Catford Lectures 2007-2008
Auteur
Conference, Catford Lectures
Dronsfield, Paul
Hardt, Michael
Poots, Andrew
Warnes, Graham
Brown, Ernest
Fleet, Nick
Hawes, Geoff
Remmers, Arend
Dronsfield, Paul
Hardt, Michael
Poots, Andrew
Warnes, Graham
Brown, Ernest
Fleet, Nick
Hawes, Geoff
Remmers, Arend
Publié
26.03.2012
Lieu
Date
01.11.2007
ID
ccl002
Langue
EN
Durée totale
09:49:30
Nombre
12
Références bibliques
inconnu
Description
- Abraham and victory through faith (P.Dronsfield)
- Discipleship - watching, waiting and working (A.Poots)
- Genesis 8 and new creation (M.Hardt)
- Kindness (G.Warnes)
- Old Testament types of the Lord Jesus Christ (G.Hawes)
- Reasons why the Lord is in Heaven (E.Brown)
- The arm of the Lord (D.Cooper)
- The Inspiration of the Bible and Bible study (N.Fleet)
- The man with the ink horn (E.Cross)
- The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the present age of grace (B.Price)
- The old man and the new man (A.Remmers)
- The veil, that is to say, His flesh (S.Attwood)
Transcription automatique:
…
...concerning Abraham and his victories in faith.
Perhaps we could begin at the end of chapter 13, Genesis 13, verse 18.
Then Abraham removed his tent and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron,
and bought there an altar unto the Lord.
And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel, king of Shinar, Ariok, king of Eleazar,
Chedralonia, king of Elam, and Tidal, king of nations,
that these made war with Bera, king of Sodom, and with Bersha, king of Gomorrah,
Shinab, king of Admar, and Shenemba, king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, which is Zohar.
All these were joined together in the Vale of Sidon, which is the Salt Sea.
Twelve years they served Chedda-leroma, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
And in the fourteenth year came Chedda-leroma, and the kings were with him,
and smoked the Rephaims in Ashteroth, Carnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham,
and the Emims in Sheva, Curathaim, and the Horites in their mount Seir,
unto Elpharan, which is by the wilderness.
And they returned, and came to Enmishfat, which is Kadesh,
and smoked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites,
that dwelt in Haziotzon, Tamer.
And they went out, the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah,
and the king of Admar, and the king of Zeboim, and the king of Bela, the same as Zohar,
and they joined battle with them in the Vale of Sidon.
And Chedda-leroma, the king of Elam, and with Tydal, king of nations,
and Amraphel, king of Shina, and Ariok, king of Elasa, four kings with five.
And the Vale of Sidon was full of slime pits,
and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there,
and they that remained fled to the mountains.
And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah,
and all their victuals, and went their way.
And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom,
and his goods, and departed.
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew,
for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, the Amorite,
brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner,
and these were confederate with Abram.
And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive,
he armed his trained servants to a room in his own house,
three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night,
and smote them, and pursued them unto Hoba,
which is on the left hand of Damascus.
And he brought back all the goods,
and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods,
and the women also, and the people.
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him,
after his return from the slaughter of Chedorah Lona,
and of the kings that were with him at the valley of Sheba,
which is the king's dale.
And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine,
and he was the priest of the Most High God.
And he blessed him, and said,
Blessed be Abram, of the Most High God,
possessor of heaven and earth.
And blessed be the Most High God,
which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hands.
And he gave him tithes of all.
And the king of Sodom said unto Abram,
Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
And Abram said to the king of Sodom,
I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord,
the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
that I will not take from a thread,
even to a shoelatch it,
and that I will not take anything that is thine,
lest thou should say, I have made Abram rich.
Save only that which the young men have eaten,
and the portion of the men which went with me,
Anah, Eshgal, and Mamre,
let them take their portion.
I'll just read the first verse of chapter 15.
After these things the word of the Lord
came unto Abram in a vision,
saying, Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield,
and thy exceeding great reward.
We see Abram here in this chapter
overcoming, victoriously,
steadfast in faith.
In the first half of the chapter
we see him as a conqueror
because he conquers his enemies
and they are vanquished by him
and they rise up no more.
That is to be a conqueror.
But in the latter part of the chapter
we see him as an overcomer
when the king of Sodom,
that corrupt and evil king
comes to him
and by offering him these goods
which belong to Sodom
would have set him in a wrong course
from that path of faith
that he had been treading
if he had accepted them.
But Abraham, he withstands against that
and he, by faith, stands firm
and he does not fall to that temptation.
And in doing so we see Abraham
as an overcomer by faith.
Now, the day will come
when we will be associated
with the Lord Jesus
when he comes to this earth
as a conqueror.
We find that in Revelation 19.
He comes with the armies of heaven,
the armies in heaven.
And he comes on a great white horse
with that name upon his thigh,
King of Kings, Lord of Lords.
And all the enemies are put down
and he is a conqueror,
his saints with him.
But in this present day
the Lord would have us to be overcomers.
And in a sense,
perhaps this is what Paul meant
when he said in Romans 8
regarding all the things
that were against the people of God
at the end of that chapter.
Yet he could say
in all these things
we are more than conquerors
through him that loved us.
And perhaps to be an overcomer,
to stand fast,
the enemies don't go away
but we in faith do not fall to them.
We stand fast in the strength
that the Lord gives
and through faith in him.
And to do so
would make us more than a conqueror.
But I'd like to look at those enemies
that are against us
and we find perhaps a figure of them
in the latter part of the chapter
with the King of Sodom
coming to Abraham.
Abraham, his inheritance
was an earthly inheritance
that had been promised.
Everything that Abraham was given
or promised by God
was bound up with a Christ on earth.
That's what Abraham was looking for.
Our inheritance, our blessing, our hope
is all bound up with a Christ in heaven.
So Abraham's enemies were flesh and blood.
But we read in Ephesians chapter 6
that the enemies that assail us
they are not flesh and blood.
I'll just read it.
Ephesians 6, verse 12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood
but against principalities, against powers
against the rules of the darkness of this world
against spiritual wickedness
in high places or in the heavenlies.
And so our enemies
or we read of three of them in the scriptures
the world
Satan
and also the flesh is another enemy.
And we get in verse
we get in verse 21
of our chapter 14
it says
The King of Sodom said unto Abraham
Give me the persons and take the goods to thyself.
Now in that verse there is an allusion to all three enemies.
Sodom which was speaker of the world
a corrupt city
which had its corrupt king
a city which had overturned God's order
both moral and creatorial
and was pursuing its own course away from God
according to its own light
in rebellion against God
and Sodom would speak to our hearts of this world
the world which Satan rules over
and the world in which the flesh
governed by sin
that principle of lawlessness which governs the flesh
is seen where man is put at the center of things
and Christ is given either a secondary
or no place at all
but God
he would have the Lord Jesus his son
have the permanence in all things
this is the place that God would give his son
but man says no we want that place
and as a result we get this administration
this order which is really a disorder
of lawlessness against God
and this is what marks Sodom
and then we get the king of Sodom
Satan
and Satan is another enemy
we read in the first epistle of Peter
that he warns us against Satan your adversary
goeth about as a roaring and a raging lion
seeking whom he may devour
Satan who himself wants the place
that Christ alone can have
he wants to be worshipped
he has set his throne
or he sought to set his throne above the heavens
that place that only Christ can occupy
that's the place that Satan wanted
therefore he is the enemy of God
and therefore the enemy of the people of God
and he too is set against us
in our desire to be faithful
and then we get implied
in what the king of Sodom says to Abraham
we get the flesh
because the king of Sodom says
give me the persons
and take the goods to thyself
Satan would maintain his power
over the souls of men
the king of Sodom says
give me the persons or the souls
I want those
but you, I'd like you to have the goods of Sodom
because Satan would seek
through appealing to the flesh
that nature within us
which we've inherited from Adam
which is corrupt
which Paul could say
in me, that is in my flesh
good doth not dwell
and we read in Romans 8
concerning the carnal mind
that enmity against God
that's the fleshly mind
verse 7
because the carnal or fleshly mind
is enmity against God
for it is not subject to the law of God
neither indeed can be
so then, they that are in the flesh
cannot please God
but ye are not in the flesh
but in the spirit
if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you
now if any man have not the spirit of Christ
he is none of his
and so Satan would say to us
think about yourself
have yourself as the object
and look at all the lovely things
there are in this world
that you can be occupied with
and in doing so
he would try to turn us aside
from faithfulness
and then he would be able to quench
the testimony of the gospel
in our lives
and he will hold on as it were
to the souls that he wants so much
in this world
his prisoners
we read in Isaiah 14
concerning Lucifer
that he is not willing to open the door of his prison
to let his prisoners out
but thanks to God
that he is the one
through the Lord Jesus Christ
who has defeated Satan
and we read of in Hebrews 2
that Satan is in fact a conquered foe
Hebrews 2 verse 14
for as much then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood
he also himself likewise
took part of the same
that through death he might destroy him
that have the power of death
that is the devil
and deliver them who through fear of death
all their lifetime subject to bondage
so we were once captives to Satan
but the Lord Jesus has delivered us
through the truth concerning himself
as our saviour
and indeed every captive that he takes from Satan
he does so through
revealing this truth to their hearts
and faith in him
and that deliverance
repentance towards God
and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ
so we have the enemies
arranged against us
and in Christ there is the answer
to overcome those enemies
whether it is Satan
whether it is the world
whether it is the flesh
we get the man don't we
in Romans 7
and he is a wretched man
he wants to please God
he is I believe a child of God
he is truly born of God
but he finds within himself
he has not got the power
to do the things which he wants to do
and at the end of that chapter he cries
out in his wretchedness
a wretched man that I am
who shall deliver me from this body of death
and then the answer comes in verse 25
he looks away from himself
he looks up to heaven
where Christ sits in glory
and he says I thank God
through Jesus Christ our Lord
there is the answer
and he receives it in faith
so now his strength
he no longer seeks strength
to resist the flesh in himself
in his own strength
but he receives it from the one who has overcome
and sat down upon his father's throne
who has put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself
and he through the power of the Holy Spirit
now walks not according to the flesh
but he walks in a way which is pleasing to God
well I would like to look at
Abraham's faithfulness to God
and also later on with Melchizedek
God's faithfulness to Abraham
which underpins everything
Abraham's faithfulness to God
can be seen in the tent
in the previous chapter
and in the altar
now the tent
spoke of Abraham's separation
from the land in which he was in
he wanted no part of it
he walked separate from it
he would be given it
in God's time
when God gave it to him
and until that time
he didn't want any of it
he wanted no part of it
and so he did not live in a city
he did not settle down
his separation was shown
because he lived in a tent
and in Hebrews chapter 11
we read of him in verse 8
by faith Abraham
when he was called to go out
into a place which he should after receive
from inheritance obeyed
and he went out not knowing
whether he went
by faith he sojourned
in the land of promise
as in a strange country
dwelling in tents
with Isaac and Jacob
the heirs with him of the same promise
for he looked for a city
which hath foundations
whose builder and maker is God
and in verse 13
the Israel died in faith
not having received the promises
but having seen them afar off
and were persuaded of them
and embraced them
and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth
the tent was the outward evidence
of Abraham's position
his confession that he was a pilgrim
in the earth
because he had something so much better
it was not that he
sacrificed these things
he wanted them really
but he wouldn't have them
he would abstain from them
no he had something so much better
that he no longer wanted these things
because Stephen tells us
in his address to
just before he was martyred
that the God of glory
appeared unto our father Abraham
Abraham had seen the God of glory
and so the glory of the cities around him
they were dim in comparison with that
and he didn't want them
and he pursued that course
because his heart
had been as it were
captivated by God
and a moral transformation
had taken place in his heart
God had transformed him morally
and now he would tread that path of faith
separate from the world around him
pursuing a course which
and he would never have those things
in his lifetime
he died in faith
but that made no difference to him
because God had promised them
and so he knew that
that promise would be fulfilled
whether in his lifetime
or later on
that was irrelevant
but it was God himself
whom he pursued
that was his object
and it was the things that God had promised him
that he wanted
because God had promised them
and he loved God
and the altar would speak of that
if the tent would speak of
Abraham's separation from the world
the altar would speak of
Abraham drawing near to God
because the altar
it speaks of
approach to
and acceptance by God
it is the ground as it were
of that approach and acceptance
and I think last month
we had that thought
brought before us in the altar
in that scripture in Matthew
where it says that the
the gift is sanctified by the altar
because the altar speaks of Christ himself
and the life and death of Christ
Christ offered up to God
in life or in death
had all his value in the sight of God
because of who he was
and so the gift, the sacrifice
is sanctified by the altar
this is the basis as it were
from which
the work of Christ was so pleasing
in the sight of God
because of the one
who offered himself to God
the greatness of his person
in Exodus 20 there are instructions
by God as to these altars
and if we could just turn to Exodus 20
we read there of an altar made of earth
verse 24 of chapter 20
an altar of earth shalt thou make unto me
and shalt sacrifice thereon
thy burnt offerings, thy peace offerings
thy sheep and thine oxen
in all places where I record my name
and I will come unto thee
and I will bless thee
and if thou make me an altar of stone
thou shalt not build it of humestone
for if thou lift up thy tool upon it
thou hast polluted it
neither shalt thou go up thy steps
unto my altar
that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon
so we get an altar of earth
and that would speak to us
again of the person of Christ
but as to his humanity
earth
the name Adam means earth
and the Lord Jesus is the last Adam
he became a man
he took a place
he took a place in a foreign order
of things
although he himself
was not part of that order
but he took a place in it
because he is the man out of heaven
he could say to those who opposed him
when he was upon earth
ye are from beneath
I am from above
ye are of this world
I am not of this world
but he was a true man
he was a true man
but all that we see in him
as he walked through this earth
that lovely moral character of holiness
that we see in him
he took all his character
from who he was
he was God
and so the altar of earth
would speak of his humanity
and we read again in Hebrews
chapter 10
verse 4
it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats
should take away sins
wherefore when he cometh into the world
he says sacrifice and offering
thou wouldst not
but a body hast thou prepared me
in burnt offerings
and sacrifices for sin
thou hast had no pleasure
then said I
lo I come
in the volume of the book
it is written of me
to do thy will O God
above when he said sacrifice and offering
and burnt offering
offering for sin
thou wouldst not
neither hadst pleasure therein
which are offered by the law
then said he
lo I come
to do thy will O God
he taketh away the first
that he may establish the second
by the which will
we are sanctified
through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all
so these sacrifices
that were to be offered up
on this altar of earth
spoke of the Lord Jesus
and his holy humanity
coming into this world as a man
in order that he might die
in order that he might taste the death for everything
that he might offer up himself to God
as that mighty sacrifice
and all these sacrifices speak of him
in one way or another
as he offers himself up to God
now the altar of stone
if earth
if the earth
altar of earth speaks of his humanity
then surely the altar of stone
would speak of his deity
because stone is something permanent
in becoming a man
he became that which he was not before
but the altar of stone
would speak of something fixed
which does not move
and this is the name of the Lord Jesus
the same
we find that name in Psalm 102
thou art the same
that is a name of God
it's the name of Christ
he is called the same
because he is the unchanging one
he is God
and regarding this altar
no tool must come upon it
man mustn't lift up a tool on it
mustn't shape those stones
because if we are to know God
if we are to know Christ
if we are to know the Father
it can only be
in the revelation that he gives of himself
it cannot be
after the devisings of our own mind
or imagination
it is only in the word
that we find the truth
of the revelation of God
in Christ
he himself is that revelation
no man has seen God
at any time
the only begotten
who is in the bosom of the Father
he hath declared him
and so in Christ
we get the full revelation of God
and we must not interfere
or intrude in any way
our own thoughts
upon that
we must receive it
as the Holy Spirit
would give it to us in his word
because he would have us to be
in the full knowledge of these things
and in the full enjoyment of them
even though we cannot
we cannot
as it were
work out that mystery
but we can receive it by faith
and not seek in any way
to intrude upon it
and then no steps
were to go up to the altar
because
there must be no
self-exaltation by men
in the presence of God
even if it is on that first step
that little first step
there must be no degree
of exaltation before God
because Christ alone
must have that place
none other can share it
and so there must be no steps
God says
up to my altar
Peter
he suggested in a way
that there should be steps
when he said
let us make three tabernacles
one for thee
one for Moses
one for Elias
and then God spoke from heaven
this is my beloved son
hear him
God would not have any
as it were
to be brought alongside his son
he must have the chief place
and the only place
he must have the
place of preeminence
now
you can't have
a tent without an altar
the two must go together
otherwise the tent would just be
an outward
formality, conformity
Sodom
he had a tent
but he didn't have an altar
and very quickly he lost his tent
or he gave up his tent
and he lost his pilgrim character altogether
and settled down in Sodom
there must be
the tent must be the result
of the altar as it were
our separation from this world
must be a result
of our joy near to God
and our desire to be in communion with him
and then
we have in the latter part of the chapter
God's faithfulness to Abraham
before the king of Sodom
comes to Abraham
God has caused him
to be met by another king
who strengthens his hand
and by whom
he can stand firm
through his ministry
this Melchizedek
who we read in Hebrews
is interpreted
king of righteousness
king of peace
now I'd like to look at Melchizedek
just briefly
because he speaks so wonderful
of the Lord Jesus
first of all
the person of Melchizedek
and if we turn to Hebrews
chapter
7
and verse 3
we read of Melchizedek
he was without father
without mother
without descent
having neither beginning
of days nor end of life
but made like unto the Son of God
he abideth a priest continually
now consider how great this man was
unto whom even the patriarch Abraham
gave the tenth of the spoils
and so Melchizedek
we don't read of his genealogy
we don't read of his death
why?
because he is taken up
to be a type of the Lord Jesus
who had no beginning
and has no end
he is God
and he is the great I Am
the one whose existence is in himself
equal with the Father
how great this man was
and he combined
two offices
he was both a king and a priest
we don't read of any man
in the whole scriptures
who is both a king and a priest
we get sometimes
a king and a priest put together
in a certain context
for instance with Ezra
Joshua the high priest
the rabble
who was of the royal line
but never is the office
combined in one man
but in Melchizedek it was
because he speaks of Christ
both king and priest
and
with a king
or anyone who has office
the office is that which gives him
his glory
with a mere man
that's true isn't it
if a king was stripped of his kingship
he would be just like you and I
he would have no more glory anymore
but with the Lord Jesus
when he is given an office
he gives glory to the office
because of the greatness of his person
and we read that
in regard to him being a king
in Psalm chapter 2
God says concerning his king
yet have I set my king
upon my holy hill of Zion
I will declare the decree
the Lord has said unto me
thou art my son
this day have I begotten thee
and again in Hebrews
Hebrews 5 and verse 5
we read of his office
as a priest
that he has been given
by God
chapter 5 and verse 5
it says
so also
verse 4
no man taketh his arm unto himself
but he that is called of God
as was Aaron
so also Christ glorified not himself
to have made him high priest
but he that said unto him
thou art my son
this day have I begotten thee
so both as king and as priest
he has those offices
because of the greatness of his person
he is God's son
and the glory of his priesthood
and his kingship
if there is such a word
is because of who he is
he gives glory to that office
and then we read of the order
of the Melchizedek priesthood
in Hebrews 7
it's not after the order of Aaron
it's a new order of priesthood
we might say that the Lord's priesthood
is after the pattern
of the Aaronic priesthood
because Aaron
is taken as a pattern
and his ministry
and the garments he wears
they all set forth
a picture of the glory of Christ
and the ministry that he undertakes
in the holy place
on our behalf
for us
it's all after that pattern
but the Aaronic order
could not speak of the Lord's order
of priesthood
and so this Melchizedek priesthood
had to be introduced to us
so that we might know
what that order was
and the order of the Aaronic priesthood
we read in chapter 7
was one that was constituted
under law
so it could never
bring perfection
in other words
it could never bring completion
it could never complete the purpose
and the counsel of God
under that order of things
under that order of law
there had to be another order brought in
and that order
comes under a new covenant
we read in this chapter
that the Lord is surety
of a better covenant
a new testament
and that is the covenant of grace
and the Lord's priesthood
comes under that covenant
he is the guarantee
of all the promises
that God has given us in grace
that new covenant
not made with us
no, made with Israel
but we come under the blessing of it
and all the promises we have
are on as it were the basis
of that covenant
that covenant of grace
and the Lord Jesus
his order of priesthood
is according to that order
that covenant of grace
and of course
the Aaronic priesthood
as we read in this chapter
they could not continue
because of reason of death
and that's all that can be brought
under the law
it ends in death
but the Lord Jesus
he was made a priest
we read according to the power
of an endless life
and so he is a priest forever
his priesthood
will not be given to another
he is a priest forever
that's the order of his priesthood
it is an eternal priesthood
and then finally
the ministry of Melchizedek
he came forth
and gave Abram
bread and wine
now
the ministry of Aaron
is taken up in Hebrews
as a picture of the Lord's
present ministry for us
if I can just read that
in Hebrews 9
Hebrews 9
verse 11
but Christ being come
and high priest of good things to come
by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle
not made with hands
that is to say
not of this building
neither by the blood of goats
and calves
but by his own blood
he entered in once
into the holy place
having obtained
eternal redemption for us
and then again
down the chapter
verse 25
for Christ has not entered
into the holy places
made with hands
which are the figures of the true
but entered heaven itself
now to appear
in the presence of God
for us
so
God's present ministry
towards his people
his priestly ministry
is after the pattern
of the Aaronic ministry
he has gone in
to the holy place
to intercede
but the Melchizedek ministry
is that he goes out
he comes out
in blessing
and that ministry will be seen
primarily
in the millennial reign
of Christ
when all things
are brought into accord
with the mind of God
and we get that thought
when Melchizedek is spoken of
as the priest
of the most high God
possessor of heaven
and earth
God
is the possessor
of heaven and earth
but he will not actually
as it were
take up that possession
until the millennial
reign of Christ
and then he will be seen
to be the possessor
of heaven and earth
at the moment
the earth has got corruption in it
and defilement
and that which is opposed to God
and also the heavenly places too
we read of that in Ephesians 6
spiritual wickedness
in the heavenlies
although Christ is supreme
in the heavenly place
there is still that
spiritual activity
which Satan
and under Satan
and it's in opposition to God
but under the millennial rule
we read
in Isaiah chapter 24
and verse 21
it shall come to pass in that day
that the Lord shall punish
the host of the high ones
that are on high
that's Satan
and the kings of the earth
upon the earth
that's the earth
and they shall be gathered together
as prisoners are gathered in the pit
and shall be shut up in the prison
and after many days
shall they be visited
then the moon shall be confounded
and the sun ashamed
when the Lord of hosts
shall reign in Mount Zion
and in Jerusalem
and before his ancients gloriously
and so
the heavens and the earth
will be brought into conformity
to God
and he will set his king
and priest there
and in Zechariah
chapter 6
we read
of that king and priest
it says
even he shall build
the temple of the Lord
and he shall bear the glory
and shall sit and rule
upon his throne
and he shall be a priest
upon his throne
and the council of peace
shall be between them both
Jacob had a vision
a ladder
stretching up to heaven
in Genesis 28
and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon it
it was a ladder
which had its base upon earth
and which top
the top of which was in heaven
and the angels of God
ascended and descended upon it
and above it
was the Lord himself
was Jehovah himself
and that speaks of the time
when
there is as it were
a call between heaven and earth
and communion between heaven and earth
and God is above all things
and he
sets his king upon the earth
the Lord Jesus
and in
John chapter 1
the Lord makes reference
to this vision
and he says
to Nathaniel
he says
thou art the son of God
thou art the king of Israel
he says
you'll see greater things than these
he said you will see the heavens opened
and the angels of God
ascending and descending
upon the son of man
and so all as it were
is on that basis
God has
God in his council
and purpose
has fulfilled
all his desire
in Christ
all on that basis
Christ
all is brought to fruition in him
and so the angels
descend and ascend on him
it's all on account of him
and so the council of peace
is between them both
between Jehovah
in heaven
and his king
and priest
upon earth
the council of peace
in Luke's gospel
the gospel which is so much
the priestly gospel
it stresses the priestly
ministry of the Lord Jesus
although he was not yet a priest
you read that in Hebrews
that while he was on earth
he could not be a priest
but he acted in a priestly way
and Luke brings that out
and at the beginning of Luke
when he is born
the angels declare
glory to God
in the highest
upon earth
peace
good pleasure
delight
found in man
it is a millennial prophecy
heaven and earth
on accord
under God
in Christ
his king
and his priest
well finally
we see how Abraham
was so strengthened
by this ministry
of Melchizedek
he gave him bread
and wine
and bread will speak of
of that which sustains
wine speaks of joy
the Lord said didn't he
to his disciples
when he drank of the
the cup
before he suffered
well he didn't drink of the cup
but when he gave him the cup
before he suffered
he said
I will no more drink
of the fruit of the vine
until I drink it
anew
with you
in the kingdom of my father
he looked on
to that time
when he would
as Melchizedek
bring forth the wine
bring forth the joy
which he would have
in his people upon earth
Israel
up to then he had no joy in them
but in the millennial reign
he will find that joy
and he will share it
with his people
and Abraham
he has a foretaste
of what he's been promised
in that ministry
and his heart is strengthened
and in all the
his desire for those things
the things that the king of Sodom
presents to him
are of no value at all
he does not want them
and he says
I don't want them
he says I haven't got myself
at the centre of my thoughts
I have
I want God to have the glory
I want him to have the glory
for giving me that thing
he has promised
and I will not receive
these things at your hand
I will not be made rich by you
I will wait to be made rich
and blessed by God
and the Lord himself
when Satan came to him
and he promised him
all the kingdoms of the world
if you'll worship me
the Lord Jesus would not receive
the kingdoms at Satan's hand
he would receive them only
at the hand of his God
and his father
and he said to Satan
he said
thou shalt worship God
and him only
wilt thou serve
well
although
we've said that primarily
the ministry of Melchizedek
is a future one
yet I think that we can enjoy
that ministry now
we can have
we know the Lord
sustaining us
and giving us the joy
which was his joy
when he was in this earth
in communion with his God and father
my joy
he says I leave with you
that's the joy that was his
in his own heart
and we can be
we can have that joy
by being in communion with him
and walking with him
this is the joy that he gives us
and
in Hebrews 10 at the end we speak
it speaks of the
assurance of hope
Abraham
he was given the assurance of that hope
through the ministry of Melchizedek
faith we read
is the
substantiating
of things not seen
and the conviction
of
sorry I can't remember the
faith is the substantiating of things hoped for
the conviction of things not seen
and although Abraham hadn't seen
with his eyes
that which God had promised
the ministry of Melchizedek
made it real to his heart
by faith
and as we draw near
to our great high priest
we read in Hebrews 10 19
having therefore brethren boldness
to enter into the holiest
by the blood of Jesus
by a new and living way
which he has concentrated for us
through the veil
that is to say his flesh
and having a high priest
over the house of God
let us draw near
with a true heart
in full assurance of faith
having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water
let us hold fast
the profession of our faith
without wavering
our hope is not the same as Abraham's
as we have said
his was with Christ on earth
but ours is with Christ in heaven
that's our hope
Abraham waited for Christ
to put his feet upon Mount Olivet
and to take up his kingdom
and the Lord said
Abraham rejoiced to see my day
and he saw it and was glad
Abraham, we don't know how much
he entered into that truth
but the fact is
the day that he longed for
and rejoiced in
was the day of Christ
and Abraham saw it by faith
and the joy of that
made him glad then
before he'd even received it
and we're encouraged now
to enter into the holy place
where Christ sits
and as a result
of that ministry
that priestly ministry
to hold fast
the profession of our faith
without wavering
for he is faithful
but promised
as we said
this underpins everything
the faithfulness of God
the one who promised these things
he will faithfully bring them about
and he will be faithful
in his dealings with us
and through his love
we will be strengthened
that we can continue
on a pathway
which is a difficult one
and often a lonely one
but which we can continue in
through his faithfulness
and the ministry
of our great high priest
I wonder if we could sing 160
O bright and blessed hope
when shall it be
that we his faithful love
revealed shall see
perhaps we could sing the first
four verses of this hymn
O bright and blessed hope …
Transcription automatique:
…
Good afternoon, a section of scripture in Luke's Gospel, chapter 12.
I would like to cover the section from Luke 12, verse 13, through to verse 48.
Perhaps we could read it in sections.
So first of all, from verse 13 to verse 21.
And one of the company said unto him,
Master, speak to my brother that he divide the inheritance with me.
And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness.
For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
And he said, This will I do, I will pill down my barns and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years.
Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night my soul shall be requited of thee.
Then, whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?
So is he that laid up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
Thus far, the word of God.
There used to be a Christian periodical, and its title was Watching and Witting.
And today, I'd like to speak about Watching and Witting for the Lord Jesus.
Actually no, I'd like to speak about Watching and Witting and Working for the Lord Jesus.
We have the Watching and Witting in verses 31-39 of Luke's Gospel 12.
And we have the Witting in verses 41-48 of Luke's Gospel chapter 12.
And I trust that we will come to those verses in due course.
But we have just read Luke 12 from verses 13-21, just to get the setting and to cover some of the preliminaries.
And at first sight, verse 14 might seem peculiar to us.
This person approaches the Lord Jesus and he says to him, Teacher, speak to my brother.
Tutor by the inheritance with me.
And the Lord Jesus gives the reply, Who established me as a judge or a divider over you?
Jesus is the Messiah.
He comes on people.
He's been presented to the nation.
Makes me think of Solomon.
And the two mothers, one of whom had lost a child, one who was a true mother, one who made claims to the child, to the baby who was not the true mother.
They applied to Solomon, the king, for his wisdom to settle the dispute.
As he said, divide the child.
And the true mother said, No, no, don't harm the baby.
Well, it's the most natural thing, is it not?
In Emmanuel's land and with the Messiah present in the midst of his people that he would settle matters of an earthly inheritance.
Because we know from Ezekiel during the kingdom, the land will be divided amongst the tribes.
We have the details of it there.
But he says, No.
He says, Man, who made me a judge or a divider?
The first thing we see here is that Christ is rejected.
Christ is refused.
We've reached that point in Luke's gospel where he is not received by his own people.
And this distinction is very marked in Matthew's gospel, chapter 12.
And there they attribute the wonderful powers of casting out a demon.
And they say it's only by Beelzebub, the prince of the demons, that he has done this.
And the Lord Jesus characterizes that as a sin or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that will not be forgiven unto men.
And he pronounces the rules then on that adulterous generation.
And at the beginning of chapter 13 we see the dividing point.
Jesus went out from the house, Matthew 13, verse 1, and sat by the seaside.
The house.
Judea, the seaside, the nations, the Gentiles.
And in the previous verses at the end of chapter 12, he only owns a spiritual link.
He says, Who's my mother and who are my brother?
And he stretches forth his hand and says, Those who do the will of my father which is in heaven, the same is my brother and sister and mother.
Similar thing here in Luke chapter 12.
He's only going to own a spiritual link now.
Earthly purposes in God's wisdom and in God's ways are making way for the heavenly purposes.
And of course the time was not yet when the Lord could speak openly and clearly about these things.
He said unto them, I have many things to say unto you now, but you cannot bear them.
They weren't able to take them in.
This new spiritual heavenly truth, this change of ways, change of deans, change of dispensations in God's ways which we know comes out more fully in the book of Acts.
The formation of the assembly by the sending down of the Holy Spirit and the teaching that Paul gives us in his epistles.
All this was future when the Lord was speaking but there's a little indication of it here.
That he's moving on to heavenly purposes when he says that he wouldn't divide the inheritance.
In the verses we've read he speaks first of all to a person.
And he speaks to individuals.
And our Lord Jesus Christ still speaks to individuals today.
And we're very thankful, are we not, that he's spoken to us in a deep and meaningful and real and spiritual way.
The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall live.
That's what would distinguish us, I take it, as believers from men and women in general.
He speaks to an individual but he also says unto them in verse 50, he said to them.
He's speaking to people in general.
And how thankful we are that God in his mercy and Christ in his grace is still speaking in this world.
Paul could say, we beseech you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God.
Christ's voice was heard in the preaching of the apostles.
And that the gospel preachers, quoting the psalm as it's known, it says their sound has gone out unto all the earth.
Pray unto all the earth and preach the gospel to every creature.
So we believe in the general call.
We believe that the word of God should not just be for individuals.
And when we come to verse 22 he says to his disciples, not just for individuals and not just for believers or disciples.
But to those who may hear and those who will hear.
He says unto them.
And he widens out the truth.
And it may well be when he says in verse 15, beware of covetousness.
That there was an element of covetousness in the heart of the man who came to him and asked to divide the inheritance.
Be that as it may. Is it not true?
Of all our hearts.
That we and men and women in general need to beware of covetousness.
So verse 15 he says.
Take heed and beware of this covetousness.
Why?
It's not because a man is in abundance that his life is in his possessions.
You might have a nice house. An earthquake could come and demolish it.
Or a wind could come. A hurricane could come and blow it away.
You might have your money in the bank.
And the bank might crash.
Such things have certainly happened in the past.
But the lesson I want to bring out of this is that our lives, anybody's lives.
Do not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses.
We're not to be occupied only with material things.
Not to be occupied with how much we have in the bank.
Or how much we have in our barns.
This man, he's going to pull out his barns. He would build greater.
He'd have it all planned out.
With his fruits and goods.
For many years.
He thought he could retire.
He thought he'd have ease.
Laid up.
Reposed.
For many years.
That was the human aspect of things.
God says to him.
Thou fool.
If we're living for this world.
If we're living for pounds, shillings and pence.
Some will remember what that means.
If we're only after what the scripture says elsewhere is filthy lucre.
Or our barns.
Or our houses.
Or our motorcars.
Or our fashionable dress.
The latest electronic gadget or whatever it may be.
We can give thanks for the relative comfort that we have.
In this land.
You've got a place like India and you've got the believers and families and maybe just two rooms to live in.
So God gives us abundantly all things to enjoy.
And we are thankful to him for his mercies.
But.
This man.
He made the mistake.
He was only taking up with things down here on this earth.
The here and now.
And very often.
The clans of mice and men you know it.
He had one.
He had one idea and one prospect.
But a soul is required.
Sickness.
