THE FAMILY OF ABRAHAM
[p. 310] THE FAMILY OF ABRAHAM
Luke 13: 11 - 17; Luke 19: 1 - 10
I wish to connect what I have to say firstly with this woman, who is called a daughter of Abraham and, secondly, with Zacchaeus, who is called a son of Abraham. They represent the delivering and the adjusting grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The evangelist Luke, alone, brings forward these two subjects of the grace manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ when He was here upon earth, having in view that the great principle of faith, which is represented in Abraham, should become prevalent among the nations. The promise to Abraham was that in him all the nations of the earth should be blessed; that he should be the father of many nations. And, as that promise was made to Abraham on the principle of faith, it is extended to all believers. For, as the apostle tells us in his epistle to the Roman Christians, Abraham is the father of us all: that is, all believers are reckoned to Abraham, the great believer. It is said of him that “he believed God” at a time when the great mass of mankind had decided not to retain God in their knowledge, and had eliminated Him from their knowledge.
Whatever means of education existed in those days, no element of the knowledge of God was part of it; as, indeed, in our own days, alas! the means whereby men and women should know God are being eliminated from the schools, colleges, and universities. An enemy is doing this. Just as Satan set out to eliminate (and he succeeded in this), the knowledge of God from the minds of the people in the days of Abraham, so he is endeavouring at the present time to shut out the knowledge of God from all the great centres of education. But we find that Abraham in those days believed God, and God intimated to him [p. 311] that he was to be the father of many nations: in other words, that God was to have believing nations. The time is fast approaching when there shall be believing nations — saved nations. God has in view a system of nations in salvation. There are those who are said to go away into everlasting life: they are invited to come into the kingdom prepared for them. For if God intimated to Abraham that the nations should be blessed in him, He has not forgotten this, and so we may confidently look forward to a system of saved nations on this earth — a bright prospect for us, as we look abroad today and see what marks the nations of the world.
The gospel, as it has come to us, is rather to take out of the nations a people. And so the apostle Paul spoke of having fully preached the gospel in a circuit, from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum; Romans 15:19. He had before him the taking-out of the nations of a people for God, who should be representative of Him now. So Luke, having this great service of the apostle Paul in mind, brings in these two remarkable instances of the delivering and saving grace of Christ. In this intervention of God among the nations, the initial results are seen in a daughter of Abraham, and in a son of Abraham. I do not suggest that they were Gentiles. I doubt not that they were both descended from Abraham after the flesh; but the manner in which Luke introduces them indicates plainly that he has a spiritual thought in his mind.
I wish, first, to speak of the daughter, for it is God’s intent to save not only the men, but the women. It is remarkable that, as the gospel reached the European shores, the first person who received it in Philippi was a woman, and a woman who had a house; and as the Lord opened her heart to attend to the things spoken by Paul, she invited him into her house. This woman, who in Luke 13 is called [p. 312] a daughter of Abraham becomes peculiarly interesting from this point of view. She had been bound by Satan for eighteen years; that is, from about the time in which the Lord Jesus was speaking to the doctors in the temple; at which time He was applying His entire devotion to His Father’s business. Think of the Boy of twelve asserting that He was here in relation to His Father’s business. A Boy appeared in the temple, hearing and asking questions of the doctors, and as His mother says, “Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing”. He says, “Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2: 48,49.
The Son of God had become a Man, and was taking up all the liabilities that lay upon man. But He has to wait in privacy for eighteen years, in blessed obedience to His Father, and in acceptance of His Father’s appointment while the enemy is free; and so Satan bound this poor woman, as he doubtless bound many others. The Lord mentions the number of years, as if to suggest that He had not yet bound the strong man. When He became thirty years of age, and was anointed by the Spirit of God, He met the strong man, took away the armour in which he trusted, and commenced to spoil his goods. This woman was among the chattels of the strong man. She had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, and was bent together, bound by Satan.
I wonder if there is one here tonight in a like case. There are many such in the world. “For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage”, 2 Peter 2: 19. Satan uses the world to lure young people and overcomes them through their lusts and desires. In overcoming you, he has led you into bondage. This woman was bound even in the synagogue. “Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath”. Luke 13:10. The synagogues of this world afford no means of deliverance from satanic power. Many of them, indeed, are just the means by [p. 313] which Satan binds precious souls. The Lord Himself speaks about the synagogue of Satan. The presence of this woman in the synagogue did not effect her deliverance. There is no power in the current religions of this world to release a woman in this case. Her only hope was in Jesus, who had bound the strong man, and was then spoiling, or plundering, his goods. This is what He is doing at the present time. The Lord has established a complete victory over the strong man, and is now administering deliverance. The Lord called her, and said, “Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity”. Luke 13:12. He, the Deliverer, called her.
