Ephesians 3:1-8 "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;" Here the apostle begins by showing that the very message he preached—the mystery of Christ—brought upon him the enmity of men. Yet he calls himself not the prisoner of Nero, but "the prisoner of Jesus Christ" (v.1), knowing that all things are in Christ’s hands, and that he was exactly where the LORD had put him for the sake of the Gospel. As with Joseph, so with Paul: “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:19–20). Men may oppose, but God ordains it for His Glory and for the Salvation of His people. Paul writes of “the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward” (v.2), acknowledging that all he knew of Christ came not by natural reasoning but by Revelation. A steward handles what belongs to another; so Paul was an appointed steward of the mysteries of God. He did not choose the task— “He is a chosen vessel unto me… for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9:15–16). His message was the " unsearchable riches of Christ" (v.8), preached not with a proud spirit but with the confession: “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given” (v.8). Why then is the Gospel called "the mystery of Christ" (v.4)? Because it must be revealed. Men may possess great minds in natural things—astronomy, education, science—yet remain utterly ignorant concerning God, Salvation, and how God is “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). Give man a million years, and he could never discover the Way to approach the Holy God. Natural religions prove it—each one an attempt to climb upward, while God’s Way has already been declared in His written Word and revealed by His Spirit. The Godhead is a mystery: three Persons, and yet one God. The incarnation is a mystery: Christ is both God and Man. Redemption is a mystery: Christ dying for the exact number the Father purposed to save. Election, redemption, regeneration—these are revealed, not reasoned. “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery… which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7–8). Such was their enmity that had they truly known He was the LORD of Glory, they would have sought another way to get rid of Him, lest they unwittingly fulfill the very will of God. Yet God used their wicked hands to offer up the one Sacrifice He would accept (Acts 2:23). The blood of bulls and goats could never put away sin (Hebrews 10:4) . These were but types and pictures of Christ’s Sacrifice. But at Calvary, the True Lamb of God was offered, that through His death, He might save the great number appointed to salvation from eternity (Hebrews 10: 12-14). This mystery—that Jew and Gentile should be fellow heirs —was not fully revealed in past ages, though glimpses appeared in Rahab, in Ruth, and in the promises of old. Now it is plainly declared: “Ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). Peace is made “by the cross” (Ephesians 2:16), for Christ has “broken down the middle wall of partition” (Ephesians 2:14). In the end, the mystery of Christ shines forth in this glorious truth: that by His one Sacrificial death, He has redeemed a people chosen from both Jews and Gentiles, forming not two separate communities but one new body in Himself, (Ephesians 2:15). The cross dismantles every barrier, gathers the scattered, and unites the redeemed into His one body, the Church. Here, all distinctions that once divided are overcome by God's Sovereign, Redeeming Grace in Christ. " There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus", (Galatians 3:28). Herein, we behold the Wisdom of God—calling, reconciling, and perfecting His elect in a single fellowship of love, worship, and everlasting peace, to the praise of His glorious grace. And how is this mystery communicated? Through humble means—through men God calls out and makes ministers “according to the gift of the grace of God… by the effectual working of his power” (v.7). True preaching abases the sinner and exalts Christ. And unless the Spirit is pleased to open the heart, even the greatest wisdom of men falls short: “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10). Ah, the mystery of Christ! If He has chosen you, and if Christ has redeemed you, He will most certainly reveal Himself in you.

Psalm 141:1-4 "LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." “ LORD, I cry unto thee, make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice ” (v.1–2). As we read this psalm, we are not reading the boastings of men comparing themselves one with another, but the Voice of our LORD Jesus Christ , Whose heart alone is upright before the Father. If we were to truly see ourselves as sinners in His Holy Presence, our mouth would be stopped. The trial is over. The moment Adam fell, the trial ended, and death passed upon all (Romans 5:12). So if we speak of uprightness, we must see Christ , for apart from Him, nothing but sin comes from our lips and our thoughts. Here, the Spirit—Who authored this psalm—reveals Christ in His humiliation , crying unto the Father on behalf of the people He came to save. He is the Intercessor , the One Whose voice the Father always hears. “Father, the hour is come” (John 17:1; Galatians 4:4). Not the hour of man’s choosing, but the hour appointed from eternity, when the Son would glorify the Father by accomplishing the salvation of as many as the Father had given Him. “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (v.3). These are the words of the High Priest entering the Holy place. And if we wonder how this applies to Christ, we remember, " Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). Surrounded by those who agitated, accused, tempted, and tested Him continually, not one word ever passed His lips that was not according to the Father’s will. What watch must have been before His mouth, that nothing be spoken but the words the Father gave Him. He was tempted in all points, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15) . This disqualifies us immediately. You don’t have to say anything to sin. The first words of a child are “no.” The inclination of the heart is already evil. Thus the cry, “Set a watch… keep the door” (v.3). And we see why, when we read, “We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). Prayer is what the Spirit gives. It is the Spirit Who lifts the heart of His children to God, for we are infirm—entirely unable. Therefore, when the psalm continues, “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity” (v.4), we hear the voice of Christ, walking among wicked men yet never catering to their traditions, their customs, or their religious inventions. He never identified Himself with what men had made of their religion. His heart was never inclined to evil; His will was wholly the Father’s. “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). And this reveals the incalculable mercy of God: that the uprightness required to be heard of God is found only in Christ . He is the One Whose prayers rise as incense (v.2) . He is the One Who lifts His hands as the evening Sacrifice. He is the High Priest. He is the Substitute. So if God hears us, He hears us only in His Son , not having our own righteousness, but that which is of God in Him (Philippians 3:9). Thus, the inclinations of an upright heart are not mine. They are His. And being found in Him, we are kept from the snares laid for us, for our eyes are unto God the LORD, in Whom is our Trust. Hence, this psalm finds its fullest voice in Christ, our Representative, who in His earthly humiliation lifted His perfect prayer as incense before the Father. He alone could ask that His words be guarded, His steps kept, and His heart preserved without sin. Surrounded by the wicked, He submitted to righteous chastisements by the Father, resisted temptation, and entrusted Himself to God (1 Peter 2:23). His cry, His watchfulness, and His steadfast obedience were all offered on behalf of His people. Therefore, the psalm culminates in His faithful intercession, obtaining our deliverance and making our prayers accepted in Him, our Perfect Advocate before the Father.