Death.
We do not have a lease on life.
And this very.
Important.
Lesson.
Is that.
Important.
Lesson.
Is learned.
And.
In verse 21.
It's capable even of application to us as believers.
In measure.
It says so is he.
So is the one.
Who lays up treasure for himself.
Evidently on earth.
And is not.
Rich.
Toward.
God.
Is it.
Treasure for ourselves.
Are we.
Rich.
Toward.
God.
It's in striking contrast to Luke 16.
Verse 9.
Where the Lord again says make.
And I'll read it in the new translation which may well bring out the sense somewhat better.
Make.
To yourselves.
Friends.
With the.
Man of unrighteousness.
That when it fails.
You.
May be.
Received.
Into.
The everlasting.
Tabernacles.
It gives a hint in that.
That we can even.
Use.
Our.
Material.
Benefits.
We can use.
Man or money described here is the man of unrighteousness.
We can use it.
For spiritual ends.
We can use it.
To help others.
We can use it.
To extend the kingdom of God.
It's going to fail anyway.
Says when it.
Shall have failed.
You may be received into the.
Everlasting.
Tabernacles.
There's a sense there.
That even.
What we have in a material way.
May be used.
For spiritual gain.
Spiritual gain.
And.
And then the.
The exhortation is given in verse 10.
He that is faithful in the least.
Is faithful also in much.
And he that is unrighteous in the least.
Is unrighteous also.
In the much.
And the least there being the earthly things.
Being material.
Possessions.
And the much being the.
Spiritual.
Possessions.
And actually.
Verse 12 here says.
If you've been faithful in that which is.
And others.
Our material wealth.
Whatever we have.
It's not actually ours.
It's in others.
It's Christ's.
It's to be used for Christ.
He's our Lord and Savior.
He's Lord.
He should have control.
He's not Lord of all.
He's not Lord at all.
And it says.
We have to be faithful.
We have to be faithful.
In that which is in others.
In.
Our material possessions.
Which are of Christ.
It says then who shall.
Give to you your own.
And our own possessions.
That which is really and truly ours.
Is actually our spiritual portion.
That's what.
Is truly the believers.
That is something.
Which will not be taken from us.
That's something that's going to go through.
That's something that is eternal.
And the benefits that we have along the road.
They're actually.
Under the control and authority.
Of the Lord Jesus.
So what we have in Luke 16.
In their use of material things.
Is in contrast to.
This man here.
Who was laying up treasure.
For himself.
And who did not bring.
God.
Into his.
Reckoning.
So now we might read the next section.
To continue.
Verse 22.
Through to verse 30.
He said unto his disciples.
Therefore I say unto you.
Take no thought for your life.
What you shall eat.
Neither for the body.
What you shall put on.
The life is more than food.
And the body.
Is more than clothing.
Consider the babies.
For they neither sow nor reap.
Which neither have storehouse nor barn.
And God feedeth them.
How much more.
Are you better.
Than the fowls.
Which of you with taking thought.
Can add to a statue of one cubit.
If you then.
Be not able to do.
That which is least.
I take ye thought.
For the rest.
Consider the lilies.
How they grow.
They toil not.
They spring not.
And yet I say unto you.
That Solomon.
In all his glory.
Was not a red.
Like one of these.
If then God.
So clothe the grass.
Which is today in the field.
And tomorrow is cast into the oven.
How much more.
Will he clothe you.
O ye.
Of little faith.
And seek.
Not what ye shall eat.
Or what ye shall drink.
Neither be ye of doubtful mind.
For all these things.
Do the nations.
Of the world seek after.
And your father knoweth.
That you have need of these things.
But seek.
Ye first.
Rather seek ye.
The kingdom of God.
And all these things.
Shall be added unto you.
Fear not little flock.
For it is your father's.
Good pleasure.
To give you.
The kingdom.
Sell that you have.
And give alms.
Provide yourselves bags.
Which wax not old.
A treasure in the heavens.
That faileth not.
Where no thief.
Approaches.
Neither moth.
Corrupteth.
For where.
Your treasure is.
There will.
Your heart.
Be.
Also.
Thus far.
The word of God.
To verse.
34.
And I wonder.
Did you bring a.
Bag with you.
This afternoon.
Some of you.
I wonder.
Have you brought any.
Bags with you.
It's a great question.
Now.
If you go into.
Some of the.
Supermarkets.
Some of them.
They won't even give you.
A bag at all.
Some of them.
They'll just give you.
A paper bag.
Now.
They'll not issue.
Plastic bags.
Any longer.
Because of the environment.
Certainly.
In the Republic.
Of Ireland.
If you want to.
Purchase something.
There.
And you buy a bag.
You have to pay.
For it.
I think.
There's some.
Government.
Tax on it.
So.
This is the history.
Of bags.
But.
The set of bags.
I'm asking you about.
This afternoon.
Is.
Spiritual.
Facts.
It says.
Here.
That we have to.
Provide.
Ourselves.
Bags.
Which.
Don't.
Grow old.
Perhaps.
A more literal.
Translation.
Would be.
We have to.
Provide.
Ourselves.
Purses.
Which.
Do not.
Grow old.
I had to.
Get a new.
Purse.
Because.
Somehow or other.
The coins I had in it.
Had worn a hole on it.
And.
The coins were.
Starting to fall out.
But here's a purse.
Which doesn't grow old.
And here's a treasure.
Which.
Does not.
Fail.
In the heavens.
Because it says.
Where.
Your.
Treasure is.
There.
Will.
Your.
Heart.
Be.
Also.
It doesn't say.
Where.
Your.
Heart.
Is.
There.
Will.
Your.
Treasure.
Be.
It's very often called it that way.
But it says.
No.
Where.
Your.
Treasure.
Is.
There.
Will.
Your.
Heart.
Be.
Also.
And.
You have.
to.
You have.
A heart.
But.
You know.
The.
Life.
Is.
More than food.
And more than clothing.
And we should not.
In the first instance.
Be concerned.
About these things.
Because.
The answer is.
God.
Will.
Take.
Care of you.
He feeds.
The ravens.
Which.
Were common.
In.
Palestine.
They don't.
Have a storehouse.
Nor a barn.
They don't.
Store it up.
Yet.
God.
Feeds it there.
He says to us.
You're.
Better than the.
Birds.
God.
Takes.
Care of the.
Birds.
Surely.
He can.
Take care of his.
Sins.
This is the assurance.
We have.
From the Lord.
Jesus.
And.
He said.
We.
You know.
We.
We can't.
Some of us might have liked to.
At one time.
Add to our.
Physical height.
Or growth.
Some of us might like to reduce in other ways.
Might like to reduce our girth.
But certainly in the natural process of growing.
We can't determine that.
We can't add to it.
That's the natural process.
And.
God says.
That's the least thing.
You know.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
We can't.
And.
Now.
When.
I say that.
I say.
I say.
I say.
I say.
I say.
I say.
I say.
The spiritual relationship comes into view.
In Resurrection the Lord Jesus says.
I send to your father.
I excuse me?
I send to my father.
He's preeminent at all things.
He must have the preeminence.
I send to my father and your father.
And to my God.
And your God.
There's the spiritual.
Link.
Is there brought in.
But even in regard to the material things.
We have a Father in Heaven.
I can say my father.
I can say to you as a Christian believer.
Your father.
He knows.
What things.
You have need of.
We have to be aware of covetousness.
That was the first thing we learned.
But then on the other side.
We have to be.
Aware of overwhelming anxiety.
Because.
God will.
Take care of you.
He knows.
Those things.
That you need.
And he tells us to get our priorities right.
In verse 32.
He says.
I send to your father.
I excuse me?
I say.
I say.
I say.
I say.
I say.
I say.
I say.
You have to get your priorities right.
In verse.
32 seek the kingdom of God.
In Matthew's gospel.
I almost put it at runaway.
Because we're so familiar with it in Matthew.
It says.
Seek ye first.
The kingdom of God.
His righteousness.
And all these things.
Shall be added unto you.
So we have to give.
God's things.
First place in our life.
But here it's just.
There's not.
A comparison here.
It's just a statement in itself.
Seek.
The kingdom of God.
And in regard to our physical and material needs.
Will be taken care of.
All these things.
Shall be added unto you.
And then it.
That was wonderful encouragement in verse 32.
Fear not.
Little flock.
Again this tells us.
That the Lord is rejected.
It's telling us.
He's refusing.
His followers in this world.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
Will be rejected.
His followers in this world.
Are going to be a little flock.
At this particular time.
The Lord says.
Fear not.
Little flock.
To me.
I'll be glad to hear.
What anyone has to say.
But to me.
It supposes his rejection.
We've already looked at that.
He's bringing in heavenly purposes.
He's not concerned.
With earthly inheritances.
Here again.
He's rejected.
When we come down.
The verses.
We start with.
Fear not.
Little flock.
Fear not.
Little flock.
Fear not.
Little flock.
The Lord's purpose.
We start watching.
And waiting.
And working for him.
In view of his return.
We find he's an absent Christ.
He was rejected here.
He was accepted there.
No longer on earth.
But he's in heaven.
So he is.
A rejected Christ.
And he is an absent Christ.
And his followers.
Are.
A little flock.
And we may just be a little flock.
Here.
This afternoon.
And not all the chairs may be added.
And not all the places may be filled.
Do you think God doesn't take notice of us?
Do you think God doesn't weigh up the faithfulness?
It's in view that we travel across London.
To be present with the saints.
And under the sound of the word of God.
Or from further afield.
Just a little flock.
Let's not get discouraged because we're few in number.
Because we're already told it's going to be the case here.
Even the Lord Jesus said.
Where two or three are gathered unto my name.
There am I in the midst.
He knew it would come down to that in certain instances.
And in certain localities.
And he provided for it.
The two.
It just comes down to a husband and wife.
Or the three.
There may be more in number.
We can be thankful.
For every evidence of God's working here in this world.
And where believers are more numerous.
But he's provided for the lowest plurality.
For just two or three.
And he's promised his presence.
To be with such who are gathered to his name.
And here.
Speaking of those surrounding him.
He says to the disciples.
You're a little flock.
But.
We may be fewer on earth.
Christianity may be unpopular.
In your approach.
You may speak of post-Christian Britain.
Post-Christian society.
We may be diminished down here.
We may be strict.
We may be feeble.
We may be fewer.
Fear not little flock.
It's your father's good pleasure.
To give you the kingdom.
What a view that gives us.
What expansion.
What glory.
He comes out of heaven the rider.
In Revelation 19.
There are those who follow him.
Who are called.
And faithful.
And through the armies.
That are in heaven.
What a wonderful sight.
That is.
The rider.
On the white horse.
Called faithful and true.
In righteousness.
He judges and makes law.
But there are those.
The armies which are in heaven.
Followed him.
Comes.
All the saints.
With him.
What a glorious day.
That will be.
Of course he'll come to take us.
To be with himself.
It's necessary.
The rapture is necessary.
In order for the appearing.
Because when he appears.
According to Colossians.
Then shall we appear with him in glory.
We may be in the sufferings.
Of the plague.
But the glories.
The glories of the mind.
The glories will follow.
Sufferings of Christ.
And the glory.
Which will follow.
We're a little flock.
Christ is absent.
He's refused.
Cause is in reproach.
Let's not get discouraged.
By looking at present things.
Let's seek the things that are above.
Let's seek the kingdom of God.
Let's have Christ in view.
Let's live where our treasure really is.
Where our possessions really are.
Let's fill our purses.
Or our bags.
With spiritual treasures.
Let's encourage one another.
Cause we're going on.
To endless day.
We're going on.
We're going on.
To the glories.
Of the kingdom.
Not that we deserve it.
Not because of any merit in ourselves.
But because it's our father's good pleasure.
To give us the kingdom.
It's in the purpose of God.
Surely if anybody could give it.
He can give it.
He's the power to give it.
Every man a liar.
God says.
The Lord Jesus says.
That he's going to give us.
The kingdom.
Let's keep our treasure.
Let's keep heaven.
Let's keep the kingdom in view.
Even though there may be discouragements.
On the earthly side of things.
It's our father's good pleasure.
To give us the kingdom.
And then where our treasure is.
Our hearts going to be there also.
So now.
Let's move on to verses 35.
To 30.
To 40.
Let your lamps be gilded about.
And your lights burning.
And ye yourselves.
Like unto men that wait for the Lord.
When he will return.
From the wedding.
That when he cometh and knocketh.
They may open unto him immediately.
Blessed are those servants.
Whom the Lord when he cometh.
Watching.
Verily I say unto you.
That he shall gird himself.
And make them to sit down to food.
And will come forth.
And serve them.
And if he shall come in the second watch.
Or come in the third watch.
And find them so.
Blessed are those servants.
And this know.
That if the good men of the house had known.
What hour the thief would come.
He would have watched.
His house to be broken through.
Be ye therefore also ready.
For the Son of Man.
Comes as an ark.
When ye think not.
It's the coming of the Lord.
That's in view.
And in Luke's gospel.
It's viewed as a moral truth.
And the parable that he speaks.
Is giving an analogy.
And the bottom line.
The point that he's emphasizing.
Is that we should be watching.
For the Lord to come.
He desires.
That we should be watching.
And he desires.
That we should be with him.
And the significance.
Peter asks the question.
In verse 41.
Lord speakest thou this parable unto us.
Or even to all.
And the Lord in his answer.
In verse 42 he says.
That clearly indicates.
That the moral.
Of the story.
That the application is.
To each one of us.
Dear brothers and sisters.
This is a truth for us.
It's a truth for our hearts.
And what the Lord says here.
Is something which should characterize the believer.
And not only so.
He says that there's a blessing in doing it.
There's a blessing in doing it.
Blessed are those servants.
And then in verse 38.
He speaks about the second watch.
Or the third watch.
And if he comes then and finds those servants watching.
Blessed are those servants.
There may be a little indication.
In that verse where it speaks of the second watch.
Or the third watch.
Look in fact.
Not from the perspective from which he was speaking.
But now for us.
Second watch, third watch.
May suggest.
A length and period of time.
And the first millennium has gone.
And the second millennium.
Now we're in the third millennium of the Christian era.
The third watch.
There's no fourth watch.
And we know he may come.
At any moment.
And in view of his coming.
It says we should have our.
Loins girded about.
Peter tells us that we're to gird up the loins of our mind.
And we're to have our loins.
As it says elsewhere.
Girt about with truth.
So our thinking processes.
Our attitude of mind.
Should be governed.
By the truth of the word of God.
That our loins girded.
Was the servants attitude as well.
Suggest movement.
The children of Israel when they were about to move.
Out of Israel.
The night of the Passover.
They had their loins girded.
Practically speaking we should be ready to go.
Ready to meet the Lord when he comes.
The servant when the Lord.
Got down to wash the disciples feet.
He gathers up.
That service.
Readiness.
Watchfulness.
And a light burning.
Testimony.
In view of the Lord's coming.
Are we seeking to witness to others.
With a lamp of testimony.
Are we seeking to.
Have our lamps burning.
And we.
Light on to men.
That wait for their Lord.
It's the picture of an eastern marriage.
Where the wedding.
Takes place and the groom.
Will return with his bride.
And those in the home.
Are waiting.
It's a joyful occasion.
In their joy and waiting.
In expectancy.
So as soon as they hear the knock.
And they open on to him.
Immediately, well as I say.
It's a moral truth.
And that should characterize our hearts.
We need to be watching.
And.
Light on to men that.
Wait for their Lord.
We've got the two things here.
Waiting and watching.
And the Lord says.
Dear one.
Today.
If that's your attitude.
If that's your attitude.
You'll be blessed.
There'll be a character of blessing.
And it's a blessing of a high character.
Because it says that the Lord will.
Come forth.
And.
Make us to sit down.
Recline at table.
And he will serve them.
We know that his servants.
Shall serve him.
But what grace.
The Lord comes for us.
But he'll be there.
Taking account of.
Even in the language of the scripture here.
Serving those.
Who have watched.
And waited for him.
We'll be blessed.
By his company.
And we'll be blessed by his care for us.
When he comes.
If we watch for him.
Down here in the here and now.
We have to watch and wait.
Read on from verse 41.
And Peter said unto him.
The Lord speakest thou this parable unto us.
So eaten to all.
And he makes it general.
The Lord said who then is the faithful and wise servant.
Whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household.
To give them their portion.
Of meat in due season.
Blessed is that servant.
Whom his Lord when he cometh.
Shall find so doing.
And the truth I say unto you.
That he will make him ruler.
Over all that he hath.
And we'll stop our reading there.
At verse 44.
We have in verse 45.
That servant.
On faithful Christendom.
False precaution.
I take it down to verse 48.
And you can look at that in your own time.
But here the Lord says there's blessing.
In activity.
In service.
And if we serve the Lord.
During his absence.
We will have the blessing.
And the blessing here is.
In giving the household their portion.
Of meat in due season.
How important it is.
The food supply.
The measure of corn in season.
And that's why the brothers.
Have arranged this.
Opportunity.
For us to be together.
That we might be fed.
That we might be fed up spiritually.
We might profit.
From the word of God.
This exercise to sustain the Catholic lectures.
How important.
The ministry of the word of God is.
Food for the people of God.
The measure of corn.
In season.
It says that also.
The portion of meat in due season.
That which is appropriate.
Appropriate for the occasion.
We don't give.
An infant nursing.
At his mother's breast.
We don't give strong meat.
We don't give it sir Lord's steak.
That would cause problems.
So.
We need to realistically.
Find out where our brothers.
Our sisters are.
Spiritually.
Be it on a one to one basis.
Or be it collectively.
Paul in his ministry.
From house to house.
That was his pastoral heart.
That was his method of proceeding.
And he got down.
Alongside the people.
And he.
Gave them convenient food.
The menu.
Was suitable.
And we can think of it in connection.
With spoken ministry.
Conferences.
And the local bible readings.
That are here.
They are exercised from time to time.
To bring something of a spiritual.
Nature.
Before their hearers.
It can be in the gospel.
It can be in written ministry.
During the readings.
Printed books.
That's been exercised.
In spite of feebleness.
To get the truth of God out.
First to the people of God.
To have the measure of corn.
In season.
To look round about the household.
And to have the care of souls.
So there's blessing.
In that also.
And our time has gone.
But may we.
Be blessed.
In looking for Christ God.
Living as a part.
Watching and waiting for him.
So we can open to him.
To those eternal habitations.
And may we also be blessed.
And seek.
To feed the people of God.
And to ensure.
That they get that.
Which will build them up spiritually.
Building yourselves up.
In your most holy faith.
We seek the things.
That are.
About 492. …
Transcription automatique:
…
Now let us read together from the Book of Genesis, Chapter 8, and verse 1.
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark.
And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged.
The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.
And the waters returned from off the earth continually, and after the end of the hundred and fifty days, the waters were abated.
And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.
And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month.
In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made,
and he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
Also, he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.
But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark.
And he stayed yet another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.
And the dove came into him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off.
So Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
And he stayed yet another seven days, and sent forth the dove, which returned not again unto him any more.
And it came to pass, in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month,
the waters were dried, dried up from off the earth.
And Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
Verse fifteen, And God spoke unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark.
Verse twenty, And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl,
and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
And the Lord smelled a sweet savour, and the Lord said in his heart,
I will not again cast the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his use.
Neither will I again smite any more every living thing, as I have done.
While the earth remaineth sea-toned and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
And then two verses from the New Testament, first in 1 Peter 3, or two passages rather, short passages.
Peter's first epistle, chapter three, verse eighteen.
For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.
We were put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit, by which he also went and preached unto the spirits in prison,
which sometimes were disobedient.
When once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing,
wherein few, that is eight souls, were saved by water.
The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us.
Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience towards God,
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is gone to heaven and is on the right hand of God,
angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
And then from 2 Corinthians, second epistle to the Corinthians, chapter five.
For now I just read verse seventeen.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, or a new creation.
Old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.
There are perhaps at least four different ways in which we can read this very well-known story of Noah.
The first one, obviously, is the literal way.
If you look at it that way, then Noah was a man of faith.
He received the revelation from God, he built the ark, and he saved his family.
And only he and his family escaped the great flood.
And if you look at it in this literal way, as many people do,
and I have no doubt that it was a literal historical event,
this also has great implications for other questions like, for example, geology and the radiation,
and many questions about the history of this earth.
We then have another way of looking at the same story, which is also very well-known,
and I would call that the gospel application.
If you look at it this way, the message is that the world is doomed,
God has to judge the world, and Noah is the creature of righteousness,
and he condemns the world around him by building the ark, and he is saved.
We then have a quite different way of looking at the same story again,
and I would call that the prophetic meaning of the story.
Looking at it from the perspective of prophecy, you would say, well, Noah and his family,
they are a picture of the Jewish remnant.
And Noah's story was quite different from Enoch's, of course.
Enoch was taken away, raptured before the flood, just like the church.
Anyone here who belongs to the church will be raptured before the tribulation period.
But Noah had to go through the flood, he wasn't taken away before the flood.
And so there will be people, believers, in the tribulation, but they will be Jewish believers,
they will be the Jewish remnant, and they will be taken through that difficult time,
and then they arrive, you might say, on this new and cleansed earth in the millennium.
Now the fourth explanation, and that's the one I would like to say a few words about, with the Lord's help,
we could perhaps call the spiritual application or interpretation of that story.
And if you look at it from this way, you would say, well, God has given us this story of Noah
in order to give us an example of spiritual realities that concern us,
to give us instructions about our salvation, about the fact that we are in Christ,
about the meaning of this term we came across in 2 Corinthians, the new creation.
And perhaps you can try and just look at a few details in this chapter,
and perceive this thought of the spiritual meaning of that story for us.
Now it says in Tech.VIII, verse 1, this short but moving phrase,
and God remembered Noah.
I think if you had been in the ark for 150 days, floating on these waters,
you might have wondered at some stage, well, actually, has God forgotten us?
Or is God actually remembering us?
And you find this phrase here, and God remembered, despite of any contrary appearance,
God had Noah in mind, and everyone in the ark.
It was actually, I can only mention this as a footnote,
but there is a man in the Bible who has a name just like that,
and God remembers, that's Zechariah.
And his wife, of course, was called Elizabeth, which means the covenant of God.
And if you take the two together, it means God remembers his covenant.
And then they had a son who was called John, and John means favorite of God.
Now John, of course, was the one who then announced that the Lord Jesus would come.
Now here you have God remembers, and actually the story of Noah started very similar to the translation of the name John.
Favor. He had found favor in the eyes of God.
Now by the way, it says here God, it doesn't say Jehovah.
If you read through the first few chapters of Genesis, you find that sometimes it says God,
sometimes it says Jehovah.
And some people have drawn the conclusion, well there must have been two writers,
and they call one the Jehovahist and one the Elohist, because God is Elohim.
There's of course nothing like that.
There's one writer, that's God.
It's only one book, not a combination of two different reports.
And it's interesting that every time it says God, there's a good reason for that,
and every time it says Jehovah or Lord, there's a good reason for that.
Here, for example, it says God remembered every living thing, and the cattle, all that was in the ark.
Now, it's a question of God and his creation.
The animals are mentioned.
When it is a question of relationship, then a different name is used,
and it's a matter of Jehovah.
Perhaps we'll see that a little further down.
Now, it says here in verse 1, everything that was with him in the ark.
Perhaps we need to stop there for a moment or two,
because the ark, I would say, is a wonderful type, a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus,
for a number of reasons.
First and foremost, the ark was the one and only way of salvation that God had given.
The most intelligent, the greatest genius of mankind, in that time before the flood came,
could not come up with one viable way of escape.
And the ark is the one and only way.
And how true that is of the Lord, that there is salvation in no other name but only in his name.
Now, the ark, of course, was made of wood.
And we've often looked at the meaning of wood, that it speaks of manhood.
And the Lord Jesus, in his grace, became man in order to bring salvation.
It was, of course, gopher wood.
I think there's some uncertainty around what exactly gopher was.
But two things are interesting.
One is that the word gopher is very similar to the word for atonement.
And the second is that most likely it is the cypress tree
from which you gain the pitch that was used to pitch the ark.
Now, which takes me to the next point.
The ark was pitched from within and without.
And the word pitch is the same word as atonement.
Now, if you read Leviticus and it says,
and this shall make atonement for him,
that word is exactly the same word as pitch.
And how true it is that the Lord has brought atonement.
Now, you could probably find other features of the ark.
For example, its sheer size.
If you look at the measurements of the ark,
a tremendous vessel, perhaps like the largest ocean liners today,
but then in rectangular shape.
There was an enormous amount of space in there
and everybody who wanted to come could come.
And so it is with the Lord that anyone who wants to come can come
and will be received.
Perhaps just one more point about the ark.
Noah, of course, had to go into the ark.
And when he did that, he was out of sight.
We couldn't see him anymore.
Well, that's very true of the Christian position.
We are in Christ.
We read this in 2 Corinthians 5.
When someone is in Christ, he is a new creation or creature.
And also in Romans 8,
for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no combination.
The position of the believer today in Christ.
And that means insecurity.
Now, it says here in verse 2,
and the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped
and the rain from heaven was restrained.
Let me start perhaps with the windows of heaven.
The windows of heaven seem to me to speak of unimaginable quantities.
The first time they occur is in connection with the flood
when the windows of heaven opened.
And by the way, just in passing, on the second day of creation,
it said that God made a division, a firmament,
that was between the waters below and the waters above.
I don't think that the waters above were just clouds.
There were tremendous quantities of waters above.
There was a different climate before the flood.
We read in Genesis 2 that it had not rained.
Now, we don't know how exactly this was,
but we know that there were tremendous quantities of waters.
And then you can imagine what happened when these windows of heaven were opened.
But they are also mentioned in connection with blessings.
On one occasion, actually, by a mocker,
when Elisha said in 2 Kings 7,
this time tomorrow there will be enough bread for everyone.
And this captain said, now how is that going to go?
If God opened windows in heaven,
perhaps even then there wouldn't be enough bread for us.
Well, he was wrong.
He saw that he didn't benefit.
But the point is, windows of heaven, unimaginable quantities.
In Malachi 3, the Lord says, prove me,
prove me whether I'm not going to bless you,
and I'm going to open the windows of heaven for blessing.
But I think the windows of heaven here speak of the wrath of God.
Because what came out of the windows of heaven at the time of the flood
was the judgment of God.
You remember that in the Psalms,
the Lord says, all thy waves and billows have passed over me.
You know, there you have it again,
the ark exposed to the waters,
and all the billows pass over the Lord.
You can also just read a verse from another Psalm, 88,
where it says in verse 7,
Thy wrath lies hard upon me,
and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves.
Unimaginable quantities, and this time,
in this case, unimaginable quantities of wrath and judgment of God.
But there's something very comforting here.
You know, when the Psalmist says in those two Psalms, 42 and 88,
all thy waves have passed over me, you know what that means?
If all waves have passed over the Lord,
that means that no wave is left for me.
And that is illustrated so nicely in this ark,
which protected those in it from this judgment.
Now the fountains of the deep,
perhaps you think of Psalm 42 again,
deep calleth unto deep.
But perhaps you also think of the power of darkness,
which was also manifest at the cross.
The Lord says in Luke 22,
You know, when I was teaching in the temple,
you never came and took me.
But now is your hour, and the power of darkness.
And how he must have felt that power of darkness at the cross.
But you know, here in our verse, it's all negative.
Here, actually, the fountains are stopped,
the windows are stopped, or closed,
and even the reign of heaven was restrained.
And perhaps that's the nicest for us,
that not only is the window of judgment closed,
and the fountain of powers of darkness closed for us,
but even the reign.
You might say there isn't a drop of judgment left for the believer.
Now it says then that the waters returned from the earth continually,
and after 150 days the waters were abated.
And then it says in verse 4,
And the ark rested in the seventeenth day of the month
upon the mountains of Ararat.
I don't know about your geography,
but I might just mention for completeness,
Ararat is, you might say, at the border of Turkey and Armenia.
It's a very high mountain, over 16,000 feet.
Now, God led it in such a way that the ark landed on that high mountain.
But it's a very nice picture again,
and perhaps I can read another verse to you from the Psalms,
and this time it's in Psalm 40,
which may help us to see a spiritual meaning in this fact,
the ark rested.
Psalm 40, verse 2,
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit,
out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock,
and established my goings.
Now if it is true that the Lord went into the deepest depths
and was exposed to the wrath of God on the cross,
it is also true that his goings were established,
that his food was placed upon a rock,
namely in resurrection.
Now, this little word here, rest,
is quite interesting,
the ark rested.
It's exactly the same word that is used in Genesis 2,
where it says, and the Lord put man into the garden,
to till the garden.
In Genesis 2, it's of course a matter of the first creation.
God had created everything,
and then he places man there,
as a responsible being,
and man is at the center,
in responsibility, before God, first creation.
Genesis 8 is quite different.
Something is placed again, but this time it's the ark.
Man is not visible.
The ark is placed on the high mountain,
and there the ark rests.
A picture of what happens in new creation.
You know, the world before the flood
wasn't a very nice world to live in for a believer.
If you read Genesis 6,
you find that it was quite horrible.
The Lord spoke about it, the days of Noah.
But you know, after the flood,
there was basically a new earth.
The earth was cleansed.
And actually, Peter uses the expression twice,
or an expression in that direction,
in the second epistle.
He once says, the old world,
referring to the time before the flood,
and once he says, the then world,
or the world that then was.
And I think that also pulls the idea
of having two creations,
an old creation and a new creation,
an old world and a new world,
and it seems that the starting point
for the new creation
is actually the resurrection of Christ.
And that comes out in both of the passages
we read in the New Testament,
1 Peter 3 and 2 Corinthians 5,
the death and resurrection of Christ
as foundation for this new creation.
Perhaps we can come back to that a little later.
Now, the world has decreased further, verse 5,
and now the top of the mountains were seen.
If anybody thinks that this was just a local flood,
perhaps that verse is enough.
If after so and so many days
the tops of the mountains come out,
it sounds like a pretty global flood to me.
In any case,
Noah then starts on this very interesting experiment.
Perhaps that's something for the children,
because now we're going to talk about two animals.
And Noah does something very interesting
with those two animals.
He first takes the raven,
and remember the ark had no window at the side.
So Noah was in this ark,
and he couldn't really see what was going on outside.
He probably felt that the ark wasn't moving anymore.
It says it rested.
And now he takes the first of these birds, the raven,
and lets the raven out.
And nothing happens.
The raven doesn't come back.
And there's a good reason for that.
The raven is an unclean bird,
and the raven loves it out there.
There's lots of water,
there is death,
there are probably carcasses,
and it's a wonderful environment for a raven.
And the raven is quite happy
and stays out there and doesn't come back at all.
But then it says when Noah took the dove,
it says that he sent it
in order to see whether the waters were dried up from the earth.
And the thing that happens is that in the evening,
the dove is back.
It seems that the dove is quite different,
and the dove didn't like it out there.
And he sends the dove again.
Now why is this?
Why did the dove not like it?
Well, the dove is a picture of the Holy Spirit.
You know, in John 1 it says that this was the sign given to John.
He upon whom he should see the Holy Spirit descend like a dove
and rest upon him,
he would be the one he was announcing.
You know,
suppose we all have a raven within us,
and we all have a dove within us,
just saying that on a practical note,
and the raven within us says,
actually this world is a wonderful place.
There is so much to keep our minds occupied,
there are so many interesting things, so many new things,
and it's all so fascinating and exciting.
But you know, what the raven doesn't realize
is that this world is actually under the judgment of God.
And the more we enjoy that world,
the more worrying it really is,
because it means that we are more characterized
by that raven within us,
the flesh, the old nature.
But we also have something in us
that has quite a different nature,
it's more like the dove,
the new nature,
and actually the Holy Spirit
who wants to give us the power
to act according to those desires of the new nature.
And that's a challenging question for us, perhaps.
My favorite pastimes,
or the things I do, the things I think about,
are these sort of raven things,
these things that are characterized by the Holy Spirit.
But there's something very interesting here,
when the dove comes back the second time,
in verse 11, it says,
and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off.
You know, it wasn't an olive leaf
that had been floating in the water for ages,
it was fresh.
It was an olive leaf that had been just plucked off.
And what does that mean?
That means there was life.
That means that there was a tree
that was actually bringing fresh leaves,
fresh twigs,
and the dove comes back with such a twig.
Basically, the dove gives the testimony
of life after death.
Life after and beyond the judgment flood
that God had sent.
And you know, that's exactly what the Holy Spirit did.
In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit, chapter 2,
descends and comes for the first time
to dwell in men on the earth.
Of course, he remained on the Lord.
But he then dwelt in the church and in believers.
And what was the witness of the Holy Spirit?
You could go to Acts 2, listen to Peter,
and Peter says, I want to talk about David.
And when David said,
thou shalt not allow thy son to see corruption,
he actually wasn't talking about himself,
he was talking about Christ.
And he talks about the resurrection of Christ.
And you go on to chapter 3,
where no man had been healed,
and it says again that they gave witness
to the resurrection of Christ.
It says, you actually nailed him to the cross,
but God has raised him.
And you can continue.
In chapter 4, it says,
let's just read that verse actually.
In the book of Acts,
chapter 4,
verse 33, it says,
And with great power gave the apostles witness
of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
Now let me ask you, what power was that?
That was the power of the Holy Spirit.
It was, if you like,
it was the dove with the fresh olive leaf plucked off,
bringing the testimony of resurrection.
And Noah knew that the waters were abated
from off the earth.
Now that's interesting,
it's not only the dove flying around
with that olive branch,
but it tells Noah something.
And Noah now has a firm knowledge.
Noah knows that the judgment waters are gone.
And you know, it's exactly the same for us,
if you read Romans 4 in the end,
it says two things about Christ in the last verse.
Christ was delivered for our offenses,
and he was raised for our justification.
And then it says now we have peace with God.
You see?
That's the witness of the dove,
Christ is risen,
which is our justification,
and which gives us peace.
Now I need to rush on a little.
It says in verse 12,
He sent forth the dove,
which returned not again unto him any more.
And we've alluded to this,
but that's wonderful as well,
that the dove did not only rest on the person of the Lord
when he was here,
but the Lord accomplished a work that was so great,
that after his work,
the Holy Spirit can actually rest on,
or even dwell in people
who were dreadful sinners like you and me,
on the basis of that accomplished work.
