TEHILLIM 78

2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

When Christ came, he cloaked his wisdom in parables, that they might remain in their ignorance, and become subject to the judgment of God. Yet even then, his teaching was plain enough to be understood by those who gave close attention, and gave that respect to God which is His due.

And he gave them to understand that the principle exemplified in the national blindness would operate in individual cases. He said (Mark 4:24]:

"To you that hear shall more be given, and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath."

So that any one earnestly attending to what Christ taught, would be helped to understand; while those who stood contemptuously and self-sufficiently apart, doing dishonour to God, would be deprived of what wisdom they had, in being left to their evil ways.

The lesson is, that those who neglect or hold loosely what they have, are in danger of being deserted by God, and led into ways that shall be for hurt.

The principle was again exemplified in the first generation of gospel believers. These were greatly privileged in having the teaching of the Spirit visibly in their midst; but like the Israelites who came out of Egypt under Moses, they grew accustomed to marvels, and conceived the idea that these things were in some way their right; that the apostles were only fellow-partakers of a common benefit, and had no more superiority among men than themselves.

Hence arose false apostles. Many false brethren crept in, to whom the others listened. Many followed their pernicious ways. They dabbled in doctrines and disputed greatly about them, but it was the perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds. They received not the love of the truth.

What was the consequence? Jesus hinted at this, in his message to the seven ecclesias, that he would remove the candlestick out of its place.

The Christadelphian, May 1874

39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.

See Eur 2 p246-249 [Logos ed] Souls

There is much in this for our personal consolation. We have been brought into relation with the God of Israel, in our subjection to the gospel of His Son. We have become His sons and daughters if our faith is one that is alive, working by love, in the obedience of His commandments. In this position how naturally - naturally to the spiritual man - we turn our thoughts towards "Him with whom we have to do." If we could not find comfort in our contemplations of Him, how comfortless we should be.

We are poor and weak ourselves in all senses. We have no mental resources of any account. In the flesh dwelleth no good thing. We delight in the law of God after the inner man: but we find a distressing impotence in the direction of spiritual accomplishment, which would bow us to earth with despair were it not for the encouragement we draw from "the God of all comfort" in our contemplations of Him as revealed.

He is presented to us as our Father, compassionate of our weakness, and appreciative of our dependence. Jesus made this aspect of Him very prominent in his communications with the disciples.

"My Father and your Father";

"The Father himself loveth you";

"Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him";

"Ye are of more value than many sparrows";

"The Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly".

We do well to avail ourselves of the full wealth of comfort there is in these words. Our weakness and our cloud are all our own. They are incidental to the weak nature we have. They no more interfere with His kindness than the mountain mist interferes with the brightness of the sun.

Our weakness may incapacitate us for rejoicing in the Lord at all times: but the Lord is there all the same, to rejoice in. In the Lord Yahweh is everlasting strength, and in the mental sense, we can always draw upon Him for sustenance. We can always lean on the Rock that is higher than all. We learn at last to say with the Psalmist:

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever."

Seasons 1.75.