The church pictured in O.T. brides

Let us turn together please to Genesis, chapter 2 of the book of Genesis. I would like to notice a little from the Old Testament how God is speaking of a situation that he is not going to reveal to the New Testament, but he does so typically. And it is very, very interesting because he's going to use five different brides in the Old Testament to picture the church as the Bride of Christ.

That title of course, the Bride of Christ, is only spoken of in the book of the Revelation. When the church is glorified, she is called the Bride of Christ. That's very, very interesting.

It is very different from what he speaks of when speaking of the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel in the Old Testament is called the wife of Jehovah, and she divorced herself from Jehovah by her own actions. In Isaiah, chapter 50, we read of that, but she will be taken back again by the Lord through a covenant of grace, not through the covenant of the law.

And Jeremiah, chapter 31, and Hebrews, chapter 8, deal with that covenant relative to the restoration and the future millennial blessing of Israel. But it's this bride, and it's very interesting how God never uses a bride in the Old Testament to typify Israel. He uses trees, he uses a vine, or he uses an olive tree, and he also uses a fig tree.

And sometimes, in fact on two occasions, he's going to liken Israel to children, little spoiled brats. That's the way he's looking at them. And he speaks of them with names that are very, very meaningful, about their being spoiled and being disobedient.

But when it comes to the church, beloved, he's going to use these five different women as pictures for us. Typically speaking, they're going to represent to us what the church should be practically for her husband. Now, the ones we're going to notice, I'm just going to mention the bridegroom himself, because that is the important thing, because her works and all her attitudes and all her motives must be out of her appreciation of the bridegroom.

The first one, of course, that we're looking at is Adam, and the second one that we're going to be looking at is Rebecca. As we come to the, pardon me, chapter 24, and then we're going to look at Asenath, the wife of Joseph, in chapter 45, and then the wife of Solomon in 1st Kings, and finally we're going to come back to the book of Ruth, and notice Ruth as the wife, the bride of Boaz. So each of those men are picturing the Lord Jesus in a character of office that he fills today, and we who are saved by his grace, members of the body of Christ of the church, we find that there's a responsibility of response to the Lord Jesus in that office.

When we think of Adam, it is headship and lordship. Adam was not only head with Eve, but he is lord of the garden. And furthermore, when we come to the second one, where we're going to be looking at Rebecca, we notice it is Isaac the son.

He is the heir, and furthermore, we find he is a picture of our beloved Lord in resurrection glory, and Rebecca has a position of responsibility in response to Isaac. And then we come to Asenath, and of course it is dear Joseph. He is called the savior, and Asenath is to be fruitful for the savior in very critical times, and there is to be a response there, even though she is an Egyptian.

And it is the same with Solomon. Solomon is the king of peace. He likens our Lord Jesus in the time of millennial glory for Israel, but he is for us the king of peace.

And his wife, taken by grace out of Egypt from the king of Egypt, she is brought into the wonderful kingdom of the reign of Solomon, and by grace she is to manifest her submissiveness to the king of peace. And finally, we want to notice for a little concerning Boaz, the mighty man of wealth. He is the kinsman redeemer, and the fruitfulness of that union by Ruth.

And so, dearly beloved, younger ones and older ones, we are linked with the glory and the person of our Lord Jesus in a very unique and singular relationship. Israel's relationship was by covenant, and they failed. Our relationship with him is a relationship of life, indivisible, and we praise God for that.

It is marvelous because we are so imperfect in our practical manners, so often we realize that, not willing sinfulness, but just lack of what we ought to be, and a lack of development that we might be. And so instead of talking, let's read. And I'm talking too much.

I'm looking upon this thing that I do wish to try and notice a little with you. But I'm going to back up for just one more minute, because particularly for my beloved younger brethren, and your wives, and some of you who are not married and hope to be, let me point out to you that you are very important to us, because you, my younger brethren, are going to be the Bible-reading leaders. You're going to be the teachers of God's assembly, and that is a heavy responsibility for you.

