Biblical Essays
GOD'S WAY, AND HOW TO FIND IT
(Job 28; Luke 11:34-36)
“There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: the lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.” For one who truly desires to walk with God, it is an unspeakable mercy to know that God has prepared a pathway for His redeemed in which they may walk with certainty, calmness and fixedness. It is the privilege of every child of God to be as sure that he is in God’s way as that his soul is saved. This may seem a strong statement; but is it true? If it is true, it cannot be too strong. No doubt, in the judgment of some, it may savor a little self-confidence and dogmatism to assert in the society and scene of this age that we are sure about being in God’s path. But what says the Scripture? It declares “there is a way,” and it also tells us how to find and walk in that way. Yes; the same voice that tells us of God’s salvation for our souls, also tells us of God’s pathway for our feet. The same authority that assures us that “he that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life,” also assures us that there is a way so plain that “the wayfaring men though fools shall not err therein.”
This is a mercy at all times, but especially in a day of confusion and perplexity like the present. It is deeply affecting to notice the state of uncertainty in which many of God’s dear people are found in this age. We do not refer to the question of salvation; but before us now is the Christian’s path – what he ought to do, where he should be found, how he ought to carry himself in the midst in the body of Christ. Is seems apparent that multitudes of the Lord’s people are at sea regarding these things. There are many who, if the real feelings of their hearts were known, would be found in an unsettled state – having to confess that they know not what to do, where to go, or what to believe. The question is, “Would God leave His children? Would Christ leave His servants in such darkness and confusion?”
May not a child know the will of his father? May not a servant know the will of his master? And if this is so in our earthly relationships, how much more fully may we count on it in reference to our Father and Master in Heaven. When Israel of old emerged from the Red Sea, and stood on the margin of that great and terrible wilderness that lay between them and the land of promise, how were they to know the way? The trackless sand of the desert lay all around them. It was in vain to look for any footprint there. It was a dreary waste in which the vulture’s eye could not discern a pathway. Moses felt this when he said to Hobab, “Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes” (Num. 10:31). How well our unbelieving hearts can understand this touching appeal. How one craves a human guide in the midst of a scene of perplexity. How fondly the heart clings to one whom we deem competent to give us guidance in moments of darkness and difficulty.
And yet, we may ask, what did Moses want with Hobab’s eyes? Had not Jehovah graciously undertaken to be their guide? Yes; for we are told that “On the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony; and at even, there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed; and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle, they rested in their tents. And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not. And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord, and journeyed not. And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed; whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed; or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents and journeyed not, but when it was taken up they journeyed. At the commandment of the Lord they rested in their tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses” (Num. 9:15-23).
Here was divine guidance that we may surely say was sufficient to render them independent of their own eyes, of Hobab’s eyes, and the eyes of any other mortal. It is interesting to note that in the opening of the book of Numbers, it was arranged that the ark of the covenant was to find its place in the bosom of the congregation; but in chapter 10 we are told that when “they departed from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey, the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them, in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting-place for them.” Instead of Jehovah finding a resting-place in the bosom of His redeemed people, He becomes their traveling Guide, and goes before them to seek out a resting-place for them. What touching grace and what faithfulness are here before us. If Moses will ask Hobab to be their guide in the face of God’s provision; in view of the cloud and silver trumpet, then will Jehovah leave His place in the center of the tribes and go before them to search them out a resting-place. And did not He know the wilderness well? Would not He be better for them than ten thousand Hobabs? Might they not fully trust Him? Assuredly. He would not lead them astray. If His grace had redeemed them from Egypt's bondage, and conducted them through the Red Sea, surely they might confide in the same grace to guide them across that great and terrible wilderness, and bring them safely into the land flowing with milk and honey.
But it must be kept in mind that in order to profit by divine guidance, we must abandon of our own will, and all confidence in our own reasoning, as well as all confidence in the thoughts and reasoning of others. If we have Jehovah as our Guide, we do not need our own eyes or the eyes of a Hobab. God is sufficient: we can trust Him. He knows the way across the desert; and hence, if we keep our eye on Him, we shall be guided aright.
