MAN ACCORDING TO GOD
[p. 307] MAN ACCORDING TO GOD
1 Corinthians 16:13; Numbers 7: 1 - 17
Man according to God is what I have before me. As in the days when the apostle wrote, the need of men in Corinth was urgent, so it is now. Abroad in the world today there is a desire, a need of a man. The thought is very vague in men’s mind, as to how a man may take hold of the world’s affairs. In the mind of the believer there is no desire for a man with six fingers and six toes who can do wonders hitherto unknown. Believers have found the Man, known Him, know where He is, know that He is available. “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things”, Acts 3:21. He was seen going up. As two men said, “this same Jesus ... shall so come in like manner” Acts 1:11. Stephen sees Him standing. Paul speaks of Him as sitting there. Faith understands, faith knows the Man that has come and gone and will come. “He that shall come will come, and will not tarry” Hebrews 10:37. We have no enigma in regard to public affairs. It is with us a question of the kingdom and patience in Jesus. In Revelation 1:10 John became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. He saw Jesus in judicial garb implying that He would deal with the conditions of revolt in the professing body. It is of greatest importance that if we have part in the privileges of the assembly, it is as adjusted as to the revolt in the professing body. At the end of the book of Revelation we get “I Jesus” Revelation 22:16. Believers understand. The Spirit and the bride say, Come. That ‘say’ is not merely a doctrine. It is the antidote against the rising thought of the need of a man.
Man in the sense of Corinthians, context to verse 13,
[p. 308] are not to be children but men, that is men in contrast to being undergrown; the Corinthians were the latter. Paul was not able to speak to them as spiritual but as babes. The Corinthians were behind, not only publicly — their relations were wrong, they were unequally yoked, and other things marked them dishonouring the Lord. They were misbehaving as gathered. The most serious evil is evil working in the immediate presence of God. So at Corinth at the Supper, they behaved as ill-trained children; this is serious. Uzziah became leprous because of the unpriestly conditions in which he assumed to approach God. In chapter 14 it says, “In malice be babes” 1 Corinthians 14:20. The figure would imply that a babe cannot express malice. Malice hidden in the heart and its brother envy are as cruel as the grave. “In your minds be grown men”; there is need of it in the things of God. The apostle reaches the height of a man in Christ. He could speak of one only, one is enough to serve as a sample. But God is not satisfied with one. He has His number. There are no indefinite multitudes in relation to the counsel of God. There are no limits placed on those who may avail themselves of the gospel, but before in Revelation we have the idea of an exact number — a hundred and forty-four thousand. The number will be complete. Those who know God agree to that. One only will not do for God. He will have myriads. In Paul we have the idea of man in Christ which is a general thought. He said he had been caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. The object is to reflect on the state in Corinth, the state prevailing being in contrast to a man in Christ, answering to the Man gone up. The apostle was in perfect correspondence with that Man. Jesus is not satisfied with babes, there is need of growth that we may no longer be babes. We are too long at that. Might we know how to find our place in the body, which edifies itself.
[p. 309] In wilderness conditions normal growth is tested to the full, the wilderness is a scene of opposition and contrariety. Numbers tells us of the man Moses, expressly when he was tested by Miriam his sister and Aaron his brother. This envy tests stature to the limit. The Lord stood that test, and thousands have stood it since; giving way is defeat. Miriam and Aaron were older than Moses, their age must have been a continual test to him. Flesh would regard status, education, age. In this case it is Miriam the sister. Moses’ marriage was the excuse to complain, it would be degradation to Miriam. Why complain? ‘What humbles us, helps us’, that remains true. It was unfair. Moses never would deny the service of Miriam. She is definitely called a prophetess. The flesh attacks what is of God. It is not that little bit of pride of yours Satan is concerned about. Satan thinks of the upsetting of the peace of the assembly. Moses said in Numbers 11, “Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets” Numbers 11:29. In chapter 12 the man Moses is spoken of as the meekest man; this in Numbers has a voice to us, in a scene of contrariety where the order of the assembly has to be maintained by men and women after the order of heaven, men and women of different nationalities maintaining the truth of the assembly.
In the first chapter of Numbers we get the idea of numbering. Twelve men were selected, renowned men, heads of tribes — heads spiritually, not appointed in an arbitrary way. It is what the man is, having attained moral influence, moral weight. We are to know those who rule, who lead, and we are to be subject to them. Persons who accept responsibilities, who have moral weight, brethren recognise them for the peace and growth in the local companies. Their condition is in keeping with their position as presented in chapter 7:1,2. We have to look at the passage in relation to the antitype to get the gain of it. We [p. 310] have to see that the princes offer in relation to the most dignified thing, the tabernacle. Hebrews tells us of the more perfect tabernacle. That is what we are to serve in relation to, the greater tabernacle taken out of the realm of men, seen at Jerusalem at Pentecost and at Ephesus when Paul was there. The details are given in chapter 7: 2 as to the princes. Princes of Israel refers to their general position, elsewhere they are called the nobles of Israel, they are princes spiritually. Heads of the house of their fathers brings in the local position. Princes of the tribes, they are over them that were numbered — this is only possible by the presence of the Holy Spirit forming us in relation to the Pattern — Christ as seen in the gospels. They are great men, they are named. They are offering in unison, doing it together, there is no rival spirit — a wagon for two, two and two, covered wagons, a comely state of things covered over. God gives an express command in verses 4 and 5. “Take it of them”. God is delighted with these men. They were brought directly to Moses divisibly on the principle of eight and four, the remarkable divisibility of the number twelve. In verse 9 we get what is most spiritual, it has to be carried on their shoulders, too precious to be put on wagons. And what will touch you is the offering for dedication of the altar, most precious to God; every prince is to have a day. God said, ‘I am so pleased, I wish to see one of them a whole day’. Each prince has his day. It is a question of what is so delightful to God. God has twelve long days. There are no short cuts by the Spirit of God in these offerings. It is a question of persons “conformed to the image of his Son” Romans 8:29. Eighty-nine verses are given to the matter. God delights in His own production. They offer what speaks of Christ. Silver charger and silver bowl full of the perfection of Christ, every one of them engaged with Him. They have renounced the flesh, they no longer [p. 311] live to themselves. The spoon of ten shekels of gold, suggests what is of God. Note how matured the animals are, one young bullock, one lamb of the first year, maturity except in the kid of the goat for the sin-offering; meaning although sin had to be dealt with, they are not occupied with it. It is the excellencies of Christ they are occupied with. We do not undervalue His precious work, it brings out His excellencies. God would bring us to His princely state of things — God’s part in Christ and our part in God. It is dependent on growth. Nothing that is presented in Scripture is impossible. It is a question of facing it, renouncing the flesh and the hidden things of darkness.