From Tent to Temple - George H. Warnock

CHAPTER 3 (CONTINUTED) - THE MUSICIANS OF THE TEMPLE

Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were ordained as the leaders in song and praise; and those under their leadership were set apart unto the priestly ministry of song. They were to "prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals" (1 Chron. 25:1). These musicians were not performers or entertainers, they were singing prophets. They did not stand up to entertain and do a number to the acclaim and applause of the congregation. They "prophesied according to the order of the king." Now Asaph means "gatherer," and God's Asaphs have a ministry in the Spirit to gather the people of God together in harmony and in union with the King. Heman means "faithful," for that is all that God requires of any man, or any musician; not natural talent... not greatness... not success... not achievement... but faithfulness. Jeduthun means "Choir of Praise." For God's people were given names at birth that pointed to some characteristic or aspect of their future life and calling. This Levite would lead a Choir of Praise in prophetic song, in the house of the LORD. They were not chosen because they had special talent. They were born into the families of these men; and whether they were great or small, teacher or scholar, they must submit to the lot that set them apart for this service. It was God who set them in their course. Again we are told there were 24 courses with 12 in each course, for a total of 288 who ministered in prophetic song and music in the house of the LORD.

In the New Testament Church, the "psalm" finds its place in spiritual ministry, along with "a doctrine, a tongue, a revelation, an interpretation..." (1 Cor. 14:26). And so in this way it is the Lord Himself who sings praises unto God "in the midst of the Church" (Heb. 2:12). Zephaniah said that God would rejoice over His people "with singing" (Zeph. 3:17; see also Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

Paul speaks of "spiritual songs." They are not spiritual songs because they happen to mention God or Heaven or the Bible. They are songs that are born of the Spirit, And the time must come when songs that are born of the Spirit will be freely used by the people of God when they come together. If God gave these songs, they are His, and do not belong to that particular person who happened to receive them. They are really prophetic songs designed of the Lord to bring forth thoughtful meditation in the minds of the people; not designed to activate their feet but to penetrate their hearts, to melt them in His presence, to humble them before the majesty of the King, and to enlarge their vision concerning God's purpose for His people. That is why all through the Psalms we find that little word "Selah" so often; for the songs are designed to produce thoughtful meditation. As if to say, "Just pause a moment... and think this over..." One wonders where you might insert a "Selah" in many of our "spiritual songs" today. The book of Psalms means the book of Praises. It was the hymnal of Solomon's Temple, and also of the restored temple after the Captivity. By this time many other psalms were added to the original 72 that were ascribed to David, covering the period following the destruction of Jerusalem. They were psalms that were born of the Spirit as men of God poured out their hearts before the Lord, and sang of the trials and tribulations and triumphs of a life lived in fellowship with God.

God's people have always been fraught with many perplexities and many questions, and the book of Psalms is therefore filled with many questions. The answer that God gives may not always satisfy the disobedient or the proud... but it always satisfies the one whose trust and confidence is in God. Perhaps as the Temple Choir sang forth these prophetic utterances, part of the choir would sing the question, while another part would sing forth the answer. And then together in unison they would exalt the LORD in great anthems of praise and worship. The book of Psalms is therefore once again coming forth as the hymnal of the Church, which is the true Temple of God in the earth. And this hymnal is quite up to date: "Why do the heathen rage? Why do the people imagine vain things? My soul is sore vexed, but thou, O LORD, how long? Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me? My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God... when shall I come and appear before God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me?"

But in each case God has a satisfying answer to those who love Him, and whose hearts are open to Him...

The Divisions Of The Porters
1 Chronicles 26

The porters were the doorkeepers of the house of God. Theirs was a very simple ministry, but very important. They were to guard the doors of God's house, to keep out and to let in. They must guard the various treasure rooms of the temple as well as open the doors for the priest and Levite who must enter certain rooms in the course of their ministry. Their place of appointment was likewise determined by "lot." It was God who set them in their place. (Here again we have 12 times two: 24 porters.) We do not know the significance of all these doors, but here the Levites stood at the threshold to open and to close the doors as necessary. The priests must go in to minister unto the Lord, and they must come out to minister unto the people. God has purposely designed His Temple so that we are not able to minister effectively as an individualist. That is why the strong, individualistic type of minister is going to find it increasingly difficult to flow together with God's anointed people in this hour, when God sends forth the river of life from the threshold of the Temple. There must come a melting if we are going to flow in the River of God.

