Two sons taken in OT, Two sons given in NT

John chapter 3, please, and very well-known verse, verse number 16. 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. One more time, and I would like you to read this verse as if it was for the first time.

Sometimes working in the gospel, we will say to people, please don't read it from memory. And we do that. I do that.

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. Now I'm going to divide the time, and I think I can do that. Preachers are hard at division, and sometimes in addition, they're bad too.

When they run out of heads to count, I mean, they start counting ears to tell you how many were there. But I'll do the best I can to divide the time, okay? Lovely verse, not often spoken of in ministry, very devotional verse, so often preached of in the gospel. Wasn't it Campbell Morgan said that John 3 and 16 was too big a verse for any man to preach? We've all tried it, attempted it, only to realize it is a verse that is way beyond the comprehension of human understanding.

That's why it is grasped by faith. When we are preaching the gospel, rightly so, we preach that the center is the Son and what God has done. But I want to think of just one word in this verse today, one word.

It is the word gave, gave. Had we not that verse, that word in this verse, with all the other things that it's telling us about God loving the world and not perishing, had we not that word gave, we wouldn't have the verse, and you and I wouldn't even be here. But we thank God for it.

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. Some maybe that are here today that are not saved. You realize you could grasp the truth of that and leave this meeting as you didn't plan on, saved, knowing your sins forgiven, Christ as your Savior and heaven as your home.

However, what I really have in my mind is to just draw some contrast and comparisons between the Old Testament and the New Testament. In the Old Testament, it is taking. Things are always being taken.

In the New Testament, it's just the opposite. It's giving, giving, and giving. And when God gave his Son, when God gave his Son, he has never ceased to give since then.

Those of us that are saved appreciate, we realize that he has never ceased to give from that day till this moment. So what I mean by the Old Testament that you commented, and it's obviously the word take. Well, the first Adam, the first Adam took forbidden fruit, and as a result of that, he took your life with it, and mine too.

The last Adam, the last Adam gave you life, never took your life, he gave you life. And everything that goes with that life from that day, if you like, till this moment. So the apostle puts it well, he said, the Son of God who loved me, loved me and gave himself for me.

I think that's thrilling to realize that God did not have to do that. God was under no obligation at all. Even to look upon Adam, when Adam had sinned and partook of that forbidden fruit, God could have just turned the other way and said, hey, he's told plainly.

God owed Adam nothing. Brethren and sisters, God owes us nothing. He never did and he never will, because he is no man's debtor.

We're the debtors, because of his giving to us. So what has God given you lately? Now you say, I don't know how I can answer that, it hasn't been easy, lost this, lost that. I want to be careful what I say, but even to lose your wife, lose your son, it's not easy.

Not easy. There were days when Rich and the family maybe didn't know where Carol was. Okay? They didn't.

Oh, might have been home in the kitchen where she often was, preparing for that large family or working away. But there were times you'd have to admit when they didn't know where she was. Today, brother, there's nobody that knows where she is better than all of us.

No questions. She's with the Savior. She's with the God that gave to her his son.

So in the Old Testament is, of course, the word take. I want to think of two particular men in the Old Testament that were taken. I want to think of two men in the New Testament that were given.

Two men in the Old Testament that were taken. Two men in the New Testament that were given. The men that were taken in the Old Testament, you could likely find others, but it's interesting, they were given reluctantly or hesitantly at least.

Now, those two, of course, would be Genesis chapter 22. Remember what God said to Abraham, take. Take Abraham, the word is emphatic, take thou thine only son whom thou lovest.

That dear man of faith obeyed God and would take his son. Reminds us what was quoted rightly yesterday in Romans chapter 8, verse number 32. He that spared not his only son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things.

And remember when it comes to Exodus chapter 12, with the Passover, we didn't touch on it yesterday, but every man of you shall take, take a lamb, take a lamb. You know, there was never a sacrifice that went to the altar willingly. There was never a sacrifice that went to that altar knowing the future, what lay before.

Except one who sacrificed himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. So the words to Abraham are, take now thy son, Exodus chapter 12, every man of you shall take a lamb. Remember when it came, of course, to the atonement money later in the book of the Exodus in chapter 30, and thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel.

Take it, take it. And so you go further all down through Leviticus chapter 16. It's always the word take.

Remember that David, I think yesterday, in fact I know yesterday, the 51st Psalm was quoted. What's David say? Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Don't take the, we don't have to pray that.

That'll never happen. As we were reminded clearly yesterday in the readings, we have been given the Holy Spirit, indwelled by the Holy Spirit. He'll never take the Spirit away from us.

But in the Old Testament, David's plea, his cry is take not thy Holy Spirit from me. So like I say, when we come to the truth of these two men, I just want to think of them very simply. First of all, just to show you where I'm going, I'm thinking not only of Isaac, but I'm also thinking of Benjamin.

