| The Christian Life | September 1945 |
Revealing His Glory
Over Against the Candlestick
“And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.”—Numbers 8:1,2
HOW often the Christian finds, as he studies his Bible, that some apparently unimportant statement has attached to it a great depth of meaning. Such is the case with the words of our text. These instructions concerning the lamps have a much deeper significance to us than they had to Aaron. “These things … are written for our admonition,” says the apostle. They are a great help as we endeavor to walk even as Jesus walked.—I Cor. 10:11
In Exodus 25:31-37, the candlestick is described. It was a beautiful piece of work. The lamps were so arranged that every lamp would shed its light upon the shaft to show its beauty. The branches that supported the lamps depended for support upon the shaft, and the light was calling attention to the shaft that supported them.
Bible students know that the tabernacle and its service were “a shadow of good things to come.” (Heb. 10:1) If the office of lighting the lamps is but. a shadow, let us see if we can understand the typical lesson. We are informed by the apostle in I Peter 2:9, that we are to show forth His marvelous light. And again in Romans 14:8, Paul says, “Whether we live, we live unto the Lord.”
In Revelation 1:12,13,20, we read, “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot.” The following explanation was given to the apostle: “The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”
“This is a beautiful picture of Christ and His church. Every true Christian is a “light bearer.” “Ye are the light of the world,” said Jesus. (Matt. 5:14) Alas, how very few professing Christians there are today who are lights! Those who are really Christians, are shown in the picture of the candlestick in the tabernacle. The lamps were so arranged that they were not to glorify themselves, but the shaft; so the Christian is not to live to glorify himself but Christ. “We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord.”—II Cor. 4:5
We see this illustrated in the life of the apostles. In Acts 3:1-16, we read of Peter and John healing the man born lame. “All the people” were inclined to worship Peter and John because of this miracle performed by Peter, but he denied that the healing was by their own power or holiness, saying it was by “the faith” which is by Christ, whom they had crucified.—Verses 12 and 16
Again in Acts 14:8-18, after healing the man wholly impotent, the people attempted to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, whom they thought to be gods come among them. But Paul and Barnabas would accept none of their devotions. Instead they told the people of the great God who could do even greater things.
In Acts 16:16-18, we learn that the apostles would not receive praise from the devils. They desired that their light should shine over against the candlestick only. They wanted Christ to be glorified.
Wherever the light of the true Christian shines it will give a testimonial to Christ. It never seeks to draw attention to itself, but always to Christ. One of the finest evidences of a Christian is that always, in all that he is and does, he seeks to glorify Christ. Like those lamps, he is ever revealing the glory of the shaft. He shows that the light he is revealing is not only founded on Christ, but maintained by Him.
What a picture those lamps reveal to us! The shaft, (Christ) sustains the lamps. The priest (Christ) supplies the oil (the Holy Spirit). The priest lights the lamps and removes the dross that would hinder them from burning brightly. This is what Paul meant when he said, “For me to live is Christ!” (Phil. 1:21) It is all of Christ, to Christ and by Christ.
The Christian’s life is a life of service, but the service must be done to God’s glory. All service done in Christ’s name is not acceptable to Him. Matthew 7:22 reads: “Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?” But the Lord will profess to them, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” These were doing work in Christ’s name and yet He says they were workers of iniquity. If our service is not done wholly to glorify Christ we may be sure that either it is our flesh or the influence of the world or the Adversary asserting itself.
There may be much of so-called service done, and seemingly great results accomplished, yet the motive may be to attract attention and applause. There may be great accomplishments in the eyes of men and yet not a ray of light shines from what is represented by the golden candlestick. Why is this? It is because attention is called to the work or to those engaged in the work, and not to Christ. Personalities and human teachings are stressed instead of Christ. The light is not produced by the oil which the hand of the great High Priest supplies, hence it is not the light of the golden candlestick.
There can be no light if there is no oil, and there can be no true teaching without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Any light that shines over against a man as such and not as a servant of the Most High is not glorifying Christ. The seven lamps which give light over against the candlestick were not lighted merely to show how beautiful they were, but they were lighted so that they might illuminate the shaft and the holy of the tabernacle.
What Is a Christian?
Does being a Christian mean how much gain one can get for himself out of following Christ? That might be commendable to the extent that it is the spiritual blessings he seeks. If, therefore, we are following Christ, these spiritual blessings should be our portion. This is beautifully i1lustrated in the peace offering, where God and Christ and the offerer are participants in the sacrifice. Hence we should expect to enjoy these fruits of our Christian experience—love and joy and peace. But the Christian life means more than being recipients of His favor.