As we learn to minister in the Spirit we recognize how important the ministry of the doorkeeper really is. We come to recognize that we cannot minister effectively unless the door has been opened into one of God's treasure rooms. And very often it is one of these doorkeepers who has opened the door and enabled us to see some of God's treasures, and bring them forth to His people. Or we may seek to peer through the crack in the door, dimly catching a glimpse of something; then a doorkeeper turns the key, and for the first time we see it more clearly, The Levite who opens the door may not get any particular credit for this, but he is only seeking the welfare of the Body of Christ, and this becomes his reward. He cannot boast of having done very much, compared to some of the laborers in the fields. Evidently his task was considered to be rather menial, prompting the psalmist to say:

"I had rather be a doorkeeper In the house of my God, Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness" (Psa. 84:10).

Therefore let the doorkeepers in the house of the LORD rejoice in that God is using them: to bring forth His presence in the midst of the congregation, to open doors that lead to true worship and praise, to make way for the choir of praise to flow forth in spiritual songs to the LORD, or to open the door for one of His priests to go in and explore the "spoils of battle" or some treasure of truth that may lie concealed in the inner parlors. And so let the doorkeepers "lift up the gates" that the King of Glory may come in:

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD strong and mighty,
The LORD mighty in battle"
(Psa. 24:7-8).

The Treasure Rooms

The Temple was made with storehouses to guard the treasures of the house of God and of the dedicated things. The spoils of battle, won in many wars against the enemies of the LORD from the days of Samuel and afterward, were stored away in the various buildings connected with the Temple compound, and guarded by the doorkeepers. Jesus is going to "divide the spoil with the strong." Canaan was God's land, intended for God's people, but it was inhabited by seven mighty nations. It was God's plan for His people to subdue the mighty, and take the spoil of the land for themselves. We stand amazed sometimes at the knowledge and wisdom and power that evil principalities exercise over the minds and souls and bodies of people. It is a usurped authority, and a perverted wisdom and knowledge. And when God's people "take the kingdom," Satan is thereby robbed of his power and wisdom, and his kingdom is spoiled in the lives of the people he held in bondage. Let us cherish the treasures of truth that have been won on the battlefields of the past. God is doing a new thing, I know. But the faithful scribe will continue to bring forth out of his treasures, "things new and old."

In the days of Nehemiah, the priest had become so tolerant with the enemy that he actually prepared a housekeeping apartment for Tobiah in the very place that was intended for the treasures of oil and wine and frankincense, and the meal offerings. This made Nehemiah so angry that he went into the Temple and dumped all of Tobiah's furniture outdoors, and brought in again the vessels of the house of God, and the meal offerings, and the frankincense (Neh. 13:8).

The "mystery of iniquity" was at work in Paul's day in the Temple of God, in the very midst of God's people. God hasten the day when His people stop looking over to old Jerusalem for a temple, and for the man of sin sitting in it. You will find the man of sin where God's people are. You will find him in the Temple, in the place of God's habitation. You will find him wherever and whenever there is a moving of the Spirit of God toward the restoration and refurnishing of God's true Temple, not made with hands. He is right there, ready to set up housekeeping. Not because he wants to worship God, but because he wants to hinder and frustrate true worship... the worship that ascends as frankincense from God's people... the worship that comes forth in Spirit and in Truth.

Let us cast out all this household stuff of Tobiah. His name means, "God is good." But don't let slogans like this fool you. We must get to know the spirit behind the words that are spoken, and the front that is presented; for he professes to love God, but he wants to take God's place in the Temple. The ultimate Antichrist will rise up in the Temple, which is the Church of the Living God. The spirit of Antichrist has been in the Church from the beginning. John the apostle recognized him, and Paul recognized him, and in the latter day Church God wants us to recognize him (2 Thess. 2:7; 1 Jn. 2:18-19). The anointed people of the last days will recognize him, and drive him out. But the apostate Church will be deceived by his flatteries, and allow him to "sit in the Temple of God."

Antichrist means against Christ... but it also means instead of Christ.

