Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The Bible is a book given
unto men to reveal the glory of its author. He sets forth
both his character and power in every page therein. Seldom
is the ire and rancor of man towards God stirred in greater
measure than when his absolute rule and authority is set forth
before them. We see this in the beginning
when Eve was deceived while the question of his right to do with
his own as he wills was whispered to her by the serpent. "'Yea,'
hath God said." In essence, he was saying, what right does God
have to make these prohibitions and keep back some knowledge
from you which you rightly deserve? Adam, upon a contemplation of
this thought, did willingly eat of that forbidden fruit, plunging
his posterity into darkness and condemnation. Paul recognizes
this same rebellious nature, which is rooted in the heart
of men when he takes away the grounds upon which men will protest
against God's sovereign right to fulfill his own purpose. Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will
he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why
doth he yet find fault? for who hath resisted his will?
Nay, but, O man, who art thou that replyest against God? Shall
the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made
me thus? hath not the potter power over the clay of the same
lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
Man, in his natural religion of whatever type, considers that
he can define and know God according to several degrees of limitations
which they consider they can place upon him. Job was in a
great measure in such a place. Yet God, who is rich in mercy,
designed his multiple trials, along with his and his cohort's
reasonings, to bring Job to that place when he would confess that
in reality he knew nothing at all about him, who is the true
and living God, when the Lord revealed himself. Who is he that
hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that
I understood not, things too wonderful for me which I knew
not. Here I beseech thee, and I will speak. I will demand of
thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing
of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore, I abhor
myself and repent in dust and ashes. The psalmist declared
the limitations of men in this regard. Lord, make me to know
mine end and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may
know how frail I am. Behold, I was made my days as
an handbreadth, and mine age is as nothing before thee. Verily,
every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Paul
said, and if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth
nothing, yet as he ought to know. For if a man think himself to
be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. At our
very best, we see through a glass darkly. Many tell us that we
should not be quite so extreme in our desire to publish the
glory of him who predestinates all things. We do confess that
by nature we find this to be a wise course of action. Yet
when we read the Holy Scriptures, we find that the Lord Himself
is quite extreme in His own declaration of that revelation of Himself.
I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light and create
darkness. I make peace and create evil.
I, the Lord, do all these things. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the end, the first and the last. He has revealed his extreme
justice in sending forth his only begotten son to die for
sinners, extremely satisfying his own law in their behalf.
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might
be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
This righteousness is in itself extreme, for there is absolutely
no other righteousness in which a man may stand in the presence
of a holy God. This work of Christ in redemption
is an extreme demonstration of the extreme love which he has
for that people which he chose in Christ from before the foundation
of the world. Having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them unto the end. Greater love hath no
man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Nothing can be more extreme than
the triumph of Christ over sin and death, as He broke the bonds
of mortality, rising from the grave in the same body, though
glorified, in which He walked among men in this world. Thus
He has demonstrated the extreme measure to which He would go
in bringing many sons unto glory. He has given His people an extreme
inheritance, making them heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.
If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified
together. He will lose none of those which
have been given to Him. May we fall down together and
worship our extreme Savior. Christ saves sinners to the uttermost. For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.