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To the Looking Glass

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:23-25)

The Word of God is not a magic mirror, but if we seek real truths concerning ourselves, the biblical looking glass can bring great blessing. He who reads or hears the Word but does not believe or obey it is “a forgetful hearer” (v. 25) who is deceiving himself. It is these who merely “behold” themselves in the Word. The Greek word used here for “beholding” and “beholdeth” means “looking from a distance”—standing erect, as it were, while posing before the mirror. The man who “looketh into” the Word, on the other hand, “and continueth therein,” being an obedient doer of its work, is the one who receives eternal blessing. The Greek word here for “looketh” conveys the idea of intense scrutiny, requiring the one who is looking actually to stoop down in order to see. In fact, it is often translated “stoop down.”

As we allow the mirror of God’s Word to evaluate and correct our lives, “we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Yet, this is only a token of what we can experience in the future. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Now we can see ourselves in the written Word. When we see the living Word, “we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). HMM

The Fear of the Lord

“Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.” (Psalm 34:11)

This psalm has been a source of great comfort and encouragement to many through the years. The first section (vv. 1-7) of this acrostic hymn (the first letter of each verse begins with successive letters of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet) consists of the testimony of one who fears the Lord. The last section (vv. 16-22) describes the deliverance promised to those who do fear the Lord contrasted with the destinies of those who don’t. In the center section, David explains what it means to fear the Lord and invites all who read to fear God.

Here, the “fear of the LORD” is not so much an attitude as it is a life commitment. “What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?” (v. 12). A God-fearing man or woman desires a long life of ministry to others. “To die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), yes, but we should ask for lengthy opportunities to “see good.”

“Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile” (Psalm 34:13). We know that the tongue is capable of incredible harm. The one who fears the Lord should be characterized by a lifestyle of guarded speech.

Not only is our speech to be free from evil, but we are to “depart from evil, and do good” (v. 14) in every area of life as well. Our life’s motive should be to “seek peace, and pursue it” (v. 14) Attaining peace may not be easy, but we should strive for it.

The results of such a lifestyle should be reward enough, but our gracious Lord promises even more: “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (v. 7).

“O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him” (Psalm 34:9). JDM

The Joy of the Lord

“Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Jerusalem’s wall had been completed, God’s Word had been honored, and there was a great day of rejoicing. The real joy in the hearts of the people, however, was not their joy—it was the joy of the Lord. They rejoiced because He rejoiced, and they shared His joy.

The Lord’s joy is satisfied when His love is received and His purposes fulfilled. “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

To attain His joy, He must first redeem from the penalty of sin and death those whom He had created in His own image. Therefore, He “for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

There will be a great day of rejoicing in the age to come when all the redeemed will be presented “faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24). Until that day, however, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).

Joy is in the Lord’s heart whenever His saving grace is received by a believing sinner. That same joy is likewise experienced by each believer whose testimony of life and word brings such a sinner to God.

Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). His joy is our joy, and the joy of the Lord is our strength. HMM

Loving His Appearing

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)

It is fascinating to learn that the Lord has a special reward for all those who “love his appearing.” The word “appearing” (Greek epiphaneia) can refer to either the first or second advent of Christ, depending on the context. Paul urges us to be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). For “the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ...hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light” (2 Timothy 1:10).

Our text for the day obviously refers to His Second Coming “at that day,” exhorting us not only to look for but to love His appearing! At that great day, “the Lord, the righteous judge,” will award to those who have loved His appearing a special crown of righteousness. We have already received the imputed “gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) by His grace and have been “made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21), so this crown of righteousness somehow must be (as a wreath encircling the head of a victor in a race) an enveloping glow of divine appreciation for a godly life lived in daily anticipation of the Lord’s return.

The apostle John beautifully expressed the way in which such a life, loving Christ’s coming, produces a growing righteousness now and perfected righteousness then. “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming....We know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 2:28; 3:2-3). HMM

Rest and Work

“Come unto me, all ye that labor 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.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

There are many types of burdens we may try to carry. Consider the burdens of sorrow, pain, grief, fear, worry, and— above all—sin that plague us. In today’s text, Christ promises hope for the “heavy laden” if we will but come to Him and accept His gracious offer of salvation and cleansing. He will either remove the burden, lighten it, or give us strength to bear it, whichever is best. His offer of rest includes inward peace even in times of trouble here, and perfect peace hereafter.

It may sound paradoxical, but we can actually lighten our load by taking up His “yoke.” “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). In our text, Christ said we are to learn of Him, thus emulating His meekness and lowliness in heart as we carry our cross. If we accept His yoke in humility because of our love for Him, we can endure every hardship and bear every burden with hope and patience.

Even though we are children of the King, we still have work to do. It has always been so, for even sinless Adam and Eve were responsible for tending the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15). God knew that idleness and lack of responsibility were improper. Likewise, in the future we will have responsibilities given to us according to the handling of our responsibilities in this life (Matthew 25:21). We may be coregents of the kingdom (Revelation 20:6), but we will still have our responsibilities.

The burdens He gives us now are not oppressive, but with His help, and with the proper attitude, His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It is a “rest” to work for Him. JDM

A Divine Mission

“For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

This great challenge to Queen Esther by her cousin Mordecai, urging her to be willing to risk her own life to save the lives of her people, embodies a timeless principle that has challenged many another man or woman of God in later times. One thinks of Paul, for example, who could testify that “what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Philippians 3:7) and whom, therefore, God used so greatly in the critical times of the early church.

Then there were Wycliffe, Hus, Martin Luther, and many others in post-biblical times who, like Paul, could say, “Neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24).

