THE DEFENCE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS THINGS
C. A. Gray
I think, brethren, we have touched in substantiality what is heavenly, what has the character of a completely spiritual order of things. We have touched it as to the line of ministry. We have touched it, too, in some marked degree in a practical way as together. These things are intensely precious; but there are such things as alarms in the night. The enemy is active. We get much elsewhere about doorkeepers. We get in Nehemiah the wall, and what the enemy is looking for is weak places. What we have to see to is that there are not any weak places. The time is short. The Lord says, “What I say to you, I say to all, Watch”, Mark 13: 37. What we have is intensely precious; it needs to be guarded, and it needs to be protected. There is potential danger—in one sense there always is potential danger.
So what we have here is this presentation of the assembly typically, “Who is this, she that cometh up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke?” Where is she going? It does not tell us specifically, but it is evident from verse 7; her place is with Christ. So, that it would exercise us as to our outlook being away from the wilderness, but toward Christ and Christ alone. She is like pillars of smoke. Something has been consumed. It might remind us of what we get in 2 Corinthians 4: 16, “If indeed our outward man is consumed, yet the inward is renewed day by day”. It could refer to what is sacrificial as something is consumed.
But that is not the only aspect; it adds, “Perfumed with myrrh”. What impressions do we get each week from the Supper? I feel we had a clear impression on Lord’s day as to the myrrh relating to the sufferings of Christ; and the frankincense what He is in a priestly setting, interceding for us at the right hand of God. These impressions are to characterize us. “With all powders of the merchant”—there is that which is gained by spiritual trading, but all is related to the Person of Christ.
After this, you get immediately, as if it were breaking in to the narrative, “Behold his couch, Solomon’s own”. Now this couch is defended. It comes in immediately after this presentation of the assembly as coming up from the wilderness and as having been with Christ, understanding His feelings, His suffering feelings, understanding His priestly support and taking on features of Him, .but now there is that in which the Lord Jesus can rest. That immediately comes to light. But as soon as it comes to light there is that also which is in defence of it, and it is no haphazard defence. For threescore mighty men to defend one couch would certainly imply that there is something most precious to defend, something intensely precious. The choicest men of Israel are here, the mighty of Israel, they all hold the sword, experts in war. There are no untrained personnel here; each has his sword upon his thigh in readiness, “because of alarm in the nights”.
I believe, brethren, the more we understand what the assembly is to Christ the more we shall realize the importance of being continuously on the alert. There is no let-up; as long as we are here there is no let-up. There will be conflict in some way, that is in the sense that we have to be continually on the defensive against the unprincipled line that the enemy would take, and it is completely unprincipled, Ephesians 4: 14 speaks of this. We have to be aware of these things. Any lack as to the import of the pillars of smoke would give occasion for the enemy.
If there is something that should have been dealt with that has not been dealt with it is an occasion for the enemy. This remarkable setting is to speak to us and to remind us of the preciousness of the position—what the Lord has now in answer to His sufferings, what He cherishes in the assembly, and what is to be defended.
I feel the Lord would give us each one a distinctive impression of what is involved in this. The pillars of smoke mean the disposing of every element that does not go through the death of Christ, what the death of Christ deals with and removes. That is far-reaching; but I believe every difficulty arises from the fact that something is carried forward by someone, by any one of us, which the death of Christ has morally displaced. I believe that, on analysis, we will find that to be so; I am sure it is so. So may we be kept, on the one hand cherishing the position that we have, the privilege we have, as having the truth, but at the same time maintaining the defence of it, for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry
Helston, 9 July 1974