“and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at.” Zechariah 3:7,8
What must it have been like to be in the company of the Apostle Paul when he wrote his letter to the Ephesians? First, we need to see something of Paul’s circumstances, for it was during his imprisonment in Rome for two years, that he wrote not only his great letter to the Ephesians, but also to the Colossians, Philippians, and the book of Philemon. Here is the old Apostle, limited, and yet having been put aside by God into very restrictive circumstances, for a purpose that even the Apostle could not grasp. This man, considered to be perhaps the greatest Christian of all time, who had written to the Romans, that “all things work together for good to those who love God, and are the called according to His purposes,” finds himself in prison because of the Gospel, and his testimony for Christ. What could possibly, being great and good, come forth from a prison, where resources and “human possibilities” were so lacking? Only in eternity will we see the great blessing and fruitfulness of the Apostle, by the Holy Spirit, through those few letters. The magnitude of this great blessing, the building up and sustaining of believers of all ages since then, is too great to be grasped. However, it is a wonderful and great reason for praising and glorifying God for such a revelation of Himself to His church and beyond, through the truths of the Apostle in the pages of his letters. So, what would it have been like to be in the Apostle’s company, as he prayed over these letters, and worked through every detail to make sure that they were true, the Spirit of God being their origin and power? The fellowship of the Spirit with the Apostle would have been overwhelmingly rich and profound, as above all, there would be the testimony, even the manifestation of Christ by the Spirit. Jesus’ words spoken years before would certainly be realized in Paul’s company: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name,, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18:20) Not only would there be the consciousness of the presence of Christ, but the revelation to the hearts of all concerned of Christ’s power, love, and goodness. To be in the company of the Apostle, who was filled with the Spirit, would be also in the company of Christ, the Lord and Life of Paul. This is true fellowship, with Christ, amplified in company with those of like faith and mind.
After John the Baptist came on the scene of history, Jesus would say of him, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matt. 11:11) Here is a man who is great by virtue of the greatness of God revealed consistently, and powerfully, in him by the Spirit. What would it have been like to be in John the Baptist’s presence, hearing him pray, teach, and preach by the Spirit?
The promise to Joshua the high priest in Zechariah’s day, was that he would be given places to walk “among these that stand by,” if he was faithful to his calling.(Zech. 3:7) The Lord would speak of “…thy fellows that sit before thee,” as “men wondered at.” (v.8) The Lord is speaking of those of like mind and heart, who are pursuing faithfully their calling by the Spirit. These are those included in the great cloud of witnesses, with whom true communion is known. The great blessing to be given to Joshua for his devotion is first and foremost, the revelation of Christ to his heart. But then that which accompanies such blessing is the communion with the saints of his day, saints made great by the ministry and fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Dear Father, Bless our communion together. In Jesus’ name, Amen.