Open—A. Barry, G. Hayhoe
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
OK, so.
Where is our plan available?
Wisdom and God.
Mary Lord.
Of the rings.
Play.
That perhaps the Spirit of God would give us instruction this afternoon.
From four of the Lord's own who were.
Instructed in his school, I had before me two brothers.
And two sisters.
That were greatly blessed. How come we read in the word in the school of God?
You know that the school of God.
Is quite different from the school of man.
For when you go to school, that man has set up.
Well, you get your diploma. You graduate.
And the earth through of that school. But if when, if we're in the school of God.
And if you're a child of God, you are in the school of God. You never graduate in that school.
You will be in that school as long as you're down here in the wilderness.
And the four that I had in mind to call attention to.
Were two brothers that were the Lord's disciples.
One was Simon Peter and the other was the beloved John.
And the two sisters I had in mind was Martha and Mary.
You see, sisters are just as much.
00:05:02
In the school of God.
As the brothers are in the school of God.
And they they, as much as we know, has been spoken about.
In connection with God's discipline and ways with Simon Peter.
Because Peter was a man that required.
Much discipline.
To fit him for the service that the Lord was going someday to entrust him with.
But perhaps we haven't considered so much.
How they they discipline or the training that was necessary for the beloved John. For John required discipline as well as Peter.
And my thoughts turn to the 9th chapter of Luke for a moment.
Where we get some of the training through which John was taken.
In the 46th verse. And there arose A reasoning among them, Which of them should be the greatest.
And Jesus, perceiving the thoughts of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by him, and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this little child in my name, receiveth me.
And whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me, for he that is least among you shall be the greatest. Now there was one of the first lessons.
That it was necessary for the beloved John to learn to belittle.
To be the least among the apostles, if the Lord could entrust him with a place and with a service of responsibility.
You see, as we're found that John was like the rest of our of God's failing children for earlier in this same chapter.
It tells us that.
That in the 43rd verse.
That they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered everyone at all the things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples.
Let these things sink down into your heart, for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, It was hid from them, and they perceived it not, and they feared to ask him that question.
Well then tha tha that leads to.
This.
Reasoning As you know, if we get our eyes off of Christ, reason will surely take over.
They they had this wonderful experience of the mighty power of God that cast out the power of Satan, and they were carried away with that power because power, you know, is something very attractive.
To the natural man.
But the Lord says to let these things sink down into your hearts.
For the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. Don't get occupied with power.
Remember that your Lord and master is one that's going to be delivered.
To the shameful death of Calvary. Well, they didn't ask the Lord the love of do we fail to ask the Lord when something is disturbing our minds and our hearts? You see, it will lead to the exaltation of self. If we fail in that way, all beloved, may we get low before the Lord when these questions arise.
00:10:00
Instead of being in haste and instead of.
Acting.
Without.
The certainty of the Lord's mind. May we get low before him, and get his mind, and that will be the deliverance from this state of soul that follows. When there there are this question arises among them, which of them should be the greatest? And then the next thing we read, and John answered, and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name.
And we provide him because he followed not with us, with us. You see, there's not only the danger of exalting self, but there's also the danger of exalting.
Those that are gathered to the Lord's name. It's a wonderful thing to be gathered to the Lord's name alone, but if we get this thought.
In our minds that we are something important, that we are becoming quite numerous.
And that we are more devoted and more consistent than other Christians.
Beloved, we're in serious danger. You remember another occasion when the Lord had to correct Peter?
And it was on occasion when.
I we remember that the disciples, Sir, those who had up to that time, followed the Lord. We're leaving him. And he said to the disciples, will you also go away, Or what a touching word, will ye also go? Will you lose? Leave me, oh beloved, let's consider that. And when questions and problems arise, there is a place where the Lord has put his name.
And sometimes just as our brother was mentioning about.
One considering because of some trouble of leaving.
Just that little word, Lord, to whom shall we go? Well, Peter beautifully replies. He says, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou ask the words of eternal life, and we believe in our shore that thou art the Christ.
But the Lord has to give a word of.
Caution, he says. Have not I chosen you? 12 And one of you hath the devil?
Be careful that you don't exhaust your little party, even yours, that company of the 12 apostles. There was a danger there. Well, we see that same danger with John here. Here was one that was casting out devils, but he wasn't following along with the 12. And the Lord has to correct John. He says that to John.
Forbid him not.
For he that is not against us is for us. In another place. I think we read that no man can.
Perform a miracle in my name and speak lightly of me. We have to remember beloved, even though we have the assurance we are gathered to the Lord's name alone.
That there are others that God is using and not despise them and.
Only long that they might be led on and get clearer light up from the words.
