“The LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward” (Isaiah 52.12.)
Introduction. The church of Christ is continually represented under the figure of an army, yet its Captain is the Prince of Peace. The spirit of war is at the extreme opposite point to the spirit of the gospel, but truth must be a warring thing. The spotless purity of truth must always be at war with the blackness of heresy and lies. Truth that is friends with error must be suspected of being false. Even so, a church that does not distinguish herself from things unholy must be a false church. The children of God in this world live in enemy territory. The church must always be armed, and always fighting. Our comfort is, that Jehovah God is at the front and at the rear, securing it from defeat.
(1) The Whole Church is an Army. Remember that a large part of our host is standing upon the hills of glory, while members at the rear are not all in existence yet. The rearguard will be brought up in that day when the last vessel of mercy is full to the brim with grace. Now cast your eyes to the front and see this great truth: “Jehovah shall go before you.” Have you never heard of the eternal counsel and of the everlasting covenant? Before there were any creatures, God in Three Persons settled it that men should be redeemed. Yes, the gospel is older than the aged mountains. And God has gone before the church from the day it left Paradise until now. Floods have gathered round her, but she safely floats in Jehovah’s ark. How can we account for the triumphs of the church? God has gone before her! She has marched right through blood and flames! The time of persecution is the age of heroes. Why? Because God goes on before and provides stores of grace for stores of trouble. Now to the sweet part of the text, “The God of Israel will be your rereward.” This means that God ‘gathers up’ all the stragglers. Heretics and trials to come do not worry me, then. Can you imagine the church of God as completed? She will leave the earth in a world of flames when God gathers up the last of her members!
(2) Two Troubles: the Future and the Past. We have had our mercies. But we have had years of trouble too. Do you tremble to go forward? Be encouraged! Your future has been marked out in the great orders of predestination. Your troubles have been weighed in the scales of God’s love. You are not a child of chance. If you were allowed to map out your own future, would you? God has gone before your future journey in the preparations of his providence. Old wines of grace are waiting for you to feast on. Jehovah has gone before you in the incarnation of Christ. Jesus has borne your future troubles; was tempted as you shall be; has felt infinitely more sorrows than you ever will. Going before, he has conquered every foe. Cheer up, faint-hearted warrior! Do you dread sin? He nailed it to the cross! Death? He has been the death of Death! Hell? You shall never go there! You may march safely on. Maybe it is the past that troubles you. Beloved, study the titles in our text. The LORD: Jehovah, full of knowledge and power, he goes before you. But it is the God of Israel: the Covenant God of forgiveness who takes up the rear, picking up all your old sins and casting them behind his back. Don’t ever be cast down because of past sin!
Selection from Conclusion. “And now, are there any here to-day whose hearts God hath touched, who desire to join this great army? Have I one here who has been enlisted in the black army of the devil, and has long been fighting his way against God and against right? I pray that he may be compelled this day to ground his arms, and surrender at discretion of God. Sinner, if the Lord inclines thine heart this day to yield up thyself to him, the past shall all be blotted out…As for thy innumerable sins, leave them to Christ, he will make short work of them; by his blood he will slay them all.”
No comments:
Post a Comment