03.03. Psalm 84:3
"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God." The tender care of God, over the least of His creatures, is here most touchingly alluded to. The psalmist, while in exile, envies them their privileges. He longs to be nestling, as it were, in the dwelling-place of God. The believer finds a perfect home and rest in God’s altars; or, rather, in the great truths which they represent. Still, his confidence in God is sweetened and strengthened by the knowledge of His minute, universal, providential care. It becomes his admiring delight. "God fails not," as one has beautifully said, "to find a house for the most worthless, and a nest for the most restless of birds." What confidence this should give us! How we should rest! What repose the soul finds that casts itself on the watchful, tender care of Him who provides so fully for the need of all His creatures! We know what the expression of "nest" conveys, just as well as that of "a house." Is it not a place of security — a shelter from storm — a covert to hide one’s self in, from every evil — a protection from all that can harm — a place to rest in, to nestle in, to joy in? But there is one thing in these highly privileged birds which strikes us forcibly in our meditations — they knew not Him from whom all this kindness flowed — they knew neither His heart nor His hand. They enjoyed the rich provisions of His tender care; He thought of everything for their need, but there was no fellowship between them and the Great Giver. From this, O my soul, thou mayest learn a useful lesson. Never rest satisfied with merely frequenting such places, or with having certain privileges there; but rise in spirit, and seek, and find, and enjoy direct communion with the living God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The heart of David turns to God Himself. "My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." But that we may the better understand the true position and the spiritual meaning of the altars of God, let us take a glance for a moment at the camp in the wilderness.
Coming towards the tabernacle, we meet with the sin-offering. It is burning outside the camp. The sin with which the victim was charged, typically, is consumed there. This is the type of Christ, who knew no sin, made sin for us. The whole question of sin was settled on the cross. The sin of our nature, and the many sins of our life, were judged, condemned and put away there. The blood of the sin-offering was taken within the veil, and its body was burnt to ashes outside the camp. The apostle, in alluding to this offering, observes, "For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." (Hebrews 13:11-12) And now, leaving the sin-offering behind, we enter the gate of the court. The first thing that meets us here is the brazen altar, or altar of burnt-offering: sin is not the question here. That has been dealt with outside. It is the sweet-savour offering. Jesus, the spotless Lamb, is a sweet savour unto God. There is identification, with the offering on the part of the offerer, but no transfer of guilt to it. "And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him, to make atonement for him." (Leviticus 1:4) This identification of the offerer with the offering, plainly sets forth the Christian’s identification with Christ in death, resurrection, ascension and acceptance. The whole of the offering ascended as a sweet savour unto God. Infinite holiness, righteousness and love, fed upon the burnt-offering. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay, down my life, that I might take it again." (John 10:17) The believer is one with Christ who died and rose again, and is accepted in the Beloved. When this truth is known in the soul, the believer has settled peace with God. He rests, as it were, in the altar. "Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God." Not that the Jew ever had what we call settled peace; "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." But what they could not do, Christ has done. "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:1-39) So that the spiritual meaning of the types is now more fully revealed. The darkness is past," as John says, "and the true light now shineth." Hence Jewish terms are used in the New Testament, as illustrative, rather than descriptive of christian blessing. The terms "altars," "sanctuary," "tent" and "tabernacle" are full of instruction to the Christian and are typical of that which is connected with our position, character and blessing; but it is always better to study the shadow through the substance, than the substance through the shadow. May we not say of many now, that they still linger in the cheerless desert, and never get nearer the tabernacle than the sin-offering? Like the publican they stand afar off, and cry, "God, be merciful to me a sinner"; but we can never tread the courts of the Lord until, having seen our sins consumed in the wilderness, we pass through the gate. Then we can say with the apostle, He "who was delivered for our offences" — as the sin-offering — "was raised again for our justification" — as the burnt-offering. Then the true consequences of faith in the complete work of Christ are divinely given. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." This is christian position, and perfect rest to the heart. Being justified — having peace — standing in grace — waiting for glory. Death, judgment, sin, Satan, the world and the flesh, are all behind him, and nothing but the glory of God fills his bright future. He is to "rejoice in hope," not merely, of glory, but "of the glory of God." For a believer to remain in the barren wilderness, and cry to God for mercy as a sinner, or as a leper outside the camp, is not humility, but dishonouring to the Lord and injurious to ourselves. The Lord give us, to rest in the work finished at the brazen altar, and to worship in the sweet fragrance of the golden altar!
