LIGHT AND LIFE
[p. 181] LIGHT AND LIFE
We come in this chapter to what may be called a second part of the Book of Numbers. In the simple history of the children of Israel the book runs on consecutively in the sequence of events related; but looking at it typically, in the moral significance of what is presented, this chapter opens up a distinct subject from what has preceded.
There are two things with which, as Christians, we have to do, namely, light and life. They necessarily meet in the Christian, but in themselves they are distinct things. We see this in Genesis 1. In Christianity the revelation of God is light, but the work of God in man is life. Most people realise that they have light from God before they know very much about life. Christ was the light of the world, and He also gives life to the world.
Now, so far as I understand, the Book of Numbers down to chapter 20 is connected more with light and the effects of light. From chapter 21 the subject is life and its consequences.
You get a great point coming out in chapter 21 in connection with the serpents — the people were bitten by them, they were thus in the midst of death; but this principle is revealed: whosoever looked, lived. Their prayer to Moses was to intercede with the Lord to take the serpents away; but God did not see fit to remove the serpents, but gave the people an object of faith. Their looking was, I judge, the evidence, typically, of a work of God. You may say looking was the way of life. Well, it was; but in itself it was really of God. You cannot conceive that the power was in the look, but in the work of God which connected itself with their [p. 182] looking. It was the way that God appointed. There is no power in faith; the power is in the work of God that is beneath faith. There was faith, I admit, but it would have been valueless but for a work of God beneath the look.
What we have had in the first twenty chapters, after the deliverance of the people from Egypt and from Pharaoh, and their being brought into the wilderness, has been God’s ordering and appointment for them in the wilderness — God’s provision. From chapter 21 the subject of life gives character to the remainder of the Book of Numbers. I will tell you the proofs of this. One is, that you get very little more about priesthood. Priesthood has another application. Then you have the prophecies of Balaam; he looks from above upon the elect people of God, and announces the thought of God in regard to them. This could not properly have had place in the first part of Numbers. And then again, a great deal is said about the inheritance, and, in fact, Israel begins to possess it, for part of their inheritance fell to them on that side Jordan.
All this proves to me that the point of this part of the book is life, and life brings in the thought of divine purpose. In the gospel God comes out and brings salvation to man. In receiving that testimony people do not understand the purpose of God. God is sovereign in the question of life, because it is of the purpose of His love. “As the Father raises up the dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom He will”. Thus God is sovereign in the question of life; but in the gospel, looked at as the revelation of God, He approaches everybody. The gospel is free to all, and the light shines to all. It comes out to man, irrespective of Jew or Gentile.
Now I desire to dwell upon the truth in these two lights, for I could not make this chapter clear otherwise.
[p. 183] The object of the gospel — the glad tidings of God to man — was to make God known to man. That is seen very clearly in Romans. God was approaching man in His grace with the object of making Himself known to man. Thus He reveals Himself in righteousness and love in the death of Christ, in order that, God being thus made known to man, the works of the enemy might be destroyed. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might undo the works of the devil”. It is clear enough that when the work of Christ comes home to a man’s heart, the work of the devil is undone for that man. He has power only because and where God is unknown.
It is thus that you get, in figure, the destruction of the enemy in the Red Sea, which was the figure of death as God’s judgment on man. But now death has become in Christ the expression of His love; and God having come near in that way, “commending his love”, we go to Him as to One who has come out, and come close to us in love. That is the way the truth works. When once it is apprehended that Christ has come down into death to give expression to God’s love, the work of the devil is undone. I do not now fear the accuser. No doubt the enemy accuses the people of God, but he accuses them to One who loves them. What is the value of an accusation in the eye of the One who loves us?
That is what is apprehended in the Red Sea. Other consequences come in: for example, deliverance from sin, and the order of priesthood. They come in in the line of light, and are God’s provision for a redeemed people in the wilderness. All this is connected with the light of God in the soul.
Now there is another line of truth that runs parallel with that. The gospel is not only that in which God has revealed Himself, so that the revelation [p. 184] should be light in the heart of man, but it is that by which God effects the purpose of His love; and the moment you bring in the purpose of His love you must bring in the thought of life. And if God had not had a purpose of love man would have had no hope. When man had resisted every overture on the part of God, and set himself in defiant opposition of God, the only hope that remained for him was in the accomplishment of God’s purpose. He had certain purposes to accomplish, and He comes out in Christ to give effect to the eternal purpose of His love. If we have “fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us”, the basis of that hope is the purpose of God, and there is no hope for man apart from that.
