Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2880
“The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yes, Ihave loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3.
IT is said that when the stars cannot be seen during the day from the ordinary level of the earth, if one should go down into a deep well, they would be visible at once and, certainly, it is a fact that many of the brightest of God’s promises are usually seen by His children when they are passing through some of their darkest experiences. As surely as God puts them into the furnace of affliction and trial, He will be with them in the furnace. I do not read that Jacob ever saw the Angel of the Lord until that night when, by the brook Jabbok, “there wrestled a Man with him until the breaking of the day,” but then, the wrestling Jacob met the wrestling Angel foot to foot. I do not know that Joshua ever saw the “Captain of the Lord’s host” until, outside the walls of Jericho, his Divine Leader appeared to him. I do not know that Abraham ever saw the Lord until, as a stranger in the plains of Mamre, He manifested Himself to His servant in the form of a traveler and His friends needing hospitality and refreshment.
It is in our most desperate straits that we often have our most joyous Revelations. John must go to “the isle that is called Patmos” before he could have the wondrous Revelation that was there given to him. It was only on that barren, storm-girt rock, shut out from the world’s light, that he could find the fitting darkness in which to view the Glory of Heaven undistracted by the shadows of earth! The message of our text was given to Jeremiah in a time of deep distress— it was meant to be helpful to the Lord’s people in their greatest desolations. That being the case, we may use it in a threefold manner and view it, first, as an answer to many complaints. Secondly, as teaching some exceedingly valuable doc-trinesand, thirdly, as a stimulant to self-examination as to our state before God.
I. First, then, our text may be viewed as AN ANSWER TO MANY COMPLAINTS.
If you look at your Bibles, you will see that the word, “saying,” is in italics, showing that it is not in the original, but has been supplied by the translators. Sometimes they have inserted words which have really brought out the meaning more clearly—but, in this case, if I understand the passage, they have rather obscured the sense. The fact is, the first sentence is a complaint on the part of Israel. In the previous verse, God had said, “The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.” “Ah,” said Israel, “but that was centuries ago—‘the Lord has appeared of old unto me.’” There was a note of complaint even in the expression of gratitude, as much as to say, “Times are changed, for the Lord does not appear unto me now.” The complaint was that His choice Revelations and wondrous deliverances were all in the ages long ago. But the Lord’s answer was, in effect, “It is true that these Revelations and deliverances were in the past, but they are designed to yield you present comfort, for they prove that I have loved you with an ancient love and, since I am Immutable, you may omit the word, ancient, and insert, everlasting—Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love.’”
Then, to complete the answer, the Lord avers that even in Israel’s present time of mourning He had manifested His loving kindness. He seems to say, “Is not that as much as I ever did? Talk of all the wonders that I worked in the days gone by, when I cut Rahab in pieces and wounded the dragon—this is a greater wonder, that I have drawn you with loving kindness! Say not that the former times were better than these. Say not that the wonder-working power of God is
exhausted. I loved you of old, but I also love you today and I have proved it by drawing you with the bands of My love. This is as great a miracle, as high a privilege and as sure a sign of My love to you as anything I did in the olden days.”
Now, Brothers and Sisters, is not this sometimes our complaint—that we read in the Bible of what God did of old, but we see nothing like that nowadays? Indeed, some people think that although there were wonders in those ancient times, the oracle has long ceased to speak. I daresay you have heard of the poor ignorant woman who, on being told by her minister about the crucifixion of Christ, said, “Well, well, Sir, if it was so, it happened a long while ago and a great way off—but let us hope the story is not true.” I address some people, not quite so ignorant as that woman, who, nevertheless, when I preach about the wonders God has worked, say, “Well, Sir, those things happened long ago and a great way off—but it is not at all probable that God would do anything like that now.” What? Do you think that His arm is waxed short, or that His hands have become powerless, so that He is not now able to help His people as He did in the ages gone by? This is the complaint of many! Perhaps they do not put it into words, but this is what they often say in their heart.