Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Aug 1953

There is something of interest to us all in the early days both of the natural life of a human being and of the spiritual life of one who has been just newly born again. It is something like the maiden voyage of a ship which is setting out on its life of service for man. We may try to peer into the future and think of the storms and calms, the successes and disappointments, but the future in this earthly life baffles us mortals as to what shall be.

There is perhaps an added interest in the end of life, especially in the end of some lives, for not of all can it be said, "Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it" (Ecclesiastes 7.8).

Solomon says,

"The beauty of old men is the hoary head, " (Proverbs 20.29). And again,

"The hoary head is a crown of glory,

It shall be found in the way of righteousness" (Proverbs 16.31).

The A.V. puts in the word " if," "if it be found," and this may give the sense, though "if" is not in the original Hebrew. It may mean as in the R.V., that the crown of glory is found in the way of righteousness.

But whatever be the correct rendering and meaning of the passage, it is clear that the hoary head is something to be recognized and honoured, for amongst the statutes given to Israel are the words,

"Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and thou shalt fear thy God :- I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19.32).

John in his first epistle makes a distinction between children, young men and fathers. He says,

"I write you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for His name's sake."

"I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father."

"I write unto you, fathers, because ye know Him which is from the beginning."

"I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one."

"I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one (1 John 2.12-14).

Whilst John makes a slight variation in the reasons of why he wrote to children and young men, he makes no variation in the case of the fathers. Their knowledge of the Lord stretches far back into the depths of eternity. It is one of the sad features in some believers that they never seem to grow up. Their knowledge of God is that they know God as their Father and that their sins are forgiven. They do not appear to advance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. The new life, the eternal life which was given to them upon their faith in Christ, seems to remain unfed and unnourished, and like a plant in a barren and dry soil which makes neither root nor top growth, so they seem to be. The eternal life in the believer has for its grand objective the knowledge of God, as we learn from the Lord's words,

"And this is life eternal, that they should know Thee, the only true God,

and Him whom Thou didst send, even Jesus Christ" (John 17.8).

The fathers in view in John's first epistle had gone far in the knowledge of God. Excellent as it is to know the Father, this is but the beginning in the acquisition of a more profound knowledge of God, and this new life we have will stretch out its hands after such knowledge, if we do not hinder it by a proud, carnal or worldly state. How graceful is that aged man who has followed on in the knowledge of God, and who at the end of his days has gained, through God's wondrous grace to Him. a knowledge of the Holy One, and can speak of experimental dealings with Him This surely should be the desire of us all.

As the beginning of life has a fascination so also has the end, and what some men have done amongst their closing acts is perhaps of added interest to such as begin to think of their own exit from this scene of their life and labours. Often we have thought of the beginning of Abraham's spiritual career, of the time the God of glory appeared unto him and commanded him to leave Chaldea and also to leave his kith and kin and come to the land of promise. His closing act is in line with what God said to him at the beginning,

"Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. But unto the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country" (Genesis 25.5, 6).

Abraham was careful to separate Isaac, the son of promise, from his other sons, even as God had separated him from all his father's house, for with chosen men there ever must follow the truth of separation. It was so with Joseph also, of whom the words were true-" him that was separate from his brethren"; both Jacob and Moses spoke of him thus (Genesis 49.26; Deuteronomy 33.16). The opposite of this is seen in the case of Ishmael, of whom it is said, "And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren" (Genesis 16.12). The flesh hates the truth of separation and Ishmael is a type of the flesh.

Abraham died at 175 having finished his course and left on record a life of faith which was to be talked about by men throughout all time.

The last recorded act of Isaac was when he was 137 years of age, when he sent Jacob (77 years old) away from Esau and also from settling down and intermarrying amongst the Canaanites, as Esau had done. The fact that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away reaches Esau and thus we read, "Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take a wife from thence; and that as he had blessed him (please read the blessing) he gave him charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan-aram" (Genesis 28. 6,.7).

The last recorded act of Isaac is like the last recorded act of Abraham, both are found seeking a path of separation for their chosen sons.

Between Genesis 28. and the end of chapter 35. we have the record of the life of Jacob the wrestler, who wrestled with God and men, and when he came back to his father (Isaac died at 180) he was a Prince with a lame leg, lamed in the night of his great contest. 48 years had passed since he left his father's tent for Paddanaram, 20 of which he had spent in the service of his father-in-law (Genesis 31.38).

Many other men pass before our mind, but space forbids comment, but we cannot close without observing the closing act of Jacob in blessing his sons. What a deathbed was his, as the Spirit of God moved the clay lips which were shortly to be silent in the grave! I cannot he]p repeating the words of a hymn of which that servant of Christ, G. B. Geddes, a unique man and outstanding minister of the word, was very fond,-

"Safe home, safe home in port!No more the foe can harm;

Rent cordage, shatter'd deck, No more of leagered camp,

Torn sails, provision short,And cry of night alarm

And only not a wreck: And need of ready lamp:

But oh! the joy upon the shoreAnd yet how nearly he had fail'd-

To tell our voyage perils o'er.How nearly had the foe prevail'd.

The prize, the prize secure:The lamb is in the fold,

The wrestler nearly fell; In perfect safety penn'd:

Bare all he could endure,The lion once had hold,

And bare not always well! And thought to make an end:

But he may smile at troubles goneBut One came by with wounded side,

Who has the victor-garland on.And for the sheep the Shepherd died.