SERMON IV. But by Way of Application.
God's Word, God expects you to humble your souls before the great God through the ministry of His Word that we bring to you.
Therefore, as you demonstrate through your attentive presence that you recognize the authority, also demonstrate it through obedience and the reformation of your lives and conduct. Let your reformation be evidence that the authority of God's Word is indeed working in your hearts.
Tremble before it in this manner so that the Word may be honoured and your souls may find comfort, leading to eternal salvation.
SERMON IV.
But by Way of Application.
"Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord." 2 Kings
22:19
There are two gracious dispositions of the soul by which the name of God is sanctified in the hearing of His Word. The first is a trembling heart, which we discussed last time, and we have chosen this text to address the second.
The words that have been read to you are a part of the famous story that shows how Josiah, a gracious and godly king, was affected upon hearing God's Word. He was deeply moved upon hearing of God's displeasure, both against himself and the people. The essence of the
story is this: In the eighteenth year of his reign, there was great concern for the repair of the Temple of the Lord. During the restoration work, the Book of the Law was discovered, which they had not seen for a long time. It was read in the presence of King
Josiah, and upon hearing the words of the book, his heart immediately melted, and he became greatly troubled. He could not find peace until he sought further understanding of God's intentions regarding what was written in that book. He sent a message to the prophetess Huldah to inquire about God's will. Huldah gave him a response that pertained to both the people and the king. The words that have been read to you are specifically the part of God's answer concerning the king, stating, "Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself, etc. Therefore, I have heard you," declares the Lord, "and you shall die in peace." In this story, there are four important questions that help us to understand it better.
The first question is: What is this Book of the Law that was read to Josiah?
Secondly, why did he send to Huldah instead of Jeremiah the prophet, who was active during that time?
Thirdly, what is the reason behind the severe response from the Lord through Huldah against the people, even though they were on a hopeful path of reformation?
And fourthly, we come to the fulfillment of God's promise to Josiah that he would die in peace, as mentioned later in the chapter.
However, if you continue reading the story, you will find that Josiah died in a war. I will briefly address these four points to shed some light on the history before we delve into the words that were read.
First, regarding the book that was found, the text clearly states that it was the Book of the Law. It is strange that the Book of the Law was not available to the people of the Jews and that they had not possessed it until now. It is one of the most remarkable occurrences
mentioned in the Scriptures, that it was considered a wondrous thing to find the Book of the Law during Josiah's time. There is much debate among interpreters regarding this matter. Some suggest that the book was burned during the time of Ahaz, who destroyed all the copies he could find to prevent them from testifying against his departure from the true religion. It has been the way of wicked rulers to burn Scriptures, such as Diocletian's attempt to destroy as many copies of Scripture as possible. However, God has miraculously preserved the Scriptures to this day. No book has faced as much opposition and deliberate destruction as the Scriptures, and yet God has preserved it above all other books. It is the oldest book in the world, written long before any other extant book, and yet it has been fiercely opposed. This serves as strong evidence that God acknowledges its significance.
However, it is unlikely that the copy was burnt during Ahaz's reign, and that they did not have access to it, because between these two reigns, there was the righteous reign of Hezekiah. It appears that during Ahaz's time, many copies were indeed burned, so they had only a few during Hezekiah's reign. Then came Manasseh after Hezekiah, who was a wicked king and reigned for fifty-five years. It is likely that throughout his reign, he continued in wickedness, opposing God and all godliness. His son, Ammon, who succeeded him, was equally wicked. Therefore, during the reigns of these two evil kings, there were probably very few copies of the Book of the Law to be found.
Chrysostom, in his sermon on Matthew and Corinthians, believed it was only the Book of Deuteronomy. Many others also believe that it was at least some portion of the Law that was not available at that time, specifically the 27th and 28th chapters of Deuteronomy, which were read before Josiah and deeply moved his heart.