The Lord would thus appeal to you. His call is the principle of the gospel. Think of the Lord Jesus Christ calling you now! He called her, and said, “Thou art loosed from thine infirmity”. Luke 13:12. What precious light for her. Daughters of Abraham are not to be bound, but to be free to look up to God. God is looking for their countenance. Satan would keep you looking down on the earth; whereas the administration of Christ is to release you, so that you should look up to God. The Spirit of God tells us, that “immediately she was made straight”. Luke 13:13. The Lord not only spoke to her, but laid His hands upon her. There was identification. The Lord identifies Himself with us in announcing deliverance, but He lays His hands only on those who have faith, thus identifying Himself with them. So His people who represent Him, and act in consonance with His mind identify themselves with you in your faith. This is how the assembly on earth is formed. Publicly it is composed of daughters of Abraham and sons of Abraham.
We get the principle of identification here. If He identifies Himself with you, is it that He intends you to carry that identification into the activities of this world? No, beloved friends! The Lord will not [p. 314] identify Himself with you in the theatre. If He lays His hands upon you, He has in mind that you will get into relation with that which He approves, and with which He is connected, in this world. He has better things for you than this world can afford, and He is not going to allow you to drag Him into the world’s things. He intends to bring you into His sphere of things, and He brings you there in the dignity of a daughter of Abraham. The sons of Abraham and the daughters of Abraham meet together, brought together by the ministration of Christ. So He lays His hands upon her and she becomes straight.
Now, I want to dwell upon that, because I have in mind, if there is anyone here unconverted, that if such a one receives the truth, he should have become part of God’s assembly. We have mentioned in the Old Testament, the Book of Jasher, which contains the names of all upright people. The first great feature of this book is the record that the sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the command of a man upon the earth. This is in the Book of Jasher. It refers, I doubt not, to the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone had power to command the sun to stand still. So that Joshua was in the spirit of Christ. We are told that he went “up from Gilgal all night”, Joshua 10: 9. Gilgal speaks of the death of Christ. Twelve stones had been taken out of Jordan and set up there; that was the permanent testimony to the fact that Jesus, typically, had gone into death. So that Joshua went up all that night, and he commands the sun to stand still. Think of the wonderful fact that a man here upon earth could do that. Who but Jesus could command the sun to stand still? Jesus has settled in death every question of crookedness and wickedness, He has established righteousness. Such was Jesus — the righteous One. He went down into death in order to maintain all that was due to God,
[p. 315] and hence you can understand that remarkable record in the Book of Jasher. We read elsewhere that “Moses was king in Jeshurun”. Deuteronomy 33:5. That is a similar word.
You will understand that my thought is, that souls who have been bound by the devil should be released and come into the light of the death of Christ, and that as coming into the knowledge of redemption and the righteousness of God they are qualified to have their names recorded in the Book of Jasher. As thus recorded, you belong to those who, as the upright, have affection for Jesus. You love Christ, not only on account of His personal beauty, but because of His righteousness, and you love Him in sincerity. It says, “The upright love thee”, Song of Songs 4: 4. If there is one here who does not love Christ, I would cite you the solemn words of Paul, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha”, 1 Corinthians 16: 22. You say those are strong words. Yes, they are. It is better that they should ring in your ears now, than that they should come to your ears when it is too late. Paul did not call down the curse then. That is not the mark of the dispensation. Blessing is the mark of the present dispensation, but he did intimate plainly, that these should be Anathema when the Lord comes. I warn you, tonight, that if you are not among the upright, that that is what is ahead of you. Think of that peerless One in heaven, the Man of the gospels, the Man of Gethsemane, the Man of Calvary, now in glory crowned with every crown, and you a non-lover of Jesus. There is no place in heaven for non-lovers of Jesus. There is no place among the people of God on earth for non-lovers of Jesus. The very thought of a non-lover of Jesus to Paul is Anathema Maran-atha.
