Deuteronomy

[0:00] If the Lord should be pleased to help me, I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 33, verse 29.

[0:24] Happy art thou, all Israel, who is like unto thee, all people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency, and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

[0:53] Chapter 33, the book of Deuteronomy, verse 29.

[1:04] This is a word which stands in connection with the concluding chapter of the life of Moses, the man of God.

[1:22] The opening word in the chapter is, and this is the blessing wherewith Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel before his death.

[1:39] And this word is the last recorded word, not the word in, recorded word, that dropped from Moses' lips.

[1:55] Ere is life work as Israel's leader, being done and well done by the grace of God, ere he entered into the rest that remaineth for the people of God.

[2:13] And then, approaching the subject, I would look just a little at the setting of it. Moses was ordained of God to be Israel's leader, and yet if you go back to when the opening up of those purposes were made known, it was when he was found on the bosom of the Nile as a wee babe in a bulrush ark.

[2:43] But he was not to die there. He was to live. And the providence of God began to unfold so that he was found by Pharaoh's daughter, and her heart was inclined toward the wee babe, and she shouted him and brought him up.

[3:04] And there he was in all the grandeur and glory of Egypt for forty years. And it is said in the Acts of the Apostles that he was learned and skilled in all the arts and crafts of the Egyptians.

[3:23] And that would seem to some folk quite a good grounding to go forth into life, but it was not all that Moses learned of the arts and crafts of Egypt that fitted him to be Israel's leader.

[3:46] God and then there dawned a day in Moses' life when having been filled to the full with all the earthly happiness that he had known amidst Egypt's glory and grandeur, when he felt it was just like a bubble and that it would burst and leave him with nothing whatever to show when he came down to die.

[4:19] So he found in his heart an aching void which the world could not fill and it was of God and he was then quickened into life divine and that gave him all together a new outlook so that he began to look on Israel who were in Egypt then in bondage and as slaves and he found and thought they were his brethren and his mind was made up that he would no more live and be recognized as the son of Pharaoh's daughter but he turned his back on all Egypt's glory and grandeur choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season it was an amazing step to take but by the grace of

[5:24] God Moses was enabled to take it and he never regretted it no but then he did not know that God had ordained him to be Israel's leader and so you find Moses is in the back side of the desert and there he is learning lessons from God and there he was for 40 years and then at the time came when God designed to show mercy to Israel and Egypt and Moses was brought forth and ordained Moses the man of God he is frequently referred to like that and for 40 years he was like a mediator between Israel and Israel's God Moses is the outstanding character in Old

[6:28] Testament history because Moses had to do with God in such a way that no other man in Old Testament history ever was favored to do God talked with Moses does God ever talk with you God talked with Moses and he was the mediator between Israel and Israel's God and now he has led Israel through the wilderness for 40 years and there is one thought which I want to make plain as grace is given if you read sometimes what Moses said concerning Israel as they were being led in their wilderness wanderings it was not always along this line of thought which was in his mind early come down to die what did he say at one time you have been a rebellious people ever since

[7:46] I knew you and many a time he condemned them to their behavior before God and their departures from him and his truth and yet there was in the midst of Israel another Israel called the Israel of God and it is that Israel which Moses had in his mind most of all as you will observe when he said happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee old people saved by the Lord Moses did the Israel of God and there is still the Israel of God the apostle Paul uses that word it is a beautiful phrase the Israel of God otherwise there are not all

[8:47] Israel that say they are of Israel they who are the Israel of God are those who are Israelites indeed and Israelites indeed are they who were like Jacob when his name was changed from Jacob to Israel poor sinners who are taught to pray and so taught to pray that they will no denial take while they plead for Jesus sake I will not let thee go except thou bless me and as Jacob was blessed where he was so every one of the Israel of God is blessed indeed sooner or later with a Javish portion and they are not satisfied now do they feel as they want to feel it matters a right between their soul and God until they obtain it and some of you this Sabbath morning are here by the grace of

