Address—A.C. Hayhoe
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Toledo, November 1975, Addressed by Albert Hayhoe.
Will you turn with me please this afternoon to the book of Ecclesiastes?
The 4th chapter of Ecclesiastes.
And the 12Th verse.
The last words of that 12Th verse.
A three fold cord is not quickly broken.
A three fold cord is not quickly broken.
Now I know that these words can be taken and applied in many different ways.
But there is, I believe in the word of God, a three fold pattern.
That, I hope, may be profitable for us to consider, and I believe, as we consider it together, we may find that it applies to every one of us, no matter whether we fit into the category of young people or not.
I will remember many years ago when I was numbered among the young people.
That I used to listen to the aged brother who stood up and addressed us, and I wondered why they always chose such old men to speak to those of us who are young. Some of them must have been all of 45 or 50 years of age, and I really couldn't understand.
Why they chose such old men to speak to those of us who were young. But I'll tell you this, I will remember to this day, But I heard from the hearts and lips of those dear brothers with the Lord. Now I thank God for their message, and I realize.
Beloved young people as I stand here.
That they spoke to us in those days as they did.
Because they truly loved us.
Maybe they didn't understand our particular problems, our situations, and I don't pretend to be able to understand yours. But I tell you this, and you know it's true that the author of this book that lies open before me knows not only the general situation that we faced in 1975, but he knows you personally. I say again.
He knows you personally. He loves you individually, He loves you. He knows all about the situations in which you are found today, all those through which you have ever passed. And better still than that, he knows all about what lies ahead. Now if I had some friend who knew me that well and who knew all about.
Tomorrow and the next day, I think I would weary that friend with coming to him for counsel for guidance. But I have such a friend. And so beloved young brother, so dear young sister, have you. You have one who you are entitled to call your friend. He loves you. He died for you. Your hands were eternity. And right now, as we're gathered together.
He looks upon you with an individual personal knowledge of you, a love to you, and the ability to guide and direct your footsteps throughout all the journey that may yet lie ahead. I want you to remember this please, that he truly desires for you and for me a happy pathway and.
Abundant entrance and a full reward.
I may repeat that because I know that the very first lie that ever was told in this world was intended to remove that wonderful reality from the heart of man. He wants for you and for me, a happy path.
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An abundant entrance and a full reward. And there are whisperings in your ear. I know there are. That would suggest to you and me that the light and wisdom of the Word of God will rob us of certain things that are so worthwhile, so pleasant, so much to be desired. But I tell you this.
Any restraint, any restriction in the Word of God.
Is for your happiness and mine for your blessing, and mine now this threefold core that I have before me to speak about.
Suppose we turn first of all to the book of Genesis, and find there a little pattern that I think fits into this threefold cord, the 45th chapter of the book of Genesis.
And a fourth verse, Genesis chapter 45, verse 4.
And Joseph said unto his Brethren, come near to me.
I pray you.
And they came near.
And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt, verse 10.
And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds.
And all that thou hast.
Here in verse 10 I believe I see a three fold cord.
Ourselves, our families and our possessions.
And I believe we may find that this threefold court is rather often referred to in the Word of God.
And referred to in a way that is intended to suggest to us the purposed blessing of God.
Notice here that Joseph looks upon his brethren and says.
Come near to me, I pray you all, that I might hear the Lord himself saying that afresh to my soul this afternoon. And my dear brother, my dear sister, I hope you may hear it too.
That he personally is addressing those words to you. Come near to me. If the sentence had ended there, it would have been most precious. It would have been a marvelous invitation. But I think it's more than an invitation when the words are added. I pray you, Can't you see the yearning, longing desire of the heart of Joseph? He not merely invites them to come near, but he actually.
And treats them.
You and I have had invitations, I quite expect, and we wondered a little bit about the sincerity of the invitation when we received it.
But it wasn't worded this way. Was it all? How marvelous are these words?
How near to me?
I pray you.
