Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.“
Continuing on from Part 4 of the series on desiring Christ, taken from Thomas Manton’s Isaiah 53 commentary.
You can read it here, or listen to the whole exposition here.
The new section below after the recap at the beginning starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.
From Thomas Manton:
Recap:
Doct. 4. That Christ is so outwardly mean [low], that the men of the world do not any way desire him, or that carnal men do see nothing in Christ wherefore they should desire him. To his spouse he is all beauty, ‘altogether lovely;’ but to them there was no beauty why they should desire him.
The reasons of the point are these:-
- Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
- Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.
Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.
To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.
. . .
Wicked men feel no desires; they have some slight wishes, carnal and weak velleities [the lowest degrees of desire], but they have no serious desires, nor true volitions [will, or power to will]. Balaam may wish to die the death of the righteous, Num. 23:10. So they may desire Christ out of some general conceit [conception] of happiness; but they do not desire Christ for holiness.
. . .
But that you may not deceive yourselves in this matter, I will give you a few notes. I will not speak anything of the cause of desires. A high value and price set upon Christ, and a seeing rich beauties in him, of that I shall speak in the next verse. I shall only treat now of the effects of this desire.
If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.
1. A holy impatiency in the want [lack] of Christ.
2. A holy indignation.
Passions usually serve and accompany one another. If there be a holy desire, there will be a holy anger. And this is at two things:-
[1.] At anything that would rival the affection.
[2.] At what would hinder the enjoyment of the object.
3. It will cause a holy waiting.
4. Another effect is a powerful command over the whole man.
[1] It will take up your thoughts.
[2] It will challenge more of your time and care.
[3.] It will put you upon endeavours.
Use 2. In the next place it serves for exhortation, to press you to do otherwise than the men of the world do, and to beware of their spirit.
Men see nothing in Christ why they should desire him, because they judge with a carnal spirit. Let not any such black note be found upon you: Do you make him the desire of your souls who is deservedly styled ‘the desire of all nations.’
This exhortation hints at three duties:–
1. Long to get him into your hearts.
2. Be careful to keep communion with him.
3. Labour to get more interest in him.
I shall prescribe a few means how you shall bring your hearts to desire Christ, to keep him, and to get further interest in him:–
[1.] Consider nothing is a fit object for your desires without Jesus
Christ.
Continuing on:
[2.] Look upon Jesus Christ alone as the only object upon which your affections should be exercised.
He has all the properties in him that a lawful desire looks to, though the world cannot see it.
He is an excellent good, a necessary good, and one that deserves the best of our desires.
(1.) Consider he is an excellent good.
Whatsoever is an attractive of love is to be found in Christ. Oh, display his glorious beauties before the soul! There is in him greatness, goodness, glory, mercy, peace, comfort, satisfaction: these are the beauties of Christ. Look over all the world and see if there be any that can do you so much good as he is able or willing to do.
Cant. 5:10-16, The spouse describes her beloved as a comely young man, as one of the greatest perfections. It would be too large to go over every particular of that description; only, in the general, observe that the Spirit of God uses such expressions as serve to discover outward beauty, to show us that whatever we admire in the creatures is, in a far more eminent degree, to be found in God and Christ.
I know not how to be particular in this large field; only I shall a little single out the name of God to you, as it is said, ‘Thy name is as an ointment poured forth; therefore do the virgins love thee,’ Cant. 1:3. And the desires of God’s people are always expressed to be towards his name in the scriptures.
I shall mention two attributes, and pour out the savour of them, and display the beauty of them, which shine most gloriously in Jesus Christ; namely, his power and his mercy,
(1st.) His power and might.
Christ is spoken of to be the desire of the nations, when he gave forth the greatest experiences of his power Hag. 1:7, ‘I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.’ Who would not desire him that is able to secure him against all, fears, to keep him in the midst of all dangers, and to comfort him in all conditions? If a man would long after any person, he would after him that is able to shake the nations and to secure him against the common visible fears of mankind.
Men run after things for a little satisfaction and security, but still this troubles them; they must die, and then all their shifts will not serve the turn: Prov. 11:7, ‘When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish.’ Then all his desires — wife, children, friends – will not serve the turn, when his cold corpse must be laid in the grave.
