ADJUSTMENT IN RELATION TO SOVEREIGNTY
[p. 271] ADJUSTMENT IN RELATION TO SOVEREIGNTY
2 Samuel 7: 1 - 29; 1 Chronicles 28: 1 - 6
JT I have been thinking of this chapter as indicating that as one generation passes away and another comes on the scene, there is a need of adjustment so that relations may be according to God and the testimony carried on in the coming generation in accord with His sovereignty. Paul, in writing to Philemon, speaks of himself as “the aged”, one who because of his age and experience has a moral right to speak and to exhort Philemon to receive Onesimus even as himself. There was need of adjustment in their relations; so here in 2 Samuel 7, we find a servant of God, with the very best intentions and desires towards God, needing adjustment, and he got it. In Chronicles he is seen in the light and good of the adjustment, and in the full acceptance of the sovereignty of God. It is striking to observe the many references to divine choosing in that scripture. David stands up upon his feet and his thoughts are full of divine sovereignty. His own position as king was due to it; Judah’s position in the tribes was due to it, and the place that his father’s house had in that tribe, and his own place in the family, as well as Solomon’s position as the chosen of Jehovah, were all matters of divine choice.
DLH How would you apply these thoughts to us today?
JT It is of great importance that the relations between the elder and the younger brethren should be rightly adjusted according to God. The nearer one gets to the end, the greater the sense one has that God is over all: “One God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all”, Ephesians 4: 6. So the Lord Himself, according to 1 Corinthians 15,
[p. 272] will refer all back to God; He will deliver up the kingdom to God having “annulled all rule and all authority and power”, that “God may be all in all”. All things being put in subjection, the Son Himself takes that place in the ultimate adjustment of things.
The end of John the baptist’s ministry shows the hearts of the fathers turned to the children; they are taking into account the generation to come. John himself had a great experience as born into a disciplined house. Zacharias had prayed for a son, but when his prayer is to be answered he has not faith for it. Nevertheless, Elizabeth and Zacharias are in the line of the Spirit, so that later, they call the child’s name John; they have been adjusted. John is born in a spiritual setting.
HH Where do you see this thought of adjustment in connection with John?
JT In connection with what is said as to the turning of the hearts of the fathers to their children; it was the result of his ministry. There was solicitude on the part of the fathers, for those who would come after. Paul speaks of Onesimus as his own son, but in sending him back to Philemon, he is exercised that he may have his full place among the brethren, not that he should come among them as a slave, that is, at a disadvantage on account of his earlier history, but as fully restored to receive a place among them as “a beloved brother”, even as Paul himself. The fact of his having run away from his master might affect his return among the brethren, and place him at a disadvantage, but Paul desired that he might be received “not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother ... in the Lord”.
Solomon had a special place with David; he acquired it as his father’s son, “tender and an only one”, as he himself says; then too, he is born into royalty. David came into it by divine choice in the [p. 273] sovereignty of God, but Solomon was born into it. He was at no disadvantage from his early history, for he was born into divine favour. Jehovah loved him and He named him Jedidiah, meaning ‘Beloved of Jehovah’. So with John the baptist, he is born into a spiritual realm in his father’s house, but that has to be confirmed and recognised.
I think those in the position of elders today should see to it that only what God has made of us should rule in their estimate of us; that none should be taken up and regarded naturally, or according to natural qualifications, or judged according to what pertains to us naturally. It is the responsibility of each of us to see that that is so in regard to ourselves, but then it is also the responsibility of the elder brethren to regard us only according to the work of God, and what God has effected in us. Paul was concerned as to how Philemon would receive his slave; he wanted to ensure that he would be received back in a suitable way.
Rem As a brother beloved.
JT Quite so. Very often we hear reports of what a man was when he was young, but what does that matter to us; what is he now as the subject of the work of God?
HH Peter was a fine brother at the end of his second epistle.
