Barren, and Bearest Not

Dear reader,

Our text words take us to the time of the judges which is described as “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” During those days in Israel, there were a few who sighed under the burden of this condition. Those sighers are people who by the wonder of regeneration are taught by the Spirit. The work of the Spirit is a personal and a convincing work. Then the circumstances receive a cause, namely sin, and the origin is revealed as the deep fall in Adam. I read of those sighers and their life in our text, “barren, and bearest not.”

The message is very personal to “the woman.” Notice two things here. First, “barren” which is her state. Second, “bearest not” which is her condition. Her state brings forth the fruit of continual barrenness. When the Lord converts a person, then a change of state takes place. A state is something that is firm; a condition is very changeable. By the opening of their blind soul’s eyes, they see their state before God. Then the desire becomes that their state may be changed, that they may bear fruit. This desire is because of the one-sided work of the Lord. He pours love in their heart. Their condition brings more and more to light that fruit cannot come from them. Superficial religion will agree with “bearest not” but not with being barren. Oh, how narrow the way of true conversion is. God’s Church is led into their state before God, and, dear reader, by that wonder of regeneration, they learn that they must own their state due to the Holy Spirit leading them into the knowledge. Because of their willful disobedience they brought themselves in a state of being barren and that, over against having come out of God’s hand as the crown jewel, bearing fruit in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness.

Dear reader, Christmas is standing before us, but have we learned who we are? Have we learned to own our state? If not, another Christmas season will have no value. You may be amazed with the message and the circumstances of Christmas. You may even be moved to tears when you hear of the blessings, but if we have never learned to own our state, then the Child, the gift of the Father, has never received value and the honor which He is due. If He is not in the center, then everything else is idolatry.

Who appears in the text? The Angel of the LORD. In the Old Testament this is the pre-incarnate form of Jesus Christ. See who comes to stand in the center? Not Manoah’s wife, but He who appears to her. Oh, this becomes a wonder to this barren one! Here is a woman who is personally confronted by her state and condition. Think about it reader; then it becomes hopeless! Her state and condition are declared to her from God Himself. It has become unalterable; nothing can change it anymore. No one can help her.

The Advent Church can point out in their lives where God convinced them of this. No, they do not need many words for that. It is so simple, so true, “Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not.” May the Lord give to open your eyes to see that after so many hopes, so many times of miscarrying with your own expectations, “Behold now, thou art barren and bearest not.” Then it is finished from man’s side. Oh, may the Advent time be blest in our denomination, that many may hear it declared from God. Only then will it have effect. Room is then made for a personal revelation, a revelation of the divine miracle of the eternal thoughts of God revealed in the blessed Person of the Mediator, how He has given His only beloved Son. Oh, dear reader, this receives value only if it is declared from heaven, “Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not.”

“But”…a little word that ushers in a change. Here the way is going to change. Before Manoah’s wife never came to “but”; it was always “maybe yet.” It kept a little hope alive in her. Now the declaration has been made wherein the “maybes” have forever been deemed hopeless. Her unalterable state must be owned. Such people learn to love the justice of God so much that every little word is heard, even the little word “but.” If a soul comes under God’s justice, then she is made a careful listener. The righteousness of God has been clearly declared to her soul as being “barren, and bearest not.” The little word “but” never had value, yet now it stands out.

Then, from God’s side the way is opened, “thou shalt conceive.” If you would have asked Manoah’s wife beforehand if she would conceive, then she always would have said, “I hope so.” Yet, when she has been declared from God’s side as barren, then she had to learn, “I never will!” Nevertheless, now from God’s side she hears that she shall conceive. Do you see the difference? Do we know the difference? Oh, dear reader, it is going to a never-ending eternity. Have we ever dwelt a few moments under that justice as a barren one? Have we ever learned to own our state before God with no light upon deliverance and where God was declared righteous by us because “Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not”?

It says, “but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.” Here a way is declared; she shall bear. That means there is coming a way of receiving her fruit. It is by a way of bearing. Here you have the life of an Advent Church; they are bearing promised fruit which has been declared from God’s side. It shall come to the birth! A bearing mother feels the growth of her child, so this living Church more and more is drawn to the Person in whom their fruit shall be found. Ask a pregnant mother about what she sometimes lays awake at night thinking about. Shall I bear fruit to full term? Shall I be able hold my fruit? Oh, the way of fulfillment shall always go through the impossibility. Therefore, Advent Church, you who know of the moment that He declared unto you the wonder that a “barren, and bearest not” would conceive and bear a son, are you now walking with the impossibility of the fulfillment? Follow this history. Compare your life of strife, questions, assaults, riddles, and impossibilities with all the histories of the how the Lord fulfills His promises. Not one ever was nor shall be left unfulfilled. The Advent Church is brought to the manger. Everything on earth and in the heart can be in chaos for that to be brought to fulfillment. That was the situation in Luke 2 due to the taxing. So, also it is with us today with all the mandates. How many families will again be separated because of all the mandates! Oh, may the fruit be that one Advent sigher is brought to the manger. Then God receives the honor, and the Church the salvation.

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