IN reading the Bible if one’s attention has been once directed to the subject it is surprising the number of unanswered questions we have in Scripture. Some of these questions have the answer in themselves and, strictly speaking, can scarcely be called unanswered; others are of a different nature and the very putting of the question arraigns the sinner; and, like the guest in the parable, he is speechless. In looking over some of these questions there can be little doubt that the divine purpose was to produce a deep impression on the person or persons to whom the question was addressed. In cross examination the skilled counsel may by a question lay bare the falsity of the refuges of lies which the criminal has built for himself. Or the Judge by a searching question from the bench may indicate that he is seeing through all the plausibilities, sophistries of the defence and may thus lay a cleverly built up argument in ruins by a few pointed words. Let us turn first to the Old Testament Scriptures for one or two of these unanswered questions.
- There is the Lord’s searching question to the men of Judah—”What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done to it?” (Is. v. 4). Things had been going on as usual for years—Judah sinning and Jehovah in His long-suffering waiting the day when Judah was to be summoned to judgment. The day at last came and this question from the Judge was fitted to awaken in the minds of the most careless and thoughtless
a sense of their accountability. It would bring before their minds that behind the question there was an indictment which they could not answer. However long they may have trifled with God’s long-suffering this question indicates that this is now at an end and God will deal with them for the manner in which they abused His gifts. He had planted a vineyard which enjoyed surpassing advantages (1) in a very fruitful hill; (2) He had fenced it; (3) He had gathered out the stones; (4) He had planted it with the choicest vine; (5) He had planted a tower in the midst of it, and (6) He had made a vinepress in it. Now He appeals to the men of Judah and asks: “What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it?” This was a question that went right home to their consciences and demanded an answer. Too long the men of Judah had relied on God’s long suffering as if it were never to come to an end—too long they had deluded themselves with the belief that the stay of the summons from the Judge meant either that He was indifferent to what they were doing or that He was never to enter into judgment with them at all, but this question scatters all these delusions and it imperatively demands an answer from them. Their consciences must have told them that the answer was in the question itself—nothing more could have been done by God for His vineyard and the fact that it was only bringing forth wild grapes was due to quite other causes than want of care and attention by the Husbandman. In this summons to judgment of the men of Judah we see on a small scale what will be enacted on the Great Day. The questions that will be put by the Judge on that Day will reveal to the sinner that the pleasing sophistries that deluded him and the lies that deceived him are not the secure resting places he so often fondly believed them to be.
- Take again the statement: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. xvii. 9). What tremendous emphasis is laid on the deceitfulness and wickedness of the heart by the question—Who can know it? It is a question that strikes with staggering effect the careless
complacency that all was well as far as the sinner’s relation to God was concerned. It throws open unsuspected depths in the human heart and is like a light shining into dark subterranean passages where things foul and hideous have long been lurking. The man, who in his blindness, has all along imagined that he is the special favourite of heaven because no light from on high has ever entered the dark places of his heart must stand aghast when he meets with such a statement and is confronted with such a question. But to those who have been under the teaching of the Holy Spirit the statement that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked is one that they cannot call in question even though they would. The facts of their experience are too overwhelmingly on the side of Scripture for them to take up a critical attitude and bring forward pleas in self-defence. They know and feel that with all they have learned to their dismay they have not yet sounded the depths of sin in their hearts. They readily consent to the testimony of the Faithful and True Witness with shame when He says that out of their hearts “proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” (Mark vii. 21, 22). The place where all these foul things breed is not a possession in which we can glory. Yet it is such hearts which have been redeemed and which through the application of the precious blood of Christ shall yet be whiter than snow. In their experience God’s people are at one in their realization of the deceitfulness and wickedness of the human heart and when they hear the question—Who can know it?—though they feel that it sounds abysmal depths they put their amen to it.
We may now take one or two illustrations from the New Testament. 3. There is the Saviour’s question:—”What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. xvi. 26). This is one of the most solemn of many solemn questions which came from the lips of our Lord when He tabernacled among men. Let us try in some measure to realise
its solemnity. The Questioner is none other than the Man whom God has appointed to judge the world. It is a question then put by Him who shall one day say to the wicked: “Depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” It is not a question put to awaken needless concern nor is the dread evil of which it speaks imaginary, however much Satan may try to make us believe that it is. With the full knowledge as He alone can know of the loss incurred and the penalty to be faced through eternal ages He puts this solemn and searching question:—”What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The most extreme case is chosen—a man gaining the whole world—so that the matter may be looked at from the standpoint of the most that can be obtained. The Judge takes that and puts it into the scale and with His eyes fixed upon the sinner asks this question: What is he profited if he lose his soul? The worthlessness of all that the world can give a man and the worth of a human soul was never so set before us with such tremendous emphasis.
