CHRIST AS MODEL
[p. 172] CHRIST AS MODEL
Numbers 12:3; Exodus 32:17,18; Numbers 11:24 - 29; Exodus 33:11; Numbers 27:15 - 19
I wish tonight to speak of spiritual progress as seen in believers in relation to a model. I wish particularly to speak to the young ones in order to point out certain dangers that have to be avoided if we are to progress to a spiritual state or stature which God can use — can employ in His service in the ministering to and general care of His people. The need is very great, and the Lord is looking for a spiritual stature in young men, and in all of us, that is requisite if we are to be useful in His service; and I wish to point out that in being taken up by Him we are to develop according to a model.
I have read this passage in Numbers 12 because it calls attention to a model. You will all remember how the Lord Jesus in His service called attention to Himself as a Model. God had hid certain things; the Lord says to Him, “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes”, Matthew 11:25. That was God’s way. But the disciples were not to remain babes; they were to develop according to the model. Hence the Lord says, “Come unto me ... and I will give you rest”. Matthew 11:28. For those who are spiritually babes are sure to labour; they are sure to have soul burdens and troubles. So that in order to develop spiritually we have to be relieved of these; hence the Lord says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. Matthew 11:28. “I will give you rest”. That is a great point to reach at the outset; coming to Christ we learn the rest that He gives. Abroad in the world with which we have to [p. 173] do in the government of God, unrest prevails, and we quickly come into the spirit of it, especially babes; they are always in danger of being “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind”. Ephesians 4:14. Hence the Lord says, “I will give you rest”. Then He says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me”, Matthew 11:29. There is the model. Then He adds, “For I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls”. This principle of a model runs through the New Testament; we get it in Paul, and even in the young man Timothy. Paul says to Timothy, “Let no one despise thy youth”, 1 Timothy 4:12. A young man has to discover that it is his responsibility to see to it that no one despises his youth; that is, he is to be so marked by sobriety, restfulness and purity that no one can despise it; and then he says, “Be a model of the believers” 1 Timothy 4:12 — even a young man.
I read the passage in Numbers 12 because it brings in the man Moses. It says, “The man Moses was very meek”; and this at a time when he was assailed by those who should have stood by him in the great pressure that rested upon him. Aaron and Miriam (or as I should say Miriam and Aaron, for Miriam is mentioned first) attack their brother, which shows us that nature is utterly untrustworthy in the things of God. He who relies upon it in the things of God relies upon a broken reed. It is indeed one of the most fruitful sources of trouble and disappointment among the people of God.
So at this point the Spirit of God calls attention to the man, and who should have known the man Moses better than Miriam? She was a good few years his senior; she watched him in the ark of bulrushes; she knew him from the outset. She could not but have known what his parents knew — that he was a “proper child”. He was indeed a child “fair to God”, and on account of this he was hid three months by his [p. 174] parents, and then set in the waters of death and drawn out of it. Miriam was a witness to all this, and yet she leads at this juncture in an attack upon him. Aaron, also his senior, joins in it. The Spirit of God says, “The man Moses”, calling attention to his meekness. I suppose nothing in the Scriptures is more interesting to those who love Jesus than the study of His manhood. The official side appeals to us, but the food for our souls is in the manhood of Jesus. So, beloved, as one comes down to men like Paul, Peter, Barnabas and others, what appeals to those who have spiritual sensibilities is not so much the gift, but the man. The great exercise therefore is to learn from Him, for God’s intent is to have men like that Man.
Well now, having said that much about Moses, I want to take you to Joshua, because it is about Joshua I intend to speak as a representative believer. He is not a singular one, although greatly distinguished. I think you will see by what I have to say that in certain respects he is representative. In his progress he represents much of that which is normal in the history of believers; that is, our position as called by the gospel — brought into relation with Christ — is one of immense privilege. We are to learn first with Him as our Model, and so I take the passage in Exodus 32 as suggestive of what is sure to mark young ones, though enjoying this great privilege. Joshua had been forty days on the mount with Moses. He was not there simply as a spectator, he was Moses’ attendant. That is what we are all called to. We are not called unto spectatorship, as I might say; we are called unto companionship with Christ, and we are in attendance from the very outset.
