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A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

J.S.Gray

I just had the impression, beloved brethren, as to whether these three persons, one nameless, might present to us features of the kingly priesthood, the royal priesthood, for our encouragement. This section of Scripture is a dark one so far as king David is concerned, the one in the place of responsibility; but in those circumstances these persons are shining. I speak to myself as well as to my brethren, but the Spirit of God would stimulate us as to whether we can shine when conditions are dark publicly. I think that the secret of it is whether Christ is in our hearts, whether He means more to us than other things or other persons, whether we determine things by where Christ is and what He is thought of. So David does not shine well here, but while David in responsibility is not doing as he should, these persons shine; they continue to shine. They are not influenced adversely when conditions go wrong with those in responsibility. They continue because their hearts are right. If we apply it to our own time they are in principle governed by God's thoughts as to Christ, God's word.

I was thinking as to Urijah that he accepts self-sacrifice. Despite having permission from David to go to his house, he says, No, it is not the time for it; and he sacrifices self in view of committal to the conditions as they are in the testimony at the present moment. It is an attractive thing for us beloved to think about. Of course we know that he died for it. How humbling that David should be in this position! But the lesson that I thought might help us is to see how God has someone in reserve who will shine because he is faithful to the light that he has. And Urijah is very definite. That is one feature about these persons, that there is, you might say, a cutting definiteness about the things that they say, which shows that they are convinced about the ground they take. Urijah's presentation of the matter is as if to say, Why should you doubt that the thing I am doing is right? He states what the facts are as to the public conditions, and then he says "shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink" and so on, as if to say that he was convinced that no such thought should suggest itself to a rightminded person. And he stands by it despite the responsible person being not in accord with God's mind for the present moment. It seems to me that that is a feature of the royal priesthood as Peter speaks about it: "that ye might set forth the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness to his wonderful light", 1 Pet 2: 9.

Now this man in chapter 18 is nameless. It is perhaps a little difficult to understand. the detail of this whole section. I do not go into it all but there is the aspect that Absalom was usurper and ought to die; it has been pointed out that this particular part shows that God was dealing with the matter. God had in hand how Absalom was to be dealt with. David had given commandment which you might say was not exactly right, because Absalom deserved to die; but David had said something and this man was true to it. Joab had changed his ground; formerly he was wanting to bring Absalom back, but now he has changed his ground and he is all out to have Absalom slain, and to do it in his own way. But this man says "Though I should receive a thousand silver pieces in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son". And why was that? Because there was a word from the king and he stands by it. There are other aspects of this section, but it seems to me that that feature is a beautiful one that there is a man prepared to keep to the king's word. He stands in a public circumstance of confusion to a large degree, when the forest devoured more than the sword devoured - public conditions of extreme sorrow and loss of life. How we sorrow at the loss of those that are not enjoying the present blessing which the Lord is giving us! But the thing for us in conditions of extreme public sorrow, beloved, is to keep to the king's word, keep to what the Lord's commandment is, and His word. We should know it and keep to it. As I say, there are other things about this section, including the fact that Absalom must die, but God has the matter in hand; and this man shines, and remains nameless in shining, by standing firmly, with conviction, by the king's word. He gives, along with his statement, a challenge to Joab, it seems to me, that this word that he is standing by was given in Joab's own presence - Why are you not standing by the king's word, Joab? You might justifiably say that the reason for that was that Joab was governed, not by the king's word, but by personal consideration, by his own ambition in order to be perhaps, might we say, the one that finally dealt with this usurper. But what is the king's word, beloved? And here is an obscure man who is prepared to stand by it. Well, that in itself is a precious feature which I think should be attractive to us, that, whatever the difficulties may be, there are principles and there is the Lord's word. Beloved, how important and precious and valuable it is that we should stand by that!

Here is another man, Mephibosheth, who, in all the time the king has been absent, has not considered for himself at all. He has considered that he ought to act in mourning because of the absence of David, and now here he comes amongst those who meet the king on his return in view of entering into Jerusalem, coming over the Jordan on his return. I think that we have been instructed that David is not fully right in his judgment of Mephibosheth in this section, but Mephibosheth shines by simply standing by what he is convicted is right. He is standing true to his convictions as to the conduct that is fitting in the absence of Christ typically. He does not defend himself in the final part where David suggests that he is speaking rather much about his matters: "Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. And Mephibosheth said to the king, Let him even take all, since my lord the king is come again in peace to his own house". What a beautiful thing that is, that one should be prepared to give up anything, legitimate or otherwise, because his heart is governed the much more by the fact that the one he loves, the one he has been faithful to, is returning into his own place. As I say, we sorrow greatly at the fact that many brethren whom we have known and loved are missing practically the value of what in principle in this provisional time involves the return of the Lord Jesus into His own rights. We would seek to make increasing room for the Lord Jesus personally amongst us. Mephibosheth shines, and is present, lame though he be, on the return of the absent king. One would desire that these precious features of committal and faithfulness to Christ, which I think these persons represent, faithfulness in the absence of the Lord Jesus in our case may mar us more. Although Mephibosheth was deceived, and slandered, as he I think rightly says that he had been, yet, though he brings these things forward, he shines in allowing the possessions to go; and whatever David's decision about them was, whether against him or not, he allows them to go on the ground that his heart is committed to the fact that David has returned to his true place.

May increasingly the free place of the Lord Jesus in the circle of His own be what governs us, beloved brethren. The public situation is one of sorrow, the sorrow of so many lost, and the shame of Christ rejected publicly, but may these things govern us increasingly so that we might come out in these features that are so beautiful to the eye of heaven in the present time.

LONDON

5 January 1988

I am very sorry that, on account of his recent illness, it has been necessary to suspend the articles which Mr.Evershed has contributed to this periodical for the past fifteen years.

E.C.B.

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