THE Prophet here speaks of Zion and her King. Great promises are given to Zion in relation to her King. In the first verse of this chapter there is reference made to the Gentile world. Seven is an indefinite number, namely, the Church; and the day has come when the Church has risen from among the Gentiles to lay hold of the Son of Man. The “One Man” is also the “Branch of the Lord.” This “Branch” is a sprouting branch. Jews and Gentiles will find a place in it. In the day of prosperity the glory of the “Branch” in his relationship to the Church will be manifest; He shall be beautiful and glorious. His people also have a beauty about them—the beauty of holiness—when “washed” from their “filth.” The “washing” and the “burning” is by Him who was spoken of by John the Baptist who was to baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
In old times when the Israelites were in the wilderness, wherever the people were to be stationed, there rested on the Tabernacle or Tent a cloud by day and the appearance of fire by night, while the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Here we have a promise extended to the New Testament Church—”and the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.” There will be like manifestations of God’s presence given to believers in New Testament times—ourselves if we be among these. “Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them” are the words of Him who was with the Church in the literal wilderness, and He will be with His heritage in every age according to His promise. In making a few remarks on these words, as enabled, we will consider.
I. The glory spoken of.
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This is a promise. Three things are needed to make the fulfillment of a promise certain.
(1). That the one who makes it means to fulfill it. There can be no question but God means to fulfill all His promises to His people. He sent His Son from heaven according to His promise that all the promises which concern His people might be fulfilled. To say or think that God is not serious in what He says is to make Him a liar. Believers dare not and will not belittle God’s promises to His Church. They are often afraid they are not members of that Church to enjoy the promise, but they are sure that Zion will have all that is promised by God fulfilled to her to the very letter.
(2). That the one who makes a promise continue in his purpose without change. If we, friends, consider God’s eternal and unchangeable nature, we cannot doubt but He will continue in His purpose without change “I am the Lord, I change not” is an infallible truth. It is a weakness peculiar to man alone to meet with things, he did not foresee, that frustrate his purposes. God cannot meet with anything that will frustrate His designs and again He foresaw all. He knows the end from the beginning: “The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for He is not a man that he should repent.” To get rid of all doubt He gave double assurance, namely, His word and His oath: “wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of His council confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.”
(3). That the one who makes the promise is able to perform it. God is able to perform every promise. Faith looks to this. This was the support of Abraham’s faith. “Being fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was also able to perform.” As Abraham gave glory to God in believing so do all the heirs of promise. God is able to fulfill all His promises to His Church as a body and to each individual member of it. The power of God will overthrow the devil, the world, and the flesh and finally the power of temporal death on the resurrection morning. He manifests His power, to His own glory, in connection with the salvation and defence of His Church. -
The promise is given concerning the “glory.”
(1). A question arises in connection with this. Are we interested in the “glory?” If we are, this is the Spirit of Christ. “Eli’s heart trembled for the ark of God.” Do we find ourselves interested in the cause of Christ in connection with ourselves as a church, and in Scotland. If we can pray in sincerity and in truth, though trembling in case we are noe sincere: “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are interested in Christ and His cause. Yes, and we are part of that ‘glory’ to which the promise is made, and we can take the promise and rely on it. You hear of the great dangers which surround the “glory” in this materialistic age, and perhaps you, Gallio-like, “care for none of these things.” This wicked indifference is very prevalent in our day. With these people there is no concern for Christ and His cause in the world, had not Scotland been asleep in security, had not men been utterly regardless of their interest in the truth of Christ, it would never have been possible for the religion of the people to have been corrupted as it is: “Let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober.” When Christ will return again to Scotland high and low will take a deep interest in the cause that is now despised. Watchmen will be set on the walls of Zion: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night.” In this connection there is a striking story told of the eminent Mr. Porteous who was at one time parish minister in Kilmuir Easter. One night after retiring to bed he was disturbed by his dog barking. He concluded that the dog was doing his duty faithfully as a watch-dog, guarding against thieves. He began to reflect on his own position as a spiritual watchman in the parish over immortal souls. In this, he thought, he should imitate the dog faithfulness, by being awake wrestling with God for his parishioners. It is said that after this he arranged with his elders that he would watch during the night, and that one about of them would rise at an early hour in the morning to carry on prayer while he was asleep: in this way prayer would be ascending to heaven day and night from Kilmuir Easter. Christ and His people are interested in a common cause. When the cause is prospering they have joy with Christ; when things are otherwise they have fellowship with Him in His weeping.