10. The First Mention Principle

CHAPTER TEN The First Mention Principle a. Definition.

1. That principle by which God indicates in the first mention of a subject, the truth with which that subject stands connected in the mind of God.

(a) Newton said, "I find in Scripture this principle of interpretation, which I believe, if conscientiously adopted, will serve as an unfailing guide to what was in the mind of God. This is the keystone of the whole matter."

(b) Dr. A. T. Pierson – "This is a law we have long since noted, and have never yet found it to fail. The first occurrence of a word, expression, or utterance, is the key to its subsequent meaning, or it will be a guide to ascertaining the essential truth connected with it."

(c) The first time a thing is mentioned in Scripture it carries with it a meaning that will be carried all through the Word of God. We find 13 in Scripture used in connection with rebellion. All through Scripture 13 is a number that has in it the note of rebellion against God. It foreshadows apostasy.

(d) There is only one speaker throughout all Scripture, although there are many mouths. Only one providing, governing, controlling mind – Hebrews 1:1. God spake through "holy men of old" in the past, but in these days He speaks through His Son. No matter when, where, or how, the message is given, God is the speaker, and since there is only one speaker, and since that speaker knows from the beginning what He is going to say, He can so shape the first utterances as to forecast everything that is to follow. He is able to do that. b. Examples.

1. The subtlety of Satan –Genesis 3:1. This is the first time the serpent is mentioned, and the characteristic mentioned is subtlety. All through the Book you will find Satan to be subtle. Expect subtlety every time you meet him – 2 Corinthians 11:3. In the beginning he attacked Eve. In Matthew 4 we see him testing the Lord.

(a) The basis for the first testing is hunger. This is a most exasperating thing. Jesus had been in the wilderness forty days, and before He had gone into the wilderness at the baptism, God had spoken and said, ’This is my beloved Son." Now He had been forty days without food, and Satan comes and says, "If thou art the Son." This is a subtle insinuation. "Did you really hear that voice from heaven? If you were the Son of God you would not suffer here forty days and nights. Do you mean to tell me that God would permit His Son to go hungry?"

(1) Hunger is the most innocent and necessary of human desires. Man never gets hungry because of sin. Before the fall, man needed food. Hunger is a fulfillment of the divine plan. Man must have food to live. Hunger is a God-created sense, and to feed it is to satisfy His purpose. God intends that a hungry man should eat.

(2) Satan knew when to come. He was subtle in his coming and in his insinuations – "I don’t ask you to do anything wrong, but if you are the Son of God, and if it is all true, then you can get yourself some food." Here is the serpent’s subtlety. It is not a sin to satisfy a legitimate craving, but it is a sin to satisfy it in the wrong way. So he suggested two things. Prove you are the Son of God, and satisfy your hunger.

(3) Jesus Christ quoted the Word of God, because the Word of God gives the will of God. He was dependent upon God because He came as a man. He did not perform a miracle to save Himself, because God had sent Him and He was dependent upon God – "It is written."

(b) Second testing – at the temple. Satan can also quote Scripture. "I wouldn’t bring you to a holy place like this and tempt you to do evil. Come to the top of the temple. Now cast yourself down. For it is written, angels will have charge over thee. You profess you are the Man who is going to live by the Word, then throw yourself down." But Christ came back with, "It is written."

(c) Third testing – kingdoms of the world. Here was the glory of Greece, the pomp of Rome, and all the islands of the sea. "They are all mine, and I will give them to you if you will worship me. Why did you come into the world? Didn’t you come so that you could have the whole world as a possession? All you have to do (it won’t take a minute) is worship me. No Gethsemane, no spitting in your face, no crown of thorns, no nails in your body, no agony. Just a minute, bow down and worship me." All this did belong to Satan. He is the prince of this world and the god of this age. But Jesus said, "I will take the long road to the cross, and the kingdom of God will be established." There is nothing more subtle in the Word of God than Satan’s attack on the Lord Jesus, and this is indicated in the first mention of him, the serpent.

2. The business of Satan.

(a) This is indicated in the first words recorded. "Yea, hath God said" – Genesis 3:1. This is direct opposition to the Word of God, and Satan’s business is opposing the Word. The special sphere of Satan’s activities is not criminal nor immoral, but his sphere is the religious. He is busy in that sphere where the Word of God is attacked. He questions and contradicts the Word of God.

(b) His first words in the Old Testament were, "Yea, hath God said?" And in the New Testament he says to the Lord Jesus, "If thou be the Son of God." He questions the spoken word of God from heaven. Satan’s sphere of influence is not in the police court, not in the theater, nor on the stage. Look behind the pulpit and listen to the sermon. False leaching is a denial of the Word of God, and will be preached in Satan’s subtle way. When you find a man denying the Word, there is the mark of the serpent. Don’t blame the devil for the things of the world and the flesh. When a saint slips and becomes intoxicated, people blame it on the devil, but it is a work of the flesh. When another saint goes to the theater, they blame it on the devil; but that is the fault of the world. But when you find a professor or preacher denying the Word, that is the fault of the devil. A modernistic sermon could be preached in four words, "Yea, hath God said?" It could also be preached in one word, "If."

