Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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I'd like you to turn with me, first of all to the third chapter of Numbers. I'd like to read a few scriptures.
3rd chapter of Numbers, beginning at the ninth verse.
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Erin, and to his sons they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priests office, and a stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, And I behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel.
Instead of all the first born that openeth the metrics.
Among the children of Israel, therefore the Levites shall be mine, because all the first born are mine. For on the day that I smote all the first born in the land of Egypt, I held unto me all the first born of Israel, both man and beast. Mine they shall be. I am the Lord, and the Lord speak unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying.
Number the children of Levi after the House of their fathers, by their families.
Every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
Turn over, please to the 4th chapter, the 46th verse. All those that were numbered of the Levites, who Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered after their families and after the House of their fathers, from 30 years old and upward, even under 50 years old. Everyone that came to do the service of the ministry and the service of the burden in the Tabernacle of the.
Even those that were numbered of them were 808,000 and 503 score according to the commandment of the Lord. They were numbered by the hand of Moses, everyone according to his service and according to his burden. Thus were they numbered of him as the Lord commanded Moses.
So we also turn over to Romans chapter 12, the first verse. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that she presents your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that she may prove what is that good and.
And perfect will of God, for I say through the grace given unto me.
To every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.
But to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man, the measure of faith.
And then in Galatians.
Galatians, chapter 6.
Galatians chapter 6 and verse 2. Bear ye one anothers burdens and soul fulfill the law of Christ. 4th A man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another, For every man shall bear his own burden.
Well, here, as I have read these passages, they bring before us the service of the Levites in the House of the Lord.
And perhaps we could say that which corresponds to it now in Christianity.
Just to look back a little and see the position of these Levites, they were once in the land of Egypt and they were slaves along with the rest of the children of Israel, and they were working under Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and they were building treasure cities for Feral. For at this time Egypt was in a position of great glory. It was a land of great progress.
And the people of God were involved in all of this. They had part in it.
But the time came that they groaned under this burden, and gone in His goodness provided a way to bring them out from that dark land. And it tells us that God took the Levites in place of all the first born who were spared when the judgment fell upon the land of Egypt. God didn't bring out His people, Israel, because they were better than the Egyptians. They were idolaters like them.
And not one of us and dear young people can lift our heads and say we're any better than anyone else or any other young person we know. It's only the grace of God that has manifested itself that has brought us into this wonderful position of deliverance and now a favor. What was it that sheltered them from the judgment? God didn't say when. I see how good you are. Because, as I said, they were sinners along with the Egyptians.
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But he said when I see the blood.
I will Passover you and I hope each one here of you dear young people can say thank God I've taken shelter under the blood. Thank God. I know that the judgment will not fall upon me because the Lord Jesus is my Savior. He bore the judgment in my place and because of that I have escaped. Well, not only were they sheltered from the judgment, but in their homes there was a feast besides.
Now they had they had shelter from the judgment, and secondly, they had assurance by the word of God.
And if there's anyone here who's having doubts, may I turn you to God's precious word? Remember, what gave peace to those Israelites was the knowledge that God had spoken. They could rest implicitly on the precious, unchanging word of God. His eyes saw the blood, and because of this, he told them that he would pass over them. If there's a young person here and you say, well, I believe I've taken.
Under the blood. But it seems that I often have doubts. The only way to meet these doubts is to do just exactly what the Israelite had to do, Answer them by the precious word of God. Yes, you can say to every doubt that arises in your mind. The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin.
One of the nests in their homes there was a feast. God not only wanted them to be safe.
He not only wanted them to be certain, but he also wanted them to be happy.
And so he provided a feast in their homes that they could be feeding upon that roast lamb. And what a happy home that was safe, that was sure. And it was feeding upon the roast lamb. And I hope, dear young people, you not only know that you're saved, but I hope in your soul there is some measure at least of the enjoyment of Christ, that He's precious to your heart, and you can speak of Him as a portion that has been made real.
But it's not merely a cold fact that you say, yes, I'm saved, I'm saved. But I hope He means much to your soul and that there are times in your life when you can really say, yes, I'm enjoying the Lord. I hope that's been your experience here at these meetings.
