CHAPTER XVI.

The chapter on which we have just been dwelling is what may be called a

digression from the history of Israel’s wilderness life, except indeed

the short paragraph respecting the Sabbath-breaker. It looks forward into

the future, when, spite of all their sin and folly, their murmuring and

rebellion, Israel shall possess the land of Canaan, and offer sacrifices

of righteousness and songs of praise to the God of their salvation. In it

we have seen Jehovah rising far above all the unbelief and disobedience,

the pride and willfulness, exhibited in chapters xiii. and xiv, and

looking on to the full and final accomplishment of His own eternal

purpose, and the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But in chapter xvi. the wilderness story is resumed—that sad and humbling

story, so far as man is concerned, but a bright and blessed story of the

exhaustless patience and boundless grace of God. These are the two grand

lessons of the wilderness. We learn what man is and we learn what God is.

The two things lie side by side on the pages of the book of Numbers. Thus

in chapter xiv. we have man and his ways; in chapter xv. we have God and

His ways; and now, in the chapter which opens before us, we come back to

man and his ways again. May we reap much deep and solid instruction from

the double lesson.

“Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and

Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons

of Reuben, took men; and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the

children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous

in the congregation, men of renown: and they gathered themselves together

against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, ‘Ye take too much

upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and

the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the

congregation of the Lord?’” (Ver. 1-3.)

Here, then, we enter upon the solemn history of what the Holy Ghost,

by the apostle Jude, terms, “The gainsaying of Core.” The rebellion is

attributed to Korah, inasmuch as he was the religious leader in it. He

seems to have possessed sufficient influence to gather around him a large

number of influential men—“princes, famous men, and men of renown.” In

short, it was a very formidable and serious rebellion; and we shall do

well to look closely at its source and moral features.

It is always a most critical moment in the history of an assembly when

a spirit of disaffection displays itself, for if it be not met in the

right way, the most disastrous consequences are sure to follow. There

are materials in every assembly capable of being acted upon, and it

only needs some restless master-spirit to arise, in order to work on

such materials, and fan into a devouring flame the fire that has been

smouldering in secret. There are hundreds and thousands ready to flock

around the standard of revolt, when once it has been raised, who have

neither the vigor nor the courage to raise it themselves. It is not every

one that Satan will take up as an instrument in such work. It needs

a shrewd, clever, energetic man—a man of moral power—one possessing

influence over the minds of his fellows, and an iron will to carry

forward his schemes. No doubt Satan infuses much of all these into the

men whom he uses in his diabolical undertakings. At all events, we

know, as a fact, that the great leaders in all rebellious movements are

generally men of master-minds, capable of swaying, according to their

own will, the fickle multitude, which, like the ocean, is acted upon by

every stormy wind that blows. Such men know how, in the first place, to

stir the passions of the people; and, in the second place, how to wield

them when stirred. Their most potent agency—the lever with which they can

most effectually raise the masses—is some question as to their liberty

and their rights. If they can only succeed in persuading people that

their liberty is curtailed, and their _rights_ infringed, they are sure

to gather a number of restless spirits around them, and do a vast deal of

serious mischief.

Thus it was in the matter of Korah and his coadjutors. They sought to

make it appear that Moses and Aaron were lording it over their brethren

and interfering with their rights and privileges as members of a holy

congregation, in which, according to their judgment, all were on a dead

level, and one had as much right to be active as another.

“Ye take too much upon you.” Such was their charge against “the meekest

man in all the earth.” But what had Moses taken upon him? Surely, the

most cursory glance back at the history of that dear and honored servant

would have been sufficient to convince any impartial person that, so far

from taking dignity and responsibility upon him, he had shown himself

only too ready to shrink from them when presented, and sink under them

when imposed. Hence, therefore, any one who could think of accusing Moses

of taking upon him, only proved himself totally ignorant of the man’s

real spirit and character. Assuredly, the one who could say to Joshua,

“Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the Lord’s people were

prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” was not very

likely to take much upon him.

But on the other hand, if God calls out a man into prominence, if He

qualifies him for work, if He fills and fits the vessel for special

service, if He assigns a man his position, then of what possible use can

it be for any one to quarrel with divine gift and divine appointment? In

truth, nothing can be more absurd. “A man can receive nothing except it

be given him from heaven.” And therefore it must prove worse than useless

for any one to assume to be or have aught, for all such assumption must

prove hollow in the end. Men will, sooner or later, find their level; and

nothing will stand but what is of God.

Korah and his company, therefore, were quarreling with God, and not with

Moses and Aaron. These latter had been called of God to occupy a certain

position and to do a certain work, and woe be to them if they refused. It

was not they who had aimed at the position or assumed the work; they were

ordained of God. This ought to have settled the question; and it would

have settled it for all save restless, self-occupied rebels, who sought

to undermine the true servants of God in order to exalt themselves. This

is always the way with the promoters of sedition or disaffection. Their

real object is to make themselves somebody. They talk loudly and very

plausibly about the common rights and privileges of God’s people; but in

reality, they themselves are aiming at a position for which they are in

no way qualified, and at privileges to which they have no right.

In point of fact, the matter is as simple as possible. Has God given

a man his place to fill—his work to do? Who will question this? Well,

then, let each one know his place and fill it—know his work and do

it. It is the most senseless thing in the world for one to attempt to

occupy another’s post or do another’s work. We were led to see this very

distinctly when meditating on chapters iii. and iv. of this book. It must

ever hold good. Korah had his work; Moses had his. Why should one envy

another? It would be quite as reasonable to charge the sun, moon, and

stars with taking too much upon them when they shine in their appointed

spheres, as to charge any gifted servant of Christ therewith when he

seeks to discharge the responsibility which his gift most surely imposes

upon him. These luminaries serve in the place assigned them by the hand

of the almighty Creator, and so long as Christ’s servants do the same, it

is charging them falsely to say that they take too much upon them.

Now this principle is of immense importance in every assembly, large

or small, under all circumstances where Christians are called to work

together. It is a mistake to suppose that all the members of the body of

Christ are called to places of prominence, or that any member can select

his place in the body. It is wholly and absolutely a matter of divine

appointment.

This is the clear teaching of 1 Corinthians xii. “The body is not one

member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am

not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall

say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not

of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If

the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now _hath God set

the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him_.”

(Ver. 14-18.)

Here lies the true, the _only_ true source of ministry in the Church

of God—the body of Christ. “God hath set the members.” It is not one

man appointing another; still less is it a man appointing himself. It

is divine appointment or nothing, yea, worse than nothing—a daring

usurpation of divine rights.

Now, looking at the subject in the light of that marvelous illustration

of 1 Corinthians xii, what sense would there be in the feet charging the

hands, or the ears charging the eyes, with taking too much upon them?

Would not the notion be preposterous in the extreme? True, those members

occupy a prominent place in the body; but why do they? Because “God

has set them there as it pleased Him.” And what are they doing in that

prominent place? They are doing the work which God has given them to

do. And to what end? The good of the whole body. There is not a single

member, however obscure, that does not derive positive benefit from the

duly discharged functions of the prominent member. And, on the other

hand, the prominent member is a debtor to the duly discharged functions

of the obscure one. Let the eyes lose their power of vision, and every

member will feel it; let there be functional derangement in the most

trivial member, and the most honorable member will suffer.

