Open—G. Hayhoe, R. Ruga, N. Whatmough
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Right, Lord.
Let me look for a few moments of Psalm 46.
Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength, a very present health in trouble, therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters are of roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, there is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God.
The holy place of the Tabernacles of the Most High God is in the midst of her.
She shall not be moved. God shall help her. And that right early. The heathen raged. The kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice. The earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Come, behold the works of the Lord, What desolations he hath made in the earth maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth. He breaketh the bow and cutteth the sphere in Thunder. He burneth the chariot in the fire.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Perhaps many of us know that very often the Psalms are sort of grouped together, and I believe there's a grouping together that we have here in these psalms. In the 44th Psalm. If we were to take time to read it, we would see how the psalmist was greatly troubled. Notice the 24th verse of the 44th Psalm. Wherefore hidest thou Thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression, for our soul is bowed down to the dust.
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Our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help. Redeem us for Thy mercy's sake. And if we were to read the whole Psalm, we would see how it brings the note of discouragement, looking around, seeing everything seemingly, and ruins breaking down. And then when we read the 45th Psalm, it's an entirely different note. Here. Notice how it begins. My heart is indicting a good matter. I speak of the things which I have made touching the king.
My tongue is the pan of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of man. Grace is poured into thy lips. Therefore God hath blessed thee forever. What a change of note we find in this 45th Psalm. Instead of looking down and counting the sorrows and difficulties and troubles, he's looking and thinking of that blessed One, the One who can fill every one of our hearts to overflowing.
The one who is altogether lovely, the one who is going to bring us to into association with himself in the coming day.
And so, as you read on, in this 45th Psalm, we actually have a wedding picture brought before us.
There, notice the.
The 40. The ninth verse. King's daughters were among my honorable women. Upon thy right-handed stand the Queen in gold of Oprah. And then the 12Th verse.
And the daughter of Tyre is there with a gift. Even the rich among the people shall inherit thy favor.
The King's daughter is all glorious within. Her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework.
The virgins, her companions, that followers shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought, they shall enter into the King's palace. What a different scene we find here in this 45th Psalm. Dear brethren, that's the scene that's ahead of us. We know that here it's no doubt talking about the earthly blessing that is going to come to the nation of Israel, but we can apply it in a practical way to ourselves.
This is a wonderful thing that we're going to hear those words. The marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife hath made herself ready. What a glorious future there is ahead of us. And so we see, as I say, there's no change in circumstances. The 44th Psalm still is true. There are many things that bowels down that cause us to put our faces into the dust. But also we can look up. There is a glorious future that is ahead of us.
And that's what we need to do. We need to look on because it's all glorious ahead. What a wonderful time it will be. The Lord were to come at this moment by to see all the redeemed around the Lord Jesus singing his praises and then that marriage of the Lamb to take place. How glorious that will be.
But there's something very special about this 46 Psalm. If you notice the heading at the beginning of it, it says to the chief musician for the Sons of Korah a song upon Alamoth. Some of the early writers tell us that this little expression, a song upon Alamo is really means soprano voices. And many of these early writers believe that this was the women singers in the Tavern, in the temple rather.
And that they were singing this song, and I think it was very beautiful. It's the only one of the 150 that has this heading, a song upon Alamoth. And it just shows us, and I speak to those who are sisters here, the influence that they can have here. We see a discouraged situation in the 44th Psalm. We see the heart lifted above that situation in the 45th Psalm, on the scene of glory brought before us, and then, as it were, a return to circumstances.
Seeing everything as it is, here is this chorus of, shall I say, female voices coming back and saying God is our refuge and strength. And if you trace through the Bible, you'll see how very often we find such situations. Israel were in a very low state in the time of the Judges, and God used a woman, Deborah. She didn't take the place of a leader, but she stood up. Barrack and Barack went out and there was a wonderful victory that was won.
But she was the one who stirred him up. He was just sitting there, not paying, shall I say, too much attention to the condition in which God's people were. But she stirred up his heart. He find 2 in the case of.
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Sarah, we find too that she gave very good advice to Abram on one occasion, something that the Spirit of God takes up and the Epistle to the Galatians and she says cast out the bond woman with her son.
For the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. And so she gave good advice. And God said to Abraham, Hearken unto the voice of Sarah thy wife, in all that she saith unto thee. And we find too, in the time of Josiah, there was a very sad state of things in Israel. But there was a woman there whose name was Halda, and she gave very, very good advice. And Josiah acted upon that advice.
And there was a great revival, one of the best revivals that took place in the history of the kings.
