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SERVICE BY COURSES AND BY OFFICES (NOTES OF AN ADDRESS)

It will be found helpful to consider the difference between two kinds of service which are clearly distinguished in the appointments of king David. In 1 Chronicles 23: 6 it is written that David divided the Levites into courses, of which there were twenty-four courses of the sons of Aaron. These composed the priestly family. There were also twenty-four courses of Levites (1 Chronicles 25: 8 - 31). Both the priests and the Levites served in relation to the house of Jehovah. Then there were also twelve courses of chief fathers and captains of thousands and their officers who served the king month by month throughout the months of the year (1 Chronicles 27:1 - 15). And, in addition to those who served by courses, another class was composed of men who served in certain distinctive offices which were permanent, and did not pass from one to another (1 Chronicles 27: 25 - 31).

We need to understand the teaching of all this if we are to serve God intelligently and in an orderly way, as He intends us to do. It would be generally admitted that believers have been saved that they might serve, and yet there is a great deal of uncertainty and much time wasted, because many have a very vague idea of how they ought to serve. Many dispose of the responsibility by assuming that others are better qualified to serve than they are, but according to the truth no one is better qualified to do my part in the service than I am. People in the world speak of what is called the ‘inferiority complex’, which describes a morbid tendency to underrate one’s own abilities. It is quite possible to suffer from this tendency in a spiritual sense. No doubt some overrate themselves, and go beyond their true measure in self-confidence and by the use of natural ability. But I believe it is a more common failure to hold back from doing what ought to be done on the ground that others can do it better. But consideration of the service as it is set before us in the Scriptures would help us all into greater liberty.

To begin with, it should be recognised that each believer having the Spirit is one of the holy priesthood, and is qualified to serve in a priestly way, and that this service Godward is the same universally. Each of the twenty-four courses of the priesthood had to carry on in its turn the same service; all were equally qualified for it. It is evident that, according to the truth, the same knowledge of God as revealed in Christ is in the heart of every saint. And the Spirit of sonship is in every heart. These precious divine realities qualify every believer for priestly service. I am not thinking, for the moment, of how souls may be darkened by bad teaching, or damaged by unfaithfulness. I am speaking of normal conditions according to the truth of the glad tidings, and assuming the maintenance of holy conditions. The teaching of the “priestly” courses is that the whole priesthood is qualified to function, and each member of it is to be ready to take his turn. It is the same service universally, though distributed in “courses” which bring the service into many different hands in many different localities. The divine thought is that the service does not depend on one, or on a select few, but each one of the holy priesthood is qualified and at liberty to take his turn in it. It is to be desired that this should come more and more into evidence, so that it may be manifest that all the sons are free. It is a matter of freedom in the affections and in spiritual intelligence. Of course saints will not be free if they have not received the Spirit of sonship; and many are not free because they are bound with grave-clothes; they are trammelled by thoughts and habits which they have acquired by contact with the religious world.

Every brother and sister is one of the holy priesthood, and is competent in spirit to fill his or her part in the service. All are spiritually in liberty and there is one accord, one mouth, to glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. All can say, ‘Abba, Father’, in the Spirit of sonship. The sisters do not speak in the assembly, but they have part in the priestly service. Spiritual sacrifices are brought in their hearts, and all that is audibly expressed by the brothers derives substance and volume from what is present in the intelligent affections of the sisters. They function in the assembly as much as the brothers, though with them the service is more veiled. Every intelligent sister knows at any point in the service of the assembly the kind of hymn that should be given out, and how divine Persons should be addressed in praise. The priesthood of the Old Testament is typical of what characterises spiritual persons in the New and we should be altogether wrong if we limited this to the brothers. Among the choicest priests of the New Testament were such holy women as the virgin Mary and the aged Anna. We may be sure that they knew how to serve in a priestly way far better than the official priesthood generally, though Zacharias is the proof that there was at least one of that class who fulfilled the order of his course in a suitable way.

It is the service of spiritual men to voice in the assembly what is in the hearts of all, and spiritual men understand the service, and, according to the type we are considering, they are ready and, indeed, under obligation to fulfil their course when it comes to their turn. We may gather from the fact that all the priests and Levites had to serve in succession that it would be pleasing to God for all spiritual men to take their turn in the service of praise. No brother is disqualified, save by the allowance of something that is contrary to holiness. Each brother ought to know whether he is spiritual or not, and if he has to admit that he is unspiritual why should he remain so? Why should he go on in a state which unfits him for holy service?