I refer to a few scriptures to substantiate this. My point is, that in a sense a Christian begins with the brazen serpent. Historically this comes after a great deal else in the Book of Numbers; but in the presentation of the gospel a Christian begins there — perhaps not consciously, but he does begin with it.
There are two distinct lines in regard to the gospel taken up in the New Testament. In Romans the gospel is presented as revealing God; in other parts it is presented as that by which God accomplishes His purpose. Wherever you have the latter you will find that the cross, as the anti-type of the brazen serpent, comes into view. In Romans 3, Romans 4, Romans 5, God is made known in righteousness, power, and love as set forth typically in the blood in Egypt and the Red Sea. But if we turn to 1 Corinthians, or to Hebrews or to 2 Timothy or to John, these all begin with the cross, that is, they begin with the condemnation of man’s state in the flesh, in order that God might be able to communicate the Spirit to man, to form him according to His purpose in another state.
[p. 185] Now, that is where God begins to accomplish His purpose. He has brought man’s state to an end in the cross of Christ to His glory, with the object that He might communicate the Spirit to man; and that the Spirit in the believer might, as a well of water, spring up in him to eternal life. That is not exactly the thought of God giving man light about Himself. The two lines appear to my mind to run parallel. If you take 1 Corinthians, for instance, the apostle recalls what he had preached among them, namely, “Jesus Christ, and him crucified”. That was the anti-type of the brazen serpent. He says, “I was determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified”. This is not exactly the thought of the Red Sea or of the blood in Egypt; not the glorifying in death of God’s attributes, but the demonstration and condemnation of man’s state in the flesh, in order that the Spirit might be communicated to the believer. In 1 Corinthians 1 the prominent thought is the cross; in chapter 2, the Spirit — the one is the consequence of the other.
Again, in John 3 we learn that the Son of man must be lifted up, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness”. And what follows on that is seen in John 4 in the Lord saying to the woman of Samaria: “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water”. In one chapter it is the Son of man lifted up, and in the next it is the consequent gift of the water which Christ gives, which there can be little doubt refers to the Spirit.
In the Epistle to the Hebrews we have the same in principle: Christ in the grace of God having tasted death for everything, there is the development of God’s purpose: God is “bringing many sons to glory”.
[p. 186] In 2 Timothy we find the testimony of our Lord, who has “annulled death and brought life and incorruptibility to light through the gospel”. How has death been annulled? I believe, in the condemnation of man’s state in the flesh of Christ. But at the same time “life and incorruptibility” have been brought to light. Where do they lie? For us, evidently, in the Spirit. Where can you get the idea otherwise than in the Spirit? You get this most distinctly brought out in Romans 8: “If Christ be in you ... the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he ... shall quicken your mortal bodies because of his Spirit that dwells in you”.
Now I hope I have made that plain, for the distinction is of the greatest moment. Both things are proof of the goodness of God. It is wonderful goodness that God should make himself known to man as He has done in the gospel; at the same time God has the purposes of His love, and He will accomplish them. And His love relates to man — “God so loved the world”. How God has come out to give effect to that is, in the first place by the condemnation of man’s state in the flesh in Christ crucified, and in consequence of that the impartation of the Spirit to the believer to be in him a well of water, springing up to eternal life.
I understand by Christ crucified the setting forth or demonstration before God of man’s true condition after the flesh. The true place of man at his best was the cross, as under the curse of a broken law. So Christ took that place as hanged on a tree — “The Son of man must be lifted up”. Having been thus set forth, death comes upon the state, “God condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8: 2). For the believer the blessed consequence was that God could give His Spirit. I refer again to Romans [p. 187] 8: 2 - 4. The Spirit was to come in. Where the law had been broken the righteous requirements of the law were to be fulfilled. And by whom? By the one who is after the Spirit.
