June 1
BACK TO THE FOLD
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he loose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he loose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
Luke 15:3
'Twas a sheep, not a lamb, that went astray
In the parable Jesus told,
A grown up sheep that wandered away
From the ninety and nine in the fold.
Out on the hillside, out in the cold,
'Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd sought,
Borne on His shoulders and back to the fold,
The sheep the Good Shepherd brought.
Why for the sheep should we earnestly long
And as earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger, if they go wrong
They may lead the lambs astray.
Lambs will follow the sheep, you know
Wherever the sheep may stray,
If the sheep go wrong, it won't be long
'Till the lambs are as wrong as they.
So for the sheep let us earnestly pray,
For the sake of the lambs today,
If the lambs are lost, what a terrible cost
Some sheep will have to pay.
Mrs. Furstenfeld
N.J. Hiebert - 8499
'Twas a sheep, not a lamb, that went astray
In the parable Jesus told,
A grown up sheep that wandered away
From the ninety and nine in the fold.
Out on the hillside, out in the cold,
'Twas a sheep the Good Shepherd sought,
Borne on His shoulders and back to the fold,
The sheep the Good Shepherd brought.
Why for the sheep should we earnestly long
And as earnestly hope and pray?
Because there is danger, if they go wrong
They may lead the lambs astray.
Lambs will follow the sheep, you know
Wherever the sheep may stray,
If the sheep go wrong, it won't be long
'Till the lambs are as wrong as they.
So for the sheep let us earnestly pray,
For the sake of the lambs today,
If the lambs are lost, what a terrible cost
Some sheep will have to pay.
Mrs. Furstenfeld
N.J. Hiebert - 8499
June 2
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Rise, let us be going. Matthew 26:46
RESTING AND ROUSING
He rests us and He rouses us. This nervous age keeps going with pills to put it to sleep and pills to keep it awake. From sedative to stimulant our generation lives by "shots in the arm". We both rest and rouse our jaded selves artificially.
But all we need for both purposes is found in Jesus. He give us peace. "Rest in the Lord." (Psalm 37:7) is God's prescription. We can rest in Him when we cease from our own feverish works and rest in HIs finished work.
And He rouses us. "Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18) There you have the world's false stimulant and Divine stirring of the Spirit. "Stir up the gift of God" (2 Timothy 1:6-7) means kindling the Fire within us, although the coals may be covered with ashes. Alas, "there is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee." (Isaiah 64:7)
Whether you need resting or rousing, He does both. But we cooperate as we rest in Him or rouse ourselves to do His bidding.
Day by Day with Vance Havner (1901-1986)
Come unto Me, it is the Saviour's voice - the Lord of life, who bids thy heart rejoice;
O weary heart, with heavy cares oppressed, come unto Me, and I will give you rest.
Nate Norton
N.J. Hiebert - 8500
Rise, let us be going. Matthew 26:46
RESTING AND ROUSING
He rests us and He rouses us. This nervous age keeps going with pills to put it to sleep and pills to keep it awake. From sedative to stimulant our generation lives by "shots in the arm". We both rest and rouse our jaded selves artificially.
But all we need for both purposes is found in Jesus. He give us peace. "Rest in the Lord." (Psalm 37:7) is God's prescription. We can rest in Him when we cease from our own feverish works and rest in HIs finished work.
And He rouses us. "Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18) There you have the world's false stimulant and Divine stirring of the Spirit. "Stir up the gift of God" (2 Timothy 1:6-7) means kindling the Fire within us, although the coals may be covered with ashes. Alas, "there is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee." (Isaiah 64:7)
Whether you need resting or rousing, He does both. But we cooperate as we rest in Him or rouse ourselves to do His bidding.
Day by Day with Vance Havner (1901-1986)
Come unto Me, it is the Saviour's voice - the Lord of life, who bids thy heart rejoice;
O weary heart, with heavy cares oppressed, come unto Me, and I will give you rest.
Nate Norton
N.J. Hiebert - 8500
June 3
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1:18-20
The death and resurrection of Christ form the new basis on which God establishes every relationship with fallen man. Little wonder then that the Holy Scriptures are replete with types, prophecies, and shadows, all pointing to the coming One. Already before the foundation of the world was laid God had His Lamb in reserve.
And when the first man, Adam, sinned and thus failed in his responsibility towards God, it but served as an occasion for God to introduce the Second Man, the Man of His counsels, the Lord from heaven, into this world.
When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he declared, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). God Himself must provide a Lamb, for we had none to bring. And what the holiness of God required, the love of God provided in the sending of His Son.
