2 CHRONICLES 24 (NOTES OF A READING)
2 CHRONICLES 24 (NOTES OF A READING)
CAC Chapter 23 is full of spiritual suggestions and seems to stand by itself in that connection. Jehoiada is the great leader in chapter 23, and represents that priestly condition which is the result of the Spirit of God having His place. In Jehoiada you get the thought of the spiritual lead given, and the result of it is that Christ gets His place and everything that is proper to the service of God flows out of that. It is a most comprehensive chapter and worthy of much consideration. In this chapter we must still keep Jehoiada very much in view; he is, as we might say, the leading figure. The great lesson of the chapter is the importance of being kept under the influence and control of the Spirit of God, the blessed results of being so kept, and the dreadful results of departing from that control. So that we should pay great attention to the spiritual leading that always comes to us through spiritual persons. There is no such thing as the leading of the Spirit except through persons.
Ques Are you referring to Corinthians?
CAC In 1 Corinthians 12 we read that “to each the manifestation of the Spirit is given for profit” (verse 7). The Spirit Himself is invisible, but then He is to come into manifestation, and that can only be through the saints, the members of the body. Without them there would be no manifestation of the Spirit, and I think Jehoiada represents this element which can only be found in the assembly. That is the real value of the saints coming together as under the influence of the Spirit and we find it amongst the brethren. We flee from the world and ourselves with our complex exercises, and the result is that as we flee from that we shall do what is right and shall prosper.
Ques What does it mean when it says, “The Spirit speaks expressly” (1 Timothy 4: 1)?
CAC It is the utterance of the Spirit through some vessel.
Ques What have you in mind in your thought of leading only coming through vessels? He comes upon vessels and moves vessels, does He not?
CAC I am seeking to get the instruction from this chapter for myself. I think Jehoiada represents an influence under which Joash was kept right for a long time; then he was removed, and that was disastrous.
Rem It speaks in Romans of those who are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8: 14).
CAC I am using the word ‘led’ more in the sense of influence. When Joash left the influence of Jehoiada, he collapsed entirely and came down so low that it leaves a serious question in the mind as to whether he was a saint at all. The broad teaching of the chapter is that Jehoiada represents the principle of control. It pleased God that Joash should be tested when left to himself. We may be at all the meetings and read the ministry yet not be in the power of things ourselves. But we would not belittle what is done under spiritual influence, even if not in the power of it ourselves. It is not altogether valueless for there is benefit though persons may not be in the full power of it themselves.
Rem It would preserve saints to keep as near spiritual persons as they can.
CAC Yes. In christendom there is very little scope given to this, but God has wrought these last hundred years to cause His people to desire the manifestation of the Spirit, and they benefit greatly and God benefits. Joash benefited though he was not in it himself, and Jehoiada’s house benefited. We have all benefited by spiritual ministry in some way, and come under it. Demas was a companion of Paul and a partaker of the Holy Spirit through Paul, but we have the same feeling about him as we have about Joash, we do not know whether we shall see him in heaven or not.
Rem There was an isolated sister who was in the gain of things.
CAC She did not undervalue the manifestations of the Spirit which there were locally or elsewhere. Paul gives a few examples of the manifestations of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12; he does not by any means cover the whole range. I think we sometimes undervalue the importance of being where the manifestations of the Spirit are. There is the possibility of our partaking of the Holy Spirit as acting in others.
Ques Why is there failure after the death of Jehoiada?
CAC Certainly the Spirit will not fail us. Jehoiada died, and so perhaps could be said to have failed Joash.
Ques What is the living link between the persons and the manifestations in the body?
