DEUTERONOMY 11
This chapter ends that part of the book in which our attention is called to the lessons of the past. Those who have reached the position contemplated in Deuteronomy have had personal knowledge of three things. They have seen the overthrow of the world-system and its ruler; they have been the subjects of God’s dealings in the wilderness; and they have been taught by a terrible example that God will not tolerate insubjection to Christ. It is in the light of these things having been known that we are to love God, “and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his ordinances, and his commandments continually” (verses 1 - 9).
The world has been fully exposed by its rejection of Christ. “And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather [p. 122] than light; for their works were evil”. There is not the slightest change as to this; it remains true “unto this day”. The presence of the Spirit demonstrates that the world is in sin, that it would not have the righteous One, and that its ruler is judged. And this is true of the Egypt-world — the world of human resource and wisdom. Many who would judge the Sodom-world, or perhaps even the Babylon-world, are ensnared by the Egypt-world. “The princes of this age” are the great intellectual leaders who give no place to Christ as the Wisdom and Power of God. We are told of the Egyptian Benaiah smote, that he was “an imposing man” (2 Samuel 23: 21), and when men get a reputation for learning they become “imposing”. The conclusions and deductions of scientific men get weight because they have a show of being based upon diligent investigation of facts. But very often they leave entirely out of account the greatest facts of all.
The wisdom of this world never gives any place to God’s wisdom. It never considers that Christ was God’s Wisdom and Power for creation, and for establishing the laws by which “all things subsist together”. Still less does it think of Christ as God’s Wisdom and Power for redemption, or for the bringing about of God’s pleasure in a universe where all things shall be headed up in Him. Paul says of “the rulers of this world” that they “come to nought”. If all men are under death as the judgment of God upon sin, and this has been demonstrated by Christ dying for all, what does it make of all man’s cleverness and learning? He is a sinful creature — proved to be such by his desire to live upon his own resources, and to put God as much out of his thoughts as possible. The death of Christ has proved that, apart from Him, and from His death, there is no hope for man. Man with all his wisdom comes to nought, even as the army of Egypt did when the [p. 123] water of the Red Sea flowed over them. This is never to be forgotten.
Then the fate of Dathan and Abiram is a solemn warning to all within the Christian profession to beware of being rebellious against the authority of the Lord. They were insubordinate, and they were swallowed up. Spiritual safety and prosperity largely depend on the rights and authority of Christ as Lord being practically owned amongst His people.
The description of the land in verses 10 - 12 is of the deepest interest; the contrast with Egypt is strongly marked. Watering with the foot as a garden of herbs would speak of human labour and effort with a very restricted result. There was nothing spontaneous there; no free flow of the Spirit. On fleshly principles, which rule in Egypt, all is laborious, and there is a small result. That is pretty much how things are carried on in the religious world, even where there are good intentions. One cannot deny that there is much earnest labour, but what is the spiritual result?
“But the land, whereunto ye are passing over to possess it, is a land of mountains and valleys, which drinketh water of the rain of heaven, a land which Jehovah thy God careth for; the eyes of Jehovah thy God are constantly upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year”. There is nothing artificial or formal about “the land”. It is a diversified region, where the all-various grace of God in His people manifests itself fully and freely. The preachings in the Acts were under such circumstances as to preclude any studied preparation. The preachers were prepared rather than the sermons An old and honoured servant of the Lord, in answer to the question, What shall I study? said, Study well these four words, “The flesh profiteth nothing”! The preachings in the Acts were “water of the rain of heaven”; the streams flowed down in copious [p. 124] blessing. How definitely the Apostles presented Christ as crucified, risen, and exalted at God’s right hand! How wonderfully they quoted and applied the Scriptures! How pointed and powerful was their dealing with men! There was a spiritual naturalness, if we may so say, a simplicity, freshness, sobriety and order in all that they said which made manifest that they preached the glad tidings “by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven”. All true ministry is in the power of the Holy Spirit, and it tends to promote fruitfulness in the land. It is good to remember that “the land” is our divinely allotted portion; it ought not to be an unknown territory to believers. It contains “Things which eye has not, seen, and ear not heard, and which have not come into man’s heart, which God has prepared for them that love him, but God has revealed to us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God ... But we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we may know the things which have been freely given to us of God: which also we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, communicating spiritual things by spiritual means” (1 Corinthians 2: 9 - 13).