Revelation 6:1-8 "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth." The book of Revelation is a symbolic book, yet its symbols are truly biblical, drawing us back again and again to the Word. And that is always a good thing. As we compare scripture with scripture, the Spirit teaches us why certain language is used, and we begin to see the unfolding of God’s purpose—His sovereign decree opened only by the Lamb. In Revelation 6 we read, “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals” (v.1). Here is the comfort of God’s people: Christ is opening the seals. Every calamity follows the Sovereign Hand of the Risen Redeemer. John saw a scroll sealed, a scroll that only one Person had the authority and the right to open. As the seals are undone, we watch the scroll unfold, revealing what is written on the inside and the outside—every line directed by the Lamb Who sits upon the throne. This message comes to a people facing persecution, wondering in their affliction particularly in the first century, Where’s God? Where’s Christ? But the Word brings us back: Christ is still seated on the throne , directing everything that takes place. The first horse appears—a white horse. “ And he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” (v.2). Who is this but Christ Himself? He is the Lamb, yet He is also the Captain riding forth, the General of this holy cavalry. The white horse speaks of Righteousness, Justice, and Holiness. And the Rider—He goes forth conquering , not attempting, not struggling, but conquering, and to conquer. Has He not conquered for His people? He came to do what we could not do: He came to satisfy law and justice. By His death He accomplished what no man ever dreamed possible. When He hung on that tree, men thought Him a criminal, for “cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). Yet that cursed death was the very place where “the wages of sin” (Romans 6:23) fell upon God’s Lamb. God put His Son on that cross and killed Him, that just payment might be made for sinners. In His resurrection, He conquered death because the grave could not hold Him. Once the sin debt of His elect was put away on the cross, and our LORD had fulfilled the three days and three nights in the grave, He arose victorious, proving that not only the sin of His people was completely put away, but God's justice was completely satisfied on their behalf, (Romans 4:25) . And now He rides forth in His Gospel, conquering in Grace, by His Spirit, each one whom the Father has given Him and for whom He died. But from His Sovereign Hand also come the other horses. The second seal reveals a red horse : “power was given to him… to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another” (v.4). This too comes from the Lamb’s Hand. James tells us plainly the second cause of these wars: “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts…? Ye kill… ye fight and war” (James 4:1–2). Yet behind the lusts of men stands the Sovereign God Who withdraws His restraining Hand and lets men have their way, while at the same time accomplishing His Holy purpose. This same Sovereign Christ restrains, directs, overturns, and accomplishes every detail. He is the Lamb in the midst of the throne, yet He is also the Lion of the tribe of Juda: “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda… hath prevailed to open the book” (Revelation 5:5). He prevailed in His life, in His death, in His resurrection, and in His ascension. Every seal opened is opened by Him. Every calamity comes from His Sovereign Hand. And for His people, every storm is governed by the One Who conquered death on their behalf. So when our world is turned upside down, when the ship seems to be breaking apart, we rest in this: the Lamb is opening the seals. The One riding the white horse, conquering and to conquer, directs every wave. Though the mast may be torn and the boards shaken (Acts 27:41) , the LORD will see His vessel safely into the harbor of final glory.

