Des Moines Conference: 1974
Table of Contents
Hebrews 11:1-4
Reading
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Hebrews.
11.
1St 26 verses.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.
The evidence of things not seen.
For by it, the elders obtained a good report.
Through faith we understand that the world were framed by the word of God.
So that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
My faith Abel offered unto God, a more excellent sacrifice than kings.
By which he obtained the witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts.
And by it he being dead yet speaketh.
Thy craziness was translated that he should not see death.
And was not found because God had translated him.
For before his translation he had this testimony that he Please go on.
But without faith it is impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that he is.
And let her use the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
By faith, to know being warned of God, of things not seen as yet moved with fear.
Prepared an ark to the saving of his house.
By the way, she condemned the world and became heir of righteousness, which is by faith.
By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed.
And he went out not knowing whether he went.
By faith he so turned in the land of promise, as in a strange country.
Dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise.
We looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is gone.
Through faith also, Sarah herself received strength to conceive seeds, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
Therefore spring there even of one, and him as good as dead.
So many as the stars of the sky and multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.
These all died in space, not having received the promises.
But having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embrace them and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
00:05:09
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had the opportunity to have returned.
But now they desire a better country that is unheavenly.
Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their gods, for he hath prepared for them a city.
By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.
And he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.
Of whom it was said that in Isaac till 9 speed because.
Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure.
By faith Isaac blessed to Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
5 Faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worship leaning upon the top of his staff.
By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandments concerning his bones.
By faith, Moses, when he was born, was his three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the King's commandments.
By faith, Moses, when he was come the year, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Choosing ralla to suffer affliction with the people of God and to enjoy the pleasures of sin for seasons.
Exceeding the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
Under the law, the rights of the the was based upon what man could do.
And we find that man was not able.
To meet God's requirements.
But there's an entirely new order of things.
Brought in by the gospel. Now this was known, of course, by some.
Like Daniel and David and others who acted on faith in that day.
But according to that which had been set up formally in Israel, a religion had to do with man in the flesh and he never could please God. But in our chapter it says without faith it's impossible to please him.
No other way to please God, but faith. Now faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God.
And so there isn't any really real faith unless it's based upon the revelation that God has given and man acting on that revelation.
We find that those who are mentioned here and the order given, and I'm sure the book is very orderly, we find that we have that the forest of Abraham the patience of faith, and in Moses the energy of faith.
And so those two things particularly are outstanding, I believe, in this chapter. And we need them both. We need the patience of faith, that is, to always wait upon the word of God and act upon it and on nothing else. Because if we use our own minds, natural minds aside from the word of God, we're going to go wrong.
00:10:04
But then we need the other side too, and that is, there's a power within.
The Spirit of God that gives us energy to act for God. I believe we have both of these set forth.
In this chapter now you'll notice that.
In the cases set before us.
At the beginning.
Abel and.
And.
Enoch and Noah, they all acted on.
Something that was known.
That God had revealed to them.
They didn't act on their own mind or thought that the acted on a revelation from God, either verbally or written.
So the active in space, and that's what the Spirit of God was set before us here. And then we might just say too.
That faith always looks on to the end, that God has been used, and in Hebrews it's the rest, the remains of the people of God. And it's found in connection with the Lord Jesus, the forerunner, who's already entered in for us into that heavenly place.
You're right, Brother Barry.
I think.
What we have proceedings in the 10th chapter.
As Hot introduces the subject of faith in the 11Th chapter.
And the 10th chapter and the 37th verse So yet a little while, and he that shall come.
Will come and will not, Perry. I believe it yet. A very little while, that is. We have the Lord coming.
Right before us as the hope of the believers.
Fell in in the meantime while waiting for the fulfillment of his promise.
1St.
Are we to learn as to the pathway of those who have this folks, well, these words?
And the last person attempts.
But no, it's.
The.
You know the 28th verse.
There's a 38 first, but the just shall live by faith.
You know that that quotation from the books of Habakkuk.
I think that's the book is found in three places.
Found in the first chapter of Romans.
And it's it's found in the.
The third chapter of Galatians and is found here. In each place the emphasis is on a different word.
And I believe this is correct and.
Romans one, it suggests how live.
Well, in the third chapter of the lations it suggests.
Put in contrast with all that.
Are not in that enjoyment or have not known the truth of justification.
Then in the this chapter before us, the subject is faith, is suggestively by faith.
Well, I just mentioned that it's not developing a chapter, but it's nice to see that that is the pathway for the believer. And then he developed the subject of the Walk of the Believer.
00:15:05
And that is a walk is a walk of faith.
Your father used to say, Brother Hale, that Christianity is a religion of faith. Seek people when you have nothing.
He doesn't. Anything that we can see is isn't what is visible to the natural man. If something completely out of the range of the natural mind and man, it's something that has been revealed.
By God Himself and His Word, and whenever we flew sight of that.
Why? We're just carried along with stream of human wisdom and have no bearings, no guidance at all.
But why is a man an incident? Because he believes in himself and not in God. And why is a man a Christian? Because he believes in Christ and not in himself. But I believe it's also important to see why this capture comes in here. The Hebrews had all this religion that was given of God, and they were slow to see that God had brought in the better thing now in Christianity.
And so this chapter shows us that before the law and all the ritual of Judaism were introduced, that God had one principle on which He blessed, and that was the principle of faith, because faith doesn't demand anything in man at all. But to believe God testimony and believing God's testimony be rest upon the revelation. God is just hugging himself and of His grace and of the whales of approach into his presence that He has provided.
And this was true even before the giving of the law. And Abel learned that, and approached God in the right way. Then, during the dispensation of law, as our brother remarks, the law said that this do and thou shalt live. But no one ever got blessing on that ground.
And so to return to the law, or to return to something under which no one had ever received blessings. Why was it introduced then? Why? We're told in Galatians that was brought in as a test for man, and it was also used to hold man in checks. The law was our schoolmaster until Christ came, so that the dispensation of law proved man's helplessness. But it also held man in check.
But even during the dispensation of Law, which Moses and others lived, and God was blessing on the same principle on which he had always blessed man, and that was faith. Now he said, there's no new thing when this is brought in. In Christianity, this is the ground of blessing which God has always asked upon.
Because God knew from the beginning that there was nothing good in man at all until he said this beautiful chapter faces, these men say, ending up, as we know on the 12Th chapter, with the one who was the perfect man of faith, the Lord Jesus himself, the one who began and completed the path of faith.
But if you and I are going to please God, we must act by faith. We might do right things, but unless we do them by faith, there are no value to God. He might come to these meetings. He might partake in the remembrance of the Lord tomorrow. But unless these things are done by faith, unless God is the object, unless they're done to please him, there's really nothing that is of any value in the sight of God in the carrying out of the things.
And so I think the chapter is very important in the Epistle for the Hebrews as showing us now this ground and bringing before us, as we all know, these different aspects of faith able learning to approach God in the proper way.
Enoch learning to walk with God in an evil day by faith, nor preparing this art for the saving of his house and condemning the world like faith and Abraham are leaving all of equals asked, and going out a stranger in the strange land, and possessing all in the hope that he had of a city which had foundation to build her a maker of God. So I saved them. Faith characterized the whole Christian life.
00:20:02
But it not only characterizes the Christian life, but it is the only principle on which God can bless man because there's nothing good in him. The reverse of all is God himself.
Brother Hale that an infidel is an infidel because he believes in himself. I was thinking of what Bob Ingersoll said it his brothers grave. He said this and here was a very wise man and he made wonderful lectures. He was a very gifted man of speaking. But when he stood at the grave of his brother he said this. He said life is a star.
Dreary vase.
Between the dismal mountain peaks of two eternities which cry aloud.
However, we try to stay beyond that. The only answer is the echo of our wailing Lord.
Alfada. Terrible conflict. Nothing just has dark and dreary at one end, doesn't let the other end, and nothing but uncertainty at the end.
We wouldn't have this book before us because every book that man writes is the wisdom of man trying to find answers to the questions that perplex them in connection with life.
But here we hold in our hands a revelation from God. We don't judge this book. It judges us. It reveals God to us. It tells us where we came from. It tells us where we're going to. It is the only book that really brings the knowledge of God to us. The real reason that we're here upon her is the answers to those questions that are so important to us. We find them lonely in this book.
If we turn to the reigns of man, we have a confusion of opinion, because as you said, man just hears the echo of his own voice. But isn't it wonderful, brethren, that we have a revelation from God? And I'd like to say here too, in connection with this first verse, that this verse is not a definition of faith. It is what faith does. A definition of faith is found in John Three. He that hath believed his that God's testimony.
Has set to his field that God is true.
That's the definition of faith. That's what God is. It's when God speaks to say, well it's the truth. Because God said it, I may not be able to understand it, but since God said it must be true because God cannot lie, this chapter shows us what faith does.
But if you want a definition of faith, you must turn to job free. But here we find what faith was. It makes real to us for those things that we haven't seen. It explains to us where this world in which we live came from and what life is all about. So that.
If the evidence of things not seen, it makes those things that are unseen real to us and how real they are by faith as we sit here this morning.
She says it were in all the wisdom of man just leads up to a Stonewall that he can't.
Know anything or understand anything beyond our faith takes us over the wall. So the squad is beyond all the wisdom and all the.
Learning of math. Oh well, for the young people.
In these days when there's so much unbelief and infidelity in the schools to be established in this that unless.
They truly and absolutely believe the word of God.
They're just like you took a man into a dark case with a light and then blew his light out and left him there to just stumble and wander in the dark. Then in Mammoth Cave years ago, and he told the stories of men that got lost there.
They were guiding some way, Mistress. One man wandered for three days until he lost his mind.
Well, let's just say position.
Those who haven't Faith.
They're just wondering. Their light is blown up and they're just left to wander their way in darkness and never come to any escape at all.
00:25:15
In second Timothy.
To the third chapter.
In connection with the scriptures.
We noticed in our chapter.
That.
References made continually to the Old Testament and the wilderness.
And the examples of the Old Testament saying.
Right on to the end of our chapter. Now there are three verses that I'd like to read in different parts of the New Testament in connection with the Scriptures.
The 16 first of the third chapter of Second Timothy.
All Scripture, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for improved, for corrections or instruction in righteousness.
That the man of God may be perfect.
Truly furnished unto all good work now this verse tells us.
Where Scripture comes from and the purpose of it. Now if you'll turn to Romans 15.
Romans. Yeah, 15.
And the fourth verse.
Romans 15 and four.
For whatsoever things were written, the four times were written for our learning.
That we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.
Now the first verse we read tells us where Scripture came from and what it's for. This tells us who it's for.
Now one more verse in Corinthians.
One Corinthians 10.
Verse 11.
Now all these things happened under them for example.
And they are written for our admonitions, upon whom the end of the world are come.
We have heard, it said.
Sadly.
Oh, that's in the Old Testament as much as to say we don't need to pay attention to that.
That belongs to another day, but I believe these scriptures we read, show and confirm what we have in Hebrews 11 That.
These examples given us here in Hebrews.
Our very person, very much to the point for our walk through the wilderness to pleasing God, and for keeping us in the enjoyment of that blessed hope.
It is said you know of Joshua and Caleb.
Who were willing to go into the land within a few days from the time they left Egypt.
But the others would hold them back because of fear and unbelief. But it was said of them.
That is, I speak now of what a brother said, that the wilderness heir was bracing for this because they had hope. They were looking on to the end of the journey, no matter how long it took, and they were willing to go on with the people of God, even though the rest did not have faith.
They were willing to go out and learn the lessons because the lessons of the wilderness were necessary. And so these things are written for our learning, but also for our admonitions.
That is, we need instruction, we need corrections. We get all this, do we not, at least in part, in the book of Hebrews 11,000?
Testament when we have the New.
00:30:01
Well, brethren, we know that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.
I might say a word concerning this wonderful book, as there are a number of young people here.
This book we hold in our hands is the word of the living God.
It doesn't merely contain the word of God, as I was taught when I was a student. It is the word of the living God.
And concerning the Old Testament, we find that the Old Testament characters.
Bear a give special light concerning New Testament teaching and doctrine entitled Now we have mentioned here.
In the 11Th of Hebrews, Noah, well, what do we see in Noah but ruin and resurrection?
That glorious truth of resurrection, It has to do with the Remnant we know, but we apply the truth. We fail if we don't apply the truth to love.
What do we see in Enoch but ruined and reception. Reception. It's a beautiful type there of what we're talking about, the coming of the Lord. We know too that this has a special set setting concerning the Remnant, but we apply the truth.
Well, even in Adam we see Rowan and redemption.
He need not ruin and reception.
Noah. Ruin and resurrection. His redemption.
Resurrection and reception in my Father's House of many mansions. So these Old Testament characters are of very great importance now concerning this blessed book we hold in our hands.
It's composed dear young people of 66 books.
And we know it's written.
In 30, at least 30 different men rules from fishermen to Empress on the throne.
It's the most remarkable book this is, and it's written in three different languages.
In our schools, we have this book ridiculed.
I was telling them in a reading concerning a Doctor of Laws.
He ridiculed my telling the students in that college that this was the word of God.
He said it's full of contradictions. Well, I said, you're a doctor of laws. Will you kindly point me out one? Will I point out a few?
And at last it came down to 1.
Would you kindly show me one contradiction?
He says. I think it's in the in Ephesians. And you know where that dear man was looking? I handed in my Bible. He was looking in the book of Exodus.
He had never read this blessed book. Now, you, dear young people, you will get poisoned all the time. And our colleges today concerning the authenticity of this blessed book. This is the word of the living God. We believe it from cover to cover.
Oh, I'm sure we're all happy to mention that we believe this book from cover to cover.
And I've often thought of it. Even the dots, the dots and the tipples, they're imperishable.
One day a gentleman came into the BTP office there to buy a gospel, and he said to my wife, would you kindly show me the gospel of one of the Gospels? And she showed him this, the gospel. He says, I want several thousands of these.
But when he looked?
For one little job.
00:35:02
Jotha title. There's Hebrew.
He couldn't find that little dot there and he says I don't want one of them because that makes the Lord Jesus born of a woman instead of a virgin.
So these Johnson titles are inspired below.
Writings of this blessed book are God breathed, holy men of God wrote as they were born along by the Spirit of God.
Its doctrines are complete.
This is the word of the living God. And it's cannon, by the way, is perfect. We, not we can't find one flow in it. Well, I just mentioned that, by the way.
Because sometimes our young people are getting poisoned in the colleges concerning this blessed book. This is the world of the living God, beloved. Let us believe it.
Now, concerning faith, I've often thought that faith governs the heart.
And governs the conduct. Here in this scene, faith governs the heart and governs the conduct.
I'm sure you can go along with it.
I suppose we all as Christians, desire a good report when we're at the judgment seat of Christ. When our life down here is revealed, brethren, how can we have a good report?
Well, we're told in the second verse of our chapter.
For by it, the elders obtained a good report.
However, we're going to have a good report in heaven.
It must be that we have walked a life of faith down here, and that life of faith has, as our brothers, been bringing before us the importance, the infallibility of the word of God.
That we've been guided by the word, We have been obedient and subject to it. We have yielded our wills and our thoughts to it, and acted upon it.
And so the Spirit of God gives us.
Has a little lovely life and history of these elders who walk the path of faith.
So that beloved we too might be.
Given grace.
When our journey here is over, and it may be over at anytime, any moment, that there will be a good report awaiting us up there. I guess they've all heard the illustration that it it clears. This makes this matter clear years ago in the railroad depot where they had a gate man.
That punched the tickets before the passengers went on.
Through to get on their trains and there were people that were very impatient to get to the gate and someone said to the gate man always said don't hold everybody up, he says You'll never get popular that way.
The Gateman quietly pointed up to the office over the depot where the records were being kept. The men that worked for the railroads, he says. That's where I'm looking for my popularity up there.
1211 Let's be satisfied.
With like these elders, who were some of them like Enoch, little known down here?
For we have no record of his having any importance in this world, but oh, he had a good record up there, and he's gone to the scene where his record will be for long be displayed.
To the glory of God and for eternal gain in that scene.
In the 19th Zombie of God's 2 testimonies to man, we have His testimony in creation. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament show us His handiwork. And then also in that song it tells us about God's word. Thy testimonies are very sure so that we have these two testimonies and it's important that we see that recognizing God as a creator is of all importance.
00:40:18
Indeed, our Bible begins with these words. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The God reveals Himself as the Creator. The reason man would like to destroy this truth about God as Creator is because then they get away from the knowledge of His responsibility. So it's most important that we see He is the Creator. That testimony has been given to every nation under heaven.
And that Psalm tells us there's no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. There's not a place upon the face of the earth where a man cannot see the testimony that God has given that he is the Creator, and then his word reveals himself. We have a table here.
We can examine the table. We can tell whether the man was a good Workman or not, but we don't know his character by looking at the table. But if the man came and made himself known to us, now we know whether he's a kind man, whether he's a good father, whether he's an upright man. So we have God's testimony in creation that witnesses his wisdom and his power. But we have His word to bring his character before us.
And I just like to say a little about this third verse, which I think is most important. Through faith we understand that the world's were framed by the word of God. Now there are many books written today to try and prove to young people that God is the Creator. Now let me say this, dear young people, we have something better than all the best books written by scientific men. Through faith we understand that the world were framed by the word of God.
A lot of these books have the research that Christian men who had studied science have made. They bring out many interesting facts. But your reason and mine for believing that God is the Creator is not because some wonderfully clever man have brought some facts before us. Our reason for believing it is that God has revealed himself through His word as the Creator.
And there's no other.
Firm foundation on which to stand. A young person showed me a number of books that have been written to prove that the Genesis account of creation was true. And these books stated a number of scientific facts. He went over them one by one and he said look here now science has changed their opinion in this matter. He closed that book and he opened another. He said look here, science has changed their opinion in this matter. He said if you rest on that as a proof that the Bible is true.
Your your professor will tell you, well, science has changed their opinion about that today.
But if you take your stand upon God's Word, it's an unchangeable word. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. I know two young men who started college. They were called at the beginning to write to essays in connection with the science.
One of them wrote an essay in which he substantiated a lot of things he said by books that he had read to prove the Bible true, and the professor marked out how science have changed here and there.
And it really upset the faith of that young boy until he has wandered away. The Lord knows whether he's really saved, but his faith didn't stand upon the revelation of God, but on the wisdom of man. The other young man, he just brought out proofs from the Bible.
Well, maybe the professor didn't believe the Bible, but he couldn't deny the authority on which he took his stand. The young man passed. He's going on too, for the Lord today. And the reason is that he took his stand on something that didn't change. And let's remember this, dear young people. You'll be preserved if you take your stand on this book, because it's God's book. It's the wisdom of God. It's always up to date, in fact, the more.
We go forward in time and men make more discoveries. The more thankful we should be for this wonderful book.
00:45:01
Revelation from God. So let me just read this third verse. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. So the things which were are seen were not made of things which do appear. That's simple enough and conclusive enough for the one who simply takes God at His word and it will sustain us because it's the if they can succeed in shaking your faith about God as Creator.
Next step will be to try and question your responsibility. And then once that is gone, why everything is gone. Oh how wonderful that we have a God revealed as a creator and God's character revealed in his book. A God of holiness, a God of love. A God is interested in every one of us who cares for us. There's not a thing in our lives that he's not concerned about. He's made a little tiny insect so small they can only be seen through the microscope.
And then He has made others so large and the vast heavens above us, showing us God's interest in what is great, His interest in what is small, And oh, how this precious book and this chapter ought to be a help to us, because the only thing that will sustain us in this present day.
And you only have to be a very simple believer to take God of his word.
Psalm 12.
Psalm 12 and verse 6.
Words of the Lord are pure words.
As silver tried in the furnace of earth purified 7 times, what should we do? The 4th chapter of Deuteronomy?
And verse 2.
Deuteronomy 4/2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you.
Neither shall ye diminish or promise.
You may keep the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you.
And the verse in Proverbs 30.
Verses 5:00 and 6:00.
35 and six Every word of God is pure.
He is a shield unto them that put that trust in him.
And thou knock under his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
And the 22nd of the Revelation.
The 22nd chapter of the Revelation.
Verse 18 Brian testified unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things.
God shall add unto him the flakes that are written in this book, And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his pop out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Father Smith was reminding us of the importance of the dots and commas in Scripture, and I do think we should respect them very highly if we turn to the Luke 23.
Because this verse is so often misquoted.
Luke 23 and verse 32.
Here we find the most important comma inserted by the Holy Spirit, verse 32, and there were also two other comma manufacturers comma.
Met with him to be put to death. Now it's often read this way, and there were also two other manufacturers.
Well, that would really imply that the Blessed Lord was 122 others beside him.
So the Spirit of God is guarded against this by putting the comma here, which is so important.
And I do believe we should be very careful in reading scripture too, because he's come as a place there by the Spirit of God for definite purpose. So here in this verse there were also two other the two other were manufacturers, not the third.
00:50:13
Not the Blessed Lord.
Turning with me to a verse in Psalm 33. In connection with this verse three of our chapter, there is a very interesting verse there, Psalm 33, verse 9.
Psalm 33 verse 9.
He spake, and it was done.
And He commanded and stood fast. So this is wonderful to see in connection with creation, He spake, and it was done.
That's the way it came into being, this universe that we see in connection with these three Saints of God in the Old Testament, Abel.
He knocked. And no one. I have enjoyed the stove. And faster than you, dear brethren.
In the case of Abel, we have acceptance.
Because he brought the right sacrifice, there was blood.
And the way of God this says to us that without shedding of blood there is no remission. And so he had the right sacrifice. So we have acceptance.
In the case of Enoch.
As that has already been mentioned.
The result of a faith and acceptance we have walked. But I noticed something very blessed too. We have the translation of the heavenly Saints. You notice to say here that by faith Enoch was translated. He is a type of the heavenly Saints, and in particular I believe that those that they're going to be alive when the Lord Jesus comes at the rapture.
And then in the case of Enoch, we have a type of the eternity people that they're going to go through the tribulation and through that they're going to be safe.
How does the order and this chapter we get? As we were calling attention to the second verse, he speaks of the elders obtaining a good report. Then in the fourth verse he he tells us how those elders obtained a good report.
And the third verse that Brother Hale was commenting on and others have attitude gives us a subject of creation.
But I was thinking that the order follows very much what you would get in the book of Genesis. That is, in two chapters you get.
The whole of creation brought before us, and then the third chapter we get the fall of man. And then when you go through all the books of the Bible, the subject is.
God's grace and saving the the creature that has fallen under the power of sin. And Satan. So in considering creation, wonderful and amazing as it is.
It's not the great and all important subject. We can spend our whole life studying geology and astronomy and and our souls would wither up during the time. I don't say that you shouldn't get some thoughts on geology and on astronomy, it's very interesting indeed, but isn't it important brethren and view of eternity.
What the elders gained that we are more occupied with God's grace to sinners and we are with the wonders and amazing discoveries in this creation.
So the spirit of God just passes that subject. You wouldn't have omit it. And it's the subject of faith, just as everything in this chapter is a subject of faith.
And then he turns immediately to God's grace, to sinners and the first.
00:55:04
Mentioned elder is that of Abel covered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
So the two religions of the world come out in that verse. One is the religion of two and the other is the religion of done. And the whole world is divided between the two. You can take any.
Religion. Whether it's a Muhammadan or the Buddhist religion, it's always a religion of works.
Yet outside of that, there is that which we see in Abel a man who had faith to offer the sacrifice that God could accept, and that sacrifice, as we well know, the first thing of his flock.
Was tight or a picture of Christ going into death for our sins. And it's lovely to notice there too, that it says by the which he obtained witness that he was righteous. Not by what he did, not by his discovering the right way, but through this sacrifice he was accounted righteousness.
And it mentions here God testifying on notice of his gifts. What were the gifts? Well, he offered the lamb and the fat bearer. Will you find Valerie? As you look into the subject of the different offerings, especially in Leviticus, you'll find that they were always to offer the fat on the altar was to be burned.
