He who said in Psa. 40 “Lo, I come,” is here found in His ministry—the True and Faithful Witness, and the only one who can be so described. As such He presents Himself in Rev. 3 to the last of the seven churches, and which has proved itself so unfaithful that it will be spued out of His mouth.
I refer to the Psalm because of “the great congregation.” The great congregation is Israel, especially when gathered together for the great feast. The Lord's testimony to them specially is in this chapter. How He spoke to them there, how He exposed them! Their animosity did not keep His mouth shut. The remnant is not separated here; it is still Jews who are addressed; they are not on Christian ground. The disciples were going to be brought into a far more blessed place than when they walked here with the Lord. All those saved from Pentecost to the rapture form “the bride” and are going to be presented to Christ in a future day. The Lord, close up to the cross, said, “I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” “In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and ye in me, and I in you.” The disciples before Pentecost were not joined to the Lord, “Except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone.” They had not asked in His Name—going to the Father in all that Christ is—though they had repeated the Lord's prayer many times, no doubt.
The scribes were a poor example: they were not to be followed, but the Lord was upholding the word of God. It could never be said of any but of Him that His words exactly expressed Himself. The Lord told them in another place, “How can ye believe that receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from the only God?” They were not upright here, not acting as before the Lord. They were all for display, and this is hateful to the Lord. The Christian is warned of this, “Pray to your Father which is in secret.”
Verse 5. This is the only place where we get phylacteries mentioned. Four portions of the word of God in a leather case they bound on their foreheads and on their left arm to indicate they were obedient in intelligence and heart. God knows best. He is the searcher of the heart. This is the exact opposite of Phil. 2 The Lord Jesus is the great example of going down, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” The contrast there is between the first and the second man. The first man snatched at equality with God, and seeking to exalt himself became abased. When I know I am a dear child I can afford to go down.
We have had already in an earlier part of the Gospel some of the things they had added to the word of God, some of the traditions of men. The apostolic “traditions” (2 Thess. 2:15; 3:615Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
6Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. (2 Thessalonians 3:6)) were of divine authority, and now we have them as Scripture in the written word of God.
We must keep in mind that these whom the Lord h re addresses are not on Christian ground. It was before the middle wall of partition was broken down, before the ascension of the Lord, and before the Holy Ghost was given.
Some not seeing this make sad mistakes about what we have before us here. The Lord, the Faithful and the True Witness, does not keep anything back. They are fully exposed. They were poor samples if they did sit in Moses’ seat. They laid heavy burdens and grievous to be borne on the shoulders of men, but we have read of One in Chap. 11. Whose yoke is easy, and Whose burden is light. Those who bear His yoke find He bears their burdens for them. That is the law of Christ. He was the burden-bearer all through His life, not indeed the bearer of our sins, but of our sorrows. But on the cross and there only He bore our sins. “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” We fulfil the law of Christ when we bear one another’s burdens. It is hypocrisy all through which is exposed here, that seemed to characterize them—the seeking honor one of another. What they sought they got. They have their reward—all they will get. There is nothing more to come for them. What was given them to remind them of God’s teaching, they just used for display of their piety (vers. 1-5).
In the next verse, the word “rooms” is obsolete in our language in this sense. It means “place.” Eminence, ecclesiastical superiority, is quite contrary to what the Lord taught. In Numbers we read of the ribbon of blue, and its typical teaching for us is to remind us we are a “heavenly” people. The great thing is to be true inwardly. God will have truth in the inward parts no matter what others think of us. Paul said it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful, and it is a very small thing for me to be judged of you or of man’s day. I know nothing against myself (“by” has now altered its meaning: it is an old English way of saying, “I know nothing against myself”). I have been faithful in what has been committed to me. It is a grand thing if you are true, acting uprightly before the Lord. Then you won’t mind what men think. It is not he who commendeth himself, but whom the Lord commendeth. If we have His commendation that is everything. There was a specialtity in Paul’s gospel, the gospel of the glory. So he could say, “According to my gospel.” It is wonderful what he says at the end. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Further, he was faithful to what was committed to him. As he looked round and saw the awful declension coming and all things going to rack and ruin, he says, “I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that I have committed unto Him” —the good deposit, the truth committed unto Him: —the good deposit, the truth committed to him, the truth of Christianity, it was in safe keeping. And we have got the benefit of it this afternoon so to speak. He knew to Whom he had committed it.
