4 Who hath ascended up into heaven [Shomayim], or descended? Who hath gathered the wind [ruach] in his fists [ the hollows of His hands]? who hath bound the waters in a garment [mayim in a cloak]? who hath established all the ends of the earth [afsei aretz]? What is his name [Shmo], and what is his son's name [ Shem Bno], if thou canst tell?

What is the name of that "one spirit," that moved upon the face of the waters? The answer is Yahweh. This was the "He" of the Elohim "that formed the earth and made it." Hence, the nominative to created, is not a plural of majesty, but a singular noun understood -- thus, "In the beginning (the spirit of) Elohim created the heavens and the earth"; and that spirit named himself Ehyeh, "I shall be," at the bush (Exod. 3:14; 6:3). If then, the question be asked, by what power did they, the Elohim, create and make all mundane things? The answer is, by the spirit, self-named Yahweh or Yah, whose sons, messengers, and servants they are.

...As we have seen, Moses and the prophets teach "One" self-existent, supreme fountain of Power, AIL who is Spirit, and self-named I SHALL BE, or Yahweh: that is ONE YAHWEH-SPIRIT POWER is "God" in the highest sense, and constitutes the "Godhead," or FATHER IN HEAVEN; and He is the Springhead of many streams, or rivers of spirit, which assume "organic forms," according to the will of the Yahweh-Spirit Power, and that when formed after the model, archetype, or the pattern, presented in HIS OWN HYPOSTASIS, or Substance, they become SPIRIT-ELOHIM, or sons of God; and are Spirit, because "born of the Spirit" -- Emanations of the formative Spirit being out of him.

Phanerosis - The Memorial Name

5 Every word of Elohim is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

But some will say, "Has not God Himself confirmed His Word with an oath?" True. But we are not God. A different purpose is to be served, and a different principle applies. For one thing, God is not upon probation in the way of righteousness. God is not being trained regarding holiness of speech. For another, God is dealing with men -- the infinite with the finite -- and in gracious condescension gives them added assurance because of their weakness.

God's Word does not need an oath to make it sure. It is no surer with an oath than without, and the more clearly we can perceive this, the better God is pleased. We are told in Proverbs 30:5:

"EVERY WORD of God is pure (Revised Version: TRIED, PROVED TRUE)."

Consider how Jesus marvelled at the deep perception of the faith of the centurion (Matt. 8:8):

"SPEAK THE WORD ONLY, and my servant shall be healed."

-- the simple, pure, unattested word -- What faith! And Jesus' gentle rebuke to Thomas embodies the same principle:

"Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

There is another aspect in which oaths are not fitting for men, that does not apply to God. Jesus says further:

"Swear not by heaven -- it is God's throne: Nor earth -- it is God's foot stool; Nor Jerusalem-it is God's city."

All is God's, and only God can swear by it. Puny man has nothing and is nothing. He dare not even swear by his own head, for he cannot even change the color of one single hair of that head, says Jesus. How vividly the Master emphasizes man's utter helplessness! Who is he to swear by anything, as if he could control it, or his own destiny? A passing vapor dust and ashes:

"Let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

Bro Growcott - BYT 1.4.

8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

TO engross ourselves in business under the plea of making money to assist the truth, is dangerous. To do so at the expense of actual duty is sinful. God could easily divert the wealth of the whole world into the channels of the truth if He so willed But He does not, though He will at the right time.

For the present, He has a different work, that of preparing men for His glorious Kingdom. In this work we can become co-workers with Him. We are to regard ourselves as strangers and pilgrims, to esteem riches as a snare (1 Tim. 6:9), and prosperity as dangerous (Prov. 30:8, 9).

Our aim should be to serve God without distraction: an aim not compatible with unnecessarily involving ourselves in the cares and anxieties of commercial life. No amount of money made and applied to the service of the truth will excuse from certain clearly revealed duties, to wit, daily reading, attendance at the meetings, exhorting one another, proclaiming the word, visiting the sick, etc., etc.

Bro AT Jannaway

The Christadelphian, 1888

12 There is a dor (generation) that is tahor (pure) in its own eynayim [eyes], and yet is not washed from its filthiness.

That men are sinners, by nature and practice, is pretty generally admitted as an article of faith by all the sects of anti-Christendom. This admission brings the conclusion that they are therefore all under sentence of death; for "the wages of sin is death." Sin reigning in them they are the slaves of sin, because they obey him. This obedience to sin is in consequence of the strong impulses of the flesh, unsubdued and unrestrained by the truth, understood and assuredly believed.

Thus the understanding of sinners is darkened, and blindness pervades their hearts; and the consequence is that they "are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them." Sinner, then, is a term indicative of one who is a transgressor of the law of God; who refuses to submit to his commands, is ignorant of his truth, alienated from his life, and therefore under condemnation of death.

But one may be an enlightened sinner. Such a person is one who knows what is right, and still the wrong pursues. He acknowledges that thus and so is the truth, which enjoins such and such obedience; but he abstains from becoming the subject of it. He invents a refuge in which to hide himself from the necessity of a literal conformity to the word, vainly flattering his conscience that if he abstain from immorality, profess friendship to God and his people, assent to a theory of truth in sincerity of mind, God will not be over-particular in the literal construction of his word. Such an one forgets, if indeed he ever knew it, that "God has magnified HIS WORD above all his name." He will therefore more readily pardon any offence than a slight upon, or want of conformity to, his word.

Men think God is such an one as themselves-that he thinks as little of his word as they do of theirs. But no mistake is more fatal than this; "for without faith it is impossible to please God;" and "without holiness no man shall see the Lord;" and there is no holiness attainable except by faith, and through the faith in the obedience which it requires.

But God and men are at variance on that point. Practically, these creatures of his power think he ought to account them wholly upon principles approbated by the thinking of their flesh. Philoprogenitiveness attaches them to their offspring, as it does all other animals to theirs. Hence they will believe in no heavenly state hereafter which makes no provision for them. They think sincerity of mind in the belief of error ought to be accepted as an equivalent for the belief of the truth; judging thus because their feelings are so shocked at the idea of the few that will be saved by the obedience of faith.

In all generations have God and his creatures been at issue on this point. He says, believe and do the truth; they say, sincerely, believe and do what you think is true, and though it may not be really so, you shall be saved. Thus, God predicates salvation, justification, holiness, &c., on "the obedience of faith;" while men inculcate sincerity of opinion as the panacea of their souls.

This diversity between God and man is the source of that distinction that obtains in the world between true religion and superstition, saint and sinner. A saint is one who believes and does the truth with the docility and readiness of an obedient child. He is therefore styled a saint; that is, a separated or holy person. He is separated from sinners in the obedience of the truth, which unites him to the name of the Holy, through which he is sanctified. The saints are God's representatives in this evil world, who having acknowledged God, or rather, being acknowledged by him, are the pillar and support of his truth in his controversy with sinners.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, July 1853.

26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

THE friends of God are few and feeble in our day and generation. We must not be discouraged at this. 

In the purpose of God, His children will yet be a multitude that no man can number; but in the process of their preparation during all the ages that have elapsed since Adam went forth in sorrow out of Eden, it has seemed good to the wisdom of God to get only a few ready at a time, and to have the children of folly in the preponderant majority all the time - and that while His few children are in affliction, the numerous wicked should prosper.

The depressing nature of such a situation is part of the trouble by which the children of God are developed and tried. Are we liable to be too much depressed by it sometimes? 

Let us exercise our reason, and we shall be strengthened.

Seasons 2.45