Benjamin. Both of those men it says, take him, take him. You know, Genesis 22, I've already covered that.

Genesis chapter 42, it is take Benjamin. Benjamin had to leave the comforts of his father's home to travel to a very dangerous scene and become a surety for a guilty man. Remember the words of that German? He says, okay, take Benjamin.

They insisted. The man demanded of us that we've got to see our brother. Okay, he says, take, take him.

Take Benjamin. He says, all these things are against me. Everything's against me.

Ever feel like that? Everything's against me. He says, Joseph is not. Simeon.

All these things, he says, are against me. But what was happening is God was working out purposes that were far greater than that patriarch. Working out purposes in grace that would be a blessing to him.

But to do that, God had to take. So, we see that in Benjamin. Now, we mentioned, of course, a worship this morning and other brethren touched on it too and I've been enjoying lately and it is the fact of the cup.

The fact of the cup. The fact of the cup with Benjamin that it was linked with the guilt of others. Just picture that scene if you like.

It wouldn't be much of a road, but the side of the road and the search is being made and all of a sudden, wow, this cup, Joseph's cup, is found of all places in Benjamin's sack. Well, naturally speaking, all fingers and all eyes would be pointing at him. It's interesting, he doesn't throw his hands up in the air and say, hey, not me.

I don't know anything about it. I'm not guilty. It's a bit like when my wife brought me across to pick the plate up on the U.S. side after its annual inspection and the customs officer said, you've been selected for an agricultural inspection.

I said, okay. Put it into the queue and they came out and said, just come on in, bring the keys to your car with you and lock your car. Came in, went in, he said, did a little questioning as to what we were doing, where we were going.

He says, do you have any fruit with you? I said, no, we have no fruit. He looked at my wife, she says, any fruit? No fruit. So, took the keys, went out of the car.

Nice young man, he came back in and he said, no fruit? I said, what are those two bananas doing in the back seat in the plastic bag? My wife had put them in my lunch and I didn't know it. And she forgot about it. I thought, wow.

He says, listen, you're all right. In this country, we don't grow bananas. But he says, if you brought two oranges in, you would have a $300 fine and you would be here for 45 minutes.

Boy. So, just if any of you are planning on coming back in here, gotta be careful. Gotta be careful what it would be.

Interesting that the Old Testament opens, doesn't it, with man taking what he should and what wasn't his. It's a thief. Adam.

And it closes with men doing the same thing, trying to take from God. The Lord Jesus, when he spoke, he spoke about the way to heaven. He spoke, didn't he, very, very clearly about thieves and robbers.

They're still at it. He doesn't say they're in the past. They're still at it.

They're still doing it. And God will not be robbed of his work, robbed of his word, or robbed of his person. However, the one that could take the blame, I'll just slow this up so we get it here.

I've enjoyed it. The one that could take the blame was the only innocent one among them. Nobody else could do it.

That was Benjamin. As the innocent one, he could take the blame. Ever wonder about that coat? The coat that was given to Joseph of many colors? How come his brothers, how come they didn't wear it? Why didn't they say, oh, I'll drape this on my shoulders.

This is the coat that's great. Doesn't look bad. No, they couldn't take it.

You know why? They couldn't wear it. They couldn't wear it. They weren't Joseph.

The upper room of the Lord Jesus will wash the feet of his own. You say, why didn't the disciples step forward and do it? Can I suggest to you, they weren't in a condition to do it. He was the only one in that room that could do it, and he's the one that did it.

He embodied for us, if you like, the truth of the perfect servant. The humility and so on. The Lord Jesus faced the fact that the cup linked with the guilt of others as well.

For Benjamin, it was an empty cup. For the Lord Jesus, it was a filled cup. But nevertheless, Benjamin had to go.

I want to tell you, come to the end of that whole scene, and Joseph goes over it all, and what God had done, and what God had done through him, and by him, and with him. And you marvel at it. God's grace.

But there was a son that was taken. So in the Old Testament, two sons that were taken. Isaac and Benjamin.

Now come to the New Testament. Two sons that were given. Remember what the Lord Jesus told the story of Mark chapter 12? Having therefore said he concerning that man, that noble man, having therefore one son as well beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

Notice they sent him last. It was the last thing he did. Last resource.

Last thing he could do. He says, I'll send my son. You know, when it comes to Calvary, when it comes to the cross, it wasn't the last thing that God did.

It was the first thing he did, and more than that, it was the only thing he could do. The only thing he could do was send his son. Aren't we thankful today that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I'm sure that father, it is Matthew that says his son. Mark says his beloved son. And then Mark says rather his well-beloved son.

