DIVINE RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
[p. 205] DIVINE RIGHTS TO PURCHASE
Matthew 13: 44; 1 Chronicles 21:18,19; 1 Chronicles 21:25; Acts 20: 28; Genesis 23: 17 - 20
What is in mind in these scriptures is divine rights to purchase. There are also creative rights, divine rights, and these rights God covenanted with men, beasts and even the earth, furnishing a universal sign of this covenant — a sign which is still visible. God speaks of His bow — “my bow”, He says. When He sets it in the cloud, as He often does, it is for men to see and to rest in assurance of the covenant. It is wholly from God’s side. No conditions are asked from man at all. God engaged Himself from His own side to these terms, so that every farmer and indeed every man, woman and child from that day has profited and is profiting from this covenant. The farmer ploughs and sows, and raises cattle and even a family. He is entitled to rest in the terms of that covenant. So that, we are told, while the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.
Men come and go; conquerors come and go; wickedness mounts up. Yet that covenant stands. Presently the Lord Jesus, in whom every promise is yea and amen to the glory of God, will come out from heaven. Indeed He has done so already in testimony, and places His right foot on the sea and His left upon the earth, and cries with a loud voice as the lion roars. The angel is said to be clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow upon his head, meaning that that covenant stands, the rainbow being the token of it. It is on His head — as if to be maintained in infinite intelligence.
I am referring now, however, to divine rights to purchase, and so I take up this verse in Matthew as [p. 206] basic of what I have to say. The Lord in this chapter, by parables, alludes to Himself as finding a treasure hidden in a field. He was in the world, we are told in John’s gospel, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. It was about to turn Him out ignominiously, as if He had no rights at all — not that they did not know He had rights, but it was as if He did not have any. They said amongst themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may become ours”, Luke 20: 14. He was in the world and this was the outcome, but He is not alluding to that fact here. The Lord is not here referring to His death directly. It is the feature of selling what He had. No doubt this involved His death, but He is speaking about the commercial transaction, and He sells all that He had in order to obtain the field, so as to have indisputable rights in it that no one could question. His operations have in mind the securing of this treasure, which we, as instructed in the Scriptures, may readily see, has taken long centuries to accomplish. It is still proceeding, and every one of us who is the Lord’s will rejoice that He has waited so long, so as to secure ourselves out of the field. Men are doing much. We read of the works, the earth and the works that are therein. Their works, man’s works, do not include what I am speaking of. Theirs shall all be burned up with the earth, but the divine operations stand by themselves, and they are proceeding even now. The Lord is securing this treasure. He has indisputable rights in the field, whatever men who are on the earth may say. He has right of way in the field. He will make other use of the field presently, but in the meantime He is securing this treasure. We are left to understand what the treasure is from other scriptures. Indeed a very much quoted thought is the very next verse, where we get another parable — i.e., the parable of the pearl, showing what was in the Lord’s mind.
[p. 207] The pearl is one thought — one idea — but the treasure may involve many. He does not have to buy the field to get the pearl in it. He buys the pearl outright. It is not said to be hidden, nor does He hide it. It is a public matter, as it were, but this treasure is a secret matter. It is a hidden thing, and I only touch on it now as basic, as I said before, that we might have it in mind that the Lord has these rights in the whole world — the whole earth, and is operating. It is not left as some might assume. We are enjoined to labour on, for our toil is not in vain in the Lord. There are results. The results are His. It is a question of “in the Lord”. Many may be operating otherwise, professedly in His name, but the labour is to be “in the Lord”, in His name, of course, but “in the Lord”, and their labour is not in vain as “in the Lord”. We may be reduced to small limits and even outwardly small results, but still the labour is not in vain as in the Lord. So we are told and enjoined always to abound in the work of the Lord. The results may be small, as I said, but there are always some; the work is not in vain.
