BUILDING AND WHAT IT PRODUCES
Paul A Gray
1 Chronicles 4:14, 21 (“and the families of the house of byssus-workers”)
1 Chronicles 23; 6:1, 31-33 (to “Heman the singer”), 39 (first clause), 44 (first clause), 48-50
It would be easy to pass by these early chapters of Chronicles because they do have a lot of names; but we are told, “Every scripture is divinely inspired, and profitable”, 2 Tim 3: 16. We have mentioned recently in readings the thought of edification or building, and I would like to speak about building, and what it produces. Everyone has something to do, and sisters are included in this. I do not know if any of the names I have read are names of women, but they are mentioned in these lists, and so I do not want this word to be something exclusively about one group of people. There is something in these scriptures for everyone.
Building is very important. We were reminded, rightly, in a recent reading locally that it is important that we have something to bring. We come with right desires, but if nobody brought anything, what would there be? We may say that the Lord will bring something; we can always rely on Him, but these thoughts of building involve exercise that takes place in the hearts of believers. And then what we have can be brought out. It is not always in something that is said, but there is what is contributed in spirit by the sisters as well, as a result of the impressions they have, and that is why this is important.
First of all there is “the father of the valley of craftsmen; for they were craftsmen”. Now what does that mean? Well, a craftsman has certain skills. Craftsmen know how to follow a pattern, and our brother has just spoken of the well-known scripture, “as the truth is in Jesus …”, Eph 4: 21. So all the truth, all the pattern, is there; and it is there in a blessed Man. But then there are persons who particularly desire to be skilful in relation to that. It says in Exodus 35, “And Moses said to the children of Israel, See, Jehovah has called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, and to devise artistic things”, v 30, 31. And then it says, “and he has put in his heart to teach, he and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan …”, v 34. And further, “Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every man that was wise-hearted, in whom Jehovah had put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work of the service of the sanctuary - according to all that Jehovah had commanded”, chap 36:1. These were craftsmen. You may say that you have not such a skill. But the scripture says, “all that were wise-hearted”. If you have the Spirit you are a craftsman: you have that potential, and not only the potential but the power to be a person who can do work in relation to the pattern that God has given.
There was “the father of the valley of craftsmen”. I simply say, to those who are fathers and mothers - and I mean that in a spiritual sense, not necessarily literal or natural - that we do have a responsibility towards those who are younger. We have a responsibility in relation to the truth, and the teaching, and we have a responsibility to demonstrate what the love of the truth actually means. It is not the knowledge of things for the sake of knowledge, for the Scripture tells us that “knowledge puffs up, but love edifies” (1 Cor 8: 1), but rather to build one another up in relation to the truth; and I go back again to “as the truth is in Jesus …”. It is a Person! The truth is in a Person. And we love Him. And because we love Him we love the things that He loves, and we are interested in the things that He is interested in. The truth has a structure; it is not that it involves, exactly, an intricate knowledge of form or doctrine, but you can see in the beginning, in Genesis 1, how God worked on the basis of a structure. He did things on certain days, in order; and what was produced as a result of that order was a place in which man could dwell, and what God desired in producing such order in such a place was that man should respond to Him. Now I know that sin came in and God had to act, but He comes back to His original thoughts. The whole of the tabernacle system is established, and offerings are given, so that even if there is some fault or deficiency, the praise that God desires can be offered to Him. And the tabernacle system was built according to a pattern, and the centre of it was the ark. The centre of God’s building is Christ, and Christ is God’s builder. He says to Peter “on this rock I will build my assembly”, Matt. 16: 18 The confession of Christ, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”, (v 16), given by revelation from the Father, is the rock on which Christ is building the substance of what will be eternally available for the praise and glory of God.
So if you want to understand how to be a craftsman, a workman, there is an example. Paul says to Timothy that he was “not to be ashamed, cutting in a straight line the word of truth” 2 Tim 2: 15. The first thing is: read the Scriptures. Read the Scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to help you with them. They were written by those whom He inspired. And ask the Lord Jesus to help you because He says of the Scriptures that they “bear witness concerning me”, John 5: 39. You will see the glory of what emerges in Scripture as the Spirit helps you. And then the ministry will help you in the understanding of it. But the basic foundation of a grounding in Scripture is something that cannot be overestimated in its value. The knowledge of the Scriptures is valuable, even if you just read a verse. Start to read a verse a day: then try to carry on until you get something, and you always will: you always will, I promise you. It might not be easy, and time is pressing, but read the Scriptures, beloved brethren. I know you all do. Learn to love them and what they say; your mind will be formed by the Scriptures. And the craftsman will know what his pattern is by the Spirit, by spiritual instinct. John says, “ye have the unction from the holy one, and ye know all things”, 1 John 2: 20. There are things that are not according to the pattern. But John sets out certain conditions whereby “…we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error”, 1 John 4: 6. It becomes instinctive. In Romans you are to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (chap 12: 2): you have the capacity to think differently. But in Ephesians you are “renewed in the spirit of your mind” (chap 4: 23): It has become instinctive and characteristic. And that is what the craftsman does; he knows what is right.
