ELDERSHIP
[p. 167] ELDERSHIP
1 Chronicles 11:3; Nehemiah 8:13-18; Acts 15:6-23
I have in mind to speak about eldership among the people of God. It is a thought that began very early, involving the idea of rank as over against the great modern developments. We have the word rank applied to our Lord Jesus as the first from among the dead, “each in his own rank: the first-fruits, Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:23). We have the thought applied to Michael also; he is called an archangel (Jude 9).
What is in mind now is to speak of rank as based on experience with God as essential to government in the assembly; for if this truth is largely lost in the world it is to be maintained in the assembly. Every divine thought is to find expression in the assembly, and no thought is in a way more significant than government. As creating man, God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over the whole earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth. And God created Man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26,27).
It is in mind now to stress experience with God as finding, if it exists, its own proper place among the saints in our times. If it does not exist we can only speak of it in the abstract, but if it does, it should be recognised. The thought begins in Paul’s address to a youthful brother, Timothy, “Let no one despise thy youth, but be a model of the believers, in word, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). The men whom Paul, under God, selected to ordain elders, were young; they were not themselves elders in the sense of age and long experience. What enhanced [p. 168] their quality was that they were children of Paul, each is called a child of Paul, spiritually so. Paul had become an elder, “being such a one”, he says, “as Paul the aged” (Philemon 9); not simply being an old brother. In delegating Titus and Timotheus to appoint elders he certainly would avoid any charge of incongruity in using young men to appoint old ones. The spiritual link and character derived from Paul by these young men, qualified them as his children, and overcame all that. If anyone questioned Timotheus or Titus, Paul would soon call attention to the fact that they had overcome the discrepancy of youth in what they were doing; no one could despise their youth. They were so morally great that their comparative youth was no handicap to them. Hence the idea of eldership, or experience with God, should start with the very youngest here. The beginning is noted in the word, “Let no one despise thy youth”. It means that I am putting on such features of maturity in my manners and ways that no one can rightly despise it; if they do, they discredit themselves.
I have selected these three scriptures, because they bring out this thought of eldership in function, for it is only as a thing, or a person, is in function, that you can determine what he is. If a brother never says anything in the meeting, he is not functioning. When he begins to speak in the assembly, and speak in a priestly way, then we begin to name him, but we cannot do it earlier except in a negative sense which, of course, we are loath to do. Sometimes one wonders whether the devil has not a hand in the silence that some brothers maintain in the assembly. It is said of the Lord that He taught the disciples how to pray. One of them said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). The Lord immediately taught them how to pray, and gave examples of prayer too; and He goes on to the very greatest thing that may be obtained by prayer, saying “How much rather shall [p. 169] the Father who is of heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (verse 13). How can anyone be silent in the assembly in the presence of such a word from the Lord Jesus? The very greatest gift is the Holy Spirit. That is something that we can receive as a gift; it can be obtained by asking. The next thing we get from Luke about the Lord is that “he was casting out a demon, and it was dumb” (verse 14). He was doing it. His service as yet was not completed, He was doing it; He seems to prolong the process so that it might be understood, so that there should not be any silent ones. Any brother who is constantly silent in the assembly is open to a charge of being under adverse influence. I am not saying that is so always, but one is questionable if he does not speak in the assembly. The Holy Spirit coming into a believer cries! “But because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). It is urgent that there should be some response to God from the great gift that He has given us, that is, the Holy Spirit.
I have been saying that young ones should develop in that way, and that no one should despise their youth. “Let no one despise thy youth.” It certainly will be despised if you are frivolous, negligent, or careless in regard to the things of God, and you will become questionable as to any value at all in the assembly. So that eldership begins when we are young, as we avoid giving occasion to any one to despise our youth.
Now in the first scripture read we have, “And all Israel assembled themselves to David to Hebron, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh” (1 Chronicles 11:1). They make a special speech to him, someone would do it, of course; some person, but it is accredited to them all. They say, “Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Even aforetime, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and Jehovah thy God said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over my people Israel”. A pungent and very appropriate speech. That was based on experience and observation as to David’s manner even while Saul was king. I have been speaking of functioning; it is as functioning in it that you can be rightly named in any position. They had observed David serving under difficult circumstances — when Saul was king. Saul eyed him from the very beginning and envied him, and would have slain him, but nevertheless David functioned as a leader in Israel, as they say, “Thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and Jehovah thy God said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be prince over my people Israel”. He was the real king. This passage ought to be encouraging to all who have ability from God, who serve as priests, or with gift in the assembly; however much envy there may be, or opposition, there is no reason why you cannot function according to the ability divinely given; David did, and it had been observed. They had seen it earlier and they are speaking of it now. They kept quiet about it evidently until Saul was dead — many of them at least — but they had observed that David had led out Israel, and brought Israel in. He had qualified as a king; that is to say, a general state of things in view of what is right has come about. We can always count on that in local gatherings. The enemy is ever ready to work and, alas! usually finds means of operation, but we can always reckon, as dependent on God, that He will bring about a general state of things bearing in the right direction; and He brings the elders in; there is room for eldership. A divided state in a gathering tends to preclude eldership coming into evidence. They are not even mentioned in the letters to Corinth; they may have been there, but they are not mentioned. It is, I believe, because of the divided — almost schismatic — conditions that existed. Such a state of things tends to preclude the operation of experience with God.