2 Samuel 12:1-14 "And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die." “And the LORD sent Nathan unto David” (v.1). Here is the gracious way of our God with guilty sinners— guilty but forgiven. He does not leave His child to himself. Though David may have thought the matter was covered, the LORD would not leave David alone. In the LORD’s Own time, by His Own Word, He sent His prophet with a message that would open the sore, let the poison run out, and bring David to cry, “I have sinned against the LORD” (v.13). Nathan came with a parable— “there were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor” (v.1). The poor man’s lamb, nourished, fed, “lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter” (v.3). The rich man, sparing his own flock, “took the poor man’s lamb” (v.4). And as David heard, “David's anger was greatly kindled” (v.5). He judged the man in the story worthy of death. And then came those words that ring even through today: “Thou art the man” (v.7). This is how the Spirit works—He makes us see the sinfulness of our sin. Many shrug their shoulders and say, “I’m not guilty.” They imagine themselves faithful, upright, free from adultery, free from murder. But just that attitude shows blindness. For our LORD said, “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). And again—anger itself is murder: “Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:22). The law entered “that the offence might abound” (Romans 5:20). It is the Spirit Who shines that Light upon the heart until all our excuses die, and like Paul, we say, “I died” (Romans 7:9). David covered up his sin, and some time went by. Yet the LORD had determined the time of his repentance. As with Saul on the road to Damascus — “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:5), and as with the rich young ruler whose sorrow revealed the Arrow’s wound, so here. God always directs His Word to His children. Those who are without may do as they please and never feel it. Beat a dead horse all you want; he doesn’t feel it, he’s dead. But those whom the LORD loves, “he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6). He will not let them go. When Nathan said, “Thou art the man” (v.7), he did not send David away to think about it. The Spirit was already at work. The Word came not to crush but to heal. For true prayer is not a formula—“Repeat this prayer after me”—but the Spirit-given cry from the heart. And the heart speaks: “I have sinned against the LORD” (v.13). Then the Gospel immediately follows: “The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die” (v.13). How? Only One Way. Not by “the blood of bulls and goats” (Hebrews 10:4). Not by David’s tears. Sin was put away in one place, in one time, in One Sacrifice —Christ. The Lamb slain from (since) the foundation of the world, Whose death was the only reason David did not die under the law. God could be just and yet pass over David’s transgression because Christ would bear it. When God sent Nathan, He was not coming to get David to make something right. The LORD opens the wound, but only to apply “the balm,” showing not only the guilt but the Substitute Who bore it. This is the comfort of elect, guilty sinners of God's choosing. The LORD brings His Word home—He opens the wound and applies the balm. He shows us not only the guilt, but the Substitute Who bore it. He reminds us again and again who we are, that we may see again and again how great Christ is! Thus, we read David’s own testimony, born out of this very scene: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). Guilty? Yes. But forgiven—because Christ has put away sin for His people once for all. How was David's sin forgiven? In the non-imputation of that sin to him. Here, the word "forgiven" means "to be lifted off" of the guilty party so that God would not charge him with it. In God's forbearance, David's sin was covered (atoned) by the animal sacrifices, but still not put away. Not charged to David, but lifted off of him and covered in God's forbearance until the LORD Jesus Christ should come in a Body and put the sin away by His death. "Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity..." (Psalm 32:2). Yet, David's sin was not merely swept aside, but the charge for it and all of his sin was not imputed to him, because God had purposed to impute it to His Son when He came to take the charge of the sin of all of the elect of all time, and put it away once for all at the cross. Paul declared in Romans 3:25-26, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." God was merciful in His forbearance to David and all of the elect in the Old Testament, until Christ came and put all of their sin away, and all of the elect since the cross, in the One Sacrificial death of the LORD Jesus on the cross. " And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance," ( Hebrews 9:15). God no longer needs to be forbearing with the sins of any of His elect (whose sin was put away at the cross by the death of Christ), guilty though they are, just as any whom He condemns (outside of Christ) because of their sin. There is now NO condemnation for any of the elect of God (Romans 8:1) , not because they are better than others or would not be chargeable, but rather because Christ has paid their sin debt, and therefore they stand justified before God because of Christ's shed blood unto death! O What Mercy! O What Grace! Christ has died and the Father is satisfied! (Psalm 85:10) .

Song of Solomon 1:5-8 "I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents." In Song of Solomon we see Christ set forth in Solomon as a type, and the church is the bride. As in Ephesians chapter five, where the husband loves the wife even as Christ loved the church, so here we read what is like a love note not meant for others. Yet it is written in Scripture, and if we are the LORD’s, taught by His Spirit, we cannot walk away. It unfolds like a beautiful flower, revealing the glory and beauty of the LORD Jesus Christ in Solomon’s love for his bride and the bride’s response to him. Here the Spirit leads us from the kisses of His Mouth, the comfort of His Word, the savor of His Good Ointments, and the sweet ointment of His Name, into the confession of one who knows both her need and her security. “I am black, but comely” (v.5). In her mouth is the confession that belongs to every sinner drawn by Everlasting Love: the acknowledgment of what we are in ourselves—black as the tents of Kedar—yet comely in the eyes of Christ, adorned as the curtains of Solomon. “Look not upon me, because I am black” (v.6). She speaks of the sun that hath looked upon her, the burning holiness and justice of God that exposes all darkness and depravity. She knows the anger of her mother’s children, the criticism of others, the burden of being “keeper of the vineyards,” yet “mine own vineyard have I not kept" (v.6). This is the confession of every believer who sees the many infirmities, the spots and blemishes, the weakness of the flesh, and yet is made conscious that in Christ, the comeliness of His Righteousness is imputed—put to the account—and God sees only what Christ has earned and established. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). Such Grace draws forth the longing cry: “ Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth” (v.7). Love is the motive. Not duty. Having been loved with an Everlasting Love— “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3) —the soul desires ever to be drawn, knowing its own proneness to wander. The desire is not to be found among the flocks of companions, not out in the world, nor in mere religion, but where He makes his flock to rest at noon—the heat of the day, the hour of trial. The flock rests because the Shepherd is present: “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures… He restoreth my soul” (Psalm 23:2–3). And when He draws, it changes from “me” to “we”—for all those Christ represents, all for whom He came into this world. “We will run after thee” (Song of Solomon 1:4). None will run except by Grace. None can come except drawn by cords of Love. The King brings His own into His chambers, into the most intimate fellowship, the secret places of the Most High. As Christ our High Priest has entered the holiest of all “not without blood,” (Hebrews 9:7), we are brought where He is, and that is our Hope of Glory. Thus, the bride’s confession continues: black in herself, but comely in Christ. He calls her “O thou fairest among women” (v.8) , for the comeliness He puts upon her is the wedding garment of His Righteousness. And though she sees darkness, he says, “Thou art beautiful, O my love” (Song 6:4). Such is Unconditional, Everlasting Love—Unchanging, Sovereign, Gracious. And the soul, humbled under its own blackness, rests in the Beloved Who has made her comely.