But this leads us to the second division of our subject: how are we to find God’s way? An important question, for sure. Where do we turn to find God’s pathway? If the vulture’s eye, so keen, so powerful, so far-seeing, has not seen it; if the young lion, so vigorous in movement, so majestic in mien, has not trodden it; if man knows not the price of it, and if it is not to be found in the land of the living; if the depth says, “It is not in me, and the sea says, ‘It is not with me’”; if it cannot be gotten for gold or precious stones; if the wealth of the universe cannot equal it, and no effort of man discover it – then where are we to turn? Where shall we find it?
Shall we turn to those great standards of orthodoxy that rule the religious thought and feeling of millions throughout the length and breadth of present day systems of religion? Is this wondrous pathway of wisdom to be found with them? Do they form any exception to the great, broad, sweeping rule of Job 28? We think not.
What, then, are we to do? We know there is a way. God, who cannot lie, declares this, and we believe it; but where are we to find it? “Whence, then, cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding? seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and Death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.”
Does it not seem like a hopeless case for any ignorant mortal to search for this wondrous pathway? No, it is by no means a hopeless case, for “He understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof. For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven; to make the weight for the winds; and He weigheth the waters by measure. When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder, then did He see it and declare it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’”
Here is the divine secret of wisdom: “The fear of the Lord.” This sets the conscience in its only true place – directly in the presence of God. The object of Satan is to keep the conscience out of this place; to bring it under the power and authority of man; to lead it into subjection to the commandments and doctrines of men; to thrust something in-between the conscience and the authority of Christ, no matter what it is. It may be a creed or a confession containing a quantity of truth; it may be the opinion of a man or a set of men; the judgment of some favorite teacher; anything, in short, to come in the heart and usurp the place belonging only to God’s Word. This is a terrible snare and stumbling-block, a serious hindrance to our progress in the ways of the Lord. God’s Word must rule us; God’s pure and simple Word, not man’s interpretation thereof. No doubt, God may use a man to unfold that Word to our soul; but then it is not man’s unfolding of God’s Word that rules us, but God’s Word by man unfolded. This is of great importance.
We must be exclusively taught and governed by the Word of the living God. Nothing else will keep us straight, or give solidity and consistency to our character and course as Christians. There is a strong tendency within and around us to be ruled by the thoughts and opinions of men – by those great standards of doctrine set up by men.
Those standards and opinions may contain within them a large amount of truth – they may have within them partials of truth; that is not the point in question now. What we want to impress is that we are not to be governed by the thoughts of our fellow-man, but simply and solely by the Word of God. It is of no value to hold a truth from man; we must hold it directly from God Himself. God may use a man to communicate His truth; but unless we hold it as from God, it has no divine power over our heart and conscience; it does not bring us into living contact with God, but actually hinders that contact by bringing in something between our soul and His holy authority.
We would like to enlarge on and enforce this principle; but we must forbear, just now, in order to unfold one or two solemn and practical points set forth in the eleventh chapter of Luke, points which, if entered into, will enable us to understand a little better how to find God’s way. We shall quote the passage at length. “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.”
Here we are furnished with the true secret of discerning God’s way. In the midst of the troubled sea of religious systems it may seem difficult to steer one’s course correctly. So many conflicting voices fall on the ear. So many opposing views solicit our attention, men of God differ so much in judgment, shades of opinion are so multiplied, that it seems impossible to reach a sound conclusion. We go to one man, who, as far as we can judge, seems to have a single eye, and he tells us one thing; we go to another man who also seems to have a single eye, and he tells us the reverse. What, then, are we to think?
One thing is certain; our eye is not single when we are running in uncertainty and perplexity from one man to another. The single eye is fixed on Christ alone, and thus the body is filled with light. The Israelite of old did not need to run here and there to consult with others regarding the right way. Each had the same divine guide – the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. In other words, Jehovah Himself was the infallible Guide of each member of the congregation. They were not left to the guidance of the most intelligent, sagacious, or experienced man in the assembly; neither were they left to follow their own way; each was to follow the Lord. The silver trumpet announced to all alike the mind of God; and no one whose ear was open and attentive was left at a loss. The eye and ear of each were to be directed only to God, not to a fellow-mortal. This was the secret of guidance in the trackless desert of old, and this is the secret of guidance in the vast moral wilderness through which God’s redeemed are passing now. One man may say, “Listen to me;” and another may say, “Listen to me;” and a third may say, “Let each one take his own way.” In opposition to all the obedient heart says, “I must follow my Lord.”
