Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Feb 1952

It is a comfort to think of how God enters into the anxieties and distresses of His people. After Abraham had returned from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and his confederate kings, it is evident that he was greatly disturbed as to the possible repercussions from his act. The LORD appeared to him in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abram: I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great Reward" (Genesis 15. 1). If the kings returned and sought for the man who had defeated them, then the LORD would intervene on his behalf. If blows were struck they would never fall upon the man in whom the promises of future world blessing were centred, for he had been told, "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 12.8). Such a word might have been enough to comfort Abraham's heart, if it had been grasped, but an alarmed mind needs to be soothed with reassuring words. Wherever God uses the words, "Fear not," He gives a reason why His fearful people should not fear.

When Jacob contemplated going down to Egypt to his son Joseph, no doubt he remembered Abraham's experience when he went down to that land. At Beer-sheba he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac, and God spoke to him in a vision, "I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes" (Genesis 46.8, 4). What confidence it would produce in the old man's heart to know that God would go down with him, and also that his kindly, loving son Joseph would be by him to close his eyes when he died; also he was assured that he with all his seed would come back to the promised land! On such promises the old man took his journey to Egypt. What assurance was in Moses' words to Israel as they cowered like a frightened bird beneath a hawk as Pharaoh's chariots drew near at the Red Sea! His words were :"Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14.13, 14).

Never were words fulfilled more than these, for the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in a way they never thought of, and delivered His people for ever from their grasp. When Israel stood before mount Sinai and heard the thunderings and saw the lightnings and the mountain smoking, they trembled, and Moses said :"Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may

be before you, that ye sin not" (Exodus 20.20).

He had not come to destroy them, but to prove them, though the fearful appearance of Jehovah speaking out of the midst of fire caused Moses himself to fear and quake. When Israel reached the land and drew near' to battle with their enemies, the word of the LORD was :"Hear, 0 Israel, ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint; fear not, nor tremble, neither be ye affrighted at them; for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies" (Deuteronomy 20.8, 4).

What comfort was in such a "fear not," when they knew that the Loan was with them to fight their battles! They could never be defeated so long as this was true. Similar words were spoken to Israel when Joshua was about to take over the leadership of Israel and to lead them to victory (Deuteronomy 31.6-8). Again, similar words were spoken by the Loan to Joshua at Ai, in Joshua 8.1, after the incident of Achan the troubler, who took the devoted gold and silver and the Babylonish garment from Jericho, and the word went forth-" Israel bath sinned "-and, alas, sin brought weakness and defeat, and they fled before the men of Ai (Joshua 7.). This incident contains a very important lesson for us all, that sin will not only bring individual weakness, but will bring collective weakness, and it must be dealt with at whatever cost if progress and victory are to be the portion of God's people.

There are many comforting words "fear not" in the early books of the Old Testament, and the last of them we find in Zechariah 8.13-15 :"And it shall come to pass that, as ye were a curse among the nations, 0 house of Judak and house of Israel, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. For thus saith the LORD of hosts: As I thought to do evil unto you, when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not; so again have I thought in these days to do good unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not"

Whilst in these words there was hope for the Remnant that had returned from Babylon, "[I have] thought in these days to do good to Jerusalem," it was a hope which was soon blighted by the sinful ways on the part of many of the Remnant, for Jews married women of Ashdod, Ammon and Moab, and the grandson of Eliashib the high priest was grandson to Sanballat the Horonite, an inveterate hater of God's people and of separation and rule, as shown in his indignation at the building of the wall of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4.1-8; 13.28-31). No one can read the book of Malachi without seeing how things had deteriorated from the early movement, when the Remnant went up from Babylon under Zerubbabel and Joshua. Israel has been a curse among the nations and are such to this very day. But great blessing will be theirs, when they pass through the refining fires of antichrist's reign and emerge into the sunshine of Messiah's kingdom. Then will come the great and glorious days for Israel of which both the prophets and the apostles have spoken.

The first "fear not" of the New Testament was spoken to Joseph concerning Mary his betrothed wife (Matthew 1.18, 21). Joseph's righteous soul shrank from the shame and scandal, as he viewed it, that were sure to follow when Mary's condition was found out. But what comfort to his distressed mind was in the "fear not," as spoken by the Lord's angel and the reason why he should not fear!

"But when he thought on these things, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David. fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1.20).

What relief from mental anguish must have been his! Mary could have explained the whole matter to him, but it may have been that a godly shyness, and loving regard for her who would be his wedded wife, caused him to refrain from any enquiries into the matter. The angel's "fear not" dispelled the clouds which seemed to be going to shadow his life and hers, and from what he thought were sin and shame, he was raised to be the husband of her who as a virgin (not "ever virgin," as Matthew 1.25 clearly proves) was to be the mother of the Messiah according to the flesh. Mary also was addressed with the words, "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God" (Luke 1.80).

We pass over several instances of "fear not" and come to Luke 12.32:"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give

you the kingdom."

This was the kingdom which they were to seek, "Seek ye His kingdom (A.V. text, and R.V. marg., 'the kingdom of God'), and these things shall be added unto you" (verse 81). These things were such things as food and raiment and all necessary things of this life. God cared for sparrows and still does, and the Lord said, "Fear not: ye are of more value than many sparrows" (verse 7). How many? That the Lord does not tell us.

What an honour for the little flock to be given the kingdom of God, to be raised to that eminence of being. God's people from which the people of Israel were soon to fall and be broken nationally! Was such a position not worth while suffering for? They believed it was. Do we?

J. Miller | Feb 1952
Jottings