HUMILITY

HUMILITY

1 Peter 5: 5 - 7; Daniel 9: 17 - 23; Philippians 2: 5 - 11; 2 Samuel 15: 25 - 27

It is on my mind and heart, dear brethren, to speak a word on humility; a feature, dear brethren, that is not native to the flesh, for the flesh always likes to assert itself. But it is a feature that belongs to the work of God in us, and yet in the passage that we have read in Peter it is put in such a way that, as taking account of it objectively, and measuring and understanding its value, we are to put it on. Peter uses a strong word - bind it on. I want to begin with this passage in Peter to indicate to our minds the advantage of humbling ourselves, of being marked by humility; and then just for a moment to refer to it as set out in the perfect example and model that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ; and then to speak of it in Daniel and David, men of like passions as ourselves.

You will notice that Peter says that God “to the humble gives grace.” It is to be before us as an incentive, so that we might go in for it and for the exercise of it as indicated in this passage of Peter. I suppose Peter himself could speak effectively about this matter, after all that he had been through. There had been a good deal of self-assertiveness with Peter, as there is with the most of us; but Peter had come to know that to the humble God gives grace. Here in this last chapter he is speaking about matters linked with the flock of God - a beautiful reference to the saints as divine property; they are not the property of man or of any one of us; they are the property of God and they are to be shepherded, as he says, “exercising oversight, not by necessity but willingly.”

What a word that is, dear brethren, for us. How often shepherd care comes in because of necessity; we might think that is good, and it is in a certain aspect; but Peter says “not by necessity but willingly, not for base gain, but readily, not as lording it over your possessions but being models for the flock.” You can see how the flock of God has a great place in Peter’s mind. I suppose it shows the effectiveness of the grace that Peter had received, because the Lord, in His probings of Peter, had brought up the matter of the flock. In the beginning of John 21 Peter said, “I go a fishing;” he was not thinking of the flock of God and there were others that went with him and the Lord takes the matter up with them; but He intensifies His searchings with Peter and introduces with him the matter of the sheep and the lambs, we should notice that. Why should the Lord in probing Peter bring up the matter of the flock? I think there is definite point in the Lord’s mind in the matter, because Peter represents the great administrative side; and if we are rightly and properly to understand and to work out and appreciate, the administrative side, we must understand the flock of God. It is a principle interwoven from Genesis to Revelation, in the ways of God, that administration honoured and blessed of God works out through care for the flock. You may see it in Jacob, in Joseph, in Moses, in David, in Paul; it is certainly uniquely seen in the Lord Jesus Christ. The enemy would give us wrong thoughts in our minds as to administration, and it is important that we should see how, with every efficient and capable administrator in the ways of God, the flock .of God loomed largely in his outlook and service. I believe, dear brethren, God would impress us in our local gathering with this thought of His flock, the flock of God. The Lord brought it up with Peter; it is first Peter, in the administrative gospel of Matthew,

and as he stands up in the early chapters of the Acts he is leading in the matters of divine administration, for he is a man who understands and appreciates the flock of God. I do not believe, dear brethren, any of us can effectively administer in the things of God unless we understand and value, in some measure, what the flock of God is.

Peter says, “and when the chief shepherd is manifested” - what a touch! The chief shepherd! How often in local gatherings there is a great deal of concern as to who will take the lead, as to who will be the chief. It is humbling how these things come up among us. I believe if we understand administration from the viewpoint of the flock of God we would not think of being chief, we would be thinking about laying down our lives for the flock. There is only one chief Shepherd, and He laid down His life for the flock. He measured the depths for the sheep and He is the chief Shepherd. Peter is going over this matter as he wishes to inculcate into their minds this thought of the flock of God. We can see all around us how men in responsibility lord it over God’s heritage. Peter says, “not as lording it over your possessions” for the saints are not our possessions, “but being models of the flock.” He says “ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory.” Now if we want to be distinguished, this is the road to distinction, distinction according to God. You know the flesh would love to be distinguished in some kind of way, even in the things of God; but this kind of distinction is distinction divinely conferred, as being models for the flock, administering with the flock of God before our souls and our hearts - and he says, “Ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory.” You will notice the reference is to the amaranthine, the idea of what is perennial, the unfading crown of glory. We want to go in for what is unfading. Peter would help us as to what is unfading.

Peter’s letter is dealing with the ways of God into which sufferings enter, discipline coming in under the hand of God. But he impresses upon our minds and hearts what is unfading, as you will notice - what is incorruptible. Notice how these words appear in his letter - unfading, incorruptible. The nearer we get to divine Persons as Peter got, the more we shall be engaged with what is unfading and incorruptible.