Hence, therefore, it is not a question of taking upon us much or little,

but of doing our appointed work, and filling our appointed place. It is

by the effectual working of all the members, according to the measure

of every part, that the edification of the whole body is promoted. If

this great truth be not seized and carried out, edification, so far

from being promoted, is most positively hindered; the Holy Ghost is

quenched and grieved; the sovereign rights of Christ are denied; and

God is dishonored. Every Christian is responsible to act on this divine

principle, and to testify against every thing that practically denies

it. The fact of the ruin of the professing church is no reason whatever

for abandoning the truth of God, or sanctioning any denial of it. The

Christian is always solemnly bound to submit himself to the revealed

mind of God. To plead circumstances as an excuse for doing wrong, or for

neglecting any truth of God, is simply flying in the face of divine

authority, and making God the author of our disobedience.

But we cannot pursue this subject further. We have merely referred to it

here in connection with our chapter, with which we must now proceed. It

is undoubtedly a most solemn page of Israel’s wilderness story.

Korah and his company were very speedily taught the folly and sin of

their rebellious movement. They were awfully wrong in daring to set

themselves up against the true servants of the living God. As to Moses,

the man against whom they were gathered together, when he heard their

seditious words, “he fell upon his face.” This was a very good way to

meet rebels. We have seen this beloved servant of God on his face when

he ought to have been on his feet (Ex. xiv.), but here it was about the

best and safest thing he could do. There is never much use in contending

with restless and disaffected people; better far leave them in the

Lord’s hands; for with Him, in reality, is their controversy. If God

sets a man in a certain position, and gives him a certain work to do,

and his fellows think proper to quarrel with him, simply on the score of

his doing that work, and filling that position, then is their quarrel

really with God, who knows how to settle it, and will do it in His own

way. The assurance of this gives holy calmness and moral elevation to

the Lord’s servant in moments when envious and turbulent spirits rise

up against him. It is hardly possible for any one to occupy a prominent

place of service, or to be pre-eminently used of God, without, at some

time or another, having to encounter the attacks of certain radical

and discontented men, who cannot bear to see any one more honored than

themselves. But the true way to meet such is to take the place of utter

prostration and nothingness, and allow the tide of disaffection to roll

over one.

“And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: and he spake unto Korah

and all his company, saying, ‘Even to-morrow _the Lord will show_ [not

Moses will show] who are His, and who is holy; and will cause him to come

near unto Him: even him whom _He hath chosen_ will He cause to come near

unto Him. This do: Take you censers, Korah, and all his company; and put

fire therein, and put incense in them _before the Lord_ to-morrow: and it

shall be that the man whom _the Lord doth choose_, he shall be holy: ye

take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi.’” (Ver. 4-7.)

This was placing the matter in the proper hands. Moses gives great

prominence to the sovereign rights of Jehovah.—“The Lord will show,”

and, “The Lord will choose.” There is not a syllable about himself or

Aaron. The whole question hinges upon the Lord’s choice and the Lord’s

appointment. The two hundred and fifty rebels are brought face to face

with the living God. They are summoned into His presence, with their

censers in their hands, in order that the whole matter may be thoroughly

gone into and definitely settled before that grand tribunal from which

there can be no appeal. It would, obviously, have been of no possible

use for Moses and Aaron to attempt to give judgment, inasmuch as they

were defendants in the cause; but Moses was blessedly willing to have all

parties summoned into the divine presence, there to have their matters

judged and determined.

This was true humility and true wisdom. It is always well, when people

are seeking a place, to let them have it, to their heart’s content; for,

most assuredly, the very place after which they have foolishly aspired

will be the scene of their signal defeat and deplorable confusion. You

may sometimes see men envying others in a certain sphere of service,

and longing to occupy that sphere themselves. Let them try it; and they

are sure, in the end, to break down and retire covered with shame and

confusion of face. The Lord will surely confound all such. There is no

use in man trying to do it; and hence it is always best for such as may

happen to be the objects of envious attack just to fall on their faces

before God, and let Him settle the question with the malcontents. It is

most sad when such scenes occur in the history of God’s people; but they

have occurred, they do occur, and they may occur again and again; and

we feel assured that the very best plan is, to let men of a restless,

ambitious, disaffected spirit run to the full length of their tether, and

then they are sure to be pulled up. It is, in point of fact, to leave

them in the hands of God, who will most surely deal with them in His own

perfect way.

“And Moses said unto _Korah_, ‘Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi: Seemeth

it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated

you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to

do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the

congregation to minister unto them? And He hath brought _thee_ near

unto Him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee; and _seek ye

the priesthood_ also? For which cause both thou and all thy company are

gathered together against the Lord: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur

against him?’” (Ver. 8-11.)

Here we are conducted to the very root of this terrible conspiracy.

We see the man who originated it, and the object at which he aimed.

Moses addresses Korah, and charges him with aiming at the priesthood.

Let the reader carefully note this. It is important that he should

have this point clearly before his mind, according to the teaching of

Scripture. He must see what Korah was, what his work was, and what the

object of his restless ambition was,—he must see all these things if he

would understand the true force and meaning of Jude’s expression—“The

gainsaying of Core.”

What, then, was Korah? He was a Levite, and as such, he was entitled

to minister and to teach.—“They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and

Israel Thy law.”—“The God of Israel hath brought you near to Himself, to

do the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the

congregation to minister unto them.” Such was Korah, and such his sphere

of work. At what did he aim? _At the priesthood._—“Seek ye the priesthood

also?”

Now, to a cursory observer it might not have appeared that Korah was

seeking any thing for himself. He seemed to be contending for the rights

of the whole assembly. But Moses, by the Spirit of God, unmasks the man,

and shows that, under the plausible pretext of standing up for the common

rights of the congregation, he was audaciously seeking the priesthood for

himself. It is well to note this. It will most generally be found that

loud talkers about the liberties, rights, and privileges of God’s people

are, in reality, seeking their own exaltation and advantage. Not content

with doing their proper work, they are seeking an improper place. This

is not always apparent; but God is sure to make it manifest, sooner or

later, for “by Him actions are weighed.” Nothing can be more worthless

than seeking a place for one’s self. It is sure to end in disappointment

and confusion. The grand thing for each one is, to be found filling his

appointed place, and doing his appointed work; and the more humbly,

quietly, and unpretendingly, the better.

But Korah had not learnt this simple, but wholesome, principle. He was

not content with his divinely appointed place and service, but aimed at

something which did not belong to him at all,—he aimed at being a priest.

His sin was the sin of rebellion against God’s high-priest. This was “the

gainsaying of Core.”

It is important to seize this fact in Korah’s history. It is not

generally understood; and hence it is that his sin is charged, nowadays,

upon those who seek to exercise any gift which may have been bestowed

upon them by the Head of the Church. But a moment’s calm reflection upon

the subject in the light of Scripture would be quite sufficient to show

how utterly baseless is such a charge. Take, for example, a man to whom

Christ has manifestly given the gift of an evangelist. Are we to suppose

him guilty of the sin of Korah because, in pursuance of the divine gift

and the divine commission, he goes forth to preach the gospel? Should

he preach? or should he not preach? Is the divine gift—the divine

call—sufficient? Is he acting as a rebel when he preaches the gospel?

