ENJOYING CHRIST’S RICHES
Psalm 36:8 says, "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures." In typology the fatness of the Lord’s house refers to the rich produce of the good land. All the riches that were offered to God in the house became the fatness of the Lord’s house. The fulfillment of this type is in Christ; He is the reality of the fatness of the Lord’s house. In Old Testament times, God’s people could enjoy this fatness only in the place God had chosen for His habitation. For this reason, the psalmist declares that God’s people will be satisfied with the fatness of His house.
This verse also says, "Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures." As we enjoy the fatness in the house of God, we drink of the river of the Lord’s pleasures. These pleasures are a river of joy to those who come to the place of God’s choice. Such pleasures come from the enjoyment of the fatness in the house of God. Hence, in the Lord’s house we are full of joy as we drink of the river of God’s pleasures.
Verse 9 goes on to say, "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." In these verses we have the fatness, the pleasures, the life, and the light. We enjoy not only the river, but also the fountain. This rich enjoyment is ours in the house of God, the church. In the church we are satisfied with the riches of Christ, and we are full of pleasure and joy. There is even a river of pleasures of which we may drink. Furthermore, we have the fountain of life. This life becomes the light in which we see light.
Our experience of all these aspects of Christ’s riches becomes the genuine worship we render to God. This worship is the basic element of the church life. The church life consists of worship that comes from the enjoyment of Christ. This enjoyment fills us with joy and pleasure, pleasure that even becomes a river of which we drink. Eventually, we come to the fountain of life, and in the Lord’s light we see light. Here there is no darkness, death, weakness, or emptiness. On the contrary, we are satisfied and joyful as we drink of the Lord’s pleasures and enjoy life and light. The worship produced by this enjoyment is the worship God desires today. This enjoyment and this worship constitute the proper, normal church life. Although the Christian religion knows nothing of such worship, the Lord is recovering it in the church life today.
GOING WITH THE MULTITUDE
TO THE HOUSE OF GOD
In Psalm 42:4 the psalmist declares, "When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday." Here the psalmist recalls the enjoyment of going with the multitude to the house of God. He remembered how they went to God’s house with a voice of joy and praise. With a multitude, he kept the holy days, the days of feasting. When the psalmist uttered these words, he was in captivity, having lost the enjoyment related to the Lord’s house. But as he remembered this enjoyment, he poured out his soul within him.
This verse is a window through which we can see how the saints enjoyed the produce of the good land in the house of God. They went to the Lord’s house with joy and praise, entering joyfully into the presence of God. There in the Lord’s presence they enjoyed the top portion of the produce of the land. In principle, this is our experience in the church life today. We come together with a multitude to enjoy Christ by keeping the feast. Every time we come to the meetings of the church we keep the holy day by feasting on the riches of Christ. Here in the Lord’s house we truly enjoy Christ with God.
(The Genuine Ground of Oneness, Chapter 5, by Witness Lee)