This makes everything simple. It will not foster a spirit of haughty independence; quite the reverse. The more we are taught to lean on God alone for guidance, the more we shall distrust and abandon self; and this is surely not independence. True, it will deliver us from servile following of any man, causing us to place our responsibility to Christ alone; and this is precisely what is needed so much in this present age. The more closely we examine the elements that are spread throughout man’s religious systems in this age, the more we are convinced of our personal need of subjection to divine authority, which is only another name for “the fear of the Lord,” or, “a single eye.”
In the opening of the Acts of the Apostles there is one brief sentence which furnishes a perfect antidote to the self-will and servile fear of man so rife around us, and that is, “We must obey God.” What an utterance – “We must obey.” This is the cure for self-will. “We must obey God.” This is the cure for servile subjection to the commandments and doctrines of men. There must be obedience; but obedience to what? – To God’s authority, and to that alone. Thus the soul is preserved from the influence of infidelity on one hand, and superstition on the other. Infidelity says, “Do as we like.” Superstition says, “Do as man tells us.” Faith says, “We must obey God.”
Here is the holy balance of the soul in the midst of the conflicting and confounding influences around us in this age. As a servant, we are to obey our Lord; as a child, we are to hearken to our Father’s commandments. Nor are we the less to do this although our fellow-servants and our brethren may not understand us. We must remember that the immediate business of our soul is with God Himself.
It is our privilege to be as sure that we have our Master's mind pertaining to our path as that we have His Word for the security of our soul. If not, where are we? Is it not our privilege to have a single eye? Yes, surely. And what then? “A body full of light.” If our body is full of light, can our mind be full of perplexity? No. The two things are wholly incompatible; and hence, when one is plunged “in dark uncertainty,” it is plain his eye is not single. He may seem sincere, he may be anxious to be guided correctly; but he may rest assured there is the lack of a single eye – that indispensable prerequisite to divine guidance. The Word is plain, “If thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light.”
God will always guide the obedient, humble soul; but, on the other hand, if we do not walk according to the light communicated, we shall get into darkness. Light not acted on becomes darkness, and oh, “how great is that darkness.” Nothing is more dangerous than tampering with the light God gives. Sooner or later, it must lead to disastrous consequences. “Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” “Hear, ye, and give ear: be not proud; for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains, and while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness” (Jer. 13:15-16).
This is deeply solemn. What a contrast between a man having a single eye, and a man not acting on the light God has given him. The one has his body full of light; the other full of darkness: the one has no-part dark; the other is plunged in gross darkness: the one is a light-bearer for others; the other is a stumbling-block in the way. We know nothing more solemn than the judicial acting of God in actually turning our light into darkness, because we have refused to act on the light He has been pleased to impart.
Are we acting up to our light? Has God sent a ray of light into our soul? Has He shown us something wrong in our ways or associations? Are we persisting in any line of action which conscience tells us is not in full accordance with our Master’s will? May God help each of us to search and see. “Give glory to the Lord thy God.” Act on the light. Do not hesitate. Think not of consequences. May God give us strength to obey the Word of our Lord. May God help us to say not, “Where shall I go? What shall I do next?” There is evil everywhere. It is only escaping from one evil to plunge into another. May we not say these things; may we not argue or reason; or look at results; may we think not of what the world or religious systems of men will say of us; may God help us to rise above all these things, and tread the path of light – that path which shineth more and more unto the perfect day of glory.
Remember, God never gives light for two steps at a time. If He has given us light for one step, then, in the fear and love of His Name, may we take that one step, and we will assuredly get more light – yes, “more and more.” But if we refuse to act, the light that is in us will become gross darkness, our feet will stumble on the dark mountains of error that lie on either side of the straight and narrow path of obedience; and we will become a stumbling-block in the path of others.
In this age, some of the most grievous stumbling-blocks that lie in the pathway of anxious inquirers are found in those who once seemed to possess the truth, but turned from it. The light that was in them has become darkness, and oh, how great and appalling is that darkness. How sad it is to see those who should be light-bearers, acting as a positive hindrance to young and earnest Christians. But let not young Christians be hindered by them. The way is plain. “The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Let each one of us hear and obey the voice of the Lord. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” The Lord be praised for this precious Word. It puts each one in the place of direct responsibility to Christ Himself; it tells us plainly what is God’s way, and, just as plainly, how to find it.
