Pages 1 to 115 from "Notes of Readings in New York and Other Ministry, 1954" (Volume 196).
Acts 1:1 - 26
We see in this chapter the nature of the material the Lord had formed, and how suited it was for the new structure -- the assembly. Special notice should be taken of the place given to the Spirit in the Lord's charge, of the fact that He assembled with the apostles and that they as together asked of Him, and that Peter stood up with them for his discourse recorded in chapter 2. There is something for us in all this, for according to the mind of God, the end of a dispensation should conform to what was true at its beginning.
The first narrative by Luke finishes with Christ carried up into heaven after blessing the disciples, and their returning to Jerusalem and attending the temple and praising and blessing God there. All is suggestive of the results of Christ's ministry as bringing in the priestly family. Luke's second narrative, the Acts of the Apostles, has in view the new structure, hence the prominent idea is assembling together in view of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Lord's own charge to the apostles is said to be by the Spirit. His service in Luke 24 is not presented as being by the Holy Spirit, but as what He did Himself. Acts has the assembly as the new system in view. Everything is now provided by the Spirit, and what the disciples did in the ten days between the Lord leaving them and the Holy Spirit coming shows that they had been formed by Christ's ministry. Without being told to return to the city and to go to the upper room they did so, showing that they had light as to the new thing. The fact that we get here the mount of Olives instead of Bethany gives a clue to the heavenly connection. Those in the
upper room represented the authority of Christ; no reference is made to the temple in verses 3 to 14.
"Assembled" is one of the key-words to the new dispensation, and here "assembled with them" is a most remarkable expression. Here in Acts it is the manner of His presence, and so He assembles with them and commands them not to depart from Jerusalem until they had received the Holy Spirit. It is a pattern -- a primal thought that goes right through the dispensation as a matter of light. It is most suggestive that the Lord takes up a relation like this, and there He commands. We treasure it as light in the soul, and if we are to answer to the beginning this is necessary. In Luke we find that the Lord left here a priestly company. He led them out to Bethany, which speaks of an earthly association, and there He blessed them; it was like Aaron's house being blessed (Psalm 115.). They continued in the temple praising and blessing God, which was what God sought from Aaron and his family.
Luke's second treatise has the assembly in view and although he refers to the same things, it is in quite another way. The disciples, who belong to the new structure, are here charged, assembled, and commanded not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father. The mount of Olives in Acts 1 suggests a heavenly connection. When every man went to his own home, Jesus went there (John 8:1), and it would seem to point to heavenly associations with the Father, "When they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives".
When the disciples are together they ask the Lord; they recognise the oracle, the place of divine communications. It is at this point that the Lord is taken up and a cloud received Him out of their sight, but the two things we have been looking at remain, the Lord's administration in relation to the assembly, and our privilege of asking. It is a great thing to be in a place where we can ask, and although we may not always
get what we ask, we get regulated. Here the Lord replies to their question in the negative, but a negative is very often light, and we learn that when the Father's time comes, the course of things will be resumed according to the prophecies. The assembly is linked up with an eternal order of things; we are, as it were, let down to earth like the sheet, but only to be drawn up again. The feast of Pentecost was not limited by time like the other feasts, and so we have access to what is eternal.
The Lord is taken away, and they are seen gazing up, but they are corrected at this point. The cloud would indicate that they were not to look up. Stephen was right in looking up into heaven, for then there was no cloud; but at this point God had not given up Israel, so there was not the "clear shining" yet. The disciples go to the upper room, not to the temple. It was probably the guest-chamber where the Lord had been (Mark 14:14, 15), and where He had instituted the Supper. They show that they are in keeping with the new thoughts.
Peter standing up is another evidence of the fruit of the Lord's work. He stands up in the midst of the brethren, the assembly properly, and proves that he had profited by what had gone before. In chapter 2 he shows that he understands further the ground on which preaching stands. In the first instance they are together to receive communications, and he stands up "in the midst of the brethren", but in the second he stands "with the eleven"; that is, they are on the same footing as he; they were all commissioned to preach, and it is only sent ones who can preach or teach. Evangelisation stands on the ground of commission, and it is for the brethren to determine whether there is a commission; they are to judge.
In verse 21 we see that they deemed it an indispensable qualification that the one to be chosen in
the place of Judas should be "of the men who have assembled with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us". Only such could be an adequate witness. It is remarkable that the Spirit tells us the number of names in the whole company residing in the upper room, which indicates His cognisance of what belongs to Christ.
Peter stands up in chapter 2 more as an oracle than as a servant. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God"; as there is speaking for God things are clarified. A word from the Lord comes from one standing up "in the midst of the brethren". In the assembly the Lord is supreme, and the speaking is an oracle. The gospel preaching is supported by the sympathies of the house of God, and you may get a manifestation at the Lord's supper, which will colour not only the preaching, but will go through the week with you.
It is instructive to see that the disciples appeal to the Scriptures, and that they pray. The Lord knew when He left them that He could safely trust them, and so He did not tell them, as He could have done, whom they should appoint in Judas's place. They had not the Spirit as yet, but they knew what to do in those unique circumstances. They were menders of nets, and what they did in Acts 1 was on the principle of repairing a rent. It is also a point to be noticed that they knew the brethren, those who had been in the habit of assembling with them all the time Jesus went in and out among them, and the Lord knew their hearts. They go through all the exercises needed in making the selections, but God decides the choice. It is a great thing to know the brethren, and then you know how to act under any circumstances.
2 Samuel 7:1 - 29
J.T. In this chapter we see the need for adjustment even in the most spiritual. It is easy to apply it to those who are not spiritual, but that it should be needed in the most spiritual is perhaps what we would not expect. There is no evidence of any naughtiness of heart in David in this connection. In the end of the previous chapter, referring to his dancing before the ark, he says to Michal, "It was before Jehovah, who chose me"; he evidently was subdued and humble in his spirit, but not withstanding all the honour put upon him and the prosperity that marked him in bringing up the ark, he needed adjustment.
Ques. Nathan needed it also, did he not?
J.T. Yes; so that we see the most spiritual among the people of God need it, especially in connection with His house. God would remind us that all in the house must be of Himself. That David should consider the fact that he dwelt in a house of cedars and that the ark of God was under curtains was a very right motive and exercise. Nathan says to him, "Go, do all that is in thy heart; for Jehovah is with thee". It was right that it should be in his heart, but then whatever may be in my heart, I must think of what is in God's heart.
Ques. Would God's word to Abraham earlier, "Walk before my face, and be perfect", show that in God's wisdom He anticipates that in the most spiritual there would be times of imperfection?
J.T. Just so; in the most spiritual. Even Joseph, wonderful man though he was, does not pass without a slip that needed adjustment; he would have the elder blessed, in that way denying the sovereign choice of God.
Ques. Adjustment is needed in so many ways, but is it your thought that we need adjustment in relation to the thoughts of God, that He must act first?
J.T. It is to bring out the importance of the house, that God's mind must pervade it and that He must have the initiative as to all things concerning it.
Rem. The children of Israel took the initiative in desiring a king, but it was not according to God.
J.T. There is no doubt that the motive on the part of David was a worthy one; he had in his mind to find a habitation for God. It was a governing principle in his life, but this chapter is to bring out that notwithstanding all that, worthy as it was, David was short of the spirit that enters into the house of God; that he lost sight of the fact that it was a question of God's sovereignty and choice and that the thought of relationship entered into it. A military man was never in divine purpose, it was a son; what answers to the heart of God is sonship. It is the son who is to build.
Ques. Should Nathan have known that, instead of confirming David in what he purposed to do?
J.T. We must not be too quick. Deliberation is a great thing in the things of God. Of course, the Lord answered quickly in His dealings with others, but deliberation is a great principle. It was a great and weighty matter that David suggested to Nathan and required due consideration. You would have thought that Nathan would have said, Well, what about the word, "Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, the place that thou, Jehovah, hast made thy dwelling, the Sanctuary, Lord, that thy hands have prepared", Exodus 15:17.
Rem. So what is in our hearts should originate from God's heart.
J.T. If David had built the house, "Wisdom hath built her house" could not have been said. Wisdom
borrows nothing; she is indebted to no one. Wisdom originated with God, but it is the Son that builds, so that while wisdom builds, it is the affections and sentiments of the Son that enter into the building.
Ques. Is that why it is said regarding Solomon, "I will be his father, and he shall be my son", 1 Chronicles 17:13?
J.T. It is not simply David's son that builds the house. In both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes it is David's son -- Solomon, "son of David". But that is not enough for God, the point that God emphasizes is, "He shall be my son"; that is to say, he is detached wholly from David. So that from the very outset of Solomon's being, God, as it were, intervened. He sent by the hand of Nathan and called his name Jedidiah, meaning that Jehovah loved the child. To David he was Solomon, but to Jehovah he was Jedidiah, and this showed what he was in the mind of God. God adopted him because He loved him. Thus Solomon is not simply David's son. As building the house, he is God's son, and the application of that to Christ in the first chapter of Hebrews makes it all the more emphatic: "I will be to him for father, and he shall be to me for son".
C.H.H. I suppose David reached that in his soul in Psalm 72 where he blessed "Jehovah Elohim, the God of Israel, who alone doeth wondrous things".
J.T. Quite; and we see the end of David's desires, for the psalm ceases with, "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended". He sees now in the son one who would take up the will of God; there is nothing more to desire.
J.D. What place would David's matchless preparation for the house have when he himself was debarred from building it?
J.T. Well, in David's heart there was affection for the house, so that although one might be debarred from much activity, his affection for the house would
lead him to expend all he has for the saints; he has a regard for what the saints are as the dwelling of God. Exodus 15 contemplates a place which Jehovah has prepared for Himself to dwell in. Moses could not bring the people in, nor did Joshua bring the people into the fulness of Exodus 15; Joshua did not get beyond Shiloh. The tabernacle was set up there. But in Solomon, the counterpart of David, you have the full thought of God reached as indicated in Exodus. What David is occupied with in this chapter (verses 22 - 29) is the establishing of the thing, not only that they had been redeemed for Jehovah, but that he wanted to see them established to be His people for ever. And that, I think, agrees with the number twenty-four -- a number that characterises David's ministry, meaning another ministry besides that of Moses.
Ques. What is suggested in that it says that the word of Jehovah came to Nathan that night?
J.T. It was an urgent matter; God would not allow the thought to crystallise in David's mind. He would adjust David at once. But it is interesting to see that He refers to David as "my servant". He is serving God and God would have him proceed to the end. He was chosen to be king and he was to proceed on that line; God took the matter up at once so that there should be adjustment. There was a certain distance -- the prophet involves distance, and David was to accept the fact that the message was mediatorial. David had been chosen to be a prince over His people; that was his ministry or office, and his last words indicate that he had learnt the mind of God as to his ministry. He accepted the message that Nathan brought, and he went in and sat before the Lord. It is a question now of being detained there.
C.H.H. May we not learn from that a principle, that if ministry puts us in touch with God, in accepting it we can go in to God?
J.T. That is the thought. Had David done this before the prophetic word it would not have been necessary. The thought of building a house was an important matter and it required the greatest care and inquiry from God.
J.D. Are you indicating that every one of the people of God should be able to get His mind for himself?
J.T. Yes; prophetic ministry is intended to bring us down, but it is for our blessing. You feel reduced and humbled as the prophetic word comes into your soul. Now David would speak to God, but before he speaks, he goes in and sits down before Jehovah. A sitting posture shows that you are there for a while. What he says to Jehovah indicates how much he profited by the word of Nathan; he had bowed unreservedly to the prophetic message.
C.H.H. Communications to Paul were direct.
J.T. They were, but there is one important point about him, before he got his direct communications for his ministry, he fully owned the brethren, and found adjustment among them; one cannot be a special minister to the saints or to the Lord unless he finds his place among the brethren first.
C.H.H. So that they gave him the right hand of fellowship, but in the first place he owed his position to Ananias.
Rem. It is noticeable that while Nathan failed in the mind of God at first, yet he was entrusted with the message, and he delivered it.
J.T. God spoke to him that night. But when Paul asked, "What shall I do. Lord?", the Lord answered, "Rise up, and go to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all things which it is appointed thee to do", Acts 22:10. That was the reply to Saul without designating anyone; but so that there should be no discrepancy between what Saul saw in Christ and what he should find in Damascus. He went before him and prepared Ananias to receive him. The kind
of people Saul met in Jerusalem when he went to houses and dragged out men and women and delivered them to be punished, was the same as he was to find at Damascus. He was dealing with Christ when he did that at Jerusalem, so the word was, "Why persecutest thou me?". Now he was to find the same people in Damascus. Ananias says, "Brother Saul". He is at once disarmed and made to realise that the voice he had heard from heaven was the same in character as when Ananias spoke to him, so that from the very outset of his spiritual being. Saul would know that he got adjustment through the brethren. He recognises this principle later when he refers to one who was in Christ before him. Ananias said to him, "Receive thy sight". He looked upon Ananias; he would be impressed with what he saw in a brother after he received his sight. But then Ananias went on to say wonderful things to him, that he was chosen to "see the just one, and to hear a voice out of his mouth". It was a personal touch. Saul was listening to all this, but it was his turn now to do something; that is to say, when the light comes to you conveying the mind of God, you are to move according to it. Saul apparently was not doing anything, so Ananias says, "Why lingerest thou?". He was listening to the mind of God but that was not enough, the time had come to make a move: "Arise and get baptised". That was his part; he had to come to that. So you see he had to learn the principle of adjustment through the brethren. Great vessel though he was, he was at first slow to act according to the light vouchsafed.
B.T.F. Do you think the Acts take character from the principles laid down here?
J.T. Quite, the principle of selection. Whilst God selects there must be the corresponding result in those He selects. It is very beautiful that after the message reaches David, he goes in and sits before Jehovah. He would get impressions of the divine dwelling as he sat
before Jehovah. In John's gospel the first persons that move towards Christ say to Him, "Where abidest thou?"
F.R. Does sitting before Jehovah indicate that David no longer takes the initiative?
J.T. If we are to get the mind of the Lord, the thing is to sit before Him. The prophetic message is gracious but it implies distance. It was right, surely, to take account of the ark as dwelling under curtains, but to get an idea of what is requisite for God you must go in and sit before Him; you get right impressions there.
C.H.H. What answers to that today?
J.T. Of course we know what the house is: "Whose house are we". We know from Ephesians that the house is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone. It is a spiritual structure in which God dwells and in which He is approached. But then, in approaching God now, you never lose sight of the fact that He is in heaven. He is dwelling here Spirit-wise; that is, all divine feelings and sympathies are directly in the Spirit. If we distinguish between the divine Persons, the Father and the Son are in heaven; the Spirit is here; so that God is here in that way.
B.T.F. What about the "living stone" and the "living stones" in connection with the building?
J.T. It is a spiritual house. "Yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house", 1 Peter 2:5. We never lose sight of the fact that the Father and the Son are in heaven, and that the Spirit is here -- the Comforter; so that there is a medium through which the Father and the Son can dwell.
Ques. What does the ark dwelling under curtains signify?
J.T. David refers to the curtains as unsuitable; it
was a provisional place for the ark pending the building of the house.
Ques. God bears a good deal from us until we have light?
J.T. That is what comes out in Numbers, when the ark went before. The love of God is such that He is content to accept the circumstances without complaining. But sitting before the Lord you can understand that certain things will enter the soul. You are subdued and you get impressions that you might not get anywhere else.
Rem. I suppose Mary of Bethany was a typical example of this; she sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word with the result that she knew how to anoint Him.
C.H.H. Does this passage correspond with the holiest?
J.T. In a way. Entering the holiest in Hebrews 10 does not contemplate us as together. You are to do that. It involves ability to abstract yourself from what is outward so that you acquire an apprehension of Christ as He is before God. In this passage it is where the ark was and what that alluded to -- where God was dwelling between the cherubim. Of course, David, not being a priest, could not go inside. It refers to God's house. In the Psalms you get it alluded to, "One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Jehovah, and to inquire of him in his temple", Psalm 27:4.
C.H.H. That is the value of a meeting like this.
J.T. Especially when the saints are together in assembly, where the Lord is supreme and where He is recognised. You get impressions there that you get nowhere else.
Ques. David having now found his place in Jehovah's thoughts, would really point to Christ, would it not?
J.T. That is the point God has in His mind.
Rem. Peter had to learn that lesson also. His idea was to make three tabernacles; he had to learn that Christ is supreme.
J.T. Exactly; the voice said, "This is my beloved Son, hear him". Mark puts it that they saw no one but Jesus alone with themselves. So that David really comes to Christ and that is the substance of his remarks in this passage. David is coming into the divine 'manner'. In the house of cedars he would be impressed with the manner of man -- what man can do -- but it is the manner of God, the divine manner you get in the divine Presence. And so David says, "Is this the manner of man?". He is laying hold of how things are there; he is apprehending what was in God's heart.
Rem. He speaks on very intimate terms with God.
J.T. I think it is the effect of perfect love that casts out fear. He is able to speak to God and he says, "... according to thine own heart". Certainly it is much better to have things according to His heart than according to my heart. The manner of man in the house of cedars can never rise to the manner of God in His house.
W.D.R. You are coming nearer to the thought of ascension, are you not?
J.T. It is elevation. Hence you see the Lord in the finishing touches in the gospels; He directs the disciples upward. Here David gradually arrives at the greatness of God; he is impressed with it.
B.T.F. Why does David use the titles "Lord Jehovah" and "Jehovah Elohim"?
J.T. I suppose it refers to the increasing spiritual power of David as he apprehends God.
C.H.H. Would it refer to our ability to express the greatness of God in the assembly in every character in which we know Him as revealed in Christ, so that there is a variety of worship?
J.T. I am thinking of the difference between Romans and Ephesians. In Romans 8 we cry, "Abba Father", by the "spirit of adoption". That is not the Holy Spirit, formally, it is "a spirit of adoption". That is related to the beginning of our relations with God, consciously. Ephesians is the culmination of that, so that you get reference to "the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ", and then you get "the Father of glory", and then, in chapter 4, "one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all". There is expansion in Ephesians. David's use of divine titles here shows spiritual progress.
H.E.E. Is it because of David's apprehension of the greatness of God that he takes account of the greatness of God's people in verse 23?
J.T. That is the next thing that comes out, as it says in Ephesians: "the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints".
Rem. So that our valuation of the people of God is related, to the measure in which we apprehend God.
J.T. You are impressed with the fact that David has come to recognise that all that he was, spiritually, was from God; all that his house was ever to be was from God; all that God's house itself was to be was from God; so that he is completely adjusted in that he saw that God was all and in all; he reached, we may say, "the fulness of God".
Luke 8:15; Luke 13:6, 9; 1 Thessalonians 1:1 - 8
These scriptures, as you will observe, speak of the simple thought of fruitfulness. God had this in His mind from the outset of His operations. On the third day, spoken of in the book of Genesis, we have the first reference to it. It is presented there as a result of certain latent qualities in the earth. That is, the earth had long lain in water and by the word of God emerged from the water; the allusion, doubtless, is to the judgment of God which precedes and enters into fruitfulness. As applied spiritually it signifies that the believer is planted in the likeness of Christ's death, planted in baptism. God indicating in this that there can be nothing in us for Him aside from the definite acceptance of His judgment on ourselves, but borne vicariously by the Lord Jesus. So that the apostle says, "We, as many as have been baptised unto Christ Jesus, have been baptised unto his death", Romans 6:3. We are become identified with Him in the likeness of His death, or planted, we are told, so that there should be a crop according to the mind of God, the believer taking root downwards. There is no suggestion of a limit to the depth of the roots. The deeper the roots go, the more fruitful and valuable and extensive will be the crop. There are grades in the roots. Baptism is the nominal acceptance of the death of Christ as being the penalty due to us, and involves that one is planted. The use of baptism abroad today, therefore, by millions of people on the earth who have no thoughts whatever of the reality of it, is a most solemn consideration, and every believer having been baptised, is under serious obligation as to what it means, and whether the acceptance of what it means marks him. True there is the planting, but then the planting is one
thing, and the taking root downwards is another thing. The Lord, in these parables about the sower, speaks of persons having no root in themselves. The figure in Isaiah is taking root downward, and bearing fruit upward (Isaiah 37:31). The planting is one thing, but the taking root in the energy of life is another thing, and then the depth to which the root goes is still another thing. There are grades. The Lord Jesus is said to have gone down to the lower parts of the earth. Who can fathom that? Certainly no geologist can fathom that. Though they do not go down very far they have a great deal to say of what they have found, but you find no reference to the great descent of Christ into the lower parts of the earth. The depth is beyond us, really, and the deeper we go the richer and more extensive should be the fruit. For instance, a man who accepts baptism generally as planted in the likeness of Christ's death is sure to take root. Aside from taking root there could be no crop. But then, the root may be little and short, so there is in that same scripture in Romans 6 the idea of our old man being crucified with Christ. That is a further thought which requires a deepening of the roots. Crucifixion is a man's death. It involves that I have judged the old man in which I had part. There is only one old man; it is the thought that involves us all -- each of us comes to a judgment of what it is -- but it involves us all; "our old man", it is said. That is a further extension of the root downwards; and then finally we have one who says, "I am crucified with Christ". When one says, "I am crucified with Christ", he is dealing with himself -- he is not dealing with others. His thoughts are occupied with himself, and he means to convey that he has reviewed his whole history and discovered how mean he has been, unrighteous of course, and sinful -- but also the meanness of the things he has been guilty of, the utter despicableness
of his thoughts and attitude towards others. Many of us have reviewed our history in that way and have come to the necessity of crucifixion. The history of oneself has been viewed as so utterly bad, so mean, that nothing less than crucifixion will meet the case, and he sees that the Lord Jesus knew all that, and accepted all that, in hanging on the cross. His heart is drawn after Christ; it becomes entwined around Him as he thinks of the depth of suffering that He endured, that He became a curse, that He was "made sin" on the cross. He was made a curse -- a remarkable statement -- made sin and made a curse for us. One thus judged, beloved brethren, is taking root downward, and correspondingly he bears fruit upward, that is, God-ward. So that Romans 7 is really a sort of answer, that we have become "dead to the law by the body of Christ, to be to another". And all that we are is acceptable. We are not going to link on with Him the meanness, the earthliness, the despicableness of our conduct. We are holding ourselves according to Him. The believer, as his root goes down, corresponds with Christ, and he would abhor the idea of linking on with Christ anything of that which took Him so low, which cost Him so much sorrow and suffering.