"O Lord, the way, the truth, the life!
Henceforth let sorrow, doubt, and strife,
Drop off like autumn leaves
Henceforth as privileged by Thee
Simple and undistracted be,
My soul which to Thee cleaves!"
We now advance to the laver. It stood between the brazen altar and the door of the tabernacle. We have the substance of this shadow in John 13:1-38. At the consecration of the priest, the entire person was washed at the laver; but this washing was never repeated. It was the sign of regeneration. "The washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." We may be restored more than once, but We can only be regenerated once. In all who would draw near to God, regeneration is the first and indispensable thing. We must first be right as to nature and then as to practice. "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." But though we cannot trace or explain the operations of the Spirit in the new birth, there is no need to be perplexed or troubled with doubts as to the blessed reality. The word of God is plain. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." And again, we read, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." The soul that has faith in Christ Jesus has been washed in the laver of regeneration and is capable of worshipping and serving God.
After the priests were duly consecrated, they only washed their hands and feet at the laver; but this they did every, time that they engaged in service, or drew near to worship. What a lesson for thee, O my soul! Weigh it well. Dismiss it not in haste. Dwell on the great practical bearing of these words, "Every time they engaged in service, or drew near to worship." Regeneration is not enough of itself for the worship and service of God; nay, more, the full assurance of pardon outside the camp, and of acceptance inside the court, are not enough; there must be personal purity — the sanctification of the heart to God, or communion with Him will be interrupted. Holiness becometh God’s people — God’s service — God’s worship — God’s house for ever. No change of dispensation can alter this. "It shall be a statute for ever to them." On pain of death the priests were commanded to wash their hands and their feet at the laver, according to the ordinance of God. They might not always see a need for it, nevertheless they were to wash. Neither would any sort of water do, it must be the water in the laver of brass. Here again, my soul, learn another lesson; for I know of no symbol more fraught with practical lessons than the laver. Learn then, that no human resource — no merely human notion or effort, however apparently wise and prudent, can supply that which fits us for the worship and service of God. And many who are content to trust Christ for justification, believe that sanctification is a matter of attainment by their own efforts; hence their disquiet and often great trouble of soul, because they see no progress. But we must learn to find all in Christ, and make progress in our knowledge of Him and of what we have now in Him. The laver, most likely, was filled with water from the smitten rock: from the same wounded side the cleansing water and the justifying blood both flowed. The hands and the feet characterise our works and our ways: and if we would go on happily with God, all these must be tested by His word. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." "By the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." (Psalms 119:9; Psalms 17:4) The word of God, acting upon the heart and conscience, through the light and power of the Holy Spirit, answers to the typical use of the laver. It is "the washing of water by the word." But if we allow in our works or ways that which the word of God condemns, the freshness and power of our christian character are gone. Solemn consideration! Would to God it were more considered! How often, alas! it happens that for some trifling vanity, Christ is lost sight of, the blood of atonement and the water of purification are forgotten, communion is interrupted, spiritual weakness follows and, it may be, doubts and fears. Under such circumstances we can only drag heavily through a service which we may not be willing openly to give up; and in some circumstances, such spiritual deadness must prove a drag upon others. As the importance of this subject cannot be overestimated, we shall give in full the word of the Lord thereon. "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: when they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord: so they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their "generations." (Exodus 30:17-21) The force of these solemn warnings seems to be embodied in the Lord’s words to Peter, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." He does not say, observe, thou hast no part in me, but no part with me. It is not a question of life in Christ, but of fellowship with Him. The meaning of the figure is plain — in going through this world of temptation and sin, after our conversion. we contract defilement by the way, which Christ only, as our great High Priest, can cleanse away. But we must be open and unreserved in our confession to Him. We must put, as it were, our soiled feet into His hands that He may wash them and wipe them with the towel wherewith He is girded. We can keep no secrets from Him. The condition of the feet proves where we have been. Deliberately to allow or indulge in anything, whether in thought, word or deed, that is contrary to Him, defiles the conscience, hinders communion and weakens our christian energies. But in the midst of much conscious weakness and failure, even with much watchfulness, let us not forget the blessed truth — the rest-giving truth — that Christ is our sanctification. In the sin-offering, we see Him as our sin-bearer; in the burnt-offering, as our risen life and acceptance; and in the laver as our complete sanctification. "Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1:30)
