Deuteronomy

[0:00] 3, and the last verse, Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency?

[0:24] And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

[0:37] Chapter 33, the book of Deuteronomy, and the 29th verse.

[0:54] This is a wonderful word to contemplate, and it is the last recorded word that Moses of old, Israel's leader, spoke.

[1:14] And while it was spoken to Israel at that time, it is still a word in season for all sinners taught of God who make up what the Apostle Paul calls the Israel of God.

[1:39] And I want, as the Lord should help me, to look at it from two or three viewpoints of it.

[1:52] Moses was a unique character, and I judge him to be the outstanding character in Old Testament history.

[2:03] For, as you all know, Pharaoh's daughter found him as a little babe in the bulrush ark on the Nile waters, and in the sovereignty of God, she took him into her care.

[2:23] And while the fear of Pharaoh, her father, had gone forth that all the Israelite male babes were to be slain, there was one male babe ordained of God to fill a wonderful sphere in Israel's history.

[2:42] And he was actually brought up under the shadow of that Pharaoh who desired all those dear babes to be put to death, that Israel as a nation might be kept in check.

[2:57] Here you see what the Apostle Paul refers to. Oh, how unsearchable are thy judgments and thy ways past finding out.

[3:10] And so, for forty years, Moses was raised up in an Egyptian environment, regarded as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

[3:27] But something happened to Moses when he was forty years of age, and that which happened was a miracle of grace, and it wrought a complete change in his outlook.

[3:43] And he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. And the word of God tells us, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

[3:59] And now think if you can, you dear young people too. Moses was cradled up in all the luxury of Egypt in the splendor of its history.

[4:15] He was skilled in all the arts and crafts of the Egyptians, and he occupied a unique position in Egyptian history in his bringing up.

[4:28] And it may be he could have put his foot upon the step leading to Israel's throne later on.

[4:40] But by the grace of God, he turned his back upon it all. And he esteemed the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.

[4:59] He could see Israel in the brick films, and they were ground down like slaves.

[5:11] And yet, he found it in his heart to cast in his lot with them, whatever the outcome might be, and turn his back on all the earthly riches and the splendor of the environment in which he had been brought up.

[5:35] And God designed that he should do a great work. But, the 40 years he was in Egypt was not the training for him to be what God designed as Israel's leader.

[5:53] And so, he is 40 years longer in the backside of the desert. There he lived a lonely life. Eh, but he lived with God.

[6:05] And he had to do with God. And he learned much of the things of God. And then, when the time came, God raised him up.

[6:16] And he set forth to lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage to the borders of the promised land.

[6:27] It was a very solemn responsibility. It was a great privilege to be Israel's leader. But Moses realized the weight, the anguish, I was going to say, of that responsibility.

[6:48] For while he speaks so well in this word before us of Israel, yet, he says in this same book of Deuteronomy, you have been rebellious as a people ever since I knew you.

[7:04] And that was spoken to Israel as a nation. But the Israel referred to, in our text, is that Israel that is in the midst of Israel.

[7:22] Israelites indeed. Not just Israelites by nationality. Says the Apostle Paul, they are not all Israel that say they are of Israel.

[7:35] Any more than all chapel goers, or church goers, or Christians, and to be regarded as Christians, and that heaven is a certainty for them.

[7:48] No, no. There is much to be weighed up before you can be assured that you are a Christian.

[7:59] Pause, my soul, and ask the question, aren't thou ready to meet God? Am I made a real Christian, washed in the Redeemer's blood?

[8:11] Have I union with the church's living head? And now here is Moses at the end of his life work.

[8:24] And God has given him a warning that he is going to take his redeemed spirit home to the rest that remaineth for the people of God.

[8:36] And he makes this beautiful and blessed farewell address inspired of God to Israel. There he dies.

[8:49] Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord.

[9:02] And now there we must pause. There we must lay the foundation as grace is given as to what happiness Moses is referring to.