But now Christ is so powerful, that he is able to secure us against this fear, to comfort us in death, and to raise us when dead.
(2dly.) His mercy is very great.
A man’s desire is restrained to things many times, which though otherwise allurable, yet he has no hopes to obtain.
Now here [with Christ] you may desire and be welcome, for your suit will be entertained: Ps. 111:8, ‘He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with, goodness.’ When the soul opens itself to God, he fills it; the longing soul is satisfied: Rev. 21:6, ‘I will give to him that is athirst of the water of life freely.’
You need not stand off upon terms or punctilios [a nice point of exactness in conduct, ceremony or proceeding; particularity or exactness in forms]; Christ will satisfy your longing freely; he hath passed his word: John 6:37, ‘He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.’ They may have their comfort hindered and interrupted in their own thoughts, but he will in no wise cast them out.
(2.) Christ is a necessary good.
Things may be excellent, yet if they be not needful to us, the affections move but faintly after them.
Now Christ is unum necessarium, the one thing needful. It is not enough to choose that which is good, but that which is needful: Luke 10:42, ‘But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen the better part.’
Many follow after riches, pleasures, and honours, and outward comforts; these may be good in their kind, but they are not needful. What good will those things do us to all eternity? There the love of God will only stand us in stead.
The things of this world, according to that usual saying among divines, are temporal in their use, but the punishment for the abuse of them is eternal.
The most necessary and serviceable good to us is Jesus Christ; therefore get the judge to be your friend against the assizes [verdicts of the jury].
(3.) Consider, he has deserved that our strongest desires should be after him, not only as he is the being of beings, and the fountain of our lives and mercies, but as he laid down his life for us: John 12:32, ‘And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me;’ that is, I will do that which shall draw all men’s desires to me; he will leave such a debt of thankfulness upon them.
Though we could expect nothing from Christ, yet, by the law of thankfulness, our desires are due to him.
May God grant we see the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He be all our desire, now and forever!
Psalm 73:25-26:
25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
26 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.
— David
Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.“
Continuing on from Part 3 of the series on desiring Christ, taken from Thomas Manton’s Isaiah 53 commentary.
You can read it here, or listen to the whole exposition here.
The new section below after the recap at the beginning starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.
From Thomas Manton:
Recap:
Doct. 4. That Christ is so outwardly mean [low], that the men of the world do not any way desire him, or that carnal men do see nothing in Christ wherefore they should desire him. To his spouse he is all beauty, ‘altogether lovely;’ but to them there was no beauty why they should desire him.
The reasons of the point are these:-
- Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
- Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.
Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.
To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.
. . .
Wicked men feel no desires; they have some slight wishes, carnal and weak velleities [the lowest degrees of desire], but they have no serious desires, nor true volitions [will, or power to will]. Balaam may wish to die the death of the righteous, Num. 23:10. So they may desire Christ out of some general conceit [conception] of happiness; but they do not desire Christ for holiness.
. . .
But that you may not deceive yourselves in this matter, I will give you a few notes. I will not speak anything of the cause of desires. A high value and price set upon Christ, and a seeing rich beauties in him, of that I shall speak in the next verse. I shall only treat now of the effects of this desire.
If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.
1. A holy impatiency in the want [lack] of Christ.
2. A holy indignation.
Passions usually serve and accompany one another. If there be a holy desire, there will be a holy anger. And this is at two things:-
[1.] At anything that would rival the affection.
[2.] At what would hinder the enjoyment of the object.
3. It will cause a holy waiting.
4. Another effect is a powerful command over the whole man.
[1] It will take up your thoughts.
[2] It will challenge more of your time and care.
[3.] It will put you upon endeavours.
Continuing on:
Use 2. In the next place it serves for exhortation, to press you to do otherwise than the men of the world do, and to beware of their spirit.
Men see nothing in Christ why they should desire him, because they judge with a carnal spirit. Let not any such black note be found upon you: Do you make him the desire of your souls who is deservedly styled ‘the desire of all nations.’
This exhortation hints at three duties:–
1. Long to get him into your hearts.
As all things are to him, let your desires be to him: Rom. 11:36, ‘Of him, and through him, and to him are all things;’ therefore, all creatures, — for it is the law of their creation to move towards God, especially for reasonable creatures so to do. But particularly by your desires look upon, him as summum necessariurn, as the only chief thing for your souls.