So also as regards a pastor or teacher. Is he guilty of the sin of

Korah because he exercises the special gift imparted to him by the Head

of the Church? Does not Christ’s gift make a man a minister? is any

thing further necessary? Is it not plain, to any unprejudiced mind—to

any one willing to be taught by Scripture, that the possession of a

divinely imparted gift makes a man a minister, without any thing further

whatsoever? And is it not equally plain that though a man had every thing

else that could be had, and yet had no gift from the Head of the Church,

he is no minister? We confess we do not see how these plain propositions

can be called in question.

We are speaking, be it remembered, of special gifts of ministry in the

Church. No doubt, every member in the body of Christ has some ministry

to fulfill, some work to do. This is understood by every well-instructed

Christian; and, moreover, it is clear that the edification of the body

is carried on, not merely by some special prominent gifts, but by the

effectual working of all the members in their respective places, as we

read in the epistle to the Ephesians—“But speaking the truth in love, may

grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom

the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which _every

joint supplieth_, according to _the effectual working in the measure of

every part_, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in

love.” (Chap. iv. 15,16.)

All this is as plain as Scripture can make it. But as to any special

gifts, such as that of evangelist, pastor, prophet, or teacher, it must

be received from Christ alone; and the possession of it makes a man a

minister, without any thing further. And, on the other hand, all the

education and all the human authority under the sun could not make a man

an evangelist, a pastor, or teacher, unless he has a _bona-fide_ gift

from the Head of the Church.

Thus much as to ministry in the Church of God. We trust enough has been

said to prove to the reader that it is a very grave mistake indeed to

charge men with the awful sin of Korah because they exercise those gifts

which have been imparted to them by the great Head of the Church. In

point of fact, it would be a sin not to exercise them.

But there is a very material difference between ministry and priesthood.

Korah did not aim at being a minister, for that he was. He aimed at

being a priest, which he could not be. The priesthood was vested in

Aaron and his family; and it was a daring usurpation for any one else,

no matter who, to attempt to offer sacrifice, or discharge any other

priestly function. Now, Aaron was a type of our great High-Priest, who

is passed into the heavens—Jesus, the Son of God. Heaven is the sphere

of His ministry. “If He were on earth, He should not be a priest.” (Heb.

viii. 4.) “Our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake

nothing concerning priesthood.” There is no such thing as a priest on

earth now, save in the sense in which all believers are priests. Thus

we read in Peter, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.”

(Chap. ii. 9.) Every Christian is a priest in this sense of the term.

The very feeblest saint in the Church of God is as much a priest as

Paul was. It is not a question of capacity, or spiritual power, but

simply of position. All believers are priests, and they are called to

offer spiritual sacrifices, according to Hebrews xiii. 15, 16.—“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.”

This is the Christian priesthood. And let the reader note it carefully,

that to aim at any other form of priesthood than this—to assume any

other priestly function—to set up a certain priestly class—a sacerdotal

_caste_—a number of men to act on behalf of their fellows, or discharge

priestly service for them before God,—this is, in principle, the sin of

Korah. We only speak of the principles, not of persons. The germ of the

sin is as distinct as possible. By and by there will be the full-blown

fruit.

The reader cannot possibly be too simple in apprehending this entire

subject. It is, we may truly say, of capital importance at this moment.

Let him examine it only in the light of holy Scripture. Tradition will

not do; ecclesiastical history will not do: it must be God’s Word alone.

In the light of that Word, let the question be asked and answered, Who

are justly chargeable with the sin of Korah? Is it those who seek to

exercise whatever gifts the Head of the Church has bestowed, or those who

assume a priestly office and work which only belong to Christ Himself?

This is a very weighty and solemn question. May it be calmly pondered, in

the divine presence; and may we seek grace to be faithful to Him who is

not only our gracious Saviour, but our sovereign Lord.

The remainder of our chapter presents a most solemn picture of divine

judgment executed upon Korah and his company. The Lord very speedily

settled the question raised by those rebellious men. The very record of

it is appalling beyond expression. What must the fact have been? The

earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the three principal movers in

the rebellion, and the fire of the Lord went forth and consumed the two

hundred and fifty men who undertook to offer incense.

“And Moses said, ‘Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do

all these works; for _I have not done them of mine own mind_. If these

men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the

visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord

make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with

all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then

ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord.’” (Ver. 28-30.)

Moses, in these words, makes it a question simply between Jehovah and the

rebels. He can appeal to God, and leave all in His hands. This is the

true secret of moral power. A man who has nothing of his own to seek—no

aim or object but the divine glory—can confidently wait the issue of

things. But in order to this, the eye must be single, the heart upright,

the purpose pure. It will not do to assume or affect any thing. If God

is going to judge, He most assuredly will expose all assumption and

affectation. These things can have no place when the earth is opening her

mouth, and the fire of the Lord is devouring all around. It is all very

well to swagger and boast, and speak great swelling words when all is at

rest; but when God enters the scene, in terrible judgment, the aspect of

things is speedily changed.

“And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words,

that the ground clave asunder that was under them; and the earth opened

her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men

that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that

appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed

upon them; and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel

that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, ‘Lest

the earth swallow us up also.’” (Ver. 31-34.)

Truly, “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of His saints, and to be

had in reverence of all them that are round about Him.” “Our God is a

consuming fire.” How much better it would have been for Korah had he

rested content with his Levite service, which was of the very highest

order. His work, as a Kohathite, was to carry some of the most precious

vessels of the sanctuary; but he aimed at the priesthood, and fell into

the pit.

Nor was this all. Hardly had the ground closed over the rebels when

“there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred

and fifty men that offered incense.” It was a most terrific scene

altogether—a signal and soul-subduing exhibition of divine judgment upon

human pride and pretension. It is vain for a man to exalt himself against

God, for He resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. What

consummate folly for worms of the dust to lift themselves up against the

almighty God! Poor man! he is more silly, by far, than the moth that

rushes against the blaze that consumes it.

Oh to walk humbly with our God! to be content with His will! to be

satisfied to fill a very humble niche, and to do the most unpretending

work! This is true dignity and true happiness. If God gives us a crossing

to sweep, let us sweep it, as under His eye and to His praise. The grand

and all-essential point is, to be found doing the very work which He

gives us to do, and occupying the very post to which He appoints us. Had

Korah and his company learnt this, their piercing wail would never have

terrified the hearts of their brethren. But no; they would be something,

when they were nothing, and hence they went down into the pit. Pride

and destruction are inseparably linked together in the moral government

of God. This principle always holds good, however the measure may vary.

Let us remember it. Let us seek to rise from the study of Numbers xvi.

with a deepened sense of the value of a humble and contrite spirit. We

live at a moment in the which man is pushing himself upward and onward.

“_Excelsior_” is a very popular motto just now. Let us look well to our

mode of interpreting and applying it. “He that exalteth himself shall be

abased.” If we are to be governed by the rule of God’s kingdom, we shall

find that the only way to get up is to go down. The One who now occupies

the very highest place in heaven is the One who voluntarily took the very

lowest place on earth. (See Phil. ii. 5-11.)

