THE ASSEMBLY IN THE WILDERNESS
[p. 314] THE ASSEMBLY IN THE WILDERNESS
Acts 7:35 - 37; Exodus 19:1 - 6; Exodus 24:1 - 11
JT Stephen’s statement about Moses in Acts 7:38 is very significant in its typical sense. It is said that “This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness”. That is, typically, Christ with the assembly in a scene of contrariety. The assembly is to be apprehended in its own sphere in heaven, but it is also to be apprehended as in a contrary scene, and Christ in it; that is our public position, as taught in 1 and 2 Corinthians. What is proposed is that we might first of all, as considering the assembly in this setting, look at the covenant; then the building of the tabernacle itself; then the priesthood, and the service of God through it; then the order of the tribes in relation to the tabernacle. A consideration of the scriptures in Exodus leading up to these passages will impress us with the place the wilderness has. The word has become common amongst us, but whether its actual spiritual meaning is accepted is a question. This is the first part of the wilderness. What is to be observed is that the passage in chapter 19 contemplates three months’ experience in the wilderness. It says, “They departed from Rephidim, and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and encamped in the wilderness; and Israel encamped there before the mountain”. They encamped.
Ques Is that a special point arrived at by believers?
JT Yes, it is a special time — the first three months — -in which grace prevailed. The law had not yet been given. It is said in verse 26 of chapter 15, “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and do what is right in his eyes, and incline thine ears to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the complaints upon thee that I have put upon the Egyptians”.
[p. 315] At the end of verse 25 of that chapter we read, “There he made for them a statute and an ordinance; and there he tested them”. They were to be under subjection in principle, but not yet under the law properly. These three months therefore are a period of grace; not without law, as the apostle says, but as legitimately subject to Christ. The youngest believer recognises that he is legitimately subject to Christ; but nevertheless the burden is light. What prevailed in these three months is more grace. So there is no judgment or discipline executed yet. Young believers have very little burden put upon them. Indeed, it is earlier said that Jehovah did not take them the way of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said: “That the people may not repent when they see conflict, and return to Egypt”. Therefore it is a time of peculiar consideration for young christians. After the conflict with Amalek it is said, “they departed from Rephidim”, which means young christians have tasted something of the conflict with Satan acting through the flesh. That is an important matter, one of the most important in the whole wilderness period. It is occasioned by the gift of the Spirit as seen in chapter 17. It is not said there that they drank of the water, but the principle is there, and hence Amalek attacks, which is Satan in the flesh. All this experience is behind when we come to chapter 19. “They departed from Rephidim”, and now they are encamped before the mountain. That means they have come to the place of divine resources. The idea of the mountain had already been introduced in the history of Moses; indeed, it had been introduced in Genesis 22. It had become an established principle in Israel that in the mount of the Lord it shall be provided, “On the mount of Jehovah will be provided” (Genesis 22:14). It is said here they encamped before the mountain — the place of resource,
[p. 316] so that everything we have in the wilderness comes from God; all the furnishings, all the provisions, are from God. That is what is developed in 1 Corinthians.
Then we have Moses called up the mountain; it says, “Moses went up to God, and Jehovah called to him out of the mountain”. That is, it is now a question of the mountain. A mediator is there, and Jehovah is speaking to him there. Jehovah reminds them of what they had seen, how He had borne them on eagle’s wings and brought them to Himself; and then, on the ground of obedience, they would be for Him a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
These are the great general facts pending the opening up of the covenant. The first nine verses of 1 Corinthians 1 corresponds to this. The assembly at Corinth was abundantly furnished (see 1 Corinthians 1:4 - 8), and the apostle adds significantly, “God is faithful, by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”. God here reminds Israel that He had borne them on eagles’ wings and brought them to Himself.
Ques Does verse 14 of Psalm 148 illustrate what is said? “He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord”.
JT “A people near unto him”, a people to whom He would disclose what is in His heart, so that they might serve Him, as Jehovah said to Moses, “upon this mountain”, and according to the word, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”, My service is the great thought in mind.
AEL A kingdom of priests.
JT Quite so.
