ENLARGEMENT

^[p. 76] ENLARGEMENT

2 Corinthians 6: 11 - 18; Genesis 9: 26, 27; Numbers 3: 9, 10

These scriptures, as you will observe, speak of enlargement. The passage in 2 Corinthians has a particular voice to those who gather in the name of the Lord Jesus, and call upon Him. The Corinthian saints, in the two epistles written to them, are contemplated as peculiarly representative of the assembly of God; they are addressed as the “assembly of God which is in Corinth”. Finally the assembly will be in heaven and will remain there, it never comes back to earth; it comes down in relation to earth, but in principle remains in heaven. In the meantime it is here in testimony, not only the individuals, beyond number, who compose it. We cannot number them; it is an immense idea; the symbolic allusion to the saints indicates immensity, though according to the measure of man. We read of those who “have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb”, and it says that no one could number them, that is, the number of those whom God has saved and will save is immense. Young people do well to remember that. That, in result, God will have an immense number, but in the meantime, the assembly is here representing it. All the members of the assembly have not been on earth at one time, and will not be till the Lord comes when the dead are raised and the living changed, then all will be together on earth if only for a moment prior to being transferred to heaven. But now all the saints on earth represent that thought and those at Corinth are addressed in the epistle from which we have read as the assembly of God which is in Corinth. Note it is the assembly of God, it is of God in a moral sense and representative of God; the apostle adds in the first epistle, “with all that in every place call on the name ^[p. 77] of our Lord Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours”. It is a universal thought, and contemplates all saints on earth at any given time.

The apostle Paul went to Corinth according to the historical account after visiting Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea and Athens, and at Corinth the Lord says, “No one shall set upon thee to injure thee; because I have much people in this city” (Acts 18: 10). So he remained there eighteen months, one of the longest periods that he stayed in any place. He spent three years at Ephesus, and a year and a half, as was said, at Corinth, and a large number were converted there and received the Holy Spirit, and were formed into “the assembly of God ... in Corinth”. Then the apostle left them, in order that he might labour elsewhere, and they became very naughty after he left, for christians, true christians even, are capable of becoming unruly and worldly, and followers of men, sectarian, as took place in Corinth. There was no open division, but internal cleavage, parties following certain persons. Paul transfers the thought to himself and others, to convey what he had to say on this matter. One was “of Paul”, another “of Cephas”, others were “of Christ”, as if to make their party more acceptable. So today there are those who call themselves the ‘Church of Christ’, as if that precluded the sectarian idea, but it does not. The Corinthians were jealous of the apostle and spoke contemptuously and disparagingly of him, and yet whatever they were as nominal christians they owed to him.

In view of all these things that existed, the first letter was sent, and it convicted them. Then in the second letter we see how affected Paul was on hearing the good news that they were on the way to deliverance from what had marked them, and had brought them into bondage. In chapter 6 he speaks of himself, recognising it was a humbling thing to do, but necessary in order to defend himself as God’s minister. So in chapter 11 he recounts his sufferings; he says in effect,

^[p. 78] I am ashamed to do it, but am compelled to because of your conduct. He would prefer to leave those praiseworthy things till the day to come, but has to bring them forward on account of those refractory disciples. He mentions some thirty-seven things as to himself before we come to these words, “I have become a fool” (2 Corinthians 12: 11). Was he egotistical then? Never was man less so! “I am crucified with Christ” he says in another place, not only my sins and state dealt with, but I have been dealt with. He could speak of himself as worthy of crucifixion. “No longer live, I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2: 20). He said this to bring out what christianity really is as seen in one man, and if in one, in any number. “Our mouth is opened to you, ... our heart is expanded”, he says. “Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your affections”. Although his first letter had effected much, yet the Corinthians were straitened in affection. They were still addressed as the assembly of God, they had full status as we all may have, and yet our affections may be narrowed up, and that was the position here. The apostle would say, Our mouth is open, but I am not so sure about you: if I am not speaking freely to you it is because of a state in you. He could say a great deal about them in the next chapter, he was more than overjoyed in what he heard from Titus as to them, but here they were narrowed up in their affections because there was wickedness among them. So he says, “let your heart also expand itself”. He speaks as unto his children, and this in a peculiarly affectionate way; he has not a thing in his heart but their good. They might have had ten thousand instructors, as he told them earlier, but only one father, and he had a moral right as such to appeal to them. He had set the pace, so to speak, as regards enlargement, and he says, be ye also enlarged. He speaks about what would cause restricted affection spiritually in the following verses, “Be not diversely yoked with unbelievers”, and so on. In those ^[p. 79] days an unbeliever was simply one who did not believe in Christ at all, there are many today who are idolaters. The world has become christianised, five hundred million of its inhabitants are christianised, but that does not mean they are all converted. Not at all, nor indeed did it ever mean that, for Simon Magus was in the bond of iniquity, though professing to be a believer in Christ, and millions and millions of people nominally christians belong to that category. So it says, Be not diversely yoked with such. You may have a christian allied to an unbeliever in marriage, or business, or companionship. In each case the unbeliever has the best, but the believer has the worst and suffers accordingly. The apostle brings forward five sets of things which are against each other. “What participation is there between righteousness and lawlessness? or what fellowship of light with darkness?” None. “And what consent of Christ with Beliar, or what part for a believer along with an unbeliever?” None. And there is nothing in common between the temple of God and idols. These things are all opposed to one another, and then the apostle says, “for ye are the living God’s temple”. They are still owned as the temple, what an incentive for them to keep away from what would nullify this! God says, “I will dwell among them, and walk among them”. Think of the beauty of that! You remember the first walking of God. It was not among christians, nor with Adam and Eve, for they were not available; it was in a garden. Adam and Eve were hidden away in their sinfulness. Now we have these christians viewed as God’s temple, involving holiness, and then comes the great appeal, “Wherefore come out from the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord ... and I will receive you”.

