Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Her brother has been bringing before us the precious truth of the position the believer has been brought into. And I was just thinking, brethren of the 16th song, as bringing before us the pathway of the Lord Jesus through this world as the perfect dependent man. Wonder if we could just look at that Psalm, Psalm 16. Preserve me, O God, for indeed do I put my trust.
O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord.
Thou art my Lord. My goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied, that hasten after another God. Their drink. Offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup.
Now maintainest my lot. The lines are falling unto me in pleasant places.
Yeah, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel.
My reigns also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved, therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth. My flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell or hades, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One, to see corruption.
Thou wilt show me the path of life.
In Thy presence is fullness of joy. At Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
My brother is brought before us the wonderful truth of the work of Christ and what it has done for us, so that we not only know the forgiveness of sins, but we're justified from all things, or as it says in the 5th of Romans, justification of life. And I think that's a very blessed thing for us to understand, brethren, that some have said, well, justification is just as if I had never seen.
But that would only put me in the position of Adam before he fell. He hadn't yet sinned. But thank God it's far better than that. God doesn't just put us in the position of unfallen atom. He puts us in Christ. And so justification of life means that every believer in this room is before God, not only forgiven all his sins.
But before God in a life that never sinned at all.
And that is how God sees us, and he tells us to reckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Perhaps the 7th of Romans brings before us in a practical way the the conflict that goes on because we're slow to learn that we're slow to give up the thought that there is anything good in the first man.
We don't believe that it's totally condemned. We think there's something there.
But, brethren, they that are in the flesh cannot please God. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.
That fallen nature within us cannot be improved, and so we are before God in Christ, and God sees us in that position. To what I was thinking of in connection with this chapter is that blessed man, the Lord Jesus, the one who walked through this world, who only he was, That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of the Son of God.
There was one who walked through this world who never had any tendency to do what's wrong, and he has given us his life. And now by wrecking the old man dead, we have a perfect pattern in the life of the Lord Jesus of godliness. That's what it means in that verse in First Timothy 3 without controversy. Great is the mystery. It doesn't say of God, but great is the mystery of godliness.
That is the secret of godliness.
Is the pathway of the Lord Jesus as He walked through this world in all the circumstances that we have to meet in our pathway.
He walked through this world and only manifested that blessed life that He is Himself.
The very life of Christ. And there he manifested, and he left us an example that we should follow his steps. What a pattern for us. And this 16 Psalm, I believe, brings him before us, walking through this world as the dependent man. Why do we fall?
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Because we're independent. Why did Adam fall? He was independent. He thought he could just act on his own and he reached out for what was forbidden. But here we find the Lord Jesus in this world. We're just noticing together. When we were talking about how the Lord Jesus began the pathway of Israel over again, so to speak, it says out of Egypt, have I called my son? We know how the Lord Jesus was brought down.
Egypt after he was born and then he comes back into the land.
We see him tempted of the devil, answering every temptation by saying it is written, it is written.
Adam are the first Adam why he didn't he reasoned for himself and he was overcome, but the Lord Jesus answered every temptation by it is written and then he went about.
Displaying the heart of God to man, so much so that he could say, he that has seen me, has seen the Father. And brethren, what I wish to say is that you and I possess his life. We often excuse ourselves for failure.
But you have within you the very life of Christ, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, not who will be.
But who is our life shall appear? Every believer in this room has a life that never sinned and cannot sin. What a wonderful thing. The reason we sin, I say again, is because we allow the old man. We don't reckon the old man dead, and so we allow it. If we walked as the Lord Jesus down in this world, we wouldn't meet any circumstance in our own wisdom or in our own strength.
We would walk as he walked. Preserve me, O God, for in thee.
Do I put my trust? He's going to have all the kingdoms of this world, but he wouldn't take them from Satan.
He's waiting the Father's time. How long has he waited? He hasn't received them yet. The day is coming when the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. But he's waiting. He's the man of patience. You and I get impatient. We don't want to wait God's time. In our private circumstances, sometimes even in the assembly, we're unwilling to wait God's time.
At all how blessed the pathway of the Lord Jesus.