He says as he proceeds “Likewise ye younger be subject to the elder, and all of you bind on humility towards one another.” I want you to notice this word “for God sets himself against the proud but to the humble he gives grace.” Think of God looking over the position and taking account of pride in this way working in men’s hearts and setting Himself against it. That is, God deliberately enters into the matter; it is not just a casual matter, but God sets Himself against the proud. I think we need to note that, dear brethren, that if pride comes into our lives and characterises us God sets Himself against it - a solemn word. So that nothing seems to work out as we would like it to work out, because if we carry pride in our hearts so that it characterises us, we have got to face the fact that God has set Himself against it; but it says, “but to the humble he gives grace.” Peter goes on to say “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time.” We all know our hearts do not like to humble themselves. We always think, “Well, if we give way, then we shall lose all the prestige that we have, all that attaches to us personally, we will be less thought of.” But there is an advantage in being humble; it says, “God to the humble gives grace,” and, dear brethren, there is an incentive for every one of us, and we all need the word; it is a word for all of us. Peter is speaking to the saints scattered in the dispersion and he says to the humble God gives grace.

There are wonderful advantages in coming into that position, dear brethren, as judging the pride that is in my heart naturally, and its operation as tending to characterise me. As I judge that and set it aside and bind on humility, I come in for this great supply of grace. What a quality, what a feature grace is in the divine system. It is a remarkable expression, “to the humble he gives grace.” For what purpose would the grace be? God gives grace, grace to support, grace to sustain, grace to carry on, you see. The first reaction in my mind is, “Well, if I go down and humble myself, that is the finish I cannot carry on any more.” But that is not the point; the point is that if I humble myself, God gives grace, grace to carry on better than ever before. You can see how it works out in Peter; as you look on that great servant in the beginning of the Acts, the dignity that is upon him, how he is able to carry on in a dignified way. So Peter says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in the due time.” Now, dear brethren, let every one of us be concerned as to our links with God, our relations with Him. Let us not be concerned about the brethren honouring us or exalting us. It says, “Humble yourselves therefore.” Many of us may think of humbling others - that will not do. God will never support us on that line; let none of us think that we will get support on that line, but we will get divine support on the line of humbling ourselves. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God” - not the mighty hand of man. David knew what that was in his experience as when he got three things offered him, he chose to come under the hand of God. We know, dear brethren, what the hand of God is. We can well afford to humble ourselves under that mighty hand, because it says, “that he may exalt you in due time.” Then it says, “having cast all your care upon him, for he cares about you.” Oh, the incentive that surrounds this matter of binding on humility towards one another! Binding it on means that it is like a garment that has to be bound on, not loosely held, but bound on, in our relations with one another. I believe that as we understand the flock of God, and what the saints are as in the light of the flock of God, marked out according to God’s own thoughts for blessing in relation to His counsels, and what these counsels of His love have in mind - as we understand all that, we shall see the value and the importance of “all of you,” not some of you, not two or three, but “all of you binding on humility towards one another.” And then, “Having cast all your care upon him for he cares about you.” Why should this come in at this juncture, dear brethren? It is something for us to inquire, why God should at this point impress us with this matter, following this thought of humbling ourselves. “Casting all your care upon him for he cares about you.” A good deal of care and anxiety enters into these matters and nothing retards or hinders spiritual progress and prosperity, like care and anxiety in an undue way. We are to understand the God under whose mighty hand we humble ourselves and what it is to cast all our care upon Him “for he cares about you” - not for you.

