WHAT IT IS TO INQUIRE OF GOD

Psalm 27: 2–5; 2 Samuel 7: 4, 5, 12–19; Exodus 34: 1–5, 29

NJH I thought in our conversation together we might consider what it is to inquire of God. Psalm 27 verse 4 was especially in mind. I think we get very familiar with conditions as they are, especially in the profession, and our judgment weakens. In verse 4 his request was in the singular and he sought after it, “that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Jehovah, and to inquire of him in his temple”. I do not think we get the mind of God without being attracted by what is of God; it says “to behold the beauty of Jehovah, and to inquire of him in his temple”. He loves to give us His mind. It is a wonderful favour to us for God to do that, but He gives it to persons who are going to value it. We have to be such that provide the moral basis, that we love what comes from the Lord, what comes from God.

In the other two scriptures we read, David and Moses were persons that had to do with the dwelling of God here. One had to do with providing for the temple, the house, and the other had to do with the tabernacle. They both clearly followed this verse in Psalm 27 where it says, “One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after—that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life”. That is a very fine committal, and then “to behold the beauty of Jehovah”. I think both these men of God saw something of the beauty of Jehovah. I have no doubt that what Moses saw on the mount touched his affections. He was told to make everything according to the pattern; that was more than a mental perception of what was pleasing to God. I think God revealed something of His own heart to Moses, and therefore he saw the beauty of Jehovah. And then he comes out the second time, according to this chapter in Exodus with his face shining through God talking with him.

David wanted to provide. God said He had gone about in a tent and a tabernacle, and He had not dwelt in a house like David was intending to build; but God took it up and it was going to be by his son, the great principle of sonship. I think he got through to the beauty of Jehovah in sonship; a manner of man that was pleasing to God. I would like our affections to be touched as we inquire together, because we will see how the Spirit of God might lead us, so that we come into the position to receive, or to inquire in His temple, to get the current mind of the Lord. That is what we all need. We all need the current mind of the Lord.

JS The desire to “behold the beauty of Jehovah”, would that be for us related to what we see in Christ, the kind of man we see there? With David, the manner of man; and Moses’ face was shining. Do you think the inquiry would lead us in that direction?

NJH Yes exactly. We are so privileged to have “the manner of man” before our hearts. The order of man that is the beauty of Jehovah is in Christ and God will not go back from it. The beauty of Jehovah now is embodied in a blessed Man.

MWG Another two matters here underlie this; David had made this a matter of prayer, he had asked to go, and that is really good, is it not? The next thing he says is, I will seek after it, as if there would be some activity of faith to pursue this prayer and realise it. Is that important do you think?

NJH Yes it is, prayers are expressed in Psalm 132: 5. David desired a place for Jehovah, then in verse 6 he heard of the ark at Ephratah; something was coming into his heart that he wanted to go after and he would not let go. David would not let go, neither did Moses let go, until there was a dwelling-place for God. We need to understand that condition where what is due to God is recognised. He wanted to dwell where God dwelt, and if God demanded holiness according to Leviticus, Moses would say, Well I want to be in keeping with that, to “dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life”. I think that is very beautiful.

JSp I was just thinking of the second chapter of Ephesians, the house and the temple are very closely linked, could you say some more about that?

NJH Well you help us on that.

JSp I am just inquiring as to your link because it seems to me there must be dwelling conditions before the mind of the Lord can be known.

NJH Yes that is good. They are brought together in principle in this dispensation in Ephesians. In the temple there is increase now, and it will go through to completion in the millennium. The house and temple are brought together. I think it is very beautiful to see both; that what is suitable to God is recognised, and where He speaks is recognised. Exodus 34 is linked with the second epistle to the Corinthians, but in the first epistle he says, “Do ye not know that ye are the temple of God?”, 1 Corinthians 3: 16. They were the temple of God but they did not seem to know it, and they did not walk in keeping with it. I think what you have said is helpful in what we are inquiring about.

