THE SPIRIT OF THIS DISPENSATION (1)
[p. 248] THE SPIRIT OF THIS DISPENSATION (1)
WB-t Why do you bring in Shimei and Joab before the building of the house?
JT I would like to show how the spirit of the previous dispensation takes precedence of the one under Solomon. Whilst David remained alive judgment was not executed; he had a judgment of things but it was not executed. It was held in abeyance. I wish particularly that we might dwell on the spirit of this dispensation, and how current events are to be taken account of; that God is not now dealing in a retributive way. Things are held over. It is still the day of His grace and patience, and David has to be regarded in a different light in the beginning of chapter 2, from the light in which he is seen in chapter 1. Here it is simply that the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son. He is now in the sense of his position and in the vigour suited to it.
WB-t He says, “thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me”, as though it were personal against him.
JT It was against him, but the judgment was deferred; it was not executed, which I think we should take account of. The present is not the time of vengeance. We are not the executors of vengeance.
JB Reward too is at the end, as we see in Barzillai the Gileadite?
JT Yes, he represents those that have taken sides with the Lord in the day of His rejection. It is the spirit that marks this dispensation that is in view. We have a judgment of things, both as regards good and evil, but the execution of judgment is suspended. It is the time of long-suffering.
AFM The one that does not love Christ will be accursed [p. 249] at the coming of the Lord.
JT Yes, at the coming of the Lord. So I thought in that way chapter 5 might be connected with chapter 2, in which is the spirit of grace, which bears long, and chapter 5 is what goes with that; that is, “Hiram always loved David”. He loved him under all circumstances. It is that which has been in the dispensation all along, under all circumstances.
GWH So you would say the present dispensation is greater than that which follows?
JT That is what I thought might be helpful to come before us;, that it necessarily takes precedence of all that follows, and the twelfth verse confirms this. It says, “And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly”. Now in Chronicles it is the throne of Jehovah. That is to say, it connects the kingdom of Solomon with Jehovah and His covenant relations with Israel; whereas here it is the throne of David, more what characterises our own dispensation, the dispensation of grace, the day of the Spirit, taking precedence of all that follows.
RSS Would you speak of chapter 5 as representing the day of grace?
JT Well, I was thinking that that chapter shows the love that marks the dispensation. “Hiram always loved David”, it says. That is, he loved him through all circumstances.
AFM What does Hiram set forth?
JT I think he sets forth the love that is found now amongst us.
AFM I think so too. The mark of believers is that they love.
JT I think one point in it is that he always loved David. His love was not spasmodic.
WB In what way did he stand relative to David? What position did he fill?
JT He was not equal to the queen of Sheba,
[p. 250] if we make comparisons. There is no record, as far as I know, that he visited or associated himself with David or affiliated with him, but he loved him. It was the love of admiration, not of association; whereas the queen came to the king to see him. But still, Hiram’s was a love that the Spirit of God takes account of.
DR Have you in your mind in connection with Hiram as a lover of David, that he would be found supporting the one on his throne; that is, Solomon?
JT Yes. He looked at Solomon in relation to David. It was because of that I felt encouraged to connect the two scriptures. It is to show the connection with David. It says, verse 7, “It came to pass when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, Blessed be Jehovah this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people”. He looked at Solomon in relation to David.
AB He says: “I will do all thy desire concerning timber”.
JT He is prepared to contribute, according to his power, to all that which is to be established. It was a love dating back to the past, that stretched back to David, a love that subsisted through all circumstances, and is now prepared to come forward and contribute to that which Solomon was about to establish. That is the kind of love that one would seek to have. This is just an outline. I thought we might dwell on it. It marks the present time. We are so apt to take account of current events as retributive, as though God were penalising the nations. It is not that, because He is true to His own principles, and therefore, He is still waiting on them in grace, Although He has to knock hard, it is in the light of grace, His long-suffering being still salvation.
MCH Do you speak of the reign of David as [p. 251] one of grace? He was continually surrounded by the enemy, and by wars?
JT Yes, he dealt heavy blows against the enemies of God’s people. He was a man of war, but as regards what occurred within the kingdom, things were left over.
LTF Was the idea of judgment carried along in connection with grace? I refer to Joab and Shimei.
JT That is what I was saying. We have a judgment; we do not shut our eyes to things. The spirit of antichrist is active, and we have a judgment of things, but the way to meet them for the moment is not to deal with them in the sense of penalty. You do not penalise people now, but act on the principle of chastisement for their good.