These are his own brethren.
And beloved, the Lord Jesus is saying this to you and to me this afternoon.
I'm going to address you as though you had already acceptable.
Jesus Christ as your Savior, You know by His grace, by the cleansing power of His precious blood, by the authority of His own word, that you are His redeemed with His precious blood.
But he wants your company, he says. Come near to me.
I pray you, why does he want your company? You know the answer very well. Because he loves you.
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You have to love someone a lot to want their company continually. You might wish for or tolerate a visit.
But when you really love someone.
An occasional visit is not enough. You want them near, and you say, as he said to his brethren in verse 10, thou shalt dwell, thou shalt be near.
Oh, let us remember that the outstretched arms that accompany these words of entreaty are the very arms that were outstretched upon the cross of Calvary.
Because he loved you so much, the hands that are outstretched were nailed to the cross. The side to which he invites you and me this afternoon is the side that was pierced in love for you and me. Could I hear, could you hear such words as these?
And find no response in our heart.
Don't try to persuade me that you really belong to the Lord Jesus. If there isn't something about these words that stir your heart, He loves you, He wants you to be near to him. Verse 10. Thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me. All beloved, When we think of the cost by which the Lord Jesus has opened up this way of nearness, surely it stirs our hearts.
When we read in the gospel of his agony, his suffering until the last cry has rung from his lips, he cries. With a loud voice he yields up his spirit of the very next verse says, And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
God at last is free to come out in the fullness of His love, to whosoever will. God at last is free to invite you and me to know the nearness that had not been ours before.
Oh, I have stood by the bedside of some who were right at the very end of the journey, and how precious that nearness is to them then I remember on one occasion.
Visiting in the hospital.
By the bedside of a dear sister who was just about to slip into the presence of the Lord.
She was within hours of her home call, and her voice was gone, but she could still whisper and I can still hear her whispering these words so near, so very near to God I cannot near be.
The love wherewith he loves his sons, such as his love to me, her heart was overflowing with the nearness that even then she was enjoying and anticipating with gladness the prospect of soon being faced in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And you know, I went from that sick bed to another room in the same hospital, where a dear brother was also dust about to pass into the presence of the Lord. But that man, that brother.
Had lived to gather together all that he could have this world's possession.
He had never known the joy of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was a true believer. He knew where he was going. But that joy that I had just seen in the sisters sick room was lacking. In that room the very things he had lived for and labored for were slipping from his hands. He knew where he was going, but the joy of it was utterly lacking and beloved young people.
Permit me as one who is not young any longer.
Permit me, as one who has stood by quite a few such bedsides, to tell you this, that the only happy path on earth is nearness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
He went through all that in order that the way might be open for you and me to draw near.
Just as soon as possible after the triumph of his resurrection, where is he found? In the midst of his own? He loved their company, and before he left them he said, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am.
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There ye may be also, but let us notice, please, in verse 10 thou shalt be.
Near unto me, Thou and thy children, and thy children's children.
And thy flocks and I heard, and all that thou hast.
Kermit Peter suggests that we do have here this threefold cord ourselves, and it's a challenging responsibility to stand here and speak in this way. For I believe the first responsibility here rests upon those of us who are parents. Now I know that among the young people today, there are many who are parents. The Lord has entrusted little ones to you.
And I believe that you read these words. You see a wonderful privilege.
And yet a solemn responsibility do you not. Thou shalt be near unto me, thou and thy children, and thy children's children.
Is our Lord Jesus really interested in such matters as these? Indeed he is. Oh, how happy the home where there is the enjoyed presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Nearness to him on the part of the parents, and a longing and prayerful desire of all else above all else.
For our children that they might share that nearness to it's not just simply certain doctrines from the word of God passed on from father to son.
But here its nearness to him who pictures the Lord Jesus before us, and the origin of his desire, is his heart not ours. Thou shalt be near unto be thou thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast. Doesn't this sound rather unusual? And yet I believe we see the wisdom of it For.
