BALANCE IN THE SERVICE OF GOD
BALANCE IN THE SERVICE OF GOD
JT We may not all follow this passage as easily as if it were in the New Testament, but bearing in mind that whatever was written aforetime was written for our learning, this passage has direct application at the present time to the service of God. What is in mind is to bring out balance in the service. The part taken by each is not only the expression of intelligence, but also of feelings, and affections; a consideration for what God looks for in those who appear before Him. It should be noted that the offerings as mentioned — a lamb, a ram, a bullock, and the accompanying offerings, the meat-offering, the oil, and the drink-offering — are to be proportionate; the lamb representing a small measure in a Christian, the ram being a larger and more mature thought, and then the bullock still larger. As offerings professedly are increased in measure the accompanying accessory offerings are to be proportionate.
The foundation of everything in relation to God’s recognition of man and his approach to Him is presented first in the voice from heaven at the time of the Lord’s baptism, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight” (Matthew 3:17). The Spirit also comes in the form of a dove upon Him; so that we have man as God wishes to have him in Christ, in perfection, and the Spirit here operates in relation to that. That must be the standard. We have in verses 17 to 21 an offering which is not called an offering by fire; the others in the previous part of the chapter are. As we proceed in our reading, we should come to the idea of an offering not called an offering by fire, but the fruit of the land, a cereal, the flour, the wheat, only not the sheaf or wheat in the blade, but threshed, ground and kneaded so that it is called dough; but still, not called an offering [p. 320] by fire. The thought is that when we arrive at the heavenly side of the service of God, fire is not brought forward.
WH Does the thought of the death of Christ in that sense have a more prominent part in the offerings, leading on to what we are in relation to Christ, not so much the foundation of our being before God?
JT Yes. Then the full idea of the heavenly food is in the dough where the fire is not mentioned. What stands at the beginning for God, we have to recognise; there can be no drawing near aside from the death of the Lord Jesus.
TT It is not instruction for the wilderness: it is, “When ye come into the land”.
JT That is right. Chapters 13 and 14 show how the land was despised. They despised the heavenly land, although there were some who valued it. This chapter goes on immediately to show that God is not diverted from His purpose because some despise His land. Others will value it, and the Spirit proceeds at once to speak of what they are to do. This chapter is by itself in that way, following on the subject of the land as despised. In the next chapter we have rebellion, and following on that the great subject of priesthood in a living way. This chapter finishes up with the idea of the land, how those who value it are to have blue in their clothing to show that they belong to heaven, and all sin is dealt with either sacrificially or by direct judgment. The first thing obviously is that if we are to serve God in the light of the heavenly land, we are to be balanced in our offerings.
FI Do you mean in regard of being balanced that the greater thoughts we have in relation to the death of Christ, the greater appreciation we should have of what He was here in perfection as a Man?
JT Yes. That is the thought in the flour — “a tenth part of fine flour mingled with a fourth part of a hin of oil”. That alludes to the perfection of humanity in Christ. That is God’s standard. And then the wine added for a drink-offering — a stimulating thing which would allude to what Christ was under God’s eye here, and as being infinitely pleasing to Him.
JC-S Referring to the standard, that is perfect and absolute, but what we have is progressive, that is our side?
JT Yes. What is presented in Christ is perfect, there can be no addition to that; so that the doctrine of evolution is false. What is presented in Christ is absolutely perfect. We progress in it. So that one brings a lamb — which is of intrinsic value, although smaller than a ram and less mature. In bringing a lamb the offerer has to see to it that what he is himself is in proportion to that. He does not merely rely on the phraseology of a more developed brother, but speaks according to his own measure.
JC-S With the accessories that he presents with his lamb there would be progress. He would progress, and the time will come when he can bring a bigger offering.
JT Yes.
GHC There is a variety of things mentioned at the beginning — “a burnt-offering or a sacrifice for the performance of a vow, or as a voluntary offering, or in your set feasts”. This balance that you are referring to should mark us in all approach to God.
