HIGHWAYS
D. L. Stewart
Psalm 84: 1–12; 2 Timothy 2: 22
The only connection that I see between these two scriptures relates to the reference to “the highways”—“they, in whose heart are the highways”. This is a beautiful psalm; it would relate to the time of Israel’s recovery. Scripture is full of the thought of Israel’s recovery.
What a day it is going to be for divine Persons!—a day that we ought to have in our thoughts and conversations. Those that love the Lord are interested in what He has in Israel and especially in the time of her recovery. The sons of Korah head the psalm, the idea of recovery and the basis of mercy. Everything is to be secured on that basis, whether now or then.
I am impressed with the attractive features that come into the psalm—“How amiable are thy tabernacles”, it says, and then it speaks about “the courts of Jehovah” and of appearing
“before God in Zion” and of “the house of my God”. These, dear brethren, are attractive features connected with the recovery. It is a privilege to know something of them, of a line of things that is unique to the time that we are in. These things which have been, and will be, literal in Israel highlight to us the greatest possible privileges of christianity—God’s tabernacles, and that He should desire to be near to man in undisturbed conditions. He is going to tabernacle with men in the day of God, yet to come, but He would have us to have these things in our hearts. The psalm speaks of what is in the heart, “the courts of
Jehovah”—what an attractive thought that is! Think of the saints gathering and assembling, as they did in those days past, assembling in “the courts of Jehovah”; “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness”.
The way into these things is evidently through these verses 5 to 7. It speaks about “the valley of Baca” (‘weeping’) and it says, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee ... They go from strength to strength”. What a comfort it is to us, beloved brethren, that out of the greatest weakness and the greatest sorrow there should be the element of strength, strength that would lay hold on God. Circumstances naturally might seem impossible but “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee—they, in whose heart are the highways ... They go from strength to strength—each one will appear before God in Zion”.
Divine highways are in these persons’ hearts. That would be the basis of the recovery in Israel’s day. The principles that applied then are the principles that apply now, that recovery is on the basis of divine principles; persons realising what is right and doing what is right is the basis of all recovery. These highways are in their heart. It is a remarkable thing that God had put them in their heart. It is not that they are coming back to conform to an order of rule exactly—although that is so, of course—but God works in the heart. He writes His law there; He writes it in hearts. It speaks to us, of course, of the necessity with us of having hearts that are material for the divine writing. This is what God would do by the Spirit; the apostle says that that is the way He works, and they (Israel) come back because divine principles are in their hearts.
That is the basis of Israel’s recovery and ours.
Now I wanted to refer to these four divine highways in 2 Timothy; these are the highways of the recovery—“righteousness, faith, love, peace”. There may be more, of course—there are more; but Paul gives us these in the very place where he speaks of the way of recovery.
Righteousness, I understand, is simply what is right. I think I got that from Mr. Newlands of this city many years ago and I do not think it can be bettered. It has been one of the great divine highways right from the start. The setting of things in order creationally demonstrated the great principle of righteousness in God’s mind—the sun and the moon and the stars, and the days and the times, are an illustration of the great feature of righteousness. Then as breakdown comes in in the history we have “righteous Abel” (Matthew 23: 35); we have a man at the very start marked off as being righteous. He did the only righteous thing that a man could do. Shut out of the garden, sin lying upon man, he comes to God with a sacrifice which spoke of Christ. He did what was right. Think of God looking upon him; it says that
“Jehovah looked upon Abel” (Genesis 4: 4); God saw there one man who understood His mind and did what was right.
We come to Abraham; the world in idolatry, away from God. God shut out, and false gods.
Abraham obeyed God. God called him and he obeyed. He did what was right. Of course, the Lord Jesus is the supreme scriptural example of it; He loved righteousness, suffered for righteousness, suffered because He would not be diverted—from what was right, “for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness”, Matthew 3: 15. As we all know, and it has often been said, the only right thing to do in the midst of the confusion of 2 Timothy days is to
“withdraw from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2: l9). That is
right; and to separate from vessels to dishonour, that is also right, the apostle sets it out for us.
We had a word here recently as to the way that the Lord had made provision for all time, for all the exigencies of the testimony, and He makes this provision, and the only right thing is to follow this and withdraw from iniquity and separate from vessels to dishonour. You might almost say that this verse I read comes in after the crisis, after recovery in a sense has been achieved as far as the passage goes. But unless these divine highways are maintained with us, unless we are among those that love righteousness—love what is right—there is bound to be a weakening. The enemy will bring in a weakening. We might maintain that we stand on the ground of what is right, positionally right, and yet we might not apply it in our own circumstances, and allow the deviating and destructive effects of the enemy’s activities that would introduce something, no matter how small it might be, that was not right. Well, we have to be right. This passage would apply to our assembly relations. Our matters in the fellowship are to be right. Assembly matters, assembly judgments, assembly relationships, are to be right; in spite of all the weakness and all that the enemy has brought in, the word is plain to us that we are to pursue righteousness, to do what is right, no matter what others may do.
Then, of course, if we are following righteousness we shall certainly need faith. These four things would go together. It is not that one is exactly first although righteousness, of course, is the leader. Righteousness is the main matter—and then we need faith—“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee”. The following of righteousness, doing what is right, involves sorrow and difficulty, involves facing problems, and suffering,
but “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee”. There is faith in God that, in spite of all the weakness and all the outward circumstances. He will stand by what is right. He always has done and always will do.
Then love enters into it. We do not put love first. Some might seek to do it, but it is
“righteousness, faith, love ...” Love would know how to express divine things, to express righteousness in such a way that it is attractive, so that it cannot but be accepted. If a thing is right, and if love is in it, then at any rate it is presented rightly. The apostle speaks of love having long patience and being kind and of love never failing. That is to say, love will do what needs to be done and do it rightly. We cannot judge what is right exactly by the way it is done, but the scriptural thought would be that things are held rightly and that things are done in love (1 Corinthians 16: 14).
Peace, of course, is a great feature that is to mark the dispensation. It is what comes in as righteousness is pursued and as faith and love are operating; then peace will certainly be enjoyed. It is not going to be peace at any price. It is not going to be taking the easy way for the sake of peace. There is a way that is right and it is bound to result in peace—“And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever”, Isaiah 32: 17.
May we be encouraged as to these great highways. May they be in our hearts and may there be no deviation in relation to them, but going from strength to strength in relation to these exercises. May the Lord bless His word.
Word in meeting for ministry, Edinburgh
24 July 1979