Verse 7. They liked to be recognized as something great, “Rabbi,” my master. “Rab” means great one, it is of Syrian extraction as “Rabshakeh,” etc. “One is your teacher,” instructor, “and all ye are brethren.” We get two words, “teacher” and “Lord”. . . “If I then your Lord and master,” etc., “one is your teacher”; let not one think of himself above another. The scribes show us the opposite thing to that we ought to pursue. We as Christians have been called unto liberty therefore “by love serve one another.” Love looks for the opportunity, and likes to serve. “If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” He is doing it now and we are called to be imitators. “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” It shows what a wrong thing it is to bring anyone however blest he may have been to me, into competition with Him. I suppose we all know now that it is hardly in keeping for us to use the expression, “Our Father which art in heaven,” for in the heavenlies, is where grace has put us even now. We are a heavenly people. These were people on earth. It is appropriate that we address Him as “Father,” or “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Verse 11. “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Here is the opposite principle. What a beautiful figure with very lovely teaching we get in the case of the Hebrew servant in Exod. 21! It is all about Christ. If we do not see Him in the O. T., we do not see anything. When I go to that chapter and see the Hebrew servant serving six years, a full term of service, and then having the opportunity to go out free—outside, liberty; inside, service; the question arises, Which will love choose? Love delights to serve; there is the path of the Lord Jesus Christ. On the mount of transfiguration, He has the glory there, and the Father says, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, Hear ye him.” Yet He comes down and goes to Calvary! There He plainly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free.” He won't be in the glory alone. In all things He must have the pre-eminence. We have His present ministry of love. We are getting the benefit of that perfect service now. He voluntarily became a servant “forever"; and if we turn to Luke 12:3737Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37), we find Him thus serving in eternity. Oh, it is a wonderful thing! Of course if we were beginning that subject really, it would be well to begin with Psa. 40, where there is One born into the world, prepared to do perfectly the will of God. There are only three phases of humanity—innocent, fallen, holy. The opened ears (digged, or bored) of Psa. 40 is quoted in Heb. 10 as “a body hast thou prepared me.”
Verse 12. What a prominent place has this! Here is a grand principle. The first man thought to exalt himself, and so snatched at equality with God; seeking to improve on what God had done for him, and to exalt himself. God humbles those who exalt themselves, whereas, he that humbles himself shall be exalted. The one pre-eminently Who humbled Himself we find in Phil. 2. There is the perfect pattern. There is no Name so sweet as that which has been given to Him! “Jehovah, a Savior,” for this is the meaning of “Jesus.” There is a word for us that ought to be a great blessing to our souls. True humility is not the saying bad things about oneself, for this may consist indeed with the most dreadful pride. The blessed thing is to be able to forget oneself, to be so taken up with the Lord that self is shut out. When Moses thought (if we may so suppose) that his face shone, the people did not see it, but when he was long enough in the presence of God to get his face shining, all others saw it, but he did not. It is quite presumptuous to attempt to draw the portrait of the Savior. We are not to have even a mental picture, or we should have had such a description of Him in detail that we could not have made a mistake. But not a word have we. I saw a very striking picture yesterday, it would attract people, but I should not like to have it in my house. We want spiritual communion with the Lord, not that which acts on our nature and feelings.
Verse 13. I suppose they were just as energetic to hinder those going in as to make proselytes. We read more of these Scribes. The bitter opponents of a living Christ were the Pharisees; whilst of a risen Christ, the Sadducees were the bitter opponents. I don't think they ever missed an opportunity to hinder the Lord. In chap. 5 of this Gospel, we had nine beatitudes. Here in our chapter are eight woes.
Verse 15. Is it not so in the present time? Where do you find most energy but in those who are propagating error? These bitter opponents of the Lord were characterized by proselytizing. A fearful day of reckoning awaits them. Meanwhile, how they are exposed (vers. 16, 17)! They have an evil purpose in making these distinctions. And we see how the Lord openly exposes them. Avarice was at the bottom, the desire to make money.
The Quakers are clearly in the wrong in refusing to take an oath when the powers that be “require” it. For the Lord answered to the oath when adjured by the high priest. There we have proof positive to guide us, but to elect to swear is another thing. “Whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil.” I should judge the “weightier matters of the law” (vers. 23) to be a reference to Mic. 6:88He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8). There you find the principle. It would appear from what the Lord says here that they were greatly given to swearing. Some think the gold here was the gold given to the temple; they must not evade that, even if their parents required it! as the Lord had already exposed in chap. 15. You would find in each case here there is an evil motive in all the Lord is exposing in all these distinctions. He Himself had laid down, and it could not be improved upon by man, as to what He required in the case of vows. The father or husband of the woman had power to bind or set aside her vows (Num. 30).
