FRIDAY MORNING MANNA
March 20, 2015
Nathaniel Fajardo
Biblical Numerology: NUMBER TWO – Part XXVIII (Last Part)
SUMMARY OF NUMBER TWO IN THE BIBLE – Part IX
“Can two walk together unless they be agreed?” (Amos: 3: 3)? Yes, but such a relationship is forced and coerced rather than forged by every reason other than mutual love, respect, understanding, subscribing to the same Biblical principles that shape their individual priorities, values, choices, and decisions in life. It is based on temporary convenience, self-serving advantages, thus, purely of outward appearance. Such a relationship will never bear the genuine fruits of the Spirit defined in Galatians 5: 22, 23, as God designed it to be—whether in a marriage relationship or church relationship. Such a life journey is a lonely, even nightmarish walk through a dark jungle. In summary, certainly not limited to the examples cited in these series but by time and space, we highlight the significance of number two in the Bible as stated at the outset, with the following:
Only Two Gods: The one and only true God, Jehovah Creator in the Old Testament and named Jesus Christ in the New Testament, the Creator incarnated into human nature, “Emmanuel . . God with us” (Matt. 1: 21, 23), “the great mystery of godliness that God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3: 16). He is mankind’s only Savior, Redeemer, merciful High Priest, Advocate, Mediator, righteous Judge of all the earth, and king of Kings and Lord of lords as His glorious second coming. All others are false gods, both animate and inanimate for they are devised by deceived minds. The chief of all false gods is “the great dragon, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” Rev. 12: 9. There are only two masters. Matt. 6: 24; Luke 16: 13-15; Rom. 6: 14-16. We are serving one or the other either ignorantly, through negligence, indolence, or even willfully. Let us examine ourselves daily to see who we are serving.
The First Couple; Only Two Sexes, Only One Marriage by Divine Design. “They two shall become one flesh.”Gen. 2: 21-25; Eph. 5: 31-33. On the sixth and last day of creation, God performed the crowning act of His creative power and work. With His own hands He fashioned the only beings created in His own image and likeness, “both male and female.” Man was first created from the dust of the ground, not from spirit, and named Adam. Woman was specifically created to be his helpmate and named Eve, the mother of mankind. God made Eve from a rib taken from Adam’s side, not from the dust nor from spirit. He performed the first wedding ceremony between man and a woman only, for, each was designed differently in order to fulfill His divine purpose that their sacred love union would result in “multiplying, and filling the earth and subduing it” (Gen. 1: 28, R.S.V.) Since the fall, sinful human nature and the power of heredity has resulted in the accumulated deterioration and perversion of the moral and physical natures of man. However, sinful, unnatural propensities and tendencies are not sin in and of themselves until yielded to, cherished, practiced, and worse, justified and now legalized. Yet God’s promise is: “Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.” Rom. 5: 20. Jehovah incarnated into the human flesh and blood nature in order to be “tempted in all points as we are tempted yet without sin.” Heb. 2: 14, 16-18; 4: 15, 16; Matt 4: 1-11. “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come to God by Him.” Heb. 7: 25. Thus, together with Paul we should answer all naysayers, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Phil. 4: 13.
The Two Arms of True Love: “Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another—these are the two great arms upon which hang all the law and the prophets. [See Matt. 22: 36]. A good tree produces good fruit. The evidence of love for Christ is the manifestation of love for one another. Unselfish love for those around us is placed among the brightest evidences of true religion. By it a daily witness in Christ’s favor is borne to the world.”- E.G. White, This Day with God, p. 237.
Strength of Character Consists of Two Things—“The power of will and power of self-control. Many youth [and older people as well] mistake strong, uncontrolled passion for strength of character; but the truth is that he who is mastered by his passions is a weak man. The real greatness and nobility of the man is measured by his power to subdue his feelings, not by the power of his feelings to subdue him. . . . Said a celebrated emperor when on his dying bed, ‘Among all my conquests there is but one which affords me any consolation now, and that is the conquest I have gained over my turbulent temper.’ [In contrast] Alexander and Caesar found it easier to subdue a world than to subdue themselves. After conquering nation after nation, they fell—one of them ‘the victim of intemperance, the other of mad ambition.’ The highest evidence of nobility in a Christian is self-control.”- Ibid, Sons & Daughters, p. 84.
