Table of Contents

Galatians

Introduction

Galatians 1: 6-9

Galatians 1: 10-24

Galatians 2: 1-5

Galatians 2: 11-17

Gal. 3: 1-6

Galatians 3: 6-14

Galatians 3: 15-20

Galatians 3: 21-29

Galatians 4: 1-7

Galatians 4: 8-20

Galatians 5: 2-12

Galatians 5: 13-26

Galatians 6: 1

Galatians 6: 2-5

Galatians 6: 6-10

Galatians 6: 11-18

The Law of the Leper

Hid Treasures

G. C. W.

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"CHOOSE YE TODAY!"

The Feasts of Jehovah

Leviticus 23

Preface

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Preface to Second Edition

Genesis

Genesis 1

Genesis 2

THE FIRST MAN'S FAMILY

Genesis 3

Genesis 4

CAIN KILLS HIS BROTHER

Genesis 5

Genesis 5

Genesis 7

Genesis 7, 8.

Genesis 8

Genesis 11

Genesis 12

Genesis 13

Genesis 14

Genesis 15

Genesis 16

Genesis 18

Genesis 19

Genesis 21

Genesis 22

Genesis 24

Genesis 24

Genesis 24

Genesis 25

Genesis 26

Genesis 27

Genesis 28

Genesis 29

Genesis 30, 31.

Genesis 32

Genesis 33

Genesis 34

Genesis 35

Genesis 37

Genesis 39

Genesis 40

Genesis 41

Genesis 41

Genesis 41

Genesis 42

Genesis 43

Genesis 44

Genesis 45

Genesis 46, 47.

Genesis 47

Genesis 49

Genesis 50

Jonah

Foreword

Jonah Rebels

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Jonah Prays

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Jonah Preaches

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Jonah is Very Angry

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G. C. Willis - Other Works

Geoffrey Christopher Willis

This document may be found online at www.stempublishing.com

You are welcome to freely access and use this material for personal study or sending to other Bible students, compiling extracts for notes etc, but please do not republish without permission.

With the prayerful desire that the Lord Jesus Christ will use this God-given ministry in this form for His glory and the blessing of many in these last days before His coming. © Les Hodgett (contact@stempublishing.com) (2011)

Galatians

"Beautiful Grace"

Meditations on the Epistle to the Galatians

G C Willis.

Contents

Introduction

1. Who Were the Galatians?

2. Why the Epistle to the Galatians?

3. A General View of the Epistle

4. Paul an Apostle

5. The Greeting

6. A Curse Instead of a Blessing

7. Paul's History

8. The Conference at Jerusalem ? Introductory Remarks

9. The Conference at Jerusalem ? Continued

10. More About Paul's Visit to Jerusalem

11. Peter's Visit to Antioch

12. The Holy Spirit

13. Abraham's Seed

14. Abraham and the Covenant

15. The Law as the Child Trainer

16. Sons and Heirs

17. Back to Slavery

18. Abraham's Two Sons

19. Practical Results of Faith

20. The Flesh and the Spirit

21. The Brother Who Falls

22. Burdens

23. Sowing and Reaping

24. Boasting in the Cross

Introduction

Most Chinese people have three names: first the surname, as in the telephone book at home; then what might be called the children's family name ? a name which each child bears; and finally the child's own individual name.

There is a dear family in China with the surname King, only over there we call the father Mr. Wang. The children's family name is Gold: so one child is called King Precious Gold (or, as we would say, Precious Gold King), and his sister's name is King Beautiful Gold.

For many months a few of the Christians where the King family live, had been reading the Book of Galatians together, and just about the time we finished that grand book of grace, a little sister arrived for Beautiful Gold. The father said to the mother, "Shall we call her Gold like the rest of the children?" "We will not," replied the mother in a most positive tone. "We have gold enough," (they had absolutely none except the children's name). "What we want now is Grace. Her big sister is Beautiful Gold; let's call her Beautiful Grace." And so the little darling bears the name of Beautiful Grace.

This book is an English translation of some of the things we learned during those Chinese Bible readings on Galatians. That is why it wears in many parts a Chinese dress, for I have not tried to change it; and I must ask those who read it to bear patiently with these "mao-pings" (defects) in a book that is offered to English speaking readers.

I was pondering what name would be suitable for this English edition when Mr. King dropped in to tell me about his baby's name, and it seemed to me that if the meditations on Galatians had given Little Sister her name of Beautiful Grace, then Beautiful Grace might also be a suitable name for a book containing meditations on Galatians.

Perhaps I should add a word about the quotations from the Bible. In addition to the authorized version, we have used other translations including Mr. Darby's. In all cases we have sought to use only what we thought would bring out more clearly the meaning of the original Greek.

Help has been sought on every hand, and we owe an unspeakable debt to many writers. As there was no thought of an English edition when these Meditations were prepared, I regret to say that no record was kept of those to whom we owe so much for help received: but the writer would like to express his deep thankfulness to all who helped towards an understanding of this precious little book.

Chapter 1

Who Were the Galatians?

If you will look at the map in your Bible that shows the Apostle Paul's journeys, you will see that Galatia is not a city, but a province; just as in China, Kiangsu is not a city, but a province. Kiangsu Province has many cities in it, as Nanking, Shanghai, Soochow, and others. So the Epistle to the Galatians is a letter written, not to the Christians living in one city, like the letters to the Romans or Corinthians, the Philippians or Colossians, but it is a letter written to a number of churches or assemblies, in the Province of Galatia.

We do not really know exactly what territory is meant by the Province of Galatia. Most people today think that it included that part to the south, called on the map "Lycaonia," and also probably that part to the west called "Phrygia." But we do not know for certain that this is so.

In the book of Acts we read that Paul made three missionary journeys through these parts. In the first of these journeys (see Acts 13 and 14), Paul and Barnabas were sent forth by the Holy Ghost from Antioch, that city in North Syria where the disciples were first called "Christians" (Acts 11: 26). Antioch in Syria was the chief city for the Gentile Christians, just as Jerusalem was for the Jewish Christians. From Antioch Paul and Barnabas went by ship to the large island of Cyprus. This was the native home of Barnabas. They preached the gospel through this island, and took a ship to Antioch in Pisidia. We must remember this is not the same city as Antioch in Syria. Both received their names from a great general named Antiochus.

Almost the, whole city of Antioch came to hear the gospel, and the Jews in the city were filled with envy (Acts 13: 45), and stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and they expelled Paul and Barnabas from their coasts. (Acts 13: 50.) What strange tools the devil uses to do his work! How little "the devout and honorable women" realized whose work they were doing! We must notice how the Jews treated Paul and Barnabas, for it was they who stirred up all the trouble for the apostles.

From Antioch Paul and Barnabas went to Iconium and preached the gospel. Again the Jews stirred up the Gentiles against them, but they stayed a long time preaching there, until both Jews and Gentiles planned an assault against them. (Acts 14: 5.) When they knew of it, they fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and the region round about there, and there they preached the gospel. (Acts 14: 6, 7.)

At Lystra Paul healed a lame man, and the people cried out, "The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men," 14:11, and they wished to worship the apostles and offer a sacrifice to them. But Jews from Antioch and Iconium came and persuaded the people of Lystra, and they stoned Paul, and drew him out of the city, supposing he was dead. Howbeit as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city; and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14: 19, 20.)

In the end of Acts 15 and beginning of 16, we read of Paul's second missionary journey, and we see that Timothy's home was in these parts. You will remember that Timothy, though a young man, was one of Paul's most trusted helpers. His mother was a Jewess who believed, but his father was a Greek. Paul wished to have Timothy go forth with him to preach the gospel, "and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek." (Acts 16: 3.) We must remember this as we read the Epistle to the Galatians, for there we find that Paul refused to allow Titus, another of his helpers, who was altogether a Gentile, to receive circumcision, even though the Jews in the assembly at Jerusalem tried to compel him to do so.

In the end of Acts 15, and the early verses of chapter 16, we see that Paul went through the cities where he had preached on his first journey, and when he came to Derbe and Lystra, he chose Timothy to accompany him. Now in

Acts 16:6, we read for the first time of GALATIA. "Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia . . ." That is all the Bible tells us. Does this mean the northern part of this province, where there were a number of cities, or is it the parts near Derbe and Lystra? We do not really know. It is strange that although we know much about all the other important churches that Paul founded, as Corinth and Ephesus, Philippi and Thessalonica, yet the Bible tells us of scarcely a single incident of any kind, and not one single name of a person or place, in connection with Paul's preaching in Galatia. It seems as though the Spirit of God draws a veil over the history of these churches which so soon, and so seriously, turned aside from the true gospel.

In Acts 18: 23 we read of the beginning of Paul's third missionary journey: "He departed (from Antioch) and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples." Men who understand Greek tell us that the words "country of Galatia and Phrygia" probably do not mean these are two different countries, but instead this country might be called either Galatia or Phrygia. Perhaps we should notice that in Acts 16: 5 (and other Scriptures) we read of "the assemblies," but in this verse (Acts 18: 23), we read of "disciples."

This is all the Bible tells us of this part of Paul's third missionary journey, the second through Galatia, and again we see that the Holy Spirit keeps the veil drawn over these churches.

There are several things we think are true about these visits. We learn most of these things from remarks in the Epistle to the Galatians. But even of these things we are not quite sure that we are correct.

First, we think that Paul first preached the gospel to the Galatian people because he was taken ill while travelling in their country. (Gal. 4: 13.) "But you know that on account of weakness of the flesh, I first preached the gospel to you." (Literal translation.) We think that Paul had not intended stopping in Galatia to preach the gospel. Perhaps he wished to hurry on to the important city of Ephesus, which lay further to the west. But God kept His servant in Galatia by some illness, and so the Galatians received the gospel. God has many ways of guiding His servants. In Acts 16: 6, 7, we see that the Holy Spirit forbade Paul to preach in Asia, and would not allow him to go to the large province of Bithynia, lying to the north. Instead the Lord called him to Macedonia in Europe. The Lord used a night vision to guide him this time: a man of Macedonia saying, "Come over and help us." But in 1 Peter 1: 1 we see that the Lord provided some other way to bring the gospel to Bithynia. How important for us to allow the Lord to guide our every step. And He is willing, and able to guide us.

We also think this illness was of such a kind as to make Paul lose face, and to take away his natural strength. Perhaps it also affected his eyesight. (See Gal. 4: 14, 15). Though the Galatians first knew Paul as a sick, feeble, homeless wanderer, they did not despise nor loathe the temptation in his flesh. They received him as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. They would have plucked out their own eyes, if they could, to give to him. (Gal. 4: 15.) This was the way Paul remembered their loving welcome at the first, and it made more bitter the fact that now they are turning away from him.

Another thing we learn from the Epistle to the Galatians is that Paul seems to have been troubled about these churches even while he was visiting them. As we read the Epistle together we will notice several occasions in which Paul reminds the Galatians that he had already told, or warned them of these things. See, for example, Gal. 1: 9; 1: 13; 5: 21.

From 1 Corinthians 16: 1 we learn that Paul had given orders to the churches of Galatia with regard to the collection of money for the saints. He had told them, "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." As we read the second chapter of Galatians together, we must speak again of this matter, so we will not speak more of it now, except to say that we suppose Paul gave the Galatians these orders on either his first or second visit to them.

As we read the Epistle to the Galatians, we will see that the great subject of the book is GRACE compared with LAW. Wicked men were trying to turn the assemblies in Galatia away from Paul's teaching of grace, and away from their love and loyalty to himself.

As we read this epistle we will see that these wicked men were also trying to force a division between Paul and the apostles in Jerusalem, Peter and John and James. We will see that Paul was compelled to publicly rebuke Peter. (Gal. 2: 11.) It is beautiful to see, in view of these troubles, that Peter addresses his first Epistle "To the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia." And his second Epistle is addressed to the same persons. (2 Peter 3: 1.) Both Paul and Peter together can seek to feed the same sheep, and strengthen the same saints. And in 2 Peter 3: 15 Peter speaks of "our beloved brother Paul," thus telling us that no grudge or hard feeling remained between these two great servants of the Lord. We will speak of this again in our 19th chapter. It is peculiarly sweet to see that Galatia is included in these parts to which Peter writes, assuring us of the unity of the early church, and giving the assemblies of Galatia an indisputable proof that no division had come between Peter and Paul; and that they not only were of one mind, but they loved and honored one another.

As far as I know, this is about all we know about the assemblies of Galatia; and you will see that it is very, very little. And we are not certain that we are right about all the things of which we have spoken. It almost seems as though a special judgment from God rested on these assemblies that were giving up grace for law, and leaving Christ for commandments.

Chapter 2

Why the Epistle to the Galatians?

From the brief account we have tried to give in the last chapter, you will understand how very bitter the Jews were towards Paul, and that they hated both him and the gospel which he preached, and that they always tried to hinder him and persecute him in every possible way. If you will read carefully the 13th and 14th chapters of Acts, you will understand more clearly the Epistle to the Galatians, where again we find the Jews opposing Paul.

The Jews spoken of in these chapters in Acts were, for the most part, men who made no profession of Christianity, but hated Christ. But the Jews of whom we will read in the Epistle to the Galatians, were professing Christians, and said they believed in Christ. You will see Paul calls them "false brethren, unawares brought in," (Gal. 2: 4). Both they ? and those of whom we read in Acts, hated Paul and his doctrines. Acts 15: 5 speaks of "certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed" who "rose up, saying, that it was needful to circumcise" the Gentile Christians, "and to command them to keep the law of Moses." You will remember it was the Pharisees who so constantly opposed our Lord Jesus when He was on earth, and now we find them still opposing the truth of God, and His servants Paul and Barnabas.

So we see Paul was continually suffering persecution from the Jews, not only from those who made no profession of Christianity but on the contrary openly hated and despised the name of Christ, but also from those who professed to be Christians. Some of these, perhaps, were real, and some were certainly false.

If you have read the Epistle to the Corinthians, you will have seen how these Jewish teachers were trying to turn the assembly at Corinth away from Paul. Much of the second Epistle is taken up with this matter, and seeking to prove to the Corinthians the reality of his commission. In 2 Timothy 1: 15 we hear Paul cry in anguish, "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me." This meant all those in the Province of Asia, at the west end of what we now call "Asia Minor." It included the assemblies at Ephesus, where Paul had labored for three years (Acts 20: 31); at Troas, at Colosse, and many other assemblies. When Paul writes to the assembly at Philippi, he says, "Beware of the concision" (Phil. 3: 2). This is a contemptuous name for these men who taught salvation by works.

You will see how constantly, how widely, and how bitterly these Jewish teachers opposed Paul and his teaching of pure grace. You will see how successful these wicked men were in turning many Gentile Christians away from the Apostle by whose labors they had found the Lord. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Galatians in order to meet an attack by these wicked men against the assemblies in Galatia. They were teaching the Christians that after leaving idolatry and heathenism, and after being baptized, (so connecting themselves with the Christian assembly), that then it was necessary to be circumcised, and to keep the law, or else the Gentiles could not be saved. See Acts 15: 1 and 24.

These men had now come to the assemblies in Galatia, and were trying to turn away the Christians both from the Apostle Paul himself, and from the truths which he taught. They said Paul was not really an apostle, and that he had no authority from the apostles at Jerusalem for either his doctrine or his work.

You must clearly understand the difference between the gospel Paul preached, and the teaching of these Jews who were always opposing him. Paul preached that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15: 3,4. Paul preached that we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," Rom. 3: 24, and that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight." Rom. 3: 20. "A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Rom. 3: 28. Also, from the time Paul was first converted, "straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God." Acts 9: 20. In John 5: 18 we read of the Lord Jesus, "Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God." The Jews, even to this day, clearly understand all that it means to teach that Jesus is the Son of God, and they hate this teaching with all their heart and soul. The deity of Christ is at stake in this truth;

and we will see how Paul meets the attack in Galatians.

These Jewish teachers brought a very different message to that of the Apostle Paul. They said, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." Acts 15: 1. "That it was needful to circumcise them, [the Gentile believers], and to command them to keep the law of Moses." Acts 15: 5.

You will understand that these teachings are exactly the opposite of each other. If one is true, then the other is false. Paul preached God's Son (Gal. 1: 16). He preached salvation by Christ alone, and Christ only. These men insisted that Christ alone could not save us, and that simple faith in Christ was not enough to give us salvation. You will understand that these Jews were thus attacking the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and His work on the cross. He had cried, "It is finished," but these men said, "No, you must add to it circumcision, and the law." You will understand that this doctrine was attacking the very foundation of the Christian faith. If their teaching is true, no man could be saved. Christ died for no purpose. These false teachers knew well that Paul, more than any other man, was the one who taught salvation by faith alone, and that he was the one who refused to allow the Gentiles to be put under law. They had watched Paul, when he refused to submit even for an hour to their teaching about circumcision. They had seen the Gentile Titus come to Jerusalem uncircumcised and so received by the apostles and the assembly there, and they had watched their own false teaching shown up in its true light. Little wonder they hated Paul, and were constantly attacking him, trying to undermine his authority, and to prove he was not truly an apostle.

For these reasons we will find the Epistle to the Galatians more stern and severe than any other Epistle. It is remarkable that Paul was more troubled about the Galatians, who were putting themselves under law, than about the Corinthians, who were really behaving very badly. The one was attacking Christ and His work; the other was allowing the flesh to act. He would not go to Corinth, but he says all the good he can about them, in order to call them back to a walk suitable to Christ. But to the Galatians he does not say one gracious word, (except the message of grace and peace with which he begins all his epistles, and a closing message of grace). There are no greetings to in dividual believers. There is not one word of the love which filled his heart. All is severe and stern.

We must not think that Paul was hard or wrong to write as he did. The enemy was trying to destroy the foundations of Christianity, and the answer must be severe. We must remember that every word of this little book of Galatians was "breathed" by the Holy Spirit. God used Paul to write the words, but it was God Himself who told Paul what to say, and who gave the book to us.

It cost God His only begotten Son to bring us this great salvation, and He will not allow false teachers to take it from us. Do you think God could allow a doctrine which meant that Christ had died for nothing? And, "If righteousness is by law, then Christ has died for nothing." Gal. 2: 21, J.N.D. Trans. For this reason it is quite right that the Epistle to the Galatians should be severe and stern.

Many men today think it is wrong to oppose error. They say, "Preach the truth, but do not strive with anybody." One of the most popular teachers of our day says, "Let the truth of God suffer, but let not love suffer." This is the devil's teaching, not God's word. God says, "It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints." Jude 3. This is exactly what Paul is doing in the Epistle to the Galatians.

From the days of Cain to the present day, men have always been trying to substitute salvation by their own works, for salvation by blood ? by the death of a substitute. Cain knew that sin meant death: but he came to God by means of a sacrifice without blood ? without death. Abel's sacrifice was a lamb, ? a lamb that died instead of him. In the world today there truly are only two ways of salvation: God's way, and man's way. God's way is salvation through the death of the Lord Jesus instead of us sinners. It is free, without works. There may be many forms to man's way, but they are all alike in this: they all teach salvation by works. This is true, whether in China men and women seek to obtain salvation by burning incense, and worshiping idols; by vegetarian vows, or by doing good deeds: or whether in England and America men seek to obtain salvation by keeping the Ten Commandments, doing their best, giving to the poor, or by confession and penance. All are works of man, and one is as useless as the other. All alike bring a curse, and all alike end in hell.

Do not deceive yourselves, dear friends. Salvation by works is the devil's way of salvation. It is counterfeit. It is false. It leads you to destruction, no matter whether you trust to the Ten Commandments or to a dumb and painted idol. We will see that for salvation, God puts these together, one as useless as the other.

Do not deceive yourselves. The false teachers who led the Galatian Christians astray, have multitudes of descendants today, and today they are just as earnestly seeking to lead men astray, as they were in the days of old. So, beware!

But if these Jewish teachers were to read these words, they would say: "You are not fair. We do not want to trust to the Law instead of to Christ. We do teach it is necessary to believe in Christ. Only we teach salvation by Christ AND the law. We believe in Christ AND circumcision." But we will see that the Spirit of God will not allow anything to be added to Christ, and His work. Salvation is by Christ alone, or not at all. Christ AND something else, is not salvation at all, and we will see brings a curse, and not a blessing. The Epistle to the Galatians is God's answer to this teaching of Christ AND something else.

In our day this teaching is most common. Even as I write a friend has put a book in my hands, attractively printed, with a bright cover, offered for sale at a low price. This book boldly teaches that salvation is only by the death of Christ AND the Ten Commandments. This is the teaching of the false teachers at Galatia, and God says to all such "Cursed be he!" How many preachers and teachers in China, some even true Christian men, tell their hearers to "Believe in Christ AND keep the law!" "Believe in Christ, AND do the best you can!" "Believe in Christ, AND DO something besides." A friend told me only last week, "I try to keep the law to be saved, AND I trust Christ to forgive me for the times I break it."

God says to such teachers, "Cursed be he!" Again let me repeat: This is the devil's way of salvation. This ends in the lake of fire. God's way of salvation is this: CHRIST, and CHRIST alone. Christ has done all the work. "It is finished!" There is nothing left for me to do, but accept it, and give thanks to God.

Chapter 3

A General View of the Epistle

There are 149 verses in the Epistle to the Galatians. (We must remember that the chapters and verses are made by men, not by God's Holy Spirit. When Paul wrote, he made no chapters or verses, but wrote only one letter.) In these 149 verses, we find the Lord's name at least 45 times; so we may say that truly the great subject of our epistle is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Notice also the number of times we find the cross of Christ in this epistle:

"The scandal of the cross." Gal. 5: 11

"Persecution for the cross." Gal. 6: 12

"I glory . . . in the cross." Gal. 6: 14

"I have been crucified [or, nailed to the cross] with Christ." Gal. 2: 20

"They had seen Christ crucified, placarded before them." Gal. 3: 1

"They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh." Gal. 5: 24

"The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." Gal. 6: 14

We will see also how often Paul speaks of the death of Christ, and how often he shows Him to be the Son of God. We find the Spirit of God mentioned about sixteen times in this short epistle. We read again and again of the law, and of circumcision and uncircumsion. Seven times we read of grace. These words will give to us the theme of the epistle. Are Christians under law or grace?

We will find the epistle is divided into three great subjects, though it is difficult, or impossible, to say exactly where one ends, and another begins, for the writer unconsciously goes from one to the other, without any clear mark between them. There are six chapters in the epistle, and speaking in a general way, we may say there are two chapters to each subject.

The first two chapters are largely a history of Paul's early life, conversion, and intercourse with the apostles at Jerusalem. In these chapters Paul clearly shows that his authority as an apostle, and also the gospel which he preaches, both alike came to him direct from the Lord Jesus Christ, and were not given to him by the other apostles or by any man.

The second division, which we find in chapters 3 and 4, gives us the doctrine concerning the mighty subjects of law and grace.

The third division, chapters 5 and 6, gives us the practical life of a Christian under grace, free from the bondage of law.

There are those who tell us, "We believe in Christ alone for salvation, but we need the law for 'a rule of life'." We will see the Epistle to the Galatians has an answer for this also.

This epistle is the mighty sword which Martin Luther used to attack the falsehoods of his opposers. He used to say, "The Epistle to the Galatians is my epistle; I have betrothed myself to it; it is my wife."

In the present day this epistle is of just as great importance as ever. In every human heart there is the natural desire to be under law. Every one of us knows we are sinners, and we think the law is the way to keep down sin. The natural heart does not understand grace; and cannot believe that God is "a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." Jonah 4: 2.

In the present day there are those who teach the law, just as the false teachers did in Paul's day. There are those who say, "The earliest form of Christianity was just Judaism, changed a little, or with a little added to it." The Epistle to the Galatians shows clearly that this is a lie. On the contrary, the earliest form of Christianity is the very opposite of Judaism. This epistle shows that it is utterly impossible to mix Christianity and Judaism; and yet that is exactly what we find men today trying to do everywhere. This epistle shows us that Christianity is CHRIST: CHRIST ALONE: CHRIST ONLY, with nothing added to Him.

Christ! I am Christ's!

And let that name suffice thee!

For me it hath abundantly sufficed!

Today there are few, if any, books more important for the Christians to clearly understand, and to have more deeply hidden in their hearts, than the Epistle to the Galatians.

Everywhere today we find those who preach the law, both by word of mouth, and by books and magazines. There are thousands of men today just like those false Jewish teachers, seeking to add the law to simple faith in Christ. We find men telling Christians that the Jewish Sabbath, not the Lord's day, the resurrection day, is the day they should observe.

The Epistle to the Galatians is a mighty two-edged sword, the sword of the Spirit, to meet all this false teaching.

Thanks be to God for giving us the Epistle to the Galatians.

Chapter 4

Paul, an Apostle

"Paul, an apostle, not from men, nor by means of a man, but by means of Jesus Christ, and God (the) Father, the One-having-raised Him out from among (the) dead ? (ones)." Galatians 1: 1

Immediately, in the very first words of the epistle, Paul replies to the attack of his enemies. They had said, Paul is not an apostle. He is not one of the twelve apostles. He has not seen the Lord. The apostles at Jerusalem did not send him out, nor did they give him authority to go. He has not been properly ordained.

The Greek word "apostle" means "a sent one." But it means more than that, for it has the meaning "sent from," and so it carries in the name "apostle" the authority of the one who sends him. Paul writes: "Paul, an apostle": that is, "Paul, one sent from," and then he adds, "not from men, nor by means of a man, but by means of Jesus Christ."

Paul's enemies had said, You were not sent from the apostles at Jerusalem. Paul replies, You are right! I was not sent from any men, nor by means of any man, but by Jesus Christ. What an excellent answer! The enemies said, The source of your authority is not the apostles at Jerusalem. Paul replies, The source of my authority is not at all from earth, but from heaven. I have the highest authority: the authority I carry is from Jesus Christ Himself, and from God the Father, the One who raised Him out from (among) the dead. Could any man have higher authority?

One of the proofs of an apostle was that he had seen the Lord. In 1 Corinthians 9: 1, Paul says, "Am I not an apostle? . . . Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?" The twelve apostles had seen the Lord Jesus, a Man on earth, and had received their authority as apostles from Him then. Paul also truly had seen the Lord; but he had seen Him in the glory. And it was from the glory, from the Lord Himself in the glory, that Paul had received his authority as an apostle.

But there is more in this first line of this epistle. "Not from men, nor by means of a man, but from Jesus Christ, and God the Father." This tells me that Jesus Christ is not "man" in the way that Peter or Paul, or you and I are man. This tells me that Jesus Christ is infinitely more than man. Jesus Christ is truly God. And as I see the name of "Jesus Christ" in this verse linked with "God the Father," I know that Jesus Christ is equal with God. And as I read on in this epistle, I find three times in the first four verses, that Jesus Christ and God the Father are thus linked together on an equality; and I remember the old proverb in Ecclesiastes 4: 12: "A threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Yet only a few verses further down in this same chapter, I read the words: "James, the Lord's brother." Paul says he saw, "James, the Lord's brother." He writes quite naturally, as he might have written, "I saw Timothy," or "I saw Peter." It was probably only a little over thirty years since James shared the same humble home with "the carpenter" of Nazareth. We have heard the people ask in scorn, "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James?" Mark 6: 3, and now Paul writes, I saw "James, the Lord's brother." These simple words tell me that my Lord is truly Man. If the first verse of Galatians tells me with trumpet tones that Jesus is truly God, the nineteenth verse tells me with equal certainty that He is also truly Man. I may not understand it, but I believe it, and I adore and worship Him, who was the "Child," whose name is "Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9: 6.

As I ponder those years at Nazareth, and think of James growing up with that One they called his "brother," I recall that James himself has written an epistle, and I turn to see what he will say of Him he knew so intimately. I read, "James, bondman of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." James and Paul bear the same witness. James, the brother of the Lord, links together the holy names, God and the Lord Jesus Christ, just as Paul does in the epistle before us. We have a proverb that says, You must live with a person to truly know him. James had lived for years with Him they called "a Nazarene" (Matt. 2: 23). Notice he does not speak of Him as "my elder brother," but "James, bondman [or, slave] of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ."

But we must turn back to our epistle. Notice that Paul says he is "an apostle, not from men [plural], nor by means of a man" [singular]. In our day, a servant of Christ is generally sent out by a missionary society, or by a committee, or by some group, or company of men. They are the source from whence his authority comes. But it is generally one man, who actually sends him forth. It may be the Chairman of the Committee, or the President of the Society, who acts for the whole body in sending this man forth. Paul says, I am an apostle, neither from a company of men, nor by means of a single man.

What a grand and glorious commission! Reader, is your authority, like Paul's, from Jesus Christ and God the Father? Or are you sent out from a company of men? by means of one man? Is your authority from heaven, or from earth? Are you sent forth "from men"? from a society? from a mission board? from a committee? We all do well to ponder these words of the apostle: "not from men, nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father." These servants who are sent forth from men, or by a man, can never know the happy liberty of which we read in the Epistle to the Galatians.

Alas! There are few today who can follow Paul through the first verse of our epistle. On the contrary today men consider it necessary, and even an honor, to belong to a society and to be sent forth by a board of men. Today, men must be ordained by means of a man, and hold a degree from a college or Bible school, proving they are "from men," in order to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. How different the Apostle Paul! And he glories in the fact that he had none of these things. Are our methods today really an improvement on God's methods as set forth in this scripture? The Lord Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and have ordained you, that ye should go . . ." John 15: 16. How true this was of Paul. Is it true of me? of you? May we be able to say with one of old,

"Mine the mighty ordination

Of those pierced hands."

Let us read those blessed words once more, and may they find a lodging place in the depths of our hearts:

"Paul, an apostle, not from men, nor by means of a man, but by means of Jesus Christ, and God [the] Father, the One having raised Him out from among [the] dead (ones)."

Paul was an apostle from the resurrection side of the cross: an apostle from the glory: and we will find that all his writings bear this character. "Our citizenship is in heaven." Phil. 3: 20. Our inheritance is in heaven (Eph. 1: 11). We are to seek those things which are above (Col. 3: 1). Our affections are to be on things above (Col. 3: 2).

Power and authority to raise the dead is certain proof of power and authority to send forth His servants. It was after His resurrection that the Lord said, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore." Matt. 28: 18, 19. May we each be able to say, That is the mark; that is the badge; that is the sign of the authority that sends me forth, even the resurrection power, the mighty power of God, the One that raised our Lord Jesus out from among the dead. This is the first time the epistle refers to the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is to tell out that Paul's authority and apostleship are in resurrection power. It is this power, this authority, that we need today.

Paul's authority was not Christ and Peter; or Christ and the apostles; or Christ and any man. Paul's authority and commission were from Jesus Christ and God the Father alone. No man added anything to his authority or his commission.

Perhaps we should ask, When did the Lord Jesus Christ send Paul forth? When did He ordain him an apostle? In Galatians 1: 15 we read that God set him apart for this work from his mother's womb. In Acts 26: 16, 17, 18 Paul is speaking before king Agrippa, and he says that when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus, He said to him, "I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee . . ." So we see that the Lord gave Paul his commission to go to the Gentiles at the time of his conversion. But His servant needed training and preparation for this work, and we will see that God gave him this also.

In Acts 22: 17, 18, 21 we read that while Paul was praying in the temple at Jerusalem, he saw the Lord saying to him, "Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning Me .. . Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." In Galatians 1: 18 we read that it was three years after his conversion that Paul went up to Jerusalem. So we see that then the Lord repeated His commission, sending Paul to the Gentiles.

In Acts 13: 2-4 we read, "The Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed."

The Lord had been training His servant, and now the time has come for him to go forth; arid once again Paul receives a command from God, this time God the Holy Ghost, to go forth to the special work for which he was set apart. The Bible tells us plainly that the Holy Spirit sent them forth. It is true their brethren in Antioch fasted, prayed, laid their hands on them and sent them forth. This showed their fellowship in the work to which the Lord had called them, just as later on the apostles in Jerusalem gave Paul and Barnabas "the right hand of fellowship" for this same work. (Gal. 2: 9). But we must never forget that it was the Lord Himself, and the Holy Spirit, who sent Paul forth: so he could truthfully say, "Paul, an apostle, not of men, nor by a man." We do not read that a church has power or authority to send men forth to work for the Lord. It is God alone who has this authority.

It is a very happy thing when a servant of the Lord has the fellowship of his brethren, and their prayers, when he goes forth to serve the Lord. Indeed, if he has not the fellowship of his brethren, he would do well to wait on the Lord before he goes forth, to see if there is some cause in himself that has hindered that fellowship. For we must always be on the watch that we do not give the enemy an opportunity to attack us. The New Testament speaks of this as giving the enemy "a base of operations" (Gal. 5: 13). If an enemy wishes to attack another country, the first thing they want is a small place in that country as "a base of operations." Our enemy, the devil is the same; and especially is this true for one going forth to serve the Lord. Sin, or even any "weight" in our lives, provides this "base of operations" for the enemy. So let us "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us" (Heb. 12: 1 ), and let us value very highly the fellowship of our brethren, which cannot truly be given if we are allowing sin in our lives. Notice the lack of fellowship with Barnabas in Acts 15: 39, compared with the fellowship once again given to Paul, in the following verse.

Not only is it a happy thing for the servant going forth to have the fellowship of his brethren at home, but it is a happy privilege, and a happy responsibility, for them to freely give their fellowship unless, indeed, there is cause to withhold it. How much those who have gone forth to the front lines of the battle need the fellowship and the prayers of their brethren at home. In chapter 6: 6 of this epistle we read, "Let the one being taught the word be having fellowship with the one teaching, in all good things." The saints at Antioch showed this fellowship to Paul and Barnabas. We might truly take up the words of Samuel of old: "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you." 1 Sam. 12: 23. But we must never forget that it is the Lord, and the Holy Spirit, who send forth the servants.

We might notice that in Acts 13: 1 the Scriptures speak of Barnabas and Saul as "prophets and teachers, but in Acts 14: 4, after being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, then He calls them "apostles." I think this is the first time the Scriptures call Paul an apostle.

Before we leave this first verse of our epistle, let us note that the word "Father" tells of the Son. Without a child, no man is a father. It is the child that gives the character of father to the man. So, as we read these words, ". . . . from Jesus Christ, and God the Father," we not only see the deity of our Lord, and His equality with the Father, but we see also His relationship of "the Son with the Father." As we read on in the epistle we will find this character as "Son of God" more clearly set forth.

What an amazing collection of glories for our Lord Jesus Christ do we here find gathered together in a few words. All who trust to the law, or add the law to the finished work of Christ, take away from Him these glories of which He is so worthy. How suitable, then, that the first verse of this epistle should shine so brightly with His honor and His glory!

"Thou art the everlasting Word,

The Father's only Son;

God manifest, God seen and heard,

The Heaven's beloved One;

Worthy, O Lamb of God, art Thou

That every knee to Thee should bow."

Chapter 5

The Greeting

"And all the brethren with me, to the assemblies of Galatia. Grace to you, and peace, from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, so that He should rescue us out of the present wicked age, according to the will of our God and Father: to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen." Galatians 1: 2-5

Although Paul writes the letter, and speaks with the authority that the Lord Jesus Christ, and God the Father, had given him, yet he includes with his own name "all the brethren with me." You will remember that Paul often chose other brethren to travel with him, and to labor with him in the work of the gospel. You will remember that Timothy (Acts 16: 3) and Titus (Titus 1: 5), Silas (Acts 15: 40) and Luke (Acts 16: Compare "they" in verse 8 and "we" in verse 10), and others, travelled with Paul and helped him; you will remember Mark started on this happy path, but turned back from it. (See Acts 13: 5, 13; and 15: 37). How good would it be today if some young men were willing to go forth and labor with their older brethren. Not only could they often make the load lighter for the older men, and help in the happy work of preaching the gospel, but it also makes a very good training for these young men. Now Paul includes all these in his message to the churches in Galatia. They have all one mind about this matter. The Bible says, "That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established." Matt. 18: 16. So Paul includes "all the brethren with me." We do not know their names or who they were, but all had one mind. If we compare Philippians 4: 21, 22, we see that Paul makes a difference between "the brethren which are with me" and "all the saints." "All the saints" in the Epistle to the Philippians would mean all the saints who lived in Rome (from where Paul wrote). "The brethren who are with me" include those fellow-laborers, such as we have spoken of.

But we must notice that although Paul includes all the brethren travelling with him, yet he does not mention them again, and through the epistle he generally uses the singular; as for example, verse 6: "I marvel." These false apostles and teachers have challenged Paul's authority, and Paul himself replies to their challenge.

"To the churches of Galatia." It was always Paul's custom to find some word of praise to give to the ones to whom he is writing, as for example 1 Corinthians 1: 4-9. Although the Corinthian Christians were wrong in so many ways, yet Paul delights to find something he can praise and gladly writes, "I thank my God always on your behalf!" But in this letter to the churches of the Galatians, there is not one word of praise or commendation. There is nothing for which he can give thanks. This tells us how very serious Paul considered the acts of the churches of the Galatians. And yet this same teaching which made Paul so indignant is the common teaching of Christendom today. Dear reader, let me ask, Are you trusting to Christ alone, or to Christ and something else? Christ, and your good works? Christ, and your overcoming? Christ, and your watching? Christ, and the law? If you have added any of these, or any other thing, to Christ, then you are just as bad as these Galatian Christians; you have "fallen from grace" (Gal. 5: 4); you have a "different gospel" (Gal. 1: 6), and you are cursed. (Gal. 1: 8, 9.)

Verse 3. "Grace to you, and peace, from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

But though Paul cannot praise them, yet he can offer to them "grace and peace." It may be they refuse grace, and choose law, turn from peace and obtain a curse; but grace and peace are sent to them. That "grace and peace" come from the highest source, even "God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ." We have just seen the Son and the Father together giving Paul his authority. Now we find the Father and the Son together offering grace and peace to the Galatians. It is very beautiful to see the Father and the Son linked together in their loving care of the believers, and in verse 4 we still find this same beautiful unity of the Father and the Son. "And from our Lord Jesus Christ, the One having given Himself for our sins, so that He might rescue us from this present wicked age, according to the will of God and our Father."

It was our Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself for our sins, but God the Father gave His only begotten Son, and our Lord gave Himself according to the will of God and our Father. Thus three times in these four verses do we find the Father and the Son linked together for our blessing. It reminds us of John 10: 27-30, where the Son and the Father together hold fast the Lord's own sheep, or of the Father and the Son who went both together in Genesis 22: 6, 8.

The two great subjects of the Epistle to the Galatians are the attack on Paul's authority, and the attack on the grace of God which saves poor lost sinners without their works. We have seen that verse one immediately met the first attack, and now verse three meets the second attack. "Grace to you": To you who have despised God's grace: To you who have fallen from grace: To you who have chosen law instead of grace: but still God delights to once again send to the churches of the Galatians His grace and His peace. And though they may seek to be justified from their sins by works, yet Paul reminds them that Christ gave Himself for their sins. So even in his greeting, Paul meets both the attacks of the enemy. These two subjects (Paul's authority as an apostle, and the grace of God), are like two threads running all through the epistle, and in these opening verses they are knotted together in Paul's greeting to the Galatian churches.

"Christ gave Himself for our sins." I love to repeat those words to myself. As I look back over the years gone by and see the multitudes of sins all along the pathway ? sins that nothing I can do can ever remedy or remove ? those sweet words answer all. "Christ gave Himself for our sins!"

In Galatians 3: 1 we read: "O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes has been placarded (or displayed, or painted, or portrayed, or depicted), Jesus Christ crucified." Paul had told them the story of that terrible day at Golgotha outside the gates of Jerusalem when the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. Paul had told them that story till the Galatians saw it all. They saw the mocking, the scourging, the crown of thorns, the purple robe. They saw the holy Son of God go forth bearing His cross. They saw Him stripped of His clothes, and those cruel nails driven through His hands and feet. They saw Him hanging on the cross between two thieves and they gazed on all His agony. Then they had watched the sun darkened, and they had heard that bitter, bitter cry, "Eli, Eli, lama Sabachthani," ? "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" They had seen all this, even placarded before their very eyes. They had heard it all. They had heard that cry, "It is finished." But how little had it entered into their souls! True, no living man has ever known the depths of sorrow and anguish that our Lord Jesus suffered when the Lord "laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isa. 53: 6. No eye has ever seen the load our Saviour bore in those hours of darkness and not one can ever measure the depths of bitterness in that bitter cry, "Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" But this had been placarded before the eyes of the Galatians. They had seen it. They knew what Paul meant when he wrote "Grace to you, and peace, from . . . our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins."

That is the price their sins had cost our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the price my sins and your sins have cost ? "HIMSELF!"

God is satisfied with that price, but the "senseless Galatians" had forgotten that great Saviour placarded before them, and they wanted to add their own works, circumcision, and the law, to the price that Christ had paid.

If I owe a mighty debt, and my friend pays every cent of it for me, and hands me the receipt, how can I add a further payment? This is what the Galatians were doing.

If a man pays a great price to set a slave free, why should the freed slave add to the price that is already completed?

But this is what the Galatians were doing.

In Galatians 1: 4 we read that our Lord Jesus Christ "gave Himself for our sins." But in Galatians 2: 20 we read, "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

Not only has my Saviour paid my mighty debt, but He has bought me. I am His, altogether His, and His only. What love! What grace! How can I doubt Him? Yet this is what the Galatians were doing. They could not or they would not, trust to Christ alone. They wish to add their own wretched works. "O senseless Galatians!"

This salvation was all "according to the will of our God and Father." On the one hand "Christ gave Himself," on the other hand "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son." They have one mind in rescuing poor lost sinners. Well may the Apostle exclaim, "To whom be glory to the ages of the ages. Amen." Gladly do we who believe also say "Amen!"

But there is another little word in this verse 4 we have not looked at yet. "Christ gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from the present wicked age." What does "the present age" mean? Verse 5 tells of the coming ages, but "the present age" means the age in which you and I are living. We say it is the age of progress. It is the age of airplanes, of radios, and of the atomic bomb. It is the age of war and jealousy amongst the nations. It is an age of fear and perplexity, when nobody knows what will happen next, and "men's hearts are failing them for fear." Luke 21: 26. "The present age" means all the opinions, the hopes, the fears, the aims and aspirations at any time in the world. These make a very great power, they are like the air we breathe, for they are all around us, and even unconsciously they affect our lives. As we read the newspaper, we breathe in, or drink in, the spirit of the present age, and how often our hearts are filled with fear and dread after reading it. That is the power of the "present age." Thanks be to God, Christ gave Himself for our sins, so that He might rescue us from the present age and all its wickedness. (The original Greek makes the word "wicked" very emphatic.) It is not "in order that He might rescue us," but the result of having given Himself for our sins is "He has rescued us." We may turn back again to this present wicked age, but Christ has rescued us from it. We are not of the world, just as Christ is not of the world. (John 17: 14.) And amidst all the fear, the strife and hate, the Christian may go quietly on his way because Christ has rescued him from this present age and all its wickedness. What is the meaning of "rescue"? It tells of great danger, and a great salvation from that danger. So we were in danger of being swallowed up by the present age, but Christ has saved us from it. He has rescued us. Thanks be to His name! Again truly may we cry, "To whom be glory to the ages of the ages. Amen."

Very often "this age" is compared to "the coming age" (Mark 10: 30) and surely it is so compared here in verses 4 and 5 (see also Luke 20: 34 and 35, also Luke 16: 18 and 18: 30; see also Rom. 12: 2). "This age" is passing away quickly. "The coming age" is eternal. "This age," "this world," is under "a god" (2 Cor. 4: 4), the devil, or under "princes" or "rulers" (1 Cor. 2: 6). These are against the eternal God, "The King of the ages." (1 Tim. 1: 17 J.N.D. Trans.). (See also Ephesians 2: 2-7). We in China often feel greatly the power of the god of this age. He is the devil, Satan, the dragon, that old serpent. (Rev. 20: 2.) He is the serpent that deceived Eve. In China we see his "image and superscription" (Matt. 22: 20) everywhere. On the old postage stamps and money, on the ornaments, even on the clothing and roofs of the houses. On everything, everywhere we see the image of the dragon. He is the god of this age, and he rules in China with a very heavy hand, and with very little to resist him.

This is the reason that China suffers such sorrow and misery. The service of the dragon, of the god of this age, is very, very bitter service. How different to the service of Christ, who says, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matt. 11: 28-30. But China refuses Jesus, the Lamb of God, and chooses the dragon, the god of this age, instead.

Chapter 6

A Curse Instead of a Blessing

Galatians 1: 6-9

"1 marvel that thus readily you are being changed over [or deserting; or, revolting] from the One having called you in Christ's grace, unto a different good news, which is not another [of the same kind]." Galatians 1: 6, 7

Verse 5 ends the "greeting." As we have seen, in Paul's other epistles, a word of thanksgiving or praise generally follows, to the church to which he is writing. But there is no such word here. Paul does not call the Galatians "saints." It is the only epistle of Paul in which this word does not appear. He does not call them "faithful brethren" or "Holy brethren" as he does other Christians; but again and again he calls them "brothers," showing forth the burning love that filled his heart, as he wrote these severe and stern rebukes. We have seen Paul praise even the Corinthians, bad as they were, but there is not a word of praise for the Galatians. May God help you and me, dear brethren, to understand more clearly how terrible it is in the sight of God to turn from Christ to the law, or to add the law, or anything else to our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Instead of a thanksgiving we find an indignant exclamation of surprise. "I marvel that thus readily [or, thus hastily], you are being changed over, are deserting, are revolting from the One having called you in Christ's grace, unto a different good news, which is not another." There are two words used here both translated "another" in the English. The first means "another of a different kind." The second means "another of the same kind." They had deserted "the good news of the grace of God" (Acts 20: 24), and were changing over to a different "good news," even to the law and to circumcision. But it is not "good news" to tell me to keep the law. This is not "another good news." It is not "good news" at all. If I am groaning under a mighty debt, it is "good news" if my friend tells me that he has paid every cent of it for me, and that I am free; but it is not "good news" at all to tell me of another debt that I know very well I never, never can pay. And he who is circumcised "is a debtor to do the whole law."

The Galatians had deserted the One who had called them in Christ's grace. This word translated "desert from" or "revolt from" has the meaning of "a deserter," or a soldier who leaves the army for which he is fighting, and who goes over to the enemy. It has the meaning of "a turncoat."

There are many men today who tell you they preach "another good news." Do not believe them. It may be different, but it is not "another good news." There is only one "good news" sent to us by God, and that is "Christ died for our sins." 1 Cor. 15: 3. Everything else that calls itself "good news" is false. It is counterfeit. It is not THE "good news" at all. Paul reminds them that it is God Himself who had called them, and He called them "in grace," not "in law," or "to law." They had quite forgotten their calling. If it is not God Himself who has called them, and if it is not in grace alone, then it is not the true "good news" but only a false imitation, for there "is not another."

"Only there are certain ones disturbing you, and wishing to pervert the good news of the Christ." Galatians 1: 7

You will notice from the two verses we have lately quoted that the false teachers were at that time in Galatia, trying to pervert the "good news." They were trying, but had not yet succeeded. They were disturbing the Galatian Christians. This is the same word as in John 14: 1, "Let not your heart be troubled [or, disturbed]: ye believe in God, believe also in Me." If we have true faith in Christ, then we need never be disturbed. The storms of life may beat upon us, the servants of the enemy may bring their false teaching, but through it all, if our eyes are on Christ, we need never be disturbed. "Ye believe in God, believe also in Me,"; trust in Me, and you will never be disturbed. Trust in Me, and nobody can ever "shake your allegiance." (The word has also this meaning.) We find this word "disturb" again in Gal. 5: 10: "But the one disturbing you, the one shaking your allegiance, shall bear the judgment, whoever he may be."

It is a terrible thing to disturb God's people. They are like a flock of sheep, feeding in the good pastures of the Word of God. But, alas, there are many today who, instead of feeding the sheep, are disturbing them. There are those who pass for good shepherds of God's flock, who are very often preaching the law, like the false teachers at Galatia, instead of feeding the sheep with the true grace of God. There are many who would not preach the Ten Commandments, either for salvation, or as a "rule of life," but who are continually telling the saints of God, "Touch not! Taste not! Handle not!" Col. 2: 21. "You must not do this"; "you must not do that." The principle is the same. It is law instead of grace; and it disturbs the flock, but does not feed them. Those who disturb God's sheep will have to bear God's judgment, whoever they may be, for this is the work of the enemy.

These enemies of the true gospel were wishing to pervert, to reverse, to change to the opposite, the true good news sent by God. If anyone tells me I must keep the law for salvation, or as a "rule of life," this is not "good news." It is just the opposite. It is very, very bad news, for I never can keep the law, and I must perish. This was the wicked work these false teachers were doing amongst the assemblies of Galatia. They were perverting the good news.

"But even if we, or an angel out of heaven should announce good news to you beside, [or, beyond; or contrary to] what we announced as good news to you, cursed be he! As we have said before, and now also again I say, If any one announces to you good news beside what you received, Cursed be he!" Galatians 1: 8, 9

What a most awfully solemn word! Instead of a blessing, a twice-repeated curse! How these words should make every one of us stop and think! If I have the happy privilege, and the solemn responsibility of announcing God's good news, how earnestly I should seek to see to it, that what I announce is in very truth God's good news, and not my own thoughts or ideas; else it may be that solemn word may come to me: "Cursed be he!" Sad to say, there are tens of thousands today who preach the law, without the least idea that they are putting themselves under this terrible curse. But so it is. It would seem as though the one who was specially doing this wicked work in Galatia, may have been a man of distinction. The words that Paul uses, "Even if we, or an angel out of heaven, should announce good news to you beside what we preached, cursed be he!" would seem to indicate he was a great man. Also his remark in Gal. 5: 10, "whoever he may be," would seem to give us the same meaning. Today there are men who hold high positions in the churches of men, who have many degrees after their names, but they are cursed of God because they preach a different good news, which is not another.

Only a few days ago I saw a letter from a friend who has been disturbed by such a false good news. She says in her letter, "It is Christianity with something added." That is exactly what these false teachers brought to the Galatians. "Christianity with something added." "Cursed be he!" says the Apostle. These are the words of the Holy Spirit: the very words of God. Words could not be more strong or more solemn. This is what God says to all who teach the law: "Cursed be he!" There are many such teachers, and their teaching is very popular. Beware! "Cursed be he!"

But, you say, surely if an angel from heaven brings me this good news, then I can believe it! No, not even if an angel brings it! Even the angel is cursed. Remember that Satan himself is changed into an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11: 14.) The angel that preaches the law is really Satan changed into an angel of light, and "Cursed be he!" But, you say, they are such good men, such nice people, and so earnest: surely they must be right. Will you believe Satan, or God? That is the question. If you choose to believe Satan (as Eve did), then you also will be cursed.

Notice that little word "beside," or "beyond" ? "good news beside the good news which we brought to you." There is no good news beside the good news. God does not allow any rival good news. And God will not allow any mixture with His good news; nor will He allow anything to be added beside the good news that He has given to us. You cannot have the gospel of God and the law added to, or mixed with, it. God's good news stands alone.

Although words could not be stronger or more solemn than God's curse on those bringing a different good news, yet now, to add force to these words, the Apostle solemnly repeats them. And he reminds the Galatians that "we have told you before these very things." He does not mean he has just told them (v. 8), but that on his last visit to them, he saw this danger and warned them most solemnly. He saw this evil teaching beginning to come in amongst them and he told them then. Any one bringing good news beside what you received, Cursed be he! He had told them before, and now he repeats it twice: "Cursed be he!" "A threefold cord is not quickly broken."

The Apostle had warned the Galatian Christians, but alas, they did not heed his warning. They gave heed instead to the false teachers, and they deserted Christ for the law.

Reader, you also have been warned. God Himself is warning you by this book. Will you follow the Galatians, and take no heed to such solemn warnings? Or, will you hear and return to your allegiance and loyalty to Christ ? and to Christ alone?

"Grace is the sweetest sound

That ever reached our ears.

When conscience charged and justice frowned,

'Twas grace removed our fears."

Chapter 7

Paul's History

Galatians 1: 10-24

"For am I now conciliating [literally, persuading] men or God? or am I seeking to please men? If I were yet pleasing men, then I were not Christ's bondslave." Galatians 1: 10

We get a new subject with this verse. The false teachers had said: Paul is not a true man. He tries to win favor with the men he talks to. He says himself: "Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews." 1 Cor. 9: 20. So, they said, you can see Paul also preaches the law, when he thinks it will help him. You remember, they said, he circumcised Timothy when he wished to conciliate and please the Jews. (See Acts 16: 3.)

In verse 10 we have Paul's answer to such words: "For am I now conciliating men, or God? or am I now seeking to please men?" The word translated "conciliate" really is "persuade." These false teachers had said, Paul is trying to persuade men to follow him by being all things to all men. (See 1 Cor. 9: 22.) Paul answers, You may judge for yourselves. What am I doing now? Am I seeking to please you in this letter? Am I now seeking to please men, or God? They knew very well that Paul was not trying to please them, or to please any man. It is well for us to remember that if we seek to please men, then we are not Christ's slaves. (Gal. 1: 10.) The slave of Christ must have his eye fixed on his Master, and seek only to please Him. This is a word we all need to remember.

From verse 11 of chapter 1 to about verse 17 of chapter 2, we have a history of Paul's life from before his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), but telling only a few important facts that prove to all men that he could not have received his good news, or his apostleship, from the apostles at Jerusalem. Many important matters are left out, for Paul is now only seeking to prove both his apostleship and his message to be not of men, but from God. This history should have helped the churches of Galatia to understand Paul's special position as an apostle to trust him, and so, to trust the good news he had preached to them.

"For I make known to you, brothers, the good news which was announced by me, [the evangel, the one evangelized by me" is more literal, if we could say itl that it is not according to man, for neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught [it], but by means of revelation [or, unveiling] of Jesus Christ." Galatians 1: 11, 12

The word "I make known to you," or "I assure you," or "I wish you to know," introduces a subject on which the Apostle wishes to lay special emphasis. The words which follow are of the greatest importance to us today.

We have already seen that the two great subjects of the epistle are the authority of Paul as an apostle, and the truth of the good news which he had preached to them.

In verse 1 he tells them he was an apostle, not from men, or by a man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father. Now Paul tells them that in just the same way, the gospel which he had announced to them is not according to man, nor did he receive it from man, nor was he taught it. This good news was not prepared in the minds of clever men. It was not reasoned out from the Old Testament. Neither Peter nor any of the other twelve apostles had told it to Paul. Paul had not gone to a college or Bible school to learn it. No, the good news Paul had announced to the Galatians came direct to him by revelation, [or, by an unveiling] of Jesus Christ Himself. The Lord had revealed it to him. Paul's enemies were right when they said he had received neither his apostleship, nor his teaching, from the other apostles, but they did not know that he had received both from an infinitely higher source than any man, infinitely higher than the twelve apostles, even from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

"For you heard of my manner of life formerly in Judaism, that surpassingly I kept persecuting the assembly of God, and I kept making havoc of it, and in Judaism I kept blazing a path ahead of and beyond many of my own age in my nation, being more exceedingly zealous of my ancestral traditions." Galatians 1: 13, 14 [Judaism means the Jewish rites, customs and ceremonies.]

Paul (then called Saul), had kept the clothes of the men who stoned Stephen, and he had given his voice against Stephen to put him to death. If you will read Acts 8: 1-3 and 9: 1, 2, you will understand what a bitter enemy Saul was to Christ and His good news. But you must remember that Saul also probably saw Stephen's face, like "the face of an angel" (Acts 6: 15). He must have watched him "fall asleep" under those cruel stones (Acts 7: 60), and have heard that dying prayer, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." It may be that it was impossible for Saul to forget all this, and that his conscience kept speaking loudly to him. This may have been the "pricks" we read of in Acts 26: 14: but this we do not know for certain; the Scriptures do not tell us.

But we do know that before his conversion Saul persecuted the good news with all this strength, just as after his conversion he preached it with all his strength. Paul could not do anything half-heartedly. He always put all his strength into everything he did. So he went beyond the other Jews of his own age in persecuting the assembly of God.

Then the Lord Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, a city up in the north of Syria, far away from Jerusalem. The Lord caused Saul to turn completely round. (That is what "conversion" means.) This man who had been trying to destroy the good news, now began to tell it forth everywhere. But he did not go first to any man to learn this good news. If the Lord Jesus had met Saul near Jerusalem, men might have said, "The apostles in Jerusalem taught Saul the good news which he preaches." But there were no apostles at Damascus, and the Lord purposely chose to meet Saul near Damascus, not near Jerusalem. Paul tells us that he did not go up to Jerusalem until after "three years." (Gal. 1: 18.)

All was of God's grace. It pleased God to set Paul apart from his mother's womb, and to call him by His grace, and to reveal His Son in Paul, that "I may announce Him as good news among the nations." In Romans 1: 1 Paul tells us that he is "set apart unto God's good news."

"You have heard" these things, Paul says. He loved to tell the story of that meeting on the road to Damascus. Three times in the book of Acts do we find that story, and so he writes: "You have heard . . ." We may be sure that Paul himself had told the story he loved so well to the Galatians, and he must have told it, as only Paul could tell it. It was all grace. Paul had done nothing to earn such a meeting as that on the Damascus road. Paul had only tried to persecute and kill Christ's people. Paul had been persecuting the Christ. And this is the man the Christ chooses, to set him apart to the good news. What grace! Why did He choose Saul of Tarsus? The only reason Saul can give is God's grace, and that "God was pleased to reveal His Son in me." And God chose him in order that he might "announce HIM as good news among the nations." Verse 16. Is it any wonder that Paul could not, and would not, give up grace? The law could only have condemned Saul to death, but grace makes him a chosen instrument.

"But when the One having set me apart [even] from my mother's womb, and having called [me] through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me in order that I should announce Him [as] good news among the nations, immediately I did not confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to the ones [who were] apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and again returned to Damascus." Galatians 1: 15-17

CHRIST Himself is the good news. Philip preached Christ in Samaria (Acts 8: 5), and there was great joy in that city (v. 8). "He preached Jesus" to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8: 35) and he went on his way rejoicing (v. 39). May God help us to remember that our business is to "announce Him as good news." Romans 1: 3 tells us that the good news is "concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." It is not a doctrine we preach. It is Christ Himself. He is the good news. He is the living, loving Saviour.

You remember the story of Saul's conversion, but let us repeat it, for like Paul himself, I love to hear it over and over, and to tell it out once more. He had gone to the high priest in Jerusalem, and had obtained from him letters to the synagogues in Damascus (far north of Jerusalem), that he might arrest any Christians he found, and bring them bound unto Jerusalem. He had helped kill Stephen, he had persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem, and now he was searching for them in distant cities to persecute them there.

He was coming near to Damascus. It was about noon, and the sun shone brightly above him on the road. Suddenly a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone round about him. He fell on the earth, and heard a voice speaking to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" And he said, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (This means that Paul was like a stubborn ox. His master wished him to go one way, and pricked him with his goad, a stick with a sharp point at the end of it, to make him obey. But the ox kicked the goad, and the point went into his leg, and hurt him still more. Each time he kicked, the goad hurt more.) Saul trembled when he heard these words, and was astonished, and said, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" And the Lord said, "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do." The men with Saul heard a voice, but did not see anyone; but Saul had seen heaven opened, and had seen the Lord Jesus Himself in the glory (1 Cor. 9: 1). Saul never forgot that sight. Three times in the book of Acts we read that story. (Acts 9: 1; 22: 6; 26: 12). The sight of the Lord Jesus in glory changed everything for Saul. He rose from the earth, and went into the city, but the glory of that light had blinded him, and men had to lead him by the hand.

For three days he neither ate nor drank. At last he prayed. You may understand a little of what this change meant to Saul. How terrible to find he had been persecuting the Christ, the Messiah of Israel, the true King of the Jews! How terrible to find out that his whole life, everything he believed, and everything he had been doing, were all completely wrong. I do not wonder he could not eat or drink for three days. Then the Lord sent his servant Ananias. "Behold he prayeth," the Lord said. Ananias came and put his hands on him, and said, "Brother Saul!" I think those words were like healing medicine to his sick heart. "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared to you in the way, as you came, hath sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." Acts 9: 17. Immediately he received his sight and was baptized.

Now Saul is a Christian. But how strange and new everything was to him! Immediately he went to the synagogues. He did not go to take the letters that were in his pocket. I think he burned those letters. But he went and boldly preached Christ, that He is the Son of God. Everybody was amazed, and God's power was with him, so that he confounded the Jews in Damascus, proving that Jesus truly is the Christ, the Messiah. They tried to kill him, as they had killed the Christ. But he escaped from their hands.

He went away from the crowds of men into the deserts of Arabia. We know very little about his journey into Arabia, only what he tells us in this letter to the Galatians (Gal. 1: 17). He tells us that after his conversion, immediately he did not go to any other person to consult, or to seek advice. "Neither did I go up to Jerusalem unto the ones who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus." Arabia is a very large country. Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the law, is in Arabia. Elijah had gone away into Arabia to escape from Jezebel, and to be alone with God. And I am sure Saul of Tarsus also went to Arabia to be alone with God. I can well understand that Saul felt he must have quiet, and time to be alone, and to hear God speak to him. This is a lesson you and I need. Every true servant of God must have time to be alone with God. Moses learned this lesson during 40 years alone with God in Arabia. David learned the same lesson, though only a boy, alone with God on the hills of Bethlehem. Even our Lord Jesus rose up a great while before day, and went away to a solitary place, to pray alone to God (Mark 1: 35), and how often do we find Him alone with God in prayer, sometimes all night. (Luke 6: 12). Have you ever noticed that in the gospel of Luke, ? the gospel that gives us the picture of the Lord Jesus as the dependent Man, ? we find Him seven times in prayer? (Luke 3: 21; 5: 16; 6: 12; 9: 18; 9: 29; 11: 1; 22: 41).

We know nothing of this visit to Arabia, but we can well understand it. It is just what we would have expected. I do not doubt he took with him his Bible, the Old Testament, (for there was no New Testament then), and that there alone with God, the Holy Spirit made this book shine with a new light and glory, as He showed him JESUS on every page. Who taught Paul the hidden meaning of Sarah and Hagar, of which we will read in chapter 4 of our epistle? Who made Deuteronomy shine with the light of the glory of Christ? I do not doubt the Holy Spirit taught him many such things during this time in Arabia.

Christian reader, if we are to serve God acceptably, we also must have our time in Arabia. We also must get time alone with God. You say, It is impossible for me. I am poor, and have to work hard for a living; I cannot go to Arabia. No, you cannot go to Arabia, but you can get alone with God. You may say, my house is small and crowded, I cannot get alone with God. I am sure any of us can get alone with God, if we truly and earnestly desire to do so. With most of us, we have only to follow our Master when He rose up in a great while before day, and we will be alone with God. May you and I learn the depth of meaning there is in those few words, "I went away into Arabia."

We do not know how long Saul stayed in Arabia but he tells us, "and I returned again unto Damascus." Gal. 1: 17. The king had tried to kill Saul in Damascus, watching the gates day and night. We do not know whether this was before or after his visit to Arabia. But Saul is a brave man and fears nothing. In another place he tells us he was let down over the wall of Damascus in a basket, through a window, and so escaped the king's hand. (2 Cor. 11: 32. 33.)

"Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and I remained with him fifteen days: but other of the apostles I did not see, except James the brother of the Lord." (Or perhaps "only James the brother of the Lord"). Galatians 1: 18, 19.

Three years have passed since the day Saul of Tarsus left Jerusalem with those letters from the high priest. He has not returned in all that time, but he longs to know Peter. Peter is a most lovable man: we all look forward to making the acquaintance of dear, impulsive Peter. Paul goes to visit him, so as to make his acquaintance, and he stays for fifteen days. Do you not wish you could have looked in and listened, as Peter and Paul talked together, and became acquainted? I think it was a happy visit, and they learned to love each other, but it ended quite suddenly. When Paul first tried to join himself to the disciples in Jerusalem, they were all afraid of him. This is the man who helped murder Stephen! This is the man who persecuted us so much, and put our friends in prison. What does he want at our meetings? They thought he was a spy; but there was one man there, Barnabas, "the son of comfort," a very kind and good man. He takes Saul and brings him to the apostles, to Peter and James, (for Saul tells us he saw no others), and Barnabas told the wonderful story that Saul loved so well, of that meeting on the road near Damascus, and how the sight of the Lord of glory had changed all Saul's life. And then I think Peter took him home with him, and they learned to know and love each other.

He was only fifteen days in Jerusalem, but that was time enough for him to preach boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. Again the Jews tried to kill him, so the brethren brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus, his own native city.

You will notice most of these things are left out, as Paul tells the story to the Galatians. There we find only a few facts ? nothing to glorify Paul: but only the things that prove how very, very little he received from those who were apostles before him, or from any persons at Jerusalem. Paul is answering his enemies, the false teachers, who said Paul did not receive his teaching or his authority from the apostles at Jerusalem. No, Paul says, I did not, and I will prove to you from my own history that it was impossible for me to have received either my authority or my teaching from men. And now in verse 20, as if to make all doubly sure, (like our Lord's words, that He loved so well, "verily, verily"), Paul adds, "But what I am writing to you, lo, before God, I am not lying." Paul's enemies had suggested that his conduct had been deceitful, and perhaps they had said that he was not truthful. So Paul makes this solemn statement that should close the mouths of his enemies.

"Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia." Galatians 1: 21.

In Acts 9 we have seen that because Paul preached boldly in Jerusalem, the Jews "went about to slay him." v. 29. 'What an example of diligence Paul is to us there. He was in Jerusalem only fifteen days, but in that short time he found opportunity to preach boldly and dispute against the Grecians (Acts 9: 29). The Lord met him in a vision in the temple, and tells him to depart, and as we have seen the brethren sent him to his native home in Tarsus. But all this, which is so much to his credit, is left out in Galatians. He says only, "Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia." Tarsus was a city in Cilicia, and it "was no mean city" (Acts 21: 39). The province of Cilicia was joined very closely in many ways to Syria, so that often they were almost one. You will see by the map that Cilicia is northeast of Syria. You will remember that Damascus was in Syria; so you will see that Paul was going further and further away from Jerusalem in his labors for the Lord.

"But I remained personally unknown to the assemblies of Judea, the, ones in Christ, but only they kept hearing, the one formerly persecuting us, now keeps announcing the good news of the faith which formerly he kept ravaging (or destroying); and they kept glorifying God in me." Galatians 1: 22-24

We must notice the difference between the "assemblies of Judea" and the assembly of Jerusalem. The assembly of Jerusalem had almost surely learned to know Paul personally, even though he was only fifteen days in that city. But he left so suddenly, that the assemblies outside Jerusalem had no chance to get to know him. We find this same difference made in John 7. Compare verses 20 and 25.

The imperfect and present tenses are used in these verses, showing the continuous action. "I remained unknown .. . they kept on hearing . . . our persecutor . . . keeps on announcing the good news of the faith which formerly he kept on destroying." How vivid the whole scene is! We can see those early Christians talking together: "Brother, have you heard? Saul of Tarsus, who helped kill Stephen, is preaching the good news!" How well we can understand! How well we can enter into the relief and the joy that this report, which kept going round and round, brought to all the assemblies; and then this report caused another imperfect tense, "They kept on glorifying God in me." As the good news of the change in Saul of Tarsus kept going round among the assemblies of Judea, they kept glorifying God. Can you not guess what thanks and praise went up to God in their prayer meetings? A very ancient writer has said, "He does not say, They marvelled at me; they praised me; they were struck with admiration of me: but he attributes all to grace. They glorified God, he says, in me."

"In me." We read these words before in verse 16. "God was pleased to reveal His Son in me." This tells us that God "unveiled" His Son in Paul. "Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face." 1 Cor. 13: 12. I suppose the meaning of this verse in Galatians is that God was pleased to take away the veil, in part at least, and Saul of Tarsus saw the Son of God "face to face." That sight, that look, never left Paul as long as he lived. After Saul was baptized, and had taken something to eat, do you remember what he did? "Straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues that He is the Son of God." Acts 9: 20. And as God was pleased to thus take away the veil that now hides His Son from view, so the glory of the Son of God changed all Saul's life; and in him, to those around, God thus unveiled His Son. Many and many a man and woman learned to know the Son of God, through the sight that Saul of Tarsus had of Him on the Damascus road. Paul was not only the instrument God used to tell out the gospel, but also in his own person, he bore the strongest testimony to its power. As men looked at Paul, "in him" the Son of God was revealed to them (compare 2 Cor. 3: 18), and as the assemblies of Judea heard the reports of his conversion and of his bold preaching, they kept glorifying God "in him."

"I was journeying in the noontide,

When His light shone o'er my road;

And I saw Him in that glory ?

Saw Him ? Jesus, Son of God.

All around, in noonday splendor,

Earthly scenes lay fair and bright;

But my eyes no more behold them

For the glory of that light.

Others in the summer sunshine

Wearily may journey on,

I have seen a light from heaven,

Past the brightness of the sun ?

Light that knows no cloud, no waning,

Light wherein I see His face,

All His love's uncounted treasures,

All the riches of His grace.

All the wonders of His glory,

Deeper wonders of His love ?

How for me He won, He keepeth

That high place in heaven above;

Not a glimpse ? the veil uplifted ?

But within the veil to dwell,

Gazing on His face forever,

Hearing words unspeakable.

Marvel not that Christ in glory

All my inmost heart hath won;

Not a star to cheer my darkness,

But a light beyond the sun.

All below lies dark and shadowed,

Nothing there to claim my heart,

Save the lonely track of sorrow

Where of old He walked apart.

I have seen the face of Jesus ?

Tell me not of aught beside;

I have heard the voice of Jesus ?

All my soul is satisfied.

In the radiance of the glory

First I saw His blessed face,

And for ever shall that glory

Be my home, my dwelling place.

Sinners, it was not to angels

All this wondrous love was given,

But to one who scorned, despised Him,

Scorned and hated Christ in heaven.

From the lowest depths of darkness

To His city's radiant height,

Thus in me He told the measure

Of His love and His delight."

? (T. P.)

Chapter 8

The Conference at Jerusalem ? Introductory Remarks

We come now to one of the most intensely important times in the history of the Church of God. Are the Gentiles to be circumcised? Are they to be under the law?

Before we speak about the conference at which these questions were decided, we must try and make clear one or two matters that will help us to understand the chapter before us. If you will look at the map, you will see two important cities: Jerusalem in the south, and Antioch in Syria in the north. Jerusalem, as you know, for many hundreds of years had been the one place in all the world that God had chosen to put His name there: there was His holy temple; and there God dwelt on earth amongst His people Israel. So, Jerusalem in the eyes of the Jewish Christians was the religious center of the world. To Jerusalem the Jews who had been scattered everywhere, returned to worship at the feasts from all over the world. Those who lived in Jerusalem were mostly Jews, and so those who composed the assembly in Jerusalem were mostly Jewish Christians, and we know that a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith (Acts 6: 7).

Those who lived at Antioch were, on the other hand, mostly Gentiles. In Acts 11: 19-30, we read the story of the way the gospel first came to Antioch. You remember Saul helped to kill Stephen, and after Stephen's death, Saul, and no doubt others, persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem very fiercely. On account of this many of the Christians were scattered abroad, and travelled to different places; one of these places was Antioch. At first they preached the good news only to the Jews, but "some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which., when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the assembly, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." Acts 11: 19-26.

In this way Antioch became the chief center for the Gentile Christians, just as Jerusalem was the chief center for the Jewish Christians. In Acts 13: 1 we read of the prophets and teachers at Antioch, and we see some of these were Jews, but some were almost certainly Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas are mentioned in these verses, and we can understand the very warm love that must have grown up between Paul and the assembly at Antioch. You will remember Paul and Barnabas went out from Antioch on their first missionary journey, and they returned again to this city.

The Jewish Christians all had the greatest reverence for the temple, and for everything connected with it, including the Jewish feasts, the law, and the various ceremonies of the Jewish religion. When they became Christians, they did not leave these things behind, but they still circumcised their children, they still kept the feasts, and were still "zealous of the law." There were many thousands of Jewish believers in Jerusalem who were like this. (See Acts 21: 20.)

The Gentile Christians, on the other hand, knew nothing of all these things. They did not circumcise their children. They did not keep the feasts; and they had never been under the law.

You will understand how very easily a great division might have come into the Church of God: forming on the one hand a Jewish church with its center at Jerusalem, and on the other hand a Gentile church, with its center at Antioch. We in China can very easily understand how jealousy and rivalry came in between the Jews and the Gentiles, just as we have seen it come in in some parts between the Chinese and the foreign Christians; so that in some parts an "Independent Chinese Church" has been formed.

After the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in His people on earth. The Holy Spirit then united every true believer into one body (1 Cor. 12: 13), which the New Testament calls "the church" or "the assembly." The Greek word means "called out ones" and it tells us that God called those who believe in His Son out from this world to form one new body, the Church. The believers may have been Jews or Gentiles, but in Ephesians 2 we find that the Lord Jesus has "broken down the middle wall of partition" between the Jews and the Gentiles, "for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby." Eph. 2: 14-16. In Ephesians 4: 4-6 we read, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all." So we may see that in God's sight we are all one in Christ Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile; whether Chinese or foreign. There is no such thing in the Scriptures as a Jewish church, or a Gentile church: a Chinese church, or a foreign church. "An independent church" is something invented by man, not formed by God.

The gospel of God was promised before by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures (Romans 1: 2), but the mystery of the Church of God was not revealed in the Old Testament, but was hidden "from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest in His saints." Col. 1: 26. (See also Eph. 3: 9; 5: 25-32.) Here we read that the Lord nourishes and cherishes the Church: "for we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones." Christ is the Head (Eph. 5: 23; Col. 1: 18), the Church is His body. When we eat the Lord's supper, we have one loaf, which shows forth on the one hand the Lord's body given for us, and on the other it speaks of the one body the Church: "For we being many are one loaf, one body." 1 Cor. 10: 17, J.N.D. Trans. Sometimes men use a slice of bread for the Lord's supper, or small squares of bread cut up. These things deny the one body, instead of showing it forth. Also the one loaf could not be made of separate particles, like grains of rice. God does not see the Church of God as a society of separate individuals; but as a human body is one, so the Church of God is one.

The Lord Jesus revealed this mystery to Paul. You remember when Saul was persecuting the Christians, the Lord said to him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?" In this question the Lord showed that the Church is one with Himself.

In the world today there are three classes: The Jew, the Gentiles, and the Church of God (1 Cor. 10: 32). When a Jew or a Gentile believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, he then immediately becomes part of the Church of God. He does not "join a church," but the Holy Spirit joins him to "the one body, the church." In the New Testament we only read of "the church of God," and every true believer in Christ belongs to that church. God sees him no longer as a Jew or a Gentile. Now his citizenship is in heaven. (Phil. 3: 20.) He is not of the world, as Christ was not of the world. (John 17: 14. )

It may seem as though we had turned aside from the subject of our epistle to speak of these things, but I do not see how we can truly understand the conference at Jerusalem, of which we must now speak, if we do not understand something of these truths. The Jewish believers were very slow about receiving these truths of the Church of God, and, alas, in our own day, we find that many true believers are ignorant of these same things.

We will now, with God's help, return to our epistle, and in the next chapter consider Paul's next visit to Jerusalem.

Chapter 9

The Conference at Jerusalem ? Continued.

Galatians 2: 1-5

"Then after a space of fourteen years, again I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking along also Titus. And I went up according to a revelation; and I laid before them the good news which 1 am proclaiming among the nations, but privately to the ones having reputation, lest somehow I am running, or had run, to no purpose. But not even Titus, he with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. But on account of the false brethren brought in by stealth to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order that they shall bring us into abject slavery: to whom we yielded by subjection, not even for an hour, in order that the truth of the good news might remain with you." Galatians 2: 1-5.

We saw in the first chapter of Galatians that three years after Paul's conversion, he went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Peter. In Acts 11: 30 and 12: 25, we read that Paul and Barnabas again went to Jerusalem with alms for the poor. This seems to have been about the time that Herod killed James the brother of John, and put Peter in prison, intending to kill him. In the history of his life in Galatians Paul does not mention this visit. But we have seen he speaks only of those things which are important for the truth he is defending.

The visit Paul speaks of in Gal. 2: 1 is almost certainly the same visit Luke describes in Acts 15. Paul and Barnabas had returned to Antioch in Syria from their missionary journey to Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Derbe and Lystra and other parts. While they waited at Antioch "certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question." Acts 15: 1, 2.

It is sad to read of "no small dissension and disputation" and of "much disputing" in verse 7. That is how Acts 15 begins, and almost more sad it ends with the quarrel between Paul and Barnabas; "and the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder." v. 39.

Paul knew very well the terrible danger that this teaching of the law and circumcision was to the truth of the good news. It was for this reason that he so earnestly opposed it. He knew very well the great importance of this meeting at Jerusalem to discuss this great question. Barnabas went with Paul, and together they presented the truth of the grace of God. They took with them a Gentile believer, Titus, who had never been circumcised. If the assembly at Jerusalem should refuse to receive a Gentile believer unless he receives circumcision, then the false teachers have won the victory. But if the assembly at Jerusalem should receive Titus, without being circumcised, then the truth of God has triumphed, and it is clear to the assemblies all over the world that it is not necessary to receive circumcision in order to be counted as a Christian.

In Gal. 2: 2 we read: "I went up by revelation." The Lord no doubt guided Paul and Barnabas to take Titus with them, just as He revealed to Paul that he should go to this meeting. Paul first of all privately laid before the leaders of the assembly at Jerusalem the good news "which I am preaching" among the nations (or Gentiles: the word is the same). Paul mentions especially the names of James, Cephas, and John. We must notice that although James was not one of the twelve apostles, yet in matters that concern Jerusalem, James is placed first. (See verse 9.) But in verses 7 and 8, we see Peter's name only. This is because to Peter the Lord specially committed the gospel to the Jews. The Lord had used Peter to first bring the good news to the nations, i.e., the Gentiles. (See Acts 10, and 15: 7.) But Peter had not followed on in this work amongst the nations, and God in His grace had worked mightily through him as the apostle of the Jews. But in just the same way God had also worked mightily through Paul as the apostle of the nations. They each acknowledge God's grace to the other, and they agree that just as Peter continued to be the apostle to the Jews, so Paul should also continue to be the apostle to the nations, or Gentiles.

So Paul and Barnabas laid the whole question of the Gentiles and the law before James, Cephas, John, and perhaps others "conspicuous in the assembly." We see in Acts 15: 22 that Judas called Barsabas and Silas were also "leading men among the brethren." After first laying the whole matter before those "conspicuous in the assembly," then it was publicly discussed, and the teachers of the law had the opportunity to present their side of the matter.

We can see the goodness and wisdom of God in all these matters. First, how good that this question arose in the days of the apostles, and that God has given us this complete record in His holy Word of all that happened; so that any person today who wishes to truly know God's will in this matter need have no doubts whatever about it. Then, how good of the Lord to arrange that Paul and Barnabas should be in Antioch ready to oppose these false teachers, just at the time they arrived. In the assemblies at Galatia we find nobody present to stand up against the false teachers and dispute with them. Then notice again God's goodness and wisdom in not permitting Paul and Barnabas to silence these teachers in Antioch. Had they succeeded in doing this, how easily a division might have come into the Church of God. Those who accepted salvation by the free grace of God would follow Paul making a Gentile church, with Antioch as their center; but those who wished to add the law would follow these law teachers and have Jerusalem as their center. In order to hinder such a division, the Lord made it necessary for His servants at Antioch to take the whole matter up to Jerusalem and lay it before the assembly there.

The Lord strengthened His servant's hands and his heart by giving him this revelation of His will, showing him that he should go to Jerusalem. The men of reputation acknowledge the work of Paul and Barnabas. They approve the gospel which they are preaching amongst the nations, and God thus prepares everything for the public discussion of this great question.

On the one side are the Pharisees, who believed, and those false teachers ? "false brethren brought in by stealth, who were such as came in by stealth to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus." These were the men who later were troubling the Galatian assemblies, and were always trying to hinder and disturb Paul's work amongst the nations. They had been so successful at Antioch, that even Paul and Barnabas could not silence them and perhaps they looked forward to a victory at Jerusalem.

Paul and Barnabas were on the other side, and perhaps Titus, the uncircumcised Gentile, sat between them. James, Cephas and John were present; and no doubt Judas and Silas and many other of the Jerusalem brethren.

"Certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed rose up, saying, that it was needful to circumcise [the Gentiles] and to command them to keep the law of Moses." That is the whole question. I can well understand there was "much discussion." But at last Peter, in a short address, reminded them that God had chosen him to first bring the good news to the nations. He pointed out to them that God had borne witness to that work by giving them the Holy Spirit while they were still uncircumcised Gentiles, and had made "no difference between us and them." He sums up the whole matter by saying "Now therefore why tempt ye God, by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we shall be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same manner as they also." Acts 15: 10, 11, J. N. D. Trans.

James followed Peter, proving by quotations from the Old Testament that God had shown before that the Gentiles should be brought into the blessing of God, along with the Jews. James summed up his address by saying: "Wherefore I judge, not to trouble those who from the nations turn to God; but to write to them to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. For Moses, from generations of old, has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogue every sabbath." Acts 15: 19-21, J. N. D. Trans.

The victory was won.

Thanks be to God, for that notable victory which made sure the freedom of the Gentiles. Thanks be to God for men like Paul and Barnabas, Peter and James: men who are not ashamed of the good news, men who are not afraid to say publicly what they know to be the truth.

The victory is won. The Gentiles are not under law, either for justification, or for a rule of life. The threatened division in the Church of God does not take place. No split has come between the apostles at Jerusalem and the apostles of the Gentiles. The false teachers and the Pharisees have been defeated, but they have not been silenced; and now in the epistle we are considering, we find them back at their evil work, disturbing the Galatian assemblies.

Our readers must notice that in the letter to the Gentile believers no mention is made of the ten commandments. There is not a single word suggesting the Gentile Christians are under the ten commandments. Those who teach this evil doctrine have not a word of foundation from the Scriptures. On the contrary, there are only four commands given to the Gentile believers. Two of these "to avoid pollutions of idols" and "fornication" are included in the ten commandments. Every true Christian, with any knowledge of God, knows that he should avoid these things. Notice that there is not a word telling the Gentile believers that they should keep the sabbath or seventh day.

The other two commands, which are really one, to avoid things strangled and blood, come from Noah's day. Before the flood it seems as though men lived on grain, vegetables and fruit, and that they did not eat meat. But after the flood, in Genesis 9: 3, God gave to Noah and his sons flesh to eat. He says, "Every moving thing that liveth shall be food for you; as the green herb I have given you everything. Only the flesh with its life, its blood, ye shall not eat." In Leviticus 17: 10, 11 we read, "I will set My face against the soul that hath eaten blood, and will cut him off from among his people; for the soul [or, life] of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul. Therefore have I said, . . . No soul of you shall eat blood." "The blood is the life." In the Scriptures God always claims the blood as His portion. Life belongs to God. The blood tells us of the precious blood of Christ, and that He gave His life for our lives; so Christians may not eat blood. In "things strangled" the blood has not been poured out, so we Christians may not eat such meat.

There are those today who command the Lord's people to "abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." 1 Timothy 4: 3-5. From these verses we see that Christians today are perfectly free to eat pork which was forbidden under the law. Now we may eat it, and give God thanks. There are those today who forbid it, but such persons do not "believe and know the truth."

We might think this is a small matter, and that if someone tells me I must not eat pork, that I may easily yield to his wish. But if we look at the first verse of this chapter in Timothy, we will see that this doctrine which commands "to abstain from meats" is a "doctrine of devils." Those who teach these things have departed "from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." 1 Tim. 4: 1. In God's sight it is a terrible thing to put Christians under law, even if that law is only to forbid to eat meat. May God help you and me to understand more clearly God's thoughts about grace and law.

Because we are not under law, this does not give us liberty to steal or murder. The law says, "Thou shalt not steal." What does the good news say? "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." Eph. 4: 28. How different from the law! The hand that once went into his neighbor's pocket to steal his goods, now works in order to be able to give something to his neighbor. This is not because of any law that tells me I must do this. But my Lord has borne my sins. My stealing is all forgiven. Not the least punishment will I ever have to bear from God because I was a thief. My hands are purchased with His precious blood, and now I love to use them for Him who gave Himself for me. And so "the righteousness of the law" is fulfilled in those "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (See Romans 8: 4.) But we see that actually the good news goes far beyond "the righteousness of the law."

Paul had not "run to no purpose" (Gal. 2: 2). On the one hand the good news to the Gentiles was specially committed to Paul; and on the other hand, the mystery of the Church of God was also specially committed to him. (See Col. 1: 23, 24, 25). As we have seen, the Church of God is a heavenly company who are neither Jew nor Gentile, but who are the "body of Christ." If the Church had been torn in two, making a Jewish body and a Gentile body, then the truth of the Church would have been denied. No longer would the world see "one body." And we need to remember the dying prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ: "That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." John 17: 21. But what does the world see today as it looks at the Church of God? Not one division, but hundreds! and, alas, "alas, too often we find the saints of God glorying in their shame.

May God help us to remember that in His sight every true believer, no matter what his race, his language, his color: no matter whether Jew or Gentile: no matter to what sect or division of man he may be joined, in God's sight they all belong to the one body, the Church. This is the true Church of God, and every true believer throughout the whole world is part of it. The Scriptures do not speak of members of that church. We are members of His body, as my finger, my eye, my foot is a member of my body; but, the expression "members of a church" is unknown in the New Testament.

How many today are seeking to build up a sect or a party, instead of seeking to "feed the flock of God." (1 Peter 5: 2). In a coming day, these servants may find that they are running, or have run, to no purpose. Paul is using the racecourse as a picture of his work for the Lord. Paul loves to use this picture, and we find it again in Galatians 5: 7: "Ye did run well; who did hinder you?" This time he refers to all the Galatian believers. Every one of us Christians is running a race. In 2 Timothy 2: 5 we are warned that a man is not crowned except he strive lawfully. In 1 Corinthians 9: 24 Paul exhorts his readers: "So run, that ye may obtain." Yes, we are all runners. May God help us not to run to no purpose, but so that we may obtain!

"Lord, carry me up to Thy home in the glory,

Where Thou hast purchased a mansion for me,

Where, free from distractions and trials and sorrows,

I'll rest in the joy of Thy presence with Thee.

Here nations are striving, false teachers deceiving,

Thy saints are divided and scattered from Thee,

Come, gather us, Lord, to Thyself in the glory,

And then come and reign o'er creation set free."

(J. B. D.)

Chapter 10

More About Paul's Visit to Jerusalem

In our last chapter we looked at the great conference at Jerusalem, when the apostles and elders considered the questions of circumcision and the law, with regard to the Gentile believers. In that chapter we considered chiefly the account Luke gives us in Acts 15. We must now briefly consider a little further the account Paul gives us in Galatians, which we have quoted at the beginning of the last chapter. Please read these verses, Galatians 2: 1-5, once more.

In verse 3 we read: "But not even Titus, he with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised." The word "Greek" has three meanings in the New Testament. First, a Greek by nationality: second, in contrast to a Jew, it means any Gentile ? not necessarily one of Greek nationality: third, in a wider sense, it means all nations who are not Jews, but who were under the influence of Greek learning and customs. In this verse, we believe the meaning is simply that Titus was a Gentile.

The word "compelled," in the same verse, tells us that the Jewish teachers made very strong efforts to compel Titus to receive circumcision. As we read further down in this chapter, we will be astonished at the power that these men had in the Church in those days. It is evident that they were determined not to receive Titus as a Christian unless he would receive circumcision, which was a sign that he was under the law. We can see from these verses in Galatians that the attack made on the freedom of the Church of God was very bitter, and very terrible.

Paul's description of these men is very strong. First, he says they were false. They were traitors. They were not true believers in Christ at all. They had outwardly accepted Christianity, but they knew nothing of the power of the precious blood of Christ to cleanse their sins. They were professors merely, and had not really eternal life. They were in Paul's words "false brethren." This word is only used twice in the New Testament, here and in 2 Corinthians 11: 26. They were "the false brethren," showing the Galatians knew them. Sad to say, we have multitudes of this kind of men around us today. There are very many everywhere who are only Christians in name, but have never known what it means to be "born again." (See John 3.) They have never known real conviction of sin, nor have they known what a terrible burden their sins really are: nor have they ever known the power of the precious blood of the Lord Jesus to take away those sins. These false brethren had been brought in by stealth, brought in without the other brethren knowing. This Greek word is used of what we now call "fifth columnists," that is, enemies brought in secretly, who pretend to be friends, and do their evil work from the inside, instead of attacking from the outside as honest men do. These men had come in before, not by the door, but had climbed up some other way and so come in (see John 10), "to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus." The word "to spy out" is used in the Greek Old Testament for spying out a city (2 Samuel 10: 3). It means to spy out with the intention of overthrowing by an enemy. Notice that our freedom, is not freedom to sin, but freedom in Christ Jesus. That is the foundation of true Christianity; and these false brethren wanted to overthrow this foundation. Notice the uncommon expression, "in order that they shall bring us to abject slavery." Usually we would say, "in order that they might bring us. . . ."; there is the idea of doubt here. But these false teachers were so strong, and so sure of success, that they had no doubt whatever that they would succeed in bringing the church of God into abject slavery. For this reason we find "shall," not "might." And notice not only did they wish to bring us into slavery, but also "abject slavery" ? slavery, with no hope of release: cruel, bitter, hopeless slavery. Such is the true position of those who are under the law. This word is only used here and in 2 Corinthians 11: 20, speaking of these same men.

Now Paul leaves the description of these wicked men to tell us how he met their attacks. In the original Greek in this part, the sentences are broken off; the grammar is not complete, all telling us of the very strong feeling that Paul had, as he recalled that terrible attack, and though the truth was victorious, yet the struggle was very great. Paul says: "To whom we yielded by subjection, not even for an hour, in order that the truth of the good news might remain with you." Others might yield, for the sake of peace: but Paul would never yield; no, not even for an hour. How we Gentiles can thank God for such a man as Paul. What a mighty debt we owe to him, and his fellow servant Barnabas. The word translated "remain" has the meaning of "firm possession." Paul and Barnabas fought a bitter fight that we in China, and the whole Church of God, might firmly possess, and never give up, the precious truth of complete justification and sanctification by faith alone, and not by works of the law.

"But from the ones being reputed to be something, ? whatever they formerly were, it makes no difference to me; God does not accept man's person [literally, "man's face"], ? for to me the ones being reputed [to be something] imparted nothing." Galatians 2: 6.

We have seen that the false brethren had tried to make the Galatian assemblies believe that Paul was not a true apostle because he had not received his authority or his teaching from the apostles at Jerusalem. Paul has shown us that he received both his authority as an apostle, and his teaching, from the Lord Jesus Christ, and not from any man. These false brethren wished to make Peter and James and John head of the church; and all must receive their authority from them. These men were apostles, they had seen the Lord, and been in His company on earth, and men looked up to them, as men of very great importance. But Paul entirely rejected their authority. To Paul, Peter was only a man. Paul knew that he himself was sent, not from men, but from God. It is strange that today so many men look up to Peter as head of the church. Paul refused to do such a thing. The church among the Gentiles is the fruit of Paul's labor, not of Peter's labor. Peter fully acknowledged Paul's position, and as we will see, gave to him and to Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that they should go to the Gentiles. So we may see that during this visit to Jerusalem, Paul received no further authority from the apostles there, and no further revelation of the good news from them. His own words are: they "imparted nothing to me." It is also possible that the meaning is: they "imposed nothing on me." If this is the true meaning, then it would tell us that the apostles at Jerusalem did not in any way impose the teaching of the law on Paul's good news.

"But, on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the good news of the uncircumcision, just as Peter (that) of the circumcision, (for the One having worked for Peter unto (the) apostleship of the circumcised, worked also for me unto the nations), and recognizing the grace given to me, James and Cephas and John, the ones being reputed to be pillars, gave to me and to Barnabas (the) right hands of fellowship, in order that we (should go) unto the nations, but they unto the circumcised. Only that we should remember the poor, which very thing also I have been eager to do." Galatians 2: 7-10.

In the verses we have just quoted, we must not suppose that the "good news of the uncircumcised (or, uncircumcision)" is different in any way from the "good news of the circumcised (or, circumcision)." It is not a different good news. There is only one good news, but it is presented to different people: one to the Gentiles, the other to the Jews. We must notice also that Paul is put on an equality with Peter. One is the apostle to the nations, the other is the apostle to the Jews. Peter is not placed in the smallest degree above Paul. They are alike, and there is not the least sign of Peter wishing, or expecting, to be considered in a higher position than Paul: nor, is there any record that James and John considered Peter above Paul. Further, there was no sign of the least jealousy between these great servants of God. They recognized that Paul had been entrusted with the good news to the nations, and they knew well that it was the Lord Jesus Christ who had entrusted this good news to him: gladly then do they give the right hands of fellowship to Paul and to Barnabas. Do not think that this is a matter of no importance. Alas, there are many millions of Gentile men and women today, who believe that Peter is the head of the church; and even the foundation of the church. Although the Lord greatly blessed Peter, he is the apostle of the circumcision, and only of the circumcision. Paul is the apostle of the uncircumcision, that is of the Gentiles. Paul is the only one of the apostles who writes about the Church, the body of Christ. The Lord entrusted this to him, as he had entrusted to him the gospel of the uncircumcision.

Do not think that any division had come into the Church because Paul was to go to the nations and the other apostles at Jerusalem to the Jews. The Lord of the harvest may send His servants to any part of the harvest field He wishes; and the Lord chose to send Paul to one part, and Peter to

another; but they went in full fellowship one with the other.

You will remember that Paul and Barnabas had already visited Jerusalem with alms for the poor Jewish Christians, sent to them by the Gentile Christians. Acts 11: 27-30 and 12: 25. The brethren at Jerusalem ask that the Gentile Christians although not under law or subject to circumcision, should still remember the poor. This care of the poor was a very strong bond between the Gentile believers and the Jewish believers. There was much to divide them, much to cause jealousy between them, but the loving care for the poor saints in Judea, by their more wealthy Gentile brethren, bound together these Jewish and Gentile Christians. This is exactly what Paul longed to see, so he adds, "Which very thing I have been eager to do."

Paul tells us in some of his other epistles about this very matter. We have noticed that in 1 Corinthians 16: 1, 2, Paul tells the Corinthian assembly of the instructions he had already given to the assemblies of Galatia: "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." The first day of the week is the resurrection day. It was on the first day of the week that the disciples in Troas came together to break bread (Acts 20: 7). And on the first day of the week the Spirit of God tells believers to put aside as God has prospered them. In Hebrews 13: 16 this is called "a sacrifice," and "with such sacrifices God is well pleased." This sacrifice is connected with "the sacrifice of praise" in the previous verse (Heb. 13: 15); and both these sacrifices which we may offer to the Lord are connected with His sacrifice of Himself for us. (See Hebrews 13: 10-12.) For this reason when we come together on the first day of the week to break bread, on the one hand we eat the one loaf and we drink the one cup, remembering the Lord's sacrifice; and on the other hand we offer to Him the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks unto His name (Heb. 13: 15); and we also offer to Him the sacrifice of giving money as God has prospered us, a sacrifice to show forth our gratitude for all He has done for us, and to "remember the poor." With this sacrifice God is well pleased.

Alas, there are some who quite forget the wonderful privilege God has given us in this opportunity to show forth our love and gratitude to His name. They only think of giving this money as "a collection," and quite forget that God sees it as "a sacrifice," and that it is a sacrifice with which God is well pleased. There are some who give, not according as God has prospered them, but as little as they possibly can, so as not to lose face. We must remember that God sees the heart, and God does not measure and judge as we measure. You remember the poor widow who threw two mites into the treasury, which the Lord tells us was "all her living" (Mark 12: 44). In the parable of the "treasure hid in the field," the Lord says that the man who found it, for the joy of it, went away and "sold [exchanged, or, bartered] whatever he had and bought that field." Matt. 13: 44. But the words are stronger in the next parable of the "pearl." Of it the Lord says: "Having found one pearl of great price, having gone away, he sold [the word is different from that in the last parable, and means 'to sell into slavery'] all things whatever he had, and bought it." Matt.: 13: 45, 46. Of this widow, who cast in the two mites, the Lord uses exactly the same words as He used of Himself seeking that precious pearl: "she of her want cast in all things whatever she had, the whole of her living." In Mark 10: 21, to the rich ruler the Lord used exactly the words of the first of these parables: "Sell whatever thou hast," but he was not willing. You remember that in God's sight she had given more than all the great gifts of the rich men. Why do you think the Bible tells us that "she threw in two mites, which make a farthing?" If she had cast in a farthing, the amount would have been the same, but she would have had no choice to keep back something for herself; but as the farthing was divided into two mites, she could have kept one for herself, and given the Lord one: but the divided offering showed forth her undivided heart. Many of the Christians of China are poor, but few are as poor as this widow; and they have the same opportunity that she had to offer great gifts in the sight of God. I often wonder if the reason so many of us are so poor is because we so often fail to acknowledge how "God has prospered us," by giving in this measure to Him on the first day of the week.

Our readers would do well to read for themselves also the whole of 2 Corinthians 9: "As touching the ministering to the saints." And it would be well for us all to let the 6th and 7th verses sink down deep into our hearts: "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." And notice we get a good deal about sowing and reaping in chapter 6 of our epistle.

The last visit that Paul ever made to Jerusalem (as far as we know) was to take more alms to the poor there. To take these alms cost Paul his liberty. "Now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints. For it had pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things. When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain." Romans 15: 25-28. But there is a note of sadness mixed with the joy of being the bearer of the gifts from the Gentile assemblies, for he adds in verses 30 and 31: "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints." It would seem that Paul knew full well the power that these Jewish teachers still had in Jerusalem; and it might be this loving gift of the Gentile Christians would be refused by the Jerusalem assembly. The victory was won at Jerusalem for the freedom of the Gentiles from circumcision and the law; but the mouths of the false teachers were not stopped, and they have been busy at their wicked work from that day down to our own day. The Church of God was not divided; but the danger of division due to these wicked men still existed.

The Epistle to the Hebrews, probably written shortly before Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Roman armies, is a burning appeal to the Jewish Christians to turn from the forms and ceremonies which they loved so well, and which were but a shadow, to the body which is Christ. The Holy Spirit powerfully sets forth in this epistle how much "better" the reality ? the substance ? was, than the shadows to which they were clinging so strongly. (Heb. 8: 5 and 10: 1). We find the word "better" 13 times in Hebrews, as the Spirit compares the truths of Christianity to the shadows of Judaism.

Chapter 11

Peter's Visit to Antioch

Are the Jews under law?

Galatians 2: 11-17

"But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to (the) face, because he was convicted of evil. For before (the) coming of certain from James, he was eating [making a habit of eating] with (those) of the nations; but when they came, he began to draw back, and was setting himself apart, fearing the ones from the circumcision. And the rest of (the) Jews also dissembled with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away in their dissimulation. But when I saw that they do not walk straightforwardly according to the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas in the presence of all: If thou, being a Jew, art living as the nations, and not as the Jews, how (is it) thou art compelling the nations to be as Jews? We, by nature Jews, and not sinners from (the) nations, knowing then that a man is not justified on the principle of works of law, but only by means of faith of Christ Jesus, we also, we have believed on Christ Jesus, in order that we might be justified on the principle of faith of Christ and not on the principle of works of law, because on the principle of works of law, not any flesh shall be justified. If then, while seeking to be justified in [or, in virtue of] Christ, we also ourselves have been found sinners, then is Christ a minister of sin? Far be the thought! [or, No indeed! or Let it not be!] Galatians 2: 11-17

In our last chapter we saw that though certain Jews from Jerusalem came to the Gentiles at Antioch, and tried to compel them to act as Jews, to be circumcised and keep the law, yet the assembly at Jerusalem refused to approve this action and decided that the Gentiles were not to be put under law. The question that now comes before us is: "Are the Jews who are Christians to be kept under law?"

Peter came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. This, we suppose, was soon after the great conference in Jerusalem, of which we have spoken. At Antioch Peter found that the Jewish Christians who lived there, ate with the Gentile Christians. According to the law, there were many kinds of food that a Jew was not allowed to eat. (See Leviticus 11.) You remember in Acts 10, the Lord sent Peter a vision of a great sheet let down from heaven, in which was every kind of four-footed beast of the earth and wild beasts (all of which the law forbade the Jews to eat); and a voice came from heaven saying, "Arise, Peter; kill, and eat." Peter replied, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." The voice said to him, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." The Lord sent his vision three times, and by it taught Peter not only that the Gentiles were not unclean in His sight but that God had changed the old Jewish law that forbade eating certain foods. The Jews carried this law further, and refused to eat with the Gentiles, in case they might eat some forbidden food. Not long ago a great friend of mine who is a Jew came to tea with me. He sat at the table and talked, but refused to eat anything, or even drink a cup of tea. This was the practice of the Jews in the days of Peter and Paul. But in Acts 11: 3 we see that Peter obeyed the Lord and ate with the Gentiles.

When Peter came to Antioch, and found the Jews eating freely with the Gentiles, he knew that this was God's own order, and he joined them. After a time certain men came from James from Jerusalem.

Peter knew very well that according to the truth of the good news, God Himself had broken down the old "middle wall of partition" (Eph. 2: 14), and that this old Jewish law had been done away in Christ. God Himself had revealed this to Peter. Peter knew the liberty that is in Christ Jesus, and he knew that this liberty was of God.

"But on the night Christ was betrayed,

Before the cock crowed twice,

Peter, through fear, his Lord denied

With oaths and curses thrice.

Then should I not, Lord, ask myself

Would I more faithful be?

Would I to prison and to death

More bravely go than he?

O Lord, my heart is weak I know.

Thy strength I pray give me,

Or else like men of long ago,

I will dishonor Thee."

(From Chinese)

There are solemn lessons for us in Peter's life. It is most unlikely you or I would have been any better. Thank God, that in such times of extremity, God has found a man to stand in the breach. In days of old God said that He would destroy Israel "had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He should destroy them." Ps. 106: 23. In Ezekiel 22: 30 we read: "I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." How terribly sad! the Lord is seeking for one man to be true to Him, one man to stand in the breach like Moses or Paul, but He found him not. Perhaps our day seems like this, as we see the enemy coming in like a flood (Isa. 59: 19). And though we may not have faith or courage to follow these noble servants of old, we may at least "be grieved for the breach" (see Amos 6: 6, margin), that we see all around us today. In Ezekiel 9: 4 we see that the Lord puts His special mark on those who sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done.

Well may we Gentiles today thank God that He found one man in those days of old to stand in this breach. Peter had failed, and even Barnabas who had stood so bravely with Paul in Jerusalem, had turned aside through fear; and Paul is left to fight the battle single-handed. It reminds us of Shammah in 2 Samuel 23: 11, 12. All the people of Israel were afraid and ran away as the Philistines came, but Shammah stood in a piece of ground full of lentiles, and he defended it all alone, single-handed: "and the Lord wrought a great victory." Even so was it in these days at Antioch. It seemed as though either the Gentiles must be as Jews, or else there must be a terrible division in the Church, with a Gentile church on one side, and a Jewish church on the other. It seemed as though the false teachers had triumphed.

Do not suppose because a man is a leader, or honorable, or highly esteemed that he must be right; and that it is right for us to follow him without examining his path for ourselves. All at Antioch, Jews and Gentiles must have known that Peter had made a mistake. Either he never should have eaten with the Gentiles, or else he should have continued to eat with them after the men came down from James. Peter had publicly sinned, and had drawn away others after him in this sin. Paul therefore publicly rebuked Peter in the presence of all.

Notice first, that in Jerusalem at the conference it is apparent that Paul and Peter are on an equality. The false teachers who had come to Galatia had said, Paul should have received his authority as an apostle, and his teaching, from Peter: but now it is shown that Peter is not his superior.

In Jerusalem it was decided that the Gentile believers should not be put under the Jewish law. Now at Antioch the question has been forced on the conscience of the Christians: are the Jewish believers still to be held under the Jewish law?

Now, in the presence of all, Paul rebukes Peter: "If thou, being a Jew, art living as the nations, and not as the Jews, how is it thou art compelling the nations to be as Jews?" Peter's own conscience told him this was all true. And Paul continues: "We, by nature Jews, and not sinners from the nations, knowing that a man is not justified on the principle of works of the law, but only by means of faith of Christ Jesus." "Sinners from the nations" was the way the Jews looked at the Gentiles. The Jews believed they were better than the Gentiles, and Paul uses to Peter the old words which showed forth the natural pride of heart that refused to acknowledge "there is no difference." Peter knew this was true. He knew well that whether it was a matter of sin before God, or salvation without works by grace alone, there was "no difference." His own scriptures, Psalm 14, had told him all this. There he read in his Hebrew Bible "They are all together become stinking." (See Ps. 14: 3, margin). And see also Romans 3: 22, 23. But when he set himself apart, as he had just done, he was acting on the same old principle that the Jews were better than the Gentiles, and could trust to their own works for salvation.

Paul continues, You know "that a man is not justified by works of the law." Why then, Peter, are you seeking to put yourself under the law? Did you not say in Jerusalem that it was a yoke neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? You know . . . that a man is only justified by the faith of Christ Jesus. You know there is no other way. Why, then, are you seeking to add works of the law?

