GATHERING
[p. 128] GATHERING
John 11:49 - 52; John 12:32, 33; 2 Kings 2:1 - 14; 1 Chronicles 12:1; 1 Chronicles 12:23; 1 Chronicles 12:26 - 28
I wish to speak about gathering, a thought that runs through Scripture, and one that has a peculiar interest in the gospel of John, which has in view our own times in which the primary force of divine terms and instructions is lost. Terms which had special significance at the outset have lost their meanings, and have taken on a meaning which man by mere religious training is pleased to give them, and so the people of God have to learn the vocabulary of Scripture over again. In order that we should learn it in its primary significance we have to unlearn human definitions and discard them. What John presents to us shows that we have to learn them over again and to learn them from Christ, for He is the model and living expression of everything He presents in teaching.
We have such instruction also set out in the early part of 2 Kings, where it is said that Jehovah would take up Elijah by a whirlwind into heaven. As it was announced, every moment counted for Elisha, in order that he might learn all that was possible ere Elijah’s departure. He would have the living voice, the touch, and the influence of Elijah and specially so in relation to those places intimately connected with the testimony. Elisha represents the believer, and so in the light of Jehovah’s intent, they both being in Gilgal, Elisha moves first and Elijah goes with him. The initiative is with Elisha in this, realising the necessity of the moment. Afterward the initiative is with the Lord as represented in Elijah, for He would encourage every desire to move on our part.
The movements of Elijah are to remind us that the [p. 129] believer is to acquire an understanding of divine places and names direct from the Lord, who ever seizes the opportunity to be with us in it. It is as sure as can be that the Lord will go much further than we do. So Elijah goes to Bethel. The movement is to bring about attachment of the believer to Christ. If I begin to move the Lord will be with me and He would say, ‘Now that you are moving I will go ahead and lead you on’. He knows the way, so they go to Bethel. He now suggests to Elisha that he should remain there, for the Lord has sent him further. But Elisha says, “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee”; so they two went on. They go on together and at each place Elisha learns the true meaning of divine things. It is thus that the believer is taught the spiritual significance of divine things by the Lord.
John takes account of the movement of the Lord in the divine dwelling, with ourselves in it, for in chapter 1 when He saw two disciples following He challenges them as to what they were seeking, and then invited them to come and see where He dwelt. Never had such an experience of the divine dwelling been known before; the Lord Himself being in it. We have to learn these things from Christ, and we learn perfectly as we understand from Christ. So with the principle of gathering. John brings out in chapter 11 what is involved in the idea of gathering. There again the Lord leads the way. You will observe that the prophecy of Caiaphas, the high priest, did not include the thought of gathering; it was light from God, and it reminds us that God may even use a man who is not in sympathy with the testimony, but you will find that such a man will not go the whole way; he is sure to be national in his thoughts, for he can know nothing about the family of God. Caiaphas speaks about the nation and of one dying for the nation, but the Spirit of God goes on and as [p. 130] ever presents the complete thought, which involves the gathering of the family, the children of God. If our children migrate to other lands we do not connect them with the nation to which they go; they are our children, whether in Africa, America or Australia.
John, in writing his gospel, is concerned about the children, for the testimony has not taken a national form. It will revert to that, but it is not a primary thought or continuous, for it will eventually disappear in its national form. God brought in the national position in His ways in order to meet the conditions that had arisen in the world, but the primary thought of God is the family, the children. The Spirit of God, therefore, through John adds to the prophecy of the high priest, saying, “and not for the nation only, but that he should also gather together into one the children of God who were scattered abroad”, John 11:52. The Spirit of God speaks of the children, hence its application to the present time when the children are so scattered. The Lord died not only for the nation, but to gather together the children of God who were scattered abroad. He died to do that, so that as learning from the Lord, we learn the truth of the family over again and learn it completely. The shepherds of the present time should be feeding and gathering, but if I think of the shepherds of Israel, what are they doing? If I look abroad on the shepherds of the christian profession, those recognised in the religious systems, what are they doing about the children of God? I see little concern for them there, so I turn to the Lord to learn it over again. The official shepherds of the day speak of their own flocks, an unscriptural term, and I have to turn therefore to the Lord to learn about the family and how to gather the children of God. I learn it first by seeing that He died to gather them; I must learn from Him. He said, “he that gathers not with me scatters”. How many scatterers [p. 131] there are today! There are thousands of them and we can learn nothing from them, so we have to come to Christ and learn humbly from Him. John gives us the greatest thought, telling us that Christ died as the good Shepherd. He laid down His life for the sheep. As serving after that pattern, I learn that it involves the surrender of one’s life; one has to learn to give up one’s life in order to gather. In John 12 we have a thought that is parallel, that of attraction. This is another prominent feature with John, and so mighty is the power of attraction in Christ as a principle, that although He is presented in so ignominious a manner, a spectacle as seen at the cross, yet He draws all unto Him. In that external ignominy there is the greatest moral beauty which faith discerns, and if I am to correspond with that I need not to adorn myself in any human way, nor be concerned about human respectability; there must not be the slightest attempt to avoid shame or ignominy. He was lifted up in shame and yet He would draw all to Himself; such is the power of attraction, and this accounts for much in the testimony of God. We are entitled to reckon on the attractiveness of what is of God, as we accept the place of public shame and ignominy.