LTF The Lord, “[when] reviled, reviled not again; [when] suffering, threatened not; but gave [himself] over into the hands of him who judges righteously”, 1 Peter 2:23. Is that the way we deal with things?
JT That is the principle. We suffer for righteousness, but we have a judgment as to those that cause us the suffering; we leave them, however, to Him who judgeth righteously.
LTF We commit ourselves to Him who will judge in righteousness by and by.
JT “Vengeance [belongs] to me, I will recompense, saith the Lord”, Romans 12:19.
HG “Alexander the smith did many evil things against me. The Lord will render to him according to his works. Against whom be thou also on thy guard”, 2 Timothy 4:14. Is that the idea of judgment to come? But meantime he warns Timothy.
WCR Do you connect discipline with this?
JT It is that too. In 1 Timothy 1:20, Paul says of Hymenaeus and Alexander; “whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may be taught by discipline not to blaspheme”. His action was in the nature of discipline.
WCR Judgment administered now is in the nature of discipline, and it works for the good of the saints.
RSS We receive chastisement for our good. “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself”, (that is still true), “not reckoning to them their offences”, 2 Corinthians 5:19. If we do wrong God does not pass it over, but instead of punishment there is discipline, which has our blessing in view.
RML And David accepts the cursing of Shimei in the way of discipline?
JT That is it. He had his judgment about it; he did not excuse Shimei, but he deferred punishment; he hands it over to Solomon. It is a question of what the type means. He was true typically to the present dispensation. Judgment is deferred.
RSS When does the time for punishment come in?
JT It is at the change of the dispensation, which of course is seen here in Solomon. The present time is the “kingdom and patience”, Revelation 1:9. The Lord is on His Father’s throne, which speaks of nothing else but grace for man. He remains on it still; as soon as He arises from it, and takes up His own throne, then He is dealing with the world directly, and must necessarily put evil down. Hence it says, “whom the Lord Jesus shall consume with the breath of his mouth, and shall annul by the appearing of his coming”, 2 Thessalonians 2:8. The spirit of His mouth is not now breathing out destruction; it is what we see in John 20, the spirit He breathed into the disciples. That was the spirit of grace, and more, it was the spirit of the heavenly Man. In that spirit they were sent out to humanity, to the world, to convey what God is in grace. Now when He moves from His present position it is, “whom the Lord Jesus shall consume with the breath of his mouth”, 2 Thessalonians 2:8. It will then be a question of consumption, not of grace, and the brightness of His coming will test all that is opposed. In this sense Solomon is Christ taking up the kingdom in the future, and meting out judgment for sin, hence we see in chapter 2 that every one of these men that exhibited the spirit of antichrist is brought into judgment.
RSS So the reign of David is connected with grace; the reign of Solomon with judgment and glory.
MLH While Christ sits upon the Father’s throne the dispensation of grace continues, but when He takes His own throne there will be judgment.
JT Jehovah’s throne; 1 Chronicles 29:23, suggests the covenant relations with Israel. Hence Solomon goes to Gibeon, and the old system is recognised; the Israel of God’s purpose comes into view. In Chronicles it is covenant relationships with His earthly people. So in 2 Chronicles we are told that “fire came down from the heavens and consumed the burnt-offering and sacrifices” (2 Chronicles 7:1) after Solomon had prayed, showing God’s public acceptance of the earthly people as re-established typically under Christ; whereas here in 1 Kings, he “sat on the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly”. I think it is bringing into evidence the importance of David’s throne, that it takes precedence over Solomon’s. Solomon sits on it.
GAT What you say about David and Solomon is a change from what I have heard and what I thought I knew. That is, Solomon’s reign was a reign of judgment. I thought David’s was a reign of judgment, because as far as we have gone in connection with Solomon, he has exposed the thing, but has not brought judgment in.
JT The exposure is not by Solomon. It is through the exercise that preceded Solomon’[p. 254] s enthronement.
GAT But take chapter 3, in the case of the two women with the child. Solomon exposes where the evil was, but he has not yet brought in the judgment.
JT He can tell the mother of the child, so he is a man of wisdom, and he received that from the Lord; but the exercises that brought in the judgment of him who typifies antichrist were in connection with David and David’s servants.
WB There is a verse in Revelation 3 that says, “He that overcomes, to him will I give to sit with me in my throne; as I also have overcome, and have sat down with my Father in his throne”. That is in His address to Laodicea.
