Schoolmaster to Christ
NUMBERS CHAPTERS 17 & 18

These two chapters form a distinct section, presenting the source, responsibilities, and privileges of priesthood. It is a divine institution. "No man taketh this honour unto Himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." In this chapter it is made manifest in a striking manner.

Scripture Reading: Numbers 17 (KJV)

"The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man's name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their father's houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods" (vv. 1-6).

Matchless wisdom shines in this arrangement. The matter is taken completely out of man's hands and placed where it should be – in the hands of the living God. It was not to be a man appointing himself, or a man appointing his fellow; but God appointing the man of His own selection. In other words, the question was to be settled by God Himself, so that all murmurings might be silenced forever, and no one would be able to again charge God's high priest with taking too much on himself. The human will had nothing whatsoever to do with this solemn matter. The twelve rods, all in a like condition, were laid up before the Lord; man retired and left God to act. There was no room, no opportunity, because there was no occasion for human management. In the profound retirement of the sanctuary, far away from all man's thinking, the grand question of priesthood was settled by God's decision; and, being thus settled, it could never again be raised.

"And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And it came to pass that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds."

Striking and beautiful figure of Him Who was "declared to be the Son of God with power by resurrection from the dead." The twelve rods were all alike – lifeless; but the living God entered the scene and infused life into Aaron's rod, bringing it out bearing the fruits of resurrection.

Rationalist may sneer and raise questions, but faith gazes on that fruit-bearing rod and sees a lovely figure of the new creation. Infidelity may argue the apparent impossibility of a dry stick budding, blossoming, and bearing fruit in one night. However, the infidel, rationalist, and skeptic see God's power as impossible because they shut Him out – reasoning and reaching conclusions in midnight darkness. There is no ray of true light in the sphere in which infidelity operates. It excludes the only source of light, leaving the soul wrapped in the shades and deep gloom of darkness.

The young student should here pause and ponder this solemn fact – calmly and seriously reflecting on this special feature of infidelity, rationalism, and skepticism – God is shut out. As a result, the mystery of Aaron's budding, blossoming, fruit bearing rod is approached with a godless, audacious "How?" They can raise questions; but cannot settle them. They teach how to doubt; not how to believe.

Infidelity is of Satan, who always has been, is, and will be, the great question raiser. He fills the heart with "ifs" and "hows," seeking to plunge the soul into thick darkness. His point has been gained when he succeeds in raising a question. But he is powerless against one who simply believes that God lives and has spoken through His Holy Word. Here is faith's noble answer to the infidel's questions – its divine solution of all the infidel's difficulties. Faith always brings in the One that infidelity always shuts out. Faith thinks with God; infidelity thinks without Him.

Hence, we ask the serious student of God's Word, especially the young student, to never be concerned about questions when Jehovah God has spoken. Our only security against Satan is found in that one impregnable, immortal sentence, "It is written." We cannot argue with him on the ground of experience, feeling, or observation; it must be on the ground that God is, and that God has spoken. Satan cannot stand against this weighty argument. It is invincible. Everything else he can cut to pieces; but this confounds him and at once puts him to flight.

We see this strikingly illustrated in the temptation of our Lord. According to his usual way, the enemy approached the blessed One with a question: "If thou be the Son of God." How did the Lord answer Him? Did He say, "I know I am the Son of God; I have had a testimony from heaven; I feel, believe and realize that I am the Son of God"? No; such was not His way of answering the tempter. He answered with, "It is written." Such was the thrice repeated answer of the obedient and dependent Man; and such must be the answer of everyone who will overcome the tempter.

So, regarding Aaron's budding rod, if one inquires, "How can such a thing be? It is contrary to the laws of nature. How could God reverse the established principles of natural philosophy?" Faith's reply is sublimely simple. God can do as He pleases. The One who called worlds into existence, can make a rod bud, blossom, and bear fruit in a moment. Bring God in, and everything becomes simple and plain. Leave God out, and everything plunges into hopeless confusion. The attempt to tie up (we speak with reverence) the Almighty Creator of the vast universe by certain laws of nature or principles of natural philosophy is nothing short of impious blasphemy. It is almost worse than denying His existence altogether. It is hard to say which is worse, the atheist who says there is no God, or the rationalist who maintains that He cannot do as He pleases.

