THIS IS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD GOD

^[p. 275] THIS IS THE HOUSE OF THE LORD GOD

1 Chronicles 22; 1 Chronicles 23: 1

JT We get here the circumstances in which the house of God was to be built. The previous chapter tells of the great sin of David in numbering the people; God did not permit the building of His house on those lines. It is not with Him a question of large numbers. Thank God, He does not discountenance large numbers, but David seems to have had his own greatness in view in numbering the people. He said, “Number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it”, chapter 21: 2. It was Satan’s suggestion, according to this book, and the great sin had to be dealt with, but in dealing with it God acts in grace. David acquires the altar, and he had a word of acceptance from the Lord — “At that time when David saw that the Lord had answered him in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there. For the tabernacle of the Lord which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering, were at that season in the high place at Gibeon. But David could not go before it to enquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the Lord”, chapter 21: 28 - 30. The sword had already been sheathed in relation to the threshing floor, so that David is able to say, “This is the house of the Lord God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel”. He was able to name the place. He bought “the place” we are told, and now he names it.

I think as we go over the ground thus, we may see how the work went on under youthful influence. Solomon “is young and tender”, and he is made king by David in his old age; so that Solomon is under the good influence of David. This principle ^[p. 276] enters typically into the assembly; the house of God is worked out on these lines.

Rem The sixth verse stands out here — “Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel”.

JT We see the place Solomon has as representing youthfulness; “young and tender”, nevertheless he has this place. He replaces David in David’s own mind, answering to the mind of God as to His house. Solomon has the gain of David’s discipline. David makes great provision for the house, and that according to divine discrimination; it is not left to Solomon. We are to make room for youthfulness, as in Solomon, one brought up in subjection — the son of his father. The young are apt to be rivals of those who are older. Solomon was never a rival to David — he was David’s son brought up by him; but, according to the mind of God, he was to do the building.

“David commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel; and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails”, etc. It is very interesting that the nails come after the stones.

Ques Why are strangers mentioned in verse 2?

JT They represent those who have no rights and are entirely subservient, hence available for any kind of work. The “wrought stones” are types of the saints, who are said in 1 Peter to be living stones.

It is remarkable that the nails should come in so early. “David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass in abundance without weight; also cedar trees in abundance”.

Ques Is there a ministry today which answers to the thought of the mason — a ministry that would help the saints to work things out locally?

JT Here the masons are for hewing ^[p. 277] the stones.

The work here is not as yet setting the stones in their places, but preparing them; this is preparatory work. There is a great deal of that, of course, needed in all of us.

Ques Would you say there is in this chapter age, wisdom and youthfulness combined?

JT There was age or experience with David and youthfulness and wisdom with Solomon. I think we ought to see that full provision is made for the exercise of wisdom in youthfulness. We can find this combination only as the youthful are in subjection. Solomon was not simply David’s son, but a son unto David. Proverbs 4: 3.

Ques Has this chapter in view to secure sons according to the mind of God for the house of God?

JT That would be the effect of it. Those who are old have what the young cannot have, that is experience, and the young as associated with them get the gain of this. But in Hebrews 11 we read that the elders obtained testimony by faith; that is to say, they did not obtain testimony because they were so many years old; that is not in itself anything; but it was by faith. One might be 100 years old and not have that; and yet a comparatively young man may have it.

Rem You get experience and wisdom through age in Paul, and Timothy would gain by this as his child in the faith.

JT Exactly. Paul spoke of himself as “such an one as Paul the aged”. It was not simply that Paul was aged, but he was “such an one as Paul the aged”. There was perhaps no other one like him. He suffered martyrdom, I judge, at a comparatively early age, but judged in the sense of experience with God, he was “old and full of days”, he had a life of great compression. Solomon, as seen here, could not have that, for he was “young and tender”.

Ques What is conveyed in the thought that the ^[p. 278] house could not be built by a man who had shed much blood?

JT It would shut out the military thought. The house should not remind us of judgment, and the shedding of blood means that. Judgment begins at the house, but the house should not remind us of that. The sword is sheathed, but not where it executed its judgment. The judgment was over Jerusalem, but the sword is sheathed in answer to the sacrifices on the altar at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. The sword in that sense is out of sight. Judgment has ceased. The house is to be a place of affection. Of course David’s ministry was necessary, as setting forth the judgment of God, but it is to be shut out from the house itself. An eternal abode with God must not remind us of judgment. There were indeed inside the temple the cherubim, but not with the drawn sword as in Eden. In eternity there will be subjection and rule, but not necessarily involving the execution of judgment, for there will be no need for that. The great thing now, in the light of our chapter, is the foundation of the house. The sword is sheathed, and there is the youthfulness of Solomon in building it. The house of God is a place of affection.

