Open—L. Smith, H. Brinkmann
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First Chronicles, chapter 21.
It's been mentioned.
In these meetings, in the prayer that.
For meeting at Friday night and other times.
The trials and testings and sittings.
Among us.
My trust, there's something in this portion of our hearts.
And Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David.
To number Israel.
Let's turn to Second Samuel 24.
In verse one.
And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
And he moved David against them to say.
Go number Israel and Judah.
Now we'll look back at First Chronicles 21.
David.
Joanne verse two and to the rulers of the people go number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
And Joab answered, The Lord make his people 100 times so many more as they be. But my Lord the king, are they not all my Lord servants?
Why then, doth my Lord require this thing? Why will He cause a trespass to Israel?
Now what we read of Job's life.
We see nothing but a man of the flesh.
But he can see through.
David's thought.
Because the flesh can detect the flesh in someone else.
And in that way, the flesh fears God. If there's nothing to be gained, then why do it?
David wouldn't have any more people by numbering them than he had without numbering them.
First of all, nevertheless, the King's word prevailed against Joab, Joab departed, and he went through all Israel and came to Jerusalem.
Joel gave us some of the number of the people unto David, and all they of Israel were 1000 thousand and 100,000 men that drew the sword, and Judah was 403 score and 10,000 men of Judah sword.
That Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them, for the King's word was abominable to Joab.
And God was displeased with this thing, therefore he smote Israel.
We learn in.
Two Samuel that it took about nine months to take this tally.
It's on my heart.
To speak.
I trust a little to all of us, but I was thinking particularly of leaders.
Sometimes the word for a king in Hebrew is just a leader.
And you know, most of us are leaders in some way, perhaps.
You're a leading brother in the assembly you come from.
One of the few.
In that assembly.
Perhaps your leader in the sense that you're a father in your house.
Perhaps you're a leader in the sense that you're a woman who rules her house.
Maybe your leader in the sense of being a boy or girl that affects the life of others.
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David's life was basically characterized by.
A heart for God.
And then after God's own heart.
But there were failures of plenty in his life. But the thing that characterized him when failure came in is that he turned back to the heart he could trust.
In the trials of life.
As we seek, I trust.
To be some help to the people of God.
Were made at times acutely aware of our own failure.
Sometimes it's a simple thing like failing to encourage.
The right thing that was done.
So anyway, this takes place. It's failure in David's life. There was a way to do this properly if he'd have taken the shekel of a sanctuary for each one numbered.
The silver.
The thought of redemption, that the people belong to God, not the King.
He could have done it.
Orderly.
But God is displeased with this thing, therefore he smote Israel now.
You know, when difficulties arise among the people of God, it's easy to look for a scapegoat.
And say that brother did it if so and so hadn't said so and so.
And they begin to accuse and to blame. We're just saying therefore.
You'll murmur not.
But I believe in this chapter we're going to see several aspects.
Of why God?
Allowed this thing.
The first cause of everything that happens in your life and mine.
Is God.
From this chapter.
We have read.
Satan stood up against Israel from Second Samuel. We've read that God.
Was displeased.
With Israel.
In this chapter you see the second 'cause.
Can we not look among ourselves and say.
Satan has been allowed to test.
And sift.
God allowed.
God allowed it. He's the first 'cause.
And the soul that takes it from him.
Who prosper?
Verse 8 David said unto God.
I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing.
But now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly.
Cynthia Mun.
Failure in a leader.
This has some real roots in it. You'll see my trust.
Now in verse 9.
David takes this responsibility directly.
That really kind of characterizes him too.
Some years before.
He needed a sword and he went to the priest.
For some bread and a sword. And there was number sword, but a sword he'd had to hold of once before.
It was the sword of Goliath.
But while he was there, do I the Edomite was detained.
And the result.
Those two men being at the same place.
Was that 80 priests died?
And David took the responsibility and he said.
I have occasioned the death of my father's house.
Beloved brethren, do we seek grace from God?
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To admit where we have failed.
In responsibility.
As to any.
That had left the place of the Lord's name.
We can talk about principle.
And they're wonderful held in communion with the Lord.
But we need to own our responsibility.
And to Prophet in trial.
Verse 9.
Lord doesn't speak to David.
He says to Gan.
David's here.
Go tell David No, says the Lord, Ioffer thee three things, choose the one of them. Let me do it unto thee. So Geddon came to David and said unto him. Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee either three years famine.