JT Yes. It is not a sinner drawing near, seeking peace. It is a person in a known relation with God in the land: “When ye come into the land of your dwellings, which I give unto you, and will make an offering by fire to Jehovah, a burnt-offering, or a sacrifice for the performance of a vow, or as a voluntary offering, or in your set feasts, to make a sweet odour to Jehovah”. It is therefore worship which is in mind. In Deuteronomy 26 we have similar instructions, only it says there, the first of all the fruit of the ground, and it is put into a basket; here it is an animal, with the accompanying [p. 322] things mentioned, and the first of their dough as a cake. That is to say, we are more limited than Deuteronomy 26. I think it is to help us in our service, each individual. In drawing near, in joining in the assembly service, we are helped to be balanced, not to go beyond our measure.
JC-S That is, the person drawing near is not only to have knowledge of Christ in this particular, way, but is to be practically formed in that.
JT That is the idea: to have an apprehension of Christ, and formation according to it: for a lamb, “a tenth part of fine flour mingled with a fourth part of a hin of oil; and of wine for a drink-offering shalt thou offer the fourth part of a hin with the burnt-offering”. When a brother stands up to take part in the assembly it is not only what he says, but you think of the person who is speaking. We are often able to say very good things, and yet saints as knowing us are just wondering why we should say anything; I mean, persons not formed in the thing. At the beginning, in Acts 1, we are told that “the crowd of names who were together was about a hundred and twenty”,(Acts 1:15) meaning that although it was a “crowd” each one is distinguished. Each would be known, and what he said would be valued according to who he was. You value what a person says according to who he is. The words in themselves are not everything; it is who is saying them.
JW Do you suggest that one should be instructed in the art of measurement, so as to be able to give right proportions?
JT Yes. God is the God of measure and He instructs us as to measure, so that we have in Romans 12:3, “as God has dealt to each a measure of faith”. One has to know his measure.
JC-S What would you say about the wine for a drink-offering in this connection?
JT I think it is the pleasure, the holy stimulation occasioned by the offering of a brother. God would be [p. 323] thus affected by the intelligent spiritual service of a worshipper. The saints would be affected also. It is said that when the Lord came in they were glad when they saw Him. That is the standard.
WH Making glad the heart of God and man!
JT That is the thought. How delightful the Lord Jesus was! How infinitely delightful He was to God as walking here on earth! The heavens were opened, and the voice said, “In whom I have found my delight” (Matthew 3:17). The assembly is to be the reflection of what is in heaven. It is pleased with Christ. “The disciples rejoiced therefore, having seen the Lord”, (John 20:20). The book of Song of Songs is to bring out what the Lord is to those who love Him. This is what I am to be concerned about when I take part in the assembly. Am I ministering to the pleasure of God and the saints?
AMH I was thinking as to the animal — is that the objective apprehension I have of Christ which might go considerably beyond my measure or state, which would be corrected by the thought of the meat-offering and the wine?
JT I think that is what is meant. The lamb, of course, is a type of Christ offered, that is, entering into death; and as presenting Him in this sense these accompanying things denote my measure. I am qualified to do it; really I am not qualified otherwise.
DH Would you say that divine Persons would be affected by the measure of our contribution?
JT Yes. We come under the divine eye as Christ did. “In whom I have found my delight” (Matthew 3:17) applies directly to Christ, but in measure it extends to the saints. We come in too. That is an important matter to keep before us, and these accompanying things allude to what is for the divine delight in the saints, because they are just Christ in measure.
FM Philippians 2:17 would bear that out: “If also I am poured out as a libation on the sacrifice and ministration of your faith, I rejoice, and rejoice in common with you all”. In connection with what you were speaking of, that character of joy would be entered into by the saints as one is taking part.
JT Yes. I believe it is largely the idea of Philippians to bring out what Christianity is in a practical way. So that “poured out as a libation” (Philippians 2:17) would be that. A libation is the idea of the drink-offering, what is pleasing to God in Paul’s attitude of mind.
AMH Do you think there is the working out of this in the prayer of Acts 4? They bring what you might call a small offering, and speak of the Lord as God’s Christ, and then they speak of Him as His holy servant Jesus whom He anointed. Would that bring in the thought of the oil? Then they are filled with the Spirit, and there is great boldness in the word.
JT Just so. It is not the full offering you get in Philippians, but they had a great thought of what Christ is to God as in testimony — “his Christ”, and “thy holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:27).
AMH It is that kind of manhood we need to lay hold of. “Holy servant” would suggest a Man owned here by God.
JT Quite so. And “mingled with oil” here alludes to His humanity. He was mingled with oil, but then anointed as well.
AMH The “mingled” is more intimate, is it not? It enters into the constitution, do you mean?