[9:18] And you and I need, as grace is given, to weigh it up. And when a sinner is born again, do listen, when a sinner is born again, he has set up in his heart a standard of happiness.

[9:37] What it is, happiness worth the name. There is a happiness which is of earth, but that will perish.

[9:47] there is a lawful happiness. The happiness of home life. The happiness that is to be known in our family circles.

[10:01] The happiness that is known by husbands and wives walking in agreement as they journey on through life in the things of God.

[10:13] But that happiness which is of earth, I say, it will inevitably perish. Happiness worth the name must have one hallmark.

[10:28] Permanence. And it must be for time and eternity too. Do remember that. And this happiness that Moses is referring to, you will observe how it is related to the salvation of our souls.

[10:54] Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord. And now I dare not take up time in going into details.

[11:09] But I might just say, regarding earthly happiness, there is much earthly happiness which is lawful to enjoy. But you must not look upon it as permanent.

[11:22] You and I are poor sinners, dying mortals, yet possessing immortal souls. And our souls, being immortal, must possess happiness that is immortal too.

[11:40] And Moses makes this very plain. Who is like unto thee, O people, saved by the Lord.

[11:51] And now to help you, for that is what I desire to do, as long as I shall be with you, to teach and to preach and to be a help to you dear people, following on to know the Lord.

[12:05] Go back over your life's journey, ask the Lord to help you to do it, and don't balk at it. Go back over your life's journey, and call to remembrance the happiness that you have known and felt worth denying.

[12:28] And in every instance, you have known just a little of that happiness, more or less it may be. It has been to do with your soul's eternal welfare.

[12:41] When you have got some evidence, some token for good, some help by the way, when you have felt you participated in the favor that the Lord bears unto his people.

[12:58] When you got a glimpse of Jesus Christ, and could see in him all your salvation, and all your desire, all this happiness that Moses is referring to, is that which is known and felt by sinners born again in their never-dying souls.

[13:23] All people saved by the Lord. What would make some of you this Sabbath afternoon happy beyond words to describe?

[13:33] Oh, if you could only feel matters were right between your soul and God, and the great question put out of question, if you could see Jesus and feel to you he is all your salvation and all your desire, if you felt unto you, therefore, which believe he is precious, it would give you happiness unspeakable, and it is to be known.

[14:15] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, happiness worth the name, for they shall be filled.

[14:28] Happy art thou, O Israel. And now the great thing is for you and I to have some sure evidence of being an Israelite indeed, not just chapel goers, no, you may be that all your life long and be lost at the end of it.

[14:52] I'm bound to tell you the truth about it, for I have seen it fulfilled not once or twice in my long ministry.

[15:04] I saw the wicked buried who had come and gone to the place of the holy. this is the place of the holy where God is worshipped to right and other places of a like nature where God is worshipped to right and yet the word of God says I saw the wicked buried who had come and gone to the place of the holy.

[15:32] And it may be those who preached to them looked on them in the pew and thought well of them, hoped well of them, desired to see yet more evidence than was apparent that they were indeed true worshippers, but it was never seen.

[15:59] Yet all their life long found in the place of the holy. it is a great deep dear friend and you really must weigh these things up, face up to them, ponder them in your heart and the starting point do I need to tell you?

[16:23] Ye must be born again. And now when you are, you will be an Israelite indeed. you may not feel to be such a character.

[16:35] You may have many ifs and buts and hows, many questionings, many fears, many paintings. But one thing will be evident you will be after this happiness that our text refers to.

[16:53] your concern will be Lord Jesus make thyself to me a living bright reality. What a word that is and how significant, how suggested, reality.

[17:13] All other happiness such as the man in the street is after, worldly in its nature I mean. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh.

[17:27] But there is no reality in it. It is like blowing bubbles. It is like following a will-o'-the-wisp and being trapped in the bog.

[17:41] Yes. and why all happiness that you see in earthly sources fails to give you the happiness that you are after.

[17:59] Therefore you look at folks' faces in the cities and the towns and the villages too and so many faces tell you of discontent, disappointment and disillusion.

