To have the Bible in our possession is the greatest privilege that we can enjoy in this world, apart from having the Saviour revealed in the Bible as our own personal Saviour. God has given us His Word — a divine revelation of His mind and will and of the way of salvation for sinners through a crucified, risen and exalted Redeemer. This we possess when we have the Bible. Its value we cannot compute. It is priceless; more precious than rubies or silver and gold. It is true that we can buy a Bible at quite a small price, but that price gives no indication of its real value. Were we to try and estimate its true value by placing it on one side of a balance, all the riches of this world placed on the other side could not outweigh it. How then, we must ask, is the Bible so little valued by us, and so generally despised among men? The answer to this question we must find in man himself first, and then in the nature of the Bible itself.
What is it, then, that makes men undervalue or despise the Scriptures of truth? It is the fact that men are in a sinful and fallen state. Sin has so darkened the mind and understanding of fallen sinners that they are not able to set a proper value upon things of real worth. Though quite capable of estimating worldly treasures in their relative values with respect to one another, the carnal mind of man cannot grasp the superior worth of things that are heavenly. Consequently, that which is of comparatively little worth is prized, and that which is of superlative value is despised. This, then, is how we act towards the Bible — the most priceless possession that man can enjoy — until God in His infinite mercy opens our eyes to see it to be of infinite worth.
But what is it in the Bible that makes this priceless possession so unattractive to us? It is its spirituality. We are carnal, sold under sin. The things of God are spiritual, so we cannot as natural men and women appreciate them, for these things are spiritually discerned. In order to value them through seeing the preciousness of them we need to be quickened. That is, we need to be made alive — spiritually alive. It is the Spirit of God alone in regeneration who can breathe in that spiritual life to our souls and hearts. Then we will prize the Bible, prize the message of the Bible, prize the Christ of the Bible. We will then say: “How did I never see it before? Here is life, here is salvation, here is eternal blessedness.”
When the Bible is valued, what is then the result? That soul says, “What would I do without the Bible?” And the same soul goes on to say, “Oh that everyone might have the Bible.” The awakened soul is convinced that without the Bible no soul can be saved. The revelation of God in nature may leave men inexcusable if they die in their sins but it cannot bring them to salvation. Only the Bible can do this by the blessing of God upon it.
By this then we may estimate our own love to the Bible — that is, by the desire we have that others should possess it, and by the support we give for its dissemination throughout the whole world. By this standard how do we measure up? Do we stand or fall? Who can but say that they come far short in the support they give to the work of spreading abroad the Scriptures? If so, should we not seek to amend matters and do all in our power to support the spreading abroad of God’s Word? The opportunity to do so is open to us when we have a Bible Society — the Trinitarian Bible Society — which is dedicated to sending forth faithful versions of the Scriptures into the nations of the world.
Notes of a Sermon
by Rev. M. Gillies, Stornoway
*”And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.”* — Exodus Chapter 28 Verses 33-34.
The pomegranate is a type of Christ. These golden bells had a special relation to the pomegranates — not one out of place. These golden bells would therefore typify something pertaining to Christ. Let us look back then, my friends, to a past eternity. Ah! do you see the pomegranate? There He lies in the bosom of the Father. Do you hear that golden bell ringing in the hearts of angels who veil their faces before him crying, Holy, Holy?
I see the pomegranate again. Ah! what is happening? He is in consultation with his Father. Surely you hear the golden bell, child of God, it rings in the Covenant of Grace. It has been ringing in every believers’ heart from the days of Abel: it still rings today, and it will ring when all the so-called joyous bells which the Devil has forged in his smithy in Hell have been put to silence for ever. No, my friends, eternity will not see that bell put to silence.
But see the pomegranate again. He walks in the Garden in the heat of the day. “Adam where art thou?” He says. What a black day! Man, an heir of Heaven, has become an heir of Hell. No golden bell this time you say. Yes, my friends, it rings in the promise. “The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent.”
There were many golden bells and pomegranates on Aaron’s robe, but how many more are there on the robe of the Great High Priest. I can only mention a few.
A pomegranate in Bethlehem’s manger — God’s dear Son and co-equal with the Father. Do you hear the golden bell? Ah Yes! Where? In the Angels’ song. True! I hear another. Listen to it. What a sweet note! “Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.” Make sure, my friends, that that promise is written deeply on your soul, if it is you should hear that golden bell. It is true enough, the babe of Bethlehem is all for you.
But see the pomegranate of the Church again. He sits at Jacob’s well with a woman “who is a sinner.” But all women and men, too, are sinners — yes, and great sinners. This one however, is a notorious sinner. Ah, He loves those who know themselves to be great sinners. Heaven is a place where those dwell who have been transformed from great sinners to great saints. What efficacy there is in the blood of Christ. Millions of sinners have been washed there and the fountain is as pure as ever for you.
There is a Fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Emmanuel’s veins.
Do you hear the golden bell ringing. Yes, it rings in the woman’s heart, Hear it. “Is not this the Christ?” The fact that he saved the Woman of Samaria should be as a golden bell to you drawing you to Christ. I pass by Lazarus, Martha, Mary, Nicodemus and many others.
Now let us take a view of Gethsemane. He, whom the pomegranate round the hem typified is lying in agony on the ground, sweating great drops of blood. No golden bell here, my friends. Ah you say, the angel who strengthened Him may have been as a golden bell ringing in his soul.
Godly Rabbi Duncan had a great desire to see this angel when he reached Heaven. What a wonderful messenger. A Created being sent to strengthen Him whom angels worship in awe. What a mystery! Eternity will not fathom it. Friend, there was a golden bell here, but its note was very dim at this instant. What was it? Well I believe it was this, “Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.” That was it, “The joy set before him.”
See now, the pomegranate hanging on a cross. Blood from these hands and feet drop on to the cold rocks of Calvary. Very little chance of a golden bell here. I hear at least three. One in the heart of a malefactor, “Today thou shalt be with me in paradise.” One in the heart of angels rejoicing over one sinner which repented, and yet another in his own heart, “It is finished!” What is finished? The work of salvation? — not strictly correct. The work of salvation is not finished until the last son is brought to glory. But the road of salvation is finished. It has been paved by the blood of the God-Man. This rejoiced Him. Perhaps there is a golden bell ringing in your own heart in this connection, my friends. Well Calvary and Gethsemane constitute one of the Schools of Faith. In Gethsemane the disciples found the weakness of the flesh. They slept at the very time the Jews were marching to arrest their master. Here Peter learned to put his sword into his sheath for the time had come. At Calvary a centurion learned that this was a righteous man. Yes, my friends, you should often take a look at Calvary.
I must stop. What now? A pomegranate in Joseph’s sepulchre — not Jesus’ sepulchre. Oh, what poverty! “Though he were rich yet he became poor.” There he lies in the stillness of death. Do you hear a golden bell? Yes at least four. One rings on the morning of the resurrection in the heart of Mary. What a joyous note — “Rabboni”. Another rings in your heart. Why? because the resurrection of Christ is the title deeds of salvation. Again a golden bell rings in the heart of the two going to Emmaus. It rung so much that they admit their hearts burned within them. But a golden bell should ring in your heart on this account that the resurrection of Christ is a proof that all the children of God shall yet have their bodies raised incorruptible. When that trumpet shall sound, you shall be raised from your grave to meet the Lord in the air and so be forever with the Lord. There the golden bells will fill your soul with joy and you will spend the endless ages singing a New Song — forever new to angels, for they will never succeed in learning it. They know not what it is to be washed from their sins in His (i.e. Christ’s) blood.
Friend begin to learn that song down here.