Below is the first of a two part devotion I wrote a few years back. I need to share this again today and tomorrow. Though I disagree with most of his writings, Herbert Spencer, philosopher of the 19th century, writes of this peculiar habit of elephants:
It is said that the elephant before drinking in the water, troubles the water with his feet in order that he may not see his own deformity. This applies especially to old elephants with hollow eyes, pale, cheeks and a wrinkled front.” Perhaps that illustrates the reason that many refuse to read the Holy Scriptures – they do not desire to be reminded of the filthy rags they wear in presumption of their false righteousness.
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HEREFORE lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:21-25)
There is some evidence to suggest the Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, which they gathered from the folk of the mountains and hidden valleys of old Europe, were actually Gospel accounts veiled in a fictional setting to protect those who shared them for centuries. This could have been so since the Roman Papacy forbade the Bible to the common folk. One such tale is Sleeping Beauty which is very similar to the Church age in which we now live. The Church sleeps behind hedge and wall unaware of the Coming Prince whose kiss shall awaken her. Another is that Cinderella who was the true church, outcast by the false church system (step mother) but whose foot was the only foot for which the glass slipper could be worn. But the Fairy Tale of Grimms that best compares to today’s devotion is that of Snow White. I will not greatly detail the story for it is such common knowledge that the details will not be necessary.
To summarize, when Snow White’s father, the King, died, she was left in the care of her evil stepmother the Queen. The Queen was a vain and wicked woman. Each day she would peer into a magic Mirror (our Bible), which never lied, and ask, Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, whose the fairest of them all. To which the Mirror would respond, Thou art fairest, O Queen. But as Snow white grew to the age of seven, the Queen suddenly got a different response for Snow White had grown disarmingly beautiful. When the Queen asks her question, the Mirror answered that, though the Queen was beautiful, Snow white was a thousand times more beautiful. This aroused the rage of the Stepmother (False Church) and she had a hunter take Snow white into the forest for the purpose of killing her and bringing back her lungs and liver for the Queen to consume. The hunter instead killed a wild boar and brought the lungs and liver to the evil Queen which she ate. Snow White is comparable to the Church of Christ in its purity and beauty. The Queen represents the false church that survives to our day and grows stronger as the warp of time endures before the Return of Her King.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (Rev 12:5-6) Snow White takes shelter with the Seven Dwarfs (the Seven Churches of Revelations) who care for her and protect her. Discovering the whereabouts of Snow White, the Evil Queen disguises herself as a peddler and gives to Snow white a poisoned apple (the apple is good, but poison has been added). This may represent the false doctrine of the modern church and the additions and deletions made by apostate Bible versions of our day. There is meat in the false versions but, unfortunately combined with poison which kills the believer’s faith.
The protective dwarfs have warned Snow White not to allow anyone to enter the cottage while they are away. 1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim 3:1-7)
The Evil Queen, disguised as a farmer’s wife, offers Snow White the half-poisoned apple. Snow White hesitates, but the evil Queen then bites from the non-poisoned side and gives the red half to Snow White. The Red Apple also represents pure biblical doctrine; however, when doctrine is contaminated with the ‘Leaven of the Pharisees’ it becomes poison. This is true of Bible versions that change the meaning of Scripture and add to, and subtract from, the Word of God. Even though we perish, we are covered by the Red Blood of Christ’s sacrifice. Snow White bites from the apple and drops to the ground immediately – apparently dead. The dwarfs place her in a glass coffin because of her beauty. The true Church has nothing to hide but all of which to boast in the Gospel. One day, a handsome young prince (Jesus Christ) spots Snow White in the glass coffin and comes to her. He strides to her coffin and, enchanted by her beauty, instantly falls in love with her. The dwarfs succumb to his entreaties to let him have Snow White. The moment he lifts the coffin to carry it away, the piece of poisoned apple falls from between her lips, and Snow White awakens, saying, “Where am I?” The Prince then declares his love for her, and soon a wedding is planned. Snow White and the Prince invite everyone to come to their wedding party, including Snow White's stepmother. Meanwhile, the Queen, still believing that Snow White is dead, again asks her magical mirror who is the fairest in the land. The mirror says: “Thou, lady, art loveliest here, I ween; But lovelier far is the new-made Queen”
The day will come when Christ shall come to claim His Bride the Church which may be sleeping as a result of poisoned doctrine. The Evil Queen (False Church) observes the Wedding of Snow White and the Prince at which sight she drops dead. The false church will be likewise destroyed at Christ’s coming along with their phony mirrors (bibles).
So what does all of this have to do with the Bible and the Mirror? The Bible is a Mirror into the very depth and essence of our soul. If we behold ourselves in vanity and wicked disposition, the image we see shall be as distorted as was that of the wicked Queen.
The Holy Bible is full of such mirror images that demonstrate truth – truth that is sometimes not welcome, but truth nonetheless. Remember the account of David and Bathsheba. David slept with the wife of Uriah, he had Uriah killed to cover his own sin, and then took Bathsheba to wife. He felt no guilt once the evidence of his transgression was destroyed. However, a ‘merchant of mirrors’, the Prophet Nathan, comes to David with what might appear a child’s story of a poor man, a precious little lamb, and a greedy man of wealth. 1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. (2 Sam 12:1-7)
The Word of God is of paramount importance to the Christian – more so than any government constitution such as the US Constitution; but suppose we ask the Library of Congress to print copies of the US Constitution and to destroy the old copies. When the new copies were inspected, the print was excellent. The format was appealing – only the First Amendment had been omitted. Would this not render the other parts of the Constitution sterile? Or suppose only ONE word had been omitted from the First Amendment so that it read, Congress shall make (Omitted word, NO) law respecting the establishment of religion and prohibiting the free exercise thereof. You need not be an English major to spot the enormous error of that omission. But men and women of faith seem absolutely oblivious to violations of God’s Holy Word in the changes being foisted upon them by these specious versions of our time. The rampant sin in society is witness of that ruin.
Without even citing the omissions and deletions that they contain (they are legion), let us examine just two verses. When Isaac asked Abraham where is the lamb for a burnt offering? (Gen 22:7) What did Abraham reply? My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. (Gen 22:8) What does Abraham say God will do? He will provide HIMSELF a Lamb (the Lamb of God) for the offering! What do the new phony bibles say? God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son. (Gen 22:8 NIV) How dare the filthy feet of man corrupt the Waters of God Word so much. This removes Christ from the equation of the Lamb of Sacrifice. Let us look at one more serious example (they are all serious): For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) This conforms to our Creeds and the veracity of the Son of God as completely different in His Holiness to us. Begotten means of the same substance! But see how slyly the NIV changes that Holiness of Christ! For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV) Jesus is not simply a SON of God, but the only BEGOTTEN Son. We, too, are sons and daughters but only by adoption. He is of the same substance with the Father. The new versions intentionally distort that fact. God does not lie by saying one and only Son.
I would ten times rather behold my ugly visage in a true mirror than a distorted and false image in a warped mirror. How about you, friends?
