THE FIRST PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
From Moses to Samuel
Message Eight—Deuteronomy (2)
Scripture Reading: Deut. 12:5, 8, 11, 13-14, 17-18, 26-27; Psa. 48:2, 11-12; 80:17-19
I. The unique ground of Jerusalem, the place where the temple as God’s dwelling place was built on Mount Zion, typifies the unique ground of God’s choice, the ground of oneness—Deut. 12:5; 2 Chron. 6:5-6; Ezra 1:2-3: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
A. In the ancient time all the Israelites came together three times a year at Jerusalem; it was by this unique place of worship to God, Jerusalem, that the oneness of His people was kept for generations—Deut. 12:5; 16:16. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
B. In the New Testament the proper ground of oneness ordained by God is the unique ground of one church for one locality—Rev. 1:11: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
1. The church is constituted of the universal God, but it exists on earth in many localities; in nature the church is universal in God, but in practice the church is local in a definite place, such as “the church of God which is in Corinth”—1 Cor. 1:2: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
a. “The church of God” means that the church is not only possessed by God but has God as its nature and essence, which are divine, general, universal, and eternal—v. 2a. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
b. The church “which is in Corinth” refers to a church in a city, remaining in a definite locality and taking it as its standing, ground, and jurisdiction for its administration in business affairs, which is physical, particular, local, and temporal in time—v. 2b. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
2. Without the universal aspect, the church is void of content; without the local aspect, it is impossible for the church to have any expression and practice; the record concerning the establishment of the church in its locality is consistent throughout the New Testament—Acts 8:1; 13:1; 14:23; Rom. 16:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 8:1; Gal. 1:2; Rev. 1:4, 11. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
II. The church life on the ground of oneness is today’s Jerusalem; within the church life there must be a group of overcomers, and these overcomers are today’s Zion—Psa. 48:2, 11-12: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
A. As the highlight and beauty of the holy city Jerusalem, Zion typifies the overcomers as the high peak, the center, the uplifting, the strengthening, the enriching, the beauty, and the reality of the church—20:2; 53:6a; 87:2. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
B. The overcomers as Zion are the reality of the Body of Christ and consummate the building up of the Body in the local churches to bring in the consummated holy city, New Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies as God’s dwelling place, in eternity— Rev. 21:1-3, 16, 22. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
III. In order to be today’s overcomers, we must enjoy Christ with God on the ground of oneness for the exhibition of Christ, the building of the church, and the preparation of Christ’s bride—Matt. 16:18; Rev. 19:7: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
A. The children of Israel could enjoy the rich produce of the good land in two ways: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
1. The common, private way was to enjoy it as a common portion at any time, in any place, and with anyone—Deut. 12:15. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
2. The special, corporate way was to enjoy the top portion, the firstfruits and the firstlings, with all the Israelites at the appointed feasts and in the unique place chosen by God—vv. 5, 8, 11, 13-14, 17-18, 21, 26-27; 14:22-23; 15:19-20; 16:16-17. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
B. Likewise, the enjoyment of Christ by His believers is of two aspects: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
1. The common, private aspect is to enjoy Christ as our God-allotted portion at every time and in every place—Col. 1:12; 1 Cor. 1:2, 9; Eph. 6:18; 1 Thes. 5:16-18; Rom. 10:12-13. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
2. The special, corporate aspect is to enjoy the top portion of Christ in the meetings of the proper church life on the unique ground of oneness, the place chosen by God—1 Cor. 14:3, 4b, 26, 31. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
C. We need to live a life of laboring upon Christ, a life of enjoying Christ personally so that we may enjoy Him together collectively for the building up of the Body of Christ as the house of God for God’s expression and as the kingdom of God for God’s dominion—3:17; 1 Tim. 3:15; Rom. 14:17-18: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
1. God’s will is for us to enjoy Christ; we must seek to enjoy Christ and experience Him in every situation—Heb. 10:5-10; Phil. 3:7-14; 4:5-8. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
2. We must labor on Christ, our good land, so that we may reap some produce of His riches to bring to the church meeting and offer; thus, the meeting will be an exhibition of Christ in His riches and will be a mutual enjoyment of Christ shared by all the attendants before God and with God for the building up of the saints and the church—Col. 2:6-7; 1 Cor. 1:9; 14:3, 31. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
3. Whenever we come to the meetings to worship the Lord, we should not come with our hands empty; we must come with our hands full of the produce of Christ—v. 26; Deut. 16:15-17. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
IV. In order to be today’s overcomers, we must maintain the ground of one-ness, God’s unique choice, without elevating anything other than Christ; in the Lord’s recovery we elevate Christ and Christ alone—Col. 1:18b; Rev. 2:4; 2 Cor. 4:5; 10:5: (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
A. Before the children of Israel could have the full enjoyment of the riches of the good land, they had to utterly destroy the heathen places of worship, the idols, and the names of the idols “on the high mountains and on the hills and under every flourishing tree”; the high mountains and hills signify the exaltation of something other than Christ, and the flourishing trees signify things that are beautiful and attractive—Deut. 12:1-3, 5; 1 Kings 11:7-8; 12:26-31; Num. 33:52. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)
B. The way to be restored from desolation is to exalt Christ; the enjoyment of Christ with God on the ground of oneness can be maintained and preserved only when Christ is properly appreciated and exalted by God’s people. (2008 ITERO-S, msg. 2)