The house here has a much wider thought than in Samuel. The point here is that the idea of largeness is to be emphasized. “The house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory”. He needed plenty of scope or room in the building. Thus David bought the place from Ornan.

Ques Why are the nails provided so early?

JT The principle of resurrection comes in. There can be no binding power, save as we apprehend resurrection. The nails are for “the doors of the gates, and for the joists”, or couplings. The doors are to be held firmly, and also the joists or couplings of the building. This can only be by the truth of ^[p. 279] resurrection. The nails suggest strength; they are made out of iron. Iron, I think, is a symbol of strength in Scripture.

Rem The Lord Himself is alluded to as a nail.

JT Yes, “a nail in a sure place”, Isaiah 22: 23. You can hang things on a nail, but they also have a wonderful power of holding things together.

NKM The thought of strength is brought out in what the apostle says to Timothy, “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”, and then he says, “Remember Jesus Christ raised from among the dead ... according to my glad tidings”.

JT That is the idea exactly. The apostle apprehended resurrection as the binding power to hold things. It is in the resurrection of Christ that the power of God is demonstrated.

Ques Do the two lines go on together, the preparation of the material and the construction?

JT I think they do. The Lord provided the material in abundance before He went up, as answering to David; and in going up into heaven. He takes the Solomon place, and all is put together. It is from heaven that the structure is reared up. He has gone in to the place of affection. He is the Son of the Father’s love. It is in that character that the building goes on.

It is a great thing to get hold of the work of Christ as answering to David in laying every enemy low. David says here, “Is not the Lord your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the Lord, and before his people”, verse 18. That is the position now in Christ as answering to David. The structure goes on under Him as in His place on high, as gone up into heaven.

WmC Do the twelve in the beginning of Acts represent the thought of iron? They chose one who was “a witness ... of his resurrection” to be with them. Acts 1: 22.

JT That is a good suggestion. Everything depended then on the wisdom which marked Peter; and those staying in the upper room represent quality as the result of workmanship, that is Peter and the other ten, the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brethren. Then certain matters had to be faced. How are they to go on in the light in which the Lord has left them? What were they to do? I think Peter standing up and making his first address is like a nail; there was ground of assurance and stability in what he said. It would hold them together; and then there is the selection of another apostle, which was very important. The Lord could surely have settled that matter himself before He went up, but He did not. Nothing is said about it. He is seen with the eleven at the end of the gospels; there is an apostle lacking in Acts 1, but the matter is faced. Peter says, “It is necessary, therefore, that of the men who have assembled with us ... one of these should be a witness with us of his resurrection”. Twelve must be there; it was a matter involving the thread that runs through Scripture from Jacob to the end of Revelation. The idea of twelve must be there, and Peter discerned that, and the idea of the binding principle in resurrection, so that things are held together according to God.

WmC The material which should characterize the assembly would be represented in the upper room.

JT The quality of the work of God was seen there, not a growth from the earth, but the result of workmanship; it is quality from that point of view. The names given would mean that each one had some distinction as coming under the hand of the Lord; and so right through the Acts we see how emergencies are met, so that unity is maintained. In the case of Ananias and Sapphira, there was a ^[p. 281] serious effort of the devil to set aside the fruit of the Spirit, but Peter meets that, and the murmuring which arose in chapter 6 is met by the twelve, so that things are held. All that comes out in the early part of the Acts. In the endings of the gospels the disciples appear in a poor light; we see what the flesh is, and in the most favourable circumstances how incapable it is if left to itself. In the beginning of the Acts they appear in a different way. They are equal to the emergencies of the moment; they know what to do. All difficulties arising are met, and things are held even before the Spirit comes.

Ques De we get the preparation of the stones in the gospels, and the fitting of them together when the Lord went up on high and the Spirit came?

JT Yes; I think that is the point in the Acts. It says at the end of Luke that the Lord led them “as far as to Bethany”, that is to say, they were leadable, and He led them to that point. It was not final, but it indicates that they were capable of manipulation; they were subject. If He intended in patience to carry on the ministry to the Jews for a time, they were available for this. It is a great thing not to go beyond what the Lord has in His mind at any time. In the Acts they go on; instead of going to the temple, as at the end of Luke, they go to the upper room; and they return from Olivet, not from Bethany. You see more the quality in the Acts so that they were able to meet contingencies during the ten days. That period was intended to test what was there. There was no divine Person on earth. The Lord Jesus had ascended to heaven, and the Holy Spirit had not come. What will they do now? It was a supreme test for them, and I think Peter represents the ability provided to meet it. He stands up and proposes that one should be selected to fill up the gap of apostleship. Christianity was not to begin with a broken state of things. There were eleven apostles ^[p. 282] at the end of the gospels, signifying that under the old economy nothing was perfected. The Lord in a certain sense said He had laboured in vain, and spent His strength for nought, Isaiah 49: 4. It was still the time of law. But in the resurrection of Christ, everything is perfected. Thus in the early part of the Acts the apostles understood that they must begin with a perfect number.

