#TWO CHOICE ASSURANCES
"Fear not, Abram: I am your shield and your exceedingly great reward."
- Genesis 15:1"And He said, ‘My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.’"
- Exodus 33:14
IN the splendid Psalm that sets forth the divine glory of the matchless Word of God as compared even with the greatest wonders of God’s visible creation—that is in the 19th Psalm—we read in the 10th verse, "Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." This is applied to "the judgments of the Lord" which are "true and righteous altogether." Of course, this expression sets forth David’s esteem of the law of God as he knew it—a very small volume compared with our complete Bible—and yet we may surely apply it to the whole of the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments! The Hebrew original has it, "Sweeter than the dropping of honeycombs." Whereupon gracious Thomas Brookes, the Puritan divine, observes, "it is sweeter than those drops which fall naturally and instantly from the comb without any force or act, and which are counted as being the purest, choicest and richest honey." How true is this! There are some texts of Scripture that may yield their treasures of instruction, comfort, or direction after deep study and holy meditation—but there are others which are marvelously free in the giving forth of their sweetness, calling for little else than a heart that loves and longs to hear God speak!
As little children have their own confections that need no vigorous chewing, but will melt in the mouth, so some passages of Scriptures are prepared as choice morsels for the Lord’s children—they have only to receive them by transparent faith and unaffected love—and their enjoyment is great.
I know that some of the words of the Lord are as nuts that need breaking open to secure their nourishment, or as grapes that must be trod in the winepress, for their richest meaning lies not upon the surface and plain to all. But these others of which we speak—as the droppings of the honeycomb—are simple sweetnesses, prepared pleasures; plain, unmistakable, choice delicacies for God’s loved ones!
To enjoy these, one needs not to be a deep theologian, a learned grammarian, or even much less, a profound philosopher or baffling mystic! The honey of the meaning flows easily and sweetly out of the comb of the words as liquid love, pure joy, choice consolation and perfect truths of God! The student does not require poring over his books, or the preacher to search his library, or the hearer to gather up all his knowledge to receive and enjoy these. The dainty comfort offers itself at once to the soul’s receiving and, without effort; the sweetness and savor pervade the whole inner being.
So as the Holy Spirit shall open up the word to me, I hope to be able to give you, beloved, some honey out of the rock by dwelling on one or two choice, plain texts that speak their sweetness direct to the heart. Not so much for intellectual gratifying—though that is included—as for spiritual satisfying and stimulating. Some preachers seem to make their main business to be the leading of people among the thorns, to be torn with perplexities, or into the fog to tantalize with uncertainties. Be it ours on this occasion to run as did Ahimahaz by way of the plain—along the level road of gracious and comforting teaching! We do well, sometimes, to let the heart have undivided play and gain, thereby, the solace and joy that we so much need!
The droppings of the honeycomb are not so much for labor and toil as for renewal and delight—that the mere student and man of affairs may for a while come and sit and indulge in holy pleasures!
Let this suffice for introduction to our first word of sacred assurance as given to Abram.
"Fear not, Abram: I am your shield, and your exceedingly great reward."
"Fear not, Abram." No more necessary or practical word could be spoken to the great Father of the