Here is our example, as Christians; and here, too, the divine antidote

against the pride and restless ambition of the men of this world. Nothing

is more sad than to witness a pushing, bustling, forward, self-confident,

spirit and style in those who profess to be followers of Him who was meek

and lowly in heart. It is such a flagrant contradiction of the spirit

and precepts of Christianity, and is a sure accompaniment of an unbroken

condition of soul. It is utterly impossible for any one to indulge in

a boastful, pretentious, self-confident spirit if ever he has really

measured himself in the presence of God. To be much alone with God is the

sovereign remedy for pride and self-complacency. May we know the reality

of this in the secret of our own souls. May the good Lord keep us truly

humble, in all our ways, simply leaning on Himself, and very, very little

in our own eyes.

The closing paragraph of our chapter illustrates, in a most striking

manner, the incorrigible evil of the natural heart. One might fondly

hope that after the impressive scenes enacted in the presence of the

congregation, deep and permanent lessons would be learnt. Having seen the

earth open her mouth, having heard the heart-rending cry of the rebels

as they descended into the pit, having seen the fire of the Lord coming

forth and consuming, as in a moment, two hundred and fifty princes of the

congregation—having witnessed such tokens of the divine judgment—such a

display of divine power and majesty, one might suppose that the people

would henceforth walk softly and humbly, and that the accents of

discontent and rebellion would no more be heard in their tents.

Alas! alas! man is not to be so taught. The flesh is utterly incurable.

This truth is taught in every section and on every page of the volume

of God. It is illustrated in the closing lines of Numbers xvi.—“But on

the morrow.” Think of that! It was not in a year, or a month, or even

a week after the appalling scenes on which we have been dwelling, “but

on the morrow, _all the congregation_ [no longer a few daring spirits

merely] murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, ‘Ye have killed

the people of the Lord.’ And it came to pass, when the congregation was

gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the

tabernacle of the congregation; and, behold, the cloud covered it, and

the glory of the Lord appeared. And Moses and Aaron came before the

tabernacle of the congregation. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

‘Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a

moment.’” (Ver. 41-45.)

Here is another opportunity for Moses. The whole congregation is again

threatened with immediate destruction. All seems hopeless. The divine

long-suffering seems at an end, and the sword of judgment is about

to fall on the whole assembly. And now it appears that in that very

priesthood which the rebels had despised lies the only hope for the

people; and that the very men whom they had charged with killing the

Lord’s people, were God’s instruments in saving their lives.—“And Moses

and Anion fell upon their faces. And Moses said unto Aaron, ‘Take a

censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and

go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for

there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun.’ And Aaron

took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and,

behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and

made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the

living; and the plague was stayed.” (Ver. 46-48.)

It is here made very apparent that nothing but priesthood—even that

very priesthood which had been so despised—could avail for a rebellious

and stiff-necked people. There is something unspeakably blessed in this

closing paragraph. There stands Aaron, God’s high-priest, between the

dead and the living, and from his censer a cloud of incense goes up

before God. Impressive type of One greater than Aaron, who, having made a

full and perfect atonement for the sins of His people, is ever before God

in all the fragrance of His Person and work! Priesthood alone could bring

the people through the wilderness. It was the rich and suited provision

of divine grace. The people were indebted to intercession for their

preservation from the just consequences of their rebellious murmurings.

Had they been dealt with merely on the ground of justice, all that could

be said was, “Let Me alone, that I may consume them in a moment.”

This is the language of pure and inflexible justice. Immediate

destruction is the work of justice: full and final preservation is the

glorious and characteristic work of divine grace—grace reigning through

righteousness. Had God dealt in mere justice with the people, His name

would not have been declared, inasmuch as there is far more in His name

than justice. There is love, mercy, goodness, kindness, long-suffering,

deep and unfailing compassion. But none of these things could be seen

had the people been consumed in a moment, and hence the name of Jehovah

would not have been declared or glorified. “For My name’s sake will I

defer Mine anger, and for My praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut

thee not off.... For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it;

for how should My name be polluted? and I will not give My glory unto

another.” (Is. xlviii. 9, 11.)

How well it is for us that God acts towards us and for us and in us for

the glory of His own name! How wonderful, too, that His glory should

most fully shine—yea, could only be seen in that vast plan which His own

heart has devised, in which He is revealed as “a just God and a Saviour.”

Precious title for a poor lost sinner! In it is wrapped up all that such

an one can possibly need for time and eternity. It meets him in the depth

of his need, as a guilty, hell-deserving one; bears him along through

all the varied exigencies, trials, and sorrows of the wilderness; and,

finally, conducts him to that bright and blessed world above, where sin

and sorrow can never enter.

CHAPTERS XVII. & XVIII.

These two chapters form a distinct section, in which we have presented to

us the source, the responsibilities, and the privileges of priesthood.

Priesthood is a divine institution. “No man taketh this honor unto

himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” This is made

manifest in a most striking manner in chapter xvii.—“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.” (Ver. 1-6.)

What matchless wisdom shines in this arrangement! How completely is the

matter taken out of man’s hands and placed where alone it ought to be,

namely, 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 a word, the question was to be definitively settled

by God Himself, so that all murmurings might be silenced forever, and no

one be able again to charge God’s high-priest with taking too much upon

him. The human will had nothing whatever 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 thinkings, was the

grand question of priesthood settled by divine 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 God—the living God—entered the scene, and by that

power peculiar to Himself, infused life into Aaron’s rod, and brought it

forth to view, bearing upon it the fragrant fruits of resurrection.

Who could gainsay this? The rationalist may sneer at it, and raise a

thousand questions. Faith gazes on that fruit-bearing rod, and sees in it

a lovely figure of the new creation, in the which all things are of God.

Infidelity may argue on the ground of the apparent impossibility of a dry

stick budding, blossoming, and bearing fruit in the course of one night.

But to whom does it appear impossible? To the infidel—the rationalist—the

skeptic. And why? Because he always shuts out God. Let us remember this.

_Infidelity invariably shuts out God._ Its reasonings are carried on and

its conclusions reached in midnight darkness. There is not so much as a

single ray of true light in the whole of that sphere in which infidelity

operates. It excludes the only source of light, and leaves the soul

wrapped in the shades and deep gloom of a darkness that may be felt.

It is well for the young reader to pause here, and deeply ponder this

solemn fact. Let him calmly and seriously reflect on this special feature

of infidelity—rationalism—or skepticism. It begins, continues, and ends

with shutting out God. It would approach the mystery of Aaron’s budding,

blossoming, fruit-bearing rod with a godless, audacious “_How?_” This

is the infidel’s great argument? He can raise ten thousand questions,

but never settle one. He will teach you how to doubt, but never how to

believe. He will lead you to doubt every thing, but gives you nothing to

believe.

Such, beloved reader, is infidelity. It is of Satan, who ever has been,

is, and will be the great question-raiser. Wherever you trace Satan, you

will always find him raising questions. He fills the heart with all sorts

of “ifs” and “hows,” and thus plunges the soul in thick darkness. If he

can only succeed in raising a question, he has gained his point; but he

is perfectly powerless with a simple soul that just believes that God

is, and God has spoken. 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 very One that infidelity always shuts out. It thinks

with God; infidelity thinks without Him.

