THE BRIDEGROOM'S PRIESTLY TURBAN AND THE BRIDE'S JEWELS
THE BRIDEGROOM’S PRIESTLY TURBAN AND THE BRIDE’S JEWELS
I have in mind to speak of the bridegroom decking himself, as a priest, with the priestly turban. This fits in with the idea of the believer’s household, affording a place for the ark. The ark requires to be handled in a priestly way. In 1 Samuel 7 it says, “And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and hallowed Eleazar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah” (verse 1). And then the ark was taken out of Abinadab’s house in 2 Samuel 6, where they “set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was upon the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart” (verse 3). But then it says later, “Uzzah reached after the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen had stumbled. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God”. I refer to these scriptures to bring out the necessity for this priestly turban being donned by each bridegroom; that is, it should be donned in view of household functions.
The turban, or the high-priestly head covering, in Exodus, is a very distinctive part of the priest’s habiliments and had a golden plate on which was inscribed, Holiness to Jehovah. High-priestly service, of course, lay in the sanctuary. Hence the requirement that his head covering should be dedicated in holiness. It alludes to headship in Christ, of course, which is perfect. But the sons of Aaron also had head-caps; high caps they were called. Theirs did not have a golden plate with an inscription on it, but still, they would correspond with the [p. 49] head-dress of the high priests, the allusion being that the intelligence, the use of the head, should be in holiness. In nothing, I believe, are we more likely to transgress than in our minds, and particularly if we have good minds. The apostle Paul says to the Corinthians, “We all have knowledge, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies”, 1 Corinthians 8: 1. Indeed, Paul’s writings in his two letters to the Corinthians are marked by the use of the priestly turban. He was not a bridegroom, of course; but he presented Christ as the Bridegroom. Indeed he says to the Corinthians, “I have espoused you unto one man, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ”, 2 Corinthians 11: 2. He was, on Christ’s behalf, securing the bride in Corinth, and in doing so the priestly turban was in evidence. He used it, in principle, in the careful discrimination with which he ministered to these saints. He did not tell them everything he knew. In speaking to the Ephesians he enlarges on what he knew, saying he desired that they should know his knowledge of the mystery. There was one man who knew the mystery! The knowledge he had was not that which puffs up; indeed he speaks of being less than the least of all the saints. And in many ways this would appear, but particularly in his measurement and discrimination in the use of Scripture, in the use of knowledge, “For I did not judge it well to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified”, 1 Corinthians 2: 2. Think of a brother like that, not judging it well “to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified”. He would have in mind their tendencies and would save them from what they were prone to; vying with one another and puffed up because of their knowledge. So that the apostle determined to restrict himself so that they should not be damaged by imitating Paul. Otherwise, they may have said, Paul spread out everything! But in serving, it is not a question of [p. 50] telling people what you know; it is telling people what they need, after carefully determining what they do need, and presenting it to them insofar as you may, as the Lord gives grace for it. We are so likely to catch on to any display of a special intelligence. There should be no such thing as a parrot found in the assembly of God. That should have no place anywhere! The apostle says, “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies”. Edification is needed in all these things.
Well now, the bridegroom here, we are told, is clothed by Jehovah. It says, “I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with the priestly turban”, Isaiah 61: 10. The turban is what he puts on; “as a bridegroom decketh himself”. He is head, but his headship is priestly. It is not the mere exercise of mentality — knowing much — but priestliness enters into it. Otherwise there would be no room for the ark in the household. If the ark is to have a place in the christian household, there must be the priestly turban on the head of the bridegroom, that is, the husband. It is a question of headship. And how can I have a house according to God without headship? We cannot, dear brethren.
The Lord, in entering into one house, took the housefather’s place. There were two persons on the way to recovery; they had been on the wrong road, but He walked with them, and now they are getting into the right way, and the Lord took the housefather’s place. It is wonderful to ponder that scene at Emmaus! They constrained Him to come in, and He went in. How long it took to walk there I do not know, but the Lord was there with them and as the meal was placed on the table He gave thanks for it. We see the priestly turban in use [p. 51] there! And when they returned to Jerusalem, in the assembly, we might say, He stood in their midst. You see the priestly turban in use there, too. It was not much in evidence with the disciples, but He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. He had expounded the Scriptures in the way, but now He refers to the law and the prophets and the psalms — in the assembly. That is to say, He would open up their understanding in a priestly way; the turban would be in evidence, and the intention was that they should use it. So that we are to consider this matter as to our intelligence in our houses, as to whether it is used in a priestly way; that this knowledge is to function in a priestly way before our wives, and before our children, and before whoever may be in the house.
And then we are told, “and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels”. With her jewels! Now we get in Revelation the supreme thought of the bride — the bride of Christ. She comes down from God out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband. We are not told what the adornment is, but the point is that she is adorned “as a bride ... for her husband”. She has her Husband in mind. What adornment will the Husband value in that day? But here, the bride is said to adorn herself with her jewels. They are hers; they are not borrowed; they are hers! If we transfer the thought to spiritual adornment, that is not borrowed. Jewels are often borrowed and imitation is often used, but these are real jewels and they belong to the person. And if they are her own, spiritually, they will remain. One of them will be subjection, making full room for the influence of the priestly turban — the intelligence that is regulated by priestliness. It requires subjection. The church is subjected to Christ. Knowledge, developed in a priestly way, requires subjection in those who receive the instruction. So that clearly [p. 52] the jewels here would be what the bride has; certain qualities that are not merely natural; they are the fruit of the Spirit; they are her own! They are “her jewels”.
Well, I trust that these few words will be taken on by each of us who are householders; that our knowledge is not to be simply what we know, but that what we give out at any time should be in priestly power and grace. On the other hand, the wife is to be in subjection, and we shall have the display of the priestly intelligence, the priestly turban. And then there will be room for the ark in the house.
It would appear that there were priestly conditions in the house of Obed-Edom. There had been different conditions in the house of Abinadab on the hill. It was not that he sought the ark; it was put there by agreement among the men of Kirjath-jearim. It had been put in his house and his son Eleazar had been consecrated to keep the ark, but it is a question if the priestly turban was there at all. And I think that God passed judgment on the whole position in what happened to Uzzah. There was a want of priestly intelligence in regard to the ark, and hence the sorrowful judgment that came upon that house.
So that, dear brethren, it is important that we have the priestly head-dress; that there is the unfolding of the knowledge of God in a subjective way and that it is effective in the house. And then Christ has a place in the house, as in the house of Zacchaeus. He received the Lord into his house with joy. And the Lord recognised that Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham; that is to say, he was of that morally dignified line and recognised as such by the Lord Jesus Christ.
May the Lord bless His word!