Foreknowledge by Joel Hayes - Library of Theology

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imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, "Yet have I [the Son] set my king [David] on my holy hill of Zion. I [the Son] will declare the decree: the Lord [the Father] hath said unto me [the Son], `Thou [the Son] art my Son; this day have I [the Father] begotten thee.'" 114 rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed [the Messiah], saying, and against his anointed [David], saying, "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord [the Father] shall have them in derision. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord [the Son] shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure, [saying] Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure, [saying] "Yet have I [the Father] set my king [the Messiah] on my holy hill of Zion. I [the Father] will declare the decree: the Lord [who?] hath said unto me [the Father], `Thou [the Son] art my Son; this day have I [the Father] begotten thee.'" But, it may be asked, does not Acts 4:25-28, prove that David spoke of Christ under the appellation of "his anointed"? By no means. In the first place the disciples who are here represented as quoting and applying this Psalm were not inspired. The Holy Ghost inspired Luke, the author of Acts, to give a correct record of what they said, but we have no evidence that they were speaking under inspiration when they made the utterance. They may, therefore, have made a mistake, for we cannot think that uninspired men of that day so thoroughly understood the Old Testament as always to steer clear of mistakes in its interpretation. Indeed, it is hardly to be supposed that they enjoyed advantages in that regard superior to those we enjoy. But they may not have intended to quote this Psalm as a prophecy concerning the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. According to our modes of thought, we admit that this is the most natural and easy interpretation of their language. According to our modes of thought, indeed, they seem to have regarded this Psalm not only as a prophecy but as a decree. They seem to have thought that "Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel" had only done what the Lord "determined before" that they should do; that the Lord in the second Psalm had decreed that the kings should stand up and the rulers should be gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ, and that these kings and rulers were merely carrying out that decree. But their modes of thought were different from ours. They were in the habit, as we have seen, of saying that a prophecy or utterance was fulfilled by a certain event when they must have known that no reference was made to the event in the prophecy or utterance. They drew a parallel between the utterance and the event, and called the latter a fulfillment of the former. It is very reasonable to suppose, therefore, that they merely drew a parallel in this case. The word , (christos), translated Christ in verse 26, means anointed, and should have been so translated. It is so translated in the Revised Version. According to their modes of thought, therefore, they may merely have intended to say, "Who by the mouth of thy servant ( either a child or a servant) David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his anointed. For of a truth [as a parallel to the case of David, who was the Son's anointed] against thy holy child () Jesus, whom thou has anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel
determined before to be done." 252 Will, Part II., Section XI., p. 64. 253 254 255 It was foretold, that the Jews should generally reject and despise the Messiah, Isa. 49:5, 6, 7, and 53:1-3, Psal. 22:6-7, and 69:4, 8, 19, 20. 252 Isaiah 53, Psalms 22, and Psalms 69 have already been examined. In Isaiah 49 the prophet most probably speaks of himself. The utterance in verse 6, which is especially thought to be spoken of Christ, because it is also true of him, is applied by St. Paul to himself (Acts 13:47). Most commentators, however, think that this whole chapter is a prophecy concerning the Messiah. Dr. Adam Clarke says, "This person who is, ver. 3, called Israel cannot in any sense be Isaiah. That name, in its original design and full import, can only belong to Him, who contended powerfully with God in behalf of mankind, and prevailed, Gen. 32:28." 253 Alexander says, "the only supposition which adheres to the natural and obvious meaning of the sentence, and yet agrees with the context, is the first above mentioned, viz., that of a complex subject including the 254 Messiah and his people, or the body with its head." I would suggest that that which is called Israel in verse 3, is neither Isaiah nor the Messiah, but simply and purely the Children of Israel. Delitzsch, however, says, "Although the speaker is called Israel in ver. 3b, he must not be regarded as either a collective person representing all Israel, or as the collective personality of the kernel of Israel, which answered to its true idea. It is not the former, because in ver. 5 he 255 is expressly distinguished from the nation itself." But it is not necessary to suppose that the speaker in this chapter is called Israel. It is this supposition that has led to all the difficulty which commentators have experienced in understanding this chapter. They have supposed that "me" in verse 2 and "Israel" in verse 3 mean the same person. But this is a mistake. Let it be remembered that the Lord spoke to Isaiah as a prophet. For the purpose of prophecy "he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword." As a prophet, "in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft." As a prophet, therefore, he hath "said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified;" that is, this was a thing he was to prophesy. The Lord did not say to Isaiah as an individual "Thou art my servant, O Israel," but this utterance was a prophecy which he was to communicate to the Children of Israel. Supply the evident ellipsis of "say" or "prophesy" just before verse 3, and all difficulties vanish. Isaiah in this chapter is telling his experience. The Lord had called him to be a prophet. Natural endowments to this end, especially that