"LEAD ME IN THE WAY EVERLASTING"
“LEAD ME IN THE WAY EVERLASTING”
I wish to speak this afternoon of God’s way. It is spoken of in the Scriptures as the “way everlasting” (Psalm 139: 24); it is the oldest and the longest: beginning in the garden of Eden, it will finish in an eternity of blessings for men.
Many roads are famous, even in this country. The Roman ways, constructed two thousand years ago, are famous throughout the world; but how much more ancient is the divine way; it alone can be called “everlasting”. It passes to Gethsemane and Calvary’s cross.
The general statement in the epistle to the Romans says: “All have gone out of the way” Romans 3:12. Very early men left the divine way; they left it to take the way of Cain. Now the way of Cain is nearly as old as the way of God and it still continues; many are walking in it today; perhaps there are some even among those who are listening to me who are following it. The man in verse 17 was of that number. He would embark on the divine way; he ran up to it, but in verse 22 it says: “But he, sad at the word, went away grieved”. Like many others, he left God’s way. It is a word of warning addressed to each one of us; for the most part, we are in God’s way; with His help we desire to remain there, and our thought is to bring you into it, if you are not yet there.
Wishing to speak, for a moment, of the way that Cain took, I will recall Genesis 3 and 4. Cain not only left God’s way, but he made a way for himself (that is how Jude speaks of it). Even at his birth he was connected with the divine way, being born after the sin of his parents — the sin on account of which they were driven out of Paradise; before that, God had opened His way, having clothed Adam and Eve with coats of skin, and when Cain was born those skins doubtless still existed. Can we think that Adam and Eve did not speak to their [p. 83] children of those coats of skin? They had accepted them, showing that they accepted God’s way. So Cain’s parents were already in the way when he was born, and we can understand how Adam and Eve must have spoken to their children of what God had done for them. They must have said: That we might be clothed, some animals have had to be put to death.
Many of us have been thus led into the way of God. Our parents have read passages from the Bible to us; they have spoken to us of God and of the death of Jesus; they have told us that they have been clothed with the robe of righteousness by the death of Jesus, “who has been delivered for our offences and has been raised for our justification” Romans 4:25, so that “having been justified on the principle of faith, we have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1.
What have you done with this light as to God’s way? Have you appropriated for yourself that which your parents have taken for themselves? Or else, have you, like Cain, brought to God something out of your personal resources? Cain intended, by his own efforts, to make himself of value in the eyes of God. Might there be someone here on such a way? In that case you are not in the way of God, but in the way of Cain, and you will not be accepted by God.
When the great white throne is set up (Revelation 20), if your name is not found in the book of life, you will be judged according to your works. Cain will be there; he will be asked what his works have been. Alas! It will be brought into evidence that he despised the light of the provisions of God in mercy — provisions that were there before his birth. And he will be cast into the lake of fire.
If there is a young man here, or a young woman, born into the household of faith, but found in the way of Cain, may this word be a warning to such! The way of Cain means more than the cultivation of the ground, for he killed his brother. But, you will say, I have not [p. 84] killed anyone. Perhaps you have no interest in the people of God; perhaps you despise them; perhaps you even hate them. Yes, you prefer the company of the world to that of the people of God. The Scriptures say that he that hates his brother is a murderer. I speak thus because being born in the flesh we are capable of the worst things, and if we enter upon the way of Cain we may go as far as Cain himself: he killed his brother and went out from the presence of God, having on him the mark of the murderer.
Abel also was born in connection with the divine way and he remained in it. How? On the principle of faith. Faith does not allow the works of the flesh; this is how we are saved, “not on the principle of works which have been done in righteousness which we had done, but according to his own mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”, Titus 3: 5. That involves the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Abel brought a more excellent offering than that of Cain, in that, in figure, he presented the Lord Jesus by whose death and resurrection we have access to God. Abel being born in connection with God’s way, remained in it and proved the blessing of such a way. If you have not yet entered upon that way, come into it now by faith. Faith is attributed to Abel: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained testimony of being righteous”, Hebrews 11: 4. God reckons us righteous through the appropriation by faith of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says of Abraham that he believed God, and that was reckoned to him as righteousness.