We may gather from what Moses says elsewhere that “the rain of heaven” is suggestive of spiritual ministry. He says, “My doctrine shall drop as rain, my speech flow down as dew, as small rain upon the tender herb, and as showers on the grass” (Deuteronomy 32: 2). “The land” is characterised by this in contrast with the foot-labour of Egypt. A ministry which is the product of the labour of the human mind will never be spiritual in character, and it will inevitably become more and more corrupted by the thoughts of men. Spiritual ministry flows from Christ as Head, and is the product of the activities of the Holy Spirit. We see it, in the ministry of the apostles, and any ministry which is [p. 125] spiritual will correspond, in its measure, with the apostle’s ministry.
Verse 14 speaks of “the early rain and the latter rain”. Both are necessary if there is to be fruitfulness in the inheritance. The early rain comes to prepare the ground, and to start the growth of crops, and the latter rain falls to bring things to maturity. God delights to give a ministry that will promote spiritual fruitfulness. The ministry of the apostles may be regarded as “early rain” given to start everything that was of God, and for God, into fruitfulness here on the earth. But “the latter rain” comes to bring the crops to maturity, and I have no doubt that during the last hundred years the Lord has been giving a ministry which tends to this. It is a time of “the latter rain” — a ministry which has definitely in view the perfecting of the saints, so that there may be a result which is in keeping with the wondrous thoughts of God before the saints are translated. Such a ministry necessarily corresponds with what was at the beginning.
There is “a land which Jehovah thy God careth for; the eyes of Jehovah thy God are constantly upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year”. God has thoughts for His people which are worthy of Himself; He has loved men in view of their having life eternal (John 3: 16).
The inheritance is the fruit of the love of God; John says, “See what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God”. And Paul in writing to the Colossians says, “Giving thanks to the Father, who has made us fit for sharing the portion of the saints in light”. That is the inheritance. It is the full thought of divine favour for men, the wealthy place of blessing in Christ, in whom all the rich thoughts of God have been secured. The love of God ever cherishes the inheritance for us and cherishes us for the inheritance;
[p. 126] the youngest believer is entitled to take that home to himself in all its blessedness. Persons who are heirs to a great inheritance usually think a good deal about it; but what inheritance can be compared to ours? We are not incompetent to take it up; the Father has made us fit — or competent — to take it up, in the divine nature. According to Ephesians we have “obtained an inheritance, being marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory”. It is purely a question of God’s sovereign love, and of where it has given us our portion. He cares that we should know what it is to be risen with Christ, and to dwell together as brethren in unity, apart from lawlessness, hatred, idolatry, and all the death and dearth of this world. There is a region where divine pleasure dwells, where the love of God is known, where His Son is the Object of faith and love, where the Comforter abides, and the brethren love one another, where eternal life is given to those whom the Father has given to the Son. This is the land which God cares for, and on which His eyes are continually. The question arises, Do we care for it? Do our eyes rest upon it continually? It is evident that it will be so if we have fellowship with God.
God would use the writings of John to attract our hearts by the report of eternal life as manifested in His Son, and by shewing us the moral features of those who have it. Those writings present eternal life to us as something to be consciously known and possessed now. It was a distinct word of the Spirit to the assemblies when a beloved servant of the Lord said in departing, “Let not John’s ministry be forgotten in insisting on Paul’s”. Thank God, it is possible for us, in spite of all the ruin around, to move together in the family affections of the children of God, and to enjoy together as brethren a “land” which is vastly different from anything that exists in the world. We can occupy a region that the blessed God is deeply interested in. The heart of God is set upon men having eternal life. It has been before Him from the outset, and it has continued before Him all through the centuries of the assembly’s history, and His eyes are upon it still as that which His love has purposed for men. There is everything about the inheritance to make it supremely attractive. God would allure us; it is a matter of intense concern to Him that we should be attracted by what He cares for, and that our eyes should be on the things that His eyes are upon. Israel fell because they did not hearken to the word which spoke to them of the inheritance — the promised land.
Obedience and love are the conditions on which “the land” can be possessed and enjoyed. It is noticeable how frequently the word “commandment” is used in John’s writings; indeed the word, in a Christian sense, occurs in the Gospel and Epistles of John much more than in all other New Testament writings. It stands over against the lawlessness which is natural to the human heart; to come under “commandment” is to be completely delivered from lawlessness. How could one in lawlessness have eternal life? But the keeping of commandments flows from love; the gospel by revealing the love of God puts a spring of love in our hearts which would never otherwise be there. Then it is also true that the saints are begotten of God, and as such they love Him, and they love those begotten of Him. His children are manifested in this way.