Paul does not make it clear whether he said to Peter everything he wrote down to the end of this chapter; but quite possibly he did so. He continues, pointing out to Peter how he, and Paul, were justified. If any man had ground of being justified by works of law, certainly Paul had. He tells us this himself: "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more" (Phil. 3: 4, and read the verses that follow). But Paul reminds Peter that "we also, we have believed on Christ Jesus, in order that we might be justified on the principle of faith of Christ and not on the principle of works of law." Peter and Paul themselves have no hope of being justified by works. They also had "become stinking." There is no difference. Whether it is Paul or Peter, whether it is Jew or Gentile, whether it is Galatians or Chinese, there is no difference: we all have sinned; and the only hope of every one of us is Christ Jesus, and only faith in Him. Why then, Peter, are you adding your own works? Why are you separating yourself as if you are better than they? Do you not remember your own Old Testament, that in Psalm 143: 2 it says: "No man living shall be justified" (on the principle of works of law)? These are mighty arguments that everybody knew were true: these are in fact the great arguments and the great theme of this epistle.

Paul continues: If, then, while seeking to be justified in virtue of Christ, we also ourselves have been found sinners, then is Christ a minister, or promoter, of sin? If you have done right, Peter, in setting yourself apart from the Gentiles, and putting yourself in this way under the law; then it is quite evident that you were all wrong when you ate with the Gentiles.

But Paul still continues: "For if what 1 threw down, these things again I build, I demonstrate myself a transgressor." Gal. 2: 18. It was Peter himself who had first opened the door of the good news to the Gentiles. It was Peter himself who had first eaten with them. It was Peter himself who had defended this action "when they of the circumcision contended with him" (Acts 11: 2) regarding it. It was Peter himself who had begun building. Now Peter changes all his course. He had been throwing down the ceremonies of the Jewish law. He had been throwing down the middle wall of partition. Now he is building up this wall, and throwing down the freedom of Christ. And so, if he is right now, he clearly demonstrates to everybody that he was wrong before; he demonstrates himself a transgressor.

Paul goes on (we do not know if he still is speaking to Peter, but we suppose so): "For I, by means of law have died, in order that I shall live to God. With Christ I have been crucified: but I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me: but (the life) which now I live in (the) flesh, in (virtue of) faith I live, the (faith) of the Son of God, the One having loved me, and having given up Himself on behalf of me." Gal. 2: 19, 20.

All the law can do to a sinner is to kill him: and "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3: 23. Peter was a sinner, and if he put himself under law, all it could do was to kill him. Paul says plainly: "I by means of law have died to law." The law had killed Paul, and now it had no further power over him.

Recently a man was executed for murder. Not long afterwards it was proved this man was guilty of other murders; but the law had no power whatever to say, or to do, anything to him. The law had already killed him for his sin; and now by the law he is dead to the law; and the law is powerless to touch him.

This is the position of each one of us. The law has already condemned each one of us to death, and "with Christ I have been crucified." The death sentence has not only been passed on each of us ? "All the world . . . guilty before God" (See Rom. 3: 19) ? but in Christ it has been carried out. He the sinless One has been crucified, and "with Christ I have been crucified." So the law is completely powerless to touch me. It has nothing further to say to me. It has killed me, and that is all it can do. Now, I have died "in order that I shall live unto God." Notice again (as in chapter 2: 4), it is not "that I might live unto God," (with a doubt), but "that I shall live unto God." The law had killed Paul, and yet he lives. Christ had taken all the punishment on Himself: so Paul's death was but the death of "the old man," Saul the Pharisee, and this was a very great gain. The law had killed him, but Christ had died instead of him: now, Paul being dead, the law can do no more ? it has dominion over a man only as long as he lives (Rom. 7: 1). We are each of us associated with Christ in His death, and in His resurrection; so He has become our life: "With Christ I have been crucified: but I live, no longer I but Christ lives in me." So I am dead both to the flesh and to the law. There is no condemnation for me since Christ has taken it (Rom. 8: 1). He took all my sins, and bore them upon the cross, abolishing them by His death. I am free, not only from the guilt of my sins, but from the power of sin in the flesh. (See Romans 8: 1-3.) For the believer, the "old man" is crucified with Christ (see Rom. 6: 6 and Gal. 5: 24), that the body of sin might be annulled, or made inactive.

Suppose you take a pig from the mud and filth in which it enjoys living, and as Peter suggests (2 Peter 2: 22), you wash it. You put a pretty ribbon round its neck, and bring it into the best room in your house. You give it a list of rules, telling it what it must do and what it must not do in order to keep clean. Now suppose that pig sees outside your fence a pond with mud and filth, what will it do? Will it remember the rules you have given it, and say, No, I must not go into that mud? No, "the sow that is washed" returns to her wallowing in the mire. The pig is not subject to these rules, neither indeed can be. (Compare Rom. 8: 7.)

You see that it is a hopeless matter to reform this pig, so you do the only thing you can: you kill it. Now the pig no longer has any desire to wallow in the mire. Then you take a living lamb, pure and clean, without spot or blemish (compare 1 Peter 1: 19), and you take this living lamb and put it inside the dead pig, so that now the pig has the lamb for its life. Now the pig loathes and abhors the filth and the mud. The other pigs think it strange that this pig does not run with them to enjoy the mud and filth (compare 1 Peter 4: 4), and they speak evil of it. They say, This is not a true pig; it has not the nature of a pig. They speak right, for this pig has a new nature. The spotless lamb is its life; it delights to be clean, and to keep away from filth of every kind; for that is the nature of the lamb.

It might be that this pig would fall into the mud, but it will never be happy until it is out of the filth and made clean again. The pig with the life of a lamb inside it does not practice being filthy: on the contrary, it hates it. (See 1 John 3: 9, J.N.D. Trans.)

This is a feeble picture of what Christ has done for us. He, the spotless Lamb of God, is our life. Just as it was not the pig that lives, but the lamb lives in it, so "I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me."

Christ has redeemed us, and now we are not put back under law to which we have died. Our salvation now depends entirely on Christ, and so there is no uncertainty about it. The flesh still is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (in chapter 5 we will see the struggle that still goes on between it and the Spirit of God dwelling in us); but now by faith the believer reckons himself to be dead, crucified with Christ: and Christ risen has now become our life. Christ lives in us, and we can thus reckon ourselves to be dead to sin (Rom. 6: 10, 11), and alive unto God in Jesus Christ our Lord. So, the life which now I live in the flesh, I live in virtue of faith, the faith of the Son of God, the One who loved me, and gave Himself up to death for me.

"The faith of the Son of God": this means the faith which I have in the Son of God. Just as when I say I have the love of God in my heart, it may mean God's love to me, or my love to God. The power of that new life must come from my faith in Christ.

The expression "the faith of the Son of God" has caused difficulty to some. They say it must mean the faith exercised by the Son of God. This is not so. This expression with "of" is the genitive case in Greek, and it may be either subjective or objective genitive. That means that the noun following of may be either the subject or the object of the verb idea in the noun before of. Take, for example, the expression "the love of God." This may be subjective, and mean "God loves me"; that is the love of God to me, as in Romans 8: 39. Nothing can "separate us from the love of God," or it may be objective, and mean my love to God as in 1 John 5: 3: "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." In this passage in Galatians the expression is certainly objective: my faith in the Son of God gives me the power of the new life.

"I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness (is) by means of law, then Christ has died for nothing." Galatians 2: 21

Peter had set aside the grace of God by his action. It seemed a small thing merely to refuse to eat meals with the Gentile believers; for there was no suggestion that they refused to eat the Lord's supper with them. But turning aside this way from the truth, led Peter into deceit and hypocrisy: by it, he made Christ a minister of sin. He set aside the grace of God, and he made Christ die for nothing. The Galatian assemblies had also set aside the grace of God and chosen law instead. They also made Christ die for nothing.

Those men and women today who seek to add the law, or anything else to the death of Christ, do these very same wicked things. They also set aside the grace of God and make Christ die for nothing. It may seem a small matter to say, "I believe in Christ, and try to keep the law." "I believe in Christ and do the best I can": "I believe in Christ, and seek to live by 'the golden rule'." All these statements which we hear so often in reality are trying to add something to Christ and His work on the cross; and put those who say them into the very same position as the false teachers, Peter, and the Galatian assemblies.

"'Tis the look that melted Peter,

'Tis the face that Stephen saw,

'Tis the heart that wept with Mary,

Can alone from idols draw ?

Draw and win, and fill completely,

Till the cup o'erflow its brim.

What have we to do with idols,

Who have companied with Him?"

Chapter 12

The Holy Spirit ? by law or by grace?

Gal. 3: 1-6

We have suggested that the book of Galatians may be divided into three parts, each part of two chapters. So we have now reached the second part of the book. The subject of the first part was a brief history of certain events in Paul's life, which showed that his apostleship and his teaching did not come from men, but from God. We suggested that the second part (chapters 3 and 4), gives to us the doctrine connected with the subject of this epistle. But our readers may see that the last verses of chapter 2 have already given us some most important doctrines. We have there learned that we are dead to the law. Notice it does not say the law is dead, but we are dead to it. We are crucified with Christ; yet we live, risen with Him. Now we have a new life: Christ lives in me: and this new life we live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. These are doctrines of the very highest importance, and we find these doctrines in chapter 2. Truly no man can say where the subject of history ends and the subject of doctrine begins. Though the book clearly has these various subjects, yet they are so closely woven together as one letter, that we cannot divide it into different parts.

Again, let me remind my readers that when Paul wrote this letter there were no chapters or verses. Chapter 3 reads straight on from chapter 2. We have just learned that "Christ liveth in me." Now we are to learn another most blessed truth. The Spirit of God also lives in me. Let us read these verses together:

"O senseless Galatians, who has bewitched you, to whom, over against (your very) eyes, Jesus Christ has been publicly placarded ? nailed on the cross. This only I wish to learn from you: Have you received the Spirit on the principle of works of law, or on the principle of a message (telling) of faith? Are you so senseless? having begun by (the) Spirit, now are you making yourselves complete by (the) flesh? Have you suffered so many things for no reason? If indeed (they are) really for no reason? Therefore the One abundantly supplying to you the Spirit, and working mighty things in (or, among) you, (is it) on the principle of works of law, or on the principle of a message (telling) of faith? Just as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Galatians 3: 1-6.

The Apostle had just written the words: "The Son of God loved me and gave up Himself on my behalf." That was the theme, the center, the substance of Paul's message. "Christ died for our sins." 1 Cor. 15: 3. You remember when he went to Corinth he determined in himself not to know anything except "Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." 1 Cor. 2: 2. Paul had told this story until the Galatians had, as it were, seen Him with their own eyes nailed on the cross over against them. He had publicly placarded "Jesus Christ crucified" before them."

The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself up for me. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. It was grace, all unspeakable grace: but the Galatian Christians had "set aside God's grace" and had chosen the law. The Galatian Christians had turned their eyes away from Christ crucified, and were looking for righteousness to come by the law. If this is true, "then Christ died for nothing!" The very thought makes Paul indignantly exclaim, "0 senseless Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Who has fascinated you? Who has cast on you 'the evil eye'?" How well can we in China understand this question! How many a mother is afraid that someone may "cast the evil eye" on one of her children! How many are frightened of witchcraft! So was it in Galatia. The Galatians also knew all about these things of heathendom; and Paul uses this that they will so well understand, to show that it was the devil's evil work, not the work of God to turn their eyes away from Christ to the law. These false teachers were nothing better than the heathen fortunetellers about them, practicing witchcraft, and they had bewitched the Galatians.

This indignant exclamation links together chapters 2 and 3. You must not think of there being a division here. The words "O senseless Galatians" reach back to the last verses of chapter 2 and forward to the first verses of chapter 3.

"This only would I learn from you." It was as though Paul says: The one argument I now bring before you is enough to prove to you that you are wrong. That argument is the presence of the Spirit of God. It is, in truth, a mighty argument. But alas, today Christians believe so little in the presence of the Holy Spirit, that they lose much of the power of it. Paul continues: "Have you received the Spirit on the principle of works of law, or on the principle of a message (telling) of faith?" The Galatians knew well that they had received the Spirit of God. They knew the mighty change which He had worked in themselves and in each other. Was this on the principle of law? They had never heard of having to keep the law when they received the Spirit of God; so certainly it was not by law. This question, indeed, should have answered everything for the Galatians.

But perhaps we should turn aside for a moment to consider more fully what the Scriptures teach regarding the Holy Spirit. Many true Christians today are not sure whether they have the Holy Spirit or not. Many are praying that He may be given to them. This is the test according to the Scriptures: If a man, convicted of sin, and believing on the Lord Jesus as his only Saviour who has finished the work of salvation, can truly from his heart say, "Abba, Father," such a one possesses the Holy Spirit. "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear" (which the law gives), "but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Rom. 8: 15. And again: "Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Gal. 4: 6. The one who reads his Bible and believes it, knows that this is true. But those who do not know this from their own Bibles, very often do possess the consciousness of their relationship with God; He is their Father, and they are His children. And in the presence of God, in prayer, they will from their hearts address Him as "Father!" Such a person may be very ignorant and have much to learn. He may also have much to "unlearn" of false teaching he has received from men. But if he can truly say "Father," then it is surely the Holy Spirit alone who has taught this to him. This is not simply "conversion." A sinner, as a sinner, cannot receive the Spirit, but as soon as a man truly believes in Christ, and His precious blood cleanses his sins, then the Holy Spirit comes and dwells in him.

We see the difference in the case of the prodigal son. He had come to himself; he had owned he had sinned and that he was ready to perish. He arose and set off to return to his father. He was acting rightly. He was truly converted: but as yet he had not on the best robe, nor the ring, nor the shoes. As yet he had not met his father. He knew well the wealth and bounty of his father's house, but he did not know if he might enter there. He did not know if his father would receive him. He had not the sense of being a son. He meant to say, "Make me as one of thy hired servants," for he knew he was not worthy to be called a son. He had not the sense of being a son, although he truly was one. He dared not say, "Abba, Father!" How many truly converted men and women are in this condition. They are not sealed by the Spirit (Eph. 1: 13). We may not be able to explain how we cry "Abba, Father" or why we know we have this privilege. We may know nothing of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit; (we must know something of the Scriptures to know this); but if we can truly cry, "Father!" then we must have the Spirit of God dwelling in us. There are many who, from bad teaching, are afraid to say they are children of God; but when they are alone in prayer, in God's presence, they say, "Father!" and they say this blessed name from the bottom of their hearts. This is the work of the Spirit dwelling in them. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Cor. 3: 17. There is not only liberty in the presence of God, but there is also liberty from the law and from the power of sin.

Now look for a moment at the work of the Holy Spirit for us. First, it is the Holy Spirit who convinces, or convicts us of sin. (John 16: 8, 9, margin). He is not a spirit of bondage, but of adoption. (Rom. 8: 15). We know that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. (Rom. 8: 17). If we are heirs, then we have an inheritance; but to be in such a relationship to God and to Christ, is far more than having an inheritance, which is only the result of this relationship. All this we know by the Spirit.

But there is more. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us. (Rom. 5: 5). How precious this is. We dwell in love, the love of God; for God is love, (1 John 4: 16), and by the Spirit, He dwells in us. The proof of the love is that God gave His only begotten Son, and that the Son gave Himself for us. But we can only enjoy this love through the Holy Spirit. By His presence the love is "shed abroad in our hearts."

The apostle John says: "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit." 1 John 4: 12, 13. Then, to show that this belongs to all Christians, without any question, he says: "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in Him, and he in God." 1 John 4: 15.

It is difficult for one who does not walk with God to believe that we can dwell in God, and God in us. But the Word clearly says: "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Rom. 8: 9. He dwells in us, and the one who walks in communion with God enjoys this, and rejoices in it with humility and gratitude. The presence of God never makes us proud. He is too great for us to be anything before Him. It was not when Paul was in the third heaven that he was in danger of being exalted above measure, but when he came down to earth again. (See 2 Cor. 12).

The Spirit of God also gives us to know that we are in Christ, and Christ in us. (John 14: 20). There is no condemnation for them that are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8: 1). (Note that the last half of this verse is not in the original Scriptures.) Not only are our sins forgiven, and we are justified before God: but we are acceptable to God in our Lord Jesus who is the beloved, "accepted (or, taken into favor), in the Beloved." Eph. 1: 6. Here we see the believer's perfect acceptance, and also his responsibility. Before God I am perfectly accepted in Christ. But if I am in Christ, Christ is in me as life and power, and I am responsible to manifest this life before the world. Christ is for us before God, and we are for Christ before the world.

By the Holy Spirit, therefore, we know that we are in Christ, and Christ in us. What a wonderful fact, that the Spirit of God dwells in us! This is the result of Christ's perfect redemption. But what a responsibility this is also for the Christian! God did not dwell with Adam, even when he was innocent, before he sinned, in the Garden of Eden. God did not dwell with Abraham, though He visited him, and Abraham was called "the friend of God" (Isa. 41: 8; James 2: 23). But as soon as Israel was redeemed by the blood of a lamb, even though this was but a type of the true redemption, then God came to dwell in the midst of His people, and sat between the cherubim in the tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies. Now that the true redemption is completed, He comes to dwell in believers individually, and in His people, gathered together by the Holy Spirit. His presence in us is more than conversion. The persons washed in the blood of Jesus, become the dwelling place of God. They are thus sealed for glory by means of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

But perhaps the Galatians reply: you do not speak fairly. You do not understand. We do trust only to the work of Christ to save us and to make us righteous before God. But after we are saved, after we are made righteous, then we must have the law to keep us walking as we should. The law will help to keep us holy. The apostle exclaims at such a suggestion: "Are you so senseless? Having begun by (the) Spirit, now are you making yourselves complete by (the) flesh?" There are very many today who will acknowledge that they must "begin by the Spirit." It is only the Spirit of God who can bring conviction of sin (see John 16: 8, 9, margin). It is only the Spirit of God that can give us faith in Christ. So it is only by the Spirit that we can be justified. But after they are saved, there are multitudes who wish to take the law, for "a rule of life." "Are ye so senseless?" asks the Holy Spirit. Do you suppose that God would save you, and cleanse you, and justify you; and then leave you to "make yourselves complete" by means of the old flesh that is enmity against God? (See Rom. 8: 5-9). (The words "making yourselves complete" are translated in this way, because the Greek word "complete" is in the middle voice, meaning "to do something for myself.") Do you suppose that the law can sanctify you? can make you holy? Never! In John 17: 17 the Lord prays: "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth." In Ephesians 5: 26, speaking of the Church of God, we read: "That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." In 1 Thessalonians 5: 23, it is God who sanctifies us. In Hebrews 13: 13, "Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate." We might continue with other scriptures, but never would we find that the law sanctifies. 0, dear readers, are any of you so senseless?

In the last verse of chapter 2, we read, "If righteousness come by the law, then Christ died for nothing." Now the Apostle turns to the sufferings that the Galatian Christians passed through when first they confessed Christ. They thought it was well worth while then to suffer for Christ's sake. But if they are justified by law, it was all a terrible mistake. Christ died for nothing, and their own sufferings were all without reason, all in vain. Paul adds: "If indeed (they are) really in vain." It is as though he said, But though I say this, I really cannot believe it is so. I cannot help but think that surely those sufferings meant that you did truly trust to Christ.

We must compare these sufferings with Galatians 6: 12. There we find the true secret of the motives of those who preached circumcision. They did this "only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." It is the cross that brings suffering. The enemy hates the cross. He is willing to have the law, but not the cross. Leave out the cross and you can avoid suffering for Christ's sake.

Notice the different expressions the Apostle uses: in chapter 2: 2 he spoke of running "to no purpose"; in 2: 21 Christ died "for nothing." Here in chapter 3: 4 they themselves had suffered "without reason," and in 4: 11 the Apostle says he fears lest he has bestowed on them labor "without reason." These are three different expressions in the Greek, as shown in the translation, though all translated "in vain" in our English Bible.

But Paul continues the subject of the Holy Spirit. "Therefore the One abundantly supplying to you the Spirit, and working mighty things in you (or "among you"), is it on the principle of works of law, or on the principle of a message (telling) of faith?" John 3: 34 says, "God giveth not the Spirit by measure." It is God who gives the Spirit, and He supplies the Spirit abundantly. (This word in the Greek originally meant one who supplied a "chorus" ? a group of singers ? with everything they needed. A wealthy man would do this very generously and abundantly; so the word came to have the meaning of "supplying abundantly.") You remember in John 7: 38, our Lord said: "He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." We read the explanation in the next verse: "But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified." "Rivers of living water" speak of the abundant supply.

The Galatian believers had experienced this abundant supply of the Holy Spirit; and now the apostle asks, Was it by law or by a message (telling) of faith? Or, perhaps we should translate it "a hearing of faith." They heard the message and believed it.

It seems as though the three great phases of the work of the Holy Spirit come before us in these verses. First, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit by works of law?" This tells of the convicting power of the Spirit, of the way He led the soul to faith in Christ, and then of how He came and dwelt in the new believer. Second, the Spirit completes the work He began. He first began the great work in the soul, and it is He who completes that work, making the believer more and more conformed to Christ (Rom. 8: 29; 12: 2; Phil. 3: 10); 2 Corinthians 3: 18, "We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Now, third, we have the Spirit abundantly supplied to the believers, and working mighty things in them, or among them, which tells us not only of that mighty change which had taken place at their conversion, but also speaks of works of power, such as miracles; and would probably mean the gifts of the Spirit, such as we see in 1 Corinthians 12: 4-31. "To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will." 1 Cor. 12: 8-11. These things the Galatian assemblies had seen among themselves. They knew they were all true. And they knew well that all this had come to them before ever there was one word said to them about works of the law. They had heard the message, the "report" (Isa. 53: 1), and they had believed it; and they had then received all these blessings of the Spirit of God.

This leads the Apostle to his next great subject. Just as the Galatians had heard a message and believed it, had been justified by faith, and received the Spirit by faith, so Abraham had heard a message from God. He had believed it, and God reckoned it to Abraham as righteousness. You remember the story ? one of the most beautiful in the Bible, to make plain how a sinner is justified. It was a clear, starry night. The Lord brought Abraham forth out of his tent, and He said to him, "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them," and He said unto him, "So shall thy seed be." Abraham believed the Lord's word, though he was then an old man, and his wife an old woman. In the eyes of man this promise was impossible; but Abraham believed God, and God counted, or reckoned, this faith to him as righteousness. So the record goes in Genesis 15: 5 and 6. Nothing could be more clear and more simple. It was by simple faith in a simple statement. Abraham did not look at the impossibility of the promise, but he looked at the almighty power of the One who made it. And he said, "Yes, Lord, I believe you." And God said, "Abraham, I count you to be a righteous man." Even so does God count me a righteous man, wretched sinner though I am by nature. God says, "Christ died for the ungodly." I say, "That is myself; I believe it: I thank Thee." And God says, "I count you a righteous man." Reader, does God account you righteous? He waits to do so: He waits till you, by simple faith in His Word, trust only to the death of Christ for your sins. Then He says, I count, I reckon, you are righteous. Remember that this happened 430 years before the law was given. Abraham had never heard of the law when God reckoned him righteous. It was all by grace. It was all by faith.

"Justified freely by His grace." Rom. 3: 24.

"Who was raised again for our justification." Rom. 4: 25.

"Justified by faith." Rom. 5: 1.

"Justified by His blood." Rom. 5: 9.

Chapter 13

Abraham's Seed

Galatians 3: 6-14

"Just as Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.

"Know then, that the ones on the principle of faith, these are Abraham's sons! But the Scripture foreseeing that on the principle of faith God justified the nations, announced the good news beforehand to Abraham, that all the nations shall be blessed in thee. So that the ones on the principle of faith are blessed with believing Abraham (or, 'the having faith Abraham'). For whoever are on the principle of works of law, are under a curse; for it is written that, Cursed (is) every one who does not remain constantly in all the things written in the book of the law to do them. But that in virtue of law no one is justified with God, (is) evident, because the just shall live on the principle of faith; but the law is not on the principle of faith; but the one having done them, shall live in virtue of them. Christ has redeemed us out from the curse of the law, having become a curse on behalf of us, because it is written, Cursed (is) every one hanging on a tree, in order that the blessing of Abraham might come unto the nations, in virtue of Jesus Christ, in order that we might receive the promise of the Spirit by means of faith." Galatians 3: 6-14

A new paragraph began with the first verse of chapter 3, but we have seen that the first words of chapter 3 reach back to chapter 2 just as truly as they reach forward to the first verses of chapter 3. Paul's heart is so full that it seems as though he could not stop to divide his subject into paragraphs, or subjects. So the present paragraph we hope now to consider begins at verse 7. "Know then, that the ones on the principle of faith, these are Abraham's sons." But the subject of Abraham in verse 6, closed the last paragraph. So we must remember the argument flows straight on from that verse. Though we have divided our book into chapters, Paul's letter was very little divided. One subject flowed naturally into the next. So we must go back to the sixth verse, which we have quoted above with our present paragraph. "Just as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Paul quotes this verse from the Greek translation of Genesis 15: 6. We find it also in Romans 4: 3. We should take notice that in this verse in Genesis, the "believe" or "had faith in," "reckon," and "righteousness" are used for the first time in the Bible. In this paragraph, including the verse just quoted, we find six quotations from the Old Testament. The Jewish teachers were insisting on circumcision and the law, because they were taught in the Old Testament. Paul replies, We will see what the Old Testament does teach with regard to the law. How was Abraham reckoned righteous? By law? Surely not! The Old Testament is clear: "Abraham believed, had faith in God." That was how Abraham was reckoned righteous.

The Jewish teachers had said, You must become as Jews. You must live like Jews; keep the Jewish law, the Jewish feasts; receive circumcision, which is the special mark that distinguishes the Jew; then you are proselytes, and can be reckoned as Jews. Know then (or, Be it known to you), says Paul, that the ones who are on the principle of faith, these are Abraham's sons. It is not the outward marks that make a man a son of Abraham; it is not even the natural birth: but the ones who follow in the steps of Abraham, and have faith in God, these are the ones who (in God's sight) are the true sons of Abraham. How completely Paul answers every argument of these false teachers!

But the Galatian Christians were Gentiles; they belonged to "the nations," and what right had Paul to say that they could be counted as "sons of Abraham"? Again Paul 'goes back to the Old Testament and shows that God has promised Abraham that all nations should be blessed in him. This verse also is quoted from the Greek Old Testament ? Genesis 12: 3. It is quoted again in Acts 3: 25. So according to the Old Testament that had been committed to the Jews, the Galatians had a right to expect blessing from Abraham. How could this blessing come? Surely in the same way that Abraham himself received the blessing. Faith, all of faith, and only faith. "So that the ones on the principle of faith are blessed with the believing Abraham." If we could say, "So that the ones on the principle of faith are blessed with the 'having faith Abraham,'" it would be nearer to the Greek. It was faith that marked Abraham. It was faith that brought the blessing to Abraham. So the ones on the principle of faith are marked out as being in the likeness of Abraham, and these are blessed just as Abraham was ? the one who was famous for his faith. The Old Testament makes this abundantly clear. The subject of law is never mentioned in this part of the Bible. Abraham never heard of the law. There are those who try to prove that the ten commandments were given to Adam in the Garden of Eden. This is just the foolishness of men. The Bible teaches no such thing; on the contrary it plainly says that the law did not come until four hundred and thirty years later than Abraham (Gal. 3: 17). Faith brings blessing. The law brings a curse.

Now Paul turns to the opposite side of the question. What about the law and the Old Testament? Again he turns to the Old Testament itself to bear witness. "Whoever are on the principle of works of law, are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one who does not remain constantly in all the things written in the book of the law to do them." All the law can do to a man is to curse him. The law did suggest bringing blessing to men, but found it impossible, for if they turn aside in the smallest degree from its commands, it curses them. It is very remarkable that in Deuteronomy 27 God commands Israel to stand on the two mountains, six tribes on Mount Gerizim to bless, and six tribes on Mount Ebal to curse. We find many curses in this chapter. In verse 12 we read of the six tribes to bless. But we find no blessing, for the law cannot bless: and though blessings are mentioned in the next chapter (Deut. 28), all depend on "If thou shalt hearken diligently . . ." Note also, the Old Testament which gives us the law ends with a curse; but the New Testament ends with these words: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."

We must remember that James says, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2: 10. What man loves the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength (Deut. 6: 5)? Who loves his neighbor as himself? If a man sees a house on fire, who hopes it is his own house that is burning, and not his neighbor's? Who has never coveted something that is not his? Every honest man knows that he never has, and never can, keep these commands. But the law is like a mighty chain. If you break one link, the whole chain is broken. But "Cursed is every one who does not remain constantly in all the things written in the book of the law to do them." Deut. 27: 26. Every man, woman and child who has ever lived (except our Lord), must come under that curse if he puts himself under law. Remember, not only can the law not bless, neither can it forgive. All the law can do to man is to curse him, and to condemn him. The law said, "This do, and thou shalt live." "(Luke 10: 28; see also Lev. 18: 5). But no man yet, except our Lord Jesus Christ, could claim life by this method; so we read in the Old Testament: "The just, or righteous man, shall live on the principle of faith" (Hab. 2: 4). Why does the Old Testament say this? Because "it is evident that in virtue of law no one is justified with God." There must be another way to justify man; there must be another way to bring life to man, or else every living soul must perish. So, God says, "The just shall live on the principle of faith." Thank God for this word! This little word was the mighty sword that God used to free Martin Luther from the bondage of the law, and the rules of men. You perhaps know the story. He had gone to Rome to try and find salvation by works. He had worked hard for it in Germany without success. But salvation is no more possible to obtain by works in Rome than it is in Germany or in China. Luther was climbing a very long flight of steps on his knees in order to accumulate merit, to give him righteousness. He was about halfway up, when it seemed as though a mighty voice from heaven cried in his ear, "The just shall live by faith." Martin Luther sprang to his feet, and ran down the steps, knowing full well that works could never, never justify him, but only faith.

These are precious words. Paul quotes them from Habakkuk 2: 4 (from the Greek Old Testament). Paul quotes them, rather should we say the Holy Spirit quotes them, again in Romans 1: 17; and the Holy Spirit quotes them a third time in Hebrews 10: 38. "A threefold cord is not quickly broken." Yes, dear reader, my only hope of life, and your only hope, lies in these words. You and I can never obtain life by the law. "The just shall live by faith." Do not think this means that it is only the just men who may put in a claim for this verse. Remember Abraham became a just man because he believed God. So any poor sinner may also be reckoned a just man, a righteous man, simply by having faith in God. And, "The just shall live by faith." The words of our Lord Jesus confirm this verse: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life." John 6: 47. And again: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment (see J.N.D. Translation), but is passed from death unto life." John 5: 24. Reader, have you this everlasting life? Do you know that you will never come into judgment? Forsake your own works: turn from the law and its curse: put your trust in the Lord Jesus alone, and instantly you have these greatest of all blessings. You have the "verily, verily" of the Lord Jesus Himself, to make you know that this is true. Can the law offer anything like this? No, never! The law can only curse. The law is not on the principle of faith: but (the most emphatic "but" that the Greek Testament can use), "the one having done them, or having done these things, shall live in virtue of them." And nobody has ever done "these things," except our Lord, and the law curses all who come under it.

But, blessed, thrice blessed message! "Christ has redeemed us out from the curse of the law." The word means to buy us out from the curse, just as a man, in days of old, could buy a slave out from the slave market. The word is used especially in connection with buying out slaves from their slavery to set them free. So Christ has bought us out from the curse of the law and set us free. What a price He paid! We read in chapter 1: 4 that He "gave Himself for our sins," and we read in 2: 20, that He "loved me and gave Himself up for me." This was the price He paid to buy us out ? even "Himself." Could He have given more? "For our sakes He became poor" (see 2 Cor. 8: 9); but this is even more than that: "He bought us out from the curse of the law, having become a curse on our behalf." Think, reader, what this means: The holy, spotless Son of God became a curse on our behalf! Eternity will be too short to ever fully understand all that this means.

There are three Greek words used in the New Testament for "redeem." The first really means "I buy," or "I buy in the slave market." We were slaves of sin. Our Lord Jesus bought us with His own blood. So, now we are slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ, bought by Him ? "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price." 1 Cor. 6: 19, 20.

The second word is the one we have been looking at (Gal. 3: 13). "I buy a slave out from the slave market." I buy him to set him free. The Lord Jesus has not only bought us to be His slaves, but He has bought us out of the slave market to set us free, never to be a slave of any other: never to be put up for sale again in any slave market. We are His slaves for now, and forever.

The third word is from a noun that means the ransom price for a slave (See 1 Peter 1: 18; Titus 2: 14). So the meaning is to release a slave on receipt of a ransom. We who are believers in the Lord Jesus have been set free from our former slavery to sin, to be the Lord's freemen.

We were hopeless to redeem ourselves. We had brought the curse on ourselves, but we had no way to escape from it. Then "Christ redeemed us out from this curse, being made a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed (is) every one hanging on a tree." Deut. 21: 23. The word used for tree is sometimes translated "gallows." Christ hung on the gallows for us: this, according to the law, made Him a curse. The law had no claim against Him. The law could not curse Him. He had never broken it. He had always remained constantly in all the things written in it. But of His own voluntary will He went to the gallows for us; of His own voluntary will He became a curse to buy you and me out from the curse that lay upon us.

Perhaps it seems a contradiction to say that we are slaves of Jesus Christ, and yet He has bought us out of the slave market to make us free men. There is an old story about a slave market in the south of the United States of America many years ago. An Englishman was walking past the slave market when he noticed that there was a sale of slaves taking place. He went over to watch, as they did not have slaves in England, and he had never seen such a thing before. As he watched, a very fine young man was brought out for sale. He was young and strong, and had a fine head and face. The bid went high for him, and as the Englishman watched, his heart was stirred with great pity for this man. At last he also began to bid; the price went higher and higher, but the Englishman determined that he should buy that slave. At last his bid was the highest, and the slave was handed over to him.

The slave came to him with chains on his hands and his feet, and a look of fury in his face. He cursed the Englishman with all the power he possessed. He said, "You call yourself an Englishman. You say you do not believe in slavery, and yet you buy me. Curses be upon you!" The Englishman did not say one word, until at last the man, having no more breath to curse, stopped.

Then the Englishman stepped forward, unlocked the chains on his hands and his feet, and threw them away, saying to him, "I bought you to set you free. You are a free man!" The slave fell down at his feet and cried out with tears, "I am your slave forever!" He became the faithful slave of that Englishman, but he was also a free man.

In verse 10 we read that we are "under the curse." Then in verse 13 we read, "Having become a curse on behalf of us." This literally is "over" or "above" us. He is made a curse "over us," and finally in the same verse, Christ has redeemed us out from under the curse. Think of the curse as a great sword hanging by a thread over my head. It may fall at any moment and destroy me. Christ came above me, between me and the sword. The sword fell on Him; He received the blow that must have taken us down to hell; He took us out from under the curse. This preposition translated "on behalf of," or "over," or "above," is really the preposition of substitution, used already in chapters 1: 4 and 2: 20 to show that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Substitute.

It is true that the law was given to Israel, and so these verses apply in a special way to the Jews; and to those who, like the Galatians, have put themselves in the position of Jews, under law. But in a wider sense it applies to every one of us, for in Romans 2: 14, 15, we read: "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness." And again in Romans 3: 19 ? "that by the law every mouth is stopped and all the world is guilty before God." Every man by nature turns to law or good works for salvation. So every one of us may put in our claim for that redemption (without works) out from under the curse.

Redeemed out from under the curse, the blessing of Abraham, in virtue of Jesus Christ, may now flow out freely to all the nations. We may put in our claim as part of those nations indicated long since in God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12: 3.

Chapter 14

Abraham and the Covenant

Galatians 3: 15-20

"Brothers, I speak according to man; (I use a comparison drawn from human affairs; I argue from the practice of men), even a man's covenant having been ratified, no one sets (it) aside, or adds provision to (it). But the promises were spoken to Abraham, and to his seed: he does not say, And to seeds, as concerning many, but as concerning one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. Now I say this, a covenant ratified beforehand by God, the law, having come four hundred and thirty years after, does not deprive of authority, so as to make the promise without efficacy. For if the inheritance (is) on the principle of law, it is no longer on the principle of promise; but God has freely given (it) in grace to Abraham by means of promise. Why then the law? It was added for the sake of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made, having been appointed by means of angels in (the) hand of a mediator. But a mediator is not on behalf of one, but God is one." Galatians 3: 15-20.

"Brothers!" There is something very tender in this word. It comes right from Paul's heart, and from this verse onwards in the epistle, we will often find it. I think Paul uses it eight times, besides the time he used it in 1: 11, saying again and again, "Brothers, brothers, brothers!" as though he would call them back from the path where they had gone astray. Chapter 6 begins and ends with this word "brothers," and the last word in the epistle (except "Amen"), is "brothers." It is very touching to see the severity and the love thus twined together.

Paul now uses a common example in daily life to illustrate what he wishes to teach the Galatians. If a covenant is made between two persons, and they each put their seal to this covenant, so that it is fully ratified and completed ? as we say in law terms, signed, sealed and delivered ? then nobody has the right to change it. Nobody can take away some of the provisions; or add new provisions. The covenant is settled and confirmed, and may not be altered. This is a common practice in daily life which we all understand and agree to.

Now God had made a covenant with Abraham. God had given Abraham many precious promises. Some of these promises were to himself alone (as in Gen. 12: 1-3, when Abraham left his native land in obedience to God's command); some of the promises were given to Abraham's descendents, his "seed" meaning the vast multitudes of descendents that God promised to give to him. If we turn to the 22nd chapter of Genesis we will see that in obedience to God's word, Abraham offered up his only begotten son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. You will remember that just as Abraham lifted up the knife to kill his son, God called to him, and provided a ram to die instead of Isaac, so that in type, Abraham received Isaac back from the dead in resurrection. This is one of the most beautiful pictures in the Bible of God giving His only begotten Son.

After Abraham had shown forth in this way his complete faith in God, God said to him: "By myself have I sworn, . . . for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son; that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." You will notice that this is a promise ? a covenant ? between God and Abraham. You will notice that it is, as Paul says, "freely given in grace." There are no conditions attached to it, by which Abraham might lose the blessings God promised to him. There was no "IF" in the covenant, to raise a doubt. It was certain. It was ratified and was "signed, sealed and delivered" by the Lord God Almighty, and confirmed by God's oath. Notice, too, it followed at once on the ground of the death and resurrection (in type) of Abraham's only son whom he loved. (See Gen. 22: 2.)

Please notice also that there were two parts to this covenant. The first part spoke of Abraham's seed becoming as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea shore. The second spoke of one "seed" ? "In thy seed, shall all nations of the earth be blessed." The first part of the covenant ended with the words, "Thy seed (these vast numbers of descendents), shall possess the gate of his enemies." That speaks to us of the Jews, who are to have their blessings on earth; and who are to be victorious over all their enemies. The second part of the covenant is in connection with the Gentiles, for it plainly says, "In thy seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed." The nations, as you know, are the Gentiles.

It is exceedingly important for us to clearly understand these things, if we are to understand the verses we have just read in Galatians 3: 15-20. At first it seems very strange that Paul should use the promise given in Genesis 22 as a foundation for his argument to show the importance of one seed. But when we see the difference between the promise which refers to the Jews and that which refers to the Gentiles, then it is all clear. Notice well, when God gives a promise not of possessing the gate of his enemies but of bringing blessing to all nations, then he speaks of only one seed. There is no mention made of multitudes of seed as the stars or the sand. It is on this difference that Paul founds his argument. Notice also that the blessing to the Jews and to the Gentiles is all founded on the death and resurrection of God's only begotten Son.

Let us turn again to the verses we have just read in Galatians. Paul first points out that even with an earthly covenant, after it is fully ratified, nothing can be taken from it or added to it. God has clearly given us the terms of the covenant ? a free, unconditional covenant. Paul then points out that the promise to the Gentiles was made to one seed "which is Christ." Four hundred and thirty years later the law came. According to law, nothing can set aside, or add to, the covenant given four hundred and thirty years before. So the law is powerless to interfere with the covenant God gave to Abraham; and the Gentiles, "all nations of the earth," may put in their claim according to this covenant. God will surely bless Israel, and the Jews will surely be exalted, as well as converted, so that they will receive, and believe in, the Lord Jesus as their Messiah; they will be the head of the nations, and not the tail (see Deut. 28: 13). But in the meantime, under the good news, God is bringing blessing to all nations of the earth through that one Seed, which is Christ. It may be that Abraham thought that one seed was Isaac; and indeed Isaac was a very wonderful type of the one Seed who should offer up Himself as a burnt offering, and rise again from the dead. But now the true Seed, Christ, has come, and today all nations of the earth are receiving the blessing.

The day is coming very quickly when the other part of the promise will be fulfilled, and Israel will come into the most wonderful blessing: but this cannot take place while the good news is still going forth to the nations. We see already the fig tree putting forth its leaves (Matt. 24: 32), telling us of Israel's beginning to come to its position, not only as a nation in the earth, but as the head and chief nation. These things make those of us who are of the Church of God, turn our eyes with more earnest longing to the heavens, watching and waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to return, and to take us to be forever with Himself, as He so often promises. (See John 14; 1 Corinthians 15: 50-58; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Revelation 22: 20).

But, if all the blessing of the nations is entirely on the ground of grace, and only by faith, "why then the law?" Does not this make very light of the law? We say the promise is everything, and the law can neither set it aside, nor add other provisions to it. "Why then the law?" It was added for the sake of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made. All the law can do is to bring in transgressions. In the Greek New Testament we find many different words that tell us of wrong doing. Each word has its own special meaning. The word translated "transgressions" comes from a word meaning "I step over," or "I step across." When I was a boy at school, our master used to make all the boys in the class stand around his desk while he asked us questions. He first drew a line with chalk on the floor, and every boy had to stand with the toes of his shoes touching this line. In this way we could not move, for if on the one hand we drew our feet back, or if on the other hand we put our feet forward, we did not have them on this line; then we received a punishment. The word "transgress" tells us of stepping across this line. The word transgress tells us of a line. When we transgress, we step across it. The law is this line. Before the law came, there was sin, there was wrong-doing; but until the line was drawn, until the law came, there was no transgression. "Where no law is, there is no transgression." Rom. 4: 15. So the law was given in order that sin might be shewn forth in its true character as transgression: that "sin might become exceeding sinful" (Rom. 7: 13; 5: 20).

The man who puts himself under law is only drawing a line which will show forth how bad he is, because again and again he steps over this line, and it is manifest to him and to all others that he is a transgressor. He will never, never obtain righteousness in this way. He may labor as hard and as earnestly as he wishes, and all that he will gain will be transgressions; nothing more, nothing better. In chapters 5 and 6, we will find a word which means "walking according to line." I think the Apostle says by this word, You want to walk by a line (they wanted the law for their line)? I will give you lines to walk by. "Why then the law? It was added for the sake of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise was made." In other words, "It was added until Christ should come." Before the law, there was promise which flowed freely from the grace of God. Then came the law to show forth transgression, but only until Christ came, and then once more the grace of God flows forth freely. So we may see that the law was only a parenthesis; it did its own work to show to all what was in the heart of man, for man is a sinner, and the law made this plain. The law showed forth the actual sins which every man commits. The law made it clear that the heart is only evil continually, and the law proved this by the transgressions. That is all the law can do. Then came the Seed, the one Seed, which is Christ. And in Him are fulfilled all the promises of God.

He came under the law for Israel, but He died and rose again, and so was free and able to bless all the nations of the earth. Now the Gentiles are as free as the Jews to receive salvation and blessing from Christ. For on the other side of the grave there is neither Jew nor Gentile, and Christ has come forth from the grave on the resurrection side. At the cross Jew and Gentile joined together to crucify Him; there was no difference there; one was as bad as the other. Now all must be grace, and again there is no difference. God's grace flows out freely to all.

The law worked in two ways. In the first place, the sins which men committed became "exceeding sinful," because they not only practised what was evil, but they did so after God had plainly forbidden it. In the second place, "sin in the flesh" (Rom. 8: 3), lust, the condition of man according to the flesh, was made clear to all. The flesh loves sin; and even a converted man who tries to conquer it in his own strength, is led away captive by the power of sin which rules in the flesh. By the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3: 20), that is, sin the flesh; and through the law sin became exceedingly sinful. God showed to all that the fruit and the root were both bad.

If my child is accustomed to be idle and run about the streets, it is a bad habit: but if I forbid him to go out, and he does it again, it is a transgression, and is much worse than a bad habit. It was for this purpose that God gave the law, in order to teach us what we really are. The law is holy, just, and good (Rom. 7: 12). It shows to man his duty towards God, as a child of Adam. It was given to man, when he already was a sinner, not in order to produce sin, but to change sin into transgression.

Now we come to still another argument. The law was "appointed through angels in the hand of a mediator." This mediator was Moses. It is plain that a mediator is not a mediator of one; there must be two parties if there is a mediator. As Job says, "Neither is there any daysman (mediator) betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both." Job 9: 33. Moses received the law from God's hand and gave it into the hands of the people. He stood between God and man. In order to enjoy the results of blessing from the law, each of these parties must keep their part in the covenant. God is faithful; and He surely will keep His part. But alas, even before Moses came down from Mount Sinai, the people had broken their part of the covenant and made a golden calf. The covenant contained the clause: "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." Ex. 20: 3. Indeed this was the first clause of the covenant. God promised blessing, IF man (Israel) was obedient. But man immediately disobeyed.

But in God's covenant with Abraham, it was altogether different. There was no IF in that covenant. "God is one." It all depended on God. There was no mediator here. God spoke directly to Abram. There was no question of Abram's obedience in order to obtain the blessing. It all rested on God's faithfulness: and "God is faithful" (1 Cor. 1: 9; 10: 13). So that the covenant with Abraham is as strong and as steadfast as the Word of God. But the covenant with Israel, when Moses was the mediator, had no more strength or stability than the faithfulness of man in the flesh. This could not possibly succeed, just as the other covenant with Abraham could not possibly fail. The one depended on God and man: the other depended on GOD ALONE.

Notice also that this has nothing to do with Christ being our Mediator, to bear our sins and save us: but it only has to do with the promised Seed (that is Christ). A mediator had nothing to do with this Seed. It was simply a promise that the Seed should come, and the Seed did come. But between the time that the Seed was promised and the time that the Seed came, God gave the law. He gave the law to prove man, and to show the weakness and sinfulness of the flesh. It was necessary that the law should come, because man's pride and self-confidence must be shown forth in some way.

We needed a wall outside our house, and I called a mason to build it. He made a very poor foundation, and I said to him, Your wall will not stand up. However, he guaranteed it, and insisted on his own way. Soon the wall appeared to me to be leaning, but I was not sure, so I got a plumb line. I found that the wall was more than a foot out of plumb. I called for the mason. He looked at the wall, and said, "That wall is all right. It is quite straight." I did not say a word, but hung the plumb line on it. The plumb line showed how far from true was the wall. The mason's mouth was shut, he could not say a word; his pride and self-confidence were clearly shown forth. But it was necessary to use the plumb line in order to do this. Just so, it was necessary to use the law, in order to show forth man's pride and self-confidence. But the plumb line could not make the wall straight; it could only show how bad it was. So the law cannot make us righteous, but only show how bad we are.

But there is one thing more we must consider before we leave these verses. The law was given by angels in the hand of a mediator. When God gave Abraham the promise, He gave it Himself. He said, "By Myself have I sworn, . . . because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son . . ." He spoke directly to Abraham. He did not call an angel or a mediator to come between Himself and Abraham. When God has something to give to man that can never fail, He loves to appear in grace, and give it, or say it, Himself. But if there is something that can only bring distress on man, even though it is for man's good, then God calls others to speak to man. With the law there are two that came between, both the angels and Moses the mediator. What a contrast with the simplicity of grace! In the law, man had to give. In the promise, man had only to receive.

Let us sum up the difference between the law and grace:

1. Instead of justifying, the law condemns. Instead of giving life, it kills. It was added to make manifest, and to multiply, transgressions.

2. It was but temporary. It was only brought in as a parenthesis, and when the Seed came to whom the promise had been given, the authority of the law was annulled.

3. It did not come directly from God to man. There was a double mediation, angels and Moses, between God and man.

4. It depended on two parties: God and man. Not so the promise, which depended only on God.

These four things very clearly show how infinitely higher is grace than law.

The Law as the Child Trainer

Galatians 3: 21-29

"(Is), then, the law against the promises of God? Far be the thought (lit., 'Let it not be!') For if a law had been given, one being able to impart life, then indeed righteousness would have been on the principle of law: but the Scripture has shut all (lit. everything) in on every side under sin, in order that the promise, on the principle of faith of Jesus Christ might be given to the believing ones (the ones having faith.)

But before the coming of that faith, we were being constantly guarded under law, being shut in on every side unto the faith about to be revealed. So the law became our child trainer unto Christ, in order that we should be justified on the principle of faith. But that faith having come, we are no longer under a child trainer. For you are all God's sons by means of that faith, in virtue of Christ Jesus; for you, as many as were baptized unto Christ, clothed yourselves with Christ. There is not Jew nor Greek, there is not slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in virtue of Christ Jesus. But if you (are) of Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3: 21-29.

The law is not against the promises of God, but it showed man that he could not obtain the blessings of these promises by his own faithfulness and in his own works. For if the law could have given life, the new life given by the law would of course have kept the law's commandments. This would have been human righteousness and righteousness by the law. Although this righteousness would only be human righteousness, still it would have been pleasing to God. But the law did not, and could not, give such a life to man; and the law did not, and could not, provide man with even human righteousness; but it only showed man how sinful he was. If man had kept the law, under which he voluntarily placed himself at Mount Sinai, in order that he might obtain the promise of life and blessing from God, then he would have obtained those blessings which God had promised. But man could not keep the law. All ? Jews as well as Gentiles, those who had the privileges of receiving the promises and knowing God's will, as well as those who had not these privileges ? alike have sinned. God has shown clearly that all men are sinners. The Scripture has shut in all on every side under sin. Which ever way we look at man, we find he is a sinner. There is no way out. The case is quite hopeless. "There is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Rom. 3: 22, 23.

But has God shut in all men, Jews and Gentiles alike, under sin, in order to bring all men into condemnation? No indeed! God has shut in all under sin "in order that the promise, on the principle of faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to the ones having faith." In Romans 3: 21, 22, we read: "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all . . ." The offer of righteousness without law is made to all ? Jew and Gentile alike ? for there is no difference: but this righteousness is only "upon all them that believe." So the promise on the principle of faith of Jesus Christ is given to the ones having faith. Under law, all are lost: under grace, all may be saved. The law cannot, and ought not to, spare sinners. The law pulls down what is evil; but the promise freely gives what is good and builds it up. The law exposes man in all his nothingness and wickedness, and proves he is only a poor lost sinner. Grace makes manifest the faithful promise of God, and His goodness to the poor lost sinner who deserves nothing. So we see that the law is not against the promises of God. When we understand the true work of the law, and the true result of God's promises, we see that they are in no way against each other, but that each has its own place. But if we mix them up, then all is confusion.

We come now to a new subject, though, as usual, it flows straight on from what the Apostle has just been saying. The last words we have considered were: "But the Scripture has shut all in on every side under sin, in order that the promise, on the principle of faith of Jesus Christ, should be given to the ones having faith." The Apostle now continues: "But before the coming of the faith (or, that faith), we were being constantly guarded, under law." This is the 23rd verse; but in the 26th verse there is a change from "we" to "you." This tells us that in the 23rd verse, and the other verses in this connection, the apostle is speaking of the Jews, who were under law. But in the 26th verse, he turns to the Galatian Christians, and so he addresses them as "you." The Apostle uses "we" when he speaks of the law, for the Galatian Gentiles were never under law. But when he speaks of being sons, he uses "you," for they all had a part in this.

"But before the coming of that faith we were being constantly guarded under law." "That faith" refers to the whole truth of the good news founded on faith in Christ Jesus. Before Christ came, and brought the good news of salvation through His death; before that time the Jews were under the law. It is true that the law turned their sin into transgression and showed how bad they were. But the law did more than this. It guarded them from the idolatry that was all around them. There was one nation in the world (even though that nation had failed so terribly), that still held the truth and the knowledge of the One true God. The law (which perhaps here would include the entire Old Testament; see Romans 3: 1, 2), had been the guardian of the Jews; preserving amongst them this knowledge of God. The law was not the means of justifying them, for they did not keep it; but they were shut in under the obligation to keep it. They were very proud that God had given it to them, and were very proud of the promises given in the law, even though they never could obtain them through it. But the law did guard them, and did preserve amongst them the knowledge of the true God.

So, the Apostle continues, the law became our child trainer unto Christ, in order that we should be justified on the principle of faith. Among the wealthy families of Greece and Rome, it was a common practice to have a man take charge of boys from about the age of six years until perhaps sixteen. This man would have complete charge of the boy, and would be responsible for his manners and for his morals. He would have the authority to punish him when necessary. He would take him to school, though he would not generally teach him. This man was very often a slave. You must remember that slaves in Greece and Rome were often captives in war, and so might be well educated men, quite able to take charge of the boys of their master. You will understand this man was really more of a guardian than a teacher. Perhaps it is because the Apostle had just been saying that the law was our guardian, that brought to mind this custom in the families of Greece and Rome. Even in old English history of a thousand years ago, we read of those who held the title in noble families of the "child trainer." This is just what the law was to Israel. It was given to train them, to show them their own wickedness, and to punish them. All this it did; but it could not justify them, so the scripture says: "The law was our child trainer unto Christ, in order that we should be justified on the principle of faith." The law had shown them that all was lost, all was hopeless, and now Jesus, the Saviour, comes ? "the faith" comes ? and we are justified on the principle of faith.

The Apostle continues, "But that faith having come, we are no longer under a child trainer." The law had done its work; and now the faith has come; the good news of salvation through Christ has come; and the need for the child trainer no longer exists. Just as in the old families of Greece and Rome, when the child grew out of his childhood, when he became 16 or 17 years old and was reckoned as a mature son, then the child trainer was no longer needed. So the Apostle says, turning to the Galatians, "You all" (Jews and Gentiles alike, all the Christians in the assemblies in Galatia) "are God's sons by means of that faith, in virtue of Christ Jesus." The emphasis is not on the word "all," but on the word "sons." In the Greek this word means a son who is of full age. This is the important part of the argument. You are no longer children, so you are no longer under a child trainer; but now you all are full-grown sons; you are no longer subject to the severe and humiliating discipline of the child trainer, very likely a slave himself. Now you are a son, now you are mature, now you are free.

"For you, as many as were baptized unto Christ, clothed yourselves with Christ." The Apostle assumes that every one in the assemblies in Galatia had received baptism. Every believer in those days, whether Jew or Gentile, gladly accepted this very blessed sign of having part with Christ. Baptism cannot save us, or take our sins away. "Without shedding of blood is no remission (of sin)." Heb. 9: 22. But baptism is the mark that a man is a Christian. When a man is baptized he takes upon him the name of Christ; he puts on Christ: he clothes himself with Christ. This is all outward, and it may be nothing more than profession without true change of heart, for baptism is like the door that lets us enter into that great circle of profession which we call "Christianity." Thank God, there are many in this great circle who are true; but, alas, there are very many who are false, who bear the name, but they have never been born again, born into the family of God: they are not truly sons. But these believers in Galatia were baptized "unto Christ." This is not at all a question of law. Christian baptism supposes man to be dead; and nobody asks a dead man to keep the law. The only death that can deliver man from his own death is the death of Christ. Therefore, when a man is baptized, he is not baptized unto his own death; he is baptized unto Christ's death. So when believers in Galatia were baptized, at that moment they "put on Christ," or "clothed themselves with Christ."

Every true believer is clothed with Christ. When God looks at me, He sees me in Christ, clothed with Christ. And when I have been baptized, and man looks at me, he says, That man has been baptized; he is a Christian; he bears the name of Christ; he has put on Christ: he has clothed himself with Christ. And this is true of every believer, Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female. We all have put on Christ. When God looks at us, He sees Christ. So the Apostle exclaims: "There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." All is Christ and only Christ. It is not an old creation, but a new creation. In the old creation there were all these differences, but this is something entirely new. We are all one in Christ: and if you are Christ's, what need to be circumcised? You do not want to become the children of Abraham ? Jews in that sense: the fleshly sense. The Apostle now closes this part of the argument saying, "But if you are of Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise." Of Christ: you are part of Christ: you are members of Christ: not merely the property of Christ, but you are identified with Christ. See Gal. 5: 24: "But the ones of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh." These Galatian believers are already Abraham's seed, entirely apart from any question of circumcision or the law; and more than that they are "heirs according to promise." The Apostle has shown that Christ is the one true Seed; so if we are a part of that one true Seed, then we are Abraham's seed, Abraham's children, heirs according to promise, and all without law or circumcision.

Chapter 16

Sons and Heirs

Galatians 4: 1-7

"But I say, as long a time as the heir is a child (or, a minor), he differs nothing from a slave, (though) being lord of all; but he is under guardians and stewards until the (time) previously fixed by the father. Thus also we, when we were children (or, minors), (we) were continually enslaved under the principles of the world; but when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth from (Himself) His Son, born from a woman, born under law, in order that He might redeem the ones under law, in order that we might receive from (Himself) the sonship. But because you are sons, God sent forth from (Himself) the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying Abba, the (or perhaps we should say, our) Father! So thou art no longer a slave but a son; but if a son, also an heir through God." Galatians 4: 1-7.

In the 7th verse of the last chapter the Apostle told the Galatians that they which are "on the principle of faith, these are Abraham's sons." In the remainder of the chapter, this subject is more fully considered, and the chapter ends in a note of triumph: "If you are of Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise." The new chapter we are beginning now continues this subject of the heir. In our last chapter we saw that those who would later have the dignity of being full-grown sons were under child trainers while they were still children. Even so, the heir to the property himself, while still a child, or a minor, did not have liberty, but he himself was under a guardian, and his possessions were under a steward. This was true, even though when he came of age he would be master of everything. All would then belong to him; but while still a minor, he has no right to the possessions, and he has no liberty to do what he himself wishes. As far as the law is concerned, it places him in the same position as a slave, who had no right (according to law) to anything; but his master had entire authority over him. It is said that the Roman child ended his "babyhood" with his seventh year; but it was not until his 25th year that he was considered a full-grown man; complete, as the Apostle calls him, as compared to a minor, (literally, a baby). (See Ephesians 4: 13, 14; 1 Corinthians 14: 20.) In these verses in Galatians we see that the father arranged beforehand exactly the age at which his son should cease to be reckoned as a minor, and should be considered a full-grown son. In just the same way Paul says, "Thus also we (we Jews of the Old Testament who were under the law), when we were minors (that is, as we saw in the last chapter, when we were still under the guardianship of the law, our child trainer), we were continually enslaved under the principles of the world"; or, as another translates, "under the elementary lessons of outward things, or outward ordinances."

These words are very important for us to understand. The institutions of the law were suited to man in the flesh ? to men of the world. They were all outward: a magnificent temple, beautiful clothes for the priests, jewels and gold, trumpets, music, sweet incense, altars and sacrifices that men could see with their natural eyes. All these things formed what the Epistle to the Hebrews calls "a worldly sanctuary" (Chapter 9: 1). All these things were provided in order that man in the flesh might be in relationship with God; and so these institutions were outward according to the principles of this world, things which men could see and hear and smell, all suited to man in the flesh; and no need to use faith to see that which is invisible (Heb. 11: 27). Christians, on the other hand, are a heavenly people. They do not see the Object whom they adore ("Whom, having not seen, we love"), except by faith. The Spirit reveals to them that which they do not see. They know Christ ascended into heaven, having finished the work which the Father gave Him to do. Now, "we see Jesus . . . crowned with glory and honor" (Heb. 2: 9). Now our hearts rise up into the heavenly temple, by the grace of the Holy Spirit come down from heaven, to adore God up there. But we see all this by the eye of faith.

The Samaritans worshipped in Mount Gerizim, and the Jews worshipped at Jerusalem. They each worshipped in their own worldly sanctuary, each with external sacrifices, a beautiful temple, and vestments. It is true that God Himself had given the institutions at Jerusalem, and so the Lord could say to the Samaritan woman: "Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship; for salvation is of the Jews." John 4: 22. The Samaritans were very little different to heathen, but in Jerusalem the Jews worshiped the one true God. They knew whom they worshiped. Yet the Lord says to this woman, "Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father." The worship at Samaria never was from God, but the worship at Jerusalem which came from God was to be set aside, in just the same way that the worship at Samaria was to be done away. The Lord tells the woman the reason for this. "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (See John 4: 21-24.)

The outward, formal worldly worship was all to pass away, because the hour had come when the true worshipers should worship the Father not with a worldly and fleshly worship, but in spirit and in truth. And, reader, just ponder for a moment those words: "The Father seeketh such to worship Him." Think of this: The Father, the father in heaven, is seeking for worshipers ? worshipers who are willing to worship Him in His way, not in man's way. Every religion all over the world, has its own external ceremonies; has its own temple or hall of worship, adorned to make the man of the world see something which will help him to worship. These are all but "worldly sanctuaries," and some much worse, for in some of these they worship devils (1 Cor. 10: 20). All these outward ceremonies and adornments are but "the principles of the world." The flesh loves them and delights in them. So on every hand we see great worship halls (churches, as men call them), beautifully adorned; magnificent buildings; beautiful music, great organs, and well-trained choirs. We see the vestments, and the altars, and many other things to please the outward eye and ear. These, dear reader, are all but the principles of the world, and the whole thing is but a worldly sanctuary. This is not what the Father is seeking today. On the other hand, there may be in a simple, little upper room, two or three gathered together to the name of Jesus, and to Him alone (see Matt. 18: 20 New Trans.); they will surely be despised and scorned by those who love the principles of the world; but it may be that these are the worshipers in spirit and in truth for whom the Father is seeking. It may be that the Lord is present in the midst of those despised few, in a way that the vast crowds in the worldly sanctuary know nothing of. Christian reader, you and I know that these things are so. Do we know that the beautiful worship hall, the lovely music, and the eloquent preacher will draw crowds even of true believers, who despise the feeble little company who seek to worship according to the Word of God in spirit and in truth? There are few today who have not been influenced by the subtle power of the principles of the world, and the worldly sanctuary. Christian reader, may I ask, How about you?

"Thus also we, when we were minors, were continually enslaved under the principles of the world." You and I would not have dared to write that word "enslaved." We would not have realized that the people of Israel, in the days before grace came, were enslaved ? enslaved under the principles of the world. But so the Word of God stands. The law was their master; they were nothing better than slaves to the outward institutions to which they were subject. And are these today, who are under the power and influence of the principles of the world, are they any better? Are they in any better position than those of old who served a worldly sanctuary? Do these persons today know anything of the liberty of the Holy Spirit? For "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Cor. 3: 17. These are very important questions, questions that if we are wise, we will ponder very seriously on our knees in the presence of our God, remembering that still the Father is seeking worshipers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Before we leave this subject, we must turn to Colossians 2 and see what the Holy Spirit has to say to us there, for in that chapter twice He uses these same words. In Colossians 2: 8-11 we read: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the principles of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power: in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands." How many a good and true Christian man and woman has been spoiled through philosophy, through the traditions of men, through the principles of the world! They think they are getting something higher and grander and better; but in the sight of God they are spoiled. In Him, Whom having not seen we love (1 Peter 1: 8), dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. But the eye of flesh cannot see Him; and so it wanders to philosophy, to the traditions of men, to the principles of the world ? to anything and everything that the eye can see, and the mind can understand and value ? but all these things are summed up in those few sad words, "not after Christ."

We read more of these principles of the world in verses 20 to 23: "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh." Those words exactly describe these things, these principles of the world as God sees them: "to the satisfying of the flesh." The magnificent churches or worship halls, the music, the choirs, the special clothing, or vestments: all these things satisfy the flesh; but they are not worship in spirit and in truth. They have a shew of wisdom, and most persons are deceived by them. But these have forgotten, or they have never known, that they are dead with Christ from the principles of the world.

In the days of old, and in our own day, men sought the favor of God by means which an unconverted man could use, quite as well, or even better than one that is converted, for the unconverted man's conscience does not make him feel that these things cannot cleanse the soul. Those who seek to obtain righteousness by works are often very bitter against those who have peace with God through faith, for this declares that all their labor is for nothing. It is remarkable that we only read of one city where the Gentiles persecuted Paul in which it was not the Jews who had stirred them up against him. The Jews boasted in what man could do, and they held fast their own glory. They were not willing to take the place of poor, helpless, lost, ruined sinners without strength. But faith gives God the glory and seeks in a new life, whose spring is love, to glorify Him by obedience to His Word, and by doing His will.

So the law was a child trainer until Christ, the promised Seed. The forms and ceremonies of the Old Testament, resembled the method of outward ceremonies of the Gentile religion. True, God always held fast the perfect rule for man's conduct, and the unity of the Godhead; yet He, in His mercy, provided a system of worship that was suited to the ways of man's spirit: God coming near to man, in order to show forth whether or not it was possible for man in the flesh to please God. Man has not kept God's law, but he has held fast to the ceremonies in order to provide himself through them with a righteousness of his own; this is an easy way, this observance of outward forms and ceremonies, since man can do this without conquering his own passions and lusts. But on the other hand, if his conscience wakes up, these things become an unbearable yoke, and he finds out that the word is still true: "Thus also we, when we were minors, were continually enslaved under the principles of the world." Alas, it is always thus. It was so in Israel's day, and it is so even in our own day.

"But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth from (Himself) His Son." At just the right moment the promised Seed came. God sent forth from the glory of heaven His only begotten Son, the Word who was made flesh, and He came and dwelt amongst us. He came as God's representative (for the Greek word has this meaning). "The fulness of the time." How much there is in those words! Man had been tested and tried in every way. In the Garden of Eden man was innocent, but he failed. From Adam to Noah, man had his conscience to guide him; and the world became so full of violence and corruption that God destroyed it with the flood. From Noah to Abraham man had the responsibility of governing, and the world became so wicked that God rejected it, and chose one man and his family. He guarded them, fenced them in, led them, taught them and dealt with them in grace. But they chose law instead. They utterly failed under law; and it should have been manifest to all that man was a complete failure in every way. Then at just the right moment, "Having yet therefore one Son, His well-beloved, He sent Him also last unto them." God sent Him forth from Himself.

God had foretold in the prophet Daniel just exactly when the Messiah was to be "cut off." If there had been men of spiritual understanding to understand the Scriptures, they might have known beforehand the very day on which the Messiah must suffer. God had chosen the exact time when He should send forth His Son; and He prepared all accordingly. He sent before Him His servant John to prepare His way before Him (see Matt. 11: 10). God allowed the Romans to have a strong government, having control of all that part of the world of which Palestine is the center. The Romans made good roads and kept a great measure of order, which made it possible to preach the gospel in very many places. God had also arranged that all that part of the world should understand the Greek language, so that this helped greatly in spreading the good news. He also arranged that this language should be, perhaps, at this time, the most perfect language this world has known, with which to give us the New Testament.

It is very evident that God Himself prepared everything in this world, so that all should be ready to receive His Son, and send forth the good news of the grace of God to every part of the world. But, alas, when the Son of God came to this earth, "there was no room for Him; they sent His mother out to the stable, and there the holy Child was born. There in a stable, the only begotten Son of God came to this earth, an outcast (Jer. 30: 17) from the beginning of His sojourn here.

"No room for Thee, Thou blessed One,

The Father's holy Child,

His well beloved, only Son,

The Saviour undefiled!

No room for Thee in crowded inn

That evening long ago!

'Behold the Lamb' who bore our sin,

Shut out by hearts below!"

A multitude of the heavenly host (Luke 2: 13) came to announce the arrival of this divine Stranger, praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." But the only ones to hear their message were a few shepherds out on the hillside keeping watch over their sheep. Jerusalem, the city of the great King, was troubled by the news that He was born (Matt 2: 3). And the chief priests and scribes, who should have been the first to welcome Him, did not make the smallest effort to seek Him. True, there were those who brought kingly gifts and falling down before Him did Him homage, but these were Gentile strangers. (Matthew 2: 11). And old Simeon, or Anna, had a heart prepared to give a welcome to the newborn King; and Anna knew all those in Jerusalem that looked for redemption, and she spoke of Him to them. I fear the number was not great. (See Luke 2: 25, 36-38.) Such was man's condition when God's time arrived, when "the fulness of time came." In Romans 5: 6, the Holy Spirit calls it "due time." In Mark 1: 15, He sent to men the message, "The time is fulfilled." It was God's time, the time for the most important event that ever has happened in the history of the universe: "GOD SENT FORTH FROM HIMSELF HIS SON."

The King of glory (Ps. 24: 7) did not come from heaven manifesting forth His mighty power and glory, but He came of a woman, born of a woman. He took on Himself our human nature. He came under law (not under the law), that He might redeem (or, buy out) those that were under law. We may see plainly that instead of bringing Christians under law, God is really leading those who had been under law out from it. But He had to buy them out, and the cost was His well beloved Son. No doubt this applies first of all to the Jews, and many Jewish believers then alive, who had been brought up under the law of Moses, learned what it meant to be bought out from under that law. But when the Holy Spirit says, "He came under law, that He might buy out those that were under law" (not, the law), it tells us that Christ's work went much further than to the Jews alone. His redemption went to the ends of the earth, for man by nature loves to put himself under law, nor was it the law of Moses alone but law of every kind from which Christ redeemed us. And so the Gentile Christians in Galatia shared in this redemption from under law. Redemption places all, that is all who believe in Christ and His work on the cross, under the benefit of that work, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. In God's sight these are bought out from under law, in order that those who were under law might be delivered from it, and that they might receive from Him the sonship. For we have seen that the son was free. The son was no longer under a child-trainer, or a guardian or a steward. Before God could give to us the place and the spirit of sons, He must buy us out from under law.

So, when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth from (Himself) His Son, not only that He might buy out the ones under law, but also that we might receive from Himself the sonship. Who, but God the Father, could give to us the place and the spirit of sons? And the cost of this wonderful place into which God has brought us, was His own well beloved Son. You remember that almost the first words our Lord Jesus spoke after His resurrection were, "Go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God." John 20: 17. Precious, marvellous words, which He never spoke before His death and His resurrection. But His work was all finished. He had paid the mighty price to buy out those under law: He had met all the claims of law; and we are free. All our sins were gone, and His Father now is our Father. He is now "the Firstborn among many brethren." Rom. 8: 29; and, strange as it seems to us, "He is not ashamed to call them brethren" (Heb. 2: 11). What wonderful words, brethren of the Son of God! God was His His Father, and God was their Father. God was His God, and God was their God. Not only were they forgiven and justified ? blessed, wondrous work though this was ? but they were made sons of God. God brings us into the same relationship to Himself in which our Lord Himself stood.

Was He any longer under law? No, surely not. Under the law He had died. He had borne its curse; but that was all passed, and now He is risen. And with Him all who believe in Him are brought out from under law: they are free; they are sons. And "because you are sons, God sent forth from (Himself) the Spirit of His Son, into our hearts, crying, Abba, our Father! So thou art no longer a slave but on the contrary a son; but if a son, also an heir through God." (v. 7.) Notice here we see the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit all working together to bring forth from under law those who had been slaves to it. How then could anyone think that Gentiles should go back into that place from which God had thus bought out both Jews and Gentiles?

"Abba" is the Chaldee, or Aramaic, word for Father. It is a word that is made with the lips only; so that a very small child, who has not gotten any teeth yet, could say it. Almost every language has the same sort of name for father and mother, as in English very small children say papa, mama, both words made by the lips only. Even so is Abba. This tells us of the welcome God gives to even the smallest, the youngest, the weakest believer. He may not know how to pray, but God has given to even such an one the Spirit of His Son, and he can look up to heaven and cry, "Abba!" No one but a child has the right to this word. This is the word that our Lord Himself has made so dear to the heart of every true child of God, as we stand by with bowed heads and bowed hearts, and hear Him cry on that dark night in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt." Mark 14: 36. We only find this precious word three times in the New Testament, first our Lord Himself uses it; and then in Romans 8: 15 where the Chinese New Testament so beautifully says, "You have not received the heart of a slave again to fear, but you have received the heart of a son, so that we cry, Abba, Father." (The translation may not be very good, but I think the meaning is right). Finally we find this same sweet word here in our chapter in Galatians. Some men tell us that in the words "Abba, our Father," the second name, "Father," is only a translation of "Abba," but I think it is much more than that. Our hearts understand these things better than our heads; but, dear Christian reader, perhaps you have looked up to heaven, and cried, "Abba, Father!" If you have done this, then you will understand; and if you have never uttered this cry from your heart, then no words of man can make it plain to you. Three times in the first five verses of our epistle, Paul speaks of God as the Father. It is a mark of the child that he knows the Father (1 John 2: 13), and so from the beginning of the epistle Paul would remind them that they are sons, not slaves or servants.

It is the Spirit of God in our hearts, the Spirit of His Son within us, that utters this cry, "Abba, Father!" Nothing can ever imitate this cry. Only the Holy Spirit Himself can cry thus in our hearts. This cry, as we have already pointed out, is the proof that He dwells within us. "So," the Apostle adds, "Thou art no longer a slave but a son." Yes, that cry "Abba, Father" is the proof that we are not under law, we are no longer minors, but we are now sons, sons of God. "But if a son, then an heir through God." We are not the sort of an heir that the first verse of our chapter describes, who differs nothing from a slave. We are "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8: 17). Such is the place to which God brought us when He bought us out from under law.

We do not read more in Galatians of the heir, and we only once find the inheritance mentioned (chapter 3: 18), but these words seem to open the door of the Father's house, and let us look in and have a glimpse of the glory that awaits us there. These words seem to take our hearts from earth to heaven, and leave behind the strife, the law teachers, and the false brethren. But the time for the glory has not yet come, though we are heirs already, and in Christ we have already obtained an inheritance. See Ephesians 1: 11. The Father's house is our home (John 14: 2); "we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house." Ps. 65: 4. That day is yet before us, but even now down here how many of God's children have found comfort in the Father's house. Everywhere, true Christians turn to the fourteenth chapter of John for cheer and encouragement. And soon our Lord's prayer will be answered: "Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world." John 17: 24. We will see His glory. We only find glory mentioned once in Galatians (chapter 1: 5). The subject of the book is too sad and stern and their fall too terrible to speak to them of the glory; but I am glad that the Spirit of God does remind them in this epistle that we are not only sons, but heirs. I am very glad the Spirit does, as it were, in this epistle open the door to the glory: and I hope some of the Galatians looked in, and while gazing on the grace that made them heirs, and on the glory of their Lord, I hope they were "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (See 2 Cor. 3: 18).

And is it so ? I shall be like Thy Son?

Is this the grace which He for me has won?

Father of glory, (thought beyond all thought!) ?

In glory, to His own blest likeness brought!

O, Jesus, Lord, who loved me like to Thee?

Fruit of Thy work, with Thee, too, there to see

Thy glory, Lord, while endless ages roll,

Myself the prize and travail of Thy soul.

Yet it must be: Thy love had not its rest

Were Thy redeemed not with Thee fully blest.

That love that gives not as the world, but shares

All it possesses with its loved coheirs.

Nor I alone; Thy loved ones all, complete

In glory, round Thee there with joy shall meet, ?

All like Thee, for Thy glory like Thee, Lord,

Object supreme of all, by all adored.

(J. N. Darby)

Chapter 17

Back to Slavery

Galatians 4: 8-20

"But then, on the one hand, not knowing God, you were enslaved to the ones by nature not being gods; now, on the other hand, having come to know God, rather indeed having become known by God, how are you turning back again (to rest) on the weak and poverty-stricken principles, to which you are wishing to be again enslaved anew? Days you are scrupulously observing, and months, and seasons, and years. I am frightened about you, lest perhaps I have toiled without reason for you.

"Become as I (am), for I also (became, or, am) as you, brothers, I beseech you. You have not wronged me at all: but you know that through (or, in) weakness of the flesh I announced the good news to you at the first, and my temptation in my flesh you did not scorn or loathe, but as an angel of God you received me, as Christ Jesus. Where, then, (is) that (lit., the) blessedness of yours? For I bear you witness that, if possible, having dug out your eyes, you would have given (them) to me. So I have become your enemy in speaking the truth to you? (or, by telling you the truth?) They are not zealously seeking you in a good way, but they are desiring to shut you out, in order that you may zealously seek them. But it is good to be zealously sought at all times in a good way, (or, course), and not only when I am present with you. My bairnes, of whom I again am travailing in birth until Christ should be formed in you; but I have been wishing to be present with you at this very moment, and to change my tone, because I am perplexed as to you." Galatians 4: 8-20.

Our last chapter ended with a consideration of the words, "But because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying Abba, our Father! So thou art no longer a slave but a son; but if a son, also an heir through God." Gal. 4: 6, 7. No more a slave, but a son! If a son, then an heir! That is the glorious position into which God has brought us. As we have seen, it gives us a little glimpse into the glory that awaits us. The Galatians knew something at least of all this. They had tasted the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Yet in spite of all this blessed knowledge, they were turning back to their old slavery. So we find a sharp contrast between the liberty of the 6th and 7th verses, and the slavery of the 8th and 9th verses.

In those former days, says the Apostle, not knowing God, you were enslaved to the ones by nature not being gods. Now, on the other hand, having come to know God (rather indeed having become known by God), how, the Apostle indignantly asks, are you turning back again (to rest) on the weak and poverty-stricken principles, to which you are wishing to be again enslaved anew? These are most solemn words. In those former days they did not know God. They only served their dumb idols. They knew nothing better. The idols they served were not gods, and yet they were slaves to them. But now they have learned to know the true and living God, or rather, the true and living God knows them. Now they have tasted the liberty of His service. How can it be possible after this, the Apostle asks, that you should be turning back again? Please notice especially these words "turning back again." They had left their idols, and now they are turning to the law. No man would have written these words, "turning back again." But the Holy Spirit says that in God's sight, for the Galatians to turn aside from the simple good news they had received, unto the law, is just the same as "turning back again to the weak and poverty-stricken principles, to which you are wishing to be again enslaved anew." What were the weak and poverty-stricken principles to which they had been slaves before? These were their idols, and all the practices of heathenism. And now they were wishing to turn back again to be enslaved again anew. Notice those words again. They tell us that it is the same old slavery to which they wished to go as they had been under once before. The law is just as weak as the idols to save anybody; the one is as hopeless as the other. The one is as poverty-stricken as the other, there is no food for my soul either in the law or in heathenism. And yet you wish to put on again the chains of slavery from which the Lord had set you free! You are wishing to be a slave once more! And notice that little word "anew" at the end of the sentence. It tells us that it is the same old slavery to which they were going, but it is a new master. They had been slaves to those idols which are not gods; now they wish to be slaves of law. A slave may change masters, but he is still a slave. The slavery is the same though the masters may be different.

O, no! I think the Galatians cry. You are entirely mistaken. We are going now to the Old Testament, God's own Book. We are learning now about the things God taught Israel, as recorded in that Book; and we are adding these to the doctrines of Christ.

Reader, note. The Holy Spirit says (no human being would have dared to say it), that to go back to the law and to these outward forms and ceremonies, is nothing different in God's sight than going back to the old heathen practices from which the Lord had delivered them. The bondage of the law is just as bitter bondage as the bondage of the idols. Hear the words of a man who in modern times slaved under that master for some twenty-eight years: ". . . the long and bitter experiences I had in that bondage (the law)." (The Lord's Day From Neither Catholics Nor Pagans, by D. M. Canright. p. 19). Listen to other testimonies quoted by the same modern writer: ". . . here I am, bound with these chains." From another: "It seems they will crush me. They are a yoke of bondage which I cannot stand up under. Still I do want to be right." From another: "Now am I straightened, while the fetters are being forged for most unwilling limbs! . . . What distress we are in as a people! how miserable! and is there no relief?"

Peter and Paul had tasted this bondage: the one spoke of it as "a yoke . . . which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear," Acts 15: 10; and the other writes of it as "the yoke of bondage." Gal. 5: 1. So we see that whether in the days of Peter and Paul or in our own day the yoke is the same; the slavery and the bondage have not changed in the least. We find the same groans of despair both now and 1900 years ago.

Please be quite clear: the law, the feast days and circumcision, are as utterly unable to save men, or to help to save them, as dumb idols. The Galatians thought they were becoming more holy and religious, but God says they were going back to the same principles as heathenism. They thought they were obtaining a more reverent value for the Scriptures. God says, No, you are turning back again to your own old slavery from which grace delivered you. They thought that Christianity would be better for adding to it the old and beautiful forms and ceremonies of the law. Not at all, says the Apostle. You are going straight back to your old heathenish principles without even knowing it. The Thessalonians turned to God from idols (1 Thess. 1: 9), but the Galatians were turning from God back to the old slavery they had endured under the dominion of idols.

The apostle has shown that Christ has bought out even the Jew from under the slavery of law. How, then, can a Gentile, on whom the law never had a claim, willingly put himself as a slave under it? But this is just what the Galatians were doing. They had been born and brought up under heathenism, and they had learned from childhood all the wicked things connected with idolatry. They had served idols all their lives, just as many in China do now. They were altogether ignorant of the law of Israel. Then Paul had come and told them the good news of salvation through Christ alone, and believing, they were saved. God's grace had made them one with all other believers, Jews and Gentiles ? all one in Christ. Christ had bought out the Jews from the slavery of the law, and He had rescued the Gentiles from the slavery of their idols, making all one in Himself. But these false teachers come, and tell them they must be circumcised, they must keep the law, they must observe the feast days. Then the Holy Spirit tells them that for a Gentile Christian to put himself under the law and these outward ceremonies, is not only obeying Jewish customs, but that is the same as going back again to his heathen idols.

The Lord had patience with the Jews who went on with these Jewish principles. In Romans 14 we see that a Gentile must also have patience towards the Jew who still is under the bondage of his days and his meats and other outward ceremonies. But for a Gentile to put himself under these Jewish principles is nothing better than heathenism. Who would have dared to say this, if the Holy Spirit Himself had not told us that it is so.

How many there are in this day who are doing exactly what these Galatians did! How many try to force on Christians the seventh day, the old Jewish Sabbath! How many say that on certain days we must not eat meat, while others try and tell us we must not eat it at all! How many openly tell us we must observe the Jewish law, and make us slaves to the ten commandments, a yoke which no man yet has been able to bear! See the outward forms which so many teachers observe today. See the robes and vestments that they wear! See the names and titles they take to themselves! How little do they realize that in the sight of God all this is not only worthless and useless, but is in reality going back to the slavery of heathenism. How many true Christians have prepared for themselves an unwritten list (or code) of rules. In God's sight these are all but weak and poverty-stricken principles. These are strong words, but they are the clear teaching of the Holy Spirit in these verses in Galatians.

Notice also how the Apostle speaks of the idols of the Galatians ? and the idols of China are no different. They were by nature not gods. This includes the idols, those horrible wood, stone and mud, or even silver and gold images that we see in the temples everywhere in China. It includes the great men of old whom men love to worship as gods. It includes the demons of which we read in 1 Corinthians 10: 20. It includes the ancestors whom so many worship. It includes Shang Ti whose name blasphemously insults so many copies of the Chinese Scriptures. These, one and all, "are by nature not gods." They have been made gods by men, but they are gods in name only. "By nature they are not gods." The Greek negative used here not only denies the fact that these objects, which men have formerly worshipped, are gods, but it denies the possibility that they could be gods. (See 2 Chronicles 13: 9.) Do not think that this idolatry has its character improved because those practising it worship Jesus. Do not think Shang Ti had been converted because men have put him into the pages of the Chinese Bible. True Christianity refuses any mixture such as this. Christianity is the most tender, gentle, loving thing in all the world. No sinner is too bad to receive a welcome. But Christianity is also the sternest and strongest opponent of anything and everything that men wish to add to it, or mix with it. True Christianity is the most exclusive thing in all the world. I mean by this exclusive of sin and falsehood. True Christianity will not tolerate having forms and ceremonies added to it. True Christianity will not tolerate any addition, or any mixture, not even God's, law. All such in God's sight are simply heathenism and idolatry. You have noticed how fervent, how intense, how stern is the Epistle to the Galatians. What have they done? Have they committed some great sin? Listen, "I am frightened about you: days you are scrupulously observing, and months, and seasons, and years." The days, what were they? See Colossians 2: 16. Listen, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days."

Who would have suspected that keeping the sabbath day, the seventh day of the week, the day commanded by God in the law, was so evil a thing? Yet, it was just this that frightened the apostle Paul about the Galatians. It meant slavery under the law; that is what made it so evil. To what did Paul refer by the "months"? I believe that is the same as the "new moons" of which we so often read. See 2 Chronicles 2: 4; 8: 13, etc. We know much about them in China, and how they are celebrated. God condemns all this. The "seasons" would refer to the Jewish feast days. See Leviticus 23. The years would refer to the sabbath year. See Leviticus 25: 1-8.

It is well for Christians to remember that the religious observances of days is not consistent with the spirit of the good news. To keep one day different to another is to say that in some sense this day is holier than other days; but to the Christian every day is holy. It is true that the Lord has marked out for us the first day of the week as set apart from the other days. It is the day of our Lord's resurrection. It is the day on which the Holy Spirit was given (Lev. 23: 15, 16; Acts 2: 1). It is the day on which the disciples came together to break bread (Acts 20: 7). The Apostle told the Galatians and the Corinthians on this day to lay by them in store as God had prospered them (1 Cor. 16: 1, 2). If we compare this with Hebrews 13 we will see that this is included as one of the sacrifices we may offer to God on that first day of the week. Finally we find in Revelation 1: 10, that the Spirit of God calls this day "the Lord's day." In Greek the word "Lord's" is an adjective; so we might better translate it "the Lordly day." This word is only used in this way twice in the New Testament: "the Lordly day" and "the Lordly supper" in 1 Corinthians 11: 20. This word beautifully links together the supper and the day. In many lands the Lord's people have liberty to use "the Lordly day" for their Lord. In many lands it is set apart as a day on which we may turn away from our usual employments, and use this day not for ourselves but for our Lord. The Sabbath of old was a day of rest. Often for the Christian, the Lord's day is the busiest day in the week. The Sabbath of old was made for man (Mark 2: 27). The Lord's day belongs to the Lord, and we have the privilege of using it for Himself. Alas, in China many have not this privilege, and it may be that the Lord's people can only use it in this way at very heavy cost to themselves. But let us remember that the Lord has said, "Them that honor Me, I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed." 1 Sam. 2: 30.

Some people talk about the "Christian Sabbath" meaning the first day of the week. There is no such thing in the Bible as the "Christian Sabbath." "Sabbath" means "rest," and the Lord said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." John 5: 17. The Lord Jesus could not rest in a world full of sin and suffering: He could not keep the Sabbath down here; and so we find that continually the Jewish leaders were finding fault with Him because He broke the Sabbath. No more can a true Christian keep the Sabbath in such a world. He has no more right to be resting here than his Master. If his Master must work, so must he. But in Hebrews 4: 9 we read: "There remaineth a keeping of a sabbath to the people of God." The sabbath rest is ahead of us. Soon, in the glory, we will rest with Him who has purchased that rest for us. Then we will keep sabbath: but not now.

In Romans 14 the Spirit of God gives us further teaching on the subject of days from another point of view. We have suggested that this chapter referred especially to the Jewish believers who had been brought up to such things; and there are many even Gentiles in our own day who are in a very similar position. They have been brought up to forms and ceremonies, and they have a conscience that they should observe them. We are to bear with these saints, and remember they keep the day as to the Lord. We sometimes hear very bitter things said against those who keep Christmas day. It is true that "Christ was not born in December. The time at which Mary went to visit Elizabeth proves that, if compared with the order of the twenty-four courses of the priests. Zecharias was the eighth course" (J. N. Darby). But there are many dear children of God who esteem this day above other days: not in the spirit of Galatians 4, but in the spirit of Romans 14. To such the Spirit says, "He that regardeth the day regardeth it unto the Lord." Rom. 14: 6. And to those who judge and criticise their brethren for this act, the Lord says very plainly, "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own Master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand . . . But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ . . . Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." Rom. 14: 4, 10, 13. It is true that the one who is under the dominion of days and meats is called by the Holy Spirit "weak in the faith." But we are to receive such, and not judge him. (See Rom. 14: 1.) And in all these things may we ever remember the words: "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace." Rom. 14: 19.

In Galatians 4: 12 we read, "Become as I (am), for I (became) as you, brothers, I beseech you." How tender the apostle becomes towards his dear brethren, and children in the faith! Once more he uses that sweet name "brothers." "Become as I" he cries. Was Paul under the law? They knew well he was not. They knew well he was free. Once he had been under the law. Once he had groaned in that slavery, but now he was free. So he can joyfully say, "I became as you." I left the slavery and yoke of law, and became as you who are free from it. Now you become as I am. Then at the end he adds that sweet little word, "I beseech you!" Can we not see these words flowing out from a heart that is ready to break with love and sorrow! What earnestness, what severity, what fervor, what tenderness, what love, ? all combined. Surely it tells us of the heart of Christ to us, when we turn away from Himself.

The Apostle continues: "You have not wronged me at all: on the contrary you know that through weakness of the flesh I announced the good news to you at the first, and your trial in my flesh you did not scorn nor loathe, but as an angel of God you received me, as Christ Jesus." Perhaps the Galatians would think that the Apostle's strong words were because he felt offended, because they had turned from his teaching to that of others. Oh, no, says Paul. It is not a matter of personal wrong: on the contrary, I only look back to the loving welcome you gave me on my first visit with you; then, you would have dug out your eyes, and given them to me. It seems as though Paul had not intended to preach the good news to the Galatians, but sickness of some kind kept him amongst them. "Through weakness of the flesh" (v. 13), might be translated, "on account of weakness of the flesh I announced the good news to you at the first." We do not know what this weakness was; but it evidently hindered the Apostle in his journey, and kept him in the place where he "happened" to be. It was one of those interruptions to our plans which often make us so cross, but let us remember God orders these interruptions. Paul, no doubt, was earnestly pressing on to some field of labor for the Lord ahead; and instead he is taken sick. Not only is he taken sick, but the sickness seems to have been one that was specially unpleasant, and made him in such a condition, that people who saw and heard him, would be likely to scorn and loathe him ? not wish to have anything to do with him. It was on account of this sickness he first preached the gospel to the Galatians. It was at such a time as this that the Galatians gave him such a warm welcome that the Apostle could never forget it. They received him just as he was. It was a trial to them, ("your trial in my flesh," he calls it) but that made no difference to their love and their welcome. The most precious things they possessed, even their eyes, they would have dug out and given him if they could. Weak, sick, and perhaps loathsome, as he was, they received him, even as Christ Jesus. Could they have done more? No, indeed! And this love, still lived in the Apostle's heart, and this made the sorrow of their fall all the more bitter to him. This sickness may have been the "thorn in the flesh" which Paul three times asked the Lord to remove. But we do not know if this is so or not (See 2 Cor. 12: 7).

"So I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?" In some old manuscripts, at the end of verse 36 in Acts 21, we read the words: "Down with our enemy!" Paul had been seized by the crowd in the temple at Jerusalem, and then arrested by the Romans. As the soldiers carried him along to the castle, the people followed crying, "Away with him!" Here, some old copies read: "Away with him! Down with our enemy!" These words were probably not written by Luke, but they probably tell us truthfully how the Jews spoke of him. A very old writer, writing about 160-188 A.D., who was a bitter enemy of the teaching of Paul, says, "Some of the Gentiles . . . have accepted the lawless and foolish teaching of an enemy." It is very probable that these false teachers from Jerusalem who had come to Galatia had called Paul an enemy. Paul seems to have heard that something like this had happened, and so he upbraids them: "So I have become your enemy by telling you the truth?" They had forgotten that "faithful are the wounds of a friend." Prov. 27: 6. He puts it in the form of a question, so as to leave a doubt, and give the Galatians the opportunity to answer, "No, Paul, you are not our enemy! You are our best and dearest earthly friend."

"They are not in a good way zealously seeking you honorably, but they are wishing (desiring) to shut you out, in order that you may zealously seek after them. But it is a good thing, (or, honorable) to be zealously sought after in a good (cause) at all times, and not only when I am present with you . . ."

The words "zealously seek" probably comes from a word meaning "to boil." These false teachers were so "hot-hearted" in their efforts to win the Galatian Christians away from their love to Paul, and away from his teaching, so, that they might "hot-heartedly" turn to themselves instead, that these teachers would do anything to make proselytes of them. They were not working in a good, a right, an honorable way. That is what the Greek word means. They were using underhand methods to gain the Galatians. This is the difference between announcing the good news and making proselytes. In the first we are hot-hearted for Christ; in the second we are hot-hearted for a doctrine or for a party. These false teachers were hot-hearted after the Galatians in a wrong way. Compare Paul when he could say to the Corinthians, "I am jealous over you with godly jealously." (2 Cor. 11: 2). Paul was glad to have others share the work of the good news. Paul might plant, and Apollos water (1 Cor. 3: 6). Titus and Timothy and Silas and Luke might have a share in the labors of the good news, and Paul would rejoice. Indeed he rejoiced that Christ was preached even when some did it of envy and strife, supposing to add affliction to his bonds. (Phil. 1: 15, 16, 18). But these false teachers were not preaching Christ but the law. For this reason Paul does not rejoice, but opposes them with all his strength.

"My bairnes!" Or perhaps "My bairnies!" or, "My little bairnes!"

The Apostle's heart is too full to finish the sentence he had begun. He breaks off in the middle, and cries, "My bairnes!" It is not certain whether the Greek reads, "My bairnes!" or "My bairnies! "My little bairnes!" If it is "My little bairnes" (as very possibly it is), then it is the only time Paul uses this word. Our Lord used it once, when He cried, "Little bairnes, yet a little time I am with you!" John 13: 33. John uses it seven times in his first epistle. We do not find it anywhere else in the New Testament. The Greek word translated "bairnes" comes from the word meaning born, or begotten, just as the Scotch word "bairn" comes from the word born. It means a child (a boy or a girl), and specially emphasizes the relationship through birth. The word we considered in verses 1 to 7 of this chapter, "son," emphasizes the dignity of the position. Paul often uses the other word translated "bairnes."

"My bairnies, of whom I again am travailing in birth until Christ should be formed in you." Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." 1 Cor. 4: 15. He looked on those who believed in Christ through his labors as his own children, whom he had begotten; and he well knew the pain of bringing them forth. He had suffered this once with the Galatians, when first they had believed in Christ, and now he is suffering it a second time. We read in Gal. 2: 20: "Christ liveth in me." If Christ lives in us, then we should manifest forth Christ in all our walk and ways. But the Galatians had turned from Christ to the law, and being occupied with the law will never help us to show forth Christ. There are many teachers today who are continually setting forth rules and regulations by which Christians must live. You may not do this, and you ought to do that. This is just putting me under law once more. It is all part of those weak and poverty-stricken principles that are totally unable to show forth Christ in our lives.

What we need in order to enable us to show forth Christ in our lives is that Christ should live in us. So the Apostle travails again in birth until Christ be formed in them. What a man truly believes affects his character and his daily walk down here. Doctrine that exalts Christ makes us holy. Doctrine that does not exalt Christ hinders the Holy Spirit working in us, and forming us like Christ. When the false teachers told the Galatians that they must have circumcision and the law as well as Christ in order to be saved, this was in reality an attack on Christ Himself, and meant that Christ alone was not sufficient to save them. A defective Saviour is no Saviour at all. The result of the teaching of these law teachers was that the Galatians lost sight of Christ, they forgot that "Christ liveth in me," and the life which they lived in the flesh was according to the law; not by the faith of the Son of God (Gal. 2: 20). So the result was that Paul must travail in birth a second time, that Christ might be formed in them. Love made him willing to do this ? not like Moses, who, weary with the burden of God's people, cries, "Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them, that Thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child." Num. 11: 12.

The word translated "formed" (Gal. 4: 19) is used only here in the New Testament. It does not mean what is outward and quickly passing away, but what is inward and real. It is made from a similar word meaning form, which is used three times, always of our Lord (Mark 16: 12; Phil. 2: 6, 7). Another word, made from this one, is used in Romans 12: 2: "Be not fashioned (made to resemble in outward form) according to this age; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Here we may see that the Lord brings about an outward change in the character and walk down here of the believer, by means of the inward change in his spiritual condition. We find the same word in 2 Corinthians 3: 18: "But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed (transformed by an inward change) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." It is not when we are occupied with trying to keep the law, but it is when we look off unto Jesus, and are occupied with His glory, that we are changed to be like Him.

Gazing on the cloudless glory

Of the Lord we love,

Where unveiled He fills with radiance

Those bright courts above,

Day by day a change is passing

O'er each lifted brow,

Soon to shine like Christ in glory,

Though so dimly now.

Evermore that light transforms us

In the Father's sight,

Not His love alone our portion,

But His full delight.

? W. R.

"But I have been wishing (or could wish) to be present with you at this very moment, and to change my tone, because I am perplexed as to you."

The emphatic words in this sentence are "at this very moment." It was a crisis with the Galatian saints. They were giving up the true gospel. The Apostle longs to be with them, and to talk to them face to face. How much better, he feels, would words be than a letter. But, dear reader, how much better for you and for me, was the letter! Paul was unable to go to his beloved children in the faith; much as he longed to do so, and so he wrote this letter that we have been considering. No doubt Paul bitterly regretted being hindered making this visit. How little he thought that this was God's own arrangement, in order that His Church might have this priceless little epistle given to us by the Holy Spirit. The Apostle longed to change his tone from rebuke to love. Could he but be with them, and they hear the tones of loving entreaty, surely they must turn from their evil ways. "For I am perplexed as to you." He believed they had received the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3: 2). He calls them brothers, and children, and even bairns. But Christ was so little manifested in their lives that he has to confess: "I am perplexed as to you." He hoped they were true, and that only in their heads they had received the doctrine which totally perverted the gospel. Paul never had such perplexity about other converts, not even the Corinthians. I wonder if Paul would be perplexed as to us, dear brothers, if he watched our daily life? I wonder would he see that Christ needed to be formed anew in us?

Chapter 18

Abraham's Two Sons

Galatians 4: 21 ? 5: 1

"Tell me, the ones wishing to be under law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one from the handmaid and one from the freewoman. But on the one hand the one from the handmaid was born according to flesh, but on the other hand the one from the freewoman (was born) through the promise. Which things are allegorized (or, contain an allegory;) for these (women) are two covenants, one indeed from mount Sinai, bearing (children) unto slavery, which is Hagar. Now Hagar is Sina mountain in Arabia; but corresponds to Jerusalem (which is) now, for she is enslaved with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother; for it is written, Rejoice, barren (woman), the one not bearing. Break forth and cry, the one not travailing; Because more numerous (are) the children of the desolate than of the one having the husband. But you, brothers, according to Isaac are children of promise. But just as then the one born according to flesh persecuted the one (born) according to Spirit, just so also now. But what says the Scripture? Cast out the handmaid and her son; for the son of the handmaid shall certainly not inherit (be heir) with the son of the freewoman. Wherefore, brothers, we are not handmaid's children, but of the freewoman. With (this) freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore and do not be held again in a yoke of slavery." Galatians 4: 21 ? 5: 1.

The Galatians wished to go to the Old Testament; they wished to be under law; so Paul says, as it were, I will meet you on your own ground. You wish to be under law; will you listen, then to the law? Then he tells them the story of Abraham and his two wives. One, Sarah, was his own wife, a freewoman, on an equality with himself. The other, Hagar, was a slave whom he had taken as a concubine. God had promised to give him children from Sarah, but Abraham got weary of waiting and at Sarah's suggestion took his slave so that she might give him a son. She did give him a son, but what bitter sorrow came with that son! Sorrow in Abraham's own house, sorrow to Abraham's descendants, sorrow that lasts to the present day; for the Arabs that have caused so much trouble and sorrow in Palestine are the children of Hagar. Abraham had used his own methods to help God fulfill His promise. Abraham's faith had begun to give way; for faith and our methods cannot go on together. How often we fail in just this way! How often we grow weary of waiting for God, and think to help Him answer our prayers by our own methods! But it always ends in sorrow. This is not the lesson that Paul has for the Galatians in this story; but it is the one we may learn as we read it.

One son, the elder, Ishmael, was born in the natural way. But his mother was a slave, and he was born to be a slave also. The other child, Isaac, was not born in the natural way, because not only was his father a hundred years old, but his mother was ninety and long before had lost the power to give birth to children. But God had promised that Sarah should have a son, and that from Sarah, Abraham's children should multiply as the stars and as the sand. God's promises are always true. He is the faithful God (Deut. 7: 9). So, in God's own time He sent Abraham a son by Sarah his wife. This son was truly a "child of promise." He was not born in the natural way. By the power of her own nature Sarah could not have born a son, but God Himself gave her this power because He had promised to do so. So the Apostle says, "The one from the handmaid was born according to flesh, but on the other hand, the one from the freewoman (was born) through the promise." Then he tells us this is all an allegory. This does not mean the story itself is not true, for every word of it is entirely true; but it means that God arranged that this story should have a hidden meaning to teach us these truths of liberty and slavery: of grace and law.

These two women, Hagar and Sarah, the one a slave, the other a freewoman, represent the two covenants. The first covenant we find in Genesis 15: 18. This is the chapter in which the Lord had freely reckoned Abraham righteous (v. 6), and in verse 18 we read: "In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land." There is no "IF"; there is no condition. God promises to do it all. In Genesis 17 we read again of the covenant: "I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly . . . As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations." v. 2, 4. We find the word "covenant" mentioned twelve times in this chapter. Again we can see that this was an unconditional promise of blessing that God gave to Abraham. God did everything, and Abraham received the blessing from God. This was the covenant of promise. In the allegory Sarah 'was like this covenant.

But in Exodus 19: 5 when Israel had reached Sinai, we read: "Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people." In this covenant there is an "if." "If ye will obey." The people of Israel must do their part, then God will do His part. But the people of Israel never did their part. They never did obey. They broke the covenant immediately. This was a covenant that put the people under slavery. Hagar, the slave woman, was like this in the allegory.

In just the same way Christ gives freely eternal life to every one who believes in the Lord Jesus. There is no "if." There is no condition. It all depends on God. He does everything, and we receive the blessing. This is like the first covenant of which we read in Genesis 15 and 17, and again in Genesis 22. But those who are under the law must keep the law in order to receive blessing. This do and thou shalt live (Luke 10: 28): this is bondage and slavery; we must work and do in order to obtain, and we never can obtain this way. Those who are under this covenant, are those who put themselves under law, and they are slaves, like the children of Hagar. They are from Mount Sina. God gave the law at Mount Sina (or Sinai); and so mount Sina represents the law. "Now Hagar is Sina Mount, in Arabia; and corresponds to Jerusalem (which is) now, for she is enslaved with her children." People think that Hagar went to Arabia when Abraham cast her out; and so Arabia seems to speak of the land of slavery, or the bondage of the law. In the same way Jerusalem in Palestine was the great center from which they taught the law. "So Sina Mount in Arabia corresponds to Jerusalem (which is) now." They both speak of the law, and both are enslaved with their children.

We must notice that this is the second time Paul speaks of Arabia in this epistle. In 1: 17 Paul said that he went to Arabia. It may be that there he learned the bitterness of this slavery of the law (see Romans 7). "Are ye ignorant brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law) that the law rules over a man as long as he lives?" chapter 7: 1. "I see another law in my members, warring in opposition to the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which exists in my members." Rom. 7: 23. But read all of the seventh of Romans for Paul's experiences with the law.

"But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother." That is the heavenly Jerusalem. That is the land of promise. That heavenly city is free. There is no slavery there. we who believe in the Lord Jesus, and do not trust in the law, we may truly say that heavenly city "is our mother." We are children of the freewoman. We are born to freedom, not to slavery; and no man has the right to enslave us now. There are many who would like to enslave us, and many who try to enslave us, but they have no right to do so; and we may reply to them in the words of Paul, "to whom we give place by subjection, no, not for an hour." Every rule and regulation made by man is part of this slavery. There is perhaps not a sect or a society of man that does not have its own rules; and all these are part of the bondage and slavery from which Christ has set us free. Alas, alas, most Christians, even true ones, are like the Galatians of old: they "wish to be under law," and gladly take upon themselves the yoke of bondage.

"The Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother: for it is written, Rejoice, barren (woman), the one not bearing, Break forth and cry, the one not travailing; Because more numerous (are) the children of the desolate than of the one having a husband."

These words are quoted from Isaiah 54: 1. In a most remarkable way the Spirit of God uses these words of "the prophet to claim as the children of Abraham, belonging to the true house of Israel, all the Christians from the day of Pentecost until the Lord comes again to take us home to Himself. During this time Israel has been set aside. About seventy years after the birth of Christ the Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple, and from that day until recently, the Jews have been scattered to the ends of the earth. Their house has indeed been left unto them desolate (see Matt. 23: 38), but, amazing as it will seem in that day, they will find far more children begotten from the gospel, in the time of their desolation, than they ever had in the days of their greatest prosperity. The children brought in by grace are "more numerous" than those ever were under law. But these children are not children of the earthly Jerusalem, but of the Jerusalem above, the heavenly Jerusalem, which is free. For the heavenly Jerusalem "is our mother." But God reckons them as Sarah's children, "children of promise," "children of Abraham" (Gal. 3: 7, 29).

