Seas: May 2024
Table of Contents
Seas
Water is essential for both physical and spiritual life. Over 50% of our body is water. It is a figure to us of spiritual life as well. To the thirsty woman at the well the Lord said, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” She responded, “Sir, give me this water.” And she got it. I look forward to seeing her in glory. In the end of God’s Word, the Spirit and we repeat His appeal, “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” The one and only source of this water of eternal life is God Himself. “He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” From its source, it flows out to others as a river and then the rivers flow into the seas. Now the Jordan River flows into the Salt Sea; now called the Dead Sea, for today it cannot sustain life. But when God sets things right it will. “Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house [millennial temple in Jerusalem]; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward. ... Then said he unto me, These waters issue out ... which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live” (Ezek. 47:1,8-9).
Blessings by the Sea
I have always loved the sea. My early years were in Nova Scotia, Canada, where our family would go to enjoy the Atlantic Ocean on the Northumberland Strait during summer and winter. I never grew tired looking out over the horizon, enjoying the rhythm of the crashing waves, searching for seashells, running sand through my fingers, or admiring the incredible design of the Creator. “God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the water called He Seas: and God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:10).
Last summer our family had a reunion by the sea in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Before that visit, a verse that was read in Sunday school containing the phrase “by the sea,” triggered my curiosity to search out similar verses and look at their context. As a result, I was overwhelmed by the wonderful things in God’s Word (Psa. 119:18). In each case where the phrase “by the sea” was used, there was an amazing event, orchestrated by the Lord, which yielded rich blessings not only to the individuals in question, but also to me personally.
Counting by the Sea
One of the greatest promises ever made was to Abraham, in reference to counting the grains of sand by the sea. In Hebrews 11:12 we read, “Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable.” This is an incredible story of fulfillment that is woven through thousands of years and is not finished yet! We can watch it unfold even today. In that promise we see blessing flowing out from God through the descendants of Abraham and ultimately through the offering of God’s Son. From that promise comes boundless blessings innumerable, not only to Abraham in earthly blessing, as seen in the sand of the sea, but also in heavenly blessing to the heavenly bride, as seen in the stars of the heavens—all flowing from the Creator directly to the saved sinner, including me!
Camping by the Sea
One of the greatest deliverances ever made was while obeying the command of the Lord to camp by the sea. In Exodus 14:1-2 and 13-14 we read, “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, that they ... encamp by the sea ... and Moses said unto the people, fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today.” The children of Israel were chased by the army of the Egyptians from behind, enclosed by the wilderness on either side, and stopped by the Red Sea ahead of them. But the Lord honors their obedience and fights the battle for them, saving millions through His awesome power. The result is a burst into a song of praise in Exodus 15:2: “The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation” And in that deliverance we see the incredible plan, through the slain Lamb of God (Exodus 12) to lead His people out from the grip of this world into rich blessings, beyond the temporary encampment by the sea. These blessings extend not only to the children of Israel in the promised land of Canaan, but also to each believer in our promised home above with our Savior!
Walking by the Sea
One of the greatest “callings” was by the Lord as He walked by the sea. This was to two simple fishermen, Peter and Andrew. In Matthew 4:18-20, we read, “Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him.” This incident on the shore of the Sea of Galilee forever changed the lives of these two men. It was so radical that they dedicated their lives to telling others about Jesus and were willing to die for the One who called them. And in that calling, we see the same call echoing to each of us from the Lord who died and rose again, so that the good news can be shared with the world. This calling, made walking by the sea, eclipses all other earthly callings and results in eternal blessing!
Sitting by the Sea
One of the greatest messages ever given was by the Lord Jesus as He sat by the sea. In Matthew 13:1-2, we read, “The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside. And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.” This message was given after the Lord had been rejected as the promised Messiah. It extended not only to the Jews but also to the Gentiles. In this message we hear the parable of the Sower, along with other precious parables and similitudes that show the blessed position each saved sinner is brought into. What a message given while sitting by the sea and shared by a rejected Messiah, on His way to the cross to buy the pearl of great price! Amazing grace!
Lodging by the Sea
One of the greatest cleansings ever shown was revealed to Peter as he lodged by the sea. In Acts 10:5-6, we read, “Now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.” Here the Lord makes clear how that the message and promise of God in salvation were not just for God’s chosen people (Israel), but to the unclean, outside the direct promises of God to Abraham and his descendants. In this little dwelling by the sea, the door is opened so that the blessings flow out to anyone who would accept the message of God’s salvation through the finished work of Christ in resurrection. It extends to a centurion, one employed by one of the most brutal of all empires, who humbles himself in recognizing who he is before God. This cleansing by the sea caused them to “magnify God.” It forever changed the course of history for writer and reader alike!