For three months to be destroyed before thy falls, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee, or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence in the land.
And the Angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
Let's turn to Second Samuel 21.
Verse one.
Then there was a famine in the days of David, three years, year after year.
And David inquired of the Lord.
Have you felt a feminine?
You know, some say, well, there's no food in the assembly.
Is it the right thing to say?
The one who is the bread of life is full.
His fullness cannot be diminished, though you draw it continuously.
But I rather think this incident earlier in David's life had some effect on his answer.
But David inquired of the Lord.
There have been some special prayer meetings.
Regarding the state of things.
I think we can learn from this verse.
David inquired.
He didn't go for the purpose of telling his own mind about what he assessed.
But he went to find out from the living Lord.
And he's just as living today.
He is speaking to his brother.
And what he wants is our hearts.
Then look at verse 9.
Saul and his veal had put the Gibeonites to death. That was the cause of the famine, and David felt the famine in three years.
But in verse nine, and he delivered. These were Saul's offspring.
Delivered them unto the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord, and they fell all 7 together, and were put to death in the days of harvest.
In the first days in the beginning of barley harvest.
Well, later.
Rizpah, mother of two of these boys, watches and drives away all the birds of prey.
Later these bones are buried. Verse 13.
The universe, 14 says. And after that God was entreated for the land.
So, back to our chapter in First Chronicles.
I'm not surprised that David does not choose famine.
And he has plenty of experience under the sword also.
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And who could want pestilence?
So in verse 13, David said unto God, I am in a great St.
Let me fall now into the hand of the Lord, for very great are his mercies.
Beloved brethren, what a heart we have to turn to.
In our troubles.
There's no heart that loves us like his.
And that heart has allowed these trials for a reason.
Because he wants to be everything to us.
So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel.
And the fellow of Israel 70,000 men.
These men never left the land.
That they're lost to the testimony.
2 words have been before me position.
And condition.
Brethren, I believe with all my heart in the position.
Of being gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the ground of the one body.
But I also believe.
That it's easy to slip into a condition.
Where the blessed truths of the Word of God become just kind of a theory.
And you lose heart.
In the truth itself.
How can God regain that to your heart?
What keeps you?
Gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus. Lots of relatives in the meeting.
Functions of young people.
President Christ. The Center.
If I'm losing out in heart.
I need to be before the Lord.
And he has ways of doing that.
The Ephesians were losing heart.
And Smyrna was sent trial to regain the heart.
70,000 men.
And God sent an Angel into Jerusalem to destroy it. I thought these were his chosen people.
They are.
They are God has government.
As well as grace.
And it's faithfulness that's trying to regain the heart.
And God sent an Angel into Jerusalem to destroy it. There are 70,000 men dead already.
And as he was destroying, the Lord beheld and repented him of the evil.
And said unto the Angel that destroyed it, Enough, stain out thy hand. Ah, there's a heart in heaven.
It can say when it's enough.
Will we take our responsibility, brethren?
Where we have failed.
In encouraging one another in right things.
But then I know I've been too critical of my brother.
God's government is just.
But his grace comes in.
It's God's heart that stopped the destroying Angel.
Stay now, thine hand. And the Angel stood by the threshing floor, born, and the Jebusite, and David lifted up his eyes.
And so.
The Angel of the Lord stand between earth and heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem.
Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
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What does sackcloth speak of?
At least humility.
Brokenness, lowliness before God.
Where we have failed, brethren, we need to be admitting it.
Not just pressing for principle. Where's the heart?
That weeps.
Were lost sheep, I mean these sheep that are lost to the testimony.
Why aren't they locks? We'll see more, but.
Clothes in sackcloth.
And the elders are with him. And David said, And again, is it not I that commanded the people unto God?
Excuse me, See directly with God, It's not yet.
Look up and see that Angel.
The stretched out sword over your city.
The Destroying Angel.
Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed.
But As for these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand I pray thee, O Lord, my God, be on me and on my Father's house, but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
Some years before.
He was a shepherd boy.
Even fleeing from Saul.
The protected navels Sheep.
You can't take the Shepherd out of his heart.
So you find present failure in his life. It's there.
Brethren, if we failed.
Can we have failed?
In many ways, we need to take these lessons to heart, but praise the Lord for what He's placed in our hearts.
