Psalm 85:1-7, Isaiah 55:6-11, Colossians 1:3-12, Matthew 9:18-26.
A). A PRAYER FOR MERCY.
Psalm 85:1-7.
The Prayer begins, not with personal desires, but by recalling to mind God’s past favours (PSALM 85:1-3).
We must learn to “count our blessings, name them one by one,” as the hymn writer exhorts us, to raise up our ‘Ebenezers,’ our “stones of help” as the word means, saying with Samuel of old, “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (cf. 1 Samuel 7:12). This will temper our prayers with gratitude, and also fuel our faith as we recognise that whatsoever we ask in accordance with His will, God is able and willing to perform: that He is able to do ‘exceeding abundantly above all’ (how many superlatives are there in Ephesians 3:20?) ‘all that we ask or think.’ How so? ‘According to the power that worketh in us.’
Then, having thus encouraged himself - God, after all needs no reminding - the Psalmist applies for God’s grace in the midst of his, and the Church’s, present troubles (PSALM 85:4-6).
Such Biblical phrases as, ‘Turn thou us, and we shall be turned’ (cf. Lamentations 5:21); “in wrath remember mercy” (cf. Habakkuk 3:2) - and the like - are not inappropriate in our petitioning the Most High. Here the drift is that God would turn us to Him, recognising our inability to turn of our own accord: and that, in turn, He would turn away his anger.
Which comes first? Well whatever we may think, it is always God who makes the first move. ‘But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved)’ (cf. Ephesians 2:4-5).
Such considerations, even in the midst of his humble appeal, excite the Psalmist and should thus stir us up, to a holy fear and a godly hope that, as in Psalm 130:4 - ‘There is forgiveness with thee [Lord], that thou mayest be feared.’
Often as we look at the contemporary Church scene, we are inclined to ask, ‘Can these bones live?’ (cf. Ezekiel 37:3). Well, yes: in the vision they stood up, and came together, and then, when the breath of God came upon them, they lived.
We need such reviving as only the Spirit of God can give, and so our appeal is ever toward the God of our salvation: “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (PSALM 85:6). There is the motive for our prayer for revival: that God’s Name might be magnified and glorified! But, when all is said and done, we must fall back with the Psalmist upon the simple appeal for mercy (PSALM 85:7).
B). THE GREAT INVITATION.
Isaiah 55:6-11.
ISAIAH 55:6. We are exhorted to seek the LORD, while He may be found. If we seek Him with all our heart, and all our soul, we will find Him. Then He will rain righteousness upon us, making us righteous through the Lord Jesus Christ. He will bring life to the barren land of our hearts. He will protect us in the day of His anger against a world that has refused Him.
If we seek the LORD, we will certainly be satisfied. He is not far from any one of us.
When should we seek Him?
We should seek Him while He may be found. We should seek the Creator in the days of our youth before we become so set in our ways that it becomes difficult to hear Him. We should seek Him in the ripeness of our years, while there is still breath in our mouths to call out for His mercy upon our souls.
We should call upon Him while he is near, while the call of the Gospel is still ringing in our ears. Now is the set time for the LORD to favour His people: so do not leave until tomorrow what you must do today.
We should pray to Him in an acceptable time. We should seek His salvation right at this present moment, while He is near to help. The Apostle Paul says: ‘Now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation’ (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:2). As we hear His voice today, we must not harden our hearts nor provoke Him, but respond positively to the call of the Gospel.
ISAIAH 55:7. We are instructed to forsake sin.
If we try and cover over our sins, and pretend they are not there, we will fail. If we confess our sins, God will have mercy and forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are no longer to walk in the way of wickedness, nor to entertain unrighteous thoughts. We are to turn to our merciful LORD, to the one true God, who abundantly pardons the sins of His people out of the infinite riches of His grace.
ISAIAH 55:8-9. His thoughts are not our thoughts: nor are our ways His ways. His ways are unsearchable: they are past finding out. We must surrender the evil imagination and the evil way, and follow after the way of Christ, with a pure heart and a pure mind.
Jesus says:
“Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
(cf. Matthew 11:28-30).
When we have sought Him and found Him, we must not cease from praise to the One who has forgiven our sin. In Bible imagery, not only does everything that has breath Praise the Lord, but also the trees clap their hands, and the hills rejoice! All creation: animal, vegetable and mineral, praises the Lord. Redeemed mankind, therefore, should not exempt himself.
ISAIAH 55:10-11 is about God’s words not returning to Him void. At first, we might imagine that God is talking about the weather, with all this talk of rain and snow. And what if there is no rain, nor any melting snows from the mountains of Lebanon? Famine!
Yet God is not just talking about the weather, He is talking about His Word. ‘The seed is the Word of God’ says Jesus in Luke 8:11. And there is, incidentally, such a thing as a famine of the Word of God (cf. Amos 8:11-13)!
The metaphor is this:
1. just as in the cycle of creation the rain and snow comes down, waters the earth causing it to spring forth and bud, giving seed to the Sower and bread to the eater (ISAIAH 55:10);
2. “So shall my Word be” -
(i) it shall not return to me void,
(ii) it shall accomplish that which I please,
(iii) and prosper in the thing for which I sent it (ISAIAH 55:11).