Blessings by the Sea
These five instances where the term “by the sea” is used highlight some of the most amazing events in history from which rich blessings flow! Each time we sit, stand, walk, camp, or lodge by the sea, may we remember that we have been “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (Eph 1:3).
M. Allan
The Passage of the Red Sea
The first thing, when God has awakened the soul to a sense of sin in His sight, is the question how it may be secured against its righteous judgment. Then it sees the blood on the doorposts and gets peace. Therefore, if I lose sight of the blood, God is still, to my soul’s understanding, a judge. Now that is not at all the proper place for a believer to be in. There is the justice of God, and “without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). If I can say that the blood which has been shed has satisfied that justice, I can see that God is no longer a judge; His justice has been satisfied. But if, on the other hand, His justice still has to be satisfied, God is still a judge.
The Power of Evil
The Israelites got so terrified, distressed, and dismayed, so under the power of evil which was against them, that they got into the practical question of whether God or Satan was to have them. And so constantly it is with saints. We have been such slaves to the power of Satan that we do not have a consciousness of redemption to God. There was Pharaoh (Satan to us), the power of evil, pursuing them and driving them up to this point, till death and judgment (of which the Red Sea is the symbol) stared them in the face. The question must be settled, if they could get through death and judgment. They could not get out of the difficulty by their own strength: The Red Sea was before them, and they could not get through it. Pharaoh and all his host were behind them, and there was no escaping by another road. They were quite shut in and brought to the sense that there must be a deliverer or it was all over with them. All this was exceedingly alarming in itself, but it was God’s way of delivering. “Moses said, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever” (Ex. 14:13). You can neither go backward nor forward; you must just stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. “The Lord shall fight for you; and ye shall hold your peace” (Ex. 14:14).
The Lord steps in and puts Himself between Satan and His people. “The angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night” (Ex. 14:19-20). Before He gives the comfort of deliverance, He always takes care that Satan does not touch us.
The Power Over the Sea
What comes to Israel then? Verse 21: The very thing that seemed to be their destruction becomes their salvation. “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left” (vss. 21-22). It was no battle for Israel against Pharaoh. “The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, and took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel: for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them: there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore” (vss. 23-30).
Death
Death is the wages of sin; there is no escape; the Red Sea must be passed. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). It is the natural consequence of sin. No matter whether Egyptians or Israelites, death and judgment overtake all. The Red Sea must be passed. But if met in grace, as it was by Israel, we shall see that this very thing is our full and unmingled deliverance. There poor Israel stood and looked at the eternal overthrow of their enemies. When the Egyptians were lying dead on the seashore, they were safe, singing the song of redemption. True, the wilderness had to be passed, Amalek to be fought with, and the like, but they were out of Egypt.
Assaying to Pass the Red Sea
And now about the “assaying” to pass the Red Sea: It is that, alas! which many are doing at the present time. I am not now speaking of the avowed enemies of God, but of those who are “assaying” to pass through death and judgment in their own way. Just because they are in a Christian country and among Christians, they hope with the name of Christ to get to heaven in company with the people of God. But if we have got up to the Red Sea, death and judgment must be passed, and where shall we be with all our Egyptian wisdom and learning, with all our chariots and horsemen, before death and judgment? If the question of death and judgment is not already settled (as it was for Israel when “by faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land”), it must be our destruction. People confess they have to die and that after death there is a judgment, but if they are “assaying” to do this in their own strength, it must be then positive destruction.
We must all, converted or unconverted, give up the world. The strongest admirer of the world must sooner or later give up its vanities and its pleasures, its hopes and its interests; he must give them up. The only difference is this, that the Christian gives them up for God; the worldling gives them up because he cannot keep them. The king of Egypt gave up Egypt and Egypt’s court, as well as Moses, but there is this difference, that the king of Egypt gave it up for judgment; Moses gave it up for Christ.
J. N. Darby (adapted)
The Brazen Sea
“He [Solomon] made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about; ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two rows of oxen were cast, when it was cast. It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward. And the thickness of it was an handbreadth and the brim of it like the work of a brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three thousand baths. ... The sea was for the priests to wash in” (2 Chron. 4:2-6).
In order to have a clear understanding of the doctrine taught us in this beautiful and significant figure, three things demand our attention, namely, the material, the contents, and the object. May God the Spirit guide our thoughts and speak to our hearts as we dwell upon these things!
