Far-Flung Visions
A New Year's Study
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
Another New Year has come to us freighted with every possibility of life and service. At such a time as this it is natural for us to look forward to coming things. Often we are interested supremely in the things which are wholly personal and self-centered. This year we believe that the Christian's eye is looking ahead to the things which are about to come to pass upon the earth.
In the new year we have not far to look, as the Coming of the Lord, and all of its glorious blessings of Israel, to the nations, to the physical earth, and to ourselves, is at hand, even at the doors.
The marvel to us is that so many, even among saints, often seem blinded to the things which are about to happen; while so many who lived hundreds and thousands of years before Christ, were eagerly looking forward with the eye of faith to the same things. They looked in faith nothing doubting. They knew that they, themselves, would never inherit the promises; and yet they saw them afar off and were persuaded of them, and embraced them. They died in faith not having received the promise, because God had provided some better thing for us, that they, apart from us, would not be perfected.
We ask you to consider briefly, with us, the far-flung vision of some of God's galaxy of heroes outlined before us in Hebrews eleven.
1. The vision of Abel.
The faith of Abel saw the Blood,
Far down the years, a crimson flood;
And Abel's sacrifice replete,
Came up to God, an incense sweet.
Abel offered up his sacrifice in faith. Faith saw Christ crucified, a ransom for sinners. Had Abel not seen the Cross, and believed; his sacrifice had not brought pleasure to God. God, of old, was not interested in the blood of bulls and of goats, excepting as in those sacrifices faith linked the sacrifices to the Cross of Christ. God is not now interested in baptism, and the Lord's supper, unless those ordinances are backed with an eye of faith that links them on to Christ Jesus.
2. The vision of Enoch.
The faith of Enoch saw the hour
When Christ would come in mighty power,
Translating all who know the Lord,
Who walk with Him, obey His Word.
Thus, God translated Enoch, too,
A type, a picture, ever true
Of those caught up to Christ on high,
Of living saints, who never die.
Enoch not only walked with God, but Enoch prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints." Sometimes we think that Enoch sounded out so clear and so forceful a note on the Lord's Return, that God translated Enoch, and took him up without dying, as a type or picture of the rapture of saints who are at this moment awaiting their up-calling.
3. The vision of Abraham. We pass over Noah, and Abraham's first act of faith, and Sarah's faith, to the second statement concerning Abraham.
The faith of Abraham did see
His son raised up, from death set free.
This man of faith looked down the years
And saw death robbed of all its fears;
Saw Christ raised up, believers, too,
All raised, translated, made anew
With bodies changed and glorified
With Christ forever to abide.
We are gladdened by the faith of Abraham. He looked down the years. He saw the things which were afar off. The Scripture plainly says that he received Isaac from the dead, "in a figure." There is no doubt of it. Abraham saw both the resurrection of Christ, and the resurrection of saints at Christ's Coming. Did not Job, a contemporary of Abraham's say, "Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, * * and not another"? Job knew that he would stand in the last days upon the earth; did not Abraham know as much?
4. The vision of Moses.
The faith of Moses gladly shared
The poverty of saints, nor cared
For Egypt's riches; he debarred
Earth's pleasures for the great reward,
Which he foresaw the Lord would bring
When He came back to earth as King.
There is no doubt of it. Moses forsook Egypt, its riches and pleasures, because he had respect to the recompense of the reward.
Beloved, the saints of old had a far-flung vision; it was the vision of faith. May we not have the same?
I. "BEHOLD, THIS DREAMER COMETH" (Genesis 37:19)
Joseph, as a youth, had marvelous visions. He dreamed dreams. He saw things in the night. He dreamed that the sons of his father with him, were binding sheafs in the field, and behold their sheafs stood round, and made obeisance to his sheaf. He dreamed yet another dream, and behold the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to him.
All of this came to pass, when, after many vicissitudes Joseph was at last raised to Pharaoh's right hand, and given sovereignty over all of the land of Egypt. Once more Joseph became a seer of things to come; and to Pharaoh he told of the coming years of plenty followed by the years of famine.
Joseph, however, was more than a dreamer, he was a practical man of affairs. He had visions, yet he was not visionary. He ruled with wisdom and sagacity.
When, at last, Joseph was about to depart this life, he had another great vision of the far distant future of his own people, and he made mention of the departure of the Children of Israel.
Beloved, on this New Year's week do we look down the years and see, in Christ Jesus, visions of coming victory and power? Shall we reign with Him? Shall we awake in His likeness, and be satisfied?
