AUGUST 22, 2024

 “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. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:5-7)

Nowhere else in all the Old Testament is it so plainly and fully prophesied that Christ ought to suffer and then enter into Glory as in this chapter. But to this day, few discern or will acknowledge that divine power that goes with the word. The authentic and most important report of salvation for sinners through the Son of God is disregarded. The low condition he submitted to and His appearance in the world was not agreeable to the ideas the Jews had formed of the Messiah. He was expected to come in ready for war, and instead, He came humbly, silently, and insensibly. More than 600 years before Christ was born, His death was prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah through divine revelation.

Christ was tormented and afflicted with grief on our behalf. He was slain on account of our sins. It was a common belief that the Messiah would be violently put to death and there was an idea of a painful piercing, referring to some infliction of wounds on the body and not to mere mental sorrows. The obvious idea would be that there would be some penetrating wound that would endanger or take life. Applied to the actual sufferings of the Messiah, it refers undoubtedly to the piercing of His hands, feet, and side. The prophet places himself among the people for whom the Messiah suffered these things and says that He was not suffering for His sins but on account of theirs. Isaiah keeps up the idea that it was not because of any sin He was guilty that He suffered – an idea that is all over the New Testament.

He was to be broken to pieces, bruised, crushed, and under such a weight of sorrows on account of our sins that He was, as it were, crushed to the earth. The chastisement by which our peace is affected or secured was laid upon Him; He took it upon Himself and bore it so that we might have peace. The word ‘chastisement’ properly denotes the correction inflicted by parents on their children, designed to amend their faults. Our Redeemer endured the sorrows needed to secure our peace with God.

It is only through these bruises that we can be healed. The Messiah would be scourged, and health would be imparted to our souls by that scourging. The Redeemer, in place of mankind, is adapted to save the world and will arrest, reclaim, and redeem all who shall ever enter into Heaven.

“All we like sheep have gone astray…” This is the penitent confession of those for whom He suffered. It is an acknowledgment that they were going astray from God, who laid on Christ the iniquity of all. We had all gone on the path that we chose. We were like sheep with no shepherd, wandering where they please, with no one to guide them. As a race, we have become selfish, following our pleasures – each one living to gratify his passions.

But, the Lord placed on His Son the iniquity of us all. We need to understand that this doesn’t mean that He became a sinner or was guilty in the sight of God, for God always regarded Him as an innocent being. It can only mean that He suffered as if He had been a sinner; or that He suffered that which, if He had been a sinner, would have been a proper expression of the evil of sin. He was oppressed and suffered patiently, not even opening His mouth to object. God demands the debt, and the great and righteous One makes payment for it. The fact that He did not open His mouth in complaint was utterly remarkable and made the merit of His sufferings much more significant.

It was for our sins and in our stead that our Lord Jesus suffered. We have all sinned and come short of God’s glory. Sinners have their beloved sin, their evil way, of which they are fond. Our sins deserve all griefs and sorrows, even the most severe. We are saved from the ruin, to which by sin we become liable, by laying our sins on Christ. This atonement was to be made for our sins. And this is the only way of salvation. Our sins were the thorns in Christ’s head, the nails in His hands and feet, the spear in His side. He was delivered to death for our offenses. By His sufferings, He purchased the Spirit and grace of God to mortify our corruptions, which are the distempers of our souls.

The close of verse 12 says, “…and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” As a high priest, Jesus presents the merit of His atoning blood before the throne of mercy and pleads for His people. There will be no more sacrifice for sin, and there will be no other advocate and intercessor.

Come and see how Christ loved us! We could not put Him in our stead; He put Himself in. Thus, He took away the world’s sin by taking it on Himself. He made Himself subject to death, which is the wages of sin. While we survey the sufferings of the Son of God, let us remember our long transgressions and consider Him as suffering under a load of our guilt. Here is a firm foundation for the trembling sinner to rest their soul upon. We are the purchase of Christ’s blood and the monuments of His grace; for this, He continually pleads and prevails, destroying the works of the devil.

