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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
June, 1941
Arise!
By VANCE HAVNER Greensboro, North Carolina
who had given them the- Law, who had rejoiced in their victories, prayed w h e n they sinned, r e p r o v e d them •in their disobedience — M o s e s was dead. What should they do now? should t h e y give up and go b a c k to Egypt? Should they give up and s e 111e in the wilder ness? Should they give up and stroll on Jordan's stormy banks and cast a wishful eye to Canaan’s fair and happy land where their possessions lay? God’s word was, “Now therefore ARISE, go over this Jordan” ! For us the lesson is: AFTER YOUR SORROWS, ARISE! There is a place for sorrow. The Israelites wept thirty days for Moses (Deut. 34:8). There is a time to weep and a time to mourn. But now God says, in effect, to Joshua, “Moses is dead, but I am not dead, and you are not dead, and My work must go on!” Moses’ death was not an excuse for de spair. It was a call to action. Our very sorrows are a challenge to ARISE. Some believers live only in the past, petting an old wound. They never have learned to forget the things that are behind. But they do forget that in the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah saw thè Lord. They forget that David, arising from the earth as he heard the news of the death of his son, was able to say, “Wherefore should I fast? . . . I shall go to him, but he shall not re turn to me.” Joshua must go over Jordan, for there remained much land to be possessed. When God takes your Moses, He has a promised land ahead for you to con quer. Moses is gone, but you h a v e Joshua; and Joshua stands for Jesus, the Captain of your salvation who leads you forth to victory in the good fight of faith. Too often have churches stayed at the grave of Moses, satisfied to be custodians of a past instead or con-, querors of a future. And too often have the saints lamented their losses, living as caretakers at the sepulchers of the
dead, when they might be dwelling in the promised land! AFTER YOUR SOR ROWS, ARISE! After Discouragements The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, exhausted under the juniper tree, “ARISE and eat” (1 Ki. 19:5, 7). Poor Elijah! One day he stood on Carmel and prayed down fire from heaven; the next day he ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the tall timber to escape from a woman. The man of God is showing up poorly under the juniper. But he is overwrought, his nerves are on edge, and God does not reprimand him. Rather, He feeds the prophet and puts him to sleep. The journey is too much for Elijah, and he needs to learn that to rest for God is often as impor tant as to work for Him. For us the lesson is: AFTER YOUR DISCOURAGEMENTS, A R I S E ! Are you under the juniper ? Every saint has had such seasons. Robertson of Bright on had the blues and felt like resigning from the ministry. Spurgeon was often in the grip of Giant Despair. You will hear Jeremiah threatening to stop preaching and John the Baptist puzzled about his Lord. Paul had no rest at times: “Without were fightings, within were fears.” If you are under the juniper, “ARISE AND EAT” ! Feed on the Lord, the Bread of Life. Encourage yourself in the Lord, your God. Wait on the Lord and renew’ your strength. The journey is too great for you; rest in the Lord and let Him lead you to Horeb and the “still small voice.” Elijah went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights. The heavenly Manna will sustain you to the end, for - “as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Remem ber that Mr. Despondency, Mr. Ready- to-Halt, and Mr. Much-Afraid reached the Celestial City as well as Christian. They should not have been as they were, but at least they did not give up under the juniper. Do not wallow in self-pity
"Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He RISETH from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he pour- eth water into a basin, and began to' wash the disciples’ feet” (John 13:3-5), "V TOU WILL observe from the rec- y ord that Jesus did not merely sit 1 at supper congratulating Himself that the Father had given all things into His hands. He rose'; He acted. Through out the Word of God, we believers are bidden to arise and translate doctrine into duty. But before we can obey any of the commands we are about to consider, we must first have heard and heeded Ephe sians 5:14: “Awake thou that sleepest, and ARISE from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” We must begin with that. Then, if we have passed from death unto life and Christ has given us light, we are ready to move on and hear God’s further challenges to ARISE. After Sorrows God said to Joshua, “MoseS my serv ant is dead; now therefore ARISE, go over this Jordan” (Josh. 1:2). It was one of the dark hours in Jewish history. Moses, the spokesman of God, who had led the chosen people put of Egypt,
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