I Peter 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. (KJV)

The angels look upon what they have seen already fulfilled, with delight and admiration, and what remains, namely, the full accomplishment of this great work in the end of time, they look upon with desire to see it is finished; it is not a slight glance they take of it, but they fix their eyes and look stedfastly on it, vix., that mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh; and it is added, seen of angels, 1 Tim. iii. 16.

The Word made flesh, draws the eyes of those glorious spirits, and possesses them with wonder to see the Almighty Godhead joined with the weakness of a man, yea, of an infant; He that stretcheth forth the heavens bound up in swaddling clothes! And to surpass all the wonders of his life, this is beyond all admiration, that the Lord of life was subject to death, and that his love to rebellious mankind moved him both to take on and lay down that life.

It is no wonder that angels admire these things, and delight to look upon them; but it is strange that we do not so. They view them stedfastly, and we neglect them:  either we consider them not at all, or give them but a transient look, half an eye. That which was the great business of the Prophets and Apostles, both for their own times, and to convey them to us, we regard not; and turn our eyes to foolish wandering thoughts, which angels are ashamed at. They are no so concerned in this great mystery as we are; they are but mere beholders, in comparison of us, yea, they seem rather to be losers some way, in that our nature in itself inferior to theirs, is in Jesus Christ exalted above theirs, Heb. ii. 16. We bow down to the earth, and study, and grovel in it, rake into the very bowels of it, and content ourselves with the outside of the unsearchable riches of Christ, and look not within it; but they, having no will nor desire but for the glory of God, being pure flames of fire burning only in love to him, are no less delighted than amazed with the bottomless wonders of his wisdom and goodness shining in the work of our redemption.

It is our shame and folly, that we lose ourselves and our thoughts in poor childish things, and trifle away our days we know not how, and let these rich mysteries lie unregarded. They look up upon the Deity in itself with continual admiration; but then they look down to this mystery as another wonder. We give them an ear in public, and in a cold, formal way stop conscience's mouth with some religious performances in private, and no more; but to have deep and frequent thoughts, and to be ravished in the mediation of our Lord Jesus, once on the cross, and now in glory,––how few of us are acquainted with this!

~ from Robert Leighton’s “Commentary on First Peter” (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1972), 71-72.

* * *

The word "desire" (as in "which things the angels desire to look into" ~ I Peter 1:12) is the Greek word epithumeo / epithymeo (1937), meaning "to set the heart upon, i.e. long for (rightfully or otherwise):--covet, desire, would fain, lust (after)" (from Strong's Concordance).

* * *

O, LORD our God, it is indeed strange that we do not desire to look into these things as we ought. It is a particularly strange thing that during Advent that we find ourselves looking into and preoccupied with all sorts of activities with the name "Christmas" –– and yet so many of those have little-to-no relation to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the rich mysteries surrounding Him; and, furthermore, so many of those serve to distract us from looking more steadfastly into those rich mysteries and becoming more and more intimately acquainted with You and the great salvation You have so kindly provided for us out of the riches of Your sovereign grace. Grant us grace to take to heart the example of Martha and Mary, that we might choose the good portion and not miss out on the one thing that is necessary! (Luke 10:38-42)

Holy Father, for Jesus' sake, forgive us for our sin of neglect and forgive us for our sin of apathy – we have foolishly and perilously contented ourselves with the outside of the unsearchable riches of Christ! Be merciful to Your people and teach us to number our days, so we might get a heart of wisdom!  The testimony of the angels is a great indictment of us. Should not Your own people delight in and admire Jesus Christ to an even greater extent than the angels –– because unlike the angels, we have been made Your sons and daughters – heirs of salvation and joint-heirs with Christ – having been bought with His precious blood and indwelt with Your Holy Spirit? And, are we not partakers of Your divine nature? O, merciful and gracious God, cleanse us from our sin and circumcise our hearts, that they might be whole, undivided, and ardent toward You. Impart to our hearts a holy longing for You and a sanctified lust to press on to know You, so we might not trifle our days away here, particularly these days during the Advent Season. May we be jealous for You with a godly jealousy as You are for us. Heighten our desire for You, our delight in You, and our admiration of You, so we might indeed glorify You by enjoying You!

