“PERFECTED PRAISE”
J. Harthill
I would like to speak from this scripture about a current of the Spirit that runs through to completion. Prophetically I believe it is a clear indication of that—a current of the Spirit honouring Christ. The end of the previous chapter shows Jesus going out of Jericho, and there is the voice of the two blind men raising a new note, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.” It has been said that this incident marks the beginning of the closing scenes of the Lord’s pathway here, those scenes of sorrow, that blessed lowly Man going up to Jerusalem there to die for you and me, and to lay the sacrificial basis for all our blessings.
Certain circumstances come in bearing on our own time, because we are now in the closing stages of the present testimony. The testimony is moving forward to finality, and the Lord Jesus calls attention to certain things that are needed; this wonderful note is going to be maintained. He speaks to the two disciples, “Go into the village over against you, and immediately ye will find an ass tied and a colt with it; loose them and lead them to me”. They were brought immediately by the disciples. This would link with Mark; there is an immediate need in the testimony all the time. The Lord Jesus has kingly rights; it was the true Son of David going up to Jerusalem the city of the great king. As Zechariah had prophesied, “Behold, thy King cometh to thee—he is just, and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass”, Zechariah 9: 9.
On Lord’s day we considered the Lord Jesus setting on the testimony, going from city to city, and village by village. The twelve were with Him, also the women who ministered to Him of their substance, they were the fruit of the Lord’s own service, delivered from the power of sin and Satan, forgiven much, loving much. Here the testimony is going forward and the Lord Jesus requires the elder brethren, and the younger brethren. He needs us together to carry the testimony to finality, the elder brethren with experience, who abide by divine principles and the public position and order of the assembly, the younger brethren brought up under their influence. The ass was tied and the colt with it, and as brought to Him He sat upon them.
Then there is the very great crowd, some going before, some following after, and they take up the same note as the blind men, but they add “Hosanna” to “the Son of David”. Hosanna signifies ‘Save now’. Well, we are in difficult days, with difficult matters arising in the testimony, and I am sure many a heart has gone up with this prayer, ‘Save now’. Those going before and those following after are caught up in the current, honouring Christ, and how we need, beloved brethren, to be caught up in it. What is said of the very great crowd would indicate how we need to be moving on consistently with the testimony, and always exercised that, freshness be maintained in our gatherings from week to week.
As they near the city it says the whole city was moved. What a good thing it would be if this whole city were moved in this wonderful current honouring Christ. At, the beginning of the present revival what wonderful light came to Mr. Darby and others, and no doubt the blessed Spirit raised a note for the moment. There has been the suggestion of the scripture which so often touches our hearts, “To him who loves us, and has washed us from our sins in his blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to his God, and Father—to him be the glory and the might to the ages of ages. Amen”, Revelation 1: 5, 6.
Next we have the Lord Jesus entering into the temple and He sees all the merchandise, the buying and selling going on. He clears the temple, casting them all out. We have seen something of this, beloved brethren, merchandise in the assembly. The Lord Jesus has cleared the sphere of praise. The blind and the lame come to Him and He heals them; these wonderful works of grace go on all the time. Then there are the children crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David”. This is the note of honouring Christ reaching its zenith. The opposers question the Lord, complaining against the children. The enemy has attacked the testimony many times but it is still going forward, and is now nearing completion. The Lord Jesus says, ‘Have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?’ Are we hearing that today, beloved brethren? I am sure we are. God would have the very youngest—who love the Lord Jesus, the “babes and the sucklings”, and all of us, in youthful freshness in the praise of Christ.
We may say that numbers are small and things have declined. Oh yes, but the praise of God has not declined. The current of the Spirit is with us today, honouring Christ. Constantly we have the glories of the Person, of Christ before us. As we go to the Supper on Lord’s day, leading on to the service of God, what do we find? We find the young people are singing the highest notes, and they are singing them feelingly and intelligently. Where did they learn it? I believe they learnt it in the home, brought up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord, brought up—to honour Christ. It is like the house of Obed-Edom. God blessed the house of Obed-Edom because of the ark. That is where these young people learn; they grow up in the testimony, and we can see these things. It is a time of perfecting praise, and the Spirit is here to help us, beloved brethren. May we all be in it, and in it to the end, for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Grangemouth
13 August 1989