I will make the place of my feet glorious

Seeking the Lord's help and your very prayerful attention, I'll direct your thoughts to words you'll find in the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 60 and the latter part of verse 13. Isaiah chapter 60 and the latter part of verse 13. And I will make the place of my feet And I will make the place of my feet glorious.

Over the 150 years of the history of this honoured sanctuary, often the Lord has made the place of his feet glorious. And it is that blessed truth that has made, not that we worship the bricks and the mortar, but it has made nonetheless a precious spot, as Bethel was to Jacob. So many can say this is none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven. And in this context of this verse or these words I've read, the prophet is speaking of the gathering in of the Gentiles and the New Testament day and the way in which the gospel will have its success as the Holy Ghost blesses it. And there are certain prophecies which have yet to be fulfilled in the unfolding of God's purposes on this earth before our Lord return. But I want this afternoon to speak very simply about the feet of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I will make The place of my feet, glorious. Now, we read in the book of the Kings, 1 Kings, of the erection of the first temple.

It was probably the most glorious, naturally speaking, building ever built on the face of this earth. I think we can hardly comprehend the natural glory that God gave in the building of that remarkable edifice. And you remember that when Solomon dedicated it and asked for the Lord's blessing upon it, the glory of the Lord's defense ended into that building, so much so that the congregation were almost overwhelmed by it. And Solomon said, shall God in very deed dwell upon the earth? Behold, the heaven of the heavens cannot contain him, much less this building that I have made. So great though the first temple was, and it was a great building, even that, with all its magnificence, could not contain the full glory of the Lord.

Now we know, through sad history, that when the Chaldeans came, that temple was razed to the ground. Not one stone was left upon another because of the departures of God's people from the covenant made with them through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses. But then through the goodness of God and Isaiah prophesied it and it came to pass. When the 70 years captivity were done, then the people of the Lord's people returned to the land of promise. And one of the things they were commanded to do was to rebuild the temple. And so a man called Jirobobo particularly was given this burden to oversee the rebuilding of the temple.

I'm not going to go into great detail about how that was accomplished. except to say this that it was a smaller temple was not so naturally glorious as the first temple when it was first erected the old men who remember the old temple wept because of its smallness the young men rejoiced because they hadn't known what the first temple was like so there was a mixture of weeping and rejoicing often been so here dear friends and in many Places they're not.

The two mingle together. That to mourn over, that to rejoice in. But you see, as Haggai tells us, the second temple was more glorious than the first. It wasn't so magnificent. It had not got so much gold and silver as the first temple. But wherein lay its glory.

The feet of God incarnate. Our Lord Jesus Christ walked within its precincts. That gave it more glory than could ever be given. The greatest of all privileges that our Lord should walk, as he did, in that temple. The glory of the latter house was greater than that of the former. There's a sermon, of course, could be preached on that, but we will not pause too long on that particular aspect.

But then we have here the place of God's dear feet, his dear son, still made glorious long since that second temple has gone. And if you have been to Jerusalem, you'll see the ruins of it before you. But friends, the Lord still comes. And he still comes to his church, which, after all, is infinitely more precious than any outward building. By his dear spirit he comes, and through the ministry of his word he makes the place of his feet glorious. He has within these walls, he has in the hearts of many here this afternoon. It is the Lord's work, and it is the honour and glory of God in it.

I will make the place of my feet glorious. Shall God in very deed dwell upon the earth? When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law. Whereas Solomon's temple could only contain a fraction of the glory of God, he who lay in Bethlehem's manger, verily God, verily man, in him dwelt all the fullness. all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