And it was her influence. And so I speak to those who are sisters. It shows the influence that they can have and how the heart can be stirred up even by something they say. Sometimes people say we don't give any place to the sisters, but it's a wonderful place given to them in the Scripture. We see it in the New Testament too, and such well known names as Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene.
And Priscilla, how we find an important place given to them, but listen to their message. How to listen to how it begins. God is our refuge and strength. Are we going to lean upon an arm of flesh? We will be disappointed. But isn't this beautiful? God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. And I suppose there's hardly anyone here that isn't having some kind of trouble sometimes, or troubles in our business, sometimes troubles in the family, sometimes health problems.
Sometimes difficulties in the assembly. God is our refuge and strength. What a wonderful message this is, brethren. Does this sound like a note of discouragement? I would say this is a note of encouragement. God is our refuge and strength. A very present health in trouble, not just tomorrow. Tomorrow may bring fresh cares and fresh difficulties, but a very present health right now.
We can turn to the Lord and find in Him the help and the strength and the grace that we need a very present. Oh, you say, but things are pretty bad. There's a lot of difficulties that, and they're very real. Yes, Therefore will not be fear. Though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters are of roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Not a very bright picture, is it? Everything seems to be wrong here. It seems that everything that.
Seem reliable mountains, the sources of refreshment, the the waters around roar and be troubled. Everything seems to be in a state of disturbance, but God is our refuge and strength. And then the fourth verse, there is a river, the streams, whereas shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. Yes, there is a river.
And that river, as we sometimes sing, the river of Thy grace, through righteousness supplied, is flowing o'er the barren place where Jesus died. Every one of us in this room, who know the Lord is our Savior, know something of that river of grace. We were once sinners in our sins, far from God by nature and by practice. But oh, how wonderfully near we have been brought, rather than we couldn't be any nearer. God couldn't have blessed us more fully than He has.
I believe that's the force of that expression in the third chapter of Ephesians.
And to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.
We often apply this to circumstances in our lives and that rightly we can apply it that way. But I believe it even goes beyond that too. If God were to comment to any one of us and say I'd like to bless you, would you tell me what you'd like me to do for you because I want to bless you? Would we ever say we wanted to be made an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ? Would we ever say we'd like to be part of the bride of Christ?
To share the glory of that coming, seen in association with Him as part of His glorious bride. Would we ever think of such a thing? No, but He's not only has not only planned it, but He's able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. And the power is already working within us. Because as we had in the meeting this morning, every true believer is indwelled by the Spirit of God.
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A very, shall I say, one of the Persons of the Trinity indwells us. We have Christ himself as our life. What a marvellous place we have been brought into. There is a river. The streams were of make glad the city of God, the holy place, the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God shall help her, and that right early. You know God is has his own time.
And.
Scripture says that one day is with the Lord as 1000 years as 1000 years as one day.
Then there's a verse, I think it's the 90th Psalm. It says that 1000 years is like a watch in the night. I understand that a watch in the night might be 3, possibly 4 hours, but no more. And it says one day is with the Lord, 1000 years is with the Lord as a watch in the night. So you see the time is really nothing to God. It does hang heavy on our hands sometimes and we say how long? When is this going to happen?
Why do things remain in this condition and nothing seems to happen, but time is nothing to God? And so he could the, the singer here could say God shall help her and that right early. And then there is a little view of, uh, how God is going to act. It says in the sixth verse, the heathen rage, the kingdoms were moved, He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge, the Lord of hosts. And we think of this, uh, expression hosts. We always think of a large number, don't we? Well, it's true that the Lord said where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Doesn't sound much like a host, does it? But when we think of who this glorious person is, why as, uh, some of them said to David.
As thou art worth 1000 of us and so you know in the Lord Jesus in the midst by it makes a great company, doesn't it when we think of who he is and so it tells us here the Lord of hosts is with us. I always love that expression. Turn back to the 22nd Psalm 23rd Psalm. No, it's the 24th that I referred to Psalm 24.
I'd just like to notice the last verses of this.
Verse 7 Lift up your head though ye gates, and be lift up ye everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in. Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in. Who is this king of glory? Notice the answer is different in the.
10th verse Then in the 8th and says here in the 8th, The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.
But when the question is asked in the 10th verse, the answer is the Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory.
Doesn't that bring a beautiful thought before us? When the Lord Jesus had accomplished that glorious work of Calvary, He, uh, went up and took his place at the right hand of God. He's there a glorified man. But if I might say it, He's there alone. He's accomplished the work and there he is now. He's at the right hand of the glorious majesty on high. But he's going to come again, brethren. He's entered heaven once as a victorious victor over sin and Satan.