JT Quite so. That would not be true of anyone but Him. Humanity in Him, although real, was unique.
Ques Would the idea of glory to God in the highest, good pleasure in men, come in?
JT Yes; the angels celebrating the birth of Christ were saying that. It is good pleasure in men, not Christ only, but the result of His incarnation, involving redemption; and it bears out what we are saying as to the chapter under consideration, that we come in on that line, and we minister pleasure to the heart of [p. 325] God.
WH In John 4:23, the Lord says, “The Father seeks ... worshippers”. It is not only worship but the persons who would be thus employed.
JT Yes. In our chapter the offerers, in type, “worship ... in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). It is not only the words they use, but the spirit which enters into and governs the service. This is implied in the accompanying things of which we have been speaking.
EG Would the principle be seen in Hebrews 11:4? “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained testimony of being righteous, God bearing testimony to his gifts”.
JT That is right. Abel was righteous. That carries the thought. His gifts represented what he was. They represent Christ, of course, but also that the offerer corresponded.
DH With regard to taking part in worship, would you say that our contribution ought to be definite as affecting divine Persons and also leaving an impression on the saints? It says here, the “one lamb”.
JT That is right — “one”; your mind is definitely on that, and you are thinking as to whether you are really equal to it yourself, whether you are practically in accord with it.
JC-S Do you think that the effect of a person having these qualifications and addressing divine Persons would bear upon the hearts and minds of the saints, producing spiritual emotions?
JT Exactly. You are representing them, of course, in speaking and you want to carry them. Thus it is a great advantage to know who is speaking, because I am not thinking only of what he is saying, but the person who is saying it.
TT There was no hindrance put in the way of anyone bringing an offering, but if he shall bring an offering by fire, he shall bring the meat-offering, etc.
JT God is showing here in type that we are to be balanced in His service. Christ is His standard, and [p. 326] He is looking out for us to draw near to Him as of Christ, according to Him in constitution, also in spirit and intelligence. Here the priest is not mentioned. We get that in Leviticus where the priest disposes of the offerings brought to Jehovah at the tent of meeting, but here it is the man himself. The priest is not mentioned. The offerer is in the land and he is drawing near, and God is looking for something of Christ in him, not only what he says in his worship, but the man himself.
JCL Would this in a way correspond to Deuteronomy 16 when the males appear before Jehovah: each was to give as he was able, according to the blessing of the Lord?
JT It does correspond with that. As a matter of fact the set feasts are alluded to here in connection with other things. In Deuteronomy 16:16,17, the point is the males, and not one should appear before God empty, but should have something to offer. Numbers 15 not only describes the offering, but the accompanying condition. A lamb is very delightful to God, but then a ram is more mature, and we have a progenitive idea in the ram. The bullock is still larger. Thus we have, in verse 8: “When thou offerest a bullock for a burnt-offering, or a sacrifice for the performance of a vow, or for a peace-offering to Jehovah, then shall they present with the bullock as oblation three tenth parts of fine flour mingled with half a hin of oil; and of wine shalt thou present half a hin, for a drink-offering, as an offering by fire, of a sweet odour to Jehovah. Thus shall it be done for one ox, or for one ram, or for a lamb, or for a kid; according to the number that ye offer, so shall ye do to every one according to their number”.
EG Would you say a little more as to the oil?
JT As mingled with fine flour, it alludes to Christ’s humanity. He was unique. There was never a man like Him before, nor, as viewed as He was here in the [p. 327] flesh, shall there ever be another. We are to be like Him, risen and glorified in heaven, but what He was here in the flesh is absolutely unique. He was alone in that. Humanity, of course, goes on to resurrection and into heaven, but the idea of the mingling with oil would call attention to the peculiar unique humanity that was seen in Him. “The holy thing also which shall be born shall be called Son of God (Luke 1:35)”. The holy thing! It is substantial holiness, not merely external holiness, but substantial. He is also anointed with oil. The anointing was additional; and “God gives not the Spirit by measure”,(John 3:34).
AMH Do you take the measure there as applying to Himself, or do you make it general? “Unto him” is not in J.N.D.’s translation.
JT That is a question. I think the allusion there is to Christ. The Spirit came on Him fully, totally, so to speak. It would look as if in the passage the allusion is to the Son. “God is true; for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure (John 3:33,34)”. And then, it goes on to say, “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things to be in his hand” (John 3:35). Of course it would also apply to the assembly, for the Spirit is in it in a complete personal sense.
