Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Apr 1953

Often have the thoughts of those who like David can say, "LORD, I love the habitation of Thy house", turned to the words of Isaiah 66.1,2

"Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool: what manner of house will ye build unto Me? and what place shall be My rest? For all there things hath Mine hand made, and so all these things came to be, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word."

God made all, but He never made Himself a house. God's house, the Tabernacle, the house Solomon built, the house built by the Remnant, and the spiritual house in the days of the apostles, were all built by human instrumentality. Think of what God said of Moses to whom He gave the pattern of the Tabernacle, and who was faithful in all God's house, "The man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 12. 8, 7). Solomon, too, in the beginning of his reign when he began to build the house of God, was of a lowly mind. He said of himself to the LORD, "I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in."

David, the father of Solomon, also was a humble-minded man. In that Song of Ascents (Psalm 131.) we hear him saying to the LORD : "LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, Or in things too wonderful for me" (verse 1).

Though David did not, as he said, exercise himself in things which were beyond him, he had ever a real and permanent exercise about the house of God. Men in after days, as I take it, wrote of his great exercise in regard to finding a dwelling place for God

"LORD, remember for David

All his affliction;

How He sware unto the LORD,

And vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob:

Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house,

Nor go up into my bed;

I will not give sleep to mine eyes,

Or slumber to mine eyelids

Until I find out a place for the LORD,

A tabernacle for the Mighty One of Jacob" (Psalm 132.1-5).

A proud man would have thought more of the tabernacle of his own house, than a tabernacle for the LORD the God of Jacob. You think of the psalmist as is here described in this psalm wandering about in the night in deep soul exercise as to the house of God. His home was at Hebron, which means fellowship. Hebron was an ancient place. Here Abraham dwelt and built an altar to the LORD (Genesis 13.18), and here Abraham and Isaac dwelt in happy communion (Genesis 35.27), that father and son living their beautiful God-fearing lives together. Thither came Jacob and dwelt there, and from Hebron he sent Joseph to seek his brethren and bring his father word again. But however delectable the situation of Hebron, and however sacred its memories, and it had memories both in life and death, for here had been the home of the patriarchs, the place of the altar, and nearby was their burying ground of Machpelah, the going of Jacob to Hebron was a disastrous journey. God's command was-"Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there" (Genesis 35.1). His instruction to him was clear and unmistakable, that at Bethel (the house of God), and not at Hebron (fellowship), was to be the place of his dwelling. But he left Bethel, contrary to God's will for him, and died in far-away Egypt. Have we an ear to hear and a heart to stand in awe as we see the striking facts of ancient history?

We have said before that the journey of Jacob from Bethel (house of God) to Hebron (fellowship) was a disastrous one. He had not gone many miles from Bethel, and Ephrath (Bethlehem) was some distance ahead, till Rachel fell ill. It seemed an un-planned journey in her condition. In hard labour she gave birth to Benjamin. He was to her Benoni, son of her sorrow, but to Jacob he was the son of his right hand. Surely here is a picture of Israel in her distress, of whom is Christ, as concerning the flesh, though we must not press the parable too far. The next calamity came through wayward Reuben's act, an act destined to leave its mark on him, his family, and on Israel for ever. But the story of the disastrous journey is not ended. When Jacob reaches Hebron his peace of mind is disturbed by the ill behaviour of his sons, by Bilhah and Zilpah. Then comes Joseph's dreams, Joseph's being sent to seek his brethren, and his being sold into Egypt. Though we see the golden line of divine purpose running through these events and see also some of the most delightful typology in the whole of Scripture in the story of Joseph, those happenings which fell upon Jacob brought him untold grief, so great indeed that he spoke pathetically of his sons bringing down his grey hairs with sorrow to Sheol.

Many of God's children are quite content with Hebron (fellowship), fellowship with the Father and with the Son, and fellowship with one another, as 1 John 1. speaks of. Some few, like Jacob, have left Bethel (house of God) thinking that in Hebron (we speak figuratively) is a better and happier place. Fellowship has its place, and that an important place, but there is something further in the ways of God for His people. This was what David was after.

David had reigned over Judah seven and a half years (2 Samuel 5.3) when all Israel came to him in Hebron to make him king (1 Chronicles Ii. 1-3). The realization of David's longing to find the place of God's rest came very soon afterwards. Indeed in 1 Chronicles 11. we have in verse 3 the statement concerning the act of the elders of Israel: "They anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of

"the LORD by the hand of Samuel." Then verse 4 follows on

"And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem."

And in verses 5 and 7 we are told

"David took the strong hold of Zion; the same is the city of David and David dwelt in the strong hold."

We have thought of David out in the night at Hebron in his spiritual struggle to get the LORD'S mind as to where was the place of His rest. He said, "I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed until I find a place for the LORD" (Psalm 132.3, 5). What a thought this is-to find a place for the LORD! He who owns all leaves it to poor mortals to find a place for Him on earth. But there must be exercise of heart on the part of such poor mortals to find the LORD a place and to find out His mind as to where that place shall be.

"What manner of house will ye build unto Me? And what place shall be My rest?"

God describes the kind of man that He expects will find Him a place of rest:

"To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at My word" (Isaiah 66.1, 2).

Jacob, alas, turned his back on Bethel and moved south to Hebron, but David turned his back on Hebron and moved north to Jerusalem. Fellowship with God is good, but we should learn that there is something more in the Scriptures than this, there is Jerusalem (or Zion), the place of the Name, the place of divine service and worship.

"For the LORD hath chosen Zion;

He hath desired it for His habitation.

This is My resting place for ever:

Here will I dwell; for I have desired it"

(Psalm 132.13, 14).

J. Miller | Apr 1953
Jottings