God's Divine Laws
GOD'S DIVINE LAWS
AS believers we go through much suffering and many losses, most of which are brought about by our own follies and failures. Nevertheless, all can be recovered if we obey the divine laws.
We have seen how God brought David to Hebron and Zion to enable him to recover all personal and national losses by following certain divine principles.
After David had stayed in Hebron for seven years and six months, he came into Zion. The meaning of Hebron, as we have seen before, is fellowship, and God had first to prepare David in Hebron, where he learned the full meaning of fellowship. After Hebron, David was brought to Zion, concerning which place there are seven things to be learnt. As you learn these things you will know how to come into Zion and how you can recover every loss through fellowship there (2 Samuel 5:6, 7, 10).
1. The Site
Zion was at that time occupied by the Jebusites: because, as we have seen, the Benjamites had failed to drive them out from Jerusalem. According to Deut. 7, the Israelites had to drive out all the seven nations who were living in the land, and they were not to make any covenant with them nor inter-marry with them. They I were also to pull down their altars and images, so that there might be no sign even of their having lived there. Because of their human wisdom however they failed ) God; all the seven nations stayed there, and brought ) great loss to the whole nation of Israel.
In 2 Sam. 5 we read how David took Zion from the Jebusites and established his throne in the city. Alas! He became proud and blind (2 Samuel 24;1-10), and in his sinful pride he insisted on numbering the people, for which God had to punish him.
Pride is the greatest sin. Many believers have suffered heavy loss through pride. They may be good believers, knowing and believing God's Word, and making great sacrifices for God's service. Yet, with all I their zeal, they have one great failure and that is pride.
That was the condition of David. Though Joab had told him not to number the people, he would not listen and his command prevailed; so God had to punish him.
Then at the command of the prophet, David went to the threshing-floor of Araunah, and build there an altar to the Lord and in so doing found the site for God's temple. Even though David was in Zion himself, yet he did not know the great purpose for which he had been brought there by God. God had brought him there to show him the site of the temple, where God could reveal His glory. That is the first divine principle about Zion: it is the site of God's temple, God brings us to Zion, so that we may see the place where God may have this habitation. David only found that site after being completely broken and humbled.
it takes us many years to learn that one lesson. Even though we may have many qualifications, God is not able to use us, because of some hindrance due to our pride. There are so many persons to whom God has given many gifts, but they are useless because of pride. In some cases they know it, but in other cases they do not.
God may use many devices to show us our state. It was only when God sent the epidemic in Jerusalem that day, that David was able to see his sin. Then he saw that God had brought him to Zion, because He wanted a place for the altar and later for the temple. I
God does His work in His own way. He will not work in our way. 'The wind bloweth where it listeth.’ In some places we work for many years and see no fruit, and in other places we work for a short time and we see munch fruit. Why? God has His own time for each place, and we waste much time and energy by not knowing God's way of working.
Take for example the work in Hyderabad. Many friends had invited us to go there, but God did not give us liberty. In fact, we came very near {Hyderabad, yet God did not give us the liberty to go there. When the tight time came, however, we had strong peace and said, 'Now this is God's time for Hyderabad.’ In many places to which we have moved after waiting upon God, we have found that when we arrived there, it was God's time to begin work in that place. God has gone before us, we have seen, as it were, the walls of Jericho fall down, and God working out His plans in His own way.
We must first be brought into God's own way. That is the first thing to learn about Zion, and secondly, not to depend upon our own knowledge, strength, cleverness and qualifications for His service. Only when we are entirely cast upon the Lord, can we find the site of God's appointment. God chooses His own site to show us His power and glory.
2. The Pattern (I Chron. 28:11)
After God had revealed lo David the site for His temple, He gave him next the pattern of the temple in writing.
This is the second divine principle of Zion: the heavenly plan for our personal life, family life and church life. As. believers, God has a heavenly plan for each of us and I le wants us to find that plan. After the site of God's temple has been revealed, God begins work, and the plan for our life is made clear to us, There are many people, who do not Know what God has planned for their lives. They live in uncertainty, and yo here and there without the knowledge of God's plan and will, and thus incur great loss. But there is a heavenly plan for each one, for personal life, for family life, and also for church life.
For that purpose we must come into Zion. By fellowship with God's saints, we can find His plan more easily. Those who remain away from God's house will find it very hard to find God's plan. If you come to God's house only for the sake of the message, you will not find His plan, though the message may be sweet to you. Unless you learn these two lessons, that is, to have full fellowship with God's people, and also to maintain your fellowship with God Himself, God cannot give you His heavenly plan.
In that double fellowship, however, God will reveal His plan daily, monthly and yearly. It 1s a great joy to see God's plan being revealed day by day and to be able to say: 'T know God wants me to be here today. I know God has brought me here. I know God has kept me here. I know God is saying to me: You go here today and go there tomorrow.’ This ought to be true of us every day, not only occasionally. Remember this, it was only after David was broken, that God gave him the heavenly plan.
3. The Material (I Chron. 26:27)
‘Out of the spoils won in battle did they dedicate to maintain the house of the Lord. The fard divine principle is to gather material, After the heavenly plan had been given for the Lord's house, the Lord wanted material to fulfil the plan. If you want to build a wall of mud, then you require mud for the wall, but if you
11¢ want a pakka’ wall, you will require better material. It is the same thing with God's plan for building His house. If you have learnt this, then you will also know what material He requires.
I When God had shown David the plan, David knew what God wanted; so from every battle David gathered I the spoils. He knew God wanted gold, silver, brass I and other materials for His house, as we see in I Chron. 291-2. So he gathered such material.