Psalm 27:4  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

Related:

don’t waste your Christmas | exchange this world’s madness for Heaven’s gladness (letter 95 on joy)
Advent Hope: What does Jesus Christ mean to you? ~ Is yours a lively or a dead hope?
consider … our ways, the great cloud of witnesses, Susanna Anthony
“… since thou hast been thus gracious …” ~ Susanna Anthony and grace upon grace
Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from Jonathan Edwards
Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from George Whitefield
blogging to placard Jesus Christ ~ the highest felicity
Linger, linger, linger – so you might know God’s love

Photo credit:  “The Nativity” by Federico Fiori Barocci found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Barocci,_Federico_~_The_Nativity,_1597,_oil_on_canvas,_Museo_del_Prado,_Madrid.jpg / {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}

(Letter 166 in my series of letters on assurance and fighting for joy)...

"Those to whom Christ is precious, will long that others should taste of that preciousness. Those who have buried all their anxieties and all their terrors in the sufficiency of the atonement, will long that the knowledge of a remedy so effectual should be carried around the globe."

~ Thomas Chalmers, quoted by Stuart Piggin and John Roxborogh in "The St. Andrews' Seven" by  (Banner of Truth Trust: Edinburgh, 1985), 44.

* * *

I praise You, O my God, for not letting me stop satisfied with the initial sip of grace You offered me thirty-one years ago, on November 5, 1982. O, Holy Father, I confess how I wandered about for over twenty years content with a cursory, superficial, distant, and clinical knowledge of You... Though Your light had shone in my heart, and though Your Gospel was no longer veiled – yet, like the blind man at Bethsaida, I was seeing men, as trees walking – I was still greatly oblivious to the glorious reality – the Summum Bonum:  that the Lord Jesus Christ died to bring me back to You – that I might sup with God ~ to experientially know and to taste Your preciousness! John 17:3  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 

John Newton's words reflect my own experience:

I cannot consider myself to have been a believer, (in the full sense of the word,) till a considerable time afterwards.

I confess though I knew You, yet my faith was weak and faint – and I knew it not! Like Martha, though I was occupied with many religious activities, my appetite for You was severely stunted. Like so many in the day of Your incarnation, though I had studied Your Word, I had not truly begun to learn what it meant to come to You to have life.

Thank You and praise You for demonstrating Your Fatherly love for me by chastening me:  bringing me to the end of myself and bringing me to my senses. Bless You, Abba, for graciously shaking up my soul in mid-life, for leading me through higher and higher waters, and through hotter and hotter fires – so I might not rest content until I found in Christ's atonement strong consolation for all my soul's anxieties and terrors, and until You worked "to break [my] schemes of worldly joy, that [I] might seek [my] all in Thee."¹ Thank You for bringing me teachers like Jonathan Edwards and Martyn Lloyd-Jones to help me begin to see my lukewarmness and to see "the great and glorious possibilities of the Christian life," so I might not stop satisfied with an abstract and detached knowledge of You, a so-called "life" devoid of the inner witness and blessed communion of the Holy Spirit. Bless You for showing me mercy, for choosing me and lifting me from the ash heap to bring me near to You so I might begin to taste of Your preciousness – to drink experientially the living waters and begin to know sensibly the happiness of communion with You, the only true God through the Lord Jesus Christ!  And now, having tasted and having received of Your fullness, keep me thirsting for even more of You, so I might receive of Your fullness grace upon grace upon grace upon grace ... !

"But the communications of divine favour and grace will satisfy, but never surfeit. A gracious soul, though still desiring more of God, never desires more than God. The gifts of Providence so far satisfy them that they are content with such things as they have. I have all, and abound, Phil. iv. 18." ~ Matthew Henry on Psalm 36:8.

