The Lord will appear. (Quality: very good)

[0:00] As the Lord shall be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Leviticus, chapter 9.

[0:16] Four words in the fourth verse. The Lord will appear. The book of Leviticus, chapter 9, and four words in the fourth verse.

[0:36] The Lord will appear. Four words of great significance and of unspeakable importance to sinners born again, because it sets forth a truth in which they all desire to realize a living interest.

[1:04] It is just what many of you this Sabbath afternoon would rejoice to realize wrought for you in your soul's experience, regarding some matters which you have laid before God with whom you have to do.

[1:22] You do want to see the Lord appear on your behalf, grant you your soul's desire. And now there is one word in the text which should encourage you to hope in God, however difficult matters may be, or complicated your circumstances are, or however you seem to be such a sinner as God will have nothing whatever to do with, as sure as your help to lay your case at Jesus' feet, there is this word in the text, will.

[2:02] The Lord will appear. Not may. There is nothing appassard about it, peradventure, or may be. It is a sure guarantee.

[2:14] The Lord will appear. Blessed are all they that wait for him. The word of God tells us elsewhere. And now I want the Lord to help me to look at this subject from three or four viewpoints of it, and I need the Lord to do it on my own behalf, to grant grace to help in my time of need, as I am laboring nowadays under physical handicaps, and I need divine aid to rise above the sand.

[2:48] So you must try to pray while I try to preach. The Lord will appear. And now this word, I want first of all to look at the setting of the subject.

[3:01] And it is to do, first of all, with when God instituted how he was to be worshipped by Israel of old, as they journeyed through the wilderness for forty years.

[3:17] And in the chapter where the subject is found, it is to do with the consecration of Aaron the high priest. And there was much that Aaron had to do, as God commanded Moses to show him what was to be done, and how it was to be done.

[3:38] And when all was done according to the pattern, showed to Moses in the mount, then this word would be fulfilled to Israel, as a nation gathered together before God.

[3:53] The Lord will appear. And now you find that it brings us down to a bedrock truth that the Lord will appear, but only in certain circumstances.

[4:13] And that is, e'er he can appear to Israel, as a sin-pardoning God, then there must be varied sacrifices offered, and they must be offered a right, and they must be accepted before God.

[4:33] And so, in the context, I'll not take up time in going into too many details, but the principle is what I want to set before you, in the context you read of a sin offering, a burnt offering, and a peace offering, and a meat offering.

[4:54] And all these offerings had to be attended to in every jot and tittle of the details which God had given to Moses in the mount.

[5:06] And the chapter shows how all these details were attended to, and the sacrifices were offered, and they were accepted of God.

[5:22] But before I come to work out that viewpoint of the subject, I want to just make a comment here, and it says, And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation.

[5:38] And all the congregation drew near, and stood before the Lord. What an assembly that was! And now, dear friends, that should ever be the attitude of worship, as you gather together, in our cause of truth, desiring to worship God.

[6:01] And all the congregation drew near, and stood before the Lord. You see, often you are just sitting in a pew, and you are going through the order of the worship, whatever it may be, and you are before the preacher, as you view it.

[6:23] But if you are taught of God, you will not be satisfied with that viewpoint of it. You will want in your worship to be found before the Lord.

[6:37] And unto him shall the gathering of the people be. What is the house to me, unless the master I can see, the hymn writer tells us.

[6:50] And you have found that to be a solemn reality. And all the congregation drew near, and stood before the Lord.

[7:01] Oh, there must have been a wonderful attention given by the congregation at that time. Because it was all brand new to them, and they were being instructed in how God was to be worshipped as they journeyed on in the wilderness.

[7:21] And so you find that all the details were attended to. And then the sacrifices were offered, and the outcome of it was this.

[7:37] And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people, and blessed them. And came down from offering of the sin offering, and burnt offering, and peace offerings.

[7:51] This is very instructive. And Aaron at that time was dressed in his wondrous robes. Beautiful garments with the pomegranates and bells on the skirt thereof.