If there is a purpose, the desire for the company of the Lord Jesus nearness to himself, but it does not embrace our all, there is going to be a divided interest. And we have seen all too sadly where this divided interest can sadly lead ourselves and our families.
And our occupation, our possession, all near to the Lord Jesus. All dear young people, just let me put it this way.
If by the good hand of the Lord, you're part of a home where this claim has been felt, thank God for it.
That's my memory and I stand here publicly.
To thank God for the memory.
I certainly didn't always I squirmed. I didn't like the restriction. I didn't like that which was involved. But I stand here to thank God with all my heart.
That the memory of my childhood and youth is centered around this precious book that lies open before me.
The prevalence.
Of being together with the Lord's beloved people at the meetings.
I appeal to you, dear young people, that if this is the pattern of a home in which you are growing up.
Thank God for it with all your heart, and it perchance there are young people here where this is not the pattern of the home, where perhaps neither your father nor your mother may have any heart for the Lord. Yet this wonderful invitation from his loving heart is still extended to you. He wants your company because he loves you so much.
And he wants your nearness because he wants you to be a happy Christian.
I wonder if we could turn over, please, to the book of Exodus.
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Exodus Chapter 10.
I believe we will see in this chapter an attempt of Satan to break up this threefold cord.
One by one he attempts to break the strands of this cord. But a faithful man named Moses will not allow that threefold cord to be broken. Chapter 10 and verse 8. And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh. And he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God. But who are they that shall go?
And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds where we go. For we must hold a feast under the Lord.
Thank God for this purpose of heart. Thank God for a man who will not allow this threefold cord to be broken.
I wonder sometimes, as I read these faithful words of Moses, if he had been reminded of his own dear, by his own dear mother, of the words that were addressed to her when he, as a little babe, was laid in his mother's arms.
Do you remember the words that were addressed to her? Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give thee thy wages.
I have often heard that quoted. I've seen it again and again in Prince.
But I don't know I've ever heard it quoted or seen it in print correctly. They always omit one word. As we drove down in a car here toward Toledo, my wife was reading a pamphlet to me in which this was quoted, and again the same word was omitted. Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.
But the scripture adds that a word there that is often forgotten. Take this child.
Away.
Take this child away. There it is. And I wonder if Moses mother reminded him, as he grew up, of those words that had been addressed to her concerning her boy when he was very little. Take this child away, all beloved fathers and mothers, as you see those dear children growing up. May God allow you to hear ringing in your ears.
Those solemn words take this child away. Don't expect the child to like it very well.
The child may resent it greatly when he or she is taken away from those things that may seem so pleasant, so attractive, that may make your child looked upon as part unusual difference.
But Moses was brought up with those words ringing in his mother's ears.
Nurse him for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And now, as a man, he faces this suggestion from Pharaoh. First of all, we didn't take time to turn to it, but back in chapter 8 we find that Pharaoh didn't want them to leave the land at all. Then when he saw that there was going to be insistence on leaving the land, they were not to go very far away, but Moses.
Faithful man of God that he was, would not hear of any such compromise, nor would he hear of any breaking up of this threefold cord. So notice please in our chapter Exodus 10 and verse 11.
The ultimatum of Pharaoh not so go now either men, and serve the Lord for that he did desire, and they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
How does this sound? Go now, either men. You're going to have to leave your families behind. After all, your families will not understand. Perhaps when they compare Egypt with the wilderness, in spite of the problems of Egypt, they would perhaps quite naturally prefer Egypt to the wilderness. But I believe the eyes of faith looked far beyond that wilderness and saw the land that flowed with milk and honey.
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Saw the privilege of the presence of the Lord with them there in the wilderness, and Moses would not go and leave his family behind.
Now you and I know that we are surrounded by a world that is pictured here by that which was being carried on in Egypt at this time.