2. Be careful to keep communion with him.
If you have got him, take heed you do not lose him again. Remember the fate of the spouse for parting with her beloved, and how dearly she paid for it, Cant. 5:6,7. Whatever carnal men judge of it, the favour of Christ is worth the keeping.
3. Labour to get more interest in him.
Worldly blessings have all this lot and fate, that they cloy [satisfy, satiate] in the enjoyment. Christ is a mercy of a nobler nature; the more you see of his excellency, the more you will thirst after him. When a man hath a taste of Christ, he will labour for more of him.
The great prejudice against him is, that men have never had experience of him, Austin [Augustine] said of himself, in the ninth book of his Confessions, chap. 1: ‘That the reason why he was loath to close with Christ was, because he was to forego all pleasures, and to deny himself in whatever was delightful, and that was very irksome to him. But since,’ said he, ‘when once I had tasted Christ, quam suave mihi subito factum est carere suavitatibus nugarum [how sweet it suddenly became to me to be without the pleasantries of toys]! It was the greatest delight in the world to abstain from worldly delights.’
Christ made abundant recompense for them. Oh, how sweet is Christ to those that have tried him, and made experience of him! They will not want their old delights again.
I shall prescribe a few means how you shall bring your hearts to desire Christ, to keep him, and to get further interest in him:–
[1.] Consider nothing is a fit object for your desires without Jesus
Christ.
The creatures [generally, anything in all of creation] are beneath you. The desire of the soul is like a member of the body out of joint when it is fixed upon a wrong object.
All things without Christ are either sin or the creatures.
To desire sin was the cause of the first misery; that is, forbidden fruits. We know what that is by sad experience.
As to the creatures, to desire them for themselves is beneath us: it is, as it were, to sit upon the threshold and the door of the gate when we might sit upon the throne, — to make that our crown which should be our footstool Ps. 8:6, it is said, ‘Thou hast put all things under his feet.’ God made these things to be under our feet; and, therefore, the church is described, Rev. 12:1, to have the moon under her feet. All sublunary [earthly, pertaining to this world] things are beneath the people of God.
I should a little digress from the matter in hand, at least vary from my purpose, if I should at large discourse of the uncertainty and frailty of the creatures, and show how the desires may be lost and wasted upon them, which they cannot be upon God; or should I descant [discuss, dispute] upon the unsuitableness of the creatures, which cannot give true satisfaction to the soul; but I will only conclude this first rule with this: That sin is not to be desired at all, and the creatures only in reference to God and Christ, otherwise, we sin in the desire or enjoyment of them.
May God grant we long more for Him, and labor to have more of Him, and see and experience Christ Jesus above all things!
Go on to Part 5!
— David
Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.“
Continuing on from Part 2 of the series on desiring Christ, taken from Thomas Manton’s Isaiah 53 commentary.
You can read it here, or listen to the whole exposition here.
The new section below after the recap at the beginning starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.
From Thomas Manton:
Recap:
Doct. 4. That Christ is so outwardly mean [low], that the men of the world do not any way desire him, or that carnal men do see nothing in Christ wherefore they should desire him. To his spouse he is all beauty, ‘altogether lovely;’ but to them there was no beauty why they should desire him.
The reasons of the point are these:-
- Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
- Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.
Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.
To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.
. . .
Wicked men feel no desires; they have some slight wishes, carnal and weak velleities [the lowest degrees of desire], but they have no serious desires, nor true volitions [will, or power to will]. Balaam may wish to die the death of the righteous, Num. 23:10. So they may desire Christ out of some general conceit [conception] of happiness; but they do not desire Christ for holiness.
. . .
But that you may not deceive yourselves in this matter, I will give you a few notes. I will not speak anything of the cause of desires. A high value and price set upon Christ, and a seeing rich beauties in him, of that I shall speak in the next verse. I shall only treat now of the effects of this desire.
If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.
1. A holy impatiency in the want [lack] of Christ.
2. A holy indignation.
Passions usually serve and accompany one another. If there be a holy desire, there will be a holy anger. And this is at two things:-
[1.] At anything that would rival the affection.
