MAINTENANCE

^[p. 201] MAINTENANCE

1 Kings 17: 8, 9; 2 Samuel 19: 31 - 38; 1 Chronicles 26: 26 - 28

All these scriptures contain the word “maintain” — and the word stands related in these scriptures to three important features of Christ in testimony in this world. The first, 1 Kings 17, referring to Him known in prophetic ministry; the second, 2 Samuel 19, referring to Christ as rejected, a feature of the testimony which has to be maintained. Thirdly, in 1 Chronicles 26, that which He has built in testimony here, the house of God, that also has to be maintained. The thought is found in other settings in the Scriptures, particularly as used by the Lord Himself, in spirit, in Psalm 16: 5. He says to God in piety, “thou maintainest my lot”. That is an individual matter; that each can reckon upon God maintaining his lot. Joseph also sent word to his father that he would maintain him during the five critical years that remained yet of the famine. A word that may be extended to refer to the way the Israel of God, and its hopes, are maintained among the gentiles, for Joseph’s proposal was that his father should be maintained in Egypt. So that each of us can reckon on divine maintenance in crises and thus be saved from having recourse to human methods, whether in regard to material or spiritual things. We shall be maintained as believers in Christ, as in dependence upon Him.

These scriptures have to do more with the collective position of the saints, and the prophetic word is of the very first importance. It implies what God is having to say in our own time as to His people, and there has been a certain revival of this. The revival of the truth in the early days of the last hundred years, was marked by diligent inquiry into prophecy, not so much as to the ministry of prophecy, though that was there,

^[p. 202] but to the prophetic instruction in the Scriptures. It was of the Lord, so as to unfold, or re-unfold, the great prophetic map, so to speak. In order that the people of God should know the mind of God as to the future, that they should rightly divide the word of truth, and not misapply the Scriptures as was current in that time, and for centuries before. The misapplication of Scripture means the spoiling of it as to its real meaning, and we cannot afford to have any part of it spoilt or made to mislead. So at that time, the diligent dependent study of prophecy in the Scriptures yielded much. We are all the gainers at the present moment from it.

In addition to this there is the prophetic ministry which belongs to the present time, as there was that suited to Old Testament times. The foundation of the assembly, as we learn, was on the testimony of the apostles and prophets; indeed the second great gift, according to Ephesians 4, is said to be that of prophecy, although this included the foretelling of events. That character of prophetic ministry appeared in the Lord pre-eminently. It appeared in the apostles, particularly in Paul and John, and we do well to keep an eye on it; always keeping it in our minds, that we may not become set, or crystallised in any interpretation, but that we may have it in freshness. The Spirit would always make the prophetic word surer to us, as Peter says. Indeed, the prophet John was told in Revelation 19: 10 that “the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus”. We do well, as I say, to keep all this before us, but then there is in addition, what is spoken of as the gift of prophecy to be coveted at any time. “Desire earnestly the greater gifts ... but rather that ye may prophesy” (1 Corinthians 12: 31 and 14: 1). The apostle adds that one who prophesies, edifies, and that is the great thing, dear brethren, in ministry, to edify. Not only so, but such a ministry establishes incontestably where God is at the present time. God can only be, in the sense in which I am speaking of Him, where conditions are morally suitable,

^[p. 203] and while persons may claim His presence, assuming the conditions, yet the ministry of prophecy is a positive evidence of the presence of God. It brings God Himself in, and so much so that a simple person, or even an unbeliever, coming in where such a ministry is current, is affected. He falls down, we are told, and acknowledges that “God is amongst you of a truth”. Others may claim it; but what is “of a truth” is incontestable. True prophecy brings God there in such a way as to affect a person in that sense. It does not inflate. It brings us down, and if we are to be built-up, we must be brought down; as Simeon said, for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.

Such ministry is to be maintained. Elijah represents it. His ministry was not to foretell events; he wrote no book; he brought God in at the moment, and in bringing God in, he achieved one of the most striking victories in the history of the testimony. Hence, we see the importance of the maintenance of prophecy. God had provided for him, for his sustenance, at the brook Cherith near the Jordan — very significant! — and the ravens fed him. He was cared for there, but in a way that did not suggest affection, which a servant needs, he needs an affectionate environment. The brook dried up, and Jehovah says, “Arise, go to Zarephath ... I have commanded a widow woman there to maintain thee”. That word has reference to every one of us here. The command is to maintain the prophetic ministry; it is a command from God; it is not optional. A divine command is never optional. It is imperative! The woman is scarcely equal to it, and what that brings out is the apparent unreasonableness of the demands made upon us. The more unspiritual we are, the more we shall regard the demands made upon us as unreasonable.