Who is to say that the same principle does not apply, at least in some measure, to everyone? Our role in history may not be as strategic and far-reaching as that of Queen Esther, but God does have a high calling in mind and a vital ministry of some sort for everyone. The great tragedy is that most people “hold their peace” when it comes to taking a vital and dangerous stand for God and His truth, and therefore “enlargement and deliverance” have to be raised up by Him “from another place.”

May God help each of us, called as we are to some significant ministry, that we may best perform “at such a time as this” and be able to say with Esther, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16), but also with Paul, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). HMM

Inheritance in Our Father's House

“And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?” (Genesis 31:14)

This is the first mention of the word “inheritance” in the Bible, and, appropriately enough, its theme is the futility of basing one’s future plans on the hope of any earthly estate.

No earthly inheritance could ever compare with “the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18), with one exception—one heritage that the Lord does grant in this life: “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3). This promise no doubt applies to spiritual as well as physical children, but nowhere else in Scripture does God promise any kind of material inheritance to His loved ones. The reason for this exception is that the only material blessing capable of sharing our eternal inheritance is our children when we lead them to Christ.

Our real inheritance is called an “eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15), an “inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled” (1 Peter 1:4), and a “glorious inheritance” (Ephesians 1:18). In one of the great Messianic psalms, the Lord Jesus, as the sin-bearing, suffering Son of man, testifies as follows: “The LORD is the portion of my inheritance....The lines [that is, the surveying lines bounding His ‘lot’] are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage” (Psalm 16:5-6). In fact, He has been “appointed heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2).

We are sometimes better off with little or no earthly inheritance, but when we are born again through receiving the saving death and life of Christ, we become “children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16,17). In Christ, the Lord also becomes the portion of our inheritance. HMM

The Scattering Hammer

“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)

One of the most picturesque of the figures used to describe the Holy Scriptures is that of the hammer striking and shattering a rock. In this text, however, the “rock” is literally a mighty rock mountain.

Furthermore, the effect of the hammer is to “break in pieces.” This phrase actually is a single Hebrew word that normally means “disperse” or “scatter abroad,” usually used in describing the worldwide dispersion of the children of Israel. It was used even earlier for the first dispersion at Babel: “So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:8). Perhaps most significantly of all, it is used in the prophecy of Zechariah 13:7: “Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.”

This verse was quoted by the Lord Jesus just after the last supper and applied to Himself: “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad” (Matthew 26:31). Combining all these themes, our text really seems to be saying, “Is not my word like a mighty hammer from heaven that shatters the great mountain and scatters it abroad?”

Our text is inserted in the midst of a stinging rebuke by Jeremiah of Israel’s false prophets, contrasting their lies with the mighty power of God’s true Word. Perhaps it is also a parable of the living Word, who is also the great Rock of ages as well as the loving Shepherd. When the Rock was shattered, the living stones were ejected from the Rock. The sheep that were thus scattered from the Shepherd became the spreading fire of the written Word, and “they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). HMM

Logical Milk

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” (1 Peter 2:2)

This exhortation is directed to young Christians who have only recently trusted God’s enduring Word, preached to them in the saving gospel of Christ.

Because of this miracle of regeneration just experienced, a new Christian must now “[lay] aside [the verb form here means to ‘lay aside once and for all’] all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies” (1 Peter 2:1) and partake—as babes—of the “milk of sincerity.” The word for “sincere” means, literally, “without guile,” so he/she must now build all future progress in his/her new life not on guile but on guilelessness!

The phrase “of the word” is especially noteworthy. This is not the usual word for “word” (Greek logos) but a closely related word (logikos) from which we get our words “logic” and “logical.” It is used only one other time in the New Testament, where it is rendered “reasonable” in the classic passage dealing with “your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

Thus, Peter is talking about partaking of a spiritual milk that is both logical and without guile. This can be nothing else (as seen in the context) than the incorruptible, eternal, regenerating Word of God and the living Word (Jesus Christ) revealed therein.

Now, the Lord Jesus is surely logical, for He is “the truth” (John 14:6). In this same chapter, Peter also notes that Christ was without guile (1 Peter 2:22). These attributes must be equally true of His written Word. The Scriptures are not full of secret meanings that only specially trained interpreters can fathom. They are sincere, meaning precisely what they say! Neither are they naive and unscientific but fully logical and correct in everything they say. Therefore, they are genuine spiritual nourishment for babes in Christ and will certainly enable them to “grow thereby.” HMM

The Return to the Upper Room
“And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room....These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.” (Acts 1:13-14)

What a myriad of thoughts must have been swirling through the believers’ heads as they walked back to Jerusalem after Christ ascended into heaven. They had many enemies in Jerusalem, but they walked fearlessly because He who claimed “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18) promised that “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (v. 20). They obediently assembled in “an upper room” (literally “the” upper room) to wait and pray.

Notice who is present. The list includes the 11 remaining disciples, reassembled after scattering. Peter, who had denied the Lord, had gained sweet forgiveness; doubting Thomas had his skepticisms answered; and John was there, the “disciple whom Jesus loved.” But even he had deserted his Lord in the garden as the soldiers came.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there. She had raised Him as a completely loving and obedient child only to see Him ridiculed and opposed. She anguished as only a mother could, seeing Him hanging on the tree, but her anguish had been quelled. At least two of her other sons were there, presumably New Testament authors James and Jude. Earlier, they had scoffed, but now they understood. Other women were also present, those who were the last ones at the cross and the first to see Him once the tomb had yielded up its dead. The entire group can be pictured as a trophy of His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

They gathered together in perfect “accord,” a common bond of faith and purpose, praying and petitioning God for His will and power. Might we not see many examples for our lives and prayers in these verses? JDM