Well, now, having said all that, you can see the force of this scripture in Luke 13. I want to speak of it first. It alludes to Israel, but it illustrates what is current around us. The fig tree alludes to that which God set up on earth through the gospel, as Israel had been set up. The Old Testament speaks much of the plant of Israel, the care expended on it, and this parable is intended to teach us that after all that, there is nothing. The vineyard owner came seeking fruit. That He does so is sure. If we take up the profession in relation to God, He comes seeking results, as you will observe here, "These three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree". That is,
you may expect a divine visitation, as you take up a place in this world in relation to God, as a baptised person. It may be that you have not thought of this. It may be that you have never felt or realised those comings of the Possessor of the vineyard -- for He holds rights over you. He says, "These three years", meaning that He has given full time; if not the first year, then the second year, and if not the second year, then the third year. Now this is a very serious matter, and each believer, or nominal believer, has to consider whether there has been this visitation, or these visitations year after year, since you have accepted and taken up this attitude God-ward, and whether there has been any fruit available to God. He is looking for it. The Lord, in John 15, speaks of His Father as being the Husbandman, and shows that even if one bears fruit, He will purge the branch that it might bring forth more. God never intimates that He is satisfied; He is always seeking more. Each year should yield more because of His gracious, careful husbandry. So here He says, I have come these three years seeking fruit, and found none. And the vinedresser says, Lord, let it remain for another year. The Planter of the vineyard had no thought that His comings should terminate. It is a very solemn consideration, that we do not know when God may come in and terminate the time of fruit bearing, when there will be no more hope of answering to His mind. The vinedresser here alludes to the Lord's own position as come into manhood, as come in to Israel. One could say much as to the wonderful feelings of affection and sympathy that marked Christ as moving about in Israel. We know much of what His thoughts and affections were with regard to His earthly people. You know, on the Lord's visit to Jerusalem, how moved He was. One loves to stand with Him there as He approached from Jericho, "already at the descent of the mount
of Olives" to the east. He looked on the city, and it says, "He wept over it". The Lord would lay it upon us that we should think a little with Him as to this. "He came to his own, and his own received him not". What did He feel about that? He would fain continue on with them, for the Scriptures bring out the perfect humanity of Christ. The Spirit of God loves to dwell upon it, always maintaining the balance as to His deity in a full way. The Spirit of God loves to dwell on the perfect, real, and genuine humanity of our Lord Jesus, that He was capable of such feelings, that He loved Jerusalem, and would do anything for it; indeed, He has done all for it! He died for that nation. He was about to die for it and the feelings proper to Him in view of such a sacrifice were all there. "He came to his own, and his own received him not". He felt the coldness, the indifference that marked them. "How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen her brood under her wings, and ye would not". Has this not an echo amongst us? The Lord's tender solicitations for us -- "And ye would not". So here, the Possessor of the vineyard would remove the fig-tree after three years of testing. The vinedresser had another thought -- yet not another mind -- it was delightful to see the sacrifice of Christ, the true Messiah of Israel, continuing on with them, to do His utmost for them for another year. He was reasonable in his request, but it speaks of the sacrifice of Christ, the intercession of Christ, and shows what Israel was to Him, and how He was loath to let the judgment of God take effect. The figure means that God had respect to His intercessions, and the fig-tree is allowed for another year. Think of the gracious ministry of Christ as He continues on! I suppose we may include the early chapters of the Acts in this. It says, in Luke, that He led His own out "as far as Bethany", not beyond that; meaning
that He was still lingering over the city. He was blessing them within easy reach of the city, so that they might be a testimony in it, as they were. He digged about the fig-tree, He did everything a vinedresser could do in digging about the fig-tree and in dunging it. The figure is well known to those who have to do with farming, the adding of the fertiliser after the digging. Think of the Lord Jesus being so concerned for His own that He comes digging about the fig-tree, and then applying the fertiliser! The vinedresser only asked for another year, and we know from other scriptures how Israel was set aside, and with what terribleness; for the Lord Himself says, "Thine enemies shall make a palisaded mound about thee ... and shall lay thee even with the ground". Jerusalem was razed to the ground; Zion was, it is said, as a ploughed field, for such was the judgment of God. I speak thus, on these verses, as a very solemn reminder of the judgment of God where no fruit is found. Everyone has to take it to heart, for certainly the same thing will happen to christendom.
Now I want to show you in the parable in Luke 8, how Luke speaks of this subject which is spoken of by all three synoptical evangelists. Luke quotes the Lord, in verse 15, as saying, "But that in the good ground, these are they who in an honest and good heart, having heard the word keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience". Instead of saying, "bore fruit a hundredfold", as He does in verse 8, or "one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty", as in Matthew 13:8, He says, "bring forth fruit with patience". Now this is the important side to the subject, because we are apt to be impatient. First, it may be with the Lord, or with the brethren, and sometimes with ourselves. If one is impatient with himself it means that he has not learnt himself, that he has been expecting something from himself; and I well know
from my own experience that many suffer from impatience with themselves. The first thing is to have done with yourself; there is nothing to be expected from yourself. Impatience is a serious state, for the enemy acts on it, and the most spiritual among us is apt to come under the enemy's influence by impatience. In Numbers 11, you will remember, as Israel began to move out into the wilderness, they immediately complained, they murmured, and it says that "the fire of Jehovah burned among them, and consumed some in the extremity of the camp", showing that those of us who hold ourselves at a distance from the divine centre -- from the tabernacle -- who are infrequent in our attendance at the opportunities of privilege, who are neglectful, who are world-borderers, in other words, those who are on the outskirts of the camp, are sure to be complainers. Unless we frequently attend the meetings, and have part in that which satisfies -- for there is in the assembly that which satisfies, for God is there -- it is as sure as possible that we shall become murmurers; we shall complain against the brethren; we shall complain, it may be, against Christ and against the Spirit, and perhaps against God. Let us never forget that it is the dwelling-place of God; Christ is there, the Spirit of God is there, and, not to be neglected, the saints are there; indeed all the elements of heaven are there. Many do complain. They question why God should have allowed this and that. It is a sure evidence as to one's living associations, and that one is far away from this centre, which answers to the tabernacle of witness, which was beautifully set up in the centre as Israel was encamped. The cloud was over them by day, and the pillar of fire by night, the evidence of the divine Presence. Those who stayed in the utmost limits of the camp enjoyed but the utmost limits, and they complained, and the fire of Jehovah burned among them.
But then, the chapter tells us that Israel also wept, and the mixed multitude joined in, and they complained about the manna; and then, alas! one hesitates to speak about it, even Moses complained, showing that the most spiritual among us is exposed to this dangerous feature of complaint. Hence the Lord's word here, "bring forth fruit with patience". There will be much, may be, to hinder the crop. There is the chilling north wind of times, and other things which tend to hinder the growth, and we must be patient. But let us see to it that the fruit is there, that the growth has not stopped entirely, that there is genuine growth of something for God; that we are patient in it, day in and day out, week in and week out; that there is a patient steady evidence of good works, in the attendance at the meetings, in attention to the things of God and in the participation in the manna; that nothing that would tend to promote growth is excluded, so that there is something for God. He comes regularly; He comes looking for fruit. How often He has to turn away! But if we are to be patient, He is patient. Nothing affects one more than the patience of God. How long He has continued waiting on christendom, for instance, notwithstanding the conditions that are so revolting. God is patiently continuing, He has His eye on the few that love Him and keep His commandments, and He comes looking for fruit. How dreadful we should feel if we knew how often He comes and finds nothing! So that the Lord has in mind here, according to Luke, that there should be patience -- bearing fruit with patience -- not giving up, but continuing. As is said elsewhere, "In due time, if we do not faint, we, shall reap", Galatians 6:9. And I may add, that it is not only that God has His fruit, but we have ours. We have our "fruit unto holiness, and the end eternal life", Romans 6:22. Hence the need of patience. We are to be patient in well-doing for in
due season we shall reap, if we faint not. There is much tendency to give up, but the word here is "with patience".
In speaking of patience in regard of fruit-bearing, it is perhaps worth while to remark that we also have in the Scriptures the suggestion of quick results. The farmer knows what I mean. Certain seed is sown with a view to an early crop, other for a later, but certain things are needed early and are forced. Every attention is given so that there should be a quick result. Now this is not at all out of keeping with what I have been saying as to patience. To illustrate the quickness of divine results, take the rod of Aaron laid up before the Testimony. It budded over night and blossomed and yielded ripened almonds! There is nothing like that in nature -- but that gives the idea of quick results. The staff of Aaron was laid up just for a night, with the eleven other staves of the tribes of Israel, and it yielded ripened almonds, in perfect order. There was the bud, and the blossom and the fully ripened fruit. You may say, Can you illustrate that in a spiritual way? Yes; Scripture abounds with quick results. Take the man in John 9. He developed from a blind man, in a very brief time, into a fully developed worshipper. Just look at the passage and you will see him growing! I am speaking practically -- and so we get the Thessalonians. The apostle having been shamefully treated at Philippi, went to Thessalonica, and went in among the Jews and for three sabbaths he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead. How one loves to think of the apostle in those three sabbaths! What a time they must have had! He was amongst them as one of them. He went in among them. He alludes here to his being a model and they valued him as such. That is, he stresses that the idea in the
gospel was not only presented in words, but presented in himself, and that is where so many of our dear brethren suffer. They have not had the model. As the gospel has been preached and the truth presented, the model has not been there; that is, the end to be reached has not been presented in their teachers. But it was otherwise in Thessalonica. The apostle was there. He went in among them as it says, "opening and laying down that the Christ must have suffered and risen up from among the dead", Acts 17:3. And a great number were converted in that town. He had to leave them immediately, and he wrote his letter very shortly after, for he was concerned about them. It is only a question of reading this chapter to be convinced of quick results in a meeting. He speaks of them as "the assembly of Thessalonians". Not the assembly at Thessalonica, but persons who belong to the town, who were characteristically persons of that town; that is, they had not come from the east, nor had they been christians for years before. They were verily Thessalonians. They had just heard the word and had received it, and this quick result is there. That is why I read this chapter, dear brethren, and the Lord would perhaps use it in our little gatherings; for one has great sympathy with gatherings who are perhaps minus what others in large cities have, such as much ministry and much teaching and much practical fellowship as compared with brethren who reside in smaller towns and country places. The Lord has great sympathy for us in these circumstances, and He would encourage us in this way. The Thessalonians had nothing, as far as the Scripture says, save what they got from the apostle in that three weeks' visit; but the soil was there, the young bud was there too, so that he says, "Remembering unceasingly your work of faith, and labour of love, and enduring constancy of hope, of our Lord Jesus Christ, before
our God and Father; knowing, brethren beloved by God, your election. For our glad tidings were not with you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance; even as ye know what we were among you for your sakes, and ye became our imitators, and of the Lord, having accepted the word in much tribulation with joy of the Holy Spirit". Now this last verse is most important as to what I am saying, "Having accepted the word in much tribulation". Normally, affliction will come with the sowing. It is a sort of digging around at the roots. Affliction makes us real, so that the fruit is forthcoming. So they were ensamples "to all that believe in Macedonia and in Achaia: for the word of the Lord sounded out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith which is towards God has gone abroad, so that we have no need to say anything". I read these verses twice because they are so simple and direct as to the subject I am presenting to you -- how quick results will come, results marked by patience too, as the soil is right. They received the word in much tribulation with joy of the Holy Spirit. So that the Spirit of God was there as the apostle ministered, and the soil was developed, and the seed sown sprang up in the ordering of God and matured in a few weeks. There was a 'sound' as he says: "The word of the Lord sounded out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith which is towards God has gone abroad". One would question as to the 'sounding' -- as to what kind of sound is heard in our town, where we are -- in this town. The christian's position is here. Christ went into heaven as the high priest of old went in to the holiest. On the skirts of his garments there was a bell and a pomegranate, and bell and a pomegranate, all round. As he went in, the sound was heard without. That is the presence of Christ in heaven now is to have
a corresponding sound here in the saints; in the towns and villages and cities in which we are, there is to be a sound. And so, when the Holy Spirit came, there was a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind. True christianity is marked by a definite sound reflecting what is of God, and it is to be heard wherever the saints of God are gathered; wherever they are set, there is to be a sound, not only in their own towns, but in the district or country, and indeed, as the apostle says, "in every place". How pleasing it is for those who have to do with the things of God, in visiting the brethren, to be able to speak of them in this way; that there is a sound of testimony -- the word of God sounding in the brethren -- "The word of the Lord sounded out from you".
One hopes that this matter may be taken to heart, because after all, lifeless meetings are not what God intends; not that I am saying these exist, but we are in danger of it. I am not imputing anything to any gathering or any person more than to myself -- but God is looking for fruit and He comes, and searches for it, and if it is not there something happens, for God is God. So that we should serve Him with reverence and godly fear.
John 4:23, 24; Exodus 12:21 - 27; 2 Samuel 7:12, 14, 18 - 22; 1 Chronicles 29:20, 22
My remarks will deal with what induces worship to God. In John 4 the Lord, in conversing with the woman at the well, introduced the Father, saying, "The Father seeks such as his worshippers"; referring to those who worship Him "in spirit and truth". She had introduced the subject of worship and the Lord had seized the opportunity to say wonderful things which, ordinarily, we would hardly expect Him to say to such a one. But God was working in this woman and the Lord paid attention to her remarks and said things to her that we do not find Him saying to anyone else, remarks that we refer to constantly, and rightly so. These remarks are found in John's gospel which unfolds to us the declaration of God, that He has needs, speaking reverently, and hence the Father seeks worshippers. The quality of those who worship is in mind, for He goes on to say, "God is a spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and truth". There is no deviation from these remarks; they convey the divine standard as to worship.
I want to show, first of all, that ministry induces worship. God approaches men in a minister; that is, in Christ, and then in ministers. There are two words used, one implying servile or slavish ministry -- the other official or dignified ministry. Normally, both are combined in every minister. Moses and Aaron represent the ministry in the Old Testament. God expended great care upon them to this end. Primarily, Moses possessed the light and thoughts of God, and Aaron was the speaker. In their first service they occasioned worship, as it says in Exodus 4:31, "When they heard ... they bowed their heads and worshipped". Thus the people met God.
So that, normally, God comes into contact with us through ministry. The verses in chapter 12 show the power of ministry as normally exercised. They are the words of Moses. Earlier in the chapter Jehovah speaks in a great general communication of His mind in regard to the passover, the great institution that was to exercise such an influence in Israel, and in which the Lord Himself took part, as we all know. But the verses I have read, beloved brethren, are Moses' presentation of what Jehovah had spoken to him. And you will observe that there is a great abridgment of what Jehovah had spoken, and there were certain additions. But what I am endeavouring to say is that ministry is not only intended to refresh us, and instruct us, and edify us, but to induce worship. And so Moses epitomizes what Jehovah communicated to him, on the principle of brevity, for ordinarily we take in but little at a time. Brevity and pungency with affection behind what is said are important. And so you will find that the great minister Paul, we might say, constantly introduces the spirit of worship into his ministry. He is not so unduly occupied with the service in hand as to shut out the additional thoughts that would enter into it. The minister always keeps his mind free so that in his service there is the introduction of God, some recognition of God -- how great God is. Thus the feelings of the minister are calculated to convey the greatness of God to those ministered to: "O depth of riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!". How persons would be affected were they to hear the apostle Paul preach "the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you (by me and Silvanus and Timotheus)". And so, in various instances, we find his feelings coming out spontaneously as he dealt with the great features of the truth. You can understand that those to whom he ministered would become worshippers.
And that was the intent, for if a convert has not become a worshipper, of what moral value is he to God? The Thessalonians "turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God". So that, characteristically, evangelisation has in mind to secure worshippers.
And so Moses, in a few words, conveys to the elders of Israel what Jehovah had said about the passover. And in doing so he introduced the use of the hyssop. You may ask Moses, Why did you bring in that idea? Well, it was his skill as a minister. Hyssop implies that if I am to be a worshipper I must be small. It grows out of the wall, "From the cedar tree that is on Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall" was a moral conception in the mind of Solomon. And Moses also introduced the thought of the bason. Why did he use that word? It is not in the general instruction he received. The bason was for the blood. It is referred to again in chapter 24 in relation to the service of God. Think of the precious blood of Christ, beloved brethren! If the blood is to be preserved in a bason, a vessel, it is to be kept in all its preciousness! It is that we may have a true estimate of it and of the "cup of blessing which we bless". The idea, thus, is carried forward into the Lord's supper; there is a vessel; there is that in which it is conserved and presented to us, out of which we drink. We speak of the blood much, but what about the preciousness of it? "Ye have been redeemed, not by corruptible things, as silver or gold ... but by precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, the blood of Christ", 1 Peter 1:18. Think of what that life was to God! Was it mere human addition that Moses introduced? No, beloved brethren, it was a spiritual addition, a spiritual touch in ministry that the Holy Spirit promoted in the minister so as to affect the hearts of the hearers. And so, if I am small the blood is great. Well now, as I said, Moses spread out
briefly the gist of what Jehovah said to him, and though in brevity, not one iota of Jehovah's thoughts is to be omitted. One marvels, as the Holy Spirit opens up the Scriptures, that not one iota of the whole Bible is to be omitted. Scripture is divinely inspired, and the Holy Spirit helps the ministers to bring in touches from the Scriptures to affect the hearers that they may worship. And so here, the great minister presented the death of Jesus and the wonderful way that Jehovah's care had provided for His people that their houses should be kept intact. Who is there who is a parent who is not concerned about the intactness of his house? God cares for the households of His people, not only that the firstborn is saved, but that the household is to be preserved. That precious blood, as it were, is put upon the lintel and door-posts with the hyssop by parents that fear God. And the presentation of it induces worship: the people "bowed their heads and worshipped".
Next I would speak of sonship. God addresses Himself to men in a Man. The reflection of God's love in the minister affects men. Hence Luke presents to us the kind of Man Jesus was. Think of how He ministered in Luke 4! His demeanour as minister affected His hearers; they wondered at His words. But my thought is sonship; that is, it is not now Christ as a minister, but Christ as Son. And so David had in his mind to build a house for Jehovah and he spoke of it to Nathan. At first Nathan encouraged him to proceed but Jehovah spoke to him that night telling him to say certain things to David, which brought in the great fact of sonship. Solomon was not yet born, but light as to the great fact of sonship is introduced and what developed is that David went in and sat before Jehovah. Why did he do that? Well, he was affected by what Jehovah had said through Nathan. Would that some here would be affected tonight by the thought
of the house, and that it belongs to the sons! The Lord Jesus said, "The bondman abides not in the house forever, the son abides for ever. If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free". We are to be free to come in, certainly, and free to stay in. David went in, we are told, after hearing the words of Nathan. You may be sure they were said in ministerial power! Nathan was a real minister! He stimulated David to move towards God -- and he went in and sat before Jehovah, and he tarried there. Read it at your leisure. You will be impressed by the appellations by which he addresses the Deity. The nearer we get to God, dear brethren, the greater He becomes to us, and the more worship is induced in our hearts, so that we have liberty to address Him with titles that are proper to Him.
