ChristadelphianBooksOnline
George Booker
By The Way

Section I


“There is a tendency to condemn an author as shallow or superficial if his writings are perfectly clear. And conversely, a writer will sometimes gain a reputation for profundity simply because no one can quite make out what he means.” (I. Collier)

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"The Bible is like a mine; its jewels are not to be picked up on the roadside." (Selected)

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The rewards of Bible reading and study do not come in five minutes, or in five days. Even in five years the effects have scarcely begun, the natural man being so strong and at the same time so resistant to Spirit truth. But if there is lack of serious and prolonged application to this Book, then expectation of true knowledge and any lasting profit is vain.

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The so-called "archaic" pronouns of the King James Version had a purpose not generally recognized today. They were used to distinguish between singular and plural in the second person:

"Thou"
 Singular subject
"Thee"
 Singular object
"Ye"
Plural subject
"You"
 Plural object

Our modern speech, of course, puts "you" in place of all four, with a consequent loss of clarity; and thereby forces us (especially those of us from Texas!) to resort to such phrases as “you all”.

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The phrase "inspired of God", as found in 2 Timothy 3:16, literally means "breathed out from God."

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The "apple of the eye" of Deuteronomy 32:10 and Psalm 17:8 literally means the little man or daughter of the eye. This is so because a picture in miniature of one's self is seen, as in a mirror, when looking into another person's eye. The reference is then to the pupil, and the surrounding iris.

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"He who marries a heathen woman is as if he made himself son-in-law to an idol” (Jewish proverb).

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A convenient, 7-part analysis of the entire Bible:

1. Genesis through Deuteronomy —
REVELATION
2. Joshua through Esther —
 PREPARATION
3. Job through Song of Solomon —
 ASPIRATION
4. Isaiah through Malachi —
 EXPECTATION
5. Matthew through John —
 MANIFESTATION
6. Acts through Jude —
REALIZATION
7. Apocalypse —
 CULMINATION

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"Forgotten knowledge is useless."

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“Unless a man is prepared to affirm that he knows nothing, believes nothing, and harbors no opinions, unless he is prepared to condense all his positive belief into one solitary affirmation of his own ignorance, he must of necessity be in some sense a man of faith.” (I. Collier)

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The first word of Matthew 7:7 is a handy key for the memorizing of the entire verse: The word is "ASK"; and the three phrases of that verse begin, respectively, with A (ask), S (seek), and K (knock).

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The great causes of God are not often defeated by the hot assault of the enemy, but by the slow, crushing, glacier-like mass of indifferent disciples. The truth of God is never nullified by being blown up, but by being sat on.

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"Grumbles against life are grumbles against God."

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"Bear ye one another's burdens" (Gal. 6:2). This word is "baros", referring to the very heavy burden that a porter might carry. Such a burden cannot easily be laid down until the porter reaches his destination. So when he becomes very weary, he may ask a wayfarer to stoop down under his load for just a few moments, to give him a short rest.

The other side of the coin is seen in verse 5: "For every man shall bear his own burden." This word is "phortion", a light burden, easily carried in one hand. Paul's lesson is simple: Help your brother with his heavy burdens, but carry your own light ones cheerfully!

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"People who are wrapped up in themselves make very small packages."

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"We live our lives forward, but only understand them backward."

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Our English versions of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) contain 39 books, while the Hebrew Scriptures themselves contain 24. Josephus (writing near the end of the first century AD) mentions 22, combining Ruth with Judges and Lamentations with Jeremiah. This was done to correspond with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The Jews did not divide the writings in the same manner as later translators divided them. For example: The minor prophets are grouped together as the "Twelve"; Ezra and Nehemiah are taken together; Samuel, Kings and Chronicles are each one book rather than two. These 22 or 24 (or 39) books constitute the "Canon" of the Old Testament. The word "canon" is Greek and means a straight rod, rule or measure; or, that which is measured by the "canon". The canon of the Old Testament as we have it today was set in the time of Josephus; by his time (circa 90 A.D.) the Apocryphal books, which had found their way into the Septuagint, had been rejected. The Old Testament in the days of Josephus was recognized as of ancient authority and divinely inspired.

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"Negative holiness can save no man."

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Try reading 2 Peter 1:5-7 like this:

"Add to your faith the virtue of Joseph; and to virtue the knowledge of Solomon; and to knowledge the temperance of Samuel; and to temperance the patience of Job; and to patience the godliness of Daniel; and to godliness the brotherly kindness of Jonathan, and to brotherly kindness the charity ('agape' = love) of John."

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The RSV makes plain Proverbs 4:18: The path of the just is ''like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day."

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Notice the two italicized words in Genesis 1:16, KJV: God made, or appointed, the moon to rule over the night and over the stars!

