0374. 368. “Further”

368. “Further”

“Further” suggests something beyond that we have reached; and “no further” speaks of a limitation, or an arrestment.

1. Control. God controls the sea in all its movements, for He says to it, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed” (Job_38:11).

2. Confession. When the Lord revealed Himself to Job as the Almighty, he confessed, “Behold I am vile,” and although he felt inclined to say more, he pulled himself up by saying, “But I will proceed no further” (Job_40:1-5).

3. Constrained. When Christ would have “gone further,” as He journeyed with the two disciples, “they constrained Him” by saying, “Abide with us” (Luk_24:28-29). We may by our prayers arrest Christ to our blessing.

4. Carefulness. “When they had gone a little further, they sounded again” (Act_27:28). The mariners did not recklessly go forward, but sought by their carefulness to see if they were warranted to do so. Carelessness is born of laziness, but carefulness is the companion of diligence.

5. Corruption. Paul speaks of “men” who have “corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith,” but he says, “they shall proceed no further” (2Ti_3:8-9). God allows men to go a long way, but they find in the end they are pulled up to their confusion.

6. Completion. The Levitical priesthood did not make things complete, but Christ in His priesthood brings things to perfection, as the apostle implies when he says, “What further need was there that another priest should rise,” but in Christ we have “an unchanging priesthood” (Heb_7:11, Heb_7:24).

By: DR. F. E. MARSH