But let's not ever despise any that God is using. Although we couldn't associate it ourselves with them. The Lord didn't tell John. Now you go out and go with that man that's casting out devils. He did not. But he told him that he, he says, forbid him not, John would have said no, he looking here. You mustn't be casting out devils. You're not going along with the 12. Don't do that, the Lord says.
But he didn't tell John how you go along with that man, but he gives them a wise caution that was very needful for John, who was exalting the company of the disciples.
Well, I suppose we remember the time. I think that is also in and Luke's gospel when the I believe it's in the same chapter indeed.
And the 51St verse.
00:15:00
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.
And sent messengers before his face. And they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they received him not, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? And he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit year of.
For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives.
But to save them.
When the Lord chose the 12 disciples, He called James and John bull and urges, which means sons of Thunder. And here was one time when John and James thundered, they would have acted in the spirit of Elijah and the days of the law, and called down fire from heaven on those Samaritans.
And the Lord rebuilt them.
Oh, it's necessary. We love it for the Lord to rebuke you and me.
John profited by as well as Peter, and how lovely the result we see in his life of one who was naturally in his.
And his natural temperament to be very severe, a son of Thunder. And yet who is so gentle and so mild, and so gracious in his ministry as the same John.
Beloved, we can all learn in the school of God and if we take the corrections that he surely gives to us.
He can correct those things that hinder are usefulness.
Indeed, may spoil our testimony and turn us out of the path.
Of true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Think of John leaning on the Lord's breast to supper. And yet it was at a very time when they were again quarreling among themselves who should be the greatest. But the Lord had voiced their feet in the chapter where we read of.
Of the John leaning on the Lord's breast, Peter had to turn to John to get.
The Lord's mind on that occasion, Well, a very interesting fact that we find is this, that those two men, Peter and John, that we were speaking about were so closely associated together in the Lord's service.
Because they naturally were very different dispositions and temperaments.
Peter, as you know, was an impulsive man.
Very quick, quick to speak up and speak up at the wrong time. John was mild and gentle and gracious. He learned his lessons from the Lord. And yet, isn't it beautiful, beloved, how these two servants of Christ could go on so happily and so usefully together?
And why was it? Why was the Why is it that one man so impulsive?
So ready to speak up at the wrong time, to go on with a mild, gentle, quiet man like a beloved John? Well, I believe it's this beloved. They both had Christ as their object, and below those different characteristics and dispositions and personalities that often clash.
Among the Saints.
Will correct themselves the more.
We have Christ as the object before our souls. Now it's a very different thing when a matter of that concerns the glory of Christ is in question. Or something that.
Is an attack upon his glorious.
And precious work. Then it's another matter, for we must stand for the glory of Christ.
00:20:03
At all costs, but they are all different kinds of dispositions.
And personalities among God's children, and many things that are.
Necessary that we should bear with one another and not.
Get.
Unhappy or disturbed because one has an entirely different approach to his way of going on with the Lord.
Well, those lessons are very instructive I believe for us. I'll just mention briefly about Peter. We all know more about Peter's corrections, I believe, than John's corrections for we remember well how that.
How the Lord had to say to Peter Simon.
Simon, Satan hath desired to have thee, that he might sit thee as weak.
But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail. Not all the Lord corrected Peter about what was about to lead to his dismal fall in denying his Lord and master.
So he warns him, calls him so graciously by name, and he followed his work as an advocate until Peter he is truly and happily restored.
No. I've often thought, Beloved, when Peter had denied the Lord how the Lord turned and looked at Peter.
That one look.
Did more than a whole volume of words. Peter was there in company with the enemies of Christ sitting at their fire and warming himself. So what happened? He immediately went out.
That one look separated Peter from the enemies of the Lord. We never find him among the enemies of the Lord again. It broke his heart. It started a work of true self judgment that led to a full recovery and restoration. Now I had before me, as I said, also two sisters and how they went through the school of God.
And in the 10th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.
And the 38th verse.
And it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him at her house, and she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet.
And heard his word, But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bitter, therefore, that she helped me, Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha.
Thou art careful and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part.
Which shall not be taken away from her.
Lord, I mentioned that I wanted to consider two sisters in the school of God, and I'm sure we have heard connected Mary at the feet of Jesus in the in the 10th of Luke, Mary at the feet of Jesus in the 11Th of John.
And Mary at the feet of Jesus in the 12Th of John, or she learned?
Most precious and valuable lessons in sitting at the feet of Jesus.
And hearing his word. But we need to remember that Martha was just as much in the school of God as Mary was in the school of God. They required different lessons, for Martha was something like Simon Peter, an impulsive person and getting out of her place indeed, whereas Mary was more.
Of a spiritual woman like the beloved John.
00:25:02
But the Lord loves. It tells us that he loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. He equally loved these sisters who had been such a comfort to him.
In his lonely pathway there at Bethany.
So we find that Martha would have robbed her sister.