It's interesting that in verse 13,
it speaks about the first month
and even the first day of the month.
And what happens on that day
is that the face of the ground was dry.
It seems to me that the point is made by the date
that this was a completely new beginning.
Remember in Exodus 12,
when God commanded the Passover to be celebrated,
it says this month shall be the first month for you.
And here you have the first day of the first month.
It seems a new beginning,
a new creation.
Now God finally says to Noah
that he should go out of the ark.
Perhaps you admire his patience
that he didn't leave the ark before,
just to check things out,
but he waited until God spoke to him,
which is very good.
And then the first thing you read about Noah
is that he built an altar.
You might say,
well, this is not the first sacrifice.
There certainly was a sacrifice
in the case of Adam and Eve,
when God clothed them.
There was a sacrifice in the next chapter 4,
when Abel bought off the firstlings of the flock.
And now you have a sacrifice bought by Noah.
And you know the three sacrifices there,
they're not exactly the same.
The main point with the first one is covering.
It's atonement.
The main point with Abel's sacrifice
is a slightly different one.
It's the question of how you can approach God.
And Abel's way was quite different from Cain's.
Now here it's neither atonement nor approach.
Here it is,
just read part of verse 21,
the Lord, by the way it's the Lord here,
not God,
the Lord smelled a sweet savour.
It is the savour of rest,
the savour of acceptance.
So you have atonement,
approach,
and now with Noah on the new earth,
or you might say in the new creation,
it's acceptance.
But although you had offerings before,
there are two things that occur here for the first time.
One is the altar,
and the other is the expression burnt offering.
The burnt offering is that which ascends to God,
that which is particularly for His pleasure,
that which is entirely reserved for God,
because it all goes up to Him.
But what about the altar?
I'm sure that Abel had an altar,
but it doesn't speak of it.
The Lord gives the explanation, I think, in Matthew 23,
where He says,
actually what is greater, the gift or the altar?
The altar is that which sanctifies the gift.
So the altar is a picture of the Lord,
of the value of His person.
And what gives value to the sacrifice of the Lord
is the worth and dignity of His person.
Perhaps to put it simply,
if somebody else had died on the cross,
had been treated by men in exactly the way
in which the Lord was treated by them,
would that have been anything similar in value?
Would God have accepted us on that basis?
Well, certainly not.
What gave value to the sacrifice of Christ
was His person.
And so you have here the altar
in connection with the burnt offering
and the acceptance.
And the Lord smelled a sweet savour,
a savour of rest.
It's very interesting to me,
this thought of rest in the story of Noah.
You know, it started with his father, really.
He said, let's call him Noah
because in him we will receive rest.
Now some have thought that
that's because Noah later on had a vineyard
and he found out how to make wine
and that would give people rest from their troubles.
Well, that's certainly not what it meant.
But essentially his father Lamech prophesied
and he said, in Noah,
mankind will be transported to a new earth
where rest will be found.
Now you then found the rest again in this chapter
where the ark rested.
Then you found the dove that first didn't rest
and then did rest.
And now finally you find the reason
or the solid basis for the rest
and that is that God rests.
God rests because of the value of the work of the Lord Jesus.
And the Lord said in his heart,
I will not again cast the ground anymore for man's sake.
Did you know that God had a heart?
Actually I think it was here
that a brother recently spoke to us about God's arm
and various other human features are ascribed to God.
Well, God has a heart.
Of course you understand how this is meant,
that God feels.
And actually two chapters earlier,
in chapter 6,
it says that when God looked at the world
and he saw, that's verse 5,
he saw the wickedness of man,
that it was great in the earth
and that every imagination of his thoughts,
the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually,
it says it repented the Lord that he made man
and it grieved him at his heart.
What a contrast.
When God looks at man as he is,
he is grieved in his heart.
Now, quite different,
it says the Lord says in his heart,
I will no longer curse the ground for man's sake.
The imagination of man's heart is evil.
Now, you need to help me here.
Did I read this wrong?
Shouldn't it say that God says
I will curse the ground again
because the imagination of man's heart is evil?
Striking, isn't it?
Can you help me with this one?
It's just the opposite.
The Lord says I will not curse again the ground
for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth.
How does that work then?
First God says man is so bad,
I have to bring judgment.
And now God says man is so bad,
I won't judge again.
Well, the difference is that
now there's the sacrifice.
What God says here is basically,
if I paraphrase it,
God says now I'm not looking at man anymore.
In dealing with this creation,
in maintaining it,
in preserving frost and heat
and winter and summer and seed and harvest,
what I do is I look at the sacrifice.
And you know, that takes us back again
to this theme of the new creation.
In the new creation,
everything depends on God.
Man is out of sight.
Man is basically in the ark,
shut in by God
and all depends on God.
All depends on the sacrifice of Christ
and that is the basis for blessing.
And that has some very practical implications
for our daily lives.
And I'd like to use just two or three minutes
to show you a man
who practically lived in the new creation.
If you turn with me again to 2 Corinthians 5.
Let me perhaps preface this by a little remark.
So if I asked you,
what is the new creation,
perhaps most of you would have said,
well, we read about this in Revelation, don't we?
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth
and the first heaven and the first earth were no more.
And you say, well, that is new creation.
Well, what we read in 2 Corinthians 5
is that if there is any man in Christ,
he is a new creation or a new creature.
So how does that fit together?
Well, you know, when the eternal state arrives
and this earth is put away,
you might say it is the completion,
it is the consummation, if you like,
of God's new creation.
And then everything will be perfect
and there will be only blessing.
But you know, the good news,
or perhaps the better news even,
is that the new creation has already started.
Everyone here in this room
who believes in the Lord
is a new creation.
Now let's just look at what that means practically.
If you look at verse 13,
it says,
for whether we be beside ourselves,
it is to God,
or whether we be sober,
it is for your cause.
Now Paul says,
we are a bit strange,
we are sometimes quite different from everyone else,
we are not subject to the same influences,
we don't react to the same principles,
but the reason is,
it's for your sake and for God's sake.
You see, he wasn't human in his thinking,
he was governed by God's thinking.
And the reason is,
the love of Christ constrains us,
that's verse 14,
because we thus judge
that if one died for all,
then all were dead.
You know, that's new creation again, why?
Well, A, because it is beyond death,
it says Christ died,
and he did that,
or the fact that he did
proves that we were all dead.
And after the death,
there's only one motivation for us,
which is no longer human,
brother Rusty spoke about the difference
of human kindness
and the kindness that God wants us to show,
he says it's the love of Christ
that constrains us.
Now what happens then, verse 15,
in that he died for all,
they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves,
but unto him which died for them
and rose again.
Now here we have new creation again.
The Lord died,
and it says expressly,
the Lord rose.
The conclusion is,
that we have died,
and that we have risen,
and now live for him,
just as Noah was in the ark,
and if the ark was exposed to the waters of death,
then he was in the ark,
but then the ark rested,
and Noah was on the new earth.
Verse 16,
Wherefore henceforth
we know no man after the flesh,
yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh,
henceforth we know him no more.
You know, in the old creation,
everything is natural.
Everything depends on whether
it's your brother or your friend.
In the new creation,
you know people in a different way.
You know that they are a brother or sister in Christ.
And even Christ we don't know
as the disciples at the time knew him,
as the man who was walking here on the earth.
We know him differently.
We know him as we sang,
as the leader of a chosen race,
because he's the one who is risen from the dead,
and who is beyond death and judgment.
And that really takes us then to verse 17,
this great statement,
For if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creation.
The old things are passed away,
behold, all things are become new.
You know, in the Lord Jesus,
we have been transferred, you might say,
from that which is natural
to that which is spiritual.
Basically we have been transferred from man,
if you like, to God.
In the new creation,
everything is about God
and it's not about man.
Verse 18,
And all things are of God,
who has reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ
and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
You see, the same applies
in Paul's relationship with unbelievers.
He doesn't see them in his natural relationship,
that they were perhaps his relatives or what have you.
He says,
we have the ministry of reconciliation.
And his feelings,
whether towards Christ,
whether towards believers,
or whether towards unbelievers,
were just governed by this fact,
Christ died and Christ is risen.
Therefore, verse 20,
we are ambassadors for Christ
and the reason is given again in verse 21,
For he has made him to be sin for us
who knew no sin,
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
The ark was exposed to the waters of judgment
and therefore we are on the new earth.
We are the righteousness of God in him.
I think Paul actually lived that way.
If you heard Paul preach,
you wouldn't see Paul,
you would see Christ.
He would just judge everything that was natural,
everything that was according to human thinking
and all he wanted to do is bring Christ before people,
whether believers or unbelievers.
And perhaps I can just say in closing
that as you read into chapter 9 of Genesis,
there are three interesting things that happen
that seem to be related to this idea of the new creation.
Now the first one is
that people from that point onwards
were allowed to eat meat
before they just ate the herbs, the vegetables.
Now the principle is
there is food, there is nourishment,
there is life out of death.
And you know almost every meal that you have at home
gives testimony to that fact.
You have some meat,
it means that there is food for you
that is available to you because of death.
And you know that's true of us spiritually
that we receive food and nourishment
out of occupation with the death of the Lord Jesus.
And the second thing that happens
is that God gives the soul to Noah
and he says,
you have to judge that which is against my mind.
And take that as a picture again,
that is the picture of self-judgment
and that has to do with the new creation as well.
We have to judge that which is human.
Man hasn't changed.
You know God says he's still evil.
You might say there is still the raven there
but God says here is the sword.
And what we have to do when we discover
the raven in ourselves is
well we have to take the sword.
We have to exercise self-judgment.
And the reason for that is really one thing.
The reason is that God wants us to enjoy those blessings.
He wants us to be in fellowship and communion with himself.
And just very briefly,
the third thing that happens is
God says and if there is a cloud
that comes on the earth,
above the earth,
I will put my bow into the clouds.
And he says this bow will remind you
that I will not bring that judgment again.
And this rainbow is one of my favorites.
The rainbow is something very nice not only to look at
but the principle behind it.
The rainbow means there are two things coming together.
One is the water and we have seen the water
as a picture of judgment.
Another thing is the sun,
the rooms, the lights of the sunshine.
And the two meet and what you see is the rainbow.
You see that the light is refracted
into these different colors
which are all in the white light
but they now become visible.
And that's exactly what happened on Calvary.
That's what happened in that judgment
when on the one hand there was the water of God
and Christ was judged for our sins
and on the other hand the love of God was there
and became visible.
And as a result you now have a display
of these different colors you might say,
the different features of the character of God
which we can see in the first way at the cross.
That God is love, that God is righteous,
that God wants to forgive,
receive the grace of God
and so you could continue.
Wonderful, I thought just to mention these in passing
that there are three things that come to us
as results of that new creation.
I think I'd better stop here.
I don't want to be too unkind to the children.
If we can sing one more hymn,
number 254.
Death and judgment are behind us,
grace and glory are before.
All the billows rolled o'er Jesus,
there they spent their utmost power.
254 …
Transcription automatique:
…
I'd like to begin with reading a few scriptures, first of all in the 2nd book of Samuel, chapter 9.
These are all well known scriptures.
2nd Samuel, chapter 9, verse 1.
And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Siber.
And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Siber?
And he said, Thy servant is he.
And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him?
And Siber said unto the king, Jonathan has yet a son which is laying on his feet.
And the king said unto him, Where is he?
And Siber said unto the king, Behold he is in the house of Melchah, the son of Aniel, in Lodibar.
Then King David sent and fetched him out of the house of Melchah, the son of Aniel, from Lodibar.
Now when Mephilesheph, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face and did reverence.
And David said, Mephilesheph, and he answered, Behold thy servant.
And David said unto him, Fear not, I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake.
I will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.
He bowed himself and said, What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am?
Now the New Testament, Matthew's Gospel, Matthew chapter 14.
Matthew 14, and we read from verse 14.
And when Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion towards them, and he hailed their sick.
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past.
Send the multitude away, that they may go to the villages and buy themselves victuals.
But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart. Give ye them to eat.
And they said unto him, We have here but five loaves and two fishes.
And he said, Bring them hither to me.
And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven,
he blessed and bade, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
And they did all eat, and were filled, and took up the fragments that remained, twelve baskets full.
And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
A few verses in the next chapter, Matthew 15, verse 21.
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast, and cried unto him, saying,
Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. My daughter is grievously vexed with a demon, or devil.
But he answered her not a word.
And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us.
And he answered and said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs.
And she said, True Lord, let the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table.
Then Jesus answered unto her, O woman, great is thy faith.
Be it unto thee as I even will it.
And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
Chapter 19
Chapter 19, verse 13
Then they brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them and pray.
But the disciples rebuked them.
But Jesus said, Suffer the little children, and forbid them not to come unto thee.
For such is the kingdom of heaven.
And he laid his hands on them and departed thence.
And now into the Paul's epistle, a couple of verses in Ephesians chapter 4
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.
And be ye kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.
Just one final verse in Colossians chapter 3
Paul's letter to those at Colossae, chapter 3 and verse 12
Put on therefore as the elect of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering.
Sometimes the speaker will say I apologize for reading too much scriptures.
Well I am sure that I am not going to apologize this afternoon because the scriptures themselves should speak to our hearts more than what I can say.
I will begin with a little incident that took place.
It must be now about 35 years ago.
This makes me feel old.
I remember being in a morning meeting.
And a particular brother as he was praying, as he was giving thanks for the Lord and what the Lord had done for us.
He mentioned that there is a verse in the Bible which says the charm of a man is his kindness.
That made me think.
What a good verse.
Where in the Bible is that verse?
And after the meeting I spoke to another young brother and he said we better go and find out.
So we went home and we got out our strong concordance.
And much to our dismay the word charm doesn't appear in the authorized version.
So we went back to speak to this brother and he said I think it's from JND.
So we had another task to find it in JND.
And rightfully it was there.
It is in Proverbs chapter 19 and verse 22.
In the authorized version it says.
Proverbs 19 verse 22 says.
The desires of a man is his kindness.
But Mr. Darby says the charm of a man is his kindness.
And so we done what I hope each one of us will do here.
When a brother says something that we don't understand.
We go to that brother and we challenge him and says where do you find that in the Bible.
And because of our persistence we found a little verse.
A little verse as you know as you read through the Bible you come across verses that you think are real gems.
And here is a general verse which speaks about the charm of a man being his kindness.
What I would like with the Lord's help this afternoon is to speak a little bit about being kind.
We read that wonderful verse in Ephesians.
Be kind one to another.
We live in a world where kindness is not the number one thing.
But if the features that were seen in the Lord Jesus.
And we hope to be able to see some of them.
And to be seen in you and I as we move through this scene.
Kindness has to be one of those features that is seen.
So I read these different verses.
In the story in the Old Testament of Mephibosheth.
We are given to see a picture of kindness.
And we all like to look at books with pictures in.
Remembering a dear old brother Mr. Farson who used to say.
I love the Old Testament because it is full of pictures.
In the Old Testament we have little stories little pictures which show us New Testament truths.
And in the story of Mephibosheth we have a picture of kindness.
When we come to the New Testament.
We don't have a picture anymore.
We have the person.
The person of the Lord Jesus.
And for that I put down a person being kind.
What a joy it is to look at the Lord Jesus in his kindness.
As he moves through this scene.
And then when we come to Ephesians.
A practical exhortation that is given to each one of us.
To be kind.
And so we begin as we ought to in the second book of Samuel.
And this story of Mephibosheth.
Most of us would have known this story from a very young age.
It is a story that we hear in the Sunday school.
And a story which has been much used in gospel work.
And it is a wonderful story that I am sure that most of us here who take the gospel at one time or another.
Have been drawn to the story of Mephibosheth.
Because although we look at this story and we see David as a wonderful type.
As a wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus.
And throughout the Old Testament we have people that are types of the Lord Jesus.
We know that David being a great picture of the Lord Jesus.
There are times when he ceases to be a picture of the Lord Jesus.
Because he failed and he becomes a picture of you and me.
This afternoon as we look at this sort of story.
We have these two dual themes that go before us.
First of all David as a picture of the Lord Jesus.
Showing out his love and showing his kindness to people like you and me.
People that don't deserve anything.
But also I want to use David as a picture of what you and I should be.
That we should of course follow in the steps of the Lord Jesus.
And if we see Jesus in this chapter.
Perhaps we should each see ourselves as the ones that are doing this same thing.
You know David had a very long history.
We begin with David is it in the 16th chapter of 1st Samuel.
When we come to the end of chapter 8 of the 2nd Samuel.
We find there and it's in verse 15 of chapter 8.
David reigned over all Israel.
David is at the pinnacle of his glory.
David has everything as it were settled.
And it was at that time that he decided he said I want to show kindness.
And you know tonight or this afternoon.
As I look into this room.
I am absolutely confident if we haven't got everything settled.
We ought to get it settled this afternoon.
Because if we are Christian here this afternoon.
Our future is very bright.
Our future is in eternity with the Lord Jesus.
We have every blessing that God could give is given to us now.
Ephesians 1 verse 4.
God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings.
You've got them.
You're not going to wait until you get to heaven to get them.
You've got them now.
You're justified.
You're sanctified.
You're reconciled.
You're a son of God.
What a wonderful position to be in.
And being in that position.
We expect the features that were seen in the Lord Jesus.
To be seen in you and me.
And so David.
The kingdom was his.
In that wonderful settled position.
He wanted to show the kindness of God.
And the first question I will raise is.
To whom.
Do we show kindness to?
What are the sort of people that you and I.
In our practical daily lives.
Show kindness to?
I'm sure each one of us here will say.
We show kindness.
To those that show kindness to us.
You know if they send us a Christmas card.
We'll send one back to them.
We know what it's all like.
We show kindness to people.
That are nice to us.
Well I'm going to read a verse.
That hit.
Hit me the other week.
Quite a while ago.
But it still hits me.
It's in.
Matthew chapter 5.
And verse 46.
The Lord Jesus speaking here.
The sermon on the mount of course.
And he says.
For if you should love them which love you.
What reward have you?
Do not also the tax gatherers the same.
If I just show kindness.
To those that show kindness to me.
That immediately puts me on exactly the same ground.
As the tax gatherers.
That's what the Lord Jesus said.
We're no better.
Than the tax gatherers.
And we find that.
Some of us show friends.
Show kindness to our friends.
Exactly so.
We also show kindness to people that we feel sorry for.
And that's another thing that we ought to do.
If you are.
In a town and you see a child that is crying.
What is the immediate reaction that you have.
Particularly if you have been parents.
The immediate reaction is to go and see why he's crying.
You have a sympathetic.
Soul with that person.
And you want to show kindness.
And it is right.
And it is proper.
That we show kindness.
To people.
That are in great difficulties and problems.
But if we are to carry out.
The type of kindness that David showed.
In this chapter here.
It is to show kindness to those.
Who are our enemies.
Because although.
We know that.
Saul was the enemy of David.
It wasn't from David's side.
It was from Saul's side.
Because there are two occasions.
In the first book of Samuel.
When David could have killed Saul.
You remember the occasion.
When he got right up close to Saul.
And he was able to get close enough.
To cut off a piece of his coat.
And those who were with him.
Said Saul.
Said David.
Kill him.
He says how can I kill.
The Lord's anointed.
And another time.
He got close enough to Saul.
So he could take his spear away.
Showing us that although David.
Hadn't made the enmity.
It was Saul.
You know there are people perhaps.
In our local assemblies.
That we don't like.
And to be honest.
We don't get on with.
And to be honest.
We don't want to get on with them.
But they're the type of people.
That we need to show kindness to.
And we see here.
That is the sort of person.
That David was going to show kindness to.
Because as we read further on.
In the scriptures.
In relation to the kings.
We find there.
That when a king.
Had become.
A new dynasty.
Had become.
The king.
They immediately.
Got rid of everybody.
That was related to the previous king.
That was the done thing.
Here David does.
The complete opposite.
He shows kindness to those.
Who naturally.
Would be.
His enemies.
And we read of this man.
Called Mephibosheth.
He wasn't a particularly a young man.
Because we know.
That he had a child.
And he was told to come.
To David.
But there's one problem with Mephibosheth.
Exactly the same problem with you and I.
And that is that Mephibosheth.
It says in the end of verse three.
He was laying on his feet.
But you know the very last.
Verse of our chapter says.
He was laying on.
Both his feet.
And Mephibosheth.
Couldn't do anything.
To move.
Towards.
David.
And you know that's exactly the position.
That we were in.
If we've never trusted the Lord Jesus.
As our own savior.
That is the position.
That you are in at this very moment.
If we are believers.
And I take it that most of us here.
Know the Lord Jesus as our own savior.
How thankful it is that we can say.
I was in that position.
And that position is amplified for us.
In Romans chapter five.
It says there.
For when we were yet without strength.
Christ died for the ungodly.
And it goes on to say.
We were sinners.
And we were enemies.
Four things.
That are said about mankind.
We are without strength.
We are ungodly.
We are sinners.
And we are enemies.
And I like to suggest that without strength.
We don't have the ability.
To get to God.
This man Mephiboshus.
He didn't have the ability.
To get to David.
But also.
We are ungodly.
We don't have the nature.
That will want to get to God.
It's illustrated by a little story.
Of a.
Two people that were.
Were speaking about the queen.
And one said I would love.
To go to Buckingham Palace.
And see the queen.
I would love to be able to go in there.
And meet her.
And speak to her.
And perhaps have tea with her.
But the person said.
You haven't the ability.
You can't do it.
If you got to the gates.
And knocked on the door.
You wouldn't even get to the door.
Would you?
We would get to the gates of Buckingham Palace.
And that would be it.
We don't have the ability.
To get to the queen.
But the other person.
He was a republican.
And he said I don't want to see the queen.
You see.
We were not only do not have the ability.
To get to God.
But we didn't want to.
Because we were ungodly.
And not only were we ungodly.
We were ungodly by nature.
We were sinners by practice.
And the condition that we was in.
Was enemies.
But that's the sort of person.
That God moved out.
That's the sort of person.
That Lord Jesus showed kindness to.
When he saved me.
When he saved you.
And that's the sort of person.
That we should show kindness to.
And so we find that.
David goes to fetch him.
And he is in this place called.
Lodibar.
Verse 5.
Some of the commentators.
Disagree on what the meaning of Lodibar is.
But I think most of us will have heard.
That Lodibar means.
The place of no pasture.
And you know the position that.
That we were in.
Was a place where there is no real pasture.
There is nothing to satisfy us.
And not only was he in a place of no pasture.
But if we look up the place that he was in.
It was outside of the promised land.
It was across Jordan.
He had moved from Jerusalem.
We read in chapter 4.
The reason why he was lame on his feet.
His nurse dropped him when the tidings came.
And he had gone out of the land as it were.
Into the country of Manasseh.
And there he was living.
In a place of no pasture.
But what I want to point out here.
Just a little point is.
Is that when Mephibosheth came from a place of no pasture.
When he came to be at David's table.
And what does David say to him.
In verse 7.
Eat bread at my table continually.
Verse 10.
Shalit at my table.
All is at my table.
Verse 11.
Shalit at the king's table.
And verse 13.
Continually eat at the king's table.
We Christians have been brought into a wonderful place of blessing.
Where we can have fellowship with the father and with the son.
What would you have thought if Mephibosheth had said.
Well I'm going to have a break from this fellowship.
I'm going to go back to Lodibah.
The place of no pasture.
We would think it was absolutely ridiculous.
And it is ridiculous.
When people have been brought up to know the Lord Jesus.
And brought up into a company of believers.
That love and know the Lord.
And brought into a circle where we can enjoy fellowship.
With the father and with the son.
To give it up.
And go back to a system.
Go back to a place.
Where there is no pasture.
The devil is always active.
Telling us Christians.
Us young Christians.
Us old Christians.
There is something a bit better elsewhere.
You are missing out so much.
In just coming along to these meetings.
Yeah I know we are missing so much.
We are missing all that this world has to offer.
That will come to naught.
Even the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness.
They complained at times they said.
I wish we were back in Egypt.
We could have cucumbers.
We could have melons.
We could have the garlic.
We could have things that were strong in flavor.
But low in nourishment.
They were things that just satisfied for a moment.
Indeed Moses summed it up.
When he spoke about the things of this world.
He says the pleasures of sin.
They last for a season.
And so if we have been brought out of the lady bar.
To this wonderful place.
Where we are enjoying the kindness of God.
Let us not go back.
Into that place of no pasture.
In Matthew chapter 14.
These three accounts that we read of the Lord Jesus.
I think gives us a little idea of the difference.
Between the heart of man.
And the heart of the Savior.
Because you will have probably have noticed.
That on all of these three occasions.
The disciples say one thing.
And the Lord Jesus says a different thing.
In the occasion in chapter 14.
The disciples say.
Send the multitude away.
That's the heart of man.
That's my heart.
That's your heart.
In a difficult situation.
Send the multitude away.
In the next chapter.
Another difficult situation.
This lady.
This individual.
And the disciples say.
Send her away.
In chapter 19.
The children are brought to the Lord Jesus.
And the disciples say.
A similar thing.
The disciples reboot them.
That is what man would do.
But you know the heart of the Lord Jesus.
Is ever towards.
His people.
And to add to this.
This wonderful story of the feeding of the 5,000.
It came.
Just after.
The death of John the Baptist.
Had been announced.
And I don't think we enter into.
What it meant to the Lord Jesus.
To realize that John the Baptist.
His forerunner.
Had been.
Beheaded.
That one that had came and had said.
The kingdom.
For the kingdom of God.
Is at hand.
He had been beheaded.
And the disciples of John.
They come to Jesus.
And there's a wonderful little.
Phrase here.
In verse 12.
And the disciples came.
And took up the body.
And buried it.
And went.
And told Jesus.
You know if you've got anything.
That is worrying you.
If you've got anything.
That's making you sad.
Here is the answer.
Tell it to Jesus.
He understands.
He knows.
And the Lord Jesus.
He was able to comfort those disciples.
And although he was.
No doubt very.
Grieved and concerned about the fact.
That John the Baptist had been.
Beheaded.
The very next verses.
He had compassion.
On the multitude.
Here we see something.
Of the kindness.
Of the Lord Jesus.
In action.
In spite of the circumstances.
Were completely contrary.
To what we would normally want.
To show kindness to others.
It is in circumstances of difficulties.
Circumstances of pressure.
That sometimes we have to be prepared.
To show kindness.
To others.
And what a wonderful way.
In which we see that the Lord Jesus.
Showed kindness.
Because at the beginning of this.
Little account.
We have three.
Distinct groups of people.
We have the multitude.
We have the disciples.
And we have the lad.
And you know the Lord Jesus showed kindness.
To each of those groups.
It would have been comparatively easy.
For the Lord Jesus.
On that occasion.
To have fed the multitudes.
Without any help.
From the disciples.
For thirty years.
In the wilderness.
The Lord Jesus fed.
That multitude of people.
With manner.
And it would have been as easy.
I would say as easy as anything.
For the Lord Jesus spoke the word.
And manner would have fell.
From heaven.
And they could have ate the food.
But the Lord Jesus was prepared to use.
What the disciples had.
And what this little boy had.
And you know this is an encouragement.
I'm sure to each one of us.
Because if we were to have read this occasion.
And most of us know.
It's available in all four gospels.
So there is an important point.
In the story of the five thousand.
If we were to have read it.
In John's gospel.
Where we are directed to the Lord Jesus.
As the son of God.
John tells us.
There's a lad here.
He was only a youngster.
And he had five barley loaves.
They were poor people's food.
Barley.
And they had two small fishes.
What a tremendous thing it is.
That the Lord Jesus.
Was able to use.
What this lad offered to him.
In their own and on their own.
Were totally inadequate.
What you've got young people.
And what you've got to offer to the Lord Jesus.
On your own is totally inadequate.
And don't we not sometimes feel.
How inadequate we are.
That we have nothing to bring.
And yet the Lord can use.
What we have.
You remember the story of Moses.
In the third chapter of Exodus.
When he is saying to God.
I'm no good at doing this.
And God says to him.
What's in your hand?
And he had a rod.
And he says throw it down.
And it became a snake.
And he says use that.
When you go to see Pharaoh.
And then on the occasion.
In the second book of Kings.
With Elisha.
Elisha said.
What is in my house?
What have we got?
Can be fed.
And so in this little account.
I point out the wonderful kindness of the Lord Jesus.
Kindness to the multitude.
In spite of his sorrow.
He had compassion on them.
He healed them.
He taught them.
And here he fed them.
He gave them that food.
Kindness to the disciples.
He allowed the disciples to pass it on.
What a wonderful privilege.
That we have you know.
Sometimes brethren grumble if they have to preach.
Sometimes they say.
It's not my turn.
I did it two weeks ago.
I don't want to do it this week.
What a wonderful privilege it is.
That we can stand and speak.
About the Lord Jesus.
And what a wonderful privilege these disciples had.
That they could distribute the food.
What a wonderful day it was.
For that little lad.
That he could use his food.
To feed the thousands.
And the thought of when he got home that night.
He ran in the door.
And he was too tough to say anything.
But all he could say is.
Mum guess what happened.
And his mum probably didn't believe him.
You know the Lord Jesus can do with you.
Things which are unbelievable.
He is the one that will show kindness.
We come to the next chapter.
We have what might be called.
Slight difficulty here.
The Lord Jesus who moves out.
Of the then land of Israel.
To Tyre and Sidon.
And in that land.
There is this Canaanite woman.
Who has a daughter that is.
Got the demon.
And she comes to him.
And she says have mercy on me.
O Lord thou son of David.
The disciples say.
Send her away.
The disciples.
But it might be surprised that Jesus.
Didn't say.
A word.
Who ever thought.
Why he didn't say a word.
Why on an occasion such as this.
Didn't he speak.
I tell you.
As far as I can see this woman.
Approached through the Lord Jesus.
As the son of David.
And as son of David.
He was to be the king.
He was to take over the reigns.
He was to rule.
And the day is coming when the Lord Jesus.
Will take up his position.
As son of David.
And will rule over this kingdom.
But you know when the Lord Jesus is here.
Is reigning.
The Canaanites won't be in the land.
The last verse of Zechariah tells us.
The Canaanites won't be there.
And if the Lord Jesus was fulfilling.
The commission that was given by Moses.
Those Canaanites.
Had to be taken out of the land.
You read that in Deuteronomy.
That the Canaanites.
Had to be taken.
Out of the land.
Deuteronomy 7 verse 1 and 2.
And so the Lord Jesus here.
In not speaking a word.
He is acting.
In kindness.
And you know our kindness.
And the Lord's kindness was never.
At the expense.
Of the word of God.
He said.
The Canaanites should not be in the land.
They should be destroyed.
You should smite them.
He even says have no mercy upon them.
Because they are sinners.
And they are worshippers of false gods.
And here was one.
And if the Lord Jesus was to approach her.
As son of David.
He would had to have removed her.
But he answered her.
Not a word.
What a tremendous mark of kindness.
So if we want to show kindness.
Let us make absolutely certain.
That we don't show kindness.
Contrary to the word of God.
The word of God is very clear.
That there are certain things.
That we ought to do.
There are certain things that we should discipline.
Another example that happened a few months ago.
A brother said to me.
They are wrong at the Baptist church.
He said because there were two people there.
A husband and a wife.
The husband left the wife.
And another person that was in the church.
And they put them out of fellowship.
I said they weren't wrong.
They were right.
Because the bible tells us.
Or he said they weren't showing him kindness.
Let us never use kindness.
Against the word of God.
God's word clearly tells us.
Certain things which are important.
And that the holiness of God needs to be maintained.
And here the Lord Jesus.
Showing his kindness.
In not speaking a word.
When the woman carries on speaking.
She addresses him.
Not in this next verse.
As the king of Israel.
In verse 25.
She simply says.
One of the shortest prayers in the bible.
Lord help me.
She didn't approach him at this time.
As the son of David.
As the king of Israel.
But she approached him.
As the creator.
The one who she owned everything to.
We see once again.
In his love and his kindness.
He healed her.
Chapter 19.
This wonderful occasion.
In which the Lord Jesus.
And I'm sure again we all know this.
The youngsters here.
And the Lord Jesus called the children to him.
There was an occasion.
When a preacher was speaking.
And he said.
We never read of the Lord Jesus.
Smiling.
Well.
That is true.
According to the text of the new testament.
We know on one occasion.
The Lord Jesus was very joyful.
So perhaps that would.
I would rule it.
But the father who said this.
Who was speaking.
And the girl says.
Oh yes he did.
And he said well when did he?
He says because he took the little child.
Onto his lap.
And he must have had a smile on his face.
And I believe you know the Lord Jesus.
When he took these little children.
He expressed something of the kindness.
Of his heart.
He took them.
And he according to as it marks gospel.
On the same occasion.
He took them into his arms.
What a tremendous picture this is.
Of kindness of the Lord Jesus.
You know often we might think.
That children are.
They make a lot of noise.
And perhaps we think that children are.
It's nice when they're not there.
And.
Let us never get that idea into our mind.
The disciples they had that idea.
They said send the children away.
But you know the kindness of the Lord was here.
We see it not only to the multitude.
We see it not only to this woman.
But we see it to the little children.
He showed kindness.
To the children.
You know perhaps we do have to put up.
With something.
A bit of noise amongst the children.
Perhaps we do have to put up with them.
Doing things that we don't always like.
We also have to remember.
That we're all children at one stage.
And we've always done things.
What a wonderful thing it is.
And what a wonderful point we can make.
That the Lord Jesus.
Showed kindness to us.
And how gentle he was for us when we went astray.
When we done things that we shouldn't do.
And here we have a wonderful picture.
Of the Lord Jesus showing kindness.
To children.
One of the ways.
In which we can show kindness to children.
Is we don't go on too long.
When they're waiting for their tea.
So I'm not going to be much longer.
When we come into the epistles.
We have the very practical things.
Of being kind.
I took the bother to look up the word kindness.
In the dictionary.
The actual word kindness is.
There are three different words that are used.
Perhaps a few more.
But generally about three.
And I was amazed to see.
That it is in the epistle to the Ephesians.
And the epistle to the Colossians.
That we are brought face to face.
With this challenge.
To be kind.
It wasn't to the Galatians.
That company that had so much difficulties.
And so many problems.