AUGUST 20, 2024

“One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:6)

Having theological positions, belonging to a particular local church is necessary; belonging to a local church that holds to foundational theological positions that you agree with is necessary. While these particulars are necessary, we must always remember that there is only one God and that He has only one Heavenly Jerusalem. This is extremely important to understand because of the great reality that God has His people everywhere and that not all of God’s people have come to the same understanding in particular areas outside of the gospel. Because of our limited understandings now, and our wrestlings with sin here on earth, the one body of Christ represents different positions on matters outside of the gospel and are not fully one theologically. This is the case for those in the local church; as well as the churches that differ one from another in certain theological positions. But we can never forget that this will not remain forever! Our different views now will only last for a short period of time. Once that short period of time is quickly over, we will become wholly one in the day that our sanctification comes to its consummation. There is coming a day in which we will see the people of God as they really are with the greatest of clarity, mingled with no sin. We will see them as one family!

While we look forward to that day, we do not have to wait to see God’s people in that way. We must understand now, that all who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ and follow after Christ as their Lord are one family, regardless of their differences on issues outside of the gospel. One difference on theological issues outside of the gospel does not change the fact that we are one in Christ. This oneness in Christ took place in Christ’s resurrection. When He was raised from the grave, so were all of His people. He was raised for our justification, and He is “the Lord our Righteousness.” God sees all of His redeemed as His sons, regardless of the understanding that they have acquired or not acquired. If they have believed in Christ and own Him as their Savior, the Father owns them as His sons. The sons of God ought to see one another no other way than that. We ought to never see others who differ from us outside of salvific matters different than us but love them as we love our own bodies! We must see one another in Christ, and own one another in Christ, as our beloved brothers in Christ! It is the great reward of our salvation not only in its consummation, but it is also God’s special gift now! The Lord of Glory had reconciled us unto Himself and has given us the most beautiful family all of creation will ever know. Cherish, adore, and prize highly the gifts of God and see that His praises be lifted upon high!

AUGUST 15, 2024

 “And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them…” (Genesis 42:7)

It has been said that “a type cannot walk on all fours,” which is to say that there is no such thing as a perfect type, and that is especially so with types of Christ. Joseph, however, is to my mind the nearest to the perfect type of Christ in all of Scripture. He was the favorite of his father; he was hated by his brethren; was betrayed and sold for the price of a slave. He went down into Egypt where, though a righteous and innocent man, he was falsely accused, humiliated, and imprisoned, later to be released and then highly exalted to the right hand of power. From his highly exalted position at the right hand of power, he would dispense to a famished world the lifesaving “bread,” which he in his wisdom had stored in advance. He was, therefore, like Christ, the “savior of all men,” but the bread was especially meant to save God’s chosen people. He said to his brethren, “God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth.”

Since God’s primary purpose in bringing Joseph to Egypt was to preserve the lives of his father’s house, it begs the question; “Why did he deal so roughly with them?” We do not find that he spoke roughly to any others who came from other parts to buy corn; only to his brethren whom he loved did he deal roughly and make hard demands – the very family that the Lord intended particularly to save, for whose salvation Joseph’s granaries were specially designed.

They did not know him, but he knew them, and the “good” of saving them was the reason for which God overrode the “evil” that was perpetrated against him. (Gen. 50:20)

This is the manner of Christ in His providential dealings with the sons of men. Of the billions that God provides for, all have troubles in measure (Job 5:7), but if any should escape, it will surely not be His own elect whom He has known and loved with an everlasting love. (John 16:33; Acts 14:22) But, in our case God has a special design, for He sanctifies our troubles to us, as a means of turning our hearts to Him. We come to realize that God sends troubles in love, in order to bring good in the proving and perfecting of our faith. (I Pet. 1:6, 7) In the case of Joseph’s brothers, we see that it caused them to reflect on their past and own the guilt for Joseph’s “death.” They assumed that he was dead. (Vs. 21) Thus, in God’s rough dealings with His elect, He brings conviction and causes them to own their guilt and mourn for Him whom they have pierced. (Zech. 12:10)

