LOVE NEVER FAILETH This thirteenth chapter of Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians is one of the better known chapters of our New Testament, and it has often been selected for public reading at the celebration of notable events. As a sublime and uplifting discourse on love that is pure and noble, it has the power to strike a chord deep in the human heart. But its significance to believers in assembly life is greatly increased when we observe its place in this letter. Since Paul had left the saints in Corinth, a large and thriving church some four or five years earlier, things had declined, and they were now torn apart by envyings, strife and divisions and other distressing developments. There were still plenty of gifted men among them, but their meetings were disorderly and unprofitable, and many of them, including women, were clamouring to be heard at the same time. Adding to the confusion was the undue emphasis being placed on the rather spectacular gift of tongues, which was really of limited and temporary value, and was chiefly intended to be a witness to unbelieving Jews. In earlier chapters Paul had dealt with a number of problems, as well as answering some of their questions, and now in chs. 12 to 14 he writes to restore order and edification to their meetings. In chapter 12 he reminds them that their gifts, though diverse, had been given by the Spirit of God, and the Lord intended them to work together harmoniously to fulfil divine purpose as they were yielded to His control. He illustrates this by the human body with its diverse members such as eye, ear, hand and foot, yet divinely designed to move in sympathetic unity. But before he goes on to mention specific matters in chapter 14, he interposes this amazing passage on love. Without love, nothing of lasting value can be achieved, it is utterly indispensable. How skillfully he brings this to bear on them all in the first three verses, using himself for an example, and supposing for the purpose, a personal experience far surpassing any achievement of theirs. Did they boast in the number of languages they could speak miraculously? - Though I could even speak the language of angels, as well as those of men, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal - meaningless noise. Did they boast in their understanding and knowledge, and the miracles they could perform? - Though I could understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. Did they feel they had gained status through the alms they had given? - Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it profiteth me nothing. In short, all that is done apart from the constraining power of love is worthless, however impressive it may appear to men. In verses 4 to 7 Paul gives us a detailed description of how this Jove behaves. There are things that it always does, and there are things it will never do. Love suffers long - it shows that self-restraint in the face of provocation that does not quickly retaliate. Love is kind. Love does not envy others. Love does not vaunt itself - is not boastful. Love is not puffed up - is not filled with pride. Love does not behave itself unseemly - behave improperly. Love does not seek its own interests - considers others. Love is not provoked - is not roused to anger. Love does not think evil - does not keep a record of wrongs done to it. Love does not rejoice in iniquity. Love rejoices in the truth - is glad when truth prevails. Love bears all things - is able to carry the burdens of others. Love believes all things - is not suspicious. Love hopes all things - looks for the best outcome. Love endures all things - bears up courageously under trials. Love never fails - never loses its force and relevance. Whereas the special gifts of prophecy and knowledge would be superseded and pass away, and the gift of tongues would cease, through all the changing scenes of time until our Lord returns, these three remain, faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. What a benign, wholesome and healing influence it radiates, and when we consider all the difficulties that had arisen in Corinth, which of them could not be greatly helped, if not entirely solved by love? This love transcends the natural attributes of the human heart; it comes from God. John enlarges on it in the fourth chapter of his first epistle. From verse 7 onward we read, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that Ioveth is born of God. He that Ioveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another". This great and boundless love of God is shed abroad in the hearts of all His children by the Holy Spirit which He has given us. it is this great love of God in all its warmth and power, known and believed, that provides us with both the desire and capacity to respond to Him in a worthy way, choosing the things that please Him. The Lord jesus said in John 15:9,10 "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love". Also in ch.14:23,24, "If a man love Me, he will keep My words;... He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings". Not only does love produce a worthy response to God, it will also govern our attitude to one another. John’s language is crisp as he calls for consistency in this. "If a man say ‘I love God’, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we received from Him, ‘that he who Ioveth God love his brother also"’ (I John 4:20,21. see also John 13:34,35; 15:12). In Romans 13:8-10 Paul speaks of love as a debt that we owe to one another, and he says that all the manward commandments of the law are briefly comprehended in this one, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself". Then he concludes, "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law". From all this it is evident that this love is the vital necessity for the effective function of the whole range of assembly testimony. This is confirmed to us in the Lord’s message to the church at Ephesus in Rev.2:1-7. They were diligent, discerning and loyal to His Name but He had this against them - they had left their first love. He said, "Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of his place, except thou repent". Let us have ears to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches, and may the Holy Spirit graciously shed abroad the love of God in our hearts afresh day by day, so that the assemblies to which we belong may truly prosper spiritually. Oh help me Lord, to take by grace divine, - R.M. Goatley.SOME THOUGHTS No assessment of the life of Joseph would be complete without a