Psalm 119:9696I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. (Psalm 119:96) says, "Thy commandment is exceeding broad." And we believe that this wonderful history has another interpretation, with another lesson for us in it. We believe that many passages of Scripture have a double meaning: one, perhaps, for the present time, and one for a coming day. We have been looking at that meaning that tells us of our "home-coming" when we reach the glory above. But we know from such passages as Eph. 2:66And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:6) that God looks at us even now as raised up from the dead and seated in the heavenlies. "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:4-74But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4‑7). Note, these are not what He will do in the future, but what He has already done.
So we may see that in one sense we have no need to wait till we reach our home in the glory to enjoy the blessings of the "eighth day." Even now, God has made all things new for us, even now we are accepted in the Beloved. Even now we are presented holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight. It is surely now that He is able to keep us from stumbling, and even now He delights to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. (Jude 2424Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, (Jude 24).) The fullness of the type, we believe, will only be fulfilled when we actually reach our home above, but how blessed to know that, in one sense, even now we may prove and enjoy all these blessings.
Even now we enjoy the blessings from the acceptance of that trespass offering, and even now we bear the blood of that offering on our right ear and thumb and toe. Oh, dear fellow-believer, may the Lord give us grace in this defiled scene to walk worthy of that badge, that mark, that we wear even now, down here. May we be careful that nothing shall pass that blood-marked ear that would be dishonoring to that One who shed His blood for us. May all we hear and say and think be conformable to His death—for surely the blood on the ear is representative for the whole head.
But not only has it a negative side, so to speak, but there is the positive side as well. May that head of mine, with my intellect, my ears, my mouth, my eyes, my all, be His, and His alone, and His forever. May they be used for Him! May we hear and think and speak for Him. They are stamped and sealed with the mark of death, the price that has been paid to purchase them for His own. May God grant that not one of our faculties may ever be used for another.
That hand of mine, that once was used to serve His enemy, now is bought with that same precious blood, and gladly will it work and war for the One who has purchased it for His own. He can say of it, "Let him that stole steal no more:" (that was what I used it for once) "but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." Eph. 4:2828Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. (Ephesians 4:28). Once that hand of mine took my neighbor's things. Now it labors to give to the one from whom I once stole, or to any in need. Such is the effect of that blood on my right hand.
That blood tells me that I am not my own, that I am bought with a price, and it says to me, "Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." 1 Cor. 6:19-2019What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19‑20). That blood on ear and thumb and toe says to me, "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Rom. 6:1313Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:13). As I gaze on that blood, I cry,
“Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee!”
As we ponder all this we are constrained to say, "Who is sufficient for these things?" 2 Cor. 2:1616To the one we are the savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:16). And the better we know ourselves, the more fervently will we answer, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves... but our sufficiency is of God." 2 Cor. 3:55Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; (2 Corinthians 3:5). And this brings us to the next scene, where the priest, after sprinkling the oil seven times before the Lord, puts it on our right ear and thumb and toe, upon the blood of the trespass offering. Never could we venture to walk through this defiled and defiling world with the blood of the trespass offering upon us, were it not that that blood is covered with the oil. This tells us of the power of the Holy Spirit to carry us through every circumstance, to keep us, not only from falling, but even from stumbling, all through this wilderness pathway. The Holy Spirit alone can keep us from bringing dishonor on that precious blood that marks us who are Christians. The Holy Spirit alone can give power to take these instruments and yield them to God, to use them in His service, and for Himself. How can we ever thank God enough for the oil upon the blood?
And we may thank God, too, that even now down here, we have the good of the sin offering. Even now down here we are dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God. (Rom. 6:1111Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11).) And even now down here we are brought into that wondrous place of royal priests. True, we share the rejection of our absent King, but it is to us now that the Holy Spirit writes, "Ye are a... royal priesthood." 1 Peter 2:99But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (1 Peter 2:9).
Yes, and it is even now down here that we are worshippers. In John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23) we find that the Father is seeking worshippers. (He does not say He is seeking worship, but worshippers.) Who would have thought that He would have found them in poor, defiled lepers, now cleansed and brought nigh? But so it is. Yes, even now, you and I, dear fellow-Christian, have the privilege, the infinite privilege, of bringing our Burnt Offering (from which we must not separate the Meat Offering). We bring them with overflowing heart, and offer them to the One who has done all for us. Truly even now we may exclaim with burning hearts,
“Thou anointest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over.”
Then at home in the house of the Lord, the "Father's house," we will know in all their inconceivable fullness and glory, all these blessings we have sought to gaze upon and enjoy even now down here, and we will say: "It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of Thy acts and of Thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me: Thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are Thy men, happy are these Thy servants, which stand continually before Thee, and that hear Thy wisdom." 1 Kings 10:6-86And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 7Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 8Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. (1 Kings 10:6‑8).