⬇ EPUB

ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY

D. J. Wright

I received an impression, beloved brethren, from a reading last week which I feel has a bearing upon us at the present time, and that is in relation to the Levites being at their work (2

Chronicles 13: 10). When we speak of Levites we are not thinking of a particular class, an official class; at one time there was that tendency with us to look upon it as a particular class.

I believe we can see in the teaching of Scripture that it would come within the range of each one of us.

Earlier in Numbers the Israelites were numbered for military service from twenty years old and upward, but the Levites did not begin to serve in the tent of meeting until they were twenty-five, conveying that maturity is necessary when we come to levitical service. In such holy service there is not room for novices, but, on the other hand, I believe the Lord would help us as we are prepared to accept responsibility. As taking things on in our simple way we can count on the Lord, who is the Prince of the princes of the Levites, to help us. We live in a day of small things and it may be that things fall to us to do that otherwise would not because of the fewer vessels available. It struck me, beloved brethren, that the first thing is availability and then, flowing out from that, serviceability. It is in taking up things, and in the practice of them that we become more skilled. As you take on responsibility for a thing you find that the Lord and the Spirit come in and help you just in relation to the immediate need.

It is a wonderful privilege in our day to have part in these things, and it impresses itself upon me that none of us are to elect ourselves out of it. It goes on to say in the verses read, “And from fifty years old he shall retire from the labour of the service, and shall serve no more; but he shall minister with his brethren in the tent of meeting, and keep the charge”. That is, persons who are older and who may become incapacitated are not written off in any way, but they too have their part; they may not be able to be active in strenuous work because of the weakening of the physical frame, but they are still available to “minister with his brethren in the tent of meeting”. What a wonderful privilege that is!—to “minister with his brethren”.

Think of the way in which those of us who are younger could draw on the richness of resource in the older brethren who are experienced—“he shall minister with his brethren in the tent of meeting”—bringing his own mature touch, you might say, in God’s service—and

“keep the charge”. There are many aspects in which you can apply ‘keeping the charge’—one is committal to the local position, committal to the assembly week, so that things are carried out according to God’s own pleasure. All that is involved, I think, in keeping the charge.

As I say, we are called to these things, and while it is a responsibility it is also a great privilege to have part in them. It is affection for Christ, I believe, that becomes the great motivating power for these things, for the One who has died for us, the One who has shed His precious blood, the One who has given His all for us. It is that, I believe, that stirs fresh committal in our souls in relation to what is precious to Him here at the present time, though maybe in smallness.

In 2 Timothy you see conditions which make not

only for a vessel to be available but serviceable. We live in a day that is broken publicly, the day of which this chapter speaks. There is the great house; we cannot get out of that in one sense. “There are not only gold and silver vessels, but also wooden and earthen; and some to honour, and some to dishonour”. Then it says, “If therefore one shall have purified himself from these, in separating himself from them”; that is, there is the moral underlying state and condition of being separate from all that would hinder being available to the Lord and serviceable to Him. So it says, “he shall be a vessel to honour, sanctified, serviceable to the Master, prepared for every good work”. Our brother has spoken of not being of the world.

Well, the call in the gospel involves being called out of that order of things in which Christ is rejected, but sanctified, set apart for the Lord’s own pleasure, and such a one is serviceable to the Master. We are to come under the dominance and sway of the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who is the centre. We sang at the outset of the One who is the centre and theme in heaven (Hymn 225), but while we are still here in this scene He is to be the One who has the first place in all things.

“Serviceable to the Master”; the idea of the word “Master” is ‘despot’; we come under the moral sway of such a One, such an attractive One. We think of Mark, at one time unserviceable, one who went back from the work and therefore became unserviceable, but there was a time, thank God, when Paul said, “Take Mark, and bring him with thyself, for he is serviceable to me for ministry”, 2 Timothy 4: 11. As recovered, not only was he again available but through things having been worked out in his soul he was again serviceable; he was separated from elements or influences that would hinder his being “serviceable to the Master,prepared for every good work”. There is no idea of being a specialist; I do not think that is the idea, but being “prepared for every good work” is all-inclusive. I think it is rather on the principle of “Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might”, Ecclesiastes 9: 10.

Beloved brethren, there are plenty of things that come within our range that we can take up for the Lord and do with our might. May we be stimulated to have part in these things increasingly, for God’s own praise and glory. Amen.

← Previous 7 of 9 Next →