Let us turn to the Word, the
Word of God, in the portion that we read, and draw your attention
to words at the beginning of chapter 13, in the book of the
prophet Zechariah. Zechariah 13, verse 1, in that
day, There shall be a fountain opened to the house of David
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. I'm aware that it is a verse
that we have looked at on a previous occasion. But last week of course
we were in the previous chapter and considered those words at
the end of chapter 12 from verse 10 following. where we considered
something of gospel moreness as has spoken of in that passage
and remember out there at the beginning of verse 10 we have
the promise of the Holy Spirit I will pour upon the house of
David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace
and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they
have pierced and it struck me how again these characters are
referred to at the beginning of this 13th chapter where we
read of the fountain opened open to whom? To the house of David
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. So I want to try to say something
with regards in particular to these characters. Who are we
to understand? We must ever remember that God's
Word is continually being addressed to case and to condition. Yes, there is a general call
to men, but we know that the Gospel is very discriminating.
The ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. How there was
a division amongst the people because of Him. Or there was
a division amongst the people because of His sayings. Many
times we find such an expression in John's Gospel. There is a separation being made
by and through the ministry of the word and it's it's well for
us to seek to ascertain quite specifically just who it is that
God addresses in the various parts of his work so I want to
say something ultimately with regards to who we are to understand
by this name the house of David the inhabitants of Jerusalem
But really, the subject matter, I suppose, must be that of the
fountain opened for sin. or the promise of pardon that
we have in the words of this text. In that day there shall
be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. The reason why the
fountain is opened is quite definitely described there. It's for sin. It's for uncleanness, separation. For uncleanness is what the Hebrew
literally says according to what we have here in the margin of
this pulpit Bible. The promise of pardon then. And
so dividing what I say initially into these two parts to say something
with regards to the promise and then something with regards to
the pardon. Now, again we observe the significance of the first
three words of the chapter in that day. And I did remark on
this last week when we were considering those words in particular at
chapter 12 and verse 10. Because throughout that 12th
chapter we read repeatedly of such a day, verse 3 of chapter
12. in that day. Verse 4, in that
day. Verse 6, in that day. Verse 8, in that day. Verse 11, in that day. And then we come to chapter 13.
And what do we see? We see the same again. The opening words, in that day. And then again, we have it later
in the chapter, there in verse 4, it shall come to pass, in
that day, that day, that day, that day, what is the day that
is being spoken of? This is an expression that is
not uncommon, in the writing certainly of the minor prophets
here at the end of the Old Testament. Sometimes they might refer to
the last day, or the last days, or the day of the Lord. What
are we to understand by this expression? Well, the reference
is really to the day in which we're living. It is the day of the Lord. It is
the gospel day. that is being spoken of. All
these things in the Old Testament are written for our learning. All these things happened unto
them for ensembles. They are written for our instruction
upon whom the ends of the world are come. These words then are
so relevant to us today because it is the day of the Lord. It
is the last day. It is the Gospel day. I have
heard thee in a time accepted, in the day of salvation of Isochitl. Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation."
That says the Apostle there at the beginning of 2 Corinthians
chapter 6. And so, what we have here, the
promise, the promise is the promise of the Gospel. It's that promise
that appertains to the day in which we're living. However,
before saying something more about that promise, I do want
to make some reference to the historical setting, to the context,
because that's not unimportant. And I did remark on certain aspects
of this last week. We have to remember when it was
that Zachariah was ministering. and he was ministering at the
time of the return from the Babylonian captivity. God had judged the
people of the Jews because of their sins, because of their
idolatry. Judah, Jerusalem had been overrun
by the Babylonians, the temple had been destroyed, the people
had been removed into exile. But God was not finished with
them. Though they were to languish some 70 years there in Babylon,
God determined that in the appointed time there would be a return
to the land of promise. Jerusalem would be people to
gain, the temple was to be rebuilt. and remember Daniel 9 that's
a significant chapter of course because there we see how the
Prophet understands these things as he's reading in the book of
the Prophet Jeremiah and in chapter 9 Daniel sets his face to pray
and to plead with God that there might be a return and so there
was. The Babylonian Empire was overthrown
by that of the Medes and Persians and then we read of Cyrus the