The Material—Brass
Solomon’s molten sea was made of brass, which is the apt symbol of divine righteousness demanding judgment upon sin, as in the brazen altar, or demanding judgment upon uncleanness, as in the brazen sea. This will explain why the altar where sin was expiated and the sea where defilement was washed away were both made of brass. Everything in Scripture has its meaning!
It is most comforting to be assured that the sin which God freely pardons and the uncleanness which He freely removes have been both fully judged and condemned in the cross. Not a single trace of uncleanness has been passed over; all has been divinely judged. “Mercy rejoiceth against judgment,” and, “Grace reigns through righteousness” (James 2:13; Rom. 5:21). The believer is pardoned and cleansed, but his guilt and uncleanness were judged on the cross. The knowledge of this most precious truth works in a double way: It sets the heart and conscience perfectly free, while, at the same time, it causes us to abhor sin and uncleanness. The altar of brass told forth, in mute yet impressive eloquence, its double story: guilt had been divinely condemned, and therefore could be divinely pardoned. The molten sea gave silent but clear testimony to the fact that uncleanness had been divinely judged and, on that ground, could be divinely washed away.
What deep and holy consolation for the heart, in all this! I cannot gaze upon the antitype of the altar and lightly commit sin. I cannot look upon the antitype of the molten sea and indifferently contract defilement. God has been perfectly glorified; sin and uncleanness have been perfectly condemned. I am set eternally free, but the death of Christ is the basis of all. Such is the consolatory yet holy lesson taught us in the material of the brazen altar and the molten sea. Nothing is passed over by God, and yet nothing is imputed to me, because Christ was judged for all.
The Contents—Water
Let us now consider, in the second place, the contents of Solomon’s molten sea. “It received and held three thousand baths” of water. If at the altar I see brass in connection with blood, at the sea I find brass in connection with water. Both point to Christ. “This is He that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood” (1 John 5:6). “One of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:34). The blood that expiates and the water that cleanses both flow from a crucified Savior. Precious and solemn truth!
But the brazen sea contained water, not blood. Those who approached thereto had already proved the power of the blood, and therefore only needed the washing of water. A priest under the law, whose hands and feet had become defiled, did not need to go back to the brazen altar, but forward to the brazen sea. He did not need again to apply the blood, but only to wash with water, to enable him to discharge his priestly functions. So now, if a believer fails, if he commits sin, if he contracts defilement, he does not need to be again washed in the blood, but simply the cleansing action of the Word, whereby the Holy Spirit applies to the soul the remembrance of what Christ has done, so that the defilement is removed and the communion restored. “He that is washed needeth not, save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit” (John 13:10). Does this make little of defilement? The very opposite. Did the provision of a molten sea, with its 3,000 baths of water, make little of priestly defilement? Did it not rather prove what a serious matter it was in the judgment of God?
Daily Sins and Defilement
Many earnest Christians get into spiritual darkness and trouble as to the question of daily sins and defilement. Because they do not see their divine completeness through the blood of Christ, they feel that they must, on every fresh occasion, go back to the brazen altar, as if they had never been washed at all. This is a mistake, for when once a man is purged by the blood of Jesus, he is clean forever. I may lose the sense of it, the power of it, the enjoyment of it. Peter speaks of some forgetting that they were purged from their old sins. If sin is trifled with and self is not judged, it is hard to say what a Christian may come to. The Lord give us to walk softly and tenderly before Him, so that we may not come under the blinding influence of sin!
But, be it remembered, that the most effectual safeguard against the working and the influence of sin is to have the heart established in grace and to be clear about our standing in Christ. When I know that all my sins and all my defilements were judged and condemned in the cross and that I am justified and accepted in a risen Christ, then I stand on the true ground of holiness. And, if I fail, I can bring my failure to God, in confession and self-judgment, and know Him as faithful and just to forgive me my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I judge myself on the ground of this, that Christ has been already judged before God for the very thing which I confess in His presence.
True it is, I must confess and judge myself, if I have gone wrong. A single sinful thought is sufficient to interrupt my communion. But it is as a purged one that I confess. I am no longer viewed as a sinner; I am now in the position of a child having to do with God as a Father. He has made provision for my daily need, a provision which does not involve a denial of my place or an ignoring of the work of Christ, but a provision which tells me at once of the holiness and grace of Him who made it. I am not to ignore the altar because I need the sea, but I am to adore the grace of Him who provided both the one and the other.