JT There is the distinction. He is at present on the Father’s throne.
WB You are bringing in the thought that He has sat down on His Father’s throne. In this day of grace God is revealed as Father.
JT Yes. David had a great knowledge of God. That is what marked him. He said, “Let us fall, I pray thee, into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great”, 2 Samuel 24:14. The Psalms show he had a great knowledge of God, and his ‘last words show this’ . He had a right estimate of what a king should be, so his throne is a throne marked by what God is, which is typically the present dispensation. It is a question of what God is, not exactly as judging evil, that is more the future, but as introducing and establishing the good. That is the thing to get hold of. Of course David acted in judgment upon the enemies of God’s people; this would correspond with Christ’s death, and His constant defence of the saints; otherwise grace marked David’s throne.
WB-t If I gather your thought, the present state of things in the earth is not in the nature of punishment for the nations.
JT That is what I was remarking. We must [p. 255] not misjudge the dealings of God. They are not, as I said, retributive, but are of the character of chastisement. God is loth to cast off the nations, so He is knocking loudly at their hearts at the present time.
JB I suppose the present moment would be a continuation of the history of the Lord Jesus Christ when here; according to Luke 4 He could say:
“[The] Spirit of [the] Lord is upon me”, Luke 4:18. And Peter says later, “Jesus ... of Nazareth: how God anointed him with [the] Holy Spirit and with power; who went through [all quarters] doing good”, Acts 10:38.
JT Christianity is a continuation of that.
LTF In David’s reign there was much blood-shed, was the idea in that the removal of things contrary to God rather than judgment?
JT The kingdom is God’s power exercised in grace; that is David’s throne. There were things that acted against that; they had to be overcome, and the Lord you might say, accomplished that in His death.
GAT Is that where you bring in the distinction, that David’s war was not actually judgment?
JT David’s kingdom was the exercise of grace, and so was for the benefit of man. That was what it was, hence it is a type of Christianity; his was really a greater throne than that of Solomon.
JB I suppose the throne of the Lord Himself is introduced in Revelation 4 and 5, the throne set in heaven?
JT I do not know, there is a good deal in that. In the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, is the Lamb slain. I think there are developments from that that lead directly to judgment. Of course, it is a point that would lead to prophetical subjects, but I may make this remark as to the seals, they are opened by the Lamb. Now that does not suggest or bode anything [p. 256] against man. The effect of opening the seals is to bring the elect of God to light, not necessarily to execute wrath, although the inhabitants of the world say, that the wrath of the Lamb has come; it was not just that. It was more a question of the Lord acting governmentally to bring to light the elect, the hundred and forty and four thousand. Then in chapter 8 of Revelation He is seen typically in the angel with the censer at the altar of incense. Well, now, that in itself does not suggest judgment. What He is doing is presenting the prayers of the saints before God; the result of that, however, brings judgment. That is, it is not the direct action of Christ. It is rather the result of the exercise and prayers of God’s people. The fire of the altar is taken and cast upon the earth and then you have the woes; that is, the woes come as the issue of the prayers of God’s people. It is not the throne that is acting, but rather that God is taking account of the exercises and prayers of His people, but you see their prayers are not prayers begotten under the Christian dispensation; if they were, there would be no judgment. They are prayers for judgment (chapter 6:10), whereas ours are not prayers for judgment. Ours are like Stephen’s. We do not pray for judgment. We pray for grace and forgiveness, so we do not bring down judgment. That is the reason I wanted to call attention to the dispensation as signified here, that while David lived and reigned judgment was not executed.
WB And even in the reign of Solomon there is a lingering in the case of Joab and Shimei; they have another chance. So the present dispensation, the grace and forbearance on the part of God seems to linger in this passage.
JT What you see first of all is limitation. He says to Adonijah, “Go to thy house”, 1 Kings 1:53. That is a good place to send a man imbued with such a spirit.
[p. 257] He gave him another opportunity. He limited him, but it was good as far as it went, and so they are all limited, you know. It is in a fresh outbreak of opposition to Christ that direct judgment comes down.
GWW Referring to what you were saying about prayers, you could not possibly bring into the present dispensation such a prayer as in the sixth chapter of Revelation, “How long, O sovereign Ruler, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth?”, Revelation 6:10. That character of prayer of which you have been speaking, would be wholly inconsistent with the present dispensation.