[2.] At what would hinder the enjoyment of the object.
Continuing on:
3. It will cause a holy waiting.
Those that desired the coming of the Messiah, waited for him; as Simeon: Luke 2:25, ‘Waiting for the consolation of Israel: Earnest expectation is the formal and most proper effect of the desire of anything.
Look, as it is said of Sisera’s mother, Judges 5:28, ‘She looked out at a window and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming?’ She would fain [be glad to] meet with it as far as she could with her eyes. And so it is said, Rom. 8:19, ‘The earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.’ Apekdecetai [Greek], the creature lifts up the head — would fain see the general restoration of all things in the world; so the soul lifts up the heart, it would fain [be glad to] see Christ coming to it in this or that ordinance, — with a great deal of longing they expect when he will draw their hearts to himself: Ps. 130:6, ‘My soul waiteth for thee more than they that watch for the morning; yea, more than they that watch for the morning.’
4. Another effect is a powerful command over the whole man.
Desires are the most vigorous faculties, they carry the whole soul along with them. They will take up your thoughts, time, care, endeavours, speeches. Look and you shall observe that a man is so affected in earthly things, and, therefore, why not so in heavenly? It is a bad sign when there cannot be found the same proportion and care for heavenly things as men have for the things of the world.
Let us see these things a little severally.
[1] It will take up your thoughts.
Our thoughts will be conversant about what we desire. We love to feed upon the sweet of those things that we long for, — to enjoy them in our meditations before we really and actually enjoy them. Thoughts are the pulses of the heart, you may know by them how it beats.
When desires are at a high pitch, we shall not be able to put off those pleasing imaginations that concern the object of these desires. Nay, they will haunt the mind in the time of our usual repose and rest: Isa. 26:9, ‘With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.’ Night and morning, all their mind was upon this, how they should get God.
[2] It will challenge more of your time and care.
When men will make bold with God rather than their own occasions, it is a sign they are but coldly affected to him. If your desires be to Christ, your care and time will be more laid out upon him; you will rather borrow from yourselves, your own pleasures and business, than borrow from God.
I confess a man that is in a particular calling, and is to provide for a wife and family, must necessarily spend more time in the world than he can in religion; but when he begrudges all time to God [ie. is envious of time to God], or thinks all lost that is spent in duty, it is a sign there is little desire after Christ.
When we are where we would be [desire to be], time goes too fast for us; therefore, try how it is with you in point of religion. Is all too much that is spent in duty? If the heart goes out that way, all will be too little. As men’s desires are so their time goes away. Job 21:13, It is said of the wicked, ‘They spend their days in wealth.’ Voluptuous [given to the enjoyments of luxury and pleasure] men do so, — so worldly men, they spend their time in business and worldly cares, and are cumbered about much serving. You may try your bent by that, how you spend your days.
[3.] It will put you upon endeavours.
Those are true desires that end in action. Slight wishes after Christ never put us upon a pursuit of him. If a man be earnest in a thing, he will try all ways he can to compass it; it shall be his earnest business.
Men that are slight would fain [be glad to] have Christ, but they will not seek him — Vellent, sed nolunt [Latin: They want to, but they don’t want to]: Prov. 21:25, ‘The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labour.’ The slothful are most full of desires; they would fain have things, but they do not labour after them.
Now, it is otherwise with the children of God. The spouse, that was sick for want [lack] of Christ, sought him through the streets, though it cost her many a wandering, Cant. 5:7. God hath fenced up every excellent thing with difficulty, to see if we think it worth our endeavours.
May God grant we desire to meet with Christ Jesus as much as possible in this life in times of worship, prayer and in His word and ordinances, and then eternally with Him in the next life; and may He grant this desire for Him to affect all the areas of our lives, including our heart, thoughts, words and actions!
Go on to Part 4!
— David
Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.“
Continuing on from Part 1 of the series on desiring Christ, taken from Thomas Manton’s Isaiah 53 commentary.
You can read it here, or listen to the whole exposition here.
The new section below after the recap at the beginning starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.
From Thomas Manton:
Recap:
Doct. 4. That Christ is so outwardly mean [low], that the men of the world do not any way desire him, or that carnal men do see nothing in Christ wherefore they should desire him. To his spouse he is all beauty, ‘altogether lovely;’ but to them there was no beauty why they should desire him.