Hence, then, we would say to the Christian reader, and specially to

the young Christian, never admit questions when God has spoken. If you

do, Satan will have you under his foot in a moment. Your only security

against him is found in that one impregnable, immortal sentence, “It is

written.” It will never do to argue with him on the ground of experience,

of feeling, or of observation; it must be absolutely and exclusively on

the ground of this, that God is, and that God has spoken. Satan can make

no hand of this weighty argument at all. It is invincible. Every thing

else he can shiver to pieces, but this confounds him and puts him to

flight at once.

We see this very strikingly illustrated in the temptation of our Lord.

The enemy, according to his usual way, 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 the

opened heavens, and from the descending and anointing Spirit—I feel and

believe and realize that I am the Son of God? No; such was not His mode

of answering the tempter. How then? “_It is written._” Such was the

thrice-repeated answer of the obedient and dependent Man, and such must

be the answer of every one who will overcome the tempter.

Thus, in reference to Aaron’s budding rod, if any inquire, How can such

a thing be? It is contrary to the laws of nature; and how could God

traverse 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 could make a rod to bud, blossom, and bear fruit in a

moment. Bring God in, and all is simple and plain as possible: leave God

out, and all is plunged in hopeless confusion. The attempt to tie up

(we speak with reverence) the almighty Creator of the vast universe by

certain laws of nature, or certain 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 the worse—the atheist,

who says there is no God, or the rationalist, who maintains that He

cannot do as He pleases. We feel the immense importance of being able

to see the real roots of all the plausible theories which are afloat at

the present moment. The mind of man is busy forming systems, drawing

conclusions, and reasoning in such a manner as virtually to exclude the

testimony of holy Scripture altogether, and to shut out God from His own

creation. Our young people must be solemnly warned as to this. They must

be taught the immense difference between the facts of science and the

conclusions of scientific men. A fact is a fact wherever you meet it,

whether in geology, astronomy, or any other department of science; but

men’s reasonings, conclusions, and systems are another thing altogether.

Now, Scripture will never touch the facts of science; but the reasonings

of scientific men are constantly found in collision with Scripture.

Alas! alas! for such men! And when such is the case, we must, with plain

decision, denounce such reasonings altogether, and exclaim, with the

apostle, “Let God be true, and every man a liar.”

Gladly would we dwell upon this point, though it be a digression, for we

deeply feel its seriousness; but we must, for the present, be content

with solemnly urging upon the reader the necessity of giving to holy

Scripture the supreme place in his heart and mind. We must bow down,

with absolute submission, to the authority of, not “Thus saith the

Church”—“Thus say the fathers”—“Thus say the doctors,” but “_Thus saith

the Lord_”—“_It is written._” This is our _only_ security against the

rising tide of infidelity, which threatens to sweep away the foundations

of religious thought and feeling throughout the length and breadth of

christendom. None will escape save those who are taught and governed by

the Word of the Lord. May God increase the number of such.

* * * * *

We shall now proceed with our 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.” (Ver. 9-11.)

Thus the question was divinely settled. Priesthood is founded upon that

precious grace of God which 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 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. And so of all the

eleven rods put together; there was not so much as a single bud or

blossom throughout the whole. But where there were precious 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 which could carry, not only a needy, but

a murmuring and rebellious people through the wilderness.

And here we may naturally inquire, What about Moses’ rod? why was it

not amongst the twelve? The reason is blessedly simple. Moses’ rod

was the expression of power and authority: Aaron’s rod was the lovely

expression of that grace that quickens the dead, and calls those things

that be not as though they were. Now, 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 of 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_.

The reader may refer, with interest and profit, to a passage in the

opening of Hebrews ix. in connection with the subject of Aaron’s rod. The

apostle, in speaking of the ark of the covenant, 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 divine grace for Israel’s desert wanderings and desert

need. But when we turn to 1 Kings viii. 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 forth its beams over the land, and hence the

budding rod and the pot of manna are omitted, and nothing remains save

that law of God which was the foundation of His righteous government in

the midst of His people.

Now, in this we have an illustration, not only of the divine accuracy of

Scripture as a whole, but also of the special character and object of

the book of Numbers. Aaron’s rod was in the ark during its wilderness

wanderings. Precious fact! Let the reader seek to lay hold of its deep

and blessed significance. Let him ponder the difference between the

rod of Moses and the rod of Aaron. We have seen the former doing its

characteristic work in other days and amid other scenes; we have seen the

land of Egypt trembling beneath the heavy strokes of that rod; plague

after plague fell upon that devoted scene in answer to that outstretched

rod; we have seen 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. Grace alone could do that; and we

have the expression of pure grace—free, sovereign grace—in the budding

of Aaron’s rod.

Nothing can be more forcible, nothing more lovely. That dry, dead stick

was the apt figure of Israel’s condition, and indeed of the condition of

every one of us by nature. There was no sap, no life, no power. One might

well say, “What good can ever come of it?” None whatever, had not grace

come in and displayed its quickening power. So was it with Israel in the

wilderness, and so is it with us now. How were they to be led along from

day to day? how were they to be sustained in all their weakness and need?

how were they to be borne with in all their sin and folly? The answer is

found in Aaron’s budding rod. If the dry, dead stick was the expression

of nature’s barren and worthless condition, the buds, blossoms, and fruit

set forth that living and life-giving grace and power of God on which

was based the priestly ministry that alone could bear the congregation

through the wilderness. Grace alone could answer the ten thousand

necessities of the 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 that efficacious grace

which could bring fruit out of a dry rod.

Thus it was as to priesthood of old, and thus it is as to ministry now.

All ministry in the Church of God is the fruit of divine grace—the gift

of Christ, the Church’s Head. There is no other source of ministry

whatsoever. From apostles down to the very lowest gifts—all proceed

from Christ. The grand root-principle of all ministry is embodied in

those words of Paul to the Galatians in which he speaks of himself as “an

apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the

Father, who raised Him from the dead.” (Gal. i. 1.)

Here, be it noted, is the sublime source from whence all ministry

emanates. It is not of man, or by man, in any shape or form. Man may

take up dry sticks and shape and fashion them according to his own will,

and he may ordain and appoint, and call them by certain high-sounding,

official titles; but of what use is it? they are only dry, dead sticks.

We may justly say, “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 Church of God.

It is the gift of Christ, and that alone, that makes a man a minister.

Without this, it is an empty assumption for any one to set himself up, or

be set up by others, to be a minister.

Does the reader thoroughly own this great principle? is it as clear as

a sunbeam to his soul? Has he any difficulty respecting it? If so, we

entreat him to seek to divest his mind of all preconceived thoughts,

from what source soever derived; let him rise above the hazy mists of

traditional religion; let him take the New Testament, and study, as in

the immediate presence of God, the twelfth and fourteenth chapters of 1

Corinthians, and also Ephesians iv. 7-12. In these passages he will find

the whole subject of ministry unfolded, and from them he will learn that

all true ministry, whether it be apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors,

or evangelists,—all is of God—all flows down from Christ, the exalted

Head of the Church. If a man be not possessed of a _bona-fide_ gift from

Christ, he is not a minister. 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,

all ministry is from God, and not from man; it is by God, and not by man.

There is no such thing in Scripture as a humanly ordained ministry. All

is of God.

