The Trumpet – Testimony

“Make the two trumpets of silver.” (Numbers 10) The candlestick was of gold. None of the exercises God passes us through are to make us gold. We are gold (we are “the righteousness of God in Christ”), but it is because He loves us. It is remarkable that the candlestick was not only to be beaten-work of gold, but there were to be seven lamps, the perfect number. Here it is two—adequate testimony—the trumpets of silver. “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” No one is fit to bear testimony unless conscious of redemption, that is why the trumpets were made of silver—the redemption money. A man does not know what it is to be resting in the benefits of redemption if he is groaning for deliverance. If he were delivered he would be rejoicing, standing on accomplished redemption. Do we know what it is to be “blessed with all spiritual blessings,” the ceaseless objects of the Father’s heart, to be in relation to the Father, to be at leisure from ourselves, light-bearers and testimony—givers for God in this world?
What are we waiting for? Only for the Bridegroom. What do we desire to be? Clear light-bearers and efficient testimony-givers for Christ. We often think of being gainers, but what a wonderful thing it is for Christ to be a gainer. If I live, He gains; if I die, I gain. It would be far better for me to get away from this surging scene of suffering and of sorrow, but if I stay Christ gains. The two trumpets were adequate testimony given on the ground of accomplished redemption. They were not to be molded any more than the lamp-stand. It is of no use to think we can be distinct light-bearers or testimony-givers if we reject the crucible. I daresay you have heard how the silversmith refines his silver; he puts his beautiful piece of silver into the crucible, and sits watching it till he sees his own face reflected in it, and then he takes it off the fire; another moment would spoil it. Then it cools down, and he puts it under the hammer. The two trumpets were for calling and setting forward. We find the twofold testimony in Colossians 1:23, the trumpet of the gospel of the grace of God, the calling one; and, verse 24, not only the testimony of the gospel of the grace of God, but the gospel of the Church, the body of Christ. The moment a person can say, “I believe that Jesus died for me,” you can blow another trumpet, and say, “Do you know that He is there in the glory for you?” It is a wonderful thing to be saved by Christ, but far more wonderful to be united to Him in heaven. We are not only saved from a depth which could not be deeper unless we had been in hell itself, but raised to a place which could not be higher without being higher than Christ. He not only died to save me, but He has gone on high, and sent the Holy Ghost down to unite me to Himself, so that I can say, what even the archangel cannot say, “I am one with Christ.” How does He get testimony-givers? By passing us through the crucible, and putting us under the hammer. We all have our work to do; there is work for all, a mission for each. I cannot fill your place, nor you mine. His word to each one of us is, “Occupy till I come;” and He desires that we should be decided, distinct, habitual light-bearers and testimony-givers for Himself down here. If I see His object in separating and forming, I shall welcome both the crucible and the hammer.
“We cannot always trace the way, Where Thou, our gracious Lord, dost move, Yet we can always surely say, That God is love.”
We may be laid low, made nothing of; we shall be willing to be nothing that He may be produced and expressed, that He alone may be the gainer in this scene. Whether it is the crucible or the hammer, “all things work together for good.” It was beautiful to see in Gideon’s case how there was light and testimony. In Philippians 2:14-15, we have the lamp-stand and trumpet, and in other Scriptures we see how God connects the two things—all in love. “Love in all I see.”
Numbers 10:33. Seven, marks perfection; two, adequate testimony; three, the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God owes His brightest glory to the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He furnished God with a fresh motive for loving Him by laying down His life. “Never man spake like this man” was once said; we can say, never man loved like this man.