Great great Persian emperor Cyrus and he passes a decree that the
Jews are to be permitted to return to Jerusalem and to engage in
the rebuilding of the temple and that's what the book of Ezra
is taken up with. If you read there in Ezra in
the opening verses we have mention of the decree of Cyrus. And in
that book we see that the prophets who were contemporary with Ezra,
well, one was Zechariah. One was Zechariah and the other
prophet was that one that's mentioned previously, Haggai. Turn to Ezra
chapter 5 for example. It says, Then the prophets Haggai
the prophets and Zechariah the son of Edo prophesied unto the
Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel
even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son
of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Josedach and began to build
the house of God which is at Jerusalem. and with them were
the prophets of God helping them. So here is Zechariah, what is
his ministry is to be one who is an encourager of those who
are engaged in this great work and amongst the builders of course
is this man Zerubbabel and how Zerubbabel is spoken of here
in chapter 4 Verse 8 of that chapter, Moreover
the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel
have laid the foundation of this house. His hand shall also finish
it, and they shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me
unto you. For who hath despised the day
of small things? For they shall rejoice and shall
see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. as he is engaged
in this great work of the rebuilding, how important it was because
the temple and previous to that the tabernacle stood at the very
heart of the worship of God amongst the children of Israel when God
brought them out of Egypt, remember he gave them the Ten Commandments,
he enters into covenant with them and he gives Moses all that
instruction concerning the the furnishings of the tabernacle,
and the tabernacle there with the holy place and beyond that
the Holy of Holies. And there in the Holy of Holies
they were to keep the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the
Covenant contained those tables, the tables of stone written with
the finger of God, the Ten Commandments. And there upon the top of the
Ark of the Covenant was placed the Mercy Seat. and what was God's promise to
them he said he would come and he would commune with them from
above the mercy seat from between the two cherubim. God was there
in the midst and when they were wandering through the wilderness
as they set up camp so the tabernacle was always at the very center
because that was the presence of God, the promise of God's
presence when they come into the promised land they set up
the tabernacle first at Shiloh but then David removes it to
Jerusalem and eventually his son Solomon builds the great
temple but the temple had been destroyed but now The temple
is being rebuilt as a return and the temple is associated
very much with the presence of God. God is there in the midst.
And this is the promise previously here in the second chapter. Look at the language there at
verse 10. Sing and rejoice, O door of Zion, for lo, I come, and
I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord, And many
nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be
my people, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt
know that the Lord of hosts hath sent thee unto them. Now, here
in chapter 2 and that 11th verse we see that again there is a
mention of that day. Many nations shall be joined
to the Lord in that day. We're not simply to think in
terms of the historical context and what is happening in Jerusalem
all those many years ago when they returned and the temple
was rebuilt but there's something greater here. And it's the spiritual
significance of the book. Zechariah is not an easy book.
It's full of strange figures. But it's a book that's full of
gospel. because it speaks of that day. It speaks of the Lord
Jesus Christ himself. They are rebuilding the temple
which had been erected in the place of the tabernacle. But
think of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the tabernacle which
the Lord pitched and not man, says Paul to the Hebrews. Christ is the true tabernacle.
How does God come in the fullness of the time? God comes in the
person of his only begotten Son. Oh, there is the great mystery
you see. Christ is the fulfillment of the temple, the fulfillment
of the tabernacle. Are these things a type of these
things, or a type of the incarnation, the coming of Christ? the tabernacle
which the Lord pitched and not man, that's the human nature
of Christ. That human nature that was conceived by the Holy
Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He was born of the Virgin. He received his human nature
from the Virgin. But what was conceived is spoken
of in In Luke is that holy thing which shall be born of thee,
that is the body, the soul of the Lord, but that holy thing
is called the Son of God. It's those two natures. He is a man, yes, and he is the
son of David, but he is also the true almighty God, the eternal
Son of the eternal Father. And the Lord Himself, remember
in the course of His own ministry there in the second chapter of
John, He says to the Jews, destroy this temple and in three days
I will build it again. And immediately they think He's
speaking in terms of the building that stands there in Jerusalem.
And He's not speaking of the building at all, He's speaking
of Himself. And after His resurrection His disciples understood that.