As we turn to Chronicles we see how the Old Testament is intended to amplify the New, and in the portion I have read we have the features of the gathered saints, those who are gathered according to the fashion of Christ. Let us look at the gathered saints and see if we are among them. We have David as a centre in Ziklag, in the stronghold, and in Hebron. This is an important chapter and would help us to see the component parts of those who are gathered and enable us to determine if we ourselves are gathered. The general feature at Ziklag is that they were helpers. They had come to David under adverse circumstances. Saul was still king, showing [p. 132] the presence of influences that pull on the flesh; and who is immune from that? Hence these men came to David against an adverse wind. Saul was still reigning and David had to defend himself from this influence, for it would dominate everything that was external. Yet these men came, even the brethren of Saul and Benjamin. They were the first to deny natural instincts and the best thing in nature, for that has to be relinquished. How easily one is influenced by one’s family! So the children of Benjamin came.
Among those who came to David in the stronghold were the Gadites; they were men of wonderful power. From Judah came those who were related to David after the flesh, which raised another peculiar difficulty. As today there are those who are outwardly related to Christ, the children of christian parents; so when these come, they are the only ones that David challenges. We may easily drift into external relationship with Christ and His people, and much of the weakness amongst us comes from this. David goes out to challenge them, for there must be no such people in the camp as are merely in outward relationship there on natural lines, for they will only betray Christ. So David says to them, “If ye come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if to betray me to mine enemies, God ... rebuke it”. It is a terrible thing to be in outward relation but not so inwardly. Simon Magus was one such, and the apostle said, “thou hast neither part nor lot” with us. Simon believed Philip and was baptised, but think of his offering money to get the Spirit! He had truly no part or lot, and he had not the Spirit. So Peter says, “Thy money go with thee to destruction!” Peter says “thou hast neither part nor lot”, Acts 8:20 - 21 although he believed outwardly and was allied with the saints. So David challenges them and the Spirit came upon [p. 133] Amasai. It is a question of the Spirit, otherwise we have no link with Christ or His people. Amasai’s is a most beautiful speech:
“Thine are we, David,
And with thee, thou son of Jesse:
Peace, peace be to thee!
And peace be to thy helpers!
For thy God helps thee”.
What brethren they were truly, how truly gathered! They came peaceably, not to spy out the liberty of the saints or to betray Christ. We need sons of peace; there can be no assembly formation without sons of peace. There is no doubt, now that Amasai speaks, for the speaking is by the Spirit, and it means peace. He recognised that David had his helpers, and that God helped, and David made him captain, for he was worthy of it.
At Hebron you will notice that the numbers of those who came are given. Saul is dead and that influence had ceased. It is not now the place of rejection. Colossians and Ephesians, which contemplate the thoughts involved in Hebron, suppose that that influence has been dealt with. Hebron is outside the world, and those there are looking into another world. How many of us are thus taken account of? The number is given of those who came to David to Hebron to transfer the kingdom of Saul to him. Did it ever come into your minds, dear brethren, that we are to have part in that, to transfer the kingdom, to take it out of the hand of Saul? As the apostle says, “As ... ye have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and assured in the faith”. Colossians 2:6 - 7 As we have received Him, we are to go on in faith, by which we are assured and introduced into God’s world. It is noticeable, too, that among all those thousands gathered at Hebron there are only two names given! There were many [p. 134] thousands gathered to David to transfer the kingdom, but only two persons are named; they are Aaronites. What men they must have been! There was “Jehoiada the prince of Aaron”, the leader of three thousand seven hundred, and there was Zadok, a valiant young man, and twenty — two captains. May I not suggest from this that what excels at Hebron is priesthood? We have in Romans 16 the longest list of worthies, such as are at Ziklag and the stronghold, but when we come to Colossians, whilst we get names mentioned, they are of those who are marked by priestly grace, and they excel. Paul himself, a prince, combated in prayer for the saints, and Epaphras a Colossian prays, prays earnestly.
It is to be carefully noted that Jehoiada and Zadok do not refer only to brothers; it is for brothers and sisters, for what is priestly refers to both. It is as we are known in heaven that we are in power here. He whose voice is heard oftener in heaven is better known there. So in Colossians it is to the end that the saints might be in faith as to the working of God. The more you pray the more you are known in heaven. So only the names of those known in priestly power are given at Hebron. It is to impress us with the great value of prayer. Hebron is an advance on Ziklag, for Hebron looks into God’s world. In Ephesians the apostle bows his knees to the Father. See how well he was known in heaven. His prayers were continually heard in heaven. In Colossians he says that he would have the saints know what combat he had for them. It is most important to have one’s name registered at Hebron, for it is as one excels in prayer.