GATHERING WITH CHRIST
[p. 149] GATHERING WITH CHRIST
Numbers 15: 32 - 36; 1 Kings 17: 10 - 12: Acts 28: 3
These scriptures, as will have been observed, refer to sticks. That is why they have been read at this time, as it is believed that the Spirit of God in writing or inditing these passages was providing material for ministry, which He, in due time, would use for the instruction of God’s people. They suggest indeed what a variety of material Scripture contains, deposited as it were with a view to subsequent need and use. As in the earth, the Creator with wonderful forethought and consideration places such material as should be needed as the human race proceeded on its way. There are marvellous deposits which are regarded as riches, whether potentially or actually, in the various continents, besides what is called the fulness of the earth, which latter expression signifies what comes out of it by the energy of life.
Gold does not come out of the earth on that principle; it is taken out by human strength and the like. As early as the days of Job, which would probably be patriarchal days, corresponding with the book of Genesis, we have reference to such deposits and the means of securing them, as witnesses of the bounty and forethought of our Creator. So these scriptures correspondingly contain rich deposits, as I may call them, in view of subsequent needs and exigencies, and it is for those who recognise the Spirit, who has placed them there, to depend on Him under the Lord to bring them out, so that saints should be enriched.
Although the word stick refers to what is ordinarily very common, a piece of wood strewn, as intimated in the book of Numbers, yet it has its own voice; indeed we have it in a wonderful setting [p. 150] in the book of Ezekiel, the book which treats among many other things peculiarly of life. In chapter 37, which deals with this very matter, and which also treats of the valley of dry bones, you have reference to two sticks. The woman of Zarephath had in her mind two sticks, but Ezekiel, by the Spirit, speaks of two sticks in a very different way. The woman had two sticks in her mind in order that she might cook a morsel of food and die. Ezekiel is directed to have two sticks in his hand, one representing the kingdom of Judah, and the other representing Joseph or the ten tribes. These two sticks were to be in the prophet’s hand and become one there, as a type that all Israel shall be in perfect unity in the end. And, as applied today, that the saints once divided, once at rivalry, once envious of each other, should now become one. The opening up of that is in the epistle to the Ephesians and applies to every gathering of the Lord’s people, that as in the hand of Christ we should be in the unity of life. I make those remarks, dear brethren, so that you may see the place this idea of the stick has in the Scripture, and how used, in order that we might put ourselves under that insignificant heading and see what a place gathering has in mind according to God. The Lord says, “he that gathers not with me scatters”, and the idea of gathering runs through these passages.
The first is in the book of Numbers in a chapter that is speaking about the land of Canaan. Later the idea of stick arises in regard to a borrowed piece of iron that fell into the Jordan. The prophet Elisha cuts down a stick and casts it into the water where the axe-head fell, and the axe-head swam; referring to the virtue of the stick. This is a type, insignificant though it appears, of none less than Christ entering into death; so that we who would have sunk for ever into it are caused to live, and not only to live, but in principle to swim, as superior [p. 151] to the power of death. Hence you may see what a great place the idea of a stick has and how thoroughly it is subverted in the first scripture.
Numbers 15 is full of the richest thoughts, as you will see if you look into it. It begins with most important references typically to christians as to balance, that every main offering, whether a lamb or a larger creature, was to be accompanied by other proportionate offerings. The larger the creature the larger the accompanying oblations and drink-offerings. So brothers in assembly should be balanced, their minds should not travel ahead of their hearts, or their affections, and that all should be in power in suitable intelligence.
The worship or service of God is to be conducted in suitable feeling and in balance, as it says, “I will sing with the spirit”, meaning that my feelings or affections are in the singing. But it also says, “I will sing with the understanding also;” meaning that I am not using words that are inappropriate. Now that is how the chapter begins, and it ends with calling attention to the riband of blue often referred to amongst us, as indicating that we, as believers in Christ, are to shine here as heavenly; that we are to understand that we belong to heaven. The lace of blue was to be on the corners of their garments, meaning that in a difficult critical moment in our relations with one another, or with others, we maintain a heavenly spirit, and do not give way to the naughty contentions of the flesh.