Wonderful provision for ruined sinners who now been brought to God, "accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). The same One who was on the cross bearing our sins is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God: blessed proof of God's satisfaction with the work of putting sin away.
Moreover God's righteousness requires that all who have been redeemed will also be glorified with Christ where He is. We will be like Him and with Him,
(1 John 3:2) the fruit of His grace and the objects of God's eternal pleasure.
J. Redekop
N.J. Hiebert - 8501
The death and resurrection of Christ form the new basis on which God establishes every relationship with fallen man. Little wonder then that the Holy Scriptures are replete with types, prophecies, and shadows, all pointing to the coming One. Already before the foundation of the world was laid God had His Lamb in reserve.
And when the first man, Adam, sinned and thus failed in his responsibility towards God, it but served as an occasion for God to introduce the Second Man, the Man of His counsels, the Lord from heaven, into this world.
When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he declared, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). God Himself must provide a Lamb, for we had none to bring. And what the holiness of God required, the love of God provided in the sending of His Son.
Wonderful provision for ruined sinners who now been brought to God, "accepted in the beloved" (Ephesians 1:6). The same One who was on the cross bearing our sins is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God: blessed proof of God's satisfaction with the work of putting sin away.
Moreover God's righteousness requires that all who have been redeemed will also be glorified with Christ where He is. We will be like Him and with Him,
(1 John 3:2) the fruit of His grace and the objects of God's eternal pleasure.
J. Redekop
N.J. Hiebert - 8501
June 4
THERE IS LIFE IN A LOOK AT THE CRUCIFIED ONE
And as Moses lifted up the serpent up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Amelia Matilda Hull was born in England, on September 30, 1812, the youngest of a family of eleven children. Her father was a retired army captain. Of Amelia's personal life, very has been left on record apart from the story of her conversion. However, the circumstances of that great event are so full of interest and are so inextricably linked with the birth of her lovely hymn, that they are worth relating.
Amelia was about twenty years of age when she heard the gospel of Christ for the first time. A visiting evangelist had pitched his tent near to their family home and invited the neighbouring people to come and hear the gospel. One night Amelia ventured to go. She slipped in at the back of the tent and listened with intense interest to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her heart was troubled. When she returned home and told her father where she had been, he was furious. He told her that association with such "ranters" and their meetings was not becoming to anyone in her position in life and he forbade to go back.
However, Amelia's heart had already received the first dropping of the living water and she thirsted for more. She felt she must go back and in spite of her father's forbidding, she returned the following evening. The message was taken from John 3:14-15, (quoted above).
On her arrival home, she met with her father's fury. He was beside himself with rage. Taking her to the library he scolded her severely for what she had done and ordered that she appear there the next morning at nine o'clock, to be punished. Before retiring for the night she thought upon the greatness of the message which had brought her peace and, as she did so, she jotted down her heart's musings on a piece of paper. At 9 o'clock she made her way to the library with the piece of paper in her hand. She entered, and handed the piece of paper to her father and waited. Captain Hull stood there that morning and read the word of Amelia's composition.
There is life in a look at the Crucified One, there is life at this moment for thee;
Then look, sinner look, unto Him and be saved, unto Him who was nailed to the tree.
It is not thy tears of repentance or prayers but the blood that atones for the soul;
On Him than believe, and a pardon receive, for His blood now can make thee quite whole.
Then take with rejoicing from Jesus at once, the life everlasting He gives;
And know with assurance though never canst die, since Jesus, thy righteousness, lives.
As he read, a change came over him. He sat down and buried his face in his hands. God had spoken to his heart and he was now a broken man. Gone was any thought of punishing his daughter. Instead in the library that morning Captain Hull sought and found his daughter Amelia's Saviour. C.B.R.
N.J. Hiebert - 8502
And as Moses lifted up the serpent up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14-15
Amelia Matilda Hull was born in England, on September 30, 1812, the youngest of a family of eleven children. Her father was a retired army captain. Of Amelia's personal life, very has been left on record apart from the story of her conversion. However, the circumstances of that great event are so full of interest and are so inextricably linked with the birth of her lovely hymn, that they are worth relating.
Amelia was about twenty years of age when she heard the gospel of Christ for the first time. A visiting evangelist had pitched his tent near to their family home and invited the neighbouring people to come and hear the gospel. One night Amelia ventured to go. She slipped in at the back of the tent and listened with intense interest to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her heart was troubled. When she returned home and told her father where she had been, he was furious. He told her that association with such "ranters" and their meetings was not becoming to anyone in her position in life and he forbade to go back.