It is interesting to note that there is a part for man to play in the purposes of God. It rains/snows, the earth brings forth - what? Seed and food. Without the Sower, without the reaper, we starve. So it is with the Word of God. ‘How shall they hear without a preacher?’ asks Paul in Romans 10:14.
C). THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER.
Colossians 1:3-12.
After introducing themselves, and acknowledging that those to whom they are writing are true Christians [i.e. 'saints and faithful brethren in Christ' (Colossians 1:1-2)], Paul and Timothy next “give thanks… praying always for you” (COLOSSIANS 1:3).
The whole attitude and demeanour of Paul and Timothy was prayerful, in all that they did. They celebrated the “FAITH in Christ Jesus,” the “LOVE to all the saints” and the “HOPE laid up in heaven” of the Colossian believers (COLOSSIANS 1:4-5; cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 13:13).
Now the gospel which the Colossians first believed, says Paul, is the same “word of truth” which you received, which is constantly “bearing fruit.” The good seed of the Word, planted in good soil, takes root, grows, and proves fruitful (cf. Luke 8:15). Again, this is so because they KNOW the grace of God in truth (COLOSSIANS 1:5-6).
All this serves to emphasise the integrity of Epaphras’ teaching (COLOSSIANS 1:7). Furthermore, Epaphras had brought a good report of the Colossians to Paul, despite the insipient Gnosticism of some of their members (COLOSSIANS 1:8). This is perhaps why Paul is so gentle in his counsel, as opposed to his earlier outrage against the wayward church in Galatia (cf. Galatians 1:6; Galatians 3:1).
Again Paul and Timothy speak of their ceaseless prayer on behalf of the Colossians. The new teachers were offering superior ‘knowledge,’ but they prayed that the Colossians might rather experience the manifestation of what they already had: that they might be “filled with the Knowledge of His will” and “increasing in the Knowledge of God” (COLOSSIANS 1:9-10). We do not lack knowledge, but need rather to tap into that which we already have.
The fact of the matter is, that “all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (COLOSSIANS 1:9); and living worthy lives, and pleasing God, and bearing fruit (COLOSSIANS 1:10) is all already readily available to us in Christ Jesus. And it is the possession of ALL Christians, not just a few ‘in the know’!
As they continue describing the content of their prayers for the Colossians, Paul and Timothy next mention the subject of the Colossians being “with all power” strengthened, according to the might of His glory. This again is something which we already have: power for all patience, power for perseverance, the ability to remain joyful throughout (COLOSSIANS 1:11). ‘Miserable’ Christians is an oxymoron!
Furthermore, Paul and Timothy celebrate the fact that the Father has already qualified us to receive the inheritance which awaits His saints. We are delivered from the power of darkness and have been translated into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:12-13). This is not just ‘pie in the sky when I die,’ but a present reality for all who trust in Jesus.
D). A STORY WITHIN A STORY.
Matthew 9:18-26.
In this particular section Matthew presents us with a ‘story within a story’ – and, as you might expect with such a literary device, there are both similarities and dissimilarities. First, we see the contrast in status of Jesus’ two petitioners. One was a “ruler” (MATTHEW 9:18); the other was a ritually unclean woman (MATTHEW 9:20). Second, we observe that both showed faith (MATTHEW 9:18; MATTHEW 9:21-22).
When the ruler came to Jesus, our Lord arose and followed him, and so did His disciples (MATTHEW 9:19). Earlier Matthew had arisen and had begun to follow Jesus (cf. Matthew 9:9), so now Matthew continued to follow our Lord all the way to the house of the ruler. Much of the account is first-hand, and it is Matthew alone of the evangelists who mentions the “minstrels” (MATTHEW 9:23). By the time they got to the house, the wake had already begun!
The poor woman who had interrupted their journey had been suffering for “twelve years” (MATTHEW 9:20). It turns out that the girl who had died was ‘the age of twelve years’ (cf. Mark 5:42). All that girl’s life, the woman had been suffering; for the one it was too long for her to suffer, for the other it was too young for her to die!
I say the woman was ‘poor’ both out of sympathy to her condition, and because she had actually spent all her substance on ineffectual doctors (cf. Mark 5:26). This serves as a contrast to Jesus’ efficacious and holistic healing.
The touch was very daring because it theoretically rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean. Yet Jesus is willing to reach out and touch us, or to be touched, whatever our infirmities (cf. Hebrews 4:15). His words to the woman are very reassuring to those of us who hardly dare approach Him (MATTHEW 9:22).
It is interesting to notice that Jesus addressed the woman, who interrupted His journey to the ruler’s daughter, as “Daughter” (MATTHEW 9:22). Rulers and outcasts are all made one in Christ Jesus (cf. Galatians 3:28), and God is a Father to us all (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:18).
When Jesus arrived at the ruler’s house, the mourners were inclined to laugh at Jesus’ comment (MATTHEW 9:24). “Sleep” is an acceptable Christian euphemism for death (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20).
Touching a dead body (MATTHEW 9:25) would also have rendered an ordinary man or woman ceremonially unclean – but Jesus is no ordinary man! Jesus has power over disease (cf. Isaiah 53:4-5). Jesus has power over death (cf. Acts 2:23-24). Jesus has power over sin (cf. Matthew 9:2). That power is ours to receive if we will put our trust in Him.
