Ⅳ
The type of Abigail portrays a believer who goes forth unto Jesus outside the camp, bearing His reproach—Heb. 13:13:
A
Our Christian life has two aspects—an inward aspect and an outward aspect—6:19-20; 13:13:
１
The inward aspect is typified by the Shulammite, and the outward aspect is typified by Abigail—S. S. 6:4, 10, 13; Heb. 13:13.
２
On the one hand, we are within the veil, in the Holy of Holies; on the other hand, we are outside the city, the camp, before men—6:19-20; 13:13.
ａ
Inwardly, we enjoy the resurrected Christ, and outwardly, we follow Jesus—6:19; 13:13.
ｂ
When we touch the Lord in the inner chamber, in the Holy of Holies, in the secret place, we can be likened to the Shulammite—10:19-20; S. S. 1:4; 4:10; 6:13.
ｃ
When we testify for the Lord and work for the Lord in our outward living, we can be likened to Abigail wandering with David in the wilderness—1 Sam. 25:40-42.
B
Every day we can experience these two aspects—Heb. 6:19-20; 10:19-20; 13:13:
１
We are within the veil as the Shulammite, living in the Holy of Holies and enjoying the resurrected and glorified Christ, and we are outside the camp as Abigail, living in the world and following the lowly Jesus—6:19-20; 13:13.
２
Like the Shulammite and Solomon, we remain in the palaces of ivory and fellowship with the Lord inwardly, and like Abigail, we outwardly live and work by following David to war and suffering—Psa. 45:8; 1 Sam. 25:40-42.
３
The One within us is the resurrected Christ, and the One without is Jesus the Nazarene—Rev. 1:17-18; Matt. 2:23.
４
Inwardly, we have the enjoyment of the Shulammite in the secret place, and outwardly, we have the public living of Abigail.
C
When a believer in Christ comes out from within the veil, the inner chamber of fellowship, he is able to take the way of the cross and follow the suffering Jesus—Heb. 6:19; 10:19-20; 13:13:
１
Only those who enter within the veil can go forth unto Jesus outside the camp and bear His reproach—6:19; 10:19-20; 13:13.
２
It is the resurrected Christ in us who leads us to follow the suffering Jesus—v. 13.
３
The Lord Jesus has walked the way of the cross and entered into resurrection, and now He is leading us, His Abigail, to take the way of the cross and follow Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach—v. 13.
Morning Nourishment
Heb. 6:19-20 …We have…an anchor of the soul, both secure and firm and which enters within the veil, where the Forerunner, Jesus, has entered for us…S. S. 6:13 Return, return, O Shulammite;…that we may gaze at you. Why should you gaze at the Shulammite, as upon the dance of two camps?
When we believed in the Lord, we may have encountered persecution and harassment from men. Outwardly, we were pressed and in pain, but inwardly there was a power that caused us to feel glorious. Although we may have wept outwardly, we were joyful inwardly. That power, glory, and joy are resurrection. They are Christ, as Solomon, in us. The Shulammite typifies the glorified church in the future, and she also typifies the church in resurrection today. The type of the Shulammite is not merely objective in the future; she is subjective and for our experience today. (CWWL, 1956, vol. 2, “Three Aspects of the Church, Book 1: The Meaning of the Church,” pp. 118-119)
Today’s Reading
During the Boxer Rebellion a brother was saved because he saw and was touched by the manifestation of resurrection…. At the peak of the Boxers’ rioting,…they were brutally killing the Christians…. One day,…hearing the shouting and crying in the street, he peeked through a crack in the door and saw some of the Boxers with turbans on their heads and swords in their hands, ferociously escorting a wagon on which a twenty-year-old woman was being carried to the execution ground. She was to be put to death because she was not willing to deny the Lord’s name…. Strangely the young woman sitting in the wagon was not at all afraid. She was rejoicing and singing hymns of praise. When the young man in the store saw this scene, he was deeply touched and impressed with what he had seen.He received the Lord because of what he saw, and later he gave up everything, saying, “I also want to go out to preach the Lord Jesus.” On that day, when the sister was being dragged away by the Boxers to be executed, resurrection was manifested. Before the Lord Jesus died and resurrected,…He manifested resurrection until…He entered fully into resurrection…. Today the church is the same. One day all the dead saints will be raised, and all the living saints will be transfigured and raptured, and we will enter fully into resurrection. However, even before that day comes, we can live in resurrection.
The Shulammite’s living with Solomon in the palaces of ivory typifies the church fellowshipping with Christ in the Holy of Holies. The emphasis is not on resurrection in the future but on living in resurrection today…. God never intended for us to take the way of the cross by our own strong perseverance and reliance on ourselves. Instead, He comes into us in resurrection to be our power, supporting and motivating us to take the way of the cross. Outwardly speaking, the way of the cross is harsh, but those who take this way realize that there is a power within them…. We are Solomon inwardly and David outwardly. Inwardly we are the Shulammite, and outwardly we are Abigail. These are not two separate experiences; rather, the two exist simultaneously, one being inward and the other being outward.
To a certain degree, we have experienced being Solomon and David. Even though we suffer difficulties and hardships and are sons of sorrow who are persecuted and wander about in the wilderness, within there are a power and a fellowship that are sweet and glorious. We have God, the Spirit, and “Solomon”—the resurrected Christ—within us. Hence, the apostle Paul could say, “To know… the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil. 3:10). Inwardly, Christ, as typified by Solomon, enables us to take the way of Jesus the Nazarene, as typified by David. A Christian with this kind of experience is deep and matches the biblical standard. (CWWL, 1956, vol. 2, “Three Aspects of the Church, Book 1: The Meaning of the Church,” pp. 119-121)
Further Reading: Life-study of Hebrews, msg. 57