That is, it. Was that about the offering Which folks, what was so precious to the heart of God?
In his beloved Son offering himself up as a sacrifice for sin. So we get that Lamb, the only way that a sitter can be in God's presence, Christ bearing our sins as the Lamb of Calvary. And then we get the preciousness of that sacrifice to the heart of God the Father, so that he can be accepted now.
And all that God delights him as he looked down upon.
The Blessed Lord laying down His life and glorifying him about the whole question of sin.
One and 21.
We'll read it, but I wanted to make a mention of our brother. Hail has called her attention to the two testimonies. In Psalm 119, that is.
The creation, that is God, the Creator and also the Word of God.
Psalm 21 and many other psalms we get the person, the king shall join thy strength and so on. So I believe we have 3 testimonies in the Old Testament.
That is what was brought before us the Creator, the word of God, and the person who would be the Savior.
Now in this.
Chapter first, Peter One and 21.
Well, we'll read a little earlier.
18 First, and this goes along with the sacrifice of Abel all over. Abel was particularly setting before us the death of another that is the victim, Christ. But here we have the blood marked out in this verse.
For as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your father's.
But with a precious blood of Christ, and as of a lamb, as of a lamb without lambish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, who was manifest in these last time for you now this 21St birds.
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Who by him not by creation, but who by him, do believe in God?
That raised him up from the dead and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. Now this gives us the means then of salvation. This gives us the way. And so if God is the author and the source of all blessing in the Spirit, the power, we find that the Lord Jesus was the one who came down to make all these things good to us.
In his work on the cross and giving himself as a sacrifice and also the shedding of his precious blood.
Wonderful thing, isn't it, for a Sinner to have the witness in himself that he is righteous. But how can he have that witness?
Well, you get that in the third chapter of Romans. Now the righteousness of God without the law is with.
The righteousness without the law.
It is fulfilled, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith of Jesus Christ under wall, and upon all them that believe.
So it isn't any goodness or any.
Walk of my own. That is how clear and and it should be. But it's all found in Christ. And what a thought of poor, unworthy, unfaithful.
Sinner that knows only too well that he has failed.
So much and yet he can stand and have the witness to be sit here in the calm assurance that he's righteous before God.
Everything I'm saying is so important, 11.
And we rejoice that the Lord Jesus definitely and eternally with the question of sin.
And as regards our sins, he is born in his own body on the tree.
That we being dead unto sins not sins, but sin.
Live unto righteousness by whose stripes we've been healed.
Wand of our elder brethren one day, he said. Sin is what you are.
Sins are what you do.
Well, that caused us to think. But is it not wonderful to remember that as regards sin, the Lord Jesus has definitely and eternally dealt with it, beloved on the cross of Calvary.
So that if you belong to Christ, you stand in all the perfection of His beloved Son.
Does not sustain. There's nothing there. It's gone. Now that's a wonderful truth to get hold of for the younger Christian.
But since he's born in his own body on the tree.
And then he says, being data unto sin.
Might live unto righteousness by whose stripes we've been healed.
One day crossing the Atlantic.
I noticed in the in the ocean, the point of a continent. Well, I didn't know what it was. I said the captain. I said captain, what is that little point, that little island out there, Mid-Atlantic, he says. That's the point of a continent. Smith.
Said What depth is it here?
He said 5 1/2 miles deep and this is the point of a continent. I said, well it's strange they don't have a lighthouse on it. He says they cannot put a lighthouse because it vibrates and the lighthouse falls. Then this was a hard boiled captain and I said captain, you know where my sins are.
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They're buried in the depths of the sea now, he says. Here you go, preaching again.
And I, said, Captain, another little Quentin.
While we're on this, how far is from the east and the West? How far is east from the West?
Or he says there you go again, he said. I don't know.
Well, I said. That's as far as my sins have been removed. As far as the east is from the West so far. Have you removed my transgressions from it? And in the depths of the sea they've been buried and gone forever. Well, he was a hard boiled captain. They didn't seem to register, but wasn't that interesting.
In that 5 1/2 miles deep.
Was there, brethren? That's where our sins have been buried. You'll never see them again. Praise God. We'll never see them again.
So the difference between sin and sin.
I would like what you brethren would think about that statement of one of our old brethren. Sin is what you are.
Sins are what you do.
And forgiveness of sins, sin is ever forgiven.
It's judged and the Lord Jesus judged it forever.
And finally, on the cross of Calvary, what a wonderful savior we have.
Would you give us a sacrifice with joy, the thought of the bird offering character, because it shows what the work of Christ is to God, and because of this now we can rejoice in the place of acceptance that we have been brought into. God has been perfectly glorified. He's not only seen sin put away as it's brought before us in the sin and trespass offering, but we see in the bird offering what it is to God.
And so we are accepted because of what Christ has done. God has been glorified, and so we stand now before him, accepted in the beloved. And I think that is what is primarily brought before us and able sacrifice.
Because it's a blessed thing to know that our sins are gone, but it's still more wonderful to think that we are before God in Christ, not only the righteousness of God in him about accepted in all the favor in which he is, as before, the heart of God his Father.
312.
Lead on, Almighty Lord, lead on the victory.
Encouraged by thy blessed word with joy, we follow thee 312.
Hebrews 11:5-12
Reading
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Oh.
Reading in Hebrews 11, perhaps verse five is it?
5.
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death.
And was not found because God had translated him.
For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him.
For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
By faith, Noah, being warned of God, of things not seen as yet mold with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for 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 Tabernacles 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 gone.
Through faith are also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
Therefore spring there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky and multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises.
But having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.
And confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from which they came out, they might have had the opportunity to have returned.
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But now they desire a better country, that is and heavenly.
Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called. They're gone, for He hath prepared for them a city.
By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac.
And he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure.
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gave commandments concerning his bowls.
Is that far enough?
A beautiful order we have in this chapter.
First, the faith that trusts in a sacrifice and so has peaceful God.
Then we have the life and walk of the believer.
With translation.
As the hope that's before the Christian find that in Enoch.
The Genesis account of Enoch tells us that he walked with God for 300 years and he was not, for God took him.
And it's rather encouraging to young families to.
Their attention called to this.
That Enoch began to walk with God when his first son Methuselah was born.
And from that time on we find him walking with God, and not only that, that he walked with God and begat sons and daughters.
Sometimes they coming into the family of.
A little one.
Yes, on occasion.
Of special blessings from the hand of God. And we learn too that in connection with the family life. And I'm sure Enoch had his trials.
Had a world that was ripening for judgment because the world was becoming filled with corruption and violence.
Just as the world is today.
But in the scenes of life where problems and.
Trials are on every hand. We have a man that quietly walked with God.
Think how long the walk was.
It was a Sunday school teacher instructing her children the class and she made this remark. She said that.
God took a long walk with Enoch, and they went so far that the Lord just took him home.
Well, it tells.
The truth of What's Before us translation that is to be completely taken out of this world.
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For when the Lord comes, as though those who are alive and remain.
Will be caught up. And as the apostle says in First Corinthians 1551, we shall not all sleep, that is, we will be translated in these very bodies in which we are sitting in. But oh, how lovely that is, we shall all be changed.
That is, we'll put on the perfect lightness to God's beloved Son.
Before you used to say I'm a man of destiny, a man of destiny. The lovers think of what a destiny is before the child of God to be perfectly like Christ, even physically, morally, spiritually.
Well, that's what is before us and.
We may never have the experience.
Death may never.
We never may need an undertaker. You may never have a grave in the cemetery. We may be caught up alive. And really, we should expect that increasingly, as the world grows evil. But while we're waiting, the spirit of God is engaged in gathering out the members of that company that to be the bride of Christ.
During this little while.
At the moment we could say that Enoch probably had two parts of this testimony, The testimony in his own soul, the knowledge that he was seeking to live to please the Lord. And then there was also the testimony that he delivered to the world, as mentioned in Jude.
It tells us that Enoch, the 7th from Adam, prophesied and he told the judgment that was coming. And those who watched his life and heard his testimony realized that he wasn't part and parcel of the world, that he was seeking to please another. And there should be with us those two things. If we live to please men, we'll certainly have a very difficult time in this world, or perhaps even sometimes we can't please other believers.
But we can't always live to please the Lord and the path of obedience to His Word. And if we do, I believe that others will know that we do seek to please the Lord, says Paul, speaking in this way in 2nd Corinthians 4, said by manifestation of the truth, commanding ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God, people may not always agree with what we say, but if it is spoken in the power of the Spirit.
It will command itself to their consciences. As someone has said, when we speak the truth to those who hear, their conscience is on your side. Their conscience bears witness that it is the truth. So we need to have those two things.
The desire in our souls to please the Lord, Paul said. If I yet please man, I should not be the servant of Christ. And then, as we seek to please the Lord, to walk in such a way that our lives before others.
Commends itself so that, although they may not always agree, they may see that we have the Lord before us and that we're seeking to please him.
Then that he had this testimony, that he pleased God, that that was a testimony to his own soul, that he lived in the enjoyment of the sense that his walk was what was in keeping with the Lord's desire and for his glory.
I believe so. I believe there were the two sides. I believe the one that you spoke of in which we mentioned is in Revelation 2, where it states that you notice in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 17.
He's a half a meter. Let him hear what the Spirit says under the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to Eve of the hidden manner, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man most saving, he that receiveth.
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There will be a manifestation in that day of the Lord's approval, but I believe that can be enjoyed even now by faith. And when the manna fell in the wilderness, and that was the food for the children of Israel and the wilderness, there was also a pot of mass that was laid up before the Lord to be preserved for their generations. And so in a coming day, when we get home to glory, there will be that in which we have shared in the pathway of the Lord Jesus.
Here in this world, he walked through this world to please his father. As we feed upon him, we have the sense too that we are walking to please him. And I believe in that there will be a remembrance even in glory, that we share something of that in our pathway here.
And then the white stone, which no man knows, saving he that receiveth it may not always be understood by others, but there will be the sense of the Lorde approval. And to me the lovely thought is that it's not only here but a wonderful thought, that in glory there will be the remembrance of that, that down here we thought to please him. And then there will be the manifestation above, but there will be something that goes on.
Even into eternity He that sold to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
The enjoyment of that will continue. To illustrate it, I sometimes put it like this.
Perhaps some of us have never been in prison for the Lord, but Paul was and won't there be something very wonderful that, as Paul's life is manifested, he'll have shared something which the Lord Jesus himself experienced, for it says he was taken from prison and from judgment. There will be an experience that he had in common with the Lord.
Has there been a time when someone has reproached us for seeking to please the Lord? Why the Lord was often reproached as he sought to please his Father? Well, that is something that will not be known by one who has not had that experience down here. And so is a marvelous thing to think that there will be a, a, a personal enjoyment of that, that will remain even in the glory.
I suppose the location that we have in Ephesians 4 would remind us something of the need of walking.
Before the Lord, for instance, the vocation here is.
Really concerning all the councils of God in grace concerning his people here below.
And.
OFT times there's a failure to walk as we should.
In the light of eternity.
Where is one thing about it that God's standard is never lowered in spite of our?
Calling. That's not very.
Strong Our Calling. Sometimes we call it a lost calling, the calling of God.
OFT times brethren, we fail to to recognize that the vocation, now vocation, has to do with the Councils of God in grace concerning us in the same.
And his standard is never low, and no matter how weak or failing we may become.
In our testimony I noticed that in Colossians one we are to walk worthy of the Lord.
And also in.
In First Thessalonians 2 we are the war walk worthy of God.
Well, it reminds me of a Sunday school that I was taking. And we took up the question of Enoch. And so I asked one of the girls who she'd be about 9:00 or 10:00, and I said, what do you think about the this question of ethics walking with God? And she replied in this way. It was most interesting. Well, she said.
Enoch and.
Lord walked a long way, and the Lord said to her to.
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I think we're a good way from home. You better come home with me.
You're a long way from home. You better come home with me. Well, it was rather nice the the thought of the young girl. You're so far from home now. You better come home with me.
One of these days we're going to be translated, brethren, We're going to quit this scene. These bodies of humiliation are going to be changed into bodies of glory fashioned like unto his own body of glory. And so I suppose it does really come in here.
That Enoch is the type of the of the believer being translated, would you not say?
What has to do to of course, for the Remnant, but I think there's a nice little type here, Brethren. Why does it say brother smell? By faith?
By faith, he was translated.
Why does it say that?
Had to do with his.
Trust.
I don't know you explain it to us a bit brother. Well, I don't know that I will explain it, but I was. I was just wondering about it if.
If Enoch, is that before us as a type of the Church, is that right?
Just a little picture of the church that's to be caught up. We know what characterizes the church's intelligence and divine things.
And so when it says by faith, there must have been intelligence as to what was going to happen.
We see that repeated in the passage, our brother Hey Ho quoted to us from June. He was he was also intelligent as to the judgment that was coming.
Now, I don't know this correct or not, but there seems to be some hint in Jude as to the judgment that will come on Christendom. Is that right?
Because it's connected to the Lord and His coming. So that in meditating on on Enoch we get that which would encourage us to see the truth of Ephesians that our brothers been bringing out. Those are the counsels of God. And dear brethren, isn't it a marvelous thing that God has given us all of his counsels?
And.
How slow we are to meditate on them, and to enter into them and read them, and to wait on the Lord to open them to us. Because as our brother Hales mentioned about the Whitestone, I believe there are some things.
That we learn through experience. This course is the Word and the Spirit teaching. But He uses our experiences daily. The sorrow, the trial, the joys to awaken us, to realize these precious things that we have in Christ, so that we might turn everything in that direction and not just be occupied with this present world and what's passing, which we're so proud to do.
To settle down in this world.
Now this whole chapter of Hebrews shows us of people that would not settle down.
They accepted the circumstances that all pointed to a certain blessed hope. Well, that's Ephesians true.
I think there's great emphasis on that's about pleasing God too, because, you know, that's the thing that's natural to our hearts, that we want to have the feeling that we're accepted. We try to do things and dress in such a way and go places that please our friends.
Well, it's a great thing as we see the breakdown of everything. Here you have one before us to please. We may not always be able to please others, but we can always please the Lord and make him our object. So when the there was departure from the gospel, Paul laid emphasis on the fact that he didn't seek to please men. He said, if I yet please man, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Again in Second Corinthians chapter five, he says wherefore we labor. That, whether present or absent, we might be accepted or agreeable to him is a great feeling, as among us all that we like to feel accepted. Even at these meetings we like to feel accepted. We like to feel that our friends accept us. Well, we may not always be able to be accepted by our friends, and in fact it's going to be a very difficult thing if we have that before us.
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But if we have the Lord before us, and after the peace, there's a joy in the soul, and that was what Enoch walked with. We're not told that he had any kind of companionship. It almost sounds from the account given to us in Genesis as though he'll knock lock more or less alone. But he had the Lord's approval, He had the sense of it in his soul, and he had the testimony of others who watched his life, and a lowly might have disagreed with his message.
Disagreed with what he did. They said one thing we know about that man, he wants to please God, and I believe that should be the character of our testimony. And it's the only thing, brethren, that will give us peace and quietness of spirit in a world where everything is changing and standards are changing.
The fact that there is one I like the way the little hymn puts it from various cares. Our hearts retire. They'll deepen down the 30 by our we've now to please. But one in before whom each knee shall bow with him is all our business now, and those of our norms. Well, there's a blessedness in this, and we need to have this in our souls. And it's only by faith that can we can have it before us.
Now, that is, if we walk by sight and we'll have confused ideas about if we walk by faith. We make the word of God our guide. We have our eyes upon an unseen object, and then there's a steadiness and quietness and peace in our path. And I believe Enoch walked in that path.
Really. That.
6 verses the comment on the walk of Enid. But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to him to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. And I believe that.
What we're told here without this impossible to please God.
We're so and much in danger of having confidence in ourselves and, as Philippians 3 tells us, having no confidence in the flame. It's so natural, it's so subtle to be trusting himself instead of trusting in the Lord. So really, it casts this much upon himself exercises. Let's get us a sense of the Lord.
Presence. For our wills are so subtle, and if if we're not watchful and they're not willing to judge what is just a matter of our self will, we may be feeling and we may have the thought that we're really pleasing the Lord, when in reality we're really pleasing ourselves. I suppose that every part of scripture.
Comes in with its great importance, so that every phase of life is is is taken up and nothing is omitted. And in that connection I was thinking of the 139th Psalm, where the psalmist passes through much exercise and he comes to this conclusion. He says search me and know me.
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting he starts off with. Thou hast searched me and known him. When he finds out father blessing it is he wants the Lord to keep on searching him. And brethren, let's be willing.
Let the word of God, and let the Spirit of God search us through and through, and not resist, and to be most careful and watchful, that our own wills are not involved.
I read a statement there from a brother not long ago.
That one rarely gives up an error if his will is involved in it so.
We we need this.
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In considering this matter of walking by faith, the only way we can please God and faith is in His Word and in Himself. It really becomes the the result.
Of an acquaintance with the Lord himself through daily communion.
And communion leads us to the readiness to always judge ourselves and to own when we were wrong, and to not set ourselves up as though we were not, as though we didn't make mistakes rather than we are just a lot of poor failing things. But I believe the one that goes on with God is One Who.
Is really always willing.
To judge self and to own a mistake that he has made and not just support himself so that we are not deceiving ourselves in any way.
Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John, chapter One in connection with a walk of Genoc. I think that we have already something very precious in the first chapter of John, chapter one, verse 29.
It's a very well known verse, the Gospel of John, Chapter one, verse 29. The next day John.
See it? Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away.
The sins of the world. And I was very much impressed with this expression. So the Lord Jesus come and unto him.
Stand where a blessed.
Blessed experience has been in our life when the Lord Jesus came in our life and we have come to the realization that that blessed Savior He not only come to take away the sin singular, but at the cross of Calvary all our sins that were put away by that precious blood. But then the testimony doesn't stop there. He gives a wonderful testimony in verse 33 concerning the Savior that he saw the Spirit of God.
Descended upon him in the form of dog, and then on verse 34 say and I saw and I bear record that this is the Son of God. But no, it doesn't stop there. The next verse, the next 2-3 verse, they are very precious indeed in connection with walking again the next day.
The next day after John stood and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus.
As he walked.
He said, Behold the Lamb of God, oh the perfect walk of our blessed O Jesus, as he walked here below to please his Father. What a lesson we can learn as we go through the gospel and we see the perfect walk in obedience of this precious Savior, where a lesson we combine and what an encouragement will be to our heart to behold him in his walk through this life.
To encourage us to walk in the path of the faith. And the result of that was that two of his disciples heard him speak.
And they follow the Lord Jesus. How blessed it is. Yes, Enoch, he walked with God. He pleased God. Oh, but what a wonderful blessed example we have in the person of the Lord Jesus.
Our perfect was it was not only in his life, but his billions took him to the dead and that the dead of the cross can we not lying a wonderful lesson as we walk to the scene here as we behold the Lord Jesus.
Walking through this to the packed way with this light, I believe we can.
Verse 7 There's quite a contrast with Enoch if they're not.
I suppose if Enoch would give us a faint picture of the church we have here, Israel, possibly, And we will find that in their coming prophetic history, that when they get back to the land, they're going to remember their ways and their enemies will surround them and they'll be moved with fear.
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But the Lord will deliver them.
Well, this was true of Noah. He was given a message of judgment, and he was moved with fear.
And so we see quite a contrast between this and Enoch. Enoch.
Had built up in his life.
A companionship, shall we say.
Walking with God and the result was he was a perfect ease in his presence. It wasn't so with Noah. He was moved with fear. I suppose there was ease in his presence in the sense that there was faith there and he knew the Lord would deliver him because he said so. But there wasn't the same walking with God that gives the testimony Here is it.
Case of Noah. So Noah was moved with fear, being warned of God of things not seen as yet. That was faith. He acted on it. He was moved with fear, prepared an arc to the saving of his house, by the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. Now we see in each of these three instances.
Whether it be?
Able or whether it be Enoch.
Or Noah. There's a warning of judgment in each case.
And we were thinking a little while ago of Enoch walking with God.
The very fact that he was walking with God was a warning to others of the judgment that was coming. And this is true of the Christian today. If we're walking in the path, it's a constant warning to the world around us that they're they're not in the place, a blessing. They're ready for judgment.
And we find when the Lord Jesus went through this world, he was condemned because of who he was. He exposed all was around him. He walked before God, his pathways. And so there's a constant testimony of judgment with the believer, I believe if he passes through this world, if he walks with God.
Then that.
In Enoch we get the present dispensation, the Church and her translation typically especially in view. Then in nor we have the coming dispensation after the translation of the Church has taken place.
For Noah goes through the flood just as Israel will go through the great tribulation.
The Christian will never, never go through the great tribulation. We will already be in glory, and that's covered by that verse in the promise to Philadelphia, because I was kept my word. I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which is coming to try. All them that dwell upon the earth. We have that promise.
We see things growing worse every day and the.
Very foundations of the government's shaking and anarchy prevailing between are assured of this that the final outbreak of anarchy and the awful.
Results of man's will will cover the earth and we'll be in glory with Christ but.
When the remnant of Israel.
Are taken up as they will be after we are gone.
They'll be like Noah and his family going through the tribulation, and to inherit a new world that is God will set up a Kingdom here on earth, which we see and no coming out of the Arkham after the judgment. And now he inherits the earth.
Just as the Lord gave in the Beatitudes, blessed are the meek. That's the.
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At the remnant, for they shall inherit the earth.
But I believe besides that.
You've been bringing out.
Brother London, there is a practical.
Application of this to us, that is a testimony that was rendered through North.
Now, no matter how Noah was mocked in his day for building a great ship on the dry ground, there is one thing that all the Antediluvians had to say about it, that there is a man that believes what he's telling us.
Or he surely would never go to all that work and expense to build that immense ship. Well, may our lives be such that.
Our ways will speak louder than.
Our ways speak louder than any words we could speak. Our brother Power believed that Noah.
Didn't just preach and.
To the centers of those days, the way Nob Priest was, his thought was by building the ark. That was his sermon. That's what he preached to those of that day, that there's a flood coming, and here I'm preparing for it.
You remember how they asked the Lord the question, who art thou? And if you get the correct translation, I believe it's in the 8th chapter of Young.
It should read absolutely that which I say unto you, that is, the Lords. Life was in perfect keeping with his words. Sometimes we say things, and we're not wholehearted in it, but when the Lord spoke.
His life was in perfect keeping with what he said to others.
Yeah, but I think that will be fine. In connection with Noah that says that no in Genesis, as it says of Enoch, that Noah walked with God too. But there was a certain character to his testimony. He was moved with fear. Now, that is, he saw what was coming. The world doesn't like to admit what is coming. They're always looking how they can bring about situations where.
They can take care of the problems that face society and the face the world today. But the Christian who has believed God, he's moved with fear because he knows what is coming and that no matter what man do or whatever improvements they may think they make in regard to the environment or growth of population or whatever it may be, God has said that this judgment is coming and it's going to come, and that there's only one way of escape from that judgment.
And that is through the true arc of safety. Who is the Lord Jesus? And so no more witness to this. We're told that he was a preacher of righteousness and his life also agreed with it because as it says here, he prepared this ark. And it's nice to little added comment of the spirit of God here to the saving of his hopes. Now that ark was built large enough to accommodate all those animals too. But there was 1 great thing that was before all this before Noah.
The spirit of God comments on here and that is it was to the saving of his house. He looked at his household, he realized that they had immortal souls and all his work had that, particularly before it. The preparation of the ark and the bringing in of all the animals was important in obedience to God, but I think this, in connection with his house is most beautiful and speaks to each one of us.
That surely we who are parents, we see the world. There's more materialism today. There's more prosperity. Our children can get better jobs and better things than they ever had before. And it challenges us as to whether our prime purpose, our most and greatest desire for them, is that they would be saved from the judgment that is most surely coming upon this world. And this is what Noah did.