HPf Would you amplify what is meant by a kingdom of priests, a holy [p. 317] nation?
JT A kingdom of priests would show that it must not be limited to a few, all the people of God are in view in connection with priesthood. We have a similar expression in the Apocalypse, “made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father” (Revelation 1:6). It is not simply that we are in a kingdom, but we are a kingdom, and then priests unto God. In Exodus 19 Aaron had not yet been appointed; his place up till then was more that of prophet. His being called out for the priesthood in the type, simply means that Christ and the members of the assembly are in the divine economy the great priestly family. It is not a priestly family amongst the saints, but all saints are in that family. It is an important matter to recognise that each christian today is a priest.
AEL The apostle Peter says the same thing: “Ye ... are ... an holy priesthood” and then, “Ye are ... a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5,9).
JT Just so.
Ques Is every young believer qualified to exercise priesthood?
JT Yes, the first time he prays he is a priest. It is as priests we pray.
Rem It was said just now that a believer, as soon as he receives the Holy Spirit, is a priest, but there are believers who have not received the Spirit.
JT That is true. The converts of Philip in Acts 8 did not receive the Spirit until Peter and John came down and prayed for them. Likewise in Acts 19 the twelve men at Ephesus did not receive the Spirit till Paul laid his hands on them. Lest there be any misunderstanding about this point, I would say that the imperfect teaching the twelve men at Ephesus had received prevented their having the Spirit: but later they received the perfect teaching as to Christ from Paul, but the Holy Spirit did not [p. 318] come on them till Paul had laid hands on them. It would look as if the reception of the Spirit as seen in that chapter had the full development of the assembly in view. Paul laid his hands on them. Timothy’s gift was by “the putting on of my hands”, Paul says. To answer our brother’s question as to how one knows he has the Spirit; as a great principle, it is obvious that a divine Person coming into the believer would make some impression; an impression to be remembered, a peculiar sense of divine love coming into the soul.
JOS Are these thoughts gathered up in the way Saul of Tarsus received the Spirit — Ananias laying his hands on him, and then he received the Spirit?
JT I think that is instructive.
Ques By what means is this done today?
JT There is no apostolic representation today. It is for us to understand what is stated in Scripture as to the principles on which the Holy Spirit is given and received. John’s gospel speaks of the gift of the Spirit (chapter 4), and the reception of the Spirit (chapter 7). The reception contemplates that the believer values the Spirit.
ROSt Would there be any connection with giving the right hand of fellowship?
JT That was for service, to show that the apostles at Jerusalem were thoroughly with Paul in his service, which is an important thing now. Although of different nations, we should be cordially in sympathy with each other in the service of the Lord.
Ques Would it help to see that in 1 Corinthians 12 “No one can say, Lord Jesus, unless in the power of the Holy Spirit”?
JT We may use the literal words; but to say “Lord Jesus” aright depends upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Addressing the Lord Jesus thus gives character to the assembly.
[p. 319] R In Acts 5 the Holy Spirit is given on the ground of obedience.
JT Yes, to all those that obey Him. That is the great general principle, those who obey get the Spirit, but they do not get it automatically.
Rem That is to say, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of forgiveness of sins are not one and the same thing for the believer.
JT The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift God could give in this way, and surely we must leave it with Him as to how and when He gives this gift. No doubt the consciousness of forgiveness is more known after the Spirit is given than before. There is the light of forgiveness and the consciousness of forgiveness. I believe that the consciousness of forgiveness is by the Spirit, but forgiveness is there before as a principle.
FHR The knowledge of this is in Romans 5.
JT Romans 5:1 is more than forgiveness, it is justification and access into favour; and later in the chapter it is said, “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us”. That is the great service the Spirit renders.
Rem We have the knowledge of that in Romans 8.
JT Yes, we have the lovers of God. In chapter 5 we see that God loves us, and in chapter 8 we love God.
AEL By the Spirit we say, “Abba, Father”.
HPf May one who is not conscious of having the Spirit ask for it?
JT Yes; see Luke 11:13.