Luke 17:11-19 "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." The Grace of God is not what men imagine it to be; it is uncommon because none of us deserve it, and uncommon because it is not left up to man. When we read of the healing of the ten lepers, we see an example of this uncommon Grace, a Grace that moves according to His purpose and according to His way, not man’s. The LORD Jesus Christ “passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee” (v.11). Even this: “it came to pass” (v.11), according to what God had ordained. As He went to Jerusalem, the place where He would lay down His life, He deliberately walked the path of His sheep. He must needs go this way—not geographically, but graciously. He passed through those despised places where men commonly avoided, because His uncommon Grace is revealed not where people expect, but among those written off in their own minds and in the minds of others. As He entered into a certain village, ten men that were lepers stood afar off. They lifted up their voices and cried, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (v.13). Mercy is God withholding from sinners what they deserve. Anything this side of hell is mercy. But Grace is more—it is God dealing with our sin in a just way so that He can be gracious unto sinners such as He has purposed to save in Christ. Grace is not a heap we stumble upon; it is not in us, but all in the LORD Jesus Christ. And here, as they went, they were cleansed. But uncommon Grace is seen in the one who returned. “He was a Samaritan” (v.16), a stranger, outside the commonwealth of Israel, one who was written off by religion. Yet to him the LORD said, “Thy faith hath made thee whole,” (v.19). The first evidence of uncommon Grace is not in the cleanness of the flesh, but in the turning of the heart to give glory to God. In saying, "Thy faith hath made thee whole," it means the Object of his faith Who is the LORD Jesus, made him whole. This path through Samaria reminds us of John 4, where “he must needs go through Samaria,” (John 4:4). He did not have to go through Samaria geographically, because the Jews would circumvent Samaria, following a path on the other side of the Jordan River. He went because His sheep were there. Such is His purpose. The Jews despised Samaria, and would bypass the territory completely. But Christ identified with those of His sheep from Samaria, and was even mocked by being called a Samaritan, a term of derision. Yet He, the Good Samaritan, numbered among transgressors though He was no transgressor, poured oil and wine into the wounds of His own. This uncommon Grace also appears in Luke 4, where He read from Isaiah: “to preach the gospel to the poor… to heal the brokenhearted… to set at liberty them that are bruised… to preach the acceptable year of the LORD” (Luke 4:18–19). He brought forth gracious words, yet they did not see themselves as poor, captive, or blind. They loved their idea of a 'jesus', but not this One Who saves unconditionally the worst of sinners. When He declared, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21), they wondered, but their wonder was not the effect of grace. For He reminded them that in the days of Elias, “unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta… unto a woman that was a widow” (Luke 4:26). And again: “many lepers were in Israel… and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27). Uncommon Grace passes by many and falls upon those whom men would never choose. Their hearts were revealed in wrath, for religion is only a façade until men are confronted with Christ as He is. And yet Christ walked straight into the midst of Samaria and the midst of Galilee because He came to pay the debt of those given to Him by the Father before the foundation of the world, to bring liberty and Jubilee through His death (Isaiah 61:1). He fulfilled the acceptable year of the LORD. The One Who sustains all things by the Word of His Power, the great “I AM,” walked this path for the sake of a stranger who would fall at His feet and give Him thanks. Such is uncommon Grace. Not common. Not natural. Not deserved. All of Him, none of us.