JT Quite so. Here in 2 Samuel, David had reached the zenith of his spiritual desire and power, but he has to be adjusted in spite of that. He had to come under adjustment, even though Nathan says to him, ‘Well, David, all that you do God will accept’, “do all that is in thy heart”. But will God accept it? In that night something comes to Nathan; God has something to say to him. I think that what is to be impressed upon us is divine greatness — what God is — the universal bearing of God; “one God and Father of all”. What an immense thought that is! Solomon later says, “the heavens, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee!” The instruction here is made to turn on the coming generation, on Solomon. David was passing off the scene, but God had chosen Solomon; He had someone to follow; the point is, would David submit to the adjustment of his thoughts? Well, we see perfect submission on the part of the king, to what God insists upon.
In 1 Chronicles 28, we read “king David stood up upon his feet”; though he was an old man, yet he speaks here by his own strength as acquired of God, and he speaks for God. “Hear me, my brethren”, though he was king. The burden of his speech is the sovereignty of God, the sovereign choice of God — yet he says, “Jehovah the God of Israel chose me out of all the house of my father ... for he has chosen Judah to be the prince ... and of all my sons ... he has chosen Solomon”. Solomon was a young man, only about twenty at that time, “young and tender”, but God had chosen him just as He had previously chosen David out of all his father’s house. We should have been concerned that such a young man should have such a heavy responsibility; well, let us support him. God honours the old brother, although His choice may fall upon the young one. The spiritual side, the ‘pattern’ of the house was with the old man. David gave to Solomon what he had received “by the Spirit”; he recognised that God’s choice had fallen upon the young man. There is a beautiful adjustment between the age and experience of the elder, and the sovereign choice of God falling upon the young. You find no jealousy here; the house is great; the work is great; the young man will need all you can give him. The young men today need all the support and help that can be given them. The elder brother has a greater apprehension of Christ and a deeper experience, but [p. 275] he is not jealous in it. He knows what he has got; he knows his own experience with God, and he recognises that what he has received is for the coming generation; he is solicitous for those who are to follow.
Then another thing has to be recognised: God reserves His sovereign rights in regard to His house. It is His house, not yours, and He not only gives the pattern of it, but He chooses the builder, and He adopts the builder, for He loved Solomon. It is more than sovereignty; for God adopts what He loves. We are lovable potentially. He takes us up in the gospel on the ground of sovereignty, but He adopts us on the ground of lovability. Solomon was not adopted when he was born, but he was loved when he was born, and eventually, he is adopted.
Rem We are loved of the Father, “because ye have had affection for me”.
JT Yes, it is because “ye have had affection for me”, the Lord says. Solomon does not give us the responsible side, it is a question of divine, sovereign choice. David says of himself that he was chosen from the sheepfolds and, speaking of God, that “he took pleasure in me”. Before David proved himself Jehovah had chosen him because He loved him. Solomon was born loved, but Jehovah did not choose him then, but later on he says, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son”, 2 Samuel 7: 14. So David says of him, “Jehovah ... has chosen Solomon my son”.
JT-y Would it be the recognition of divine sovereignty that led David to prepare the material for the building?
JT I think love led him to do that; the material was all prepared by him, but the recognition of divine sovereignty which chose Solomon would preserve him from any sort of jealousy. God is still acting on this line — the right of divine choice. One passes [p. 276] away very restfully in the knowledge that God acts sovereignly; He chooses whom He will to follow. He will never be at a loss. Abraham was the subject of God’s choice, indeed, it has been so right down the ages. The apostle makes that point in regard to Israel in Romans. It affords great restfulness to those who are aging if they recognise that God has made His choice of a succession. If you look at 1 Chronicles you will see how perfectly restful David is in the anticipation of his own departure. God had already made His choice in Solomon.
In 1 Kings, divine choice was interfered with; Adonijah was there, and David had been neglectful; he had not observed the movements of the usurper; he did not know anything about it, hence divine choice was interfered with. But in Chronicles, David was not decrepit, he did not need to be warmed, he stood up upon his own feet; he spoke with kingly power. He was passing away, but he recognised that God had made His choice; God was doing things; God had made choice of this young man, one who was yet young and tender, and David knew that God would see him through. Nevertheless he is anxious that the elders of Israel should see him through, too. David and the others with him had made provision for the house, but the work was great, the house was to be great, and Solomon would need to be helped in every possible way. David knew what he was talking about, he knew God had made His choice, but here was this young man Solomon, and how is he to be maintained? God would see him through, but what about his reception by the elders of Israel?