However, Amelia's heart had already received the first dropping of the living water and she thirsted for more. She felt she must go back and in spite of her father's forbidding, she returned the following evening. The message was taken from John 3:14-15, (quoted above).
On her arrival home, she met with her father's fury. He was beside himself with rage. Taking her to the library he scolded her severely for what she had done and ordered that she appear there the next morning at nine o'clock, to be punished. Before retiring for the night she thought upon the greatness of the message which had brought her peace and, as she did so, she jotted down her heart's musings on a piece of paper. At 9 o'clock she made her way to the library with the piece of paper in her hand. She entered, and handed the piece of paper to her father and waited. Captain Hull stood there that morning and read the word of Amelia's composition.
There is life in a look at the Crucified One, there is life at this moment for thee;
Then look, sinner look, unto Him and be saved, unto Him who was nailed to the tree.
It is not thy tears of repentance or prayers but the blood that atones for the soul;
On Him than believe, and a pardon receive, for His blood now can make thee quite whole.
Then take with rejoicing from Jesus at once, the life everlasting He gives;
And know with assurance though never canst die, since Jesus, thy righteousness, lives.
As he read, a change came over him. He sat down and buried his face in his hands. God had spoken to his heart and he was now a broken man. Gone was any thought of punishing his daughter. Instead in the library that morning Captain Hull sought and found his daughter Amelia's Saviour. C.B.R.
N.J. Hiebert - 8502
June 5
He (Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief . . . and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. Romans 4:20,21
It is the everlasting faithfulness of God that makes a Bible promise "exceeding great and precious." 2 Peter 1:4. Human promises are often worthless. Many a broken promise has left a broken heart. But since the world was made, God has never broken a single promise made to one of His trusting children.
Oh, it is sad for a poor Christian to stand at the door of the promise, in the dark night of affliction, afraid to open the latch, whereas he should come boldly for shelter as a child into his father's house. Gurnal.
Every promise is built upon four pillars:
1. God's justice and holiness, which will not suffer Him to deceive;
2. His grace or goodness, which will not suffer Him to forget;
3. His truth, which will not suffer Him to change,
4. Which makes Him able to accomplish.
Selected
When thou passest through the waters deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge, and His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters thou shalt not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint
N.J. Hiebert - 8503
It is the everlasting faithfulness of God that makes a Bible promise "exceeding great and precious." 2 Peter 1:4. Human promises are often worthless. Many a broken promise has left a broken heart. But since the world was made, God has never broken a single promise made to one of His trusting children.
Oh, it is sad for a poor Christian to stand at the door of the promise, in the dark night of affliction, afraid to open the latch, whereas he should come boldly for shelter as a child into his father's house. Gurnal.
Every promise is built upon four pillars:
1. God's justice and holiness, which will not suffer Him to deceive;
2. His grace or goodness, which will not suffer Him to forget;
3. His truth, which will not suffer Him to change,
4. Which makes Him able to accomplish.
Selected
When thou passest through the waters deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge, and His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it, He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters thou shalt not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint
N.J. Hiebert - 8503
June 6
And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, It is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee. 2 Chronicles 14:11
This is delightful to contemplate. With Asa it was not a question of the relative strength and prowess of the hordes of the enemy and the army of Judah; but it was simply a question of the power of God and puny ability of weak, mortal men. "Let not man prevail against Thee," was his plea. He choses a word for man that emphasizes his insignificance and lack of strength.
In the Hebrew language there are various words which he might have used for man. Ahdahm is the ordinary term which links man with his first father, from a root meaning red clay. Geber is man in his might, from a root meaning to be strong. Ish is man in his dignity; whereas the word used by Asa is Enosh, from a root signifying frail and incurable. It is man in his low estate as fallen and mortal.
This then was all that the great Ethiopian host meant to Asa. All were as nothing in contrast to the mighty power of the God who was leading the army of Judah and Benjamin. The result was certain, "The Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled . . . for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before His host; and they carried away very much spoil." 2 Chronicles 14:12,13.
May each tried saint cast himself upon the same Omnipotent Saviour-God in every time of apparently overwhelming trouble, and thus prove for himself that "Safety is of the Lord." Proverbs 21:31.
H.A. Ironside - Proverbs.
N.J. Hiebert - 8504
This is delightful to contemplate. With Asa it was not a question of the relative strength and prowess of the hordes of the enemy and the army of Judah; but it was simply a question of the power of God and puny ability of weak, mortal men. "Let not man prevail against Thee," was his plea. He choses a word for man that emphasizes his insignificance and lack of strength.