The result of being under commandment as loving God is that rain is given in its season; there is no lack of ministry to promote spiritual fertility, to bring about the perfecting of the saints. “And thou shalt gather in thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil ... and thou shalt eat and he full”. Satisfaction is the result of [p. 128] cultivating the inheritance under favourable conditions. Spiritual diligence is needed in the divinely given and fruitful land. There will be neither harvest nor vintage nor store of oil, if these things are not looked for and laboured for. It would be a poor thing to assume to possess the land if we do not gather in its produce!
The three things mentioned here are brought together in Psalm 104: 14, 15. “Bringing forth bread out of the earth, and wine which gladdeneth the heart of man; making his face shine with oil; and with bread he strengtheneth man’s heart”. How strengthening to the heart it is to be fed upon Christ as the “corn” of the land! He has been brought forth out of the earth in resurrection power, having “annulled death, and brought to light life and incorruptibility”, that God’s “purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages of time”, might be made manifest (2 Timothy 1: 9, 10). All that was in God’s purpose and grace for men has taken form in Christ as the risen One so as to be food for us as verified in Him. He is the great expression of divine faithfulness — every promise of God is made good in Him. That is the food of the saints as in the land. Psalm 37 says, “Dwell in the land, and feed on faithfulness”; that is the corn of the land, it is the bread that strengthens man’s heart. It is the faithfulness of God to His own promises. There is not one word that God ever committed Himself to in the promises that He has not secured in Christ risen; the sure mercies of David are there; that is the food of the land. It is what Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 1: 18 - 20. “Now God is faithful, that our word to you is not yea and nay. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you (by me and Silvanus and Timotheus), did not become yea and nay, but yea is in him. For whatever promises of God there are, in him is the yea, and in him the amen, for glory to God by us”. That [p. 129] is outside wilderness life; it is the corn of the land. We are to gather it into our spiritual store and feed on it.
“Thy new wine” is typical of the joy that belongs to the kingdom of God. That, too, has its place beyond the reach of death, for the Lord had death before Him here, but He looked beyond to drinking of the fruit of the vine in the kingdom. I have no doubt it is figurative of the joy which is connected with the favour of God being fully known. Grace is a joy to the heart of God. We read that new wine “cheers God and man” (Judges 9: 13). The Lord Jesus gives us a taste of the joy of God in grace, and of His own joy in making it known, in Luke 15. The kingdom of God is where He has His own way in the perfect grace of His heart, and where men are brought under the sway of His grace. In “the land” there is a continual fresh gathering in of the joy of grace. Grace as known in “the land” is spoken of in Ephesians. “To the praise of the glory of his grace” (chapter 1: 6); “the riches of his grace” (chapter 1: 7); and “the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus” (chapter 2: 7).
Then the oil speaks of the peculiar richness of what is found in the Spirit. “Fatness” is connected with the olive both in the Old Testament and the New. “Let your soul delight itself in fatness”, is, I have no doubt, an allusion to what lies in the Spirit. The “root” of the olive tree (Romans 11) would be faith in Abraham which counted on God, but the “fatness” of it lies in the Spirit. So we find that the blessing of Abraham has come to us in Christ Jesus “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3: 14). Everything taken up in the Spirit has peculiar richness; it makes man’s face to shine (Psalm 104: 15). The word for “oil” here means “to shine”! The brethren truly shine as they “dwell together in unity” according to Psalm 133 “[p. 130] Like the precious oil upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, upon Aaron’s beard, that ran down to the hem of his garments; as the dew of Hermon that descendeth on the mountains of Zion; for there hath Jehovah commanded the blessing, life for evermore”. The gain of “the land” is that these things are acquired; spiritual strength and joy and character attach to those who become possessed of them.
“Thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil”, convey to us that as in the inheritance, and as making its cultivation, under the blessing of God, the business of our hand, there will always be fresh crops coming in as “the produce of the field, year by year”. Things never become stale; there is continual freshness about every new crop. It is not that the produce is of a different kind; we do not want novelties; they are noxious weeds. But while there is no change in the character of it — it is still corn, new wine and oil — it is being continually acquired in a fresh way.
It is a serious thing not to have rain; it leads to perishing “quickly from off the good land which Jehovah is giving you” (verse 17). A spiritual ministry cannot be looked for when hearts are deceived, and yield to corrupting influences. Where there is general departure from the right ways of the Lord “the rain of heaven” is withheld, and what is preached and taught largely takes the character of what the people want to hear. Nothing could be more solemn than this, and it accounts for much that is going on today. It is not that erroneous teaching caused the departure, but departure of heart from God on the part of His people leads in His governmental ways to their being deprived of “rain” and left to the influence of what is pernicious. We have to “take heed” to the beginnings of departure, for the enemy’s workings are very insidious and deceptive; he brings in what is idolatrous in a very subtle way.