The Christians of Galatia wished to leave their blessed place of freedom, to go under law. The apostle clearly presents to them in this allegory the great difference between those under law, who were born to be slaves; and those under grace who are free. He might have closed this subject by asking the Galatians to examine themselves, and see whether they were children of Hagar, or children of Sarah: but he does not. On the contrary he exclaims: "But you, brothers, after the manner of Isaac are children of the promise." Oh the grace, that throws his doubts of them to the winds; and says to them, as it were, I know that in your hearts you do really only trust the Lord Jesus for your salvation. I know that it is only your heads, not your hearts, that have been led astray. I know you are really and truly Christians. I know that you are children of the freewoman, children of Sarah, children of promise like Isaac. Do you think after such an exclamation as that they could turn to Paul and say, "No, Paul, you are mistaken. We are children of Hagar; and we want to be slaves"? No, I think the grace of God in that sentence must have melted their hearts; and one and all they must have cried out, "Yes, Paul, you are right. We are children of the promise, like Isaac; though we forgot for a while, and acted like children of Hagar."

Dear reader, may I ask, Who is your mother? Are you a child of Hagar, or are you a child of Sarah? Are you a slave, or a free-born son? It may be that in heart you are a child of the freewoman, but like the Galatians, you have been acting as if you were a child of Hagar; under the rules and bondage of men, instead of walking in the liberty of the Spirit. If this is so, will you not even now turn away from slavery and all its miseries, and openly take your place with the children of promise?

Paul then reminds them that the one born after the flesh persecuted the one born after the Spirit. Nearly all Paul's persecutions came from the Jews, those under law, children born after the flesh, children of the slave-woman. They never wearied of persecuting Paul and all those who were the children of promise. Could it be possible that the Galatian Christians, Paul's own children in the faith, would take part with these persecutors? Yet that is what they were doing.

Then comes the great climax, and Paul exclaims, "But what saith the Scripture?" And the answer is clear: "Cast out the handmaid and her son; for the son of the handmaid shall certainly not inherit with the son of the freewoman." That is the end of those under law. "Cast them out." There is no inheritance for them. The inheritance is all of grace, none whatever can be had by law. What a grand end! All could plainly see they must take their stand on one side or the other, and who would be willing to take part with the one who was to be cast out?

This closes chapter 4, the end of the second division of our epistle. But the first verse of chapter 5 really belongs with it; and we can almost hear the Apostle's voice as it rings out in a challenge that reaches to every one of us: "With this freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not be entangled (or, held in) again by a yoke of slavery." May God grant that in our day, there may be many of His saints who will hear this cry, and will give ear to it, and obey. For, sad to say, there are few Christians today who are not entangled in the systems of men, entangled with the rules and regulations made by men. Like the Galatians of old, they "wish to be under law." The Lord may say today, as He did of old, "My people love to have it so." Jer. 5: 31.

Let us then, dear brothers and sisters, hear and obey this cry of the Holy Spirit through the Apostle: "With this freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not be entangled again by a yoke of slavery!"

"Free from the law, O, happy condition!

Jesus hath bled, and there is remission!

Cursed by the law, and bruised by the fall,

Grace hath redeemed us once for all.

Now we are free ? there's no condemnation;

Jesus provides a perfect salvation:

"Come unto Me! ? O, hear His sweet call!

Come! ? and He saves us once for all.

"Children of God!" O, glorious calling!

Surely His grace will keep us from falling;

Passing from death to life at His call,

Blessed salvation, once for all.

Once for all, O sinner, receive it;

Once for all, O brother, believe it;

There at the cross, the burden will fall;

Christ hath redeemed us, once for all."

(P.F.B.)

Chapter 19

Practical Results of Faith and Law

Galatians 5: 2-12

"See! I Paul, I say to you, that if you should be receiving circumcision Christ shall do no good at all. Yes, I protest again to every man receiving circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. You have lost the benefit of Christ (or, you are invalidated from Christ), you whoever in virtue of law are being justified, you have fallen away from grace. For, as for us, by (the) Spirit we are eagerly looking forward to (the) hope of righteousness on the principle of faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any power, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love. You were running well (or, nobly)! Who has interfered with you (lit., cut you off) (for you) not to be persuaded by (the) truth? This persuasion (is) not from the One calling you. A little leaven is leavening the whole lump. As for me, I am fully persuaded about you in (the) Lord, that you will be none otherwise minded. But the one troubling you shall bear his guilt, whoever he may be. But as for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? Then the scandal (or, stumbling-block) of the cross has been made without effect (or, invalidated). Would that the ones upsetting you would even cut themselves off! Galatians 5: 2-12.

With chapter 4 we closed the portion of our epistle that speaks of the DOCTRINE of law and grace; and with the 5th chapter we begin to see the practical results of each. In the twelve verses now before us we will see how terrible are these results of law. Words could hardly be stronger than in the next few verses. Paul does not say that the Galatians had received circumcision, but he knew well that the Jewish teachers were trying to compel them to receive it. In Acts 15: 1 we read: "Certain persons, having come down from Judea, taught the brethren, If ye shall not have been circumcised according to the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved." These teachers were now saying these same words to the Galatians. The one said, "If you shall not have been circumcised, you cannot be saved." Paul replies by the Holy Spirit, "If you should be circumcised, Christ shall do you no good whatever." we must clearly understand that "circumcision" was the mark which separates those who trusted in the law from all other people. This was the outward sign that a man was trusting to law. In 1 Corinthians 7: 18 we read: "Is any man called in uncircumcision, let him not be circumcised." No man can trust to Christ and to circumcision, or the law at the same time. He who trusts to Christ does not, and cannot, trust to law. He who trusts to law does not trust to Christ. So Christ does no good to any man who trusts law. The cross of Christ is useless to such a man. The death of Christ is not for this man. In life or in death, in the present time or in eternity, Christ does this man no good. Some people say, "I try and keep the law, and trust to it; and where I fail I trust to Christ!" No, this is not possible. You must choose either Christ or the law. You cannot have part of each. Paul makes his words still stronger by saying first: "See, look, consider! I Paul, I the apostle of the Gentiles, I Paul, with the authority that Christ has given to me, I Paul, for whom you would once have dug out your eyes; it is I who say this to you: If you should be circumcised Christ shall do you no good whatever."

"Yes, I testify again to every man receiving circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." Paul speaks with all the earnestness and energy that he possibly can. This matter is of the highest importance. This question undermines all the foundation of Christianity. "Yes," says the Apostle, "I testify. . ." The meaning is that he solemnly gives evidence, as though before witnesses, of what the result is to the man who receives circumcision. He has taken the mark of being under law, and now he is debtor to do the whole law. He cannot say, as many do today, I do my part, and Christ does His part. I do the best I can, and Christ takes care of my failures. No, indeed! Christ does it all, or He does nothing. If you trust the law, you are a debtor to keep it all. The law says, You may not covet. One covetous thought, and you are lost. You must love your neighbor as yourself. If you do not, you are lost. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." If you fail to do this, for even one moment, you are lost. Christ will not help you. He profits you nothing. He will do you no good at all. You must keep the whole law, or you are lost. James 2: 10 says plainly, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." The law is like a sheet of glass; if you break it at all, then it is all broken. The law is like an anchor chain; if you break one link, the whole chain is broken, and the ship is lost. O, my reader, if you have been trusting to your own good works, if you have been trusting to the law, hear God's solemn words. Give up your hopes in works and law, and turn to Christ alone: cast yourself on Him, and on Him only. In Him you have a perfect and complete salvation. Christ must be everything, or nothing.

"You are invalidated from Christ, you whoever in virtue of law are being justified." "Invalidated from," the Greek word which this tries to translate, appears also in Romans 7: 6, which tells us that we are set free from the law. This has been translated "delivered from the law," or "clear from the law." It is not that we are separated from the law, or separated from Christ, but that we are separated from, or deprived of, the benefit, or the effect, that Christ would bring to us. If the man who tries now to be justified by law shall plead the name of Christ in a coming day, to make him just, the answer will be: "The name of Christ for you is not valid." Such a man has no right to His name. It tells us again that Christ and the law cannot both give us righteousness. You may trust Christ for righteousness and He will give you a perfect righteousness: or, you may trust the law for righteousness, and it will curse you and condemn you. You must choose yourself whether you will have Christ or the law. Let me repeat it once more, You cannot trust to both.

A man may be the most moral, upright, honest, good, kind man, but if he trusts to the law he is lost; and he will spend eternity in hell. Reader, be clear: there is salvation only in the name of Jesus; and you may add not one single thing to that name. Jesus can and will save the worst sinner who trusts in Him, but the best man in the world is lost if he trusts in the law.

To the one who gives up Christ for the law Paul writes: "You have fallen away from grace." Many persons think that if they sin after they have trusted in Christ, then they have fallen from grace. No, the Bible says no such thing. To turn to the law is to fall from grace. A man may be the most righteous man in the eyes of his friends. He may strive earnestly in his own strength to please God. He may give away much to the poor, and do everything he thinks he ought to do. But if this man is trusting to the law, or partly to the law and partly to Christ, then this good man has fallen from grace. Romans 5: 2 tells us we have access by faith into grace ? Not by law. In 2 Peter 3: 17 Peter warns the saints: "Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall away from your own steadfastness." This word "fall away" is the same Greek word as "fallen away from grace" in Galatians. In 2 Peter 3: 14 we read: "Be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless." In Peter, the danger seems to be that we fall away from the proper behavior of a Christian. In Galatians the danger is we fall away from the truth, the grace that makes us Christians. You will remember that in chapter one we noticed that Peter wrote this "second epistle" to the same persons to whom he had written the first, and that letter was addressed to the Galatians (as well as to others). So we find that the Galatian Christians are warned not to fall away either in their doctrine, or in their walk. It is very possible that Peter is thinking of this verse in Paul's epistle to the Galatians when he wrote these words, for in the following verses (15 and 16) he is speaking of Paul's epistles, and he specially commends them, and calls them "the Scriptures." If this is so, we see the great grace that is shown forth in Peter's heart, to specially commend to the Galatian Christians the very epistle that shows so clearly his own failure.

Be clear then, dear reader, that the Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, plainly teaches that there is no salvation to the one who insists on receiving circumcision. Such a man shows plainly he is trusting to the law to be justified. Only by the grace of our Lord Jesus can any man obtain salvation (Acts 15: 11). How then can any man be saved when Christ does him no good whatever, when he is invalidated from Christ, when he has fallen away from grace?

Those who turn to the law for blessing find that it only curses them (Galatians 3: 10). They find in it death and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3: 7, 9). For them the law works wrath (Romans 4: 15). But the grace of God brings salvation (Titus 2: 11).

The Christian is not to

1. Receive the grace of God in vain (2 Corinthians 6: 1).

2. Set aside the grace of God (Galatians 2: 21).

3. Fall away from grace (Galatians 5: 4).

4. Do despite unto the Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10: 29).

5. Fall short of the grace of God (Hebrews 12: 15).

6. Turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 4).

But on the contrary, the Christian is to

1. Continue in the grace of God (Acts 13: 43).

2. Stand in grace (Romans 5: 2. Compare 1 Peter 5: 12).

3. Be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 2: 1).

4. Draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace (Heb. 4: 16).

5. Be established in heart by grace (Heb. 13: 9).

6. Grow in the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3: 18).

We have been gazing (I hope, with solemnized hearts), at the result of law. Now the Apostle turns to those who continue in the grace of God. "For, as for us, by the Spirit we are eagerly looking forward to the hope of righteousness on the principle of faith." In Galatians 3: 2 we saw that we received the Spirit by the hearing of faith. Now we see that by the Spirit we "look forward to the hope of righteousness." The law was a thing of the flesh; and the Spirit is "contrary" to the flesh (Gal. 5: 17). So we read in Galatians 3: 3: "Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" In this short epistle, where the law, the work of flesh, is so prominent, we find the Spirit also prominent. For the law is the false way, the Spirit the true way, of justification and holiness. In this short epistle we read of the Spirit sixteen times.

So the Apostle says, "For, as for us, by the Spirit we are eagerly looking forward to the hope of righteousness." The word translated "eagerly looking forward" is used in several other places in the New Testament, but always of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, or of some blessing we receive from His coming. See, for example, 1 Cor. 1: 7; Philippians 3: 20; Hebrews 9: 28. Or, for the blessings see Romans 8: 19 and 23. So in this verse in Galatians, we may expect that the "hope" is "that blessed hope, and the glor ious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." Titus 2: 13. Hope in the language of men, is always an uncertain thing. Perhaps they will receive it, perhaps not. But in God's language hope is a certain thing because there is no uncertainty with God. When God promises us something, there is no uncertainty; we know we will receive it, though we must "with patience wait for it" (Rom. 8: 25). We hope for it (not uncertainly) while we wait for it. So we eagerly look forward to the hope of righteousness.

In the New Testament the Holy Spirit presents to us "righteousness" in various ways. The Spirit uses, I think, five different words to describe righteousness in Romans. We do have righteousness before God now. We are even now reckoned righteous freely by His grace (Rom. 3: 24). But the whole work of being made righteous, as looked at completely in the New Testament, is not entirely fulfilled until the Lord's coming. God knows the end from the beginning, so He need not wait until the end of man's life to pronounce His verdict; but as soon as a man trusts in Christ, then God counts him righteous. But then all his walk and ways must be made to conform in righteousness, to the righteousness we already possess in God's sight. This will only be fully complete when the Lord comes.

"All of us, with unveiled faces, reflecting like bright mirrors the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same likeness, from one degree of radiant holiness to another, even as derived from the Lord the Spirit." 2 Cor. 3: 18.

"Whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son." Rom. Rom. 8: 29.

"We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3: 2.

So we eagerly look forward to that day when Christ shall come, when all our hopes and expectations, that which is contained in the word "righteousness" in all its fulness, shall be completely fulfilled. Surely we may cry, "Make haste, my Beloved!"

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any power, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love" (compare 1 Corinthians 7: 19 and Galatians 6: 15). Circumcision was merely an outward cutting off of the flesh, merely an outward ceremony, and as we have so often seen in this epistle, the Holy Spirit insists that outward forms and ceremonies have no power whatever. Both circumcision and uncircumcision alike can never produce any results for God. So the man who is circumcised is just as helpless to please God as the man who is uncircumcised. There is no difference; neither the one nor the other has the least power to do anything for God. The spiritual meaning of circumcision was "a heart affair." In Jeremiah 6: 10 the Lord complains of Israel that "their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken"; and in Jeremiah 9: 26 He adds: "All the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart." So Paul says: "Circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." Rom. 2: 25, 28, 29. But, although outward forms and ceremonies have no power, yet there is a power: "Faith working through love." But this is an inward power, this is "a heart affair." Faith and love go together, they walk hand in hand. As we learn to know our Lord better we trust Him more entirely, and as we trust Him more we love Him more fully and more wholeheartedly; and faith working through love has mighty power:

"Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it." Song of Sol. 8: 7.

"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth." 1 Cor. 13: 4-8.

".. . Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, . . . and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented: (of whom the world was not worthy): they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith . . ." Heb. 11: 33-39.

Yes, how true is the word, although neither circumcision nor uncircumcision have any power whatever, yet in Christ Jesus, faith working by love has power untold. We must notice how Paul, in verses 5 and 6 of our chapter, links together "faith, hope, and love," as he does in 1 Corinthians 13: 13. "And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three."

"You were running well!" Paul loves the picture of the race. In 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27, he exhorts the Corinthian believers from the same picture: "So run, that ye may obtain!" In Galatians 2: 2 and Philippians 2: 16, Paul speaks of himself in his own race, that he had not run in vain, or to no purpose. In Philippians 3: 12-14, Paul sees himself still as the runner, but drawing nearer the end of the race. The goal is in sight, and that is not the time to relax; on the contrary, now is the time to put forth all his strength, so "down to the goal I press!" As he parted from his dear Ephesian brethren he thinks of the time when, the race finished, the goal passed, the prize won, only the joy remains: ". . . neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy" (Acts 20: 24). It is the Greek word for the race course that Paul uses here once again. And in 2 Timothy 4: 7, using the same word, he sees the race is over: "I have finished my course (again, the word means the "race course") . . . henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness." This was not the kingly crown of royalty, but it was the victor's wreath that the winner of the race received at the Olympic Games. That wreath was made of leaves, "a corruptible crown." But the crown that we receive is "an incorruptible" one (1 Cor. 9: 25).

The Galatian believers were running in this race. They had been running nobly, but someone has come in and interfered with them. The word means "cut into." It generally has the idea of interfering with a person's road, trying to hinder them by breaking down the bridges, and spoiling the road. We often see it in these days in war. So someone had been hindering the Galatian runners, someone had been interfering with them. They had grown weary of the race, and were not running at all well now.

We come now to the word "persuade" used three times over in the Greek. It is generally translated "obey" on the first occasion: "Who has interfered with you, for you not to obey the truth?" But the literal meaning is "to be persuaded." A man does not obey until he is persuaded of the truth that is being presented to him. So we may translate: "Who has interfered with you, for you not to be persuaded by the truth?" Paul is not asking for the sake of information. He probably knew well who the enemy was that was "cutting in" and interfering with those he loved so dearly. It is rather an exclamation to make the Galatian believers themselves see how they have failed. In the next chapter of Galatians we will see that he exhorts them not to lose heart, not to relax. The enemy has persuaded them to give up the truth they had learned from Paul; so Paul adds, "This persuasion is not from the One calling you." It was not the Lord, it was not the Holy Spirit that had persuaded them to give up. It was the enemy's work. "An enemy hath done this" (Matt. 13: 28). Just as the enemy sowed tares amongst the wheat bringing in evil amongst the good; so also the woman in Matthew 13: 33 put a little leaven into much meal, till all was leavened. Perhaps Paul was thinking of our Lord's parable, and so he writes: "A little leaven is leavening the whole lump." Paul had preached the truth and had given them the good meal; but the false teachers had mixed the leaven of law keeping with it, and soon all would be spoiled. We must remember that in the Bible leaven always speaks of what is evil. Evil spreads surely and rapidly, just as the leaven in the meal soon affects the whole lump of dough. It may be there was only one evil teacher in Galatia (see verse 10), but one evil teacher may do untold harm. One person who has smallpox may bring this terrible disease to many persons. Paul uses these same words about leaven again in 1 Corinthians

5: 6. In that case it was moral evil. Here it is doctrinal evil.

"As for me, I am fully persuaded about you in the Lord, that you will be none otherwise minded." Here we find the same word, "persuade," used again. Paul had said, "I stand in doubt of you" (Chapter 4: 20), but now, as he turns his eyes from the Galatians and the false teachers, and "looks off unto Jesus," he can exclaim, "I am fully persuaded about you in the Lord." There is no word in the Greek for "fully," but the tense of the Greek verb tells of completeness and finality; so we have added the word "fully" to try and give that sense. When we are perplexed and in doubt and in trouble, what comfort it is to turn our eyes to the Lord. It is from Him that we get encouragement and comfort and strength and confidence. So Paul, like David of old, "encouraged himself in the Lord." 1 Sam. 30: 6.

And as for the one making the trouble, he shall bear his guilt. No man may trouble the Lord's sheep without bearing his guilt. Alas, there are many today who are troubling the Lord's flock. But they shall each one bear his guilt. Achan, who took the cursed things from Jericho and so brought defeat to Israel (Josh. 7), is called "the troubler of Israel" (1 Chron. 2: 7). It would seem there was one man in particular who was doing this evil work, or who was the leader in it. This man appears to have had great influence, and perhaps a man of great importance in the world; for we see Paul adds the words, "whoever he may be." It mattered not to Paul whether it was Peter himself; he would oppose him before all. The position of the man made not the smallest difference to Paul; and he solemnly warns: "The one troubling you shall bear his guilt, whoever he may be." (Compare Matthew 18: 6, 7.)

The enemies of Paul had said that when it suited Paul he also preached circumcision. He had had Timothy circumcised because he thought this would help him. Paul now asks a question that completely answers these wicked taunts: "But as for me, brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?" Paul had already in Galatians 1: 7, 8, 9, 10, spoken of the same wicked charge they were making against him. Now he answers it more definitely. It was always the Jews who persecuted Paul. It was they who were so bitter against him because he preached to the Gentiles, and set aside their ancient customs. But if Paul was truly preaching the doctrines of the Jews, why should they persecute him? Paul was still being persecuted, and this was a proof that he was still preaching that circumcision had no power and that faith in Christ alone can save. But what about the Galatians? Were they still being persecuted? When they turned from Christ to circumcision, then their persecution would cease. It may be that Paul would gently remind them of this. If Paul were preaching the doctrines of the Jews, then the scandal of the cross would surely have ceased. It was such a scandalous thing to preach about a Man who had been nailed on a cross. This death was worse than being hanged on a gallows. This death was kept for slaves and for criminals of the worst kind. A Roman citizen could not be crucified. But Paul gloried in the cross. He loved to tell the story of the cross. He was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, nor of the cross of Christ. To him it was the power of God unto salvation. But to men of the world, it was a scandal. "We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block (or scandal), and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." 1 Cor. 1: 23, 24.

The Greek word translated "scandal" literally means the stick in a trap to which the bait is fastened, and so it came to mean the trap or snare itself. It is generally translated "stumbling-block," which has something the same meaning. It is the word from which we get the English word "scandal." A scandal is something men stumble over, and they do not wish to have anything to do with it. The first time this word is used is in Matthew 13: 41, but the verb from it is used in Matthew 5: 29. These words are used many times in Matthew's Gospel. This gospel was written especially for the Jews, and there were many things that scandalized, or stumbled, them. But the cross was the greatest scandal of all.

"Then is the scandal fully done away," or "fully invalidated"; this is the same word as the 4th verse, which we have just considered. Again, here, the Greek does not have the word "fully," but the tense of the verb expresses this meaning. For the one preaching the law, the scandal of the cross is fully done away, made without effect.

"Would that the ones upsetting you would even cut themselves off." These troublers of the Christians were continually talking about circumcision, cutting off the flesh. Paul replies: "Would that they would cut themselves off!" Paul probably meant that he wished they would excommunicate themselves, and openly cut themselves off from the assemblies of the Christians. That is the "cutting off" that he wished to see as regards these wicked men.

Christ the Saviour of sinners came

Into the world to save!

Sing His glory, His worth, His fame,

Jesus alone can save!

No Name else is given,

Search through earth and heaven ?

Jesus alone, Jesus alone,

Jesus alone can save!

"Works of righteousness" all in vain,

Jesus alone can save,

His blood cleanses from every stain,

Jesus alone can save;

Now His work's completed,

Now in glory seated ?

Jesus alone, Jesus alone,

Jesus alone can save.

Chapter 20

The Flesh and the Spirit

Galatians 5: 13-26

"For you, to freedom you were called, brothers; only (do) not (turn) that freedom into a base of operations for the flesh, but by means of love, (let it be your habit to) be slaves to one another. For the entire law is filled to the full in one word, in the (word) thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, beware lest you should be consumed by one another. But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and you shall not at all give effect to the passionate cravings (or desires) of (the) flesh. For the flesh is passionately opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit opposed to the flesh, for these keep resisting one another, in order that you might not do these things which you are wishing (to do). But if you are led by (the) Spirit you are not under law. But the works of the flesh are manifest, which are

fornication,

uncleanness,

indecency,

idol-worship,

witchcraft (sorcery),

enmities,

quarrelling,

jealousy

(outbursts of) anger,

self-seeking (rivalries),

divisions,

sects (schools of opinion),

envyings,

drunkennesses,

revelings,

and the things like these, as to which things, I am telling you beforehand even as I said before, that the ones practicing such things, shall not inherit God's kingdom. But the fruit of the Spirit is

love,

joy,

peace,

long-suffering,

kindness,

goodness,

faithfulness,

meekness,

self-control:

against such things there is no law. But the ones of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the emotions and the passionate cravings. If we live by (the) Spirit, by (the) Spirit also let us keep in step. Let us not become vainglorious, challenging (provoking) one another, envying one another." Galatians 5: 13-26

The last verse in the 4th chapter of Galatians, and the first verse of chapter 5, read as follows: "Wherefore, brothers, we are not handmaid's children, but (on the contrary, children) of the freewoman. With (this) freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast, therefore, and do not be entangled again by a yoke of slavery." We considered these verses in chapter 18 of our book; and the verses following Galatians 5: 2 to 12, form a parenthesis, partly of warning, partly of encouragement. We looked at these verses in our last chapter. Now we return to the verses just quoted at the end of chapter 4 and beginning of chapter 5. "With this freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast, therefore, and do not be entangled again by a yoke of slavery . . . For you, to freedom you were called, brothers." Let these words ring through our hearts like glad bells ringing out the glorious message that we are free. The Jews were slaves to "the principles of the world" (Gal. 4: 3), which tell of the law. In Romans 7: 1, we read that the law is lord of the man as long as he lives. The Gentiles, or nations, were slaves to idols (Gal. 4: 8). We all were slaves of sin (Rom. 6: 6, 17), but "Christ has set us free." Free from the law (Rom. 7: 4). Free from all the idols, free from sin! (Rom. 6: 7, 22.) What a wonderful freedom is this! And in Romans 8: 2, we read: "The, law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Yes, brothers, the Christian is a free man: Christ has set us free; "stand firm, therefore, and do not be entangled again by a yoke of slavery . . . For you, to freedom you were called, brothers!"

There are many today, alas, who are trying to bring the Lord's people back to slavery. How many are teaching the law, some as a way of salvation, others as a rule of life. In either case, it is slavery once again. Every sect of Christendom has its own rules and regulations; and these all bring the Christian into slavery once more. Even when there are no written laws, or rules, or regulations, how often do we find unwritten traditions that bind the saint of God with mighty chains, and drag him down once more to slavery.

O my friends, if this little book could but help to burn into your hearts these blessed words: "Christ has set us free," it would not be in vain. Stand firm, brothers! You will meet on every hand those who wish to make you slaves once more; and some of their excuses, or "reasons" as they would call them, sound very good; but stand firm, and do not be entangled again by a yoke of slavery. Remember, you, who read these words, you Christians in China, in America, in Canada, you have been called to freedom.

But a warning follows this glorious message of freedom. "Only do not turn that freedom into a base of operations for the flesh." When an enemy wishes to attack a country, he seeks first to gain possession of a small part of that country, as "a base of operations," and from that small bit, soon the enemy has conquered all the country. We need to see to it that the small bit of country is not first yielded to the enemy for a base; then the whole country is safe. So, the flesh will always be seeking to use our freedom for itself, and turn this blessing from God to the advantage of the enemy. Here is a Christian man who says: "I am called unto freedom, and so I am free to use the Lord's day as I wish." He keeps his shop open on that day, to the dishonor of his Master. Here is a Christian student who says: "I am free, I need not attend the meetings; I can use the time for study; I am called to freedom." Here is a Christian girl: she says, "I am free, I may wear what I please," and she puts on clothing that she knows the Scriptures condemn. Each of us has his own weakness which requires purpose of heart and self-judgment to keep from being brought under its power ? "the sin which doth so easily beset us" (Heb. 12: 1). Each of us knows "the plague of his own heart" (1 Kings 8: 38). How we need to watch in these cases that our freedom does not become a base of operations for the flesh, our bitter enemy.

But though we are free, and the Apostle could hardly speak more strongly of our freedom, he urges us to hold it fast; yet in the very next sentence he tells us to make it a habit to be slaves. By means of love, or on account of love, let it be your habit to be slaves to one another. The Galatians had wished to return to slavery. Do so, says the Apostle, make it your habit to be slaves; but slaves to one another ? not to the law! Slaves, yet free men! Love, true love, makes slaves of each one of us. We have seen our Lord rise from supper, lay aside His garments, take a towel and gird Himself, and do the work of a slave, for love to His own people. We are to follow His steps; on account of love, we are to serve one another, to serve as slaves. True love delights to do this. Watch a mother serve her husband and her children; she is a slave to them, but free ? a slave in the bonds of love. Indeed, as the Apostle points out, the entire law is filled to the full in the one word, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." One who truly loves his neighbor will do his neighbor no wrong, and so he keeps the law towards his neighbor. "He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Rom. 13: 8. But read 1 Corinthians 13 and see how far, far beyond the law does love go! The law is filled to the full, and love has only begun her work of being a slave to others. How different is God's way from man's way.

It would seem that with the coming of the law teachers, there also came quarrelling. The Apostle warns these saints: "If you keep on biting and devouring one another, beware lest you should be consumed by one another." The law makes men hard; the law knows nothing of love. In that kind of soil the quarrels quickly grow, and the biting and devouring one another may soon be seen. Each thinks that he is standing for righteousness, when all the time, he is only trying to force his own will on his neighbor. Do you remember that Proverbs tells us that the contentions of brothers are like the bars of a castle ? cold and straight, each one held firmly away from the other by being embedded in the cold stone (Prov. 18: 19)? That is the result of a heart that puts itself under law. Another translates these words: "If you are perpetually snarling and snapping at one another, beware lest you are destroyed by one another."

But there is a way in which the Christian may walk through this world, with the enemies on every side, and be in perfect safety. There is a way in which the flesh has no power whatever against the Christian. And what is that way? "Walk by the Spirit, and you shall not at all give effect to the passionate cravings of the flesh." That is our secret, "walk by the Spirit." God has given the Holy Spirit to dwell in each believer, and He does dwell in us, though often we forget Him, or grieve Him (Eph. 4: 30), or disregard Him; but He does dwell in you, dear Christian reader, and He is ready to give you power for your walk. Heed His least prompting, obey Him instantly as He brings to your mind the Word of God; so we "walk by the Spirit." In verse 18 we will read of being "led by the Spirit." That is true; He knows the path we are to walk, and He is a faithful, trusty Guide. If we will but let Him lead us, then we will truly "walk by the Spirit," and we will not at all fulfill the passionate cravings of the flesh. How strong the flesh is! What passionate cravings it has! But there is One who is mightier than the flesh, who dwells within each one of us, and all His mighty power is ready to lead us, and to let us walk by the Spirit, so that there is no need for us to give effect at all to these passionate cravings of the flesh. In the Greek it is a double negative; that makes it very strong, "not at all" do we need to heed the flesh.

Now we find there are two dwelling within us who are utterly opposed to each other. The flesh is passionately opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit is passionately opposed to the flesh; so I find that within me there is a war going on, more bitter, more determined, and lasting longer than any war on earth. The flesh is always wanting to have its own way, and do its own will; the Holy Spirit who dwells in me is always opposed to my flesh. If I listen to the flesh, and yield my members to it, then the flesh quickly makes itself manifest in me; but if I walk by the Spirit, and let the Spirit lead me, then I will not at all listen to the passionate cravings of the flesh.

There are those who tell us that the flesh in them is dead, or is "burned out," and will never act again. No, dear reader, the flesh is very much alive, as we will soon see, if we do not heed the Holy Spirit within us. There was a man who insisted that his flesh was dead, and he had no more passionate desires. Someone threw a cup of water in his face, and immediately he lost his temper, and became very angry. His flesh was not dead, but was only waiting for an opportunity to manifest itself. Though the flesh is not dead, and will be with us as long as we are down on this earth, yet we may thank God that He has provided a way in which it may be kept in the place of death. So in Romans 6 we read, "Knowing this, that our old man has been crucified with (Him), that the body of sin might be annulled, that we should no longer serve sin. For he that has died is justified from sin. . . So also ye, reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to obey its lusts. Neither yield your members instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God." Rom. 6: 6-13, J.N.D. Trans. But the only way I can put this into practical effect in my life, is by walking by the Spirit, letting the Spirit lead me, yielding myself and my members to God, to lead me, and use me as He pleases. So I live to God, not to the flesh.

This life is produced in us by the work of the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God. The Christian's walk should show forth this new life, which indeed manifests Christ, for Christ is our life. If we follow this path we shall not at all give effect to the passionate cravings of the flesh. It is thus we avoid sin, not by taking the law to compel us to do what we do not wish to do. The law has no power to compel the flesh to obey, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be (Rom. 8: 7). The new life loves to obey, loves holiness, and Christ is its strength and wisdom by the Holy Spirit. Let us not forget the flesh is still here, as we find in this chapter in Galatians, and it is passionately opposed to the Spirit, in order to hinder us walking by the Spirit; and the Spirit is opposed to the flesh, in order to prevent the Christian from walking according to the flesh. But if the Spirit leads us, we are not under law. It does not say, "not under the law," but not under any law; not under the rules and regulations of man; not under the rules that we love to make for our own life. The Word of God, through the Spirit of God, is our only guide, and by it we are ruled. But we may be sure of this that the Spirit does not lead us to law, for law gives neither life nor strength.

But led by the Spirit, we are free; we may do the good that the new nature loves. Let us then ever, moment by moment, seek grace to walk by the Spirit, to let Him lead us; so He will enable us to hold the flesh as dead, crucified with Christ; and so we will bring forth the fruit of the Spirit to the glory of our God.

Now the Spirit in our chapter shows us on the one hand the works of the flesh: fifteen different wicked works, all manifesting the flesh. The first three are sexual sins, and how common these are. How easy it is to allow impure thoughts to enter our minds, and even to dwell there. In Matthew 15: 19, the Lord tells us what comes out of the heart of man, and the first on the list is "evil thoughts." We sometimes excuse ourselves by saying we cannot govern our thoughts, that these things will enter our minds unbidden, and that we hate them. However, if we let the Spirit lead us, even evil thoughts can have no power over us; instead, through Him, we may lead "captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ" (2 Cor. 10: 5). And alas! impurity may not only be in thought, but in word and in deed. How careful we should be! Every one of us has the flesh in us, and these hateful, filthy sins come first on the list of its works.

The next two on the list are idol-worship and witchcraft. How much we see in China of these two works of the flesh. Some people try to tell us these things are not altogether bad; but how much better it is to believe the Word of God, and flee from idolatry (1 Cor. 10: 14). And remember the Apostle John's last words in his first epistle are: "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." For we may make other idols than those we see around us in China. My house may become my idol, or my books, or my study, or even my child. Anything that takes the place that God alone should have is an idol. Do not let us think these words have nothing to say to us. And how many persons there are who are what we call "superstitious." There are many things they will not do, because they say it will bring them "bad luck." This all comes under the heading of "witchcraft," and is one of the works of the flesh. Christ has made us free from all such things; let us stand firm in this freedom.

Then come eight bad works towards my brethren. First, enmities. How easy it is to have a spirit of enmity against a brother. He may have wronged us, and we do not forgive; after the enmities come quarrelling. The enmities we may have kept in our heart, but very soon it comes out in an open quarrel. The fault, we think, is all on his side; but when we were children and we quarrelled together, my mother always told us: "It takes two to make a quarrel." We may be certain if we are mixed up in a quarrel, it is because we have yielded to the flesh. Only by pride cometh contention! (Prov. 13: 10.) Then comes jealousy, one of the most common things in the heart of man. Then outbursts of anger. We call it "quick-tempered" or "short-tempered," but it is one of the works of the flesh. In 2 Peter 3: 9 we read that the Lord is "long-tempered to us-ward." Then self-seeking. In Philippians 2: 21 we read: "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Nearly all the Christians, even of Paul's day, had fallen under the power of this terrible work of the flesh. There was one young man who was exempt, and that was Timothy; so we might see that there is a way not to put into effect even this work of the flesh.

Then come divisions. Sad, sad word, and how many hearts have been broken by it! Yet there are some who almost boast in divisions, and say that they are necessary. Is it necessary to let the flesh act? If so, it is necessary to have divisions. But let him who boasts in divisions remember that God says they are one of the works of the flesh. These divisions came before there was an actual scattering of the sheep.

We may have a division in a company that outwardly seems to go on as one; but after the division has come in, it will not be long before outward parties are formed. We call them "sects." In Christendom today men say with pride: "I belong to such-and-such a sect." But in God's eyes, this is only another work of the flesh.

Then we have envyings. "Who is able to stand before envy?" Prov. 27: 4. This is another very common fault; perhaps much more common than we realize. How often we envy the wealth, or the ability, or the gift, or the holiness of another. This spirit of envy raises in my heart a spirit of enmity against my brother, and a long list of works of the flesh may result; all started from envy. It may be that the brother I am envying has not the least idea that he has been the cause of so much evil in my life; yet the fault was not with him, but entirely with myself, as I allowed the flesh to act in envy.

Last come drunkennesses and revelings: sad and shameful works to be seen in a Christian; yet, alas, we do see them at times. Not by signing the pledge but by walking by the Spirit, can we conquer the works of the flesh.

May God help us, as we ponder this horrible list (and it does not include all the works of this flesh of mine, for the Apostle adds, "and the things like these"), to remember that there is only one way to be kept from any of these terrible sins; that way is God's way: to walk by the Spirit. We may make rules against them, but rules have no power over the flesh. How much sorrow we will miss, if only we will give heed to God's Word in these verses!

Then comes the "fruit of the Spirit": not works, as of the flesh, not even fruits, in the plural; but as it were one lovely bunch of nine fruits: like a bunch of beautiful grapes for the Master.

The nine fruits are one in God's sight, but they may be divided into three groups of three each. The first three are the hidden fruits, seen by the eye of God: love, joy, peace. But it is these three hidden fruits that give birth to the next three, towards my brethren: long-suffering, kindness, goodness. What a contrast to the eight works of the flesh that had to do with our brethren! Lastly come faithfulness (or it might be faith), meekness and self-control.

Love comes first in the list; for as we have seen above, love fills to the full all the law. Love to God, and love to my neighbor; love to the poor perishing world around me, and love to my brethren. This love is the first of the fruits of the Spirit. But we must read 1 Corinthians 13 if we would know more what love means. Do we not see there a description of the love of Christ? To whom else can it truly apply?

And then comes joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength (Neh. 8: 10). If my heart is filled with the Lord's joy, nothing can cast me down. As we reads the Epistle to the Philippians, how much we find about joy; and yet that letter was written from a Roman prison, and outside the prison Paul's enemies were seeking to add afflictions to his bonds (1: 16). Yet he writes: "I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice" (1: 18).

Then comes peace. That deep, calm peace, amidst the turmoil and strife of this world; this is the fruit of the Spirit ? peace that passeth all understanding, the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4: 7).

It is remarkable that our Lord Jesus bequeathed these three sweet fruits to us before He left this world. In John 14: 27 we read: "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you." In John 15: 11 we read: "These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." And in John 17: 26 our Lord prays: "That the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them." His peace, His joy, His love. What a legacy! ? all made good to us by the Holy Spirit, if we "walk by the Spirit."

It is remarkable that the first of the fruits of the Spirit towards our brethren is "long-suffering." We are sure to suffer from our brethren. So often they do not understand. So often they pain us, and blame us, and perhaps scold us, for things that they do not really comprehend at all. When we remember this, and when we have suffered long from our brethren, we truly understand what this word "longsuffering" means; then how wonderful to find that in Exodus 34: 6, God Himself is described as "long-suffering." In Ephesians 4: 1-3 the Apostle exhorts the beloved Ephesian Christians to walk worthy of the calling wherewith they were called, "with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." What is the difference between lowliness and meekness? Lowliness does not give offense, and meekness does not take offense. Both are needed if we are not to quarrel with our brethren. And then comes long-suffering, as we have here in Galatians; and fourth "forbearing one another in love." You will notice that all four of these qualities are to enable us to live at peace with our brethren, and provide for suffering on our part from them. Only so can we hope to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Kindness comes from a lovely Greek word, "Chreestos." Christ in Greek is "Christos." The sound is almost the same. In the old days, the people used to say that "Christians" (from the name Christ which we bear) were also "Chreestians" (from Chreestos, meaning kind), because the Christians were known for their kindness to others. This is just as it should be; and I hope that every one of us may be Chreestians, as well as Christians. The word was also used for the comfort of an old, well-fitting shoe, that did not hurt the foot in any part; so should the Christian be to those with whom he has to do.

Then comes goodness. You will notice that righteousness is not said to be a fruit of the Spirit. You remember the Word says, "Scarcely for a righteous man would one die: yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die." Rom. 5: 7. So it is goodness, not righteousness, that is a fruit of the Spirit. The Christian is, of course, to be righteous as well as good. In Ephesians 5: 9, we have the "fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth."

Faithfulness may be the meaning of the next fruit, which tells of one who can be trusted ? who is faithful in all his ways; or it may have the meaning of one who rests entirely in God, knowing that certainly God is working all things together for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8: 28). Or it may be simply the faith that every Christian has in Christ for his salvation. Perhaps all these meanings are included, for surely each one is a fruit of the Spirit.

Meekness. We have already spoken of this most precious fruit, suggesting that it would not take offense. There are some persons towards whom one must be unusually careful because they take offense so easily. Such persons have very little meekness. This fruit seems to be especially valuable in the sight of God; for He tells the Christian women to wear the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price (1 Peter 3: 4). I knew one lady who feared to pray for meekness, because she felt sure that such a prayer would bring many trials to teach her this lesson. But she prayed that the Lord would make her willing to pray for meekness, and soon she found that she was asking the Lord to make her meek. Let us remember that our Lord Jesus says: "I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matt. 11: 29).

Finally we come to self-control. This is translated "temperance" in the English Bible, but it really means to have mastery, and the one over which we are to have mastery, is ourselves. I fear that this is a very rare, but very precious fruit. How few there are who truly have mastery over their own bodies, and their own minds and thoughts. Paul could say of himself: "I keep under my body, and lead it away a slave." 1 Cor. 9: 27. That is true self-control. Paul had mastery over himself. Let us remember that this is a fruit of the Spirit, and only God's Spirit can give this self-control.

Before we leave this subject we must notice the difference between works and fruit. Works make us think of our own doing; fruit makes us think of another power within that draws its strength from the sunshine, the ground, the air, and forms these things into the "precious fruits of the earth." So it is, that by turning our eyes away from the things of earth, and looking off unto Jesus, we are changed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3: 18). And the fruit grows, without noise or labor on our part, by an unseen power within. There is very much in the New Testament about fruit and fruit bearing, but we may not stop now to look further at this lovely subject; but in closing may we ask our readers to look for themselves at Titus 3: 14, and Philippians 4: 17, to see another kind of fruit that is also well-pleasing to our Lord.

Those who love to teach the law must confess that there is no law against the nine lovely fruits we have just been considering. Furthermore they must confess that not only can they never by the law bring forth such fruit as these, but that also, if one could fully keep the law, the result still could not compare to the beauty and preciousness of the fruit of the Spirit.

Before we leave this lovely subject we must notice that it gives us a wonderful picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. None other but He has ever brought forth these fruits in their perfection. And so we gaze on His love, His joy, His peace, His long-suffering (how we have proved it!), His kindness, His goodness ("the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him" Nahum 1: 7), His faithfulness ("God, the faithful God," Deut. 7: 9; "Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds," Ps. 36: 5), His meekness ("I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ," 2 Cor. 10: 1), His self-control (gaze upon Him as He went from the garden to the cross!). How this picture stirs our hearts, as we consider Him, who is the chiefest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely One (Song of Sol. 5: 10, 16).

"But the ones of Jesus Christ have crucified the flesh with the emotions and passionate cravings." "The ones of Jesus Christ," remind us of Galatians 3: 29: "But if you (are) of Christ, then you are Abraham's seed." We noticed that the expression "of Christ," meant more than "belonging to Christ." It has also the meaning of being a part of Christ, members of Christ, not merely the property of Christ. So here, "those of Jesus Christ" would be those who are His members, those who are truly part of Himself. These have crucified the flesh, as we have already seen in Romans 6, with the emotions and the passionate cravings. Now, as we walk by the Spirit, the Spirit keeps the flesh in this place of death; but if we walk carelessly, and do our own will, and listen to the flesh, then the works of the flesh will be manifest in our lives. The Christian does not have to die. Christ died for us, and we hold ourselves for dead, having died with Him, as though we ourselves had died upon the cross, since it was for us He suffered. Now I have this new life, and I do not acknowledge the flesh as "I" at all, but as sin which dwells in me, which I hold to be crucified. We may realize this moment by moment. God says we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3: 3). Faith thankfully believes what God says, and so holds the flesh, the old man to be dead, as we have seen in Romans 6. If the Christian is faithful, then by the Holy Spirit he applies the cross in a practical way to the flesh, so that it may not act (2 Cor. 4: 10-12).

If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also keep in step. We live by the Spirit. We walk by the Spirit. We are led by the Spirit, and by the Spirit we keep in step. The word means to walk in a line, as a line of soldiers. If each soldier went his own way, and only walked when he chose, there would be no line at all. But the soldiers are under authority, and obedience to that authority produces the line of soldiers and all must keep in step. The Holy Spirit has authority over us; if we hear and heed Him, then we will walk in line ? we will keep step.

"Let us not become vainglorious, challenging (or provoking) one another, envying one another." We usually call vainglory, conceit. The law makes us more vainglorious or conceited than we were before, instead of destroying our vainglory, because the law makes me think of myself. As we have seen, if we use the law in the right way it is most useful, for when I think of myself, and see how bad I am ? when I see how far short of the righteous demands of the law I come ? then the law helps to compel me to own myself a lost sinner. But the law, as we have seen, never can produce righteousness.

And the law cannot produce holiness either. The law is not the rule of life for the Christian. Even the Christian's flesh is not subject to the law, and so the law cannot produce holiness in it. But God has given us a new life, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us, to produce fruits which are well-pleasing to God.

Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, living by Him, walking by Him, led by Him, taught by Him from the Word of God, the Bible, let us each one by Him seek to walk in line, to keep step, to walk in the footsteps of Christ (1 Peter 2: 21). If we keep step, we are likely also to "keep rank" (1 Chron. 12: 33).

Let us remember:

We walk by the Spirit. 5: 16

We are led by the Spirit. 5: 18.

We live by the Spirit. 5: 25.

We keep step by the Spirit. 5: 25.

Chapter 21

The Brother Who Falls

Galatians 6: 1

"Brothers, if haply a man should even be overtaken by some fall (or misdeed), you, the spiritual ones, you set to rights such an one, in a spirit of meekness, looking to thyself (or paying attention to thyself), lest even thou shouldest be tempted." Galatians 6: 1.

I suppose the first thing we notice as we read this last chapter of Galatians together is that the first word and the last word (except for "Amen") are the same, brothers! Brother tells of the same family. Brother tells of the same Father, and of the same home, and of the near and dear relationship one to the other. Brother speaks of love.

We had read in chapter 2: 4 of false brethren, and in 1 Corinthians 5: 11 we read of those who were called brothers, but were behaving so badly that they had lost the right to that blessed name, and were turned away from the family table. In 2 Thessalonians 3: 15, we read of those who did not hear the Apostle's warning in the epistle; the brothers of such a man were to keep no company with him that he might be ashamed, but they were not to count him an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. And in Romans 16: 17 we are told to avoid those who cause divisions and offenses. It is a very great honor to have the right to this name brother, and the privileges of the family that go with it. We do well to value it very highly, and to seek grace from God to walk worthy of it. (See Eph. 4: 1.) Nine times in this epistle he calls them brothers. And so, though perhaps they did not deserve it, the Apostle showers upon these naughty saints, this sweet name, brothers! It is love begets love, and perhaps the love that burst from that word brothers helped to draw their wandering hearts back to Christ, as much as the scolding that they deserved so much.

The Apostle had said before, "I stand in doubt of you." Now with his heart overflowing with love, as he prepares to end his letter, he exclaims, brothers! How near, and how dear to each other, does this word bring these Galatian Christians, to whom he has had to write so severely. In our last chapter we have seen the works of the flesh, and Paul has most solemnly warned them that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But alas, which of us dare to say that we have not fallen in our walk down here, and too often have we done some of the works of the flesh. It is with shame we have to confess it, but sad to say, it is true. But it is one thing to fall by the way even into these sins, and another thing to make a practice of doing them.

Paul knew that the teaching of the law which these Galatians had been receiving had made them hard and bitter towards one another. He knew how easy it is to fall by the way; so he writes, "Brothers, if haply a man should even be overtaken by some fall." In our last chapter the Apostle had told them to "walk by the Spirit," and "to keep step by the Spirit" (vv. 16, 25), as well as speaking of being "led by the Spirit." Now he sees some brother fall in this walk. What is to be done to him? How is he to be treated? That is the question with which this chapter begins.

Before we answer this question, let us look a little at that word "fall." "If haply a man should even be overtaken by some fall." There are many words in the New Testament to describe -sin. God looks at sin in many different ways.

He sees it like a man who

Misses the mark when he shoots at a target;

Crosses a line he should not cross;

Disobeys a voice;

Is ignorant, when he should have known;

Gives less than full measure;

Does not obey the law;

Falls, when he should have walked uprightly.

In all these ways, and more, God sees our sins. Each has its own name in the Greek language, and each tells of a different aspect of sin. In chapter 5 we have been reading of our "walk." This chapter follows straight on, and tells us of a man who falls in that walk.

And please notice the way Paul introduces this subject. He does not suggest that it is necessary to fall, for it is not. But he says, "Brothers, if haply a man should even be overtaken by a fall." It is as if he said, I do not suppose it will really happen, but even if it should . . . What grace, what kindness there is in these words. It reminds us of David's words in Psalm 103: 8, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." Who knew better than David the Lord's mercy? David had, indeed, been overtaken by a most terrible fall, which caused him to commit adultery and murder. A worse fall could not have overtaken David; yet that is his testimony: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." Those of us who have fallen by the way learn to love these words. Mercy is what we need, and mercy is what we find in the heart of God.

Nothing but mercy will do for me,

Nothing but mercy, full and free!

Of sinners chief ? what but the blood

Could calm my soul before my God?

Notice it does not say, "Even if haply a brother should be overtaken by a fall." It is a word that means man or woman, boy or girl, old or young. We all are liable to fall by the way, and besides, it is not the proper thing for a brother to do, to fall down. Notice also, this sin "overtakes" the man. If we are not watchful, the devil will surely trip us up with some sin and make us fall. We must always "watch and pray."

But even if a person should fall down, what then? You the spiritual ones, you are to set him to rights. The Galatians boasted about their spirituality; just as in these days, the people who put themselves under law, and try to put others under law, always feel that they are more holy than others. "You," says the Apostle, "You who are so spiritual, you restore this one who has fallen by the way; you set him to rights, and put him back on his path again." That is God's test as to whether a man is spiritual or not. Are you one whom God can use to set at rights the fallen? If not, you are not a spiritual man in God's sight. The word "set to rights" is first used in the New Testament in Matthew 4: 21, where the Lord found James and John with their father in a ship, mending their nets "Putting them to right." In Hebrews 11: 3 we read that the worlds were "set to rights" by the Word of God. It is also used for setting a broken bone, putting it to rights. So, even if a man should fall, you, you the spiritual ones, set him to rights. We find another mark of spiritual ones in 1 Cor. 14: 37.

Is it that in these days there are no spiritual ones? For alas, how rare it is to see one who has had a fall, put to rights, put back on the road again, to go right on with the walk! Remember, dear brothers, the responsibility lies with us. It does not say, let the one who had the fall put himself to rights, and climb back to the road. No, the responsibility for the fallen brother lies with those who are spiritual. And let us remember that those who fall, and for very shame, turn their faces away from their brethren. Let us remember that their hearts will soon grow accustomed to estrangement. At first it may be, even though outwardly we cannot see it, that within there is a sore and wounded heart, broken perhaps, at the thought of how he has dishonored the One he loves. Where is the one who, at such a time, is by his side, to set him to rights? Generally, there is nobody. We generally leave the fallen brother where he is, giving thanks, perhaps, that we are not guilty of such a shameful fall. That is God's proof that we are not spiritual. And what is a spiritual man? I suppose a spiritual man is one who is walking by the Spirit, one who is led by the Spirit. It may be our mouths would fear to boast that we are such, yet how often in our hearts, we congratulate ourselves that I am walking by the Spirit, I am led by the Spirit, I am a spiritual man. Let us test ourselves with God's own test. How many of the fallen brothers and sisters have I set to rights? This is God's test. I know many who are proud of their spirituality, but I do not know one who can go to a fallen brother and put him to rights.

Why is there this sad dearth of truly spiritual men? Perhaps because so few are truly led of the Spirit. And there is a test for this also, that we would do well to use on ourselves: "If you are led of the Spirit, you are not under law." Galatians 5: 18. The rules and regulations that we make to govern our walk, and the walk and the ways of our brethren, even though they may be unwritten, are nothing more than witnesses that stand with accusing fingers pointed at our own selves, to prove that we are not led by the Spirit. The law understands about a broken law, or broken tables of stone, but the law knows absolutely nothing whatever about putting to rights. This is not its business, and this it cannot do. The law knows all about a fall, and is ready to condemn and curse the one who is down; but to come where he is, to lift him up, to restore him, and set him on the road again, of all this, the law knows nothing whatever.

I remember a man who was overtaken by a bad fall on the road. He fell among thieves who robbed him, took his clothes away, and left him naked, wounded and half dead. I watched the law come by chance down that way, and waited to see the law go and pick up the poor wounded man and set him on the road again; but the law, although it saw him, only passed by on the other side. Then I watched the Jewish temple service, sacrifices and feasts, (of which the Galatians were so fond). They came and even stopped and looked at him. I thought I heard them say, "Poor man, poor man, be more careful next time," and then they passed by on the other side, like the law. Neither of them seemed able to do a thing for the fallen man. Indeed they did not seem to care very much about him. Then came my Master. It was this that made Him my Master, for I was the poor man who fell among the thieves. He came all the way from heaven, right to where I was. He got down in the dust on the road, and bound up my wounds, pouring in oil and wine; He put me on His own beast, put His arm around me to hold me so I would not fall, and took me to an inn. The name of the inn was "the place that receives all," and the name of the inn-keeper was "the One who receives all" (how different from the inn where my Master was born; there was no room for Him there, so He was born in the stable); my Master paid for my keep, and left word with the innkeeper, "Take care of him." There was no fear of spending too much on me, for my Master said, "Whatever you spend more, when I come again, I will repay you." So now, I am waiting and looking for my Master to come again. (See Luke 10: 30-37.)

Readers, brothers, that is the only way to deal with a fallen brother. You cannot pick him up from the other side of the road. You cannot help him while you stand beside him. You have to come where he is. You have to get down on your knees in the dust beside him, and then there is some hope that you may be able to put him to rights. And I wonder, do we carry the oil and the wine with us, ready for the wounds there are all around us? The oil would speak of the Holy Spirit and His power ? His healing, restoring power. The wine would speak of joy, the joy that was lost with the fall ? joy, the second fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle goes on to tell the brothers who have undertaken the work of setting to rights the fallen ones, that it must be done in a spirit of meekness, or gentleness, or tenderness. There is no other way to treat a wound or a fracture. We must be gentle, or we cannot restore it at all; and what skill is needed. But not half so much skill as is required to restore the fallen one of Galatians 6: 1. A hard and legal spirit will never restore such an one, but only drive him further away. Alas, I have watched with anguish of soul, one of these soul doctors, as he undertook to put to rights a fallen brother, and I have seen him drive him far away; instead of picking him up, he knocked him further down. I have heard more than one who has fallen, cry with tears: "They drove me away!" I knew it was true and I thought of Ezekiel 34, and the shepherds there: "Ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled over them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd . . . Yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them." Ezek. 34: 3-6. How we need some true shepherds today.

But there is a very urgent reason for using a spirit of meekness, and the Apostle tells us why: "Looking to (or paying attention to) thyself, lest even thou shouldest be tempted." Notice the sudden change from plural to singular here. I am apt to forget that I am just as likely to fall as my brother who is down. So I, personally (each individual one of us), need to pay attention to myself. Do you remember Peter? He passed the death sentence on Ananias and Sapphira, because they did not walk straightforwardly, but lied to the Holy Ghost (Acts 5: 1-11). Doubtless the Holy Ghost dictated this sentence, but as Peter passed it on to the guilty ones, he never thought that he could do such a thing. I rather fear he did not pass that sentence in the spirit of meekness, but in the spirit of righteousness. But it was not many years later when Paul is compelled to rebuke Peter before all, because he like Ananias, did not walk straightforwardly. There is not one of us who can venture to say to another: "I would not do what you have done." Better far not to go near our fallen brother, than to go in any spirit, but the gentle spirit of meekness, paying attention to myself, lest I also should be tested in the same way, and like my brother I also should fall.

There are assemblies of Christians who feel that those who have fallen and have been put away from the Lord's table, are witnesses to the purity and the holiness of the assembly. No, brothers, not so. They might be witnesses to your lack of spirituality, and these fallen ones might long since have been put to rights, restored, and brought back. Do you remember how that skillful workman, Paul, wrote to the Corinthians: first, to put the fallen man away (1 Cor. 5)? They obeyed, and the fallen, brokenhearted man was likely to be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow; and the very one who had commanded them to put him away, now hastens to write that they should restore him (2 Cor. 2: 7). Oh, that there were such a heart, such a yearning heart of love, for the sheep of Christ today!

But we cannot close this subject without turning to Jude 24, 25: "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from stumbling [it is not even a question here of a fall, it is only a stumble that might lead to a fall, and there is One who is able to keep us even from stumbling], and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."

Chapter 22

Burdens

Galatians 6: 2-5

"Be ever bearing one another's burdens, and thus fill up to the full the law of Christ. For if anyone is reputed to be something, being nothing, he is by fancies deceiving himself. But let each one test his own work, and then he will have his boast only with regard to himself, and not with

regard to the other. For each shall carry his own load." Galatians 6: 2-5.

We saw in our last chapter that the Apostle changes from the plural to the singular, while he says: "paying attention to thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Now in the next words (which we have quoted above), he returns to the plural. It is such a very personal thing, to pay attention to myself, to look to myself, that the plural there would not be suitable; and I do well to turn my eyes away from my fallen brother to look to the beam that may be in my own eye, before I begin to cast the mote out of his eye. (See Matthew 7: 3-5.)

Now we go back to the plural again: "Make it your habit to be bearing the burdens of one another." The Galatian Christians were very anxious to take up the burden of the law. This burden, you remember, Peter said was one which "neither our fathers nor we were able to bear" (Acts 15: 10); yet the Galatians were keen to bear this burden. No, says the Apostle, I will show you a better burden for you to bear than that. Bear one another's burdens. And do not do it only now and then, but make it your habit, day by day, to be ever bearing the burdens of your brothers and your sisters. You remember in the last chapter, after the Apostle told them once again of their liberty, he immediately adds: "But by love let it be your habit to be slaves to one another." Chapter 5: 3. Now he tells them to make a habit of bearing each other's burdens. How many heavy burdens there are all around us, sin and sorrow, poverty and care, sighing and suffering. Here are burdens waiting for you to take up, burdens that are so heavy they will drive you with them to the great Burden Bearer, the One who says: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord" (Ps. 55: 22). But the burden of law, with which most Christians today are burdening themselves, is not for us; we are free from the law ? free, so we may take up the burdens of one another. "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things. . ." Acts 15: 28. Then why do we everywhere see the people of the Lord making burdens for themselves with rules and regulations that are not at all a part of "these necessary things"? And even worse than this, we find them following the example of the Pharisees, "for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders." Matt. 23: 4. How different is this to the way of Christ, that we find in this verse in Galatians! Instead of binding on one another the heavy burdens, now it is our joy to lift them off, and carry them ourselves.

You want a law, says the Apostle, here is just the law for you! The law of the Christ! How different is the law of the Christ from the law the Galatians were wishing to bear. Turn your eyes upon Christ. Has He not borne your heavy burden of sin for you? Can you not sing from the very depths of your heart:

O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head!

Our load was laid on Thee;

Thou stoodest in the sinner's stead ?

To bear all ill for me.

A victim led, Thy blood was shed;

Now there's no load for me.

Are you not one of the "many" whose sins He bore? (Isa. 53: 12.) It is true that is a load He bore all alone. None can share that burden with Him; none can take the sin of another. But how many other burdens has He borne for you and for me! "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isa. 53: 4). That is the burden, dear fellow Christian, for you and for me to bear ? the griefs and the sorrows of one another around us. So will we be walking in the steps of our Master; so will we be filling up to the full the law of the Christ. Yes, that is the law for us to fulfill ? Not the "law of commandments" or one of our own making. May the Lord Himself give us grace so to do!

But I believe we must not forget the connection between verse 1 and verse 2. In verse 1 the Apostle speaks of the fall of a brother who sins, and commands the spiritual ones to set him to rights. In days of old, in the service of the law, in the tabernacle and the temple it was the duty of the priests to deal with the sins of the nation. When a man sinned, he must take his offering to the priest (Lev. 5: 6 etc.) "and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin." It was the death of the offering (pointing forward to the death of Christ, the Lamb of God), that made the atonement, but the priest acts for the fallen one in standing between God and the sinner. The Lord said to Aaron, "Thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of thy priesthood." Num. 18: 1. The priest that offered the sin offering "for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten." Lev. 6: 26. When we eat a thing we make it our own; it becomes part of us, and so the priest must deal with the sin offering of the one who had sinned. I believe that the second verse of Galatians 6 is perhaps connected with the 1st verse in just this way. God has made us to be priests unto Himself (1 Peter 2: 5; Rev. 1: 6). And when we are seeking to restore, to set to rights, a fallen brother, we are doing the work of a priest, and we must "eat the sin offering" in the holy place. This is not a thing that we may do lightly. It is no light matter "to eat the sin offering"; for that sin offering has taken upon it the sin of the fallen brother, and now I make it my own. It is the offering that makes atonement; the priest has no share in that work, but he does have a share in bringing the erring one to God, and in doing so, he must eat the sin offering. That is perhaps, the most difficult burden of all for us to bear for one another. That requires grace and humility that most of us do not possess; and though we have our great High Priest from whom we may freely draw, most of us seem to know very little of eating the sin offering for my fallen brother.

I think in verse 1 the Apostle had used the words: "You, the spiritual ones . . ." in sarcasm. Those who put themselves under law are always occupied with themselves, and thinking of themselves, and so are either conceited thinking themselves to be very spiritual, or else cast down as they see the truth that they are really complete failures. But the work of bearing the burdens of one another is not a work that a conceited man may take up; so the Apostle continues: "If anyone is reputed to be something, being nothing, he is by fancies deceiving himself." These law teachers were reputed to be very good and holy men. They were men probably from Jerusalem, probably with a famous reputation, and a great name; so the Galatians had received them according to this reputation. These were the men who were walking in the steps of the Pharisees, binding on the Galatian Christians heavy burdens, but they knew nothing of bearing the burdens of one another. They knew nothing of the mind of Christ, who made Himself of no reputation. So the Apostle continues: "If anyone is reputed to be something, being nothing, he is by fancies deceiving himself." This word, "he is by fancies deceiving" is all one word in Greek, and means literally, he is deceiving his own mind. This is the only place in the New Testament we find this word, though the adjective like it is in Titus 1: 10, where again it refers especially to these same sort of people, who love to teach the law.

There are many today with a reputation; let such beware lest they are by fancies deceiving themselves. Wood and hay and stubble seem to be much more than gold and silver and precious stones. (See 1 Cor. 3: 12.) The word we have translated "reputed to be something," might be better translated "seem to be something," only we have had it before in chapter 2, verses 2, 6 and 9. We may be making a great show to those around us, but will it stand the fire that must test it? And so the Apostle exhorts us: "But let each one test his own work." How this reminds us of the passage in 1 Corinthians 3, to which we have just referred: "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall test every man's work of what sort it is." 1 Cor. 3: 13. I remember many years ago a friend of mine had a box of silver dollars that got burned in a fire. When the fire was out, my friend found the silver dollars had all stood the test. Amongst them was one made of lead but with a silver face, and the fire declared it. The fire revealed it was only lead though before nobody knew it was false. So in the coming day, the work of every one of us will be made manifest. Everything we do now, will be tested then. This testing time is called in Scripture: "The judgment seat of Christ" (2 Cor. 5: 10). And "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."

We must clearly understand that this is very different from "the great white throne" of judgment in Revelation 20: 11 where the unsaved must all appear. There only those who have refused Christ and trusted to their own works, appear. They are judged according to their works, and their terrible end is that they are cast into the lake of fire. But at the judgment seat of Christ, only those who belong to Christ appear. It is like prize day at a school, when the work of the year will all be reviewed; for the examinations have tested the students, and their work has been made manifest of what sort it is. "If any man's work abide .. . he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." 1 Cor. 3: 14, 15. We read of some who will give an account with groaning. (See Heb. 13: 17.) This will be a most solemn time for every one of us. I fear we will have some terribly bitter regrets and groans as we give our account, and as we see what we had thought a great pile of work for the Lord, all consumed by the fire. We can deceive one another now and we can deceive our own minds now, but we cannot deceive Christ, and that testing fire will try all. What about the rules and regulations that we have made? What about the heavy burdens of law that we have taken upon ourselves, and bound upon others, so that there was no time or strength for the work the Lord would have given us to do for Him? All will be burned; the law cannot stand the fire. The work of these law teachers must all perish then, and be manifested at its true worth. Little wonder the Holy Spirit by the Apostle exhorts the Galatians, yes, exhorts us, "let each one test his own work." It is the very same word "test" as we find in 1 Corinthians 3: 13. Oh brother, sister, oh my reader, may God give to me and to you the grace we need to do that testing now as His Word exhorts us; then I may have my boast with regard to myself, not with regard to another.

And what work will stand the fire? Only that which is according to the Word of God: "If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." 2 Tim. 2: 5. He must strive according to the rules of the contest and not according to his own ideas; the rules for us are the Word of God. How much there is all around us, and perhaps much in our own lives, that is not according to that Word. Let us test our work. Let us test it now. The Lord's exhortation to us comes most solemnly: "Let each one test his own work, and then he will have his boast only with regard to himself, and not with regard to the other."

The Apostle closes this little section, with the brief words, joined closely to those we have just been considering: "For each one shall bear his own load." In the second verse we were exhorted to bear one another's burdens. But I am not to expect that my brother should bear my burden for me, whatever I may do for him: "For each one shall bear his own load." The word for "bear" is just the same as in the second verse, but the word for load is quite different. The word in verse 2 means a heavy burden; it is used of troubles, of faults, and of responsibilities in ordinary Greek, and if it refers to the sin of the brother who had a fall in verse 1, then we know that every sin and every fall must be a very heavy burden, when we come to realize what we have done. The load in verse 5 is the same word as the "light burden" that Christ speaks of in Matthew 11: 30. It really means "something carried," whether it be heavy or light, and it is often used for a soldier's "pack."

You know in an army each soldier has his own pack, and he himself is responsible to carry that. Perhaps here, the Apostle is thinking of those individual packs which he had so often seen the Roman soldiers carrying; so he says, as it were, the Christian soldier also has his own pack, and we must each one of us carry that. Some soldiers put their own private things into their packs and make them heavy, but Christ's pack that He gives to each one of us is light. If we fill it up with gold, or even with books, or some other thing that in our eyes is quite innocent and harmless, we will soon find that our "load" has become very heavy. One of the best Christian soldiers that I ever knew used to say: My life motto is: "travel light!" Do not put anything in that pack except what the Captain of our salvation has put in it, and then we may be sure our load will be, as He promised, "light."

That soldier of Jesus Christ, of whom I have just spoken, had learned to travel with a very light pack, and perhaps that was the reason that she (for she was a lady-soldier) was able to bear more of the burdens of her sisters and brothers than any other person I ever knew. If we have filled up our own private load that we have to bear for ourselves with all sorts of things of our own, then we cannot expect to bear one another's burdens. We spoke of some burdens from which we are set free ? our sins and the law ? but there is another burden that is never meant for the shoulders of a Christian, and that is the heavy, heavy burden of anxiety. The Lord says: "Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4: 6, 7. He tells us also what to do with anxiety when it comes, as it so often does, trying to take possession of our hearts: "Casting all your anxiety upon Him, for it matters to Him about you." 1 Peter 5: 7. But the word for "casting" here, is not the ordinary word to throw or cast or put; it means to hurl it away, as something we do not want to have anything to do with. It is the word used for the thirty pieces of silver, that became so terrible to Judas that he hurled them back to the chief priests into the inner temple. The Lord invites us to hurl our anxiety upon Him, for it matters to Him about us. If we fill up our pack with anxiety, we will never have any strength left to bear the burdens of one another. Christ is the great Burden Bearer: our sins, our griefs, our sorrows, our anxieties, our every burden, we may cast on Him. May we then learn from Him to make a habit of on the one hand ever bearing one an-other's burdens, and on the other hand, to always bear my own load. In Heb. 10: 35 we are told of something we are not to "cast away" (a different word) and that is "our confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." Another has remarked, that too often "we cast away our confidence, and carry all our care."

Chapter 23

Sowing and Reaping

Galatians 6: 6-10

"But let the one being taught the Word, be having fellowship (or sharing) with the one teaching, in all good things. Do not be misled (or deceived), God is not scoffed at. For whatever a man may sow, that (very thing) also he shall reap. For the one sowing in the interests of his own flesh, shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one sowing in the interests of the Spirit, shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. But let us not lose heart in doing the right, for in its own time, not relaxing, we shall reap. So then, while we may have time (or as we may have opportunity), let us labor (doing) the good towards all, but especially towards members of the household of the faith." Galatians 6: 6-10.

Verse 5, which we considered in our last chapter, said: "Each one shall carry his own load." It may be there is a very close connection between this verse, and verse 6, which we have quoted above. In 1 Corinthians 16: 1, 2 we read: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." So we may see that the Apostle had already taught the Galatian Christians the blessed truth of Christian giving, as he later taught the Corinthian Christians. But we find there is no commendation for the generosity of the Galatians as there was for the Corinthian assembly (2 Cor. 9: 2), and for the assemblies in Macedonia; "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering of the saints." 2 Cor. 8: 1-4. In Romans 15: 26, 27, Paul tells us more of this collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem, and of how that the Christians in Achaia, which would include Corinth, had joined with the Christians in Macedonia in sending these funds. But we never read of the Galatian Christians ever giving anything. The Galatians loved the law, and the law tells a man not to put his hand in his neighbor's pocket to steal. But grace tells the Christian to use these hands to labor, so that he not only may not steal, but on the contrary, he may put his hand in his own pocket, and to give to those in need. Legal Christians are not generous Christians. It is grace, not law, that makes a man generous. A legal Christian can always find some good reason for not giving to his brother.

The Apostle, inspired by the Holy Spirit, knows these things well, and he knows that persons like the Galatians would be only too glad to use his exhortation: "Each one shall carry his own load," to provide an excuse not to share their good things with those who perhaps not only had need of them, but also to whom they should give even in the bonds of duty. Over and over again the Apostle has taught those led to Christ through his labors, that they are responsible to support those who labor for the Lord amongst them. See, for example, 1 Corinthians 9: 14: "So hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." Or 1 Timothy 5: 17, 18: "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, the laborer is worthy of his reward." The Apostle Paul himself sought to make it his boast that he did not accept this "reward," but rather that he might "make the gospel of Christ without charge" (1 Cor. 9: 18). "I seek not yours, but you," he could say on another occasion (2 Cor. 12: 14).

But amongst the assemblies of the Galatians there was the very serious danger that the selfishness of legality would hinder them from providing for the needs of those who labored amongst them, teaching them the Word of God: and so the Apostle writes: "Let the one being taught the Word, be having fellowship with the one teaching in all good things." The word used for "teaching" and "being taught" has the meaning of teaching by word of mouth, and so would suggest those men amongst themselves who were doing this work. Notice, they taught "the Word," and not their own ideas. It is most important for those who teach, to teach the Word. Our thoughts have neither value nor power but the Word has both; if we stick to the Word, there will surely be a harvest. In another verse or two, we will read, "Whatever a man may sow, that very thing also he shall reap." So let those who teach, teach the Word, and they may then be sure of a good harvest.

"Be having fellowship" really means "be sharing." Some man has a good business or a good position, and is comfortably off, so that his wife and family have all their needs abundantly supplied. Share, says the Apostle, these good things with those who have given up their business or their position, in order to use their time and ability to teach the Word. This is God's order and arrangement, and if the Lord's people would only heed this exhortation, how good it would be both for themselves and for the Lord's laborers. It is a very sad thing to see many Christians today living in good houses, with money for everything they need, and perhaps the Lord's work is suffering for want of a share of this money that the Christians are using for themselves. Strange as it may seem, it is generally the poor, like those in Macedonia, who are the most generous givers. Let us each one remember that these things are not our own, and that the reckoning day is not far off, when we must give an account of how we have used these "good things" that the Lord has given to us.

It is possible that this word "be having fellowship" goes much further than merely sharing in the good things of this life, but that it goes on to every part of our lives, including spiritual things. Some persons use the word "to have fellowship with," or to be "in fellowship," as meaning those who break bread at the Lord's table. This may, however, be a wrong way to use this expression, for alas, there are those breaking bread who are not "in fellowship," and there are those "in fellowship" who are not breaking bread. It is sweet indeed to the hearts of both teacher and taught, when they can truly enjoy together that precious heart fellowship, as well as sharing in temporal things.

If you would lay down this book and take your Bible and read 2 Corinthians 9, you would find that the Apostle takes a whole chapter there for the subject of Christian giving. He tells how he could boast of the "forwardness" of the Corinthian Christians, and he compares this giving to sowing and reaping. In speaking of giving, he says: "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." 2 Cor. 9: 6. Now as he speaks of the same subject of giving to the Galatians (though notice he does not once use this word, or tell them plainly they are selfish and miserly), he goes on: "Do not be misled!" This is the literal meaning of what the Apostle says, but it has come to mean: "Do not be deceived! God is not scoffed at." The word means to turn up our noses at God. The Apostle writes to the Galatians to share with their teachers, but as they listen to this command, Paul knows there are those who will turn up their noses and say, "Why should we listen to this man Paul? We have our new teachers from Jerusalem. Let us hear them." It is not Paul you are turning up your noses at. Far from it. Paul is only God's messenger, bringing you God's message. It is at God you are turning up your noses, when you refuse to heed His Word, and do not be misled, do not be deceived; if you turn up your nose at God and His Word, the harvest for you will be very, very bitter.

"Do not be misled, God is not scoffed at. For whatever a man may sow, that very thing also he shall reap." What solemn words are these. If a man sows rice, he reaps rice. If a man sows turnips, he reaps turnips. Day by day we are sowing ? sowing what? We are sowing thoughts, words, deeds! What shall we reap? What will the harvest be?

There are three things the Apostle brings to our notice about sowing:

What we sow: "Whatever a man soweth, that very thing he shall also reap."

Where we sow: "The one sowing unto (in the interests of) the flesh . . ." "The one sowing unto (in the interests of) the Spirit . . ."

How we sow: "He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; He which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully." 2 Cor. 9: 6.

We have been reading of the fruits of the Spirit. Fruit comes to us "in its own time" as the result of sowing. If we sow unto the Spirit, then the fruits that we reap will be the fruits of the Spirit. But if we sow to the flesh, the harvest that we will receive will be according to the "works of the flesh." Notice also that the Word says: "The one sowing in the interests of his own flesh." That extra word "his own," that the Spirit of God has added here, tells us more of the selfishness which we thought we could see in the previous verses. It is "my own flesh" that I have before me. It is "myself" I am thinking about, and thinking about myself always makes me selfish. That is the natural result of the law, because the law makes me think about myself.

There was an infidel who once said: "Most things in the Bible I do not believe, but one verse I am compelled to believe; it is, 'Whatever a man soweth, that very thing he shall reap.' I know this is true."

Perhaps here the Spirit of God has the subject of giving chiefly before us; yet the sowing goes very much further than that. If I spend my time and my money on myself, the harvest will be the fruit of selfishness. Those who sow to the flesh by drinking wine and smoking tobacco or cigarettes, or opium, these things also bring a harvest, and a very bitter harvest it may be. These two harvests are set before us: corruption or eternal life. Reader, choose today, What, Where, and How will you sow?

Perhaps we should add a word about these two harvests. "Corruption" is spoken of in the Scriptures as death and decay (Rom. 8: 21; 1 Cor. 15: 42, 50), to which every child of Adam is subject. It is also used of the moral decay and wickedness in this world: "Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1: 4); (See also 2 Peter 2: 19, "servants of corruption.") In Colossians 2: 22, the same word is translated "perish," and in 2 Peter 2: 12 it is used twice, once translated "destroyed," and once "corruption." We see that the harvest of sowing to the flesh is one of death and corruption for both body and soul.

We find that Scripture looks at eternal life' in two ways: "He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting (or eternal) life." We have this eternal life now, and we may enjoy it now and we may know that we have it. But the Scriptures also look at eternal life as that which we receive at the end of our journey when we reach Home. Then we reap the harvest of sowing down here, and for the one who has sown to the Spirit, that harvest will be eternal life. We find it used in the same way in Romans 6: 22: "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." Here is the "sowing to the Spirit" once again, and the fruit is holiness, and the final fruit, when we reach home, eternal life. But the next verse shows us eternal life in the other aspect: "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." We accept God's gift now, and now we have eternal life. It is most important for us to remember that Scripture looks at eternal life in these two ways, or there will be many verses we cannot understand.

One thing more we must notice before we leave "the harvest," is that we may always expect to reap more than we sow. We read in the gospels of those who reaped some "a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold" (Matt. 13: 8). This is true whether the seed be good or bad, and whether the ground be good or bad. Jacob deceived his old father and stole his brother's birthright. That was bad sowing, but he did not expect the harvest he received. Laban deceived him about his wife, and he had to work another seven years in order to win her. Nor was this all the harvest. Laban changed his wages ten times in his efforts to cheat him. That was only part of the harvest. He had twenty years of bitter labor in Syria. Then his own sons deceived him about Joseph, and he spent twenty-two years in bitter sorrow, mourning him as dead. This was part of the harvest of his own sowing. David committed adultery with Bathsheba, but he never expected the harvest would come as it did; his own son defiled his sister. David murdered Bathsheba's husband, but he never expected the harvest this brought; his son Ammon was murdered by his brother, his baby died, and his son Absalom was killed in battle, without the hope of ever seeing him again in the world to come. And finally Solomon the king puts his older brother to death for what was really conspiracy. Yes, reader, we reap more than we sow, and we reap that very thing we sow. These are most solemn thoughts, and should make us every one "consider" our "ways" (Hag. 1: 5, 7). Even by a thought we may sow to the flesh. How many books, pictures and magazines in these days sow to the flesh, and will bring forth a harvest unto corruption. "Consider your ways!"

I remember a child whose father gave her a little garden, and she sowed beans it it. She waited for a day or two to see the beans grow up, but she soon "lost heart," and one morning I found her digging up the beans to see if they were growing. So the Apostle, well knowing our hearts, adds: Let us not lose heart in doing the right." It is a different word from the "good things" we read of before. These are truly good things ? noble things, honorable things; these are the things every one of us may do every day. We call them little things very often; perhaps giving a drink of cold water to someone who is thirsty. But that deed will get its reward; it will have a harvest. Most of our lives are filled up with little things ? often we think useless little things that are of little profit, but that have to be done ? meals have to be cooked, dishes have to be washed, children have to be cared for, our business or our daily job has to be done, and often we long for something "bigger and better," as we suppose, to do for our Lord. Brother, sister, these little, daily duties may be the good, the noble, the honorable thing, "the right thing" for you to be doing. The Lord says to you two things: Do not lose heart; do not relax. We first lose heart, it all seems to be so useless. Perhaps you teach a Sunday school class, but the children are not converted. Do not lose heart, do not relax; in its own time you shall reap. It is God's own promise, and it must be true.

The word "relax" is what happens to a bow string if it becomes loose, and then the bow is useless. The bow is only useful while the string is tight. So if I relax in my work for the Lord, I become useless also; and remember in "its own time" (and that may be a long time, for seeds do not all grow quickly), in "its own time" we shall reap if we do not relax.

"So then, while we have time (or it may be translated, as we have opportunity, but the word 'time' is the same as in the sentence before), let us labor (doing) good towards all." The word for "labor" makes us think of the hard work that is needed. And if we are to do good towards all, it does require hard work. You remember we saw in Gal. 5: 13 that we were to be slaves to one another in love. Here we see the hard work we are to do for one another. The word "towards all" may indicate our daily contact with others, when we have opportunity to speak a word, or give a tract or booklet. I know a very earnest Christian man who has meetings in his shop. He was first led towards Christ, through a boy, only a child, who used to go to his shop to buy things, and often gave him a tract or spoke a word to him. He laughed at the boy, but he told me years afterwards that this was what really made him come to Christ. And it is only as we have time! "But this I say, brethren, the time is short!" (1 Cor. 7: 29.) Soon our opportunities will be gone. Soon it will be too late. We will not have the opportunities in heaven to do good towards all as we have now down here. And notice the word is to "all men," saved and unsaved, as wide as God's love to the world. (Compare John 3: 16.) May God help us each one to give heed to this urgent call:

"So then, while we have time, let us labor doing good towards all."

But there is one more little word added to that exhortation: "especially towards the household of the faith." How often we have had the word brothers in this little epistle. Now we have the whole household: brothers and sisters, father and mother, and little children. We find them all in 1 John 2. Here we find them again, with the command to labor especially doing good towards these: the household of the faith. "The faith" is a term which tells us of the faith in Christ Jesus, and the household of faith includes every believer. May we remember that we all belong to the same household. Man may build walls, with sects and societies that shut out other believers, but in God's eyes, we all belong to the same household: the household of faith. In Ephesians 3: 15 we read of "the family of God." Let not our thoughts become narrow, to think of only one small part of that household, one group, one company in that household. May God help us always to have hearts that take in every blood-bought child of God, and may He give us grace to labor for them all, doing good (the same word as in verse 6) towards them all, and towards all men.

Chapter 24

Boasting in the Cross

Galatians 6: 11-18

"See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand. As many as are wishing to have a good appearance in (the) flesh, these are compelling you to receive circumcision, only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of the Christ. For neither the ones having already received circumcision, do themselves observe law, but they are wishing you to receive circumcision in order that they may boast in your flesh. But for me, far be it to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom to me (the) world is crucified, and I to (the) world. For neither circumcision is anything, nor uncircumcision, but new creation. And as many as shall walk in line (or in step) by this rule, peace on them and mercy, even on the Israel of God.

"For the rest, let no one cause troubles to me, for I am carrying in my body the brands of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (be) with your spirit, brothers. Amen." Galatians 6: 11-18.

"See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand." We must remember that Paul was a highly educated man, both in Greek learning at Tarsus (his native place), and in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, who was one of the wisest and most famous of the Jewish Rabbis. See Acts 22: 3; 5: 34. But now, perhaps, the "hands" (Acts 20: 34) of Paul had become more accustomed to tent-making than to handling a pen; but it seems clear from these words just quoted that the Apostle wrote the whole Epistle to the Galatians with his own hand. Probably this is the only epistle Paul wrote himself. He generally used a friend to write for him, while he dictated what he wished to say. (For example in Romans 16: 22 we read: "I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord." That means that while Paul dictated, Tertius wrote down the words for him.) With regard to the Epistle to the Galatians, we can not be quite sure that Paul wrote the whole epistle, as it may mean that he only wrote the last part of the epistle, quoted above. Paul usually wrote with his own hand a few words at the end of each epistle, as a guarantee that the epistle was genuine, for evidently there were those who forged the Apostle's name, and sent out letters that pretended to be from him, but were not genuine. See 2 Thessalonians 2: 1, 2: "Be not soon shaken in mind . . . nor by word, nor by letter, as (if it were) from us."

These words we are now considering may be his usual personal ending written by his own hand in large letters; but on the other hand it seems more probable that it means that Paul wrote the whole epistle. As far as I know, it is not possible to be quite certain which is the meaning. If it means the whole letter was written by Paul, we can very well understand that in a matter that was so urgent as these Christians giving up the faith of Christ to go to the Jewish law, the Apostle may have felt that he could not have anyone come between himself and these dear wandering sheep; and so his own hand must write every word. There were two styles of writing in use at the time Paul wrote this epistle. One style used large letters each one separate from the other like printed letters; the other style was more like our hand-writing, the letters were small and joined together. Paul evidently used the large bold letters; and that style was very suitable, for the subject is of such fundamental importance, and the large bold letters suited this. May God grant that this whole epistle should be written in our hearts with such great, large, bold letters, that we may never forget or lose sight of them.

"As many as are wishing to have a good appearance in (the) flesh, these are compelling you to receive circumcision, only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ." The words "are compelling" mean they were trying hard at that time, as they had tried with Titus, to force the Galatians to be circumcised; but these words do not mean they had succeeded. They did not succeed with Titus. You remember that in our last chapter, we considered verse 8: "The one sowing unto his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption." Now we read of those who are trying to make a good appearance in the flesh. These were sowing to the flesh, and the harvest would be corruption. The ones who were seeking to compel the Galatians to be circumcised were only doing it to make a good appearance, and to escape persecution. It was the Jews who kept stirring up the persecution as we have seen. But why would the Jews persecute anybody who was making himself like a Jew? Why persecute anybody who was upholding and spreading the Jewish law and the Jewish ceremonies? We in China know how easy it is for us to do something that will help us to escape persecution. None of us like persecution, and the Galatian Christians were no different from us in this matter. In their hearts perhaps they said, circumcision is a small affair, and if it helps me to escape persecution, I will receive circumcision. But they forgot that the one who received circumcision put himself on the ground of being a Jew, and he was now responsible to keep the whole law, and if he did not do so, then he must perish. Christ must be all, or nothing. No man can have Christ and circumcision; no man can be saved by Christ and the law. Every man must choose, and if he chooses Christ, then he must forever turn away from the law and from circumcision. These men teaching the law, did not really seek God's glory, or the blessing of the Galatians, but only their own safety. "For even the ones having (already) received circumcision (or the circumcision party), they themselves do not observe the law, but they are wishing you to receive circumcision in order that they may boast in your flesh." The Galatians had only to watch these teachers of the law, to see that they themselves did not observe the law; why then should the Galatians follow them? For the law could only curse anyone who did not keep it. But if these law teachers could write back to Jerusalem and tell the Jews there, that so many Galatian Gentiles had received circumcision through their labors, it would bring much fleshly glory to them. In this way they were boasting in the flesh of the Galatians, but what a miserable boast it was! It was for a Gentile to turn Jew, to take on a load that no Jew had ever been able to bear, to put himself under a curse that did not belong to him! But more than this, we may see through all these words that these law teachers were not honest, truthful, upright men. They knew they did not keep the law, and they knew the Galatians could not keep it; yet they were doing all in their power to bind this burden, that they knew they could not bear, upon them. They were just like the Pharisees in the time of our Lord ? hypocrites. (Matt. 23: 4-15, etc.).

It is remarkable that we find the same thing today; those who are law teachers, whether they teach the law of Moses, or whether they are seeking to make the Lord's people subject to rules and regulations and traditions of men; such teachers are nearly always dishonest and untruthful. If you look at 1 Timothy 4: 1-6, you will see that there we read of deceiving spirits and teachings of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, cauterized as to their own conscience, forbidding to marry, (bidding) to abstain from meats. These law teachers in Galatia were very much like this; indeed the Spirit of God may have had just such men before Him, as He wrote these words. Those who teach the law today, do not keep the law, any more than the law teachers in Galatia kept it. This professing what they do not carry out, makes a man dishonest, makes him a hypocrite; he pretends to be what he is not. He is deceiving himself as we read in Galatians 6: 7, and as he continues to deceive himself, his conscience gradually becomes dead, cauterized, as with a hot iron, so that it no longer has any feeling; and without shame they can stand up and teach what they know is not the truth. This was true in Galatia and it is equally true today. In Ephesians 4: 18, 19 we read of men's hearts becoming callous, so they no longer feel pain when they commit sin. Notice that "law" is without the article. It does not refer only to the law of Moses, but also to the principle of law in general. They were careless even with regard to matters they should have observed.

"But for me, far be it to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom (or through which) to me (the) world is crucified, and I to (the) world." These law teachers were boasting in the proselytes they were making amongst the Galatian Christians. They were boasting over each one who received circumcision. They were boasting in the flesh. Paul had only one boast ? the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! To most people today His cross is still a shame and a scandal (Gal. 5: 11). Even most Christians today are ashamed to mention His cross as they go about their daily labors. To Paul, it was all his glory, it was all his boast. Paul could exclaim: "The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me!" Paul could cry: yes, gave Himself for me, to die on a Roman gibbet, like the lowest and worst criminal; and all because He took my place. That was the cross! It is not the cross as we see it so often printed and painted, or made up in gold or silver or wood ornaments. That was not the cross in which Paul boasted, but the cruel, rough, wicked murder of God's only begotten Son, who went to that cross willingly, for Paul's sake, and for my sake. Is that not enough to make me boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ? Could I ever be ashamed of His cross when I remember that He went to that cross for me? May God help us to follow Paul in this blessed verse.

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast

Save in the cross of Christ, my God;

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingling down;

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were an offering far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

To Christ, who won for sinners grace,

By bitter grief and anguish sore,

Be praise from all the ransom'd race

Forever and forevermore.

(I. Watts)

To seek a good appearance, or even a religious appearance before the world, is to seek the honor of the world which has dishonored Christ ? not only dishonored Him, but rejected Him and nailed Him on a cross. That cross is to me salvation. It is the wonderful proof of the love of God, and of the love of His only begotten Son; our Lord Jesus Christ. But that cross was to Him, shame, dishonor, suffering that no tongue can ever tell. "Thou hast known My reproach, and My shame, and My dishonor . . . reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink." Psa. 69: 19-21. "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Psa. 22: 1; Matt. 27: 46. Who can ever tell, to all eternity, the unfathomable depths of sorrow in these words? That is the cross. He bore it for me, for you, for Paul! O reader, "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow, which is done unto Me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted Me in the day of His fierce anger" (Lam. 1: 12). If we have in any small measure entered into that sorrow, surely we must cry with Paul, "By whom the world to me is crucified, and I to (the) world. Or it may be just as truly read: "By it (the cross) the world to me is crucified."

Paul did not want the honor of a world which at that cross dishonored Paul's Lord. He would boast in that cross, but that was his only boast. He would not boast in his sufferings or his labors or his revelations ? only in the cross. Paul, at the cross, identified himself with Christ. He was crucified to the world which had crucified His Master, and likewise the world was crucified to him. They had nothing in common. There was no friendship between them. The world spurned Paul, as Paul spurned the world. They were crucified to each other. The world has shown by the cross what it really is. We must choose whether to go on with the world that crucified Christ, or whether we shall boast in the cross on which that world nailed Him. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4: 4. "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2: 15.

"For neither circumcision is anything, nor uncircumcision, but new creation." In the cross these old outward forms and ceremonies all passed away. They were nothing. In themselves they were absolutely useless. As a sign of trusting to the law, they could only bring the law's curse. But actually they were nothing. In Galatians 5: 6 we had already read almost the same words: "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision has any power, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love." Circumcision has no power, and is nothing. But what does matter is new creation. This word "new" means something fresh, that we have not had before. Old things have passed away at the cross; for the believer, all is new.

We have now:

A new covenant: Matt. 26: 28; 1 Cor. 11: 25; etc.

A new commandment: John 13: 34. A new doctrine: Acts 17: 19.

A new creation: Gal. 6: 15; 2 Cor. 5: 17.

A new Man (after the pattern of Christ): Eph. 4: 24.

We shall have hereafter:

A new name, the believer's: Rev. 2: 17.

A new name, the Lord's: Rev. 3: 12.

The new Jerusalem: Rev. 3: 12; 21: 2.

A new heaven and a new earth: Rev. 21: 1.

All things new: Rev. 21: 5; compare 2 Cor. 5: 17.

We enter this new creation by the new birth. We must be born again if we would enter here (John 3). That is what matters. The new birth brings with it eternal life, salvation, forgiveness of sins, entrance into the Father's family; by it we become children, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8: 17). Yes, new creation matters. It is truly something, but circumcision and uncircumcision are nothing. Do they want a rule? Must they have a rule to walk by? Very good. This rule, the rule of the new creation, the rule of the new birth, is the rule for us to walk by now. The word means to walk in line. It is the same word as we had in chapter 5: 25. We might say, "As many as keep step by this rule"; to them the Apostle says, "Peace on them and mercy, even on the Israel of God." The law can only bring trouble and a curse. In contrast to the trouble these law teachers had brought, the Apostle sends a message of peace to those who walk by the rule of the new creation. "Peace on them and mercy." Mercy is generally not included in the greetings to an assembly, but only to individuals. (See 1 & 2 Tim. 1: 2.) But in Galatia there were the true ones in the assemblies, and in this time of trouble they needed mercy. This is probably the only case where mercy is wished to assemblies.

The law teachers were boasting in the Galatians who had received circumcision, and so outwardly had become Jews. But this did not make them God's people. In chapter 3, verses 7, 9, and 29, we find much the same thought. "The ones on the principle of faith, these are the sons of Abraham." So now in contrast to the false teachers making false Jews, the Apostle cries in triumph, these are "the Israel of God." These who walk by the rule of the new creation are the true Israelites, not those wearing the badge of circumcision. The people of Israel had three names: Hebrews, Jews and Israelites. Jews were especially those of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin, though many others had joined them under this name. "Israel" means "prince of God," and was the name given to Jacob by God Himself, when he wrestled with the angel and prevailed. "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob (means `cheater'), but Israel (a prince of God): for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." Gen. 32: 28. This name includes all the descendants of Jacob, all the twelve tribes, not the two tribes only as the name "Jew" means. It is most interesting to notice that this name Israel, is the name chosen by God's earthly people today, as they once again begin to take possession of their own land. But the true Israelites are those "born again" into God's household.

The Apostle has almost finished: "For the rest (probably means, For the rest of time . . .; From this time forward. . .; From henceforth . . .) let no one cause troubles to me, for I am bearing in my body the brands of Jesus." How much trouble, how much anguish of soul, those Galatians had caused to Paul. Now he must say to those who at one time would have plucked out their eyes for him: "Let no man cause trouble to me." It is the same expression that the Lord used in Matthew 26: 10 to the disciples, about the woman who broke the flask of very precious ointment, while He sat at meat in the house of Simon the leper. These law teachers everywhere were always causing trouble to the Apostle. What brands did they bear as proof of the Master to whom they belonged? None whatever. Circumcision was not "the brand of Jesus." Circumcision is the brand of the law. But by it, and by preaching circumcision, they escaped the persecution which had covered Paul's body with scars: scars from being stoned, scars from Roman rods, scars from Jewish stripes, weariness and painfulness, watchings and fastings, hunger and thirst, had all left their marks on his body; not to speak of the daily load of care caused by "all the churches." What a load the Galatian churches were! And these all left their mark. (See 2 Cor. 11: 25-28.) These were the brands that marked out for ever whose he was, and whom he served (Acts 27: 23). Strange, is it not, how few there are today who bear in their body the brands of Jesus? Perhaps it is that we are too much like the law teachers, afraid of persecution for the cross. Paul was not ashamed of these brands. Some of the Jewish refugees from Germany have been branded on their foreheads with "J" (for Jew) and many are ashamed of this brand. Paul gloried in the brands of Jesus that he bore. In the days of old, a Roman master would brand his slaves to show whose they were, and whom they served, and a brand was a sign of slavery and disgrace, but not so to Paul. Read the first verse of the Epistle to the Romans, the first of Paul's epistles in your Bible: "Paul, slave of Jesus Christ. . ." I love those words. They tell me that the Lord Jesus Christ had bought Paul, body, soul and spirit; he belonged utterly and altogether to Jesus Christ, as much as ? indeed more than ? any slave in Rome belonged to his Roman master. Paul gloried in those words: "slave of Jesus Christ," and he gloried in the marks he bore, the brands of Jesus.

It is very rare that the Apostle uses the holy name of Jesus alone. Perhaps he uses it in this way here, to remind us that our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Man, JESUS, also bore brands ? the marks of scourging ? "His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men." Isa. 52: 14. And in His hands and feet and side, He still bears those marks that we will gaze upon in glory, with wonder, love and adoration.

It would be well if the Christians in China would learn a lesson from the Apostle Paul in their use of this holy name. How often one's heart is made sad by the light and careless way in which even Christians use this precious name, without the title that Paul so loves to use, LORD JESUS.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit, brothers. Amen."

In chapter 1: 3 Paul had wished them grace and peace; now in closing he again wishes them grace. How much we all need grace; without it we must perish. Grace, not law, is what the Galatians needed, and it is what we need. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." It reminds us of those same words in 2 Corinthians 8: 9: "Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." That is the grace that is to be with our spirits; and if indeed it were so, it would produce in us the mind which was in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2: 5). With that grace ever with our spirits, and that mind being in us, there would be no fear of the law teachers ever gaining our ear or our hearts. May the Lord keep us ? keep our spirits ? ever in a deep, deep sense of His own grace.

And the last word of the epistle is "brother"; it is a most unusual place to put such a word. Was it by accident that this word is the last word of Galatians? No, I am sure it is no accident. It is one of those wonderful touches which makes our inmost hearts know that this Book is inspired by God. The last word tells of love, the love of God's family; it tells of their oneness, it tells of the Father's loving care, of His yearning heart, for these sheep that were being led astray. Brothers! Let this sweet word sink down into our hearts. The law does not make us brothers. No, it is just the new birth of which the Holy Spirit has just reminded us. The Apostle had been in doubt of them, but that last word brothers takes away the doubt; it carries with it the love which his heart must have so longed to send to them, for you note there is not one message of love or greeting, except the general message of grace with which he begins and closes the epistle.

It has been a sad, stern letter that the Apostle has had to write. The First Epistle to the Corinthians cost Paul much affliction and anguish of heart and many tears (2 Cor. 2: 4); but this Epistle to the Galatians I am sure cost him even more. What it cost him, none can say, but what a treasure for us today. It was surely the devil's work to send those law teachers to Galatia, but there was a higher hand, and a heart of love that guided all; and through this attack of the enemy He forged for us a sword of the finest steel that has met his attacks for nearly nineteen hundred years, and is as fresh and strong as ever it was. May God Himself teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight with it (Ps. 144: 1) to His own glory. Amen.

The Law of the Leper

The Law of the Leper

Leviticus 13, 14.

G C Willis.

[This, and other books of G Willis (also in Chinese) with illustrations, may be obtained from Bible Truth Publishers and other Bible book distributors.]

Index

Part 1 The Leper and His Plague

The Plague of Leprosy

All Covered

"Utterly Unclean"

"Unclean! Unclean!"

Part 2 The Leper Cleansed

God's Way of Cleansing

Two Birds, Alive and Clean

Washed and Shaved

Out of His Tent

More Washing and Shaving

The Eighth Day

The Lamb of the Trespass Offering

The Log of Oil

The Present Application

My Leanness, My Leanness

Go . . . As ye go, preach, . . . Cleanse the lepers. Matthew 10: 6,7,8.

Go and show . . . the lepers are cleansed. Matthew 11: 4,5.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the LORD JESUS, and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6: 11.

Preface

I have read "The Law of the Leper" with great interest and with no little edification. What pleased me very much was that the writer did not go into detail on the disease itself. It is very interesting to note that even Scripture does not do that. Leprosy is leprosy as sin is sin. We are not only guilty before God for sin as it appears in kind and in repeated acts, but for sin as it is in essence. For this reason leprosy, according to Leviticus, was to be diagnosed only objectively. It is not what the patient feels or says, but what the priest sees and states, that counts. That which is used for the leper's cleansing is also objectively applied from without, as nothing wells up from within him that can cleanse him. The leper's return to the camp depends not upon his own desire, nor upon the will of those in the camp, but upon God's decree to which the priest must strictly adhere. In like manner we are sinners not because we may or may not feel to be such, but because God says, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3: 23.

The spiritual application of this exceedingly interesting Old Testament description of the leper and his cleansing is, I think, sound and fully covered by New Testament scripture proof. The whole treatise magnifies God's power in our salvation and teaches us man's utter inability to save himself.

May the Lord bless this book for the coming of His glorious kingdom in showing sinners that without Christ we can do nothing.

Lee S. Huizenga, M.D. Shanghai, China, November 29, 1938.

Introduction

The following pages were prepared at the suggestion of a Chinese brother, for publication in Chinese. They are now sent forth in English with the hope that they may be a help to some who are not at home in Chinese writings, but who wish to know what the Chinese edition contains. It is hoped also that they may be for the edification of the church of God at large.

An effort has been made to make this beautiful picture clear to those who have not had the privilege of knowing the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and so may not be so much at home in them as those should be who have been brought up in Christian lands. To some this will make the present exposition seem unduly verbose, and filled with needless repetition. A somewhat peculiar style may also be noticed. The article has, however, been left unchanged in spite of these defects, and we would ask our English readers to bear in mind that these pages were written for their Chinese brethren, and to have patience with what may not appeal to themselves.

Perhaps a word should be added with regard to the illustrations. [These are omitted from this on-line edition.] They have been prepared by Mr. Tang Chin Tsang, with suggestions from the author, who gladly acknowledges that he has learned much from them and their preparation. It is hoped that they may not be despised by some who might regard them as only suited for a child's picture book. It is scarcely to be hoped that they are correct in every detail, but it is hoped that they may convey suggestions and ideas that otherwise might be passed over. The importance of the unnamed friend who does so much for the leper would probably have been missed, had we not seen him appear so often in the pictures.

G.C.W.

Part 1 The Leper and His Plague

Chapter 1 The Plague of Leprosy

Most of our readers know that the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is full of most wonderful pictures of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of those things which concern Him. In the New Testament these pictures are spoken of as "shadows." (Colossians 2: 17; Hebrews 8: 5.) "The law having a shadow of good things to come." Hebrews 10: 1. Some of these shadows are so plain, and in such wonderful detail, that as we gaze upon them, we are amazed at their clearness and beauty.

Of all these beautiful shadows, few, if any, are more beautiful, or shown out in greater detail and fullness than the "Law of the Leper."

Leprosy is the most hateful and loathsome of all diseases. It is a disease which not only ends in death, but more than any other disease is a picture of death working in life, for the parts of the body affected really die, while the man lives on.

The beginning of leprosy is like the beginning of sin. It is small and insidious, and at first not alarming. We see in Leviticus 13: 2 that sometimes it even looks "bright" — just as sin at the beginning does not frighten us; and, instead, often appears bright and attractive — but in reality death is there. The wages of sin is death, just as the certain end of leprosy is also death.

Leprosy may affect almost any part of the body. It was not what the leper did that made him unclean, but what he was. We must each say, "I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm 51: 5. We were born unclean. It is what we are, as well as what we do, that makes us unclean. Therefore the leper had to go to the priest (not to the doctor) to make him clean. Note, it was not only a question of being healed, but cleansed. So we may see leprosy is a most fitting picture of sin.

And as sin, and its cleansing, is the theme of the Bible from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation, so in Leviticus 13 and 14 we will find the same theme manifested with such power and skill that we are compelled to bow in worship, and confess that none but the hand of God could draw such a picture and none but the love of God could devise such a means of cleansing. Not only is leprosy a picture of sin, but we will find that these two chapters are full of other, most wonderful pictures, if only we have eyes to see them.

As we read these chapters together, we will seek, with God's help, to point out some of the beautiful details in this picture of sin and its cleansing.

First let us notice and always remember that GOD — not man — gave us this wonderful picture.

The introduction to the whole subject is in chapter 13, verse 1: "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying." Let us, as we write, or read, remember we are considering the very words of the true and living God.

In chapter 13, verse 2, we read, "When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests." "A rising, a scab, or bright spot." How much these words express! "A rising." Does this not tell us of pride that puffs up every one of us? Pride that causes contention? Pride that is the root and core of so very many sins and evils? Probably not one of us is free from these hateful risings, and often those who believe themselves to be most humble are in reality proud of their humility.

The Word says, "Knowledge puffeth up" (1 Corinthians 8: 1), and how striking to see that the "knowledge" spoken of here is a knowledge of the Word and ways of God. It surely should make us stop and consider, when we realize that even a knowledge of the Bible may puff us up, and bring out one of those "risings" that hides leprosy. Someone has said that there is Pride of race, Pride of place, Pride of face, but the worst pride of all is Pride of grace. And so there may be many kinds of risings, but certainly one of the worst, and one of the commonest, is the rising that is puffed up through our knowledge of God's own Word. The Pharisee in Luke 18: 11 had a very bad rising of this sort. Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar are others who were afflicted with a "rising," but of another kind, and our readers can doubtless think of many others who are troubled with the same kind of leprosy, possibly themselves included.

"A scab." This covers up some old wound or sore. How many of us are troubled with scabs! Somebody has treated us badly in the past and it still sticks in our hearts. We have never really forgiven them, though we have tried to cover up the old sore. It is like the root of bitterness (Hebrews 12: 15), hidden away in the ground, covered up, but liable to spring up at any time and "defile many," just as the scab is liable to hide leprosy at any time, and also defile many. Oh, friends, do be careful about these scabs; they are most dangerous things. King Saul is an example of a man terribly ill with "scabs."