And it is that precious Christ that has been preached in these walls that have gladdened the hearts of sinners looking for a Saviour. And those who have lived spiritually this afternoon will know what is meant in Luke chapter 1. when we read John the Baptist leapt in the womb of Elizabeth. Why? Because at the sound of the mother of our Lord, we didn't leap at the mother, it was what was in the dear mother's womb, the sacred humanity of our dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And friend, I ask you, have you ever leapt in your soul? the sound of the name of our Saviour when it's been preached from this pulpit or read in this word or sung about as ever your soul leaped out in love and in life and in liberty well that's a mark of grace isn't it and it's one of the workings of our text the Lord has made the place of his feet glorious in your heart and I hope in your life too because the two go together O, have you ever given any glory to God the Father for sending the Son, and God the Son for so willingly coming, and God the Holy Ghost for so willingly revealing Himself to poor unworthy sinners such as you and I are? I will make the place of my feet glorious. Now consider for a moment then the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, the precious subject First of all, we see them in Bethlehem's manger. And he was the glory there.

Who do the shepherds leave their flocks to see? Yes, they knew they would see Joseph and Mary when they arrived, but it was not them they were looking for. It was that babe, lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. And whom were the wise men looking after that long, arduous journey of many weeks?

Where is he that is born, King of the Jews? And they could not rest, and would not rest, till they found him. You go to the Song of Solomon and we read the church there. She sought him but could not find him. Then she went a little further and she found him by God's grace, just like those wise men.

When they came into the house where the Savior was, they knelt down and they worshipped Him and they weren't forbidden to do so. Because whom they were worshipping was God manifest in the flesh. He had the glory in that manger. He had the glory in that house.

And when Simeon, a few days later, was sent to the temple, he came by the Spirit into it. Notice that. That's when something's done, friends. When you come by the Spirit into the house of God, that inward prompting. Can you remember that time when you came like that into this house of prayer, or another perhaps? And the Lord so visited your soul. Well, it was so with Simeon. He awoke that morning, Simeon, go to the temple. This is the day you've longed for for so long. This is the blessing you've been so long waiting for, praying for, perhaps sometimes despairing of. But this is the day.

And when he went to the temple, he didn't need to ask which babe it was, you know. I don't believe our Lord had a halo around his head either. but by revelation. It's only by revelation is Christ known, you know. The Spirit uncovering the Word. No man can say that Jesus the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. By the Holy Ghost, Simeon goes to the very babe. There may well have been more babes in the temple that day, but he goes to that one, he takes him in his arms, and what does he say?

Lord, now let us thou thy servant depart in peace. Thine eyes have seen thy salvation. He looked on that dear babe, God manifest in the flesh, and he would say with the hymn we sometimes sing, that dear babe of Bethlehem I see, my God contracted to a span for me. Blessed language, grasping him in the hands of faith, not just his natural arms, With the hand of faith, he holds him fast. My Jesus, my saviour, my redeemer, my Lord.

Have you ever held him like that? Many, many years ago, my early ministry, I went to one of the Hertfordshire chapels and I preached and a dear soul said to me in the graveyard outside, three weeks ago I held the Lord Jesus Christ in my arms as mine by faith. And within a few weeks she had gone. I could see she was prepared for glory like Simeon was. held in her arms that faith, babe, he's mine. He's mine. Friends, don't rest until you can say that by God-given grace. Don't just be an onlooker. Are you a partaker? That's the point. See that dear lad growing up, that perfect childhood.

And we see him in the temple, surrounded by the scribes and the elders and the Pharisees. He had the preeminence. They couldn't match the wisdom from his holy mouth. They wondered at the words he spake. Ah, blessed be God, he had the preeminence there. And just think, when he walked round that temple even later on and looked on all that was therein, what spoke to him of his coming sufferings, the altar, The evidence of the blood shed by the beasts that were brought into the temple all pointed to the blood he was to shed when his days came to a fulfilment on Calvary's cross.

See him, dear friends, at Jordan, the place of his feet glorious, instituting the ordinance of believers' baptism. He has the right to do it. He's the head of the church. It's his command. And he commands those who have been brought to living faith in himself to show whose they are and whom they serve. And so he institutes it there.