[8:09] And it must have been a wonderful picture for Israel as a gathered host to behold him in his garments of beauty as he appeared on God's behalf and blessed them.

[8:25] And there is one thing here which to me is very striking. And Moses and Aaron marked the combination.

[8:37] Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation and came out and blessed the people. Moses blessed the people.

[8:51] And now that sounds rather strange at the first thinking of it over. And yet there is a beautiful truth made manifest.

[9:03] Moses was the representative of the law. And as I judge, he went into the tabernacle of the congregation and saw that everything had been attended to according to that pattern that God had shown to him in the mount.

[9:25] And it was so. So that Moses came out and he joined with Aaron and blessed the people. And remember this is to show to us that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone which believeth.

[9:46] The sacrifices had been offered. The blood had been shed. And therefore what the law demanded had been done.

[9:58] And so the law was satisfied with the ritual of the Mosaic law being attended to. And now Moses and Aaron came out and blessed the people.

[10:14] And the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And here again is something which you must ponder prayerfully in your heart.

[10:26] And there came a fire out from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces.

[10:44] And why did they do that? It says the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people but they did not shout then nor fall on their faces.

[10:55] But when the fire came out from before the Lord mark where it came from from before the Lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces.

[11:14] They shouted and fell on their faces because they knew that matters were made right between them as a people and God who was Israel's God.

[11:28] And well might they shout and good it was that they should humble themselves before such a God to forgive all their trespasses and fall on their faces.

[11:41] And then there is one reference here which I will read to you which seems to link up with that viewpoint of truth.

[11:55] I have just read to you and Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation and came out and blessed the people and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people and now it says when Jesus Christ rose from the dead and the time came that he was to ascend up on high and he led them out as far as to Bethany and he lifted up his hands and blessed them like Aaron did hundreds of years before to bless Israel of old when he was consecrated Israel's high priest and it came to pass while he blessed them he was parted from them and carried up into heaven and they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy just like Israel of old who fell on their faces and shouted because they were filled with great joy and it says of these disciples and were continually in the temple praising and blessing

[13:07] God Amen and now that is really the setting of the subject and I want as the Lord to help me to look at it from three or four viewpoints in a way that might be helpful encouraging and instructive the Lord will appear and now there is this question to whom will the Lord appear and there you find the apostle Paul when he was coming down to the end of life's journey what did he say and what was his dying testimony it is a beautiful statement and he says I have fought a good fight I have kept the faith henceforth there there is laid there is a beautiful love to love all sinners born again all people who have the great mercy to be taught of

[14:27] God they are designated them that love his appearing do you let your conscience tell you if you do if you were concerned about his appearing on your behalf and that he might bestow on you a jabez portion and bless you indeed the Lord will appear to all them that love is appearing shut to the characters and oh that you and I might be numbered with them living and dying and then this great truth seems also as I view it to be linked up with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and there I must turn aside to make another comment not that I wish to be tedious in doing that but to keep to the order

[15:27] I usually seek to do in preaching but there is this viewpoint of the truth that needs thinking about and now as you read the gospels concerning the disciples and their behavior before Jesus Christ rose from the dead it is very evident they had very little hardly any at all understanding that Jesus Christ was to rise from the dead you find that if you look in the gospels they were very ignorant and alas their behavior was such that when the time came that Jesus Christ was to be found on Calvary's cross they all forsook him and fled not Peter only who is often used by preachers to illustrate that he grievously fell but the word of

[16:30] God states and they all eleven of them all forsook him and fled and when they gathered together again they were in great fear and they had little faith that Jesus Christ was going to rise again think of those two disciples on the Emmaus road although they did not belong to the eleven what did they say to Jesus as he walked with them thereon we trusted that this had been he which should have redeemed Israel but now there seems to be some questioning about it we trusted that it had been he but now we do not know what to feel about it some have told us that he has risen from the dead but we are not sure about it and that was their attitude and now when the

