|
Sermon
#37 Zechariah Series Title: The
Gospel Church GodÕs
Holy Mountain Text: Zechariah
8:1-6 Date: Sunday
Morning — August 27, 2006 Reading: Isaiah
11:1-12:6 Tape
# Zechariah
#37 Isaiah 11 1.
And
there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall
grow out of his roots: 2.
And
the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and
of the fear of the LORD; 3.
And
shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall
not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of
his ears: 4.
But
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the
meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5.
And
righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle
of his reins. 6.
The
wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the
kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little
child shall lead them. 7.
And
the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together:
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8.
And
the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child
shall put his hand on the cockatriceÕ den. 9.
They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be
full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 10.
And
in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign
of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11.
And
it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time
to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and
from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar,
and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12.
And
he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of
Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of
the earth. 13.
The
envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut
off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14.
But
they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they
shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom
and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15.
And
the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his
mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the
seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16.
And
there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left,
from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the
land of Egypt. Isaiah
12 1.
And
in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast
angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. 2.
Behold,
God is my salvation;
I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my
salvation. 3.
Therefore
with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. 4.
And
in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his
doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5.
Sing
unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6.
Cry
out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst
of thee. Introduction The title of my
message is The Gospel Church — GodÕs Holy Mountain.
Our text is Zechariah 8:1-6. In this passage GodÕs prophet is describing the
goodness and grace of God to his people in this Gospel day, using Zion,
Jerusalem, and the people of Israel as typical pictures of his Church. Let me tell you
something that will help you immensely as you read and study the Old
Testament. Any time you read a gracious
promise from God made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to Israel, Judah and Jerusalem,
read it as a promise to GodÕs elect, to his Church. Better yet, if you are a
believer, read it as a promise of God made to you specifically. Any time you read of something glorious
concerning the nation of Israel, Jerusalem, Zion, or the house and temple of
God, apply the promise to the Church of God. That is always the intent of the
passage. The New Testament makes this fact abundantly clear. á
In
the New Testament, as God the Holy Spirit explains that which he caused to be
written in the Old Testament, he calls the
Church of GodÕs elect — Òthe Israel of GodÓ (Gal. 6:16), — ÒJerusalemÓ (Gal. 4:26), — ÒMount
ZionÓ (Heb.
12:22), — Òthe Temple of GodÓ (1 Cor. 3:17), — and Òthe House of GodÓ (1 Tim. 3:15). á
The physical seed of Israel, AbrahamÕs physical descendants
were only typical of Òthe Israel of God,Ó the spiritual Òchildren of Abraham.Ó — ÒIf ye be ChristÕs,
then are ye AbrahamÕs seed, and heirs according to the promiseÓ (Gal. 3:29). á
And we are plainly told that Òall the
promises of GodÓ are in Christ, and Òin him are yea, and in
him Amen, unto the glory of GodÓ (2 Cor. 20). — The
blessings and promises of GodÕs grace do not come by manÕs pedigree, but by GodÕs
decree (John
1:12-13; Rom. 9:16). (John
1:12-13) ÒBut as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
(13) Which were
born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but
of God.Ó (Romans
9:16) ÒSo then it is not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.Ó With that in mind, I
want us to look at Zechariah 8:1-6. The
prophet of God is here commanded of God to proclaim rich, precious promises
of grace and glory to his chosen people, the Church of his elect, here called ÒZion,Ó ÒJerusalem,Ó Òthe Mountain of the Lord,Ó and Òthe Holy Mountain.Ó (Zechariah
8:1-6) ÒAgain the word of the
LORD of hosts came to me, saying, (2) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with
great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. (3) Thus saith the LORD; I am returned
unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be
called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy
mountain. (4) Thus
saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the
streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age.