It wasn't to the Corinthians.
It was to the Ephesians.
That company that had.
The highest truths as we often talk.
That company that had.
All spiritual blessings.
Although of course that was true of everyone.
But this company in Ephesians.
In Ephesians where the Apostle Paul brings.
These wonderful truths.
To them he gets down as it were.
To the basic fundamental things.
Of Christianity.
And he says.
And be kind.
One.
To another.
Perhaps we can all know what it is.
To be the opposite to being kind.
And in the previous verse.
We have there a list of things.
Let all bitterness.
How often are we prone to be bitter.
Against people.
How often is there to be wrath.
And this word is.
Hot anger.
Then of course there is anger itself.
We know that it is not wrong to be angry.
Because the Lord Jesus himself.
Was angry on that one occasion.
Is it Mark chapter 3.
We read be angry and sin not.
And clamor.
Well that means to.
Like a raven.
And all malice.
These are the things that would mark.
Us as after the flesh.
But you know here.
In this verse it says.
Be kind one to another.
Tender hearted.
In Galatians chapter.
Chapter 5 we read there.
The fruits of the spirit.
Love, joy, peace, long suffering.
Kindness, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
Against that there is no law.
Someone is going to say to me.
There is no kindness there.
But if you read in the new translation.
It says.
Love, joy, peace, long suffering.
Kindness.
You know if we are to show kindness one to another.
It is only going to be.
As a result of the spirit of God working.
In our hearts.
It is only going to be as we have steeped ourselves.
In the word of God.
We see it first in the Lord Jesus.
In a wonderful way.
I have just read three portions.
About the Lord Jesus.
I am sure that we could have read anywhere.
In the gospels.
As we watch the Lord Jesus move through the scene.
And we could pick out times when he showed.
Wonderful kindness.
You know the end of this verse.
In Ephesians says.
Even as God for Christ's sake.
Has forgiven you.
There is no real excuse.
Our kindness should be.
As the Lord Jesus.
Has shown kindness.
And so I just trust.
That these few little words.
Will encourage us to be more kind.
One to another.
To show kindness.
We know the opposites of kindness.
And if we look at this verse.
With the opposites that we have looked at.
And we see this.
But against that particular person.
Let us show kindness to them.
Let us come alongside them.
And speak to them.
That is how the Lord would have us act.
May this be so for his name sake.
Now I am going to sing.
Not me personally.
Pick another hymn.
Each of these hymns has the word kindness in it.
And this one.
221.
Hymn 221.
Happy those who trust in Jesus.
Sweet their portion is insure.
When the foes on other sees us.
God will keep his own secure.
Happy people.
Happy though despised and poor.
Though the Saviour never slumbers.
Ever watchful is his care.
Though we cannot boast of numbers.
In his strength secure are we.
Sweet their portion.
Who their Saviour's.
Kindness share.
Hymn 222.
Kindness share.
Hymn 221. …
Transcription automatique:
…
I hope each one has got one of these sheets that I've tried to prepare for you this afternoon.
You can see from there that our subject is to look at the types of the Lord Jesus Christ that are mentioned in the Old Testament
and that are represented by various Old Testament saints, or sometimes we say Old Testament worries.
Of course we realise that there are many types of the Lord Jesus in the Bible as a whole,
that there are types which are represented by people, of which we're going to concentrate on this afternoon,
but of course there are other items and things and incidents in the Word of God that also represent the Lord Jesus Christ.
We thought in the prayer meeting of the Lord Jesus as the manna, for instance.
We can think of him represented in various offerings.
We can remember him in his death, represented as the children of Israel going through the Red Sea and through the River Jordan and such like.
But this afternoon, because it's such, I think it's a very wide subject, and looking down that list as I'm sure you have,
you'll see that there are certainly two or three that I've undernarred about for a good few weeks as to whether to put in or leave out,
and in fact space has largely dictated my decision in the end of those to leave in.
And I'm sure as you, and as we go through them together, there are things that you will think about, that you could add.
And certainly, even coming down the car as I was looking at my sheets, I thought, why didn't I put that in? Why didn't I put this in?
And it seems that every time you would look at this subject, I would hope that we would leave appreciating more of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because on this cold winter afternoon, I think our hearts need to be warmed.
Our hearts need to be encouraged to think of him, the author and the finisher of our faith.
So that there are in these people, these men that we've got listed here, some of them, we'll perhaps briefly touch on it,
are perhaps bitter well known as types of other things in the scriptures.
Thinking perhaps of Enoch. Enoch is often thought of as a type of the church.
The church and Enoch that was taken before the Noah, again a representative of the remnant of Israel as Noah went through the flood,
and that Enoch was taken away before the flood. They're types in another sense.
But if we can concentrate and think of them as types of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And then it's obviously true, but I think very important to say, that none of them can fully or even remotely represent completely our Lord Jesus Christ.
That it needs, and I think I've got 19 names here, that it needs 19 people to even begin to fully represent everything that's been revealed to us about him.
And we know that eternity will be spent learning and fully appreciating all that he is and all that he has done for us.
Now some might say, well how do you know that these men are types of the Lord Jesus?
I've included the last column because I found it interesting just to note where the New Testament fairly definitely says that these people are types of the Lord Jesus.
And I must admit to being surprised to find that so few of them are actually mentioned in the New Testament as types.
But I'm sure we could ask everybody here, we could go out and ask many many Christians of different persuasions and ask them,
do you think David, Joseph and Moses are types of the Lord Jesus?
And I'm sure the answer would come back very definitely yes.
And then of course that wonderful scripture that the Lord says as they were journeying on the way to Emmaus in Luke 24 verse 27,
and he said, and beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures things concerning himself.
The word of God is littered with references and pictures and types and figures of him.
Some of these people are in fact brought to our attention mainly to give a contrast to the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we think of Adam, we tell that Adam is a living soul and that Christ is a life-giving spirit.
We think of Adam as being the first man, earthy, but the Lord Jesus as being the second man out of heaven, a direct contrast.
We know that Moses brought in the law, but the Lord Jesus brought grace and truth.
So there are some occasions where there is that contrast and that contrast in itself helps to illuminate something of our Lord Jesus.
So what I would propose to do is that if we look at each of these men mentioned in the Old Testament, I'm sure all of them familiar to you,
and just remind ourselves as to the main ways in which they are types of the Lord Jesus,
what as you can see I try to do is to pick out themes and themes that I was interested in to see where they would actually fit in.
And so hopefully we might have a bit of time at the end to glance down those columns and to see what might be said
and what they reveal to us either in their entirety or in other features.
So if we start with that first man, Adam.
The scripture tells us that in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 22 that as in Adam all die, in Christ all are made alive.
And Adam is given to us as a type, as one who was given dominion over all earthly things.
And there if we keep looking at the Lord Jesus and keep pointing the light so to speak at him, we can surely see how he is given dominion.
We can perhaps think of Adam on the earth, that first man, that he had dominion over all living things.
He had dominion over everything that was there.
If we perhaps could turn and have a look at Hebrews chapter 2.
And many of the references are found in the book of Hebrews.
But Hebrews chapter 2 verse 8 tells us,
Thou has put all things in subjection under his feet.
For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him.
But now we see not yet all things put under him.
So we as the Lord's people can recognize that the Lord has dominion.
He has dominion over everything.
And how we look forward to that day when the whole world will bow before him and own that he does have that dominion.
But we got that contrast with Adam.
We saw the disobedience of Adam.
The disobedience in eating of that forbidden fruit.
The effect that that has had upon all of us.
All the world, everybody who has ever lived.
That it brought in death.
And the great contrast with the obedience of Christ.
That Adam disobeyed, Christ obeyed and brought in life.
And then we can remind ourselves of the way in which Eve was formed.
That Eve was formed from Adam's rib.
But during that deep sleep that the woman, Eve, was formed.
And we can think there again of the church being formed.
That that deep sleep could represent the death of Christ.
That through the death of Christ that the church, those that love the Lord Jesus, have been brought in.
And if we move on to Abel.
That Abel, perhaps we would say, is not a particularly strong type of the Lord Jesus.
But we know there that he offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice.
That came brought of the fruit of the earth, which had already been cursed.
But that Abel was, through faith, able to offer that more excellent sacrifice.
That the Lord Jesus offered himself as the most excellent sacrifice.
And surely that is a thought worth remembering.
But if we move on to Enoch.
Very little is said of Enoch.
It's perhaps worth referring to the few verses that we do have about him in Genesis chapter 5.
We've got the age of which he lived, which is obviously important.
But if we just concentrate on verse 24.
It tells us that Enoch walked with God.
And he was not.
For God took him.
Perhaps three simple phrases there that we're told of Enoch.
But when we think of, it mentions that Enoch walked with God.
And we think of the walk of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Perfect in every way.
That he walked with God.
What a wonderful thing that is to say about a man.
That he walked with God.
That he pleased God.
And we think of those exclamations from heaven itself.
That were made about our Lord Jesus Christ.
That here is my beloved son.
That he pleased God in everything that he did.
And on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Saying that the Lord Jesus had pleased God in everything that he did.
But if we look to that phrase.
That God took him.
And we've already briefly mentioned to the fact that Enoch can also be a type of the church.
That God took him away before the judgment was made upon this world.
A wonderful thought for us.
That we're taken away before God executes judgment in this world.
But then if we think of Enoch being the father of Methuselah.
We think of Methuselah as being the longest man that ever lived.
And that being the father of Methuselah.
Perhaps in a weak way, in a slight way.
We can think of the Lord Jesus being the father of those that have lived the longest.
That we have that eternal life in a very much greater way.
And then we have Jude 14 in the New Testament.
We certainly tend to forget, I tend to forget.
That Enoch was mentioned as a prophet.
But if we just briefly refer to that verse.
It says the 7th from Adam prophesied of these saying.
Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.
Quite remarkable.
That in the very early history of this earth.
But the prophecy that this man Enoch made.
Being a prophet.
Making known the mind of God for his generation.
That he prophesied about this very fact.
That the Lord was going to come with ten thousand of his saints.
It seems to me a remarkable prophetic venture.
Saying that this wonderful thing.
And we know that it refers to us.
That the Lord Jesus will come with us.
When he returns.
And every eye shall see him.
So if we move on to Noah.
And we think of again.
Perhaps not the strongest of types.
But we go back to that time of Noah.
And we think something of the circumstances.
And the conditions that Noah lived in.
But first of all he was a righteous man.
Now how that would refer us to the Lord Jesus.
As being that righteous man.
The one who did everything that was right.
That in so much a greater way.
Because we know that all these men sinned.
And all these men had failures.
But the Lord Jesus was the perfect righteous one.
How thankful we are about that.
Because if he wasn't the perfect Lamb of God.
Then he wouldn't have been able to do that great work.
And take away the sins of the world.
That he was perfect in his generations.
And that again he walked with God.
How was he received?
That he was received in a way that was certainly antagonistic.
That men were ambivalent to him and his message.
That he preached that the judgment, the flood would come.
For those many years.
That he was seen faithfully building that ark.
Through which they could have been saved.
That they were completely against what he said.
That he preached righteousness.
But the people living at that time.
Completely just ignored and refused to accept his message.
And then we move on.
You can see that I put these lists down chronologically.
As they lived upon this earth.
And we come to Melchizedek.
Melchizedek, a wonderful type.
It's mentioned there definitely three times in Hebrews.
As Melchizedek being a type.
If we'd perhaps read the Old Testament.
And looked at the few verses where we'd read of Melchizedek.
We could perhaps have passed over it.
Without really realizing its true significance.
But here was a most incredible mention.
That he was without father.
Without mother.
Without genealogy.
Having neither beginning of days.
Nor end of life.
That somewhere in the Old Testament as a type.
It was brought to attention.
That there was going to be a man.
The savior.
The Lord Jesus Christ.
Who was going to have without father.
Without mother.
Etc.
Most marvelous type.
But of course Melchizedek was the high priest.
And when we think of this man meeting Abraham.
As he'd come back from war.
And defeated with obviously God's help.
The enemies and those that had taken lots.
He's called the king of righteousness.
The king of peace.
Thoughts that we'll meet in a few moments.
But as the high priest.
When the Lord Jesus is mentioned.
As being of the order of Melchizedek.
That we think of the present ministry.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven.
That he is our high priest.
That he is there to intercede for us.
What a wonderful thought that is.
Really I'm sure of many hours of ministry.
In the way in which our Lord Jesus Christ.
Is in heaven now.
And that he's there interceding for us.
And that he's there before the father.
Bringing our case so to speak before him.
But if we move on.
And think of Isaac.
More than one type of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And we think of that most famous situation.
When Abraham took his only son Isaac.
And that as they were going up that Mount Moriah.
And the son Isaac turned to the father.
And said where is the lamb?
And Abraham could reply.
God will provide a lamb.
What a wonderful type hidden there.
Not even hidden but shouting at us really.
From the Old Testament.
Of how the father would give up his son.
That Isaac walked with his father.
I think it's a tremendous thing to realize.
That both of them went together to the cross.
That was our Lord Jesus Christ.
Walked on this earth.
And he went steadfastly as a flint towards Jerusalem.
That is he went to that awful place.
That he walked with his father.
That God did indeed provide a lamb.
That in some aspects that he was offered by the father himself.
And that as Isaac is that type.
As one who went into death.
And was raised as one from the dead.
That we are brought to that most important place.
The cross.
Calvary itself.
And our Lord Jesus Christ.
Dying in our place.
In our stead.
So that our sins could be forgiven.
So that we could be with him in heaven.
The type is truly remarkable.
We would think of.
We don't know how old Isaac was at that time.
But we would think of that young man.
Obediently.
Laying down his life.
Of obediently.
Of getting on to that altar.
Of letting his father.
Tie him up on that altar.
And of letting his father.
Do such a thing to him.
It is something that I think is thrown into contrast today.
Where we see such lack of obedience.
That a son would be willing to go to those lengths.
In simple obedience to his father.
And then we think of our Lord Jesus.
Who in simple obedience.
Did always those things that pleased the father.
But then a thing that we see on a number of occasions.
How that a bride was obtained for Isaac.
We see this in numerous times.
How that a bride was obtained by the Holy Spirit.
And that the bride came from Isaac's own kindred.
He would perhaps speak to us of a heavenly type.
That we are the heavenly ones.
There's a form in that bride.
And that he loved her.
It tells us in the end of that chapter.
That Christ loved the church.
And gave himself for her.
So we come now to Joseph.
Now Joseph as I'm sure we all know.
Is a most wonderful type of the Lord Jesus.
A most blessed one to study.
And as we move through those chapters.
In the end of Genesis there.
Things are so obvious.
And they leap out at us.
When they bring us to perhaps appreciate more and more.
Of what the Lord Jesus went through.
For our sakes and his future position.
But we think don't we.
Of the way in which Joseph was the loved one of his father.
That Jacob loved him more than any of his others.
But how did his brethren envy him.
How they betrayed him for those 20 pieces of silver.
We know it was 30 pieces of silver.
In the case of our Lord.
That he was wrongly accused.
And went into the dungeon.
That he was taken.
So he spent many days in that dungeon.
That he was taken from the pit.
And from the dungeon.
And elevated.
Immediately.
In such a short space of time.
To that great position of power.
To be ruler of the world.
How that surely fills our hearts.
When we think of the Lord Jesus.
Being down into the very depths.
But elevated.
And sitting at God's right hand.
But the pit which would speak to us.
He was put there because of the envy of his brethren.
Do we sometimes realize and appreciate.
That the Lord Jesus came unto his own.
And his own received him not.
That they were envious of him.
That the Jewish Pharisees and the scribes.
For envy.
Sent him to the Romans.
That there were Jews involved.
And that there was the Gentiles involved.
The Gentiles, Potiphar.
And obviously the lawyer at that time.
They falsely judged Joseph.
He was there wrongly.
And surely our Lord was put on that cross wrongly.
He was wrongly accused.
But we know that he was sent to preserve life.
That he was elevated to that position of great power.
That he ruled over Egypt.
Which speaks to us of the world.
And yet we see again this aspect of him being given a wife.
We see that he was given a Gentile wife.
Different from Rebecca.
A Gentile wife.
Speaking again of his church.
And we think of the children that were born to Joseph in Egypt.
That they were claimed by his father.
For himself.
And that the bride is always intimately associated with him in his glory.
That aspect of the bride brought out.
Of the bride in all the glory that was given to Joseph as he ruled this world.
And we can see the glory that will come to the church.
Composed mainly of Gentiles.
That they will be with him in that glory.
And that we can see there that the descendants of Joseph were placed in the most fruitful parts of the country.
And that is only when the brethren were fully prostrate.
And bowed the knee before him.
That he revealed himself to them.
You can see that picture almost dispensationally speaking.
How that Joseph was elevated by the king, by Pharaoh.
That his brethren didn't own him.
They didn't know him.
But there came a time when they did know him.
And that they were prostrate before him.
Speaking of Israel.
The Jews.
Who don't know him at this present time.
But in a future day they will fully own him.
And they will be with him as well.
Then obviously Joseph's brother.
Benjamin.
See perhaps another contrast with Benjamin.
That his name there is son of the right hand that his father called him.
And son of my sorrow which was given to him by Rachel his mother.
But some have considered that to be a type rejected during Israel's tribulation.
We think also of the son of my sorrow.
And we can see the contrast.
The life of the Lord Jesus as he lived here upon this earth.
That he was a man of sorrows.
Appointed with grief.
That he is now elevated and is sitting at God's right hand.
If we move over the page.
Look at Moses.
Again another wonderful type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We can't help to go into all the aspects of the life of Moses.
That would lead us to him.
My thought as I think I've said and just reiterate.
Is to try and get an overview.
To try in the time that I've got available.
See aspects from all over the Old Testament.
Through these people.
To try and help us to see how wonderful the Lord Jesus is.
You see that Moses was raised by God.
When the enemy of the people was supreme.
That Moses was raised up to lead the Jewish people out of Egypt.
And that as we think right at the beginning of his life.
That the king tried to kill him at his birth.
There we obviously know of how the wise men came and Herod the great.
Tried to kill him at his birth.
That as we look that Moses was able to lead the people out of Egypt.
To serve God.
That Moses delivered the people from the power of Pharaoh.
That as the children of Israel went through the Red Sea.
That they were delivered from the power of Pharaoh.
I think something that we need to remember.
That we are delivered from the power of Satan.
That he's not just saved us, brought us with the price.
But that the Lord Jesus Christ has delivered us from the power of Satan.
That we no longer belong to him.
But as we think in this case of the marriage of Moses.
That he was given Zipporah.
Again a Gentile wife.
That he had two sons.
And that this would perhaps remind us of the Gentile church.
Given to Christ in his rejection.
That Moses was rejected at this time.
He was in the wilderness.
He wasn't accepted by his own people.
And the church was given to him.
As the church is today.
While the Jews still reject their Messiah.
That God was able to speak to Moses mouth to mouth.
A unique phrase mentioned in the scriptures.
That God spoke to Moses mouth to mouth.
That Moses had this very intimate, this very close relationship with God.
And it speaks to us doesn't it of the relationship the Lord Jesus had with his father.
That it was mouth to mouth.
That he spoke with him.
That he communed with him.
That he prayed on the mount.
That in the garden of Gethsemane he communed with his father.
Moses as we know was the meekest man on all the earth.
And to think of the Lord Jesus Christ coming into this world where he was disowned and rejected.
Where he didn't claim what was rightfully his.
As being the meekest man that ever lived.
Truly a wonderful thought.
And as we look at the reactions of how people treated him.
We see that the children of Israel murmured against him.
They grumbled against Moses.
They rebelled against him.
And we think of the reaction that the people, the Jews in particular, had against the Son of God.
Their Messiah as he came into this world.
How they treated him.
How they would take him to that brow of the hill and seek to throw him over.
How they mumbled.
How they plotted to kill him.
Terrible thoughts that they did against the Son of God.
But the type of Moses as being the intercessor.
The number of times that the children of Israel did those things that were terribly, heinously wrong.
And Moses had to speak to God on their behalf.
That he interceded for them.
He pleaded for them.
He was that mediator between God and man.
As we know the Lord Jesus is.
But he was their leader.
That he was in some sense the apostle and the prophet.
Wonderful type of the Lord Jesus.
Moses' brother Aaron.
The type mainly as the high priest again.
Ever living to make intercession for us.
But the job of the high priest was to offer up sacrifices and keep the people in relationship to God.
Thankfully, I'm sure, the majority of us in this room say that we belong to the Lord Jesus.
We've been bought with a price.
He's died for us.
But as we live in this world, the high priest is making that intercession for us.
Keeping us in relationship with God.
How necessary that is for us.
That we kept in the closeness and the preciousness of that relationship.
That he died to secure for us.
We do have the phrase, Aaron and his sons.
Mentioned a number of times in the Old Testament and the Pentateuch in particular.
And there we have that type of Christ and the church.
That Christ identified himself with the priestly company, his brethren.
As we move on and think of Joshua.
That name meaning saviour, deliverer.
Jehovah the saviour.
That he was only one out of the two that lived in the wilderness and was able to go into the land.
That he was the victorious leader.
That he brought them into the promised land.
He was their leader and captain.
The type of Christ risen from the dead.
The one who went through the river Jordan.
And who was brought up out of the other side, out of death.
And who led his people to be victorious in the land.
Boaz.
We know that Boaz was a mighty man of wealth.
The type of him as the kinsman redeemer.
We know that our Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed us by his blood.
That he has paid the price.
And that he has brought us back to God.
That he has redeemed us.
But Boaz would speak to us of the fact that he is the kinsman redeemer.
The one who was the nearest family member.
And that when someone who was a near relative, a closer relative to Ruth.
And she came back from that, well came into Israel from the land of Moab.
That the nearest kinsman couldn't or wouldn't redeem Ruth.
But that he as the kinsman redeemer was able to redeem her.
The nearest kinsman perhaps speaking of the law.
The law couldn't save us.
The law couldn't bring us into that relationship.
The law couldn't pay the price for our sins.
But the Lord Jesus Christ as our kinsman redeemer paid the price.
He was a mighty man of wealth.
And he was able to pay that great price.
We are not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold.
But with the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And we think of Ruth again as being a gentile.
That she was one who was brought in to the family.
We know that she was mentioned in the genealogy.
In that special place.
And Moabites mentioned in the genealogy.
Brought in.
That as a type in the future Boaz could be thought of as the one who raised up Israel through this desolate remnant.
Samson.
Here again perhaps we think of Samson and all his failings.
All the things that he did wrong.
But we can think of him, I'm sure, as a type of Christ.
That he gave up his life.
The Lord Jesus gave up his life.
He willingly died.
He willingly pulled down those pillars in the temple of Dagon itself.
And he destroyed 3000 of his enemies.
Samson was delivered up to the Philistines, their enemies, by his own people.
The Lord Jesus, in an awful terrible way, was given into the hands of the Romans.
In an awful way.
By his own people, the Jews.
How that rankled with Samson.
How that appalled him.
That he had fought the Philistines.
He had defeated and killed many of them.
And yet his own people delivered him up.
And we know that he was forsaken and they fled away from him.
And that he was delivered up by his own people.
But Samson was a Nazirite.
And our Lord Jesus was the true Nazirite.
The one that was separated.
The one that was marked out.
And that through his death, the Lord Jesus brought deliverance to the whole world.
If they would but accept him.
And David, of course, is, I think, one of the three best types, if we can put it as simply as that.
David, that one that was a man after God's own heart.
That God chose him.
That David was the one who was going to care and feed his people.
David was the shepherd who looked after the sheep.
And David was the one who was anointed when he was unknown in his humility.
That the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him at that time.
And of course we know that at the beginning of our Lord's ministry, the Spirit of Jehovah certainly came upon him.
And then we think of that great event.
That tremendous event where David, as a young lad, went down alone to meet the foe.
What a tremendous type that is.
Of the Lord Jesus Christ going down into the valley.
Down into death itself.
And facing the foe, Satan, himself alone.
We know that the Lord Jesus was the only one who could defeat Satan.
And David here speaks of the Lord Jesus defeating Goliath.
Defeating Satan.
Winning that great victory over Satan himself.
David was hunted by Saul in the wilderness.
And we know the Lord Jesus was certainly hunted and searched out in a wrong way by his own people.
But some women sang praises of David.
And thankfully today there are those that love the Lord Jesus and would sing his praises.
As David gradually, over a number of years, got his rightful place as the king.
That he can be thought of in a future way.
As the man of war.
As the one who defeated his enemies.
And as the one who defeated his enemies before he became king.
And the Lord Jesus will come a second time.
And he will defeat his enemies at the Battle of Armageddon.
Before the Millennial Kingdom.
Before he becomes king.
He will defeat his enemies.
That in the place of...
Perhaps I better just mention, draw your attention to Abigail again.
That Abigail, a wife that was brought to him in his rejection.
And called him Lord.
Speaking of the church and how while the Lord is rejected.
We can call him Lord and own him as Lord.
But that Mephibosheth sat at his table.
And that the grace that came from David.
That he searched out that who from the house of Saul he could show favour to.
And David's son Solomon.
Solomon, we know, speaks and gives us, I think, one of the best pictures.
Perhaps along with Joseph.
Of what it will be like in that Millennial Kingdom.
When the Lord Jesus will rule as king.
What a great day that will be.
When all the enemies will be defeated.
David defeated all the enemies.
And Solomon rules there.
Our Lord Jesus Christ will rule.
There will be peace.
There will be prosperity.
There will be righteousness.
There will be wisdom displayed in all its magnitude.
There will be the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Known throughout the world.
That the Queen of Sheba could exclaim the half had not been told.
And we look forward to that time, don't we?
When as the world goes by and casts dispersions on his name.
That they will see him in all his glory.
That they would come, they will come.
From all the earth to hear his wisdom.
And bow before him.
And I think it's worth pointing out.
That we might remember that Solomon was castigated.
Because he loved many foreign women.
But we can think that he married Pharaoh's daughter.
Another Gentile.
And that the church can be thought of as reigning with him in his glory.
That's a wonderful thought, isn't it?
That we will reign with the Lord Jesus.
With him in his glory.
That we will be there.
And we will be in that prominent place.
Elisha.
Elisha, the prophet.
The one who acted in grace.
Except, of course, where grace was spurned.
And the resurrection was mocked.
The miracles that Elisha did.
Reminders of the miracles of the Lord Jesus.
That Elisha was able to raise people from the dead.
A very rare thing today.
Certainly, throughout the pages of history.
That this would speak of the one who has been raised from the dead.
But the one who was able to raise from the dead.
That we will be raised if we go into death before the Lord Jesus comes.
Jonah.
Well, a New Testament reference there.
We know Jonah being in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
That the Lord Jesus was dead those three days.
Three days.
Three nights.
And that as Jonah was spewed out of the fish and brought back, so to speak, from life again.
We know that our Lord Jesus was brought back to life.
That God raised him from the dead.
And we see that type mentioned.
That Jonah was a prophet.
And that he was a prophet from a place called Gathipha.
Which I'm told is in Galilee.
And the Lord Jesus lived and did his early ministry in Galilee.
That Jonah was a prophet to the Gentiles through Israel.
As our Lord Jesus Christ is.
And then perhaps we can think of Zerubbabel.
The one who, at a later day.
His name meant there that he was a stranger at Babylon.
A dispersion of confusion.
And that he was head of the Jews who returned from exile under the decree of Silas.
And that they built the altar in Jerusalem.
And that sacrificed.
And the second year started the temple.
And he caused the temple to be rebuilt.
Reminding us of that future day.
When that temple will be rebuilt in that coming kingdom.
So we've looked through.
A little bit briefly.
Some of the main aspects of how these men were types of the Lord Jesus.
But perhaps.
And I would encourage you to think about it.
Because I'm sure I've nowhere near.
And I couldn't get into the page.
Explored many of the themes.
That would run down these people.
I was interested for instance.
And I can't say I got too far.
They're just looking at the names.
I've put them there for you.
For your consideration.
I was interested in the very fact of their fathers and mothers.
If you look down there.
You can see that fathers.
Of course except for the notable exception.
Always mentioned.
The mothers.
Only occasionally mentioned.
And we know that relationship.
Between the Lord Jesus and his father.
Obviously very precious.
I tried to look at the tribes.
Where appropriate.
To see what tribes were mentioned.
Didn't get too far with that one.
But saw that the town of Bethlehem.
Came through quite prominently.
Perhaps as we might expect.
When we look at the moral ways of these people.
The phrase that hit me a number of times.
Was that of walking with God.
That seemed to be emphasized.
By at least three of these people.
But then we get the characteristics as a whole.
Brought together.
We have the idea of meekness with Moses.
Humility.
We have obedience with Isaac.
Faithfulness.
Faithfulness perhaps in the case of Noah.
Of grace in the case of Elijah.
And you build up a picture.
Because not one of these people.
Can anywhere near represent.
The moral glories of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And there are many more there.
I'm sure to explore.
But when we look down the reaction column.
Direction to our Lord Jesus.
We find that the overwhelming reaction.
Is against him.
And was against.
These worthy Old Testament saints.
Terrible it was.
Many of these men did marvelous.
With the help of God.
Marvelous things.
But you see time and time again.
That they were against him.
And against his message.
I think Solomon was the one there.
That is poignant in being the opposite.
His accomplishments.
As we would expect.
We get the idea of saving.
And delivering the people.
Mentioned over and over again.
There's one who came to save his people.
To deliver them from the power of the enemy.
And the idea of ruling.
Seems to come through as well.
Death and resurrection.
Obviously important points of the gospel.
And it is amazing how many of these types.
Bring that to the fore.
That in the Old Testament.
Before the Lord Jesus came.
That they showed people.
That this Messiah.
The Son of God.
Would have to die.
And praise be to God.
To be raised from the dead.
We even get Enoch.
But Enoch didn't die.
As a picture of the future.
And I think one of the most lovely ones.
Spoken about it a fair bit.
Was the marriage theme.
The marriage theme that runs through.
We have.
Don't we?
That the church.
Adam and Eve.
Brought him through the results of death.
Brought him through the Holy Spirit.
As mentioned as the bride for Isaac.
We have remarkably the number of Gentiles.
That married these people.
That the Gentiles were brought into blessing.
The church made up of Jew and Gentile.
That the church was brought in.
While the Lord was rejected.
We saw that in Moses and David.
That the church was with him during his exaltation.
As the case of Joseph.
And that in the case of Solomon.
That the church was there.
Or will be there.
Reigning with him.
That's quite remarkable as we look down there.
And then as we consider the roles of the Lord Jesus.
Far too many to really put down there.
And enumerate.
Far more than any one person could even hope.
To be able to cope with.
Humanly speaking.
The manifold ways.
And roles.
That the Lord Jesus took and takes today.
The future has started off in fact.
In looking to see how dispensationally.
We could take these types.
And see how they referred to the dispensations.
That decided not to concentrate on that theme.
But we've got the tribulation mentioned.
That's in the case of Benjamin.
We've got the raising of Israel.
By Boaz.
Defeating the enemies before the millennium.
Case of David.
The brothers bowing down before him.
Jews bowing down before him.
Joseph.
Millennium with Solomon.
Building a temple with Zerubbabel.
And then the eternal theme coming through.
With Melchizedek.
So I leave these thoughts with you.
I would surely encourage us all.
To look at them carefully.
To fill in the gaps.
I filled in quite a few gaps.
When I was able to do that even last night.
And I'm sure that they would speak to us.
Of what a wonderful saviour we have.
How fantastic and magnificent it is.
That we have one.
Who has been revealed to us.
In many facets and different ways.
In such detail.
And things that are beyond our comprehension.
May it be that we're able to praise and worship him.
In some way as we ought.
Could we close by singing hymn number 151.
Lord Jesus.
When we think of thee.
Of all thy love and grace.
Our spirits long.
And fain would see.
Thy beauty face to face.
Hymn number 151. …
Transcription automatique:
…
The Hebrews and chapter 1
Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 1
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.
Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.
I think we are having a very interesting day.
We've already had a demonstration of what clever people would call parallax.
And that fits in very well with the kind of thing we are talking about today.
Just to remind you, it's about six o'clock, and if you were standing in the middle of the center aisle,
eleven with the two clocks, and you looked at them both at the beginning of this meeting,
more or less, they would both say six o'clock.
But at that time, if I was standing here, looking at that clock,
I would think it was about three or four minutes past six o'clock.
But if I was looking at that clock from here, it would look as though it was three or four minutes to six o'clock.
You see, it depends what angle I'm looking at the clock.
And when you work it out, and you take account of the fact that the minute pointer,
there's a gap between the pointer and the face of the clock,
you'll be able to work out why it seems to be different.
Now, we are going to look at someone tonight, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who is absolutely perfect from whichever angle you look at him.
And so much for that.
We've also learned that if you read the Bible,
God marks out things that are significant by grouping them together,
either in threes, or sevens, or nines.
And we've had some demonstrations of that.
And again, that will help us.
When we do that, you've got to have a little bit of caution,
because when God speaks, because he's a triune God, he speaks in a threefold way,
and he often demonstrates things which are perfect or complete by using the number seven.
And when there are things that speak about the fullness of the Holy Spirit,
things happen in three times, three sets of nine,
you have to be very careful not to jump to conclusions,
because the devil, the great copier, the great counterfeiter,
very often does things that seem to be good,
because they're in threes, sevens, or nines,
and when you look carefully, you find that it's the devil, the great counterfeiter,
who's copying God, making people think that he is as good as God.
Now, we are going to look at a seven today.
But it's one of God's sevens, not one of the devil's sevens.
So, whether it's the first time we've considered this,
or whether you've looked at it many times before,
here is one of the great sevens of scripture.
What I'm going to look at now are reasons why Jesus is in heaven.
Now, there may well be more.
I'm always happy when someone comes afterwards and says,
You've said there are seven, but what about this one?
Sure enough, there'll be more.
But there are at least seven reasons why Jesus is in heaven.
And as we go through them, very simply, we'll see why it is put in that particular way.
To make life easy for us, and God does make it easy for us in reading the scriptures,
all the scriptures I'm going to refer to are in the epistle to the Hebrews.
And while we'll be jockeying back and forwards in Hebrews,
we'll not be going further afield than that.
Now, these first three verses, very important verses,
they're about the Lord Jesus Christ.
