Meditations
- (Nos. 37-42)
"My
meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD." — Psalm
104:34.
_______
37.
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day.." Rev. 1:10. "The Lord's day" is not the Sabbath
(the last or the seventh day of the week,—(see Exodus 16; 20 &c.), for that
belonged to the old creation, a creation broken, and defiled by man's sin;
neither it is "the day of the Lord" (I Thess. 5:2, II Peter 3:10),
which is yet future—the time of Christ's second advent. But "the Lord's day" is "the
first day of the week" (John 20:1)—the eighth day (Leviticus 14:10,11), a
day on which Christ arose from the dead, having triumphed over sin, death,
grave, and Satan, to commence a new beginning, a new order of things (John 20;
Acts 1; Rev. 1 &c.);—also, the same day on which the Lord Jesus came and
stood in the midst of the troubled disciples pronouncing "peace" that
which He has made "through the blood of His cross." (see John 20:19,
Col. 1:20). Further, it may be noticed
that from Acts 20:7, the disciples, as it was the practice or custom (cf. I
Cor. 11:16) of the apostolic church, came together to break bread (i.e.,
celebrate the Lord's Supper), on the Lord's day,—and, this, in accordance to
the Lord's commandment "this do ye..in remembrance of Me." (I Cor.
11:23-26.)
The
Lord's day speaks about the introduction of an entirely new system, the
Christian dispensation (Acts 1-2; I Cor. 15; Eph. 3:2; II Tim. 1:9-10 &c.),
in the world, according to the secret and eternal counsels of God, which was
founded upon the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; it also
points forward to the eternal state, "new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness." (II Peter 3:13;Rev. 21:1, 5), whereas, the
seventh day, the Sabbath, dispensationally, points to the millennial rest,
which will be observed by the restored Jews on the earth.
We may
further remark that the first day of Creation (or the week) is a foreshadow of
the light of Christianity (II Cor. 4:6).
The seventh day, the Sabbath, on the other hand, was a foreshadow of the
eternal rest of God in Christ (Heb. 4).
However, one may observe that the faithful enter into this eternal rest
of God, not in the first creation, but in the new creation (see Rev. 21:1-5),
which has already been commenced in Christ, in a spiritual sense (II Cor.
5:17), by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ on the first day of the
week (see Col. 1:18). And, moreover, as
a matter of vast magnitude, the Lord's day, which is the day of the
resurrection of Christ, the day on which He was "declared to be the Son of
God with power," in resurrection (Romans 1:4;), must be viewed as a
fulfillment of that ancient eternal decree of God concerning the Messiah:*
"Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee." (Psalm 2:7; Acts
13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5), which expressly marked a new beginning in the dealings of
God with the world, and as well with regard to the Church, to which a new
dispensation of God in Christ was given (Eph. 3:2). Thus, in resurrection, Christ is called
"the Beginning, the Firstborn from the dead;" hence also, in this
resurrection glory, the Son of God now appears to the Church as "the Head
of the Body, the Church:" (Col. 1:18; see Rev 1:5). Further, I would adduce two other events of
immense importance relating to the Lord's day:
First, the formation of the Church by the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost (Acts 2:1) was indeed the first day of the week—"on the morrow
after the Sabbath" (See Lev. 23:10,11;
15,16) and hence, all the blessings, hopes, and privileges granted to the
saints of God by the Holy Spirit may be viewed in connection with the Lord's
day; and secondly, again, it was on the Lord's day, (at the close of the
dispensation), that John being in the Spirit saw the glorious vision of the
Lord Jesus Christ, as the Son of man in the midst of the seven golden
Candlesticks, as the One now living, Who was once dead (see Rev. 1:17,18)—But
all this goes to show the greatest significance that the Lord's day holds not
only in the present age of grace, wherein we are given to contemplate the
secret providential dealings of God, but even the future prophecy, the destiny
of the world and the Jews will be accomplished in connection with the Lord's
day, in light of **Psalm 2 and other prophetic Scriptures such as Psalm 16, 110
&c. And furthermore, it may be
remarked that even the eternal state, when God makes all things new, the new
heavens and the new earth, once the former things are passed away—all
these things also may be viewed in connection with the Lord's day, rather than
the seventh day, the Sabbath (a shadow; see Col. 2:16,17; Matt 28:1***),
because in the final analysis, all the past, present and future dealings of God
with man rests upon that one singular fact of greatest consequence: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among
the dead. (See I Cor. 15; Rev 1; Rev. 21.)