[18:14] But if you were to speak to them as to where happiness worth the name is to be found, although they know not happiness, they would not listen to you but they would tell you according to how they were born.

[18:35] We will not have this man to reign over us and yet it is this man as he reigns over you who can give you this blessed happiness which is for time and eternity too.

[18:51] Oh my dear friends young and old, it is a wonderful mercy to have in our hearts an aching voice which this world cannot fill, to have set up in our breasts a standard of what happiness is worth the name so that when you came up to worship God this Sabbath day you were concerned to get in touch with God.

[19:17] I seek and hope to find a portion for my soul, my immortal soul. Yes, happy art thou all Israel.

[19:33] Who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord? The word Lord is in large letters which you all know refers to the Trinity and therefore Moses is referring to the Israel of God not only those amongst that vast horse whom he addressed at this time people think there are wonders nowadays and so there are in vast multitudes being addressed but here is a man ordained of God who is addressing two million people without any aids of loud speakers any worldly assistance but just the assistance given to him of God and this is his concluding word to that vast horse happy art thou all Israel who is like unto thee all people saved by the

[20:39] Lord yet when you think of that vast host that came out of Egyptian bondage there were hundreds of thousands whose bones bleached white in the wilderness and they never had the pleasure of privilege to enter into the land of milk and honey and wine so we see they could not enter in because of unbelief remember that oh people saved by the Lord dare not take up much time in unfolding that great mystery but these people in the text Israelites indeed they are a people of whom it can be said oh people saved by God the Father and when you think of what God the Father was pleased to do that they might be saved

[21:42] God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life it is a beautiful scripture the Savior said to his disciples may you know the happiness of hearing it said to you by the Spirit of God the Father himself loveth you and these people say by God the Father was saved before the world was built time was born ordained to life eternal a number which no man can number and there is no necessity whatever to say much about that only to believe it a number which no man can number because if you are a sinner born again if you do belong to the

[22:46] Israel of God the devil will seek to suggest to you that while it is a number which no man can number yet you are not numbered therein but then he is a liar and you must not credit his lies no I have told you so many times the devil is not omniscient and do you believe that he can never know what is the true state of matters between your soul and God do you seek to have to do with God and plead with him show me a token for good assure my conscience of her part in the redeemer's blood and bear the witness with my heart that I am born of God say unto my soul I am thy salvation think of Jacob when his name was changed to

[23:47] Israel hence you have it in our text happy art thou O Israel and what happened in Jacob's experience oh when that man wrestled with him capital M to that man Jacob said I will not let thee go except thou bless me and now every sinner born again has that spirit of wrestling more or less in exercise from time to time Lord I cannot let thee go till a blessing thou bestow do not turn away thy face mine's an urgent pressing case all people say by God the father and there is this happiness dear friends the happiness to say and when you say it out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking our father which art in heaven hallowed be thine own yes oh you may have many thoughts about that many searchings of heart eternal source of joys divine to thee my soul aspires oh could I say the

[25:13] Lord is mine it is all my soul desires and now those desires as they well up in you where do they come from and now do they come from what you are by nature apart from grace common sense will tell you that they do not then if those desires well up in you there is something God has done for you whereby they spring up a new heart will I give you a new spirit will I put within you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh I will give you a heart of flesh and then these desires arise all people saved by God the father and then think also all people saved by

[26:18] God the son the son of God the eternal son of God in his divine nature held on the earth as God incarnate verily man verily God oh how I like that word when when the fullness of time was come God sent forth his own son made of a woman made under the law and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness god god god god was manifest in the flesh all people saved by god the son god in the person of his son hath all his mightiest works out done he did love redeeming work in every jot and little of it and he is now in heaven on behalf of poor sinners like you and me all people saved by the lord then there is the holy spirit and it is his great work to save the people he delights to do that work that the dear saviour ultimately shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied and remember and the lord added unto the church daily such as should be saved and the israel of god really means the church of christ down through the ages being added to every day you hear the news or you read about it in the headlines more or less and you see the wickedness and woe that is manifest on the earth but behind it all god has said i will work and who shall let it margin who shall turn it back and every day all day god is at work yes he is saving poor sinners who have been ordained to life eternal the father is at work the son is at work the holy spirit is at work blessed trinity all true christians this may boast the truth from nature never learned that father son and holy ghost to save our souls are all concerned all people saved by the