Now I wish to turn to the thought of enlargement in the Old Testament. I want to speak about Shem, Ham and Japheth, and then about Balaam’s first great prophecy. The word Shem means name, a person of renown, that is what he is to be in the purpose of God.

^[p. 80] Ham signifies black, and Japheth enlargement. They represent three heads of races, each being a son of Noah, and all blessed. Some think that what we call the African race is existent on account of this curse on Canaan. But Scripture does not say, Cursed be Ham, Ham was blessed (Genesis 9: 1), and God never reverses blessing. So the Spirit of God carefully avoids pronouncing a curse on Ham, it is on Canaan, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan who were to be destroyed. The great continent of Africa is peopled by the descendants of Ham, as are other parts also. I wanted to speak of Ham and particularly of Japheth.

Noah comes forth from the ark and approaches God in the spirit of sacrifice. He took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. He was utterly unselfish, taking of every one, and Jehovah, we are told, smelled a sweet odour, or a odour of rest, and said, “Henceforth, all the days of the earth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease”. The seasons we so value — for the fruit of the earth depends on them — are all the outcome of that sacrificial service of Noah. We ought to thank God for that, every time we eat our food. And this will continue, it is irrevocable, being founded on Noah’s sacrifice; it is a question of what Christ is sacrificially. This great servant was a man of faith, and faith always anticipated Christ, hence all these material blessings which we enjoy every day come through Christ. Men go into restaurants, millions of them go in constantly and hardly one bows his head to God. The prodigal said, I have sinned against heaven — he gave up giving thanks to heaven, if ever he did it. We know the later history of Noah. He planted a vineyard and drank of the wire. It would appear that he did not know the power of the grape. The Spirit of God is infinitely fair, and presents everything to us as it stands. It shows what a saint of God may do. Some who turn aside are not fully restored,

^[p. 81] but Noah becomes a worshipper and says, “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be his bondman. Let God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem”. Now this is not exactly a prayer. As far as Japheth is concerned, Noah rather rests on his name meaning enlargement. Let God enlarge Japheth — no doubt implying He would do it, for it is prophetic, but Noah does not ask God to be Japheth’s God. He may be enlarged under the government of God, and yet fail of entering into relationship with God. Shem is already in relationship with God, “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem”. Is there any one here who has not a God? I would not be without a God for a second! In Him we live and move and have our being; as creatures we are entirely dependent on God for the food we eat. But it says of those who enjoy these things and yet are reprobate, that God gave them up — He would not be called their God, whereas He is not ashamed to be called the God of such as look for a heavenly country. Is there anyone who cannot speak of God in that sense? A God you know, and who knows you, to whom you speak day and night. One you have learned to know in Christ!

