THE "WALLED CITY"
THE “WALLED CITY”
Leviticus 25:29; Acts 20:17 - 38; 1 Corinthians 4:11 - 17
As to the connection between these scriptures which I have read, my thought is to set forth a little in regard to the character of that into which the gentiles were introduced. They were introduced into a walled city. I refer to the passage in Leviticus 25, as setting forth in type the assembly as set up here, and the scriptures in Acts and Corinthians as setting forth the character of the ministry by which the city was formed internally. The apostle shows that his ministry and ways were in entire accord with those of Christ. Paul had been brought into acquaintance with Christ in heaven, and all his ministry has that in view. The city was established on earth in all the dignity of sonship as known in Christ in heaven. He brought the glad tidings amongst “the nations”. Paul’s ministry took the form of the announcement of the Son; he preached the Son of God. The “walled city” was already there; the city established by the ministry of the twelve apostles, which will appear in the future in glory. The city as established by them existed morally before Paul’s testimony, and by him the gentiles were introduced into it; they were marked by the ministry of Paul. The ministry of the twelve went on also, they were apostles of Christ, and represented His authority; they maintained Christ’s due. They loved Christ, and all their service was performed out of love for Christ. Their ministry brought to pass an order of things which was all of God, and a city was reared morally with a wall of protection excluding all that was evil.
The apostles were entrusted with the testimony, and they treasured it, and saw that it was protected.
[p. 139] They not only reared walls around it, but the gates were kept; there was vigilance in the exclusion of all evil, and everything contrary to Christ was refused. It was set up in the midst of Israel — “a walled city”. Israel lost her opportunity. She had, as it were, an opportunity to “redeem” her place within the city; in the type we see in Leviticus 25, that a full year is given to redeem it, and, failing that, it passed out of the owner’s hands for ever. The gentile comes in for that possession; not in a “village or in an open field”, but in the city. He may acquire land, and he has acquired it in the “open field”, which I regard as earthly possession. Barnabas had lands there, and sold them, for he wished to have a residence in the walled city. He recognised the authority of the apostles, and he sold his land, and gave the money to the apostles for their disposal. He was in sympathy with the testimony, and he sold his land, preferring a place in the walled city. He knew he would have to give up his land sooner or later, and whoever bought it from him would also one day have to yield it up, and would get nothing back for it. The land goes out free in the year of Jubilee.
Today God is really owner of the land, but one sees how the nations claim the land and advance their flags to the utmost limits of their territory. They lay claim to proprietary rights; to the land which in reality belongs to God. I want a residence in a “walled city”. Barnabas’ land will return to God, its rightful owner, in the year of Jubilee. Barnabas did what every Israelite should have done. The walled city established in their midst was open to them, and gave them a great opportunity to embrace a wonderful place of privilege. The nation refused it, but those who accepted it “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42) in complete accord with the city, and the Lord “added” them.
[p. 140] The Israelites had the city in their midst, and abundant opportunity was given to them to redeem their place in it. Jerusalem was their city, but the door of the assembly was thrown open to them, but they spurned and rejected it, and the gentile has come into their possession.
In Leviticus 25:30 you see what we have come into; what we have been introduced into. You have taken your place in the order of things established here for God, and it is yours for ever. Earthly possessions will have to be surrendered, but if you have found a residence (in a sense you have to purchase it), a place in the walled city, that place is secured to you for ever. It shall not go out. Walls are essential to a city. In the heavenly city (Revelation 21) the measurements of the walls are given; the length and the breadth and the height of them, and the walls are garnished with precious stones. The walls are a most essential feature in a city, for the inhabitants are secure within the walls.
But now we want to know what is inside the walls, and to have some conception of the interior of the city. In Psalm 107:7 God speaks of guiding His people by “the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation”. The walls are around the city, but here we get the inhabitants referred to. God directed and guided His people in the wilderness, that they might go to a city of habitation, and as God forms us in His light, we seek “a city which hath foundations”, Hebrews 11:10. Abraham sought something stable and immutable, and as he learned and apprehended God he saw the unstable character of everything here. He looked for a city whose Builder and Maker is God. The light of God coming into our souls loads us to desire the city. Many believers have not found the city. We read in the blessing of Moses, “Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people”, Deuteronomy 33:7. That sets forth in [p. 141] figure the character of the inhabitants of the city, and if we read these scriptures in Acts and Corinthians in regard to Paul’s ministry we shall see that Paul gives, as it were, the inhabitants; that is, the inhabitants of that heavenly city are formed and developed by the ministry of Paul.