And he became heir of the righteousness which is by faith now, that is, he had something better than all. And I have no doubt that the world was very materialistic in his time. I believe the world had made a great amount of progress in those times. But he saw it as a doomed world. And we need to see this world as reserved under fire, as Peter tells us, and be looking for a city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
00:45:31
I think that's very helpful, Bronze.
Nora is the type of the Jewish remnant.
Of course.
But there's that fear of what is going to come to pass.
And so, in faith, he builds that wonderful ark, by the way, that that is, I asked the captain about the measurements of ships.
And I said, Captain, could you tell me the?
Whether the dimensions of the arc are used for the building of ships today, and he said absolutely so.
For that arc was 450 feet long and 70 feet wide and and I put it down here at 45 feet high, it was a it was a transatlantic, wasn't it?
But here is Noah, in the face of the unbelief that surrounded him here, he's building an ark on driving.
A preacher of righteousness. They must have called him a crazy man To build what? What? How would he ever float it?
But he built it in view of the coming judgment, and I think that's a good word for us here, brethren. We know as Christians that this world is condemned already, and here we have no continuing city. We don't belong to this world. We belong to heaven, and we have to continually remind our hearts of this fact that we belong to heaven. We're a heavenly people.
But how sad it is when you take into consideration the portion of the Jew.
Here they are battling away Kissingers over there trying to make a peace arrangement of peace with with Syria, trying to make peace without the Prince of Peace. We know that the children of Israel will get that land because the promise is sure.
Absolutely, sure. But they'll never get it at the force of arms. They'll get it when God gives it to them. I think this is a very interesting portion concerning Noah. It was in view of coming judgment.
That he by faith.
Build the ARM.
He knew.
By faith, what was going to happen?
The world didn't know. They must have counted him a raving lunatic, but that didn't alter the his conception of what God had purposed through him. So there's a lesson for us in this too, isn't it? Not to be too occupied with the things of this world because judgment is coming, but the bride of their brother?
Barry has mentioned the Church will have already been raptured, so we shall not be there for that occasion. We shall be at the close of the tribulation period. We should come back with the Lord Jesus and reign over the earth.
A portion is a heavenly portion, but for all the dreadful unmitigated judgments that are to fall upon that little land of Palestine, I was just thinking of the peril from the north.
God sleeping down with Assyrian, then the peril from the east.
What a tremendous upheaval it will be. Beloved, all the Church will never go through the tribulation period. Let us never be tripped up with that theory.
But what terrible judgments are awaiting this scene?
The Lord is going to take us out of it.
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At any moment we could be gone. May we just live in view of it, beloved.
There's a verse in Job that would tell us the character of the day Before the Flood. It's in the 23rd chapter, 22nd chapter of Job.
And verse 15.
Possibly another verse in Joel, but perhaps this would give the character of.
Today.
Job 22 and 15 hast thou marked?
The old way.
Which wicked men have trodden?
Which were cut down out of time, whose foundation was overflowed with a flood.
Now this is what they said, which said unto God, depart from us.
And what can the Almighty do for or to them?
Yet he filled their houses with good things. But the council of the wicked is far from me. So apparently God had blessed them outwardly, and they despised their blesser. And so that they said to God just what the equivalent to what men are saying today.
Depart from us, and man would like to have this world without God.
What he would like? Well, it's history repeating itself, and so it calls for judgment.
Well, I suppose if we.
Have divided up the book of this chapter, the 11Th of Hebrews, that when you get through the 7th verse you have completed the first subject the premises were which gives us fullness.
That is, it's taken up creation, it's taken up the way of approach to God.
Given us the Christian walk and translation.
At the end, And then the coming judgment on the earth, the remnant that will go through it, And then?
The when it takes up in the eighth verse, then we get the.
The life of separation of God's people, His redeemed ones.
Pictured to us in the walk of Abraham.
So we find that by faith Abraham the eighth verse, when he was called to go out into a place which he should, after receive corn inheritance, obeyed, and he went out not knowing whether he went. Now there is very clearly the pathway of the believer, and there in that we see not only faith, but the obedience of faith.
Spoken of in the first chapter of Romans.
The obedience of faith to all nations, and that's the way faith manifests the reality of its confidence and trust in God. It obeys. God speaks, and the exercise of faith is to walk in the path that God has marked out for our feet.
We said that the Earth had made it a considerable amount of progress before the flood.
But even after the flood, they had made a great amount of progress in the time of Abraham.
And her of the Chaldees had come to a very advanced stage, and saw the world, after having been judged, has again made its progress. Now again we see the call of God, and so we see the world developed today in a marvelous way. But Abraham now is called to leave all that and to live the rest of his life and attempt well, it was a real test of faith to think that he left his place.
And it wasn't just a temporary thing about he was to be a stranger in that land that he should after receive for an inheritance. And so that's the true character of the Christian today. We don't find our rest and home here, and the thought here is not so much of being taken out of it, although that's blessedly true, but how we conduct ourselves while we're still in it. And this is important for us, because if the Lord doesn't come, we may be left here a little longer.
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How are we going to conduct ourselves in it? Are we willing to turn our back upon those things that would?
Tie us down to this world in order to live, to please the Lord. That's a real test of faith. It's a test of faith for Abraham. And then it mentions here too about Sarah, because this was also a test of faith for Sarah, because when she left, why?
She was leaving also all the comforts and all of belonging to that society and progress in her of the Chaldees to share that place of reproach and that place of suffering. Well, it's very lovely to see that because a sister can be a drag, you and perhaps the husband may be a hindrance, perhaps the wife may be a hindrance. But it's nice to see that when Abraham went out.
And they were to live in tents. And we don't find one grumble on the part of Sarah for this change. And I'm sure it was a very real change for her. That's a lot harder for a sister to leave certain comforts than it is for a brother, because that is the sphere of their activities at the home. And then to be called to take up this light. So it's very commendable. And the Lord honored her and giving her the strength to give a child in the later part of their life, which was their joy.
Well, he was called to a place which he should after receive for an inheritance. He didn't see what was ahead of them. He couldn't get pictures. If we're going to visit another land, we can get pictures and road maps and everything. He couldn't. When he took this journey, he had to go.
Knowing whether he went, how lovely to see that faith that counted upon God, that knew that if God had called him to something else, it must be better than what he called him to leave. And so it says that he looked for a city which had foundations whose builder and maker of God were not told anything of that in the Old Testament. We're not told that he was looking for a city at all about. I believe that when he left that city in early the counties, he said, well, if God calls me to leave this, he must have something better than what I'm leaving.
And the vision of that filled his soul and that enabled him to walk by faith. And the Scripture says where no vision is, the people perish. If you and I don't have any sense of having something better than what we give up here, it'll never be possible for us to walk the path of faith.
But God can make that real to us, that what is ahead of us is far, far better than anything that he calls us to give up for his sake here.
Draw your attention, beloved, to the Genesis, for a moment or two. There's a little secret there.
Which is worth noting.
Verse seven of chapter 12, He went out, as her brother had just mentioned, to a land that God would show him, and there all the enemies were there.
In the land. But here's the secret. And the Lord appeared unto Abraham, Abraham, And sin unto thy seed will I give this land, and there build it he an altar.
Unto the Lord who appeared unto him, And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent. Well, beloved, we are liable to pitch the tent first.
When this is where we go wrong in our Christian testimony, Abraham builded an altar, and there he had the presence of the Lord with him. This is faith in action. He builds an altar first of all, then he pitches his tent, which is a type of cost of the pilgrims. Oh how much time we spend.
So often in the tent, attending to the tent and the altar is neglected. May the Lord help us to remember that the altar comes first. As pilgrims, this is taught here in this gentle, perhaps connected with your remarks in the 12Th chapter.
01:00:20
It might be well to notice that these steps of faith.
We're gradual. He didn't get a lot of light all at once.
In the first of that 12Th chapter, he said, God said to him to a land that I will show thee.
Well then, after he gets into the land, he said. I'm going to give it to your seed.
But then when lot of separated from him in the next chapter, he said you look to the east and the West and the north and the South and you'll see the land that I'm giving you. So you see it was progressive. It was one step at a time.
Now I think that there's a lesson for us in this.
Sometimes those who are older expect too much.
Those who are younger, is that not so?
And we have to realize that there are some who perhaps the Lord has given more because they're older, or they've been in the path longer, and we'll have to be patient with one another as to these things. And we don't all see things the same, that is the old and the young. We have to remember to learn this from the life of Abraham, that there were certain things he did not know when he went out.
God said I'll show you the land, that's all, he said. And then he said he was going to give it to his children.
But then, after he had taken that step and separated from his last kinsman, as it were, and that was real separation. Why Abraham? He says. You can have the whole thing. It's yours, but it's by faith. You still live there as a stranger. But it was his.
Scheme be like Second Thessalonians, one where the apostle says your faith groweth exceedingly. We have to remember that.
When Abraham lived, he didn't have one page of the Bible.
It was entirely a matter of faith in God, and God was teaching him from step to step as to his mind and to his thoughts. Our brother Hale has just brought out so nicely about.
Having left her of the calories here, he arrives in a land where there's no city in view. So God teaches him in this way.
Where he has another city that is in heavenly.
How did he learn that? He didn't learn it from the Book of Revelation about the city which whose life was like onto a stone most precious. He learned it in communion with God in a walk of faith. That is where he fully trusted in the Lord. Now if the Lord has called me and I know he can't fail me to go into this land, and he's given me no subtle place to to abide.
He must have something far better before me. And what is that that's before me?
Oh, it's a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. And then in the offering up of Isaac, he learns the truth of resurrection.
When it tells us here, I'm getting a little ahead of our subject, but just point out how God was teaching him.
Along the way it says that by faith Abraham the 17th verse offered up Isaac and he that had received the promise.
Offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy feed be called.
A counting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. How did Abraham learn about resurrection? He didn't turn to the book of Ephesians or the account of the resurrection of the Lord in the Gospels. He didn't have that.
But he had such unshaken faith, and the God who had called him that. He said, if I take the life of my son, and God has pronounced all his blessings in this Son, God will have to raise him from the dead, for there's resurrection. He learned resurrection in that way. And I think what you said, Brother Lunzine, is important for us.
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That is not to expect.
Too fast or too swift growth of faith in some of God's people. Have patience, waiting and and let the Lord teach. The Lord has his own way of instructing His teaching His children where none teachers like him and if we go on individually.
In quiet.
Consistent walk.
And seek to please the Lord and be subject to his words, just as the apostle says. God shall reveal even this unto you, like he did to those in Philippians.
I think this is very important in this day when the enemy is so busy to scatter us down, to spoil our testimonies gathered to the Lords name, to be patient with one another and to wait on the Lord to instruct.
Each other.
And to leave many things within the Lord's hand, because he's far wiser, surely, than we are.
Personal illustration I had not been gathered very long, and I went into the Los Angeles meeting room for a visit.
And I was quite young.
And an older brother came up to me and he said you're taking the meeting tonight.
Well, this was a new experience for me. And so I answered him. I said I'm not ready.
He said as he turned on his heel to walk away. He said the word of God says be all was ready, so I took the meat and the Lord helped me. But you see, sometimes we expect too much.
And.
Expect a younger one who could not be able to carry out something that we would expect of them thinking that they can do it.
In connection with the tent, I think it's not unloaded. The angels rest and to Abraham.
I said, Abraham, where is there thy wife? Oh, I believe she's around. Mr. Smith having a coffee break? No, he said. She's in the tent.
For less than place four or wasn't it?
Probably in this 11Th of Hebrews it's the chapter of faith. It's not the chapter of failure. We get all the failures of Abraham. There's some of his failures were very sad and very distressing, but lovely, isn't it? For the spirit of God just to give us one view of the life of those?
We might call belonging to his honor roll, those that he's freshly honored in their testimony here below. And then when you get to the next chapter, they're spoken of as a great cloud of witnesses. But he's just taking up that side of things, and that will be the side of things. That will be the.
The.
Subjects of our joy and with each other in glory for all these failures and mistakes and all these disagreements and some unhappy affairs.
Isn't it wonderful to think that that will be all wiped out and there will be nothing but those things that will furnish joy and happiness together?
And the joy that the Lord has brought us into such a fellowship together with Himself, will fill us with eternal rapture.
It's nice to see here that when it's talking about the walk of Faith, we find others brought in as we mentioned Abraham, and then it mentions and that's 11Th verse through faith, Sarah also herself, and then in the ninth verse dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob.
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When I'm speaking about those before that, we have mentioned Abel and Enoch and Noah. We're not told about those others, but in the Walk of Faith, there were those who were companions, who were helpers. And isn't this a little word of encouragement? How often in family life there could be such a help in the pathway of faith as we share these things together?
Father and mother and children can be a great blessing in sharing these things of faith.
Because the path of faith is not an easy one, and it is a great blessing when there are those who are, shall I say, helpers with us. We find that in connection with Jonathan, he had an armor bearer who was an encouragement to him.
And then I just also was thinking about this eleventh verse. It says through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed. In the 4th chapter of Romans speaking about Abraham, it says in the 20th verse.
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. I might mention here that in the new translations it is not strong in faith but strengthened by faith, and it's the same thought. In our 11Th 1St year through faith, Sarah received strength. I mentioned this because some person might say, well there do seem to be those who are strong in faith, but I don't think I'm one of them.
I don't really think my faith is very strong. Well, the scripture never speaks about being strong in faith, but it does speak about being strengthened by faith. And that's important because it's not how much faith we have, but whether it's in the right person.
Some people can have faith in their own faith, confidence in their own faith. But as we put our confidence in the Lord, then when situations arise, not whether I have enough faith or the situation, but rather, is the Lord sufficient for this situation? Is he able to give me guidance? Is he able to help? Is he able to give me the strength to meet this situation? And as we trust Him, then we receive that strength that is necessary for the situation?
So if there should be anyone here who is thinking of how weak your faith is, remember that the Lord Jesus said that if we had even strength like a grain of mustard seed, we could move mountains. And if any of us have any mountains in our life that we haven't been able to move yet, then we must have less space than a grain of mustard seed. So I don't think we can do much boasting about our faith, but we can do a great deal of boasting about the one and whom we trust. Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
And that's the theme here, the person in whom we trust. Let's think of that. Let's think of whether he's worthy of our confidence in all that we have to meet in life. And then we'll find that he will give us the strength to meet these problems and difficulties. And again, I say in family life, there's a lot of.
Families represented here, when these difficulties are talked over at home, as they often are, how often a little word from a husband or wife, or even the children, or as parents to the children, can help them through a difficulty just by encouraging them to that confidence in the Lord, seems to me quite remarkable that only in the walk of faith do we find these other names introduced here as showing what helpers we can be in this path.
Get farther on in the chapter that by faith they passed through the Red Sea with the Assyria the Egyptians are saying to do.
Were drowned. Well, you would think to read of those people that they had no faith at all.
They were saying, You brought us out here to perish in the wilderness. There were mountains each side, and and Pharaoh with his great army and all his Chariots behind him. Well, when Moses told him to go forward.
That was the obedience of faith. He went forward with nothing but the waters of the Red Sea ahead of them. But God dried up the Red Sea and they went through on dry ground. So when we act as you say, it isn't a great amount of faith. In fact when the disciples said Lord increase our faith, that verse you were quoting, if you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, so to speak, it isn't how how much faith you have, but use the faith that the Lord has given you in the person.
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That you're trusting in and then you can surmount the difficulties and make the dangers of the way.
Maybe saying 3:30 call 334.
The love of God. Through the love of God our Savior, all will be well.
Free and change. This is his favor all. All is well. Precious is the blood that he loves. Perfect is the grace and seal that is strong. The hand stretched small to shield us all must be well, 334.
Hebrews 11:13-20
Reading
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231.
And three.
Ephesians 3 and 20.
I suggest that this has to do with the subject of Ephesians 3, not with temporal things, merely now unto him that is able.
00:05:11
To do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask, or think according to the power that worked in.
Us unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. And one verse in John.
The 7th chapter.
The end of the 37th verse if any man thirst.
Let him come unto me and drink.
He that believeth on me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this fake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost, was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
And I'd rather steal it as the mind of the Lord.
Go on with the 11Th of Hebrews.
Beginning with the 13th verse.
Seems the hymn that we're seeing.
Especially touched with that how the Spirit of God is leading home the Bride of Christ.
Hebrew 11.
Verse 13.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises.
But having seen them a far off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out.
They might have had opportunity to have returned.
But now they desire a better country that is unhealthy.
Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God.
For ye hath prepared for them a city.
By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.
Whom it was said that in Isaac, shall thy seed be called.
Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead.
From whence also he received him in a figure.
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph.
And worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel.
And gave commandment concerning his goals.
By faith Moses when he was born.
Was it 3 months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child?
And they were not afraid of the King's commandment.
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaohs daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin per season.
00:10:14
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.
For he had respect under the recompense of the reward.
By crazy forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
Through faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood.
Lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them.
Faith. They pass through the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians are saying to do, were drowned.
There's a very striking possibly in this verse 13 verse, these all died in faith and what we have in the 10th chapter.
At verse 28.
He that despised Moses, Lord died without mercy.
Thing to die without mercy.
We despise the grace of God. That's what the end will be.
Die without mercy, these dying in faith.
It would seem that in Hebrews we have the two positive sides. That is, either you are a believer or you're an apostate.
And so this is emphasized and the warning is given in the verse our brother called her attention to in the 10th chapter, just as it was in the early part of the second chapter, because God has spoken now.
Through his Son he might have spoken before to the Father through various Ways and Means, but now the full life of the revelation of what God is has come through His Son and those who.
Despise that revelation.
There's only one thing left, and that's judgment.
And so we have the two positive sides. There are those who died in faith. Isn't that lovely? And then, of course, the warning to those who would reject this marvelous, marvelous truth. And, brethren, isn't it a marvelous truth that we who were sinners of the Gentiles should be brought into such a place of elevation and blessing to be associated with God's own Son?
To be accepted in the beloved.
To be in the father's houses as one of his children, To enjoy the liberty of the Father's house, because I believe that's what's meant by the prodigal having shoes or sandals on his feet, That is, he has the liberty now of the Father's house. Oh, brethren, this is what we've been brought to and in the 12Th chapter.
Of Hebrews. We've not come to Mount Zion, to Mount Sinai. We've come to Mount Zion, or the heavenly city, really the heavenly Jerusalem. And there we have all grace, don't we?
Whereas sin, the ice book of law. And so I believe we have the two things here, and the Spirit of God would engage us, I believe, with this path of faith and the end of the path.
And that is.
The one who is there already has entered him, as we have in the 6th chapter, the forerunner, even Jesus.
I just want to request you just for a little while and I'm going to pass on something that I enjoy very much. Yesterday in connecting the day before yesterday in connection with being Pilgrim and stranger. And it's found on verse 9 now in the world, Countries Knowledge in the book of Exodus Chapter 20, I believe it is. I think we see a contrast that is very significant and how blessed we have been of our garden, Father.
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Chakta Kwani, I believe it is of the book of Exodus. We find that something they encounters in verse five in connection with those that train and worship idols instead of a worship in the true God. And a knowledge of TD is the only one, not as what it says on verse five of Exodus chapter 20. It says that thou shall not power down thyself to them, nor serve them, for I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God visiting.
The iniquity of the fathers upon the children.
Arm to the trade and four generation of them that hate me. Now here in Hebrew Chapter 11 and verse verse nine we have a blessed contrast. Here we have 3 generations, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. How they became pilgrims, Well our brother was speaking to us about grace. Grace.
It was the grace of God that saved us.
And as the grace of God that has made us pilgrims, Abraham was taken from the land of the Chaldeans, land of worship in the idol. Did Abraham fail? Well, yes, he did. What about Isaac? He did. What about Jacob? He did. And so do we, and I in particular. But it was the grace of a God that was very much played our brother in the message yesterday. That is the grace of God, that he saves us.
And as the grace of God, that makes us pilgrims. And what a wonderful example we have in the person of the Lord Jesus. We need ever to look to him.
Our brother was telling us yesterday that if you want to warm your heart, just read the poor gospel. And of course, if you want to get the doctrine, you're going into the epistles. And as you look at the one that was the perfect strange in Pilgrim, he will move our feet to become strange and Pilgrim in a very blessed, practical way.
We started reading These All 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, I believe there is the practical carrying out of embracing a great and precious promises that Peter speaks of.
What will be the effect in our lives? It will make us strangers and pilgrims below. It isn't that we put ourselves under law and.
Try to control ourselves and say no, I can't go here, I can't go there, but let's have our minds and our hearts delighting and.
These promises.
How many more promises we have than those of old that we're reading of here. But what they had and what was revealed to faith made them strangers here below, and that's what God would have for his people like the Malachi Taylor says. Strangers with such strange ways.
Ariel, we you can't share in what the world is finding its satisfaction in. We've got a heavenly country a home before us and as J&D puts it to this to the treasure we found in thy love that has made us now pilgrims below. So I believe it is a very.
Lovely subject for us.
For after these meetings are over, everyone has to face the world.
Some with greater problems than others.
But it's a poor old world that rejected and crucified our Blessed Lord. But a little brethren may we have these promises before them. And you know, when you embrace anything.
Oh, how close you draw to your heart, and it's something of such importance, such great value to you. Well, maybe not. Just Simply listen to the instruction that I trust will be a.
00:20:14
A practical value, but may we make it our very own?
May we put great importance upon it, so that it's honoring to the Lord to walk past strangers here below. And another thing, isn't it true, brother, that in walking a strange design and keeping with the path the Lord has marked South?
We must act upon the whole truth of the word of God. If we go on to bypass metals like like Pilgrim progress, we'll soon find ourselves in the enchanted gardens where, you know he fell into the dungeon of old.
Giant despair. So keep steadily on the path of the truth of God. Don't turn.
To the right-hander to the left. For I believe indeed that God has gathered us.
How to hear the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ apart from all divisions and systems of men? And if we begin to compromise and think, we can find some pastor elsewhere.
We'll soon stray away from the blessed pathway that are.
Lord himself has already marked out before us. We were reading this morning in the family, reading where I'm staying, the 17th of John.
Where the blessed Lord and talking to his Father, he says they are not of this world. Even as I am not of this world. Can we think of the Lord as having any part or parcel in this poor world?
Well, his separation is our separation.
We have a nice example of a Pilgrim or a stranger in Numbers 20 and verse 17 in connection with Moses.
Numbers 2017.
Let us pass, I pray thee through thy country.
We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards.
Neither. When we drink of the water of the wells, plural. This might refer to the pleasures of the world. We will go by the King's Highway, a death in the past marked out for the film. We will go by the King's Highway. We will not turn to the right hand north of the left until we have passed thy borders. Here we have surely a bit of a picture of a Pilgrim stranger answering through the world without encroaching on its right.
Certainly not to the right hand north of the left, having one object with Forest to get through the goal, the other end.
A very nice brother Gladdy and the next verse of our chapter.
They that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Well, we want not only to be in the enjoyment of these things, but we should be a testimony to those surround us and not an uncertain testimony.
It's sad when a child of God gets into a state where they can talk the language of the world when they're with people of the world, and talk the language of Christians when they're with Christians. I've known such and I've seen it in the sad and solemn way.
Let's be careful, brethren. Of course, I'm not saying that you can't talk business when you're in business, or that's your occupation, and you can't talk about heaven and such holy things in your school life.
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Because you're preparing for.
The journey, but rather than may the tendency of our ways be such that we declare plainly that there may be that about our actions and our and our conversation, when not on definite business subjects, that will remind.
Those that we're with?
Of the fact that we're heavenly citizens often think brother Hale of your uncle Robert to have little business. So on time years ago and the parliament building, I remember how he took an opportunity to speak to a very important man there about it, the things concerning his eternal welfare. He didn't miss that opportunity, while business was the.