Now I want to enlarge on that from the scriptures I have read, to stress the great importance of what we have set out in the Lord Jesus Christ as a model. He is a model for us in all things, but He is a model for us in this; and one would desire, dear brethren, that we might be more and more affected by this wonderful Model in humility. We have often referred to this 2nd chapter of Philippians which is what you might call unique, in this letter; it is like a jewel in a rare setting. The book of Proverbs speaks a lot about things that are out of their setting and we are to learn that too; but Paul impresses us with things that are in their setting, and this reference to the humbling of the Lord Jesus Christ comes in, not in the letters that deal with questions of doctrines, but in a letter that is particularly marked by a good healthy spiritual state among the brethren. We are to learn from this, dear brethren, that in understanding the truth as to our Lord’s Person, it can never be rightly arrived at through an academic mind. The bringing of this holy exalted subject into the letter to the Philippians shows the advantage of a good state amongst the local brethren. It makes way for the bringing in of what is choice and rare, as we have in this unique word of Paul to the saints in Philippi. He says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” He goes on to speak of what I wish to come to, “Having been found in figure as a man, humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death and that the death of the cross.” Dear brethren, what an example for us, as we think of all that was due to Him, as we think of who this Person was, in the form of God, the One through whom and by whom creation came into existence, into being. Creation not only exists through Him, He being the instrumental power by which it all came about, but creation exists as His creature, for He is God. He was in the form of God, but we are told that He emptied Himself, taking a bondman’s form. We are to notice the peculiar place that this expression has here, taking a bondman’s form. It is difficult to understand; we cannot understand it with the natural mind that One who was in the form of God should empty Himself, taking a bondman’s form and it says “Taking his place in the likeness of men.” Think of this place, dear brethren; how unique this place was. How we are impressed with it in the Gospels; how He took His place wherever He went; if He went into the house of Simon the Pharisee, He took His place at the table; He took His place in the likeness of men, His place. Think of what His place means, dear brethren. Let our hearts and minds contemplate it; let our affections feed on the preciousness of it. A divine Person comes into manhood, taking His place - not anyone else’s place, but His place; no other place would do for Him but His place. No other one will fill that place; it is unique to Him. In that place He glorified God. He grew up in it, in all the perfection of manhood under the eye of God, marked by all the moral qualities and features that ministered to the heart of God, that furnished food for the affections of God. The typical books unfold to us the wealth of what flowed out as a result of Jesus taking His place in the likeness of men. We read in Leviticus and Numbers, and Exodus too, of all the typical details referred to in relation to the offerings. We are reminded of all that has come out in relation to Jesus “taking his place in the likeness of men; and having been found in figure as a man, humbled himself.” What a model for us! He subsisted in the form of God, and He has come into a position involving service. Think of how He said to His disciples, when they were reasoning among themselves as to who should be the greatest, He says, “I am in the midst of you as the one that serves.” How it should cause to wither in our minds and our hearts any desire after greatness according to man as we think of the Lord of glory coming into this position, not only taking a bondman’s form and taking his place in the likeness of men, but humbling himself, “becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of the cross.” Think of that! “Wherefore also God highly exalted him and granted him a name that which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heavenly and earthly and infernal beings, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to God the Father’s glory.” What an example we have in Jesus thus!

Now I want to come to Daniel, to speak about this man, a man of like passions as ourselves, but who is marked by this feature of humility. I believe as we feed upon the grace of it as seen in Christ in Philippians 2 we shall come out in the feature of it, dear brethren, not only putting it on, binding it on, but, as we drink into the spirit and grace of Jesus as the One who is our Model in relation to humility, coming out in that spirit and grace in our relations with one another. It is always a touching thing to one to note that it is in the kingly gospel, in the gospel which deals with divine administration, the Lord Jesus says, “I am meek and lowly in heart.” It is not in Mark, nor Luke, nor John that He says, “I am meek and lowly in heart.” We want to understand this, in the working out of administration, because in Philippians the great administrative position is in view - the right hand of God, whence all administration in its true spiritual character and glory emanates. The basis of it from the standpoint of Philippians 2 is in the humbling of Himself; because it says, “wherefore.” God’s exalting Him is because of that. The place where the Lord Jesus is supreme in administration is heaven; it is based on what He was here below in the days of His flesh, humbling Himself, even to death.

