The Experience and Enjoyment of Christ in the Local Churches

Enjoying Christ in the Local Church

1. Drinking the Living Water from the Well of Beer-sheba

Commenting on Abraham’s experience at Beer-sheba, Witness Lee says:

In Beer-sheba Abraham planted a tamarisk tree (v. 33, Heb.). A tamarisk, a type of willow tree, has very fine leaves, often grows near water, and gives the impression of the flowing of the riches of life. That Abraham planted a tamarisk after making the covenant for the well at Beer-sheba indicates that the water of which he drank was flowing in a rich way. The Lord Jesus said that whoever believes in Him will have rivers of living water flowing out of his innermost being.

The church life today is by the well in Beer-sheba. When you drink of this well and live by it, you will be like a tamarisk flowing with the riches of life. Whenever people come to you, they will never sense dryness but will be refreshed by the water of life. Beer-sheba, which means “the well of an oath,” is the place where the church should be. The church should be at the well of an oath with a covenant, and should also be full of tamarisk trees. We all need to be a flowing tamarisk. If you look at the branches of a tamarisk tree, they will remind you of the flowing of the riches of life. Praise the Lord that there are some real tamarisks in the local churches!

(Witness Lee, LS of Genesis, Vol. 4, 748)

2. Offering Christ as the Burnt Offering in the Tent of Meeting

In describing the burnt offering in the tent of meeting, Witness Lee points out the sweet and pleasant enjoyment we have of Christ as the burnt offering—that is, the absolutely consecrated One-in the meetings of the local church:

The second of the four things which we need in order to properly present the offerings to God is the tent of meeting. What is the tent of meeting? This is the meeting of the local church. Without the church meetings, how could we present the burnt offering to God as His food? We all need the church meetings. If you do not believe it, just try to offer Christ as the burnt offering to God in your home by yourself. It will not work….

According to the type, the picture is very clear….No Israelite in ancient times could kill a bullock for a burnt offering to God in any place he chose. He had to be at the tent of meeting. Only at the door of the tent of meeting was he able to present the burnt offering. You may enjoy Christ in your home tonight, and you may enjoy Christ in your home tomorrow morning, and you may enjoy Christ anytime in any place, but you can never present Christ as the burnt offering to God for God’s food in any place other than the meeting of the local church.

In the meetings we have a certain kind of sensation that is so sweet and pleasant. There is the sensation that something here is so unique, so pleasant, and so good….We all must come to the church meetings to present our burnt offering to God. In the church meetings we sense something of Christ which we can never sense in any other place. Leviticus 1:3 says clearly that we must present our burnt offering at the door of the tent of meeting before the Lord. This is the only place to present Christ as the burnt offering.

(Witness Lee, Christ as the Reality, 28-29)

Thus, the local church is a place of living water, flowing forth life and refreshing others with the riches of life. Finally, Witness Lee points out that according to the Old Testament typology, the meetings of the local churches are the unique place ordained by God to offer Christ as our burnt offering.

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Described in OT

Revealed in OT

Revealed in NT

Portrayed in NT

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