(5) And the
streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets
thereof. (6) Thus
saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of
this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith
the LORD of hosts.Ó People of GodÕs Interest The first thing I
want you to see is that there is one group of people in this world who are of
interest to the triune God, one Nation to which the Almighty is devoted, one
City he makes to be his home. That is Zion, Jerusalem, the Church of his
elect, the City of God (Ps. 46:4; 48:1; Zech. 8:1-2). (Zechariah
8:1-2) ÒAgain the word of the
LORD of hosts came to me, saying, (2) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with
great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury.Ó The Lord Jesus Christ
is jealous for no one else. He is completely, totally and singularly devoted
to his espoused Bride. She alone is the object of his love. á
He did not love all people; but he Òloved the
ChurchÓ with an
everlasting love. á
He did not choose all people; but he chose his
Bride, the Church. á
The Son of God did not die for, redeem, and purchase all people;
but he died for his Church, redeemed his Church, and purchased his Church
with his own precious blood (Acts 20:28). á
The Lord of Glory is not concerned about all nations and all people. His
concern is for one nation, called his ÒHoly Nation,Ó the Church. He has no concern
for anyone else. In fact, he plainly tells us that he does all things for his Bride, the Church alone (Rom. 8:28; Eph. 1:10-12). For
her he raises up all others. For her he uses all others. For her he
sacrifices all others (Isa. 43:1-7). (Isaiah
43:1-7) ÒBut now thus saith the
LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not:
for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. (2) When thou passest through the
waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when
thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the
flame kindle upon thee. (3) For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I
gave Egypt for thy
ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. (4) Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast
been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee,
and people for thy life. (5) Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and
gather thee from the west; (6) I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep
not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the
earth; (7) Even every
one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have
formed him; yea, I have made him.Ó The
Lord Jesus Christ is jealous for the everlasting salvation of his chosen
Bride, zealous with great fury to have her (Isa. 9:6-7; 37:31-32; Jer.
29:11-14). (Isaiah
9:6-7) ÒFor unto us a child is
born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of his government and peace there
shall be no end, upon
the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it
with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the
LORD of hosts will perform this.Ó (Isaiah
37:31-32) ÒAnd the remnant that
is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear
fruit upward: (32) For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape
out of mount Zion: the zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.Ó (Jeremiah
29:11-14) ÒFor I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not
of evil, to give you an expected end. (12) Then shall ye call upon me, and ye
shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. (13) And ye shall seek me, and find me,
when ye shall
search for me with all your heart. (14) And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I
will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations,
and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will
bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away
captive.Ó Jerusalem
was a city God had chosen. He says, ÒIn Jerusalem will I put my nameÉIn
this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of
Israel, will I put my name for everÓ (2 Kings 21:4, 7). — ÒAnd they
shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless themÓ (Num. 6:27).
Jerusalem was the place of his house, the temple, the place of the ark, the
mercy seat, and the memorials of his power and goodness throughout the
history of Israel. That city had been destroyed by the Babylonian invaders. But,
instead of losing interest in His persecuted people, his feelings were
intense concerning them. He said, ÒI was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was
jealous for her with great fury.Ó And he still is. The Holy Mountain In verse 3 the Lord
God describes his Church as it is in this Gospel day and shall be eternally
as the place of his residence, Òa city of truth,Ó Òthe Mountain of the Lord of
hosts,Ó and Òthe
Holy Mountain.Ó —
ÒThus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst
of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain
of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.Ó What a blessed
description God here gives of his Church! All that is said here about the
Church of God is true of his Church universal and shall be true of his Church
in heavenly glory. But I want you to see that it is true of every true Gospel church, every true assembly of believing sinners today.
It matters not whether the church is a large, flourishing, well-known
metropolitan congregation, a small, unknown rural assembly, or a church made
up of two or three believing people meeting in a private home to worship and
serve our Savior. — Every local church,
every body of believing sinners is precious to God. Each is fully and equally
precious to God, and ought to be precious to us. GodÕs Residence Every Gospel church,
every gathered assembly of believers is the
place of GodÕs residence, Òthe house of God.Ó The Lord Jesus Christ declares, ÒI am returned
unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.Ó As the prophet Isaiah wrote, ÒThe
Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in
JacobÓ (Isa.
59:20; 2:3; Matt. 18:20; 1 Cor. 3:16-17). (Isaiah
2:3) ÒAnd many people shall go
and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house
of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in
his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD
from Jerusalem.Ó (Matthew
18:20) ÒFor where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.Ó (1
Corinthians 3:16-17) ÒKnow ye
not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
(17) If any man
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is
holy, which temple ye are.Ó Every time we gather in our SaviorÕs name, he
returns to Zion,
he gathers with us, making this local assembly Òan habitation of God
through the Spirit,Ó
showing himself by his Word, revealing his will, nourishing and cherishing
our souls, and sending out his Gospel, his word of grace into all the world.