He had the preeminence, didn't he? Wasn't John the Baptist? John the Baptist said he must increase, I must decrease. And as he came up out of the water, suffering to be so, now he says to John, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness, and as that sacred ordinance was instituted by the Saviour, God the Father, his Father, calls out from heaven, this is my beloved Son, thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And the Holy Ghost descending like a dove upon him. Oh, friend, he made the place with his feet glorious there. And many in passing through that sacred ordinance have in a little measure felt something of the honour of following our Lord and Saviour. Dread no ills that may befall you while you make His ways your choice. But then immediately, oh what a word, immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. to be tempted of the devil. And friends, even there, those dear feet made the place glorious. He conquered Satan. Every assault, every attack, every arrow that the enemy fired at him, he overcame, repelled, tempted all points like as we are. yet without sin. So we can go on through that sacred life.

You think of the waves of Galilee that he walked upon under his dear feet. Have you got some waves tonight, this afternoon, rocking your boat? Is your little boat rocking to and fro because of the winds of adversity? Friends, he who came walking on those waves to that little boat And there brought peace where there was confusion and calm where there was a storm. Can do just the same today. Those waves that are not under your control are under his. Peace be still. And the waves knew their master.

It's a very strange expression. He rebuked them. Why rebuke winds and waves? They've not got souls. Because dear friend, Satan was behind the storm. That's what it was. He was rebuking Satan who was stirring up those waves to the consternation of his dear people. Yes, blessed be his holy name. They were under his control. You read in Hebrews chapter 2 such attractive words. We see Jesus. made little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, all things under his feet.

Your sins, child of God, your temptation, your affliction, your burden, your impossibility, your anxieties, your fears under his dear feet. Only you could see it. that will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, for he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever, for the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. I will remember the time of difficulty in the church at Coventry, many years ago in my early days, that I was as confused as anybody else, and certainly had not the wisdom needed. But that was so sweet to me, all things under his feet. and they were and they are.

Oh, dear friends, to remember it under his feet, so we could go on through that holy life, could we not? Let us go to the Garden of Gethsemane. And there we see the dear Saviour prostrate on the ground, making the place of his feet glorious in this respect. taking that cup of wrath that would have consigned the whole election of grace to eternal misery, taken to his lovely, loving, all willing, all capable hand. If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. Oh, how thankful we should be, friends, for the willingness of the Saviour to drink that cup. That's a lovely hymn in our book, you know, how willing was Jesus to die that we wretched sinners might live. The life they could not take away, he freely and lovingly gave. I will make the place of my feet glorious.

What about in the judgment hall? Scourged, spat upon. Lord, what dignity. Or what? Humiliation. Yet, if you could by faith view it. The Lamb before her, sheer as dumb, so He opened not His mouth. Oh, the glory we can see there. The dear Lamb of God. follow into Calvary. Is there any glory there, you say? Well, yes, in this. The honour of the law was satisfied. The payment of the debt of the church was made. When he cried, It is finished! Oh, what a glory attended the closing breath of our dear Saviour!

Father, into thy hand I commit my spirit. Having said thus, he bows his head. yields up the ghost, and his holy soul fled into the bosom of his heavenly father to wait his resurrection morn, and his holy body consigned to the grave by those loving hands of Joseph, Arimathea, and Nicodemus, two secret disciples brought out by a view of Jesus Christ and him crucified. make the place of my feet glorious and just remember those dear feet were wounded those dear feet had nails pierced through them and when he showed them in his risen body in the upper room he showed them they saw those marks I made the place of my feet glorious, the victory gained, the penalty paid, the justice of law satisfied, God the Father pleased. But just go back one step, even in the tomb, dear friends, he made the place of his feet glorious.

Now when you and I are consigned to the tomb, sooner or later, perhaps sooner rather than later, you don't know, I don't know. We know that our body, the one we're living in now, that is alive by God's providential mercy, will return to the dust. Corruption will take in, take over. The worms destroy this body.

