Thy mercy, my God, is the theme
of my song. The Lord does not work around
what men call circumstances. Rather, He is the God of circumstances,
as He works His sovereign will through them, confounding men
in the process. Oh, the depths of the riches
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are
His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who hath known
the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counselor? John,
who would be called John the Baptizer, the Baptist, or the
Immerser, was a Nazarite who was filled with the Holy Ghost
in his mother's womb. We see the evidence of the indwelling
of the Spirit in John when Mary visited Elizabeth, and he leapt
in her womb, perceiving the presence of him whose name is above every
name. Isaiah identified John as the
voice of one crying in the wilderness, being the last of the Old Testament
prophets. He could only see the purpose
for which Christ came into the world through very dim eyes,
even though he could see more clearly than any who had gone
before him. Thus we see him crying in the wilderness. Now surely
this world is a wilderness to all of those whose citizenship
is in another country, which is not made with hands. Yet he
could only behold Christ from the wilderness, even as Moses
could only view the promised land from afar. He was given
to know that he was the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the
world. He could recognize his place of honor in the kingdom
of God, and he had some understanding of the power of Christ to bestow
his Spirit upon his disciples, baptizing them with fire. Yet
he was not allowed to see the complete work of Christ in dying
for sinners and then rising again from the dead as the firstfruits
of them that sleep. He could not fully grasp the
spiritual nature of Christ's kingdom. Thus the Lord said of
him, For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women
there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he
that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. What
a privilege is bestowed upon those who have been given eyes
to see the finished substitutionary work of Christ in the behalf
of those whom he loved with an everlasting love. We should not
be amazed at the lack of understanding which John had, especially when
we think of the fact that the Lord's own disciples, who accompanied
with him from the beginning of his ministry, actually missed
the point of his coming as they asked if he would now restore
the kingdom to Israel when he was about to ascend. Yet with
all of his limitations and odd habits, John alone is that messenger
sent by the Father to herald the advent of Christ to the world.
No one else was called to this work and none could perform it
except him to whom it was appointed. His declaration was a word of
comfort to the sons of God. John bore witness of the gospel
in the clearest of terms when he told his own disciples, Behold
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This
is a message of certainty. He bore witness that what He
came to do, He would most certainly accomplish. There is no greater
word of comfort which can be given to the children of God
than the declaration that He has obtained eternal redemption
for them. He has not attempted to do it,
awaiting their cooperation to make it certain, but by His own
blood He has purchased their redemption, and they are His
possession. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. This voice, crying in the wilderness,
said, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. This word prepare literally
means turn to face or behold and is often translated from
the Hebrew as turn or looked upon. But we all with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into
the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of
the Lord. This is in direct contrast to
beholding the law of sin and death. The perfect law of liberty
which is the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made
us free from the law of sin and death. This way, being Christ,
levels hills, straightens curves, and smooths the path for those
who are sojourners through this land of sin and sorrow. He is
our peace who has broken down the walls of separation between
us and the riches of his kingdom. Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature shall be able to separate us from the love
of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The glory of the Lord
is here seen, as he described it to Moses. And he said, I will
make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the
name of the Lord before thee, and will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show
mercy. Have you beheld his glory? For
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