reference to the words of Jacob in Genesis 49, as he gathered his 12 sons around him and addressed them one by one shortly before his death. In verse 28 we read, "this is that which their father spoke unto them, and blessed them", but in some cases his comments recalled their faults more than anything else. However, in the case of Joseph, it was praise and commendation frorri first to last, and actually Jacob had more to say about him than about any of the others. "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall" - that is how Jacob began. This, of course, is highly figurative language, but in practical terms the message of the well and the wall is crystal clear. Joseph had lived a fruitful life, bringing forth fruit for the glory of God and for the blessing of others. God Himself had been a well to Joseph, helping to produce the fruit, and then as a wall, helping to protect the fruit. In those days of primitive warfare, the two essentials for a besieged city were an adequate supply of water inside, and a strong protective wall outside: and one way to ravage the land of an enemy was to fill in his wells and break down his walls. Joseph’s well (or spring) never dried up, nor was his wall ever broken down. So he could have said in the words of the Psalms, "my defence is of God" (7:10), and, "all my springs are in Thee" (87:7). This last quotation recalls the Saviours words in John 4 about the "well of water springing up into everlasting life" which He has promised to all His people.We notice too, that the fruit in Joseph’s life went "over the wall" for the benefit of those on the other side. Fed by the well, he could feed others, which is the secret of a life truly lived in fellowship with God, and again we think of the words of the Lord Jesus about the fruitfulness of believers in John 15. That fruit that went over the wall was for the good of all and sundry, friends and foes alike, which was what actually happened in the life of Joseph as he met the needs of a hungry nation and those of his hostile brethren as well. This he did in the spirit of Paul’s words in Romans 12: "if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head". And do we not see in the whole story of Joseph one of those instances of divine intervention in human affairs which ensure that, even in this life, evil-doers are often paid back in their own coin? The very men who had once planned to kill Joseph through starvation in a pit, were eventually forced to seek his help when faced with stark starvation themselves! And now from the bough we switch to the bow. As Jacob continued in praise of Joseph he referred to his enemies as archers who had shot at him and sorely wounded him, "but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob". The language here portrays a mature and skilled archer putting his strong arms around an inexperienced youth, holding him by the hands and strengthening his arms, then teaching him how to draw the bow back to its limit, to take steady aim and finally let the arrow fly. But what came forth from Joseph’s bow were arrows of mercy and kindness, for his hands had been controlled by "the mighty God of Jacob". That is why we never find the least hint of any bitterness towards his brother’s - or Potiphar’s wife for that matter.With what lingering relish the dying patriarch must have spoken of "the mighty God of Jacob", as he recalled the rich heritage of faith he had received from his forefathers, and then reflected on all the added blessings he himself had experienced throughout his long and colourful life. He rejoiced also to see such clear evidences of divine blessing still at work in the family, and particularly in the life of Joseph, and he foretold still greater blessings ahead for this special son who was so "separate from his brethren". Closely associated with "the mighty God of Jacob" is the further title of "the Shepherd, the Stone (or Rock) of Israel", both terms being used freely in the Old Testament of Jehovah, and sometimes prophetically of Christ. Take, for example, Isaiah 28:16 - "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste". We remember, too, how the Lord Jesus Himself said, "I am the good Shepherd". In that title there is the thought of leading and feeding the flock, protecting the sheep from harmful foes, and even keeping them from harming themselves. Then in the Rock, we have the thought of security and stability in a very uncertain world, a place of shelter from the fury of the storm, and a place of shade from the heat of the mid-day sun.Shepherd and Stone - these two beautiful titles, these two aspects of God’s gracious provision for the needs of His people are reflected in many of our hymns, sometimes separately, and sometimes combined together as in the verses quoted below, with which we now bring this series of meditations on the life of Joseph to an end.Though Shepherd of Israel and mine, Tis there with the lambs of the flock, - W.P.W. McVey.SOWING AND REAPING "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap". - Gal.4:7. The Apostle gives a very solemn warning here, awakening us to sober thinking, and he bases it on a well-known law of nature. We all recognise in nature the essential correspondence between the seed sown and the fruit reaped. So the Apostle reminds us that there is a law in the Kingdom of God that works with equal certainty and regularity. There is as close a correspondence between the harvest to be reaped in eternity, and the activities of a man’s life on earth, as between the natural seed and its fruit. Let us ask now, "What sort of seed am I sowing? Is it to the flesh or to the Spirit?" "To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward" (Prov.11:18) "He that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 5 :8). - Selected.MARAH - THE BITTER WATERS "The Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast it The things that happened to Israel on their journey from Egypt to Canaan were among the things that were "written for our learning" (Romans 15:4; and I Cor.10:6). The location of Marah is uncertain, and the supposed site is given with a question mark in some maps in our Bibles. This is not remarkable, for we never know, in our spiritual history, when we too, may come to this very sacred spot. Some reach Marah early in their Christian career, while others pass that way later in life. Let us be sure, however, that our pilgrim journey does lie that way, and sooner or later it will be our portion to taste those bitter waters - for "Marah" means "bitterness. The sacredness of this