DISCOURSE: 114
THE THREE YEARLY FEASTS AT JERUSALEM
Exodus 34:23-24. Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God, thrice in the year.
BESIDES the weight of evidence arising from the accomplishment of prophecy, and the working of miracles, to prove the divine origin of the Mosaic dispensation, there is a great abundance of internal evidence in the dispensation itself, that corroborates and confirms our conclusions respecting it. What impostor that ever lived would have been weak enough to put his religion to such a test as this which we have now read? No one would have done it even for a few years, whilst he himself might be at hand to execute his own plans; much less would any man transmit such an ordinance to posterity, when one single instance of failure would be sufficient to subvert his whole religion. But, not to dwell on this, we will,
I. Draw your attention to the institution itself—
It was, that all the males should go up to Jerusalem thrice in the year, from every quarter of the land, to keep a feast there unto the Lord. Now consider,
1. Of what nature this appointment was—
[It was partly political, and partly religious. As a political ordinance, it was intended to cement the people together, and to keep them united in love. Had they had no common centre of union, no appointed means of communion, the different tribes might in process of time have forgotten their relation to each other, and have sought their own separate interests, instead of acting in concert with each other for the good of the whole. But by this expedient, all who had the greatest influence among them were brought frequently into the closest fellowship with each other, and, on their return to their respective homes, diffused the same brotherly affection through the land. As a religious ordinance, it was of singular importance, not only for the preserving of the people from idolatry, (to which they were always prone,) but for the impressing of their minds with a love to vital godliness. The times appointed for their assembling at Jerusalem were at the feast of unleavened bread, to commemorate their deliverance from Egypt and from the sword of the destroying angel; at the feast of Pentecost, to commemorate no less a mercy, the giving of the law; and at the feast of tabernacles, or of in-gathering (as it was called), to commemorate their living in tents in the wilderness, and to render thanks for the fruits of the earth which they had gathered in [Note: See Deuteronomy 16:1-16.]. Thus at the returning seasons of spring, of summer, and of autumn, they were required to commemorate the mercies which had been vouchsafed to their nation, and with joy and gratitude to acknowledge their obligations to Jehovah [Note: They were ordered to rejoice before the Lord, and to make free-will offerings to him: “None were to come empty.” Mark especially, Deuteronomy 16:10; Deuteronomy 16:15-16.] — — — What a blessed tendency had such seasons to keep alive in their minds a sense of their high privileges, and to spread a savour of true religion through every family in the land!]
2. What care God took to guard against the objections to which it was liable—
[It would of necessity occur to all, that, by their observance of this ordinance, their land on every side would be exposed to the incursions of their enemies, who would not fail to take advantage of their absence, and to retaliate upon them the injuries they had sustained. In this view it should seem, that they would be highly criminal in leaving the women, the children, the aged, and the sick, in such a defenceless state, and that it would be more advisable to depute some from every quarter to represent the rest. But God would not be served by deputy: he commanded all to keep the feasts at the place prescribed: and, to remove all apprehensions about their property or their families, he pledged himself to protect their frontier, and so to overrule the minds of their enemies, that they should not even “desire” to invade their land at any of those seasons. They had seen how able he was to turn the minds of their enemies in Egypt, who had just before sent, yea even “thrust,” them out of the land, laden with spoil; and he engaged that, to the remotest period of their existence as a nation, he would interpose for them with equal effect, if only they would trust their concerns to him, and serve him in his appointed way.]
We indeed have nothing to do with the institution before us: nor do we much admire the formal custom (which seems to have arisen from it) of attending at the Lord’s supper on the three great festivals of our Church, while we live in the neglect of that ordinance all the year besides. Nevertheless the institution is far from being uninteresting to us; as will be seen, while we,
II.