But he's gonna come, and he's gonna enter heaven again, but not alone, not alone. He's gonna have a vast host with him. And you and I are gonna be among those. You and I are gonna be in that host, the Lord of Hosts. What a blessed picture we have here for the 22nd Psalms we all know gives us that glorious work that he accomplished on Calvary. The mighty Victor, the Lord mighty in battle. He's entered there, and he's there for us now is our great High Priest and our advocate. But he's gonna enter again.
The Lord of Hosts. And so I think this expression is very precious here. The Lord of hosts is with us. We, uh, we may think, well, there's just a few that are gathered to his precious name that we're gonna find when he gives us a shout. There's going to be far, far more than we know that belonged to him that are going to form that glorious company that will surround him and give him his rightful place. The Lord of hosts is with us.
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Did we deserve it? The God of Abram? No. The God of Jacob?
Is our refuge? Aren't we conscious of what poor, failing things we are at best?
Oh how we feel it. And with the God we felt it even more. Our own nothingness and weakness and all that we are. But isn't this precious? The God of Jacob is our refuge. Yes, we count upon him because.
Not because we deserve it, because He is the God of Jacob, the God of grace. Then again, you see the, uh, awful judgment that's going to come upon this world in the eighth verse. Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He's going to deal with things. He's not going to allow evil to go on unjudged forever. He's going to set things right. Then he maketh wars to cease under the end of the earth.
Isn't it blessed to know, brethren, that we're heading on for that time when the conflict will all be over and we won't anymore have that conflict? We'll enter that scene. The rest of God, our rest to come, our place of liberty. That's what's ahead of us. That's what we're waiting for. And so it says here.
Uh, in the 10th verse, be still and know that I am God.
Isn't it So we find it very hard to be still, and I think that's one of the hardest things for most of us when things aren't going the way we'd like them to go, just to be still and say, well, I'm trusting in the Lord, I'll leave the matter with him. I'll just wait for him. In his time, he'll send everything right. Of course, if there's anything in our own lives that needs to be judged, we should judge it because anything allowed in our lives is not pleasing to him, is going to hinder communion with him.
He can't enjoy his presence with something aloud unconfessed in our lives.
But if we have been seeking to walk before Him and own before him failure and acknowledge that we have often failed and do fail, it says if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He's there as our great High Priest who supply grace to help. He's there as our advocate to restore us when we have failed. But when we have learned that.
Then isn't this precious? Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. Now we see. This time we're living in is called Man's Day.
And more and more we see man exalting himself. Things are going to head more and more in that direction.
We know that the climbality, the final of sin, is when a man sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Things are heading to that time. The true God is being shut out and man is exalting himself and making much of himself. But we just have to be still and know that the time is coming when he will be exalted. He will be exalted in the earth.
But then there's some clothes of those words. The Lord of hosts is with us.
God of Jacob is our refuge. They're mentioned in the seventh verse. They're repeated in the 11Th verse, and we need them. So I want to encourage the sisters. You may say, well, an audible part is not given to me. No, but that doesn't say it isn't an important part that is given to you. This beautiful song that sung perhaps and very likely by the women singers in the temple, is one of the most moving songs in the whole 150.
And we see here the influence that it could have. And so I think we go through these, uh, shall I say these things that are brought before us in these Psalms. You're just, uh, take time to read the 45th Psalm. You'd see a terrible, uh, bow downstate of things. Notice the 13th verse of the 44th chapter. That will make us best a reproach to our neighbors as scorn and derision to them that are about us, that will make us as a byword among the heathen.
A shaking of the head among the people.
And then in the 45th Psalm, without any change of circumstances, he says, My heart is indicting a good matter.
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Now don't no longer thinking of all those things that might depress and make sad, but he's thinking of the future. Bible says where no vision is, the people perish. If you and I lose sight of what's ahead of us, we're going to, or as I think Mr. Darby translates it, where no vision is, the people cast off. Restraint. You say, what's the use? Everything's so dark. Everything's in ruins. Now, brethren, we can look up. We have a vision of coming glory.
A scene so glorious, so wonderful, more than we could ask or think is ahead of us.
And then we come back to present circumstances.
We've come back to the time when everything seems to be shaken, The earth removed, the mountains are cast into the midst of the sea. Everything seems to be. But what is the answer?
The God of Jacob is our refuge. We can trust in him. We can count upon him. We can say to our troubled souls, be still. Know that God is in control. We can look on to that time.