[17:38] Lord gathered them together and you will remember that he said I go before you into Galilee and there he met them and he unfolded the heavenly mysteries and also in the upper room he met them too and he showed them that Jesus Christ must need suffer die and rise again and they were then helped to believe the truth of it and now following that when the day of Pentecost dawned and the spirit of God was poured out in such large measure it was because Jesus Christ had risen from the dead that they were helped to proclaim the truth so boldly surely and they could tell it out with thus saith the Lord yes because

[18:40] Jesus Christ was now in their soul's feelings the resurrection and the life and now that means this the Lord will appear the disciples before Calvary's cross could hardly credit that truth that the Lord would indeed appear and rise from the dead but when he did rise from the dead then their hearts were so taken up with it that they could go forth and preach the gospel with divine authority and because the Lord Jesus rose from the dead on that Easter morn long ago when he rose from the dead I have often told you the whole church of Christ rose in him then in mystical union with him as the church's living head and that means that whatever the case of anyone belonging to the church of Christ mystical may be whatever their circumstances although they may sometimes feel to be as though they were buried in a grave yet the

[19:56] Lord will appear on their behalf and bring them forth into the light and he will carry them safely through time with all its changes and finish the good work which he has begun whatever opposition there may be from earth or hell meanwhile the Lord will appear the great thing is when you are put to the test and the way of life is difficult to go along and every day new straits attend you do need living faith to still hope in God although it be at times you seem to hope against hope that the Lord will appear because in the ultimate issue the Lord will appear do remember that and now it might be helpful if

[20:57] I show you not only to whom the Lord will appear the next viewpoint is where the Lord will appear and where he has shown us in the word of his grace where he will appear and bless poor sinners and do them good for time and eternity too and first of all the Lord will appear at the mercy seat I will commune with you from above the mercy seat the word of God declares and some of you can testify that at the mercy seat you have seen the hand of God uplifted on your behalf and you can declare not only that the Lord will appear you can say the Lord hath appeared and he has made his goodness to pass before you in life's way it is a wonderful mercy to get help at times to draw near to

[22:06] God and do what the Selmist says he was enabled to do I showed before him my trouble and many of us have been helped to do that at times and then we have had to wait a while the Lord has not appeared immediately on our behalf but he has caused us to wait and to wait his own time which is always the right time your time is always ready but my time is not yet full come the savior said to his disciples and he says it still to his disciples nowadays I will commune with you from above the mercy seat and oh how sweet it is at times when you get just a little of it sweet communion which charms the soul and gives true peace and joy the

[23:09] Lord will appear then at the mercy seat there he will help poor sinners who come down like the woman in the gospel at Jesus feet to tell him all the truth his great name is oh thou that hearest prayer I have sometimes thought it is one of the sweetest names that is given to Jesus Christ as the sinner's friend oh thou that hearest prayer and good it is if you can say with David blessed be God for he hath heard my prayer and turned away his mercy from me I can only give you brief hints about where the Lord will appear not only will he appear at the mercy seat and make known his mercy is unfathomable in his dealings with his dear people hope the

[24:14] Lord will appear at the fountain which is open for sin and for uncleanness and there he will give poor sinners to know the blood of Jesus Christ God's son cleanseth us from all sin you may be very troubled about it as to whether that word is applicable to you but then the word of God does encourage you not withstanding what your fears and feelings may be to put God to the test about it what does he say prove me now here with and see if I will not open unto you the windows of heaven and let you down such a blessing there shall not be room enough to receive it many poor sinners black sinners hell deserving sinners have found it to be a blessed reality the blood of

[25:18] Christ how sweet it sounds it flows to heal a sinner's wounds the stream is rich divine and free and say my soul why not for thee why not the Lord will appear yes if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness much might be said along that line of thought but I must hasten on the Lord will appear and now if you like to search it out and it will do you good to attempt to do it that is all you can do attempt to do it you will see in the word of God abundant evidence the Lord will appear how firm a foundation ye saints of the

