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Scripture Reading: Deut. 12:9; Heb. 4:8-9, 11; Eph. 3:17-18; Phil. 3:7-8, 10, 12-14; Exo. 3:8; Deut. 4:25
We have seen in the Old Testament that the land with its temple and city is the center of God’s plan. What God planned to do on the earth was to obtain that piece of land with the temple and the city built upon it. The temple is the center of God’s presence, and the city is the center of God’s authority. God’s presence and God’s authority could only be realized by the temple and the city built upon that piece of land. I must ask you to consider the whole record of the Old Testament more and more. The entire Old Testament deals with that piece of land and its temple and city.
We have already seen that this land is the full type, the all-inclusive type, of Christ. We know that there are many types in the Old Testament. We know that the passover lamb is a type of Christ, and we know that the manna is a type of Christ. The tabernacle with all its furniture, utensils, and various offerings is also a type of Christ. But I wish to point out to you that without this piece of land, there is no all-inclusive type of Christ. The passover lamb is not the all-inclusive type, and neither is the manna or even the tabernacle with all the things related to it. Many different kinds of offerings were ordained by the Lord, but they only depict various aspects of Christ. Only the land of Canaan is the full type, the all-inclusive type, of Christ. We have all accepted Christ as our Redeemer. That is quite wonderful. But we must realize that Christ as the Redeemer is not the all-inclusive One. We are told in the Scriptures that Christ is all and in all, that Christ is the all-inclusive One. Everything is in Him, and He is in everything. There is no other type in the Old Testament except the land of Canaan that shows Him as such.
What do we mean by the word all-inclusive? We are told that Christ is the light, but this is not all-inclusive. We are told that Christ is our life, but this also is not all-inclusive. We are told that Christ is the food and the living water, but even these do not make Him the all-inclusive One. Christ is all and in all. Christ is not only the light, the life, the food, and the living water, but Christ is everything to us. Whatever you need, whatever you contact, whatever you obtain, whatever you enjoy, whatever you experience — all these things must be Christ. Christ is the all-inclusive One to us.
We are not speaking doctrinally but very practically. Whenever you do something, whenever you enjoy something, whenever you use something, you must immediately apply Christ. For instance, you are sitting on a seat. Do you realize that this is not the real seat? This is but a shadow, a figure, pointing to Christ. Christ is the real seat. If you do not have Christ, it means that in your entire life you have never had a seat. There is no rest for you. You have nothing to rely upon. You have something false, for Christ is the real thing.
Let me tell you something that may sound strange to you. Sometimes when I put on my glasses, I say, “Lord, these are not real glasses; You are my real glasses. Without You, I can see nothing. Without You, I have no sight.” Christ is everything to us. If you have Christ and the way to experience Him, you have everything. If you do not have Christ and know not how to apply Him and experience Him in such a practical way, you have nothing.
When you are climbing the stairs, do you realize that Christ is the real stairs to you? You are told that Christ is the way, and without Him there is no way. So when you are walking or driving, you must say, “Lord, You are my way. Without You I have no way, I have no way to do things. I have no way to go on. I have no way to be a person.” Christ is everything to us, so Christ is our way.
Many times during the past years of serving the Lord I have encountered problems between husbands and wives. Many times the brothers have come to me and said, “Brother Lee, would you kindly tell me a better way to deal with my wife?” My answer is always this: “Brother, there is no ‘better way.’ The better way is Christ Himself. And I would say the best way is Christ Himself.” Almost every time I answer in such a way, people do not understand. They always query, “What do you mean by that?” So I tell them, “Brother, I mean that Christ is the best way for you to deal with your dear wife.” Sometimes they press me to tell them in detail how to live, how to get along, and how to deal with their wife. Then I tell them, “Brother, I have told you clearly. Christ is the best way for you to deal with your wife. It’s quite simple. Forget about everything. Just come to the Lord in your spirit to have a personal contact with Him. Come and tell Him, ‘Lord, You are my life. You are my way. You are everything to me. So I come to You once more to take You as everything. I take You as the way to deal with my wife.’ Then be assured that you will know. I cannot tell you what to do, but the Lord Himself will be your way. Believe me.”
The sisters especially like to go into detail about their marital problems. They say, “Brother, please give me some time. Be patient with me. Let me tell you the whole story.” I tell them, “Sister, I have the patience; I am ready to listen to you. But I tell you, it is all useless. The more you say, the more you tell me about this and that, the more you will get into trouble. Be simple. Just kneel down and from your spirit say something to the Lord. Don’t say something to me. This doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear you, but I cannot point out any better way than Christ Himself. You have to contact Christ once more.” Eventually, most of the brothers and sisters have been convinced and have come to know something of Christ in a practical way. They have come to me and said, “Now I know that Christ is the best way for me to deal with my wife”; “Christ is the best way for me to deal with my husband.”
