DISCOURSE: 982
CHRIST A WITNESS AND COMMANDER
Isaiah 55:4.—Behold, I have given him for a Witness to the people, a Leader and Commander to the people.
AMONGST the various means which God used for the spiritual benefit of his ancient people, one was, to provoke them to jealousy, by declaring, that the blessings which they so abused should be transferred to another people, who would make a more suitable improvement of them. From the beginning he warned them of this by Moses: “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation [Note: Deuteronomy 32:21.].” Our blessed Lord and his Apostles frequently had recourse to this expedient: and St. Paul tells us, that he had used it, not to irritate his countrymen, but, if possible, to save them [Note: Romans 11:11; Romans 11:15.]. The Prophet Isaiah had this object in view, in the passage before us. He has been expostulating with the Jewish people on their folly and impiety in not seeking after the blessings of salvation, and especially those blessings which God had covenanted to bestow upon them through their exalted Messiah [Note: Compare ver. 3. with Acts 13:34.]; and he tells them, that God had given this Messiah, not, as they imagined, to them only, but to the whole Gentile world; who would eventually run to him, and embrace him, and become the heirs of those benefits, which the ungrateful Israelites neglected and despised.
That it is the Messiah who is here spoken of, there can be no doubt. He is often designated by the name of David [Note: Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23-24.Hosea 3:5.]: and “an unspeakable gift” he is to a ruined world [Note: 2 Corinthians 9:15.].
We propose to shew,
I. For what ends he is given—
Doubtless he was sent for the salvation of man; according as it written, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but should have everlasting life [Note: John 3:16.].” But there are two ends of his incarnation specified in the text; to which therefore we will confine our attention. He was given,
1. “To be a Witness to the people”—
[God had from all eternity devised a plan for the redemption of the world through the sufferings of his only-begotten Son. And of this plan the Lord Jesus Christ came to testify. For this office he was well qualified; having concerted the plan together with his Father; as it is written, “The counsel of peace was between them both [Note: Zechariah 6:13.].”
Of this stupendous mystery the Lord Jesus testified by the Prophets, hundreds of years before he came into the world. Not one word of all that they delivered on this momentous subject proceeded from themselves: “they spoke only as they were moved by the Holy Ghost [Note: 2 Peter 1:21.],” and as they were instructed “by an immediate inspiration from God [Note: 2 Timothy 3:16.].” The Spirit by whose sacred agency they were moved, was “the Spirit of Christ:” as St. Peter says: “The Prophets, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto us, searched what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow [Note: 1 Peter 1:10-11.].” Here both the subject and the author of their testimony are declared to be precisely such as we have affirmed. It was of the wonders of redemption that they testified; and the Author of their testimony was Jesus Christ.
In due time he came down from heaven, and testified of these things in his own person. He had from all eternity been “in the bosom of his Father [Note: John 1:18.],” and was privy to every thing which the Father had ordained [Note: John 5:20.]: and at the appointed season he came, “as a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the Fathers [Note: Romans 15:8.]:” as St. John informs us; “He that cometh from heaven is above all: and what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth [Note: John 3:31-32.].” The light which he cast on this mystery was far greater than that which had been given to the Jewish Church: yet the time was not come for the full disclosure of it: he had many things to say, which the people could not hear whilst he was yet sojourning on earth, because the mystery itself yet remained to be accomplished, by his death, and resurrection, and ascension.
He therefore afterwards bore a fuller testimony by his Apostles; who, through that “unction of the Holy One who taught them all things” and “brought all things to their remembrance,” “testified of the Gospel of the grace of God [Note: Acts 20:24.],” and “declared the whole counsel of God” respecting it. To this effect St. John says; “We have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world [Note: 1 John 4:14.].” The record was the same, by whomsoever it was delivered; namely, “that God has given to us eternal life; and that this life is in his Son: he that hath the Son, hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life [Note: 1 John 5:11-12.].” By whomsoever it was delivered also, it was equally “the testimony of Christ [Note: 1 Corinthians 1:6.],” both as having him for its Author, and him for its end.
Hence the appropriate name of Christ, as designating the first great object of his Mission, is, “The faithful and true Witness [Note: Revelation 1:5; Revelation 3:14.].”]