Job said it. But friends, when our Lord Jesus Christ lay in the grave, the holy, harmless Son of God could no corruption see. No corruption whatsoever. He remained holy, pure, undefiled, separate from sinners.' He made the place for his feet glorious.

And now, child of God, you and I are attended to the grave. It won't be long before we join those who have gone before from this very house of prayer. You know, the God's dear son has made the place of the grave of a believer glorious. There the Lord lay, we may say, looking on the grave of a believer. Note that. One who dies in the faith, though it seems to us a sad, it is a sad place to bury those whom we love. It is a solemn thing to attend to. It's not the end, friends. It's not the end.

He from the grave my dust shall rise. I in the heaven shall sing his praise. And when in glory I appear, he'll be my sanctuary there. Oh, child of God, there's a prospect. There's a prospect who shall change our vile body that may be fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the working of his able to subdue all things unto himself. I will make the place of my feet glorious. And we know, dear friends, he will return. We read he will stand on the Mount of Olives in that great day of his return.

What a day that will be. Every eye will see Him. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The whole election of grace will rejoice. They'll say, this is my Savior come. This is the one I've been watching and waiting for.

The unbeliever who dies in his sins, what terror. We are told we'll fill their hearts. The one whose gospel they had no heart for. whose truth they had no love for, never desired to live to the honour and glory of God. How awful that scene will be! Who shall stand nor the wrath of the Lamb? A mysterious word, but a true one.

I will make the place of my feet glorious. But now let us come a little closer. And another place where the feet of our Lord stand, in the hearts of his dear people. For we read, Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabited the eternity, I dwell also in the heart of him that is poor, and contrite, and trembleth at my word. When a work of grace begins in the sinner's heart, that is what happens. in that mysterious way, through grace, the very feet of the Beloved are now placed in that sinner's heart, in the new nature it has experienced. And a conquering work begins to take place, not without some resistance of the flesh and the devil and the world, or there's many a conflict. But the outcome is absolutely certain. There's a lovely word in Romans. There's a lot of lovely words in Romans, aren't there? It's one of them.

The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. He does it. It's a wonderful thing when he bruises Satan under your feet, under my feet, isn't it? But he comes into that sinner's heart with a determination to rule and to bring under his dear feet our thoughts, our words, our ways, our motives, our desires. And it begins to show in that sinner's life that his heart has been taken over by this blessed Jesus who has a divine right so to do. I will make the place of my feet glorious.

What a glory there is to see a sinner on his knees praying for mercy. We are told the angels rejoice in heaven over that. I ask you, dear friends, has God ever seen you on your knees with the publicans' prayer, God be merciful to me, a sinner? You perhaps didn't realise it, but in the eyes of God there was a glory, a glorious thing being accomplished. A sinner praying.

That's a wonderful thing, that. And it's been wrought in this house of prayer many times through the ministry of the word. A sinner taught to pray, a sinner made a needy sinner, a sinner brought to his knees, a sinner who long resisted, long rebelled, long contradicted, long schemed and planned, but now, under the dear feet of the word, the dear feet of the gospel, the dear feet of grace, there's a subduing, a subjection, a loving subjection to Christ, to his word, to his example, to his ways, what can accomplish it? Three things.

One, the blessed spirit. We read in Haggai again, did we not, an encouraging word, and I trust it may be proving true of you dear friends here, according to that word I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you, fear ye not. In the experiential sense, that means that when the sinner is born again by the Spirit, the Holy Ghost never leaves that soul.

Never. He never will leave it. He will not always be in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Sometimes for chastening reasons, he withholds the comfort. And there may be days of darkness and felt desolation, but he's still there. He's still there, but once he takes his residence in the soul and places his holy feet there, he remains. Not all the unbelief and worldliness of your old nature, but all the schemes of the evil one or this dying world will drive him out. The work begun is carried on, nor hell can it deface. All Israel must to glory go as trophies of His grace.