True, He has gone to heaven, but He thinks of us there. The glory of the upper sanctuary takes not away His heart from us, nor hinders Him from waiting upon us in our need. "He loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." (Ephesians 5:25-26) This is what He is doing now, though in glory. But His love is the spring of all, and He willingly serves for the end which He has in view. Thy love, O most blessed Lord, is unwearied, in spite of all our carelessness, or even our heartlessness. We stand "clean every whit" before the face of God, through Thy precious blood; and now Thou art careful to maintain us in communion and service by the water of purification; but both, we know, flowed from Thy wounded side. Blessed fruits of Thy death for us! Should not thy daily experience, O my soul, tend to deepen thy love and esteem for thy Lord? and should it not also lead thee to greater watchfulness and self-denial, lest thou shouldst grieve Him? "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked" — to purify "himself, even as he is pure." How couldst thou get on one hour without Him? Think on thy many unworthy thoughts and feelings, not to speak of thy doings. And yet He keeps thee clean — "clean every whit" — clean according to the presence of God — clean according to all those relationships into which thou hast entered in Him. He girds Himself for this lowly service, though in heaven, and He restores communion and power to serve God by the Holy Ghost and the word. Oh wondrous, gracious, matchless love, that can thus serve in spite of everything! "My little children, these things write I unto you. that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John 2:1)
We now approach, through the door of the tent, to the golden altar. By regeneration we enter into an entirely new state of things. "I will wash mine hands in innocency; so will I compass thine altar, O Lord." (Psalms 26:6) There were two altars; the "brazen altar," and the "golden altar." To those, no doubt, the psalmist refers, when he says, "Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God." Both were made of shittim wood, which sets forth the holy humanity, the perfect manhood of the Lord Jesus. Incarnation lies at the foundation of all His work for us, and of all our blessing in Him. The one altar was overlaid with brass, the other with pure gold. The overlaying shadows forth His Godhead, but in distinct aspects. We have the same Jesus in both, but shadowed forth indifferent circumstances. In the one, humiliation and suffering; in the other exaltation and glory. At the brazen altar we see the lowly Jesus presenting Himself of His own voluntary will, through the eternal Spirit, without spot to God. Infinite holiness and justice feed upon the ascending offering with perfect complacency; and grace — boundless grace — flows out from the God of righteousness to the chief of sinners. It is a sweet savour of rest to God — "God is glorified in him." And it is the ground of the believer’s relationship, acceptance and fellowship with God and the Father. At the golden altar we see the once lowly Jesus crowned with glory and honour. It is now the exalted Christ in His ascended glory who ever lives to make intercession for us. The brazen altar had no crown, but the golden altar had "a crown of gold round about." In His humiliation He was mocked with a crown of thorns; in His exaltation He is crowned with glory. The golden altar is the symbol of priestly worship. There is no question here of pardon, of personal acceptance, or of sanctification. These important questions were all settled outside the house of God. Praise, thanksgiving, adoration, worship, ascend to God continually from the golden altar. Our prayers and our praises come up before God in all the sweet fragrance of the ascending incense. When the holy fire of God tested the sweet incense "beaten small," it found nothing there but the rich fragrance of the preciousness of Christ. But when the same fire tested Nadab and Abihu, alas! for poor fallen nature, no sweet incense was found there. "Our God is a consuming fire." "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." O reader, is thy peace made with God? If not, kiss the Son — be reconciled to the Son — be friends with the Son, before the testing time with the holy fires of God’s justice come to thee. "Our God is a consuming fire." But when the holy fire of God’s judgment tests the Son, all ascends as sweet incense. Nothing but perfection is found in the Man Christ Jesus. His Person, work, character and ways, all, all ascend to God as a sweet-smelling savour; and, oh! blessed be His name, the prayers and praises of the friends of the Son ascend and are accepted and shall be fragrant for ever in His sweetness.