The reasons of the point are these:-
- Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
- Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.
Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.
To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.
. . .
Wicked men feel no desires; they have some slight wishes, carnal and weak velleities [the lowest degrees of desire], but they have no serious desires, nor true volitions [will, or power to will]. Balaam may wish to die the death of the righteous, Num. 23:10. So they may desire Christ out of some general conceit [conception] of happiness; but they do not desire Christ for holiness.
. . .
But that you may not deceive yourselves in this matter, I will give you a few notes. I will not speak anything of the cause of desires. A high value and price set upon Christ, and a seeing rich beauties in him, of that I shall speak in the next verse. I shall only treat now of the effects of this desire.
If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.
Continuing on:
1. A holy impatiency in the want [lack] of Christ.
When we strongly desire a thing, the heart faints under the want [lack] of it. Amnon was sick for Tamar, 2 Sam. 13:1-4. And the spouse was sick of love for Christ, Cant. 5:8.
The soul languishes with a holy desire of the sense of his mercy, with a longing after pardon, and grace, and quickening, and life, and what is to be found in Christ. They can find no rest in themselves till they do enjoy it: Ps. 13:1, ‘As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so doth my soul pant after thee, O God.’ Thirst is the most implacable impression that can be upon the body; the creature cannot be quiet till it be quenched.
Now, of all creatures the hart is most thirsty by nature, and the thirst is mightily increased when it is hunted. And mark, it is the she-hart, for so the Seventy [Septuagint, Greek translation of the old testament] read it, ‘The she-hart panteth after the water brooks.’ Passions in females are stronger than in the males. As the she-hart pants when chased, such a rage of thirst was there in his soul till it were satisfied with God, and refreshed with the comforts of Jesus Christ.
Search then for such a restless and strong desire; try if there be such an ardency and earnestness upon your affections, that nothing can satisfy but Christ, that you cannot be quiet till you have him.
Was your heart never chased into a panting for the water brooks? Some are haunted so by the ghastly apprehensions of God’s wrath, that they have no ease, no rest. But certainly all that love Christ are chased into a panting; they have such a sense of their sins and miseries, that their souls are put into an earnest expectation of the mercies of Christ.
2. A holy indignation.
Passions usually serve and accompany one another. If there be a holy desire, there will be a holy anger. And this is at two things:-
[1.] At anything that would rival the affection.
[2.] At what would hinder the enjoyment of the object.
[1.] [Indignation] at anything that would rival Christ in the affection.
There is a scorn that anything should come in competition with him, that we should have so much as a thought that anything were worthy but Christ: Phil. 3:8, ‘I count all things but loss and dung, that I may win Christ.’ Any outward excellency in comparison of him is but skubala, dog’s meat. It thinks the worst name good enough for anything that shall come in competition with him. And in such a case gold is not gold, but dog’s meat—honour is not honour—pleasure is not pleasure—but all is dung and dog’s meat.
You know in a natural way things have their due respect from us, till they be compared with what we dearly love and prize; then no term is bad enough for them. So here, the soul does even abhor the thought that Christ and other things should be spoken of the same day, which otherwise might have fairer respects and valuations from the soul.
It is worth your observation to see how the saints do abominate the thought that anything should be supposed to satisfy them without or besides Christ: Ps. 4:6, ‘There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Lord, lift up the light of thy. countenance upon us.’ O Lord, do not think we are of that strain [ie. Who will show us any good?]. It is the many, the men of the multitude, that think so; they speak as if they would not own such an unworthy thought, nor entertain any resolution to prostitute their desires to any sensual [simply, pleasing the senses] good [ie. They would never think to give away the things that fulfill their sensual (again, pleasing to the senses) desires].
God shall not turn them [His saints] away so. If they should have all things else, it is irksome to them to think they should be contented; as Austin cried out: ‘Thyself, Lord—thyself, Lord.’ They are angry with themselves if any pleasing thought should arise any other way, any vain [useless] conceit [conception, thought], that they should be happy apart from God and Christ. It is an excellent saying of one, ‘They had rather mourn for God than delight without him’. All their comforts are irksome to them if they have not Christ with them.
