The Way Of God

by G. A. JONES | Category: General | Jan 1943

Among the records of the LORD'S talks with His servant Abraham perhaps there are no words more weighty than those recorded in Genesis 18.17-19: "For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgement; to the end that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him." How far-reaching are such words! God makes it abundantly clear that His purpose in Abraham did not end in the death of His faithful friend and servant.

One thing above all else that God desires for man is that he should know His way for him, and blessed indeed is the man who learns the way of God and walks therein. To this might be added, that man of himself cannot possibly find out God's way. It must be God-revealed. God must first deal with the individual, but His grand purpose is that a people should be together in His way. Nationally He began with Israel, and through Moses He revealed to them His way. Stephen, when speaking to a much later generation of that same nation, says of Moses : "Who received living oracles to give unto us " (Acts 7.37, 38). These living oracles continued the Way of God for a together people, a people of which it is written,

"Lo, it is a people that dwell alone,

And shall not be reckoned among the nations."

God, by the hand of Moses, had led them from Egypt's bondage. The Divine edict must be obeyed even though a proud and stubborn-hearted Pharaoh should oppose: "Let My people go, that they may serve Me" (Exodus 8.1-19). The Psalmist comments : " Thy Way was in the sea," with its ultimate object, " Thy Way, 0 God, is in the sanctuary "(Psalm 77.18, 19). In the mount God said, "Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" (Exodus 25.8). To this Divinely-expressed wish the people responded, though failure often characterised them. We stay to note regarding the sad failure in making and worshipping the golden calf, God said, "They have turned aside quickly out of the Way which I commanded them" (Exodus 32.8). At length the tabernacle was made according to the pattern. Nothing less than according to the pattern "would do for God. No introduction of man's plans or ideas was permissible - God Himself was the Architect, though He used man to provide the material and build the dwelling.

As it was then, so it is to-day. Exodus 35. to 39. will help us here. The concluding comment reads: "Thus was finished all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they" (39.32). God is faithful and just in His dealings with His people, for He does not fail to acknowledge their work which was well-pleasing to Him. His pleasure in His people is evidenced in His glory filling the tabernacle, and the cloud covering the tent of meeting (Exodus 40.34). After repeated failures, both in the wilderness and then in the land, we view Israel again returning to this pristine condition of things in their resolve to build an House for God. The desire to build this dwelling place for the Most High was in the heart of one man, David, a desire in complete accord with the Divine will for His people. David gave a worthy lead to the nation and they responded willingly. Psalm 25. gives us a delightful insight into David's experience with regard to the Way of God. Firstly he says: "Shew me Thy ways, 0 LORD; Teach me Thy paths" (verse 4). After his desire was thus expressed he begins to state his findings, verse 8, "Therefore will He instruct sinners in the Way : " verse 9, "And the meek will He teach His Way" : verse 12, "What man is he that feareth the LORD? Him shall He instruct in the Way that he shall choose." The Way of God was the way for David. There was nothing to compare with it. "As for God," says he, " His Way is perfect (Psalm 18. 80). In this Psalm he further states that He "maketh my Way perfect" (verse 82). What a wondrous blend we observe here! No choice of way, but one-God's Way. Thus we are left in no doubt as to David's influence as leader of God's people. He was largely responsible under God for bringing Israel back to the way of God's commandments (see Psalm 78.70, 72).

The acme of Israel's spiritual career was reached in Solomon's day. Solomon built God a house (Acts 7.47). God was glorified in it, and He found pleasure in His people. He dwelt among His people and His glory filled the house (1 Kings 8.10, 11). Of Solomon it is written: "And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father" (1 Kings 3.8). How commendable this was! But alas! it did not continue. Solomon's love for God decreased and his love flowed in other directions (1 Kings 11. 1, 2). What disastrous results followed! The people forsook the LORD and His Way. King after king came to the throne, but for the most part failure ensued. What a pitiful story is recorded! Of some of the kings it is written that they "walked in the way of Jeroboam" (1 Kings 15.33, 34). This way was contrary to the Way 6f God. Finally God had to deal with His people because of their wilful departure. Leaders failed, the people failed, and the time arrived when God, after much patient forbearance and longsuffering, took His departure from a people which had already departed from Him (2 Chronicles 36.15, 16). God, acting in judgement, gave them up into the hand of an oppressor who carried them away into captivity. For seventy years the land lay desolate according to the word of the LORD (2 Chronicles 36.15-21):

