ADDING

C. Brown

1 Chronicles 22: 14; Judges 14: 8, 9; Acts 27: 42–44; 28: 1–3

Our brother has been speaking of the activities of assembly persons, of the characteristics of assembly persons, and what some of the activities of such persons might be. It appeals to me that one activity of assembly persons would be to seek to add something, characteristically to be adding something, which is for the glory of the Lord Jesus and for the upbuilding of the local company, the local assembly. That would be the outlook of assembly persons.

There is this word in Chronicles, “and thou shalt add to it”. We might say that characteristically David added; constantly in his life, from his earliest time, he added that which was for the glory of God. He says here “in my affliction I have prepared …” and he says elsewhere, “in my affection … I have prepared”, 1 Chronicles 29: 3. Characteristically, in all his experiences, in all his movements and the thoughts of his heart, he was always gathering something and adding something. What tremendous wealth he acquired! What wealth—we might say stupendous wealth—was acquired in David’s time. It says, “a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight, for it is in abundance”. In each experience, whether happy or sad—and he speaks of his affliction—he would say, ‘What is

there in this that will add to the glory of the blessed God?’. From his earliest time he had the concept that there was to be a resting place for the ark.

He brought humbling experiences upon himself, but I am sure that each time he did so he knew what it was to repent, to get into the presence of God as to what he had done. He would have said (putting it in christian language) ‘The ark is Christ in manhood, fulfilling all for the divine pleasure. I have turned aside—the ark is unique and glorious and would never turn aside’. He would thus be acquiring something—he was acquiring gold and silver literally, but for ourselves, beloved brethren, I have a deep sense that it is something formed in the soul, for the glory of God, of the perfection of Jesus, really known and enjoyed. We get the contrast between all that there is in that blessed Man and all that we have to judge in ourselves. We have had to say individually and as companies that we have gone astray. As our beloved brother said, we are in the house of Simon the leper characteristically, but is that to deflect us in any way? It is only to enhance the glory of the blessed One who never went astray, who was here in perfection for the pleasure of the blessed God in singleness of heart and devotion, and the love of the Lord Jesus for the Father, His devotion to His will, His committal to His purposes.

David would be acquiring something, this hundred thousand talents of gold, and then there is the suggestion of all it cost for our individual redemption, for the redemption of a people pleasurable to the blessed God, in this great abundance of silver, all these features shining in the manhood and death of Jesus. Having acquired all this substance through experience with God, through the great

sorrows through which he passed, and through the great victories which he won. David was constantly acquiring something, but always having in mind the great issue of his life. Our brother was asking whether the great issue of our lives is to be that we are assembly persons.

The great issue of David’s life was that there might be palatial conditions for the blessed God. “This palace is not to be for man, but for Jehovah Elohim”, he tells the people (1

Chronicles 29: 1), involving conditions suitable for the blessed God. This is for Jehovah Elohim, not for man, and so he looked for Solomon to add to what he had acquired.

It is open to each one of us, beloved brethren, to be adding something as we all receive. If we add anything, it is of what we have received. We often hear of the names that Pharaoh gave to Joseph, but his mother gave him his personal name, meaning, “Jehovah will add”, Genesis 30: 24. The Lord Jesus would add something in substance to all our souls which is to be contributive for His pleasure here, for the pleasure of God, and for the upbuilding of the saints. How glorious the things David acquired! The whole thing became illumined; the glory of God descended upon all that David acquired. We read in the last chapter of this book of the willing-heartedness of the giving, the fulness of all that was secured. Solomon was to add to it, and I believe the Lord would say to each one of us, as assembly persons, that we should be adding something, concerned to add constantly on assembly occasions, on every occasion, not only orally but in our spirits. The brothers speak, the sisters do not speak, but surely they are adding something in the state of their own souls to what is pleasurable and suitable to the Lord Jesus. Suitable conditions for Christ would involve every person being pure in their hearts, judging themselves, and enhancing all that is of

Christ.

The other reference was not particularly to Samson but to the swarm of bees. Perhaps that would be characteristically an assembly thought. There had been a great victory—a young lion roared against him, and Samson rent it as a kid. What a victory! It speaks to our hearts of the victory of the Lord Jesus, the glorious Victor. But here are some, we might say, who are exploiting the victory. The swarm of bees takes up residence in the carcase. If there is a great need to add, it relates to the food supply, the sweetness of all that is for Christ, and what is for the saints too. Our brother quoted—

‘All that delights Thy taste

Doth here abound’.

It is what is suitable to the taste of Christ. This swarm of bees was active. The Lord Jesus says, “Observe with attention the lilies of the field”, Matthew 6: 28. I observed with attention, at the end of the summer, just one bee. It was very active, and full of concentration, going from flower to flower, drawing a little sustenance from each. One thing I observed was that it had been on this service for quite a long time. I would say his life had not much longer to go.

When bees are young there is something fresh—a yellow band around the bee—but this one had become shiny and black. Nature itself would teach us.

I just want to draw this allusion—this bee was single-mindedly drawing substance for the hive. Probably he would not partake much of it. He would get a little for himself at the time, but what he was concerned about was that the life of the hive should go on, even when he was no longer there; that honey was to be stored up. It just seemed an illustration of how each one of us would be devotedly thinking of

what was for the good of the assembly, for the glory of Christ. Even nature would teach us as to the activities which should mark us, just one bee adding a little to the stock which was to provide food and sweetness. O, beloved brethren, could we each be doing that from our hearts, adding something of sweetness and food?

The last suggestion is Paul. Paul liked to be doing something. I just got that impression today.

When he was struck down on the Damascus road, when the Lord Jesus appeared to him, he said, “Who art thou, Lord?”. That was his first question. He got an impression of the greatness of the Man in the glory which altered his life completely, and filled his soul; but the second thing he asked was, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22: 10); Paul characteristically was always doing something.

Here, you might say, is the aftermath of the shipwreck. Paul had been doing many things; he had embraced the young man who fell, bringing in warmth there; he had been helping the saints in every possible way, but here is the shipwreck. We have known something of public shipwrecks too. I read the end of Acts 27 to suggest the kind of persons who were there—

“The counsel of the soldiers was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any one should swim off and escape”. The men who would have killed Paul, and the centurion who was desirous of saving him, all were brought safe to land, every one. Is there resentment in Paul’s heart against these men? They all got safe to land, some swimming some on boards. Some think that Paul was a swimmer. Sometimes I like to think of Paul as on a board. Of certain persons it is said that they are gallant independents; I always think Paul was a gallant dependent. I think as he was coming ashore he would be saying, ‘“The Son of God, who has loved me

and given himself for me”. We are all going to get safe to land. The blessed One who loved me and gave Himself for me went under the waves. He was in the heart of the seas, at the bottoms of the mountains’. Oh the things the Lord Jesus has done!—I think they would be filling the soul of Paul; not a gallant independent, but a gallant dependent, depending on the Lord Jesus.

And when he gets to land, is he vindictive at all in his spirit? They would have killed Paul, they would have killed all the prisoners, but it says they all got ashore, and Paul’s immediate reaction was to do something to add to the warmth of all. I think in the bundle of sticks he would have some precious thoughts of the manhood of the Lord Jesus to keep this warmth alive among the saints. I will not say more, beloved brethren; may we each One be adding something, characteristically assembly persons, adding something for the pleasure of the Lord Jesus, for the blessing and benefit of the local saints, and for the assembly generally.

May we all be committed to it, for His name’s sake.

Word in meeting for ministry, Edinburgh
26 October 1976