But everything's gonna be set right. So may I encourage each one right? We who are brothers, we can seek to go on that path God has marked out for us. God has given to the brothers a, uh, shall I say an audible responsibility. He says, uh, let me hear thy voice, let me see thy face. He's given to each brother a audible responsibility, but to the sisters, perhaps a place not so public, but tremendously influential.
And May God grant that each one of us, brothers and sisters, may be stirred to give the Lord Jesus.
His rightful place, and that we might be kept in these days of breakdown and ruin, counting upon God.
Our joy and happiness in Him and seeking to be a blessing and health to his people.
I'd like to look at UH Herod as a picture of man. Matthew chapter 2.
Just UH-4 references to the life of Herod and I realized that.
These were was the title, not the same man throughout, but nonetheless referring to a man named Herod. Matthew chapter 2. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews, who we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him, who inherited the king had heard these things, He was troubled.
And all Jerusalem with him.
When he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. They said unto him in Bethlehem of Judea. For thus it is written by the prophet. And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art not the least among the Princess of Judah. For out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel.
Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared, and he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child. And when ye have brought him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
Let's drop on down to.
The 15th verse. It was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt, have I called my son? Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew all the children of the boys that were in Bethlehem, and all the coast thereof, from 2 years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired.
The wise man then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet saying in Rama was there a voice heard lamentation and weeping and great morning. Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not.
As far as worried?
You know, I've often thought of this as one of the most wonderful times in the history of man, when the Lord Jesus actually came into this world, was born into this world as a babe in Bethlehem's Manger.
It should have been a time of great rejoicing. We, we read of the angelic hosts appearing there to the shepherds in the field and, uh, they praised God because for the first time the angels saw their creator. And to think that the angels realize that now God was taking pleasure in man. He was keen down here as a man to, he was going to reveal his purposes of love and kindness to man. Uh, a wonderful thing because before the God is a spirit, the Lord never had a bodily form and they did see their creator and here they could be hold him.
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Well, how did the populace, the general populace, receive that news as to the, uh, birth of the Lord?
This was not the, the, uh, the actually the birth of the Lord, I think the Lord, this was a subsequent visit here to, to Bethlehem by Joseph and Mary, could have been a couple years after. So that when the magic came there, I don't think they saw a babe at all and a Manger. It was a boy, perhaps close to two years of age. But it does say that when Herod the King had heard these things, he was troubled. He wasn't happy at all. Why? You know why? Because people wanted to continue in their sins. Men love darkness rather than light.
And they didn't want their Placid condition disturbed by the Son of God coming into this world.
That God should enter into this scene and disturb them and their course. You know, it tells us in Two Corinthians chapter 4.
That in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not their minds were blinded. They preferred their sins rather than the light of God's word. Men do not come to the light lest it expose of their evil deeds. The Lord says they prefer darkness rather than light. You'll notice another thing. They were able to quote the scriptures, weren't they? They knew the scriptures. Now you may know the Bible inside and out, but it didn't affect their walk these.
They were able to quote there from, isn't it Micah chapter 5 concerning the Lord that he would come and what they didn't even quote the whole of that passage too, because I think that goes on to say whose beginnings have been evolved even from everlasting because they didn't acknowledge the deity of the one who was born into this world. They never saw that the Lord Jesus Christ was God himself and they often said a great prophet is risen up amongst us and maybe he was the lies of Moses or one of the other prophets.
But never acknowledged him as the Son of God. In fact, no one acknowledges the Lord Jesus Christ as.
God Himself except to be given to them as a Father. That's what the Lord told Peter. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father, which is in heaven. Everyone in this room who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as as God Himself, and has received Him, His Savior. God has worked in your heart by His Spirit.
So they knew the Scriptures, but it didn't affect their heart. Why didn't they go with the magic from the East? They could have gone along, couldn't they? But they preferred to remain where they were. And uh, notice what else this man says Herod in verse 8.
I'll go and search diligently for the young child and when you have found him, bring me word again that I may come and worship him also. You know, that was a lie. And then next he commits murder. That's what Satan is. He's the father of lies and uh, he commits.
Murder, a murder too. And we see this coming out in this man Herod, because the next thing when he perceives that he is mocked by the wise men in this 16th verse, what's he do? He goes out and he slays all the boys and all the colors from 2 years old and under. Let me say what a terrible thing he was. What about today? Abortions, all these little children which are slain and you say terrible thing? It's murder, isn't it?
I believe in God's grace, uh, the Son of man has come to save that which is lost in all these little children. They go to be with the Lord. God gets the glory, they'll be in glory. And so these little ones here too, if not having not reached the age of responsibility, they also will be in glory. But here was this wicked man, Herod. He was an idiom, wasn't he? And yet he was, he was, he was the king, it says here, king over the, the, uh, the people of God.
