Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The most glorious of all
the prayers of the Lord Jesus is found in John chapter 17.
Father, the hour has come, glorify thy son, that thy son may also
glorify thee. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the
earth. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. Here
in the garden of Gethsemane, as he prayed, he poured out his
soul unto death, and sweat, as it were, great drops of blood
in the behalf of his people. In the treading of that winepress,
he committed himself once again to his father, who in the days
of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears, unto him that was able to save
him from death, and was heard in that he feared. Though he
were a son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation
unto all them that obey him. Though he was poured out like
molten wax, he thought upon those in whose behalf he gladly suffered.
Praying this, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast
given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory
which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation
of the world. O righteous Father, the world
hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known
that thou hast sent me, and I have declared unto them thy name and
will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me
may be in them, and I in them. Nowhere in the annals of history
has absolute trust been more perfectly illustrated than in
the commitment of the Lord Jesus unto his Father, who was all
his trust. Nor has it been shown any more
clearly that he is the shield of him whose trust is stayed
upon the Father than when he poured out his life's blood and
arose triumphant over sin and death for those he came to save.
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made
known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from
God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice
to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased. And this voice which came from
heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. O
Israel, trust thou in the Lord. That mystery which was hid from
the foundation of the world is now revealed as the Lord has
declared His purpose to call out His sheep from every kindred,
tribe, and tongue upon the earth. Even the mystery which hath been
hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His
saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the
glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory. The true Israel of God is now
revealed as those whom the Lord has called and calls to trust
in him. He has ever stood as a shield
and buckler. For he is not a Jew which is
one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward
in the flesh. But he is a Jew which is one
inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit
and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of
God. Christ has come with an endless
life and stands at the right hand of the throne of the majesty
on high. ever living to make intercession
for those that come unto God by Him. Ye that fear the Lord,
trust in the Lord. He is their help and their shield.
Well, as the psalmist said, the fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. A good understanding have all they that do His commandments.
His praise endureth forever. This is the work of the Spirit
of God in the sons of men, to cause them to tremble before
Him. Many are those who are beset with the fear of death and its
consequences, yet relatively few comparatively actually stand
in awe before the presence of Him with a desire to magnify
His awful name, even if He should see fit to destroy them. Job
made this confession, and thine enemies shall be found
liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon them in their high
places. Is he your shield and buffer?
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