He is the fulfillment of the temple. And is that one that
we are to discern in every part of this book of the Prophet Zechariah? If we're going to rightly read
and understand the Word of God, well we need to know that ministry
of the Holy Spirit that we considered last time. I will pour upon the
house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the
Spirit of grace and supplications. And where that Spirit is, what
is the outcome? They shall look upon me. whom
they have pierced. We can only rightly consider
Christ, or understand anything of Christ, anything of the Word
of God, by the ministry of the Spirit, as He comes to enlighten
our eyes, and to enlighten our understandings, that we might
see the wonder of these things. Or look at what we have later
in this 13th chapter. Awake, O sword against my shepherd,
And against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts,
smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will
turn mine hand upon the little ones. Who is this that is being
spoken of whom God calls my fellow? Why, it is that one who is the
Son, the Eternal Son, very God of very God. And though he is
that one who comes to offer the great sinner turning sacrifice
to die as a substitute in the place of his people and the sword
of justice must awake against him or the shepherd is smitten
and the sheep are scattered and so it was at the crucifixion
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we need to recognize then
what the what the promise is. It's the promise that belongs
to this day of grace. It's a gospel promise that we
have before us. In that day there shall be a
fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness. Well, having said what the promise
is, it's the promise of Christ, the coming of Christ, And what
is accomplished here? What is it that Christ does when
he comes to accomplish all that is necessary for the forgiveness
of sins? This is the subject matter of
the promise. The fountain opened for sin and
for uncleanness. Oh, what a fountain is this!
It's the Gospel. Isaiah says, with joy shall ye
draw water out of the wells of salvation. It's the same thing
really. I know here it says a fountain,
it's singular, and there in Isaiah 12 it says wells of salvation. with joy shall ye draw water
out of the wells of salvation." But it's one and the same thing,
and the plural there in Isaiah simply emphasizes all that fullness
of salvation. What a glorious richness is there
in that fountain, that well of salvation. And it all flows wherefrom
from the Lord Jesus Christ. A man there is, a real man with
wounds still gaping wide from which rich streams of blood once
ran in hands and feet and sides. Oh, this is the Lord Jesus Christ.
What a provision it is that God has made. A fountain open, a
well of salvation, wells of salvation. This is not a man-made thing. This is not a system that's full
of stagnant water. Remember how the Lord God rebukes
the children of Israel in the days of Jeremiah? He said, my
people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the living
fountains of water, and they have built themselves systems,
broken systems, that can hold no water. What foolish things
men are. to imagine that they can make
provision for themselves, that they can do anything to save
themselves. All of salvation is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's in the fountain. God is open for sin and salvation,
and it is what God has done. It's a spring, really, that's
been, as it were, dug out. It's interesting, because this
word, this noun, fountain, It's from a verb that literally means
to dig or to bore. There's a spring in the ground,
a spring of water. But there's a borehole made so
it becomes a fountain. The fountain of living waters,
it's what God has done. That's the emphasis. It's what
God purposed. God purposed it from all eternity. And it's in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and when the fullness of the time has come, God sent forth
His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them
that were under the law. This is redemption, you see.
Oh, it's the blood of ransom that flows from the fountain,
open for sin and uncleanness. God Himself has prepared it. And remember how the apostle,
when he writes to the Hebrews, speaks of Christ and he speaks
in terms of the psalm, he speaks of a body being prepared. There
in that 10th chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, the quote from
Psalm 40, In Hebrews 10 verse 5 following, Wherefore, when
he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering
thou wiltest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Then said I, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book which is written
of me, to do thy will, O God. And if you compare those words
with what we read in Psalm 40 at verse 6 following, you'll
see that that's a passage that is being quoted. But there is
a difference. There is a difference, because back in the Psalm, in
the Psalm, it says, My knees hast thou opened, Whereas in
Hebrews 10, verse 5, it says, Why a difference? Well, of course, Paul is writing
to the Hebrews under the inspiration of the Spirit. He doesn't just
quote the Old Testament, he interprets it. He explains it. And that's
what he's doing in a sense. but it's interesting to compare
the differences mine ears hast thou opened or as the margin
says my ears hast thou digged or bought and then in Hebrews
10 the body hast thou prepared mine now what are we to understand
by the psalm where he speaks about the ears being digged or
the ears being bored. Well we go back to Exodus, Exodus
chapter 21 after the giving of the Ten Commandments. Remember
how these various laws are given to Moses who's now the mediator
in the mount receiving instruction from God There at the beginning
of Exodus 21 it deals with the matter of someone who has come
into a place where they're in servitude, they've lost everything
and they sell themselves to another and they serve him, they're a
slave really. But that can only last for seven
years and the seventh year must be the great year of release.