Occasion of our being there.
Yet he was declaring plainly.
Then he belonged to another world altogether.
I thought through that it's a kind of special challenge in this 13th and 14th verses, because when we compare what we possess now, is that what they possess, those referred to in the 11Th chapter, surely we can say that that's what we possess is a much more full and wonderful revelation and present possession that which they had.
Not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and what a tremendous and evident effect it had upon their whole life testimony. Well, you and I surely have that which is now our spiritual heritage, as well as that which yet lie ahead. I sometimes think of the comparison between the 6th of Exodus and the first of Ephesians. In Exodus 6 we hear the Lord promising his.
Enslaved people, that's what he's going to do for them. I will bring you up from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will with you of their ******* and I will take you to me for a people and so on, promising eventually that they will be brought into the land and that it will be given to them for inheritance.
And you turn to Ephesians One, and you find we have over and over again. As you go down the chapter you find the revelation not of equity, the far off, but of that which we right now possess in ours. And I feel, as I see verse 13 and 14, the effect of these far off promises upon those who believe them, and the declaration of their life.
What an effect there ought to be in the light testimony of those of us who have this present wonderful heritage, as well as the assurance of that which is yet future. I think of the Lord being brought up to an exceeding high mountain, and shown all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them, and it only took a moment of time to see them all.
There was not for one moment the hesitation as to the attraction of these things. Where had he come from? He'd come from that home of unspeakable glory. Now what did this world and all the glory of this world look like in the eyes of one who had come from the glory of God? Presence. Oh, how dim it must have looked at its very best. And I believe this is the secret with us, if we are in the enjoyment of that which is our heritage.
If we are in the anticipation of that which lies ahead, all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them will be very, very different.
Test With that word, embrace, we could find a word to translate into the Inca tongue.
A word that would explain embrace.
Well, we discovered one word that expressed it in left tongue, and the Indians got it. It means really to hug, to hug them to the heart, to the to the bosom. And so here we have these in the Old Testament, hugging these. What about us today, beloved? Sometimes we slip very glibly over the truth, you know?
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And forget that we are a heavenly people and we get carried along with the world.
We were in a section to the north of Bolivia and we noticed that something had occurred, that the fish had died. So I drew the attention to the Indian with me that these were dead fish going with the tide, with the, with the stream, rather because the river and the Indian immediately remarked, he said brother.
It's easy for the dead fish to go with the current, but it takes a live fish to go against the cart. And so we came to the question of these wonderful promises that the children of Israel, that these who died in faith, they they hugged them to their heart, to their bosom. Do we cherish the word in this way, beloved? Here we have all the realities of it.
Do we hug it to our bosom?
Truth is only understood as it is couched in the language of God. Do we cherish the word of God and hug it to our bosom? To our hearts?
First brother mentioned the 4th of Luke the devil showing the Lord all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. He just unrolled before the Lord's eyes all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. But let me turn to Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 7.
It says that in the ages to come.
Not the amount of time He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. It took the devil just a moment of time to show the Lord all the kingdoms of the world, and it's going to take the Lord the the fall of eternity to show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
In the next verse of our chapter.
Truly up there had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
There's always the tendency with our poor heart go back to the world, and one thing especially are the young people who have confessed Christ as a Savior and they want to please the Lord. But there is that drawing back to.
4 companions.
And two former ways. Well, do we not get a lesson in this verse? If they had been mindful of that country, they could have had opportunity to have gone back. So God doesn't put us under law, but he holds something infinitely better before the soul, and that's why.
The lava did so very important.
To daily read the word of God.
Remember when I was a young man?
I was at a tenth meeting and Brother close was present and he asked the question, he says. How many in this tent read a chapter in the Bible every day?
One brother raised his hand. That was brother GAIL Scott. The brother and I learned a lesson there and then.
Of the importance.
Or how wonderful it is if we are carrying that out, and if we're not neglecting his word. Because you know, brethren this, that if we close our Bibles, put it on the shelf.
We're just connected with this present scene. I'm not saying the world, but this present scene, where do we get eternal thoughts? Where do we get anything of joy is beyond this passing life. We get it in this book.
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And to neglect this book, you see, the tendency is for us to go back to the country from which we came out. But.
Here we have those of us, Pilgrim life they lived as pilgrims, and the promises, the hope of the fulfillment of these promises, were such.
That they had no inclination to go back, although they could have gone back. Abraham could have taken his tent and his servants and gone back to her. Of the calories. There was his family connections and everything but all he had found something.
In his Pilgrim life there, that was so far superior to anything he had ever learned.
His life before the Lord called him. But he was satisfied. And it's lovely that he goes on in that Pilgrim life. Never builds a house, never has any subtle abode. He continues that path to the end of the journey. Beloved me, we be kept going on in this path of pilgrims and strangers.
In this world till the Lord calls us into His presence and glory.
Chapter 3 gives us two next verses there. Philippians chapter 3.
In connection with the Apostle Paul, we have a very blessed example, and here's what the Apostle Paul has to say.
Chapter 3, verse seven and eight to say but what things were gained to me?
This thing I consider lost for Christ.
Yeah, Douglas and I quaint all things for lust for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffer the loss of all things, and I count them with tongue that I might win Christ at Pilgrim parts. Isn't it, brother?
Connection with this part of the chapter we have.
Our brothers mentioned.
Christ.
In Hebrews we have a great shepherd. That's in the 13th chapter, I suppose.
And I was thinking of the connection.
With what we have in this chapter, the promise.
Now, it wasn't simply that they were looking for a literal city, was it? It wasn't simply that they were looking for material things We learned from Galatians, that that promise was Christ.
1C.
Christ. And if we think of the early part of Hebrews, we find that Moses is mentioned first as the one who had the mind of God to lead the people across this waste, howling wilderness.
Then we have Aaron, the one who kept them in connection with God.
In communion and for worship.
The priest.
But we find they're both set aside.
Everything is set aside and by the time we get through Hebrews, we have nothing left but Christ.
That's the promise, brethren.
And if we're going to get through this wilderness?
It will be in connection with this promise, the person of Christ.
And we find that if all of these are set aside, these examples have gone before. The Spirit of God would occupy us not with temporal visible things, but with what they refer to. We're going to be with Christ.
It isn't a place.
If Christ is here, it will be heaven. If we go up there, it's heaven.
Think of that little company in the House of Mary Martin Lazarus.
Oh, how wonderful it would have been to have been there and to have had the Spirit of God indwelling at the same time.
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And we see that 13th of John There we see the heavenly family, Jesus in the midst.
Well, the day is coming when it will be like it was in the 9th chapter of Luke when those who had come.
The the the ones, Elijah and Moses, they suddenly disappear and they saw no one but Jesus only.
That's the way it will be, and I believe that's what the spirit of God would occupy us with here.
Not temporal, literal things, merely, but what they speak of. And we're so prone to think of things in that light, that is, of what we see around us. But the Spirit of God would raise us to a higher level, I believe, and as we have in Ephesians.
3 The whole purpose of it all is that we might know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, And we have it here, too. There's one shepherd, a great shepherd. He replaces all that have gone before, and if it were not for that shepherd, we'd never get through this wilderness. And it'll take a great shepherd to do it because of what we are, but he's going to see us through.
And I was thinking of this.
16 First Brother Barry.
You're called our attention to these points here. But why is it that God is not ashamed to be called their God?
Well, it's because they weren't mindful of those things. They had one Arctic before them. It wasn't simply a literal city, but it was the promise.
It was the person Now they didn't know of Christ as we know him, but we learned from the Gospels that Abraham rejoiced to see my day and was glad. And even though faith may not see everything here, the object still is the object that God has set before our souls, and we see very little now.
But oh, what a day it will be like in the.
13 chapters of First Corinthians. Well, we'll know as we are known. We only know in part now, but let's enjoy the part we do know.
Well, that thought of God is not ashamed.
To be their God, we have prepared for them a city. Doesn't that show that there's companionship along the way? It's something special.
It's not something that said all God's children, but those who have heavenly things before them. There's a there's nothing that in their lives which brings shame and.
And which dishonors the Lord he can.
Hear delights to be to be called their God, or he has prepared for them a city. Well, we well know, beloved, that every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is saved and on his way home to glory.
And everyone will be there not because of faithfulness, not because we made ourselves strangers and pilgrims here below, but it'll be entirely his faithfulness. But oh beloved, isn't that important that we lay hold of the truth of what it is to be the enjoyment of those things that are before us?
A singing of a verse in the Epistle of John and the 4th chapter.
No, it's the second chapter.
The 17th verse. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God.
Abideth forever the person and there and the life are looked at as one. He that is, the one who is following the Lord, is to abide forever.
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Well, when the Lord comes, if we're walking in communion, what will it be? But just to change world, won't it? To go right on enjoying the Lord in another and a better scene, instead of walking by faith, then to walk by faith?
But it's the very same joys that we find down here that we'll continue to enjoy when the journey comes to an end and we enter His presence so he abideth forever. Just think of being in the communion and fellowship of that which will be our very life.
All eternity.
He walked regard and he was translated, I suppose was not intentional about him. It just was taken from this world into heaven. Whereas blessed to walk with God, isn't he beloved presence, the Rapture is going to come and just be going to go to be with him and to know him better.
The reference Brother Mary.
To the second chapter of first, John is very helpful.
For it has to do with communion. Down here, you'll notice that there are four things mentioned in that chapter. I'm sure you've noticed.
The keeping of his word number one. That's in verse 5.
That we keep His word. This is particularly necessary for us here as pilgrims. The keeping of His words, not the commandments as some teach Commandments of Moses are not mentioned here, but it's the keeping of His word. And then in verse 6.
We have these words.
He that says he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked. Surely that's a great challenge to a Pilgrim, to walk through this world even as he walked. Can we walk the same?
We can even as he walk, can we do that? Here is the challenge to us to walk even as he walked, one brother said to the other. I can't hear what you say, brother, because of what you do.
To walk even as he walked. And then we over further, there's the loving of our brother in verse 10.
These are characteristics, beloved of the pilgrims, of one who is walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
Of course, in Hebrews we have nothing of the assembly there. The assembly doesn't come into the book of Hebrews. But here we have something that's very practical.
Now that our brother Barry has mentioned there's the loving of our brethren, we can't always love their ways.
And we can't always walk with them, but we can truly love them. For he loved them. I have loved thee with an everlasting love concerning his earthly people. And then verse 15.
Love not the world.
How often we think of the world as the created world. But it's not the word here that's used. It's not God's matchless work. It's this diabolical spirit that pervades everything. And we saw something of it yesterday, Brother Brethren, and we were wonderfully spared from the horrors of yesterday that was the Lord's doing.
It's this diabolical spirit that perverts, pervades, pervades everything we notice it.
And it grieves our hearts to see it, and it grieves our hearts to see that God's dear people go along rather too much in the current of it. It's a very, very terrible current, and we find ourselves carried along.
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If we're not very careful, but then this verse that our brothers mentioned, the world passes away with its lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God.
Abideth forever. Oh, that is a wonderful verse, Brother Mary, he that doeth the will of God.
Abideth forever.
In the object of Christ of Christ, wasn't it?
He said I came down from heaven not to do my known will, but the will of him that sent me.
And I he could say No, I come to do thy will, O God.
That was his object wasn't to.
Glorify God his father by doing his will every step of the journey. Someone mentioned this morning that Abraham was possibly an idolater. Well left Joshua 21 and verse four. I think that's true, but he owned nothing in Cain but a tomb. That's all he has in Cain, A tomb but beyond the tomb.
Pardon me, brother. Beyond the tomb there was that glorious bright hope of resurrection, of resurrection. But that's all Abraham had in Canaan 2.
Our brother, but I thought you were through. But when we come to the 17th verse, we find the test of faith.
By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.
God not only gives the faith, but he tests the faith. And I suppose there was never a child of God whose faith was so sorely tested as the faith of Abraham, and God didn't give him this test of faith at the beginning of his.
Entering the Promised Land.
But I believe it was about 25 years after God had made him the promise and given him a son.
That God puts him to the test if he was willing to OfferUp Isaac.
Where an obedience to His word hung that lovely to notice this that God saw in Abraham one who he could trust with this trial. And what a wonderful test it was of his faith. Of course, the.
The beautiful side of the way it brings in the gospel of God offering up his only begotten Son.
Not sparing that son of his love, but there is this practical side that is instructive for us, and that is to see that God could trust one who had gone on so many years.
And the path of faith, so that now he could tell him to offer up the dearest object of his life, that some that he'd given him in his old age. But again, we see that faith doesn't hesitate. He doesn't delay. He rose early in the morning, saddled his *** took Isaac, prepared the woods.
Took the knife and the fire and he doesn't stop until God calls to him or the Angel calls to him out of heaven.
Well, we and are small major.
Are called upon in our pilgrimage to pass through tests of faith. But when these tests come, as they do come in our lives.
If we've been walking, seeking before God to walk in obedience.
Well, then there is that preparation of soul to face the tests and the trials that we're going to experience for all. This was in connection with his wilderness journey that God put Abraham to this far and great tests.
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To see how far.
Here's how he would be obedient to his word. Brethren, how far are we willing to submit to the word of God?
Romans 15/8 and 2nd Corinthians 120.
Now the first.
Verse was First Corinthians 15.
Corinthians One, 20.
Well, there is this, the very Romans. 15-8 Now I see that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision, for the truth of God confirmed the promises made unto the Fathers, then the next person that the Gentiles.
My glorify God for his mercy. Where's the other verse?
In one verse 20.
For all the promises of God in him are Yay and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Now, brother, how far? I'm not a very much of a teacher, and I feel kind of my limitations when I ask the question like that. Of course we see there in Romans God's promises.
For Israel will all have their fulfillment in God's time and way, but now His grace has come into the Gentiles so that they might glorify him too.
And then in this.
For all the promises of God.
For all the promises of God in him.
Oh yeah, yeah. Now I'm in.
That includes the promises made, Abraham. Indeed it does. I'm glad you gave me a clue to what you had. Yes, all the promises that God made to Abraham.
Are one and all to be fulfilled. He's going to give him the land of Palestine, although they're struggling in their own strength to get it now. But when God's time comes, he's going to give.
That land.
Oh yes, his people, Israel.
But that's a lovely word there about.
All the promises of God are in him. That is, they're all in Christ and they're yay, they're all men. So be it. Amen. Obese. Let it be accomplished to the glory of God. Now perhaps someone can.
Answer you better than I could.
People of Israel, when they put themselves on the ground of responsibility.
The blessing was based on their obedience, and if they failed, there was no obedience. But in the case of our blessed Savior, every promise as because of God's grace, they are yeah, in a man in Christ. What a country, what a blessing that is. I know, Brother Gordon, you have some thoughts on that. You remember that before when you I told you once before.
Well, I believe in Romans 15. The contrast in the eighth verse is also with the.
16 First, that is, in the eighth verse it says. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers. And then in the 16th verse, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles ministering the gospel of God, and the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, that is the Lord Jesus when he was here.
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Did not bring out the truth of the church in the body of Christ. He was the minister of the circumcision. And all those promises that had been made to Israel as a nation will all be fulfilled because of what Christ has done. But the Apostle Paul had something more wonderful in a sense to do, and that was to bring out the truth of the church. And so he speaks of himself as being a minister.
Of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles ministering the Gospel of God.
He has a wonderful privilege of bringing out the truth of the Church. He speaks of that also in Colossians, where he says to fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ for his body's sake, which is the Church, and so not only the promises made to Israel.
But all that God has purposed for God's purpose we have brought out in Ephesians one and 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him.
Saw that this precious Savior is the one who is not only going to bring in this earthly blessing that has been promised, but he is going to bring in a heavenly sphere of blessing too. And all the promises of God and Him are yay and in him to the glory of God by us.
Anything that rested upon man would fail about anything that rests upon Christ can never fail. Indeed, I believe rather than connected with what we have here in Hebrews Chapter 11 and the emphasis in that 16 verse is on now. But now they desire a better country. It must have been very difficult for Abraham to understand that when God promised him blessing on the earth to thee and to thy seed, I will give this land for him to live and die without getting even a foot of land that he could call his own.
That must have been a very real test to his faith, to have continued right to his dying day. And Jeff, God had said he was going to have that lamb. Well, if you were to ask Abraham now and say, well, Abraham, God promised to give you that land and you never possessed it in your whole lifetime. All he say, I see now, God had something better in you than what I had anticipated. I had looked for the fulfillment of the promise.
Hero on earth. But I see he's going to have a heavenly portion for me. And more than that, when we have a heavenly portion we're going to be associated with Christ in both the heavenly and the earthly because that one who is going to take his place in heaven is going to be the center of the earths glory too. And when we are with him we're going to reign over the earth so that Abraham if he had only had the earth he would have had much less than what he's really going to have.
He's going to be associated with Christ in heaven, and where and in him all the promises will be fulfilled, that is in the seed, and so he will share in both. And so I think it shows us a very lovely thought and that is that those who have gone before are more intelligent now than they were when they were down here upon earth. Now they desire a better country. That is, I believe it's all clear to Abraham now and that there's something that God has before him that's better than what he had here upon earth. And we can see too that when.
Moses and Elias were on the mount. They were more intelligent than talking on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Than they ever were in their lifetime here, because in the heavenly scene there is a fuller entering into these things. Of course the perfection of it will be when the Lord Jesus comes and the whole redeem company are there. And then, as it's been remarked, we will no longer know in part you'll know even as also we are known. All will be enjoyed fully then.
The world better appears 14 times in this epistle.
I hope that I've counted correctly, but the word better appears 14 times.
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I was reading an article written by a Christian Colonel, an English Colonel, and he mentioned that when Israel gets the land, it will be the second largest in Asia Minor.
Well, there's a great effort being made to make peace over there. All eyes are upon one little spot, beloved just now, Jerusalem, all the eyes of the world are centered there.
There will be all the riches of this world concentrated there too.
Someone said what about the Dead Sea?
Well, the Dead Sea has been declared by Jewish chemists that it contains 10 times more riches than this mighty world nation put together. 10 times more riches in the Dead Sea in the First World War. Thank God I wasn't sent to that section of Jordan. The Lord delivered me from their dreadful.
Experience where the Anzacs, the New Zealanders and the Australians, lots of them went raving mad with the heat and they threw themselves into that sea to drown themselves, but they floated.
They didn't. They couldn't drown. And they floated. And that led. That led the Jewish chemists to analyze it 10 times more richer in that one sea and in this mighty land put together.
Well, there the eyes are, all on that one spot. They're trying to make peace.
Without the Prince of Peace. But they'll get the land, as our brother has remarked, when God gives it to them, they'll get it.
In the 15th chapter that was referred to of Romans.
The 8th to the 12Th versus perhaps would give us those who participate in that millennial blessing.
Going down to our verse that we've referred to the test in the 17th verse of our chapter that Abraham had, I've been much struck by a few comments at the end of our chapter.
For instance, the one that speaks of Daniel. Daniel is not mentioned.
But all is said of him was to stop the mouths of lions.
Now perhaps some would wonder why.
Such an expression occurs in Scripture.
But I believe it's connected with what our brothers just brought out.
That Abraham was not tested at the beginning of his journey in this way.
He was tested after he had walked and learned to walk with God.
Now, in connection with Daniel, all that's mentioned is when he was finally tested and the Spirit of God had prepared him for the test.
I doubt if Daniel would have been able to go into the den of lions when they selected him as one of the Princess to stand before the king in the beginning. I doubt it very much.
But it was. It's a wonderful thing, isn't it, brethren in any little measure.
In which we've been given, in all of our failures to walk with God, any little measure to experience that companionship, and to get that confidence that enables us to take one step after another. And that we might grow up unto him in all things. That we might be enlarged in our hearts, that there might be that full confidence.
Which Hebrews really teaches confidence in God. Without faith it's impossible to please him. And the more we walk with God, the more we're occupied with this. Which the promise speaks of Christ, the more confidence there will be. And although we may never be thrown to lions, still we'll have tests and in the at the judgment seat of Christ.
There will be just such things as this and the end of this chapter as spoken of Daniel because it's the really the consummation of a life that was devoted to service to God walking with him. And that's all the Spirit of God needs to mention about Daniel.
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Stop the miles of lions. That's all.
So notice Brother Hop what you were saying.
About all of the quoting are calling our attention to all the promises of God are in him, that is in Christ.
And you get that thought carried out in the 18th verse, of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
And Paul commenting on that in Galatians called our attention to this.
That is not seeds as of many, but of one that is Christ.
So when God made promises to Abraham as you find it in the.
In the 12Th and I believe the 15th chapters of Genesis.
Is his seeds, that is, his descendants should be given the land of Canaan.
But when Abraham and obedience have offered up his only son.
Then we we have.
Well, I better turn to it in in Genesis 22.
Genesis 22.
Here and the 15th verse, And the Angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said by myself, have I sworn, saith the Lord, For because thou hast done this thing.
And hath not withheld thy son, Thine only son in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is upon the seashore. And thy seed shall possess the the gate of his enemies. Well, that's looking at Israel as a nation in their final position of the.
Country that God prompts.
But look at the next verse.
And in thy seed Now here's what Paul specially speaks of. And in thy seed shall all the nations of earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. And you'll find, typically from the time of the offering up of Isaac, that Isaac becomes the type of the risen Christ.
So that all our promises are now in that risen, glorified man.
And that's the 18th verse, I believe it's the quotation from the 21St of Genesis. And the last part of that verse, the 12Th verse, it says for in Isaac shall I see be called. And I think this is very precious, because what was it that sustained Abraham when he was called to OfferUp Isaac? It was just one verse of Scripture Now, that is if God called him to offer up his sons.
He had previously said in Isaac, Shall I see? Because so he said, God has said that in Isaac shall I see be called. And if he's asking me to offer him up, he must be going to raise him again from the dead, because his promise can't fail. And brethren, I think this is a lesson for us. We have to go through testing. And we might say, well, I don't know whether I could stand the test. I'm not quite as strong as Abraham or as Daniel.
What was it? The sustained Abraham. It was one verse of Scripture, And that one verse of Scripture strengthened him to endure that trial. And that's what we need too when we face the difficulties of life. If we look in and think about our faith, or how we have proved ourselves in the past, we might well hang our heads. But when we think of God's word, when we take our stand upon some precious verse of Scripture.
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That's what gives us confidence to meet the difficulties and trials of life and to look beyond what we can't understand for. I'm sure he couldn't understand this, but he said it must be so. God has said it and he's able to raise up my son. That's just what God wanted me to think.
Because it was a figure of Christ going into death and being raised again. I think it's so beautiful. All because we don't have to have a great knowledge of the scripture to stand in trial. One verse of scripture is enough to sustain the soul and enable us to go through some tremendous difficulty that may come in life.
Thank you that we learned this, that we perhaps will never know in this life why God permitted us to go through some great trial or sorrow. Now Abraham all his life times didn't know that in offering up Isaac on that order that he was furnishing for all time and for all eternity.
A picture of God the Father offering up his only begotten son. Well, when he reaches the glory and we are in the glory with him, perhaps we'll go up to Abraham and tell him what that meant to us. Oh, what a reward for all eternity. And yet it looks so dark and sad and.
Unreasonable for him to have to go through that trial.
And yet, when you think of what he has gained for all eternity, we just can't estimate it at all. So there are things down here that we'll never understand the reason for in this life.
As the Lord said to the disciples when he washed their feet, what I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter all a wonderful.
Encouraging word, that is, Thou shalt know. Hereafter we're going to have many of the puzzles of this life all cleared up when the Day of Glory dawns.
And we're with and like Christ.
Wonderful promise and the one verse to Abraham. I was thinking what fetus says the 2nd epistle in connection with all God's promises. He calls them exceeding great and precious promises. He also speaks of the precious faith to embrace them and enjoy them.
