When we consider the plan of salvation we see how God from the beginning is the One who has brought salvation even while we were yet dead in sins. His people, therefore, are totally dependent as the Word of God reminds us upon Him for life and grace; it is only because Christ says “Because I live,” that they can be sure that they too will live. We are inclined to emphasise, and rightly, that as far as salvation is concerned, and the work of redemption, God is reaching down to us and causing us, in the darkness and in the shadow of death, to have light brought to us. “God is the Lord who has caused light to arise” — as we have it in Psalm 118. Bless the Lord, praise His name and rejoice in him. We are thus brought to have pleasure in God. At one time, one was forced to say, “I thought upon God and I was troubled.” Surely this must be the result upon us as sinners when we think of a holy God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. Our hearts are troubled, and the whole history of salvation is of how God has reached down to us and caused us, when we think upon God, to think of Him not as one in whose presence we are troubled and uncertain, but One in whose presence as the Psalmist could say, “there is fullness of joy.” In other words it is the history of how God has caused pleasure and rejoicing to be brought to those who are sinful and unworthy in spite of their undoneness in themselves.
In the text brought before us here, light is shed on this aspect of salvation from God’s side. The Lord himself has pleasure in his own people. Yet, let us not think it a matter of constraint that God has opened of His bounty to those who are in their hopeless, undone estate. He has a positive pleasure in those who are His own people. He has pleasure in granting to them of His bounty and favour and love. This has very wide repercussions, and if you are one who can claim that you are included in this covenant of grace, as you think of God, you no longer view Him as one whom you fear. “God hath not given to us the spirit of fear but of power, love and of a sound mind.” You may come with boldness knowing that He is willing to answer your requests and needs and the essence of that boldness comes from this fact that the Lord has pleasure in you as one of His people. Esther’s fear in going in before Ahasuerus would have been totally resolved if she could have been sure he would have had pleasure in her. She would then have known certainly that the sceptre signifying his favour would have been extended to her.
So, if it is true that the Psalmist can say, “The Lord takes pleasure in His people,” they may come with confidence and trust, not in the spirit of bondage and fear, but in a spirit of power. They are able with confidence and peace to draw on the resources of this God who has committed Himself to them in His loving kindness.
First we may consider the varied relationships that are brought before us in the Word, in which God expresses His pleasure in supplying the needs of His people and also His pleasure in their own person.
(a) A king to his subjects.
This is brought before us time and again in connection with God himself. His kingdom is that one of which we read in Psalm 145. He rules over all things but is especially mindful of the needs of his own people. Though it is concerned with all mankind — “The eyes of all wait upon thee,” it is a kingdom that is especially concerned with the supply of the needs of his own people. “He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him. The Lord preserveth all that love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy.” We may sum up the needs of the kingdom in the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 122, “Pray that Jerusalem may have peace and prosperity.” Pray to this one who is the king of Jerusalem. What more could a king wish for as he surveys all underneath himself of which he desires the good than peace, on the one hand i.e. that all other warring kingdoms might be kept out, and that internally, on the other hand prosperity would spring forth; thus his laws will be so ordered that the peace and prosperity of his own people will be ensured. This is one relationship to his own people that of a king to a kingdom, which is under his constant care and control. Yet, this is a rather distant relationship; the king is so far above his subjects. There is no intimate contact between them. He rules them without the need for seeing everyone personally and individually.
There is a closer relationship brought before us:
(b) A Father to his children.
We read of God looking over His kingdom at His own people and He does this not only as a king. “Such pity as a father hath unto his children dear: Like pity shows the Lord to such as worship Him in fear.” Here is a personal relationship. The desire of a father for his child is not merely that he would, in general, be in health, but it is that the child would have the very best that he could supply for him. And if in any way the child shows that he is wanting in anything, in health or in happiness, this immediately affects the father’s heart. Whereas in connection with the king so long as all is going well in his kingdom as a whole, the individual concerns of his people do not affect him personally. In the case of the father there is this intimate personal concern for the good of the children; he personally supplies all they have need of. This is true of God as a father himself, and it is true of Christ especially in relation to his Church. He is the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father of his own people.
(c) Then again there is the most intimate relationship of husband and wife.