But what if a man has lost everything and gone into servitude and with
his master he has found a wife and he's settled and he doesn't
want to be released. Well, there we have the law that
was to be applied in Exodus 21 and there in particular I'll
just turn to the chapter Exodus 21 5 If the servant shall plainly
say, I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go
out for her, then his master shall bring him unto the judges.
6 He shall also bring him to the door or unto the doorpost,
and his master shall bore or dig his ear through with an awl,
and he shall serve him for ever. This one, you see, becomes a
willing servant. And that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
When God prepares him a body, he comes as one who is now the
Lord's willing servant, though he is equal to the Father. And
in the blessed outworking of the covenant of grace, is he
not the servant of God? Behold, my servant, whom I uphold,
mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Now he is obedient, always obedient
to all the commandments of God. This is his great business, to
do the will of the Father who has sent him and to accomplish
and to finish all that great work. Look at what he says, Isaiah
50 verse 5, The Lord God hath opened mine ear And I was not
rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters,
and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face
from shame and spitting." All that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplishes
then is what God himself had purposed in the eternal covenant
that day. The Gospel day, this is the fulfillment,
the outworking of these things. The fountain is opened for sin
and uncleanness. The body is prepared for the
Lord. And He comes as a real man. And
He comes to obey and is obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. And so, when he comes to the
end, how does he pray in that 17th chapter of John, his great
high priestly prayer, I have glorified thee on the earth,
I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do, and then
upon the cross as he commits his spirit into the hands of
his God, he commends his spirit, offers up his soul as it were,
no one He's able to take his life from him. He has power,
he has authority to lay that life down and he has authority
to take that life again. It's a voluntary sacrifice and
he utters those words, it is finished. It is finished. All
the blessed work of redemption is done. The fountain is opened.
Opened for sin and for uncleanness. There is a fountain. filled with
blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins, and sinners plunge beneath
that flood, lose all their guilty stains. This is the provision
that God has made. This is the great promise. Without
the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. We looked
at those words there in Hebrews 9, last Lord's Day morning. No
remission, no pardon, no forgiveness. without the shedding of blood
and the blood has been shed and the blood has not been shed in
vain or perish the thought perish the thought dear dying lamb thy
precious blood shall never lose its power till all the ransomed
church of God is saved to sin no more the blessed doctrine
of particular redemption, limited atonement. The death of the Lord
Jesus Christ has not just made salvation a possibility, it has
made salvation a certainty for as many as the Father gave to
Him in that eternal covenant. Oh, friends, to be those who
would know that we have an interest in these things. That's a great
chapter, isn't it? That 23rd chapter of 2 Samuel. the last words of David the last
words of David and those last words are tremendous though my
house be not so with God yet made with me an everlasting covenant
ordered in all things and sure this is all my salvation all
my desire though we make it not to grow but there's so much there
because he goes on later this is David David's last words the
dying David as it were what does he say later There in 2 Samuel
23 15 he desires a drink. Give me a drink, he says, of
the water of the well at Bethlehem. A drink of the water of the well
at Bethlehem. Now, what's the significance
of that? The well of Bethlehem? You know, it's really a name
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the well of Bethlehem. was not Christ
born there at Bethlehem, the city of David? And what is David desiring? He
is desiring to partake of all the refreshment that is in the
work of that one who is truly David's greatest son. Or to drink
of those wells of salvation. To have a drink of the water
of the well at Bethlehem. There then we have God's promise,
it's the gospel in that day. And what is the promise? It's a promise of the pardon
of every sin and all the refreshings of the grace of God in the gospel. In that day there shall be a
fountain open for sin and uncleanness. But let us come to what I said
at the beginning by way of application. for whom is this provision made? well we read here it's opened
to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
and it's for us to seek to understand just who these characters are and to see if these words can
apply to us that we have an interest the house of David. Now of course
the Lord Jesus Christ himself is one of the house of David. Remember the words of Paul when
he defines the gospel there at the beginning of Romans? Speaks
of himself as an apostle separated unto the gospel of God. which
he had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
we read in the second verse, a sort of parenthesis. He speaks
