In November 1986, Wayne Jackson, the editor of the Christian Courier, began a column in that paper entitled "Notes From the Margin of My Bible." The entry copied below was the first of these columns. They are short yet insightful articles which I will continue to reproduce as I come across them. They were published by the Church of Christ in Stockton, California.
For almost a third of a century I have had the habit of marking my Bible. I underline phrases, circle words, draw arrows and make a variety of helpful notations. For a long time I have thought about doing an occasional article entitled, "Notes From the Margin of My Bible." This is the first of such efforts.
In Genesis 1:14, Moses indicated that the luminaries of heaven were made for, "signs and for seasons and for days and years." I have circle the terms "days" and "years," thus calling attention to the Mosaic distinction between these two words in this creation context. Such a notation reminds me that this is clear evidence against the modern notion that the "days" of Genesis 1 are mere symbols for vast ages of time involving millions of years (a view designed to accommodate evolutionary chronology). Moses knew the difference between days and years!
God once said, "I will harden Pharaoh's heart" (Exodus 7:3). This is a difficult verse by itself yet in the margin write: (See 7:13, 22; 8:15; 9:34; 10:20). A comparison of these passages reveals that Jehovah did not arbitrarily harden the king's heart. Rather, several factors were involved. The Lord made demands upon Pharaoh that went against the monarch's selfish interests, hence in that sense God hardened his heart. On the other hand, the king resisted yielding to the divine command, thus, he hardened his own heart! The Egyptian magicians, by attempting to duplicate Moses' signs, added to Pharaoh's confusion. All of these considerations demonstrate that the evil ruler was responsible for his own conduct. He was not the victim of a capricious God!
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