The mind of man is always busy forming systems, drawing conclusions, and reasoning in order to exclude the testimony of Holy Scripture: to shut God out from His own creation. Our young people must be solemnly warned about this. They must be taught the immense difference between the facts of science, and the conclusions of scientific men. Whether in geology, astronomy, or any other department of science, a fact is a fact wherever you meet it; but men's reasoning, conclusions, and systems are something else altogether. Holy Scripture will never touch the facts of science; but the reasoning of scientific man is constantly found to be in collision with Scripture. We must plainly denounce such reasoning and exclaim with the apostle, "Let God be true, and every man a liar."

We will not now continue this line of thought, except to solemnly urge the necessity of giving Holy Scripture the supreme place in our hearts and minds. We must bow down with absolute submission to the authority of, not "Thus saith the church"; not "Thus say the fathers"; not "Thus say the doctors"; but "Thus saith the Lord" – "It is written." This is our only security against the rising tide of infidelity that threatens to sweep away the foundation of Christianity – Jesus Christ. Only those who are taught and governed by the Holy Word of God will escape. May God increase the number of such.

We shall now proceed with this 17th chapter. "And Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron's rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. And Moses did so: as the Lord commanded Him, so did he" (vv. 9-11).

Thus the question was divinely settled. Priesthood is founded on the precious grace of God that brings life out of death. This is the source of priesthood. It could be of no possible use for man to take any one of the eleven dead rods and make it the badge of the priestly office. All the human authority under the sun could not infuse life into a dead stick, or make that stick the channel of blessing to souls. But where there were evidences of quickening power; refreshing traces of divine life and blessing; fragrant fruits of efficacious grace – there and there alone was to be found the source of that priestly ministry that could carry not only a needy but murmuring and rebellious people through the wilderness.

One may inquire, "What about Moses' rod? Why was it not among the twelve?" The reason is simple. Moses rod was the expression of power and authority. Aaron's rod was the lovely expression of grace that quickens the dead, Mere power or authority could not conduct the congregation through the wilderness. Power could crush the rebel; authority might strike the sinner; but only mercy and grace could avail for an assembly of needy, helpless, sinful men, women, and children. The grace that could bring almonds out on a dead stick could bring Israel through the wilderness. It was only in connection with Aaron's budding rod that Jehovah could say, "Thou shalt quite take away the murmurings of the children of Israel from me, that they die not.'' The rod of authority could take away the murmurers; but the rod of grace could take away the murmurs.

Regarding the subject of Aaron's rod, the serious student may profitably refer to a passage in the opening of Hebrews 9. In speaking of the Ark of the Covenant, the inspired writer says, "wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant." This was in the wilderness. The rod and the manna were the provisions of God's grace for Israel's desert wanderings and desert need. But, when we turn to 1 Kings 8:9, we read, "There! was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt." The wilderness wanderings were over, the glory of Solomon's day was sending out its beams over the land, and hence the budding rod and the pot of manna are omitted, and nothing remains except the law of God that was the foundation of His righteous government in the midst of His people.

In this illustration we have not only the accuracy of Holy Scripture as a whole, but also the special character and object of the Book of Numbers. Aaron's rod was in the ark during its wilderness wanderings. What a precious fact – what deep and blessed significance. May God help us ponder the difference between the rod of Moses and the rod of Aaron. We have seen Moses rod doing its characteristic work in other days and amid other scenes. The land of Egypt trembled beneath the heavy strokes of that rod. The waters of the sea divided in answer to that rod. In short, the rod of Moses was a rod of power, a rod of authority. But it could not avail to hush the murmurings of the children of Israel; nor yet to bring the people through the desert. Only grace could do that, and pure, free, sovereign grace is expressed in the budding of Aaron's rod.