[*
There has only been a partial fulfillment of this Psalm. Verses 8, 9 etc. await future accomplishment
when Christ comes in glory at His second advent. Mark the expression "this day" in
Psalm 2:7, which I doubt not is a direct reference to "the Lord's
day",—the resurrection day, because it was on that day, Christ was "declared
to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the
resurrection from the dead:" (Romans 1:4).
The apostle quotes this decree referring to the resurrection and
exaltation of the Lord Jesus (Acts 13:33-37).
Here, we should carefully note that Christ did not become the Son of God
at any point in time, either in resurrection or in incarnation; but the truth
is, He was declared, (lit. 'proved,' or 'determined') to be the Son of God by
the resurrection. The resurrection of
Christ is the greatest proof which God gives, in defiance to all the
oppositions and infidelity of men, and besides, to confirm the faith of the
elect (I Cor. 15; Eph. 1), that Jesus of Nazareth is, and was, truly the Son of
God, in the highest and incommunicable sense, sharing equality with God the
Father in nature. (See John 5.) See also John 1:1,14, 18, which plainly show
the eternal Sonship of Christ, His Deity, from all eternity. All depends upon the doctrine of Christ. (Heb. 1; II John.) If there was no eternal Son, then it implies
that there was no eternal Father in heaven prior to the Incarnation of
Christ. But John 3:16 is enough to show
that there had been the Father and the Son in eternal communion and
relationship before Christ came into this world. This is the great foundation doctrine, and
therefore, whoever denies this, "is a deceiver and an Antichrist."
(II John 7) because, he denies the very Person of Christ, His pre-incarnate and
eternal glory as the Son of God, and His witness concerning His Father. (See John 12:48,49; John 17; II John
7-11). "Whosoever
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also." I
John 2:23.]
[** I make this observation since the Second
Psalm gives us the dispensational dealings of Christ with the world on the
basis of that irrevocable decree of God in Psalm 2:7, wherein we find the
express reference made to "this day" that is, "the Lord
day."]
[***"In
the end of the Sabbaths, (plural in the original) as it began to dawn toward
the first day of the week," It was the end of the old Jewish system, and
the beginning of a new dispensation, a new order of things, a total and
complete change made in the resurrection of Christ. See Col. 2:16,17.]
On the Lord's day, it is the Lord's Supper that must be kept central and
foremost in the thoughts of the saints of God.
As a standing ordinance, it was kept by the church, in the first, second
and third centuries. To quote a brief
excerpt: "The epistle of Barnabas, in existence in the early part of that
century, says "We celebrate the eighth day with joy on which, too, Jesus
rose from the dead." Justin Martyr
(A.D. 140) assigns the reason Christians had for meeting on Sunday because it
is the first day on which God dispelled the darkness, etc., and because Jesus
Christ our Saviour rose from the dead upon it.
And he carefully distinguished Saturday from it. Bardesanes in a book addressed to the Emperor
M. Aurelius Antoninus (A.D. 121180), writing of the new race of Christians
"wherever we be, called by the one name of the Messiah (as such), says,
'upon one day, the first of the week we assemble ourselves
together.'" Dionysius (A.D. 170) in
a letter to the church at
The
Lord may give us discernment so that we may look upon "the Lord's
day" in a very special manner, as signifying the commencement of all
things new in Christ risen (Col 3; Rev. 1:17-18 &c). The words "till He come." attach
great responsibility to the saints, while they regard this to be an immense
privilege, meanwhile, to faithfully maintain the Lord's Supper in the Assembly
until He comes again for His own. (see John 14:3; I Thess. 4.)