"A bright spot." We read in Hebrews 11: 25 of "the pleasures of sin." Sin does have its pleasures. Often sin looks very bright. We read in Hebrews 3: 13 of "the deceitfulness of sin," and that is always true. Sin is deceitful. Satan would turn our eyes from the danger of sin, and would tell us how very profitable, how very bright it is. Do you remember how the first sin entered this world? Satan presented it to the woman as a "bright spot." She saw the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She saw it was "good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise." Genesis 3: 6. It all looked so bright, that she took the fruit and did eat.

Satan has been busy preparing "bright spots" ever since that day, and they are intended by him to end up in leprosy. The brightest spots on the streets of Shanghai at night are generally the most sinful. They are dens of wickedness, saturated with leprosy. Oh, my friends, beware of the "bright spots" down here. There is a far brighter spot, the bright home of the Saviour, awaiting His own at the end of the way, and they can well do without the bright spots down here. They will surely break out into leprosy.

Please notice especially those words, "He shall be brought unto Aaron the priest." These are very important words and we find almost the same words in Leviticus 14: 2 when it was a question of cleansing. No matter whether it is a question of deciding whether a man has leprosy or not, or whether a man is ready to be cleansed from his leprosy or not, the whole matter depended on the priest. The man and his friends had nothing to say about it. The man who had a rising, a scab or a bright spot might say, "I do not consider these things of any importance. In my opinion, and in the opinion of all the great scientists, these things do not matter." Friend, the first thing this man must learn is that his own opinion and the opinion of every other living man, except the priest, is of absolutely no value or importance, and is even of no interest whatever. The whole question is, "What does the priest say?"

Perhaps he was not willing to go to the priest. Perhaps he thought he could decide himself about the rising, the scab or the bright spot; perhaps he thought the small spot on his body would soon get better. But the Word of God stands sure, "He shall be brought unto the priest." The Word does not even say, He himself shall go to the priest — but, "He shall be brought unto the priest."

Therefore those words, "He shall be brought unto Aaron the priest," are most important words. Dear reader, have you ever been brought unto the Lord Jesus Christ, the great High Priest? Have you ever submitted your life to the gaze of His eyes, which are "as a flame of fire?" Revelation 1: 14. There may be things in your life which you know are not quite right: What about them? Has the Priest "looked" at them? Considered them? You know He must pronounce them "unclean." Perhaps your friends have brought you by prayer many times to the Lord Jesus: but if you have never been brought to that Priest before, God grant that this little book will bring you to Him this day. Perhaps you say, "Oh, those things are of no consequence. It is only a rising, a swelling." But is it a swelling of pride? Is sin at the root of the trouble? The priest alone can decide this. Go to Him, friend, go quickly, while there is time and hope — far better for you to know the truth now, than to drop into hell without even knowing you are on your way there.

You will not find the Priest impatient or cruel. You will find One who is filled with love and sympathy. He will look on those risings or swellings — that scab which marks some old trouble, maybe some old quarrel, or bad feeling; those bright spots which you rather like, but which tell of something wrong within, perhaps some self-indulgence which you love. He will not look hurriedly. His eye will never mistake, and if there is any question He will shut up the one with these complaints for seven days — or even for still another seven days if need be. (See vv. 4-7.)

But has not our Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, already shut up man, already given man every chance to clear himself of the charge of being a leper? Surely He has. He tried Adam in the garden of Eden, in innocency; but soon the leprosy appeared, sin came in. He tried man before the flood with conscience as his guide, and when God "looked" on him, He found such terrible leprosy that all were destroyed but eight persons. There was no other way for such a disease. He tried Noah and his sons, but again sin appeared. Then He took Abraham and his descendents, shut him up from other nations, but still out came the leprosy. Then He gave them the law, but that did not help.

Finally He sent His own dear Son, and man murdered Him. Now what does God say? The trial is over. No need to shut man up any longer. Read Romans 3. Look at verse 10: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Verse 12: "There is none that doeth good, no, not one." Verses 22 and 23: "There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." And see also Romans 11: 32 and Galatians 3: 22. Every mouth has been stopped (Romans 3: 19), so that even you can have not one word to say. The Priest has already pronounced you, and every man, to be unclean.

The Priest is looking on you, friend, and that is what He says. He pronounces you a sinner. He says you are not righteous. He tells you that you do not do good. Your mouth is closed. The best thing you can do is to "cover" it, and cry "Unclean! Unclean!" You have been brought to the Priest now. He has looked on you. He sees that the plague in the skin of your flesh is leprosy. He sees the hair is turned white. What does that mean? It means there is the sign of decay and death. He tells you that already decay is in your blood; that to His eye there are already in you the marks of death, with judgment to follow, and then "the second death." Revelation 20: 14.

Friend, the plague is deeper than the skin. (Leviticus 13: 3.) It is not only a surface trouble with you. No, the real trouble is far deeper. It is in our heart, and the Priest pronounces it "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Jeremiah 17: 9. And He adds, "Who can know it? I the Lord search the heart." v.10. He knows well you do not know your own heart. Only the Lord knows how bad you really are. He knows well that you are not willing to believe that your case is so desperate! He knows well that you are not able to know that your leprosy is so terribly bad that it is "incurable." (See Jeremiah 17: 9 J.N.D. Trans.) But this is the truth. This is your condition.

We read in the Bible that God looks on this world and the men in it. In Genesis 1: 31, we read, "God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good." This described man before sin appeared, but soon, alas, sin came in, and we read, "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . . And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt." Genesis 6: 5,12. And again we read, "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Psalm 14: 2-3. Plainly we may see our Priest has looked, and has seen that every man in this world has the disease of leprosy.

The priest has looked on you and pronounced you unclean. Reader, that Priest can never make a mistake. That Priest loves you far too well to say such terrible words if there was any way out of it. A few years ago I had dinner with a doctor. He was an authority on leprosy. He told me that a day or two before a young man came to his office, and showed him a sore on his hand that would not heal. The doctor questioned him, examined the hand, and found that the man had leprosy. He was young, and apparently in good health. He had a wife and young children. He had not the slightest suspicion that he had leprosy, and as the doctor told me the story, and of how he had to pronounce that young man unclean, the tears rolled down his cheeks with grief for that poor, unclean man. And our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, has wept over those who are unclean but unwilling to come to Him for cleansing.

Reader, the Priest must pronounce you unclean, because you are unclean. You may not have a suspicion that you are lost and ruined and unclean and on your way to hell, but this is truly your state and condition unless that same Priest has already cleansed you.

You say, perhaps, "But I do not feel unclean." That has nothing to do with it. There is a story that many years ago M. Damien went to labor among the lepers in Molokai, of the Hawaiian Islands. He worked there in good health for many years. Then one evening while he was washing his feet, some hot water dropped on his toes; it did not hurt at all, but the water was so hot that it blistered the skin. Instantly he knew that he had leprosy, for one of the early symptoms of leprosy is that the diseased part loses the sense of feeling. Just so, you, poor sinner, have lost your sense of feeling, or you, too, would immediately know that you undoubtedly have that awful disease. You can stick a needle in the part affected by leprosy, but the man does not feel it. So the man going on in sin no longer feels the pricks of conscience and does not know he is a sinner. The Priest, the Lord Jesus, has pronounced you unclean. He says of you, "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3: 10) — not even you. The leper might reply, "But I feel in excellent health; I never felt better in my life." "I am sorry," the priest replies, "but it is my sad duty to pronounce you unclean." The man's feelings and opinions had nothing to do with the case; all rested on the word of the priest. "The priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean." v.3. That ended the matter. That settled the case. The man knew he was unclean, because the priest said so, not because he felt unclean, or thought he was unclean, or his friends had that opinion. All rested on the word of the priest.

When it was decided to isolate the lepers in the Hawaiian Islands to a rugged triangular piece of land known as Kalawao, on the Island of Molokai (where M. Damien labored), "then it was resolved to deport every person, young or old, rich or poor, prince or commoner in whom the slightest taint of leprosy could be found. The law was carried into effect with the utmost rigor. All over the islands lepers and those suspected of having leprosy were hunted out by the police, dragged away from their homes, and if certified by a doctor as touched by the disease, at once shipped off to the leper settlement as if to a state prison. Children were torn from their parents and parents from their children. Husbands and wives were separated for ever. In no case was any respect of persons shown, and a near relative of the Hawaiian Queen was among the first to be seized and transported." (Missionary Heroes in Oceana.) This is just what SIN does to us. Husbands and wives, parents and children, nearest and dearest of friends, must part forever, if sin is not cleansed.

Chapter 2 All Covered

Let us now go down to verses 12 and 13. There we read a most extraordinary statement. "If a leprosy break out abroad in the skin, and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh; then the priest shall consider: and, behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague: it is all turned white: he is clean."

Strange! Strange!! Strange!!! When a few months or years before he was brought to the priest with only one tiny rising, scab or bright spot, the priest pronounced him unclean, and he had to go outside the camp and dwell alone. Now he is all covered, and what says the priest? "You are clean!" Strange indeed! What can the meaning be of this?

It tells us of a poor sinner, who has not one word of good to say about himself. We may see many lepers who were all covered with leprosy in the Bible, and all were cleansed. Look at Peter in Luke 5. He finds out for the first time he is covered with leprosy. Hear him: "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man" (or, "a man full of sin"). Luke 5: 8. If you have a cup full of water, you have no room for anything else in it. If you have a man full of sin, you have no room for any good in him. Such was the apostle Peter. Look further in the same chapter, verse 12: "It came to pass, when He was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy; who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And He put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean." Luke 5: 12-13. Never was a man full of sin or full of leprosy who need wait longer to be cleansed. The Priest, our Saviour, is just waiting for such men. Look at the thief on the cross: "We receive the due reward of our deeds." Luke 23: 41. And that day he was in paradise with his Saviour and Lord. See the prodigal son in Luke 15: 21 — "I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight," and instantly the father's arms were round his neck and he "covered him with kisses." Luke 15: 20 J.N.D. Trans. Look at the publican in Luke 18: 13 — "God be merciful to me a sinner," and he went home justified. Look at Paul: "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing." Romans 7: 18. Look at Job: "I am vile; what shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth." Job 40: 4. And again: "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42: 6. But, justified at once. See, again, Isaiah: "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." Isaiah 6: 5. Instantly: "Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Isaiah 6: 7.

Yes, friend, all these men got cleansing in the same way. They all found out that not only were they lepers, but that they were full of leprosy, from the top of their heads to the sole of their feet. Not one of these men will be in heaven by his own good works. They all stand up and witness that "there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romans 3: 12. Dear reader, where Peter and Paul and Job and Isaiah and every other saint in glory has failed, you cannot succeed. They were each one lost and ruined and on the way to hell, and they all owned it and took their place as poor lost ruined sinners, and in that place alone did they obtain pardon and cleansing. In that state alone can you also obtain pardon and cleansing.

We read in Job 33: 27-28 (J.N.D. Trans.): "He will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited to me; He hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light." There will not be one person in heaven who will sing, "I have never sinned, and so I have gotten here myself." The song up there tells of our hopeless ruin — and of the grace of God.

Come then! Come now! Come just as you are to that gracious Priest. He is waiting. He says, "Come now, let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1: 18 J.N.D. Trans. He knows you are full of leprosy — full of sin — but will you believe His testimony of yourself? Will you take that place of a lost sinner, full of sin? If so, cleansing, pardon, peace and blessing are yours.

But one word more before we turn from these verses. We read, "But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean. And the priest shall see the raw flesh, and pronounce him to be unclean: for the raw flesh is unclean: it is a leprosy." vv. 14-15. This tells us of the man who is willing to go on in sin, even though he owns himself to be a sinner. He is all covered with leprosy, but there is raw flesh, sin, actively working in him. It is very remarkable that although there are many men in Scripture who take the place of saying, "I have sinned," yet not all of them obtain cleansing. David (2 Samuel 12: 13), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9: 33), Job (Job 40: 4; 42: 6), Isaiah (Isaiah 6: 5; 64: 6), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 14: 7,20), Daniel (Daniel 9: 5), Micah (Micah 7: 9), the prodigal son (Luke 15: 21), and the thief on the cross (Luke 23: 41): These all took the place of sinners and all got cleansing or blessing. But look at Pharaoh (Exodus 9: 27; 10: 16), Balaam (Numbers 22: 34), Achan (Joshua 7: 20), Saul (1 Samuel 15: 24; 26: 21), Shimei (2 Samuel 19: 20), and Judas (Matthew 27: 4): These all confess they have sinned, yet they perish. These all admit the leprosy, but they have the raw flesh appearing. There was no hatred of the sin. There was no desire to turn from it and give it up. There was no true repentance. But the active evil was still working in their flesh.

When we know the wonderful grace of God that takes me, a poor sinner full of sin, and in that terrible condition cleanses and pardons me, and brings me to God — this grace makes me long to be holy, and long that sin shall not have dominion over me. (See Romans 6: 14.) If I allow active sin to go on working in me unchecked, it is a proof that I do not know the grace of God that cleanses and pardons. John writes, "He that practises sin is of the devil." 1 John 3: 8 J.N.D. Trans.

This does not mean that after we are saved we will never sin again. The apostle John plainly writes of people who say this, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." 1 John 1: 8. Note that we do not deceive God, or other people, but only ourselves.

Nor does this verse in Leviticus mean that if we sin, it is a proof that we never were saved. How often the devil has tormented young Christians in this way. A sheep may fall into the ditch and get dirty, but that does not mean it is not a sheep, and it is unhappy till it gets out and is clean once more. A pig delights in the dirt and filth of the ditch. The one "practises" dirt, the other does not but hates it. A sow that is washed will always return to its wallowing in the mire. (See 2 Peter 2: 22.) But it has always been a sow — it never became a sheep.

The one whom the Lord Jesus cleanses is changed, not only on the outside, but also on the inside, when he is born again. The Lord gives him a clean heart, a new nature that hates and loathes and abhors sin, and is never happy if the one in whom that nature dwells has fallen into sin, until he is restored.

Chapter 3 "Utterly Unclean"

We must now notice verses 42-44. These are most solemn, and should have a voice to many in our day. "And if there be in the bald head, or bald forehead, a white reddish sore; it is a leprosy sprung up in his bald head, or his bald forehead. Then the priest shall look upon it: and, behold, if the rising of the sore be white reddish in his bald head, or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh; he is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in his head." Lev. 13: 42-44

The forehead is a common place for leprosy to show itself. How many there are today who have the plague of leprosy in their heads, yet have not the least idea that they are "utterly unclean." They have their own ideas. They reason things out with their own mind. They trust to their own heads, instead of to the Word of God. Pride, and especially pride of intellect, is the root of the trouble when the leprosy is in the head. How many "men of science," as they call themselves, are in reality men with leprosy in their heads. We may see a terrible example of this in Uzziah whose pride made him take the place that belonged alone to the priests. "His heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. . . . The leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the priests in the house of the Lord, from beside the incense altar. And Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked upon him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead." 2 Chronicles 26: 16,19-20.

Chapter 4 "Unclean! Unclean!"

"And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be." vv. 45-46.

These sad verses give us a vivid picture of the sinner. It might be that formerly he was able to use his clothes to cover the spots of leprosy. But now his clothes must be rent. There is no way now to cover his defilement. "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Hebrews 4: 13. Adam tried to cover himself with fig leaves, but he failed, and when God came down into the garden he had to own, "I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." Genesis 3: 10.

Poor sinner, your clothes are rent to the eyes of God; He sees you naked. Every spot of sin and defilement is clear and plain to Him. You cannot cover it. Where Adam failed, you have no hope to succeed, and remember, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28: 13.

"And his head bare." There is nothing to cover your guilty head. Between you and high heaven there is nothing to shelter you. All the wrath of a sin-hating God rests on your bare, unsheltered head. "The wrath of God abideth on him." John 3: 36. The priest uncovers the head of the unfaithful wife in Numbers 5: 18. There is nothing under which she may hide.

We read of some who can say, "Thou hast covered my head" (Psalm 140: 7), but the poor leper must take off any covering he may have had. "His head bare" tells forth one of the most awful and one of the most solemn truths about the defiled sinner that it is possible for the mind of man to comprehend.

Dear reader, is your head covered? Or does the eye of God see nothing but uncleanness and defilement — with nothing under which you can hide?

"And he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean." Though his head must be bare, his mouth must be covered. The very breath of the leper can only bring defilement. There is not a suggestion that by doing his best he may someday be fit for the presence of a holy God. No, he is not even fit for company with his fellow men who are not likewise defiled. His only cry is a sad wail of warning, "Unclean! Unclean!" What folly for any poor sinner to suggest that he can cleanse himself when he is in such an awful condition that every breath he takes is defiled and defiling.

The rest of the chapter speaks of leprosy in a garment or a skin. If the Lord will, we may look at these verses later on, but now we will follow the path of the poor defiled leper, and see God's way of cleansing — when man is hopeless and helpless, when he has no way to cleanse himself.

Part 2 The Leper Cleansed

Chapter 5 God's Way of Cleansing

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself tells us that there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. See Luke 4: 27.

Although none of these lepers in Israel in the days of Eliseus were cleansed, yet all this time there was a long chapter in the Old Testament giving minute instructions as to exactly the way, and the only way, that leprosy might be cleansed.

Surely it is the same in our day. There are hundreds of millions of sinners in our time, and any of them, or all of them, might be cleansed, if they were but willing to come and be cleansed in God's way.

God introduces the way of cleansing with almost the same words that He used about the way for a man to know he had leprosy. "The Lord spake unto Moses, saying." Leviticus 14: 1. These words that tell of the way of cleansing are the very words of the living God, and are true and faithful. Let us listen to them with all our hearts.

"This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest." Leviticus 14: 2.

Do you remember the day when that swelling, rising or bright spot first appeared, and you were brought to the Priest? Do you remember how unwilling you were to go to Him? Do you remember His sad decision, "You are unclean?" Do you remember the time when first you found out you were a sinner? Perhaps you thought like many, "I am not as bad as a lot of others," but still you knew that the hidden plague that ends in death was there.

But now things have gotten worse. The disease has spread. In those old days you could cover it up with your clothes — but even so you had to go outside the camp, your clothes rent, your head bare, and cry, "Unclean! Unclean!" But still the disease spreads. It covers your face and head, your body, legs and feet — all, all is covered! All is turned white! You are in a sad way indeed! There is not a spot where you could put the point of a pin without leprosy. Truly you are "full of leprosy."

What happens now? Perhaps a friend meets you outside the camp, sad and weary and discouraged, yes, hopeless. Your friend's eye looks you over: he says, "Come, I will take you to the priest. You are all covered with leprosy. You may be made clean." You reply, "No, there is no hope for me; I am worse than I have ever been. There is not a leper outside the camp as bad as I am. See, I am all covered." "Yes, I see," replies your friend, "and that is the very reason you are now ready to be cleansed. Come away to the priest at once."

Perhaps you fear that piercing eye that once before has found your spot of leprosy, and banished you outside the camp. Perhaps this fear would keep you away from the priest, but your friend insists, and now he brings you to him. His heart is glad for he knows what is in store for you. Perhaps your heart is filled with shame and fear and dread, as you go along that road to meet the priest.

Have you, dear Christian reader, any unsaved friends or relatives? Have you brought them to the Priest? Have you brought them to Him in prayer? Or have you brought them to hear the gospel preached as you have had opportunity? These are blessed privileges of which you and I are all too slow to avail ourselves. May the Lord give us each one to be more faithful towards our unsaved friends, who in reality are just poor, unclean lepers, far off, outside the camp.

We have a lovely record in John 1: 41-42 of a man who did this very thing. He found the Lord — or the Lord found him — and what does he do? "He first findeth his own brother Simon." I love that little word "first." It was already long past the "tenth hour:" the day was done: but Andrew did not stop for food or drink or rest, or anything else, but away to hunt for "his own brother." And he found him, and what did he do with him? "He brought him to Jesus." We never hear much of Andrew, but "his own brother" was Simon Peter, and what a blessing Andrew's brother has been to every one of us! What a debt we all owe to Andrew for that evening's work!

And though it is true we do not hear much about Andrew, what we do hear is very, very lovely. This seems to have been a special line of work with Andrew. The next time we see him is in John 6: 8, and there he is bringing "a lad" to the Lord Jesus. Again we find him at the same work in John 12: 22, where he is bringing the Greeks to Jesus. Happy work! May the Lord teach every one of us to bring others, one by one, to Himself. It was not until we drew the pictures of the leper that we even realized that the friend who brought the leper to the priest was of so much importance. May we be more like him, unnamed, almost unmentioned, and yet the link in the chain without which the leper could not have been cleansed.

We have seen the leper and his friend hurrying along the road to seek the priest. But, stop! The poor leper cannot enter the camp. He is defiled and unclean. How can he meet that priest? That priest's home is the house of God, the very center of the camp. But the Priest Himself has devised a way, and so we read in verse 3, "The priest shall go forth out of the camp." The great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, went forth out of His glory more than 1900 years ago. He came down to this sad wicked world, and even down here, "He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull." John 19: 17. Yes, the Priest has already gone forth without the gate. (Hebrews 13: 12.) He sees you, poor defiled sinner, and He has already gone where you are. (Luke 10: 33.) He is waiting to cleanse you. "Wilt thou be made whole?" John 5: 6. That is the question now. Oh, poor sinner, reply immediately, "With all my heart, I am willing to be made whole."

"And the priest shall look, and, behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper." Leviticus 14: 3. Those eyes of flame search you once again. Before they searched you to find if there was one spot of leprosy, and the priest had to pronounce you unclean. Now they search you to see if there is one spot without leprosy, and if you truly are "all covered," the priest may pronounce you clean. Then he looked to see if you were entirely clean of this awful plague; now he looks to see if you are entirely covered by it. In the same way, our Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, searches the sinner who comes to Him. Is he truly coming as a poor, lost, ruined, guilty sinner? Has he no good word to say for himself? Is he full of sin? The Priest shall look, and if the sinner is in this condition, then he may be made clean. He is a "sinner that repenteth," and over him there is joy in the presence of the angels of God. (Luke 15: 10.)

But if there is still a little whole flesh without the plague — if the leper can still turn to his other leper friends, and say, "I am better than you! I have not so much leprosy on me as you have!"; if he still has some goodness of his own in which he can glory — then back to his old place outside the camp he must go. He is not ready for cleansing. The apostle Paul could say, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Galatians 6: 14.

Chapter 6 Two Birds, Alive and Clean

But let us follow the leper who is truly all covered with leprosy. The priest looks — not to see if the leper is cleansed. but to see if he is healed. And now he does not find a spot anywhere without the plague, and joy, oh joy, now he can be made clean.

Now, dear reader, please note particularly what the leper must do to be cleansed. Somebody else brought him to the priest. The priest goes out of the camp, he looks and decides if the leper is in a condition to be cleansed. Now, listen! The priest speaks; he commands to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. (v.4.) The leper was far too poor and helpless to obtain those birds and other things for himself; nor does the priest tell him to get them. No, he tells somebody else to provide those two birds alive and clean. He tells somebody else, not the leper, to get the other things needed for his cleansing.

It reminds us of Isaac's question: "Where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" And we think of Abraham's answer: "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." Genesis 22: 7-8. God must always provide the offering. We poor sinners must die in our sins, if we have to go in search of a suitable sacrifice, for we could never, never find one. But God's Word says, "The priest shall command to take for him."

God has provided those two birds alive and clean. Both together make one lovely picture of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. "And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running [or, living] water." v.5. Again the poor leper stands by while another not only provides the offering, but another kills it. Look, a moment, at that picture. An earthen vessel; inside that earthen vessel, a pure spotless bird. The heavens are the home of the bird — the heavens are its native air — but it comes down and enters into a vessel of earth. It leaves its native air, it leaves its home above, for this poor sad earth. And in that earthen vessel it is killed. What a picture of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He leaves His home in the heavens, He leaves His throne above, He comes down to this sad world and takes a body of earth. For truly our bodies are but "earthen vessels." You know "Adam" means "earthy" or "red earth." So our Lord took an earthy body. How we love to watch that heavenly Man walking this world in His body of earth! And in that same body He was killed. Wicked men nailed that body to the cross, and His precious blood was poured out.

But the bird was killed in an earthen vessel over running, or living, water. Running water has life and power in it. What amazing power there is in the running water at Niagara Falls! Water in the Bible very often speaks of the Word of God. (See Psalm 119: 9; Ephesians 5: 26.) And the running, or living, water tells us of the living Word of God, applied by the Spirit of God to our hearts. That Word is "living and powerful." Hebrews 4: 12. (See also J.N.D. Trans.) It takes the death of Christ, and tells me in the living power of the Spirit that the Lord Jesus Christ died for me, that it was for my sins that He suffered. You have often heard the story of His death, perhaps. You have often seen that bird killed in the earthen vessel: but, dear reader, have you ever realized that it was for you? Have you ever seen Him killed over the running water? "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10: 17. It is from the living Word that you get living faith.

From the pierced side of our Saviour there flowed down "blood and water." John 19: 34.

"Rock of Ages! cleft for sin,

Grace hath hid us safe within!

Where the water and the blood

From Thy riven side which flowed

Are of sin the double cure:

[Cleansing from its guilt and power."

So there was in that earthen vessel both blood and water, speaking of the life of that dead bird. 1st. ed. 1938.]

Verse 6: "As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water."

It has been remarked that the two birds make one picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have seen Him come down from heaven and take that body that was prepared for Him, and in that "earthen vessel" He died on the cross for us. He did not stay on the cross, but still bearing those marks of death in hands and feet and side, He was laid in the grave — but on the third day He rose again, still bearing those same marks of death. And so we see the living bird going down into the blood of the dead bird and coming up with its pure feathers all marked with death. What a wonderful picture of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! But still the bird is held in the hand of the priest. It is not yet free to ascend up to its native home in the heavens.

But not alone was the living bird dipped in the blood of the dead bird: cedar wood, scarlet and hyssop were also dipped in that blood. The cedar wood tells us of the greatest and highest things of nature: the hyssop tells us of the meanest and the lowest and the most bitter things of nature. Solomon spoke of "trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall." 1 Kings 4: 33. That which is greatest by nature must all go under that precious blood. The most clever, the most brilliant man or woman: the kindest, and most humane person on earth, the most honest and true-hearted man living — all alike can only get salvation through the blood. And again the poorest and most miserable coolie, whose life is bitter with hard labor — he also must go under the blood if he is to obtain salvation. Even "him that is simple" must have the blood for his only title. (Ezekiel 45: 20.) The scarlet speaks of royalty, and it tells us that those who occupy the highest place on earth must go down into the blood along with the lowest.

But these things tell us something more. They are things which belong to this world: and when Christ was crucified the world was crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6: 14.) This world is stained with the blood of the Son of God, my Saviour, and it and I can never be friends again. The cross stands between it and me. Indeed the Word tells me plainly that "whosoever . . . will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4: 4.

"We are but strangers here, we do not crave

A home on earth, which gave Thee but a grave,

Thy cross has severed ties which bound us here,

Thyself our treasure in a higher sphere."

Verse 7: "And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field."

Lovely verse! Just gaze on that wonderful scene. The poor leper has been brought from outside the camp, the priest has gone out to him. Another has provided two birds alive and clean. Another has killed one of those birds, and now its blood is in the basin, the living bird's feathers, the cedar wood, the scarlet and the hyssop are all stained with the blood of the dead bird. The poor leper has gazed on all this scene, but there has been no change in him or his condition. But now the priest sprinkles the blood seven times on the leper himself — once, twice, three times . . . on, on six times, and still no change, but now the seventh time — and the man is clean! The blood has made him clean. Without the blood there was no way of cleansing for the poor leper. And without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. (Hebrews 9: 22.) But that blood had power to cleanse the leper from every bit of defilement. The clean bird can cleanse the unclean leper. It mattered not how vile and loathsome the poor leper was, provided the bird was clean. Seven times tells of the perfection of the cleansing. And now the precious blood of Christ has power to cleanse the vilest and most defiled and loathsome sinner from every trace of sin. Please be perfectly clear about this. It was the blood, and the blood alone, that cleansed the leper. It is the blood and the blood alone that cleanses any poor sinner today.

But how did the leper know that he was cleansed? Did his leprosy suddenly vanish when the blood was sprinkled on him the seventh time? I do not think so. I do not think that he felt one bit different after the blood was sprinkled to what he felt before. I do not think that he looked any different after the blood was sprinkled to what he looked before.

How, then, did he know that he was clean? The moment the blood is sprinkled the seventh time, the priest pronounced him clean. As you stand by and watch that wonderful scene, you may hear the priest make that blessed pronouncement, "Be thou clean." The blood of the bird made him clean, the word of the priest makes him know he is clean. It was the word of the priest that made him know once before that he was unclean, and so in exactly the same way, it is the word of the same priest that makes him know that he is clean.

But that is not all; the moment the priest pronounces the poor leper to be clean, then he takes that living bird, stained with the blood of the dead bird, and lets it free into the open fields. The work of the sacrifice was finished, the leper is cleansed and knows he is clean, and now there is nothing to keep that living bird down here.

In just the same way, the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead, bearing the marks of death upon Him, and after a brief stay amongst men down here, He ascended up into the heavens, still bearing those same marks — proof that His work is completed; His victory won; our sins put away; and He Himself, and we with Him, are now accepted on high. In a coming day He will present His church to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. (Ephesians 5: 27.) The wounds and scars of her warfare down here will all be gone up there, but to all eternity our Lord Jesus Christ will bear those marks of death in His hands and feet and side.

If His work on the cross had not been complete — if He had not truly cleansed our sins — if one of our sins had remained upon Him — He never could have come up from the grave and ascended into heaven. But, praise be to God! His work is complete. It has been accepted on high, and He has returned to His home in the heavens, in positive proof that all is done.

Suppose, now, an old neighbor meets the cleansed leper, and says to him, "What are you doing around here? You are a leper! Get away from here!" The leper replies, "Yes, truly I was a leper, but now, thank God, I am cleansed!" "Cleansed!" replies the neighbor. "You are not cleansed! On the contrary you look worse than ever! You appear to be all covered with leprosy!"

"Just so, but the priest has sprinkled the blood of the bird upon me, and has pronounced me clean, and I know that I am clean, because he said so."

"Nonsense! You have misunderstood him. He probably told you that you were not clean! Anybody can see you are a leper!"

"Ah, no. There is no possibility that I misunderstood him. First I had the blood sprinkled on me, and then I myself heard the priest's own voice telling me that I was clean; but that is not all — with my own eyes, I myself have seen the living bird — with its feathers covered with blood — fly away into the open heaven. You know the law. You know the living bird cannot fly away until the priest has pronounced me clean."

"But," continues the neighbor, "do you mean to tell me that you feel yourself to be clean, when you admit that you are all covered with leprosy?"

"Friend, that is not the point. The priest said I am clean, and that settles the matter. As you know, he, and he only, has authority to pronounce any man clean, and he has pronounced me clean, so now I know that I am clean, no matter how I feel."

The neighbor is silenced, and the leper is filled with joy and peace and triumph, as he recalls that sight of the living bird, flying away free, back to its old home.

Even so is it with you and me, dear fellow-sinner, cleansed in the blood of Jesus? As we watch, by the eye of faith, our Lord and Saviour returning back to His home in the heavens, we know that He is accepted, and we know that we also are accepted in Him. (Ephesians 1: 6.)

But that living Saviour, gone back to heaven, tells us more than the fact that His work of cleansing is complete. His resurrection and ascension tell us that He is Conqueror, He is victorious over death and the grave. The mightiest battle of the universe has been fought and won, and now He can sing in triumph, and we with Him, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1 Corinthians 15: 55.

"Oh, show me not my Saviour dying

As on the cross He bled,

Nor in the tomb, a captive lying,

For He has left the dead.

Then bid me not that form extended

For my Redeemer own,

Who, to the highest heavens ascended,

In glory fills the throne.

"Weep not for Him at Calvary's station!

Weep only for thy sins;

View where He lay with exultation;

'Tis there our hope begins.

Yet stay not there, thy sorrow feeding

Amid the scenes He trod,

Look up, and see Him interceding

At the right hand of God.

"Still in the shameful cross I glory,

Where His dear blood was spilt;

For there the great propitiatory

Abolished all my guilt.

Yet what, 'mid conflict and temptation,

Shall strength and succour give?

He lives, the Captain of salvation;

Therefore His servants live.

"By death, He death's dark king defeated,

And overcame the grave;

Rising, the triumph He completed,

He lives, He reigns to save.

Heaven's happy myriads bow before Him:

He comes, the Judge of men;

These eyes shall see Him and adore Him:

Lord Jesus, come and reign."

J. Condor

Chapter 7 Washed and Shaved

Verse 8: "And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean: and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days."

Now, in the eyes of God, the poor leper is clean and spotless. The priest has pronounced him clean, and that pronouncement comes with all the authority and certainty of God Himself.

What follows? The man immediately seeks to cleanse everything about him, and to bring all into conformity to that wonderful standing, in which he now stands before God — even clean and spotless.

You may recall that we asked you to note particularly what the leper had to do to be cleansed. If you have followed the seven verses of this chapter in Leviticus that we have just been considering, you will have noticed that the man has not to do one single thing. Everything was done for him. His part was to accept what others did for him, and to put his confidence in the shed blood, and believe the spoken word of the priest. There was not the smallest thing else for him to do, except to stand by in wonder, amazement and thanksgiving for God's wondrous plan of cleansing. But now all is changed. Now the leper starts to work. Let us stand by and watch him.

First he washes his clothes. Before, perhaps, they were so vile and loathsome that nobody would touch them. Some of us have seen lepers begging at the roadside, and we know how filthy their clothes are. They themselves are hopelessly unclean, why should they seek to keep their clothes clean? But now all is changed. The man is clean in the eyes of God, and by faith he is clean in his own eyes. Now he must appear clean in the eyes of other men.

Or, it might be, in the old days that he had succeeded in keeping his clothes cleaner than most lepers, so that they wondered that he should be able to keep his clothes so nice; and he himself was probably well satisfied with the condition of his clothing. But now, clean and spotless in the eyes of God, he finds that his clothes are far from what they should be. They must be washed.

The clothes tell us of that which touches us — our associations — that with which we have to do, that which the world around sees as connected with us. Perhaps men have been accustomed to see us in the gambling halls, or in other evil places. All these associations and ways must be "washed." How do we wash our ways and associations? We get that question answered for us in Psalm 119: 9 — "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" That is the question. Here is God's own answer: "By taking heed thereto according to Thy Word."

Leviticus 13: 47-59 tells us of leprosy in the garment. This speaks of sin in a person's surroundings, even when the person himself was free from the plague. It is not enough that we ourselves are cleansed from sin: we may not go on with those things around us which are sinful, no matter whether they are business affairs, religious associations, or any other matters with which we are connected.

What happens next? He shall "shave off all his hair." It was against the law for an Israelite to "make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard." Leviticus 21: 5; 19: 27. It was a mark of shame and reproach; see Isaiah 15: 2 — "On all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard cut off." (Also see Jeremiah 41: 5, 48: 37; 2 Samuel 10: 4-5.) But now all this hair must come off. All his own natural beauty and glory must go. Everything that might shelter any uncleanness must be cut off, at any cost.

The one cleansed by the blood will find that he is called to share the Lord's reproach and shame, as he seeks to walk a path that is according to His Word. In China where we are accustomed to shaved heads and faces, it is hard for us to realize what shame and reproach and contempt this shaving would bring. We read of those who in the early days "were made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions." Hebrews 10: 33. The Word tells us that Moses chose "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." Hebrews 11: 25-26. We, too, are exhorted to bear His reproach. (Hebrews 13: 13.) The Lord Himself knows what reproach means. It was He who could say, "Thou hast known My reproach, and My shame, and My dishonor: Mine adversaries are all before Thee. Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." Psalm 69: 19-20. None have ever tasted reproach and shame as deeply as He has done; but you and I, dear fellow-believer, have the privilege of bearing in some measure His reproach. May He grant us to esteem it greater riches than this poor world can offer!

In a land where every man had a fine head of hair, and a big bushy beard, the cleansed leper without either hair or beard would indeed be a gazing-stock. As he walked down the street many a finger would be pointed at him, many a joke would be cracked at his expense. But was it not worth while? Was it not infinitely better to be cleansed and in the congregation of the Lord's people without a beard, than to be wandering with a beard outside the camp, crying "Unclean! Unclean!" And he must tarry abroad out of his tent seven days, but soon, very soon, the seven days will pass, and he can retire to that loved home of his, away from the reproach and shame and dishonor, to enjoy the peace and joy and love of his own dear ones. Then let him boldly bear witness to all around, while he has the opportunity, of the grace and power that has cleansed him, and brought him back to the congregation of the Lord.

But there is still more. The leper is to "wash himself in water." "Wash himself." What does that mean? I think that is nearer home than washing his clothes: something more intimately connected with himself than cleansing his ways and associations. This touches every habit of my life. It cleanses even my thoughts, and the effect reaches out to my words, my deeds, and all my habits — "myself." For as a man thinketh, so is he. (Proverbs 23: 7.) All are to be cleansed now, not by blood, but by water.

The bird was slain only once. The blood was sprinkled only once, but the water may be applied many times. As we go on in our chapter, we will find that on the seventh day he must wash again, not be cleansed again in blood, but in water. You will recall that in the tabernacle, the laver with water in which the priests washed their hands and feet, stood between the altar and the tabernacle: and at that laver the priests continually washed, before entering the tabernacle for service. This showed the continual need for cleansing from the defilements of this world — not by blood — that has been done once, and once only — but by water — the water of the Word.

Do not these words, speaking of washing in water, remind us of many verses in the New Testament? For instance, in 2 Corinthians 7: 1, after giving us the beautiful promise that the Lord Almighty will be a Father unto us, the Word continues, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Again, Ephesians 5: 2 tells us, "Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor." Then after gazing at that wondrous offering that has cleansed us from our sins, immediately we read, "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks." vv. 3-4.

Does this not exactly correspond to washing our clothes, shaving our hair, and washing ourselves in water?

We will speedily find that a refusal to indulge in foolish talking and jesting will bring plenty of reproach, and make us a "gazing-stock." What a natural ornament is a quick wit, or a clever reply! But harmless as it may seem to us, there is very grave danger of defilement lurking here. "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin." Proverbs 10: 19. And again, "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor." Ecclesiastes 10: 1.

So this mark of ability and beauty must come off. The Word exhorts us again and again to be sober and grave. See, for example, 1 Thessalonians 5: 6; 1 Timothy 2: 15, 1 Timothy 3: 2, 4, 8, 11; Titus 1: 8, Titus 2: 12.

There are multitudes of passages in the New Testament that stress the urgent need of what corresponds in the leper to this cleansing of clothes and self. One feels that this very important truth has not been stressed as it should have been. We have delighted to stand by and watch the grace of God that has cleansed that poor vile leper, without him so much as moving a finger, but we are often very slow in our washing and shaving. But if we realize what it cost our Lord and Master to cleanse us, how can we do less than seek to walk to His glory while He leaves us down here? From verse 1 to the end of verse 7, as we have seen, the leper does nothing. All he brings to the priest is his leprosy and uncleanness, everything is done for him. But the moment the priest has pronounced him clean and has let the bird loose — from that moment the leper begins to work, not in order to be cleansed before God — he is clean before God already — but to bring his outward condition into keeping with his standing before God.

We get these two sides beautifully brought out in Titus 3: 4, 5, 8. "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; . . . This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works."

Again, please ponder Colossians 2: 20 and Colossians 3: 1-14 — "If ye be dead with Christ" and "If ye then be risen with Christ." That spotless little bird had done nothing to merit death. It had no uncleanness nor defilement, yet it died instead of the defiled, unclean leper. In God's sight the leper deserved death — indeed, was dead while he lived. (Numbers 12: 12.) In God's sight the leper died with that bird — but in His sight the leper rose again with that living bird, which has told us so plainly of the resurrection of Christ. In God's sight the leper is a new man with a new life. So God sees us "dead with Christ," and "risen with Christ," new men with a new life, and He continues in Colossians 3: 3, "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." When that living bird died, I, the poor vile leper, died with it. When it rose (in type), I rose with it, a new man with a new life, and as it flew back to the open heavens it took my life and hid it up there with Christ in God.

Chapter 8 Out of His Tent

"After that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days." v. 8.

Cleansed, and shaved, and washed, the man may now return to the camp. What a happy day for him! Formerly he was far off, outside the camp, but now he is brought nigh by the blood of that clean bird. Does it not remind us of Ephesians 2: 13? "But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Now, no man can say him nay, as he enters the precincts of that camp, from which all uncleanness must be expelled.

But he may not enter his own home. He must tarry abroad out of it for seven days. What does this teach us? Many of us, when we know our sins are all cleansed, would gladly go home at once to be with Christ, and escape all the troubles and trials and reproach that come to us in this world. But this must not be, even though it is true and deep affection to Christ Himself which would make us long to be with Him forever. You remember that the man, out of whom the Lord cast the legion of devils in Mark 5, prayed Him that he might be with Him. But what did the Lord say? "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." v.19. The Lord sent him back to be a witness for Himself, and I think that the cleansed leper, with clean clothes, and shaved head, was a mighty witness to the power and goodness of God. For seven days he must walk the streets and paths of the camp. He has nowhere to hide from the reproaches and sneers of those whom he meets; but without even speaking, he says to every one, "Here is a leper that has been cleansed and brought nigh." Seven in the Bible is a perfect number, and tells of the perfect length of time that the Lord chooses to leave each one of us "at home in the body, . . . absent from the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5: 6. For the dying thief the time was but a few hours but what a witness he gave! His witness has echoed down through the centuries, and many a poor defiled leper has found hope and cleansing through that clear, ringing testimony, when all the world was against the Saviour, or afraid to bear witness to Him. For others those seven days have lengthened out into many, many years, covering a long life. But for each one the time is perfect, and is decided for us by our Priest.

Had the leper been allowed to do so, he would gladly have hidden in his own home from the reproach of men, until his hair and beard had grown again. But God had chosen him for a witness to Himself, and as the hair grew, it must be shaved again, as we will presently see. And God has chosen you, my reader, if you also are a cleansed leper, to be a witness for Himself. It is for this reason that He has left you down here. It is because He wants you to be a witness to Him in a world that has rejected Him and cast Him out, that He still leaves you down here, and does not take you home at once. The Lord Jesus Christ was the faithful and true witness. (Revelation 3: 14.) Oh, beloved friends, let us search ourselves and see what sort of witnesses we are to Him.

Chapter 9 More Washing and Shaving

"But it shall be on the seventh day, that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off: and he shall wash his clothes, also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean." v. 9.

The days of witness pass, and now the last of those seven days draws nigh. What must he do? Does he need more blood to make him fit to enter that longed-for home? No, we have seen already that the blood was only shed once, and only offered once. "By one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Hebrews 10: 14. But he does need to shave and wash again. As long as we are down in this world, and not at home with the Lord, we will find the constant need for shaving and washing. And did you notice that the description of the shaving is more minute and careful than when he shaved the first time after the priest had pronounced him clean? This tells us that as we go on in our life as a Christian, and learn to know our Lord better, we will be more and more conformed to Him, and less and less conformed to the world.

Perhaps the hair of his head speaks of his natural intelligence; the beard, of experience; the eyebrows, of power of observation. Intellect, experience and observation all need to be conformed to Christ and His death.

But not only does he shave afresh, but he again washes his clothes and his own flesh. This tells us of the need for constant cleansing by water in thought and word and deed. May you and I, dear reader, be more careful about this needed washing and shaving, for we are in a world that is filled with defiling influences on every hand. Soon we will be home, then we will hear no more of washing in water. The "sea" before the throne in Revelation 4: 6 was a sea of glass like unto crystal, telling us of fixed and settled purity that never could be defiled, and needed not to be used for cleansing.

But we have another lesson in this "seventh day." The seventh day in Scripture tells us of the Sabbath, the day of rest. We read, "Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest." Exodus 23: 12. But the sabbath rest of this seventh day is broken into by the defilements that need cleansing, and instead of rest we find work. Instead of enjoying the sabbath of rest prescribed by the law, we find the man busy shaving, bathing and washing his clothes. Does this not tell, to the opened ear, that where sin and defilement have come in, the seventh day of rest has passed away, and a new order of things has been brought in?

Chapter 10 The Eighth Day

"And on the eighth day he shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and three tenth deals of fine flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and one log of oil: And the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation." vv. 10-11.

That long-looked-for day has dawned at last. The seven days are past and gone, and now the eighth day has come. Now he may return home to the happy family circle, where all is peace and joy and love. The reproach is a thing of the past. His days of witnessing are done; and home, sweet home, is before him.

"The eighth day" in Scripture seems to have a special significance. Seven days completed the week, ending with the Sabbath on the seventh day. The following day was "the morrow after the Sabbath" or the first day of a new week. But here it is not called the first day, or "the morrow after the Sabbath," but "the eighth day." If we turn on to Leviticus 23 we may notice the difference. In verses 11, 15 and 16, we read of "the morrow after the Sabbath." These verses tell in type of the resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit. But when we go on to verses 36 and 39, we do not get "the morrow after the Sabbath," but "the eighth day." In these verses we have typically an entirely new beginning. Christ has reigned on this earth for a thousand years, all sin is put down, the devil is banished forever and an eternity of joy and peace begins. It is truly a new beginning for all: as the Lord says, "Behold, I make all things new." Revelation 21: 5.

And surely that eighth day was a new beginning for that poor leper. The days of wandering alone outside the camp are gone forever. Now no more need for shaving and washing. No longer absent from home and loved ones, but a life of love, joy, peace and worship has begun. Now with every offering (but the peace offering) in his hand (telling out all the various aspects and excellencies of the mighty sacrifice of Christ Himself), that man who so recently was an outcast leper, comes to be presented before the Lord. The trespass offering, meat offering, sin offering and burnt offering are all included, as well as the log of oil, telling of the Holy Spirit, through whom Christ offered Himself. (Hebrews 9: 14.) In virtue of these offerings the man once so far off, approaches so near, so very near to God. I do not recall any other Israelite (except the priests and Levites) who came so near the Lord, or who had this wondrous privilege of being presented before the Lord, in this way.

I love to stand and gaze on that scene. That man only eight days before had been a vile leper, outside the camp, his head bare, his clothes rent, his lip covered, while he himself cried, "Unclean! Unclean!" Now he is brought, not only inside the camp, but to the house of God, and there presented before the Lord. Happy, wondrous, blessed place! Yet that place is ours. "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight." Colossians 1: 21-22. "Alienated and enemies in your mind" just describes the leper outside the camp. "Yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death" tells of the leper cleansed and brought back into the camp by the death of that clean bird. And to what does it all lead? "To present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight."

You know how certain favored individuals are presented at court to the king — but you and I, dear fellow-Christian, have the wondrous and blessed prospect of being presented to the King of kings!

And I love that expression, "the priest that maketh him clean shall present the man." It is no Stranger who will take me, stranger I in courts above, stranger to all those glories and wonders of that bright home: No, it is the Priest who made me clean; the Priest whom I have known and loved so long down here, He Himself, and no other, it is He who takes me and presents me to the Lord. Will I fear as He takes my hand and leads me up those courts of glory to present me before the Lord? It is His hand, that same blessed, pierced hand, that has led me all these years through the wilderness, that now takes me, and presents me before the Lord.

We were reading in 1 Peter 2: 11, and someone turned to a dear old Chinese saint, and asked, "Mr. Chang, how is it that Peter says, 'I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,' and Paul says, 'Ye are no more strangers and foreigners'?" Ephesians 2: 19. Mr. Chang was puzzled for a moment, and the question was put, "Are you a stranger down here?" "Yes, even my own family hardly knows me." "When you meet the Lord Jesus, will He be a stranger?" A bright smile lit up his whole face, as he replied warmly, "Oh, no, He is my best Friend; I have known Him for over forty years." We may truly sing,

"There no stranger God shall meet thee,

Stranger thou in courts above,

He who to His dwelling greets thee,

Greets thee with a well-known love."

And the more we have been strangers down here, the more carefully we have kept ourselves shaved and washed, the less we have been conformed to the world, the less we will find ourselves strangers up there. Another could sing,

"'Tis the treasure I've found in His love

That has made me a stranger below."

We think of the joy and honor and privilege of that moment, but, beloved friends, what is our joy to His? As He takes us and presents us before the Lord, does He not see of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied? Here is another poor sinner, cleansed by His own most precious blood, and now brought into the very presence of God. Nothing short of this would satisfy the heart of Christ, even though you and I would have been perfectly satisfied to be saved from the punishment of our sins, and get the least place inside the door of heaven. But this would not satisfy Him. Such is our Saviour!

And what is our joy to His? Do we not get a little glimpse of His joy at this time in Jude 24? "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." Once He could say, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful." Matthew 26: 38. Now that "exceeding sorrow" is turned into "exceeding joy." When He had found the lost sheep, He laid it on His shoulders rejoicing: but now having brought it home, He presents it before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. All the journey to that home on high He has guided it with the skilfulness of His hands (Psalm 78: 72), He has upheld it and kept it from stumbling, and now the end of the journey has come, and with exceeding joy He presents the trophy of His grace and power.

But how can He present "faultless" one so faulty as I? It is in virtue of those three lambs that the leper holds in his hand, as the priest presents him. You will note that as each of those lambs is offered the Word records, "the priest shall make an atonement for him." vv. 18, 19, 20. Atonement means "covering." Covered by the blood of the trespass offering; covered by the blood of the sin offering; and, covered by the blood of the burnt offering: not only not a fault or flaw or spot or stain can ever be found in that man so lately an outcast leper, unfit for the company of even his fellow-men, but God sees him in all the excellencies, beauty and righteousness of the One those lambs represented. That threefold covering tells of the one offering of the body of Jesus Christ in its threefold character, nor could those offerings be separated from the meat offering which told of His spotless life on earth, nor from the oil. If the man had tried to come into the presence of God to be presented before Him without those offerings, God never could have accepted him, but with them, the man who was unfit for company with his fellow-men, is fitted for the presence of God. It was not the washing and not the shaving that fitted him for that wondrous Presence, though those were right and needful, but the blood, and the blood alone. So we, too, who sometimes were far off, are brought nigh by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2: 13), and we, too, are "accepted in the Beloved." Ephesians 1: 6. In Him alone, and in virtue of His blood alone, can we ever be accepted.

In 1 John 3: 2-3 we read, "We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." We do not purify ourselves in order to see Him and be like Him, but we purify ourselves, because we have the sure and certain hope of seeing Him, and being like Him, by the sacrifice of Himself, and through His own most precious blood. We purify ourselves, not by blood, but by the water of the Word.

The Eighth Day

"And he sprinkled . . . seven times . . . and he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head." Leviticus 8: 11-12.

"And the priest . . . shall sprinkle . . . seven times .. . and the remnant of the oil . . . he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed." Leviticus 14: 16,18.

"Behold! the sons of Aaron fail:

But, lo! the leper now

Doth find the precious blood avail —

The unction on his brow.

"Beneath the ceremonial law

Who wore this holy crown?

The leper and high priest it saw

Anointed thus alone.

"Abounding grace! Amazing love!

The sinner, cleared by blood,

Rejoices with the priest alone,

A saint — brought nigh to God.

"Thrice blessed truth! Our God to know,

His Christ in fullness see,

And then to seek our tent below

In power of life set free.

And thus upon our head we find

The gladdening oil descend;

First, leave the things of old behind,

And then — among them blend.

"The longed-for eighth-day morn arose,

The door the outcast nears,

Where glory's light in blessing flows,

And God Himself appears.

"How many toil to find the path

For pilgrimage on earth,

Ere yet they know the joy of faith

Above the scene of dearth.

"They pitch the tent before they pass

Beyond time's days — the seven;

And thus they wander on, alas!

Without a view of heaven.

"Through grace the circumcision, we

Our joyful altar raise:

Then here, as buried, Lord, with Thee,

Our tent must hear Thy praise.

"To walk — a new creation band,

Its perfect 'rule' to own,

Once lepers in the Adam-land,

Now here for Christ alone."

(Author unknown)

Chapter 11 The Lamb of the Trespass Offering

"And the priest shall take one he lamb, and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the Lord." Leviticus 14: 12.

What an unutterable joy to the Lord to have presented to Him, with the poor leper, that lamb of the trespass offering. It told of that Lamb, of God's own providing, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1: 29.) It told of God's only begotten Son. And with it was the log of oil, speaking of the Holy Spirit. The three Persons of the Trinity we find all engaged in welcoming the ransomed sinner to His home above.

"And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place: for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering: it is most holy." v. 13.

We see that not only was leprosy accounted unclean, but it was also counted an actual trespass against the Lord, calling for the trespass offering. So we need to realize, not only are we defiled by sin, but we have each one individually "sinned against the Lord." It is well when we are brought to cry, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned." Psalm 51: 4. The poor prodigal had to learn that lesson, as we see when he cried, "I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight." Luke 15: 21.

{If you will recall the different cases of leprosy mentioned in the Old Testament amongst the people of Israel (Miriam, Numbers 12; Gehazi, 2 Kings 5; Uzziah, 2 Chronicles 26), you will note that in every case this terrible disease was sent as a punishment for a great sin each committed. In the case of Gehazi the leprosy was to cleave unto his seed for ever. There is no suggestion of sin in the case of Naaman (2 Kings 5); but he was not of the people of Israel. If, as it would seem, God used leprosy as a punishment for His people, it may be that the trespass offering atoned for the sin that had caused the disease. But I have no doubt that in the type, the trespass offering tells us of the death of Christ that atones for the acts of sin that we commit.

But the trespass offering, like the sin offering, was the priest's. When the priest eats the trespass offering he makes the trespass of the man who offers it his own. What unspeakable grace! And this is just what our great High Priest has done for us. 2nd. ed}

"And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot." v.14.

The blood of the trespass offering that has blotted out all our trespasses, now marks the ear and thumb and toe of the cleansed leper. It is the badge, or insignia, that marks every one who enters those courts of glory. There is not one but must own that his head, with all his intellect and ability, has had need to be cleansed by that precious blood. His hands have many times been used to sin against the Lord, but now the blood on the right thumb is the mark, the sign, that all has been forgiven. How often have our feet carried us astray, to go our own way (Isaiah 53: 6), but now the blood on the right toe tells to all that the Lord has laid on Him all their iniquity.

How wonderful that the One who down here stooped to wash His people's feet, again stoops to mark those feet with His own precious blood.

His holy head was once crowned with thorns, and His visage was so marred more than any man's (Isaiah 52: 14), His precious blood once stained His head and brow, and now it marks my head as His, and His alone, forever. His hands and feet were pierced for me, and to all eternity He will bear the marks of those cruel nails: and now my hand and foot bear the mark of the blood that bought them.

{A girl who called herself a Christian asked an old Christian friend if he thought it would be wrong for her to go to a dance. The old man replied, "It all depends whether there is blood on your toe or not." The girl was puzzled, but the old man then told her about the leper who was cleansed, and had his ear, his hand and his foot marked with blood, as a sign that all had been bought by his Saviour. When the girl realized that her toe was marked with her Saviour's own precious blood, she knew at once she could not use it for dancing with the world. The day is coming when we will have "music and dancing" (Luke 15: 25), but it is not down here. 2nd. ed.}

As we look around that countless throng in those courts above, we find every one bears the same marking; every one will delight to join in that new song: "Thou hast been slain, and hast redeemed to God, by Thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation." Revelation 5: 9 J.N.D. Trans.

Chapter 12 The Log of Oil

"And the priest shall take some of the log of oil, and pour it into the palm of his own left hand: and the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand, and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the Lord." vv. 15-16.

We have seen that the oil speaks of the Holy Spirit. Now the priest turns away from the leper, for the moment he is forgotten, and the oil is "sprinkled before the Lord." The leper, as we have seen, was presented before the Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit, and in virtue of the sacrifice of Christ. But now the oil is sprinkled before the Lord. I think this tells us of the perfect delight that God has in His Holy Spirit. Sometimes we are apt to forget that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead, and is not merely an "influence," but is the true and living God.

Seven speaks of perfection, and how wonderful it is to remember, when we look around this world, with all its sorrow and sin and suffering, that in spite of all these things, there is One who dwells down here now, who is altogether well-pleasing to God in heaven. You remember how God the Father delighted to look down from the open heavens when His Son dwelt upon this earth, and of Him, and Him alone, say, "Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Mark 1: 11. In like manner can God look down now upon the Holy Spirit, and to all eternity He will be His delight in heaven. Although He dwells in every believer, and is their strength and power for all things of God, yet we need to remember that first of all He is down here for God, and for His glory.

"And of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering." v.17.

We believe that the oil put on top of the blood of the trespass offering tells of the power and energy of the Holy Spirit for the believer's life and song and service in those courts of glory. The Lord promised that the Comforter should abide with us forever, and surely all the activities of heaven will be in His power.

"And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed." v.18.

It is lovely to see the way that oil never fails. Although sprinkled before the Lord seven times, and put on the ear, thumb and toe of the leper, there is still more left. It reminds us of the word, "God giveth not the Spirit by measure." John 3: 34. Whatever need we have for His power and energy, we may be sure that the Spirit of God is more than sufficient for our every need. And after every requirement of the oil towards God, and towards men, has been fully met, there is still more, and this is poured on the head of the man that is to be cleansed. Those in Israel who were anointed were the priests, the kings, and, in one case at least, a prophet — and the cleansed lepers! What a wondrous company into which he is brought! And does it not tell us of the place into which the Lord has brought us. In Revelation 1: 6 we read, "And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." In 1 Peter 2: 9 we are called a "royal priesthood." The new song of Revelation 5: 10 (J.N.D. Trans.) says, "And made them to our God kings and priests."

It is all so far beyond our comprehension or our dreams. Who could have ever conceived the thought that one who was a poor, vile, despised, unclean outcast should be brought into a place which no other Israelite possessed, even that of a priest and a king! That thought was God's, and His alone. We can but bow in adoration and wonder, as we gaze upon this lovely scene.

"And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord." v. 18.

I think this verse completes the wonderful picture of the trespass offering and the oil, a scene which began in verse 12. It was not, I think, the oil that made the atonement, but the blood of the trespass offering. In Leviticus 17: 11 we read, "It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." Blood, not oil, makes atonement. Blood alone can cover sins. But this pronouncement, being placed as it is at the end of verse 18, at the close of the section which includes both the trespass offering and the oil, shows us clearly how intimately connected the Spirit of God is with the offering of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 9: 14.) We see the "man that is to be made clean" not only cleansed by the blood, but also sheltered by the blood, and all his trespasses covered by it. Truly we may exclaim, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." Psalm 32: 1.

What more could be added to such a picture? We would think that one more stroke might spoil it, but we find that there still are needed two more scenes to complete its perfection.

"And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering." v. 19.

What a perfect and complete work our Saviour accomplished at the cross. Not only are all the trespasses blotted out by the blood of the trespass offering: but even that old incurable root of sin, was judged. The sin offering told out that nothing but death could deliver us from this. That old nature is not forgiven, it is judged. Our Sin Offering has died, and we have died with Him, and with Him we are risen; and when in that home in the glory, never again will we be troubled with that old, sinful nature, that often causes us so much sorrow now.

There is but one scene more, and the picture is complete and perfect. "And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar: and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean." v. 20.

In the trespass offering, the offerer put his hand on the head of the offering, and all his sins and trespasses passed over from him to it; and he was left clear and free from guilt. In the burnt offering, the offerer again put his hand on the head of the offering, but now all the efficacy and virtue of the offering passes over to the offerer. The burnt offering is especially God's part in that mighty offering at the cross. The burnt offering was not brought because the man had sinned, but it was brought as the highest mark of worship that man could offer to God. The meat offering (or meal offering, as it might more correctly be termed) tells of the pure and holy life of our Lord Jesus Christ down here.

Now, the cleansing of the leper is completed. He looks back over the history of those days, the old life outside the camp, his cleansing, his presentation to the Lord, his marking by the blood that had blotted out his trespasses, that wondrous new place of the priest and the king into which he has been brought, that sin offering that had delivered him from his old self. What a story it has been! What can he offer now to the One who has done all this for him? His heart overflows in worship and praise and thanksgiving, and he brings that which gives the greatest joy to the heart of God. He offers the burnt offering and the meat offering. He offers to God the sacrifice of His own dear Son, in the way in which that sacrifice was specially God's part, and he brings to Him also that spotless undefiled life down here, so very, very different to his own. Not only has the cleansed leper come into the place of the priest and the king, but now he has become a worshipper, and we leave him bowed before that altar, with the burnt offering ascending to God as a sweet savor, and we hear him exclaim:

"Thou anointest my head with oil;

My cup runneth over!"

True worship is the overflow of the heart to God — a heart so full that it cannot be held back, and it overflows in praise and worship and adoration. This, we believe, is what the burnt offering and the meat offering, both going up as a sweet savor to God, tell us here.

We have sought in a feeble way to follow the leper from outside the camp to his place as a worshipper before that burnt offering, going up as a sweet savor to God. What a path it has been, and yet, dear fellow-Christian, it is your path and mine. What infinite grace! May it move our hearts to a more burning love to the One who has done so much for us!

Chapter 13 The Present Application

Psalm 119: 96 says, "Thy commandment is exceeding broad." And we believe that this wonderful history has another interpretation, with another lesson for us in it. We believe that many passages of Scripture have a double meaning: one, perhaps, for the present time, and one for a coming day. We have been looking at that meaning that tells us of our "home-coming" when we reach the glory above. But we know from such passages as Ephesians 2: 6 that God looks at us even now as raised up from the dead and seated in the heavenlies. "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2: 4-7. Note, these are not what He will do in the future, but what He has already done.

So we may see that in one sense we have no need to wait till we reach our home in the glory to enjoy the blessings of the "eighth day." Even now, God has made all things new for us, even now we are accepted in the Beloved. Even now we are presented holy and unblamable and unreprovable in His sight. It is surely now that He is able to keep us from stumbling, and even now He delights to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. (Jude 24.) The fullness of the type, we believe, will only be fulfilled when we actually reach our home above, but how blessed to know that, in one sense, even now we may prove and enjoy all these blessings.

Even now we enjoy the blessings from the acceptance of that trespass offering, and even now we bear the blood of that offering on our right ear and thumb and toe. Oh, dear fellow-believer, may the Lord give us grace in this defiled scene to walk worthy of that badge, that mark, that we wear even now, down here. May we be careful that nothing shall pass that blood-marked ear that would be dishonoring to that One who shed His blood for us. May all we hear and say and think be conformable to His death — for surely the blood on the ear is representative for the whole head.

But not only has it a negative side, so to speak, but there is the positive side as well. May that head of mine, with my intellect, my ears, my mouth, my eyes, my all, be His, and His alone, and His forever. May they be used for Him! May we hear and think and speak for Him. They are stamped and sealed with the mark of death, the price that has been paid to purchase them for His own. May God grant that not one of our faculties may ever be used for another.

That hand of mine, that once was used to serve His enemy, now is bought with that same precious blood, and gladly will it work and war for the One who has purchased it for His own. He can say of it, "Let him that stole steal no more:" (that was what I used it for once) "but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." Ephesians 4: 28. Once that hand of mine took my neighbor's things. Now it labors to give to the one from whom I once stole, or to any in need. Such is the effect of that blood on my right hand.

That foot of mine once delighted to go its own way, but anointed with that precious blood it becomes beautiful, as it goes to preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. (Romans 10: 15.)

That blood tells me that I am not my own, that I am bought with a price, and it says to me, "Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20. That blood on ear and thumb and toe says to me, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Romans 6: 13. As I gaze on that blood, I cry,

"Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee!"

As we ponder all this we are constrained to say, "Who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Corinthians 2: 16. And the better we know ourselves, the more fervently will we answer, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves ... but our sufficiency is of God." 2 Corinthians 3: 5. And this brings us to the next scene, where the priest, after sprinkling the oil seven times before the Lord, puts it on our right ear and thumb and toe, upon the blood of the trespass offering. Never could we venture to walk through this defiled and defiling world with the blood of the trespass offering upon us, were it not that that blood is covered with the oil. This tells us of the power of the Holy Spirit to carry us through every circumstance, to keep us, not only from falling, but even from stumbling, all through this wilderness pathway. The Holy Spirit alone can keep us from bringing dishonor on that precious blood that marks us who are Christians. The Holy Spirit alone can give power to take these instruments and yield them to God, to use them in His service, and for Himself. How can we ever thank God enough for the oil upon the blood?

And we may thank God, too, that even now down here, we have the good of the sin offering. Even now down here we are dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God. (Romans 6: 11.) And even now down here we are brought into that wondrous place of royal priests. True, we share the rejection of our absent King, but it is to us now that the Holy Spirit writes, "Ye are a . . . royal priesthood." 1 Peter 2: 9.

Yes, and it is even now down here that we are worshippers. In John 4: 23 we find that the Father is seeking worshippers. (He does not say He is seeking worship, but worshippers.) Who would have thought that He would have found them in poor, defiled lepers, now cleansed and brought nigh? But so it is. Yes, even now, you and I, dear fellow-Christian, have the privilege, the infinite privilege, of bringing our Burnt Offering (from which we must not separate the Meat Offering). We bring them with overflowing heart, and offer them to the One who has done all for us. Truly even now we may exclaim with burning hearts,

"Thou anointest my head with oil;

My cup runneth over."

And as we look onward to the future, we may sing with perfect assurance, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." Psalm 23: 5-6.

Then at home in the house of the Lord, the "Father's house," we will know in all their inconceivable fullness and glory, all these blessings we have sought to gaze upon and enjoy even now down here, and we will say: "It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of Thy acts and of Thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me: Thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are Thy men, happy are these Thy servants, which stand continually before Thee, and that hear Thy wisdom." 1 Kings 10: 6-8.

Chapter 14 My Leanness, My Leanness

(Isaiah 24: 16)

We have finished considering this most exquisite section of God's holy Word. And yet almost every time one reads it, one seems to see some fresh ray of glory and beauty shining from it, so that we can never truly speak of having "finished considering" any portion of that Word.

Perhaps we wonder how much, or how little, God's people of old saw wrapped up in this precious portion, and how highly they valued it. Should we not rather ask, how much do we comprehend of the glories and the excellencies and the worth of our own precious Saviour, who has been revealed to us in such a different measure to those in days of old? And this brings us to the next section of our chapter.

"And if he be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved, to make an atonement for him, and one tenth deal of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil; and two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering. And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest," etc. Leviticus 14: 21-23.

How often we are "poor"! Our apprehension of Christ is often so poor! But yet, if we do trust in His precious blood, we have pardon and cleansing. Thank God, it is not my estimation of His worth, but God's estimation, that is so important. Instead of the lambs for the sin offering and burnt offering, I can, perhaps, only afford pigeons: but my acceptance and my cleansing are not affected thereby. None who come in that precious name of Jesus are ever turned away. Our faith may be terribly small, our appreciation of His worth utterly insignificant: but if we come in that name, the One to whom we come knows His true worth and value, and we are accepted in Him. Keenly as we may feel our poverty, never let that keep us away from God. Come as we are, in that worthy name, and all will be well.

"For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. . . . And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more." Hebrews 10: 14,17.

"Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1: 30.

Notice how the Spirit of God, in Leviticus 14: 23-32, delights to recount again in all its fullness and detail the wondrous picture over which we have just been pondering. And that picture is worth repeating! It is as if He Himself would never weary of gazing on those sights that He has, in infinite grace, just been revealing to us. May we never weary of those sights either, but may we ponder them, feed on them, delight in them, and make them our own. It is no accident that two long chapters in the Bible are devoted to leprosy and its cleansing: May the Lord give us to learn more and more of the depth and fullness of these wondrous pictures, and ever value them more and more highly as, by His Spirit, we ever see new beauties and glories in them. Like their Author they are infinite.

Lord, "open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law." Psalm 119: 18.

Leviticus 14: 33-53 tells us of leprosy in a house, and its cleansing. This would apply when Israel reached the land of Canaan. This speaks of sin in an assembly of God's people. It is a most solemn and most important subject, and one that every Christian person should seriously consider. It goes beyond the scope of this little book, but we would earnestly commend our readers to read and ponder with prayer this portion of God's Word.

Hid Treasures

Hid Treasures

A Few Hid Treasures Found in the Greek New Testament

G C Willis.

Contents

Introduction

1 Rejoice! — Chairete

Peace! — Eirene

2 Be of Good Cheer! — Tharsei

3 Called-out-ones — Ekklesia

4 Gathering together unto — Epi-sun-agoge

5 Right Worship — Eu-sebeia

6 Logically Necessary — Dei

7 I Sell — Piprasko

8 Wanted! Beautiful Margaritas! — Kaloi Margaritai

9 Paul's Ambition — Philotimeomai

10 Don't Turn Coward — Enkakeo

11 The Slack Bow-String — Ekluo

12 Hit him under the Eye — Hupo-piazo

13 Some Meditations on Diminutives:

Little Lambs — Arnia

Little Sheep — Probatia

Little Children — Paidia

Little Children (bairns) — Teknia

Little Daughter — Thugatrion

Little Dogs — Kunaria

Little Crumbs — Psikia

14 I Retreat — Ana-Choreo

15 Inns, Guests, and Guest-Chambers — Kata-luma, Kata-lusai, Pan-docheion.

16 Endurance — Hupomone

17 On Throwing — Ek-ballo, Dia-ballo.

18 The Last Lap — Thlipsis, Plateia.

Introduction

A day or two ago I had a letter from a friend, acknowledging a book which contained a few brief comments on some Greek words: he says in part: "Reading your book has well established my long conviction that the most profitable form of study of Holy Writ, is that of the words which 'the Holy Ghost teacheth,' viz, the actual study of Greek words and their meaning. For this reason your frequent, and illuminating references to such words have been wells of refreshment to my spirit."

In these few words my friend has expressed more plainly and more concisely than I could do, the object of the little book before you. And as a second witness to the same truth, may I quote a few words written over a hundred years ago by Mr. G. V. Wigram, in the Introduction to his priceless Concordances to the Hebrew & Chaldee Scriptures, and his Greek Concordance to the New Testament. Mr. Wigram says of "The Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance": — "The chief object proposed by this work is a very simple one, . . . it seemed, in a peculiar way, desirable to lead each student to deduce his 'meaning and definition of words' (so far as possible), from the use made of them by the Holy Ghost."

In Mr. Wigram's own account of the making and perfecting of the Englishman's Greek Concordance, he speaks of it as "a dry Concordance." His book has been to me anything but a "dry Concordance;" and my hope has been to help make a few of the words in the Greek New Testament cease to be "dry," but rather to become (as they have become to my friend and to myself) "wells of refreshment." For instance, what depths of meaning open before us as we notice that in John 13: 33, our beloved Lord said not 'teknon', but 'teknion.' Only the difference of an 'i' added, and in the Greek Testament an 'i' is without even a dot! but it makes the whole passage glow with love and life. (See Chapter 12).

The present little book is only a feeble attempt to point to a few of these priceless treasures, that otherwise might be unknown, or overlooked, by some of the Great Shepherd's sheep and lambs: and with the hope that to some these may prove food convenient for them.

The studies have been prepared for the most part at odd moments, amidst constant interruptions; and I fear there may be mistakes. Few of the words considered include every occurrence in the New Testament, but those interested may find all these in Mr. Wigram's "Englishman's Greek Concordance", which is still available from the publishers, Messrs Samuel Bagster & Sons Limited, London.

My sister, Miss Helen A. E. Willis, has prepared some of these studies, and provided me with thoughts and suggestions that have helped me with others; not to speak of my hope that she will take care of seeing it through the press also. For all this I owe her a great debt of thanks.

G. C. W.

Chapter 1

Rejoice! — Chairete

Peace! — Eirene

When our Lord Jesus took the disciples with Him into the Garden of Gethsemane, just before the cross, He said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." (Matt. 26: 38). The word used in the Greek New Testament for "exceeding sorrowful" is one word, peri-lupos. Peri, the first half of the word, means 'around.' We get our word 'perimeter' from it. The last half of the word, lupos, means 'sorrow.' The whole word literally means, 'surrounded with sorrow.' Which ever way our Lord looked, there was sorrow: unutterable sorrow, on every side. Then He, the Man of Sorrows, turned to His Father in prayer. Then, only, do we hear Him say, "Abba, Father." It was then, being in an agony, He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. (Luke 22: 44).

It was at this time that Judas came to betray the Lord. He had given those with Him a sign, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He: hold Him fast." (Matt. 26: 48). The fact that the traitor came just at that time, and with such a sign, seems to add greatly to the sorrow and anguish of our Saviour; and at the same time makes the awful hardness and cruelty of Judas' act more terrible than ever.

In our English Bible we read, "And forthwith came he to Jesus, and said, 'Hail, Master'; and kissed Him." (Matt. 26: 49). The word translated 'Hail' is Chaire, and literally means 'Rejoice!' though it is true it was also commonly used for a greeting or farewell. But the true, literal meaning of the word is 'Rejoice!' "Rejoice, Master!" he said, "and kissed Him."

As we gaze with bowed heads, and unshod feet on our Lord and Master, in such agony of soul: at His sweat as great drops of blood: as we hear His words, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death;" and then as we hear that heartless traitor saying: "Rejoice, Master!" how it makes our hearts recoil with horror at such cruel and awful conduct. And the word for "kissed Him" is changed from the word that Judas used when he gave them this sign. Then he had used the word phileo, I love, or, I kiss. But in his eagerness to make sure they seized the One whom once he had followed, he "covered Him with kisses:" kata-phileo, a much stronger word. It is difficult for us to conceive of anything more horrible than Judas' method of betraying his Master; and we know from the Psalms how keenly our Lord felt it. See, for example, Psalm 41: 9: "Yea, Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of My bread, hath lifted up his heel against Me." And Psalm 55: 12-14: "For it was not an enemy that reproached Me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated Me that did magnify himself against Me; then I would have hid Myself from him: but it was thou, a man Mine equal, My guide, and Mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company."

* * * * *

The next time we find this word Chaire, 'Rejoice!' in the Greek New Testament is when the Roman soldiers put the crown of thorns on His holy brow, and smote Him on the head with the reed, driving those thorns into that beloved brow: they spat upon Him, they abused Him till His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men: and then they said to Him, Chaire! "Rejoice, King of the Jews!" The cruelty, the heartlessness, the wickedness of such mockery is beyond words. "Rejoice!" at such a moment! See Matthew 27: 29.

* * * * *

But, wonder of wonders, we find the same word again in the very next chapter of Matthew: Chapter 28: the Resurrection Chapter. Perhaps the very first word that our Saviour spoke after His resurrection was this very word, Chaire: 'Rejoice!' Twice over during that terrible time before He was put to death, He had listened to that word in mockery: and now it is the first, or almost the first, word that He uses when He meets His own, alive from among the dead. In Matthew 28: 9, we read, "As they (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) went to tell His disciples, behold Jesus met them, saying, Rejoice!" 'Chairete' (the plural of 'Chaire.')

The sorrow, the unutterable sorrow on every side, was all His own. The joy, the unspeakable joy, He immediately shares with those He loves. The Chief Priests and Captains rejoiced (the same word) at the prospect of His death. (Luke 22: 5). The disciples rejoiced (John 20: 20: the same word) when they saw the Lord, their own beloved, living Lord. Listen again to His own sweet word: "REJOICE!" Yes, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice!"

* * * * *

It is worthy of note that the salutation 'Rejoice' is really the Greek salutation. The Hebrew salutation is 'Peace!' "The clear, cheerful, world-enjoying temper of the Greek embodies itself in the first; he could desire nothing better or higher for himself, nor wish it for his friend, than to have joy in his life. But the Hebrew had a deeper longing within him, and one which finds utterance in his word, 'Peace.' It is not hard to perceive why this latter people should have been chosen as the first bearers of that truth which indeed enables men truly to rejoice, but only through first bringing peace; nor why from them the word of life should first go forth." (From, 'On the Study of Words,' Archbishop Trench).

It is possible that the lightness with which Judas performed his dark deed of betrayal, and the thought of the thirty pieces of silver that he had gained, caused him to use the lighter Greek salutation rather than his own native, and deeper, salutation, 'Peace!' But our Lord, having made peace through the blood of His cross, and having won true joy for His own; He can greet them first of all by saying, "Chairete: Rejoice!" But the same day at even Jesus Himself stood in the midst of His disciples, and saith unto them, "Peace be unto you." And when He had so said He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad when they had seen the Lord. Then saith Jesus to them again, "Peace be unto you."

And so, Beloved, through that mighty victory, our Lord has won both salutations for us: both Greek and Hebrew:

"Chairete . . . Rejoice Ye!"

"Eirene humin . . . Peace be unto you!"

Chapter 2

Be of Good Cheer! "Cheer up!" — Tharsei

The Spirit of God tells us that "in the last days perilous times shall come." (2 Tim. 4: 1). The word translated 'perilous' is chalpos, and the dictionary gives the meaning as: "hard; hard to do, or deal with; difficult; hard to bear; painful; grievous; harsh; fierce; savage." Does not this word very accurately describe the condition of our present day? As we look around us we might well be discouraged, cast down, filled with fears and forebodings.

But if one little Greek word can so accurately describe the spirit of the present day, there is another little Greek word that can heal the wounds of fear and sorrow and discouragement caused by all that is about us. That little word is Tharseo, or, as our Lord loved to use it, Tharsei,* for it is a favourite of our blessed Lord: indeed, with one exception it is reserved entirely for His use. He used it time and again when He was on earth, both to man and woman; and He used it once again after His return to the Father in the Glory. Eight times we find it in the Greek New Testament.** We find it in every Gospel, and in the Acts of the Apostles: and if I mistake not, He whispers it to His tried saints even in the present day. Sure I am that you and I may take it for ourselves.

{* Second person singular imperative.

**Eight times includes the doubtful reading of Luke 8: 48.}

My father often had to use a seal in his work, and he loved this word so much that he had the Greek letters of it engraved on the seal he always used, so that he might ever be reminded of its message. As a little child I loved to watch the hot, red sealing wax, as he sealed his important letters; and when a little older, loved to trace out the strange Greek letters, which he told me meant

"cheer up".

So this word was my introduction to the Greek New Testament. Do you wonder I love it?

The word has been translated: "Be of Good Cheer!" or, "Be of Good Comfort," as we generally find it in the Authorised Version of our Bible: but others prefer, "Be of Good Courage", or "Be Confident!" or "Take Heart!" or, (as I love it best), "cheer up!!" But it has the meaning of all these.

The first time we find it in the New Testament is in Matthew 9: 2: where He says to the man sick of the palsy: "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." We find it next in the 22nd verse of the same chapter. He is using it here to a woman; and that is not by accident. The Lord would have us each, man or woman, girl or boy, learn this word for our very own selves. Here He says: "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole."

We find it for the third time in this same Gospel. (I think Matthew loved this word). See Chapter 14: 27. It was a dark, stormy night, and the disciples were far out on the sea, and the wind was contrary, and for hours they had been battling with wind and waves. It is at such a time this word sounds the sweetest. The disciples were toiling in rowing. They were alone, without their Lord in the boat. But unknown to them, He had been watching them in their toil and fear, though they had no idea He was doing so. Then they saw a strange sight, Someone walking on the water, and coming near to them. They were troubled and cried out with fear. So would you and I, had we been in their place. Then, straightway, Jesus spoke to them. What did He say? "THARSEITE!"* "Cheer Up! It is I; be not afraid!" Or, as the old Wycliff translation so beautifully puts it:

"I am, nyl ye dread."

{*Second person plural imperative of Tharseo.}

We find it for the fourth time in the same story, this time told by Mark, Chapter 6: 50. We find it next in Mark 10: 49, to the blind beggar Bartimaeus, when he cried to the Lord for mercy, and Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called, and they call the blind man, saying unto him: "Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee." This is the only time in the New Testament when this word is not spoken by the Lord Himself; but used in directing a needy one to Him.

Then we find it in Luke 8: 48; but this time the reading is doubtful. It is the same story we saw in Matt. 9: 22.

John 16: 33 is the last recorded time our Lord uses it on earth, and it seems to be wonderfully fitted as a parting message to us all, as He prepared to leave this world and return to His Father. "In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." What a word for us today! So, Be of good comfort! Be of good cheer! Cheer up! The Lord says it! "I have overcome the world!" This is His message to you, to me, for today.

The last time we hear it in the New Testament is in Acts 23: 11. Paul had used a rather clever device of his own to divide the Jewish council, setting the Pharisees and the Sadducees against each other. In Acts 24: 21 he seems to confess that he had been wrong in doing this. We can well suppose that the night following, lying there in the Roman prison, too sad and discouraged to sleep, Paul was deeply regretting what he felt had been a dishonour to the worthy Name by which he was called. Then the Lord Himself comes and stands by him. He does not call to him out of heaven. He does not use a vision, or send an angel to carry His message. No! He Himself comes right down into that prison, and stands by His grief-stricken servant: not to upbraid him: No, Indeed! But to say once again that well known and well loved word, "Tharsei"! "Cheer Up, Paul!" I think this transformed that dungeon into Heaven itself.

It may be that you and I are at times sad, discouraged, cast down, filled with fears and dread; perhaps we have failed, and dishonoured the One we love. It may well be that at such a time we will hear His voice, — the voice His own sheep know so well, — and in tones of love, of hope, of confidence, we will hear Him call our name: (for He calleth His own sheep by name): and we will hear Him say:

"Tharsei! . . .": "cheer up . . ."

"Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercies, and will break

In blessings on your head."

Chapter 3

Called-out-ones — Ekklesia

(The Church, or, Assembly)

The word ek-klesia, — nearly always translated 'church' in the Authorized Version of the Bible, — was originally a heathen word, and meant a lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those who possessed the right of citizenship, for the transaction of public affairs. (See Trench, Greek Synonyms).

When Paul claimed to be a 'Roman', he meant that he possessed this citizenship: and although he was a Jew, and a citizen of Tarsus, he was also a 'Roman citizen' and had the right to take part in any assembly (ek-klesia) of Roman citizens; as well as giving him other privileges. As far as we know Peter or John had not this citizenship, and the Chief Captain of the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem told Paul that he obtained this citizenship "with a great sum." But Paul could reply, "But I was born free." It was a very great privilege to have this citizenship.

When the Old Testament was translated from Hebrew into Greek, this word ekklesia was used to translate the Hebrew word meaning the 'congregation' of Israel, and so in this way prepared the word for use in the things of God; and when the Lord Jesus began to tell His disciples about the Church that He was about to build, He Himself chose this word to describe it: see Matthew 16: 18 and 18: 17. These are the only places in the Gospels where we find this word, but it appears many times in Acts, and over and over again in the Epistles and Revelation.

The first time it is used in the New Testament (Matt. 18: 18) is very striking: "Upon this rock will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Many times have they sought to do so: but they have never succeeded. As we have seen, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself chose this word to describe it: so we should give the more earnest heed to seek to learn the lessons that He would teach us through it.

You will notice that the word ek-klesia is made up of two words: the first is ek, which is like 'ex' in our word 'exit', and means 'from, out of, away from.' The second part of the word is klesia, which is from the word kaleo, meaning, 'I call: ' indeed one may recognize the root of our English word 'call' in it. So the whole word means, "called-out-ones," with the emphasis on 'called.' Paul wrote to the Assembly at Rome, "Ye also are the called of Jesus Christ." (Rom 1: 6), and he tells them they are "saints by calling." See note in New Translation.

The one who called out the citizens in a Greek city to the assembly was the herald: ho kerux, and this is the very word that the Holy Spirit uses for the one who heralds, or proclaims, or preaches, the Good News, the Gospel: as we may see in 1 Tim. 2: 7 and 2 Tim. 1: 11: "I have been appointed a herald." (kerux). See New Translation. The one who preaches the Gospel is truly a Herald of Glad Tidings, sent out by the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit he calls people unto Christ, who makes them free, calls them out from this world, and makes them citizens of Heaven; and they become part of the Church, or Assembly of God.

But you will recall that in a Greek city not all had the rights and privileges of the ekklesia, the Assembly: but those who were free citizens, and had not lost their citizenship; these only formed part of that Assembly. And so it is today in the Assembly of God. Only those who are citizens of Heaven (See Phil. 3: 20) belong to this Assembly; and these heavenly citizens are free: "Ye are called unto freedom." (Gal. 5: 13).

But, sad to say, there are today, as in days of old, those who have lost their right to be part, openly, of that Assembly, as it is gathered unto Christ the Lord. Sin has come in, and like the man in First Corinthians 5, some have had to be put away from that Assembly.

How wondrously this word ek-klesia describes the true Church of God today: — called out by the herald of the Gospel; called out from the world, for the one who answers this call is no longer of the world, even as Christ their Lord is not of the world; (John 17: 16); gathered together unto the One we love, our Lord Jesus Christ; and so we form part of the Assembly, or Church of God.

'Assembly' is a better translation of ek-klesia than 'congregation,' for congregation has in it the meaning of to congregate, or come together, of one's own voluntary will; whereas ek-klesia emphasizes the call that brings them together: God's own call, through the herald of Jesus Christ our Lord. In Acts 19, we find this word three times translated 'assembly' in our Authorized Version.

But notice further: there was but one Roman Empire, with the Emperor at its head: and you may see that Paul's Roman citizenship was recognized without question, regardless of the place in which he claimed it: Philippi or Jerusalem: it made no difference. The one Roman Empire linked together into one every Roman citizen in the whole Roman Empire. (Acts 16: 37; 22: 25-28). Even so, there is but one true Church of God, with the Lord Jesus Christ as its Head, and every true believer in the Lord Jesus, every one who has heard the call of the herald, and obeyed, belongs to that Church, or Assembly of God, quite regardless of place and race and language: they all form one body with Christ the Head. As there was but one Roman Empire, so there is but one Church of God: compare Matt. 16: 18; Eph. 1: 22; 5: 23, and other Scriptures. And just as the Assembly of Roman citizens in any one city was recognized equally as representative of the whole Roman Empire: the Roman Empire in miniature, perhaps we might say: so the Assembly of true Christians in any one place represents the whole Assembly of God, the world over: and every true believer in the Lord Jesus in any one place, belongs to the Assembly of God in that place, even though he may not realize this, nor obey the call that calls him to that assembly.

The Scriptures speak of "the Church of God which is at Corinth," or "the Church of the Thessalonians." This does not mean there are many Churches of God, independent one of another: but each individual church is representative of the whole. In 1 Cor. 15: 9, Paul tells us, "I persecuted the church of God." He persecuted the church, (or, assembly) at Jerusalem: but then he tells us, "I persecuted them even unto strange cities." (Acts 26: 10, 11). Here we may see that all the true Christians in Jerusalem and those in the strange cities, all together formed "the church of God." It is but one ek-klesia but one Church; and every blood-bought soul throughout the whole world is part of that one church.

Chapter 4

Gathering together unto — Epi-sun-agoge

Some years ago vast crowds in every part of Canada gathered together to honour Princess Elizabeth, now our beloved Queen, and her husband. It was the Princess, whom all the British Empire loved, that attracted the people. They were gathered together unto her. She was the attraction. Most of the people had known her from the time she was a little child, and had watched her grow up. Our children had pictures of her, with her little sister, and her dogs; and they had learned to love the charming girl with the sunny face. So when Canada was honoured by a visit from her, all who possibly could, were gathered together unto her.

We read of great gatherings almost every day. People gather together to help some cause they love and admire. They gather together to a Cause, to a Doctrine, for a Purpose: but how different such a gathering is to those who are gathered together unto a living person in their midst, whom they love.

You will note that the word we propose to consider is really made up of three words; and the second and third together, sunagoge, make a very common English word: "Synagogue." One is the Greek way, the other the English way, of spelling the same word. As you may guess, it really means "A-Gathering-together," and in this way it is often used in the Greek Old Testament. In the New Testament it has generally come to mean the place where they gathered. And today the Jews gather together in the Synagogues to hear the Law and the Prophets and to pray. This is "A-Gathering-Together," but not "a Gathering-Together-Unto" any loved and living person. All over the world we hear of religious meetings of one kind or another, which for the most part are "Gatherings-Together", but not "Gatherings-Together-Unto" one they love. It is the living Person we love, unto whom we gather, that makes the difference.

This word, epi-sun-agoge, a "Gathering-Together-Unto," as a noun, is only used twice in the Greek New Testament; but the verb is used seven or eight times. We find it first in Matthew 23: 37, in which verse it occurs twice: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often would I have gathered thy children together unto (Myself) even as a hen gathers together her chickens unto (herself) under her wings, and ye would not."

This, the first time the word is used, beautifully illustrates its meaning. We have all heard the mother-hen give that special little cluck that calls the little chicks, — calls them, where? Calls them unto herself. That is just the thought in this lovely word. You may look up the other places where we find this verb, all of which, you will note, are in the Gospels, telling of our Lord down here on earth: Matt. 24: 31; Mark 1: 33, 13: 27; Luke 12: 1, 13: 34, and perhaps 17: 37; but the reading here is, I believe doubtful. If you examine these Scriptures, I think you will find that all, except the last, refer to gathering together unto our beloved Lord and Saviour. CHRIST, and CHRIST alone, is the Object and Centre of our gathering. May the Lord help us to bear this in mind when we come together to remember our Lord's death; it is not only a "gathering together", (the synagogue was that), but a Gathering Together Unto the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Many today gather together unto a Doctrine, such as baptism; others gather together unto a great leader, as Luther or Wesley; others to a Form of Worship or Church Government; or to a National Church. Such gatherings have no right to claim they are gathered together unto Christ, and Christ alone.

But let us look a little at the two Scriptures (and only two) where we find this word as a noun. The first is in 2 Thess. 2: 1: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled." Here this word tells us of that great gathering in the air, described in 1 Thess. 4: 13-18, and in 1 Cor. 15: 51-57, when all the true believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, whether living or sleeping, shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. What a gathering together that will be, and all unto Him! Not one saint, from the thief on the cross to the last one brought to the Saviour before He comes again, will be missing then: then all will be gathered together unto their Lord, and He will be the Centre, the only Centre and Object, of that vast throng. And, note, the One unto Whom we are gathered is not left to be understood, (as it is in some cases), but is plainly told us: — "unto Him," — unto the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The archangel will be there, and will utter his voice: but he is not the Centre or Object, the One to whom that vast throng is gathered! No! It is unto the Lord Himself, the Lord alone, He is the Centre of all: "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout." The Lord Himself is our only Object and Centre then.

Who would be willing to miss that meeting in the air, with the Lord Himself in the midst? Who then, at that moment, will want any other centre, any other object, than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself? Why any other centre, any other object, now?

The only other place where we find this word is in Hebrews 10: 25; "Not forsaking the gathering-together-unto (Him) of yourselves, as the manner is with some." This tells us of our gathering together unto Himself down here on this earth, in the present day; just as the other occasion on which this word was used, told us of that mighty gathering together unto Him in that coming day, that gathering together unto Him in the air. How amazingly sweet that the Spirit of God should choose exactly the same word for each of these gatherings! Thus the Lord tells us that this gathering together unto 'My Name', as we get in Matt. 18: 20; (for almost the same words are used), is, in His sight, the same as that wondrous gathering together unto Him in the air.

And in both these gatherings He promises to be there. In the one, "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout:" and in the other, "There am I in the midst of them." It is the presence of the living Lord we love that makes all the difference, — the one down here, the other in the air, — but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself present in each case: His presence makes these meetings different to all other meetings that can be arranged by men.

Very likely today that meeting is held in some upper room, or down a back street, or in a private house, as in New Testament days. Adornments are not there. The organ and the choir of the world, or even the music of Old Testament days, are all missing. It may be there are only "two or three" present: but, dear Reader, do not scorn it, for in the sight of God, it is just as truly a gathering-together-unto the Lord Jesus, as is that glorious meeting in the air, with countless myriads, from the grave and from the earth; and HE HIMSELF in all His glory, the visible Centre of that mighty throng. Then we shall see Him with our own eyes for the first time: and through that sight, we shall be changed to be "like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."

It is amazing, is it not, that the Holy Spirit chooses exactly the same word for each of these gatherings? It tells us that the Lord Himself is just as truly present in that bare upper room with the despised two or three, as He is visibly present in that glorious gathering to which we all look forward with hope and joy.

And just one word more. The Holy Spirit adds this admonition: "And so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Beloved, Do we not see "the Day approaching" now. Never was "the Day" so near as in our day! May you and I love that blessed place where Jesus Himself is in the midst, and love and treasure it the more as we see the Day approaching now. May other gatherings-together lose their attraction as we find an irresistible attraction in that

"gathering-together-unto Him"!!

Chapter 5

Right Worship — Eu-sebeia

"His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." (2 Peter 1: 3)

The Greek word here translated 'godliness' is eusebeia. It, and several words from the same root, are formed from two words eu and sebomai. The little word eu is very often found compounded with some other word (as here) to give the meaning of 'right,' or 'good', or 'well.' Sebomai tells of the attitude of men towards God, to honour Him reverentially with holy awe: (Cremer). It is also used for 'worship:' (Arndt & Gingrich).

Sebomai is found ten times in the Greek New Testament. Six times it is translated worship: Matt. 15: 9; Mark 7: 7; Acts 16,14; 18: 7,13; 19: 27. Three times it is translated devout, and once religious. So we may see that the basic meaning of sebomai is, 'I worship'. But note, the worship may be right or wrong, true or false. Matt. 15: 9 reads: "But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." And Acts 19: 27 tells of the worship of the idol, Diana of the Ephesians. Both these are 'wrong worship.'

Nor let us flatter ourselves that we are exempt from wrong worship. I recall an old and honoured brother stating in a meeting that when we come together to remember the Lord's death, the bread should be broken and we should drink of the cup, within half an hour of the time the meeting began. This is an example of "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men;" and such worship is empty and in vain. They that worship the Father must worship Him in spirit and in truth.*

{*Here a different Greek word is used for worship to that we have been considering.}

But when we combine eu with sebomai, making eu-sebomai, we emphasize the rightness of the worship. Only worship that is in spirit and in truth is right worship, such worship must come from the overflow of grateful hearts, as we gaze upon our Lord Jesus Christ in all His loveliness and beauty, and as we ponder His love that passeth knowledge. Looking upon Jesus as He walked, John exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God!" That was true worship, right worship: it is such worshippers that the Father seeks to worship Him.

Right worship is not obtained by magnificent cathedrals or beautiful music, or by any outward forms or ceremonies. Rules and regulations can never fill our cup, far less make it run over; and it is only as our hearts are filled with Christ, by gazing upon Him, that our hearts will overflow, and give forth Right Worship to Him and to His Father.

But let us deeply ponder the truth that God has by His divine power given us all things that pertain unto Life and Right Worship.

We have pondered the word sebomai, as meaning 'I worship.' But it is a remarkable thing that the word eu-sebeo is only used twice in the Greek New Testament, and only once is it translated 'worship.' We would expect this word to emphasize the fact that it was right worship when it was used: but it may surprise us to find that it is used of the Athenians who had an altar "To the unknown God." Paul says to them, "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship (eusebeo), him declare I unto you." May it be that the wondrous Grace of God reckoned this ignorant worship of an unknown God, by those who were 'feeling after Him', as right worship? But He is not to us an 'Unknown God,' but One whom we know well: One who is our best Friend: One to Whom we owe all. As we gaze upon Him, well may our hearts rise up in true worship and adoration, until they overflow! May it be so, more and more!

"O fix our earnest gaze

So wholly, Lord, on Thee,

That with Thy beauty occupied,

We elsewhere none may see."

Chapter 6

Logically Necessary — Dei

Some years ago I knew a very clever and able medical doctor: a man who had had a thorough, scientific training. This man did not believe there is a hell. When I pressed him for his reasons for his unbelief, the only reason he could ever give was this, — "Its not logical." I pointed out that it was not many years since we would have said that it was not logical for a person on the other side of the earth to claim he could sit and listen to a speech being made in London; and that without any wires. But the doctor merely repeated, — "Hell is not logical."

I did not know at the time that the little Greek word dei had the fundamental meaning of "logical necessity" or of what is "right and proper." (See, Abbott-Smith, Thayer, etc). How striking, then, to find this little word is used eight times in Revelation; and three times we get the expression: ha dei ginesthai, — '(things) which it is logically necessary to occur.' (Rev. 1: 1;4.1; 22: 6). How very striking to find that the first verse of this Book which is largely taken up with judgment, reads: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass." The word translated 'must' is in Greek dei: so the real meaning is "things which are logically necessary to come to pass." The very first verse of this Book tells us that the terrible judgments that are coming on this poor wicked world are 'logically necessary:' are 'right and proper.' Let us remember that it is this Book which tells us of the Great White Throne of judgment, and of Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. It is this Book which tells us of "the Lake of Fire," of the "Second Death." of torment "day and night for ever and ever." And God Himself tells us as an introduction to these things, that they are logically necessary. Let the man who wishes to deny this truth, ponder deeply Revelation 22: 19.

What a solemn answer God gives to the cavils and quibbles of unbelieving men and women, by the use of this one little word dei! Let no man ever say that hell is not logical. No! Hell is the only logical end to life without God.

* * * * *

But, Thank God, we find in the Scriptures other necessary things besides the judgment of hell. The very first time this little word dei is used in the New Testament, is Matt. 16: 21. In this Scripture Jesus shewed His disciples that it was logically necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things, . . . and be killed, and be raised again the third day. And we find it again in Matt. 26: 54, with a similar meaning. We find the word used many times: and each time it is full of meaning. We may not look at more than a very few: but consider these: —

It is logically necessary for you to be born again. John 3: 7.

It was logically necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up. John 3: 14.

It was logically necessary for Him to increase. John 3: 30.

It was logically necessary for Him to go through Samaria. John 4: 4.

Because God is a Spirit, it is logically necessary that men worship Him in spirit and in truth. John 4: 24.

It was logically necessary that the Good Shepherd should bring His 'other sheep', so that there might be one flock and one Shepherd. John 10: 16.

I might continue with many more, but there are two that I want you to specially think about: —

It is logically necessary that Heaven should make merry and be glad, when the son who was lost, comes Home. Luke 15: 32. Yes, if the weeping and wailing of hell are a logical necessity: even so the music and gladness of Heaven are also a logical necessity.

Just one more: and please ponder this one:

It was logically necessary for the servant who had received the one talent, to trade with it, so that when the Lord of that servant returned, He might receive His own with interest. Matt. 25: 27.

What are we doing with the talent the Lord has given us?

Chapter 7

Sold into Bondage, I Sell — Piprasko

In Romans 7. 14 the "wretched man" exclaims, "I am carnal, sold under sin." The Greek word used here for 'sold' is piprasko, and when used with a person it means 'to sell into slavery.' In the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament it is used metaphorically, of selling oneself to sin: of Ahab in 1 Kings 21: 20, 25; in 2 Kings 17: 17; see also Isaiah 50: 1 and 52: 3. So Paul may have had these in mind when he cried in desperation, "I am sold under sin." But this is not the experience of the apostle Paul only. It is the condition of us all, though we may discover it only when the light of the Gospel shines upon our fallen state.

The Lord uses the same word in His parable at the end of Matthew 18. The king reckons with his servants, and finds one owing the impossible sum of ten thousand talents (one talent is worth nearly Two Hundred Pounds.) And he had nothing to pay. Exactly my condition! And the condemnation is just — let him be sold as a slave, and everything, whatsoever he had; and still it would hardly make a first payment on the debt.

What can be done? In the parable the guilty servant promises to pay all, and is released. But he has hardly gone out from the presence of the King before his wicked heart is manifested, and the wrath of the king falls upon him. He thought he would take advantage of the mercy of the king, but he must add his own works: he was not trusting to that mercy. It is no use for me to think I can deliver myself by making a part payment. I can never repay: it is no use making promises and seeking pardon on my merits. "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight . . . . but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested . . . . even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe." Rom. 3: 20-22.

But how can God righteously forgive that debt? Again we may find the answer in our word. In Matthew 13 our Lord uses it in the parable of the Merchantman. The 'Merchantman' here is literally 'a man on a journey' one who has come from far. This Merchantman had come all the way from Heaven's highest Glory, down to seek pearls in the depths of the sea of the nations. There he found one pearl of great price, and he sold everything, whatever he had, to buy that pearl. This is not the word used of the man who sold all to buy the field in Verse 44. It is our word piprasko, 'to sell as a slave.' The Merchantman not only sold all, whatever he had, but He sold Himself as a slave. "He emptied Himself, taking a bondman's form." (Phil. 2: 7: N.T.), and bought the pearl.

The word has been used three times:

(1) of my lost condition,

(2) of my rightful doom,

(3) of my Saviour's wonderful way of deliverance.

It is used six times more in the New Testament; three times in the three Gospels of Mary's precious ointment which "might have been sold for much;" and three times in the Acts, of those who "sold their possessions and goods." Mary had her own private treasure, that pot of ointment. And each of us has some special treasure, some desire, some ambition. That treasure might have been sold for much if Mary had kept it for herself; but it would have been a selling into slavery. And if we withold our treasure, if we refuse our best to God, we too are sold into slavery to that desire. It may not be a sin, but it is a 'weight;' we must drag round with us a ball and chain of bondage to that desire, instead of walking in the full freedom of the sons of God. But if like Mary we pour out our treasure; if like those first Christians we surrender our possessions and goods, then it is the things which are in bondage, and we are free. Acts 4: 34 says they sold the things. This is the ordinary word for sold — and they brought the price of the things "sold into bondage." It is a wonderful thing to be free from the bondage of things, to be their master, not the servant of house and lands, furniture, books, every treasure. Then we can take joyfully the spoiling of our goods, knowing that "we have in heaven a better and an enduring substance." The best reading here might be translated, "knowing that ye have yourselves as a better and enduring possession." We possess our souls in the perfect freedom of His service, no longer sold unto sin, or sold into bondage to things. We have the privilege of giving our little all, for the One who gave His unsearchable riches for, and to, us. (Helen A E Willis)

Chapter 8

Wanted! Beautiful Margaritas! — Kaloi Margaritai

I was reading in my Greek Testament the other day, when I came across something like this: "A travelling wholesale Merchant, going abroad to purchase wares, was seeking beautiful Margaritas."

My mind flew back to the fairest and loveliest Margarita I had ever known: but she spelled her name, "Marguerite," but it was the same name, only a different spelling. She was about fourteen, and she was as good as she was beautiful.

This Merchantman found her, and bought her, but the price was very high: she cost Him all things whatever He had: Yes, even His own life. But from that day her heart was completely won by Him; and when He told her that He would like to take her Home to be with Him in His own Land, she was perfectly content to go with Him. The day before she left on that journey, that some dread so much, I said to her: "Marguerite, the Good Shepherd will carry His lamb in His arms, on that journey." She gave me the brightest smile, and replied, "Oh, He does that for me already!"

Perhaps your name is Margaret, or Marguerite, or Margarita. They are all the same name really, only a different way of spelling it; and they all are from the Greek word that means a PEARL. And the Merchantman? I need hardly tell you that He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. The word used here (Matt. 13: 45) for 'merchantman' is specially for a wholesale merchant who goes abroad to distant lands to seek his wares. But you will note that when He buys His Margarita, it is only one that He buys. Yes, He buys us each one individually. He does not buy as all in a heap.

In the parable just before this one, in Matthew 13: 44, we read of a man who found a treasure hid in a field. He goes away, and for joy of it sells whatever he has, and buys that field. The word used for sell in this parable is quite different to the word used for the wholesale Merchant in the other verse. Here it is a word that means to trade: but the word used of the Wholesale Merchant who bought the Margarita is piprasko,* a word used to sell, especially in connection with selling slaves: and seems to tell us that in order to get that fair and lovely Margarita He had to sell not only "all things whatever He had" — His Home, His Throne, — but, even Himself: as indeed we know He did: for the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me. That Wholesale Merchant was so rich, yet for the sake of buying that Margarita, He became poor: as poor as that poor widow who cast in the two mites, absolutely all the living she had: for the Spirit of God delights to use the same word for what the wholesale Merchant sold, and what the poor widow gave.

{*For a further study of this word, piprasko, see Chapter 6.}

But there is another difference between the two parables in Verses 44 and 45: In the better manuscripts the man who bought the field sells "whatever he has." But the Man who bought the pearl, sells "all things, whatever He had:" Home, Throne, All Things.

I need hardly remind you that before He could get that beautiful pearl, death had to come to the shell-fish in which the pearl was found. And that shell was brought up from the ocean bed, at the risk of a man's life. All this must take place before that beautiful pearl can adorn the One who purchased it for Himself.

Perhaps I should add that, because "Thy Word is exceeding broad," we may borrow this lovely parable, and apply it to individuals, as we have just done, and none may condemn us: yet, the primary meaning of this parable, I have no doubt, is Christ and His Church. The beautiful pearl brought up from the ocean beds, at the cost of death to another, is the Church. The ocean speaks of the nations (Rev. 17: 15), and so the Church is formed from individuals gathered from the nations, to make one church, the one pearl. To find her, He travelled from His own Country to our poor, sad, wicked world: and to purchase her, He gave all things, whatever He had, yea, He gave Himself for her.

There is surpassing beauty in this parable, as we read it in the Greek Testament, a beauty which I suppose no translation ever can convey. May the Lord stir the hearts of His own, to read His own precious Word in the original language, which He has so graciously given to us. I suppose it is not until we reach Home, that we shall know the incomparable loss we have sustained, by neglecting the Greek New Testament.

Chapter 9

Paul's Ambition — Philotimeomai

The Apostle Paul speaks of three ambitions. Would that you and I knew more of each of them in our own daily lives!