GBG So in Peter he says, “If any one speak—as oracles of God; if any one minister— as of strength which God supplies; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ”, 1 Peter 4: 11. It is quite an exercising thing to minister and speak. As oracles of God you are speaking on God’s behalf. Is that what is in mind? but it is as of the strength which God supplies.

NJH Yes that is helpful. Because in the oracle it was God speaking, but it seemed as if God was taking account of the needs of those He was addressing, it was like an answer, the oracle involves a certain answer to the state of the people; so it is the current mind of the Lord that we are exercised about just now. We have had so much revealed to us by the Spirit, come through the apostles, and Paul, and those that have gone before us, the fathers of the recovery, but we need the current word of the Lord.

GBG I recall a remark of Mr Coates as to this verse; he said that if any one speak as oracles of God, there must be what is distinctive comes through, there must be if it comes from God; it would quicken the affections of the saints, and meet the needs of the saints.

NJH Yes that is good. It is “oracles of God”. He is the source. We often speak about living ministry, but we need to be exercised that it continues.

JCG In the well-known scripture in Isaiah 6 he saw His glory first, we cannot really have any communication outwardly unless we have seen the glory of Christ, and the Lord quotes that, does he not?

NJH Yes He does. That is an interesting passage because he gets his commission following it, does he not? That would sustain the prophet in his commission. We are in a good atmosphere today where there is a longing, a receptiveness with the brethren, but Isaiah was sent out knowing that those he was going to address would not listen, their ears were stopped, and their hearts were like stone. I think what supported Isaiah was what he saw, what was revealed to him, he saw what was lifted up, and that surpassed everything he met down here. That fashioned, that actually supported the prophet in what lay ahead.

JCG Later in chapter 33 he speaks of those going on in righteousness and uprightness, he says, “Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty” (Isaiah 33: 17). It was from his experience that he was encouraging others to enter into it.

NJH Exactly. I think that is what will support us if we get this; have the desire for dwelling where God dwells, and then be attracted “to behold the beauty of Jehovah”. Now our week starts that way, that the beauty of Jehovah is presented to us, and the will of God lies ahead for the week; that is what is going to support us.

APG In the previous psalm, Psalm 26 verse 8, it says, “Jehovah I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwelleth”. That was on his heart, what lay behind this, the place it had in his heart.

NJH Yes that is good. It would be questionable what was in the heart of King Saul. Saul was removed as we know, it was questionable what was in his heart at all. We have David’s faults, but through it all we have David’s heart. He loved Jehovah, and as you say He “loved the habitation of thy house” and I think that is wonderful. That has not been withdrawn from us, brethren, through general breakdown, the house is still available, the truth of the body is still there, the presence of the Spirit is known; everything is there for any to take up.

JAG Would John in the bosom of Jesus getting the Lord’s mind, and the state that that involves probably bear upon this?

NJH Help us more please.

JAG Well Peter has to ask, makes a sign to get it, and we are mostly like that; but to be in the bosom of the Lord you are beholding the beauty of the Lord, and there is intimacy and mutuality you might say, and He is quite happy and free to speak in a normal way to you.

NJH Yes, “If I will that he abide until I come, what is that to thee” (John 21: 22); you might say he is abiding in His dwelling, which is referred to in this gospel. He was a person that loved the breast and the bosom of Christ, the beauty of Jehovah, he was brought into immediate contact with what God saw in that blessed Man. JAG That is all available despite breakdown.

NJH Exactly, it is still there, it is in Christ and the Spirit here links us immediately with the presence of that blessed Man.

TDB Was the spirit of inquiry characteristic of David?

NJH Yes exactly, he asks for the ephod in 1 Samuel 30, does he not? He went to inquire of Jehovah (1 Samuel 30: 7, 8). You say he was not a priest, but he recognised what was there, he asked for the ephod and he inquired of Jehovah. He inquired as to the Philistines and he was successful (2 Samuel 5: 19). He inquires again in verse 23 and is told to go a different way; so when they hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberrytrees there is a different way. He was a man that was always asking God for direction.