Of the greatest privilege that is granted any of the Lord's own here in this world. And what is, beloved, the greatest privilege we have here on earth. It's sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His word.
Oh, how wonderful it is that we can enjoy that privilege any place in this world where we live being at the feet of Jesus.
And hearing his word, you know, there are three things that.
Are granted God's people.
That are very important. One is the the word of God, one is prayer, and the other is the assembling of ourselves together.
Now we may not always be privileged to assemble ourselves.
With those that gather in the Lord's name around the Blessed Lord but beloved, the other privileges will never be.
Those two wonderful privilege, sitting at the Lord's feet and hearing His word and engaging in prayer, telling him our needs, telling him about all the things that distress our hearts. We'll always have those. Even if we're laid aside in a bed of affliction, we still have those two blessed privileges.
Well, we find that Martha was ready to deny her sister.
So it's the privileges, the privilege that she was enjoying.
Because it tells us here that Martha.
Was cumbered, cumbered. She made it a burden about much serving, or she was just carried away with service.
And beloved service is very precious, and as I trust we may see farther on that in the end, Martha's service was accepted, but Martha had to learn the lesson about being cumbered, allowing these things to sow, absorb, and fill our time.
But we neglect prayer and the word of God, and remember that the service that Martha was engaged in.
Was a service for the Lord too, and we might be very active in service. That seems very important.
Because we're seeking to do gospel work, Oregon work among the children.
But if we allow that to have such an place that it crowds out the time we should spend in the Lord's presence.
With his word before us and looking to him for help and guidance.
What a lovely thing it is to sit at the feet of Jesus and to hear his word. I think it was dear Mr. Darby.
In that form of his where, doubtless he was just beginning to get the the recovery of the truth. He wrote this, He says, Lo, at thy feet. Lord Jesus, this is the place for me. There have I learned deep lessons, truths that have set me free. Well, it's one thing to read the word, you know, and just study it as we would any other study to.
Try to get the main thoughts and of course we don't condemn.
Getting an outline of the truth that is part of Timothy's instruction. Have an outline of sound doctrine. But whatever way we take up the word beloved, may it be in that loneliness.
In the sense of our own nothingness, sitting at his blessed feet and letting him through, the words speak to our inmost souls.
00:30:05
You know, God speaks to us through His word, and that's the way we should read the word, not just read it as we would.
Some ministry. But remember that when we're reading the word that we're in the very presence of the Lord, and that the Lord is is present to speak to our souls and to it may be to instruct us, haven't you had the experience of sudden of a worse, suddenly coming as a as a strong correction?
Maverick.
I was about to make what would have been a very bad mistake one time and one verse delivered me for making the mistake, and it was a verse in Colossians. Set your minds on things above. I was getting too much taken up with earthly things, and that verse showed me that I was taking up too much with earthly things and.
Was the voice of the Lord. Oh, we all have had those experiences and how many times?
The Lord has used His word to correct us and to deliver us from a wrong path, but it's always when we're sitting lowly at His feet, taking the low place in His presence. For if we are filled with our own importance, or if we're allowing self will to to to control our thoughts and feelings, we all miss.
His mind. There is a danger, you know, brethren, of making up our minds as to what we're going to do and then searching the Word to find some scripture that would.
Would agree to what we are considering and then getting down and asking the Lord to bless it. What a danger that is, but oh, if we're like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing his word.
We will get corrections that will spare us from many.
A mistake in failure? Well, I'm sure we're all familiar with the 11Th of John, and I'll not read the chapter, but just call attention to a few thoughts.
In that in that portion.
You remember how the?
Sister sent a message to Jesus. Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Oh, the Lord was the tenderest man that ever walked this earth. But he was also a divine man, and if he had been moved just by human compassion, he surely would have hastened as quickly as possible to Bethany to those distressed sisters. But he waited until he had the mind of the Father. And then he went. And you remember how Martha met the Lord before he reached the city?
And.
In the.
21St verse Then said Martha unto Jesus. Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. I think I'll be able to call attention to what another brother mentioned. And that is that both these sisters said the same word to Jesus when they met him. But we could put, I believe, right by the emphasis on a different word.
Marcus said. And what Mary said, Martha said, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. She said it in a complaining way. Lord, we sent for you, and if you had responded to our request, our brother would be still alive. Well, Martha couldn't meet the Lord, and he fell out to her her insufficiency to meet the Lord. She wasn't in a state of soul, so she couldn't meet the Lord.
And so we read that.
In the.
28th verse And when she had so said, she went her way and called Mary her sister, secretly, saying the master is come and calleth for thee. I get this from our dear brother Bellis writings.
00:35:17
That he didn't feel that the Lord told Mary in just so many words, Youth Martha in so many words, you'll go and call Mary.
Nor did Martha go with.