"Unworthy is thanksgiving, a service stained with sin,
Except as Thou art living, our Priest to bear it in.
In every act of worship, in every loving deed,
Our thoughts around Thee centre, as meeting all our need.
A bond that nought can sever has fixed us on the rock,
Sin put away for ever, for all the Shepherd’s flock
And, Lord, Thy perfect fitness to do a Saviour’s part,
The Holy Ghost doth witness to each believer’s heart.
As dews that fall on Hermon, refreshing all below,
The Spirit’s holy unction doth all Thy beauty show
Ah then, how good and pleasant to worship, serve and love,
To rise o’er all things present, and taste the joys above."
Having thus glanced at what our beautiful psalm alludes to, we can now better understand the exclamation of the psalmist in the fourth verse: "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will be still praising thee." Blessed indeed, we too may exclaim, and blessed shall they be for ever. They are dwellers, not visitors, in God’s house. "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." This is true, blessedly true, of all who trust in Jesus now. But though God’s children are all priests by birth, as were the sons of Aaron, they are not all, alas! priests by consecration. (See Exodus 29:1-46) Comparatively few know their priestly place at the golden altar. Many of them are doubting as to whether their sins, root and branch, were all consumed outside the camp; and consequently, such are afraid to come within the court, and as for being assured of their full justification and sanctification in the risen One, they gravely doubt and fear that such blessedness can ever be their happy lot. Hence that state of soul which answers to priestly consecration at the laver and happy worship at the golden altar, is unknown and unenjoyed. They are not priests by consecration. Our text is plain. "They will be still praising thee." Doubts, fears, unsettled questions, all are gone. Such cannot exist in the holy place. All, of course, who are in Christ must be, in God’s account, where He is; but all who believe in Christ do not know and believe that they are in Him, as being one with Him now. When the state of our souls answers to what is symbolised by the holy place, we can only praise. "They that dwell in thy house will be still praising thee." Then we are happily near to God, and have communion with Him in the glorified Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost. The symbols of the holy and most holy place speak volumes as to our perfect blessedness in Christ. On the one side, as we worship at the golden altar before the veil, there is the table of show-bread — the communion table. We are nourished with the bread of life. The incarnate, crucified, risen and eternally living One is the centre and source of our communion. We are one with Him in resurrection. "The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" On the other side there is the candlestick of pure gold, shedding its sevenfold light on the communion of saints; the centre shaft of pure gold, shadowing forth Him who is the source of all light in testimony, through the power of the Holy Ghost. The rent veil reveals the ark of the covenant; this type was Israel’s grand centre of old — the antitype, Christ Himself, is ours now. In fine, the Christian is placed at the very centre of God’s wide circle of grace and glory, but he cannot see — he can never see its limit. With a full heart, and a thankful heart, thou canst truly exclaim, O my soul. "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be still praising thee." But the heart does also exclaim, "Oh, why do so many still stand outside? Why do so many still prefer the wretched husks of the far country, to the fatted calf in the Father’s house?" Still there is room — still there is an open door — still there is a ready welcome — and still the voice of unwearied love cries, and cries to all who will listen to His voice — "Come, come, enter while there is room — him that cometh I will in no wise cast out." May God clothe with power His own word, both spoken and written, that many precious, immortal souls may be gathered in! Amen.
"Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee: in whose heart are the ways of them." The great secret of strength in the ways of God is the full assurance of His love. When we have learnt the love that gave Jesus to die for us and the Holy Ghost to quicken and teach us, we shall be content to trust the ordering of all things for our journey homeward to Him. This is the strength of God in the soul, and this alone will give good heart for the way in which He leads, be it rough or smooth. What else could make the weary pilgrim sing on his lonely way, or the martyr glorify God in the fire? True, it is the way in which the cross is found, but it is God’s way — the way home, and the heart is in it. The desires of the renewed soul, we know, can never be fully satisfied until it reaches the Father’s house on high; but till then, the way thither must be the main thing with the heart. Here pause for a little, O my soul, and meditate on this great truth. It is of daily, hourly importance; see that thou understandest it well. It will give strength and courage to thy heart, decision and firmness to thy feet, and consistency to all thy path. Do, I pray thee, dwell upon it, and dismiss it not till thou hast comprehended its meaning. Forget not the blessing here given. "BLESSED are they that dwell in thy house. . . . BLESSED is the man whose strength is in thee." Let all, then, who are now passing through the valley of Baca, comfort and strengthen themselves in the blessing of their God and Father. Who can explain the fulness of that word "blessed" when thus used of Him? And think not because the great truths of this beautiful psalm are expressed in Jewish style that their full spiritual bearing applies not to thee. God and His love — Christ and His sympathy — the Holy Ghost and His ministry — home and the way thither, are subjects for the heart, and not confined to any particular dispensation.
God alone is the strength of His people’s heart from first to last. For example, when the returning wanderer knows and counts upon his father’s love, his heart will be in the way that takes him home. The road may be rough and dreary, and he may have many smitings of conscience for his past undutifulness, but the thought that his father’s house is at the far end of it is strength for the way, whatever the difficulties may be. Already he sees the overflowings of his father’s heart, and the rough path is smoothed — the long way is shortened. The beautiful green lanes and flowery paths which lead in another direction have no attraction for him now. Once, alas! they had, but not now — they lead not to home, his heart is set on his father’s house. This is the Christian’s shield — unwavering confidence, in spite of everything, in the unchangeable love of God his Father. The full assurance of heart that He changeth not is the invulnerable shield of the pilgrim. To question God’s love in the trial is to drop his shield and expose his heart to the fiery darts of the devil. Every circumstance may seem as if the Lord were chastening in anger, but faith rises above the circumstances, and affirms that it is all in perfect love. How often has the timid though sincere Christian been so tempted to doubt the Father’s love in the trial, that all strength for the journey seemed gone. He has felt as if he could only sit down and weep in despair.
"Is this love?" whispers the arch-fiend to the bereaved heart. What purpose could it serve to take that loved, useful and needed one away? Who can fill his or her place? Earth never can, you know. Is this what you call love? Can you believe that this is love to you? And the poor, weakly, bedridden one, he will also be sure to tempt to impatience and to hard thoughts of God. Such are the wicked suggestions — the poisoned arrows of the enemy; and which are sure to fly thick and fast into the unguarded soul, especially at a time when the heart is overwhelmed with sorrow and sorely tried by repeated disappointment. Nothing but the shield of faith can quench such darts of unbelief. Nevertheless, faith will always vindicate God and His truth, however heavy or sweeping the stroke. It will calmly rest in the truth, that the Father’s love is the same — the same as when He gave His well-beloved Son to die on Calvary. Before such faith all enemies and temptations are powerless. But sometimes in trials of lesser weight the Christian may be more off his guard, and the enemy more successful. His great object always is to weaken the believer’s confidence in the kindness of God. The way to the Father’s house leads out of the world, and so it must always be a path of trial, disappointment and difficulty. When dwelling in the house, as the psalmist says, we can only praise; but when on the way to it, we may have great conflict. Hence it is that when we now realise in the power of the Spirit our oneness with Christ in the presence of God, we can only worship and adore; but when meeting the practical difficulties of life, we may have much to confess and pray for.