Try, then, is there such a zealous indignation against false thoughts in your comforts? In what case do you think yourselves? ‘Happy is the people that is in such a case.’ If that be a thought that is pleasing to your minds, it is a good sign.
[2] Indignation against what hinders the enjoyment of the object.
A man is angry with what comes between him and his desires. If your desires be to Christ, you will be angry with your perverse hearts, that keep you from him.
When a man desires to sin, he is angry with God because he comes in with his law, and steps between us and our desires: Rom. 8:7, ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law, neither indeed can be.’
So when the desires are set and bent upon Christ, a man is angry with himself that he is so clogged and weighed down with the flesh that he cannot enjoy such full communion with him as he desires: 2 Cor. 5:4, ‘For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened.’. And David cried out, Ps. 120:5, ‘Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!’ My pilgrimage, is prolonged. They are angry with their own base hearts, that still there is such a strangeness between them and Christ.
May God grant us a panting desire for the blessed Lord Jesus, and may He grant us earnest indignation against anything that comes between Him and us!
Go on to Part 3!
— David
Isaiah 53:2 – “For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
Is Christ Jesus desirable to us? Is He our one great desire? Should He be?
Psalm 73:25 – “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.”
Isaiah 26:8-9:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Isaiah 53 is all about the Lord Christ Jesus. Amidst His humiliation, He is glorified in His great sacrificial work.
And man by nature will see no loveliness in Him.
But, if we claim the name of Christ to ourselves, how much loveliness do we see in Him?
Puritan Thomas Manton did a great exposition on this chapter in Isaiah. It’s not just a verse-by-verse commentary, but also how it all should apply to us in practical ways.
You can read it here, or listen to the whole thing here.
I am planning on a set of these related blog posts, going through a section I found important that discusses a level of desire for Christ that we can compare our own to.
The section starts here if you want to read it, or you can listen to it in this audio section.
The first bit are points that lead into the “Use” section, which is where I’m looking to focus.
From Thomas Manton:
Doct. 4. That Christ is so outwardly mean [low], that the men of the world do not any way desire him, or that carnal men do see nothing in Christ wherefore they should desire him. To his spouse he is all beauty, ‘altogether lovely;’ but to them there was no beauty why they should desire him.
The reasons of the point are these:-
- Because carnal men neglect the study of Christ; their hearts are so taken with the things of sense, and the beauty of the creatures [all things created], that they do not look any further.
- Because they reject Christ; he is not for their turn; nay, he is quite contrary to their ends [purposes]. Carnal men have not all the same ends, but they all agree in this, their ends are carnal.
Use 1. It serves for information, to teach us the difference between God’s people and carnal men.
To God’s people he is all their desire; to carnal persons there is nothing desirable in him.
It is good to observe their several verdicts of him: 1 Peter 2:7, ‘To you that believe he is precious, but to them that be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence.’
To the world he is base and ignominious: Ps. 22:6, ‘A worm, and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of the people.’ To the spouse, glorious and full of allurements: Ps. 45:2, ‘Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips.‘
To the world he appeared deformed and contemptible: Isa. 52:14, ‘Many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men;’ but quite contrary to the spouse: Cant. 5:10, ‘My beloved is the fairest of ten thousand.‘ The Hebrew word signifies an ensign-bearer.
In the world’s view there is no form nor comeliness in him; he is without beauty. To the spouse he is ‘altogether lovely,’ Cant. 5:16.
Well, then, you see here is the true differencing note between us and the men of the world, whether we see anything in Christ why we should desire him.
And it is both an inclusive and an exclusive mark. Some marks are inclusive; that is, if a man find them in him, he may be sure he is in Christ; but if not, he is not to determine he is out of Christ. As the eminent and vigorous workings of holy graces, they do not take in every state of Christianity, they do not take in the infancy of grace.
Other marks are exclusive; that is thus, they knock off the fingers of pretenders, and serve to show a man out of grace, but not in. As frequenting of the ordinances, a care of duty; if a man does not these things, he may be sure he is none of God’s, though he cannot be sure he is of God because he does them.
