekah after the children had grown up and after it had become manifest that Esau was a wicked fornicator while Jacob was the true child of the covenant, she might have drawn the conclusion that God distinguished the brothers on the basis of their own works. But now the purpose of God according to election must stand. Hence, this purpose is revealed to her before the children were born, neither had distinguished themselves by their works, whether good or evil. From this it is evident that it was God’s purpose to show unto Rebekah that His counsel of election and reprobation with regard to Jacob and Esau was entirely independent of their works and rested solely in His own sovereign good pleasure” (quoted in Homer C. Hoeksema, Unfolding Covenant History, vol. 2, pp. 264-265).
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
The August Covenant Reformed News and Rev. Stewart’s bi-monthly letter to the PRC are on the back table. A letter from the Philippines is also available.
The Tuesday Bible study meets this week at 11 AM to continue our study of the OT cermonial law looking at the ritual after childbirth.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s Day (Gospel 846MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is “The Creation” (Gen. 1:1).
The next council meeting is set for Monday, 5 September.
CPRC Reformation Day Lecture: Friday, 28 October, 7:30 PM on “John Owen and the Death of Christ.”
Offerings: General Fund: £711.34.
New translations: 3 Hungarian, 1 Indonesian and 1 Spanish.
PRC news: The Federation of Protestant Reformed Christian School Societies is an organization formed in the late 1950s from Protestant Reformed Christian School Boards across the U.S. and Canada. Our purpose has always been to attain cooperation and coordination in areas common to all P.R. schools, which includes training and development for Protestant Reformed teachers. Check out our new website (www.prcs.org). You may find many interesting and helpful resources there.
Hear, O My Son
Brian D. Dykstra
Proverbs 4:10: “Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.”
As Solomon continues his instruction about the benefits of wisdom, he is very concerned about his audience. He is speaking to his son, a deeply personal relationship. Solomon is not addressing a steward in his household. He is not seeking to increase the productivity of his land by passing on some agricultural insight to a husbandman. Neither is Solomon speaking to a neighbour or friend. Although these relationships can be deep, long-lasting and greatly treasured, each will soon go his own way and live a separate life.
Solomon speaks to his son, one of the closest relationships God has created, a parent to his child. Also, Solomon does not speak here to his sons as a group. This is a one on one conversation, intimate. While the son is under his father’s roof, their lives share many things. They share a great many details in their lives and relationships. A father is responsible to give his son a start in life, not just in making a living, to pay the bills; but a godly father points to the way of developing a covenant relationship with his Father in heaven.
Solomon commands his son to hear. This is already the fourth time this word has been used in Proverbs. Solomon has used synonyms as well on a few other occasions. As teachers, we are painfully aware of the different levels of hearing. There are days when our words appear to go in one ear of students and out the other. When a class is large and talkative, we can feel our presence in the classroom is not all that effective. Perhaps all the students need is a recorded message, repeated every few minutes, telling them to calm down, be quiet and concentrate on their work. That behaviour is not really hearing.
God chose the word “hear” for Solomon to use because of its implications. The hearer is intelligently engaged in the conversation. This instruction is one-on-one, not one-on-twenty-five as is often the case in a classroom where, understandably, a child’s attention can wander. Solomon has the attention of his son. As Solomon speaks to his son, they can look each other in the eye. Solomon also expects obedience from his son. His son will hear, attentively and intelligently, and then will obey.
Once the son hears the instruction, he must receive it. Solomon is not pleading with his son. He isn’t making an offer to his son, an offer which his son can take or refuse according to his whim. Solomon commands his son to receive his sayings, to take it in, in the same way we receive nourishment from good food. It is in us. It becomes part of us. It sustains us. This is Solomon’s goal for the instruction he gives.
Solomon commands his son to hear and receive his sayings. This is a broad term and can include many things. However, what has Solomon been talking about so far in Proverbs? Solomon was quite wealthy. Many people would like to have Solomon teach them about wise investing and how to make money. However, Proverbs does not pass along get-rich-quick schemes. Nor is Solomon instructing his son in posturing, how to show bravado so as not to be taken advantage of by others. We have not read about how to make sure one is not getting the short end of the stick in some deal.
Solomon gives his son the instruction he needs to view the world properly. The world is a dangerous place, filled with temptations for a young man. His son needs discretion to know good from evil. The son needs to see the ultimate end of temptation. Sin appears good. Satan deceitfully presents his way of evil as a path filled with excitement and pleasure. Solomon shows his son the real end of temptation and sin; and it is not pleasant.
Solomon’s sayings have been pointing out to his son the fear of the Lord. Jehovah is Lord. It is His right to give commandments which He demands be obeyed. The Lord has the right to tell how to behave in the various relationships in life. The Lord decrees what has true value and what will last. The son must fear Him who rules over every aspect of life. The son must know the world seeks to turn us away from God and join them in their way of sin. The world demands the son will fear public opinion and the derision they display for those who strive to lead a godly life.
Solomon has a promised benefit for his son for hearing and receiving his sayings. He speaks of a life of many years. This cannot refer to a long earthly life. Although God has given many of His saints long life, a life with many joyful days, and we can desire that God allows us to live out what we believe to be our full allotment of years, such is not always how life unfolds. We know of wicked people who have lived for many years and have enjoyed more than they could have wished. At the other end of the spectrum of life, we are sadly aware that those who love God do not always have long lives. In the summer of 2015, our denomination witnessed that God may take an eight-year-old son or a thirty-year-old father. God’s will is done.
This life of many years is found in heaven. God ultimately fulfils His promises there. There our lives will increase to the full measure of God’s blessing and fellowship. God’s people will not scarcely scrape by in heaven, carefully parcelling out meagre rations. We will not worry about having enough to see us through periods of want. God has heaped heavenly blessings and riches for His elect.
May God work by His Spirit in the hearts of His children so they hear and receive His truth, a truth which will give them a life of everlasting years in the risen and exalted Christ.