And of Naphtali he said, O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the LORD... Deuteronomy 33:23 (KJV)

Psalm 65
1  Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
2  O you who hears prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
3  When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
4  Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
5  By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;

Ah, but my Redeemer, though I have been privileged to dwell in Your courts and to taste of Your supreme blessedness and all-surpassing satisfaction – hear now Your Word and Your exceeding great and precious promises – have You not written them? – "to You ALL flesh shall come" – and "WE shall be satisfied"? Can I be content with the blessedness of dwelling in Your courts and the satisfaction of Your goodness, for it is written that You are not just the hope of Karen, but You are the hope of all the ends of the earth and the farthest seas? Woe to me if lapse into ease here in Zion (Amos 6:1)! God forbid I be numbered among the complacent daughters (Isaiah 32:9-11)!

As I press on to finish the race set before me in the strength You provide, may I be used by You to help other souls to taste Your preciousness. Continue to pour out upon me the Spirit of grace and supplications, that I might be a faithful and alert watchman on the wall, pleading day and night for You to shine Your face again upon Your people, to pour down Your Spirit upon Your Church for her reviving, that we may comprehend the breadth, length, depth, and height of Your love that passes all understanding – for it is only as we begin to count You as precious will we long for other souls in all the nations, other sheep all around the globe  – including those in the olive tree (ethnic Israel ~ Romans 9-11), to come and taste of Your preciousness along with us. Surely, still there is room in Your courts for all who are thirsty!

Psalm 67
1  May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2  that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3  Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
4  Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5  Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
6  The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
7  God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

"Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of hattle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:  but it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night:  but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea:  in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one." (Zechariah 14:3-9, KJV)

How delightful to piety and to benevolence to have the divine assurance of a period of light awaiting the Church and the world! — the light of knowledge, and purity, and felicity, triumphing over, and chasing fully away the darkness of ignorance, unholiness, and misery! The glory of God is dear to piety; the happiness of men is dear to benevolence. Amidst all that may be strange and perplexing in the present position and aspects of the Church, amidst the partially cheering and the partially disheartening and alarming, let us still be looking onwards to the coming day, — when, amid the gathering shadows of the evening, "the Sun Of Righteousness" shall shine forth in unclouded splendour; — when "the light of that Sun shall be as the light of seven days." And, having drunk of the "living waters" ourselves, and experienced their life-giving virtue, let us seek, by every means in our power, to send them forth in all directions, for the revival of the Church at large, and for the healing and life of the nations. When blessed ourselves, it is that we may be a blessing. And while we open channels for these "waters of life" in heathen lands to water "the desolate heritages of the Gentiles," let us not overlook the sacred duty, of seeking a channel by which we may cause them to return to the land from which they originally flowed; that the people to whom we owe them may share with us in the joy! Meanwhile TO YOU "the Spirit and the bride say. Come. And let him that heareth say. Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

~ Ralph Wardlaw in Ralph Wardlaw’s “Lectures on the Prophecies of Zechariah” (Second Edition 1869, ed. by The Rev. J. S. Wardlaw; (Stoke-on-Trent: Tentmaker Publications, reprinted 2002 & 2007), 387, 403-404, boldface mine.

¹ From verse 7 of John Newton's "Prayer Answered by Crosses"  (I Asked The LORD That I Might Grow)

Related:

God works through bad economies for good: A retrospective - my testimony
“I cannot consider myself to have been a believer (in the full sense of the word)”
birthday reflection: “the great & glorious possibilities” ~ “Now therefore, give me this mountain”
Once More I Entreat (the Former AND the Latter Rain) ~ a birthday exultation
Remembering the pit & bog so I might rejoice in Him & you might also! (Psalm 40:1-3)
An humble attempt for my rejoicing ~ O! for thousands upon thousands! ~ Edwards, Sutcliff, myself
the unexpected transport of joy ~ seeing the travail of His soul
Reformation Day reflections ~ A.W. Tozer “the doctrine of justification by faith has … fallen into evil company…”
Advent # 5 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might draw near to God | Even a Vapor
Advent # 8: WHY HAS JESUS COME? “so that [we] might be WITH HIM” ~ Mark 3:14
Advent # 9 WHY HAS JESUS COME? Adoption: the highest privilege the gospel offers ~ J.I. Packer
Why do you watch the same movie over and over?

