THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF CHRIST AS SEEN IN DAVID
[p. 13] THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF CHRIST AS SEEN IN DAVID
JT I had in mind to call attention to the attractiveness of David, figurative of Christ, throughout the tribes, and to point out the three positions in which he is seen: how certain came to him by name in the first two positions, that is Ziklag and the stronghold in the wilderness, and then in Hebron how they came to him tribally. I thought that the chapter furnishes us with a remarkable type of Christ as the centre of gathering and the object of affection amongst the saints, and it brings out the varied qualities of the saints, first in certain of the tribes, Benjamin and Gad and Judah, and then in all the tribes. From verse 23 to the end, that is a universal interest, only two priests are mentioned specifically; in the section treating of Hebron the tribes are all mentioned, but only two men are specifically mentioned, that is, Jehoiada, who is called, as it says, the prince of Aaron, and Zadok, a valiant young man.
FSM Would you tell us just the outline of what these positions would convey to us?
JT I think the first, Ziklag, is the Roman position, denoting the recovery of all that had been lost. The second position is in the wilderness, as you will observe, in the stronghold; verse 8 says the Gadites separated themselves to David in the stronghold in the wilderness; I would venture to suggest that the position there is Corinthian, the fellowship. And verse 23, that is Hebron, would be Colossians — the Christ of Colossians; and He is the centre in these three presentations of Him; He is the object of interest and attraction, a centre of gathering, as viewed in these [p. 14] three positions.
FSM They are progressive.
JT Yes, I think they are. You begin with what is fundamental, so that the saints as gathered to him at Ziklag might understand how things have been recovered for God, and we have been recovered and the position in the wilderness corresponds somewhat; it is a parallel position, and the stronghold is there. No stronghold is mentioned at Ziklag or at Hebron; the stronghold is for the wilderness. Hebron is the full thought of gathering en route to Jerusalem — Jerusalem is in mind. Hebron is an out-of-the-world state of things, and particularly critical for us, for we are loath to leave the wilderness and seen things, and hence these two priests, I think alluding to the power of prayer as in Colossians, by which alone we get over; as the Lord says: “That world, and the resurrection”.
FSM In each case it is the Lord personally who is in view, attaching to Himself in the appreciation of His Person.
JT That is evident, I think. In the case of Judah we have personal distinction, that is, each believer normally distinguishes himself in these positions. They are positions that require military exploits, and we are all tested as to whether we are distinguished by such; great military ability is stressed up to verse 22.
Ques Will you explain what you have in mind in relation to the military ability in christianity?
JT Well, you will observe that “they were among the mighty men who helped him in the conflict; armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left with stones and with arrows on the bow; they were of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin”. They are military men efficiently trained, men well balanced; and their thought is to help David, they have no selfish motive. One of the greatest things amongst us is unselfishness, no selfish motive; they were [p. 15] thinking of David and they helped him, as it says, in the conflict. Every young christian coming into the fellowship has to learn that it is a question of conflict which will go on and which is a matter of the testimony, that Christ is really the issue. It is no matter of party feeling, but Christ is the issue, Himself occupied in the conflict. They join in; they help David in the conflict.
FSM In the epistle to the Romans is the thought of overcoming prominent, leading up to the thought of not being overcome of evil, but overcoming evil with good? Are they David’s mighty men who can do that?
JT That is good. One of the greatest victories really, in one sense, that can be achieved by any of us is to overcome evil with good.
T They were Saul’s brethren.
JT That is another point to be noted, that natural feelings are denied. It is another important point, as coming into fellowship, the denial of natural feelings that work havoc amongst the saints.
Ques Do you suggest that Romans would clear us of that?
JT I think so. Romans sets us free from ourselves; we learn how, as it says, “with the mind I myself serve the law of God” so that it is a question of God henceforth; the Holy Spirit comes in to support us in that, and the chapters from 8 to 12 are to show how the believer overcomes himself; that is, he rules over himself by the Spirit. It says: “If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10), so that the body ceases to be a vehicle of sin and there is room for the Spirit to bring in righteousness, and it works out in our giving place to good, so that good predominates — to overcome the evil with good. And the epistle stresses too that love is the whole law. The heart is garrisoned at the outset by the love of [p. 16] God being shed abroad there by the Spirit, and the principle that love is the whole law is asserted, so that one is filled with good and overcomes evil with it; it is the great weapon.
Rem Better is “he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city” (Proverbs 16:32). The city might suggest a local position, and we are to be an influence for good there.