A false report, but it was a fact that Martha felt in her soul that she couldn't meet the Lord and knowing that her more spiritual sister could meet.
The heart of the Blessed Lord, she goes and whispers to her.
The master is come and call it for thee.
Well, as soon as.
Mary hears that message. It tells us that as soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to him.
We're speaking about both Martha and Peter being hasty in their ways. Haste may be very consistent.
When there is a definite call from the Lord and it was a call from the Lord.
She waited until she received a call from the Lord and then with all haste, she goes to meet the Lord, the Jew said.
The jewels which the 31St verse then which were with her when they saw her in the house, and comforted her when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out followed her, saying she goeth unto the grave to weep there.
Well, they didn't know the secret that instead of Mary going to the grave as they supposed there to weep out her sad heart that she was going to meet the Lord.
Yes, beloved, she was going to meet the Lord, and Mary did meet the Lord.
And when she comes and falls at the feet of Jesus and says the very same words that Martha said.
And the end of the 32nd verse, Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. I believe that.
Mary emphasized it in this way. Lord, if thou has been here, my brother had not died.
While Martha said, Lord, if thou hast been here, he put the emphasis, I believe, on here.
And you notice this difference too. And it's very important that what Mary said at the feet of Jesus.
Martha did not say at the feet of Jesus. Mary had learned that precious lesson there, when her sister would have robbed her of her privilege of what it meant to sit at the feet of Jesus and to hear his word. And now at his blessed feet, she said, Lord, if thou has been here, well, Mary really meets the Lord's heart.
For he doesn't give any reply at all to what she says. But beloved and Mary, meeting the heart of Christ, drew forth what is more precious and more wonderful than all the words that were ever spoken here on earth. She drew forth the tears of the Son of God.
Yes, we have that word with just two. That verse was just two words.
Let's have spoken volumes to God's people through the ages. Jesus wept and he groaned in spirit. All the Lord traveled, as it were, through all the valley of the shadow of death, what death had brought into this sad world, although he was on his way to raise Lazarus, which he did with mighty power. And there's something to notice here, too, because we usually think, you know.
That Martha would be the sole winner because she was one so active in service. But just look at.
Had the 45th verse, then many of the Jews, which came not to Martha, but to Mary, and it seemed the things which Jesus did believed on him. For you see that on this occasion, instead of Martha being the soul winner, it was the one who was nearest to the Lord, in communion with the mind of the Lord, that was used so that many.
00:40:28
Believed in Jesus, our beloved. What a lesson for us. As our dear brother Harry Hale used to say, there's no substitute for communion.
No amount of activity, no amount of knowledge will take the place.
Of that quiet, holy, sweet communion with our blessed Lord.
Well now this was the.
A time when most Martha and Mary were learning lessons.
In the School of God, Martha had to learn the lesson too. Again.
When she objected to the rolling away the stone, she didn't have faith in what the Lord had told her, that he was the resurrection of the life. And what the Lord said to Martha was said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldst believe, thou should see the glory of God, said I not unto thee or beloved, what words to penetrate into our souls.
Said I not unto thee.
Have you forgotten his words? Have you forgotten the message that has come from his heart to you? Said I not unto thee.
And related, that the order in which the truth is taught, he doesn't say if when you see, then you will believe, But he says, if thou shalt believe, thou shalt see the glory of God. Man says, prove to me, and then I believe.
The word of God is believed. And then you will see, I know, beloved, how we have seen.
The mighty blessings of God as we just quietly and simply.
Trusted and rested on his precious word. Well, now, the last lesson.
Maybe I shouldn't say lesson in the 12Th chapter. It's more a scene where the lessons are learned.
But we have to be careful. I believe even in saying that we have learned our lesson. Because if we were to dare to say, well, I've learned my lesson, I will never do that again, that is.
That we're we're likely to do the very thing again.
That if the lesson is this, beloved, that we have learned through our trials and maybe sad failures and maybe a fault, and the Lord in grace has come in. If we have learned our own utter weakness, so that we just say I'm a poor, helpless thing, Lord, I just have to depend on your health. I cannot go on without you if we've learned the lesson of our utter weakness and our absolute dependence on Him.
That's very precious, but we see the outcome in the 12Th chapter.
Of their lessons these two dear sisters had learned, because in the 12Th chapter it says in the second verse. There they made him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat a table with him, then took Mary a pound of ointment, A spygnard very costly, and anointed his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.
Isn't that beautiful, Those three in that family at Bethany?
Each in a distinct place that was according to the Lord's mind. And here Martha's service is not condemned. Ah, she had learned not to put service before communion, and now the Lord could use and value her service without a rebuke or reproof. And Mary had learned through her experience at His blessed feet.