CAC I think it is found in this chapter; it is what lies in every one being a contributor. It is illustrated by the fact that when it came into the mind of Joash to repair the house, the principle of general contribution was at once established and nothing will keep the body in healthy action but general contribution, as it is in the human body. The house has been devastated and the vessels given over to the house of Baal, and we are in that condition of things today. Now the thing is to renew and repair what has fallen into decay. Well, all hands must come to the front. We are living in that time now; it is almost like beginning over again, and everyone is to be a contributor. The chest is brought there for that purpose, it is for everyone. Joash refers to the original principle in the tribute of Moses in verses 6 and 9. I suppose he is referring to the heave-offering for the construction of the tabernacle and he goes back to the original thought that all the offerings came out of the hearts of the people. You see that God is concerned that every brother and sister should come into the matter. I should suppose he refers to the heave-offering as called for after the great sin of the people, not Exodus 25 but chapter 35 when the people had made the golden calf, and had been spared on the ground of the intercession of Moses. So God had put a special sense of mercy into their hearts, and now they were to contribute in the sense of that. It was to come from a people who owed everything to mercy. And here nothing but mercy would do in this condition; the house had been laid low and the vessels taken, and everyone is to have a hand in the reconstruction. If a sister says ‘amen’ in her heart in a prayer meeting that goes into the chest. It is not a question of money, though that may enter into it, but of contributing something that might be for the renewing and restoring of the house. The servants who minister to us would be much helped if we prayed for them. Paul wrote “ye also labouring together by supplication for us that the gift towards us, through means of many persons, may be the subject of the thanksgiving of many for us” (2 Corinthians 1: 11). The gift bestowed upon him was, he says, the result of their prayers. Thousands of people benefit by it, and as prayer goes up in thanksgiving to God the house is benefited.
Rem “Joash did what was right in the sight of Jehovah all the days of Jehoiada the priest”.
CAC Yes, and God sees to it that as in the body we are furnished with the elements of spiritual influence and control, and we should be prepared to be more with them, and as long as we are we shall do what is right. As soon as Jehoiada passed off the scene Joash falls under the influence of an entirely opposite character, and we see that often; people further the influence at one time and then become antagonistic.
The house and its service should be much before us. There is a great deal of collecting money for various purposes, but where do you hear of people collecting money that the house of God should be furthered? That is, contributing to what is spiritual in which we can all have part. If it is only saying ‘amen’ to a prayer that is a contribution.
Ques How are we to understand the manifestation of the Spirit?
CAC It is the Spirit objectively rather than subjectively, if that is understood.
Rem Yes, so I support the manifestation of the Spirit, and if I contribute I get the benefit.
CAC That is the idea. And we read here that the house is brought to completion. “So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them” (verse 13). And the house is furnished with suitable vessels, so that all is according to the mind of God, and that at a very dark period and just as dark a time as it is now. God would have us contribute so that this should take place and the house be completed.
Ques How does verse 17 apply to us?
CAC It shows that some of those prominent in the assembly have been used by Satan to influence the saints. It is most important that when the saints are together we should look for the manifestation of the Spirit in all the contributions.
Ques Would there be something in the nature of burnt-offering in such contributions?
CAC Yes, and a character of offering that you would not find anywhere else. One who left us for a position in the religious world has remarked since, ‘There is no worship anywhere else’. What a solemn thing to say; it is signing his own condemnation. I think everyone who has the Spirit is capable of judging what is of the Spirit and what is of the natural man; it is characteristic of the believer who has the unction, and he knows. We see the sad result of Jehoiada’s death is that not only does idolatry come in, but the prophetic word has no power. So Jehoiada’s son is killed in the very courts of the house, and that at the command of Joash!
Rem He is the last prophet mentioned by the Lord in Matthew 23: 35.
CAC Showing where we may get to if we do not keep under the control of the Spirit. I have to see to it that I recognise all that is of the Spirit in all the brethren. If we get away from that state, there is no telling where we might get to, perhaps to a point where we refuse with hatred a prophetic word direct from God. So Joash has a very sad end. It is a warning of the need to keep under spiritual control: I feel it is a warning to me.
Rem And it is what is universal.
CAC That is most important, no one individual and not half the assembly is sufficient; it takes every member of the anointed vessel. We have all the ministry in all parts of the world dropped to us for a few coppers.
Rem One member might hinder the whole body if not functioning.
CAC Yes, nothing will keep me from coming under the wrong influence but keeping under the influence of the Spirit. In these last days God has revived the desire to be under the influence of the Spirit. Meetings for prophetic ministry have come in to help, and a word is often given on such an occasion to meet a necessary state locally.