Spurgeon Meditations

 

And the Lord shewed me four carpenters.

Zec 1 20

In the vision described in this chapter the prophet saw four terrible horns. They were pushing this way and that way dashing down the strongest and the mightiest; and the prophet asked What are these? The answer was These are the horns whichhave scattered Israel. He saw before him a representation of those powers which had oppressed the church of God. There were four horns; for the church is attacked from all quarters. Well might the prophet have felt dismayed; but on a sudden there appeared before him four carpenters. He asked What shallthese do? These are the men whom God hath found to break those horns in pieces. God will always find men for His work and He will find them at the right time. The prophet did not see the carpenters first when there was nothing to do but first the horns, and then the "carpenters." Moreover the Lord finds enough men. He did not find three carpenters but four; there were four horns and there must be four workmen. God finds the right men; not four men with pens to write; not four architects to draw plans; but four carpenters to do rough work. Rest assured you who tremble for the ark of God that when the horns grow troublesome the "carpenters" will be found. You need not fret concerning the weakness of the church of God at any moment; there may be growing up in obscurity the valiant reformer who will shake the nations: Chrysostoms may come forth from our Ragged Schools and Augustines from the thickest darkness of London's poverty. The Lord knows where to find His servants. He hath in ambush a multitude of mighty men and at His word they shall start up to the battle; "for the battle is the Lord's and He shall get to Himself the victory. Let usabide faithful to Christ, and He, in the right time, will raiseup for us a defence, whether it be in the day of our personalneed, or in the season of peril to His Church.% 12/06/PM Girt about the paps with a golden girdle." --Revelation 1:13 One like unto the Son of Man" appeared to John in Patmos and the beloved disciple marked that He wore a girdle of gold. A girdle for Jesus never was ungirt while upon earth but stood always ready for service and now before the eternal throne He stays not is holy ministry but as a priest is girt about with the curious girdle of the ephod. Well it is for us that He has not ceased to fulfil His offices of love for us since this is one of our choicest safeguards that He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Jesus is never an idler; His garments are never loose as though His offices were ended; He diligently carries on the cause of His people. A golden girdle to manifest the superiority of His service the royalty of His person the dignity of His state the glory of His reward. No longer does He cry out of the dust but He pleads with authority a King as well as a Priest. Safe enough is our cause in the hands of our enthroned Melchisedek. Our Lord presents all His people with an example. We must never unbind our girdles. This is not the time for lying down at ease it is the season of service and warfare. We need to bind the girdle of truth more and more tightly around our loins. It is a golden girdle and so will be our richest ornament and we greatly need it for a heart that is not well braced up with the truth as it is in Jesus and with the fidelity which is wrought of the Spirit will be easily entangled with the things of this life and tripped up by the snares of temptation. It is in vain that we possess the Scriptures unless we bind them around us like a girdle surrounding our entire nature keeping each part of our character in order and giving compactness to our whole man. If in heaven Jesus unbinds not the girdle much less may we upon earth. Stand therefore having your loins girt about with truth.


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