John 4:1-10 "When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw." The Spirit directs us to see Him Who “must needs go through Samaria” (v. 4), not by accident, nor by the common route the Jews avoided because of long-standing conflict, but by Divine Purpose. He goes as the God Who tabernacles among sinners, yet as the One Who is truly Man, weary and thirsty at the sixth hour. His weariness is no mark of sin, for He had no sin in Him, but the fullness of the Mystery— “ God was manifest in the flesh..." (1 Timothy 3:16). At Jacob’s well, He sits with purpose, for He is already directing this woman to Him. When she comes to draw water, He says, “Give me to drink,” (v.7) showing His real humanity, the Man Who would not use His Divine Nature to ease His suffering as a man. He is “the man of sorrows, acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3), and yet the very One drawing her while asking drink from her hand. The woman is astonished that “thou being a Jew askest drink of me, for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans,” (v.9) . Blindness makes sinners imagine themselves better than others—one thinking themselves above the other—but before God, “there is none righteous, no, not one,” (Romans 3:10). Here Christ reveals the heart of Grace: “ If thou knewest the gift of God… thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water," (v.10). Her problem is ours by nature—she didn’t know Who He is. Until the Spirit reveals Christ in the heart, we never ask. But when God is pleased to teach the sinner of their need, the asking becomes the effective fruit of the Spirit in the heart. As He gives the desire to ask, so He gives the Water. Still thinking naturally, she says, “the well is deep," (v.11). Indeed—it is too deep for man. But this Water is not of man; He as the Water of Life is the Gift of God. When she asks, “ Art thou greater than our father Jacob? ” (v.12), the LORD answers by exposing every earthly man-made well: “ Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again " (v.13) . Everything drawn from man leaves the soul empty—whether great commentators, religious traditions, or labor at Jacob’s well. But Christ declares, “ the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life,” (v.14) . This is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The woman’s plea—“Sir, give me this water” (v.15) rises as the Spirit’s own work, the thirst He Himself created. Here is the contrast of John 3 and John 4 —Nicodemus and this nameless Samaritan woman. One a man of high rank, one a poor woman. One a favored Jew, the other a despised Samaritan. One strict in morals, the other of poor reputation. Yet both alike needed the same work of God. To Nicodemus Christ said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). To the Samaritan woman He reveals “the gift of God” (v.10). Different words, same Truth: no sinner—moral or immoral, Jew or Samaritan—comes except the Spirit draws them. Christ’s journey through Samaria is grounded in His eternal Purpose. “He must needs go,” (v.4) for He must bring His sheep. As He said, “ I lay down my life for the sheep ” (John 10:15), and again, “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring… and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Not a campaign to save all without exception, but the unbreakable certainty that, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me," (John 10:27). How, then, does a sinner know? Christ answers: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). The coming is the evidence, not the cause. The will is not the source, but the fruit of Sovereign Grace. Thus we see Him Who sits at Jacob’s well—the weary God-Man, the Giver of Living Water, the Shepherd seeking His sheep, the One Who must needs go, that His elect may drink and thirst no more. “ Sir, give me this Water. ” May that ever be our cry!

Judges 5:12 "Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam." This portion of God's inspired Word lifts our thoughts above the historical victory of Deborah and Barak to behold the sovereign workings of God’s Grace in Christ. The call to awake  and arise  is not a summons to human strength, but a testimony to the God Who quickens whom He will and Who alone stirs His people to praise and obedience. As Deborah sings of deliverance freely wrought by the LORD, we are reminded that every true awakening—whether of heart, voice, or service—is the fruit of His Sovereign Mercy and Grace in Christ Jesus. And as Barak is commanded to “lead thy captivity captive,” we see a shadow of Him Who would come to conquer sin, death, and the powers of darkness, and Who would lead "captivity captive"  for the everlasting good of His redeemed. Oh! How we need to reflect on the triumphs of the LORD Jesus in the salvation of His people, accomplished not by human might, but by Him as the Captain of our salvation (Hebrews 2:10). There is but one reason to live, and that is to glorify God. What is it to truly glorify God? It does take a Spiritual awakening. Whenever something is mentioned once in Scripture it is important, but when you see it repeated four times, it is vital. “Awake, awake, Deborah. Awake, awake, utter a song.” Wakefulness to glorify God is a command. This is not, “if you will, Deborah, if you will just turn your talents over to Me.” God does not stand wringing His hands, softly begging men to let Him use their talents. The word here functions like a reveille in a military camp—a bugle, a trumpet call that rouses soldiers from sleep and sends them into action. When that reveille sounds, it is not a suggestion but a summons. The whole scene depicts an army that the LORD Himself raises and sends forth. In the end, it was not the personal strength of Deborah or Barak that obtained the victory; rather, it was the LORD Who defeated the enemy. The LORD fought from heaven. " They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river” (Judges 5:20–21). So this wakefulness is a command, but with the command comes the strength. When the LORD said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch forth thine hand,” or when He cried, “Lazarus, come forth,” the command itself carried the Power. It was, “Awake, Lazarus.” In the same way, “Awake, awake, Deborah… arise, Barak,” is the LORD’s doing. He will cause His own to hear this call. If He does not awaken, we would sleep the sleep of death and wake up in eternal condemnation. Yet even our wanderings and falls do not take God by surprise. Like Jonah arriving at Nineveh not one minute too soon or too late, so everything that transpires, His hand is directing it all, tenderly leading His own to His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ. Wakefulness to glorify God is also the work of God’s Spirit. “I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh” (Song of Solomon 5:2). There is a propensity we all have to sleep, yet my heart waketh, where there is life. The spouse is sluggish and comfortable, “I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?” (Song of Solomon 5:3 ). Yet the Beloved puts in His hand, and her bowels are moved for Him. Where there is life, there is response. She rises, she seeks Him, and under the accusations and smiting of men she answers only by setting forth her Beloved: “He is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend” (Song of Solomon 5:16). That is what we awake to—Christ altogether lovely, Christ all our Righteousness, all our Forgiveness, all our Glory, all our Affection. Our LORD explains this awakening in His own words: “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will” (John 5:21). “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life… is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). The hearing and believing prove that life is already given. That is why Deborah awoke to this charge, as well as Barak. “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25). It is not Christ going about pleading for decisions. The Father has given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him (John 17:2) . When the hour comes, His Word is effectual to awaken His own. Finally, wakefulness to glorify God is essential because it is bound up with Christ leading captivity captive. Barak is a type of the LORD Jesus Christ, the Captain of the salvation of His people. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death… that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For… in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:9–10). He goes forth as the Representative, conquering on behalf of Israel, leading many sons to glory. “And you, being dead in your sins… hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us… nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:13–15). That is “lead thy captivity captive” in its fullness. At the cross every enemy that held His people was spoiled; every sin was nailed there; every ordinance that condemned was taken out of the way. “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men” (Ephesians 4:8). Psalm 68 had already sung it: “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them” (Psalm 68:18). So when the trumpet sounds, “Awake, awake, Deborah… arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive,” it is Christ Himself in view—the One Who has tasted death, spoiled principalities and powers, ascended on high, and now, by His Spirit, awakens His people to utter a song and to march beneath the banner of the cross, counting all things but loss for His glory.