Nothing can be more forcible or lovely. That dry, dead stick was the appropriate figure of Israel's condition, as well as human nature. There was no sap, no life, and no power. One might say, "What good can come of it?" None whatsoever, if grace had not come in, displaying its quickening power. So it was with Israel in the wilderness; and so it is with us today. How were they to be led from day to day? How were they to be sustained in their weakness and need? In their sin and folly? The answer is found in Aaron's budding rod. The dry, dead stick was the expression of nature's barren and worthless condition; the buds, blossoms, and fruit expressed the living and life-giving grace of God on which the priestly ministry was based, bearing the congregation through the wilderness. Only grace could answer the many necessities of a militant host. Power could not suffice. Authority could not avail. Priesthood alone could supply what was needed; and this priesthood was instituted on the foundation of efficacious grace that could bring fruit out of a dry rod.

So it was regarding priesthood of old; and so it is regarding ministry now. Ministry in the Lord’s church is the fruit of God's grace – the gift of Christ. There is no other source of ministry whatsoever. From apostles down to the lowest gifts, all proceed from Christ. The grand root principle of ministry is embodied in those words of Paul to the Galatians in which he speaks of himself as "An apostle, not of man, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead" (Gal. 1:1).

Here is the sublime source from whence ministry emanates. It is not of man, or by man. Man may take up dry sticks and shape and fashion them according to His own will; and he may ordain, appoint, and call them by high-sounding, official titles. But what use is it? We may justly say, "They are only dry, dead sticks."

"Where is there a single cluster of fruit? Where is there a single blossom? Nay, where is there one solitary bud?" Even one bud will suffice to prove that there is something divine. But in the absence of this there can be no living ministry in the Lord's church – only the gift of Christ makes a man a minister. Without this it is an empty assumption for anyone to set himself up as a minister, or to be set up by others.

Have we laid hold of this great principle? Is it clear to the soul? If not, let us seek to divest our minds of all preconceived thoughts; let us rise above the hazy mists of traditional organized religious institutions; let us take only the Holy Scriptures and study them in the immediate presence of God. Let us carefully read 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 14, and Ephesians 4:7-18. In these passages we find the subject of ministry unfolded; and from them we learn that all true ministry, whether it be apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, or evangelists, all is of God – all flows from Christ. If a man does not possess a gift from Christ, then he is not a minister – no matter his title. Every member of the body has a work to do. The edification of the body is promoted by the proper action of all the members, whether prominent or obscure, "comely" or "uncomely." In short, ministry is from God and not from man; it is by God, and not by man. There is no such thing as a humanly ordained ministry in Holy Scripture – all is of God.

We must not confuse ministerial gifts with office or local charge. We find the apostles, or their delegates, ordaining elders and appointing deacons; but this was distinctly different from ministerial gifts. While elders and deacons might possess and exercise some specific gift in the body, the apostle did not ordain them to exercise such gift, but only to fulfill a local charge. The spiritual gift was from Christ, the Head of the Church. It was completely independent of the local charge.

It is necessary to be clear regarding the distinction between gift and local charge. There is confusion regarding these two things, causing ministry to be misunderstood. Members of the body of Christ do not understand their place or their functions. Human election or human authority is deemed essential to the exercise of ministry in organized religious institutions today. But there is actually no such thing in Holy Scripture. If so, then surely it would be easy to produce it. From a Scriptural point of view, and in its very fullest range, human call, human appointment, or human authority, has nothing whatsoever to do with the exercise of ministry. We boldly assert there is no such thing.¹ No; ministry in the Lord’s Church is "not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead." "God hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him" (1 Cor. 12:18).

"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore He saith, When he ascended up on High, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men . . . and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith. and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:7-13).

From apostles down to evangelists and teachers, all the grades of ministerial gift are here placed on the same ground – they are all given by Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church; and when bestowed they render the possessors at once responsible to the Head in heaven, and to members on earth. The idea of any possessor of a positive gift from God waiting for human authority is as great an insult to the majesty of God as if Aaron had gone with his blooming rod in his hand to be ordained to the priesthood by his fellows. Aaron knew better. God called him, and that was enough. The same is true today, all who possess a divine gift are called of God to the ministry, and they need nothing more except to wait on their ministry, and cultivate their gift.