First learning from his word, and then at his feet in her sorrow, to take the alabaster box of ointment and pour it on those blessed feet that had trawled Earth's weary pathway on his way to the cross, and filled the whole house with a fragrance of the ointment. Oh, what a beautiful scene it is. And Lazarus, the one who had lain in death and whose body was corrupt.
00:45:26
In corruption, now sitting at table with him Expression of communion, Martha.
House in service.
Mary seen as the expression of worship or that precious ointment that filled the house with its sweetness, just like the heart was filled with Christ.
Going up in worship and praise to our blessed Lord.
And then in Lazarus you see one sitting at table in communion where the blessed Lord. Well, what a sad thing that even on an occasion like this there was a Judas Iscariot who found fault with Mary spending so much on the precious body of the Lord Jesus. And, sad to say, we find in and we read the other Gospels. Maybe here. I just haven't read it lately.
That they all agreed with Judas Iscariot isn't that strange that Judas could become the leader of the other disciples? But the Lord doesn't have to reprove Martha on this occasion, does he?
Shows how truly Martha had learned her lessons. He doesn't complain about her sister spending this ointment on the feet of the Lord and wiping his feet with her hair.
Arnold Martha had learned her a lesson in the school of God was blessed and precious for her. Mary had learned the lesson of the preciousness of Christ himself and even the disciples, John included, sad to say, and Peter were not in communion at this occasion. But here too, dear sisters were in communion with a mind of Christ.
And the mind of God the Father on this occasion all beloved. What an important thing it is to consider that we're in the school of God, and may we let Him teach us the lessons, may we not.
Seek to avoid the reproofs, the corrections that we surely need in our pathway as we go on through the scene.
Wonder if we could follow on brethren with a few thoughts from the same line of things in connection with the life of Moses.
Could we turn to Acts Chapter 6?
Chapter 7. I should say Acts Chapter 7.
Verse 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.
And was mighty in words and deeds. And when he was full, 40 years old, and came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.
And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood how, that the Lord by his hand would deliver them, but they understood not. And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strolled, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sir, ye are brethren, why do ye wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee?
A ruler and a judge over us. Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?
Then flared Moses at this, saying Anne was a stranger in the land of Median.
Where he begat two sons.
Well, our brother has just been bringing before us some beautiful thoughts.
In connection with the school of God in the lives of these different ones, Peter and John, and also with Martha and Mary, and I was thinking how we also have some similar lessons in the life of Moses. And what I was thinking especially to was in spite of the fact that Moses didn't always act in a way that was according to the mind of God, yet God's faithfulness in connection with his people.
00:50:21
His desire to bless them. And I was thinking of these different instances that come in the life of Moses.
In this occasion and later in the wilderness.
But this one here we find that Moses had gone along in the first part of his life and learned to be.
A great man in Egypt says he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds.
We surely would have thought at this point in his life that he would have been most useful.
Because he was fully accomplished later on, as we know, and God was going to use them. He even said He couldn't speak. But at this time he had no such feeling in his heart He was very confident. He was mighty in words and deeds. He had, shall I say, ability to lead and guide. And he thought that God could use all this that He had naturally. And so it it all began with a good motive.
And I believe it shows us that we can do a right thing, at least desire to do a right thing, and not realize that there is much of the energy of the flesh in what we do. It tells us here in the 23rd verse, when he was full 40 years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. Wasn't this a good thing, that he had a desire for the blessing of the people of God, a desire for their deliverance?
He saw them oppressed under the burdens in Egypt, and he wanted to be a help.
And so it tells us that when he saw one of them suffer wrong instead of.
Acting in the spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, we see him rashly taking and killing the Egyptian undertaking to deliver in a way that he thought was the best. But it wasn't ordered of God. And so it tells us that he flew the Egyptian in the desire to deliver his brethren, and it says he supposed that his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand, would deliver them.
But they understood not that how often this has been so in our lives too. Something has turned up, something that we saw a person suffer wrong, something that we saw another, and we thought we should act to help that person, to defend them. And perhaps we did the same thing as we find here with Moses. And we thought others would understand and see that it was a right desire, thought his brethren didn't understand.
Well, how is this that his brethren didn't understand? Well, no doubt God had lessons for Moses to learn. Then after he had done this, he tried a second time. He wasn't going to give up. He wasn't going to be easily frustrated, because he did love the people of God. He did love them and hate to see them oppressed wrongfully. And so he tried a second time. And this time he tried to set his brethren.
He saw them quarreling among themselves and he said notice what he said.
The next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sir, ye are brethren.
Why do we wrong one to another? Here he undertakes to try and settle a quarrel between the people of God. And he tried to do it, as I say, out of love for the people of God, but they still didn't understand and saw. He said as it were. It's no use. It's no use. And so it says he fled at that saying and he went to the backside of the desert. He, so to speak, gave up any desire to help the people of God. What was the use?
