WISDOM'S WAY IN THE ASSEMBLY
WISDOM’S WAY IN THE ASSEMBLY
Proverbs 9:1,2; Proverbs 14:1; 2 Samuel 20:18-22
I wish to speak about wisdom in the manner in which it is presented in these scriptures, believing that they unfold to us what has come to light in the building of the assembly, and in the maintenance of it since it has been built.
The book of Proverbs, as you all know, speaks of wisdom, tracing it from the outset. Chapter 8 speaks of it by itself — wisdom personified — and connecting it with all God’s operations, and conveying to us that it was daily His delight, the nursling of His love. Wisdom is thus presented in its true value in this book, the book being, no doubt, the product of him who is a type of Christ as wisdom. Solomon is a type of the Lord Jesus as wisdom, and so the apostle Paul in writing to the Corinthians, having in view the assembly in its public order, speaks of Christ as the wisdom of God; he says that Christ is of God made unto us wisdom (1 Corinthians 1: 30); we are thus at the outset, as believers, lifted outside the realm of man’s wisdom. Corinth was a Greek city; the Greeks sought after wisdom, they made it a point to seek after it, therefore the apostle brings in Christ at the outset as the wisdom of God, and that He of God is made unto us wisdom. Then, further, he speaks of hidden wisdom — wisdom, I apprehend, of a superlative character, made known in Christ, but nevertheless a wisdom that was hidden — wisdom which God had pre-determined before the world for our glory; something special, for none of the princes of this world knew it; it was outside their range, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. It was all there hidden in Christ; as become Man He brought it in; in due course it was unfolded,
[p. 349] but the princes of this world did not know it; it was there in Christ the Lord of glory. It was in Simon’s house, but he did not know it. The Lord had accepted his invitation to dine, and He lay at table; the wisdom of God was there. The Lord had just said that “wisdom is justified of all her children”, but it was not justified in Simon for he did not know it, so the Lord calls attention to one who justified it — a poor woman of the city, who stood behind Him weeping, who washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed His feet, and anointed them with the myrrh. The Lord says to Simon, “Seest thou this woman?” There was one who justified wisdom, and wisdom was justified of her children. In a multitude of cases in the New Testament we have the justification of wisdom, for she is justified of all her children.
The apostle, as I said, in writing to the Corinthians, brings in this great subject, he brings it in in Christ in chapter 1; he also brings it in, in chapter 2, as hidden, pre-determined before the world for our glory, then in chapter 3: 10 he says, “as a wise architect, I have laid the foundation”. He was not only a child of wisdom, he was a wise architect, he was the architect of the assembly — a word that would be well understood by the Greeks, for they were famed for their architecture; but here was a man of no outward account, who came to their city in the guise of a tent-maker — architecture and tent-making do not go together in this world — but beneath the lowly guise of a workman — a tent-maker — was the great architect of the assembly. How much discipline had been gone through by this man so that he was prepared to shrink into the outward smallness of a mere mechanic, and yet in heart have the mind of God! He had the pattern of the assembly, of that in which the divine glory would shine, not only in time but in eternity. It comes in in time as the vessel of glory, but Ephesians connects it with eternity: “to him be glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus unto all generations of the age of ages” (Ephesians 3: 21). Think, dear brethren, of the shrinkage in a man who had all that light and understanding and yet could work daily as a tent-maker in Corinth! But he laboured on, and he says, “I have laid the foundation” (1 Corinthians 3: 10), and the foundation was laid, and there is no other, hence he says, “Let each see how he buildeth upon it” (verse 10). We need not all be architects, but we ought to be builders, but in order to build intelligently I must have the plan, and it is from that point of view that wise women come in. “The wisdom of women buildeth their house” (Proverbs 14: 1). It is one house, and the wisdom of women builds it.
Now wisdom itself, as I have said, is presented in Proverbs 8 in relation to the physical universe. Wisdom was there throughout. God built the universe; He is the Architect of it; He knows its extent; no mortal knows it. The believer rests in God as regards what is beyond him; he knows he is filled even to all the fulness of God, otherwise I apprehend he could not subsist in what is infinite, for he is incapable of taking in what is infinite. He is filled into all the fulness of God, and he rests there; and so it will be in eternity. God made the universe, He designed it, wisdom was with Him, but when we come to the house which wisdom built, in that God intends to show wisdom’s masterpiece. The physical system is not that, it is wonderful and beyond the cleverest scientist; no mortal is capable of taking it in, but when we come to the house — the moral system in other words — it is said to be wisdom’s house, for it is that in which wisdom in its highest character is seen displayed; indeed, the all-various wisdom of God, as we read in Ephesians, is seen through the assembly.