of the Gospel, then in verse 3 he defines the Gospel, concerning
his son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of
David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of
God with power, according to the spirit of holiness by the
resurrection from the dead. So Christ is the Son of God,
and He's declared, determined, marked out as the Son of God
by the resurrection, but He's also made of the seed of David
according to the flesh. It's that truth we've already
touched on, it's His human nature, He's a man, a real man, He's
of the line of David with regards to His humanity, He's of David's
house in that sense, but He's also the Son of God. the eternal
Son of God He is God, God the Son He belongs to the house of David
and this provision is for the house of David open to the house of David who
else are the house of David? well I've already referred to
those words in 2nd Samuel 23 although my house be not so with
God David's thinking of his household although my house be not so,
what is my household? he is doubtless thinking back
over his life and all that has happened all that has happened,
think of David himself how David had sinned and he had sinned
so grievously in the matter of Bathsheba he was an adulterer
he'd sought some way to cover his sin and it had failed he's
a miserable sinner really he won't admit his sin he wants
to cover it he wants it to appear that this child has now been
conceived by him he's lying with Bathsheba another man's wife
She's with child, he wants Uriah to come back, he wants Uriah
to go and live with his wife, but Uriah is such a noble man,
he won't do what David wants, he doesn't know what's going
on. It's all under the hand of God. So what does David do? He screams, he plots and arranges
that Uriah is going to be killed in the battle. He's a murderer,
David, as well as an adulterer. trying to cover his sin how evil
it is and then God deals with him by his faithful prophet Nathan
oh Nathan comes and Nathan is fearless and he begins to touch
the king now in his conscience David thou art the man He tells,
well you can read it, you can read it and I commend it to you
there in 2nd Samuel 12 but he says David thou art the man and
David is brought to genuine repentance real evangelical repentance because
his repentance doesn't center in himself not like Esau who
when he had sold the birthright for a what is it, a massive pottage.
That's what he'd sold his birthright for. And then when Jacob receives
a blessing, what does he say to his father? Oh, bless me. Bless me. It all centers in himself. Not in God, but with David. When
David comes to repentance. Psalm 51, what does he say against
the owner of my sin and on this evil in my sight? It's God-centered. It's not me-centered. That's
evangelical. That's evangelical. That's what
the Spirit does, you see. When He comes, they shall look
upon me and they have pierced and they shall mourn for Him.
as one mourner for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for
him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. David is brought
to real repentance and he's forgiven. But God takes
vengeance, you know, on our inventions. What does the prophet say to
David? The sword shall not depart out
of thy hand. the sword shall not depart out
of thy house and you know what happens then subsequently you
can read the history of David there in the books of Samuel
how that Amnon one of his sons says protest his great love for
his sister Tamar they have the same father they have different
mothers half brother half sister and here is Amnon and all how
he desires Tamar And eventually he forces himself upon her. And
once he's done that, he hates her. It wasn't love at all, it
was lust. And Absalom, why Absalom's the
brother of this fair maid. And Absalom's so incensed. He's
a real brother, a full brother to Tamar. And he goes and he
kills Amnon. And then subsequently we have
Absalom's rebellion against David and Absalom setting himself up,
stealing the hearts of all the Israelites and David having to
flee from Jerusalem. You're familiar, I'm sure, with
much of that history. Oh David, the sword shall not
depart out of thy house. And David, even when he's dead,
the sword's still there. after his death. Why was it not
Solomon who was to succeed his father? Solomon was to become
the king, but Adonijah comes forward, his other son, and seeks
to take the throne. And there's more bloodshed. This
is the house of David. Although my house be not so with
God. Ah, but there is a fountain filled
with blood The fountain for sin and for uncleanness opened to
the house of David. It's opened, you see, to great
sinners. It's opened to great sinners,
this blood that flows from this fountain. But then it's not only
the house of David, it's the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Who
are the inhabitants of Jerusalem? Well, remember How the Lord,
after Peter had made his great confession at Caesarea Philippi,
there in Matthew chapter 16, he had confessed how at the Christ,
the Son of the Living God, it was the most significant confession,
because of what follows, from that time, we're told. Matthew
16, 21, from that time forth, began Jesus to show unto his
disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem. and suffer many
things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be
killed, and be raised again the third day." They understood who
He was. They understood the wonder of
His person. They were the Christ, the Son of the Living God. This
is God-Man. This is the promised Messiah.