That is how this chapter is encased, as I might say; other beautiful things are also seen. But now we have this terrible action of a certain person while Israel was in the wilderness. We are not told just what part of the time this occurred, for they were forty years in the wilderness, and this happened while they were in it. Inasmuch as the time of this action is not specified, it is to be viewed [p. 152] as characteristic, such as was likely to take place at any time, the wilderness being the scene of contrariety; provocative in that way. But whatever the provocation, dear brethren, the supply to meet it is abundant, and we get it in this very book. Indeed, in all the wilderness books, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, we get this supply so that there need be no defeat by circumstances. One of the most difficult things is to keep above our circumstances. If we get under them, we are pretty sure to do something high-handed, or to say some lawless thing. If we are above our circumstances we know where to draw from, so that there is nothing of this kind. In a few verses immediately preceding, there is an allusion to high-handed conduct; a most common thing in christendom. It began in a general way, sorrowfully near the time of the apostles, indeed, it began in their own times. Paul speaks of the mystery of iniquity, and while that is a secret thing, high-handed actions soon began to grow out of it, and they have continued ever since; and they are increasing. There never was a day of boldness such as this; bold opposition to God; to the truth; to Christ, to the assembly; to the Spirit. Indeed, it culminates in speaking blasphemously against the Spirit of God, a sin which is never to be forgiven.
So this man in the wilderness goes out on the sabbath and gathers sticks. You might say he was doing no one any harm, but he was doing harm to God; he was calling in question the whole dispensation of God. The sabbath in the types represents what God has found in Christ and what man finds in Christ by the Spirit. In these two thoughts christianity essentially is embodied; Christ is the centre for God, and the centre for us. That is to say, for contemplation, for rest. God can rest in the midst of a troubled scene, and men can rest in the midst of [p. 153] a troubled scene. That is what the sabbath signifies; it was expressly called the sign of the covenant. God had on the mount opened up His mind to Moses in the pattern of the tabernacle; in all these chapters, from Exodus 25 to 31, unfolding what He had in mind in a variety of features in the pattern of the tabernacle.
In truth He was occupied all that time with Christ in type; Christ as Man. What a time God had in unfolding all this to Moses! Moses did not fully understand, of course, it is for us as having the Spirit to understand. Moses sought to see the glory of God, but God said, No, only My back parts. The tabernacle signifies more than His back parts. The antitype implies the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus. That is christianity. But God had Christ before Him in all that He was saying, and He was delighted, and so in the end He refers to the sabbath. If you will look at the end of chapter 31 you will be impressed by the recurrence of the word there, reminding us of the place it has in the divine thoughts. You get a statement there that you get nowhere else: “on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed”. We do not get that in Genesis, yet the allusion is to Genesis, but God reserved this precious thought for the particular occasion, when for forty days He had been unfolding the glories of Christ and the universe that centres in Christ; when He finishes He reverts to that, He was refreshed. Think of the blessed God speaking in that way and embodying His everlasting covenant in it: and He announces His judgment against anyone that disregards the sabbath.
The first mention of the sabbath by name is in Exodus 16, and that was in relation to the manna, as no doubt most of you know. The occasion is very affecting, because it alludes to Christ humbled here; that is, what He was here as Man and how God [p. 154] rested in Him! But even there you do not get the statement that God was refreshed. It is after the unfolding of the glories of Christ in the type, and the universe that God has in mind to set up. Then God comes back to this great thought and calls it a sign of the covenant, of the everlasting covenant between Himself and Israel. As we take all these things into account, we see the very important place the sabbath has. After what I have alluded to in chapter 31, we have the failure of Israel, in Exodus 32 and 33. Then after the second giving of the law, chapter 34, God again refers to the sabbath, enjoining it upon His people; before they bring one item of the material for the tabernacle the observance of the sabbath is again enjoined.