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Genesis 3 presents the perfect miniaturized picture of God's plan of salvation through Christ:

  1. It begins with: Serpent, Flesh, Death and Adam. It ends with: Cherubim, Spirit, Life, and Christ.
  2. It begins with the tree of knowledge of good and evil; it ends with the tree of life.
  3. It begins with an ineffective covering of fig leaves; it ends with an effective covering of skin, requiring bloodshed (and thus sacrifice).
  4. In the center, at its turning point, it tells of the cursing of the serpent and the blessing of the seed of the woman.
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Psalm 39:3: "Often the withholding of words causes them to heat up within us, and when the time is right for their utterance, they come forth with great power and meaning. In the heat of the meditation it is as though the drossier elements have been burnt out and nothing but the purity of the refined silver is poured forth." (N. P. Holt)

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In Numbers 18:19 the phrase "covenant of salt" is a figure of speech used to signify permanence, as salt is a preservative.

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Psalm 46:5:

"O Thou whose ear is ever bowed to strains of human care;
Who writest on my darkest cloud Thy rainbow soft and fair:
When silent grief implores Thy aid, and begs Thy hand to move,
Let my extremity be made the chariot of Thy love.
A triumph of Thy loving skill, I rest upon Thy grace,
Though midnight pains and tears conceal the glory of Thy face.
Help me to wait till light appears, and let the morning prove
How false and baseless were my fears,
How faithful is Thy love."

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We frequently hear men say that they do not attach much importance to doctrine; they concentrate attention on the living of a good life. Such sentiment only emanates from a very shallow brain. It is as if a child should enter a garden, and seeing the gardener planting bulbs, should say, ‘I do not care for those ugly bulbs — I like the beautiful flowers.’ The living of a good life without a foundation of good doctrine is impossible, just as it impossible to grow flowers without roots.” (Islip Collier)

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"It is much easier to make authority your truth than to make truth your authority."

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The fruits of Egypt — the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic desired by Israel (Num. 11:5) — grow in the ground. But the fruits of Canaan — dates, figs, olives, and grapes — grow above the ground, in the air, and must be reached up for.

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"Do not forget little kindnesses, and do not remember little faults."

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Is there a hidden message in Daniel 5:25-28? Consider this: Mene (mina) = 50 shekels (Ezek. 45:12, RSV). Tekel (or shekel) = 20 gerahs (Ezek. 45:12). Upharsin (peres) = division or half.

Thus: Mene = 1,000 (20 X 50) gerahs; Tekel = 20 gerahs; Perez (half) (mina?) = 500 gerahs.

Altogether, then, "Mene, mene, Tekel, Upharsin" = 2,520 gerahs, or "seven times" (7 x 360 = 2,520) (compare Daniel 4:23).

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“How odd of God to choose the Jews;
But not so odd as those who choose
The Jewish God yet spurn the Jews."

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In the account of Noah, ''berith" ("covenant") occurs once when God first promises the covenant (Gen. 6:18). And then, when the covenant is actually given, "berith" occurs seven more times (9:9,11,12,13,15,16,17).

As the one Spirit of God is manifested seven-fold in Revelation 4:5 , and as the one true light is manifested in seven colors of the rainbow, so also the one covenant of God with Noah is realized in seven pronouncements.

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2 Thessalonians 3:11: "Walking disorderly" literally means "playing truant".

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Genesis 9:20: The term "husbandman" is literally a "man (ish) of the ground (adamah)". The other Hebrew words translated by "husbandman" (or "husbandmen") are completely different. This unique word describes Noah's drunken fall, from an honorable or righteous man ("ish") to the state of Adam ("adamah"), in nakedness and sin.

The lesson is that, though brought to the ground in honorable labor (Gen. 3:19; 2 Thes. 3:10), the righteous man will not become "earthy" (1 Cor. 15:47; John 3:31), but will keep his affections set upon things above (Col. 3:1,2).

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"In a world which looks horizontally,
We must learn to look vertically.” (Gillette)

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Genesis 9:13: A spiritual lesson in the order of the rainbow colors? Moving toward the center of the rainbow's circle (which symbolizes eternity), we progress through the following:

  1. Red: the color of flesh (Adam) and sin... significantly, always on the outside!
  2. Orange: the color of fire, i.e., purification through trials.
  3. Yellow: a tried faith, comparable to gold (1 Pet. 1:7).
  4. Green: renewal of life; the "spring" of resurrection.
  5. Blue: Godliness, heavenliness, an immortal nature.
  6. Indigo: the first stage of purple: the saints as "royalty" in the Kingdom.
  7. Violet: the second and final stage: the saints (and all the world) as "royalty" at the end of the Millennium.
Thus by stages God's plan to fill the earth with His glory is fulfilled, and the red of man and the blue of heaven become perfectly united — "God all in all".

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The fiery darts of Ephesians 6:16 were small canes filled with combustible material, or spears wrapped in such material, set on fire and thrown at the enemy.

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The purpose of Yahweh may be summarized in the Hebrew titles of the first five books of the Bible. As is not widely known, many of the titles in our English Bibles are based on the Greek translation; they bear little or no resemblance to the Hebrew titles:

English title
Hebrew title
Translation
1. Genesis
 "Bereshith"
"In the beginning"
2. Exodus
 "Ve-elleh shemoth"
"These (are) the names"
3. Leviticus
 "Vayyikra"
"He (i.e., Yahweh) called"
4. Numbers
 "Be-midbar"
"In the wilderness"
5. Deuteronomy
 "Haddebarim"
"These (are) the words"

In each of the above cases, the Hebrew title is the first word or phrase of the book, which serves as the keynote of its message. In carrying the observation one step further, we notice that the five phrases or titles, taken in order (and adding the ellipsis), provide a message. In poetic fashion, they speak eloquently of God and His comprehensive purpose, as Creator, Lawgiver, and Savior of the world:

"In the beginning these were the names which Yahweh called.
In the wilderness these were the words (which Yahweh spoke)."

