DRAWING NEAR TO GOD
[p. 344] DRAWING NEAR TO GOD
Hebrews 10:19 - 22; Numbers 7:89; 1 Chronicles 17:11 - 21; Psalm 73:16,17
You will recognize, dear brethren, that these scriptures have to say to our entering into the immediate presence of God. They tell us that the way for this is now made known, and they indicate that God would have us near Him. The people of God are marked off indeed characteristically in Scripture as a people near unto Him (Psalm 148:14). That is their glory, but He makes it plain, in thus indicating His pleasure in His people being near, that it is in His people and no others. Others assuming to draw near, Scripture says, are to be put to death — “the stranger that cometh nigh”, (Numbers 1:51). I do not say that there is actual death meted out to persons who presume to draw near to God, but are not His. There are many, alas! who presume to draw near. In christendom the so-called priesthood assumes the right, as attaining certain conferred degrees, to draw near, but God makes it plain that any who are not His, who take up that attitude, are under the severest penalty. The present is not a time of penalty exactly, not a time of curse; God can wait and He does. He is slow to execute judgment, slow to wrath, but still He does not forget anything, nor does He ever lose sight of one who offends in this way. As the apostle says, the curse is to be executed when the Lord comes (1 Corinthians 16:22).
It is very solemn indeed to presume to have access to God apart from being one of His people, but His people are before Him and He is looking out for them. Even if there is delay, He is waiting, wonderful in patience; God waits for His people, and the epistle to the Hebrews is intended to show this and the way in. There is not only the liberty to go in; you may have that without fully knowing the way. Liberty to go [p. 345] in and the way are two distinct things. Now the epistle to the Hebrews shows the way in, and you therefore have what relates to the conscience. There are certain things mentioned. The High Priest is spoken of as over the house of God, but the way also involves things, whereas in Ephesians the way is by Persons; “through him we both have access by one Spirit”, (Ephesians 2:18). Hebrews is on a lower level, that is, God coming down to where we are. Nothing is more touching than to see God coming down to where we are, but it is to the end that we might move up towards Him. Love will serve so that it might gratify itself, and it will go to any length to that end, but love will have nothing less than the persons loved. Let us never forget that. God is looking out for us and, although He sees many of us slothful, having hardly moved toward Him, He is waiting. Hence here we have the exhortation “Let us draw near”; it is by the new and living way.
The early christians, Peter’s converts and others, were alive; God was before them. If one of those addressed were to ask the writer of this epistle, What does this new and living way mean? He would say, It is not an unknown thing. He might inquire, Did you ever see Peter pray? Did you ever attend a meeting with Peter? You knew him. You would see that he did not approach God according to dead ordinances, he approached God in a living way. Where did he learn to approach God in this living way? He learnt it from Jesus. If you read John, chapters 13 to 17, you will see what is meant in this. And so if you heard James speak to God, you would understand this living way. Have you forgotten, the writer might say? They had forgotten — they had dropped down almost to the level of a worldly religion that at one time they had turned their backs upon, and hence the danger of losing sight of the living state of things that marked apostolic times following [p. 346] on the gift of the Spirit from heaven. The writer of this epistle urges the saints to remember their leaders who had spoken to them the word of God. So the Lord would make things practical to us.
Hezekiah had some idea of this matter. He says, “The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day”, (Isaiah 38:19). He saw that the service of praise to God was not merely a matter of killing bulls and goats and sprinkling their blood on the altar and mercy-seat. He saw that drawing near to God was a living matter. People were made to live who were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and who, by the Holy Spirit, had learned to love God, learned to love Jesus, and learned to love one another, so that if you saw them when they came together in the early days you would see how everything glowed with love. Peter doubtless saw the Lord Jesus lift up His eyes and say, “Father”. He lifted up His eyes to heaven (John 17); what a movement it was, how living it was. If Peter did it afterwards he would be governed by what he saw.
