The Unsearchable Riches of Christ # 36

The Riches of His Glory: The Pathway of the Glory (continued)

What Is the Pathway of His Glory? (continued)

You remember David and the Ark of the testimony? David had the best motives concerning the Ark, and the Ark is always the Ark of the glory. Remember that it is always the Ark of the glory. The glory of Israel is focused upon and centered in that Ark. David with the purest and best of motives thought of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem, and he mistakenly formed a new cart after the Philistine manner. Upon this new car he put the Ark. This was contrary to the Divine Word on how to bring the Ark back to Jerusalem; because, according to the Law of God, only the Levites were to carry the Ark upon their shoulders. Apparently they were having a very good time on the road until they reached the threshing floor. Then the oxen stumbled, and Uzza put forth his hand to the Ark of God, and took hold of it, the Lord smote him there for his error; and there he died by the Ark of God. Then the Ark was turned aside into the house of Obed-edom for a period of time (1 Chron. 13:1-14; 2 Samuel 6:1-15).

Man had put his hand on Divine things.  When the glory of life, the glory of joy, the glory of spiritual fullness, the glory of Divine power departs, and comes under a shadow, or is eclipsed or limited, it is usually because man's hand has touched the testimony. Man's nature has insinuated itself - that is, his judgment, his ideas, his thoughts, his will, his emotions - into this matter. David's mind got to work, David's emotions got to work and it was a very emotional scene. David's will got to work, so that his soul, mind, heart and will came out to touch Divine things. It was of man. And whenever it is like that, if our judgments and our emotions and our decisions lay hold of the things of God, we will be left without the glory. The glory will depart, or the glory will be under eclipse, or the glory will be limited. Yes, it is a long story, as it began in Genesis: "Lest he put forth his hand."

Well, that is the dark side, but it is well that we took a glance at that side, because that is so largely the trouble today. There is an absence of the glory, or a limiting of the glory, and our hearts are crying out for the glory  to return. We are always praying that the glory of the Lord may be manifested, we are always asking the Lord that the glory might be known and felt. But, you see, we have got to get out of the way before that can be! We must give the Lord all the place in order for that to happen. It has  to be all the Lord.

So, on the one side, there are the limiting human abilities and powers of mind and will. On the other side, through that limiting or excluding of that natural human element, there is the coming in of our Lord, the increase of Christ, because then Christ is our wisdom, Christ is our strength, Christ is our will, Christ is our ALL. Dear friends, that is the pathway of the glory. And that pathway is painful to the flesh, very painful, because this flesh is very strong, much stronger than we would believe, yet it is there.

~T. Austin-Sparks~

(continued with # 37)