JT That comes from beneath the altar. It is from those who were martyred under the circumstances mentioned.
HG The conversion of Saul of Tarsus answers to the prayer of the present moment, for example. You pray for your enemies in that way.
JT That is the idea. Instead of being destroyed he is converted, and that characterises the present dispensation.
MLH Would you speak of David’s reign as marked by things being ordered according to God?
JT Yes, that is more 1 Chronicles, however. It makes much of David’s headship. He had the light about the temple from the Lord, and it says, he gave the pattern to Solomon. You do not see that here, but what you see here is the spirit that marks David’s kingdom. It is the spirit of things, and hence in connection with all that, the house you get in 1 Kings is a pattern of the heavenly thing, the Father’s house. It is the Father’s house typically in 1 Kings, whereas in Chronicles the house is more in relation to Israel, with a veil, etc.
RSS Stephen manifested the spirit of Christ in his prayer.
JT Yes, and it was according to the breathing that He breathed into the disciples. In John 20 [p. 258] it is the spirit of the heavenly Man. Christianity is marked by the spirit of that Man.
WB I suppose the apostle Paul is the result of Stephen’s prayer.
JT Not only that, but the result of the wonderful spirit Stephen showed before Saul; the spirit of one that could kneel down and pray while being stoned to death.
Rem And could say: “lay not this sin to their charge”, Acts 7:60. That would be the spirit of Christ on the cross.
JB Then you would not regard David’s forbearance as weakness, but long-suffering?
JT There is no evidence of weakness, but of strength in this chapter. He is able to charge Solomon in regard to judgment, so here it is more that which is proper to him.
GAT I think the opening of this second chapter is very encouraging both to parents and children. Here was a man that lived and maintained the testimony, and at his close God entrusted him with a son that he could call to his bedside and commit to him the testimony. The father in leaving, could say: “Be of good courage, therefore, and be a man”. That is an encouragement to the young, that when the older ones leave they can leave with a free heart and leave those behind that are able to fill their places.
JT It is a great thing to see things taken up in the energy of youthful manhood. “Quit yourselves like men”; Paul said, “be strong”, 1 Corinthians 16:13.
JS Would you say these men had been under grace and they persisted in not availing themselves of it, and on account of this a judgment overtakes them?
JT But the greatness of the dispensation is set forth in that they were borne with. It is a great [p. 259] thing in having to bear with evil to be above it in your spirit.
JS So that what is taking place in Europe today you can attribute, in a certain way, to the refusal of the truth and light that has been presented there.
JT Yes, but it is very comforting to be assured that God is true to His own principles, and inasmuch as He is pleased to prolong the dispensation, all His dealings with men are in the light of this, and are consistent with it. Hence these things work together for good, not for evil.
AFM You might say a word about Barzillai, there was to be a special consideration shown to his sons.
JT That would show, would it not, how all done on behalf of Christ is taken account of. It is taken account of in the judgment of the saints.
JB Is it not remarkable that in regard to the sons of Barzillai, consideration was to be perpetually continued?
JT “Shew kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table; for so they came up to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother”.
MLH He stood for the testimony when it was in reproach.
JT Yes, he supplied according to his abundance for the support of the king and his household in his rejection. One is reminded of Paul’s word: “The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he has often refreshed me, and has not been ashamed of my chain; but being in Rome sought me out very diligently, and found [me]”, 2 Timothy 1:16 - 17.
HG Why was it that Barzillai drew back in a certain sense? He seemed to be lacking in ability to enjoy all that David would have led him into at Jerusalem. I have wondered why that is.
JT [p. 260] I think it is an indication of spiritual weakness, but it is nice to think that David thought of his sons, evidently assuming, they would go in for the greatest things, to sit at Solomon’s table.
GWW Barzillai thought of the sons; he requested that Chimham, who seems to have been one, should go over. That was Barzillai’s own request, and David is now really seeing that that request is going to be granted.
WB Barzillai was “a very great man”, 2 Samuel 19:32. We do not often get that said of a man in Scripture.
JT Yes, you get him spoken of as a very great man, and the Shunamite, as “a great woman”, 2 Kings 4:8.
RML The descendants of Barzillai continued a long time, but they were set aside because they could not prove their clear title to serve in a priestly way. They had to wait till a priest should arise “with Urim and with Thummim”, Ezra 2:63.