Brethren, may this be our daily constant prayer. Preserve me, O God, because I have a strong character now in thee. Do I put my trust? Our confidence is not in ourselves, or should not be, but in ourselves, but in the Lord, I should say, our confidence should be in Him. And so it says.
Oh my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord, My goodness extendeth not to thee.
That's simply the thought that the Lord Jesus didn't walk through this world, if I might say it in this way, with a Halo around his head. He walked through this world as a man so that as people looked at him, unless he walked through this world and blessed and in perfect humility. But every thought, every word, every action was a telling out of the heart of God his Father.
And so he says in the next verse, But to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
It's not a beautiful verse as God looks down upon this company here this afternoon.
Everyone who belongs to Him is a St. Everyone who belongs to Him is one of the excellent of the earth. What a marvelous thing. We don't always act that way, but that's the way God sees us. He's put his comeliness upon us. We're holy and without blame before Him in love.
Rather than Sometimes we need to look at one another this way too and think of one another just like when.
Balaam gave his prophecy. What were the people doing in the tents below? Well, they were quarreling and doing things they shouldn't. But he said from the top of the rocks do I behold him? He hath not a beheld iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel. We often wonder how this could be. But that's where God has brought us. He sees us in Christ. We're made the righteousness of God in him, and so we see the Lord Jesus.
Where was his delight with the rich and influential of this world? No.
We see him with that little household in Bethany. We see him acquainting himself with Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast 7 devils. How beautiful the excellent of the earth we need to look on one another in that way. It isn't that we're not conscious of the fact that we're four week things and we all fail, but in grace we always ought to think of God's people as God sees them. How lovely.
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The excellent of the Earth, and that he gives a little word of warning here.
Their sorrows shall be multiplied, that hasten after another God.
Sorrows shall be multiplied. Oh, isn't it true, brethren, we often multiply sorrow in our lives because we hasten after something else, something that's not Christ, something that's not Him, something that's not for Him. We think all that'll make me happy if I just get that. When we get it, it's only multiplied sorrow. But isn't it lovely that we have One who we can set before us?
And that was ever before the Lord Jesus.
He said, The good pleasure of Thy will, O God, is my delight. Even when He was rejected by the nation. And very interestingly, it was the only occasion on which we find the Lord rejoicing in spirit. When was it when rejected by the one whom He had come to bless, He took it from His Father.
And he said, I thank the Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and has revealed them unto babes.
Even so, father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. A brother was talking to a group of children, but one of them was blind, quite handicapped, and he seemed to be giving all the good answers. When Preacher, the brother was talking, and he he said to him, Well, how is it that you?
Who seem to know your Bible so well and love the Lord.
Are blind, a lot of these other children have good eyes and everything seems to be going well for them, he said. Even so, Father for so it seemed good in nice sight. Perfect submission to the ways of God. That's the secret of happiness for us. Submission to the ways of God. Beginning preserve me, O God, for in me do I put my trust.
Is there someone here and you're finding your circumstances very difficult?
Some young person that has come to the meeting here feeling pretty discouraged by. Does somebody else seem to have something and I don't? It's easy to feel these things. I might say it's natural, but the Lord is able to fill your heart, is able to make you thoroughly happy. Jesus rejoiced in spirit and actually said, I thank the old Father, Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise.
Prudent, and has revealed them unto babes.
It says their drink offerings of blood. Will I not offer nor take up their names into my lips?
There was number such drink offerings of blood in the Old Testament order of things for Israel. There were no drink offerings of blood, but we see that they were carrying on a form of worship all of their own. Great deal of that people carry on a form of worship not founded on the word of God, just their own, their own idea. Isn't it good for us?
Even in our worship brethren, not to say, well, I like to be with that group, their group, their group. Nice group.
Maybe they are. Are you and I where we are because we believe it's according to the word of God and because we believe the Lord is there. Have often said if we can meet the Lord in two different places, if he's in the midst in two different places, I'm going to form my decision on the basis of people. If there's two places where I can go, I like the people in this place.
I don't just like the people in this other place quite so well.
But I can meet the Lord in either place. My decision is going to be founded upon people. But if the Word of God is my guide, and I want to be where the Lord is, that'll settle the question. Just to be where He is. What a privilege. And it goes on to say the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. Thou maintainest my lot.