So that, as written in the Book of Jasher, you are made straight, upright, you are with those who love Jesus. “The upright love thee”. Why should they not love Him? He has done everything for them. One might say, He has taken up my cause from the very outset, and He will see me through, so why should I not love Jesus — there is every possible incentive that I should love Him, and so among the upright I love Jesus, for “the upright love thee”. It was said of Moses, as I have remarked, that he was king in Jeshurun; Deuteronomy 33: 5. He is a type of Jesus as king. Every upright person in the world recognises His rights. Even the Gentiles, according to Matthew, recognise His rights, and they come to Him. The wise people also come to him. It is their wisdom to come. “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” they say Matthew 2:2. They are willing to recognise that He is King of the Jews. They are wise men, and I say to you that if you are wise, you will recognise Jesus as your Lord. It says, they came from the east, enquiring in Jerusalem for him who was born King of the Jews, and when they found Him with His mother, they worshipped Him, and presented gifts unto Him; Matthew 2:11. He was King in the hearts of these Gentiles from the east. It does not appear that they had ever read the Bible, but they believed the testimony that God gave them. They were believers, and they came seeking the King.
As I have said, Moses was king in Jeshurun — every upright person in Israel recognised Moses. So, today, every upright person in the world recognises the royal rights of Christ. Have you bowed to Him? You say — I would very much like to become a Christian. Well then, I say the way is simple. The Lord is calling you. He is administering deliverance to you; He proclaims to you that you are loosed from your infirmity. And He is prepared to lay His hands on you, so that you should become straight. You say, “What have I to do?” That is a good question. When Peter preached on the day of [p. 317] Pentecost, that question was put to him, and he said, “Repent, and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”, Acts 2: 38. Paul, again, says, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”, Romans 10: 9.
I say to you young people here, who have heard these things, the word is nigh you, and in your heart. It is “the word of faith which we preach”. It may be there for weeks, or months, or years, but you have never confessed the Lord. I urge you now, if you are exercised about salvation, to confess the Lord. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth”. Remember, that it is with your mouth. You say, ‘I confess Him in my ways’. Well, and good. But I doubt very much if salvation is seen through your ways; rather is it through a confession with your mouth, and the belief in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The one who confesses with his mouth Jesus as Lord, and who believes in his heart that God has raised Him from the dead, is in the company of the upright. And you will soon become a lover of Jesus yea, you are a lover of Him already, for the upright love Him — they regard Him as King. “For he is thy Lord, and worship thou him”, Psalm 45:11.
Well, now, you see what a woman this one would be afterwards. How dignified she would be. She glorified God. Of what moral value am I in this world, unless I glorify God? Supposing I became the greatest statesman, the greatest scientist, the most conspicuous man in the world — of what moral value is that? None at all; absolutely valueless, morally. Unless I glorify God, I am of no moral value in this world. The scripture says, she glorified God. I can conceive no more blessed way to glorify [p. 318] God, if one has been bound by Satan, than that, being free, one should move about in the energy of righteousness. Righteousness is one of the greatest features of the moment. The Holy Spirit is given to us that we should fulfil the righteous requirement of the law. God will have righteous people, beloved friends, and it is in a righteous people that a righteous God is glorified. And so, again, God will have a loving people, because it is in a loving people that a loving God is glorified. She glorified God as an upright woman.
Think of the amount of crookedness there is among women. I cite to you Lot’s wife. She became a pillar of salt, we are told; she is a standing monument of judgment for every woman in the world. Why was she made a pillar of salt? She looked back, behind her husband, we are told. Upright women are in the light with their husbands; they are transparent with their husbands. Lot’s wife looked back into Sodom. How many turn their eyes towards the world for themselves and their children. Daughters of Abraham have right parental instincts. Abraham looked on to his generations, and thought of a righteous people. And so each daughter of Abraham is concerned about her children, that they should be brought up righteously, and in faith. Hence, God says, “Remember Lot’s wife”, Luke 17:32 because she is a standing monument for each daughter of Abraham, lest she should be found looking back behind her husband. That is to say, looking back into the world that she knows is doomed. How can we, who talk about the judgment that is coming, look into the world for ourselves and our children! Let us remember Lot’s wife.