Now Noah does not say anything about Japheth’s God, he simply speaks of his enlargement, but if his blessing is to be realised, what would be the end but that he should have a God? He represents the people of Europe, Northern Asia and America, in fact all the outgoings of Europe except the Jews, Chinese, and so on. All the inhabitants are descendants of Japheth. So we see how the enlargement has taken place. But are they in relation to God? — that is the enquiry. And it comes home to all of us — what about our God? Shem includes a numerous part of the race, the inhabitants of Asia, China, and others. Is God more to them than to Japheth? Not now, but you will notice that in the case of Shem, his genealogy is given twice. First you get it alongside of Japheth and Ham in chapter 10, and then ^[p. 82] again in chapter 11 after the scattering. And why is this? To bring out the name, the secret of his God. Abraham is in mind, Isaac is in mind, and Israel and Christ, and christians too are in mind, for all christians are sons of Abraham. Every one of us is transferred from our racial head to Abraham our spiritual head, and that is to subsist. So Noah’s blessing of Shem was an excellent foundation, for it refers to God entering into blessing with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That comes directly to every christian, first, because they come out. God called Abraham out, and he came, not knowing where he was going, but he believed God. God became his God, as He became the God of Isaac and Jacob. He speaks of Himself thus. So every true christian comes under that, as Paul says, “my God”. May God grant that no one here may be without a God — a personal God whom you know. He does not know every one in that sense, greeting him and calling him by name as He did Abraham, “I know him”, He said. I beg of you to get into relation with God if you do not know Him. The gospel brings you into that relationship. Japheth was to be enlarged, and as without a God, he would typify persons doing well in their business, or enlarged personally by education, outstanding sort of persons. What is it all for? Can any of these things be made subservient to the testimony? Persons who take up these things in order to make themselves great in the world are cursed. Children of believers lay themselves out in this way, and these things become a curse, and those governed by them turn their back on God’s people. Japheth is being enlarged in this way, and yet he has not a God. There are rich men in this world; there are thousands of millionaires in the world; they got their wealth through God but they use it to make themselves a name and they leave God out; their money is their god. Shem was blessed but he was not enlarged; the mention of his name evokes a note of worship from Noah. “Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem”. How delightful that one should speak of me in this way! Esau came in after Jacob was blessed and uttered a bitter cry, for the blessing of Jacob was irrevocable — “also blessed shall he be” (Genesis 27: 33). That blessing stands and it belongs to every believer in Christ. Enlargement is not given to divert you from God, but to provide you with the means for sacrifice. I can sacrifice to God, to make much of Him, not of myself.

I read Numbers to show how it works out in Israel. Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel, and Balaam accepted the offer to come from the far East to do this nefarious thing; he was really an agent of the devil. But God met him and forbade him, and instead of cursing, Balaam was caused to bless. “Lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations” — that is the same principle as the apostle developed in 2 Corinthians 6; we christians are to dwell alone. I say this to every young person; his heritage is christianity, but with this divine requirement that we dwell alone. You say, We are very few. Yes, but that is not always because we dwell alone. We are narrowed up, we are not energetic enough in the gospel, we are not attractive enough to other christians. It is a certainty that if true to the principles we profess, our allegiance to Christ will result in hatred by the world even as the apostle John said, “Do not wonder, brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3: 13). But persons in whom God is working will be attracted, and if there is no such attraction, it is time to enquire whether we are narrowed in our affections, and the secret of that is earthly-mindedness. Balaam says, “For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: Lo, it is a people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations”. Now this was not a command, Balaam was not commanding the people, they were not within reach of his voice, but he saw ^[p. 84] Israel in the distance, he saw them in their order and beauty, and he is saying prophetically that they shall dwell alone. It is a question of the mind of God. Let it come home to us. The apostle says, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. If affiliated with the world, we shall be judged with the world, that is, christians are judged with worldlings. Israel is not to be numbered among the nations. We are very few, you say, but the prophet goes on, “Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel?” and that question is without an answer. No one can count them. God will bring them out like men from the dead, according to Ezekiel, and they will stand on their feet, an exceeding great army. I would prefer to believe Balaam’s prophecy rather than to go by what I see. God brought Abraham out and directed him to look to the stars. No astronomer ever got such a view of the heavens as did Abraham. Astronomers are only guessers at best, though I am not despising them as they know far more than I do. God calls every star by name. Are they there for nothing? No, they are to do His will, not a star that is not doing His will. So God asks Abraham to number the stars if he is able, and adds “so shall thy seed be”. You cannot understand that, but you can believe it, for it is God who cannot lie who speaks. If the number God has in His mind are to be blessed, you do not want to be outside of it; it is large enough for the mind that craves most for society. The prophet has to say, and I trust no one here will have to say it, “I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh” (Numbers 24: 17). He had to confess he was a lost man, and he is. He was slain as a wicked man, he will never have a part with the blest, yet he desired it when he said, “Let me die the death of the righteous”. He never realised this — a most solemn matter!

^[p. 85] But I speak of christians dwelling alone among their own people and not numbered among the nations, not affiliated with the world. When you die you will be put to sleep by Jesus. You want to live apart and have to do with the myriads of the redeemed. There will be enlargement enough — riches, honour and distinction in that world, and companionship in glory.

Nor what is next Thy heart
Can we forget;
Thy saints, O Lord, with Thee
In glory met. (160:8)

We shall see them and be with them and of them, an uncountable number as far as we are concerned, and all blest.