MWG Would this be a comfort for our beloved young people. There is so much that we do not understand, but the Lord is ready as we “inquire of him in his temple”. He is ready to explain things to us and direct us.

NJH It is not just open for those of us who are older, it is open for every one of us. Young people having come into salvation should ask for the Spirit. The Spirit will give you guidance and direction because He immediately links you with the beauty of Jehovah which is presented in Christ; and that is available for the very youngest believer.

JAB You mentioned the context of the surrounding verses and the opposition that is there. Some of us find that when we are in circumstances like that we find it difficult, because these things distract us and interfere. What did you have in mind please?

NJH Well I am glad you have brought us to it, because we have to be sympathetic, all of us have been young, not all of us may be old; the Lord is coming. But the young have to face things and we have to be sympathetic with what the young find. But this is like a jewel in the presence of darkness. You know darkness is darkness. It has been said that the darkness in John 1 was not because of the absence of light, the light came and it did not change the darkness, and that is what surrounds us even in the profession, darkness. In the midst of it somebody has one thing, you do not need to be complex, have one thing before you, have this verse before you.

JAB So that we begin this exercise individually, do we not? It then takes us into what is collective and we find it working in a meeting like this, but we have to begin with the experience of this on our knees in our chamber, is that right?

NJH Exactly, that is right. The company needs such persons, the strength and spirituality of a company requires this individual committal. You will start to contribute with the house of God in mind, abiding there, and seeing the beauty of Jehovah and inquiring in His temple.

DTP So something of the example of this we learn from the early Acts because you find there was a fervency of their spirits. It had worked for the individual but they wanted to be together and that is the importance of the assembling of the saints, through the week too.

NJH Exactly, “they came to their own company” (Acts 4: 23), it is like a magnet. What was there in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Acts outside that company? What was there? It was cold, the murderous spirit was still there. It not only vented itself in utmost cruelty on our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ but it was against those that were in the way. The blessing of the saints, their food, their refreshment, their life, was within the Christian circle. Now that is persons that are providing a dwelling-place for God.

DCB I was thinking about 2 Corinthians 3, while looking on the glory of the Lord you are transformed, 2 Corinthians 3: 18. If you are coming in with this spirit and attitude to behold the beauty of Jehovah, you will be transformed yourself, will you not?

NJH Yes, with looking. The young people might say I cannot say much. You do not say anything. It is beholding the glory of the Lord that you are changed towards the Object, and you become more like your brethren. That is what happens. That is why when there is love circulating amongst the brethren we are closer together, and there is no chink for the enemy to breach, no way for the enemy to come into the company.

RT It says of the Lord that as they were listening He added and spoke a parable, Luke 19: 11. Another time it says He could not do many works of power there because of their unbelief, Matthew 13: 58. So the word comes in relation to the state of expectancy or otherwise that may be with us.

NJH That is very helpful. I think that is linked with the oracle, that you have a receptive ear. It was their hardness of heart that hindered the Lord. You might say that the Lord had all power. Yes but He could not do the works because it would have no effect. The work was meant to have an effect in persons, so He looked for those persons who were receptive.

RT Would it help us to be earnest in our opening prayer for example, and the Lord would be ready to answer that expectancy of spirit?

NJH Exactly. Simple calling on the Lord. He hears our prayers, that is why we pray because He hears our prayers.

GBG Do we need to continue in dependence throughout the reading? I remember a brother saying we might express dependence at the beginning of the reading, and then pretty much go on in just what we know, in our own steam. We have to continue in dependence, do you think?

NJH Yes in that way we keep linked with the source and that is how the body operates; practically that is how the body operates that the persons are not only bound together by the Spirit, but they are kept linked with the source. I think that is a good point; that we keep dependent throughout the meeting.

JAB I heard of a dear sister who very recently told someone that she has gone off to an evangelical company, and said that the Lord was leading her there. Now there is someone who thinks that she has the Lord’s mind about a matter. I am thinking of what you are bringing before us as to the Lord’s mind and how we arrive at it, but sometimes when I hear someone saying, I have got the Lord’s mind about this, I just know instinctively that they do not. What would you say about that?