By the way, we can learn from this how blessed we are to have not only the Book of the Law but also the Gospel, the Prophets, the histories of the kings and judges, the Psalms, the Epistles, and the
book of Revelation. We have all these books in our homes that we can read constantly. In Josiah's time, it was a remarkable thing to have certain portions of the Book of the Law read, especially before the king.
Secondly, when Josiah heard this book being read, particularly those chapters, his heart was deeply affected. He realized that he had been living in sin against God, even though he was ignorant of it. He understood that ignorance would not excuse him. Before this, he did not comprehend the danger of the sins he and his people had been committing. But as soon as he became aware of their sins and the impending danger, his heart was greatly troubled.
This teaches us that we should not think our ignorance excuses us from our sins. As soon as God brings His Word among us to reveal the danger of our sins, God expects our hearts to be humbled before Him for our transgressions. Josiah was so humbled that he couldn't find rest. A heart that truly understands the evil of sin cannot be at peace until it knows more about God's intentions. It will seek diligently to learn God's mind regarding it. How can I sleep peacefully when I perceive that God's wrath is against me? I need to know whether God is reconciled to me or not. This was Josiah's situation.
Now, let's address the second question. Why did Josiah send to Huldah instead of Jeremiah? After all, Jeremiah was a renowned prophet in Israel at the same time. It is true that Jeremiah began his prophecy in the thirteenth year of Josiah.
Therefore, some suggest this reason: Jeremiah was a young prophet.
He began his prophecy in the thirteenth year of Josiah, and at that time, he had only been in ministry for five years. Jeremiah even refers to himself as a child who cannot speak. So, they think that Josiah may have considered it more suitable to send to Huldah, who had more experience, even though she was a woman. However, I don't think that was the reason for not sending to Jeremiah. It is
more likely that Jeremiah was not as accessible as Huldah. He lived in Anathoth, not in Jerusalem, and it is possible that he was not present. The good king was so eager to know God's mind that he was willing to receive the message from anyone, regardless of their status, as long as he could learn what God's mind was.
Now, let's move on to the third question. It is quite noteworthy in the response given by the prophet to the messengers sent by King Josiah.
The Lord says, "Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the words of the book which the King of Judah has read." It is a peculiar response. Wasn't the country in a good and hopeful state of reformation, with the king's heart melting and him weeping upon realizing God's displeasure for their sins, sins of which he was already convinced? As soon as he became aware, he started weeping and had a strong desire to know God's mind. Weren't they now in a highly promising condition for reformation? Despite all this, the response states that God will bring upon this place and its inhabitants all the words of the book that the King of Judah has read.
This reveals a somber lesson for us.
A people may find themselves in a situation where all the reformation and repentance in the world cannot protect them from temporal afflictions inflicted by God. If you continue reading the chapter, you will discover a significant reformation, and yet all the words of the book must be fulfilled.
This shows us the power of sin. It can create such a division between God and us that, no matter what we do, we may still experience temporal afflictions in this world. We can see an example in the case of Moses, whose repentance could not prevent him from being cut off before reaching the land of Canaan. The Lord did not grant Moses' request. Though undoubtedly Moses repented for the sin that provoked God, he was not allowed to enter Canaan. However, since the Lord has not specifically revealed such judgments for people in the present time, we should not assume this applies to us. Instead,
we must take this lesson seriously, not to play around or trifle with God, lest a decree be issued against us with no way to avoid it.
Now, regarding the fourth question, there appears to be a difficulty in the answer the Lord gave regarding Josiah. The Lord promised him mercy and that he would die in peace. However, as we later learn in the story, Josiah was killed in battle. How can this be reconciled with the promise that he would die in peace?
The answer to that is commonly understood as follows: Josiah died in peace because he had made peace with God. His sins were forgiven, and there was peace between God and his soul. Therefore, regardless of the circumstances of his death, if there is peace between a person and God, they die in peace. Even amidst storms and turmoil in the world, as long as there is peace between God and their soul, they die in peace.