We have that which certainly looks very, very attractive, very, very worthwhile compared to the path of faith. There is so much to be seen in the present things that this world has to offer. But beloved young people may by the grace of God, there be given to you the eye of faith that will look to the Lord Jesus Christ and see in Him the one who was the beginner and finisher of the path of faith.
So for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame.
And it sat down with the right hand of God.
Well, Moses would not lean and leave the families of the Israelites behind.
And I say once again to those dear children and young people who are here today, if you have seen in your whole life.
The desire on the part of your parents to live for the Lord Jesus if you have seen with them, and inspire to walk in a path of true separation to the Lord Jesus.
I believe you can well, thank God for it, but I say once again, let this be a personal, individual purpose of heart and decision in your life that you want to follow the one who loved you, who died to redeem you, who personally addresses you this very afternoon with words of tender entreaty.
With words of a love that was stronger than death. He doesn't want you to waste your time here in this poor Egypt world. You cannot enjoy his company there, and he wants your company and he wants you to know when to enjoy the sweetness and the wonder of it. Well now in verse 24 of our chapter.
Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye serve the Lord.
Only let your flocks and your herds be stayed. Let your little ones also go with you now, under pressure. He relaxes a little bit and suggests that it would be quite all right for these parents to leave Egypt, and even to take their families with them, but they were going to have to leave their business, their flocks and their herds behind.
And I, dear young people, here is a matter that I believe is a very, very present and serious matter with everyone of us.
Your occupation and mine where it finds us.
What our real purpose is in that occupation? I suggest that this may be what is included in the flocks of the herd. They were not going to be left behind in Egypt.
While a household was found out there in the wilderness.
And may the Lord search everyone of our hearts as we face this challenge today.
Your occupation, My occupation? Is it something that will bring?
Recognition. Prestige. The Lord knows what each and everyone is best fitted for, but all beloved young brothers and sisters. May the decisions concerning such matters as these be made on your knees.
If you wish on your face before the Lord with this precious book to guide you if your occupation.
Is going to find you in Egypt.
May the Lord have mercy on you. I believe that you and I bought a good hand of the Lord.
Can find our interest, our occupation, in that which will permit us to glorify God in it every day of the week. It's not a question of leaving the presence of the Lord to go off and carry out our days responsibility, and seeking the presence of the Lord once again when the day's duties are ended.
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How happy is the man who can face his responsibility throughout the day and have the comforting presence and joy of the Lord in his soul throughout those hours of the day? And the deer young sister too. Oh May God grant that such a separation as is suggested here, may not be found in our life, our flocks and our herds on one side of the water, and our households on the other. May God grant that there will be that single hearted desire.
That in those important decisions of life we may realize, we may hear the desire of the heart of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ addressed to us. Thou shalt be near unto me. Thou and thy children are thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds and all that.
Thou hast.
Well, notice the answer of Moses in verse 26. Our cattle also shall go with us. There shall not on hoof be left behind.
Wonderful purpose of heart. This threefold cord will not be broken. And when the waters of the Red Sea rolled back there, we see that three fold cord intact, the whole household and the flocks and herds.
Leaving the land of Egypt. And there they are found in the wilderness, on their way toward the promised Land. But we turn now, please, to the 11Th chapter of Deuteronomy.
And here we find the children of Israel in the wilderness.
They have not yet reached the land, but I believe we see here in Chapter 11 This same threefold cord presented to them in the Wilderness, verse 18.
Therefore shall ye lay up these My words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.
Three and.
Ye shall teach them.
Your children.
Speaking of them.
When thou set us in my house, and when thou walkest, by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thine house, and upon my gates, that your days may be multiplied in the days of your children in the land which the Lord swear unto your Father's to give them.
As the days of heaven upon the earth.
For what purpose was this instruction given? Doesn't it shine out in these closing words as the days of heaven upon the earth? Oh, undoubtedly this is wisdom for a people here on earth and their promises blessing here on the earth. But, beloved, is there anything sweeter than a whole where these principles are carried out? I tell you, these words are true.