Our only safeguard is in the anointing--the anointing which is Truth--Who alone can keep us free from the seductions of the Enemy. (See 1 Jn. 2:27.) It is not enough that God's people receive certain charismatic gifts and blessings. We must become an anointed people, born of the Spirit, filled with the Spirit, led of the Spirit, baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire, walking in the sevenfold Spirit of God. And as we assemble in the Name of the Lord, the Holy Spirit will be in charge to take the things of Christ and make them known to us. We must begin very earnestly to make way for the Lordship of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and in our gatherings. If there is singing, let it be the song of the Lord, born of the Spirit, and flowing forth by God's Spirit to admonish and teach God's people, and not to entertain them. If there is ministry in the Word, let it be "the oracle of God"--that living Word that God has for His people in this hour--and not something that has been studied out intellectually and given forth with the art of rhetoric. If there is to be a healing, may there be the love and compassion of Christ Who is there to administer the healing, and not a display of the power of a charismatic man of God. If there is teaching, let it be "meat in due season" to feed the hungry, and to enlighten the eyes of the blind with the eyesalve of illumination and insight into the mysteries of God.

Let us cast forth all this household stuff of Tobiah out of the chambers of the House of God! And while we know and expect that there will be an ultimate Antichrist taking a firm hold on an apostate Church, let us recognize that his spirit is there now... the mystery is already at work... and we can only resist him by the power and anointing and presence of the Lord Jesus in our hearts and lives, and in our gatherings in His Name.

2. The Order Of The Kingdom
1 Chronicles 27

The Officers Of The Kingdom

We have already mentioned the names of three of these officers, the men who had followed David in his rejection and who had come to a place of rulership in the new order. But there were 12 such officers, each having 24,000 men under their charge. We are told that these served the king "in any matter" as they came in and went out month by month, according to the 12 courses. There were therefore 12 times 24,000, or 288,000 officers; and again we have their spiritual counterpart in the book of Revelation:

"And I heard the number of them Which were sealed:
And there were sealed an 144,000
Of all the tribes of the children of Israel"
(Rev. 7:4).

"And I looked, And, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion,
And with him a 144,000,
Having his Father's name
Written in their foreheads"
(Rev. 14:1).

And so adding these two companies together, we have 288,000, which corresponds to the 288,000 officers in the kingdom of Solomon. Whether these numbers are literal numbers, or symbolic, we do not need to speculate. But they are the overcomers. They have gone beyond gift and ministry as such, and now they minister out from their relationship with the Lamb. In union with Christ they can do anything He wants them to do, simply because in themselves they can do nothing. They are utterly dependent upon their Lord, even as He was utterly dependent upon the Father when He walked this earth.

We must remember that the angel made known the Revelation to John in "signs." He used "sign" language as he spoke to John-the message was "SIGN-ified" unto him. We do not have to conclude, therefore, that the numbers mentioned are necessarily literal numbers. But either way, they are significant numbers. They speak of governmental authority and rulership (12 times 12); and they minister out from the holy of holies, which in the Tabernacle measured ten times ten times ten cubits, which equals 1,000. (Half the linen tent covered the holiest of all, and so being 20 cubits wide it would have covered ten cubits over the top, and ten cubits down the back, and the other half of the tent would have covered the holy place, with the golden clasps holding the sections together over the four pillars. See Ex. 36:9-13.) We have shown previously how the number "two" speaks of a corporate relationship; so we have 144 times 1,000 times two, which equals 288,000. For the Body of Christ, the true Israel, is a new entity composed of both the natural Israel and the wild olive branches, brought together in the one good olive tree. The middle wall of partition which once separated them has been broken down by the Cross, and Christ has made "in himself of twain, one new man, so making peace" (Eph. 2:11-15). This is the true Israel, yet still comprised of the twelve tribes on a higher plane. It is not our purpose in this study to pursue the meanings of the names of the tribes. But let us take note that when John gives the list of the tribes, the tribe of Dan is excluded, and in his place we have the tribe of Manasseh. Are we to suppose that there is no room for Dan in the true Israel? And why is Manasseh mentioned as well as Joseph? For the line of Joseph includes both Ephraim and Manasseh. I can only conclude that God is showing us that in this new overcoming Israel, the "serpent" nature has finally been eradicated; for of Dan it was said, "Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path" (Gen. 49:17). And by inserting Manasseh God is showing how there has come into the midst of His people total deliverance from the serpent in the sin-conscience, for Manasseh means "Cause to Forget." This new Israel has the fruitfulness of Joseph through Ephraim his son, which means "double-fruitfulness." But to come to this, there has to be a Manasseh: a forgetting of those things which are behind. We cannot come into the place of total victory in Christ until there has been a cleansing and a purging; not only of the serpent of Dan, but from the very remembrance of it all. The serpent of our fallen nature, with all its shame, its frustrations, its failures, is completely swallowed up by the Rod of Aaron (which became a serpent even as Christ was made sin for us). There is no condemnation to them which are "in Christ Jesus," not only because of the blood of Jesus which was shed on the Cross, but because of the cleansing and purging ministration of the Spirit in our hearts, Who is faithful to apply the cleansing of the Blood to our hearts. We cannot emphasize enough that the Holy Spirit witnesses to the perfect cleansing that is available in the Blood; and that the reason there is so much uncleanness in our hearts and minds is because the Holy Spirit is not given His due Lordship in our lives and in our gatherings together in His Name. And when we as God's people, through the workings of God's grace in our midst, return to the Fountain of Life and the Spirit of God flows once again in the midst of His people, there will be a perfect cleansing from all sin for the heart and mind and conscience of God's people. This cleansing is there for us in the Precious Blood of Christ, and the Spirit of God will bear witness to it, as we give Him His Lordship.

