(Notes of a Bible Reading.)
Daniel 1:8: Ezra 7:10; 2 Chron. 19:2-3; Acts 11:23; Rev. 3:14-21.
In the passages read we have indicated to us the purpose of heart and the preparation of heart that are necessary if we are to be here for the will of the Lord in a day of lukewarmness and failure such as is portrayed in the state of the church in Laodicea. Today the public testimony of the church is in ruins, with the spirit of self-sufficiency and independence of Christ marking the great ecclesiastical systems of Christendom, whether in Popery, State churches or independent churches. But this Laodicean spirit also marks some of those who were associated, in the goodness of God with the gracious movement of the Holy Spirit that, during last century, called out from the great human systems many true believers to walk in the path of the will of God. In the midst of the present ruin it is open to every saint of God to be an overcomer, and so be for the glory and the pleasure of God.
The remnant of God's people, in Daniel's day, was in captivity; the nation having been driven from the land or destroyed because of unfaithfulness. Assyria had taken captive those who remained of the ten tribes, and later Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, removed to his realm the remnant of Judah, and Daniel and his companions were among the captives in Babylon. It was the day of Israel's failure and ruin, when all was weakness and brokenness, but it was in such a day that "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." He would not settle down in the ways of the Babylonians, and excuse himself for doing so by pleading the ruin and weakness of Israel. With the knowledge of all that had transpired, and the reason for it, and no doubt feeling how little he could do to help the despised remnant, he was deeply exercised about his own course, and concerned for the welfare of those of his brethren with whom he was in touch. His desire was to be faithful to God, obeying His word, and remaining apart from whatever would defile his conscience before God, as exercised by God's word.
Daniel knew what God's will for him was, and there was with him purpose of heart to walk in the path of simple obedience. How graciously are the circumstances of Daniel and his companions ordered of God! But they were not occupied with their circumstances, or with the greatness of the power of the king of Babylon; their one thought was to do the will of God. If there is with us the purpose of heart to be true to the Lord in this evil day, we can leave the circumstances with Him. He will order all for His own glory and our blessing, whether it be to smooth out the way, or to bring us into and through trial, even if it be a fiery one, as it was later with Daniel's three friends.
Of Ezra we read that he "had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." We are not told of all that lay at the bottom of this heart preparation, but there must have been exercises before leaving Babylon, before he made his request to the king (Ezra 7:6). As "a ready scribe in the law of Moses" he must, have been very well acquainted with the word of God, and no doubt this was the result of his having prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD. But his preparation of heart was also to do what was written in God's word; his desire was to be found in the path of the will of God. It is not enough for us to have a casual acquaintance with the Scriptures; our hearts are to be affected by them; the knowledge of God's word should be treasured in the very centre of the moral being. The word of the Lord should ever be before us, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John 14:21).
Ezra was not only exercised on his own behalf: he thought of the remnant of God's people. The preparation of which we read was his own; he would know and obey the will of the LORD, but his thoughts were also for the well-being of the returned remnant. Their captivity had been through neglect of God's "statutes and judgments," and these he would teach, so that by observing them they might, have the blessing of God. O that the preparation of heart found in Ezra was with the servants of the Lord today! We have not only the "commandments of the Lord" (1 Cor. 14:37) for the ordering of His assembly, and for our individual path; but there has been unveiled all the great truths that centre in "The mystery of God, in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:2-3). What glorious work there is for devoted servants of Christ, to teach His own the precious truths revealed in His word, so that they might walk in the light of them, in these last days, with purpose of heart, and preparation of heart.
This devoted and earnest servant of God did not say, "We are but a very little remnant compared with the nation before the captivity, and cannot be expected to carry out what is written in God's Word." No! he valued the law of the LORD, and sought that others might also value it. Spite of all the ruins with which he was surrounded, and of the weakness and fewness of numbers, there was but one thing that controlled his thoughts and movements, and that was the will of God. What else had Ezra to turn to? And what else have we in these last days but the word of God? No amount of ruin, failure or weakness can excuse the saints of God from endeavouring to walk according to the light given to them in His word.
Jehoshaphat was one of the good kings of Judah of whom it was recorded, "The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not Baalim; but sought to the God of his father, and walked in His commandments, and not after the doings of Israel" (2 Chr. 17:3-4). Yet this good king "joined affinity with Ahab" (2 Chr. 18:1); although so faithful he had not learned the truth of separation or that association with evil is defiling. His father Asa had also been a good king, but he had failed in a similar way; he made a league with the King of Syria, and because he invoked the help of this king, rather than rely on the LORD, he was rebuked by God through His prophet. Although Ahab was King of Israel he was an idolater, and morally was no better than the King of Syria. Indeed, his state was worse, for he had turned from the LORD, and had made Israel to sin. This made Jehoshaphat's association with Ahab a very grievous sin in the sight of the LORD. How very solemn were the words of Jehoshaphat, "I am as thou art, and my people as thy people." Was Jehoshaphat a wicked man like Ahab? Were his people not worshippers of the true God and Ahab's worshippers of Baal? Yet this good man was led into this dreadful pronouncement because he had not learned that association with evil defiles.