In Romans 15: 19,20 Paul writes: "From Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ. Yea, so have I strived to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation." First, let me ask, Where is Illyricum? We read of it in no other place in the New Testament. We never hear of it in the Apostle's missionary journeys in the Acts of the Apostles. It is not a city, but a large area, a province, north west of the Province of Macedonia. It is almost equivalent to Dalmatia, where Titus went during Paul's last imprisonment. (2 Tim. 4: 10). You will find it on the map about opposite Rome, on the other side of the Adriatic. This gives some idea of the extent of Paul's labours.

But, you will ask, What has this to do with Paul's ambition? Just this, the word translated "so have I strived" is philotimoumenon; which literally means 'loving-honour', hence 'being ambitious.' Paul said, he was "being ambitious to preach the Gospel of Christ, not where Christ was named." How few there are who have such an ambition! This ambition almost surely entails hardship and dangers: it means sharing some of the sufferings Paul describes in Second Corinthians 11. Read them for yourself, and unless the love of Christ works in your heart mightily, it will take away the kind of ambition that Paul had. Excuses are easy to find. We should not go where we are deprived of remembering the Lord in His death. We are called to preach separation: not the Gospel. I think I can be more use attending a conference, than going to some place far away from meetings. And so the excuses go. But rarely do we hear of those who share Paul's ambition, and sadly little do most of us know of it.

The next ambition Paul describes is in 2 Cor. 5: 9: "We are ambitious, that, whether present (with the Lord), or absent (from the Lord), we may be well-pleasing to Him." (Literal: See Verses 5 to 8). What more beautiful ambition for every true Christian, — to be "well-pleasing" to the Lord: no matter whether it is in life or in death. Worldly ambition has wrought ruin with multitudes of the Lord's soldiers and servants. All around us we see beloved saints of God whose lives proclaim their ambition for riches or honour or ease or learning or fame. We see Demas who loved this present world and Diotrophes who loved the pre-eminence: and their descendents are with us today: but how rarely do we meet a man whose ambitions in life are to preach the Gospel where Christ is not known; and whether in life, whether in death, to be well-pleasing to Him. Oh, that these two ambitions may be mine, and your's, my beloved Reader: may our love be for the Gospel, where Christ is not named: and ever, and always, to be well-pleasing to Him.

The third ambition of which Paul speaks is found in 1 Thess. 4: 10, 11. The Apostle beseeches his beloved Thessalonian brethren to "be ambitious to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands." I sadly fear that most of the Lord's people today love the honour of working with their heads in a clean and honourable position, rather than soiling their hands by using them in hard work. They forget their Master worked with His own hands until He was about thirty years of age. They forget that the one who exhorted to this ambition could hold out his hands, and say "Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me." "These hands" were probably worn and calloused with making tents. And let us remember his words: "I beseech you to be imitators (mimics: mimetes: always in a good sense in the New Testament) of me." (1 Cor. 4: 16). And to the very saints whom he exhorted to be ambitious to be quiet, and to work with their own hands, in the very same Epistle, he wrote: "Ye became our imitators (mimics: mimetes), and of the Lord." (1 Thess. 1: 7; See also 2: 14.) And in the Second Epistle, Chapter 3, Verses 7 & 9, we read: "Ye know yourselves how ye ought to imitate (mimic) us ... We ... give ourselves as an example to you, in order to your imitating (mimicking) us." (See New Translation).

May God help us to learn the lessons that Paul's ambitions would teach us: —

Ambitious to preach the Gospel where Christ is not named.

Ambitious, whether by life or death, to be well-pleasing to the Lord.

Ambitious to be quiet, to do our own business, to work with our own hands.

Chapter 10

Don't Turn Coward!! — Enkakeo

"Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." (Luke 18: 1). So reads our good old Authorised Version, and it is not a bad translation of the word at all. That word 'to faint' is en-kakein, formed from the word kakos, 'cowardly.' (Abbott-Smith). But from 'cowardly' it came to mean anything that was 'bad, mean, base,' for to the Greeks cowardice was all that. The first part of the word, en, means 'in.' The whole word taken together we may say means literally, "Give in to evil." (See Robertson). We find it translated by such words as 'faint', 'lose heart', 'be discouraged', 'turn coward.'

The evil about us is so strong, the battle is so fierce, and the result seems so hopeless, the sides appear so unequal; that, as we pray, we are tempted to say in our hearts, if not with our lips, It is hopeless, it is no use praying any more for that person: I'll give up. No! the Lord says, No! Do not give in! Do not lose heart! Do not be discouraged! Do not turn coward! In due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (But this 'faint' is a different word; perhaps, God willing we will look at it some other time).

We are really on the winning side. The Lord is still on the throne. He still sitteth on the waterfloods, and the Lord on high is still greater than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. See Psalm 93: 4. So, Cheer up! Take courage! Pray on! Pray always! and never turn coward, never give up.

This word en-kakeo is only used six times in the New Testament, and each is very instructive. We have already seen the first time it is used, and that is in connection with prayer. Next it is used twice within a few verses of each other, in 2 Cor. 4. 1 and 16. "Therefore, having this ministry, as we have had mercy shown us, we faint not." . . . . "Wherefore we faint not; but if indeed our outward man is consumed, yet the inward is renewed day by day." And so though troubles and sickness and sorrows come down here, and consume our outward man, there is no need to lose heart, no need to be discouraged, no need to turn coward, or give in to evil. "Tharsei!" Cheer Up! Take Courage!

The next place we find it is in Gal. 6: 9. "Let us not be weary in well doing," or, as Mr. Darby renders it, "Let us not lose heart in doing good." It is so easy to lose heart in doing good. That poor soul you helped out the other day, later proved to be a crook, and not in need at all, and you vowed you will not be taken in as easily again. No, no; let us not be discouraged; let us not give in to evil. Next time you may turn away somebody really in need: and "whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard." (Prov. 21: 13). Or that Sunday School class that is so noisy and unruly! It seems to be useless to try and go on with them. You are desperate, as old Dr. Cremer translates the word. Give it up! It's not worth trying any longer!

I once did that. I once had a desperately bad Sunday School, and at the advice of an older brother, I gave it up. About three weeks later I met one of the children on the street, and she said "Oh, why did you give up the Sunday School? I wanted so much to know I was saved. I think I would have found the Lord the very next Sunday: but I had to go somewhere else, and there I found the Lord." Another time an old brother urged that I should give up some children's work that the Lord had opened up. I was much perplexed, and went for advice to another old brother: and to my amazement he said: "Take on more work of that kind; but never give up! All giving up is of the devil." That was more than fifty years ago, but how often have I thanked God for those words. Dear Mr. Herbert Taylor, Mr. Hudson Taylor's eldest son, once told me that he was at one time so discouraged that he said to his father, "Father, I'm so discouraged, I'm going to give up." His father replied, "All discouragement is of the devil!" God is "the God of all encouragement." (2 Cor. 1: 3: New Translation). No, Beloved, God's Word is clear. "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." (A different word).

Next see Ephesians 3: 13. "Wherefore I beseech you not to faint through my tribulations for you, which is your glory." Paul 'despaired of life' in his tribulations for the Ephesian saints, but he did not turn coward. (Acts 19. 23 etc. & 2 Cor. 1: 8). He was ready to go in and face the mob who were thirsting for his blood. No need to be discouraged even if tribulations do come. Nay, rather, "we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh endurance." (Romans 5. 3). The word 'tribulation' comes from the Latin word tribulum, which means 'a flail.' I suppose most of my readers have never seen a flail, such as they used to use to thresh wheat: I have seen one and used it: and terrible 'tribulation' it gives to the wheat: but that is the way it is delivered from the chaff.

The last place we find this word en-kakeo is in 2 Thess. 3: 13. "We hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing." I suppose this means you and I are not to be discouraged, not to lose heart, not to turn coward, through the daily grind of our daily work in the office, the shop, the kitchen, the field the school, or where ever else it may be. Let us do our daily work to the Lord and not unto men, and let us not grow discouraged in it. It is our Lord's own command. There may be much evil around you. It may be unspeakably hard, we may be desperate: but even so, let us never give in to evil: never turn coward, never lose heart.

So, to sum up, Let us not give in to evil, whether it be, —

To give up Prayer: Luke 18: 1.

In failing health and old age: 2 Cor. 4: 1 & 16.

In doing good, or, in well doing: Gal. 6: 9.

In tribulation: Eph. 3: 13.

In our daily tasks: 2 Thess. 3: 13.

Having obtained help of God,

Let us not give in to evil: lose heart: faint: be discouraged: turn coward

For the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

* * * * *

There is another word which means "lose heart"; a-thumeo, in Col. 3: 21: "Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, lest they be discouraged, (or, lose heart)". This is the only place in the New Testament where we find this word. It comes from a word thumos, which means (amongst other meanings) heart, temper, will, courage . . .

What a word for the "Fathers" is this! How many sides to the child's character are affected: not only the danger of his losing heart, but it includes losing courage as well; and stirring up the child's temper, and that will of his that is so hard to control.

Lord, Help us!

Chapter 11

The Slack Bow-String — Ekluo

In our last meditation we referred to Gal. 6: 9: "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not." We saw that the word translated 'be weary' is en-kakeo, 'give in to evil,' but generally translated 'faint' in the New Testament. However, you will notice that we have the word 'faint' near the end of this verse: and it was mentioned that this is an entirely different word to en-kakeo. The word used here is ek-luo, 'I loose,' or, 'I unloose,' as, for example, a bow-string: letting it become slack.

When I was a boy my father took me down to a wagon shop (I suppose there are no such things now) and there he got a piece of nice, well seasoned ash; and from this he made me a beautiful bow. The good piece of ash alone could not make the bow, there had to be a strong cord, or thong, tied from end to end of the wood, and tightened till the wood was well bent, and the cord was taut. Then with a good straight arrow, what a joy it was to any boy!

But suppose the cord got slack, and loose, what then? The bow is useless in spite of having such a good piece of ash to make it. One secret of a good bow is having a good tight bow-string.

The Spirit of God uses this illustration in the verse we have referred to in Gal. 6: 9. We find this word, ek-luo, five times in the New Testament, and each time translated 'faint.' In Matthew 15. 32 and Mark 8: 3, the Lord Himself uses this word of the people who had been with Him three days, and had nothing to eat, and He would not send them away fasting to their homes, for some of them came from far, lest on the way they would faint. (ek-luo). And so He fed the four thousand men, beside the women and the children, with the seven loaves of bread and a few little fishes.

We find the word twice more in Heb. 12: Verses 3 & 5: "Consider Him . . . , lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds . . . Ye have forgotten the exhortation . . . , My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him." The word translated 'faint' here is, in each case, ek-luo.

Notice that in the Gospels it is our body that faints, and in Hebrews it is our mind. In the verse in Galatians 6, "Let us not grow weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap if we faint not," I suppose it might be both body and mind that faint. But in all these cases we grow slack, like the bow-strong: and a slack bow-string is no use to its master.

How important then for us to find out the remedy, so that we shall not grow slack. In the case related in the Gospels it was eating the loaves and the fish, provided by our Lord, that kept the men, women and children from growing faint. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself has told us that He is the Bread that came down from heaven; so we know that by feeding on Him as the Man down here, we may be kept from growing faint, or slack. When He fed the Five Thousand, John tells us that He fed them with 'barley loaves.' Barley bread was the cheapest kind. See 2 Kings 7: 1 & 18, where you will find that barley flour was just half the price of wheat flour. This tells us, surely, of our Lord Jesus, not only come down from Heaven, but despised and rejected of men. And what of the "few little fishes"?

The Greek word for 'fish' is ichthus: (The ch, and the th are each only one letter in Greek). The word used in this story in both Matthew and Mark isichthudion, only used in these two places in the New Testament, and is the diminutive of ichthus, fish: literally meaning "little fish." Now let us arrange the word for fish, ichthus, in a vertical line, thus:

i is for Iesous = Jesus

ch is for Christos = Christ

th is for Theou = of God

u is for Uios = Son

s is for Soter = Saviour

So the Greek word for 'fish' meant to a Greek Christian:

"JESUS CHRIST GOD'S SON (the) SAVIOUR."

Because of this meaning the Christians often used the picture of a fish to mark the graves of Christian friends who were buried in the catacombs under Rome. So the "two little fishes" tell us of our Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, our Saviour. The bread on which the people fed to keep them from fainting told of our Lord Jesus as the Man come down from Heaven: the fish tell us of Him as the Son of God, our Saviour, glorified in Heaven. If we feed on our Lord Jesus Christ in these two ways we need never fear that we will grow slack.

* * * * *

And what do we learn from the two occasions in which ek-luo is used in Hebrews? Oh, ponder well those two first words we quoted: "Consider Him!" "Consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." As we feed on Him in His humiliation and in His glory: as we "Consider Him": we will grow strong in spirit (Luke 1: 80), and never grow slack.

But I cannot resist a little note about the word "Consider." The Greek work is ana-logizomai, and is only used here in the Old or New Testament, so is quite different to the word translated "consider" in Heb. 3: 1. We get our word 'logarithm' from the root of the last part of this word, so you may see there is in it something of the thought of 'reckon.' Bishop Westcott says of it: "It expresses in particular the careful estimate of one object with regard to another. The use here in respect of a person and not of a thing is remarkable.

The writer seems to say, 'Consider Christ, reckoning up His sufferings point by point, going over them again and again, not the sufferings on the Cross only, but all that led up to it.' "

With our eyes fixed on Him, and on His sufferings, and feeding on Him despised and rejected, but now exalted in the Glory, we are safe from ever becoming slack.

Chapter 12

Hit him under the Eye — Hupo-piazo (1 Cor. 9: 27)

Who was hit under the eye? Paul was! Who hit Paul under the eye? Paul did! He made a practice of doing it. "I buffet my body, and lead it captive," so reads Mr. Darby's translation: but literally it reads, "I hit my body under the eye, and lead it away a slave." The word comes from hupopion, "the part of the face below the eyes."

You boys who like a fight, here is a fight worth while. Here is a fight that will keep you at it all the rest of your life down here. Do not think because you give him one hard blow under the eye, that you have laid him out for good and all. Very far from it: you will find 'the old man' up and at it again in no time. Do not ever, even for one moment, let your 'body' lead you away as a slave, or you will find it terribly bitter work. Do not let your 'body' hit you under the eye: many a good soldier of Jesus Christ has been rendered unfit for service in just this way.

But you will find, if you try it, that you are no match for the body. You will cry out, as Paul once did, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" You must call in your Lord and Master to fight for you, and then you will be able to answer that question, "Who shall deliver me?" with the triumphal cry: "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 7: 24, 25). Yes, Tell the Lord plainly that you have no strength at all yourself for the fight, and He must do it all. Cast yourself without reserve on Him; and then, then, you will be enabled to "hit him under the eye, and lead him away a slave."

Do you remember it says in another place, "leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ." (2 Cor. 10: 5: N.T.). The Greek word for "Leading captive" here is an entirely different word in Greek to that used in 1 Cor. 9: 27, for "bring it into subjection." This word in 2 Cor. 10 is taken from a word that means 'to throw a spear.' Perhaps it is because our thoughts are so elusive, so very hard to get hold of to lead captive, that the Spirit. of God uses this word telling of throwing a spear. But, thank the Lord, not only is it possible to lead the body away as a slave, but even to lead captive every thought to the obedience of Christ; and that is, I suppose, the very hardest of all.

Dear fellow-soldier of Jesus Christ, let us not be satisfied with anything short of this. Good it is, unspeakably good, to have our sins forgiven. Never can we cease to praise and give thanks for this: this is according to the riches of His grace. (Eph. 1: 7) But in the next chapter of Ephesians we find "the exceeding riches of His grace." The very first page of the New Testament tells us there is something more than the forgiveness of our sins: "Thou shalt call His Name JESUS:, for He shall save His people from their sins." Not only from the penalty of them, but from our sins themselves. "Sin shall not have dominion over you." (Rom. 6: 14). Literally this is, "Sin shall not lord it over you."

So, dear Reader, follow the example of the Apostle Paul, and make a practice of hitting your body under the eye (not literally, like the old monks), and of leading it away a slave: to do what you tell it: to be subject to you, — the new man. And remember it is all through the grace and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ.

* * * * *

This word is used on only one other occasion in the New Testament, and that is in Luke 18: 5. You remember the widow woman who kept going to the judge who feared not God nor respected man. She wanted him to avenge her of her adversary, but at first he would not. However later on he said to himself, "If even I fear not God and respect not man, at any rate because this widow annoys me I will avenge her, that she may not by perpetual coming completely harass me." (J. N. Darby). Mr. Darby did not like to translate it by saying the judge feared the widow woman would hit him under the eye, or give him a black eye, as the dictionary says it may be translated. And I do not blame Mr. Darby; yet, that is what the Spirit of God wrote down, to encourage us to come, and come, and come again in persevering prayer; and never give in to evil thoughts of discouragement. We ought always to pray and not to faint. And you remember in Isaiah 62: 6 & 7 we read "Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers, keep not silence, and give Him no rest, till He establish and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth." (margin). Think of the Lord Himself telling us to "give Him no rest"! After the war it was almost impossible to get a passage out to China. I wanted one very badly, and heard of a small ship that was going to Shanghai. It had no passenger accommodation, but it was a ship, and was going to China. Every day I went to that shipping office, and asked for a passage. The man in charge was most courteous, but always put me off: but next day I would be back again. At last he said to me, "It must be a great deal of trouble for you to come to see me so often: just leave me your telephone number and I will call you when I know if we can give you a passage or not." I assured him I had nothing else to do at that time except to get that passage, and I would be down every day to see him, I would give him no rest. The next day we got our passages. But who would have thought of the Lord God Almighty talking to us like that? Oh, how little do we know of true prayer, and how little do we know of the heart of our God!

Chapter 13

Some Meditations on Diminutives:

Little Lambs — Arnia

Little Sheep — Probatia

Little Children — Paidia

Little Children (bairns) — Teknia

Little Daughter — Thugatrion

Little Does — Kunaria

Little Crumbs — Psikia

In our English language some of the tenderest, sweetest and most endearing, yet most elusive words are our diminutives. Webster's dictionary tells us that 'Charley' is the diminutive of 'Charles.' Her Majesty the Queen might call Prince Charles, 'Charley,' but we may not do so: it is too intimate, too endearing a name, for a stranger to use.

Nor is it only to children that we use diminutives, I had an uncle by name of Charles, and he was 'Uncle Charley' to his nieces and nephews as long as he lived: so a diminutive may lose the sense of size, by being overpowered by the sense of endearment. Yet not all diminutives have the sense of endearment, though many have. 'Rivulet' is the diminutive of 'river,' and has no other sense than the smallness of its size. 'Bairnie' is the diminutive of 'bairn' and really means 'a little bairn;' but a Scotch mother may say to her boys and girls, even after they are grown up: "My bairnie!" and they will understand that she does not refer to size, but affection: and if they are nice children, they will return that affection with a kiss. We have various ways of forming our diminutives in English, as noted: rivulet, bairnie, lambkin, and so forth. In the Greek New Testament we also find diminutives, but they are formed by adding the letter 'i.' Thus, 'teknon' a child, becomes teknion in its diminutive. 'Thugater,' 'daughter,' has 'thugatrion' for its diminutive; but I know of no diminutive in English for 'daughter,' though a beloved friend tells me they have one in German.

We do not very often use diminutives in English; in a sense they are almost too sacred to be dragged into ordinary usage; and are reserved for occasions of special stress or feeling. The same, I think, is true in Greek. This makes them the more precious when they are used. To me, one of the loveliest diminutives in the Greek New Testament is 'teknion', mentioned above. The Lord Himself is speaking when we first hear it in the New Testament. It is on the same night in which He was betrayed; and He exclaims, 'Teknia!' (the plural of Teknion), "Teknia, Yet a little while I am with you!" That parting was before His soul, and well He knew what it would mean to His disciples: and so, with a heart full of love, He exclaims: "Teknia!" I know not how it can be translated. Our Authorised Version has, "Little Children!" Mr. Darby has, "Children", Rotherham has "Dear Children." All, in a sense, are right; but none seem to me to even begin to translate what was in the Lord's heart, and what He expressed to His disciples that night, by that one little word, "Teknia." One excellent dictionary suggests that the best translation of leknon' is the Scottish word 'bairn.' Both come from a word meaning to be born.' Those who have had the privilege of a Scottish mother or wife will know exactly what was meant when she said to her children: "Bairnies!" That, I think, is what the Lord meant when He said, on that dark betrayal night 'Teknia!'

When the mother says 'Bairnies!' she knows they are her own born children, her very own! She sees them as still needing her tender loving care; she pours out the love of her heart through this word in a way, perhaps, no other word could convey. It does not mean they are good children; It is a word that may be wrung from a broken heart, because of the naughtiness and selfwill of the children. But above all else, it tells of the mother-love, and that must flow over in some way, and so she exclaims, 'Bairnies!' So was it that night when we meet this word for the first time in the New Testament.

You may stand and gaze on a lovely rose, in all its perfection, with its exquisite fragrance: but if you try and study it, and pull it to pieces, you ruin the rose; so one feels afraid to touch these exquisite words with clumsy hands, for fear we spoil the beauty of them: and yet they were written for our learning. But, alas, with most it is matter of complete indifference whether the Spirit of God writes Tekna' or 'Teknia.'

The next time we meet it is in Galatians 4: 19: but the reading here is not certain: it may be 'teknia mou' — 'My bairnies', or it may be 'tekna mou' — 'My bairns.' I confess I hope Teknia is right. Paul had to write more severely to the Galatians than to any other of his children in the faith, and there in the midst of his stern reproofs, (if the reading is correct), we hear him exclaim: "My Bairnies!" This is the only time we find this word in Paul's Epistles; and he used it to the naughtiest children of all: used it, I doubt not, out of much affliction and anguish of heart, and many tears. It seems to be one of the most touching spots in all that great Apostle's writings. But diminutives are generally meant for the heart, not the head, and they are not meant to be explained, but to be understood by that wondrous intuition, that (in the things of God) the Spirit alone can, and does, give.

We find this word again in the First Epistle of John, seven times. This need not surprise us, for the Disciple that Jesus loved, naturally loved to use the one word uttered just once by His Lord, (as far as we know), that told, as perhaps none other of his Lord's words, the tender, yearning love of His heart for His own: and at such a time! These are the only times we find this word in the New Testament.

If you will turn now to John 21: 5-17, you will find the Lord using three more diminutives. You all know the lovely story of that breakfast on the beach, with the fire of coals that the Lord Himself had kindled.

You remember how He stood on the shore, and called to the disciples who were in the fishing boat, "Children, Have ye any meat?" And they had to answer, "No!" In the Greek Testament the word the Lord used is not "Children," but the diminutive of children, Paidia or, as we would say, Little children." But I do not think He was thinking of their age or size: I think that diminutive was called forth by the Lord's loving concern for their long, discouraging night of failure; and now no breakfast; for the very form of His question, as recorded in Greek, intimates that He knew the answer must be, "No!" Then the same love that asks the question in that particular form, tells them what to do: "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find." And then the answering chord in the heart of the disciple whom Jesus loved tells him who is that "Stranger" standing on the beach, and he says to Peter, "It is the Lord!"

Then He invites them to breakfast: the breakfast His own hands have prepared, and after they have finished eating, you remember he asks Peter if he loved Him more than the other disciples. Peter dare not use the strong word (agapao) for love, that the Lord had used, but replies, "Thou knowest that I am fond of Thee, (phileo.) Then the Lord says, "Feed My arnia." Arnia is the diminutive of 'lambs.' I suppose the most literal would be, "Feed My lambkins." And I am not sure that it would be such a bad translation either. Rotherham has 'dear lambs,' and I think that brings out the thought intended. I doubt not that it was love, as well as size or age, that was in the Lord's heart. This is the only place we find this diminutive, except in the Book of Revelation, where we find it 27 times or more, used of the Lord Himself: but in 13: 11 we find it was the beast imitating the Lamb. Dr. Moulton thinks that on account of this the word had lost its special diminutive meaning of affection; but I like to think that the Disciple whom Jesus Loved, even at the end of his life, and when banished on the Isle of Patmos, could not breathe that word 'Lamb' without using a form that expressed the beloved Lamb;' just as the Father would not say, "This is My Son," but rather, "This is My beloved Son." And is He not to you, to me, the 'Arnion': the 'Beloved Lamb'? And so, I think, the Lord said to Peter, "Feed My beloved lambs." And let us not forget that He meant size or age as well as affection. So let us not pass by the Children.*

{* Moulton & Millican think there is complete absence of diminutive force: but I hope they are not entirely correct.}

The Lord then again asked Peter: "Lovest thou Me?" And Peter replies as before, and the Lord says: "Shepherd My probatia." 'Probatia' is the diminutive of 'sheep:' and I think what Peter understood by the Lord's use of this word was just this: "Shepherd My dear sheep," or, "My beloved sheep." The size of the sheep has been forgotten in the dearness of it: and how sweet to the soul, whether we are young or old, are these words: "My beloved lambs," "My beloved sheep." And you, Beloved, and I, are truly the Lord's beloved sheep and lambs; even though so often we are selfwilled and failing, yet to Him we are 'beloved.' And it may be the Lord has entrusted you with the care of some of His lambs or sheep: perhaps you have a class of children that are lambs of His, and it may be that sometimes they are noisy and trying and disobedient. Or it may be some of my older readers know what it is to seek to shepherd some of the Lord's sheep, and you find them stupid and contrary and hard to get on with, and you lose patience with them, and find them a sorry lot. It will help us if we remember the Lord calls them "My beloved lambs, My beloved sheep." That memory will help to make them dear to us also, and love suffereth long and is kind. And may we never look at them as our sheep, for the Lord calls them, "My dear sheep, My dear lambs."

And then came the Lord's third question, and He changes the word for 'lovest' from the word He had just used twice, to the word that Peter had used: the weaker word for 'love:' "Simon, son of Jonas, are you fond of Me?" That is what cut Peter to the heart. It was not that He asked three times if he loved Him, but it hurt terribly to think that the Lord would change the word for 'love' to the weak word; as though He questioned whether he really loved Him at all. And he bursts out: "Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I am fond of Thee." And the Lord says: "Feed My probatia:" "Feed My dear sheep." Those are the only times we find 'sheep' in the diminutive in the New Testament, as it is the only time we find 'lamb' in the diminutive, except in Revelation. But what a depth of meaning the Lord adds to His words, by just including that little 'i' three times: and you know, the Greek 'i' does not even have a dot to it!

* * * * *

Let us next look at a lovely cluster of four diminutives, strung like four rare and sparkling jewels, in Mark 7: 25 to 28. We find the story also in Matthew 15: 21 to 28, and we have to ponder both Gospels to get the full beauty from this exquisite portion of Scripture. It is the story of the Syro-Phoenician woman. Mark tells us that her 'thugatrion': (diminutive of 'daughter') had an unclean spirit. Matthew tells us she was "miserably possessed" (kakos daimonizetai) by a demon. Jairus had come to the Lord not so long before, using the same diminutive for his daughter. Mark 5: 23. These are the only places in the New Testament that we find this word, and notice both are in Mark; for it was Mark, more than any other, who tells us the minute detail of some special word or look. How can we translate it? I know not, for in English we have no diminutive for 'daughter'. The translators have done their very best: 'little daughter', or 'young daughter', or 'dear daughter,' but I am sure it does not tell half the story. Perhaps for Jairus the nearest we could get in colloquial English would be something like this: "My wee girlie is near her end!" Can you not hear the pleading love in his words: "My wee girlie." She was twelve years old, but to the broken-hearted father she was still his 'wee girlie', — his 'thugatrion!! — and she was dying: he dare not use the word for 'death' so he says 'she is near her end.'

The Syro-Phoenician woman uses the same word. The Lord had walked very far, some fifty miles, to reach that woman of Tyre and her 'wee girlie,' and doubtless, as on another occasion, He was weary with His journey: and He kept wishing (Imperfect) that nobody would know the house he had entered: but He could not be hid: for this woman of Tyre hearing of Him, came and kept crying (Imperfect): "Pity me, Lord, Son of David!" But He answered her not a word. The disciples did not like her constant crying, and they kept asking (Imperfect) Him to send her away, because she keeps crying (Present) after us. But He answered, "I have not been sent but unto the lost sheep of Israel's house."

She came as to the "Son of David," which was His true title, but to the people of Israel: and as such she had no claim at all. So He replied: "Let the children first be filled:" The Lord used the word tekna: the ones who have the dignity and position by birth: (not teknia the diminutive): "for it is not right to take the children's (same word) bread, and throw it to the wee doggies." The poor mother had been pleading for her 'wee girlie', and the Lord takes up her term, and speaks of the 'wee doggies': the diminutive. Now notice, had the Lord used the ordinary word for dog, and not the diminutive: — and this story is the only place in the New Testament where the diminutive of 'dog' is found: — then this woman could not have replied as she did: for literally, as well as spiritually, in the East, 'without are dogs.' The fierce, horrible dogs of that land were not allowed in the houses, but the "wee doggies', the cute little puppies, could come in: and so the Lord gently and skilfully leads on her faith, by giving her this special, unusual word to encourage her; and she takes it up instantly: "Yes, Lord, and the wee doggies under the table eat of the wee crumbs (another diminutive) of the wee children (another diminutive, but not the honourable word for 'children,' teknia, but paidia, one that could be used of a servant).

She had watched her wee girlie eating, and knew how often she dropped wee crumbs. In our house the wee doggie used always to sit under the chair of the littlest one, because it well knew most crumbs dropped there. And, says she, I'm not asking for a lot; only for a 'wee crumb'. Has Jairus's wee girlie not dropped a wee crumb for a wee doggie over in Tyre? The children, the tekna, have been having a grand feast over in Judea; their sick healed, their lepers cleansed, the devils cast out of their children, even their dead raised to life: and is there never a wee crumb for a poor wee doggie in Tyre?

What joy that conversation brought to the Saviour of the world! Why, (I doubt not), it was just on purpose to bring a wee crumb to this wee doggie, — this wee girlie, — that the Saviour had made that long, weary journey; and when she had got her wee crumb He turns round and goes back again to 'the children.' Do you think that the Holy Spirit put those four little 'i's' into that story by accident? Sure I am He did not. Is that exquisite cluster of jewels nothing to you? Ah, Beloved, talk not slightingly of the Greek Testament; and discourage none from seeking to read the very words the Holy Spirit wrote. There are such treasures hidden there that none can ever exhaust them.

Only one more example. In John 6: 9 we find the word 'Paidarion', the diminutive of 'pais', 'a child.' It might be either a boy or a girl; but in the 6th of John there is later a pronoun in the masculine, so we know it was 'a little boy.' It was this 'little child' who provided the five barley loaves, and the two little fish, with which the Lord fed five thousand. This is the only place we find this word in the New Testament; but we find it twice in Genesis 22. This is the Chapter that tells of Abraham offering up Isaac. What Abraham seems to have said to the servants was something like this: "Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the dear child, or, little child, will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham out of heaven, and said, "Lay not thine hand upon the dear child, neither do thou anything unto him." May the tenderness, the pathos, of these passages fill our hearts; for, as we have said, diminutives are for the heart, not for the head.

Chapter 14

I Retreat — Ana-Choreo

"By weakness and defeat, He won the mede and crown; Trod all His foes beneath His feet, by being trodden down."

* * * * *

I do not think we have the word 'retreat' in our ordinary English Bible, though we do find 'retire' several times, and a good many times we find 'withdraw': words which have a very similar meaning. There are, I think, six different Greek words that are translated 'withdraw', (though they are also translated in many other ways).

I would like to ask you to look for a few minutes at the word ana-choreo. This word has the meaning of retreat in war. (Liddell & Scott), Moulton & Milligan say that retire is too weak for it, "The connotation of 'taking refuge' from some peril will suit most of the New Testament passages remarkably well."

This word is used 14 times in the Greek New Testament: ten of these are in Matthew's Gospel, of which six refer to our Lord Jesus Christ: Matt. 2: 14; 2: 22; 4: 12; 12: 15; 14: 13; 15: 21. We also find the same word used of our Lord Jesus in Mark 3: 7 and John 6: 15. It is also used of the Wise Men in Matt. 2: 12 & 13; and of Judas in Matt. 27: 5.

You will notice that Matthew uses this word far more often than any other of the New Testament writers: indeed besides those mentioned, it is only found in Matt. 9: 24 and twice in Acts. Our readers will recall that Matthew presents to us our Lord Jesus as KING. How very remarkable that in this Gospel we find the King of kings, the Captain of our Salvation, the Captain Who has never lost a battle, and Who never will lose one, — here we find Him six times in retreat. In this Gospel we do not see Him destroying His enemies, as He could so easily have done, but retreating before them. In this Gospel we see Him who is the King, "meek and lowly in heart." It is in this Gospel our Lord says: "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (26.53). But He did not pray for those legions: instead He allowed Himself to be bound, to be abused, to be scourged, to be crucified by wicked men. It looked like utter defeat, after years of retreat. Little did the enemy know that this was the greatest Victory that has ever been won: and won "by weakness and defeat."

And through the centuries the soldiers of the King have often passed the same way: often has defeat seemed to be our portion; and retreat instead of advance has taken place. What a sad retreat we have watched with breaking hearts in China! But let us remember that the Captain under whom we are fighting is still in command: and He will yet prove to be the Victor, even in these sad, dark days of weakness and defeat. So, beloved fellow-soldiers, Take heart! Let us press on! Let us never be discouraged! We have a Captain in Whom we may implicitly trust: and the last words He says to us in the Gospel that tells so plainly of His retreat: are these: —

"All power is given unto ME in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore!"

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37).

Chapter 15

Inns, Guests, and Guest-Chambers — Kata-luma, Kata-lusai, Pan-docheion.

I suppose we all know well the lovely story of Zacchaeus, the Chief Publican of Jericho, told us in Luke 19:1-10. But the full beauty of this scene, it seems to me, does not appear on the surface. The words 'to-be-guest' are only one word in Greek: kata-luo: a verb. From this word we get the word kata-luma: a noun. This is the word used in the story of our Lord's birth, in Luke 2: 7, when "there was no room for them in the inn." Here kata-luma is translated 'inn'. The only other occasion on which this word is used in the New Testament is when the Lord ate the last supper with His disciples in the large upper room: told us by both Mark and Luke. The Lord instructed Peter and John to say to the goodman of the house, "The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with My disciples?" (Luke 22: 11). And in Mark 14: 14 we find the same question, but (in the better reading of the Greek text) one word is changed: "Where is My guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with My disciples?" Yes, it was His guestchamber; His disciples; and His supper.

Though kata-luma, the inn or guest chamber, is only used these three times, the verb, kata-luo is used some seventeen times; and with the exception of Luke 19: 7 and Luke 9: 12, it always means to 'unloose,' or, 'undo', to 'pull down,' or 'destroy.' See, for example, the Law in Matt. 5: 17; or the Temple in Matt. 27: 40; or its stones, in Matt. 24: 2, etc. In the two exceptions, the word in Luke 19: 7 is translated 'to-be-guest' (as we have seen already), and in Luke 9: 12 it is translated 'lodge.' I think the thought is that when we lodge, or be a guest of someone, we relax, we loosen our clothes, we ungird, both ourselves and our beasts of burden. This gives us the fundamental thought in the noun, translated 'inn' or 'guestchamber.' But our Lord did not come to this world to rest or relax or ungird: He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister: and so it would have been utterly unfitting that He should have been born in an inn that had such a meaning as we have seen. And so He chose the stable. As we follow our Master's footsteps through Luke's Gospel, we find the foxes had holes, the birds of the air had nests, but the Son of man had not where to lay His head.

And now we find, again in Luke's Gospel, that as He entered and passed through Jericho: the very last journey of any length our Lord ever took along these weary paths of earth: a man received Him; Yes, received Him joyfully, to be his guest. The Spirit of God is careful to use the same word (only a verb) as He had used in the second chapter of this Gospel to tell of the place where there was no room for Him, and they sent Him out to the stable. But here, in the house of Zacchaeus the publican, He has found a place where He may ungird, where He may relax, may rest. Full sure I am that in this home there was water for His feet, and oil for His head, and kisses in abundance: all of which were denied in Simon's house in the seventh chapter of Luke. But Zacchaeus is a sinner, and Simon is a Pharisee. To the one much had been forgiven, to the other little: so the one loved much, while the other loved little. And it does not say that He went 'to-be-guest' (this lovely word) with Simon.

But there is another difference between the inn in Bethlehem and the home of Zacchaeus in Jericho. The inn where there was no room for the King of kings was located in Bethlehem, first, by interpretation, 'The House of Bread', the place where there was an abundance: and second, the birthplace of King David; the town foretold by the Prophet where the Messiah must be born. But Zacchaeus lived in Jericho, the 'City of the Curse.' (Joshua 6: 26). Bethlehem's inn had its opportunity to welcome the King of kings, the Lord of Glory, but the inn-keeper, who is not even mentioned, did not know "Jesus, who He was", as Zacchaeus learned that day to know Him. Had he known, he would not have turned the Lord of Glory out to the stable.

In the 10th of Luke a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house, and she was careful and troubled to prepare a great feast for Him: but even that did not warrant the Spirit of God in using this lovely word, gone 'to-be-guest', in describing this visit. That word, kata-luo, is reserved for the home of "a man that is a sinner." He, and he only, supplies to the Son of God what was refused Him at His birth: a loosing-down place: a place where He might ungird, and rest. And what rest and refreshment must that day have been to our Saviour, as He saw something of the travail of His soul, and in part was satisfied.

But there is a little more. The people who watched Him grumbled that He was "gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner." The Greek work is more than just 'gone.' It is rather, "He has entered in to be guest." This seems to me to be much more vivid. I see Him walk up the path, and pass through the doorway, and enter right inside the house. And if there was joy in the presence of the angels that day, as we know there was, we know there was equal, nay, rather, there was greater joy inside that "sinner's" house in Jericho. Joy for the sinner, truly: but joy that exceeded for the sinner's Guest.

* * * * *

But let us look a little at the other kata-luma, the other 'Guestchamber', of which we read in Luke 22: 11. And we have noted that Mark, who so loves to tell us little details of our Lord's path down here, tells us that He called it 'My guestchamber.' I do not remember any other place in this world that He claimed as His own. And in this kata-luma, this 'loosing-down-place', instead of ungirding Himself, as we would have expected: we find He takes a towel and girds Himself, to do the slave's work, of washing His disciples' feet. But then He "took upon Him the form of a slave (doulou)" when He made Himself of no reputation. (Phil. 2: 7). Years later Peter wrote, I doubt not recalling that evening in this Guestchamber, "Gird ye on the slave's apron."* 1 Peter 5: 5. If we have the privilege of being the Lord's guests in His Guestchamber, let us remember what the Lord did there that night, and also the words He added: "I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you." But don't forget, to do this we must first gird on the slave's apron of humility.

{* eg-komboomai: from kombos, a knot, whence egkomboma, a garment tied on over others, used especially of a frock or apron worn by slaves. (Abbott-Smith's Manual Greek Lexicon of the N.T.).}

* * * * *

In Ephesians 3: 17 the Apostle prays that "Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." The word translated 'dwell' is the same word as in Matt. 2: 23, "He came and dwelt at Nazareth." The Greek word is kat-oikeo. The first part is the same word as is used in kata-luo, — to-be-guest; and the other part is from oikos, 'a house.' The whole word means 'to settle, to dwell.' Some think 'To make one's home' is nearer the true meaning; or, perhaps, 'to settle down.' Either translation seems to bring a lovely thought: "That Christ may make His home in your hearts." When I am in my 'home' every part of the house is open to me: nothing is hidden or closed: all is, in a sense, mine. I doubt not this is the meaning here in Ephesians. But before He can do this we need to receive Him joyfully, like Zacchaeus, and He must be able to claim my heart as His Guestchamber. And not only will He come in and sup with us, and we with Him: but we will find He makes our hearts His very home. In John 14: 23 He tells us much the same: "If a man love Me he will keep my words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him." The word for 'abode' is the very same word translated 'mansions' in Verse 2. "In My Father's house are many mansions: . . . I go to prepare a place for you." He is preparing the mansions for us in the Father's House; shall not we prepare a 'home', an 'abode', for Him now, down here? And the secret of preparing that 'mansion' for Him is to keep, not His commandments, as in Verse 21; but His words: which go further. Lord, help us so to do, for Thy Name's sake!

One night, years ago, I was trying to tell a little group of Chinese refugees in Hong Kong about this wondrous promise. They mostly lived in Sik Kiet Mei, at that time one of the most miserable of all the refugee settlements in Hong Kong. Many of the 'homes' there were more miserable shacks than anything, I suppose, my readers have ever seen; just piled up at random on a wild, rough, steep hillside. One I knew well was only a hole in the earth dug under a great boulder, to form a sort of cave. I pointed out that He who was born in a stable was quite willing to make His Home with them at Sik Kiet Mei, if they kept His words. They looked very incredulous, and at last one asked, "Mr. Lee, have you ever seen Sik Kiet Mei on a dark, rainy night?" I had to admit I had not: there were no roads, hardly paths; and it was hard enough to find one's way in the daylight: but yet I could assure them that if they kept His words, their Lord, the Lord of Glory, would gladly make His Home with them, even in Sik Kiet Mei. And another replied, "Yes, in our hearts, and that is the best place."

* * * * *

But there is one other 'inn' mentioned in the New Testament, and I believe the only other. Once more we find it in Luke, chapter 10: 34. A certain man went down from Jerusalem, the city where the holy Temple of God was built; he was going down to Jericho, the city of the curse: the home of Zacchaeus. But on the way he fell among thieves, who left him naked and wounded and half dead. A priest and a Levite passed by, but did nothing to help the wretched man. Then came 'a certain Samaritan', and as he journeyed, he came where he was; and he had compassion on him, and went right down into the ditch with him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine; I am sure he clothed him with his own clothes, and he put him on his own beast, and he took him to an inn. Ah, but there was no room in the only other inn we read about in the New Testament: will there be room for him in this inn? Yes, Thank God, there is room, abundance of room, for him: for the name of this inn is not kata-luma, but, pan-docheion: the 'place that receives all.' Not one has ever been turned away from this inn. Poverty, wretchedness, sin will never keep a person outside the inn call Pan-docheion.' It is God's own inn. Never yet has an applicant been told there is 'no room.' It 'receives all.' "Him that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out," is, I think, inscribed over that door.

And this inn has a 'Host,' and the Spirit of God tells us His name: His name is 'Pan-docheus': the Person who receives all.' And the Samaritan only stayed a short time, for he went away the next day; but before He left, He promised to come back, and in the meantime, He left orders with the 'Host': the 'pan-docheus', to take care of this poor man. He left Him two pence, but added, "And whatsoever Thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay Thee." (Luke 10: 35). Since He only paid 'two pence' the poor man knew that his good Friend meant to come again soon; and I am sure he kept watching down the road to see if He was coming.

"Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus."

Chapter 16

Christian Graces

Endurance — Hupomone

This word is generally translated "Patience" in our Authorized Version, and by "Endurance" in the New Translation by J. N. Darby. The original meaning of the Greek word is "Remaining Behind." It comes from the verb, "I remain behind", which in Luke 2: 43 is translated in this way.

We find a very beautiful example of this word in the lovely story of Shammah in the field of lentiles in 2 Samuel 23: 11, 12. "After him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles; and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the Lord wrought a great victory."

Shammah "remained behind." Shammah "endured." There are, perhaps, few things more difficult than to endure. When others have given up, to remain behind, is not easy. I suppose Shammah's friends and fellow-soldiers told him it was hopeless, it was certain death to stay where he was, and anyway for a field of lentiles (in the Chinese Bible it is "red beans") it was not worth remaining behind. I expect David had given that field of lentiles to Shammah to defend. And you and I have been given a field of lentiles to defend, in the midst of which 'great David's Greater Son' has placed us. Our field of lentiles may be our home, or the office, or the shop; it may be the little feeble company of two or three gathered to our Lord's own Name, that others have despised and forsaken for something greater and more attractive. Our field of lentiles may not seem worth defending, and we may feel like giving up, or perhaps we are turning our eyes to fields that seem to us more attractive, and more worth while. Let us remember Shammah. who remained behind when the others fled. Let us endure, as he endured.

Our God is called "The God of Endurance"; "The God of Endurance and Encouragement." (Rom. 15: 5, New Trans.) Many years ago some kind friends were urging a young man to give up some work the Lord had given him to do. He went in his perplexity to a dear old brother. He will never forget the way he exclaimed: "Give up? All giving up is of the devil!" Yes, our God is "the God of Endurance."

I suppose every Christian is willing to "boast in hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 5: 2. New Trans.), but now many of us can truthfully add: "And not only (that) , but we also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance." The word tribulation comes from the Latin word "tribulum", "a flail." The flail I used when a boy was a cruel looking instrument, made of two sticks of wood fastened together at the ends with a thong. You held one of the sticks, swinging it so that the other came down with a terrific whack on the wheat. The result was that the chaff and straw were separated from the wheat. The chaff and straw were blown away, while the wheat remained. The wheat endured. The flail brought tribulation to it, right enough, but by that tribulation the wheat obtained endurance.

It may be you have been having some pretty heavy blows with the flail. You may feel that you have been having more than your share of tribulation. May the God of Endurance give you to boast in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation works Endurance. You will have noticed the way James opens his epistle. Immediately after the greeting, (which only takes one verse), he plunges straight into his subject. "Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into various temptations (Peirasmos: An Experiment, a trial, a testing, a temptation. We are put into the crucible, like the chemists do the substances they are testing). "Count it all joy when ye fall into various temptations, knowing that the proving of your faith works endurance." Bishop Ellicott says: "In the noble word hupomone there always appears in the New Testament a background of andreia (manliness) . . . it does not mark merely the endurance, but the perseverance, . . . the brave patience with which the Christian contends against the various hindrances, persecutions and temptations that befall him in his conflict with the inward and the outward world."

Yes, Endurance is so precious, and of such inestimable value, that we may count it all joy when we fall into these trials, because we know they work endurance. "But let endurance have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1: 2, 3). And the passage we looked at in Romans, says: "We also boast in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works endurance; and endurance, experience; and experience, hope; and hope does not make ashamed." Yes, Endurance works experience. That is what our hymn tells us:

"His love in times past

Forbids us to think

He'll leave us at last,

In trouble to sink."

This is experience, and it was endurance taught it. Do you think Shammah would have missed the experience he gained by that fight in the lentile field? Never! And when we get Home, we will see that some of these hard places on the road were the bits we would not have missed for anything. They worked Endurance.

The first mark of a true servant of God is "Endurance." "In everything commending ourselves as God's ministers (or, servants), in much endurance," (2 Cor. 6: 4). The false servant, the hireling, fled when he saw the wolf coming; but the Good Shepherd "remained behind." He endured. Endurance was also the first sign of an Apostle. "The signs indeed of the apostle were wrought among you in all endurance . . ." (2 Cor. 12: 12).

Years ago my work took me to the woods in the North of Canada, far from any Christian services. One Lord's Day morning I was reading the first chapter of Colossians. I got as far as the eleventh verse, and I read: "Strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory . . ." and I stopped there, somewhat overwhelmed by the stupendous display of mighty power. And as I stopped, I dreamed of the great deeds I would some day do for the Lord, with all this mighty power on which I might so freely draw; what crowds might be converted; how the heathen might be won for Christ! Then I decided to finish the verse: "Strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy." It was a bit of a shock, for in those days I had never thought very much of endurance, or of patience either, as it is put in our ordinary English Bible. But God's thoughts are not our thoughts; and God knows the true worth of Endurance, and just the power that is needed for it, especially when "longsuffering", or "suffering-for-a-long-time", is connected with it; and the whole is done not with a spirit of being sorry for ourselves, but, "with joy." Ah, my brothers, my sisters, you will find you do indeed need to be "strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory", if you are to have "all endurance and longsuffering with joy." We never, never can do it in our own strength, but Thanks be to God, He does not ask us to use our own strength, and He offers us all this vast store of power on which to freely draw, with unlimited demands, and all for the sake of Endurance: "Endurance and longsuffering with joy." It is not easy, but, Thank the Lord, He can do it for us; He can work it in us.

The Apostle used to boast about the Endurance of his dear children in Faith, the Thessalonian Christians. "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and Endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thess. 1: 3). And their Endurance kept up, for in the Second Epistle we find he is still boasting of it, "Your faith increases exceedingly, and the love of each one of you all towards one another abounds; so that we ourselves make our boast in you in the assemblies of God for your Endurance and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, which ye are sustaining." (2 Thess. 1: 4). They had the real, genuine thing; their Endurance did not break down.

There are some things that pursue us, press after us. This word "Dioko", "Pursue" or "Press after" is an intensely interesting word, but we may not stop to pursue it now. The things that press after us are very often troubles, (not always: for Goodness and Mercy are amongst the things that very earnestly press after us, as well as other good things); But we are to press after quite a lot of things; you will find a list of some of them in 1 Tim. 6: 11, 12; and amongst these you will find Endurance. Yes, we are to press after Endurance. These days are apt to be soft days, and we do not like to endure hardness if we can help it; but remember, it is not wealth, nor ease, nor comfort, nor learning, we are to press after; but Endurance, as well as other blessed graces we may not mention now.

The Apostle could say to Timothy, his son in the faith: "Thou hast been thoroughly acquainted with my . . . endurance." (2 Tim. 3: 10). Yes, Timothy knew how Paul had remained behind when John Mark gave up and deserted him; He knew how Paul had endured when Peter gave up the truth at Antioch, and all the others with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away; but Paul remained behind in the true faith. And in Second Timothy 4: 16 the old Apostle, Paul the Aged, tells his child in the faith how "all deserted me." But Paul Endured, he remained behind, and faced Nero alone; "and I was delivered out of the lion's mouth." Few there are indeed who have Endured like Paul, and few were acquainted with his Endurance like Timothy.

Paul tells Titus that the "elder men" were to have Endurance, though this would indeed include patience (See Titus 2: 2, New Trans. Note). It may be that as we get older we learn to value this quality more. The urge and impetuosity of youth has passed away, perhaps. But, Thank the Lord, Endurance is one quality we old folks who are not good for much may, and should, have. Keep on in the race, dear old Friend, the goal is almost in sight, "Press toward the Mark!" Endure!

And Hebrews 10: 36 tells us we have need of Endurance in order that, having done the will of God, we may receive the promise. We can see "the streaks in the sky." The Bright and Morning Star will soon appear, and make good all the promises. But now, in the darkest part of the night, just before the dawn, "Ye have need of Endurance." And those who have Endured, we call happy. "Ye have heard of the Endurance of Job, and seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is full of tender compassion and pitiful." (James 5: 11). Sweet attributes are these to link up with Endurance. It did not look like tender compassion and pity in the early chapters of Job. But it was true for Job, and it is true for us. Tribulation did work Endurance, and if we let it, tribulation will work Endurance for us too, and we also will prove the Lord to be "full of tender compassion and pitiful."

And in that famous addition sum of Peter's (2 Peter 1: 5, 6), we find our word once again: Endurance! To our Faith add Courage: to our Courage add Knowledge: to our Knowledge add Self-control: to our Self-Control add Endurance, and to Endurance add Brotherly Affection: and to our Brotherly Affection add Love. May God help us so to do.

"Let us therefore, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us, run with Endurance the race that lies before us, looking steadfastly on JESUS the Leader and Completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before Him, Endured the cross, having despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider well Him who Endured so great contradiction of sinners against Himself, that ye be not weary, fainting in your minds." (Hebrews 12: 1 to 3).

Endure hardness as a Good Soldier of Jesus Christ. (2 Tim. 2: 3)

Chapter 17

On Throwing — Ek-ballo, Dia-ballo.

One of the commonest words in the Greek New Testament is Ballo, 'I throw,' or its derivatives. There are a number of words formed from this word, by adding a preposition to it, as, for example: Ek-ballo, 'I throw out.' We get our English word 'ball' from this word ballo, so every time a boy or girl talks about a 'ball', he can be reminded of this word in the Greek New Testament. Actually it is very rarely translated 'throw', but rather, 'cast', 'put,' or occasionally, 'lay.' In Mark 12: 42, the poor widow 'threw' in two mites; and in Acts 22: 23, the mob who tried to kill Paul 'threw' dust into the air.

I want you to think for a little while about the word ek-ballo, 'I-throw-out.' It is translated in a number of different ways: 'cast out' Matt. 7: 5; 'send forth' Matt. 12: 20; 'drove out' John 2: 15, etc. The thought is, I believe, forcibly sending something, or someone, out: as a boy forcibly sends a ball out, when he throws it. The ball is not consulted as to this, the force and power all come from the one who throws it. If you will turn to Matt. 9: 38 or Luke 10: 2, you will see words something like these: "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." The word translated 'send forth' is ek-ballo in each of these Gospels. The Lord of the Harvest Himself is the one that sends forth, or, thrusts forth (New Trans.) these labourers. It is not left to the labourer's own choice as to whether he will go or not. No man, not even a mission board, has the authority to send forth these labourers. No, the Lord of the harvest alone has right to send forth a labourer. And I need hardly add that if the Lord of the harvest sends forth a labourer, He will make Himself responsible for the support and care of that labourer: even though he may share some of the sufferings of the Apostle Paul, described in 2 Cor. 11; such as 'weariness and painfulness, watchings often, hunger and thirst, fastings often, cold and nakedness' and, Oh, so many more. But the Apostle reckoned that these sufferings, which were but for a moment, were not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. See Romans 8: 18; 2 Cor. 4: 17,18.

"I will give her My cross of suffering,

My cup of sorrow to share:

But in robes of white, in the Glory bright,

All shall be righted there."

But there is another word we must consider in this Scripture, and that is the word that the Lord used here for 'Pray.' "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth labourers into His harvest." There are a number of words used in the New Testament for pray, but this is the strongest of them all. It is deomai: it might be translated 'beseech', or 'supplicate.' Mr. Darby uses 'supplicate' in his New Translation. Now, Beloved, I wonder how many of us obey the Lord's command (for it is a command) given to us in these verses. I wonder how often in our own private prayers we supplicate the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth labourers. I wonder how often in the Prayer Meetings do we hear this earnest, fervent supplication. I fear not very often. Is it for this reason that the labourers are so pitifully few? The harvest is just as great as ever, and the right sort of labourers unspeakably few: so this prayer the Lord taught His disciples is just as applicable as ever for our own day.

* * * * *

The next word I would ask you to consider is Dia-ballo. It means literally 'I throw across.' It is only used once in the New Testament as a verb, that is in Luke 16: 1. Here it is translated 'accuse.' It may remind us of the old proverb, "People who live in glass houses should not throw stones." And the meaning of the word has come to be, 'To slander, defame, accuse falsely or maliciously.' Where it is used in Luke 16, it tells of someone who accused the unjust steward to his master. Now the use of this word lets us know that it was not out of love to the master that he did this, but out of spite to the steward.

There is one very striking example of a man who 'threw across' stones and dust with a malicious intent. His name is Shimei, and we may read the story in 2 Sam. 16: 5-13. "Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him (David, his rejected king) , and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust." David is a picture of our Lord Jesus, the true King, but rejected and cast out. How many there are who like to throw stones at Him today, or at His followers. And, sad to say, there is many a true Christian even now who seems to spend his time throwing stones and dust at his fellow-Christians: and it is much to be feared, sometimes doing it with malicious intent. In fact he is doing the work called in the New Testament, dia-ballo.

Now, there is one, more than any other who does this work. In fact so constantly is he employed in it, — the work of casting stones and dust at the Lord's people, — that in the New Testament this personage has won for himself the name, Dia-boles,' 'The one who throws (stones) ,' or 'The Slanderer.' This word is used many times, and with three exceptions, (1 Tim. 3: 11; 2 Tim. 3: 3; Titus 2: 3) it is always translated 'devil.' This ought to pull some of us up pretty sharply. Are we doing the work of the devil: helping him in his own special work of accusing the brethren (Rev. 12: 10)? (And even Peter could do the work of the devil).

This is a very solemn question for us to ask ourselves. Are we helpers in the Lord's harvest fields today, by supplicating the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth (ek-ballo) labourers into His harvest fields? or, Are we weakening the hands of His labourers by throwing stones and dust across at them (dia-ballo)? There are, I doubt not, labourers today standing idle; while the harvest fields are white, waiting for them: and all because some of us have been employed in dia-ballo instead of ek-ballo.

* * * * *

I can hardly leave this word dia-ballo without a reference to the three places where it is not translated 'devil.' The first (1 Tim. 3: 11) refers to the wives of the deacons, and tells them they are not to be slanderers, — not to be 'devils,' for 'devil' means 'slanderer.' The second scripture is 2 Tim. 3: 3, and tells us that in the last days men shall be . . . false accusers: that is 'slanderers.' This is one of the marks of the times in which we live: and brothers and sisters alike are liable to fall into this horrid sin. The third time this word is used in this way (Titus 2: 3) is in a special message to the "aged women" that they are not to be 'false accusers.'

Some of the stones and dust that we throw hurt far more than ever we intended they should; and let us bear in mind that we can greatly hinder the work of the Lord, on the one hand, or greatly help it, on the other by our use of ekballo or diaballo.

Which is it going to be???

Chapter 18

The Last Lap of the Narrow Way — Thlipsis, Plateia.

The "Narrow Way" begins at the "Strait Gate." (Matt. 7: 13,14). The Greek word here for "Narrow" is thlibo, meaning 'compressed.' It is also translated 'afflicted' (2 Cor. 1: 6); 'suffer tribulation' (1 Thess. 3: 4); 'troubled' (2 Cor. 7: 5). The Greek word thlipsis (formed from thlibo) is used over and over again to describe the normal path of the Christian through this world. For instance, in John 16: 33, "In the world ye shall have tribulation," we have thlipsis used. In Romans 5: 3, "We glory in tribulation," we find this word again. In 2 Cor. 4: 17, "Our light affliction," it is the same. And the examples might be greatly multiplied. The Bible makes it unmistakeably clear that the "Narrow Way" is a way of tribulation.

We must remember that the word 'strait', in the expression "The strait gate," is an entirely different word in English to 'straight'. We speak of a 'straight line;' but a 'strait gate' means a 'narrow gate.' The Greek word is a 'stenos' gate. It is used three times in the New Testament, and always means 'narrow.' From this word stenos another word is formed, stenochoreo. This word is used seven times in the New Testament, including the noun formed from it. In 2 Cor. 6: 12 we read: "Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels." In Romans 8: 35: "Shall . . . . distress?" 2 Cor. 6: 4: "In necessities, in distresses;" 2 Cor. 12: 10: "In distresses for Christ's sake." So we see that the 'Strait Gate' by which we enter the 'Narrow Way' is one that brings us distress and pressure. That is the proper, normal path for the Christian in this world. "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. 3: 12). True, we may seek to reign as kings down here, and dwell in our 'ceiled houses:' but that is not the path marked out by our Master for His servants.

And what is the 'Last Lap' of this 'Narrow Way'? It leads us to "The Street of the City," the Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 21: 21; 22: 2). The word for 'Street' here is plateia or platus. It means 'Broad' or 'wide,' and is the word used for "Wide is the gate" in Matt. 7: 13. We walk the 'Narrow Way' down here: but when we get Home, we will find that it led to the 'Broad Street,' paved with gold where are the 'Many Mansions.' And then we will find it was no mistake when the Apostle said that our light thlipsis, our light affliction, which is but for a moment, (that is the length of the Narrow Way compared to the length of the Broad Street above), worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. (2 Cor. 4: 17).

And what is the 'Last Lap' of the 'Broad Way' that is entered through the 'Wide Gate' that leadeth to destruction? Romans 2: 9 gives us the answer: "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile." 'Tribulation' here is thlipsis, and 'Anguish' here is stenochoria, the very words we have just seen that mark the path of the Christian through this world! The Christian starts with the 'Strait Gate' and the 'Narrow Way' that tell of Tribulation and Anguish, but they are but for a moment,' and he ends in the 'Broad Street' and the Many Mansions, for Eternity. The Unbeliever starts with the 'Wide Gate' and the 'Broad Way' that perhaps tell of ease and luxury: but they end in thlipsis and stenochoria, — Tribulation and Anguish, — for Eternity!

"CHOOSE YE TODAY!"

The Feasts of Jehovah

The Feasts of Jehovah

Leviticus 23

G.C.Willis.

Contents

Preface

Preface to Second Edition

1. Introduction

2. The Redeemed of the Lord

3. The Seven Feasts

4. The Sabbath

5. The Passover

6. The Feast of Unleavened Bread

7. The Feast of Firstfruits

8. Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks

9. The Present Interval

10. The Feast of Trumpets

11. The Day of Atonement

12. The Feast of Tabernacles

Preface

The following pages are largely the result of Bible Readings, or addresses, on The Feasts of Jehovah. The addresses were first given after reading, and greatly enjoying, Mr. John Ritchie's little book, "The Feasts of Jehovah: Bright Foreshadowings of Grace and Glory."

The writer's first thought was to seek to translate that little book into Chinese, but as the work progressed, it seemed well to go beyond the limits of the original, and the present book could not in any way be said to be a translation of it. At the same time Mr. Ritchie's little book has been the groundwork on which this has been based, and the writer very gratefully acknowledges his great debt to its author. Many parts of this book are taken directly from Mr. Ritchie's work.

The writer is also indebted to many other authors. He has freely drawn on all works that have been available to him. Especially must he mention "Plain Papers on Prophetic Subjects" by Mr. W. Trotter, and "Synopsis of the Books of the Bible" and other books by Mr. J. N. Darby.

He would also like to acknowledge with the deepest gratitude the loving, faithful service of Mr. Shih T'ien Min, who has done all the translation work, and without whose labour this book would never have appeared.

It is the earnest desire of those who have laboured over these pages that they may be like a finger pointing our hearts to the Feasts of Jehovah, Feasts that were designed and arranged by the Lord to turn our hearts to Himself, that we might better learn to know His grace, and to cheer us for the dark pathway down here, by a sight of the bright Glory ahead.

Jeroboam arranged a feast on "the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart." (1 Kings 12: 33). This was abominable to the Lord. May it act as a warning to us to be subject to the Word of God, and as a proof of the importance of each Feast, just in its own appointed time and way. If we approach this most lovely subject in such a spirit, we believe that we cannot fail to be refreshed.

The greater part of the English Manuscripts were prepared only with a view to their translation into Chinese, and were shown to two or three trusted Christian friends at home for their criticism. One of these has urged their publication in English, and by his liberality has made it possible to carry out this work. The writer is deeply thankful for this friend's kindness and encouragement, and for his valuable criticisms and corrections.

No effort has been made to change the style, which aims only at simplicity for translation work, and was not intended for English readers. We must ask their forbearance, and hope that in spite of this "mao p'ing", the Feasts of Jehovah may so direct each heart to the Grace and Glory of God, that it may overflow in worship to the One who graciously ordained these Feasts.

The abbreviation "N.T." with the references, means that the quotation is taken from The "New Translation" by J. N. Darby.

* * * * *

Preface to Second Edition

Through God's mercy, a second edition of this little book has been called for. A few additions and corrections have been made, but otherwise it is similar to the first edition. May the Lord graciously use it to the encouragement and building up of His people: and for His Own Glory.

G.C.Willis.

Hong Kong, October 25th, 1957.

Chapter 1

Introduction

In this chapter we have the seven great feasts which Jehovah commanded His people to keep every year in the land of Canaan. In these seven feasts, we may see a picture of the way that God has dealt with man from the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, until His kingdom, at the time of the millenium, — and truly this chapter looks back to God's Rest before sin entered, and forward to God's Eternal Rest.

Although it is now perhaps about 3300 years since this chapter was written, it is only about 1900 years since the death of the Lord Jesus; and some of the feasts have already been fulfilled, but some of them have not yet been fulfilled. When written they formed a prophecy; and they still tell us of things to happen in the future.

In Hebrews 10: 1, we read: — "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things", and in Col. 2: 17, we read that the feast or "new moon" or "Sabbaths" are "a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ".

So we may understand that these seven feasts in Lev. 23, are shadows. Some of the real images we have now seen clearly, and we may see how exactly the shadows fit the real image. So we may expect that the images of the things we do not yet see, will also exactly fit the shadows, which we hope to examine by God's help, in this chapter. How wonderful for us to consider that when God drew the pictures of these shadows we are now looking at, that He Himself saw clearly the real image of these things. We may remember that He delighted to look forward and consider these wonderful events, of which He has here given us the picture. If God delights to look at these events, and if God has taken the trouble to draw the pictures of them for us, How glad you and I should be to have the privilege of also looking at them, and in this way to share God's secrets and God's pleasure.

May we not despise these precious pictures God has given to us in the Old Testament! It is exceedingly sad to see the way Israel of old despised these Feasts of Jehovah. The Feast of the Passover, the Foundation of everything for Israel, was neglected from the time of Solomon to the days of Hezekiah: yet when they did at last keep it once more, with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, it afforded such joy to their hearts that "the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness." (2 Chron. 30: 23). But even so, it remained to a later and darker day to keep the Passover still more in accordance with the Word, so that it is said of Josiah's Passover, "There was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept." (2 Chron. 35: 18). And the most joyous of all the Feasts, The Feast of Tabernacles, was so despised and forgotten that from the days of Joshua until the days of Ezra and Nehemiah it was not kept in accordance to the Word. (Neh. 8: 17) May God keep His people in these days from treating His Feasts with the same contempt. I hope that as we look more closely at these feasts we may see that in this chapter, Lev. 23, we have one of the fullest and clearest and most beautiful pictures we could get, of the way in which God has deal with men.

We pray that God may truly feed our souls, and give us more spiritual strength as we read and meditate on these feasts, and that He may by them draw us nearer to the Lord Jesus, and make our hearts burn within us, as He opens to us the Scripture.

Chapter 2

"The Redeemed of the Lord"

"Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord?" (Deut. 33: 29)

"The Children of Israel, a people near unto Him." (Ps. 148: 14)

Perhaps it will help us to understand "the Feasts of Jehovah" better, if we look first at the people of Jehovah, — those people whom He commanded to keep the feasts.

The book of Leviticus, where we read the account of these feasts, is the third book of the Old Testament. In the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis, we read of the way God made man, put him in a beautiful garden, and came down in the cool of the day to walk in the garden with the man whom he had made. Here we find the wonderful fact that God was seeking the companionship of man. I suppose we all know how man sinned, and so spoiled this communion with God. In the very brief history of man before the flood, God pauses to speak of one man who "walked with God for three hundred years." God lets us see His joy in this man, with whom He could have companionship.

Then we read of the general apostacy, and of the flood. After the flood things were no better, we read of the Tower of Babel, and of the way man again turned from God. Then God chose one man, Abraham; he was the "friend of God." We see again God's joy in one man with whom He could have companionship. We read of this same joy in Proverbs 8-31, where the Lord Jesus Christ, typified by "Wisdom" says, "My delights were with the sons of men."

God chose Abraham to be the father of a special nation. This nation was to be God's own people, — "a people near unto Him." I expect that most of my readers know the story of Abraham and his descendents. You know the way they became slaves in Egypt, and when the second book of the Old Testament, (Exodus), opens, we see Abraham's descendents, a great and mighty nation, in Egypt, but helpless slaves there under the cruel dominion of the great king Pharaoh. But not only were they slaves, they had also forgotten the God Who had chosen them, and made them His Own. They were idolators in Egypt, (see Joshua 24: 14). When God was about to send Moses to deliver them, we see in Ex. 3: 13, 14, that when God told Moses to say to the people, "The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you," Moses asked God, "They shall say to me, What is His Name? What shall I say?" God's people had so far forgotten their God, that they had even forgotten His great Name.

There were no "Feasts of Jehovah" in Egypt. There were no "holy convocations." There were no times of rejoicing. Pharaoh tried to make Israel keep the feast in Egypt, but that was impossible. (Ex. 5: 1, 8: 25) They were slaves and idolators there. This shows us a picture of man, every man, in his natural state, He has departed from God. He is a slave of Satan, the prince of this world. Anything and everything has a place in his heart, but "God is not in all his thoughts." (Ps. 10: 4)

Did God forsake His people because they were in this terrible condition? No, He did not. With mighty power He brought His people out of Egypt. He delivered them from under the cruel hand of Pharaoh. He separated them from the people and the idols of Egypt, to become the chosen people of Jehovah, according to His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Afterwards He could say to them, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto MYSELF." (Ex. 19: 4)

The wicked ways of these people in Egypt demanded death, and God brought them out of Egypt by means of death, as we shall see. But it was the death of another: not of Israel, who deserved to die. They were redeemed from Egypt and slavery, by blood.

They were Redeemed, they were separated, to be Jehovah's "peculiar treasure." "A people near unto Him" (Ps. 148: 14); with Jehovah in the midst of them, shielding, protecting, and ruling over them. Jehovah again was devising a way whereby He might dwell amongst men.

But please consider what wonderful grace for God to take up such poor rebel slaves, and to redeem them, to save them from their cruel master, to bring them so near to Himself, and to fill their mouth with singing. Truly we do not wonder that Moses could say, when he was taking leave of them, in Deut. 33: 29, "Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord?"

But, although the grace that brought Israel into such a place was very wonderful: although the blessings that Israel received were far beyond the thought of man: yet all this was only a shadow of the greater grace that brings poor, lost sinners today, into a still higher and better place. Please listen to these words, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." (Eph. 1-3)

Much less than this would have satisfied us. We would have been quite satisfied to be delivered from hell and judgment. That was all we desired when we discovered that we were lost. But less than these wonderful blessings could not satisfy God, or fulfil the desires of His heart. He was seeking worshippers (John 4: 23). It does not say He was seeking "worship," but "worshippers," His purpose was to have a people near unto Himself, made like His Own dear Son, "holy and without blame before Him in love." (Eph. 1: 4).

These feasts would have been no use to Israel in Egypt. Other things filled their minds there. Their lives were bitter with hard bondage. Their days were filled with making brick and mortar. Their backs were sore with the whips of the task-masters. They had no heart for "the feasts of Jehovah." But now that Jehovah had delivered them, and brought them out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea, into the wilderness, where they could be alone with Himself, then they were ready to hear Jehovah's gracious invitation to come to His feasts. Then Jehovah was able to tell them what was in His heart, and to invite them to share with Him the great things which had been in His thoughts from eternity. Once again, Jehovah could have His heart's desire, to have His people with Himself, and be in their company. Listen to His own words, "Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." "I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them." Ex. 29: 45-46.

Jehovah was the host at these feasts, and His people Israel were His guests. He ordained these feasts, as celebrations of His own joy, His Own delight, in the great events to which they pointed. Truly they were but shadows of those great events which were to come, but Jehovah could see the real images themselves. And though His people could not understand the fulness and depth of meaning, as we can now; it was their joy and privilege to share with Jehovah His joy, and to be His guests.

As we read and meditate on these feasts, we will see that the things which have occupied the heart of God from all eternity, were those things which will still last to all eternity. The songs of Heaven will never grow old. How different to the joys and the songs of earth, which so soon pass away! May the Lord give us eyes to see, and a heart to share, those things which fill the heart of God with joy.

Do you remember in the parable of the Sower, that some of the seed fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked it, and the Lord told us that thorns were a picture of the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and that they sprang up and choked the Word, so it became unfruitful? How sad, if the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, make it impossible for us to care about these things that are a joy to the heart of the Lord. How sad if we are too busy with other things, perhaps business, or study, or even the Lord's work — to take time to hear from the Lord these things in which He has delighted for so long, and which He has taken the trouble to tell to us.

Every individual saint is called to have fellowship with the Father and the Son (1 John, 1-3), and the whole church, (meaning "the called-out ones.") is called to the fellowship of God's Son — "Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Cor. 1: 9). Do you remember those gracious words of the Lord Jesus in John 14? "If a man love Me, he will keep my words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Compare also John 14: 3 and Rev. 21: 3; Rev. 22: 3.

The Lord desires the fellowship of His people now, and He desired it in the days of old also. He desired it so much that He thought of the difficulties that might arise when His people came together to meet Himself, and He provided for these difficulties. We all know that it would be impossible for us to rejoice before the Lord if we were worrying about our cares at home. When all the men left their homes to go up to meet the Lord, who would protect the homes from the enemy? What about the Philistines who were always ready to come down on the Lord's people? Would it be safe or right to leave their wives and children unprotected to go up to meet the Lord, as He desired? The Lord knew all these dangers and difficulties, and so He gave the special promise, "Neither shall an man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year." (Ex. 34-24) The God Who could think of these things and take special care of His people in those days, will not forget them now. He tells us now not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, (Heb. 10-25) and will He not take care that those who hear and obey His Word, will not lose by it? Is not this a special word for us in China, where all around us we see our neighbours making no difference for the Lord's Day, but going on with their own affairs in business and pleasure, as if the day were their own? May we not be tempted to follow their example? But when we know the deep desire of the Lord's heart to have us with Himself and around Himself may we let nothing hinder us, and we will surely find in Eternity that we have not lost by it. The Lord's promise still stands true, "Them that honour Me, I will honour," (1 Sam. 2: 30) and "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness;" (that is, Put God's things first,) "And all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6: 33)

But before we begin to consider the "Feasts of Jehovah" in detail, there is one more matter connected with them that we should notice. If we turn over our Bibles to the Gospel of John, we read in chapter 2-13 of the Passover, the first of "the feasts of Jehovah." But here it is not called the "Feast of Jehovah," but "the Jews' passover."' In chapter 7: 2 we read, "The Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand." "The Feasts of Jehovah" have become the "Feasts of the Jews." The outward form was there, but the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, had been rejected, and what joy could God have in empty forms?

Speaking of them in an earlier day, (Isaiah 1: 14), the Lord had said, "Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hateth: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them." Why was this? Was it not because of the formal, empty way in which the people kept the feasts, while they themselves were defiled with sin, and going on with evil? Do you not think that you and I can learn a very valuable lesson from this for ourselves today? Do you think that the Lord likes any better a correct form, and fine outward worship, if the heart is away from God, and the hands are defiled with sin, and the feet not walking in the truth? The Lord says plainly, "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (1 Sam. 15:22). How much we see about us, that has the form of worship, but if we examine it, we find that it is not in accordance with the Word of God, and not in obedience to His expressed command. We hear men say, "You worship in your way, and I worship in mine; we all have a right to our own opinions." This is exactly what we have not. And if you or I worship in our way, we may be quite certain that this worship is not acceptable to God.

Remember in Rev. 3: 14-22, the church of Laodicea had very great outward show. They were rich and increased with goods, and had need of nothing, (in their own eyes.) But what is the Lord's judgment? They were ready to be spued out of His mouth, they were so loathsome to Him. He could bear them no longer. May you and I, dear brethren, beware lest We also follow in this pathway. And let us not forget that the beginning of the downfall, as seen in the church of Ephesus, Rev. 2: 4, 5, was not in any way outwardly apparent, but was in the heart, "Thou hast left thy first love." May the Lord keep our hearts, — may He keep our love bright and fresh, with Himself alone as the object, — and we will find our joy in being with Him, even as He finds His joy in having us with Him, also. How well if our hearts can say, "My beloved is mine, and I am His." (Song of Sol. 2: 10), but it is a deeper lesson when we can say, "I am any Beloved's, and His desire is toward me." (Song of Sol. 7: 10). What Great Grace!

HE is altogether lovely;

I was black as I could be,

But He says that I am comely:

His desire is toward me.

Oh, how great my Saviour's goodness

And His beauty: all may see.

But on me He lays His beauty;

His desire is toward me.

He is fairest of ten thousand,

Worthy of their praise is He;

But He loved me all unlovely,

His desire is toward me.

Ask they, Who is thy Beloved?

Son of God, made man, is He.

For my sake He left the glory,

His desire is toward me.

He, the rich One, came from Heaven,

For my sins died on the tree,

Died that He might make me worthy:

His desire is toward me.

Chapter 3

The Seven Feasts

"These are the set feasts of Jehovah" (Lev. 23: 4, N.T.)

"Which are a shadow of things to come" (Col. 2: 17, N.T.)

Before we consider the Feasts of Jehovah separately, in detail, let us look at them all together.

There were seven feasts, or if we include the Sabbath there were eight feasts.

(If we look at the diagram at the end of the book we will understand them better.)

The Sabbath was different from the other feasts in several ways.

It is described in a separate section of Leviticus to the other feasts. You will note the subject of this feast begins, "Concerning the set feasts of Jehovah, . . . these are my set feasts." (Lev. 23: 2, N.T.) After speaking of the Sabbath; we get almost the same words for an introduction to the other seven feasts, "These are the set feasts of Jehovah". (verse 4, N.T.) No other feast has this special introduction.

Also the Sabbath was observed weekly, all the other feasts were yearly.

The Sabbath was observed at the people's own home, but the other feasts must be observed at "the place" which Jehovah should choose to place His Name there. (Deut. 12: 14, 16: 6)

The Sabbath has never been completely fulfilled and will not be completely fulfilled until Eternity, but the other seven feasts are all fulfilled inside a certain time.

The seven feasts may be divided into two parts, four in the first part and three in the second part.

The Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of First-fruits, and Pentecost, were the first four. These all came close together. Then there was an interval of about four months, during which there was no "Feast of Jehovah" and no "holy convocation" of the people at Jerusalem. It was a long pause between the Feast of Pentecost and the next feast, the Feast of Blowing of Trumpets, during which no fresh call from Jehovah to His people was heard. Surely the Lord had a purpose in this, and a lesson for us to learn. The meaning is perhaps that the truths pictured in the first four feasts have already been fulfilled, whereas that which is pictured in the last three feasts have not yet been fulfilled. The long space between the Feast of Pentecost and the next feast perhaps pictures the long space of more than 1900 years since the day of Pentecost to the day in which we now live.

The first four feasts seem to be connected with the Lord's heavenly people, the Church, — while the last three seem to be especially connected with His earthly people Israel, though perhaps the heavenly people are also pictured in these three feasts.

We will see that the first four feasts have been exactly fulfilled, and this makes us expect that the last three feasts will also be exactly fulfilled in God's Own Time. The failure of man and all man's wickedness can never change the purposes of God.

How this chapter should strengthen our faith in the entire truth of every word of the Bible! Those who tell us that it is false, are too blind to see the wonderful accuracy and truth and beauty in a chapter like this, or they could never again doubt God's Word. The more closely we look at the works of man the worse they appear, but the more closely we examine the works of God, the more beautiful do they appear.

God commanded all the males in Israel to appear before Him three times every year, at the Feast of the Passover, at the Feast of Pentecost and at the Feast of Tabernacles. (Ex. 23: 14-17).

They had to come to the place the Lord had chosen to place His Name there. (Deut. 16: 16) And they must not come with "empty hands." Deut. 16: 16. (Chinese) Ex. 29: 24; Lev. 16: 12; Deut. 26: 2.

How happy the men of Israel must have been as they all gathered from every part of the country to the same centre, all with one heart and one object, to meet the Lord and out of the fulness of blessing He had given them, to give back to Him His portion! "Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which He hath given thee." (Deut. 16: 17). Men believe that the little group of Psalms (120-134) called the "Songs of Degrees", were sung by these happy crowds as they journeyed to the city of the Great King, Jerusalem.

While the Lord's people were right in their hearts, they rejoiced in these Feasts of Jehovah, and were glad as they said to one another, "Let us go into the house of the Lord." (Ps. 122: 1)

But, alas, when their hearts turned away from the Lord, they found His feasts wearisome and soon neglected them, so that in the last chapter of Judges when telling of the place which the Lord had chosen for His feasts, (Judges 21: 19), it was necessary to give the most careful directions as to how to find it. But if every male went to that place three times a year as God had commanded, every man of Israel would know the way perfectly.

In the book of Malachi (1: 10, N.T.) the Lord asks, "Who is there among you that would even shut the doors? and ye would not kindle fire on mine altar for nothing", and for the offerings to Jehovah they brought "the lame, and the sick." (Mal. 1: 13) saying of the Lord's things, "what a weariness." Indeed, things had grown so bad in the days of Malachi that God spoke of "the dung of your solemn feasts." (2.3).

Are we any better in our day? How often do we turn from the Lord's things to seek our own things. Even in the days of the Apostle Paul, he must write "All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." And again he must say, "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me."

May the Lord Jesus so fill our hearts that all things else lose their attractiveness, and we may truly say,

"Naught that I have my own I call,

I hold it for the Giver,

My heart, My strength, My life, My all.

Are His, and His forever."

—

We have seen that in the Gospel of John the Feasts of Jehovah had become the "Feasts of the Jews."

When we come to the Epistles, we find that the Christians have but one feast, not yearly, but on the first day of every week, the Lord Himself as Host calls us to His table to eat His Supper, in remembrance of Himself, and He Himself is present with us.

The passover looked forward to the death of Christ. The feast of Unleavened Bread spoke of the communion of saints in holiness and love, the feast of the First-Fruits told of the resurrection of Christ, the Feast of Pentecost looked forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit. In the harvest, (Verse 22), we may see the return of Christ.

Are not all these included in the Lord's supper, as week by week we gather to remember Himself?

We look back to the death of Christ, we enjoy the communion of saints, we remember that Christ is not dead, but risen, the power to enjoy all this, and to worship, is only by the Holy Spirit, and we "do this" "Till He Come".

Truly of that cross we may sing,

"O mystery of mysteries!

Of life, and death the tree;

Centre of two eternities

Which look with rapt, adoring eyes,

Onward and back to Thee —

O cross of Christ, where all His pain

And death is our eternal gain."

Chapter 4

The Sabbath

"And He (God) rested on the Seventh day from all His work which He had made." (Gen. 2: 2)

"Keep the sabbath day to hallow it, as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee . . . And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt; and that Jehovah thy God brought thee out thence with a powerful hand and with a stretched-out arm; therefore Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee to observe the Sabbath day." (Deut. 5: 12, 15, N.T.) "Remember the Sabbath day to hallow it . . . For in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the Seventh day." (Ex. 20: 8, 11, N.T.)

"There remaineth therefore a Sabbath (rest) for the people of God." (Heb. 4: 9 R.V.)

"That rest secure from ill,

No cloud or grief ere stains,

Unfailing praise each heart doth fill,

And love eternal reigns".

—

The Sabbath is the first feast of Jehovah given to us in this wonderful chapter. Because it comes first, it calls us to consider it in a special way, and we may understand that it is very important.

"Sabbath" means "rest", and we should understand clearly that in the Bible, whether in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, having a share in God's rest is what marks God's people. This is their special privilege. As God says, "Verily my Sabbath (rest) ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you." The form of the rest may change, as we shall see, but a share in God's rest is always the sign between God and His people.

God established this rest in the beginning at creation. God rested, and He called man to share in His rest. It is true that sin came in and spoiled God's rest, so that the Lord Jesus said, "My Father worketh hitherto and I work."

Later in Deut. 5, 12: 15 we see that the Sabbath was given as a memorial of the deliverance out of Egypt.

It was again included in the law at Mount Sinai, not as a moral command, but as a sign of God's rest at the beginning.

In Ezek. 20: 12, we find that the Sabbath was given as a sign, "I also gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Jehovah that hallow them."

Thus we see that the Sabbath was a sign of God's covenant.

It is very important for us to understand this. The Sabbath given to Israel was the sign of God's covenant with Israel.

In Hebrews 8 we see this old covenant has passed away, and "place" has "been sought for the second", which is "a better covenant, which was established on better promises." It is most important for us to clearly understand that the covenant between God and the Jewish people is entirely set aside for us, and that the sign of this covenant, (resting on the 7th day), does not belong to us. If we clearly understand this important teaching of the Scripture, it will deliver us from the snare of the teaching of Seventh Day Adventists, and all others who seek to put the Lord's people under the law.

But there is more. Our rest is not in this world. The Sabbath was the sign of rest in this world, and the Lord Jews is Lord of the Sabbath. The Spirit of God has been careful to show in the four Gospels how often He worked on the Sabbath. The Lord made no mention of the Sabbath in the Sermon on the Mount, (Matt. 5, 6, 7), where He gave such a precious summary of the fundamental principles suited to the Kingdom. The Lord Jesus passed the Sabbath in the grave, a sign of the position of the old covenant now.

Many people try to show that the Sabbath day is now the Lord's Day. But the Sabbath day was the Seventh Day, — a rest at the end of the Week, after the labour is finished. The Lord's Day is called in Scripture the First Day of the week, for us it is the day above all days. It is the resurrection day. It shows we find our rest in resurrection. We find our rest at the beginning of our spiritual life, instead of finding it at the end of our labours. "Come unto me," Christ said, "And I will give you rest". Our rest is in the New Creation. Some Christians think that the Lord's day is like other days, because they understand our rest is not down in this world. But they do not understand that the Scripture clearly makes a difference between this day and the following six days of the week. The Lord Himself has chosen even the name of this day. He calls it "The Lord's Day" (Rev. 1: 10). Some people tell us this means "the day of the Lord", of which we read much in both the Old and the New Testaments. But the Greek says quite another thing, and is quite a different word. This word is only used twice in the New Testament. "The Lord's Supper" and "the Lord's Day".

So we should understand clearly the nature of the Sabbath, it was God's appointed sign of seeking rest as the result of labour under the law. The more we understand this, and understand that the Lord Jesus who is "Lord of the Sabbath", has disannulled the first covenant, the more clearly will we understand that any person who now seeks to maintain the authority of the Jewish Sabbath is in danger of denying the authority, the dignity, and the rights of the Lord Jesus Himself.

Let us take care on the other hand, because we are not under law, but under grace, not to forget the thought of man's rest and also of God's rest. As we pointed out before, rest is the special mark of God's Own people. When we come to Christ, He gives us rest, and when we take His yoke upon us, we find rest to our souls. To the servant of the Lord who is wearied in the service of His Master, (not wearied of His service,) we read of another rest, "Come ye yourselves apart and rest awhile," and there, alone in the presence of His Master, far from the rush and toil, he finds rest and refreshing, and comes forth freshly girded for His work.

And to those saints who have left us and are "with Christ," "they rest from their labours," they are at Home with their Lord in Paradise. (See 2 Cor. 5: 8 and Luke 23: 43)

The Millennium will be a further stage of this rest that God gives, when Christ will reign for a thousand years and Satan will be bound, then will be fulfilled the prophecy. "The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet; they break forth into singing." Isa. 14: 7) The noise of war is gone. The cry of the oppressed will cease, and "the Sun of Righteousness" will bring peace and plenty to this weary earth. It will keep its Sabbath. But even this is not the final rest. The final rest is from spiritual labours in the midst of this evil, not only from sin. During the Millennium sin will remain in this world. Satan though bound, will be loosed again. Eternal rest, — this unending Sabbath of God. — we shall enjoy with the Lord Himself in a coming day. though now we have the privilege of working for Him who has said "My Father worketh hitherto and I work."

Chapter 5

The Passover

"In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover." (Lev. 23: 5)

"Thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt." (Deut. 16: 6)

"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast." (1 Cor. 5: 7)

Why did the Paschal Lamb,

Of old for Israel bleed?

To be their safeguard and their feast.

To sprinkle and to feed.

Dwell not, my searching soul,

On ritual shadows now;

Christ is the Lamb all pure and whole,

The ransomed first-born thou.

Now get thy house within

Slay, eat, anoint thy door;

The dread avenger comes not in

To smite, but passeth o'er.

He looks and calls from high,

"Art thou to die or live?"

He hears the posts and lintel cry,

"Forgive, forgive, forgive."

I hear the accuser roar

Of ills that I have done;

I know them well, and thousands more;

Jehovah findeth none.

Sin, Satan, Death, press near,

To harass and appal;

Let but my bleeding Lord appear,

Backward they go, and fall.

We have already noticed the difference between the Sabbath, and the other feasts of Jehovah.

The Passover was the first of the yearly feasts to Jehovah. It was observed on the fourteenth day of the first month, — the month of Abib. (Deut. 16: 1). The Passover brought to remembrance every year the Redemption and deliverance from Egypt. Christ our Passover, is sacrificed for us. (1 Cor. 5: 7). The passover Lamb was a type of Christ. Each time it was sacrificed, it pointed onward to Him who was to come, — the Lamb of God, "in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1: 14)

When the Passover was first given to Israel, they were slaves to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, a type of Satan, and they were serving idols in Egypt. We may see that the Israelites themselves, like the Egyptians, deserved to receive the righteous judgment of God against sins; there was no difference. God warned the people in Egypt, — the Egyptians as well as the Israelites, — He told them clearly, "About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die." (Ex. 11: 4, 5)

But God also provided a way of escape from this judgment. Any person who believed and obeyed God's word about the way of escape, would surely be saved.

And what was the way of escape? On the tenth day of the first month they were to take a lamb, and keep it until the fourteenth day of the month at even, a lamb for an house. If the household was too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it. Please notice there was no question that the lamb might be too little for the house. The Lamb of God is enough for all, — even for the worst sinner. On the fourteenth day of the first month at even, they killed the lamb, they put the blood in a bason and with a bunch of hyssop they struck the lintel and two side posts of the door of their house with the blood in the bason, and none of the people might go out of that house until morning.

The blood was on the outside of the house. The people inside could not see it. The blood was for the eye of God alone. In the darkness of midnight His eye could tell whether there was blood on the door or not, and He said "When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you." (Ex. 12: 13)

Please notice, the living lamb could not save them. Notice also the dead lamb with the blood in the bason did not save them. They must take that blood and put it on their own door, if salvation was to come to that house. The blood was applied with hyssop, and hyssop is a bitter herb, and tells us of the bitterness of soul in repentance, as I realize that my sins have caused the death of the Lamb of God to save me. Dear Reader, please let me ask, have you applied the blood to your door, or is it still in the bason? God has provided the Lamb, — Christ; the Lamb of God has died, His blood is available for you. It is, so to speak, in the bason. Will you not take the hyssop and apply it for yourself, or otherwise it is of no avail for you?

Yes, God in mercy "passed over" those sinners who trusted in the blood of the lamb. The judgment of death fell on the spotless Lamb instead. The blood on the lintel and two side posts protected all inside that house from the destruction of death as the Lord passed through Egypt that night in Judgment.

God's Own Word was, "When I see the blood I will pass over you." (Ex. 12: 13) The blood of the lamb made them safe. The word of God made them know with certainty they were safe. The lamb died that they might live. The blood appropriated for themselves, put on their own door, by faith in the Word of the Lord, gave them Certainty and Joy. The blood of the lamb was the foundation of their new position with Jehovah, as His redeemed people. Redemption by blood was their title to all the blessings which they afterwards received from God, because they were His people. The blood was the foundation of everything. The Passover, the first of the feasts, was the foundation of all the other feasts.

But there is another lesson for us in this feast. This month was not formerly the first month. God changed their calendar. The former months of the year were blotted out, and the month in which the Passover came was the first month of the year.

How true this is for the sinner! His past life is blotted out by that precious blood. He begins a new life when he takes shelter under the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Lamb. He is born again, and time begins afresh for him. It is truly the first month of the year, — an entirely new beginning, "old things are passed away." He has a new birthday.

This shows us how redemption and the new birth are linked together. To trust the precious blood of Christ, is to be "born again."

Dispensationally this may point to the period of the trial of man from Adam to the death of Christ. All was failure, and must pass away. At the Cross there was a new beginning. As you know most countries of the world reckon their years from the time of Christ. Truly the Cross is a new beginning, "the first month of the year."

For the individual Christian, it clearly shows that when he believes in Christ, he is born again. He no longer is reckoned a child of Adam, a fallen sinner. He stands in Christ now a new creation. He begins to live a new life. His former self is crucified and buried.

He is bought for God

He is born of God

He goes forth to live for God,

And no more to serve sin, the world and Satan.

The Church came into existence after the Cross. Its foundation, also, is the Blood of the Lamb, but we will consider it more fully later on.

Truly through the Cross, of which the Passover speaks, all things become new. Well may it be said, "It is the first month of the year to you."

Apart from the death of Christ, and faith in Him who died, apart from the Person and work of Christ, there can be no real Christianity on earth, and no title to heaven hereafter. Redemption by blood is the foundation of everything. The Cross is the starting point for the throne. The blood of the Lamb is the only title to the glory of God. And hence Jehovah commanded that the great redemption feast should be kept from year to year, (Ex. 13: 10), throughout their generations.

Immediately they had entered the New Year, they were to celebrate the Passover Feast. And this was to be continued even after they reached the land of Canaan, and were settled in their inheritance beyond Jordan. This memorial feast was still to be kept (Joshua 5 and Deut. 16), and when generations to come should ask its meaning they were to tell the story of their redemption. (Ex. 12: 24 to 27)

But after they had applied the blood to the lintel and two side posts and gone inside the house, sheltered beneath the blood, what then did the family do? Then they took that dead lamb, whose blood had saved their lives. They roasted it, and with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, their staff in their hand, they were gathered together around that roast lamb, to feed upon it. The blood made them safe, the flesh gave them food. But it was to be roast with fire, they might not eat of it raw, or sodden at all with water. The fierce judgment and wrath of God was born by the Lamb of God, with nothing to come between Himself and the fire of judgment. Who can ever tell the depths of all His suffering during those hours of darkness, bearing our sins in His Own body on the tree? How can we ever know the depths of anguish, which called forth that cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" This tells us something of the fire borne by that spotless Lamb of God. And it was to be eaten with "bitter herbs". That tells me of the realization in my own soul that "He did it for me!" It was my sins that nailed Him to that cross. How bitter to the soul of one who loves Him, is such a thought! But how precious, also!

But let us look for a moment at that lamb, and as we do so, may the Lord help us to see more beauty in the Lamb of God.

The Lamb was to be without blemish. (Ex. 12: 5). There has not been one of the children of Adam, who could claim to be "without blemish." Christ, the Son of God, and Son of man, the Lamb of God, — He only is "without blemish."

"A male of the first year," (Ex. 12: 5), tells us of the strength and energy of our blessed Lamb. The chosen lamb was not to be old and worn out. And our Lord suffered death with all his life, (humanly speaking), before Him. He was about 33 years old. He could say in the Psalms, "He weakened My strength in the way; He shortened My days. I said, O My God, take Me not away in the midst of My days." (Ps. 102: 23, 24) He still had the dew of His youth. (Ps. 110: 3).

"In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb . . . . and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." (Ex. 12: 3, 6) How wonderfully the Lord fulfilled all this. On the tenth day of the first month we see him coming to Jerusalem. He stayed there, (though sleeping outside the city), until the fourteenth day, and the even of that day He died.

Our Lord eat the last supper with His disciples in the early hours of the 14th day for the Jewish day was reckoned from sunset to sunset. It was night when Judas left the room. Later that night they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, and while still night Judas led the band of men to take the Lord. He was crucified at the third hour, (Mark 15: 25), or nine o'clock our time. There was darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour: twelve o'clock to three o'clock our time, and about the ninth hour the Lamb of God died: still on the fourteenth day of the First month. The Passover Lamb was to be killed "between the two evenings", (Ex. 12: 6; Margin). They tell us this means between 3 and 6 o'clock in the afternoon. So the Lamb of God died at exactly the hour when they began to kill the Passover lambs.

There is one more remarkable connection between the type and its fulfilment. In the Septuagint, (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) , in Ex. 12: 13, the word used for "pass over" means to "protect, defend." But in Ex. 12: 23 the word used for "pass over" means to "pass by", or "pass over." Our Lord uses this very word in Matt. 26: 39, when He prays in Gethsemane, "Let this cup pass over (or pass by) Me." As God passed by the houses on the night of death in Egypt, so He prayed, might this cup pass by Him. But how precious the end of that prayer: "nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt!"

Again, of the Passover Lamb it was written "neither shall ye break a bone thereof" — Ex 12: 46. The Jewish mode of death was by stoning, which would break the bones. But God had so arranged that the Lamb of God should be crucified. And though the legs of the two thieves, crucified with the Lord Jesus, were broken, the Spirit of God by John tells us clearly that the soldiers "brake not his legs, but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came thereout blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true; and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled. A bone of Him shall not be broken. (John 19: 32-36).

If at the passover feast, amidst the peace and plenty of the land of Canaan, the children of Israel delighted to look back to that dark night of judgment in Egypt, when amidst the cries of death and woe all about them, they were saved, — How much more do we delight to look back and gaze upon the Lamb of God who was so worthy of the highest place in Heaven, but took the lowest place on earth, even death, the death of the Cross. How precious to our hearts are all these details in the picture which the Spirit of God has drawn for us so perfectly.

But please consider further, the Feast of the Passover was "the Feast of Jehovah". It was a picture of His Own Joy in the great event of which it was the shadow, and His redeemed people were gathered around Him to share His joy in His presence. What a wonderful thought is this! Jehovah keeps a feast in anticipation of the death of Christ! This passes all our thoughts! We cannot understand it. No saint and no angel can ever know all the value of the death of the Lamb of God, or what that death meant to the heart of God. That Lamb dying on the Cross was the only begotten Son of God. What depths of meaning are in the words. "Take now thy Son, thine only Son Isaac, whom thou lovest," (Gen. 22: 2); and again, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son," (John 3: 16); and again, "He that spared not His Own Son, but delivered Him up for us all," (Rom. 8: 32); and again "Having yet therefore one Son, His well beloved, He sent Him also." (Mark 12: 6), and again "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 9, 10)

That Lamb of God, God's "dear Son" (Col. 1: 13) "became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross." That perfect obedience unto death; that complete surrender; that unswerving devotion, was a "sweet savour" unto God. The Cross was a feast to Jehovah. It gave Him back more than sin had robbed Him of.

The Passover looked forward to the Cross. The Lord's Supper looks back to the Cross, and we may learn precious lessons about that supper from the Passover.

Where was it to be eaten? "Thou shalt sacrifice the passover unto the Lord Thy God . . . in the place which the Lord shall choose." (Deut. 16: 6, 7)

Three times in this account of the feast does the Lord repeat those words "in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose." Surely this tells of the great importance in the eyes of God of this matter.

Alas, today, we find many people eating the Lord's supper in the place which man has chosen. We find companies of men called by the names of men, or countries, or forms of government. These are places that men have made, and men have chosen, and assuredly they are not each one the place which the Lord has chosen to place His name there, or we would not see such confusion, and so many places, each claiming to be the place where we may eat the Lord's Supper.

If we turn from all this confusion, do we find any light to guide us in the word of God, as to the place which He has chosen in these days to place His Name there? Assuredly we do.

We read, "where two or three are gathered together unto My Name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matt. 18: 20, New Trans.) "Two or three" would not suggest large numbers, or any personal strength or authority. But "unto My Name", tells us of the power and authority of Him Whose Name it is.

A British subject in some far and distant foreign land may go to the British Embassy for help and protection, because of the Name which that embassy represents: even the Sovereign of Britain. The power and authority of the embassy may be nothing at all: but because of the Name it represents there is both power and authority. But that power and authority must be used according to the will and desires of the Sovereign. It would be unthinkable that the ambassador should act according to his own wishes, without regard to the will of his Sovereign who had placed him there, and whose Name he represents. So if we are gathered to His Name, it is clear that all must be according to the will of God, and instructions given us in His Word. If we compare with the Word, those different companies of people who eat the Lord's Supper, then we may tell whether they are acting according to their own will, or according to the Word of God.

We shall notice clearly that no special building or no special place is mentioned. It is no longer a particular spot down here but the place where Christ is in the midst. It is a PERSON, not a place, unto whom we are gathered now. We never read in the Epistles of "sacred buildings", more holy than others. We read of "the church in thy house" (Philemon 2): evidently the disciples met in Philemon's house to eat the Lord's supper. (Compare also Rom. 16: 5; 1 Cor. 16: 19; Col. 4: 15). We read nothing of a minister or clergyman. How could one man assume control if the Lord is truly in the midst? It would be unthinkable.

So we may see that it is not necessary to have a Gospel Hall, or a Meeting Room, or a "preacher", or "minister", or "evangelist", or "clergyman", in order to eat the Lord's supper. Two or three, only, if gathered unto the Lord's Name, may eat it in a private house. Christ in the midst is what matters, not holy buildings, or persons ordained by men.

But the Passover also tells us clearly, Who are to eat of this feast. In Ex. 12: 43, 44, 45, we read "There shall no stranger eat thereof; but every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof." In Eph. 2: 19, we read, "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Truly it is clear that only those who are children of God "made nigh by the blood of Christ," (Eph. 2: 13) may eat of this supper; How sad to see unconverted people eating, in order that they may obtain blessing! This is the opposite to the Word of God.

The rite of circumcision was cutting off a part of the flesh of every male. God's law for Israel was that every male must be circumcised; that is, every male must have this part of his flesh cut off. The spiritual meaning of this for Christians is that we must "cut off" the flesh. In the New Testament God speaks of "the flesh", as that evil nature in us which is ever prone to do evil things. The Christian must not allow this: but must cut it off, or, keep it in the place of death: but actually, the flesh is always with us till the Lord takes us Home; but we need not let it act.

The rite of circumcision was open to those who wished to become part of the people of God, and then they also might eat of the passover. Now by faith in Christ, we become children of God, members of the household of God, and with the flesh cut off, in the place of death, we may eat of that supper.

We may also see, How this feast was to be eaten. In Ex. 12: 11, we read, "And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; it is the Lord's passover." They were to eat it, just ready to leave the land of their sorrow and bondage. And although we have been delivered from that land by the mercy of God, yet we eat of that supper, ready to leave this world of sorrow and death. The Word of God says, "as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death, till He come." (1 Cor. 11: 26). We eat and drink of that supper looking for the Lord to come.

We may also note that the exact time of keeping the Passover was specified, and if we look in the New Testament, we may see, When we are to eat the Lord's Supper.

It is true that the Scriptures give great liberty in this matter. The word says "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come." (1 Cor. 11: 26) This would seem to give us liberty to "eat this bread, and drink this cup", at any time and it appears in the earliest days they broke bread daily (Acts 2: 46).

But the the Scriptures clearly point out the practice of the early church in the days of the Apostles, and we may well take heed to this. In Acts 20: 7 we read "Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to bread bread." In 1 Cor. 16: 2 speaking of the collection for the saints, we read, "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." In Heb. 13: 15, 16 this "sacrifice" of giving is connected with the death of Jesus.

So that we learn that the early church came together on the first day of the week. It was then they made their collection, their sacrifice of doing good and communicating, and it was then they came together to break bread. There is no suggestion in the Scriptures of breaking bread only once a month, or once in three months, or once a year, — as men have arranged. The first day of the week is evidently the time when the Lord would have us break bread in remembrance of Himself. What a suited day this is for the purpose! The Resurrection day! We shew forth the Lord's death on the day He rose.

And we do well to remember that it was at the "going down of the sun," the Passover was eaten. The remembrance of the Lord is called "The Lord's supper." We do not eat our supper in the morning. When the disciples came together to break bread in Troas, it would seem to have been in the evening, for Paul preached unto them until midnight: Acts 20: 7.

It is a remarkable fact that a special Greek word is used for the first day of the week, "The Lord's day" (Rev. 1: 10) and "The Lord's Supper" (1 Cor. 11: 20) "kuriakos." It is not used in any other place in the Bible. It means "Belonging to the Lord." The First Day belongs to Him. How very suitable it is that we eat the Lord's Supper on the Lord's Day.

Let us just sum up what we have learned from this feast regarding the Lord's Supper.

Where do we eat it?

We eat it "Where two or three are gathered together" unto the Name of the Lord Jesus.

Who may eat it?

Those who are truly born again alone may eat it.

How do we eat it?

As not of the world, but ready to leave it, and depart for another place.

When do we eat it?

On the first day of the week.

As we meditate on this great foundation Feast of Jehovah, and turn to the One Who has so completely fulfilled every detail of it, we may cry with all our hearts: —

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." (Rev. 5: 12)

Chapter 6

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

"Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction." (Deut. 16: 3)

"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. 5: 7 & 8.)

"Then within His home He led me,

Brought me where the feast is spread,

Made me eat with Him my Father,

I, who begged for bondsman's bread.

Not a suppliant at His gateway,

But a son within His home —

To the love, the joy, the singing,

To the glory, I am come."

—

The feast of unleavened bread began on the day after the Passover, and lasted for seven days. Seven days has the meaning of a perfect period of time. The lamb was slain on the fourteenth day at sunset; the feast of unleavened bread began immediately after the fifteenth day began which was just after sunset, so there was no time left between the feast of the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread. There was no interval of time between the death of the lamb, the sprinkling of the blood, and the keeping of the feast.

The seven days feast of unleavened bread is a picture of the whole life of the believer, and so we may understand that as soon as a person trusts in the precious blood of Christ, then his life as a believer begins, — he starts to keep the feast of unleavened bread.

The killing of the lamb was a single act and the Passover was reckoned as a one-day feast. So also was the Feast of First-fruits, the feast of Pentecost, and the Day of Atonement. These feasts of one day only all point to certain great acts of the Lord's hand, each of which was perfect and complete in itself. But those feasts of seven or eight days point to the result of these great acts of God.

As the Passover is a picture of the death of Christ, the seven-day feast of unleavened bread speaks of the believer's life on earth from the day he trusts in Christ until he leaves this earth. It speaks of communion with God, based upon redemption in holiness and truth. The blood of Christ is the foundation of all true fellowship with God. The only way to continue in this communion is to feed on the slain lamb, — on Christ who died for us. The only way to enjoy the slain lamb is putting away leaven (evil) which makes for holiness in the believer's walk down here.