Heaven are possible here upon earth. Thank God for it, but it's a challenging pattern thou shalt lay up.
These my words in your heart and in your soul.
Beloved young brother and sister.
Would you just take this to heart?
Lay up these words.
In your heart and in your soul. No other eye can see it there but his eye laid up as a treasure in your heart and in your soul. That's where this blessing really begins. And I'm going to ask you, without any show of hands, I'm going to ask you.
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Do you read this precious word of God for yourself every every day? Surely everyone would be able promptly to raise your hand. I'm not referring to the home family reading. Thank God for that privilege, for that necessity. I mean that time when father and mother and family together read the word of God and join in prayer.
But I'm asking you personally, do you read this precious book?
For yourself.
As something to be treasured in your heart and in your soul.
I didn't. When I was a boy. I went to the meeting, I said. And of course, on the family Bible readings.
And I'm going to ask my brother Gordon to forgive me for telling you something.
I was given a Bible by my mother when I was seven years of age.
That I thought it was a fine book that carried a meeting with me. A fine book in which to find the answers to the questions in the Sunday school paper and to learn my verse each week and one day as I was walking through the living room.
I saw my brother.
Reading his Bible.
Gordon, are you looking for the answers?
Now, are you learning your verse for Sunday school? No. Well, what are you reading?
Well, I'm just reading my Bible.
Now I've never told them this.
When I went up to my room and I thought that's.
Something This is not only a book that carried a meeting. It's not only a book to learn my Sunday school verse and find my messages of lot of answers. This is a book to read for myself and I sat down to read it.
I thank God for that example.
And I want to encourage you, dear young people this afternoon to read this precious book.
And to ask God, as you do, that it may find a lodging place in your heart and in your soul.
Once again, without a show of hands, I'm going to ask a question. It's a little more difficult. How many of you have read it from Genesis to Revelation without missing a word?
Come now, don't put your hand up, but could you if I asked her to? You've missed part of the light and wisdom of God. If you can't say yes, thank God I have read it through. And when you get to the end of Revelation, read it over again. The word of God laid up in the heart and in the soul, and then bound upon the hands frontlets between the eyes.
I remember the impression that made upon me some time ago, when in the shadow of the wailing wall I saw a young man having the word of God bound upon his hand literally, and there, hanging between his eyes again, were portions of the Word of God.
I felt for that young man. It was the bar mitzvah ceremony that was being carried out. And this young Jewish fellow was having the word of God literally bound upon his hands. And as I saw him, there was a word of God bound upon his hand, the word of God between his very eyes.
I just trust with all my heart that it may have had an effect upon me, that I may remember that these hands of mine ought to have the very word of God bound upon them.
These hands are not my own. They belong to him who loved me and died to redeem me and beloved young brother and sister. As you and I look at these hands of powers and realize that there's only given to us such a brief span of life.
In which to live, to please the one whose hands were nailed to the cross in love to you and me. What are you and I doing with these hands of ours? Is the word of God bound upon them. Can you, and I say with the Apostle Paul, you're not your own, but with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God, I do realize, as we were reminded yesterday.
That with the changing downward trend of public opinion all around us.
Those precious and holy claims of our Lord Jesus Christ are in danger of being forgotten. But this?
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Changing book that lies before us contains a pattern that guarantees the blessing of the Lord and the happiness that he promises to those who walk in His light.
Front flips between your eyes.
Will you forgive, please, a personal reference?
But I remember as my daily occupation.
Began to become a greater and greater interest and challenge to me.
That I took a little couplet and hung it in a part of the office that was frequented by myself alone, and the words were thee.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Looks full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.
Every day I went into that little room at the back of the office.
And looked at those words.
And I want you to remember.
The love of a young brother, dear young sister, that there's one who can fill your heart with gladness. But no honor, no attainment, no possession in this world can give to you. The peace, the joy, the gladness, the he and he alone can give. Let the Word of God be bound upon your hand.