The woman was gathering sticks. She was apparently the first one Elijah met as he reached the place. That is what she was doing. Evidently she had not the slightest ^[p. 204] thought in her mind of any such service as Jehovah had said she would perform; how precious it is when the thought comes to us that we are the subject of conversation in heaven! Certainly this woman was the subject of conversation between Jehovah and His great servant many miles away across the land of Palestine, before she, as far as we know, knew anything of it. That God was silently working in her heart there can be no doubt. One can understand that the waves of interest from heaven extend far into the field of testimony, and much comes to us that is not at the outset intelligible to us; yet we feel the divine movings. Feelings are often precursory to direct impressions and direct messages. It is well, therefore, to have ourselves well set for impressions, for the waves of interest that are current.

As Elijah drew near, he found this woman gathering sticks. It was under God that she was doing that. She had in her mind just two sticks, but he said to her, “Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel”. How particular he was! you might say; and it is often so, that divine urgency is particular, and it is to test us. Why should he mention a vessel? She could not have brought the water without it, but reasoning does not help us in these things at all, for words that do not seem intelligible to us are meant to test us. Many words and phrases in Scripture are quite unintelligible to the natural mind, but they are meant to test us. Why are they there? Not for nothing, certainly. In a way this word “vessel” might tend to irritate her naturally in that time of famine. She might say, If he wants a drink of water, let him leave that to me, but no! “in a vessel”, he says. He is the representative of God; he is considering for God, and the word “vessel” has a great deal to do with the service of God. No one can understand the service of God unless he understands the word “vessel”, and that it applies to oneself. The very constitution of a christian qualifies him to be a vessel,

^[p. 205] as we see in the woman of Samaria in John 4. She may he regarded as corresponding to what we have here, because she arrived at the thought of the vessel. She left her water pot, implying that she knew what the Lord meant; that she was the vessel now.

So the woman of Zarephath went to get the water. She did not complain. I am speaking of the test that is in it, so that the prophetic ministry should be maintained. We are to be tested, for christianity is not an arm-chair affair; it was never intended to be that; it implies sacrifice, and that I should be asked for something apparently beyond me is a real test. As answering to the test, I shall find that the voice that is testing me in asking me to support it, will turn round and support me. As I begin to support the testimony, I shall realise that the testimony supports me, that God will not in result be anyone’s debtor, and this appears in this very passage. She goes for the water without complaint, and now Elijah says, “Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thy hand”. “I have not a cake”, she says, “but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse”. She further told him that she was gathering two sticks to cook what she had for herself and her son, so that they might eat it and die, that is, she thought of eating and then dying. That is not the right idea; she is confused in her mind; eating is to live. The prophet says, “Fear not; go, do as thou hast said; but make me thereof a little cake first; and bring it to me”. That is very unreasonable, you say, that man is selfish. He may appear selfish, and he is feeling it. He is, we may be sure, suffering because of having thus to ask, but he is representative of God, and surely God must come first. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart” — that is the first great claim put in at Sinai, and surely He deserves to have the first whatever it is; the first-born; the first of the harvest; the first of cattle, the first of the dough; the first cake, and so on. The first obviously belongs to God, for of ^[p. 206] Him and through Him and for Him are all things. The prophet here is asking for a cake; that is, he has a whole idea in mind; and, dear brethren, if we are to have prophetic ministry, we must have the whole idea in our minds. The whole assembly is spoken of as coming together in one place for this service, not part of the assembly. It is the whole (1 Corinthians 14: 23). In order to have prophetic ministry maintained, we must observe this; it has to do with the whole assembly in a city. I am speaking now of the general principles. The prophet would inject the thought into the woman’s mind that he wanted “a little cake first”.

You will see, dear brethren, how all this fits into these ministry meetings; how they are not merely occasions of pleasure, of meeting one another — right as these things are. It is a question of sacrifice, and that the whole thought of God enters into it, and that He expects to have the first place. We are considering for God. We are told, as to this widow, that the oil in the cruse did not fail nor the meal in the barrel waste. The whole household, with the prophet, was maintained for a long period — indeed for a whole year! So that we may well afford, as we see these things, to think of God; to have the whole thought in our minds at all times. It is pre-eminent in heaven. I do not think there is a thought in heaven, save as to divine Persons, that has a greater place than the assembly. It is there continually, and in the assembly there should be a reflection of what is in heaven. As we sit down together, it is a question of what is in heaven being reflected here. What is in heaven cost Jesus much. I am speaking very carefully. Heaven is a creation, but the entrance of Jesus into heaven involved history in heaven, and that history goes on. Every day makes history there. We are to have our minds on things above, and what is to be done down here by the Spirit is necessarily a counterpart of what is up there. The sheet in Acts 10 came down from heaven and went up again. Peter says, “It came even to me;”

