Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The salvation which the
Lord is pleased to manifest in Christ is not merely a promise
of deliverance from the certainty of judgment and the fires of
hell, but rather it is a complete deliverance from sin which doth
so easily beset them. Thus Paul says to the Corinthians,
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom
of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were
some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye
are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit
of our God. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. We read of several occasions
in the scriptures whereupon the Lord acted at midnight. The first
was when he slew the firstborn in Egypt. While this was a sorrowful
occurrence in the households of Egypt, it was a time of great
joy among the Israelites as the Lord passed over those houses
where the blood of the lamb was displayed and served as a harbinger
of their freedom from the oppression of slavery. Next we read of Samson
who arose at midnight and carried off the gates of the city of
Gaza in the face of those who plotted his death. In this we
see a picture of the Lord Jesus who was blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. And having spoiled
principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing
over them in it. It was at midnight when Boaz
awakened to find Ruth laying at his feet. As a result of this,
we see another picture of the Lord Jesus, who is our kinsman-redeemer,
just as Boaz purchased the redemption of Ruth and took her to be his
wife. Through that union, we trace the lineage of the Lion
of the tribe of Judah, he who trod the winepress of God's wrath
alone and by his own arm brought salvation to those which were
given to him. It is at midnight when David
said he would arise and give thanks for the Lord's judgment,
for it is in the darkness of night that these judgments appear.
But it is only as the Lord enlightens man and causes him to rejoice
in those judgments that he could possibly do so. By nature, men
scoff at the judgment of God, despising even the very thought
of it. While David was the penman of this psalm, we nonetheless
believe him to have recorded the words of Christ, for indeed
he prayed at midnight on several occasions. It was likely around
this midnight hour when Christ was pouring out His soul before
the Lord in intercession for those which the Father had given
unto Him, and His disciples slept due to human weakness, none watching
with Him, as wicked men approached to bring Him to the judgment
hall of men. It was at midnight when Eutychus fell from the third
floor window, having fallen asleep. In this we see again the weakness
of human flesh manifested, but we also see demonstrated the
great mercy of God in restoring his life as Paul ministered unto
him. Who can stand before the Lord or overturn his purpose?
His words shall not return unto him void. Then it was at midnight
when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God according
to his purpose. They were moved to do so by his
spirit which worked in them mightily, but they could have had no knowledge
of the ultimate reason for their time of praise or their purpose
for being in this particular jail at that particular time.
The Lord would use an earthquake, a man's natural fear, a bit of
good news, and the glorious word of God to get the attention of
a Philippian jailer who had no prior knowledge of Christ. It
is interesting that this jailer sprang in with a light. In this
we see the picture of a man in nature's night, awakened, fearing
the worst, but having been given a light that he might see. The
Lord sent a preacher with the only message that would do him
any good, just as he sent Philip to meet with the Ethiopian eunuch,
Peter to Cornelius, and he himself kept appointments with the woman
at the well of Samaria, a blind beggar beside the road, and a
short tax collector up a sycamore tree. Oh, how great is the mercy
of God to bring salvation to unworthy and unseeking sinners.
Truly these scenarios demonstrate that the Lord's people shall
be willing in the day of His power. How are His ways past
finding out? Paul told this man all that he
needed to know. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. One moment he has no consideration
of what salvation even is, and the next he is asking how it
might be his. This is much the same manner
in which that thief upon the cross was suddenly brought to
call upon the One who alone is salvation. Do you call upon this
One who saves sinners? For a free CD containing 15 of
these radio broadcasts, send an email to forthepoor at windstream.net.