spot however, is only realised when we learn the wonderful secret of how the Bitter Waters are made sweet. What a difference it makes when we can read in "disappointment" - "His appointment", and when in the midst of our perplexity and sorrow the Lord shows us that "Tree". It would be difficult to summarise all the circumstances which go to make up those bitter waters. Some may find them in thwarted hopes, shattered homes, broken friendships, loss of wealth or health, or in the sorrow of bereavement. Many, sadly, never learning the secret, allow their whole lives to become embittered thereby, while others have gone quietly to the Lord and He has shown them that Tree of Life by means of which their agony has been blessed to them. Many are the bedridden children of God who have found "Marah" to be a sanctified spot, and the bitter waters have been made sweet by Him Who ‘makes all their bed in their sickness’ (Psa.41:3). It is true that the many things that make life bitter, somehow lose their sharpness when we are able to quietly yield to the will of God. Moreover those bitter experiences can become causes for thanksgiving, for if we really believe that all things do work together for good to those that love God, we shall try (and it is not easy) to give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God concerning us (l Thess.5:18). The trouble so often is, that we do not really seek God in the matter, as Elihu said, "But none saith, where is God my Maker, Who giveth songs in the night?" (Job 35:10). Now, the Lord showed Moses that Tree, which he cast into those bitter waters, and they became sweet. How remarkable to find a tree at all in that arid desert. Surely this was a type of Him Who was to grow up before God as a Tender Plant, and as a Root out of a dry ground (lsa.53:2). Yet that tender plant was the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief - our sorrows, our grief - the One Who was plunged into the bitterest waters of death for us. How striking and blessed it is that God showed Moses that Tree. It flourished, in spite of the scorching sun of that barren place, for was not the One it prefigured like a tree planted by the rivers of waters, whose leaf did not wither nor did it cease from bearing fruit? But the Green Tree which flourished was to be cast into the Waters of Marah. Does not this exemplify that which God sets before us in the four Gospels particularly? There we see that Holy One flourishing in the dry ground of Judaism. We may trace Him In the midst of sorrows unspeakable; in hunger (Matt.4:2) and thirst John 4:7;19:28); in watchings; in tumults (Luke 12:1); persecuted, forsaken, hated and despised. In all our afflictions He was afflicted with us, yet with all the sorrows He was always rejoicing for He walked in communion with God. He was the Man of Sorrows, but the Man of joy also. God shows Him to us in this way as an example. Then He goes to the Cross. He is still "the Green Tree", but now He tastes, not only the bitter waters of death, but also the wormwood and the gall (Lam.3:19). Truly this was the culmination of His Marah. God alone has solved the tremendous problems of sorrow that have come into the world because of sin. The solution was manifested by the bringing in of His Beloved Son, Who has met the foe, has made reconciliation for sin, and has brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel. There is no circumstance in life which is beyond the sufficiency of His grace. Paul says, "Most gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities" (2Cor.12:8-10). Pauls cup became sweet, and so may ours. Could anyone have tasted the bitterness of Marah more than job? He lost his wealth and health, and suffered tragic bereavement. His wife failed him when he most needed her help. He was misunderstood by his friends and derided by his neighbours. But when he learns from the Lord that He is in sovereign control of all things, he bows in humble worship, and he prays for his friends. The Lord then turns his captivity, and his earthly blessings are but a picture of those spiritual blessings that belong to God’s children. Naomi too, tasted great bitterness of soul. Sorrows came upon her, very similar to those that came upon Job, yet differing greatly in moral character, proving the fact that the way of transgressors is hard. Like the prodigal, she went out full, but returned empty. She came to Marah. She said to her friends who welcomed her, "Call me not Naomi, but call me Mara, for the Lord hath dealt very bitterly with me" (Ruth 1:20). The truth is that our backslidings are often used of God to correct us. Coming back to God she found in the kinsman redeemer, the restorer of life and the nourisher of her old age. There are many other instances in Scripture, and in the lives of men and women down through the ages, which show that it is possible to triumph at Marah. Many believers have been enabled to say in measure, as our Lord did fully, "The cup which my Father bath given Me, shall I not drink it?" and have found that the bitterest cup has been full of blessing. "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: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hind’s feet, and He will make me to walk upon my high places". (Hab.3:17-19). - Abridged. M.H. Prior.THE WORDS OF THE LORD JESUS
This was the witness of those men who were sent by the enemies of our Lord to take Him. There was something in His words, in the power of His testimony, that completely disarmed them, and made them feel that it was impossible to lay hands on Him. They saw what they supposed was only an ordinary man, but "in Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily". The words that He spoke not only reached their ears, they penetrated down into their hearts, searching out the secrets that were hidden there. As the woman of Samaria said, He "told me all things that ever I did; is not this the Christ?" (John 4:29). No other man had such a revelation to make known; no other man had such knowledge of the human heart; no other man was so able to reach it. "They were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22). "They were astonished at His doctrine, for His word was with power" (Luke 4:32). - Selected THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST The blood of Christ, Thy spotless Lamb, No sacrifices save His Who bore Since Christ has entered by His blood Oh, wondrous cross! Oh, precious blood! By that blest cross, that cleansing blood, - W.S.W. Pond. Please address Wholesome Words correspondence to: R.M. Goatley, |