THERE is much hidden treasure in one verse in the Old Testament — Deuteronomy 33:33Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words. (Deuteronomy 33:3). The first words are “Yea, He loved the people,” and whatever you are, you are embraced by the word, “people.”
Let us begin however with that little word, “HE.” This leads us up to the everlasting God who sits on the throne of glory, and it says, “He loved the people.” How wonderful that He should love us, for He Himself is the unchanging One, and therefore nothing will ever alter His love. It will never be exhausted, it will never grow cold. Yes, but some may ask, When did He love us? Ah! when there was nothing about us that was worth loving. When we were in our sins and ruin, away from God without any desire even to know God — dead towards Him. Then He loved us, because He Himself is love.
For proof of this we turn to the Cross of Calvary. There the Lord Jesus was made sin, and bore all God’s righteous judgment, in order that God might be gloried in a world where He had been dishonored, and also that guilty sinners might be set at liberty and in joy before His face. He loved us because He Himself is love. If He loved us while we were sinners will He love us any the less now that we are His saints?
Pause here a moment. Have you yielded yourself to Christ who died for you? Being a sinner His offered salvation is for you. Accept Him now, and then you will be able to say, “He loves even me now.” Blessed, present portion in this world of sadness. What will His presence be but fullness of joy?
Next it says, “All His saints are in Thy hand.”
“In His strong hand Who all commands,
How blest to be.
Those hands once given by cruel nails riven
On Calvary’s tree.”
This spells safety. But do I hear some simple, trusting soul say. “I don’t feel I am one of His saints”? It is not what you feel, it’s what God says that matters. If you turn to 1 Corinthians 1:22Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: (1 Corinthians 1:2); Philippians 1:11Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: (Philippians 1:1); Colossians 1:22To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:2); you will find that Christians are called saints. We are saints by a heavenly calling. I may not feel like a saint but God calls me one, and that is enough. Well, where are His saints? All God’s saints are in Christ’s hand.
How comforting is the word, “All.” That includes you, if you are sheltered by the blood of His cross, even the weakest child of God. Yes, and even the wayward, backsliding one for His love has not altered towards you. But where are all His saints? In His hand. Not near His hand, or simply under His hand, but in His hand. Yes, but whose hand? There is one, “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand” (Isa. 40:1212Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40:12)). God has put everything into Christ’s hand, just as Pharaoh once put all into Joseph’s hand; so He can say, “I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
You remember the table of shewbread in the Tabernacle in the wilderness, with its twelve loaves, representative of the twelve tribes of Israel. God could look at Israel in two ways. He could see them as they were, a stiffnecked people; or He could view them typically as fragrant with frankincense on this golden table.
If you look carefully at Exodus 25:24, 25,24And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. (Exodus 25:24‑25) you will see there were two crowns and between these crowns there was a border of an hand breadth. There was no fear of the loaves falling off that Table, and where is the foe powerful enough to take one loaf off? The enemy we know is mighty but the One who has charged Himself to bring us home to the glory of God is almighty. The enemy would have to break through that hand in order to touch the believer in Christ and this he can never do. The glory of God’s throne and Christ’s work would have to be broken, were the weakest saint to be touched by the enemy. Oh! what a word of comfort is this, “All His saints are in Thy hand.” “In His hand.” I see not only that my spiritual welfare is secure, but in the circumstances of this life. I am protected in the home life; in the business world too He preserves me from dangers and snares of which we have no idea. “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them” (Psa. 34:77The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. (Psalm 34:7)).
But these lines may reach someone whose circumstances are most difficult and unpleasant. You may perhaps have to admit that it is all your fault that you are in them.
You may be seeking a way out and looking for better days. Ah! I know something of this, but let me go just one step more.
You may have thought, that to die would be better than to live. To die would be to be with Christ and your soul longs for Him to call you home. Oh! let me try and help you where I have been helped. I would like to give you a new view point, from which to see these unpleasant circumstances.
If you will turn to Lamentations 3:7,7He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. (Lamentations 3:7) you find Jeremiah complaining that he is hedged about and he “cannot get out.” I wonder if this is what you are saying, and adding, “but then it is all my own fault, I would have my own way and all this is the result. Things would have been so different if I had heeded His voice, but alas! my life has been a sad mistake.”
But it is “HE” who has hedged me about so that I cannot get out. “HE,” that is the word to lay hold of. The One who loves you has allowed that hedge to be placed about you. You may be very disappointed with yourself and your life, but because God knows the end from the beginning He is not disappointed with you. He knew that you and I would turn out like this long before He called us by the Gospel. Oh the wonder of the love that knew all about us — how we should fail, and fall, and blunder out of one mistake into another. His love is unaltered and He wants our company. Blessed be His name!
It is said of the Lord Jesus when here on earth, “He hath done all things well,” and He has allowed you to be found just where you are today. He knows every secret of your heart. It may be His will to still allow you to remain in those circumstances. Yet there is one thing the Lord is willing and able to do for you, and that is supply you with enough grace and patience to glorify Him in each detail of your life. Remember there is nothing too hard for the Lord (See Jeremiah 32:1717Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: (Jeremiah 32:17) and 27).
I think I hear the unspoken cry from some burdened heart, “Lord I would like to be put right here and now.” Then join the Psalmist in saying, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (139:23, 24).
Open out everything before the Lord. There is no need to fear, for He knows it all, and if you hand over to Him all the keys of your heart, and confess all your waywardness and backslidings to Him, He will restore to you the joy of His salvation. He is Jesus Christ the righteous, the Advocate with the Father, who is able to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Then is fulfilled the word, “They sat down at Thy feet.” This is something to be experienced rather than talked about. To sit at His feet is to be occupied with the beauty of the Lord. Here the soul can put off its armor, as the heart goes out to Him. Have you ever sat down to be loved by Him; not to be asking for something in prayer, but just to be filled full with His company? Oh, to taste more and more of this! It is not service, but we shall be more effectual servants if we know this place well. Service is the outcome of the enjoyment of Christ.
Lastly “everyone shall receive of Thy words.” Not the words of man so often faulty and empty, but pure words, the words of the Lord. Words of cheer, comfort, grace, strength, wisdom, guidance. The soul that enjoys sitting at His feet will say, “I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:1212Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. (Job 23:12)).
His words are full of blessing, so that we may be satisfied with God’s favor. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
T. R. Jameson.