Now this man has disregarded all this. In this action of gathering sticks on the sabbath he is setting aside the dispensation. He is giving a lead typically that has been taken up in christendom and spread abroad, and is seen today in the hierarchy and paraphernalia that belongs to what is called the public worship of God. There is a disregard of what God had in mind as characterising the whole dispensation. You can see from the sequence of this conduct how it behoves us, if in any way we are linked up with high-handed conduct such as this, to abandon it for ever; not to stay a moment in it. It is under the judgment of God; there is no forgiveness for it. I am not speaking of individuals now, but of the principle of this evil, and we do well to follow the example of Moses and Aaron here, and of Israel. They put the man under custody; they did not know just what to do; it was a new thing; it was a bold action; he gathered sticks on the sabbath. It is not said what he was going to do with them. Satan does not divulge his mind at the outset, it is sometimes in mystery. He has formulated his opposition to God systematically.
[p. 155] Systematised error is the most deadly error, and that is found in christendom. Satan systematising, and embodying his nefarious thoughts against God, so as to offset and subvert all that God has inaugurated, is what marks our day. Satan’s intent is to set aside the holy dispensation that is established in Christ.
That is the position, and, as I say, we do well to put this matter “in custody”, as it were, if we do not understand it, and there are thousands and thousands of our brethren who do not. If we do not quite understand it, put it in custody, that is to say, give it that place in your mind, give it consideration. Let your language be, I want to judge this thing, I want to consider what you are saying, and I want to arrive at a right judgment about it. If you do you will get it. You will be sure to get it, they got it here, and it was summary: “The man shall certainly be put to death”, says Jehovah. Putting to death in this sense today is not to be understood literally. We read of Jezebel’s children being killed with death: that is not literal death — it is moral death. There is such a thing as that, the judgment of God executed in a moral way. As soon as I put the thing in custody, I mark it off as something that requires the mind of God, God will give me His mind about it, and the next thing is to execute it. What God reveals to you, put into effect.
Let no one think that the mere judgment of a thing is of any moral worth, unless it is put into effect. Holding a thing as wrong and following it, continuing in it, is to damage your soul. That is the trend of it, to weaken you, to disqualify you for any testimony. Here God made His mind plain to them, and they carried it out, “as Jehovah commanded Moses”. That is one of the finest statements you get, and God loves that very thing; it is those who have His commandments, and do them, who [p. 156] love Him. This has been going on for years. Thousands of God’s people have acted on it, and it is for you today, if there is anyone here who is linked up with these things, to put it into custody. If you do not understand clearly, look into the Scriptures and you will get light, and the next thing is to act, and act at once. What these sticks were to be used for is not stated here, but we now know what is in mind typically; what systems have been formulated ever since apostolic times, how men are gathered together, systems that are regarded as almost immovable because of their antiquity. But God is going to take that great system Babylon and let it drop down into the sea like a millstone never to rise again. That is His judgment.
Well, I proceed to the second passage, that in Kings. It is a well-known chapter, a chapter that introduces to us one of the most notable men in Scripture — Elijah the prophet. He was, as you know, maintained by ravens by the brook Cherith, near the Jordan, and the brook dried up, and then God says to him, I have commanded a woman to maintain thee. Elijah represents the testimony that God has at the moment, and what God has in our day needs to be maintained. It is obligatory on every one of us to see that we are maintaining it in so far as we are able. So the prophet wended his way across the country to Zarephath, which is near Zidon, the gentile regions — the Lord Jesus alludes to this Himself — and as he arrives at the place he finds this woman gathering sticks, a very suitable occupation under the circumstances so far as it appears. What is she going to do with them? That is the point, we may be doing what is apparently right with a wrong thought in our minds. She gives an account of her work to the prophet; and this raises the whole question as to what we are doing; what each one here has in mind as to his gathering.
[p. 157] Gathering is the order of the day. God says, I will gather others besides those that are gathered, a very encouraging word for us — besides those that are gathered. Do not let these go, they are precious, but besides these, there are others to be gathered. So that gathering enters into all our evangelical exercises and work; the point is to get persons, and what for? Not for my own glory; not to make a party round myself, that would be akin to the man in the wilderness gathering sticks. Gather for the assembly, dear brethren, gather for Christ.
