THE HISTORY OF GOD'S WAYS
THE HISTORY OF GOD’S WAYS
I need hardly say that this scripture primarily applies in a very distinct way to Israel, but the scope of any scripture often goes far beyond its particular interpretation. The Spirit of God takes occasion in many scriptures to set forth great principles which have a wide range of application. This is one of the most striking evidences of the inspiration of Scripture. If we find thus in the first book of the Bible a prophetic statement which not only has its particular application to Israel, but which indicates the whole history of man in ruin and failure, and alongside that the whole history of God’s ways in grace, it makes us very conscious that the Scriptures are divinely inspired.
In the first place we get a group of three — Reuben, Simeon, and Levi — in connection with whom is set forth the state of man as fallen under the power of evil. What characterises Reuben is the impetuosity of lust — “impetuous as the waters” in lust and self-will. Then Simeon and Levi are marked by cruelty and anger; so that we get in these three the two great elements of the energy of evil — corruption and violence. These are the characteristics of the natural man. It has been true of us all that we have been to a large extent characterised by lust — that is the desire to gratify ourselves without reference to the will of God. The ruling thought with us was to give effect to our own will. Then if anything comes in to interfere with this it awakens anger. Many a man seems very amiable as long as he is getting his own way, but if something comes in to cross his purpose he becomes angry, and, so far as he has opportunity, cruel.
Man, the fallen sinner, having become thus characterised by lust, anger, and cruelty, has forfeited God’s favour, and become liable to death and judgment. If blessing comes in for man it must be in pure grace.
In connection with Judah we see foreshadowed the One by whom God’s grace has brought in every blessing for man in victorious power. It is by “the Lion of the tribe of Juda” that God has brought in blessing for those who had forfeited everything. “Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies”. That is victorious power.
[p. 6] We have fallen under the power of evil and unless that power could be completely overthrown we must have remained under it for ever. But the power of God in grace, through our Lord Jesus Christ, has proved itself to be infinitely greater than the power of evil. The Lord said, “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils”, Luke 11: 21, 22. Before the Lord began His ministry of grace in this world He met every temptation that the devil could present, and proved absolutely victorious. No power of evil could touch that Holy One of God. Satan could find no point of weakness in that Blessed One; he was obliged to retire vanquished and weaponless from the contest.
Then it is very striking to see that having met and overcome the power of the devil in this way the Lord Jesus could go into the synagogue at Nazareth and open the book of God’s grace for man. Morally speaking, no one had ever been able to open that book before. Never before had there been one on earth who could say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; ... he hath sent me ... to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord”, Luke 4: 18, 19.
It seems to me that in this we get a kind of foreshadowing of Christ’s full victory over Satan’s power, and of its results in blessing to men. It was at the cross that Satan’s power was completely annulled. It was there that the Lion of the tribe of Judah “prevailed”. When John wept because no man was found worthy to open the book (Revelation 5), one of the elders said to him, “Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof”. Not that this is the book of grace. Far from that, it is a book the opening of which brings judgment upon those who have neglected Christ. The point I draw attention to is that it is opened by One who has “prevailed”. He is entitled to give effect to all the mind of God whether brought about in grace or through judgment.
At the present time all is pure and infinite grace, established for men in victorious power. Divine grace has visited this earth in power for the overthrow of all the power of evil, so [p. 7] that full blessing might come to the children of men. Christ has bruised the serpent’s head. Though it is true that He was crucified through weakness, yet that weakness was the mighty power of God for the overthrow of the power of evil. He could say, ‘I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again’. He has broken the might of evil, and annulled him who had the power of death. As David prevailed over Goliath so has Christ prevailed by His death. So that in Luke 24 we see Him opening the book of grace — expounding in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. He had “prevailed” that He might open out all the grace of God for man’s blessing. “It behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”, Luke 24: 46, 47.
“Thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies”. Every evil principality and power has been spoiled. Christ is victorious and triumphant. And He is exercising His power now from the right hand of God to subdue to Himself in grace those who have been His enemies. He subdued His great adversary Saul of Tarsus and led him in triumph. And He has done the same for tens of thousands who once refused to bow the knee at His Name. We may well say, ‘Hallelujah! What a Saviour!’ “He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?” (verse 9). The thought of unchallenged supremacy seems to be suggested in these words. At this moment Christ is in unchallenged supremacy at “the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him”, 1 Peter 3: 22. The only creature who does not own the supremacy of Christ is fallen and lost man. Hence that solemn word: “He that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him”, John 3: 36. But ere long every knee will have to bow at His Name. The supremacy of the Lord Jesus will have to be owned by every heavenly, earthly, and infernal being, Philippians 2:9-11.
Every blessing that God has for man is made good in that risen and glorified One, and God is working by His Spirit to bring man to believe on Him and to bow to Him. “Thy father’s children shall bow down before thee”. When the Lord Jesus was here people had many different opinions [p. 8] about Him. Some thought Him a deceiver, others a good man; some would have given Him a prophet’s place, others would have made Him a king. Under the influence of His miracles many believed on Him for a time. But how few really bowed down before Him! How few there were who could truly say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast words of life eternal; and we have believed and known that thou art the holy one of God”. John 6: 68, 69. Those who bowed down to Him were His Father’s children.
The blind man in John 9 was one of His Father’s children. He was not ashamed to confess the One who had given him sight: and consequently he was cast out of the synagogue. When the Lord found him He said unto him, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him”, John 9:35-38. He bowed down before the Son of God; he was one of His Father’s children. The children of God are known by this, that they receive and bow down to Christ (John 1: 12, 13).
“Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: his eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk” (verses 11, 12). These verses speak of plenitude of blessing. The language is figurative, and has earthly blessing more particularly in view, but I think we may apply the principle of it to ourselves. Full blessing has been brought in for us by Christ and in Christ. God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. The full blessing of God is established in a risen and glorified Christ, and it is in Him for all those who bow down unto Him. God does not deposit blessings in us, but He brings us into the light and joy of those blessings which are established in Christ.
If Christians generally got a deeper sense of this it would remove them far from sectarianism and also from individualism. They would find all their blessing and joy in Christ, and they would feel instinctively that every saint participated in the same blessings. If you realise that you are enriched and fully blessed in Christ, and I realise the same thing, we cannot avoid being drawn together. There is a spiritual bond between [p. 9] us; we are in a unity of blessing — blessing that is not in ourselves, but in that holy and divine Person who sits as a glorified Man at the right hand of God.
We read of several individuals in Scripture who spoke of Jesus as “My Lord”. Elizabeth says, “The mother of my Lord”, Luke 1: 43. Mary says, “They have taken away my Lord” (John 20: 13), Thomas says, “My Lord and my God” (John 20: 28), Paul says, “Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3: 8). As one’s soul realises that every blessing is established in Christ and administered through Him, one says to Him by the Holy Spirit, “My Lord”. But in the very fact of saying this we come into fellowship in heart and spirit with all those on earth who are also by the Holy Spirit saying, “My Lord”. Suppose the four saints above mentioned had come together, could they not have said in deep reality, “Jesus Christ our Lord?” God has called us “unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord”, 1 Corinthians 1: 9.
Judah becomes a gathering centre for his brethren and for the peoples, “Thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise”; “thy father’s children shall bow down before thee” (verse 8); then in verse 10, “Unto him shall the gathering of the people be”. The One in whom all divine blessing is established must be the Centre for the company of those who are blessed in Him. Hence in the mind of God there is but one company of saints — one Shepherd and one flock. The Lord Jesus died that He might gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. It is by being attracted to the Shepherd that the flock is kept together in unity — not by the walls of a fold. He has appropriated us for Himself. In John 10 He speaks of “my sheep”, in chapter 12 “my servant”, in chapter 13 “my disciples”, in chapter 15 “my friends”, and in chapter 20 “my brethren”. We are “his own”, and He is entitled to hold us by the attraction that is in Himself so that we may be kept in unity.