[29:23] Lord is salvation a sweet subject to you do you meditate on it sometimes when you're not found in your usual seat under union chapel roof do you sometimes think on it in leisure moments and sometimes at night time when wakeful oh it is a wondrous subject salvation happy art thou oh Israel who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord and now go back in your mind to when Israel were living their wilderness life wandering for forty years and God ordained they should live in that wilderness life and he set up the tabernacle in the midst of

[30:25] Israel's camp and they had to live their lives in accordance with the laws which he made on their behalf and they gathered manna morning by morning save the sabbath morn and they drank of the water that followed them and it says he shall bless thy bread and thy water and now they lived their life like that every day they could go to their tent door look to the tabernacle and see if the cloud was still upon it at the end where the ark of the covenant and mercy seat was if it was still there they knew that they were not on the move then but if it was lifting then they knew the command would soon go forth that they must strike their tents and go on to where the cloud would lead them and now so they lived for well now forty years but then all around them were other nations but they did not live like that they just lived ordinary lives as worldlings do the lives that they were accustomed to do you see these people

[31:52] Israel of old were a nation set apart for the Lord all people saved by the Lord and says Israel who is like unto thee who besides you worldwide have tasted the manner that you eat every day who have drunk of that water that has run in the wilderness waste flowing from the rock setting forth the rock of ages none other have drunk such water as you have drunken all your wilderness wandering who is like unto thee you see people belonging to the Israel of God are not allowed to live as worldlings do they have to live a separated life and it might be said who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord separated from the world and when all is said and done there must be that evidence manifest in our life separation from the world or you will not give much evidence that you belong to the

[33:11] Israel of God nor it was said of Israel the people should dwell alone and they do they shall not be rettened among the nations so that you find all Israelites indeed desire to be in the world but not of it they desire to live unto God this people have I formed for myself and they shall show forth my praise who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord and that means set apart for the Lord and now dear friends young and old get right down to bedrock in your soul's experience is that the life that you really before God as you were here desire to live set apart for

[34:15] God O Lord I would seek the charms of thy mind the grace to be meek and lowly and kind for bearing forgiving and loving always and only be living to publish thy praise do you say amen to the hymn righteous petition the Lord bless you if you find it in your hearts to do it happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord and then who is like unto thee whom God has ordained to be his people a people whom God has redeemed from all iniquity and saved them by his sovereign grace a people for whom he sent down his dear son into this world that he might live on their behalf and die in their stead and that the word of

[35:28] God might be fulfilled who was delivered for our offenses who rose again for our justification who is like unto thee who has in heaven a representative Jesus Christ the righteous at God the Father's right hand pleading for you undertaking for you another thought is this who is like unto thee oh people saved by the Lord who is like unto thee clothed in such a robe as every one of you is to be clothed in some of you are clothed in it others yet to be clothed the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ happy art thou oh

[36:28] Israel who is like unto thee you see dear friends there is no people on the earth like these people in the text no worldlings are living their lives but these people in the text are living their lives under the eye of God with whom they have to do and think as they live their lives what a guarantee they have from God in every state secure kept this Jehovah's eye is well with them while life endure and well when called to die you look round the world and you see hell let loose and so it is all kingdoms topsy turvy full of instability uncertainty unrest God looks down and discerns everyone who belongs to the Israel of God and his eye is upon them wherever they are to earth remotest bound and his eye is upon them to do them good to carry on the good work he has begun in each one and bring them at last to be where he is to dwell forever with him where he is where the word of