- Let us take another question put by the Lord Jesus—this time in connection with His teaching in a parable. In the parable of the Marriage of the King’s Son the guests are assembled, the marriage feast is prepared, the King enters the assembly and sees one among the guests without a wedding garment. He addresses him and asks the question: “Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment” There was no excuse; for the wedding garment had been provided and his appearance among the guests clothed in his ordinary garments was an open act of disrespect to the King and his Son. The man could say nothing for himself—he was speechless. Neither did anyone among all the guests offer any excuse for his conduct. Whatever excuses he may have had in his mind when thoughtlessly he entered the assembly they all vanished when that question was put to him. How many whose tongues are glib enough in formulating useless excuses will find at last that one question from the King can bring down in ruins at their feet the place of defence in which they hoped securely to
meet any coming trial. Now, sinners may have a thousand excuses in extenuation of their conduct and the closest scrutiny of multitudes of their fellow men may see no flaw in their well-built place of defence but when God will put the question at last: “How camest thou without a wedding garment?” everything will be changed. They will be speechless—none of all the angels in heaven can advance anything in their favour—none of all the assembled multitudes before the throne—neither can they say anything for themselves. The case of the sinner that has despised the wedding garment (the righteousness of Christ) and treated it as if it were not required will be solemn enough.
Such are a few of the unanswered questions which met us in Scripture; there are many others but our space will not allow us to touch on them at present.
Sermon.
Preached by the late Rev. NEIL CAMERON, St. Jude’s,
2nd June, 1929.
“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee”
(Psalm xxii., 27).
WE find that Christ applied to Himself on Calvary’s Cross the opening words of this psalm when He cried: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” In the Epistle to the Hebrews the Holy Ghost also applies another part of this psalm to Christ; “I will declare thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.” The whole psalm from beginning to end is concerning Christ. It is no other than Christ Himself who is describing His sufferings from the opening verse down to verse 21, and then goes on to speak to men after His resurrection—”I will declare thy name unto my brethren.” Although Christ died He rose again, ascended up into heaven and will be there until the day comes in which He shall judge great and small, high and low, rich and poor.
In the words of our text we have a very great promise. It is not a part of the world that is to turn to God, but all the ends of the world. That has not yet come to pass but it will be fulfilled.
I. In the first place let us consider a few things, as we may be helped, that will be true of this universal repentance. We are told that there will be three things in the experience of all men. (1) They will remember. (2) They will return to the Lord. (3) They will worship the only living and true God and cease worshipping idols.
II. In the second place we shall consider a few things concerning the extent of this promise. It includes all the ends of the earth. There is no limit to it; and God is able to fulfil that promise.