JT Quite so. And another thing that comes out in Romans is that the armour is the armour of light. It is not yet said to be the whole armour of God, but the armour of light, for as young believers we are so apt to be full of natural or religious thoughts. Light is what is so needed, to be able to name things. Another thing is that, while Satan is strong and we are made to feel it, God will bruise him under our feet shortly; that is the great thought in the conflict — it will not go on.
Ques It is said that they came to David in each case; is there not a sense in which we need to take that up, coming to Christ in a new character, not exactly to the Saviour here, but as military men coming under a new leadership?
JT Quite so; and leaving an old one, one that has a great claim naturally.
AWR Does it involve staking their own neck for such a leader, as we have in Romans?
JT Yes; Aquila and Priscilla you mean, a man and his wife regarded as having one neck and staking it.
WG Would Paul be an example of it in chapter 1 when he says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation”.
JT Yes, quite so. The apostle has in mind the practical need of young christians, for many when young are ashamed of the gospel, ashamed to speak of the Lord Jesus in their business places and the like. Romans teaches military service in that simple [p. 17] way; Paul is not ashamed of the gospel: there is nothing in it to be ashamed of, for, he says, “It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ... For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith”. There is a great moral thought there, the power of God, and we are not to be ashamed of it in speaking to anyone. It is to every one that believes, so that in chapter 10, the young believer is enjoined, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus ...” — that is really a military thought, for the enemy is against that with all his power. “No one can say, Lord Jesus, unless in the power of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3) — by spiritual power. But there it is, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved”. I believe the raising of that standard in our places of employment, in the schoolhouse and the like, is practical salvation, and really we begin to be military men in that. So that we have in Numbers, where the enrolment begins, those that were able to go forth to war. Here they came to David who was actively engaged in the conflict, to help him.
Ques What would be the spiritual equivalent today to the armour?
JT They were armed, it says, “with bows, using both the right hand and the left with stones and with arrows on the bow”. The bow seems to have a great place. We read of the “song of the bow”, according to 2 Samuel 1:18. I believe it alludes to power to fight at a distance; it is an artillery thought.
Rem Making the word of God effective.
JT Yes, the sword of the Spirit is used in Ephesians, it is a hand-to-hand matter. The sword of the Spirit is for a closer war, for a hand-to-hand conflict.
[p. 18] Rem So they seem to be both right- and left-handed.
JT Yes, there was no disadvantage, however attacked — evidently a great advantage in conflict.
FSM Was it the personal attractiveness of David that was the great lever for the movement?
JT Quite so, whatever it would be that would make the Lord attractive to one. There are various features; for instance, with the woman at Sychar it was not a question of personal beauty, as in David or as we get in the Song of Songs, but He could tell her all things that ever she did, she says. He became of interest to her because of that, showing how thoroughly affected she was to the very depths of her soul. It is not His beauty she speaks of, it is the power He had to reach her, to search her out; and what can be of greater value to mankind than that? How the Lord can get down to the depths of our souls and tell us everything! He is the Christ from that point of view, “Is not this the Christ?” (John 4:29). She was really ranged already on His side in going to the men; that required courage.
FSM Is it not true that there was not only the ability with David to deliver them from the bondage and fear of Goliath, but, as has been well said, he had the power to make men love him?
JT That is it. The woman says, “The Christ” — the Man God has to do things. We all need to be searched out; it is a great matter when the thing is settled. You say so-and-so says certain things about you; but you say, ‘Well, they cannot say anything that is too bad, because the Christ has told me things about myself that are worse than that’. That idea is armour and the weapon too; the matter is settled, the truth is all out, I am proof against that sort of thing, the enemy cannot attack me on that line. These men knew her, but the Lord had told [p. 19] her everything; the matter was settled and she was occupied with Him.
Ques Do you think verse 8 might suggest that such would be prepared to face a moral issue whenever it arises?
JT It says, “Of the Gadites, there separated themselves to David in the stronghold in the wilderness mighty men of valour, men fit for the service of war, armed with shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were swift as the gazelles upon the mountains”. Now we have other weapons that will not turn aside from any, that is a shield and spear; we have armour here and spears for closer conflict.
Ques At Ziklag they were mighty men, but here they are mighty men of valour; they have proved their might, they are trustworthy; is that the thought?
JT Quite so, these are proved warriors.
Ques Is there a suggestion in that that the circle of fellowship helps us in regard to the conflict?