[p. 171] We are robbing ourselves of a divine provision if we do not make room for those who have experience with God. Room is made for the elders according to verse 3. “And all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah”. The passage does not say he made a covenant with all the people, it is a question of trustworthiness. However few or many there are that can be trusted by God, such will be trusted, and brought into a position where they can function. David made a covenant with them. That is to say, the Lord is operating, He is watching, that we may have conditions suitable to God, and when the time comes for stabilisation the elders will be recognised. The Lord will never be satisfied until the elders are recognised. Assembly government requires them; and so here; “David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Jehovah”. That is, David took the initiative; conditions had come about for stabilisation; Israel had been in the throes of bad government and evil conditions generally, and now the time has come for stabilisation. The general view is that David is the king; for he is qualified. In the midst of disadvantageous conditions he led out Israel and brought in Israel. Some of the leaders in Corinth would have led out the people without bringing them back. They were leading them into partisan positions; into divergence one from the other. If I lead a party of brethren out it is unlikely that I shall lead them back. I may lead them out but not back. Christendom is full of such mischief. Schismatic formations are brought out but the saints are not brought back. Bringing back means recovery to the assembly; there is no other terminus of God on earth. David led Israel out and led them back. True leadership is thus marked, and the elders come in at this point. David has qualified already as king of Israel; not only of Judah, but of Israel, and this gives room to the [p. 172] elders. David recognises the elders of Israel and makes a covenant with them.
Then we read of the elders, “and they anointed David king over Israel according to the word of Jehovah, through Samuel”. That is, they go back to the selection of David by Samuel, they go further back than the people. The people revert back to Saul’s reign, and what David did in spite of adverse conditions, but the elders go back to Samuel. We are taught by that, and as advancing in the things of God we shall go back to the beginning always, as John does, “That which was from the beginning” (1 John 1:1). He writes to the fathers as those that know Him that was from the beginning, “I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning” (1 John 2:13). Old brothers are apt to talk about ancient things, but that is not enough. They sometimes like to talk of things which they remember and others do not. Here it is a question of Samuel. It was he that God used to select David, and the stabilisation of the position must include the beginning of the matter involving the word of God. It is not now by their choice or the result of the observation of the people that David was anointed king; the point now is the word of the Lord; everything must rest on that; it is a sure foundation.
In Nehemiah 8, we have a similar position. They had a fine time on the first day at the water gate with Ezra reading the Scriptures to them, and the Levites giving the sense; happy conclusion to the first day of the conference, but when we come to the part of the chapter I read, verse 13, it is said, “And on the second day were gathered together the chief fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to gain wisdom as to the words of the law. And they found written in the law which Jehovah had commanded through Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month, and that they should publish and proclaim [p. 173] through all their cities, and at Jerusalem, saying, Go forth to the mount, and fetch olive-branches, and wild olive-branches, and myrtle-branches, and palm-branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written”. The first scripture we have been considering involves stabilisation. David is king over all Israel. He makes a covenant with the elders, then they anoint him according to the word of the Lord; that is stabilisation, what you may call the sure foundation of God. It is an immense thing to understand in these days of shiftiness, and wreckage, “Yet the firm foundation of God stands” (2 Timothy 2:19). The elders understand, and David understands.
The feast of tabernacles involves love, and this comes out the first day of the meetings. It was a very full day and a very fruitful one. The Levites, with Nehemiah, gave the sense of the Scriptures to the people, and the people were to be happy. They were to eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send to those that had nothing; “And Nehemiah, that is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that explained to the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to Jehovah your God: mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. And he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared; for the day is holy to our Lord; and be not grieved, for the joy of Jehovah is your strength” (chapter 8:9,10). That is what you might call the urgency of persons in responsibility, that at a particular time you should be governed by a particular thing, that we should know how to control our minds and our feelings. When it is a time of joy we should be joyous. There is a time to rejoice, particularly in assembly service, it is no time for weeping, it is a time for gladness, spiritual gladness. But you can understand that the urgency of Nehemiah’s word could hardly sustain the joy, though it brought it about for [p. 174] the moment. Exhortation in a gathering often brings about a condition which may fade away later, but still you remember that you had such an experience even if for only a matter of a few minutes, and it was worth while. You like to revert to that again and prolong it. Normally the service of God precludes sorrow or depression. Having control of our minds by the Holy Spirit we can prevent what is unsuitable. We thus have ability to dismiss from our minds what causes sorrow at a particular time and allow in our minds what causes joy. That balanced condition should never be lost. The idea of joy in the Holy Spirit is always to be present in the assembly. A suitable word often makes room for it among the brethren.