NJH Moses did not take anyone with him back into the camp. Joshua remained out at the tent of meeting and the Lord would not lead anybody back into the camp. He has His own rights, the Lord addresses the assemblies in Revelation 2 and 3; we have to leave that. But Joshua remained, and those that sought Jehovah went out to the tent of meeting. So that is how I would answer that.

JAB That is very helpful. I wondered if this phrase “that will I seek after” implies a sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading and to what the Lord might indicate. But what you are bringing before us is very important at the moment.

NJH I think we are tested. Many souls are unclear as to the fact that if you have this objective you cannot go back into the camp. He never gives up His own and speaks to whoever belongs to Him, but His presence is sought by going outside the camp, that is how I understand the tent of meeting. It has been said that the tent of meeting was Moses own tent. I thought that was very touching. Because the setting up of the tabernacle had not taken place, but in the meantime Moses pitched his own tent outside.

JAG In the camp the Lord appears before them in another form. What would you say about secret history in relation to this? David is very confident here—“When evil-doers, mine adversaries and mine enemies, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. If a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; if war rise against me, in this will I be confident”. He did not arrive at that overnight did he?

NJH No, but he came to a sound judgment of what was opposing to his exercises as before the Lord in private communion with the Lord in going over matters. Young persons should do it, ask the Lord questions, inquire of Him, just be simple in your own relationship, and He will answer you where you are in your state, so you can stand in the face of it. Because they are murderers, they want to rob us of what we have.

JAG That builds up a secret history, and a knowledge of God.

NJH Absolutely. Recently we were reminded of Ahab’s palace and the vineyard of Naboth. You can be assured Naboth did not build his vineyard next to the palace. The palace was built next to Naboth’s vineyard and then made claim to it, 1 Kings 21. And that is what the enemies round about want. They do not have what you have, but they want to rob you of it. So we must be occupied by this “One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after”.

JS I wondered if this matter of “One thing” is very important for us in our spiritual histories, having “One thing” before us. I think a lot of the problems arise because we may want Christ and something else. I think if we have singleness of eye then the result of that is that the body is full of light.

NJH That is a good suggestion. Because God towards us is “One thing” speaking simply; it is all in Christ, everything is there, and we should be simple. I think God knows you are earnest if you are not too complicated in your requests, be simple and real and be determined to follow it through.

MWG That is very fine and there are some lovely assurances in that next verse. “In the day of evil he will hide”, “will he keep”, “he will set me high”. We come in for divine power in this, do you think?

NJH Yes that is good. That comes out in a practical matter, do you think? Young people go to school and we know even with children they pick on somebody and can be quite cruel to one another, and they will vent it on a young Christian. Well if you have this before you, this “One thing”, “in the day of evil he will hide me in his pavilion”. Who is going to get you there? And then “in the secret of his tent will he keep me concealed”. Who is going to find you there? And then “he will set me high upon a rock”. Who can reach you there? How established a young heart is. You can stand things at school. In prayer express to the Lord your desire. We speak of it when saying persons express their desire to break bread, but the desire has to be with us all the time.

JD So do you think that what we go through in our personal or private exercise and experience, we find it confirmed as we come together and know this matter of inquiring of Him in His temple?

NJH You mean it leads up to that.

JD I was just thinking that we receive everything, do we not, from Christ through the Spirit, and when we come together and inquire into the word, there is ministry that comes to us that would confirm what we are experiencing in our hearts, confirming us in what we come to in our judgments and our thoughts?

NJH I think that is right. You would look for that. You may say, Well I am a bit down tonight, tired, the weather is not very good, busy day at school, not very many sales today or something, but when you come, if you have the right things before you, you find everything is answered to you. It may be nobody else knows, but you have had your touch from the Lord that meets your exercises.

PAG The fact that the way to the temple in 1 Corinthians is by way of the cross and the Spirit, does that help us in relation to our inquiry today? The cross would bring Christ crucified before me and tell me that everything that is of the first order of man has been dealt with there, but the Spirit brings Christ glorified before me, so the “One thing” is Christ, the one Man is Christ. But I just wondered in relation to the earlier inquiries, if the Spirit’s leading is always upwards, it is never outwards or downwards, it is upwards.