Christianity, beloved brethren, is not a book matter merely; the Scriptures are essential, of course, but christianity existed before the Scriptures of the New Testament were written; it is a question of living persons; it was first expressed in Jesus, in whom was life, and the life was the light of men. His movements, His words, His ways were light. Peter, John, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, and the rest of the apostles, and others besides, saw all these things and were affected by them.
If you were to ask them, What does entering by the blood of Jesus mean? they would say, It means that He died. He did not go into heaven in relation to Himself alone, He went in sacrificially, and thus made a way for others to go in to God, and as He went in through death for us, we can go in. He represented us.
[p. 347] What does this veil mean? might be asked, and the answer would be that things were hidden while Christ was here in the condition of flesh and blood; God was here indeed, and hence near to men, but until Christ’s death the veil which barred the way in to God existed; now that Christ has gone in through death there is a way in for us. “Through the veil, that is to say, his flesh”, refers to the change effected through Christ’s death. We did not really understand anything fully until He died and rose and went up to heaven, and the Holy Spirit came down, but now we know it all. The truth is all out. And so in regard to the great Priest over the house of God; John, as knowing Jesus in such an intimate way, would convey what this means. The truth would be made plain and practical by the apostles as known experimentally by them.
The New Testament, of course, is indited by the Spirit, but the christian system, in its living, practical, intelligible relations, was there already in the saints in the power of the Holy Spirit come down to us. Thus Jesus as gone into heaven was known on earth as a Great Priest over the house of God. A Great Priest, that is what it says here. Chapter 4 is the great High Priest, where it is a question of the throne of grace. Priestly grace and sympathy we experienced in Him while He was here, the apostles might say, but now we understand priesthood in a spiritual way that, as in heaven, He is a Great Priest over the house of God. The Holy Spirit having come, we understand that all blessing comes into our souls from Him, we are living by Him. He has a means of touching every one of us as if He were here Himself. He can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and He is over the house, filling it with the spirit of grace and holy liberty.
Thus we have liberty to draw near, we are to draw near to God. Jesus in becoming Man brought in light [p. 348] as to God, He revealed the Father, and now that He has gone in, having made a way for us, we can draw near to God. In this epistle the thought of Deity is expressed in “the greatness”; He “sat down on the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens”, (Hebrews 8:1). How immense the privilege that we can draw near to that! It is for us to apprehend the Greatness. The idea is personified: Jesus sat Himself down at the right hand of the throne of the Greatness in the heavens. And then the Father — He is the Father of a Man here below: He speaks to Him, addresses Him as “my beloved Son”; and this blessed Man, Peter would say, said to me, “Then are the sons free”. He associated me with Himself: He said as to the tribute money, “Give it to them for me and thee” (Matthew 17:26,27).
The apostles would thus convey to interested persons the living way by which we may enter the holiest; they understood how to draw near to God. This involves hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience in those who draw near. There is not one here who does not know something about an evil conscience. The Holy Spirit works on our consciences. Whether you are a christian or not God will work on your conscience. You have that by which He can approach you and make you feel things. If there is anything that has happened that is causing an evil conscience, then the word is “having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water”. The water is the death of Jesus. The water flowed from His side, and really what is meant is His death, but as applied to your body, to your state, not your sins. ‘Body’ here implies yourself; that is, I must be cleansed as well as forgiven.
In speaking to the early ministers of Christ, inquiring from them, they would impress you that everything in christianity is real, living and practical. That is what this epistle contemplates. There are two phrases [p. 349] of two words each that mark it — “We have” and “Let us”. If you go through the epistle with these in view you will find out how rich you are, how much you have. Others have creeds, degrees, habiliments and cathedrals, but true christians have other things, and if you go through the epistle to the Hebrews you will be impressed with the things that we have. And then “Let us”; that is, let us go in for these things, move in relation to them. These are the two sets of words that make the epistle intensely practical and that govern it in large measure. So here, “Let us draw near”; the speaker is drawing near and he wants you to go with him. That is all very simple, dear brethren, and practical, and that is what I had in mind.