Then the fathers come together. They are not called elders here, they are called fathers — a word that runs along with elders only that it brings in the family thought. “And on the second day were gathered together the chief fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to Ezra the scribe, even to gain wisdom as to the words of the law”. That is, these older brethren had deeper thoughts. No doubt they gained from Nehemiah’s and Ezra’s exhortation to be joyous, and perhaps led in the joy, but they want to go deeper than the thought of an exhortation. The effect of an exhortation may pass away quickly; these older brethren mean to go further than that. Let us value the chief fathers, the priests and the Levites, let them function! Do not get in their way! They speak on the second day, they come to Ezra, the priest, with the express desire as the passage says, “to gain wisdom as to the words of the law”. Then we read, “And they found written in the law which Jehovah had commanded through Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month”. They did not find that on the first day, nor is there a word about it in the first day, the great day of the meeting at the water-gate. It is the second day when the chief fathers, and [p. 175] the priests, and the Levites are allowed their own proper place among the saints; they want to go deeper. We all love to say, We had a good time, good meetings. It is very rarely we hear anything else in these special meetings. Thank God we do have good times, but the elder brethren want to go deeper than that. They want to go below the surface of a three days’ meeting, or a day’s meeting, and see if we cannot stabilise joy as well as rule.
In David we have the stabilisation of rule according to the word of the Lord by Samuel, but here we have the stabilisation of joy. It is in the feast of tabernacles, the last of the feasts. It is the result of these old brothers and the priests and the Levites coming to Ezra. It is a question of the Bible, of reading all the books of Scripture. You will notice in the last verse of the chapter, “Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they observed the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance”. Seven days! they covered a good deal of Scripture, no doubt. And we may conclude that they read in an orderly way. There were the law, the prophets, and the Psalms. The Lord Jesus opened them up to the disciples according to Luke 24. The Bible is much larger now than it was in Nehemiah’s time. We have the New Testament added to it, but the same principles apply; we must search its holy pages; look at this scripture and that scripture; search them as for hidden treasure. There is no doubt that the arrangement of the Bible as it is, in chapters and verses, is very wise. This arrangement is not inspired, but it is such as love would do, and God approves, for it proves to be most useful. So here every day, one day after another, all the days of the feast they read the book of the law.
But then I am coming to what they stabilised; they brought in what was typically the feast of love; the feast of tabernacles; the arrangement of the booths as [p. 176] prescribed in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, for both books tell us of this feast. The interest and intelligence of these chief fathers, these priests and these Levites in making inquiry from such a man as Ezra the priest is impressive. He was a ready scribe in the law of God. A scribe is an accurate man. If you were to ask Ezra he would be accurate in his replies, as Aquila and Priscilla were when they were instructing Apollos, they “unfolded to him the way of God more exactly” (Acts 18:26). Hence these old men would probably say to Ezra, What about the book of Leviticus? Think of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Ezra, the great Priest, the great King! think of Him too opening up from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. He did this to persons on the way from Jerusalem to Emmaus! I would like to ask the Lord, What is the difference between the account of the feasts in Leviticus and that in Deuteronomy? He would tell me accurately. The Lord said to one man, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” (Luke 10:26). It is a question not only of reading it, but how you read the Bible — that is the idea. The Lord is concerned about us as to the way we read Scripture.
Well, the fathers here found the passage in Leviticus. “And they found written in the law which Jehovah had commanded through Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month, and that they should publish and proclaim through all their cities, and at Jerusalem, saying, Go forth to the mount, and fetch olive-branches, and wild olive-branches, and myrtle-branches, and palm-branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written”. There is a slight variation in the branches: what are called pine are “wild olive” branches. In the anti-typical sense there are today many wild olive branches. They are real christians, but they are not altogether subject. Some are honest, but not subject. Those who are fathers among the saints now are [p. 177] interested in them. One of them would say of any such, I know he is converted, I have discerned the evidence in him of the work of God, but he is not breaking bread, meaning he is wild to that extent. There is nothing optional at all in regard to being in fellowship! Every christian should be in fellowship, but even if he is in some sense wild, nevertheless he is brought to this feast. Get him among the brethren and love him, love him into fellowship, get him into the booth, as one might say. Booths are small dwelling places, but see where they are located. “And the people went forth and brought them, and made themselves booths, everyone upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the open space of the water-gate, and in the open space of the gate of Ephraim”. We had something about the roof today, but it was broken through, but not this time. I suppose this would be a flat roof, such as are in the east, where a few brethren could sit down and have a love feast. Do not think I am theoretical in what I am saying. We may segregate in twos or threes or more to talk together of the things of God, and even a wild brother may be there. I mean wild in the sense that he is not abiding by the word of God. “If any one thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him recognise the things that I write to you, that it is the Lord’s commandment” (1 Corinthians 14:37). If I am not abiding by that epistle I am wild; but I am invited to this feast. If I go out as I went into the booth I visited then it is evident my will is still working, and I may not be invited any more.