They didn't appreciate him. They didn't understand him. They didn't see that he wanted to be a help. They didn't look at his heart, but God did. Nevertheless. God had his eye upon Moses, and he had, as our brother has been bringing before us, lessons to learn in the school of God.
And, brethren, I believe these are lessons for us too, lessons that we sometimes might.
Have a right desire and go about it in the wrong way, and then because our efforts are unappreciated.
Just what Moses did, we run away. As our brother remarked, When the disciples saw some others going away, the Lord turned and said, will he also go away? Peter said, to whom shall we go? Well, this was a great thing in the life of Moses and he he went away. He spent 40 years. That was a long time, wasn't it? In the school of God and all brethren we are slow learners. Every one of us have to acknowledge that we learn so slowly.
00:55:33
It takes so much to teach us our own nothingness, but also the wonderful fact that God is everything and that he does care for his people because Moses had forsaken them and gone to the backside of the desert and taken up the ordinary occupation of keeping sheep. Why had God forgotten his people? Was he without a resource because Moses had forsaken them? Oh no, the Lord loves his people.
And that lovely verse that our brother read to us this morning was really what brought some of these thoughts before me.
He read that verse. Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
And I was noticing that Mister Darby has a little footnote there, which our brother intimated when he read it.
That under the end doesn't have reference to time, but that he loves them through every circumstance.
Through everything that might come up. And oh, how wonderful this is. Yes, the Lord loves his people through every circumstance that may come up.
And so when this circumstance came up, did God give up his people because Moses forsook them and went to the backside of the desert? No, He had his eye upon them. And while the people were oppressed under these burdens and cried out to the Lord, the Lord heard their cry. He heard them, And later on, after Moses had learned something in the school of God. And perhaps there's a little thought, brethren here in the fact that it says.
He begat two sons, I believe. Perhaps the thought is God teaches us in our own families.
Certain lessons, lessons that he intends us to profit by, so that we would have a better understanding of his people. Because as we go through things, and as Moses went through things in his family life, this was part of the school of God teaching him and fitting him so that he would be useful later on. And so after the 40 years had passed by, and Moses had learned something of his own, nothingness, was emptied of himself.
Was not going to try and set things right in his own wisdom or strength. Was not going to slay an Egyptian or try and settle something that he couldn't settle. He comes back scent of God. But when the Lord appeared to him to send him back. It's lovely what he said, he said to Moses. Like this I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows and I am come down to deliver them.
To me, it's as if the Lord said to Moses Moses, you didn't think that I was paying any attention to what was happening under among my afflicted people. You thought that you were the only one that could set them right. But I have seen all about it. I know everything that's going on. And now when you have learned that I'm the only one who can come in and deliver now I can use you, Now I can send you. But my eye has been on my people all the time.
Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them under the end. And so Moses that one. It tells us that they thrust away saying, who made the ruler and a judge the Lord sent to be a ruler and a deliverer. Quite a difference. Isn't there a great difference between being a ruler and a judge and a ruler and a deliverer? It's very easy for us when a situation arises, to try and judge the situation, and we often judge it wrongly because.
But we only have human wisdom. The Lord always judges rightly. But it's another thing to be a deliverer, another thing to be so before the Lord and looking to him and conscious of His love and care for his people, that when a circumstance arises that he can use us.
When we can't speak. For when Moses was about to be used, he was so humbled by the experiences that he said I can't even speak. And the Lord had to say, who made man's mouth, and he said, I'll be with thee and teach thee what to say.
What a difference had taken place and how wonderfully God used this man. Moses the same person as a ruler and a deliverer. And he goes back and.
01:00:15
Appears before Pharaoh and God uses him to deliver his people out of that land. And it's lovely to see what it tells us in the 11Th chapter of Hebrews that it comes down into personal thing to Moses when they leave Egypt and it says by faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood.
Lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them, Moses had to realize that he was no better than the rest of the people. He needed to be under the shelter of the blood, and his first born was only sheltered through that blood, just the same as the others. And brethren were all subjects of grace. We've all been saved by the same blessed Savior, and by the same blessed work that was accomplished at Calvary. Without that, we would never be in the family of God.
And without knowing Him as our savior, surely we could never be used at all. Well, perhaps in some measure.
Moses learned that lesson, that God was not going to use him in an energy of the flesh as one who would try to set things right, but as one who became conscious of the fact that the Lord knew everything and that the Lord could use him when he was thoroughly and completely emptied of himself.
Now I'd like to turn to another circumstance in the life of Moses, and that's in Exodus chapter 33.
32 I should say Exodus chapter 32.
And verse 31.
And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said.
All this people have sinned great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not blot me, I pray thee out of thy book, which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now gold, lead the people unto the place which I have spoken unto thee.