It's not just sitting and going back and forth over a verse. God wants you to understand and be a teacher of his will, and be able to feed and help the people of God, and we fail grossly in that, and we do desire that you will grow and be useful. But what I want to point out to you is that there is, in different areas, there's a saying that seems to be creeping in because of literature that's being read, and men who are being listened to outside of God's assembly, and they're linking the church on to Israel.

The church is an extension of Israel, and they point to the Lord's Supper and say, you can see that right there, why the Lord's Supper is just an extension of the Passover. That is very, very wrong teaching, and what I want to try and notice with you today is the distinction that the Lord makes between Israel and the church, because there is a definite distinction. The one is earthly, and her hope is earthly.

The other is heavenly in nature, and her hope is heavenly. Furthermore, one is governed by prophecy, and the church is not governed by prophecy. So there is no connection between the two, other than the fact that as Romans chapter 15 teaches us, the gospel came to the Gentiles from the Jews.

What that means very simply is that our Lord Jesus Christ was born in the nation of Israel, and through Israel, therefore, the gospel is brought to the world. But the fruit of that gospel, in this day, from Pentecost onward, is not an extension of Israel. So if you read such things, whatever you do, be careful, dear younger brethren and younger sisters, to test it and ask questions about it, because you will find that the next thing that's going to lead you to is to try and think that the rapture of the church is going to be after a time of purification in the first half of the tribulation.

A lot of nonsense. Cannot be. It's total contradiction of the truth, because the church is absolutely holy, spiritual.

It needs no purging. It is indivisible in its nature, spiritual, and it is heavenly. So that's enough.

Let's go and look at Adam and Eve, if you will, first of all, in Genesis chapter 2. I want to notice the character of the bride in their relationship with the bridegroom. Chapter 2 of the book of Genesis, and we will just read, please, verse 18. Perhaps I should read verse 15.

The Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. Verse 18. And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone.

I will make him and help meet for him. That's a very beautiful statement, and we see that Eve is going to be a joint heir with Adam in this garden. Verse 21.

The Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof, and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman and brought her unto the man. Now turn, please, to the second one in chapter 24. We will look at Rebecca.

This is a very beautiful story and a good gospel story concerning Rebecca. Verse 58 of chapter 24. And they called Rebecca and said unto her, wilt thou go with this man, that is the servant of Abraham and of Isaac? And she said, I will go.

And they sent away Rebecca their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. Verse 61. And Rebecca arose and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels and followed the man.

And the servant took Rebecca and went his way. And Isaac came from the way of the well to Heroi, for he dwelt in the south country. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide, and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.

And Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel, for she had sit unto the servant, what man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, it is my master. Therefore she took a veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

Now chapter 41, please. Chapter 41 of Genesis, and verse 45. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnath-peh-neh, and he gave him to wife Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar, priest of On.

And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt. Verse 50. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar, a priest of On, bear unto him.

And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, for God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's house. And the name of the second called Ephraim, for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. Now first Kings, please, in chapter 3, and verse 1. And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

Verse 3, and Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. Now finally, please, in the book of Ruth, and we will read in chapter 4. Verse 13 of the fourth chapter of Ruth, So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife, and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age. For thy daughter-in-law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

And the women, her neighbors, gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi, and they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. And that's one of the main reasons for this book, that verse.

He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. That's a very beautiful purpose in the life of dear Ruth, the Moabitish girl. Marvelous what God had in mind for that dear girl.

Likewise for us, dearly beloved, saved by sovereign grace. Let me notice with you then, in this connection, these five different brides that we have brought before us here. And I do want you to notice that in each one of them, we're looking at something that is practical.

It's not just the fact that they were brought together, and there they are, bridegroom and bride. Marvelous. And in each one of these cases, we notice that it is not the ultimate that's in view.

It is the practical, and the fruit of that practical, which we have in each one of these cases. First of all, let me note with you, as we noticed in chapter 2 concerning Eve. God says she is to be and help meet for him.