In the absence of spiritual ministry “the good land” is lost as to all practical gain of it. How few today are enjoying the produce of “the land”! How few have even any definite thought of what “the land” represents as a spiritual region which can be entered and possessed and enjoyed, through the favour of God, at the present time! Is it not true that the professed people of God as a whole have been deceived, and turned aside, and that they have “perished from off the good land”?
The land is properly the sphere of life; it is where saints live in the blessed conditions which God has established in His love. After all, vital Christianity is a simple thing: it lies in the affections. Paul passes by knowledge almost in a slighting way; he says, “we all have knowledge”, and declares that it puffs up. But he adds, “if any one love God, he is known of him”. If our affections have found their Object and Centre in God — and He has revealed Himself in grace and love to that end — it will bring the pleasure of God into every detail. It will be in the heart and soul, in the service of the hand, and in the very countenance. This is how the affections move as in the bond of the covenant. We love because He first loved us; it was He who set all in motion by revealing His own love.
The fellowship of saints according to John — that is, as walking in the light as God is in the light, and as in the joy of that eternal life which has been reported to them — very much answers to “the good land”. It is enjoyed together by the holy and faithful brethren in Christ. It may be intruded upon, and wholly forfeited in a practical sense, by the allowance of what is idolatrous or lawless. Therefore the “words” are to be laid up in heart and soul, and are to be a sign on the hand and frontlets between the eyes (verse 18).
The knowledge of God and of all that lies in His will, should always have place with us and govern us. These [p. 132] things are not to be Sunday matters only, or reserved for meetings; they are to appear in us continually. It is right that Christians should be known by their very countenances and general bearing. How often we feel that it is so; we see a person we have never seen before, and feel sure he is a believer. An old brother used to say that some ought to carry a board on their backs to say they were Christians, for otherwise nobody would know it! Such persons have not frontlets between their eyes!
The things of God are to be household topics; our very houses and gates are to carry the impress of them. When people come into our houses they soon form a judgment as to what are the interests which are cherished there. Our “gates” have an important place in this book: they refer to what comes in and what goes out of our houses. You may be sure that something is written on all our “gates!” Now what is written there ?
The children are to grow up under divine teachings and impressions. It is a deep exercise to read in Judges 2: 10, “And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, which knew not Jehovah, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel”. What an exposure of the conditions in Israel! What an uncovering of household secrets! Where had been the teaching of the children? Where the all-pervading influence of Deuteronomy 11: 18 - 20? Alas! it had not been there. Some may say, But we bring our children to the meetings; they will learn and be impressed there. Neither meetings, nor any other instruction, can take the place of divine impressions in the home. What goes on in the meetings will not have moral power if it is not supported in the households of the saints. Children may forget what they hear in meetings and Sunday Schools, but I do not believe that [p. 133] the oldest man can forget the impressions made upon him by the home piety of his parents. It is by such hallowed influences being passed on “that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which Jehovah swore unto your fathers to give them”. The fact that the next generation did not know Jehovah, nor His works, is solemn evidence that the public weakness and departure which so soon manifested itself in Israel had its origin in individual heart and soul departure, and in the households of God’s people ceasing to be what they were meant to be — the very citadel of piety.
God has ever in mind the continuation of things. Young people are growing up amongst us: what kind of impressions are we giving them? Are we furnishing them with something more excellent than what is in the world? Their education, and necessary contact with others, exposes them to Egyptian influences. How important that the household influences should be of God! Moses is an example of one who got such impressions from his parents that all the wisdom of the Egyptians did not damage him. It would be well if we gave young people the impression of great satisfaction. When I was a boy I remember a brother coming to my father’s house, and I said to myself, I wish I knew all that he knows! But another brother came, and he made me feel, I wish I had what he has! There was an impression, not of mere knowledge, but of substance and satisfaction. That is what tells on children as well as others.
God would have our days and the days of our children, “multiplied ... in the land”. We may ask ourselves, how many days have we spent in the land? It is a great joy to spend even an hour with the brethren, when one can say of it with some confidence that it was spent “in the land”.
A remarkable expression comes in here; “as the days of the heavens which are above the earth” (verse 21). It suggests the heavenly character of life in the land, corresponding with John’s Gospel and Epistle — what is heavenly in character realised down here on earth. When eternal life is brought in publicly the Father’s will is to be done on earth as in heaven. There will be correspondence between heaven and earth. How good to be moving on spiritually in such a way as to be conscious that we are in harmony with what is going on in heaven! Good is supreme there, the will of God is there, the love of God, and the mutual flow of holy affections! And such is the character of life in “the land”.
