The Recovery of the Lord's Name In His People

The Honor and Glory of the Lord's Name

We resume our occupation with this matter of the recovery of the honor and glory of the Lord's Name in His people. Just a few words to link up with what we were saying earlier when we were pointing out a certain correspondence between the time of Gideon and our own time. On the one hand a state of things among the Lord's people which is altogether contrary to the glory and honor of His Name, that state being weakness before their enemies, so largely at the mercy of their foes, defeat and helplessness. Then poverty, no real enjoyment of the wealth of the land which still was the land of promise and covenant flowing with milk and honey, but not for them, in their state. Food very scarce and far to be sought. Confusion - a big question continually dominating their minds as to the meaning of it all and as to the way out. Disintegration and confusion, no cohesion, no oneness, no solidity and without leaders to speak with that finality of authority in the Name of the Lord which would put new hope and new confidence into them. These were the conditions of Gideon's time. And as we have said there is something like that today. We will not traverse that ground again to emphasize or prove it is true.

But on the other hand, God moving in a Sovereign way for His Name's sake, to recover its glory and its honor by changing those conditions. For the honor and glory of the Lord's Name is in a people who are strong against their enemies, strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. His glory and honor is to be found in a people who are enjoying their inheritance in Christ, of wealth and riches. Where there is not spiritual poverty all the time. The Lord's people have not got the resources by which they flourish in the land. His glory is found in people who are really, truly, enjoying the depth of the riches in Christ and in people who have food, who are not starved and miserable because there is no real provision for them to feed upon. A well-fed people is what the Lord wants for His glory, a people who are sure, have confidence and certainty and not all the time dogged and dominated by questions which disturb and unsettle and rob them of their sense of security. They have got the great answer in their hearts; that is, they know where they stand and why they stand there. Theirs is an assured life. And further, the Lord's Name is certainly glorified in a united people. His honor has been sorely and grievously destroyed by the breakup of the Lord's people and all their scatteredness. Seems that the great, great prayer of our Lord recorded for us in John's gospel at chapter 17 very largely centered in that one thing, that there the unity of the Lord's people should be the great contributing factor to the glory of His Name. The Lord Jesus in that prayer repeatedly referred to the Name, "Keep them in Thy Name." It was for the Name's sake. Now to have a people like that, it is not just idealism, a vain hope, but something very near to the Lord's heart. For as we said Gideon in the very first place sets forth the fact that the Lord wants it otherwise and moves to have it otherwise and Gideon brings into view the movement of the Lord to change that state of things for His Name's sake.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 2)