And now I want to show how headship in Christ induces worship. That is what David represents in the closing section of 1 Chronicles. Solomon sat on the throne before David died, but immediately before that, according to the narrative in 1 Kings, David was advanced in years and obtained no warmth. But in 1 Chronicles he is seen as before God, as it were, in supernatural power. And it is only in that power that we can be before God -- out of weakness we are made strong. But from Chapter 23 to the end of 1 Chronicles we are told of David's disposition of what there was in his day; and that is going on at the present time, beloved brethren. The Lord Jesus is making disposition of what He has. All are not available, but those who are available He makes disposition of, and that is headship. As I understand headship, as presented in David here, it is to get the most out of what there is. It is the very converse of one-man ministry. One-man ministry dominates christendom, whereas headship is to dispose of what there is so as to get the very most out of it. Hence, the Levites are mentioned first in chapter 23. There
are some thirty-eight thousand of them, and David divided them into twenty-four courses. There were the Levites, the priests, the singers, the doorkeepers, and then the military. However they are viewed, as you look at these chapters, you find that David disposes of them so as to get the very best results. And then, in the verse I read, he said to all the congregation, "Bless now Jehovah your God. And all the congregation blessed Jehovah the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and did homage to Jehovah and the king".
Is it possible that some here have had no thought about taking part in the service of God? It is the first thing that you should think of, that you should take part. You may be a sister, but that does not mean that you should not take part, for the body requires that all should be in the matter, "All the congregation blessed Jehovah". All should worship. Headship is to the end that everyone should take part, that everyone should function, that everyone should add to what is there.
In chapter 23 David reduced the age of the Levites by his last words to "from twenty years old and upward", as if to say, This is my dying word to you -- reduce the age of the Levites. What does he mean? It is to increase the number! The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward in Numbers 4, and in Numbers 8 the age is brought down to twenty-five, but the last words of David, in 1 Chronicles 23, bring the age down to twenty. It means that they were so perfectly delightful to God that He says, I wish to increase their number. Is there a young person here in doubt? The Lord has need of you. He wants to make the most of you; that is the principle of headship. He knows you well; He knows your antecedents; He knows you thoroughly; He says, I want you!
There is also the thought of refinement -- two hundred and eighty-eight refined and cultured persons who are singers, family singers. There is the number; divide it by twenty-four! There is the teacher with the scholar, the small as well as the great. Let there be no discrimination! Bring all in! There are twelve in each course; no guess-work. The Lord knows them that are His! All are known, but how much more those who are available! He knows them, as Jehovah said about Aaron the Levite: "I know that he can speak well". So that headship, I believe, is the last great feature. The Lord is, working to get the greatest results from what is available. He is bringing in the young. "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established praise". And so David says to all the congregation, "Bless now Jehovah your God". The Lord would speak to you on the principle of headship; He would put in His claim, "And all the congregation blessed Jehovah the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and did homage".
And then it says, in verse 21, "And they sacrificed sacrifices to Jehovah, and offered up burnt-offerings to Jehovah, on the morrow after that day". That is, not only was that day under the influence of David and his headship, but the morrow. That is, the principle of continuance is brought in. The people rejoiced together and they made Solomon king the second time. Christ, as Son increases in our estimation and appreciation under such circumstances.
Well, that is what I had in mind -- that worship is induced by ministry, first of all; and then our apprehension of God's thoughts as to sonship lead us to worship; and, finally, as under the headship of Christ, the whole system is disposed in order that there may be the greatest possible response in worship to God. May the Lord bless the word!
Exodus 4:29 - 31; Exodus 12:25 - 27; Exodus 34:5 - 8; Exodus 33:10
I have in mind to speak about worship, and I have selected my scriptures from this book so that it may become clear that worship is intended by God to mark His people from the outset, that is, from the time of one's conversion, and that each may understand that it is not merely for those who have advanced in the truth but for all. Hence we find that, in the gospel of John, it enters into a conversation between the Lord and a woman, who had in herself no moral right to speak about such a holy subject, but she did speak of it; she introduced it into the conversation, evidently because her soul had been reached, the Lord, having spoken to her in a prophetic way, had brought her sins to her mind, and, as the sequel shows, she had begun to judge them, she had begun to repent. It is to this very thing she alluded in speaking of Christ afterwards, that He had told her all things she had ever done. It was therefore in no perfunctory way that she introduced the subject of worship, nor did the Lord, who knew it well and who continued the subject in a most exalted way, deter her at all. In no way did He indicate to her that it was not for her to speak of such a holy subject so early in her contact with Him; it was quite apropos. No doubt if she came into fellowship and into service later, as doubtless she did, she would shine in it. She would not be behind in her part in that service for she was one of those as to whom it is said that their conscience is purged from dead works to serve the living God. That is the end in mind. So also with another notable case contemplated by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians -- an unconverted man or an ignorant man coming into the christian assembly and coming under the power of the prophetic word. He would
be convicted, the secrets of his heart would be made manifest, and he would fall down, the apostle says, and worship God. It is as if it would be the first thing after he was convicted of sin and judged himself. In truth the gospel is the light of God; it brings God into a man's soul, with the result that normally there is an immediate response to God. If there is not, the fault is with the person who professes to believe; something is holding him; there is some reserve. Alas! it has to be owned that it is so with most of us. How slow we are, after we profess to receive the light of the gospel, to respond in the fellowship of God's Son, and of His death and of the Spirit, in the worship of God. Many put if off for weeks, months, or even years -- whereas God is looking for an immediate return.
We see another case in the tenth cleansed leper, who was a Samaritan. There was an immediate return on his part, but not with the nine. They failed to return to give glory to God. But one returned; he fell down and gave glory to God. It was an immediate reaction from the light of the gospel, the light of God entering his soul.
All these instances illustrate what is in mind, and why I have turned to Exodus. It is the initial ministerial book, typical of our exodus from the world and it covers the exercises as we are leaving, in fact, before we formally leave. This book contemplates that there should be response to God as His light comes to us. There may be young ones here who have never thought of worshipping God, though they may say they confessed the Lord some time back. The word would be for all such, particularly that they may delay no longer, that they may see that God is looking for immediate reaction, not a matter of weeks, months, and years, but an immediate reaction from the word of the gospel received in the soul.
The gospel narratives furnish many more instances than I have mentioned, and Exodus would elucidate the point, as I hope to show, not only as to young believers, but in Moses himself, the great mediator and deliverer, under God, of His people; he worshipped, too. The passage read in chapter 4 contemplates the reception of the ministry of God. Moses and Aaron appear as the ministers of God acting together, for it is an important thing in service that the servants who minister are of one mind, able to act together. Two are always better than one, even in service; and so, if there is to be this unity in service on the part of those who are qualified to serve in a special way, the history of Moses and Aaron must be looked into. We see God's great concern about them, particularly Moses. What a history his is! It is a history from his infancy. Not so with Aaron. We hear nothing of him until he is about eighty-three years of age. Not that he did not have a history with God, but the Spirit of God passes over it until he is about to enter the divine service, and then God tells Moses about his brother. He knew more about Aaron than Moses did, I am sure, and it is well for all those who serve to understand that God knows all about us, that He would put us together and help us to serve together. He would tell one about another -- some good thoughts about him. The Lord does that if we wait upon Him about fellow-servants. He would give us to understand just what each one is and how he is to be regarded; it is important that we should understand each other and have an exercise to come to a right judgment of each other; God would give it to us for He intends His servants to work together. So He says to Moses, "Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother?". He is called a Levite before Moses, not simply because he was of the tribe of Levi, but he evidently had the characteristics of a Levite, known to God. No one
can serve God unless he has those characteristics, "Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also behold, he goeth out to meet thee; and when he seeth thee he will be glad in his heart". That is a fine commendation for God Himself to give of one servant to another, and we need these commendations, and shall get them if we ask God about them; but even if we do not ask we will get them as we are open for them.
The meeting takes place on the mountain of God, which is another important point to be observed, because the mountain of God refers to the place of divine reserves, and servants have all to go there. We all get our supplies from the same source. And there was an expression of affection between them. Aaron was three years older than Moses and would thus be at a peculiar disadvantage, indeed Moses would be too, because age enters into the calculations of servants. The older we are the more apt we are to make much of our age; it is a part of our capital and we do well to discount that capital; it becomes a test to servants when such disparity exists between them. But the affection is here between Moses and Aaron, and expressed too. Moses had the lead; God never overlooked that. There was no one like him in God's mind at that time, "My servant Moses", He says. When Aaron and Miriam questioned him later there was no one like him, one to whom God spoke face to face as a man speaks to his friend. But they were of one mind here, and according to what God said, and Aaron spoke to the people. God had said, "I know that he can speak well". And so in our verse it says, "And Aaron spoke all the words that Jehovah had spoken to Moses". Moses received the communications; they passed through him, for there is only one mediator. He was the apostle, the one through whom the messages came, and how many there were! It would be
an interesting matter to count up the number of messages that Moses received from Jehovah, I suppose every message added to him in a moral way. He would not grow weary of receiving them. They came from between the cherubim on the mercy-seat. Moses tells us that he heard a voice speaking to him from there. He always had access there, I do not say that all the messages came to him just there, but still, that was the principle. And Aaron was his spokesman; at least, at the beginning. God says, "I know that he can speak well". So that good speaking is important in the service of God; not eloquence, of course, the mere putting together of words, nor gesticulations, but such speech as is suitable for divine communications. Hence we find that Paul, as compared with Barnabas, was the chief speaker, although some rivals of his at Corinth said his speech was contemptible. Still, according to certain records, he and Barnabas "so spoke that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed". Stress is on the speaking. So here. Moses and Aaron gather the elders together. They move rightly, and we are told that "Aaron spoke all the words that Jehovah had spoken to Moses, and did the signs before the eyes of the people". And then it says, "And the people believed. And when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped". How pleasing that would be in a gospel meeting! We hear of a hundred being converted, or fifty, or twenty-five, but countings are not very certain. How delightful it would be, and what an evidence of the genuineness of the confessions, if each one bowed his head and worshipped! What a sight it would be! And why should this not be so? Is not the message today greater than what we read here? Think of the full declaration of God in Christ set out in the gospel, testifying to His love and to His
righteousness. His righteousness toward the believer and upon the believer. Think of the righteousness of God coming upon a wicked person like the woman of Samaria as believing the testimony; and think of His power known in the soul -- for in truth that is the order in Romans; it is the righteousness of God, the power of God, and the love of God. The righteousness is in chapter 3, the power in chapter 4 and the love in chapter 5. Is that not enough, as genuinely received into the soul, to move the soul to worship? I think so. And each of us may well question himself as to whether it has been his history. Is it true of me that I worship God? It may have been observed as I read these passages that it is not said that they worshipped God; the point is they worshipped. The thing is so manifest; there is no need to say that they worshipped God. It would be well for us to look back on our histories, and compare our present state of soul as to whether we really do worship. These people worshipped; they bowed their heads and worshipped. The light had come to them through these servants. First it says that they believed, and then, "when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped". I am not attempting to preach the gospel, but I do wish to impress upon everyone and myself too, the immediate intended effect and reaction of the gospel in the soul of the believer -- that I might be characteristically a worshipper, purged and sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Well now, the twelfth chapter is an advance on this. It is a question of redemption and the passover. The Levitical thought comes in again. The account of the passover, as given by Jehovah to Moses, takes up twenty verses in this chapter. Moses, in giving it to the people, reduces it to something like seven or
eight verses. He does not leave out anything that should be mentioned, but he introduces things that Jehovah did not mention at all. He is a true Levite in this service, and if there is one thing that should affect us, it is the desirability of brevity -- to be brief without omitting anything that should be said, just saying what is needed. So he speaks of using hyssop and a bason, which Jehovah did not mention, according to the record; and then he speaks about what their answer to their inquiring children would be; "It is a sacrifice of passover to Jehovah, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses". He makes a point of that -- delivered our houses. And you can see how suitable that is because it is the children that are in mind. This is not a Sunday-school matter; it is the great servant Moses who was faithful in all God's house, who is speaking here. He is speaking about children. He is anticipating that children will enquire about the passover. It is lovely to think of it in a spiritual sense, how, in Israel's history, children would enquire about the passover lamb and the ritual of the passover. What did it mean? One can understand a child of four or five asking his parents, 'Why was it necessary to kill the lamb?'. What an opportunity for the parents to bring home to such a child, in the youthful period of life, what the meaning of that passover lamb is -- "For also our passover, Christ, has been sacrificed for us", we are told. What a lesson that is to teach children -- "our passover". The children are included, for everyone in the house is included. The children are holy, we are told in 1 Corinthians 7. The children of believers are in a sphere where they hear of the most holy things. It enters into the make-up of the household that the parents include the children in these things -- "our passover, Christ" -- children and all. The children were included in the provision
of the manna, too. There was to be an omer for each one in the house. If the parents had eight children, then there would be ten omers. You can understand a child saying, Why should I have the same amount of manna as my father and my mother? Well, what an opportunity of bringing the children into the thing, of leading them on in a most spiritual way; for it is a question of their affections and interests. They can be led on to the most exalted things in a holy way. In the book of Joshua it was anticipated that they would ask about the twelve stones that were set up at Gilgal. Here Moses says, 'our houses'. One can understand how two children -- neighbours, for the idea of the nearest neighbour is contemplated in this chapter -- speaking to each other about what had happened in the celebration of the passover. How lovely it would be to listen to such a conversation! What happened in your house? one might ask. And what happened in your house? the other would ask. Well, one may say, Jehovah passed over our houses, both yours and mine. We are sharers alike in this wonderful deliverance so that we are no longer bond-slaves in Egypt. They were not likely to forget their bitter experience in Egypt, their hard toil at the brick kilns. What rigour! what utter want of consideration in the Egyptians towards them! But now they are about to be delivered out of it, for that is all included in what the passover signifies. They are to tell of the way Jehovah "delivered our houses"! And so we are told that when they heard this they bowed their heads and worshipped. They did that. They had not heard this message before; it was the first time they had heard it, and it effected a wonderful state in their souls. That is the point I would endeavour to show, that this matter is not for the more advanced brothers and sisters; it is initial; it is the immediate reaction to the gospel in the believer's
soul. If it be not so, then his conversion is questionable.
Now in chapter 34 they heard the mediator himself. This is a wonderful scene. Moses is alone in it; not even Joshua is with him at this second ascent of the mountain. It is a scene that is set down by the Spirit of God to affect all readers; to inspire us with the desire to have first-hand relations with God. Paul said, for instance, "... whether we are beside ourselves, it is to God". This is not a matter for children, exactly. They can hear about it and enquire about it, but it is a matter for spiritual persons. Moses represents an advanced believer, one in the service of God in a very distinctive way. He had just vindicated God in the presence of all Israel, encouraging the people to be for God, and he brought about conditions of worship as I hope to show; but I am not speaking of that at the moment. I am speaking now of Moses -- a man who had effected so much for the people and for God. He is fully owned of God. He had desired to see Jehovah's glory. How delightful that was to God! "Show me thy glory", he had said. God would gladly have done so, but the times did not permit of it; it was not opportune. I suppose God kept this in mind as to Moses until on the mount of transfiguration. God would never let it out of His mind that here was a man intent upon seeing His glory. God buried that man! What He must have thought of him! Satan wanted his body, but Michael contended for it. Moses' body was protected, as every believer's body is. But God signalised His servant in that oft spoken of incident in the New Testament -- the mount of transfiguration. Moses was there! You say, Was he there in his body? I am not saying that. You say, Is it possible that all the departed saints are being used of God? I am not saying that. I would contradict anyone who would say that. But Moses was used of
God. Elias was used of God after he died. He was on the mount also. Others, who had been asleep, are said to have come out of their tombs and entered into the holy city and appeared unto many after Christ's resurrection. You say, Where are they? I do not know. I am confident that God is looking after that, whether in the body or out of the body. God allows us certain glances into the unseen, but we must not attempt to go further and force things. God would say, Leave all that with Me. As regards Deity, God has come out in manifestation, but let us not intrude into the things which are beyond us; we have not seen everything. Even as to angels, we know but little. There is more revealed than we can understand. Let us give ourselves to what is revealed, for it belongs to us and to our children. And so God brought Moses into that glory scene on the "holy mount". Whether it was in the body or out of the body, we do not know, but God brought him there. It was a simple thing for God to do. Moses sought to see God's glory, and so we see how he was given to appear in glory himself, fully equal to the position. He and Elias were speaking to Jesus "of his departure which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem". What an honour it was!
Well, Jehovah said to Moses, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee ... and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen". We see God in Christ. The glory of God is in the face of Jesus Christ. But do we bow down every time we see that? And do we worship? One often thinks of the writer of Psalm 119, how he got up through the night: "At midnight I rise up to give thanks unto thee" (verse 62). He was not simply doing it lying down on the bed, which would also be accepted, if done reverently, but he got up through the night. I think God is looking for that in us, that there should be this kind of movement with
us, that He should be thus in our hearts. So that if it be a meeting of this kind, or whatsoever it may be, when God speaks and shows Himself in any way, there should be immediate reaction in the sense of praise and worship, for He deserves it.
Well now, Jehovah came down and stood by Moses: "And Jehovah came down in the cloud, and stood beside him there". How beautiful that is, yet it is not at all beyond us. If we understand the assembly at all, we will see that it is not beyond us. The great thought of the house of God was disclosed to Jacob. In the first vision which he had, Jehovah appeared above the ladder, but in the second vision in Bethel, Jehovah came down and stood beside Jacob. That is the great principle that runs through; God draws near. He loves the idea of nearness. He comes near to us, but then, He would have us to get nearer to Him. And so in Hebrews, we have, "Let us approach". Why not? We have access into the holiest "by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and having a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water". Hebrews 10:19 - 22. Why should we not draw near? Everything is provided to make us suitable to draw near. Jehovah came down to Moses. He would be near. He descended in the cloud and stood with Moses there, and He passed by and proclaimed, "Jehovah, Jehovah God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy unto thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but by no means clearing the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation". This is what God proclaimed. It does not go as far as the gospel
does in our day. Nor does it at all touch the mystery, which was hidden in God even then. But it says that "Moses made haste, and bowed his head to the earth and worshipped". Think of what is available to us week after week, through one and another, by God's Spirit sent down from heaven. What unfoldings there are! But what is our reaction? What are our services? It is a matter of God showing Himself. In chapter 24 God called Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders to go up and worship, but here God came down in the cloud and stood beside Moses. For us this would be moral elevation; God comes near and shows Himself. And then the reaction -- Moses worshipped! Anything less than this in assembly service is wanting; anything short of reaching God is wanting. He is to be worshipped. Not that Jesus is not to be worshipped; He is to be worshipped, of course, for He is God. He is to be worshipped even in a mediatorial sense. But then God is the great objective in service. Any service that does not reach God is wanting, and God wants completion in our service. Moses made haste, and bowed his head to the earth and worshipped. Think of a person coming into the service of God, pretending to serve God and yet leaving without worshipping Him! God is the great Objective in His house. The Lord Jesus makes that plain in all His ministry, and especially in the epistle to the Hebrews. And I may say here that, in order to understand the gospels, we must understand the epistles. We must learn from the epistles; the truth for us is in the epistles. The ministry of Christ is universal, not only relating to the assembly but to Israel, for He is to rule over the nations, and they are all to be gathered together before Him, according to the gospels. The epistles are narrower. We approach the gospels through the epistles to see what applies to us, and as I was saying, the Lord makes it plain in the
epistles that God is to be worshipped. Paul says, "To us there is one God, the Father, of whom all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things". There are things said about Jesus, in the mediatorial sense, that are also attributable to God. For instance, Jesus made everything -- "by whom are all things" -- but then in other similar passages it says of God, "of whom are all things" -- all bringing out in wonderful perfection and variety the deity of Christ. But when we come to distinction of Persons, the Father is the supreme Object of worship, and the Mediator will never be satisfied until He brings the people to God. Moses led the people out to God. And here he "made haste, and bowed his head to the earth and worshipped". It was an intelligent action, and he made haste to do it.
In chapter 33 we see how conditions for worship had been established in the presence of idolatry. The tabernacle had been taken and pitched outside the camp. Joshua remained inside the tent, a spiritual element, as it were, maintaining the position. And then it says, "And it came to pass, when Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up, and stood every man at the entrance of his tent, and they looked after Moses until he entered into the tent. And it came to pass when Moses entered into the tent ... Jehovah talked with Moses. And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent; and all the people rose and worshipped, every man at the entrance of his tent". Now the tent door is not properly the place of worship; not that it is despised, for it does not seem so here. The place of worship was established outside the camp -- pitched outside, and it was there that God came down to speak to Moses. What a scene it was! Think of a person remaining in his own tent when such a glorious scene was opened up to him! We are told, in verse 7, that "every one which sought
the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp". If there is any one here who is still in the camp, he is missing this. I am not denying that there may be worship in your heart, though in very cloudy circumstances, but your place is outside the camp if you are a christian. Do not stay where you are a moment longer. God has established a place where He is to be worshipped. It is outside the camp, and if there is one here who is in a human organisation, a man-made religious system, the word to you is in verse 7. "Every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp". That is where to worship properly; that is where God came down and spoke to Moses; that is where Joshua remained. He did not depart from the tabernacle.