I want to refer to Daniel for a moment - the spirit of grace that marks Daniel. Daniel was one who knew what it was to take account of things in the testimony, not just from an inquisitive and curious standpoint, but as one who had taken up things definitely in his soul with God. I believe that we would be helped, dear brethren, in our lives as brothers and sisters, in taking things up more definitely with God. I would especially encourage the younger brothers and sisters to take account of what I am saying in this regard, because often in our lives crises bring to light the need for the renewal of our links with God on a sound and solid footing. Daniel knew what it was to refuse the things of the world; he is presented to us as an example in this regard, along with others. But there is one thing that I would like to say about Daniel at this juncture; and one thing that I think is the secret of all his prosperity; we have often referred to it, and that is that Jerusalem had a place in his heart, in all that he had to go through. I believe it was the secret of his resisting the advances of the world in the king’s delicate food. It was not just that he had a negative judgment about the defiling character of these things, but he had the flock of God livingly in his soul. Jerusalem and the people of God were there in his affections as they are in the heart of every saint who has part in divine administration. So we come to this section here where Daniel had to be tested and we all have to be tested, dear brethren. Daniel had to suffer, and we all have to suffer; we suffer in different ways; some suffer in business, some in their families; but there is one thing about Daniel and that is, whatever circumstances he is in, heaven has confidence in him; so that the last word of the book is, “Go thy way, Daniel.” I believe, dear brethren, that is what divine Persons are looking for in every one of us, trustworthiness, as pursuing this path of moral integrity in communion with God in the secret of our souls, so that we are not just, as it were, marked by something externally that has no solid foundation. All our part in the assembly and our part in the meetings in the local gathering, should be based on the solid foundation of good upright relations with God - how searching that is, dear brethren, with every one of us. How often we have been found as it were at sea in our souls and in our links with divine Persons. We should covet, especially the younger ones in their earliest days, good solid relations with divine Persons; so that when you awake in the morning, the first thing that should come into your mind is God. The outpourings of your soul are to God. It is a wonderful thing to cultivate relations with God; He is constantly before your soul. I would commend it to the young people. In regard to this man Daniel I believe God was never out of his thoughts - whether waking or sleeping, God was there with Daniel; and when it comes to the test Daniel is with God. We shall all be tested, young people going out into the world and getting new jobs, you will be tested, things come up, and the thing that stands out is not the amount of knowledge we have, not the amount of light we have as to our Lord Jesus Christ exactly, and the truth - that is important and has its place - but where we are in the solidity of good relations with God. Daniel is marked by that, he is concerned about the position, he has been with God. It is a great thing to be with God about things. Many of us are concerned with being with one another about things; that is good too, but we should be concerned to be with God about matters. And he is not with God in any shallow or artificial way. Oh, how shallow and artificial we are; we can talk to one another in such a shallow way. But here a man that is with God in the depths of his soul is presented to us in what he says - “And now our God.” Notice that; he begins with “our God.” He is not isolating himself from the rest of the brethren; he is not thinking he is more spiritual than the rest of his brethren in the locality. He says, “and now our God, hearken to the prayer of thy servant.” He is bringing in the flock of God remarkably in his thoughts, but there is also the bringing in of the integrity of his relations with God; that is where we are weak, dear brethren, in the integrity of our personal relations with God, with divine Persons. Daniel says, “Hearken to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication and cause thy face to shine - upon Daniel? No, “upon the sanctuary.” He is thinking of the assembly, not that his ideas or his thoughts might be justified or set forward, but that God might shine upon His people, upon the assembly as we would speak of it. Then he says, “Incline thine ear” - not now our God, but my God. Oh, the value, dear brethren, in the local gatherings of brothers and sisters who are rooted and established in the integrity of good relations with God and with divine Persons. And he says, “Open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the city that is called by thy name.” Oh, what a word this is for us, dear brethren. Then he says, “Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, hearken and do! Defer not, for thine own sake, oh my God! Thy city and thy people who are called by thy name.”

Now I want to finish by just referring to the way he is answered. It is not a question of the powerful address he has given, or how he is getting on in taking readings, how he may be helped on in taking readings, how he may be helped in preaching or visiting, how helped in doing things externally. The basis on which this man is as viewed in this chapter is the moral integrity of his relations with God. That is where we are weak, dear brethren, and we need to cultivate it. We need to be with God more on our knees, and on our faces before Him, if our localities are to prosper. If we are to have power with God and power with the brethren we need to know what it is to pray and pray feelingly. “Pray with prayer” as is said in the New Testament. What need, dear brethren, for praying men and women in all the local gatherings that God might come in and bless His people, cause His face to shine upon the sanctuary. We are thinking, you see, of the service of God, how much it has been weakened, as it were. As Daniel was speaking about it the word comes to him, “Daniel, I am now come forth to make thee skilful of understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the word went forth, and I am come to declare it; for thou art one greatly beloved.” There was a man that was known in heaven.

I want to speak of another man that was known in heaven, and that is David. Think of being greatly beloved in the sight of heaven. This is the moral road to it, dear brethren. So, as to David. The passage is beautiful in itself without commenting on it. There was a crisis and the king said to Zadok “Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favour in the eyes of Jehovah he will bring me again and show me it and its habitation. But if he thus say I have no delight in thee, behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him.” I do not think Zadok ever heard a word like that before. Think of that man Zadok listening to what David was saying. In the time of the crisis, in the time of distress, he was the king. He could have said a lot; he could have done a lot to marshal forces in support of him, but he says “Carry back the ark of God into the city.” Typically the great thing in his mind is the assembly. He is in type thinking of the assembly, and the place of Christ in relation to the assembly; and as he says, “I shall find favour in the eyes of Jehovah he will bring me again and show me it and its habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee, behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good to him.” Now, the crisis brings out the inner secret of David’s moral power, that he was a man that was with God and in the test what stands him in good stead is the integrity of his relations with God. David is a man who is prepared to humble himself, prepared to go out completely that God might be justified, that God might be vindicated in all He is doing. The king said to Zadok the priest, “Thou art the seer,” or as it might read “Dost thou see?” That is, the point is “Do you see, Zadok?” Zadok was a priest but he says, “Thou art the seer” or “Dost thou see?” That is, it is what God may do in this matter; not what I would like to have done or what I think must be done, but it is a question of what God is going to do; and I believe, dear brethren, there is need for this with every one of us, the humbling of ourselves under the mighty hand of God in view of Him exalting us in due time.