GOPHER, SHITTIM AND OTHER WOODS
GOPHER, SHITTIM AND OTHER WOODS
JT The need for unity seems to exist in the most spiritual of the assemblies. They needed it at Corinth, but it was also needed at Philippi, and at Ephesus. Taking up Philippians we see how it is needed in an assembly that is in the main acceptable; it was wanting in unity. At Corinth the dislocation was serious, so that the apostle addresses the saints immediately on the point, using the word ‘exhort’. There was not simply a want of unity, but actual division, actual cleavage among the brethren there. They had not mentioned the matter in their letter of enquiry to him, but he takes it up at once. There were actual party leaders at Corinth. It was not so at Philippi; still, the need for unity was there, so the apostle approaches the matter on the assumption of certain things already existing — “comfort in Christ” “consolation of love” “fellowship of the Spirit” “bowels and compassions” — a good and excellent platform on which to take up the matter of unity. I thought we might see, as the Lord may help us, that the mind of Christ implied the kind of humanity that came into evidence in Him, and which is to be reflected in our relations with one another.
AN To meet the condition with the Corinthians he brings in the cross; but here in Philippians it is more the features of the new man.
JT That is very good — the mind of Christ. I had thought of it in connection with the different woods that are mentioned in Scripture, as typical of the kind of humanity or manhood that was seen in Christ; we may thus see how unity is only possible according to God, as that order of man is amongst us.
[p. 376] You have the idea of unity peculiarly presented here in Philippians, based on these things assumed to be there, “that ye may think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking one thing” It is not so much for the moment what we say to one another, but it is going deeper than that, it is what we think. The emphasis is on the word ‘same’. “Joined in soul” culminates in unity, so he says, “Thinking one thing”; first the same thing, then one thing.
AN It would not be merely external, but internal.
JT Having brought in these things, which culminate in unity, he proceeds to say, “[Let] nothing [be] in the spirit of strife or vain glory, but, in lowliness of mind, each esteeming the other as more excellent than themselves; regarding not each his own [qualities], but each those of others also” All these things would imply the most practical unity, because it is internal unity, it is what is inside, so to speak. Saying all these things, he then brings in the mind of Christ (verse 5).
I thought that gopher wood, of which Noah’s ark was made, being the first wood that is mentioned as used for building, suggests the greatness of the believer in his mind and affections; he is concerned as to the saints, that all should be preserved. The feature with Noah’s ark is that it is inclusive of all that is of God, embracing every living thing.
AN That is the thought of preservation, is it not?
JT Yes; you want to carry all the brethren along, you do not want one to be lost. The ark of Noah, as constructed of that wood, is suggestive of the inclusiveness of the mind and heart of the saint, who is of the order of Christ. He does not want to turn anyone aside, he wants to carry everyone through.
[p. 377] Ques Is your thought that it is only in the Spirit of Christ that we can do so?
JT Yes, I think that is how this epistle works out. It is the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The gopher wood is just mentioned once, but it is enough. “Make thyself an ark of gopher wood” Genesis 6:14 that is to say, it is for yourself. You are thinking of the saints, you love them and value them, and you want them all, you do not want one to be lost. Hence the size of the ark, with its varied compartments and storeys, was large enough for all. It is largeness of heart and mind in the believer personally. If I am in accord with the ark of Noah as a type of Christ, I shall be concerned that all the saints are carried along in the things of God, that none may be lost for the testimony. My mind will be wide enough, my heart large enough, to include all the people of God, and as much as in me lies, to hold to them and keep them, that no one may be turned aside.
Ques Do you associate the assembly with the ark?
JT The Lord carries things through in it, but I am thinking of the reflection in me, in relation to the brethren, of the idea seen in Noah’s ark of gopher wood — the concern that none of the people of God be turned out of the way. I shall make straight paths for my feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way. They are precious to Christ, even the weak brother is precious; Christ died for him; everything that is living has to be carried through.
Ques So your heart would be great enough to embrace all the saints?
JT Yes; and not only in a general way, but in detail. Because as a matter of fact very few of us have to do with them in a general way; the greater number of us have only to do with a few locally where we live. Nevertheless the idea of the ark of Noah should be ever present — that not one be lost.
Ques “Using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit” Ephesians 4:3 — is that the thought?
JT Yes; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit is a universal thought in Ephesians.
Rem You have the same thought stated in Corinthians.
