GOD'S INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS (1)
GOD’S INHERITANCE IN THE SAINTS (1)
1 Samuel 16:11 - 23; 1 Chronicles 11:1 - 3; 1 Chronicles 12:38 - 40
JT At meetings in Birmingham last year we dwelt on the book of Joshua in relation to the service of God, but more particularly to bring out our inheritance; the inheritance of the saints. What is in mind at this time is to consider God’s inheritance. It is therefore really a complement of what we had last year. As the Lord may help, we may see that the completion of the subject is in God’s inheritance in the saints.
I believe that David was taken up with this in view; not only as a type of Christ, but as a type of the saints too. We join in with Christ and thus become the inheritance of God, as Ephesians 1:18 says. This is a matter which all will recognise to be of the greatest importance as we are drawing near to the end: that there should be completion. The Spirit is here, according to the Lord’s own words, not only to teach us, but to guide us into all the truth; and there will be triumph if this comes about in the last days. So the book of Revelation, which contemplates the last days, both as regards the government of God and the work of God in the assembly, brings in David in a striking manner; the Lord saying that He “has the key of David” (Revelation 3:7), which would undoubtedly signify that He can open up things authoritatively. So that, however few may be true, or however small the position, there is authority — there is authority in the opening up of the truth. The Lord would assert that amongst us.
And then there is the presentation of Himself, in answer to that, in the last chapter of that book as “the root and offspring of David” (Revelation 22:16); this would mean that He has confidence, that with the opening that is made for the saints, as things advance, there has been inquiry in the truth — the Root of David involving the gospel of John and the Offspring involving Matthew. So that as He presents Himself in these relations “the Spirit and the bride say, Come” (verse 17), which would indicate that the assembly is ready in a practical way, answering to all that He has opened up with authority in His service through many years. Now there is a response, on the part of the Spirit and the bride. It would seem as if the Spirit is exultant in the work He has accomplished — not simply teaching us, but guiding us into all the truth.
Corresponding with Revelation, it would seem that the prophets confirm Christ’s service as David, in this respect, in the thought of the service of God. David appears in the prophets both in this connection and in relation to Israel in the future militarily. David is to be their king, and their shepherd and their prince (see Ezekiel 37:24,25). Christ, as David, is known now in the assembly as in relation to the service of God. So, in the Davidic character there is the working out of the service of song; one of the most interesting thoughts that can come before us; all hingeing on Christ as known amongst us in His attractiveness as in our first scripture. Then in Chronicles, David is the centre of everything for the people of God. These six readings ought to lead us to 2 Chronicles 5.
We looked at Joshua in relation to the service of God, but, as said, more to bring out our inheritance; we thus have the ways and means of carrying on the service of God. It is obvious that that must precede the ministry of David, which, as we remarked, involves God’s inheritance — what He has in us. Joshua provides for us so that we might be enriched, but all to the end that God might be ministered to, so that He might enter on His inheritance in [p. 199] the saints.
ETS Why did you suggest that David should become attractive before he inaugurates the service of song?
JT To draw us to his side. He is thus introduced to us, as the passage before us reads: “he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance”. One who evidently followed all this speaks of him: “And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him”. I doubt if we shall come into the service, or come under the eye of God in His service so as to be His inheritance in a practical sense, save as we have this appreciation of Christ. I think we come into things by the appreciation of them in Him. They are all there: all that pleases the eye of God is there, but it is His intention that we should come into it by the appreciation of what is presented in Christ. I think this young man in verse 18 would serve as a good example for us as to learning by observation what is in Christ, and coming into it by appreciation of Him; God working in us to that end. So that in the New Testament, as no doubt most of us know, He is formally presented several times — seven at least — as delightful to God: in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and elsewhere He is God’s beloved Son. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight” (Matthew 3:17). That voice is to call attention to Him, and as having our attention drawn to Him, we are to observe what is there, and inquire why it is that heaven is so pleased with Him. We are to participate in what occasions pleasure to heaven.
FCH Does the scripture in Acts 7:45,46 help? “David; who found favour before God”. That is linked on with a reference to Joshua.