(2). What do we understand by the “glory.” The Ark of the Covenant is called the “glory.” When the ark was taken by the Philistines in the days of Eli, it was said “the glory is departed from Israel, because the ark of God was taken,” and in the 78th Psalm it says, “and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy’s hand.” The ark was a type of Christ. The presence of the ark among the Israelites was an assurance of God’s gracious presence with them. If we have any assurance that Christ is in our midst as a Church, Christ is the cause of that assurance. Where the ark was the glory of God was there; and when it departed the glory had departed. When Christ in the gospel and Christ in His people are with us, the glory of God is with us. On the other hand when God removes the “golden candlestick,” as He did with many places, even in our beloved Scotland, the glory is certainly departed. This is not to say that Christ will not have a cause. Yes! He will have a Church on the earth while sun and moon lasts. But that is not a promise that He will have it in Scotland or in Europe, though we would love to have it in these places. What the ark, which is called the glory, contained is symbolical of what Christ has for us. The ark had the two tables of the Covenant which typified Christ’s fulfilling the law perfectly for us. Again, there was the manna in the Ark which means that Christ is the food that sustains His people. Further the Ark contained Aaron’s rod which budded this indicates the rod of government. Christ is the governor—”and the government shall be upon His shoulder. The fact that the rod of government in the hand of Him who sits at God’s right hand, and who is also brought before us in the Scriptures, and formed in His people, is a source of great comfort to believers. We hope that the day is not far distant when all Arminianism and Socinianism and Arianism and all popish idolatry will fall before the glory of Christ in the land, as Dagon fell before the ark. No power will put an end to the Papacy in the world but the stone cut out of the mountain without hand. If we be as individuals in possession of Christ we are temples of the Holy Ghost and we are part of this glory to which the promise is made. The meanest of His people is precious in His sight. He was with “blind Nelly,” of whom Dr. Kennedy speaks, in her humble bothy, though her body was ripening, by disease and age, for the grave, her soul was fast ripening to be with Christ in glory—”Upon all the glory shall be a defence.”
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His glory is also those that “escape from Israel.” His presence is with this remnant in a peculiar manner. Here is His sensible presence which is not always felt and discerning people do not expect it to last, as illustrated by the following anecdote:—About the year 1785 the people of God had a remarkable blessing at a communion at Kilearnan and were filled to overflowing with the presence of God on the Sabbath. When the congregation was dispersing a godly young man said to an aged woman, a mother in Israel:—”Oh, would it not be well if what we now feel were to continue with us till we reached home.” “Oh, Donald,” she said, “it would be well if what we now feel were continued with us till we reached the opposite bank of yonder stream, this is heaven on earth.” But the presence of God is with His people at all times though they are not sensible of it. He is secretly teaching them and sanctifying them and is present with the two or three. There is a promise to the remnant. A remnant was among those who escaped from Babylon. Another remnant are those who “escaped” from the generation who rejected Christ in the days of the Apostles. Those who left Rome at the time of the Reformation, and turned their backs for ever on idolatry and lies, are another remnant that escaped. There is still another remnant that “escaped,” that is ourselves as a Church. This does not mean that they were all converted men and women who left the Declaratory Act Church, but there was a good crop of these. Through this deliverance our people escaped the great evil of sitting under such as teach unsound doctrine. The above Act gave liberty to men to flatter their fellow sinners while still “in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” Free Presbyterians, however, will go to Hell if they do not believe—”I will, therefore, put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, now that the Lord, having saved His people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.” The Lord gave many proofs of His being with us as a Church—”The Lord shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there.”
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The Lord’s people have a claim to this promise inasmuch as they reflect His glory like a mirror. God sees Himself in them. They “shew forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvellous light.”
(a). They show forth the glory of His wisdom. Redemption by Christ is called “the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery” and “without controversy great is the mystery of godliness” that which angels desire to look into. The wisdom of God in redeeming His people will be an eternal wonder. To see the ruins of the fall so well repaired. God glorified and man so well provided for is the greatest wonder that man or angel ever saw. Oh! the depth of this great mystery. All this a saved sinner reflects.
(b). They show forth the glory of His power. Power is one of God’s greatest perfections and serves to comfort the believer. In love God makes the promise, in truth He keeps them, but it needs His power to make His promises good. Nothing less than almighty power can overcome man’s obstinacy and change his heart and subdue him to God. The power of God again is greatly revealed to maintain believers in a state of grace and enable them to persevere to the end. “Ye are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation.” None but this almighty guardian can keep and preserve His people by the way that they may arrive safe at their journey’s end. Within there is corruption and without there is temptation, and the power of God alone can relieve us against these: “be ye partakers of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.” His power fits for duties: “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.” In this way the power of God is manifest in His loved ones to the praise of His glory.