The Object—Washing
Now, a very few words will suffice as to the object of the sea. “The sea was for the priests to wash in.” Thither came the priests, from day to day, to wash their hands and feet, so that they might always be in a fit condition to go through their priestly work. A striking type, this, of God’s spiritual priests, that is to say, of all true believers whose works and ways need to be cleansed by the action of the Word. Both the brazen laver, in the tabernacle, and the brazen sea in the temple foreshadowed that “washing of water by the word” which Christ is now carrying on by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ, in Person, is acting up in heaven for us, and, by His Spirit and Word, He is acting in us and on us. He restores us when we wander; He cleanses us from every soil; He corrects our every error.
We are saved by His life. All is secured in Him. “Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:25-27).
And now, one word as to the “oxen” which sustained the brazen sea. The ox is used in Scripture as the symbol of patient labor, and hence their significant place beneath the brazen sea. From whatever side the priest approached, he was met by the apt expression of patient labor. It mattered not how often or in what way he came, he could never exhaust the patience that was devoted to the work of cleansing him from all his defilements. What a precious figure! We can never weary Christ by our frequent coming. He will not tire until He presents us to Himself without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
May our hearts adore Him who is our Altar, our Laver, our Sacrifice, our Priest, our Advocate, our All!
C. H. Mackintosh (adapted)
The Sanctuary and the Sea: The Twofold Ways of God
Psalm 77:13,19
His way is “in the sanctuary,” and His way is “in the sea.” Now there is a great difference between these two things. First of all, God’s way is in the sanctuary where all is light, all is clear. There is no mistake there. There is nothing in the least degree that is harassing to the spirit. On the contrary, it is when the poor troubled one enters into the sanctuary and views things there in the light of God that he sees the end of all else—everything that is entangled, the end of which he cannot find on the earth.
We have the same thing in Psalm 73. “When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.” That is, in the sanctuary of God everything is understood, no matter how difficult, trying, and painful, as regards ourselves or others. When we once enter there, we are in the place of God’s light and God’s love, and then, whatever the difficulty may be, we understand all about it.
But not only is God’s way in the sanctuary (and when we are there, all is rest and peace), but God’s way is in the sea. He walks where we cannot always trace His footsteps.
In the Sea
God moves mysteriously at times, as we all know. There are ways of God which are purposely to try us. I need not say that it is not at all as if God had pleasure in our perplexities. Nor is it as if we had no sanctuary to draw near to, where we can rise above it. But still there is a great deal in the ways of God that must be left entirely in His own hands. The way of God is, thus, not only in the sanctuary, but also in the sea. And yet, what we find even in connection with His footsteps being in the sea is, “Thou leddest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (vs. 20). That was through the sea; afterward, it was through the wilderness. But it had been through the sea. The beginnings of the ways of God with His people were there, because from first to last God must be the confidence of the saint. It may be an early lesson of his soul, but it never ceases to be the thing to learn.
In the Sanctuary
How happy to know that while the sanctuary is open to us, and God Himself is there, He is nearer still to us. As it is said, “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). This is a most precious thing, because there we are in the sanctuary at once and brought to God Himself. And I am bold to say that heaven itself would be but a small matter if it were not that we are brought to God. This is better than any freedom from trial, better than any blessing, to be in the presence of the One to whom we belong, who is Himself the source of all blessing and joy. That we are brought to Him now is infinitely precious. There we are in the sanctuary brought to God.
But still there are other ways of God outside the sanctuary—in the sea. And there we often find ourselves at a loss. If we are occupied with the sea itself or with trying to scan God’s footsteps there, then they will not be known. But confidence in God Himself is always the strength of faith. May the Lord grant us increasing simplicity and quietness in the midst of all that which we pass through, for His name’s sake.
C. H. Mackintosh
The Sea of Galilee
What a moment it must have been, when the Lord stilled the wind and the sea on the lake of Galilee (Mark 4:37-41)! What an expression of ready obedience there was in those angry elements! It must have been wonderful and beautiful to have witnessed it! People may talk of the necessary force of principles, the laws of nature, or the course of things, but it is surely the law of nature to obey its Lord in the midst of even its wildest ways. As here, in the twinkling of an eye, the sea of Galilee felt the presence of One who transfigures at His pleasure the course of nature, or by a touch unhinges it all.
When the same Jesus (Psa. 104) by and by roars over His prey like a lion, the thunder, though it was asleep the moment before, utters its voice (Rev. 10), for all the forces of nature are equally, either still or alive, at His various pleasure. And so at the end, from His presence, when enthroned in white or for judgment, the heavens and the earth in like instinctive readiness will pass away (Rev. 20).
