Believing the Report.

        “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?” Isa. 53:1. The prophets were journalists who wrote the report, and heralds who proclaimed it. They were bearers of news; good news. But many times the readers were appalled, offended, distressed by the Word given them. These men were not soothsayers: they made no predictions. In fact neither “predict” nor “prediction” is to be found anywhere in all the canon of scripture! Predestination is a term that well replaces prediction! Their proclam-ations were at times linked to the present; at times they pertained to that which should come to pass in future days; sometimes they made quantum leaps into the future; hundreds, even thousands of years. Years later, Paul, the other apostles, and men of like faith “believed their report” and ran the race that was set before them. They too became journalists and heralds. As Paul exhorted Timothy, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” II Tim. 2:2.

        The voices of the prophets are silent; also the preaching of the apostles. The pastors, the evangelists of yesteryear are but echoes of the past. Who is it that will be journalist and herald today? Who will prepare others to labor on tomorrow? Who will fight a good fight; who will finish the course; who will keep the faith?

Christ’s Labor of Love.

        “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” John 14:13.

        “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” Isa. 53:4-6.

        “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” Isa. 53:10,11.

He shall “see his seed?” “He shall see the travail of his soul, and be satisfied?” How close does a mother come to death when bringing a life into the world? I suspect the term “going into labor” is well founded. No matter; it is a “labor of love!” And the flower of love goes into full blossom when first she “sees her seed.” A new born! Though it is the “travail of her soul,” yet it has been worth it all! She is overcome with joy; she is “satisfied!” “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith: who for the Joy that was set before him endured the cross. . .” Heb. 12:2. (Little did Nicodemus know, that when Jesus said, Ye must be born again, that he was standing before Him who should birth him into the eternal!)

        Who is it that was stricken, smitten of God; wounded for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquities; and put to grief? “My righteous servant!” “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” Phil. 2:7,8.

          A Labor of Love? It may be identified in other terms as The Gospel of Jesus Christ! A labor of love? It is the labor of the cross: Christ labored in our stead; he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows; the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all; He labored that we might be given His rest. “Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” Matt. 11:28-30. We have His assurance; it is not just a rest; it is His rest. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me” Psalm 23:4. When we are walking together with Jesus; when we are yoked together with Him; our laboring in Him shall become as rest.

The Believer’s Labor of Love.

        “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love. . .” I Thes. 1:3. “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister” Heb. 6:10

        How may I think to join myself with the term, labor? When I behold the labor of the cross where Jesus died; where He declared, “It is finished:” The labor is ended; Jesus paid it all; He labored, yet received for His work the wages of sin in my behalf. A labor of love? It is a blessed privilege, an honor, that a Holy God should show forth His favor in allowing me to be a journalist, a herald; to speak His name; to proclaim His Truth, to “minister to the saints. . .” Yet, I can understand: as an expectant mother “in labor,” our labor is truly a “labor of love” in delivering the Gospel of Christ. As Paul so affectionately worded it in his letter to Philemon, “Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee.” Labor? Yes. For payment of wages? No! For love’s sake!

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