In the Hebrew language there are various words which he might have used for man. Ahdahm is the ordinary term which links man with his first father, from a root meaning red clay. Geber is man in his might, from a root meaning to be strong. Ish is man in his dignity; whereas the word used by Asa is Enosh, from a root signifying frail and incurable. It is man in his low estate as fallen and mortal.
This then was all that the great Ethiopian host meant to Asa. All were as nothing in contrast to the mighty power of the God who was leading the army of Judah and Benjamin. The result was certain, "The Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled . . . for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before His host; and they carried away very much spoil." 2 Chronicles 14:12,13.
May each tried saint cast himself upon the same Omnipotent Saviour-God in every time of apparently overwhelming trouble, and thus prove for himself that "Safety is of the Lord." Proverbs 21:31.
H.A. Ironside - Proverbs.
N.J. Hiebert - 8504
June 7
My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
What a promise! The very arrangement of the words is precious. Our need and His riches are strung together, looped as if by two bands. Some have sought to limit the "need" to temporal needs: "but all your need" certainly precludes that: and there will be no temporal needs to supply "in glory". No, Beloved, take it as it stands. Endorse the promise, and accept it with joy and thanksgiving. It surely includes temporal needs: and in no mean or stingy way: but according to His wealth, in glory, in Christ Jesus.
A millionaire might give a penny to a beggar, but he would not be giving according to his wealth. Our God is the "Giving God" and the Lord Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive:" and He will ever have the more blessed place.
Years ago when horse-cabs were the custom in Canada, it was usual to give the cabman a tip of 25 cents. The story is told of one of Canada's richest men who drove home one night in a cab. When he got out he handed the cabbie the correct fare and a 25 cent tip. The cabbie turned it over in his hand, and said, "You know, Sir, when I drive your son home, he always gives me a half a dollar tip." "Yes," the wealthy man replied "But he has a rich father."
The son was giving in some measure "according to his wealth." I regret to say the father was not doing so: but our "Rich Father" will never treat us so: He gives "according to His wealth." And we might bear in mind that our "rich Father" has said, "Freely ye have received, freely give."
But let us notice it is all our need . And I am so glad to think it does mean our spiritual needs as well as our temporal needs: need for more devotedness to Christ: need for more earnestness in finding time for prayer and the Word: all your need. Who shall do it? "My God." Sacrifices of Joy - G. Christopher Willis.
N.J. Hiebert - 8505
What a promise! The very arrangement of the words is precious. Our need and His riches are strung together, looped as if by two bands. Some have sought to limit the "need" to temporal needs: "but all your need" certainly precludes that: and there will be no temporal needs to supply "in glory". No, Beloved, take it as it stands. Endorse the promise, and accept it with joy and thanksgiving. It surely includes temporal needs: and in no mean or stingy way: but according to His wealth, in glory, in Christ Jesus.
A millionaire might give a penny to a beggar, but he would not be giving according to his wealth. Our God is the "Giving God" and the Lord Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive:" and He will ever have the more blessed place.
Years ago when horse-cabs were the custom in Canada, it was usual to give the cabman a tip of 25 cents. The story is told of one of Canada's richest men who drove home one night in a cab. When he got out he handed the cabbie the correct fare and a 25 cent tip. The cabbie turned it over in his hand, and said, "You know, Sir, when I drive your son home, he always gives me a half a dollar tip." "Yes," the wealthy man replied "But he has a rich father."
The son was giving in some measure "according to his wealth." I regret to say the father was not doing so: but our "Rich Father" will never treat us so: He gives "according to His wealth." And we might bear in mind that our "rich Father" has said, "Freely ye have received, freely give."
But let us notice it is all our need . And I am so glad to think it does mean our spiritual needs as well as our temporal needs: need for more devotedness to Christ: need for more earnestness in finding time for prayer and the Word: all your need. Who shall do it? "My God." Sacrifices of Joy - G. Christopher Willis.
N.J. Hiebert - 8505
June 8
LET GO DISPLEASURE
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. Psalm 37:8
Sometimes something happens which recalls great pain. You are not able to find pleasure in that thing. You are oppressed by it and saddened. Suddenly the word comes, "Let go displeasure."
Displeasure is not always wrath; it is not unkindness, or the fretting which the Psalm says so truly, "tendeth only to evil doing." It is just something that is not pleasure but pain, and so can depress the heart.