The Lord Listened to Joshua
I observe a difference in the style of the action in Joshua, when the sun and the moon stood still in the midst of heaven. It was the Lord who listened to the voice of man there. Joshua prayed and got the power of God on his side, and the occasion was full of wonder, no day being like it.
But Jesus acts at once and from Himself, and no wonder is expressed by the inspired evangelist. All the wonder which waits on the occasion comes from the unprepared hearts of men or the disciples.
Many a wind, I may say, has blown over the same water since the day of Mark 4, and the heart of many an alarmed disciple has again cried out, but there has been no answer. Many and many a trying and terrible storm of affliction still sweeps across the path of the people of God, and there is no command to it from Him who has right and power still. But this we may learn that, though there is “need of patience,” and Jesus appears still to sleep, yet is He as truly with us now as He was for the disciples in the face of the danger then.
The Presence of Jesus
And this same water was not always disturbed. Often it witnessed the successful fishing of the disciples of Jesus. At the command of the same power which now quieted the waters, they again and again yielded their treasures, and nets full were given to them without any toil of theirs. As now, in the changeful scenery of life, it may be peace and abundance, and again danger, disturbance and fear. But oh the comfort, could we but embrace it! It is the presence of the same Jesus which faith is entitled to know, whether in smooth waters, in allayed waters, or in waters which still rage and swell without a voice to command them. He may be active in the one case and seem as if asleep in the other, but He is equally in the ship, in either case.
And I have thought that the communion which the disciples had with their Lord after they had wakened Him was not equal to that they would have had if their faith had left Him still asleep. They were, it is true, at the end of their fears from the wind and enjoying the fruit of His power, but they had fears from Himself and were not at ease in His presence. He had rebuked them, and they could not but remember that they had disturbed Him. Had they let Him sleep on, they might have sat and gazed at Him on His pillow, and through that gaze have learned the intimacy of His interest with theirs, and seen themselves as bound up into one bundle of life with Him. But all this was now lost to them: losers spiritually, gainers providentially. So it is with us oftentimes. The Lord comes down to our level, to the place our fears have brought Him, in the delivering operations of His hand, but it is with the loss of the light of that elevation where He was — the place up to which faith would have taken us. Have not our souls known something of this?
Fear or unbelief at times hinder communion with the Lord and separate the soul from the enjoyment of what He is to us.
Selfishness
It is a worse thing still, when selfishness is the hindrance. We know these things ourselves, and we hear of them in the recorded experiences of others. In a previous scene on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4), the disciples, through fear, lost what their Lord would have been to them; here, on the same sea, they lost Him through selfishness (Mark 6:31-52). They had returned to Him after a day’s toil, and He had retired with them, that they might rest and be refreshed. But their privacy was soon disturbed by the multitude. In the perfection of His ways, He at once turned from them to wait on the deeper need of the people. They were like sheep without a shepherd, and He begins to teach them. This was perfect, and therefore the only path the Son of God could take. He turns from the less to the greater necessity, from the fatigue of the disciples to the spiritual wants of the multitude. In taking this direction, the disciples suffer. But this is not the fault of their Master, but the result of the perfection of His way.
This is so continually with us, and we are offended. Our selfishness makes us intent on our own part in the great scene around us, and we are not, with Him, in wisdom and love, surveying and weighing it in all its relationships. So it was here with the disciples: They are offended by the multitude being thus waited on, and they propose to their Master, after some little space, that He would send them away. Hence there was a moral breach between Him and them. Their selfishness, their narrowness of heart, had wrought it. He cannot take the course they prescribe. He feeds, instead of dismissing, the multitude.
The discipline, then, comes in due season. After feeding the people, the Lord tells the disciples to go aboard and cross the Sea of Galilee. As their selfishness would gladly have separated Him from the people, His discipline must now separate them from the joy and strength of His presence. They launch on the sea, and He pursues His perfect path, taking leave of the poor shepherdless flock, retiring to the mountain for prayer, and then descending to walk on the sea, which all this time, by reason of contrary winds, had cost them toil in rowing.
Separation From His Presence
This was separation indeed. They see, but they do not share the triumph of their Lord. In principle, this carries with it all the difference between judgment and salvation. For a moment their souls have to taste somewhat of this. They do not discern Him; they cry out. They are sore amazed above measure and wonder. They see their Lord in the place of strength and victory, but they are not with Him there. This is real separation. They behold Him, and with fear, walking over all that mighty maze and tempest, which was giving them such toil and distress.