The divine thought is that the whole twenty-four courses are to exercise priestly functions in turn. And if every brother is in the light of God revealed in Christ, and has liberty in the Spirit of sonship, why should he not be free to express what is in his heart, and what he knows is in the hearts of all in the assembly? It is the same holy service going on universally, and going on in uniformity, but enhanced by the variety of the “courses” which succeed each other. One can understand how the priest or Levite who loved Jehovah would long for his turn to come round. When it did he had about fifty weeks to wait before it came round again! We are much more highly privileged. We may have our time of priestly service in the assembly every first day of the week. If on one occasion a brother finds no opportunity by reason of others having much liberty and enlargement of heart in the service, he has only to wait one week and he may have opportunity to fulfil his “course”. The service has the same blessed character each Lord’s day, but it is enhanced, as we have said, by being carried on by different members of the holy priesthood. Such an order of service is not only well-pleasing to God, but it is the exposure and condemnation of all that pretends to be ‘divine service’ in the religious world.

The Levites “under the direction of their fathers, Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, for song in the house of Jehovah” (1 Chronicles 25: 6) were also appointed to serve in twenty-four “charges”. This character of service is not altogether Godward for it is largely marked by prophesying (see 1 Chronicles 25:1-3), and this indicates that it is for the comfort and enlargement of saints with reference to the service of God. This feature is to be continuously present. It is not prophesying to exercise consciences, or to make men fall down as convicted (1 Corinthians 14: 24, 25), but prophesying which brings the blessedness of God into the hearts of His saints in a very happy way. It is “with harps and lutes and cymbals”, and it is said of some that they “prophesied with the harp, to give thanks and to praise Jehovah”. This accords with the words, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5: 19, and see also Colossians 3: 16). Whatever is addressed to divine Persons in the assembly has a prophetic bearing on the saints who may be present. It forms and stimulates their affections Godward. The apostle Paul often introduces in his epistles prayers and ascriptions of praise to God, but it is evident that he does so with a prophetic purpose. That is, he has in mind to affect the saints in their relations to God by the expression of his own. And this feature enters into all the service of God in His house. It ministers to God, but it also promotes happy and worshipful feelings in His saints. This is the prophetic side of it, which is never to be absent.

It may be noted, in this connection, that Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1: 3), and these words are the beginning of a long sentence which extends to verse 14. It is all such a worshipful utterance as might have fallen from Paul’s lips in the assembly. He is prophesying “with the harp”, sounding forth with spiritual skill sweet and varied notes, every one of which brings out the praise of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but all having the saints in view, that their souls may be filled with the music that was in his own heart Godward. It was thus not only praise but prophesying, and this is an important feature of assembly service.

But what is prominent in the scripture before us is that the service goes round the whole levitical family. There are twenty-four courses with twelve Levites in each course, representing in a typical way the whole praising company, each one having to take up his service as it fell to him by lot. “The small as well as the great, the teacher with the scholar” (1 Chronicles 25: 8). So that none can excuse himself on the ground that he is “small” or that he is only as yet a “scholar”. Most of us, perhaps, come under these heads, and yet grace permits us a part in the great service of song and in its prophetic aspect. The fact that in verse 7 they are all said to be “instructed in the songs of Jehovah, all of them skilful” would intimate that all saints, viewed as divinely taught, are competent for this holy service. All have in their hearts the knowledge of God as revealed in His Son, all have the Spirit of sonship. Why should they be unable to express what is in their hearts? Why should any human order or any self-imposed restraint hinder the “harps and lutes and cymbals” from sounding forth, not only for God’s praise directly but also to stimulate others in a prophetic way? God would have each brother in the assembly to be ready for his turn in the service. The time and manner of it is a matter of spiritual “direction” — a word which occurs five times in the first six verses of chapter 25 — which suggests that order is preserved in the service. There is no clashing or discord, and yet every one of the 288 Levites gets his turn and harmonises with all the others. There is nothing at all like this in the human arrangements of the religious world. It is a most admirably ordered service, of which every part is a living contribution from hearts that know God and are supremely happy in praising Him. And every note thus sounded is expressive of what is in the hearts of the whole praising company. Each one who voices the praise is conscious that all the holy brethren are one with him in what he says, and that he is also stimulating in them what is precious in his own heart. This latter is the prophetic side of the service. It is evident that the knowledge of this secures liberty for all. No one need be nervous in the presence of persons who all think exactly as he does, and feel as he feels.

The Lord is the supreme Director of all spiritual service; He is the Minister of the sanctuary. Unless we come under His direction we shall not be skilful in the service. But there was not only the direction of David, according to verses 2 and 7, but also the direction of the fathers Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman (verses 2, 3 and 6). This shows, I think, that we may learn by observing how spiritual men and elder brethren move in the house of God, and by paying attention to any instruction which they may give us.

It is important to note that the same service is carried on by each of the twenty-four courses. Though many, in turn, have their part in it the service is one. It is giving thanks and praising God as He is revealed in Christ. It is uttering “words of God, to exalt his power”, which I take to be words which speak of God, and exalt His power as it is known in Christ, and as it operates towards His saints, giving them a wholly new place and state before Him. It rises to such notes as only those with the Spirit of sonship could reach. But it is a universal service; it is the service proper to every saint of the assembly. It is viewed here as taken up in turn by each member of the praising company. Shall we not all be inwardly moved to take our turn in that holy service in the assembly?

