SEEK YE FIRST
1. What Kingdom is it we are to seek?
(Matt. 6: 33) The Kingdom of grace? Nay,
we are in it already, as disciples (Col. 1: 13). As yet it is the kingdom in mystery only: it is concealed; for the King, on
whose power depends its manifestation, is away.
We are to seek the future kingdom, the kingdom in
manifestation, the kingdom of
glory. For
that, Daniel, the witness of its futurity,
is waiting (Dan. 12: 13). Daniel was made witness of the
The call by John Baptist and by Jesus in God’s
appointed time referred to these prophecies.
“The kingdom of heaven hath drawn near!” All expected thereupon the fulfilment of Daniel 2: 44: “Now is the
God of heaven about to break in pieces all other kingdoms, setting up His own alone.” Moreover, signs of power supernatural burst
forth in the ministry of Jesus. All eyes
and ears were attent on the realization of the promises of the prophets. But for these blessings
But what mean the words: “Seek
his
righteousness?”
1. They do not mean imputed righteousness. That was needed to present acceptance; and the
hearers possessed imputed righteousness already, as disciples of Jesus. Nor was the Saviour exhibiting Himself, in
the Sermon on the Mount, as the righteousness of the believer. But He
was teaching those who would listen the principles which were to guide their
conduct, if they would enter the millennial kingdom. So in other passages of Matthew it has the
same active sense. “Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the
Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Obedience also is directly stated
as the condition of entering it. Who
shall have part in it? “He that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven”
(7: 21). So Peter speaks of those who fear God, and “work righteousness” (Acts
10: 35). So Paul. Through faith the worthies of old “wrought righteousness” (Heb. 11: 33.
Also 2 Cor. 9: 9, 10; Phil. 3: 6).
New principles of far greater height and depth than
the old ones of the Law are in the Sermon on the Mount disclosed by Jesus. They were God’s words put into his
mouth. While they were “sayings of mine,” as he says, they were still “the will of his Father in heaven.” Thus obedience
to Jesus’ novel principles and precepts is the means and the way; and the kingdom of glory is the bright end set before us. The precepts are so lofty and so difficult
beyond those of the Law, because the way is now opened to a higher and more
glorious department of the kingdom than was known to
2. Let us confirm this by a view of Paul’s attitude
in Philippians 3: 8-16. The apostle rejects the righteousness he
wrought himself while under law, and accepts with gratitude the righteousness
wrought by Christ, presented by the Father, to be the clothing of each
believer. He calls it - “the righteousness which is from God upon
faith” (Greek: ver. 9.) But though
he accepted this as a gift, at the outset of his Christian career, there
was yet something set before him as a prize. He desired to know the power of Jesus’
resurrection, and to suffer with Christ now, even to the endurance of martyrdom
– “if by any means I may attain,* unto the (select) resurrection from among the dead” (Greek). To obtain a part in the resurrection of the
dead after the thousand years demands no faith at all. The wicked will receive that. It could, therefore, be no object of his
desire. But to obtain [by
effort] a place in the first and blest resurrection, this
he might well covet. And tribulation is
God’s appointed way thereto. “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to
continue in the faith, and that we must through many tribulations (plur.) enter the
[* The word ‘attain’ means ‘to gain by
effort’.]
What kingdom was that? The Gospel?
Nay, the disciples were in that already. The Church?
They were there also. It can only
mean, then, the future millennial kingdom of glory; which answers to the select
resurrection from the dead in Philippians.
Paul continues: “Not as though I had already
attained, or were already perfect; but I follow after if that I may apprehend (lay
hold of) that for which also I was apprehended
(laid hold of) by Christ. Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended” - though all others did believe it of him – “but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are
behind, and reaching after those things which are before, I press toward the
mark for the prize of the high
(or heavenly) calling
of God in Christ Jesus.”
In our day, many [regenerate believers] are utterly unbelieving about any future kingdom of miracle and of
resurrection, to be set up by Jesus at His return. And of those who retain that belief many are
provoking God, and hardening their hearts against the testimony of His
true-hearted ones. They refuse to
believe God’s threatenings against His people’s partial unbelief, and
disobedience. They get rid of any threat
levelled by God against hardness of heart and disobedience, by the cry: ‘That’s Jewish! It
does not refer to us. We are the members
of Christ, the bride of Christ; we are above commands, and beyond
responsibility!’ The Holy Spirit
foresaw this; and has in Hebrew 3. 4.
furnished the antidote thereto. By the
whole tenor of the appeal, its conditionality appears. “Whose house are we,
if we hold fast the confidence” (Heb. 3: 6). “We became associates* of the
Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end”
(Heb. 3: 14). Here Paul (or the inspired believer, who wrote
this epistle) places himself on the same level with those he warns. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in
any of you an evil heart of
unbelief. Exhort one another ... lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Let not, then, a view of your privileges
harden you, oh believers! Eternal life,
through grace, you cannot lose: but your
being associates of Christ in the millennial kingdom of His glory depends on
your not giving up this hope, and not provoking the Lord.
[*
A reference back to 1, 8, 9. We are Jesus’ “fellows”
of Psalm 45., under condition of persevering in right hopes and profession to
the end.]
This is the force of the appeal in Hebrews 3: 15-19.
You will say: ‘Ah! that does not apply to
us.
[*
Verse 16 should be read as a question, as
critics generally are agreed, and as the two following verses show.
** So it should be translated. The word is a different one from that for
unbelief.]
Yes! it was the partial unbelief of believers! Twice does
Moses record their faith: at his
first propounding to them their hope; and when the sea had overwhelmed their
foes. By faith they kept the Passover,
by faith they passed through the
“Let us labour, then, to enter into that
rest, lest any fall by the same example of disobedience.”
All believers enjoy, or may enjoy,
present rest from their own works for justification, through the finished work
of Christ. But all ought to be seeking by the obedience of faith for the future
[millennial] rest, which the apostle has
set before our eyes. It is worthy our highest, our most
sustained, efforts. A thousand years of glory and bliss with
Christ! A thousand years to be
blessed and holy, the priests of God and the Christ, reigning jointly with the Son!
For this Paul sought with his best
vehemence, with his most assiduous endeavours. Be not cast down by diffiulties; but be not
presumptuously confident. Where Paul could
not speak confidently till toward the close of his career, how should you? Loud is the call to circumspection. Beholding the misconduct of
So then seek the
ROBERT GOVETT.
-------