Let it go. Do not hold on to it. Let it slip out of mind. Turn to something that does give pleasure and fasten your thoughts on that. "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." "Commit thy way unto the Lord;" (Psalms 37:5-7) (and the way of those thou lovest) unto Him, and thou shalt be refreshed in the multitude of peace.
Prove this word if ever you are tempted in this way. You will find that by an act of will, by His grace, you can let go displeasure and be most tenderly released and refreshed.
Edges of His Ways - Amy Carmichael
N.J. Hiebert - 8506
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. Psalm 37:8
Sometimes something happens which recalls great pain. You are not able to find pleasure in that thing. You are oppressed by it and saddened. Suddenly the word comes, "Let go displeasure."
Displeasure is not always wrath; it is not unkindness, or the fretting which the Psalm says so truly, "tendeth only to evil doing." It is just something that is not pleasure but pain, and so can depress the heart.
Let it go. Do not hold on to it. Let it slip out of mind. Turn to something that does give pleasure and fasten your thoughts on that. "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." "Commit thy way unto the Lord;" (Psalms 37:5-7) (and the way of those thou lovest) unto Him, and thou shalt be refreshed in the multitude of peace.
Prove this word if ever you are tempted in this way. You will find that by an act of will, by His grace, you can let go displeasure and be most tenderly released and refreshed.
Edges of His Ways - Amy Carmichael
N.J. Hiebert - 8506
June 9
And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple...who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. ...Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. ...And he leaping up stood, and walked into the temple. ...leaping and praising God. Acts 3:1-8
And the Sadducees...laid hands on them and put them in hold and on the morrow when they had set them in the midst, they asked, by what power, or by what name have ye done this?
Be it known unto you all...by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. Acts 4:1-12
Did you ever hear of such utter folly as putting a man in prison, and trying him for a good deed--healing a cripple? God brings the man in, as it were, to give witness to that council. "And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it" (Acts 4:14).
I do not expect he was invited by the council, for he was an awkward witness. Look at him now, whole! Yesterday he was a poor cripple until three o'clock, now he is free from infirmity. And what had done it? The power of the Name of that Jesus "whom ye crucified," that was their guilt, "whom God raised from the dead," there was God's righteousness.
The boldness of John and Peter impressed them, and "beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing"--they were silenced. Faith and facts are two stubborn witnesses. Both attest God's grace. They admit defeat. "The could say nothing against it." (Acts 4:16).
Simon Peter - W. T. P. Wolston
N.J. Hiebert - 8507
And the Sadducees...laid hands on them and put them in hold and on the morrow when they had set them in the midst, they asked, by what power, or by what name have ye done this?
Be it known unto you all...by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. Acts 4:1-12
Did you ever hear of such utter folly as putting a man in prison, and trying him for a good deed--healing a cripple? God brings the man in, as it were, to give witness to that council. "And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it" (Acts 4:14).
I do not expect he was invited by the council, for he was an awkward witness. Look at him now, whole! Yesterday he was a poor cripple until three o'clock, now he is free from infirmity. And what had done it? The power of the Name of that Jesus "whom ye crucified," that was their guilt, "whom God raised from the dead," there was God's righteousness.
The boldness of John and Peter impressed them, and "beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing"--they were silenced. Faith and facts are two stubborn witnesses. Both attest God's grace. They admit defeat. "The could say nothing against it." (Acts 4:16).
Simon Peter - W. T. P. Wolston
N.J. Hiebert - 8507
June 10
And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon. Exodus 30:1
Each of the tabernacle articles of furniture and materials is symbolic of various attributes and glories of the Lord Jesus. The Table for burning incense was made of wood coated in gold (The Lord's humanity covered in gold, divine righteousness), and stood just in front of the vail leading into the Holy of Holies. It's sole purpose was to burn incense as a sweet perfume to God and is described in some detail in Exodus 30.
The aromatic herbs, ground up to make incense, are described in Exodus 30:34, but in order to produce a smoky perfume, fire was needed; but it wasn't kindled there. Live coals had to be brought by the priest from the Brass Altar where sacrifices were burned. (Leviticus 16:12)
These two Altars give us a beautiful thought: the Brass Altar is a picture of the cross where the One perfect sacrifice for sin bore God's judgment; whereas the Altar of Incense introduces the subject of worship; that which springs from our hearts as we remember what the Lord Jesus endured. The live coals provide a bridge of remembrance from one Altar to the other.
