In the last chapter, we saw that God cares for His house. His desire is toward His house. Therefore, our work, our behavior, and our person must also be according to the fashion, the form, the pattern, the statutes, and the laws of the house (43:10-12). This means that everything we do must be according to the church. The standard today is not personal spirituality or good behavior; the standard is the church. All that we are and everything that we do must be tested by God's house, the church.
In this chapter, we need to consider the kind of person who is qualified to serve in the house of the Lord, and we need to consider the offerings made to the Lord. First, if we would serve the Lord in His house, the church, we need to be circumcised (44:9). Uncircumcised persons are not qualified to serve in the church. Circumcision typifies the dealings with the flesh, the natural man, and the old man by the cross. Circumcision to us is not the outward circumcision practiced by the Jews in the Old Testament, but is the dealing with our flesh, our natural man, and our old man by the cross. If your flesh, natural man, and old man have not been dealt with by the cross, you are not qualified to serve in the church life. Rather, you are considered by the Lord to be a stranger. You may be a real brother, but because you have not dealt with the flesh, with the old man, and with the natural man by the cross, the Lord regards you as a stranger. You are not qualified to serve in the church life. You need to bring this matter to the Lord and ask Him about your flesh, your natural man, and your old man. These things must be dealt with through the working of the cross. Only then will you be circumcised and qualified to serve the Lord in the church life.
When the majority of the people went astray, some of the circumcised people also went astray (44:10). They were circumcised, but they went astray from God to idols by following those who went astray. Because they went astray, they were only half-qualified to serve the Lord. On the one hand they were qualified because they were circumcised; on the other hand they were not qualified because they went astray with the people to the idols. Their circumcision qualified them, but their going astray disqualified them. What was the Lord's attitude toward these half-qualified ones? The Lord said that such persons could serve in the house, but could not come near to the Lord or to the holy things (44:11-14). They could minister in the temple, by helping the people to present their offerings, but they could not come near to the Lord and serve Him directly. This is very meaningful and very serious. Today, some of the dear ones in the Lord's recovery are also half-qualified. In a sense they are circumcised, but in another sense they have gone astray with the majority of the people. Millions of Christians today have gone astray from the Lord to idols. And some of the dear saints have gone along with the people to go astray from the Lord to these idols. Because they have gone astray from the Lord, they have lost their qualification and position to serve the Lord in a direct way. They may still have a part in the church service, but it is an indirect service to the Lord.
We all must be like the sons of Zadok who were circumcised and absolutely faithful to the Lord. They never went astray, following the majority of the people. They were circumcised, honest, and faithful to the Lord all the time (44:15-16). Therefore, they could serve the Lord in a direct way. The Lord said that they could come near to Him and serve Him directly. They were not restricted to merely serve His people; they could serve the Lord Himself. This is marvelous! I hope that not one of us is only half-qualified. I hope that all of us will be fully qualified—circumcised, honest, never going astray, never following the majority. To follow the majority is awful. The majority of Christians today have gone astray.