{"id":1822,"date":"2012-01-21T02:41:28","date_gmt":"2012-01-21T02:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=1822"},"modified":"2012-01-21T02:41:28","modified_gmt":"2012-01-21T02:41:28","slug":"the-willing-servant-extract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=1822","title":{"rendered":"THE WILLING SERVANT (extract)"},"content":{"rendered":"

THE WILLING SERVANT (extract)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Henry Law written in 1855 originally called the Gospel in Exodus.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the slave may plainly declare, \u2018I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.\u2019 If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever.\u201d\u00a0Exodus 21:5-6<\/p>\n

As in nature\u2019s field, so in Israel\u2019s story, almost every object reflects Christ. Happy the hand which holds a key to open the rich treasure\u2019s door! Happy the soul which learns the art of feasting at the hallowed table! To see Christ now by faith is heaven begun. To see Christ soon in glory will be heaven complete.<\/p>\n

The narrative before us seems at first glance to tell but a simple incident of domestic life. A Hebrew slave is the subject of the story. His period of servitude is past. All claims have therefore ceased. He has now the option to breathe freedom\u2019s air. But freedom has no charms for him. Attachment binds him to his master\u2019s home. His dearest joys are there. His hearty language is, \u2018I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.\u2019 A new ordinance is appointed to sanctify this willing offer of perpetual service. The judges must bear witness. An inflicted wound must also be a visible and enduring seal: \u2018Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever.\u2019 Willing consent is thus proclaimed. The testifying brand is fixed. And a beloved work, while life shall last, is grasped by self-devoting hands.<\/p>\n

It may perhaps come as a new thought to some, that in this servant\u2019s choice, and in this constant love, Jesus reveals Himself. But doubts are worse than folly, when the Spirit speaks from His high seat. Read, then, the 40th Psalm. There faith ascends in heaven-high flight. It hears the eternal Son in close communion with the eternal Father. It catches these wondrous notes. \u2018Sacrifice and offering you did not desire but my ears you have pierced.\u2019 Jesus announces the amazing fact. Father, My ears are pierced by Your hand.<\/p>\n

Here is a grand truth. Read it, O sons of men. Read it, my soul. Hell sees it and turns pale. Heaven sees it and resounds with praise. These words state at once, that Jesus becomes man. They speak of \u2018ears.\u2019 None can have these, except they wear the garments of our flesh. We have the Spirit\u2019s comment. He writes in after pages, as a co-equal clause, \u2018a body You have prepared Me.\u2019<\/p>\n

But more than this is taught. The ears are \u2018pierced.\u2019 Here a clear finger points to the Willing Servant\u2019s pledge. We see the God-man stooping to the lowest grade. He seeks a servant\u2019s office, and a servant\u2019s toil. Jehovah\u2019s Fellow is Jehovah\u2019s workman in the labor-field of grace. For God to take us into heaven, and on the throne of worlds, would be grace beyond all thought. But for God to become man in lowest bonds of servitude, is grace which none but Jesus\u2019 heart can know.<\/p>\n

We have, then, in this abject state, a speaking portrait of Christ\u2019s love. This image is the sweetest fountain of His people\u2019s peace. It is the deepest mystery set forth in simplest terms. Hence Scripture, laboring to reveal the Lord, presents the Servant\u2019s motif in repeated terms. The Father\u2019s voice announces, \u2018Behold My Servant, whom I uphold.\u2019 And again, \u2018Behold I will bring forth My Servant the Branch.\u2019 Jesus meekly adds, \u2018I am among you as he that serves.\u2019 The Spirit echoes, \u2018Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God\u2014but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a Servant.\u2019 He is a servant, whose time and toil are not his own. Strong obligations bind Him to execute another\u2019s will.<\/p>\n

Reader! come now and mark THE SERVICE to which God calls His Son. It is to build the fabric of salvation. What strength, what zeal, what might, what wisdom, what patience, what endurance, what self-sacrifice, are needed! Survey the hindrances. In depth they reach to hell. In height they mount to heaven. Their breadth and length extend illimitable arms. A countless multitude of immortal beings lie in the vile quarry of vile sin. They must be rescued from this misery\u2019s cell. They must be made fit with all-beauteous grace. Each soul is black with stains more countless than the ocean\u2019s sands. These stains must disappear. Each owes a debt of infinite amount. This must be cancelled. Each is most justly sentenced to eternal woe. This sum of wrath must be endured. Each is weighed down beneath the Law\u2019s stern curse. This burden must be borne away. Satan has riveted his iron chains around each. These fetters must be broken off. The walls of his dark prison-house enclose them. The mighty barrier must be leveled. They are all loathsome in most filthy rags. White clothing must be wrought for them. In each the nature is estranged from God. This must be changed in every pulse and every feeling. A new heart must be implanted. Old things must pass away. Grace must commence its new-born reign. They are as scattered outcasts in a wide world\u2019s wilderness. All must be brought to hear one Shepherd\u2019s voice, and feed in one most holy fold. All must be set before the Father\u2019s throne, clear of all guilt, free from all charge, as pure as God, as blameless as heaven, as bright as eternal day.<\/p>\n