JT Ephesians generally deals with things in their universal bearing, whereas Corinthians is local.
Rem “Give heed to thyself and to the teaching; continue in them; for, doing this, thou shalt save both thyself and those that hear thee” 1 Timothy 4:16 That is right; that is a word particularly to anyone who is ministering; you want not only to enlighten people, but to save them, and so the apostle laboured that the elect might obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. He did not want one missing. That is a serious thing, because there are those within your range that you may help; certainly you ought not to hinder, mislead, or stumble them in any way.
AA It is significant that the one who was exercised about preservation made straight paths for his feet, and became a preacher of righteousness. Would that indicate the way you would preserve the saints today?
JT Yes. The idea of ‘walking’ began with God. He walked in the garden in the cool of the day. Then it is said of Enoch that he walked with God. In walking with God, you learn how to keep your steps. Then it goes on to say that Noah walked with God.
Rem In one way the gopher wood would speak of that which is built into the assembly of Christ.
JT Yes; it is that side of things which would embrace all the saints, and as far as in you lies, would carry all through. Judgment may come, discipline may come, the government of God may come, but you hold to things; you are not shaken by what happens, you want to carry everything [p. 379] through, that nothing may be lost. You see it with Paul on the ship, how concerned he was that all should be saved; Acts 27:31. It was a very exercising time, but they all went through — in a very humiliating way, but nevertheless “it came to pass that all got safe to land” Acts 27:44 Do I understand you to mean that the first part of this chapter is really what devolves upon us all on the line of seeking to preserve; that what Noah did, we individually should do?
JT That is what I was thinking. The value of the saints is apprehended. We shall see in Timothy and Epaphroditus how they regarded the saints; they cared with genuine feeling about them. It is quite right to say that God values them, He alone values them aright; but we ourselves have to value them. They are worth saving, and we embrace them in our minds and hearts.
Then I think the next wood confirms that, namely the wood that Abraham obtained in order to offer up Isaac. It is the kind of thing in me to which judgment can be applied effectively. There is a difference in Scripture between wood used for construction, and wood for fire. The construction side is perhaps more attractive than the kindling side. How much can I accept in the way of discipline for the sake of the saints? The fire has to be applied.
Ques You are connecting the second wood with the stoop here?
JT Well, the Lord had that in mind, to become obedient to death, even the death of the cross. The kindling wood alludes to the humanity of Christ as capable of going into judgment — immune from it personally, but capable of going through it.
Rem In Ezekiel the vine is kindling wood; Ezekiel 15:4.
JT Well, that raises another point. The importance of reading Scripture in the context. There are [p. 380] things that are no good for anything but to be burnt, but wood that is used for sacrifice is a very different thing. It is intrinsically valuable; it is a question of the humanity of Christ. He would take the condition to which judgment could apply. It could not apply to Him in the form of God, but it could apply to Him as become man, and that is the force of the kindling wood in Genesis 22. The wild vine is not that at all, it is a worthless thing to be burned, not for sacrifice, but to be got rid of.
AN While we have the line of preservation answering to the gopher wood, what comes out in Christ is that He became “obedient even unto death, and [that the] death of [the] cross” On the line of preservation you have to be prepared to sacrifice.
JT You have to do that. To help the saints and to keep them you have to be prepared to die. That is what comes out in Isaac.
AN Did that come out in the prophecy of the high priest, “It is profitable for you that one man die for the people, and not that the whole nation perish” John 11:50?
JT Yes. Then the Holy Spirit adds, “And not for the nation only, but that he should also gather together into one the children of God who were scattered abroad” John 11:52 If He had them all in His mind for preservation He had to die for them. To gather into one — unity was in His mind, the unity of the children of God. The going down is in the ark of shittim wood. The shittim wood is not said to have been used for kindling, so far as I know, nor was the gopher; each has its own meaning. We are not told what the wood was that Abraham obtained, simply that it was wood; but we can understand that if Christ is to be offered up in sacrifice to God, He must become a man, and that I think is the meaning of it. Isaac bore the wood, and he calls attention to it; here was the wood, but where was the lamb? In John’s gospel you have the wood — “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” John 1:14 and when John the baptist saw Him coming to him, meaning that He was coming to die, he says, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” John 1:29 The wood and the lamb were both there. Become man, He was the wood and the sacrifice in one Person. He could not be a sacrifice save as being a divine Person; but actually to become the sacrifice He had to become man, so that judgment could apply. The bearing of that in the believer is that he accepts the judgment. Whatever the governmental dealings of God may be, he goes through them with the people of God; not only to suffer for them, but to suffer from God in relation to them, because the government of God may imply discipline. It may not apply to me directly, but I am in relation to the brethren, and I have to go through it with them, and be the first to go through it, because that is the idea in Christ.