[9:51] God concerned to get yet further evidence that you belong to the Israel of God the Lord bless you and now in approaching the subject leader Moses the man of God as I said his work as Israel's leader had been well done and now he drops this wonderful summon up concerning his blessing of Israel in his last day upon earth happy art thou all Israel he is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord let us pause there and now first of all I would say something about happiness if you go back over your life whether young or old it matters not in this instance go back over your life and search out what happiness you believe you have known and felt there is a happiness do you remember this there is a happiness which is for this life always a happiness that must inevitably pass and perish there is the happiness of having good health and as a rule those who have good health should in the possession of it be happy because it gives them liberty ability to do what they find in their hearts to do but then no present health can health ensure for yet an hour to come no medicine though it often cure can always bolt the tomb there is the happiness of home life and that is to be prized but you find as you journey on through life that your home life becomes just a remembrance a picture that you hang up in your mind because you have left your family circle and live in a home of your own and as you go back to your home life when you were in the family circle as a child there are many blouse you were stood by graves and your original home life is no more yet in the midst of it while you dwelt there in you knew the happiness of it the happiness of being found under a godly home roof and sweet is the remembrance of it but that happiness sweet as it is is not the happiness that Moses the man of

[13:08] God was referring to there is too a happiness in possessing much of the things of this life whereby when they give you more anxiety whereby your table is spread bountifully and maybe you live in a house of your own and you can look round it and feel happy in that which the Lord has provided for you in his all wise providence but you will not dwell in your own house forever because the fear has gone forth that there is a day to dawn when the place that knows you now will know you no more forever therefore that happiness however good it is while you possess it is evanescent and it will perish then this happiness whereby it can be said happy art thou

[14:14] O Israel is a happiness that is not of earth so this happiness is that which a man cannot receive except it be given him from heaven you dear young people some of you who was yet have not had the mercy to be born again you spend your leisure seeking happiness and sometimes in doing it you're only playing the pool and you know whatever happiness you think you have in whatever you do wherever you go in the ultimate issue you have got nothing to show for it and it is just a will of the wisp a kind mirror of the brain because it is not possible to find real happiness where you seek for it after the flesh the things of the flesh and why the carnal mind is enmity against

[15:17] God is not subject to the law of God and neither indeed can be in your carnal mind can never be eased and pleased so that you should be happy with what you get to do so the thing is impossible your carnal mind is just like the horse leech's two daughters that ever cry give give and yet never never satisfied do think about it and think of this what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul what shall a man give in exchange for his soul however long you live even if you should live to be as old as an 960 and 9 years and follow after an elusive delusive happiness all the while you will go down at the end of such a life into eternal misery oh do think about it harden not your hearts as in the day of provocation today if you will hear his voice oh that you might hear it and seek him who can give you happiness that will abide for time and eternity too do suffer the word of exhortation and now happy art thou oh Israel this happiness then is to do with our soul and the salvation of it and any evidence you get that will encourage you to believe

[17:08] God is leading you into his truth and now do what I said go back over life's journey and search out what happiness worth a name you have ever known many of you have tasted it quite a deal of it some of you and it has been when God has dealt graciously with you when you could feel the good work was indeed begun and being carried on when you could feel it is good for me to draw near to God and when you have got that which a man cannot receive except it be given and from heaven how happy you have been at the time you may have lost the sweetness of it and the peace of mind it afforded you but the reality of it can never be undone because as I have said it is for time and eternity too if once upon our hearts we feel the love of

[18:19] Christ in flesh the mark of that celestial seal can never be erased no and so happiness worth a name must have this whole mark it must be permanent it must not be that which is for time alone although that is a lawful happiness while you have it it must be that which will abound one time should be no more it must be of that nature that you get just earnest of that happiness which is known at the fountain head when the Israel of God are gathered there and dwell forever with the Lord of whom it is said in thy presence is fullness of joy and that thy right hand are laid up pleasures forevermore you see then dear friends young and old happiness is to deal with the salvation of our souls and what a wonderful mercy some of us can look back over life's journey and remember when we have tasted handled and felt that wondrous happiness happy art thou

[19:48] O Israel who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord you have said some of you many a time remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people or visit me with thy salvation and it is that alone which can help you to feel happy help you to feel as you want to feel otherwise you go morning all the day long and now to look at the subject from another viewpoint happy art thou O Israel going back to Moses the man of God he uses this word in who is life unto thee O people saved by the Lord and now if you ponder in your heart Israel as a nation had been in the wilderness wandering about as the cloud moved on before hither and thither sometimes backwards as well as forwards for forty years and all that while their lives had been regulated by the worship of God and the tabernacle was set up in the midst of their camp and each tribe was in proper order around a tabernacle twelve tribes each in their proper places all done by