And yet they had the audacity to say that we were never in ******* to any man. The Lord had to show them a Caesar's coin. His superscription was written on there. Let's move on to, uh, let's see Luke Chapter 9 about.
Another reference to uh, Herod.
Luke Chapter 9 and verse 7.
Now Herod the Tetrarch heard of all that was done by him, and he was perplexed.
Because that was said of some, that John was risen from the dead.
You know, another instance, uh, another maybe. Matthew gives us the, uh, the account as to what happened.
Was Herod's birthday and.
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Herodias came in and danced before him, pleased him well as probably enveloped his dance.
And, uh, he promised and, uh, rather than go counter to his promise to fulfill his word and those that heard him, he, uh, had John the Baptist beheaded in prison.
Why did he, uh, incarcerate John?
Because John had reproved him for taking his brother Philip's wife to be his wife. You see, John was a John the Baptist was a fearless man. What went you out for to see a Reed shaken with the wind? No, John wasn't the Reed shaken with the wind. He boldly testified for the Lord. You know he wasn't perfect. He failed as we all do, brethren. He he sent to inquire when John was imprisoned as to whether thou art he that should come or look me for another. John's faith failed or we all fail, we realize.
But Herod had him beheaded. But you know, Herod hasn't heard the end of it yet. People sin and they think, well, I'll forget about it. And did Herod forget about it? No. It says in this seventh verse that we read that Herod was perplexed. His conscience was bothering him. His conscience will always bother him as long as the Sinner lives on this earth. His conscience bothers him because he knows he's a Sinner and he has to do with the holy God.
Why do you think people want to adopt the ridiculous thoughts of evolution like that? Because if they accept otherwise, the word of God, then they have to give account to God, a living God who will judge them for their sins. And this man was upset. Oh, look, I beheaded John. He was, he was troubled. His conscience was really bothering him. Is this man coming back to life again to haunt me?
Harry had a bad conscience.
Terrible thing to live that way.
Paul says, I trust that in all things, when we have a good conscience before God, it's a wonderful thing to have a conscience void of offense, to have no more conscience of sins. Brethren, we're conscious of sin, that we sin. But as far as the sin question, are we not conscious of the fact that that has been settled at Calvary years ago, that our sins are gone if we were to die? We we don't fear death. We know it's absent from the body present with the Lord, but the ungodly have no such assurance.
This man was troubled. He may well be. Let's look a little further in Luke's gospel towards the end of this gospel.
See what Herod has to it says about Herod here.
The 23rd chapter.
Verse 8 And when Herod Oh, I may read a little further back here too. Verse six When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod.
Himself also was at Jerusalem at that time, and when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad, and he was desirous to see Him of a long season, because he had heard many things of Him, and he hoped to have seen some miracles done by him.
Then he questioned with him in many words, but he answered him nothing, and the chief priest and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
Inherited with his men of war sediment, naughty and mocked him and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him again to Pilate.
Herod wanted to see the Lord.
Wood Forest is that he could.
Confess his sin.
Repent of the sin, ask the Lord for forgiveness for his terrible life, of iniquity, of murder, deceit. No, he wanted to see some miracles done by the Lord. He wanted to have his curiosity satisfied. That's why he wanted to see the Lord. How many people you meet today would would like to see the Lord? Boy, it would be tremendous if only if I had lived in the days of the Lord Jesus Christ to see the wonderful miracles that he performed, the raising of Lazarus, distilling of the waves and the wind, all these wonderful things.
But it never occurs to them that the greatest thing that the Lord ever did was say, I sinned be forgiven thee.
What was easier for the Lord to say to that man that was let down through the tile? Thy sins be forgiven thee or take up thy bed and walk? You know is far easier for a man to say thy sins be forgiven thee because you can't prove that man's sins are forgiven like the priest today.
But it was far more difficult for the Lord to say that because it would cost him his life. It was an easier thing for the Lord to exert his power and say, take up thy bed and walk. But it was more difficult for the Lord, for him to, for the Lord to say thy sins be forgiven thee, but that you may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins. He said, He said you take up your bed and walk. If the Lord can do the lesser, he certainly can do the greater. He certainly can do the lesser, couldn't he? He did both, the Lord did both.
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Did Pilate here seek forgiveness from the Lord? No.
He wanted to have his curiosity satisfied. The Lord knew his heart. That's why the Lord doesn't answer. Pilate didn't answer him a word. Uh, Harry. Rather he, he spoke with Pilate because Pilate had some good things towards the Lord. While it was desirous of letting the Lord go true, he, he yielded to the populace, you know, instead of yielding to what he knew to do be better and to his wife's dream that he suffered. He suffered much during the night.