Ques Would “brass in abundance” suggest self-judgement to make room for the Holy Spirit?

JT Yes. All these things were seen in principle at the beginning of the Acts — stones, iron for the nails, brass, and then there were the “cedar trees innumerable”.

Ques According to Psalm 132, David’s sufferings were all in connection with finding a place of rest for the ark.

JT That was the great burden of his life — to find out habitations for the mighty One of Jacob. It is in connection with his afflictions. He connects the preparation for the house of the Lord with his afflictions in this chapter, verse 14. Another suggestion is that in affection we provide for the house; “because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God”, chapter 29: 3.

Ques What is the threshing-floor here?

JT The Lord Himself is typified in the sheaf of the first fruits which was waved before Jehovah, Leviticus 23. The threshing refers to us. The grain has to be separated from the pod, and there has to be the grinding to bring out the meal. No doubt David realized that, in the great discipline that came upon him in the previous chapter. Threshing is an important part of the process of preparation. There may be a large place for it, like the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite; or it may sometimes be but a limited place, like Gideon’s winepress. The prominent thought here is that the house “must be exceeding great in fame and in beauty in all lands”, verse 5.

Ques David said, “In my affliction I have prepared for the house of Jehovah”, verse 14. Sometimes we are overpowered with affliction.

JT It shows how great the triumph is. Take 2 Corinthians 6, for instance, the apostle mentions an extraordinary combination of paradoxes there, but the work was proceeding through it all, and I think that is what goes on in our souls. We see it perfectly with the Lord. Through His affliction He prepared all these things, and correspondingly in ourselves, the affliction God causes us to pass through, develops into material for the house.

Ques What about verse 14, “And thou shalt add to it”?

JT In the antitype the Lord in heaven was adding. There was what He had prepared in the David character, but the addition is going on still in the saints. The apostle says to the Ephesians, chapter 2: 22, “In whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit” — a remarkable statement, suggesting that the Gentiles were added to what was there. They were “no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of God”. The adding goes on now. We read of the Lord adding to the assembly daily. As the apostle Paul preached in Europe, the assemblies grew in number every day.

Ques That is going on now, is it not?

JT I hope so. Thirty or forty years ago but few of us were there. We have come in since. It is going on, and the Lord in heaven is doing it. The true Solomon is doing it.

HJA Paul could call upon the elders of Ephesus to remember his affliction among them and how that for “three years, night and day ... with tears” he ceased not to admonish them. A formative work was carried on as the result of the apostle’s afflictions for them.

JT Yes; he had a very severe time at Ephesus. He fought with beasts there, but the result in assembly material and formation was greater there than elsewhere.

HJA There is a formative work now running parallel with the desires of God in relation to the house.

JT There was energy and zeal with David, and unselfishness too, in making way for the young. He was old and full of days and he made Solomon his son king over Israel. He was not reluctant to do it. He did not wish to spend his last moments on the throne and let Solomon wait. That would show the importance of the elder making room for the younger, and the younger ones should see to it that they are like Solomon, sons unto their fathers. There was no spirit of rivalry with Solomon — no desire to step into someone else’s shoes. I am afraid with ourselves, as in the world, there is sometimes a waiting for dead men’s shoes. There was nothing like that with Solomon.

It is very beautiful to see how David speaks of Solomon here, as “young and tender”; nevertheless he does not say he is too young for the throne; indeed he puts him on the throne, and that was in wisdom.

NKM Would the secret be found in David’s zeal in connection with the house of God? The house of God “must be exceeding great in fame and beauty”. It should be an exercise with us all as to David being a model for us. His feelings and the desires of his heart were in relation to the house of God — it must be exceeding great.

JT He had the full thought as to the house.

^[p. 285] Although he recognizes the tender years of Solomon and calls upon others to come in and help, he does not dread the consequences of Solomon’s youth.

Rem Paul gave Timothy, although young, a special place.

JT No one was to despise his youth, which of course means that Timothy was to be sober, subject and firm after Paul’s manner, so that he would not give occasion for any one to despise his youth. It is remarkable in the history of Solomon how wisely he acted after David’s death.

WmC If there is to be any building locally, we must have a man of rest on the throne.

JT Yes; that is a state of things necessary for the building.

WmC Solomon is born to David; he comes to light in relation to what had gone before.