If I have stirred up sentiments in our hearts by these remarks, they are surely of value when we belong to that treasure. Whatever men may think of us — however much in reproach — we belong to that treasure, and we are not understood. It is always a hidden matter, and those who are spiritual walk in the light of what I am speaking of, and are not understood at all. “For this reason the world knows us not”, 1 John 3: 1. It is well to bear that in mind, and not to be surprised if we are not known. We are wonderfully watched over by heaven, although perhaps sometimes quite insensible of it. Scripture is so full of divine interest — God’s interest in His people. The Lord is pressing it upon us. “Ye are of more value than many sparrows”, Matthew 10: 31.
That is one point. The next is that the treasure is [p. 208] to be put together structurally. The first mention of the word ‘build’ is in relation to Eve. I should not call her Eve, because it was before she was called ‘Eve’, but it was ‘Ishshah’. She was out of Man. God builded her, we are told. It was a structural thought. There was no suggestion of a foundation in Genesis 2, as she is a person, but still there is the word ‘build’. It is not even used in regard of the earth and the heavens. It is “framed” — the word ‘framed’ is used as to the universe — not so concrete, not so staunch a thought as the word ‘build’ conveys. Heaven and earth may pass away, but not this building. And so when we come to David, we have the foundation, and it is a shown matter, as we learn in the next book, the second book of Chronicles. Solomon following David, being the counterpart of David in a sense, begins the structure on mount Moriah, which means a shown matter — shown of the Lord, shown of Jehovah. Hence it was God who took the initiative in this chapter as to the threshing-floor of Ornan, the Jebusite. It was a remarkable period in David’s life. It is through a crisis. It is there, dear brethren, that we are all made. If we are anything for God, the chief periods of making us are in the crises of our lives. So let us not falter in the presence of difficulty — the presence of disaster, it may be — it is the making time, and as I have been remarking about what the Lord found hidden in the field, it really alluded to the saints — the disciples. He found them. The suggestion is that He was not just looking for the treasure. He found it. It was there hidden and He found it, and He found it in a man like Peter — a man of whom He said, He would make. “I will make you fishers of men”, Matthew 4: 19. What crises he passed through, but in them all, one after the other, he was made what the Lord intended him to be. And so here with David. It was the making time. He was getting on [p. 209] in years, but it was still the making time. Till the last breath we take, it is the making time. So let us be watchful and not take ourselves out of the hand of the Lord in the crises of our lives. Let us be in the hands of the Potter. We read of a potter making a certain vessel that was broken on the wheel. It was not suitable. He discarded it or rather made of it what pleased him. So the great thing is to hold ourselves in that attitude in the hands of the Potter, for He is making things.
It was so here with David. It was a critical time, but in the midst of the storm — the angel, devastating Israel, having come to destroy Jerusalem — what a moment in the life of David this was, and all brought upon himself. It was a question of the governmental dealings of God with him, but he said, “Let me fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah”. That is the thing. His mercies are great, and in the midst of all the angel of Jehovah withdrew, and Jehovah sends to Gad to tell David to set up an altar in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite; it is a place definitely selected by God. David does so; he is subject — one of the most important things. Without this there is sure disaster. Never lose confidence in God, He never changes. What He was before I was converted, and what He was when He converted me, He is now. So David is amenable to the direction, and this is what he was directed to do, and it involved a threshing-floor — that is to say, in David’s own soul. The word ‘threshing-floor’ is used several times here, not for nothing surely; it is a question of soul history. Foundational history must be soul history. It is a question of what is done in our souls. The foundation is not in the air; it is in our souls. Of course, Christ is the foundation, but it is the question of what is in our souls — the apprehension of Christ in our souls. The idea of the threshing-floor is separative — violent separation, too. The threshing-floor [p. 210] involves a violent process. If the grain is to be separated from the husk and the chaff, there must be this violent action, and God loves us so much that He resorts to this in our histories that there might be a sure foundation. It involves the death of Christ. That is the basis of all this separative work. The process is carried on in our souls — the lesson of separation — separating the chaff, disengaging the wheat. That is what God has wrought in our souls separate from the chaff, from the refuse. In Matthew, of course, John the baptist says that the Lord would come with a fan in His hand, and He would thoroughly purge His threshing-floor. He will gather the wheat into His garner, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. So it is what is thoroughly worthless that is being removed from us.