One of the things I thought Edwin was going to ask us this afternoon
was there are three chapters in the New Testament in particular
which tell us about the personal glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And of course, you would have all been shouting out straight away,
John won, Colossians won, Hebrews won.
Well, this is one of them, Hebrews won.
And this is the first thing, and it's always important first,
to think about the person before you think about things that are true of the person.
Now, in verse three, you've got this term,
the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person.
Now, we all think of things differently, so I'm going to give you two sets of headings.
I'm glad some of you have pens and papers and you're not making shopping lists,
you're thinking of something that I've said that you'll write down
and that will trigger off your future studies.
The first reason why Jesus is in heaven is because of who he is.
That's the first thing.
The Lord Jesus is in heaven and it's right for him to be in heaven
because of who he is.
Now, if you want a more technical way of saying that,
you can say the Lord Jesus is in heaven because of his personal glory,
because of the person that he is.
And that word is in verse three of this.
And, you know, when you think of someone,
before you start thinking about things about him,
you've got to say, now, what sort of person is this?
The Lord Jesus, yes, he came into the world born a baby, a Bethlehem,
but it wasn't long before people began to realise
that he wasn't an ordinary person like everybody else.
There is something special, there is something absolutely unique
about the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the Son of God.
Indeed, he is God the Son.
As to his person, he is God.
He is the creator and sustainer of the universe.
And because he is God, heaven is God's home.
And because of that, it is right that the Lord Jesus should be in heaven.
I'm moving quickly on so that we don't go over time.
So then, the first point is, Jesus is in heaven because of who he is,
his personal glory.
Now, as I say, give other reasons,
you'll be building them up in your mind
and you'll be wanting to remember them.
Bearing in mind that little statement in the book of Ecclesiastes,
chapter 4, about verse 12, where it says something like this,
a three-fold cord is not easily broken.
It didn't take men long to discover that instead of having one thick cord,
if you made a lot of fine cords and twisted them together,
that would be far stronger than one on its own.
And that's demonstrated in that phrase,
a three-fold cord is not easily broken.
Each strand you add to a cord,
you get greater strength and you get greater flexibility.
And what we are thinking about tonight is not a three-fold cord,
or a four-fold cord,
but a seven-fold cord.
And the first one, the central one,
that is basic to the rest,
is that the Lord Jesus is in heaven because he is God.
Now, move over further in chapter 1 please,
to verse 9.
God speaking to the Lord Jesus,
well, we'll read verse 8 as well.
Unto the Son, God says,
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever.
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity.
Therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee
with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
And then again in chapter 2,
in more nines tonight, aren't we?
It must be significant.
Chapter 2, verse 9.
But we see Jesus,
who was made a little lower than the angels
for the suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honor.
And he, by the grace of God,
should taste death for every man.
Again, next.
Next.
Good time could be spent
in thinking what these verses mean.
But in simplicity,
we move on from the central strand
of that very strong cord
about the Lord Jesus,
that Jesus is in heaven because of who he is.
And the second one that we have,
which entwines around the central one,
tells us this.
The Lord Jesus is in heaven
because of what he is.
Not only who he is in person,
but what he is in the kind of person that he is.
Now, in parallel with that,
the second heading is,
Jesus is in heaven
because of his moral perfection.
You know,
there are many words in the English language
and probably in others,
which are not easy to explain.
We know what we mean,
but it's difficult to put into words.
And this word moral is one of them.
Moral things are about
understanding the difference
between doing what is right
and doing what is wrong.
And not only doing the right thing,
but having the desire to do the right thing.
Now, there have been good men
and good women
who have lived in the world
since the beginning of the creation
of Adam and Eve.
But only of the Lord Jesus
can it be said
that he in himself,
as to his thoughts
and his words
and his deeds,
that he's absolutely perfect.
Now, that's what we mean.
With everyone else that's ever lived,
God in heaven can look down
and see some blemish,
some imperfection,
some fault,
which means he's not suitable
to live in heaven.
There are sins,
there are sinfulness,
there are wicked thoughts,
there are imperfections,
which mean that that person
is not suitable for heaven.
But of the Lord Jesus,
however you look at him,
whichever aspect of his life he lived,
whatever he said,
whatever he did,
the central truth about the Lord Jesus
is that there's nothing
that anyone could ever point at
which would mean
that it would keep him out of heaven.
He would never be debarred from heaven
for anything about him at all.
He is absolutely perfect.
So the second reason
why Jesus is in heaven
is that he is morally perfect.
Not only in heaven because of who he is,
but he deserves to be in heaven
because of what he is.
Now, I will pause there
because I'm speaking about Jesus.
Now, there are many people in the world
who speak about Jesus
in a very flippant way,
a very irreverent way,
and I wouldn't want to be like that
or for you to think that I was like that.
But in the book of Hebrews
and the New Testament,
more than any other book really
for the number of chapters,
the Lord Jesus, the Son of God,
Creator, Sustainer of the Universe
is spoken about as Jesus.
Now, why should that be?
The nation of Israel,
when the Lord Jesus presented himself
as their long-promised Messiah,
they didn't believe him.
They didn't want him.
They jeered at him.
They mocked at him.
They said this, Jesus,
speaking of the Lord Jesus
in a very disparaging way.
But when God wanted to talk about the Lord Jesus
as being absolutely perfect in all his ways,
he directed a Jew
to write to the Jewish nation
and to say,
this man that you've thought so badly about
is absolutely perfect
from whatever angle you look at.
And to emphasize that,
the Holy Spirit said to the writer,
all the way through,
wherever you can,
use his personal name of Jesus.
Now, that's why the name of Jesus
comes up so often
in the epistle to the Hebrews.
That the ones that the Jews despised,
that so many in the world at the present time
want nothing to do with,
that the Holy Spirit highlights him
as the one who was thought nothing of
when he lived in the world,
but that he deserves to be at the very highest spot,
and we read this,
as to who he is
and what he is,
there's no reason at all
why he should not be in heaven.
So, instead of being right at the bottom of the heap,
in man's estimation,
God says he's in heaven rightly,
crowned with glory and with honor.
So, we move on to chapter 10.
I'm taking it in the order I am
for reasons that I hope are emerging
as we go along.
Hebrews 10, verse 12.
Speaking of Jesus,
this man,
after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins,
forever sat down
on the right hand of God.
Spoiled for choice really,
there are so many verses
that tell us this truth.
Yes, the Lord Jesus
deserves to be in heaven
because of who he is,
his personal glory.
He deserves to be in heaven
because of what he is,
an absolutely perfect man.
But this now moves on,
and we read that he's in heaven
because of what he's done,
because of the work of the cross.
And among the many verses in Hebrews
we could go to,
this one is very good,
very near the top of the list.
In chapter 9 it says,
Once in the end of the age
hath Christ appeared
to put away sins
by the sacrifice of himself.
If there were no other reason
for the Lord Jesus
to be in heaven now,
this would be absolutely sufficient
in itself.
The Lord Jesus is in heaven
among other reasons
to demonstrate
that the work that he did at Calvary
in dealing with sin and sins
is demonstrably complete.
God says,
I want to demonstrate
that the work that Jesus did on the cross
was completed entirely
to my full satisfaction.
And I'm going to demonstrate that
by giving him an exalted place in heaven.
And you can look at him
and you can say,
the fact that he's there in heaven
means that the work of the cross
was totally satisfactory to God.
See, each of these strands
in this sevenfold cord
is sufficient in itself.
If there was only one reason
given in the Bible
why Jesus is in heaven,
it would be sufficient.
But each one that's added
as the Bible says,
precept upon precept,
line upon line,
here a little, there a little,
each strand that's added
means that the whole truth
is more secure
and more for the glory of God.
So we've considered
who is the Son of God.
We've considered what he is
absolutely perfect
by God's absolute standard.
And we've moved on
from who he is
and what he is
to what he's done.
I suppose we're moving chronologically
through what we know
about the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so we've moved on
from the kind of person he was
in the world
to consider the work
that he came to do
just before the Lord
went to the cross.
We would say anticipatively
knowing that he was going to do it
just after that.
The Lord says to his Father,
the Son said,
I have finished the work
thou gavest me to do.
Now when the work was finished
we read that God raised him
from the dead
and gave him glory.
And that glory is defined
in these verses that we've read.
That God says
the token,
the proof,
the guarantee
that the work of the cross
is absolutely finished
never needing to be repeated
is that God
has set Christ
on high.
Chapter 12.
Chapter 12, verse 2.
Looking unto Jesus
see what I mean?
The personal name is used.
Reverently,
carefully,
gently,
pinpointing the person
who was our Lord and Savior.
Looking unto Jesus
the author and finisher
of our faith
who for the joy that was said before him
endured the cross
despising the shame
and was set down
at the right hand
of the throne of God.
Now,
you Bible students
will be used
to linking certain chapters together.
Chapters 1, 8, 10 and 12
because these are the chapters
that emphasize
where Jesus is now
and the basis on which
he is rightly in heaven.
And the trigger
to prompt our minds is
that at the present time
he is set down
at the right hand of God
in heaven.
And you will examine those
and find that they fit in very well.
From another angle,
a four-fold statement
as to why he is set down
on the right hand of God on high
here in our consideration tonight
a seven-fold reason
from slightly different
points of view.
Now,
if you just go back
to chapter 10
verse 38
it says
the just shall live
by faith.
Now,
as you know,
that's a quotation
from the book of Habakkuk.
In Habakkuk
the statement is made
the just shall live
by faith.
There are three parts
to that statement.
The first part is
about justice
and those who are just.
Those who are right
with God.
The just.
The next,
the middle bit,
is about life.
The just shall live.
And the third part
of the statement
is the principle
on which the just
live their lives.
The just shall live
by faith.
Now,
in the New Testament
the Holy Spirit
quotes that phrase
three times.
In the epistle to the Romans
which is all about justice
and the justice of God
the righteousness of God
we find the emphasis is
the just shall live by faith.
In Galatians
the subject matter
is among other things
the life that we live
the true life before God
that the emphasis is
the just shall live
by faith.
And in Hebrews
chapter 10
where we've just read from
the emphasis is
the principle
on which they live their lives
the just shall live
by faith.
Now,
after that heading
at the end of chapter 10
chapter 11
is a catalogue
of good examples
of just people
who lived
on the principle
of faith.
And then
when we come
into the beginning
of chapter 12
after many good examples
of just people
who lived by faith
you come to the only
perfect example
the Lord Jesus Christ.
And this is
what chapter 12
verse 2 is about.
The climax
of the line of faith
by the way
if
in considering chapter 11
without digressing too much
if you wonder
why
of those
who
died in faith
because it says
all these died in faith
if you wonder why
Abel
is the first one
that's mentioned
is dying in faith
the answer is very easy
he was the first one
that did
die
in faith.
Whether or not
you include Adam
is up to you
and I certainly would
but
the reason
Abel
the line of faith
the line of those
who died in faith
is mentioned
Abel
was the first
faithful person
to die
when he was murdered
by his brother.
But the climax
is given
chapter 12
verse 2
looking
away
from everything
and anyone else
even looking away
from all these
good examples
in chapter 11
the supreme
only perfect example
is the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Now what's the emphasis
then here?
I would say this
in considering
those
who live by faith
and die in faith
the Lord Jesus
is the perfect example
in this
the only
proper
terminus
for the life
of faith
lived to perfection
by the Lord Jesus Christ
the only proper
terminus for that
the only proper
terminal point
is
glory
at the right hand
of God.
Sufficient in itself
I say
even if the other
six were not true
here is a
substantive reason
stands on its own feet
as to why
Jesus
my saviour
is rightly
in heaven
you couldn't think
of any
other
proper answer
to the life
that Jesus
lived upon earth
than that
it should be glory
at the right hand
of God
and so we have it
as the terminus
the only proper
terminus
of the path of faith
now
we will be in heaven
not because we are perfect
but because the work
of the cross
is perfect
we know all about
our failings
we know
that we sin
but
if we confess
our sins
God is faithful
to forgive us
our sins
because the Lord
Jesus
at the cross
died and paid
the price to God
for every sin
that we've ever
committed
but
it will be all glory
to Jesus
again I use
his personal name
because the epistle
to the Hebrews
does
it will be a wonderful
thing
to say now
there's someone there
who's there
in his own right
because the life
that he lived
when he was on earth
was without spot
and without blemish
and the only
right terminus
for the path
and the life
of such a one
now
they are relatively
easy
but turn back
turn back please
to chapter 4
and
we have to think
of something
a little bit
more difficult
chapter 4
verse
14
seeing then
that we have
a great high priest
that is passed
into the heavens
Jesus
the son of God
let us
hold fast
our profession
for we have
not a high priest
which cannot
be touched
with the feeling
of our infirmities
but was in all
points
tempted like as
we are
yet without sin
chapter 8
now
of the things
which we have spoken
this is the son
we have such
a high priest
who was set
on the right hand
of the throne
of the majesty
in the heavens
a minister
of the sanctuary
and of the true
tabernacle
which the lord
pitched
and not
man
for every
high priest
is ordained
to offer
gifts
and sacrifices
where for
it is of necessity
that this man
have somewhat
also
to offer
for if he were
on earth
he should not
be a priest
seeing that there
are priests
that offer
gifts
according
to the law
one of the
many sets
of good things
in the epistle
to the hebrews
is not a 3
and it's not a 7
and it's not a 9
it's a 10
every now and again
the writer says
we have
things that the christian
has
that the jews
of israel
could never have
in the way that we
have them now
and in chapter 4
one of the things
that we have
we are told
we have
a great
high priest
priest
one of the reasons
why jesus
is in heaven
unlike the others
even if none
of the others
were true
it would be true
to say
that this
is a sufficient
reason
for the lord
jesus
to be in heaven
now
and
this reason
is
because
he is
our high
priest
now
there are two words
about messengers
which have
a special
force
one is
the word
apostle
and the other
is high priest
now
in chapter 3
beginning
with the verse
verse 1
we are told
that for the christian
jesus
is both
the apostle
and the high
priest
now
jews knew
what high
priests
were about
they knew
first of all
that
moses
really
you could use
the word
about him
he was their
leader
he was their
apostle
he got
god's message
he came out
from the presence
of god
to pass on
the message
god's message
to the people
of god
Aaron
the high
priest
went
in front of
the people
with messages
on behalf
of the people
to present
to god
moses
was god's
representative
with the people
Aaron
was the people's
representative
in the presence
of god
now
our lord
jesus
does both
but we're not
thinking of the
apostle at the
present time
we are thinking
about why the
lord jesus
is in heaven
and is in heaven
as the high
priest
in two ways
we really
need
chapters
one to
seven
of the epistle
to the hebrews
to tell
us
about
what
the bible
talks about
the wilderness
priesthood
of the lord
jesus
christ
what does that
mean
we live in the
world
god is in
heaven
keeping sins
out of it
that's a separate
consideration
we are so
weak
and feeble
and ineffective
in ourselves
that we
need someone
to represent
us
in the
presence
of god
our
lord
jesus
in the
presence
of god
i deal with
all these
weaknesses
infirmities
difficulties
and things
like that
when the
people of
israel
were in the
wilderness
they would
have been
in a very
difficult
position
without a
high priest
but in
the mercy
of god
aaron
represented
the people
in the
presence
of god
and he
went to
god
with all
the things
that needed
sorting out
and he
kept their
relationship
with god
right
but you
see
it's not
just a
question
of all
the aches
and pains
of this
life
for you
and me
it might
be enough
if
we knew
we know
we're going
to heaven
because the
bible says
so
it would
be sufficient
for us
if we
knew
as it is
true
that
whatever
comes along
we can
turn to
the lord
jesus
unburden
ourselves
with all
our problems
and difficulties
and he
would
smooth
right
through
life
the chapters
one to
seven
or
certainly
two
the end
of two
to seven
are about
but that's
not sufficient
for god
god
wants to
resolve
all the
difficulties
we have
so that we
can feel
free to
go into
the presence
of god
now to that
end
the priesthood
of the lord
jesus
our representative
in the
presence
of god
is absolutely
vital
now there are
other books in the
bible
which say that
christians
are priests
of god
but this book
is so
it's so important
in this book
to think of
the preeminence
of the lord
jesus
that he's the
only priest
that is
spoken of
in christianity
in hebrews
christians are
spoken of
not as
priests
but as
worshippers
and the
priesthood
of the lord
jesus
our representative
in heaven
in the presence
of god
is so that
unburdened
of our
difficulties
with everything
from our side
sorted out
that he'll be able
to conduct
us
praising
god
in the very
presence
of god
now
that
is what we get
in chapters
eight to ten
end of chapter
two to the
end of chapter
seven
the wilderness
priesthood
of the lord
jesus
chapters
eight to ten
and we had
the word
at the beginning
of chapter
eight
the sanctuary
priesthood
of the lord
jesus
now
that
is what
we get
but happily
the best
illustrations
of things
the bible
teaches us
are given
in the bible
itself
and if we were
to turn
to john's
gospel
chapter thirteen
you get
a lovely
illustration
of these
two things
the lord
jesus
lord
of all
and yet
he bowed
down
and he
washed
his
disciples
feet
they had a
long day
a hot
day
they
were
dirtied
from the
dust
of the
road
they were
weary
they were
sweaty
and they
were
uncomfortable
and the
lord
jesus
before
anything
else
eventually
he understood
it was
the lord's
will
and even
if he
didn't
understand
it
he
should
submit
to it
but
having
done
that
having
sorted
out
their
needs
after
the heat
and the
burden
of the
day
and your
needs
he says
you'll be in
no position
and this is the
words the lord
jesus used
you'll be in
no position
to have
part
with me
in my
things
now that's a
wonderful
illustration
of the
distinction
the difference
between
the wilderness
priesthood
of the lord
jesus
as our
high priest
sorting
and being
comfortable in his
presence
he can take us
into the present
the very presence
of god
and
be involved
indulging
in praise
and worship
and adoration
well
this is
given
in picture
form
as the high priest
now the simpler
way of saying
this
the lord
jesus
is not only
in heaven
because of who
he is
because of
what he's
done
or how he
lived on earth
he's in heaven
now
again a
substantive
reason
stands on its
own feet
he's in heaven
now
a prime reason
is because of
what he's
doing now
as the high
priest
over
the house
of god
we must keep
moving
chapter six
please
middle of verse 18
another
we have
we have
a strong
consolation
who have fled
for refuge
to lay hold
upon the hope
set before us
which hope
we have
another we have
as an anchor
of the soul
sure and
steadfast
which entereth
into that
within the veil
whither
the forerunner
is for us
entered
into the
veil
now
the forerunner
is for us
entered
even Jesus
made a high
priest
after the
order
of
Mel
Kisly
look at that
word
the third word
in verse 20
forerunner
again
even if
nothing
else
was known
about
the lord
Jesus
if we
know
that the bible
teaches us
that he is
our
forerunner
that is
sufficient
reason in
itself
why the
lord Jesus
Christ
is in
heaven
his
presence
there
is the
guarantee
that we
will be
there
now
we can think
of many
reasons
why God
in his grace
has made
us fit
for heaven
but when
we think
of many
other reasons
who he
is
what he
is
what he's
done
what he's
doing now
the lord
Jesus
it is right
for him
to be in
heaven
because of
where we
are going
he is
our
forerunner
even
now
entered
into heaven
and we
have one more
verse
thirteen
to which of the
angels
says God
at any time
sit on my
right hand
until I
make thine
enemies
thy
footstool
God
as such
speaking to
Jesus
as such
says
I'm going
to
establish
you
in glory
at my right
hand
not only
as the
guarantee
that those
who trust
you as saviour
will get to
heaven
but also
as the
guarantee
that the
whole universe
will one day
acknowledge
Jesus
as
absolutely
supreme
the supreme
authority
of the lord
Jesus
to be
demonstrated
very soon
is another
reason
why the
lord Jesus
Christ
is in
heaven
now
now I'll be
happy if you
can give me
further reasons
as to why
he is there
but in the
meantime
I'm very
happy to
accept this
as one of the
good sevens
of the bible
reasons
why
Jesus
is in
heaven
and he's
been kind
enough
to be my
saviour
what a
wonderful
person
now let
us sing
our closing
hymn
number
29
O
blessed
saviour
son of
god
who
hast
redeemed
us
with thy
blood
from guilt
unto
thee
and
worthy
thee
proclaim
number
29
O
blessed
saviour
son of
god
who
hast
redeemed
us
with thy
blood
from
guilt
and
guilt
unto
thee
with
thy
blood
Amen …
Transcription automatique:
…
Gott ist der Geist.
Die Bibel sagt uns das klar, aber es ist interessant, wie Gott in dem alten Testament
manchmal mit Menschen kommuniziert hat, indem sie menschliche oder evangelische Formen benutzen.
Gott wird oft als der Engel des Herrn genannt.
Diese Manifestationen sind die Theophanies.
Wir sehen das klar mit Abraham.
Es wird in Genesis 18 und 19 gesagt, dass drei Männer kamen, um Abraham zu besuchen.
Einer von ihnen sprach zu ihm.
Und er hat sich several Mal als der Herr identifiziert.
In fact, he told Abraham that he intended to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
And as I'm sure you remember, Lot, Abraham's nephew, was living in Sodom.
So Abraham pleaded with the Lord for the Lord to save the cities.
And the Lord agreed to save the cities if he could find ten righteous people in them.
But it wasn't to be.
Only Lot and his two daughters were rescued.
Some years later, we find that Jacob wrestled with a man who he identifies as God.
Later still, the angel of the Lord appeared to Moses out of a burning bush
and tells him that he's the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
Joshua, before the conquest of Jericho, fell down before the commander of the Lord's army,
recognizing him as God.
In the time of the judges, Manoah and his wife eventually recognized the angel of the Lord as God.
And there are other examples.
God displayed himself to man in human or angelic form.
And of course, later in time, God came.
God came here. God the Son.
Born into this world, living as a real human being,
showing God to any who are willing to look.
Often, rather than God displaying himself in human form,
as we've seen in the examples I've mentioned,
we see his actions described by referring to him with some human characteristics.
I'm thinking particularly of the physical form.
We found the scriptures talk, when referring to God, about his heart.
For example, in Ezekiel 28, we find the Prince of Tyre has set his heart as the heart of God.
We read about God's finger.
The finger of God broke the Ten Commandments on the tables of stone which Moses broke.
Many times we read of the eyes of the Lord.
In Psalm 34, for example, they're on the righteous.
The ears of the Lord.
Again, in Psalm 34, they're open to the cry of the righteous.
Many times we read of the hand of the Lord.
I didn't namely say that the hand of the Lord was against her.
We read of the arms of the Lord, and undoubtedly there are many others.
The human form used to show characteristics of God.
I want to pick up one of these and see something of what it teaches us about the Lord God.
The one I have in mind is the arm, or the arms of God.
I intend to look at some scriptures from both the Old and New Testament.
Of course, there will be many that I don't refer to.
I think I've got a representative selection here.
Although the use in the scripture of God's arm, or arms, illustrates several different aspects of his character and his work,
always, I think, when we see them mentioned, they're telling us something of his strength and power.
Usually, in fact probably in the vast majority of times, it's power displayed in a clear and obvious way.
Other times, it's perhaps not so obvious, but it is there.
In fact, there are passages where the arm seems to be used essentially synonymously with strength.
I'll just refer to one.
I suggest there's no need to turn to this one.
I've got a few scriptures I want to mention.
This one's in Isaiah 33, where it's written,
O Lord, be gracious unto us, we have waited for thee.
Be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
Be their arm, be their strength.
If we employ the law of first mention, or principle of first mention, that Brother Nick mentioned last month,
we'll often find the characteristics of the use of a term in scripture from its first mention.
You see, the arms get their first mention in Genesis 49.
This is where Jacob is blessing his sons.
He says of Joseph, in verse 24,
The arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.
Immediately we see here a crystal clear link between the arms and strength.
God made his arms strong.
Often we find in scripture that God's arms are described as being stretched out, or outstretched.
Obviously if you think about it, a boxer can't punch without stretching out his arm.
A wrestler can't succeed if he keeps his arms by his side.
In fact, it's difficult to do anything that needs well-controlled strength without actively using the arms.
That's why arms gives us such a good picture of strength and power.
Now let's go to the beginning.
Turn with me to Jeremiah.
Jeremiah chapter 27.
Jeremiah 27 verse 5.
The Lord is speaking.
I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground by my great power and by my outstretched arm.
And then turn over to chapter 32.
Verse 17.
Our Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm.
And there is nothing too hard for thee.
God created.
God created by his great power and his outstretched arm.
Now when we look at Genesis 1, we see that God said.
God said, and it was so.
God said, let there be light, and there was light.
God said, let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and it was so.
God said, let the waters under the heavens be gathered together in one place and let dry land appear, and it was so.
And so on.
But behind these words that brought all into being was infinite power and strength.
Power and strength illustrated for us by God stretching out his arm.
Yes, God just said.
And it was done.
But to make it clear that behind this is infinite strength and power, we're told that God stretched out his arm.
He stretched out his arm to create out of nothing the physical world and to create all life.
And I don't need to tell you that God's creation of life is one of the most strongly attacked truths.
Satan's always attacked aspects of God, his character, his person, his work.
The divinity and humanity of Christ, the resurrection, salvation by faith alone.
Fundamental truths.
But disputed by many essentially right from the beginning.
That the general denial of the creation of life by a divine being is a modern phenomenon.
And it's so important to modern man.
Important because it removes responsibility.
It makes man autonomous.
It makes man free to do what he likes.
It allows man to please himself.
If God didn't make me, then I have no one to be responsible to.
I'm free.
Free to behave exactly how I choose.
Or so modern man thinks.
But in fact God said and life came into being.
And God's infinite power in creating life is illustrated by his stretching out his arm.
There are other references to God's arm being outstretched.
And they always refer to extraordinary displays of power on God's part.
These are not events that can be explained by the so-called laws of nature.
But events that have miraculous power behind them.
Because God is involved in the laws of nature.
What we see in the laws of nature is the active upholding work of the Lord Jesus.
Please turn with me to Exodus chapter 6.
In at least 10 passages we read that God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt with an outstretched arm.
Exodus chapter 6 verse 6.
The Lord's speaking to Moses. He says,
Therefore saying to the children of Israel, I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm and with great judgments.
If we were to turn over to Deuteronomy, time and again we see that the Lord reminds them that he brought them out of Egypt with a stretched out or outstretched arm.
In the New Testament in Acts chapter 13.
Paul at Antioch in Persidia in verse 17 of Acts 13.
Acts 13 talks about the high arm that the Lord used.
The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt and with a high arm brought them out of it.
God had promised Abraham, before Abraham had children in fact, that his descendants would possess the land of Canaan.
It would be theirs. They would live in it.
He also told Abraham that they would be slaves in another land.
Those who enslaved them would be judged and the Israelites brought out of great possessions.
The Israelites couldn't do this. They were powerless.
They were powerless against the might of the Egyptians and God's active intervention was required.
The request to leave didn't work.
They didn't leave without the Lord displaying his power time and again.
Ten miraculous plagues were successively brought on the land of Egypt culminating in the death of the first born sons.
Then they were allowed to depart.
After this event, whenever the Israelites looked back, they saw this as a key point in their history.
God showed his amazing power in an extraordinary, in fact, a totally unique way to bring the children of Israel out of slavery.
It was with an outstretched arm that his power was displayed.
Let's turn over to Isaiah 63.
Isaiah 63 verse 11 says,
Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying,
Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock?
Where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm dividing the water before them?
To make himself an everlasting name.
So after coming out of Egypt, there's the crossing of the Red Sea.
The Egyptian army behind them, the waters of the Red Sea in front, and the Israelites have no means of escape.
And once again, in another miraculous intervention, God displays his power.
And although Moses, by stretching out his hand over the sea, was the instrument that God used,
it was actually God stretching out his glorious arm, as we've read here in verse 12, that did it.
We read too that God gave the Israelites the land, the promised land, by his outstretched arm.
The children of Israel were brought out of slavery, out of Egypt by the mighty power of God.
They were brought into a desert where they were tested.
Sadly, they repeatedly rebelled against God.
They showed their true character and they had to wander in the desert for 40 years for the rebellious generation to die out.
They reached the border of their land, but they had to cross the River Jordan and then go in and possess the land.
Could the children of Israel have conquered the land on their own?
Well, there were a lot of them, but they had hardly any experience of war and they felt weak and powerless before the inhabitants.
And I'm sure they couldn't have succeeded on their own.
Let's turn over to Psalm 44.
Psalm 44.
We have heard with our ears, O God.
Our fathers have told us what work they didst in their days, in the times of old,
how they didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and plantedst them,
how they didst afflict the people and cast them out,
for they got not the land in possession by their own sword,
neither did their own arm save them, but thy right hand and thine arm,
and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them.
It was God's arm that brought them victory.
It was God's arm that took them into the land.
So we've seen some events from the past where God uses his infinite power
by stretching out his arm in creation,
in rescuing his people from slavery,
in bringing them successfully into their promised land.
Let's now look into the future for a moment.
We know that the time will come when true believers in our Lord Jesus Christ
will be taken from the earth to be with him,
and they'll follow a terrible time for this earth,
when God will judge.
A world that has rejected our Lord Jesus Christ will be judged by God,
and among those that will be judged will be what the Bible calls Assyria.
Let's have a little background on Assyria.
Assyria was located in what is now northern Iraq.
Although in the previous millennium Assyria had periods of greatness,
it had by about 1000 B.C. declined.
That's around David and Solomon's time.
It had declined to a small kingdom competing for influence with Babylon
and similar kingdoms in Mesopotamia.
But it grew again in power, and by the mid-700s B.C.
Assyria had subjected the Babylonians, defeated the Medes, conquered Syria,
and they then invaded northern Israel.
The northern kingdom of Israel, really.
This was during the reign of Menahem, one of the last of the kings of Israel.
And the Assyrians imposed on Israel a heavy tribute.
A few years down the line, the last king of Israel, Hoshea, refused to pay.
And the Assyrians didn't take too kindly to this,
and besieged some area of Israel captive.
And they resettled the people in other parts of the empire.
And so the northern kingdom ended.
The people were taken away from their land and into Assyria.
The southern kingdom of Judah continued,
but when their king Hezekiah refused to pay tribute to Sennacherib,
a later ruler of Assyria, the Assyrians besieged Jerusalem.
The angels of the Lord destroyed the Assyrian army,
and Hezekiah and Jerusalem were saved.
And if we move forward from there, another hundred years or so,
in 612 B.C., right near the end of Josiah's reign in Jerusalem,
the Babylonians conquered the capital of Assyria, Nineveh.
And although there were some attempts to keep Assyrian power alive around Haran,
with Egyptian support, this didn't last long.
In fact, Josiah was killed meddling in these death throes of the Assyrian empire.
The Assyrian empire was destroyed.
But the Bible is clear, when we look at prophetic scriptures,
we see that Assyria will be prominent in the end times.
The times still to come.
Assyria will be an enemy of Israel,
but it's easy to see that the future Assyria
may perhaps be an alignment of states from that area,
with the purpose of destroying the Jewish nation.
But if we turn over to Isaiah chapter 30, we see what happens.
Isaiah 30 verse 30,
The Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard,
and shall shew the lightning down of his arm,
with indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire,
with scattering and tempest and harrowstones.
For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down,
which smote with a wrath.
The Lord will display his arm, he will show miraculous power
in rescuing Israel from the hands of Assyria.
And then along with these victories over his enemies,
the Lord will call out his earthly people,
the Israelites, out of the countries where they have been scattered.
Remember those from the northern kingdom were taken by the Assyrians,
those from Judah, the southern kingdom,
were taken captive by the Babylonians,
and Israelite rule over the land of their possession came to an end.
We know that some Jews returned during the Persian Empire,
undesirable, as described in the book of Ezra.
But their descendants, after they rejected their Messiah,
were scattered by the Romans.
But if we turn to Ezekiel, we turn to Ezekiel chapter 20,
we see another miraculous event.
Ezekiel 20 verse 34, looking into the future,
and the Lord says, I will bring you out from the people
and will gather you out of the countries where you are scattered
with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm
and with fury pulled forth.
The Lord will bring them out of the countries where they have been scattered.
Of course there has already been a limited regathering into Israel.
There is nothing compared with the Lord's miraculous intervention
to bring all the 12 tribes back together into their land.
There are many Jews who are scattered throughout the world,
there are many in America of course, in this country,
and I am sure there are many more people not presently recognized as Israelites,
but the Lord knows them.
The Lord stretches out His arm in a miraculous intervention
to identify His people and to bring them back.
And if we look at the previous verse here in Ezekiel chapter 20,
verse 33,
As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand
and with a stretched out arm and with fury pulled out,
I will rule over you.
We find that His rule, His rule for the millennium
is characterized here by His stretched out arm.
Stretched out arm and out pulled off.
I will just turn over to a verse in Isaiah.
Isaiah chapter 40 says,
Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand and His arm shall rule for Him.
Again the key is strength and power.
It is very clear that the Lord's rule over the earth will be characterized by righteousness.
Man will not be allowed to get away with sin and disorder.
The Lord will rule in strength.
His arm shall rule for him.
So we see graphically brought before us the Lord using His arm in strength and power
to perform the miraculous.
The scriptures have told us that He used it in creation,
in bringing His people out of bondage and into their new land,
in the regathering of dispersed Israel,
the defeat of their and His enemies,
and His righteous millennial rule.
God used His arm in strength and power to do what couldn't be done naturally.
Although the arms are most commonly associated directly with strength,
we find God's arms used in other ways too,
although behind these uses is a display of strength.
Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she was to have a baby.
It was to have no earthly father.
In fact it would be conceived through the Holy Spirit and would be the long form Messiah.
And Gabriel finishes with, nothing is impossible with God.
A miraculous event.
Humanly speaking impossible, but not to God.
Nothing is impossible with God.
Mary rushes over to her cousin Elizabeth,
and Elizabeth through the Holy Spirit confirms who this child will be.
Let's turn to Luke 1.
Mary makes a wonderful statement.
We'll pick it up at verse 46.
Luke 1 verse 46.
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has showed strength with His arm.
Again God has showed great and extraordinary power,
illustrated by Him using His arm.
He has wrought strength with His arm.
I can't see that Mary here is referring to anything other than the Incarnation itself.
That's what her statement is all about.