I. In the first place he says that men would realise in their own souls when this would take place, and (1) the first thing they will realise is that they will remember. I will mention a few things that come to the memory of every saved sinner and that will come to your memory if you are to be saved and which you will not forget throughout eternity. They remember that they are creatures who are accountable to God in everything they say or think. “I am accountable to God for all my sins” is the language of the awakened sinner. It is a large number of things the sinner has to remember—sins of his childhood, sins of his youth. Memory casts up to him all that ever he did. Memory is a storehouse of such an extraordinary nature that it cannot lose anything. It is not at all like a thing into which you would pour something and that could flow through it and be lost. Memory holds everything. Everything you ever heard, thought, saw and did in the world is stored up in the memory. In this connection I came across a very apt illustration some time ago. It was about a woman on the continent of Europe who had to be taken to a hospital on account of some disease. While in the hospital she began to talk in some strange language that none of the doctors could understand. She even puzzled learned men who came to see her. At last a Jew came and he
found out that she was quoting four chapters of the Bible in Hebrew. No explanation could be given for such an extraordinary case until on inquiry it was found that at one time she had been living in the house of a minister who was in the habit of reading his Hebrew Bible aloud. This shows us what a great storehouse memory is, and it is a thing that will be very bitter to us in eternity unless God will have mercy on us. All the lies, all the deception, all the fraud, all the swearing and cursing that man did in the world, all the vanity, all the pride of heart and the place given to his lusts, will all have a resurrection either here in time or hereafter. As He says in psalm 1: “These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself; but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.” The poor sinner begins then to remember how careless, how godless and how wickedly he spent his time in the world. It is not the memory only of the sinner that is awakened. His whole soul is quickened—conscience, understanding, will and memory. When the Holy Ghost convinces the sinner of sin, memory casts up his past life and conscience will not allow him deny it. It is well for those of whom it is true that memory began to recall their former ways and caused them to turn unto the Lord. Again, the memory will recall all the threatenings of God that you ever heard against sin. You may now be making light of them, and charging men with being severe and callous who bring them before you, but friend, God says in His Word: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” When the sinner is awakened by the Holy Ghost he will remember that he heard these threatenings, that he ignored them, refusing to listen to either God or men. All this will yet be revived in your memory; and the lost can never get rid of this, that they were warned in time of the worm that dieth not and the fire that shall not be quenched. They cannot get it out of their minds. But those who remember it in time believe it so strongly that they say with David: “There is but one step between me and death.” Memory will not only bring
back all the warnings and threatenings that God has set down in His Book but also how you despised all His gracious invitations to turn to Him, how you would not listen to God or man but went on in the way of the world and its sinful courses and that neither threatenings nor offers of mercy would have any effect on you. All this will yet turn up, as it is written in the Gospel according to John “And when He is come He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment; of sin because they believe not on me.” You may think little of unbelief now and try to excuse yourself by saying: “What can I do?” Your memory will be quickened and you will recall how you slighted Christ as it is written: “Ye would not come unto me that ye might have life.” What a fearful thing it will be to remember in eternity that you would not come to Christ to have life! O friend what a fearful thing to remember! In a few days you must remember it, how you sinned against God, how rebellious you were, how you despised all offers and invitations of mercy, and alas! alas! if it is in a lost eternity you are to remember it! Your memory will cast up all your past deeds, words and thoughts and you will be amazed at the exactness with which memory will reproduce them.
(2) In the case of the saved they had a day in their history like the man in the psalm who said: “I thought upon my former ways, and did my life well try; and to thy testimonies pure my feet then turned I.” That was a day to be remembered, the day in which a poor sinner turned his feet from the way of sin and death. The sinner now realises like the prodigal son that he is a sinner. His confession is: “I have sinned against heaven.” All the pride of man falls immediately to the ground when God begins to remind him of what he was and is. He now realises his need of turning to God. Sometimes God uses His Providence along with His Word to cause men to think upon their former ways. If the prodigal son had prospered in the company he was with, laughing at seriousness and godliness, it is hard to say when he would have stopped. But God brought His Providence against him. He comes to his last penny and
begins to be in want. After throwing himself out of his father’s house and favour and spending all he had, he must now feed swine, or spiritually to satisfy his own lusts for that is what the sinner does. But God brought him to himself in an instant of time and what has he got now: “I perish; if I wait here it is death for me. I must turn back, shame or no shame; there is enough in my father’s house and to spare.” The Holy Ghost brings the sinner to this, to see that God is gracious, and gives him to come with true repentance seeking forgiveness through the blood. The Providence of God is often used to bring men to consider their evil ways—”Turn ye from your evil ways, why will ye die?” Why will you go to hell and God calling upon you to turn? Are you determined to go to the flames of hell in the teeth of threatenings and invitations? I desire to notice two things in connection with the turning of the sinner. All men are by nature on the broad way leading to destruction—”Many there be that go in thereat.” All from infancy to grey hairs, who are in an unconverted state, are on this broad way, and all who will not turn back from this way will assuredly perish. “I thought upon my former ways and did my life well try.” This must be true in your own case if you are to escape. On the communion Fridays in the Highlands you often hear the men when giving marks of the new birth, saying “There were two days in the lives of those who were born again.” And friend, there must be two days in your life or else a whole day down to eternal ruin. The sinner must turn, and cannot take one step back with the world to their vanities. The return must be to God in Christ or else it will not be a turning at all. “Turn unto me,” saith the Lord. The second thing I desire to say about this turning is that it will be seen outwardly that the sinner has turned. Godliness cannot be hid either in old or young. It is like a city set on a hill which cannot be hid. It is seen in their conversation and walk in the world. There is a way of holiness and all who have turned to God are on this way, and not among the vanities of the world. True religion is not like a cloak that can be
thrown off and on as a person pleases. It is a thing that changes the man completely and renews him inwardly. If a man be in Christ he is a new creature. When a young man who was the ringleader in all the vanities turned it is evident to the whole countryside. This turning is a clear change outwardly as well as inwardly. In the return the whole hope and confidence of the sinner that he will be saved lies in the merit of the blood of Christ, on the atonement, on the mercy of God through the blood. His hope and expectation rests wholly night and day on Christ and Him crucified.