The Old Testament illustrates these things, so that the first scripture I read says, “Moses went ... to speak with Him”. That is a remarkable thing, that a man of like passions with ourselves had liberty to go into the holiest. Typically, it is Christ as mediator; but there was the thought of going in to God. So far as I understand, Moses is never forbidden, it is Aaron that is forbidden to go in. Personally, the Lord always could go in, although the way in was not made manifest until He died. But it is very beautiful to see Moses do it. He knew who was there. No one in the Old Testament can be compared with Moses, as to his knowledge of God. God Himself said of Moses, “the form of Jehovah doth he behold”, (Numbers 12:8). No one had such an advantage as Moses. This verse would indicate that he had the greatest liberty to go in to speak with God. But God says to him, as it were, Moses, I would like to speak first. I think that is very beautiful. I would prefer God’s speaking to my speaking. Moses heard the voice speaking to him; it says, “from off the mercy-seat which was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubim”.
[p. 350] Now that is the first thing I would stress, dear brethren, from the types. That is, that you hear divine speaking as you go in. God may speak to you now as I am speaking to you. I hope He will — one would be simple; David says, “his word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2), so that as one is ministering God’s voice may be heard; but this is not your going in, it is God coming out to speak. There were two places where He spoke: at the brazen altar and from off the mercy-seat. Moses heard Him from the mercy-seat and the people heard Him at the brazen altar. I would rather go in, although I am thankful to hear God speak at the brazen altar. Moses in going in to speak had evidently liberty in his soul, but God says, I should like to speak to you. I believe this verse is to indicate how Moses received all his communications. Exodus 25 would indicate that this is how God would speak authoritatively through the Mediator, that is, everything would come from off the mercy-seat. There is a beautiful touch in the mercy-seat, that is, what God is in mercy to us — every word mingled with mercy. It is a question of His people. The mercy-seat is the throne of God, but it is not the great white throne. It is the throne of God towards His people, whence He speaks to us. The communications introduced by “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying”, generally came this way; God figuratively shining out in Christ, who is the mercy-seat (Romans 3).
But then there is also authority. The ark of the testimony is there, that mysterious symbol of the presence of God in power, Jesus come in lowliness and obscurity; and then the two cherubim, denoting the government of God. All these things combine in the communications to the Mediator; and how important it is, dear brethren, that we should have authority today and that we should have such speaking! It all comes out from Jesus who is the great Speaker in the [p. 351] epistle to the Hebrews. Through Him all speaking comes and these three features must be there, so it is, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord” (Hebrews 2:3); it is such speaking. Let us not assume that it does not exist. There is continuous speaking of authority on the part of God. But what I want to show is that it is for us to go in and get this firsthand, to hear God speaking to you. Moses heard the voice speaking to him. It may be as you are in your closet, for I believe the holiest is the outcome of turning into one’s closet to speak to God, “to thy Father who is in secret”, as the Lord says (Matthew 6:6). It is within the range of every christian to do that. I believe that we understand the holiest as we understand what it is to speak to God, unfolding to Him the desires of our hearts. As we do this a voice comes, some little suggestion comes. Did you ever have such an experience? Something that you never had before? He heard the voice speaking to him, and then it says Moses spoke to God. I would commend that to you — turn in and speak to God and He will speak to you.
