“THE PLEASURE OF JEHOVAH”
D. D. Ross
(With Christ, 26 May 1974)
Isaiah 53: 10, 11 (first clause); Psalm 133: 1–3
No doubt, beloved brethren, these scriptures have often been used. One’s thought in regard to them is the pleasure of God, which I think is a matter for us to consider, and especially that it is in such good hands, “The pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand”. How establishing it is just to have a sense of that, over against all the enemy’s efforts to disrupt and intrude and spoil; how encouraging that the prophet could say that “the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand”. We can have some sense of how much is bound up in this, “The pleasure of Jehovah”.
It also says, “Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him”. It is very affecting that it should be put that way. So much is bound up in these words. It pleased Jehovah to bruise Him, that this result might be brought about. “He hath subjected him to suffering”—we cannot say much about that; we can just bow worshipfully as we contemplate it. It is very blessed to contemplate that there is going to be an answer to the suffering. There is a seed, “He shall see a seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand”.
I find great encouragement in that, beloved brethren, and in linking it with Psalm 133 which says, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren
to dwell together in unity!”. I think, first of all, that the pleasure would be for God, although, of course, it is very blessed to experience something of this—brethren dwelling together in unity. It is very pleasant for us to experience that, very blessed to have a sense of it, but then to think of what there is for God in it. It does not say how many brethren. I think that is a great encouragement in these days. In some localities there are very, very few, but dwelling together in unity is possible. And it is for the pleasure of God, Jehovah’s pleasure is in it.
Then it goes on, “For there hath Jehovah commanded the blessing, life for evermore”. That again is very comforting and establishing; that God has commanded a blessing. It does not wholly depend on us, although it might in a sense, but in this aspect of it, it is God’s doing, God commands the blessing. It is God’s delight to have saints in the enjoyment of life, life for evermore. This is a subject that has been much before us in these past days, the enjoyment of eternal life. How encouraging it is to read that God has commanded it, God has commanded the blessing. How stimulating it is, and how encouraged one feels for oneself, just to answer to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in the ministry. Luke speaks of “walking and praising God” (Acts 3: 9), that is what God has in mind for every one of us.
So as we think of the many young people in the localities represented here today how encouraging it is just to think of Jehovah’s pleasure bound up in His people. “The pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand”, and God is commanding the blessing. It should stimulate and encourage us to have greater zeal and committal to walk so as to please God, thinking always of the Lord Jesus in
His distinctiveness. He could say that He always did the things that pleased the Father (John 8: 29). He was the only One of whom that could be said, “For the Christ also did not please himself”, Romans 15: 3. Much of our time is connected with pleasing ourselves; we would have humbly to acknowledge that, but let us think of One who was here and who pleased not Himself; His sole concern was the pleasure of Jehovah. May we be stimulated, beloved brethren, on this line, for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, San Francisco
29 May 1975