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Notice there are two things here, my inheritance and my cup. Perhaps they bring before us this thought. The inheritance is all that we possess in Christ, where heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. All that he possesses, we're joint heirs. When he takes things, kingdoms of this world become his. He's going to share that place. He's going to introduce us to the world as His bride.
He'll come to be glorified in His Saints and to be admired in all. I'm not believe.
We know these things, we enjoy them as truth, but here that's our inheritance. But my cup, you might have a large vessel full of some drink that you enjoy. You dip in your cup, you get 1 cup full. It's a present enjoyment of what's there. And that's what the Lord wants, for us, to have a present enjoyment.
Maybe it's only a little bit now has begun to show me Lord, but what shall be the ending?
I touched the fringe of what thou art, and this is joy transcending. I've only on the rippling shore, loves oceans, depths are all before you, and I ought to know what our inheritance is, but we also ought to be in the present enjoyment and of my cup. And then this thou maintainest my lot. Is there any one of us that likes to be misunderstood?
Is there anyone that likes it when someone forms a wrong judgment? I don't suppose any of us enjoy that feeling.
But thou maintainest my life, it's a good thing to be able to just leave things with the Lord, isn't it? He forms a right appraisal about everything.
Mary poured out that alabaster box appointment on the Lord, and those who ought to have known better found fault with her said, To what purpose was this waste, and what did she say? Nothing, nothing. What did the Lord say?
She hath wrought a good work on me. I'm sure she was glad she kept quiet.
The Lord spoke to her, and he said, Wheresoever the gospel is preached in the whole world, this also that this woman hath done shall be told for a memorial of her. Nobody would know it. Yes, the world was going to know it. Oh, how lovely thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places.
Yeah, I have a goodly heritage, I've sometimes said.
We're going to meet Paul and we're going to meet Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and having another day.
I often like to think about talking to those whom we'll be with for all eternity and the glory. And I'd like to say to them, would you tell me what was the best time that you ever had in your whole life down in this world, on planet Earth? And I wouldn't be surprised the whole three of them would say it was when we were in the fiery furnace.
It was so wonderful. The Lord walked with us. The Lord walked with us.
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, and when the Word of God comes home to your soul in power and comforts you in a difficult position and situation, I don't think there's a more pleasant place. I've heard ever so many Christians say I was in such a deep trouble and sorrow and there was a verse came to me and oh, it just meant so much to me. I'll never forget what that verse went meant to me on that occasion.
The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places. Would you call the fiery furnace a pleasant place? I believe in heaven they will. I believe they'll say it was such a wonderful experience.
And then he says, yeah, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who have given me counsel.
Well, I think that's something we all feel very much that we need of in a world like this. Life is becoming more and more complex. Either young people, you're finding a more complex world and we who are older did, because as knowledge increases in the world, life becomes very much more complex. Does the Lord understand every one of those difficult situations in school, on the job, even in the assembly? Does he?
Them thoroughly, yes. Can we turn to him? His name shall be called wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.
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Girl one time was sitting down writing a little note that she was going to send into column in the newspaper that tends to give answers for some of problems of young people, and she was writing out her problem and her sister who was a believer.
Saw it sitting on the desk. The girl had gone to bed and left it half written and she sat down and just rolled across the bottom of the half written letter. His name shall be called. Wonderful counselor. The letter was never mailed. She was introduced to the one who is a counselor. I say to those of us who are older, you are younger.
Ask the Lord for counsel. Never, never take a step in disobedience to his word. There's no wisdom or understanding their counsel against the Lord. You'll never, I'll never be wiser than God never is worthwhile to take a step in disobedience to God's Word. So.
Have given me counsel. It's an interesting part to the close of this verse.
My reigns also instruct me in the night seasons.
I understand the word reigns is really kidneys in the original, and that's a very interesting thing because I think most of us know what the kidneys do. They purify the blood and they especially work when we lay down at night and our kidneys go to work. And I think there's a little thought here. Sometimes we're pretty brazen and bold and things we say during the day when we put our head on our pillow at night and we begin to think about some of the things we did and.