Take an example — a common case. The young Christian has scarcely entered on the path of obedience to the Lord when he loses his situation. He may have filled it for years and all went smoothly on, but his heart is now in the ways of God according to His word, and he cannot bend so easily to certain things formerly required, which he now sees have not the sanction of God’s word. Everything becomes changed: to walk and act according to the word tests all. So long as the believer walks according to traditional habits the cross is avoided. He may not think that the word condemns anything he does, but when he has been enabled to lay aside tradition, and to be guided only by the word of God, he finds out the difference. Such strictness, almost everywhere, is felt by others to be an inconvenience, and very soon unbearable. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)
Such is often the form in which the cross has to be taken up at the present time. Nevertheless, it is a real cross, and one by which the enemy will seek to dishearten the young Christian. He may be reduced to straits and everything may seen to go against him. His trials thicken, and all looks dark. He begins to question if he has taken the right path — if he has really had divine guidance. Even his nearest kindred may little understand his course and reproach him with being righteous overmuch. Confidence in all, save in God Himself, is now gone. What a breaking down and sweeping away of all earthly and fleshly resources!
Now, we may say, he enters the valley of Baca; it is the place not only of trial, but of tears. He is brought into deep exercise of soul before God. Self is judged. This is the young Christian’s valley of Baca. It is the exercise of soul, rather than the trial, that makes it a well — that digs the pools. He has now found out that a desire to live to God’s glory may turn the fairest scenes and the brightest prospects of earth into a vale of tears — a place of humiliation and sorrow. But if there be simple faith in God, the dreariest part of the desert may become a fruitful field, and where nothing but disappointment and distress were expected, the richest blessings may be found. But, on the other hand, if he gets under the power of his circumstances, and is tempted to look to the world or the flesh as a resource, his tears will be yet more bitter and more abundant. The trial, no doubt, is enough to test the strongest faith and the bravest heart, especially if we have to wait long for the answer to our prayers. But our God will have us to confide in His love alone and to learn what He is to us, however painful the process.
"Who passing through the valley of Baca, make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools." This is God’s way out of the world; hence the trial to nature. The great moral system of Satan in the world must be faced, and this is no easy matter. The strongest link that binds it to us must be broken, the cord that is nearest to the heart may have to be cut asunder. Thus it is called the valley of tears. The path of many for a long way, if not all the way, is watered with tears. Scarcely had the joy of conversion been tasted, in many cases, when the pain of separation from the world in some of its tenderest associations must be experienced. And how often unfaithfulness in this respect hinders the good work of God in the soul, and mars its sweetest joys! But the idol of the heart must be given up, and the heart unreservedly given to Christ. But now, the joy and the sorrow together break up the very fountains of the poor human heart, and every footstep is watered with tears. Thus all have a valley of Baca to pass through; it is the way to Zion. Even the most spiritual and devoted of the Lord’s people must have the exercises of the valley.
Take two examples from scripture: Paul’s thorn in the flesh, and the bereavement of the sisters at Bethany.
1. The thorn in the flesh was truly humbling to the great apostle. This is evident from what he says to the Galatians, "And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not." It was something that made him despicable as a preacher. And he thought, no doubt, that it would greatly hinder his usefulness; but he had to learn that the great hindrance to usefulness is the flesh. Thrice he prayed that the thorn might be removed. "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me." (2 Corinthians 12:1-21)
What a solemn, weighty, terrible truth this is for all the Lord’s servants! Weigh it well, O my soul, learn the badness of thy flesh — it is incorrigible! The flesh will make a bad use of God’s purest mercies. Paul might have boasted that he had been in the third heavens, and that no one had ever been there but himself. But the Lord, in great mercy to His dear servant, met the danger in humbling him. Doubtless He could have met it otherwise, but this was the way of His love and His wisdom. O, Lord, may this painful lesson be well weighed by all Thy servants. The flesh, we see, in the best — in all, is only a hindrance in service. Oh! what need, my soul, to be daily judging the old nature, and to be daily growing in grace by feeding on Christ’s fulness. The valley of humiliation and sorrow became the place of blessing to the apostle: "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." When he heard these gracious words, he no longer prayed for the thorn to be taken away. Now he glories in that which had been so painful and humbling to him. "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Now he rests in the love that had ordered everything for him and on the all-sufficiency of the Lord who was with him. In fine, he found the valley to be a well of rich blessing; rain from heaven filled the pools. When caught up to the third heavens he found the Lord there; and now while in the depths he finds the same blessed One with him there. What nearness to — what intimacy with the Lord! He knows Him on the heights and in the depths. What experience — a man in Christ in the third heavens, Christ with a man in the place of nature’s weakness and sorrow! Nevertheless, Paul is in the valley of Baca, but He makes it a well, and showers from heaven fill the pools. Our blessing comes from that which has humbled us — emptied us, and taught us that difficulties and impossibilities are nothing to the Lord.