This is the place of GodÕs Shechinah, the place where he reveals his glory and
from which he sends out his Word upon the earth. — ÒThou, O God,
hast prepared thy goodness for the poor. The Lord gave the word: great was
the company of those that published itÓ (Ps. 68:10-11). When you absent yourself from the
assembly of GodÕs saints, you absent yourself fromÉ á
The
presence of your Savior. á
The
revelation of his grace. á
Food
for your soul. á
Comfort
for your heart. á
Reproof
for your shame. á
The
message he sends by his servant á
The
fellowship of your family. á
The
worship of God. (Hebrews
10:25-27) ÒNot forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see
the day approaching. (26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (27) But a certain fearful looking for
of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.Ó This is the house of
God, the place of his desire, the place of his tender care, the place of his goodness. The City of Truth Next, the Church is
called Òthe City of Truth.Ó In 1 Timothy 3:15 the Holy Spirit calls the Church of
God Òthe pillar and ground of the truth.Ó Here he calls her Òthe City of Truth.Ó And those are true, accurate descriptions of every true Gospel church. á
Every
true church receives and embraces Christ
who is the Truth. á
Each
one embraces the Gospel, the whole Truth
of God. —
We do not invent truth, improve truth, or qualify truth. — We embrace
and publish the Truth. — ÒSalvation
is of the Lord!Ó á
Every
Gospel church, embracing and loving the Truth, is the means by which God graciously preserves his Truth in this world, generation after
generation. á
In
this place, Òthe City of Truth,Ó we worship God in
Spirit and in Truth. — By the power and grace of his Spirit, according to revealed
Truth, in Christ who is the Truth, and in truthfulness and sincerity. —
ÒThe City of TruthÓ is ÒThe City of Righteousness, the Faithful CityÓ (Isa. 1:26). á
The
citizens of this City of Truth are called Òthe faithful in Christ Jesus.Ó Elevating Grace When the Lord Jesus
comes to chosen, redeemed sinners in the saving operations of his grace and
plants them in his Church and Kingdom, they find that his saving grace is
elevating grace, for Zion, the City of Truth, the Church of God is here
called Òthe Mountain of the Lord
of Hosts.Ó The
Lord Jesus comes to the sinner humbled and abased by his Spirit, who presumes
not to take the lowest place, and says, ÒFriend, go up higherÉFor
whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself
shall be exaltedÓ
(Luke 14:10-11). Isaiah gives us a very
similar word of prophecy concerning this Gospel age (Isa. 2:1-5). (Isaiah
2:1-5) ÒThe word that Isaiah the
son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. (2) And it shall come to pass in the
last days, that the
mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow
unto it. (3) And
many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of
the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways,
and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (4) And he shall judge among the nations,
and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (5) O house of Jacob, come ye, and let
us walk in the light of the LORD.Ó In these verses Isaiah speaks of the great glory,
excellence, and benefit of the gospel church, which is Zion, the spiritual
kingdom of Christ. This is Òthe word,Ó the message of God, Òthat Isaiah the son of
Amoz saw,Ó
perceived and understood, by the revelation of God the Holy Spirit, Òconcerning
Judah and Jerusalem,Ó
the church and people of God. Last
Days Isaiah begins his sermon by telling us that it concerns
the last days. It is a prophecy of the glory of Zion in the last days. —
ÒAnd it shall come to pass in the last days.Ó Here is something else that
will help you to understand the Old Testament prophets: Whenever the Òlast
daysÓ are
mentioned, the reference is to this Gospel age in which we now live. —This
Òis the last timeÓ (1 John 2:18). — The last days began with the coming of Christ
and the dissolution of Judaism and Mosaic economy (Hab. 2:3; Heb. 1:2). There
is no future day of grace to come, no future tribulation period or millennial
age, in which men will be saved by their works, or by a return to Jewish
worship! There is no grace but that which is to be found in the gospel (Gal.
1:8-9). When Christ comes the second time, ÒThen cometh the endÓ (1 Cor. 15:24). In these five verses Isaiah prophesied of the great glory
of the gospel age, the spiritual kingdom of Christ, the glory of Zion, by
foretelling six things that characterize the church and people of God. 1.
The Establishment of the Church — ÒThe mountain of the LordÕs house shall be establishedÓ (v. 2). The prophet is here telling of Christ building his church
and establishing his kingdom in this world. The church of God is here called ÒThe
mountain of the LordÕs house; established in the top of the mountains.Ó What does this mean? á
The Church is again called the house of God (1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Cor. 3:16; Mt.
18:20). — It is built by the Lord himself (Matt. 16:18). — He
dwells here. — He will beautify, glorify and exalt it. — The materials
of this house are living stones, true believers, built upon Christ, the Foundation
(1 Cor. 3:11, Eph. 2:19-22). — The only door of entrance into the house
and kingdom of God is Christ himself, who is the Master over his own house
(John 10:9; 3:5-7). á
The kingdom of Christ and the gospel of it is to
be openly preached and professed. The church of God is Òestablished,Ó prepared, Òin the top of the
mountains,Ó in
clear view and hearing of all. This is no secret society with secret orders. —
Our Lord compared his church to a City set
upon a hill,
which cannot be hid (Matt. 5:14). — Christ himself spoke openly to all
the world (John 18:20). — The gospel preached by the apostles was not
done in a corner (Acts 26:26). That which was everywhere spoken against had been
everywhere spoken of. The message we
preach is a banner to be lifted up, a standard to be held high. It is not something to be hid.