Then I come on to the son of Abraham. You will observe the Lord had passed through Jericho. It is not now a question of the synagogue. For this publican, Zacchaeus, would not be admitted into the [p. 319] synagogue He represents another class. Jericho is the world, I suppose, in its power, under the influence of Satan. Jericho was Satan’s great stronghold, as the people came into the land. But the Lord has passed through it. Jericho was the city of the curse. What feelings would be in the Lord as He passed through that city — a city that never should have existed. But He did pass through it. Therefore, He says, “Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out”. John 12:31. Zacchaeus was a tax-gatherer, a man well known to all, one who would have a place in Jericho. But he is a son of Abraham. He is not now concerned about his tax-gathering; he was rich. He is concerned about one thing, and that is to see Jesus, “who he was”. Is there a Zacchaeus here tonight? You may not be an irreligionist; it may be you have figured somewhat in this world, and, maybe, you have made money. Nothing will give you pleasure in the world quicker than will money. Zacchaeus was rich, but he was thinking of Jesus. I say, ‘That is well for you, Zacchaeus’. I have no objection to one’s riches; I am not speaking against them. What I wish to know is, are you interested in Jesus? Zacchaeus was interested in Jesus, “who he was”.
I would love to have seen Zacchaeus that day. He would not have talked to me about the markets, about the stock exchanges of the world, or about the taxes to be levied. What an interesting man he was! And the Lord knew it. And the Lord knows now if there is one here, who like Zacchaeus, is interested in Him. Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus, who He was, and he places himself in the sycamore. I have a certain amount of sympathy with him, for, as the narrative shows, he went up the tree to see Jesus but he was in an awkward position spiritually. One is in a very awkward position spiritually if the Lord Jesus has to look up to him. I must never assume [p. 320] to be above the Lord Jesus. Ananias pretended to know better than Jesus when the Lord introduced Saul to him. We must always recognise that Jesus is above — morally, as well as officially. Zacchaeus puts himself above Jesus here, and the Lord says to him, “Make haste and come down”. Luke 19:5. If you have riches, you are likely to be on stilts — up some sycamore. With your riches you may look down on Jesus. Well, Jesus says to Zacchaeus, “Come down, for today I must abide at thy house”. Luke 19:5.
Zacchaeus answers to the invitation. Perchance I may be speaking to some backslider, who once loved Jesus, and the world has attracted him. He has become rich, and his goods are increased. But the Lord would save such an one. He says, ‘Come down; I know that down in your heart there is love for Me, because I have placed it there; but you have to come down to ME’, Jesus is on the ground; that is, where men are, and you have to come down to the ordinary level of men. Zacchaeus was equal to it, and he made haste, and came down, and received the Lord Jesus joyfully into his house. It was a wonderful day for Zacchaeus. I say to you, never mind your past history, never mind if you have built a big house and furnished it well, the Lord will come into it. Such is His grace. He says, “I will come to where you are, and I will abide there”. He knows what is in your heart, and He wants you.
It says that Zacchaeus received the Lord joyfully. The passage goes on to say, “They all murmured”. Luke 19:7. Why did they murmur? Because Zacchaeus was a publican, he was a man of ill repute in the community. Never mind: Zacchaeus did not turn to dispute the matter with them. No, you never do if you are exercised before God; you never quarrel with your fellow men — you accept the reproach. What he did was to turn to the Lord, and say “Lord”. What a moment it was! He did not quarrel with the men [p. 321] that were maligning him. He was too sensible of the greatness of the moment, and it was a great moment. He says, “Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor”. Luke 19:8. Is there a Christian here who can say that? If Zacchaeus had defrauded anyone, he restored him fourfold; that is to say, if he had defrauded a man of one pound, he would give him four pounds. And the Lord says, “He is a son of Abraham”. Luke 19:9.
We have now the daughter of Abraham, and the son of Abraham. We have the composition of the assembly of God; we have an upright woman — a transparent woman — a woman who had recognised the order of God — who would not look back behind her husband. We have, also, a man with a house, who is rich, and who gives half his goods to the poor. Think what would mark a company of believers formed of such men and such women in this world! The Lord honours them both, saying of the one that she is a daughter of Abraham, and of the other that he is a son of Abraham.
Now, I present the matter to you, men and women, asking where we all stand in regard to this great family, the family of Abraham. Paul says, he is the father of us all. That is to say, he is typical of the Father of the faithful. Every believing person is accredited to him. It means, of course, that we are children of God — we are sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. You see how the truth is worked out, first in the daughter of Abraham, and then in the son of Abraham; so that you have, in the son of Abraham, one who is liberal, who gives half his goods to the poor. Such is the effect of grace in believers on the Lord Jesus Christ.