THE TEMPLE OF GOD - NINTH READING
THE TEMPLE OF GOD - NINTH READING
WJH It is important to see that the house of God is not in heaven but on earth; it is the place where heaven comes down to earth. Each of us must recognise that there are difficulties on the earth, but not in heaven, and that the solution to these difficulties can be found in putting ourselves in relation to heaven, that is, in drawing our strength from heaven. “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation nor shadow of turning” (James 1: 17). It is a question of whether we wish to obtain what we need from heaven. If so, difficulties would disappear quickly. Then there is the house of God. It is down here but is linked to heaven by “a ladder... set up on the earth” (Genesis 28: 12) and God is above it. Then there are messengers who ascend and descend upon it, to bring to us from heaven what will be of use to us. This is probably what Solomon had in mind. Whatever the difficulty, his desire is that we should put ourselves in relation to the house of God, God will respond from heaven. He will respond in such a manner that every difficulty is overcome, whether it relates to an individual, to several, to a company or to Israel in general. If only we could come to the house of God when those difficulties arise, God would always send what meets our need by means of this ladder.
ThD Who are these messengers who ascend and descend on the ladder?
WJH These are servants whom the Lord uses, ministers to those who do His will.
PN The recipient of this ministry is asleep. Is this a type of death?
WJH I think it is rather that we should find rest in the house of God. I think that, instead of being excited and troubled, we should sleep peacefully on this stone. It is not the sleep of indifference but of peace. The pillow may be a little hard but it is a pillow. Jacob says, “This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28: 17). The house of God is not heaven itself but it is the gate and, when you are at the gate, you are not far from entering.
ThD Why does he find this a dreadful place?
WJH He did not have a good conscience. He had taken what belonged to his brother and he had lied. This was not the case with David, when he said, “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house — they will be constantly praising thee” (Psalm 84: 4). Jacob judged himself later — he said, “Put away the strange gods that are among you, and cleanse yourselves, and change your garments; and we will arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar to the God that answered me in the day of my distress” (Genesis 35: 2, 3).
DV Could we say that Mary was in the house but Martha was outside?
WJH Both were inside but Mary was listening to what the Lord was saying, Martha was not doing so; she was distracted.
JB Does our attitude towards the house indicate our state?
WJH The source of all local difficulties is in a lie; in saying so, I speak soberly. If there is trouble among the saints, something false is present. Jacob had deceived Isaac, He deceived him by means of Rebecca. Sisters sometimes deceive brothers; then the house of God is a dreadful place. There is need to face up to things, to judge oneself, to purify oneself, to change one’s garments, in order, then, to go up to Bethel.
M Whom does Solomon represent?
WJH “It is Christ... who is also at the right hand of God; who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8: 34). If a brother or a sister turns away from the house of God, they are turning away from Christ. Any gathering, which turns aside from the features of the house of God, departs from the person of Christ. This is what happened to the sons of Israel, when in spirit they returned to Egypt. In principle, they had to pass again by the rock and “the rock was the Christ” (1 Corinthians 10: 4); the rock followed them with living water. Some of them, however, returned in their hearts to Egypt. This is what happens to those who allow certain things into their houses, like radio, for example. They return again past the rock to reach the waters of the Nile, which are of blood, frogs and demons.
DV Living water is in contrast with the waters of the Nile.
WJH Living water flows from the rock but not a drop of it is found in a novel or a newspaper. The rock follows us throughout our journey across the desert.
DV It is only by this water that the saints can be refreshed.
OT The rock, however, is not for the house of God but for the wilderness.
WJH We have to consider Solomon’s prayer. If there are those who are going astray, why is this so? Why are difficulties being encountered? Solomon prays. Nothing is lacking on the Lord’s part, so why should not all be well?
JM Solomon’s prayer gives some sense of the Lord’s intercession for His own.
WJH Solomon thinks about us. How are we to be adjusted together if we go astray? Solomon looks ahead. He knows that there will be difficulties and he provides for it in his prayer, in such a way that difficulties are overcome and they will be overcome, if we are ready to obey everything envisaged in this prayer.
I Obedience is perhaps the greatest difficulty.
WJH Indeed, God will do everything for us, if we obey Him. He gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him; for us this is certainly the greatest gift of all.
OT Solomon’s name means peace.
WJH Yes, but there isn’t always peace. “For the time of having the judgment begin from the house of God is come” (1 Peter 4: 17). There was no longer peace when Ananias and Sapphira approached with a lie; the house of God had become for them a dreadful place. There must be fear if a lie is brought into the house of God. It is dreadful to come in such a condition into the place where there are the seven lamps and the seven Spirits of God. God sees everything; nothing can be hidden from Him. There can be no peace where there is a lie. The Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth. If anyone introduces a lie, the sooner it is judged, the sooner the saints will be able to enjoy peace. Trouble will remain, however, until the matter is judged.
M Solomon assumes that there will be self-judgment among the people before they turn towards God in the house (verse 24).
WJH Before that, verse 21 is important.
I I wonder if everyone understands properly what a lie is.