And then we come to “the house of byssus-workers”. Byssus was part of the priestly garment. That is why I mentioned that. In the days of recovery in Nehemiah one of the things that was brought was priests’ coats, chap 7: 70. These garments were brought out so that the priests could be suitably clothed. A brother was reminding us recently about what it is to be heavenly and what it is to be spiritual. One example of that is that the priests are consecrated or anointed. That in a sense is their heavenly calling; that is conferred upon them. Then the priests are given food to eat, and that is really what spirituality involves: feeding on Christ. But, am I making what would be conducive to spiritual growth in me and in the saints? That is what the byssus-workers would be doing. They would be making what is conducive to spiritual growth and response in the service of God.
I could give you a list of things not to do and not to make, but I would rather give you some things that you can do, as opposed to tell you a lot of things you cannot. The Spirit will tell you what you cannot do, and I will leave that for the moment.
Then there were “the potters, and those that abode among plantations and enclosures; there they dwelt with the king for his work”. You may or may not feel that you understand the point about the tabernacle system, and the gold, and the silver, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the byssus, and all the other things that enter into it. We may understand to a degree that these have spiritual significance, but we may feel that the potters are engaged in more menial work. We need the potters too; the potters make vessels. If there had not been a potter there would not have been a man “carrying a pitcher of water”, Mark 14: 13. Think of potters as persons who make way for the leading of the Holy Spirit; it is very important. They make vessels; they make something that can be serviceable. It could be said that it is not at the highest level; it is not making vessels of gold, and all that would be used in the tabernacle system. Perhaps not, but it is what we might do in our houses to entertain the saints; we are building something. We are making something. They dwell among the plantations and enclosures; that is to say, there is fruitfulness in view, but also the protection of what is due to God. One of David’s mighty men defended a plot of lentils, 2 Sam 23: 11. Some may think little of a plot of lentils. What of it? He was protecting food for the people of God, and Jehovah wrought a great deliverance as a result. Another fought until his hand clave to his sword (v 10); he went on right to the end; he carried the matter through. But this is the point I want to emphasise: ”there they dwelt with the king for his work”. It may not be prominent service, but they are dwelling “with the king for his work”. There are persons going on in quietness and humility and service unseen that will have a great place in the kingdom. We must keep in our minds that brethren who are contributing by whatever means, as the Lord has laid upon them, are “with the king for his work”. And that is the level at which we ought to regard one another.
This so far relates to the sons of Judah. Judah means ‘praise’, but how is the praise going to be carried on? Well, here we come to the sons of Levi, the priestly family: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. You know, there is something for you to do. There were three families. Perhaps you understand that the Kohathites carried the ark, and you might say that this was something, surely, that would only be given to spiritual persons to do. Yes, I trust so. Priesthood and spirituality are similar thoughts. But each of the families had some spiritual service to perform; each of them had something to carry. Some of them carried items on their shoulders, and some carried them on wagons, but in order for the whole system to function each had to play their part. I just want to be simple about it. There was not only the ark, which was the centre of everything and required to be handled with great care, with due regard to the rights and the holiness of God. But the curtains were needed. All the other parts of the tabernacle system were needed. If you had curtains, which represent principles, without boards, which represent persons, the curtains would lie on the sand and that would be no good. If you had boards without curtains you would have persons without principles and the whole system would be exposed to the dry winds of the desert. You need both, and somebody carried each of these items. Each of them knew what to do; they were all under the direction, I suppose, of “the prince of princes of the Levites”, Num 3: 32. It was “according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded”, 1 Chron 6: 49.
So David set them over the service. He is a type of Christ in this setting, the setting up of the service of song. These craftsmen, these potters, the persons who looked after the plantations, the byssus-workers, they were all producing something that would contribute to the service of song. The reason I read about Asaph standing on the right hand, and the sons of Merari on the left, was that they supported the service of song. It is a good thing to support it in our spirits; and I would judge that something that the sisters can and do participate in, is the support of the service of song, standing on the right hand and on the left.
I read in verse 50 because Aaron had sons: these are generations. Beloved brethren, you are the generations. It is not somebody else: it is you. And there is no greater privilege. Matthew 1: 1 says, “Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham”. You are part of a generation that is going into eternity, but you have some work to do now.
I trust that we may be encouraged to do it for the glory of God and for His Name’s sake.
Word in Ministry Meeting Grangemouth
7 January 2020