2. We turn now to the sisters in Bethany. They were much bowed down under the pressure of their circumstances. In their deep affliction they counted on the Lord’s love and sympathy; they send for Him, and say, "He whom thou lovest is sick." But in place of answering their prayer according to the desires of their hearts, and with all speed, He seems rather to turn away from them and go somewhere else. Such delays are a great trial to faith and patience. But He was teaching them to wait His time, and on Him alone. We cannot hurry Him. "When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again." The sisters were passing through deep waters, it was indeed a vale of tears; but
"His tears ere long shall hush that fear
For every heavy heart for ever;
And we, who now His words can hear
Beyond the hills, beyond the river,
Know that as true a watch He kept
On those far heights, as at their side
Feeling the tears the sisters wept,
Marking the hour the brother died.
"No faintest sigh His heart can miss;
E’en now His feet are on the way,
With richest counter-weight of bliss
Heaped up for every hour’s delay." The Lord cannot change. Blessed, blessed truth for the, sorrowing heart! But their feelings rose above their faith and their hearts fell below their circumstances. Hence, they were disposed to blame the Lord for not coming when they sent for Him. Both Martha and Mary said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." But greater things than healing the sick were now filling His mind and the scene before Him. He could have said the word, as on other occasions, and Lazarus would have been healed; but, no; He acts "for the glory of God, that the Son of man might be glorified thereby." And when the right time was come, He takes His place in the scene of death, in resurrection power and glory. Lazarus is dead — Israel is dead — man is dead — the sisters are bereaved and desolate. But the Lord is equal to all the need. The whole scene is filled with His glory. The bursting tomb, the rising Lazarus, radiate His glory as the Son of God. By that voice, "Lazarus, come forth," the deep caverns of the grave are pierced and the sleeping dust awakes. What a testimony to the unbelieving Jews! What a rebuke to the unbelief of Martha and Mary — to the unbelief of us all in the time of affliction! He bestows life, raises the dead, glorifies God, and mingles His tears with the sorrowing ones. The mighty power of God and the tenderest human affections are perfectly displayed in this wondrous scene. O, what a meeting of the whole need of the heart — what a filling up of the pools — what showers of blessing from above are provided for all pilgrims, in all ages, when travelling through all parts of this vale of tears!
"O blessèd solace! ’Tis a Father’s rod —
No rod of wrath — but of unchanging love,
No stroke inflicted which He could have spared!
Infinite wisdom has with love combined
To make the blow accomplish — and no more —
Its salutary end. A Father’s rod:
The thought suppresses every falling tear —
Checks every murmur — mitigates each pang.
Unerring Parent! — Mourner! can you doubt
His faithfulness? Then look to Calvary!
Behold that bleeding, dying Lamb of God!
’Twas love for thee that sent Him from His throne,
And nailed Him there! And dare we entertain
The thought, that He whose nature and whose name
Is LOVE, could send us one superfluous pang,
Impose a needless burden, or permit
The thorn to pierce He knew would pierce in vain!
That cross becomes the blessed guarantee
That all is needed! Mercy infinite
Prevents one drop from mingling in the cup
Which could have been withheld. Thou God of love!
Vouchsafe us grace to bow beneath Thy rod;
And breathe — although it be through burning tears
And half-choked utterance — ’THY WILL BE DONE.’
Wells of Baca.