Judgment and Salvation
This carries all the difference between judgment and salvation. For what is salvation but a share in the victory of the Son of God? And what will judgment be, but seeing that victory in its glorious fruit without a share in it, and rather driven from its presence with confusion and amazement?
The Sea of Galilee may picture the Christian’s life to us. The surface was smooth at times, rough at times, asking for toil in rowing at times, affording propitious sailing and successful fishing at times, and at times awakening fear. But change as it may, Jesus was there with His people. His ways may vary, but He is always with them there or joins them there. He may at times be prospering their nets, directing their labors, asleep as though He heeded them not, the companion of their gentle passage across, or walking in strength over what was too much for them. But still He is with them: Whether sailing, fishing, rowing, or buffeting the wind in fear, He is ever with them.
The Remembrancer, 1902
From Sea to Sea
The millennial reign of Christ is the answer to the sufferings of Christ from the hands of men, which are presented in Psalm 69. The fulfillment of the desires of Christ, expressed in Psalm 70, following the restoration of Israel, are foretold in Psalm 71. Then the millennial reign of Christ is described for us in Psalm 72.
Psalm 72 opens (vs. 1) with a prayer to God, that the King may be guided by divine righteousness, and thus able to give decisions, or judgments, in accordance with the will of God. It is thus realized that the blessing of the kingdom wholly depends upon a King who carries out God’s judgments according to God’s righteousness. This King will be found only in Christ — the Son of David, of whom Solomon was but a type.
The Character of the Kingdom
There follows (vss. 2-11) the presentation of the character of the kingdom that must follow from having a King according to the mind of God. It will be marked by peace as the fruit of righteousness, according to which “the poor,” “the needy,” and “the oppressed,” will come under the special care of the King. Moreover, established in righteousness, it will be not only a kingdom of peace, but an enduring kingdom, marked by the fear of God throughout all generations (vs. 5).
Further it will be a kingdom of spiritual and material prosperity. The influence of the King upon His kingdom will be like showers that water the earth. In His days the righteous will flourish, and there will be abundance of peace (vv. 6-7). In extent His kingdom will be universal, from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth (vs. 8).
Supreme Power
Moreover, if universal in extent, it will be supreme in power. Every enemy will submit to the King, and own their subjection with gifts, by bowing before the King and serving Him (vv. 9-11). There follows the reason why this glorious kingdom marked by righteousness and peace, endurance, prosperity, universality and supremacy, should be given to Christ (vv. 12-14); He alone is worthy to receive riches, and honor, and glory, and might; for all these things will He use to deliver the needy and the poor when they cry; to be the Helper of the helpless, and the Redeemer of men from corruption and violence; and in His sight the lives of the poor and the helpless will be precious.
Further (vss. 15-16), we are assured that this King, who secures such blessing for the world, will never be cut off by death, for “He shall live.” To Him the riches of the world will be given; for Him prayer will be made that the blessing of His reign may continue; and to Him praise will be offered daily. Thus abundance of blessing will be secured for every portion of the earth ― the valleys, the mountains and the cities.
Everlasting Fame
The glory and blessing of His kingdom (vs. 17) will lead to the everlasting fame of His Name, for all will be blessed in Him, and He will be blessed of all.
Lastly (vss. 18-20), the praise of the King will lead to the praise of God. Thus men will say, “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name forever.” Thus through the reign of Christ in righteousness, the whole earth will be filled with the glory of God. In the anticipation of this glorious prospect, David can say, “the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” What more, indeed, is left for David to pray? It only remains for him to say, with all others, “Amen, and Amen.”
Hamilton Smith
Divine Providence
In Daniel 7, the prophet said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea.” He was given to see the effects of the winds upon the sea. These winds represent God’s providential dealings with the earth — they are “the four winds of heaven.” They are currents that are allowed by God to affect the courses of the nations. Policies and public opinions, circumstances, great and apparently trivial, all work out His will. The sea represents the restless moving masses of people who are acted upon by these things. When John, looking ahead, sees these four winds in Revelation 7, they are being held back until a remnant of Israel are sealed before the time of Jacob’s trouble. John speaks of the winds as “the four winds of the earth.” The difference between Daniel and John is that the former spoke of the source from which they come, and the latter, the object on which they act.