JT Quite so. The facts presented in our chapter would show that God was over this whole matter with [p. 200] infinite interest, looking on to the Antitype; He kept it in His own hand; He even held Samuel under His hand so that he should not make a mistake in this matter. Jehovah said to him: “I will tell thee what thou shalt do” (verse 3). He leaves nothing with him; He holds him tight; suggesting to us how that under divine control we should be in the service of God as now before us. “I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee”.
PL Do you get these thoughts in Psalm 78:70,71? The choosing of Judah and mount Zion, and building His sanctuary like the heights; and then the choosing of David in his personal attractiveness. “And he chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: from following the suckling-ewes, he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance”. Is that in view of God’s inheritance in His people?
JT Yes. “Israel his inheritance” — David is thus seen in that setting: the whole position really is there, the building is connected with that: “he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which he hath founded for ever” (verse 69). It is a final thought, not a provisional one as in Exodus. Exodus 15:17 shows the wilderness position and also the final, only David personally is not in mind, and is not mentioned. “Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in”.
One thing to be observed is how felicitous is the effect of the presence of such a man as David — what Christ is as heaven proclaims Him in the number of times alluded to; how it tends to draw us into its own thoughts and feelings: the joy there is, what God has in the whole matter.
MWB Is that why in Psalm 114:1,2 we find the expression: “When Israel went out of Egypt, ... Judah was his sanctuary, Israel his dominion”? It is remarkable that Judah should be mentioned in that way.
JT I have often thought of that. You would search in vain, on the surface at least, for facts to confirm that; so that it must be in David and Solomon. In its own time this would appear. God had David in mind in “Judah was his sanctuary”; we might have thought that it should be Levi: but no, it is Judah — showing God had something in mind and waited the time to disclose it. One can understand how it fits into the psalm, that psalm so beautifully concise and full of power; so that there is plenty of means of refreshment at the end of the psalm.
MWB You refer to the water: it says, He “turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of waters” (verse 8).
JT That is what God is doing for us in a way; and certainly it will go on more as Christ has His place. How we are affected in the sense of feeling, not only intelligence, but feeling, in the presence of such a person, so attractive and yet so unobtrusive — for David is not there until he is called. As far as his father and brothers are concerned there is not much interest. Samuel is brought round to the mind of God, he has power to say: “We will not sit down till he come hither”. Then Jehovah says: “Arise, anoint him; for this is he”. Then there is the mentioning of his name; it is not merely a name, it is “the beloved”. It became his name and was his name, no doubt; but the mention of it here is: “the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David”, this being the first mention of his name; Ruth 4:22 undoubtedly alludes to a time subsequent to this. David’s genealogy is given there, but it was written later.
MWB What is the spiritual import of God bringing in a king? We have had mediator and priest;
[p. 202] the priesthood fails and the king is chosen sovereignly. Is the thought of royalty in view?
JT I suppose so, and subjection; the idea enters into the Lord’s supper — the authority, that is, the dominical supper, as we have often remarked. We all know how we need that, if we are to be brought in in relation to the pleasure of God — the extension of what heaven saw and found in Christ as a Man down here.
JRS Are you meaning that the thought of wealth is connected with the name of the Lord?
JT It is authority. In the actual service of God, we begin with the authority of God; authority must have place, and we thus proceed in this section of the service, making room for the Spirit. The Spirit has to be apprehended in relation to the Lord’s supper, as the Holy Spirit. We can only say “Lord Jesus” properly by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The very pronouncement of the title “Lord Jesus” involves wealth, it pervades our souls. Then there is the “Spirit of adoption” which comes in later, and the Spirit of the Father (Ephesians 3:16), comes in too.
WSS Would a reference to Hebrews 2 help in relation to this? The Lord is presented there as the Leader of the praises, but first being set forth in His perfection, “made perfect”. Does what we have in the history of David give the working out of that in him as leader, and then God’s pleasure in it?
JT I have no doubt we shall come to that in the end of this book — what David was, viewed, as we might say, abstractly. Of course, Christ being made “perfect” refers to His present condition; not to development, but to what He is in resurrection and ascension.