NJH He is here on Christ’s behalf is He not? But I am glad of your reference to Corinthians because it is not just me crucified, that is the end of me, but Christ crucified means everything is ended that is not in keeping with the dwelling of God. God dwells in the absence of everything the first man presents; all flesh and everything is totally out of the eye of God in His dwelling. The Spirit is there to develop and draw us to the source.

JCG At times when persons may be looking elsewhere, should we be looking for words of eternal life? In John 6, the Lord says “It is the Spirit which quickens” (John 6: 63), bringing us really to Christ in glory as has been said. Then “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast words of life eternal” (John 6: 68). If we are not attracted to Jesus then there will be some attraction somewhere else, will there not?

NJH That is right, actually John 6 tests everybody. The eating of John 6 tests everybody. Well did the Lord doubt His own? No, He says “Will ye also go away?” (John 6: 67). I think the Lord awaited confession. And I think we need to be persons who are ready to confess “Lord, to whom shall we go?” He wants to hear us, “let me hear thy voice”, Song of Songs 2: 14. He wants to hear us saying “Lord, to whom shall we go?”; Peter spoke on behalf of the others, but I am sure the others were with him in it, that there was nowhere else to go.

GBG Do you think that even in younger persons, God works with us and we are brought to a point where we can only turn to God, in certain circumstances? That is what David reached here; confidence in God, it is mentioned in this verse. Do you think God appreciates that? Does not confidence underlie true dependence? NJH Yes, you must know who you are dependent on.

GBG And God appreciates persons who are confident and trust in Him, that make requests to Him. But I think we are all brought to a point in an experience some time that there is only one Person you can turn to, others would not understand. It may seem so simple that others would not appreciate my exercise; we are brought that way, do you think?

NJH Of course that marks all God’s ways man-ward, does it not? He wants to gain the trust of His creature. Did not the life, the pathway of Christ, do that? To win trust and confidence, and through it dependence, would come about in the soul. It was something to secure in the creature for Himself. It touches your heart the way that He has gone.

I thought we could just get a touch following out what was said as to David. David had great thoughts in mind in 2 Samuel 7. He felt that he dwelt in a house of cedars, and the ark of God dwelt under curtains, that is verse 2. “Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thy heart; for Jehovah is with thee”, but the word came again, that was not the way to proceed. You see a man of blood could not build the house; you have to have the man of peace, and that is the manner of man that is anticipated in Christ. In verse 12 “When thy days are fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom ... I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son”. That is what God is getting through to, the great truth of sonship.

JAG Why do you think Nathan did not have the mind of God? He was a mature person, a prophet.

NJH The prophet might have been unduly influenced by David himself, thinking, Well he will be right again. But we certainly have to be clear of influence. But the word came that night which was a mercy, “it came to pass that night that the word of Jehovah came to Nathan” (2 Samuel 7: 4). So he was adjusted. But do you think it might have been David’s personality that may have swayed him?

JAG We may allow personalities to deflect ourselves and weaken what the mind of God is really at.

NJH Well that is a very important thing you have said. Nathan was one that was of great respect, his name comes in at the end of 1 Chronicles 29, “And the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet” (1 Chronicles 29: 29). So he must have been influenced at this point, but he was corrected that night. That was good. I wish I took correction quicker.

JS From David’s point of view he may have thought, Well I have the mind of God now; but he had to have another impression before the mind of God really came to him. Sometimes we may think we have the mind of God, but we may have to be adjusted. Perhaps it calls for patience to be sure we have His mind, do you think?

NJH Yes I think that. I think we have to be very careful. Some people say they have the mind of God and they may be quite adrift. You recognise what has been done by men of God that have gone before. While you have the object before you, you are in keeping with the line, the trend that the Spirit has been on over the time. The speaking of the Spirit is constant; what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

JCG David maintains humility, even after he has been told that it is his son that will build the house, verse 18 “And king David went in and sat before Jehovah, and said, Who am I, Lord Jehovah”; that is the spirit we need to maintain if we are going to see clearly what is the mind of the Lord.