I'm currently studying through the book of Judges, and the account of Jotham, Gideon's youngest son (see Judges 9), stood out to me. Here's Matthew Henry writing about him (emphasis mine):

We have here the only testimony that appears to have been borne against the wicked confederacy of Abimelech and the men of Shechem. It was a sign they had provoked God to depart from them that neither any prophet was sent nor any remarkable judgment, to awaken this stupid people, and to stop the progress of this threatening mischief. Only Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, who by a special providence escaped the common ruin of his family (5), dealt plainly with the Shechemites, and his speech, which is here recorded, shows him to have been a man of such great ingenuity and wisdom, and really such an accomplished gentleman, that we cannot but the more lament the fall of Gideon's sons. Jotham did not go about to raise an army out of the other cities of Israel (in which, one would think, he might have made a good interest for his father's sake), to avenge his brethren's death, much less to set up himself in competition with Abimelech, so groundless was the usurper's suggestion that the sons of Gideon aimed at dominion (2); but he contents himself with giving a faithful reproof to the Shechemites, and fair warning of the fatal consequences. He got an opportunity of speaking to them from the top of Mount Gerizim, the mount of blessings, at the foot of which probably the Shechemites were, upon some occasion or other, gathered together (Josephus says, solemnizing a festival), and it seems they were willing to hear what he had to say.

* * *

O LORD God, thank You and bless You that You know our frame, and You remember we are dust – You know my frame and remember I am dust... and You know all things... and You know how prone I am to DIScontentment. Forgive me for being discontent, restless, and unhappy in the place You have me. Help me to serve You from the heart:  to be content, restful, and happy in the place You have sent me and in the ministry You have appointed to me.

It is Your will for all Your children that we have a walk worthy of You, fully pleasing You, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might according to Your glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy (~ see Colossians 1:9-12). Holy Father, fill me with the meek and lowly Spirit of Jesus, so I might not only desire to do all Your will, but also to delight to do all Your will – like Your blessed Son. It is only as I humble myself and take His yoke upon me and learn from Him that I will find rest for my soul and joy in Your service no matter the circumstances.

Grant me grace to do no less, nor to do no more than You have ordained for me – and with that to content myself – like Jotham. Fill me with Your heavenly wisdom, that I might ponder the path of my feet and eschew evil, that I might not to turn to the right or to the left, but keep my heart in tune with Yours, my gaze fixed upon You, and my hand to the plow appointed by You, that I might be deemed fit for Your Kingdom.

Most importantly, help me to steadfastly seek Your face, O God, that I might experience the unsurpassed blessing of unalloyed contentment in You – in Your presence is fullness of joy and at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore! ~ Psalm 16:11. Whenever I am tempted to question, to doubt, or to grumble and complain, may my heart overflow and my lips pour forth praise to You, crying "Jotham! Jotham! Jotham!" ~ meaning "Jehovah (is) perfect!" – for You are perfect, O LORD, and all Your ways, though unsearchable and inscrutable, are perfect!

II Samuel 22:31 (ESV)
This God—his way is perfect...

Psalm 40:8
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.

Psalm 37:3-4
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
(from "Trust and Obey" by John H. Sammis)

Related:

Priest forever, do not delay! ~ Psalm 110 | letter 165 on assurance and joy
Three Years Later: Dancing & Skipping with Mrs. Durham | Letter 147 on fighting for joy
Martin Luther: “The Spirit … renders the heart glad & free, as the law demands”
Lent V. – You follow me! (Are we steadfastly setting our faces to His will?)
Lenten Reflections: “so Joel had another appointment”
the overwhelmed minister’s prayer and the promise of God’s sufficiency
A Hymn for “Shelf” Times… “Lord, We Know That Thou Art Near Us”

Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from the NKJV.