Merritt, Ashcroft, Cawston Opening Song: #318 Whiter Than Snow
Scripture: Zechariah 13:1, On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. Title: King or the Miner
There was a little beggar girl. Both her parents had died and she was left with no one to care for her. She had matted hair and no shoes on her feet. Her dress was in rags and you could see her skin was covered with dirt and some boils. One day a shadow crossed over her begging bowl and she looked up to see the finest dressed man she had ever seen in her whole life. “Oh sir,” she begged, “can you spare me a coin for some food.” The little girl somehow touched the man’s heart. “I have something much better to offer you,” said the man. “I would like to take you to live in my home, for my wife cannot have children and we want a little girl.” The girl could NOT believe her ears! Nevertheless, when the man reached out his hand and took hers, she followed willingly. When the man’s carriage stopped at their destination, the little girl gasped for it was the royal palace of the king. How could this be? “What is your name,” said the king. “I don’t have a name,” replied the girl. “Everyone just calls me Filthy.”
“I shall call you Sarah,” said the king, “for that is a name fit for a princess.” The king said, “Give Sarah a bath, put the finest dress on her and present her to my wife at dinner.” Sarah found that being scrubbed clean was not pleasant to her sore skin. As the woman combed Sarah's hair, tangles were so painful. They put the softest, most gorgeous, flowing dress on her, and she never dreamed she could wear such a thing! Sarah was awed to meet the queen who hugged and cherished her new little girl. Sarah was starving so she gobbled down her food. King said, “We have plenty of food. Don’t eat so fast. You might choke.” So Sarah ate calmly.
That night Sarah slept in the plumpest bed. Beautiful dresses were made just for her; she had every toy she could wish for, her own little pony. The king wanted his daughter to be educated so Sarah was given a tutor. She also had a governess to teach her ways of the palace and how to be a princess. Her boils healed, her hair became shiny, her skin started to glow. But Sarah lived her whole life until then on dirty streets and her maids complained she couldn’t keep clothes clean. Her governess complained Sarah could not develop manners, and tutor said Sarah was incapable of learning grammar and science. King told Sarah how important it was that a princess of the royal palace act like a princess. No matter how hard she tried, the child was untidy. Though she tried hard, she would fall down and get dirty. She loved her beautiful dresses but somehow just couldn’t keep them clean. Because Sarah could not learn to be a princess and kept acting like a dirty beggar girl, the king had no choice but to send her back to live on the streets.
An old preacher by the name of Paris Reidhead told a true story that takes place in the 1850’s. After making his fortune in California goldfields, an Englishman decided to return to his homeland. Traveling overland to New Orleans, he had a little time before catching a ship for New York. He ended up down at the slave market. He noticed a young girl on the auction block. The bidding was frantic and he overheard two sleazy characters bidding on the young girl with intentions that turned his stomach. As bidding increased, most bidders dropped out, but the rich miner offered twice as much as the latest bid. All bidders gasped as his bid was highest that any slave had been sold for at this auction block.
The miner paid the bill, received a bill of sale and walked up to the young girl on the auction block. The young girl stepped down and reaching his eye level, she spit in his face! She screwed up her mouth and hissed, “I hate you!” After wiping off his face with his sleeve, he took the girl’s hand and led her away. He took her down the street and they walked through the door of an office building. After another payment of money, he received important papers, which he then handed to the young girl. “Here is a certificate that gives you your freedom,” he told her.
“I hate you!” she replied.
“You don’t understand,” he said, “these papers set you free; no one owns you.” She exclaimed, “What?! You paid twice as much for me as anyone else who was sold in that place, and you are giving me my freedom? I DON’T BELIEVE YOU.”
“Yes,” he answered, “these papers give you freedom.” He started to walk away.
“Stop, Mister,” she cried. “Do you mean to say you bought me only to set me free?” He answered, “Yes, that is why I bought you, to set you free.” At that, tears flooded her eyes, eyes that had not shed tears for a long time. Her face softened and she fell to her knees, reaching out to put her hands around the miner’s boots, she laid her wet face on those rough boots and through tears of joy she sobbed, “You bought me to set me free? You paid more for me than anyone has ever paid before, just to set me free?!” Through her tears, she cried out as she looked up, “Oh sir, all I want in life is to serve you, because you bought me to set me free!”
Which story really describes God? Who is God truly like? Do you actually know? Does God send the dirty girl back to the streets after adopting her because she can’t keep her clothes, face, hands and feet clean? Is YOUR God the King or the Miner? Which God do you serve?
SONG: I SAW A MAN
Isaiah 64:6, All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. Bible Commentary says: We have become like one who is unclean. "Unclean thing" because of sin, we are compared to unclean creatures, dirty dogs and pigs; words may be rendered "as an unclean leper." Sinners are described as defiled, disease spreading, incurable by physicians. There is no cleansing from sin but by grace of God through the blood of Christ.
All our righteousness: The sense is that all our prayers, sacrifices, deeds, praises are mingled with pollution before a holy God. And we all do fade as a leaf: We wither away like the leaf of autumn. And our iniquities like the wind: As tempest sweeps away leaves of the forest, we have all been swept away by sin. A senior citizen was driving down the freeway. Over his cellular phone he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Harry, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on Highway 401. Please be careful!"
"Wow!" said Harry, "It's not just one car. It's hundreds of them!" We are swept away by sin.