The Winds Upon the Seas
In Daniel 7 the activity of these winds upon the seas produces the agitation that brings forth great empires, and this commotion has always preceded great changes among the nations. Sometimes seemingly unrelated happenings prove to be but the workings of a divine providence to produce certain complex situations out of which arise great leaders and great nations. Look back through history and see the background from which sprang those great beasts of Daniel 7 — the Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires. All came up from the tossing around of the peoples, which were brought about by the providential winds of heaven.
The Winds of Heaven
Then when we come to Revelation 13 we find that the future beast — the great and terrible Roman Empire of the future — will arise out of the sea, no doubt troubled by the winds of heaven acting upon the earth. Surely the last few years have witnessed the blowing of the winds of heaven upon earth, and the changes have been momentous and drastic. Stormy winds have been fulfilling His will, and soon the final actors in this scene of man’s day will come forth ready to fulfill their appointed parts. But let us not forget how the picture of prophecy everywhere closes with the coming and kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel says, when contemplating the four Gentile kingdoms, especially the revived Roman Empire, that “in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Dan. 2:44).
Paul Wilson
A Sea of Glass
As we have seen in other articles in this issue of “The Christian,” the word “sea” can have different meanings in the Word of God: Sometimes the meaning is literal, and at other times symbolical. In Revelation, however, we have twice over an unusual expression: a sea of glass. We read in Revelation 4:6 that “before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.” The throne referred to is doubtless the throne on which our Lord Jesus sits in a coming day, but it is surrounded by “twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones twenty-four elders sitting, clothed with white garments” (vs. 4 JND). Then, in Revelation 15:2, we have another reference to a sea of glass: “I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.” What does all this mean, and in particular, what is meant by a sea of glass?
Two Groups
It is clear that two different groups of people are in view here, and at different times, yet both associated with a sea of glass. The first group are called elders, and they are mentioned early in the book of Revelation. It is generally accepted that they represent the heavenly saints who are caught up when the Lord comes back to take us home to Himself — all those who have died in Christ, both before and after the cross of Christ, as well as those who are alive at His coming and caught up without going through death. The imagery is that of the Levitical priesthood, which was divided by David into 24 courses. Now those saints have been called up to heaven at the Lord’s coming for them, and they are seated on thrones around the One who loved and died for them. They are associated with Him and are preparing to reign with Him.
The other group comes later, for they have “gotten the victory over the beast” — the leader who comes to the fore during the tribulation period. He is an appallingly evil man, who, along with the antichrist, brings the world to the height of diabolical wickedness and who brings about idolatry such as has never been seen before. Any who are faithful to the Lord will suffer greatly under him, for it is “the dragon” (Satan) who gives him his power. He also “opened his mouth in blasphemy against God” (see Rev. 13:4-6). Any who wish to honor God during that time will endure terrible persecution under him, but it will be a special trial for the godly remnant among the Jews.
The Washing of Water
The sea of glass would seem to refer to another Old Testament feature — the molten sea situated outside Solomon’s temple, in which the priests washed their hands and feet before entering the temple. This corresponds to the laver, which stood before the tabernacle. Both give us in picture the feet washing the Lord instituted with His disciples in John 13 and which is referred to in Ephesians 5:26 — “the washing of water by the word.”
This continual moral washing and self-judgment were necessary for the saints during their wilderness journey, as they came into contact with a sinful world, but all that is past now. They have been taken up at the rapture to be with the Lord forever. The sea of glass is described as “like unto crystal,” perhaps emphasizing the perfection of holiness and purity that now characterizes the heavenly saints. Washing is no longer needed; their purity, pictured in the glass, is fixed forever. How precious this is!
The Martyrs in Heaven
However, in Revelation 15, we see saints from a later date. They too are in heaven, and this time they “stand on the sea of glass.” More than this, the sea of glass is “mingled with fire.” They have gotten the victory over the beast, for they would not worship his image or receive his mark. As a result, they were martyred, and although not part of the church or those caught up at the rapture, they share the kingdom on the heavenly side. The fire mingled with the sea of glass brings before us the awful tribulation through which they have passed, but they are victorious. They have escaped the wrath of the beast, just as Israel escaped the wrath of Pharaoh by passing through the Red Sea. Thus it is appropriate that they sing the “song of Moses” (vs. 3), for it was then, and is now, the song of victory, but it is also the song of the Lamb. The company being a godly remnant in the middle of apostate Israel, they do not have the spiritual intelligence of the church. However, they do recognize the Lamb as the One for whom they have suffered. It is interesting that the song of Moses in Exodus 15 is the first mention of singing in the Bible, while that recorded here in Revelation 15 is the last mention of singing in the Bible.