Well, there was more too. God didn't want to leave his people in Egypt. He didn't want them to be slaves there, for one thing. Nor did he want them to be occupied with building up Egypt. He was going to bring them to a good land and a large a land flowing with milk and honey, something better than the land of Egypt. Egypt was watered by irrigation. They weren't dependent on God sending rain for their crops, and they wanted by irrigation.
And this please the natural heart, because there wasn't that constant dependence upon God.
And God wants us to be constantly dependent upon Him.
Well, God brought them out through the Red Sea, and now they were out in the wilderness. And in that wilderness there was nothing around to satisfy the desires of their heart, no treasure cities to be hauled.
Nothing that would satisfy the natural heart but the Lord.
Wanted to be everything to them and he wants to be everything to you, dear young person.
And I hope you have found that this world is a judge saying, I hope in some measure you realize that it is a wilderness because it doesn't have what satisfies the Newman that God has given to you. This world is a wilderness wide. We have nothing to seek or to choose. We have no thought in the ways to abide. We have not to regret nor to lose. We're passing through.
Yet I believe that those who pass through these experiences of the wilderness in faith.
And simple joy in the Lord in their passage.
But now this brings us to the chapter we have read, when God said that because He had spared all his first born, he had a claim upon them. Yes, he told very clearly to Moses that those people belong to Him. And he said, Thou shalt give the Levites underwear, and to his sons they are wholly given unto him.
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Out of the children of Israel.
How many call your attention to the fact here that this was not the same blessed, holy liberty that we find in Christianity? It was a demand. It was a claim that God had upon them, and He has a claim upon you and upon me. He could exercise that claim in the way of a demand, but thank God, we're not under law.
We're under Grace and He wants you and I to respond out of love.
Not because we are taken like a Levite was taken and he, so to speak, must fulfill those responsibilities that were given to him. It's true it was a privilege, but how beautifully everything is holy liberty and Christianity and contrast to that which was set up under the law. They were taken, they were given.
To Aaron, that they might serve in the House of the Lord, and for all the service of the sanctuary.
Well, I do say, though, dear young people, of the Lord has a claim upon us. We have a nice example of this in the Old Testament. When Jonathan saw the great victory that David had won, nobody needed to say to him that David had a claim upon his heart. He came to David voluntarily and he laid everything at the feet of David.
And he said he belonged to him.
He said he stripped himself of his ball, of his sword, and of his girdle, and he recognized Davidde claim, perhaps not just as fully as he might, but as far as it went. It was most beautiful that he recognized this without even being told he should. It was the response of his heart.
And I hope that you and I feel the constraint of his love.
Not because I'm standing up here to say that you must do this or must do that.
And with a Levite, it was an obligation, shall I say, with you and I in a certain sense it's an obligation, but it's an obligation of love. It's a privilege bestowed upon us to present ourselves to the Lord. Well, these were taken. And the reason, as I say, was that it says here.
On the third in the 13th verse, because all the first born are mine.
Well, isn't it nice when our hearts respond and say, Lord, we are thine, we are thine. For on the day that I smote all the first born in the land of Egypt, I hallowed unto me all the first born in Israel, both, both man and beast. Yes, there were. The people belong to them and their possessions belong to Him. Yes, not only ourselves, but our possessions.
Now perhaps we could say that dear Jonathan recognized the Lord's claims over his possession.
But not fully over himself. There's quite a difference. Jonathan stripped himself of all he had.
And gave it to David. But as we know the story, I'm sure he didn't really give himself, for he didn't leave his place in the court of Saul. The wholeheartedly followed David. And the Lord has a claim not only on our possessions, but on ourselves. So there was, there were the people, and there were there beasts.
That is their possessions. Well, happy it is when we recognize.
As the little hymn puts it so nicely, love that transcends our highest powers demands our soul, our life, our all.
Well, they shall be mine, I am the Lord. Well, I just read these few verses here about numbering them.
From a month old, well, what were these children a month old know anything about their deliverance out of Egypt or God's claim upon them? This word must have been spoken for the benefit of the parents. The children couldn't even hold up their hand and say, well, I'm one of the Levites. No, they, they weren't conscious of all these things. And may I just pause here to say to those who are parents.
What a wonderful thing when your child.
Is born, born into a Christian home, born, so to speak, into the place of privilege, where I trust we as parents recognize the Lords claim over ourselves and over our possessions, and when he gives us little ones over them too. For when the people were returning from Babylon, it says that is resada right way.
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For themselves and for their little ones.