In your heart, perhaps.
There's one.
Who takes the lead in your assembly?
Or in your house.
Or with other young people.
We need to walk softly.
It is I that have sinned and uneven.
Let thine hand I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me all the responsibility he takes it.
Then the Angel of the Lord commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshing floor of Horn and the Jebusite.
David went up at the saying of God, which he spake in the name of the Lord.
And Ornan turned back.
And saw the Angel.
So here's a gentile.
A Jebusite with his sons.
And he looks up.
And he sees that mighty Angel between heaven and earth.
With his sword drawn.
I'd like to suggest there was something in David's leadership.
That allowed this man.
To not be oppressed.
You were not to oppress the stranger in the land.
We fail at that too, to let souls.
Progress as the Lord works in them.
We have a tendency to want everyone to conform to a certain standard, and it's not peculiar.
To those gathered to the Lord's name.
It's rather typical of many groups of people.
Conformity to Christ is of God.
And the heart has to be filled for that to happen.
But.
His four sons with him hid themselves. It's a fearful thing to realize.
That God is dealing with us in judgment.
Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
Notice the time.
Not a famine now.
And people hung up in barley harvest.
When there's hardly any harvest.
But a sweet harvest?
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We all know there's a harvest going on in the gospel. I'm thankful for you, dear brothers that are gifted of the Lord. As evangelists, we're all thankful.
And each one of us need to do that work too.
But sometimes troubles tend to.
Hinder that work.
And David came to Ornan.
Ornan looked and saw David.
And went out of the threshing floor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
Does your outreach.
In the gospel, or whatever work it may be.
Allow you to stop.
And recognize.
When the Lord is speaking.
In a very special way.
And does that outreach?
Recognize a leader that is of God though there be failure in his life.
How did David come to our Nan?
Verse 16.
Clothed.
Santa Claus.
Is there with us?
The humility.
The recognition of where we have failed.
That makes it a little easier.
For those who may be functioning, say, in this capacity of an evangelist.
To say I own.
The position God has given you.
Or is the sackcloth so lacking?
That her brethren have difficulty with that.
The sword of the Angel of the Lord was a fearful thing.
My, it's beautiful to see how the Lord works this all out. And David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of his threshing floor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord.
Thou shalt grant me for the full price, that the plague may be stayed from the people.
In Second Samuel 24, Ornan says, The Lord thy God accept thee.
He's been hiding with his sons, the angels. Right there between heaven and earth, the sword is drawn.
70,000 of fallen.
But the mercy of God comes in, the grace, the sovereign grace of God comes in.
Have stopped that sword.
And begins to reveal something that's not merely positional.
It brings in a new condition.
A fresh condition if I may make that application.
Verse 23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, Let my Lord the king do that which is good in his eyes. Lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering. I give it all.
What a heart.
A ready St. They were ready Saints in the Gospel.
Some of them had. One of them had a Passover room.
When I'm had a donkey tied between or two street meat.
This man has a threshing floor, some oxen, some instruments, and wheat. A ready thing.
We should all want to be ready.
To give for that which is to the health and blessing and good of God's people.
And King David said to Ornan, Nay, but I will barely buy it for the full price, for I will not take that which is thine for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
So David gave to Ornan the place for the place, 600 shekels of gold by weight.
And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
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And called upon the Lord.
You know, brethren, when we feel our failure.
What we need is peace.
Christ in what he means to God.
The burnt offering, everything going up in sweet, acceptable sacrifice.
I know, don't doubt a bit. David was blaming no one else.
In his heart.
Taking it all to himself.
And God came in.
In this remarkable way.
Verse 26.
And called upon the Lord, and he answered him from heaven by fire.
Upon the altar of burnt offense.
The fire.
Is what makes the offering go up.
The trial God has sent him on us.
Is really for the perfecting, the bringing out of that which is acceptable.
To go up to God.
This is a new thing.
And the Lord commanded the Angel, and he put his sword again into the sheath thereof.
At that time, when David saw that the Lord had answered him in the threshing floor born in the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there for the Tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering were at that season in the high place of Gibeon.
But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the Angel of the Lord.
You know, back there at Gibeon.
Stood the Tabernacle.
I believe very possibly.
A Tabernacle that no longer had the ark in it.
We'll turn to Psalm chapter 78.
Verse 55.
