GOD'S DELIGHT IN HIS PEOPLE
GOD’S DELIGHT IN HIS PEOPLE
Matthew 17: 1 - 5; Isaiah 62: 1 - 5; 2 Samuel 11: 27; 2 Samuel 12: 24, 25
It is in mind to speak of the delight that God has in His people. Surely it is the desire of each one to give God pleasure, and there is a measure of delight that God has in us commensurate, I would say, with the desire we have in our hearts for Him. I am assuming that there has been a beginning with each of us; a beginning in faith, which has brought about a change with us, so that we are no longer reckoned as in our sins, as David could say, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” Psalm 32: 1. My point is that God’s delight in us has begun, but it should increase according to the measure that we are moving in our souls in response to the light that has come to us. As the Lord places us each in our localities it is with a view that we might grow even as the trees of the Lord — as terebinths of righteousness. Trees are suggestive of strength, endurance, longevity and continuity. And this matter of giving God pleasure should increase. As we get older there should be increase with us. Our knowledge of God should increase, and commensurate with that God’s delight in us should be extending so that we are more and more pleasing to Him.
The passages read have God’s delight in view. We read of Christ in this way, but there can be no thought of measure in Him. He trusted in God from the outset; God ever had delight in Him. The word in Matthew is about Him. The word is to us. That is, God is calling the attention of others to Christ. No doubt that continues, for God would call attention to certain ones who follow in the service of Christ and what they exhibit. But here we read, “And after six days Jesus takes with him Peter, and James, and John [p. 463] his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain apart”. These were distinguished men, each one of them. The Lord had chosen Peter and had distinguished him — he had the first place among the apostles. And think of what shone in Peter, in his ministry, and how God could, and did, delight in it! At the same time Peter linked up with the eleven, showing how the early servants were identified with the brethren in their service. And so there should be no tendency with us to maintain individual characteristics, though each has his own distinction. Yet there should be intimate relationships between those who are prominent in the service. We see more and more the need of the labourers being together in their outlook and service in order that unity may be expressed in them.
So that we have the twelve, but Peter is speaking, and in it there is distinction. Then later, you will remember, in Acts 15, Peter speaks again, and Paul and Barnabas and James. They are distinguished as they speak, bringing out the truth. And so in these meetings the truth is brought out in order that the saints may be formed in it. We love the brethren because they are in the truth, and for the truth’s sake. It is John’s way of supporting the whole position. He is a family man who would stimulate affections amongst us — love for one another — and would value the different abilities that are to be seen, making way for them, and especially making way for the development of the younger men, for God delights in them. They are strong — they are to come forward in the service ready to do the work, as the word to Timothy was, “do the work of an evangelist”, 2 Timothy 4: 5. He was not to be negligent of the gift that was in him which had been received through the imposition of the hands of the presbytery, but which had to be rekindled. Our young men need to be stirred up to what God has given them, and to dignify the service so that God’s delight may come out [p. 464] in regard to them. The glory is to shine in them, for there is the shining of the glory in the servants. Moses’ face shone when he came down from the mountain. And so God distinguished Timothy. God delights to take up such and see that the work is carried on through them. The Lord has need of such at this time.
I mention all this in relation to the first scripture read because the Lord Jesus shines before us in it, transfigured before the disciples on the mount. Peter was affected by it and he speaks later about it, saying, “For we have not made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly imagined fables, but having been eyewitnesses of his majesty”, 2 Peter 1: 16. Think of what their eyes had seen! We need to see things, too. We need to get into the position where we can see things. It may be in the presence of other distinguished disciples, it may be in meetings such as these. We want to have our eyes open to see what is taking place as we are together. The Lord took these three disciples up in the mountain apart, and He was transfigured before them. And so the Lord takes us on that He might show us things; that we might see things and be developed in order that we might hear the wonderful acclamation from heaven about Christ, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight”.
The inward side of the truth is so necessary at the present time, it is that God finds delight in us — in persons. In our scripture it is not exactly what Christ has been doing that is referred to, but the Person in whom God has found His delight. What there was in Him! And so, in regard to the offerings in Leviticus, we are told that they were divided and the inwards were washed with water, meaning that they were made types of Christ by the washing of the water. He needed no washing, as we well know! The more we think of that the more we grow in our souls. “Him who knew [p. 465] not sin he has made sin for us”, 2 Corinthians 5: 21. He was the One who knew not sin. It is an inward matter. It is not the statement that He did not sin, but that He knew not sin. It is such a One in whom God found His delight.