And there may be one here this afternoon, you look back to that time of love when you knew the Spirit was there. You felt His breath. You were lively in prayer and lively in praise and lively in fellowship. And you loved the Word of God and the people of God. Oh, what blessed days they were. You say, but it's so different now. I feel so far off. My heart is cold. My affections have cooled. And everything seems so different.

Am I still a child of God? Yes. Rebellious thou hast been. and art rebellious still, and since in love I took thee in, my promise I'll fulfill. But grieve not the spirit, quench not the spirit, or if he is grieved or quenched, dear friends, he will withhold his comforts. It may be for some long period, until that word is fulfilled in Hosea. I will return to my place, Until they acknowledge their offence, in their affliction, they will seek me early.

There's someone in that path this afternoon. God has returned to his place for a moment. But friends, did it bring you to your knees? Are you aching and longing, hungering, thirsting? Oh, when will thou come unto me? The Spirit is still there, and he'll bring you back. Secondly, how is it accomplished? The precious blood of Christ. I tell you, dear friend, there's no power like the blood of Christ.

It satisfies the law completely for the child of God. Not only does that, it conquers their sins and the devil himself. When our Lord, quite it is, finished, hell sugared its foundations. It knew it was defeated, and it is. And blessed be God whenever and wherever that precious blood is applied to the conscience by the Holy Ghost.

The heart melts, sin is subdued, guilt is removed, Christ is made precious, your soul leaps again. Sometimes do not we sing, dear dying lamb, thy precious blood shall never lose its power. Did all the ransomed Church of Christ be saved to sin no more? What a blessed day that will be.

But what I need is so much, the power of the blood to bring us near to conquer our temptations, to put sin in its place under our feet, and to make Christ precious. The precious blood of Christ will do it, and it makes the place of His feet glorious when the soul relents under that blessed power. The love of Christ constrains. That's a blessed place, the place of my feet, glorious.

What else would do it? The presence of the Lord. Nothing like God's presence, you know, for God's people. It's everything. In thy presence, I am happy. In thy presence, I am secure. In thy presence, all afflictions I can easily endure. In thy presence, I can suffer. In thy presence, I can die.

Well, there's nothing like it, is there? Twice we read in our reading this afternoon, did we not? I am with thee. Just four words, I am with thee. And you sang, what more can he say? Child of God this afternoon, young believer, old believer, aged saint, what more can he say? I, your covenant God, am with you. I am that great covenant word revealing the omnipotence, majesty, stupendous love of our God. I am with thee. There's a uniting word, a binding word, and with thee. Poor unworthy sinner that you feel to be, that I feel to be, who once he loves, he never leaves, but loves them to thee. And I will make the place of my feet glorious. He will have the preeminence. He will have the answer.

And then there's another way in which he does it. when he brings to pass that that he's promised. Now you go back to the second temple being built and when the work began under Zerubbabel's oversight at first it went well. The foundation was laid and I think that the godly thought in a few months at most it would all be finished and worship restored. But dear friends, whenever a temple is being built, Satan built a synagogue next door. In other words, he opposes it. And you mustn't be surprised that he opposes it.

You say, why does God permit it? For its greater glory. So when it is brought to pass, you can prove even hell itself could not undo what God had purposed. For a season, through violent action, the whole world was stopped. And I feel so sorry for Zerubbabel, that dear man. The Lord laid upon him that exercise. He couldn't throw it away, you know. He couldn't say, well, it's all finished now. I'll just carry on as if I was never asked or commanded to do it. He knew the burden was there. And he walked past that foundation again and again. Oh, how troubling it was.

How the enemies laughed to see the foundation unfinished. and pours a rubber ball with that word still bowing, press upon his spirit, Lord, how can it be done? How can it be done? Listen, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. That's how it will be done. And the Lord knew just how to work. He always does. What did he do? Well, first of all, friends, he dealt with his reluctant, apathetic people.