But I believe there is much more to it than that. We must provide a further explanation to make the Word of God true, and that is, Josiah died in peace, specifically in the sense of the peace of the kingdom. In fact, that was peace to him. The war in which he died did not pose a threat to the kingdom. As you can read in the subsequent part of the story, when he went to war, the kingdom did not suffer the dreadful evils that were previously threatened. Before Judah was carried into captivity, the Lord took Josiah away. So when he died, he left the kingdom in a good state at that time, and he left God's ordinances among them. Thus, his death was considered peaceful in relation to the kingdom. This interpretation seems to be supported in 2
Chronicles 38:28, where the story is repeated, stating that Josiah would be gathered to his fathers in peace, and his eyes would not witness the subsequent evils that would befall the kingdom and its inhabitants. Therefore, he was gathered to his fathers in peace because he did not witness the future calamities that would befall his kingdom.
In truth, regardless of how a person dies, if the kingdom and the church where they live are in peace, enjoying their freedoms and God's ordinances, it can be said that they died in peace. It brings me peace knowing that I am leaving the church and the kingdom in a state of peace.
Especially knowing that not long after, the kingdom would experience severe distresses, which Josiah died before. He is described as dying in peace because he passed away before those events occurred. However, to shed more light on this remarkable and well-known story, let us now focus on the specific words. The response of the prophetess regarding the king begins in verse 18. She instructs the messengers to convey to the king of Judah, "Because your heart was tender." As for the people, God declares that He will not be entreated for them. He states that they will certainly feel His stroke and all the words written in the book will come upon them.
From this, we can observe that when the Lord is bringing public calamity upon a nation, He makes distinctions. In this case, it is directed "to the king of Judah." Is there anyone with a tender, broken heart, one that is broken over the sins of the nation? God will have
His eye on them. It is true that at times, even godly individuals may pass away during times of national judgment, but it is usually because God has a specific purpose to accomplish through their deaths.
But we do not find that God makes such distinctions now, for godly individuals are taken away just like others. Surely, my brethren, this is meant to make us all tremble and not to rely on anything, neither fasting nor prayer, but to wholly depend on the goodness of the Lord to do with us as He pleases. The fact that God does not make such distinctions now is for the sake of some great work that God has yet to reveal to us. However, we can be confident that God will receive as much glory from their deaths as He would have received from their lives. Regardless of the current obscurity of God's ways towards us, there will come a time when God will make distinctions, when the
difference between those who fear God and those who do not will be known.
There are very few (though they are being pursued for the sins of the nation) who have faith for deliverance from temporal judgments, and that may be one reason. Even though the Lord promises deliverance,
He desires our faith to extend to that promise, to fully entrust our souls to it more than we currently do. However, it is challenging for anyone to have such faith to confidently and definitively conclude that they will be delivered from temporal affliction. We are to marvel at God's dispensations in this matter and wait for further revelation of His intentions towards us. Nevertheless, He makes distinctions regarding the king of Judah.
Oh, it is fitting for the greatest ones in the world, kings and princes, that when God threatens, their hearts should melt before Him. No one is too great to humble themselves before the great God. It is true that we have a wretched generation of men who, many times, while they may tremble and shake at the threats of their superiors, think themselves good enough to sin against the Lord and resist His Word.
But Josiah did not do so.
But you may argue, "Perhaps he was just a child?" No, he was a king in his full vigour and strength; he was twenty-six years old. And that age is the peak of vitality, especially for courtiers and great men. Yet,
King Josiah, at the age of twenty-six, amidst his nobles, though he was not visibly in any immediate danger, humbled himself and wept before the Lord upon hearing His word. Therefore, this is the response from God concerning him: "Because your heart was tender,
I have accepted you, and you shall have peace."