Let the whole world hear and every man know the wonderful works of our God
(Matt. 28:18-20). á
The church and kingdom of God is firmly fixed,
immovable, and sure to prevail, as the majestic mountains. It is built upon the Rock, Christ Jesus. The gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. John Gill puts it this way. — The
church of God is immovable, Òbeing secured in the everlasting and electing
love of God, and in the unalterable covenant of grace, founded on the Rock,
Christ, and guarded by the mighty power of God.Ó á
And Isaiah here declares that the church and
kingdom of God shall be exalted above all the hills of the earth. The truth of God shall prevail. The kingdom of Christ
shall be exalted. — Exalted above
Mt. Sinai and earthly Jerusalem (Heb. 12:18-24). — Exalted above all the religions of antichrist (Rev. 11:11-12). — Exalted
in the esteem of chosen, redeemed, and called sinners. — Exalted above
all the creation of God (Rev. 21). 2.
The
Universality of the Church — ÒAnd all nations shall
flow into itÓ (v.
2). It was never our LordÕs intention that his kingdom be
limited to the Jewish nation alone. From the beginning he was determined to
have a Bride, a Church made up of men and women of every nation, kindred,
tribe and tongue for the praise of his name. The Church of God is a universal
family, a universal kingdom, and a universal body. — Christ has broken
down every wall of partition that naturally separates men from one another in
this world (Eph. 2:11-18; Col. 3:11).
ÒAll nations (all nationalities) shall flow into it.Ó — Like streams of water
from the four corners of the earth, God gathers his elect into his kingdom by
almighty grace. Yet, no one is forced in. All who come, come willingly. They
flow into Zion upon the river of grace. To Christ shall the gathering of the
people be (Ps. 110:3; Gen. 49:10; Isa. 60:1-5). I do not in anyway lessen the
importance of the local assembly. But one great aspect of the churchÕs glory
is its universality. 3.
The
Unity of the Church (v. 3). Here Isaiah describes the mutual love, encouragement,
help, and assistance GodÕs people give to one another. — ÒAnd many
people shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and
we will walk in his path.Ó — No wonder David sang, ÒI was glad when they said unto
me, Let us go into the house of the LORDÓ (Ps. 122:1). á
Here
is evangelism at its best. — ÒCome ye,
let us go up to the house of God.Ó á
Here
is the object of public worship. — ÒHe will teach us of
his ways.Ó —
God himself is our Teacher. — He teaches us of his ways. —His Way
of Grace —His Way of Providence — His Way of Obedience. á
Here
is the resolute determination of every renewed heart. — ÒWe
will walk in his paths.Ó — If he will show us his way, by his grace, we will walk in
his paths. That church is truly united in Christ which is united in
seeking the salvation of GodÕs elect, seeking the instruction of God the Holy
Spirit, and seeking obedience to the will of God. 4.
The Power of the Church (v. 3). The means by which God saves his people, teaches them his
ways and leads them in his paths is the preaching of the gospel. — ÒFor
out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.Ó The power of the Church is not
its size, its wealth, its talents, or its pastor, but the Gospel of the grace
of God which we preach (Rom. 1:15-16). á
The Gospel
of Christ is the law of His kingdom (1 John 3:23). — The law of faith. —
The law of love. — The fulfilling of the law. á
The Gospel
of Christ is the Word of God by which men are saved and born into His kingdom
(1 Pet. 1:23-25). á
This
is the rod of his strength sent out of Zion into all the world (Ps. 110:2). (Psalms
110:2) ÒThe LORD shall send the
rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.Ó 5.