Beloved Saints, when we ponder the spiritual character of those words in New Testament language, and help meet for him. Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, seated in the majesty of the right hand of the throne of God, a glorified man. He is there without his helper, but she is here.

And there will be a day when she will be complete, and glorified with him. And this is the idea of being and help meet. She will be a filling out of the glory of his persons, and of the sphere of his work and his reign.

And that's what we have here in this passage, and it is a practical work. God has said concerning Adam, he put him in the garden to dress it and to keep it. That is what Eve was intended to be for Adam.

To be a co-heir with him, but likewise to be involved in this garden. Dear brothers and dear sisters, it is marvelous to think that when I turn to the New Testament and see an assembly of believers gathered unto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know the ultimate that God has in mind for that? Is the picture of a paradise.

Or you say that's impossible. Well it is as long as I'm there. I realize that, but this is the point that God has in mind.

He designed it. He planted it. He wants me to keep it.

He is the Lord of the garden, and he is the head of the bride. You and I beloved, as we see in Ephesians chapter 5, the character of the bride to the husband, to her bridegroom, is subjection. Now that word subjection does not mean beaten down, cowed down, and go around like a dummy.

Not at all. The point is she's dependent upon him because he is head. From him is drawn the wisdom.

From him is drawn the ability, helping to govern in that garden. And beloved saints, God's assembly is a beautiful garden. There is no parallel to it amongst the denominations of man.

And I say that not to be critical of whatever is being happening. There are God's people in many places. But brethren, the design of the garden, of the assembly of believers gathered unto the name, the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, is divinely planted.

It's a divine design, and it's beautiful. The order of it is beautiful. One of the clearest orders that you will have of what God sees an assembly of God to be is 1 Corinthians.

Because the character of it in the first three chapters is unity in that garden. That's what he wants to see. And that's what Eve is going to be responsible for with Adam.

Now we know they failed. I'm not looking at the failure and the fall of Adam and Eve. But we're looking at the garden and the relationship of Eve to the headship and the lordship of Adam in that garden.

And if I had time, I would love to go through the epistle to the Corinthians with you as to the manner that the order is laid out. Because he's going to set everything in order before he ever tells them about a meeting. No meetings until the order.

And brethren, that is what God is looking at in the assemblies which are planted. Some of them are small, and some are larger. And you dear younger folk who are here, the assembly of God is not a place for whatever I want to do idea.

We're Eve. We're to be looking to our head. We're to be drawing from him the wisdom as well as direction and dependence because he is Lord.

And that is what we see in Adam and Eve in that garden. Let me note with you the main purpose of that garden, that God might communicate with them in that garden. God is finding a personal delight in the very garden that he planted.

And as he puts Adam there, a type of our Lord Jesus, is Lord in that garden. It is his pleasure to communicate in that place of revelation of the glory and the wisdom of God. So when we are thinking of the different meetings in God's assembly, the character of the breaking of bread, and the operation of the priesthood, that's all the order, beloved.

And priesthood is one of the best manners for believers to develop. If we are not in the working and in the submission to the teaching of priesthood, we're going to sit like a bump in the log. We're not going to develop.

There's no area of development. But priesthood is that which is going to involve the handling of divine truth. It's going to be the delivery of that truth.

And furthermore, it's going to be the carrying out of its order. That's priesthood. Offering it unto God.

Priestly character of functioning in the house of God. Take the Old Testament as your picture. Take the first Peter chapter 2 again, and you'll see the statements, and it helps us to see how Eve is picturing for us the assembly of God in practical nature, in subjection to the head and to the Lord.

In the second one, that we notice with Rebekah. Rebekah's association with Isaac is dependent upon a servant. And that servant, the unnamed servant here, is a type of the person of the Spirit of God.

And where we find those different servants in the Old Testament who are used by God and used by men of God, and yet their name is not given, that's a characteristic of the Holy Spirit. He is there, and he is working, and his name is not going to be brought into the prominence, but he is always there. And what we find with Rebekah is, she's learning submission to the teaching and to the guidance of that servant.