But uh.
Heard he was a wicked man, the Lord answered him nothing.
You know, isn't it in Isaiah 52 where it says kings shall be silent before him?
Here the Lord was silent before Heron the terrible thing when God is silent and doesn't speak to you, my friends, God doesn't talk to you. Beware. He was a man whom God himself wouldn't answer a word.
Why? Because the Lord knew what was in His heart. What was in His heart. Verse 11. Herod set him at nought and mocked him. The Lord knew this. See, the hearts of all are exposed, all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do what was really in Herod's heart comes out here.
Why did he mock the Lord? Because he had no love for Christ, that's why. He had no love for Christ, and the Lord knew it.
Never answered him a word. Beware lest you be found in the same condition as this wicked man. One last reference in it would be Acts chapter 12.
Verse 20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon.
But they came with one accord to him, and having made blast this, the King's Chamberlain, their friend, he's are at peace because their country was nourished by the King's country.
And upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto God unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of the God, and not of a man.
And immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
Heard.
The same man at the beginning, he uh.
Although another Herod, he had the opportunity to see the Lord Jesus Christ. Herod is a picture of the Antichrist.
Who would desert the place of Christ, and will a man who will come in his own name, according to John chapter 5?
Whom they will receive.
Here he makes an oration and the people say it's the voice of God and not a man that is Herod, uh, accepts that praise.
And, uh, he's willing to take the place of God, accepted as such. And God who knew his heart smote him with worms. Is that an exaggeration was written. This was written by Doctor Luke, wasn't it? The acts? The historian Josephus tells us that five years, five days afterwards, this man's body was eaten up by worms and he died a horrible death. You say horrible death because he gave not God the glory. He was one who a vivid example of one who comes short of the glory of God. He didn't give God the glory.
He was smitten of God.
That same word is used earlier when the angels smote Peter on the side in verse 7 here God smote him, smote him. What an inglorious end this man should have who who is although in a favorite position, He turned his back to the light and he assumed a position which God had never given him. You know, those in authority are certainly in a favorite position. They're called gods, aren't they, with the small G because they they act in the place of God. We're we're enjoying to pray for those in authority.
Uh, that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives, uh, the powers that be ordained of God according to Romans 12. And so we pray for them and when they misuse that God-given authority.
As the Lord told Pilate, and I could have no authority against me, except that were given thee from above. But when they misused that authority, then to whom much is given shall much be required. And he was a man who gave not God the glory, and he came to this inglorious. And what? What a picture of man who leaves God out of his life. My dear friends, I think there are so many today that mankind is generally going in that way, as they shut out the God of the Bible and choose their own path, and they say we will not have.
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God to reign over us.
Her brother and his towards the end of his comments quoted a verse that was on my mind at the time he quoted it. But where there is no.
Vision the people cast off restraint or.
And I was thinking, Esau, you know Esau. Well, no true believer could end the pathway like Esau. We could take on that character. He sold his birthright for a bowl of lentils. And we're living in a world where we may have a tendency. But the passage that came to mind was in Matthew chapter 24. And I think at least I believe of the spirit that we ought to have in the day in which we live.
Matthew 24 and verse 42.
Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come, but know this, that if the Goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Therefore be also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made him, hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh.
Shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him a ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.
And there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Well, the Lord speaks of hypocrites here, and I think that Matthew takes this up in a way that a person can be in a place of privilege and responsibility and not have life. And I think it's very helpful to see that is that God, the Lord always took up a man on the basis of what he what he professed. Remember when the Syrophoenician woman came to the Lord and she professed a relationship to the Lord, the Lord had to say, it's not me to give the children's food to dogs. And so she.
Took the place that the Lord placed her in. And she said if the Lord calls me a dog, then I'm a dog. And when a man professes something, and I think it's good for us to do that too, and a man professes something or takes a position, or if I take a position, or if you take a position, the Lord is going to take us up on the basis of what we profess. And so that is the way in which he takes these ones up as servants. There's no thought here that some can be saved and lost, but that was in particularly my object in the few little thoughts that I had before me here.
In connection with this passage, But it had to do with that faithful and wise servant. What was he doing when the Lord came? What was the Lord going to find his faithful and wise servant doing, but giving them meat in due season?