Not only the promises, but the precious faith is picked off to enjoy them and to claim them rest upon them. Isn't it nice here to go on with this 20th verse? Here by faith Isaac bless Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. We have been noticing the outstanding faith and the action of Abraham, but here with Isaac when you go back and read the account as it's given to us in Genesis.
We find that Isaac almost blessed the wrong one. He was going to bless Esau instead of Jacob, but the mention of his failure is omitted here, and the Spirit of God only speaks of that which was of faith in his action.
Thing Following immediately this lovely example of faith, it can be encouragement to us. Sometimes we seek to do something for the Lord, and failure is mixed with it. But God still sees that which is a faith and is pleased to record it. And so it was a desire of faith to blast about him going about it. There were natural things that almost led him to go to the wrong one.
He loved venison, and he was almost going to blast the boy that should bring him the venison. But God intervened and doesn't. God often intervene in our lives? If we think of how we have tried to do something to the Lord, and perhaps something of self has come in, then the Lord graciously comes in and he intervenes.
But he takes notice of the desire. He takes notice of the faith. I was thinking of David when he wanted to build a house for the Lord. The prophet told him now that his son was to build it. But there was the added comment. It was good that it was in thine heart, so that God does take notice of these things. And this ought to be an encouragement, because when we read about Abraham, we might hang our heads, but when we read about Isaac, then we're encouraged to see that.
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Does take notice of that faith, even in cases where there's failure?
Said that he saw stole his birthright for a mess of pottage. Of Isaac came very near selling the blessing for a mess of venison, but God allowed Esau, who was not a man of faith, to go on in his course.
Sad and solemn as it was, but for his own.
Child True believer. As you see in Isaac, God didn't allow him to go on to the bitter end of what his failure could have resulted in.
You connect that then with the pouring out of the broth, in the case of Gideon, where it wasn't acceptable, but the kid was acceptable, and the rest of the sacrifice. And also would it be connected with Leviticus, where the the feathers and the the crop of all this was put under the altar? And isn't it marvelous that our great High Priest?
The one who?
Presents the praises he presents, That's what's acceptable. And that that would go whether it be worship or whether it be service. Wouldn't it lovely.
Five six 256.
Raise the same.
Thank you.
Hebrews 11:21-40
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Hebrews 11.
21.
By faith, Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph, and worshipped leaning on the top of his staff.
By faith, Joseph, when he died.
Made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones.
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By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw you with a proper child, and they were not afraid of the King's commandments.
By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin. Four Seasons.
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured us, seeing him who is invisible.
Through faith he kept the Passover on the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them.
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians are saying to do, were drowned.
By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days.
By faith, the harlot, Rehab perished. Not within that believe, not when she had received the spies with peace.
And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell a Gideon and a Barrack, and of Samson, and of Gypsy, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets.
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.
Quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword out of weakness, were made strong.
Wax valiant. Infight. Turn to flight the armies of the aliens.
Women receive their dead, raised to life again, and others were tortured.
Not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection.
And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, Yeah, moreover of bonds and imprisonment.
They were stoned, They were sawn asunder, were tempted. They were slain with the sword.
They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in dins and caves of the earth.
And these all having obtained a good report through faith, to receive not the promise.
God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
I always get the blessing when I read about Jacob.
I suppose Jacob means supplanter.
But there's a portion that would encourage us this afternoon. The Lord of Hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
I was thinking while our brother was reading, I'm so glad that Abrahams name didn't come in there. For I wonder where this poor Sinner, saved by the grace of God would have come in. It's not the God of Abraham, but it's the God of Jacob. We are just poor Jacob, beloved, but the Lord of hosts is with us.
God of Jacob is our refuge. And if you wouldn't mind if I made a little.
Observation of what happened on board ship.
I don't want to take very much time.
I was coming out from Brazil in an old Fraser and I didn't know that they had realized that it was my birthday.
So the captain with whom I had been speaking concerning the Lord Jesus and I had a meeting or two on that ship. He had arranged for a cake.
And when I got into the end, he also arranged for loudspeaker on the ship.
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And when I got into the dining room.
It was a happy birthday to you.
And the lady sitting at my table said Mr. Smith, how old are you?
Well, I said I was so, so many. I was left age. And I said to to her, it's not quite prudent to ask you how old you are. And she said, Mr. Smith, I'm 60 years of age, but I'm only 55 years of age. And then tears came down her cheeks, she said the Lord Jesus saved me.
Yeah, so I'm only 55 years of age, but I'm 60 years of age. She was saved as a little girl. Well, I wondered what the what to say. And the captain and the officer said speech, speech. And I said, Lord geez, what shall I say to this bunch of folks?
So I opened the by my Bible, it's at Genesis 47 is most interesting.
And the verse.
7 If you pardon me, just going on a little here. And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
And so this was my theme for the speech How old art Thou?
And Jacob said unto Fear of the days of the years of my pilgrimage earned 130 years.
Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my father's in the days of their pilgrimage. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.
So I mentioned to them that I had been saved a number of years.
And I asked them.
Were there any in that company, who would be desirous of being saved for sins of the Lord save my soul. It's been full of many sorrows as well as many joys.
And I preached the gospel to them, with the result that three of the passengers came out for Christ as the result of the How old are you?
We trust that this may have been the experience of these meetings, that we can tell how old we are, how old we are. Then the captain invited me to his cabin. He was very interested.
And he has a little notice in his above his cabin, the seat of his cabin, and it said.
Lord Jesus.
My ship is very small and I see is so great.
Isn't it so? This came to my mind, brethren. And you'll excuse me mentioning these personal things, but isn't it wonderful? Can we say that few and evil have been our days, beloved, since we came to the feet of Christ? They've been the happiest years of our life to know that the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary.
Met our terrible need and dealt with the question of sin forever. There, Oh, happy.
You would be to know that as the result of these meetings, souls would go home rejoicing in the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
Another what he has to say on chapter 41 Isaiah in connection with the children of Israel. It's very blessed to notice that in the 41St chapter of Isaiah and verse 14.
Is very blessed. I have often taken for myself with your brother. I say chapter 41, verse 14, What an encouragement that must have been to the children of Israel.
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She is now dog warm Jacob.
And ye men of Israel, I will help thee say of the Lord very significant warm of Jacob as our dear brother, just say that's what we are. But what a wonderful lesson we can learn. In this verse here in our chapter, Jacob went through many trials, and some of those trials, they were very deep. And I suppose he brought upon himself as sometimes we do it, and as he went along the way, especially when he had to meet with his brothers, with his brother.
He had to lie and cry the neck who got an experience with for him.
And and each and every child, I believe that you learn to learn more and more to another. And here we find here at the end of his life, leaning on something else. What a wonderful lesson that is for us. Who is this one, someone else that we need to lean on as the blessed Lord Jesus Christ himself. Isn't he to lean on someone else? He was leaning upon a staff. And you know when we lean upon the blessed person of the Lord Jesus ourselves.
Then we are able to be of a blessing to others. Then Jacob, blessed is your children.
Very soon to end the hospital and our brother has mentioned Isaiah 41 and there are two verses there which I proved to be a great comfort in my own soul while I was in hospital. So the benefit of these two brothers, I'd like to read them to encourage their hearts.
And Sci-fi 4110.
There are 7 precious truths in this verse. And the Lord begins with fear. Thou not, he wants to remove all fear from our hearts first, because we do become fearful at such times.
For I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee. Yeah, I will help thee. Yeah. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
And the 13th verse. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand.
Saying unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee.
So I trust you and your brothers, Oregon, soon to enter hospital, may get a little cheer and encouragement from these verses, because I read them many, many, many times when I was there, and they were such a comfort to my own heart to think the law would not only holding my right hand, but speaking to him at the same time. Fear thou not, I was healthy.
And as the nurses were pushing me along the corridor to guard the operating room, when we got to the door of the operating room, one nurse said to the other, I wonder what the patients think when they arrive at this door. I was just about to quote this verse, which have been such a joy to my own soul. And they opened the door and pushed me in and I didn't get a chance to say a word. I was out in about a minute.
But what accompanied these verses are?
Precious of the Lord wants to remove all fear from our hearts. First of all fear, thou naughty, begin for that.
You have seen that the failure of Isaac in connection with blessings, blessings of Esau and Jacob, that it took Jacob a whole lifetime to learn his.
Sad failure.
And the way he got the blessing, he and his mother, as you remember, connive together.
To deceive poor old Isaac, because he was blind and made savory meat out of out of goat meat or kids to kids and made savory meat and he got the blessing that.
Isaac would have given to Esau.
Well, the result of that failure, he had to suffer a whole life of trial.
God would have seen to it that.
Isaac's mind was corrected if he'd awaited his mother had waited on the Lord about it. But it would seem that in the life of Jacob we have a dear child of God.
00:20:06
And yet he it took him a lifetime to learn this simple truth, to leave things with God.
And God will bring things about in his own way, if we're subject to him. So you have a Saint of God who got away from the Lord, and of all the sowing and the sad truth that it bore because of his failure, and, you know, as far as his mother.
Rebecca was concerned. She never got to see her saw her favorite son, Jacob, again.
They had to send him away to save his life from Esau. That was the discipline that came upon her. And what sad reaping, and I remember it might have been right in Des Moines, Brother Potter making this remark. He said I'd rather be a Jacob than an Isaac. Well, that seemed a kind of an extraordinary statement.
But he explains it this way, that Isaac had a very easy life.
Everything went favorably in connection with his pilgrimage.
He had no great trial.
But Jacob had.
Untold trials.
And so we find that.
How that God used these trials to develop in him?
This beautiful closing scene, just like the sunset of a life. How beautiful it was at last. He has fully submitted to the to the will of God in connection with the blessing and there leaning on his staff.
A helpless man. Now he's a worshipper at the end.
So I just take it this way that for our brother, aged brother said to us that going through trials and we may bring them on ourselves.
May not be the the most distressing part of God's ways with us.
For to have no trials at all, I think someone has said a life without trials is no life at all.
It's the trials that develop in us that acquaintance with the Lord, and break our wills and fit us for a greater enjoyment of the coming scene of glory.
Objected to that little hymn, You know, how can we sync with such a prop as the eternal God? But I believe that there's a principle there that in this passage.
That.
May apply as well to any here today who are not saved. It would be a sad thing to be an old man and weak and not be able to have a staff, wouldn't it?
We get that in the end of the book of Ecclesiastes, the same principle.
Of the old person or man and leaning on the staff, Well, it's a picture in scripture of man coming to the place where he has learned.
Through experience, to lean on someone that's stronger than he is.
Now there's an expression.
And you know, the Bible is taken up with a great deal about the history of Jacob. But there's one expression that we him was built around, I believe Lord Tisina. Remember that when he said Lord, it's enough He sees his.
His children.
All brought back and you know, brethren, it's marvelous what?
Resurrection life will bring marvelous God will never disappoint faith.
And Jacob was a man of faith. He didn't express it here very much outwardly, but he was a man of faith just the same. And deep down in his soul, when he finally saw Joseph, the one who he thought was dead, he said, Lord, it's enough. And we we sing that little hymn, you know?
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Thy grace around us for us it's rich and non exhaustive store. What's the rest of it? I can't recall.
And all his joy is ours, isn't it? Well, that's the heart of Jacob. At the end of his course he had, he had reached the place where he learned to lean now in the in the history of Israel.
I know it's bringing in Israel in the coming day, but I believe Jacob as well as Peter are both a picture of this, that in the coming day when the children of Israel.
We'll finally come back to their land. He brings them back to their border and they come in by faith into the land. They're going to remember their ways.
And my people shall be willing in the day of my power.
That will begin in Psalms 110. My people shall be willing in the day of my power. Well, that's the end that God has in view. But now the application to the center, if he's without Christ here today. Do you have a staff?
Do you have something to lean on outside of yourself?
Do you have a savior? You'll go hard with you and that day if you don't?
Here we have a man who has at the close of his days, he has the staff to lean on.
I think of the difference between what Jacob said and what the Apostle Paul said. I think we can say that the Apostle Paul had a stop, Jacob said. All these things are against me.
The Apostle Paul said none of these things move me.
He was relying upon the grace and strength of God. He certainly had a good style.
I like to notice too, the distinction between the beginning and the ending of the Psalm of Solomon. It was pointed out to us that at the beginning the statement is made. Draw me, we will run after thee. That's a very, very commendable energy. We will run after the But in the last chapter of the Song of Solomon we read Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness?
Leaning upon her beloved, the days of the eager running are ended and the days of leaning our present. And I'm sure that the one attitude is just this sweet to the heart of the Lord Jesus as the others. The eager running of early youth is very, very precious to see, and so is the leading of later life. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved. We're just about at the end of the wilderness, that's sure.
And what a sweet thing it must be to the Lord Jesus to see his people lean.
Lovely examples we have of instruction in these different ones. How beautifully the spirit of God has woven these different ones into this chapter of faith. So the next.
Is Joseph.
By faith, Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones.
Now when you think of the high position that Joseph was brought into as Lord of the whole land of Egypt, and all the people of the world came up to Egypt to buy corn and Pharaoh said go to Joseph.
Well, with all the honors he had of wife given him by Pharaoh and having a happy children.
And his family, all these things that enriched him naturally as a man with earthly blessings. But at the end of the journey, what about it? His whole heart is in another scene altogether.
Egypt has never weaned him away from the promises of God for his people, and he doesn't want even to have his bones left in that land where he'd been such an honored leader and given such a place of importance down here in this world. And his one thought was not connected with the building up of Egypt.
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Or any worldly greatness that it was, he made mention of the departing of the children of Israel. His thought was to get God's people out of that country where he had provided for them into the land that God had promised to Abraham so long before. Well, what a lesson for that, beloved, is whatever our circumstances are down here.
And however God may favor us with temporal things, may our hearts never become attached to things below, but our hopes, our joys, our prospects be always in another scene altogether.
Well, that leads to a happy life, deliverance from the snares of the enemy, to have our hopes in another world altogether.
The bold speak of resurrection. And do they we find in the 21St chapter of Second Samuel. Is it that there was famine in the land?
And.
We find that the combination of it was that as soon as David had taken the bones of Jonathan and Saul and bury them in the land of their inheritance, the famine was lifted.
They hadn't been buried in the right place.
It seems to me that there's a thought there of resurrection and.
Theirs where the blessing is and resurrection light, and so.
Looking ahead Joseph here.
Made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, but it was looking on. Was it not in in type at least to resurrection, the day of resurrection and blessings? Resurrection for Israel, of course, the nations taught, but.
I believe it's right at this point in our chapter.
Between the faith of Joseph and the 22nd verse and then taking up the faith of Moses in the 23rd verse.
We get the division of the chapter, the first part of it, the 8th of Romans, we get the patience of faith and the last part, beginning with verse 23, we get the energy of faith.
2 views of faith, Faith waiting for.
The promise?
Not settling down.
Willing to be a stranger here all that is the patience of faith and Abrahams, long years of waiting for the promised Son. But now you begin with Moses, a man that was used to leave the children of Israel out of the House of *******.
Into the blessings that God had promised. So we see the energy of faith, and I doubt not.
That both are needed in the Christian life.
Seems Brother Barry that from versus 8 on 2/22 we do get, as you mentioned, the patience of faith.
And in verse 23, it seems to me you get faith, energy, the energy of it. I think it's something really to think about.
This patience of faith.
Those verses 8 seemed to me right off to the 22nd verse would speak of the patience of faith. Had you thought of that, Brother Gordon?
Oh, see that there was a waiting time. But then, as it was remarked, there was a time for action too, wasn't there? There was a time when they must get up and leave the land of Egypt. Wouldn't have been the right time when Moses was there to have.
Or rather, when Joseph was there to try. And that wasn't God's time. But there came this time, And we see how the faith of Joseph had the effect, even though it was many years later, because it tells us that he had made mention of the departing of the children of Israel. And now the time comes that there was this promise that had been given, and there's that faith to act upon it.
00:35:24
I think it's nice about Moses and says when he was born he was hit three months of his parents because they saw that he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the King's commandment that the parents said at all. I or thought for all the glory of Egypt for their child.
But rather he was sheltered and head, and then they saw that he was a proper child, as that is according to what we have in Acts. It tells us he was fair to God. That's the marginal reading in the 7th chapter of Acts. So they looked on their child, they saw him as one given to them of God, but they saw the whole nation of Egypt against him, and they were not afraid of the King's commandments.
I thought too that when you go back and read the account in Exodus, you would certainly think they were afraid, because it tells us about placing him in that little ark and how they stationed Miriam there to watch and see what would become of him. And yet when we come to this chapter, we find another side, that God saw that confidence in him even in the midst of their fears. And I thought how often this is true of us as parents.
We certainly have fears as we see what the world and the world system is like. We see what our children are exposed to and that we can only shelter them from a certain for a certain length of time from it. And we do fear. But there's also a confidence of faith, and God sees that confidence of faith in the midst of our fears. I think that's very lovely to see because we might feel that we were very much like Moses parents who were afraid of what would happen to their child.
But we can take this time that's right before us here and know that God sees that faith that he has given. And many dear parents, I'm sure here this afternoon, have the mixture of those fears and also of that confidence of faith that counts upon God for the deliverance of our children.
Interesting, isn't it that?
When the Dave is found by the daughter of Pharaoh.
The mother of Moses isn't standing off down the road somewhere looking to see what became of her babe. It was Miriam, the sister, and she asked to go and tell her mother about what had taken place that here the the the Princess had taken the baby and wanted a nurse for him.
So it shows how how faith had operated in the heart of that mother, that she could put that beat that she loved. Must have been a beautiful child and proper child, put him in that little ark and going off and elective. But the sister stood at a distance and watched to see the outcome of it all, and even if the most remarkable thing, to see how the purposes of God.
Defeat all the schemes and plans of Satan. Now the Pharaoh had commanded to cast all the male children into the river. Well, isn't it? You might say a piece of irony, that one of the very children that he had commanded to cast into the river becomes one of his households.
And becomes the means of the deliverance of the very people that he was trying to destroy.
How God's wisdom?
Exceeds all the wisest of men. God is working out his plans in his own way and his own time, and those into the comfort as we see things getting right for judgment in this world. Sometimes you hear of the awful persecutions in communist country and see that condition getting into these lands.
To just realize this, that all that is taking place among the governments of the world, after all, is just working out God's purposes. And then when God's purposes are worked out, where then God puts into it. Perhaps someone remembers that verse that says he maketh the wrath of man to praise him.
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And.
The remainder thereof? What's the rest of it?
The remains are thereof. He restrains.
For some of us, we saw Moses going back to Egypt. After that, he spent 40 years in the wilderness, just to give an illustration of what God can do, How wonderful can God work? And you ask to Moses, where are you going? Well, you say, I'm going to go to Egypt. What for? To deliver the children of Israel from the slavery of a pharaoh by the people that will train as they scratch their head and say, this man was, he's crazy.
He has nothing with them, just a donkey.
And he drowned, rode in his hand. But here again we have the case of 1 linen. Another I believe that rod that speaks of God the power of God, doesn't he? But it's wonderful to see the what the grace and the power of God can do. Moses went back to Egypt. Absolutely have nothing by himself without to say, well, I have enough power to defeat Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out. But he had a rod and he said.
And God with him.
Story told Mr. Darby there was a Mr. Doctor Brooks, a very prominent preacher in Saint Louis and Mr. Darby Day, and he spent some little time with him, and this dear man was getting so much truth that it was really exercising him. So he said one day to Mr. Garvey. He said. I believe, though, that Providence has put me in the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Darby promptly replied that Providence put Moses in the court of Pharaoh, but faith took him out. Well, you might think that Moses in the high position that he occupied, that he could have used his great influence to have relieved the children of Israel of their of their burdens, and made life more.
Agreeable to them.
But still, they've been in Egypt, wouldn't they?
No face action is complete deliverance from every phase and and character of this Egypt world.
7610 Brother Berry, that verse you quoted was Psalm 76 and 10.
It's important to see that there is God's time. And just like when the children of Israel stood by the banks of the Red Sea, they wanted something to be done right away. And God said stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. There was a time to wait.
And God would come in. But then there was also a time when they perhaps felt like standing still when he said, speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. Now there was a time for action. There was something that was to be done. And so we find here that these verses before show us that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph we were brought, are brought before us as those who had the patience of faith, who would wait God's time.
About In Moses and in Moses parents we find those who acted in faith and we need the Lords mind to discern in our lives when we should stand still and when we should act. There are sometimes that faith is to be put into action for to go forward. There is something to be done. We said was read to us about Joshua. When he saw the defeat of AI he fell upon his face.
And the Lord said that, Wherefore, Elias saw upon thy faith.
Israel has sinned, and something was to be done to deal with that evil that was there. Well, it was right that he should get on his face that he should own before God the condition of the people of God. But they're also at the time when God would have him to act in faithfulness to him.
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And so these two things are brought before us in the Faith chapter, and it's most important for us to see this and to also know that only in communion with the Lord do we discern the right time to wait and the right time to act in the pathway of faith.
Connection with the strength of Moses. We have seven things here mentioned which are very instructive, I believe from verse 24.
First of all we have the refusal of faith. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And verse 25 We have the choice of faith, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. And verse 26 We have the calculation of faith, the steaming, the reproach of Christ, greater riches, and the precious in Egypt.
And in the 26th verse, again the prospect of faith.
Who had respect under the recompense of the reward, And in verse 27 the separation of faith by faith, and again in the 27th verse the courage of faith, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured a seeing him who's invisible. And in 28th verse we have the feast of faith.
By faith he kept the Passover.
Several things in connection with the faith of Moses.
How many years that you notice that the spirit of God brings in this chapter. What we will not find in the historical account in the book of Genesis, we don't. We're not told in Genesis that he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
That was the highest honor that anyone at that time in the world.
Could be given.
The the son of Pharaohs daughter and history says that at that time that the Pharaoh that was on the throne had no air and there was every reason to.
To have supposed that Moses would have been the next Pharaoh, but isn't it?
A remarkable thing, that when he reached the very pinnacle of what this world offers that he refused it. And what was the the choice that he made?
He refused the highest thing that the world had to offer them, but he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God and beloved, What was it that led him to be willing?
To identify himself with a down problem.
Of company of slaves there in Egypt.
It was what was in the future. He had respect. On to the recompense of the reward he saw a great reward that enabled him to refuse one of the greatest offers the world could ever offer to one down here. I remember years ago, our dear brother that I love very much that.
Had an offer, he said. That was a very dream of his life.
He started out to study law, and he was offered to be the attorney for some large country at a large salary.
He said he got the thing that over, for he was one that visited hospitals and went to the poor house and preached to the poor and went to the sanitarium where the.
Patients there with the TB were kept. He had many openings and he thought, well, now if I take this job, I won't be as free to go and and visit these places as heretofore.
And he said he looked at the paper and he said, I have thought to myself, the sooner I destroy this the better for me. So he just crumpled it all up and through it and the offer of of a lifetime that he had labored to to reach. He gave it all up to go and minister Christ to a poor soul and different places and like in the Home for the Incurable.
00:50:16
Rather, fill in that little service for the Lord you think brethren is that Brother has lost in any way for that decision.
Thanks so much the brother presence, a present remarkable evidence of the glory of the world, that compared to that which Moses chose, that the tombs of these Pharaohs today are among the wonders of the world.
The pyramids of Egypt, the tombs of the very Pharaohs, and no man knows the tomb of most.
No man knows it. What a conference, what a comparison. No man knows the tomb of Moses. But the tombs of the Pharaohs are renowned all over the face of the earth. That's as far as earthly glory goes. But think of that which Moses will enjoy forever, and what he enjoyed here too, along the way, in the company of God. I suppose some here remember brother Clifford Brown saying one time that Moses could have been an old dried up mummy.
In Egypt.
And instead of being an old dried up mummy in Egypt, where he was on the Mount of Transfiguration with Christ.
Might say, well, think of all the good things Moses could have done for his people if he'd stayed in the palace. That's natural reasoning, isn't it? But if he had, he would have been living a lie, wouldn't he? Because he was not the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And so the Christian who was in the world is living a lie, because he's not of the world.