And dear beloved, our blessed Lord Isaac, the heir, the son, the one who is seen in resurrection glory, we are representing him in our world in assembly testimony. And one of the best ways that we can get to know him in the activities of the assembly, in the works that we've been hearing of, is submissiveness to the Holy Spirit of God. I turn to 1st Corinthians for that teaching.

When it comes to Eve, let me just give you an epistle for each one of these, just for your meditation and study. Eve is the epistle to the Romans, because you're going to begin in chapter 12, and you're going to see the garden in its order. And one of the main themes from chapter 12 through to chapter 16 is the unity of order in that garden.

That's what's in each chapter. Chapter 12, you go down it, you'll see the unity between the believers and their ministry. And in chapter 13, we see relationships between believers.

Chapter 14 and 15 and 16, there is even the letter of commendation relative to the unity of fellowship. So Romans is to be looked at when you're thinking of Eve. But 1st Corinthians is what we have when we're looking at submissiveness to the person of the Spirit.

Let me point out to you four areas in 1st Corinthians that we find a necessity for being submissive. And that that is not only the idea, brethren, of bowing to. That is a privilege, and it is a moral responsibility to bow to the holy, divine person of the Spirit of God.

He indwells me, He owns me. And in God's assembly, He is the energy, and He is the wisdom. And we find four areas.

Let me leave them with you, for I must hasten and leave good time for somebody. Anyway, meant to somebody else, of my beloved brethren, my preaching brethren. Prayer.

You know, prayer does not require a gift, brethren, but it does require sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. It's not saying a prayer. Younger brother, on the Lord's Day morning, you at home prepare.

That's how the Spirit of God leads. It's not some churning in your stomach. That's just because you're nervous.

And we all have that. That's not the guidance of the divine person. It's the material that you have that He's going to use.

And if you're not getting the material, how can He lead you? It's His material. It's His Word and meditation therein. It's that which the Spirit of God will give you that desire and exercise to give it unto the bridegroom.

Give it unto our Isaac. Give to him like dear Rebecca did, as she veiled herself. Who is this? Ah, to know more of that blessed one.

And as she sees and hears of him in her fellowshipping with the servant, she presents herself to him veiled. So also shall we. The second area is in gift.

And of course, that's a wide area of thought. We think of gift and we think, well, you know, there's a man, he's really gifted. I think sometimes, beloved, we misinterpret the idea of a gift.

It's really a spiritual enablement. Therefore, it's not going to make a hero out of a man. It's going to make him a servant.

That's the difference. It's an enablement that makes a man and a sister a servant. Because that's what it's for.

He's going to show us in the twelfth chapter that it's like a body. My ears are servants. My eyes are servants.

My hands are servants. For what purpose? For the edification of the body. And that is what the assembly is looked like in that chapter, likened unto.

It is Rebecca. And she's sensitive to the teaching of the servant in the gift. And then it comes as well when we look in that passage to the public handling of the scriptures, the preaching.

And we find that there are three things in that connection. But let me just point this out to you. We need to be sensitive to the divine person of the Holy Spirit in publicly handling the word of God.

Beloved, this platform, I say it kindly and I say it carefully, it's a sanctified place. It's not in any men ministry. And an oversight of God's assembly has every responsibility in their sensitivity to the guidance of the Spirit.

He has given the abilities. That's what you're to recognize. It's not an any man ministry.

Don't believe that. And you younger men, may I say to you kindly, learn, it's not you getting up to have a preach. It's God giving you something to feed God's people with.

That's what the spirit of God does. That's his leading when it comes to the public handling of the Holy Scriptures. And the other thing in that passage, as well, is the fellowship between believers.

The spirit of God is very careful that fellowship between believers should be in subjection and sensitivity to the spirit of God because we are different personalities. And I know I rub people the wrong way. I know that and I don't like it, but I do.

And I seek their grace and you rub me the wrong way, some of you do. And I have, you know, that's personalities. I don't hold that against you.