The Overcomers

Let us consider briefly the character of these overcoming ones. Sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads. It's about time we lift our foreheads to God to receive His seal, instead of talking so much about the mark of the Beast! The mark of the Lamb of God will make us totally immune to the mark of the Dragon!

The mark and seal of the Lamb of God is the mind of Christ. They are preserved in the hour of judgment on the earth and the sea.

The serpent is now under their feet, even as was promised to those who are in Christ (Rom. 16:20).

The past is under the Blood, and the Spirit of God in their lives has purged them not only from the serpent, but from the very remembrance of his curse.

They have followed the Lamb, even into their heritage in the heavenlies, and stand with Him on Mount Zion... yet even as they find their place there, they walk in the midst of men, without blemish, without fault, as virgins in His sight.

It is a high and holy calling... but to these overcomers it is more. They are "called, and chosen, and faithful" (Rev. 17:14). In union with the Son they have partaken of the Father's nature. Therefore the Father's Name is in their foreheads... not blasphemously spelled out in some earthly language, nor visible to the eyes of men among whom they walk... but spelled out in the language of the Spirit, by the imprint of the Father's nature and character in their lives. Jesus said, "I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it [will make it known]: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them" (Jn. 17:26).

They are not only born of God, they are thoroughly disciplined as His sons, and conformed to the image of the Only Begotten. Therefore they have His very nature and character.

"And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the 144,000, which were redeemed from the earth" (Rev. 14:3).

They are "firstfruits" unto God and to the Lamb. Christ is the "firstfruits" (1 Cor. 15:23). But these are in union with Him, and are therefore a class of "firstfruits"--"a kind of firstfruits" (Jas. 1:18).

They are a people that are totally victorious over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name. They were not caught away from the battle. They have fought a good fight and have kept the faith in the midst of the battle. They are not escapees or deserters. They confronted these evil hosts head-on, and overcame... not in their own strength, but by "the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony."

They are true witnesses (Gr. "martus," from which we get our word "martyr"). "They loved not their lives unto the death" (Rev. 12:11). At times they may have walked away from death, if that was God's will, as Jesus did (Jn. 7:1). But they gladly returned to the place of death, in obedience to the Father, as Jesus did (Jn. 11:7-8). In either case they walked in God's will, and did not hesitate to choose death, if they knew this was pleasing to the Father (Heb. 11:35). They were not looking for an easy escape from tribulation, because they knew they were "appointed" to tribulation (1 Thess. 3:4); and because they desired to be companions with the heirs of the Kingdom, they desired also to be companions in tribulation (Rev. 1:9). These are the ones who stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God, and singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb--the Song of Victory.

The Rulers Of The Tribes

Here again there are 12 rulers over the 12 tribes. The names of the 12 tribes are inscribed on the gates of the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is said to be "the bride, the Lamb's wife." (See Rev. 21:2, 9, 12.) And the names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb are inscribed on the 12 foundations of the wall of the City. (See Rev. 21:14.) And so there is a very close identity between the Holy City (which is the Bride of Christ), and the heads of the 12 tribes, and the 12 apostles of the Lamb. Jesus promised his apostles, "Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. 19:28). Jesus calls this new phase of the Kingdom of God (after the resurrection) "the regeneration." But the spirit of that new day is something we partake of now, in the "washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5), the same word that Jesus used in Matthew 19:28. It is the same energy and power working in His people now, the resurrection life of our Lord Jesus, that will "make all things new" in the "regeneration" that Jesus spoke about. (See also Rev. 21:5.) The same power that "worketh in us" that will eventually change us from mortality to immortality, and subdue all God's enemies under the feet of Christ (Eph. 3:20; Phil. 3:21). For the powers available to us now, really are the "the powers of the world to come" (Heb. 6:5).