And if we take our place in the world with the world, we're just living a lie. That's all. We're not of this world that passes away. We belong to an entirely different world. We belong to the heavenly regions, not the earthly. And so we'd be living a lie. And Moses refused. And there we have the righteousness. Do we not coming in?
JT *****.
One Scotsman by the name of Tyler to Christ before he died.
And.
Father had a section of his residence reserved for this dear man who went into the work of the Lord in the South of New Zealand.
Ah, old Crystal. Rather Crystal was his name, and he had a room with his key, and he had a bed and a table and a candle and so on for him in that room. And Mr. Crystal would turn in when he was tired to his room. But he had one brother who was a Brewer.
And a rich man, he left Mr. Mr. Crystal the sum of £50,000. In those days that would be 1/4 of $1,000,000. And so Mr. Crystal was called up to accept and take the with that which was willed to him, and he refused it. I always remember that this dear old man with his white beard and living in poverty.
He said never. This is blood money, he said. Let the government have it and use it as the government desires. I wouldn't touch it well. I've often thought of faith. Faith affects the heart, the affection of the heart and.
Our conduct is the result of the heart's affection, and he wouldn't touch that money.
He died a poor man who had died a poor man.
That's the important thing, where the heart is, because Joseph had the mind of the Lord in the high position that he was in, and he was faithful to the Lord in it. And Daniel had the mind of the Lord in the position that he was in, and he was faithful to the Lord in it. Because with neither of these men was their heart really in the position With certainly with Joseph his heart wasn't there.
00:55:04
And at the very end of his life he proved that by talking about his true portion being elsewhere, and not in all the charms that he had as a such a high position. So is Daniel willing, perhaps toward the end of his life to be in the den of lions, rather than be in the exalted high plate that he might have enjoyed. But God does allow men and women too sometimes to be in positions where they can honor him.
I think the important thing for us is, rather than us to where our heart is. If if the Lord has given us anything in the way of possessions or possession, and may the Lord grasp at our heart, might not be in it. But that we could use what He has given us for him, and be concerned to be called us, as He did Moses, to leave the whole thing, and count it as nothing, misceiving the reproach of Christ greater riches in the tragedy of Egypt.
I've often wondered about how he could esteem the reproach of Christ.
Before Christ was born and lived in this world. Grab someone. I've tried to explain it, but I'm sure someone could explain it better than myself.
All right. He identified himself with old playing. That was certainly our approach, to be identified with these slaves. But he saw them as the ones who were chosen of God. He saw them as the ones who were destined to occupy this wonderful place that they will occupy in another day. Or in thy sea shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And Jerusalem and the people of Israel are just signed to be the standard of worldly glory, not Egypt.
And saw it was a reproach to be identified within that. But he had respect to the recompense of the reward, and so with us today to be identified with those who are associated with a rejected Christ in the reproach we have in Hebrews 13.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the cap bearing his reproach. And it's in the measure in which we become identified with a rejected Christ, that we share that across here in this world. Why? Why do we do it? Well, we see him as the one whom God has appointed, who is going to be the whole center of his plan and councils, and glory, and other days. So Moses saw this by faith.
And we can see it too in our measure now.
And that's what caused him to make this choice. And it's the only thing that will enable us to make the right choice. And this day is to have the same true evaluation of things Witness. It's been said that faith never makes a mistake. Unbelievable makes many mistakes.
And so that is proven all through this chapter, isn't it? We can see it especially here in in Moses, that choice that he made. And he was acting in faith when he when by faith Moses, when he came to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, Well, he couldn't see the outcome of all what it was going to cost him and so on, but he saw that it was God's mind.
And he knew God promises and where God promises would place him. And so he acted in the faith and confidence that God's Word and God's.
Promises are true. Well, blood. Let's just remember that that faith never makes a mistake.
Or how sad it is that unbelievable.
When we're not trusting as we should and happens the confidence.
And letting the Lord bring things about, and to bring deliverance and give show his mind and his way how much we've had to lose and suffer as a consequence.
I just wondered this could the could this be the spirit appraisal of the faith of Moses in referring it to the reproach of Christ?
Somewhat similar to the Lords appraisal of the woman who anointed his body to the burial. Perhaps she didn't realize this as she poured that ointment on him, but the statement of scripture is in as much as she has done this, she has.
01:00:15
Done it for my burial, I've wondered if perhaps the statesman hear the reproach of Christ. Is the spirits appraisal of that which Moses decided so, so long before Christ was born.
Thank you, Larry. I believe that's very helpful.
The blessing was to be in the promised city, and he knew that the blessing was to be in the promised sea, who was to be Christ, the Messiah of Israel.
And so the glory of Egypt was is nothing. It's all that there was that looking on the Old Testament saying look down to Christ, we look back to it by the Cedars of vessel, it says.
Speaking of those who prophesied searching water, what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them that signify when it testified beforehand the suffering of Christ and the glory that should follow, they all look forward to that.
But only faith made it real to them and enable them to go out. I was thinking, too, of this expression to suffer affliction with the people of God. When the children of Israel came down from the time of Joseph, while they were nourished, they were given the best of the lamb. They were cared for in a wonderful way. But at this time it wasn't so to be identified with the people of God.
Meant to be a position of rejection of slavery, of of being.
Unwanted. Well, you know, I think in the second, in the early part of the Acts, as Paul preached, he told them that we must do much tribulation, enter into the Kingdom of God.
I've often thought of this generation in which we live, when we get saved and our parents rejoice, were brought into a nice company of friends. We can have many happy times together, but I believe we should be prepared, brethren, and that it's not always going to be that way. If the Lord leads us here, it may be to be identified with those who are not going to have these kind of good times.
But I'm going to have to suffer for Christ sake. It's important for us, when we decide to be identified with Christ, not to think that it's choosing to have a good time with the people of God. The Lord may allow that in goodness, but that isn't what we look for. Instead, we expect to be identified with one who rejected. We expect they have. The Lord doesn't come. We may have to suffer too. And the yield is given on the behalf of Christ, not often to believe in him, but also to suffer for His sake.
An American thought that we should bring this before our children and our young people, although Moses had this brought before him by his parents, because his mother brought him up, as we know, and she must have told him Why, Moses? You can't start to have a good time. If you're identified with God's people. Can't you see they're in slavery? They're hated? Well, first time maybe, when things went quite pleasantly for him, the court of barrel. But it was the wrong association.
And now he makes his choice not to have a good time, not to be identified with the people that could have many good times together on a suffering path. And the theory all. And as the dear young people grow up, be mindful of this fact that if the Lord doesn't come, if the path of faith is not going to be more easy, it's going to be more difficult.
There's another thing that we should notice.
Because there may be young people that think that we don't realize what.
Places the world has.
We shouldn't say that the world doesn't have its good times if they're not.
Wonderful places for recreation and all kinds of entertainment and and the world has all the sort of.
Well, to say that there's no pleasure in in this this world and in the life of those that live have for the world, well, that isn't true. But what brought Moses to the absolute decision? Because when he saw these pleasures were but for a time and all if we could only view things.
01:05:17
In that light, how soon all of this world has to offer is over, and there are great opportunities to make money, to get ahead, to get a fine home, and to get all the good things that this world is offering. Well, let's remember.
That over all this wonderful.
Civilized age that we're living in is written. The song works, but for a season.
Oh, Brevin, we don't know how soon this season is over and over forever.
The vultures eye hasn't seen. That's this next verse, isn't it? Seeing him, he endured. Seeing him. Who's invisible, that is.
Natures Keenest Eye, or the Lion's well, which is the suggest the strongest of these. They do not enter into this, but there is a path, there is a a vision.
And that belongs to faith. And so we find that he endured on this basis. Now we would like to have circumstances just right so that we can carry out what we'd like. Someone goes out to do missionary work, and he would like to have things work out.
Just just right and have converts and so on immediately. But I was thinking of what instruction the apostle gave Timothy.
Take thy share of suffering according now from another translation.
Timothy was to remember that.
He must labor 1St, and then be partaker of the fruits. And so the so Moses here was.
With that long range sight that he had by faith, he looked on to the end, the time of the reward.
He wasn't looking at the circumstances around that might be favorable because everything was against him.
But.
It's worthy of note, too, that he he spent 40 years.
Learning what was necessary to carry out his work, and that was meekness. He was never said he was meek until he came off of the after keeping the sheep in the wilderness was it? He needed that as well. He had a he had a great deal of preparation that was necessary. Well, all this.
Entails suffering and trial and separation from his brethren, even for a time. But then at the end it proved worthwhile, and I think that this leads us again to the subject we began with, and that is that.
As seen him who is invisible.
There was an object before Moses. There was a person before Moses.
Now we know he didn't know Christ as we know Christ. But the Spirit of God gives us the clue In John where the Lord could say of Abraham, he rejoiced to see my day, and he was glad. Well, he didn't see exactly with his eyes. He didn't see the Lord. Abraham didn't. But still there was that faith that looked on.
To the object that had been set forth in the very beginning of Genesis, because there was no promise made to man. It was made to the seed of the woman in Genesis. And there the promise rests, doesn't it? It's Christ. And wherever you find faith, you'll find that same one object, Christ.
That not so.
Connection with this at seeing him who is invisible, I suppose to it was in contrast with what the children of Israel were doing at this time as slaves. They were building treasure cities for feral rhapses and so on. And these must have been very wonderful feasts that these treasure cities. And as he saw them he could have thought, well, if I become the the Pharaoh of Egypt, why?
01:10:11
People can share in all its blessings, but he saw something beyond all that, and we're living in a very materialistic age, and it's a great temptation for us to get taken up with the visible, with those things that we can see. The only way that we can go on the path of faith is to look beyond all this and see that which is invisible and see that God has delivered us from this whole scene. That's why the next verse comes in.
What has changed the whole character of this world?
Well, as someone mentioned to him, thy cross has severed ties which bound us here. The death of that lamb, the blood sprinkled, had brought its different character upon Egypt. They saw the end of all this which man boasted, and God taking his people out of it. And we need to look back to the cross. And there we see the end of the first man, and we see that which is brought us blessings, the work that Christ accomplished His precious blood.
And that brings us into the midst of those better things that await us.
I wondered too, if perhaps the thought of enduring might perhaps be associated with the 40 years that he spent with the people of God in the wilderness. For as far as I know, all those who have been mentioned previously didn't really have any great time of service with others of the Lord's people. There was something about their faith which seems to have been.
Individual. But in the case of Moses, he was associated with those who were God's people, and very closely associated with them for 40 long years. And it's only in connection with Moses faith that the word endured is used. And it certainly has been a searching thought to me. I don't know whether it's right or not, but it just seems to me to suggest that it may have at least had something to do with the spirited displayed by this dear man of God during those 40 years.
With.
God, people in the wilderness. And when we read the account, we know what a rough time he had that everything that went wrong, they seemed to blame it on Moses. It's all your fault. Why didn't you leave us in Egypt, where there are not enough grades? There? We're going to die of hunger. We're going to die of thirst, one thing after another. But for all those long years he endure, that's a wonderful word he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
He loved God's beloved people because he had his eye upon their God, and I wonder if this might be a bit of a test for us here. At an occasion like this, we don't feel that we're enduring very much. We're enjoying instead, and we thank God for it. But perhaps when we return to our home assembly and we go along with our dear brethren, we may learn a little bit of the meaning of endurance.
And we will be able to by the grace of God, if we also see Him who is invisible.
Moses lost his patience. You don't get that recorded in Hebrews 11. There isn't a mistake, a failure mentioned. It's a chapter of faith.
But you said when he?
He lost his patience and said here, now he rebels.
God had to deal with him in his government and told him he couldn't cross the Jordan, he couldn't take the people into the promised land. But when that was taken from him for he chose a successor in Joshua. I think you were the one that were speaking, so you can bring it out better than I could, but I enjoyed it very much.
But you remember, think what your dear father that used to say.
When you return to your home assembly sometime your bread, and they got to use a little bit of a sandpaper to take some of the roughness for you. Is that your dad for daddy? You told me you forgive me for repeating that when you return to your home assembly, they'll have to use perhaps a little bit of a sane paper to take some of the roughness. Well, that's very nice.
01:15:12
However to mention.
And that word is during there it might be an intimation curly of of the wilderness, but I just noticed here in this, in this chapter, I don't want to go ahead of where we are, but in the.
In the 29th verse it mentions the Red Sea. By faith they passed through the Red Sea and by dry land, which the Egyptians are saying to do, were drowned in the whole 40 years.
Is omitted. You'll notice in the next verse says by faith the walls of Jericho fell down. Perhaps someone could give me just a little word on that Brother Prairie. Well, don't you think Brother Thailand the subject here?
Has the subject, of course, of faith, and the wilderness, properly speaking, is not.
Is not where.
We see faith.
And exercise. It's part of the ways of God. They brought themselves into that long drawn out wilderness journey because they hadn't faith to go in and possess the land. So in looking at Israel's journey, in the view of that is here given us of faith. Why it says they pass through the Red Sea and the next thing the walls are Jericho fell down and all the wilderness of Germany.
Journey is omitted so as to say it's a part of God's ways.
Not his purposes. He brought them out that He might bring them in. But we learned lessons ourselves that as soon as Christ was our Savior and we're trusting in His precious Blood, we were ready for the glory. But why has the Lord left us here? To wander in this world and to have so many sad experiences and heartbreaking trials?
As the Lord allowed all this, it's a part of his ways.
Not a part of his purposes.
But you're saying to the stage chapter of Exodus, I like to leave a little thought in connection with the name of that God that takes you with Moses. I think it'll be encouraging, especially to the young people in these last days when there are so many that deny the deity of our blessed Lord Jesus. I want to thank you, just very briefly to the third chapter of Exodus.
And 1St and I say, no. Therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is camel to unto me. And I have also seen their oppression, where with the Egyptian oppressed them came. Therefore and I will send you send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou must bring forth that my people, the children of Israel, are of Egypt. Verse 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh.
And that I should bring forth the children of Israel from out of Egypt. And in verse 12 He received this assurance very blessed and he said certainly.
I will be with thee. Oh, what a wonderful encouragement.
And then it says at the end of the verse, And when thou has brought the people out from Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Now verse 13 says, And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come, and to the children of Israel, and I shall say unto them, The God of your Father has sent me unto you, and they shall say unto me, What is his name?
What shall I say unto them? And God said unto him unto Moses.
I am that I am.
And he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am has sent me. Now you're trying to the Gospel of John, chapter 8.
The Gospel of John chapter 8 is very blessed to see the connection what the Lord Jesus has to say to the children of Israel.
To those that they were present with him in that day.
01:20:05
The 8th chapter and I believe that it's verse at the very end of the chapter.
Now the people there that they were present, the Jew, they say unto him, and verse 27.
And they said, The Jew, and the Jew unto him, Thou art not yet.
50 years old.
And thou and hast thou seen Abraham? Now notice the ends of the Lord Jesus. And he said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was.
I am, oh beloved brethren, who is this that is speaking over here, this blessed Savior, the Son of God, that presented us in the Gospel of John? Oh, I believe that is the same blessed person that gives the order to Moses saying.
You told them that I am that I am this, is the one and the very same blessed person is this.
Well, I think our time is just, but I was thinking of the last verse of the chapter. God having provided some better things for us, that they without us did not be made perfect. Someone has said you could write over the whole book of Hebrews, Better things.
You see how Israel was blessed and the blessings of these men of old.
But for the Christian, isn't it wonderful to consider God has some better thing for us, and we should search the word and learn more of what those better things are. And then the the meaning there that they without us should not be made perfect. It means perfect in the resurrection state that is the.
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and these men of old are still in their graves, and they will not get their glorified bodies until we get our glorified bodies. So perfect is in the resurrection state.
169100 and 69.
Lord, we can see.
By.
The way where all the time shall start to hear it in the life of the flourishes. And why are you still alive?
01:25:17
No.
No.
It's driving.
Here and Christ ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Grace.
Soul Food
YP Address—P. Johnson
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We have had this hymn before us before, but I've been much impressed with it. Hymn #124 Jesus our Lord, thou Morning Star, how well we know thy name. Jesus the Lord, the Crucified in glory, still the same. Hymn 124.
Jesus, our Lord.
In the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Mark.
Gospel of Mark, chapter 5.
And we'll read from verse 35.
While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house, certain which said, Thy daughter is dead.
Why trouble is thou the master any further?
00:05:02
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he sat under the ruler of the synagogue. Be not afraid, only believe.
Suffered no man to follow him, say Peter and James, and John the brother of James, and he cometh to the House of the ruler of the synagogue, And see if the tumult. And them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he said unto them, Why make ye this a dew, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they'll ask him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the Father.
And the mother of the damsel and them that were with him, and entered in where the damsel was lying, and took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talifa Kumai, which is being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise. And straightway the damsel arose and walked, for she was of the age of 12 years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged them straightly that no man should know it, and commanded something should be given her.
To eat.
And in the Luke Luke's Gospel Chapter 8, we have the corresponding circumstance recorded by Luke.
Verse 49.
Luke 849 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogues house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead, trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not, believe only, and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, say Peter and James, and John, and the father, and the mother of the maiden.
And all the way up and bewailed her. But he said, Weep not, she is not dead, but sleepy. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying made arise. And her spirit came again. And she rose straightway. And he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished. But he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
I read these two portions to introduce what I have for my heart to speak to all of us and especially directed to the young people, and that is the subject of food, the desire that God would have that his people.
Should be fair. The type of food you notice in the circumstances that we read here, there was one who was raised from the dead and perhaps this would represent and we could apply it in this way to one who has come to the Lord Jesus Christ as a young person, saved, brought into life through the Lord Jesus Christ. Because our remarks this afternoon are to be directed to those who have believed on the Lord Jesus.
Have life. They are not dead in trespasses and in sins. They are not the dead who will stand before the Great White Throne Judgment, but there are those who have already passed from death unto life. Not that we would ignore or have no concern for any who might be in the room still dead in trespasses and sins, but we would once again urge each and everyone to make sure and certain as to your own relationship with God.
As to whether or not you have life, he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. In rejecting the Lord Jesus are in carelessly going on without the Lord Jesus, without knowing Him as the Savior. One is dead in trespasses and sins and does not have life. But we're thinking especially of those who have believed and you have liked, just as this young maiden.
Was raised from the dead and brought to life as we have in Mark's Gospel. And if you'll notice the last verse of Mark, chapter 5.
The words of the Lord in verse 43 He says He commanded that something should be given her to eat immediately when she is brought into life, the subject of food is introduced and this is imparted young people that one understand that.
Being brought into life and having life in Christ, that food is a primary importance in order that one might be for the Lord here in this scene, that one might be sustained according to the mind of God. Food which commanded to be given her. And you notice in Mark's account in verse 37, the only ones who went with him were Peter, James and John and.
00:10:28
There's not much account taken of the parents. It's not emphasized as it was in Luke, and the reason I read the account in Luke is that in Luke's Gospel we have not only the thought of food being given, but the parents are made prominent. He takes with him not only Peter, James and John, but the the father and the mother of the maiden. And it seems that here the Lord would show.
That not only the young convert, the young believer needs food, but they need that care, that council, that help that would come, that would be represented perhaps by the parents. I'm not saying just the parents of the individual, but in the assembly, those who have some maturity and who have gone on with the Lord for some years are able to give help and counsel to those who are young in the faith.
And it would certainly be an order and according to God's mind.
That young person should expect to look to older brethren for some counsel and some help in their pathway. But it wasn't my object to speak on that aspect. But I had especially before me is what each individual believer and young believers, again I emphasize, should be exercised about and that is getting food for yourself. Food for yourself.
It was commanded that she should be given something.
To eat.
Turn back to Genesis chapter one, we see that it was God's thought in the very beginning.
To provide food.
Of course this is physical.
In Genesis one verse 29.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth.
And every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed to you, it shall be from meat or for food. God's thought is that food should be provided. And we can apply this in a spiritual way and hear what was provided was herbs bearing seed. It was life giving. It had it had the element of life in it. And we read about every tree too and earlier in this first chapter of Genesis.
We read in verse 11 and God said, let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth. In other words, the food that God provided had the element of life in it. And we might say too, that it had an element of order. It produced fruit according to its kind. It produced the desired results.
And the food that God would have young people to feed upon would be that which would have the element of life in it, and that which would be, you might say, a result that would be, according to the mind of God, that would have a proper result. There would be fruit, as we read here in regard to the trees and the grass, the herbs that were given to man in the beginning. Well, now this is more or less introductory.
For I'm going to touch upon three ways in which I can I believe we can say that Christ is the food for his people.
And not just for old and mature Saints, but Christ as food for his people, even of the youngest believers. Not that perhaps the youngest believer would enter into it in all of its fullness.
It's food that one begins to eat. You might say Christ as food that one begins to eat when they're brought into life, like that young maiden when something was commanded to be given her to eat. And it's food that one would feed upon during the whole of his pathway through this scene.
It's one the food that would be for those who have been many years in the past.
00:15:04
I do not want anyone to get the impression that we are presenting only what belongs to old and mature Saints.
But is that which belongs to those who are just as you were brought into life. Christ is the food of his people. I believe presented in three ways. There might be others three ways I have especially before me. You'll turn to Joshua chapter 5.
The three of them mentioned there that we want to consider Joshua chapter 5.
Verse 10.
And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the Morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn in the self same day. And the Manna ceased on the Morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land. Neither had the children of Israel manna anymore, but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. Now we have three ways mentioned here, which Christ is food eating the Passover.
We read in First Corinthians 5 that Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. The eating of that Passover lamb is a type of food for the people of Gong. And then, you know, in the wilderness God rained down manna from heaven, and they ate the manna in the wilderness as food for his people in the wilderness. And now that they have entered into the promised land of Canaan, they eat of the old corn of the land.
Now we know of course, that these, the wilderness and Canaan can be taken up in various ways typically, but I would like to take it up in this regard this afternoon, that the believer is at one and the same time in the wilderness. And also we are those who have brought over Jordan into the land of Canaan.
Being in the wilderness is what this world has become to us.
Since we have believed on the Lord Jesus when we were brought to Christ and receive life from Him, this world in which we reside has become to us a wilderness, but also in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and our death with Him. We've been brought into the land of Canaan. We've been brought into what God has purposed for us and what He has accomplished for us.
In the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now as to how far these things are entered into experimentally.
That's another matter, but at least God views us as his people. As to our circumstances, we're in the wilderness in this world.
As to our place before Him, according to His purpose and counsels, and as the fruit of the work of Christ on the cross, we have been brought into a land flowing with milk and honey. Each and every one of us has title to it. How much of it we possess is another matter.
But the youngest believer has title to it all in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. Perhaps that would be what I had in mind in regard to our already being in the land of Canaan. But we have three ways here in which Christ is our food, the Passover, the manna, and the old corner of the land. And all three of these belongs to the youngest believer.
As I say, I'm not going to say that all enter into it to the same extent, but it belongs to the youngest believer and I'm not going into great detail, but just to touch upon a point or two in connection with each one of them. So we'll turn back to the first in Exodus chapter 12, where we have the Passover brought before us for the first time.
The Passover is.
Really the beginning of the pathway.
We know, of course, that the Passover.
Involved the taking of a lamb.
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And it involved the slaying of that lamb and the applying of the blood upon the doorpost.
In view of the fact that the destroying Angel was going to come through the land and smite all the first born and God could say when I see the blood I will Passover and all who were sheltered under that blood of the Lamb were safe from the destroying Angel. This of course we know is a type of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that delivers us from the wrath to come, the precious blood that Shields us from the righteous.
Judgment of God on account of our sins.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is that which cleanses us from all sin. And we know this is the first step, you might say, in the path of faith, for the believer is to apprehend the first step in the path of each and every one of us, as far as taking any pathway through this scene as the people of God is to apprehend.