Unless the gift is possessed, it is vain for one to think that he can be a minister. A man may fancy he has a gift, and it may only be vain conceit. It is equally as bad, perhaps worse, for one to go to work on the strength of his own foolish imagination, as for another to go on the strength of the unwarrantable authority of his fellows. We contend that the source, power, and responsibility of ministry are of God. Surely those who are taught exclusively by Holy Scripture will not call in question this statement. Whatever his gift, every minister should be able to say, "God has put me into the ministry." But for a man to use this language without possessing the gift is, to say the least, worse than worthless. The people of God can easily tell where there is real spiritual gift. Power is sure to be felt. But if men pretend to have a gift or power without the reality, their folly will quickly be manifest – sooner or later, pretenders are sure to find their true level.

So, the source of ministry and priesthood is divine – the true foundation of each lies in the budding rod. Let keep this in mind. Aaron could say, "God put me into the priesthood;" and if challenged for his proof, he could point to the fruit-bearing rod. Paul could say, "God put me into the ministry;'' and when challenged for his proof, he could point to many living seals to his work. Thus, in principle it must always be whatever the measure. Ministry must not be merely in word or in tongue; but in deed and in truth. God will not know the speech, but the power.

But, before turning from this subject, it is necessary to impress the importance of distinguishing between ministry and priesthood. The sin of Korah was this: not being content as a minister, he aimed at being a priest. The sin of Christendom is of the same character. Instead of allowing ministry to rest on its own proper New Testament basis to exhibit its proper characteristics and discharge its proper functions, it is exalted into a priesthood, a sacerdotal caste, the members of which distinguished from others by their style of dress and titles. There is no foundation whatsoever for these things in the New Testament. According to the plain teaching of that blessed book, all believers are priests. Thus, in First Peter we read, "But ye [not merely the apostles, but all believers] are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood" (2:9; emphasis added). Also, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." In pursuance of the truth set forth in the foregoing passages, we find by divine inspiration the Holy Spirit exhorting the Hebrew believers to draw nigh, and enter with boldness into the holiest of all (Heb. 10:19-22). And further on the writer says, "By him [i.e., Jesus] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good, and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Heb. 13:15, 16; emphasis added).

How marvelous it must have appeared to Jewish saints – to those trained amid the institutions of the Mosaic economy, to be exhorted to enter into a place to which the highest functionary in Israel could only approach for only a moment, once a year; and there to be told that they were to offer sacrifice, that they were to discharge the peculiar functions of the priesthood. All this was wonderful. But so it is, if we are to be taught by Scripture, and not by the commandments, the doctrines, the creeds, and the traditions of men. All Christians are priests. They are not all teachers, pastors, or evangelists; but they are all priests. The feeblest member of the Lord's church was as much a priest as Peter, Paul, James, or John. We are not speaking of capacity or spiritual power, but of the position that all occupy in virtue of the blood of Christ. There is no such thing in the New Testament as a certain class of men, a certain privileged caste, brought into a higher or nearer position than their brethren. All this is flatly opposed to Christianity – a bold traversing of all the precepts of the Word of God, and the special teachings of our blessed Lord and Master.

Let no one suppose that these things are unimportant. Far from it. They affect the foundations of Christianity. We need only open our eyes and look around in order to see the results of confusing ministry and priesthood. We may rest assured that the moment is approaching when these results will assume a far more awful character, bringing down the heavy judgments from the living God. We have not yet seen the full antitype of "the gainsaying of Core;" but it will one day be manifested. We solemnly warn the serious student of God's Holy Word to take heed regarding the error of mixing up two things as distinct as ministry and priesthood. We exhort all Christians to take up this subject in the light of Holy Scripture; submitting to the authority of God's Word, and abandoning everything not founded therein. It matters not what it is; it may be a time-honored institution; an expedient arrangement; a decent ceremony supported by tradition, and countenanced by thousands of the best of people. It matters not. If the thing has no foundation in Holy Scripture, it is an error, an evil, and a snare of the devil, enticing our souls, and leading us away from the simplicity in Christ. For example, if we are taught that in the Lord's church there is a sacerdotal caste, a class of men who are more holy, more elevated, nearer to God, than their brethren; than ordinary Christians; what is this but Judaism revived and tacked on to Christian forms? And what is the effect of this? It robs children of God of their proper privileges, and puts them at a distance from Him, placing them under bondage.