Suggest some observations founded upon it—
Much might we speak respecting the providence of God, who so miraculously wrought upon the minds of their enemies, that no infidel could ever adduce one single instance wherein this promise failed. We might speak also respecting the happiness of true religion; and draw a parallel between the Jews assembling for their solemn feasts, and Christians universally uniting in the same grateful acknowledgments and heavenly joys. But there are two observations, to which, as arising clearly out of the subject, and as being of singular importance, we would limit your attention:—
1. The service of God is of paramount obligation—
[We have seen what strong objections might have been made to the ordinance before us, which yet was required punctually to be observed. And we know that carnal reason has much to suggest in opposition to the commands of God, much that is founded in fact and in the experience of mankind: ‘If I serve my God according to the requisitions of his word, I shall be forced to deny myself many things that are pleasing to flesh and blood: I shall also be singular, and shall expose myself to the derision and contempt of those who are hostile to true religion: my very friends may turn against me; and I may suffer materially in my temporal interests.’ All this, and more than this, is very true: but it affords no reason whatever for disobeying the commands of God. The Jews would doubtless on many occasions have preferred their domestic ease and comfort, or the occupations in which they were engaged, to the fatigue and trouble of a long expensive journey. But the command was positive: and so is ours; it admits of no excuses: we are expressly required to “deny ourselves, to take up our cross daily, and to follow Christ:” and it is on these terms only that we can be his disciples. If called to “forsake father and mother, and houses and lands, for the Gospel’s sake,” we must forsake, yea and “hate them all,” if they stand in competition with Christ, or would draw us from our allegiance to him. We must not love even life itself in comparison of him, but cheerfully sacrifice it at any time, and in any way that our fidelity to him may require. “It is not necessary that I should live,” said a great general, “but it is necessary that I should proceed.” Thus must the Christian say, ‘Tell me not of difficulties, or dangers: it is not necessary that I should be rich, or honoured, or even that I should live; but it is necessary that I should obey my God: a heated furnace, or a den of lions, is nothing to me; duty is all. If I die for conscience sake, I rejoice that I am counted worthy to suffer in so good a cause.’ This was the mind of Paul: “None of these things move me,” says he, “neither count I my life dear unto me:” “I am readV not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Lord’s sake.” O that we might be like him; men of piety, men of principle, men of firmness and decision!]
2. They who serve the Lord shall be saved by him—
[The trust which the Jews at those stated seasons reposed in God was never disappointed. Nor shall ours be, though all the hosts both of men and devils were confederate against us. The challenge is justly given us, “Who ever trusted in the Lord, and was confounded?” There is a great fault amongst religious people in relation to this: many are distressing themselves with doubts and fears, ‘Shall I persevere to the end? shall I be saved at last?’ A holy caution is doubtless very becoming in every state; but not a slavish fear. Our concern should be to serve God: it is his concern, if I may so speak, to save us. Even from temporal trials he can, and will, protect us, as far as is for our good [Note: See a most striking illustration of this truth in Acts 18:9-18. To allay Paul’s fears, God promised to protect him in a city proverbially abandoned. He preached there eighteen months unmolested. At last a violent assault was made upon him by all the Jews in the city: but the judge would take no cognizance of their complaints, and drove them away from his judgment-seat. The Greeks, who had joined with the Jews, being irritated by this conduct, laid hold on Sosthenes, whom they conceived to be a friend of Paul’s, and beat him in the very presence of the judge: but Paul, on whose account the clamour was raised, escaped unhurt, and continued in the city a good while longer without any injury whatever; and at last departed from it in peace. So faithful are the promises of God!] — — — As for spiritual and eternal evils, he will assuredly protect us from them. “Who is he that shall harm us, if we be followers of that which is good?” Satan, it is true, will never for a moment relinquish his .