JT Well, I think that is what is in mind in verse 8 — they separated themselves, we get the principle of separation there and that is involved in fellowship, and in the fellowship we have a better understanding of what the conflict is about and furnish ourselves accordingly. We can see there is different armament here, different instruments of war; there is an increase all round. They are mighty men of valour; their faces are like lions; and it goes on to say, in verse 14, “These were the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over a hundred, and the greatest over a thousand. These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it overflows all its banks, and they put to flight all them of the valleys, toward the east and toward the west”. That is, they were men who could fight in the valleys. The Syrians said later that Israel’s God is a God of the mountains or the hills,
[p. 20] but not of the valleys (1 Kings 20:28) but He is a God of the valleys; the allusion is, I think, to going down into death, for Jordan denotes that at the height of its power; they are able to go over it and fight beyond.
FSM We get this thought accentuated in 1 Corinthians, “Be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (chapter 15:58). Then, “Stand fast in the faith; quit yourselves like men; be strong. Let all things ye do be done in love” (chapter 16:13,14). These were the mighty men of valour.
JT Yes.
Ques Is the thought of leadership involved?
JT That is another great thought, perhaps what is to be observed too, the great want of leadership. Not simply men that will preach and teach, but men who will give a spiritual lead: every meeting needs that. One man is to die for the people, we are told; that is the kind of leadership, to die, to lay down one’s life for the brethren, so that one is not contending for one’s rights but going down. I think putting the enemy to rout in the valleys is dealing with the fundamental things, entering into death.
Ques It speaks of the righteous as being as bold as a lion; would the importance of that principle be established in our souls?
JT I think it is brought out in Romans, and in Corinthians the apostle says, as it were, ‘Whatever you may think of me, do ye what is right’; righteousness is to prevail from that point of view.
Ques Will you say a word as to being swift as the gazelles upon the mountains?
JT Swiftness is an immense advantage. Song of Songs develops the idea of swiftness; the Lord Himself is pictured there as leaping upon the mountains and hills, He overcomes obstacles; things are done immediately. Time has a great deal to do with the testimony, delay is very often disastrous. It is a [p. 21] question of spiritual agility, would you say, that one is spiritually quick to lay hold of what is needed and meet the exigency, whatever it is?
Ques Does the house of Chloe in the first epistle to the Corinthians help in regard to that?
JT You mean they did not let the matter rest. They placed the information where it could be used to the best advantage. Things are often allowed to drift along; no one does anything, and the enemy has the advantage.
Ques You mean he would seek to keep us occupied with the evil whereas we should be dealing with it?
JT Quite so. I think going over the Jordan means that one accepts death; death enters into this side of the matter. Going over the Jordan is a Colossian thought; the epistles are linked up that way. The truth of going over the Jordan implies that one accepts death in view of the need, not for the sake of an exploit. One of the most sorrowful features of the long war between the house of Saul and the house of David is this matter of exploits of the strong men, a number from each side showing what they could do — their exploits. There is nothing for God in that at all. The point is not to be distinguished for exploits just because you wish to be distinguished; all the mighty men of David did things for a purpose, and usually you find that in the exploit the Lord worked a great deliverance. That is what you have in mind. The conflict is His, He is the Captain of Jehovah’s host.
FSM Following your suggestion, they would never have gone over Jordan had they not come to the stronghold. Is it important for each of us to recognise the need of the stronghold in which David is found, typical of our great Leader, and that would give us spiritual power to go over Jordan into [p. 22] Colossians?
JT I think that is good; it is a rallying point. Where exigencies arise that require special effort, it is a question of dying, of whether one can lay down one’s life in an issue; for the enemy raises other issues than Christ, and the true warrior always wants to make Christ the issue.
Ques Would this be seen in any way in Paul when he says, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3), and then when he says, “We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves” (2 Corinthians 1:9)?
JT That is good. Indeed the second epistle to the Corinthians works out the thought of the Jordan. The apostle says, “We had the sentence of death in ourselves” — it was so great a death. It was no matter of distinguishing himself in some exploit, he had to go through it; that great death he had experienced possibly qualified him to write that second epistle. It needed more grace to write the second epistle than the first. The second was a consolatory epistle, he brings in the positive side of the truth. He says in that epistle, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds ... bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4,5). That is the point — everything that assails Christ is to be met, but met in this way, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God which raiseth the dead.
Ques Would you say something as to the distinction between the conflict in Romans and this, which is a closer conflict, more hand to hand?
JT Yes, the Gadites bring out a more hand-to-hand conflict, and it requires more courage, more staying power, than it does to fight with artillery. That can easily be illustrated by ordinary modern warfare. So that the young believer is in mind in the earlier part where artillery is used; whereas the advanced christian is called upon to deal more in a [p. 23] hand-to-hand way, to stand up and suffer, indeed to die — for that is the thought.
Ques Do you think it was the blessing of Jacob in connection with Gad — “Troops will rush upon him; but he will rush upon the heel” (Genesis 49:19).