So, in these words, there are four significant aspects to consider:
1. What influenced Josiah's heart? What were the reasons for his heart becoming tender?
2. The state and disposition of Josiah's heart—it melted.
3. The outcome of this: a) He humbled himself. b) He tore his clothes. c) He wept before the Lord.
4. Lastly, God's gracious acceptance of this, as He declares, "I have also heard you," says the Lord.
I will not discuss Josiah's disposition in this melting state at this time. I will only touch upon a point or two regarding the occasion of this, as stated in the text: "Your heart was tender, and you have humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against the inhabitants, etc."
How did he hear it?
Through Shaphan the scribe, who brought a few old, torn, and rotten papers, presumably found hidden in a hole of the temple wall amidst the rubble for many years. It is likely that these were very old papers.
They were presented before the king and read aloud. The text tells us that Josiah's heart was tender, and he humbled himself upon hearing what God spoke. God did not speak to him through a prophet or from heaven. If God had spoken audibly from heaven, disclosing the sins of his court and kingdom, it would have been a significant event for his heart to melt. Or if the Lord had raised up an extraordinary prophet to denounce dreadful threats against him, it would have been something noteworthy. However, it was simply upon hearing a few papers that had been discovered among the temple rubble. From this, we can make two observations:
Firstly, when the Lord desires to humble a soul, He can do it with minimal effort.
Secondly, it is highly pleasing to God when people immediately relent, yield, and humble themselves upon hearing His displeasure declared against them. These are the two observations derived from the cause of Josiah's disposition.
The first point is truly wonderful and remarkable: when God decides to work on the heart of a sinner, even a small matter can make their heart relent and yield to God. Some people resist it fiercely, while others yield at the slightest prompting. What a difference there is between Josiah and Pharaoh—both kings!
God sends an extraordinary messenger to Pharaoh, who comes in God's name and performs miraculous signs before him, signs that no one else in his nation could replicate. In addition to the miracles, God brings upon the entire kingdom and Pharaoh himself fearful judgments that would send shivers down one's spine just to hear about them. Ten successive judgments, and yet Pharaoh's heart remains hardened. On the other hand, Josiah merely hears a little from some old papers, and his heart immediately yields. When God works, the means are not of great importance; they can be small, weak, and poor, and yet the heart will be led to yield to God in a gracious and holy manner.
We read in 1 Kings chapter 19, verse 20, a very notable story. Elijah departs and finds Elisha, the son of Shaphat, plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him. Elijah passes by and casts his mantle upon him—that's all he did. Now, Elisha held a prominent position, even though he was at the plow. The twelve yoke of oxen belonged to him.
Elijah simply cast his mantle upon Elisha, and the text says that Elisha left the oxen and ran after Elijah, saying, "Let me kiss my father and mother, and then I will follow you." Elijah responds, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" But there was a hidden power that accompanied the casting of Elijah's mantle upon Elisha, and his heart was drawn to him, so that nothing could hinder him from joining Elijah. Therefore, when the appointed time of the Lord comes to win the heart of a man or woman, even the tiniest thing in the world can accomplish it. They will yield immediately.
It's just like the situation with Peter in Luke 22:61. Peter had sinned greatly against Christ, and the text says that when Christ looked at him, Peter went out and wept bitterly. He threw himself out, that's the meaning of the word, with a kind of force, he had had enough of it. The Lord Christ only gave him a look, and he went and wept bitterly. Oh, there are many to whom the Lord Christ speaks over and over again, and their hearts remain unaffected. But when the Lord decides to work on the heart, it only takes God giving a look to a soul.
Perhaps some of you who are continuing in sinful ways have heard many warnings against them, yet your hearts remain unmoved. But if the Lord's appointed time has come, it's just one look upon you, and your eyes are opened to have a glimpse of the God you have sinned against, and the transformation is accomplished. In Song of Solomon 5:4, the Church says, "My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him." The Church, being complacent, presents arguments against going out to Christ, saying, "I have taken off my coat, how can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, how can I defile them?"