David is very particular about this matter. He is going the whole way with the divine mind, according to what God enjoined. That is a great point, not to falter, but go the whole way in the mind of God. Nor would he accept anything from the Jebusite; he would not offer to God but what would cost him something. We must pay for things in that sense.
It is necessary. The Lord Jesus entered into death. It cost Him something, infinitely so, and the process goes on, to acquire the place. The word ‘place’ is used. That is the final thought — the place of the divine foundation. It is called Solomon’s foundation, later. That is where the structure begins, but here it is the purchase of the place. Solomon did not purchase it, but David did. David presents the suffering side. There is the suffering side of each of us as well as the restful glorious side. They run together. This is the time, this is the suffering time, the making time, and so David secured a place at the full price. We are told the exact amount he gave for it. It is much more than is mentioned elsewhere, but it is a wider thought here than in Samuel, showing [p. 211] that David is going the whole way, that there will be no narrowness in the result. The whole way is to be trodden that God may have full scope, plenty of room for all He has to effect in us, whether it be in any of us or all of us collectively. There is to be full room given to God who is working in us the building, and the point is to give plenty of room to God in the crises, and we shall see the glorious result.
Thirdly, there is the purchase of the assembly itself — a collective thought — obviously a thought that applies to the assembly as it is down here, for the apostle is speaking to the elders of it. These will not be in it in our glorious condition; as in heaven, we shall not need their care; all is perfect then, all glorious. The assembly comes down, it is in perfect liberty with God, mark that! She comes down from God out of heaven — not only out of heaven, but from God. She belongs to God up there, in perfect liberty — not sent down, but she comes down. In order to come down she needed to be placed there.
This reference to purchase by the blood of His own is very remarkable. There can be no question that the New Translation gives the right rendering. That is, God purchased the assembly by the blood of His own, meaning the blood of Christ — stressing the thought of His own — a very precious thought indeed. Who else could be His in that sense but Jesus? At the banks of the Jordan, it is made clear that it is His own. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight”, the Father says, Matthew 3: 17. He speaks of it on the mount, out of the excellent glory. That voice was heard on the mount, Peter says, even by himself. “This voice ... we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount”, 2 Peter 1: 18. So that there could be no doubt as to whose He is. He is the Father’s very own. Leaving out the word ‘Son’ emphasises the thought of His own. It is said of the Lord, “having loved his own”. It is a [p. 212] very precious thought, and so God purchased the assembly by the blood of His own. Down here we are under leadership, under overseership, and we are regarded in this verse as the flock — God’s flock. How precious that is — under His wing — under His care, and then God’s assembly which He purchased by the blood of His own! How well off we are, dear brethren! The present economy means that we are — in little companies here and there, not accidentally surely, but by divine order, in cities and towns — under divine care. The idea, of course, is that the assemblies are to be sustained, hence eldership is secured. That marked the apostles Paul and Barnabas. They chose, it says, elders in every assembly. There are two thoughts — elders for cities and elders for assemblies. Elders in cities, of course, would have government or control in all parts of the city. Elders in one assembly would, of course, have control in that assembly, if there were only one gathering in the city. In either case, the assembly is to be cared for so that it stands on its own feet — the saints in every locality. In the chapter which tells us of the selection of elders by Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14), we learn that there was a certain man who had been lame from birth; he had never walked — that is the state of the gentiles. We gentiles never walked, but now, as set up in assemblies, they are to walk, to stand on their feet. The apostle says of this man that he had faith; he said, with a loud voice, “Rise up straight upon thy feet”, and he did so. So it is that, as representative of assembly material and having the knowledge of God, we are to stand on our feet. In every locality however few — we are to stand on our feet. God will support us. Eldership will not be wanting, for the idea in eldership is care: “how shall he take care of the assembly of God?” 1 Timothy 3: 5. So that even sisters are brought into this. Why not care for what there is — however small a company or however [p. 213] weak — the weaker, the more the need for care and nursing!
