James Brown
Deuteronomy 3: 25
Joshua 8: 33; 13: 33
Ephesians 3: 19
I thought of the desires of Moses. We know that he could not go into the land because of how he had called the people rebels; and he was told regarding the rock to speak to the rock but he smote the rock: so he was not allowed to go in, Num 20: 10-12. Also, he was not the person, having been related to the law, to lead into the land. But I thought of his desires. The land, which is the inheritance, was there before him, and he had this tremendous desire: “Let me go over, I pray thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan”. He had in his soul what the Jordan meant, and this land was “beyond the Jordan”. You might say the wealth of the inheritance was in Moses’s soul, “that goodly mountain, and Lebanon”. What a description he gives! It gives you somewhat to see what was in his heart as to the thoughts of God. In our time there is such a wealth before us: the inheritance is there. Speaking for myself, I think it would be a wonderful thing if we could all have this desire that Moses had: “Let me go over, I pray thee”. I always think it is a wonderful expression of Moses, the expression of his own heart, and how God would delight to see such an expression in each one of us! We all fluctuate, but, oh to have this desire!
I thought of that scripture in chapter 8 of Joshua. When he came into the land, you find that the ark is the centre, the ark speaking of Christ; but then it is the power of God. In this particular section you find that the Levites have had this great privilege of carrying the ark. What a privilege that was! Levi had three sons and they all had this special privilege in relation to the tabernacle, but carrying the ark was something very special. But here we find that “all Israel” were supportive, “all Israel”. There were all the different tribes, but in this section there is no rivalry between any of the tribes. You have all the different categories: the officers and the judges, the priests, the Levites, the stranger, every one is following and surrounding the ark, supporting the ark. What a thing that is: there is no sense of departure in their thoughts at all, no rivalry, no differences of opinion as to the matter with the different tribes, but all concentrated on following and surrounding the ark. We can bring that into our time; and how wonderful for each one of us to be supporting what Christ is bringing to us in these days. We all have our different thoughts and opinions and so on, and every one is different, but we should all be concentrated on having Christ as the Centre. What a thing that is!
In chapter 13 it says, “to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance”. Every tribe got their inheritance. There were two and a half tribes whose inheritance was on the other side of the Jordan. They went across, twenty thousand went across. They were quite willing to fight and to secure the land, but they did not want to dwell there; they came back. In any case they all got their inheritance. It is very fine what they had, but there was something very special with Levi: “Jehovah the God of Israel is their inheritance”. How wonderful it is for each one of us that God is our inheritance. We speak much about the inheritance and what there is amongst the saints: what is provided amongst the body of the saints all wonderful, and the gatherings together of the saints, but for each one of us to have God as our inheritance, how marvellous that is! We find later that “the house, the house of Jehovah, was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not stand to do their service because of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of God”, 2 Chron 5: 13, 14. How wonderful when God comes in and shows Himself. “The priests could not stand to do their service”. Why was that so? Because when God filled the place, there was no need for the official line, the official priests. God filled the place. What Levi got: “Jehovah the God of Israel is their inheritance”. What a marvellous thing for each one of us.
I think in our time we really get it in Ephesians: “and to know the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge; that ye may be filled even to all the fulness of God”. That really is the inheritance, “that ye may be filled even to all the fulness of God”. That is available to each one of us. In the old dispensation there were all the different categories: Levites, priests, ordinary persons, princes and so on, but in our time all these categories apply to each one of us, objectively at least. As to whether or not we are in the gain of it and come up to it is a different matter, but each category is available to each one of us, so that we are all Levites. We can all come into the blessedness of what Levi had: “Jehovah the God of Israel is their inheritance”, and then we have it here: “that ye may be filled even to all the fulness of God”. That is available for each one of us in our time. What more could we ever desire while we are here? It is quite beyond us but nevertheless it is there and available for each one of us, and that is the inheritance for us, available to each one of us. The Spirit would help us into it.
That is just a simple thought, that we might be able to come into the fulness of the inheritance that God has made available to us even in this our time “that ye may be filled even to all the fulness of God”. May God bless each one of us in these things!
Aberdeen
13th November 2012