Oh, it would be so troublesome, and she was reluctant to face any trouble. But pay attention to the fourth verse: "My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my heart was moved." Why was that more significant than knocking? Because he had knocked before, but the time had not come. It may be the same with many souls. The Lord may stand knocking at the door of your soul again and again, over time, and yet you may have one excuse or another to put Him off. But when God's appointed time arrives, He only needs to touch your heart once, and it's done. A little effort will accomplish it when
God's time has come. In Isaiah 11:6, it is prophesied about the times of the Gospel that people will be so receptive to the truths of God that even a child will be able to lead them. Any truth of God delivered by the humblest, weakest, or even a child will lead them.
And this is very prominent in Isaiah 30:21: "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." What follows is,
"Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold, thou shalt cast them away as a menstrual cloth, thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence."
This people were deeply engrossed in their idolatry, and the Prophet found it extremely challenging to turn their hearts away from their idolatrous ways. But now the Lord promises a time when they would simply hear a word, even from behind them, a subtle hint. And what would be the result of it? They would remove the covering from their silver graven images. For they used to dress their images in elaborate clothing, but they would discard all that richness and glory, treating it with disdain like a soiled cloth, and say, "Get thee hence." What a transformation, all from hearing a single word from behind!
And when God's appointed time arrives for poor souls who have heard many sermons, yet have resisted God and His Word, I say, when God's time has come and they hear a voice behind them, saying, "O sinner, O sinful soul, your ways are not good, look around you." Such a thought that God subtly plants in their minds may work more powerfully in their hearts than all the sermons they have ever heard. They shall hear a voice behind them. A similar occurrence is observed in John 1:48-49 concerning Nathaniel.
When Christ was about to call Nathaniel to him, how a simple thing worked on Nathaniel's spirit! Nathaniel said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Note what follows:
Nathaniel answered and said to him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Because
I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." A small thing can have an impact on the heart when the Lord is pleased to call the sinner. And you know about Matthew, he simply said, "Come and follow me," and the same with the sons of Zebedee, he said, "Come and follow me," and they
immediately left their ship, their father, and their nets. Matthew left his tax collector's booth and followed him. And there is also the story, which I assume you are familiar with (if you are acquainted with Scripture), of Zacchaeus. He was a vile, covetous wretch, and very few of such people are changed. Well, he had heard about Christ, about this strange man who was causing a stir in the world, and he wanted to see him. Because people were crowding around him, and Zacchaeus being short in stature, he climbed up a tree.
When Christ passed by and looked up, he said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down, for salvation has come to your soul." He came down immediately and declared, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor, and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore it fourfold." For a covetous man to be willing to give away half of his possessions to the poor and make fourfold restitution for his wrongdoing, it would take a lot of effort to persuade Zacchaeuses, not to give away half of their goods, but even a little to the poor people of God who are in distress at this time! But now, a little will suffice when the time appointed by the Lord has come.
But let us further explore this truth, which is so delightful for us to contemplate.
The first reason for its sweetness comes from the power of the truth.
The truths of God concerning Himself and our own souls possess great efficacy. If the truth can reach the heart, it doesn't matter what the means are. Just like potent medicine that, even if administered in a small dose of a posset ale, can still have a strong effect once it enters the body. Similarly, the truths of God carry such authority that if they penetrate the heart, they will begin to work. It is akin to the royal seal of the kingdom, which, regardless of the messenger who brings it, even if they are weak or insignificant, still holds authority because it is the royal seal. The truths of God possess immense authority, and once they enter the heart, they will work powerfully.
Indeed, it is not the means themselves that bring about the work, but rather God working through the means. As Asa said regarding the Lord in 2 Chronicles 14:11, "It is easy for you, O Lord, to help,
whether with many or with those who have no power." Therefore, it makes no difference to God whether He strikes through weak or strong means.