The Incarnation.
An extraordinary display of God's power.
And I think perhaps the most amazing of all.
God became man.
In fact preordained before anything came into existence.
Because created man would rebel.
And there would be no other way to bring him back to God.
But God should enter this world at all.
And when He did,
not in great pomp and power as He'd be fully entitled to,
but in humility and weakness.
Born here as a human baby. This is truly amazing.
In fact it's an amazing display of power.
The Incarnation is no demonstration of divine weakness.
But God stretching out His arm in power and strength.
He's wrought strength with His arm, Mary says.
And it's a constant meditation, isn't it?
A wonderful truth, that God was there in a stable,
lying in a mammal feeding trough,
because there was no room for Him in the guest houses of Bethlehem.
That baby was God.
The creator of everything.
The giver of life, the upholder of all.
There is the weakest of human beings.
Just a small human baby.
Man sees weakness.
Yet this was an amazing display of God's power.
Leading on of course to the cross,
and the wonder of redemption and the forgiveness of sins.
Available to us only because God became man.
Then in the stable, a real human baby.
The Lord Jesus grew up, truly God and truly man.
Only twice do we read in the New Testament of His arms.
The arms of the Lord Jesus.
They're in Mark, and here's the first.
Mark chapter 9.
The disciples went to speak.
Mostly they seemed to get on well with each other,
but there were issues that caused problems from time to time.
And here's one that caught their attention.
Who's the greatest?
Who's the most important?
And the Lord addresses the issue.
Mark 9 verse 33.
And he came to Capernaum.
And being in the house, he asked them,
what was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?
But they held their peace.
For by the way they had disputed among themselves,
who should be the greatest?
And he sat down and called the twelve and said unto them,
if any man desire to be first,
the same should be last of all and servant of all.
And he took a child and set him in the midst of them.
And when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
whoever shall receive one of such children in my name,
receiveth me.
And whoever shall receive me,
receiveth not me, but him who sent me.
The Lord's answer to their question about who's the greatest,
was that to be really great, you have to be a servant to others.
And this requires real humility.
And he then follows this angle up.
Doing humble things pleases God.
Welcoming a humble dependent child in the Lord's name,
is welcoming the Lord Jesus and therefore welcoming God.
But notice that to illustrate this point,
the Lord didn't just say it.
He didn't just point to a distant child.
In fact he got one.
He put him in the midst and took him in his arms.
He showed them what welcoming was.
Not a theoretical idea, but a practical matter.
Welcoming a child was taking him in the arms
and holding him close to you.
However insignificant or filthy or smelly or irritating the child may be.
That close.
Notice the Lord's arms were involved.
Obviously he couldn't take a child close to him and hold him
without using his arms.
And we could perhaps say of this, arms used in humility.
I said that arms speak of strength.
So where does strength come in?
Well here it's not physical strength I think, but moral strength.
The humility that the Lord Jesus talks about requires moral strength.
And actually it's difficult to lower ourselves.
It's difficult to be servants to others.
It's difficult to welcome the insignificant, the distracting, the irritating.
The second occasion where the scripture records the Lord Jesus
when here is a man using his arms is somewhat similar
and it's found in the next chapter of Mark in fact.
Mark chapter 10.
Verse 13.
Mark 10 verse 13.
And they brought young children to him that he should touch them.
And his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased and said unto them,
Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not
for such is the kingdom of God.
Verily I say unto you, whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God
as a little child shall not enter therein.
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them and blessed them.
Again the idea of humility shines out in this.
And the lesson is similar but perhaps taken a little further.
In Mark 9 it's showing humility by welcoming the child, the insignificant.
Here it's being like the child.
The child's humility and trust that is given as our example.
Humility and trust in order to enter the kingdom of God.
There's nothing ourselves and our achievements that make us worthy of his presence.
We need to be as humble and trusting as a child in order to enter the kingdom of God.
And notice the Lord went beyond the mother's expectations.
They wanted the Lord to touch the little ones.
He did much more. He took them in his arms with the love, security, the support that that shows.
Turn over with me to Isaiah 40.
This may not be the main focus of these two passages in Mark
where we find our Lord Jesus taking up children in his arms, the two passages we read.
There is another wonderful and important thought in this
which is brought out even more clearly in Isaiah 40.
Look at verse 11. It says,
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.
He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom
and shall gently lead those that are with young.
This refers to none other than the Lord himself, of course.
The original context as shown in earlier verses is Israel, but it's wonderfully applicable to us.
This is the Lord's real care.
We're not left to wander alone in the world.
We have a deeply caring shepherd. He tends his flock.
He looks after them. He provides pasture and water. He defends them from attack.
He watches over them. He loves them, in fact.
The lambs, the young, the weak, he carries in his arms.
And that's where strength comes in.
The contrast between the weakness of the lambs,
those that can't walk any further, can cope no longer, have given up perhaps,
and the strength of the shepherd's arms as he carries them, in love, close to his heart, in his bosom.
What a wonderful picture this gives us of the way the Lord Jesus cares for us and loves us.
It's an individual care and love for each of us.
And let's just take this a little further. Turn with me to Deuteronomy 33.
Deuteronomy 33.
Verse 26.
There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help,
and in his excellency on the sky.
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
What a wonderful picture this gives us, doesn't it?
Notice God's sovereign power and authority.
He rides on the heavens to help you.
And again, as is so often in the Old Testament, the primary reference is obviously to Israel.
But because he's our God too, there is application for ourselves.
The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
As we all know, life gets difficult.
Let's not suppose for one moment that we as Christians are immune from feeling down.
Circumstances may be against us, but the Lord is there.
We may feel persecuted.
We may be suffering for righteousness' sake, but he's there.
Underneath are the everlasting arms.
It may be that our problems are actually our own fault, of our own making.
But he is still there.
Underneath are the everlasting arms.
He is our refuge, and so often in the scriptures, particularly in the Psalms,
he is shown as a fortress, a refuge, a rock.
Something that won't be destroyed, but will stand against the assaults of the enemy.
Somewhere where we're secure.
And that's what we have here.
A refuge in the eternal God.
The God who exists outside of space and time.
Our refuge, our security, is shown with this picture of his arms.
Where are his arms? They're underneath.
Underneath us. For how long? Everlasting.
We can't be more secure and supportive than that.
This is our God.
To go back to the theme of strength.
We've seen God's arms being used to display strength in various ways.
His outstretched arm illustrated his strength and power to create.
Create the universe and all life.
His outstretched arm brought his earthly people out of bondage.
Brought them through the Red Sea when they seemed trapped by the Egyptian army.
Through the Jordan by miraculously holding back the waters.
And into the promised land.
We saw too how his arms will defeat his people's enemies in a future day.
Will regather his people and how he will rule with justice.
We then saw his arms used to illustrate strength in other ways.
The incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God into this world.
We saw the Lord Jesus using his arms to illustrate principles of humility.
He picks up children, takes them in his arms.
We've seen the care and the love of the Lord Jesus.
Illustrated by a shepherd caring for his flock in Isaiah 40.
Beneath it all we have the everlasting arms providing all our security and support.
As we talk about strength and think of the Lord's strength.
It reminds me of my own weakness and our corporate weakness too.
I think sometimes we get into trouble when we think we are strong.
And the Lord has to bring us down to earth.
He wants us to understand our dependence on him.
The Apostle Paul had some sort of experience like that.
In 2 Corinthians 12 we read that he was given a thorn in the flesh.
We don't know where it was but it was something that hampered him.
Undoubtedly hampered him from doing the Lord's work in a way he felt he could and would like to do.
But the Lord denied it.
The Lord wouldn't take it away in spite of Paul's pleas to that effect.
My grace is sufficient for you, the Lord says.
My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Our weakness when we recognise and accept it allows God's power to show through.
I return to the Lord's arms.
Whenever I think of the arms of the Lord Jesus I think of the cross.
I don't think the scriptures actually mention his arms in connection with the cross.
But I'd like to just for a moment, we can look by faith and see his most appalling sufferings.
Sufferings because of us, sufferings for my sins.
And we see his outstretched arms.
And I think that we can see they are a welcome, a welcome for all.
Arms stretched out in terrible suffering but welcoming all who come to him in faith.
And my final scripture, I want us to go back to one that I mentioned right in the beginning.
Isaiah 33.
Isaiah 33 verse 2.
Oh Lord, be gracious unto us, we have waited for thee.
Be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.
There are other translations that have our arm.
And this is what we need isn't it? It's our prayer surely.
We need his strength, we need his arm every morning.
Daily strength for our individual lives, for our assembly life.
The Lord's arm, the Lord's strength to do what we should do.
Let's pray for the Lord's arm every morning.
I'd like us to finish with number 242.
242.
Sing aloud to God our strength.
He has brought us hither to, he will bring us home at length.
This the Lord our God will do.
Doubt not, for his word is stable.
Fear not, for his arm is able.
242. …
Transcription automatique:
…
I have a number of scriptures to refer to, and we'll do that as the time progresses,
but to begin, I'd like to refer to the first letter to the Conference in Chapter 2.
This is a portion by way of introduction to our subject this afternoon, and I shall be
expecting you to do some of the work in turning up the scriptures as we go through, but for
now, welcome to Chapter 2, and we'll start at verse 9.
But, as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart
of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things,
knowing the deep things of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of a man which is in him?
Even so, the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
Now, we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the
Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, but he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
With the Lord's help this afternoon, I desire to say a little on two subjects very much
connected.
And those two subjects are the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, and the Holy Spirit.
And as I trust, even in our hymn, we have understood something of the link between the
Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.
And we just read this portion where Paul is speaking of the things that God has revealed.
And very clearly it says the natural man can't receive these things.
It takes the Holy Spirit to impart the truth to us.
I understand that these lectures at Catford, the Catford lectures, are especially intended
to present basic truths of the Word of God, the basic teachings of the Scriptures.
And very happily that's what we hear by and large as we come together.
But I thought this afternoon it might be as well to go back to the very beginning and
to look a little at the source of our teaching.
And when we say that our teaching is Bible-based, it's a very good thing.
But I wonder whether we have a proper appreciation of what the Bible is and how it came to us
and how we are to understand it.
And so I thought with the Lord's help we might look a little at some aspects of the Bible,
the Holy Scriptures.
And this first thing we must say, that to understand it properly we need to be taught
by the Holy Spirit.
The natural man cannot understand the Bible.
It is to him a closed book.
And sadly we hear comments from those that do not know the Lord Jesus, that they're not
interested in the Bible.
They say it's too difficult, they don't understand it.
And really we shouldn't wonder at that, because those that do not believe in the Lord Jesus,
they cannot fully understand the teachings of the Bible.
Now, having said that of course, we would encourage everyone to read the Bible.
Because it's only there that we'll learn of and about the Lord Jesus.
So I wouldn't want to suggest that unbelievers or those that do not yet believe in the Lord
Jesus should not read the Bible, far from it.
It's the best thing they could read.
But we have to understand that until we come to know the Lord Jesus as our Lord and Saviour,
we will only have a very limited understanding of God's Word.
And we need to depend on the Holy Spirit.
And we've sung together, we've read together of the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing
us to an understanding of God's mind.
Well, the Apostle Paul, he said in verse 12,
We have assumed, and in verse 13, which things also we speak, not in the words which man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth.
And I want us to begin a look at the Bible by approaching it and understanding it for
what it is.
If we open our Bibles with a sceptical mind, if we approach it from the point of view of
so many that it's full of contradictions and errors, we're never going to get very far.
And we need firstly to start at the beginning.
We need to accept and believe that it's God's revealed Word and that it was inspired.
And that leads us to our next passage in 2 Timothy.
You'll be very familiar with this, but let's turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3.
And at the end of the chapter, in verse 16, it says there,
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
So it's a very important verse.
We must believe and understand that all Scripture is inspired.
It's God breathed.
And let us be clear about what exactly this means.
We accept and believe, of course, that the Spirit used different men to write different books.
And very clearly, we might say, their own personal style comes out.
The writings of John differ from those of Paul, and so on.
So, when we say the Bible is inspired, we mustn't get the impression that it's as if
the Holy Spirit dictated the words as a boss might dictate a letter to a secretary.
The Holy Spirit motivated holy men of old to put down things using expressions and phrases
which were personal and reflect their own particular style.
Nevertheless, we must insist that those men were inspired.
That the thoughts and the truth that God gave them to put down were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
And so, we have to believe this and accept this before ever we're going to make any progress
in our reading of the Scriptures.
And the Holy Spirit used these personal traits, we might say, of their author.
Just as we might, in writing a letter, we might take up a pen, we might have different pens,
and our style of writing might differ.
If we were using a rather cheap biro, letters might look a little different from a very expensive fountain pen.
So, we have to understand that God took up holy men of old, just as we might take up a pen.
And their mark, their impression is left in the Scriptures.
But we mustn't ever dismiss such evidence as evidence that it's not of God and merely of man's making.
So, that's really my first point, that we must believe this word that all Scripture is inspired of God.
And then we've been given a list of things for which it's profitable.
And for some of us, we might need reproof or correction.
For some of us, we might need to be encouraged.
And all these things, the Scriptures are able to do as God takes them up.
Well, another Scripture now, in 2 Peter.
2 Peter, chapter 1.
And we'll read from verse 16.
2 Peter 1 verse 16.
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made moments with the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he was free from God the Father, honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him in the excellent glory,
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy Mount.
We have also a more sure word of prophecy.
Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in the old time by the will of man,
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Gospel accounts show us clearly that the disciples were with the Lord Jesus.
And they were with him and they heard him preach publicly.
And they were with him when he drew them aside and spoke to them privately.
We also have in the Gospels a word which tells us that when the Lord Jesus was going to leave this scene,
he would send another comforter.
And that comforter, the Holy Spirit, he said would remind them and bring to mind all the things of which he had spoken.
And it seems clear that in the beginning of the church age,
those who were raised up as apostles, those who had been disciples of the Lord,
as the Holy Spirit inspired them, as we've read together here in Peter,
they recalled to mind the things that the Lord Jesus had said.
And they put them down in writing for us.
And you might say, well, Paul was an exception.
He wasn't one of the twelve disciples who was with the Lord Jesus, but he was.
The Lord Jesus appeared to Paul as a special case.
And it's clear from Paul's letters that he had a direct word of the Lord himself.
And he passed those things on to us.
And they're preserved for us in his letters.
I mention this because some Christians approach the Scripture in this way.
They say, well, the Old Testament, we accept that.
And then the words of the Lord Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels, we're happy to accept that.
But some of the letters, well, if we don't like what we read or what we hear,
then we can dismiss those as only being the thoughts of men.
And in particular, of course, this applies to Paul.
And when Paul writes regarding church order and the distinction between brothers and sisters,
there's a detail like that.
Many Christians today, they decide that they don't like what they read.
And so they try and place Paul's writings on a lower level.
And they say, well, it's not actually what the Lord Jesus taught, so we don't need to accept it.
Now, I suggest to you that's not a right attitude.
And if we approach the Scriptures from that point of view,
again, we're not going to make any progress in the Lord's things.
And Scripture's very clear that when Paul spoke, he spoke as an oracle of God.
And he very clearly says, I have received from the Lord that which I pass on to you.
And all the other writers, those who have been with the Lord Jesus,
when they set something down, you can be confident that it's what they heard the Lord themselves teach.
And we can have confidence in their words, just as we should in the words of the Lord himself.
So that's one point that we need to make clear, that when Scripture says all Scripture,
it means all, not just those books that we favour, that suit our way of thinking.
All Scripture, from the beginning to the end, from Genesis to Revelation.
And then we have this matter in verse 20 of Peter,
knowing this verse, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.
And I think that's an important point for us to bear in mind when we read God's Word,
that to understand the Scriptures properly, we cannot just look at one passage in isolation.
We need to have a proper overview.
And we have to say that Scripture will never present a contradictory thought.
If there's a contradiction, an apparent contradiction, then the fault lies in our understanding, not in the Scriptures.
So this passage seems to teach us that in order to understand a Scripture, prophecy in particular,
we can't just take something in isolation.
It's not just of its limited interpretation.
And certainly this is very apparent if we take up the subject of prophecy.
We really have to have an appreciation of all the prophetic Word to see how these things fit together.
But there's another aspect I'd like to bring before us, and that's this.
We should never use one verse to offset another.
And an example of this is to go back to Paul's teaching in regard to godly order when Christians come together.
He says of the sisters that the women are to remain silent.
It is not permitted for them to speak in the assembly.
And then elsewhere it says that they're not permitted to teach.
But then there's a verse which refers to when women prophesy in regard to head coverings.
And then we might say, well, we can refer to Deborah in the Old Testament in the place of authority that she took.
And then what about the daughters of Philip who prophesied?
And we may be tempted to set one of these verses against another and to say,
and to say, well, if women when praying or prophesying should have their heads covered, it's clear that they can pray and prophesy.
And therefore we can completely ignore the verses that refer to the sisters being silent.
And we might say, well, if Philip had four daughters who prophesied, then clearly that contradicts the verses in regard to women teaching.
Well, are we to approach the scriptures like that?
If we are, I suggest we're taking a very childish view of it.
Let me give you an example.
Some of us may have children, and those of us who don't, who well want children.
And if you were like I was when I was little, or you may be familiar with this scenario,
sometimes your children, they want something.
They ask one of their parents, can I have a biscuit, or am I permitted to do something?
And if the answer's not what they want, sometimes if the opportunity presents itself,
they'll go to the other parent and put the same question to them in the hope that they'll get the answer they want to hear.
Now, of course, as parents, it's one of those things we learn very early on,
that if we're asked a question, you know, if my children come to me and ask me something,
sometimes I say, what has mummy said?
And we learn not to be caught out by that way,
because if parents are working in the way they should,
we would never want to contradict the answer we were given.
It doesn't make for a happy family life.
And really for children to try and get their own way in that way,
we accept it's childish and immature, don't we?
Well now, if we accept that the Holy Spirit has inspired the scriptures,
and if the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write what he did,
and the other writers to write what they did,
can we imagine such a situation where the Holy Spirit would contradict himself,
or would allow for such a thing to be possible?
Well, we have to say, no, it's not possible.
God is a God of order.
And therefore there can't be any such contradiction in the scriptures.
We have to believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the different writers
in such a way that their teachings, their exhortations are in harmony.
And of course, in the example I've given, there is a harmony.
And we have to say, well, when Paul writes about the women praying and prophesying,
it's referring to when prayer or prophecies are being made.
When we come together for a prayer meeting,
there might only be one brother praying,
but we all say Amen at the end.
And in that sense, we're all praying.
And so that's the situation referred to.
And clearly, the sisters do not teach audibly in a public way in the assembly.
So the daughters of Philip who prophesied, it must have been in a different setting.
And it's clear from the context that that was so.
And then in the case of Deborah, well, we'll look at such a case shortly.
We have to say, well, things were very different.
It's an Old Testament situation, not a New Testament church situation.
In any case, it really highlights the failure of the men round about her.
So there's a harmonious way of interpreting the scriptures.
And if we're not understanding it in a way of harmony, then the failure is with us.
So that's a point I would like to make clear,
that there must be one harmonious way of understanding the scriptures.
It's been suggested that often we say, someone might say to you,
well, that's just your interpretation.
Now, is there room for different interpretations of scripture?
Would the Holy Spirit give you to understand something in one way,
and for me in another, and someone else in a third way?
No, it's not possible.
There must surely only be one right way of understanding the scriptures.
There might be some room in some circumstances,
but fundamentally, surely when the Holy Spirit is conveying God's mind,
he's conveying one right thought.
Well, let us suppose, is it possible for us to be absolutely certain
that we understand the scripture correctly?
Or should we always be in doubt as to whether,
well, maybe that's just my own interpretation.
Let's take, for example, that well-known verse in Romans,
all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
If we just take that simple verse out of context,
it seems clear enough, doesn't it? All have sinned.
You may say, well, all what?
Is it all creatures, animals, sinned?
And you may say, well, no, of course, it's all men, it's mankind.
Well, how do we know that?
We don't know that from just that verse in Romans.
We have to go back to the beginning of the scriptures in Genesis,
and we read there of the fall,
when Eve was deceived and Adam was disobedient.
And we learn there that the fall, when sin first came in,
that from that moment on, everyone descended from Adam and Eve,
which includes us all, we are born in sin.
And therefore, all men, all descendants of Adam and Eve, have sinned.
So we can say, well, we know something of the meaning of that verse in Romans
only because we have another verse in Genesis.
And this is another example of where we have to say,
no prophecies of private interpretation.
In other words, we have to look at the teaching of the whole of scripture.
So without Genesis, we couldn't really be absolutely definite about that verse in Romans.
So it means all men, all men have sinned.
And then I might say, well, do you mean including the Lord Jesus?
And you say, well, no, of course not.
Well, how do you know? Does Romans tell you? Does Genesis tell you? No.
But there are verses which teach us very clearly that the Lord Jesus was as much a man as we are, a single part.
So in every way, he was a real man without sin.
So then we have to say, well, there are verses of scripture which teach us that not all men have sinned.
Of course, the Lord Jesus was an exception.
So then we begin to understand exactly what the point of that verse in Romans is.
Of course, in context, it's clear what it means.
It's a general statement as to the condition of man with the Lord Jesus as an exception.
So am I right in my understanding of that verse, all have sinned?
I think I can say with some certainty, yes, I'm sure that's what it means.
All men, with the exception of the Lord Jesus, have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
And there isn't really any room for any other way to understand that verse.
And I suggest that's an example of how we should approach every scripture.
What do other scriptures say about the matter?
And without accepting that there can be a contradiction or differing views, we get to an understanding of the mind of God in every verse.
Well, to be practical, if we're to take up the Bible and to learn from it, where should we start?
Well, I would say, as a practical point, get yourself a translation.
You may say, well, don't you mean get yourself a good translation?
Well, I mean that as well, but let me make myself clear.
Some Bibles are a translation and other Bibles are just a paraphrase.
So, as a start, I suggest, I recommend that you get yourself a translation.
Unless you are familiar with the original languages of Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic,
then all of us, whether we speak English or French or German, we all have to rely on a translation.
Make sure your Bible is a translation, one that translates word for word, as far as possible, rather than a thought for thought translation.
There are many Bibles, especially popular modern Bibles, which aren't so much a translation of words, of word for word,
but they try and convey the general thought of each passage.
Now, I'm very happy for anyone to take up any Bible of any description.
It's much better than any other book.
And I'm happy when our school children are reading, we might say, from the Good News Bible.
And many schools have such a Bible as their school book.
Of course, there are better versions, but it's far better that our children read such a version of the Bible than no Bible at all.
But if we're serious about our study of the Scriptures, we need to have a reliable translation.
I'll give you one example of a verse where it comes out clearly, Genesis chapter 22.
The Holy Spirit has enabled the truth of God to be set out often in different levels or layers.
And there's wonderful depth in many of our passages.
It conveys a meaning on different levels, which we don't want to lose.
If the Holy Spirit has put it there, we want to have it available to us.
Now, if we think we understand the verse, and we convey that truth in not a very exact way,
we may well present that level of understanding, but we might make it impossible for it to be understood in any other way.
My example is in chapter 22 of Genesis, and verse 17, a word to Abraham, the angel of the Lord.
And he said, that in this blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore.
And thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Now, in the version that I'm reading, the King James Authorized Version, we have this word seed.
And the translation is conveying this thought on two levels.
Firstly, it's saying that Abraham's descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the heaven and the sand on the seashore.
That's one level on which we can understand this blessing.
But there's another very vital understanding or level, and that's that it's a reference to one particular descendant of Abraham, the Lord Jesus himself.
And so we need to see that, at the end of verse 17, thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.
You can put a capital S in that word seed.
The Holy Spirit is conveying to us in this verse the wonderful prophetic truth that a descendant, a particular descendant of Abraham, shall possess the gates of his enemies.
It's a reference to the Lord Jesus.
So, we have in this verse two layers.
A general reference to all Abraham's descendants, but a particular reference to the Lord Jesus himself.
Now, in the version that we've read together, it's possible for me, and for you as readers, to read this verse and for the Holy Spirit to teach us that both layers of truth are in that verse.
But, if you take another Bible, and just as an example, I'll read what the Good News Bible says.
This is how it's written.
I promise that I will give you as many descendants as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the seashore.
Your descendants will conquer their enemies.
All the nations will ask me to bless them as I have blessed your descendants.
Well, as I said, I'm very happy that children are reading the Bible.
And if it's such a version they're reading from, we should be very thankful for it.
But, if this is the only Bible we have, when we read those verses, it's only possible for us to understand one level.
We can only understand the reference to Abraham's descendants in general.
There's no way we could see a reference to the Lord Jesus.
And in both verses 17 and 18, in translation, proper translation, it's very clear from the words used that it's a singular person.
Thy seed shall possess the gates of his enemies.
That's just one example.
The New International Version similarly loses such a distinction.
So it's very important that we use a translation, not a paraphrase.
And now I can say what perhaps you thought I ought to have said.
Get yourself a good translation.
Because there are translations and there are translations.
And generally speaking, the men, the learned men that God used to give us the King James Authorized Version,
they're very faithful in wanting to convey word for word, as far as possible, the scriptures of the original languages.
Bear in mind, of course, that there are different manuscripts.
There are not whole original manuscripts preserved.
And so there are some areas of doubt and scholarly debate.
But we can say very plainly that in the areas where there's doubt as to the genuineness or otherwise of the manuscripts,
it touches on no fundamental truth of Christianity.
No vital truth is affected by such difficulties of manuscript.
So we can have complete confidence in the translations that rely on those manuscripts.
Sadly, in modern times, some scholars have approached translation with a much more liberal view.
And they've not always reliably translated what the manuscripts say.
Or they may have given undue weight to some spurious manuscripts or copies which have been adulterated for not really genuine purposes.
There's not a lot of time now to go into the subject in detail, even if I were able to do so.
But suffice it to say, get yourself a translation where the men involved were faithful God-fearing and believed that it was God's word,
not just an interesting literary work, which sadly many modern editors view it as.
So we can leave that matter there as a brief suggestion.
Well, the next point I'd like to mention is the use of types.
And this is something that, when we get hold of the thought that the Bible uses types to convey truth, then we can begin to make some progress.
You may say, well, what are these types and where do I read about them?
Well, the Greek word from which we get the English word typos is translated in a number of different ways.
In John, it's used and translated as print.
And it's where Thomas says to the Lord Jesus that he wanted to see the male prince in the Lord's hand.
The word there for the mark that the males had made is the Greek word typos.
It means type or print.
Other words used to translate this word is figure, form, pattern, or similitude.
And a verse that I want to read, he wants us to read 1 Corinthians 10.
1 Corinthians 10, verse 11.
It says, now all these things happened, answer them for examples.
And they are written for admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.
There's another variation on the English word used to translate the Greek word typos.
These things which happened to the Old Testament, God's earthly people, the Old Testament saints, were told that what happened to them happened as types or examples.
And, more than that, it says they were written for our admonition.
So, we have here in this verse a scriptural reference to, or a scriptural approval for the use of types.
Now, those of us of my generation and older will perhaps be familiar with real fashion typewriters.
Nowadays, of course, no one uses typewriters.
We print out on the computer, probably a laser printer or inkjet.
And we may not, the younger ones, may not be so familiar with what a type is.
But when I was younger, and even newspapers were printed in such a way,
you had keys which, when you pressed down on them, they pushed a lever and a little metal form of a letter hit the paper and hit an inky strip and left an impression on the paper.
And you could write letters by typewriter.
Now, if you looked at the little metal heads, you would see the letter in your verse, a mirror image of the letter.
And it would be a raised type and it would leave an impression on the paper.
And I hope you can visualize such a thing if you've never seen it.
Another example would be a signet ring.
In the olden days, long before even I was a boy, letters would be sealed, not by licking the envelope,
but by folding them over, melting a little glove of wax and pressing with a signet ring.
It would make a special pattern.
It would seal the letter and it would indicate that that letter came from one particular person who had this seal on his signet ring.
Now, the impression made on the wax would be a mirror image of the design engraved on the ring.
And so we have this idea of a type and an anti-type.
One is the thing that makes the impression and the other thing is the impression itself.
And the scriptures really use such a means to convey truth.
All through the Old Testament, we have things which are intended to make an impression of us.
And they're intended to make an impression of some real thing.
So we have the type and the anti-type.
And it's the anti-type that's the real thing and it's the type that's just the pattern or form.
And there are many things which are types.
And I don't need to go into them now because other brothers were speaking and have spoken of such things.
But I want us to accept that the Bible uses such things.
It's replete with types.
In the very beginning, all through the Old Testament particularly.
And in the New Testament, we're given the reality, the anti-type, and in the Old Testament, we're given the type.
Well, in addition to types, the Bible uses symbols.
Now, I wonder if you're one of those people, if you pick up a book, you turn to the last few pages to see how it ends.
To see whether the book's worth reading.
Well, I'm not like that. I don't like to have my surprise spoiled.
You know, many Christians approach the Bible like that.
They can't be bothered to read it. They just want to look at the end and see how it finishes.
If they do that, they'll be thoroughly perplexed.
Because the last book of the Bible is full of symbols.
And in Revelation, there are two different sorts of symbols.
There are those symbols which are explained, and there are those symbols which aren't.
And the reason the symbols aren't explained is that the explanation has been given already.
It's been given in an earlier book.
So, if you want to understand Revelation, you can't just go straight to it and expect to understand what it's all about.
You need to have done your homework, and it's hard work, but enjoyable hard work.
You need to have studied other books in which Revelation is based and built.
So you need to have read Daniel, and you need to have read Ezekiel.
And really, you need to have read all through the Bible.
Not necessarily literally every word, although that's not a bad thing to do.
But you need to have spent some time and effort.
Start at the beginning, or at least ensure that you cover the early books as well as the books in the middle and the Gospels.
And then you'll have a fair chance of being helped in your understanding of Revelation.
Now, the thing about symbols is that the Bible uses them consistently.
And we need to be clear about this.
One example is the use of birds.
We might just look at that. If you turn to Matthew's Gospel.
Chapter 13.
Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 13, and verse 3.
But he spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow.
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the fowls came and devoured them up.
Some fell upon stony places, and so on.
We know this parable of the sower.
Well, the fowls, the birds of the air, are being used symbolically.
And we don't need to imagine what the answer is, because we're told, verse 19,
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one,
and captiveth away that which was sown in his heart.
This is he which received seed by the wayside.
So, the Bible uses a symbol, and it gives us the symbolism.
It gives us the answer.
But the birds that eat the seed that's fallen on the path, is a representation of Satan,
who snatches away the word, the Gospel.
So, bearing that in mind, if you go on a few verses in chapter 13,
and then, verse 32.
The kingdom of heaven, like a grain of mustard seed.
Verse 32, which indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown,
it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree,
so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
If you want to know what is the meaning of these birds,
is it a good thing that they come and lodge in the branches?
Well, you know, many Christians think so.
They say, oh, it means this and that.
But, if we're consistent, and we understand the way in which the Holy Spirit uses symbols,
we won't be misled.
Only at the very beginning of that chapter, we're told, quite clearly,
that the birds represent something evil, Satan himself.
And clearly here, it's not a good thing at all that these birds have found their lodging in a tree.
So, we have to say that symbols are used consistently.
If you want to know what they are, this brings us on to another good principle,
the principle of first mention.
If you want to know what does leaven refer to,
you very easily learn that leaven is a bad thing.
And so, in this chapter, when leaven is hidden in the meal, it's a bad thing.
But what does leaven refer to?
Well, you go back to the first time it's mentioned,
and we read there that leaven is not something that's permitted in the burnt offering.
And so, the principle of first mention is very important,
and it refers particularly to every symbol that's used,
and every reference to something.
If we want to know what's the Apostle Paul talking about when he talks about speaking in tongues,
in Corinthians and Acts,
well, you go back to the first mention of tongues.
And there's a reference, it's really a judgment against Israel.
By people of strange tongues and stunning looks, will I speak to this people?
So, you make sure you understand what something means the first time it's mentioned,
and then you stick to that, you use that consistently,
and God will bless you in the study of His Word.
Well, time is almost gone.
I just want to make two final quick points.
The first is, get a dispensational view of the Scriptures.
Understand that God has dealt dispensationally,
it might be a difficult word, it simply means an administration of a house.
It's a way that the government's trying to administer the economy in the world.
Well, God has administered His people, man, in a different way all through history.
And if we see that, we'll get a little help in our study of His Word.
I have the highest authority for making such a suggestion.
If we turn to Luke chapter 4.
Luke chapter 4, verse 15, we read the Lord Jesus,
He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.
And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for it to read.
And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah.
And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And He closed the book and gave it again to the minister.
That's a reference to Isaiah chapter 61.
And if we turn very quickly there, Isaiah chapter 61,
you'll see what the Lord was reading.
I'll read from verse 2.
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God.
So, the Lord Jesus, He closed the book halfway through verse 2 of chapter 61 of Isaiah.
And the reason is that there's a dispensational difference, a dispensational gap
between coming to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and coming in a vengeful way.
Isaiah 63, verse 3 reads,
I have trodden the winecrest alone, and of the people there is none with me,
for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury,
and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of mine redeemed is come.
So, the Lord Jesus, He's making clear that there's a period of time
in between those two different aspects of His coming.
And if we want to understand the scriptures in a right way,
we need to get a grasp of such a truth, such a fact.
So, try and understand the different ways in which God has dealt with men on earth
in different times of history.
And understand that not every verse is relevant for us today.
Think of the way the Lord sent out His disciples.
He told them to go into every city, not to go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans.
And if their word wasn't heard, to shake the dust off their feet and never go there again.
Well, that's not how we deal with people today, is it?
We're permitted, indeed we're encouraged to go to the Gentiles to preach the gospel.
And if no one listens to us, can we turn our back on them and give up on them? No.
We keep on.
So, it's clear there, there's a difference in dispensation.
That's just one example of many.
Well, time has gone, and I trust that maybe just these few basic hints
will be of help to us and quench our appetite to learn more of what God has written for us,
for our admonition, for our learning.
The Holy Spirit inspired this precious word, and we have it available to us here.
In words we can understand how thankful we are for the variety that we have.
Many dear Christians don't have a Bible in their own language.
