A Hand Upon The Throne

by G. Jarvie | Category: General | Jul 1950

"A hand is lifted up upon the throne of Jah" (Exodus 17.16, R.V.M.).

The battle that day with Amalek at Rephidim was the first in which Israel had to engage. It is interesting that it followed immediately after the tempting of the LORD, when the people tempted Him saying, "Is the LORD among us or not."

This battle showed the strength and cunning of Amalek. They could only be overcome by divine power, as Moses stood, and then sat with uplifted hands on the mountain top. Then only could Amalek be defeated by Joshua and the armed men. They met Israel by the way, smiting the hindmost and those that were feeble, and they frared not God (Deuteronomy 25. 17-19). Amalek was Israel's first enemy in the wilderness journey and they were God-defiant. Against them there was a hand lifted up on the throne of Jah (the Infinite One). But for divine grace and power Israel had cause to fear Amalek. That day the LORD swore to have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Saul the king of Israel was rejected, and was himself slain by an Amalekite, because he failed to execute the LORD'S judgement upon the Amalekites (2 Samuel 1.5-10).

Amalek is a figure of one of the Christian's most persistent and deadly enemies-the flesh, the old nature. As Israel had cause to fear Amalek, so has the Christian cause to fear the flesh, but for divine grace and power. Many believers not realizing the subtilty and power of the old nature within them are overcome and fail to live victorious lives, because they do not seek divine power in the conflict. In Romans 7.23, Paul writes about his wretchedness when he is bound to the old corrupt nature, but he could rejoice that the Lord Jesus Christ would deliver him "out of the body of this death." His groaning made him long to be "clothed upon with his habitation from heaven" (2 Corinthians 5.2). In Jude 28, we are told to hate the garment spotted by the flesh. Oh how it can defile the believer

Well may we praise God that though complete deliverance from the power of the flesh cannot be known as long as we are in mortal bodies, yet by the power of the Spirit of God it can be kept in the place of death. As we are careful for our bodies to see the symptoms of any disease, so should the believer be careful to detect the evidence of the flesh working in him. It can be easily recognized. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest" (Galatians 5.19-21). Read them carefully, fellow-Christian, lest you should be overcome. " Fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness." Young Christian, flee away from fornication. Around you in this world there is much lust and uncleanness, and it is being looked upon lightly. Fear this sin, and flee away from it. The Devil may tempt you, and you have a traitor within you-the flesh, the old nature. Fear God and flee. Remember how Joseph behaved when he was tempted, and because he overcame he was greatly used of God. Do not yield to uncleanness even in thought. Cry to God in prayer to give you overcoming grace, so that you may be holy in your spirit as well as in your body. God will use you if you are an overcomer, and you can overcome, and gain the victory by the power of the Spirit of God. "Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

What else does the flesh produce ? "Enmities, strife, jealousies." Do you ever feel these? They are of the flesh! Do not deal lightly with them when you discover them in yourself. Confess them freely and fully in the presence of God. By the power of the Spirit of God put them out of your life or they will destroy you. These three are the cause of the next three. "Wraths, factions, divisions." The whole spiritual life of the believer is at stake when these things creep into his life. Nor can they be combated in our own strength. Let us judge ourselves, so that we may know the power of the Spirit of God in our lives. Let us cry like the Psalmist"Search me, 0 God, and know my heart:

Try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any way of wickedness in me, And kad me in the way enerlasting" (Psalm 139.28-24).

Notice it was his heart and his thoughts that the Psalmist asked that God would try for him. Fellow-believers, let us be frank with ourselves and open our hearts to the Lord in these things. Can we say like the apostle, "I know nothing against myself"?. Have we asked the Lord to try us? Many faults are hidden ones, i.e., faults in us which we do not recognize ourselves, though others may see them. Let us be thankful when these are pointed out to us by others, or when the Lord reveals them to us through His word in answer to prayer. When they are revealed to us we can seek cleansing from them, and power through the Holy Spirit. We are taught of the Lord to esteem very highly the brethren who admonish us (1 Thessalonians 5.12-13). In this scripture the overseers of the assemblies are referred to, but we should also esteem any brother or sister who will, in love to us, point out the hidden faults in our lives. This is true friendship, and often costs much to do it. Let us be watchful, not so much of the failures of others as of our own. Let us be quick to detect the working of the flesh in ourselves, and quick to judge it and crucify it. Let us not deal easily with ourselves. When we see failure in others, let us not be hasty, but prayerful over them. Let the prayer of the Psalmist for himself be our prayer,

"Clear Thou me from hidden faults.

Keep back Thy servant a18o from presumptuous sins;

Let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be perfect,

And I shall be clear from great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation. of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight,

0 LORD, my Rock, and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19.12-14).

Hidden faults if not corrected lead to presumptuous sins, and these are great transgressions. The believer who yields to the flesh, or who through failure to pray is overcome, need never expect divine blessing or the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. Where the works of the flesh are manifest among believers then divine blessing is delayed, the Spirit of God is grieved, and there is no power. How often we blame the hardness of the unsaved around us! We think of them as "Gospel-hardened," when the hardness is in our own hearts, and we do not realise it. If it is so, let us be broken down in God's presence in humiliation and prayer, for He is waiting to give us the victory, and to pour out upon us a blessing.

Where the flesh is judged and crucified, there is love and joy and peace; there is longsuffering and kindness and goodness; there is faithfulness and meekness and temperance. These are the fruit of the Spirit. They grow together like a bunch of grapes, yet love is the source of them all. The joy here is the joy of the Lord, not human mirth. The Lord would have us to be joyful. Joyless Christians are a poor advertisement for the joyful message of the Gospel. The peace which the Spirit brings is the peace of God which passeth all understanding, bringing tranquillity amid all surroundings, and amid

the fears and perplexities of this world. Great power and blessing is known in assemblies where the fruit of the Spirit is manifest. It was so in the church in Jerusalem, of which it is written"When they had prayed . . . . they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul . . . and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4.81-88).

<Author:G. JARVIE>

G. Jarvie | Jul 1950
General