Such is Jehovah\u2019s gracious will. Not all the hosts of angels or of men can render aid. Deity\u2019s whole might is needed to subserve this cause. There is a train, also, of revealing types. They must be accurately answered. There is a volume of prophetic promise. All must be fulfilled. There is a fearful catalogue of righteous threatenings. All must be executed. Each holy attribute presents strong claims. Each must be fully satisfied. God would be cast down, His empire would be a broken reed, His sovereignty would be a shadow\u2019s shade, unless justice remains just, and truth continues true, and holiness shines forth inviolate. It is no easy task to render these attributes their due honor. But such is the service which must be performed.<\/p>\n

O my soul, rejoice, be glad, give thanks, shout praises; a willing Servant undertakes to do it! O my soul, rejoice, be glad, give thanks, shout praises, while you draw nearer and behold the fulfillment. The time to work arrives. Will Jesus now draw back? It cannot be. \u2018Lo, I come,\u2019 is still the language of His willing heart. He must, then, stoop to put on human flesh. He must be one in lowly nature with our race. He shrinks not. He lies a babe of Adam\u2019s stock. He takes our kinsman\u2019s place. He, for whom heaven is no worthy home, is cradled, as the lowest child of earth. Jehovah\u2019s service, man\u2019s redemption, demands descent to depths thus low. Salvation\u2019s Servant must go slowly on through every stage of suffering life. Be it so. It is His food and drink to do His Father\u2019s will. We find not one reluctant pause. He dwells unknown in a despised town. He toils, as workman, with a workman\u2019s tools. Each cup of degradation is wrung out. The final scene, the bitterest effort, comes. Will Jesus flinch? He hastens forward to meet all.<\/p>\n

Go with Him to the garden of woe. There torturing agonies collect, which human thought is far too weak to grasp. The sufferer stands laden with His people\u2019s guilt. He is not spared. Wrath rushes down with outpouring fury. He meekly bows before the just infliction. The Willing Servant pays the whole debt, bears the whole curse, receives each crushing load, exhausts each vial of wrath. All heaven hears the voice, \u2018I have glorified You on the earth\u2014I have finished the work which You gave Me to do.\u2019<\/p>\n

And now the cross is upraised. The scaffold stands. Will Jesus hesitate? He is the Willing Servant to the end. Man\u2019s bitter hate drives in the nails. Hell makes its direct assault. The Father hides His smile. All earth, all heaven, desert Him. But Jesus willingly serves on, until the mightiest of all mighty words sounds forth, \u2018It is finished.\u2019 Yes! Salvation is accomplished! Redemption is secured! Each type is answered! Every payment is paid! Each penalty is thoroughly endured! The curse is drained! Satan is vanquished! Hell\u2019s borders are broken down! His people are all free! The Father\u2019s will is done, the holy service is performed, Jehovah\u2019s Servant has acted out the glorious work! \u2018It is finished!\u2019<\/p>\n

O my soul, you may indeed stand fearless on the rock of this completed service. The work is done, is fully done, is done forever. The heavens again receive Him. The Servant enters with a Victor\u2019s crown. There He still serves. Salvation\u2019s building consists of countless stones. All must be found, and fitly framed together. They lie on many a mountain\u2019s brow, in many a hidden valley, on many a distant plain. Each is a precious soul. Each must abhor the loathsomeness of self, and rejoice in Jesus\u2019s blood, and cling with sincere faith to His saving arms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE WILLING SERVANT (extract) Henry Law written in 1855 originally called the Gospel in Exodus. \u201cBut the slave may plainly declare, \u2018I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.\u2019 If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77,72,64,68,18,34,62,36,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-henry-law","category-christ-and-his-church","category-successful-saviour","category-christ-his-person-and-excellencies","category-grace","category-gods-love","category-pictures-and-types","category-redemption","category-righteousness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1822"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1823,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822\/revisions\/1823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}