SMcA The Spirit in us is called the Comforter. Is it not a new title in connection with His being with us and in us? He would not be known in that way in the Lord Jesus?
JT That is right. The Lord having gone up into heaven, begged the Father to send Him, and He is sent as another Comforter. That title is only applied to the Spirit in John’s gospel. It alludes to the Spirit as a divine Person here, as Christ has been here — another Comforter.
In order to see the setting of this chapter in Numbers, we should go on a little to verses 17 to 21.
HB Why is the first verse repeated in verse 18?
JT Verse 1 is, “When ye come into the land of your dwellings, which I give unto you”. It is “the land of your dwellings”, given to them by Jehovah. In verse 18 it is, “When ye come into the land whither I bring you”. It is another point of view. The first is gift, the second is that we are brought into it. Exodus 15 says that Jehovah would bring the people in; we have to understand how we are brought into the land. God brings us there and He is stressing the idea in this section. It is a separate communication to Moses, and He is stressing our heavenly part, what we are as there. So it is not an offering by fire that is mentioned, but the fruit of the land.
Ques Would it have any connection with Rahab being found in the land?
JT She would represent that. She was there and she represents the saints as subjects of the work of God, not the product of ministry, not formed by the ministry of Moses and Aaron. Rahab did not know either. She is more the product of the work of God. Here we are brought into the land, but before this it is said, “What hath God wrought!” (Numbers 23:23) It is the fruit of the land that is in mind, what we are, viewed thus. We must bear in mind that in these types it is the saints — what they are and what they yield — that are in view.
HB Would it suggest that we are in a sense from, heaven?
JT It works out that way. “It shall be, when ye eat of the bread of the land, that ye shall offer a heave-offering to Jehovah”. The word “heave-offering” is to be noted: it may read, “when ye heave a heave-offering”. It is the heart going upward — not the wave-offering, but the heart going upward to God; but it contemplates us eating, meaning that we have a constitution built up on the fruit of the land. “Ye shall offer a heave-offering to Jehovah; the first of your dough shall ye offer, a cake, for a heave-offering; as the heave-offering of the threshing-floor, so shall ye offer this”.
GHC Would this section suggest more a process of exercise? You are referring to the “dough”, and it mentions a “cake” as well. Would that suggest the action of the fire in another way?
JT It comes under the action of fire, but it is not called an offering by fire. That is not stressed. “It shall be, when ye eat of the bread of the land, that ye shall offer a heave-offering to Jehovah; the first of your dough shall ye offer, a cake, for a heave-offering; as the heave-offering of the threshing-floor, so shall ye offer this. Of the first of your dough ye shall give to Jehovah a heave-offering throughout your generations”. So that it would be experience in the nature of a process, but the idea of fire is not stressed; it is there, because you cannot get a cake without fire, but still the dough is mentioned first and is repeated. It is more that side that is in mind.
CL Would there be a suggestion of it in Genesis 18:6? When Abraham has the visitors, he says, “Knead quickly three seahs of wheaten flour, and make cakes”.
JT That fits in here. What is in mind is heavenly worshippers who have been built up with heavenly food, the food of the land. We have already eaten of the bread, but now we are offering to God.
JC-S How would you apply this to the assembly as distinct from what we have considered in the earlier part of the chapter?
JT The earlier part is connected with the Supper in the assembly service. Offerings by fire would connect more with the Lord’s supper, but we move on to the heavenly side where the idea of suffering and death is not stressed — not ignored, of course. It is the fruit of the land, what is heavenly, what you have experienced yourself. You have eaten and now you are offering it. It is more the process by which you reach it. The cake would be one idea, but there is the process by which it is reached.
HB “For through him we have both access by one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18)”. Is that the line?
JT Yes; and we are of His order: “[p. 331] he that sanctifies and those sanctified are all of one” (Hebrews 2:11). That is not exactly the oneness of unity, but kind.
JC-S Would this suggest that in the assembly we come to the point that the idea of past history is not stressed?
JT Yes. It is a process. The sheaf was offered according to Leviticus 23:10. When they came into the land and reaped the harvest, they were to offer a sheaf of the first-fruits. That did not go through this process. The threshing-floor is not noted there. It is type of the Lord Jesus as first-fruits from among the dead. He is risen now. We are waving Him. It is a wave-offering, but this is a heave-offering; it is a question of our affections going up to God.