And he cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
Yet they tempted and provoked the Most High God and kept not His testimonies.
But turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers. They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this, he was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel.
So that he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh.
The tent which he placed among men, and delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hands.
I believe verse 61 is referring to the Ark.
In First Samuel.
We would know that, Israel said. Let us fetch the ark to go into battle.
What would it signify?
Properly the Lord in the midst.
But it had become an IT.
To their hearts.
And in just a short time, they find the Ark is taken captive.
And instead of a shout when it comes into the camp, there's a cry.
And the year is taken captive.
Had God forsaken.
The land that he chose for them? The position? No, but what was the condition?
Very bad.
He let his glory go into captivity.
Verse 62. He gave his people over also unto the sword.
Many fell that day in First Samuel 4.
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And was brought with his inheritance. The fire consumed their young men. Their maidens were not given to marriage. Their priests fell by the sword. There was Hothnik Phinehas.
And their widows made no lamentation, and the ark was taken captive.
Spinahasse's wife named the child as she died and she said Ichabod.
Glorious departed.
Eli hears that. He falls backward.
Neck is broken. The ark of God was taken.
Then the Lord awake, does one out of sleep like a mighty man, but shouteth by reason of wine, and he smote his enemies in the hinder parts. He put them to a perpetual reproach. Moreover he refused.
The Tabernacle of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ethereum, but chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion, which he loved.
We read in First Chronicles 21 The high place at Gibeon.
There's Shiloh. Where are these?
Eun, Joseph.
And Joseph?
That which was a position of God, while it was good to the hearts of the people.
But degeneration came in.
Through the failure of men.
And while we've looked at this chapter and we've seen Satan's attack, we have to see also God's viewpoint. This song tells us something of the state of the people, perhaps of the 70,000 that were swinging.
High places.
Provoked him to jealousy with graven images.
Now, we don't always see the whole picture as trouble begins, but the Lord does.
And out of the failure, what does he bring? He brings something totally new. Totally new.
It has some interesting origins.
Encouraging origins.
So we've read in.
First Chronicles 21. I mean, yes, First Chronicles 21.
That he couldn't go before.
The Tabernacle at Gideon, he feared.
The sword of the Angel of the Lord, then in chapter 22, David said.
This is the House of the Lord.
Right, God answered by fire.
Brennan's very trials.
I do believe.
Are to cast us upon God.
But it may not just be the mind apprehending the truth.
And letting it degenerate into something of a theory and reasoning.
These trials, this fire is that it may be real to your soul and mind, that Christ in the midst.
The truth that there is one body.
We have failed to keep it very well in local assemblies.
And even communicating with one another.
In loving one another as we are.
Being understanding.
But when the Lord has allowed this much trial.
Let us have grace like David.
Take our responsibility.
To inquire of him.
Don't know we've failed.
Or does the trial have to get heavier?
Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered?
You know we can fail in.
Leadership. Numerous ways. Some have applied this to pride in David's life.
But there are many ways I'd ask you not to limit it to that.
But let the Spirit of God speak to our hearts.
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He answered him by fire.
And what does it reveal?
It reveals the sight of Solomon's temple.
Isn't that amazing? We go back to that song.
78.
Verse 67 Moreover, he refused the Tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim, but chose the tribe of Judah and the Mount Zion, which he loved. And he built his sanctuary like high places, like the earth, which he hath established forever. He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.
From following the news great with Young, he brought him to feed Jacob, his people and Israelis inheritance.
So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
You see, he has introduced something entirely neat.
In First Samuel we have a priesthood functioning not very well.
The ark is present.
There is unjudged sin in the midst.
Very serious sin.
Eli seems nearly powerless to do anything about it.
Indeed, he is powerless, but he has a heart for the Ark.
But his lack of exercising his responsibility brings in the judgment of God upon his house.
And a little later, 80 that wore the ephod are slain by Doig's sword.
But interestingly, prior to that.
There's a barren mother.
Christ to God for a son.
She is so confident of the Lord in the midst.
That the state of things there do not hinder her.
To bring her little boy.
Before the Lord.
She's not trying to protect him.
From the state of Eli's house.
Apparently in any other way than prayer.
And a new garment every year.
But God honors that mother's faith.
Because she's brought him to the right place and that very man.
Is used of God.
To anoint this very thing.
That priesthood.
Is set aside.
By the government of God.