JT Yes. Also in Moses’ blessing Gad alludes to those who were to do with rule. In the details about him in Deuteronomy 33 there is a touch, I think, alluding to rule in the house of God. “Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad! As a lion doth he dwell, and teareth the arm, even the top of the head. And he provided the first part for himself, for there was reserved the portion of the lawgiver; and he came with the heads of the people; the justice of Jehovah and his judgments hath he executed with Israel”. It is a very important tribe in that sense, and would enter into our care meetings and the like — the question of who can have part in these matters. He breaks the enemy’s power to do anything and paralyses him in the head, Satan’s power in that way, and executes judgment with Israel. I suppose the thought is that he goes along with what there is; he is a true brother in that way whilst having to deal drastically. “The justice of Jehovah and his judgments hath he executed with Israel”. I suppose all that would enter into this part of our chapter. How important it is that we have elements of that kind as coming to Christ, all thinking only of Christ, He being the issue — Christ everything and in all.
Ques I think you referred to Benjamin, Gad and Judah; would you say what is in your mind in regard to those three?
JT We have already spoken of Benjamin as representing the natural, that is the natural in regard of Saul; he overcame that, but Benjamin had a great place in the mind of God. The children of Benjamin are now linking on with Judah; they were seen in the first part of our inquiry by themselves. “There [p. 24] came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hold unto David”. Not only have they come to David, but they are now linking on with the purpose of God in Judah. Judah represents the intelligence of the position, not only the military power, but the intelligence of the position, when a brother can give an account of things.
FSM Would the two names help? Benjamin is the son of my right hand, and Judah means praise; and of these two tribes comes one who is able to speak in the most beautiful language to David.
JT Quite so. Benjamin takes the lead, and it says, “David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, If ye come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers see it and rebuke it. And the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we David, and with thee, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace, be to thee! and peace be to thy helpers! for thy God helps thee”. I think that is beautiful in regard of what we are saying now; it is all one thing, of course, but here we have the intelligence of the position, one able to speak feelingly, one indeed who came under the power of the Spirit. “The Spirit came upon Amasai” — that is one of the finest thoughts you get in the Old Testament — and then there is the expression of the mind of God as to David: “Thine are we, David, and with thee, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace, be to thee! and peace be to thy helpers! for thy God helps thee”. We are now on a high level, not yet in Hebron, but we have here the basis for the house, because Jerusalem really belonged to Benjamin as territory finally, and the link between Judah and Benjamin here makes for a dwelling place for God; it is in their full appreciation of Christ unitedly. So that Jerusalem comes into Judah’s hands, it becomes [p. 25] a royal city. Moses said that Jehovah should dwell between Benjamin’s shoulders, alluding to Jerusalem’s position, but now alluding to the strength of Benjamin spiritually, and that would give way to brotherly feeling, that the great tribe, the tribe of counsel, has the first place. Benjamin recognised that; so that it is the saints coming to recognise what is superior, that is, the place that God gives a person or persons amongst His people, and that these persons are equal to the position, for Amasai is fully equal to this position in what he says to David. He is one upon whom the Spirit of God comes, and this is one of the greatest things amongst us, that there is someone on whom the Spirit of God comes at any given moment where the need is; so it is “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
FSM In this section, where fellowship is the subject, Amasai represents, not only the personal, but the collective, committal to Christ.
JT I think so. He represents the spirituality of the position, so that Christ is not only regarded in the heart, but He is fully confessed; it is known now whose we are and who is our Centre. They are challenged, but the challenge brings out the qualities that are there. The Lord often raises questions to bring out what He knows is there — “Will ye also go away? ... To whom shall we go?” says one, “thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:67,68).
Rem This combination of two brothers seems to call for a move on David’s part.
JT Quite so. It must have been a great moment for him, for Judah was his own tribe — but then, were they true? The Lord challenges us as to this, as to whether we are true.
Ques With reference to committal, the word is, “Thine are we, David, and with thee, thou son of Jesse”, does not that bring in the thought of true affinity with David?
JT Quite so; and then it says, “Peace, peace be to thee! and peace be to thy helpers!”: They are not jealous of others; they do not want to hold things in their own hands, as Joab did afterwards. Joab wanted to hold things in his own hands and his brother’s — there was partisanship. James and John said to the Lord, ‘Shall we command fire?’ (Luke 9:54) But here the true spirit of christianity is seen in “Peace be to thy helpers!”. When Abner came to David to Hebron to turn the kingdom to David, he was really a helper, but Joab slew him; so we have to be brought to recognise what there is for Christ in whomsoever it may be — “Peace be to thy helpers”.
Rem And God will support that spirit.