The king gives laws to his kingdom which will maintain the prosperity of his kingdom, and it is true that the father gives of the sweat of his brow to supply the needs of his children. In the case of the husband, he gives not merely anything external; he gives himself to his wife. This is true of God — as we find it in Isaiah — “Thy Maker is thy husband.” Israel of old was married to God. Hence when they forsook God, they were guilty, not merely as subjects are guilty who break faith with their sovereign, or children who turn against the hand that fed them. They were guilty of spiritual adultery since God had not merely given of his benefits to his people but of himself. So Christ has given himself to his own church, as the epistle to the Ephesians points out. He is the one who loved the church and gave not merely benefits of one kind or another, but gave himself for it. This is the essence of this relationship. The king has pleasure in giving peace and prosperity; so it is as the Lord views the prosperity of His people. In his relationship as Father, He is the one from whom descends every good and perfect gift; He is the father who giveth liberally and who upbraideth not. Further, God has pleasure in giving himself to his people. In His uniting himself in the work of redemption through Christ this is fulfilled, “Thy Maker is thy husband.” We read, “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride so will thy God rejoice over thee.” It is nothing in us that constrains God to do it. It is of his own free pleasure, his own good will that he has given us Himself in all these relationships.
Let us consider the essence of these relationships. They concern each individual believer in the church — as subject to king, as child to father, as wife to husband. These are all true of each individual believer at any particular time. He enters into these perhaps more clearly one step after another. We may consider the case of Ruth and Boaz. Boaz was first of all the one who owned the parcel of ground where Ruth gleaned. Ruth did not see him; she did not know him personally; she came to know him only through his servants. This mirrors forth the relationship of a subject to her king, who enjoys the good of a particular kingdom without knowing the king personally, and she gains the benefits of the laws which rule this particular parcel of ground. Then she went forward from that into a relationship as child to father. Boaz came to speak to her. He told his servants to drop for her handfuls on purpose. He was thinking personally of her as the father thinks of the child — as working to gain food for the child. Lastly she entered into a relationship with Boaz as one who not only promised to supply all that she required, but gave himself to her in the bond of marriage. So we may say it is with the believer and God, that at the beginning he is like Rabble Duncan when he came to believe there was a Divine ruler. This caused him rejoicing in his heart. He had never spoken to Him, but he had come to this belief that there was one who was king over all the world. The world was not left to chance. There was one whose laws bound the whole universe. Eventually he went on till he could say, his maker was his husband, his Redeemer was the Holy One of Israel. He came to know him personally.
All these relationships are true of the believer at the same time. In the case of Ruth each succeeding relationship swallowed up the relationship that preceded it. In the case of the believer it is still true of him that he is subject to God as his king. In the 45th Psalm we have that beautiful scene depicting Christ come to claim his people as his own. There is a sense of spontaneous joy and freedom — “They shall be brought with gladness great and mirth on every side.” Yet in the midst of this there is the solemn reminder — “Because he is thy Lord do thou him worship reverently.” The intimacy of the relationship did not absolve her from doing homage to him as her lord and remembering to serve him “reverently and with godly fear.”
We have these relationships brought before us and in each one of them the Lord rejoices in supplying the needs of his own people. What is it that gives this pleasure to God in thus supplying the needs of his own people? We know that it is true that any position of power gives pleasure. Nebuchadnezzar looked upon Babylon and rejoiced in supplying all the needs of Babylon. He rejoiced in the power it gave him and in the reflected glory it gave to him to be able to do this. This is the same in the relationship of father to son. It can be a fact that the son in growing up shows certain qualities that cause pride to rise in the heart of the father. As long as this feeling of pride in the son continues, the father continues to have pleasure in supplying the needs of the son. This can be true in the closest relationship. We have it in the case of Ahasuerus and Vashti, how he had a pride in Vashti — in her beauty. He called for her to come and display her beauty before his princes. Her beauty caused a kind of reflected glory to be cast upon himself and hence gave him pleasure. Yet, when it is just selfishness which causes a person to rejoice in this relationship how quickly can this relationship change. We see this in the case of Ahasuerus and Vashti, how quickly was she removed from her position as queen — Why? Because the pleasure in her was not a pleasure in the person of the queen for her own sake. So it can be with father and son. When the son ceases to reflect glory then so quickly will that pleasure that the father had in the son disappear. Care for the son will turn to disowning him. How wonderful it is that the care God shows towards His own people is not of such a nature — that it is a love toward their persons themselves. It is based upon a love to them individually.