EG Is the thought of the extension of Christ seen in the scripture: “as the heavenly one, such also the heavenly ones” (1 Corinthians 15:48)?
JT Quite so. The great thought we ought to get first is what heaven thought of Christ in the announcements made. Peter, as he is about to put off his tabernacle,
speaks of “the excellent glory” — “such a voice”, he says, we heard “from the excellent glory” (2 Peter 1:17). The richness of his language would show how God brings us to the full thought of a thing. That is the idea; how we are brought to what God finds in Christ. “There came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. That is an objective thought. Peter had come to it now; he had not come to it on the mount, but he had come to it now — years afterwards. He was now thoroughly in the state for the service of God, and so beautiful towards the saints and his fellow-servant, Paul. You feel that Christ is fully in Peter’s heart. This is seen in his second epistle. It is a man thoroughly brought to it; and that is what God is aiming at now — that Christ should be fully before us, and the formative work of the Spirit going on concurrently.
PL Would Samuel bringing David in connect with the delineation of Jesus in the Revelation?
JT Quite so. Samuel is brought to it. It is most important to be brought to a thing in this sense: “we will not sit down till he come hither”. God now has a man thoroughly with Him in what He has in mind. “And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he. And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren”. Well, that is a beautiful thought; Samuel is now thoroughly in the thing; and one wants to be, in that way, thoroughly in what is seen here. I think we shall see that God led David on, so that he might be thoroughly in what He would set out in him.
Ques In connection with David being anointed in the midst of his brethren, would the Spirit of God at the beginning dignify Christ in the midst of the saints?
JT Exactly: what we have every Lord’s day; that we should be thoroughly in what is before us is the [p. 204] thought of God. What we are speaking of now, the most spiritual man of his day was not equal to at first, but now Samuel is thoroughly with God.
Ques Would John the baptist be a little like it? He says: “I knew him not; but he who sent me to baptise with water, he said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding on him, he it is who baptises with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:33,34).
JT A good illustration. John the baptist is quickly brought in in John’s gospel. He is brought in immediately as it is said, “the Word became flesh” (verse 14); and as the chapter proceeds, how thoroughly John is brought into the truth. “And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God”. That is the testimony to what he saw, but there was also the effect on his soul. The next statement he makes indicates what is going on in his soul: “Behold the Lamb of God!” (verse 36). He is taken up with Christ.
EuR Does the title “prince” involve this personal attractiveness?
JT David is said to be the king, the prince, and the shepherd of Israel. If he is king he must be prince, but the latter is the idea of richness of personality.
EuR Would the movements of the prince in Ezekiel, when the -people of the land come up, bear on what you have in mind — the princely movements of Christ?
JT Yes; in Ezekiel 45 the people provide the “heave-offering for the prince”. It is not king there, it is prince, a question of personality.
Now David is brought in; the introduction stresses the kind of person who was there. It is a person worthy of being loved. The more you know him the more you love him. Another point that comes out is how others take on what he was, and become [p. 205] like him.
MWB Is that seen in Psalm 45:16? “Instead of thy fathers shall be thy sons; princes shalt thou make them in all the earth”.
JT Quite so, “in all the earth”. You want to see the brethren take on all this; enlarged princely features: you want to see this coming in amongst the brethren. Even of his greatest enemy, David spoke most beautifully (see 2 Samuel 1:17 - 24).
PL Do the collections in our meetings involve princeliness?
JT Collections of money? I believe God is stressing that too — the brethren in this city have experienced that. The book of Exodus shows how pleased God was with that; but we have to wait for David to get the full princely thought in that connection. Although in Numbers we get princely giving, the full thought of princeliness in giving is seen in David.
Rem In that way Christ brings Himself before us that we might see the greatness and fulness of who He is.
JT You see here how the Spirit of God shows us the moral greatness of David, how he is even able to help Saul. I believe God would help us spiritually so that enmity or rivalry should be foreign to us; that we might view those that are anointed in their greatness as before God.
Ques Do we see that when Abishai suggests to David that God has given his enemy into his hand? The magnanimous spirit of David does not give way.
JT The sons of Zeruiah have to come under that spirit; they were able men, but hard. God would present the grace of Christ to us so that we should be softened and have a princely attitude of mind towards all.