JT He is really like Timothy — “according to the prophecies which went before”. God Himself took account of the need; we can always rely upon this.

WmC I was thinking of young brothers growing up — they are objects of affection, and authority is required that they may fulfil their ministry.

JT As to Timothy, there were the prophecies that went before, and there was “the laying on of the hands of the presbytery”, of those who had experience: normally such men will not lay on their hands quickly. One has to qualify for the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Then there was the advantage in having Paul’s hands laid on him, which would mean apostolic authority in ministry. All these things have to be taken account of by the young; there is the prophecy going before. God takes up the young. It is a rare thing for Him to take up a man advanced in years. The prophecy going before indicates that God has fixed His mind on some young man, and the presbytery (those under whose eyes he has grown up) — are ready to lay their ^[p. 286] hands on him; but he has to wait for that. And there is the ministry, that which God is especially emphasizing, we have to pay respect to that.

Rem What about the gift given to Timothy by the laying on of hands?

JT That would refer to Paul. Timothy was particularly under the hand of Paul; he says to him — “the things thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men”. Besides that there was the prophetic word, and the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. These three things are important for young servants to consider.

Rem Do not the last verses of chapter 22 show that unity would be needed in every heart, young and old?

JT Yes. Solomon brings in peace. The Lord, when sending out the seventy, makes a point of their looking for “a son of peace” in each of the houses they went into. A son of peace will not quarrel with anybody; he must know how to stand and be a good soldier, but he is not contentious if he is a son of peace.

Ques What is suggested in the princes of Israel? “David commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son”, verse 17.

JT I think the princes allude to men who were known to be spiritual. I refer to the use of the word in Jacob’s case — “As a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed”. Genesis 32: 28. The Corinthians were exhorted to quit themselves like men and be strong, 1 Corinthians 16: 13. The idea of men refers not to years, but rather to maturity in manly qualities in any one, old or young. I think that has its answer in Numbers (which corresponds with Corinthians), where certain men are “expressed by ... name”, and they were summoned by Moses; they were to be present at the numbering. They would be persons who would be fair, they ^[p. 287] were set over those who had been numbered, and it is said in Numbers 7 that “on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it”, that these men, “princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, the princes of the tribes, they that were over them that had been numbered, offered; and they brought their offering before Jehovah”. What did they offer? They offered six covered waggons, that is to say, two of them offered one waggon, and each of them offered a bullock, and God takes occasion to tell Moses to accept them, as if He would give them to know that He valued what they offered. It was princely, done in the light of the most dignified thing, for they offered in relation to the tabernacle which had been set up and anointed. And the six covered waggons and the twelve bullocks were to be divided — two waggons and four bullocks for the sons of Gershon and four waggons and eight bullocks for the sons of Merari; they were given to the Levites for service. And then each offered for the dedicating of the altar a silver charger and a silver bowl full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a golden spoon filled with incense, also for the burnt offering, the sin offering and the peace offering — each one offers the same. We have the idea in the princes of Israel, of men who have no personal motives, men not so much of experience as of spiritual power, and as such they have influence among the brethren. Wherever you find them, they will help a man like Solomon, called by God for service, the son of peace; such men will support him.

Rem In Numbers 21 we read that the princes digged the well, denoting spiritual energy.

JT Yes, they are men of spiritual power and energy, with no personal motive, ready to use whatever strength they have for the promotion and support of what God is doing. In any leading movement ^[p. 288] of God they are not mere onlookers, they come forward and do their part manfully and cheerfully.

Rem It says of one of the princes that he was the king’s friend.

JT That is good. It refers to a certain spiritual state in any gathering. The princes were over those who were numbered. In the antitype, those numbered would mean the local company; and the princes would mean the spiritual power that exists in the locality, which is always available for what God is doing. We should look in every gathering for the spiritual element. It is not so much a question of persons, though it is in them, but it is more that thing — the spiritual element — and that element will be found wherever God is moving.

HJA Beautiful unity is seen in Numbers 7. It is seldom we find a bullock, a ram and a lamb together.

JT The bullock would suggest largeness, the ram maturity, progenitiveness, and the lamb intrinsic value. God was working, and Solomon was the kind of man needed for what He had in view. In principle these features will appear in any special divine movement.

In Peter’s case, Acts 10, God was moving on to a new line and He had a man in His mind for it. Peter represented the greatest spiritual feature. He says to Cornelius, “having been sent for, I came without saying anything against it”. God was doing it. Peter represents the great wealth of spirituality that existed, and it is brought into action in connection with the new movement to bring in the Gentiles. Sometimes we think God is inactive, but He never gives up, and we want to be with Him, and see what He is doing. David was so fully with that which God was doing, that he makes Solomon king before he dies.