We may take an example of exalted human love as an illustration of the love of God to his own people. If we compare the love of Ahasuerus to Vashti with the relationship between Joseph and his brethren we see the difference between what is true love and what is a seeking of a reflected glory. Remember how Joseph supplied his brethren with the abundance of Egypt — plenty food upon the table. How they wondered at all this great supply given to them! We may say concerning his brethren he was well rid of them. When he gained this high position he did not need them to come in order to gain any reflected glory from them. They would only have been a liability to him; he had already attained the highest pinnacle; he had become established. Here now were his brethren who had sold him to Egypt. Their presence, one would think would open old wounds and constitute an acute embarrassment in his relations with his adopted country. If he had responded in the way the natural heart responds in such situations, he would have felt only the deepest hatred towards them. Yet we find Joseph at the head of the table looking down upon them partaking of his bounty, and seeing this with rejoicing and with joy. He sees Judah, Reuben, etc., all of them partaking of the food he places before them and he himself having pleasure in this. Where does the pleasure come from? Does it come from the fact that he is rewarding kindness they have shown him in the past. Not at all; rather they have shown cruelty. Yet all the cruelty has not soured his spirit. He rejoices in seeing them; he yearns for the time when he can open to them his heart and say, “I am Joseph thy brother.” This is so in connection with the Lord. His pleasure in all these relationships arises not from the reflected glory that they give to Him. He has pleasure in giving of Himself to them — how often does that phrase occur — “For His own name’s sake.” He gives to them of His goodness even when they cease to reflect glory upon Him. Does He turn his back upon them as we see Ahasuerus turning his back against Vashti? Does the Lord do this? Does he not say even as they are wandering away from Him, “How can I give thee up.” He “earnestly remembers them still,” and when they turn back towards Him once again with faltering steps, His bowels yearn for His own people — “I will heal their backsliding.” He is willing to receive them again. What security this gives to the relationship between the Lord and His people. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance — without calling back. Hence the Lord loves his own people even to the uttermost.
We may consider more particularly ways in which the Lord takes pleasure in his people. Let us return to the illustration of Boaz. Boaz in the providence of God was one who appeared on the behalf of God to Ruth. He thus came from outside her experience altogether to be related to her, first as benefactor, then as husband. Yet in that same providence of God, Boaz was already her near kinsman, and it was for this reason that Ruth asked Boaz to cast his garment over her. Boaz in this sense appeared on behalf of Ruth before the assembly of elders, indeed, before God himself as the one who under the Leverite law claimed Ruth as his own. In the first sense it was of Boaz “mere good pleasure” that he allowed Ruth, an alien Moabitess, to glean in his lands. In the second, Ruth had power to constrain Boaz to receive her and with reverence we may say that because of the laws he had already made, God himself was constrained to look on her with favour. Like Boaz, Christ appears in the first place on behalf of God to man. Thus, though God considered absolutely is king over his kingdom. Christ particularly is king over his own people. “Verily,” he said to Pilate, “I am a king,” and in his own person the kingdom of heaven comes into this world. God is their Father, but of Christ especially it is true that he is their “ever-lasting Father.” God is the husband of his people: yet Christ especially is spoken of in this relationship. Yet there is another side to this matter. Christ is their “goel,” their kinsman-redeemer. He is related to them as the One who on their behalf became flesh. Indeed we may say he has completely identified himself with them in their lost, undone condition. He loved the Church and gave himself for it, not merely by a token promise to be a faithful and loving husband to her, but in a very real pouring out his soul unto death on her behalf so that his Father would be her Father and his God her God. Now, because of this new relationship which the death of Christ has forged between himself and his people, God is not ashamed to be called their God. Indeed, he takes a positive delight in this relationship. He rejoices over them with joy and rests in his love. Thus, the Lord’s pleasure in his people does not depend in the first place on anything in themselves but in their relationship to Christ.
You remember when David became king how he could not divorce himself from his past. He searched and said, “Is there yet any of the house of Saul that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” He found one physically poor specimen of the house of Saul — very unlike Saul himself and very unlike Jonathan. This was Mephibosheth who was lame in both feet, one who could not even begin to accomplish the feats of Saul or Jonathan. David shows him kindness because of the memories he has of Jonathan. Hence he rejoices to give him a portion from the king’s table because he reminded him of Jonathan of whom he could say, “Thy love to me was wonderful.” So we may say of the Lord in his having pleasure in His people and in His giving gifts to his people. This pleasure comes in the first place because of their relationship to Christ. It may be that externally there is very little that would link them with Christ. They are sinners just like any others. They have the marks of sin in their own hearts. Just as Mephibosheth was so different from Jonathan so the believer is very different from Christ. Yet because of their relationship to Christ — that He has been pleased to have this relationship to be made between Himself and His people — the Lord is well pleased to show His good pleasure towards them for His sake. The Father said of Christ, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” In His bringing in everlasting righteousness His steps were followed by His Father with infinite delight. It is true of everyone on whom Christ has looked, they are accepted in the Beloved because he is pleased to sprinkle His blood upon their souls. He is pleased to cast the mantle of His love over them when they cannot save themselves and for His sake they are accepted. Yet there is more to it than this.