May God bless these thoughts to us!
I have in mind to speak of the bridegroom decking himself, as a priest, with the priestly turban. This fits in with the idea of the believer's household, affording a place for the ark. The ark requires to be handled in a priestly way. In 1 Samuel 7 it says, "And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and hallowed Eleazar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah" (verse 1). And then the ark was taken out of Abinadab's house in 2 Samuel 6, where they "set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was upon the hill; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart" (verse 3). But then it says later, "Uzzah reached after the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen had stumbled. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God". I refer to these scriptures to bring out the necessity for this priestly turban being donned by each bridegroom; that is, it should be donned in view of household functions.
The turban, or the high-priestly head covering, in Exodus, is a very distinctive part of the priest's habiliments and had a golden plate on which was inscribed, Holiness to Jehovah. High-priestly service, of course, lay in the sanctuary. Hence the requirement that his head covering should be dedicated in holiness. It alludes to headship in Christ, of course, which is perfect. But the sons of Aaron also had head-caps; high caps they were called. Theirs did not have a golden plate with an inscription on it, but still, they would correspond with the
head-dress of the high priests, the allusion being that the intelligence, the use of the head, should be in holiness. In nothing, I believe, are we more likely to transgress than in our minds, and particularly if we have good minds. The apostle Paul says to the Corinthians, "We all have knowledge, knowledge puffs up, but love edifies", 1 Corinthians 8:1. Indeed, Paul's writings in his two letters to the Corinthians are marked by the use of the priestly turban. He was not a bridegroom, of course; but he presented Christ as the Bridegroom. Indeed he says to the Corinthians, "I have espoused you unto one man, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ", 2 Corinthians 11:2. He was, on Christ's behalf, securing the bride in Corinth, and in doing so the priestly turban was in evidence. He used it, in principle, in the careful discrimination with which he ministered to these saints. He did not tell them everything he knew. In speaking to the Ephesians he enlarges on what he knew, saying he desired that they should know his knowledge of the mystery. There was one man who knew the mystery! The knowledge he had was not that which puffs up; indeed he speaks of being less than the least of all the saints. And in many ways this would appear, but particularly in his measurement and discrimination in the use of Scripture, in the use of knowledge, "For I did not judge it well to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified", 1 Corinthians 2:2. Think of a brother like that, not judging it well "to know anything among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified". He would have in mind their tendencies and would save them from what they were prone to; vying with one another and puffed up because of their knowledge. So that the apostle determined to restrict himself so that they should not be damaged by imitating Paul. Otherwise, they may have said, Paul spread out everything! But in serving, it is not a question of
telling people what you know; it is telling people what they need, after carefully determining what they do need, and presenting it to them insofar as you may, as the Lord gives grace for it. We are so likely to catch on to any display of a special intelligence. There should be no such thing as a parrot found in the assembly of God. That should have no place anywhere! The apostle says, "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies". Edification is needed in all these things.
Well now, the bridegroom here, we are told, is clothed by Jehovah. It says, "I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with the priestly turban", Isaiah 61:10. The turban is what he puts on; "as a bridegroom decketh himself". He is head, but his headship is priestly. It is not the mere exercise of mentality -- knowing much -- but priestliness enters into it. Otherwise there would be no room for the ark in the household. If the ark is to have a place in the christian household, there must be the priestly turban on the head of the bridegroom, that is, the husband. It is a question of headship. And how can I have a house according to God without headship? We cannot, dear brethren.
The Lord, in entering into one house, took the housefather's place. There were two persons on the way to recovery; they had been on the wrong road, but He walked with them, and now they are getting into the right way, and the Lord took the housefather's place. It is wonderful to ponder that scene at Emmaus! They constrained Him to come in, and He went in. How long it took to walk there I do not know, but the Lord was there with them and as the meal was placed on the table He gave thanks for it. We see the priestly turban in use
there! And when they returned to Jerusalem, in the assembly, we might say, He stood in their midst. You see the priestly turban in use there, too. It was not much in evidence with the disciples, but He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures. He had expounded the Scriptures in the way, but now He refers to the law and the prophets and the psalms -- in the assembly. That is to say, He would open up their understanding in a priestly way; the turban would be in evidence, and the intention was that they should use it. So that we are to consider this matter as to our intelligence in our houses, as to whether it is used in a priestly way; that this knowledge is to function in a priestly way before our wives, and before our children, and before whoever may be in the house.
And then we are told, "and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels". With her jewels! Now we get in Revelation the supreme thought of the bride -- the bride of Christ. She comes down from God out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband. We are not told what the adornment is, but the point is that she is adorned "as a bride ... for her husband". She has her Husband in mind. What adornment will the Husband value in that day? But here, the bride is said to adorn herself with her jewels. They are hers; they are not borrowed; they are hers! If we transfer the thought to spiritual adornment, that is not borrowed. Jewels are often borrowed and imitation is often used, but these are real jewels and they belong to the person. And if they are her own, spiritually, they will remain. One of them will be subjection, making full room for the influence of the priestly turban -- the intelligence that is regulated by priestliness. It requires subjection. The church is subjected to Christ. Knowledge, developed in a priestly way, requires subjection in those who receive the instruction. So that clearly
the jewels here would be what the bride has; certain qualities that are not merely natural; they are the fruit of the Spirit; they are her own! They are "her jewels".
Well, I trust that these few words will be taken on by each of us who are householders; that our knowledge is not to be simply what we know, but that what we give out at any time should be in priestly power and grace. On the other hand, the wife is to be in subjection, and we shall have the display of the priestly intelligence, the priestly turban. And then there will be room for the ark in the house.
It would appear that there were priestly conditions in the house of Obed-Edom. There had been different conditions in the house of Abinadab on the hill. It was not that he sought the ark; it was put there by agreement among the men of Kirjath-jearim. It had been put in his house and his son Eleazar had been consecrated to keep the ark, but it is a question if the priestly turban was there at all. And I think that God passed judgment on the whole position in what happened to Uzzah. There was a want of priestly intelligence in regard to the ark, and hence the sorrowful judgment that came upon that house.
So that, dear brethren, it is important that we have the priestly head-dress; that there is the unfolding of the knowledge of God in a subjective way and that it is effective in the house. And then Christ has a place in the house, as in the house of Zacchaeus. He received the Lord into his house with joy. And the Lord recognised that Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham; that is to say, he was of that morally dignified line and recognised as such by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Genesis 2:8, 9, 15 - 20
I wish to use these verses as setting out how God in His wisdom and love cares for believers, especially young ones. The divine record only proceeds a little way before we get this thought inserted. In chapter 1, Man is said to be created. There is nothing said about his need for a companion in that chapter. The word "Man" includes both man and woman: "male and female created he them". But chapter 2 brings things in from the standpoint of God's own affections and pleasure in what He had created, so that we have the word "formed" there instead of "created". The word "formed" denotes skill of handiwork after a pattern, so that men are not simply the product of the ground. Eve comes under the divine hand in the sense of formation. Formation involves features of life which would be pleasing to the person who formed the things. So that every creature of the field would have some attractiveness for the Creator, but particularly Man. So we have the word "formed" used in regard to him at first. The same word is used for the lower creatures, but Man is distinguished in that he is breathed into by the Creator; he lived by the breath of God; not by the formation of God, but by the breath of God he became a living soul.
Formation refers to ornamentation, appearance, the framework. As a result of it God saw His own image in Man, and then He began to think for him. So that Adam comes in immediately as an object of divine interest. We cannot say that of the lower animals, although they had their existence by God and were formed too; there is nothing said about their environment, nor is it indicated that they had a place in the garden, but Jehovah Elohim planted
the garden eastward in Eden for a purpose. It was by His own hands, we might say. You may be sure that no landscape garden has ever exceeded its beauty. Similarly you may be sure that no houses equalled the midwives' houses in Egypt in architecture. But here He planted a garden: "Jehovah Elohim planted a garden in Eden eastward, and there put Man whom he had formed". He was occupied with this great creature whom He had formed and into whom He had breathed. God was intensely interested in Man. He would not be the sole object of interest in the universe, of course, because angels were made before him. We are not told how they were made; there is no evidence that they live by breath, but they were made before Adam, and before this earth, too, on which Adam was set. For as the earth's foundations were laid, the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God, referring to angels, no doubt, shouted for joy. So that God had objects of interest there in the angels, but none of them is a type of Christ, none of them is the image of God. God intended Man for that great honour. He said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness"; that is the divine thought; and now He is occupied with Adam and He plants the garden and places him in the garden.
Then it is said that "out of the ground Jehovah Elohim made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food". That is a question of providing for Adam; the "sight" would be Adam's sight, and the eater of the food would be Adam. Jehovah Elohim (the compound name is used indicating that He is entering into close contact with Adam) is going to provide for him and care for him, and if any need arises in Adam's history, Jehovah Elohim will see to it that it is met. Sin had not yet come in; so there is no need to use the word 'legitimate', because everything, so far, was perfect.
Now, applying this to the christian, it is that he is taken up potentially, and the work is to proceed in his formation and development, so that he may meet the divine needs, for God has needs in His affections. And so the believer is taken up by God for His pleasure. The first epistle to the Corinthians regards the saints as "called" -- called saints. That does not means that 'saints' is their title; it means that God has called them, so that they are available to Him. That epistle develops this great thought of divine care for believers, and how we have been called into the fellowship of God's Son. God has thought of you long ago, long before you had any existence at all: "Whom he has predestinated, these also he has called; and whom he has called, these also he has justified". But I am speaking of the calling, and that He foreknew you before He called you. That means that God in His long outlook, back in the countless millenniums of time, or even before time, saw you as you are, born of Him. He has wrought in you now by the Spirit and you have moved on spiritual lines, however little, however feeble, however vague it may be. God sees the whole matter of your history until you are to be established in an unchangeable blessing in eternity. He foreknew you; He foreknew me. Paul says of the Lord that He "loved me and gave himself for me". That would mean that the Lord had seen Paul in His divine outlook, not as he was, an insolent, overbearing man, and a murderer. In that state there was no attraction in him for the Lord to give Himself for him. It was as wrought upon by God that Paul became lovable to Christ. But he says, He loved me. There was something to love; something which the Lord foreknew; and so great was the love begotten in the heart of Christ for Paul that He gave Himself for him.
Now it should touch our hearts to know that the Lord gave Himself for us because He knew us, not in naughtiness, not in self-will, not in stiffneckedness, but in lovableness; and the point now is to reach that in some concrete way. We are told that "the wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes, thus is every one that is born of the Spirit". It is a sovereign matter and has in mind the securing of the believer already known in the divine way. All that is of divine purpose is according to what is lovable. God is going to surround Himself with lovable persons, and their lovableness involves formation. It involves breath, too; that is, the Spirit in us. God has taken us on, knowing us from the beginning, so that He might reach the end He had in mind for us.
Now it is the man whom Jehovah Elohim had formed that He placed in the garden, according to Genesis 2:8. Our first blessing does not involve responsibility on our part, in the sense that it is based upon the work of Christ -- not our works. A young believer is not blessed on the side of responsibility, exactly, but he is given to understand there is such a thing as that. So the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is just said to be there, but the stress is laid on the tree that is pleasing to the eye and good for food. That is what you need -- what is pleasurable to the eye and what is good for food; and God puts us where that is available. He has put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil there, but He does not say anything about the responsibility not to eat of it as yet, or the penalty attached to eating it. It is rather that the environment provides a great source of wealth that is enough to overwhelm you; if you have been brought into any need, this is to meet it. The potential richness and the
actual riches are overwhelming if we are ready to go in for them. From God's side they are overwhelming.
And so the river is said to water the garden; and then it flows out from the garden, where Man was. And that is where you and I are. It does not say the river is for Man, but it indicates that it is an immense idea as to what is good and refreshing and enriching. So that you are to be kept in the new sphere into which you have been introduced through the gospel, because it is not only the gospel of salvation; it is the gospel of blessing. We are brought into the blessing that God has prepared for us. But when the river is mentioned as becoming four main streams or heads -- for that is the word used -- then Adam is placed under responsibility; that is, God would have us first to understand that He has brought us into blessing of extreme delightfulness where nothing at all is omitted that we need. There is a source of refreshment; an unending source of riches, for the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and the onyx stone; there are great potentialities of wealth, and it is all infinite in this realm.
Now in verse 15 we are told that Jehovah Elohim took Man, and put him into the garden of Eden to till and to guard it. That is the next thing; that it is not all pleasure, it is not all gratification and enjoyment. God would say, now, There is work to be done; there is the tilling of the garden and there is the guarding of the garden. There is no mention here of the sweat of the face. That is said later, when sin came in, but not here. It is, so to say, a gentleman's life. You will understand what I mean. God is setting up man with plenty; with everything that is pleasant to the eye and good for food; beautiful landscape; nothing wanting to please him so far as his needs go. We are not yet told that he needs a companion; we will hear of that later. The young people do need companions, and they need holy
companions, because you will surely become like your companions, and God is going to say, right here in this chapter, that He has the idea of companionship in mind for you. But in the meantime it is a question of what your life is in the new order of things.
So that God has called us into the fellowship of His Son. That is what we are told in 1 Corinthians 1:9. It is a question of calling; not yet to heaven -- that is more Colossians, Ephesians and Philippians. But in Corinthians we are called into the fellowship of God's Son. And every young person here should begin to look around and see what he has been brought into, and begin to enjoy and partake of the trees. And God would now press upon him that there is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and He commands in regard of that. This is the first time we have a commandment in Scripture. So that if you have begun to look around, with spiritual vision to see what beautiful trees there are, and what food there is, and what a river there is, and what potential wealth there is, you are now to take on responsibility. What I observe with young people is a great lack of acceptance of responsibility to till and to guard the garden that they have been brought into. It is not only that they should not bring anything damaging into the garden -- or the local assembly, for that is what is in mind -- but they should see that others do not do it. If you are loyal to the fellowship you will not fail to tell of any secret damaging root of evil that is being allowed. That is the guarding. There is the tilling and the guarding. You begin to see that you are wonderfully provided for, and you put your hand out to do something, and that something is to till and to guard the garden. Tilling is not arduous labour; there is no sweat, as I said before. God comes into the garden in the cool of the day, meaning that Adam
would be free at that time of the day for a divine visitation. These are beautiful thoughts, because the God that we have to do with is the God that did all these things for Adam. And He is doing them for us; He had us in mind. He would as much as say, You young people will understand that I am not only enlightening you, but I have made a wonderful environment for you, and I am now just seeking to get you to take on a little responsibility. And that is to be in the way of tilling the garden; doing what you can to help the brethren so that there should be fruit to God. And also, you are to guard the position that there should be no evil root in your own heart, practised in secret or cherished in the mind, which will defile, and that you will not condone it in any other person either. You are guarding the position, because Satan will come in if you do not. The record of how the serpent came in is in the next chapter.
In the first epistle to the Corinthians we have all this that I have been speaking about. There is the calling into the fellowship of God's Son. Think of the magnitude of that! "God is faithful, by whom ye have been called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord". But then there is a commandment. The whole first epistle to the Corinthians is a commandment, and so you get the word "commanded" in this second allusion to Adam's position in the garden. He is under commandment; later, Jehovah's commandment is called a covenant, and the thought of the covenant attaches to every believer who has part in the fellowship in the assembly. Now, as it were, God said to Adam, 'All this I have done for you; I have set you up in My own image and surrounded you with a most attractive environment; there is the river, an infinite source of supply in the garden; and now I have placed you here just to look after things, to guard the position and to till the land'. There is no need for ploughing or harrowing
or heavy work; it is just a simple matter of tilling. There may have been some digging, but the word is not used; there is no idea of the sweat of the face, which comes in later. It is God making the position attractive to us, and then He would say, 'Not only have I done this for you, but I want to draw near to you, to establish Myself in your heart; I want you to be in covenant with Me; I want the position consolidated so that you will have a conscience in regard of any movements of yours that may violate this contract'.
You might think God is becoming more severe. But He would tell you that He likes you so well that He wants the bond sealed, and it is not to be violated. He does not wish it said of you, That young man has transgressed the covenant. He does not want to have to say that of any of us. He does not want to make any historical allusions to our naughty ways; God wishes to set us up as men, able to keep a covenant, as it were. He wants to have us near to Him and have us under the bond of covenant. It is the perfect law of liberty, because we are surrounded with everything that is delightful; and it should be delightfully attractive to us to be in bond with the God who is so good to us, as I may say, who has given Jesus for us.
Well, this is only the fringe of things; it is what God does for the believer. He impresses on us what He has done for us, as He said to His people Israel: "Ye have seen what I have done to the Egyptians, and how I have borne you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself", Exodus 19:4. He wants to draw us into covenant with Him, to have a people near to Him, and to make a nation of priests. These were the thoughts He expressed, to Israel, and He would bring us near, too. And He would enter into covenant with us to place us under responsibility not to violate the position. So that we are in a position
of covenant; we are set up in relation to God, and God would be severe as to this matter. He commanded Adam, and said to him, "Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest of it thou shalt certainly die". The time had come for God to be very definite with Adam, and so with us. Dear brethren, we would appeal to the youth as to definiteness. The winds are blowing hard, the storms and the floods are rising, and we had better get our houses built on a rock, which would mean we are to judge all the things that are negative to what we have here. God is rightly severe about this matter of good and evil. It is a crucial matter, and it is imperative that I be exercised about it, for there is penalty attaching to disobedience.
But I go on to verse 18: "And Jehovah Elohim said, It is not good that Man should be alone". Now we have come to a very interesting matter -- a marital matter. Whether in dealing with it spiritually or literally. God would say, I am thinking of you and I can think for you better than you can think for yourself in this matter. He says, "It is not good that Man should be alone". It is very touching that God should think of us as He thought for Adam. Whether Adam had indicated in some way that he had a pressing need in his heart, we cannot say. But what is presented here is that God had taken account of the need in Adam's heart, that in spite of this wonderful environment he was still wanting; and it was not good for him to be in that condition. God was thinking of him in that way. This would all be accentuated as it applies to a believer. We are to make our requests known unto God; not simply to speak of them, but to make them known to Him. He is ready to take cognizance of what we say, "Be careful about nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests
be made known to God", Philippians 4:6. He is ready to take account of the prayers and desires of your heart. But He would have us know that He was thinking of that Himself. You will find that God has always thought for you. How wise to let God think for you!
Now the time has come to bring up this marital question, and every believer is to come to this point, though many have never come to it. There are places where brothers and sisters break bread together, but if the marital thought is not in prospect, such meetings come short; they are questionable. Why not make way for marital relations? We are to be married "to another, who has been raised up from among the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God", Romans 7:4. That is something that should come into your heart. As believers we are said to be married to Another who has been raised from the dead. We are not said to be raised from the dead in Romans. We are here in flesh and blood condition, and that is where this matter of marital relations comes in. It is that we may bring forth fruit to God. I touch on that so that the young people may have some thought of what is in the mind of God for them, and think that they are to be companions of the Christ. We are in need of that. Of course, no one should think of literal marriage in relation to Christ. Marriage to Christ is not literal marriage. But if I do not know what it is to be married to Christ, how can I understand what it is to be married according to God? The passage shows how God is thinking of us first, and then thinking for us. He is attracted by His own work in you; He loves you; but He sees the dangers; and now He would say, It is not good that you should be alone.
The next thing is wisdom. Once you reach the marital attitude in christian experience, the question
arises as to what wisdom you have. So that, first of all, God is thinking for Adam, that it is not good that he should be alone, but first He tests him to see if he can name things. If you are going to have a husband, or a wife, as the case may be, you should be able to name him, or her; and choose the right name. It is remarkable that God brings up this matter Himself. He saw that Adam was in a state that was not complete, but before proceeding in the matter He would see if Adam was able to name things. How often we are deceived and put the wrong names on things. It is most important, in relation to marriage, that I name things aright. If it is to be "in the Lord", then I must consider what the person is. Can I name what is in the person?