And Abiathar evidently finally dies of old age.
Is it because he had suffered reproach with David, but he's no longer functioning as a priest at the end, set aside, But now these very failures in leadership that brought in this judgment and these very things that we find in Psalm 78 as to the state of the people that brought in the judgment.
What do they usher in?
God in his mercy.
Stops the Angel of the Lord David in humility obeys the word of God.
He goes to that threshing floor. He offers us what speaks of Christ.
It's not just position.
It is now a condition where the king has to do with God directly.
He's not just a king.
Is now functioning as a priest and.
King, a type.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, brethren, let us not be discouraged from our failure.
But let us realize that how did it?
His desire is to restore a depth of reality.
Of freshness.
The delight is hard enough.
So in chapter 22 of First Chronicles, David said this is the House of the Lord.
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And this is the altar of burn offering for Israel. And David commanded together the stranger to gather the strangers in the land of Israel. They set Masons to Hugh Rockstones to build the House of God.
Out of the very failure.
Comes the fact, as Psalm 78 tells us.
He chose the tribe of Judah and the Mount Zion, which he loved.
It's not just Israel was the proper position.
It's now a condition and a position in freshness.
That all may be real before God.
And he built his sanctuary like the high places, like the earth, which he had established forever. He does, brethren, have a place of his name.
And he's the one that maintains it. Sometimes we get to thinking we do it.
But when we see His hand upon us.
We need mercy as individuals. We need Grace doing our failure and to see His goodness.
Another thing I want to say about the harvest.
In Mark's gospel it says first the blade.
Then the ear and then the full corn in the ear.
Known when harvest comes.
We get what?
Ornan was doing his threshing. He has a threshing sledge and the oxen and the instruments.
That's just kind of a weighted boat they pull across the wheat and what does it do?
He removes the chaff.
There's a verse in the Minor Prophets that says what is the chaff to the weak?
Chaff becomes valueless, doesn't it?
I just want to say.
Dear young people.
The chaff is a protective influence in growth.
As that week matures.
It protects that kernel from the elements.
It is necessary for that stage of growth.
I'm thankful as I look back in my Christian experience of older brethren.
And some younger brethren.
That were a very helpful influence.
During my growth.
I'm thankful for my great haired brother that are here today.
I trust you're thankful.
For the ones in your assembly too.
But the best of men are but men at best.
And there comes a time in your growth when the threshing takes place.
And the Jack comes off.
And you're a grain of wheat yourself.
And by the grace of God.
Either falls into the ground and dies or abides alone.
Because you want to follow Jesus.
That threshing time can be painful.
And I would suggest that Ornan.
Threshing.
Is showing a wonderful lesson to his sons.
And I believe he was very thankful when he saw that sword go into the angel's sheep.
And very thankful.
What brought that about?
As the fire of God that descended from heaven and consumed.
Things he had just been working with.
Oh, brother.
There's anything we need above all else.
The present answer of God.
That all may be in freshness.
Possessed by individual faith.
Before him.
There's a hymn Brother gave out yesterday. I'd like to read a couple of verses.
#165.
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Verse two and three.
While in afflictions furnace and passing through the fire.
The love we praise, which tries our ways and ever brings us mire.
We lift our hearts, exalting in thine almighty favor.
The love Divine which made us thine shall keep us thine forever.
Let us conduct thy people safely through all temptation.
Nor will we fear, since thou art near the fire of tribulation, the world, that sin and Satan display their strength before us. By thee we shall breakthrough them all and join the heavenly course.
Over a day, that's going to be, you know, Nehemiah.
Chapter one, he heard about the gates being burned, city of the sepulchre of his fathers. Let's just look at one verse there. Nehemiah, chapter one.
Verse 7-8 and nine. I was thinking particularly of nine. Perhaps we should read them. We have dealt very corruptly against the.
And have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments which thou commanded, thy servant Moses.
You know.
He knew about the position at Jerusalem.
He wasn't there.
He was captive.
In a distant land.
Remember, I beseech thee, the word thou commandest thy servant Moses, saying, If you transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations. But if you turn unto me and keep my commandments, and do them, though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from fence, and bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
His heart was in the right position, wasn't it?
And he returned there.
How lovely. Daniel, captive in Babylon.
He wasn't in the right position.
He knew the right position. His heart was there. He opened his window towards Jerusalem and prayed three times a day.