^[p. 207] and what was the intent, but to fill his soul with what was in heaven? That was one idea; it was knit at the four corners, and contained great things spiritually, what God had cleansed. So here at Zarephath, history was being made, and so it is wherever God is working, whether in this city, or in other cities; thank God for so many of them. In the towns, villages, hamlets of the world, where God is working, spiritual history is being made. I am speaking now of “the whole assembly”. The apostle says, “If therefore the whole assembly come together in one place” (1 Corinthians 14: 23). In chapter 11: 18 we have, “when ye come together in assembly” — not “the whole”, but “ye”. That is the character of the thing, but in chapter 14 it is a whole thought, and that whole thought stands in relation to the prophetic ministry.

Now I pass on to 2 Samuel 19. I think you will see that the prophetic ministry enters into what you get in this chapter; it was needed, and it was there. David’s position is clarified; he is now returning after his exile, but the Spirit of God reverts in this passage to the time of the exile. We are now in the time of Christ’s exile, and it is a testing time. It is another view of our position locally or generally. The Lord’s supper contemplates the time of the Lord’s rejection and the refusal of His rights here; His rights to His inheritance, and to His throne; the throne of David. Our loyalty is tested by this. So Barzillai, the Gileadite, is a rich man, and among others he “maintained the king” in the time of his rejection. That was a great privilege, never to be forgotten. It is the maintenance of Christ as here in testimony in the time of His rejection. There is a certain exposure, a certain danger attached to the position, and it taxes us. We are taxed according to our measure. This was a great man, a rich man. He not only contributed, but he is accredited with maintaining David. What that means today is maintaining conditions for Christ and what represents Christ here, in spite of the opposition, in spite of His rejection; that I have ^[p. 208] part in maintaining with Him this position. We are to see to it that there are conditions here suitable for the particular testimony at the moment, which involves the rejection and crucifixion of our Lord. The voice that is constantly heard is, “We will not have this man to reign over us”. Yet we are called upon by the example of this great man to maintain the position, the Lord’s supper being the testimony to it, until He come. We are to be identified with the Christ put to death here, but who is coming back. It is not a mere theory; it calls for maintenance in a practical way. Barzillai was equal to this, and he was ready to go a certain length with the king after having done it.

Now I wish to point out that we may to a point have served in the Lord’s supper, in the assembly, and the care meetings, and thus serving well. Yet in a crisis, when the time comes in any given state of things, we may not be prepared to go the whole way, and that is the lesson to be learnt here. Full credit is to be accorded for all that has been done, and yet there is inability to take up the full spiritual thought that is involved. Every crisis, every conflict amongst us is intended to lead us on further in the truth. It is intended to make us more spiritual. My ability, my knowledge, my affection, my goods devoted to the Lord’s interests; all that goes a long way. It is highly valued in heaven, but what is still more highly valued is my spirituality and a consequent relish and desire for heavenly things; that I give up earthly things for the things above. The territory of Gilead, of course, always involved this very defect, and it is a challenge to us as to whether we live spiritually on the other, the western, side of the Jordan, which is the spiritual side. David was maintained there, on the eastern side, in Gilead, but he did not propose to live there; he returned to Jerusalem as soon as the way was opened. In returning after the conflict, the Lord would seek to bring us with Him. Barzillai had served David well, but now the test was Jerusalem.

Who is ready for that? “A little way”, he says. He was ready to go only a little way with David. After serving so well, and being so honoured, that one should miss the main point in the end, is so lamentable. Barzillai says, “that I may die in mine own city”. What a poor speech! He makes the most of his failing years. To link on with one’s great age the imminence of death, and that that death may take place in one’s own city — what a poor thing that is! He wanted to die in his own city. I suppose he had established a name there. It is pretty certain, if I live on the eastern side of the Jordan, that that will have a great place with me. I may love the Lord and serve the brethren well, and yet I have in my mind the place I have in this particular city. I may have some little renown because of my service, and want to die there. He says. “that I may die in mine own city, by the grave of my father and of my mother”. They must have been a good while dead too, but his mind was in the realm of the dead, great man that he was, and honoured by God too. Barzillai intimates he has no taste for David’s food. See the questions he asks here. He had no taste for David’s food; no power to hear the voice of singing men and singing women.