And for all their substance, so how beautiful this is, to see that they were numbered from a month old. And let me say again to those who are parents, what a privilege that your children have been brought into a Christian home. Do you number them in that place of privilege? Do you bring them up, as the Scripture says, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?
What our responsibility. What a privilege. I'm sure that we fail as parents. At least I have.
But the Lord is faithful, and we can look to Him, and we know that he will never fail.
He's the one that we can count upon where we turned over in the end of the fourth chapter.
It says here.
That these Levites were numbered and were appointed to their service. The 47th verse of the 4th chapter from 30 years old and upward. Well, perhaps this seemed like quite a gap from a month up to 30.
This mean that the Lord did not have a claim upon them until they were thirty. Well, it is quite interesting in tracing through different parts of the scripture to notice the different ages that are mentioned. It mentions them one month.
And first Chronicles 23 it says that from 20 years old and upward they were to serve the Lord and ministering, and in helping in the Tabernacle.
Then in another passage in numbers here, it speaks about from 25 years old. So we have 4 different ages given a month, 20 years, 25 years and 30 years. Well, I think this is very interesting and very instructive for us because it's nice when this is recognized when we're younger, but perhaps when we think of 20 years old, this is about the age when.
You start out and when it's natural, shall I say to.
Say, well, I'm going to, I'm going to plan my own life from now on. I think I'm old enough now, father and mother, that I have to make my own decisions and I have to plan for myself now because I'm getting a bit older. Well, at 20 years of age, David said that these Levites were to be already.
Engaged in the occupation of living for the Lord.
And so that we can see that there was a gradual fitting in to the position that they were to fulfill how fully acknowledging the Lords claim over them beginning at a month through till they're 2025 thirty and then on even to 50. Well, how this teaches us, doesn't it, that there is no particular age of our life that is exempt. There is no time when we can say well.
This is a gap period. I can do as I like just now. Now there is a time when we come to the Lord, and from that moment what a privilege to acknowledge His claims over us. Now there were two things in this 49th verse. I wanted particularly to call attention to the 49th verse of this 4th chapter. According to the commandment of the Lord, they were numbered by the hand of Moses.
Everyone, according to his service.
And according to his burden, thus were they numbered of him.
As the Lord commanded Moses.
Now here are these Levites were brought to Aaron, and Aaron appointed two things for them. He appointed their service and he appointed their burden. This is very interesting to me. You know, it's sort of pleasant to think that there is some service we can do, but I'm afraid that we shrink back from the other part.
A burden to bear and their young people. This I want to particularly bring before you this afternoon.
A service to do and a burden to bear. The service in connection with the House of the Lord, and then burdens. Felies burdens were associated with carrying certain things about the Tabernacle in its movement through the wilderness.
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Off times it was very hot. Sometimes there wasn't very much time between the moves. There might be times when they stayed in the place for quite a while. There might be times when it was, as it tells us, in the ninth of numbers a month, perhaps even down to a day. And after setting up the Tabernacle, it had to be pulled down again. All the things had to be picked up and they had to move on.
Well, perhaps you say, well it's interesting to do a service, but a burden, well do young people. The Lord gives us each a burden and you know, it's natural to us to think that we would be much happier with someone elses burden than with our own. We think, why is my lot cast in a certain place where it is?
Why am I in a little meeting where there's not much fellowship?
I like it when I come down here to Southern California and it's, it's really nice to have so many young people. We can have such a nice time, but it's not like this, you know? And my meeting where I am, there are not other young people and I'm just alone. Well, here was a Levite. Did he go and say to Aaron, well, I want to be carrying such and such things in the Tabernacle and I want to have the help of someone else to do it.
Now he had nothing to do with that. Aaron appointed to every man his service and to every man his burden. And, dear young person, the Lord has put you in the place where you are. He has put you there, and He is able to sustain you in that place. There may be problems, there may be difficulties connected with it. Some of the children of Israel had much as some of the Levites.
I should say, had much heavier things to carry than others. Just think of those boards that stood upright and how they must have been quite a thing to handle because they were heavy boards, I'm sure, overlaid with gold and then others. Why was it they got such an easy thing as perhaps just carrying the pins? Why was this? There was only one answer. Aaron appointed it. And you perhaps look at some other young person and you say, why is it?