The next phase of this subject that I would present is David. It is a well-known passage, corresponding with one in 2 Samuel 7; it is in a beautiful setting, that of sonship. David had thought of building the house of God, but it was forbidden him, and Nathan is sent to tell him that it is his seed that will build the house, and that seed is to be God’s son. Without mentioning Solomon, who was not yet born, it says, “thy seed ... I will be his father, and he shall be my son”. That is sonship, in a little way, of course, but still it is there; and if we examine Psalm 89 we shall see that David himself is regarded as “firstborn”, and Jehovah says, “He shall call unto me, Thou art my father”. So that we see how sonship merges from David to Solomon, but David had part in it. In other words, Christ here on earth was Son [p. 352] as He is now. The idea was disclosed when He was on earth, but it is now extended to us, He having gone up into heaven and sent down the Spirit. We have not only the light of sonship but the thing itself. We have the Spirit of adoption. I wonder if everybody here understands the Spirit of adoption. God has sent out the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, Abba, Father. The Holy Spirit sees to that in the believer. The Spirit of sonship Himself cries, Abba, Father. I believe He teaches us by that how we are to cry, Abba, Father.
Well, I want you to follow what I am saying and to see what this movement of David’s is. He went in and sat before Jehovah. He never did it before, so far as Scripture records. Why did he do it? Obviously because the light of sonship shone into his soul. He says, I see (I mean, in type, of course) that God is to be my Father and I am to be His son; it is indicated in Psalm 89, as I said. In this light I can go in to God, as my Father, and He will be pleased to see me. Dear brethren, you will pardon my simplicity in this matter. We need to get down to one another. Is not the Father pleased to see His sons? He is. He is waiting to see you; He affords you access to Him. He did not send out for David here. David went in, and he did not stand; it says, he went in and sat. The Spirit of God is accurate in these matters and He means to convey to you that if you go in as a son you will be free to sit. You will have the sense of holy liberty there. The word may be rendered “tarried”. David had liberty there. Not a word is said about his priestly apparel, or a linen garment. David is within in the light of sonship, and this now applies to every one of us. God has given us the dignity of kings, but He has given us the dignity of sons, too. David says to God, “for thy servant’s sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all this greatness, to make known all these great things”. He also says, “thou ... hast regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree”.
Sometimes we find among the brethren radical thoughts, levelling everything down, but in he assembly there is levelling down and levelling up: the brother of low degree is to glory in his elevation and the rich in his humiliation (James 1:9 - 10). This brings all to one level in a spiritual sense, and so love would have it. But this is no suggestion of radicalism or Bolshevism, which is abhorrent to the mind of God. David here is speaking about rank. There are angels and there are archangels, and so amongst the people of God there is rank, there are degrees. We must leave that with God. The Lord Jesus, in speaking to the mother of Zebedee’s children, says that the positions she asked for her sons were not His to give; they were for those for whom His Father prepared them. He indicated that the Father is the sovereign regulator of all these matters. David here says, “thou ... hast regarded me according to the rank of a man of high degree” — and that is the impression you get as you enter into the holiest. You see the glories of Jesus. He has passed through the heavens, according to Hebrews. There is nobody with a rank like that. He has that pre-eminence, but we go into heaven, too; we have the rank of sons. We belong, according to this same epistle to the Hebrews, to the assembly of the firstborn. That is a peculiar kind of rank. There is no rank like that even in this country, notwithstanding the great skill they show in creating titles; there is no set of nobility of whom everyone can be said to be a firstborn. That is the rank that belongs to us; so that each of us can say, God regards me as a man of high degree. Would that we took it in by the Spirit! God surely is entitled to have His nobility. He has His angels and His archangels; and so with the rank of every family in [p. 354] the heavens and on the earth, the Father decides that; He names all (Ephesians 3:15).
David speaks beautifully about God and about His people. You will see how, as we are in the liberty and understanding of sonship and the way in to the presence of God, we are able to speak rightly. David’s remarks here are in great richness and intelligence. They are suited to the place. He is sitting in the divine abode. With dignity and liberty he can sit there until he has finished speaking, and Jehovah obviously is pleased with his presence.
