This world is a wilderness wide.
Paul, as no one else, could have sung that song of the wilderness. Would he not also have led in the songs of the Lord, in the spirit of 2 Chron. 29:2727And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. (2 Chronicles 29:27)? When the burnt-offering began, the song of the Lord began also. No inspired writer in the New Testament has spoken of Christ offering Himself in that character, and of His acceptance on high, as Paul has. “The Christ loved us, and delivered himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savor.” His spirit appreciated that aspect of the offering of Christ. Thoughts, too, of Canaan s long-loved dwelling must have often made his heart tuneful; more than once or twice, in our day, they issued in song in one like-minded, whose heart was much there, who minded the things above.
When to Canaan s long-loved dwelling
Love divine thy foot shall bring;
There, with shouts of triumph swelling,
Zion s songs in rest to sing.
We should like to have received, through the hands of our first Christian brethren, of Paul’s day, some of their early songs, the heart s first, fresh overflowings; but what caused them remains, and that is far better. The strings have been loosened sadly, from the length of the way; but the same wind from heaven still breathes through them, wakening up melody to Him who, entered into heaven, is in the presence of God for us. We are to “sing with our hearts to the Lord,” he tells us; “with grace in our hearts,” to God (Eph. 5.; Col. 3).
Would he not have led in spirit in these divine songs?
No man ever passed through this world, according to the force of the expression, “in it, but not of it,” as Paul did, in the strength of that power that lifts us above it. We are but poor imitators of him here; but the Old Testament saints could not walk in such a path; the goal for them was not the same, nor the starting-point either, and the power of the Spirit of Christ was wanting; not that they had not life (the new nature), but the Holy Ghost was not yet, because that Jesus was not yet glorified, nor, indeed, come in flesh.
Abraham’s beginning was a little like Paul’s; the God of glory appeared unto him in Mesopotamia, as the “Lord of glory” (the Word that had become flesh) appeared unto Paul. Which was farthest from God? the idolater of Ur, or the devout Jew according to the flesh, the persecutor of Jesus the Nazaraean—Saul of Tarsus?
The beginning in each case, was wholly and absolutely from above, from God, rich in mercy, wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. The mighty word came to each (Gen. 15; Acts 9); the effect was similar—the effect on the flesh, or nature of man, when God was bringing him into relationship with Himself. It is judged. The sun was going down when God made a covenant with him by sacrifice; then a horror of great darkness fell upon Abraham. It was during the brightness of the midday sun, outshone by the “glory of that light,” that darkness came upon Saul, already fallen to the ground. Man, as he is, cannot stand there. When the Lord said, “Stand upon thy feet,” it was a new creature who did so. Henceforth, whom had he in heaven but Christ? and there was none upon earth that he desired beside Him.
When a soul is in earnest, Christ having been revealed to it, it wants (its first, its latest, and greatest of all wants) to know the Lord. Who is it who has just been saying, That I may know Him? Was it a babe, or one simple in knowledge? (2 Cor. 11:66But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things. (2 Corinthians 11:6)). I fear we have not made much progress in this knowledge, and so the nations hear but little of the “unsearchable riches of Christ” in our day.
But, times of trial and judgment are at hand, when, if the Lord tarry—to use the words of Dan. 12—(which, however, properly refer to Jewish circumstances; but compare Matt. 25), many, now sleeping, morally, in the dust of the earth, will arise; there will be wise ones, too, who will know what to do. For when did He ever fail to answer the feeblest cry of the remnant of His people? “I will never, never forsake thee; never, no, never, leave thee behind.” But, in one sense, the last days were already come, and here was one of the wise, or teachers, of those days, in immediate connection with the divine source of all knowledge. What he had learned, and received, and heard, and seen in Jesus, shone out through Paul, as through a transparent medium. He must have been conscious of this through the Holy Ghost, when addressing them, in v. 9; and when, in another place, he says, “Be ye imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” It was a word of more than apostolic authority; he was himself in the truth and power of what he enjoined on others.
