ACCORDING TO THE DUE ORDER
H. C. Midgley
I was impressed by the expression of our brother in his prayer, that God can be hindered in no thought of His. We can see, in the first portion of the verses read how David failed; he resorted to a Philistine means of bringing up the ark. It was a new cart; it was not a suitable substitute for the shoulders of the Levites. It was contrary to the divine command and Jehovah could not prosper it. Indeed, it led to disaster. David was not shining at his best in this issue. It says, “David was indignant, because Jehovah had made a breach upon Uzzah … And David was afraid of Jehovah that day”. We think of David, a man of God, having history with God behind him—and what a history! He had proved God. But the incident brings out the importance of having constant links with divine Persons. We cannot be careless or indifferent, even for a moment, for the enemy is always ready to take advantage. David unwittingly slipped into the use of this Philistine device and he lost the sense of Jehovah’s favour; he was “afraid of Jehovah that day”. One would desire that we take home to ourselves the need for constant, uninterrupted communion. Precious ministry has been before us of late, calling attention to the necessity for the use of the water of purification for cleansing in order to have constant communion. We need to avail ourselves of it lest we be defiled and hindered in communion and in our intimate links with divine Persons.
We see in David how a man recovers himself quickly, and we all can take courage as we see it. God is not hindered in any thought of His; He is going through with what He has in mind.
If you or I fail God, He has others. He has His reserves. The house of Obed-Edom was available to care for the ark. When David heard that Jehovah had blessed the house of Obed-Edom, he recovered himself quickly. I think that is delightful, “It was told king David, saying, Jehovah has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that is his, because of the ark of God”. So David’s exercises are set in motion. Who can tell the extent of what he went through in those days? But he recovered himself quickly. I commend this to us. We need to walk soberly in these days, for the enemy is seeking to get in at some point to divert us from the “due order” (1 Chronicles 15: 13) of the will of God. We need to be sensitively alert to the influence of the blessed Spirit, maintaining communion, so as not to be afraid of God, and not miss the blessing of His presence.
Dear brethren, we need to be on our guard. We have been blessed of God in this city. We can speak experimentally, that we have had the sense that God is with us—we say it humbly, thankfully, worshipfully, that God is with us, and surely we want to be on our guard lest anything be allowed to cause God to have an issue with us. He had an issue with David, because he did not seek a current word from God for guidance in bringing up the ark. May we be refreshed by a conscious sense that God has spoken to us to the end that we may be wholly in accord with what is pleasurable to Him.
David, as recovered, saw to it that on the second occasion everything was done according to the “due order”. On the first occasion “David and all the house of Israel played before Jehovah on all manner of instruments”. That stresses variety. You might have thought that was a wonderful occasion, but the “due order” was lacking. There had been disregard of the divine command; there had been a turning aside from the truth. How could God prosper it? How could He bless it? There was much activity, but God was not in it and His hand was heavy upon David.
But now, this second time, David brought the ark “into the city of David with joy”. The ark was on priestly shoulders; sacrifice had entered into the occasion—“When they that bore the ark of Jehovah had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatted beast. And David danced before Jehovah with all his might ... girded with a linen ephod”. David was in priestly attire; there was nothing—to displease the divine presence. Jehovah would consider this scene with great delight, free to pour out His blessing, and there was great joy—“David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Jehovah with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet”.
I just had this simple impression, that we might walk in the conscious enjoyment of divine approval, in exercise, lest anything should be allowed by us that is not consistent with the divine presence and commandment, and thus give the enemy opportunity to get in to rob us of the blessedness of our liberty in the presence of God. What we allow in ourselves will have its reflection in the assembly. We want to keep a clean place, a holy place, maintaining all that is due to God according to the “due order”. May our hearts be fully in it, for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Brooklyn, N.Y.
11 June 1974