GWW The point you have before you is that in the present dispensation we have to take our attitude from the position which Christ now occupies largely in relation to things in the world, and that as long as grace is on the throne the ways of God with men will not be punitive, but in the way of chastening. So in looking around today, and seeing all the things happening in the habitable world, we see the chastening of God measured out, perhaps, towards Christendom as a sort of call from God, to make His voice heard in the midst of a people who have really turned their backs on Him. And we are to be characterized by that spirit. That is what it comes to now.
JT Yes, that is what I understand.
WB I have always had difficulty in regard to David because his life is set forth in a double way. He was the rejected one, and then he is the one that reigns. I think you are helping us on that line now.
Then do you look at Solomon’s reign, the beginning of it, as a continuation of that?
JT And the Spirit of God emphasises the superiority of David’s throne, I think, because obviously David is greater than Solomon here, in that he is instructing him.
WB You say it is the day of Christ’s rejection, but really Christ is on His Father’s throne and not His own throne.
JT And therefore it is the character of His administration, the character of it.
Rem He has the key of David. That is a present thing, is it not?
JT The key of David I think is the administration of what is good. He has the keys of death and hades too, the power for limitation of evil. You see it in the chapter before us. Things are limited; evil is limited. Christ has power to limit evil. It is a great comfort to us; whilst you do not want to see judgment directly executed, you are thankful for the limitation of evil, but the key of David, as we were remarking, is the administration of good. That is what Christ is doing now.
EJW It is interesting to see how Paul reminds Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:8, that Christ was raised from the dead as the seed of David according to his gospel; and then in Revelation, as we have been speaking of it, He is seen as having the complete power of divine administration.
JT And it is very significant that even in Romans, the great gospel letter, he introduces the fact that Christ was made of the seed of David according to flesh. It seems to me a spiritual reference in connection with the gospel.
GWW And in Luke’s gospel, which is properly our gospel, He is brought in in that way; Luke 1: 32.
AP Does the Father’s throne cease when the Son takes His own throne?
JT [p. 262] I should not say it ceased, because the Father remains as the Father. He remains in His own absoluteness as the Father, but then judgment is necessary, executory judgment. He will judge the secrets of men, and He will judge the world by Christ. All judgment is given to the Son, because He is Son of man; John 5.
RSS It would not be consistent for the Lord, speaking reverently, to be on the Father’s throne to execute judgment. It says, “Neither does the Father judge any one, but hath given all judgment to the Son”, John 5:22. It would be a moral inconsistency.
AFM It makes the present moment a remarkable one. What a character there is in the throne, and the gospel going out to every creature as a result!
WB Is your thought that sitting down on His throne, we shall be connected with Him in the day when He takes things up?
JT I think that is quite clear; it is proved in what is said to the overcomer in Thyatira, and also to the overcomers in Laodicea. We are to rule the nations with a rod of iron, and we shall sit with Christ on His throne. Rome, which is seen in Thyatira, would execute judgment now, but the Lord says in principle to the overcomer in that church, That is for you to do; but it will be in the future, it is not the time for it now.
MLH That will be the day of vengeance of our God.
WCR The tares are to grow with the wheat till then.
GWW But the apprehension of Christ’s position governs our attitude.
JT That is the point to get clear.
GAT Then there is a difference between the kingdom and the assembly. The wheat and tares “grow together” in the kingdom, but not [p. 263] in the assembly.
JT You cannot go on in evil associations. Fellowship involves the assembly.
GWW We have to be on our guard lest we take up in a punitive way things that are intended to be taken up in a chastening way.
JT You do not want to execute judgment. “Vengeance [belongs] to me, I will recompense, saith the Lord”, Romans 12:19.
MLH Did you say they grew together in the kingdom? I thought it was in the world; the field is the world, in which they are growing.
JT Yes, quite, only that is one of the parables to illustrate the history of the kingdom, and illustrate the different features of it outwardly. At the end, all things that offend and those that do iniquity are gathered “out of the kingdom”.
WCR The parable refers to what the kingdom became.
GWW It is the sphere in which the Son of man cast His seed.
JT I thought we might dwell on chapter 5 a little, it is the love side. It says, “And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father; for Hiram always loved David”. I think that is a very remarkable expression.
DR Would that be a superior love to that of Jonathan towards him?
JT I think so. Hiram sent and built David a house. Jonathan never did anything like that.
HG He turned away from David, did he not?