Have you ever looked at the cross in that light? The Son of God became man, “made of a woman, made under the law”; but He never was in the real position of man until He went to the cross, for every man except Christ Himself was under the curse of a broken law. Death too was upon man. All those that the Lord moved among were under the curse. Christ took that place on the cross, and only there; He was lifted up that there might be the full setting forth of man’s true state and place. This was effected in the Son of God’s love so that His purpose of love might be accomplished: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have eternal life”. That work was effected when Christ died; and the blessed answer has been in the communication of God’s Spirit to man in order that man might be formed in a completely new state. That is where we begin as Christians.
I quite admit that having begun in that way we have need to learn the previous part of Numbers; but if we have accepted the testimony of the cross, and the Spirit has been imparted to us, it is clear that we have begun with what is typically set forth in Numbers 21.
The apostle had preached Christ in that way to the Corinthians: “Jesus Christ and him crucified”. He would set forth nothing less. He would set Him forth thus in order to bring out the sovereign purpose of God’s love: the condemnation of man’s state in nature, that He might impart the Spirit to man, leaving no place for man in the flesh.
There are three distinct types of the death of [p. 188] Christ: The blood in Egypt; the Red Sea; and the brazen serpent. They may be apprehended in detail, but you must remember that they all came to pass when Christ died. It was all one death, and when Christ died all was done as before God; and the apostle’s testimony was of Christ crucified. All had been effected in the cross that God might accomplish the purpose of His love. But if I have apprehended the cross, and the Spirit has been communicated, I must apprehend the other part of the truth of the gospel, the light of God, of His righteousness and power and love; and other lessons, the lessons of the wilderness, have to be learnt, such as the character of the scene in which I am, my weakness, the need of support and sympathy, in a word the need of priesthood. But these lessons may be learned by one who has already learned something of Numbers 21, that is, the truth of the brazen serpent. If we are in the position of the Corinthians we have to go back to learn them. They had to go back, I judge, to Romans in a sense. These lessons are of vital importance to us morally — I would not forego them for a moment. I would not be without the knowledge of God in His righteousness and power; and I would be conscious of my dependence upon Christ for support, so that I may bring forth fruit to God.
If it were possible to begin as in Romans 3 with the light of God, you might not have thus to go back; but the fact is that nine-tenths begin with what Numbers 21 presents, Christ crucified, man’s state condemned, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, of which the Lord speaks in John 4.
There are three principal points which come out in this chapter: First the lifting up of the serpent on the pole; then the springing up of the well; and finally the victory over Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. And yet the [p. 189] people were not really out of the wilderness as a place, for the wilderness is mentioned in the chapter; and moreover in John 3 the Lord says: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up”. They were not out of it as a place, but they were out of it as a course or order of dealings.
In the end of chapter 20 we had come to the end of the wilderness in a sense, for Miriam is dead and Aaron also. After that all was changed. We find in chapter 21 that whosoever looked lived; then there was the springing up of the wells of water, and finally victory over the two kings. In the doctrine of the New Testament you have the anti-type of it all in Romans 8.
The first part of the chapter involves as we have seen a very important point; that is, new birth. Many would say there is not a word about new birth in the chapter! but I am sure it is implied. There never was a person yet who looked at the serpent of brass and lived — who really believed on the Son of man lifted up — unless he was born again. That I have not a doubt about for a moment. I believe the looking to be the result of the work of God. The Lord brings this out in John 3. No one could appreciate the thought of the Son of God having come down from heaven (for that is the truth) and taking the place of sin upon the cross, without a work of God in his soul. I am confident that faith in the Son of man lifted up is the evidence of a divine work in the soul. If I were a gospel preacher I could go and preach the gospel to any one; but if you ask me whether a person can apprehend the Son of man come down from heaven, the only begotten Son of God taking the place of sinful flesh upon the cross, without a divine work in his soul, I answer, No!
The work of God has begun in making a person [p. 190] conscious that he is bitten. The people were deeply exercised about the matter, they felt the bites; they had as to themselves come out in a dreadful character: “our soul loatheth this light bread”. There was proved to be no affinity between man’s flesh and the bread of God which came down from heaven. That makes evident that there must be a work of God even for apprehension. “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”.