AA The apostle says, “Beside those things that are without ... the burden of all the assemblies” 2 Corinthians 11:28 Is that the acceptance of discipline?
JT Yes. He accepted all that was coming on the assemblies; he was the first to feel it.
AN That is a very remarkable principle. It comes out in Ezekiel, who went through experimentally all that the people were passing through, in view of their preservation.
JT You see it also in Isaiah; he walked naked and barefoot. That was a sign, but it indicated the dealings of God.
Rem John 13 would give the principle, “Having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end” John 13:1 Would not Epaphroditus set forth some of it, he had a longing desire for the saints? Does not the latter part of the chapter show two men in whom the beautiful features of the first part are carried out?
JT [p. 382] Yes, what is presented in the early part of the chapter is seen in these two brethren, Timotheus and Epaphroditus.
The different woods greatly aid us, I think, in seeing the phases of the humanity of Christ as they work out in believers. The next wood that is employed is the shittim wood, which is seen more especially in the ark of the testimony. In Noah’s case it was, “Make thyself an ark of gopher wood” Genesis 6:14 whereas the word to Moses was, “They shall make me a sanctuary ... and they shall make an ark of acacia-wood” Exodus 25:8, 10 Then we have the dimensions of it, showing that that feature of the humanity of our Lord is seen in the smallness of the circumstances into which He entered in love, as indeed we see here — He took a servant’s form. It is a question of love showing itself (the ark of the covenant is from God’s side), how God can come into small circumstances, in order that love should reach us and be active toward us where we are.
WA Would that answer to the Babe in Bethlehem’s manger?
JT The ark is not exactly a type of Christ as a babe, it is a question of love active. The ark is called the “glory of God” and the “power of God” It presents Christ as seen in John’s gospel. It is there as the Holy Spirit descends and abides upon Him that you have Him here active. You do not find there the Lord as come into Old Testament circumstances, nor is He governed by the levitical rules as in the synoptic gospels. He does not wait for John to be cast into prison; it is a question of the exigencies of love, which required that need should be met at once. You meet the need at once; love will never fail. Hence the Lord does not wait for John to be cast into prison, He starts at once, as it were, and the first thing is, He “takes away the sin of the world” John 1:29 The second thing is that walking, He becomes [p. 383] the centre of gathering. So, while I think the Word become flesh implies the infancy of Christ, what is in view is not that, but the humanity of Christ here available to love.
AA What is suggested by the shittim wood being overlaid with gold?
JT The idea was to set forth God.
Ques Would these different woods come to light in local gatherings, through the various exercises that are brought to fruition there in the people of God?
JT Yes. When you come to the ark of shittim wood, it is a question of how small you can become, in order that love may show itself. In the ark of Noah it is how large you are in your mind and heart, how many you can embrace of the people of God. In the ark of the covenant it is how small you are, in order that love may reach every one of the people of God; because you have to become small to reach the saints in love. “Less than the least of all saints” Ephesians 3:8 “Ourselves your bondmen for Jesus’ sake” 2 Corinthians 4:5 Do you have the shittim wood in this chapter?
JT I think it is becoming apparent, “Subsisting in the form of God ... emptied himself, taking a bondman’s form” It is as being found in the likeness of men that He becomes kindling wood to go through the judgment; but the ‘bondman’ is less than that.
AN It is remarkable how all these thoughts are set forth in Christ personally, and if there is to be anything on that line in us, on the line of preservation, prepared to sacrifice, everything must flow from Him, we derive from Him.
JT So that the kind of humanity that shone in Christ works out in each of us; in a minute way, of course, as compared with Him, but nevertheless it is there. I think of all the saints and, as far as in me lies, embrace them in a practical way. For that I [p. 384] have to go through the judgment; for that I have to be small.
AN The ark itself, in order to serve in love, went three days’ journey into the wilderness to search out a resting-place for the people.