We must not confound ministerial gifts with office or local charge. We

find the apostles, or their delegates, ordaining elders and appointing

deacons; but this was quite a distinct thing from ministerial gifts.

Those 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 the local charge. The spiritual gift was from the Head of the

Church, and was independent of the local charge altogether.

It is most necessary to be clear as to the distinction between gift and

local charge. There is the utmost confusion of the two things throughout

the entire professing church, and the consequence is that ministry is

not understood. The members of the body of Christ do not understand

their place or their functions. Human election, or human authority in

some shape or another, is deemed essential to the exercise of ministry

in the Church. But there is really no such thing in Scripture. If there

be, nothing is easier than to produce it. We ask the reader to find a

single line, from cover to cover of the New Testament, in which a human

call, human appointment, or human authority has any thing whatsoever to

do with the exercise of ministry in its very fullest range. We boldly

assert there is no such thing.[14] Ah! no; blessed be God, ministry in

His 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. xii.

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. iv. 7-13.)

Here, all the grades of ministerial gift are placed on one and the same

ground, from apostles down to evangelists and teachers. They are all

given by the Head of the Church; and when bestowed, they render the

possessors responsible at once to the Head in heaven and to the 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 Divine Majesty as if

Aaron had gone, with his blooming rod in his hand, to be ordained to

the priesthood by some of his fellows. Aaron knew better. He was called

of God, and that was quite enough for him. And so now, all who possess

a divine gift are called of God to the ministry, and they need nothing

more, save to wait on their ministry and cultivate their gift.

Need we add that it is vain for men to set up to be ministers unless they

really do possess the gift? A man may fancy he has a gift, and it may be

only a vain conceit of his own mind. It is quite as bad, if not worse,

for one man 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. What we contend for is this: Ministry is of God, as to its

source, power, and responsibility. We do not think that this statement

will be called in question by any who are disposed to be taught

exclusively by Scripture. Every minister, whatever be his gift, should

be able, in his measure, to say, “God has put me into the ministry.” But

for a man to use this language without possessing any gift, is, to say

the least of it, 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 gift or power without the reality, their folly shall speedily

be manifest to all. All pretenders are sure to find their true level,

sooner or later.

Thus much as to ministry and priesthood. The source of each is divine.

The true foundation of each lies in the budding rod. Let this be ever

borne 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, could point to the thousands of living seals to his work. Thus it

must ever be in principle, whatever be 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 ere we turn from this subject, we deem it most necessary to impress

upon the reader the importance of distinguishing between ministry and

priesthood. The sin of Korah consisted in this: that, not content with

being a minister, he aimed at being a priest; and the sin of christendom

is of the same character. Instead of allowing ministry to rest upon 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 are distinguished from their

brethren by their style of dress and certain 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 Peter, we read, “But _ye_ [not merely the apostles, but all

believers] are a chosen generation, _a royal priesthood_.” (1 Pet. ii.

9.) So also in Revelation—“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.” (Chap. i. 5, 6.) And, in pursuance of the truth set forth

in the foregoing passages, we find the apostle Paul, by the Holy Ghost,

exhorting the Hebrew believers to “draw nigh, and enter with boldness

into the very holiest of all.” (Chap. x. 19-22.) And further on he says,

“By Him therefore [_i. e._, Jesus] 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. xiii. 15-16.)

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 very highest functionary in Israel could

only approach once a year, and that but for a moment! and then 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 thus

it is, if we are to be taught by Scripture, and not by the commandments,

the doctrines, and the traditions of men. All Christians are priests.

They are not all apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, or evangelists;

but they are all priests. The very feeblest member of the Church was as

much a priest as Peter, Paul, James, or John. We speak not of capacity

or spiritual power, but of the position which 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 very foundations of Christianity. We have only to open our

eyes and look around us in order to see the practical results of this

confounding of ministry and priesthood. And we may rest assured that the

moment is rapidly approaching when these results shall assume a far more

awful character, and bring down the very heaviest judgments from the

living God. We have not yet seen the full antitype of “the gainsaying of

Core,” but it will soon be manifested; and we solemnly warn the Christian

reader to take heed how he lends his sanction to the serious error of

mixing up two things so entirely distinct as ministry and priesthood. We

would exhort him to take this whole subject up in the light of Scripture.

We want him to submit to the authority of God’s Word, and to abandon

every thing that is not founded thereon. 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

very best of men. It matters not. If the thing has no foundation in

holy Scripture, it is an error and an evil and a snare of the devil, to

entrap our souls and lead us away from the simplicity that is in Christ.

For example, if we are taught that there is, in the Church of God, a

sacerdotal caste—a class of men 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 must be the effect of

this, but to rob the children of God of their proper privileges as such,

and to put them at a distance from Him, and place them under bondage?

We shall not pursue this subject any further just now. Enough, we trust,

has been suggested to lead the reflecting reader to follow it up for

himself. We only add, and that with special emphasis, let him follow it

up _only_ in the light of Scripture. Let him resolve, by the grace of

God, to lay aside every thing which rests not upon the solid and sacred

basis of the written Word. Thus, and thus alone, can he be preserved

from every form of error, and led to a sound conclusion on this most

important and interesting question.

The closing lines of chapter xvii. 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 any thing near unto the tabernacle of

the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?’” In the preceding

chapter, we see bold presumption in the very presence of the majesty of

Jehovah, where there should have been profound humility. Here, in the

presence of divine grace and its provisions, we observe legal fear and

distrust. Thus it is ever. Mere nature neither understands holiness nor

grace. At 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 where it ought

to retire; it distrusts where it ought to confide.

However, all this becomes the occasion, through the goodness of God,

of unfolding to us, in a very full and blessed manner, the holy

responsibilities, 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 as to His ways! It is His

prerogative, blessed be His name, 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 xvii. call forth an

elaborate statement of the functions of Aaron’s priesthood. To this

latter we shall now proceed to direct the reader’s 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.

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: 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 keep 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 vail; 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.’”

(Chap. xviii. 1-7.)

Here we have a divine answer to the question raised by the children of

Israel—“Shall we be consumed with dying?” “No,” says the God of all 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 the people are

taught that in that very priesthood which had been so despised and spoken

against, they were to find their security.

But we have to 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 us a fine lesson, and

one much needed by Christians at the present moment. We all want to bear

in mind that service, to be intelligent and acceptable, must be rendered

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 upon the entire range of Levite service.

The whole tribe of workers were associated with and subject to the great

high-priest. All was under his immediate control and guidance. So must

it be now, in reference to all God’s workers. All Christian service

must be rendered in fellowship with our great High-Priest, and in holy

subjection to His authority. It is of no value otherwise. There may be a

great deal of work done, there may be a great deal of activity; but if

Christ be not the immediate object before the heart, if His guidance and

authority be not fully owned, the work must go for nothing.