Hopefully, enough has been suggested to lead the reflecting student to personally follow it up, emphasizing that such a follow up be conducted only in that light of Holy Scripture. By the grace of God, let us resolve to lay aside everything that does not rest on the solid and sacred basis of the written Word. Only in this way can we be preserved from every form of error, and led to a sound conclusion on this most important question.

The closing lines of chapter 17 furnish a remarkable illustration of how quickly the human mind passes from one extreme to another. "The children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?" In the 16th chapter, we see bold presumption in the presence of the majesty of Jehovah, where there should have been profound humility. Here, in the presence and provisions of God's grace, we observe legal fear and distrust. It is always this way. Mere human nature understands neither holiness nor grace. One moment we hearken to such accents as these, "All the congregation are holy;'' and the next moment, the word is, "Behold we die, we perish, we all perish." The carnal mind presumes when it should retire; distrusts when it should confide.

However, through the goodness of God all this becomes the occasion of unfolding to us the holy responsibility as well as the precious privileges of the priesthood. How gracious it is – how like our God, to turn His people's mistakes into an occasion of furnishing deeper instruction regarding His ways. It is His prerogative to bring good out of evil; to make the eater yield meat, and the strong sweetness. Thus "the gainsaying of Core" gives occasion for the copious volume of instruction furnished by Aaron's rod; and the closing lines of chapter 17 bring forth an elaborate statement of the functions of Aaron's priesthood. To this latter we direct attention.

"And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons, and thy father's house with thee, shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. All thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring them with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. And they shall be joined unto thee, and beep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. and ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the veil; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death" (Num. 18:1-7).

Here we have God's answer to the question raised by the children of Israel, "Shall we be consumed with dying?" "No," says the God of grace and mercy. And why not? Because "Aaron and his sons with him shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that There be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.'' Thus, they found security in the very priesthood they had despised and spoken against.

Notice particularly that Aaron's sons and his father's house are associated with him in his high and holy privileges and responsibilities. The Levites were given as a gift to Aaron, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. They were to serve under Aaron, the head of the priestly house. This teaches a lesson needed by Christians in this age. To be intelligent and acceptable we must be in subjection to priestly authority and guidance. "And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee." This stamped its distinct character on the entire range of Levite service. The whole tribe of workers was associated with and subject to the high priest. All was under his immediate control and guidance. So it must be now, regarding God's workers. All Christian service must be rendered in fellowship with our great High Priest, and in holy subjection to His authority. Otherwise, it is of no value. There may be a great deal of work done, there may be a great deal of activity; but if Christ is not the immediate object before the heart, if His guidance and authority is not fully accepted, the work will certainly go for nothing.

On the other hand, the smallest act of service done under the eye of Christ, done with direct reference to Him, has value in God's estimation, and will receive its due reward. This is truly encouraging, and consolatory to the heart of every earnest worker. The Levites worked under Aaron. Christians work under Christ. We are responsible to Him. It is well and beautiful to walk in fellowship with our fellow-workmen; to be subject one to another, in the fear of the Lord. Nothing we do or say should foster or countenance a spirit of haughty independence, a temper of soul that would hinder genial and hearty co-operation with our brethren in every good work. In their work, all Levites were "joined unto Aaron,'' and therefore they were joined one to another. Hence, they had to work together. If a Levite had turned away from his brethren, he would have turned away from Aaron. We may imagine a Levite, taking offence at something or other in the conduct of his fellows, saying, "I cannot get on with my brethren. I must walk alone. I can serve God, and work under Aaron; but I must stand apart from my brethren because I find it impossible to agree with them regarding the mode of working." But the serious study of God's Holy Word can easily see through the fallacy of this. For a Levite to adopt such a line of action would have produced nothing but confusion. All were called to work together, no matter how varied their work might be.

Let us bear in mind, their work varied and each was called to work under Aaron. There was individual responsibility with the most harmonious corporate action. We certainly desire to promote unity in action; but this should never be allowed to trench on the domain of personal service, or to interfere with the direct reference of the individual workman to his Lord. The church of our Lord affords an extensive platform for the Lord's workers, providing ample space for all sorts of laborers. We must not attempt to reduce everything to a dead level, or cramp the varied energies of Christ's servants by confining them to certain old ruts of our own formation. This will never do. We must diligently seek to combine the most cordial unanimity with the greatest possible variety in action. Both will be healthfully promoted by each – always remembering that we are called to serve together under Christ.