We are not to ask for nor should we expect material things in exchange for our service to God. Being a Christian, it is not a question of how much we can get, but how much we can give. Neither is it how much we can do, but how much Christ can do in and through and with us. Our Lord revealed what life meant to Him when He said, “I come to do Thy will, O God;” “I delight to do Thy will.” “I do always those things that please Him,” My Father. (Psa. 40:8; Heb. 10:9; John 8:29) When He had about finished His work, He said, “I have glorified Thee.” (John 17:4) He so glorified God that He could say, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.”—John 14:9
As we study the life of the Master, we note how it was filled with those rare virtues which characterized Him as different from all others. What caused these rare virtues to be so abundant in His life? It was because He had continual access to the great source of all these virtues. All these virtues were filled with the rich fragrance of perfect fellowship with God, from whom the virtue flowed.
We have access to the same source and because of this, from our lives should flow the same virtues; not in the same abundance of sweetness that they flowed from Christ because of our weak, imperfect vessels, but flow they should. So, as our beloved Master lived to the glory of the Father, we should live to the glory of Christ and the Father. This is the real objective of every true Christian.
Christian Joys
We have heard it said of some who have been successful in their ventures, amassed considerable wealth, and attained much fame, that they got all there was out of life. To a certain extent, this may be commendable provided it is merited. However, the Christian is not depending on earthly things for his joy because his chief joy is in Christ Jesus his Lord and his partnership and fellowship with Him and others of like precious faith. He can truly sing,
“What, though created streams run dry,
I have the fountain, still.”
Jesus said, “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15) To get all there is out of life we may be robbing some one else; but if we put something worth while into life, we not only enrich ourselves, but we bless other lives. And if we are His, above all we will glorify Christ. If we put Christ in our life, we can say, “For me to live is Christ.” This means that we are living our lives to the glory of God and His Christ.
In Washington there is a beautiful memorial to Abraham Lincoln. The lights are so arranged that the figure of Lincoln stands out in bold relief. The lights are adjusted to do this. So with Christians. Their lives should be so ordered that they will reveal the likeness of Christ very clearly. Let us consider carefully, seriously, these words: “See that they give light over against the candlestick”—see that our lives are devoted wholly to Christ’s glory.
This truth is illustrated to us in another way. Jesus said that the terms of discipleship were, first, self-denial; second, cross-bearing; and third, obedience. (Matt. 16:24) We cannot be followers of Christ until we come to the place from which He started. When, through faith in the blood of Jesus, demonstrated by full consecration, we have been justified, then we can truly follow Him. Let us see how this is pictured in the tabernacle: There were two curtains. The first was called the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and, the second, the veil. This “door” pictures the death of the human will—the terms of discipleship. When we have passed this door we have entered into a new experience. Everything is changed. “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
The one who has come into this condition ceases longer to trust in the mind of the flesh. He submits himself to the mind of Christ, the will of God. From this new standpoint, as he looks straight ahead, “looking unto Jesus,” he sees the second veil, with its beautiful, in-worked, embroidered cherubim. Looking steadfastly at these cherubim, they should influence him to realize it as his dwelling place, and their beauty should be his inspiration. The things they picture should develop the peaceable fruits of righteousness in his rife. He should become Christlike. As the passing of the first curtain shows his consecration—the acceptance of the terms of discipleship—the passing of the second means the fulfilling of those terms faithfully unto death.—Rev. 2:10
In the holy of the tabernacle there were three pieces of furniture, and their location is significant. These represent the same class in three distinct phases of their lives as Christians. These are the lampstand, the table and the golden altar. The lampstand was located on the south side of the holy. North represents the heavenly side and we might think of the south as the earthly side. Because the lampstand is on the south side does not mean that that which it represents is earthly, but it might show it rather as recognized from the earthly viewpoint.
The apostle says we are judged “according to men in the flesh [that is, how outsiders regard us], but live according to God in the spirit.” (I Pet. 4:6) Does the world see us who have named the name of Christ, holding Him forth? Every one of these lamps has a wick through which oil must flow in order to give light. This represents the humanity of the Christian and the oil represents the Holy Spirit. Now, as the Christian allows the Holy Spirit to operate in his life, a light is produced that shines to glorify Christ.
But in the process of giving light carbon is produced that would interfere with the lamps’ bright shining, so the priest must trim the wicks. So as we follow on to know Christ, there is evidence in our lives oftentimes of certain things that would hinder our being bright lights. The more clearly we see Christ, the more do we recognize our defects. Then experiences, sometimes painful, must be utilized by the High Priest of our profession to remove the carbon—the defects.
The Apostle Paul rejoiced to have such experiences. We, too, should glory in tribulation, knowing that “tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.”—Rom. 5:3-5
The Bible may also serve to clear away the dross. It is sometimes likened to water that washes us clean—the “washing of water by the Word.” (Eph. 5:26) Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through Thy truth.” (John 17:17) Both by God’s Word and by the experiences of life we are made to shine more brightly that we may glorify God in our bodies and spirits which are His. (I Cor. 6:20) This, then, is the purpose of our life as Christians—to so live that we may show forth the glory of God and of Christ to shine “over against the candlestick.”