Verse 23. It is well to remember with a scripture like this before us that grace went out to the very vilest, and it is remarkable the cases to which His grace went out in these narratives. But where there is pretension and wrong underneath, all this is abomination in the sight of God, and so we get these “woes.” These Scribes and Pharisees were very scrupulous about little matters, but quite indifferent to the weightier matters of the law. The Lord frequently pointed out in His discourses that they did not understand mercy. If ye had known what that meaneth, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.” We know that the Lord has said, “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much.” And so we get “These ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone.” We must not be careless about little things. But the Lord was speaking of reality. It did not cost them much to tithe the little herbs in their gardens, and they got a good name by it. They had their reward. Blind guides! they thought themselves guides, but knew not that they were blind. When the two sons of Aaron were struck dead the Lord said in Lev. 10, “I will be sanctified in them that come near me"; and then in chap. 11. He begins to instruct them in making a difference between clean and unclean, and there is wonderful teaching for us in that chapter. For instance, a mouse there is reckoned unclean. Everything described there as unclean represents some trait of our old nature. A mouse is a purloiner. Very unworthy of a believer! Then again the chameleon—it changes its color, it represents unreality. A man professing to be a Christian meets another and he speaks to him about spiritual matters; he meets another and talks politics; with another he discusses the latest novel. That is the chameleon. So these scribes were very particular about the gnat because it would make them unclean, but would swallow the camel: no doubt a proverb. But it shows how they ignored the important things, and God will have reality, and the heart right, not simply the exterior.
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess” (ver. 25). Is this going to satisfy God? He is not deceived. To indulge that which is evil in the heart, and have a fair exterior is extremely offensive to God. There is no real happiness apart from holiness. Because God was dwelling in their midst He required holiness. But we need to be holy inwardly, and we have the word of God as our standard to judge everything by. “The word of God is quick and powerful,” and if we have the word of Christ dwelling in us richly, we should be quick to judge an evil thought. It is because these things are unjudged that saints know so little of spiritual joy. A person may be very intelligent in the things of God and yet know very little of spiritual joy. If it is a question of truth, God has two tests of truth the person of Christ and the word of God, as we have remarked.
All this is indeed polluting. Under the law, to touch a bone rendered a man unclean, and water of separation had to be sprinkled before communion could be restored. A person may sing aloud,
“If ever I loved Thee, my Savior, 'tis now,”
and talk about his love to the Lord; but there is a better way of showing it, “If ye love me keep my commandments.” Real subjection of soul will show out our love. That is the very opposite of what we have here (ver. 27). They looked very pious, very godly, but He looked into their hearts. A true child of God says, like David, “Search me, O God” (Psa. 139). No one can really say that unless he knows God has already searched him. “O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me.” There is the consciousness of this. “All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” He knows us thoroughly, and knowing this we can tell God the very worst things we know about ourselves. There is reality when a soul can truly say, “Search me, O God.”
You and I (for we want to make this practical) would sooner drink out of a penny earthen mug if it was clean, than out of a golden goblet covered with diamonds, if it was filthy. So we get in 2 Timothy “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel... meet for the Master's use.” There is something very blessed in this. I, a poor weak thing, yet will He deign to use me if clean! and so purging myself, I shall be prepared unto every good work. Is not this sufficient if meet for the Master's use?
“If we had been in the days of our fathers,” etc. (ver. 30). They were on very good terms with themselves, sitting in judgment on their forefathers, yet inheriting the very same character, and persecuting the Lord of the prophets. You can see they were advertising and commending themselves and condemning their progenitors. It makes us think of Rom. 2:11Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. (Romans 2:1). There is the philosopher, but these were doing the same. It shows their unreality.
In verse 31 we get their family character. They quite inherited the place their forefathers occupied. If we don't see that we cannot understand what follows, that the blood of Abel, etc., was chargeable to them. They inherited the place. So with Babylon in the Revelation (comp. 18:24). And all this is the language of the True and Faithful Witness, who will not lie, but deliver souls. Every word is in its place. You may remember that when they asked the Lord in John 8:2525Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. (John 8:25) “Who art thou?” Jesus said, “Absolutely that which I also say unto you.” There was no difference between, but exact agreement with, what He is, and what He speaks, between Himself and His words.
“Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (vers. 32, 33). Of course, even in such an one if there was repentance wrought there would be mercy. The Baptist used the same words, “Offspring of vipers” of those that came to be baptized of him.
Verse 34. Both Stephen and Paul did Jesus send afterward, and this portion makes us think of what Stephen says to them. There are some foolish enough to say that what Stephen said is not correct, yet we are told that he was full of the Holy Ghost, and this therefore precludes the thought of any mistake. He said, “As your fathers did, so do ye.” Our verse makes us think of the peculiar day in which our lot is cast. There may be a so-called liberalism, and a comparatively easy path, but we cannot eliminate from the word of God “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” We are bound to suffer in one way or another. It may be in a very hidden way, but still it goes on, and in a far greater degree than many are prepared to admit. I have no doubt that 400 years of Egyptian oppression commenced with the mockery of Isaac by Ishmael, for they were only 215 years in Egypt. It is better to be persecuted than to be the persecutor. It is beautiful to think there is grace enough to make a man of like passions with us say, “I endure all things for the elect's sake.” Paul did not mind, if it was for the good of the saints.