But now this is a mark that is inclusive and exclusive too. It is inclusive, for if your desires be to Christ, no doubt he is yours. It is a true mark, and a mark that is compatible to the weakness of grace. It is a true mark, for God looks to the heart more than to the duty: Prov. 23:26, ‘My son, give me thy heart.’
And desires are the chiefest part of that. Desires are most genuine and suitable to the judgment and determination of the soul. They are a mark in which God’s weakest servants may comfort themselves. Those that fail in other things are not wanting [lacking] in desires. However they may have many defects in their carriage and in their duties, yet they are sure their desires are towards him. If they cannot be much in duty, they will be much in their desires and valuations of him. Peter, that durst not appeal to his own conscience for other things, dares appeal to God’s omnisciency for this: John 21:17, ‘Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.’
And the people of God often vouch this: Isa. 26:8, ‘The desire of our soul is to thy name;’ Neh. 1:11, ‘Thy servants who desire to fear thy name.’ Therefore it is comfortable; and it is convincing too, and exclusive.
Wicked men feel no desires; they have some slight wishes, carnal and weak velleities [the lowest degrees of desire], but they have no serious desires, nor true volitions [will, or power to will]. Balaam may wish to die the death of the righteous, Num. 23:10. So they may desire Christ out of some general conceit [conception] of happiness; but they do not desire Christ for holiness.
So there is no beauty in him why we should desire him. They do not desire him as seeing any beauty in his ways John 6:34, ‘Lord, evermore give us this bread.’ When Christ said he was the bread of life, those that would not come to Christ would fain [gladly] have the bread of life.
Nay, heaven itself is not really desired by wicked men; it is true, they may desire it in a carnal way, as a Turkish paradise, and such a place of ease and delight as the Koran sets forth; but not as it is in itself, to enjoy God, and Christ, and more grace, and to be more free and undisturbed in respect of the prevailing of sin and corruptions.
Those that desire Christ truly, desire him not for ease (the spirit of the world may do that), but from the beauty and excellency they find in him, and in his ways. His service is of a high and honourable nature, and therefore they desire it. So that you see here is the note of trial, and the main difference, viz., a desiring of Christ for the rare beauty and perfections that are found in him.
Do you, then, try yourselves by this note.
But that you may not deceive yourselves in this matter, I will give you a few notes. I will not speak anything of the cause of desires. A high value and price set upon Christ, and a seeing rich beauties in him, of that I shall speak in the next verse. I shall only treat now of the effects of this desire. If it be earnest and strong after him, it will be manifested by these things.
“These things” follow in part 2!
May God grant His blessed Son to be our great desire!
— David
Ecclesiastes 4:12 – “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.“
After two previous ones, I recently came across in the Bible what I believe brings a third “cord” to a subject that I believe is extremely important — self-denial.
In fact, it’s a requirement for someone who wants to be a follower of Christ:
Matthew 16:24 – “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.“
Puritan Thomas Manton did an excellent treatise on it, and I recorded it for those who might like to listen to it instead of read it.
If you would, I’d like to bring forth what appear to me to be three important pieces of a life of self-denial.
Loving Your Enemies
Matthew 5:43-44:
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
I did a larger blog post that discusses this more, but the next verse is the following:
Matthew 5:45 – “45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.“
This shows the children of God do these things.
It has four actions toward those who would do us harm: Love, Bless, Do Good, Pray For — a strong cord of self-denial.
And did not Christ love us in the ultimate way while we were His enemies?
Romans 5:8 – “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.“
Giving to the Abuser
Luke 6:29-30:
29 And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.
30 Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.
This to me shows at least in part an emptying of ourselves in relation to the temporal goods God has granted us — another solid cord of self-denial.
Even though someone may abuse us in these things, and indeed be wrong in their actions, this indicates to me we are to deny ourselves and let it go. God knows.
And didn’t Christ empty of Himself for us sinners?
Philippians 2:5-8:
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Washing Judas’ Feet
John 13:1-5:
1. Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
And it seems clear that Judas was there because after Jesus said some things, John says this about Him:
John 13:21 – “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.“
Just ponder those moments, when Jesus washed Judas’ feet. Isn’t that quite a scene? He knew what Judas was about to do, and He did it anyway — a very powerful cord of self-denial.