JT That is what it says — “Thy God helps thee”. So we are on the right line, the position is now clarified. This is the intelligence of the position, one able to speak the mind of God, so we see clearly where we are, and Hebron comes in after that. We have indeed an allusion to some coming when things are at a very low ebb, instead of turning away when things are at a low ebb; it says, “There fell some of Manasseh to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle”. A most sorrowful thing existed, but yet they came; the position is very poor, but yet David is an object. It alludes to a low state of things amongst us, and yet people come in spite of that.
Rem Evidently they had right sensibilities; it says, “But they helped them not”.
JT Yes, the Spirit of God puts that in there, it is a saving thought; they did not really help the Philistines at all; Satan is defeated at a juncture like this. One has known of souls being drawn to Christ in spite of most sorrowful circumstances amongst His people. It says, “They helped David in his expeditions”, that would be, I suppose, alluding to the Amalekite attack. Ziklag is not a great general movement, but the basis of expeditions against this or that, and finally, the expedition against the Amalekites carried away everything, so that all is restored. Now we read, at that time “day by day there came men to David to help him, until it was a great camp, like the camp of God”. That is what young christians want to see; they are often deterred by the smallness of things outwardly, but we are to understand the position spiritually.
Ques Would there be a sort of parallel in that, that young believers in a small meeting would take account of the universal situation and that they belong to it?
JT That is what I think we should see, the greatness of the position spiritually. Then we see what happened at Hebron. This great section refers to the universal movement, the movement of life, so that the Colossian saints love all the saints — you get a great outlook, and they are worthy of your affection. If you go over what is depicted here to see the universal traits of the work of God in His people it is very stimulating; they are worthy of our regard and our love, love for all the saints. You cannot but love what is presented here.
FSM Would the transfer of the kingdom answer to the kingdom of the Son of His love in Colossians?
JT I think so. Is He not worthy of it? — the Son of the Father’s love! The Father has translated us into this kingdom. It requires attention if we are to get the profit of the chapter, to see the beautiful traits of the work of God set out here in all the tribes, and these two great men outstanding, one a prince of Israel and the other a valiant young man.
Ques Would Paul and Epaphras answer to it in [p. 28] Colossians?
JT That is what I was thinking; you get there the idea of combat in prayer. Epaphras was a valiant young man always combating earnestly in prayer; and then we have the apostle himself in chapter 2, combating in the same way that they might understand this specific thought in his mind, the mystery of God “in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). What marks Colosse is universal affection, love for all the saints, and then love in the Spirit; it is not sectional or personal, it is a pure love like God’s, love in the Spirit; and then prayer — we are going over. It is a crucial epistle, a question of getting over to God’s side, the heavenly side of the truth, and hence the great need of prayer.
Rem How God values this, for it is the sons of Zadok who are to be the priests in the coming day.
JT That helps to show the value of this valiant young man. “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you” (1 John 2:14); that is the sort of thing. If the word of God abides in us, the next thing is to pray.
Ques Will you say a word as to the expression “the prince of Aaron”?
JT I think that was what he was then. The house of Aaron is seen here, the priestly family, and he was a prince of it, so that he must be outstanding. I suppose Paul would be that; he said to the Colossians, ‘I have never seen your face in the flesh, but I am combating for you that your hearts may be encouraged’, “being united together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery of God; in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge”.
Ques Do you connect this with the perfect heart and the one heart with which the people moved?
JT I think so, it is unity of [p. 29] heart.
Ques Would it result in some sense in the one pearl?
JT That is what is in mind — unity. Ephesians, of course, is the full thought of this. We see what follows particularly in Samuel, what corresponds with this passage, how that David and his men went up to Jerusalem at this juncture. It is a question of men now. Why were they with David three days? That gives time; it is proof, I think. Three days would give us opportunity to prove how blessed the place is, so that it says, “There was joy in Israel”. “There they were with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brethren had prepared for them”. There was joy in Israel, and this is the true road to it. Ephesians gives us the full position, and Philippians gives us the result, I think, in joy.
Ques Is this the result of there being men who had understanding of the times?
JT Quite so.
Ques Do all these three sections give a collective movement, or are the first two individual and the third a collective movement, in the transfer of the kingdom?
JT Yes, the true collective thought is in the third section; that is, I take it, in Hebron; that is where there are universal affections, love in the Spirit and love to all saints.
Rem And ‘brethren’ two or three times mentioned.
JT Quite so. And another thing is, in Colossians, in the new man, it is said that Christ is everything and in all; not only is David outstanding here an object to all, but the spirit of David is in them; they are all affected — he was in their hearts.
FSM “A perfect heart ... to make David king over all Israel” — “Love ... to all the saints”.