One great feature in this passage is the law; “the law which Jehovah had commanded through Moses”. Moses wrote the law by divine direction. Why should I not abide by it? It is the law of God by the hand of Moses. They made booths “in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the open space of the water-gate, and in the open space of the gate of Ephraim”. Each of these positions has some meaning, which I cannot dwell upon now. Then it is said, “all the congregation of them that had come back from the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths. For since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun until that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness”. That is to say, there was opportunity for the mutuality of love and the continuance of gladness. Although we may not have Nehemiahs and Ezras, we may learn how to provide such occasions, for we are taught of God to love one another. Get close together! Invite the brethren to our houses! That is the idea of it, that is the way of stabilisation of love among the brethren. I believe God is turning to account the pressure of the moment to promote love among the brethren. Here it is not a question of pressure, but of getting together in booths. Primarily it was a wilderness provision, but it was to be continued in the land. Love for one another enables us to enjoy sharing small quarters together. We are glad to meet each other and opportunities to speak in holy communion as regards the things of God, are appreciated as love exists.
Well, the third part of my subject is in the Acts, and refers to the meeting of difficulties that arise amongst us. This chapter brings in the elders, and how the solution of the difficulty mentioned is through them. The apostles and elders came together to consider the matter. Now we have no apostles and no official elders, but their service in this important meeting is recorded by the Spirit, and hence it is to be kept in mind in our care meetings.
We recognise these facts of the Scripture, and although we have not apostles or official elders, we have light in this chapter as to how counsel was taken and difficulties met at the beginning. In Jerusalem in the presence of a great difficulty, schism among the people of God was averted by the wisdom that appeared in [p. 179] the apostles and the elders. So Peter, in standing up to speak, says, “Brethren (lit. Men, brethren) ye know that from the earliest days God amongst you chose that the nations by my mouth should hear the word of the glad tidings and believe”.
From the earliest days, literally “ancient” days, brings in the idea of time and experience with God; Peter’s commission was from the very beginning. So Peter’s word fits exactly; it is light governing what was in question. He reverts back to the beginning of ministry in christianity, and that he was deputed to speak to the gentiles. “Brethren, ye know that from the earliest days God amongst you chose that the nations by my mouth should hear the word of the glad tidings and believe”. His experience qualified him to meet the serious crisis that had arisen. Who could question the moral weight of the apostle as he stood up to speak in that meeting? He did not desire to be personally credited, but to credit the testimony at that time. When Peter stands up and speaks to the apostles and elders, he refers to himself as having something from God from the earliest days, involving not only authority, but experience. He is a man of moral weight. This made way for relating the conversion of those of the nations through Paul and Barnabas, and the whole multitude are glad to hear of it. They were ready to listen to Paul and Barnabas speaking about the work of God among the gentiles. What they related would create a good atmosphere in the meeting.
In the matter of judgment another important point is the word of wisdom. It is a gift, and that is what James has. He says, “Brethren (lit. Men, brethren) listen to me:” he is a man that should be listened to. He reverts immediately to old things, “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, listen to me: Simon has related how God first visited to take out of the nations a people for his name. And with this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written:
[p. 180] After these things I will return, and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which is fallen, and will rebuild its ruins, and will set it up, so that the residue of men may seek out the Lord, and all the nations on whom my name is invoked, saith the Lord, who does these things known from eternity. Wherefore, I judge, not to trouble those who from the nations turn to God; but to write to them to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. For Moses, from generations of old, has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath”. Then the assembly is brought into the matter and following that the Holy Spirit; thus we have a conclusion according to God. “Then it seemed good to the apostles and to the elders, with the whole assembly, to send chosen men from among them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch”. Finally “it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (verse 28).
I want you, dear brethren, to follow the reference to age and experience with God in all these passages, to see how the cumulative thought of the testimony is brought down to bear on any given matter, and if there is a difficulty let us have all that is available to lead to, and to lend weight to a right judgment. Thus unity is maintained.