Well, Adam is tested by an animal. It is a form of life. God has formed that creature and it is to be named; and God brings it to Adam. Now, in doing so, God is testing him out to see if he is equal to the new relation which He has in mind for him. Well, can he name the animals? He has already said of Adam that it is not good for him to be alone. All these creatures refer to certain features of life in christians. Animals are used throughout the Scriptures to represent features of life in men and women. And Adam was able to name each one. And, as I said, this matter is raised before the marital matter is raised. The same is true of the fellowship, I should be able to name the evidences of life; I should not be deceived; for many are deceived and lose their way because of inability to name things or persons. But with Adam, God would say, I am not going to allow things to be spoiled. I will see if Adam is likely to link up with one of the lower creatures. Think of linking up with a monkey or a giraffe! Adam was wise enough to avoid that. The names which he gave illustrate the various features found in persons. Think of persons who grovel in the
earth and never look up to God! Think of a believer marrying such an one! The Lord healed a woman who was bowed down for eighteen years. Satan had bound her. She could not lift herself up. The Lord named her condition. Satan had done it.
Well, Adam saw that there was nothing to answer to his mind and affections in the lower creation. His mind repelled any such thought as that. It says that "he found no helpmate, his like". It was Adam's own decision. God knew the condition well enough, but Adam decided the answer; he found no helpmate his like. The book of Job tells us how noble some of these creatures are, but Adam would say that none of those creatures was his like.
Adam was qualified now for the divine thought. Whether in natural marriage or spiritual, it is a question of headship, of naming things, of calling persons according to what they are. So that now God can provide what Adam needs; he has shown his qualifications, that he can marry intelligently and that he can marry the object of his affections -- one that is like him. That is the position, and God would work the matter out. What a transaction it was! God was thinking of Adam! And He is thinking of believers; every moment He is thinking of you and for you, to provide for the needs of your souls, so that you might be satisfied. You should not go off after the animals or wander about to gratify yourself. Think of God taking measures to meet your needs! He caused Adam to go to sleep. Think of the blessed God causing a man to go to sleep -- a deep sleep such as would dull every sensibility in his being, so that He should bring into being what Adam needed. And so He brings a woman forward.
Well, I need not enlarge further upon this, but it is said that God brought the woman to the man, as much as to say that He would go the full length for
you in providing for you, potentially; not bringing this creature out of the man and then letting him find her, but he brought the woman to the man. He is still testing him as to whether this new institution is to be in intelligence. He knows what appeals to our intelligence. God is in this marital relation, whether it is spiritual or literal, it is to be a matter of intelligence, otherwise you will have darkness; you will have sorrow untold.
God does not say one word to Adam, but Adam sees the creature and he says, "This time it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh". It is the rounding out of the position from the divine side, and Adam is unmistakably intelligent as to what he is doing. He sees all things clearly. So he said, "This time it is bone of my bones" -- that is in contrast to the bones of the lower creatures -- it is now bone of his bones, flesh of his flesh; "this shall be called Woman, because this was taken out of a man". The whole position is rounded out in intelligence, so that from the divine side, at least, there is a pattern and type; there is no room for the devil to come in. The sequel shows that the moral side had to be dealt with, but so far the position is rounded out, I am speaking of it, now, as to how the believer's position is filled out. You are in a wonderful circle and God is providing for every need of your soul; He sets you up in intelligence, and He is asking you to name that brother and that sister. What do you think of them? And so the apostle Paul says to the Corinthians, "I speak as to intelligent persons". The position is not rounded out until we come to that; it is in that connection that we come into the marital relations, that we are intelligent persons and we know what we are to do. The Lord's supper is the bond of all that. Before you get the truth of the Supper developed the apostle says, "I speak as to intelligent persons, do ye judge what I say". You are not a critic, but at
the same time you can name the evidences of life, and you can say, I am brought into a wonderful circle. That is really what happened when Eve was brought to Adam, I am brought into the joys of family life in the christian circle; it is the rounding out of the whole position, which involves that I am brought into Ephesian conditions, heavenly, spiritual conditions in the heavenlies in Christ. What is there equal to it? Nothing! We have the very best that God can devise for us, and we are set in heaven with companions that we can love; and they can love us.
Mark 16:9 - 20
I wish to speak at this time about the need for the completion of matters in the assembly. This thought has come to my mind in connection with the scriptures read, while in this meeting.
There are persons who question the authenticity of these verses, claiming that they have been added to the book by someone other than the writer of the gospel. But they really are necessary to bind up, or complete, the gospel, and there hardly can be any doubt but that they are a part of Mark's writing. Mark has his own particular way of expressing himself. One thing that characterises him is that he is very brief -- more so than the other gospel writers. But he is most careful to carry matters through to completion. And this is very important, and especially so in assembly matters. The Scriptures tell us that the creation was finished: "And the heavens and the earth and all their host were finished", Genesis 2:1. And we are also told how the matter was completed. The heavens were garnished, we are told. That suggests adornment -- not only that they were finished, but that they were made beauteous. And Noah finished the ark -- it was completed. The word is, "And Noah did it", Genesis 6:22. And so throughout the Scriptures we find incidents in which matters are brought to completion. God would have it so.
The hem of the priest's garment is referred to in Psalm 133. That suggests a completed matter. The garment had a tidy and orderly conclusion. There were no loose ends flowing. The psalm has in mind Christ glorified and the Holy Spirit given. The garment, therefore, would suggest the assembly where matters are to be completed and orderly; "Let all things be done comelily and with order", 1 Corinthians 14:40. Tidiness should mark all assembly matters. The
Lord's garment had a hem. The Spirit of God tells us of it. How perfectly complete were all matters which Jesus did! "I have completed the work which thou gavest me that I should do it", John 17:4. And now the Spirit is here to help us that we may complete matters -- and complete them well.
Now in considering the verses read we must take account of what precedes them. It says, earlier in the chapter, that Jesus had risen from the dead and that certain women had gone to the sepulchre where they had seen a man clothed in a white garment who had told them that Jesus was risen. They had received wonderful light, but they had run away terrified and had said nothing to anyone. Now that kind of thing will not help in a crisis. They were of no help at all. They are not presented by Mark in the same favourable light in which the other gospel writers picture them. Mark is concerned about unbelief in the saints. He tells us of the difficult conditions with which the Lord had to deal. This section tells us what Jesus did. He had power to overcome the unbelief that was in the hearts of the disciples. What skill He used! We might well wonder where matters would have ended had it not been for Him. And this is the point to which we must come when dealing with difficult issues. How much we need Him!
Mary of Magdala is referred to in verse 9. She is brought forward as a subject of the Lord's work. It says that He had cast out seven demons from her: "out of whom he had cast seven demons". Luke tells us that they went out, which means that the work of God in her was such that their abode was untenable. But Mark lets us know that it was a difficult matter, but the Lord had met it and had cast out the demons. But now she is available and the Lord speaks to her and she goes and tells the disciples that He had risen and that she had seen Him; but they disbelieved her. It is not only that
they were unbelieving -- it says that "they disbelieved". It was not a question of their inability to take in what Mary said, but an attitude of resistance to the truth. They actively refused to believe her. This was the condition with which the Lord had to deal in view of making the disciples trustworthy persons.
Next we are told that the Lord was manifested in another form to two as they walked, going into the country. It was in another form. There was a different state of soul which had to be met in these. Why were they going to the country? Were they giving up? Were they finding the pathway of discipleship too difficult? Was discouragement turning them aside? These settings only serve to emphasize the skill which the Lord used to overcome unbelief in His own. The whole position seemed to be disintegrating. All was in jeopardy unless He came in and met the situation. But then, one sister is right. Mary of Magdala was available. She did not flee. She was not unbelieving. She brought the good news but she was disbelieved. And then the two who returned from the country came to the disciples, and they did not believe them. How serious is the matter! It says, "Neither did they believe them". Sometimes conditions of unbelief amongst the saints seem to be just like that. It makes no difference what is said; there is resistance to the truth -- they just will not believe! But, thank God, we can count upon the Lord coming in unless, of course, conditions become fixed. But that was not so here. Serious though conditions were the Lord still had in mind to bring about trustworthiness in them!
Well, the skill of the Lord is seen in the way in which He deals with the eleven. He manifested Himself to His unbelieving disciples as they lay at table. That was not an assembly setting. The Lord selected the time and the place and the conditions. And He will do just that. It was when they were restful and in a
softened state -- as they lay at table. He manifested Himself to them then and reproached them with their unbelief. He will not fail to administer a rebuke in cases where there is resistance to the truth. His words were no doubt severe, but how they must have affected their feelings! It says that He reproached them with their unbelief and hardness of heart. In chapter 8: 17 He had spoken sharply to them, "Have ye your heart yet hardened?", He had said. And their hearts are still hard! But the Lord has in mind to make them trustworthy. He is using His skill to complete the matter!
The Spirit, through Mark, records for us that it was "the eleven". One was missing. He had been dealt with, and rightly so. What an influence Judas must have been amongst the disciples! We are not told what he said in conversation with the eleven, but we can be sure that his influence had not been a good one. But he is not with them now. He is in no way responsible for their unbelief now. The fact that he is not here should help. But they are unbelieving and had resisted the truth brought to them by persons who were qualified to do so. And so the Lord rebuked them -- He reproached them for their unbelief. Did they refuse His word? They received the rebuke and judged themselves and the unbelief in their hearts. How quickly it happened! How quickly matters were settled when they had to do with the Lord!
And then the Lord gave them a great commission. They were to preach the gospel to the whole creation. Was that commission given to unbelievers? Surely it was not. They were no longer unbelievers, but believers. How skilful was the Lord's dealing with them! It had been severe, for He had reproached them, but it was effectual and it was complete. No question but that He had full confidence in them now. They are now trustworthy persons. How quickly it must have taken place! Immediate action characterises Mark's
writing. No doubt he felt that much time had been wasted by himself during the time that he was wrong. Time had become a precious commodity with Mark. It is not to be wasted. Mark frequently uses the word "immediately". Indeed, it is a characteristic expression with him. And it is well that we take heed to the word and, if unbelieving, cease to continue in unbelief. Let us accept the rebuke and get right quickly. That would be Mark's advice. And that is the way he records the adjustment of the eleven. It was an immediate matter. And so the Lord has confidence in them and commits this great service of the glad tidings to them as trustworthy persons.
Next we are told that He was taken up into heaven and sat at the right hand of God, I am sure that He would be looking at the disciples as He was parted from them. How would He look at them? Would it be with doubts and misgivings? Would it be a look of rebuke? I am sure it would not be. It would be with dove's eyes. How He loved them! and how they loved Him! He was leaving them as trustworthy witnesses. How well He knew that they were true to Him spite of their unbelief and hardness of heart! They were true lovers. And so it says, "And they, going forth, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs following upon it".
And so, dear brethren, the Lord would show us how matters are carried through with skill and without delay. The time is short. May we be helped to complete matters in an orderly fashion!
Numbers 11:10 - 17; Numbers 12:1 - 8; Exodus 29:26
You may have observed that I have read in order to speak about Moses. He was one of the great worthies. There were others, of course -- very distinguished persons whom we shall see in heaven. It is important that we should become acquainted with them in some sense; not, of course, personally now, but as the Spirit of God is pleased to picture them in the facts of Scripture. We should become accustomed to them in this way, so that on seeing them above we shall be able to distinguish them from others; for as the stars, so the saints in heaven will each have his own glory. We are all to be glorious. One star differs from another star, we are told, "in glory".
I have selected Moses to speak about him, not as a type of Christ, but, perhaps, as a type of some of ourselves. God waited until he was about eighty years of age before He took him up formally. He had His eye on him before, of course, and he was exceedingly lovely as a babe. He was fair to God, we are told; a sort of formula for extreme fairness, but undoubtedly carrying the idea that God saw fairness in him. How beautiful he was! Other worthies, as remarked, are selected similarly, some of them when very young, such as Samuel. We may say that Moses was selected when he was very young, but held in abeyance for many years to form his character. He was unique in his service. He is said to have been faithful in all God's house. So that he is a model for us as to doing work in God's house. Perhaps but few of us think of having part in the work of God's house, of being workers with God. But Moses is signalised as being faithful in all God's house. And there were others, of course. We have such a man as David: "I have found David my servant", God says, in Psalm 89. It is a remarkable thing that it should be said that he was found, and yet
he is regarded as a type of Christ in that psalm. But I am speaking of these men now as types of christians or believers, so that we may feel ourselves not so far away from them -- that they are of us and that we are to become acquainted with them and learn from them in an objective way, but nevertheless truly to learn from them. And so Jehovah says, "I have found David". How delightful that expression is: "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who shall do all my will", Acts 13:22. That is saying more than was said of Moses. It is really Christ that is in mind there, but still it is David, and our minds are led to think of the occasion when he was found among his brethren. God saw to it that he was found in that way. He had been overlooked in the mustering of Jesse's sons, as if he were of little value, but God found him at that time -- a man after His own heart, who would do all His will. It is said of the man in John 9 that the Lord Himself found him -- another very beautiful thought! And so it is well for young brothers and sisters to hold themselves as findable, and in a desirable place in which to be found. It is a terrible thing to be found in a picture show, for instance. That is very different from being found in this meeting, and God so regards it, too. David was neglected but he was well occupied, looking after the sheep. Typically, he was looking after the saints; and Jesse sent and fetched him, and the Spirit says, "This is he". He does not say, 'That is he'; it is one nearby; one who at the moment he was brought in was near to God.
Well, with regard to Moses, I have begun with a rather ugly setting, both for Moses and for the people. It was not a season like this when the faces of the brethren are bright and happy, the Spirit of God undoubtedly making them so, but when they were complaining bitterly. Moses was complaining too, showing how the minister may become like the people. The brethren tend to influence the ministers and make
them like themselves; whereas, the idea is that the minister should make the saints like him. It is thus with the Lord; He makes us like Himself. And so, as I said, the people were in a bad state. It says, "And the mixed multitude that was among them lusted; and the children of Israel also wept again and said, Who will give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for nothing; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; and now our soul is dried up, there is nothing at all but the manna before our eyes. And the manna was as coriander seed, and its appearance as the appearance of bdellium. The people went about, and gathered it, and ground it with hand-mills, or beat it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was as the taste of oil-cakes. And when the dew fell upon the camp by night, the manna fell upon it. And Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every one at the entrance of his tent; and the anger of Jehovah was kindled greatly; it was also evil in the eyes of Moses", Numbers 11:4 - 10. That is a sorrowful picture, and we may all thank God that we are not much accustomed to that. But there may be much that is unseen. How many unspoken complaints exist? And so the word is to help us, and it is to call attention to Moses, dear brethren, what a man he was, though failing, somewhat, in this instance. In the book of Hebrews he is said to be faithful in all God's house as a ministering servant, but Christ is the Son over God's house. Sonship underlying the position insures the maintenance of what is pleasing to God, and that is the thing to lay hold of, "Ye are all God's sons by faith in Christ Jesus", Galatians 3:26. Let us lay hold of that, dear brethren, because that is how God is going to keep things as He intends them to be in heaven, where Christ is to be first-born among many brethren. God is leading many sons to glory. But in Hebrews 3, the Lord is said to be Son, whereas Moses was a ministering
servant. So Hebrews contemplates finality, and that which is opposed to the mind of God is reprobate, evil, and to be cast away. Hebrews contemplates finality; and Christ is the leader of our salvation, made perfect through sufferings.
Well, now we can see that Moses needed perfecting here. I only just touch on it because the position is somewhat similar to what we are in now. We are in the time of great pressure, a time in which there is much to be done and not enough time to do it, and that tends to complaint and to ugliness. Think of a ministering servant, so pleasing to God otherwise, asking God to slay him -- like Elijah! Thank God he did not kill himself, nor attempt to; neither did Elijah. They put it on God to do it, but God did not do it. God does not take pleasure in killing His servants. He has pleasure in His servants, whom He has found -- those who please Him. He keeps them alive. So, as I said, Moses was not at his best here. Nor does the Spirit of God take any pleasure in recording this of him. He, as it were, must suffer so that we might be ashamed of ourselves when we find ourselves in any state of complaint amongst the brethren. Are we prone to complain? Soon as ever we get to the back of the room do we begin, and when we get to the street, and when we get home? Now this is a sorrowful thing! Dear brethren, it is time for calling a halt to this kind of thing, "What shall we then say to these things?". How many seldom come to the meetings -- have more pleasure at home than at the meetings! How many come but once a week! We are thankful for that once, of course, but others come never at all. The more we stay away the more we shall complain; the more we shall find fault, and presently we may say that we are going out of fellowship. Just think of that! Where will you go? Where would the truth in Hebrews put you? "But we are not drawers back to perdition", Hebrews 10:39. Think of that word -- drawing back to perdition!
You may say that you will be saved, finally; but will you? How will you be saved? This chapter contemplates a terrible disciplinary action on the part of God; but still, God was working with His people, and He was working with Moses. And I want to speak about Moses; about what a man he was in these circumstances. Jehovah's anger was kindled and Moses was displeased. Moses usually was honoured in such cases, where he would have Jehovah be merciful and save His people. But that does not happen here. Moses in no way regulated himself to save the people; he rather spoke against them, as the circumstances warranted. God did not say, You are wrong, exactly, because God Himself was angered; His anger was kindled against the people. But then He took issue with Moses. Moses said, Have I conceived all these people? You put too much on me. He was complaining against God; not only complaining against the people but complaining against God, as Martha complained against the Lord. How ready we are to complain! It is one of the readiest things to come to us -- to complain, and particularly in regard of those who are seeking to do their best for us. Of course, our best is very little; and so with Moses; but still, he was doing his best for the people at that time, and still they were complaining. And so I stress this, how God looks on His servants, and how in times of pressure in the world there is a tendency with us to complain. And the complaining spirit reaches even to those who are serving. It is therefore a most dangerous matter and one to be warned against. We should rather encourage and exhort the brethren not to come into the spirit of the age, the spirit of complaint.
I need not say anything more about this matter; I have said enough; it is rather an ugly situation, but God came in in His own way and He provided others -- seventy men of the elders. Did they complain?
No! We do not hear a word about their complaining. They were selected by God in these circumstances, and if God selects persons for His service, you can be sure He will not select complaining people. He does not want complaining people. But He selected seventy men and He gave them the Spirit. Think of what God is ready to do for us, dear brethren, to turn us away from our complaints! He is ready to give us His Spirit and grant us the privilege of serving Him in the power of that Spirit, and to take advantage of all the favours there are for such people. The seventy were to be gathered to the tent, and Jehovah said, "I will come down" -- not send down, but come down; and He did. He came down at Shinar, and at Sodom, and in Egypt, and now He comes down about this complaining matter and to see these seventy men and to give them the Spirit. Who is prepared to be one of these seventy? Is there someone here who wants to be one of these seventy? Would they not always be known thereafter? Surely, they were known in heaven. God says to Moses, "I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them". He would take enough to make them useful. Moses was the leader; he would never cease to be the leader in those days, but the seventy would have their part, and I would again urge the young people here to have part in the service like these seventy. There is great room for ministry and ministers. One wonders at the number. Thank God for those that are available!
It must have been a real test to Moses to have been envied. But God would say to us now that what He was to Moses, He is ready to be to any one of us who is seeking to serve. We cannot hope to escape envy; but we can hope to escape being envious. Let us not return envy! Moses did not do it. And God took the opportunity of saying something He had never said before about him -- that he
was the meekest man in all the earth. Wonderful, that there should be such a man as that! And it may be that no one on the earth knew that. But it was made known when it was recorded in this book! The meekest man in all the earth! That was intended to shut the mouths of the complainers -- the enviers -- his own brother, three years older than he; his own sister, possibly eight or nine or more years older than he. You wonder why they should be envying at that age, but the flesh dies hard. If we in any way cultivate fleshly elements they get stronger as we get older; we have less power to overcome them, so the point is to judge at once any element of envy of one another. Moses knew how not to be envious, and he knew how, earlier, to rebuke one who was envious on his account. So we should refuse all thought of envy of one another, and especially if others may suggest it to us. Joshua said, "My lord Moses, forbid them!" Numbers 11:28. But Moses said to him, "Enviest thou for my sake? Would that all Jehovah's people were prophets ... !". That is the language of a servant who knew God and knew how liberal God is, for He does not give His Spirit by measure. He gives us freely of His Spirit.