I would urge the importance of the separative thought in the foundation of our souls — the evil separated from the good in our souls and the truth maintained there by the power of the Spirit; and then the structural thought — the foundational and the structural thought in the word ‘assembly’, as belonging to God. “The assembly of God”, it says, “which he has purchased with the blood of his own”. He loves the thought. He regards the town in the light of that thought. It is important to maintain it, for God is robbed if a meeting ceases in the town. That, in general, sets out our position here in this world to the end. The Lord’s supper we celebrate carries with it the thought of the Lord’s coming; “as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye announce the death of the Lord, until he come”, 1 Corinthians 11: 26. That is the position. So the Lord’s supper must not be given up, either. God is robbed of something if the assembly ceases to function in a town. Christ is robbed, too. Hence the great urgency of maintaining these divine rights under these heads. Let us go on. “Occupy”, says the Lord, “till I come”, Luke 19: 13. “Behold, I come quickly”, Revelation 22: 7. He would urge us to hold out, to get stronger and stronger in holding and occupying till He come.
Then there is the possibility of dissolution, which is a point that everyone old and young should accept. “If our earthly tabernacle house be destroyed”, 2 Corinthians 5: 1. In Paul’s case it was, and in Peter’s case it was, and so with every departed christian since that day. Think of the myriads that have fallen asleep through Jesus. That is a beautiful word. “So also God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus”, 1 Thessalonians 4: 14. How interested divine Persons are in us!
[p. 214] I read in Genesis 23 just to bring out the thought of divine ownership — divine rights, too, as applying to our graves. The very grave is in the mind of the Lord, and He will know where it is. “All that are in the graves shall hear his voice”, John 5: 28. Hence in Lazarus’ case, He says, “Where have ye laid him?” John 11:34. The Lord would be led to the tomb. Of course, at the tomb He said, “Lazarus, come forth”. So the Lord knows where the tombs are, and I believe that is a wonderful thought. This is the first grave we read of, as we have all often heard, and this whole chapter is devoted to the subject. One might wonder why more space is not given to the death of Sarah. How interesting it would be if we only knew what her last words were! But no, she died, we are told. The New Testament speaks about her as a holy woman. That is a fine testimony — a holy woman — subject to her husband. She called him lord. But there is not a word of her last words to Abraham or to Isaac. It would be very interesting, of course, if we had them, but the Spirit of God leaves all that, and gives us this whole chapter as to the purchase of a grave. Surely there is something to meditate on in this chapter.
The sons of Heth are respectful to the patriarch, like Ornan the Jebusite, and full money was paid. Is it not something for us to think of the Lord’s rights over His departed ones, over His sleeping ones? Does it not mean that He is intensely interested in the graves of the saints, and not only their graves, but their burials, for there is a field. It does not say that the field is to be used for the graves. The field is surely for convocations, as in David’s case there was space for the structure, and the trees, too, for shelter. Is it not that the Lord is saying to us that He has secured these things for us? I am watching over you as you die, He would say, for He uses the word ‘died’. Lazarus died.
[p. 215] He had already said that he was fallen asleep, but the word ‘died’ is used, for the Lord is saying to us that He is watching over us so that we may face the last moment in that sense in the light of departing to be with Christ — that there should be victory in our eyes, in our voices, as long as they remain, that is in our last breath. Who would question the Lord’s rights over us? Victory is what is happening. It is happening under His hand, as saints fall asleep through Jesus, and are buried. We bury one another. Devout men do it. It ought not to be a matter for lawless relatives to arrange. It is the Lord’s matter. Sometimes they are allowed too much, as if the circumstances covered lawlessness. Never can divine circumstances cover lawlessness, nor excuse lawlessness — neither in marriages nor in deaths. The Lord is asserting His rights. It is “in the Lord”. “Blessed the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; for their works follow with them”, Revelation 14: 13. So the Lord has the matter in hand, dear brethren, and that is why I read these scriptures — this last one particularly now — so that we might be comforted and as we advance in years, if this tabernacle house be dissolved, there is still victory, so that the saints are victorious in all circumstances. There are divine rights to enter into every position we are in, even as we close our eyes in death and are buried, and how comforting it is! The Lord secured the burying-place, the field, the tomb, and the trees, so that love may show itself at such a time. May the Lord bless His word!