JT Yes. Jonathan chose to stay in the house of Saul, but we read in 2 Samuel 5:11, that Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers to David and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house.
GWW There you find that which really was special coming into evidence. There you get a remarkable evidence of Hiram’s interest in [p. 264] David.
JT Yes, and what follows on that is, that “David perceived that Jehovah had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom because of his people Israel”, 2 Samuel 5:12. The interest of Hiram seemed to have suggested all this to David; he “perceived that Jehovah had exalted him king over Israel”, and it was “because of his people Israel”.
RSS He was a Gentile, so his love is the more remarkable.
GAT This compares with the first part of Luke 7, where they besought Jesus to come and heal the servant of the centurion on account of what the centurion had done.
JT “He loves our nation, and himself hath built the synagogue for us”, Luke 7:5.
WB-t Solomon says to Hiram, “thou knowest that David my father could not build a house unto the name of Jehovah his God because of the wars which were about him on every side, until Jehovah put them under the soles of his feet”. Hiram built David a house, but David could not build Jehovah a house, and Hiram knew it. There is intelligence there.
JT What one sees in Hiram as ever a lover of David is, that he was a man of supply. You love to see that among the Lord’s people, that they have supply; they have something.
GWW What would you think was the meaning typically of Hiram building David a house? Is it something typical of what is being done for Christ at the present moment?
JT Whatever David’s house may typify, it was built of cedar. Hiram was a man of supply, and of such kind as suited the glory of the kingdom — cedar wood. Hiram’s provision for David suggests what love would do now for Christ.
AB Would what Lydia said to Paul and his companions at Philippi illustrate it? “If ye have [p. 265] judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide [there]?”, Acts 16:15.
JT That would be it in kind.
GWW I suppose the thought of building a house for a man is that all of that man can be freely in display, and where all is according to him. We get that thought in connection with the house.
JT The material is worthy of note. “Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers”, it says, “to David, and timber of cedars, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house”. What you note is the suitability of the material. It would have been a good deal if he had simply sent the material, but he sent the carpenters and the masons and completed the thing, he completed the work, so that there was that which suited the king.
HG Is the supply resultant on Hiram having followed the vicissitudes of the testimony, if you may so speak of it in David, so that he is prepared for the move of it? It does not matter in whose hands it is exactly, he is prepared for the move of it, and can be an intelligent contributor in connection with it. Is that the idea?
JT Yes, I think he was ever ready with his supply, and ever ready to do the work of building, but the time of the building of Jehovah’s house had not yet arrived, hence he could not build it in David’s day, but now he is prepared for it. As the testimony moves, as you said, he is prepared to go on that line.
HG And was prepared to accept the movement of the testimony, which I think is a testing thing. As one has often had to see in connection with the house of God, there have been men who have gone a good long way, but if there is a move of the testimony they are not prepared to move, and it would seem as though possibly they never had been lovers of [p. 266] David.
JT I think that is the point, whether your love is capable of going through all the vicissitudes of the testimony; whoever the persons may be through whose hands it is passing, you think of it, and are always ready with your supply and your skill in building.
GAT It is a great thing to have a brother with supply.
Ques What does that mean?
JT Hiram evidently was a lover at a distance. Even in regard to David’s house, he sent messengers, but he is a lover, and a lover of such a kind as to go through all the vicissitudes of David, of the testimony, and he has the right kind of material.
GAT Was that like the widow of Sarepta, she was a person with supply; she had the handful of meal and a little oil in the cruse and was going to bake a cake for herself and her son and die, but instead she gives the supply to Elijah to support the testimony?
JT That is the idea to a point. She did not have very much and the little she did have was even minimised in her eyes. She was going to eat it and die. Eating is for living, not dying. It was inconsistent to say that, but you see Hiram has abundance, and the kind he has is just what is necessary, he had cedar. Now the circumstances required cedar, not shittim wood, as in the wilderness, but cedar which refers to glory and dignity. That is what you look for in brethren, that they are not narrow and petty. The flesh is extremely small, whereas the spiritual man is marked by dignity and largeness. He has an object before him and thinks of that, and supplies for that. That is what you see in Hiram.
AFM He was not asked evidently to supply David’s house. He supplies it on his own initiative, so to speak. It is interesting too, to see that in David’s mind the house of God takes rise from his [p. 267] having such a house. It was when he sat in his house that he said, “I dwell in a house of cedars, and the ark of God dwells under curtains”, 2 Samuel 7:2.