As we move on in obedience and love God will dispossess every adverse power before us. Satan has filled the world, and the human mind, with thoughts adverse to God, but all are to be dispossessed. It is beautifully set forth in the apostle’s words, “For the arms of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful according to God to the overthrow of strongholds; overthrowing reasonings and every high thing that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ” (2 Corinthians 10: 4, 5). Not a single thing is to be left in possession that is opposed to the knowledge of God, or that is inconsistent with the obedience of the Christ. The objective and the subjective come together here; the knowledge of God and the obedience of the Christ — that blessed Man who never opened His heart or mind to anything that was not of God. We can safely and fully commit ourselves to every thought of God which we derive from Christ; we need not be on our guard there. Whether He sets forth God in grace or government, in boundless love and mercy, or in the unsparing and eternal judgment of evil, we can open our hearts unquestioningly to it, knowing that we shall never find that we have been misled.
[p. 135] Then, on our side, we have a perfect Model and Pattern in the obedient One, whose every thought was in accord with God. Every misconception of God, every idolatrous influence, every thought of self-pleasing and disobedience, came in from “spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies”, and it is all to be dispossessed. God’s purpose is that His people should be completely victorious over every adverse power, and that they should stand in the possession and enjoyment of all that is in the thought of His love for them. The youngest believer should encourage himself to say, That is the will of God concerning His people, and I must not content myself with anything less.
“Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours; from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the hinder sea shall your border be”. The whole scope of what can be held from God, and for God, now comes into view. It is the kingdom in its wide extent as including all that comes under divine sway. It includes the responsible side and the privilege side — the good of Romans and also of Colossians and Ephesians. But possession is conditioned by “whereon the sole of your foot shall tread ... all the land that ye shall tread upon”. This shews that we have to go there. The land was ours by divine gift before we left Egypt, but it cannot be possessed or enjoyed until we put our foot upon it. “The act of favour of God” is “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Every believer can say that it is his as a matter of divine gift. But is it mine as a matter of possession and conscious enjoyment? It cannot be this until my foot treads the land where it is known and enjoyed.
Finally “a blessing and a curse” are set before us (verse 26). The government of God and its results are strongly emphasised in this book. Blessing does not [p. 136] come apart from the moral conditions which are suitable to God’s people. Whatever is contrary to His pleasure must come under curse. The epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians bring out the grace and love of God very fully, but they both recognise His government also, and in connection with it blessing and curse. “God, who shall render to each according to his works: to them who, in patient continuance of good work, seek for glory and honour and incorruptibility, life eternal. But to those that are contentious, and are disobedient to the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and distress, on every soul of man that works evil, both of Jew first, and of Greek; but glory and honour and peace to every one that works good, both to Jew first and to Greek; for there is no acceptance of persons with God” (Romans 2: 6 - 11). “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man shall sow, that also shall he reap. For he that sows to his own flesh, shall reap corruption from the flesh; but he that, sows to the Spirit, from the Spirit shall reap eternal life” (Galatians 6: 7, 8).
Blessing is still attached to obedience and curse to disobedience. This is true in all dispensations: it is a moral necessity. 2 Peter, 2 Timothy, Jude and Revelation shew us a character of things in the Christian profession which must inevitably come under the curse of God. We are to flee from everything of that kind, “And pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2: 22). Thus shall we secure the blessing and escape the curse.
It is essential, in view of possessing and dwelling in “the land” that this eternal principle — for its action goes on into eternity — of blessing connected with obedience and curse with disobedience should be fully recognised. So “thou shalt put the blessing upon mount [p. 137] Gerizim and the curse upon mount Ebal”. It is striking that in this connection we get Gilgal mentioned for the first time, the Spirit of God thus suggesting that a circumcised people alone could truly recognise this principle of the ways and government of God, or be consistent with it so as to secure the blessing.
“The oaks of Moreh” carry our thoughts back to Genesis 12, for at that very spot Jehovah appeared to Abraham, and promised to give the land to his seed. Moreh means “Teacher”, and “the oaks of Moreh” would suggest the stability which is connected with divine teaching and divine faithfulness. God’s ancient promises cannot be invalidated, but they can only be made good in a people who have taken up the moral exercises connected with Gerizim and Ebal — blessing and curse — and who recognise that the flesh has been cut off in the death of Christ, and who now refuse and disallow it as being only capable of bringing in curse. Then the blessing can be enjoyed without let or hindrance, and this is what God contemplates for His people. “For ye pass over the Jordan to enter in to possess the land which Jehovah your God giveth you, and ye shall take possession of it, and dwell therein” (verse 31).