Softly and Safely
“I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure.” — Gen. xxxiii. 14.
THE story of Jacob’s thoughtfulness for the cattle and the children is a beautiful little picture. He would not let them be overdriven even for one day. Verse 13: “My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.”
He would not lead on according to what a strong man like Esau could do and expected them to do, but only according to what they were able to endure. Verse 12: “Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.” He had had so much to do with them that he knew exactly how far they could go in a day; and he made that his only consideration in arranging the marches.
Perhaps his own halting thigh made him the more considerate for “the foot of the cattle”
4 FLIGHT through the shadows.
and “the foot of the children” (see margin).: had gone the same wilderness journey pears before (chap. xxix. i: “Then Jacob went 00 his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east”), when they were DOt vet in existence, and knew all about its and heat and length by personal ex-And so he said, “I will lead on
“For ye have not passed this way hereto-
(Josh. iii. 4)- We have not passed this
way heretofore, but the Lord Jesus has. “For
ive not an high priest which cannot be
touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Heb.
iv. !:). It is all untrodden and unknown ground
to US, hut He knows it all by personal experience;
that take away our breath, the
Stony bits that make our feet ache so, the hot
-tretehes that make us feel so exie rushing rivers that we have to pass
through, Jesus his gone through it all before
D& “Foi Himself took our infirmities and bare
(Matt. viii. 17).” For in that
He i I.:.. h ith suffered being tempted” (Heb.
S wearied with His journey; “Jej wearied with His journey”
me but all the many waters went over Him, and yet did not quench His love. “All Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me” (Ps. xlii. 7). “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it” (Cant. viii. 7).
He was made a perfect Leader by the things which He suffered. Heb. ii. 10: “To make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Heb. v. 8, 9: “Though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being made perfect, He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.” For now He knows all about it, and leads us softly according as we are able to endure.
“For He knoweth our frame” (Ps. ciii. 14). And He does not. only know, with that sort of up-on-the-shelf knowledge which is often guilty of want of thought among ourselves, but He remember eth that we are dust. Ps. lxxviii. 39: “For He remembered that they were but flesh.” Think of that when you are tempted to question the gentleness of the leading. He is remembering all the time; and not one step will He make you take beyond what your foot is able to endure. Never mind if you think it will not be able for the step that seems to come next; either He will so strengthen it that it shall be able, Ol I Ec will call a sudden halt, and you shall not have t” take it at all.
I not restful t<> know that you are not to any Esaus, for how much you get through, or how tar you are led on in the day! lon’t know, or, knowing, don’t remember, the weakness or the drawbacks. Maybe they wonder you do not get on farther and rig the work better, bearing up against r the sorrow more bravely. And mayb wounded and wearied without a
1, simply because you know they I Then turn to the Good Shepherdble flock” you are, and remember that He remembers. Talk to Him about it; and if too weary even for that, then just [im with whom you have to do. For “all things are naked and opened unto the [im with wh<-m we have to do’’ (Heb. iv. 131. It is only when we are coming up from til’ wilderness, leaning on our Beloved, that we m realize how softly He is leading us. “Wh i this that cometh up from the wilderng upon her Beloved?” (Cant. viii. 5.) i if we are pulling this way and that way, ling in 1 struggling, and wasting our steps by little turnings aside, He may have to resort to other means to keep us in the way at all. But if we are willing to lean, we shall soon find that He is leading not only rightly (that we never doubted), but softly too. And leading softly will not be leading slowly. “And He led them forth by the right way” (Ps. cvii. 7).
Minds are differently constituted, and some do not readily grasp as a real promise what is indicated in a figure. But if the figure is a true illustration, we are sure to find the same promise somewhere else in a direct form. So if you hesitate to appropriate the promise that Jesus as your Good Shepherd “will lead on softly,” take the same thing from that familiar verse in Isa. xl.; “shall gently lead “is the very same word in the original; and in the dear old 23rd Psalm “He leadeth me “is still the same word, and might be read,” He gently, or softly, leadeth me.” These are the true sayings of your God.
One sees at a glance, by referring to a Concordance, the touching fact that our Leader Himself experienced very different leading. Never once was He gently led. He was led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil (Matt. iv. 1); He was led by men filled with wrath to the brow of the hill, that they might cast Him down headlong (Luke iv. 19); He was led away to Annas, led away to Caiaphas (John xviii. 13, Matt xxvi. 57); led into the council of the 3 and chief priests and scribes (Luke xxii. led to Pontius Pilate (Matt, xxvii. 2), and into the hall of judgment (John xviii. 28). And then He, our Lord Jesus Christ, was led as a sheep to the slaughter (Acts viii. 32); led away to be crucified! (John xix. 16.) Verily, “His way was much rougher and darker than mine.”
That is how Jesus was led. But as for His ••, “He guided them in the wilderness like a (lock, and He led them on safely, so that they feared not” (Ps. lxxviii. 52, 53).
Not only safely as to the end of the journey,
but as h step. For He employs another
t” prove this; saying that He led them
“as a horse in the wilderness, that they should
not stumble.“* “As a beast goeth down into
* This exposition of the passage is familiar and obvious enough; but I was much interested by a friend’s calling my attention t’> the French translation, which brii out beautifully: “L’Esprit do l’Eternel les a conduits tout doucement, comme on conduit une lpete qui descend dans unc pl.iine. C’et aiiiM que Tu as conduit Ton pcuple.”
the valley, the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest.” Can you not see the steep stony path of the rocky descent into a desert valley, and the careful owner’s hand leading the hesitating horse, keeping fast hold of his head, and encouraging him with tones which he can understand, till the halting place at the bottom is safely reached! ‘’So didst Thou lead Thy people,” says Isaiah. So He leadeth me! responds your heart, does it not? Softly and safely, step by step, and mile by mile, till the desert journey is over and the Father’s home reached!
Then trust Him for to-day
As thine unfailing Friend,
And let Him lead thee all the way
Who loveth to the end.
And let the morrow rest
In His beloved hand,
His good is better than our best,
As we shall understand;
If, trusting Him who faileth never,
We rest on Him to-day, for ever!