Everything. Things seem to come their way, but not with me. I don't seem to get things. Things just work against me. Well, Aaron appointed a burden, and how could they happily go on in this place that they were put in? The only thing that would give them peace and happiness in that particular place was just the quiet sense. Well.
This is what I've been appointed to, this is what has been given to me and I can do this.
Unto the Lord, Oh, what a, what a piece this must have given in the soul of an Israelite. And then there was another point, and that's why I read in Galatians 3 at Galatians 6. And I'll just mention it here, because it says here, Bear ye one another's burdens. And then further on it says, Every man shall bear his own burden.
In connection with these Levites.
There were certain ones that had the caring of these boards and pins and certain other things and.
The Princess of Israel came and brought wagons and saw that instead of having the heavy work of carrying these boards, perhaps some long distance, why wagons were provided by the Princess of Israel, and this made it a little bit easier for them.
And so you say there were others who came forward and helped in the bearing of these burdens, and as they took them down, they could place them in these wagons, which made it a great deal easier. But there were some that didn't get any such help.
Yes, there were some, and God didn't allow them to have any help in what they were doing.
The clothes sites I believe it was, and they carried the holy vessels, and God told them that they had to carry those vessels on their shoulders. And when David made the mistake of making a new cart and tried to make it a little easier, God was not pleased. That was only copying the Philistines. No, no, Colophites had to carry the things that were given to them upon their.
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So you see, even in Israel, some had some help in bearing the burdens, others seemed to have the difficult task of having to carry the burdens alone. But this is the way it was appointed. And there was only one answer to their hearts, and that is, well, this is what has been given to us.
Then there were some that were covered in a certain way and others that were covered in another way.
Some of them that were covered with coverings that were very dull, like the badger skin and the art, for instance, in a beautiful covering of blue. All you say. I'd like to have a pleasant work to do at least. Why should I be given a drab task?
One that just makes me completely unnoticed and I work hard and it just doesn't look as if it's anything that I'm doing.
Well, some of those vessels that were carried looked quite attractive, covered with the blue, perhaps covered with a scarlet. Others were just covered with a badger skins. Who appointed it? Well, at the commandment of the Lord through Aaron, this was appointed to them and saw. Dear young people, I want to encourage you. I've seen a lot of.
Frustrated young people, those who feel all if I could just be in someone else's place, if things would just work out for me.
What is the secret of real contentment and happiness in your young life as to yield yourself to the will of God to be content that He is the one who should appoint your service and your burden. And if He is pleased to let someone else get some help and to see you struggle along with the burden on your shoulders and seemingly known to help, just say well.
This is the way the Lord has chosen He has a claim over me, has a right, you know, to say what I'm to do because I owe everything to him. I'm a redeemed person. And so how beautiful here to see that these people were brought to Moses and given this particular burden then there was a glad service to.
As we find in First Chronicles 23.
There was the service of song and there was the service of lighting the lamps. There was a service in connection with other articles and details about the Tabernacle. Each one had a service to do. How did they discover it? They did not choose it themselves. They did not say, well, I'd like to be the one who sings. I'd like to be the one who lights the lamps. I'd like to do this.
This was all appointed for them, and this is Christian life. This is the way the Lord would have it to be. Well, you know, sometimes others might appoint a service to us and they don't really enter into our feelings and our problems. But I want to tell you, dear young person, that the one who appoints your service and your burden loves you with an everlasting love.
Is planning your life saw that it might bring forth fruit for Him and His blessing for you.
Unbelief is the root of all our failure. We don't believe that God is as good as his word says. We don't believe that he is really planning for our happiness and so we think all if I could just have my own way. I've thought of that verse in first Peter 5 it says.
Casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. But I have noticed that this verse is not a complete sentence. Perhaps you could turn to at First Peter chapter 5.
So I'd like to read the verse before first Peter chapter 5 and verse 6. This is part of the sentence. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you. We often see this seventh verse.
Perhaps we all have the experience from time to time.
Of wanting to cast some care upon the Lord. And it seems difficult. It seems we can't leave it there. And we perhaps asked ourselves, why is it I want to leave this with the Lord, but I can't seem to leave it there. Well, you've noticed as I've called attention that the verse before is part of the sentence and the verse before says.