NJH Exactly, he got a view of Christ there. When Jehovah spoke he immediately got some impression of Christ there. And therefore he sat, he was content, you might say he was dwelling in the house of Jehovah, he wanted to dwell there. He sat before Jehovah, and then he says, “And is this the manner of man ...?” You cannot be in the presence of God long before getting an impression of Christ.

RT So when God speaks to David does he lift his view onto what is eternal rather than just his circumstances that he is in at the time?

NJH That is good, that helps.

RT David dwelt in his house, his own circumstances, and thought he would then add something to God; but God brings before him that He has a long view. He has a fixed view, an eternal view, unchanging, and that comes into David’s life then and helps him.

NJH That is very helpful because that is the manner of man coming before his soul. There must be a change because he could not bring his circumstances into God’s; that is one thing we have to learn. Learn to adjust your circumstances to the presence of God

RT And then he says “who am I”. In the other setting in Chronicles David says, “thou ... hast regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree”, 1 Chronicles 17: 17. God would elevate our view and elevate us.

NJH That is right and that is when dignity comes in, and that is what you eventually come to in Exodus 34. Moses is at the height of dignity there. He is standing out in Exodus 34, probably without parallel, he is distinguished in the presence of God. I think what you said is very helpful. Start with having God before you and then your circumstances, your life, even when it comes to employment or work, whatever it may be, takes its character from that first thing in your life.

JS After David gets the second word from Nathan he went in and sat before Jehovah. Do you think it a great matter to get confirmation in the presence of God?

NJH Yes, David was not marked by contradiction or questioning, he just was restful. You might say it was his supreme thought, but it had to take second place because what God was going forward to was a manner of man that was after His heart. And it is a very delightful touch that he went in and sat.

JAG So he had the pattern by the Spirit, and that is the manner of man. You go through the four gospels and you get the manner of man.

NJH That is very good, because he gave to Solomon the pattern in writing. Moses did not do that exactly (although he wrote Exodus), but David is said to convey the pattern to Solomon in writing (1 Chronicles 28: 19). So there is a permanency about it, what has come through there. And what can you say about the gospels?

JAG They are a wealth of words.

NJH It has been said that most of the epistles were written before the gospels; you come to the manner of man. You have to get that order before your soul and David gets it here.

JAB I was just thinking that David was at the height of his power here. It has been said that if I think I can do something for God He probably will not use me, but if I remain dependent He may use me in what He is going to do. David really shows us that here, does he not?

NJH Exactly, that is a good thing to quote. The Psalms prove that David fails, but he goes back to the source, and he finds out what the mind of God is for the moment for him.

JAB I was just thinking of what was said about the need for dependence and humility. We speak about these things, but as we keep our eyes on Christ and we see it in Him, we become like Him, and as we become like Him as being in His presence then we begin to hear what He says to us.

NJH That is good. And that is why we inquire of Him in His temple, and keep that attitude.

In Exodus 34 Moses is dignified as our brother says. I think he has still the pattern, he is still carrying the whole thing in his affections. It has not been built up yet, it has not been assembled. Deuteronomy goes a little more into the side of intercession than we get in Exodus, but here he goes in with the two tables. God made the first two tables and wrote on upon them with His finger. When it comes to the second two Moses had to make the stone tables and God wrote upon them. I think it is very touching. He is going in with the two tables. I suppose in principle he is now taking in the saints in his heart, and going to work out the will of God. The will of God has to be worked out here. These tables were not broken. He takes them up and God writes on them; then he comes down after God had been talking with him, and the skin of his face shone. I think that is the result of inquiring in the presence of God.

JCG The effect of the new covenant is to direct us to Christ, because in Deuteronomy he was told to prepare the ark and put the tables in the ark; that is in line with what you are saying to behold the beauty of Jehovah. The effect really is of the new covenant, that there would be something shining out for God in the saints.