Then in connection with Zebulun, Issachar, and Dan, I think we see indicated the way by which Satan seeks to divert men from the blessings which have been brought in by grace in victorious power. The same power that took man away from innocence is active still to move men away from the blessings of grace. You see in the early chapters of the Acts how quickly selfishness and self-interest came in to divert souls, and the same thing has continued to work wherever the [p. 10] light of Christian blessing has gone. Where the light of Christianity has come people are not so much diverted by violence and corruption as by self-interest.
Those who were invited to the great supper — a supper figurative of the festivity of heavenly grace — would not come because they were held by their own interests, not wrong things. The wrong was that they attached more importance to their own interests than to the feast of heavenly grace. This is the great snare of multitudes in Christendom, and the form in which the power of evil holds them. Even of believers Paul had to say, “All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s”. If our own interests become dominant with us we shall most surely be diverted from all that is established in a risen and glorified Christ.
I make these remarks in connection with Zebulun. Read verse 13. The sea in Scripture is usually a figure of the restless and disturbed state of things which sin has brought about. In the new earth there will be no more sea. Then Zidon is a type of the world. So that I think here we have suggested the thought of people becoming engrossed in business, and in pursuing their own interests coming down to the level of the world! How ruinous is this to soul-prosperity! How many have we known whose spiritual career has been blighted by the pursuit of their own interests! Do you think a man can prosper in divine things if business and money-making are his chief interest? Beware of letting your heart become a “haven for ships”, and of having your “border unto Zidon!”
It may be said, ‘We have to get our living, and to provide for our families, and so on’. Yes, that is quite right, but the point is, What rules in your heart? Does business take precedence of divine things with you? With some business is the absorbing interest, and the Lord’s things are put in a corner, but this is the highroad to spiritual poverty.
Then in Issachar I think we see a figure of those who want to have an easy time of it in the world. “He saw that rest was good”. He would like to please God, and at the same time keep on good terms with men. But these are “two burdens” which no man can carry at the same time. The one who thinks to have an easy time in this way will find out his mistake. Many have tried to carry these two burdens, but [p. 11] no one ever succeeded. Peter tried it once, and had to smart for it (Galatians 2).
In Dan we see the final issue of decline and departure. The man who is ruled by self-interest and a desire for ease here is likely to become an adversary of the truth in a time of crisis and difficulty. A Demas often becomes an Alexander (2 Timothy 4: 10, 14). How solemn it is to think of this! And we are all liable to turn aside in this way. If we realise this, what effect will it have upon us? It will surely cast us upon God.
When the patriarch Jacob came to this point he broke off, as it were, to exclaim, “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord”. In prophetic picture the declension and departure of the people was before him and the question seemed to arise, Will there be no recovery? Are they to be altogether drifted away from what is of God? In presence of this he exclaimed, “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord”. Ah! it is this we need, whether for preservation or recovery. The power of God’s salvation becomes a special necessity in an evil day — a day of departure and apostasy.
The more conscious we are of the power of evil against us the more we turn to God for His salvation. In view of the dark days which were coming at Ephesus Paul said, “I commend you to God”. To Timothy he said, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”. There was a moment when all forsook him, but at that moment the Lord stood with him and strengthened him. He proved in the evil day the power of divine salvation. And if we are to stand and overcome in an evil day it must be in the power of God’s salvation. God can deliver His saints from all evil. If I have a tendency to be occupied with my own interests, or to settle down here, I need God’s salvation to preserve me. His salvation comes in to deliver us from the power of what is evil so that we may enjoy the wondrous things which He has freely given to us.
The result of God’s deliverance coming in is seen in the next three tribes. First, the saint is made an overcomer. “Gad, a troop shall overcome him; but he shall overcome at the last”. When we have tried to go on in our own strength we have been overcome, but when we wait for God’s salvation He makes us overcomers. If a saint has been overcome, and afterwards becomes an overcomer, it is clearly by the special grace of God. We see this in many of God’s saints and servants — [p. 12] Job, Jacob, David, Peter, Paul. Each overcame at the last. If a saint “fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand”, Psalm 37: 24. So he can say, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me”, Micah 7: 8. What precious grace is this!