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Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
Casting all your care upon Him. And if I can speak for myself, I have found that when I have a problem about casting my care upon the Lord, it is because I haven't bowed to His hand in His plan for my life. And really, when I find the problem of casting the care upon Him, the difficulty is this, that I want Him to make things the way I want them to be.
And so.
I'm coming to him and saying now, Lord, I can't really leave this here unless you change this the way I want it to be. But oh, when you just come into his presence and say, Lord, if this is the way you have planned my life.
Give me grace to submit and to take it from thee. The care is gone. You have left it with him when you have bowed to His hand, but not until then. And so we'd love to cast our care upon him if we could just have the assurance that in the end we were going to have our own way.
But he says, Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God.
That he may exalt you in due time. Maybe He doesn't say that we should ever be without that that problem, as long as we're here.
Paul thought that if he could get rid of his thorn in the flesh, he would be so much better able to serve the Lord. But the Lord, as it were, said, Oh no, Paul, you're going to have that the rest of your life. But my grace is sufficient for thee all. How lovely, and yet how hard searching.
And I want to ask your your heart and and I'm going to ask mine. Would you really want the Lord to change your life to be according to your plan? Would you really look up in his blessed face and say, Lord, my plans the best. If you'll just order my life according to my plan, everything will be fine.
Would we really say this? Oh no, this is unbelief. And God has given us faith, and He likes faith to be an exercise. So there was a service, there was a burden, and it was appointed by Moses, our Aaron. How shall we just turn to this? Our brother spoke about this 12Th of Romans.
And I know he won't mind me making some further comments because.
It seems to fit in with what we're talking about today.
Again, I want to remark here the contrast. The Levites were taken and given to Moses. There was no choice in the matter, so to speak, and they were given and they were appointed as something that was their obligation, their duty. But here love has a far greater claim upon us.
We're redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. He loved us and gave Himself for us.
And yet with all this great claim that he has upon us, he doesn't say, take the Christians and tell them they must do this. Oh no, isn't this lovely? I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that she present your bodies. Here goes a call out from the one whose hands were pierced for you, for you and I at Calvary.
Dear young person, here's a call from that savior that died for you.
Who saved you and I from eternal hell? Who loves us, and who will love us under the end? And he is holding out his hands, and he is saying, Will you give yourself to me? Will you trust my love? Will you trust my plan? Will you trust my power? Or must you do things yourself? All dear young person?
How touching this is, how it speaks to my heart.
And I trust to yours present your bodies a living sacrifice. Don't wait until you're old. Actually, the Levites retired from the heavy part of their work at 50. Oh, don't think that. Well, when I get through all my busy life and her family's sort of grown up, why? And then I think I can develop my time. But, you know.
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When you're young, you have to study, you have to set up a home, you have so many responsibilities.
We just have to devote ourselves to these things when we're young. At 50 years old, it was too late for the Levi. It was too late. God wanted the cream of his life and he wants the cream of yours, dear young person. Yes, and not, not that I would say that it's too late in the things of God. We were noticing the other day that.
Abram came out from her, the Chaldeans, and came into the land of Canaan when I think he was 75 years old.
So it's better late than never, but it's a privilege to come.
And present ourselves to the Lord while we're young and.
It says a living sacrifice, holy. Yes, God has saved our souls. He has given us a new life. He has put the desire in us to please Him. In the chapters preceding this, He has told us not only how our sins are put away, but we have a new life. And we're brought into such a wonderful position before God. And now it tells us that we have the power to keep the old nature in the place of death.
To present yourselves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. Isn't that wonderful? That he could ever accept a poor thing like me and use me? And dear young person, he can accept you, the Levite, He accepted him.
And he'll accept you. He'll accept you because you're one of his blood bought ones.
And it says which is your reasonable, Our brother read yesterday the correct reading intelligence service.
Intelligent. If you had said to a Levite, why do you?
Have to carry the ark in that particular way. Why do you have to cut the sacrifice in such and such a way? Why are the pins used and so on, and all these details? Why he would have to say, well, I don't know. It's just an act of obedience on my part. This was very beautiful. But isn't it wonderful that God has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence?
He's brought us into his family. He makes known his plans and his counsels. He talks to us.
As his children, and he wants us to know his plans, his purposes, his counsels.
He Stoops to tell us why he wants us to do certain things he doesn't give us like he gave to them an unintelligent service. He says, I'll tell you what the baptism means. I'll tell you what the Lords Supper means. I'll I'll enable you to serve me in an intelligent way. What a privilege is ours. We have the privilege of presenting our bodies to him and to do what we do not as servants merely.
