Sermon #1592 Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: “Behold, God is My Salvation”
Text: Isaiah 12:2
Date: Sunday Morning—
Tape # Y-45a
Introduction:
Last week, you
will recall, I showed you that in the Word of God the word that is used more
often in direct connection with the word “salvation” is the sweet,
personal, possessive pronoun “my.” How I love the way our great, gracious, all-holy God
teaches us to use this personal, possessive pronoun in connection with his
great gift of grace. — “My
salvation!”
I have been rolling those two words over in my heart like a sweet piece of
candy all week. Today, I want to share the sweets with you. I am going to talk
to you about my salvation. But, as I talk to you about my salvation, I hope you
can enter into what I have to say. If you can, you will hear me talking about
your salvation, and you will leave here today, singing with Habakkuk, “I
will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk
I have told you many times that “salvation” is a very big
word, an immensely broad term. It is the word used in the Bible to refer the deliverance, safety,
preservation, healing, and soundness of our souls. Salvation is the great
inclusive word of the gospel, gathering into itself all the redemptive
purposes, acts and processes of God’s amazing, free, and sovereign grace in
Christ. It includes, but is by no means limited to election, predestination,
and providence, righteousness, redemption, and regeneration, justification,
sanctification, and preservation, faith, forgiveness, and freedom, grace,
goodness, and glory. And this salvation is mine! — “I will rejoice in
the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation!”
That fact has been on my heart all week long. For
every chosen, redeemed sinner, there is a day appointed when the Lord God will
make himself known, and cause him to sing with Moses, “He is become my
salvation!” This is what Moses taught the children of Israel
to sing, as they stood on the glory side of the
(Exodus
15:1-2) “Then sang Moses and the children of
Turn with me to Isaiah 12,
and let me talk to you about the most joyful fact imaginable.
(Isaiah
12:2) “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for
the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my
salvation.”
·
My salvation is God my Savior. — Not a Doctrine! — Not a Decision! —
Not an Experience!
·
It is my salvation because God gave it to me and wrought it in me. — “Thou
also hast wrought all our works in us” (Isa. 26:12).
·
It is my salvation because I receive it as my own by faith from his
bounteous hand of grace.
(Psalms
18:2) “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God,
my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and
my high tower.”
(Psalms
27:1) “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The
LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
(Psalms
62:2) “He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I
shall not be greatly moved.”
(Psalms
118:14) “The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.”
·
This is the song our God teaches his elect to sing in the day of his
visitation.
(Isaiah 12:2) “Behold, God is
my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my
strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”
Yes,
“I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.”
Let’s stay right here in Isaiah 12. Read these six verses with me. Then I will
try to lead you in the praise of our God, who has become our Salvation. May God
who is our Salvation be our Teacher.
(Isaiah
12) “And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou
wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. (2)
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for
the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my
salvation. (3) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells
of salvation. (4) And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call
upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name
is exalted. (5) Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things:
this is known in all the earth. (6) Cry out and shout, thou
inhabitant of
There is a day that God has appointed for each of
his elect, which will be for them the day of salvation. The prophet Isaiah here
tells us what happens “in that day.”
An Eternal Work
I fully realize that the work of our Lord in
redeeming and saving his people is an eternal work. There can be no question
about that fact. Long before time began God, in his eternal counsel, purposed
to have a people like Christ. This is the will of God. And he sovereignly works
all things after the counsel of his own will (Rom.
(Romans
8:28-29) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For
whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
(Ephesians
1:11) “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will:”
(2
Timothy 1:9) “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”
· His Covenant of Grace is
called “The Everlasting Covenant” (Heb. 13:20).
· His Son is described as “The
Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).
· His People are called “The
Elect,” chosen in Christ before the world began (Eph. 1:4-6).
There is no getting around this fact:
Salvation is God’s eternal work “Known unto the Lord are all his works from the
beginning.” Our God declares the end from the beginning. All that he does
in time by the power of his grace he did from eternity by the purpose of his
grace in sovereign predestination.
Soon the Lord Jesus shall stand with one foot on the
sea and one foot on the earth, and declare that time shall be no longer and that the mystery of God is finished (Rev.
10:6-7). Christ shall come. There shall be a new heaven and a new earth. In
that great day the dead shall be raised and stand before God. All the elect
shall be gathered unto God, holy, unblameable and unreproveable in his sight.
And all the wicked shall be cast into hell. “This corruptible shall have put
on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory”
(1 Cor. 15:54). And we shall reign forever with the Lord in everlasting glory
(Rev. 21:1-7). In that day the purpose of God in eternal election shall be
fulfilled (Rom. 8:29-31). Those whom he loved with and everlasting love in
eternity past, he will “in that day” glorify. Salvation is God’s eternal
work. It is a work of eternal, immutable, irresistible, sovereign grace.