Then just where do we draw the line, between God's provision for us in this life and what is available for us in the next? All I can say is, the line is far, far beyond our most hopeful prayers and desires, as the apostle said (Eph. 3:20). Going beyond God's provision for us has never been God's problem, but ours. God's earnest longing for His people is not: "Beware, lest you try to go farther than I want to lead you," but rather, "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Heb. 4:1). This is God's great concern! Don't fall short of God's desire! There is no danger you might appropriate more than He has in mind for you. But let there be no presumption here, For the promises of God are not appropriated by carnal, presumptuous faith. You can only go on with God into the realms and depths of His love and truth, as you walk with Him in the pathway of total commitment and discipleship, loving not your life, even unto death. Like Abraham, we just keep "looking for the City..." And as we "look for it," the vision of it and the longing for it gives us new perspective, and new hope. The things of this world lose their lustre in the light of the City of God, the New Jerusalem, which will yet come down from God out of Heaven. For "we look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

The Stewards Of The King's Property

The king's property was divided into 12 categories, with one steward in charge of each class of labor or industry. (See 1 Chron. 27:25-31.) These were:

  1. The King's Treasures.
  2. The Storehouses.
  3. The Cultivators.
  4. The Vineyards.
  5. The Wine Cellars.
  6. The Orchards.
  7. The Oil Cellars.
  8. The Herds Of Sharon.
  9. The Herds Of The Valleys.
10. The Camels.
11. The Asses.
12. The Flocks Of Sheep.

We will only briefly touch on these.

1. The King's Treasures. Paul called himself a steward of "the mysteries of God." God wants His treasures to be distributed. Not at random, of course, but the steward will distribute the treasures according to the direction of the King. The truths of the Kingdom of God are called "mysteries," which simply means that they are "secrets." And these secrets are to be made known only to those whose hearts have been prepared to receive them. So what can we do but meditate upon them, write about them, talk about them, and trust God to open up the hearts of His people to receive the Word that God wants them to hear. Jesus Himself spoke in parables to the people; but He could only speak to them "as they were able to hear it" (Mk. 4:33).

2. The Storehouses. These were scattered throughout the land: in the fields, cities, villages, and towers. God has stewards for these also--to dispense these treasures to His people. Jehonathan was in charge of this, and we suspect that he was quite a popular man. He had riches to give to the people in their time of need. Asmaveth was just in charge of the King's Treasures. Perhaps there was not too many who knew what riches he had in his trust. And what difference did it make? It was only for the King anyway--or so they thought. They were not interested in those far-out things! (At least this is the response we get sometimes, as we seek to relate to God's people those things which "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard," the things that "God hath prepared for them that love him.")

3. The Cultivators. Ezri was over the cultivators. Not too glorious a task, but at least everyone in Israel recognized that it was a very important task. That is more than can be said for God's cultivators in the Church. Plowing the ground? Why waste your time on that? Get out into the fields where you can reap without any plowing! Invariably the evangelist gets the credit for what is harvested--and many times no one knows anything about the plowmen that went before and dug up the soil. Invariably the cultivator is considered to be wasting his time--and he too weeps over his futile efforts.

But in the end we can be assured that...

"The tears of the sower, And the song of the reaper, Will mingle together, in joy bye and bye..."

4. The Vineyards; 5. The Wine Cellars; 6. The Orchards; 7. The Oil Cellars. We will speak about these together, because they are somewhat related. God has in His Kingdom those who are qualified to bring forth the wine and the oil in the midst of His people.

"Wine that maketh glad the heart of man, And oil to make his face to shine" (Psa. 104:15).

There are those who shine with the glory of God's presence, and who bring the "glad tidings" of the Gospel to those in prison-houses of sin and darkness; those who can bring a spirit of rejoicing in the place of heaviness. The plowman may not be able to do that, nor is he to come under condemnation for his failure to do so.

Then there is the man in the wine cellar. His job is to pour the wines from one vessel to another, to drain off the dregs that the purest wine might come forth. He is entirely out of sight of the people. But he is very necessary if the people of God are going to remain fresh and full of life. Moab's problem was that he "hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed" (Jer. 48:11). And so God said He would send pourers into their midst. I believe this must speak of true fellowship in the Spirit. To remain tightly sealed and preserved in our own little bottle makes for stagnation and sickliness. There must be a pouring forth unto others, a sharing one with another. Not just so much talk, but opening up the heart to one another as God may lead: in confession, in exhortation, in an acknowledgment of some aspect of God's goodness or of His dealings. This in turn will bring forth a pouring from others. And so we give and receive, and give again. We are not talking about idle talk one with another, not everyone giving their little sermon. But an open, face-to-face, heart-to-heart ministration of the Spirit. We will not leave such gatherings the way we came, with the same taste, the same scent.