Let it be as frontlets between your eyes, and now that this fourfold effect has been presented to us, we find that thou shalt teach them, my children, Speaking of them, when our citizen thine house, and when thou walkest, by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up.
I wonder if Timothy had this kind of upbringing. I rather think he did.
I rather expect that in Timothy's upbringing, there was the word of God happily woven into the very fabric of his home life. Oh dear young fathers and mothers, don't restrict the word of God to a little quick Bible reading before the children go off to school. Weave it into the very fabric of their home and family life. It will be a challenge to you to do it. It will require.
Your being in the presence of the Lord.
It will cause a good deal of searching of his precious word that you and I might ever be able to do so. But May God grant that these things that are spoken of here, we trust, enjoyed by us personally, may be passed on to our families, and then in the 20th verse.
And I shall write them up on the doorposts of thine house, and upon my gates Here I believe, we find the third strand of this cord, our possessions, written upon the very doorpost of our house.
What would come through the door of your home, Oregon? Mine, as the word of God were written there.
It's something to think about, isn't it? As the word of God were inscribed upon the doorpost of your home.
What would come through that door? Only that which would be in accordance with the word of God.
Only that which would meet with his approval.
Is there anything in your home or mine?
That would not be there.
If we stood at the very doorpost of our home and asked the Lord, shall I bring this in, or shall I keep it out written upon a doorpost of our very home?
Now I know that not many folks literally write it on the doorpost of the house.
But I'm going to make a recommendation here, and I don't think Bible truth publishers will condemn me for it. I'm going to recommend that you have the Word of God heartily displayed in every room in your house.
That's the very first thing anyone sees when the front door is opened is the word of God.
Perhaps that they could even see it before they open the door. I assure you it will be to the health of your home.
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I visited a home one time and looked in vain for any evidence of the word of God to be found anywhere on any wall in the home.
Shortly after, an opportunity arose for us to give them a little gift. So we chose the text that we thought would go even with the decor of the home. And the next time we visited they pulled open a drawer and said, by the way, thank you very much for that lovely text which they pulled out of the drawer to show us and put it in again and close the drawer.
I hope that's not the case in your home. I hope the precious living word of God is found.
Where you can see it continually, it will be a blessing in your home if it is, and thy gates farther out still, perhaps in public testimony. But this comes last, first of all, in the heart and the soul, the hand and the eyes, the family, the whole home and the gates, embracing all the love of that threefold court again.
I know I was in a home quite a while ago.
2 little children passed the door of that home.
And as they did the one nudge the other and pointed to the home and said that's the home where they love to talk about Jesus. I thought that was a fine commendation for the couple that lived in that home. That's the home where they talk about the Lord Jesus. Oh dear young people, I don't know just what your purpose in life at this moment may be. Perhaps there are some of you here who have just established a new home.
Perhaps there are some of you here who have such in your plans. But remember these precious words. This threefold cord will bring the blessing of God, the days of heaven upon the earth. We want to turn to yet one more, please.
In the book of Ezra.
The 8th chapter of Ezra.
And the 21St verse.
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of a hava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
I see. I have that little word all circled here in my Bible.
All our substance.
Do we see this three fold cord once more? I proclaim the fast there.
That third ever of a habit that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to speak of him a right way.
For us, and for our little one, and for all our substance.
Remember this, dear young people, That the Scripture with which we began seems to me very lovingly and strongly to indicate the desire of his yearning and loving heart. He wants this to be fulfilled because he loves you so dearly. He wants your company. He wants you near to him because of the yearning love of his own heart.
Pictured in Joseph before his brethren. And remember that the light, the wisdom, the instruction of the Word of God. Though here and there it may seem to you, and certainly to me, a restriction or a restraint, remember, it's a loving and wise heart.