Behold, mine Angel shall go before thee. Nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them. And now in the next chapter, the 33rd chapter, and the 12Th verse. And Moses said unto the Lord, See that thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and thou hast not let me know whom thou will send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast found grace in my sight.
Now therefore I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way.
That I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
And now in the 34th chapter.
And the 29th verse. And it came to pass when Moses came down from Mount Sinai, where the two tables of testimony in Moses hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wished not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold the skin of his face shone.
And they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them, And Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him, And Moses talked with them.
Well, here we find an entirely different attitude. Surely in the heart of Moses not now trying to set things right and looking so harshly upon the people. And know what a different attitude surely we can say Moses had profited much.
In the school of God, and isn't it lovely when the people had sinned? What do we find him doing in this case?
How do we find him telling them that they shouldn't quarrel? Do we find him here killing an Egyptian?
Now he says, I'll go up and I'll intercede for you with the Lord. What a lovely attitude we see here, how beautiful this very man. Surely we can see, as our brother brought before us, that John was once a son of Thunder, but the grace of God rod in his heart. And so Moses, now the very man who had acted so rashly before. Isn't this lovely? He said. I'll go up and I'll intercede for you. And he was went Even so far as to say to the Lord.
01:05:16
That the people were not only dear to the heart of the Lord, but they had become dear to his heart. And he said, Let me, I pray thee out of thy book, and take this people what a heart he had for the people of God.
What an intercession on their behalf. All brethren. This, I believe, is so touching to each one of us. And had the people changed? Had they improved? Were things better? Oh no. He went up because they had failed. He didn't look for a change among the people of God, but he looked to the one who changes, not he looks to the one who loves his own to the end. The one who could say in Jeremiah, Yeah, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.
Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee the one who could say in remnant days in Malachi the burden of the word of the Lord. By Malachi I have loved you sayeth the Lord. Yes, Moses now had the thoughts of God about his people, and he went up to intercede for them. But when the Lord said Moses, now you go and lead the people, and I'll send my Angel, Oh, Moses fell his own utter incompetence, say. And as our brother brought before us, we never can, never should come to the point.
Where we think we have learned our lessons, or that now we're capable of doing something because we have learned certain things. Moses here, in spite of all that he had learned, we find him quite sensible of the fact that he couldn't do anything of himself. And so he said to the Lord, he said, You have said that I have found grace in thy sight, and you told me to lead the people, and how can I do it?
You haven't told me how I'll be able to do it, and how lovely the Lord's answer.
My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
And then he said, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not a pence, he said. I can't do anything of myself. May we ever have the sense of this in our souls, brethren, we can't do anything of ourselves. There's no man of us. No matter whether we're learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians or not, no matter whether we've had 40 years in the school of God, we still can't do anything of ourselves. We still are utterly dependent for every step and every move upon the one who has promised this, my presence.
Shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And so we find Moses there. In the presence of God, he receives the 10 commandments. And this, I believe, is instructive to God hadn't changed his standard because he went on in grace with the people, And grace never overlooks sin. Grace never looks lightly upon sin. And the tables of stone the second time were at the very same words as were on the first tables that were broken.
God hadn't changed his standard, I say, but those tables are Stone were to be put inside the ark, and the mercy seat was on top of the ark. And so the eye of God could rest upon the blood that was sprinkled on the mercy seat and go on with an earring people. Oh, how lovely this was. And this is what made Moses face shine. This is why when he came down the first time with the tables of stone, his face wasn't shining.
No. The people were worshipping the golden calf, and he brought the tables of stone, but now he went up. He interceded for them. He received the promise that the Lord would go with him. He received the instructions in connection with the building of the Tabernacle and the mercy seat, and now he comes down with the same tables of stone. But they were placed in the ark, and there the Lord provided a place outside the camp, afar off from the camp.
Where he could meet with the people. And so Moses face shone and his face shone so much that the children of Israel asked him to put a veil over his face. Yes, and I believe if you and I are really in His presence, it'll make our face shine too. It'll make us conscious of the grace that is in his heart that can go on with his people. For I say again, he never changes his love to his people. He loves them through every circumstance.
Everything that's ever happened in your life or mine, or whether it's in the assembly where we are.
01:10:05
Or among God's assemblies, nothing changes his heart toward his people.
He loves them through it all, and if we're going to represent him, we need to have his heart.
Toward his people in order to go on in the place that he would have us. And so this is how Moses was being used of God.
Now let us turn over to numbers to the 10th chapter and we see a third circumstance in.
Moses life.
I'm sorry, it's the 20th of numbers, the 20th chapter of numbers.
And the sixth verse the people had been complaining against God, and it says in the sixth verse. And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces.
And the glory of the Lord appeared unto them, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou and thy ere and thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth his water. And thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rocks, so that thou shalt give the congregation and their beast thirst a drink. And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him.
