PROSPERITY
It is the thought of prosperity and what makes for it that is in mind. It is significant that at the beginning of the Psalms we should have portrayed to us the account of the man as to whom it can be said that “whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”. The books of Psalms are of particular interest and help to us because, among other things, they give us the exercises of the godly in a world of ungodly, the godly having their outlook towards Christ and His coming kingdom, the end of the five books giving the establishment of that kingdom and all the joy and spiritual exhilaration that it occasions. Through the books of the Psalms we get constant references to the experiences and testings and sufferings of the godly, often persecuted by the ungodly, and hence in that setting it is of particular importance that the first psalm should begin by pointing out that there are certain lines on which we may count on prosperity, for verse 3 says: “He”, that is the one depicted, “shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season: his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”, a very wonderful scope of encouraging promise. He brings forth his fruit in his season; involving that there is continual fruitfulness for God in every circumstance, in the winter seasons as well as the summer seasons, in testing and trying conditions as well as in favourable conditions. And then the leaf does not wither, which would refer to the thought of testimony. On the one hand there is fruitfulness for God, and on the other there is testimony which is maintained in freshness. And then, finally, it adds in a most comprehensive way, “whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”. The end of the psalm indicates the end of the wicked, the ungodly, saying, verse 6, “The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish”. So before the exercises and testings that confront the godly in a world of ungodly are entered upon there is this indication of the lines upon which prosperity will be enjoyed, in which there will be fruit for God continually, and also of the two ways in the world, the way of the righteous, which the Lord knows, and the way of the wicked, which shall perish. Whatever may follow in the way of practical exercises and testings, this psalm stands out as a beacon light for us, that whatever may come in, these are the lines upon which prosperity will be enjoyed.
The first thing is negative, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful”. That is, there is to be from the very outset a determination that by the grace of God there will be no walking whatever in the way of the ungodly.
I read the verses in Proverbs because they throw a rather striking light on what is the outstanding feature of this time, and the way of the ungodly. Solomon is addressing his son in all the affections of a son. He knew himself what it was to be a beloved son, indeed he had the distinction of being beloved of Jehovah, and was named by Jehovah as such (Jedidiah), and so his words to his son have particular force for us, because they are not only the affectionate words of a spiritual man, but they contemplate that we are sons and that we will value being sons, and that there is something that befits us as sons. Chapters 1-7 of Proverbs are full of most valuable instruction for sons, especially young believers, but for all of us, and in the course of this instruction Solomon says: “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not”, and he goes on to say that one form that enticement ·will take is that we should all have one purse. What is in mind is in principle murderous—“If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause ... Let us swallow them up alive as the grave”. One of the things that is coming to the fore at the present time is the claim of associations of men who seek not only to entice, but to compel all to join them, to have one purse with them, for that is what is involved in it. It means that there is association with ungodly men taking the form of having one purse with a view to carrying out their designs, which in the principle of them are in some cases murderous. If need be they will not hesitate to deprive of the means of living, so far as they can, those who will not fall in with their desires. And so the Spirit of God, through Solomon, says: “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not”, under no circumstances consent. “My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path”. I only allude to it to draw attention to one feature that is particularly prominent at the present time of the way of the ungodly. Psalm 1 pronounces blessed the man that does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
On the other hand, there is the positive side, “His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night”. That is, I need not say, a most important thing for us, involving that our thoughts become formed, not by the way that men look at things, but how God looks at them, and that we become formed in the light of another world and become increasingly assured as to the faithfulness of God, and the faithfulness of Christ, and the power of Christ and of God to carry us through in the truth whatever may arise, and so it says, “His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night”. This psalm indicates the lines of practical righteousness, and one who pursues these lines will prosper—“Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”.
In Psalm 122 we get another feature of prosperity, which is connected with the assembly, for the psalm has the assembly distinctly in mind. It says, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem ... Whither the tribes go up ... to give thanks unto the name of the Lord”. There is the thought of the house of God where the service of God is maintained, and there is the thought of Jerusalem which really includes the house and suggests the principles of rule and government by which are ensured the conditions under which the service of God in the house can be maintained. Jerusalem, as I understand it, is not so much the assembly from the point of view of divine purpose looked at abstractly, which is Zion, but the answer to that, in so far as there is an answer to it, in reality in the saints. “Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together”, involving that the saints are going on together in unity and in love, and then that judgment is maintained: “For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David”. Matters that arise among the saints are dealt with according to divine principles, divine standards are maintained, divine care is exercised, rule is maintained. There are set thrones for judgment, showing that things are judged in a dignified way according to God. Then it says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee”. This is in view of prosperity. I believe that morally Psalm 1 comes first: if we are not characterised by practical righteousness and piety, we shall not know much about the prosperity of Psalm 122. But experiencing the prosperity of Psalm 1, based on righteousness and piety there is the further thought as to having all our interests in the assembly of God, and watching in relation to everything that tends to disturb the peace of Jerusalem, and praying unceasingly in relation to it. What an encouragement it is to have the assembly at heart, and have it continually in our prayers, praying for the peace of it, watching in relation to everything that would disturb the peace, whether from within or without. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces”. Prosperity is brought in again. How God loves prosperity within the palaces! The walls speak of the principles of fellowship by which all that is of spiritual value is preserved. The palaces speak of the inner thought of privilege and dignity, the royal portion that belongs to the saints of the assembly, as they learn their portion with Christ, and their portion before the Father. There is to be prosperity in the palaces, no lack of substance or freshness among the saints. “Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good”. That is the incentive for seeking the good of the assembly, “the house of the Lord our God”, the privilege of maintaining the service of God in freshness and constancy, and with the highest thoughts of God; it is all in view of the service of God being maintained in freshness and power and substance. Prosperity to the one who prays for the peace of Jerusalem, and then prosperity for the saints is found on these lines.
Finally in Joshua we have prosperity in the case of any who have the responsibility in any degree of a place of leadership among the saints, especially leadership having the land in view. Moses is the great leader for the wilderness, Joshua the great leader having the land in view, one who can help the saints into all that divine love has prepared for them, and to such a one the Lord indicates that there are certain conditions on which he will prosper. He would have good success by strict adherence to the word of God, the law of Moses, meditating therein day and night and observing to do according to all that is written therein. It might be thought that this is similar to the first psalm, but I believe that psalm is more a question of individual piety, understanding God’s thoughts as to all we have to contend with. Joshua 1 is a question of the thoughts of God particularly for His people, and seeing to it that everything is regulated by the truth. Whatever we may have in the way of ministry as to God’s thoughts for us at the present time is to be tested by the Scriptures. Lately we have had brought to our notice the importance of the pattern, and we should examine, thoughtfully and carefully, what is put out in ministry to see that we follow it. By that means we shall become established in the mind of God in an authoritative way. How important it is that any who seek to serve the saints should not only have the right objective, but understand the authoritative basis of these thoughts in the Scriptures, and as meditating on them be formed by them. So the Lord says, “That thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success”.
These are just the thoughts that were in mind, the great importance of spiritual prosperity for us all in these different settings in which these scriptures present them.
LONDON
13th November 1946
From Words of Grace and Comfort
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