If we, as believers, did not know the end unto which our trials of life occur, we might be perplexed. That’s not to say that we are not often perplexed. We often forget that what our enemy intends for evil; God intends for good. Lacking faith, we fail to realize that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We need not always have to say, “Farther along we will know all about it; farther along we’ll understand why.” Though it is true we will likely “understand it better by and by,” yet even now we can rest in the fact that God sends trials not to destroy us, but to make us better; that when He speaks roughly it is no reason to doubt His love. Joseph spoke roughly only to those he loved and intended to bless above all others.

This was Joseph’s intention here. He has every intention to bless his brethren. We know that the trials continued until, at last, the gracious end was realized. Joseph will reveal himself to them and bring them and their father to be with him where he is. (See John 17:24)

It is most often the case that when the Lord sets upon a sinner to save him, He begins by speaking roughly to him, as it were. It is usually glimpses of terror that persuade men to flee to Christ. He will make a soul to experience darkness just before the dawn. (II Pet. 1:19) It is also true that trials will immediately precede great blessings in the Christian life, in addition to the blessing of greater and more mature faith.

AUGUST 13, 2024

 “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.” (Psalm 131:2)

To be weaned is the first great trying experience that a child goes through after birth. It is a necessary step to ensure the child’s growth and proper development; and one that requires commitment and patience on the part of the mother. While being weaned, the child is fretful, restless, and discontented. Because of a loss of security, he experiences fearfulness and feelings of uncertainty. The child is denied something it wants and cannot understand why. Yet, trying as it is, weaning a child is not an option, if we are to expect proper growth both physically and psychologically.

When weaned, the child becomes quiet and contented. It also learns self-control and trust. The Psalmist likens his soul’s experience to that of a child that has been weaned. How wonderful to know that we are God’s children at all! Yet the Psalmist speaks of a very desirous spiritual condition when he says, “My soul is even as a weaned child.”

It is only natural for a baby to seek nourishment at its mother’s breast. But if he never rises above that he cannot grow to maturity. Mother’s milk is the absolute perfect food; the perfect diet, for a newborn babe, just as the “sincere milk of the word” is desirable for spiritual newborns. (I Pet. 2:2) Peter says that it is good for growth: “that ye may grow thereby.” But, with Paul, we have cause for concern when believers who should have long advanced beyond the rudimentary principles of the faith, still “have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” (Heb. 5:12)

The Psalmist is speaking of the practical aspects of the growth and development that comes from being weaned to advance on to spiritual maturity. Spiritually, we become weaned when we are able to rise above fleshly tendencies. In verse one, he alludes to pride. “My heart is not haughty.” We are all proud by nature, though we have nothing to be proud of. Pride causes most of our discontentment and friction. A sign that he had been weaned was his humility. Have we been so weaned?

Ambition is also overcome. “Neither do I exercise myself in great matters.” We all naturally want to be somebody; we want to do great things. Ambition is not altogether bad but often we feel small things are beneath us. The Psalmist obviously felt that his ambitions had been related to an unweaned, immature spirit. Let us be content to be and do what God wants for us.

Freedom from speculation, “or in things too high for me,” was also a result of the weaning process. Mature Christians will not involve themselves in wild speculations about what God has not revealed in His Word. Let us remember that “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us…” (Deut. 29:29) Once weaned, the Psalmist ceased to speculate about mysterious providences; neither did he try to theorize concerning the heart motives of others. May we all exhibit this level of spiritual maturity.

When a child is weaned, he is content in his new circumstances. He gives up natural food for that which is better. This may be a trial at first, but afterward becomes a greater delight. When a child is weaned, he conquers his natural desires, and learns new trusts. “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself.” Let us not be perpetual babes. To feed ourselves, walk on our own, and make wise choices for ourselves is most desirable for God’s children.