And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock.
And he said unto them, Here, now, ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?
And Moses lifted up his rod, and with his rod he smote the rock twice.
And the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, because he believed not me, not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, Therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. So here we find something. Also there is a sad note about this.
And yet there is also a very blessed side to it. Also here we find the children of Israel. Murmuring the wilderness was a worrisome thing to them. They had been 40 years intense. It was no doubt a difficult and hard journey all through the wilderness, and they were beginning to get tired of it. And perhaps, as we approached the time of the Lord's return, we feel increasing problems and difficulties.
We feel that as the end draws nearer, it's not going to be easier. It seems to get more difficult. And so it was here. So the people murmured, and the Moses and Aaron went in before the Lord and the Lord said, as it were, and there's provision for everything that takes place. I still love my people. And I might say that this rod, when he says take the rod, that was the priestly rod.
You remember God gave that rod that butted the figure of the priesthood that could carry the people through the wilderness. And Moses took this rod, and the Lord said, you take that rod in your hand and you go to the rock and you'll just have to speak to the rock and the water will come out. The Lord Jesus was smitten once of Calvary. He bore the wrath and judgment of God. He exhausted it. And the rock doesn't need to be smitten again.
He has borne the judgment, the way of blessing, has been thoroughly and fully and completely opened up through what Christ has done.
And he only needed to speak to the Rock and Brethren. We can go and speak to the Rock ourselves. We can talk to the one who died for us on Calvary. He's living for us. There's our great High priest and our advocate.
And so Moses and Aaron started out watching. All their spirits became a little bit stirred. And when they came to the rock, it tells us that Moses had another rod in his hand, not the rod that God said, God said, take thee rod. But Moses did something different. He took his ride. He took his rod. The rod I suppose, that he used to smite the river. He took that, And with that rod he smoked the rod twice.
01:15:12
And he turned to the people, and he said, Must we fetch you water out of this rocky rebels?
He lost his patience with the people of God. They tried his spirit so much.
That it tells us he spake unadvisedly with his lips, and God was grieved. Why? Well, because he didn't sanctify him among the people. God's heart hadn't changed toward his people. All her murmurings and all are complaining, and all the things they did hadn't changed his heart. He had laid a basis by which he could bless them, and that basis was the work that Christ has done. And because of this, he had a way that in spite of all their failure, they could be blessed. Fully blessed.
But Moses is a servant here. He failed to get hold of this. And brethren, what an easy thing for us to do. Do, and I get stirred. Do we speak unadvisedly with our lips because someone has said or done something? Well, certainly the people were wrong here. And certainly you say, well, it was pretty hard for Moses not to lose his patience, and I'm sure it was. I would have probably done worse, but Moses lost his patience just once.
And God, said Moses, you can't lead the people into the land.
You can't. You just lost your patience once with the people. Because God doesn't lose his patience with his people. He loves them. He loves them through everything. He loves them under the end. But there's a lovely side to it that alone Moses did lose his patience and smite the rock twice and call the people rebels. It didn't change the heart of God and the water flowed out abundantly. God didn't say well Moses, because you failed.
Now you have spoiled it for all the people. Oh no, isn't this lovely, brethren? We fail. We fail as those who seek to perhaps help the people of God. But he never fails. There's a great high priest that's sitting there at God's right hand. There's an advocate to restore. There's one who threw everything. Loves his people. He has lessons to teach us. But he's the same yesterday and today and forever. And so, in the circumstances that arise, perhaps these three things.
Are lessons for us. First of all, we see trying to set a situation right in the flesh, and it failed. The second time we see one who went up and interceded for the people of God, willing to have his own name blotted out that those people might be blessed. And God used him to give all the instructions for the Tabernacle. God said that he would be the one to lead them through the wilderness, and he did, and he came down with a shining face.
In this occasion. But when these things troubled him and he lost his patience.
By the Lord said, You can't lead them into the land, Moses, you can't, because you haven't sanctified me.
But still, he brought his people in. He cared for them. He loved them.
And brethren, he'll bless his people through us if we keep looking to him.
And without us if we don't, He loves his people, I say, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
May these lessons that our brother brought before us, and these two from the life of Moses.
Have their practical effect with us. We can expect as the wilderness journey draws to a close, that things will not be easier. There will be things to try our patients. The whole world, moving at such a pace as it is, has sets our nerves on edge, as people say. And how can you help it? Yes, we can help it. We have a great high priest. We have an advocate. We have one who loves us and who loves each one of his own. They are hearts enter more and to his thoughts.
Toward his people, so that we may be given grace to continue in the path till he comes.
241.
Say you're through the desert.
Where are you feeling? Our heart falls.
Thou from Grill will take that breathing earth.
And I'll take your time to go.