CONSIDERATION FOR CHRIST
[p. 130] CONSIDERATION FOR CHRIST
2 Samuel 6: 17, 18; 2 Samuel 7: 1 - 19; John 12: 1 - 8
I have read these two well-known scriptures as setting forth the spirit of consideration for Christ. Christ has considered for us; that comes before us in the breaking of bread. There are various lights in which the Lord regarded His holy body. It was divinely prepared for Him, “a body hast thou prepared me”, and He says, “Lo, I come to do thy will, O God”. The Lord Jesus took account of His holy body in that light. In His holy body here He treasured in His heart the will of God. At Gethsemane His resolution came into clear light — He was here absolutely for the Father’s will and nothing could swerve the Lord from His purpose. On the other hand, His body was devoted to the saints. The night on which the Supper was instituted was perhaps the brightest of all spent by the Lord in His sojourn here, for it was a love feast. The night of the Supper was the night when the Lord let out His heart freely to His own. On that occasion He said to the saints, “This is my body which is for you”; it was devoted to the saints. Out of that scene of light Judas went; he left that scene of light for the darkness. “He went out ... and it was night”. The light, thank God, remains for us; the light of that wondrous fact that the Lord has devoted His body to the saints. That is what Christ is for us.
What is the institution of the Supper, but a continual reminder of His consideration for us! He instituted a love feast. Jude speaks of spots in your love feasts. There was a spot on the first occasion of the Supper, that was Judas; he was a thief; he was covetous. Wherever self finds a lurking place in our hearts there is a spot, and we have to see to it that the spots are removed. Out of consideration for us, and in view of all that, the Lord Jesus devoted His body for us; He [p. 131] laid it down in death. Judas went out; and then there was a scene of unsullied light. There is no spot in Jesus. It is said there are spots in the sun, but there are no spots in Jesus, our Sun! The Lord has it before Him to present the assembly to Himself a glorious assembly having no spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. It comes about by His gracious ministry to the assembly; she becomes a complete reflection of Himself.
The great point of the moment is what place the Lord has with us. Of all the men of the Old Testament, David sets forth the spirit of consideration for Christ. He would not give sleep to his eyes nor slumber to his eyelids, until he found out a place for the Lord, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob, Psalm 132: 1 - 4. The first thing was that he heard of the Ark. Have you heard of the Ark? The next thing he says is, “we found it”. It is one thing to hear of the Lord, another thing to find Him. Have you found Him? David alludes to the fact that in all the days of Saul the Ark had never been inquired at; 1 Chronicles 13: 3. David had heard of it when he followed the sheep, and he made a resolution there. I believe in making resolutions. If you make up your mind to go after Christ, that He shall have His place in your heart, you will reach Him. In David’s expression of his desire, he had little idea of what sufferings he would have to endure before it was accomplished. But God gives power to carry out such a resolution.
Now I wish to speak a little about the house of Saul. Saul represents a state among the Lord’s people; he was divinely appointed and anointed, and at one time he did the work of God, but he never inquired at the Ark all his days; and when the man appears who cherished it, Saul persecuted him. David was hunted like a partridge on the mountains because he considered for the Ark. David was despised in his father’s house. Why? Because the spirit of Christ was in him, and [p. 132] God honoured him. If you love Jesus, you will be distinguished by God, but Saul will persecute you. When David’s affections shone at their brightest, Michal, the representative of the house of Saul despised him, 2 Samuel 6: 16. She could not take away his delight in God and the Ark, but she despised him. Thank God she could do no more, but she did that; her father could have done much more, but she despised him; and in her that spirit became extinct, she had no issue, 2 Samuel 6: 23. David danced before the Ark with all his might. What an expression of delight! He brought it to Jerusalem, to the place prepared for it. The house of Saul becomes extinct in Michal, but the house of David continues for ever. David says to God, “thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house for a great while to come”, 2 Samuel 7: 19.
David was dwelling in a house of cedar. We may thank God for earthly comforts; but David in his house of cedar thought of the Lord. While enjoying God’s mercies, are we considering for God, considering for Christ? David thought of Him, and God took account of his desire and He sent Nathan to speak to him, to convey His mind to him. Where are our hearts in regard to God and Christ? In Psalm 19, it is said that, “The heavens declare the glory of God”, and, that “In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun”. Do you ever ponder the esteem in which Christ is held in heaven? David saw the tabernacle in the heavens and he thought he would have one for the Ark down here.
In John 12 we see how the family at Bethany considered for Christ; “There they made him a supper”. We can make a place for Christ here; that is the line that consideration for Christ takes. What kind of place will suit Him? Where can you make a place for Him? There is no place where Jesus can dwell on earth save in the hearts of His saints. He dwells in love. Martha [p. 133] and Mary and Lazarus were relieved of the pressure of death, and they considered for Christ. There are two things by which we are held: there is the attraction of the world, and John 4 meets that: the Lord gives the Spirit as living water, and the Spirit takes hold of the affections and directs them in new channels. The other great pressure is death and John 5 meets that. As released, what are we going to do? Consider for Christ! In John 12 Mary went beyond the others; she considered for Him in view of His death. It is a moment which calls for consideration for Christ. Paul says to the Philippians, “All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s”. May we be found considering for Christ!