Exodus 32:29  "For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day." In this solemn verse, we behold a scene that lays bare both the depth of man’s sin and the riches of God’s sovereign Grace in Christ. Israel had corrupted itself at the foot of Sinai; the golden calf stood as a testimony to the depravity of the human heart. Yet into that dark moment, God spoke of consecration — not as a work by which sinners earn favor, but as the fruit of His own redeeming mercy. The Levites, set apart by God’s sovereign choice, act not to secure grace but because Grace had already purposed their forgiveness. Here, then, we see that true consecration is never the cause of God’s blessing but its evidence. It is Christ—the One greater than Moses—Who sanctifies His people by His Own blood and gathers to Himself a people wholly set apart for His glory (John 17:19). Where sin abounded, Grace did much more abound; and even in the shadow of idolatry, the LORD reveals that all blessing flows not from man’s devotion, but from His sovereign purpose fulfilled in Christ our Mediator. The Holy God calls sinners to consecration to the LORD. This is not an invitation to add a little religion to a life of idolatry, but a command: “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day” (Exodus 32:29). To be consecrated is to be set aside wholly to Him, to own Him for Who He is in Truth and Justice, to glorify Him in worship, will, and walk before Him. This consecration begins where God teaches a sinner Who He is. To be on the LORD’s side means to take sides with the LORD against yourself, whatever that consequence may be. The sinner is brought to say, “I’m the sinner. I’m condemned. If God should put me in hell, I’ll have to praise Him for doing so because He’s the just God. I’m guilty.” An unregenerate, natural man could never utter those words; he does not want to. He wants his life, and at the same time hopes that somehow all will be well. It won’t be. When the LORD opens the heart, the cry becomes that of Isaiah: “Woe is me! for I am undone” (Isaiah 6:5). In Exodus 32 , Moses stands as a type of the Mediator. He comes down the mountain with the tables of stone in his hand, showing that the law must be honored, for God to be just. When he sees the golden calf and the dancing, he breaks the tables beneath the mount, a visual aid that the law has been broken in its very first commandment. Later, the LORD writes the same words again on new tables and has them placed in the ark, covered by the mercy seat, where blood is sprinkled (Exodus 25:16). There, all the law can do on its own is condemn, but there is mercy with the LORD when Righteousness has been honored. This ark, this mercy seat, all point to Christ, the True Mediator, Who has satisfied the law’s precept and penalty, Moses’ call, “Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me” (Exodus 32:26), is the language of a mediator. Our safety is not in our decisions, our works, our golden calves of religion, but in coming to the Person Whom God has set up. The Levites, the ones appointed to carry the sacrifices and offerings, gathered themselves unto him. It is as though the LORD opened their eyes: “We’ve got to stand with this man. We’ve got to stand with this mediator, come what may.” That is what Faith does. It stands with God’s Mediator, even when it does not know what He will do, trusting His Justice and Mercy together. All of this is but a shadow of Christ. Christ is the Mediator Whose one purpose is to bring reconciliation, but to do it in a just way. There are only two ways the Holy God will be satisfied: either He will be satisfied with the work of the Substitute, fulfilling all Righteousness on behalf of His people, or His Justice will be satisfied in casting from His Presence everyone who does not have that Righteousness. Some in this passage are delivered despite apostasy; others pay with their lives, eternally separated from God. If any are saved, it is because of His Mercy and Grace alone, but God is just in condemning the wicked. False religion, decisionism, and works‑religion are nothing more than worshiping a golden calf. Men set up their own wills as idols, thinking, “I want the Lord’s blessing, I’ll consecrate myself again, etc.” starting with “I” and looking for something in it for themselves. They are made to believe that somehow the power of salvation is in their hands, just as Israel made a calf with their own hands. But the Gospel takes man’s will and puts it under the Power of Grace. It strips man of boasting and gives all the honor to the God Who makes His chosen ones to differ. Any “jesus” of our own imagination, any religion that allows man to boast in his willingness, is just another golden calf. Into this darkness, the Voice of the True Mediator sounds: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The same LORD Who upbraids the cities that repented now declares that the Father has hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes, “for so it seemed good in thy sight” (Matthew 11:25-26). All things are delivered unto this Son; no man knows the Father but by Him (Matthew 11:27). That is where consecration leads: away from man’s altar calls, away from coming to the preacher, to being drawn by and coming to Christ Himself. “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord” is therefore urgent. It is not “if you will, when you’re ready,” but today. To come out from idols, from works religion, from unequal yokes in worship, is to heed that call: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17). The heart must be kept, for apostasy begins there, (Proverbs 4:23). When God leaves a man to himself, he will soon find a way to cast his jewelry into the fire and pretend the calf just “came out," (Exodus 32:24) . But where God gives the desire to honor Him and glorify His Son, where He brings a sinner to take sides with God against himself and to flee to the Mediator He has established, there is His Blessing. There, in Christ alone, is Rest, Grace and Mercy, and true consecration to the LORD.