2. To be “a Leader and Commander to the people”—
[Moses, in his day, was a witness from God, to make known to the Jewish people the Divine will: but Joshua was the commander, who was to lead them into the Promised Land, and to give them a full possession of their inheritance. The two offices are combined in Christ; who, whilst he is given for a Witness, is also given for “a Leader and Commander to the people.” He even appeared to Joshua of old, “as Captain of the host of the Lord,” from whom alone all Joshua’s success should spring [Note: Joshua 5:14-15.]. And to us also is he revealed under the same blessed character, “The Captain of our salvation [Note: Hebrews 2:10.].” He is at the head of all his people, and goes forth with them to battle: and all who have enlisted under his banners are to fight as good soldiers of Jesus Christ,” and to “quit themselves like men [Note: 2 Timothy 2:3; 1 Corinthians 16:13.];” nor are they ever to cense from their conflicts till they have gained the victory [Note: 1 Timothy 6:12.]. Indeed “through him they shall be more than conquerors [Note: Romans 8:37.]:” for he will never leave them, till he has fulfilled to them all that he has undertaken, and put them into possession of their promised inheritance [Note: Joshua 23:14.]
From the ends for which he is given, we proceed to shew,
II.
The manner in which he is to be received—
This must correspond with God’s design in sending him into the world. He must be received,
1. With a faith that wavers not—
[As he is a Witness to us, we must listen to his testimony with childlike simplicity. If he declare to us the plan of salvation, we must submit to it with the deepest reverence, and not for a moment dispute against it, or attempt to substitute in its place any plan of our own. If he open to us the great and precious promises which God has made in his word, we must rely upon them, and expect their accomplishment with the most assured confidence. If, on the other hand, he denounce the judgments of God against impenitent transgressors, we must tremble at his word, and humble ourselves before him in dust and ashes. As for all that men may say in opposition to his testimony, it must be to us of no greater weight than the dust upon the balance. Our answer must be, “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them [Note: Isaiah 8:20.].” To sit at his feet, like Mary, must be the delight of our souls. We must treasure up in our hearts his every word, even as his own Mother did, whilst he was yet a child [Note: Luke 2:51.]. We must “meditate on his sayings day and night [Note: Psalms 1:2.].” They must be “more to us than our necessary food [Note: Job 23:12.],” and “sweeter to us than honey and the honey-comb.” If under any circumstances our faith in his word begin to waver, we must be ashamed of ourselves, and mourn for it, as treating him with the greatest dishonour. Such conduct would be deemed a heinous offence even to a creature like ourselves: how much more offensive then must it be to him! it is nothing less than “making God a liar.” This is the interpretation which God himself puts upon such conduct [Note: John 5:9-10.]. Let us dread lest we be found guilty of this sin; and let us “be strong in faith, giving glory to God.”]
2. With an obedience that has no reserves—
[The obedience which a soldier owes to his Commander is unbounded. The Commander has only to say, “Come,” and he cometh; “Go,” and he goeth; “Do this,” and he doeth it. He does not think it any excuse for disobedience, that by following the command he shall have to encounter an enemy that will seek his life. On the contrary, the more dangerous the post is that is assigned him, the more he considers himself bound to execute the command with promptitude and zeal: and, if he hesitate through fear, he is deemed unworthy any more to serve his prince: yea, he may account himself happy, if his life be not also forfeited as the penalty of his transgression. Shall there then be any limit to the obedience which we shall render to our heavenly Leader? Shall his commands be disobeyed through fear, or be executed with a timid trembling mind? Shall not his authority awe us, and his example shame us, into a conduct more worthy of our profession? Shall we not account it rather an honour to suffer for him, and be ready at any time, or in any manner, to lay down our lives for his sake? Yes; we must fight the good fight of faith. We must put on the whole armour provided for us, and go forth “strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” We must be studious to learn from day to day, what is his will concerning us; and, once apprised of it, we must set ourselves instantly to obey it. Does it call for self-denial? We should for his sake “mortify the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Does it summon us to action? “Whatever our hand findeth to do, we must do it with our might.” We must be ever ready to “follow him without the camp, bearing his reproach.” There is nothing to which he calls us, which He has not himself both done and suffered; he, without any obligation on his part, except what his own love had imposed upon him: whereas we are bound by our allegiance to the God of heaven, and by all our hopes of acceptance with him in a better world, to “war a good warfare:” for it is only by being “faithful unto death that we can ever obtain the crown of life [Note: Revelation 2:10.].”
It is said in the words following my text, that the Gentiles to whom this Saviour was given, “should run unto him, and glorify his name.” I call on you therefore to verify this prediction, and “not to receive the grace of God in vain.” It is in this way only that you can shew to the Jews what blessings you enjoy, and stir them up to seek a participation of them. And in this way alone can you “walk worthy of your high calling,” or “render to the Lord according to the benefits he has conferred upon you.”]