Here lies the grand secret – together, under Christ. Bearing this in mind will help us recognize and appreciate another's line of work though it may differ from our own. It will also preserve us from an overweening sense of our own department of service, because we are all co-workers in the one wide field. Only each worker pursuing his own special line – pursuing it in happy fellowship, can attain the great object before the heart of our Master.

There is a tendency in some to depreciate every line of work except their own. This must be carefully guarded against. If all pursued the same line, we would not have that lovely variety that characterized the Lord's work and workmen. It is not merely a question of the line of work, but the peculiar style of each workman. One may find two evangelists, each marked by an intense desire for the salvation of souls, each preaching substantially the same truth; and yet there may be much variety in the way each seeks to gain the same object. We should be prepared for this – we should expect it. And the same is true regarding every other branch of Christian service. We should do nothing that we cannot do under Christ, and in fellowship with Him. In other words, all that can be done in fellowship with Christ can surely be done in fellowship with those who are walking with Him.

So far in this chapter we have briefly considered the special manner in which the Levites are introduced in connection with Aaron and his sons. To these latter we now turn, in order to meditate for a few moments on the rich provision God made for them, as well as the solemn functions devolving on them in their priestly place.

"And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave-offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them, by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat-offering of theirs; and every sin-offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee" (vv. 8-10).

Here we have a type of the people of God viewed in another aspect. Here they are not presented as workers, but as worshippers – not as Levites, but as priests. All true believers; all Christians; all children of God are priests. According to the New Testament, there is no such thing as a priest on earth, except in the sense that all believers are priests. A special priestly caste; a certain class of men set apart as priests, is unknown in Christianity and hostile to its spirit and principles. We have already referred to this subject, and quoted various passages of Holy Scripture bearing on it. We have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, for if He were on earth He would not be a priest.²

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption" (Heb. 9:11, 12).

We also read in Hebrews 10, "By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." And again, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin."

This should settle the question regarding priesthood and sacrifice for sin, of which Christians cannot be too clear or decided. It lies at the foundation of true Christianity, and demands deep and serious attention by all who desire to walk in the clear light of full salvation, occupying the true Christian position. There seems to be a tendency toward Judaism – an effort to engraft Christian forms on the old Jewish stem. But this is nothing new; though in our age the enemy seems peculiarly busy. If a certain group of men are ordained to occupy a place of peculiar nearness and sanctity, then where is the great mass of Christians to stand?

This is the need: that the importance and gravity of this subject are made apparent. One should not suppose that we are contending for some theory of a particular class or sect of organized religious institution. Nothing could be further from our thoughts. We urge the student of the Holy Word of God to seriously consider this subject, because we are convinced that the foundation of Christianity is involved in the question of priesthood. We believe it will invariably be found that in proportion as Christians become clear and settled on God's ground of accomplished redemption, they get further and further away from the belief of an ordained order of priests in the Lord's church. On the other hand, where souls are not clear, not settled, and not spiritual; where there is legality, carnality and worldliness, there can be found a hankering after a humanly appointed priesthood. It is not difficult to see the reasoning behind this. If a man is not in a fit state to draw close to God, it will be a relief to employ another to draw close for him. And, without a doubt, any man who does not know that his sins are forgiven; who does not have a purged conscience; who is in a dark, doubting, legal state of soul – such a man is not in a fit state to draw close to a holy God. In order to come boldly into the holiest of all, we must know what the blood of Christ has done for us; we must know that we ourselves are made priests to God; and that, in virtue of the atoning death of Christ, we are brought so near to God that it is impossible for any order of men to come between. "He hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us priests unto God and his Father" (Rev. 1). "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light," and again, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 2:5, 9). "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Heb. 13:15, 16).

