Jan 1963 - Editorial

by Doodson, A. T. | Category: Editorial | Jan 1963

During the year, God willing, we hope to study the subject of "God's Centre and Man's Centre," in the several phases of the dispensation, terminating at the close when God's purposes will be seen in completion. The subject commences with the Creation, when God placed His creatures in an environment which lie had prepared for His purpose. Thus early He showed that it was His desire to have something associated with His purposes, and Eden was that which He chose, the Garden of God. The words " of God" will recur throughout the study as they show He wished to have something for Himself, yet in His grace it was His desire that Man should be associated with that which was "of God." It was so of Eden that man had work to do within the place of God's choice, and that there he could have communion with Him, receive His commandments, and show his love towards God in keeping those commandments. God had thus a Centre in which to declare Himself, and it should have been Man's centre too, but his actions were such as to place himself outside of what was "of God."

Man chose Babel for himself, another centre and a building of his own design, and, as God was not in it; that place was destroyed and man was scattered. God then had no Centre in which He could reveal Himself, and steps were taken to bring about one by the choice of Abram, who was directed to a place of God's choice, Canaan, to beget a people "of God" through whom the world would be blessed. But many years would elapse and the people descend into captivity before the mighty hand of God redeemed them and brought them unto Himself. He called them "My people" and gave them instructions in the wilderness that they should build a place for Himself, the Tabernacle "of God." His dwelling in their midst brought many obligations arising out of a reverence for His Name, a listening to His words, and obedience to His commandments. We would stress this point, that "of God" indicates something that is according to His will, with all that is implied therein.

Before this time we have the introduction of the "House of God" at Bethel and this is another term with far-reaching implications. When Jacob learnt about the House of God it was a place where the presence of God had in some ways become manifest, and we see the result in the vows which Jacob took upon himself in that place.

The people who lived in the wilderness with God, and afterwards in the land of Canaan with Him, very often showed themselves unfit for the privileges they had in relation to God's Centre in their day, and the chequered history of the Tabernacle, until and after its location at Shiloh, showed how unfaithfulness in men led to lack of blessing among the people which still were the people "of God." It was the great privilege of David to discern the leading of God in desiring Zion, the City of God, and a House associated with it, a House which was built with great magnificence by Solomon. Again we would just touch upon the lack of response among the people, leading to the Captivity, until God in His grace opened the hearts of the Remnant to return to the Land, and the City and Temple of Cod. We again note that the words "of God" should have had their influence upon them, but there was a slow deterioration. God's Centre was there but man chose another centre.

We now come to the time of Christ when men had a new call, which led some in Acts 2 to manifest that God again had a Centre, which was at first located in "the church of God" in Jerusalem and thereafter in the many churches which all had the right to the words "of God," indicating origin, and places where men could respond to the will of the great God who saved them. A Centre for God was to be a place of testimony for God, and for communion with Him. Such churches of God could act for Him in things pertaining to the House of God.

We are now near the end of the dispensation and the days are few in which we may respond to the Centre which God has chosen, the churches of God and the House of God expressed by those churches collectively. The words "of God" have their lesson for us, they give solemnity to the position we take, and the service we render. Men are choosing centres for themselves in the sects, but the only centre in which men can find rest is God's Centre from which the Word of God shines forth.

Doodson, A. T. | Jan 1963
Editorial