Remove the Dead Body

Remove the Dead Body

“‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “‘Now ask the priests concerning the law, saying, ‘If anyone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?”’’ Then the priests answered and said, ‘No.’ And Haggai said, ‘If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?’ So the priests answered and said, ‘It shall be unclean.’ Then Haggai answered and said,” “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,”’ says the Lord, “and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.”’”

From the above we can see that what was clean, or holy, could not make something clean by touching it; but if someone who was unclean, because he had come into contact with a dead body, and then approached anything that was clean, it would also be unclean. This tells us how exact we have to be in keeping ourselves from anything that is unclean.

We read that the whole world lies in wickedness. Those who live in the world are dead in trespasses and sins. He who wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. It is not a question of how much you have sanctified yourself or how much you worship God. You become unclean when you touch a dead body—when you also want to have a little bit of the friendship with the world. Everything such people do or whatever they sacrifice is unclean. They are themselves unclean before the Lord.

This also applies when someone takes some of the greatness he had in the world into God’s assembly. Such people bow more to the rich than to the poor, and in the midst of the church they worship the things that the world looks up to. They drag a dead body into the assembly, and everything becomes unclean. They expect much fruit as a result of their work, but they are disappointed. They come to a heap of corn expecting twenty ephas, but they only find ten; or they come to the wine vat expecting to draw out fifty baths from the press, but they only find twenty.

This is the result of many people’s work. According to all their efforts and the fuss they make, their work appears to be grand and glorious; but when the true value of it is measured and weighed, they are put to shame. Many people run to their heaps of corn and wine vats with great expectations of being able to eat and drink, but they are disappointed.

The things that are great in God’s eyes are as nothing in the eyes of man. After all is said and done, a person is simply not satisfied that God alone considers something great, but he also wants it to be great in the eyes of man. He is afraid of reproach from those who are dead in trespasses and sins; consequently he tries to mix the two. He attempts to make it appear as something that is great in the world so it can be attractive. He desires to have an appearance that can appeal to everyone. In this striving he opens the door to the spirit of the world, and everything becomes unclean. The spirit of the world and the ways of the world will never become clean, or holy if they touch holy things. On the contrary, they will also make what is holy unclean.

Jesus had an appearance that no one desired to see. He was faithful to God and did not worship the glory of this world. Therefore they did not desire Him. They loathed Him. The wise men of this world crucified the Lord of glory. They did not know any better. 1 Cor. 2:8. Therefore Jesus answered Peter when he replied that He was the Son of God: “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” Matt. 16:17. The Father draws to the Son, and everyone who hears and learns from the Father, comes to the Son. John 6:44-45. Jesus did not attempt to make it easier for them. He only desired to be great in the eyes of those whom the Father had drawn to Him.

We, too, must also see to it that every spirit of the world and all the ways of the world, are cleansed out in the same way. We must not fear the reproach of Christ. It is worth more than all the treasures of Egypt. We will also receive a face which no one desires to see. The religious world will not recognize us as God’s people. They say the same things today as they did before: “Away with him!” When this cry becomes louder and louder, we must not be afraid and open the door to the spirit of the world, but we must rest in this word even as the Master did: “He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.” 1 John 4:6.

Let it be sufficient for us to be understood by those whom the Father draws, and let our work be done under a cover of reproach. Then we will not be put to shame when we come to the heap of corn or the wine vat.

Let us watch and pray so that we never touch a dead body. Be zealous before the Lord your God, and remove the dead body from your home and from everything you are in contact with. Then you will be holy, just as everything you do and sacrifice is holy.