Job 25:4 "How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" Here is the foundational question of the Gospel, raised by Bildad, the Shuhite—one who typifies legalism, natural religion, the law without Grace, despair without Hope, conviction without Christ. He sees sin as that which separates the sinner from God . He declares God’s Holiness, but does not point to the Mediator. He expresses truth, but misapplied. He knows that a man is a worm before God, but he does not know that God would stoop to be that Worm in the Person of the LORD Jesus Christ. “I am a worm, and no man” (Psalm 22:6). Bildad represents natural light, the wisdom of the world, truth without revelation and knowledge without the Spirit of Christ yet in him, (Matthew 6:23). He sees the creature’s sinfulness and God’s Holiness. Still, he has no way of declaring how Christ is the answer. Yet, in God’s providence, he becomes an instrument to raise the very question that drives those the LORD has taught to Christ. Like Caiaphas when he declared, “It is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not” (John 11:50). Though thinking in terms of earthly preservation, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation which the Father had given Him out of every tribe, nation, and tongue. Here again, God uses one in his spiritual ignorance to point to the True Substitute. Bildad begins with "dominion and fear are with Him" (v. 2) and speaks of the One Who maketh peace in his high places, whose armies cannot be numbered, upon whom his light arises (Job 25:1–3). He gives a high view of God’s Sovereignty and Majesty, and yet he is without the Revelation of Christ in the heart. Many can say God is Holy, and yet never have had the true Revelation of this God. Unless the sinner is brought to see God as high, Holy, Sovereign, enthroned, how God can be just to justify sinners, without compromising His justice, will mean little to him. So the question stands: "How then can man be justified with God?" This question raised by Bildad is answered by the Gospel. Man is fallen, sinful, unclean, and separated from God. He may acknowledge sin, even quote, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and yet never know the depth of being an unclean thing, and never see that even their righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). He may say God is holy, but not so Holy that man cannot win his favor. That is natural religion. It acknowledges a gulf, but does not know how wide, nor that salvation is not a bridge…It’s the Person of Christ… the Hand of God that reaches down. The Gospel answer is given later: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith…without the deeds of the law”(Romans 3:28). Faith is the Revelation of Christ and His death. Only God can justify the ungodly, and He must do it in a just way. He does so freely, through that Righteousness that the LORD Jesus Christ came and earned and established, when at the cross the Father imputed that Righteousness to everyone for whom He paid the debt. Salvation is by imputation. "By one man sin entered into the world" (Romans 5:12). " By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). "Christ has been made unto His people wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Corinthians 1:30), "that he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:31). Thus the question Bildad uttered without an answer becomes the very question that, by Grace, causes the sinner to look to Christ—the One Who identified with sinners, Who said, “I am a worm, and no man,” Bildad’s ancient question still stands: “How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?”  (Job 25:4). Left to ourselves, the answer is dreadful— no man can.  But God Himself has answered the question in the Person and work of His dear Son. At the cross, the LORD Jesus—spotless, Holy, and without sin—was made the sin Offering for His elect (Isaiah 53:10) , that they might be made “the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  There, and there alone, God's elected, guilty sinners were justified (Romans 5:9-11). In His death, the sin of God's elect was judged; in His Obedience their Righteousness was obtained. So the only answer to Bildad’s question is Christ crucified—His Righteousness imputed, His Grace bestowed, His Salvation made certain to every soul chosen of the Father from eternity. In Him the unclean are made clean, and in Him the unjust are declared Righteous forever.