When there is a lack of vision the people perish. Does not each life also fail when there is no grip on the things beyond? Let us enter this new year with eager anticipation of Christ's Return, and our translation to be forever with the Lord.
II. SEEING HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE (Hebrews 11:27)
He who sees only the things which lie in touch of his hands, is blind and cannot see afar off. Had Moses looked alone at the things which are seen by the natural eyes, he would never have forsaken Egypt; he would never have refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; he would never have counted the reproach of Christ as greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.
Some one has said, "A bird in the hand, is worth more than two in a bush." If this be the case why traffic in the marts of trade? If this be the case why live, looking for that Blessed Hope of the Lord's Appearing? If this be the case, why leave all to follow Christ?
Did not Paul see the invisible, when he counted all things but dung that he might win Christ? Moses not only saw the invisible One, but he also saw the recompense of the reward which the Invisible One would bring with Him. To this reward Moses had respect.
The message of rewards at the Coming of the Lord is not isolated to the New Testament. In the Prophecy of Isaiah, we read these words, "Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him."
Why should we not keep the rewards in view? We have a perfect right to press toward the prize of the up-calling of God in Christ Jesus. If we fail so to do, we only show that we are more interested in the things down here than in the things above; we are more concerned with the temporals than with the eternals.
III. "I HAVE SET THE LORD ALWAYS BEFORE ME" (Psalms 16:8)
David was a man of many vicissitudes. His life seemed filled, first, with perplexities, then with persecutions, then with problems of state. There never was a moment that he was not beset behind and before. David found the source of his troubles and testings more among his own people than he did among the aliens. If ever there was a man who seemed tempted and tried beyond all endurance, it was David. And yet, with one or two exceptions, he never swerved to the right hand nor to the left. His heart was fixed, his purpose was firm. He pressed his way on and up along the path of duty.
When we try to fathom the cause of David's fidelity, we find it in the expression of our text, "I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."
The little lad who was teaching his father to ride a bicycle cried, "Father, don't look at the handle bars, look straight ahead." Had David allowed himself to be engrossed with his troubles, he would have been quickly submerged. When, however, he looked away from his perplexities and fixed his eyes on his Lord, he was carried safely through.
Peter, when he saw the winds and the waves boisterous, began to sink, but Peter with his eyes fixed on his Lord walked safely on the waves of Galilee.
"When thou passest through the waters,
Deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our Refuge,
And His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it,
He, the faithful God, and true:
When thou comest to the waters
Thou shalt not go down, but through."
Let us not be worrying about our difficulties, but trusting in our God. Let us not be afraid of the night, but be waiting for the light.
IV. "THE LAND, WHITHER YE GO" (Deuteronomy 11:11-12)
We are journeying to a City whose Builder and Maker is God. If Abraham had had a desire he might have turned back and have inherited the land. Abraham, however, looked for another Country, and pressed his way that he might possess it.
We are standing, this New Year, on the verge of marvelous possibilities. There is much that we have not yet possessed, much that we have not yet known. Let us not, therefore, be content with the experiences of the years which lie behind, but rather let us press toward the good things of our God which lie before.
We may find, during the New Year, many a testing, many a trial, but this is not all we will find. When thou passest through the valley, there will be One passing along with thee. God's springs are never dry. His fruit trees are never without fruit; His waters are never free from refreshment. There may be hills and valleys, but they will drop with new wine.
This year let us possess God's riches of grace. Let us drink deeply from His wells of joy. Let us enter into the realms of His peace. Let us seek to fathom the heights and depths and the lengths and the breadths of His love.
In all of this, remember that we must press on to possess the land. Let us not be satisfied with God's good things, but let us claim His best. Let us not be willing to hold in our hand a cup of water, when God has for us wells of Living Water, springing up unto everlasting life. Let us not be satisfied to know about Him, but to know Him. God's land is before us, let us go in and possess it.
V. "HE WENT OUT, NOT KNOWING WHITHER HE WENT" (Hebrews 11:8)
As we stand on the margin of the New Year, let us not think for one moment that it is necessary for us to look down through the days and weeks and months to the next New Year. We must be willing to do as Abraham did, and to step out not knowing whither we go.
"One step I see before me,
It is all I need to know,
For o'er each step of my onward way,
He makes new light to glow."