And we're living in a world where we tend to want to straighten things out and we see that a little bit in Moses life and it's I see that in my own heart. He said would we be at home in that which hated thee. There is a desire to arrange things in the world politically or perhaps even in the assembly to our ordering of things and really not to have as a servant the good of God's people at our hearts. And this is what this faithful servant did. And if we lose sight of the Lord's coming.
Coming at any moment that there is this tendency here to begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and to drink with the drunken. They had two consequences to smite the fellow servants and then to descend into the moral level of the world around him. I was just thinking of Moses in that connection and the Lord himself. And maybe you could just look at a verse in Hebrews 11 and then turn to Exodus in this connection in Hebrews 11. Maybe we could just read verse 23 as well for the benefit of the parents and children here.
By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid.
Three 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 Pharaoh's daughter.
00:50:01
I think that's so lovely the way this 23rd verse begins, because it begins with Moses. He says by faith, Moses when he was born, and then it begins to speak of his parents faith. I think that a little bit of that story you referred to Reuben where they let the man down by the tiles through the ceiling that it says and what he saw their faith. And I think as parents we need to have confidence in the Lord and his brethren. We need to have confidence in the heart of God and faith in connection with our children.
This was certainly a most discouraging day and really a day of heartlessness, too. We were talking a little bit about that the other night. Can you imagine standing on the border of that swift moving Nile? I guess as many of us, or quite a few of us here have been there and seen that the parents would actually at the King's commandment through those children into that river. And you think of the wailing that there must have been, but just in obedience to Pharaoh or in fear of Pharaoh, just took their children and threw them into the world's river. But parents, Moses, parents had faith.
That he was fair to God and they were not afraid of the King's commandment.
And what will really give us a fearlessness, I believe, as servants, as parents, is to really see how God views his own. And they saw that child was fair to God. And so faith had found a way to rise above this thing. How to reconcile the fact that the wages of sin is death, that Pharaoh's commandment was that this child should be thrown into the river. And yet they saw he was fair to God. And I really believe that that's the exercise of faith in connection, whether in with parents or in ministry.
Is how to rise above the evil and two seemingly unreconcilable things. But here Moses parents in faith. They did obey the King's commandment, though they feared it not. They cast him into the river, but yet he was drawn out again and given to them.
But the particular object in turning to the Hebrews 11 was by faith. Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
And our brother pointed out something good here is that there's two characters to the world, and that's the Pharaoh character of the world that would destroy our children. But then also there's the Pharaoh's daughter's side of the world that would take our children and nourish them and keep them for itself. And perhaps a greater danger to our children is not the the side that would seek to cast them into the river, but the side that would want to embrace them, make something of them, nourish them and keep them, and in that way would take them away from God.
And so I think we need to be aware of that. But Moses, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Let's just turn back here and look at a verse here in Exodus chapter 2 in connection with this story because it's these things have been pointed out to us often, but I believe they repair repeating.
And it comes back to what we read in Matthew 24 about beating the man servants.
Is that verse 11, Exodus chapter 2 and verse 11? And it came to pass in those days when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens, and he spied an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew.
One of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, And when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And he went out the second day. And behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together.
And he said unto them, Why did?
Said to him that did the wrong Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a Prince and a judge over us? And tendest thou to kill me as thou killest the Egyptian? And Moses feared and said, surely this thing is known.
Now when Pharaoh heard this, he sought sought to slay Moses, And Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flocks. And the shepherds came and drove them away. But Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.
Well, it just seems that Moses has learned a little lesson here because he saw, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And he went out and he saw the burdens and the afflictions of God's people. But there was now he desired to be with the people of God. But he had another lesson that we all have to learn is what is God's way of deliverance? And so he acted in this wrong in a wrong way, but God took up with him, you know, and he took him out into the wilderness to teach him a lesson.
And he got there and we think sometimes we can run away from our problems. And he got to the well of Midian and he got there and what did he find? But he found them.
Fighting. And So what did he do? It says here that he stood up and helped them and watered their flock.
00:55:07
And that is the way that we're going to be a help to God's people is by standing up and watering their flock. And that really is what the faithful servant will be found doing when the Lord.
Comes and you know our brother mentioned abortion and there's many cruel and awful things we're living in an exceedingly difficult world that would vex our hearts as to many things without and within. I mean within the testimony of God and outside of it and to get taken up in causes.
And to fight things is a tendency of our hearts. And perhaps we think, like Moses, that he refused. He refused a great privilege. He perhaps would have been the next Pharaoh. I don't know. But I believe that the Pharaoh lion passed through the daughter, not through the sun.
Umm, I'm not a historian, but. And certainly he did make a great sacrifice as far as this world was concerned and his heart was right. And yet nevertheless he took up with this in a wrong way.