JT That is how it works out in Numbers. It may help to point out that the word to Moses in Numbers is in the wilderness. The Lord speaks to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai (Numbers 1:1), meaning that God takes account of us as there. Whatever the circumstances may be, and they are trying — God knows they are trying, but He says, I am taking account of you just where you are, and what I am going to say has reference to you where you are. It is love taking account of us in adverse circumstances. In Leviticus He speaks out of the tabernacle. While taking account of us in our wilderness circumstances He says to us virtually, ‘I have my own principles, and I can never move away from them. I have my own thoughts in Christ, and these thoughts must stand. I am speaking to you in relation to those thoughts, nevertheless I am thinking of you where you are’.
HH It is in the wilderness where the saints have to be preserved, where we get the opportunity of sacrificing ourselves in relation to them, and our affections flowing out to them.
JT That is how it stands in Scripture. Love is put to the test in wilderness circumstances — it is tested to the utmost. So you find the people murmuring; the circumstances were too much for them but they are not too much for God. They were too much even for Moses; he gives way under the pressure of the circumstances in the wilderness, but love in God never gives way. So in chapter 10, when they make their first great move, the question was, who is going to lead us? Evidently Moses had not a right idea of God’s love and care, because he solicited the [p. 385] aid of his father-in-law, a child of the wilderness, to be eyes to them in the desert; he did not know what the ark could do. He had understood the instruction in regard to the ark, that it was to be enthroned in the centre of the camp, and honoured there; he knew that, but he did not know that love could go beyond that — he did not know the extent of love. The thing is to know love. John says in his epistle, “Hereby we have known love” 1 John 3:16 Had Moses known love, he would have known that God would see to leadership; He would find a way for them. Hobab refuses to go, and then the ark goes out of itself — love never fails. It moved out of itself and went before them, to seek out a resting-place for them.
AN Moses learned it through experience, for when he came to the end he said, “Yea, he loveth the peoples; all his saints are in thy hand” Deuteronomy 33:3.
Rem You have typically Christ personally. John looked at Jesus as He walked.
JT That is the beginning of it; and then in chapter 13, “Having loved his own who were in the world” John 13:1 — it is a question of the wilderness — He lays aside His garments. It is remarkable how John alludes to the wilderness, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness” John 3:14 etc. It is love applying to our circumstances. “Having loved his own who were in the world, loved them to the end” John 13:1 Then He lays aside His garments, as the ark of old went out before the camp, and He stoops and serves.
Ques In mentioning the different kinds of wood, do you bring these in to show the different traits of the holy humanity of the blessed Lord?
JT Yes. The Holy Spirit loves to bring forward “the things concerning himself” Luke 24:27 in the Old Testament. Divine thoughts are presented livingly there.
Ques Does not the apostle, going on with his exhortation, suggest the thought of [p. 386] the gopher wood coming out in the saints working out their own salvation?
JT Well, I suppose the idea would be that they would mutually care for one another. “Your own” is collective; they were to go through as an assembly without the immediate aid of the apostle. God worked in them to this end.
AN Going back to your opening remark, all these three features would be necessary to the maintenance of unity. If there is to be unity amongst us, each one must have the thought of preservation, how the whole is to be preserved. In doing that you have to sacrifice yourself, which is the kindling wood. And then what comes out in the ark is One who came in lowliness to serve the people, even in the tiniest detail. If unity is to be reached practically, it must be by the maintenance of these three principles.
JT I have no doubt the ark is really foreseen in the Hebrew bondman. What you get in him is first ascending love — “I love my master” Exodus 21:5; then horizontal love — I love my wife; and then I love my children, which would be descending love. It is love for God and love for the brethren. That I think is really what the ark means. He would not go out free; it was a question of love. It greatly helps to see that the ark of the covenant was overlaid with gold — it was God coming out in these small circumstances; the love of God was thus seen here.
Ques Does Paul himself lead the way here, when he exhorts Euodias and Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord?
JT Yes. I suppose these were two sisters. Where disunion characterises a company locally, you will find there are probably two who are specially affected. It does not appear that these two persons were party leaders, but I think that even two sisters, if they are in disunion with one another, are sure to [p. 387] find sympathisers, and so cleavage would take place.
Rem Paul was an example in the way he showed his care for the saints at Philippi. He would see to it that the couplings of the tabernacle were there, the loops of blue and the taches of gold.