I hope you don't hold it against me. The spirit of God would teach me that each of them have their place and quality for an area of usefulness that not everybody has. That's an interesting thing.

So you would have an area of usefulness that I don't have. And I may have an area that I can be useful in that you wouldn't be able to touch. That is the teaching of the spirit of God, beloved.

That's Rebecca learning from the servant and her sensitivity to his teaching. Who is this man? And such was the character of what she learned from that servant. She did not act brazen.

She didn't just take it to be, well, you know, that's just another man, so that's just another one. No, she veiled herself. In all subjection and in all respect and with chastity, she veiled herself to present herself to her beloved.

Oh, beloved saints, may that be the spirit of God's assembly in sensitivity to the guidance and help of the spirit of God. And let me just add one thing, if I may. When there is a problem arises, and I don't like talking about problems, but problems do arise.

Can I say, my dearly beloved, wait on the spirit of God. Pray and pray and pray. Don't move on rash decisions.

That divine person is all wise. He loves the assembly more than we do. Wait, pray, trust that divine person when it comes to the handling of decisions in God's assembly.

Chapter, or yes, chapter, Asenath. When we come to Asenath, we have here, of course, a woman that's taken from Potiphar and given to dear Joseph in a time of blessing as well as a time of responsibility. But the thing that God is going to bear out to us is the two children.

Because these two children, the fruit of this union, are going to be in the twelve tribes of Israel. God has given Joseph these two boys from Asenath. And therefore, it is the responsibility of fruitfulness.

Now, fruitfulness in our lives, beloved, and fruitfulness of gospel work are two different things. Fruitfulness of gospel work, as we've been hearing this afternoon, is the fruit of the gospel, not my fruit. That's the fruit of the gospel.

The gospel has its own power. And the gospel is the work of God. And that's the fruit of it.

But the other fruit, the fruit of the assembly, as pictured in Asenath, is the bearing forth of children whom God will be able to use and going to bring them into responsibility. That's what he's looking for. And so there is the responsibility relative to our character of intimacy with him that bears likeness to him in our children.

That is the children in the assembly. That's what we have with these two, because Joseph is giving expression to his experience in these two sons. And that is what he wishes, to give expression to, beloved, in God's people in the assembly, what they represent of him to the world and even to his brethren.

So Asenath is very important as to her relationship with Joseph. And you and I, in God's assembly, dearly beloved, we are to bear likeness to our Joseph. And we are to so teach divine truth that likeness to Joseph will be in the children.

That is what God is expecting as he sees the picture here. He's delighted to see others like the Savior, even his beloved Joseph. And we turn to Solomon and we see the daughter of the king of Egypt is brought in by grace.

And I mentioned the different epistles, I'm sorry I'm so forgetful, but in Asenath we have the epistle to the Philippians. Because in the Philippian epistle, every chapter is drawing from the Lord Jesus. In chapter one, I must not take time to go over all of these, but let me point out to you that in each chapter there's a relationship with the Lord Jesus that is going to bear likeness to him.

In the first chapter, it's love for the gospel, just like him. In chapter two, it's his mind. And in chapter three, it says it's likeness to his death.

And in chapter four, it's strength from him, drawing strength from him. It is the Lord Jesus who is the answer. And that's what you have in Asenath.

And that's what bears likeness unto their father, even unto Joseph. When we come to the daughter of Egypt with Solomon, we have the epistle to the Colossians. Because in Solomon, we have the days of peace and the days of riches.

When I turn to the Colossian epistle, I see Solomon in chapter one. Ah yes, he who is the image of God, the invisible made visible. In the person of our Lord Jesus, in preeminence, fullness, singularity, is pointed out about his person, in his glories, as he is in sovereignty, supremacy.

That's chapter one. And when I turn to chapter two, I see the daughter of Egypt is linked with him. And when we'll come into chapter three, we see them together.