Finally, the passage in Psalm 73 shows how entrance into the sanctuary helps us as regards our public relations It is the first psalm of the third book, as you will know; it is a psalm of Asaph and comes in immediately following the statement that David’s prayers are ended. That is, it is a period spiritually when, as we might say, everything is well, for the Lord Jesus, the true Solomon of Psalm 72, is crowned in heaven. Millennial glory and blessedness are anticipated, as secured through Him. This applies now as to the assembly; everything will be well; the Lord Jesus, the true Solomon, is enthroned and His throne is universal. So we can say anticipatively that our prayers are ended. Even as to Solomon, David knew that with him on the throne things would be well; he handed over to him Joab, and Shimei, knowing that in his wisdom Solomon would deal with them and indeed the whole kingdom according to righteousness and truth. For faith now the Lord Jesus has power and knows how to deal with everything in heaven and on earth; He is serving thus in relation to the assembly now, and presently He will clear away all evil and establish righteousness and peace universally.
In the meantime there are people who seem to be living on and flourishing in the earth and Asaph was distressed about it; he did not understand it. “My steps had well nigh slipped”, he says. He begins by [p. 355] speaking about people of a pure heart. That is what he is dealing with, it is the state of the heart, and that is where the difficulties lie amongst us. The psalm beginning thus indicates that the difficulties outlined in it arose from the state of the heart: the writer had neglected to draw near to God in the sanctuary. The inward state was not right, and Asaph was distressed almost to disaster because of the general state of things. Wicked men were flourishing, there were no bands in their death, but he begins the psalm by saying that God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. It is a clean heart — it is not Solomon on the throne, although everything hinges on that, but the pure heart was needed. The Lord Jesus takes this up, and when His disciples came to Him on the mountain He says, nine times over, “Blessed”, and amongst those blessed are persons of a pure heart, and the blessing is that they shall see God. It is a state indicated in one who draws near to God that is in mind.
Asaph was thinking of the inner state of soul, a pure heart; having this, one will see God; see Him in the sanctuary. If you are to see Him aright, it is in the sanctuary. The Psalms are full of this: “A day in thy courts is better than a thousand”. In Psalm 27 the psalmist desired to dwell in the house of Jehovah to behold the beauty of Jehovah and to inquire in His temple. If you go inside you will see everything as God sees it, and He will convey to you that what is inside is going to be outside. And hence, dear brethren, the importance of entering the holiest, involving the purity of our hearts. Disturbances amongst us all arise from impure hearts, impure motives, aspirations to prominence, and the like. The psalmist had come to value a pure heart, for the first verse is really what is to be reached, as is usual in the Psalms — “God is good to Israel, to such as are of a pure heart”. Asaph had [p. 356] learnt this and I trust many of us have — God is good to those whose hearts are pure.
I cannot say any more. The psalm has often been spoken of and I commend it to you so that you may not be distressed about current public conditions. As we go inside we see what is before God and we learn that these conditions will all come to an end. The word is “sanctuaries”; it is plural, which seems to intensify the thought. There is no sanctuary beyond you. The very inner one you can go into. Then Asaph goes on to tell how God will deal with the evil that troubled him; He will bring everything into accord with what is in the sanctuary. That applies to external conditions that may harass us, even among the people of God; as we go inside all is clear. There is liberty to go in and there is the way in. It is a matter of holiness, of a pure heart, as I said.
In Ephesians, we both have access through Christ by one Spirit to the Father; Hebrews gives us the way in, involving things, that is, the death of Christ, but Ephesians is like John 14:6 where the Lord Jesus says, “I am the way”. It is a question of the Person there. “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (verse 9). So He says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”. That is in accord with Ephesians, so that in Ephesians it says we have access through Christ by one Spirit to the Father. That is how I understand the highest thought of the subject that I am speaking of. Approach to Persons is made available. We have the holy Person of the Son and the Holy Spirit available to us, so that we might draw near to the Father to worship Him in spirit and in truth.
The psalmist ends thus: “But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord Jehovah, that I may declare all thy works”. Drawing near to God and declaring all His works [p. 357] form a beautiful combination of thought and indicate how the testimony of God is to be maintained. Earlier in verse 27 it is said, “they that are far from thee shall perish”. How awful the difference between those who are near to God and those who are far from Him!