Rem It is a most important matter we are now on, as to whether a believer has the consciousness of having the Holy Spirit; and if it depends on the believer being able to say and feel he has the Spirit, there must be many who doubt whether they have [p. 320] the Spirit.
JT The presentation of the truth of the Spirit in John’s gospel has in view what is substantial in christianity. I believe that God had in mind that in the last days we should not be theoretical about the Spirit; in the early days there was substance there. The first presentation of Him is in the form of a dove — He was seen. In chapter 3 we have Him under the figure of wind, which is a thing to be felt. Then we have Him in chapter 4 under the figure of water, which is a substance — also in chapter 7; then in chapter 20 we have Him under the figure of breath. The greatest of all statements is that He is “another Comforter” — a divine Person here as Christ was here, but not in flesh. All this shows how spiritually substantial christianity is.
To return to the covenant, we have it formally stated here in verse 5: “And now, if ye will hearken to my voice indeed and keep my covenant, then shall ye be my own possession out of all the peoples ... and ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation”.
It is a question of God opening up His heart to us, and of the great place that we have in His heart, and that we might have His love in our hearts. Now in chapter 24 He says to Moses, “Go up to Jehovah, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship afar off”. The thought in mind is that His people are to go up as well as the mediator. Moses represents mediatorship and authority. Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu represent priesthood — not yet formally appointed as priests, but anticipatively so. The seventy of the elders of Israel are to represent all Israel. They are called nobles later on.
The blood of the covenant is seen in volume so that perfect love would cast out fear, and that we might draw near in a spiritual way, not in a fleshly way — not only in liberty but in dignity. We are on [p. 321] spiritual ground here; indeed this chapter is to set aside all that is natural in us to make way for the spiritual. God intimates His great thought that we should worship Him.
The next thing is: “Moses came and told the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the judgments; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words that Jehovah has said will we do!”. Here we have the principle of obedience definitely asserted, and thus God can proceed. “All the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words that Jehovah has said will we do!”. Obedience being thus seen in the people, there is correspondence with Christ. That is, we are sanctified unto the obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. After the people professed their obedience, Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah; and this book that he wrote is to be brought into the covenant. The people are sprinkled and the book too (Hebrews 9:19).
R It is sometimes stated that the people should not have undertaken to obey.
JT In one sense that is true, for the righteous requirement of the law is only fulfilled in those who have the Spirit; but we may view this passage as also typical of the element of obedience in christians. Without this all is hopeless. There can be no tabernacle or service of God without the element of obedience in His people. It waited for Christ to bring in the great principle of obedience and to establish it; but here we have the principle of it.
JOS Was it seen at Pentecost?
JT Well, it was. With the three thousand, too; they persevered in the apostles’ teaching. Even here, although we know Israel failed as a whole in its profession, yet there were thousands of those that loved Jehovah. In chapter 20 He speaks about the thousands of those that did love Him. Romans [p. 322] shows how that comes about, but they were all lovers of God.
Then “Moses ... rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel”; as if Moses were saying, ‘The people have confessed obedience, I can now go on with the mind of God’. He built an altar as though the worship was to proceed. It is quite useless to undertake to establish the service of God without obedience — it must be there.
JOS Is not obedience the proof of love? “Obedience is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22).
JT Quite. There seems to be victory in the way he acts. He gets up early in the morning and builds an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. It seems to me there is a great moral victory in this; God’s mind is to be carried out; He has material by which it can be carried out. It ought to appeal to us. On this ground God proceeds with His great thoughts. This is in the wilderness, under the mountain; and the divine thought as to the people in the counsel of God is seen in the twelve tribes. God has nothing less in view, it is not that God says, I will take all I can get; He does, of course; but He has a certain number in His mind and He is to have them. When Joseph was born Jacob virtually says, ‘I must go back to the land of Canaan’, (Genesis 30:26). But then Rachel said something about Joseph; she gave him a name which meant ‘God will add’. He was the eleventh son of Jacob — and if there was not another there would be incompleteness; but Rachel says, “Jehovah will add to me another son”; and in that number, twelve, you have the complete number that the counsel of God required. We want to be in that number. That is what Moses means here in the altar and the twelve pillars — the complete number.