When he recognized the word of God performed.
According to Jeremiah's prophecy, he said.
It's time.
He confesses his sin, the sin of his Father's, the sin of his people and.
Cries to the Lord to come in.
He never lost sight of the Sinner.
Marvelous man, you're going to meet himself.
Now we need grace to realize.
What is there? Another verse in the hymn #61 was given out yesterday in verse four says.
These two verses are lines.
Mid obedience and suffering to prove that we to the Lamb have been given.
These things try us.
If the circumstances between US and the Lord were going to get discouraged.
If we have a Lord before us, we're going to get an answer.
That is very restoring.
It ushers in a totally fresh thing.
King and a priest, you know, David in that instance is perhaps a failing type of Christ, but he is a type of Christ. The Lord Jesus took on himself all our sins, all the sins of the people.
And who offers himself without spot to God all the resource we have? May God bless His word.
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That we learn as we read the Book of Numbers.
Is that all fail, including Moses, Aaron, Miriam and the people?
All failed and there isn't one of God's people.
That does not have to bow his head in shame and say there's failure in my life.
I have fallen short of answering to God's purpose for me.
In my life.
I like to read.
And this has to do with the failure.
Of the people.
Rebelling against God-given leadership.
And we read in chapter 16.
But under Maharo, all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord came to pass when the congregation was gathered against Moses, against Aaron, that they looked towards the Tabernacle of the congregation, and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared.
And Moses and Aaron came before the Tabernacle of the congregation, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces.
And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censor, and put fire there on.
From off the altar and put on incense and go quickly onto the congregation and make an atonement for them, for there is wrath gone out from the Lord. The plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation. And behold, the plague was begun among the people. And he put on incense and made an atonement for the people, and he stood between.
The dead and the living and the plague was safe.
Now they that died in the plague were 14,000 and 700 beside them that died about the matter of Cora and Aaron returned unto Moses, unto the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation, and the plague was state.
The danger that exists amongst God's people in view of the failure of man.
And in view of the failure of those whom God has put in the place of leadership, is that they tend to rebel as Cora, Dothan and Abiram did.
They want to take over. God's given leadership is failing and are they the only ones qualified to lead the people of God?
This sounds familiar, does it not? Because it manifests itself among God's people at any time in the church's history, and there is no difference.
Among those gathered to the name of the Lord. In a way you might say.
You can blame them too much when they say man failing in the place of leadership.
But God will not accept anything other than His order in the Word of God for leadership.
And rebellion is that which he will not tolerate.
And we find that not only did God judge these individuals, you know it's interesting I believe that what we find in those three characters that we find that Dothan and Abiram were aspiring against Moses authority while.
The other was aspiring for Aaron's place.
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That which speaks of the priesthood of Christ.
And the Lord comes in, in judgment.
He acknowledges whom he has placed in the position among God's people, not the one who appointed themselves or that the people would appoint or choose.
But the sad picture here in the verses that we have read, in spite of God coming in in judgment, that people side with those who were taken away in judgment, the remarks spread throughout.
And.
God, again, just like in the passage that Lemoyne has brought before us.
Comes in in judgment.
But the most encouraging thing, beloved, in this whole story is that we see this.
That if it wouldn't be for the service of Aaron, the very one.
Against whom Korah and his cohorts rebelled, they would have been consumed.
It would have been consumed and Moses instinctively feels this is not a time for my authority to assert itself. Authority is not going to bring the people of God through the wilderness. The priesthood of Christ is, and he sends Aaron with the sensor among the people, beautiful, beloved, and the priesthood of Christ.
How wonderful and blessed it is.
Our brother Clem has already referred to Hebrews, and referred, I believe, and touched upon that side of things. He is the apostle and high priest of our profession.
You know, amongst the gathered Saints, beloved, and I don't exclude myself from it at all. We have perhaps stressed too much authority, assembly authority, and have failed to remember that we have in Moses and in Aaron these two sides.
Authority and intercession.
Intercession and the heart of the Lord is manifested towards His people in what we find represented in errand.
As you know, we find in the 4th chapter of Hebrews.
Let's just quickly turn to it.
You know we have in the 4th chapter the rest.
Spoken of and that we should labor to enter into that rest. That's not salvation.