The Lord says I have not called you servants for the servant. No, it's not what is Lord doeth, But I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard of my father, I have made known unto you.
And then he says, and be not conformed to this world. Our brothers spoke of this in a practical way yesterday, but I'd like to speak of it as a principle. Dear young people, I think there is quite a problem with many young people just to know what is conformity to the world. And I suppose every young person has asked this question. Well, Dad, how do you know it's conformity of the world? And I don't know what it is.
And you say, well, it's, it's very difficult to decide.
Some of these matters, well, isn't it very interesting here that conformity to the world is looked upon as a principle? And what is the principle? Well, I believe it's this. What is the principle of world operates on? The principle the world operates on is self.
Self, the principle that the Christian operates on, or should and does if he's in communion, is to do the will of God, to do the will of God. And so instead of trying to define some of these difficult things, I'd like to ask you.
Before you buy something. Before you decide what course you're going to take in school.
Before you decide about the job that you're going to take, before you buy a home or clothes or anything.
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Are you, are you looking up to the Lord and saying, well, Lord, I don't want to just act as a person of the world. I want to live to please thee. I belong to thee. Well, this is the principle. The world operates on the principle of self. So it's my car, my house, Yes. And I want to have the nicest car. I want to have the nicest home.
I want to have the nicest clothes. I want everybody to notice me because I'm someone important. This is the principle of world conformity. And brethren, and I say this for my own heart, did you notice that the first exhortations about conformity to the world are how we act to our brethren, and if we don't act to our brethren in the spirit of love and service to them?
We're just following a worldly principle.
We are passing among our brethren wanting to be noticed, wanting to be important, wanting to be considered something big and not living lives of sacrifice and service because we're not our own. We were just mentioning at the dinner table about one dear man of God back in Ottawa years ago, he said. Before I was saved, I wanted to be a great man in the world.
After I was saved, I wanted to be a great man in the Church of God.
And he said I had to learn that both were wrong.
Dear young people, so I'm not going to try and define some of the things because perhaps you'll say, well, brother Gordon, I think you're going a little too harsh on this or that, but I'm going to ask you in the presence of God, have you presented yourself to the Lord? Have you really said, Lord Jesus, I belong to thee. You have a claim over my life, my money.
Everything I possess, I want to acknowledge thy claims.
Oh, if we do this, we'll have a different principle controlling our lives altogether. And so he says, be not conformed to this world. And all I say again, it searches my own heart. Why did I buy that house? Why did I buy that car? Why did I take part in the meeting? What was it for? All I want to learn in the presence of God.
What it means to recognize that the whole life of the Christian.
Is the life of one who has been given to the Lord and that he appoints our service and our burden and not until we realize this are our minds transformed and so it says, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Oh how important, transformed by the renewing of your mind. It's the same word used in 2nd Corinthians 3 in the last verse it says we.
Unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord. It says our change, the new translation is our transformed.
Into the same image from glory to glory. Occupation with Christ in glory.
Produces that change in US unconsciously. And we're not like Levites who had to say, well, I was appointed to this job, I have to do what? It's awfully heavy, but it's what I was appointed to. Oh no, we give ourselves to one who loved us and gave himself for us, who values the slightest thing we do for him.
Who says, well, when I appoint your service, I've been through the path before you. I know everything that you have to pass through. I know the kind of world you have to live in. I know what you have to meet.
I perfectly understand. I love you perfectly. And he appoints us our service and our burden be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That she may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God? Yes, we prove it. How do we prove it? We prove it by walking in it. We prove it by walking in it. Did you ever find a Christian? Did you ever, dear young person, find a?
Who was living his life as one completely yielded to the Lord.
Who found a drudgery and misery? No, the happiest Christians are the ones who have learned that the secret of happiness is to be yielded to the Lord. Now I want to be understood in this because I think sometimes there is the thought in people's minds. Well, that means then that you have to spend all your time reading the Bible and praying.
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All dear young person, this is not true. God is interested.
Everything in your life He's interested in how you spend the hours when you need recreation for your body. He's interested in the boyfriend or the girlfriend you choose. He's interested in your appearance. He wouldn't have taken time in his word to tell us about all these things if he didn't care about what your hair looked like and what your clothes looked like and what your job was.