God could not allow this to pass; His holy Name had been linked through Jehoshaphat with the wickedness of Ahab; therefore His word comes through Jehu the son of Hanani to Jehoshaphat saying, "Shouldst thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast … prepared thine heart to seek God." Although he had prepared his heart to seek God, this man, in whom there were good things, had neglected the word of God in regard to the truth of separation from evil. It is not enough to be personally free from evil; we can be brought into defilement through association with the evil of others. At a later date, Paul wrote to his son Timothy, "Neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure" (1 Tim. 5:22). Timothy was not to be like Jehoshaphat, defiled through association with sinners.
Jehoshaphat ought to have known better than be joined to Ahab in an unholy alliance. He should have known, not only from the Scriptures, but also from the word of the Lord to his father Asa, that God could not tolerate evil associations in His people. Had there been with him the purpose of heart found in Daniel, or the preparation of heart to know and do the will of God that was evinced in Ezra, he would not have sought out Ahab and thus been enticed into the partnership that brought forth the solemn rebuke of the prophet. For us the word is plain, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel! and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" The divine command for us is, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (2 Cor. 6:14-17). And now, when the professing church has become like "a great house" with vessels of dishonour mingling with the children of God, the word to the faithful is, "If a man purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim. 2:20-21).
If it was said of Jehoshaphat that he had prepared his heart to seek God, the same could not be said of his people, for we read, "He walked in the way of Asa his father … doing what was right in the sight of the LORD. Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers" (2 Chr. 20:32-33). Had he prepared his heart to teach "statutes and judgments" like Ezra, there might have been some preparation of heart with those that heard.
When Barnabas came to Antioch and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and "exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord" (Acts 11:23). What a word was this for these newly converted souls! And it is a word for the saints of God at all times! Our cleaving to the Lord should be with purpose of heart. At the beginning of Christianity, when all was fresh, when the grace of God was seen in turning a great number "unto the Lord," the word of Barnabas was the word for the moment; now, at the close, when it is evident that we are in "the last days" with all the attending difficulty of the times, the word for the moment is still that we should, with purpose of heart, cleave unto the Lord. Of Barnabas himself it is written in the next verse, "He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith." From this we can see that he was not exhorting others in something unknown to himself: he knew what it was to cleave to the Lord with purpose of heart, and could therefore with confidence give the exhortation to others. The men of this world have purpose of heart in regard to present things, how much more should the Christian be marked by earnest endeavour and holy determination in the things that belong to Christ.
In each of the seven churches the overcomer is addressed. To overcome is to rise above the prevalent evils, and to stand firmly for the will of God. So that the overcomer in Laodicea remains loyal to Christ amidst the lukewarmness and self-sufficiency that marks the professing church at the present time. The Laodiceans were saying, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." They were so rich and independent that they could do without Christ or anything He could supply. Such is the professing church today, boasting in their acquired material riches, in their treasures of silver and gold, in their magnificent buildings, costly vestments, and musical instruments; in their great traditions, the teachings of their learned men of past generations; in the power which holds many millions of human souls in spiritual bondage; in the learning of their schools and scholars: indeed, in everything but what is of real value as belonging to Christ. And some have boasted in the truth they have received, as if they had acquired it themselves; and in so boasting have fallen into error, and boast in "light" that peculiarly belongs to themselves, not realising that it is darkness, exposed as evil by the word of God. Such as have this Laodicean spirit know not their true condition; they are blinded by their spiritual pride.
Is there with us the desire to be faithful to Christ in these last days? Are we marked by the purpose of heart manifested in such as Daniel, the determination to be true to Christ no matter what it may cost? Are our hearts prepared to receive only the counsel of Christ, and to refuse all that is inconsistent with it? Do we sit at His feet, like Mary, to hear His word? Have we heard Him say, "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed?" All that we need in these last days is available in Christ for us.
The faithless church has kept Christ outside its door, so that He says, "Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." Religious men in Christendom are speaking of great things for the church in this world; they know not that Christ views it as "fallen" (Rev. 2:5): they do not realise that Christ is outside of it. There is now no recovery for the church, but there is a blessed portion for the individual that opens the door to Christ. How blessed it is not only to hear Christ knocking, but to hear His voice. It is through hearing His voice that we have received divine life (John 5:25); and in hearing His voice we are brought into the deep joy of communion with Him Who is rejected by the religious world that bears His Name. In this blessed communion Christ comes into our circumstances so that we might have His counsel and grace in all that we would be and do for Him in this world, and He leads us into the joys of all His own thoughts, desires and feelings regarding His own, and into the precious portion that we have with Him before the Father.
Those who know the reality of communion with Christ are those who overcome in the Laodicean state of the church. If such have a blessed portion in present communion, they have also a wonderful prospect, for Christ says to them, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne." Is it not worthwhile refusing what belongs to this present world so that we might have what Christ offers to us in His heavenly kingdom? How great is the privilege of sharing Christ's place outside "the camp" of Christendom, with the prospect of sharing His glory in the day of His appearing.