Objection: But you might ask, then why do we need so much preaching and such persuasive arguments to impact our hearts?
Answer: Yes, we are obligated to do what is fitting for creatures to do and leave it to God to do as He pleases. Although the Lord may at times use weak means, He still expects us to utilize all the means available to us. Let us diligently engage with the Lord through all the means possible, and when the Lord is pleased to work, regardless of the means, the desired outcome will be achieved because it is the power of God that is at work whenever the means are effective.
Suppose someone comes and delivers the most powerful sermon ever heard, but unless God is willing to accompany the word, it will never work to truly humble your souls. You will remain hard-hearted despite it all. On the other hand, even a mere hint of a word, even if spoken by a child, can break the most stubborn heart on Earth when the Lord decides to exert His power.
Another reason is that sometimes the Lord prepares the heart to be more receptive to the truths at certain times than at others. This is why weaker means can have a positive effect when stronger means do not.
Question: So, are there preparatory works that can ready us for God's grace?
Answer: Well, to clarify, preparatory works can indeed help in removing hindrances and readying the heart to receive the truths, but they cannot earn congruity or oblige God to bestow His grace.
They serve to remove obstacles and make way for the truths. For example, some hearts are like knotty wood that requires many blows to split, while others only need a single tap. Similarly, with dry and hard ground, plowing is difficult, but after rain softens the soil,
plowing becomes easy. In Jeremiah 4:3, the work of humiliation is likened to plowing the fallow ground of the heart. Just as a little medicine can sometimes be effective when a large quantity fails, the soul is disposed at certain times to be influenced by lesser means.
However, the power behind it all comes from God. God chooses to work in accordance with the disposition of individuals, taking advantage of the conditions of their hearts. People are not always in desperate opposition to the truth; when the Lord brings storms of affliction upon their hearts, they become soft and receptive to His words. In such conditions, God seizes the hints and opportunities.
Now, there are certain dispositions that are more easily influenced than others, particularly in terms of being humbled before God for sin rather than conversion. The greater the fear of God in a heart, the more easily that heart can be influenced. In Proverbs 18:14, fear of God is contrasted with the hardness of the human heart. If there is fear of God, the heart will not be hardened, but if there is no fear of God, it will remain hard.
And so, in a humble heart, even a small matter can have a profound impact. As stated in Isaiah 66, trembling at God's word is associated with a contrite heart and a spirit of humility.
Likewise, in a meek heart, one that is receptive and gentle, the word can easily take root. James 1:21 highlights how a stubborn and obstinate heart will reject the word, but a meek and tranquil heart readily embraces it.
Furthermore, when someone who has been ignorant for a long time, yet not willingly ignorant, encounters a revelation from the Lord, their soul is quick to grasp the word. Similar to Saul's experience, even in his ignorance, upon hearing the words, "I am he whom thou persecutest," he fears and asks, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
Moreover, when the heart has not been hardened by habitual sin, it is generally more responsive to lesser means. Younger individuals, who have not been deeply entrenched in sin, can be influenced by a mere hint from God. Their hearts, untainted by prolonged sinful practices, are more easily swayed and surrendered to the will of God.
But by Way of Application.
Firstly, this can be a source of great encouragement for all the ministers of God who preach to people. Sometimes they may feel discouraged and think to themselves, "Lord, how hardened are the hearts of men, and how difficult it is to make an impact on their hearts! I have exerted all my efforts, studied diligently, and sought to devise the most compelling arguments I could imagine. When I sit in my study, I ponder and hope that if the Lord blesses the truths I am about to deliver, they will stir the hearts of the people. Yet, perhaps, when it comes to the actual preaching, the minister finds that the hearts of the listeners remain unaffected. Lord, what shall I do then?
I cannot fathom speaking words more powerful than those I have already spoken, and they have done no good. Therefore, I fear I will never be effective." Oh no, do not say or think that way. Sometimes the Lord allows us to see our own inadequacies and humbles us.