You see, this is not merely a doctrine or some sort of teaching. You must experience it. You must apply Christ to your daily life.
The people of Israel enjoyed the passover lamb and then the manna day by day for forty years, but they were never fully satisfied. They just applied a little of Christ; they just experienced a small portion of Christ. Not until they entered the land of Canaan was He everything to them and were they fully satisfied. When they entered the land, what they ate came from the land, what they drank came from the land — all their living came out of the land. The land was everything to them. No other type in the Old Testament is so all-inclusive as the land of Canaan.
We must realize why God said that this land was the rest for His people. The lamb was not the rest. The manna was not the rest. But the land was the rest. The people of Israel enjoyed the passover lamb, but they did not enter into rest. They enjoyed the manna day by day for forty years, but they still did not enter into rest. We know what rest is. Rest is something complete, something in full, something perfect. When you have everything, then you can really rest. Since the passover lamb was not the complete and perfect portion for God’s people, it was not the rest. It was good to a certain point, but it was not the rest. The manna too was good in a particular aspect, but it was not the full, the perfect, and the complete portion. Only the land was the rest to the people of God, because the land was the completion, the perfection, and the fullness. In the land you have everything; the land will satisfy you.
By Hebrews 3 and 4 we may realize that the land, which was the rest to the people of Israel, is a type of Christ. Christ is the rest because Christ is everything to us. Most of us are still not in the position to realize Christ as the all-inclusive One. We just know Him as our Savior, as our Redeemer, as our life, and as our way. Very few of us know Christ as everything to us. The land is the goal; the land is the aim; the land is the eternal purpose of God. Unless we are able to realize Christ as the land, we are lacking. We must see that there is much more than what we have experienced of Christ. We have only a little experience of Him. This is what burdens us very much in these days. We do believe the Lord is going to recover this.
Many times in the Old Testament this piece of land is called “a good land.” It is really remarkable. “Jehovah your God is bringing you to a good land” (Deut. 8:7). If you do not pay special attention to this, you will feel that it is just an ordinary statement. We are always saying that something is good; it becomes just an ordinary mode of description to us, with no special significance attached to it. But when the Lord says that something is good, we must pay attention. This is not commonplace. And He says it over and over: a good land...a good land...a good land. It must really be good.
What is the goodness of this land? Since the Lord said that it is a good land, what then is its goodness? In the past most of us have not paid much attention to this matter. We have just taken it as the good land and let it go at that, not inquiring into the reason for its goodness.
It is rather difficult to fully define the goodness of this land. First of all, I will point out to you a rather peculiar definition. You have read it already. Exodus 3:8 says, “I am come...to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large” (ASV) — a large land. Mr. J. N. Darby informs us that it is better to translate the word large as “spacious.” It is a good and spacious land. It is good first of all in spaciousness.
You understand what spaciousness is. But can you describe the spaciousness of this land? Can you tell us the extent, the expanse, of Christ? In other words, do you know how big Christ is? Every one of us has a certain measurement, but what is the measurement of Christ? The apostle Paul gives it to us in Ephesians 3:18. The measurements of Christ are “the breadth and length and height and depth.” Can you tell how broad is the breadth, how long is the length, how high is the height, and how deep is the depth? If you asked me, I would have to say, “I don’t know. It is unlimited.” The breadth of Christ is the breadth of the universe. Christ is the breadth, Christ is the length, Christ is the height, and Christ is the depth of the whole universe. If the universe has a limit, that limit must be Christ. You can never measure the dimensions of Christ. This is the first item of the goodness of the land. The land is good in the unlimited measurement of Christ.