[37:54] God tells us in thy presence is fullness of joy and at thy right hand there are laid up pleasures forever more let us go back a little coming toward the amen and look at this happiness again happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord and now these people at all times are happy in their position in the world you may have second thoughts about that but still I told you the truth and I would just amplify it these people the Israel of God I say are happy in their position in the world because they're happy in their standing the word of God says this who were kept by the power of

[38:56] God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time look you I did not say they were all happy in their state but they're happy in their standing prayerfully think that over it may help you you may not be feeling much of this happiness this sabbath afternoon and yet you were following on to know the Lord there is that in your soul's experience you believe God has been pleased to do for you and that is a guarantee he will continue to do for you he which hath begun the good work in you he will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ so that wherever one of the Israel of God is to be found he can say

[39:57] I nearly said this and I will he ought to say don't balk at that word off God God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble therefore will not we fear he has got that happiness in his standing before God for he is in the covenant of grace which is ordered in all things and sure the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way though he fall he shall arise he shall not be utterly cast down no no the Lord upholdeth him with his hands another thought is this happy art thou O Israel and now think how happy these Israelites indeed are in the privileges they are the happy recipients of which is to have a

[41:06] God to go to such a God as Israel's God really is and who is approachable at all times and who says in the word of his grace in everything by prayer and supplication with thanks giving that your request be made known unto God and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall possess your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus happy in their privileges and they are happy in their protection what does Moses say all people saved by the Lord the shield of thy health and who is the sword of thy excellency you see as you journey on through life when enemies may arise or difficulties there is this word for you to consider you shall not need to fight in this battle the

[42:18] Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace you are happy in that protection which is afforded to the Israel of God Christ is the keeper of his saints he guards them by his power subdues their numerous complaints in every gloomy hour yes all people saved by the Lord they're not only happy in the protection afforded them they're happy in the provision that God has made for them for he has declared his name to be Jehovah Jireh the Lord will provide and there is this provision and all I can say about it is to quote it my God shall supply all your need out of his riches in glory by

[43:22] Christ Jesus they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing however dark the days may be as the future unfolds there is still this blessed provision made for you give us this day our daily bread bread shall be given water shall be sure and just another thought and that is how happy are these Israelites indeed making up the Israel of God when they not only look back and see the way they have come along and how God has led them forth by the right way but when they look forward and see what is their prospect as they reach their journey's end when they get this happiness we are travelling home to

[44:25] God in the way our father strode they are happy now and we hope their happiness to see oh how much could be said as to the happiness of the Israel of God happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord and as I thought on this subject I had this thought which you can ponder in your heart and it will expand I hope if you prayerfully think upon it it will do and now it can be said happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee old people saved by the Lord in the relationships that you enjoy you see you and I we have got our family circles and we are glad that God has given them to us but then our family circles are bound to be limited but here there is a family on earth whose father fills the throne and if you should have the mercy to be numbered with these

[45:46] Israelites indeed you will have the happiness to have millions of brothers and sisters so that as you journey through life and you come in touch with any poor sinner taught of God whether it be he or she as they tell out the dealings of God with their souls it will touch a cord in your heart and you will find the love of the brethren welling up and you will receive such and one as a brother or sister in the Lord and so it goes right on throughout life's journey so that in a long life you make the relationship of hundreds of people taught of God if you journey about like those of us have done who preach the gospel and then you say we know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren there is this blessed wonderful relationship but best of all is this you have

[47:00] God for your father Jesus Christ for your elder brother and the spirit of God as your teacher oh what a wonderful privilege this is what wondrous happiness it is oh that you dear people young and old might know much of it in your soul's experience happy art thou oh Israel who is like unto thee oh people saved by the Lord surely you will go home saying with them numbered I would be now and in eternity amen go in if you go on you oh long now

[48:15] Thank you.

[48:45] Thank you.

[49:15] Thank you. Thank you.

[50:15] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[51:17] Thank you.