They were so wrapped up in their olive yards and vineyards and houses, and they were good houses, sealed houses, the very best of the generation. All the while the house of God lay waste. When the Second World War ended, those young men who had been in the forces and were spared to return, of course, came back to their homes and came back to the house of God as well, those who feared God. But there was obviously a lot to do. Life had to be picked up again.

And my late grandfather, Herbert Dawson, remembers that the prayer meeting wasn't very well attended those days. They were too busy digging the allotment and doing this and that that needed to be done after those years had been away. And it troubled him. It troubled him.

And he begged the Lord to so move their hearts that to come. Back to the house of God in the week, especially. And what did the Lord do? He laid the pastor aside for six weeks, perilously ill. And friend, the chapel was full for the prayer meeting. The congregation crowded in to pray the Lord would restore their pastor.

And when he came back the first Sabbath after his illness he said, well friends it seems like this that an empty pulpit sometimes has a more powerful voice than a full one. God will use his way but friends he will speak. He will speak. And he did to those in Zahariah's time.

Their accounts at the end of their financial year were only half what they expected. Why? My house lieth waste. Is that a word for one of you this afternoon? Why have things gone against you? Why has suddenly this cloud appeared? Why this difficulty? Is there a reason? My house lieth waste. Is that the reason? Examine your heart. Consider your waste. Twice we read that in Haggai's prophecy. And they inquired the reason why.

They didn't put it down to climate change or anything like that. They knew God was in control of the climate. My house lieth waste. So afraid they went back to build the Lord's house. And though there was opposition again, this time they carried on building. And their God dealt with the opposers, the Sanballats and the Tobias and the Gishems. They were all put to nothing. And the temple came to its blessed conclusion. And when Zerubbabel brought back, they brought in the last stone that finished it all together, there was a great shout. What did they cry? Well done, Zerubbabel.

No. Grace. Grace unto it. This is the Lord's doing. And it's marvellous in our eyes. And those of us who stand in the pulpit, how careful we need to be. It's very encouraging when the Lord, by you as our minister, your dear pastor, will feel the same. Oh, put the crown where it belongs. As he read at the opening, not unto us, not unto us, unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. I will make the place of my feet glorious. In your providences, in your family, has he done it? In your business, the answer to prayer? In your studies, that way the Lord has made? Have you put the crown where it belongs?

I will make the place of my feet glorious. And so, you see, we have here a blessed prospect. The Lord has done it. The Lord is doing it. and he's not finished doing it yet. No, blessed be his holy and the stiller future for the church of God on earth while the earth remaineth. There'll always be a church of Christ until he returns. Sometimes, yes, it may seem very small, often opposed, often rejected by the world in which we live, but Still it remains, what though the house of hell withstand, yet must this building rise.

It is thy own work, almighty God, and wondrous in our eyes. Here then is a word to plead. Here is a word to bring before your covenant God. Lord, do as thou hast done before. We know what thou hast done before. Sinners have been converted to thee. Sinners have been quickened to divine life.

The word has been like a sword that has pierced through the unbelief. And the word has been encouraging. Christ has been preached. The blood of Christ has been shed abroad in the heart. The love of Christ has constrained. Sinners have been plucked as brands for the burning. And saints prepared for glory. Lord, go on now, mighty God, thy wonders to perform, till every sinner bought with blood be saved to sin no more. Now, one last thought. Just notice here, I will make, I will make.

Friends, often we feel so impotent, so impotent. One thing or another renders us like that man with the withered hand that could not be stretched forth until the Lord said, stretch it forth. Then it was given the strength it needed. We're often like that man with the withered hand.

Lord, what a mercy when our precious Jesus comes. Stretch it forth. And he who bid it stretch forth gives the strength. And we find what Paul meant when he said, I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me. May God strengthen those things that remain here and make yet this place a witness of the truth for generations to come. May God have his blessing. Amen.

I will make the place of my feet glorious

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I will make the place of my feet glorious

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