The
Head of the Church (v. 4). Isaiah saw Christ exalted as Head over all things for his
church (Eph. 1:21-23). — ÒAnd he shall judge among the nations, and
shall rebuke many people.Ó He whose Word goes forth out of Zion shall by that Word subdue his
enemies to himself and rule them. á
In
wisdom and justice, Christ Jesus orders and rules all the affairs of this
world for the good of his church. á
He
rebukes and restrains everything and everyone that opposes the interests of
his kingdom. á
And
by his Spirit, he makes his enemies to be his servants, converting them by
his almighty grace (John 16:8-13). 6. The Peace of the Church (v. 4). Here Isaiah describes the great peace that comes upon men
and women by the gospel, when the prince of peace rules among them. ÒThey
shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war anymore.Ó
This is not a dreamy-eyed prophecy of some Utopian millennial age. This is a
prophecy of that which is experienced right now in the kingdom of God. The
gospel of Christ makes peace and slays enmities. The gospel of Christ
reconciles those who are natural enemies. Illustration: Cherokee! — Jamaica! —
Mexico! The gospel of Christ makes men peaceable, softens their
hearts, and sweetens their spirits. The love of Christ, when it is shed
abroad in the hearts of men and women, constrains them to love one another
(John 13:34-35). ÒO house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the
light of the LordÓ (v. 5). Here the prophet of God
issues a call to all the house of Jacob, those men and women who are chosen,
redeemed, saved and kept by the grace of God. Whatever others may do, in the
light of what our God has done for us, ÒLet us walk in the light of the Lord.Ó — Walk circumspectly as the children of
light. — Walk humbly in the light of his grace. — Walk peaceably
in the light of his peace. The
Holy Mountain LetÕs go back to
Zechariah 8:3. Not only does the grace f God elevate us above the darkness,
death and curse of the law and of nature, in the last line of Zechariah 8:3,
we are told that GodÕs Church is Òthe Holy Mountain.Ó The inhabitants of the City of
Truth, the Mountain of the Lord are a holy people, made righteous and
sanctified by his grace. They are holy because of their union with Christ,
the Holy One (1 Cor. 6:9-11). (1
Corinthians 6:9-11) ÒKnow ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind, (10) Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
(11) And such
were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.Ó Near, so very near to God, Nearer I could not be; For in the person of His Son, I am as near as He. Dear, so very dear to God, Dearer I could not be; For in the Person of His Son, I am as dear as He. I with Christ am truly one; And Christ is one with me. The love with which God loves His
Son, That is His love for me! City
of Peace Just as we saw in Isaiah 2:4, Zechariah tells us that the
Church of God, the City of Truth is a city of blessed security and peace (vv.
4-5). (Zechariah
8:4-5) ÒThus saith the LORD of
hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of
Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. (5) And the streets of the city shall
be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof.Ó Living with the Lord Jesus,
living in his presence and under his wings causes people to live in peace.
The aged believers, resting on their Staff, Christ Jesus, from the blessed
influence of grace, long known and long enjoyed, by his Spirit dwell in
peace, Òlooking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.Ó And the young are found in the streets of the city, rejoicing
under the awakenings of his love, living in saving union with him who is
their Salvation. As long as we are in this world we will have our enemies,
those who oppose and persecute us, Satan will roar against us, and the flesh
will war against the spirit; but there is no danger. Nothing shall hurt any in
the Holy Mountain. This is what we read in Isaiah 11:6-9. (Isaiah
11:6-9) ÒThe wolf also shall
dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the
calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall
lead them. (7) And
the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together:
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. (8) And the sucking child shall play
on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the
cockatriceÕ den. (9) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth
shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.Ó No
Marvel Now, look at verse 6 for just a moment, and I will send
you home rejoicing. — ÒThus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be
marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it
also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.Ó It is as if the Almighty had
said, The creation of such a blessedness, the making of such a city, with you
may seem to be an impossibility; but it is not so to me. Never cease to
marvel at GodÕs goodness; but never imagine that his salvation is incredible.
The salvation of our souls, the building of Zion is no marvel with him. It is
altogether the work of his free grace; and Òthe works were finishedÓ before the world began (Heb.
4:3; Rom. 8:29-32). (Hebrews
4:3) ÒFor we which have believed
do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall
enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of
the world.Ó (Romans
8:29-32) ÒFor whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can
be against us?
(32) He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not
with him also freely give us all things?Ó ÒZion stands by hills surrounded, Zion, kept by powÕr divine; All her foes shall be confounded, Though the world in arms combine; Happy Zion, what a favored lot is
thine! Every human tie may perish; Friend to friend unfaithful prove; Mothers cease their own to
cherish; HeavÕn and earth at last remove; But no changes can attend JehovahÕs
love. In the furnace God may prove thee, Thence to bring thee forth more
bright, But can never cease to love thee; Thou art precious in His sight; God is with thee—God, thine
everlasting Light.Ó That which God purposed God will perform. Every chosen
sinner shall be with Christ in Glory. So far from preventing or even
hindering it, all things work together by the rule of his good providence to
secure it (Rev. 14:1). (Revelation
14:1) ÒAnd I looked, and, lo, a
Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his FatherÕs
name written in their foreheads.Ó ÒThus
saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel;ÉI shall bring again their
captivity; The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice, and mountain of
holinessÓ
(Jeremiah 31:23). And so it shall be. Amen. |
|