[p. 351] Well now, in Proverbs 9: 1 - 3, we read, “Wisdom hath built her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars; she hath slaughtered her cattle, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also prepared her table; she hath sent forth her maidens;” that is to say, everything is done. What you find in the ministry of the apostle Paul is completeness; if he were unable to remain in a locality long enough to complete the thing, he left a Timothy or a Titus to complete it; it must be completed and it was completed. The foundation was laid, and the top stone was placed; the system was set up completely; there was nothing wanting in the assembly as set up by the apostle Paul; everything that was needed was provided, and then there were the wise women to keep that up. God “maketh the barren woman to keep house, as a joyful mother of sons” (Psalm 113: 9). We must learn to keep house before the children come in, before converts are brought in, and so I apprehend in the seventh of Luke you have one of wisdom’s children. Wisdom said she would “cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries” (Proverbs 8: 21). I think the woman in Luke 7 was furnished with substance. No believer is of any practical value in the house unless he has some substance; he may be counted amongst the number, but for house-keeping he must inherit substance, and wisdom causes those that love her to inherit substance and she fills their treasuries.
In Luke 8 we find certain women with the Lord, who ministered to Him of their substance; they had substance and having substance they ministered to Him, and so it is in housekeeping. Now in Proverbs 14: 1, “The wisdom of women buildeth their house;” the allusion is, I apprehend, to the saints as taking up their responsibility in that which wisdom has built, and it necessarily works out in the localities in which we are found; but in order to be effective [p. 352] in my locality in housekeeping I must understand the great divine scheme. There is only one house, only one, and before you can have the house developed locally, there must be the understanding of the universal conception; in other words there can be no development of the house in any locality save as those in it apprehend the universal conception, and that is what 1 Corinthians insists on — customs which were to govern the assembly were universal. There were to be no local customs; no company of christians was to take on local characteristics or customs, either religious or social — the customs were to be universal. The apostle in proceeding in 1 Corinthians presents the idea of fellowship; in chapter 10 when he says the “bread which we break” he indicates that fellowship is general. He does not say the bread which ye break, it is the bread which we break, so that there must be the recognition of general fellowship before there can be the expression of it in any locality. In chapter 11 we have the assembly convened; “when ye come together in assembly”. The locality is in view then, and so we get the bread which ye eat and the cup which ye drink, “For as often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye announce the death of the Lord, until he come” (verse 26). That was local, but the local fellowship must be the outcome of the general fellowship; it is but the extension of what really exists, not something added; it is the idea of growth, of extension, not an addition.
Now, one could multiply instances in the New Testament of wisdom’s children — of wise women building their house. I particularly refer to Philippi, because it is the first assembly formed in Europe, and I apprehend its features were intended to characterise the testimony in Europe; and so we find the apostle consorted with certain women, outside the city by the river, in the place where prayer was wont to be made. Now I have mentioned this because [p. 353] I believe that prayer has as much to do as any other item with the building of wise women; however limited one may be in one’s circumstances or one’s body, one can always pray, and I do not know of any service more effective than prayer; it is a priestly service and belongs to every brother and to every sister. I may not have gift or, through physical limitations, may not have opportunity to attend the meetings or even to hear what is said, but I can pray. This is how the work began in Europe, it began by a prayer meeting, and by women, and one, Lydia, had her heart opened by the Lord to attend to the things spoken by Paul. What were those things? Paul would speak of Christ to her, surely, but He would also speak to her of the assembly, for that was nearest to the heart of Christ, and her heart was opened to attend, not to listen simply, but to attend to the things. How much, dear brethren, have you attended to the things you have heard in ministry? She attended to the things. What did it mean? It meant she began to build; in so far as her life there was concerned, she was set to help in the work at Philippi. She was a potent factor in the work there; she invited the apostle into her house, with due respect and deference; it was not a mere act of civility with her, she invited him in the light of the things he had spoken to her, and that her heart had been opened to attend to. Wonderful things! she attended to them, the apostle was the vessel of light to her soul, she was honoured by his presence. She says, “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord;” (Acts 16: 15); and it was by attending to the things that she put them into practice; she was associated with other women, who prayed with her. “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house”. How delightful it must have been to the Lord’s servant to be under such a roof! She was a wise woman and she builded. Presently, as they went [p. 354] to prayer a slave having a spirit of Python met them — the foolish woman. Satan through her would overthrow, would pluck down what had just begun, but the work went on in Philippi; one of the finest structures reared up in Europe spiritually was the assembly at Philippi — the counterpart of Ephesus, her cross-water neighbour. Philippi was reared up in connection with wise women; it was a wonderful structure, for from the first day the apostle laboured there until now he speaks of their fellowship with him in the gospel. We may be sure Lydia did not fail to express her fellowship with Paul; she followed him daily in her prayers, I have no doubt, and followed him with her money also, for she was a seller of purple. She made sales and you can understand how she would use the proceeds for the support and service of the building up of these great things that had come into her heart through the ministry of Paul. After the apostle was released from prison, it says, he went to the house of Lydia, and when he had seen the brethren he departed. That is Philippi. One could multiply cases; the last chapter of Romans furnishes us with illustrations of this kind of service, this kind of building of wise women; it is within the reach of every woman here, of every sister and every brother. It refers to what is going on and what should go on in every locality — the exercise of wisdom in what we do, so that we are working with God, and not plucking things down with our hands.