Now I would ask you, How can you apply this? Can you apply the measurement of Christ? Can you apply the breadth, the length, the height, and the depth? Let me illustrate. One day a sister came to me and said, “Brother, you know my family. You know that my husband is such and such a person.” “Yes,” I said, “I know, I know.” “And you know I have five children, and one more is coming — that will make six. I am still young, and I am afraid that after the sixth there may be more. Brother, I am concerned about this situation.” Then I asked her, “Sister, do you know how big Christ is?” She said, “Brother, this is a strange question. I have never thought about that. What do you mean?” Then I brought her to realize that the Christ whom she had received is an unlimited Christ. But it is not easy to help people realize how great Christ is in a practical way. “Brother,” she said, “I know that the Lord is so great; I know it quite well.” So I said, “Sister, I am quite familiar with your problem, and I thank the Lord for what you have always experienced. Tell me, how have you been sustained, how have you been able to stand through all these years?” “Oh,” she replied, “it is the Lord! Without the Lord I could never have made it.” Then I said, “Sister, do you think the Lord is so limited? If the Lord could help you get through in the past years with one husband and five children, can He not help you make it with one or two children more? Is the Lord so small, so restricted?” Then she understood. “Brother, of course, the Lord is unlimited, the Lord is unlimited!” she exclaimed. I said, “Sister, good. As long as you know the Lord is unlimited, that is sufficient. Be at peace, and cast all your burden upon Him. Take the Lord as your unlimited help.”
Another time a brother came to me and said, “Brother, my wife is such and such a person. I fear that matters will get worse and worse. I have been able to bear it until now, but if something else happens, I am afraid it will be too much for me; I will have a nervous breakdown. The very thought is unbearable.” Then I answered him in the same way as I did the sister. “Brother, how have you been able to manage during the past years?” “It was only by Christ!” he exclaimed. Then I said, “Brother, do you think the Lord is limited to this extent? If you would experience Him in a greater way, if you would experience a greater Christ, you must be ready to encounter a worse situation.” “Oh,” he cried, “that’s just what I am afraid of! It’s bad enough now. I would ask the Lord to stop right now.” “Well,” I told him, “if this is good enough, you can know Christ only to this extent. If you want to have an increasing experience of Christ, you must be ready to meet a worse situation day by day.”
Brothers, by your experience you may realize the extent, the expanse, of Christ. By your experience you may realize the spaciousness of Christ. It is unlimited. Christ is good in His unlimitedness.
One day a brother came to me, saying, “It is rather difficult for me to understand the difference between our patience and love and the patience and love of Christ. What is our patience, and what is the patience of Christ? What is our love, and what is the love of Christ?” It was not easy to answer. “Brother,” he continued, “how can I know whether I am loving a person with my love or with the love of Christ?” I considered, and then I said to him, “If the love with which you love others is the love of Christ, it is unlimited; it can never be exhausted. If the love with which you love others is your own love, I am sure it will come to an end; there will be a limit to it. Today you will love him, and tomorrow you will love him; in these things you will love him, and in those things you will love him. You will love him one day, the next day, and the third day; you will love him this month, this year, and next year. But I am sure that the time will come when you will love him no longer; your love will be exhausted.”
There is a limit to human goodness, but the goodness of Christ is without limit. If your patience has a limit, that patience is not Christ. If you are patient with Christ’s patience, the more wrongly you are treated, the more patient you will be. This patience can never be exhausted. Christ is good in His unlimitedness; Christ is good in His spaciousness. With everything of Him, there is no limit and no change.
I think most of us have experienced or seen something of the problems between husband and wife. Sometimes I have seen a husband who appears to love his wife so much. I can always predict that after five years this man will not love his wife; his love will be exhausted. But the love of Christ can never be exhausted. If you love your wife with the love of Christ, it will be unlimited. If you love her with your own love, be assured that the more you love her today, the more you will hate her another day. Praise the Lord, we can love others with the love of Christ. We can say, “Lord, it is not my love, but it is Your love, and Your love is Yourself. I love others with Yourself, I love others in Yourself, and I love others through Yourself. The dimensions of the love with which I love others are the breadth, the length, the height, and the depth of Christ.”
That piece of land is good. It is good in its spaciousness. There is no limit to Christ. Brothers, I do not like to speak much about myself, but I can testify that the Christ we experience is an unlimited Christ. During the past thirty years the things that have befallen me have always been increasing. The burden of the Lord’s work, the churches, and the co-workers has always been increasing. The problems have never decreased. The burdens, the troubles, the problems, the difficulties have been increasing day by day. But praise the Lord, by the increase of the burden, I have experienced Christ more and more. I have realized that Christ is without any kind of limitation. There can never be a problem that is bigger than Christ. There can never be a situation that He cannot cover.
I have a handkerchief that is only so big — perhaps twelve inches by twelve inches. It can only cover so much. It can never cover the whole room; it is not big enough. But you must realize that Christ is like a piece of cloth without limit. You cannot tell how broad and how long He is. There is no limit. He can cover anything and everything. No matter how great a problem may be, Christ can cover it. Christ is good in His unlimitedness. Christ is good in His breadth and length and height and depth. Christ is such a spacious land for us to experience and enjoy in every situation.