So Luke says his beloved son. But regardless, it was the son of his love. I am certain that that father, as he passed that vineyard, had to shake his head days after and say, Whatever was in that vineyard, it wasn't worth my son.

It wasn't worth it. When God looks down at this globe, this world of ours in its sad condition, he does not value the world by the son that it cost him. But you know, there's a preciousness about it.

What he gave was to his son a bride. What he gave to his son was one that would be those that would be the affections of his heart. And so he would give his son.

God has no regrets about Calvary. No, not at all. There was never a time when God was more satisfied in his son.

I don't believe there's a moment, and I'm going by Hebrews chapter one, a greater outshining of his glory than there was, of course, at Calvary. So we come now to the other son that was given, the divine example. Okay? The Lord Jesus.

Willingly given. Lovingly given. And today he's back in heaven.

We're sure where he is today. So now, when we bring this, just to bring these things together into our experience, what does it leave for me? Well, we are people, and I can speak from experience. 42 years of it.

God's people are a giving people. They are. What I've known and experienced over the years is that the Lord's people are a giving people.

Do you know why? Because they are the result of one who first gave to them. Remember those in David's day that would bring what they had and they would willingly give, okay? They willingly give. The apostle writes about the Corinthians with all the failures and with all the weakness and with all the things that were going on in Corinth.

He said, and this they did when he speaks of others, not as we had hoped, first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God. First gave their own selves unto the Lord. Isn't that what they did when they came to help David? That's a remarkable chapter there in 2 Chronicles.

Remember, it wasn't an easy day in David's experience. Come to the end of the chapter. The chapter ends on a happy note.

It says there was joy in all Israel. It wasn't at the beginning. There were those that came in concealment.

There were those that came undercover. There were those that squabbled among themselves, but still they came to David. What does it say that they came to David for? To help David.

To help David. When you come to the end of the chapter, it says that they were there with David, three days, eating and drinking and enjoying David's provision. Every one of them realized we owe everything to David.

They never forgot the Valley of Elah. Because what happened in that valley? It's what David did. He gave himself.

He literally gave himself. He stood in front of that giant that day. If you've got something from the scripture, it must be more than I have, that David had assurance that he was going to come up whether they were alive.

But he went in the fear of God and in faith in God. As a result of it, he became victorious. All those different tribes with their different backgrounds, their different makeup and all that, the squabbling that would be among them.

Remember, David didn't trust some of them. He was afraid. He said, Have you come to betray me? That was over.

That was all over. They have come to make David king. They have come to give themselves willingly unto David.

So, brethren and sisters, he doesn't want less from us. He does not want less from us. He wants us to be able to willingly give ourselves.

I marvel at and thank God for people that give themselves. They put themselves into the lives of others for whatever they can do to them. Whatever they can be.

A shoulder to cry on. Someone to just enter in a little best they can to the circumstances. As I stand here today, I know there are those in this audience that have gone through deep waters I know nothing about.

But remember, God is still a giving God. Even though he is taken. He is still the giving God.

And remember 2 Corinthians chapter 9, again he said, Every man according as he purposes in his own heart. He says, So let him give, not drudgingly of necessity. For God loveth the cheerful giver.

The cheerful giver. There is no frowning with God. There is no hesitancy with God or reluctancy in what he gave.

And he actually gave himself for me. That's unbelievable. That he would give himself for the like of me.

That's what produces what we had so beautifully in the meeting this morning. What a lovely worship there was this morning. One by one, without these long pauses, without all kinds of number of hymns, brethren rose to their feet and led that company in worship unto the one who gave all.

And the praise and the worship arose as well from the sisters. So, remember the Lord Jesus? There he left this world. What does he do? Makes a provision for his mother.

And he gives her to John. So, brethren and sisters, might we be encouraged and realize that we are linked with a God that still gives. You see, in the Old Testament, and I'm not going to take time to go into it, under the law, the law always took, always took, always took.

In grace, he's always giving. He's giving. We sing it, don't we? He giveth more grace.

I thought of that beautiful hymn this morning. It was really on my mind to give it out. I didn't give it out.

God, blessed be God, our God, whose spirit not his son. Blessed be God, our God. We can be so thankful today that we're not on the legal side of it, the law side of it.

We can be so thankful we're not in the Old Testament, but have come into the grace of the New Testament and are linked forever with a God that has given and will yet give. There'll never come a day when he won't give to us. In eternity, in the eternal state, there will be flesh unfoldings of his grace and his mercy.

He will continue to give. As the old preachers used to tell us, rightly so, there won't be the day when God comes out wringing his hands and says, it's all over, nothing more to show you, nothing more to give you. No, he will give.

So, may God encourage our hearts just with these few thoughts.