This woman tells the prophet what she had before her. She had in the house a handful of meal in a barrel, and she had oil in a cruse. Very good! God marks this, and she was really on better ground than she thought she was. She had the meal, she had it where it should be, there is just a handful, but it is in the right vessel; and the oil is in the right vessel, too; but then she says, “I am gathering two sticks”. She is very limited in her thought. Well, that would be quite in order if she only had a right thought in the work. Some of us here may not have gathered even one stick for the assembly. That is a poor thing, because gathering is what God is engaged in. That is what God is doing — it is the gathering time. One of the first things you get in the book of the Acts is gathering. God has gathered His own; the assembly is the fruit of His gathering. So that it is a question of what I have gathered. Have I helped in any way to gather with Christ? The gospels show us how He gathered, and how He prayed about His own that were gathered; that they should be one, He says. Not only that, but Scripture says, He died that He might gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad. That was the thought, and it may be that a good many of us would have to admit that we have never gathered a stick for the [p. 158] assembly. This woman is gathering two sticks that she may prepare this oil and this meal for herself and her son “that we may eat it, and die”. That is very poor, that is not christianity; that is a negative thing, it is the very opposite to christianity.
I was speaking to you the other day of how the Lord said to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, referring to Abraham, “for he is a prophet, and will pray for thee, that thou mayest live”. It is a dispensation of life, and christians are imbued with the spirit of life, but this woman was gathering two sticks that she might die! Will she ever maintain the prophet? No, a dead woman and a dead boy will not maintain anything. We do not eat to die, we eat to live; the divine appointment is to eat and live. The Lord taught His disciples to pray, “give us today our needed bread”. Apparently she had enough for the day, but she was thinking she would die tomorrow. So that you see it is only as we are on the divinely-appointed lines that we can maintain the testimony. It is living people, as Hezekiah says, “The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I this day” (Isaiah 38: 19). The chapter before us in 1 Kings, as you will all know, is most remarkable. The woman’s son died, but not for want of food; the handful of meal did not diminish nor did the oil fail all the year, and the woman had the honour of maintaining this great servant of God for the testimony. The son died from sickness, but he was raised up, made to live by the power of God through the prophet, so that as she maintained him (she is called “the mistress of the house”), he maintained her. That is to say, God is no debtor to anyone; as we maintain what is His, He maintains us far above any expectations of ours. The son is raised up and given back to the woman as brought up from the dead.
[p. 159] Now I come on to the last scripture to show how the gathering of sticks works out in the hands of the greatest of servants, for there is no greater than Paul, save the Lord Jesus. He is in very trying circumstances, he has just had a terrible voyage, a voyage under the government of God which no one felt more than he, he knew the secret of it. It is a type of the whole voyage, of the testimony. The breaking up of the ship is a type of the history of the public assembly in its decline and break up — no one felt it more than Paul, and now he is on land on the island of Melita or Malta in the Mediterranean, a well-known place nowadays. This remarkable incident took place there, the great servant and those with him reached there in wintertime. It is always a trying time — I am speaking now spiritually; winter spiritually is a very trying time. It comes in the cycle of the year as God says, “Henceforth, all the days of the earth, seed time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease” (Genesis 8: 22). Here it was cold, it says expressly, that it was cold, but the inhabitants of the place received the company. They are called barbarians, the word of course you know was relative. It did not mean that they were barbarians in the sense that we speak. They were not Greeks, but they were a very kindly people, and what a comfort it was to come into a district such as this, especially to find warmth. The writer says, they showed us no little kindness, it is not said that they were converted, the point was that they were friendly. You know, fellowship has become a technical thing amongst us. It may be as cold as ice! I have been in meetings nominally in fellowship, but cold. Hence the importance of friendliness, kindly feeling towards visitors, is stressed here. The “chief man of the island” is mentioned. Let us not be disrespectful, in these [p. 160] democratic times, let us not be disrespectful towards persons of distinction. God enjoins us to honour them to whom honour is due.