And now to come to the great point: “Whosoever looked lived”. You get the title to life here; but it is the way of it that I want to come to, and that is, that I live for God not as in the flesh but as in the Spirit. I do not live with God in my natural life so to speak, but in the Spirit. It is not in my natural life that the link with God is. It lies in the Spirit. So much so that scripture says, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his”. I may carry out natural things as one of those who live to God; that is right. Everything is to be done to the glory of God, “whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God”. But our life with God is not in eating and thinking, not in business or natural things, but in the Spirit; and if you want to live with God I think you must learn to distinguish yourself as, in that sense, apart from the flesh. I have a life in flesh, but my life with God is not there. I seek to fulfil every obligation of my life in flesh according to God; but I shall have to leave all these things. You must see that your life with God is in the Spirit, and that is apart from this scene. It is eternal. One of the most blessed things you can know down here is the ability to withdraw from all connected with the flesh, to live with God. The Christian delights to realise that he lives to God because his life is in the Spirit.
There is an appeal here, “Spring up, O well!” The water springs up from below. It was not water from the rock. It is the “nether well”, so to speak. The “upper well” is Christ; the nether well is the Spirit in the Christian. You get in Romans 8 “The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”; “the Spirit is life because of righteousness”.
Now I will tell you what the effect is; where it brings you. It brings you to Christ; that is the great point in life. The Spirit of life draws you to Christ in a new light; you begin to apprehend Christ as the revelation and expression of God’s purpose. I wish I could make this plain, for it is only in Christ that you apprehend life. You first know Him as Saviour and Lord; but in life you are drawn to Christ and know Him as the blessed expression of divine purpose. He is thus the illumination of the soul, and makes known now the Father’s love. He makes Himself known too as Head; as the Firstborn among many brethren, the many sons whom God is bringing to glory. I begin to apprehend Christ in that light because my soul is drawn to Him. If you want to know anything about eternal life you learn it in Christ. Sonship too you learn in Christ. He is the Firstborn among many brethren. And now my soul has life. The Spirit in me springs up to everlasting life. And the Spirit directs, leads, draws me; He compels me to Christ, so that I may apprehend in Christ the full blessed light of divine purpose.
And another thing comes to pass: I begin to follow Him and, to conquer, I come in contact with the opposition of the enemy, Sihon and Og. Conflict is with the powers of evil — the devil and the things he puts in your path, and these even before you get across Jordan; and what is the experience that results from it? That we are “more than conquerors through him that loves us”. All this [p. 192] is seen in Romans 8. You are conscious of Christ’s love, and are more than conquerors through Him. He is the intercessor, and through His love you are a conqueror. The devil will come against you in some shape or form, but you are conscious that nothing can separate you from Christ’s love; Christ intercedes, and thus you are more than conqueror through Him.
The power of the Spirit of life in you has acted in that way to draw you to Christ as the blessed light and expression of God’s purpose.
I am confident of the truth of what I am saying, that many of God’s people apprehend Christ as Lord and Saviour who have not apprehended Him as the blessed expression of divine purpose in regard to us. Scripture can say: “The Sanctifier and the sanctified are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren”. “The second man is out of heaven”, and “As is the heavenly, such are also the heavenly ones”. He is the pattern, the image or exact expression of what we are to be. He has become that, and is so made known to us, and the Spirit draws our souls to Him in that light.
I think the above are the three points that come out in this chapter: the serpent lifted up; the complete condemnation of man’s state in the cross of Christ; this is apprehended and accepted, and the blessed consequence is, that we live in the power of the Holy Ghost who dwells in us. This emancipates you, and the Spirit, the mighty power in you, directs you to the wonderful point, the blessed Christ Himself, as the revelation of divine purpose. I apprehend Him now. I can say: “He is the true God and eternal life”. I become conscious of His love, He intercedes for me, and I am upheld by His love. The great kings may come against us, seeking to terrify, but we are more than conquerors.
[p. 193] The apostle says, We are as sheep accounted for the slaughter; but he is persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You have come into a new region, into the region of divine purpose, and to the One who is the full and blessed expression of it. All is on the line of purpose and life.
If we have another opportunity I will touch on the prophecies of Balaam, which give us the elect people of God, the people who are to inherit the land.
May God give us to apprehend these things, and to have more understanding of them in His grace.