Lifelong Work
I also realize that the work of our Lord in
redeeming and saving his elect is a
lifelong work of grace.
·
We have been saved. —Regeneration.
·
We are being saved. —Preservation.
·
And we shall be saved. —Resurrection Glory.
·
And “Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed” (Rom.
13:11).
· The hand of God is upon his
elect from the womb to the tomb (Jer. 1:5; Gal. 1:15).
· The Lord Jesus Christ is
revealed in the heart of the chosen sinner, when it pleases God (Gal. 1:15).
Illustration: As God said to old Simeon,
it can be said, with regard to all his elect, “he shall not see death,
before he has seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26). (See John 6:37-39,
44-45).
(John
6:37-39) “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out. (38) For I came down from heaven, not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. (39) And this is
the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.”
(John
6:44-45) “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:
and I will raise him up at the last day. (45) It is written in the
prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath
heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.”
· And once a sinner is born of
God, called and saved by grace, it is by the power of God that we are kept in
Christ (Phil. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; Jude 24-25).
(Philippians
1:6) “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
(1
Peter 1:3-5) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for
you, (5) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.”
(Jude
1:24-25) “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you
faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (25) To
the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power,
both now and for ever. Amen.”
We have come to Christ. We are coming to
Christ. And by the grace of God we shall come to Christ. God will see to it (Jer. 32:38-40).
(Jeremiah
32:38-40) “And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: (39) And
I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for
the good of them, and of their children after them: (40) And I will make
an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do
them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart
from me.”
He will keep me ‘til the river
Rolls its waters at my feet;
Then He’ll bear me safely over,
Where my Savior I shall meet!
Though this glorious divine work of redemption,
grace and salvation is an eternal work, though it is through the good
providence of God a continual revelation of Christ, a continual coming to
Christ, and a continual growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ there is a day of divine visitation, a day
of salvation and grace, when
the sovereign Redeemer is pleased to meet a sinner and reveal himself in
salvation. Ezekiel calls it “thy time” and “the time of love.”
Isaiah calls it “that day.”
Illustration: The Adulterous
Woman—John 4
I am not talking about a twenty-four hour day! You
do not need a calendar to mark the time of your conversion. You do not need to
remember a time, or place, or day in which you first met the Lord. In fact, if
you have to look back to a given event as the proof that you are saved, you are
not saved.
Illustration: My Birth
Certificate
But you can mark this down: There is a day of
salvation. There is a time when the living God gives life, repentance and faith
in Christ to his elect, by the power of his Spirit through the preaching of the
gospel of his grace.
Proposition: There
is a day appointed when God will meet every chosen, redeemed sinner in saving
power and grace (Ezek. 16:6-8; Isa. 2:11; 10:20; 11:10-11; 12:1).
(Ezekiel
16:6-8) “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I
said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when
thou wast in thy blood, Live. (7) I have caused thee to multiply as
the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art
come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair
is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. (8) Now when I passed
by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love;
and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto
thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou
becamest mine.”
Illustrations: Abraham—Jacob—Moses—Isaiah—Paul
Look at the way Isaiah speaks about that day.
That Day
Verse 1 — “In that day” — This
chapter 12th chapter is Isaiah’s conclusion to the sermon that began
in chapter 8. The whole sermon is a prophecy of the coming of Christ and the
day of God’s salvation and grace. This day of salvation was typified in
the deliverance of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. (11:16). The
redemption of Israel out of Egypt was threefold.
· A Redemption by Promise — As
God promised to bring Israel out of Egypt after 400 years of bondage, so God
who cannot lie promised eternal life to his elect in Christ before the world
began (Tit. 1:2).
· A Redemption by Price — The
Blood of the Lamb.
· A Redemption by Power — “His
Mighty Wind” (11:15-16; John 3:8).
In the day that God comes to a sinner in
saving grace there will be a conversion of sinners by his almighty grace (11:6-9).
(Isaiah
11:6-9) “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie
down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead them. (7) And the cow and the bear shall
feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw
like the ox. (8) And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the
asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. (9) They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full
of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
Conversion comes by the revelation of his Son (11:10; Zech. 12:10).
(Isaiah
11:10) “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for
an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be
glorious.”
(Zechariah
12:10) “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon
me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his
only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in
bitterness for his firstborn.”
When Christ is revealed God’s elect are
gathered to him (11:11-12).
(Isaiah
11:11-12) “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall
set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which
shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush,
and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the
sea. (12) And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall
assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah
from the four corners of the earth.”
This whole work is accomplished by the
outpouring of his Spirit, — “his mighty Wind” (11:15).
(Isaiah
11:15-16) “And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea;
and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall
smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. (16) And
there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left,
from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the
land of Egypt.”