[21:28] God and they had lived their lives like that in their atmosphere and every day except the Sabbath day they had gathered manna and they had drunk water from the rock that followed them and you must believe it was the Israel of God that Moses was referring to for the apostle Paul says they drank of that rock that followed them and that rock was Christ there were hundreds of thousands of Israelites who perished in the wilderness and they never entered into the land of promise and the word of God tells us very solemnly so we see then they could not enter in because of unbelief but what I want to emphasize is this at the time that Israel as a nation were in the wilderness wandering around there were many other nations on the earth some of them were quite adjacent to

[22:33] Israel in the wilderness but Israel was the only nation that gathered manna every morning save the Sabbath morn and drank of that water that flowed from the rock and lived that life with the tabernacle set up in their midst and worshipping God according to the ritual of the Mosaic law and Israel in the wilderness were what is called a theocracy and that is they lived their lives under the direct government of God and look you you and I have got to live like that if we do indeed belong to the Israel of God the theocracy when is your master even Christ and to live under the government of him of whom it is said and the government should be upon his shoulder so that you have to do what you do as you live your life before God with all you have to do remembering every one of us shall give an account unto

[23:53] God who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord there was no other people on the face of the earth like Israel and it is said of them and it is still a truth to prayerfully think about and they shall not be reckoned among the nations and the people should dwell alone there is a word in one of the Psalms that I like to look at sometimes he showed his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation and asked for his judgments they have not known then praise ye the Lord happy art thou

[24:54] O Israel who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord you could seek to answer that question who is like unto thee who has such a deliverance as you as the people had when God brought a miracle on your behalf and brought you out of Egyptian bondage two millions of and he brought them out with an out stretched arm and a mighty hand who is like unto thee with such a background in your life and why there is a lovely word in this book of Deuteronomy and he brought us out that he might bring us in what does that mean to the land of Canaan they went forth to the land of

[25:56] Canaan they came he brought us out that he might bring us in and look you if you can look back in your life and see that he has brought you out from where you were born and how you were born out of the equivalent of Egyptian bondage brought you out of the world to be no more of to minute and you possessing an aching void which this world cannot fill if he has made you so to differ from the world at large he has brought you out that he might bring you in bring you in to all that makes up the salvation of God in every jot and tittle of it and to bring you in at length to the land of promise on high yes who is like unto thee all people saved by the

[27:01] Lord let us look at this salvation all people saved by the Lord one thing is very evident no sinner can save himself the thing that's impossible by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh live and be justified and that is the divine axiom and you have got to live your lives in the light of it not the law but of my hands can fulfill the law demands here is a bedrock truth it is no use to take up time to argue about it arguing will get you nowhere worthwhile regarding the things of God the things of God can only be known by revelation that thou givest them they gather in thy night shall we see light and can say of the truth neither is the salvation in any other it is given unto heaven among men none other men whereby we can be saved here godly

[28:53] Moses declares he is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord I would like to have known just what was in Moses mind at that time but I have no doubt whatever he had a wonderful view of the Israel of God not only the people he was addressing Israel as a nation and the Israel of God among them but his eyes ran forward to where the vistas of time and he could see Jesus Christ coming into the world to save sinners and doing love redeeming work and he could look beyond that beyond these days in which you and I are living to when time should be no more when all the Israel of God would be gathered in the glorious realms on high forever with the

[29:58] Lord it is a great subject all people saved by the Lord this word Lord refers to the Trinity the Father the Son the Holy Spirit all people saved by God the Father and you do need to ponder in your heart what God the Father was pleased to do God so loved the world if he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and the Savior tells us in that beautiful Holy of Holies chapter in John's Gospel chapter 17 the Savior addressing his Father declares vain thy work and thou gavest them need yes it was

[31:02] God the Father who ordained a number which no man can number to make up the Israel of God to fill heaven with his ceaseless praises Christ be my first elect he said then chose our souls in Christ our head you will never know what happiness is till you know that he did choose your soul say unto my soul I am thy salvation all people saved by the Lord saved by God the Father and blessed be God saved by God the Son when the fullness of time was come God sent forth his own son made of a woman made under the Lord and he came down into this peace in troubled world oh so willingly and he did that great work which must needs be done for the

[32:08] Israel of God to be saved by the Lord so so that every one of Israel of God when they come to die whenever wherever it may be it matters not but in dying they get the sweet blessed benefit of how Jesus vanquished death by dying and each one can say oh death where is thy sting oh great where is thy victory all people saved by the