WJH You try to appear what you really are not; Jacob sought to pass for Esau, Ananias and Sapphira wanted to give the impression that they were like Barnabas, who gave everything that he possessed, but they kept part for themselves. Peter said, “While it remained did it not remain to thee? and sold, was it not in thine own power? Why is it that thou hast purposed this thing in thy heart? Thou hast not lied to men, but to God” (Acts 5: 4). It is not possible to deceive the Holy Spirit. To have peace, we need reality and truth. No brother or sister, having deceived the Lord, will be able to go for long without it being brought to light but it has to be faced and judged. What Solomon says in verse 21 is so touching — “and hear thou from thy dwelling-place, from the heavens, and when thou hearest, forgive.” He does not say, ‘Forgive this or that but simply, ‘forgive”. If God were not to forgive us — if He did not forgive the brethren at Beauvoisin — in spite of the prayers of the Lord, it would not be possible to continue for a single day. It is not there a question of a particular act, which needs forgiveness but that we always need to be forgiven. There are so many things which do not please God and for which we need forgiveness.
M You mean that we have to live in an atmosphere of forgiveness, because we do so many things that need to be forgiven.
WJH Those who are aware of what the house of God is down here are maintained in an atmosphere of forgiveness.
ThD Supplication is made “toward this place”.
WJH “That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night” (verse 20). When things are happy in the house of God, by day, His eyes are on it. When things are difficult and dark, by night, His eyes are still on it.
M So we have to pray day and night.
WJH Anna did not depart from the temple, “night and day”. If things were dark, she would not leave because of that. There is a tendency to move away when difficulty arises but this was not the case with Anna. She awaited the coming of the Lord. She remained in the temple until His coming, until that which would be for her “the dayspring from on high” (Luke 1: 78). She was there in the temple, in spite of the darkness, and she was praying. She appeared at the same point as Simeon and, like Simeon, she saw God’s salvation,
the dawn of a new day. This is what we need and particularly in times of darkness.
DV A reply results from “whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name” (John 15: 16).
WJH His name is there, in the house of God, “the place in which thou hast said thou wouldest put thy name” (verse 20).
OT “Make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise” (John 2: 16).
WJH That is where the trouble comes from. I wish to place my name where only the name of God should be found. If I put my name there, there will be strife, whereas only God’s name should be found there. How will there be peace among the brethren if I wish to have the first place among them?
OT “Behold, bless Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah, who by night stand in the house of Jehovah” (Psalm 134: 1).
WJH The priests stand during the night.
JB The night is outside. Inside, there is always light.
WJH Exactly, but sometimes we may enter the house of God and bring the night with us. Deceit for example, belongs to the night and not to the day but the eyes of God are on the house, even at night. For God, “the night shineth as the day” (Psalm 139: 12).
JB If there is that which is of the night, it is because we introduce it; it should not characterise the house of God.
PN Were the epistles of Paul to Timothy written so that there should be nothing of the night in the house of God?
WJH Timothy was to be careful to introduce nothing of the night. He understood the ways of Paul, who said, “But we have rejected the hidden things of shame” (2 Corinthians 4: 2). He did not operate with craft or malice. He had set aside completely what was shameful but “by manifestation of the truth” he commended himself “to every conscience of men before God”. Paul could say, on entering the house of God, that it was a happy place.
DV The Corinthians had introduced the night at Corinth.
WJH They were not judging themselves. They allowed corruption, which is an element of darkness. Verse 23 should be seriously considered — “then hear thou from the heavens, and do, and judge thy servants, requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, giving him according to his righteousness.”
M The apostle Paul says, “For I am conscious of nothing in myself; but I am not justified by this” (1 Corinthians 4: 4). I feel that there is a need to be kept in the atmosphere of forgiveness.
JB And the apostle continues, “but he that examines me is the Lord”.
WJH If every brother and every sister were to be truthful, they would have to confess that they need divine forgiveness every day. Their whole life in relation to the house of God must be spent in the sense of forgiveness. There is no place for Pharisees. They who enter are only those who enjoy forgiveness.
AB Those who feel their need of forgiveness.
WJH Who feel it constantly. The issue is not that I might have committed some particular offence today but that I do so many things that need forgiveness. There is constant need of it.
M It follows that there must be the spirit of forgiveness among us, because it says, “and remit us our sins, for we also remit to every one indebted to us” (Luke 11: 4).
WJH This wonderful prayer begins with a reference to His name — “Father, thy name be hallowed” (Luke 11: 2). It is only later that we come to forgiveness. The Lord forgives everyone who thinks upon His name, because forgiveness is part of His name. God said to Moses, “I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before thee” (Exodus 33: 19). “Jehovah. Jehovah God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy unto thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but by no means clearing the guilty” (Exodus 34: 6, 7). Forgiveness is part of His name. If we do not forgive, we do not know His name and we can no longer pray in the house of God.
JB The spirit of forgiveness flows out of confession.
WJH Forgiveness is already there before there had been confession.
JB But God requires confession.
