Together In Unity

by J. Miller | Category: Together In Unity | Mar 1961

Amongst the statutes and judgements of the LORD (Deuteronomy 12.1) were these,

"Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together" (Hebrew Yachad, Greek (LXX) Epi to Auto).

"Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together" (Yachod, Epi to Auto) (Deuteronomy 22.10, 11).

As we pointed out in our previous article, Yachad means "to unite, to be united together," and it is evident that Epi to Auto is of similar meaning, for these Greek words are used again and again in the LXX, that is, the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament. We have culled a few of the references where Epi to Auto is given as the translation of Yachad. There are many more which the reader can verify quickly by the use of a concordance.

In the verses above we see that the Hebrews were precluded from ploughing with an ox and an ass together. They could plow with an ox and an ass separately, but they must on no account put these two animals together in the same yoke when ploughing. The evident lesson was, that this was yoking the clean with the unclean. For as God had separated the children of Israel from other nations, even so had He separated between the clean and unclean animals. The yoke is the sign of service, and Israel could not join in divine service with the nations who were reckoned common or unclean (Acts 10.14, 15).

As with the use of clean and unclean animals, so was it with the clothing of the Israelites. They must not weave cloth of different kinds of stuff, such as wool and linen, and make garments thereof. They could wear woollen garments or linen garments, but they must on no account wear mixtures. This was a statutory and fundamental lesson for them.

The same considerations arise in this dispensation in the matter of divine separation, as taught in 2 Corinthians 6. 14-7. 1. Primarily believers are precluded from being yoked with unbelievers, but it is also true, as taught in this passage, that faithful men are precluded from being yoked with unfaithful men. Those who would walk and act in righteousness should not be yoked with such as do iniquity or lawlessness, even though they be professing believers in the Lord Jesus. Similarly, such as walk and act in the light of God's word should not have fellowship with such as walk and act in darkness. These are statutes or fundamental principles, and the faithful believer is commanded to come out and be separate from such.

In the following few passages (and there are many others) which I have culled, the words Yachad and Epi to Auto are found in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures for "together in unity" and "together."

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

For brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalm 133.1).

"Jerusalem, that art builded as a city that is compact together"

(Psalm 122.8).

(The Hebrew word for" compact" is Chabar, to join, couple, to have fellowship with).

"Let us exalt His name together" (Psalm 34.3).

"Shall two walk together, except they have agreed" (Amos 3.3). "We ourselves together will build unto the LORD" (Ezra 4.3).

"The rulers take counsel together" (Psalm 2.2).

Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" (Nehemiah 6.2, 3).

In the quotations from Ezra and Nehemiah we see the adversaries of the work of the LORD in the building of the house of God, and in the building of the wall, seeking methods to cause the work to cease. In the quotation from Ezra 4.3, the adversaries were very plausible; they said, "Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria, which brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us." When the adversaries saw that they would not be allowed to co-operate in the work, they manifested their true character and troubled the people of Judah and weakened their hands in the building. Nevertheless the united efforts of the people were crowned with success and the house of God was finished in the reign of Darius Hystaspes (Ezra 6.15).

As to the work of building the wall of Jerusalem, and bringing the city under the rule of God in the days of Nehemiah, the adversaries of that day sought to meet Nehemiah on common ground, in a village (a place with neither walls nor gates, in which there was no rule according to God) in the plain of Ono. Nehemiah was wise in what he said, for they meant two things (1) they would have done him mischief, and (2) they would have caused the work of God in the building of the wall to cease. Some, alas, that we have known, speaking in a figure, have gone down from the city of God to the plain of Ono. They have found common ground with those who have no liking for walls and gates, that is, for rule and judgement, persons who like what they call their freedom, to act as they please. The plain of Ono is a dangerous place. Ono means "strong," and it is so strong that those who go thither are rarely ever able to return to the city of God. Let those in the city of God beware of meeting together with men in a village in the plain of Ono.

The quotation from Psalm 2.2 is quoted in Acts 4.26, and there we find the words Epi to Auto. It shows the rulers of the Jewish people taking counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed (Christ). How united they were in their counsel, save for the fact that Joseph of Arimathea did not consent to their counsel! He it was who asked for the body of the Lord from Pilate, and buried the precious body in his own new tomb.

We need not remark at length on the united character of the city of Jerusalem, as David saw it, or of the exalting of the name of Jehovah together in the praises of God, or yet again on the agreement necessary between two who would walk together.

Our quotations from the Old Testament are to show that the words Epi to Auto, as found in the Acts and 1 Corinthians, reveal a unity amongst the disciples of the Lord in the churches of God in the days when the Scriptures were written. Those who wrote the Scriptures were well acquainted with the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Scriptures and the meaning attached therein to the words Epi to Auto. We hope to deal with their New Testament application in our next contribution.

J. Miller | Mar 1961
Together In Unity