[26:22] Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word what more can he say than to you he has said you who unto Jesus for refuge have fled the Lord will appear and now the Lord will appear first of all in the exceeding great and precious promises and there are hundreds of them scattered throughout the sacred pages and every one inspires a poor sinner to hope in God as sure as he has it in his heart to love the appearing of the Lord in his soul's desires the Lord will appear on his behalf and fulfill those promises good it is to be able to have a promise to plead before God like the psalmist when he said remember the word unto thy servant on which thou hast caused me to hope the

[27:31] Lord will appear and not only in the promises and you might look them over and you will find whatever your case is this Sabbath afternoon or your circumstances you will find there is a promise to encourage you to hope in God and the Lord will appear and fulfill it to you as sure as you get faith as a grain of mustard seed to plead it remember that and now the Lord will appear and instruct you also if you love is appearing in the exceeding great and precious precepts you often want to know what is right to do you do not always feel as you would like to feel about matters in life's journey it may be matters under your home roof or in your business or to do with the cause of truth or in your family circle and you feel that you need light from heaven and it is for you to ask for it and then you will know of a truth the

[28:49] Lord will appear ask and ye shall receive seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened oh how beautiful it is the words of Jesus his own gospel summarized as it were and oh so beautifully simple too the Lord will appear and he will show you what is right to do at any time anywhere he will give you to know thy word is a lamp unto my feet a light unto my path and as I thought on this subject it came to my mind not only the Lord will appear to fulfill his promises and to make known his precepts to help his people to live right and die right but the

[29:56] Lord will appear and fulfill his prophecies and now I do not take up much time in my ministerial life as a rule with prophetical truth because I have not much light on it but the word of God does contain prophecies and there are some quite a few which have not yet been fulfilled and yet in which the Lord will appear and bring them to pass you must not think the world will always be like you see it nowadays with all its wickedness and woe all its chaos and confusion later on in God's time there is a better day to dawn when the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea it is not for you to reason about it and wonder how it can be done if done at all you are not to question it you are just to believe it and to believe the

[31:11] Lord will appear and fulfill it in every jot and tittle what did Jesus say upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it not only so look at it from this viewpoint there is prophetical truth regarding you if you are one of them that love is appearing what does the word of God say to you it shall be well with them that fear God and that word will not fail to be fulfilled however difficult the outlook may be and hard to be understood the dealings of God may be with you at times that word the Lord will appear and make real in your soul's experience and you shall say at the end of life's journey thou hast dealt well with thy servant

[32:19] O Lord it shall be well with them that fear God much might be said about prophetical truth but I just simply give you that thought as a seed thought to ponder in your heart as grace is given and you need not be over much cast down I mean not too cast down as you survey the future because for all them that love is appearing the Lord will appear then strictly speaking there is a silver line into every cloud and it is said to you I do set my bow in the cloud and you might believe what you sing ye fearful saints fresh courage take the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy and shall break blessings on your head yes the

[33:23] Lord will appear and bring to pass all he has set forth in the word of his grace especially to them that love is appearing he will not fail them at any time blessed be his name God in the scriptures to reveal his will has condescended what he has said there he will fulfill though man shall be offended and then the Lord will appear the Lord will appear in times of trouble I have no doubt if you were put to the test and your heart was warm you could tell out some of you quite a few times when you do indeed believe and these things you ponder in your heart and you treasure it up and you believe the

[34:24] Lord has indeed appeared for you you can look that word in the face in six troubles he hath delivered thee and in seven there hath no evil overtaken thee surely you could make the number larger and say in sixty troubles there hath no evil befallen thee and in seventy you have lived to prove the Lord will appear yes oh you should speak up for God if you can for the word of God says ye are my witnesses and you can tell out of his appearance and that gives me this thought you really could do it if you had it in your heart or that it might be in your heart and that you might do it then before the church and say to those who belong to it come and hear all ye that fear