The work of the Lord Jesus Christ that answers to God for all of our sins.
And gives us assurance in our hearts and in our conscience, that all our sins so great, so many, are washed away in His precious blood.
So we all start there, and I'm speaking to those who have already experienced that, You know, the precious blood of Christ, You're here this afternoon without any question as to judgment before gone. You know that you will never have to give an account of yourself to God for all of your sins. For God has seen the blood, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is satisfied with that work. That work is finished and completed.
And the Lord Jesus, his own highs, having completed that work. And so your conscience has peace and rest.
But what I wanted to dwell upon.
Is the fact that not only were they to apply the blood of that lamb, that they had taken that lamb that had been kept up?
For a period of time in their midst so that they were able to observe that Lamb and you might say in a sense, become attached to it, not only the application of the blood that we have in verse 7.
They shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts, and on the upper door of the post of the house, wherein they shall eat it. Now notice here we have the thought of food.
The blood was applied, the blood was forgotten that God might see it, but the lamb was for the people of God to eat upon, to feast upon, and they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire.
This is Christ on the cross for us. This is the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Not only.
Shedding his blood.
To put away our sins. But I believe it's Christ on the cross being judged for all that we are, His being made sin, sin being condemned. We can say that we see ourselves judged and condemned. We see man and all that man is the first man condemned and under the judgment of God in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Roast with fire, which speak of that judgment that came upon him.
Eating the flesh and that night roast with fire. Verse nine it says eat not of it raw, nor sodden it all with water, but roast with fire.
Perhaps this would indicate that we are to apprehend Christ and defeat upon him as being under the judgment of God. We know that he lived a perfect life. We know that he suffered from the hands of men.
We know that it was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and all of these things are lovely to contemplate, but it seems to me here the eating of his flesh roast with fire would emphasize the apprehension of himself there as being under the judgment of God. Those three hours of darkness, when all that we are, as well as our sins was condemned. That man and all that pertains to man, the first man came underneath the eye of God for judgment.
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He was made sin for us. Now you know. I believe that it's good for a young believer to have a proper beginning in his pathway.
And one of the things that would be helpful for a young believer to have a proper beginning is for him to see that God has condemned man in the flesh.
So that he has no confidence in man his wisdom.
His ways he has no confidence in Princess. We had these verses brought before us, I believe someone quoted in our readings.
We should have no confidence in the first man at all. You remember the Apostle Paul says in First Corinthians one, he was not sent to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect, lest the cross of Christ he does not with wisdom of words he doesn't say, lest no one would believe. Someone might believe if he had come with auditory. The Lord might use that. The Lord uses many things.
To bring souls to Christ. But he said, If I come with wisdom of words, if I come according to man's ways and man's thoughts, and I present myself with auditory and present myself as a great personality, the cross of Christ will be made of none effect, because man would be prominent.
And the cross of Christ reduces man right down to analogy to nothing.
Christ here the lamb roast with fire is when he took our place there on the cross of Calvary and God condemned all that man is in the flesh and I believe it's a good beginning for a young believer to lay hold of the fact that in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Man has been condemned so that one would not glory in man.
One would not follow the thoughts of man in any way. And you know, sometimes I have felt that many of the problems and difficulties that young believers encounter and questions that arise along the way arise because perhaps they didn't have that proper beginning of coming to the end of man in the flesh, in the cross of Christ, feeding upon, you might say, the lamb roast with fire.
The unleavened bread, because the unleavened bread would bring before us, well, leaven, of course, speaks of that which corrupts and inflates.
That's what the flesh does, man in the flesh. He corrupts and he inflates. He he builds himself up with pride. He prides himself in his wisdom. He prides himself in his reason. He prides himself in his is a manner of doing things and his ability to accomplish things and he corrupts and to eat here the lamb roast with fire, the Lord Jesus coming under the judgment of God.
All that man is in the flesh. And then the eating of the unleavened bread, the putting away of that which inflates and corrupts. And the bitter herbs no doubt would speak of applying it to oneself individually. Not only that, these things are true of men generally. You know, sometimes it's easy to speak about what man is. That's a sort of an indefinite word, a rather broad expression. But the bitter herbs would mean that it's applied to oneself.
That there is in me, as the apostle Paul could say, there is in my flesh dwells no good thing. And so we know that all that we are by nature has been condemned. That is, that sinful nature has been condemned in the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary. Now it's good for a believer to have a good beginning, as I say, and sometimes questions arise along the way because somehow they missed this beginning.
And they they got taken up with man's thoughts and they get occupied with man's reasonings and they read books that have to do with man's reasonings. And the result is many questions and problems arise that they don't seem to find an answer for. I'm reminded of a time, I believe it's in Luke's gospel, chapter 20, when the Pharisees came to the Lord Jesus after he cleanse the temple.
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After he had come into the city of Jerusalem, there being proclaimed as the king, and he entered the temple and cleanses it, the second time they came to him and said, By what authority doest thou these things?
Well, they had a real problem. They didn't understand where he had such authority. They had a problem and the Lord knew they had a problem. And it's strange in a way how the Lord met that problem. He says to them, the baptism of John is it of God or of man? Well, I suppose one standing by might say, well, what does that have to do with whether or not the Lord Jesus had authority to cleanse the temple? What does the baptism of John have to do with that?
That didn't seem to answer their question at all. Well, the Lord wasn't just trying to be clever.
There is a reason, I believe the Lord said that the reason was this. We read in Luke 7 that while the publicans and sinners accepted the judgment of God against themselves, and went down and were baptized by John, that the Pharisees and lawyers rejected that counsel of God. The baptism of John was the beginning of the testimony, and that testimony was as the axe is laid to the root of the trees, man is completely set aside and judged.
And so they rejected them. They missed the beginning of the testimony. And so later on in the Lord's ministry, they couldn't understand why he had authority to to cleanse the temple in this way. He is as much said to them, you've got to go back and settle the first issue. You have to settle the first issue, which was the baptism of John. You've got to go back and, and have the proper beginning and take that low place and accept the judgment of God against you, just as the publicans and senators did.
Oh, they didn't want to do that, but they wanted their curious questions answered without starting in the proper way. Beloved young people, I believe this, that if we're going on on the lines of human reasoning and human thoughts, we're going to find many problems and we're going to find many questions that can't be answered. But if we take the place of eating the Passover roast with fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, if that's the beginning and that's the direction that the young believer takes.
He will find that his questions are easily answered. Easily answered. The Lord was very patient in answering His disciples who had certain difficulties.
There were difficulties that arose in the path of those who had genuine faith and the Lord was patient and he answered their questions. But we might say that they were in the proper attitude like Peter says, Lord, to whom shall we go? He didn't understand the Lords words in John 6 any more than those who went away and said, this is a hard saying, who can receive it? And he didn't understand exactly what the Lord meant, but he had they was in a spirit of self judgment you might say there.
And he says, Lord, to whom shall we go? And if the young believer is in the right direction, I'm not saying that he knows all the answers, but we want to start off with this spirit. We know that God is true and let every man be alive. That is, as far as opposing the things of God. We do not want to follow the reasonings of men in any way. And there is no value. There is no value in reading and being occupied.
With philosophical books, even though they are connected with the name of Christ, if it's taken up in a philosophical way, the apostle Paul says to the Colossians, let no man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit. Well, this is food that the youngest believer can take up and eat.
And he puts him in the right direction.
Notice also we read there in verse 11 The manner in which they were to eat it. Their loins were girded, shoes on your feet and your staff in your hand, and you should eat it in haste. It is the large Passover, the spirit in which it is eaten, the spirit of a Pilgrim and a stranger.
Now you know it was pointed out and and this we want to remember. We do not expect a young believer to have the appreciation of many of the wonderful truths in God that one who has gone on with the Lord many years has.
But the youngest believer, the one who has just today been brought to Christ.
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Can be in the proper attitude and spirit toward this world as that out of which he is going, that from which he has been delivered by the death of Christ, and he can have a proper and should have a proper attitude and spirit toward himself.
As the one condemned in the cross of Christ, and seeing not only like Isaiah said, that I'm a man of unclean lips, but I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. That not only I myself am unworthy, but all other men are unworthy of my trust, and I want to feed upon Christ and Christ alone. Now turn to the 16th chapter of Exodus. We have another way in which Christ is our food.
We might say that Christ.
As the Passover delivers us from this world.
Just as the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt, this world in all of its wisdom and its pleasure, its flesh pots.
It delivers us from man in his wisdom and stature.
There was wisdom there. Even Moses, we read, was learned in all of the wisdom of the Egyptians. But the Passover is that which delivers from that.
And introduces one now into the wilderness. And the wilderness, as I said in the beginning, is that which this world has become since we have known the Lord Jesus.
Notice in verse 10 of Exodus 16. And it came to pass as Aaron speaking to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness. I just want that expression brought before us. They look toward the wilderness. Now we're in the wilderness.
The believer, The young believer has apprehended Christ as the Passover.
Feasting upon Christ as the Passover, rejoicing in the precious blood that Shields him from judgment, knowing that judgment of himself and all that man is. And that lamb roast with fire. And now we're in the wilderness. They look toward the wilderness.
Verse 12 Verse 11. And the Lordspeaker, the Moses saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, speaking to them, saying that even you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God. And it came to pass that even the quails came up and covered the camp. And in the morning the dew lay around about the host, and when the dew that was gone up.
Behold, upon the face of the wilderness they lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another. Literally, Mama.
What is it? That's why it got its name, Manna. They asked the question, What is it for? They wish not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. Now. This is food. The Passover was food, the beginning, you might say. And here's food for the wilderness journey. It's food for our pathway through this world and the circumstances of life in which we're found.
Now I know that historically we read as we did read in Joshua, that when they entered the land of Canaan, the manna ceased.
But the manner will never cease.
For the people of God, as long as we're here in the wilderness, and yet at the same time we can eat of the old corn of the land, as I trust we shall be able to touch on as well. That is, we feed upon Christ as the Passover and as the manna and the old corn of the land simultaneously. We might say, though these things happen historically and consecutively here as they're recorded in Scripture, it's food. Christ is food for us at all times.
But it has a different aspect or a different bearing. I might say this too. You know the font of food is that one ones constitution might be built up even in a human way. We need nourishment that our physical constitution might be built up. Just recently I was visiting in a home at dinner in the home and I noticed some cans of special diet.
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And.
I spoke to the young man at the table as to whether or not he was on a special diet. It isn't often you find young men very concerned about a diet of losing weight. And I thought perhaps this is what it was, but it turned out just the opposite. It was a diet to put on weight. It was a special diet. He was desiring to build up some strength. He was a rather athletic boy. And so this, this special food had that in in mind. That is, it was the the purpose of it was that he should be built up.
Constitutionally, well, now you know, they are special diets whereby certain aspects of the body can be particularly nourished. And the fault of food is that that we might be built up. So while the Passover has one aspect, the manna another, and the old corner of the land of another, we want to have all of it as our food. Christ is our food, is the Passover, the manna and the old corn of the land all at one time.
It's our privilege to enjoy him and all three of these aspects. But now in regard to the manna.
How is it that Christ is food for us as the manna? Turn over to Psalm 78.
The 78th Psalm. We have an expression there that is rather remarkable and striking in regard to the manna.
Psalm 78.
And verse 24.
Verse 23 to get the context.
Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven.
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.
Man did eat angels food.
Notice that man did eat angels food. The manna here is connected with the Father being angels food.
Now connect this with Psalm 103.
The 103rd Psalm in connection with the thought of the angels.
This is food that's called angels food, and here we have a characteristic of the angels brought before us, Psalm 103 and verse 20.
Bless the Lord, ye his angels that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening under the voice of His Word. Bless the Lord all ye host, ye ministers of His that do his pleasure or do his will.
It's spoken of His angels. Food, the manna, and the angels are spoken of as those who do the commandments, hearkening the voice of His Word. Those who do His pleasure are, as Mr. Darby renders it, those who do His will. It's Christ.
As the one here in the circumstances of life in this world, doing the will of God, He could say I came down from heaven not to do my will, but the will of him that sent me.
He could say my meat is to do the will of him that sent me. It's Christ in the circumstances of life.
To do the will of God. He was here for the will of God from the very beginning. And as we meditate upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we read in the Gospels, as we feed upon Him and we see him here in this scene doing the will of God, He would hear his His whole being was for the will of God from the very beginning.
So the very end, his whole life was characterized by that, to do the will of God. And this strengthens us, this builds us up, and it gives us to be those who would be for the will of God ourselves here in this world. Eating of the manner, you know, it's possible, of course, to read the Scriptures and not get the manner. It's possible to just read about these events in the life of the Lord.
And not really see him here is the man for the will of God, the man here whoever and always considered for God in the very beginning.
Back in the 16th chapter of Exodus, when we read about the manna there being given, it says that it was upon the face of the wilderness.
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Upon the face of the wilderness.
That is, it's connected with every aspect of the wilderness, and verse 15, or rather verse 14. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness they lay a small round thing, as small as the whole frost on the ground.
It was on the face of the wilderness.
The Lord Jesus.
As a man has been in this scene in all of the circumstances in which man is found in this world.
And he was, in all of those circumstances, entirely for the will of God, completely and totally.
Even as a little boy and I thought this is one of the one of the most wonderful touches in all of the gospel found in the Gospel of Luke.
That we have, even as a boy of 12.
That he was about his father's business and you remember when his.
Parents, when they discovered that he was not in the company of those who were returning back from Jerusalem when they had gone there for the yearly feast, and after searching for him for three days, they find him in the Temple, and Mary gave a little rebuke.
To the Lord Jesus.
And his answer was, Wish ye not that I must be about my father's business.
I thought that, you know, it was strange that it would take them three days to find him.
You would have thought that they would have expected to find him in the temple. That's where he would be. He would be there in connection with his, with his Father's affairs. And in a way you might say that the parents of Jesus were, were wrong in a way when they said that we have sought the sorrowing and so forth.
And sort of administered a little rebuke, you might say. I thought that maybe the parents there weren't exactly wise as they should have been. If they had really been wise parents, they would have gone directly to the temple the moment they missed him. But they didn't. But the lovely thing is this. We read that the Lord Jesus went down with them to Nazareth and was subject to them. I say to children, your parents may not always be wise.
There may be times when parents that we have to confess.
That we haven't been wise, but it's wonderful to see the Lord Jesus.
As a boy of 12 That he went down with his parents.
Nazareth and he was subject to them because it was the will of God.
He was here for God's will and he was subject to them. Turn over to that gospel of Luke.
That wonderful portion in the that I've just referred to.
We read it was a boy of 12 and he went down and was subject to them. But now I want to point out at the end or in chapter 3.
In chapter 3.
We do not have anything brought out concerning the person of the Lord Jesus in His walk from the age of 12 until we read in verse 23.
That Jesus himself began to be about 30 years of age.
Luke 3 and verse 23.
And during those years from the age of 12.
To this age of 30.
There's no doubt, and I'm not going to speculate, the Word of God has not has not given to us details of that period of his life.
And I believe it would be unwise for anyone to try to speculate and to try to fill up details that God has never been pleased to give us. But we do know, of course, that he was involved in the normal pursuits of life. As we read in, in the 6th chapter of Mark. They say, is not this the Carpenter? Well, of course, I'm not justifying. They're saying that he was more than just the Carpenter, but at least they had known him as one who had been occupied.
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In the normal pursuits of life.
But I believe that what we have in verse 22 would indicate.
During those years, without all of the details being given to us, we know that.
He was doing the will of God, whatever it was, may have been carved to work. Whatever it was, He was doing the will of God. For we read in verse 22, the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my beloved Son in thee. I am well pleased He's speaking directly to the Lord and he's giving him that approval, and I believe he's giving an approval of those years.
Prior to this 30 years of age during those years.
The eye of God had rested upon him with delight because he had come to do the will of God. As a young boy. He did the will of God in being subject to His parents. And then as he entered into the pursuit of life and circumstances of life, and perhaps in that occupation as a Carpenter, we know that it was all in doing the will of God as the manner that one who has come down to do the will of God in everything that He did. And now He enters upon his service.
He has now entered upon His service and maturity, becoming about 30 years of age, which speak, I believe now of having become to mature years and he's entering upon His service and in his service it is to do the will of God, and everything that he took up he had no thought of attracting to himself.
He had no thought of doing anything independent of God. Everything was according to the mind and will of God. And you know, there's a lovely touch in chapter four that I'd like to speak to or apply to the young people. You know, as the Lord Jesus was truly a man. He was a little babe. He was a little boy, and he grew up into manhood. He knew what it was to be in a family.
And under parental care, he had brothers. He had sisters.
The whole face of the wilderness was covered with that manner. The Lord Jesus had been in all of these circumstances, but in it all He was doing the will of God. The will of God was ever before Him, and His parents, of course, were godly parents. His parents, we know, they observed all that God had enjoined upon His people in regard to the sacrifices.
And in the city of Nazareth, of course, they went to the synagogue where the people of God in that day were gathered. And when the Lord enters upon his service, you might say now he is independent in a sense of his parents. He is, but he's not independent of God. He's no longer under parental care and training. He's he's independent of them, but he's not independent of God. And being as it were, you might say now in full maturity.
Where did he go verse 16?
After, of course, his trial in the wilderness with Satan, we read He came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. He came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And you know, it's a wonderful thought to think here that he comes to that place where he'd been brought up. Everyone knew him from a child. They knew him. They had observed him.
And he comes to that place where he had been brought up, and as his custom was notice that as his custom was, he went on, as it were, you might say, in in that in which he had been brought up in.
His parents were godly parents. They brought him up along these lines. And now he goes out doing the will of God and he continues as his custom was. He went into that synagogue in that very place where he was raised up. Or I would urge the young people, I would put it before you, beloved young people.
If you've had the privilege of godly parents who have been among the Lord's people, gathered to the Lord's name, and they sought to go on in the truth, and they have reared you in that truth, how lovely that when you become, as it were, of age and in a sense independent of parental guidance and care, that you go on as the custom was, there's nothing wrong with the custom. If it's according to the mind of God, there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes there are people who say that's just traditional.
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That's all right if it's according to the mind of God, never mind if it's been done 500 years.
That's immaterial if it's according to the mind of God. That's the thing to one determine, is it the will of God? The Lord knew it was the will of God. He was going on now in his service, doing the will of God that manner and beloved young people, as we meditate upon him, we see in all of his pathway He considered for God in his service at all times. He never thought of himself. He didn't seek to attract to himself. How many times we read about when he would heal someone that is, they shouldn't tell anyone.
He wasn't just attracting attention to himself. He was doing the will of God, doing the work of God quietly for the for the for the mind of God or the eye of God. Wonderful to see him as the manner. Now finally, that last one, I just want to touch on briefly the old corner of the land for you. Remember we have the Passover in Joshua five. We had the manna that ceased, but they did eat the manna in the wilderness. And now we have the old corner of the land. And what would that speak of? I believe that's Christ in glory. Turn to Philippians 3.
Just to point out.
Christ is the object even before the young believer, and this is not necessarily again confined to Saints who have been along the path many years.
You know a believer, a young believer may not know very much, but he can have the proper object.
It isn't a matter of intelligence, it isn't a matter of ability, it's a matter of having the proper object.
Verse 14.
I pray chapter 3 of Philippians. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Related The calling of God on high in Christ Jesus.
Of course, Ephesians, is that which sets before us in detail the old corn of the land.
The old corner of the land is Canaan's food. It was that which you might say while soul and harvested in Canaan. It's Christ according to the purposes and counsels of God even before the world began, God purposed that place that Christ now has as that risen and glorified one, the head of a new creation. And you know that verse in 2nd Corinthians 517. Therefore, if any man be in Christ decision the King James, he is a new creature. It's literally.
A new creation, young believer, the moment you believe on Christ and are brought to Him, you're made a part of this new creation of which Christ is head. Christ in glory, the head of a new creation, the head of a new race. And you belong to him as a part of a new creation of new race. If any man be in Christ.
You don't have to go through many years of experience with the Lord to get into that new creation. One is brought in immediately.
God has already set up, you might say, the man who is the head of that new creation. There's going to be a new heavens and the new earth of all. He began with the earth and finished with the man on the 6th day. He began now in the new creation with the man, and he has that man in the glory, the head of the new creation. And then he's going to end up with the new heavens and a new earth to go along with it. But you and I as believers and the youngest believer in this room this afternoon.
Believer you're a part of the new creation.
The object before you should be that calling of God on high in Christ Jesus.
And oh, how this delivers from the attractions of this world. I like what a brother had to say about the comparison of the glory of this world and the glory of the Father's house, and how that the glory of this world had no attraction to the Lord Jesus, for He had come from a greater glory. And I believe, young believer, if we apprehend the purpose of God for us in connection with Christ in glory, then we will see that whatever the world has to offer really is nothing after all, in comparison to that.
It's only a little while that we're here, and then this purpose of God is going to be completed and we're going to be in that glory with himself. May we be thus minded, Thus minded, I'm sure that Christ is the Passover, Christ is the manna, Christ is the old corn of the land becomes increasingly precious to a believer as he goes on. But I am, I am convinced that the youngest believer from the very beginning.
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Can enter into these things. Christ is the Passover, the judgment of all that we are in the flesh.
Delivering us from man in the flesh and from this world. Christ as the man of giving us to do the will of God. Inspiring as it were in our hearts to be here for the will of God. And then the old corner of the land, the object before us to be with Christ in the glory. Christ is the food of His people. May it be so for His namesake.
Steadfast
Address—A. Hayhoe
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In the 18th 1St.
Hebrews chapter 6, verse 18.
That by two immutable 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 hopefully have as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whether the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus.
Made in High Priest, forever after the order of milk.
An anchor of the soul, for sure and steadfast. Doesn't that sound good? Isn't this something, dear young believer, in which you and I can rejoice with confidence? We have an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, you know, if you listen to the advice of those who know not the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
You're not going to find the comforting assurance of what we have here.
You're not going to find anything, sure, and steadfast in the advice which they may give you.
If you ask your friends, if you ask, shall we say even your school teachers or those who know not the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, what they consider to be a wise path through this difficult world, you're going to find disappointment. You're going to find sorrow. And we've seen those who have tried it and have tasted disappointments 1 after the other.
And sorrows one after the other. But we have dear young believer in God's precious Word, that which is a sure and steadfast anchor for the soul. I wonder if everyone here knows the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. Permit me to speak faithfully about this at the beginning. Permit me to point to the very boys and girls and young people who are gathered here.
I see where the Bible open on your knee, but I cannot see your heart. But my dear young run, The Lord Jesus at this very moment is not looking at that Bible you have in your hand. He's looking right at your heart and at mine. And let me tell you this, at this very moment, under the eye of God, your heart is either stained with sin.
Or its claims from every stain through the precious blood of Christ. I don't know which it is in your case, but God knows and he cares. Oh, he cares far more than is within my power to tell you how much he cares about that heart of yours. Perhaps your father cares. Perhaps your mother cares.
I thank God.
For a father and a mother who cared and prayed for my soul. But neither my father nor my mother loved nor cared for my soul as the Lord Jesus. He looked down upon that soul of mine as I sat in meetings. As you are sitting this afternoon, with a Bible open and a hymn book, there too, and a heart that was stained with sin.
And when the speaker would turn to this or that book in the word of God, I could turn to the places I could find the passages. I could sing the hymns.
But my heart, dear boys and girls, my heart, dear young people, was stained with sin in the presence of God. God knew it and I knew it. And I I wondered, do you really know this afternoon? Do you really know that your heart has been washed from every stain of sin through the precious blood of Christ? Just before I came away, I was visiting with two dear elderly sisters back home.
They have rejoiced in the Savior's love for a good long lifetime and they were telling me of their conversion. One of them was 6 and the other was 7 and they awakened 1 morning to find the house was empty and their first thought was father and mother and the rest of the family have gone home to be with the Lord Jesus and were left behind and they spoke to one another in terror as to what had happened.