Would it not seem strange if when Mephibosheth was elevated he did not show thanks, if he did not express gratitude. He had been brought from the dunghill to sit among princes. Would it not be equally strange if when he showed this response it would not cause David to have increased pleasure in showing his goodwill towards him, in giving him all the good gifts he enjoyed. It is true that basically the Lord has pleasure in His people not for anything in themselves but because of their relationship to Christ. They are chosen not for themselves but chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. It is not on the basis of their goodness that they are chosen in Christ. But is it not true that the Lord seeks for a response from his own people? “O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely.” Song of Solomon 2:14. The Lord seeks this response from his people. It causes pleasure in His heart. “Awake, O north wind, and come thou south, blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out.” Note that there may be a response also on the side of God. “Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.” Song of Solomon 4:16. We may speak of that response in terms of these graces:—
Repentance, Faith and New Obedience. They are shown in the life of the believer. The Lord offers to us eternal life through Christ. He says — “Whoso hath the Son and believeth in Him hath everlasting life.” Should this not cause a response in the heart of one who hears it effectively, of sorrow for sin in the light of the grace of God manifested in Christ. As David said, this broken spirit, which is a mark of sorrow for sin, is to God a pleasing sacrifice. It is that which causes to spring forth His good pleasure towards the one in whom it is found. Even though the believer is not chosen for anything in himself, the Lord seeks that response, in sorrow for sin even though it may seem a very little response. God’s goodness in Christ should lead us to repentance. Let us not feel that our short comings in this means that we cannot be pleasing in God’s sight. Rabbi Duncan tells of his own experience how the Lord brought him to see his sin not merely through his own eyes but through the eye of God; not merely to measure himself among his fellows but according to the measure of the sanctuary. There was given to this one a new song which was sung, says Dr Duncan with “a joyous grief and a grievous joy . . . it faltered, and made wrong music; it jarred, and there was discord; and it grated on its own ear; and pained it . . . But the song was presented through and by the Mediator of the New Covenant and it came up as music in Jehovah’s ear; melody to the Lord.” Was it not this harmony that Paul was seeking after. The Apostle says in the epistle to the Romans that he had a desire after that which was good but all the time he was finding a law which kept him from that. “Who shall deliver me from this law of sin and death.” The apostle had to strive again and again; he had to sorrow and grieve because he failed time and again. Let us not consider that because we cannot make that harmony in our hearts — we make notes that jar on our ears — that it does not ascend as music to the ears of the Lord of Sabbaoth. In the prayer of the Pharisee there was external harmony between the confident stance, the pious expression and the pious form of words, but it was a harmony that was disharmony in the sight of God. He saw what was there, that the pharisee was but a whited sepulchre and within were dead men’s bones. There was disharmony in the heart of the publican when he said God be merciful to me who, in thy sight, see myself as a sinner. Yet there was harmony in his saying. I agree with the law of God. It is holy, just and good. I agree Thou art just when Thou markest iniquity. Thou art holy even though my goodness does not reach to thee, I repent in dust and ashes before Thee. That harmony between the spirit of the publican in condemning himself and the law of God was a harmony that was sweet and precious in the ears of God. The Lord has pleasure in His people — in their repentance. “All these things have my hands made, but to this man will I look to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word.” How men might pass over the publican and think him of no account. Yet however little he may be thought of on earth, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
As well as repentance there is faith also. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. In a sense faith comes before repentance. It is in the light of the favour of God revealed in the heart that we truly repent and recognise our own sinfulness. Faith is not merely at the beginning of the Christian life, it is called forth throughout the Christian life. Faith must seek to reach out from our low condition to the favour and power of God. We see this in the case of Jonah. “I was cast out from thy sight. Yet will I look again to thy holy temple.” There is a seeking to reach out to God and His power, beyond our present feeling of weakness and inability. It is true that the Lord tests his own people in order to see if this is really there, as he tested Abraham to see if his faith was genuine. It is in connection with this that the Lord says, “Come thou north wind,” in order to draw forth this response of faith. It was a cold north wind that blew upon the Syro-Phoenecian woman who came to Christ and said, “My daughter is sick nigh to death.” How the Lord turned, it seemed, His back on her saying, “It is not meet to take the children’s food and give it to dogs.” Why did he do it? In order that this