So in a corresponding way God is now looking to find His delight in men; first of all in His servants and then in all those who are of the assembly, we may say. He looked for delight in Peter, and in James and John, and He found it, too. He found it in the twelve when they stood up at Pentecost. There were twelve, and what a delight for heaven! Think of what was resident in those men as they stood together — what an accumulation of experience was there! Therefore, as those who would be in the service, we need to be kept, and especially the younger brethren. When we get older, perhaps we have more control and a greater knowledge of the enemy’s devices. We may be more able to meet the enemy as we get older, but when we are younger the enemy is apt to discover where we are weak and render us unserviceable. But John says that the young men are strong and that they have overcome the world and the wicked one. Therefore we can see the need of our younger men laying themselves out to protect themselves against what the enemy would bring in.
I refer to David briefly because I do not want to occupy you unduly with the negative side, but in this scripture there is the side of things that displeases the Lord. David is brought forward in the New Testament with no charge like this against him. How the truth shone in him! A man after God’s own heart! Jehovah told Samuel not to look on the outward appearance. God looks on the heart. He was looking on David’s heart, but what had come about in David’s heart at this point? He had done something to displease the Lord. I bring it up tonight that we may examine ourselves to see if anything is being allowed to displease the Lord,
[p. 466] whatever it may be. You may have confidence that what you are doing is right, perfectly assured that the way you are going is right. Job was such a man. He clave to his own righteousness. How often does that character of things exist and God is displeased with it? I know it was a very serious thing that David had done, but I merely refer to it to point out that David had done something to displease the Lord. What is it that any of us have done to displease Him?
I believe that there is a need of going over matters — getting into the presence of God and spreading out our motives there — things that no one knows but ourselves. Can we bring our motives into the presence of God and lay them out before Him? Had David done this? No! It was the time when kings went forth to war, but David stayed at home. And we may keep ourselves from the war. I am speaking of the war, you will understand, as having to do with the outgoing of the testimony: God’s war against flesh; God’s war against sin! In other words, the gospel is going out; God is making no peace with the enemy. But David abode at home. He was out of the service; he elected to be out of it. He was the king, and hence he could stay at home or he could go, as he wished. He chose to abide at home when the armies were at the front. But Uriah, a man who stands out in the testimony of God — Uriah the Hittite — one of the most remarkable men in Scripture, would not think of himself when the armies of God were engaged in battle. That is the kind of spirit that is required amongst us, that we have the testimony in our minds pre-eminently. That was Uriah! He gave his life for it. Even though David arranged for him to be put in the forefront, his life was given for the testimony.
And so we see David electing to abide at home. When we elect to do something such as this and make an arrangement which fits in with what we want naturally, it gives the enemy an opening. Satan takes [p. 467] advantage of it. Think of what had come about in David’s heart — that heart that God had looked upon with delight! It shows that though we may have been delightful to God we might lose that by some arrangement that we make for ourselves. It only shows what is possible if we hold back from taking our part in the testimony. But David was subject to the prophetic word. The prophetic character of things in our meetings is of the greatest importance. There is opportunity in the local gatherings for the prophetic word to develop. God may give you a thought in a prophetic meeting. Something comes into your heart and you know it is from God. Well, give it out! God will help you. He made your mouth. He will give you more than is in your heart. As we are prepared to give out something which God has given us it is surprising what He will do. Let us not think that we cannot do things, but let us try to do something — do the work of an evangelist! At the same time we need to be in right relations with God, for therein lies the prosperity of our souls and of whatever gift there may be. But if we are like David, giving in to natural desires and the working of the flesh, and we step aside for that, we are just hindering the work of God in us. But the prophetic word is to arouse us. It aroused David to self-judgment. So we have a Solomon — a Jedidiah. God loved him. Christ is the true Solomon, the true Son of David: “This is my beloved Son”. God’s delight is in Him. He loves Him. But He is seeking to extend this great matter, and His delight in His people, too.