JT Quite. The idea of the shittim wood becomes a very interesting subject. Whilst the ark was small outwardly, it was infinitely great inwardly. Then there were boards, pointing, I suppose, to responsibility. They were probably fifteen feet long, and about two and a quarter feet wide. Now that calls attention to something very important from the standpoint of responsibility, showing that this kind of wood can be wrought out to the acceptance of very great responsibility. They are ten cubits high, which I think alludes to that — ten by one and a half. While there is much on the line of responsibility, they are greater even than they seem to be. There was even more power than was required for the responsibility resting upon them. Then you have bars made of the same wood running through the entire length of the tabernacle, showing the possibilities of this wood; how it works out in one’s influence extending throughout the entire length of the divine system. There was one bar that went right through from end to end between the boards. That calls attention, I think, to this holy humanity as working out in the saints by the Spirit, how extensive it may become, how influential it may become, yet on the other hand how small it may be; it can accept the smallest circumstances.
AN That is very interesting. We shall have to be prepared to view the boards of the tabernacle in a more practical way than we have been accustomed to do in the past; we have thought of the boards being of the same material as the ark, and quite ready just to accept it as a doctrine, without seeing that the shittim wood is always true to its character on the line of [p. 388] service.
JT And how anyone may become universal and practically unifying in his influence. But all that must flow out of the acceptance of the smallness. What it was I do not know; the acacia wood is well known, but the size of the boards would indicate a remarkable kind of wood. We have to apprehend it, I think, spiritually rather than literally.
AN You said responsibility was more than fulfilled?
JT Ten cubits by one would have meant the fulfilment of responsibility, but inasmuch as it was one and a half wide, the responsibility was more than met. We are really greater than we seem; there is more than is used up, so to speak, in the fulfilment of responsibility. A half obviously means that there is something more.
AN “The righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled” that was the ten cubits long.
JT Yes, but that is not all. The eighth of Romans goes a good deal farther than that.
AN I thought of the prophet’s widow who had a pot of oil; she would be able to fulfil her responsibilities; she was to pay her debts, and to live on the rest.
JT And even living on the rest does not go the full length, because sonship in Romans 8 — the Spirit of adoption — goes farther.
Ques When you speak of the smallness of the circumstances into which the ark entered, do you refer to the limitations that sovereignty makes?
JT The ark refers to Christ only, but it reflects itself in us. The Lord came into manhood, where He was wearied with His journey, where He asked for a drink of water, yet He says, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is ...” John 4:10 God Himself was there, and so He says later, “Before Abraham was, I am” John 8:[p. 389] 58 Would you say a word on the dimensions of the altar?
JT Christ was crucified in weakness — five would denote that, but He lives by the power of God; three is a symbol of the power of resurrection.
Ques Why should it be of shittim wood?
JT It is on the same lines on which we have been speaking; that into which the Lord came, becoming man, and not only so, but “crucified through weakness” — a very remarkable expression “yet he lives by God’s power” 2 Corinthians 13:4 The altar was anointed seven times, because it had to go through the sufferings. It is a type of Christ, not only as capable of accepting judgment, but as the One who went through it, sustaining its whole weight.
As has already been remarked, Timotheus here served to illustrate what the apostle had in his mind, one who was “like-minded” It is very interesting to get a model to which attention can be called as exceptional — no one like him. “For I have no one like-minded, who will care with genuine feeling how ye get on” He is set over against others, within the apostle’s reach, who alas! sought their own things, not the things of Jesus Christ.
Rem Paul and Timothy would be of one mind, joined in soul.
JT Quite. There must have been very precious unity between them. Then Epaphroditus was a link between Paul and the Philippians, “Your messenger, and minister to my need”
AN You have all these kinds of wood exemplified at once in Epaphroditus: “My brother, and fellow-workman, and fellow-soldier”; you get the idea of how he sacrifices himself; “your messenger” is a bit of the shittim wood, ministering to the wants of the apostle.
JT Then he goes on to say, “For the sake of the work he drew near even to death, venturing his [p. 390] life that he might fill up what lacked in your ministration towards me” Epaphroditus was concerned, not about himself in his illness, but because the Philippians heard of it; he did not wish them to suffer grief. Besides, for the sake of the work he drew nigh even to death, venturing his life to fill up what they lacked in their ministration to the apostle. Thus in this devoted, unselfish brother we see the qualities of Christ of which we have been speaking working out in a striking way.