MUSINGS

TWO VIEWS OF A LONG LIFE—When Jacob was brought before Pharaoh by Joseph, Pharaoh enquired as to his age. Jacob’s reply was, “Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they do not attain to the days of the years of the life of my fathers”, Genesis 47: 9. Such feelings would find an echo in many a heart as we may have to recall sorrows and perhaps wasted time, periods when we may have been diverted from the happy path of obedience. That is one view. But in the next chapter, as Jacob blesses his grandsons, he says, “The God that shepherded me all my life long to this day, the Angel that redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads”. That is another view! Despite all that has happened we can look back and trace the way in which divine faithfulness has brought us through. The Holy Spirit, though grieved at times, has never left us, but has patiently pursued His gracious service, so that we might be brought into conformity with the great thoughts of divine purpose for us. So the Holy Spirit does not fail to give us His view of Jacob’s glorious departure; “By faith Jacob when dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshipped on the top of his staff”, Hebrews 11: 21.

Gone is the memory of the “few and evil” days; what is displayed is the final splendid result of the faithfulness of God—a worshipper!

‘ FIXED TIMES’—In Leviticus 23 we have the “set feasts of Jehovah”. A footnote in the New Translation gives the literal meaning of this as ‘Fixed times (for drawing near to God)’. What an attractive light this sheds upon our times of assembling. God marks them, and anticipates them with pleasure, and they should take priority in our arrangements. In relation to the passover, leading to the institution of the Lord’s supper, Luke 22: 14 says, “When the hour was come”. In Acts 3: 1 we have “the hour of prayer”, and in Luke 1: 10 “the hour of incense”. The Holy Spirit would help us to be ready in spiritual longings and alacrity for these ‘fixed times’, so that they may yield abundantly for divine pleasure, and then surely for our rich blessing. Individually, too, let us not fail to keep our ‘fixed times’ for drawing near to God.

FCM

Published by F. C. Mutton, 22 Christchurch Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4QY, England Printed by CLEAR-COPIES Limited, Bowen House, Ilford Lane, Ilford, Essex, England