Here we have the two great branches of spiritual sacrifice which, as priests, we are privileged to offer – praise to God, and doing good to men. The youngest, most inexperienced, most unlettered Christian is capable of understanding these things. Who in all the family of God; in all the priestly household of our divine High Priest, who cannot with his heart say, "The Lord be praised." And who cannot with his hand do good to His fellow? This is priestly worship and priestly service – the common worship and service of all true Christians. True, the measure of spiritual power may vary; but all children of God are constituted priests, one as much as another.

Scripture Reading: Numbers 18 (KJV)

In this chapter, we are presented with a full statement of the provision made for Aaron and his house; and in that provision a type of the spiritual portion of the Christian priesthood. Surely we cannot read the record without seeing the royal portion that is ours.

"Every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. In the Most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee."

It demands a large measure of spiritual capacity to enter into the depth and meaning of this marvelous passage. To eat the sin offering or the trespass offering is, in figure, to make another's sin or trespass one's own. This is holy work. Not every one can, in spirit, identify himself with the sin of his brother. In fact, to do so in the way of atonement is simply out of question. There was only One Who could do this; and He has done it perfectly.

But there is a way to make a brother's sin my own, bearing it in spirit before God, as though it were my own. Aaron’s sons, eating the sin offering in the most holy place, shadow this. It was only the sons who did so. "Every male shall eat it.³ It was the highest order of priestly service – "in the most holy place shalt thou eat it." We need to be near Christ in order to enter into the spiritual meaning and application of all this. It is a blessed and holy exercise; and it can only be known in the immediate presence of God. The heart can testify how little we really know of this. When a brother has sinned, our tendency is to sit in judgment on him; to take the place of a severe censor, to look on his sin as something with which we have nothing whatsoever to do. This is to sadly fail in our priestly functions. It is refusing to eat the sin offering in the most holy place. To be able to identify oneself with an erring brother, making his sin one's own; to bear it in spirit before God is a precious fruit of grace. This truly is a high order of priestly service, and demands a large measure of the spirit and mind of Christ. Only the spiritual can enter into this; and so few of us are truly spiritual. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:1, 2). May the Lord give us grace to fulfill this blessed "law." It is so unlike everything in us. It rebukes our harshness and selfishness. May we keenly desire to be more like Christ in this as in all things.

But there was another order of priestly privilege, not as high as that which we have been considering. "And this is thine: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons, and to the daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it" (v 11).

The daughters of Aaron were not to eat of the sin offerings or the trespass offerings. They were provided for according to the utmost limit of their capacity; but there were certain functions they could not discharge; certain privileges beyond their range; certain responsibilities too weighty for them to sustain. It is much easier to have fellowship with another in the presentation of a thank offering than it is to make his sin our own. This matter demands a measure of priestly energy that finds its type in Aaron's "sons," not in his "daughters." We must be prepared for those varied measures among the members of the priestly household. God, on the same ground, blesses us all – we all stand in the same title; we are all in the same relationship. However, our capabilities vary; and while we should all aim at the highest standard of priestly service and the highest measure of priestly capacity, it is of no use to pretend to what we do not possess.

However, one thing is clearly taught in verse 11: we must be "clean" in order to enjoy any priestly privilege or eat any priestly food – clean, through the precious blood of Christ applied to our conscience; clean, through application of the Word to our habits, associations, and ways. When clean, no matter our capacity, we have, through the precious grace of God, the richest provision made for our souls. Hearken to the following inspired Words: "All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one who is clean in thy house shall eat of it" (vv. 12, 13).⁴

Here we have a princely portion provided for those who are made priests unto God. They were to have the very best, and the very first of everything that the Lord's land produced. There was "The wine which maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart" (Ps. 104:15).

In all this, there is a figure of our portion in Christ. In order to feed and gladden the priests of God, the olive, grape, and finest of the wheat were pressed and bruised; and the blessed Antitype of all these has in death been bruised and crushed in order that by His flesh and blood He might minister life, strength, and gladness to His household. He, the precious corn of wheat, fell into the ground and died, that we might live; and the juices of the Living Vine were pressed to till that cup of salvation of which we now drink, and shall forever drink in the presence of our God.

