FEEDING ON THE OBLATION
W. Dickson
As our brother was speaking, one thought of that hymn—
‘Jesus, of Thee we ne’er would tire;
The new and living food
Can satisfy the heart’s desire
Of those redeemed by blood’. (Hymn 447)
What our brother has said is most attractive because it puts divine things within the compass and range of everyone who has a measure of spiritual desire. None need be without something for God, and the verse I have read brings out that none need be without something for his own strengthening by that same food. There is a verse in Genesis in reference to Joseph’s time. It says “the land brought forth by handfuls” (Genesis 41: 47), calling attention to the abundance. The stock of corn grew until they left off numbering. It is quite suggestive and shows in a certain sense what has marked the recovery of the truth, the store has been added to as the years pass by handfuls as spiritual men brought in fresh thoughts and fresh impressions, thus filling the storehouses. Beloved brethren, today we can draw upon these storehouses. When famine conditions come, we can draw from these storehouses.
What I connect with this scripture is that the corn they gathered in the time of Joseph was really the basic ingredient in the meal offering, in the oblation. So it is good to enquire if a handful is taken out, as our brother has suggested, what happens to the rest? Is it wasted? Is it discarded? Oh, beloved, when we think of the great Antitype, that never could be. John says that the world would not be able to contain the books written of the things that Jesus did (John 21: 25). As to that holy life of Jesus, the fulness of it, there will not be a word, there will not be an act or grace that He expressed, that will be lost. All will be treasured up as food for His own eternally. So if the handful is taken out, there is something left, and that is for Aaron and his sons—“It is most holy of Jehovah’s offerings by fire”. Beloved brethren, if we want to grow in a priestly constitution and to take part in God’s service, not just from the standpoint of intelligence, we want to feed, as did Aaron’s sons, upon the oblation. Let us give ourselves over continually to the contemplation of Christ and in that way we shall have substance for the service of God. You acquire more substance for the service of God in the contemplation of Jesus than you do in study. I put it simply that way. Eating is suggestive of something you get by your own contemplation of the Lord, of His Person, His beauty and His grace. The remainder of the oblation is to strengthen us in the service of the priesthood.
In Leviticus 10 a dreadful breakdown comes in, something perhaps we may have seen in the history of things in our own lifetime, the offering up of the strange fire and the judgment that came upon Aaron’s sons. There is a note of warning in it, beloved brethren; to think that the two sons, so highly privileged, acted thus. It should make us very careful and value our privileges and not take on things casually. Nadab and Abihu, despite their privileged place, acted in an unholy manner. What a warning that is! We could have the finest ministry and meetings, but unless we are near the Lord we could fail in holiness.
But what I wanted to dwell upon was that Moses spoke to Aaron and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, “his sons that were left”. Are we not thankful that we are amongst those that are left? The expression itself conveys a remnant idea. Well, it may be, but thank God if we are amongst those that are left. So Moses says, “Take the oblation that is left of Jehovah’s offerings by fire, and eat it with unleavened bread beside the altar”. Note the stress on eating it with unleavened bread, as if Moses says now, ‘Learn this lesson—the oblation must be eaten with unleavened bread’. We have to be maintained continually in a spirit of self-judgment “for it is most holy”. If we eat the oblation thus, beloved brethren, there will be a demonstration of the features of Christ that will yield pleasure to God despite the failure and breakdown. When Moses told those that were left to eat the oblation with unleavened bread in a holy place, despite the breakdown, it is like Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, “Be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus”, 2 Timothy 2: l. May we be so! Amen.