Some of us who are middle-aged are still subject to failure in judgment. Scripture shows that we may miss God’s mind even at the very height of our service. When it was a question of the blessing of Joseph’s sons. Joseph was not in the mind of God as to it, great man though he was. It was the old man [p. 277] who had the mind of God, and who knew what God was doing; Jacob crossed his hands wittingly. That is a solemn instance for the middle-aged. Joseph was remarkable as a young man; he had had the mind of God, and Jacob had rebuked him for speaking of it, but at the end, we find it is the old man who has the light of God, and the younger man is not intelligent as to what God was doing; he says, “Not so, my father”.
Ques What age was Solomon when he spent the thirteen years in building his own house?
JT He was still a comparatively young man, not yet sixty.
DLH He made a mess of things before he was sixty.
JT He did indeed. But Scripture presents him as a lovable young man; he was, as he tells us, “a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother”, Proverbs 4: 3. He had the utmost regard and respect for his father. It was so with Onesimus and with Timothy in regard to Paul. There should be no occasion for friction between the old and the young, for the old need all that the young have, and the young need all the help that the old can give. All that David had came down to Solomon; the preparation was all made for the house.
JT-y “Thou art the man” seems to have been completely blotted out of the mind of David and from the minds of his brethren, as he stands up here. Often we hold an early failure against our brethren — it was not so here.
JT I think we see with what respect Paul regarded Barnabas even though he had contended sharply with him at one point; so too, with Peter. Recovery after failure is as much the work of God as conversion; we have to recognise it and honour it as [p. 278] such.
JT-y You would pray on that line for those who are out of the way?
JT Indeed yes. David in 2 Samuel was conscious of the very best intentions in speaking to Nathan of building the house, but the word of the Lord came to Nathan “that night”, and the adjustment comes in. Both David and Nathan needed it. Reaching a certain point in soul history does not mean that we are safe from the need of adjustment. God goes over the ground and says, as it were, ‘What about you, David? I never proposed to any of the judges of Israel to build Me a house’. It was very probing to the heart that God should raise the question ‘Why are you doing this? Did I ask you?’ One might have been very successful in certain lines of service, but that does not fit you to build God’s house. God would choose His own builder.
Well, David accepts the adjustment; he bows to it. He gets into the presence of God and he sees that He has means by Him of doing the thing. God says to him, ‘I want you to know what I have in My mind’. God has things in His mind; He may not use me at all, but His mind is there to be entered into, if I seek His presence and sit before Him.
Rem Numbers 7: 89 is striking in that connection: “when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, then he heard the voice speaking to him from off the mercy-seat”, as if the Lord would say, ‘It is for Me to speak, not you’.
JT He is constantly interested in what is going on, and to be enquired of always. David is referred back to the very roots of his history, and he never once refers to building the house after this. He sits before the Lord but he does not mention it. In his own consciousness he says that refers to God, He is going to see to that; it is no matter for me. God is going to build His house by a son, not by a soldier. David is learning in reality now; he ‘tarried’ [p. 279] before the Lord; he was not rebellious, he was bowing to the sovereignty of God. He moved in and tarried before the Lord, and he says a great deal about what God had in His mind, but not one word as to what had been in his own mind. He recognised that he was not the right kind of man; he had shed much blood. The scoffers say that all things continue as they were, but God is not asleep; He has a mind about everything. Why, even a sparrow does not fall to the ground without Him! He thinks of every meeting, of every local meeting, and every individual, too.
Ques Does it show that priestly state is needed for the apprehension of the mind of God? Nathan was a prophet, and David was a king, but there is no mention of the priest.
JT That is very striking. But after all it is a priestly movement on the part of king David; he went in; that is a priestly movement, he acts as a priest. He goes in and acknowledges the will of God, and bows to it. His work is greatly enhanced through this experience; it is “after this” that he smote the Philistines; his service is not over, for it is necessary. The Philistines need to be set aside; they would stand in the way of Solomon and the work of building, and David smote them. All that was necessary, so his work has to go on. But God’s sphere is another thing, and who should build the house; that remains in the sovereign choice of God. David goes in to God; he goes over the ground with God and he bows to His will. As I tarry before the Lord. His mind is confirmed to my soul.