And whether you had a happy marriage, he wouldn't have told you this if he didn't care. He does care. He's interested in you and he's interested in everything in your life. He's planned for your happiness. And when we resist his will, we're resisting the will that is seeking our blessing and our happiness. And so.
The Levite was appointed his service and his burden.
And so here with us, we prove in this path the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. It's his will them not our own. We seek his mind, we seek His will, We seek to do what's pleasing to him, because we know that we owe everything to Him. Is there a person here who would doubt that we're going?
Supremely happy in heaven. We all believe this. And whose will is going to make us supremely happy in heaven? Our own never, never. Our own wills only brought us trouble and sorrow, but His will is that which brings that happiness. Well now this brings us to the last portion we turn to, and I just like to speak of it briefly.
Galatians chapter 6 We did mention about burying one another's burdens.
Now I just like to mention here this fourth verse. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another, For every man shall bear his own burden. In a certain sense it was rather simple for an Israelite. He could talk face to face with Aaron, and Aaron could define in a very simple way.
What he would do, and if he had any question, he could go back and ask and it would be clearly laid out to him. But God has planned that as Christians, the only way we can discover his mind and will is in fellowship with him. We must be close to him.
You know, before I was married, I didn't know all about the likes and dislikes of my wife. I knew a little bit about her, but.
The better we get acquainted, the better we get to know one another, the better we get to realize our mutual likes and dislikes, our pleasures and our sorrows. We share these things. And you know, if she wants to give me a gift, I appreciate it very much if she didn't even ask me, but she just noticed there was something that I wanted.
And perhaps was like David, David said all that there was all that. I would have a drink.
Of the waters of Bethlehem. He didn't ask anybody to get it, but there were some men that just heard that.
And they went and drew water. And dear young people, the Lord has planned.
His Word, He has written it not like a law book in the courts of the land, but He has written it for loving, willing, and obedient hearts. Loving, willing and obedient hearts. He never intended to write it. I have said to the young people, sometimes there isn't a verse in Scripture you can't get around if you want to. God didn't write it, so you couldn't get around it if you want to. But if you really want to please Him, He'll show you. He'll show you, He'll make.
To you it's very blessed. And so says, Let every man prove his own work, get into the presence of the Lord, quietly seek his mind and his will. Saul of Tarsus said, Lord, what will thou have me to do? And the Lord showed it to him. And if you and I want to do his will, he'll show it to us, and he'll give us a piece in that path.
Perhaps you have wondered about this last expression?
And then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another? Well, and perhaps I could put it like this.
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We can read missionary books, we can hear of what others have done for the Lord, and we can and do rejoice in their service. But I want to tell you, dear young person, that you can have a rejoicing in your own heart of knowing that you are doing what the Lord wants you to do. Isn't that sweet? Isn't that sweet? You say, well, I can't cross the ocean and preach. Well, perhaps that isn't the will of the Lord for you.
And you can rejoice in that brother's service, but are you happy in the position that you're doing?
Are you happily bearing that burden for the Lord? Are you happily doing that service for the Lord?
Then you have something that is most sweet and precious. I covet it.
For myself and for you. You'll never have a steady, happy path as a Christian.
Until you have thought in your way to present yourself to the Lord.
To ask him to plan your life and to just quietly wait at the pulse of his doors.
And then have the sweet sense in your soul that you're doing what he wants you to do in the way he wants you to do it. And when others speak to you and say things, why, sometimes there may be criticism, sometimes there may be encouragement. But what gives peace in the soul? All the peace of being able to look up and say honestly in your heart.
Lord Jesus, I want to do thy will.
I want to please thee, I belong to thee, and this will bring a peace and a joy in your Christian life.
That the Lord wants you to have all dear young people, we may not be left here much longer. We only have the rest of our time. All how important in these best years of your life that you should acknowledge the Lord's claims and let him plan your life. And I'll tell you this, that as life goes on, I don't say there won't be times of testing and trial. God will test our faith, but all the peace, all the happiness.
Of going on in life with the confidence that the Lord is with us and in our feeble measure we're seeking to do His will. Again I quote the words, that little hymn, love that trend. I'll quote the whole verse. We're the whole realm of nature. Hours that were an offering far too small.
Love that transcends our highest powers demands our soul, our life, our all.