Joshua was with Moses as his attendant. Think of the opportunities he had during those forty days as Jehovah descended and unfolded the pattern of the tabernacle to Moses. What part Joshua had in it [p. 175] the Spirit of God does not say, but He does say that he ascended with Moses as his attendant, or minister. Again I say, think of the advantages of this young man as the figurative representation of heavenly things was unfolded before him to Moses! The Lord spoke to Moses in opening up this figurative representation of things in the heavens, and now Moses and Joshua come down from the mount. What I want to call the attention of the young and all of us to is that his hearing was defective. I am reminded of that word of the Lord, “Take heed how ye hear”. Luke 8:18. What sounds come to our ears as we come down! Joshua says to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp”; his hearing was defective. How easily we become drawn into things in this world unless we are keen in spiritual hearing. “Doth not the ear try words?” Job 12:11. That is what the organ is for in great measure. What words have been spoken abroad today! As the book of Proverbs warns us: “The man that speaketh froward things”, Proverbs 2:12 and the “stranger who flattereth with her words”. Proverbs 2:16, Proverbs 7:5. Unless we know how to try the words of these two — the froward man setting out the intellectual authoritative element of the world in its books, magazines and newspapers; and the woman flattering with her mouth, appealing to the senses and the lusts — unless our ears are trained spiritually we shall not be able to distinguish the sounds. The Spirit of God, I believe, sets this down so that we might see in such a distinguished man as Joshua the danger that we are all exposed to.
In Numbers 12 I wanted to call attention to another danger. I do not intend to be on the negative throughout my discourse, but it is well to call attention to dangers. The circumstance here is very different. Moses had felt the burden of the tabernacle and the people, and one’s heart moves in sympathy with him; yet his complaint was not fair. The Lord in answer virtually says to him, ‘You must not assume, Moses, that I have not supplied you with sufficient power for this work; if the instrumentalities of the power are to be increased it simply means that your share is to be diminished’. There was a subtle attack (unmeant of course by Moses) upon God Himself in the assumption that there was not sufficient power. There is always sufficient power for God’s service. The Holy Spirit is here Himself at the present time. So Jehovah takes of the spirit that was upon Moses and extends it to seventy others; the same power, only the instrumentalities are increased.
But there were two of them that were written in the camp. They were written, but they did not go to the tabernacle, and the Spirit came upon them; and a young man ran and told Moses. This was something that his youthful experience was not equal to. How often one sees that among the people of God! Things which more experienced brethren understand are not understood by the young, and instead of taking their lead from those who have experience they rush off thinking they have something special.
It is a great matter to learn from a model, and so we see the wisdom of God in the ordering of the Levites. They were to begin at twenty-five. They were to be five years with fully developed Levites before they were to be regarded as definitely in the service. They had to learn how things were to be done. It is an immense thing for young people to observe how things are done. This young man evidently assumed that it was out of order, and he ran to Moses. Then the young man Joshua has something to say; he is Moses’ attendant, one of his “choice ones”, as it may read: a young brother who has got distinction, and rightly. There are many such who stand out in distinctness for their devotedness [p. 177] and intelligence, and yet may err as Joshua did. He says, “My lord Moses, forbid them!” You see he was a party man for the moment; he was not with God. He would have a leader, forgetting that God is sovereign and can take up others, even in the camp. We have to learn the sovereignty of God — that He can extend His power and use persons even in the camp. Here Moses shines again as a model, for he was no party man. The man Moses was the meekest of all the men of the earth, and he was no party man. So he says, “Enviest thou for my sake?”
How many would be saved if leaders were to take this attitude when youthful followers are more eager for their greatness than for the truth. Instead of accepting adulation let us be like Moses, who said, “Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets”. The need is great, and we need not dread the extension of power, for after all we are in a commonwealth; what you have is mine, and what I have is yours. As Paul says, “Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, ... all are yours; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s”, 1 Corinthians 3:22,23. It is a mutual state of things, where all is held generally, so we need not have any envy if prophets are increased. We thank God, for the increase of prophets means increase in the assembly — “the edification of the assembly”. 1 Corinthians 14:12.
You see, dear brethren, how this illustrious servant of God in his early days failed, first in his hearing and then in partisanship, not seeing the sovereignty of God. We know not whom God may be ‘writing’ in for special service now. God has His men in His mind; He has watched over every one of them from their forefathers; they are all written down, and we cannot change the writing. We may as well endeavour to alter the course of the heavens as to alter God’s ways. Those that are written will get the Spirit in due time, and let no one lift up his [p. 178] voice against them; it is the sovereignty of God. Now, to come to the other passages read, because Joshua was taken up to be a spiritual leader, and a spiritual leader he became; the work that God begins is completed. So he is first mentioned in the Scriptures as in connection with spiritual conflict. You may be assured that that is the beginning of spiritual progress. If you do not know anything of spiritual conflict you have not begun the Christian course; that is, that “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other”, Galatians 5:17. That is where Joshua began. It is not spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies yet; it is spiritual wickedness in your breast. The flesh, with Satan in it, lusts against the Spirit.
As soon as the Spirit of God is received by the believer there is conflict. As I said, it is not spiritual wickedness yet in heavenly places, but in yourself; this battle has to be fought out there. “The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation”, Exodus 17:16. It is a continuous conflict down here, but the Lord is “our banner”. That is the first mention of Joshua. As Paul says, in working it out, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord”. He is delivered from the body of this flesh in apprehending Christ and His work. He thanks God “through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 7:25.