Have you ever stood down by the seashore ready to cross the briny deep? Then you learned the lesson of walking by faith. The eye can scan but a little of the distant vista. So it is on the sea of life: we may not be able to see afar, and therefore we cannot know the way. There is one thing, however, that we may know we may know our Guide.
On one occasion we were nineteen days sailing on the Atlantic. We trusted ourselves implicitly to our captain, and to our ship. On the morning of the nineteenth day, the captain pointed out the land ahead. We said, "What land, captain?" He replied, "It is the land toward which we have been pressing on." Thus it will be at the end of life's journey. God will bring us safely Home. In view of what we have just said, we must learn to walk by faith and not by sight. We must wait upon God, for He will bring us to our desired haven.
VI. "WHEN THE CLOUD TARRIED * * THEY JOURNEYED NOT" (Numbers 9:19)
It is just as wrong to go where we are not sent, as to tarry behind when we are told to go. When God called Abraham, he went out, not knowing whither he went. Here, however, is another picture, "When the cloud tarried * * then the Children of Israel journeyed not."
We are not sure which is the easier: to obey God in active service, or to obey Him in tarrying. To prepare for the march, and to move out into some new sphere of service, is filled with more or less of excitement and adventure. To tarry behind and quietly await God's will, is the more arduous task.
To the disciples, the Lord said, "Tarry * * in * * Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." The Psalmist said, "I waited patiently for the Lord."
O young men and young women, let us beware lest we run ahead of God. We must not be in a hurry to make a move. We must tarry until the cloud goes on before.
It is most dangerous to run ahead of God. To get out of His will for us, is to get out of our best for Him. Many of the difficulties which befall us by the way are due to our own hastiness. We take the bit in our own teeth; we make our own plans, and then we suffer the consequences.
God said, "Oh that [Israel] had hearkened unto Me, * * I * * should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat."
"Wait, patiently wait,
God never is late;
Thy building plans are in thy Father's holding,
And only wait His grand Divine unfolding.
"Trust, hopefully trust,
That God will adjust
Thy tangled life: and from its dark concealings,
Will bring His will, in all its bright revealings."
VII. "WHERE THERE IS NO VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH" (Proverbs 29:18)
With the dawning of this New Year, we need more than ever to get a far-flung vision. With the world in such a state of uproar, with dire catastrophes being prophesied on every hand, it is a good thing to get a vision of a brighter horizon.
The night is easier to bear, when the hope of coming day cheers the heart. If we say, "Watchman, what of the night?" then, the inspired writer will admit "the night cometh." However, he will quickly add, "And also the morning."
Habakkuk said in the Spirit: "For the vision is yet for an appointed time; * * though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." We have also read in Hebrews, "For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry."
Thus, on this new year, let us have the vision of coming things; a vision that will center in that Blessed Hope of Christ's glorious Appearing. If we have the vision of the Lord's Coming, let us not weary in our watchings.
"Impatient heart be still,
What though He tarry long,
What though the triumph song
Is long delayed?
Thou hast His promise sure,
And that is all secure.
Impatient heart be still."
The husbandman has long patience until he receive the early and the latter rain; be ye also patient, establish your hearts, for the Coming of the Lord draweth near. Do not grieve the Lord by doubting His promise. He has heard your cry, "Come, Lord Jesus," and He replies, "Behold, I come quickly"; "Surely I come quickly."
Do not perish for want of a vision. Have faith in God. He will soon bend down the Heavens; He will soon come to call thee to Himself.
AN ILLUSTRATION
THE JUDGE'S VERDICT ALONE TO BE REGARDED
"It is no matter what standers-by say of the runner, so the judge of the race doth approve of his running." "Yet we all make too much of the approval or disapproval of our fellow men, who are, after all, only the spectators, and not the umpires, of the race. What folly this is! What injuries it inflicts! We are elevated by human opinion if it be favorable to us, and this betrays us into the weakness of pride; which weakness soon shows itself in faintheartedness, when that unstable opinion veers round, and blows a cold blast of faultfinding. If we were steadily 'looking unto Jesus,' this would not happen, and our running would be more regular and less disturbed. Be it our endeavor to live above men, in the conscious presence of God. Who and what are men that we should live upon the breath of their nostrils? Their judgment is a small matter; the judgment of God is all in all.
"Lord, Thou hast said, 'Walk before Me, and be thou perfect,' and from this I learn that I cannot hope for perfection unless I set Thee always before me, and rate Thine approval at an infinitely higher price than the judgment of those about me. Enable me to say with Thy servant David, 'I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.