Once they understand the significance of the person of Jesus of Nazareth,
from that time He begins to speak of His great work, how He must
go to Jerusalem. that is the place where his work
will reach its climax and he sets his face to go to Jerusalem
and it is there of course that he is crucified all the inhabitants
of Jerusalem and what do we read in the in the fourfold gospel
in the accounts there in the gospels we read detail of the
crucifixion of the Lord and what is What is it that those at Jerusalem
want? What do they demand of the governor,
the Roman governor Pontius Pilate? Crucify him, they say of Christ.
Crucify him. Away with him. Away with him.
We have no king but Caesar. These are the inhabitants of
Jerusalem. These are the inhabitants of Jerusalem. even those rejecters
of Christ. And you know, it's remarkable,
isn't it, when he comes to the preaching of the Gospel. Or they have said, His blood
be upon us and upon our children. His blood be upon us, they're
the greatest of sinners. But there's such a gracious provision
for these great sinners. The end of Luke, Christ says
repentance and remission of sins shall be preached in his name
among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. Oh, that's where it
all begins. That's where this Gospel has
to come, beginning at Jerusalem, the very place where the Lord
Jesus Christ was crucified. Again there in the opening chapter
of the Acts where we read of the ascension of the Lord Again,
remember what He says to His disciples, you shall receive
power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be
My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, to the
uttermost ends of the earth. It all begins in Jerusalem. That's where the Gospel comes.
It comes where sinners are, even great sinners. You know, there's
a sermon of dear John Bunyan's. He bears his title, The Jerusalem
Sinner Saved. The Jerusalem Sinner Saved. Oh, the fountain is opened to
the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. What a provision this is. The
dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day, and there
might I, though vile as I, wash all my guilt away, says dear
William Cooper. Oh, what a blessed truth it is.
Think of that woman, woman of hilly purity it would seem, and
she's there, sitting at the feet of Christ, weeping, washing his
feet with her tears. drawing those feet with the hairs
of her head, anointing his head with oil. What does the Lord
say? The sins which are many, the sins which are many are forgiven. Oh, that's that precious blood.
In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. There is salvation here. And
there is all the fullness of salvation. Every aspect, every
part of salvation. Justification, sanctification.
It's interesting. The references that we have to
Jerusalem in that previous chapter. God says in verse 2, Behold,
I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people
round about, when they shall be in the siege both against
Judah and against Jerusalem. Or the siege against Jerusalem. Verse 9, It shall come to pass
in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that
come against Jerusalem. Jerusalem is under siege now.
Remember what I said, we have to understand this book not just
in its historical context, we have to see the spiritual significance
of it. What does Jerusalem represent
to us? It's spiritual Jerusalem we are
to be concerned with. And spiritual Jerusalem is the
church, the people of God, it's believers. And our believers
are those who live a life that's constantly under siege. Is Jerusalem
besieged on every hand? You only have to read the Old
Testament to say that that was the case time and time and time
again. Other nations round about would
come against them, the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Babylonians.
Constantly conflicting with the Philistines. Always under siege
it seems. And so too the spiritual Jerusalem. Your adversary the devil is a
roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour, says Peter,
whom resist steadfast in the faith. There is a great foe out
there, the devil. And he's a cunning foe. And we're
not to be ignorant of all his devices, all his stratagems. And there's not only a devil,
there's a world. The whole world lies in wickedness.
All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is
of the world. In the world, says Christ, you
shall have tribulation. All there is much besieging the
child of God, you see, the devil, the world. And Paul knew it. All he says, without were fighting. Without were fighting. But then,
within we're fierce, you know we have more to fear within than
we have to fear without it's ourselves, isn't it? it's what
we are I know that in me, says Paul, that is in my flesh there
dwelleth no good thing what are we by nature? a sink of iniquity
all our righteousness is a filthy rax Oh, what are we to do? What are
we to do? We're to look to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Again, you see, it's all in Christ,
it's all in the work of Christ, His obedience unto death, it's
all in the blood of Christ. Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us. Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption is our sanctification. is every part of our salvation,
if we're saved at all. And how we need to know Him who
is the Spirit of Christ. If ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall live, says the Apostle. We can't
do it of ourselves. How we need the Spirit, the Spirit
of grace and of supplications, that we might look upon Him,
the pierced One. the precious blood that flows
so freely from those wounds. Or we are those who have pierced
him through and through and yet it's the blood that flows from
all those precious wounds that secures a full and a free salvation
or that we might be those who know that we have an interest
in these things know what it is to be plunged in that fountain
of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ in that day there shall
be a fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness or the Lord bless
His word to us. Amen.