Joshua began thus. Subsequently these errors befell him, and I mention them as a warning to young people in their spiritual progress to look out for their sight and their hearing, and avoid partisanship. Keep a steady eye on Christ and the sovereignty of God and you shall never fall into the error of partisanship.
But now in Exodus 33 this “young man” departs not out of the tabernacle. He is in the very secret of divine workings. Moses took the tabernacle and [p. 179] pitched it outside the camp, far away from it. He was very much in the minority in this, but God spoke to him “face to face”. How God honoured Moses as He acted thus! Joshua had this wonderful model before him, as Moses had been faithful in the camp. There was no rising up against him; he was like a king; Proverbs 30:31. He was faithful also in pitching the tabernacle outside the camp, and God spoke with him as a man speaks with his friend. Wonderful honour! Joshua is seen in that tabernacle. He is where he can see and learn the secret ways and workings of God.
How important this is for young believers! Our days are days in which we have had to withdraw from the camp, and our circumstances are not such as to attract the flesh. The Lord never intended that the flesh should be attracted by the assembly’s position in this world. But Joshua as a young man departed not from the tabernacle. To bring it down to our own time, this means that I apprehend the assembly in its relation to Christ; that divine Persons are there and divine secrets are made known; so I make it my dwelling-place, as it were. I never fail to attend the gatherings of God’s people, for God is there. God speaks there, so you get direct communications from Him. Here He spoke to Moses face to face. Wonderful honour put upon Moses! And “Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle”. You can see thus how he became spiritual. He was in the very centre of divine secrets, where divine communications were made. Not that they were made to him exactly; they were made to Moses, but he was there. The thing is to be there.
You have little idea what you miss in absenting yourself from the gatherings of God’s people. See what Thomas missed. What a wonderful time they had that first day of the week, the day on which the [p. 180] Lord rose! How fresh everything was as He came in from heaven, as it were, to where the disciples were! And Thomas was not there; he was away somewhere in unbelief. The Spirit of God does not lift the veil and tell us how Thomas spent that day; we do not know; but we do know he was in unbelief on that day, and in his unbelief he missed the greatest possible privilege. I do not know if he ever recovered the loss; it is doubtful, because that occasion was not repeated. Every time the Lord comes there is something new.
Now I go to Numbers 28 just to show how this culminated. Moses is told now that he has to go; the time of his leadership has expired. This happens constantly among the people of God, for in the government of God our leaders go, and others must take their places. Moses shines again in beautiful lustre. He says to the Lord, “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation”. Now it is a question of the spirits — “the God of the spirits of all flesh”. God is taking account of our spirits, and Moses beautifully refers to Him as “the God of the spirits”. At the present time, dear brethren, it is a question of what is spiritual. If the people of God are to be led into what is spiritual, what is required is spirituality. Moses says, “the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation which may go out before them, and which may go in before them ... and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no shepherd”. How beautifully this great leader of God’s people shines as he shows the circumstances are now changed; that it is no longer a question of authority — of a rod — but of spiritual power. Hence he appeals to the God of the spirits of all flesh, but he makes no nomination.
I want you, dear brethren, to notice this. He [p. 181] knew Joshua as no other man knew him, but he does not nominate the leader. It is for God to do this. And the Lord said, “Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit”. I urge this, dear brethren, because whatever our attainments, whatever our ability and natural powers, the great test will come, and it is a question of the Spirit. If we have not the Spirit — if we have not been accustomed to rely upon the Spirit — we shall break down; that is as sure as anything can be. Hence God says, “Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit”.
Joshua had arrived in his experiences at this point of perfection that he can be said by God Himself to have the Spirit. It is not now that we are simply sealed, or that He is the earnest in our hearts; but He is relied upon in our work, our walk, our ways, instead of the flesh; so we are distinguished under the eye of God as having the Spirit. This raises the question as to where one is as to all this. Is one marked by the Spirit? God says, “a man”, not a youth now; he is not a young man now; he has developed, he is a man, a man who has the Spirit. There has been development, and it is such a man who is needed; men such as Joshua who have progressed. They have made their mistakes, alas; but nevertheless they arrive at the recognition of the Spirit; the Spirit only, and not the flesh. They have arrived at the point where they know experimentally that the flesh profits nothing. Hence they rely on the Spirit.
God says to Moses, “Lay thy hand upon him”. That we can do. I know of an aged and honoured servant of God whom we all revere, who said to another as he was passing away to be with the Lord, ‘I commend you to the church of God’, and that man has indeed to the assembly of God proved a help. He asserted the authority and power of the [p. 182] Spirit; he asserted the necessity for spiritual power and not human power. He relied on it, and God honoured him.
Well, I have no more to say, dear brethren. You have followed, I am sure. One especially thinks of young men aspiring. It is right to aspire to service in the house of God, but let us remember this, it is a man who has the Spirit, so that we are not nurturing the flesh, nor seeking to equip ourselves on fleshly lines, as it is outside in the world, but relying on the Spirit — the Spirit of God.