(Numbers 4:16.)
Eleazar, the third son of Aaron, and the one who takes up the office of priesthood after the death of Nadab and Abihu, brings in for us the thought of resurrection. The service connected with his office typifies that service of Christ as Priest in resurrection. Eleazar has the oversight of the tabernacle, both holy and most holy places; and so Christ is the minister of the holy places and of the true tabernacle of which Israel's was the type (Heb. 8:2). So, also, Christ is Head over all things to the Church:they are all put under His feet.
" And to the office of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, pertain to the oil for the light." The golden lamp stand presents to us Christ in the glory of resurrection; for the bud, flower and fruit of the almond, the emblem of resurrection in Aaron's rod that budded, cover it. Upon its seven branches are placed the lamps from which the light shines which is thrown upon the lamp stand itself. These lamps give us a picture of the saints united to Christ, and borne up by Him in resurrection glory before God, just as these lamps are made part of and are supported by the lamp stand. The oil in these lamps which give the light is the Holy Spirit who indwells every saint of God, and through whom alone that light comes which, shining, reveals somewhat of Christ's glory. It is olive oil, beaten,-that is, made pure,-which gives the light. The word here used for pure, in the original, is from a root "to bruise or break in pieces." The oil is therefore that which is of the Spirit in the saint, and coming from him as light to the glory of Christ, as a result of the bruising and breaking of love's discipline, by which we are conformed to the image of Christ and made partakers of His holiness. In this way God "has shone in our hearts" by the giving of the Spirit; and this is "for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Part, then, of the work of Christ as our great High Priest who has passed through the heavens pertain to the oil for the light.
Is it not His tender ministry and gracious care which secure for us the work of sanctification and discipline, through which the bruising and breaking of all that which is contrary to His holy mind and will is accomplished, so that as a result there will be the pure oil olive to give forth the light which is thrown on Christ Himself to show forth His glory ? This surely is always the object of the Spirit in us, and through us to magnify and glorify Him.
May we, through God's grace, more fully submit to His tending to the oil for the light in us, that we may be bright testimonies to Him.
The second thing is "the sweet incense." In this we have the fragrance of Christ for God. It was Eleazar's duty to see that there was always sweet incense for the offerings. This incense is the fragrance of Christ as offered by His priestly people to God. It is Christ in the activities of His priestly office who draws from the saint that sweet incense of praise that goes up as a sweet odor of Christ, a perpetual delight to God. That which draws forth praise and worship of this sort is surely the making known of Himself to the heart and soul; and this will be according to the measure we permit Him to reveal Himself to us; and, accordingly, great or small will be the measure of our incense offering. " If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him " (John 14:23). The praise and incense of our hearts is drawn forth by the knowing of Himself. His priestly service is ever to maintain us in the enjoyment of communion and fellowship, from the realization of which flow praise and worship. Here His advocacy comes in, and the blessed provision in it for us.
We next have "the daily meat offering" pertaining to Eleazar's office. The prescription for this offering is "a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil" (Ex. 29:40); The fine flour speaks to us of the perfect humanity of Christ. The oil is the symbol of the Spirit in Him, and with whom God sealed Him as perfect. Under the hand of Christ, in resurrection-priesthood, is the ministry of what this implies for us. We see Christ in this offering, the perfect second Man, replacing for God all of the first and old creation. But if we are to participate in the blessing of this, much must be accomplished. So it is only through His death that the way is found. Resurrection, of necessity, must come in, or His death would not avail; there would be no witness from God of its acceptance. Those, then, who find their place in participation in His death, are carried through, in Him, into resurrection, and are administered an entrance, as partakers with Him, into new creation and its attendant blessings, of which He is the Head and Source, as this offering under the ministry of Eleazar's office typifies. It is in resurrection, as the First-born from among the dead, that the ministry to us of the blessing of new creation, Himself the second Man, its Head, comes under His hand. How much the entrance of these things into our hearts means for us! Separation from all that which is of the old, and induction into the glorious new-participation in the meal-offering given us by our heavenly Priest! In this also is to be found the food for our souls; for all we have and shall be is bound up in participation with Christ in new creation; His every glory is linked with it. May we feed more on this precious food!
Finally, "the anointing oil." This brings in the thought of sanctification, separation to Himself, and holiness. This is, of course, the work of the Spirit; therefore the oil is used. This likewise is connected with Christ in resurrection. It is the glorifying of Christ which brings down the Spirit to dwell in the believer. He it is who is the " Spirit of Truth," who does not speak of Himself, but will guide us into all truth. The work of sanctification is by the truth (John 17:17), and it is the Spirit who alone can minister it in such a way that this end shall be accomplished. "He shall receive of Mine, and show it unto you" (John 16:14), and Christ declares that all things are His. We have a great High Priest over the house of God, under whose hand all things have been put, and who orders all in connection with that house. Of these things He gives to the Spirit, and they constitute the truth, the revelation, His Word; the Spirit is to impart it to us, and by it we are to be sanctified. We are chosen therefore by God "from the beginning to salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth " (2 Thess. 2:13-J- n. d.). Thus the anointing oil is under the hand of our Eleazar also.
May we, through His all-sufficient grace, seek to walk in such a way that the Spirit shall not be grieved, but shall be able to minister to our souls the precious truth which sanctifies and separates us to our blessed Lord!
How blessed the fulness of that provision made for the saints of God in the priesthood of Christ! The more we lay hold of what has been done for us in God's infinite love, the more we realize what Christ is in glory for us at God's right hand, the deeper will be the work in our hearts, so that the light shall shine forth, the sweet incense of praise go up before the throne; and then that glory shall be entered into by us which is ours in participation with Christ in the meal-offering character; finally, the blessed work of sanctification will be wrought out in us to the praise of the glory of His grace-all the fruit of His loving ministry as our Priest. J. B. Jr.