May 28, 2006
Scripture:
Ministry:
I would like to look at 4 couplets, or pairs of words, that are more to think on than they are to speak on. Firstly in Isaiah 57:15; the words I would like to underline are “high and lofty.” “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” “High and lofty” speaks of the Lord’s dignity. Next in Song of Solomon 5:10, the words I would like to underline are “white and ruddy.” This is the Bride occupied with the Bridegroom. “My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.” This shows His humanity, pure and vigorous. Now Matthew 11:28–30. The words I am underlining are “meek and lowly.” “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The One that became incarnate in a past eternity, was white and ruddy, pure, but, Oh, He was humble. What beauty we see in Him! But I want to read one more verse, psalm 24:8; I underline “strong and mighty.” “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” O Beloved, we have had that precious One brought before us this morning. We think of Him as the Word who was God and was with God, who was made flesh and dwelt with us. He because flesh and was born in Bethlehem. He ascended and is seated at the right hand of God; when the Son of Man ascended, He became the Man in the Glory, crowned with glory and honour. He will come again and claim His possessions on earth and in Heaven. These words are for meditation: high and lofty, white and ruddy, meek and lowly, strong and mighty. We can think on these things; may they make our hearts overflow.
EG Hymn 296 – Awake! Awake! in happy song Prayer Genesis 41:1–44 • We have seen how Joseph was hated by his brothers and put in prison unjustly while in Egypt. We know that Joseph is a type of the Lord, who also suffered much here on earth. When in prison, Joseph interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker. Now Pharaoh had two dreams: first, he dreamed that he saw seven good, fat cows by the river; then seven thin cows came up and ate the fat cows, but didn’t look any better. Then he dreamed that seven dried and winded ears of corn ate the seven healthy, lush ears of corn; but they didn’t look any better either. In the morning, Pharaoh called all his wise men, but none of them could interpret the dream for him. Then the butler remembered that Joseph, who was still in prison, could interpret dreams. He told Pharaoh about Joseph and Pharaoh sent for him. Joseph came out of the dungeon, shaved, changed his clothes, and came before Pharaoh. Now here Joseph is about to be put second-in-command over all of Egypt. This shows us that one day the Lord will come back to reign over the earth. But notice that Joseph’s brothers who hated him were children of Israel. The Egyptians, Gentiles, treated him roughly, but they still didn’t have any hatred towards him. This is how it was with the Lord. The Jews hated him and the Romans, although they crucified Him, didn’t really hate Him. Even the rulers, like Pontius Pilate, tried to save His life. Back to Joseph’s story, Joseph told Pharaoh that there would be seven years of plenty and after them seven years of famine. The reason there were two dreams was because God had established it and it was going to happen soon. God revealed this all to Joseph; when the Lord was here on earth, he knew what was going to happen to Him all along. Nothing is new to God; this is good to remember in trials: God knows what will happen. So Pharaoh saw that Joseph was wiser than any other man in Egypt; he decided to put Joseph in a very high position. Now Joseph’s dreams are starting to come true. V. 42—the ring speaks of eternal relationships, the fine linen and gold chain speak of clothing to match your position. With these the Lord will one day reign in Jerusalem on the throne of David. Every knee will be forced to bow to Him then. We have the privilege to bow to Him now, instead of then. How wondrous to turn to the life of Joseph and see the comparisons to the Lord Jesus!
Hebrews 11:1–40 • Chapter 10 starts by talking about shadows; this chapter begins by talking about substance. But this substance is hoped for, not seen. What God says is so sure that we can believe it as if it were visible. The subject of faith in one of most importance. Faith resulted in very amazing things for the people we read about here. It is by faith we are saved; by faith we are brought into what Jesus has done for us. But it is so much more. This thought follows from our last chapter: “The just shall live by faith.” We got our new life by faith, but now there is only one way to live it: by faith. Most writers say that v. 1 is not a definition of faith; so what is? John 3:33 is one; faith believes God, without human reasoning. It does not just hear what God says, it receives it. To have faith, you first must have knowledge; knowledge is not faith, but it is required. Second you must agree with the knowledge; and third, you must put that knowledge into action. What are some of the opposites of faith? We saw that reasoning is one; feelings are another. It does not matter if you feel saved, but whether you have the faith that God has saved you. “By grace are ye saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Law is the opposite of grace, and law required works, so works is opposite to faith. Now if a child is up on high point and his father comes and says, “Jump and I’ll catch you,” does the child have faith if he jumps? No, he had trust in His Father. We are talking about a God-given faith; but trust is one of the ingredients: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). Faith is also a power. It is the way, the only way, to connect with God in a relationship. That alone makes faith important. How much the Lord looked for faith when He was here, but only twice did He find people with great faith: the Syrophenician woman and the centurion. Also, we can say that grace is God’s hand giving, faith is my taking it. It is a vital ingredient in our daily walk. Without faith, we cannot please God. One has said that, when Christians meet, they should not ask, “How are you feeling?” but, “How is your faith? Faith makes the intangible tangible, the invisible visible, and the impossible possible. Should we ask for more faith, or do we have it and just need to exercise it? “Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief.” If we ask God for faith, He would probably tell us to have more Bible reading and prayer. Wanting to grow in faith isn’t striving after faith, but resting on the faithful One. It doesn’t matter how strong our faith is, it is who our faith is in. Finally, Faith is an acronym: Forsaking All I Trust Him Hymn 10 –Faith is a very simple thing Prayer