That has given to us the light and wisdom of this precious book. He loves you with a love that is eternal and immeasurable. And let Mark Satan ever, ever whisper in that ear of yours, or this year of mine, that to sidestep the wisdom of this book a little once in a while will certainly add to that which you may share in the way of happiness and joy here. Never, never, never.
He wants you to be near to him. He wants that threefold cord unbroken because of his love for you, because of his desire for your company, because of his longing for your happiness. And then too, we noticed in Deuteronomy 11 That is the very wisdom of the Word of God itself that would mark out such a path for every one of us, and that we have this challenge and responsibility.
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Which I trust in some measure I may be fulfilling this afternoon to pass on from the pages of the Word of God that which will bring happiness into your life.
And shall I say, a memory in eternity for which you will thank God for you will not be able to relive one moment of the time entrusted to you here. It's being recorded day by day. It's going to be reviewed up there. You will not be able to relive one moment of it, nor add any postscript to it. Oh, May God grant that from this day forward.
The desire of this poor heart of mine and that heart of yours may be to respond to him who says.
This day come near to me, I pray you now in this verse.
They are about to undertake a journey of great danger and they proclaim a fast at the river. This is very, very serious. It's not something to be taken lightly. It required fasting and affliction of soul and then treating the Lord and dear young people. I do realize, at least in some degree, the extreme.
Dangers and the strong pressures that are around you.
Continually and around me continually. But I believe the spirit evidence here by Ezra is a spirit that we might welcome it for ourselves here this afternoon.
We're not yet home. We may have a few more Pilgrim footsteps before we enter that glorious land where at last we can ungird our loins.
At last we can relax in a pure atmosphere.
Of home and the presence of our Lord Jesus. But this is no light thing. They were during through a very, very dangerous land fraught with many enemies, and they didn't step out carelessly or lightly. And I hope that you and I will never, never, never step at the front door of your home any day of the week without something of this spirit.
I don't know, and you don't know the sudden, fierce dangers and strong temptations that anyone of us may face from day-to-day or beloved young people. Let us take it seriously. Let us realize that as we draw near the end of the journey.
Home is insight. The shark will soon be heard. The Savior's presence we soon shall see. But there's an enemy that knows this to, knows it well, and is trying so hard to trip you up to mar your testimony and mine. But notice here I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might have flicked ourselves before our God to seek of Him a right way.
For us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. Oh dearly beloved young fathers and mothers, let this be true. The real desire of your heart. They love young people. Let this be true of you. I sometimes think of the effect, the influence that you have upon others as you pass through this life. You don't live to yourself.
I certainly can look back to the days of my own boyhood and youth.
And remember so well the influences of those who grew up with me. I think of the language of Peter.
Who said in a moment of discouragement I go fishing. But he didn't go alone.
They also said we also go with the Thank God he caught nothing that night.
Thank God.
The Lord would not allow him to fulfill that which he really wanted. Perhaps you have wanted something. Perhaps you have laid plans very carefully and the Lord has taken away and torn them up Here went to fishing, and he caught nothing. But he had a strong influence on the others. But I think of the other side of the story and Song of Solomon chapter one, where we read these precious words. Draw me.
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We will run after thee, dear young people. May I ask you which? Which is the testimony of your life? It cannot be relived. Is it? I go fishing to the detriment of others, Or is it draw me to the blessing of others? Here I see in verse 23. So we fasted and besought our God for this.
And he was entreated of us.
Remember, it was his desire. It's his words. And beloved. Remember too, that there are dangers all around us, all around us, but we have the one who loved us with a love that's stronger than death, inviting you and me this day to a place of nearness and shelter, safety and real happiness. May your heart and mind respond to those precious words come near to me.
I pray you, could we again saying just the first stanza now the same hymn that we sang at the beginning, oh Lamb of God, still keep us close to thy pierced side. 318 first stanza only.
All of God still keep us close to thy peers, only there in safety.
And peace we can have heart.
With fools and snares alone.
I love them. Here's with it.
My.
Long time keep us clean.