Many times, the Lord does not accompany the preaching of His Word with great power and strong arguments. Yet, at other times, He chooses to bless a word spoken almost incidentally, and it surpasses all the rest in its impact. Hardly any faithful minister in the world who observes the work of God in his ministry fails to notice this.
However, this is not a reason for a minister to slacken his efforts or withhold his strongest arguments. He is obligated to fulfill his duty.
But do not be discouraged, for he may eventually succeed, and God may bless many things that come from him. Therefore, I encourage those who are tasked with addressing such an audience to heed the words of Ecclesiastes 11:6: "In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether both alike will be good."
Therefore, let ministers continue to sow their seed and preach persistently. Even if what they have spoken seems as though they were presenting arguments that could move the heart of a devil, or revealing the wretched condition of mankind and the richness of Jesus Christ, they must not be discouraged. They should sow their seed in the morning and not withhold their hand in the evening.
They should keep preaching, presenting the Word of God before the hearts of people. Even if it did not have an effect at one time, it may work at another time. Yes, even if they grow weaker and weaker, the Lord can still use them for good, even in their weakest state. In 2
Timothy 2:25, the apostle Paul says to Timothy, "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, if God perhaps will give them repentance." Perhaps on a given day, a truth may be imparted from God to a soul, perhaps from this passage or that passage, and the soul may be drawn in.
Use of Encouragement: Another use shall be for the purpose of encouragement for those who feel their hearts being moved by little means. When God hints a truth to you while reading a chapter, during conversations, especially when you gather to hear the Word, and you receive only fragments of God's Word, yet they have a powerful impact on your heart. Are there any such individuals here?
Take courage, for the Lord accepts this disposition. Therefore, for your comfort, know that the Lord, Firstly, this is a sign of a very childlike disposition in you. Just as a father is pleased when he merely raises his finger and the child immediately falls to their knees, a slave may fall down if you approach them with blows, but a child responds to even the slightest look. In Proverbs 17:10, it is stated, "A rebuke goes deeper into a wise man than a hundred blows into a fool." Those who are fools and have base and servile dispositions cannot be influenced by any means.
However, someone with an ingenuous disposition is affected by a word. And if you find that your heart is so tender that a word has an impact on you, this is a sign of the wisdom of God within your soul.
Furthermore, know that it is a sign that God is in His word and that He accompanies what is said to you. It is a comforting thought to realize that, thanks to God, when I hear His word, even the smallest thing reaches my heart. And if you find that your heart is of this nature, where almost everything said sticks with you, you can take comfort in knowing that the Lord does not distance Himself from you in His word.
Thirdly, you can certainly find comfort in the fact that you cannot stray far from God. Why? Because if something small can have an impact on you, then you must be influenced every day. If you have a tender heart and are affected by the smallest things, there is no need to fear that you will ever stray far from God. Souls with stubborn and obstinate hearts go far away from God. The prophet says, "Hearken to me, you who are stubborn-hearted, who are far from righteousness." Stubborn hearts are far from righteousness.
However, those with yielding hearts need never fear going far from righteousness. A person with a stubborn spirit may unknowingly drift far from God, but someone with a yielding disposition never needs to fear straying too far from God. Indeed, I may stumble daily like others, but I have this hope that I will never go far from God.
Fourthly, does your heart yield to God upon a little? Take comfort, for the Lord has great things to reveal to your soul. The Lord will disclose great things to the soul that is moved by the smallest matters. A notable example of this is found in John 1:49 and following. You are familiar with what Christ said to Nathaniel, "Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." In the same way, I say to your heart, does your heart soften and submit to God upon hearing even the slightest revelation? Take comfort, oh soul! You are a soul for whom the Lord intends to do great things and reveal profound truths. "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them
His covenant." If there is a soul that fears God and is affected by everything, the secret of the Lord is with that soul, and the Lord will reveal His covenant to that soul.