The chastening work of God and its effect (Quality: Poor)

[0:00] In your talk we will speak from Psalm 78 verses 34 and 35. Psalm 78 verses 34 and 35.

[0:19] When he slew them, then they sought him and they returned and inquired early after Christ.

[0:33] And they remembered that God was their rock and that I God their Redeemer. It is quite clear from the opening of this psalm that it is a dark saying or a parable as the meaning is.

[0:57] There is something hidden away in it. And it also follows that the contents of this psalm are the instruction of the rising generation.

[1:15] And generation after them. That the works of God shall not nigh hidden and be forgotten. And that his mighty acts will be repeated and recorded as proved to be the case.

[1:35] There were very, very many references to the first deliverance from Egypt. Many references to the provision in the session.

[1:46] Many references to the cloud. The scribism. Many allusions to their arrival at last into pain.

[2:00] Clearly indicating that there was something underneath all this that wasn't apparent on the surface.

[2:13] There was a divine purpose which was to be made use of in that cleaning generation.

[2:26] And we ask ourselves, what was that purpose? And whether or not it has come to pass. Whether we read these things in a matter of interest and regard them as historical facts or whether we can see anything underneath according to the Lord's dealing with us each so will their answer be are these parables and dark sayings that the covering of a greater purpose for a successive generation and if so through that generation to me whether the Lord has made his work good in this respect that he called the psalmist to open his mouth in dark sight.

[3:43] The answer to the question is of course yes. there is something deeply hidden underneath wonderfully hidden the joy of the church of God the joy of the spiritual Israelite the glory of God God made manifest in the way that he deals with the spiritual scene in this wilderness here below and wilderness for the end of time.

[4:23] one can scarcely conceive of a more suitable city than the desert of Sanya or the parallel to the wilderness that this world is to a certain beast those who have a consciousness of no abiding city here who see the fitness of the heavenly parallel that the life of the believer is very much a wilderness and a place where he is brought to understand that he needs those manner and guidance and gracious leadership that he needs the scorpions scorpions to put him on his guard and also to find that

[5:56] God is equal to the task and that he has provided one who will bring his people through all the changing themes of the several generations wherein these things are so difficult if we just take a view of the different generations of the Israelites how different of the early life of the ancient Israelites in the land of Goshen from that life which his children were to lead in the wilderness how different was the life of the children of those men as they came into

[6:59] Canyon and enjoyed the rest for the time and then go on to the time of the judges and the children then remembering that these ancient accounts still continue to be in their memory and taught them and how it gradually dwindled and at last became a lost book so that we get glimpses of the ancient Israelites in a most sad decline until God revived them again as he did in the time of David and Solomon and then later their further decline division of the kingdom of

[8:06] Israel the lasting separation between Judah and Israel and then the captivity all this is but an outline of God's mighty overruling purposes which were so deeply mysterious and yet there's a dark parable underneath it what is it what is it and it is this that concerns the church of God in this generation as in others the first point is this that God's dealings are the same it was mercy that brought them out of Egypt it was mercy that called the

[9:12] Gentiles to the covenant of grace showed them one people in Christ of the Jews it was divine care and guidance that preserved the children of Israel in the desert and certainly is assigned by the good spirit of God with the church in the wilderness today she would be hopelessly lost today whether it be the twentieth the nineteenth the eighteenth the seventeenth century whichever way you think of it she would be hopelessly lost were it not for the eternal purpose of God was made manifest in the guidance through the desert so this dark sight this parable is like all parables provided with an explanation on the meaning and we are able to turn to these

[10:39] Old Testament truths and to see in them the very parallel not outwardly we hadn't to walk through sand and desert we hadn't to hunt for water or seek a cloud to cover we have to eat manna we have to beg for quails but we have corresponding trials and tests which the Lord seeks to bring upon his people so that when they read such scriptures as this especially this long 78 psalm they can see the reality not only of Jehovah in his abiding faithfulness to his ancient people and his indignant justice to his ancient people they can see also themselves and that very very clearly so that they are not found critical and saying to the

[12:12] Israelite of all but why did you do that whatever did you said that idol up for putting them to touch and say how foolish you were to stand in your own light why did you make such a mistake there why did you go that way instead of this you have never found or heard such words as this have you criticising the Israelite after the flesh and saying what a foolish people they were why haven't you because you've got exactly the same in your heart as they had in theirs and that there's no ground for criticism much less less any room for this it is this therefore that is so manifest in these sounds that make them so precious and valuable to

[13:37] Zion today and though they are not fitted in word for word and sentence for sentence you can see the same thing reenacted in the life the individual life of the believer and only the believer for it remains just as the parables did in the time of Jesus hidden from the eyes of those who fear not God they do not understand they are inclined to treat it very very likely and say well yes but we don't quite see it like that we agree with you that they certainly were a remarkable people we agree with you that they certainly had a very mighty and kind

[14:49] God we can't see that it's got anything to do with us these years later what has this text got to do with us when he slew them when they sought it you understand that has your life there with death for this when God touches you a way of affliction or bereason or any killing manner that there is something in your heart that reacts to this in the way that you are turned back to God when he slew them and not to them they sought him because this is so perfectly true and so vitally real that it has been the subject of

[16:09] Zion song and her praises and her confession all through the ages the children have been taught spiritual seed of Abraham and they taught and they wander from God and they like esteem him as the earlier verses have pointed out to him and he gave them their heart desire and so on in the other the foal and sent his destroying angel moment when he slew them then they came to their senses then and not for them did they really begin to feel what it was to have dealings with

[17:10] God and God to have dealings with them so that in this way the parable is open mystery is explained and the heart runs with it under the sad experience and yet a true experience of having to admit and I heard one of these true Israelites did and he said before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept my word and I learned differently and this is an outstanding feature point of

