“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep” (Psalm 107:23,24).
The quietude of the deep
One of the wonders that can be observed in the deep has to do with tranquility, a serene state that steers the heart away from stress, confusion, and anxiety. Now, it must be understood that such a mental state cannot be found at the superficies. It belongs to the depth and to the depth only.
The sea
The sea offers a beautiful example of the principle. Its surface can be relatively calm but also very boisterous. It can pass from motion to commotion as quickly as a crowd does, and lead us to a state of panic or desperation in a twinkling of an eye. Its waves can lift up dirt and foam, as well as worries and uncleanness. But the deeper we go, the stabler it gets. In its depth, even in stormy weather, the seaweeds waltz gently, and if we dare to proceed downward we eventually experience absolute stillness, regardless of what is happening at the surface.
Spiritually speaking the principle holds sway. To insinuate that the Christian life can be lived superficially is a contradiction in terms. At the surface one can experience only dead religion, not Christianity—at least not the Christianity of Christ. A Christian, after all, is nothing more than a person in whom the life of Christ—or the Christian life—is being manifested. And as we all know, His life was lived in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18), i.e., in that spiritual place which precluded Him from the distracting motion of disquietude. This is where the Spirit wants to lead us. Are we going to follow Him?
The worldly turmoil
In the deep there are no waves, no dirt, no noise. No great multitudes move there, only those who have learned the hushing of God.
Woe to the multitude of many people who make a noise like the roar of the seas, and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!” (Isaiah 17:12).
The nearer one gets to the world, the less quietude will he encounter, for as we have seen, the nations make a noise like the roar of the seas. But God represents the depth in which peace and calmness reside. The real question is: Where do we want to dwell? Once this question is answered, everything becomes clearer and therefore simpler.
Another example
There are two verses in the Scriptures that refer to the way of God. One is found in Psalm 77:19, which reads, “Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters,
and Your footsteps were not known.” The other is found in the same Psalm, in verse 13, “Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; who is so great a God as our God?” So we have the way of God in the sea, that is, in the great waters, but also in the sanctuary.
There is a similarity between these two places. As we have seen, the sea is noisy at the surface, the same is true of the sanctuary. The outer court was a turbulent place, full of activities. All the circumcised could enter there. It was within its walls that the sacrifices were made, with all the noise and the hubbub involved. People were constantly entering and leaving the place. Needless to say, there was dust, smoke, and motion.
Then came the tabernacle. It was divided into two parts, namely, the holy place and the most holy place. In the holy place, only the priests could enter. Consequently, the motion was greatly reduced, as well as the noise. In addition, their service was highly regulated, done with order and reverence.
Then came the deepest part of the sanctuary, the most holy place. Only the high priest could enter there, and this only once a year. It follows that there was hardly any motion or noise inside its curtains. It was a place of absolute peace and quietude.
Now, we all know that through God’s Son, that is to say, through the veil of His flesh (Heb. 10:20), we all have access to that inner chamber. God wants to hide us there, away from the worldly charivari, and at times, from the hue and cry of the evangelical populace, far from harassment and disturbance.
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock” (Psalm 27:5).
Brethren! Let us press on and seek Him where He may be found, there in the depth of His Sanctuary, in the profoundness of great waters where there is the hushing of utter reverence.
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