COUNSEL
John Laurie
Proverbs 12: 15; 8: 12-21
Revelation 3: 15-18
Romans 11: 33-36
The saints will likely have observed that my thought is to say a little about the subject of counsel. It would be evident from the scriptures read that none of us can assume that we do not need the counsel that divine wisdom would afford. The folly of those in Laodicea was that they had assumed to have everything of themselves and had shut out the wisdom that the Lord would have afforded to them. “He that is wise hearkeneth unto counsel”.
I have been thinking a little about the value of the counsel that comes in among the saints and that the Lord Himself would afford to us. “Christ Jesus … has been made to us wisdom” (1 Cor 1: 30), and counsel is a property of wisdom; it flows out from wisdom being exercised. The Lord Jesus would afford that wisdom to us. I think it is one of the things that becomes available to us in our gatherings. I was impressed with that yesterday in the reading and, thinking of it again, following the remarks that have been expressed about it in prayer tonight. We value these occasions when we come together for temple enquiry, in relation to the truth, and they become opportunities for the Spirit of God to make available that wisdom which flows from Christ so that we are not left without divine guidance. Counsel comes in. Truth is not only set out by way of positive exposition among us, and the Spirit of God undoubtedly helps in that too, so that there should be an exposition of truth and of the glories of the Lord Jesus for our contemplation, and to promote the spirit of worship among us. Truth also comes in by way of wisdom to guide us and to help us, and in that respect affords counsel to us. A wise ear would hearken to that, for there is such value in it.
That is why I read from Proverbs 8. These many things that wisdom gives expression to here would seem to show the immense value that becomes available. The voice of wisdom says, “Counsel is mine”, wisdom bringing in wise counsel to help and guide in such a variety of ways. These are remarkable things that are said here by wisdom as personified. “I am intelligence”: do we not all seek to have greater intelligence? The counsel that wisdom brings in helps us in that. “I have strength”: we have been feeling the need of strength and guidance for walking wisely in the footsteps of the pathway that has to be filled out. We may go astray if we do not have an ear to hear wise counsel. The wisdom that the Lord Jesus would afford among us brings that in. “I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers make just decrees; by me princes rule, and nobles, all the judges of the earth”. It shows the elevated character of wisdom, and brings in the point as well that none can do without it from the king downward. Kings are made mention of in regard of the practical affairs, no doubt amongst men, but wisdom is afforded in the assembly too, and counsel to guide us in all that is needed. I think that is brought into our gatherings and is opened up through the gracious service of the Holy Spirit among us, helping us to understand something of the value of the wisdom that flows from the Lord Jesus. I do not want to enlarge too much on it, but it is very evident that there is such a wealth of blessing to be obtained through having a hearing ear.
Those in Laodicea missed out. They assumed to be “rich, and have need of nothing”. What a loss when wisdom would say, “Riches and honour are with me; durable wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver”. I think we often get the impression when we are gathered together in temple enquiry that we are touching things that remain inexhaustible. We can never exhaust all the wealth that wisdom would afford to us. These things become a treasury, “that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasuries’”. One would seek to have that desire increasingly as coming together among the saints and sitting down, not only in our reading meetings, but also in an occasion like this tonight, to have a ready ear to receive the voice of wisdom and the counsel that would come in, to be adding to our treasuries, gathering up substance and acquiring these riches that are all available. “Jesus Christ … has been made to us wisdom”; we have an inexhaustible supply, and the importance seems to be to have a hearing ear and a heart ready to take it in.
From the passage in Revelation it is very evident that those in Laodicea had assumed a spiritual independency, and felt that they were beyond the need of wise counsel. How gracious of the Lord when undoubtedly expressing His anger and displeasure with all that existed there in that assembly, yet He says, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold”. It seems as if the Lord Jesus would appeal, giving a last opportunity before they might be spued out of His mouth: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold purified by fire, that thou mayest be rich”, and all these advantages were to be gained through hearkening to the voice of the Lord Jesus.
Publicly the church is heading for ruin, but there is what is of Christ that is going through, and we would desire to hear what the Lord might say, and gain the advantage of the counsel that He would give, bringing in wisdom among us to guide us through in the closing days of the assembly’s history here. The enemy is doing his worst to confuse things and to make things as complicated as possible but the Lord would say, as it were, “I counsel thee”. He would give us guidance and wisdom so that we might be helped to find a way through all in view of moving in the path of His pleasure.
I finally wanted to refer to Romans because while we cannot afford to do without this counsel and guidance that wisdom would afford, God has no need of the counsel of any other. He acts and moves “according to the counsel of his own will”, Eph 1: 11. Wisdom is with God Himself. Reference was made in prayer earlier this evening to “the only wise God”, Rom 16: 27. How wise He is! “The only wise God”! It is an honour that would be brought to our attention and would promote the spirit of worship. It forms part of a doxology in praise where it is mentioned, “the only wise God”, and here it says, “O depth of riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable his judgments, and untraceable his ways!” Then this question is asked, “who has been his counsellor?”. Who could afford to give counsel to God? Everything resides with God. He acts “according to the counsel of his own will”. It is marvellous just to think of the greatness of the God with whom we have to do! In need of nothing, how great He is! No wonder the apostle goes on to say, “For of him, and through him, and for him are all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen”. But such is the God that would seek to draw us near to Himself so that we might come into the gain of all the wisdom that flows from Himself through “Jesus Christ who has been made to us wisdom”, so that divine wisdom might be expressed among us and the value of the counsel that flows from it might come in to maintain and guide us in our pathway.
Well, may it be so to His glory and to the glory of God! “To him be glory for ever. Amen”.
Word in Meeting for Ministry in Brechin
2nd December 2019