WJH What you are saying is not the whole truth; it is only part of it. The truth is that forgiveness is always in the heart of God but when there is confession, what is in His heart comes to us. I wonder if it is so with us. Is there always, in every case, forgiveness in our hearts? It is not possible for it to be shown until there is confession; however, it is there. So verses 22 and 23 are very important — “If a man have sinned against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to adjure him, and the oath come before thine altar in this house; then hear thou from the heavens, and do, and judge thy servants, requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, giving him according to his righteousness.” It refers to two brothers. If a difficulty between two brothers is not resolved, it must be taken further. More serious difficulties will arise — later, there will be enemies and the people will be put to the worse before the enemies. Then there will be no rain and the heavens will be shut up. Subsequently, there will be famine in the land. After this, pestilence, then burning, then blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar until everything of beauty has disappeared. But all this begins with a difficulty between two brothers. How important it is to resolve the questions, which arise in the house of God.
PN You would say that everything in a locality can be spoiled by two brothers in disagreement.
I Do differences have to be resolved in God’s house?
WJH “In this house”. We do not go before human justice as did the Corinthians but “in this house”. The apostle says, “...set those to judge who are little esteemed in the assembly” (1 Corinthians 6: 4). The less esteemed will consider for the name of God and His interests. We have often been occupied by the way in which these things affect us but what is most important is to see how they affect God. It is a matter of His name, His honour and His glory.
ThD Those who are little esteemed are the unpretentious, who consider for God in everything.
WJH Anyone who has no regard for God’s interests has no place in the assembly. The youngest have consideration for God and Christ, if they are in the assembly. They do not think of their parents or their friends; God has first place in their thoughts. This is what we must do if there is a difficulty between two brothers; the difficulty is placed “before thine altar in this house” (verse 22). It is the brazen altar. Everything is put in the light of the holiness of God at Calvary. It is from this standpoint that difficulties in the house of God must be viewed, with His name before us. Things would be quickly resolved if we operated in this way. It would not take years. It did not take long for Peter to settle the question with Ananias; it was done immediately.
M It was not in Solomon’s mind that there could be a resolution independently of the house.
WJH There is indeed no remedy outside the house of God. It is possible to cover evil for a certain time but nothing is resolved until everything is placed in the presence of the altar in the house of God.
PN In the case of Achan, in Joshua 7, it is said to him, “...give ...glory to Jehovah the God of Israel” (Joshua 7: 19).
WJH And he told the whole truth, even as it put him in danger of being stoned. It is better to be put out of fellowship than to continue untruthfully. Joshua said to him, “...tell me now what thou hast done, keep it not back from me” and he told the whole truth. The valley of Achor is the door of hope, the only door of hope. It is a matter of judging the evil as God judges it, in such a way that God can state that it is judged. So there will be a door of hope.
PN For the recovery of the brother?
WJH No, for the people. The brother must be left, at least for the moment. If we go down into this valley to encounter Achan and to stone him because he has introduced corruption, then there will be a door of hope. The love of Christ will be known among his people, who will say, “My husband” (Hosea 2: 16).
M If we judge ourselves, we shall then be able to appreciate the Lord’s grace as support.
WJH Yes, all that is available to each one of us. From the moment at which the Samaritan woman of John 4 judged herself, confessing “I have not a husband” (John 4: 17), a door of hope opens to her immediately and she finds One whom she can take for support — “My husband”. That is equally true for the assembly and for each local assembly. If Achan is judged, if those who introduce evil are judged, if each judges himself, then there is a door of hope in the restoration of the love of Christ for His assembly.
DV How do we understand the famine?
WJH We must not go too quickly. It is a question of two brothers with a difficulty between them. We shall not have famine if the difficulty is resolved. The famine will come only if the difficulty is not resolved. The questions raised between these two brothers are placed before the altar in the house. The evil person is judged and the righteous one is justified. It does not say, in verse 23, ‘Passing over all these things’, but “...requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, giving him according to his righteousness”.
DV Otherwise, there is famine.
WJH If difficulties between two brothers are resolved, there will be no enemy attack nor will there be famine. We should notice what is given prime place by Solomon, because he is a man of wisdom. “And God gave Solomon wisdom and very great understanding and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea-shore” (1 Kings 4: 29). He shows us here what is the root of evil, as Paul shows to the Philippians when he writes to them, “I exhort Euodia, and exhort Syntyche, to be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4: 2). It seems that there may have been a difficulty at Philippi and Paul is concerned about it.
DV He did not wish them to continue as if all were well.
WJH If each wishes to follow his own path — you, yours and I, mine — we shall never have “the same mind in the Lord”. Do we wish to do the Lord’s will? That is the great question.
DV Solomon’s prayer helps us greatly.
WJH It is our earnest desire that the enemies should not attack and that the rain should be plentiful. Where everything is in order, the rain which is falling today is very precious.
DV I must be full of grace towards others and severe on myself.
WJH A spirit of forgiveness is maintained but if there is a difficulty between two brothers, there must be the ability to recognise good, on one hand, and evil, on the other. One may be good and the other evil; both may be wrong but it is impossible that both are right. The difficulty must be brought “before thine altar in this house”, placed in the presence of the death of Christ, who has suffered for sin; placed where there is divine light. This is how we know who is wrong. Evil is condemned and the one who is right is justified, so that the enemies cannot enter.