The Blessedness Of Endurance

by J. Miller | Category: Voices From The Past - Extracted From Jottings | Aug 1981

In calling to mind the sufferings of the prophets, James says: "We call them blessed which endured" (Jas. 5:11). The idea conveyed in the word in the original for endured is to continue or remain beneath (hupomeno; hupo, beneath; men 0, to remain or continue). With this word is closely allied the original word for patience, and in association with the endurance of the prophets we have: "Ye have heard of the patience of Job". The Lord gave to the prophets burdens to bear. Thus we read: "The burden of the word of the LORD... by Malachi".

In each case God's messengers had their own burden to carry, and in association therewith had their measure of persecution to endure. "Which of the prophets" said Stephen in the day of his martyrdom, "did not your fathers persecute?" We call them blessed that bore their burden manfully and well. The Messenger of the covenant had a burden above all the rest, and we who have heard of "the patience of Job" have heard too of "the patience of Christ" (2 Thess. 3:5): a patience which He showed in His endurance of the gainsaying of sinners (Heb. 12:3). Into this patience our hearts need to be directed, for we all lack patience greatly. "Ye have need of patience!"

In Hebrews 11:27 reference is made to the endurance of Moses: "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible". Moses endured as seeing a majesty infinitely greater than Pharaoh: One who is "The King eternal, incorruptible, invisible, the only God" (1 Tim. 1:17); whose word had become the guiding factor in Moses' life.

By faith Moses forsook Egypt. He had taken into account to the fullest extent the consequences of his earlier decision: "By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter". He, whose actions in Egypt had he remained would have been moulded by Pharaoh, is no longer subservient to the majesty and influence of the throne of the Pharaohs. He chooses the path of suffering rather than one of affluence and ease, and he is empowered to endure all that life of suffering involved by his seeing Him who is invisible. It is not that he endured "to see" the invisible One, as in Sinai or after, but he endured "as seeing" Him that is invisible; that is, his mental vision was enwrapt by the vision of the invisible God, and this carried him over difficulties insuperable to other men. May we too have such a vision!

J. Miller | Aug 1981
Voices From The Past - Extracted From Jottings