They may not have all of it, but we're so richly blessed in this country,
and yet we don't make as much use of what we have as we ought to.
May God bless us and help us in the study of His word.
Let me close with Hymn 423.
God and Father, we, thy children, would in meekness hear thy word.
The Holy Hymn 423. …
Transcription automatique:
…
Now, it's my intention to read a portion of scripture, but before that I've got some questions to ask.
I don't want you to feel inhibited or embarrassed. I'm going to give you three questions.
Biblical knowledge and interest in studying the web is declining among the north people.
Not only we who are found in this hall, there may be one or two bright exceptions, but generally speaking the interest is waning.
Christian convictions and conduct are waning, are declining too.
There's no getting away from it, that's how it is.
It seems that many young people are far too introspective, happy with their own little worlds, living in their own world of dreams and pleasures,
concerned with SMS texting powers rather than with their knowledge of the Bible text.
They give little thought to what God wants them to be occupied with.
Of course the need for proper behavior and good example exists among those of riper years also.
The leadership of love and faithfulness is essential there.
So my web wouldn't only be for those of younger years, but for everyone present.
But before giving their lecture, I'd like to ask these questions to test your Bible knowledge.
I see some people already looking at their Bible.
Well, I'd like to ask each successive generation of Chapter 2 workers questions like these,
so you're going to be subjected to the same kind of questioning.
After various clues, eventually we get the truth or the tooth drawn.
So here's the first question.
Which three portions of the Bible unfold God's prophetic dealings with his people?
Each chapter or section lists a succession of seven things to delineate a historic forecast.
What three passages are they? Does anyone know?
You don't have to be on the platform to answer it.
Okay, anyone got the answer to that?
Which three sevens are these?
I'll give you some clues, since no one's given you an answer.
In India, they'd all rush forward with an answer, wouldn't they?
No, not here it seems.
One passage deals with a prophetic forecast concerning Israel.
You know what chapter that's about?
Then, one chapter deals with the Kingdom.
And lastly, two chapters dealing with the prophetic forecast of the Church's history.
What three chapters am I talking about?
All three portions.
No clues?
No?
There's one at the back moving his head.
Alright, well it was either Dr. W.T.P. Wollstone or Christopher Wollstone,
George Davidson doesn't say which one,
who reportedly said that if you grasp these passages, you'll have a good grasp of God's dispensational ways.
You'll find that in his book, My Feasts.
If you haven't got it, I'm sure Nick will provide it.
Any listeners know what I'm referring to?
Alright, what are they then?
Leviticus 23, Revelation 2 and 3.
Good, you got that?
Leviticus 23 deals with Israel, Matthew 13 with the Kingdom, Revelation 2 and 3 with the Church.
I still have three questions, that was the first one.
I don't know if you shone too brightly there.
The next question.
What three ninth chapters in the Old Testament deal with confession of the failure of the people of God?
And then his confession made by a man of God, I suppose, largely marked by integrity and fidelity,
rather than by the sins he confesses.
What are those three chapters?
Daniel 9, very good.
Ezra 9, yes.
And third one?
Nehemiah.
Good, right, very good.
Excellent.
Now, you've probably always heard that these three chapters have a similar character.
And the ones I've given will be answered.
I'm going to add a fourth one.
A fourth chapter, fourth ninth chapter.
Admittedly a little different, but it goes along the same lines.
And the question is, well, it's Ezekiel chapter 9 we're going to read.
But before you look at it, do you know its contents?
That's the third question.
If you know its contents, without looking at your Bible,
write it on a piece of paper and give it to a neighbor,
and I'll check up at the end of the meeting to see if you were right.
Any persons, especially under 30, who can write down a one-line summary of the contents of Ezekiel chapter 9,
pass it to their neighbor, and let me have it at the end of the meeting.
That would be brilliant.
I don't hear a great rustling, but anyway.
Well, I'm going to give you the answer in a moment, the one-line summary of the chapter.
But I wanted you to write it down so I could check you out at the end of the meeting.
You see, I feel that we've got to get acquainted not only with questions like these, which are quite simple,
questions on biblical subjects.
We have to think through what we read in the world.
We have to strengthen our knowledge of the Bible.
We have to get to know the patterns that are found in the scriptures,
the interesting details, the order, the content, the subject matter.
And we need to store these things in our memories.
Of course, I don't know all the answers.
I only ask the questions.
But they're challenging questions.
And I suppose questions like that for each of us put us on our metal.
I don't have a good memory.
But you can always do memory therapy and so improve what you have.
Now, my subject and the answer to the third question is,
the subject of Ezekiel chapter 9 is the dealings of the man with the writer's inkhorn.
The writer's inkhorn.
Open your Bible, chapter 9, only a few verses, 11 of them, and we'll see what this is all about.
He cried, it was so, in my ears.
Verse 1, with a loud voice, saying,
Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near,
even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.
And behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lies toward the north,
and every man a sword or weapon in his hand.
And one man among them was clothed with linen,
with a writer's inkhorn by his side.
And they went in and stood beside the brazen altar.
And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was,
to the threshold of the house.
And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side.
And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city,
through the midst of Jerusalem,
and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sang,
and that cried for all the abomination that be down in the midst thereof.
And to the others he said, in my hearing,
Go ye after him through the city, and smite.
Let not your eyes stare, neither have ye pity.
Stay out for the old and young, both maids and little children and women.
But come not near any man upon whom is the mark,
and begin at my sanctuary.
Then they began at the ancient men, which were before the house.
And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain.
Give ye forth.
And they went forth and slew in the city.
And it came to pass, while they were slain them and I was left,
that I fell upon my face and cried,
and said, O Lord God, wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel
in thy poor yard of thy fury upon Jerusalem?
Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great,
and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness.
For they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not.
And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, and neither will I have pity.
But I will recompense their way upon their head.
And behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the ink on by his side,
reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.
Thus far.
These are just some reflections on the ninth chapter that I want to give you.
Of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel is one of those prophet-priests in the Old Testament.
Jeremiah and Zechariah were the other two of the three.
Of these, Ezekiel is probably the best known for his obscurity.
That's a paradox, I suppose.
Best known for his obscurity.
To the average reader of scripture, his prophecies seem to be a maze of incoherent visions.
One commentator, I don't recommend him, he said this, he said,
Ezekiel is a kaleidoscope of rolling wheels and dry bones that defy interpretation.
Now, this impression will cause you, I suppose, an average Bible reader,
to shy away from even becoming acquainted with this book, this wonderful book,
and so will miss one of the great portions of God's word.
For many, his imagery seems over-elaborate.
His symbolism makes the whole book a veritable enigma.
You can't understand it.
It can only, well, how did he understand this book?
It can only be understood by the reverent reader of scripture.
Looking up to God, dependent upon the spirit of God,
one enthralled by the spirit of truth.
You must apply yourself to diligent spiritual study
and greater familiarization of the language of Holy Scripture in general
in order to search out the treasures contained in this precious mine,
the book of Ezekiel.
Now, the prophecy of Ezekiel, it opens with the most impressive of chapters,
with the unfolding revelation of the grand and integrated purposes of God.
And then the succeeding chapters, for many, are a closed book.
And then, as you get towards the end, chapter 33 to the end, I think that's 48,
things get a bit clearer.
We've had some preaching on that.
We've heard something on that.
It's a final and a better-known section which concludes Ezekiel's writing,
declaring God's future plans, wonderful plans, for his people and the temple.
And I suppose for some of us, we feel that there's waters to swim in there.
But in the middle section, we tend to neglect it.
Well, in our lecture, we can't do the whole book.
I can't give you a summary in so brief a time.
But I propose in this study to focus on just this one chapter 9,
just to give a little glimpse of some of the treasures hidden in the book,
so that its message should not lie neglected, should not lie buried,
unobserved, unheeded by you or me.
If you find a gem in a Bible book, it might be encouraged to look for others,
and so become better acquainted with the book, the word of God generally,
but in particular, this book of Ezekiel.
Now, there are helps that will assist you in getting a better acquaintance,
a familiarization with the book of Ezekiel.
And I suppose you're going to expect me to say what I'm going to say next.
You know, A. C. Gaeberlein has written a helpful commentary.
F. W. Grant also.
There'll be a good help to you.
A. C. Gaeberlein has given an introduction to the book.
Jean Quetelin's Day by Day, or Derby Synopsis, are also very good overviews.
Make sure you have a good library with commentaries on every book of the Bible,
so that if you find a passage hard to understand,
then hopefully, amidst the books, you'll find some answers, you'll find some help.
Occasionally you'll get a peculiarity, and you may find all the commentators skip the passage.
But build a good library.
Buy books. Read books. Use books.
You'll get some understanding.
And don't be among those who say, oh, I only read the Bible, I don't read the book.
Do you think God will reveal everything to you?
He's revealed something to others.
And you can gain an ounce of help from your companion.
Or from those that have gone before and put their thoughts into a book.
So take advantage of helpful, printed ministry.
Some of you are doing that already.
But I suspect some of you are not.
And it's to you these words are addressed.
Now, the ninth chapter here, as before, is full of interest and relevance for today.
You can scarcely imagine that such an old book would be so relevant.
But I hope you'll want to look further, perhaps into its setting.
Comparisons with Daniel 9, Ezra, and Nehemiah 9 will result, I think, in fruitful meditations when you get home.
And you'll be encouraged by looking at it.
To me, I think the message of the ninth chapter is somewhat pivotal.
God's right wing purposes of government will not be thwarted by man's rebelliousness and his moral deadness.
God will accomplish his purpose, but holiness becomes God's house forever.
And his kingdom and his lordly rights over his people will be established in righteousness.
He won't gloss over evil and the abominations that can erupt from time to time.
He has to deal with it.
Just as they were being dealt with among God's people in Ezekiel's day.
Just as they were being dealt with by the Apostle Paul when writing to the Corinthians in relation to some of the terrible things that were found there.
So God will deal for his glory.
But then, and only then, will grace and mercy flow in abundance to those who look to him and tremble at his word.
Now, in chapter 8, this is a bit of the context, the idolatry of a very gross kind was being practiced.
It was really the fixed intention of the people, living in the holy city of Jerusalem, to engage in everything that was wicked.
All through that chapter they were shown one abomination after another.
And the Lord shows to his servant Ezekiel that really the temple itself had become the high court of wickedness.
What can be done? What must be done?
How to purge evil?
How to deal with sin among the people of God?
And then there was the worship of the sun by the elders and the weeping for Tammuz.
I think that was the lover of Venus in pagan idolatry.
The women were weeping for that.
And that brought God's fixed determination to execute an unsparing judgment against their corruption.
Against the abominations that were done among his people.
And really to do so was essential in order to satisfy the claims of a holy God.
He couldn't let it go on.
It was an absolute imperative that the testimony to his name, which was centered in those days at Jerusalem,
be purged of the virus of a rebellious false worship
that unchecked would destroy any testimony to the truth of God in the world at that time.
And that's the background crisis to the chapter we are considering.
Now we are going to look at the verses. Verse 1.
Ezekiel had a desire to walk with God and to serve Him.
He wanted to do that in difficult days.
And there is a parallel for us.
Do you have the desire to honor and serve God? It's in difficult days.
Now he submitted into the privilege of being told what God is about to do.
And he's made the messenger and also the recorder of God's intentions.
And we have this chapter opening, verse 1.
God calling upon the responsible representatives, angelic representatives,
heavenly watchmen over Jerusalem to draw near.
And it seems from the language that God himself is deeply and profoundly moved.
Supremely moved by the condition his people, and in particular Jerusalem, had got themselves into.
Now here's the question for you.
Are your hearts, are your minds moved?
About the spiritual state around us.
The low condition that is found in professing Christendom.
All those who profess the name of the Lord.
And much more those that profess identification with the divine center.
What are your feelings about those things?
Do you have any thoughts about that?
Or are you just thinking about yourself?
Are you really in tune with God's thoughts?
About the terrible departure that has occurred in Christendom from God's standards.
Now, here we see these, I believe they're angelic beings.
And it's a common enough feature in scripture to see angels being used to execute some discriminatory judgment on behalf of God.
We get that in Matthew 13.
The son of man shall send forth his angels.
Shows it clearly.
And if you go through the book of Revelation you've got angelic activity in this way.
Now here the angels are spoken of as six men.
And each has a slaughter weapon in his hand.
It's not the work of Ezekiel to do this.
It's not the work of Ezekiel to execute this judgment.
He holds a priestly perspective.
Of course he's in harmony with the mind of God.
But the historical agents of this prospective judgment I suppose would be the Chaldeans themselves coming in upon Jerusalem.
But the prophecy here is rendered in such a way that the leader is to regard the coming calamity as coming directly from the hand of God mediated by these men with the destroying weapon in their hand.
It's a terrible thing when God sets his face against the place where his name had once dwelt.
His name dwelt there at Jerusalem.
And how relevant is this today for us?
Where professing Christian countries make laws which militate against the Bible's sound teaching and counsel.
First in small deviations they are set against the holy standards fixed by God.
There continues to be the promotion of unisex clothing and hairstyles.
Dismantling the original order.
Male and female created he then.
Then they celebrate their gross immorality with pride.
And the established religion is weak.
And tore on to moral and doctrinal evils.
There's matrimonial breakdown.
It continues.
And all the sad consequences that follow.
The toleration of pornography.
Ah, we live in the West where we give equal rights to women.
And yet they are more abused in the West by this means than elsewhere perhaps.
All under the guise of human liberties.
Intimate chaperones.
Many things done in secret.
And then people are following savagery.
Yes they are.
With body piercings and tattoos.
New ages.
Worshipping the sun and nature.
Everything contrary to God's will.
Stated so clearly in his word.
I could give a big list.
It's not my purpose to describe all the things and evils of today.
It's not edifying.
But just to give you a glimpse.
And when these things are manifested among the children of God.
Things I've just mentioned.
Remember.
Galatians 6 tells us.
God is not mocked.
For whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Don't think we're immune from God's judgment.
There's a parallel I'm sure.
A warning for us each.
We do well to heed.
Now let's get on to our next verse.
Verse 2.
These angelic watchmen approach to the upper northern gate of the temple.
And they take their place before the Lord.
Before Jehovah.
And then in this verse a man with a writer's inkhorn.
Which really is a writing case.
A writing case.
But I like the phrase writer's inkhorn.
We don't have them nowadays.
People don't even know how to write.
They put finger tip to keyboard now.
Not pen to paper.
But anyway.
Or thumb to whatever it is to do an SMS text.
But in those days they still used writing cases.
A writer's inkhorn.
And he's an angel.
He's introduced.
Perhaps he is the seventh one.
Or perhaps he's one of the sixth.
I like to think he's the seventh one.
And he's clothed in linen.
And I suppose that might be compared to the linen robe worn by the priest on the great day of atonement.
When the children of Israel afflicted themselves.
According to Leviticus 16.
And his existence reminds me.
The fact that he's there reminds me.
That amidst judgment God will remember mercy.
It's a wonderful thing.
We deserve judgment.
But God's ready to come in with mercy.
It's a wonderful grace.
Grace displayed alongside divine holiness.
And then in him I think we see an angelic ministry to the areas of salvation.
You should notice the fact that the great altar.
The place of the judgment on earth is mentioned there.
Now for the Christian we have nothing to do with the wrath of God.
Because our substitute.
Our blessed substitute from God has borne all in his body on the tree.
He's paid the price.
But you know we want to realize that God is a sin-hating God.
And he can act governmentally even amongst his own.
Now the angels wait before they execute this holy and righteous judgment.
Unbelievers don't understand judgment.
It's truly God's strange work.
But they see it neither is righteous nor holy.
And they have many questions about it.
But God acts in a holy and a righteous manner when he executes judgment upon sin.
But grace will stay the blow of divine judgment and indignation.
Until those who had separated themselves from the evil are identified.
Until they are manifest.
And God's looking today for those who will be identified with his interests.
In holiness and truth.
Be identified with his interests.
In holiness and truth.
And as we go down our verse.
Verse 3.
The glory of the Lord was gone up from the cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the house.
He's just gone to the doorstep.
The glory is departing.
It's first step to go is made.
It was on the threshold.
The glory of God should have dwelt in the temple.
But now it's on the threshold.
And Ichabod in the making.
The glory has departed.
It was just coming.
God cannot dwell where his character is compromised.
He may pretend it to be so.
But he cannot dwell where his character is compromised.
And where his glory is given to another.
His honor will not dwell where he is dishonored.
And yet.
In spite of the abominations done in Jerusalem.
I swear to God.
God is lingering.
God is.
It seems reluctant to leave.
You know it's a very solemn thing.
To disown a testimony.
Sometimes we've done that too badly.
It's a very solemn thing to disown.
What professed to be a testimony to the assembly.
To say no that's no longer an assembly.
He'll rubbish that.
In spite of God.
God lingers.
There must be long patience.
He lingers for his people to be in right relationship with himself.
He lingers as if there might be a moment of repentance.
I think of what Hosea records.
I think in his eighth chapter.
No it's the eleventh chapter.
How can I give thee up?
My repentings are kindled.
It is as if God tarries.
And then he sends his messenger off.
The man of the inkworn.
To see how many that there might be in the city.
Who love and care for his interests.
Who sigh and groan and mourn.
For the abominations done in the midst thereof.
In Egypt long ago a distinctive mark.
When the children of Israel had left Egypt.
A distinctive mark was put on the dwellings of the children of Israel.
Now a mark is made on the foreheads.
A sign or a seal.
Of God upon those who had spiritual intelligence.
Who felt like God felt.
Who had true communion with God.
Who had fellowship with God in this matter.
Where abominations were done in the place where he had been pleased.
Long ago to put his name.
Mark.
Had to be put on their head.
And I think the mark was the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Tau.
Or Tau.
As it looks like in our Psalm 119.
The last letter, letter D.
And I've read in a book that in the ancient Hebrew scripts in Ezekiel's time.
This letter didn't have the shape of a T but the shape of a cross.
It was a mark akin to an X.
In place of a proper signature.
God had put his mark there.
On their foreheads.
How little the prophet would have known of the significance of what he records here for our learning.
Is it not our privilege to be identified with the man of sorrows?
The man who bore the cross.
Is it not our privilege to share in his rejection?
To be with the few that are identified with him.
In the outside place.
Outside the camp.
Those who are thus identified, I suppose, may be an unseen company.
We don't know them all.
We only know some of them.
There are little accounts in this world.
But what a wonderful thing Paul tells Timothy.
The Lord knows them that are his.
That's a wonderful thing.
We don't know them all.
But the Lord knows.
We might use that verse as a comfort text above our mantelpiece or in the hallway.
The Lord knows them that are his.
But really it's a little rebuke, you don't know, but a goodness.
The Lord knows them that are his.
He's got his eye on everyone.
And it is he that delights to record the names of those that honour his name.
And the people whom God approves of in these dreadful circumstances are not known for their bright and cheerful countenance.
They're not jolly people who are just skating through the world as happy as happy can be.
No, they're characterized by a chastening solemnity.
A sobriety and a seriousness about the whole condition of things.
It was a case of serious departure from the word of God on the one hand.
And perhaps indifference to God's holiness was prevalent.
Did that make them happy?
Oh yes, the joy of the Lord was their strength.
But you know their deportment was marked by a solemn mourning.
There was no room for pride on their part.
They couldn't say, look how good we are and how bad they are.
And how often we say that.
Look, everyone's done what does what's right in their own eyes.
And we point to the others.
But it says everyone did that which was right in their own eyes.
Yes, we're included in the everyone.
There's got to be a sense of the failure as we saw, as we referred to in Ezra Nehemiah, Daniel 9.
On the part of the person who was praying the confession.
There's no room for pride.
Only self-judgment in the light of God's word.
That's good for us all.
Paul tells the Corinthians, if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
And are we sufficiently clear about the desolations that are all around us?
Only then, once we've got God's evaluation of the situation,
will there be a proper display of a broken spirit,
which I believe is of great value in God's sight.
Now we move on.
Of course, when the Lord Jesus had come to Jerusalem some 600 years later,
he wept over the same place.
And when he was come near, he beheld the city and wept over it.
He said to them, if thou hadst known even there,
at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace,
but now are they hit from thine eyes.
For the day shall come upon thee,
that thine enemy shall cast a trench about thee,
encompass thee around, and keep thee in on every side.
The fact that there were some who could be marked off as having the same mind as the Lord himself,
was clearly a delight, I think, for the Spirit of God.
For the Spirit of God, even if the mass of the people,
mass of the subjects of Jerusalem,
were the subjects of extreme wrath and repulsion.
Now, as we go through our verses, verse 5, chapter 9, verse 5,
we see that God's stern justice demands absolute punishment and retribution.
The angels must smite without mercy.
I think this command must have grieved God's heart.
He doesn't desire the death of a sinner,
but as a righteous judge, he'll not have the righteous die with the wicked.
And judgment is always discriminating, I believe.
The godly ones are made known, and they are spared.
And you know, the church will know this, in relation to it, the blessed hope.
She will be kept from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon the whole world,
to try them which will dwell upon the earth.
And then we look at verse 6.
Lay utterly old and young, and so forth.
Begin at my sanctuary.
Light and privilege are always considered when God makes his judgments.
You've got the ancients, the elderly,
they had privilege, they bear the deepest responsibility.
Their years were not exempted.
You might say, well, I'm old.
I've been faithful in the past.
No, that's how it is now.
Their years weren't exempted.
But rather, their stone is deeper in Calum.
And so, they have to begin with the ancients.
The fullest responsibility is with those who should have been examples,
and should have maintained the duty of moral leadership among God's people.
Neither had spread from the top downwards.
Therefore, judgment must follow the same course.
And so, God says, he deals with the matter which is nearest to him.
He says, begin at my house.
Oh, how God felt this matter.
Begin at my sanctuary.
It must have touched his heart.
His house was defiled by idolatrous superstitions and abominations.
Look at chapter 5 of Ezekiel, verse 11.
Wherefore, as I live, sayeth the Lord God, surely,
because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things,
and with all thine abominations,
therefore will I also diminish thee.
Neither shall mine eyes spare, neither will I have any pity.
I suppose the New Testament Christian counterparts of this is found in Peter,
in Peter 4.
For the time is come, is come,
that judgment must begin at the house of God.
And if it begin first at us,
what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel?
We, what is nearest to God, bears the greatest responsibility.
You desire that place of nearness,
you are responsible before God to maintain it in holiness and righteousness.
If we profess to be gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus,
we certainly cannot have any fellowship
with what is contrary to the holiness of that name,
or what contradicts it.
For without holiness we will not see the Lord.
Even the house of God was to be defiled.
It says that in verse 7.
Defile the house, fill the courts with the slain.
The land would be defiled in a day yet future to Ezekiel's time.
And it would only be when a fountain would be opened for uncleanness
that their sin, according to Zechariah's prophecy, would be taken away.
Now I'm sorry to say this,
but I think it is a misnomer
to call their land their holy land at the present time.
I don't think it's an intentional insult to the Lord,
but it is a misnomer.
But for the present that land is defiled
by the murder of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
But the sin will be taken away in a quickly coming day.
That's a wonderful thing, a wonderful prospect.
But here we have in the 7th verse, defile the house.
Yes, defiled by death, the greatest defiler of all.
And then verse 8, Ezekiel, he's interceding.
I was left and I fell upon my face, our Lord.
He cries out on behalf of the residue,
on behalf of the few reserved survivors of a great people.
And you see, he was a man of compassion.
He had a feeling for the people, for the nation, for God's people.
And he's horrified that God's sanctuary should be defiled.
And yet God allows it, God directs it for a purpose.
He's very concerned, he falls on his face.
What concern do we have about the things of God?
Do the things concerning the assembly testimony,
do the things concerning the gospel testimony affect us in this way?
Or do they just pass by as if there's nothing at all to them?
The people had had adequate time to repent and to flee idolatry and their abominations.
But rather they used that time to multiply their perversity.
And the urgent cry to the Lord was,
that Ezekiel give shelter to the Israeli in communion with the Lord.
And the grief and the horror of the moment not only impressing itself upon Ezekiel's mind,
but I'm sure on God's heart too.
As we go down, the iniquity, verse 9, is exceeding great.
The exceeding sinfulness of sin is brought out by God's reply.
How little we understand how great an affront sin is to God.
Men would learn that sin cannot be done secretly or unnoticed.
People try to do that.
But God sees.
Men try to sin in secret.
But God is there.
And God sees all.
And especially in regard to what professes to bear his name.
He sees it all.
You can't hoodwink God.
Men may think they get away with profanity or murder.
They may think they can get away with all sorts of things.
But God's eye sees all man's perversity and unnoticed sin.
But God's eye sees all man's perversity and wickedness.
There's no escaping it.
Now as we go, we're coming near to the end of our passage.
The holiness of God is unsparing of the sinner still in his sin.
Unrepentant, unforgiving.
Mine eye shall not spare, and neither will I have pity.
So says his tenth verse.
I will recompense their way upon their head.
For our God is a consuming fire.
That people would receive the due reward for their sins.
Now in this verse, no intercessor's voice is heard.
No Ezekiel praying.
How unspeakably solemn.
When the day of grace is over.
And then lastly.
The awful scene is really made more impressive.
By the report that the task has been completed.
I have done as thou hast commanded me.
The command to slay you was to be literally done.
It wasn't to be spiritually fulfilled.
It was to be literally done.
And men will be obliged to sit up when God begins his strange work.
But then it will be too late.
What a shock to ungodly sinners.
How does this impact upon us?
Do we not consider what Paul said to the Corinthians in his second epistle?
Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
Is it not a motivation in service?
In gospel work?
The man clothed in linen.
I suppose the symbol of divine righteousness.
As opposed to our righteousnesses which are described in scripture as filthy rags.
He completes his assignment.
He's ready.
He's finished.
He's the obedient servant of God.
And then for the rest.
His companions.
No mitigating sympathies or sentiments.
They go about to do their work.
Servants of righteousness.
They obey.
But those who were marked by the sign for the abominations done in the land were spared.
This certainly was a consolation to Ezekiel.
But the unrighteous majority would be killed by the coming Chaldean invasion.
Following not a multitude to do evil, we're enjoined in the Pentateuch.
The details of this section I think are very important for us.
Because they enable us to understand why conflict and death
are often described in the Old Testament.
It seems to be a stark contrast with the New Testament which is full of grace and love.
We see that they are only the grave consequences of evil done by man against God.
I'm just thinking of what we get in 1 Corinthians 10.
As of Israel generally.
Yet God was not pleased with the most of them.
JND translation.
The majority of anything in a fallen world is not a guarantee.
Don't follow a multitude to do evil.
It's the few.
It's the narrow path.
It's the twos and threes.
That may well have the secret of the Lord.
We must come to a conclusion.
What can be summarized by our instruction in this ninth chapter?
We shouldn't forget in these dark days of Christendom.
Established sadly even non-conformity is increasingly following the doctrines of demons.
That God has a remnant which sigh and mourn over the low state of things.
But low conditions in the Christian testimony should serve to bring to light faithful men.
Not discourage them.
Should bring you to light.
Should bring you forth.
To stand up.
Faithful men and women to stand up for the Lord.
You know circumstances bring out what is in a man.
The situation, the trials that you face.
It's a test to see what person you are.
What character you have.
You know it's not a time for lukewarmness.
It's not a time for shilly-shallying and self-seeking.
But rather for zeal and devotedness to Christ.
We may not see all whom God would identify with his token of approval.
But the real known to the Lord.
And the real is doing very highly.
For their labor and for their love to his name.
They may be few here and there.
But they are not solitary.
And as long as the Lord has not come to take us to the Father's house.
I believe it's still possible to have fellowship with those of like precious faith.
Of those that are concerned about the situation in which we find ourselves at the present time.
His word gives us a clear indication that we can follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace.
With them that call on the Lord of the pure heart.
Right up until the moment when he comes for his church.
Finally I want to signal, point out two things.
Number one.
Right at what I said at the beginning.
Remember?
The need for Bible study.
The love of his word.
The study of the scriptures.
Attending to ministry.
Reading good books about the Bible.
You'll not get the truth of the Bible by a process of osmosis.
It doesn't suddenly pour into your veins.
It doesn't suddenly arrive in your head.
It's the result of determined purpose of heart.
Get God's word into your mind.
Read the Bible.
It requires labour.
Much study and diligence.
If you want to be an effective Christian.
If you wish to know the will of God.
In relation to the present circumstances.
If you want to be guided by him.
At the present time.
You will have to read your Bible.
There's no shortcut.
You see these people who sighed and mourned for the abomination.
They knew God's will.
They didn't get in their heads by magic.
They knew the will of God.
That's the first thing.
Get to know your Bible better.
Shame on you if you don't.
Secondly.
The knowledge of God's will leads to sanctification.
Practically.
A holy walk amidst the wicked and the perverse generation.
We need to be practically holy.
This is vital of our testimony is to be of any use to God in this present evil world.
I think I'll close with reading some verses from 1 Thessalonians 4.
1 Thessalonians 4
Chapter 4. 1 Thessalonians 4.
Finally then.
Brother and furthermore.
Finally then brethren.
We beseech you and exalt you by the Lord Jesus.
That as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God.
That ye would abound more and more.
For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.
For this is the will of God.
Even your sanctification.
That ye should abstain from fornication.
That every one of you.
Should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor.
Not in the lust of concupiscence.
Even as the Gentiles which know not God.
That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter.
Because the Lord is the avenger of all such.
As we also have forewarned you and testified.
But God hath not called us unto uncleanness.
But unto holiness.
He therefore despises not man but God.
Who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit.
May the Lord see on his word to your hearts and consciences.
For his name's sake.
Now.
I'd like us to sing a final hymn.
201 by Lord Cecil.
Thou holy one and true.
Our hearts in thee confide.
And in the circle of thy love.
As brethren we abide.
Thus for teach us that name to own.
Whilst waiting all for thee.
And holiness and sin to shun.
From all untruth to flee.
Let's rise to sing our last hymn 201. …
Transcription automatique:
…
2. Korinthians 2
Wir beginnen mit Vers 9
It is written, I hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
For what Lord knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of man which is in him?
Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, but we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him.
Neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ.
The second passage is from the 8th chapter of the Epistle to the Romans.
We begin at verse 9.
But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.
But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
And if children, then heirs.
Heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Beloved brethren and sisters, with the Lord's help I should like to give an outline of the present ministry of the Holy Spirit of God.
It's a vast subject.
Since the Lord ascended into heaven, no person on this earth has been as busy as the Spirit of God.
To put it in a nutshell, his work is to seek and find those who will comprise the church of the living God, the body and blood of Christ.
And to bring her to be united with the heavenly bridegroom, the Lord himself, in a perfect condition.
So that the bride is in that condition which we read in Ephesians 5.
Where we read, Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
When we look at our weakness and feebleness, what a wonderful prospect it is that we are going to be united in this condition with the one who loved us and gave himself for us.
Now to begin with, I must say that the Holy Spirit of God is a person of the Godhead.
And I say that deliberately because there are many who consider the Spirit of God to be a mere influence, even among professing Christians.
The word of God makes it absolutely clear that the Spirit of God is a person.
Here is the evidence.
In the second verse of the Bible, we are told that God created in the beginning the heavens and the earth.
The earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of it.
The Spirit of God moved over the face of the waters.
An influence does not move.
And at that moment of time there was nobody to influence.
In Acts 5, the Apostle Peter reproved Ananias for lying to the Holy Spirit.
You can only lie to persons.
In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit told the church at Antioch to separate Paul and Barnabas for the service of the Lord.
Now an influence cannot give commands and certainly not to a whole company of people at one time.
And then we have two instances in the New Testament where the complete Godhead is mentioned together.
The Trinity as it is so called.
Matthew 28, going into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
An influence doesn't have a name.
And you can certainly not carry out anything on behalf of an influence.
And the last example is the last verse of 2 Corinthians chapter 13.
Where we probably may well remember it, the older ones of us from school assemblies.
The last thing that was said, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
You can't have fellowship with an influence, you can only have fellowship with a person.
The Bible gives us four very apt illustrations of the Holy Spirit at work.
The first one that I'd like to mention is in Luke 15.
It's the second part of the parable that the Lord Jesus told about the lost things.
The woman who had lost a very small silver Greek coin, a drachma.
She took a broom and a light and she searched for that coin and she found it.
Isn't this the Holy Spirit working in order to find those who will confess the Lord Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
Who will bring their sins to him for forgiveness.
The next illustration is Luke 10.
The innkeeper to whom the good Samaritan brings the one who was left for dead and yet who had been healed.
And he brought him to this innkeeper and asked him to take care of him until he returned.
Isn't that the work of the Holy Spirit with us believers today.
Looking after each one of us, caring for us and especially for the church as a whole until the Lord comes to take us home.
Then we have another example in Luke 22.
The man with the water pot.
You remember the disciples asked the Lord Jesus where they should prepare for the Passover.
The Lord Jesus told them to go into the city and there they would see a man with a water pot.
Follow him into the house where he leads you.
And there they were to prepare the Passover.
If we seek to obey the Lord Jesus and follow him and don't know where we should go.
Then we must leave ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
And he will take us to the place where the Lord is in the midst.
The last example is the probably best known one from Genesis 24.
Abraham's servant who went on that long, long journey to find a bride for Isaac.
And he decked her out with clothing and with precious things from his master's house and brought her home.
Perhaps we can look at that a little later.
But how wonderful it is to see the working of the Holy Spirit in this way.
Now, why was it necessary for the Holy Spirit to come down?
The Lord Jesus had been with all those who followed him during his ministry.
Providing for them, teaching them, loving them, caring for them.
And he was to go away.
But he made provision for them.
And he said, if I go, then he would ask the Father and he would send the Holy Spirit to abide with them forever.
He would dwell with them and be in them.
Let me give you an example from the field of transport.
Why was it necessary for him to come?
They wouldn't have the Lord with them anymore.
And we know what it is like when we are left to our own devices.
The detrimental effect of the flesh working in us.
We need another power.
If when you are driving your car, the oil pump fails to function.
And you ignore the light that goes on, that warning light.
In a very short time, the engine of your car is going to be ruined.
You will need a new one.
A new engine is put in.
It's the same car, but the power comes from something much better.
A new engine.
And that is what we have when the Holy Spirit comes to indwell us.
And so, we find that this promise was carried out at Pentecost.