Therefore, what remains? What more could we want, than an enlarged capacity to enjoy the fullness and blessedness of our portion in a crucified, risen, and glorified Savior? We may well say, "We have all and abound." God has given us all that He could give – the best He had. He has given us His own portion. He has called us to sit down with Him in holy, happy fellowship, to feast on the fatted calf. He yearns for our ears to hear, and our hearts to enter into these most marvelous words, "let us eat and be merry."

How wonderful to think that nothing could satisfy the heart and mind of God but to gather His people and feed them with that in which He Himself delights. "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ" (1 Jn. 1). What more could the love of God do than this? And for whom has He done it? For those who were dead in trespasses and sins; for aliens, enemies, guilty rebels; for dogs of the Gentiles; for those who were far from Him, having no hope, and without God in the world; for those who should burn in the eternal flames of hell. What wondrous grace; what profound depths of sovereign mercy. What a divinely precious atoning sacrifice; bringing poor self-destroyed, guilty, hell-deserving sinners into such ineffable blessedness; plucking us from everlasting burnings, and making us priests to God; taking away all our "filthy garments;" cleaning, clothing, and crowning us in His own presence and to His own praise. May our hearts and lives praise Him. May we know how to enjoy our priestly place and portion – to wear our mitre well. We can do nothing better than praise God – nothing higher than presenting to Him the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name, giving thanks to His Son, Jesus Christ. This will be our everlasting employment in that bright and blessed world to which we are hastening, and where we will soon be, to dwell forever with Him Who has loved us and given Himself for us; our own blessed Savior God.

In verses 14-19 of this chapter we have instruction regarding "the firstborn of man and beast." Man is placed on a level with the unclean beast. Both had to be redeemed. The unclean beast was unfit for God; and, unless redeemed by blood, so was man. The clean animal was not to be redeemed. It was fit for God's use, and was given as food for the entire priestly household – sons and daughters alike. In this we have a type of Christ in Whom God finds His perfect delight, the full joy of His heart; the only Object throughout the wide universe in which He could find perfect rest and satisfaction; and He has given Him to us; His priestly household to be our food, light, and joy – our all in all forever.

We notice in this chapter, as elsewhere, that every fresh subject is introduced by the words, "And the Lord spake unto Moses," or "unto Aaron." So, from verses 20-32, we are taught that the priests and Levites – God's worshippers and workers were to have no inheritance among the children of Israel, but were to be completely shut up to God Himself, for the supply of all their need. What a blessed position. Nothing can be lovelier than the picture here presented. The children of Israel were to bring their offerings, and lay them down at the feet of Jehovah, and in His infinite grace, He commanded His workers to pick up these precious offerings and feed on them in His presence with thankful hearts. Thus the circle of blessing went around. God ministered to all the wants of His people; His people were privileged to have the rich fruits of His bounty with the priests and Levites; and these latter were permitted to taste the rare and exquisite pleasure of giving back to God of that which had flown from Him to them.

All this is divine – a striking figure of that which we should look for in the Lord's church now. In Numbers, God's people are presented under three distinct phases: warriors, workers, and worshippers. In all three they are viewed in the attitude of absolute dependence on the living God. In our warfare, in our work, and in our worship, we are shut up to God. What a precious fact. "All our springs are in Him." What more could we want? Shall we turn to man or to this world for relief or resource? God forbid! No, rather let it be our grand object to prove, in our history, in every phase of our character, and in every area of our work, that God is enough for our hearts.

It is deplorable to find God's people, Christ's servants, looking to the world for support, trembling at the thought of that support being withheld. Only let us try to imagine the Lord's church in the days of Paul, relying on the Roman government for the support of its teachers and evangelists. No; the Lord's church looked to its divine Head in the heavens and to the divine Spirit on earth for all its need. Why should it be otherwise in this age? The world is still the world; and the body of Christ is not of the world, and should not look to the world for its gold and silver. God will take care of His people and His servants, if they truly trust Him. We may depend on it, God's gift is far better than the riches of this earth. In the estimation of the spiritual mind, there is no comparison.

May all the saints and servants of God in every place earnestly apply their hearts, to the consideration of these things. And in the face of a godless, Christless, infidel world may we have grace to confess that the living God is amply sufficient for our every need, not only while passing through the narrow archway of time, but also for the boundless ocean of eternity. May God grant it for Christ's sake.

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