AMP In his second epistle Peter refers to “our beloved brother Paul” (2 Peter 3:15).
JT Quite so. Second epistles generally bring out what the writers really are — what they have come to; they are greater in their second than in their first letters. This is particularly seen in {206} [p. 206] the second letter of Peter, also in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.
TH Saul is subdued by David’s playing on the harp, would you help us as to that?
JT “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him”. Saul is getting a final opportunity to recover himself, if this were possible; and you want to give everybody in such circumstances that opportunity — lavish grace upon him.
ETS So that the man who serves men will be able to serve God better.
JT That is what comes out in David.
HC How could Saul have been recovered?
JT I only referred to our side of the matter: do not leave a stone unturned so that God may recover one who has gone out of the way. You do not know what there might be underneath a lot of rubbish in a man. In “the song of the bow” (2 Samuel 1:18), how beautifully David spoke of Saul!
JC Your attitude would be, “if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25).
EuR Would what David says in 2 Samuel 22 indicate how God supports that spirit?
JT Quite so. Sorrows are for the working out of princely character. In our care meetings princeliness ought to show itself — love acting in the entire absence of selfish and personal motives.
PL “Thy condescending gentleness hath made me great” (2 Samuel 22:36).
JT Yes: God known in David’s soul had made him princely.
So in 1 Chronicles 11 we have the working out of this. “And all Israel assembled themselves to David to Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh”. We see now that the people are coming to this, not only what David is as worthy of their allegiance, but that they are related to him — the extension of what David is, as it were: “thy bone and thy flesh”.
Ques Does that bring in the thought of what we are in divine counsel or is it more what we are morally?
JT What we are morally is what is in mind; the idea of Christ becoming extended — a very interesting matter — how He becomes extended in us so that we get confidence and claim Him in family relation, that we might say: “thy bone and thy flesh”.
Ques Does this connect with the scripture, “both he that sanctifies and those sanctified are all of one” (Hebrews 2:11)?
JT Yes: “he that sanctifies”. His work is in view there; but this is the extension of David really, or room being made for it. The people say, “We are thy bone and thy flesh”, and then, “Even aforetime, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel”. That is, they begin to see the matter; he led out and brought in; he was before their eyes, and they took on his character. That is the secret of getting on in our souls, paying attention to what is presented by way of example, and making room for the Spirit working subjectively. The Spirit will operate in us according to what is presented in Christ.
JSE Do we get this thought of extension in the Supper as in 1 Corinthians 11:23? We have “the night in which he was delivered up”, and, “as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink the cup” (verse 26): is all that extension? As gathering together in relation to the Lord’s supper during the very night in which the Lord is being betrayed, is this feature of loyalty to David seen developing in the saints?
JT Just so. The work goes on as seen in the types: the pillar of cloud and fire implied that the movements could go on day and night. God has made that provision [p. 208] whilst we are in the night externally, we being “children of the day” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). The Lord’s supper implies that our constitutions are built up in relation to what the Supper presents to us; there is not only the memorial, but the idea of eating and drinking: “as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink the cup”. The cup particularly would promote a felicitous state of things amongst us. The cup is “the new covenant” in Christ’s blood; and “as oft as ye drink it” means that in the drinking, a happy state of satisfaction is promoted.
MWB What is objectively presented to us in the emblems, if we partake of them rightly, would be taken on by us subjectively.
JT That is the idea; formation proceeds: particularly in the drinking, because drinking, in the general import of it, is for satisfaction; and the cup completes the thought of memorial. The bread is the leading thought in the memorial, and the cup is the filling out of it. Christ in a full and complete way is before us, and we take in what is presented, in the sense of drinking, so that we are satisfied in the position. That is what leads up to the wealth that begins to show itself in the service, so that God’s inheritance comes into view. It is what He has in the matter; therefore the word here: “Even aforetime, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and Jehovah thy God said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over my people Israel”. So there is this result: “And all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah; and they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of Jehovah through Samuel”.
AJG Is it significant that all Israel assembled? Is this apprehension of Christ unifying in its effect?