So we have the chief man of the island here; he is kindly disposed towards Paul and the others. It is not simply that people are nominal christians, but it is a question of their kindness, their hospitality, their friendship. John uses the word “friends”. “Brethren” has become a hackneyed word, not that it has lost its power spiritually. God would dissipate all unspiritual use of words and bring in the power attaching to them, and what belongs to the term brethren is friendship; friendship must be there. These were friendly, and so they treated us kindly, the writer tells us, and one of the best things they did at the outset was to light a fire, because it was cold. How the apostle Paul would cherish that fire; coming up out of the sea, and the terrible time over, when for weeks neither sun nor stars appeared! Now he is in the midst of friendliness, love, consideration, and the testimony to it in this fire. Then Paul comes out as a true servant as Jesus was: “I am among you as he that serves”, He said. No true servant today would wear a clerical garb, nor regard himself as one to be set upon a throne and ministered to by all. Paul becomes the servant of all: he goes out and gathers sticks in that place. Put him alongside that widow in Zarephath, or that man in the wilderness, and you see the difference. He gathers “a certain quantity of sticks together in a bundle and laid it on the fire”. He did it all himself, he is like his Master. The Lord Jesus said, “I am among you as he that serves”. Mark “I am among you”. I believe the Lord Jesus as here with them, would do anything that was to be done for His people. So with Paul as to those that were with him — he gathered the sticks and placed them on the fire — how beautiful that is! He would keep up the volume of heat [p. 161] and they would all be comforted. The fire was not going to die out if he were there — nor will any warmth wane where anyone is who has the spirit of Christ. The point is to keep up the temperature, to get up the temperature in the meeting, not to fever heat, but to comfort heat. There are those amongst us who have no gift, but the thing is for them to add to the heat spiritually, as Paul did.
But then there is that terrible thing that happens — a viper comes out. It does not say from the wood; the point is to call attention to the activity of the devil in these circumstances, that where warmth is he would spoil it, and he would discredit the one who is keeping the fire going. It is as if some might say to Paul, You are in prison now, you must resign your leadership, you cannot go about as you used to. Paul would say, The Lord said that by me the preaching is to be fully known, (2 Timothy 4: 17). We cannot set aside Paul or anyone that the Lord raises up; but the viper, that is the devil, would discredit that man, in robbing him of his power. The viper, we are told, “coming out from the heat seized his hand”. Satan would say, There shall be no more gathering sticks like that. The idea was to put out the fire, and the antidote is to do what Paul did; he gathered the sticks, put them in a bundle and put it on the fire. Satan will do what he can, but the Lord promises to His servants “they shall take up serpents; and if they should drink any deadly thing it shall not injure them” (Mark 16: 18). Such “signs that follow” them show, that the servants of the Lord need never to be under the power of Satan; they are always victorious. Hence let no one attempt to overwhelm them; normally this cannot be done. To attempt it is to fight against God. So the viper is just thrown back into the fire, that is the end of it. The barbarians thought something was going to happen, but they changed their minds, and the apostle and those that were [p. 162] with him remained there for three months, the whole winter, and I suppose they never had such a winter in the island of Malta as they had that year. They had this wonderful servant of God and others of a like spirit there. We are told that Paul, having prayed, laid his hands on the father of Publius, the chief man of the island, and cured him of a serious disease; “the rest also who had sicknesses in the island came and were healed”. The power of God was there. All this works out from this simple thought of adding heat to the fire, keeping the temperature at a considerable heat; as this is done, the enemy attacks, but the testimony is carried through. That is the position, dear brethren, so that Paul was sustained at Melita, as Elijah was at Zarephath, and laden with honours he goes on to Rome. It is said that he sailed in a ship that had “wintered in the island”.
You see how God would bring us to this important point: however few sticks we may gather, gather them with this in view — to add to what is there. The mere thought of getting numbers is dangerous; we must keep an eye on quality — that which adds to what there is of God already present.