CONSISTENCY

(Contributed by A. C. Craig)

The last of the twelve princes of Numbers 7, like all the others, exactly followed the example set out by the first. There was no deviation nor variation. He might have said, by the time it came for him to make his offering, ‘Let us have a change, a little variety’, but no, he kept to the pattern set by the first prince, without novelty or innovation. How unlike the leaders of Christendom, each following the bent of his own will, purporting to offer to God what he has conjured up himself. The twelve princes, all offering the same, shows that God never tires of Christ; no matter what the measure may be, if it is Christ He will accept it. Twelve days the same thing; Christ every day: God will not tire to eternity of appropriating Him and His excellency.

But one great principle shows in all this, and particularly in what the offerings were in themselves, and that is the principle of consistency the fine flour mingled with oil, speaking of what is seen in wondrous perfection in Jesus. That is seen too in the incense, perfect and fragrant. There were two vessels full of fine flour mingled with oil, both were silver, a larger and a smaller one, the first called a dish and the second a bowl. That holding the incense was a cup of gold. Then come the animals. This is one of the rare offerings where the flour of the offering comes before the beasts. This is very remarkable.

Being princes they would represent what is spiritual and that would mean intelligence as well as power. The only ‘regulation’ governing these twelve princes is that from God Himself to Moses, “And, Jehovah said to Moses, They shall present

their offering for the dedication of the altar, each prince on his day” (Numbers 7: 11). The composition and order of the items were of themselves, only the matter of it taking twelve days for the offering was God’s direction. It would mean that God’s delight in Christ and in the spiritual exercises of His people means so much to Him that He will have it extended over the whole twelve days. The hymn says, ‘Gladly prolong we this wonderful theme’ (Hymn 43). The same wealth would have been there just the same if all had been offered on the one day. No, says God, we will have it prolonged. There is an eternity of delight for the Father in the ever-blessed Man who is before Him, and He would draw His people into the continuing and constant and consistent perfections of the One in whom He finds His delight and pleasure.

The weight of the dishes determined their capacity, not their size, or, rather, their size was determined by their weight. The silver vessel of Luke 7 was measured by that woman’s weight. Simon said of the Lord, “This person if he were a prophet would have known who and what the woman is who touches him, for she is a sinner”—“who” and “what”. The Lord proceeds to bring out these two things in the woman. “Who”, would be personality seen in

‘Seest thou this woman?’, “She has washed my feet”; “She … has not ceased kissing my feet”; “She has anointed my feet with myrrh”. Then the “what” is the substantiality seen in her tears, her hair, and her myrrh. A fine silver vessel!—what a capacity to love! flowing from her appreciation of the Saviour treading the way to Calvary to be the Redeemer. She loved much because forgiven much.

Then the dish and the bowl had to be full of fine flour mingled with oil. Not in this instance one tenth, or two tenths, or three tenths or, as we have sometimes, a handful; no, the dedication gift

of the altar had to be a full measure. Only such would be worthy of such an Altar. He who gave His all—He gave Himself.

Now as to consistency, this is what is seen very particularly in the fine flour. The twelfth prince was consistent with the first in the presentation of the offering in the order of the items, but in the fine flour we have intrinsic perfection suggested, the perfections of Jesus excellent perfection, a perfection suited to the excellent glory! It needed no refining; it was already infinitely perfect. “Meek and lowly in heart”—Matthew presents the King. The devoted, un-murmuring Hebrew bondman with His ear bored to the door—that is Mark’s gospel. The fineness of the flour mingled with oil is in Luke, where the patient, dependent consistency of “the holy thing” is seen in every moment of His holy and subject life, “The mind which was in Christ Jesus”. In John, He is altogether that which He said He was. The perfection of His manhood in John is seen in that, alongside His indisputable rights in Deity, there was ever the acknowledgment of His submission to His Father and His will—“My food is that I should do the will of him that sent me, and that I should finish his work” (John 4: 34).

He was ever the same; if He was indignant (Mark 10), or angry (Mark 3), it was righteous. If He was amazed and deeply depressed in spirit (Mark 14), He was perfect and subject. There was never any irritation or impatience, no moods or whims, ever the evenness and unruffled perfection of a spirit in abiding communion with His Father. John in his first epistle chapter 3

says, “He is pure” (1 John 3: 3), “He is righteous” (1 John 3: 7); not was, but is—the constant, abiding state. The incidents, or conditions, of anger or indignation or deep depression made no difference. He is ever pure and righteous. Let us feed on Him in the gospels.

Perhaps we should read the account of His trial, death, and resurrection first, then go to the beginning and study those qualities of perfection in manhood seen in perfect detail in His every movement. As thus filling our vessels, we come with further dedication to the altar in appreciation of His precious redemptive death, and there will be the expression of a steady consistency which is in keeping with the fine flour mingled with oil.

The gold cup was also to be full, full of incense, the appreciation on the part of the prince of the fragrance and sweetness to God of the manhood of Jesus. In a world of corruption and evil He was ever fragrant to God. Mary in John 12 was a prince with a cup of gold full of incense. Her appreciation of the Altar shone in her dedicated and devoted act in anointing the feet of Jesus. This incense was not in relation to the altar of incense, or the golden altar as it is called, but rather the brazen altar, that of sacrifice and suffering. The cup of gold would refer to the quality and value of the work of God found in His people, that of new creation by the Spirit. It was to be full, and the vessel of each prince would carry his own impress; that is as it should be; God delights in that. So while the substance is always the same—Christ—the fact that it is coming through different vessels adds to God’s pleasure.

The fact of all this coming in before the animals are offered shows that we should contemplate the perfect Man in His holy life prior to His offering Himself spotless to God, and feed on Him ourselves and become princes, consistent and constant, able to serve God on our day.

Airdrie