[18:12] God's holy dealing with his people through all ages their trials of course are very very different their blood run down the hills and valleys in the early centuries they were despised and rejected hated of all men for his name sake their own land was rent martyrs were made every day they suffered and endured their crosses far far heavier than we can ever comprehend they would give grace it is useless to argue that it could not be the same today because it could be allowing that

[19:19] God gave the same martyrdom grace as he did then there would be martyrs today blessed be his name they sought it they turned back to God that they had deserted so that whatever the degree of the chastening is quite true that it is not joyous but grievous it must be so and yet this very grievous God is pleased to use as a means bringing his people back to him but there's a point here that is this that there were many who were under

[20:29] God's correcting and chastening hand turned back and walked no more with him they were among the ancient Israelites the earth opened and swallowed up some of them thousands perished by the sword of justice and so we have to leave the ancient figure to see that God's purpose in bringing trouble killing us bringing our hopes down into the dust making us feel just limp and lifeless in his hands a solemn word you were saying in that here wasn't it a lifeless lump loads and sin are very tasteful and yet this is where they are all to feel absolutely helpless when he slew there now to turn to God in that strength is no small thing because you might if you just knew yourself were left to yourself what would you do probably tear your mind to pieces probably kick against

[21:59] God probably rebear no more with but this is the beauty of it this is the secret of the parable he that hath an ear let him hear says Jesus there is a turning to the forsaken God a turning to him who you had become the calm of all lukewarm now this is how the carnal nature flows it has no will or wisdom of it it needs a firm hand it needs God's grip it needs him to lay hold upon us in one way or another which he has done all our lives every day bring something new dion's troubles to renew and yes with all this there is the sweet realization and beauty of this that there is a turning as the next verse tells us a return and inquire early after God

[23:34] God so that this remarkable work of divine grace in the effective hand of God upon his people has been admiration the church of God as painful as it has been and the choice mouth upon her forehead or as one of these deeply tried saints if he builds without chastisness where are all that is the true

[24:44] Israelites are for takers then are ye face form and not some and this is the language that is to be understood by the children and the successive generations so that it will follow one generation shall declare thy works to another and true enough they have it has been their joy and pleasure set out of how the Lord so instant about like he did Israel in the wilderness kept them low on short common they had to go out every day and set the Sabbath together the manor they were utterly dependent in such a way that had that water not followed them that miraculous way they would have undoubtedly perish in a few hours had that cloud not been there to show for them from the intense heat of that sun though they were used to it and born under it even a native cannot bear the excessive heat of the satanic order we know that nature endows them with a thick skull and the life that even they have to rest time when the sun is high life so with this people then they realise that there is a preserving cloud above them and when the Lord is pleased to chasten and correct them they turn to him yes now how does this run parallel then with our life of any other source do you go of any other place person to whom you can go or to put it in the past tense have you been to another place and another person in the time of your trouble did you run to your next door neighbor hoping to get from them some solace and comfort the hour when God touched you did you run to any other place now in the holy life or has it been so fully proven to you that there is none to help then

[28:00] I cried out to the Lord and he delivered them out of their distresses so the parable is beautifully unfolded in the believer's life there is this in it they inquired early after God this inquiry is beautifully expressed you think of what the word means and how it has fitted in so well that your people prayers first you will understand that the word ask fits in just as well they shall ask their way seek their way they inquire early or quickly they didn't deny no indeed not indeed not now if this be so then it must be recorded in the history of the church of

[29:30] God of the earth which undoubtedly it is quite outside the pages of the scripture we have the continuing truth and story ever retold of how I was brought low and he helped me the remarkable way that it has pleased God to bring his people down to the end of their tether and their strength and then give them the desired help in this inquiry we cannot separate the next word there is a remembering that God was their rock and how God their redeemer look at the miracle of this this takes you into the lonely bedroom doesn't it shade where you lie where you seek your

[30:43] God alone alone where you cannot confide in any other year than that of your God they inquired early after God they remembered that God was their rock now in the desert of course rocks are as valuable as trees are in the tropical country the shadow of a great rock of weary land these mighty rocks in the desert were a shadow from the sun even with a cloud above and in this respect the rock that is hidden away in the deep dark parable is no other than the rock of eternal age but all

[32:07] Jesus Christ Isaiah reveals him speaks of him the hot lady town him the same verse rock of ages thanks for me let me hide myself in thee this remarkable hiding face they remembered that God had been their rock their self my shout from the stormy blast yes now this is what the heart remembers that has wandered from God that needs return and grace needs to remember again the blessedness

[33:09] I knew when first I saw the Lord this is what references to in the dark parable keep that in mind in that depth that couch is beneath did you turn to that rock what happened did you find it have been dissolved was it made of sandstone had it been washed away by wind or tide or did you find that rock immutably the same did you find that granite rock Christ Jesus immutably the same what's your answer have you ever called on him and he filed you have you turned back to him with your confessions and say

[34:11] Lord I've wandered a long way off restore unto me the joy of thy salvation so that afflictions make us see what else would escape our sight this is to be told to the generation following so that it follows that there are those coming along behind us who will understand this which of course there are they want no new angled gospel they ask for nothing of a nature different from divine truth so that they returned and inquired early after God and remembered that God was their rock and the high

[35:16] God their redeemer so that there is no need to open the parable any further upon this point the rock and the redeemer one and the same person the parable is answered the explanation is written two things come out of it first of all then the human heart forsaking the Lord turning away going after forbidden things parable mind enmity against God the world distracting spiritual things receding and yet the Lord by his dealings in his grace or providence his teachings bringing back the day and returning and inquiring early after God restore said the dear psalmist

[36:33] David after his great call restore unto me joy of thy salvation and uphold me to thy free spirit the Lord bless these two thoughts to us Amen