JT Yes; we are at Hebron here. David’s reign of seven years over Judah alone is not mentioned; it is [p. 209] a question of the position spiritually. It is a Colossian position really: love for all saints; thus as to the cup the Lord says, “Drink ye all of it” (Matthew 26:27). The Colossian position is that we are in accord with that; we love all saints.
PL Do we have in the list of mighty men alluded to in this eleventh chapter, something akin to the personalities alluded to at the end of Colossians? “Epaphras, who is one of you” (Colossians 4:12), and others?
JT Yes. It is an epistle finishing up with personalities as you say. Romans gives a longer list, but not exactly taking on the character of mighty men. Although we have the suggestion of it in Romans, yet Colossians seems to bring us fully to this thought of the mighty men. Here it is: “And these are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who shewed themselves valiant with him in his kingdom”. “With him”, that is the point in Colossians; we are “raised with him” (Colossians 2:12). They strengthen themselves, “with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of Jehovah concerning Israel”. It is now, “concerning Israel”: in verse 3 “they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of Jehovah through Samuel”.
JHL What distinction do you draw between all Judah making him king in 2 Samuel and all Israel here?
JT We were remarking that Chronicles omits the reign at Hebron, formally, save at the end as filling out the forty years. Chronicles compresses the history from the abstract side, and leaves out the discrepancy at Hebron. David had to wait seven years for this complete position. The Spirit of God in Chronicles reaches the full thought at once. Certain conditions require this — that we proceed at once to the full thought. Other circumstances require the full history, bringing out for moral reasons many other things, but the Spirit of God in Chronicles compresses the history to bring out the abstract side.
[p. 210] Ques How do we distinguish between David as king and David as prince in verse 2?
JT Kingship is more official. We have in Ezekiel what David would be: David would be king, prince, and shepherd. The king is obviously official, but founded on personality. The prince is clearly personality, and it is the title used almost invariably in Ezekiel after chapter 40; it is typical of Christ personally rather than what He is officially; that is so attractive.
MWB You link the thought of prince with the moral and spiritual power behind the king?
JT Yes; the idea seems to be introduced in Jacob: “for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). It is power with God and with men.
JJ Why is there no detail as to the anointing at Jerusalem? In Samuel he is anointed in secret and at Hebron in the midst of the elders, but there is no detail of anointing in Jerusalem. Is there an advance in the idea of the anointing?
JT This anointing is the third and final. Jerusalem here is a spiritual position, one taken in power, not entered on in a mere official way. We not only own Christ as Lord, but accord Him full place in our hearts: it is the ultimate position, taken in spiritual power, answering to Ephesians.
JSE You have referred to being with Him. In Luke 22:14 we read that the Lord “placed himself at table, and the twelve apostles with him”.
JT That refers to accredited witnesses in the inauguration of the Supper. It is a question of testimony; that it is thoroughly accredited; the twelve are there, the full number. The idea of personality would enter into that. The book of the Acts brings out how personality shone in the twelve. In Acts 2 the twelve were standing and one of them was preaching; conviction took place, and the hearers say “to Peter and [p. 211] the other apostles, What shall we do, brethren?” (Acts 2:37). How did they know that they were persons qualified to answer their questions? It is the work of God: the work of God in us affords such instincts.
Ques Do you get personality in Mary in John 11:2: “It was the Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair”?
JT Quite so: “that Mary” — there is personality in her and it comes out on that remarkable occasion when “they made him a supper” (John 12:2).
EuR What is the distinction between the elders anointing David king in chapter 11:3, and what we have in chapter 12:38, “All of them men of war, keeping rank in battle array, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel”?
JT To make him king: that is not anointing. That is to affect him; he says elsewhere, “Do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?” (2 Samuel 19:22). He is made king: there is no doubt as to it at all now, his heart was full of it; it is what there is in this wonderful assembly; we have the description of it in the chapter, and you can understand what David’s feelings would be. Were you to speak to him, you would observe how such interest and affection in all Israel affected him. Later he says to Abishai, “Do I not know that I am this day king?” He had overcome Absalom, but there was more than that, and David was conscious that he was king, and Abishai has to be silent (2 Samuel 19:21 - 23) — a very important matter. Abishai would make David legal, but kingship involves grace. The two from Emmaus (Luke 24), as come to the eleven, and those gathered with them, found them saying, “The Lord is risen indeed” (verse 34) — a wonderful point reached, especially as he had “appeared to Simon”. So David is here as king.