The Holy Spirit tells us the meaning of this type. He says "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Cor. 5: 7, 8)

The blood on the door posts and lintel was the foundation of all, — not only of security but of peace. As long as I am seeking to examine the blood, I will not have true peace, — but when I learn that it is God's thought of the blood, not mine, that makes me safe, — then I can have true peace. The blood was for the eye of God, those inside the house could not see it, but by faith they had perfect peace when sheltered by it.

Also we must remember it was not a question of whether the people in the house were good or bad. It was not a question of whether they were happy or sad, — peaceful or frightened, — what made them safe was the blood on the door for God's eye.

When I learn this, and trust only to the blood, and to the Word of God, there is knowledge of salvation and true peace with God.

Only with this true peace in our hearts, can we feed with joy on the roast lamb. All the redeemed gathered around that table with one heart keeping the feast.

What a feast it is for the redeemed sinner! That roast lamb is the Lord Jesus Himself having borne the wrath and judgment of God against my sins. To feed on Him is strength. Girded loins, Shoes on our feet, Staff in our hand, all tell us we are pilgrims. They stood in Egypt, but they were not of it, — they were ready to leave it at any moment. So the Saints of God are only pilgrims down here, the world is not our home. We are in it, but not of it. The Cross has cut the links which bound us to this world.

The cords that bound my heart to earth

Were loosed by Jesus' hand:

Before His Cross I found myself —

A stranger in the land.

No matter whether the feast of unleavened bread was kept in Egypt, in the wilderness, or in the land of Canaan, these marks were always the same. No matter whether the Christian is looked at as a "stranger" in the world, Ex. 12: 11; or a "Pilgrim" in the wilderness, Num. 9: 3; or "possessors" of the land of promise, Joshua 5: 10, the feast is exactly the same. So we learn that the saint's communion is based on redemption, sustained by feeding on Christ, and kept safe in holiness and separation from evil. These are principles that never change, they are like the character of God Himself.

In our last chapter we noticed that the Israelites feeding on the roast lamb, may be compared to the saints partaking of the Lord's supper today. The true mark of that supper is worship. As we feed on the One who died for us and remember His death, our hearts bow before Him in worship, overflowing in praise and adoration to Himself. None of that roast lamb was to remain until the morning, Ex. 12: 10 tells us that true worship cannot be known separated from the death of Christ. True worship cannot ever be stale: it must always be fresh.

The feast was to be kept with "unleavened bread," and no leaven, or leavened bread was to be seen in their houses. Please notice how careful the commands of the Lord were about this matter.

(1) No leaven bread was to be eaten.

(2) No leaven was to be seen.

(3) No leaven was to be allowed in their houses. (Ex. 13: 7)

What is leaven? It is the material we now generally call "yeast." We put it into flour to make bread. The small holes that we see in bread are caused by the leaven in it. A very small piece of leaven will soon affect a large quantity of flour. We may see it puffing up the dough, and making it appear large. If we leave it to go on working in the dough, soon the dough will be sour, and in a short time it will be rotten and we must throw it away. A small piece of this leavened dough put into fresh clean unleavened dough will soon leaven, or make sour, the whole lump of dough that was unleavened before. In this way we see the leaven increases very rapidly.

The people were required to search diligently that all leaven was put away, or else "a little leaven" left behind would soon leaven "the whole lump."

Leaven is a figure of evil, — only evil, — always evil, and of such evil as carries corruption with it wherever it works. There must be none of this allowed where communion with God is sought. In our nature there will always be sin, but sin must not be allowed to work and to come into our lives, either in secret or in the open, — or else communion with God is impossible.

"Put off all these, anger, wrath, malice etc." (Col. 3: 8)

"Laying aside all malice." (1 Peter 2: 1)

"Lay apart all filthiness." (James 1: 21)

are words which show what God means by the putting away of leaven, by those who would like to have communion with God.

Perhaps old leaven refers to old habits, old sins we have grown to love, old associations which we continued in, and enjoyed before we were converted. These old sins are able to lead the believer into captivity again if he is not watchful, and does not daily seek communion with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Although it humbles us, it is a very good thing for us to remember that the roots of every sin man ever committed remain in the flesh of every child of God, — and were it not for the grace of God which keeps us by the power of the Holy Spirit, these sins would yield their fruit. Those who tell us that the roots of sin no longer remain in their flesh, only deceive themselves, and do very great damage to the saints of God and bring dishonour on the Name of Christ. (1 John 1: 8). The Lord would not tell the saints in the New Testament to put away these sins, if the root of them were gone out of their hearts, and there was no danger of falling into them.

If "old leaven" represents those old sins committed before conversion, perhaps we may consider "new leaven" also, perhaps that would represent other sins to which the unbeliever is not tempted. These sins, alas, we may often see in the Lord's people now. Some of these sins are spiritual pride, jealousy, boasting, a sectarian spirit, a desire to have preeminence, evil doctrine, doubt and criticism of the Word of God, and many other sins which you may have found in yourself.

These sins, if unjudged, and if we are not watchful, will spoil our communion just as truly as the sins which appear to man to be worse. Satan often uses these sins to spoil our communion with the Lord and with each other. Therefore, dear brethren, let us watch and be sober, let us put away the leaven out of our lives, and seek grace from God to judge it as soon as it appears.

It is well for us to remember that the feast of unleavened bread, when the people of God gathered together around that roast lamb, with the unleavened bread on the table before them represented not only communion with the Lord, but communion in separation from evil, with the person of Christ for the centre. Man's method of unity and communion is to make light of evil, — to cover it over, and to pass it by, — we may see this constantly in the unions and councils, which often bear the title of Christian, but in reality are far from these fundamental principles which God has so clearly laid down for us in His Word.

A great man of the world once said of a Christian man — "I know of no man in all England with greater ability than John —, but he bows to that old Book like a fool." May you and I, dear brethren, ever seek to bow to "that old Book," even though the world, even the religious world, may count us fools. Evil must be judged and put away if communion with God is to be enjoyed, no matter whether in our own individual lives, or in the assembly of the saints.

Unleavened bread was to be eaten seven days. "The unleavened bread of sincerity and truth," is what the Spirit of God tells us this part of the type means. To put away leaven is one side of this truth, to eat unleavened bread is the other side of this truth.

We get these two sides brought out very clearly in James 1: 21, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness," (This tells of putting away the leaven,) "and receive with meekness the engrafted word," this tells of feeding on the unleavened bread. We get the same thought in 1 Peter 2: 1 and 2, "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby." It is always dangerous to only see one side of any truth. What does "sincerity" mean? In Phil. 1: 10, we get the word "sincere", and there it means "pure when viewed in the sunlight."* You may hold a glass, or a drop of water up to the sun, and find it quite pure. It is "sincere" in this meaning. So "sincerity" means letting the clear sunshine of God's light in His Word shine on to our walk and ways, and then judging whatever I find contrary to it. But who is there who lets this clear sunshine of God's light shine into his ways, and finds nothing but what is pure? Only One, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the "Bread that came down from Heaven." He is "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." Another has translated the word for "sincerity" as "a transparent character." As the roast lamb presents Him as the spotless Lamb of God bearing God's wrath and judgment against my sin, so the unleavened bread presents Him as the holy, pure, spotless Man come down from Heaven. What a feast is spread for me here! Surely it will cause me to let the pure sunshine of the light of God's Word shine on my walk and ways also. No doubt this will often show in our lives that which is not "pure" in the sunlight, and humble us, and cause us to bow down in confession and shame before our Lord. But this is His way, and it is the way of holiness and health to our souls. In this way only can we enjoy the feast; it is a bitter path for the flesh, and the Lord knew this for He commanded "with bitter herbs they shall eat it." (Ex. 12: 8). Never does the soul so enjoy Christ, as when self-judged. The bitter herbs give us to more enjoy the roast lamb and the unleavened bread.

{*Some authorities question this meaning: but it seems to be well-founded.}

Being "in the sunlight" before God always leads us to the Cross and to the Person of Christ. "The bread of affliction" (Deut. 16: 3) and the bitter herbs, always formed part of the feast. In 1 Cor. 5: 8, we find it was not only "unleavened bread of sincerity," but "unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." This also is part of the feast. Christ said, "I am the truth." It is all Christ. He is our food. The truth of God must have its place. "All the counsel of God" (Acts 20: 27) must be remembered, nothing kept back, — no part neglected — no part exalted above measure. In this way "communion of saints" first with their God, and then with each other, will be kept unbroken through all the "seven days" of the feast, — through all our earthly life, "till He come," and then in that bright resurrection morning the living and the sleeping saints will all be gathered to the Father's house, to the bright Home where leaven can never enter, and where all that has broken and marred communion down here is passed forever, and with one heart and one voice we will gather round the Lamb that was slain, — He our only object — and His praise our only theme.

Lord, haste that day!

O happy morn! the Lord shall come

And take His waiting people home

Beyond the reach of care!

Where guilt and sin are all unknown:

The Lord will come and claim His Own,

And place them with Him on His throne,

The Glory bright to share.

The resurrection morn will break,

And every sleeping saint awake,

Brought forth in light again!

O morn, too bright for mortal eyes!

When all the ransom'd church shall rise

And wing their way to yonder skies —

Called up with Christ to reign.

O Lord! our pilgrim spirits long

To sing the everlasting song

Of glory, honour, power;

Till then when Thou all power shalt wield

Blest Saviour Thou wilt be our Shield,

For Thou hast to our souls revealed

Thyself — our strength and tower.

Chapter 7

The Feast of Firstfruits

(Lev. 23: 9 to 14)

"The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God." (Ex. 23: 19)

"When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest; and he shall wave the

sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it." (Lev. 23: 10, 11)

"Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept." (1 Cor. 15: 20)

The third of the Feasts of Jehovah followed the Feast of the Passover very closely, and was kept at the same time as the Feast of Unleavened bread. This was the Feast of Firstfruits. It was kept on the morrow after the Sabbath. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread had first been observed in Egypt and afterwards in the wilderness. But the Feast of Firstfruits could only be kept in the land of Promise.

The wilderness was not the place that God had chosen for Israel. The land of Canaan was their own proper home. It speaks of that heavenly land which is our proper home. Even now "our citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3: 20, Literal); and even now God "hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1: 3); and in Him "we have obtained an inheritance" (Eph. 1: 11). So that although our pathway still lies through this wilderness world, our hearts are already at home in heaven, and so we also may keep the Feast of Firstfruits.

In that "good land," the land of Canaan, "a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig-trees, and pomegranates" (Deut. 8: 7 to 9) they lacked nothing. But in that good land, before they touched any of that rich harvest themselves, they must bring this sheaf of firstfruits to be accepted, — "The first of their firstfruits." "Ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God." (Lev. 23: 14) That offering was a sheaf reaped from the ripe fields of grain in the land of Canaan, and carried to the priest, to be waved before the Lord to be accepted for them, followed by the burnt offering, meat offering and drink offerings; but please notice there was no sin offering. This First Sheaf, was a sample of the great harvest that was to follow. The Spirit of God has been careful to tell us the meaning of this feast also, as we read in 1 Cor. 15: 20, "Now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept:" and again "Every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming." (1 Cor. 15: 23).

Alas, Israel did not understand that Christ was the Passover Lamb, nor did they understand that Christ was the Sheaf of firstfruits.

Please consider once again that Passover Lamb slain more than 1900 years ago. His body was taken down from the tree and in the evening before the Sabbath was laid in the grave. All through the Sabbath it lay in that grave, with the great stone rolled against the door, and sealed, so that none might open it. But now very early on the morrow after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, behold there was a great earthquake; for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. (Matt. 28: 1, 2)

The Lord had risen, the Sheaf of Firstfruits had been reaped, presented to God, accepted by Him, the sample of the great harvest that would follow. In Jerusalem, in the temple, the people of Israel were bringing their first sheaves, and the priests were waving them before the Lord, but outside that city was the Great Sheaf, in Whom God found all His delight.

Exactly on the Feast of the Passover the Lord Jesus died, and exactly on the day of the Feast of Firstfruits, the Lord Jesus rose from the dead. Just as the Feast of the Passover is a picture of the death of the Lord Jesus, so the Feast of Firstfruits is a picture of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus from among the dead.

We saw Him hanging on the Cross, bearing our great load of sin. We have heard Him cry, — "It is finished," and we have seen His body go into the grave. Will that sacrifice be sufficient to take away our sins? Will that sacrifice be accepted before God? Yes, the Feast of Firstfruits answers these questions. God Himself says, "He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you." The resurrection is the proof that God has accepted that Sacrifice for sin. The resurrection is the receipt that proves that all my debt is paid, and that I am free.

That Sheaf was a sample of all the harvest that would follow, and when that sheaf was accepted, all the harvest fields of Canaan were accepted with it. And since that day how many sheaves have bees reaped from those harvest fields! Not of Canaan only, but from the white harvest fields of every part of the world. "Christ the firstfruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at His coming." (1 Cor. 15: 23). And soon that day will come when all the sheaves will be gathered Home, — "at His coming," — sleeping saints and living saints, — all gathered Home together, all "accepted in the Beloved."

And you remember the "two men . . . in white apparel" told the disciples that "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." (Acts 1: 11). He is that Sheaf of Firstfruits. He is the "sample" of those who shall follow. And He is "The Same Jesus", no stranger: but the "same." Even so, our loved ones who have gone before us, will also be the "same." They will be glorified, it is true, but they will still be the same dear ones we have loved down here.

The Father's love to Him is the measure of the Father's love to them. (John 17: 23). They are part of the field, of which He was the sample. "As He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17) They are as near and as dear to God as Christ is. Wonderful truth! Well may we sing, —

"So dear, so very dear to God,

More dear I cannot be:

The love wherewith He loves the Son

Such is His love to me." (See John 17: 23)

And Israel's fields also, in a coming day, will give rich sheaves for the joy of the Great Husbandman. They will then recognize the true Passover Lamb, and then they will keep the true Feast of Firstfruits, and not just an empty form, as they did on that resurrection morning long ago.

But what about the wicked dead? What about those who have rejected Christ? Will they not rise again? Yes, surely they will. But the resurrection of the saints is a "resurrection from among the dead." All around Jerusalem lay the graves of those who had died, but Christ, the Firstfruits, rose from among the dead, — He was the "Firstborn among many brethren." (Rom. 8: 29). He was the "Firstborn from among the dead." (Col. 1: 18, N.T.). And with Him, after His resurrection many bodies of the saints rose also. But not one grave of an unbeliever was stirred to let him rise.

Many people tell us there is to be a general resurrection of the just and the unjust. The Bible does not tell us this. On the contrary, the Bible plainly says, "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." (Rev. 20: 5). Then they rise to stand before the Great White Throne, to be judged according to their works, and to be cast into the Lake of Fire. Solemn Truth! Dear Reader, the Bible says, "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power." (Rev. 20: 6). Please let us ask, Have you part in this "First Resurrection"?

Chapter 8

Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks

Lev. 23, 15 to 21.

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave-loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the first fruits unto the Lord." (Lev. 23, 15 to 17)

"When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." (Acts 2: 1)

"Ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal. 3: 28)

Fifty days after the wave Sheaf had been reaped and presented to the Lord, and accepted by Him, the redeemed people again came together to the place which the Lord had chosen to put His name there.

This was to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, (or Feast of Weeks). Pentecost is the Greek for Fiftieth. It is remarkable that this feast was held on "the morrow after the Seventh Sabbath" That is, it was held on the First Day of a new week. It tells of a new order of things being introduced, based on resurrection. This feast was to offer one of the strangest offerings of all offerings that Israel offered to the Lord. And what was this strange offering? It was two loaves of fine flour, made from the wheat of the same fields that fifty days before had yielded the sheaf of first fruits. But these two loaves were baked with leaven. You remember how important it was that all the leaven should be put away at the Feast of Unleavened Bread. How strange that the fourth feast should have leaven in the offering! These two loaves baked with leaven, were waved by the priest before the Lord, — presented to Him and accepted by Him. They were accompanied by all the sweet savour sacrifices, and also by the sin offering. The sin offering made it possible for God to accept these loaves that were baked with leaven. The sin offering was present to speak of atonement for the sin that was typified by the leaven. There was no leaven in the Wave Sheaf and so no sin offering was required. But notice, the leaven in the Wave Loaves was baked, and so had lost its power.

There is a close connection between this feast and the feast of the first fruits. They are linked together by being introduced in verse 9 by the words "And the Lord spake unto Moses saying" And the words do not occur again until verse 23 where the Feast of Trumpets is introduced. Thus we may see, as the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are linked together, so the Feast of the First Fruits, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Harvest in verse 22 are linked together.

We have seen that Christ died on the same day as the Feast of the Passover. We have seen that Christ rose on the exact day of the Feast of First Fruits. What happened on the day of the Feast of Pentecost? On that day in Acts 2: 1, we see that the Holy Spirit came down from Heaven, and formed the individual Christians into one body, the Church.

Many years ago I was standing on the pier at Kobe, Japan, waiting to board a ship for Shanghai. A beloved Japanese brother had come to see me off. There was another great ship at the other side of the pier about to leave for San Francisco. High up on the very top deck of this liner was a gentleman, evidently a man of importance, who was leaving for America. A large number of persons had come to say farewell to him. They had a nice custom in Japan at that time, that every person saying farewell would bring a roll of coloured paper ribbon. The friend on the ship would hold the end of each ribbon, and each person on the pier, saying farewell, would hold a roll of ribbon.

My friend and I watched this scene for some time. There might have been a hundred persons on the pier, each with a roll of ribbon, while the gentleman on the top deck, had the ends of the ribbons all in his hand. Suddenly, my friend turned to me, and remarked: "There is a picture of Christ and His church. He is the Head in Heaven: we are the members down here. The ribbons represent the Holy Spirit: and every member is linked to the Head by the Holy Spirit; and every member, through the Head in Heaven, is linked to every other member oil earth." It was a sweet lesson that I have never forgotten. At the Feast of Pentecost the Holy Spirit was given, Who links every believer to the Head, and to each other, making "one body," the Church.

The Church is composed of believing Jews and Gentiles. The Jews and Gentiles, perhaps, being the two loaves to make one offering. Before Pentecost these two peoples were separated by a "middle wall" (Eph. 2: 14). The Jews were chosen people, whereas the Gentiles were aliens and strangers, afar off, and without God. But both had shown themselves against Christ, both had joined together to crucify Him. In Romans 3: 22 and Romans 10: 12, God told us that there was "no difference". Now at the day of Pentecost these two, so far from each other, are united into one offering.

Then was fulfilled the word "that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel". "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." (1 Cor. 12: 13).

This is the special place given to the saints of this age, to all the saints of every country, from the Day of Pentecost till the Lord comes to call His people away from the earth to Heaven. It is the special calling and portion of the church, the body of Christ, in contrast to all that had gone before, and to all that will follow. The Church is united with Christ, the Head in Heaven, and He is united to all His saints on earth, by the Holy Spirit.

Truly "this is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes". And please remember that this being the work of God, the Church formed in this way can never be destroyed, and is forever and forever one. Man cannot divide it or spoil it, God has made it one. Christ is its Head in Heaven. The church is His body and who can mar or touch His body? Christ Himself said the gates of Hell should not prevail against it. (Matt. 16: 18).

This is the Church as God sees it. It began at Pentecost by the descent of the Holy Ghost. It has been formed from that day till now, by those "called out" of the world being added to it, and it will continue to increase until the day when the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, and call His church whether sleeping or living to Himself. Then He will "present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5: 27) There will not be one missing from that Church. There will not be one member short in that mystic body. It will be perfect and complete, "without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing."

We have spoken of the Church as God sees it. Perhaps we should also speak of it a little as we see it down in this world. The Greek word is "Ekklesia" and means "the called-out ones"; this tells me that the church is called out of this world. It is no longer part of this world. It is in it but not of it. We read in the New Testament of three classes of people in the world today "The Jews, The Gentiles, and the Church of God" (1 Cor. 10: 32): When a Jew or Gentile believes on the Lord Jesus he is then part of the Church. In the Epistles of the New Testament, especially those of the Apostle Paul, God's order for the Church down here is clearly given us.

In the New Testament we do not read of many churches as we see about us now, formed and given names, by man. There is but one Church, and every assembly of saints in any place forms part of that one Church. Christ alone is the Head of the Church, and He has the right, by the Holy Spirit, to use whom He wishes, to speak and minister in the Church. He expressly forbids a woman to speak in the assemblies, and He teaches us that every child of God is a priest.

All these things are clearly taught in the New Testament, but generally denied in practice by men today. Happy had the church been today, if the Lord's people had obeyed the Lord's Word and followed His order, instead of making certain men only to come between God and His saints, or to take a special place, above their brethren.

But let us look again at those two wave loaves. They may have another meaning. Two was the smallest number that the Scriptures accepted as a testimony. It may be that these two loaves have the meaning of a weak testimony. They are called in verse 16, "a new meat offering unto the Lord". This may tell us that this offering speaks of a new kind of testimony, something that no man had seen on earth before. We know that God gave "the firstfruits of the Spirit" (Romans 8: 23) at Pentecost. The Spirit never dwelt in this world until that time. This tells us that the Church is an entirely new testimony, but a weak testimony, to the Lord, down here on this earth. And we have seen that it began on the First Day of a new week. All telling us that the church is an entirely new order of things, and cannot be mixed up with that which has passed away. It is for this reason a Christian keeps the first day of the week, not the Jewish Sabbath.

The first fruits pointed to the Risen Christ, accepted for His people within the Heavens. The loaves of Pentecost are also called "first fruits unto the Lord" (Lev. 23: 17). This shows they are one with "the Sheaf of Firstfruits." It was "the first of the firstfruits", they are "the firstfruits". The loaves were made of flour from the wheat out of the same fields as the Sheaf of Firstfruits. But in all things the Wave Sheaf was pre-eminent. So it is with Christ and His people. He is "the Firstfruits" (1 Cor. 15: 20) and of His saints it is written, "Of His own will begat He us with the Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1: 18).

He is "the Firstborn" they His "brethren" (Rom. 8: 29) "all of one" (Heb. 2: 11) "the Church of the firstborn" (Heb. 12: 23). What a glorious truth this is! "As He is, so are we in this world" (1 John 4: 17). Let us receive it into our hearts with all its warm sunshine and blessing. It sounds too good to be true, and the heart of man is always seeking to find some way to turn aside its beauty and power. But let us believe it. Let us receive it. It is the truth of God. We are truly "one with Christ," we stand before God in Christ accepted in Him, "complete in Him." We are no more in fallen Adam of the earth, but we are in the Second Man, the last Adam, — Christ risen, and ascended to Heaven. This is the place of every believer.

God has given this blessing to all His people. How few believe it! And how little do most of us enjoy it! Yet it is the truth of God, given us by God to be believed and enjoyed every day. How are we to enjoy it? By the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us, given to every believer. When do believers receive the Holy Spirit? — God answers, "in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." (Eph. 1: 13). And "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Romans 8: 9). Alas, many Christians do not believe these plain words of God, and pray and do many unscriptural things hoping to receive the Holy Spirit. They open their minds to spiritual things and often evil spirits enter in and make them behave in a shameful manner. Do not be deceived, dear brethren, by these things. When you believe in Christ, He gives you His Holy Spirit. You may grieve Him, but He will not leave you. David could pray 'take not Thy Holy Spirit from me," but this is not a prayer for us to pray, for since David's day, the Holy Spirit has been sent into this world, and we are sealed by Him "until the redemption of the purchased possession". He has truly redeemed us now — purchased us now — the price has been paid, but our bodies as well as our souls have been bought, and they are still down here. We are sealed until that day that the Lord takes to Himself all that He has bought. But the Scripture also speaks of being "filled with the Spirit." To be filled with the Spirit is not the same as to be sealed with the Spirit. The Scripture says: "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess: but be filled with the Spirit." (Eph. 5: 18). When a man is drunk with wine he comes under the power of wine, and his own will is subject to the wine. This is bad; we believers must never let this happen, but on the contrary we are to let the Holy Spirit fill us, so that He has His way with us, and our wills are subject to Him. But whether we let Him fill us or not, remember He ever dwells in the believers.

Many believers are puzzled to know whether they have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, or not. Can we look up to God, and from our hearts say, "Father! Abba, Father!" If we can speak like this to God, then we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, for it is only by the Holy Spirit we can say to God, "Father!" See Romans 8: 15.

"The firstfruits of the Spirit," (Rom. 8: 23), given to all believers is the seal of their oneness with Christ, the earnest and pledge of their resurrection and association with Christ in glory and the power for enjoying this great truth now. If Christ had not been glorified at God's right hand, the Spirit would not have come down to dwell in believers. (John 7: 39). The presence of the Holy Spirit on earth is the witness that Christ is glorified at God's right hand. (John 15: 26)

The presence of the Holy Spirit on earth, and the union of the believers with the risen Christ at God's right hand by the Spirit, are the two great marks of the present age.

The two wave-loaves were baked "with leaven". We have already pointed out that leaven is everywhere and always a picture of evil. There was no leaven in the meat offering (Lev. 2: 11) because that offering is a type of Christ as the perfect man. He was Himself entirely pure and holy in all His character and ways.

But, alas, His people are not like this. Even after conversion, and with the Spirit dwelling in them, believers are not free from evil, either individually or as the Church. The flesh still dwells in them. The presence of the Holy Spirit does not drive it out, kill it, or change it, although by the grace of God, its power need no longer rule in our lives. The loaves, and the leaven, were baked. It is restrained but not "eradicated". Therefore the believer is not sinless. He is not as the Lord was, fit to be placed on the altar for acceptance by God. With the two wave-loaves, it was needful to offer a sin offering, and also the sweet savour offerings were offered.

Let us give an illustration. I have a house that is rented to a very bad tenant. Alas, I have no way to turn him out of my house, but I call a new tenant to live in my house. I clearly warn him of the old tenant and of his bad character. I exhort him to keep the old tenant always locked in a room in the house. All goes well for a time. The new tenant believes me, and the old tenant is kept in subjection. But after a time the old tenant seeks to make friends with the new one. He feels perhaps the old one is not so bad as I told him, and after a time gives the old one a bit of liberty. Soon, to his sorrow, he finds the old tenant is taking command of the house, and unless he turns to someone outside for help, he is in a bad way indeed.

The two loaves were thus presented to Jehovah, with leaven in them, but loaves and leaven baked, and under the shelter, and covered with the preciousness, of these offerings. So it is that believers individually, and the Church, stand before God, as a new meat offering, accepted in all the value of Christ's person and His atoning work.

As soon as any Christian, or company of Christians, think that personal devotion, or service, or obedience to the Word, or watching for Christ's coming, or any other work of their own, gives any title before God, they will find out sooner or later that they have been deceived by Satan. This is true whether it be a title to Heaven or a title to be caught up when the Lord comes, or a title to part in the Kingdom. All our title is through the peerless person and atoning work of Christ.

And again let me beseech you to notice that this scripture clearly teaches that evil remains in the individual, and in the church, and is met, not by my work, but by Christ's work.

Although the early church was so fresh and beautiful, it soon became evident that there was leaven in it, even at Jerusalem (Acts 5: 1), leaven in doctrine (Galatians 5: 9), or in morals (1 Corinthians 5: 9 and 13). How much more in these days on every hand do we see the leaven appearing, when doctrines of demons may be heard, and when evil men and seducers wax worse and worse.

This appearance of leaven need not surprise us, though it surely should humble us, and it should cause us to turn again to seek our rest and strength on the only foundation on which either an individual Christian, or the Church of God, can rest — Christ Himself. He is the Rock on which His church is built, and in spite of all hatred of men and devils, let us remember that nothing can ever prevail against it.

There is one more remarkable expression in connection with the Feast of Weeks. We read in Deut. 16: 10, (New Translation), "Thou shalt hold the feast of weeks to Jehovah thy God with a tribute of a voluntary-offering of thy hand, which thou shalt give, according as Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee."

How strikingly this reminds us of 1 Cor. 16: 2. "On the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him."

Long ago in Israel on the first day of the week, at that Feast which pointed most plainly to the Church, we have this wonderful sight, an Israelite comes before the Lord with those sacrifices, their blood shed, with those two loaves of bread and with a voluntary offering, according as Jehovah his God had blessed him. Could we get a more perfect picture of ourselves in this dispensation as we come together in the Lord's presence to remember His death? We have the bread and wine on the table, and the privilege of giving to the Lord our "voluntary offering" as "God hath prospered" us.

And, note further, the giving of that voluntary offering is immediately followed by this word: "And thou shalt rejoice." Read the whole verse yourself, Deut. 16: 10, 11. Joy was the mark of that feast and how suited, that joy and praise should mark our Feast when we remember our Lord Jesus, God's "unspeakable gift," even though it is true that, "With joy and sorrow mingling we thus remember Thee".

It is very striking the way the Spirit of God links our giving with our joy. Compare 2 Cor. 8: 1 to 4, where we read of the bounty of the dear Macedonian brethren, who had sent so often to the Apostle: "once and again" to him in Thessalonica: Phil. 4: 16; to him in Corinth: 2 Cor. 11: 9; and again to him in Rome: Phil. 4: 10. The Apostle writes to the wealthy saints in Corinth, (from whom he would accept nothing: 2 Cor. 11), "Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia how that a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints."

But one word more about the "voluntary offering." Do we not, dear brethren, often fail just here? As we give to the Lord, on the Lord's Day at that "feast", is our gift always the overflow in gratitude of a thankful heart? Does our gift really represent the measure in which God has prospered us?

Do we give "according as Jehovah thy God hath blessed thee"? We have to confess with shame that very often we do not. Sometimes we give as little as we can and still be respectable. Sometimes it is merely a matter of habit. We always give a certain definite amount without a thought of how God has prospered us, or the Lord has blessed us. Does this not explain the lack of "prosperity" (true prosperity) in many of our lives? We pray for the Lord's blessing but when He blesses us, we quite forget to offer to Him in recognition, and in the measure, of that blessing.

Far be the thought that it is a matter of law now with us. Never in the New Testament as far as we are aware is there any suggestion that we must give one tenth of our income. No, it is essentially a "voluntary offering", given entirely of our own free will, given at the time when we are remembering how the Lord gave Himself, gave all, for us, and my gift is the mark of my appreciation of His gift, and is the overflow of my heart in thanksgiving to Him. Mr. J. G. Bellett remarks: "The world will give what it can spare, the Lord gives what cost Him everything. John 14: 27." Our giving is in reality just as true worship as our hymns of praise or thanksgiving. Indeed we get them connected in Heb. 13: 15, 16, "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise . . . . But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."

Then the scriptures connect our joy with our giving. Remember the words of our Lord Jesus, how He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" Our God is a giving God, and now He gives us the privilege and the joy of giving to Him. Though truly every one of us must say with David of old, "Of Thine Own have we given Thee" (1 Chron. 29: 14) "Ye are not your own . . . ye are bought with a price" (1 Cor. 6: 19, 20.) All, all that we have to offer is really His already. His by creation, and His by Redemption, but He delights to give us the joy of giving of it back to Himself. Is it possible that such matchless Grace shall merely provide an excuse for these wretched hearts of ours to give less to the Lord than the law demanded, and to spend more on ourselves than Israel was permitted to do?

May we rather copy those dear Macedonian saints of whom Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8: 5. They presented their "voluntary offering," but says Paul, "not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord." Let us give in the same way.

You will recall that even our very Chinese character for "Joy" (Fuh) is an altar, a sacrifice on the altar, and beside it, (indicating of what the sacrifice consists,) "one mouth," (myself); and "fields," (all I possess). This tells us that true joy is found as I present my body, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is my reasonable service (Rom. 12: 1). And with myself give, not one tenth, but all I possess to the LORD. Let us, dear Reader, truly do this.

Were the whole realm of nature ours,

That were an offering far too small;

Love that transcends our highest powers,

Demands our soul, our life our all!

Chapter 9

The Present Interval

"God did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His Name." (Acts 15: 14)

"Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in." (Rom. 11: 25)

"His chosen Bride, ordained with Him,

To reign o'er all the earth,

Must first be formed, ere Israel know

Her Saviour's matchless worth."

—

You will remember that the Feasts of the Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, all come within one week. They began on the fourteenth day of the first month, and lasted seven days. Fifty days after the Feast of First Fruits, came the Feast of Pentecost early in the third month.

After the Feast of Pentecost there was a long interval of time in which there was no feast. From about the beginning of the third month till the beginning of the seventh month, for nearly four months, there was no new call from God to come to Him.

What were the people doing during this long period? They were reaping their fields, gathering together their sheaves.

This long interval of time tells us of the present day. What is the Lord doing during the present time? He is reaping His fields, gathering His grain from this world to take it to Himself. You remember the Lord Jesus said "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12: 24).

The Lord Jesus was this corn of wheat. He has died, and risen again, the Firstfruits, and now He brings forth much fruit. So we may see that those four months without a feast correspond to the present time when the Lord is gathering in His harvest, those He has redeemed, from out of the world. We never read in the Bible that all the world will be converted, but instead, we read that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse" (2nd Tim. 3: 13).

The church is composed of those who are called out of this wicked world.

But right in the midst of the Feasts of Jehovah, between the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Trumpets, we get what seems to be an interruption, a parenthesis, — In Lev. 23: 22, we read, "And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord, your God." And so when the Israelite farmer had cut the last grain in his harvest fields, what do we see? We see sheaves waiting to be gathered to the barn, but we see also, standing in the corners of the fields, good grain, and lying on the ground we see handfuls of grain that have been dropped, but not gathered up.

The Lord Jesus, Himself, tells us that "the field is the world" (Mat. 13: 38), and although spoken of in a parable, we believe it is also true of this type. "The corners of the fields" tell of the distant parts, — "The uttermost part of the earth," (Acts 1: 8), to which the Lord had sent His servants just before He returned to Heaven, but alas most of those "corners of the fields" are still in the darkness of heathenism. Do not think for one moment that this gives you or me an excuse not to go to these "uttermost parts" where the Lord has sent us. Simple obedience requires us to go. Was this good grain in the field to be wasted? No, surely the Lord would not allow this to be lost — He, who said, "gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost", (John 6: 12), would not lose this good grain. This remnant was left for the poor and for the stranger. And does not this little remnant of good grain left in the fields from which the sheaves have been cut tell us of another remnant? We believe it does.

The word "remnant" means "that which remains." In our daily conversation we use it of many different things. In the Bible, the Spirit of God uses it very often to describe the faithful godly portion of a people, more especially of the Jewish people, or of the nation of Israel, after the greater part of the nation had turned away from God. The prophets in the Bible make it perfectly clear that there will be such a remnant. Isaiah says (Isaiah 1: 9) "Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah." In Isaiah 10: 21, 22, we again read of the remnant, and in these verses, it is evidently the remnant of a future day. "The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return." The reader may also compare the following scriptures: Isaiah 11: 11, Joel 2: 32, and 3: 1, 2, Micah 4: 7. See also Romans 11. We believe these scriptures tell us of a remnant of Israel who will be saved on this earth after the church has been called away to be with Christ.

The scriptures also speak of the remnant of other nations as Syria, Ashdod, the Philistines, etc., but in nearly every case "the remnant" refers to Israel, and very often of Israel in a future day.

It is very important for the Christian who wishes to understand the Bible, to clearly understand this truth of "the remnant." For those who are interested we commend to them the book by W. Trotter "Plain Papers on Prophetic Subjects." In papers 16 and 17 they will find this subject taken up most fully.

We believe this remnant of good grain left in the fields for the poor after the sheaves had been gathered in, tells us in type, of this remnant of Israel. Poor and despised in the eyes of man, but precious in the eyes of God. Notice how often in the Psalms God speaks of the "poor". Often they refer to the remnant of Israel.

But this little remnant of good grain was left not only for the poor, but also for the stranger. Who would "the stranger" tell us of? We believe the stranger tells us of a remnant of Gentiles who also are to be saved, after the Church has been taken to be with Christ. We believe this remnant is referred to in Rev. 7: 9, "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands."

We believe this Gentile remnant is seen again in Matt 25: 31 to 46. There we see several different persons, or companies, we see the King, the King's "brethren", "all nations", which He separates "as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats," You will note that what decides the fate of the nations, is the way they have treated the King's "brethren." We believe these to be the godly remnant of the Jews. The Bible tells us that "the sheep" are from all nations, — that is the Gentiles. So in this parable we see the remnant of Jews and Gentiles, of which we have been speaking.

Please do not think that this means that the scripture teaches that any man may be saved who goes on in his sins, rejecting Christ, and His offer of salvation through the Cross. The Bible is quite clear about this. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16: 16). "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." (2 Thess. 1: 7 to 10)

No, the Bible is perfectly clear. There is full, free salvation now to the worst sinner, Jew or Gentile, who accepts God's offer of mercy through Christ. But there is damnation, and eternal punishment, for those who despise or refuse this offer now. Indeed it is not necessary to even despise or refuse it, by any outward mark. You may admire it and fully intend one day to accept it, — but it is the word of God which asks that solemn question — "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?"

Do not let teachers of this present day deceive you into hell. Do not believe them when they tell you there is a second chance after death, or although you may be left behind at the Lord's coming, that you may then turn and escape. No, then "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (2 Thess 2: 11-12).

We know that the devil has his servants who preach "the gospel of the second chance." But be warned, this is the devil's gospel, not the Gospel of God. God says, "Behold, NOW is the accepted time; Behold, NOW is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6: 2) . How terrible for many who will cry — "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." (Jer. 8: 20).

Please be quite clear. Because the grace of God tells us of a remnant of both Jews and Gentiles, spared and saved, (though many suffer death), after the Church is taken away, this is no reason for you, or any man, to put off accepting Christ and His Great Salvation one moment longer.

We will now leave that grain standing in the corners of the fields of Israel, and turn our eyes to the sheaves, cut and ready to be gathered into the barns.

We have suggested that the long period of about four months from the Feast of Weeks to the Feast of Trumpets tells of the present long period, more than 1900 years, while the Lord has been gathering His Own from every tribe and nation to form the church. The day will come when He gathers the sheaves home to the barn. (Matt. 13: 30). We call that day the "Harvest Home." It is a day of joy, when the precious fruits of the earth, for which we have worked and waited through weary months, are at last brought Home. And that great Harvest day is coming, coming quickly, when the Lord of the Harvest Himself is coming to get His precious grain. "The Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4: 16, 17).

This is the time of the Harvest, when the Lord gathers His Own to Himself, to take them to His Father's House. True, there is more grain in the corners of the fields and left on the ground to be gleaned which doubtless will form a further part of the harvest, but this grand ingathering when the Lord takes the Church, dead and living, to Himself, this is the great beginning of His Harvest.

Note that a definite time is given for all the Feasts of Jehovah, but for this ingathering of the sheaves, no definite date is given at all. As far as this chapter reads, it might have taken place at any time after the Feast of Pentecost. And so in the New Testament, the saints were always expected to be waiting and watching for the Lord from Heaven. No definite time was set for His return, but the Thessalonians "turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from Heaven." (1 Thess. 1: 9, 10)

Paul could speak of himself and say "We which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord." Paul did not look for death, He looked for the Lord from Heaven.

"We may not die, but rise and meet the Lord,

Oh, the bright glory these few words afford,

Changed instantly, the twinkling of an eye,

And see Thee face to face, our Lord, for aye.

Some shall not die, but rise and meet their Lord,

Oh, precious promise, faithful, true and good,

Although we do not know the day or hour,

We know that He Himself shall come in power."

There are men who tell us that many things must happen before the Lord comes back, but the Bible does not tell us this. The clear and simple teaching of the Scripture is that we may expect the Lord to come for us at any moment.

We have wondered whether our Lord's words in John 4: 35, referred to these four months. "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." His eye looked down the centuries to the great day of Harvest Home, when all His Own would be caught up to be forever with Himself, but meanwhile as he looked around on the fields He saw the grain ripe, and overripe, waiting to be reaped or lost.

Beloved fellow-Christian, have you lifted up your eyes in answer to His Own command? Are the fields less "white" than in His day? As we await, just expecting the shout to call us Home to Himself, may the Lord of the harvest stir our hearts to seek and reap some of that whitened grain, e'er it be lost.

Hark to the trump! behold it breaks,

The sleep of ages now,

And lo! the light of glory shines,

On many an aching brow.

Changed in a moment, — raised to life,

The quick, the dead arise,

Responsive to the angel's voice,

That calls us to the skies.

Ascending through the crowded air,

On eagle's wings we soar,

To dwell in the full joy of love,

And sorrow there no more.

Undazzled by the glorious light,

Of that beloved brow,

We see without a single cloud,

We see the Saviour now!

O Lord the bright and blessed hope

That cheered us through the past

Of full eternal rest in Thee,

Is all fulfilled at last.

The cry of sorrow here is hushed,

The voice of prayer is o'er

'Tis needless now — for, Lord we crave,

Thy gracious help no more.

Praise, endless praise, alone becomes

This bright and blessed place,

Where every eye beholds unveil'd

The mysteries of Thy grace.

Past conflict here, O Lord 'tis ours,

Through everlasting days,

To sing our song of victory now,

And only live to praise

—

The Harvest is great. Luke 10: 2.

The fields are white to Harvest. John 4: 35.

The Harvest of the earth is dried. Rev. 14: 15, New Trans.

The harvest is past. Jeremiah 8: 20.

Chapter 10

The Feast of Trumpets

"He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect." (Matt. 24: 31).

"We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet should sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52.)

"The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

We have already noticed that the first four feasts come close together at the beginning of the year. Then come almost four months of reaping until the last sheaf was cut, though there was still good grain left standing in the corners of the fields.

We will now seek with God's help, to look at the last three feasts. These all come very close together in the seventh month.

In creation God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh. In the dispensation of law, men worked six days and rested on the seventh. In the feasts of Jehovah, six months of the year passed by, but when the seventh month comes, on the first day of the seventh month, God says, "Ye shall have a rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. No manner of servile work shall ye do; and ye shall present an offering by fire to Jehovah" (Lev. 23: 24, 25, New Translation)

We have seen that the four feasts that are passed all have been most exactly fulfilled. We have seen that at the present day we are still in that long space of time left for the harvest, between the feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Trumpets.

The Feast of Trumpets and the two feasts that quickly follow it, the day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles, have not yet been fulfilled. These three feasts point to future events. As the four past feasts have been so exactly fulfilled, we can confidently expect that the three future feasts will be just as exactly fulfilled in a coming day.

In the feasts that have passed, we have seen events on earth only, though indeed these events have included the resurrection and ascension into Heaven of our Lord Jesus, the descent from Heaven of the Holy Spirit. But during this time the heavens and the earth have been divided by sin, but in a coming day the Lord Jesus will judge this world in righteousness, and then take it for Himself. He will not only be King of the Jews, but "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." (Ps. 72: 8). "And the Lord shall be King over all the earth." Zech. 14: 9.

The same Lord who is now glorified in Heaven as the Head of the church, will also reign on earth as King of Israel and Lord of all creation. He will be "King of kings, and Lord of lords." He will be honoured in the Heavens above and in the earth below, and men of every nation, people, and tongue, will unite to own Jesus of Nazareth, "Lord of all." For these reasons, we suggest that the remaining feasts have perhaps a double meaning. Their primary meaning is, no doubt, a telling forth of the events coming on this earth, especially in connection with Israel, but as the former feasts also include the events which are of deepest interest to the church, so it would seem that the remaining feasts also have a secondary application that might foretell events connected with the church in Heaven. For we must never forget that Israel's portion is the earth, but the church's portion is always in the Heavens.

The Feast of Trumpets begins the second series of "Jehovah's set feasts".

In Numbers 10: 2, God commanded Moses to make two silver trumpets. These trumpets were used for calling together the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. They were to be used when Israel went to war; and God promised that when these trumpets were blown, He would remember His people and save them from their enemies. (Num. 10: 9). They were also used in their set feasts and in their new moons. God said, "that they may be to you for a memorial before your God." The silver tells us of redemption, and those notes on the silver trumpets would not only bring to remembrance God's covenant with His earthly people, and His promise to His Heavenly people, but they also brought to remembrance the price that was paid on the cross to purchase the redemption of both the Heavenly and the earthly people.

This feast was a special time of blowing these trumpets. It was called "A memorial of blowing of trumpets." (Lev. 23: 24). It was truly a feast of remembrance. Does this not tell us of that great trumpet that is to be blown in a coming day? Then "He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other." (Matt. 24: 31).

In Isaiah 18: 3 to 7, N.T. "All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, when a banner is lifted up on the mountains, see ye, and when a trumpet is blown, hear ye! . . . In that time shall a present be brought unto Jehovah of hosts of a people scattered and ravaged, to the place of the name of Jehovah of hosts, the Mount Zion." (New Translation). And again in Isaiah 27: 13, N.T. "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come that were perishing in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and they shall worship Jehovah in the holy mountain at Jerusalem." Also compare Zech. 10: 8. "I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them; and they shall multiply as they used to multiply. And I will sow them among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in far countries."

There are very many more passages that tell of the gathering of Israel and Judah back to their own land, but these make quite clear that at a certain time, a special call will go forth from God to bring His own people back to their own land. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament speak of this call as a Trumpet, so we believe that the Feast of Trumpets foretells that trumpet blast that will call Israel back to their own land.

But the Feast of Trumpets was also to call to remembrance, and in Numbers 10, when God told Moses to make silver trumpets, He told Israel that when they went to war against the enemy that oppressed them, "then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets, and ye shall be remembered before Jehovah, your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies." (Verse 9.) And although Israel now seems to be cast off and rejected, the Word of God tells us that this shall not be always so. In Ezek. 16: 60 we read, "I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant." And listen to these glorious words spoken to Israel, in reply to Israel's complaint, — "Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten me." It looks like that just now, but is it really so? Listen, — "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Even these forget, but I will not forget thee. Lo, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." (Isaiah 49: 16, N.T.)

We might turn to many other passages telling us that God again will remember His people. But in the Feast of Trumpets, is it not God who blows the trumpet Himself? If God in His grace speaks of remembering again His people, is it not truly God that blows the trumpet to call His people to remember Him? We have already spoken of the verse in Zech. 10: 9, where God says, "They shall remember me in far countries." The verses in Ezek. 16 which we have already quoted, continue in this way, — "I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah; that thou mayest remember, and be ashamed." (verses 62, 63, N.T.)

Israel forgot their God and forsook Him, and now it appears as though God had forgotten and forsaken and cast away His people Israel. But it is appearance only. Paul asks, "Has God cast away His people?" And the reply is clear and decisive, "Far be the thought — God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew." (Rom. 11: 1, 2): but we believe the day is near when the Trumpet will be blown that shows God again remembers Israel, and His covenant with them, and that Trumpet will call Israel to remember their God, and turn to Him again. What a happy day that will be for Israel! God describes the Feast of Trumpets, saying, "Ye shall have a rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation." (Lev. 23, 24, N.T.) And the Spirit of God in the Psalms says of it, "Sing ye joyously unto God our strength, shout aloud unto the God of Jacob; raise a song, and sound the tambour, the pleasant harp with the lute. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the set time, on our feast day." (Psalm 81: 1 to 3, N.T.). Poor Israel, how little do they know of rest and joy now, driven from one country to another, — rest, they have none! But even though we know Israel must first pass through the most terrible judgments, yet their rest and joy is soon to come, indeed may it not be possible that the first notes of that silver trumpet, or their echo from above, are beginning to fall on the ears of Israel? On every hand we see them hearing a call to remember and return to the land of their fathers, and tens of thousands are heeding the call and returning. Is it not apparent to all that Israel is again beginning to come in remembrance before God? It reminds one of the description of another trumpet in a little later day, (Rev. 10: 7, N.T.). "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when He is about to sound the trumpet." May this not be a description of the way in which the Trumpet "is about to sound" at the present day with regard to Israel? (Though of course the trumpet of Rev. 10: 7 has no reference to the trumpet foretold in Lev. 23.) We sadly fear that Israel has not yet heard that trumpet in a way that makes them remember their God, and turn to Him. again. In Isaiah 27: 13 we saw that Israel was to return to "worship Jehovah in the holy mountain." They can only do this when they accept the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, their Christ. But, alas, they are not now prepared to do this, so we may know that at present those sweet notes of the silver trumpet are not sounding out as they soon will. Perhaps it will be like the trumpet at Mount Sinai that "sounded long, and waxed louder and louder."

But if even the echo of the notes from afar are beginning to sound, telling us that the silver trumpet is "about to sound," let us rejoice and lift up our heads, and listen the more longingly for the note of another trumpet, that would seem to be one short, sharp peal, — "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:" (1 Cor. 15: 52).

No, it is not the trumpet that calls Israel back to their land that we, the church, are looking for, but for the Lord Jesus Himself, for "the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thess. 4: 16, 17.) And again, "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor. 15: 51-52.)

What a day of joy and gladness and rest will this be for the church! Then we will be forever with the Lord. We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Then, no longer through a glass darkly, but face to face! And the loved ones who have gone before, will be raised first, and we shall be together again to go no more out!

But it was not only a day of joy and gladness and rest, but the Lord specially warns against any "servile work" on that day. How different to the teaching of some that it is only by our own efforts in watching and overcoming that we can even hope to see that day, or hear that trump! Such teachers little know the grace of God, or the value of the redemption told out in those notes of the silver trumpet, nor do they know the worthlessness or hatefulness of their own servile work in making themselves fit for that day. No, it is not the fear of being left behind at that day that God sets before us as a motive to keep clean down here, but the blessed hope of seeing Him, and being like Him, — "every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." (1 John 3: 3).

The Feast of Trumpets follows the harvest described in verse 22. There is a very interesting passage in Isaiah 27: 12. "Ye shall be gathered (or, gleaned, See Note to New Translation) one by one, ye children of Israel. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come that were perishing in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and they shall worship Jehovah in the holy mountain at Jerusalem." The "gleaning" reminds us of Lev. 23: 22, and is immediately followed by "the great trumpet," which tells us of the Feast of Trumpets. We believe it is the harvest that typifies the coming of the Lord for His church, but the silver trumpets of this feast cannot but call to our mind the Trumpet that calls the church to be forever with the Lord, and they are evidently intimately connected with it. The Feast of Trumpets came on the first day of the month, that is the time the moon is blackest and smallest. In China we call it "the Black Moon." Perhaps this reminds us that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse." (2 Tim. 3: 13). Like the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, they gradually grow worse, until at last Laodicea is spued out of Christ's mouth. The morning star appears just before dawn, when the night is the darkest. So, brethren, as we see the professing church getting worse, as we see it growing darker and colder, and more and more like the world, let us look up and watch more earnestly for the Morning Star, and listen more intently for the sound of the Trumpet.

The Lord always makes it clear that His coming is imminent. "Yet a very little while and He that comes will come, and will not delay." (Heb. 10: 37, N.T.) Let us beware that nothing whatever shall come into our hearts that will ever allow us to say — even in the inmost recesses of our thoughts — "My Lord delayeth His coming." The Lord's own parting words to His church tell us when He will come back again — "Surely I come quickly." In this way may we ever, daily and hourly, be expecting Him, and our hearts ever crying, "Amen, even so, Come Lord Jesus."

"Till He Come!" then look above,

All who His appearing love.

Hear His last sweet words of cheer

To His saints now left down here —

"Surely I will quickly come!"

Come, Lord Jesus, Come, Amen!

Chapter 11

The Day of Atonement

"On that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." (Lev. 16: 30)

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall

He appear the second time without sin unto salvation." ( Heb. 9: 28.)

"There in righteousness transcendent,

Lo, He doth in Heaven appear;

Shows the blood of His atonement,

As thy title to be there."

Jehovah set apart the tenth day of the seventh month in each year, as the Day of Atonement. On that day the sins of the nation were atoned for — or covered, for "atonement" means "covering". It was only in this way that Jehovah could dwell amongst Israel.

You will remember that when Israel came out of Egypt, the seventh month was changed to the first month. So on the tenth day of the first month a lamb was chosen, and on the fourteenth day it was killed and its blood put on the door posts. The death of this lamb saved the firstborn from death and judgment. Now on the tenth day of the seventh month a lamb is chosen again, and is slain. This lamb was not now to save Israel from judgment, but the blood of this lamb is carried inside the veil and put on the mercy seat.

The Passover Lamb typifies Christ, the Lamb of God, who bears our sins to save us poor sinners from the wrath of God. The blood of the Lamb on the Day of Atonement tells also of the precious blood of Christ, that is presented to God, but shows how His throne is established in righteousness, so that He may dwell in the midst of His people.

In the 16th of Leviticus, Jehovah tells us fully about the sacrifices on this day, but in the chapter we are considering, we see the Feast from God's side.

Before we consider the verses in Leviticus 23, we will look very briefly at Leviticus 16. In verses 1 and 2 we read, "And the Lord spake unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat." (Lev. 16: 1, 2.)

This plainly teaches us that the way into the holiest of all was not open, even for the High Priest, to enter at all times. Nor was there any way by which they might remain there at all times. The veil shut God in from man, and shut man out from God. The blood of bulls and of goats could not open that way into the holiest. You remember that when the Lord Jesus died, then the veil was rent, rent from the top to the bottom, and now the way into the holiest of all is opened wide for all whose sins are cleansed by that precious blood. "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh; and having an High Priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith." (Heb. 10: 19-22.)

But until the cross this way was closed. Once only in the year, one man, alone, could pass that veil into the holiest of all. "Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering," (Lev. 16: 3.) These two offerings typify the two great things which the work of Christ accomplished. The sin offering perfectly met man's need, and the burnt offering perfectly maintains God's glory. There is no mention on this day of the Peace Offering or the Meat Offering. The one great subject is atonement from God's side and from man's side.

Aaron was to wash his flesh in water and put on his holy linen garments. There was no need for Christ to cleanse Himself. He was absolutely pure in every way. What Aaron wore and what he did are but small shadows of what our great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, truly is Himself.

Now we read, "He shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering, And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house." (Lev. 16: 5, 6.) Aaron and his house represent the church, not as the "one body" as in Ephesians and Colossians, but as in 1 Peter we read, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2: 5.) Also in Hebrews 3: 6, "But Christ as a Son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."

Jehovah commanded the high priest to "take the two goats, and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness." (Lev. 16: 7-10.)

The two goats in these pictures tell of the two ways in which we may look at the atonement. The Lord's lot fell upon one goat, and the people's lot fell upon the other goat.

The goat on which the Lord's lot fell does not bear the special sins of any particular people. These sins are very important, but they are not considered in this goat. This goat typifies Christ dying to glorify God, with respect to sin, not special sins, but sin that entered into this world and brought a curse even on the ground.

God has a special portion in the death of Christ, so that apart from any sinner obtaining salvation, the death of Christ glorified God. He has atoned for sin. He was made a curse, and so redeemed this world from the curse. He conquered Satan, and "bound the Strong Man," and in a coming day will justly put Satan in the bottomless pit. On the ground of this sacrifice God may offer us mercy, instead of putting us all in the Lake of Fire. On the ground of this sacrifice God still bears with man. It is on the ground of this sacrifice that we have food, air, and sunshine; instead of being in the pains of hell. The air that an infidel breathes, the food that a blasphemer eats, all that they enjoy, they owe it to the sacrifice of Christ, to the very One they hate and mock. If it were not for the atonement of Christ, as we see it in "Jehovah's lot", these wicked men would be in the torments of hell, instead of blaspheming on the earth.

Please understand clearly that this sacrifice does not speak of the forgiveness or salvation of any person. This is quite another matter, and as we know is received when we confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10: 9.) This truly is because of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, but please understand clearly that there is a great difference between God forgiving a sinner, and God bearing in patience with wicked men, and giving them breath and food and clothing and sunshine. Both are on account of the work of Christ on the cross, but we see there are two different ways of looking at that wonderful work.

Some people think these differences are not important, but it is because people do not understand these differences that they make such terrible mistakes. There are people who teach that one of these goats is a picture of Satan, and they make Satan their Saviour, to bear away their sins. This is a terrible doctrine, and we hope that all our readers may be delivered from it.

If we look at a few verses in the Bible perhaps we will understand this matter better. For instance: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1: 29.) Compare this with 1 John 2: 2, in which the Lord Jesus is called "The propitiation . . . for the whole world." In these verses we see that the sacrifice of Christ is for the sin of the whole world. This does not mean that everyone in the world will be saved, because we know from many other Scriptures that only those who truly believe will be saved, but in these Scriptures, we see the Lord Jesus as the One who fulfilled the type of the goat on which Jehovah's lot fell. It is in the very broadest way we can think of, and brings mercy and blessing to the whole world. If we think of certain definite people, and the forgiveness of their sins in these Scriptures, we will certainly be in confusion. There are many other Scriptures which speak of the whole world, or of all men. These are on account of the sacrifice of Christ, as we see it in this special way, the goat on which "Jehovah's lot fell."

But before Aaron killed this goat of which we have been speaking, on which the Lord's lot fell, to be a sin-offering for the people, he must first kill the bullock which was to be a sin-offering for himself and for his house. "And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself; and he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the the vail: and he shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not; and he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times" (Lev. 16: 11-14.)

As already pointed out, when the Scripture speaks of "Aaron and his house," it is a picture of the church, not as "the one body." but as a priestly house.

The Lord Jesus Christ had no need of a sacrifice to make Him acceptable to God. God could always say of Him, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." But when we are identified with Christ, then we are accepted as he is accepted. That cloud of sweet incense that covered the Mercy Seat, tells us of the sweetness and preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The High Priest enters the Holy of Holies, completely covered with that cloud of sweet incense. The fire to burn that incense came from "the altar before the Lord," and tells us that the death of Christ is the foundation of our acceptance.

Then the priest sprinkled of the blood of the bullock that was for himself and his house, on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat seven times. In this way Aaron made an atonement for himself and for his house. Atonement means covering. The blood makes an atonement, (a covering), for the soul. Lev. 17: 11. In the book of Leviticus we get the word atonement forty-nine times, seven times seven. This would tell us of absolutely complete divine perfection. The blood covered the mercy seat, as also the cloud of incense covered the mercy seat. Here we see the work of the Lord Jesus, and the worth, (or value or preciousness), of His Own Person. The believer is accepted in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: we are "accepted in the Beloved." (Eph. 1: 6.)

What a wonderful thing to think that we are accepted in Christ! As He is accepted so are we accepted! We may say with joy, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17.) Dear fellow-believer, Stop and think of those words, "As He is, so are we in this world!" Is He accepted before God? So are we! May He enter the very presence of God? So may we! Is He brought near to God? So are we!

When I was a child we used to sing that beautiful hymn:

A mind at "perfect peace" with God:

Oh, what a word is this!

A sinner reconciled through blood;

This, this indeed is peace!

By nature and by practice far,

How very far from God!

Yet now by grace brought nigh to Him,

Through faith in Jesus' blood.

So nigh, so very nigh to God,

I cannot nearer be;

For in the Person of His Son,

I am as near as He.

So dear, so very dear to God,

More dear I cannot be;

The love wherewith He loves the Son,

Such is His love to me.

I used to sing the first two verses, but when we came to the third and fourth verses that said we were as near and as dear to God as Christ Himself, I stopped singing, because I did not believe it. It seemed too wonderful to be true, but later I found that it was true, even though it is so wonderful! For, "as He is, so are we in this world."

Seven is the perfect number, and when we see the blood sprinkled seven times before the mercy seat, we learn that when the blood is sprinkled for the atonement, then in God's sight, all is perfect.

After the blood of the bullock is brought into the Holiest of all, "then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat; and he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness." (Lev. 16: 15, 16.)

So we see it is the blood that makes sure the salvation of the Church, the "house" of the true Aaron. It is the blood that makes sure the "congregation" of Israel. It is the blood that makes sure the blessing to the whole creation at the last day. All rests on the blood of His cross. It is the blood which speaks peace to our heart and to our conscience. That blood has been sprinkled on God's Throne, and seven times before God's Throne. The more near we get to God, the more we see the value and the preciousness of the blood of the Lord Jesus.

We see the blood on the brazen altar, on the vail; but in no place do we read so much about the blood as in the Holy of Holies, inside the vail, before and on the throne of God.

The holy God could not have remained one moment in the midst of the congregation except for the blood. It was the blood which made it possible for God to dwell and to work and to rule in the midst of an unclean and sinful people.

But now ponder for a moment the 17th verse of Lev. 16. "And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel." We are truly on holy ground here. Let us bow our heads as we think of the depth of meaning of these words. Surely they tell us of those hours of darkness on the cross when the Lord Jesus alone, quite alone, was making atonement for our sins. We read that "all the disciples forsook Him and fled." (Matt. 26: 56.) We read in the Psalms, of the depth of His sufferings, and how He felt this loneliness, "I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none," (Ps. 69: 20.) But that most bitter cry of all was, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Ps. 22: 1, Matt. 27: 46.) Never can any heart conceive of the depth of His sorrow and suffering during those awful hours of darkness, while He hung on the cross as the Sin-bearer, making atonement for your sins and mine, and bearing the judgment of a holy, holy, holy God against sin. And He bore it alone. "There shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement."

Not only, as we have said, did the Lord Jesus bear our sins on the cross, but then He fully met the whole question of sin as it had affected the whole universe. It is this aspect of the death of Christ that we see here.

Then Aaron "shall bring the live goat: and Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: and the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness." Lev. 16: 21, 22.)

Here we see the actual sins we have committed borne away, and so we see the whole question of sin entirely met forever.

If we turn now to the 23rd chapter of Leviticus, where we get the Day of Atonement brought before us from the Lord's point of view, we see first that it is on the tenth day of the seventh month. The number ten in Scripture speaks of responsibility towards man and towards God. There were ten commandments. All the failure to meet these responsibilities is now to be considered, and to be met, and all this failure is to be covered. It is called "a holy convocation." Three times do we read, they are to afflict their souls. (Verses 27, 29, 32.) Three times do we read, "ye shall do no work." (verses 28, 30, 31.) Three times do we read the word "atonement", or covering. And in verse 32 we read, "It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest."

What a story this tells us! As Aaron with both his hands on the head of the scapegoat, confesses the sins of the congregation, how they must bow their heads in shame, as they think of all the awful failures and sins of the past year. Truly they might well afflict their souls as all passed in solemn review.

How was this long list of sins to be dealt with? "Whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people." "Ye shall do no manner of work." What then is to be done with all the sin and the defilement? All is covered by the blood! Atonement means covering. "There shall be a Day of Atonement" or "a Day of Covering." "It is a Day of Atonement" (or covering) "to make an atonement" (or covering) "for you before the Lord."

Thanks be to God that "He doth devise means, that His banished be not expelled from Him." (2 Sam. 14: 14.)

And what does all this tell us of the future? We have seen that the Feast of Trumpets, when Israel is gathered back to their own land, has not yet been fulfilled, and the Day of Atonement follows closely after the Feast of Trumpets. It comes before the Feast of Tabernacles which tells forth the joys of the thousand years of Peace, when Christ shall reign.

What, then, does the Day of Atonement picture? For the earthly people of Israel we believe it tells of the bitter sorrow when their eyes are opened to the fact that their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, has already come to them, and they have not received Him, but have murdered Him. Then they will receive Him, but they will ask, "What are these wounds in Thine hands?" Then shall He answer, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends!" (Zech. 13: 6).

Then they will understand that they have killed the Prince of Life, and have desired a murderer in His place. Then the Lord says, "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his first born. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; . . . . all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart." (Zech. 12: 10-14).

This tells us in the clearest possible language of the way the remnant of Israel will "afflict their soul." We get more of the same affliction of soul in Isaiah 53. "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." Oh, the bitterness of soul! to think that the Messiah of Israel has come, and has been treated in this terrible manner! Well may the Spirit in John's Gospel exclaim, "He came unto His Own, and His Own received Him not."

Not only will there be the affliction of soul and confession of sin that is so clearly pointed out in Leviticus, and these passages in Zech. 12 which we have quoted above, telling of the mourning of Israel as they "look upon Me whom they have pierced:" But, immediately, we read these blessed words, "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." (Zech. 13: 1).

Although guilty of the awful crime of the murder of their own Messiah, the Son of God, yet the moment they own it in bitterness of soul, that moment they discover the fountain opened for sin, the precious blood of atonement to cover all their guilt, then they can continue in the language of Isaiah 53, "Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Can we not read in these precious words the depth of anguish with which the remnant of Israel will afflict their souls, when their eyes are opened at last to see their Messiah, the despised and rejected Jesus! But can we not also read at the same time, the wondrous truths of the Day of Atonement, or the Day of Covering.

We see also that it is not by works. It is not the anguish of their soul that covers their guilt, but the precious blood of the Lamb of God, — slain by themselves, — that covers all their wickedness, even that crowning sin, the rejection and murder of their Messiah.

But there is one more event that takes place on the Day of Atonement. We read of this in Lev. 25:9. "Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land."

What was "the trumpet of the jubilee"? It was different to the Feast of Trumpets which had passed ten days before. God says of it: "Thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound." (Lev. 25:8). Seven times seven years surely speaks of the fulness of God's time. Then the trumpet of the jubilee is blown and what happens? The captive slave is set free. The lost land is returned. They were to "proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family". (Lev. 25:10).

The trumpet had sounded on the first day of the seventh month to call them back to their land, but it was not till the Day of Atonement was completed, all their sins judged and covered, not till then could the trumpet of the jubilee sound, and liberty be proclaimed "throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof".

And how sweet is the ending of that day! Rest! It began with affliction of soul, it continued with every sin covered and gone forever, not by works; then came liberty, and finally rest! What a prospect for poor, down-trodden Israel. And it will surely come to pass.

This, we believe, is to what the Day of Atonement points forward, as regards its primary application to the earthly people of God, Israel. But, we believe there is perhaps also an application to the heavenly people, the church. It would seem to us that this tells something of the Judgment Seat of Christ.

In 2 Cor. 5:10, we read "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Dear fellow-believer, let us ponder this scripture. First, let us be clear that this is an entirely different time and place to "the great white throne", that we read of in Rev. 20:11. The judgment seat of Christ is before the thousand years when Christ shall reign. The great white throne is after that time. (Rev. 20:7). At the judgment seat of Christ, "we" all must stand. Who are the "we" in this verse? "We" are the Christians. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is addressed to "the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia." (2 Cor. 1:1). Paul wrote the epistle, and he included Timothy in the greeting to the church at Corinth. Paul and Timothy and all the church at Corinth and all the saints in all Achaia are included in this word "we" who must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. There are no unbelievers in this word "we" only true Christians, and it also means you and me, if we are true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

But at the great white throne there are no believers. In John 5:24, the Lord says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death into life." (The word "condemnation" in our English Bible should be "judgment." See the New Translation, etc.) No true Christian comes into the judgment before the great white throne. Every true Christian has been raised from among the dead a thousand years before "and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4). But the rest of the dead (those whose names were not written in the book of life and whose sins have never been washed away by the precious blood of Christ), lived not again until the thousand years were finished. (Rev. 20: 5).

At the great white throne they were judged according to their works, (Rev. 20:13) and the result with every one who stands for judgment according to his works must be the lake of fire. There are no blood stains on the great white throne, as there were on and before the throne of God inside the veil, on the day of atonement. But all is dazzling whiteness and purity — every work of man will appear vile and filthy in that dazzling whiteness. At the judgment seat of Christ, it is not a question whether we go to heaven or to hell, but it is a question of rewards or suffering loss.

Many people think that at the end of the world, there is to be a great judgment day when everybody will appear before God, and their good works will be put in one side of a weighing scale and their bad works will be put in the other side, and which ever is heavier will decide where we are to go for eternity, whether to heaven or to hell. The Bible never, in any place, teaches any such doctrine as this. This is only the opinion of men, and not the Word of God. Clearly does the Bible teach two resurrections. "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation," John 5, 28, 29. And as we have seen, these two resurrections are a thousand years apart.

Let us then consider that time when we Christians must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It is at a time after we have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and we know we are to "ever be with the Lord." It is before the time of Christ's reign on earth. When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ, "then every one will receive the things done in the body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor. 5:10). Be clear, it is not a question of being saved or lost. All of us who stand there are the children of God, and now we come there in order that our life as children, — our path as servants, — may be reviewed. There will be that in each of us which the Lord can praise and alas, there will be that in each which the Lord must blame. It is like prize-day in a school, when the children's work of the past year will all pass in review. Some will win prizes, others will be ashamed. The work of one is acceptable, another's is not acceptable, so the Apostle Paul says, — "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." 2 Cor. 5:9, 10.

In 1 Cor. 4, 5, we read that the Lord "will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." Dear fellow-Christian, can you or I review all our pathway down here? Can we have every thought and counsel of our heart manifested? I ask, Can we have the searching light of heaven turned on all these secret things, and not afflict our souls? What a sad story for most of us it will be! Pride, selfishness, foolish and even impure thoughts, idle words, — oh how much we now like to keep these things hidden from our fellow-Christians. Then all will come out to the eye of Christ and myself. All will be made manifest. It will not, thank God, be manifested to condemn me to hell forever, as surely it must if works are to be considered. No, all will be weighed in the balances of the Sanctuary, and we will truly "afflict our souls." Then we will see clearly the opportunities for bearing shame for Christ's sake that we have lost. Then we will see how He would have had us serve Him, but we turned aside from it. Every failure will be brought to light. But every desire of our hearts after Christ will also be remembered, and wonder of wonders, when the Lord brings to light the hidden things of darkness, when He makes manifest the counsels of the hearts, then, — listen to the words — "then shall every man have praise of God." Yes, dear fellow-believer, the grace of God will find that, in you and me, which He knows has been done for His sake, and "every man" shall "have praise of God". (1 Cor. 4: 5).

Although every man shall have praise of God, yet we know from 1 Cor. 3: 11-15, that "the fire shall try every man's work," If any man build . . . gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

The gold, silver, precious stones, do not make nearly as great a show as wood, or hay, or stubble. What a great pile of hay we may perhaps gather, and boast of the amount we have done, — but what anguish of heart when the fire tries it and it is all burnt up.

But, thank God, the Day of Atonement was a day of covering, and after we have reviewed all the sorrowful past, then it will all be covered, carried away to a land not inhabited. (Lev. 16: 22). Never again will these things be raised against us. They are covered by that precious blood. They are blotted out, they are gone forever.

But do not let us think that it is on account of our own good works that all this past failure is blotted out. The same precious blood by which we were redeemed and brought near to God, that alone is what blots out all the past failure in our walk down here. "Whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people." This tells us God's estimate of our work in this connection. All is of grace, and all must be of grace. Perhaps never before in all our lives will we have known the riches of His grace, as we will know it when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

And as the day of atonement for Israel closed with rest, will this not be the same for us? Everything out, all made manifest, rest will follow. Even here and now we know something of the rest that follows confession. How much more full will that rest be when all is manifested, all is covered, all is gone forever!

And would we like to miss the judgment seat of Christ? I think not. How glad we will be to see the problems of this sad pathway all cleared up in the light of heaven. How good to have the roots of bitterness that perhaps we have allowed to grow up for years, all shrivelled up and gone. And what grace! Every man shall have praise of God!

"Deeds of merit as we thought them,

He will show us were but sin;

Little acts we had forgotten,

He will own were done for Him."

Then that cup of cold water given in His Name, but long since forgotten by us, will receive its reward. Then we will find that "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, .which ye have shewed toward His Name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Heb. 6:10)

May the Lord give us grace to live now more in the light of "That Day!"

Chapter 12

The Feast of Tabernacles

Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine. Deut. 16: 13.

Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. Lev. 23: 42, 43.

Thy Kingdom Come. Matt. 6: 10.

"Hail to the Lord's Anointed!

Great David's greater Son:

When to the time appointed,

The rolling years shall run,

e comes to break oppression,

To set the captive free;

To take away transgression,

And rule in equity.

—

We come now to the last of the "Feasts of Jehovah", "The Feast of Tabernacles." This feast was kept for seven days when the work in the fields was completed. All who were Israelites born then made themselves booths out of the boughs of trees, and dwelt in the booths. It was a time of joy and rejoicing. The labour and cares of this life were forgotten, and their hearts went back to the time when the Lord led them through the wilderness as pilgrims and strangers, without house or home, but only with booths to dwell in. The Lord would never have us forget our wilderness pathway. He says, "Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart." (Deut. 8: 2).

All those weary desert days were now but memories, and if they brought back memories of their failure and unfaithfulness, these memories were overwhelmed by the recollection of God's unfailing care, and His faithfulness.

"In the desert God will teach thee,

What the God that thou hast found,

Patient, gracious, powerful, holy,

All His grace shall there abound."

It was in the wilderness that "He fed them according to the integrity of His heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of His hands." (Ps. 78: 72). And now in the land of Canaan, with peace, rest and joy on every hand, they may sit under their booths, and look back with joy and thanksgiving over all the way the Lord had led them, and "Praise Him for all that is past."

In Exodus 23: 16 we read, "The Feast of Ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field." With this feast we come to "the end" of the year, and as we shall see, this feast carries our thoughts on, not only to the Millennium, (the Thousand Years when Christ shall reign), but "The Eighth Day" (Lev. 23: 36), takes us on to the Eternal State.

We have seen God's desire, through these feasts, to gather His people about Him, and now in this last feast we see more than in any before, the joy of the accomplishment of His purposes of grace. "Thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God in the place which the Lord shall choose: because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice." ("thou shalt be wholly joyful," New Translation). Deut. 16: 14, 15.

We have seen that the two feasts we have just considered, The Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement, point forward to events which have not yet been fulfilled. The Feast of Tabernacles follows these feasts, so we may clearly understand that it is still further in the future than the Feasts of which we have just spoken, The verse quoted at the top of this chapter, (Deut. 16: 13), tells us just when this feast occurs, "After that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine." It began on the fifteenth day of the Seventh month, and lasted seven days, with a special "Eighth Day", "the great day of the feast," (John 7: 37) which closed the Feasts of Jehovah for the whole year.

Israel's harvest consisted of two parts, "the corn," and "the wine." Each of these parts has a typical meaning in the Bible, spoken of symbolically in Rev. 14: 14-20. First we have "the corn." "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap. . . . And He that sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped." The Lord Jesus told us long before of this great ingathering of "the corn." He said, "Gather the wheat into My barn." (Matt. 13: 30). (The wheat and the corn have the same meaning). In telling us the meaning of this parable, the Lord said, "The harvest is the end of the world" (or perhaps a better translation, "the end of the age.") Matt. 13: 39. So we may see that the Lord's teaching in Matthew's Gospel exactly corresponds with the typical teaching of Leviticus, and the symbolic teaching of Revelation. The Lord Jesus told us in John 12: 24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." He Himself was "the corn of wheat" that fell into the ground and died. But in His resurrection He brings with Him a rich harvest, He brings forth "much fruit." The harvest from the "corn of wheat," having the same nature and proceeding from the same stem, is a lovely picture of Christ risen from the dead, with all His Heavenly people.

This is "the corn" that will be gathered into "My barn" at "the end," at "the Feast of Ingathering." We believe that "the corn" tells us of all those who share in "The First Resurrection." (Rev. 20:5). 1 Cor. 15: 23 says, "Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at His coming." We have already considered "The Firstfruits", now we see the harvest. Hebrews 11: 39, 40 would indicate that in this number we find the saints of both the Old Testament and The New Testament. "They", that is the Old Testament saints, "without us", that is the New Testament saints, "should not be made perfect." Revelation 20: 4 tells us that this "first resurrection" includes also the martyrs who have laid down their lives for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, in that space of time between the Lord coming for His church and the time when He takes His kingdom and reigns. The Old Testament saints, The Church. and the Martyrs mentioned above, all will be gathered safe Home to glory in "the ingathering" of "the corn."

The gathering in of the wine is also referred to in the passage in Rev. 14, from which we have quoted the account of the reaping of the harvest of the earth. We read in verses 17 to 20, "And another angel came out of the temple which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to Him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in Thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in His sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs." We believe that the vintage of the earth, and treading of the winepress of the wrath of God refers to the gathering of Christ's enemies for judgment. We read more of the treading of this winepress in Isaiah 63: 1 to 6. It is evidently the Lord Himself who is speaking, "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My fury, it upheld Me. And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth."

This clearly shows us that the winepress tells us of the judgment of Christ's enemies. We know when this great ingathering of the Lord's own will take place, and we also know when this fearful judgment of His enemies will occur. Both come just before the time when He takes the Throne, and answers that prayer that has gone up for more than nineteen hundred years, "Thy Kingdom Come." Revelation 20: 4, to which we have referred above, ends in this way: "And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

From these Scriptures, I think we may understand clearly the verse in Deut. 16: 13, "Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine." We believe this is like a finger to point out to us just the time when we may expect the Feast of Tabernacles to have its fulfilment. We believe this Feast is a type of the glorious reign of Christ for a thousand years. We generally call this "The millennium," which just means, "The Thousand Years." There have been, perhaps, about six thousand years since the creation, but none of these can be spoken of as "The Thousand Years." They have been six thousand years in which "the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." (Rom. 8: 22). Sin entered in the third chapter of the Bible, and with Sin, came the curse, thorns and thistles, tears, sorrow, pain, and death "until now." Not only has man suffered through Adam's sin, but even the animals and the ground have suffered also, so that the Scripture truly says, "The whole creation groaneth."

But in the Feast of Tabernacles we have already seen not only Israel, but even the stranger, is to be "wholly joyful." There has never been one day since sin entered that has been a true fulfilment of such a feast. But, Thanks be to God, the time is coming when the Prince of Peace will take the throne, and for a thousand years He will reign, and this feast will have its true fulfilment.

Another has written about this time. "Endeavour then, dear reader, to realize what would be the condition of a kingdom, under the absolute government of a monarch so wise as never to make one single mistake, so equitable as to deal even-handed justice to all, so tender-hearted as to rule with the gentlest sway, so pious and benevolent as to seek no object but the glory of God and the well-being of his subjects, and so powerful as to secure the absolute submission of all within the sphere of his dominions! What a kingdom! But when we think of such a kingdom, as extending over the whole earth, and embracing all nations within its limits; and when we understand that Christ Himself is to be its Head and Lord, and that the risen saints are to be His associates on the throne, all language fails, and the heart can only find relief in adoration too profound to be expressed!" (Plain Papers on Prophetic Subjects, W. Trotter).

This is a description of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ on this earth, during the Millennium. This is a description of the time which is typified by The Feast of Tabernacles. What a change from the present day! Sin, wars, violence, injustice all put down with a mighty hand, and Goodness and Truth displayed on every side.

We have already pointed out that this Golden Age for which this poor earth has so long waited, follows the ingathering of the corn and wine. "The corn" is gathered to that bright Home in the glory, some by death and resurrection and some without passing through death, so it can be said, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor. 15: 51, 52).

We have spoken of the judgments told out by the gathering of the vine. The Book of Isaiah, which also describes in the most glowing language the glories of the coming kingdom, describes the judgments that must usher in that wonderful age. Let us look very briefly at some of these verses. "Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof . . The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish . . . Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left." (Isaiah 24: 1-6). "The earth is utterly broken down. the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth . . . Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously." (Isaiah 24: 19-23) "Behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. In that day the Lord with His sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea . . . He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." (Isaiah 26: 21 and 27: 1-6).

In this last passage we have brought before us three different parts in God's program of establishing His kingdom. First we see the terrible punishment on His enemies. Then we see a special punishment on "that crooked serpent", the devil. We will speak of this more fully in a moment. And lastly we see the rich blessing that is coming to Israel.

The Old Testament, in Types, Psalms, and Prophecies, is full of references to the coming glorious Kingdom: but it is not till we reach Revelation 20, that we learn the duration of that wondrous reign. The "Thousand Years" are mentioned six times in this chapter. We will see that the two outstanding events during this thousand years are, — First:"The dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan" is to be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for the whole of this period.

Second: Christ is to reign, and His saints are to reign with Him.

No words can tell the difference that these two great events will make to this world. Now Christ is hidden, and Satan is at large. Now Satan is the god of this world, (2 Cor. 4: 4) , and the prince of this world. (John 12: 31, 14: 30, 16: 11) Now Satan deceives the nations. Then he will "deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled." (Rev. 20: 3). Now we see Christ by faith alone. Then faith will be changed to sight. Now we have not only our own fallen nature, but Satan to act on that fallen nature. Then Satan is absent.

What a change during that Thousand Years! And not only will Satan be bound, but the One Who reigns as King is our own beloved Saviour and Lord, and we will reign with Him. Little wonder that the world will rejoice and that Israel and the stranger are called to be "wholly joyful."

Let us look very briefly at the condition of this world during that glorious reign. In the former feasts we have seen that although the primary application is almost surely earthly, yet we may learn lessons in the Heavens from them. In the Feast of Tabernacles we may see that there is a more intimate connection between the Heavens and the earth, than in any of the other Feasts. This is what we would expect, for the devil is bound, and sin is put down with a strong hand. Our portion, the portion of the Church, is Heavenly, — Our place is not on this earth, even in the Millennium, though we will see we have to do with it.

We will quote again from Mr. W. Trotter's book "Plain Papers on Prophetic Subjects": "The connection of the church with the millennial state is portrayed to us in John's vision of 'that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.' It is styled, 'the Bride, the Lamb's wife': and while its relation to Christ is thus expressed, its relation to the millennial earth is indicated by various parts of the description. There is no night in the heavenly city, and yet it is not by candle, or by sun and moon, that it is enlightened, but 'the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its light, while the nations of them which are saved — the spared nations of the millennial earth — shall walk in the light of it.'"

"It has no temple, 'the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it' — but to it, as a temple, the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour.' Nor do the kings alone thus resort to it: 'they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into (or unto) it.'

"The pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, flows through the midst of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations. Such is the relation of the Church to this scene of blessing. Herself the witness and expression of God's perfect grace, and of the perfect love of Christ her Lord and Bridegroom, She is .the vessel of that grace, in ministering light and healing to the nations. With her, in her governmental glory as reigning with Christ are associated the saints of the old Testament, and those of the Apocalyptic crisis, . . . All who form the first resurrection,' live and reign with Christ throughout the thousand years.

"The earthly seat of dominion and centre of blessing is the city of the great king' — Jerusalem, the twelve tribes restored to the land, and no longer two nations, but one, (See, For example, Jer. 3: 18) will have Christ for their King and Head, and will constitute the most favoured and honoured portion of the earth's redeemed population. This national pre-eminence of Israel in milenial times . . . is demonstrated by almost every reference to the Millenium which the Old Testament contains. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord: and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem." (Jer. 3: 17). 'The kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.' (Micah 4: 8). . . . 'The Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously.' (Isaiah 24: 23) 'I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.' (Isaiah 60: 15).

"With regard to this point, it is interesting to trace the harmony between the Old Testament and the New, and the striking correspondence between the earthly and the heavenly Jerusalem. The one is the Bride, the Lamb's wife' — the other is the earthly metropolis of His kingdom. . . . "

"There is much ground for believing, that all who survive of Israel at the commencement of the Millennium will be saved, and that the whole nation also throughout the thousand years will be saved. "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." The 'new covenant' is to be made with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, in which God engages to put His law in their inward parts, and to write it in their hearts. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

It does not appear that the same thing can be said of the nations. For example, we read in Psalm 66, evidently speaking of the time when Christ shall reign, (verse 3, New Trans.) "Because of the greatness of thy strength, thine enemies come cringing unto thee." The margin of the Authorized Version reads, "Thine enemies yield feigned obedience unto thee." We find the same expression in Psalm 18: 44. As we search further into the teaching of the Scriptures regarding this period, we will see that, sad as it is, the fact remains that the heart of many, even in the Millennium, remain unchanged, and when the devil is loosed at the end of the Thousand Years, he immediately gets a mighty following.

Let us look a little further at the actual conditions on the earth during this glorious reign. The Scriptures tell us much about it, as though the Holy Spirit delighted to dwell on the joy and blessing that is yet to come to this sad sin-cursed earth.

Idolatry will have entirely ceased. "The idols He shall utterly abolish." (Isa. 2: 18). "In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats." (Isa. 2:20).

The True God will be known and worshipped. "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (Isa. 11: 9). "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord." (Isaiah 66: 23). "The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."

War will be at an end, and the earth will enjoy universal peace. "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isa. 2: 4) See also Micah. 4: 3.

Every cause of fear, whether from man or beast, will be removed, men will dwell in delightful confidence, security and peace. "And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods." (Ezek. 34: 25). "And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." (Isaiah 32: 17, 18)

Justice will be impartially administered. Behold a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment." (Isa. 32: 1). This would tell us of those subordinate rulers who act as ministers of Christ in the affairs of this world. "The vile person shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful." (Isa. 32: 5).

The curse being removed, and creation delivered, there will be wonderful fertility and abundance. "Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness; and Thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing." (Ps. 65: 11-13).

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt." (Amos 9: 13).

The very habits and instincts of the brute creation shall be changed. "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain." (Isaiah 11: 6-9).

The minds of men, without any vain pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, shall yet be well instructed.

Crowded Cities and Slums will be done away with. "They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid." (Micah 4: 4, See also Zech. 3: 10).

The rush and whirl and selfishness of the present-day city streets will be ended.

"There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." (Zech. 8: 4, 5). What a contrast from the present-day city street! "In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 14: 20, 21).

Not alone Israel, but the nations also, will receive blessing. "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people." (Zech. 2: 11) "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, . . . and all nations shall flow unto it." (Isaiah 2: 2). "Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord." (Zech. 8: 22).

Joy and Rejoicing will mark the earth in those days.

"Ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days." (Lev. 23: 40). "Thou shalt rejoice in thy feast . . . Thou shalt be wholly joyful" (Deut. 16: 14, 15, N.T.). "There was joy in Israel" (1 Chron. 12: 40, The reign of David, a picture with that of Solomon of the Millenium). "O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth. Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; shew forth his salvation from day to day . . . Say among the heathen that the Lord reigneth: . . . Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad." (Ps. 96: 1-11). "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof." (Ps. 97: 1).

But, although the Lord will reign then, and there will on every hand be peace and prosperity, joy and gladness, although the devil will be bound in the bottomless pit, so that he may not tempt man to evil, — yet in spite of all, sin will not entirely be done away. And so we read in Psalm 99, "The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble The King's strength also loveth judgment." And Psalm 101 gives us further details of His ways in judgment. We will quote from the new Translation, "Whoso secretly slandereth his neighbour, him will I destroy; him that hath a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer. . . . He that practiseth deceit shall not dwell within My house; he that speaketh falsehoods shall not subsist in my sight. Every morning will I destroy all the wicked of the land: to cut off all workers of iniquity from the city of Jehovah."

It would seem from this last sentence that the Lord will "hold court", so to speak, every morning, and destroy the wicked of the land. "There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed." (Isaiah 65: 20) It is evident from this that people will live to a very great age in that coming glorious day, for one who dies at a hundred years, will be considered only a child.

Perhaps the brightest days that this poor world has ever known were during the reign of King Solomon. Then "the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the low plains in abundance. (2 Chron. 9:27.)

Solomon was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ when He will reign as King with all enemies put under His feet.

But oh, what a vast difference between even the brightest days this earth has ever witnessed, and the days we have just been describing. Read the Book of Ecclesiastes and note the "vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered." (Ecc. 1:15.) "I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the places of righteousness, that iniquity was there." (3:16) "Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad." (7.7) "Folly is set in great dignity." (10:6)

But when "He comes Whose right it is" and takes the throne of this earth, the groans of Ecclesiastes will change to songs of praise.

Before we turn from meditating on the Coming Kingdom, let us look briefly at one sample of it in the New Testament. Please read the story of the Transfiguration of Christ, as we see it in Matt. 16: 28 to Matt. 17: 6: Mark 9: 1 to 9, and Luke 9: 27 to 36. The Lord says, "I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Kingdom of God." Then follows the scene of the transfiguration, when the Lord Jesus was transfigured before them. "The fashion of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistering." Peter speaks of this scene as "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ," (2 Peter 1: 16), and says "we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

In "the excellent glory" high above all, on His throne, was God, Whose voice was heard "on the holy mount." On "a high mountain apart by themselves" was the Lord Jesus Christ, transfigured to suit the heavenly glory: and with Him, were Moses and Elias. They spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem, — wondrous subject, of which the saints in glory will never weary. Moses is a picture of those saints who have died and been raised again. Elias, you will remember, went to Heaven without dying, and is a picture of those saints who will be taken to be with Christ without passing through death. (1 Cor. 15: 51). This part of the picture tells us of the Heavenly side of the Kingdom. And what a picture it is! Does not the lovely intimacy of those Heavenly saints with their glorious Lord, tell forth as words must fail to do, the character of our Home above?

But we also see Peter, James, and John, still in mortal bodies, — not resurrection bodies like the heavenly saints, — but within sight and hearing of the heavenly scene. This shows us the place of Israel when they are restored in that coming day. The earthly Jerusalem shall be "lifted up, and inhabited in her place" (Zech. 14: 10), and shall bask in the light and glory of the heavenly city. (Isa. 60: 1: Rev. 21: 23, 24). It is not strange that Peter, in the midst of such a scene, said, "It is good for us to be here." He wanted to erect three tabernacles (booths) on this holy place. But the time of the Kingdom had not yet come. In the day of the Kingdom we shall see they will keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and dwell in booths, (Zech. 14: 16), but that time was then still far distant, and the King must first go to the cross. And in that day, as in this day, the Lord Jesus must ever have the pre-eminence. God cannot permit His Beloved Son to be put on the same level even as Moses and Elias. So we see a cloud "over-shadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves." (Mark 9: 7, 8). They came back to the days before the Kingdom, the days in which we live. Thank God, though the glory and the power, though Moses and Elias passed from their view, they had with them "JESUS ONLY", and He is enough. We have Him with us today. True, we do not see him by our natural eye: but by faith we do see Him in our midst, and we see Him in the glory above, ever living for us; and He is enough. Yes, Thank God, though our yearning hearts may cry, and rightly cry, "Thy Kingdom Come!" Though we have as yet seen none of its glories, nor tasted of its pleasures, yet "JESUS ONLY" is enough.

Jesus, Thou art enough

The mind and heart to fill,

Thy patient life to calm the soul,

Thy love, its fear dispel.

We have been tempted to linger over the coming Kingdom, and yet we have not lingered nearly as long as we would wish. May we not ask our readers to take their Bibles and ponder alone with their Lord, some of these lovely scenes that we have barely touched upon? Will you not read, and re-read for yourself, Psalm 72, and drink deeply of the joys of those coming days when Christ will reign. Let them enter your very heart and soul, and you will find them to be a wonderful antidote for the discouragement that seeks to enwrap us like a thick fog, in these dark days when Satan is prince of this world.

"Give the King Thy judgments, O God, and Thy righteousness, unto the King's Son. He shall judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear Thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In His days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. . . ." Read it all, and like the Psalmist we must cry, —

"Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen, and Amen."

Psalm 72: 1, 8 and 18, 19

"He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied."

—

Let us now turn back to Leviticus 23, and in the light of what we have gleaned from other Scriptures, seek to find what the Holy Spirit would tell us in this portion of the Word of God, of those bright days to come.

The most casual reader must observe that the account of the Feast of Tabernacles takes more space in our chapter than any of the other feasts: parts seem to be repeated twice. It would seem that the Spirit of God delights to linger over this closing scene; when Christ shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied.

The harvest is all gathered in. The labours in the fields are ended. There is an abundance on every hand. Now come rest and rejoicing. Twice over do we get the words, "Ye shall do no servile work therein." On the first day, and on the eighth day, there must no servile work whatever. The first day would tell us of the entry into that feast, this speaks of the Kingdom. The eighth day, as we shall see later on, speaks of a new beginning, and reaches on to the eternal state. The words for both are alike. Whether it be the entry into the Kingdom, or whether it be our part in Eternity, "servile works" have no place whatever. Our right of entry into both are the same, it is only by the precious blood of Christ, only by the mighty Sacrifice of which the sacrifices offered throughout this feast speak. Whether it be the Kingdom, or whether it be eternity, our entry there is absolutely not by virtue of our own work. Our servile works can never fit us for either. Our working, our watching, our overcoming, all our servile works put together, have nothing whatever to do with our privilege of entry into that glorious Kingdom, or into the Eternal Rest beyond it.

Our position in the Kingdom does appear to be determined by our walk down here. We read of those who have authority over ten cities, and others who have authority over five cities. (Luke 19: 17, 19). This is a matter of reward. But our entry into the Kingdom has nothing to do with our works.

Verse 42 of our chapter makes this even more clear. "Ye shall dwell in booths seven days, all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths." The right to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in the appointed way depends on birth, not on works. There is no suggestion, even in the Feast of the Passover, that only those who were Israelites born might put the blood on the door, and we know that a "mixed multitude" went up out of Egypt. (Ex. 12: 38.) Provision is even made for the stranger who wished to keep the Feast of the Passover. (Ex. 12: 48). But the Feast of Tabernacles depends on birth: "All that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths." And the right to enter the Heavenly Kingdom also depends on birth. "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3: 3.) The new birth alone, without our servile works, gives the right of entry there.

The booths in which these Israelites dwelt were made of "the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook." (Verse 40). The branches of palm trees would tell of the victories won down here, and the willows of the book would tell of the sorrows, and perhaps the failures and defeats, of the wilderness pathway. (Compare Rev. 7: 9, & Psalm 137: 2). But it was not the palm branches that gave the right to enter the Kingdom, nor did the willows hinder the pilgrim having his part in that glorious day. We suppose that every one in that heavenly company will know what it is to weave together the palms and the willows, as they look back over this wilderness journey. (See verse 43). We will find then, that truly all things do work together for good to them that love God. (Rom. 8: 28.) We will find then, that truly all things were for our sakes. (2 Cor. 4: 15). And we will find that in that day every man shall have praise of God. (1 Cor. 4: 5). We believe that there will not be one booth in that Heavenly Feast without some palm branches in it, even though we do seem to make such a failure of things now down here. Where we see only defeat it may be that the Captain of our Salvation sees Victory. Blessed thought, "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5: 4), not our works.

The description of the boughs of the trees used in the Feast of Tabernacles in Nehemiah's day (of which we hope to speak later) is very remarkable. Read the New Translation: "Go forth to the mount, and fetch olive-branches, and wild olive-branches, and myrtle-branches, and palm-branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths." (Neh. 8: 15). You will note the willow-branches are omitted: I suppose because earlier in the chapter Nehemiah and Ezra had stilled the people's weeping, saying "The joy of the Lord is your strength." There are times when the Lord dries our tears, and would give us unmixed joy. I suppose that Romans 11 interprets the olive-branches and wild olive-branches, as Israel and the Gentiles: Here we find them woven together to keep the Feast of Tabernacles, as we shall presently see they will do.

There were to be special sacrifices each day of the feast. "Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord." (Lev. 23: 36). In Numbers 29: 12 to 40, we get a detailed account of these sacrifices. The Burnt Offering included bullocks„ telling perhaps of the value and worth of our great Sacrifice: rams telling of His devotedness even unto death: and lambs, telling of His gentleness, and of the special way in which He came as the Lamb of God. All the sacrifices must be without blemish, all told forth His spotless purity and all were a sweet savour unto Jehovah. The Sin Offering is specially mentioned for each of the seven days, and is specially noted for the eighth day, (Num. 29: 38.) Also in Ezekiel 45: 25 we see that the sin offering, burnt offering, and meat offering, are to be included in the sacrifices to be offered at the Feast of Tabernacles in Millennial days.

We get some most remarkable instruction concerning the sacrifices of the bullocks during the seven days of the Feast. On the First Day of the feast, the sacrifice consisted of thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year. (Num. 29: 13). On the Second Day, there were but twelve bullocks offered. On the Third Day, eleven. The Fourth Day, ten: till on the Seventh Day we find but seven bullocks were offered unto the Lord. Does this tell us of a decreasing sense of value of the worth of the Sacrifice that won for them this glorious Kingdom? In the earthly side of the Kingdom this would seem to be the case. The awful suffering, war and carnage of the judgments that ushered in the Thousand Years of peace, seem to have made some of the nations offer "feigned obedience", as we have already seen.

As the years pass by, their gratitude to the One to Whom they owe all grows less and less, and by the time the Thousand Years are finished, and the devil is loosed from his prison in the bottomless pit, we find the nations in the four quarters of the earth, the number of which is as the sand of the sea, (a great contrast to the condition of the earth at the beginning of the Millenium, when there were "few men in it".) These nations are ready to follow Satan to battle against the King of kings, Who has held such just and gracious rule for a thousand years. (Revelation 20: 7, 8).

This may well be a very solemn lesson to us; let, us watch our love, lest, like the Church in Ephesus, it grow cold. (Rev. 2: 4). Let us watch lest our sacrifice of praise, day by day, grows less. It is only as our eyes and our hearts are engaged with that Blessed One Who has done all for us, that the last day will find the same sacrifice as on the first day. May it be so with each one of us.

The fact that there were thirteen, not fourteen, (twice seven), bullocks offered on the first day, might indicate that in the Millenium we are still a little short of that perfect time when sin will be done away. But even though this is true, how sweet to read of that first day of the feast, (New Translation, Lev. 23: 39), "On the first day there shall be rest, and on the eighth day there shall be rest." The Lord offers rest, even now, to all who come to Him, and to all who take His yoke, (Matt. 11: 28-30), but in the days to come there is to be a further rest, when the curse shall largely be done away, and the Prince of Peace shall reign. What a prospect for this poor war-torn earth, Rest, Peace, and Joy! Lord haste that day! Thy Kingdom Come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven!

Before we leave the subject of the Feast of Tabernacles, we must notice with sorrow how little value Israel placed upon it. In Nehemiah 8: 17, we read, "And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness." Even in the glorious days of David and Solomon, days that in type looked on to the coming Kingdom, they did not keep this feast in the appointed way, (though it had been kept, See 2 Chron. 7: 8-10; 8: 13; 1 Kings 8: 2, and it was at this feast that the ark had been brought into the newly built temple), but it remained for a little feeble remnant, returned from captivity, to keep this feast as it should be kept. What a cheer and encouragement to our hearts in these dark and difficult days, when there is such feebleness and failure. The hope of the Lord's coming, and the hope of the coming Kingdom, may shine more brightly in our hearts, than ever has been the case before. May it truly be so!

It was during the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles that Haggai uttered his heart-stirring message, (Haggai 2: 1-9). "Be strong . . . . and work." "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts." While we still wait for that promised peace, may we each be found heeding that first message, "Be strong . . . . and work."

It was in the Feast of Tabernacles that our Lord Himself "went up into the temple," (John 7: 2, 14). The Feast is now no longer called "The Feast of Jehovah," but "the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles." The King had come unto His Own and His Own had received Him not. (John 1: 11). He had offered them the Kingdom and they had refused it, and now the Lord refuses their feast.

But "in the last day, that great day of the feast" (the eighth day, of which we must speak before we close,) "Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified."

With the King despised and rejected of men, the Kingdom — that which the Feast of Tabernacles told forth, — must be postponed. And now Judah has been waiting nearly 2000 years for the rest and joy and peace she refused so long ago. But we see in the Scripture just quoted, that instead of the Feast of Tabernacles, the Lord gives to His Own the Holy Spirit, and even now down here we have rest, and peace, and joy. Now if any man thirst, the Lord calls to him to come to Himself, and drink. Whoever believes on Him, out of his belly, (from the bottom of his heart, as we say, out of his inmost affections,) shall flow streams of refreshment to others. The poor vessel is so full that it overflows.

When the Lord comes we will have the harvest and the vintage, and then the full blessing: but until that blessing comes, we have the Holy Ghost instead of it, and our place is to wait for Christ from Heaven. But the day is coming when not only Israel, but even the nations of the world will celebrate it in exactly the same way as Israel, but we cannot refrain from quoting the following remarkable passage from Zech. 14, beginning from the 16th verse. "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles."

We must notice three things in these verses. First, the nations will come up every year to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts. This King will be the Lord Jesus Christ. We see that at that time He is reigning, — and reigning in Jerusalem. Second, we see the nations must come up to worship. Now, the Lord does not compel anyone to worship Him. There are many in this world with great material prosperity who refuse to worship the Lord. Now, He sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matt. 5: 45). In the time that is coming, if the nations do not obey, and go up to worship the King, and keep the Feast of Tabernacles, they will get no rain. How remarkable it is, that they are not called upon to keep the Feast of the Passover or Pentecost, but only the Feast of Tabernacles. The Passover and Pentecost specially have to do with the Church. The Feast of Tabernacles has to do with the Kingdom.

The Feast of Tabernacles closed with "the great day of the Feast," the Eighth Day. The Eighth Day speaks of a new beginning. The seven days of the Feast tell of the Thousand Years that Christ shall reign: "Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For He hath put all things under His feet. But when He saith, all things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under Him. And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all." (1 Cor. 15: 24-28).

The Eighth Day tells us of this long Sabbath of Eternity. We see in Leviticus 23: 39. "The eighth day shall be a sabbath" or rest. In Genesis 2: 2, 3 we read, "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made." Alas, Sin soon broke in on God's rest, so that the Son of God must say, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John 5: 17). And through nearly six thousand years the Father and the Son have been working for poor, wretched, sinful man. But "There remaineth a rest (or sabbath-keeping) to the people of God." (Heb. 4: 9). Sin has spoiled the rest of the seventh day, but there yet remains the rest of the eighth day.

In Numbers 29: 35-38, we see the special sacrifices that were to be offered on the Eighth Day of the Feast of Tabernacles "Ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish: their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner: and one goat for a sin offering; beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering."

Throughout the long rest of eternity, there will ever and always be going up that sweet savour of the burnt offering unto Jehovah. Throughout eternity there will be no change in the value and worth and fragrance of that offering. Nor will those who have the privilege of sharing in that eternal bliss grow weary of that theme, nor will their sense of the value of that mighty sacrifice ever grow less, as was the case during the seven days of the Feast.

Not only will the Burnt Offering ever send forth its sweet savour, but the Meat Offering will to all eternity tell of the pathway down here of the Man of Sorrows, on His way to the cross. And the Sin Offering will not be forgotten either. The sins are long since gone, to be remembered no more, but forever and forever will we remember that He made His soul an offering for sin, and that "He did it for me."

We have sought to trace in a little measure God's ways as shown forth in the Feasts of Jehovah from Eternity to Eternity, and as we gaze with enraptured eyes on the entrancing scene before us, as it reaches on and on through the countless ages of eternity, we can but even now fall down and worship, as we cry.

"Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Rev. 5: 13)

Genesis

Genesis: The Book of Beginnings

G C Willis

Introduction

This book is a translation, abbreviated and revised, of the Chinese book, "Exposition of Genesis, the Book of Beginnings". It has been prepared especially for those who are not familiar with the lovely stories of the Old Testament, and its object is to point such persons to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is so plainly to be seen in almost every story.

An English translation of the Chinese original was made by a brother beloved in China; Typed copies of this were prepared, for her Master's sake, by one who had learned to know Him in an Internment Camp: and these copies were abbreviated and revised by our beloved brother, Dr. Arthur C. Groth, with the help and advice of some of his friends. This was the last labour of love our brother undertook, before the Lord called him to that Home above, where His servants shall serve Him, as we cannot below.

For some years Dr. Groth had felt most keenly the need of a book such as this; and it is with gratitude to God it is now sent forth, his "desire accomplished", which is "sweet to the soul". May the Lord graciously accept it, hide the many imperfections, and use it for His own praise and glory, and the blessing of His people.

Contents

Introduction

1 Stories in Genesis

2 The Seventh Day and The First Day

3 How Sin Entered the World

4 Cain and Abel's Sacrifice

5 Death or Life

6 People Who Do Not Die

7 The Flood

8 The Judgment Comes

9 God's Longsuffering

10 Noah's Sacrifice

11 The Tower of Babel

12 God Calls Abraham

13 Abram and Lot

14 Abram and the Kings

15 Can You Count the Stars?

16 The God Who Hears

17 The God Who Sees All Things and Hears All Things

18 A Terrible Judgment

19 An Aged Man, One Hundred Years Old, Has a Son

20 The Offering of the Only Begotten Son

21 The Bride of Isaac

22 Isaac Marries Rebekah

23 To Meet the Bride

24 Despising The Precious Promise

25 The Promise of Blessing

26 The Deceiver

27 So Great Grace

28 Far From God

29 Jacob's Return Journey

30 Jacob's New Name

31 Jacob Meets Esau

32 Jacob Becomes Friendly with The World

33 Jacob Goes to Bethel

34 Joseph

35 Joseph in Egypt

36 The Dreams of the Butler and The Baker

37 Joseph and the King of Egypt

38 Joseph Explains Pharaoh's Dream

39 Seven Years of Famine

40 Joseph's Brothers Go Down to Egypt

41 Benjamin Goes Down to Egypt

42 The Silver Cup in a Corn Bag

43 Tell My Father of All My Glory

44 Jacob Goes Down to Egypt

45 The Famine in Egypt

46 Jacob's Will to Joseph

47 Forgiveness Doubted

48 Conclusion

Chapter 1

Stories in Genesis

Genesis 1

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep." (Gen. 1: 1-2)

Some of us have seen a man make a table. Of course he must have the wood. Wood may be bought from a lumber company, and then cut into shape and put together to make a table. But a man could never make the wood itself. Or, a man making bamboo baskets, — he must first get the bamboo. This he splits into strips to weave. But to begin with, he must have the bamboo.