And that's what we have in this passage here. And when we see this king, this girl, who was taken from the king of Egypt, a total outsider, grace is going to transform this woman into the heir and reigning with dear Solomon in that time. And can I notice with you that there are three things that are going to mark her because this is the woman that Solomon speaks of in the Song of Solomon.

He's in love with her and she's in love with him and that's what's going to mark her. You find three things in the Song of Solomon. She's a worshiper of Solomon.

And again, when we move through that little book, you will find that she's always seeking his company. She wants his company. Sad to say, there was one occasion when she missed him, but she wept over it and she went out into the dark to find him.

She wanted his company. And the third thing that you find about him very beautifully is her loyalty to him. There's another suitor there, but no, she's not interested.

There's only one. Ah, dearly beloved, that is God's assembly of people who are in love with their beloved Lord because of who he is, because of his greatness, because of his love for her. Her heart is one.

God help every one of us, beloved. It's not ourselves to be in love with. Don't be in love with yourself.

It comes out when you talk. Comes out even sometimes when you pray. You always have to mention yourself.

Humbug. It's not yourself we want to hear, beloved. It's him.

The king in his glory. And she speaks so laughterly of that blessed one. In fact, she uses a word that's only used once in the whole Bible.

And it's about her beloved. She says, he is the chiefest. That's the only time in the whole of 66 books that word is ever used.

He is the chiefest. Ah, dearly beloved. May the Lord Jesus be that unto us in every meeting.

He is the chiefest among 10,000. He is the banner bearer. He is the one who stands out in the front.

He's the one for whom all the banners are aligned. Our blessed, glorious Lord Jesus Christ. God rebuke me that I am not more in love with him as I ought to be.

He is altogether lovely. She looks at his head. She looks to his feet.

She says he's incomparable. He's the chiefest. That's the king, the queen brought in by grace.

That should be the character of God's assembly. And finally, as we notice in Dear Ruth, purchased by the Redeemer. This links with the epistle to the Ephesians, because in each chapter, we find that Ruth is acting in a realm that belongs to Boaz.

That's the Ephesian epistle. Even in chapter one, it's really a very beautiful thing in chapter one of Ruth. Ruth comes into Palestine, comes into Canaan at the time of the Passover.

She's never seen a Passover in her life before. Probably heard about it from Naomi, but never seen one. But she came in the barley harvest right at the time for the first fruits.

She's going to see a lamb slain for the first time in her life. The very area of introduction to Boaz. And right through that book, each chapter is the actions taking place in the heavenlies.

Exactly, brethren, that's what God's assembly should be. It has to do with bringing the things which are heavenly into the practical. And that's what we have in Ruth.

And of course, the fruit of it is, as we've mentioned, in chapter four, after she has realized the redeeming grace and power of dear Boaz, it's a David that's in view, putting the king in the forefront, bringing the king in. Beloved, that is what the assembly as God is intended to do through the love of her Redeemer. Boaz is the kinsman, Redeemer, the mighty man of wealth, a beautiful figure to look at.

He's our blessed Lord, beloved. God help us. In our meager appreciation that we do confess we have, there is none like our blessed Lord.

We started out singing this morning, the name of Jesus is so sweet. Brethren, there's no other name to compare with the beloved one who has brought us by grace into the marvel of this unique ministry and relationship that he has brought us into, the bride of Christ. The day is coming when we gaze upon his face and with the hymn writer we'll say, I wish I had given him more.

How can we help it? He is the chiefest. God help us to see his position in his headship and lordship, as well as we see the working of the Spirit of God guiding us to a knowledge of our beloved, the son of God's love. And again, as we think of Asenath, as we're brought into the position of fruitfulness, he wants us to see likeness to the Lord, our Savior, in the children.

God help us to see the same in each one of us and like Solomon's bride too, the Lord graciously opened our eyes, brethren, to behold and be students of the glories of our beloved Lord. God's assembly is the most beautiful place on earth. The Lord is the center and we are the privileged ones to give character and activity and quality of likeness to our divine Lord, even like Ruth, that the world may be presented with the King, our Lord Jesus Christ, until we see his face.