How different all would be were he to go (I am speaking now spiritually), and enter into the heavenly side of things, to leave behind all those thoughts of death and of one’s own city, and one’s father and mother who are long in their graves. The Lord says, God “is not the God of the dead, but of the living”. He would have our minds in the realm of the living, in the heavenly side of our calling. This is the great burden for the moment; the great divine thoughts concerning us, to lay hold of that for which we are apprehended; the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus. If it is a question of the city, let it be the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Barzillai missed it, and there is a spiritual warning in the fact that some of his descendants, being unable to find their ^[p. 210] genealogical register, were, as polluted, removed from the priesthood (Nehemiah 7: 63 - 65).

Chimham, who represents a younger generation, goes to Jerusalem; Barzillai nominated him to go, and he is ready. We may thank God for the young men. On them the continuance of the testimony, under God, depends. Normally they are strong and the word of God abides in them (1 John 2: 14). Besides, the young men of today are the old men of tomorrow. Thus they are to be enjoined to take up these things. If we do not see the elder brethren going in for them heartily, it is all the more urgent that the young should go in for them. Chimham goes up to Jerusalem with David. He comes in for what David said to Barzillai, “I will maintain thee with me in Jerusalem”.

My final thought is in 1 Chronicles 26, the maintenance of the house of God. We have here the evidence of great regard for persons who have gone, who have dedicated things, brethren who died. This Levite, “This Shelomith and his brethren” are occupied in the dedicated treasures. First there are treasures dedicated by “king David, and the chief fathers, the captains;” living persons who were there; they had the first place. If we speak about the old brethren that are gone, to speak about them first is not wise. Better to speak of the living ones first, because we are so prone to think the former times were better than these. We do not speak wisely if we say that, because, as the scripture which has often been quoted says, “a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9: 4). This Shelomith is occupied with the dedicated things of David; he is still living. In a certain sense, he was never more living than in these chapters. Captains of thousands, too, men of distinction militarily; captains of hundreds, of less distinction; captains of the host — whatever their titles, they were captains. It is all a question of distinguished persons. There is nothing more foreign to christianity than communism or socialism. Christianity implies great ^[p. 211] distinctions. It is a question of moral worth; and moral worth comes in for distinction; it is bound to; its value is recognised in heaven. The Spirit of God sustains that valuation here whatever it be. So this Levite Shelomith, who is a descendant of Moses, is looking after those dedicated things. Whatever may happen to me, I get credit for all that is past; not a thing will be omitted, but the Spirit of God is telling us first about the present treasures, what the living had dedicated, and he is looking after these. We are then told that these things were treasured in order “to maintain the house of Jehovah;” showing that what is in this sense current amongst us is to this end. Whatever is dedicated, taken as spoils of conflict, is all carefully treasured. It is for the maintenance of the house of God. Nothing is to be omitted. Very comforting!

Then the passage tells us of the dedicated things of Samuel the seer, whose dedicated things would be specially valued. Then Saul the son of Kish; one whom we might think would be ruled out, he had dedicated; and Abner the son of Ner, who stood out against David even after the death of Saul; and Joab, the general of David’s armies, whom even David referred to as a hard man — and he was that — he came in for the severest judgment under the hand of Solomon, yet his dedicated things have a place in the house of God! In this record we have a striking evidence of God’s fairness as to the services and gifts of His people. I am speaking of all this, dear brethren, because the house of God is in mind, and that it is wonderfully furnished and maintained with “things new and old”. We may not be equal to using them, but still they are treasures to be used in maintaining the house of God. Ancient things are necessary, but he mentions, as I said before, treasures of present servants. These are first; these are the most prominent. It is what the Spirit is saying today to the assemblies that has the first place. Then take up the ‘Collected Writings‘ and all other writings that are of ^[p. 212] the Spirit of God, however ancient. They are all profitable and all intended to maintain the house of God, so that we may be fully furnished in our places in the house of God. One could say much more about the house of God, and of what David had himself furnished for it. Indeed he uses that remarkable word in this section, “my affection for the house of my God” (1 Chronicles 29: 3). Beautiful phrase! When I look upon the brethren in that light, as composing the house of God (Hebrews 3: 6), they draw out one’s affections. So David, in his “affection for the house of my God”, gives three thousand talents of the finest gold and seven thousand talents of refined silver. This gift was special, as expressing affection. As we learn elsewhere, he had given much more for use in the building of the house of God, which is the great point in this section of Scripture and the early chapters of the next book.

Solomon is the great builder, and these dedicated things, as I said at the beginning, are for the maintenance of the house of God. Although the outward form christianity has taken is called “a great house” in which there are vessels to dishonour, yet the true house of God, composed of all those who have His Spirit, exists. It is to be maintained by what is ministered currently in the power of the Spirit of God, and also by what was dedicated earlier, but used now in a living way.