When God first created the world, He did not use stones or water or any thing. Yet, through faith, we know that the world was created by the Word of God, (Heb. 11: 3) and the heavens too. (Ps. 33: 6). None but God could do this.

At first the earth must have been very good. But how did it become waste and empty, with darkness? God has not told us, but we believe God's word: "the earth was without form and void," or, "empty."

People speak of "the darkness of the world." They do not mean that the sun and the moon do not give light, but that our hearts are dark. As the earth was empty and dark, so this is a picture of people. Light is knowing God. Darkness is not knowing God. How may this darkness be made light?

"The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said, Let there be light." There are three persons in the Godhead. They are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is He Who is often called "The Heavenly Father". If we are His children we may call Him, "Abba, Father". That is something like, "Dear Father." The Son of God is Jesus. If we belong to Him, we call Him, "Lord Jesus". He is God, but He once became a Man, and lived on the earth. He died to put away our sins and rose again from among the dead and went up to heaven. He is truly God and truly Man, the risen Man in the glory. The Holy Spirit is also God. He lives on the earth in those who belong to the Lord Jesus. He also speaks to people.

When God said, "Let there be light", the Spirit of God was moving on the face of the dark waters. So He now works in people giving them spiritual light.

If you know that your heart is dark and empty, it is the Holy Spirit speaking to your soul. Then God says, "Let there be light", as He did to the dark world. And God saw the light that it was good. So He divided the light from the darkness. He called the light Day, and the darkness, Night. So there was evening and morning, the first day.

Then the world had light, but it was still waste, and covered with water. God said: "Let there be a firmament" (air) "in the midst of the waters" to divide the waters into the upper clouds and lower seas. God called the air "Heaven", and we call it the sky. There was evening and there was morning, the second day. The water in the upper part we call clouds. The lower part is called Seas, Rivers, Lakes, and Ponds. As God divided the light from the darkness, so now He divided what was below from what was above, as God always divides good from bad. People do not do that. God tells those who call Him Lord, to go away from what is bad. (2 Tim. 2: 19). God said: "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear." God called this land 'Earth' and the mass of waters, 'Sea.' God saw that it was good. God said that grass should come on the earth, and vegetables that have seeds, and also fruit trees, and it was so. God saw that this was good; there was evening and morning, — the third day.

God said, "Let there be lights", to divide day from night, and for signs and seasons, days and years. So God made two great lights, the Great Light, the Sun, for the day; and the Small Light, the Moon, for night. God made the stars also. And He put the lights in the heaven to shine on the earth, to divide the day from the night, and the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. That was the fourth day. These lights are not God Himself. They are things that God made. If we call them gods, God will not be pleased with us. If you see a table, and you say that is the man who made it, do you think the man would be pleased? No! He would say, 'This is simply wood, a table made by me. It is not I.' So we worship God and not the sun or the moon. Now the earth was beautiful! It had flowers, grass, vegetables, and fruit trees. Then sun, moon and stars were shining. Still there were no living animals. So God said that the waters should bring forth a great many living things. So God created fish, and birds in the air. God saw that all was good and blessed them all on the fifth day. Then God made the wild beasts and the cattle and the creeping things. God saw that it was good. The air, the land, the sea were filled with living things, — birds, animals, fish and creeping things. Everything was beautiful! Yet there was no man on the earth; so God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing" . . . . So God created Man and blessed them. God said that He had given them every vegetable bearing seeds, also the fruit trees, for food. And to every animal, and the birds, and the creeping things He gave grass as food. God saw everything that He had made, and it was "very good". There was evening and morning, the sixth day.

Man is different from every other moving thing. God made him in His own image, so that Man's spirit lives forever, and never dies. A dog or a cow has no spirit that lives forever. Your body is like a house in which your spirit lives. If you get sick and die, it is as if your house is destroyed. Then you must move to another place. If your spirit leaves your body, where will it go? Your body can be buried in the grave, but not your spirit. Where will it go? There are two places; one is Heaven, the other is Hell. The Lord Jesus is the Door to Heaven; He says Himself: "I am the door, by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved." (John 10: 9)

Chapter 2

The Seventh Day and The First Day

Genesis 2

God had ended His great work, and so on the seventh day He rested. So God blessed it and called it the Sabbath or Rest Day. But now, sin has come into this world so Jesus said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John 5: 17) Why do Christians gather for worship on the First Day of the week? — because the Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the First Day.

THE FIRST MAN'S FAMILY

You remember God created the world by His word, but "the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed." The LORD God made beautiful trees and fruit for food and the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden. Also there was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. "A river went out of Eden to water the garden." (Gen. 2: 7-10) The LORD God put the man Adam in the garden to dress it and keep it. "The LORD God com manded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him." The LORD God made him sleep, and took out one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh. The LORD God used the rib bone of the man to make a woman. He brought her to the man, and Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." So a man should leave his father and mother and cling closely to his wife: the two shall be one. What a wonderful way for God to make the first man and woman! Just so, the Lord Jesus, "the last Adam" to get His bride went into a "deep sleep", that means, He died on the cross. "Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it." This is a deep secret. (Eph. 5: 23-32).

Chapter 3

How Sin Entered the World

Genesis 3

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman. Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent. We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God bath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Please notice the woman made three mistakes when she told the serpent what God had said. First: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was not in the midst of the garden: the TREE OF LIFE was in the midst of the garden. Second: the Lord had not told them they must not touch it, on the contrary, they were to dress it and keep it. Third: the Lord had not said, "Lest ye die", but, "Thou shalt surely die." Men today are the same, they do not trouble to listen to what God says, but put their own thoughts in place of His words. Today many think that Knowledge, and our knowledge of Good and Evil, is the centre of God's ways for us. No! It is The TREE of LIFE, of which we may freely eat.

Let us mind God's words and never change to what we think is better. Now hear what the snake, the serpent said. First, "Hath God said?" Secondly, he comes out boldly and says "No" to God's word: "Ye shall not surely die." The serpent was speaking for the devil. When men doubt God's Word, and ask, Has God said?; then you know the devil is speaking. We must bear and believe every word in the Bible. Alas, the woman listened to the devil, and seeing that the fruit on the tree was good for food, and was nice to look at, and would make one wise, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave it to her husband, Adam, and he ate. Then their eyes were opened and they knew they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.

The LORD God came down in the cool of the day and walked in the garden. When Adam and his wife heard His Voice, they hid themselves amongst the trees of the garden. What a wonder it is that the great Creator should come down and talk with man! The LORD called to Adam. "Where art thou?" And he said, "I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." His own best doings, the fig leaf aprons, could not cover him. In the sight of God he was still a naked sinner. The LORD said. "Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?" Then he replied that the woman gave it to him. The LORD asked her what she had done. The woman said that the serpent deceived her. The LORD put a curse on the serpent so he should go on his belly always, and eat dust. And God would put hatred between him and the woman, and between her seed and the serpent's seed. The woman's Seed would bruise the serpent's head. The serpent would bruise His heel. And God told the woman that she would bear her children with sorrow, and that her husband would control her. The LORD God told Adam that because he had listened to his wife's words, and had eaten the fruit which God said he must not eat, the ground would grow thorns and thistles, and Adam would have to eat his bread by the sweat of his face, until he went back to the dust: because Adam came from the dust, and he must go back to dust. Adam named his wife Eve (meaning, Living) because she was the mother of all living people. We would have thought Adam would have called her the mother of all dying people, for sin had just come in; and with sin Death had come: but Adam, trusted in God, and called her Eve, the mother of all living.

God had said in the day they eat the fruit of that tree, "Thou shalt surely die." Adam and Eve should die that same day: but God in His kindness provided a way of escape. He killed some sinless animals instead of Adam and Eve, and with their skins, He made coats, and clothed them. The sinless animal must shed its blood to cover their sinful bodies, so that they can stand before God. So God showed Adam and Eve at the very beginning, that there is no other way to cover sin, except by blood. We should not try, like Adam, to cover ourselves with the fig leaves of our own doings. If we will give up our own works, and believe on the Lord Jesus Who died for us, God will count us to be righteous.

The devil still tries to lead men and women, old and young, into sin and down to hell. But God told the serpent that the Seed of the woman would bruise the serpent's head. Who is this Seed? The Lord Jesus Christ. When He bore our sins on the cross, He bruised the head of the serpent, and saved us. And the serpent surely bruised His feet on the cross! His hands and feet were pierced with the nails; and He died for us. In the Bible, we see that the LORD God told us four thousand years ahead that He would come to this world and suffer for us. When He died on the cross, He took the load of our sins. So the Lord Jesus said: "He that believeth on Me, hath everlasting life." (John 6: 47) God wishes to give everlasting Life without any cost to all who read this book today. How good!

Sin and death came by Adam, so death comes upon every man and woman, and often to boys and girls, "for all have sinned." Just now the Lord Jesus offers to us New Life, Eternal Life. Even when death may come and call us to leave this world, those who have heard His Word and have Eternal Life have no need to be afraid. But if God calls you and you say, "I'm too busy", or "I'm too young", or "Please wait a little while", you may keep putting God off until death comes. Which will you choose? Eternal Life? Eternal Death?

The LORD God said that the man had become as one of Them to know good and evil, so for fear lest he should eat the fruit of the tree of life, and live forever, the LORD drove them both out of the garden of Eden to work the land. At the East of the garden the LORD placed cherubim like angels with a flaming sword that turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Chapter 4

Cain and Abel's Sacrifice

Genesis 4

God gave Adam and his wife two sons. The oldest one, called Cain, worked the ground; the younger, Abel, kept sheep. They both brought something to give to God. Surely Adam had told his two sons that when he had lived in the beautiful garden, he had sinned, and was driven out, but that God had covered them with skins, and blood had been shed because of their sin. Cain and Abel were sinful too; they both tried to come to God, each in a different way. Cain brought what grew out of the ground, the fruit such as oranges and bananas, and put it on his altar. He may have chosen the best fruits and the sweetest and prettiest to give to God. But that fruit could not take the place of Cain, in the death which he had earned. That fruit, like the Fig Leaves, had no blood. Abel brought a lamb which he killed, as if he were saying "I am a sinful man, and so should die, but I am asking God to take this killed lamb in my place. And would God take it? Yes; and before God, Abel's badness, his sin, was covered by the killed lamb. But did God take Cain's fruit? No. Why? Because there was no blood shed, so his sins were not covered. Just as the leaves of the fig tree could not cover Adam and Eve's sins, so the fruit could not cover Cain's sins." Blood must flow that we may come to God. Without it we should be thrown into the outer darkness of hell.

But how can we find blood now to cover our sins? We can never find it. But God has found it for us. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus into this world to suffer death. One day when the Lord Jesus was walking, there was a man named John who called out, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1: 29) Yes, God Himself has prepared a Lamb. His blood has flowed out. God is now waiting for you to come to Him and say, "I rest and trust only on the blood of Your Lamb, the blood of the Lord Jesus, to take away all my sins."

This is faith. God spoke about Abel, that by faith Abel offered a much better sacrifice than Cain. And so Abel got the word that he was righteous, God spoke about the gift that Abel brought; so, although Abel has died, he still speaks. (Heb. 11: 4) Our righteousness comes from the Lord Jesus, the killed Lamb. I believe He died for me and that He was raised again for my justification! He has taken my place. So I am righteous in His sight.

CAIN KILLS HIS BROTHER

Cain and Abel were the first children in the world. In much they were alike. They had the same parents, lived in the same family, heard the same stories from their father; how God made the world, how Adam and Eve sinned, how God clothed them with skins, but had driven them out of the garden. Both the brothers knew about the true God. They both wished to give Him an offering. They had had so many things alike. Why were their offerings different? Because Cain did not believe that he was a sinner, and only blood can cover sin. Abel knew that. Today some are sheltered by the blood, and others are not. Before God, these must be forever divided.

Cain was very angry because God did not take his offering. When he and Abel were together in the field, he killed Abel. How very bad this was! The LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel?" And he said, "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" The LORD asked what he had done, because his brother's blood was crying to Him from the ground. And now much sorrow would come to Cain. He must work the ground, which now would not grow things so well for him. He would be a tramp and a runaway in the earth. And Cain went out from the LORD.

Cain did not think that God's eye was on him. But God saw him kill his brother. Many today forget that God sees all things. But all your sins can be covered by the blood of God's Lamb. Flow wonderful this is! Every one is like one of these two brothers, either like Abel, depending on the blood of the Lamb, (for us the Lamb is the Lord .Jesus,) or like Cain, depending on some thing without blood. Who are you like? Abel or Cain?

Chapter 5

Death or Life

Genesis 5

When Adam was 130 years old, God gave him another son instead of Abel and he called his name Seth. After that Adam lived 800 years, and had sons and daughters. At the age of 930 years, "he died". In those days men lived to be very old. The oldest of all was Methuselah: he lived 969 years. Today, if a person lives to be 100, we think him very old. But he must die. How about Methuselah? Of him also it is written: "He died." Would you like to live to be 969 years old? Many people would. Would they like to die then? No. Death is man's enemy. Nobody likes to die, but in this world all except two men have died, Enoch and Elijah.

A little girl said, "Mother, how old must I be before I die?" Her mother was wise, so she gave her a piece of string, and said, "Go to the hillside and measure the graves." She did that and found some very long graves. But she found some shorter, and some very small ones of little children. Are you too young to die? No. But if you are old you are sure that death is near. Soon people may say of you: "He died." No one except the Lord Jesus Christ can take away the fear of death. If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, when death comes you will not be afraid, for that is the time you will go to the Heavenly Home to be with Christ which is far better.

When Cain died, his body was put in the earth. He likely had a very great funeral for he had many children. But where has Cain gone? Was Cain's spirit put in the grave together with his body? No, the body is just like a house for the soul. When Cain died, Cain himself, was on his way to hell (1 John 3: 12) and when the day comes, he will stand before the Lord Jesus, the judge of all. (John 5: 22) By what he has done he will be judged. The books, when opened will tell all the bad works of Cain. It will be shown that he sacrificed to God without blood, and that he killed his brother Abel, and that he lied to God, and many other bad works. So Cain will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, to weep and wail forever. We read of the Day of Judgment, "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20: 15) And this is the second death. But when Abel died, though his body was put into the earth, where has Abel gone? Abel had brought a killed lamb before God as if he said, "I ought to die and go into the lake of fire but please take the life of this lamb for me." Then God put his name in the Book of Life.

In the same way, we come to God, and say, "I am bad, and should die, but Your Son the Lord Jesus has died for me. I take His death for me." So I will never go to hell — with others weeping and wailing. Why? Is it because I am good? No! Or keep the Commandments? No! My name is in the Lamb's Book of Life only because of the precious blood of Christ. Is your name there?

Chapter 6

People Who Do Not Die

Genesis 5

Adam and Eve's two sons, Cain and Seth had families that were very, very different. Cain's children were far from God. Many of Seth's children, learned to know and love the true God. The seventh from Adam was Enoch. He walked with God for Three Hundred Years. Perhaps as Enoch walked with God, God told him a secret, for he warned the people around that the Lord was coming. Enoch loved and trusted God, and loved to hear God's words: so he walked with God. Then God took him away to Heaven where he lived with God, and never died. Now, my hope is that God will do the same with me and take me to Himself without dying, for I read: "Behold I shew you a mystery;" (a deep secret) "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling" ( winking) "of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor. 15: 51-52) "If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent" (go before) "them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thess. 4: 14-17) So we see that we believers, in the world today, may be changed and taken up alive to meet the Lord in the air.

Enoch gives a picture of this soon coming day. What a blessed hope for those who are washed in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus! Have you the same hope as Enoch?

We May Not Die

We may not die, but rise and meet the Lord!

This blessed hope, God shows us in His Word,

The Spirit makes it plain to us, His own, —

He'll catch us from the world, to His Own throne.

We may not die, but rise and meet the Lord!

Oh, the bright glory these few words afford!

Changed instantly, the twinkling of an eye,

And see Thee face to face, our Lord for aye!

Some shall not die, but rise and meet their Lord,

O precious promise! faithful, true and good!

Although we do not know the day or hour,

We know that He Himself shall come in power.

We may not die, then let us more pure be,

Cut off each sin, unseen, or that men see.

This world is passing, Heaven will quickly come,

Then let us day by day, be more like Him!

We shall arise, and meet Him in the air!

Then let us not entangled be down here!

We look for Christ! We do not look for death!

Our hope at any hour, to leave this earth.

We shall arise, and to our Lord ascend,

When His victorious shout the air shall rend!

O Come! Lord Jesus Come! His saints now cry,

Come quickly! so, we e'er, shall be with Thee.

Chapter 7

The Flood

Genesis 6 and 7

In old times people lived long. Methuselah, the longest, 969 years. His son, 777; his grandson, Noah, 950. Noah, a righteous man, walked with God.

But sad to say, the long lives of many were very bad. The world, in God's sight, was very had — rotten, and full of fighting. God saw that the badness of man was very great, and that his thoughts were only bad all the time. So the LORD was sorry that He had made man, and said He would destroy all the men, the animals, the creeping things, and the birds of the air for He was sorry that He had made them. But God, in His kindness, made a way to save Noah. God told Noah that the world, being so bad, must be destroyed, but that Noah should take gopher wood and make an ark — a very large boat about 450 feet long, and cover it with pitch, inside and out, with a window on top and the door at the side. The ark should be in three stories, upper, middle and lower. God was bringing a flood of water to cover the earth and all living things would die, except those that entered the ark, Noah and his wife, and his sons and their wives. Also one male and one female of every kind of living creatures: of animals, birds and creeping things, must come into the ark to save their lives. And Noah took of every kind of food into the ark, for him and for them. He built the ark. Why? Because he was "moved with fear." Why was he afraid? Because he believed the words that God spoke to him. God told him of judgment coming; all would be drowned. Noah had faith, that is, he believed God, so he made the ark.

God has told us that just as that world was destroyed by water so this world will be destroyed by fire. The same word of God says it is kept for the fire at the day of judgment and ruin of bad men. (See 2 Peter 3: 7) He warns men, and tells them how they may escape. (John 3: 16).

While Noah built the ark, he was a "Preacher of Righteousness". With his hand he was driving a nail, but with his mouth he was saying: "Judgment is coming. God will destroy the world with a flood. All will be drowned. Come, come quickly into the ark." But they did not believe. "They did eat, they drank, they married wives. they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." (Luke 17: 27) Did they not know? It was not a few days or months that Noak took to build the ark: but 120 years. I think that he built it on dry land. Did not the people walking past see it? Noah preached and warned. Did not the neighbours hear? "Everything is ready. The ark is big and strong, with plenty of room and food. You have no need to do anything but come. All are welcome! Everybody, come into the ark; so that all may be saved!" Perhaps they said, "No, Noah, you have said this for many years. The flood has never come: we are not afraid." Or "Today we cannot go in. Wait. We will not get ready yet. Maybe tomorrow."

Chapter 8

The Judgment Comes

Genesis 7

Noah's grandfather was named Methuselah. Methuselah's father was Enoch, who preached the solemn sermon: "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of His saints, to execute judgment." (Jude 14, 15) . The name Methuselah means, "When he is dead it shall be." Enoch gave his son this strange name, so that he might be a sign to all that the judgment was coming. As long as Methuselah lived the judgment would not come: but, when Methuselah died, then all the world should know that judgment was near. Methuselah lived to be the oldest man this world has ever known. Why? Because God was not willing that any should perish, and He waited, and waited, and waited, for men to repent. He waited for men and women and children to come into the ark to be saved. God had warned them that when Methuselah died the judgment must come: so in His loving patience, He waited till Methuselah was the oldest man who ever lived, to give opportunity for the people to be saved.

At last Methuselah died. Noah and his family entered the ark. The LORD shut the door. The judgment was coming. It was then too late! Alas! people still did not know that they were lost. They did not know this was the beginning of the flood. Why did they not know? Because they did not believe God's Word. So they all perished. They perished, though there was a way of salvation, free for nothing, at their hand.

Today there is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ but the world is nearing its terrible end. Are you like Noah's neighbours?

If someone said to Noah, "I believe your words", but did not enter the ark, what good was that? Millions of people say they believe in Jesus, that He was born and died. Some even believe that He is the only Saviour. But this kind of faith will not save anyone. The faith needed is the same as Noah's faith, by which his whole family of eight persons went into the ark and was saved: Trust only to Christ: not only believe that Jesus is a Saviour, but also take Him for yourself as your Saviour. Say, "Jesus is my Saviour." How kind God is! He did not wish any to be downed. He held the water back for seven days after Noah entered the ark before He shut the door. He waits for you. Why not come now? Then at last the rain did come; it rained heavily for 40 days; the water grew higher; it flooded the earth. Then the people knew that the terrible day had come. I think that Noah's neighbours ran to the ark, and shouted. "Open the door. Let us in! We do believe you now! Let us be saved!" But Noah could only say: "It is too late! Your chance is past. The Lord Himself has closed the door!" Some likely climbed to the tops of the hills but the water rose and covered all. My friends, Heaven's door will soon close. The Lord says: "Now is the accepted time: now is the day of salvation." Some say: "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." But God says: "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." (2 Peter 3: 4-7)

The World in Noah's Day

The busy world was pressing on its way

Intent to plant and build, to sell and buy:

And neither knew nor cared that every day

The Lord Himself came from His Home on high

To walk with man.

And thus the course of time its way fast rolled,

Till soon three hundred years were fully gone.

While Enoch, prophet of the Lord, foretold

The Lord with thousands of His saints will come,

Will come to judge.

Alas, the busy world still sped its way,

Nor thought, nor cared, for God's most solemn cry.

Then, strangely, Enoch was not found one day,

For God had taken him to dwell on high,

To dwell with Him.

But Enoch's son still spread the message grave:

"When I shall die the judgment sure must fall."*

And Noah built an ark their souls to save:

He, too, while building, preached the solemn call:

The Judge is near.

The world sped on without a thought of God.

No time had they to hear what He might say

Nor did they know until had come the flood

And took them all, yea, every one, away:

The Judge had come.

And still the busy world runs its own way,

Intent to plant and build, to sell and buy:

And heeds not, just as 'twas in Noah's day,

That God still sends abroad that solemn cry:

The Judge is near.

Before shall swiftly fall that judgment dire,

Like Enoch once, our God shall claim His Own.

The world, and all its works, are burnt with fire;

But His shall walk with Him in white, at Home:

At Home, with Him!

{* Methuselah means: "When he is dead it shall be."}

Chapter 9

God's Longsuffering

Genesis 7, 8.

You know there is much wickedness and fighting now. Perhaps you ask, "Why has not the judgment already come?" God has told us: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3: 9) Yes, it is because He loves you. He does not want you to suffer the everlasting fire. He is waiting for you to repent, to turn and believe in the Lord Jesus and to get eternal salvation. Jesus says, "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." (John 5: 24) Noah was safe in the ark; the rough waves struck it, but could not reach Noah. Thus the Lord Jesus is our refuge — our "ark". All the waves passed over Him. He has taken God's judgment against our sins. We trust in Him, as Noah trusted in the ark; and so we also shall get no judgment.

After the heavy rain God spoke to the wind; the water went down. After five months, the ark landed on Mount Ararat. Later the tops of the hills were above the water. Noah let a raven out, but it did not come back; then a dove, but because of the water the dove had no rest for its feet, so it flew back to Noah. After seven days Noah let the dove out again, it came back with an olive leaf. So Noah knew the water had gone down. Again, after seven days, it did not come back. It had found trees and food.

Chapter 10

Noah's Sacrifice

Genesis 8

Later Noah removed the covering of the ark. By one year and ten days, the earth was quite dry. So God told Noah that he and his wife and sons and their wives should leave the ark. And so they and the beasts and the birds and creeping things, all left the ark. How happy! But God had been with Noah all that long time in the ark. The joy of Heaven is to be with God, and the Lord Jesus, and He with us. Noah had this joy; although he was shut up inside the ark a whole year, he had the best Friend with him. We who believe in the Lord Jesus have Him with us, and are just as safe as Noah.

Noah built an altar and sacrificed of every clean beast and bird. The LORD smelled a sweet smell, and said in His heart, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth: Neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease." (Gen. 8: 20-22) The sweet smell from the altar is a picture of God's foreseeing the preciousness of the sacrifice of His Son on the cross for us, and for Noah too.

All the water of the flood, or of baptism, can never wash away the sins of your had thoughts and works, for "without the shedding of blood is no remission". (Heb. 9: 22)

God blessed Noah and his sons, and said, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things, But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." (Gen. 9: 1-4)

Some think that good acts, not eating meat, not killing things, fit them for heaven. No! Eating meat, or not eating, has nothing to do with the forgiveness of our sins. (1 Tim. 4: 1-6) But we do not eat the blood. Why? Because the blood is the life, and the life belongs to God. (Acts 15: 20-29, Lev. 17: 10-14) The blood of Jesus Christ poured out tells us that He died, — He gave life for us.

God put the rainbow in the clouds as a sign of no more flood. This reminds us that God has promised that all who trust in the Lord Jesus have everlasting life and will escape judgment. (John 3: 16 and 5: 24)

Noah planted grapevines, drank wine, and got drunk. His son Ham saw him naked in his tent, but Shem and Japheth covered their father. When Noah was awakened from the wine, and knew what was done, he cursed Ham's son (Canaan). [slightly edited, Ed. STEM.]

Chapter 11

The Tower of Babel

Genesis 11

Noah's sons had many children. They all talked the same language. As they walked, they found a great plain and lived there.

God had told Noah and his sons to spread over the world. But those in this plain of Shinar did not want to move, so they said: "Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.. And they said, Go to, Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth." (Gen. 11: 3, 4) Perhaps they feared God would send another flood, so they tried to get away from His judgment. Men do the same today, but cannot get away from God.

The LORD came down to see the city and the tower. Then He mixed up their talk so they could not understand. One man might call for mortar, but the other would not know what he said. Another might call for brick, but nobody knew what he wanted. So they could not work. They stopped building, calling it Babel — "confusion"so the Lord scattered them over the world.

Notice how very easily God can stop those who think they are wise. May we all honour and worship the only true God, and not go against Him.

About two thousand years after the confusion at Babel, the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, came into the world to die for sinful men. He was raised again from the dead; and after forty days He went back to Heaven. Ten days later, those who believed in the Lord Jesus were together in one place: suddenly God sent His Holy Spirit from Heaven, and they were able to speak in other languages. There were people from all over the world there, who were all greatly surprised to hear them by the Holy Spirit speaking in the native language of each one. They said. How is it? At Babel it was God's great power that scattered. Now it is God's great power that makes them all able to understand and hear the good news of Salvation. In Heaven, we shall use only one language. Each will understand the other because there all will have been born again into one great family. Are you of the family of Heaven?

Chapter 12

God Calls Abraham

Genesis 12

Every day the people grew worse. They left God, the Creator and bowed down, and worshipped idols made by men's hands of wood, stone, brass and iron. These are not God at all: their eyes cannot see; their mouths cannot speak; their limbs cannot move. How foolish and bad! As they were not willing to change and be sorry, God let them go their own way. Even today, men, women and children go to temples to burn incense to idols instead of to worship the living God. But God is not yet punishing them. He waits long for them to turn to Him.

The LORD called one man, Abram, (whose father worshipped idols), to leave his father's home, his family, and his country, to serve the true God alone, and to go to a place that the LORD would choose for him. He would give this land to him and to his children as a gift. Abram believed God, obeyed, and started for the place not knowing where he was going.

His father, Terah, took Abram and his wife, and nephew Lot, to go to Canaan, but they stopped in Haran till Terah's death. Then Abram remembered how the God of glory had appeared to him; and so left Haran and went to Canaan as God had said.

Let us think. From the time of Adam to Abram is about two thousand years. Methuselah could possibly have listened to Adam telling these wonderful stories for 243 years, and later told them to Shem for 98 years, and Shem lived at the same time as Abram for 150 years. In Ur of the Chaldees, where Abram and his father lived, many things such as books and libraries of Abram's time have been found.

Chapter 13

Abram and Lot

Genesis 13

Abram had a tent and an altar. The tent tells us that he was a stranger looking for that city which had a foundation built by God. The altar was to worship the true God. We who believe on the Lord Jesus are also strangers here; our home is in heaven. And we have the Lord Jesus as our sacrifice and altar.

When there was very little food in Canaan, Abram went down to Egypt and took Lot. I suppose Abram forgot that God could feed him in Canaan. Yet God blessed Abram and Lot as He had promised. He gave them many cows, sheep, camels and servants. When they came back to Canaan they had so many cattle that there was not enough grass for them. One day Abram's servants found a nice place of grass for his cattle, but when Lot's servants brought his cattle there, they fought over it. Abram was sorry, for he saw there was trouble between God's people. They should love each other. So Abram told Lot that as they were brothers there should be no quarrel and he might choose; if he wished to take the part on the left for his cattle, then Abram would take that on the right; or if Lot chose the right, then he would go to the left. This was Abram's kindness, for he was an old man. Lot should have said, "No, you choose first, please." But Lot did not say that; he looked at all the plain of the river Jordon, — plenty of water and grass, like Egypt. So Lot chose the part with the grass and pitched his tent toward the very bad city, Sodom.

After Lot was gone, the LORD spoke to Abram, "Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever." Then the LORD told Abram to walk through the land, the full length and breadth of it, to see how large and good it was. Then Abram moved his tent to the plain of Mamre, and again built his altar, unto the LORD.

Chapter 14

Abram and the Kings

Genesis 14

Abram, at Hebron in the plain of Mamre, was far from the bad city, Sodom. He had plenty of servants and cattle. Later on, four kings came and fought against the kings of Sodom, and of four other cities. At last these four kings won the battle and took the people captive, with Lot and all the goods.

Abram heard about Lot. Abram had faith in God. He gathered his 318 trained servants and with some of his friends went after the four kings, till he caught them one night. They fought these kings and beat them, and brought back Lot and the people and goods to Sodom.

Just as he returned, the very noble king of Salem named Melchizedek came to meet him. His name means "King of righteousness". His city means "Peace". This noble king was also a priest, not of idols in a temple, but priest of the most high God. There is only one most high God, the true God of heaven. At Abram's return, this noble king brought him bread and wine. He blessed Abram saying. "Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." And Abram gave him one tenth of all the goods.

The king of Sodom was very happy as he saw his people brought back in peace. So he said to Abram, "Give me the persons and take the goods to thyself." But Abram said, "I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich."

How good when One who owns heaven and earth is a man's friend! If you have a very rich friend with many fields and houses who loves you, would you be afraid of being poor? You know that he will always help you, and you can tell him directly the things you need. How happy! Do you need to take one cent from anyone else?

The Lord of earth and heaven, the richest of all, is willing to be your Friend. Wonderful! Who? The most high God. He has shown His love for you by doing what no one else could do. He sent down His Son to die for your sins, so that you may be at peace with Him, have 'grace and get blessings. Have you ever heard of such love? Have you thanked His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of righteousness and the King of peace, because He left His heavenly Home and came to this earth to die for your sins?

Chapter 15

Can You Count the Stars?

Genesis 15

Because Abram did not take a reward from the King of Sodom, the most high God was very pleased. He said: "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." And Abram said, "Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless?" Abram thought that, as he had no children, his servant would be his heir, and have his goods. But God told Abram, "This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir." Abram was old then, about 85 years old. God brought him out and said to him. "Look now toward heaven and tell the stars if thou be able to number them;" and He said unto him, "So shall thy seed be." Abram believed God; he did not ask: "How can it be? I am 85 years old and my wife is 75. How can we have a son?" Abram just simply believed God, so God counted it to him for righteousness.

How plain it is! How easy it is! Abram was not a righteous man himself. Abram was a sinner like you and me. But just because he believed God's word, God counted him righteous. As if God said, "Abram, you are a sinner, but because you believe Me, I count you a righteous man." God had not told him to act as a righteous man, nor to do something, or keep the commandments and the law, or to be a good man. He just simply and plainly said that Abram BELIEVED GOD, AND GOD COUNTED IT TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (see Rom. 4: 3) God counts sinners righteous when they believe God's word, not because of works they may do.

People ask, "Though this is very plain, "What is the use of it for me?"

Listen! God says, This was not written for Abram alone but for us too. The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, died on the cross for our sins, and afterwards he was raised again. If you believe this fact, God counts you just, the same as He justified Abram. (Rom. 4. 23-25) . Some say, "I think I may depend on my good works to be made just." Friends! This is not the way God justified Abram. "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom. 4: 5)

Are you a sinner or not? Do you want God to justify you or not? Do believe God. The Lord Jesus died for our sins and was raised again to justify us. Only believe, accept this work for yourself, and you will be justified by God. (Romans 3: 24, 28; 4: 5, 25; 5: 1, 9).

Chapter 16

The God Who Hears

Genesis 16

We have learned how God had said that Abram's children should be like the stars. He believed God's word and God counted his faith to him for righteousness.

After Abram had lived in Canaan about ten years and had no son, his wife Sarai, instead of waiting for God's promise, said to Abram, "Go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her." Abram listened. But he was wrong in this for he believed, at first, that God could make Sarai have a son. He should have waited. A Christian should not take more than one wife.

Now, you can see the sad result in Abram's household. When Hagar, the maid, saw that she would have a child, she did not honour Sarai. Sarai hated Hagar and was hard with her, so Hagar ran away from her mistress Sarai, and went to the desert by a fountain of water. Then God's angel said unto her, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence earnest thou? and whither wilt thou go?" Hagar said, "I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai." The angel said, "Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands." And he said, "Thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name, 'Ishmael'," which means 'God has heard'. And Hagar called the name of the LORD "Thou God seest me'. Can idols hear, or can they also look after men? No, the true God of heaven alone could hear and see when Hagar had run away. He is the same today. He hears you and sees you in the way you go. And not only that, but He loves you too. Can idols of wood and stone love you? No. Does the devil love you? No! The devil wants to harm you, but the true God never forgets to love you.

When Ishmael was thirteen years old, the LORD said to Abram, "I am the Almighty God: walk before Me and be thou perfect." He said again, "Thou shalt be a father of many nations." God changed Abram's name to Abraham, which means a father of many nations. God further promised to give to his children the land of Canaan for all time, and that He would be their God.

God gave Abraham a mark of the promise, called circumcision. He commanded that his son Ishmael and all the males in his house should have that mark. When God spoke these words to him, Abraham was ninety-nine years old. God also changed Sarai's name to Sarah, which means "a princess."

Have you ever seen a Jew? Jews are Abraham's children, their land is Canaan, which we call Palestine or Israel. Because they sinned against God, worshipped idols, and afterwards killed God's Son, He broke down their city Jerusalem, and scattered them nearly 1900 years ago to every country of the world, and now there are many Jews in many countries. In the last few years many Jews have gone back to their own country. God said that at the end He would gather the Jews to their own land. He also tells us that the Lord Jesus will come again from heaven for His saved people. Are you ready to meet Him?

Chapter 17

The God Who Sees All Things and Hears All Things

Genesis 18

One day while Abraham was sitting at his tent door, he looked and saw three men. He went to meet them, and brought water to wash their feet; and he and Sarah prepared a meal. Abraham stood by while they were eating under the tree.

As the men were eating, one said to Abraham, "Sarah, thy wife shall have a son." Sarah was just behind in the tent door. As she heard this, she laughed within herself. Not a word did she say, yet the One who had promised her a son was the God of heaven. He was there in the form of a man. He knows all our thoughts. The LORD asked Abraham, "Wherefore did Sarah laugh? Is anything too hard for the LORD?" Again He said, "Sarah shall have a son." This makes us know that God is almighty, — nothing is too hard for Him. Those idols in the temple are not like this. An idol is nothing, can do nothing, but God can do everything. As soon as Sarah knew that God could see her heart, she was afraid and said that she did not laugh. Such a lie is no use before God. So He said, "Nay, but thou didst laugh." Oh, friends! please remember that God can see your inner hearts. Yet He loves you. He wants to take away your sins and to give you everlasting life.

Afterwards these three men walked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them. The LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?" The LORD said again that because the sin of Sodom was very bad He would go down to see if that city was as bad as its cry. When Abraham heard that God might punish Sodom, where Lot lived, Abraham was sorry. But Abraham knew that God is love; and would hear his prayer, so he came and said, "Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?" Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city, wilt thou also destroy and_not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? He asked too: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" The LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes." Abraham went on asking, Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt thou destroy all the city for the lack of five? The LORD said, "If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it." Abraham prayed for Sodom again, and again, that perhaps there might be forty . . . thirty . . . twenty found there. The LORD said every time, "I will not destroy it." Still he prayed, "Oh let not the Lord be angry," perhaps "ten shall be found there;" and the LORD said, "I will not destroy it for ten's sake." Then Abraham stopped and the LORD went His way.

He had not been angry for his praying; He was glad to listen. If you pray aright to God, He will never be angry: He sees and hears and loves and He promises "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." If you are not saved, come to God through Jesus and receive forgiveness by the work which Jesus did on the cross to wash your sins away.

Chapter 18

A Terrible Judgment

Genesis 19

In the beautiful plain where Lot lived there was nice grass to feed cattle, and also five cities, among them two named Sodom and Gomorrah. Those people were very bad. God had said He would go down to see. Two angels in the form of men came to Sodom one evening when Lot was sitting in the gate. Seeing the angels he arose and asked them into his house for the night. At first the angels said, "No." But Lot pressed them. As the people knew that these men were staying in Lot's house, they came, wanting to break down the door to hurt them. Lot went out and said, "I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly." Do you think those bad men would stop doing such things? No. So the men pulled Lot back into the house, and made their eyes blind, so they could not find the door.

"And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD bath sent us to destroy it. And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law." (Gen. 19: 12-14) . They did not believe, nor leave Sodom. They thought Lot was jesting.

In the morning, the angels hurried Lot and told him to get up, take his wife and two daughters or they would be destroyed in the city. And while he was slow, these two angels took their hands, for God was kind to him, and led them outside the city, and said, "Escape for thy life, look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain." But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. "Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17: 32)

After Lot was saved, God rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulphur and fire out of heaven. The people of Sodom had seen the angels, but they did not know that judgment would come so soon. And although Lot's sons-in-law were told, they did not believe. In the morning people ate, drank, planted and built as usual, until suddenly they were destroyed.

Think of Lot's sons-in-law, as they saw the sulphur and fire falling from heaven, how did they feel? Then, even though they believed Lot's word, it was too late! Dear friends! there is a more terrible judgment coming for those who neglect the gospel of the Lord Jesus. There is no other way. (John 3: 16) If Lot's sons-in-law had believed they would have had life, but they did not believe, so they were burnt up.

Today you may choose. Tomorrow may be too late.

Chapter 19

An Aged Man, One Hundred Years Old, Has a Son

Genesis 21

As God promised years before, God gave Sarah a son; when Abraham was one hundred years old. She was glad and said, "God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me." And his name was Isaac, meaning "hearty laughter."

The boy grew and the day he was weaned, Abraham made a great feast. That day Sarah saw the son of Hagar, who was perhaps fifteen years old, mocking. So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac." Abraham did not like to cast them out, but God said to Abraham, "In all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice, for in Isaac shall thy seed be called." God then promised to make Ishmael a great nation also.

So Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and sent them away. They wandered in the desert; the water of the bottle was gone, the day was hot, Ishmael was very, very thirsty, he could walk no more, and Hagar could not bear to see her son die of thirst before her, so she put him under a shrub and went away from him, a good way off. While Ishmael was under the shrub, what do you think he did? He cried to God. He was a boy of 14 or 15 years old. Do you think God was willing to hear his cry? Yes. He sent an angel to Hagar to say, "God hath heard the voice of the lad;" and he showed her a well of water. Hagar took the water to Ishmael. God took care of Ishmael, and made him live in the desert where he grew and became an archer.

Remember, "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." Also, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Chapter 20

The Offering of the Only Begotten Son

Genesis 22

After Isaac had grown, one night God tried Abraham's faith. God said to him, "Abraham," and he said, "Here I am." God said, "Take now thy son, thine only son, Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." Abraham was very rich, and Isaac was the heir of everything. God had promised that Abraham's children would spread over the whole land where he lived, so all his hope was put on Isaac alone. After all, could Abraham trust and obey God in this one thing or not? Yes, even so, he obeyed God, and rose up early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and the wood for the burnt offering, and went to the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham said to his young men, "Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you." How do you think Abraham knew that he would come back with Isaac? Because he believed that God could raise Isaac his son from the dead. So Abraham took the wood and laid it on Isaac: just as God's beloved Son bore that heavy wooden cross. And Abraham took the fire in his hand, and a knife and they went, both of them together. And Isaac spoke to his father and said, "My father." And Abraham said, "Here am I, my son." Isaac said, "Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." And when they came to the place which God had told him of, Abraham built an altar, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. Suddenly the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham." He answered, "Here I am." The angel said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him, for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from Me." How glad was Abraham, so he set his son free. Then he saw a ram caught in the bushes by his horns, and Abraham took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. Afterwards Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh, that is, the LORD will provide; for God provided a burnt offering for Himself instead of Isaac. So Abraham returned to his young men with Isaac, and they went home together.

Because Abraham obeyed God and offered his son Isaac, God was greatly pleased. God promised to give him great blessing, and all the nations of the earth should be blessed in his seed. This has been fulfilled because the only hope of the whole world is the Seed of Abraham — that "Seed" is the Lord Jesus Christ whom God "spared not, but delivered Him up for us all". (Rom. 8: 32) Thus we see in Abraham and Isaac a beautiful picture of God the Father and His Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the spotless Victim, the perfect Sacrifice, who bore our sins in His own body on the cross and put them forever out of God's sight. Will you accept Him as your Saviour?

"God spared the son that Abraham offered: but He would not spare His Own."

Chapter 21

The Bride of Isaac

Genesis 24

We know that Abraham was a stranger in the land of Canaan, so when Sarah died, Abraham had no place to bury her. Abraham talked with the people of the land, and from them bought a cave in a field, with all the trees. Though the Lord Jesus is God and also the King of Glory, yet when He was on earth He said, "The foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." (Luke 9: 58) He was really poor. When He died His friend lent a grave to bury Him. Like the grave of Sarah it was a cave, and it was in a garden: for God cared for His beloved Son.

God has not promised that all who believe on Him will be rich; but He tells us that we are strangers in the earth, because our home is in heaven, and that we shall have trials and suffering in this world.

Isaac was lonely after his mother died, so his father called his oldest servant who ruled over all his household, and told him to go far away to his own people to find a wife for his son Isaac. Long before, God had told Abram to leave his home. He obeyed and God had led him to Canaan. Now, because its people were bad, Abraham did not wish his son to have a wife of Canaan.

Think of it, the servant would go to a very far place to find a girl, call her to leave her own family, and travel the long way in the desert to marry a stranger. This is not easy. The honest servant said to Abraham that perhaps the woman would not want to follow him to Canaan; then should he bring his son back to his native land? Abraham said, "Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. The LORD GOD of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me saying. Unto thy seed will I give this land; He shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again." (Gen. 24: 6-8) So the servant promised.

We see Abraham as a picture of the Heavenly Father, Isaac laid on the altar a picture of God's Son in His death on the cross. When Isaac returned home, it is like the Lord Jesus being raised from the dead, and returning to Heaven. And the servant is like the Holy Spirit.

Isaac was lonely after his mother died. The Lord Jesus said, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12: 24) . He spoke this about Himself, which means that if He stayed in heaven, or even if He just came to earth and did not die, He still would be alone. Just think, the Lord Jesus would be lonely in heaven if He does not have us. Wonderful! So He left His bright heavenly home, came to the earth, died, and was buried: then He rose again and went back to His heavenly home again. Then God sent the Holy Spirit to this earth, just as Abraham sent out his trusted servant.

Why did he send him? Because he wanted to find a wife to live with Isaac all her life. Why did God send the Holy Spirit? He wanted to find a bride, a companion, for the Lord Jesus to live with Him in heaven always. It is true, the Holy Spirit came to this earth long ago. He also invites you all to heaven together to form the bride for the Lord Jesus Christ. His bride is not just one person, but all believers in the Lord Jesus are, together, His one bride and will be His wife always with Him in heaven.

Chapter 22

Isaac Marries Rebekah

Genesis 24

Abraham's servant, with ten camels, travelled across the desert until he came to Mesopotamia. Then he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water and he prayed, saying, "O LORD GOD of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shewed kindness unto my master." (Gen. 24: 12-14)

Just then a very pretty girl, Rebekah, came with a pitcher, or jug. She went down to the well to fill her pitcher. He ran to meet her, saying: "Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher." She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried to let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink. After he drank, she said, "I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking." And she hurried to empty her pitcher into the trough, and ran to the well to draw water for all his camels. Those camels would drink a great deal of water — much more then a horse.

He was sure then that she was the one God had chosen to be Isaac's wife. When the camels had finished, the servant took a beautiful gold earring, and gold bracelets, and gave to her, and asked her father's name. When she told him, he knew she was the niece of Abraham. Then he bowed his head and worshipped the LORD thanking God for His leading and help. The girl ran home and told her family about the man, and showed the gold earrings. Her brother ran to the well and brought the man home saying, Come in, . . . I have prepared everything for you. When the servant came into the house, he loosed the camels and gave them straw and food. There was water to wash their feet, and food to eat. But the servant said that he would not eat until he first told what he came for.

Then he told them of the riches of Abraham, and of his son Isaac, and he said that Abraham sent him specially to find the girl. And when he was by the well and had not finished praying, Rebekah came to draw water from the well, and how all she had done was just as he had prayed. Now he wanted her to be Isaac's wife. "Now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."

As Rebekah's brother and father heard this wonderful story, they said, "The thing proceedeth from the LORD: Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife." As the servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth. He gave valuable gifts to Rebekah, to her brother, and to her mother. That night they ate, and drank, and slept there. The next morning the servant said, "Send me away unto my master." Rebekah's brother and mother said she should stay a few days, at least ten, after that she should go. But the servant asked them not to hinder him, as the LORD had helped him. "Send me away that I may go to my master." So they asked Rebekah, "Wilt thou go with this man?" Oh! what an important question! Would she leave her parents, brother, friends, idols, and her home and become a stranger's wife, right now? Did she say, "Let me think about it", or "I may go in ten days". What would she say? Rebekah said, "I will go." She had heard the servant and believed the story. Her heart was warmed, she had no doubts, and she said, "I will go."

Now, let me ask, "Will you go with this Man?" Today the Holy Spirit, sent from the Heavenly Father, brings you the same message. You know the Lord Jesus is God's only begotten Son; the whole world is His; all things were made by Him, and made for Him. You know His honour, His love, and how He died on the cross to buy you back to Himself. You have heard how He wants you to live with Him in glory always. Now let me ask you, "Will you go?" "Will you receive the Lord Jesus as your own Saviour?" People have said, "Yes, I will, but wait a little, at least ten days", yet they did not go, and have perished. I ask you, "Will you go now?" "Will you receive Christ as your own Saviour now?" Trust in Him now and joyfully say, "I will go."

Chapter 23

To Meet the Bride

Genesis 24

The Holy Spirit left His heavenly home and came to earth to seek a bride for the Lord Jesus. He will soon take all who believe to heaven to live with the Lord Jesus always, just as the servant brought Rebekah through the desert and came to Isaac's tent.

Many days they were in the desert, travelling the road to Canaan. I think he must have told Rebekah many stories about Isaac, — that once Abraham bound Isaac and laid him on he altar for an offering to God.

Reader, do you know that the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, is God's Lamb who became the sacrifice for our sins, because He wanted to save us? He can forgive you now and bring you to heaven.

When the Holy Spirit hears a lost man answer, "I will go", then that man is saved, and he does not belong to this world; then his how is with the Lord in Heaven, even though he has not reached Heaven yet.

Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening. He saw camels coming and went to meet them. Rebekah asked the servant, "What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us?" He answered, "It is my master." So Rebekah got down off the camel and took a veil to cover herself. What a happy meeting! And Isaac brought her into his mother's tent, and took her as his wife, and he loved her.

The Lord Jesus will come, we do not know when, but soon. He has said, "Surely I come quickly." "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." (Heb. 10: 37) Those who are ready will enter heaven with the Lord and partake of the marriage supper. Then the door of grace will be shut. Are you ready? Will you be inside with the Lord?

The Bride

Midst the darkness, storm, and sorrow,

One bright gleam I see;

Well I know the blessed morrow

Christ will come for me.

Midst the light, and peace, and glory

Of the Father's home,

Christ for me is watching, waiting,

Waiting till I come.

Long the blessed Guide has led me,

By the desert road;

Now I see the golden towers,

City of my God.

There amidst the love and glory

He is waiting yet;

On His hands a name is graven

He can ne'er forget.

Who is this, Who comes to meet me,

On the desert way,

As the Morning Star foretelling

God's unclouded day?

He it is Who came to win me,

On the cross of shame;

In His glory well I know Him

Ever-more the same.

There amidst the songs of Heaven,

Sweeter to His ear

Is the footfall through the desert

Ever drawing; near.

There, made ready, are the mansions,

Glorious, bright and fair,

But the Bride the Father gave Him

Still is wanting there.

O the blessed joy of meeting,

All the desert past,

O the wondrous words of greeting

He shall speak at last!

He and I together entering,

Those fair courts above;

He and I together sharing

All the Father's love.

Where no shade nor stain can enter,

Nor the gold be dim,

In that holiness unsullied,

I shall walk with Him.

Meet companion then for Jesus,

From Him, for Him, made —

Glory of God's grace for ever

There in me displayed.

He Who in His hour of sorrow

Bore the curse alone;

I who through the lonely desert

Trod where He had gone;

He and I, in that bright glory,

One deep joy shall share —

Mine, to be for ever with Him;

His, that I am there.

Chapter 24

Despising The Precious Promise

Genesis 25

You know how Abraham believed God's promise of Canaan. He gave to his other children goods and sent them away, but gave all that he had to Isaac, for he was the son God had promised. And God had told him that the children of Isaac should get that land; so Abraham believed God's precious promise. Abraham lived 175 years. He died and his sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried him in the cave where Abraham had buried his wife.

Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, and they had no son for about thirty years. So Isaac prayed to God and He gave Rebekah two sons, twins. The one born first was named Esau, (that means, Red); the other was called Jacob, (that means Supplanter, or, Cheater) . In some countries people pray to idols for a son, but idols cannot answer, — the true God can. Being born first Esau had the better place; but God told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger.

When Esau grew up he became a hunter. Jacob loved his home, and lived in the tents. One day Esau came back from hunting, and felt tired. At that time Jacob was boiling red beans. Esau asked for some because he was hungry. Jacob said, "Sell me this day, thy birthright." So Esau sold his better place for a bowl of red beans. We learn later what God thought of this. (Heb. 12: 16, 17). God tells us that when Esau wanted to get his father's blessing, he was refused, and he found no way to change his mind, though he tried carefully, with tears, to get the blessing. To look down on God's promise of blessing is very bad. Now, God promises that if you, a sinner, believe on His Son the Lord Jesus Christ, God will forgive your sins and give you peace, joy, and everlasting life. If you despise this, not only do you lose this greatest gift, but later even if you seek with tears, you may not get it, but weep and grind your teeth always. If you seek God now, you will find Him. But if you turn away from the Lord now, later, when you try to find God, He may have turned away from you, as with Esau.

Are you like Abraham who valued God's promise; or like Esau who sold God's blessing for a bowl of food, a cigarette, or some dirty dollar bills? Oh, be wise, and take God's gift at once.

Chapter 25

The Promise of Blessing

Genesis 26

After this, there was very little food in that land, but God took care of Isaac and his family. God showed Himself to Isaac and told him to live in that land as before. He said, "I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." "Thy Seed" means one child. That means that all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3: 16)

The most important thing is the promise of the true, living God; for His promise is given to us too. His promise means this: In the Lord Jesus Christ, many people in all countries shall be blessed. Today, many countries are passing through troubles, as floods, high taxes, war, and other troubles. Although many people ask for "Blessing", yet every day there are more troubles. Why? Because people have not gone to the right place for real blessing. God made the promise, but who listens? And so, the troubles. If you want real blessing, you must get it in the Lord Jesus. He calls all countries, all day long, wanting to bless all who will believe Him.

God blessed Isaac greatly and made him a very rich man; he had many sheep, cattle and servants, so other people envied him. Isaac's servants dug wells for water, and others filled them with earth, or took the wells for themselves, but he did not fight for them; he just dug a well in another place. Then they stole that one. Isaac moved away and dug another well, and as they did not fight for it, Isaac named it Rehoboth, (meaning "Room") for he said, "Now the Lord hath made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land." When we get the blessing of the true God, we need not fight with others; God will look after us. Isaac knew that God would give him the land and all the wells, so he waited for God. He moved again, and the LORD appeared to him saying, "Fear not". So Isaac built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD, and put his tent there. He was a stranger. He dug a well there also for water for his cattle. We, the believers of the Lord Jesus, should be like Isaac. The first thing is an altar, that means to worship and to call upon God. The second thing is a tent, that means we are pilgrims, strangers, in this earth. Lastly, we need a well, that is God's word, the holy living water of life to drink every day.

Chapter 26

The Deceiver

Genesis 27

God blessed Isaac, made him rich and gave him two sons, the older Esau, the younger Jacob. In those times the older would be greater and get much more than the younger. God had told Isaac that his older son would work for the younger, and you heard how Esau sold his birthright for red beans.

Isaac was old and could not see. Though he knew God wanted the younger son, Jacob, to be the greater, yet he loved Esau very much, because he was a hunter, and made nice food for his father.

Isaac said to Esau, "Now I am old, I know not the day of my death: now therefore  go out to the field" and hunt for me, "and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die." Rebekah told Jacob that she heard his father ask Esau to make savoury meat for him to eat, that he might bless Esau before his death. So Rebekah told Jacob to obey her and get two little goats and she would make the savoury meat, so Jacob would bring it to his father, and so get the blessing instead of Esau. Jacob said to his mother, "My brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: my father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver: and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing." But his mother said, "Obey my voice." She took the skin of the goats and put it on Jacob's neck and arms, also put on him his brother's clothes. Then Jacob took the savoury meat to his father. His father thought him to be Esau, so he blessed him! It was very bad that Jacob cheated his father. Both Jacob and his mother valued the promise of God to give them the whole land, and, in his seed bless the whole world. But did God need their help? They forgot that God is almighty and could, and would, do what He promised. What a difference when Abraham looked on God's promise. "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, He was able also to perform." Rom. 4: 20, 21) Was God able to keep His promise to bless Jacob? Did God need their lies? This brought Jacob many years of sorrow. He had to run from his home to save his life. His uncle cheated him, and when he was old his sons deceived him, just as he had cheated his brother, and deceived his father. God says, "Be not deceived . . . . whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." (Gal. 6: 7) . Jacob reaped a heavy harvest. This is true for every person. Did you ever tell a lie? Did God hear it? Remember, what you have sown, you will reap! Sin will take one down to hell forever. Not only in this life will you get a painful harvest, but have pain always. But, is there no way to escape? Was Jacob sent to hell forever for his deceit? No, thank God! He has made a way of escape for every sinner. We read Jacob truly believed God, years later. Now God promises that He offers salvation to every sinner. God said, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Tim. 1: 15) The word "sinners" means deceivers, murderers, and doers of all bad things. It means you. Salvation is for you. "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." (John 5: 24) Do you believe that He is able to do this? Or do you, like Jacob, want to help God to give you everlasting life? How foolish! Be like Abraham and trust God's promise. He does what He says. God gives you the promise of eternal life. Believe His word, Take it and thank Him.

After Isaac had blessed Jacob, Esau came in bringing savoury meat for his father and wanted his blessing. Then Isaac asked, "Who art thou?" He answered, "I am thy first born son, Esau." Then Isaac knew that Jacob had cheated him, and Isaac shook all over.

When Esau knew what Jacob had done, he cried aloud. But it was too late! He had not valued his birthright, and had lost his blessing. All who despise the gift of eternal life which God gives will certainly lose their blessing. Many people outside the door of grace will be crying when it will be too late. Though Isaac gave Esau another blessing, still he lost the blessing of Abraham; he lost everything which Jacob valued, and he never again had a chance to get it.

Chapter 27

So Great Grace

Genesis 28

Esau was very angry that Jacob had cheated him and said he would kill him. His mother heard this and wanted Jacob to go away, so she said, "Arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran, and tarry with him a few days." But I fear she never saw Jacob again! Having blessed Jacob, Isaac sent him away to his mother's old home, to seek a bride. Abraham did not let his son return there, but Isaac had forgotten this.

It was a long journey. There was no train or boat. He had to walk. At night there was no house. He had no pillow, so he took a stone instead, lay down on the ground, and slept. That night he had a wonderful dream. He saw a ladder set up on the earth, with the top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God going up and down. "And behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." (Gen. 28: 13-15)

God did not say, "If you repent and never deceive again, then I will do this for you." God did not once say, "If". All was wonderful kindness, grace beyond men's thoughts. But Jacob was very much afraid. He said, "How dreadful is this place! This is the house of God, and this is the gate of Heaven" Jacob did not believe these promises, so he said, "If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God." (Gen. 28: 20, 21). Jacob arose, and took the stone pillow and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it, and he called the name of that place Bethel ("House of God"), and promised saying, "This stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give a tenth unto thee." Oh! Jacob! God did not say "If" to you, why did you say "If" to Him? Why did you not believe God's true word, and say 'Thank God'?

God's grace is very great; Jacob knew what a sinner he was; he also knew he had deserved much suffering; but instead God gave him a promise. Are we like Jacob? He saw a ladder to heaven. So God also made for you and me a way to heaven. The veil of the temple had closed the way to God for many years, but when the Lord Jesus died, that veil was at once torn in two. The way to heaven has been opened. God waits for you. Jesus says, "Come unto Me." But are you like Jacob or not? Have you deceived others Have you told lies? Are you a great sinner? Have you said, "Others may have a way from earth to heaven, but I have not, because I am so great a sinner!" God says, "He that believeth." (John 3: 36) No matter whether a great sinner or a small sinner, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." (John 6: 47). Do you believe His Son? Perhaps you say, "If God gives me everlasting life, I shall " Stop! God has not said "If"; "The gift of God is eternal life." (Rom. 6: 23). God's grace is greater than your sins. Today God gives you "forgiveness of sins", "everlasting life", and "eternal blessing". Please do not say "If" but say "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." (2 Cor. 9: 15)

"Lo, I am with thee, safely guarding thee in all the way, wherever thou mayest go; and I will bring thee back unto this land, because I will never, never let thee down, until I have done all things that I said unto thee." (Gen. 28: 15: From the Greek Old Testament).

"Lo, I am ever with thee!"

With me, whose name is "Cheater"?

O Lord, That could not be!

With Isaac, Yes, my Father!

But never, Lord, with me!

Yes, "I am ever with thee!"

"I'll always guard thee safely!"

Guard me, who robbed my brother?

Who now for life doth flee!

Guard me, they call "Deceiver"?

Thou'lt never, Lord, guard me!

Yes, "I will guard thee safely!"

"And to thy home I'll bring thee!"

Bring me, 'the worm called Jacob'?

O Lord, That this might be!

And give me food and raiment!

Then GOD Thou'lt be to me!

Yes, "To thy home I'll bring thee!"

"For 'let thee down' I'll never!

Nor ever thee forsake!

I'm Jacob's GOD for ever!"

Those blessings each may take,

I say to each believer: —

"No, Let thee down, I'll never!"

Chapter 28

Far From God

Genesis 29

You remember Jacob was afraid to be near the gate of heaven and house of God. People now are like this; they forget they are sinners until near the gate of heaven; then they know it, so when a man is going to die, he is afraid. All his sins, like a black cloud, are before him. He knows that he will soon be near the gate, but because of his sins he cannot enter. I knew a child who was fishing, but suddenly fell into the river and sank. At that very moment, all his sins came quickly before his eyes, many he had forgotten, one by one, as clear as in a book. He was so afraid, he did not think of being drowned; he thought of his many sins, — how to meet God. A man was to be put to death; at eight o'clock the next morning he would be shot. That night a Christian visited him. The prisoner, a very brave man, walked up and down all night. The Christian asked, "Are you afraid to die?" "No, I only fear what comes after death; the Bible says 'after death the judgment'." You and I will both meet God. He says, "Prepare to meet thy God."

Jacob did not believe God could love a bad sinner, so was afraid. But God loves us and He tells us that Christ died for us, when we were yet sinners. (Rom. 5: 8) The Lord Jesus says, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." However, sinners think they must become better first. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God's thoughts higher than ours. "This is a faith ful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Tim. 1: 15)

"If you wait until you are better, you will never come at all." So come now, because the precious blood of the Lord Jesus can wash away all our sins.

"Just as I am — without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And now Thou bidst me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!"

Jacob went a long way, and came to his mother's old home; there he saw flocks of sheep lying by a well. The well's mouth was covered by a great stone. The shepherds waited until all the flocks of sheep came, then they drew water for the sheep. Jacob asked them where they came from, and whether they knew his mother's brother, Laban. They said, "We know him." And they told him, "Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep." Jacob was very happy to see his cousin Rachel, so he went and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered her sheep. Then he kissed Rachel, and told her that he was her Aunt Rebekah's son. She ran to tell her father, and Laban came out and brought Jacob to his house. He told Laban about his father, mother, and home, for at that time there was no post office for letters.

Jacob kept Laban's sheep for one month. Laban asked, "Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou serve me for nought, tell me what shall thy wages be?" Laban had two daughters; the older, Leah, had bad eyes, but the younger, Rachel, was beautiful. So Jacob said, "I will serve thee seven years for Rachel." And Laban agreed. Because Jacob loved Rachel so much these seven years seemed to him like a few days. At the end, Laban cheated Jacob, and gave his older daughter, Leah, for his wife. Jacob had deceived his father. Now he reaped what he had sown. Jacob was very angry, but Laban said that if he would work another seven years, then he would give him Rachel too. And Laban gave his daughters two maids.

"This man receiveth sinners"

"This Man receiveth sinners",

The Pharisees once said.

"This Man receiveth sinners,

And with them eateth bread."

"This Man receiveth sinners",

Oh, Praise the Lord indeed:

Praise God, it was for sinners

He came to earth to bleed.

"This Man receiveth sinners".

Yes, Thank the Lord that He

Is still receiving sinners,

And so receiveth me.

"This Man receiveth sinners,

And with them eateth bread".

He, Who receiveth sinners,

Is now those sinners' food.

"This Man receiveth sinners".

Glory to God above!

It was to poor lost sinners

He shows His matchless love.

"This Man receiveth sinners".

He is the "sinner's Guest".

The sinner who receives Him

Finds joy, and peace, and rest. (Luke 19: 7)

"This Man receiveth sinners".

The Pharisees spake true.

Because He loveth sinners,

He loves and welcomes you.

"This Man receiveth sinners".

He is "the sinner's Friend!"

With sinners all around Him,

Eternity He'll spend. (Matt. 11: 19)

Then, to "The Man Christ Jesus",

Those sinners sing aloud:

"He loves us, and He washed us

In His own precious Blood!"

Chapter 29

Jacob's Return Journey

Genesis 30, 31.

Jacob loved Rachel more then Leah; so God gave Leah sons, but Rachel had no son. These years were sad years for Jacob; he had no altar; he lived with Laban who bowed down to idols; his wife Rachel loved the idols. When they left Laban, Rachel stole her father's idols. When a man leaves God, his heart is without peace. But God is full of grace; He never left Jacob. Poor Jacob had no altar; had he forgotten God? But God never forgot him. Jacob thought out tricks to deceive Laban, and Laban did the same. But God remembered His promise to Jacob, so He gave him ten sons, and also a son, Joseph, by Rachel. God gave him many servants, maids, cattle, camels and asses. After twenty years Jacob was rich.

Jacob may be a lesson to every believer: — a picture of a man who has faith yet forgets God, — a Christian who chooses a place of his own, as Jacob left Canaan for Padan-aram, and lost his altar. Our home is heaven, but some Christians when in the world forget heaven. I have a friend, who when asked his country says, "My honourable country is heaven." — not my poor country, — he values heaven. True, we forget, yet God never forgets us. "God is faithful". Laban saw that Jacob had very much cattle: he wished they were his, and he did not treat Jacob as before. Laban's sons said, "Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's."

Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee." So, while Laban was gone to shear sheep, he set his sons and his wives upon camels, and took all his servants and cattle and left quietly. On the third day it was told Laban that Jacob had run away. Laban and his brethren went after Jacob, and in seven days found him at Mount Gilead. But God in a dream warned Laban not to hurt Jacob. Laban asked Jacob why he had ran away, and not allowed him to kiss his sons and daughters: he also asked, "Why hast thou stolen my gods?" Jacob told Laban he was afraid of him; and also "with whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live." So Laban searched in all Jacob's tents, but could not find the gods, for Rachel had hidden them. These were not living gods. Yet Rachel worshipped these idols — images of gold or silver, instead of the ever living God who took care of her husband and blessed them! He is the only true, almighty, eternal God.

Jacob was angry and told Laban how hard he had worked for him. Afterwards, they set up a stone for a pillar, and both promised not to pass over this stone to hurt each other. Then Jacob offered a sacrifice, and called his brethren to eat with him, and they stayed all night in the mountain. The next morning Laban arose early and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, and blessed them, and went back to his home.

Chapter 30

Jacob's New Name

Genesis 32

Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. Jacob saw them and said, "This is God's host."

You remember Jacob had deceived his brother Esau and stolen his blessing. Now Jacob was afraid, for he knew soon he would meet Esau. Twenty years before, Esau had promised to kill him. Would he kill his wives and children too? Jacob did not know. So he sent messengers to meet Esau first, to tell him that he was coming back. The messengers returned and told Jacob, "We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee and four hundred men with him!" Then Jacob was greatly afraid, for he remembered his past. He knew too that he had never followed God closely. What trouble!

What could he do? Nothing! A man with several women, eleven children, a multitude of cattle, and a few servants, could not face those four hundred strong, angry men! Jacob could not escape except by God's power.

For many years Jacob had trusted his own strength and plans, but now he could do nothing. Yet he still planned, so he sent a very large gift to Esau. He sent many sheep, camels, and cattle. He divided his other cattle into two bands, in case one band was killed, he hoped the other might escape. He sent his wives and children over the river first. Yet, he knew his only hope was in God. So Jacob prayed to God as he had never prayed before. He had bargained with God. Yes. But this time, — how different, he prayed! Have you ever really prayed? A man in great trouble can really pray. Have you ever seen that you are losing your precious soul, on the way to hell, and God only can save? Then cry, "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow," and trust on the Lord's precious blood to take away all your sins. Jacob prayed to God truly. He told God that He Himself had told him to return home, and had promised: "I will deal well with thee." He confessed, "I am not worthy." The Lord Jesus says, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." If you plead God's promises, and confess you are not worthy, but only a lost sinner, He will hear your prayer. Tell Jesus you are coming to Him, just as you are, and He promises, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."

Jacob said to God, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of the truth which Thou hast shewed unto thy servant." False and crooked, he had been, but Jacob was now before God, and he saw himself in the light of heaven; he saw how he had deceived his old father; cheated his brother; made bargains with God, and deceived his uncle. You and I are not worthy, but God shows His mercy and truth to us bad, crooked sinners. Let us come and tell it all to God.

Jacob kept on, "Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother Esau; for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children." And, "Thou saidst I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude." Did God hear that prayer? Surely!

That night Jacob was alone. An angel wrestled with hint That angel really was God Himself. Jacob wrestled all night in his own strength. Afterwards, the angel touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, so it was out of joint, and strength was gone. The angel said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." Jacob said, "I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me." The angel said, "What is thy name?" He said, "Jacob" ("Supplanter" or, "Cheater") . The angel said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel" ("a prince of God") .

That was the best night of Jacob's life; he really prayed; he lost his old name and got a new name. Have you had such a night? Have you lost your own strength? Have you lost your old name, and got a new name — Christian? If so, it was the best day of your life.

"O Happy day, that fixed my choice On Thee, my Saviour and my God! Well may this glowing heart rejoice And tell its raptures all abroad!"

Chapter 31

Jacob Meets Esau

Genesis 33

Jacob saw his brother Esau coming with his four hundred men. Very much afraid, he divided up the women and children to meet Esau. Jacob bowed seven times and Esau ran forward to meet him; they embraced each other and wept, and kissed each other. Esau asked Jacob, "Whose are those with thee?" and he said, "The children which God hath graciously given thy servant." And he said the cattle were a gift. Esau said, "No", but Jacob pressed him, so he took it. Then Esau said, "Let us go together", but Jacob did not want to. Was he still afraid? So he said that he and the cattle would move very slowly, so the cattle would not die, till he would go to Esau's place. But he did not really wish to be with Esau, instead, he went to Succoth where he built a house. Neither his father Isaac nor his grandfather Abraham had built any house. God called Jacob to be a stranger and a pilgrim in Canaan. Would a stranger build a house? Where was his tent? Then Jacob moved to Shechem and bought a field; for a stranger, was this wise? No, a real pilgrim only stays a little while, not thinking of fields and houses. But Jacob forgot. Yet he built an altar and called it El-elohe-Israel ("God, — the God of Israel") .

We Christians are strangers on earth; our home is heaven; but how do we act? Are we now like true pilgrims and strangers content with a tent and an altar to please God?

Chapter 32

Jacob Becomes Friendly with The World

Genesis 34

At Shechem Jacob's daughter Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land. Jacob knew the people were very wicked; also that his father and grandfather kept away from them. But if Jacob had a house and a field, no wonder his daughter made friends with the people about. "The friendship of the world is enmity with God; whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4: 4)

The ruler of Shechem was Hamor, and his son was Shechem. When Shechem saw Dinah he said to his father, "Get me this damsel to wife." So Hamor asked Jacob. Jacob and his sons all knew they should not agree, but they spoke deceitfully. Hamor also promised to give Jacob many things, and suggested they might be one people and live in the land and trade, and marry together. Just like the world of today; they want Christians to be one with them — no difference. O Christians, be careful! The Lord says, "Come out from among them and be ye separate." (2 Cor. 6: 17.) The world says, "We may be one." The Lord says, "Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Tim. 2: 19.)

Jacob's sons said, "We will dwell with you, and we will become one," if they would all be circumcised. Then they would live and trade with them. If not, they must take back their sister. Hamor and Shechem agreed, and they urged all the men of that land to be circumcised. On the third day, when they were all sore, Jacob's two sons, Levi and Simeon, came upon the city boldly, and killed all the men, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house. They also took all the sheep, cattle, asses, and everything in the city and in the field, all their money, their children and wives, even all that was in the house.

How sad was the end of Jacob's effort to make friends with the world! Many years later, at the end of his life, he was still sorry. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." (1 John 2: 15-17.)

Chapter 33

Jacob Goes to Bethel

Genesis 35

Jacob feared now they would all be killed. Then God said to him, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there." Many years before, God had spoken to Jacob at Bethel, at the time when he deceived his brother, and left home and was running away. There Jacob had seen a ladder to heaven with angels. How good were God's promises to Jacob then! But Jacob had gone his own way, not by faith, so sorrow came. God had faithfully blessed him, yet Jacob had never truly trusted God as he should.

Jacob got up at once to go to Bethel, as God said. Now he thought of the idols in his family, unclean things; he knew these were not fit for God to see. So he said, "Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went."

How sad, to find in our home things which do not please God. Perhaps we, or our wife, or children may have them. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." (1 John 5: 21) . Besides the idols of gold, silver, wood, stone or paper, there may be idols inside our hearts, — money or knowledge, or the idols of drinking, eating, and pleasures — anything that takes the place of God in our eyes. God wants us always to put Him first.

When Jacob wanted to build an altar to God, or if we Christians want to be near God, then all that would defile our lives must be put away. If we are dirty with idols, what shall we do? "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word." (Psa. 119: 9; 2 Cor. 7: 1) If unclean, we must go to God and tell Him. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 9)

Jacob's mother's old nurse had gone up to Bethel with him, and she died there. They left Bethel, and when near to Bethlehem, Jacob's wife Rachel had a baby boy, named Benoni, "Son of my sorrow". And then she died. But Jacob called him Benjamin, "Son of my right hand."

For the Jews, the Lord Jesus is "The Son of their Sorrow," because when they crucified Him, God drove them from their land, and they were scattered. But for God His Father, the Lord Jesus is "The Son of His right hand."

Jacob saw his father Isaac again; Joseph and his brothers saw their grandfather now for the first time. Truly, God kept His promise to Jacob. Later on Isaac died, and Jacob and Esau buried him in the cave with Abraham. Some day, they will rise up to that heavenly city which Abraham looked for.

Chapter 34

Joseph

Genesis 37

Jacob's ten sons were now grown to be men, though Joseph was only seventeen years old, and Benjamin, just a child. Joseph lived with his father in Hebron, a beautiful valley on a mountain. The ten sons were all bad. They fed the sheep, and Joseph told his father of their bad ways. Jacob loved Joseph most, therefore his brothers hated him. Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colours, and they hated him more.

One night Joseph had a strange dream. He told his brothers that they were binding sheaves in the field, and Joseph's sheaf stood straight up, and all their sheaves stood round, and bowed down to his sheaf. Then they hated him still more. Again Joseph dreamed. He saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bow down to him. How strange! His father asked, "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" His brothers hated him all the more, but his father thought about it. God had given these dreams. Later on, we will see how God made them come true.

Jacob had many sheep and cattle. His sons fed the sheep at Shechem (the city where they had killed its people) . Hebron, high on a mountain, makes us think of heaven: but Shechem, of sin, deception and murder. Jacob's sons left Hebron and their father, to feed the sheep down at Shechem. Have we not all left our heavenly Father and chosen this bad world?

Jacob said to Joseph, "Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee unto them. Go, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again." So he sent Joseph out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

Think of our heavenly Father. The Bible says, "The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." (1 John 4: 14) . And "God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3: 17) . As Jacob sent his beloved son, so God sent His beloved Son to save us.

He found they had gone to Dothan, so he went there. His brothers said, "Behold, this dreamer cometh: Let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say 'Some evil beast hath devoured him:' and we shall see what will become of his dreams."

They stripped him out of his coat of many colours. They wanted to kill him, but his oldest brother Reuben said, "Let us not kill him," but "cast him into this pit." Reuben wanted to take him to his father. So they threw Joseph into a pit. Joseph cried and begged them to let him go, yet they would not listen. There was no water in the pit. Then they sat down to eat. Joseph was hungry, thirsty, and in trouble. But did these brothers care? God saw how bad they were. He also saw and took care of Joseph.

While his brothers were eating, they saw Ishmaelites coming, riding on camels. They were also Abraham's children, so these people really were the cousins of those bad men. They were taking spices, balm and myrrh down to Egypt. Judah said: "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh." The brothers agreed. They drew up Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites. Do you remember that the brethren of the Lord Jesus — the Jewish people — sold Him for thirty pieces of silver? Joseph is a picture of the Lord Jesus, and that pit is a picture of His grave.

Joseph's life was spared, but the life of the Lord Jesus was not spared. They nailed Him to the cross. We read in the Psalms of His grief and the pain He suffered for us. "Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for sonic to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none." (Ps. 69: 20). God did not leave Joseph when he was in trouble but God turned away from the Lord Jesus. hear Him crying, "My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Ps. 22: 1) . You and I know why God forsook Him, — because of our sins. God put my sins on the Lord Jesus Christ. When He was nailed on the cruel cross, God saw my sins borne on His body. No man can fully understand the pain He suffered. We can know how Joseph suffered, but we can never know how deeply the Saviour suffered. Have you ever thought, "He suffered so much just for me?" Have you ever taken that work for your own self and thanked Him? If not, do so now, because He died for sinners.

When Jacob sent Joseph, he did not know that he would meet trouble. But when God sent His Son to save us, He knew that He would be crucified. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." We can say, "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift."

Do you remember that they stripped Jesus of His clothes? When Joseph's brothers stripped off his coat, they killed a little goat and dipped the coat in the blood. Then they sent it to their father saying that they had found it, and asked if he could tell if it was his son's coat. It was very, very had to so deceive their old father. Even so, God saw all those things, and did not forget. He says, "They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness." For more than twenty years, they kept it quiet about the goat's blood on the coat, so nobody knew it, but GOD.

You have heard how the Lord Jesus came into the world and what the people did to Him. Some people talk about the Lord Jesus' birthday, but do not want to think about His death, because it was for sinners He was nailed to the cross. What does His death mean to you?

Chapter 35

Joseph in Egypt

Genesis 39

The Ishmaelites brought Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave to Potiphar, captain of the guard. The LORD was with Joseph and made everything go well. Joseph's master saw this, so he made Joseph rule his house; and put all he had into his hands. Then the LORD blessed all that he had in the house and in the field. Joseph was a good looking man and his mistress often cast her eyes upon him, but he refused her attractions. So she told a lie about Joseph before her husband. Then he put him in prison for a long time, but God was with him. As Joseph so truly feared God, we might wonder why God allowed these troubles, but at the end we will understand. We often see true Christians who have many troubles. Though they suffer now, yet they need not be afraid that God has left them. God says, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."

Chapter 36

The Dreams of the Butler and The Baker

Genesis 40

We have seen that although Joseph had not done anything wrong, yet he was put into prison. They hurt his feet with chains, and he was laid in iron. (Ps. 105: 18), but God was with him and showed him mercy. He gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison who put into Joseph's hand all the prisoners. He did not look to anything that was under his hand, because God was with Joseph and made all that he did to go well. Before this in Potiphar's home, God made everything go well. Now while Joseph was in the prison, God did the same. It is much better to live in a prison with God, than to live in a king's house without Him.

The king of Egypt put his butler and his baker into prison. We do not know what they had done, but the king of Egypt was very angry and put them where Joseph was.

One night they both dreamed and in the morning Joseph saw they looked sad, so he asked, "Wherefore look ye so sadly today?" They said that they both had a dream but nobody could tell them the meaning. Joseph asked if they knew that God could tell the meaning. Perhaps Joseph thought of the dreams he had had. And Joseph knew that God was able to make his own dreams come true. So Joseph said to tell him the dreams, then the chief butler told his dream. (Read Gen. 40: 9-23)

The butler who pressed the juice of the grapes into the king's cup was set free to live, but the baker who made the cakes was put to death. The juice of grapes is red, a picture of blood. At the Lord's supper the fruit of the vine is a picture of the blood of the Lord, which was shed for us. But the cakes made by the baker do not tell us of blood or death, so the baker himself died. The butler poured out the wine, which pictures blood, and tells of somebody to die in his place, so he could live. WE all have sinned against God, but he who comes to God trusting only in the precious blood of Jesus has everlasting life. The baker may have worked very hard, but his work could not take away his sins. But the juice of the grapes made the butler go back to the king's house, as the blood of the Lord Jesus will make those who trust His precious blood live in the heavenly home with Him. Joseph said to the butler, "Think on me, when it shall be well with thee." This makes us remember the night in which the Lord Jesus was betrayed, He took the cup and gave unto His disciples saying, "This do in remembrance of Me." (Luke 22: 19) That cup is a picture of His blood. He wants us, who have eternal life by believing on Him, to remember Him in His death. The butler should have thanked Joseph, and remembered his goodness. But he forgot Joseph. Have you got everlasting life by trusting in His blood, yet forgotten His last words "Remember Me"?

Chapter 37

Joseph and the King of Egypt

Genesis 41

The king of Egypt, Pharaoh, hanged the chief baker on the tree, but brought back the chief butler to his palace. Egypt is one of the oldest countries in the world. This story happened over three thousand years ago. Even now, the buildings and temples of Egypt are the greatest and most wonderful in the world. The Pyramids, thousands of years old, are still the strongest and greatest. We think that some were built soon after Joseph. Egypt was then the greatest country in the world. The Egyptians were clever, wise and rich. Two years after the chief butler got out of prison, the king had a strange dream. He could not understand it, nor could all the wise men of Egypt. He was greatly troubled, for it seemed a message. Pharaoh did not know the true God. All his people bowed down to idols, — many kinds, such as calves, beetles, and other animals. Could the true God explain the dream? Was there a man in all Egypt who knew God? Yes, one, but he was in prison. When Pharaoh could find nobody to explain his dream, the chief butler said, "I do remember my faults this day." Then he told the story of his dream in prison, and how Joseph explained it. The king sent a man to call Joseph. He quickly changed his prison clothes, shaved, and came to the King. He now was thirty years old. From the time he was a little boy up to seventeen years old, he was with his father in Canaan. Then he was sold as a slave into Egypt. Perhaps he was in prison about ten years. Now this poor rejected shepherd boy, the slave, was brought from prison to stand before the greatest king in the world. Wonderful! This surely makes me think of the Lord Jesus. He was a little more than thirty years in the world, despised and rejected of men, the "Man of Sorrows." He came down to the very lowest place. Joseph was just sold for a slave, but the Lord was sold and died. Joseph had a good end when he was old, but the Lord Jesus did not die peacefully, but on a cross! His death was cruel and shameful: more terrible than any other death. Besides the pain and shame, God also put our sins on Him. None can say how great was the Lord's suffering! Oh! Why did He suffer so much? For you and for me! The king of Egypt called Joseph out from the dark prison to stand before him. So God took the Lord Jesus out of the grave and after forty days the Lord went up to heaven and now sits at the right hand of God. Truly, God has now highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2: 9-11)

Chapter 38

Joseph Explains Pharaoh's Dream

Genesis 41

Egypt's palaces were very grand. Everything was the best. But why did such a mighty king need a prisoner, Joseph? Because God wanted to speak to Pharaoh. Only Joseph knew the true God, so he only in all Egypt could help Pharaoh. In Pharaoh's dream he stood on the bank of the River Nile. In Egypt there is no rain. Without the Nile all Egypt would be dry like the desert. The Nile has a great flood every year, so that both sides are watered. The Egyptians always plant their crops at the place where the flood water has been and so get good crops. Therefore the Egyptians did not worship the true God in heaven, but they worshipped the River Nile, and crocodiles from it, and such things. Pharaoh saw in his dream seven cows come up out of the river, good looking and fat-fleshed, and they fed on the nice green grass. Then seven other cows came up after them, bad looking and lean-fleshed, Pharaoh had never seen such poor cows. Then what? The thin cows ate up the first seven fat cows and when they had eaten them, they were still just as thin and bad looking. Again Pharaoh slept and dreamed. This time he saw seven ears of grain come up in one stalk, full and good, then seven ears of grain, thin and empty, sprung up after them. Then the thin ears which sprung up last ate up the seven full ears, but they were still as thin as before. What strange dreams! Who could ever think what these dreams meant? Yet God told it to Joseph. So Joseph told Pharaoh that the two dreams are one, and that God had shown Pharaoh what He was going to do. The seven cows are seven years, and the seven ears are seven years, too; the good ones are seven years of good harvest, the bad ones are seven years of famine, when the fields would not give crops. So the whole land would be in great trouble, but because God is kind, He told Pharaoh.

Then Joseph told Pharaoh that it would be best to gather much food in these seven good years, so in the bad years they might not be starved. And he advised Pharaoh to find a wise man to manage this. Let him save up in storehouses one part out of five of the grain of the land in the seven good years. This was very good advice. Pharaoh took Joseph's advice and said, "Can we find such a man in whom the Spirit of God is?" So he made Joseph the chief man to rule over all Egypt. One day Joseph was in prison, the next he was the greatest ruler in all Egypt, except Pharaoh. He wore beautiful clothes and had the king's ring. Now Joseph had a fine house and a chariot to ride in. Men ran before him, and cried, "Bow the knee!" and all bowed down before him.

God has given us, not a dream, but the Bible. In it, He tells of coming judgment. Pharaoh knew lie had seven years to get ready, but we do not know how long we have to get ready, and then we shall never have another chance. "A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished." (Prov. 22: 3) Let us be wise like Pharaoh! "Behold, now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6: 2) Pharaoh got a man who had the Spirit of God in him, he trusted him for everything. We should trust a Person, that is the LORD Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ "gave Himself a ransom for all." (1 Tim. 2: 6) If we trust. Him Who died for our sins we need not fear judgment, but we will live with Him.

Chapter 39

Seven Years of Famine

Genesis 41

Pharaoh gave Joseph a wife, and God gave Joseph two sons, the oldest was named "Manasseh" ("Forgetting"), for God made Joseph forget his work and sorrow. The younger was named "Ephraim" ("Fruitful") , for God caused him to be fruitful in the land of his trouble.

This story makes us remember the Lord Jesus Christ. He suffered great trouble for us; now God has highly exalted Him. And God has given Him a bride who will live with Him always. Who is His bride? His bride is everyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. And the bride is the true church of God, of which every believer is a part. We see many different churches, but they are all set up by man. In them there are some who are not true Christians, but in God's Church there are only those who have been truly cleansed by the blood of Christ.

Joseph worked very hard to get together so much food that it could not be measured, like the sand of the sea. When the last year of the seven good years was ended, the famine began and spread over all lands. At the present time, I know every country in the world has its own fear; this looks as if the beginning of the seven bad years is very close. We can see trouble ahead and many Christians believe judgment is coming soon.

The Egyptians were happy because they could buy wheat. They came to Pharaoh, but he said, "Go to Joseph." Today, before the judgment comes, if we ask God for salvation, God will surely say, "Go to Jesus." "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved," (Acts 4: 12).

Chapter 40

Joseph's Brothers Go Down to Egypt

Genesis 42

Everywhere people were hungry, even in Canaan. Joseph's old father Jacob lived with his eleven sons in Canaan. Years before, you remember, Joseph's brothers had sold him into Egypt. Jacob did not know this. He thought Joseph was dead. But his sons knew. When Joseph was sold, he was seventeen, but now he was about thirty nine.

The food in Jacob's home was almost gone, so he said to his sons, "I have heard that there is corn in Egypt; get you down thither and buy for us from thence; that we may live and not die." But Jacob did not send his youngest son Benjamin, for he thought that some danger might come to him.

When the ten brothers came to Egypt, they were told to go to the ruler of all Egypt, so they went and bowed down to him. None of them knew who he was, for in twenty-two years he looked very different. He spoke Egyptian, and a man translated to them.

When Joseph saw his brothers he knew them. When they bowed themselves, he remembered his dreams in Canaan — his brothers' sheaves and the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowing down before him.

Joseph did not tell them who he was. He wanted them to remember and be sorry for their sin of years ago. So he said they were spies and had come to see the weak places of the land. They said, "Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come; we are all one man's sons." They said they were honest men and not spies. Joseph said, No, you are spies. They said, "Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not." They were not willing to speak of Joseph whom they had sold. Then Joseph told them they must bring their youngest brother to Egypt to prove what they had said, or else truly they were spies. Joseph put his brothers in prison for three days, — (perhaps the same prison where Joseph had been!) to think about their sin. After three days Joseph said to them that he feared God: If they were honest men, let one of them stay bound in prison, but the others might go with corn to their home. They said one to another, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear, therefore is this distress come upon us." And Reuben said, "Spake I not unto you, saying, 'Do not sin against the child;' and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required." Joseph heard all this and understood, but they did not know he understood. Joseph turned away from them and wept. Then he took his brother Simeon and bound him before their eyes. They remembered what they had done to Joseph years before! Joseph sent them home, except Simeon who went to prison. Also he put their money into each one's sack.

How bad to try to cover up sin! God says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." But you must thank God if He makes your sin find you out now, or else it will find you out when you stand before God's judgment throne. God says, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Prov. 28: 13) Now, God has made a way to cover all the sins of those who confess them. There is no other way. Only the Lord Jesus' precious blood can cover men's sins. They told Joseph's brothers to 'go to Joseph', now God tells you, "Go to the Lord Jesus." Trust in His precious blood to cover your sins, then you shall have God's forgiveness.

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." (Ps. 32: 1.)

Chapter 41

Benjamin Goes Down to Egypt

Genesis 43

The brothers went home and told their father what had happened. When they opened the sacks of corn they were surprised to find the money they had paid, put back in the sacks, and they were afraid.

Soon the corn was eaten up. Jacob said, "Go again, buy us a little food." But Judah said, "The man solemnly told us 'Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.' If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy the food; but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down." Jacob was very sad and said, "Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin." But they would all starve unless they got corn from Egypt, so at last Jacob let Benjamin go.

Then they started for Egypt again, and Jacob said to them, "God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send back your other brother, and Benjamin, If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved."

Had Jacob known that Benjamin was going down to his dear brother Joseph, he would have feared nothing; he would have been glad. But Jacob did not know. Are we sometimes like Jacob? Joseph was the picture of the Lord Jesus in glory. But although Joseph was so great, yet he had not forgotten his little brother Benjamin and his old father. If Jacob had only known that the most honourable man in all Egypt so loved him!

The brothers came to Egypt and stood before Joseph. Joseph saw Benjamin amongst them, and he said to the ruler of his house, "Bring these men home." But they were afraid to go. Why? Because of their sin covered up so many years. Why do you not get peace? Your sins. The brothers told the man. about finding the money in their sacks, for they thought that because of that he might seek a quarrel against them and hurt them, so this time they brought double money. But he said: "Peace be to you, fear not, your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money." And he brought Simeon out of prison to them. The brothers had made ready a present for Joseph, while waiting for him to come home. When Joseph came in, they offered the present and all kneeled down before him. Remember Joseph's dream of the eleven sheaves bowing down before him! Then Joseph asked them of their father's health. When he saw Benjamin he asked, "Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me?" And he said, "God be gracious unto thee, my son." Joseph loved his brother Benjamin so much that he went into his room and wept. The Lord Jesus once wept over a city, but those people would not trust Him. Have you ever thought that the Lord Jesus loves you very much and could weep for you? Have you trusted Him? Joseph washed his face and came back to his brothers and told them to sit down to dinner. Then he did a wonderful thing. He made his oldest brother Reuben sit in the best place, Simeon the second, and he sat each one by his age. They could not understand. It is because Joseph knew them; he knew their ages and everything else. And he gave Benjamin five times as much as the others.

Once a bad woman met the Lord Jesus, and after she left, she said to her friends, "Come, see a Man which told me all things that ever I did." The Lord Jesus knows everything we do, yet He loves you and waits to forgive you. The brothers were happy with Joseph, but their sin was still covered. How very hard it is to confess sin!

Chapter 42

The Silver Cup in a Corn Bag

Genesis 44

After dinner Joseph told his servant to fill the men's sacks with food, and to put each man's money in his own sack, and "Put my cup, the silver cup, into the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money." Next morning, as soon as it was light, they started for home. When they were just out of the city, Joseph told his servant to run after them, and ask why they had taken his cup. The man caught up to them, and asked why they had stolen his master's silver cup. They became very angry and said, "With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen." The man said, "He with whom it is found shall be my servant!" he would not blame the others. They quickly took the sacks down. So the man hunted for the cup. He began at the oldest, right to the last — Benjamin's. While he hunted and could not find the cup they were happy, but when they saw him find the silver cup in Benjamin's sack, how did they feel? They tore their clothes, they were so sad! Twenty years before they had sold their little brother for a slave, but now what? Will they turn away and leave Benjamin to be a slave, and go home again? We see how wise and kind Joseph was; he used the same thing to make them remember. What about their little brother and their old father this time? God had worked in the hearts of these ten men, so now they would not let their brother be a slave. Instead, we see this time their hearts were broken, as they all followed Benjamin back to the house. Before, they let their brother suffer, and they sat down to eat bread, but now how different! Before, they had told lies to cover their sin, but now they did not talk about being good; they confessed their former sin — "What shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants." They said they were all his slaves.

This truly was the work of God's Holy Spirit. When God works, we just see our own sinfulness. We do not say that we are good, but all our sins come before our eyes. These ten brothers not only stood before Joseph, but before God. Joseph heard their confession, and said, "God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father." See how he showed up their very thoughts in the old days. Then Judah came near to Joseph, and begged for his father and brother. Please take your Bible and notice what Judah said (Gen. 44: 18-34) His heart was full of the "little child," and the "father". Let Judah be a slave, but let the "lad" go back to his "father". Joseph could not hold back. So he told every man in the room to go out, and then he wept aloud, saying, "I am Joseph!" How amazing! "I am Joseph!" How frightening! HE, the one they had sinned against! HE, the one they had sold as a slave! He asked at once, "Doth my father yet live?" Why ask this? Because of love; he wanted to take away their fear at once, so brought to remembrance their father. Then Joseph said, "Come near to me, I pray you. I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt", and he comforted them saying, that this was God's purpose, "For God did send me before you to preserve life." So he embraced them and kissed them, and wept over them. That kiss was the seal of forgiveness.

Pharaoh and the people of Egypt were all glad. The Bible has not told us that any man in Egypt ever knew the sin which Joseph's brothers had committed — that sin was already forgiven.

My reader, has God's Spirit ever worked with you, and made you find out your sins? Perhaps you think you are good; if so, I am afraid that you have not come to a true change of mind like Joseph's brothers. We must all reach that place of repentance. When we get there, we will understand the meaning of "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." (Isa. 64: 6) This is the place of receiving forgiveness and blessing. Like Joseph's brothers, take now that low place; confess that you are bad, and receive forgiveness.

Chapter 43

Tell My Father of All My Glory

Genesis 45

Though Judas sold the Lord Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, yet God sent Him, like Joseph to "preserve life." The world hated the Lord Jesus and killed Him, but God sent His Son to die for the sinners in this world — the world which killed Him. Joseph's brothers wanted to kill Joseph, but God used their sin to save their lives. The world committed the sin of killing God's Son, but God used His death to give life — eternal life — to whosoever believeth in Him as their own Saviour.

Joseph said to his brothers, "Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, 'Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not.'"

In a greater way, the Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself, even dying on the cross, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father." Confess Him now and get salvation. You must confess Him in the future, but then it will be too late, and you will not get salvation, but eternal punishment. Many people hate Jesus' name, but every one of these people will confess that Jesus is Lord, and bow down to Him.

Joseph said, "Tell my father of all my glory in Egypt." How happy our hearts are to hear all the glory of the Lord Jesus! In Revelation 5, we read that He is the only one in heaven or earth who is worthy to open the book. Jacob had never seen, nor understood, all that glory, just as we know some of the glory in heaven, but cannot understand all. The Queen of Sheba said to Solomon, "I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and behold the half was not told me." (1 Kings 10: 7)

Joseph in his glory and in such a high position wanted his father and his brothers to be with him. Pharaoh said, "Take your father and your households, and come unto me, and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt." And he commanded to take wagons to bring them, and said, "Regard not your stuff;" (that means, "your possessions") "for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours." Here Joseph is a picture of the Lord Jesus, and Pharaoh of God the Father. God the Father's heart is the same as the heart of our Lord Jesus. Pharaoh said, "Come unto me!", just as Joseph said, "Come unto me!" And so the Father and the Son both call us to "Come!" The Lord Jesus says, "In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself: that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14: 2-3) And the LORD JESUS also said: "Come unto Me, — and I will give you rest.

The Lord Jesus in His great glory waits the time when we will dwell with Him; then "He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied." (Isa. 53: 11) Pharaoh said. "The good of all the land of Egypt is yours", but our Lord Jesus tells us the inheritance given to us is in heaven. It is incorruptible and undefiled and it does not fade. (1 Peter 1: 4) . Dear believers, the good of all heaven is yours, Regard not your stuff; you have better things. Your own things can just weigh you down; you cannot take them with you. Truly, God our Father gives strength for the way to heaven. He sent the Holy Spirit to lead us safely to His house. Pharaoh sent wagons, but they were only for their little ones, the women, and their father; not for the stuff. We should not lay up treasures upon earth, but in heaven. Everyone of Joseph's family was going to Joseph's glory. Joseph sent gifts to his whole family, and food for the desert journey, right to the home he had prepared. The Lord Jesus gives gifts to His Church, and gives everything needed, right to the Father's house. Jacob was glad of those gifts; so are we. (1 Cor. 12) But if there is no love, all good gifts are useless, so Joseph said, "See that ye fall not out by the way". God tells His children of something "more excellent," — which is love. (1 Cor. 13)

When the brethren told Jacob about all Joseph's glory, he, like the Queen of Sheba, did not believe. Are we the same? "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 24: 25) — but when Jacob saw the wagons he said, "It is enough: Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die."

"And so Israel," (Jacob's new name) "took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba." O Jacob, did you not hear, "Regard not your stuff"? Just like us! The good of all Egypt was his, and yet to take his own things too! Listen: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust cloth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." (Matt. 6: 19-20)

Now recall Joseph's pressing words, "Haste ye and go up to my father, and say unto him," . . . "Come down unto me, tarry not." "Ye shall haste and bring down my father hither." We see Joseph's hurry to see his loved one. But think how long Joseph had waited for his brothers to repent. For a long time the Lord Jesus has waited patiently to have us with Himself. He says, "I come quickly." Yet He is still waiting because He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3: 9.)

O Jesus, Lord! 'tis joy to know

Thy path is o'er of shame and woe,

For us so meekly trod;

All finished is Thy work of toil,

Thou reapest now the fruit and spoil,

Exalted by our God.

Thy holy head, once bound with thorns,

The crown of glory now adorns;

Thy seat, the Father's throne;

O Lord! e'en now we sing Thy praise,

Ours the eternal song to raise —

Worthy the Lord alone!

As Head for us Thou sittest there,

Until Thy members too shall share

In all Thou dost receive:

Thy glory and Thy royal throne

Thy boundless love has made our own,

Who in Thy Name believe.

We triumph in Thy triumphs, Lord;

Thy joys our deepest joys afford,

The fruit of love divine.

While sorrowing, suffering, toiling here,

How does the thought our spirits cheer,

The throne of glory's Thine.

Chapter 44

Jacob Goes Down to Egypt

Genesis 46, 47.

Jacob in a wagon, like his mother Rebekah on a camel, went a long way through the desert; and we are travelling through a desert too, but we each are made glad on the road by the Holy Spirit telling us (not just of heaven) but of the glories of our Loved One we are about to meet.

For the last time Jacob came to Beersheba where his father and his grandfather had lived and dug a well. Here Jacob had deceived his father and stolen his brother's blessing. But now he offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac. Now he knew God's only way to deal with sin; though he had learned also, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Gal. 6: 7) Jacob remembered very well that morning, over fifty years ago, when he had fled from his brother to save his life. In Haran he had worked for twenty years. He remembered his cheating there, and all his sins after coming back to Canaan, his faults and his sorrows, but he remembered still more deeply at Beersheba that through a sacrifice God could be merciful, righteous and kind. He knew God's grace; and that the God who was for him in the past, would be for him in the future. And the blood of that sacrifice was a picture of the precious blood of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus, which can cleanse and take away immediately the sins of all your life.

"All that we were — our sins and guilt,

Our death — was all our own:

All that we are we owe to Thee,

Thou God of grace, alone.

Thy mercy found us in our sins,

And gave us to believe;

Then, in believing, peace we found;

And in Thy Christ we live.

All that we are as saints on earth,

All that we hope to be

When Jesus comes and glory dawns,

We owe it all to Thee.

God spoke to Jacob in a dream. "Jacob, Jacob!" He replied, "Here am I." God said, "I am God, the God of thy father, fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation, I will go with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up again."

What a good promise! Beer-sheba means "the well of the oath." God is faithful. Fifty years before God gave Jacob a good promise the first night when he ran from home. You remem ber the stone for a pillow and the ladder that reached to heaven. (Gen. 28). Did he then believe God's promise? Then he said, "If God will be with me." Now, Jacob knew his own helplessness and his sins, and yet he had learned how faithful God was! And now that he was going to Egypt he knew that God was with him. (See Gen. 46: 4). He believed God's promise now. Joseph drove his chariot to Goshen to meet his father, and then what a welcome! what kisses, and tears of joy!

Joseph brought his father and five of his brothers to Pharaoh. As Jacob and his sons kept cattle and sheep, Pharaoh sent them to Goshen in the best part of Egypt. Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was; he said that he was one hundred and thirty years old; then Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh was the greatest ruler of the world, but Jacob was greater because he was God's servant, so Jacob blessed the great ruler. (Heb. 7: 7).

Chapter 45

The Famine in Egypt

Genesis 47

There were still five years of famine in Egypt. Though the Egyptians planted fields, they got little or nothing. Soon all lands were starving. They went to Pharaoh for help. He said, "Go unto Joseph." By the second year, there was still famine and no money, so Joseph said, "Give your cattle." So Joseph bought the cattle.

Next year, the people said to Joseph, "Our money is spent, my lord also hath our herds of cattle; there is not ought left in the sight of my lord, but our bodies, and our lands. Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate."

So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, and the people too, so Joseph gave them food. And they gave the fifth part of their harvest to Pharaoh. They said to Joseph, "Thou hast saved our lives: let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."

The Lord Jesus Christ has saved our lives. Our bodies belong to Him, and not to ourselves. "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price," (1 Cor. 6: 19, 20) and "Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, But with the precious blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1: 18, 19). Joseph bought the Egyptians with corn, but the Lord Jesus bought us with His own precious blood. He paid such a great price because He counted us most precious to Himself.

Thus Joseph saved the lives of his whole family, of all the people of all Egypt, and of many people from Canaan. Except Pharaoh, no man was more honourable than he.

When the Lord Jesus will be the king in the Millennium, what a wonderful time that will be! all the people of the world will gladly say to the Lord Jesus. "You have saved our lives."

Asenath was Joseph's wife, a Gentile and a picture of the church. We do not see her much. We see Joseph, yet she and Joseph were one. You and I who are saved do not belong to this world but to heaven.

Jacob lived to the age of one hundred and forty-seven years. Before he died he made Joseph promise that he would not bury him in Egypt, but would bury him in the cave of Machpelah, that was bought by Abraham to bury Sarah. Abraham himself and Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob's wife Leah were all buried there. The reason Jacob wanted to be buried with his forefathers was that he knew God had promised the land of Canaan to his children; he knew that he had the right and blessing of the oldest, so he set his heart on that blessing and promise of God. At first, he had tried to get the blessing by his own planning. Now he trusted God who had promised to him the land in which he wished to be buried, for he loved and valued it.

Today Jacob's grave is still in Canaan; God has looked after it for several thousand years. But a day is coming when at God's command the graves of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all God's people, will be opened; they will enter eternal glory. Will you be there?

Chapter 46

Jacob's Will to Joseph

Genesis 49

You remember Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. When Joseph heard that his father Jacob was sick, he went and took his two sons with him. At that time a father used to give a double portion to the oldest son. Reuben was Jacob's oldest son, but he had sinned against his father, and lost this birthright. Jacob gave the blessing of the first-born to Joseph and told him God's promise, "I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thy seed, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession." And he told him that he was to have two portions. Jacob said, "Thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine." So in Israel we hear of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh rather than of Joseph.

When Jacob wished to bless the two boys, Joseph brought Manasseh, his older son, toward Jacob's right hand, and Ephraim, the younger, toward Jacob's left hand; but Jacob laid his right hand upon the head of Joseph's younger son Ephraim, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, and he blessed them. Joseph did not like this. He wanted his father to change it, but Jacob said, No, the younger son should be greater than his older brother (Heb. 11: 21). God chose the younger. "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Cor. 1: 27-29.) Thus Jacob blessed Joseph, and made him greater than his brothers.

Then Jacob called all his sons together and told each one the things to come. He also blessed them, but in the blessing the sins of the past were remembered of Reuben, Simeon and Levi. Jacob now saw that their sins were really against God and he condemned them. We may cover up our former sins, but "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 9.)

You remember how Judah asked Joseph to take him as a slave, instead of Benjamin, because of the silver cup. Judah got his reward; Jacob said to him, "Judah, Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise," and "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh ("the one who gives peace" ), come, and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be."

The King of Israel would be of the tribe of Judah. King David was of Judah. The King of Kings, "Shiloh", the Lord Jesus is of Judah, sent by His Father to this world to die, now seated in heaven.

Jacob spoke of what Joseph had suffered, then he blessed him. And at the end said, "The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren." (Gen. 49: 26.)

After Jacob had blessed his sons, he told them to bury him in the cave in Canaan where his fathers were buried. Then, he died. Joseph fell upon his father's face and wept, and kissed him. Joseph told the physicians to embalm the body. Embalming would keep the dead body for hundreds of years. In this matter the Egyptians were very clever. They did not know what we know of resurrection, therefore they kept those bodies. We Christians know that God will raise the dead. "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body."

In Egypt they mourned for Jacob seventy days. Then Joseph and a very great company went to Canaan, there again they mourned for Jacob, and buried him in the cave. They did not know what we know now. We know that the Lord Jesus Christ is already risen. We know that the body is sown in corruption; It is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonour; It is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; It is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15: 42-44.)

Jacob's story is finished. We have seen how he was at first in wickedness and distress, yet at the end he was glorious and faithful. He experienced much distress in his life, yet God led him on into peace. We read that God is the mighty God of Jacob. In the Psalms we many times come across verses where they speak of the "God of Jacob". What a comfort to those of us who are hopeless at heart, because most of us are as hopeless as Jacob, yet God was not ashamed of being called the God. of Jacob. How kind God is!

Chapter 47

Forgiveness Doubted

Genesis 50

After their father's death, the ten brothers feared that now Joseph might hate them, and revenge himself on them for all they had done to him: so they sent a messenger to him, to beg him to forgive them. "And Joseph wept when they spake unto him." It nearly broke Joseph's heart to think that after all he had done for them, they still did not trust him, or believe in his forgiveness. Then they fell down before Joseph, and said, See, we are thy servants.

