When God visited Israel He did not say a word about the wilderness journey which lay between Egypt and the Land; and we find that for those who were born in the wilderness, the “reproach of Egypt” was not rolled away. Here, therefore, we have, in the wilderness and Canaan, the two parts of Christian life; as deliverance, by redemption, out of Egypt, was the starting point in our course, having to pass through the wilderness as to our place, and also in heavenly places as to our privileges. What has a man, dead and risen, and thus come out of Egypt, to do with this present evil world Pharaoh has no title over such a one; he is right out of it. Our Lord, in rising from the dead, has left death behind Him, and the world, and Satan; and He has done this for us. I have left my sins and death and judgment behind; not conflict behind-He has risen out of it all, and if I have a part in Christ I have a part in the place into which He has entered as Man risen from the dead. In Psa. 22, the moment He is heard from the horns of the unicorns, what is the first thing! “I will declare thy name unto my brethren.” Historically we find this true, when the Lord says to Mary Magdalene, “Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God; “ and in another place, “ In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.” He leads the praises of His people, as the “First-born from the dead.” He was alone when He had to suffer the agony—to bear the wrath. But when that is done He says as it were, “That is settled, and now you come and praise with me.” How far can we say we are not ashamed of Him in this place? He is not ashamed to call us brethren-though He might be ashamed of us. He speaks of peace after His resurrection, and having born the wrath; and calls them “brethren.”
Peace being made, believers are associated with Christ, who has passed into the new place of man, as risen from the dead. It is not only that blood shelters from wrath, but redemption has brought us to God, and more— “Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance”—that is the glory.
But now begin the experiences of those whom God has redeemed. There were experiences before, but they were the experiences of a soul in which God had acted, but who had not learned deliverance. Like many, sincere and in the right path, but fearing judgment. Like the prodigal, right desires, but had never met his Father. If we meet God, or God meets us, we know Him in His true character. The Prodigal son at a distance was saying in his heart, “What will my father say to me when I come to him?” How many are saying this now. He said, “Make me as one of thy hired servants.” This is called by some, humility; but when he met him he did not say it, for his father was on his neck. There was no uncertainty as to being a son, for his father treats him so; brings him into the house, puts the best robe on him, and the ring. He learned his place, not from what he was in himself, but from what his father was for him. Here is where the redeemed person is, with a great deal to learn truly, but he is redeemed. If I don’t know that God’s eye has seen the blood, I am thinking of God as a Judge still. But beyond the Red Sea, I am in a new place altogether. It is not merely that my sins are forgiven, but I am brought out of the flesh into Christ. “Ye are not in the flesh,” that is, before God—not in the “first man,” but in the “Second.”
The practical effect of this is to bring us into the wilderness, and then I get another thing, a very humbling process as to myself.
What they learned in the wilderness we learn in Deut. 8, “Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee; to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna (which thou knewest not neither did thy fathers know), that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only; but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord cloth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee:” and all, “That he might do thee good at thy latter end.” (Deut. 8:2-5, 162And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 3And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. 4Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. 5Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. (Deuteronomy 8:2‑5)
16Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; (Deuteronomy 8:16).) God was thinking of their very clothes, and their food; and at the same time testing themselves; and we want this too-to get our “senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” They would not go up the mount of the Amorites, and take possession of the land, and so they must turn and stay in the wilderness. But what then? God turns round and goes back with them! What unwearied patience and love!
Now what characterizes Christians in that state, and consequent upon redemption, is, the dwelling of the Holy Ghost with us and in us. God dwelling with man is always in consequence of redemption. He did not dwell with Adam; He visited Abraham, dined with him too, but never dwelt with him. The moment He redeemed Israel, God will dwell among them, and the pillar of cloud came down; He is in the camp, and also the moment they are across the Red Sea He talks of holiness (Ex. 15:1111Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11), &c.), about which He had never talked in Genesis. Why? Because He is in the camp. He must have it like Himself.
When Israel is in bondage He comes as a Deliverer; when they are in the wilderness He dwells with them in a tent; when they come to fight the Canaanites, He brings a drawn sword, and when they were settled in the land, and Solomon had built a temple, He comes and dwells with them in His house. He adapts Himself to them. Now, in us God so dwells by the Holy Ghost individually, and also in the Church collectively. How can that be? It is not merely that we are born of God; we are redeemed, and have had the blood sprinkled upon us, and then the Holy Ghost comes and seals after believing. (Eph. 1:1313In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13).) He quickens an unbeliever, and then seals the believer. He cannot seal an unbeliever, that would be putting His seal upon wickedness. I insist upon this because the presence of the Holy Ghost is the distinctive characteristic of the believer now, and of the Church, from the Saints before the day of Pentecost. We are cleansed, morally, by the washing of water by the word; sprinkled with blood; anointed by the Spirit. As with the priests, so with us. (Ex. 29) A priest was washed with water, the blood was then put upon him, and then the oil. The presence of the Holy Ghost is the testimony to the value of the blood with which I have been sprinkled. Blood was put upon the right car, thumb, and toe. There is nothing to pass into your head that is not under that guardian blood-shedding; you are to have nothing in your hand to defile, and nothing in your walk unholy. The anointing is the consequence of the blood-shedding. The Holy Ghost comes and says, (He sees with God’s eyes), “That person is as white as snow, I will dwell there.” “Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which ye have of God; “and again, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed until the day of redemption.” Not, mark, as an earnest of the love of God, but of the inheritance; “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Rom, v.)
These are the characteristics of wilderness experience, after redemption; God dwelling with us and in us, and our hearts tried and tested. The learning of ourselves, but the learning of them with God!