THESE verses bring before us God’s assembly typically.
And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by a dead person: both male and female shall ye put out; outside the camp shall ye put them, that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell. And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as Jehovah had said to Moses, so did the children of Israel (verses 1-4).
The way that assembly was formed was by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. There were a hundred and twenty saints in Jerusalem waiting and praying for it. The Lord had told them, ten days before the Holy Ghost was given, before He ascended, “Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” These hundred and twenty were in prayer before God. I daresay each one of us has noticed the difference between Matthew 7:1111If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:11) and Luke 11:1313If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:13). In Matthew it is, “give good things to them that ask; “in Luke,” give the Holy Spirit to them that ask.” At Pentecost the latter was fulfilled. They asked, and the Holy Spirit was given, and they were baptized into one body. We cannot now ask for Him to be given; we have Him, and we must not ask for what we have. But we are enjoined to “be filled with the Spirit.” He is given on the ground of redemption; and if once given, never taken away.
Constantly in the Old Testament we get water, blood, and oil. Water speaks of new birth; blood, of redemption oil, of the Holy Ghost consequent on redemption. The Lord Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost at His baptism before any blood-shedding. So, as a type of Christ, Aaron was anointed first, but his sons subsequently to the blood being shed. Then the blood was put on their ear, and thumb, and great toe, speaking of communion, service, and walk. They were not their own, but redeemed. After that the oil, ―the power, for “we have not received the spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,”―a mind capable of judging.
So it says in John’s Epistle, “There are three that bear witness on earth.” It also says in our version, “in heaven,” but that is all wrong. No witness is needed there. Look at the R.V. and you will see it was put in by man. The three witnesses on earth are the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and correspond with the water, the blood, and the oil of the types; “and these three agree in one.”
That is a little digression. Why I spoke of it was because they were baptized with the Holy Ghost, and He was poured out upon them; and that baptized body has been here ever since. Three thousand were converted the day that took place, and they were sealed with the Holy Ghost after they were baptized. Their question was, “What shall we do?” And Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” So they believed, were baptized, and received the gift of the Holy Ghost; God marking them thus as His own.
No one can break that seal. We are sealed unto the day of redemption. That is for the body. We have it now for our souls: we are going to have it for our bodies. We possess it now, and “the end is eternal life” too. The word of God is wonderfully precise.
There was a difference between the Samaritans and the Gentiles properly. The Holy Ghost was poured out upon the Gentiles in Acts 10. But that has never been repeated. He was poured out on the Jews on the day of Pentecost, then on the Gentiles, and the one body was formed of both Jews and Gentiles; and those belonging to it are not of the world as Christ is not of the world. That is leaving out the thought of what has been brought in by man, and is spurious. When the Lord said, “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” there is nothing spurious in that; but when we come to the first Epistle to the Corinthians, where we have the assembly opened out to us, there is only one foundation, but some build upon it wood, hay and stubble; and some, gold, silver and precious stones. Every man’s work will be tried by fire. What misjudgments there are! You see a hay stack.
It makes a great show; you see it a long way off; but test it by fire, and where is it? But a diamond, which you can cover up in your hand away from the sight of a human being; test it by fire and it will stand it. Let what we do be done in communion with God.
Christ’s assembly is the place of wondrous privilege. In the new creation all earthly distinctions disappear. “There is neither Greek nor Jew, etc., for “ye are all one in Christ Jesus”; and “Christ is all” as the Object, and “in all” as life.
It tells us in Hebrews 12 That “without holiness,”―and it is practical holiness there, ― “no man shall see the Lord.” Because in connection with it there, God is dealing with us as a Father. The only way in which we get God as Father in Hebrews is as chastening His children in love.
In that Epistle He is worshipped as God (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost). We have no authority in Scripture to address the Holy Ghost. We are told to pray in the Holy Ghost.
In that same connection it reminds us we have had parents who corrected us, and often made mistakes, being either too severe or too lenient. All earthly parents have erred one way or the other, ―perhaps in both. But He makes no mistakes; He has always got a worthy object, ― “that we might be partakers of His holiness.” Without that practical holiness there is no real happiness.
So it is a searching word there, I think. Let us remember God dwells in the assembly, and “holiness becometh Thy house, O Lord, forever.” We get evil mentioned in that assembly. And here (vs. 2) they had to “put out of the camp every leper, etc.” God’s holiness demanded it. Everything of a defiling character had to be put out.
In 1 Corinthians we get both moral and doctrinal evil. It is principally moral, but in chapter 15 there is false teaching about the resurrection. That is solemn. Look at 1 Timothy 1:19, 2019Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:19‑20). “Faith and a good conscience; which some having put away, concerning faith have made shipwreck, of whom is Hymenæus and Alexander.” In the next Epistle Hymenæus is mentioned again, “Who concerning the truth have erred, saying the resurrection is passed already” (2:17). That largely is what is believed in now. People think dying and “going to glory” (as they, not the Scriptures, say), settles everything for eternity. There is no room in their scheme of theology for the resurrection of the saints. Then we are told “if any man purge himself from these,” etc.
2 Timothy just describes the days in which we live. There is no power in the assembly to put out; it is a great house in disorder. The church is in the world, and the world is in the church; but “if any man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor.”
Then in 1 Corinthians 5, there is a man very wrong―morally― a real child of God, remember; and God required, ―the holiness of His name required, ―that he should be put outside. “Put away from among yourselves,” not “that dear brother,” but “that wicked person.” He was no fit person to be inside the assembly of God, as no leper was fit to be inside the camp of Israel.
2 Corinthians shows repentance was wrought in his soul, and he was restored; so he was “delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” He was a real child of God; but while unrepentant he was “that wicked person.” When repentant, he was their dear brother. This leaves no room for human conclusions. Although the church is in ruins, God has not left us without light for our path. We cannot do what Paul did: we can put out, but we have no authority to deliver unto Satan. But if put out, he is in the place where the devil rules.
So let us remember we have the thought of our varied service for God. Our business here is to live Christ in this world, and now our responsibility is to live here as members of Christ. The only membership we know is that of members of Christ, and members one of another; and we are responsible to maintain holiness according to it. “Be ye holy for I am holy,” is quoted in Peter.
Moses could go in and commune with the Lord from off the mercy-seat, and there is no word to say Aaron also could not do so before his sons failed. God had graciously given the fire to consume the sacrifice, and instead of using that fire, they used other fire. It looks (though not definitely stated), as if they were under the influence of liquor when they did it; and fire came out, not in grace, but in judgment, and consumed them.
After that God gave instruction to put a difference between clean and unclean. The death of Nadab and Abihu is in Leviticus 10; then from chapter 11 and onward they are instructed about what is defiling, and they were responsible to know it. So are we.