Well, I must now pass on to the passage in Exodus 29, I want you to see how God is concerned about His servants; how He loves His servants; how He values them and distinguishes them in heaven and on earth. It is lovely to think of the interest and love that God has for those that serve Him. None are more loved, and that is the reason why I turn to this priestly chapter. It is a chapter about priests, and Moses was among the priests. You may say, I thought he was the mediator. Yes; but he was among the priests. They were Aaron and his sons in those days; at least, that is how they are presented in the chapter. Aaron's daughters were taken account of, too, but I am speaking now of his sons. Moses
was not a son of Aaron, but he was a priest! He was a brother of Aaron, but he was a priest, nevertheless: "Moses and Aaron among his priests", Psalm 99:6. In Exodus he was a priest -- supremely so, for he always had access to God. You could hardly find another like Moses. He went in, we are told, to speak to God. It was as if he always had access to God, and God loved him. God spoke to him "mouth to mouth". It was always a pleasure to God to have Moses come into the tent. He was with God, and so in this chapter where the priests are mentioned, God said to him, "And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of consecration which is for Aaron, and wave it as a wave-offering before Jehovah; and it shall be thy part", Exodus 29:26. It was the priests' food. But there was food especially for Moses, and that leads me to think of what the Lord Jesus was in service. How few thought of Him; how He was alone in the nights, we are told! He went to the Mount of Olives in the night and was in the temple during the day, to meet the attacks, to meet the criticism of the priests and the Pharisees. What days they were! How little we understand the life of Jesus! What a life it was! What a life of suffering in service! It says in one of Mr. Darby's beautiful hymns:
He was in the temple serving daily, doing all possible for men as He moved about amongst them. Who knew Him? Who valued Him? Who took sides with Him? When the test came, 'A Judas only owns Thee that Thou may'st captive be'. The Psalms tell us something of the experiences the Lord had. Was not the mount of Olives a trysting place between Him and His God? Did the loneliness not cease; did the
sufferings not cease for the moment? Where did He sleep? I do not know, I am not saying that He did not sleep -- far otherwise. But He went to the mount of Olives in the nights; after the suffering, after the toil, after working the miracles! And may one not say that on one of those nights, possibly on many of them, Jehovah said to Him: This is your portion; I am thinking of you. He could say, "My food is that I should do the will of him that has sent me". Do we ever think of this, dear brethren? The brethren may not think much of those who serve, and may criticise, too. But think of God coming and whispering in our ears, This is your part! You are not to be left without your part; there is something for you! How precious to think of God whispering in the ears of Jesus, This is for you. How the Lord speaks of the Father's love -- "On this account the Father loves me", John 10:17. Why should He say that? He loved Him from eternity; He loved Him as an Equal, but He says, "Therefore ..." The Father loved Him "because I lay down my life" -- as if the Father would recompense Him. And so it is that those who, in any way, serve, may hear God say at the opportune time, Here is something for you. You are not doing this service for nothing, "... knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord", 1 Corinthians 15:58. Keep that before you if you want to serve; the Father will honour you, "If any one serve me, him shall the Father honour", John 12:26. And Paul says, "Henceforth the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will render to me in that day; but not only to me, but also to all who love his appearing", 2 Timothy 4:8. If we love the Lord's appearing, if we serve Him, someday He will tell you, This is for you. I do not know of anything more precious than a whisper from heaven: You have been toiling for Me; others have not thought much of it, but I have; this is for you.
This wave breast is your part. Would anyone take away this wave breast from Moses? I think not! We should keep it before us that the Lord Himself thinks of and gives a portion to those who serve Him. The Lord has a name which no one knows but Himself, and we are told that the overcomer will receive a secret name which no one but himself knows. I would urge this, dear brethren, that we cherish the Lord saying to us, This is for you; for nobody else but you. So that we never need to think that we are forgotten. We are not forgotten; we are thought of and valued in heaven.
Well, I would leave this with us all, that we may not be complainers; and that if we are serving at all, we may know that the Lord knows and values the service. And He has something particular for you which no one else shall have but you. May the Lord bless His word!
2 Kings 13:14 - 21
I confess to a certain peculiar liking for this section of Scripture covering the ministries of Elijah and Elisha. They are, as it were, peculiarly homely and practical -- and I might add, human. Elijah and Elisha were representative of God to men, and they were conversant with death. One of them, indeed, was only conversant with it in the moral sense, for he never died; he was one of the great exceptions in the race. He was one of those who did not die; he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. And we have, in him, the principle of passing on to others of what he had, so that they too might have it. He, in this, indicates God's way, for whilst Elisha wished to share in what Elijah had, his share was to be on certain conditions; that is, he was to see Elijah as he went up. His wish was -- and it was a noble wish, and one which he obtained -- to have a double portion of Elijah's spirit; that is to say, it was on the principle of increase. That principle is particularly seen in the Lord Jesus, of whom it is said, "He must increase". The principle of our dispensation is increase and those of us who belong to it are in a great wave of prosperity; the prosperity that is marked by increase; by the "increase of God", Colossians 2:19. It is said, "growing by the true knowledge of God", Colossians 1:10. Therefore, dear brethren, we may each hope to become richer, not to remain in contentment with what we may have acquired so far, but to have more and more. Now Elisha was to see Elijah when he went up, meaning that there was to be keenness of sight or vision. The moment, it was implied, would be short, but the thing he required or desired so much would be his by the use of his eyes, "If thou see me when I am taken from thee,
it shall be so to thee", 2 Kings 2:10. In view of all this we dare not be negligent in the things of God. We are here tonight on the ground of vigilance, "What I say to you, I say to all, Watch", Mark 13:37. Now Elisha was not unmindful of all this, but his turn came, not to be taken up in a whirlwind, but to die through sickness. One of our number has died this very day, taken from our midst, here. Who knows who the next one of us may be? And so, "Be ready". Well now, Elisha is outstanding as an interesting, practical prophet; not because of his writings, but because of his practicalness and his keenness in the knowledge of men, so as to serve them on God's behalf. And no christian can be other than that, in principle; serving men -- all the race. Elisha kept on and kept on and we are told here he was "sick of his sickness in which he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down to him". He was not without interest but the sequel shows he was not quite as interested as he should be. That is what I am seeking to bring before us all here, this matter of interest, that we may not be found in any way doing the work of the Lord negligently, "Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently", Jeremiah 48:10. It is not a time of curse, nor am I here to curse, but at the same time we have these things in the Scriptures, a curse attached to any one careless or negligent in the work of the Lord.
Elisha was going to die, as it reads in verse 14. There might be some alleviation from his illness, but little use of hoping for his recovery. We often wonder why it is that certain should be taken, but these things are taken account of in heaven. Their administration is there, and all is on the principle of the will of God, whether one is on the bed of sickness from which he dies, or whether he is told to go up like Moses to die; it is a question of the will of God. And so it was with Elisha.
Now I come to what is in my mind -- the passing on from older brethren of what they have, or rather what there is, for at the most they only share in what there is. But what is to be passed on is to be shared in by those who follow. There are a good many here on the following line, not many on the leading line, not many about to die, I am speaking of what is ordinary, the young ones here have good hope to live. You are encouraged in that very point, "that thy days may be prolonged". God would not address that to old men about to die; He says it to young people. "That thy days may be prolonged in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee", Exodus 20:12. God needs you, born into this world and grown up; God needs you and He is willing to enter into all your matters, aspirations, prospects and purposes. In these circumstances there is perfect normality attached to these things. God, speaking reverently, would take a normal account of youth. I sometimes marvel at the Lord Jesus -- God over all, blessed for ever -- yet taking up a babe into His arms. Luke tells us that the Lord Jesus took infants into His arms. Think of the Lord Jesus, the Creator of the universe, God over all, taking an infant into His arms! The older one gets, the more one becomes fond of children, direct from the Creator. They have received their spirits from the Creator. The Lord knew that, and took infants into His arms and blessed them. Some would forbid it, but He said, "Suffer little children to come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God", Luke 18:16. He took them into His arms and blessed them. Matthew 19:15 says, "Having laid his hands upon them, he departed", meaning that He left them to their parents. Not the grandparents. We must not assume that the responsibility of parents belongs to the grandparents. It belongs to the parents. It is true indeed that Abraham "dwelt in
tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise", Hebrews 11:9. He dwelt with them, but that could only be a characteristic feature. It would be what a grandfather's love would lead him to do in his interest in them as heirs with him of the same promise. And if the Lord took infants into His arms and blessed them, and went away, that did not mean they should not be cared for. Far otherwise! He meant that the parents should take care of them. Parents are called upon to do that. "And ye fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord", Ephesians 6:4. They are to provide for their children, "For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children", 2 Corinthians 12:14. So that they have a great place with God. Indeed the Lord Himself tells us, "Their angels in the heavens continually behold the face of my Father who is in the heavens", Matthew 18:10. The angels are ministers of children as well as grown people, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out for service on account of those who shall inherit salvation?", Hebrews 1:14. The angels are subordinate, even to children! So that children are to be cared for.
Now I return to what I have been saying as to Elisha. He was dying, and he knew it. It was the sickness wherewith he died. The gospels give many illustrations of people who were sick and were healed, but this did not apply to Elisha. He was sick with the "sickness in which he died", but he would pass on what he shared, to another. He was not like the king who said, "If only there shall be peace and truth in my days!", 2 Kings 20:19. That was not the language of Elisha. The king of Israel came down to him. Elisha was a father, and the king of Israel regarded him as a father, I am seeking to bring before us that we are heirs of what other people have shared in and our turn is coming. As
elders are taken to be with the Lord, the inheritance comes to ourselves. I refer now to what is needed in the testimony, and the king of Israel was needed. He was a king with a certain amount of interest and intelligence. He came down to Elisha and he said, "My father, my father! the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!". Now we might read much into this. It was a phrase that really belonged to Elisha himself. He does not stop to comment upon it, but he does stop to take up how it is going to be with the king of Israel. What is he to be in the testimony of God? What service is he to render to the people of God? Hence the prophet says to him immediately, "Take bow and arrows. And he took a bow and arrows. And he said to the king of Israel, Put thy hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it; and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands, and said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. And Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot". That is, the old, sick prophet is teaching the young king how to serve, and he is ready to learn. And so, dear brethren, it is a critical time for us. Those of us who are older, who feel our service is short, if we are normal with God as He is with us, we shall think of what the young ones are capable of. I am not speaking to the brothers alone; I am speaking to the sisters, too. It is most important the part that sisters have in the service of God. See that you do it; that it continues; that the work of God goes on. It must go on; God has decreed it must go on, and if we do not go on, it will go on without us. But now there is one who is evidently intending to go on. He is a king, able to fight, and sufficiently interested in doing things well, to come down to the prophet who is sick. One might say, Why trouble Elisha with your affairs? He is a sick man. There is no question about that. Elisha knows he is sick and undoubtedly knows he is going to die, but he is concerned about
the young men and young women as to how they are going to serve, and that they should learn; that they should know how. That is the great point in this particular passage, not doing things any way or when we wish, but when they should be done and done well! There is no small talk about Elisha's illness. The word is about the bow: "Take bow and arrows". That is the word. Whatever the king had in his mind to say to Elisha, the word was, "Take bow and arrows" and shoot! Do the thing -- shoot. Do it properly, do it well! He did it, we are told here.
What I want to say now is, "Put thy hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it; and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands". Let us not forget that. Do not be ashamed if you do not know how to shoot; learn how to shoot. The old brother knows how, old though he be; he has experience. He is intelligent, his mind active, and clear and right, and he directs the young man, the king, to put his hand upon the bow, "And Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands, and said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. And Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot". Then the word is, "An arrow of Jehovah's deliverance". That was the arrow shot forth in the strength of the prophet's hands, as well as the young man's hands. The younger is to learn from the older; something is done immediately. "An arrow of Jehovah's deliverance". How much deliverance is needed in the gatherings of the saints, some hardly able to move in the service of God, in some cases having two meetings in the week put into one. It is slothfulness and laziness and added to that unintelligence, the want of knowing how; hence anyone who does know, whom the brethren think to have knowledge, gets letters asking, What do you think about this? and What do you think about that? What do you think? That is the point! You
have a mind given you by God, and you have the opportunity of speaking to God in prayer. Before you write that letter to someone else, test yourself, learn to do things yourself, learn to shoot. The prophet was going to die, and he did die. Therefore if there be anything we wish to know how to do, and to do well, get to God about it. Of course there is such a thing as gift of government. It is well to ask such brothers, but, generally speaking we do not need to write about everything; we can try it ourselves, see if you can do it. If you miss one time perhaps you will do it again and do it well. These are very simple, homely, practical things. I am saying them with a view to helping everyone here to get to God. As we were saying, the Lord took a child in His arms. He would show the mother how to do that and do it well, and bring it up for Himself. So "an arrow of Jehovah's deliverance" is worth speaking about. These arrows are needed all over this continent; the land south of us, farther south still, away to the east and away to the west. Things are being left undone or partly done. That is the first thing, "an arrow of Jehovah's deliverance, even an arrow of deliverance from the Syrians" -- that particular section of the enemy that has been against you or against the testimony, "Thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou hast consumed them".
Now the next thing is, "Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed". This is the word to be noted, he "stayed". He did well, he smote thrice, but he stayed. The prophet did not tell him to stay smiting. He said, "Smite upon the ground". It is not shooting now, that is a great objective thing, the objective truth put into action. This smiting upon the ground is something relating to himself. It is ground right near me, at my feet, right by me. It is what you might call
subjective truth. That is with the christian all the time. The Spirit of God is here with the christian all the time, in wonderful patience. The Paraclete is by us, the word means that the Spirit of God is near us to help us to shoot and smite on the ground without staying. That is to say, keep on at yourself. The amount of criticism among the brethren is most baneful, distressing, destroying and damaging. The spirit of criticism is not smiting on the ground. It is some one else, but this is at yourself. The smiting on the ground is yourself -- the thing that would hinder you in the shooting. Well, he did not smite more than three times and incurred the wrath of the prophet. I would not like to incur the wrath of the prophet, nor the wrath of the Lord, nor the wrath of the brethren. The christian might be wrathful when others are wrong in their conduct. So, as I said, Smite on the ground, take heed to yourself. See if there be anything damaging the brethren through you, whether by criticism or otherwise. Deal with it well! Deal with it thoroughly, and have done with it! Then, in the next battle with the Syrian, you will be the victor, for we need victory against the Syrian.
So the prophet, "the man of God", was wroth with the king and he said to him, "Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then wouldest thou have smitten the Syrians till thou hadst consumed them; whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice". This was said by "the man of God". It is a question of God; representation of God. And you will not be victorious, brother or sister, if you have not gone far enough in dealing with yourself. Elisha did not stipulate the number of strokes upon the ground; the greater the number, as the prophet indicates, the greater the victory! And we need victory, dear brethren; we do indeed! And for that we must each one deal with himself; each one must
deal drastically with things which stand in the way of the service of God, and the service of the brethren.
And then finally it is said, "Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that behold, they saw the band, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha; and the man went down, and touched the bones of Elisha, and he revived, and stood upon his feet". It is the after-effect of a man of God -- the after-effect of the life of a man of God and what it can do. What it does here is to break up the bands, which are a most baneful thing among the brethren, bands of persons thinking alike in some things and others being excluded from their company. It is baneful and damaging, but the way out here is the effect of the bones of Elisha, the after-effect of the life of an old brother or an old sister. One has just gone from amongst us here. It is now a question of the after-effects. Are we to carry on as usual? The attractive after-effects of the life of a godly person must be seen and felt; and they will be, if God has His way. Sons, daughters, granddaughters and grandchildren, are to take it to heart. What is the example set by the prophet, by Elisha? He is dead and buried. It is his bones, not exactly the man, but like the bones of Joseph; they were made much of and carried from Egypt to Canaan. So the bones of Elisha were there, buried in the grave and the buriers of some man, who may not have been of very much consequence in their eyes, cast him into the grave of Elisha, for fear of the band that had come into the land. They cast him into the sepulchre of Elisha, and when he touched the bones he revived and stood upon his feet. It is the after-effect of the life of a godly man as it is carried in faith, for that is the only way. I suppose
there will be a great dearth here below when all the saints go up to heaven. What barrenness in this poor world! What a moment for the devil! But now it is not so; it is limited because the after-effects of godly people still remain, carried in the affections of the brethren.
And so we have the idea of a man risen from the dead. What can the band do against him? He "touched the bones of Elisha, and he revived, and stood upon his feet". It is an anticipative thought. Ezekiel carries it forward; a great army stands upon their feet, bones brought together, and they live! They are the after-effects, in a sense, presently to be seen in the millennium, as I understand it, of the influence of this present time -- what will be gathered up. The Spirit of God is still here. The bones of the man of God were there, and there was something in the way of spiritual virtue in them which made this dead man live. Are there not such miracles? There are far more miracles than many of us are aware of. We should not be able to come here today without these miracles. As one reviews what is current, it is God acting in relation to what virtue there has been, but those here carry the things in their affections. They know what God can do, and they pray accordingly, and things happen. Many of us here today were here last year at this time. God is doing that for us, and He is going to do more. That is what I had in mind as to what is carried down. We need to take advantage of what there is, such as Elisha, so as to gain from him, as he himself did when he would have a double portion of Elijah's spirit. Hence the great Elisha, and then this man with no name given. He stood on his feet. He was dead, but he was made to live. It was to offset the bands -- the influence of bands amongst the brethren. Think of persons being alike in the outlook of their minds in what is detrimental and abominable to heaven! This man shows
what is possible as the brethren deal with things. It is the after-effect in the brethren's minds of the affections and the life of a godly man. I hope I am not saying things that are not intelligible to you. So, "Remember your leaders who have spoken to you the word of God; and considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith". And then it says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and to the ages to come", Hebrews 13:7, 8. The dispensation is going on in life and we want to get the good of what has been carried down by those still living and apply the things and bring God into them and see if there may not be restoration, recoveries, additions and increase amongst us, which I believe will go on to the end.
John 20:19 - 23; Genesis 24:61 - 67
These scriptures are often read, but they are read now to show that the testimony of God is going on and that in the current order of things it takes priority to the translation into heaven. The translation to heaven is a fixed matter as to time with God and will happen according to 1 Thessalonians, but in the order of things the testimony has first place, as I may say, the priority. In saying this it is with the hope that all may be moved to have part in it. Luke 15 may be cited as illustrative of heaven's mind in view of gospel testimony, in view of gathering, and in view of saints being brought into the assembly. That is to say, great activity is contemplated, great industry in the sense of effecting things such as are indicated in the gospel by Luke, and indeed in all the gospels, but particularly those by Luke and John. So that we have the shepherd seeking his sheep, the woman sweeping her house for something lost, and the father waiting for his son so as to have him robed and fitted for the house. All this has priority to the actual translation to heaven. That will happen, as we have said, and the saints are to be comforted by this happening. It is said, "Encourage one another with these words". "These words" would be the reference to the actual translation of the saints to heaven.
Now John 20 has often been used and is still being used among the Lord's people to lead us into heavenly associations and enjoyments and privileges. But what is in mind now is to show that these, although there, culminate in testimony here and that that testimony is ordered by God as the testimony of Christ was ordered. "As the Father sent me forth", the Lord says, "I also send you". It says
further in verse 22, "And having said this, he breathed into them, and says to them, Receive the Holy Spirit"; and then finally, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained". That is to say, the saints, who are viewed earlier in the chapter as being fitted for heavenly associations and privileges and enjoyments, are now seen as sent by the Son as the Son was sent by the Father. And moreover they are seen as breathed into by the Lord Jesus. Breathed into! Clearly so as to fit them for this service -- the service indicated -- so that it might be rendered with power and with the right spirit -- no less a spirit than the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus.
What is now in mind is to show that the Spirit of Christ, or the Spirit of Jesus, is to dominate and fill all those who are sent. As the Father sent the Son, so the disciples are sent by the Son, with proper equipment, and particularly with such a Spirit involving such power as is suitable for the commission that He had just spoken of.
Now I speak thus because it is in my mind that although we have spoken much and rightly of the advantages and privileges and enjoyments that belong to the heavenly people, those who form the assembly, yet what is more immediate is the service or commission that is involved in these verses. So that at the present time we have heaven occupied with, relatively, a very few people. We have a goodly number here, for instance, but relatively there are only a few here, although we value them -- every one. It is a time of values -- what such and such a one is worth, not only here among the brethren, but in heaven, because heaven has its valuations and it passes over none who have the Spirit. Everyone who has the Spirit has a wonderful valuation in heaven. And so the idea of valuation must come into our meetings. The brothers have liberty to speak;
some with ability, but above all some who have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus. They are thus qualified and are to be noted because of not only having the Spirit of Jesus, but gift accompanying it. The Holy Spirit is a gift, to be sure -- the greatest of gifts -- but at the same time there is what is called gift in the sense of power and efficiency in service and the evidences are seen in such, so that the work of God is to go on in meetings such as these. Thank God such meetings are more frequent than they used to be, and fuller, too. Some of us know of places where they are fuller than they are here -- very much more so. Not that we belittle what we have here. Far otherwise! We value what there is. God has wonderful resources here below. One speaks thus to stimulate our hearts because we have part in what there is. It belongs to the Father; it belongs to the Son; and it belongs to the Holy Spirit; and in a sense, relatively, it belongs to the assembly.