(John 3:8) “The
wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst
not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born
of the Spirit.”
Our Confession
Verse
1 — “And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee.
— Because God is my salvation, I will praise him. The first thing we learn from this chapter
is the fact that when the Lord God visits his elect with saving grace,
they praise him with joyful hearts and praise him alone. No flesh will
ever glory in his presence. Those who know the Lord, those who are visited by
the Lord, glory in the Lord (Isa. 2:11; Ps. 115:1; 1 Cor. 1:26-31; Phil. 3:3).
(Philippians
3:3) “For we are the circumcision, which
worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence
in the flesh.”
(Isaiah 2:11) “The
lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed
down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”
(Psalms
115:1) “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy
mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”
(1
Corinthians 1:26-31) “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise
men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (27) But
God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty; (28) And base things of the world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to
nought things that are: (29) That no flesh should glory in his presence.
(30) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (31) That,
according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
The word for “praise” here is
“confess.”
It means “to worship, wringing the hands in thankful praise.” That is what it
is to “call upon the name of the Lord” confessing Christ. When God comes
to his elect in saving power and grace, the sinner he saves confesses Christ
(Rom. 10:9-13).
(Romans
10:9-13) “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture
saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there
is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved.”
· It is a confession of heart
faith.
· It is a vocal confession.
· It is our baptismal
confession.
And this is the confession we make to God our
Savior, for the praise of the glory of his grace.
God’s Anger
Verse 1 — “Though thou was angry with me”
— Have you ever known the wrath of God upon you? When he comes in saving grace
the first thing he does is to reveal his wrath against sin. Paul said, “We
had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves,
but in God which raiseth the dead” (2 Cor. 1:9). Have you ever been there?
Do you know what it is to be lost, condemned before God, under such a sense of
God’s just anger that you were sure you would soon be in hell itself? Until you
are lost you will never be saved (Rom. 7:9-10).
(Romans
7:9-10) “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died. (10) And the commandment, which was ordained
to life, I found to be unto death.”
Anger Turned Away
Verse 1 — “Thine anger is turned away!”
— It was turned away by the precious blood of Christ, when he reconciled us to
God at Calvary (2 Cor. 5:18-20). And turned away from my screaming, condemning
conscience by the gracious application of the Savior’s blood to my heart (Heb.
9:12-14). Do you remember what he said in Isaiah 27:4? — “Fury is not in me!”
When I looked away to Christ, God the Holy Spirit sprinkled my heart and purged
my conscience from guilt. It’s screaming voice was silenced by that word from
my God. — “Fury is not in me!” Christ took it away!
My Comfort
Verse 1 — “And thou comfortest me!”
(Isa. 40:1-2). How does God comfort me? He comforts me through the
preaching of the gospel by the power of his Spirit by which the love of God is
shed abroad in my heart (Rom. 5:1-5).
(Romans
5:1-5) “Therefore being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ: (2) By whom also we have access by faith into this
grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And
not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation
worketh patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
(5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
He comforts me with the forgiveness of sin is
proclaimed in my soul (1 John 1:9), the gift of grace and salvation brought to
light and made known by Christ (2 Tim. 1:9-10), and by the sweet assurance of
acceptance with and access to him as my Father granted to my conscience (Heb.
10:15-23). God is my Salvation. And he is my Comforter.
(Isaiah
12:1) “And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou
wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.”
(Hebrews
10:15-23) “Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after
that he had said before, (16) This is the covenant that I will
make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their sins and
iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is,
there is no more offering for sin. (19) Having therefore, brethren,
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new
and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to
say, his flesh; (21) And having an high priest over the house of
God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water. (23) Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering (for he is faithful that promised).”
Read verse 2…
Verse
2 — “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for
the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my
salvation.”
“Behold, God is my salvation.”
— The Lord Jesus Christ, the great Savior spoken of throughout these chapters
is that God who is my Salvation. He is “the great God and our Savior.”
Because he is God he is fit to be my Savior. He is the Savior…
·
appointed by the Father,
·
provided in covenant,
·
promised in the Word,
·
and sent in the fulness of time.
“Behold, God is my salvation.”
— That is my comfort! Do not fail to observe the word with which verse 2 begins
— “Behold!” It is a declaration of wonder, admiration and confidence,
pointing to Christ alone as the One to whom I look for salvation.
Because “God is my salvation, I will trust,
and not be afraid.” — Being confident of this fact and enjoying it,
I look upon myself as one perfectly, absolutely and forever safe and secure
from all wrath and condemnation and from every enemy. Therefore, “I will not
be afraid” of sin, Satan, the world, death, hell, and wrath to come. Read
on. — “For
the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”
·
The Lord Jehovah is my Strength. — In Temptation — In Weakness — In Life
— In Death!