I Now in our life-time, we too, have to face many I battles, almost every day, and every week throughout our life, There are conflicts and battles in our hearts.
I We have also to face many battles through enemies,
and sometimes through poverty and other problems.
: God permits those battles in our lives, that we may have the privilege of bringing the needed material into Gad's house.
David had to fight many battles that he might be able to gather much spoil. That pave him great joy for I he was able to offer God all the material for His house according to His plan. God wants material. Once you i come mite God's plan, you will not be discouraged if I you yo through trials and difficulties. It does not matter now painful your difficulties may be, you will not be I discouraged, because you know that through these afflictions, the Lord is helping you to gather material tor Fis house.
b took many years for David to yet the material for the house, so throughout life we may have to gather material for God's house. It is only when we go to heaven and see the heavenly Jerusalem, that we shall know what we have gathered and how much.
4. A Wise Master Builder (I Chron. 28:9-10; I Cor, 3:10)
After David had found the site for the temple and I had received the plan and gathered the material, the next thing he wanted was a wise master builder.,
When a building has to be constructed there must be an engineer; a man must be in charge of the whole building and he has to make sure that the whole building is being constructed according to plan. Now David wanted a man of that type, because the building of God's house was very great and could not be built by ordinary men. David called Solomon and said, ‘Solomon, my son, God has chosen you to build His house. He has; chosen your; be strong and do it. Here is the plan and here are the materials. Now you go ahead with the building of the house.’ So Solomon became a wise master builder,
We see in the New Testament that the apostle Paul was a wise master builder and through him God's plan was Carried out. This is the fourth divine principle of Zion. We require wise master builders to build us up in God's plan. Mere teaching won't do, we require apostles, prophets, teachers and pastors to build us up in God's plan {Ephesians 2:20). In the early church, I there were such faithful men going here and there and I because of their faithfulness, God's work was built on I a strong foundation. It is the same in every period. If you want the work of God to be strong and steadfast I then you must have God's chosen vessels, who will fulfil God's mind and plan and who will be faithful.
When God chose Solomon (I Kings 2:12; 3:11) he: asked God to give him wisdom I I Kings 3:5, 9). This is how he became a wise master builder. He asked for! divine wisdom and an understanding heart that he I might discern between good and bad. He did not ask, for wealth or long life or health; he asked only for divine I wisdom that he might become a wise master builder.
Those who have divine wisdom, will by that wisdom! know clearly the mind and thought of God. If the work of God is to go on peaceably, there must be men of I apostolic vision and experience.
I 5. Skilful Workmen
: {I Kings 5:1, 6, 18)
Fifthly, even though Solomon had plenty of wealth and material, and also had skilful workmen in his own I kingdom, he knew that they were not sufficient to build I the house of God. So, he wrote to Hiram, King of Tyre,
‘Send me cedar trees out of Lebanon and send the men who can work on the timber and stones.
I Now for the work of God, God needs all kinds of
workmen. God needs skilful workers from every part of the world. Just as Solomon brought those workmen from many parts of the world to work on the trees and stones, for God's work too we require men and women from all parts of the world, because a country by itself cannot build God's house. However much wise that country may be, or wealthy, they cannot alone build God's house. We require 'timber’ and 'stones' from every part of the world. That is the fifth divine principle of Zion. Ht is only when we begin to build the house of God that we realize how much we need co-workers from every part of the world. Only then can the work go on smoothly.
6. Harmony and Unity {I Kings 6:7)
Sixthly, even though they were using heavy stones and large timbers for building, and huge beams, there was no sound in the temple of any instrument of any kind. The workmen went on working quietly and smoothly, because everybody knew his own job very well and knew also the plan given by God. Other workmen were working in the quarry, and the stones brought from the quarry fitted in so well because they were faithfully prepared.
If we know God's plan clearly and have the heavenly material and a wise master builder and prepared co-workers then the work of God will go on quietly and smoothly. Where there is no plan there will be much quarrelling, strife and fighting. Those who do not have Gou's plan like to quarrel and fight. It is very necessary to know God's plan, so that God's work will go on in perfect unity and harmony.
7. God's Glory (II Chron. 7:1, 2)
recently, when Solomon made an end of praying the tire of God consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the house.
God's glory came down only when the work was 7 finished and it is only when the work of God is finished I that we too shall see His glory. Unfinished work cannot be to the glory of God. When the tabernacle was finished the glory of the Lord came down. Even so with I the temple. When the work was finished and the. heavenly plan was accomplished Gad's glory came I down and God began to speak and reveal Himself in I all His fullness.
I The whole nation and kingdom was filled with joy i and gladness (I Chron, 7:8-11). Everybody got a share of that joy. God began to speak and said, 'I have heard thy prayer, I have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice’ (verse 12). 'My heart and my eyes shall be: perpetually upon it! So God came to dwell with them I in all His fullness. God in His purpose brought David to Zion that He might reveal Himself there to all I His people.
‘ Let me repeat again the seven divine laws or principles in Zion: 1. The finding of God's site of the temple, 2. The heavenly plan for the temple. 3. Material i for the temple. 4. A wise master builder, who had the I supervision of the whole work of building. 5. Skilful I workmen required from all parts of the world. 6. The I whole work carried out smoothly in harmony and unity. 7. God's glory coming down and filling the
House. Then was God s purpose in Zion truly fulfilled, I for God was revealed there and reigned in glory.
Chapter 12