Then Joseph told them once more that it was all God's good and loving hand to save many people alive. He said to them, "Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."

How often today men and women who truly believe in the Lord Jesus are like the ten brothers, and are afraid to believe that the Lord has truly forgiven them. They are afraid to "take Him at His word." Surely it must make His heart sad to see His own people so slow to really trust Him! And let us never forget that He still lives on high to "nourish" us and our dear ones. Yes, He will never forget us. His love and care will never cease down here, and soon He will have us with Himself in His Father's house, in the Eternal Glory.

Chapter 48

Conclusion

And now we have reached the last chapter of Genesis. How different from the beginning! Indeed Genesis is really like two books in one showing two subjects all through. It begins with one and ends with the other. "In the beginning" the Eternal God Himself, and His works, is the happy subject. And He is always first. "This then is the message which we have heard of Him and declare unto you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." John 1: 5.

Now, the second "book" starts. "And the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep." So it begins with light and ends with darkness, weeping, mourning, death — "A very grievous mourning" Gen. 50: 10. And Genesis ends with the words: "And they enbalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt."

But Genesis is not all darkness and death for the simple reason that God's first thought in the whole book is to show Himself. So, as soon as the earth is shown in its waste, empty, and dark state, quite apart from heaven, then we read: "the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the deep, and God said, Let there be light, and there was light." We see this often in the words, "And the evening and the morning." God who is light is seen. But the power of darkness comes in. Abraham's faith looked on and "saw" "My day" and was glad. (John 8: 56). And so we know that morning follows evening in the six days, when, as the Lord Jesus says: "My Father worketh . . . . and I work". But Genesis is followed by Exodus in God's showing of Himself and the precious knowledge that redemption brings us out from scenes of fighting between good and evil, and into the Seventh day — God's Eternal rest — no death, darkness, tears, sorrows, nor pain! "I bare you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself." (Ex. 19: 4.)

Jonah

Lessons from Jonah the Prophet

The Book of Jonah; 2 Kings 14: 25.

G C Willis.

"For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall the Son of man be to this generation." Luke 11: 30.

Contents

Foreword

Jonah Rebels

Jonah Prays

Jonah Preaches

Jonah Is Very Angry

Foreword

The author of these meditations on the book of Jonah has been a missionary in China for many years. It was first thought to publish this book in Chinese, as well as in English, hence the many references to the differences in expression between the Chinese and English translations of the Bible.

These meditations were written before the outbreak of World War II, which struck first in China and later engulfed the whole world. The manuscripts lay preserved in a warehouse in Shanghai, while the author was in an internment camp and were found by him upon his return and sent on for publication.

We are now sending them forth and trust that they may be used of the Lord in blessing to many, in the presentation of the gospel to the unsaved and also for the edification of those who know the Lord Jesus as Saviour.

The illustrations shown [not in this on-line edition], considered quite essential in working in China, were prepared for the Chinese edition.

Chapter One

Jonah Rebels

In the northern part of the Kingdom of Israel, not far from the Mediterranean Sea, lies the territory of the tribe of Zebulon. In the southern part of Zebulon, three or four miles from the city of Nazareth, lay the town of Gath-Hepher.

About 850 years before the Lord Jesus was "brought up" (Luke 4: 16) in Nazareth, there lived in Gath-Hepher a man named Jonah. The Bible does not tell us whether he was born in Gath-Hepher or not, but merely says of him, "which was of Gath-Hepher." (2 Kings 14: 25)

We are not told just when he lived, but Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel, fulfilled Jonah's gracious prophecy by restoring the coast of Israel from the entering in of Hamath unto the Sea of the Plain. (2 Kings 14: 25)

The prophet Elisha had died during the reign of Joash the father of Jeroboam (2 Kings 13: 14), so it is possible that they were contemporaries, and knew each other. It is, perhaps, still more probable that Jonah and Hosea lived and labored at the same time.

It is not without a purpose that the Spirit of God tells us that Jonah was of Gath-Hepher. We have noted that this was a town of Zebulon. If we turn back to Deuteronomy 33: 18, to the blessing of "Moses the man of God," we will see that he said, "Rejoice, Zebulon, in thy going out; and Issachar, in thy tents." It would appear that Zebulon's special portion from the Lord was to "go out." How truly did "The Prophet" (Deut. 15: 18) whom the Lord raised up, our own Lord and Master, brought up in Nazareth in the country of Zebulon, fulfil this character of Zebulon — to "go out." Out from the palace of His glory, down to this world of woe, His path was ever one of "going out," till we read of that last terrible day when "He bearing His cross, went forth into a place called the place of a skull."

Had Jonah realized the portion and the privilege that God had given him in belonging to the tribe of Zebulon, he would, according to the terms of the blessing, have rejoiced in his going out, but sad to say, Jonah is famous for his reluctance, rather than his joy, in going out.

It is true that Issachar, the tribe that was called to "Rejoice," in association with Zebulon, had their portion in their tents, rather than in going out. It is not every one to whom there is given the privilege of going forth to heathen lands, with a message from the Lord, as was given to Jonah; and, alas, it is not every one to whom this privilege is given, who rejoices in it!

Let us now, with these considerations as a background, seek by the Lord's help, to examine "The Book of Jonah."

Of the absolute truth of this wonderful little book, no true Christian should have the slightest doubt. It is endorsed by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He says, "As Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here." (Matthew 12: 40-41) In these verses the Lord gives His own authority to the truth of the two most wonderful incidents in this remarkable Book. It would be easy to show from well authenticated facts that nothing is related in this Book, but what is perfectly possible, and has since been experienced in some degree by others; but the true Christian does not turn to such external evidences when he has the Word of his Lord and Master on which to rest. We will however take the liberty of quoting the following remarkable paragraphs from Mr. Gook's book, "Can a Young Man Trust?"

"At least two accounts have been given of the event, agreeing in every particular, and the whole subject has been sifted carefully by M. de Parville, editor of the famous Journal des Debats, whose name and reputation as a scientist are a sufficient answer to those who call the story of Jonah into question from a scientific stand-point. The detailed report is as follows:

"Last February the whaling ship, 'Star of the East' was in the vicinity of the Falkland Islands searching for whales, which were very scarce. One morning the lookout sighted a whale about three miles away on the starboard quarter. Two boats were manned. In a short time one of the boats was near enough to enable the harpooner to send a spear into the whale, which proved to be an exceedingly large one. With the shaft in his side the animal sounded and then sped away, dragging the boat after him with terrible speed. He swam straight away about five miles, when he turned and came back almost directly toward the spot where he had been harpooned.

The second boat waited for him, and when but a short distance away from it he rose to the surface. As soon as his back showed above the surface of the water the harpooner in the second boat drove another spear into him. The pain apparently crazed the whale, for it threshed about fearfully, and it was feared that the boats would be swamped and the crews drowned. Finally the whale swam away, dragging the two boats after him. He went about three miles and sounded or sank, and his whereabouts could not be exactly told. The lines attached to the harpoons were slack, and the harpooners began slowly to draw them in and coil them in the tubs. As soon as they were tautened, the whale arose to the surface and beat about with its tail in the maddest fashion. The boats attempted to get beyond the reach of the animal, which was apparently in its death agonies, and one of them succeeded, but the other was less fortunate. The whale struck it with his nose and upset it.

The men were thrown into the water, and before the crew of the other boat could pick them up one man was drowned, and James Bartley had disappeared. When the whale became quiet from exhaustion the waters were searched for Bartley, but he could not be found, and, under the impression that he had been struck by the whale's tail and sunk to the bottom, the survivors rowed back to the ship.

The whale was dead, and in a few hours the great body was lying by the ship's side, and the men were busy with axes and spades cutting through the flesh to secure the fat. They worked all day and part of the night. They resumed operations the next forenoon, and were soon down to the stomach, which was to be hoisted to the deck. The workmen were startled while laboring to clear it arid to fasten the chain about it, to discover something doubled up in it that gave spasmodic signs of life. The vast pouch was hoisted to the deck and cut open, and inside was found the missing sailor, doubled up and unconscious. He was laid out on deck and treated to a bath of sea-water, which soon revived him, but his mind was not clear, and he was placed in the captain's quarters, where he remained two weeks a raving lunatic. He was carefully treated by the captain and officers of the ship, and he finally began to get possession of his senses.

At the end of the third week he had entirely recovered from the shock, and resumed his duties. During the brief sojourn in the whale's belly Bartley's skin, where it was exposed to the action of the gastric juices, underwent a striking change. His face and hands were bleached to a deathly whiteness, and the skin was wrinkled, giving the man the appearance of having been parboiled. Bartley affirms that he would probably have lived inside his house of flesh until he starved, for he lost his senses through fright, and not from lack of air. He says that he remembers the sensation of being lifted into the air by the nose of the whale and of dropping into the water. Then there was a frightful rushing sound, which he believed to be the beating of water by the whale's tail, then he was encompassed by a fearful darkness, and he felt himself slipping along a smooth passage of some sort that seemed to move and carry him forward. This sensation lasted but an instant, then he felt that he had more room. He felt about him, and his hands came in contact with a yielding slimy substance that seemed to shrink from his touch.

It finally dawned upon him that he had been swallowed by the whale, and he was overcome by horror at the situation. He could breathe easily, but the heat was terrible. It was not of a scorching, stifling nature, but it seemed to open the pores of his skin and to draw out his vitality. He became very weak, and grew sick at the stomach. He knew that there was no hope of escape from his strange prison. Death stared him in the face, and he tried to look at it bravely, but the awful quiet, the fearful darkness, the horrible knowledge of his environments, and the terrible heat finally overcame him, and he must have fainted, for the next he remembered was being in the captain's cabin.

Bartley is not a man of a timid nature, but he says that it was many weeks before he could pass a night without having his sleep disturbed with harrowing dreams of angry whales and the horrors of his fearful prison. The skin on the face and hands of Bartley has never recovered its natural appearance. It is yellow and wrinkled, and looks like old parchment.

The health of the man does not seem to have been affected by his terrible experience. He is in splendid spirits, and apparently fully enjoys all the blessings of life that come his way. The whaling captains say that they never remember a parallel case to this before. They say that it frequently happens that men are swallowed by whales who become infuriated by the pain of the harpoon and attack the boats, but they have never known a man to go through the ordeal that Bartley did and come out alive."

This story has received the support of one of the most careful and painstaking scientists in Europe, M. de Parville, editor of the Journal des Debats, who remarks that the accounts given by the captain and the crew of the English whaler are worthy of belief. He says; "There are many cases reported where whales in the fury of their dying agony have swallowed human beings, but this is the first modern case where the victim has come forth safe and sound. After this modern illustration I end by believing that Jonah really did come out from the whale alive as the Bible records."

Let us now turn to the first verse of the first chapter: "And the word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the son of Amittai." It is worthy of note that in the little Book before us, Jonah is never called a "prophet." The Holy Spirit uses the writer of 2 Kings to give him this title. We might pause for a moment to ask what meaning the word "prophet" has in Scripture. The Chinese characters which are generally used to translate prophet, give us to understand that a prophet is one who tells us what will happen in the future. Truly this is very often so, but if we read the Books of the Prophets in the Bible, we will find that this is only a small part of God's work for these men. Perhaps we will find God's own definition of this word by comparing Exodus 4: 16 and 7: 1. In the first Scripture God says of Aaron, "He shall be thy spokesman unto the people;" and in the latter Scripture, God says, "Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." Perhaps this gives us the clearest definition of a prophet according to the Word of God: he is God's "spokesman unto the people." Very often God speaks of judgment or blessing to come, and then the spokesman speaks of what will happen in the future. But his first duty is to be God's spokesman, which very often includes rebuke, or exhortation. Let us always remember that the most important thing for a prophet is that he speaks for God, not for himself, or of himself. The Greek word "prophetes" from which we get the English word "prophet," has exactly this meaning. Liddell & Scott's Greek Lexicon says of it, "Properly one who speaks for another, especially one who speaks for a God, and interprets his will to man, a prophet." From this we may see that the characters generally used in the Chinese Bible to translate "prophet" are misleading, and do not tell out the true meaning of the original Scriptures.

If Jonah himself wrote this little Book that bears his name, we may easily understand and appreciate the absence of the title "prophet" in this Book. We can also understand and appreciate the fact that God takes care that another writer shall put upon him that honorable title that his own hand would not take. The Lord Jesus Himself delights to honor Jonah with this title. (Matt. 12: 39, etc.)

It is said that the name "Jonah" means "a dove." A dove is the symbol of peace: and the Book is in reality an offer of peace from the Lord Himself. It is not, as we shall see, an offer of peace to the people of Nineveh only, but to others as well. It is said that the name "Amittai" (the father of Jonah), means "Truth." May it not be, that in these two names, we have told out the same precious message of John 1: 17, "Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ"? Truth is the light that shows our sins. Grace provides the means to cover our sins. How clearly we see these two sides of God's character shown out in the little Book we are considering! God is a God of truth, and He must have all our paths brought into the light of His truth; but where can we find a brighter example of the grace of God that is ever ready to pardon and forgive? As we read this little book we must ever remember that Jonah is truly a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, and how beautifully do these two names illustrate this!

In connection with this first verse, we must notice that there was no manner of doubt as to the source of the command that came to Jonah: "Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah." Jonah's trouble did not lie in a lack of authority to act. As we consider the Book further, we will see that the trouble with Jonah was very different: no lack of authority, but lack of will to obey that authority. Beloved friends, are we not sometimes very much like Jonah? We know perfectly well that the blessed Book in our hands, the Bible, is the very Word of God. It can be truthfully said that the Word of the Lord has come unto us. The Lord Jesus Christ in that Word has made absolutely clear what His commands are. On the one hand, we have "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden." I suppose that most of our readers have heard this call, and have taken it as a personal call to themselves, and have obeyed it. On the other hand the same lips that said "Come unto Me," also said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." We have been glad to obey the call "Come," we have been glad to obtain the rest that He promised, but when it comes to the command "Go ye," we are too often like Jonah, not so eager to obey. It is amazing the ingenious excuses we can find for avoiding, or refusing, or postponing obedience to that call. Most of us, as a matter of fact, are not in any position to criticize Jonah because he tried to avoid obedience to the command, "Go." Most of us are just as clear as to the Divine source of the command as Jonah was, when "the word of the LORD came unto Jonah." Most of us are just as clear as to the authority behind the command. The real trouble does not lie in any doubt as to the Divine Source, or the Divine Authority: the real trouble lies in our own wretched wills.

Oh, Jonah, Jonah, how shall I condemn thee?

Thy condemnation, it were but mine own!

"Now the Word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me."

"Arise." That is where a lot of the trouble is. It takes energy to arise. We are so comfortably settled down! It is very hard to shake off the weights of home and business and comfort, and "arise."

"Arise, Go." Not only was Jonah to arise, but he had the very same orders that we have, "Go!" You remember the Roman centurion who came to the Lord, and said to Him, "I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers; and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth." (Luke 7: 8) This centurion thoroughly understood authority. If he said "Go!" there was no question about it, the soldier went, but when the Lord said "Go!" to Jonah, Jonah decided he would not go. The soldier did not dream of complaining that the way was too long, or too rough, or too dangerous, or the time was not convenient; he did not suggest that he did not want to go, or that he was too busy with other work. No, the soldier understood authority, and went. When the Captain says, "Go!" he goeth.

You will recall that the same word is used of the prodigal in Luke 15. "I will arise and go to my father." It may be that many a time he had said, "I ought to go to my father," or, "I must go to my father," but it was not until he did finally arise that he ever reached his father. It took the energy of faith to arise. Most of our readers understand experimentally what it meant for them to arise and go to their Father. May God help us to understand experimentally what it means for us to arise and go to them that sit in darkness!

How many there are of us to whom the Lord has said "GO!" and we have been like Jonah, and refused. It may be that we have been so busy with our own affairs, that we have hardly heard Him say "GO," or it may be that we know so little of authority, that we decide that there is no need to obey, but think we may choose our own will instead. May the Lord give us each one to hear His voice, speaking with Divine authority, authority we dare not question, saying to us, "ARISE! GO!" "ARISE, GO TO NINEVEH."

Not only did the Lord tell Jonah to "Arise, Go," but He told him just where he was to go. He did not say, "Arise, go anywhere you like"; but He told him just where to go. The Lord will tell us where to go. It may be that the Lord will send us to someone in our own family, or to our neighbors, or it may be to those of a different nation, speech and language, at the other end of the earth. Do you remember at the Passover, if the roast lamb proved to be more than one household needed, they were to share it with "his neighbour next unto his house?" (Ex. 12: 4) Have we taken time to feed on the roast Lamb, as well as to take shelter behind His precious blood? Have we found the roast Lamb to be an inexhaustible feast, enough for me and my household, with unlimited supplies for my neighbor next to my house? That is a good place to begin. Let us each one share the roast Lamb with our neighbor in the house next unto us and we may find in time, as our Lord pointed out to the lawyer, that "my neighbor" may be one of another nation, one who for years has been despised and scorned and neglected; then let me go and share the roast Lamb with him also. Let us be clear, the Lord may send us where He will, be it near or far. Because He is God the Lord, our Lord, He has the right, and the authority, to send us anywhere He pleases.

What of Nineveh — "Nineveh, the great city" (new translation) ? Three times in this little Book we read these words, "Nineveh, the great;" and once we read, "Nineveh was an exceeding great city." We first read of Nineveh in Genesis 10: 6-13, "The sons of Ham: Cush begat Nimrod . . . the beginning of his kingdom was Babel. . . . From that land went out Asshur, and built Nineveh," or, "He" (Nimrod) "went to Assyria and built Nineveh . . . this is the great city." It was founded by the descendants of a man under a curse, and God Himself must say of it, "Their wickedness is come up before me." (Jonah 1: 2)

Babylon was built on the Euphrates, and was the capital of Babylonia. Nineveh was built on the river Tigris (or Hiddekel of Genesis 2: 14) and was the capital of Assyria.

Through the goodness and wisdom of God, we may have a good knowledge of Nineveh, even though at the present day there is nothing to be seen of it but a few mounds of rubbish. In the year 1840 Mr. Layard passed "the great mound of Nimrod," while he was floating down the river Tigris. In 1845 he began to dig in the mound. Mr. Layard published an account of these excavations, with most interesting pictures, which give us a marvelous account of this wonderful city of old.

We have tried to reproduce a few of Mr. Layard's pictures, including one of what he believed the palace was like. These pictures may give us some very slight idea of the greatness and magnificence of this "exceeding great city." The winged bull shown (see page 54,) is taken directly from Mr. Layard's picture of this huge creature, which now, with many others, is in the British Museum.

As we read the story of Jonah, bearing in mind the greatness and magnificence of which these old stone relics tell us, it needs no great stretch of the imagination to see the prophet Jonah standing on those palace steps, or beside the great winged bull, preaching his short sermon: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"

How striking is the difference between Jonah's message and ours! Jonah's message was altogether one of judgment without a word of mercy. Yet both preacher and hearers read in this message, and read correctly, an offer of mercy. Otherwise, why send the warning of judgment? It is well for us to remember that in every message of judgment, there is hidden an offer of mercy, if the guilty ones will but take warning and repent.

Our message, what is it? True it contains a message of judgment, and coming wrath; but our message is not characterized by judgment but by mercy. Never has any messenger had such a glorious message to deliver, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The message of judgment aroused a fervent desire to find a way of escape that they should not perish; but that way of escape is the theme of our message: "I am the Way." Our message is to tell of a living, loving Person, a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. O beloved friends, what a contrast is our message to Jonah's! What an unspeakable privilege is ours! May we value it far more highly!

As we gaze on these awe-inspiring relics of the past greatness of a mighty city, one wonders less that Jonah should shrink and run away from such an undertaking as to go alone, single-handed, and preach against one of the oldest, greatest and mightiest cities of the earth. And such a sermon: "Yet Forty Days, and Nineveh Shall be Overthrown!" Humanly speaking, Jonah's life would certainly be forfeited if this message should reach the ears of the king; and one has very keen sympathy for Jonah in not liking the task given to him. Many a man in our day has shrunk, and turned aside, from a very much easier mission than that to which Jonah was called. We need not wonder at all if Jonah felt that he could not face the risk of losing his head, for well he knew the fame of Nineveh, the reports of its greatness, and the power of its king.

It does not seem to have been fear for his personal safety that made Jonah turn aside from the clear command given him by God. In reading the book of Jonah, one is impressed with Jonah's courage, not with his cowardice. In the second and third verses of the fourth chapter, we hear Jonah saying (after God had spared Nineveh) : "Ah, Jehovah, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? Therefore I was minded to flee at first unto Tarshish; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving-kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil." Jonah well knew God's character for mercy — it would be hard to find a more glorious description of it than here. Did Jonah think that he could presume on God's mercy, and loving-kindness, to dare to disobey Him? Is it not possible that we, who glory in the knowledge of the love and grace of God, as revealed in His Son our Lord Jesus Christ, sometimes presume on that grace and love to treat His commands with lightness? May God in His mercy preserve us from such a sin; and open our eyes, if we have already been guilty of it.

Jonah's reluctance to obey, appears to have been fear that God would turn from His wrath and spare Nineveh. Was this the pride of heart that could not bear to "lose face," as we would say in China? Or, was it the bitter prejudice of an Israelite towards a Gentile nation? Or, did Jonah's eye look forward some fifty years and see the king of Nineveh coming against his own native land? (2 Kings 15: 19)

Do you remember how Elisha wept as he told Hazael the terrible things that he would do to Israel when he became king? Jonah may, with equal clearness, have looked down the years, and have seen the terrible judgment that Assyria would yet bring on Israel, a judgment that lasts to the present day.

Perhaps we cannot clearly read all the motives that moved in Jonah's heart to cause him to venture to disobey God deliberately. Indeed which of us would dare to say that we can read our own motives clearly in much that we do? We have often far less reason than Jonah for refusing, or neglecting, to "Arise and Go" at the call of God; and were we to judge our own motives honestly in the sight of God, we might be greatly shocked.

"But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah." (Jonah 1: 3)

Foolish man! He, prophet of Jehovah, ought to have known better! "Who hath hardened himself against Him, and had peace?" (or, "hath prospered"). (Job 9: 4) Job well knew there was neither peace nor prosperity in seeking to refuse obedience to God. Jonah (and you and I), should know this same great truth, and yet how slow we are to learn it!

Foolish man! for he had probably often read and sung the Psalm of David in which we get the question, "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? and whither flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into the heavens Thou art there; or if I make my bed in Sheol, behold Thou art there; If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me. And if I say, Surely darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night; even darkness hideth not from Thee, and the night shineth as the day: the darkness is as the light." (Psalm 139: 7-12) Yet "Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah." Where was Tarshish? Some have thought that it was in Spain, but the exports of Tarshish: gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks (2 Chron. 9: 21), are not the exports of Spain, as "The Bible League Quarterly" (Oct.-Dec., 1940 number) points out in a most interesting article. This writer brings very strong proof to show that Tarshish was in South India. Amongst other reasons he quotes an account given by Herodotus of a voyage to Tarshish. About 600 B.C. Pharaoh-Necho of Egypt sent Phoenicians with ships to go through the Straits of Gibraltar, around Africa to Tarshish, and to return the same way. When autumn came, they would put to shore, sow the land wherever they might happen to be, and then wait for the harvest. In this way they kept up their supplies; he tells us it took three years to make the return voyage.

So Jonah started on this, the longest known journey, in his day, to try to escape from his God. It would be years before he could return. Truly Jonah was trying to "dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea!"

"And he went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish." It is always going down when we seek to leave the Lord. This was his first outward step down, but it was by no means his last. The outward step is generally preceded by an inward or spiritual step down. It is easier to go down than to go up, whether it be for body or soul. Beware, dear fellow-Christian, when the path begins to go downward, when the travel is easy, and there is no hill to climb! We can be reasonably sure then that we have got on the wrong road.

Notice, too, that apparently with no difficulty or delay, he "found a ship going to Tarshish." Perhaps he thought, "This is quite providential! This is surely a sign that I am being prospered in my way." It is wonderful how easy the devil makes our downward pathway. He is always ready to provide all we need to get away from the Lord. Do not let us think for a moment that because the downward road is an easy one, therefore it must be right. The ship already "going to Tarshish" was absolutely no proof that God had "prepared" it. (Jonah 1: 4; Jonah 1: 17; Jonah 4: 6; Jonah 4: 7; Jonah 4: 8.) Quite the reverse was the truth, and we ever need to bear in mind that things made ready to our hand to help us to do our own will, are by no means prepared for us by God, but very possibly prepared for us by the devil.

"So he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah."

"So he paid the fare thereof." Of course he did! A terribly high fare it must have been for that long journey. The Lord asks, "Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own charges?" (1 Cor. 9: 7) If we are going in the service of the Lord, we may be quite sure that He will see about "the fare;" but if we are going to please ourselves, or in the service of the devil, "the fare" must be paid! Friends, how very costly is that fare at times! There is many a man who has refused the call of God, and turned to his own way and "the fare" has been his peace of mind, the rest of heart that the Lord alone can give as we bear His yoke, and perhaps the loss, the eternal loss, of his children. A comfortable home down here, a nice motor car, a big bank balance — all these cannot begin to make up for the price we have had to pay for "the fare." It is a costly thing to disobey God. Note that although Jonah had paid the fare to Tarshish (a long, long journey, and we may be sure a very high fare), yet we never hear that he got a refund because he did not get to his destination. The devil takes but he does not give, and the only wages he pays is death. (Rom. 6: 23) His service is bad, his "fares" are the highest, and his wages are the worst: yet strange to say, he always has a mighty following. Thou, Most Blessed Master, Thou, whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light: Thou, whose service is the best, joy and peace and rest: Thou, who hast received us when hopeless bankrupts, hast paid our every debt, and who now payest all our charges, and whose "wages" (John 4: 36) are the very highest — how few are Thy laborers! Strange, most passing strange! Even those whom Thou hast redeemed prefer, too often, the service of self or of this world. Too often, in our eyes, ease and luxury and riches of this world, are more attractive than the cross that Thou dost offer to those who follow Thee. Help us, most gracious Lord, to take up our cross daily and to follow Thee; to present our bodies a living sacrifice, which is indeed our only reasonable service!

"So he paid the fare thereof and went down into it." Here we get Jonah's second downward step — first down to Joppa, then down into the boat. But Jonah was to go further down yet, as we shall see.

"He paid the fare thereof and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD."

"To go . . . from the presence of the Lord." That was the object of going down into the boat. A terrible confession it is, and how futile! The very next verse tells us:

"But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken."

Instead of succeeding in fleeing from the presence of the LORD by going down into that ship, the ship bore him into the midst of that tempest, where amidst the storm and the waves, alone on the vast deep, Jonah was to meet the Lord, and find himself in the very presence of the One from whom he was seeking to escape.

Notice those words, "The LORD sent out a great wind." We will have occasion to notice the various things that God "prepared" for Jonah's sake. There was the "great fish," "a gourd," "a worm" and a "sultry east wind." It does not, however, say that God prepared the "great wind," spoken of in the 4th verse of our chapter. Psalm 135: 7 tells us that God "bringeth the wind out of His treasuries." So instead of saying He prepared the wind, it says: "The LORD sent out a great wind into the sea." Surely that word "sent" is not used here by accident. What a sad and solemn contrast to Jonah does that "great wind" present! Both were sent by the same LORD. The stormy wind goes when and where it is sent, "fulfilling His word." (Ps. 148: 8) Man, the highest work of His creation, deliberately chooses his own will, and refuses to go, when his Lord and Master sends him!

"Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them."

Alas, these heathen mariners did not know Jehovah, the true God, the God who made the sea and the dry land, the God whom Jonah knew; and in their trouble they turned to the false gods of the heathen. In Psalm 107: 23-32 we get a wonderful description of a storm at sea, commanded and sent by Jehovah, and the result is "Then they cry unto Jehovah in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses; He maketh the storm a calm, and the waves thereof are still." These mariners did not know Jehovah, and could not call upon Him. The Scripture well asks, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" These men had not heard, so could not believe on the true God, therefore, instead of calling on Him, they called every man on his god. Since such gods. could neither save nor help them, they turned to their own expedients — throwing the cargo overboard. However, their prayers and their wisdom and their works were all unavailing. They were dealing now with Jehovah, the true God, and they were to learn something of Him and His power.

* * * * *

Where was Jonah all this time? Was he crying to his God? No, far from it. Listen: "But Jonah had gone down into the lower part of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep." Still a third step down for Jonah: down to Joppa, down into the ship, down into the lower part of the ship. Alas, for Jonah, he was to go still further down. In a downward pathway we cannot, as we suppose, stop when and where we will. What a strange position to find the heathen mariners in their terrible danger, calling on their gods to save them, while the one and only man on board that ship who knew the true and living God, did not trouble to call upon Him, but lay and was fast asleep. How like us! In a day when trouble seems about to overwhelm all about us, men's hearts failing them for fear, how often do we find the people of the Lord asleep, ;on-tent to go on in their own immediate circle, without a care for the sorrows and troubles of those about them, without a thought of those on every hand who do not know the true and living God whom we know, and yet we are content to sleep on through it all!

Notice the contrast between Jonah, down in the sides of the ship, fast asleep, while the ship was likely to be broken, and Jonah's Lord, "in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow." The one wearied of the service of Him who sent him, wearied in his vain efforts to flee from His presence; the Other, wearied in the service of Him who sent Him was snatching a few moments of well-earned rest even amidst the storm. The one was careless and callous to the danger to himself and those with him in the ship; the Other, even while He slept, "upholding all things by the word of His power" (Heb. 13), by His very presence, was preserving all with Him on board from every danger, so that after stilling the storm, He could turn to them and ask, "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" (Mark 4: 37-41)

"And the shipmaster came to him and said unto him, What meanest thou, sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God; perhaps God will think upon us, that we perish not."

Good, sensible shipmaster! He well knew what Jonah ought to be doing, surely not sleeping at such a time! Arise, call upon thy God! It is a message from the heathen about us that we all would do well to hear. We cannot all go out to the heathen, but we all can arise and call upon our God. Was not this just the point? Jonah could not arise and call upon his God nor do we hear that he even tried to do as the shipmaster commanded him. How could Jonah call on the name of the very One from whose presence he was even then fleeing? No, dear fellow Christian, you and I know very well that sin and prayer do not go together: we must give up one or the other. Sad to say, Jonah had chosen sin, and he could not pray. As we noted before, he did not even try to pray. He knew perfectly well what was the cause of that storm, and he knew equally well the remedy. This was not a time for prayer, but a time for confession, and bowing to the just punishment that he so rightly merited for his sin against his God. Though indeed confession and prayer might, and should, have been found together in the same breath.

Jonah had not yet come to the point, however, where he was willing to confess his sin. We all know about this. We all have sinned, and we all have come to the point where we knew that we ought to confess our sin to those whom we had wronged — not the public confession to those with whom the sin had nothing to do, making the confession into a deed of merit: not that sort of confession was needed from Jonah, but to tell humbly that he, and he only, was the cause of this storm — because of his sin against his God. Jonah had not yet come to the point where he was willing to humble himself to do this. Therefore, God allowed these heathen sailors to force him to do what he would not do of his own will.

Note also those words from the heathen shipmaster, "Perhaps God will think upon us, that we perish not." I love those words. True, he did not know God as Jonah knew Him, for who could give a truer and more glorious character to God than Jonah: "I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving-kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil." Jonah could truly say he "knew" God, but the shipmaster did not know a God of such a character. The heathen knew nothing of a God like this: but he does venture to hope:

"Arise call upon thy God, Perhaps God will think upon us, that we perish not." Later we hear them pray, not every man to his god, but this time to Jehovah Himself, and they say, "Ah, Jehovah, we beseech Thee, let us not perish for this man's life." (Jonah 1: 14) Later again, we hear the king of Nineveh, another heathen, exhorting his people to turn from their sins, "Who knoweth but that God will turn . . . that we perish not." There may have been but the feeblest, and most ignorant turning to the true God, the object before them being only that they should not perish, but how richly did God meet them in each case.

Can we read those words "perish not," repeated three times, without thinking of that most glorious of verses, "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"? Truly God has found a way so that the vilest of sinners should not perish. How can we, who have tasted of such grace and love, ever cease to praise Him? How can we refuse or neglect to tell out such glorious news to those who have never heard? How can we let them go on and perish in their sins?

"And they said each one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah." Now Jonah is left without any other choice. Surely it was God Himself who directed that lot, and Jonah knew it. He can cover his sin no longer, but God Himself has forced that confession that he would not make of his own free will.

It is good when God acts similarly with us, as indeed He often does. He that covereth his sin shall not prosper (Prov. 28: 13); and if we will not voluntarily confess our sin, it is good that God should use His own means to force that sin into the open; for only then can He bring blessing to us. "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity I covered not; I said, I will confess my transgression unto Jehovah, and THOU forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." (Ps. 32: 3-5)

Notice how many questions they asked Jonah, now that the lot had fallen upon him. "Tell us, we pray thee, For whose cause this evil is upon us: What is thine occupation? And whence comest thou? What is thy country? And of what people art thou?"

These questions may well search our own hearts. Let us face that first question. "Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us." The presence of a Christian, a saint of God (for every true Christian is truly "a saint") — the presence of such a one should be a blessing to any company of people. He should be like a light shining in a dark place, a little candle to give light to those about him; but Jonah was very different. Rather than being a blessing to the company of men on that ship, he brought a curse with him. It was he who brought that storm, or at least God sent it for his sake. How very solemn a thing it is if God in dealing with us for our unfaithfulness and sin must bring trouble and distress to those about us! The Bible says truly, "None of us liveth to himself." (Rom. 14: 7) We cannot say, "This is my own business and makes no difference to anybody else." Jonah's disobedience made a great difference to those mariners. They got into a terrible storm, they lost their cargo by throwing it overboard in order to try to save the ship, and all because of the sin of a saint of God. It is a very searching question to ask ourselves, "Am I a blessing or a curse in the circle where I move?" For certain it is, you have an influence one way or the other. True it is that God brought blessing out of all this sin and trouble, and those sailors learned to know the true God through the disobedient prophet. That does not at all excuse him, however, and the sad, sad answer to the mariners' question was just this, if Jonah spoke the truth: "It is entirely for my cause. It is my fault, and only my fault that you have had all this danger and loss." May God deliver us from ever putting our friends and companions to sorrow and loss through our sin and unfaithfulness!

The second question is a searching one also. Let us face it honestly, "What is thine occupation?" You may have heard of the man about whom it was said, "Yes, that man is a Christian, but he is not working at it." How many of us are Christians, but not working at it! It would be hard for the world to know of some of us whose first occupation is to be down here "to the praise of His glory." (Eph. 1: 14)

"And whence comest thou?" Very often we forget that we are "coming" from "the city of destruction," and that the world from which we have come is already condemned, that we no longer are of it, but that now our citizenship is in heaven. Too often nobody could guess that we are pilgrims and strangers down here (1 Peter 2: 11), on our way to the Father's house.

"What is thy country?" This is a common question in China. How often foreigners are asked, "What is your honorable country?" Can we truthfully reply, "My honorable country is heaven!" Does our manner of life show this forth? Dear fellow-Christian, you and I are not of the world, even as the Lord Jesus Christ was not of the world. (John 17: 16) Our citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3: 20) Oh, may that question of the heathen sailors, on Jonah's ship, sink down deeply into our hearts so that we may truthfully and joyfully sing,

"Called from above, and heavenly men by birth,

(Who once were but the citizens of earth)

As pilgrims here we seek a heavenly home,

Our portion in the ages yet to come."

"And of what people art thou?" May God help us never to be ashamed to say, "I am of the people of God. By God's grace, I am a follower of the despised and rejected One, whom this world cast out and crucified." It is an old saying, "A man is known by the company he keeps." Let it be so in our case, may our friends, our associates and our companions ever be God's people. True, there are times when we are compelled to mingle with the people of the world, but when this is so, may we be like those saints of old, of whom it is recorded, "Being let go, they went to their own company." (Acts 4: 23)

If a saint of God is walking in obedience, walking with his Lord, it should not be needful to ask such questions as these — they should be apparent to all men. May the breathing of our hearts be:

"Oh, that it might be said of me,

Surely thy speech betrayeth thee,

As a friend of Christ of Galilee."

Now, notice Jonah's answer. He ignored all the questions but the last, and to this he replied: "I am a Hebrew." The name "Hebrew" seems to have been one of contempt. Compare 1 Samuel 14: 11. The name of dignity was "Israelite." "Israel," you will recall, means "A Prince with God." In Jonah's downward pathway, away from God, he had lost the sense of the dignity of his position and citizenship, and used the name that the enemies of Israel used of them in scorn. It is easy for us, also, to lose a sense of the dignity of the position in which the Lord has so graciously placed us, and sink down to acknowledge the names which the world in contempt and ignorance use of us. We have the name of Christian given to us in the New Testament. May the Lord help us to utterly refuse any name except this given us by God, and never acknowledge the names which have been given and taken by men in this world!

Now notice Jonah's next words — not an answer to their questions but better than that. He began to get his eyes off himself, and what a difference it made. "And I fear Jehovah, the God of the heavens, who hath made the sea and the dry land." The sailors had been crying every man to his god, but they did not know Jehovah, the God of the heavens. They prayed that the sea might be still from its raging, but they did not know the God who had made the sea. This was a fine answer that Jonah gave to these heathen sailors. He may have lost the sense of the dignity of the place into which God had put him, but he had not lost the sense of the God whom he feared. There, beloved friends, is the remedy for all our troubles. Turning our eyes away from self, away from the world, away from the raging seas around us, let us look off unto Jesus, and then, He will enable us to give a true and ringing testimony of the One whom we fear: "Whose I am, and whom I serve."

The result was grand. "Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said, What is this thou hast done? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of Jehovah; for he had told them." How often do the men of this world seem to have a truer conception of what is suitable in a Christian, than the Christian himself. How was it that Jonah was not "exceedingly afraid"? He had far more knowledge of the greatness and glory and holiness of the true and living God, who had made the sea and the dry land than these poor ignorant, heathen sailors; and yet they took a far truer view of Jonah's action than he took of it himself. It was an awful thing for a mere man to try and flee from the presence of such a God! One would think it would have been Jonah, not the sailors, who would have been exceedingly afraid. Such is the heart, even of a saint and a prophet of God! Note that Jonah had at last confessed his sin, with his good confession of his God.

"And they said unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous." The matter is being pressed close home to Jonah now. "What shall we do unto thee?" Well Jonah knew that the awful storm about them, every moment getting worse and worse, was all his fault. Though Jonah had not "feared exceedingly" when he ought to have done so, now he began to find out that God is not mocked, and that it is no light thing to try and trifle with Him. I suppose that most of us are not in any position to say very many words of blame to Jonah. Have not most of us had to learn the same bitter lesson? How natural to the heart of man is the thought, and how eager the enemy is to tell us, that we may sin with impunity and "get away with it." No, beloved fellow-Christian, whether it was Jonah, or whether it is you or I, "God is not mocked." "Be sure your sin will find you out." (Num. 32: 23) Sin will surely bring bitter, bitter fruit.

"And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that because of me this great tempest is upon you." Brave Jonah! One cannot help but admire and love this man, in spite of all his failure. How many of us would have dared to pronounce so clearly our own death sentence, and so fully and frankly acknowledge our own guilt, and its consequence, without a single word of excuse or self-justification? He now plainly answered their third question, "For whose cause is the evil upon us?" When one considers that it must almost surely have been Jonah, himself, who wrote this book which bears his name (under the direct inspiration of the Spirit of God, of course), a book which has not a syllable to his own credit, one cannot help but honor this brave and honest man. What a death sentence! for humanly speaking, it could be nothing else. Cast forth out of that little ship; far, far from land, to sink down into those mountainous waves — what hope could there be of life in such a position? The mariners knew well the hopelessness of the condemned prophet, were his sentence carried out, so they rowed hard to regain the land. We learn to love and admire those kindly sailors, as we follow them through this voyage. How easy it would have been to throw Jonah overboard, and get a calm sea once more! But, no, they would not do this without one more hard try. So "the men rowed hard to regain the land; but they could not; for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them." It was hopeless. God Himself was sending that storm, not against them, it is true, but against His disobedient servant, and it is useless to fight against God. There was nothing left but to submit to His decree, as pronounced by His own prophet. Notice how this work of judgment is carried out. It is done with prayer. There is not a word of vindictiveness or blame against the man who had brought such trouble upon them; instead we find the men, who shortly before had been crying every one unto his god, now crying to Jehovah. What a glorious change! "And they cried unto Jehovah and said, Ah, Jehovah, we beseech Thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for Thou, Jehovah, hast done as it pleased Thee." What a wonderful growth in the knowledge of Jehovah, the true God, do we find in this short prayer! They have turned to God from idols (1 Thess. 1: 9), and that last sentence, "Thou hast done as it pleased Thee," seems to reveal a knowledge of the greatness and power of God, combined with a sweet submission to His will, that might well be the envy of us all. We have already noted that this is the second time these men used the word "perish," and truly God heard their cry, and they perished not.

"And they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from its raging." I am sure that Jonah, also, humbly submitted to the terrible punishment that God saw fit to inflict upon him, the death penalty, pronounced by his own lips, but chosen by God Himself. I have little doubt that it was a solemn moment on board that ship, as the prophet prepared to die, and the sailors were compelled to carry out that sentence of death on the very man that had first told them of the true and living God, and who had been the means of turning them to Him from their idols. It may well be that a strong bond of love had sprung up between the prophet and the seamen during their stormy passage together. They well knew that he was voluntarily going down into death in order to save their lives. They could truly say, "He gave himself for us;" "He died that we might live."

The result — what was it? It was two-fold; first, "The sea ceased from her raging;" then, "The men feared Jehovah exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto Jehovah, and made vows." For these heathen men the result was a complete and entire turning to the true and living God. Jonah could say of himself, "I fear Jehovah." The Spirit of God records of the sailors, "The men feared Jehovah exceedingly." Then they offered a sacrifice. That tells us of approach to God in God's own way — also, of thanksgiving and worship. How lovely to trace the work of the Spirit of God in the hearts of these men! First, they were "afraid" of the storm, verse 5, and crying to their gods; then, they were "exceedingly afraid" as they heard for the first time, of the God of the heavens, who had made the sea and the dry land. Thirdly, they cried to Jehovah, instead of to their gods; acknowledged His greatness and power, and bowed in submission to His will. Fourthly, they feared Jehovah exceedingly — a very different thing from being "exceedingly afraid." Fifthly, they came into Jehovah's presence with a sacrifice, God's own appointed way, and bowed before Him in worship and thanksgiving; and finally, they made vows — a public acknowledgement of the debt that they owed to the great God whom they had so lately learned to know.

The result for Jonah was far different from what any man could have expected: "And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." Jehovah's eye was on that parting scene on the deck of that little vessel amidst the storm. Jehovah's eye (an eye and a heart of love and grace) was on His erring servant as he sank under those angry waves; and there where he least expected it, he found a place of refuge — in the belly of the fish. If those dark and stormy waters spoke of death, surely the belly of the fish tells us of the grave. We know that this is so, for our Lord Jesus Christ tells us plainly that Jonah at this time was a type of Himself. "Even as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights thus shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights." (Matt. 12: 40) Little did Jonah know the honor that was being put upon him at this moment, in that he was for ever after to be a sign of how his Lord and Master would later on go down voluntarily into death and the grave, in order to save others.

Notice, also, that the Word of God says that God "prepared a great fish." It is true that in the ordinary English Bible, the word "whale" is used in Matthew 12: 40, in this connection; yet it is worthy of note that in this passage, the New Translation uses the same word "great fish" as that used in the Book of Jonah. When we shut God out of His own universe we are immediately in difficulties, but when we accept what God says, just as He says it, there is no difficulty whatsoever. God is well able to prepare a great fish, to preserve His servant's life; he is able to have that special fish ready, waiting outside the boat, in exactly the right place, and at just the right time. This is not one miracle only, this is a combination of many miracles, and to the one who knows God, and His ways, there is nothing impossible, or even improbable in what happened here, but rather just what we might expect our gracious God to do for one of His own. This great fish is the first thing the book tells us that Jehovah prepared for His servant, but it was by no means the last. The gourd, the worm, and the sultry east wind, were each in turn specially prepared by God, and each one was just as truly a miracle of God, as the great fish.

Before we turn from this first chapter of Jonah, we must notice with adoring wonder, the amazing grace and wisdom of God (not to speak of His power), in turning the sin and the failure of His disobedient servant to the glory of His own name, and the blessing of His poor creature, man. God had sent Jonah on a message of warning to a Gentile city in the far east, a message that was to prove a message of mercy; but His servant had refused to go, and started westward for a city of the far west. What does God do, but use this very act of disobedience to bring a message of mercy and peace to a ship's company of ignorant heathen sailors? How it reminds us of the verse, "He maketh the wrath of man to praise Him," or again, "We do know that all things work together for good." (Rom. 8: 28) Or yet again, "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." (Judges 14: 14)

As we meditate on this first chapter of Jonah, and follow the disobedient servant of Jehovah along his pathway from his home in Gath-Hepher, down, down, down, till he reaches the belly of the fish, and thus saves the heathen sailors, we may realize that all this pathway is a picture of the perfect, obedient Servant of Jehovah, our Lord Jesus Christ, who went down, down, down — down from His home in the glory, down to the manger, and from thence down to the cross, and down into the grave, and so saves us poor sinners. How marvelously is that pathway traced for us in Philippians 2: 6-8: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus; who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God; but emptied Himself, taking a bondman's form, taking His place in the likeness of men; and having been found in figure as a man, humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, and that the death of the cross." Little wonder that the Spirit of God should then burst forth: "Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, and granted Him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly and earthly and infernal beings, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to God the Father's glory."

Chapter Two

Jonah Prays

"And Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish's belly." We noticed, when we were considering the first chapter of Jonah, that even when the shipmaster wakened Jonah out of his sleep, and told him to call on his God, that Jonah made no attempt to pray. He was fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, and that is no time to pray unto Him. We saw that he even made a frank confession of his sin to the whole ship's company, but still he did not pray. We have watched that solemn scene on deck, as the seamen reluctantly took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea. It is amazing that even as Jonah was about to die, he apparently made not the slightest attempt to come to God in prayer, though surely there had been a beginning of the restoration of his soul. It often takes some time to bring about full restoration. See Numbers 19: 19.

Do not think, dear reader, that Jonah was any worse than we are today. The story before us is only an illustration of how very far from God, even a saint and a prophet, one who has been used of God to do His work, may get. Even the sight of death itself did not break down the barrier that Jonah's sin and pride had raised between God and his heart. True, the barrier was all on his part, but he would not humble himself to turn to God and cry for mercy.

How wonderful are the ways of God. What the storm, the raging waves, what even death itself, could not accomplish, God now brought about by His own ways. Alone in the belly of the fish, amidst that awful darkness, and that deathly silence, utterly without hope of deliverance by the hand of man — Jonah prayed. "Out of the belly of Sheol (or the grave), cried I." This is the way Jonah described that moment. Worse, far worse to Jonah, than a few short moments under the stormy waves, and then death; were those long hours, three days and three nights, "in the belly of Sheol." The proud, rebellious spirit bowed at last, and Jonah prayed.

Should one of my readers be following Jonah in a course of rebellion and selfwill, too proud and too far from God to pray; just take note of the ways of God with man. Just bear in mind that God can make the proudest spirit bow, and can bring a prayer from the hardest heart. Jonah said: "I cried by reason of my distress unto Jehovah." Honest Jonah — he frankly confessed that it was by reason of his distress that he was finally compelled to cry to God. He could face death without a tremble but there are worse things than death, as he found out. Now such distress came upon him that there was nothing else for it, he must pray. Listen to another (or, indeed, could it be Jonah speaking again?), in Psalm 116: 3-4: "The bands (or distresses) of death encompassed me, and the anguish of Sheol took hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow: then called I upon the name of Jehovah: I beseech Thee, Jehovah, deliver my soul." If we persist in walking in the paths of rebellion and selfwill, we may be quite sure that we also will find "trouble and sorrow," such trouble and such sorrow, that it will force us to our knees. O, dear Christian, you who have turned away from the presence of the Lord, who have grown cold and hard, you who have ceased to pray, you who have lost the joys you once possessed in Christ — take warning, and take heart, from Jonah. Listen to the 5th verse of that lovely 116th Psalm, following immediately after the verses quoted above: "Gracious is Jehovah and righteous; and our God is merciful." Does it not remind you of the very character that Jonah gave of God? Such, you, and I, dear reader, will find our God to be; if we will but return, He will "abundantly pardon."

Listen again to those words of Jonah: his whole soul seemed filled with wonder that God should have heard and answered such as he, and from such a place!

"I cried by reason of my distress unto Jehovah, and He answered me; out of the belly of Sheol cried I: Thou heardest my voice." Yes, wonder of wonders, God is ever ready to hear, and ever ready to forgive. The cloud and the darkness are all on our side: our God has not changed. One can but watch with adoring wonder to see the patience and wisdom of God in dealing with His erring servant. Time and again He gave him warning and opportunity to cry to Him for pardon and help. God does not give him up, even when the sight of death itself will not force him to yield. This God is our God; how much better for us to fall at His feet and pour out the whole story of our sin and failure, and cry to Him for mercy and forgiveness. We will surely find that, like the writer of Psalm 116 (who had found trouble and sorrow), we too, may exclaim with adoring wonder, "I love the Lord, for He hath heard my voice and my supplications; for He hath inclined His ear unto me, and I will call upon Him during all my days." (Ps. 116: 1-2)

But let us listen further to Jonah's prayer. What an immense privilege to be able to stand by and hear this prayer out of the fish's belly:

"For thou didst cast me into the depth, into the heart of the seas." There is not a suggestion that it was the sailors that cast him into the sea: No, Jonah knew better than that. It was God, and God only, who had cast Jonah into the sea, and he acknowledged it. Why would God do such a thing as this? Was it cruel on His part to do so? Oh, no! This was the way home, and the only way home, for this particular prodigal son. It was not till he got inside the fish, and had been there for three days and nights, that "he came to himself." Whether it is the pigs, or whether it is the fish, God has ways to make His people come to themselves.

"And the flood was round about me: all Thy breakers and Thy billows are gone over me." How these words remind us of the words of our Lord (spoken prophetically, it is true, but yet His words), in Psalm 69: 1-2, "The waters are come in unto My soul. I sink in deep mire where there is no standing; I am come into the depth of waters and the flood overfloweth Me." We need to ever bear in mind that the Lord Himself tells us that Jonah is a sign, or type, of Himself. The flood was wilder about Him, and there were deeper, darker, more terrible breakers and billows that rolled over His holy soul, as He suffered for sins not His own, but mine and yours.

"And I said, I am cast out from before Thine eyes." Three times in chapter one, we read about Jonah fleeing from the presence of Jehovah; but this is a very different thing. As long as he had his own free choice, Jonah fled from the presence of Jehovah, or sought to do so. Now, alone in the darkness and horror of his awful grave, Jonah said: "I am cast out from before Thine eyes." He had got, so he believed, away from the presence of Jehovah at last, he had found the place he was seeking, but oh, how awful was that place! This was not Jonah deliberately leaving Jehovah, as he fully intended doing; this was, as he thought, Jehovah deliberately leaving him. It is a solemn thing to think, that the day is coming when multitudes around us will be compelled to cry with truth, "I am cast out from before Thine eyes." They do not want the Lord now, and the day is speedily coming when they will be cast out from His presence, into outer darkness, into weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. May none of our readers ever share that awful fate: it is worse by far than Jonah's position, and instead of three days and three nights, it will be eternal.

Do not those words remind us of that darkest scene of all eternity when our adorable Lord cried, "Eli, Eli Lama Sabachthani," that is, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27: 46) God had truly forsaken the One who always did His will, because our sins were laid upon Him, and God is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity. (Hab. 1: 13) Such was the cross! Such was the price He paid for you and for me!

"I said, I am cast out from before Thine eyes, yet will I look again toward Thy holy temple." Thank God, it was not true of Jonah. He was not cast out from before the eyes of God. On the contrary, we may plainly see that God's eyes were intently watching His poor servant, even in the belly of that fish, and when the right moment came, we will see that immediately the command went forth to deliver him from his awful prison. Jonah thought he was cast out from before God's eyes. He well knew he deserved to be, but thank God, He does not give His servants their deserts, when they are of this nature.

What is the significance of those words, "I will look again toward Thy holy temple"? Surely Jonah's mind turned back to Solomon's prayer at the dedication of that temple, recorded in 2 Chronicles 6, and no doubt well known to him. Read, for example, verses 38 and 39: "If they return to Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity . . . and pray toward their land . . . and toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Thy name: then hear Thou from the heavens . . . and forgive Thy people which have sinned against Thee." It was on the ground of words such as these that Jonah had authority from the Lord Himself to count on the mercy of God to forgive his sin, and deliver him.

Jonah's eye had been westward, to Tarshish, but now, down in the belly of Sheol, there is true repentance, real turning round, and his eyes looked eastward, back to the holy temple that he had lately, so wickedly forsaken. That is just what repentance means. Men often think it means great sorrow for sin. That may, and probably will, be included, but that is not the real meaning of the word. It is turning round, the literal meaning is "thinking again." Jonah "thought again." Instead of looking west, he looked east. Instead of turning his back to God's holy temple, he turned his face to it. Instead of fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, he was seeking His presence. Instead of there being the old, proud, rebellious self that would not pray, even in the most solemn moment — now, he delights to pray; he finds his only comfort and relief in prayer. That tells us of repentance, real, true repentance. I have little doubt that Jonah had very deep sorrow for his sinful course, but he repented, when he turned round, with his back on Tarshish, and his face toward God's holy temple.

"The waters encompassed me, to the soul: the deep was round about me, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottom of the mountains; the bars of the earth closed upon me forever."

Here we find desperate reality. It was not only the waters about him externally, but those dark waters of death entered into his very soul. Once again we are reminded that Jonah is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ; and do not the verses just quoted tell us something of the sufferings of our blessed Lord, as set forth in Psalm 22? We have noted that the billows and the breakers that went over Him, reminded us of Psalm 69. In this Psalm, the Lord's sufferings from the hand of man seem to be set before us: the external sufferings, so to speak. "Thou hast known My reproach, and My shame, and My dishonor: Mine adversaries are all before Thee. Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink." (Ps. 69: 19-21) All these sufferings were caused by men. As we ponder the fifth and sixth verses of the second chapter of Jonah, we realize that such words, as, "The waters encompassed me, to the soul," tell forth an even deeper suffering, than those external sufferings from man's hand. It reminds us of Joseph (also a wonderful type of our Lord), in Psalm 105: 18 (margin and new trans.), "Whose feet they hurt with fetters: his soul came into iron." We see in the first half of the verse, the external suffering that Joseph endured, but in the last half of the verse, we find a deeper and keener suffering that went into the inmost part of his being.

Is it not this side of the suffering of our adorable Lord that we find so wonderfully set before us in Psalm 22? "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" This, the deepest suffering of all, came from God, not from men, though caused by our sins. Some people would tell us that the Lord Jesus only thought that God had forsaken Him, as in Jonah's case: "I said, I am cast out from before Thine eyes." It was, however, very different in the case of our Lord and Savior. There on the cross, He bore our sins; and with all those mountains of sins upon Him, God must turn away from Him, and it was in very truth that He uttered that awful cry, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" We may, to some small extent (never fully) , enter into what it meant to our pure and holy Saviour to bear those external sufferings and shame and reproach from man; but no human mind can ever fathom the depth of suffering contained in that terrible cry, "Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani?" Here, indeed, the waters compassed Him about, to the soul. It was then He took that awful cup of the wrath of a holy God against sin (the cup you and I deserved to drink), and drank it to its very dregs.

"The depth of all Thy suffering

No heart can e'er conceive;

The cup of wrath o'erflowing,

For us Thou didst receive."

* * * * *

We must notice one more step down for poor Jonah. He had gone down of his own accord, down to Joppa, down into the ship, down into the sides of the ship: three sad steps down, God had brought him down into the sea, then down into the fish, and now God brings him down further still: "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains." Now Jonah was down about as far as he could go. It is well for us when we are down. Referring once more to that beautiful 116th Psalm, verse 6, we read, "I was brought low, and He saved me." It is when we are brought down, when our pride is brought low, that He is able to save us. As soon as Jonah got down to the very bottom, he said, "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the bars of the earth closed upon me forever;" then, immediately we read, "But Thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God." Jonah's pride was broken; he was just as low as he could get. It was then Jehovah, his God, brought up his life from the pit. You, dear Christian reader, have very probably experienced something of this yourself, for "Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man." (Job 33: 29) May the Lord help us to humble ourselves truly before Him, so that He may bring us up!

* * * * *

"When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah: and my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thy holy temple."

In the days of his prosperity, his pride and his selfwill, Jonah had forgotten Jehovah, or perhaps we should say, had disregarded Jehovah, but now, when the billows and the breakers were going over him, the waters encompassing him, even to the soul; now when he was down at the bottoms of the mountains, when he was utterly without hope, he said, "the bars of the earth closed about me forever." Now, his soul fainted. He had no resource, no hope in man, there was not one to whom he could turn. Now, he remembered Jehovah, and he prayed. There was no other hope, no other way, nothing else he could do, so he prayed. Not only did he pray, but faith rose from that strange "prayer room," and by faith he could see right into "Thy holy temple," towards which he had looked, and he saw that his prayer had entered in, right inside the veil, to the very presence of God.

Perhaps we all have tasted a bit of this experience of Jonah. Which of us has not tried to manage our own affairs, and when everything went wrong, and we were at our wits' end; when our soul fainted within us, and we had no way, no hope, no plan, then we "remembered Jehovah." Then we prayed. We did not deserve to get a hearing for our prayer when it was forced from us in such extremities, but, thank God, we have found, like Jonah, that even then, it "came in unto Thee, into Thy holy temple."

* * * * *

"They that observe lying vanities (or, vain idols), forsake their own mercy." It may be that Jonah had watched the sailors as they called every man upon his god, bowing down to vain idols, seeking help from them, and offering prayer to them. It may not have affected him much at the time. One gets accustomed to these things. We sing "The heathen in his blindness bows down to wood and stone," and it does not trouble us in the least. Now, in the very presence of Jehovah his God, the very thought of such a thing was utterly abhorrent to Jonah's soul. He saw it all in its true light. He did not say, "It is no matter how they worship, provided they are sincere." No, indeed! He knew full well the awfulness of it, and he cried, "They that observe vain idols forsake their own mercy." Jonah had received such mercy, that the thought of the contrast of those who observe vain idols, instead of remembering the true God, made him realize how very different is the result. Mercy there is for all, provided they turn to Jehovah, but let not any deceive himself by thinking that vain idols, no matter how sincere the worshipper of them, can ever bring mercy to the sinner. What a book of mercy is the book of Jonah! Mercy to Jonah himself, mercy on more than one occasion! Mercy to the seamen, and mercy to man and beast in Nineveh! We can truly say —

"Nothing but mercy will do for me,

Nothing but mercy — full and free;

Of sinners chief — what but the blood

Can calm my soul before my God?"

"But I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanksgiving: I will pay that which I have vowed."

Faith grew bolder; now Jonah could say that he would yet sacrifice to Jehovah with the voice of thanksgiving. How could he possibly have hoped for this while he was still in the belly of the fish? Only by faith. This sacrifice of thanksgiving is the "peace offering," though it is also called the "thanksgiving offering." It was a voluntary offering of a sweet savor to Jehovah. We read of it in Leviticus 3, and 7: 11-21 and 28-36, where in 7: 12, we find it is called "the sacrifice of thanksgiving." It is a peculiarly beautiful aspect of the sacrifice of Christ. We find that in this sacrifice, God had first His own special share. The priest that offered it had his own share. Aaron had his own share, and there was a share for Aaron's sons, and the man who offered the sacrifice also had his share. When we offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, not only does God Himself find sweetness and fragrance in it, having a special portion in it for Himself; but Christ as the High Priest, and Christ as the One who offered Himself, has a portion in that sacrifice also. The family of Aaron, the saints of God down here — they get a portion, too; and the one who has offered the sacrifice of thanksgiving also has a portion in that sacrifice. May we each one be found much more often offering the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving!

Jonah could say with triumph, even while still down in the belly of the fish, "I will pay that which I have vowed." That is real faith. The sailors also made vows, so that there was a special portion for the Lord both from Jonah and from them; and so the Lord once more made the wrath of man to praise Him. Once again, out of the eater He brought forth meat, and out of the strong He brought forth sweetness. (See Judges 14: 4)

There is something peculiarly beautiful to see Jonah's faith grow, while he prayed. Is it not often so? We enter the Lord's presence in prayer often so sad and burdened we can only come with groanings that cannot be uttered, but as we pray, and the eye of faith turns upwards, and pierces through all the waves and billows and storms down here, we can see right into the bright sunshine of His own presence. How many a saint whose soul has been cast down, when he prayed, has been able to fling back in the teeth of the enemy, "I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." (Ps. 42: 11)

Then comes the climax, so to speak, of the whole prayer. One grand short cry,

"Salvation is of Jehovah."

It is a great thing when we learn this. Then we cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils. Shut up to God, without a ray of hope from any other source, there alone in the dark and the stillness, Jonah learned one of the deepest and greatest lessons that any man ever can learn — that is — "Salvation is of Jehovah." May the Lord graciously help you and me, dear reader, to know more, and ever more, of this great lesson: as better and better we learn to know Himself.

* * * * *

What followed this grand and joyful exclamation? What followed when the lesson was learned, and the eye was off self, off man, and turned to Jehovah alone?

"And Jehovah commanded the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land." As soon as Jonah really learned that salvation is of Jehovah, then Jehovah brought salvation. And how did He accomplish this salvation? By a word. He spoke and the fish obeyed. We have already seen the stormy wind obeying His word, both in rising, and in being still. Now we find the great fish equally obedient. The only disobedient one in this book was Jonah, a man, God's highest creation, a man who was God's servant and His prophet; and yet he ventured to disobey. Now Jehovah commanded the fish, and it obeyed. It all reminds us of when Jehovah, as a Man upon earth, could say to the storm, "Peace, be still," or could bring an abundance of fish into Peter's net, or one fish with a piece of money in its mouth, on to Peter's hook. His glories shine forth in the Old Testament and New, alike. He is the same — wondrous grace that HE whose glories are so bright and so great, should stoop so low for us!

This word to the fish reminds us of the 29th Psalm, a Psalm with which Jonah was, no doubt, familiar. Perhaps it brought comfort and hope to his soul, when down at the bottoms of those mountains, he recalled that, "Jehovah sitteth upon the flood; yea, Jehovah sitteth as King forever." (Ps. 29: 10) Perhaps we cannot bring our meditations on this wondrous chapter to a close in any more fitting manner than by quoting a few verses from this majestic Psalm:

"The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth, Jehovah upon great waters. The voice of Jehovah is powerful, the voice of Jehovah is full of majesty. The voice of Jehovah breaketh cedars; yea, Jehovah breaketh the cedars of Lebanon: and He maketh them to skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sir-ion like a young buffalo. The voice of Jehovah cleaveth out flames of fire. The voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness; Jehovah shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and layeth bare the forests; and in His temple doth every one say, Glory!"

"Jehovah sitteth upon the flood; yea, Jehovah sitteth as King for ever. Jehovah will give strength unto His people; Jehovah will bless His people with peace."

It is the voice of this glorious One — His voice as Good Shepherd — that we have learned to know and love. Help us, Good Shepherd, to ever follow Thee, to ever hear Thy voice!

Chapter Three

Jonah Preaches

Scripture is often silent when we wish that it would speak. Such a time is the gap (if we may use such a word), between the second and third chapters of Jonah. How much we would like to know where the great fish vomited out Jonah? Did he return home to Gath-Hepher after his strange and sad experience? Did the command from God, given a second time, come immediately after Jonah was vomited out of the fish, or was there a space, perhaps a considerable space, of time? None of these questions we can answer; and it is idle for us to ask them, much as we would like to know about these things. We do know that God has told us in His Word all that we need to know, and we often can learn from the silence of Scripture as well as from that which it reveals to us.

Perhaps in this instance our gaze is the more steadily kept on God's determined purpose to send a warning to the great and wicked city of Nineveh. The failure of man, even the failure of God's own servants, cannot deter the Lord in His purposes of grace. What comfort there is for our souls in this thought. Not that it should make us careless, far from it. Jonah should surely have learned that lesson. On the contrary it should give us a deeper and fuller confidence in the One whom we trust and serve, as we realize that the work is His, and depends on Himself, and He will surely bring about His purposes. Even though we may fail, He faileth not!

* * * * *

"And the word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." (Jonah 3: 1)

We may well believe that Jonah was in a very humbled frame of mind as he found himself vomited out on the beach, and once more safe on dry ground. We may have little doubt that he was very ready to pay that which he had vowed to sacrifice? Was his vow that he would go where God sent him? We cannot answer these questions. As we recall the case of John Mark in the New Testament, another servant of the Lord who turned aside from the service which he had received; and as we bear in mind that he was, apparently, laid aside from that service for possibly twenty years, it makes us realize more fully the seriousness of Jonah's actions in the eyes of his Master.

For us, who perhaps also have turned aside from some service that has been given to us, we may find in the first verse of the third of Jonah, a rich mine of comfort. Even suppose the mercy of God had delivered His failing servant from the awful death that threatened him, who could expect that the Lord would give to him a second opportunity to carry out this service, which he had once been privileged to have the opportunity of doing for Him. Such is the grace of God. Not only did the Lord save His servant from death, but He patiently taught him the lessons that he needed, and then saved and pardoned and equipped more fully than before through these new lessons, once more the Lord sent him on the very message that he had formerly refused.

I cannot but think that the unspeakable grace of God shown to him again in this re-commission, must have touched the heart of Jonah. I cannot but think that many times the thought must have gone through his mind, amidst his deep repentance, "Oh, how gladly would I show the reality of my repentance by once again having the opportunity to go on the message that I once refused." Mark, the failing servant, became the profitable servant: and Jonah the disobedient servant, became the obedient one. The Master in both cases received them back, and once again gave to them the opportunity of continuing in that service that they had once refused. I cannot but think that most of the servants of the same blessed Master today may take comfort and hope and encouragement from these two failing servants we have been considering.

The message is very much the same. Before it had been, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me." Now the message is, "Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee."

The message is a little more peremptory, without the explanation of the reason for the warning, as given at first. The prophet had shown himself unworthy of that intimacy of communion that the first command contained. It was something like Psalm 103: 7: "He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel." The first message told of God's "ways," and gave the reason for His "acts." The second time, there was no such explanation given, and simple, implicit obedience is what is called for. This was right. It was in simple, implicit obedience that the prophet had failed: and the second opportunity offered to him is a test of whether he would obey, without being told the reason.

How important for us are the last words of that first verse: "Preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." How often those of us who preach are tempted to preach what we like. Perhaps the Lord has in the past blessed certain subjects, and we like to preach from these, instead of listening to hear what He may bid us preach. There are those who have certain subjects that they use over and over again: it saves that exercise of soul, perhaps, that new subjects would require. There are others who make it a boast that they never preach the same sermon twice. How different from Jonah, who only had one sermon, and preached it over and over again for days on end. "The preaching that I bid thee" sums it all up for every preacher today. May the Lord give to us that quiet, hearing ear that is ready listening for His bidding as to the subject, as well as His bidding as to the place!

"So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord." (Jonah 3: 3)

There was no hesitating now. There was no question now as to whether he wanted to go or not. He received his orders to go, and he went. That is as it should be. He does not say, as we are sometimes tempted, "I have not the ability: I am not worthy of such a high and holy task: I have so grievously failed in the past, send someone else." Even a Moses could have thoughts such as these, but they were not pleasing to God, nor did they honor Him, or show true humility on the part of the servant. "He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory," and actually "self" is the one on whom our eyes and thoughts are fixed in all such excuses. We need to have our eye on God alone. If He sends us, all is well; then we may gladly go without a fear or a question; but woe to the one who runs unsent. The Lord must say of other prophets: "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied." (Jer. 23: 21) Let us beware of such work done in the name of the Lord! We all need to take the warning home to ourselves.

* * * * *

"Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days journey." (ch. 3: 3) "It was a city of vast extent and population; and was the centre of the principle commerce of the world. Its wealth was not, however, altogether derived from trade. It was a 'bloody city,' 'full of lies and robbery' (Nahum 3: 1). It plundered the neighboring nations; and is compared by the prophet Nahum to a family of lions which 'fill their holes with prey and their dens with ravin' (Jonah 2: 11-12). At the same time it was strongly fortified; its colossal walls, a hundred feet high, with their fifteen hundred towers, bidding defiance to all enemies." (Bible Handbook, Angus.) It was said to be about sixty miles in circumference.

"And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." (Jonah 3: 4)

The long and trying journey from Canaan to Nineveh is all passed over. We know it took Ezra five months to make a very similar journey (Ezra 7: 9), and we may gather that Jonah was a somewhat similar length of time on his journey. Every detail of it is omitted, indeed it is not even mentioned; it is as though the Spirit of God has one object alone before Him, and that is to tell of the warning sent to the city of Nineveh; the servant and his experiences are all kept out of sight.

We may follow Jonah as he enters that great city. The marvelous palace, the winged bulls, and other wonders of that ancient city, are not just old fables — we may see them today in the museums of the world. The picture of the winged bull in the illustration of Jonah preaching, is a photograph of a drawing of the very same bull that we may suppose that Jonah looked upon, and under whose shadow he may have preached. Jonah was a brave man to walk through that great city, crying out his sole warning of destruction. Watch him as he walked down the streets crying, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." The crowd will surely gather, and perhaps he stops on some nearby doorstep, and raised above them, he solemnly repeats that dread message from God, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown." We know not if he added that part told him in the first message he had received, "for their wickedness is come up before me;" but we do know that the people of Nineveh recognized the justice and the seriousness of the message: they thoroughly understood that their sins were the cause of the coming overthrow. There was no lightness, there was no mocking or persecution of this strange man. Did his face bear the marks of those three days in the fish's belly? Undoubtedly it did, and we may have little doubt that those days had left their imprint on his whole demeanor. There could be no trifling after such an experience. There was no effort to make his preaching attractive to his audience; no need of music or of oratory; no need of a fine building in which to preach. His sermon was perhaps, the shortest ever preached, but the most effective: a whole city was converted by it. His preaching hall was the streets of Nineveh, and his roof the canopy of heaven; but all, from the king on his throne to the very beasts of the city, heard and were affected by it. Oh, that we modern preachers were more like Jonah in our deportment; perhaps if we entered more deeply into what it means to be dead with Christ, and risen with Him, it would show forth more in our ways — yes, in our very faces: and our message might carry more weight than it often seems to do now.

* * * * *

It is a remarkable thing that there was in Nineveh an old tradition of a strange messenger who on several occasions had appeared from the gods, coming from out of the sea. The messenger of this story was probably the origin of the idol Dagon, which had the head of a man and the lower portion, was a fish. (See 1 Sam. 5: 4, margin.) The Hebrew word "Dagon" means a fish. Although this idol was worshipped among the Philistines, it originated in all probability, in Assyria, of which Nineveh was the capital. It is possible that God permitted this story, which was probably well known, to incline the hearts of the people of Nineveh to hearken to the prophet who had so lately, and in such an extraordinary manner, come from the sea. (See Nineveh and its remains, by A. H. Layard.)

We may see a modern example of how God has used old traditions to work out His purposes of blessing, in the case of the Karen tribe of Burma, who were taught to expect "their younger white brother" to bring back to them a long lost book. When it came they were instructed to receive both it and those who brought it. This was one of the causes that led so many Karens to become Christians.

"And the people of Nineveh believed God ("believed in God," Newberry), and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. And the word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes." (Jonah 3: 5-6)

What glorious verses! What a magnificent result to that short sermon! It all came because the people of Nineveh "believed in God." They took Him at His Word. Would that the people of China, and people of Britain and the people of the other lands would do the same thing today! Alas, the most solemn messages from God today are passed by without heed, and thrown aside as if they were of no importance. The sad, sad truth today is that the people do not believe God, and do not believe in Him or in His Word. This solemn message to Nineveh was the first of three warnings that God sent to them. The second, by Nahum, perhaps some hundred and fifty years later; and the third by Zephaniah some years after Nahum, were both disregarded by this proud and mighty city. We know that the judgment, so long threatened, yet so long delayed, did at last fall, with all the terrible fulness so minutely foretold in Scripture.

Is this a little picture of the Gentile cities of today? How many warnings has God in His grace sent to our guilty lands; and how little have we copied the people of Nineveh! Would that today the cities of Europe, Asia and America would believe God, believe His Word, and turn to Him as the king and people of that mighty heathen city long ago! Just as surely as this simple faith in the people of Nineveh brought deliverance to their city, so surely would true faith in God, and turning to Him, bring deliverance today. We need not be ashamed of believing God. We certainly should be ashamed of not believing Him. The fasting, the sackcloth, the ashes were nothing to be ashamed of. It was their sins of which they should be ashamed. Thank God for the days of prayer that certain rulers call for in the different nations. Were those days of prayer accompanied by the deep, deep repentance and humiliation so plainly seen at Nineveh, how much greater the deliverance that God would delight to give to us.

I love to watch the king of Nineveh. See how he received the message which that strange foreigner had been preaching all day in his city; "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" Would this strange prophet lose his head for such impertinence? Far from it. The king believed the message. Watch how he came down from his throne with bowed head. He knew very well that he and his people had merited this judgment. See how he laid aside his robe, and took off his crown. We know that one sinner that repenteth brings joy in the presence of the angels of God, and what joy the conduct of that heathen king, whose name we do not even know, must have brought in heaven on that day. Nor was it the king alone. It was "the men of Nineveh," as well. How many we cannot tell, but we do know that there were a hundred and twenty thousand little children, too young to know their right hand from their left. Even these little ones put on sackcloth. What joy must there have been in heaven to see those hundreds of thousands in Nineveh fasting, and clothed in sackcloth, to show forth the depth of their repentance before God! Oh, that today our rulers, and we, their people, might follow the example of Nineveh!

* * * * *

Nor was that all: Listen to this great and wise king —

"And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything: let them not feed; nor drink water; and let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God; and let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knoweth but that God will turn and repent, and will turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?"

The sackcloth and the fasting were good as showing forth the reality of their deep repentance; but of even greater importance in the sight of God must have been that admonition from the king, "Let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands." This mighty work in Nineveh started with faith: but faith without works is dead. These people of Nineveh had the right order: first faith, then works. Had they not believed God, they never would have repented. Faith wrought repentance. What is repentance? It means "thinking again," it tells us the very same story that we have just read in the book of Jonah. The people, in the old days, had been quite satisfied to go on in their usual wicked course — "no worse than others," perhaps they would have said; but when they heard of destruction just ahead, they believed it. In the light of coming judgment, they saw their conduct in all its awfulness, as God saw it. There was no excusing of themselves; but on the contrary they took sides with God against themselves. That is what repentance really is.

First came faith, then repentance, and the depth and reality of the repentance was shown forth by the fasting, the sackcloth and the ashes, from the greatest to the least. Yes, even the beasts wore sackcloth in Nineveh during those days, and God takes note of the beasts in giving Jonah His reasons for showing mercy to the guilty city.

Then after repentance, rather perhaps should we say, part of the repentance, came that wondrous turning from their evil way, coupled with the command "Let them cry mightily unto God." The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah, God said, was great (Gen. 18: 20), but it was a cry that brought down judgment. How different was this mighty cry that went up from nearly a million hearts and tongues in Nineveh. What music must that cry have been in heaven! You will recall that it was by no means the first "cry" for help of which we read in this little book. We have already seen the heathen sailors cry to their false gods, and we have seen how useless was such a cry. We have seen them tell Jonah to call on his God, "if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not." (Jonah 1: 6) We have heard Jonah himself say, "I cried by reason of mine affliction unto Jehovah, and He heard me" (Jonah 2: 2), and again, "My prayer came in unto Thee, into Thine holy temple." (Jonah 2: 7)

We have heard these same heathen sailors cry mightily, not on their false gods, not even on Jonah's God as an unknown Being, but we heard that bitter cry, "We beseech Thee, O Jehovah, we beseech Thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for Thou, Jehovah, hast done as it pleased Thee." (Jonah 1: 14) Every one of these cries was heard, and all were abundantly answered. Shall that mighty cry from Nineveh, from the king and all his subjects, be disregarded? Impossible! God's Word, in both Old and New Testaments, says, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Joel 2: 32, quoted in Romans 10: 13.) Listen again: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let them return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55: 7) What a bright illustration the city of Nineveh gives to us of this verse; and how true would the peoples who are in such distress today find these words, if they would but put them to the test!

"And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He said that He would do unto them; and He did it not." (Jonah 3: 10)

"God saw their works." "Faith without works is dead." (James 2: 26) Did God not first see their faith? Surely He did, but the works were the visible evidence to all men of their faith. We all might take good heed to this verse. Too often we are content to say, "I have faith" (see James 2: 14), and the question God asks is this, "What profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him?" I believe that every one of us might do well to see to it that we have works, to show forth our faith. Romans and Galatians make it perfectly clear that a man is justified in the sight of God by faith, not by works. "By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight." (Romans 3: 20) "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4: 5) "A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ." (Gal. 2: 16)

The book of James is equally inspired by God, and makes it perfectly clear that there must be works, not in order to justify or save us (that is done by faith alone) ; but because true faith always produces fruit that is shown forth in works. I was returning home from work one evening, when I saw flames coming out of the roof of a house on a small side street. I rushed over to the house, ran down the garden path, and without even waiting to knock at the door, ran in and shouted, "Your house is on fire!" A man came leisurely downstairs with a cigarette in his mouth, stared at me, and asked me what I was making all that fuss about in his house. I said again, "Your house is on fire!" but he paid not the least attention, and evidently thought I was a lunatic. He had no faith. A few minutes later, when he discovered I had spoken the truth, he was tremendously excited. Then works showed forth his faith. Had he believed my words when first I told him, had he had faith then, he would have been tremendously excited immediately. The lack of works proved that he had no faith.

So it is today. Men are perishing on every hand. They go to "church," they have Bibles in their homes, and profess to believe in God, but by works they deny Him. They have no real faith. If they had, it would most certainly be shown forth by their works. "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2: 26) "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2: 24) A man can be justified in the sight of his fellowmen by works only, for no man can see into the heart of another. So men can judge whether there is true faith, only by his works. Jonah 3: 10 is an illustration of a city that is justified (from man's point of view) in God's sight, by their works. God, Himself, gives us other examples, as Abraham and Rahab.

In these days, through God's infinite grace, a full and clear gospel, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ alone, is often preached. We can thank and praise God for it; but we fear that at times, the balance of truth is not always kept, and we are apt to forget that with us, it should be as in Abraham's case, "faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect." (James 2: 22) Please be absolutely clear, it is not that we are saved partly by faith and partly by works. No, we are saved by faith alone, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. But if there is true faith, then it is utterly impossible not to have works. The works are merely the external result, of the internal faith. The faith saves us. The works give evidence that we truly have the faith.

How beautifully all this is illustrated in the story of Nineveh and her king. Speaking reverently, it would have been utterly impossible for God to do other than show mercy to that great, guilty city, when her works spoke so loudly of the faith which produced them.

So, whether it be an individual, a city, or a nation, if there be a true turning to God, as there was in Nineveh, it is impossible that God should do otherwise than have mercy, and "abundantly pardon." Otherwise, He would not be true to His character — "Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil."

Chapter Four

Jonah is Very Angry

We have followed the delightful work of God's Spirit dealing with men in this little book, and turning them completely round. We have seen the heathen sailors turned from their idols to the true and living God. We have seen the selfwilled and disobedient prophet turned from his journey westwards to Tarshish, and made ready and willing to go in the opposite direction to Nineveh. We have seen the king and people of Nineveh turn from their wicked ways, and in deep humiliation and repentance seek the God who had sent Jonah to them.

The three lovely chapters we have considered are like an invitation from the Lord Himself to us, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found that which I had lost." If our hearts are at all in tune with the joys of heaven, what can we do but mightily rejoice to see so many sinners repenting?

Then comes the fourth chapter. It seems to be so terribly "out of tune," that, to the natural mind, it might seem altogether out of place, and an utterly wrong ending to such a book. These are the thoughts of nature; and as we ponder this brief chapter with which our book closes, surely we are compelled to confess that the grace of God, with which this whole book glistens, shines out here almost more brilliantly than in any other part. May the Lord open our eyes to see Himself, as we ponder these last few verses of this lovely story!

As we have noted, the chapters that have passed before our view have been like a call from the Lord Himself to rejoice with Him over repenting sinners. Of all those who are called to share this joy of heaven, we would think that none would have rejoiced like the prophet Jonah himself. We would expect his mouth to have been filled with laughter and his tongue with singing, as he saw the grace of God — that grace that turned his very sin to such blessing, that a whole ship's company turned to the Lord. Then, in spite of all his failure, the Lord honored His servant, by letting him be the means of turning the whole of a great city to the true and living God. Surely he should have been a happy man! Such was not the case, however.

"And it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry." "Displeased exceedingly, and very angry," what a condition for a prophet of Jehovah, one who had just been the instrument in the hand of Jehovah for such a mighty work! With whom was he so exceedingly displeased? With whom was he very angry? Sad, sad to say, it was with Jehovah Himself. Why was he so displeased and so angry? It was because Jehovah had not destroyed the city of Nineveh, because Jehovah had shown grace and mercy to these repenting sinners.

If ever a man had needed the grace and mercy of Jehovah it was Jonah himself, down in the belly of the great fish. He had been shown that grace and mercy, but now he was unwilling that others should receive what he himself had so mightily needed, and had so freely been given.

It reminds us of the elder son in Luke 15. "He was angry and would not go in." Angry with whom? Angry with his father. Why was he so angry with his father? Because he had received back his repentant brother, and not said a word about his sins — he had shown grace and mercy, instead of judgment. So the elder brother was angry and would not go in. He may have meant to insult his brother, but in reality it was his father whom he insulted.

Beloved friends, do we not see a picture of ourselves in these two men? Have you not known of a brother who has been angry and would not go to the meeting, because of something of which he did not approve? He may have meant to show that he was exceedingly displeased and very angry with one of his brethren, but in reality the insult is toward his Lord. Who is the Centre? Who is the attraction at the meeting? Is it our brethren, or is it the Lord?

The whole scene is so sad and so strange, and yet when we look at our own hearts, we know very well that this sad fourth chapter of Jonah is absolutely true to life. Jonah felt that his reputation as a prophet was gone. He had foretold that in forty days Nineveh would be overthrown, and now God had repented of the evil that He said He would do, and He did it not, and Jonah's word had not come true. How often have we been displeased and angry and sulky (just like Jonah), over something that God Himself has allowed in our lives, which we feel has affected our reputation? With my eyes on myself, away from God, how very large "I" become in my own sight.

Listen to Jonah's prayer, and count the number of times he speaks of himself: "And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, 'Ah, Jehovah, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country? Therefore I was minded to flee at first unto Tarshish; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil. And now, Jehovah, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live'." Nine times he speaks of himself. How the prophet here again reminds us of the elder brother in Luke 15: "Behold, so many years I serve thee, and never have I transgressed a commandment of thine; and to me hast thou never given a kid that I might make merry with my friends." The same object is before them both — self, that hateful self, that self that ever remains with writer and reader and Jonah alike.

One would have thought that such experiences as those through which Jonah had so lately passed would have "eradicated" the old nature (as some would have us believe). Alas! The old nature was just as strong in Jonah as ever it had been, and it comes out in a fit of bad-temper, such as you and I have very likely experienced in ourselves. It comes out to tell us with all the force and weight of God's own Word, that the doctrine of the eradication of the old nature, the doctrine of "sinless perfection," is nothing but a myth, a lie of the devil, to deceive men. If ever a man should have had the old Jonah die, and only the new Jonah live, it was our prophet; but the fourth chapter lets us see that the old Jonah was just as much alive as he ever was. If we are honest, we have to confess that the same is true of us. Jonah is a mighty witness to the truth of the word, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." (1 John 1: 8)

"It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed." Displeasure and anger do not make a very good beginning to prayer, so perhaps we need not wonder when we hear what he prayed. Though he addressed his words to God, it is only too evident that his eyes were on himself, and on what he fancied were his wrongs. You will remember that this is not the first prayer of Jonah to which we have listened. How different was this prayer, from the one sent up to God from the belly of the great fish! At that time his eyes were toward God's holy mountain. He was looking away from self to God, but now he was looking away from God to self. It may be that we have prayed in a very similar state of mind. It may be that we have gone to God to complain or to accuse, instead of to beseech. It may be that instead of lifting up our eyes to heaven, as our Lord did when He prayed (John 17: 1), we have turned our eyes down to ourselves, or around to our brethren, and the sights that we see in either case almost surely make us displeased and angry.

Let us look for a moment at Jonah's prayer. Surely it was only grace that could call it a prayer, for we will see that there was little about it that conformed to a true prayer. He begins: "Ah, Jehovah, was not this my saying when I was yet in my country?" This is a question, not a prayer — and a question put to Jehovah in order to justify himself for the very sin and disobedience that had already brought such terrible chastisement on him, and of which we thought he had truly repented. Then note these words, "My saying . . . my country." Can we not see the pride of self and pride of country, just sticking out here? Are we any better? Which of us does not naturally like to speak of himself, and repeat "my saying," tell what I have said, and prove that I was right? It might have been one of us speaking, instead of Jonah the prophet: only then we would not be so hard on the speaker. And Jonah had quite forgotten that, after all, the country was God's country, and not his. The Lord had definitely said, of that particular country, "The land is mine." (Lev. 25: 23)

What was it that Jonah had said in "my country"? Why was he minded to flee unto Tarshish? He tells us himself: "For I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil." What a glorious character! and how true it was, and is! Yes, truly Jonah knew his God. You will recall that another could say, "I feared thee, because thou art an austere man." (Luke 19: 21) How little did this servant know his Master! Jonah was a true servant of the Lord, and truly knew his Master's character.

This was before he set out for Tarshish at all. One is inclined to think that Jonah had had experiences of the Lord's grace and mercy to himself, even before he had tasted of it so very deeply in the belly of the fish. The disobedient, rebellious and sulky nature of the prophet may have manifested itself before the days of which this little book tells us, and the prophet had learned deeply and truly to know his Master and Lord. It is good that we should know Him thus; it gives us a confidence in Him, and brings us back to Him in shame and sorrow, even as this same knowledge of his Master brought Peter back to Him. We will never be disappointed in Him, when we come back to Him, pleading this character no matter how great the sin and the failure. Ponder those five characteristics, and let them sink down deeply into our hearts:

"A gracious God,

and merciful,

slow to anger,

and of great loving-kindness, and repentest Thee of the evil."

And "This God is our God for ever and ever." (Ps. 48: 14)

One marvels that Jonah should wish to flee from the presence of such a God, instead of enjoying the sunshine of His love and favor. Why should he wish to escape from Him? It would seem that he well knew that if the guilty city of Nineveh should repent, that the Lord would also repent of the evil, and not do it. On the one hand, "my saying" as to the destruction of the city would not come true, and Jonah's reputation as a prophet be affected. And on the other hand, it may well be that Jonah's eye looked down the years, and saw that before so very long, "my country" would be desolated by the very city he now hoped to see destroyed. They are both motives that touch us very closely: loss of reputation and loss of our country would carry very great weight with almost every one of us, and move us to do strange things indeed.

So we see that Jonah's displeasure, and his anger, were caused by God's abundant mercy, and because God did not bring a terrible punishment on a rival nation, whom Jonah wished to see destroyed. If we are honest, I suppose that most of us know full well that in our own hearts we have been guilty of the very same thoughts with regard to nations that are rivals of our own.

Perhaps we should make a remark on what Jonah says of God: "Thou . . . repentest Thee of the evil." We have already pointed out that repentance in man means to "think again," or a change of thought or a change of mind. In another place in Scripture (1 Samuel 15: 29), we read: "The Hope of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent." What then does Jonah mean when he says "Thou . . . repentest Thee of the evil"? It does not mean a change of mind on God's part, but a change of action caused by a change of mind on man's part. God sends warnings to man, in order that man may change his mind, may repent, so that God may change His action from judgment to mercy. God has not changed His mind. God's mind has ever been toward mercy: "Thou art a gracious God, and merciful;" but man's sin must bring down the righteous judgment of God, even though He is slow to anger. There is only one way of escape, and that is by repentance on the part of sinful man. With this object in view God sends warnings to individuals and to nations. If they hear and repent, then God may act according to the desires of His heart, and show mercy. If man will not repent, there is no other way, and judgment must fall.

Let us look further at Jonah's prayer. He continues: "And now, Jehovah, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." This is the only request in Jonah's prayer, a request that he might die. Why? Because he could not have his own way. Self-will and disappointment made him long to give up his honorable position as prophet and servant of Jehovah, a witness to Him, even in a foreign land; and escape all his troubles in death. It was very wrong and very cowardly — just the kind of thing we do. When things go all wrong, and we do not get our own way, and are disappointed and discouraged; then we sigh, and hope that the Lord may soon come and take us away to heaven. The writer has to confess that he has done just the same thing as Jonah, and very possibly the reader is little better. If we allow it, how the sword of the Spirit cuts us, and how truly it is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4: 12)

Jonah is not the only prophet of Jehovah who in a fit of disappointment had prayed that he might die. You remember Elijah had prayed, "It is enough: now, Jehovah, take my life; for I am not better than my fathers." (1 Kings 19: 4) We, too, have had similar thoughts when we have been utterly disappointed with ourselves. How different if all our hopes had been in our Lord, and we had truly learned the lesson that "in me, that is, in my flesh, is no good thing."

How gracious is Jehovah, whether to Jonah, or to Elijah, or to us! He might well have sharply rebuked Jonah for such a prayer as that, or for coming into His presence in displeasure and anger. How gracious is His reply to another question, too: "Doest thou well to be angry?" Jonah did the very best thing he could have done — he was silent. His mouth was closed. How graciously the Lord answered Elijah's prayer! This time the Lord was silent, and instead of a reply in words, He gave him sweet refreshing sleep under a broom-bush, and then fed him with a cake baked on hot stones. Was it baked by the same One who prepared the fish on the fire of coals, and the bread, in John 21? He refreshed him with a cruse of water also. That prayer of Elijah's was never answered, for in place of taking away his life in death, as he had wished, the Lord took him home without passing through death at all, in His own chariot of fire. How gently and graciously the Lord has answered us in our times of disappointment and discouragement, giving us better than all we could ask or think, each one may bear witness for himself! but we can all unite in singing:

"How good is the God we adore,

Our faithful, unchangeable Friend,

Whose love is as great as His power,

And knows neither measure nor end."

* * * * *

"And Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city" (that was the side farthest from the land of Israel), "and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city." I suppose about the worst thing we can do after we have finished preaching is to go and settle ourselves down as comfortably as we can, doing nothing, while we wait to see what the results may be. Our place is to deliver God's message, leave the results with Him, and pass on to other service for the same blessed Master.

The grace of God still followed the selfwilled prophet. "And Jehovah Elohim prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his trouble."

How very gracious and kind of Jehovah to do this! He always knows our frame and ever remembers that we are dust. He deigns to minister to our physical needs, whether rest and food for Elijah, or shade for Jonah. Notice, it was Jehovah Elohim Himself who prepared this gourd. Perhaps this would tell not only of His faithful loving-kindness, but also of His power. It was not the first thing Jehovah had prepared for His erring servant. He had prepared the "great fish." He had sent forth the "great wind," and now He prepared a gourd. Great things and small things are alike to our God. He can prepare the one as easily as the other. How often are we tempted to say in our hearts that such and such a thing is too great to expect God to do it for us, even if we may have learned to trust Him about the little things. Again, we may have learned to know that our God is able and willing to work in our behalf in the "great" things, but we would be ashamed to expect our God to be interested in a gourd — that is too trifling a thing! It is a blessed lesson to learn that all are alike to Him.

"And Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd." Not only was he "glad," but he was "exceeding glad" because of the gourd, as he had been "exceedingly displeased" because of God's mercy. How we delight in those temporal mercies that add to our ease and comfort! The luxuries of the present day are often to us what Jonah's gourd was to him — the cause of exceeding gladness.

"But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd, that it withered." Whether a whale or a worm, the same word is used. God "prepared" them both. As we see those things which have added to our ease and pleasure, fade and die; we may do well to consider whether it is our own loving God who Himself has prepared the worm to make them pass away. We may learn lessons in adversity, in scorching suns, in poverty and want, that we never could have learned in prosperity and ease and luxury.

There was worse to come — a withered gourd and a tropical sun were bad enough; but now God prepared something more. "And it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, so that he fainted." God had only "sent out" the "great wind" into the sea, but this "sultry east wind" was specially prepared by the hand of God Himself, to teach a lesson Jonah might otherwise never have learned. The vehemence and the sultriness of that wind had been weighed and measured by God's own hand. We too may learn a lesson here, that some of those things that we call "misfortunes" are specially prepared for us by the hand of God Himself. Though it is true (as we may see in the case of Job) that Satan also may send trouble and disaster and loss, that Satan also may cause a "great wind" (Job 1: 19), yet whether it be Job, or whether it be one of us, we may take all these things from the hand of God. We may always remember that it is true that "all things work together for good to those who love God," (Rom. 8: 28). It is also true that "all things are for your sakes" (2 Corinthians 4: 15), and we may always say, "all things are of God." (2 Corinthians 5: 18) So Jonah himself bore witness that it was God Himself who prepared both the worm and the sultry east wind: and we may well believe that the time came when he accepted both from God's loving hand, and thanked Him for them.

It is perhaps worthy of note to see how God's activity in this little book is described:

"The word of Jehovah came unto Jonah. . ." (Jonah 1: 1)

"Jehovah sent out a great wind . . ." (Jonah 1: 4)

"Jehovah prepared a great fish . . ." (Jonah 1: 7)

"Jehovah commanded the fish, and it vomited out Jonah . . ." (Jonah 2: 10)

"The word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the second time . . ." (Jonah 3: 1)

"God (Elohim) saw their works . . ." (Jonah 3: 10)

"God (Elohim) repented of the evil . . ." (Jonah 3: 10)

"Jehovah said, Doest thou well to be angry?" (Jonah 4: 4)

"Jehovah God (Elohim) prepared a gourd . . ." (Jonah 4: 6)

"God (Elohim) prepared a worm . . ." (Jonah 4: 7)

"God (Elohim) prepared a sultry east wind . . ." (Jonah 4: 8)

"God (Elohim) said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry?" (Jonah 4: 9)

"Jehovah said, Thou hast pity on the gourd . . ." (Jonah 4: 10)

We cannot leave the subject of what God prepared for Jonah, without mention of another place specially prepared by the Lord Himself, which we doubt not Jonah also will share. The Lord Jesus said: "In my Father's house there are many abodes; were it not so, I had told you: for I go to prepare you a place." When at home in the Father's house, we look back over the wilderness pathway, we will then recognize many a thing and many a circumstance that the Lord has specially prepared for us. I suppose that Jonah did not realize at the time that the great fish and the gourd and the worm and sultry east wind had each in turn been specially prepared for him. I suspect he thought they had just "happened."

We believe it was Jonah's own hand that wrote the little book that bears his name, for we cannot suppose it was any other: it would not be like Jonah's Master to allow another servant to so openly disclose the faults and failings of a fellow-servant. If this be so, we may see how deeply Jonah learned, before the end of his journey, to take all these things from the hand of God; and what gratitude must have risen up in his heart at the tender care of his God for him. Who else would take the trouble specially to prepare a worm on purpose for himself, to teach himself a greatly needed lesson? So, I suppose, at the end of our journey, when we reach the place our Lord is preparing for us, our hearts will rise up in gratitude, not alone for that prepared place, but for all His tender care along the way, for the worms, or what we now term the "misfortunes," as well as for the gourds, or what we now call "the blessings" — both alike, are specially prepared for us. Then we will be able to say, He led us by the skilfulness of His hands (Psalm 78: 72), and with wonder and thanksgiving we will admire the things those skilful hands are preparing for us now.

That sultry east wind was the last straw for Jonah. He fainted. It was not the first time that Jonah had fainted. Down in the fish's belly, he tells us, his soul had fainted within him (Jonah 2: 7). Then he remembered Jehovah. It is so with us, very often. As long as we have our own strength on which to lean, we do not remember Jehovah, but when our strength is gone, when we are helpless and hopeless, when we faint, then in our desperate need we "remember Jehovah." "Man's extremity is God's opportunity." The Lord had seen and heard and delivered His fainting servant before. What about this time? Did Jonah remember Jehovah again? Yes, again he turned to Jehovah, and prayed: but not this time with his eyes directed towards His holy temple, in deep repentance, ready and willing to bow before Him and do His will. Sad, sad to say, Jonah had not even yet learned his lesson. Poor, weary, disappointed, fainting Jonah, still struggled on in his own selfwill, and once again requested for himself that he might die, saying, "It is better for me to die than to live." Neither the tender pleadings and the loving care, nor the sterner lessons of the worm and the wind, had, apparently, had any effect on the sulky, self willed prophet. It was just the same request, again uttered in anger. It is remarkable that this time it is said "God" (not Jehovah, as before) said to Jonah, "Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?" It would seem that the continued fit of bad-temper has taken away the intimacy that the covenant name of Jehovah would indicate, and God now addresses him on the same ground as He had dealt with the heathen Ninevites: "God (not Jehovah) saw their works . . . and God repented . . ." It is a solemn thing to remember that if we persist in our own way, and will not heed the tender strivings of the Holy Spirit, that not only is the intimacy of communion lost, but we must be dealt with on other ground than that of a loving child, hearkening to its Father's voice.

God's question is much the same as the one He had asked Jonah before. Then he was wisely silent. Self will and bad temper had made him grow bolder, and now he ventures to reply against God. He said, "I do well to be angry, unto death!" Foolish man! God in His grace did not take him at his word, did not answer that rash prayer. On the contrary, by a word of His mouth He illuminated the lessons of the gourd and the worm and the wind (which so far had passed unheeded), and in the most touching manner He deigned to justify to one of His own creatures His ways of grace towards the guilty city of Nineveh. It would be hard to find a brighter illustration of the character Jonah had given God, than the last two verses of our book. Abraham and Moses had taken upon themselves to reason with Jehovah (Gen. 18; Ex. 32; Num. 16); but, oh, how different their attitude! Jehovah Himself invites the guilty sinner to come and reason (Isa. 1: 18), but that reasoning is nothing like Jonah's reasoning with his Maker. To us it would seem that Jonah deserved to be severely punished. If we had a naughty, selfwilled child that persisted in bad temper and sulkiness, we would probably soon give it a good spanking, and feel that it richly deserved its punishment; but the amazing grace of God still goes on in patience with His poor erring servant, and we believe wins the day.

Jehovah had the last word, as indeed He always must have; but listen to that "last word:" "Thou hast pity on the gourd, for which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and I, should not I have pity on Nineveh, the great city, wherein are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left; and also much cattle?"

What a picture it is! Jonah, "exceeding glad" of the gourd, because it added to his own comfort, but utterly unconscious of the joy in heaven over a whole city that had repented; and even exceedingly displeased, and very angry, because it had done so, and thus been saved from destruction! Jonah was far more deeply concerned with the fate of the gourd, than he was with perhaps a million or more never-dying souls, who had just turned to the living and true God. What a lesson for us today! How many of us are far more deeply concerned over our gourds and our flowers, our houses and our business, our motors and our radios, than we are with the millions of perishing, yet never-dying, souls all about us. How many of us are "exceeding glad" of something that adds a little more to our own comfort and ease and luxury, but we are utterly unconscious and without a care or a thought as to whether there is joy, exceeding joy, in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. And we are "exceedingly displeased" and "very angry" if anything happens to disturb our comfort, and upset the even tenor of our way. The heathen in their blindness may bow down to wood and stone, for all we care, provided the worms do not get into our gourds, and the sultry east wind does not smite us, or destroy our crops. Such is the heart of man, such is your heart and mine! Self ever takes the first place, unless the Lord has taught us to lift up our eyes and look off unto JESUS.

The Lord did not rebuke Jonah for having pity on the gourd. There was nothing wrong in that. The wrong lay in the fact that he gave more pity, more thought, more care, for a gourd that came up in a night and perished in a night, than for the teeming, perishing thousands of a great city. It is not by any accident that God used that expression, "perished" in a night. It is the fourth time in this little book we have heard that word "perish." Surely there would echo back in Jonah's mind the frantic words of that shipmaster, as he roused Jonah from his sleep, "Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not." Or again, could he ever forget the fervent prayer of those sailors as they cast him into the sea: "Let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for Thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased Thee." Also, the agonized words of the people of Nineveh must have still been ringing in his ears: "Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?" These people all perished not. God knew they were of more value than many gourds, and He found a way that they should not perish. He was willing that the gourd which came up in a night should perish in a night, in order to teach His servant the lesson he so greatly needed. Alas, how different was that servant! He would have been willing enough for all these men to perish, if his gourd might have been saved.

Note further: "Thou hast had pity upon the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow." What does that tell us? It tells us of God's tender care, not for the gourd alone, but for the many thousands of Nineveh. Each individual life in that great city was precious in God's sight. Each one was the work of God's hand, for each one He had labored, and it was God alone who had "made each one to grow." This was true not alone of the grown men and women, but of the little children, and the cattle, whom God especially mentions in these verses. What a lesson this is to us as we see the vast numbers of the heathen, those utterly without God in the world. For each of these individually, God has a tender care, on the ground that He has labored for them, He has made them to grow. It is truly His hand that provides them day by day with their daily bread, though they have never learned to acknowledge Him as "Father." May the Lord help us to look on them with His own thoughts, and love them with a little of that wondrous love told out with such ringing eloquence in those words so familiar to us all: "God so loved the world"!

Of these thoughts of God, and of His love, Jonah seemed to be utterly ignorant and indifferent, but one believes that Jonah's eyes were at last opened, and that in the end he learned these magnificent lessons of God's grace and love, and his own utter vileness. Surely the existence of this little book, and especially this last chapter, is a witness to this fact.

The Lord could say to His disciples, as though it was so obvious they must all know it perfectly well: "Ye are of more value than many sparrows." Here was Jonah placing a higher value on a gourd (more worthless than a sparrow), than on a city that was so immense that there were a hundred and twenty thousand tiny children in it (notice the Lord had counted the little children — He knew them each one), "and also much cattle."

If it were not that it strikes home to all of us, we would be apt to despise Jonah most thoroughly. If we are honest, and weigh up what we spend on ourselves and on our own comforts, ease and luxury; then compare that with what we spend on the conversion of the heathen, we may find that in reality, we, like Jonah, value our perishing gourds at a good deal higher price than we value the perishing heathen. There are some of us who go even further than that: some are even "exceedingly displeased" and "very angry" with those who do have a care for these souls.

There is something peculiarly touching in those last words, "And also much cattle." Though not numbered, like the little children, the cattle had worn sackcloth along with the people, and God had seen it, and the God who does not let one sparrow fall to the ground without His knowledge, shows us here His tender care for the cattle, who would have perished with their guilty owners. It is a grand truth that when a man is saved, all that pertains to him is under the dominion of a new master. Pharaoh wanted Israel to leave their cattle in Egypt when they went out of that country, but the magnificent answer is, "There shall not a hoof be left behind." (Ex. 10: 26) That is the right way. When you were converted, were your cattle converted, too? Was your business converted, and your bank account? The little children who do not know their right hand from their left, are they traveling the narrow way with you? All these were saved when the king of Nineveh and his people turned to God in repentance. That is the only right way for us to be saved also. If the little children and the cattle are not included there is something wrong.

If we are honest, the little book of Jonah hits most of us very hard indeed, but what comfort it may bring to our wounded souls to remember that Jonah's God is our God. We have to confess that the same patience, grace and mercy that followed Jonah from start to finish has also followed us from the start, and we doubt not that it will continue with us to the end. May He deliver us from our disobedience and selfwill, from our sulks and from our tempers! May He form and fashion us like unto Himself, and give us a true estimate of the real value of gourds and souls of men; and make us vessels, sanctified, and meet for the Master's use!

We will close our meditations on Jonah with the words of another: "It is sweet, after all, to see Jonah's docility in the end to the voice of God, manifested by the existence of this book, in which the Spirit uses him to exhibit what is in the heart of man, as the vessel of God's testimony, and (in contrast with the prophet, who honestly confesses all his faults) the kindness of God, to which Jonah could not elevate himself, and to which he could not submit." (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, J. N. Darby, Vol. 1).

Lord, give the writer and the reader more of that sweet docility!

* * * * *

O teach me more of Thy blest ways

Thou Holy Lamb of God!

And fix and root me in Thy grace,

As one redeemed by blood.

O tell me often of Thy love,

Of all Thy grief and pain;

And let my heart with joy confess

That thence comes all my gain.

For this, O may I freely count

Whate'er I have but loss;

The dearest object of my love,

Compared with Thee, but dross.

Engrave this deeply on my heart

With an eternal pen,

That I may, in some small degree,

Return Thy love again.