After this period the LORD stirred up the spirits of His people, the opportunity being given them to return and build again the House of God. Some of the people responded to the word of God, coming firstly through Cyrus the king of Persia (see Ezra 1.1-6), and later through Haggai and Zechariah, the LORD'S prophets (Ezra 5.1, 2). This movement was not of men, it was of God, and according to God's Way. We note the attitude of the people when coming up from Babylon under the leadership of Ezra. Ezra, the ready scribe writes: "Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of Him a straight way, for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance " (Ezra 8.21-28). This takes us back immediately to the word of God to Abraham already quoted. God attaches great importance throughout His word to the need for rightly instructing the little ones (Exodus 12.26, 27; 2 Timothy 1.5 and 3.1447). The house of God is finished and the service thereof restored, and although it lacked the glory of the house built by Solomon, and the people were but a remnant of the Israel nation, yet the whole thing is Divinely acknowledged. This fact is vital-the LORD is with them-" For I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts" (Haggai 2.4).

How unspeakably sad that this small remnant also should forsake the Way of God! In the days of Malachi their condition is grievous to the LORD, their service unacceptable. God through Malachi speaks thus to the priests of His people: "Oh that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on Mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand" (Malachi 1.10).

Unaltered is the condition of the nation of Israel when the Lord Himself appears upon this earth. He Himself kept the Way of God. He observed the word of God through John the Baptist, for John came in the way of righteousness (Matthew 21.82). During His ministry the Lord Jesus taught "the way of God in truth," as even His enemies acknowledged (see Matthew 22.15, 16). Alas! even the Lord's presence in their midst made no change in the nation. They still remained away from God in heart, and the Lord said-" Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me " (Matthew 15.8). Finally, He leaves them with these appalling words,-" Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Matthew 23.38).

But even in the midst of such tragic circumstances He had a few who thought upon His Name. This seems to have been always the case. Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5. 24). Noah walked with God (Genesis 6.9). This walking was in the Way of God for they could not walk with God otherwise. Even in Malachi's dark day too we read of those who feared the LORD (see Malachi 3.16, 17). Thus also the Lord Jesus had His few followers-men who continued with Him (Luke 22.28). When praying to the Father He could say of them "And they have kept Thy word" (John 17.6).

After His death and resurrection the Lord Jesus appears to them with a message peculiar to this present dispensation, "All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28.18-20). Was this word of Divine authority ever given effect to ? Did they obey the Lord's command? Yes. This was His way for His people, and we see them keeping it. Disciples are made, baptized, and taught. "They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship? in the breaking of bread and the prayers" (Acts 2. 41, 42). The work went on from that day, and day by day multitudes were added to the Lord. These days were much like the days of Solomon's reign - days of great things. It is not a little remarkable that the people of God together, and the truth of God are spoken of as "The Way." (See Acts 19.9).

Acts 18.24-28 unveils to us a very interesting and helpful picture. We arc introduced to Apollos-a man mighty in the Scriptures. He had himself been taught by word of mouth the way of the Lord, and he in turn spake and " taught carefully the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John." He was a learned man and fervent in spirit, but his knowledge of the Way of God was not up to date. What John taught was truly the way of the Lord at that time, but not so after the Lord Jesus had given those commands during the forty days after His resurrection. So two humble disciples of the Lord heard Apollos speaking boldly in the synagogue and took him aside, and expounded unto him the Way of God more carefully. What a noble work was that of Priscilla and Aquila that day! Apollos accepted the good word through them and he was mightily used of God in teaching others.

To-day finds us living in the same dispensation.. The teaching of the Lord as seen in the Acts and the Epistles is the teaching for to-day. A lady some time ago, while discussing these matters with the writer, said, "Well, we all have our different ways." How often this expression is heard! Though accepted as correct in the world, yet how wrong is such a state of affairs! God has ordered one way for His people, and happy are we if we are found walking in that way.

In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah God acknowledged a remnant people. They were Divinely called out from Babylon, and they responded to the Divine call.

God, we believe, has been and is working in a similar way to-day. He has a people together for Himself. The house of God is in existence to-day. Some may ask, "What proof have we for such a statement" ? Disciples of the Lord have responded to the commands given in His Word. Effect is given to the teaching of the Lord through the apostles. Assemblies of God are seen functioning, not merely as separate entities, but also as a Divine whole. This is of vital importance. The apostle Paul, who was used of God very much in the planting of assemblies of God, writes of "my ways which be in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church" (1 Corinthians 4. 17). To the assembly in Ephesus he wrote, "In whom each several building, fitly framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit" (Ephesians 2.21, 22). May we each hear the Divine voice, "This. is the Way, walk ye in it " (Isaiah 30.21).

"Grant that more perfectly

Thy will may be expressed;

That gathered saints may shew

Thy way of truth is best.

So mid this discord men may see

Divinely ordered unity."

G. A. JONES | Jan 1943
General