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According to one reckoning, 116 of the 283 Old Testament quotations in the New Testament are from the Psalms.

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I went on a search to become a leader.

I searched high and low. I spoke with authority, people listened but, alas, there was one who was wiser than I and they followed him.

I sought to inspire confidence but the crowd responded, “Why should we trust you?"

I postured and I assumed the look of leadership with a countenance that glowed with confidence and pride. But many passed me by and never noticed my air of elegance.

I ran ahead of the others, pointing the way to new heights. I demonstrated that I knew the route to greatness. And then I looked back and I was alone.

What shall I do, I wondered? I've tried hard and used all that I know.

And I sat me down and I pondered long.

And then I listened to the voices around me. And I heard what the group was trying to accomplish.

I rolled up my sleeves and joined in the work.

As we worked I asked, "Are we all together in what we want to do and how to get the job done?”

And we thought together and we fought together and we struggled towards our goal.

I found myself encouraging the fainthearted. I sought the ideas of those too shy to speak out.

I taught those who had little skill. I praised those who worked hard.

When our task was completed, one of the group turned to me and said, "This would not have been done without your leadership."

At first I said, "I did not lead; I just worked with the rest."

And then I understood: leadership is not a goal. It is a way of reaching the goal.

I lead best when I help others to go where we have decided we want to go.

I lead best when I help others to use themselves creatively.

I lead best when I forget about myself as leader and focus on the group, their needs and their goals.

To lead is to serve, to give, to achieve together.

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Gen.2:21-25:
"Woman was taken from man's side....
Not from his head — to rule over him,
Not from his foot — to be trodden down,
But from his side — to be his companion,
From under his arm — to be protected,
From near his heart — to be loved."

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"Suppose a particular doctrine is based on just one verse: Would that not place the doctrine in jeopardy, subject to the whim of textual criticism? Yes, I suppose it would. This never happens, however, for the simple reason that established doctrines are never based on just one verse. Few are likely to formulate a doctrine that depend on only one passage. 'What!' someone replies, 'How many times does the Bible have to say something for it to be true?' The answer of course is that the Bible does not have to say it at all for it to be true. Either it is true or it is not. But the Bible may have to say it several times, and perhaps in different ways, for us to understand unambiguously and precisely what truth is being taught. And that is precisely why doctrine is not based on just one verse." (Carson, The King James Version Debate)

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An alternate translation (and paraphrase) of Luke 16:22,23:

"The rich man died and was buried in Hades. Then (i.e., later, after a resurrection to judgment), being in torment..."

The repunctuation would make Hades (or “hell”) the place of burial, not the place of torment.

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The six tribes of blessing on Mount Gerizim (Deut. 27:12), when read together in the order they appear, will yield a sentence: "Hear the son, join him and praise him, for he will reward you by adding you to himself, the son of God's right hand."

Likewise, the six tribes of cursing on Mount Ebal (v. 13): "You will see a son and a troop of blessed ones dwelling together, but the judge will wrestle with you."

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Benjamin a "wolf"? One suggested fulfillment of Genesis 49:27: The Apostle Paul — of Benjamin (Phil. 3:5) — in the morning of his life, tearing the flock of God; in its evening, feeding them as a teacher of the nations. And, finally, lying down with Christ the "lamb" in the Kingdom (Isa. 11:6; 65:25)!

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Jacob's three memorials of God:

1. "Bethel" (the house of God): God's presence (Gen. 28:19);
2. "Mahanaim" (two hosts; "God's host"): God's power (32:2);
3. “Peniel" (the face of God): God's favor (32:30).

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And what is fellowship? We must ever be on guard against letting technicalities take the place of realities. Fellowship is not an external agreement to associate, but communion, harmony, unity of mind and spirit. Fellowship with God is not just a technicality — not just a form — not just the accepting of certain beliefs or joining a certain group. It is a WAY OF LIFE — a thinking like God, a walking in harmony with His revealed will and commands.

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Psalms
42, 43
 The Saint in his Affliction
44, 45
 The King in his Glory
46: 48
 The Holy City in her Beauty
49
 The Man in his Honor
50, 51
 The Sinner in his Repentance
52: 54
 The Fool in his Heart

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Psalm 77:19: "Thy way was through the sea, Thy path through the great waters, yet Thy footprints were unseen" (RSV). God’s crossings of the Red Sea and the Jordan River.

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The Old Testament is a book of unfulfilled prophecies.... fulfilled in his life by Christ the prophet.

The Old Testament is a book of unexplained ceremonies... explained in his death by Christ the priest.

The Old Testament is a book of unsatisfied longings.... satisfied in his resurrection by Christ the king.


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