(c). Mercy is also manifest in saved sinners. Mercy is natural to God. It is as natural for God to be merciful as it is for the sun to shine. He has pleasure in being merciful: “He retaineth not His anger for ever because He delights in mercy.” This is one of the great wonders of the divine nature. It was an honour to our first parents when they showed forth so much of God in a state of innocence. What a great wonder then that a poor vile sinner should be permitted to show forth more of the perfections of Jehovah. Paul and Mary Magdalene show His mercy, yes and John the Baptist too, thought sanctified from the womb.
(d). Those saved by grace do also show forth the love of God. Love is a perfection of God. As it is written: “God is love.” One aspect of this love flows forth in the channel of common providences. The other aspect, which is His peculiar love, flows to sinners through Christ. Scripture is “paved” with indications of this love. It shows itself in believers when they love Christ: “we love Him because He first loved us.” They have a sense and feeling of this love in their hearts: “because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.” The people of God show forth the glory of this love in their love to the brethren: “we know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren.” Other things also that belong to Christ get a place in their hearts, such as His cause, words, prayer-meetings, etc. Any love they show is all of grace. These whq show forth the praises of His perfections shall assuredly be defended: “for upon all the glory shall be a defence.”
II. The defence of the glory.
- The Defender is the Lord. The glory is His property. He will, therefore, defend in His own interests as well as in the interests of His people.
- The reason for having the glory defended. There are enemies.
(a). Satan is the chief of all enemies. He comes as a roaring lion. He can also transform himself into an angel of light. It is when he comes under a disguise that he does most harm. “We are not ignorant of his devices” Paul said.
(b). The world is also an enemy. The world pours contempt on Christ and His cause. This is the work of the world to-day under satanic influence. Let us beware lest we take part in this work. The sons of Hagar carry on their mocking still. The world also presents a glory of its own as a substitute for Christ and His glory. The tempter showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,” he does so still. Young men and women are often trapped by this rival glory. What is this, my young friends, as compared to a moment of the love of Jesus. Many know to-day, and it is to be feared that it is when it is too late, that the world is a bad exchange for the soul.
(c). Self is another ruthless enemy. Self is the enemy within. The remnant know a little about this rogue. But he has a garment for all weathers and occasions, so that he is not easily known. Self will attack under the plea of this and that, and the soul is shunned. - The defence.
(a). In the wilderness the “glory” was defended by the pillar of cloud and fire. This world is the wilderness of the church. The individual believer finds it a wilderness in his experience. The people of God, however, are cared for by their heavenly Father, because He abides in them and with them. He did so look after the Israelites, and the Tabernacle where He dwelt symbolically, in the literal wilderness. He covered these with the Pillar of Cloud and Fire: “and the Lord went before them in the day in the pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.” This clearly figured the guidance and protection of Christ when the church is travelling through this world to her heavenly rest: “there remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God.” The fire signified His divinity while the cloud signified His humanity. They had this in the wilderness what was symbolical of His Person. The church to-day cannot do without the teaching of, and belief in, His Person. The pillar did not depart from them while they travelled in the wilderness; so while the church will be in this world Christ will protect and guide her. He will always exercise His offices on her behalf, and His Church constantly needs this.—(b). Perhaps we should also mention the inward ministry of the Holy Spirit, as He works in the people of God the different graces. The graces of repentance, faith and love as they are in exercise keep the church separate from the world. You are here present who bear witness to this and you cannot but admit that only for the grace of God you would be away with the world which is dead in sin.
In conclusion. We should be encouraged greatly by this portion of God’s Word which affords a promise to the church, equal to, “Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.” People to-day are trying to trample on the “glory” and take the crown from off Christ’s head, but their hopes of success will be blasted, and let us pray that this may be speedily. Those opiated by popish tenets and many who profess to be ministers of the gospel, are using their axes to-day to break down the carved work of Reformation Times in Scotland, but these will go to Hell, if they do not repent, they are on the way to it now. If God were to come to call the roll in Scotland to-day He would find most ministers and communicants dead in sins. The Lord makes us zealous. The Lord will defend His own cause, but let us seek to be instrumental in upholding the “glory” of God in Scotland, and in Glasgow, or wherever our lot is cast. The praying people will have the victory. Let us all be praying for the appearing of Christ in the power of the everlasting Gospel.
“When Sion by the mighty Lord
Built up again shall be,
In glory then and majesty
To men appear shall he.”
May the Lord bless His word to us.