The standard of the camp.
The Divine standard to be maintained
There are few things in which we are more prone to fail than in the maintenance of the Divine standard when human failure has set in. Like David, when the Lord made a breach upon Uzza, because of his failure in putting his hand to the ark, “He was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?” (1 Chronicles 13:12). It is exceedingly difficult to bow to the Divine judgment, and, at the same time, to hold fast the Divine ground. The temptation is to lower the standard, to come down from the lofty elevation, to take human ground. We must ever carefully guard against this evil, which is all the more dangerous as wearing the garb of modesty, self-distrust, and humility. Aaron and his sons, notwithstanding all that had occurred, were to eat the meat offering in the holy place. They were to do so, not because all had gone on in perfect order, but “because it is thy due,” and “so I am commanded.” Though there had been failure, yet their place was in the tabernacle; and those who were there had certain “dues” founded upon the Divine commandment. Though man had failed ten thousand times over, the word of the Lord cannot fail: and that word had secured certain privileges for all true priests, which it was their place to enjoy. Were God’s priests to have nothing to eat, no priestly food, because failure had set in? Were those that were left to be allowed to starve, because Nadab and Abihu had offered “strange fire”? This would never do. God is faithful, and He can never allow any one to be empty in His blessed presence. The prodigal may wander, and squander, and come to poverty; but it must ever hold good that “in my Father’s house is bread enough and to spare.” (C. H. Mackintosh.)
God would have order observed among His people at all times
When Christ our Saviour intended to feed the multitude that had continued with Him to hear His word, He commanded His disciples to make all sit down in ranks by hundreds and fifties (Mark 6:40), so that He would have all things, even the most common, done in order. For all disorder came into the world by Satan, and his chief employment is to make a breach into that order which God hath established. He shuffleth and mingleth all together, and seeketh to disturb and destroy what he can, and how he can. Again, order is a means to preserve every society; the want of it threateneth ruin to every society. This serveth, first, to reprove such as keep not their places, but break out of order, and will not be held within the compass that God hath set them. Every man hath his bounds set him, and is enclosed in them as in a circle, which he may not pass. No man hath any promise of blessing when he keepeth not the order God hath set him. Secondly, acknowledge from hence that the Church is a blessed company, it is the very school of good order, wherein all things are done in number, weight, and measure. When Balaam had seen the goodly order of this host of God, as the valleys that were spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees which the Lord had planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters, he cried out in admiration of this comely, decent, and seemly order, “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! and thy tabernacles, O Israel! “For who is it that ruleth in the Church? and who is it by whom it is guided? Is it not God, who is the God of order? No confusion cleaveth or can cleave to Him, He is not the God of confusion, He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). He hath set an order among all His works. Thirdly, when we see this order interrupted in the works of God, know that it cometh not of God. Acknowledge therein the corruption of man and the work of Satan. Fourthly, whensoever we cannot sound the depth of God’s works nor judge of them as we ought, when we see to our appearance much out of square, as soldiers out of their squadrons, we must not condemn the works of God, but accuse our own blindness and ignorance, “Forasmuch as God hath made all beautiful in his season” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). When we behold how the wicked prosper for the most part, and are of great power (Psalms 37:35), and on the other side the godly all the day long plagued and chastened every morning (Psalms 73:14), we are ready to misjudge and misdeem of these works of God. Howbeit, the ways of God are not as our ways. This is therefore our weakness in judgment. Thus also was Jeremy troubled (Jeremiah 12:1-2), and no less the prophet Habbakuk (Habakkuk 1:13). This which we esteem to be a confusion is indeed no confusion; and that is in order which we suppose to be out of order. For God is a God of long suffering, who “Will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserveth wrath for His enemies” (Nahum 1:2), and therefore is the prophet (much perplexed in spirit) willed to wait by faith the issue that God will make,” For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (Habakkuk 2:3). Lastly, from hence every man must learn to do the duties of his own calling. God hath set every man in a certain calling. We are apt, indeed, to break out into the callings of other men, as if we were pinned up in too narrow a room. This made Solomon to say, “I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.” And as God hath set every man in a calling, so must every man wait and attend upon that calling, whether it be in the Church, or in the family, or in the commonwealth. (W. Attersoll.)