Now, these words are clearly a foreshadowing of the baptism with the
Holy Ghost and fire, designed for all of God's children without
distinction of nation or sex, and intended, first, to purify their
hearts by faith (see Acts 15:9) and, secondly, to endue them with power
for whatever line of service God may call them to. And we may add that
this text, as well as many others, shows that in these gospel days
women as well as men may be, as we find in the facts of our daily
experience that they are both called and qualified for the work of the
ministry, as well as other labors in the vineyard of the Lord. But both
men and women need the Holy Ghost baptism which consumes inbred sin,
as an indispensable qualification for the highest efficiency and most
marked success in the work to which they may individually be called.
Every Christian may and should do something for the Lord, but none can
do all for Him which he makes it his privilege and his duty to do,
without the grace of entire sanctification and the fulness of the
Spirit.
In the prayer of Habakkuk we have some sentences which point
unmistakably to the experience of perfect trust in God and perfect love
for Him. "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit
be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields
shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and
there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I
will joy in the God of my salvation." Compare this with John Wesley's
description of a holy man after Paul. One who is enabled to rejoice
evermore, to pray without ceasing, and in everything to give thanks.
Does not Habakkuk answer beautifully to this description?
The prophecy of Zechariah contains a number of visions, which are, no
doubt, full of instruction to those who have eyes to see. We can only
mention one or two of these. In the third chapter, verses one to seven,
we are introduced to Joshua, the high priest, representing the Jewish
people, and typifying Christ Jesus with His eternal and unchangeable
priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. But the Angel Jehovah also
represents Jesus in His capacity of Judge. And Satan, the adversary, is
present as the accuser of the brethren, resisting them in the person of
their representative, the high priest.
And surely it would seem, at first, as if there was ground for his
accusations, for Joshua, the high priest, is clothed in filthy
garments, and these can signify nothing else than sins, aye, the sins
of His people imputed to Him as their representative and priest, and
not their actual sins only but their inbred sin also, for, "The Lord
hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all," and "He hath made Him to be
sin for us who knew no sin." "His visage was so marred more than any
man, and His form more than the sons of men." "He hath no form nor
comeliness, and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we
should desire Him."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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