The assembly is the greatest thing outside of divine Persons, and God is going on with it, forming it, fitting it, so that it is growing every day. It began with a few, but according to Acts 2 the Lord added to the assembly daily such as should be saved. What a time it was! What work went on! What values were to be seen! You get three thousand added in one day. And then five thousand men are referred to, and then you get exceptional, outstanding persons. Barnabas is one of these. There were many others like him. We shall see them all in heaven, and be with them, and share their joys.
Well, as I have said, the work of God goes on. One of the greatest things one knows of at the present time is the work of God. Think of what a real saint is, and then the aggregate of all in the assembly. Persons organized, spiritually, and fitted and compacted into one great thing called the assembly. The greatest name of a thing in the whole universe is
the assembly. And so we glory in it. Indeed the word is found in the wonderful epistle to the Ephesians, "To him be glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus unto all generations of the age of ages". Think of that phraseology dear brethren, and think of yourself -- of ourselves -- belonging to it! It is intended to stimulate us and cause joy to come into our hearts to think of the greatness of what we are connected with, so that we are not overwhelmed by the miserableness of this poor world or its attractiveness and blandishments, or its wickedness. I speak thus for our encouragement for John's writings are calculated to fit us for this very thing and to set us up in life. The great point in John is life, "In him was life". That was the word about the Lord Jesus, "and the life was the light of men". So the point to be dwelt upon for the moment is life. And the service is to be carried on in life according to these verses in John and according to the typical verses in Genesis that have been read.
And so our passage contemplates the disciples in a certain position, in a certain place. And importance is attached to the fact that they were there -- "where the disciples were". That is the idea. And so we have to think of what is going on; what is current! what is being done in the way of formation, and calculate that it is a question of the persons we are dealing with. Our position in this hall, for instance, is just incidental, nothing more. It has no spiritual value save that it houses us for the moment. Heaven regards it in that light, but otherwise it is nothing. There is nothing attached to it in a spiritual sense. And so it is with our meeting rooms, of which there are some good and some poor (and the Lord is putting it upon us to have suitable meeting rooms) but their importance is that they house or afford facilities for the brethren to meet in. We do not want to embellish them. All we need is comfort. The Lord
comes in amongst us in these very places, and, of course, while He is there they are wonderfully augmented -- we need not deny that -- for the Lord does come.
And so here, according to what I have read, "When therefore it was evening on that day, which was the first day of the week, and the doors shut where the disciples were, through fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and says to them, Peace be to you". Now you notice what I have already remarked, and am now stressing, that it is a question of where the disciples were, and that they were in danger of being affected by some intrusions. If these intrusions are effected mentally, of course, the enemy can use them and does, alas! But the saints are not indifferent to that. We are not told who shut the doors, but we are told that they were shut for fear of the Jews. And that gives us some inkling as to how these physical matters stand in relation to the service of God. But the main thought, as I have said, is where the disciples were. If it was in a tent, well, it was where they were. If in a room -- an upper room -- it is where they were. They dominate the matter. The importance of the persons and what they are engaged with, dominates the matter. The Lord says, according to Matthew's report: "For where two or three are gathered together unto my name, there am I in the midst of them". Notice, it is them, alluding to the persons. That is, it is in the midst of them, whatever it may be that surrounds them or houses or shelters them. It is a question of these persons and that the Lord is there. He is there to help them in whatever they do. They are doing it but He is there to help them, and who can help like Him! We can count on that day in and day out -- some of us, at least -- and the Lord proves how true He is.
Well now, the next thing is to bring in how He changes or affects them. It may be a cold day, or a hot day, or a day of trouble, a day of calamity. Whatever it may be, think of how the Lord may act for us! Here the word is, as He comes in, "Peace be to you". It is as though He would say, That is the state you are to be in; I am not coming in simply to see and hear and then go, I want to affect you; I have something for you to do, I have a commission for you and I want to affect you so that you will be fitted to do what is in My mind that you should do. And so He says, "Peace". "Jesus came and stood in the midst, and says to them, Peace be to you. And having said this, he shewed to them his hands and his side". So that you can see how the Lord is concerned about us, dear brethren, ministering peace to us. And it was no empty thought or proposal. It was a real thing, and it had a real effect upon them: "Peace be to you". It is not simply peace in the house or in the room, but "Peace be to you". Well, the word is that they were glad because they saw the Lord. But then other things happen, too. He said "Peace be unto you". He intended that their hearts should be touched by it, be filled by it. And then they were glad because they saw the Lord. Think of how their hearts were affected! It was the Lord Himself, not simply that He came there spiritually, it was His very self -- the Lord Himself, and they were affected according to that. It was the real presence of a real living Person, and they were glad. It was a felicitating time -- a wonderful time -- no such time in the whole universe as it was at that moment. There were only a few of them, but they were all affected. And then again He says, "Peace", as much as to say, I want you to continue in peace, that it may not be simply a matter for the moment but a continued matter while I am here. I want you to be filled with peace, and undoubtedly
they were, for there is not a single discrepancy in the account of this chapter. All is perfect. It is a very encouraging thing to have something perfect brought to us. And that perfection can be brought about in ourselves. It is one of the things that belong to us, that we are capable of, to be full of peace: "Peace be to you". And it says, further, "He shewed to them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced therefore, having seen the Lord. Jesus said therefore again to them, Peace be to you: as the Father sent me forth, I also send you. And having said this, he breathed into them, and says to them, Receive the Holy Spirit". Now you will understand, dear brethren, that the question of the Spirit comes up. It is not exactly what we get in Acts 2, for the Lord had not yet ascended, but yet it was the Spirit of Christ, the Son of God. God Himself was there and so the breathing was of the Lord -- the same One who breathed into Adam was now breathing into His disciples another life -- indeed to us. We cannot say much beyond the fact that it was physical life that was breathed into Adam, but here it is spiritual life, and therefore how wonderful the position is, dear brethren: "He breathed into them, and says to them, Receive the Holy Spirit". So it is not simply a question of saying that we have the Holy Spirit, but whether we have received the Holy Spirit. The Lord says, "Receive the Holy Spirit", but He had already done the breathing. So that there is some action on our part and that action is an appreciative action, that we are glad to get the wonderful Gift that the Lord is giving, and that is the Holy Spirit, "Receive the Holy Spirit". It is a question of each one of us challenging his heart as to whether he has received the Holy Spirit, and if he has, whether his conduct is according to it, that he is expressing the Spirit of Jesus and nothing else.
And now the next thing is "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained". You can see now how very full and practical all this is, dear brethren. I am now referring to the forgiveness of sins and as to whether we are all in possession of the forgiveness of sins -- that precious possession that we have, that we know we are forgiven and that we know this very thing from the Holy Spirit; that is to say, from the saints by the Spirit, because the point here is that "whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained". It is a question of what the saints can do for us, and how the Lord equips us and qualifies us to carry out the commission that He has put upon us; namely, the continuance of the work of God in the power of the Spirit in the sense of the forgiveness or remission of sins, and the retention of sins -- that the saints have power to do both. You say, That is extraordinary! I never heard that before, that the saints can forgive my sins! Well, it has to be understood, I am speaking exactly as the scripture says in this chapter. And it is for each of us to understand what it means to be forgiven in this sense; that amongst the Lord's people we can realise what it means to have the forgiveness of sins, or on the other hand, sorrowful to say, that our sins may be retained, that we have not judged ourselves, that we are going on in some way that the Lord would reprehend, that we are not allowed to be free with the brethren and not allowed to have a place among them. Why is it the brethren do not forgive us our sins? Why others and not us? Well, it is a question of the state we are in, the conduct we pursue. The saints cannot lay their hands on us; our conduct is not suitable to the assembly.
Now I turn to Genesis 24. I just want to say a word about Isaac and Rebecca so as to amplify
John 20. From verse 61 to the end of the chapter, a long chapter, we have this matter that I have in mind to speak of just for a moment. First, as to Rebecca herself; how she followed the man, I am speaking of her now as the type of a characteristic sister, on a high level, characteristic of the assembly. And it says that she followed the man. That was the order. The servant of Abraham, the greatest servant of the house, was in charge. He is a type of the Holy Spirit as in charge of us here, today, so to speak. He is in charge, and so it says that Rebecca followed the man, "The servant took Rebecca and went away. And Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was dwelling in the south country. And Isaac had gone out to meditate in the fields towards the beginning of evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were coming". My theme is not simply that Isaac is a type of Christ and that Rebecca is a type of the assembly, but that both Rebecca and Isaac are also types of saints. And it is now a question of how the masculine side is to fit and how the feminine side is to fit. I have spoken about Rebecca following the man, which is a good feature. She was subject. But then Isaac is occupied with the Holy Spirit. He is returning from Beer-lahai-roi which first came to notice at the time of Abraham, when Hagar was seen as a type of an unruly sister. She was not subject to her mistress. But the Spirit of God is seen as having to do with her at the well Beer-lahai-roi. That is to say, that well is a type of the Spirit as dealing with such a person as Hagar. The sisters may become unruly and misbehave, but Hagar, in the grace of God, becomes subject and returns to her mistress. And this well is first seen in connection with her, which is a very important point. But still, her son was a wild ass of a man. She was a poor mother. Although she had a son who was a son of Abraham, she was a poor
mother. She did not bring up her children rightly. She did not properly nourish them, and many a child suffers because of the failure of the mother in nursing her children. But my point now is to show that Isaac is occupied with this well. It is available to every person; it was available to Hagar, and now Isaac is coming to it and going to it, and while he is doing that Rebecca comes. Now both Isaac and Rebecca afford us examples of suitable conduct and occupation. Isaac was a man of leisure, not like Joseph, who was a man of great affairs. Isaac was a man of leisure and able to meditate and to ruminate, and he sees Rebecca coming, and he is thinking of what is carrying her. She is coming to the meeting. How is she coming to the meeting? How is she attired? Is she occupied with ordinary things on the way? No, the facts show that she is in every way right, so that she takes her veil as soon as she sees Isaac. But Isaac saw the camels -- the things that carried Rebecca. And so it becomes a question of how we are carried in dealing with the things of God. What carries us? And then another thing is that it was a time of mourning in the house. Isaac's mother had died. It was a time of death. We have just heard that a brother has died. We cannot but feel that. And it is a question of how we behave in a time of death. We read of its being better to go to the house of mourning than the house of feasting. That is important to bear in mind, for there is such a thing as mourning. It is wholesome to think of it even if it is for a person who has not been walking with us, but who once did. And we are going to bury him, although he died out of fellowship. We should be rightly affected by such an occurrence. It is like God to bring about contrition in such a case. We have had such deaths and we have been grieved by them, and it is wholesome to be grieved by them, but at the same time to be with God about them and
to recognize that burial is suitable for such a one. Ananias and Sapphira were buried, and Stephen was buried. The brethren made great lamentation over Stephen. You can understand how the death of a man like Stephen would affect the saints. They made great lamentation over him, and it is quite right to do so. We have had that experience. But I must come back to Isaac, and then I will finish. Isaac was grieved about his mother, but he was comforted. That is to say the state of things was changed in his house by Rebecca, I want you to notice that. Someone has asked, How long did Isaac and Rebecca live in Sarah's tent? I cannot tell you that, I would say a very short time. To confirm that, it is said that Rebecca had a house, and there was fine clothing in that house and she used some of that clothing with which to clothe Jacob. It was a house, not a tent, which confirms my remark that the period in which Isaac and Rebecca resided in Sarah's tent must have been fairly short, because a house had come in and was occupied by a suitable person, and that person was Rebecca. She became a good wife. She ruled the house. She guided the house, and the house is to be guided by the wife. It is quite clear from the facts mentioned that she guided the house. In fact, in later life she shone better than her husband, and that may have application to assembly history, because Isaac is not always a type of Christ, nor is Rebecca always a type of the assembly. That phase of her history came to an end. And we have to bear in mind here that she was led into Sarah's tent; that is to be noted -- led into it -- which I suppose would show what her place was to be, that she was not to lead, she was to be led and Isaac did the leading. He led his wife into his mother's tent and she adorned it. She was glorious in the house. She knew what to do and what to say on many occasions.
Now that is about all that I have to say, dear brethren, but I think that it is instruction that ought to stay with us, for the idea of being commissioned attaches to us. It is a matter that we should be very humbled in speaking of at all, because we are in the time of small things and therefore we cannot assume to have much in the sense of commission. At the same time there is such a thing as having a commission. It would be a poor thing if there was not such a thing attaching to our position, but there is. And Isaac and Rebecca are in that position. They are in Sarah's tent, set there to carry out the behest of Jehovah. And they do so.
In chapter 25 it is mentioned again that Isaac was at the well Beer-lahai-roi. It is as much as to say he was constantly going to that well, meaning that we must keep our eye on the Spirit, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall no way fulfil flesh's lust". So that we carry on, dear brethren, in a simple way in the sense of commission. As the Lord Jesus was sent of His Father so we have a commission to carry out as having to do for men in the sense of remission of sins; and having received the Spirit we should walk in the Spirit and so promote the work and pleasure of God.
Exodus 10:7 - 11
I need not make any apology for speaking because I believe the brethren are glad to have me speak; but I want to speak of something that may be helpful to us. I wish, particularly, to stress verse 7: "How long shall this man be a snare to us? let the men go, that they may serve Jehovah their God, dost thou not yet know that Egypt is ruined?"
Now, dear brethren, I feel quite at liberty to refer to the ruination of Egypt, because Egypt is typical of this present evil world. It is not much of a country now, but still, it was used by the Spirit of God to typify this world. Pharaoh's bondmen said to him, "How long shall this man", which as we know was Moses, "be a snare to us? let the men go, that they may serve Jehovah their God". Why do you hinder them? Why do you interfere with them? The matter is very plain, why do you not let them go? "Dost thou not yet know that Egypt is ruined?".
That is a very solemn word, dear brethren -- the ruination of a country! If any one goes into the world, we speak of him as going into Egypt. If you want the world you go to Egypt. But the word is, "Dost thou not yet know that Egypt is ruined?". So that the world is a ruined state of things. You may say that you are well off in business. But you have no resources if Egypt is ruined! If the world is ruined, and you are in it, you are ruined! It is an awful thing to think about, but I should like, especially, to enlarge on it to the young people here today. If you are seeking after the world, or building yourself up in it, the word here is, "Dost thou not yet know that Egypt is ruined?". Can I say anything plainer than that? It is, more or less, a repetition of what I have already said, but it is very remarkable,
very plain, very humbling, and very solemn: "Dost thou not yet know that Egypt is ruined?".
It says that Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh. This is a second court, so to speak. The devil is making another attempt -- to build the world up again, perhaps. I say to every one, Be on your guard against building up Egypt. To faith it is ruined already and there is no reason why you should be building up Egypt.
And so, dear brethren, it says, "Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh. And he said to them, Go, serve Jehovah your God". But the sequel shows that Pharaoh was not honest about it, as is often the case amongst men. He said, "Go, serve Jehovah your God", but he was not sincere as to it at all. He asks, "Who are they that shall go?". Moses answered, "We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters; with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we have a feast of Jehovah". It is wonderful what feasts the brethren have. Think of what the brethren feast upon at the present time! It would appeal to us all. How precious it is to have our feasts week by week, as we might say, on the first day of the week. And so the word is, "we will go with our young and with our old". The children -- all of them -- will go to keep that holy feast of Jehovah! The children must go. They must be let go. But it rests with each young man and young woman not to seek Egypt, for Egypt is ruined.
Of course, men are going on with their businesses, and doing well in a certain sense, but then, spiritually, the world is ruined. Therefore, let us not be found in it. Let us not seek after it. Let us keep out of it and go on according to God and God will be with us.
Pharaoh said to them, "Evil is before you!". This is just a threat! It is double mindedness! "Not so:
go now, ye that are men ..." says Pharaoh. But it is remarkable that the sisters have acquired such a great place amongst us, and that they should be with us at such a time as this. They have part in the feast, also! But, in what Pharaoh says, the men are brought forward here. If any are to go, the men are to go. I am sure that there is not a young man here who would not be stirred up at a time like this, "Serve Jehovah! for it is that ye have desired". You have desired to go. You have desired to get out of the world. And there is nothing, spiritually, in Egypt. It is very solemn! The whole world is ruined, in principle. But you "have desired" to go out of it. "They were driven out from Pharaoh's presence". Pharaoh has no use for you. The world has no use for you. If you want the world you may get it, but you will find that it is ruined. And there is very little time now, dear brethren; let us go on with the assembly. It is remarkable how the truth of the assembly has developed in these our days, so that it is greater than ever before. God has wrought and the truth has come out, and the Spirit of God is working to lead the brethren on. Egypt is ruined; let us take this to heart and get well out of it and get on with what God is doing!
We have enjoyed what is outside of the world as together here, by ourselves, with the brethren here, rejoicing. We are holding a feast of Jehovah, I must say that I have a great joy with the dear brethren here at this time.
The Holy Spirit sent down and so with the saints, the church, now corresponds with the Angel who accompanied Israel through the wilderness. The Angel of Jehovah would keep them in the way and "bring thee to the place that I have prepared", Exodus 23:20. They were enjoined to "be careful in his presence, and hearken unto his voice". He would bring them in unto the Amorites, "and I will cut them off", says God.
Romans opens up what the Spirit is in relation to the gospel. Corresponding with the light the Spirit sheds abroad the love of God in the hearts of believers. He enables them to fulfil the righteous requirement of the law; He is in them a new state and His mind in us is life and peace. Christ in the believer, the body is dead on account of sin, but the Spirit life on account of righteousness; and our bodies shall be quickened by His power. By Him we put to death the deeds of the body and so we live. We are led by Him as sons of God, and by Him, the Spirit of adoption, we cry, "Abba, Father". He witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God. As in us He is not our spirit, nor does He absorb our individuality. In Galatians He cries, "Abba, Father" -- using our vocal powers, as it were; in Romans we cry by Him. The latter indicates growth, and is what God intends; a son (the believer) is speaking, rather than the Spirit. The Spirit is not a son, but has (in Christ first) become the Spirit of Sonship and so brings the consciousness of sonship into the believer's heart, and so he cries, "Abba, Father". And in the saints the Spirit makes intercession for them according to God.
The position of the saints in relation to the testimony is worked out in Romans 12 -- Israel's relation to it being in view in chapters 9 to 11. Chapter
12 corresponds somewhat to the ordering of the tribes in Numbers 2. Believers are at the divine disposal and so the kingdom of God is in chapter 14. It alludes to God here by the Spirit in moral sway and blessing -- as of old He was in the midst of the tribes, they being set around His dwelling in four sets of three each. The kingdom of God is righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 15 is energy -- at least, in Paul -- in service and testimony, the Levites' part, as in Numbers.
"I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren", Genesis 24:27. This passage covers the apostle's position or course as presented in these chapters.
In the earlier chapters (1 to 5) his lead is evident. In chapter 5 mention is made of his shadow, cures evidently being effected thereby. This points to spiritual substance -- what was there in him. After this Peter is not mentioned by name until chapter 8 where, with John, he is sent to Samaria. He seems, therefore, to represent the spiritual wealth in the assembly. Others, such as Stephen and Philip, are used actively. At Samaria Peter takes the lead to meet an emergency, but otherwise he is personally out of view until chapter 9: 32. Here we see him passing through all quarters; that is, he is "in the way", in the current of the mind of God, for this was now bearing toward the nations. His movement suggests spiritual sensitiveness, and now, being "in the way", he is divinely led. He is enlightened and prepared at Joppa to go to the house of Cornelius at Caesarea -- to use the keys the Lord gave him to admit the gentiles into the kingdom.
In chapter 12 Peter is an object of attack by the enemy, but preserved, evidently representing spiritual wealth of experience and authority, brought forward again in chapter 15.
The divine pains taken to prepare Peter to receive the gentiles, and Ananias to receive Saul, are touching and instructive.
Numbers 7:1 - 89
"The princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers' houses, the princes of the tribes, they that were over them that had been numbered" -- full titles and offices.
The bullocks and waggons denote the thoughtfulness of the saints, in a rich way, for those who are serving -- those who toil. They were given to the Gershonites and the Merarites -- those who carried heavy parts of the tabernacle. All this comes out in Acts.
Nahshon gives the lead -- prince of the tribe of Judah. This offering or giving of the princes reflects God -- He loves a cheerful giver. Thus each prince has a day; the offering was spread over twelve days.
There were three vessels -- one large and one small silver vessel full of fine flour mingled with oil. A brother may present Christ in a larger or smaller way; it is Christ in either case; the quality is the same. The gold vessel is small, a cup full of incense -- quality for God in the way of odour. It is a sweet savour of Christ in those that are saved and in those that perish.
Princes coming from different parts and without consultation and yet each offering the same as the others, typifying unity of the Spirit, all have the same thoughts of Christ. The aggregate of their gifts, enumerated in verses 84 to 88, is the "dedication gift" of the altar. At the end Moses goes in to the tent of meeting to speak with God, but God speaks with him first -- then Moses speaks to God. God's speaking is according to His mercy and authority -- all founded on the ark of the testimony.