I do not know of any word that so reminds us of John 8:2828Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. (John 8:28): “[ I am] altogether that which I also say to you” (New Trans.). See the effect of this in Luke 4, where, in spite of themselves, they wondered at His word, characterized, even in their minds, by grace, power, and authority. His lowly outside position took nothing from the authority of His word, which was thereby only intensified.
The result of their doing what they saw in Paul, would be, that the “God of peace” would be with them. This is but the complement of that other blessed truth: that, in ceasing from mere human anxiety, and trusting Him with the secret of the heart s trouble, the “peace of God” Himself would guard their hearts and thoughts by Christ Jesus. He is fully conscious of the greatness of the thought, for he adds: “It surpasses every understanding.”
I have put this question to myself: If Paul were here, and knew my spiritual state, could he say, “Abide in those things which you have learned, and of which you have been fully persuaded, knowing of whom you have learned them”? One might have to pass through some exercise of heart and conscience as to what things one had really learned, and had full assurance of, knowing of whom we had learned them. It is only when we have learned and received the things which we have seen and heard that we possess them spiritually. We are then in the state to which the Lord refers, when He says, “Whosoever hath, to him shall be given.”
Again, as in the first chapter, he speaks of the circumstances through which he was passing, but never of himself as a creature of any circumstance; that is the state of those who refuse to walk with God. He who walks according to the course of this world, is carried down the stream from whence never did soul deliver itself. He who gave Himself for our sins is the alone Deliverer here”; and Paul, who had praised God with singing in the dungeon at Philippi, is now telling the Philippians, from his prison-house at Rome, that the “peace of God which surpasses every understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts by Christ Jesus.”
The circumstances were only a means of his learning to be satisfied in himself. Yes! for Christ was there, and it was He who gave him power, so that he had strength for all things.
Mark the vastness of the range, and the spirit in which he contemplates them: “In everything, and in all things, I am initiated, both to be full and to be hungry; both to abound, and to suffer privation. I have strength for all things in him that gives me power.” In that heart there was no place for the murmurs of the wilderness, and none are ever heard. May we, too, be initiated into this mystery of knowing how to meet all and every circumstance, satisfied in oneself (v. 11, New Trans.). Dependence upon Christ is the measure of this new kind of satisfaction:
It will be remarked, that in this part he is speaking simply of himself in relation to the circumstances of ordinary human life. It was necessary to do so, as he had proposed himself as a model to all the saints at Philippi. But in the first chapter he looks at circumstances in exclusive connection with the glad tidings. They had turned out to the furtherance of the gospel; his bonds were known in the Prætorium to be in Christ; and whether, as looked at outwardly, and as means in the enemy s hand, they portended death, or that, he was still to continue, his only care was that the Lord should be magnified, whether by life or by death.
Let us look once more at the remarkable order and fullness of these exhortations; and then let, us ask ourselves, what room or occasion is left, in one who accepts them, for that wretched unrest and vanity of mind to which even Christians are so often a prey. First, they were to rejoice always in the Lord, their mildness to be known unto all. He was near. To be careful {anxious} for nothing, as in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, letting their requests be made known to God. Then he gives an outline of the character of the things which were to occupy their thoughts. All things true, and noble, and just; all things pure, amiable, and of good report; if there be any virtue, any praise; and, finally, the things they had learned, and received, and heard, and seen in him, they were to do.
In all this we see nothing like the imposition of a law for sanctification. What we do find, is the apostle, through the Spirit, ministering to those born of God the things suitable to the nature they had from Him. Joy in Christ, confidence in God, occupation of heart with all that was noble, and excellent, and pure before God.
How their hearts must have burned when he interpreted for them God’s mind about their gift to him! It was an odor of a sweet savor, an acceptable sacrifice, agreeable to God. In their kindness towards himself there was nothing wanting: he was full. “If at any time they were in need, it was Paul’s God ( my God ) who would supply that need, according to His riches in glory.”
The God who had accepted, as a sacrifice agreeable to Him, the things sent by Epaphroditus to His servant, Paul, would not forget them in the day of their need.