of oratory, had been given to him from the womb. He was to speak comfortable words to Israel, to assure them that the Lord loved them and intended to be glorified in them. This intention, however, he had frequently told them was a conditional one. The Lord was to be glorified in them if they ceased to do evil and learned to do well (Isaiah 1:16-20). The design of this prophecy was to induce Israel to forsake their wicked ways and turn to the Lord their God. But Israel did not turn. Not only this, but they despised and abhorred Isaiah (verse 7) for his exhortation and prophecy. "Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for naught and in vain." But the Lord comforts him, and assures him that, as Israel had not been "gathered" by his prophecies, his prophetic office should be extended, and he should be given as a light to the Gentiles, and that through the speedy fulfillment of his prophecies concerning them he was to rise to a position of honor and glory. This seems to be the plain and simple meaning of the first seven verses of this chapter, and if so, no reference whatever is made to the Messiah. That the utterance was also true of him (in part), and, therefore, in Scripture language might properly be said to be fulfilled in him, is no evidence that he was originally spoken of. Commentary. Commentary. Commentary. 115
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THE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD 1 or, THE
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PREFACE I am not entirely pleased w
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Bayle, "is to cause it, if he can,
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imply no contradiction. Hence it is
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3 Theodicy, p. 198. FAILURE OF DR.
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harmonies of sound. Moral agency, i
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constituted the reason why he, for
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heaven," as well as the angels; yet
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One point more from Dr. Bledsoe. He
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power not to perform. As a free act
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of the soul." But to return. A free
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33 President Edwards. 34 35 consequ
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But experience may show a class of
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41 Will, Part II., Chapter II., P.
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"SECONDLY. If a power of Will deter
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"MOTIVE is usually considered as a
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62 it suits best to gratify the vil
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is especially evident when, as is v
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70 by the flavor, may be considered
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to gratify, the subjective motive.
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of choice. The former being a quali
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In the preceding paragraphs I have
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Mr. Webster also gives as one defin
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97 Will, Part I., Section II., p. 5
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105 Will, Part I, Section IV., p. 1
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But is this all? Is a mere thought
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in preference to both the sense of
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contend for in the case of man is t
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happen otherwise. This is not the t
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133 of such events he has and can h
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On page 9 of the Inquiry he says, "
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Page 69 and 70: It is easy to prove that whatever w
Page 71 and 72: its agent cannot refuse to act it.
Page 73 and 74: It would not conflict with any noti
Page 75 and 76: that they are certainly future, or
Page 77 and 78: destroys all the force of the exhor
Page 79 and 80: for the Master's use. And we admit,
Page 81 and 82: 190 Institutes, Part II., Chapter V
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Page 85 and 86: eginning of the condition of things
Page 87 and 88: are sojourners of the Dispersion in
Page 89 and 90: emotion, and constitute the princip
Page 91 and 92: In the first place, this doctrine i
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Page 97 and 98: 218 Will, Part II., Section XI., p.
Page 99 and 100: To this we reply, 1. The destructio
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Page 107 and 108: passions to bear fruit to David's p
Page 109 and 110: spoken of Judas. 1. Psalm 41:9. "Mi
Page 111 and 112: temporal, but as a spiritual power.
Page 113: nothing is said about any one's bei
Page 117 and 118: Deut. 32:21, compared with Rom. 9:1
Page 119 and 120: 262 probability." In this sense of
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Page 123 and 124: If depravity must be freely appropr
Page 125 and 126: probable facts of the future. The p
Page 127 and 128: his moral character changes, and as
Page 129 and 130: and denominator 41,410 figures. We
Page 131 and 132: Scriptures. but the signification o
Page 133 and 134: such as the Israelites committed be
Page 135 and 136: or foreknowing their free volitions
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Page 139 and 140: (verse 34). The prophecy, then, was
Page 141 and 142: 296 Epistle 2:18." He also says, "T
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Page 145 and 146: The Protestant world does not usual
Page 147 and 148: any free volition was made by him,
Page 149 and 150: it shall not prosper" verse 27. mi
Page 151 and 152: Isaiah 2;2-4. "And it shall come to
Page 153 and 154: Other evidence that he did not poss
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