Luke 2:1-18, 251And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. (Luke 2:1‑18)
25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. (Luke 2:25)
In connection with the remnant of Israel described in Luke 2, I am reminded of what is referred to in Zechariah 13 where it speaks of the smiting of the Shepherd, and how the Lord says, “I will turn mine hand upon the little ones” (Zech. 13:77Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. (Zechariah 13:7)). I am impressed with the thought that the Lord preserved a remnant all down through the years. Notice how Daniel acted when he understood the prophecy of his time.
Daniel says, “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments” (Dan. 9:3-53And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: 4And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; 5We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: (Daniel 9:3‑5)). Daniel had the intelligence by the writings of Jeremiah that the time had now come for the deliverance of God’s people from Babylon. Daniel could say, Now the time is come. Is that not wonderful? Yes, but he felt that a certain state would have to go with that fact in order that the Lord would deliver them. Daniel realized that and identified himself with the people according to their state. The prayer of chapter 9 was in exercise about their state. There did not seem to be much exercise yet, on the part of the people, about going back.
The State of Soul
We find a remnant does go back. Later, when Ezra goes, he does not find any of the Levites among them; the very ones were not there whose office it was to teach the people. That was a sad condition. We have the purposes of God concerning certain things in the Scriptures, but there must be a state of soul among His people that those things would be carried out according to His mind. It is not intelligence that is going to keep us; there must be that state of soul that is acceptable to Him.
We know a remnant went back and built the temple and there was much rejoicing. We read of them in Ezra and Nehemiah, and more than once they bound themselves with an oath to keep the law of Moses. Under the great energy and faithfulness of Nehemiah they went on for a time, but after he was gone they slipped down into the world. That is the way the flesh ever does; the flesh in us would do the same.
Malachi’s day
In Malachi’s day things were at a low ebb. It was perhaps a hundred years after the days of the remnant just mentioned, when Haggai and Zechariah stirred up the people as to their state. In Malachi’s day they were offering sacrifices, using the maimed, the lame and the sick animals, and he had to say to them, “Offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 1:88And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 1:8)).
However, it would seem that there was a remnant separated, and of them we read: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name” (Mal. 3:1616Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. (Malachi 3:16)).
The Spirit of God had preserved and exercised them. Malachi tells us certain things characteristic of them, and we find that it was the same traits which characterized those described in Luke, when the Lord Jesus was born. They spake often one to another and the Lord heard it and a book of remembrance was written before Him. There are books being kept upon high, and the books are going to be opened. This is a special book called “a book of remembrance” and it was before Him, just as though the Lord liked to look upon the record of those devoted ones — those that feared the Lord and thought upon His name. I believe there is great blessing for us in thinking upon what is due His name. God has other books, among them a book of works, in which are recorded the careless deeds and walk of those who profess His name.
What Is due to His Name
I was thinking of Matthew 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20) —”For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” I believe “unto my name” (JND) involves more than its ordinary thought. It carries with it that respect due to His name, of which we have been speaking: the response of the remnant in Malachi’s time, that is, meditation upon what is due to that name. To have the Lord’s sanction, as mentioned in Matthew 18, there must be meditation upon what is due to His name. There must be a state of soul like that manifested in Daniel.
The remnant in Malachi’s time existed three or four hundred years before the Lord’s advent into this world. Daniel speaks of incidents happening during that interval — certain ones doing exploits, and as long as it was done in faith God honored it. During that interval a usurper, Antiochus Epiphanes, to whom Daniel alludes, entered the temple and polluted it by offering a sow upon the altar. God raised up a faithful band who drove out the intruders and they rededicated the temple. Then afterwards their faith waned, and they invited the Romans in to help them. When the Lord was here they were still keeping that feast of dedication, but their hearts were not in it. The Lord had to drive them out of the temple as also polluting it (John 2); they were unconscious of what their sins had brought upon them.
Intelligence and Faith
But still a remnant was preserved, and in Luke 2 we see there were those two companies: the shepherds in the field and those in Jerusalem. Apparently they did not have much intelligence as to what the Scriptures foretold, but they were “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:2525And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. (Luke 2:25)). The Lord has a special message for them: announcing the birth of the Messiah to the shepherds, and directing the remnant in Jerusalem to the temple at the proper time to see their Messiah. He always honors faith.
May we be so in the current of His thoughts at this time as to be able to walk in the path marked out for faith as revealed in the Scriptures.
J. L. Erisman (adapted from an address)