EXTRACTS

Well now in Nehemiah’s time, the privileges of Jerusalem were laid hold of, so that it says in this chapter, verse 1, “the rulers of the people dwelt” there (Nehemiah 11: 1 A.V.). Thank God for that! Surely they shall give a lead, for the leaders amongst the people of God are not merely marked by intelligence and strength, but feeling and affection and appreciation of divine things. Therefore these leaders are to be emulated, they dwell in Jerusalem. Then there is the principle of one in ten dwelling in Jerusalem, the other nine went out into other cities. It is evidently recorded here to show the state of things that existed. Are we content to be one of those

nine that are willing to stay out of Jerusalem? You can do it by putting your home and family and business first. Whereas the dweller in Jerusalem puts the interests of Christ first, he is at every meeting of the saints possible, he never willingly misses one. Anna would never miss a meeting, she was day and night in the temple, she would not think lightly of staying away from a meeting. One has often pictured the saints at Jerusalem. Peter and six others went off fishing one night. If you had asked Mary Magdalene where Peter and the sons of Zebedee were that day, if she knew she would tell you regretfully, she would feel their absence. Can we afford to come under that opprobrium? To be absent, like Thomas, when such great things are happening? Anna would never be absent. She dwelt in Jerusalem, and not only was she in the temple but she spake of the Lord to all them that looked for redemption in Israel. How Jerusalem would come into her mind, how she would convey that to those to whom she spoke! It is a somewhat wholesome thing to take account of the progress of persons nominally dwelling in Jerusalem. Who are the persons at the prayer meeting? See how many of them are there. Those who are habitually absent are not really inhabitants of Jerusalem, not characteristically such ... The Lord is appealing to us in this way, as to whether we are seeking money or position in this world at the expense of Jerusalem, the holy city, that is, the assembly in the sense in which it is available at the present time. The Lord would appeal to us so that we may be characteristically inhabitants of Jerusalem.

J. Taylor (Vol. 38, pp.285–287)

Saints make themselves very unhappy by moving in their own wills, and they miss the joy of the inheritance. The choice of the creature is always wrong. Lot chose; the thing for us is to accept the setting where we are. If the Lord moves us, it is different; God moved Priscilla and Aquila from Rome to Corinth. Providentially He

allowed the command that all Jews were to leave Rome; God knew what He was doing when He allowed the imperial edict to go forth. He wanted to move a brother and sister to Corinth because He intended setting up a local assembly at Corinth. Our thought in moving should be, Is it God’s way to contribute to His assembly there? Is that the prime thought if I move?

Is it with a view to enjoying the inheritance and contributing to the saints? The voluntary idea is not right; we find in Scripture that God sets persons in a certain position and in certain relations. The Levites had their service appointed; it was never said to a Levite, You do what you like in the tabernacle. They each had their appointed work, and all was under the ordering of Aaron or Eleazar. “The whole decision is of the Lord”. Could I say, I am locally in Teignmouth by the decision of the Lord?

We need not have any question at all if God providentially moves us. The exercise comes when we move ourselves apart from His providence. If we have gone anywhere because it is the will of God, we remain there and recognise our links with the brethren as a means by which we enjoy the inheritance. That is the setting in which we enjoy the inheritance and we cannot enjoy it any other way. No movement on our part can secure to us the enjoyment of the inheritance; we must either take it up in a divine way or miss it. What are we after? It tests the whole principle on which we are. Our households, our local setting in the assembly, and our relation with neighbouring assemblies, are to be governed by the principle of God dwelling in the midst of His people. He has put us divinely together so that we might enjoy the inheritance together.

C. A. Coates (‘An Outline of Joshua’, pp.76, 77)

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