We cannot manufacture this type of fellowship, but we need to recognize our need for it, and ask the Lord to pour us from vessel to vessel that there might be the joy of the Lord in our midst, and the oil of His anointing.

8. The Herds Of Sharon; 9. The Herds Of The Valleys; 10. The Camels; 11. The Asses; 12. The Flocks Of Sheep. Here again we will speak of these together, so as to compare or contrast the one with the other.

The camels and the asses were the burden-bearers. Both were important: the asses for the smaller, local trips; and the camels for the long desert journeys to lands afar off. Their burdens may have been heavy and their trials very severe, but they were suited and equipped for the task. The keepers of the flocks and herds had a different task, and they could not take the place of the others. They must feed the cattle and the sheep to provide the food and clothing for the king's household. Sharon was famous for its rich pasture lands, and the name has taken on prophetic significance for God's people:

"And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, And the valley of Achor a place For the herds to lie down in, For my people that have sought me" (Isa. 65:10).

Herds of Sharon, and Herds of the Valley! God has His herds in both. Not only does He feed His own in the rich pasture lands of Sharon, but also in the valley of Achor. Now Sharon means "plain." And we might be inclined at times to envy that one whose life seems to be unruffled, always on an even keel, always blessed with the sunshine of the open plains. But there are pasture lands in the valley of Achor also. Achor means "trouble." Admittedly we bring a lot of trouble on ourselves, as Israel did in the time of Joshua when Achan sinned against the LORD and was punished in the valley of Achor. But whether our troubles are self-inflicted, or designed of the Lord for the refinement of our nature, God wants us to know that as we return to Him in weeping and mourning, we are going to find rich pasture lands in those areas of our lives which once caused us so much grief. Let us not take sides with Job's comforters and condemn those who are in trouble and distress, when it might well be that God's plan is to make a perfect man still more perfect, and to reveal Himself in a manner He has done before.

On the other hand, if it is because of judgment, then we can rejoice in the fact that God deals with us as with sons, and that His dealings are a token of His love for us. "For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth." Therefore let the troubled ones in our midst search their hearts and draw closer to God; for that is the purpose for which He allowed, or ordained, their troubles. And as they do, they will discover that God may have ordained greater glory and rest for them than He has for the herds who bask in the sun on the beautiful plains of Sharon.

"A place for the herds to lie down in, For my people that have sought me" (Isa. 65:10).

"And I will give her her vineyards from thence, And the valley of Achor for a door of hope: And she shall sing there, As in the days of her youth" (Hos. 2:15).

Therefore God says,

"That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know" (1 Thess. 3:3-4).

These officers recognized the task that lay before them, and they performed their duty without any thought of competing one with the other. The circumstances and trials as well as the joys of life have had much to do by way of preparing each one for that particular ministry and calling that God has in mind. For God has a purpose for each one, and only the unwise in our midst will judge who is doing the King's business and who is wasting his time. As if the keeper of the herds would say, "After all, you must admit that I have the most important task of all!" Who would deny that his job was important? The king needed the cattle to provide meat for his table, and sacrifices for the priesthood. But he also needs the burden-bearers, the cultivators, and the guardians of the storehouses. Or can you imagine Jaziz who looked after the sheep taunting Joash, "Well, Joash my friend, how many sheep were added to your flock this year?" Of course Joash would have to reply: "Not one, I'm sorry to say... you see my job is to work in the cellars of oil." Of course we cannot imagine that these men exalted themselves one over the other, but it is a true parable of what goes on in the Church. God hasten the day when He will take away that competitive spirit from His people, and especially from the ministry, and cause them to know that each person has a ministry and a place in the Body of Christ, as a "member in particular," for the welfare of the whole Body. Obil the Ishmaelite was over the camels. He did not have a shepherd's heart. He did not expect to be placed in charge of the sheep, or of the herds. But he did have the ability to look after the camels, to equip and prepare them for their journeys to distant lands, and to care for the ones that returned home, footsore and weary because of their long missionary activities.

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular" (1 Cor. 12:27).

Next: Chapter 3 (Continued) - The Five Royal Ministries
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