God hearkened to the voice of a man when the sun stood still, and heaven helped Israel in the execution of vengeance on their enemies. Now contrast that with the voice of Jesus! "Father, forgive them", He says, "for they know not what they do", and the clock stops. Christ dies and goes into the grave. He is raised from the dead by the glory of the Father.
That does not involve judgment. In that word, "glory of the Father", we have the germ of a new day. It was in the heart of the Father that there should be such a day. He was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, and now He "has sat down on the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens", not on His own throne yet but in the Father's throne.
The day is governed from the Father's throne -- by a Man. A Man! Stephen sees Jesus in the brightest spot in glory, he saw the heavens opened and the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand. He kneeled down and cried, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge". Wonderful reflection of the Father's throne and of the prayer uttered by Christ! Wonderful reflection of the character of the day which the Lord had made! He was equal to it under the most painful circumstances. It was not a time of curse, and hence he prayed for his enemies; he was a perfect reflection of Christ in the midst of the darkness in Jerusalem. How one would seek to be that, to be unaffected, to be here according to the divine appointment, maintaining in one's ways and walk and spirit the character of the day which Jehovah has made, and rejoicing in it. May God grant this to us!
Although life and eternal life are used interchangeably, especially by the apostle John, yet in Romans they present different ideas. Eternal life is an end in view, whereas life (chapter 8) is connected with the Spirit: "the Spirit life", and so present. Life in this sense is power -- it involves ability to be free from the flesh, so as to fulfil righteousness here. There is also the "springing up into eternal life". The latter is clearly objective and outside (above, morally) the present condition. I do not think it right to connect eternal life with our present mortal conditions, and therefore I regard it as wrong to place it in the wilderness. It is the life of God's purpose for man and is necessarily the other side of death. The fact that it is said to consist in the knowledge of God and of Christ as the sent One only shows that the moral element is possessed by those who have it -- that is, they know God as the supreme Object of veneration, and a Man, tested in every way and found, in contrast to Adam, to be infinitely obedient. The cross (all that entered into it) was essential to this obedience being fully expressed; to apprehend rightly what "sent" involved, we have to ponder Gethsemane and the cross, and the light thus acquired has a great effect upon us, both as regards God and Christ, and relatively as regards the world. So that clearly eternal life belongs to another order of things -- "in the coming age life eternal".
"Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, even as the Christ loved us, and delivered himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour".
This shows us the idea of the way of life: "walk in love", not simply when you are in the meeting; it is a question of walking in it. A person who walks in love has his foot dipped in oil; he has a peculiar kind of walk, "Looking upon Jesus as he walked" -- that is the pattern, that is the walk. "Walk in love". Christ was for God's pleasure, and as we walk in His footsteps we are for God's pleasure, and no greater privilege can be ours. It is given to us to be here in this world, where Christ has been, where the apostles have been, for God's pleasure. It is a responsibility too, so do not put it away from you. It has been seen in men of like passions with ourselves. We have the Spirit of God; we have the example of Christ, the example of the apostles. "Mark them which walk", says the apostle, "so as ye have us for an ensample". Remember the apostles, remember Paul; in them we see the reflection of the walk and ways of the Lord Jesus Christ.
May He give us in these days to be in His hand, and to remain in His hand; for as we remain there the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in us. His work shall be promoted in us, and thus we shall be for His pleasure here.
God said to Moses, "There is a place by me". Did you ever think of that -- a place by God for you? It is a question of position -- you are to stand on the Rock. May I encourage you to think of this. God said, "there shalt thou stand". I especially urge the idea of place -- a place by God. The position is in Christ, we have a place outside the world altogether; we have a new status, and God has put us there. He has put us "in Christ".
Pages 116 to 404 -- "What We Have Come To". U.S.A., 1949 - 1950 (Volume 198).
Hebrews 12:18 to middle of verse 22
J.T. The assumption is that the brethren know the Scriptures comparatively well, especially the epistle to the Hebrews written by Paul, as we suppose. We are supposed to know our Bibles. We have come to look into the Bible and these remarks are made so that we may have exercise about it, each one of us, brothers and sisters, so that we may hear, and hearing we may understand. If we do not understand, we can ask again.
The first positive thing is mount Zion. It is thought that we should consider a little the earlier verses because they refer to what we have not come to. We have not come to the mount that could be touched; it is not what is visible. That is to say, "Ye have not come to the mount that might be touched and was all on fire, and to obscurity, and darkness, and tempest, and trumpet's sound, and voice of words; which they that heard, excusing themselves, declined the word being addressed to them any more, (for they were not able to bear what was enjoined. And if a beast should touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and, so fearful was the sight, Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and full of trembling)". These verses refer to what we have not come to. They are terrible verses, and they remind us of what we all were liable to -- the judgment of God. These are negative thoughts. I thought it well to call attention to them first so that we might have the background of the verses before us of which we shall speak later. There are eight things mentioned in the verses before us that we shall take up later.
S.McC. I think what you have said is interesting. The solemnity that is in these verses seems to be stressed throughout the epistle.
J.T. Of course, we are to bear in mind that it is a christian epistle. The first chapter is glorious, "God having spoken in many parts and in many ways formerly to the fathers in the prophets, at the end of these days has spoken to us in the person of the Son". The word is literally 'in Son'. God in Son -- God Himself speaking, so that it is a wonderful epistle in that sense. It is a christian epistle and yet these verses found in this chapter are terrible verses, really. In the same chapter it says, "our God is a consuming fire". And we would think solemnly of all that because it is a terrible background, but at the same time he is reminding us of the wonderfulness of what belongs to us in Christ, what we are in Christ.
S.McC. It really, as you say, throws into relief the glory of the system that is centred in Christ in that way in heaven, does it not?
A.N.W. Would it be right to say that mount Sinai is defined but not named, whereas mount Zion is named and not defined? Would it be according to your thought for us that we should learn to define mount Zion for ourselves?
J.T. Sinai is the mount that could be touched -- it is physical and visible, whereas Christianity is not that. It is not visible or physical, it is spiritual and unseen.
A.N.W. I thought it was striking that it was not named, but defined with all those terrible features, whereas mount Zion is just named and you are suggesting what it would mean to us.
J.T. You might say you get it in history, what could be touched, but when you come to mount Zion you cannot get it from history; it is not what
men are acquainted with, really, but it is the subject of our conversation.
H.B. Deuteronomy 4, in relation to the mount Sinai, would show that there were darkness, clouds and obscurity. Yet behind that it says, "the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven". In man after the flesh there was that which hindered the heart of heaven being fully known, but now it is known in mount Zion, in christianity.
J.T. The heart of heaven -- I think it is well to mention clearly what is said. The heart of heaven -- a rare expression, should be emphasised, for it is a wonderful expression and belongs to the economy.
S.McC. What does mount Zion convey to you in relation to christianity? Does it convey a different thought from what it was before?
J.T. I wonder if we have dwelt enough on the negative side before we come to mount Zion, whether we all understand what is meant by the negative side contained in verses 18 to 21.
J.W.D. "Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and full of trembling". Would you bring that into practical experience in any sense now?
J.T. It is a question of what souls go through in the presence of God. Many go through experiences and they feel they are lost and are overcome. So that it is hard to say what may be said about these earlier verses, these negative verses. We are to search ourselves as to what we are going through in our souls, whether we are going through anything like this, and then we shall see the blessedness of mount Zion.
A.S.C. It says in regard of mount Sinai, "obscurity, and darkness, and tempest, and trumpet's sound, and voice of words; which they that heard, excusing themselves, declined". Would you help us on that?
J.T. It is intended to impress us with the enormity of sin. The more we judge it, the more we shall
enjoy the blessedness of forgiveness and the presence of the Spirit, who gives us the consciousness of forgiveness.
A.S.C. The word was addressed to them, but they excused themselves from it, not taking on the matter.
J.T. That is true, bringing out what we are and the enormity of sin, and whether we are judging things fully and coming into christianity, conscious of forgiveness of sins, and the Spirit of God, and having a place in the assembly.
S.McC. Is there a link in Romans 7, in the man going through that experience in which the law bears upon him, with the negative side in this chapter?
J.T. That is so. "O wretched man that I am!". Why does it say that? That is what I have in mind, as to what the law really implies and how we are to be delivered from it. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of this body of death?". Then he says, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord". He got deliverance. If we have not, we should search our hearts. We come thousands of miles to be here and we want to get something. If we are going on with things which are not according to christianity, we want to get rid of them and go on with things which bring us to full christianity. "O wretched man that I am!". Then the answer, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord". Then he says further, "I myself with the mind serve God's law". That is christianity. "But with the flesh sin's law", a true confession.
A.N.W. In verse 20 the writer interposes, "for they were not able to bear what was enjoined". Would the Spirit's coming mean we are empowered to bear what is enjoined?
J.T. That is what mount Zion means. It is a new principle like the constitution of this country. A new principle -- mount Sinai was an old one.
V.C.L. Did Paul himself understand something of this principle of the enormity of sin in the three days when he neither ate nor drank?
J.T. I am glad you brought that up -- what Paul went through in those three days and three nights.
V.C.L. Afterward he stood up and "preached Jesus that he is the Son of God". Was that like coming to mount Zion?
J.T. That shows how the truth laid hold of his soul. He "preached Jesus that he is Son of God". Mount Zion implies the Son of God, for it is the answer to all with which we are dealing here.
J.McK. Does Exodus 20 help as to bringing the matter of sin before the people? They said to Moses, "Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. And Moses said to the people, Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not".
J.T. So that they trembled. The whole position was somewhat modified, but we need much more than that as we come into full christianity. That is to say, we need new birth, forgiveness, the Spirit, and all that enters into the blessedness of the Spirit. We need to understand that we must be born anew, which is the first thing we get in John 3"Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God".
J.McK. So that is the basis of God's work in our souls as He cleanses us.
J.T. That is the basic thought, in the beginning, for the believer. He sees the kingdom.
E.G.McA. 'Enjoined' is the word in the latter part of verse 20, "they were not able to bear what was enjoined". That is an obligation, whereas, mount Zion is a spiritual privilege to which we have come.
J.T. Quite so, it is just a question of where we are. Some of us have come thousands of miles and it is a joy to see so many here in Chicago. One has
known it for fifty years and one is thankful for what is here today, but the question is what we have come for. Are we here to contribute, and are we ready to receive the truth? Because that is the point, to get the good out of these meetings. "Ye shall know the truth", it says, "and the truth shall set you free".
A.N.W. Is there something to be said about the mediator? The mediator himself has to say, "I am exceedingly afraid and full of trembling".
J.T. Of course that mediator was not Christ. Christ is our Mediator, "The mediator of God and men ... the man Christ Jesus". Moses was not that.
A.N.W. I only thought much depended upon our Mediator in that way positively. This shows that even Moses, acquainted with the presence of God Himself, was afraid. It shows what the position involved.
J.T. In the denominations around us, it is a question whether the idea of the Mediator is known at all. It is "the man Christ Jesus", the Man with feelings, governed by love and grace peculiarly. The idea of mount Zion is grace, or more accurately, mercy. It is the extension of mercy to men with all that flows from that.
B.W. Should not the truth be clear to us and not obscure? Is the negative side here helpful in that way, for often times we are not clear about the truth?
J.T. Quite so. What is ministered and conveyed in our Bible readings, is to be the truth and our relations are to be in love, love governing us and love in the truth, too. That is the gospel, really, the gospel worked out in Paul's ministry, especially Romans which is the basic idea of the gospel.
J.W.D. Why does Paul bring in the terror of the Lord in the section that deals with the judgment seat of Christ?
J.T. Why not? There is so much looseness, even among ourselves, and how much looseness there is
abroad among nominal Christians! The terror of the Lord is introduced because God is not mocked and we are to be serious. How much looseness and worldliness there is! Indeed, in coming to a meeting like this, if we have nothing before us but a good time and travel, it is a solemn thing to come and have the word of God opened up to us. Are we ready for it? Are we open to receive the truth? It says, "ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free". We should expect that at a meeting like this.
J.W.D. So that woven into the curtains of the tabernacle were the cherubim, a symbol of divine government. Should we take account of the cherubim?
J.T. Very good, it is a symbol. It is not a question of what it is literally but of what the symbol means.
J.W.D. Would the idea of the cherubim indicate that God's government protects what is so precious, so glorious in Christ? So in coming to these meetings we have before us the positive things, but also the cherubim. The idea of the cherubim has to be faced, too.
J.T. It is a question of the government of God. The seraphim are more holiness, but they go together.
W.H.C. Is the thought of the cherubim involved in the chastening in the previous portion of this chapter? Why does this portion come just here in this chapter?
J.T. Very good. A remarkable thing that it should be brought in, especially that our God is a consuming fire. Not God simply, but our God, the Christian's God. If we want to be faithful with men, we are not hiding it.
S.McC. What you have been saying is most important as bearing on our coming to these meetings,
because if worldliness is allowed in our minds and ways we shall not have the truth, shall we?
J.T. That is just what I am thinking about. These terms cherubim and seraphim are symbols. What are they symbols of? We have to make an application of what a symbol means.
A.N.W. Burning is attached to both of them. The first mention of the cherubim is, "He set the Cherubim, and the flame of the flashing sword".
J.T. That is government. A remarkable thing that it should come so early in the history of man. Satan had come into the order of things that God had set up and that is a solemn thing. God intended to deal with evil at once.
C.C.T. In speaking about coming to these meetings, we would not have in our minds excusing ourselves and declining the word.
J.T. It is a very good thing to accuse yourself, but to excuse yourself when it is a question of sin is not good.
E.G.McA. Is the passage referred to, "Our God is a consuming fire", to check us that we might not think too lightly of mount Zion and what it is in the ways of God?
J.T. We are not to take mercy too lightly.
H.B. Would a word in Isaiah help? "To this man will I look: to the afflicted and contrite in spirit, and who trembleth at my word".
J.T. Trembleth, that is very good.
J.W.D. "And great fear came upon all the assembly". Do you think we are often conscious of that?
J.T. You refer to Ananias and Sapphira with whom God dealt so severely? "Great fear came upon all". If we are solemnised by the judgment of God, it helps us.
J.McK. Does Romans 6 bear upon this? "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid".
J.T. Just so. "God forbid". That is a good phrase to notice.
E.G.McA. You suggested a very beautiful contrast between Moses as mediator, who exceedingly trembled and feared, and Christ our Mediator full of sympathy. Would you open that up? We might have in our minds that the Mediator is someone austere. I was thinking of what you said in your prayer, referring to Corinthians, "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ", the greatness of the Person in whose face that is seen, so that we might enter more into the good of Christ as Mediator.
J.T. Mr. Darby once said, What is lovable in me is not of me, but of God. What is lovable in any one of us is of God. It is not mere niceness. We need more than niceness, we need righteousness and holiness.
E.G.McA. That brings in Christ as the Mediator in sympathy and tenderness, does it not?
A.N.W. There must be a reason why it was the skin of the face of Moses that shone, not exactly the face, but the skin of his face.
J.T. Very good, but it is a deeper matter in Christ, very beautiful, too, the face of Jesus Christ.
A.S.B. Would the beginning of the chapter help us in this regard? It says, "laying aside every weight, and sin which so easily entangles us" and "looking stedfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith", and, later, the Father's chastening of sons is in order "to the partaking of his holiness".
J.T. "Leader and completer of faith". The Originator of faith. So that the thing is to see what Christianity really is, and what it really is seen in Christ personally, the face of Jesus Christ. Christianity is Christ, really.
A.S.B. What you said earlier in regard to the end of the chapter, "Our God is a consuming fire", is what I was thinking of. Holiness has been subjected
to the fire and its perfection brought out. All that is connected with the beginning.
J.T. Nothing else will do, but what can be tested by the fire. You cannot let anything pass except that. Every sacrifice was by fire, too.
A.G.L. Is there much around us that corresponds with mount Sinai, its obscurity and darkness, and do we need deliverance from that to arrive at mount Zion in our own souls?
J.T. Yes, especially the young people, for they do not tell us what is really going on. God has patience with us and pities us. That is a condition that can be rectified by the truth. The Lord said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free". There is a remedy for it. These meetings are that we might apply the truth.
A.G.L. So that if we have come by way of mount Zion, we are not afraid to come to God the Judge of all.
J.T. We shall come to that, please God, the Judge of all. It is an elevated thought, the top, so to speak, in dealing with the matter.
W.McK. In 2 Corinthians 4 which was already mentioned, it says "God ... who has shone in our hearts". Does that involve what we have here, that we come clearly and definitely into the knowledge of God?
J.T. Very good. "For the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ". That is Christianity, really. What we have come to; that is what we are trying to aim at now. Mount Zion is what we have come to actually. It should be felt in a meeting like this that we have come to these things, these characteristics.
J.McK. Would you say that as we come to mount Zion the sense of mercy fills our souls with the knowledge of the greatness of the love of God, for we do not deserve it, deserving judgment instead?
That would enable us, especially the young, to be firmly founded in the truth you are developing.
J.T. So that referring again to verse 22, "Ye", meaning the Hebrew christians, "have come to mount Zion". That is the first thing; the next is "the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem". We will have to try to confine ourselves to mount Zion now because it is one of the greatest things; it is foundational and belongs to the system we are connected with. The system is that we have a High Priest in heaven who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities and then we have a Priest on earth. The Spirit of God is not called a priest, but He is here nevertheless in a priestly way to aid us in our infirmities and to add His help to our weaknesses.
F.H.L.C. Does the scripture you quoted from, John 8:34 - 36, connect with our chapter? "Verily, verily, I say to you, Every one that practises sin is the bondman of sin. Now the bondman abides not in the house for ever, the son abides for ever. If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free".
J.T. Quite so. The Son expresses the full thought of christianity. The Lord Jesus as the Son of God expresses the whole matter of liberty, involving the Holy Spirit too. The "therefore ..." is a matter of sequence, "If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free". The Corinthians were not abiding in that. Some of us were quoting a dear brother who is now with the Lord, He spoke about beautiful things and among them was the Man of John 8, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God.
S.McC. You made a very interesting remark as to the Spirit being here in a priestly way. Would you say a little more about that? Does that fit in with the service suggested in Romans 8, interceding?
J.T. I would think so. Of course, as I was saying, the Spirit is not called a priest, but the Lord Jesus is. The idea of priesthood is in Christ, in Christ as
Man; it is not a question of the Spirit by Himself, but Christ as Man. But at the same time the Spirit takes on priestly service because He adds His help to our weaknesses, and He is sympathetic with us in our weaknesses. I am sure you would agree with that, it is a very beautiful thing to have before us, that Christ is in heaven and the Spirit down here, not on the earth simply, but in the assembly, for that is where He is.
S.McC. That is excellent, showing how the position is maintained here below, equal to what is on high.
A.N.W. Is it too early to ask how far the Spirit's service as a Paraclete goes in relation to our individual matters?
J.T. I think it goes a long way. He deals with matters in relation to us in a spiritual sense. I would not say He looks after us in our ordinary affairs in our families. I would not want to say much about that. He goes a long way as a Paraclete. The word refers to Him as alongside of us so as to take care of our interests, truly to take care of the interests of Christ. He looks after everything.
A.N.W. It says, "in things relating to God", in Hebrews 5. Would that govern the service of the blessed Spirit?
A.N.W. It is the spiritual side.
J.T. There is much needed as to the truth of the gospel being presented to us. The priestly attitude of the Lord Jesus above is to take care of all our interests. He is above and the Spirit is here in the assembly to care for all that relates to God.
J.McK. Is it your thought that in the preaching of the gospel the idea of mercy should be stressed?
J.T. I think that. Mr. Darby refers invariably to grace, but I think mount Zion is more accurately mercy. Mercy is extended to us in our need, in theADJUSTMENT TO GOD'S THOUGHTS
FRUITFULNESS
INDUCING WORSHIP
WORSHIP
THE BRIDEGROOM'S PRIESTLY TURBAN AND THE BRIDE'S JEWELS
GOD'S CARE FOR YOUNG BELIEVERS
COMPLETING MATTERS
MOSES -- FAITHFUL IN ALL GOD'S HOUSE
'Man's boasting love disowns Thee;
Thine own Thy danger flee;
A Judas only owns Thee
That Thou may'st captive be'. THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE LIVES OF GODLY PERSONS
THE TESTIMONY AS HAVING PRIORITY TO THE TRANSLATION
"EGYPT IS RUINED"
THE PARACLETE
PETER IN ACTS 9 - 11
PRINCES
"JEHOVAH HEARKENED TO THE VOICE OF A MAN"
LIFE AND ETERNAL LIFE
"WALK IN LOVE"
"THERE IS A PLACE BY ME"
WHAT WE HAVE COME TO (1)