Two Men who had the Greatest and Deepest Light among New Testament Writers.
“It is not a mere coincidence that the two men who had the deepest and clearest light of all the New Testament writers were those who had personal, intimate communion with Christ. To PAUL, who had the ‘abundance of the revelations’ (2 Cor. 12: 7), Christ appeared personally on the road to Damascus. Acts 9: 4-6. Paul spent three years (Gal. 1: 15-18) in communion with Christ studying the meaning of the Old Testament predictions, the words of which he knew so well, but the real meaning of which he did not grasp until he saw their fulfillment in Jesus
“At the Lord’s Supper, held in the upper room the [Thursday] evening before Christ’s crucifixion, we have a picture of the close association of JOHN and Jesus. John is not only described as the disciple ‘whom Jesus loved’ (John 13: 23, 27) but also as the one ‘leaning on Jesus’ bosom.’ Peter knew that a close bond—a spiritual tie linked Jesus and John. ‘Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him that he should ask who it should be of whom He spake. He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto Him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ John 13: 25. When John asked Jesus the question the answer was given.
Jesus selected John to reveal the most wonderful, the most spiritual book of the New Testament—the Book of Revelation. ‘The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him.’ Those who love the Lord the most and who are ever seeking to grow more like Him, even if they lack academic degrees, will have a clearer knowledge of the prophecies than the better educated who do not love and fear the Lord. This does not mean that God will not reveal clear light with those with scholastic attainments. Ignorance is never to be coveted; nor is it to be a cloak for superstition or laziness; neither is learning to be substituted for the unction of the Holy Spirit, through Whom, alone, can be understood the spiritual things of God.”- Louise F. Were, The Certainty of the Third Angels’ Message, pp. 18, 19.
Only Two Kinds of Sin: the Forgivable and the Unpardonable. 1 John 1: 7-10 compare to Matt. 12: 31, 32; 1 John 5: 16. May none of us ever dare to commit the latter!
The Law of Sin Manifested: “Now the works of the of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5: 19-21. Compare this to the list of specific sins recorded in Rom. 1: 18-31. Paul concludes thus: “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Rom. 1: 32.
The Law of God Manifested: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. And, they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Gal. 5: 22-23.
Two Classes of Worshippers.- Adam and Eve’s first two sons, Cain and Abel are the first representatives of the two great classes into which all who worship till the close of time, which is “even at the door,” are divided into. Each one of us is classed into one or the other. Gen. 4: 2, 8, 9, 25; Heb. 11: 4. See the parable of “The Two Worshippers,” Luke 18: 9-14 (as explained in Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 152-154). The parable of the Pharisee and Publican also illustrates these two classes. Luke 18:9-14.
The Unrepentant and Unrepentant Sinners. The individual life stories, eventual characters developed, and their respective consequences and rewards between these twin brothers, Esau and Jacob further illustrate this truth. See Gen. 25: 25-34; 27:1-46; 28: 1-22; Mat 21: 8-32. The two malefactors crucified with Jesus on the day of His crucifixion: one sinner was defiant and unrepentant up to death, the other sinner, genuinely repentant before death. See Matt. 27: 42-44; Mar 15: 27, 28; Luke 23: 39-43.
Wise and the Foolish. Matt. 7: 24-27; Luke 6: 46, 47. The wise build their faith, character, and churches upon the Rock–Christ Jesus and His Word. The foolish build on the shifting sands, i.e., men–dead saints, traditions, and man-made ecclesiastical laws superseding God’s own. See also the parables of: the Ten Virgins, Matt. 25; 1-12; the Wheat and Tares, Matt. 13; 24-30, 38, 40; the Faithful and Evil servants, Luke 12: 25-40; the Two Sons, Matt. 21: 23-32; and the Two Kinds of Borrowers and Debtors, Matt. 18: 23-36.
The Two Opposing Practical Laws: On one hand, “The law of self-sacrifice is the law of self-preservation.” On the other, “The law of self-serving is the law of self-destruction.” – Desire of Ages, pp. 611, 612. Which law presently governs our choices and lives?
(Next series will be on Number Three)