That is connected with our pilgrimage journey, which requires a decided effort on our part to enter into the rest, which is at the end of the journey. I believe for Israel it will be the Millennium, and for you and me it's going to be heaven. As we sing, our rest is in heaven. Our rest is not here. But we find in this passage two things that are given for us as we are on our journey through this wilderness. You know, we have been singing at the beginning of the meeting.
That.
Our home is above, our Fatherland is there, and how wonderful that is in Hebrews views us as going through the wilderness. We haven't reached that rest yet, but it is assured to us. But while we are on that journey, there are two things here given to us on a pilgrimage journey.
Verse 12.
The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and morals, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his life.
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But all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Can't fool anybody. We might fool the people, we might fool our brethren, but we cannot fool God. We're open before him like an open book, and the word of God is given to us.
To reveal and manifest.
Wherever we fall short in a path through the wilderness, we love it. Do we not want ourselves to be exposed to this?
Work of the Spirit of God in connection with the Word of God. You know, beloved, we have.
Almost with a passion opposed ministry that would accomplish this very thing.
We always want to hear about something for the heart, but in order to survive in the wilderness journey, we must have the effect of the Word of God that exposes us, makes things manifest.
But again.
What we have on the other side is what we have in the following verses.
Seeing then, that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not a high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we were.
Yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We love that if it would be only for the Word of God that would be given us to expose our condition.
How awful it would be. It would lead to despair and misery. But we have this priesthood of Christ.
Who understands what we are like?
And he himself has been here as a man. He knows the trials and temptations. You know, he was here and faced disappointments in the Lord. Jesus could never be tempted with anything evil but.
He knows what saw temptation is trials and testings when we seek to labor for the Lord, and false motives are implied. The Lord Jesus has experienced.
Have we found those who seem to be helped by our ministry and went on well seemingly for a while and then turned back?
The disappointment and pain that that brings to anyone.
Well, the Lord understands that He has felt all of this, and the enemy would like to use these disappointments.
Beloved to have us throw in the towel, as it were. Give up in our own families, Beloved.
We have children entrusted to us.
We seek to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
We desire nothing greater for them that they might than that they might come to know the Lord Jesus as their Savior and go on for His glory. And then we see them getting tripped up. The enemy gains victories.
How painful.
Many of us know what there is, don't we?
And how often the enemy would try to tempt us to lower the standards so that we hopefully can hang on to our children that they will not go away.
But one.
Young man said to his father once after he had returned as a repentant boy. He said, I'm so glad that you didn't give in. I wanted to break you down. I'm so glad you didn't break down. Now I have something to come back to.
The enemy would like to make us compromise and give up and.
Sacrifice teachings and principles that the Word of God has taught us.
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With the idea of hanging on and keeping.
Those whom we dearly love. These temptations are real, but the Lord Jesus is a high priest.
Is at our side. He helps us, He suckers us. Physical weakness.
Unemployment, even economical pressures. Don't you think the Lord Jesus understands that? He does. And how wonderful He is a man in the glory who Himself has been here, and He fully understands what you and I go through. And he can help us. He can encourage us, He can strengthen us. On the one hand, He allows us to be exposed.
Whenever we fall short and he uses his word to do it. But on the other hand, he helps us, he supports us, and he brings us safely through to the end. You know, there's another side to the priesthood. We don't have time to develop that. And that is that he is the minister of the sanctuary.
We find that in Chapter 7 or 8.
And while we are on that wilderness journey, in spite of all the trials and difficulties that we have, He wants to lead us in our heavenly worship, in the heavenly sanctuary and assist us in there. You know, beloved, many times these trials might become so severe that we might not at all.
Fill up to drawing knife within the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
But again, the Lord Jesus.
Would seek to lead us in spite of all the difficulties of the pathway that we face on every hand. He would like to assist us as the minister of the sanctuary, the Son of God, to lead us in worship and adoration, to OfferUp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Beloved, we are well taken care of.
And the Lord.
Can help us to have faith to cling with purpose of heart to the Lord Jesus and avail ourselves of.
That which he has provided us for our safe journey through this scene. You know, the word of God doesn't spare anybody.
Everyone is exposed and we all do well that we allow the Word of God to penetrate our heart, to penetrate our conscience.
And do not allow the enemy to use these failures to turn us aside.
But to continue steadfastly, and the only way we can do that is by clinging to the Lord Jesus and having our eyes fixed on Him.
And enjoying His love, His mercy, His grace.