EJMcB I suppose in the main what we were considering at Birmingham was what comes through [p. 212] Christ to the brethren, and now it is what we have in company with Him as King; and added to that this peculiar wealth?
JT That is it. I am sure He will help us as pursuing this book. David is made king; it is in the consciousness of it, that he says it. See the description, “All of them men of war, keeping rank in battle array, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king”. The look of everyone there would convey that David was king. It is a manifest fact; they are there to establish it. “And all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brethren had prepared for them; and those too that were near them, as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought food on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen; provisions of meal, fig-cakes and raisin-cakes, and wine and oil, and oxen and sheep, abundantly; for there was joy in Israel”. What a day it was! — and that is what God would bring about in assembly service — happiness in a spiritual sense in the presence of Christ, as of Him; thus room is made for His marital relations in the assembly.
JJ This is a military position; has that to be established before the priestly?
JT Quite so: but while it is a military position, the people are not talking much of military work just now. David is king; it is, we may say, the state of David: he is conscious of it. See the richness of this assembly! — “for there was joy in Israel”. And in regard of priesthood, it is mentioned specifically in verse 27, “Jehoiada the prince of Aaron, and with him were three thousand seven hundred; and Zadok, a valiant young man, and his father’s house two and twenty chief men” (verses 27,28). It is the priestly family. You get the prince too; the princely state is there.
[p. 213] David is king — there is no one else; we have come to this.
Ques Is this different from the feminine side in Israel?
JT This is masculine. 1 Samuel gives you the feminine side in the singing of the women, also the statement that “all Israel and Judah loved David” (1 Samuel 18:6,16); but now all the people are formally gathered to make him king. He is already anointed, but now he is made king. Applying all this to Christ, each true believer has part in it; that is, He is king in my soul.
GA They “came with a perfect heart”; would that be an important matter as evidencing loyalty in the saints?
JT Yes: “a perfect heart”. In the new man, “Christ is everything, and in all” (Colossians 3:11). This enters into assembly service, beginning with the Lord’s supper, and I believe as we proceed normally in the service in affection and intelligence, there is enrichment. We are inclined to be legal, without much heart; but, as we see here, as Christ has His place, there is a happy state of things. It is, “as often as ye shall drink it” (1 Corinthians 11:25). This refers to satisfaction and joy.
WGT We reach an absolute monarchy here.
JT Quite so. David is everything here: he is made king — everybody can see it in his face. See the number that came from beyond the Jordan; it is a wonderful gathering of affectionate and intelligent people.
Rem Christ is also known as “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).
JT Yes: that is an imperial thought; we are speaking about kingship amongst the saints now.
PHH Chapter 12 commences with, “Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag”; whereas chapter 11 starts off with Hebron; does the former go back to [p. 214] wilderness circumstances and bear on grace connected with the kingly thought?
JT Chapter 12 is to show how David was attractive in every position he occupied; whether in Ziklag or in the wilderness, or in the stronghold. When he is in a poor way himself, even ready to fight against Israel (chapter 12:19), even then people come to him. It is the remarkable attraction he had under all circumstances, but these are extraordinary circumstances at Hebron (verse 23); this immense assembly. So the first part of the chapter is properly expressed in the words of Benjamin and Judah, through Amasai: “Thine are we, David, and with thee, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be to thee, and peace be to thy helpers! for thy God helps thee” (verse 18). I believe the early part of the chapter would correspond with 1 Corinthians; it is the wilderness side, the Lord is rejected; we show His death till He come, but the second part of the chapter is Colossians; we come to Hebron and the priestly side of the position.
MWB Would verse 22 be the climax on the 1 Corinthians side: “a great camp, like the camp of God”; and then we go on to Hebron to reach the climax of Christ being made King?
JT I think so; Colossians is Christ “everything, and in all” (chapter 3:11)