Ques Would you say that the cake is Christ formed in the affections of the saints by these exercises — the threshing-floor and the dough? It is called “your dough”.
JT That is right. I think it is Christ in us, but it is our dough. It is the first-fruits; it is ours, what we have, the first-fruits of the land. You cannot have a cake without fire, but it is not stressed. Where you get cakes elsewhere they are an offering by fire. For instance, the shewbread was said to be an offering by fire, and the two wave loaves that they brought from their dwellings were baked and connected with an offering by fire. Here it is not said to be this.
WH The thought of the cake being a heave-offering would give spiritual spring to the worship.
JT You feel that you are in your own place. Christ said when He was here, “the Son of man who is in heaven” (John 3:13). He was of and in the place; so are we: “Such as the heavenly one, such also the heavenly ones” (1 Corinthians 15:48), We belong to heaven. We have to learn to detach ourselves from our sinful history. We are of Christ:
“He that sanctifies and those sanctified are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Hebrews 2:11). For which cause? Because we are of Him.
TT The animals for the offerings by fire suggest something different spiritually from the dough.
JT Just so. There is a process, as we have been saying, with the dough; it is reached by a process — kneading. There is the cutting of the harvest. The first-fruits of that applies to Christ. He is offered; He is waved before God. That is Christ out of death. Then we have the two wave-loaves immediately referred to which are brought from the houses of the people, and they were to be baked with leaven. It is stressed that they were baked with leaven, involving, of course, fire. It is historical, as I might say, sin — “leaven” — being there, but rendered inactive by fire. It is the assembly offered up to God at Pentecost. That is not quite what we are. There was a further truth to come out; that is, Paul’s doctrine. He brings out that we are of Christ’s order; we are of the same kind of humanity. Of course, we do not have part in Deity, but we have part in Christ’s humanity as risen, and that is what I think enters into the passage before us — that we belong to heaven. We are of Christ — I think that enters into this passage.
Ques Would the thought of the cake here stand in relation to the truth of the covenant which can be entered into before you touch the heavenly side? As touching the heavenly side, do you have the covenant before you?
JT No. It is heavenly growth; we grow in it as belonging to it, having a status of that kind. The covenant does not belong to heaven properly.
Ques Did Paul have that in mind when he said “We, being many, are ... one body” (1 Corinthians 10:17)?
JT That alludes to the saints here on earth: in 1 Corinthians 10 he alludes to us here on earth as in relation to the body of Christ in death. That is not the [p. 332] heavenly side. That is what we are down here, sanctified by the will of God; but what we are considering is the heavenly side, what we are as of Christ. The idea of the assembly goes into heaven — the one idea; but what is stressed here is the dough, what we are as to growth, the fruit of the land, but developed by our exercise, so that it is presented suitable to God in the cake, but the fire is not stressed.
GD In Philippians 3:3 it says, “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God”. Would that fit in?
JT Yes, it would. At the end of our chapter (verse 37), we have: “Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them tassels on the corners of their garments, throughout their generations, and that they attach to the tassel of the corners a lace of blue; and it shall be unto you for a tassel, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them” (Numbers 15:37 - 39). That is a remarkable passage, and it is only understood by those who understand the heavenly; it is the blue. That is, we have our part in the assembly on the first day of the week, but what about the Monday when we change over? The corner is a change round. We change our circumstances, but we have not to drop the heavenly thought on the days that follow the first; we have to carry it through. It is what we are before men; and we are to look on it and remember all the commandments of Jehovah and do them. The heavenly thought is thus maintained.
JC-S You carry forward the idea of balance in that connection?
JT The corners are where the difficulties arise, changing over from one circumstance to another.
WH We get most of the corners through the week.
JT Well, Monday is always a very testing day for the saints. We are to carry into Monday what we have enjoyed on the Lord’s day.
[p. 333] Ques Would walking well-pleasing to the Lord and increasing in the knowledge of God be connected with the tassels?
JT Yes. In Ephesians 2:6,7; Ephesians 2:10 we are made to “sit down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus, that he might display in the coming ages the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus ... For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has before prepared that we should walk in them”. It is a heavenly people down here walking in the good works divinely prepared.