THE MORAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD
[p. 449] THE MORAL GOVERNMENT OF GOD
Psalm 34: 1 - 22; Hebrews 1: 1 - 14
The subject which is before me tonight is the throne of God. It is important enough in a way; I refer to it in the moral aspect not the dispensational aspect.
The throne of God, how it is established and also a few words in regard of the moral government of God, are points of the last moment with regard to us, the person who does not seek to order himself according to them is not wise. Job was defective in regard of the moral government of God and that led him into trouble, it was that which led me to read Psalm 34, it is wonderful to me how the language of such a psalm should be applicable to us. We do not occupy David’s position, we are a humble people down here, yet his language is perfectly applicable to us. The throne is not yet set forth and when it is, the language of that psalm will not be applicable. Though the throne is not set forth yet, it is prepared and it is important in regard of us. If I speak of the moral government of God it was always true and the point is that the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous and His ears open to their cry. What can be more important in regard of us? Who do you think the righteous are? I should say those who admit the rights of God. In the Old Testament justification had not come in but you can see how often the righteous come in. In christianity the believer is righteous, he acknowledges the rights of God, the lawless are those who do not admit them now. If the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous you are worse off than the wicked; they are allowed to go pretty much their own way but the righteous are compelled to order their conduct in regard of the rights of God, so the righteous cannot do wrong. The lawless man is independent, he is not in any orbit and has not to answer anything. If the ways of the righteous are not [p. 450] according to the eyes of the Lord he may come under discipline.
God will not answer prayer just at the moment you expect because God will not humour your thoughts. The countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil, they may do it for a very long time. He may allow it for a long time yet the face of the Lord is against them and He will blot them out. To see this necessitates patience on the part of the saint as in Job the Lord came in after due time and relieved Job and he had twice as much as before. The apostle is the one who brings out the moral government of God; in this chapter the Lord inspects your way, your doings, do not be afraid of approaching Him and do not be disappointed if you do not get an answer at once. I have known what it is to cry in deep exercise and not to get the answer at once, but remember the face of the Lord is against them that do evil and a time is coming when their remembrance will be blotted out.
Now as to the throne it is an expression which implies the moral government of God in heaven. It is not yet set forth but it is established, that is what I want to make plain tonight. Look at Psalm 45 “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy kingdom”. Now when that psalm was written it was all prophetic, no part was fulfilled — it was “touching the king”. Regarding the throne it is the throne established, the throne of God but established in a Man. You could get no public government of God except in a man. How could the government of God be appreciated in this world except in a man?
Now in Hebrews 1 you get the Man of Psalm 45. It is no longer prophetic. You get in the beginning of Hebrews “unto the Son he saith, thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever”. He has inherited a more excellent name than angels, in Him the throne of God is established so that God can come out in public government in the world, but if God must come out in public, of necessity [p. 451] He must establish His throne. In the second chapter you get this, but veiled, the One in whom it is established is in heaven.
Look now at verse 5, chapter 1 “I will be to him for father, and he shall be to me for son”. What is in connection with the One in whom it is established is that He is in relation to God as Son, so it was said to Israel, “Israel is my son, my firstborn”; so I can understand this saying when spoken in regard of Christ “Out of Egypt have I called my son”. The throne is established in that One. You see the relation between the One in whom the throne is established to God and it brings in love, the thought of God, into the kingdom “the kingdom of the Son of his love”. So He can say “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever”. Now I understand this to refer to the pathway of Christ here upon earth: He loved righteousness — everything that was according to the rights of God. On the other hand He hated lawlessness and so He establishes what He loves — righteousness — and puts away and removes what He hated.
Now that is the next point, the basis of the throne, the establishment of righteousness and the removal of lawlessness. Now in verses 10 and 11, the One in whom the throne is established is “the same”; everything else changes, the earth will be removed, but He does not grow old. David grew old. We see the last days of David. Now the kingdom is established in the true Solomon and it will not be removed, it retains its character.
I just touch those three points because it gives a character to everything. My point is that all is prepared, it is not yet set forth; the Man is there in whom the throne is established but that Man is for the moment hid within the veil. He has gone to heaven and is hid behind the veil of providences. Providences are not an expression of God and it does not do to judge God by His providences. God hides behind His providences but He will come out yet in His throne. It has been said “[p. 452] Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool”.
Now one word as to the effect. It brings in one important point, angels are put at the service of man. You see it in Hebrews 12, an innumerable company of angels and they are ministering spirits sent forth to minister. The point is that we are not to be governed by providences, we are in the faith of the Lord. The throne is good to faith. It is not simply a question of the moral government but that we get the good and very great gain from the kingdom which is established in the throne in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now a few points in connection with that: the Lord brings home to me the thought of throne, there is salvation in His name. I have believed in the Lord because I see that there is salvation in His name as the Philippian jailor did: “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”. Salvation is connected with the thought of the Lord. When God brings forth the kingdom it will be salvation to the people. Meanwhile it is salvation in the name of the Lord. Where do you get it? “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from among the dead, thou shalt be saved”. You believe in Him for righteousness as an object of faith, and salvation in the confession of Christ as Lord which can only be by the Holy Spirit. It is the confession of Christ as Lord that brings in the power of salvation. He has become a reality to you and by that fact you come into salvation. You are not really afraid of anything, of man, death or any power of evil and that is by the Lord being a reality to you, so that you confess Him as Lord and come into salvation. Next you cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart, He is indispensable and so I cleave to the Lord, as in the beginning they did. He is your protector and tower, and wisdom to you: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower”. The next point is to rejoice in the Lord, and that continually increases, you rejoice more and more: “The Lord sitteth upon the flood” the Lord is above all and the Lord is at hand so you can let your yieldingness be known unto all men. A great thing to have your rejoicing in the Lord. All the reins are in His hand and His people are to cleave to Him. All the power that is in the Lord is at your disposal as with Paul. He was afflicted and persecuted but out of all the Lord delivered him.
Next you look for His appearing, for the crown of righteousness will be given to you. Your righteousness will become manifest, that is the crown, every christian should look for the appearing of the Lord. I quite admit a christian getting under a cloud, but we should all look for the appearing of the Lord, which brings to you the crown. Would you not like your righteousness to become manifest? I should like it. Mind you I do not mean your righteous conduct but our righteousness in the sense of our relation to Christ and the Lord. What does it mean, my saying to people in the world I am righteous?
Now one point more. That is that if you love the appearing of the Lord you will be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might and so be able to stand against the power and reality of evil in the world. Some people do not believe in the existence of the devil because they do not believe in the Lord. The more the Lord is a reality to us the more we are conscious of the power of evil. It is a great thing to stand in the present day. I see a great many things abroad — infidelity, superstition and other things, but they do not terrify me. We would not be really strong in the Lord unless we had on the whole armour of God, able to resist these things.
I touch on these points so that we may be in accord with the moral government of God, the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous. The result will be you will not be troubled or fret yourself, but wait patiently for the Lord, because, remember, you get the gain of the throne. Salvation is connected with the Lord and you cleave to [p. 454] Him with purpose of heart and look for His appearing because you will get the crown of righteousness. If you love His appearing you will be strong in the Lord and take to yourself the whole armour of God. Things in the world are really ruled from heaven; wickedness is really ruled from heaven. They do not have their spring from earth but from the wickedness in the heavenly places and have their force upon earth.