3. The keynote of Christ’s ministry.

(a) The first words recorded of Jesus were, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?" – Luke 2:49. No speech of Jesus Christ’s is recorded until He was twelve years of age. Nothing He had uttered as a child was so significant. Nothing could be more simple or beautiful, or more complete and prophetic than this statement of His mission on earth. When they nailed Him to the cross, the last words He said were, "It is finished." His whole life was given to the Father’s business. "Behold I come to do thy will, O God."

(b) When He entered upon His ministry the first thing He said was, "It is written." He said this three times; and His whole ministry was according to the Word of God.

4. Faith –Genesis 15:6.

"Abraham believed God and He counted it to him for righteousness." This is a principle which pervades the whole Book. Righteousness is always counted to a man on the basis of faith, and the principle is stated in the first occurrence of these three words. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done," ­nor "by the deeds of the law," but if you are righteous today it is because you are counted righteousness by God on the basis of faith.

5. Holiness –Genesis 2:3.

What does it mean? Go back to this first reference and see – (Set apart).

6. Spirit of God –Genesis 1:2.

"Moved" means "brooded," as a bird broods over a nest of eggs. It is translated "moved" because when a hen broods over her eggs, there is a constant movement in the breast of the hen which creates heat. The hen broods to bring life out of death, to bring light out of darkness. So the Spirit broods to bring life and order out of chaos. The Spirit of God is called the brooding dove. He broods over the chaos of the sinner’s life. As the Spirit brooded over ruined creation, so He broods over the ruined creatures. He broods and moves over every sinner saved, Luke 1:35. Under the divine brooding of the Spirit the miraculous birth of Christ takes place. He broods over us to give life. He brings life out of darkness.

7. The Son of Man –Psalms 8:4.

"Thou hast put all things under his feet" – Has to do with dominion over the earth and universal dominion under God’s hand. Do not confuse the title, Son of Man, with a son of man. Ezekiel was a son of man, but Christ is the only, "the Son of Man." Hebrews 2 is a divine commentary on Psalms 8. First mention in New Testament is Matthew 8:20. It is a title never found in the Church Epistles. It is not a title that has to do with a Church relationship, but with a Kingdom relationship. It has to do with the world’s relationship with Christ, and His rule over the earth.

8. The Day of the lord –Isaiah 2:11-12. Revelation is the book of the Day.

(a) There are a number of days in Scripture, but not all are twenty-four hours in length. Today is the day of man, and at the end of this period called the Day of Man, the Church will be caught up with the Lord in the air. The Day of the Lord signifies the abasement of man and the exaltation of God. Today is a day in which man is exalted. He is IT. Apparently God has handed things over to man, and taken His hands off. In this day God is not called the Lord of all the earth, as in other periods, but He is called the God of Heaven. Apparently He has decided to permit man to see what he can do in the way of rule and religion. Man certainly has made a mess of things. Nobody knows .what is going to happen tomorrow. Man bars God out.

(b) There are four great days in Scripture.

(1) Day of man – 1 Corinthians 4:3 – exaltation of man – present day.

(2) Day of Christ – Php 2:16 – when the church is in the air.

(3) Day of the Lord – Isaiah 2:11-12 – takes a large place in Scripture – Millennium.

(4) Day of God – 2 Peter 3:12.

(e) The Day of the Lord will be a day when man will be abased, and the Lord will be exalted. The book of Revelation gives a panorama of the events which take place in the Day of the Lord. In the first chapter of Revelation John says he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. This does not mean the first day of the week, hut that by the Spirit, he was carried out into the Day of the Lord – Joel 2:1-11; Joel 2:28-32; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:15-18.

9. The city of Jerusalem.Judges 1:7-8.

Here is the first time Jerusalem is mentioned as a city. "The men of Judah smote it with the edge of the sword and set it on fire." We have the history of the city of Jerusalem right there. It is a picture of the city’s future in miniature, and an epitome of all its subsequent history. Jerusalem was besieged twenty-seven times, and burned three times.

10. Babylon – Genesis 11. The first mention of Babylon shows that it began with rebellion against God. "The times of the Gentiles" began with a king in Babylon. It was always rebellious against God ~ It was an idolatrous place. In Revelation 17 we see that it was a place of idolatry. That is why it is called a harlot and mother of harlots. It will be the seat of the anti -Christ. Idolatry is a satanic system which was introduced by Babylon. It was built by Nimrod – (Genesis 10:10), the rebel against God. The motive was self-glory, and it always means self-glory. Babylon is a Greek form. Invariably, in the Old Testament, the word is simply Babel, the meaning of which is con fusion, and in this sense the word is used symbolically. It is about an imitation. It was made of bricks instead of stone, and put together with slime instead of mortar. It will be in the future a mock kingdom with a mock ruler. The motive back of the building was self-glory, rather than the glory of God. What you find in Genesis concerning Babylon is true of Babylon all through the Word of God. Idolatry is a system introduced into the world by Satan at Babylon through the person of Nimrod.