If we are conscious of the power of evil that seeks to move us away from our true blessings we shall cry to God for His salvation, and the effect will be that He will make us overcomers. God is able and willing to do this. If we have been overcome again and again, that shows how necessary it is to wait for God’s salvation.
Then the overcomer enjoys his portion according to God’s purpose and grace. “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties”. We get satisfaction; we enjoy the fatness of God’s house, and can dispense it to others. A satisfied heart is a wonderful example of what God’s grace and power can do for man. But there must be the overcoming before there can be the overflowing. When Paul was in prison his bread was fat, and he yielded “royal dainties”. So that all the saints ever since have been nourished and sustained by the spiritual food sent out from that prison at Rome.
The overcomer and the satisfied one is the one who walks in true liberty. “Naphtali is a hind let loose”. As we enjoy what is of God we are set free from what is of man, and of the world and the flesh. God would have us to be free from all the selfish motives and evil influences that work in the hearts of men. Then we can give “goodly words”. The words that come out of a free and satisfied heart are sure to be “goodly words”.
We are set free in order to enjoy every spiritual blessing in association with the true Joseph. Judah and Joseph are the two distinct types of Christ in this chapter. In Judah we see victorious power overthrowing the enemy, and bringing in the blessings of grace. But in Joseph we have presented the secret of God’s ways in connection with the rejection of Christ. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall”. The grace that came in Christ could not be limited to Israel. If the Lord Jesus had been content to limit grace to Israel He would not have been rejected, because that would have been to recognise man after the flesh. His rejection was consequent upon the ministry [p. 13] of grace in a way that did not recognise man in the flesh at all. His branches ran over the wall, and hence the Jew hated Him. When He spoke of the Syrian leper and the Sidonian widow in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4) the archers shot at Him directly. When He set before them grace that would run over the wall to poor outcast gentiles they would not have it. “The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him”. They listened to Paul (Acts 22) until he came to the words, “And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the gentiles”. Then they lifted up their voices, and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live”. The grace which would “run over the wall”, was rejected by Israel.
But God has strengthened the true Joseph in resurrection. “His bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob”. The One who was cast aside as worthless by men has been crowned with glory and honour at the right hand of God. God has made Him Lord and Christ, has set Him in the highest place, and given Him a Name above every name. All blessing now is bound up with a risen and glorified Christ.
This is what gives everything in Christianity the character of mystery. An infinite wealth of blessing has come in, but it is all hidden from the eyes of men because it is established in One who has been rejected from the earth, but made strong and glorious in resurrection at God’s right hand. God has blessed Him for ever, and made Him exceeding glad with His countenance.
Every blessing now is in connection with Christ at the right hand of God. He is “separated from his brethren” — that is, Israel according to the flesh — and it is in Him, the true Nazarite, that every blessing is found. It is a great thing to have the consciousness that we are bound up with Him there in heavenly glory, and to know that we can follow Him into the sphere of resurrection and participate in all that constitutes His life in that blessed circle of love and glory where He lives unto God. If we apprehend this we shall not be deceived and intoxicated by what goes on upon earth.
Thus we get in this chapter a suggestive outline of the ways of God. First, the moral ruin of man depicted in Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. Then blessing brought in in victorious power in Judah — typical of Christ. Then the action of the [p. 14] power of evil to divert men from the blessing by engaging them with their own interests here is illustrated in connection with Zebulun, Issachar, and Daniel This power of evil is counteracted by the power of God’s salvation, the effect of which is that saints overcome the enemy and enter into satisfaction and liberty, as seen in Gad, Asher and Naphtali. They then come into the apprehension of blessing which is established in Christ at the right hand of God. In this way we get detached from the things which are seen, and from our own interests, and our affections are bound up with that blessed One who is at the right hand of God. May it be so with all of us, to His praise!