In verse 46, we see how another man enters into the way and remains there — a blind man sitting by the wayside begging. He was blind and he knew it. Many are blind and do not know it; while blind, they say “we see”: their sin remains. This blind man was sitting “by the wayside”, not exactly on the way, but “by the wayside”, which would indicate perhaps the position of several here this afternoon. The way is pointed out in the preaching, and by the Spirit, God announces the way. Your very presence at this meeting proves that you are “by the wayside”. Our hope is that some of you will not be content to remain “by the wayside”, but will decide to follow Jesus “in the way”. The Lord said to him: “Go, thy faith has healed thee”. You see, dear friends, that it is a question of faith. You have come to the wayside this afternoon, perhaps because a friend has invited you, or perhaps out of curiosity. In any case the way is open to you, and it is for you to do as this man did: he followed Jesus “in the way”, on the principle of faith.
Now, notice the details: he heard that it was Jesus the Nazaraean, but he does not appeal to Him as such; he says: “O Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me”.
Many speak of the Lord Jesus without reverence. This country is nominally christian; the name of Jesus is often named even by those who do not know Him, but they do not name it with reverence. Do you utter His name in vain? The manner in which the holy name of the Lord Jesus is used in the world is terrible; it is used in profane language. There is no name in the universe like this one. In Isaiah 9: 6, we read: “His name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of eternity, Prince of Peace”. Are you not afraid to use this holy and exalted name in a profane manner? It is a proof of the work of God in a soul when it begins to speak of Jesus with reverence. This blind man, begging at Jericho, does not say “Jesus the Nazaraean”, but “Son of David, Jesus”. Doubtless, when this man knew the Lord Jesus better, he said: He is the Son of God. That is not to say that the Spirit does not use the title “Jesus the Nazaraean”, for He was so; He was brought up at Nazareth, and the Scriptures say: “He shall be called a Nazaraean”, Matthew 2: 23. And Peter commanded the lame man at Jerusalem to rise up and walk “in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazaraean” Acts 3:6.
But those in whose heart the Spirit of God has operated do not address Him as “Jesus the Nazaraean”; they speak of Him with reverence: “Son of David, Jesus” that is all the light that the blind beggar possessed. We have more light today; we speak of Him as our exalted Saviour in heaven, the Lord. The more one knows Him, the more one reveres Him. The crowd told this man to be silent, but he cried so much the more. Perhaps you have ceased confessing Him because you have been rebuked by someone. Are you ashamed of Him? Will you cease to confess His name? The Scriptures say: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart ... thou shalt be saved” Romans 10:9. Satan knows this, and he will try to hinder your confession. It may be you have an unbelieving father or mother, or a brother, or a friend who hinders you from confessing Jesus as your Saviour. Satan uses all sorts of means to deprive you of salvation. It says of this man that “he began to cry out”; then he cried so much the more as the others rebuked him. God was working in his soul, and the more he was rebuked, the more he cried. Jesus had the greatest interest in this man. “And Jesus, standing still, desired him to be called”. If, among those who are listening to me there is the least desire to be saved, the Lord knows it. Perhaps you whisper: I should like to be saved. If you have such a desire, the Lord is not far from you. Think of the Lord of glory, standing still at the voice of a poor blind beggar; He is no respecter of persons. So they say to him: “Be of good courage, rise up, he calls thee”.
“And, throwing away his garment, he started up and came to Jesus”. The garment of a beggar is not of great value. What need have we of old garments if we are going to receive “the best robe” made by God? All our righteousnesses are as a filthy garment. The garment [p. 87] has a great spiritual meaning. Many believers do not forsake theirs; they do not realise that “the best robe” is worth more than every human garment, and they try to retain their own reputation.
This man’s movements were energetic. How good it is to see a soul in whom the work of God is made evident by energy! This man came to Jesus. That is what is essential.
Then the Lord says to him: “What wilt thou that I shall do to thee?” The Lord Jesus knew what he needed. He knows all our needs before we express them to Him, But He would have us present them to Him. What is your spiritual need today? We do not ask you to tell it to us, but tell it to Jesus. The man answered: “Rabboni, that I may see”. He knew what he needed, and he told the Lord exactly what it was. That is a very important point, in order to enjoy blessing in his soul. This man had faith; the Lord knew it. And we invite you to do what this man did, to follow Jesus in the way. All who enter it enter a way of blessing.
May God give you to leave the way of Cain and enter upon the way of God, where you will be able to follow Jesus by faith!