Verse 35. There is a Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, who was murdered by Joash, but Zechariah the prophet, who lived long after, is called the son of Barachias. There may be difficulties and we may not be able to make it clear to others, but we know all that God has written is right, and He will be clear when He is judged. The writers were precluded from making any mistake, when giving us the scriptures. For “all scripture is given by inspiration of God.” “Pure words": as silver... purified seven times,” excludes all error. Of course, where man has touched it you see the result of human weakness e.g., in translation, etc., but it is wonderful how God has not only given but kept His word for us. We have all that God purposed to reveal from all eternity. And I believe He has given all that could be revealed to us. Paul heard what was unrevealable. And oh, how we ought to treasure His truth. Israel was held responsible at any rate for the blood of the martyrs. The meaning of martyr is “witness,” whether his blood be shed or not.
That persecuting “generation” (ver. 36) —not those only living at that time. There are many scriptures which show the word “generation” used in this way, as for instance, Prov. 30, and also ver. 34 of chap. 24 of our Gospel, which looks on to a still future day. “Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever” (Psa. 12). It may be an unbelieving generation, or a persecuting one, but it has that character. But while the Lord spoke so scathingly about these unreal men, how His heart went out towards Jerusalem! It is called “the city of the great King,” and “the holy city,” and that even after His crucifixion. “Holy” would be in the sense of being set apart, for it was as being the place where God had set His Name, that it can be so spoken of.
The Lord Jesus is presented in many different Abraham drawn out by “the Lord of glory.” characters in the O.T., as for instance, Isaiah 9.
“His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” ; and His reigning day is spoken of in very glowing terms when Israel will be the head and not the tail. Thus, looked at in that way, it appealed to the Jew. But there are other scriptures which speak of Him as the down-trodden and suffering one, and they were unprepared to think of Him as such. They would have all the glories but not the suffering, and were not prepared for what Joseph typified. “He shall be called a Nazarene.” In the O.T. we do not find these words, but all the prophets spoke in general terms of Him as such. “Thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to enter into His glory.” There was absolute necessity for His sufferings if there is glory. Jerusalem had that character of killing the prophets, and stoning them that “are sent unto thee” (ver. 37).
I suppose you get the thought of protection in the hen. It is wonderful what hens have done to protect their brood. The salutation which Boaz gave to Ruth was, “A full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel under whose wings thou art come to trust” —the wings of Omnipotence! The Lord Jesus never emptied Himself of His Godhead. He had all divine attributes and a constant exercise of His power was keeping all; and what a meaning there is in this gathering them under His wings! “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” The wings in the holiest spread from wall to wall and Jehovah sat above the cherubim. “You would not!” I suppose there are many things we can never reconcile, but which nevertheless we can and should believe. There are two parallel lines running right through the word of God that never converge: but we shall see they meet in eternity—God’s sovereignty and man’s failure. Those who argue are bound to fall on the rocks of Calvinism or Arminianism. “No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him.” It is not like a horse drawing a cart, but more the power of attraction, like Abraham drawn out by “the Lord of glory.” He went out not knowing whither he went. We know from the Lord’s saying this what deepest reality there is in “Ye would not”! As to all that has been exposed in the earlier verses, the Lord lets us into the secret: “Ye receive honour one from another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only” (John 5).
Verse 38. What a desolate place it has been! No longer “His Father’s,” or “His house” for He speaks of it as both (21:13; John 2:1616And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. (John 2:16)), but He had been deliberately rejected. They had sinned away their day of grace. And I am inclined to think that though we preach the gospel to a soul at the eleventh hour, and are told “In the morning sow thy seed” this may be to the little child, and it is wonderful what a little bit of truth God can use to children: and “in the evening withhold not thine hand,” this may be to the old man, for God is the God of all grace and we do not know what he may do to a soul at the last moment. Nevertheless, it is possible, I judge for a soul to sin away its day of grace long before its day of death—one, perhaps having had the prayers and example of a godly father and mother! And have we any in the O. T. more godly than David? I cannot help thinking he had prayed for Absalom, and it was that which brought out that bitter cry at the end. It is very solemn.
Here too is Israel sinning away its day of grace by its rejection of the Messiah. I am not forgetting “Until ye shall say,” etc. That is looking forward to the time when the Lord comes, and you and I also with Him. And I am thinking too how Luke is the Gospel full of super-abounding grace; and when HE gives the Lord’s commission there to the apostles, they were to begin at the guiltiest place on earth— “beginning at Jerusalem.” There were some saved then. Looking at them, they had cast everything aside, and had not responded to the Lord at all, but where sin abounded grace did much more abound.