Paul had received light from Christ in heaven outside the territory of Israel. The centre had been removed from Jerusalem and from Israel; the centre of everything was now in heaven, where was the “light above the brightness of the sun”, Acts 26:13. The result of light from heaven is to lead back to heaven. Nothing is more desired by my soul than that a little bit of heavenly light may be the impression given in one’s ministry. The present situation is not understood unless you see that things proceed from heaven. Paul first apprehended and appreciated the Son of God; that Person touched and captured his heart, and thus his preaching was spontaneous. I know he was an apostle, and that he was sent to preach; nevertheless he preached out of affection for Christ, and he “preached Jesus that he is the Son of God”, Acts 9:20. The testimony of Paul was “that I may announce him ... among the nations”, Galatians 1:16. The result of that testimony is to set the gentiles in the dignity and affection of sonship. We are all sons of God. This gives you an idea of the inhabitants of that city; they are heavenly, formed by heavenly light, and they are sons. Sons have the liberty of the house. We shall never lose our place, not only on account of His purchase of us by His blood, but also because we are sons. The Lord as man was the Son of God. He could go up. He says, “I ascend”, John 20:17. And the sons are accorded the liberty of the house; they are heavenly, and they are sons. Paul’s ministry was pre-eminently the ministry of a son, it expressed Christ. Everything Christ did was done in the dignity and liberty of a Son, and marked by a [p. 142] heavenly character, and so it was in a measure with Paul.
Ephesus sets forth the city in principle. In Acts 9 we get the start, and the finish in chapter 20. There was liberty, and it was used for the service of God. In Antioch there was spontaneous response; there was liberty there too. Barnabas had full sympathy with Paul, he rejoiced in the work of God at Antioch, and he brings Saul to where the work was; he went out in liberty. The Spirit of God says, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul”, Acts 13:2. There was a spontaneous response, and the Spirit of God recognises it. That is the source through which the gospel came to us.
Look through the chapters that intervene, and you will find that the testimony moved forward until it was enshrined at Ephesus, and at the conclusion in chapter 20, the assembly was set up in the full light of what had been revealed in Paul’s soul. We cannot enlarge on what he says, but it is indicated that he had moved about among the Ephesian saints according to the character of Christ. He brings out that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. It is on the line of gift, not of demand, and that was the line of the Son of God. Paul laboured and preached, and all that he did was in accord with Christ. The Ephesian saints were affected by his ministry, and the proof of it was, how profoundly affected they were that they should see his face no more. His ministry had produced affection. Why do they love him? Because there was a reproduction of Christ in him. The internal features of that “city” are found in Paul.
God’s city is a wonderful place to have a residence in and to have company in. We shall all have a residence there. At present we are dwelling in tents, and but for a time, liable to be dissolved at any moment, but presently we shall dwell in a building [p. 143] from God, a house not made with hands. Where? Eternal in the heavens. Every believer will have a permanent fixed abode in that city, eternal in the heavens, and a residence that he will never lose, for it is secured to him for ever. The inhabitants of that city will be instinct with life, each one exhibiting some trait of Christ, and expressing some feature of Christ. The wonderful line of thought began down here in a man to whom Christ had been revealed; a man who was in reproach, but who moved about in the dignity of Christ, and whose ministry was of Christ. We may have ten thousand instructors but only one father. The inhabitants of that heavenly city will in that sense have one father, for they are begotten, as it were, by the ministry of Paul. Paul was the father of the Corinthians, but they were very unlike their father. Paul could not go to them himself, so he sent Timothy, his dearly beloved son in the faith. Timothy reflected Paul. The Spirit of Christ produces in our midst the character of Christ as shown in Paul and Timothy. Some of the Corinthians were puffed up; they were not in accord with the spirit of that city. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”, Philippians 2:5. Our citizenship is in heaven. The lowly man on earth is the only suitable man for heaven. The lowest place here corresponds to the highest place there.
Suitable conduct is required, and Timothy is left in Corinth to set things in order. Paul is exercised that things should be after the order of Christ. A heavenly city, a walled city — and occupied with heavenly inhabitants — come down from God out of heaven, and in accord with Christ, and “having the glory of God”, Revelation 21:10. This is the product of the ministry of Paul — she “comes down out of heaven, from my God”, Revelation 3:12.
Our residence is secured in that city — and secured to us for ever.