38. Heb 3: 1. "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ
Jesus;" We are called upon to
reflect on the Lord Jesus Christ and His mediatorial work under the New
Covenant (Heb. 9:15). "the Apostle
and High Priest of our profession"—"our profession", (or
confession) here, is not Judaism, but Christianity. We must insist on this point lest we fail or
neglect (2:1) to see the immense greatness of the person and work of Christ
Jesus as the Mediator, for He was appointed of God "as a Son over His own
House;" (v2-6) to introduce the Christian dispensation "the
dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph. 3:2), which is infinitely superior
to that old Jewish dispensation, which was only a shadow. (See Heb. 10:1; John 1:17; Romans 10:4.) In this sense, Christ is also called
"the Author and Finisher of our faith;" (Heb 12:2) "our faith"—is "the faith of
Jesus Christ" (Gal. 3:22)—"the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints." that Jude, in his Epistle, exhorts us "to contend
for".
39. Psalm 1 reveals the eternal destiny of both the godly
and the ungodly. v3. "And he shall
be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in
his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall
prosper." "For the LORD
knoweth the way of the righteous;" v6a.
But, "the ungodly" in stark contrast "are not so: but are
like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, not sinners in
the congregation of the righteous." (v4-5) "..but the way of the
ungodly shall perish." v6b.
40. The Lord Christ demands our utmost obedience and love to
Him—and this is according to His two rightful claims: First, as the Creator of
all things, and this includes man (Colossians 1:16, John 1), and secondly, as
the Redeemer, Who demonstrated infinite love and mercy upon the fallen race.
(John 3:16-18; Colossians 1:20-21 &c.)
41. Jude v1. "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ," &c. It is interesting to note that Jude begins this Epistle by not mentioning his earthly relation to the Lord; but instead, he introduces himself here as "the bondman of Jesus Christ," thus identifying himself with the believers in their common position, which is shared among all those "that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:" —a high privilege indeed for all the saints who are called to serve Jesus Christ in the love of God; and also perhaps, this invocation is used to bring them into remembrance the solemn character of Christian service and faith in which they were exhorted likewise elsewhere by the apostles (v17) to press on against the oppositions and the apostasy, "to contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."; so that they may establish in it, rejoice in it, continue in it, and abound in it as chosen servants until the end (v20-25); and moreover, this invocation, (ie., "the bondman of Jesus Christ"), is also styled in the same manner as the other apostles of Christ (cf. Romans 1:1; II Peter 1:1), which is indeed noteworthy— a title and position of such great honour and dignity which is bestowed upon His own, by the grace of God, furthermore testifies to the truth that Jude by identifying himself with the Lord Jesus Christ in this manner, he glories in the very Name which is above all other, that the dignity and privilege of a servant of Christ is higher than all the titles and positions of the men of the world, which are merely temporal (I John 2:17). Hence, therefore, as the servant of the Lord, he openly invokes the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our precious Redeemer, the source of all comfort and hope for all those who believe in His Name. It is the profession of all true servants of Christ everywhere, for they are not merely calling themselves to be the servants of the Lord but rather they are glorying in the most exalted Name of Jesus, the risen and ascended Lord who is now seated at the right hand of God, and for their faith in Him, they are willing to suffer even "unto death" (Rev 2:10), so they may be found worthy of their Lord, in the service of Him (Rev. 1:3) to walk in the truth of the Gospel, in the holiness of faith, in the obedience and acknowledgement of Him in all things, both temporal and eternal, to the everlasting glory and honour and praise of Jesus Christ.
42. Psalm 16; Song of Solomon 2:8-17, 4; John 17; Eph. 5;
Hebrews 2 &c. are among several Scripture portions, which show Christ's
valuation and estimation of the saints or the Bride. In herself, she knows that there is no
beauty, as she says, "I am black," reflecting upon her affliction,
pain, sin etc; but as seen in Christ, she acknowledges her worth "but
comely" (Song of Solomon 1:5).
Hence, behold, with what tenderness and affection, the Bridegroom calls
her: "My dove" (2:14), and in (4:7)—"Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in
thee" etc., and employs such expressions of endearing love throughout in
the Song. All this is true in virtue of
the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ — "Christ also loved the
Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish." (Eph. 5:25-27.)
[July. 29, 2016]
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