1.—THE NAIL OF DEATH
WHEN the mighty hosts of Sisera, the proud captain of Jabin, king of Canaan, with his 900 chariots of iron, had been discomfited before the Lord, and his army lay dead upon the battle-field slain by the sword of Barak the son of Abinoam, Sisera himself fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael, but it was only to end his days by the hand of a woman, for it is written that “Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent and a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples and fastened it into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary so he died.” “She put her hand to the nail and her right hand to the workman's hammer, and with the hammer she smote Sisera; she smote off his head when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.” “So let all thine enemies perish, oh, Lord! but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might.”
Yes, how true it is that, when least expected death and judgment overtook Sisera, and a nail, wielded by a woman's hand ignominiously ended his days on earth! What a solemn warning is this to all God's enemies today, who, ere long, will most surely be overtaken by death and judgment amidst their carnal ease and apathy; " for when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.”
In Sisera's case it was just a tent nail that did it, as he lay fast asleep and weary; but with all those who die in their sins they will awake to meet God in judgment at the great white throne, and then—the lake of fire forever
2.—THE NAIL OF THE SANCTUARY
Many years had passed away since the death of Sisera, and Israel had been carried away into captivity as a result of their sins, when Ezra, the priest and scribe, came up to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him, for " he had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it.” Feeling deeply as he did the worldly state of God's ancient people, and their unholy affinity with strangers, he rent his garments and plucked off his hair, and, overwhelmed with grief, feel upon his knees and confessed the people's sin in these solemn words, " Oh, my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass has grown up into the heavens.
Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day, and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.”
Here was a full confession as to their state before God, followed by true self-judgment, which is the invariable forerunner of blessing, leading to confidence in God, as expressed in these words, “And now, for a little space, grace hath been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage." Well may we exclaim, How wondrous is God's mercy; and “His ways are past finding out." Who would have thought that after so many years of complete departure from Himself He should not only lighten their eyes, and revive their spirits, but in His infinite grace should give such a people " a nail in His holy place," or (as the margin reads), “a constant and sure abode " in the sanctuary?
Truly, "mercy thus rejoiced against judgment,” and a repentant people again proved the faithfulness and love of God. Separation from the people of the land and from the strange wives was the divine result of their humiliation, and, obeying the word of the Lord through Ezra, the whole congregation said with a loud voice, "As thou hast said, so must we do.”
3.—THE ROYAL NAIL
Two hundred and fifty-five years before the days of Ezra, God had sent a marvelous message of grace through Isaiah the prophet, foretelling, not only the advent of His own beloved Son, but His wondrous humiliation and death, as well as the subsequent glories of His coming kingdom. In connection with the latter He has said, “I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle; and I will commit thy government into his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder, so he shall open and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open.
And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glories of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons." Who can question that this Royal Nail, on whom alone Israel's future blessing hangs, is none other than Christ, their Messiah; yea, the Son of the living God; and that to Him belongs, as David's greater Son, the key as well as the throne of the house of David? Yes, not only do Israel's hopes but the hopes of the church and of all the blood-bought family hang upon that royal Nail, which God Himself has fastened in a sure place, and this very earth, the scene of His rejection, shall yet witness, in the bright and coming day, the glories of His world-wide kingdom. His throne, as Son of man, shall stand forever, and His dominion stretch from pole to pole, for our God has decreed that to Him every knee shall how and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. This groaning earth shall yet be delivered from the cruel bondage of Satan by that royal Nail which God has fastened in a sure place, and all creation shall praise Him in the day of His exaltation and regal splendor.
“Royal robes shall soon invest Thee,
Royal splendor crown Thy brow;
Christ of God, our souls confess
Thee King and Sovereign even now;
Thee we reverence, Thee obey,
Owning Thee our Lord alway.”
Dear reader, is this precious Savior yours, and have you yet confessed Him as your Lord? If not, do so now, in this the day of His grace.
S. T.