Ariel

Ariel

“Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt!”

Ariel was supposed to be a lion of God who was to destroy his enemies. But he was not a lion of God. He possessed too much self-confidence. That was the place where David had made his camp. Ariel had too much to boast of; he was far too proud. He was a lion in himself.

This is also the case with many people today who, like Ariel, want to be a lion of God. Their eyes have been opened to sin through the gospel, and they have received the understanding that it must be destroyed. So they start off acting like a lion, and things look wonderful.

“Add year to year, let feasts come around.”

There is a time when God lets His covering grace rest over Ariel. The most obvious enemies have been killed, and he keeps his feasts. He rejoices and is happy; nevertheless, he is not aware of his real need.

Many people think that such an Ariel is really great, and they put their trust in him; but they will be disappointed. Ariel is still too exalted in his own eyes.

“Yet I will distress Ariel; there shall be heaviness and sorrow, and it shall be to Me as Ariel.”

No one becomes a true Ariel without first experiencing heaviness and sorrow. We get to see our true condition when God withdraws some of His covering grace, and we come into distress. It has the effect of God setting up camps around us; He lays siege and raises mounds against us. Only then do we get to see our true condition and descend from our heights. Then the imaginary lion in us dies.

“You shall speak out of the ground; your speech shall be low, out of the dust; your voice shall be like a medium’s, out of the ground; and your speech shall whisper out of the dust.”

Then these words will be fulfilled, “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isa. 57:15. We will only have full confidence in God once we have become dust in our own eyes. Then we will become a true Ariel.

“Moreover the multitude of your foes shall be like fine dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passes away; yes, it shall be in an instant, suddenly.”

Now begins the overcoming life. One truly becomes a lion of God. Others can rely on such a person.

Many people strive, year after year, but do not come to an overcoming life. They grow weary many times, but they find new strength in their own arm and have started out again like a lion.

Such people do not really come down into the dust so they can have the right start. They are still strong in the midst of their misery. They have a stiff and hard spirit; when it becomes a question of strength, they imagine they know everything best. Isa. 46:12.

When God wants to lead them into tribulations and encamps around them in order to crush their spirit, so He can dwell in them, they give up and withdraw. They will never experience that their enemies will be like flying chaff.

God’s Word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the division of soul and spirit. Heb. 4:12.

The soul represents a person’s life. It is the seat of his senses, his understanding, experiences, abilities, and strength. All that is of the earth is earthly. None of this is of any value when it concerns the kingdom of God. Therefore these things stand in the way if the soul is not divided from spirit, with the result that God does not get an opportunity to work with His power and wisdom. When such people serve God, they serve Him in an earthly and sensual manner that suits those who are human. This is also evident when it comes to being loving or firm, meek or zealous. The result is soulish, a so-called Ariel. Selfishness shines through it all.

The soul needs to be poured out to death. For this to happen, God has to build mounds around our opinions, raise siege works against our experiences, and press in on our strength so we become soft-spoken. We enter into darkness when we, in our spirit, realize that we can no longer rely on everything we have imagined, thought, had an opinion about, and have seen. If at this point we do not withdraw but believe, and out of this darkness call out to God for strength and wisdom, then there will occur a division between soul and spirit. God dwells in such a contrite spirit. We are seated in heavenly places instead of where we were before, when our spirit—dominated by our soul—was in earthly things. We have truly become an Ariel.

It is also noticeable that when we are either zealous or meek, loving or firm, it comes from above and is divine. The effect is tremendous, so that this word is fulfilled: “Moreover the multitude of your foes shall be like fine dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passes away; yes, it shall be in an instant, suddenly.”