But, on the other hand, the smallest act of service, the meanest work

done under the eye of Christ—done with direct reference to Him, has its

value in God’s estimation, and shall most assuredly receive its due

reward. This is truly encouraging, and consolatory to the heart of every

earnest worker. The Levites had to work under Aaron: Christians have to

work under Christ,—we are responsible to Him. It is very well and very

beautiful to walk in fellowship with our dear fellow-workmen, and to

be subject one to another, in the fear of the Lord. Nothing is further

from our thoughts than to foster or countenance a spirit of haughty

independence, or that temper of soul which would hinder our genial and

hearty co-operation with our brethren in every good work. All the Levites

were “joined unto Aaron” in their work, and therefore they were joined

one to another; hence they had to work together. If a Levite had turned

his back upon his brethren, he would have turned his back upon Aaron. We

may imagine a Levite taking offense at something or other in the conduct

of his fellows, and saying to himself, I cannot get on with my brethren.

I must walk alone. I can serve God, and work under Aaron; but I must

keep aloof from my brethren, inasmuch as I find it impossible to agree

with them as to the mode of working. But we can easily see through the

fallacy of all this. For a Levite to adopt such a line of action would

have produced nothing but confusion. All were called to work together,

how varied soever their work might be.

Still, be it ever borne in mind, their work did vary; and, moreover,

each was called to work under Aaron. There was individual responsibility

with the most harmonious corporate action. We certainly desire, in every

possible way, to promote unity in action; but this must never be suffered

to trench upon the domain of personal service, or to interfere with the

direct reference of the individual workman to his Lord. The Church of God

affords a very extensive platform to the Lord’s workers. There is ample

space thereon for all sorts of laborers. We must not attempt to reduce

all 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, all of us, diligently seek to combine the most cordial

unanimity with the greatest possible variety in action. Both will be

healthfully promoted by each and all remembering that we are called to

serve together under Christ.

Here lies the grand secret. _Together, under Christ!_ May we bear this

in mind. It will help us to recognize and appreciate another’s line of

work though it may differ from our own; and, on the other hand, it will

preserve us from an overweening sense of our own department of service,

inasmuch as we shall see that we are, one and all, but co-workers in

the one wide field, and that the great object before the Master’s heart

can only be attained by each worker pursuing his own special line, and

pursuing it in happy fellowship with all.

There is a pernicious tendency in some minds to depreciate every line

of work save their own. This must be carefully guarded against. If all

were to pursue the same line, where were that lovely variety which

characterizes the Lord’s work and workmen in the world? Nor is it merely

a question of the line of work, but actually of the peculiar style of

each workman. You 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 the greatest possible variety in the mode in

which each one seeks to gain the self-same object. We should be prepared

for this; indeed we should fully expect it. And the same holds good in

reference to every other branch of Christian service. We should strongly

suspect the ground occupied by a Christian assembly if there were not

ample space allowed for every branch and style of Christian service—for

every line of work capable of being taken up in individual responsibility

to the great Head of the priestly house. We ought to do nothing which

we cannot do under Christ, and in fellowship with Him; and all that can

be done in fellowship with Christ can surely be done in fellowship with

those who are walking with Him.

Thus much as to the special manner in which the Levites are introduced

in our chapter, in connection with Aaron and his sons. To these latter

we shall now turn for a few moments, and meditate on the rich provision

made for them, in the goodness of God, as well as the solemn functions

devolving upon them in their priestly place.

“And the Lord spake unto Aaron, ‘Behold, I also have given thee the

charge of My 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 forever. 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.’” (Ver.

8-10.)

Here we have a type of the people of God looked at in another aspect.

They are here presented, not as workers, but as worshipers,—not as

Levites, but as priests. All believers—all Christians—all the children

of God—are priests. There is, according to the teaching of the New

Testament, no such thing as a priest upon earth, save in the sense in

which all believers are priests. A special priestly _caste_—a certain

class of men set apart as priests—is a thing not only unknown in

Christianity, but most positively hostile to the spirit and principles

thereof. We have already referred to this subject, and quoted the various

passages of Scripture bearing upon it. We have a great High-Priest who

has passed into the heavens, for if He were on earth, He should not be

a priest. (Compare Heb. iv. 14 and viii. 4.) “Our Lord sprang out of

Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” Hence,

therefore, a sacrificing priest on the earth is a direct denial of the

truth of Scripture, and a complete setting aside of the glorious fact on

which Christianity is based, namely, accomplished redemption. If there

is any need of a priest now, to offer sacrifice for sins, then, most

assuredly, redemption is not an accomplished fact. But Scripture, in

hundreds of places, declares that it is, and therefore we need no more

offering for sin. “But Christ being come a 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. ix. 11, 12.) So also, in

chapter x. we read, “By one offering He hath perfected forever 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 settles the great question as to priesthood and sacrifice for sin.

Christians cannot be too clear or decided in reference to it. It lies

at the very foundation of true Christianity, and demands the deep and

serious attention of all who desire to walk in the clear light of a full

salvation, and to occupy the true Christian position. There is a strong

tendency towards Judaism—a vigorous effort to ingraft Christian forms

upon the old Jewish stem. This is nothing new; but just now the enemy

seems peculiarly busy. We can perceive a great leaning towards Romanism

throughout the length and breadth of christendom; and in nothing is this

leaning more strikingly apparent than in the institutions of a special

priestly order in the Church of God. We believe it to be a thoroughly

antichristian institution. It is the denial of the common priesthood of

all believers. If a certain set of men are ordained to occupy a place

of peculiar nearness and sanctity, then where are the great mass of

Christians to stand?

This is the question. It is precisely here that the great importance

and gravity of this whole subject are made apparent. Let not the reader

suppose that we are contending for some peculiar theory of any particular

class or sect of Christians. Nothing is further from our thoughts. It

is because we are convinced that the very foundations of the Christian

faith are involved in this question of priesthood that we urge its

consideration upon all with whom we have to do. We believe it will

invariably be found that in proportion as Christians become clear and

settled on the divine ground of accomplished redemption, they get further

and further away from the Romanism and Judaism of an order of priests in

the Church of God. And, on the other hand, where souls are not clear,

not settled, not spiritual,—where there is legality, carnality, and

worldliness, there you will find a hankering after a humanly appointed

priesthood. Nor is it difficult to see the reason of this. If a man is

not himself in a fit state to draw nigh to God, it will be a relief to

him to employ another to draw nigh for him. And most certainly, no man

is in a fit state to draw nigh to a holy God who does not know that his

sins are forgiven—has not got a perfectly purged conscience—is in a

dark, doubting, legal state of soul. 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. i.) “But ye are a chosen generation, _a

royal priesthood_, a 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, _a holy priesthood_, to offer up _spiritual sacrifices_,

acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Pet. ii. 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. xiii. 15, 16.)

Here we have the two great branches of spiritual sacrifice which, as

priests, we are privileged to offer, namely, praise to God, doing good

to men. The very youngest, the most inexperienced, the most unlettered

Christian is capable of understanding these things. Who is there 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? And 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 the children of God are constituted priests, one as much as another.

Now, in the eighteenth chapter of Numbers we are presented with a very

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.

And surely we cannot read the record without seeing what a royal portion

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 very 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 very holy work. It is not every one who can, in

spirit, identify himself with the sin of his brother. To do so in fact,

in the way of atonement, is, we need hardly say, wholly out of question.

There was but one who could do this, and He—adored forever be His

name!—has done it perfectly.