I read from Isaiah because we get some very fine references there to those things. In chapter 61 the terebinths of righteousness come out as the result of the gospel. The chapter opens with: “The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me”. The Lord quotes from this passage in Luke’s gospel. But the end of the paragraph refers to the terebinths of righteousness.
[p. 468] They are to be seen in the local meetings to support the position — to outline the position, what it is. In every locality there is to be the shining forth of this righteousness, and it is to give character to the locality. The more we are in the sense of that position the more the saints will prosper. We may have the sorrowful side of things, but the prophetic word comes in and makes way for those whom God loves, and makes way for peace.
The chapter goes on to show that the waste places are made to grow trees for Jehovah and the whole position is recovered to God. It looks on to the future day when Israel shall be in her place, but it has an application to ourselves, how God is bringing about a better condition amongst us through these trees of His planting — these terebinths of righteousness, and through self-judged conditions amongst us. He is bringing about a happy state of things in our localities as we get closer together, delighting in one another.
The sixty-second chapter speaks of Zion and Jerusalem. These are names that we can apply to ourselves: Zion and Jerusalem. There may be but a small number of brethren in a locality, but there it is Zion and Jerusalem — the outshining of righteousness, the outshining of light from the place, so if anyone wants to see it he can see it. So the land is no more given up; it is no more forsaken. God does not forsake our positions. He wants to show us He is very close to us, and the name is given here: ‘Hephzibah’ and ‘Beulah’. These two names are not used much now, but they have great meaning in them: ‘My delight is in her’, and ‘Married’. The likeness is to a young man with his bride; the kind of conditions that God is looking for in our localities; the urgency of affection that is to be present amongst us. We are to love those who are far away, of course, but loving those who are near us is the way the matter works out. We are to bear with one another in love. We often offend one [p. 469] another; we are not perfect yet. There are many things about us that try one another, but the word is to bear with one another in love; and again, to forgive if ye have anything against any one. It is the very language of the mercy-seat, and it proves that we have been there and know what it is. So there is to be no distance between us as we are together, and the word is, “My delight is in her”. God is looking for that delight in our positions locally. It works practically in that we have pleasure in one another. We do not seek to get away from one another, but to be together. The local company is the working out of Zion and Jerusalem. The word in this chapter is, “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be still”. God is in this matter, and He will not hold His peace. He will not be still until He brings about what Zion is in our localities. Zion speaks of the principle of God’s sovereignty — the sovereign selection that enters into our blessing. “And of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her”, Psalm 87: 5. God has selected us, that is the principle. We leave that, it is God’s matter. “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be still, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a torch that burneth”. How blessed to think of our localities in this way, with righteousness shining forth and salvation as a torch! Think of the gospel going forth in power in our meetings. We need to be like Noah, a preacher of righteousness. He had to hold the torch against a generation that was mocking him. Let the shining of the glorious gospel of Christ go forth! Let the mercy-seat be in evidence!
So it goes on to say, “And the nations shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah will name”. The name is what should mark our localities at the present time: ‘My delight is in her’,
and ‘Married’. This is to mark the local position: God’s delight there and the position married. Young people think much about marriage. It is right in its setting if it is under control. But how sad if otherwise! What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? Lawlessness describes the world, the mark that is upon the world. Men do what they like. Lawlessness is sin — it is doing what the natural heart wants to do. But righteousness restricts me to the limits of the will of God. In the fellowship marriage is within those limits “She is free to be married to whom she will, only in the Lord”, 1 Corinthians 7: 39.
Think of the energy of love that is present with us spiritually when we are together in our localities in our thoughts and affections. What a crown of glory! Jehovah delights in that. So it speaks of the land being married: “For as a young man marrieth a virgin, shall thy sons marry thee; and with the joy of the bridegroom over the bride, shall thy God rejoice over thee”, verses 4, 5. The thought is that we might see these things working out in our localities where we are so close to one another. Surely every one of us would admit that we need some adjustment in ourselves that we may fit together better: “each esteeming the other as more excellent than themselves”, Philippians 2: 3.
Well, may we be in exercise that God may have delight in us and that we may have delight in one another — that God may rejoice over us with singing!