On a Sunday morning we withdraw ourselves from the running to and fro of everyday life, to the sanctuary of the Eternal Word. We are all seeking to find a practical. realistic mode of life that is based upon Christ’s teachings. We soon discover, as we walk through life, that the entire journey is a probation; a constant striving of the spiritual to conquer the natural. A sincere application of the mind to the scripture is necessary to grasp what is meant by the inspired writers, for the natural covers up, or hides the spiritual.
We note in Psalm, 34:7, the following:
“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
Basically, of course, the Psalms are applicable to David, who was a man after God’s own heart. There is, of course, as in all scripture, the overall theme of the purpose of God in Christ in the Psalms. Many times we find ourselves endeavoring to grasp the intricate working of the Divine mind in the application of the Psalms to David and to the overall purpose. Many and varied were David’s experiences as a chosen vehicle of the Deity. The encamping of the angel did not prevent his hunger or that of his men, or his request to Ahimelech for bread, which under the law he was not allowed to eat. Nor did it prevent the eventual slaying of Ahimelech. (1 Sam. 21)
Jesus, in referring to this incident in Matt. 12 :2, explained to the very natural Pharisees the potent fact that he was Lord of the sabbath day, and in Mark 2 :27—
“And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath”
Which thought suggests that we may strain the letter of the law to the point of destruction of the spirit of the law. All of the issues that arise in our lives have a counterpart in the scriptures. If we apply ourselves to scriptural wisdom we are enabled to save ourselves the terrific strain that accompanies judgment in matters that are decisions for the Master to make. It is for us to exercise the spirit of the law, tempered at all times with mercy as expressed in God’s love to us.
The angel of the Lord was nigh to David in the case of Ahimelech and near the disciples as they partook of the corn on the sabbath. Doeg, the Edomite, and the Pharisees were wicked men, who looked at the natural in their endeavours to thwart what was the purpose of God. Following out the thought that the angel of the Lord does encamp around them that fear him, we read in Psalm 34 :17-18- 19 :
“The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
We soon learn from experience that our thoughts, our desires, our ways are influenced in the majority of cases by our natures. We find ourselves reaching for the spiritual life, but confronted on every side by sin, disease, sickness and death. That his angel is close to us is unquestionable, for we read in John 14:23.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him.”
And thus we have the angel of the Lord encamping about them that fear the Lord ; we have the righteous not forsaken and we have the Father abiding in those who love Him. But we also find that the afflictions of the righteous are many. How then do we arrive at harmony in what apparently are direct opposites?
The entire purpose of God is based on the law of probation before salvation. “For whom the Lord loveth he chaseneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth”. We, therefore, who understand and believe the promise, should realise that our knowledge and acceptance of God’s Way has undoubtedly placed us in a most favourable position. We should not find it difficult to realise that the claim we make as the true heirs of salvation is indeed an outstanding one. We should also, upon examination of scripture, come to the conclusion that our claim of inheritance of the earth for a reward is indeed unique. This leads us to the thought expressed in Psalm 37 :11 :
“But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
also Psalm 104:5:
“Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.”
These promises, and a belief in them, are the basis of our relationship with God, for a man or woman must believe “that God is” before he becomes a subject of His guardian care and an heir of the promise. God’s entire purpose with the true Israel (or rulers with God) is the development of a people whose love of God, belief in Him, and constant purpose in life is toward the realisation of His plan. For this reason John says— “The Word (or purpose) became flesh and dwelt among us”. When we believe the promises and are baptised into Christ, the Word (or purpose) becomes a part of us, in a conditional arrangement, and we are said to be “in Christ”. The apostle Paul reiterates this truth in Col. 3:1:
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”
We, therefore, upon belief and baptism, are a related part of the eternal purpose of God with the earth ; we are in Christ, this we unquestionably believe. The entire revelation in scripture is devoted to a progressive, probational development of men and women. Nothing in this life is perfect, but in contrast thereto, is a constant uphill struggle by the individual towards the perfection that the believer knows is God. We find this truth abundantly stated in the Psalms 36 :6-7-8-9 :
“Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: 0 Lord, thou preservest man and Least.
How excellent is thy loving kindness. 0 God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”
In our quest for the answer to the guardian angel that encamps about us, while our afflictions are many, our thoughts turn away from this transient existence to a new world in Christ. We realise what is meant by the symbol on the table before us . . . even the symbol of the true bread. Through the Word we begin to see the true bread, the fountain of life and the light that is the light of men. Everywhere we look we see Him . . . in the high and lofty mountains, in the restless sea, by a still lake, or perhaps in the surge of traffic, the roar of a mighty express, the quiet peace of our own home He is with us, for we have learned to love Him and we are in Kim and part of the purpose of life. We are a part of the one Name, that in complete manifestation will reveal eternal life. We turn back to the opening words of Psalm 32:
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin’s covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and In whose spirit there is no guile.”
Psalm 33:1:
“Rejoice in the Lord, 0 ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.”
We pause a moment over the word “righteous”, for we know how weak and beggarly we are, and our thoughts turn to Romans 8:1-2:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death”
And 1 John 1:7:
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
And now we turn back to Psalm 104:33-34:
“I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my Cod while I have my being.
My meditation of him shall be sweet: will be glad in the Lord.”
We can truly rejoice in Him; we can bless his name ; we can worship without restraint . . . for in Him our afflictions, our fears, our heartaches and our tears are washed away. We have entered the ark of the covenant ; the boisterous storms of everyday life are stilled by the spiritual influence of the true Word of life, as lie lifts our minds out of the troublous seas of sin, disease and death. The beauty of the 23rd Psalm runs through our minds : His calm, serene love overshadows us and we lie down in green pastures, beside the still waters. We know that He will restore our life, and load us in the path of righteousness, as His purpose develops in the manifestation of His all-glorious Name.
As the shadows lengthen and the strength of youth fades (for once I was young and now I am old) as the evil day seems closer, we will fear no evil, for He is with us. Surely goodness and mercy have been with us, all the days of our lives, for we have known the glorious promise, the fountain of hope . . . and through the propitiation designed in the beginning by an all-wise Father, we may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
For truly “the angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One