We pass in 1 Chronicles 27 to another kind of service in which there were twelve divisions, each division serving for one month “throughout the months of the year”. The same service in maintaining what was due to the king had to be carried out in successive divisions all the year round. Whichever division might be actually serving, the rights of the king were to be maintained with equal faithfulness. Every one in the whole company of those who serve the Lord is under responsibility to maintain what is due to Him. Twelve and twenty-four are universal numbers, but all the saints are not exactly in active service all the time. But each division has to be in readiness to serve as its turn comes round. I think this applies to the maintenance of principles which involve what is due to the Lord. The principles of the fellowship have to be maintained in faithfulness; righteousness and holiness in respect of the truth have to be equally maintained by all. The division in charge at any particular time would represent those who are called upon to act in any matter for the honour of the Lord’s name.

Such matters have always to be dealt with locally, and whenever they arise saints should be found ready to serve in relation to them. If any matter connected with divine administration in the assembly arises in any locality it is the time for that particular division to serve. And the fact that there were twenty-four thousand in each division suggests that universal principles must always be acted on. Each division takes account of what is due to the Lord universally and acts, when its turn comes round, to maintain fidelity to the universal standard. So that, in the principle of it, the twenty-four thousand are present in dealing with each matter as it arises. That is, the smallest company of saints who may be called upon to maintain the rights of the Lord acts in the consciousness that what is rightly done represents the universal judgment of all faithful saints. And we all share an equal responsibility as to this, for if we are truly committed to the fellowship we must admit responsibility to maintain what is in accord with it. This service, in its actual administration, goes round and it is for each division, and each member of each division, to be ready to serve in it when the lot falls to us. None of us can say, ‘This is not my business’. We are all enrolled to take our part in it, and we cannot righteously evade the responsibility of taking it up when our turn comes.

Then, in addition to the service by courses, in which all take part in the same service, there is also another kind of service in which each individual has his own particular office. This is seen, typically, in 1 Chronicles 27:25 - 34. We may be quite sure that each one mentioned in this section had some “particular ability” (Matthew 25: 15) for the post to which he was appointed. We need to understand how to serve in “courses” first — how to take our part in the service of the assembly and in the maintenance of the fellowship collectively — so that what we do in our own department may fit in spiritually with what every other servant is doing. This is not recognised where a human order prevails, and hence the individual services do not co-ordinate. There may be a measure of faithful service individually, but it is carried on in a detached way. But, for us, the departmental service is that of members of one body. And, according to the truth, we all say, ‘Abba, Father’, together as in Romans 8 before we take up our different individual services as in Romans 12. In like manner we have the truth of the fellowship, and the coming together in assembly and the eating of the Lord’s supper, in 1 Corinthians 10 and 11 before the apostle speaks of the distinctions of gifts and services and operations in 1 Corinthians 12. And after speaking of the distinctive gifts he is careful to show that they co-ordinate and co-operate as members of one body.

In 1 Chronicles 27:25 - 34 no one of those mentioned had to do the same work as any of the others. The whole substance that was king David’s was attended to on the principle of each one doing his own part. There were many departments and they did not intermix, nor was any service transferred from one to another. Each kept to his own line and attended to that department to which he was appointed. But all were controlled in unity under the one king David. And so it is now. The different gifts, exercised according as God has dealt to each the measure of faith and according to the grace given, are all to be in diligent activity. There is to be no jealousy or interference one with another. “For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office; thus we, being many, are one body in Christ, and each one members one of the other” (Romans 12: 4, 5). “But there are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are distinctions of services, and the same Lord; and there are distinctions of operations, but the same God who operates all things in all. But to each the manifestation of the Spirit is given for profit” (1 Corinthians 12: 4 - 7). It is for each one to discover through exercise and prayer, and through moving in the desire to serve, what he is spiritually fitted to do. And it should always be kept in mind that God loves earnest and diligent persons. If you go on with what comes to your hand you qualify for some definite service.

We may be sure that each of the men named in 1 Chronicles 27: 25 - 34 had shown some aptitude for the particular office he filled before he was appointed to it. And the Lord discerned some “particular ability” in each of His bondmen before He gave them the talents. Something is sure to come to the hand of every believer as a matter of service to the Lord, and as each one goes faithfully on with it he qualifies for some definite appointment. Speaking practically, this is how gift comes and is developed. No sleepy and indolent person was ever given an important office under the Lord’s administration. The man to whom one talent was given was “slothful” as well as “wicked”, but his one talent only exposed that he did not care to serve His Master at all, for he did not know Him. He represents a lifeless professor, and we may gather from that part of the parable that a condition in which there is no readiness to serve the Lord is most serious. The Lord’s word is, “Cast out the useless bondman into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25: 30). This will be the end of those bondmen who are “useless”. Service is not an optional matter; it is incumbent upon us to consider this very gravely. We are under obligation to be ready to take our turn in the service by “courses”, and also to qualify for the particular “office” which is allotted to us in the body.

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