Proverbs 25

Pro. 25:25. Good news from our friends at a distance, who have been gone long from us. Heaven is a far country - a far country especially to sinners, who have gone far off from God to the very borders, and seems to be a far country indeed to an awakened convinced sinner. The gospel is "glad tidings" from thence. Abraham's servant brought to Rebekah good news from a far country. Joseph's brethren, when they returned to Canaan, to their kindred there, after Joseph had made himself known to them in Egypt, and Joseph sent by them an account of his being alive, and his riches and glory, and plentiful supplies for them, and invited them to come down to him and partake of his wealth and glory, they brought good news from a far country to them who before were sorrowful, and ready to perish with famine. Moses brought to the children of Israel in Egypt, who were in great affliction there, and almost worn out with cruel bondage, good news from Mount Sinai, near the land of Midian. The spies, when they brought an account of the exceeding fertility of the land of Canaan, brought good news from a far country to them that were faithful in Israel. Cyrus sent good news from the Persian court to the poor captive Jews in Chaldea, as we have an account in Ezra 1. Darius' messengers brought good news from the same court to the Jews in Judea, Ezra 4. Ezra came with good news to Jerusalem, when he brought from thence Artaxerxes' commission and decree, Ezra 7. Nehemiah came to Jerusalem with good news from the same court, Neh. 1. Esther's messengers brought good news from Shushan to the Jews in Judea and in all the distant provinces of Esther, and Mordecai's advancement, and of great salvation for the Jews. Naomi, when in the land of Moab, heard good news from Canaan, when she heard how the Lord had visited His people in giving them bread, Ruth 1:6. All these are types of the good news sent us from heaven in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which gospel was good news from a far country; also, in another sense - viz., it is preached to the Gentiles who were far off - aliens and strangers - far off from the Church of God and sent from Jerusalem and the land of Canaan to the remote parts of the world.

Pro. 27:7