And should we not imitate our Master in this denying of self as well, not necessarily actually washing their feet, but in similar acts of charity [godly love], even though we know someone might not have the best intent toward us?
We are by nature full of pride, but the Lord Jesus showed us the ways of love, humility and service.
May God grant us His graces to be like our blessed Lord Christ Jesus, including in these ways of pride-killing self-denial.
— David
The Lord delivered me from alcohol abuse, for which I’m eternally thankful.
There was a saying in AA that said, “Never take that first drink.” It was a warning, because the first one makes it much easier to get to the second, and so on.
I very sadly found that out the hard way, and the Lord delivered me again. I talk about it all in a blog post here.
It is my belief that this can be applied to the world.
Man by nature has a “carnal” man, also called the “flesh” in the Bible. This carnal man can do no work that is spiritually good. In fact, it can only do evil:
Romans 8:7 – “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”
The “world” in the Bible is often painted in the same light:
John 15:18-19 – “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
You can see it in alcohol abuse, but I believe you can apply it similarly spiritually:
Since those two are of the same nature, I would suggest that our carnal man is addicted to the world. Since the world brings wicked pleasures, and the carnal man is wicked, it would seem to make sense. I would suggest:
The carnal man is going to be a world-aholic.
But then God says that a person who loves even the things in the world (which must be the things in the world’s kingdom vs. God’s kingdom and His creation) does not have the love of God in them:
1 John 2:15 – “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
If we are Christians, we have an internal, spiritual war going on inside us:
1 Peter 2:11 – “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”
And then there’s the devil, who is the prince of the world — not in absolute terms, but we are either slaves to sin and his works or to God:
Ephesians 2:2 – “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:“
Romans 6:17 – “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.“
Satan is all too dutiful to work with the world and our carnal man to lure us to things sensual (simply, things delighting the senses), which automatically lure us from the things of God and His kingdom.
But, we are commanded to mortify (kill) the flesh:
Romans 8:13 – “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.“
Colossians 3:5 – “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:“
Further, the Bible says the world is supposed to be crucified to us, and us to it:
Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”
This would seem to mean it should be dying to us — having less and less of an effect or attraction to us. And because crucifixion was slow, I would suggest it may happen over time, but God appears there to say it will happen.
And so, with the evil trinity of our flesh, the devil and the world, all working together to seek our eternal destruction, wouldn’t the cautious individual look at all of them as something to repel from?
Wouldn’t then the caution be this?
Don’t ever take that first “drink” of the world, its accoutrements, entertainments and dainties, its culture, its ways of doing things.
A few extra work chores or leisure activities on the Lord’s Day here, a little step away from stricter modesty there, just a little vanity somewhere. That first “drink”.
Some might decry the slippery slope concept, but it’s obvious that’s exactly what happens — in alcohol abuse, where it usually gets worse over time, and I would suggest, also with the world. A garden un-kept is slowly overgrown with weeds, not immediately.
I would suggest this happened to the western church coming out of the 1800s and through the 1900s. A little less Lord’s Day strictness, worldliness creeps in, then to the daily lives of Christians. And now, some churches purposely try to be like the world.
Now, while the true Christian will not fall away totally, I believe there potentially could be bad and unintended consequences:
- Becoming more like the world make ones less more like a peculiar people, as God would have Christians. And so the witness can be tainted.
- While one may not fully slide away to the world, the next generation might, or the one after that, because:
- They’re closer to the world each generation.
- They’ve been taught it’s ok to take a “drink” of the world.
- The carnal man increases, and thus Christian graces decrease. Again, as in a garden, the more weeds, the fewer good plants, and vice-versa.
While some might not agree, I believe this is extraordinarily serious to consider. The war is real. The devil would have us destroyed, and he has a myriad of tools at his disposal, including ourselves — the body of death we carry around with us:
Romans 7:24 – “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
May God grant us a love for Him above everything. May He help us to mortify the flesh, resist the devil, and love not the world. May we seek Him diligently in these, and we pray He grant us His graces to be faithful to Him, and may He keep our feet from sliding.
May we thirst only for Him and look to Him alone to satisfy:
Psalm 42:2 – “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?“
Psalm 63:1 – “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;“
Psalm 81:10 – “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.“
— David