Matthew 6:24-34 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." In Matthew chapter 6, our LORD’s Sermon on the Mount teaches His disciples how to live in this world as children of God, bought by His precious blood. We need the LORD’s teaching because this world is a very dangerous place. The whole world lies in wickedness, and even more so in our flesh. Yet the Grace of God rules over all. As God’s children, these teachings of Christ are very needful for us as we live out our lives in this world. Consider what it is to seek first the Kingdom of God. Where there is a kingdom, there is a king, and Christ is that King. He is the One we serve. We don’t serve men; we serve Christ the King. “No man can serve two masters… Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (v.24). The LORD speaks of a master and a slave. We were slaves in a slave market, bound by sin and condemnation of the law, and the LORD Jesus Christ purchased us. “Ye are not your own… For ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20). That master does not share that slave with anybody else. Those He has purchased have but one Master, the LORD Jesus Christ Himself. Mammon is personal wealth, the things we possess or would like to possess. It is not wrong to possess material things, for we have to live and work. It is not money that is the root of all evil, but the love of money (1 Timothy 6:10). Many give lip service to loving Christ and yet spend their time pursuing things of this world. “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). This is a heart matter. Whether rich or poor, men may serve mammon, either protecting what they have or pursuing what they don’t have. So the LORD says, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink… Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (v.25). We can be so tangled up with earthly, temporal things that we forget Whose we are. Three things tend to pick up our mind: what we shall eat, what we shall drink, and what we shall put on. Yet if we are to be concerned, let us be concerned about our own souls and our standing before the Holy God. Our LORD gives arguments against worry. “ Behold the fowls of the air… your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (v.26). The birds rise early, chanting and singing, praising their Father. He provides for them; will He not take care of you? We can look back from birth till now and say He has led all the way. God’s eye is upon those sinners He chose before the foundation of the world and gave to His Son, for whom Christ paid the sin debt. Are you not of much more value than birds? “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (v.27). Worry cannot add one inch. Stress only harms us. Our bodies were made by God’s Grace to rest in Him, but our sin nature frets. So we consider the lilies. “Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (v.29). If God clothes the grass, will He not clothe you? “Therefore… Take no thought… For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (v.31,32). We are not to be like the world but to have our attention on God and His Kingdom. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (v.33). The LORD Jesus is the Righteousness of God because He alone earned and established that perfect Righteousness in His Holy, obedient earthly life. As the incarnate Son, He fulfilled every demand of God’s law, loving the Father perfectly and walking without sin. Having completed this flawless obedience, He then paid the full price of sin at the cross, satisfying Divine justice by His Substitutionary death. In doing so, He obtained that Righteousness as the Surety of His people, so that God, in sovereign Grace, did impute it freely to the spiritual account of every elect sinner when Christ finished the work and accomplished it at the cross. Therefore, having all we need and all we want in the Person and work of the LORD Jesus we “Take therefore no thought for the morrow… Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (v.34). We have no control over tomorrow. The LORD uses evil and affliction to wean us from this world and draw us closer to Himself. Today the LORD has given us this day, and we live and move and have our being in Him. Let us lift our eyes to Christ alone, Who is seated on the Throne, and there He ever lives to intercede for His own.

1 Samuel 7:1,2 "And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord. And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord." We have here a great illustration of a spiritual eclipse of the Son.  The Ark of the Covenant, a type and picture of the work of the LORD Jesus Christ, was taken by the Philistines, according to God’s purpose. He struck them with plagues, and they brought it back. There was great rejoicing among the remnant, those that the LORD had preserved by His Grace. They saw the importance of offering up that great sacrifice, cutting up the wood of the cart and offering the cows that brought the Ark back, a picture of Christ’s offering of Himself. Yet some of the Beth-shemites took the Ark for granted and became curious. They approached it, and the LORD smote fifty thousand, three score and ten. The people lamented, a great wailing in the face of God’s judgment. But lamenting is not repentance. Many may wail over judgment, but that’s not the same as turning to the LORD in faith. They said, “Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God?”   That is the question of every true soul whom the LORD has awakened. We cannot stand based on our works. We can’t approach without a Mediator. The Ark was the representation of the LORD Jesus Christ, the mercy seat, the Ark of the covenant. Sinners are either saved or condemned in relationship to this Ark. We are either in that Ark—where the blood of the LORD Jesus has paid our debt—or we are outside. There’s no in-between. This judgment has already been settled. Those who were the LORD’s He preserved alive, and the rest who approached in their own way He struck dead. The men of Kirjath-jearim came and fetched up the Ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab , whose name means a willing father.  They sanctified his son Eleazar , meaning God has helped,  to keep the Ark of the LORD. What a picture of the willing Father, God the Father, willing and able to save to the uttermost those that come to God through His Son. He brings them. The LORD was directing it all. For nearly twenty years  the Ark abode there in the house of Abinadab. The time was long, and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. It was a silent season. The Ark was resting, but no sacrifices were being offered upon it. It was in the hands of Levites, yet in essence sitting idle. The glory was not shining forth as in the days of the tabernacle. It was an eclipse of the Sun, S-O-N. Why does the LORD do this? He causes us to appreciate the light all the more. As Amos 8 declares, there is a famine in the land—not of bread, but of hearing the Word of the LORD. The LORD removes His hand to make His people cry after Him. When you get hungry and thirsty enough, you pant after help. So it is with the soul that longs for Christ, the Bread of Life, the Water of Life. For twenty years the LORD hid His face, yet all the while He was working. He was raising up Samuel, a type of Christ—a Prophet, a Priest, and a King. When the glory seems hidden, the LORD is not absent. The Ark may rest in a private house, but the LORD is preparing His purpose. Even creation declares His glory. The firmament speaks. When the sun is darkened or the moon turned red, we are reminded not to take the light for granted. The LORD’s not at our beck and call; He will cause us to hunger and thirst for Him alone. In Luke 1 , Zacharias prophesied, “ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people.”   Between Malachi and Matthew there were four hundred years of silence, yet God never forgot His covenant. “The Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” So the LORD hides the light for a season that we might know our need of Him. When He shines again, we see the glory of Christ, the true Ark of God, the Light of the world, the very mercy seat by which we draw near. May we never take Him for granted. Though there be shadows and darkness, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings. Come, Thou long-expected Jesus—born to set Thy people free.