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And you know the older one? Seven years of age? She turned to her sister. This may sound strange.
She said, you know, I remember Daddy reading a verse in the Bible after the Lord comes the the waters are going to be bitter to taste, she said, Let's go out to the well and see if the waters are bitter. Perhaps you know the passage I'm referring to. And these two dear little girls ran out to the whale, pumped the little water they were telling me just a few days ago. And they tasted the water and they quickly spit it out. Oh, they said, we can just still taste how bitter it seemed to be. We just knew the Lord had come.
Thank God, Thank God, they were still in the day of grace. Father and Mother and the rest of the family had gone off on some other plan that morning and hoped to be home before the two dear girls awakened. But by the time Father and mother got back, those two dear girls were down on their knees. They owned their guilt before God, even though they thought the Lord had already come, and they were cleansed in the precious blood of Christ.
They are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and have been now for many years. Though my heart is so burdened as I look out upon these dear young people and these dear children, do you really know as a sure and steadfast anchor for your soul the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who himself went into death and taste of the awful wrath of God which you and I deserve in order that we might have this glorious anchor?
We might have himself, having gone within the veil as the sure and steadfast anchor for our soul. When you turn back, please, to Luke's Gospel. And there we'll just see a passage of Scripture which speaks of his pathway toward the cross, the 9th chapter of Luke's Gospel.
And the 51St verse.
And it came to pass, When the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face.
To go to Jerusalem.
Oh, I've read this verse and meditated on it. There was that about the very countenance of the Lord Jesus that betrayed the purpose of his heart. He steadfastly set his face.
To go to Jerusalem, and as another scripture tells us, knowing what would befall him there as he went through this world, dear young believer, there was a steadfast purpose before him. It was the will of his God and Father, and your blessing and mine. There was a steadfast purpose in all his pathways, and those around about him could see it in his very countenance.
He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem over so apartment, to just slip on from one verse to the next, and fail to pause and realize what a solemn message this is. Such was his willing obedience to his Father's bidding. And such was his love for you and me, dear young believer, that with a steadfastness of heart and countenance.
He went onward toward Jerusalem. What do we read about?
When he approached Jerusalem, he stood on the brow of the hill that overlooked that sad city.
And he wept. There the tears ran down the face of my beloved Savior. And this is what he said. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou the stone of the prophets, and killest them that are sent unto thee. How often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen gathered her brood under her wings? And he would not Such a tender heart. Oh, I believe this, that if my precious Savior were here this afternoon.
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And looked out upon your faces. You'd see those tears again. You'd see those tears again. So great is his love toward you. So fervent, so steadfast is his desire for your happiness and your blessing. But I feel persuaded there would be tears. As he looked upon you and realized what you're missing. Dear young believer, you're missing. Yes, I'm afraid it's true of all of us. There's a pathway through this world.
That brings forth the richest blessings of God upon us, and a pathway that is filled with happiness day by day. Are you and I tasting it? Are you and I enjoying it? Are you and I walking in the good of it? I'll let us just ask our hearts about this. The Lord Jesus went through this world with a steadfast countenance, walking a pathway which none other has walked so perfectly.
The will of his God and Father was ever before him.
It's true that Paul could tell us in Galatians 2 and 20 the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God. What a tremendous expression, That which governed the heart of the Son of God, governed the heart of that most devoted of servant.
How much of that is found within our hearts? Is there that purpose of heart with us? Is there any of that steadfastness with us? He said his face steadfastly. To go to Jerusalem and their beloved young people. The work of redemption was accomplished. His hands were stretched out there upon the cross. We heard about it last night. He shared his precious blood for you and for me.
Oh, you say. I have heard this often before, and I know it's true. He died for me and my sins are gone. Is that all the effect it has upon your heart, just simply the knowledge that your sins are gone because of the cleansing power of that precious blood? Oh, I believe it ought to have such an effect upon our whole heart and our whole pathways, the steadfastness of his heart as he went onward.
Toward Jerusalem. Toward Calvary. Toward the awful cross that awaited him there.
There, I say. He bowed his head and endured that awful load of wrath until he could cry in triumph. It is finished. Thank God for those glorious words. All the work of atonement, all the burden of wrath and guilt. Completely exhausted.
But there's more than that. There's more than the joyful knowledge of sins forgiven for you and me.
Where is that precious savior now? Ah, dear young believer, I feel we need this. Where is he now? Why, you say he's just waiting for the day when he's going to call me home? That's true. Blessedly, gloriously true. But are you and I just, shall I say, marking time in the meantime?
The very one who stretched out his hands in love there upon the cross, now has those same fears in hands up lifted.
On your behalf and on mine up there in the glory, I believe we find a picture of it in the 17th chapter of Exodus. Let's just turn back briefly and take a look at that passage, the 17th chapter of Exodus.
Beginning at the eighth verse.
Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in referendum. And Moses said unto Joshua, choose us out men, and go out fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron and her went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed.
And when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy, and they took a stone and put it under him. And he sat thereon, and Aaron and her stayed up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomforted Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
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I believe we have a glorious picture here.
Of the one who loved us and shed his blood to redeem us, the one who went through this world with that steadfastness of heart and countenance toward Jerusalem and all that befell him there. Now, dear young believer, that same one who loved you and died to redeem you is living for you. That God's right hand in the glory, He knows all about the conflicts that you and I must face on our way through the wilderness.
When it came to Israel in Egypt, When it came to the crossing of the Red Sea.
It was entirely a work of the Lord, but now that they are in the wilderness, they find themselves confronted by an enemy named Amalek, which I believe would speak to us of the flesh, the flesh. And I'm sure that many of us have found this conflict to be a very real 1A very serious one, perhaps a very puzzling one to us too, though I believe we find here a picture which gives us.
Glorious confidence. We find there that there was up on the top of the hill one whose hands were steady until the going down of the sun. You and I, dear young believer, have one to whom we can turn in our problems, our difficulties, our conflicts, one whose hands are uplifted for us in intercession, there in the very presence of God our Father.
As our great High Priest and as our advocate, one whose hands thank God it can be said, His hands were steady. His hands were steady until a going down of the sun. And as you and I passed through this world, as you and I start out to school or to work or wherever it may be, we find, I'm sure we've all found it to be so. We find that there is that which is opposed to the pathway of faith.
We find there are difficulties. We find things are perhaps not quite as smooth and easy as we might wish them to be, perhaps as we expected them to be. Where do we look? Where do we look? Oh, what a confident look it can be when we turn upward and realize it's there in the glory is the very one whose hands were nailed upon the cross because he loved you so.
He's up there in the glory with his hands uplifted in watchful intercession on your behalf. Don't you think that a lot of our failure, a lot of our wandering?
Comes from the fact that we just don't look up as we ought to. I'm sure the devil himself knows that no victory can be gained over you as long as you're found looking up.
And my dear young believer, I need this exhortation as much as anyone else gathered here. I say again, the enemy of your soul, the enemy of mine, has in these last days made a very special effort to rob us of the most needful reality of looking up and realizing that the one who loved us unto death is now up there at God's re hand in glory.
There, with hands uplifted in tender, faithful intercession for you, you don't know about tomorrow and the problems that will confront you. The home problems, the occupation problems, the school problems, the assembly problems. There are those here from Des Moines, and from a good many other little assemblies scattered here and there. And sometimes, perhaps, we're inclined to think that we are the only ones confronted with, shall I say, local problems.
Oh dear child of God, it's a wonderful and a comforting thing to be able to look up and realize that he who has ordered our circumstances with perfect wisdom and unfailing love is living for you now, up there in the glory with a faithful.
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An understanding heart. He himself went all through this pathway.
In order that you might have the sympathies of his heart for the rest of the journey.
Why did he not come right down from the glory to Calvary's cross? There accomplished the work of redemption and return to the glory? Was there anything in his lifetime added to the work of redemption? Not one thing. Your soul and mind would be just as effectually cleansed from sin if he had come straight from the glory to Calvary and straight back again. Why then those years?
Through this world. Isn't it wondrous? Isn't it wondrous to know that he experienced loneliness, weariness, thirst, misunderstanding, false accusation, in order that you and I might be able to realize that this very afternoon, this very moment, you, my dear young fellow believers, have up there in the glory one who has your name written upon the very palms of his hands when he looks at your name.
He sees the nail prints there, and those nibbles, hands with your name engraved upon them, are uplifted in intercession and care on your behalf. Oh, you say, Then why? Why is my pathway brought with so many mistakes?
All I can do is make this personal confession. I know this that every mistake, every failure in my life has been the result of a failure to walk according to the light and wisdom of some portion of God's Word. Perhaps I might use the excuse, but I didn't know that that light and wisdom was there. I didn't know that there was direction in the Word of God for that particular problem. It seems so.
20th century, shall I say? Is that a valid excuse? No. Dear child of God, I believe that if you and I read this precious book with meditation and submission, that we would find light and wisdom for our 1963 problems. And then there's the other, which I dare not call an excuse that knowing the light was there, I didn't want it. I didn't want it, then turn to my own way, then ended in failure and sorrow. And I stand here this afternoon to exalt.
The wondrous faithfulness of him who lives for me in the glory. I cannot stand here on any other ground than to exalt the faithfulness of the one who died to redeem me and lives for me now in the glory. And I know I'm not alone in that sentiment. I'll confess this, that when I was a boy in the city of Ottawa and I heard the older brethren from time to time give us words of exhortation. I honestly and truthfully thought that they were telling us what we needed, but that they were far past the point where they needed these things.
Anymore themselves. It's strange. I better not mention any names, but I can still see some of those older brethren standing up and giving us a word now and then. And I thought, my, it must be nice to reach the point where you don't need that for yourself anymore. Then you can tell other folks what they need. Now I know how wrong I was. I'll tell you, there's someone here this afternoon that needs every word that's being uttered, and that's the one that's trying to utter them all that we might never forget.
Faithfulness of him who lives for us with steady hands, beloved young person, steady hands. They'll never fail. Never. You may fail, but not because of the unsteadiness of his hands.
Let's turn to the first chapter of Acts for another passage.
Acts chapter one and verse 9.
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And when he Jesus, had spoken these things while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, 2 men stood by them in white apparel, which also says, Ye men of Galilee washed and ye gazing up into heaven, this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven.
Come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Isn't this a lovely portion? Here we find these dear disciples. They love the Lord Jesus.
They mourned his being, taken from them by cruel hands and crucified. They rejoiced when he appeared again in their midst, and now they actually watch as he's taken up from them in a cloud, received him out of their sight. Can't you just see them standing there, gazing up steadfastly? Isn't that a nice expression?
Gazing up steadfastly, wouldn't that be a fine occupation for you and me? Again, I repeat, the enemy of my soul, the enemy of yours, knows what a good thing this would be for us, and strives in every possible way to rob us of the joy of gazing steadfastly upward.
I've heard ever so many stories about sheep wandering away in what a great search the shepherd has to find them.
And I heard one day the man who was talking to an old shepherd about those many stories. And he said, but why is it? Have you ever noticed why it is that sheep so often seem to wander away? How does it come about? Well, the old Zephyr didn't have to think very long, he said. I usually notice that they nibble their way astray, they nibble their way astray. And I think that's what happens with us, does it not?
The.
The enemy, let's name him Satan, puts in front of Maine, puts in front of you something that seems so harmless.
And so attractive we try it perhaps.
Perhaps we become a little disappointed it doesn't yield the pleasure we thought it would. What did he do? Give up? No, there's something else just beyond that. And something else. And something else. Until, my dear young believer, you will nibble your way astray. And so will I. Unless, by the grace of God, we take heed. Do what's before me this afternoon.
Steadfastness of hearts that would look up and realize that we actually now belong to him who loved us and lives for us in the glory He's actually given us. Not only a home up there, but our citizenship up there. We were just Speaking of that after the last meeting. How wondrous is the grace of God that is given to us? The joy of saying now therefore you're no more strangers and foreigners but.
Fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, how does that sound to you and me? Oh, I know what's wrong with us. We read these verses so often we just nod our heads and say, yes, I've heard that before. I believe it too. But what does it mean to our hearts to know that I'm a fellow citizen with the Saints who said so? God himself has told me so. And of the household of God.
What business do I have nibbling my way astray in this poor, doomed and guilty world? I remember traveling to Des Moines a number of years ago with our brother Jackson on the train he met on the train minister of a certain denomination, and they were having a conversation together concerning the truths of God's word. And our beloved brother Jackson was trying to point out to this man that he felt that his responsibility to warn wherever he went.
Concerning the imminent doom of this world and the glorious prospect of the redeemed that will soon be called home, the other man didn't agree with him at all. He felt that his responsibility was so to spread the principles of Christianity, that this world would become gradually better and the happier place. And in spite of all that, Brother Jackson said, he didn't seem to be in the least shaken from what he was standing for.
Finally, I can see Brother Jackson. He shook his finger at him Like this and he said how much would you have given for Sodom the night before it was destroyed?
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The man said not much. Well, he said that's exactly the way I feel about this world the night before Sodom was destroyed. Would you and I be found gathering possessions together to ourselves to try and add to our happiness? Oh dear child of God, if you have been entrusted with those things that someday you must leave behind.
May God grant that you and I shall look upon them not as those things which in themselves can bring us happiness, but those things which can be used for him while our gaze is upward steadfastly toward heaven. We find an individual example of this in the 7th chapter of the Acts.
The 7th chapter of the Acts and the 55th verse.
But he, Stephen, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, Saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. This was the man of whom it could be said that his face was as the face of an Angel, Stephen. He was soon to be buried under a heap of stones. And what's he found doing? Looking up how?
Steadfastly, steadfastly. Oh, I say again that privation, difficulty, persecution need not bring unhappiness. If you and I are found looking up with a steadfast gaze upon him, who's gone there on our behalf in the glory, these things will not bring us heartbreak. These things will bring us joy. It was mentioned in the readings.
That in Second Corinthians chapter six we find as sorrowful.
Yet always rejoicing. In Second Corinthians chapter seven we find.
I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. In 2nd Corinthians 8 we find how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and of their deep poverty abounded, you give the man of the world sorrow.
And affliction and persecution and deep poverty. And what do you find?
You find a man that doesn't know which way to turn. He's so discouraged and so disappointed with everything.
But have we not seen, dear children of God, those who are encompassed with sorrow and affliction of persecution and deep poverty? And have we not seen them actually displaying in their very countenance the joy of the Lord?
Here's a wondrous opportunity and privilege for you, my dear young believer. A privilege and an opportunity in a day that's filled with disappointment, in a day that's characterized by a frantic seeking after contentment and happiness.
And you know that it's not to be found in all that the world has to offer. You, My dear young fellow Christians, can have the happy privilege of standing out in this world as one who has found true joy, true contentment.
Happiness.
Where in a steadfast upward look the joy of the Lord in your own soul, look up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, let's turn over to first Peter, and there we find another passage that perhaps reminds us something of the difficulties of the pathway. Here First Peter Chapter 5.
And verse.
8.
Be sober.
Be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion.
Walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist.
Steadfast in the faith.
Steadfast in the faith.
I tremble to speak about this. It's so very, very searching, steadfast in the faith. There is an enemy, dear child of God. There is an enemy, dear young believer that would seek to attack you, to discourage you, to turn you aside, to devour you if it were possible.
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Works in different ways. Sometimes it's open, violent persecution that ends in actual martyrdom, and sometimes it is by more subtle. While the deceitful attractions of this world's pleasures. Sometimes it is through, perhaps shall I say, discouragements that you might meet with in your.
Home assembly in your occupation or something of this kind?
No matter what the enemy uses, his desire is that your eyes and your heart might be turned away from the Lord Jesus Christ. But here we find whom resist steadfast, steadfast in the faith. Oh, what a wonderful thing it is, dear young believer, to be steadfastly established in the precious living truths of God's holy Word.
I wonder if we really have a right exercise as to this. Here we've been sitting under the sound of the ministry of God's Word.
And if the Lord should leave us here for just a little longer, are you and I going to Are you and I going to value these things, as by the grace of God perhaps we see them valued in some measure to day.
I remember our brother Erismann saying those very words to us here in Des Moines one year ago now.
He thanked God that we value these truths today. And then he said, But will we be valuing them in a year from now or two years from now? And that really struck my heart. By the grace of God, dear young believer, you have been gathered here these meanings to hear the precious truths of God ministered, and I hope your soul has been touched by them. I hope you value them more and more. But look at these words.
Steadfast in the Faith, It may be that you and I will be tested far more solemnly and seriously than we realize concerning the faith which today we value. But perhaps we haven't been tested as to the claim it has upon our hearts.
You've read stories of those who have been tested, even under death.
Those stories always have specially touched my heart, I guess. I've read a lot of markers stories and I admit to have shed a good many tears as I read these stories too, for I seem to visualize what I read.
Maybe I've mentioned this before, but on one occasion when with the family we were visiting among our beloved brethren in Europe.
We turned aside to visit some of those places that had been mentioned in the stories of Rome's fearful days of the Inquisition.
The days of a sword, the days of a steak, days of the rack and of the dungeon. We turned aside and we visited what the man who took us through actually said. Now this is the Inquisition chamber where we tried the heretics. Then we were taken down the spiral stone staircase, and this is the torture chamber where we tortured the heretics.
And finally we visited a dungeon.
A dungeon made specially noted by having been the lodging place of Mary Durand. Perhaps you've read her name among the martyrs. She was in that dungeon for 35 years.
Because she was steadfast in the faith. Dear young believer, she was 17 years of age when she was given the opportunity to give up the faith.
Or to go to prison 17 years of age and at 17 years of age.
She clung to the truth of the word of God and was locked in this dungeon.
One wall of a dungeon. I noticed what appeared to be a sort of oversized fireplace with an iron grating in front of it. But I could see by the construction it was not a fireplace. And I said to the man in there, what's this in the wall? He said that that is where we put the heretics who refused to recant. I said in there.
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And for how long? Oh, he said, depending on how stubborn they were, he said Marie Durand was in there for five years.
I said put me in. I want to see what it feels like. And I got in there. I couldn't stand up. I couldn't sit down. I couldn't lie down. The only posture was on my knees with my head bowed low. If I raised my head, I hit the stone on the top, in there, behind an iron grating for five years, 35 years altogether in that dungeon. Why? Why? Because Christ was precious to her heart. She'd scratched.
On the stone on the floor, the French word crazy stay, which could I suppose, if very freely translated even be be translated. Be steadfast. Be steadfast. Oh, it came as a voice to me that brought the tears to my eyes. I want to pass it on to you today. I don't know what you may face at the office. Or you say nothing very serious. Just a few little things that my worldly companions encourage me to take part in. Yes, my friend, that's the way the devil starts.
A few little things in which there is no harm, a few little things which you see your fellow believers sanctioned with no conscience, and you feel it must be all right. I've no doubt married. Duran saw many another recant rather than pass through what she experienced. My dear young believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, may I exhort you with all my heart this afternoon in view of the subtle wild or the roaring of Satan himself.
That you and I fall down before the authority of God's precious Word, and seek from him on our knees, that we might be found steadfast in the faith, and with a gaze that would look up steadfastly into the glory, and there see him whose hands are steady on our behalf.
Until a going down of the sun.
Could we just turn in closing to a verse that was quoted this morning, 1St Corinthians 15.
1St Corinthians 15.
In verse 57.
Thanks, Peter, God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, Oh, what a verse this is. Thanks be unto God which giveth us.
The victory.
Lord Jesus Christ, Therefore, therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable. Those are good words. Those are commendable words. Put your finger upon those words, my dear fellow believer, and on your knees before the Lord seek that he might grant them to be true of you and of your testimony through this world, steadfast, unmovable.
But that's not all.
Steadfast and unmovable. That comes first, it's true. But what is it followed by always abounding in the work of the Lord? To whom is this addressed? Certain ones who might be in some way or other qualified for some public service? I'll tell you to whom it's addressed.
To you, it's a dress. To you, all these exhortations here, steadfast, that's for you.
Unmovable. That's for you, always abounding in the work of the Lord.
That's for you too. Whether it be the boy at school, whether it be the girl in the office, whether it be in the neighborhood where you live, in the assembly in which the Lord has placed you, Are you characterized by what we find mentioned here, steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord? How does this end? For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
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Is there any other labor in which you or I can be engaged? But we can pause in the middle of it and say, I know that this is not in vain. What about the Iowa farmers? Can they go out and cultivate their fields and sow their crops and watch the corn come up just so high, and then stand and say, I know that this is not in vain. I know how many bushels per acre I'm going to reap from this field. You may get nothing, and you know it, and there's no occupation, no earthly occupation.
In which any man can stand up and say, I know that this labor is not in vain, How very, very easily the Lord could blow upon the whole thing. But here is something in which you and I can be joyfully engaged and be able to say with confidence and with Thanksgiving. For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain, in the Lord there's light and wisdom for your pathway in mind.
There is a path marked out in which you, dear young believer, brother or sister, can serve the Lord acceptably with reverence and godly fear. And it will not be in vain. It may never bring you before the public eye. It may never bring you the glory that the natural heart would seek after that you and I wouldn't want to seek after that, would we? We were just hearing this morning about the reward of the Lord to a man who is faithful in shepherding.
What is the specific reward? The one who's faithful in shepherding?
A crown of glory. I believe that the crowns in Scripture are, if I might put it this way, that which makes up for that which we, shall I say, lose our forefoot on the way homeward. One who lays down his life is in a special way promised a crown of life. One who is faithful and shepherding is promised a crown of glory.
Why is that? I believe if you want to be a faithful shepherd, you won't get much glory for it down here. Your attempts to be faithful in shepherding may be repulsed. They may be misunderstood. I hope you won't get discouraged by it. I hope that you will just go on and seek to serve him acceptably. I remember I better not say how many years ago, but it was quite a long time, right here in Des Moines.
After a little talk, something like this.
Dear Brother Kohler came up to me.
Outside the door of the meeting room where the conferences used to be held, he put his hand on my shoulder.
He said, Albert, keep your heart lifted up and your head bowed down. That wasn't much to say, but it carried a lot with it. That was a short little word of faithful shepherding. Keep your heart lifted up and your head bowed down. Oh, dear young believer, we have one who set his face steadfastly because he loved you and the steadfastness of his purpose of heart.
Took him to the cross for you. Now he lives for you in the glory. Then those steadfast hands are uplifted on your behalf. He loves you. He wants you to have a happy pathway. He wants you to walk according to the light and wisdom of this precious book. He wants you to be found as Stephen was found, looking up steadfastly into heaven and knowing the power of him who was opposed to all this, were exhorted to be steadfast in the faith.
Steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord, but just once more, lest there should be someone here who doesn't yet know that precious savior as your own, do you have, do you have as an anchor of your soul, both sure and steadfast?
That precious Savior who loved and died, that he might have you with himself in the glory. If you're not sure about that, if you've never yet confessed the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior to any one, wouldn't this be a good time to do it? Wouldn't this be a good time just to turn, even if it were only to Father or mother and say Father, I've accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior? Come now, be honest.
Just stop for a moment.
This is specially for the children. Have you ever said to anyone in all your life I have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior? Wouldn't that be a wonderful, wouldn't that be a glorious thing to happen this very afternoon? And then these precious things that we've been Speaking of would be yours to enjoy for a little while and then an eternal home in the glory with all the redeemed forever.
00:50:30
Could we?
Sing 256 Just one verse. Keep us, Lord oh keep us cleaning to thyself and still be leaving till the hour of our receiving. Promise joys with thee the 4th stanza of #256.
Keep us, Lord.
All we are praying when I developed everything.
Don't tell me.
Origin and Destiny of the Soul
I Go a Fishing
Our Effect on Others
Elijah and Peter
Our Hope Sure and Steadfast
Hebrews 11:1
Heart Established With Grace
An All Sufficient Friend
Open Mtg.
2 Corinthians 4:5
Hebrews 11:3