It is essential for would-be worshipers to actually possesses the salvation that results from the perfect sacrifice, and then need to prepare the spices, that is, meditate on what the Lord has done. Only then will we be ready to properly worship. Interesting that both Altars produced a sweet Saviour to God. There's a verse in a hymn perhaps inspired by those two sweet perfumes:
Sweetest rest and peace have filled us, Sweeter praise than tongue can tell
God is satisfied with Jesus, We are satisfied as well. (German hymn, 57, Little Flock)
God's satisfaction with Jesus is seen in the sacrifice at the Brass Altar. Our satisfaction with that work produces heartfelt worship (The Altar of Incense). Lorne Perry
N.J. Hiebert - 8508
Each of the tabernacle articles of furniture and materials is symbolic of various attributes and glories of the Lord Jesus. The Table for burning incense was made of wood coated in gold (The Lord's humanity covered in gold, divine righteousness), and stood just in front of the vail leading into the Holy of Holies. It's sole purpose was to burn incense as a sweet perfume to God and is described in some detail in Exodus 30.
The aromatic herbs, ground up to make incense, are described in Exodus 30:34, but in order to produce a smoky perfume, fire was needed; but it wasn't kindled there. Live coals had to be brought by the priest from the Brass Altar where sacrifices were burned. (Leviticus 16:12)
These two Altars give us a beautiful thought: the Brass Altar is a picture of the cross where the One perfect sacrifice for sin bore God's judgment; whereas the Altar of Incense introduces the subject of worship; that which springs from our hearts as we remember what the Lord Jesus endured. The live coals provide a bridge of remembrance from one Altar to the other.
It is essential for would-be worshipers to actually possesses the salvation that results from the perfect sacrifice, and then need to prepare the spices, that is, meditate on what the Lord has done. Only then will we be ready to properly worship. Interesting that both Altars produced a sweet Saviour to God. There's a verse in a hymn perhaps inspired by those two sweet perfumes:
Sweetest rest and peace have filled us, Sweeter praise than tongue can tell
God is satisfied with Jesus, We are satisfied as well. (German hymn, 57, Little Flock)
God's satisfaction with Jesus is seen in the sacrifice at the Brass Altar. Our satisfaction with that work produces heartfelt worship (The Altar of Incense). Lorne Perry
N.J. Hiebert - 8508
June 11
And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, ...and it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near, and went with them. Luke 24:13-15
And Jesus said unto them, what manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? ...Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24:17, 26-27
Would not you have liked to have made the fourth person that day, and hear Him open up "in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself"? Why, sometimes your heart has fairly boiled, and the tears have run down your cheeks with joy as you have heard some bit of ministry of Christ from the lips of a poor servant of His.
But think what it must have been to have heard Him going through the Scriptures from Moses on, and from type, shadow, figure, offering and sacrifice, picking out that which told of Himself, and so expounding it that their hearts began to burn (Luke 24:32). No wonder, the fact was this, they had never met such a Stranger, they had never had such ministry, and never had such company before.
And this lovely exposition went on during an eight mile journey. We can well understand what it produced. It wrought the most exquisite expression of true fellowship. Their hearts were knit to the Stranger, although they had no notion who He was. He was able to speak so beautifully about the One who was dearest to their hearts that they craved for more of this ministry and fellowship.
I do not know any scene in Scripture that expresses more sweetly the effect of real ministry of Christ. That always knits the heart to Christ, and to the one who so ministers. W. T. P. Wolston
N.J. Hiebert - 8509
And Jesus said unto them, what manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? ...Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24:17, 26-27
Would not you have liked to have made the fourth person that day, and hear Him open up "in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself"? Why, sometimes your heart has fairly boiled, and the tears have run down your cheeks with joy as you have heard some bit of ministry of Christ from the lips of a poor servant of His.
But think what it must have been to have heard Him going through the Scriptures from Moses on, and from type, shadow, figure, offering and sacrifice, picking out that which told of Himself, and so expounding it that their hearts began to burn (Luke 24:32). No wonder, the fact was this, they had never met such a Stranger, they had never had such ministry, and never had such company before.
And this lovely exposition went on during an eight mile journey. We can well understand what it produced. It wrought the most exquisite expression of true fellowship. Their hearts were knit to the Stranger, although they had no notion who He was. He was able to speak so beautifully about the One who was dearest to their hearts that they craved for more of this ministry and fellowship.
I do not know any scene in Scripture that expresses more sweetly the effect of real ministry of Christ. That always knits the heart to Christ, and to the one who so ministers. W. T. P. Wolston
N.J. Hiebert - 8509
June 12
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