But God, so to speak, wasn't finished with Moses, and so he took up with this in this way. And Moses then was a blessing to these people. And in the wilderness there he learned great lessons that were helpful to him and to the people of God.
I just would like to show something else in Scripture because I believe that sometimes there's something we need to see as well in the character of the Lord Himself. And I just turned to the 69th Psalm and read a verse that is quoted twice in the New Testament.
The 69th saw and I'm going to read verse 8:00 and 9:00. It's the 8th, 9th verse that's quoted twice in the New Testament, and I believe it's worth looking at these two things.
I have become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children, for the zeal of thine health has eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen upon me.
Well, I just said that because Moses did two things. He stood up and then he watered the flock. And there is a time when Paul says quiche like man, and there is a time to stand up.
I didn't want to leave the impression that there's that, uh, that there isn't that side of things when we need to take a faithful stand for the truth. But I, it's so beautiful to see the word of the way that the Lord took up and used the word of God and the way, the way that the Old Testament is quoted in the new. And so we're going to turn to the two occasions on which this is quoted in the New Testament in John's gospel. I think most of us know this story and so we won't carry over.
But John's Gospel, chapter 2.
And I think we have illustrated in this story, let not the sun go down upon your wrath because we find this at the beginning of the Lord's public ministry. And we have find a nearly identical story at the end of the Lord's public ministry, which I believe just shows that the Lord's view of sin did not change from the beginning to the end. But in John's Gospel chapter 2, we have this story that's well known to us, verse 14, and found in the temple those that sold oxen, sheep, and doves and changers of money sitting.
And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers money, and overthrew the temples. And he said unto them that sold doves, take these things hence.
And make not my Father's house a House of merchandise, And his disciples remember that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
I just have to pass on a little something that's not remained in my comments, but to see even the tenderness of the Lord in this. You know, he overthrew the money changers tables, but he took the doves and he says take these doves hands is that he ever lost his creator character that he had thoughts towards those doves. He just didn't throw the cages of doves over as well, but he took he overthrew their money changers tables. But the verse that came to mind was that the Lord had a zeal for his father's house. And as I quoted that first, let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
That at the end of the Lord's ministry we have nearly an identical story. His view of sin didn't change.
And we're living at the end of the day when we're expecting the Lord to come, the days of Lot. And yet the Lord's view of sin is not changed in any way. But the other part of this Psalm 69 that we quoted in verse nine is quoted in Romans. And I believe that it's instructive, the fact that he takes up this very same verse in Romans chapter 15.
Well, just read from the first verse. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
01:00:06
Let everyone of us please his neighbor for his good to edification, for even as Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them, that reproach thee fell on me. Well, that's the second-half of that verse. The zeal of mine house hath eaten me up. And there's a reproach Connected with a pathway of service is a pathway of suffering. Paul had to say, The more I love, the less I beloved. And yet this was not a question here.
Of bearing with sin, but bearing with infirmities. And as one brother said, we are one great big infirmity.
And so not to please ourselves and so often in the pathway is that we get into friction because it's our own wills get at work and there's something connected with ourselves, our reputation, ourselves. But Paul was not just doctrinally, if I may put it that way, but practically, he saw himself less than the least of all the Saints. Well, he didn't mind. He took this treatment. Here was a man who naturally was an insulin overbearing man.
And yet, uh, we see the general character with which he took up with the people of God. It wasn't a natural thing for Paul to be that way at all. And we may look at our natural characteristics or brethren's natural characteristics, but the way that God has taken up with us is, uh, we show that a person acts entirely contrary, uh, contrary to perhaps nature when he's really been brought. I don't mean contrary against nature, but contrary to his own nature.
In which in the service of God, that is, that somebody who is naturally very forward and bold, the Lord may give them a quiet service, and somebody else is rather naturally shy. The Lord may take them up and use them in a different character. And so, but I just was thinking of this first here in connection with this pathway of services, that the reproaches of them, that reproach the fell upon me, that Paul really desired the good and the blessing of the Saints. The Lord desired the good and the blessing of the people of God.
Moses did, and it was not always rewarded in the way that one person that a person might expect, but in the same verse where once it caused the Lord to act in holy anger, if we may put it that way, and inconsistently from the beginning of His ministry to the end.
The verses used in another case, it may just be called in communion with the Lord, just to bear with the infirmities of the week. But I was just thinking of these verses as our brother was speaking and quoting that verse.
And Matthew, where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint, and it really is the day in which we're living. And so we want to do be found as the Lord. Do we not all want to be found in whatever spirit of service to be found doing is this faithful servant. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.
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