It is sometimes said, perhaps with the object of discouraging large
expectations, that we live in a “day of small things”. However,
expressions in use among us, though they may be of long–standing,
are not necessarily as firmly based on Scripture as we are sometimes
led to believe.
The words in question here are a quotation from Zechariah 4: 10,
and the day to which they refer was indeed a day of small things.
The new temple had just been erected, and when the glory of the
temple built by Solomon was remembered, the new one was in
comparison “as nothing” (Hag. 2: 3).
In fact, littleness was characteristic of what we may call Israel’s
day. The nation commenced its existence as “the fewest of all the
peoples” (Deut. 7: 7). Later on, when the armies of the ten tribes
went up against the Syrians they were “like two little flocks of
goats; but the Syrians filled the land” (1 Kings 20: 27). Again,
when the southern kingdom of Judah became a “sinful nation, a people
laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that corrupt
themselves” (Is. 1: 4), God allowed only a “very small residue” (v9)
to remain. Later, in the days of the exile, God graciously stirred
up the spirits of a few (see Ezra 1: 5) but the revival was very
limited in scope: “And now for a little space there hath been favour
from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give
us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and
give us a little reviving in our bondage” (Ezra 9: 8). As the book
of Esther shows, the majority preferred to remain in the lands of
the Gentiles. God did not forget His exiled people, but He promised
them no great things. He would be to them “as a little sanctuary in
the countries wither they are come” (Ezek. 11: 16).
Such was Israel.
But what a difference has been made by the coming into the world of
the Son of God! As my reader well knows, what
great
things He has accomplished! And now that He is glorified and has
sent down the Holy Spirit, the day in which our lot is cast has
become great in so many ways. It may be a day of small men, but
(unlike Zechariah’s day), it is a day of great things. In the OT we
keep company with kings and mighty men, in the NT we move along with
fishermen and the like, but more especially, we find ourselves in
the presence of the Holy Spirit. To what great things He is the key!
Yes, because of the public breakdown, we may have, if faithful, just
a “little power” (Rev. 3: 8) but our day is nonetheless still a day
of great things:
A Great
Light
A light shines for us that in brightness not only transcends all
that ever shone for Israel, but also surpasses any that will shine
in the future. At the advent of Christ when He comes to establish
His kingdom in power, He shall arise as “the Sun of righteousness”
(Mal. 4: 2) with healing in his wings—but the light that shines for
us now is “a light above the brightness of the sun”
(Acts 26: 13, my emphasis). This “great light” (Acts 22: 6), is the
light of Christianity, a light that reveals the heart of God in
Christ, and the wonderful purposes of His love that we might receive
sonship and become heirs through God (see Gal. 4: 5, 7).
A Great
Sheet
The “great sheet” (Acts 10: 11) that descended to Peter sets out
the world–wide scope of the grace of God today. In former times the
river of God’s mercy was continually overflowing its banks. It
overflowed to Rahab the Canaanite, Ruth the Moabitess, Naaman the
Syrian and a whole city full of Ninevites. But there are no banks
for it to overflow in this our day. It is like a shore–less ocean,
flowing freely to all mankind, to “whosoever” (John 3: 16), and
bringing those whom it reaches into better blessings than Israel
ever knew.
A Great
Multitude
When Paul preached at Iconium “a great multitude of both Jews and
Greeks believed” (Acts 14: 1), and great multitudes have been saved
ever since. We are often too narrow in our outlook and need to look
beyond the confines of our walls to see what God is doing
in
the whole world! Three thousand were added to the Assembly
after Peter’s memorable discourse on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts
2: 41), and while the fact that this took place in one city on one
day might be rather extraordinary, is it not probable that today,
taking the world as a whole, more than three thousand have been
added to the Lord?
Great
Grace
In Acts 4: 33 we read that “great grace” was upon the multitude of
those that had believed. The meaning of this is explained in the two
verses that follow: “For neither was there any one in want among
them; for as many as were owners of lands or houses, selling them,
brought the price of what was sold and laid it at the feet of the
apostles; and distribution was made to each according as any one
might have need” (vs 34, 35). The Law demanded a certain amount of
tithing and alms–giving but this will never satisfy a heart that has
been blessed by “the God of all grace” (1 Pet. 5: 10). The Christian
cannot help himself: if grace has “overabounded” (Rom. 5: 20) on his
account, then “grace abounding” (2 Cor. 4: 15) most flow out to the
accounts of others. “I
shall most gladly spend and be utterly
spent for your souls” (2 Cor. 12: 15) was the cry of one who
elsewhere acknowledged himself as the first or chief of sinners (see
1 Tim. 1: 15).
Great Joy
When Samaria received the word of God, Luke records that “there was
great joy in that city” (Acts 8: 8). Find me a drunkard made more
miserable by the light of Christianity in his heart. Take me to a
prostitute who regrets that she ever heeded the Gospel of the grace
of God. Point me to any man, woman or child, whether moral or
immoral, made less happy by turning to Christ.
They do not
exist. That is not to say that they are never sad, or never
pass through any trials or tribulations. The saints to whom Peter
wrote in his first epistle were “put to grief by various trials” (1
Pet. 1: 6), but they also had a deep–seated joy within which no
outward persecution could touch: “whom, having not seen, ye love; on
whom [though] not now looking, but believing, ye exult with joy
unspeakable and filled with [the] glory” (v8).
In the light of these wonders, let us “lift up the hands that hang
down, and the failing knees” (Heb. 12: 12), and look above and
beyond in faith to “the great things of God” (Acts 2:
11, my emphasis)!