GOD has had in every age some to testify against the ungodly, and to warn them of the consequences of their sin at the future judgment: and though the faithful execution of this office meets with but ill returns from an ungrateful world, yet we trust there will be found, to the end of time, some, who will gladly suffer reproach or even death itself in the service of their God, and in the benevolent attempt to save their fellow-sinners from destruction. We do not indeed hear of many, who were witnesses for God, before the time of Moses; and even his warnings and exhortations were enforced principally with temporal sanctions: yet the certainty of a future judgment was known not only by Moses, but by the antediluvian world; and was solemnly urged by Enoch as a motive to repentance. This prophecy is not recorded in the Old Testament; but, by whatever means St. Jude attained the knowledge of it, whether by tradition, or by some written memorial, or by immediate inspiration, we may be sure that it was delivered by Enoch; and we may be thankful that such a precious fragment of inspired truth has been preserved to us.
It proclaims to us,
I. The manner in which our Lord shall come to judgment—
Christ, we are assured, is coming to judge the world—
[There can be no reason to doubt that Enoch referred to Christ, even to that very “seed of the woman, who was to bruise the serpent’s head:” him he represents as coming to complete his victory over Satan and his agents by calling them to his tribunal, and by consigning them over to the punishment they have deserved. The New Testament writers uniformly speak to the same effect: they declare that it is at the judgment seat of Christ we must stand [Note: 2 Corinthians 5:10.]; that it is Christ who is ordained to be the Judge of quick and dead [Note: Acts 10:42.]; and, that all judgment is therefore committed unto him, because he is the Son of man [Note: John 5:27.]; or, in other words, that he, who died for sinners, shall, in that very nature that he assumed for them, be the immediate author of salvation to his followers and of condemnation to his enemies.]
And even the manner of his appearing is here plainly predicted—
[It is not with “his saints,” but with his holy ones, or holy angels, that he will come. The saints will not be his assessors in judgment till they themselves shall have received their sentence: then indeed “they shall judge angels [Note: 1 Corinthians 6:3.];” but till then, they themselves will stand before him to be judged. But the holy angels will be his attendants in the clouds of heaven; all the “myriads” of them shall descend with him from their blessed abodes, to increase the solemnity of that day, and to honour him, to whom they owe their very existence. This accords with the description given by Daniel [Note: Daniel 7:9-10.], by St. Paul [Note: 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8.], and by Christ himself [Note: Matthew 25:31.]. How different will our Lord’s appearance then be from what it was when he first visited our guilty world, and lay a helpless infant in the manger! and how earnestly should we now exert ourselves that we may he prepared to meet him!]
That our minds may be raised to an expectation of that day, let us consider,
II.
The ends of his coming—
It is not to display his own glory that Christ will come; but,
1. To pass judgment upon the whole world—
[All, who have ever lived in this wretched world, shall be summoned before him. The old and the young, the rich and the poor, will all come forth out of their graves [Note: Revelation 20:12-13.], and those that shall be then living upon earth shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and all shall stand together at his tribunal [Note: 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.]. Every one shall then be tried as by fire [Note: 1 Corinthians 3:13.]; their actions shall then be weighed as in a balance; and the most secret motions of their hearts be brought to light [Note: Romans 2:16.]. Then shall they that are approved, “have praise of God;” and they that are disapproved, be driven from his presence. Nor will Jesus merely pronounce the sentence of condemnation or acquittal, but he will “execute” it himself, either exalting them instantly to thrones of glory, or casting them headlong into “the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.”]
2. To manifest the equity of his decisions—
[Whatever endeavours be now used to shew men their guilt and danger, they have many things to allege in their own favour [Note: They will impute their negligence to their situation in life, to necessity, or to any thing rather than the true cause, their own utter aversion to God and holiness.]; nor even “if we could speak with the tongues of angels,” could we bring home conviction to their hearts. But Jesus will shew them, beyond all contradiction, the futility of their excuses: and will prove by such unquestionable evidence “the deeds they have committed, the words they have spoken,” and the thoughts they have entertained, that they shall be silenced and confounded before him. The ministers, who once laboured for their salvation, shall then be forced to bear testimony against them: their companions in sin, though to their own confusion, must also testify of those deeds of darkness, which they once fondly hoped would be buried in eternal oblivion. The very places, where their most secret iniquities were committed, should rather stand forth to accuse them, than that they should escape with impunity [Note: Habakkuk 2:11.]. Above all, “God himself will be a swift witness against them [Note: Malachi 3:5.],” and will so thoroughly “convince” them of all their sins, whether of commission or of omission, that they shall be constrained to acknowledge the equity of that sentence, which dooms them to everlasting burnings. Even in hell will they be compelled to say, “Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments [Note: Revelation 16:7.].”]