response would come forth of faith and trust, “Truth Lord yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.” Did not that cause pleasure in the heart of Christ when He said, “O woman, great is thy faith.” Does it not cause pleasure in the heart of God when his people show that faith and trust in Him in such adverse circumstances, praise, also, as an extension of faith causes pleasure to God. “Who offereth praise glorifies me.” At times the believer may have faith without being able to rise to praise. Such was the experience of the Psalmist when he said, “For yet I know I shall him praise.” His faith was unchanged, yet he could not at that moment surmount his feelings of dejection. Where, however, one shows the ability even in the face of adverse circumstances to rise to praise, what pleasure this causes in the heart of God! This was true in the case of Job. Here is a just man who hates evil; God has pleasure in him. Satan being what he is could not discern the love that bound Job with God. He saw it in mercenary terms. Job offered sacrifices to God and in return he got all his prosperity and good things from God. He did this purely in order that he might get gifts from God. Being of a cold spirit he, as Simon the Pharisee, could not enter into the spirit of love that bound the woman that poured the ointment on the head of Christ, so it was impossible for Satan to enter into the love that bound God to Job. Hence when Satan did all that he could, when the Lord caused the mount standing strong by His love to crumble, what a wonder it must have been to Satan to see Job rising again, in the midst of his ruin saying, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” How would he glorify God in these circumstances.
We have spoken of repentance, faith and the extension of faith in praise to God. There is also new obedience to the Lord in seeking to follow in the way of His footsteps. This is something we should surely seek to do. It is true we can do nothing; our sufficiency is of God. Does that mean we are not to seek the way of new obedience; that we are not to seek to follow Christ Himself and set our feet in the way of His steps. “Exercise thyself unto godliness.” Do not sit waiting for some wonderful things to happen, as the lepers waited at the gate of Samaria. We are called to stir up the grace of God that is in us. Seek to follow in the way even though you may feel that your greatest efforts may be poor. Let us consider the command given to the believer to turn his back upon the one he followed before. He was then carried captive by Satan at his will. Instead of being obedient to the cause of Satan now he is obedient to Christ. It is summed up in that command, “Resist the devil.” What a command to give to one who is but a babe beginning the life of grace. Is it not true that even Michael the Archangel durst not bring an accusation against Satan. Here is this one who is but a child in grace being told to resist the devil; to walk in this way of new obedience: It is said of leviathan that “he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.” Will not Satan likewise merely laugh at the posture of defiance that the believer might offer to him as Goliath laughed at David as he came against him. Yet the command still stands, “Resist the devil.” We may take this as an illustration of how the Lord takes pleasure in His people. (a) As the Lord said it was good that it was in the heart of David to build him an house, even though he never laid one stone upon another, so the Lord says it is good that it would be in the heart of the believer to resist this ‘Goliath’ ready to entrap and ensnare him. “If I were to leave you in his hands,” the Lord might well say, “he would sift you as wheat. Yet it rejoices me to see your willingness to oppose him.” (b) The Lord takes pleasure in fighting with those who fight — not leaving the believer to stand alone. Though David held his shield and buckler it was not in his own strength he trusted. He pleaded that the Lord would take hold of his shield and buckler and stand up to be his strength. Thus it is the case of the believer: if one does seek to resist the power of Satan, then the Lord will fight with such a one. He will give him the victory as surely as David got the victory. The gates of hell will not prevail against Him.
Now, in conclusion, what is our position in God’s sight? We are told that he views the earth in all its various activities. What is He searching for? “Is there any that seeks God and is wise?” Before the Flood, the Lord saw much activity which might have impressed the natural eye, but the Lord failed to detect what he desired above all, and far from having pleasure it grieved him at his heart. On the other hand, in connection with those who do seek the Lord, even though their efforts may be weak, the Lord responds in love and favour. While he will cause mighty kingdoms to descend in ruins and grovel in the dust, “the bruised reed he will not break, the smoking flax he will not quench.” The smoking flax seems to represent the suspicion of life rather than life itself. Yet, the Lord deals tenderly with such. He has pleasure in them. Let us seek that new relationship with God through the sprinkling of the blood of His Son. Let us seek repentance, faith and new obedience, marks that would show us clearly to be the Lord’s own people. Then he will say to us, while others are passed by, “These are the ones I delight to honour;” and of that coming time when the wicked shall be as chaff, ready to be burnt up, the Lord says of us, “They shall be mine in the day when I make up my jewels.”