The purity of this company is now fixed as well, for they are in heaven, where no sin can ever enter. However, the words “like unto crystal” are omitted here; rather, the fire through which they have passed is emphasized. Their purity cannot be any less than perfect, but the Spirit of God chooses to emphasize their tribulation experience rather than their purity.
How it should thrill our hearts to realize that in that future day (perhaps very soon!), we shall be in a place where sin can never come, where our old, sinful flesh is gone forever, and where Christ fills the whole happy scene! “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
W. J. Prost
No More Sea
After the solemn scene of eternal judgment, unfolded at the close of Revelation 20, a vision of the unclouded beauty of the eternal state of blessedness is displayed before our eyes in chapter 21. The contrast is as abrupt as it is magnificent. No sooner had John recorded the doom of those who appeared before the great white throne than he proceeds: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (vs. 1). Isaiah is the first to make mention both of new heavens and a new earth. He says, speaking in the name of Jehovah, “Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind” (Isa. 65:17). And again, “As the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain” (Isa. 66:22). However, while the words “new heavens” and “new earth,” appear in Isaiah’s prophecy, yet it is evident from the context of the passages cited that they do not contain the same significance as in our chapter. In Isaiah, indeed, scarcely more is meant than that the heavens and the earth shall be morally new during the millennium; that, as the heavens will be cleared from Satan and Satan’s power (see Eph. 6:12; Rev. 12:10), and the earth will be freed in large measure from the effects of the curse (see Psa. 67 and 72), they will be in this sense new. The Apostle Peter supplies the link between Isaiah and Revelation. Taking up, as led of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah’s prophecy and giving to it a deeper meaning, Peter says, after describing the dissolution of all things, “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13). This, as will be at once perceived, goes much further than the kingdom during the thousand years, the characteristic of which is that righteousness will reign (See Psa. 96-99; Isa. 32). However, Peter speaks of a scene wherein righteousness shall dwell. This could be no other than the eternal state, telling of a scene without and a scene within which answer to all that God is, a scene which is, in fact, the consummation of the new creation.
The New Earth
The first heaven and the first earth are thus forever displaced. (In fact, as we learn from 2 Peter 3:10-12, they will be destroyed by fire.) It is specially noted that there was no more sea. This fact may have a twofold significance. The first and most prominent thought is, since the sea interposes a barrier to being together, that there will be then no more separation. Then, as we remember the symbolic meaning of earth and sea in this book, that the earth speaks of ordered government and the sea of not subject and unorganized masses of people or nations, it teaches that every part of the new earth will be in ordered subjection to and under the governmental control of God. All will be the perfect expression of His own will, and then will be fulfilled that far-reaching petition in the prayer the Lord taught His disciples, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). It was so done by our Lord Himself, but in these “new and blessed scenes,” it will be also so done by everyone among all the countless throng of the redeemed.
E. Dennett
Jesus on the Sea of Galilee
“It is I; be not afraid” (Mark 6:47-51).
The night is dark; the winds are high;
Black rolling clouds obscure the sky;
Fierce bursts the storm that sweeps the sea
Of thy green shores, O Galilee:
In vain you boatmen ply the oar,
And toil to gain the wished-for shore.
Oh, never, since first seamen brave
Ventured to trust the treacherous wave,
Did bark so rich a freight contain,
Nor e’er shall hold so rich again
As that now tossing on the sea,
Of thy green shores, O Galilee.
No silk, or pearls, or dust of gold,
That little storm-tossed skiff may hold;
No men of wealth, or power, or birth,
The wise and mighty of the earth:
Man’s eye therein no more could see
Than fishermen of Galilee.
Foul is the wind, the waves run high,
Their wearied oars in vain they ply,
When lo! a wondrous form of light
Bursts on the darkness of the night,
And walks upon the depths profound,
As if the sea were solid ground.
With throbbing hearts, in wild amaze,
The startled boatmen trembling gaze:
“It is a spirit,” lo! they cry,
As to their bark its steps draw nigh;
Such visions of the night, more drear
To mortal hearts, than sword or spear.
“Fear not: ’tis I; be not afraid,”
With well-known voice, their Master said;
“Fear not: ’tis I; be of good cheer,
Nor let your hearts give way to fear;
I walk upon the liquid wave,
Jesus, Emmanuel, strong to save.”
“It is the Lord!” they gladly cry—
What joy succeeds their agony!
“It is the Lord! Our Savior near,
What room is there for care or fear?
All earth and hell we can defy
If we but know our Lord is nigh.”
J. G. Deck