Now, if we look at Acts 2, we see that on that day at Pentecost,
the Holy Spirit came down, but in verse 1, we have something else.
It says, when the day of Pentecost was fully come,
in Leviticus 23, we have the feasts of Jehovah.
And two of the feasts, in particular, the one is the feast of the first fruits,
and exactly 50 days later is the feast of Pentecost.
And that time corresponds exactly to the time between the resurrection of Christ
and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
And then it says here, the day of Pentecost was fully come,
the feasts of Jehovah had become, as the Apostle John tells us,
the feasts of the Jews.
But they were no longer necessary.
Pentecost was fulfilled once the Holy Spirit came down,
and was never to be celebrated again by those who had truly received the Lord Jesus.
So this is the meaning of when the day of Pentecost had fully come.
And what an optimal situation it was for the Holy Spirit to come down
and indwell all the believers.
They were all with one accord in one place.
When we look at Christianity today, isn't that verse an indictment?
Doesn't it show how we have failed to keep this condition,
which was so precious to the Lord and so beneficial for the Lord's people?
The Holy Spirit came down upon them and indwelt them.
The Holy Spirit had been active in Old Testament times,
but he never indwelt anyone.
In Judges 3, we read of Othniel.
In Judges 6, we read of Gideon.
In Luke 2, we read of Simeon.
And of all these three, we read that the Holy Spirit came down upon them.
And he was active.
He could work with them for a period.
But when the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost,
he indwelt the believer.
And he was with them forever.
What a difference that was.
To take another example from the field of transport,
in the olden days, ships went by wind transport, by wind power.
They had sails.
The power came from outside.
Now, ships have powerful engines inside them.
This is what the believer has, a powerful engine inside.
But this brings responsibility upon the believer.
Do we allow this power to work within us?
Yes.
When the Holy Spirit acted in this way,
he sealed each believer.
That was a mark of ownership.
In many countries, when animals are born,
they are given a mark on their skin
so that the owner knows, this animal belongs to me.
Especially in countries where animals from various herds or flocks tend to mix.
We have this seal of the Holy Spirit
telling us we are no longer our own.
We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then we are also told that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance.
That is the pledge or the guarantee of our inheritance.
What inheritance is that?
Well, the Lord Jesus Christ himself,
so we learn from the epistle to the Hebrews,
is the heir of all things.
You couldn't have a much greater inheritance than that.
And we, if we are the children of God,
and sons of God,
we are therefore also heirs of God and heirs of Christ,
and co-heirs with Christ.
So we are called to share all that Christ
has been given by his God and Father.
Isn't that also a wonderful prospect that we have ahead of us?
So, when we see that the Holy Spirit came down there at Pentecost,
this was the time when the Holy Spirit began really to work on this earth.
And it was noticeable how he worked.
He worked.
Now we know that the Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke,
the one who also wrote the Gospel,
and there is a very interesting connection between Luke 24 and Acts 2.
Just before the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven,
he said, Luke 24, verse 47,
or 46,
Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer
and to rise from the dead the third day,
and that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem.
And in Acts 2 we have them at Jerusalem.
And in verse, I think it's 38,
Yes?
Peter said unto them,
Repent, there's the word,
and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ,
for the remission of sins.
Isn't that the work of the Holy Spirit?
Taking that which Christ had actually said to them,
and now reminding the Apostle Peter of these words.
And what an effect it had.
Three thousand souls were added to the church,
and the Lord also added daily such as should be saved.
Oh, what a power the Holy Spirit was able to use in those days.
Now what is the actual ministry of the Holy Spirit?
Well, the Lord graciously gathered his own around him
in that upper room,
and told them so many wonderful things.
We look at John 16,
we see that the Lord there first says
about, I'm talking about the order of the work of the Holy Spirit,
When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment.
Verse 8.
Of sin, because they believe not on me.
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
The first thing the Holy Spirit was to convince the world of, was of sin.
That which separated man from God.
And what was the proof?
Because they believed not on me.
Convicting mankind of his unbelief.
Mankind of his unbelief.
And then, of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.
We have the elevation of the Lord Jesus Christ to the right hand of the Father.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.
Isn't that the epitome of righteousness?
If any righteous act ever happened, it was the Father giving the Lord Jesus Christ the place that he now has,
for the work he accomplished there at Calvary.
And what a wonderful thing.
Here we have sin, and then we have the righteousness of Christ.
And here it is the righteousness of Christ that separates sin and judgment.
It comes between.
There is the opportunity for everyone to confess Christ,
and to say in his heart that that which the Father has done, that is indeed the proof of righteousness.
And then judgment, because the Prince of this world is judged.
For that is a blessing for every believer, to know that the one who opposes the Lord Jesus Christ to the end,
that his judgment has already been settled.
And that judgment means that he is a defeated foe.
And this is one of the things that the Spirit of God would convince us of,
and try to make it work in our hearts that we live a life of righteousness, well-pleasing to the Lord himself.
We are then, as we read in Romans, dead unto sin, but alive unto God.
Now, in Romans 8, we read in the verses 14 to 16.
As many as are led by the Spirit of God, there are the sons of God.
And then in verse 15.
Our knowledge that God is our Father, and our appreciation of his fatherly care.
That also is something that the Spirit works in us.
And thereby we know the love of God.
Isn't that also a wonderful thing?
To know that we are loved as children of God.
Now, how does the Spirit of God work then in the believer?
In Ephesians, chapter 3, we read that he strengthens the inner man.
Strengthens the inner man.
Verse 16.
The Apostle Paul bowed his knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and prayed that he might grant the Ephesians and us, according to the riches of his glory,
to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.
We know what it is to strengthen our bodies.
How much care we take of our physical body, with our food, with our activity,
in order that we are and remain strong.
But what about the inner man?
Is the Spirit able to convince us that we also must have the strength in the inner man?
And how do we get it?
Well, the Spirit of God presents at all stages and in all situations,
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let's go back to the Gospel of John, chapter 14.
Here we read that he will guide us into the truth.
He will teach us all things.
Verse 26.
He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.
Have we experienced this?
Have you been in a situation, and you have looked to the Lord,
and suddenly a word in due season has come to you, and that has comforted your heart?
Do you think that was a coincidence or a quirk of memory?
It was the Holy Spirit working in your heart.
To comfort you, to strengthen you.
How we must be grateful for such work.
Then we have in chapter 15, verse 26.
When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father,
even the Spirit of truth which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify of me.
What a wonderful thing it is for our hearts,
when our thoughts are occupied with the personal work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is testifying of the Lord.
And that is an encouragement to us also on this wilderness pathway.
Then in chapter 16, once again, we read, verse 14.
He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
All things that the Father hath are mine.
Therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.
How faithful the Holy Spirit is to the Lord Jesus Christ and to ourselves,
in the way he presents his wonderful person.
That we see the glories of the Lord Jesus Christ as they shine forth and become precious to us.
Mr. Darby wrote of this verse in Ephesians about strengthening the inner man.
It is a deepening enjoyment of Christ.
We learn to know the love of Christ.
We learn to appreciate more and more how his work at Calvary
and its redeeming effect has brought us out of the mire of sin
and made us presentable unto God in all his holiness.
Then, too, we read of the Holy Spirit that he also does one other very wonderful thing for us.
He also does one other very wonderful thing for us.
In Romans 8, he makes intercession for us in our weakness.
Now that's not our sins.
For our sins, we have an advocate with the Father.
Jesus Christ, the righteous.
I think that's a wonderful verse.
Especially the one word, the righteous.
We have an advocate with the Father.
The one, the only one who was ever righteous.
He is the one who pleads for us before the Father.
But here, it's a question of our weakness.
Don't we feel our weakness?
Don't we sense that in our walk we may not have the strength to glorify the Lord in a way which we think we might do?
And we might pray about it or seek to pray about it.
And the words just won't come.
But the Holy Spirit, he is able to make intercession for us.
We know not what we should pray as we ought.
But the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit.
The Lord Jesus understands our hearts.
And he knows too the mind of the Spirit who is able to express our weaknesses as we bring them.
Now the Holy Spirit is not only working within us as individuals.
He is also working in the Church.
He is active in the Church.
He grants gifts to individuals in the Church for the well-being and the blessing of the Church.
Of course the gifts come from the Lord.
They are permanent gifts.
They are men.
At the time of the Apostles, there were Apostles and Prophets, Teachers, Pastors and Evangelists.
The time of the Apostles and the Prophets has passed.
But the three are left to us.
And these gifts are given to men.
And unless the Lord takes them, they have these gifts.
And are to use them for the blessing of the Church.
We'll look at this again just shortly.
But the Spirit, he can also give gifts that are necessary at a given time for a specific purpose.
If we look at 1 Corinthians and chapter 12.
We see that one of the things that were given at that time were the gifts of healing.
And another we find in another place.
Verse 28.
Helps, governments.
These had a specific purpose, obviously, at a certain time.
And I am quite sure that the Spirit of God today can use a person in a way that he himself probably has not realized at a time.
To bring a word in due season.
How good that it might be to the blessing and benefit of the one or those who need that word.
And what about the Holy Spirit's leading when we come together?
Isn't that something which we all need to be subject to?
The Apostle Paul uses those words, when we come together, so often in the epistle to the Corinthians.
When we come together, are we aware that the Lord is in our midst?
And that everything that happens is subject to the way the Holy Spirit leads.
Do we dare to premeditate what we might pray or say or read?
Or have we the faith to come together and simply say, Lord, here we are.
We are in thy midst.
For thou art in the midst, we are in thy presence.
May thy Holy Spirit fill our hearts and lead us.
And there is another thing that the Holy Spirit does.
Not so much in the church, but it's something that is also mentioned in the epistle to the Ephesians.
Where the Apostle tells them not to be drunk with wine, but to be filled with spirit.
So that they can encourage one another with psalms and hymns.
Is that something that we need today?
When a person is drunk, he is under the control of alcohol.
He has no control over himself.
If the Spirit fills our hearts, we are under his control.
And what will the effect be?
He will bring out that which is in our hearts to express itself.
And with each other we shall have fellowship with one another.
And we shall encourage one another with the word of God.
And with the wonderful hymns that we have.
Or how precious this all is.
Now I said a little earlier, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it has its effect on us.
And it addresses our responsibility.
Let me come to a third example from the field of transport.
There are probably very few here who will remember the time before railways in this country were nationalised.
There used to be four railways.
And the Southern Railway was the only one that was electrified.
All the other three were all under steam power.
If you went to one of the big London terminal of the other three,
you would find trains of every platform with a steam locomotive at one end and a steam locomotive at the other end.
One pulled the train in, one was going to pull the train out.
These locomotives were all under full power.
The fire was burning, the water was burning.
But they weren't moving an inch.
Why not?
The locomotive driver, the engine driver, had not opened the valve to allow the power to reach the pistons to drive the wheels.
Isn't that perhaps something that we have to pay attention to?
We have this power within us, dear brethren and sisters.
But have we opened the valve to let it work?
There is the Holy Spirit.
What does he call on us to do?
To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
How important that is.
And please note, it's the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
It's not keep the peace at the expense of the Spirit.
That's very easy to do.
You can overlook the Spirit of God, but there will be no blessing as a result.
The peace will be a mere matter of concessions and nothing else.
But if we are in tune with the Spirit of God, then could there be anything other than peace?
Or what a world this is for our hearts.
And then we are reminded also in the Ephesian epistle, chapter 2 at the end,
that the Church is a temple, a holy temple unto the Lord and an habitation of God through the Spirit.
We have here both the heavenly character and the earthly character.
The Lord is in heaven.
And when the Lord looks down, he sees his Church, one body, in spite of all our failure.
Here on earth, Jehovah had his dwelling among the children of Israel.
He had a habitation there in the holiest of all.
There was the Shekinah glory.
But what a difference.
The holy priest could only enter the holiest of all once a year and not without blood.
When the Lord Jesus Christ cried, it is finished.
The veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom.
God rent it down.
And the way into the holiest of all was open.
So, do we take full advantage of this great benefit that God has granted us to enter the holiest of all,
to worship in spirit and in truth?
What a blessing the Lord has as a result.
This should lead us to worship and this should fill our heart.
Then, the Spirit of God also has his eye on the future.
Revelation 22, the Spirit and the Bride cry, come.
The Spirit of God's activity concerning the Church will be complete when he hands over the Bride to Christ.
And there we come to Genesis 24 again.
Let's turn to Genesis 24 and the last few verses of the chapter.
Let's just look first at verse 53.
The servant brought forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment and gave them to Rebekah.
He gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
Jewels of silver, we know what silver is.
It's that which speaks of redemption.
Jewels of gold, that which speaks of divine righteousness.
These were the characteristics imparted to the one who had said, I will go.
Who had given herself in spirit already to Isaac, whom she had never seen, whom having not seen, we love.
And raiment.
In Isaiah 61 verse 10 we read of the garment of righteousness.
That is the clothing which we have received with which we can go the wilderness journey ahead of us to the Father's house.
In Galatians we read, ye have put on Christ.
Oh, is that true of us?
You see a person's clothing.
You recognize them very often by their clothing.
Are we recognized because we have put on Christ?
Are we recognized because we are wearing a garment of righteousness?
And decked out with these wonderful things, Rebekah set out to follow Abraham's servant.
I don't know if you realize how far she had to go.
It was at least 500 miles on the back of a camel.
As a small boy, we used to go to the London Zoo with our family every year.
I have ridden on a camel's back, not 500 miles, not 500 yards.
And I can assure you it is the most uncomfortable thing you can ever think of.
You feel every bone in that camel's back drive into your own backside. It's terrible.
Our wilderness journey is not an easy one.
And it's not a short one.
But have you noticed that not a word is said in Genesis 24 about the wilderness journey back to Abraham's home?
The next thing we read, once they have set out, we read simply that Rebekah arose and her damsels and they rolled upon the camels and followed the man.
And the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
The next thing we read is a change of scene.
And Isaac came from the way of the well, Lahairoi, for he dwelt in the south country.
Our brother this afternoon spoke of watching and waiting and working.
And he spoke from our side.
Do we realize that the Holy Spirit also is watching and waiting and working?
And that the Lord is also watching and waiting?
Here was Isaac. He went out. He lived in the south country.
The south country is the place where the sun shines at its highest and its brightest.
Isn't that a wonderful picture of heaven?
He went out to meditate at eventide.
The day of grace is approaching its end.
It's eventide in the time for Christian testimony.
And what did he see? He saw the camels, the caravan of camels coming.
Then the scene goes back to Rebekah.
Rebekah lifted up her eyes and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
She said to the servant, what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us?
And the servant had said, it is my master.
There we see again the work of the Holy Spirit.
Doing nothing else but presenting Christ.
And there he says, there he is, the one you are going to.
What did Rebekah do? She took a bow and covered her face.
It's very often said, correctly, that her beauty, and she was a beautiful woman, the scripture tells us so, was the eyes of a lone.
I believe there is also another reason why she took the bow.
I think it's a spiritual reason.
The Apostle Paul says, now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.
And Rebekah had not yet reached home.
She was almost there but not quite.
When she did reach home, then she could remove the veil.
When they were there, the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
He had accomplished the mission for which he had been sent out.
That will be exactly what happens when we go to meet our Lord.
We read Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent.
He took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her.
And Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
I think we have dispensational teaching in Genesis.
We have the promise of the Son.
We have the birth of the Son.
We have Isaac being taken to be offered.
Don't we see the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ?
The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ coming into this world.
The offering of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.
The death of Sarah.
The rejection of Israel.
Israel put aside.
Those for whom the Lord Jesus actually came.
He came unto his own and his own received him not.
And Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Chapter 24 here.
Isaac receives the bride.
Oh what a comfort it will be for the Lord Jesus.
Rejected by his people when his own are all gathered in with him.
That is the wonderful portion that awaits us.
Perhaps we can understand why in Revelation we have these words.
The bride and the spirit and the bride say come.
His longing and our longing is that this should be fulfilled.
That this should be fulfilled.
That Christ should be united with the bride for whom he died.
And whom he would bring into this wonderful perfect condition.
Just one or two further words to conclude this subject.
The spirit working in us also manifests the character of Christ.
Isn't that what the fruit of the spirit is?
Galatians 5 verses 22 and 23.
Love, joy, peace.
Lone suffering, gentleness, goodness.
Faith it says in the authorised version it should be faithfulness.
Weakness, temperance.
Self-control, temperance.
Isn't that the character that the Lord displayed here on earth?
And that is the fruit of the spirit.
If we walk in the spirit we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
And these things that the spirit has implanted
they will truly come to fruition.
Are they really there in our hearts as seed?
Or have they grown into fruition?
In the epistle to the Ephesians we are told that we should not grieve the Holy Spirit.
Is our conduct always such that the Lord can approve of it?
I say a word here especially to the young ones.
Sometimes you may want to go somewhere.
And you may be told, you know the Lord Jesus can't go with you there.
He wouldn't be seen there.
But you know if you are a child of God you have the Holy Spirit with you in you.
And you will take him there and he will be grieved.
Because that is not a place which would have the commendation of the Lord Jesus Christ your Saviour.
Then in the epistle to the Thessalonians we are asked not to quench the spirit.
That is something which is very very dangerous.
Dangerous because it means that self-will has come in into that which should be of God.
Our own decisions, our own plan has replaced the leading of the Holy Spirit.
And how sad that is.
And he is unable to work.
May we also realize the seriousness of this when we come together to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us rejoice over the position that we have been brought into.
And all these wonderful things that the Spirit of God is doing.
So that we when we are united with Christ will be able to joy with him.
And enjoy his love.
See him face to face.
And be able to give him our thanks for what he has done for us.
In a way that we will never have been able to do here on earth.
May it be so for his namesake. …
Transcription automatique:
…
Exodus, Chapter 26, and verse 31.
These were the Lord's words to Moses.
And thou shalt make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twined linen of cunning work with cherubims shall it be made.
And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shitting wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be of gold upon the four sockets of silver.
And thou shalt hang up the veil under the tashes that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony.
And the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
And thou shalt set the table without the veil and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south.
And thou shalt put the table on the north side.
And if we can turn to chapter 30.
We'll break into this passage at the beginning.
It's about the altar of incense.
And we'll start at verse 6.
So speaking about the altar of incense.
And thou shalt put it before the veil.
That is by the ark of the testimony.
Before the mercy seat that is over the testimony where I will meet with thee.
Then 2 Chronicles chapter 3.
Verse 14.
Now this is speaking about Solomon of course.
And the building of the temple.
And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen and root cherubims thereon.
Then we can just go into the New Testament.
Matthew's Gospel.
Chapter 27.
Verse 15.
Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice yielded up the ghost.
And behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
We'll leave that there.
Then we'll move into Mark's Gospel.
Chapter 15.
Verse 37.
And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost.
And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
And then in Luke's Gospel chapter 23.
And verse 44.
And it was about the sixth hour and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
And the sun was darkened and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit.
And having said thus he gave up the ghost.
Then just two more scriptures both from Hebrews.
The first one's in Hebrews chapter 6.
Verse 17.
We'll leave out wearing but just start with God.
Willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel,
confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable, unchangeable things,
in which it was impossible for God to lie,
we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,
and which entereth into that within the veil,
whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus,
made in high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
And then finally chapter 10.
Verse 19.
Having therefore broken boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil,
that is to say his flesh,
and having a high priest over the house of God,
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience,
and our bodies washed with pure water.
When I look back to my years in Sunday school,
and when I was brought up, I had the privilege of being brought up in a Christian family,
one of the most vivid things for me was the thought of the veil.
I suppose it was the account of it being rent in the midst,
from top to bottom that we had in the Gospels.
But, speaking in more common terms, I think it's true to say that for all of us,
particularly when we're children, when we see a curtain hanging up,
particularly one against the wall, or perhaps there's a space behind it,
as opposed to one on a window, we wonder, why is that curtain there?
What's behind it?
There's a thought of mystery.
And of course we want to lift the curtain up and see what's behind it.
Well, I would like to speak, as you've no doubt worked out,
about the veil to the holiest of all, as it's presented in the Scriptures,
and to try and learn what it signifies, and what it means to us today.
I want to speak about it under three heads.
First of all, what we have read about in the Old Testament, about the veil,
particularly the veil to the holiest of all in the tabernacle.
But you'll notice I did read one verse, the only verse,
about the veil in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.
And then secondly, I'd like to speak about the rending of the veil in Herod's temple,
when the Lord Jesus died on the cross.
And then thirdly, hopefully I will have left myself enough time,
we should speak about those verses in Hebrews, in chapter 6 and chapter 10.
So first of all, the veil as we have it in the Old Testament.
Now there's a lot written about the veil in the tabernacle,
but first perhaps we should ask ourselves, why was there a tabernacle in the first place?
Well, we can go back to the chapter just before the chapter that we started our readings with,
Exodus chapter 25.
And in verse 8 we get a very important verse.
God says to Moses about his earthly people Israel,
let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
And that's really the foundational thought of the tabernacle.
Now, because we're used to living in houses of brick and stone,
we rather look down on tents, don't we, in this country.
And perhaps, well certainly I remember this was the case when I was younger,
I was always more attracted to the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem.
That magnificent house, as the scriptures do describe it.
Solid, permanent, glorious abode for God among his people.
And truly, the temple is a very important thought in scripture.
But really, the tabernacle is a more fundamental thought than the temple.
And I'm going to prove that in a moment from scripture.
But right here at the beginning, we understand why it is,
because the word tabernacle emphasises the thought of dwelling.
And here's the desire of God expressed in this verse.
Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.
God had redeemed his people from the house of bondage, from Egypt.
By blood and by power.
They were now on the other side of the Red Sea.
And they were free to be occupied with him.
And he wanted to be occupied with them.
And the explosion of his heart's desire to be occupied with his people comes out in these words.
Let them make me a sanctuary, a holy place, that I may dwell among them.
And you know that thought carries on through scripture.
And this is where I think I'm able to prove how fundamental a thought it is.
Let's just turn to the last book of the Bible.
We had some very helpful hints, didn't we, this afternoon on how to interpret scripture.
But there's a very telling verse in the book of Revelation,
where God shows to us his heart's desire in regard to his people.
In chapter 21, John says, the beginning of that chapter,
and I saw a new heaven and a new earth.
So we've gone into eternity.
We're not even in the world to come, the millennium, the kingdom.
We've gone past that, we're into eternity.
For the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea.
And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And here's the important verse.
You know it, I know.
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying,
Behold, the tabernacle, not the temple, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,
and God himself shall be with them and be their God.
There's more beautiful verses that we could read in that passage,
but we haven't got enough time to do so this evening.
But there is a thought.
God's tabernacle with men, he will dwell with them.
And our young brethren here need to get this into their heart.
God wants to dwell with his people.
He wants to be in relationship with them in a practical, in a close, in an intimate way.
That's what God desires.
And you know, it's there, isn't it?
Right at the beginning of the Bible.
In the call of the day, God came down to commune with Adam.
Adam wasn't there.
He had disobeyed God.
He had hidden himself in the trees.
He and his wife had made aprons of fig leaves to conceal their nakedness.
They were no longer able to have that communion with God that God desired.
And doesn't this bring home to us that what we're talking about
is something that's particularly precious to God?
God wants communion with us.
But very often we put communion with God.
I'm talking about practical communion.
And I speak of myself before I speak of anybody else.
We put it so far down our list of priorities, don't we?
We're so busy, we've got this to do and that to do,
and we hardly spend any time with our God.
And yet, as in the Garden of Eden, so today,
he desires to have communion with us.
And this is what is expressed in this wonderful verse from Exodus chapter 25.
God wanted to dwell with his people.
Another verse to convey it to us is verse 22.
And there I will meet with thee.
Perhaps this was something particularly that Moses would enjoy.
Moses was able to go into the very presence of God freely.
And there I will meet with thee.
And I will commune, there's that word again, communion with thee,
from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims,
which are upon the ark of the testimony of all things,
which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
Of course it was Moses because he would pass on
the communications that God gave him to the people of Israel.
And yet, you know, there was a time, if we had enough time to look at it,
in Exodus chapter 19 where God says that he wanted his earthly people
to be a kingdom of priests.
It was really in God's heart that they should all approach to him
in this intimate way.
But as we know sorrowfully from their history,
this was never accomplished.
But this is the heart of God.
And it's God's heart for us today, and this is why it's important for us today.
We can learn from these things today ourselves.
In the church, God is looking for communion with his people.
What more precious verse conveys it than a verse like, for instance,
Ephesians chapter 5,
where we have the thought in this epistle which tells us
of all our blessings in Christ.
And the apostle writes,
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
giving thanks and praise for all things unto God and the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But the tabernacle also speaks of order.
And our brother Nick was referring to the importance of order, wasn't he?
In what he had to say to us about the tendency today
to say, well I'll take that part of the scriptures,
but not this part because it says things that I don't really want to observe.
And very often there are things to do with the order of the house of God.
And doesn't the apostle Paul emphasize the importance of knowing
how to behave ourselves in the house of God.
1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15.
That all things, he says, in connection with the edification of the assembly,
all things should be done decently and in order.
Well this is conveyed to us too by these words about the tabernacle.
It was to be God's house.
It was to be an advertisement, as it were, for God.
And so in verse 9, in Exodus chapter 25,
the verse after the verse we looked at just a moment ago,
he says, let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them
according to all that I show thee after the pattern of the tabernacle
and the pattern of all the instruments thereof,
even so shall ye make it.
And at the end of the chapter he says,
and look that thou make them after their pattern
which was shown thee in the mount.
So God is a God who desires, indeed expects us to be obedient to him.
And this came out in the construction and in the use of the tabernacle too.
But, you know, there's another thought in connection with the tabernacle
that I think is very important to emphasize
and that comes right at the beginning of that chapter, chapter 25.
Speak unto the children of Israel, verse 2.
That they bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart,
he shall take my offering.
It wasn't simply a case of going through a ritual or following a set of rules
or something that was to be routine.
It was something that was to involve heart exercise.
And if our God desires communion with us
and expects us to follow his orders,
then surely too it's a wonderful thing when we can enter into that with our hearts,
when we want to respond to his love,
when we want to be obedient to him.
And the book which speaks much about the tabernacle that we read from,
Hebrews 13, at the end of that book, at the end of that letter,
the writer says,
Yes, the tabernacle was also to be a place where his people responded to him,
where their hearts went out to him,
where they expressed in their sacrifices and in their worship,
their pleasure in their God,
who had delivered them, who had brought them into an ordinance,
who was guiding them through it,
who was going to bring them into the promised land.
And hasn't that got a lesson to us too?
How much are our meetings like that?
Places where our hearts express fully,
as fully as we can,
with our feebleness and in our weakness,
our appreciation of our God,
who is not only our God, if I can put it that way,
but is also our Father,
who has brought us into that nearness,
through his Son, the Lord Jesus,
who gave himself for us upon the cross of Calvary.
But there is a tension, isn't there, all the time in the tabernacle.
There is this desire of God to dwell among his people.
Let me just take you, if I can, for a moment,
to that tabernacle.
The court may be 150 to 180 feet long,
about 50 to 90 feet wide,
I'm not sure, it depends how long a cubit was in those days.
White linen curtains around that rectangle,
except on the east side,
where there was a door, a gate,
of a brightly coloured material.
There was the linen, the white linen,
but there was also the blue,
that we've read about.
There was also the purple and the scarlet.
And here was this wide entrance,
maybe 30 or 40 feet wide.
A welcome to people to come in,
to what was otherwise an enclosure,
which seemed to say,
this is a holy place, stay outside.
And the people of Israel could present themselves at that gate.
And if you went through that gate,
and this was as far as most of the people of Israel could go,
what would you come across first?
The altar of burnt offering,
that copper altar, 15 to 20 feet square,
a huge altar,
which speaks, of course, of our Lord Jesus
and his sufferings upon the cross of Calvary,
for the glory of God and for our salvation.
The only way in which you and I can get into the blessings of God,
can respond to God,
is first of all to get right with God.
And the only way to get right with God
is to trust in the works the Lord Jesus has done for us
upon the cross of Calvary.
And then, if you were to carry on past that altar,
say you were one of the priests,
you would be able to walk towards the laver.
You don't know the dimensions or the shape of this article
that was within the court of the tabernacle?
What's a laver, perhaps a young one said?
Well, it was a container of water,
something the priests could wash their hands in
as they did their work in the tabernacle.
The ground was dusty,
they were in contact with it the whole time.
In order to be able to present sacrifices to God
in an acceptable way,
they had to keep washing themselves at the laver.
That is a very important lesson for us.
Once we trust in the Lord Jesus as our Saviour,
if we want to live for him,
then we've got to keep ourselves clean.
Remember what the Lord Jesus said to Peter
on the night before he was crucified,
when he washed the feet of his disciples?
If I wash you not, you can't have part with me.
And then, after the laver,
you could walk towards that house,
that main building within the courts.
And there at the beginning of it was a curtain,
a door of curtain,
a bit like the one at the beginning,
at the main entrance of the courts,
but of the same colour, but of a different dimension,
smaller.
And the priests could enter through that
and go into what was called the Holy Place.
And there on the left-hand side
would be the lampstand,
the candlestick, the seven-branched candlestick,
speaking of the Lord Jesus
as the one who is the light.
And of course the oil, which was used
in order to give that light,
speaks of the Holy Spirit.
That was the light of that Holy Place.
Just as the Lord Jesus is the light of the world,
and just as the Lord Jesus
is the one who is glorified by the Holy Spirit,
the oil lit up those lamps,
and they showed off the beauty of that golden candlestick,
or that golden lampstand.
And that's the way it is today, isn't it?
As Nick has been telling us, it's through the Word of God,
not just through our intellectual ability
to read and understand the words,
but as we let the Holy Spirit teach us,
that we see the things God wants to show us
from His Word,
and He wants to show us the Lord Jesus
from His Word.
And on the other side of that Holy Place,
a table,
a table on which there were twelve loaves,
speaking of the twelve tribes of Israel,
laid out,
called sometimes the Bread of the Presence,
because they were in the presence of God.
Kept in order upon that table,
there was a gold crown or ring around it,
which prevented them
falling off the table.
They were kept secure,
speaking of our security in the Lord.
And that bread,
it was placed before God,
but after a week it could be eaten by the priest.
It speaks of the fact that we can have fellowship with God
in His precious Son, the Lord Jesus.
We're both there for God's pleasure in His presence,
but we're also seen in that little symbol
as those who can have fellowship with God
in His things,
and His things centre on the Lord Jesus.
And then if we were to go on through that space,
that first compartment,
because there were two compartments,
because if we were to go straight on,
we would come to another object,
and that is the Altar of Incense.
Now, whereas the Brazen Altar was a great, big altar,
speaking about the way in which the Lord Jesus
is able to bring salvation to each and every one
who comes to Him,
the other altar is a very small altar,
just one cubic square,
speaking about the fact that it's the privilege
of those and those alone
who have trusted the Lord Jesus,
who can offer up prayers and worship to Him,
because the incense speaks of our prayers
and our praises.
But, I can't go any further.
All of a sudden I see there's a curtain
behind that Altar of Incense,
and it's, yes, it's like the colours
of the other curtains we've spoken about,
the gate at the front of the court,
and the door to this main building,
but this one, it's blue, it's purple,
it's scarlet, and I can see some of the white
of the fine linen too,
but inscribed upon it there are cherubim,
speaking of God's righteousness,
of God's authority, of God's government,
and saying to me in effect,
dare you go in there.
We've mentioned already from Exodus chapter 19
that it was God's desire, initially,
that all His people should be able to be priests
before Him and enjoy His presence.
But sin came in and stopped that from being the case,
and successively, we haven't got enough time
to read about it, sin kept coming in,
even among the priests of God.
Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron,
they offered strange fire before the Lord,
and God's judgement came down upon them.
And if you look at the beginning of Leviticus 16,
you'll see that God says that Aaron
was not to enter at all times into the Holy of Holies,
but only once a year.
He wasn't to wear his garments of glory and beauty
that God had given him,
but holy garments of living alone.
When he went into the presence of God,
God was emphasising His utter holiness
and righteousness in those words.
And so we see in the veil, this lesson,
God wants to have communion with us,
but He cannot have communion with us
while as yet the matter of our sin is undealt with.
And you know, through all those hundreds of years
when the priests in your temple
were offering up sacrifices to God,
these sacrifices had value in the eye of God
because they spoke of the Lord Jesus
and the sacrifice that He would offer up
on the cross of Calvary.
But they weren't the real thing.
They were only shadows.
You can read about this in Hebrews.
They were only things which looked forward
to that sacrifice the Lord Jesus would give.
And until that sacrifice was given,
it was impossible for that intimacy
that God desired to be realised
by His chosen people
or by any people at all
who desired to come into His presence.
And so we see in this veil,
this solemn lesson,
that God desires to have fellowship,
communion, intimacy with us,
but we cannot enjoy what He wants to enjoy with us
while as yet we are still in our sins.
And when the people of Israel came into the land
and Solomon built that temple,
that veil had to be replaced with a new veil
that fitted the dimensions of the temple,
much grander structure,
needed a bigger veil,
but it needed a veil
with the same colours, blue and purple and scarlet
and that white linen
and the cherubim inscribed upon it.
But in the verse that we read at the end
of reading the scriptures
in Hebrews chapter 10,
the writing to the Hebrews, speaking about the veil,
says this wonderful thing about it.
He says,
Through the veil that is to say His flesh.
And that immediately shows us
that the veil is a type,
one of those things that Nick was speaking about earlier on,
in the Old Testament,
which is a picture of the Lord Jesus,
an imprint of the Lord Jesus,
something which makes us think of the Lord Jesus,
which sets forth the Lord Jesus to us.
So let's just think of some of those colours.
First of all, the blue.
The blue would speak of heaven.
It's linked with the thought of a sapphire.
In Exodus,
when the elders of Israel went up to see God,
they saw heaven,
the body of heaven as a sapphire.
And when we have the Lord Jesus presented to us in the New Testament,
don't we have Him presented as the Son of Man who is in heaven?
Though He was a real man in this world,
He was from heaven,
and He was in communion with His Father,
and He was called as a result the Son of Man who is in heaven.
In 1 Corinthians we're told He's the second man out of heaven.
He could say to those who questioned Him,
You are from beneath,
I am