Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening – April 2
Morning: He had never been slow of speech when he could bless the sons of men, but he would not say a single word for himself. “Never man spake like this man,” and never man was silent like him. Was this singular silence the index of his perfect self- sacrifice? Did it show that he would not utter a word to stay the slaughter of his sacred person, which he had dedicated as an offering for us? Had he so entirely surrendered himself that he would not interfere in his own behalf, even in the minutest degree, but be bound and slain an unstruggling, uncomplaining victim? Was this silence a type of the defencelessness of sin? Nothing can be said in palliation or excuse of human guilt; and, therefore, he who bore its whole weight stood speechless before his judge. Is not patient silence the best reply to a gainsaying world? Calm endurance answers some questions infinitely more conclusively than the loftiest eloquence. The best apologists for Christianity in the early days were its martyrs. The anvil breaks a host of hammers by quietly bearing their blows. Did not the silent Lamb of God furnish us with a grand example of wisdom? Where every word was occasion for new blasphemy, it was the line of duty to afford no fuel for the flame of sin. The ambiguous and the false, the unworthy and mean, will ere long overthrow and confute themselves, and therefore the true can afford to be quiet, and finds silence to be its wisdom. Evidently our Lord, by his silence, furnished a remarkable fulfilment of prophecy. A long defence of himself would have been contrary to Isaiah’s prediction. “He is led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” By his quiet he conclusively proved himself to be the true Lamb of God. As such we salute him this morning. Be with us, Jesus, and in the silence of our heart, let us hear the voice of thy love.
I was going to study Isaiah 42:3, but I have e-Sword set up to display Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening, and it fit so well with yesterday’s study I want to spend some more time thinking it over. There is no excuse for any sin; there is not a hierarchy of sin, as in misdemeanors and felonies. And when we are sinned against, calm endurance is the best response. Watchman Nee chose not to defend himself against many false accusations. He waited for the Lord to defend him and he was not disappointed. He lived a crucified life.
I’m almost afraid to pray for that because think of what it would mean! And yet the results of such a life would be such a joy.
“His sufferings also helped him to receive further revelation from the Lord. Certain kinds of suffering often issued in corresponding revelation. His sufferings thus often became the Lord’s revelation to him. He was purified, dealt with, broken, and constituted by the Holy Spirit with the divine life through his sufferings.”
I don’t want to be like Hezekiah, praying for what I personally want and living in fear of the Lord’s will. I want to trust that His will is in my best interest, including suffering and death. My prayer for today is that I grow up more as a Christian, towards the maturity that will give me acceptance and joy in the Lord’s will at all times.
And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
(Job 1:21 ESV)