I want now to show you from 2 Samuel how this worked out in type in the Old Testament. The second book of Samuel emphasises wisdom as that by which the spirit and power of antichrist are met and overthrown. We have arrived at antichristian times, and what is given in Revelation in regard to antichrist is his number. “Here is wisdom. He that has understanding let him count the number of the beast” (Revelation 13: 18), it says. And Daniel, who confirms John in that way, says, “They that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse” (Daniel 12: 3) — they that are wise. We need wisdom, for we have arrived at the period of the antichristian revolt; it has not come to a head yet, but we have arrived at it, and christians need to be wise, for it is the wise only who stand in the presence of that. What is developed is a great counter-scheme of Satan; it is his great counter-scheme against wisdom’s scheme. Almost from the time the assembly was set up, the mystery of iniquity began; it “already works”, the apostle says. It is mystery, it has been working all these centuries and they that are wise see it, and they know how to meet it. Presently it will culminate in its fulness. It is a counter-scheme of the arch-enemy of God into which he puts all his wisdom and resources so that it behoves believers to be wise, and Daniel says the wise shall shine as the brightness of the expanse. It can only be met in wisdom.
The second book of Samuel, in type, brings in antichrist in Absalom, and Absalom is met and overthrown on the principle of wisdom; even the wisdom of Ahithophel which would have secured the kingdom to Absalom and the overthrow of David, is overthrown by the wisdom of Hushai; 2 Samuel 17: 1 - 14. Then another antichrist arises in Sheba; he would have turned away the people from David and he had to be met. Joab would destroy him, but he would destroy the inheritance of the Lord in destroying the rebel, and that is what we have to guard against. Joab did not have divine wisdom, he had worldly wisdom, he was a murderer himself; he was an ambitious man and cared nothing for the inheritance of the Lord or for a mother in Israel, so he was preparing to destroy the city Abel where Sheba was. We have to guard against that in seeking to overthrow a Sheba; we must be careful not to overthrow the inheritance of the Lord; and so the wise woman [p. 356] speaks to Joab from the wall; she calls upon him to judge; she is said to be a wise woman. The city was about to be overthrown and she knew it; she would save it and she did so by wisdom; as we read in Ecclesiastes, the poor wise man “by his wisdom delivered the city;” so she likewise, by her wisdom, delivered the city. Just note, dear brethren, how she did it. She went “to all the people in her wisdom”, it says.
You will observe, she did not act by herself, she did not cut off Sheba’s head by herself, she went to all the people in her wisdom. The great thing in assembly matters is to carry the saints with you. The woman could have contrived to do the deed herself, no doubt, but she did not, she went to the people. The assembly is composed of all saints, and each saint in the assembly has a responsibility, and whatever is done must be done with the full cognisance of all. One would like to have heard what she said to each one; she would know just what to say to each, and how to say it; therefore, she would get the support of each in what was so imperative, if the city was to be saved; she went in her wisdom “and they cut off the head of Sheba”. Who could question the action? They were all committed to it, and it had to be accepted. There does not seem to have been a dissentient voice in this action, but she had previously called attention to what had been said in old time: “They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter”. There is thus an end of the matter. If you bring in first principles — the principles that governed wisdom’s house at the beginning — they must prevail. I would add that everyone who loves God bows to the voice of wisdom and wisdom is heard. The law that governed the house at the beginning must govern it now, and everyone who loves God bows to it. The matter is settled if you can bring in first principles, for if you can [p. 357] show that you are governed by the universal customs of the assembly, the matter is ended; every one bows who loves God, and if anyone seem to be contentious, the apostle says, “we have no such custom”. Subjection is to mark the assembly.
Well, the woman carries the people; she went to them in her wisdom and they cut off the head of Sheba, so the matter was settled, and there was not a word to be said. The point is to have things settled so that the consciences of all are carried and Satan cannot raise a voice against it. Jacob went up to Bethel on these principles and we read, “the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about”. If we act in obedience to first principles the matter is settled. The head of Sheba was thrown over the wall and Joab departs, and that mother in Israel is saved, and the inheritance of Jehovah is saved. The city of Abel is saved for David, not for Sheba, but for David. We thus see how wisdom works, dear brethren; it is for the accomplishment of the will of God, and for the building up of what is for God.