NJH Exactly. The Holy Spirit is effecting what is permanent in our affections. The fleshy tables of the heart means that it is in the conditions in which we are. He is writing on the saints; is that not wonderful? And that is why the saints are brought into it, and here Moses was pursuing. Before him was the tabernacle, the setting up of the tabernacle, every detail. You wonder how he could have kept everything so much together. You say why has God given so much detail of the tabernacle? Chapter after chapter of the different materials for different places in the tabernacle, nothing is mixed it is all set out in perfect order. I think it is because he saw the beauty of Jehovah; everything was orderly in his mind. And here he is going in. You might say he is going up again. The first time he went up he saw the pattern, now he is going up to see the beauty of Jehovah.

JS God started with the ark in Exodus 25 which is typical of Christ. Do you think Moses would get some impression, from what he saw, that there was to be a whole order of things of the same character?

NJH Yes. The working out of things needs skill and work, but it is all from the pattern. I think it is very wonderful. You know he did not lose it. That is what impresses me. He was a reasonable age, but he did not lose it, everything was made and built in keeping with the pattern. The only way I will keep the truth in my soul is seeing it in Christ. I will lose the power of the truth if I turn away from where the beauty of Jehovah is. I say to you, if you want to read ministry, which I would encourage you all to do, start as early as possible and read a little and let it touch your affections. As Mr Wigram says, read until something touches you and lay the book down because God is speaking to you, is going to work with you. But the point is that if you keep the truth livingly linked with where the centre of the truth is, you will never lose it and the power of it will be in your soul. But immediately, if you go downwards in your pathway, the power of the truth will be lost in your soul; it is inevitable. It is kept intact in the person of Jesus and the blessed Spirit; and it is kept livingly in my soul through my link with these two blessed divine Persons, and if it is not there the power of the truth will be lost to me and any of us here.

RT In Exodus 24 God says, “Come up to me into the mountain, and be there”, Exodus 24: 12. The fact that his face was shining shows that he had been there; he was impressionable and attentive.

NJH That is good. And what we have here in verse 5, “And Jehovah came down in the cloud, and stood beside him there, and proclaimed the name of Jehovah”. What an answer to the longings of that man! The one thing that was set before his heart and what he had seen in the pattern, and here Jehovah comes down and stands beside him; what confirmation.

JAG Is that the normal expression of Christ’s epistle? It is expressed in the brethren on that very principle and that is testimony.

NJH Yes it is clear, it is legible, it is seen, that is in the saints.

GBG The brethren in Dundee were impressed when we read chapter 34 that it says here “Hew for thyself”; so God had confidence in Moses. That is what is needed persons whom God can trust. We spoke about having confidence in God, but God is looking for this in the persons who have experience with God, who have learnt to distrust themselves. I think that is a big thing with all of us, to distrust ourselves; God can commit Himself to persons who have the pattern before them, do you think?

NJH Yes that is good, because the pattern must have marked these tables as well. He had seen the first two but God did not take issue with what Moses did with them. He knew the instinct of Moses, that he could not take the presence of God into the camp. Idolatry had taken over, the golden calf had taken the whole thing over; he could not take the two tables into the camp at that point. Here he goes up. In principle he makes them as God had made them. And I think, as you say, He has confidence in him. Would I be able to bring anything into the local assembly that is in keeping entirely with what is in the presence of God? That is a test is it not? Is my ministry novel? We have known what novel things are, and it was not from the presence of God.

GBG So Christ is the pattern for local assemblies. Therefore we must have Christ before us if we are taking responsibility locally.

NJH Exactly, and that is why 1 Corinthians starts that way.

Reading at Dundee
16 October 2010

KEY TO INITIALS

T. D. Beveridge	A. P. Grant	D. T. Pye
D. C. Brown	G. B. Grant	J. Strachan
J. A. Brown	J. C. G ray	J. Spinks
J. Drummond	A. G ray	R. Taylor
J. A. Gardiner	N. J. Henry	M. G. Wood