The Quiet In The Land

by Hope, A. M. | Category: General | Jun 1978

Although the days of Herod were dark, yet from the early chapters of Luke we learn about a remnant people who were shining for God. These people were awaiting the coming of the Christ; they had no dreams of armies or violence but lived a life of prayer and quiet watchfulness. Zacharias, Elisabeth, Joseph, Mary, Simeon and Anna were among this remnant. We may look on them as the "quiet in the land", a term found in Psalm 35:20.

Quietness was the key to their way of life. In these days of noise and activity quietness is perhaps difficult for most of us to achieve. Nevertheless, it is something for which we should pray "that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and gravity" (1 Tim. 2:2). It is also a way of becoming spiritually strong as the prophet said in Isaiah 30:15, "In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength". A few excerpts will give us some indication of the kind of people who belonged to this 'quiet' remnant.

Zacharias and Elisabeth: "Righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinance of the Lord blameless" (Luke 1:6).

Mary:"Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word" (Luke 1:38).

Simeon: "Righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25).

Anna:"A widow... which departed not from the temple, worshipping with fasting and supplications night and day" (Luke 2:37).

This, then, was the character of the godly who were "quiet in the land" and they leave behind them an example for God's remnant people today. Some pointers for our encouragement are' as follows:

Prayer

They were a praying remnant. Zacharias prayed. Was his prayer, about to be answered in God's way, for the coming of the Christ? Elisabeth, who was old, would give birth to a son, the herald of Christ's coming. Zacharias was one of a large number of priests and the highlight of his priestly service was this day when he entered into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense at the golden altar. His prayer had indeed been "set forth as incense" and his uplifted hands were, in the words of Psalm 141:2, "as the evening sacrifice". This comparison raises prayer to a very high level because the lamb for the burnt offering was for a sweet savour unto the Lord.

Luke's Gospel is sometimes called "the Gospel of prayer" because he underlines the importance of prayer in the life of the Lord - at His baptism (Luke 3:21), at the choosing of the twelve (Luke 6:12), on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28). In the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed more earnestly (Luke 22:44), and on the cross He prayed, "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34), and "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit" (Luke 23:46). Luke records that when the disciples heard the Lord praying they asked Him, "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1). Is it not the case that the Lord's teaching on this subject should be stressed often so that we too lay hold on God in believing prayer?

Widows

Anna was one of the 'quiet' remnant. She was a widow, and some have estimated her age to have been 106 when the Lord was brought to the Temple. It has been said that Luke is the Gospel for widows. Of all the Gospel writers, he alone tells us about the widow of Nain in Luke 7, the persistent widow in Luke 18, the widow of Zarephath in Luke 4 and, of course, Anna herself. Yes, the Lord is interested in widows. But what can they do?

Paul wrote about "the life indeed" and "widows indeed". Part of 1 Timothy 5 is devoted to such widows. These sisters, under the care of the church in Ephesus, were destitute, and it seems that their lives were given over to prayer, night and day. They could spend much time in prayer, being free from the burdens of daily life which fall upon younger women with families. There are many widows among God's remnant today, and perhaps Anna could be an encouragement to them so that they too may be "widows indeed".

Mary

The mother of Jesus was an outstanding woman. The words of her song reveal a deep spiritual character. Her words to Gabriel after the announcement of the birth of the Saviour were, "Behold, the handmaid of the Lord". In effect, she regards herself a slave whose will is God's will and as clay in the hands of the Potter, she was ready to obey. "Be it unto me according to Thy word". Yes, this was indeed a personal word from God, something which Simeon also received (see Luke 2:29). And if our service is to have real impact is that not what we all need today?

Retired Brethren

It is assumed that Simeon was an old man although we are not specifically told this. He was a man who had dealings with God, and it was revealed to him that before his death he would see the Lord's Christ - what a beautiful title! This dear man was looking for the consolation of Israel and that One was now in their midst. Simeon received Him into his arms. He speaks of Christ as the Saviour and as the Light of the World. Little wonder that Mary and Joseph marvelled at his testimony!

Many assemblies are ably served by elderly, retired brethren. Simeon can undoubtedly be an encouragement to such. Younger men should recognize that age brings experience, for which there is no substitute in the things of God. The present time may pose peculiar difficulties for God's people and there is always the need for brethren of the character and calibre of Simeon.

Today's Remnant

We too are in remnant times: we, too, are associated with God's house, waiting for the Lord's coming. And if our lives reflect the characteristics of the "quiet in the land" then we also shall have fruit increasing to our account. Since quietness and confidence provide spiritual strength we will do well to make these a priority. At the same time let us remember the word spoken to another remnant people, "The joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).

Hope, A. M. | Jun 1978
General