Mark 4 speaks of the condition of man’s heart and how it receives the word. It does not apply only to sinners hearing the gospel, but also to believers receiving the word of edification.
What is the kind of life that pleases the Lord and lasts long? Why have some failed or turned back halfway? Why are there so few who have followed the Lord all the way? Some people are very willing at the beginning to give up everything to consecrate themselves fully to the Lord and to follow Him. But when they encounter something along the way which is contrary to their will, they decide not to follow the Lord anymore. If you have never been dealt with by the Lord or have not fully consecrated yourself, the day will come when the Lord will take you to a place where you do not want to go, and you will reject His choice. The price will be too high for you, and you will find that you cannot pay it. This is why you must be dealt with by the Lord until you are fully consecrated to take up the cross to follow Him all the way. All the ones who turned back or failed halfway are the ones with the shallow ground.
“It sprang up” (Mark 4:5). This refers to those who have received the word and made a start outwardly. However, the result is not good because there is no root; when the sun rises, it is scorched and withers. Every word brings with it affliction and persecution. God prepares circumstances behind every word of His to test if we have received His word properly. The sun is the ultimate sign of the Lord’s love. The cross not only separates the sinners as to who are saved and who are perishing; it also separates the believers as to who are the overcoming ones and who are the defeated ones. Spiritual dryness comes because one argues with God and defeats Him by allowing himself to win. Miss Barber once said, “All the bread that is in the Lord’s hand, He will surely break.” Many times we put ourselves in the Lord’s hand, while at the same time we pray privately, “Please do not break me!”
Why do the ones on the rocky place, who spring up quickly, also wither quickly? First, they have “no depth of earth” (v. 5). All those who live in their environment or their emotions are those who are in shallow earth. Those who are deep live above their circumstances; they deny their feelings and live in the Lord. They receive God’s supply, support, and power beyond their environments. Second, they are without root. Those who have life in an outward way are like the plant stalk, but those with life in an inward way are like the roots. Roots denote a hidden and secret life. The Lord says that we have to shut the door and pray in secret (Matt. 6:6). God will see us, not hear us, in secret. The most dangerous life is one that is only before men. The safest life is one that is before God. Those who have been dealt with by God in secret, who have deep roots, will overcome all affliction and persecution. Third, there are rocks under the earth. On the surface, one place is the same as all other places. But underneath, it is different; there are rocks underneath. (1) The rocks are the hardened heart (Heb. 3:15). If we want to hear the Lord’s word, we cannot harden our hearts or have our own prejudices. Those whose self is still hidden within them and who have not been broken by the Lord cannot have deep roots. (2) The rocks are also hidden sins. As long as these sins have not been removed, the roots cannot go down deep. Only those who tremble at God’s word and are feeble as little children will grow. The Lord has to smash all the hardened hearts and human prejudices. He can ride on a colt that has never been sat on before, and he can deal with those who have never obeyed Him before.
Hosea 14:5-7 mentions Lebanon three times: (1) the lily in contrast to Lebanon, (2) the olive tree in contrast to Lebanon, and (3) the vine in contrast to Lebanon. In the whole world, the trees with the deepest roots are the cedars of Lebanon. We should go down and take root in the depths; we should direct our growth to the depths.
Although the lily looks pretty, it grows in the wilderness. We are the lily in the valley, not in the pot. We are not cared for by the gardener but by God. We do not receive any supply from men but from God alone. The rain from heaven is watering us, and we are sustained by God.
The beauty of the olive tree is not in its flower but in the oil-bearing fruit. We should bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.
The flower of the vine is very small. Before a man can discover it, it has turned into grapes. The flowers are for fruit-bearing, not for beauty.
The Song of Solomon 4:12 mentions “a garden enclosed.” It is a garden, not a park. It is enclosed, not open. Within the garden are fruits and flowers. The things we have which are for the Lord alone should be enclosed. All the things we have within us should be for the Lord alone. As such, they should be enclosed.
“A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.” In the Chinese Union Version, spring is translated well. A well is something man-made, while a fountain is something natural. A well is there to serve man, while a fountain is there to receive from God. The well is directed toward men, while a fountain is directed toward God. Although we are directed toward men and are for men’s use, we are “shut up,” and we wait for the Lord to open us and use us. Although we are directed toward God and are here to receive from God, we are “sealed.” We should be closed to both God and men. We should allow the cross to do a deeper work in us and deal with our self, so that we can have a deeper life. We should maintain a hidden life before God.
(Afternoon, January 22)