[35:36] God I will tell you what he has done for my soul and remember the Lord will appear to help you to do it as sure as you have it in your heart to speak for him and his truth and what you humbly hope he has done for your soul he will not fail you when you desire to tell it out to his honor his glory and to have fellowship with the church of Christ to whom you desire to belong the Lord will appear and remember think of Jesus Christ to set his people an example and much more he himself in Jordan's river was baptized and what did he say suffer it to be so now for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness and it says in the word of his grace then they that gladly received his word were baptized and that is the basis of our church fellowship with pleasure we behold

[36:58] Emmanuel's offspring come the sheep are gathered to the fold and left no more to roam yes you might have many thoughts many searchings of heart many fears but let this word inspire you and let go your fears and faintings and trust in the Lord and believe his word the Lord will appear and in keeping his commandments not for keeping in keeping his commandments there is great reward much might be said under that heading but I must hasten on toward the Amen I have thought to what a word this is for a seeking soul and there is one thing about a seeking soul as a character somehow it seems to have become amongst us in our denominational life a kind of thought that a seeking soul is just one who is young one in life's morning might be a teenager could be earlier than being a teenager but you have that thought in your mind that a seeking soul is one who is not very old but then look at you some of you old and grey headed have you left off being a seeking soul then no no but this is a word for a seeking soul and it could especially refer to one just beginning to ask the way to

[38:52] Zion with his or her face thither ward you hope God has begun to deal with you and you desire to be after the spirit the things of the spirit but you cannot say much as yet about his dealings with you you cannot climb into the heavenly heights nor go down into the deep things of God but you are indeed one who desires to win Christ and be found in him one who desires to follow on to know the Lord but you find there are many discouragements some of them arising from what you are by nature and some from earth and hell without opposing you but this word before us the Lord will appear is to encourage you to go on though earth and hell oppose still pray for

[40:00] God will all explain nor shalt thou seek his face in vain the Lord will appear there is no seeking soul who can proclaim that he did seek the Lord and did not find did not find him to be all his salvation and all his desire the thing is impossible I said not to the seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain I say the thing is impossible my soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him let the psalmist help you as he declares in one psalm I do light it and says David I waited patiently for the

[41:01] Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry the margin is in waiting I waited it needs a great deal of grace to do that you need waiting grace and he says he heard my cry he brought me up also out of an horrible pit out of the marie clay and set my feet upon a rock and establish my goings and he hath put a new song in my mouth even praise unto our God many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord yes let seeking souls rejoice in hope the Lord will appear on their behalf and then there is just another thought here the Lord will appear and now some of you are like the preacher nearing the end of life's journey and you think of what is not so far off to some of us and that is to step down into

[42:13] Jordan's swelling and that gives you many searchings of heart and you have to weigh matters up as to how things really are between your souls and God and even though you humbly believe God has granted you a good hope through grace yet when you think of going down into Jordan swelling as I said you may have many fears arising ifs and buts and hows to sink you in the gloom of what will be to you as you believe the article of death and yet the word of God encourages you and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject unto bondage the Lord will appear as sure as God has given you grace to live he has guaranteed in that to give you grace to die oh you will find poor sinner when that hour comes that heart and flesh shall fail you will find

[43:27] I believe the Lord will appear and you will enter into the truth of the hymn writer's words and when the soul to march prepares good hope sends forth her fervent prayers and dies in peace with God the Lord will appear had the time allowed I would have tried to show you another side of this truth there is in it I just give you a thought to ponder in your heart about it there is in this word also an awful solemnity because the Lord will appear when time shall be no more and he will appear then as you sometimes sing when thou my righteous judge shall come to take thy ransomed people home shall I among them stand and now that is a great consideration

[44:57] Mukher wearing wearing clothed in majesty divine all who love the Lord appearing then shall say this God is mine gracious Savior oh me in that day for thine amen What?