·
The Lord Jehovah is my Song.
·
The Lord Jehovah is my Salvation.
Now, look at verse 3…
Wells of Salvation
Verse
3 — “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”
Christ is the Fountain of Living Water (Jer. 2:13). The wells of salvation from whence this Living Water is drawn is the Book of God. Drawing from Christ the Water of Life, I am both full and overflowing - (John 7:37-39).
(John
7:37-39) “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and
cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (38) He
that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water. (39) (But this spake he of the Spirit, which
they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;
because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
· We draw the water of
refreshment to our souls.
· We draw the water of mercy
and grace to help in every time of need.
· We draw the water by faith
and prayer.
· We draw the water with joy!
Read
verse 4…
His Praise
Verse
4 — “And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name,
declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.”
Because God is my salvation, because his anger is turned away, because he is my comfort, because he is my strength, because I draw water out of the wells of salvation, I say to my own soul and to you who know my God to…
·
“Praise
the LORD.”
·
“Call upon his name.” — Worship him.
·
“Declare
his doings among the people” (Ps. 40:9-10).
(Psalms
40:9-10) “I have preached righteousness in the great
congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. (10) I
have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy
faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy
lovingkindness and thy truth from the great
congregation.”
Now, let’s read the last two verses of this blessed
chapter.
Sing
(Isaiah
12:5-6) “Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is
known in all the earth. (6) Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion:
for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.”
“Sing unto the LORD!” — Sing
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs unto the Lord, and make him the subject of
all your songs. Sing about how great and good he is. Sing about what he is in
himself, what he is to you, and what he has done.
“For he hath done excellent
things.” — He
has wrought out an excellent salvation, complete and everlasting salvation for
our souls! It is excellent because it glorifies and honors him in all his
perfections. It is excellent because it brings eternal glory and happiness to
his people. He has brought in an excellent righteousness, the very
righteousness of God, perfect, pure, spotless, and infinitely meritorious! He
has offered up an excellent sacrifice, a sacrifice of infinite worth and
efficacy, to atone for our sins and take them away. He has obtained an
excellent victory over all his enemies and ours: sin, Satan, the world, death,
hell, and the grave. And he has made us more than conquerors in his conquests
(Ex. 15:1-2).
(Exodus
15:1-2) “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD,
and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously:
the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. (2) The LORD is my
strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I
will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
“Cry out and shout, thou
inhabitant of Zion!” — Let
all who are born and brought up in freedom in Zion sing the high praises of
God.
“For great is the Holy One of Israel in the
midst of thee!” — Christ our God, the Holy One of Israel, is great
and “he shall be great.” — “How great thou art!”
·
Great in His Person!
·
Great in His Purpose!
·
Great in His Power!
·
Great in His Propitiation!
·
Great in His Providence!
·
Great in His Pardon!
·
Great in His Provision!
·
Great in His Protection!
·
Great in His Preservation!
“The Auction Is Closed”
An art collector had in his collection works by some
of the greatest painters of the world — Rembrandt, Van Gogh,
de Vinci, Picasso, etc. But his favorite portrait was one of his own son, who
had died in battle. A fellow solder had painted a rather inept portrait of the
son and given it to the broken-hearted father, and though the painting was
“amateurish,” .it was deeply cherished by the father and had hung alongside the
works of the legendary artists of history. When the collector neared the end of
life, he wrote out his will and specified that his art collection be put up for
sale .at an Auction.
At the Auction, it had been specified that the
portrait of the collector’s son should be featured first. But the bidders were
not interested in the portrait, and there was grumbling among the crowd, as
they were anxious to get on to the famous works.
The Auctioneer could hardly rouse a bid for the
portrait of the son; but finally, after some minutes of the usual
“auctioneering” sing-song, a bid of $10 was meekly offered. No further offer
could be conjured up by the Auctioneer’s efforts, so without a single competing
bid, the portrait was sold for that amount.
Then the Auctioneer said, “According to the Will,
the Auction is now closed.”
You can imagine the consternation that went over the
would-be bidders, and the outburst of inquiries as to what was going on! “What
about all the other great works?” a would-be purchaser. asked in a loud voice
over the noisy, disappointed crowd.
The Auctioneer explained that, “According to the
Will, all of the art collection goes with the portrait of the son. Whoever
purchased the portrait of the son also becomes the owner of the remainder of
the collection. Everything goes with the portrait of the son!”
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered
him up for. us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”
(Romans 8:32)
Christ my God is my Salvation; and “Christ
is all.” Everything goes with the Son!
(Habakkuk
3:17-19) "Although the fig tree
shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the
labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock
shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the
stalls: (18) Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my
salvation. (19) The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my
feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high
places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments."
“Sing
unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the
earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy
One of Israel in the midst of thee.”
Amen.