Infer—
1.
How needful is it that we should instantly begin our preparation for that day!
[Five thousand years ago the prophet spake of Jesus as so near at hand, that it seemed as if he were already come [Note: ἦλθε.]; and it is in this way that all, whether Prophets or Apostles, have been inspired to speak. So strongly did St Paul express himself on this subject that the Thessalonians conceived the judgment-day to be almost immediately at hand [Note: 2 Thessalonians 2:2.]. In the same manner must we say, “The Lord is at hand;” “the Judge is at the door [Note: Philippians 4:5.James 5:9.].” He surely is coming as soon as ever the events that are ordained to precede his advent shall have received their accomplishment. And with respect to us, it signifies little whether it be near or distant, since as death leaves us, judgment will find us. Is it not even madness then to delay our repentance, since we cannot tell but that death may come within the next year, or day, or hour? Beloved, shall your Lord come, and find you sleeping? Is he hastening towards you, and will you not prepare to meet him? O awake from your slumbers, and turn to him with your whole hearts; that so you may “have confidence before him at his coming.”]
2. How desirable is it to possess an interest in Christ!
[It surely is not necessary to prove that we are ungodly, since we have all sinned, times without number, in thought, word, and deed, against the Divine Majesty. Whither then shall we go for the remission of our sins? How shall we get our iniquities blotted out from the book of his remembrance? Our tears, even if we could shed rivers of tears, will never avail for this end: nothing but the blood of Jesus can ever cleanse us from the guilt of one sin: and, if we be not washed in that fountain, we shall die in our iniquities, and lie under the guilt of them for ever. Let us then seek an interest in Christ. Let us never attempt to substitute any repentance or reformation of our own, in the place of his meritorious blood and righteousness: but let it be our one desire to “be found in him,” and to obtain from him those garments of salvation, which alone can “cover the nakedness” of our guilty souls [Note: Revelation 3:18.]
3. With what confidence and comfort may believers look forward to the coming of their Lord!
[Whom will they have for their judge but the very person who bought them with his blood? the very person in whom they have believed; and to whom they cleaved with full purpose of heart? Be it so then; the catalogue of their sins shall be produced, a catalogue reaching, as it were, from heaven to earth; and they shall not have one word to offer in arrest of judgment: yet, will the Saviour pass a sentence of condemnation upon them? Will he not himself stand forth and testify, “I saw their deep contrition; I treasured up their tears in my vial; I was witness to their frequent sighs and groans, and to their cries for mercy through my atoning blood:” “Deliver them from going down into the pit; I paid their ransom:” they were mine; and they manifested that they were mine [Note: God represents himself in this very light. Jeremiah 31:18-20.], by their obedience to my will, and their conformity to my image: “Come, ye blessed children of my Father, inherit my kingdom prepared for you?” Fear not then, ye weak and trembling saints; but rather “be looking for and hasting to the coming of the day of Christ [Note: 2 Peter 3:12.]:” ye shall surely stand before him with joy; while they, who once justified their ungodliness, and thought, that to be among the godly was a fit matter for derision, shall bewail their folly, and confess the equity of the sentence that fixes you in heaven, and themselves in hell. Remember then with gratitude that you are to have Jesus for your judge; and when he says, “Behold, I come quickly,” let your hearts reply, “Even so, come Lord Jesus [Note: Revelation 22:20.].”]