And all our righteousness are as filthy rags: righteousness that lay in outward rites, ceremonies, sacrifices, which are no righteousness before God, could not take away sin, and on many accounts weakly performed. Even best of such works of righteousness as done by men in the best manner are rags, not whole garments but rags, not fit to appear before God, and by which they can never be justified in His sight. Our garments need continual washing in the blood of Jesus, which is not recognized by a natural man, or by a Pharisee, but by a sinner who knows her need of grace. Words may be rendered, "as a menstrous cloth" or "as a garment of spoil or prey" rolled in blood, either in war or by beast of prey, or foul plaster or cloth taken off a pus sore.
It shows insufficiency of the best righteousness of humans, and our obedience is NOT the cause of salvation. "Uncleanness" extends to every sinner. Our works, if we think to merit by them before God, are as rags and will not cover us. Even our few good works, as fruits of the Spirit, are defective and defiled when done by us, that they need to be washed in the fountain open for uncleanness. Well! I don’t want to believe the meaning of that verse, do you? Come on, Lord, are you saying everything I do to EARN my salvation is filthy rags?
SONG: JESUS WILL DO WHAT YOU CAN’T
Moses was a murderer. God took him into training and for many years, Moses led God’s people. At end of the journey we find Moses and Aaron stood before the rock, and Moses said, “Hear now, you rebels, must WE fetch you water out of this rock?” Psalm 106:33, People rebelled against Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lips. Moses had been directed to speak to the rock, but struck it twice in his anger. Instead of speaking to the rock, he spoke to people in fury. After 38 years in wilderness, Israel advanced towards Canaan again. There was no water in that place. We live in a wanting world, and wherever we are, we must expect to find something to put us out, bother us, annoy us, give us strife. It’s mercy to have plenty of water. People spoke same absurd, foolish language their fathers had done. It made their crime worse, that they had suffered so long due to discontent and distrust of their fathers, yet they venture in exactly the same steps.
God is able as ever to supply His people’s needs. But Moses and Aaron took glory of God’s work of wonder to themselves, “Must WE fetch water?” As if it were done by some power or worthiness of their own. They didn’t give God glory of this miracle, rightly due God. Allowing himself to be provoked by people, Moses spoke sinfully. Same pride of man still tries to be our own righteousness, own sanctification, and own Saviour. Who could bring water out of a rock? Can man do it? Only God can put water in a rock. To claim to do what only God can do, what do you call that? Blasphemy? Is that claiming to be God, taking His place? Is that filthy? From the leader who saw God’s goodness and glory pass before him? Who received tablets of stone written with God’s own finger? Whose face shone from being with God? From Moses who was meekest man on earth? Can such a man of God have filthy rags? Yes, ALL our righteousness is but filthy rags.
A preacher was giving a temperance sermon. With great expression he preached, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and throw it in the river." With even greater emphasis he said, "And if I had all wine in the world, I'd take it and throw it in the river." Then finally he exclaimed, "And if I had all whiskey in the world, I'd take it and throw it in the river." He sat down with satisfaction. Song leader stood very cautiously to announce closing hymn, "Shall We Gather at the River."
Oh no, Isabelle, you may have filthy rags but not a man after God’s own heart! David was anointed by great Prophet Samuel to be next king of Israel. When just a shepherd boy, God looked on David’s heart and said He found a man after His own heart. David killed a lion, bear, the evil Goliath with only his sling and a stone, because David believed in God’s power to slay ANY giant. David brought ark of God home. David conquered nations yet David took advantage of his kingly power given to him by God to steal another man’s wife then the man’s life. What David did, is that betrayal and blasphemy of all God stands for? Can a king chosen by God have filthy rags? Yes, ALL our righteousness is but filthy rags.
SONG: MORE THAN I DESERVE
1Kings 11:3-5, Solomon had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And they did turn his heart away from the LORD. For Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, detestable god of the Ammonites. No, not Solomon! He built God’s temple, wisest judge of all history. Could a wise man have filthy rags? Daniel lived healthy lifestyle, prayed even if it meant lions’ den; he prayed, “We have sinned, committed iniquity, have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and from Your judgments,” Daniel 9:5. Prophet Daniel knew ALL our righteousness is but filthy rags.
So what about the young beggar girl? I was told this story in Sabbath school as a child, and it colored my picture of God. Does God put us back after adopting us if we can’t keep ourselves clean? Isaiah 61:10, I’m overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For He has dressed me with clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. Luke 15: 22-24, But his father said to the servants, “Quick! Bring the finest robe and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. For this son of mine was dead, is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
For most of my life, I believed God IS like the King who put his little girl back on the streets because she wasn’t good enough. I grew up thinking salvation is dependent on OUR goodness. But God is really like the miner who buys us, though we are filthy, dirty, rebellious, hissing, spitting and full of hate! Romans 5:6-8, When we were utterly helpless. How helpless? Utterly helpless. Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!
Zechariah 13:1, On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness. Only Jesus takes away our filthy rags. Everyone in class was doing last minute studying. Professor gave out the test. “Leave them face down until I tell you to start.” When they turned tests over, every answer on the test was filled in! Bottom of last page said, “All answers on your test are correct. You receive an 'A' on final exam. Reason you pass is because creator of the test took it for you. Some studied days, some only hours. Work you did for this test did not give you the A. You just experienced grAce with a capital A.” Prof said, “I tried to teach you grace. You’ll work with youth. Don't hammer them; they carry on ministry if it’s full of grace!” Prof felt impressed this class needed to experience grace.
We were God’s enemies yet Jesus paid more than even your best friend would pay! It is Jesus’ love that gives us our worth, sets us free from sin’s auction block. You and I can never make ourselves good enough, clean enough, perfect enough, princess enough! But Jesus makes us holy, righteous, complete, perfect in HIS spotless robe. There is not one thread of you or me. I don’t know about you, but my heart just cries out, “Jesus, all I want in life is You!”
SONG: BROKEN AND SPILLED OUT