Shiloh as a Place

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 7
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The Lord, the true Shiloh, first gathered to Himself, or formed the assembly, by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). Thus Joshua 18 is a type of Pentecost. The meaning of “Shiloh” as a place is “peaceful tranquility”; the Lord’s own place, the place of peaceful tranquility. What was it but this when He arose from the dead? What were the first words of the risen Shiloh to His disciples assembled together? “Peace be unto you” (John 20:1919Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (John 20:19)). And He showed them His hands and His side. He had finished the work; He had made peace by His blood -eternal, perfect peace — it is His right to speak peace. Have you heard His voice speaking to you?
Shiloh was the place where Jehovah was pleased to place His name at the first. “And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there” (Josh. 18:11And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them. (Joshua 18:1)). What a picture of Pentecost! The true One, “whose right it is,” was come, and all believers were gathered unto Him. They were not gathered to Peter, but to the Lord. Peter was the preacher, but Christ, the exalted Lord, was the Shiloh to whom all were gathered.
Thus in the beginning all was done at Shiloh, before the Lord. True there were many who had not as yet received their inheritance, but Joshua was not indifferent: he says, “How long are ye slack to go to possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you” (Josh. 18:33And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you? (Joshua 18:3)). Missionaries were sent out, so that all might enjoy their possession. They went out from Shiloh, and returned to Shiloh, and the land was given to them at Shiloh. “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you” (John 20:2121Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. (John 20:21)). Thus He sent them out as missionaries to make known peace and forgiveness of sins. And it is only as we drink in His precious peace into our own souls, and enjoy in peaceful tranquility the certainty of sins forgiven; yea, that we are accepted in the favor of the beloved One — that we can expect to be used in bringing others into the possession of that present enjoyment of the inheritance which God our Father has given us in Christ. Oh, to go out from His peaceful presence, as He came forth from the Father.
It would be most blessed to dwell more on this, Shiloh as a picture of what the church was as built by Christ. We shall find the future history of Shiloh, a true picture of the sad history of the church. During the days of Joshua and those that out-lived Joshua, Israel served the Lord. His words are very striking: he says, “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served, on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose ye this day whom ye will serve... as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:14-1514Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord. 15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14‑15)). What a word to us now! Every form of idolatry in which we trusted, whether in Egypt or in the wilderness, must be put away. If we are dead with Christ and risen with Him, what need have we for all those things in which we trusted? All are now beggarly elements (Gal. 4:99But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? (Galatians 4:9)).