[33:12] Lord saved by God the Son and then the people are saved by God the Holy Spirit and it is his work it is his great prerogative to do that he which hath begun the good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ and who is that glorious he it is the Holy Spirit and he delighted in that work which is his prerogative so that there is a lovely word which it would be well to say this with great reverence which it would be well if it could be before our eyes even in the house of prayer in the attitude of worship to encourage us and the Lord added unto the church daily such as should be signs and that is the

[34:19] Holy Spirit doing his great work all over the world so that there are many more people saved by the Lord than any of us who hope we are saved by the Lord realize dear friends I tell you once more do ask God to make you large hearted

[38:43] my prayer my prayer to turn away his mercy from me happy in their privileges they're happy to be listen in the protection that is afforded them as they journey on through life for their protection is divine a sovereign protector I have unseen yet forever at hand he that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty what does

[39:50] Moses the man of God say earlier in this beautiful chapter the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms and that sweet blessed protection is known by the Israel of God and they can be clear God is our refuge and strength and very present help in trouble happy in their protection who is he that shall harm you if you be followers of that which is good and what do you read in the Psalms he suffered no man to do them wrong without having something to say about it to him who did the wrong or attempted to do it saying touch not mine anointed do my prophets no harm Christ is the keeper of his saints he guards them by his power subdues their numerous complaints in every gloomy act what though they fear it dread alarm tried and severely tossed upheld by

[40:59] God's almighty arm none none shall ever last and this subject speaks about protection who who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord the shield of thy health the shield Jesus Christ behold oh God our shield and look upon the face of thine anointed Jesus Christ is thee anointed and as he is verily man verily God he is a shield he shields poor sinners from enemies within enemies without so that they journey on through life with divine protection and I might add this who is like unto thee oh people saved by the Lord they are made happy in that provision that

[42:02] God has made for them and what is that provision bread shall be given water shall be sure with this attached to it he shall bless thy bread and thy water and there is this provision it is astound unto contemplate no preacher can say much about it because it has got ocean depths unfathomable in it I unite all my goodness to pass before thee in the way yes provision for time eternity too eternal life at his request to every saint is given safety on earth and after death the plentitude of heaven this is our God dear friends this is our religion our hope who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord and you do get happiness as these things are made known to you and you live like

[43:16] Manoah and his wife and the angel did wondrously and Manoah and his wife looked at him there is just another thought as I come toward the amen happy are thou O Israel who is like unto thee all people saved by the Lord I might add this word that they are happy in their relationships I always feel very sorry for people and I have known one or two who were living in their latter days without anyone left to love them and care for them no relations no mere relations on earth to be a companion to them in life's evening time but the Israel of God they are happy in their relationships because as soon as one is made manifest as belonging to the

[44:19] Israel of God every other one that makes up the Israel of God as you come into touch with such and one he is a relation he is a brother or sister in the Lord yes there is a family on earth whose father fills a throne and as you come in touch with them and they speak out evidencing they belong to the Israel of God you feel the relationship well enough in your own breast we know that we are fast from death into life because we love the brethren happy in their relationship you look around our cause of truth and if you could look around our church when it is assembled together if it were not for the fact that we hope we all belong to the Israel of God to a great degree we should be living our lives elsewhere and be strangers one to another and have no fellowship at all but we have fellowship with God and with each other the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and that is the relationship that makes us happy we've all been happy together at times in our church state and under union chapel roof and that happiness has been spiritual in its nature and sometimes you have sung and glad to sing it and out of the abundance of the heart for the mouth to speak blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love the fellowship of kindred minds is love to that of God and so it is

[46:13] God is love and you find that love causes you to love all who are of God happy in that wondrous relationship and just another thought and I must keep you a minute happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord you find the Israel of God are happy not only in the characteristics I have named but as they journey on through life coming toward the end of it especially how happy they are sometimes as grace is given in their prospect or they look to the end of life's journey and they look beyond it and sometimes they take courage and as they look back and see the goodness of

[47:15] God has followed them along all the days of their life so they look forward and they say goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life and then they get a glimpse of their prospect I should dwell in the house of the Lord forever and they go on their way lift up their feet like Jacob did when the angels of God met him at Mayan and they sing we are travelling home to God in the way our father's tripped they are happy now and we hope their happiness to see I would if it could be the will of God that everyone under Union Chapel route this morning might know that happiness in time and then see that happiness and enjoy it in the blissful realms of God Amen Amen

[48:15] M Amen German Amen Amen