(3) It will be true of this universal repentance and it is true in the case of every sinner who repents that there will be a worshipping of God. The sinner first of all remembers how guilty he is on account of what he did, and how he despised and refused in the past offers of mercy and pardon, and then he begins to turn to God from the world, its fellowship and sinful courses, and would to God that the youth of our country, that the youth of our families and the youth of St. Jude’s would have such a day in their lives in which they would turn from their folly and wickedness unto Christ, and may we see that in our own day! He now begins to worship God. Saul of Tarsus was undoubtedly a man who prayed often but he never really prayed to God until Christ said to Ananias: “Behold he prays.” That was the first time that Saul worshipped God; and would to God that you and I would begin where the poor publican began: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” We are told that he went down to his house justified, because he came confessing and pleading for mercy. These three things must be true of us if we are to see heaven and get deliverance from hell. We must worship God in the beauty of holiness. It is the gospel of the grace of God that makes all this. You see how it turned the idol-worshipping Thessalonians from their idols to worship the true God. It is a good day for the sinner when he says: “What more have I to do with idols?”; when he turns with grief and hatred of his sin from it unto God, with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience.
II. The extent of the promise; seeing that God declared it our heart is strengthened. It was the same Lord Jesus Christ who cried: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me,” who says here: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord.” Let us notice a few things in connection with this promise. (1) O! my friends, how few they are in our day that are truly worshipping God. But when this promise is fulfilled there will be no will-worship or man worship then or what will fit in with man’s carnal propensities. It will be true worship in spirit and in truth. All the ends of the earth will be gathered into the Church of Christ. We are living in very dark days, in perilous times for the souls of poor sinners. If there is any work done it is like the gleanings, not like the harvest of the vintage that used to be in the past. We are not denying that God the Holy Ghost has ceased to deal in a saving way with the souls of men, but alas! alas! how few, one here and there. As He says: “I will take one of a city.” What a small number to go to heaven and all the rest to go to hell. “I will take one of a city and two of a family.” It is God’s work. Nevertheless, it is you who repents, it is you who believes, not another for you. God working in both to will and to do according to His own good pleasure. If you will be saved the godliness of your father or mother will have nothing to do with your godliness. It must be a work done in your own soul. It will be true when the promise is fulfilled that every individual of the human race will be godly. Every one of them will be found confessing: “O! how I forgot God, how I forgot my own soul, how I forgot that I was on the way to hell;” and that will be true of you if you are to be saved, that you will know it in your own experience, that you will turn to Christ for justification, sanctification and holiness. To be holy will be your desire. This will be true to all the ends of the earth. You might set out to Vancouver and from there cross over to China and Japan and come back to where you started and you will find the whole world remembering God and turning from their evil ways. There will be no theatres, no playhouses, no dancing
halls, none going away to play golf on Sabbath as we see now at that glorious day. Surely that is imagination! No! it is sober fact; that is the meaning of my text, and I defy men and the devil to make me believe to the contrary, that this whole world will yet worship the Lord. You have it in the book of the Revelation: “And, lo, I beheld a great multitude which no man can number of all nations, and kindreds and people and tongues.” You have there the whole world divided up into the various peoples. It will be true of the Jews that they will all remember and turn to worship Christ and we read that their turning will be as a resurrection from the dead. This is like a dream, but it is a true dream. It is the infallible word of God. The descendants of Japheth and the descendants of Ham will all be found worshipping God. The devil can get none to carry on his work, although he gets plenty in our day. Would to God that we ourselves would see the day in which this will be fulfilled!