We there's a little sorting out of these things, aren't there? We say I was foolish to say a thing like that. I acted very foolishly on that occasion. I shouldn't have said that. My reigns instruct me. It's good. It's good when we lay down at night just to sometimes just look at those things in the light of the Lord's presence, We think of the Lord Jesus.
The perfect one. Before he chose those 12 disciples, he spent the whole night in prayer to God.
In prayer to God He do all about them even before He chose them. He knew all about them, but He was the perfect dependent man. Put an example for us. Brethren. My reigns also instruct me in the night season. I have set the Lord always before me because He is my right hand. I shall not be moved. Oh how important.
Tell the Lord always before us we think of the Lord Jesus. Who could say?
I do always those things that please him. Christianity isn't just a system of teaching. Her brother has brought before us in a very lovely way what the gospel is. But you could get hold of the theory of it all and not be a happy Christian. But the Lord Jesus is the truth. I am the way, the truth and the life. And if learning the truth, we are not drawn.
To him we haven't learned it in the right way. I've been thinking a little bit of that verse in First Corinthians 10/7. I believe it is. If a man thinketh that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it.
That's not so a natural things. That is, You can learn facts of science, mathematics, all kinds of things. You can get them in your head. You don't need to be a spiritual person to get them into your head. Those are natural things. But in divine things, if learning the truth of God doesn't humble me, I haven't learned it in the right way.
How could I learn what God's wonderful grace has been to me?
And where He has brought me and my responsibilities without being humbled as I think of the grace that picked me up and the grace that may have been kept me to this day, it humbles me. And if we start boosting, oh I know this, I sure I can handle that truth. I can explain that very well. We better watch out. Learning the truth of God and communion makes us think less of ourselves and more.
So it says.
I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand. I shall not be moved.
You may know a verse of Scripture, wonderful to be acquainted with God's word, may it be hid in our hearts, but we need to have a person before us when decisions are made that we're making them in his presence. We're making them to please Him and that He only can sustain us. Brethren, so I shall not be moved.
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And there then it goes on and speaks of the Lord Jesus.
He looked beyond death, he looked on to resurrection. And so how lovely this is, says in the Gospel of Luke. I believe it is the time came that he should be received up. He set his face that he might go to Jerusalem.
When it says the time came that he should be received up, they believe it's something like what we have in the 21St of Exodus.
He was the only person that could go to heaven in his own right.
He had perfectly walked to please God his Father, in every step of his pathway.
And he could go to heaven in his own right. But he was like the Hebrew servant who had served his master well, could have gone out free alone. But he said, I love my master, my wife and my children. I will not go out free. And he went to the judges. He went and our precious Savior, the only one that could enter heaven in his own right, because he had perfectly lived as the dependent, perfect man to glorify his father.
But he said, I want to have, I want to have these brethren here sitting in this room. I want to have them with me. I don't want to have the joys of heaven alone. I want to have them with me. And he went to Calvary, and this is brought before us, His pathway here. He went through death. He came forth in resurrection because he wanted you and he wanted me with him for all eternity.
Oh, how precious then.
Look beyond the scene. He looked on to the future. He looked on to the glorious day. He is now raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. He'd perfectly glorified God. He's sitting there not only in his blessed pathway as man, but he glorified God about the question of sin and as our Brother brought before us, because he has so perfectly glorified God.
He's going to have a company in glory around him.
And you'll see of the travel of his soul, and be satisfied. Dwell thoughts like this.
I trust encourage us and I just thought of this little Psalm as it brings before us the pathway of our blessed Savior as the dependent man. What a lovely thing it is to know the position that we've been brought into. But brethren, it's not just knowing truth. Wonderful it is as it is, but we need to have a person before us, a person who walked in this world, who met all circumstances that we meet day by day.
Walk through it perfectly. And He's given us his life. You and I possess the life of Christ. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory? You say, oh, that's a very difficult path. We can't do it in our own strength. But oh, it's a blessing and happy path when we lean upon Him, count upon Him day by day.
Moment by moment. Well, brethren, we're getting near the end.
Journey here. The Lord is coming soon. May He grant that we not only will get a grasp of the truth, but He'll that we'll set the Lord always before us.