But there is such a thing as making my brother’s sin my own, and bearing

it in spirit before God, as though it were my own. This is shadowed forth

by Aaron’s sons eating the sin-offering in the most holy place. It was

only the _sons_ who did so.—“Every _male_ shall eat it.”[15] It was the

very highest order of priestly service. “In the most holy place shalt

thou eat it.” We need to be very near to Christ in order to enter into

the spiritual meaning and application of all this. It is a wonderfully

blessed and holy exercise, and it can only be known in the immediate

presence of God. How little we really know of this the heart can testify.

Our tendency is, when a brother has sinned, to sit in judgment upon

him—to take the place of a severe censor—to look upon his sin as a

something with which we have nothing whatever to do. This is to fail

sadly in our priestly functions—it is refusing to eat the sin-offering in

the most holy place. It is a most precious fruit of grace to be able so

to identify one’s self with an erring brother as to make his sin one’s

own—to bear it, in spirit, before God.

This, truly, is a very high order of priestly service, and demands a

large measure of the spirit and mind of Christ. It is only the spiritual

who really enter into this; and, alas! how 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. vi. 1, 2.) May the Lord give us grace to fulfill

this blessed “law.” How unlike it is to every thing in us! How it rebukes

our harshness and selfishness! Oh to be more like Christ in this as in

all beside!

But there was another order of priestly privilege, not so 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 thy _daughters_ with

thee, by a statute forever: _every one that is clean_ in thy house shall

eat of it.” (Ver. 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 which they could

not discharge—certain privileges which lay beyond their range—certain

responsibilities too weighty for them to sustain. It is far easier to

have fellowship with another in the presentation of a thank-offering than

it is to make his sin our own. This latter demands a measure of priestly

energy which finds its type in Aaron’s “sons,” not in his “daughters.”

We must be prepared for those varied measures amongst the members of the

priestly household. We are all, blessed be God, on the same ground; we

all stand in the same title; we are all in the same relationship, but our

capacities vary; and while we should all aim at the very highest standard

of priestly service, and the very highest measure of priestly capacity,

it is of no possible use to pretend to what we do not possess.

One thing, however, is clearly taught in verse 11, and that is, we must

be “_clean_” in order to enjoy any priestly privilege or eat of any

priestly food—clean, through the precious blood of Christ applied to our

conscience—clean, through the application of the Word, by the Spirit,

to our habits, associations, and ways. When thus clean, whatever be our

capacity, we have the richest provision made for our souls, through

the precious grace of God. Hearken to the following words: “_All the

best_ of the oil, and _all the best_ of the wine, and of the wheat, the

first-fruits 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 that is clean_ in thy

house shall eat of it.” (Ver. 12, 13.)[16]

Here, assuredly, 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 every thing which 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. civ. 15.)

What a figure have we in all this of our portion in Christ! The olive,

the grape, and the finest of the wheat were pressed and bruised, in order

to feed and gladden the priests of God; and the blessed Antitype of all

these has, in infinite grace, been bruised and crushed in death, 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 fill that cup of salvation of which we drink now, and

shall drink forever, in the presence of our God.

What, therefore, remains? What do we want, save an enlarged capacity to

enjoy the fullness and blessedness of our portion in a crucified, risen,

and glorified Saviour? We may well say, “We have all and abound.” God

has given us all that even He could give—the very best He had; He has

given us His own portion; He has called us to sit down with Himself, in

holy, happy fellowship, and feast upon the fatted calf; He has caused our

ears to hear, and our hearts, in some small degree, 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 around Himself and feed them with that in

which He Himself delights! “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and

with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John i.) What more could even the love

of God do for us 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, had we our deserts, should be

now burning in the eternal flames of hell. Oh, what wondrous grace! what

profound depths of sovereign mercy! and, we must add, what a divinely

precious atoning sacrifice, to bring poor, self-destroyed, guilty,

hell-deserving sinners into such ineffable blessedness!—to pluck us as

brands from everlasting burnings, and make us priests to God!—to take

away all our “filthy garments” from us, and cleanse, clothe, and crown

us, in His own presence, and to His own praise! May we praise Him. May

our hearts and lives praise Him. May we know how to enjoy our priestly

place and portion, and to wear our mitre well. We can do nothing better

than praise God—nothing higher than to present to Him, by Jesus Christ,

the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. This shall be our

everlasting employment in that bright and blessed world to which we are

hastening, and where we shall soon be, to dwell forever with Him who has

loved us and given Himself for us—our own blessed Saviour-God—to go no

more out for evermore.

In verses 14-19 of our chapter we have instruction as to “the first-born

of man and beast.” We may remark that man is placed on a level with the

unclean beast: both had to be redeemed. The unclean beast was unfit for

God, and so was man, unless redeemed by blood. The clean animal was not

to be redeemed; it was fit for God’s use, and was given to be the food of

the entire priestly household—sons and daughters alike. In this we have

a type of Christ, in whom God can find 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—wondrous thought!—He has

given Him to us, His priestly household, to be our food, our light, our

joy, our all in all, forever.[17]

“Jesus, of Thee we ne’er would tire:

The new and living food

Can satisfy our heart’s desire,

And life is in Thy blood.”

The reader will notice, in this chapter as elsewhere, that every fresh

subject is introduced by the words, “And the Lord spake unto Moses,” or

“unto Aaron.” Thus, from verses 20-32 we are taught that the priests and

Levites—God’s worshipers and workers—were to have no inheritance among

the children of Israel, but were to be absolutely shut up to God Himself

for the supply of all their need. Most blessed position! Nothing can

be more lovely than the picture here presented. The children of Israel

were to bring their offerings and lay them down at the feet of Jehovah,

and He, in His infinite grace, commanded His workers to pick up these

precious offerings—the fruit of His people’s devotedness—and feed upon

them, in His own blessed presence, with thankful hearts. Thus the circle

of blessing went round. God ministered to all the wants of His people,

His people were privileged to share 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. It is a striking figure of that which we should look

for in the Church of God now. As we have already remarked, God’s people

are presented, in this book, under three distinct phases, namely, as

warriors, workers, and worshipers; and in all three they are viewed as

in the attitude of the most absolute dependence upon the living God. In

our warfare, in our work, and in our worship we are _shut up to God_.

Precious fact! “All our springs are in Him.” What more do we want? Shall

we turn to man or to this world for relief or resource? God forbid! Nay,

rather let it be our one grand object to prove, in our entire history, in

every phase of our character, and in every department of our work, that

God is enough for our hearts.

It is truly deplorable to find God’s people and Christ’s servants looking

to the world for support, and trembling at the thought of that support

being withheld. Only let us try to imagine the Church of God in the days

of Paul relying upon the Roman government for the support of its bishops,

teachers, and evangelists. Ah, no, dear reader; the Church looked to its

divine Head in the heavens, and to the divine Spirit upon earth, for all

its need. Why should it be otherwise now? The world is the world still;

and the Church is not of the world, and should not look for the world’s

gold and silver. God will take care of His people and of His servants,

if they will only trust Him. We may depend upon it, the _divinum donum_

(God’s gift) is far better for the Church than the _regium donum_ (the

government gift)—no comparison in the estimation of a spiritual mind.

May all the saints of God, and all the servants of Christ, in every

place, apply their hearts earnestly to the consideration of these things;

and may we have grace to confess practically, in the face of a godless,

Christless, infidel world, 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. God grant it for

Christ’s sake.