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mouth of the Lord.” David, again and again, is seen resorting to the priest for Divine counsel (see I Samuel 22:10; 23:9; 30:8). The Lord answered David, but when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim nor by prophets, and at last this child of disobedience went to the Witch of Endor for counsel. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Priest with Urim and Thummim. The names of all His saints are borne upon His heart, and He, with the “ light and per fection” of Divine knowledge, searches the hearts and tries the reins and pro nounces His perfect judgment upon each, and rebukes and chastens whom He loves. With the Spirit of Christ and the Word of Christ to enlighten and to guide us, we need never be at a loss, even amid the trials and perplexi ties of these last days. It is our busi ness to go to Him, to open His Word and ask that His Spirit may give us counsel therefrom, knowledge and un derstanding to fulfil acceptably our service and stewardship. With open ear to hear His voice, and honesty of purpose to do His will, we need not fear His judgment now or when He comes. At His judgment-seat the priestly Judge will bring all to the test of the written Word: “ The Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge you.”
rather, that no man put a stumbling- block, or an occasion to fall, In his brother’s way” (Rom. 14:13). In Revelation I we see the Lord in the midst of the Seven Churches in the attitude of judgment. As the priestly Judge He pronounces His infallible judgment upon each (see chapter 2: 19) : “ I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.” We may see one an other’s works and service, but we can not see the charity, and faith, and pa tience that accompanied them. But the Lord sees all. He could say, whilst ap proving all that was good, “ I have a few things against thee.” Mark the gentleness of His judgment. He does not begin with “ I have a great deal against thee,” but first approves what He can, approve, and then speaks of the few things He has to complain of. In Exodus 28:29 we read, “ And Aaron shall bear the names of the chil dren of Israel; in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart.” Notice here, that to the high priest and not to the king was committed the judgment of the people of God. The king had to ob tain counsel at the lips of the priest: In the breastplate there were the names of the children of Israel, but in con nection with these there was also what is called “ the Urim' and Thummim,” or “ the lights and perfections,” by means of which the mind of Jehovah was in fallibly made known to the priest. . He alone could judge perfectly who, hav ing the Urim and Thummim, was in the secret of God’s counsel. Turn to numbers 27:18-23: “ Take thee Joshua the sftn of Nun, . . . and set him before Eleazer the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord.” In Joshua 9:14, we'find distinctly the reason of Israel’s being deceived by the Gibeonites: “ The men took of their victuals and asked not counsel at the
He will “ bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make mani fest the counsels of the hearts.” What counsels are held within qur hearts! How often the Lord tells us to speak to some one, or to do some service for Him— but immediately there is, as it were, a council held within. There is a conflict between flesh and spirit. Satan is there also, and says: “ But will not this bring you into trouble?” “What will So-and-so think of you?” Thus the Lord’s authority is set aside, and our own heart is listened to, and our SOMETHING NEW! EQUIPMENT FOR THE
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