RSS Joseph of Arimathaea illustrates what is being said. He was a man that had a supply, and he lovingly offered it. He went in and begged the body of Jesus and laid it in his new tomb.
JT I think that is very good. All the way through the gospel of John he is a distant lover; but at the opportune moment, when needed, he comes forward with his spices without stint, and he goes in and begs the body of the Lord from Pilate. He shines there.
AP What would you say of the word used in the New Translation — he “demanded” it?
JT Showing that he would have it, I suppose.
Ques Would you say we have men of supplies today?
JT I think each one of us should contribute something.
GAT I was wondering if you would compare Hiram with many good persons today who would like to give hundreds away, and really would die for the name of Christ, but when it comes to taking the outside place with Him, close by Him, like those in the cave with David, they are not ready for it?
JT I would be free to speak of Jonathan in that respect, but when the Spirit of God singles out the bright features of a man, and passes over the dark spots, you like to be sympathetic with the Spirit. Hiram is such a fine character you would not like to cast reflections on him.
EJW Then we might remember, that it was proper to be a lover at a distance; he was not called upon to cast in his lot, as Jonathan was, and strictly he represents the Gentiles in the coming day, who will contribute to the glory of Christ and what is His on the earth [p. 268] here.
WB-t What is your thought as to food for his household?
JT I thought it shows the principle of mutuality, because that marks Christianity. That is, he supplies the material for the temple and Solomon supplies food for his house. Christianity is not a one-sided thing, indeed mutuality is a strong feature in it.
DR Would you not say in one aspect the work of Hiram represents the subjective work of the Spirit in finding out the material to build the house?
JT You might use it in that way.
GWW Have you any thought as to the last reference to Hiram, while engaged with him? When the house of the Lord was finished, and Solomon’s house was finished, then Solomon gave him certain cities in the land of Galilee. Hiram came to see the cities but they did not please him and he called them, “the land of Cabul” (1 Kings 9:13) and then he sends Solomon a very great gift of gold.
JT I think that instance is mentioned to show decline in Solomon, that Solomon was not really equal to the position, and true to it, he was not great enough. He ought not to have left Hiram complaining. It is a poor thing to leave a brother complaining for the want of your liberality. Solomon could easily have satisfied him.
GAT Nowadays you find brothers that no matter what you do for them they complain.
JT I do not think Hiram was one of those. I do not think Hiram was an unreasonable complainer.
WB-t Your thought is that Hiram loved through thick and thin.
JT Yes, quite, and he receives honourable mention in the Scriptures in that way.
GWW After Hiram looked around at the cities given to him by Solomon, it is said he sent the king a gift of six-score talents of gold. Solomon made [p. 269] him a very inadequate return for all he had done. Hiram nevertheless is not stopped for his giving is spoken of in chapter 10.
JT He was morally greater than Solomon in that way. How much there is about that in the New Testament, as indicative of the spirit of Christianity Would not Paul be a great example of what marked Hiram?
JT Well, he is as supplying, I think, and as building. Paul exceeds this, however.
GWW Really as to giving in Christianity, it begins with the thought of God. “If thou knewest the gift of God” (John 4:10) and then what the apostle has to say as to the liberality of the saints is very interesting in that connection, 2 Corinthians 9:12 - 15. It is all the reflex of what God is in His free giving.
JT And the reference to the two brothers that carried the bounty of the assembly; they are said to be, “messengers of assemblies, Christ’s glory”, 2 Corinthians 8:23. They were carrying bounty for the needs of God’s people. It is remarkable that the first move among the Gentiles at Antioch was marked by a bounty sent to Jerusalem. They determined “according as any one of the disciples was well off”, it says, “each of them to send to the brethren who dwelt in Judea”, Acts 11:29.
WB-t “He that gives, in simplicity”, Romans 12:8.
GAT So with Lydia; the Lord opened her heart and she opened her house.
JB It seems that Hiram had these cedar trees and building stones, but the motive which led him to furnish them was his great love for David. And so love must be the motive. That is what is taken account of.
WB “And the people rejoiced because [p. 270] they offered willingly, for with perfect heart they offered willingly to Jehovah”, 1 Chronicles 29:9.
GWW The last chapter of 1 Chronicles, which speaks of David rejoicing over all the gifts the people spread out before him, is one of the most beautiful outpourings of a heart that delighted in that spirit, and that attributed everything in connection with liberalities to God.