THE NEEDS OF A LOCAL ASSEMBLY
[p. 506] THE NEEDS OF A LOCAL ASSEMBLY
Genesis 24:10 - 27; Acts 16:13 - 15
JT It is thought that the assembly will come before us in this enquiry, but particularly what is needed in the development of it. In the work of God what is needed at any time is available. As engaged in that work we are dependent upon God, according to what we see in Genesis 24. Such an one as Rebecca was needed, and according to God she is found, she is available. She represents the whole assembly, showing that when the assembly was needed in the ways of God she was available. What was needed in Acts when the work began was available. When the three thousand were converted and added, numbers were needed, and the quality of the number secured is what is needed. The Spirit of God dilates upon it at the end of Acts 2; it was such as was needed, and the Lord added to it. So in chapter 16, Lydia represents material needed at that time. Material needed earlier, after chapter 2, was also available, such as Aeneas at the end of chapter 9, and Dorcas and Cornelius and his company; each that was needed at a particular juncture was available. So at Philippi such material as was needed came into view at once in Lydia; so in Ephesians such material as was needed was immediately in view as the work began. That is what is in mind so that it would bear on our own times and in our own city. If there is a felt need among the brethren to fill out what is necessary for assembly testimony it will be available as we seek it according to the example in Genesis 24.
RST It is very interesting because it indicates that not only the brethren are taking account of the need in the locality, but the Lord is. He would undertake so that that need is supplied, but it is our part to see that it is [p. 507] available.
JT Yes, and to seek it according to the prescribed way. You can see in Abraham’s exercise how exclusive his mind was and how the requirements were narrowed down. All that would be unsuitable is eliminated by the oath he caused his servant to swear in regard to a wife for his son. You are therefore saved from seeking to fill out what is necessary for the testimony by unsuitable material, because it only brings in sorrow later.
WM You have said that we should seek for quality, not quantity. Is that so?
JT That, I think, is what comes out. Genesis affords examples of fleshly effort, such as Hagar, to secure the divine end. Abraham had to do with that, but here he is very concerned that only the suited one should be brought and if she were not obtainable he would be without her; he would not have a substitute. We are to accept that God is not moving according to our exercises, but if the material be available, then we are assured that God is working with us, that our work is in the Lord.
FI That is, material must be kindred.
JT That is it. No doubt in this specific case the qualification was particularly as to kindred. Abraham says to his servant, “Put thy hand, I pray thee, under my thigh, and I will make thee swear by Jehovah, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that thou take not a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am dwelling” (Genesis 24:2,3), and so to verse 9. It is very precise, particularly as to the kindred and then that Isaac is not to be taken back to where Abraham came from. The wife was to come to him; that is to say, figuratively, it is the assembly in relation to Christ in heaven, the heavenly Man. So it goes beyond what we get at the beginning of the Acts; it goes on to Paul’s side of the truth.
FWW How are we to understand the matter of kindred at the present time? Would it merely be that a certain person was a [p. 508] christian?
JT Do you mean literal marriage, or material for the assembly?
FWW Both, I thought.
JT Literal marriage does not enter into this type save as to the principle of kindred, that the wife is to be a sister and that marriage is to be in the Lord. The sisterhood of the divine family begins with Terah and that is what is alluded to here; that is what Abraham alludes to, the sisterhood whence the wife had to be secured. So we get in this chapter, and later in chapter 28 as to Jacob, that the wife is to be a sister; that alludes to the sisterhood in the type of Terah’s family. Then when the actual nuptials take place they must be in the Lord. It is more than family; it refers to fellowship; it refers to the authority of Christ. One might be a christian, as we say, that is, a believer to a certain point, but be in evil associations. A marriage with such a one could not be in the Lord.
CSS Have you in mind that “my land” and “my kindred” would speak to us of something on a very high spiritual level such as Colossians 3?
JT Well, the last enquiry included both the assembly and literal instances of marriage, and what has been said refers to the latter, but our scripture refers to the assembly, and we have several very exalted references. It is not simply the assembly as secured and seen in Acts 2, but rather the Pauline assembly, involving Christ in heaven and the church here as His counterpart, but in testimony; not Eve, but the church as seen in testimony and loved as in the testimony, for it was as she was brought into Sarah’s tent (that is, she took a place of testimony where Israel was) that she was loved. But still it is Christ in heaven that is in mind. Christ in heaven and represented here by His assembly.
Ques Is that why the servant goes over moral qualities rather than the thought of kindred at the [p. 509] start? The person that has these moral qualities turns out to be of the kindred.
JT Yes. He inquires as to her kindred, her parentage, after she exhibits the qualities. What is the use of inquiring about kindred unless the qualities are there? The qualities must be there, so that kindred alone is not sufficient. That is how the passage stands, I think. The man said in verse 23, “Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee”. That is the point, but it comes in after she had done the work, after she had qualified. Of course all this enters into examination of persons who seek to walk with us. The parentage, the family links are enquired after when the qualities are there. We see some moral qualities.
JS Would the qualities be found in Rebecca as being of the same kindred?
JT The qualities are found, but the question of kindred only comes up after they appear. It says in verse 15, “And it came to pass before he had ended speaking, that behold, Rebecca came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother; and she had her pitcher upon her shoulder”. ‘Rebecca’ is said to mean a noose, in the sense of captivating by her attractions, something by which you are held. That is one quality. The Spirit, in verses 15 to 21, describes what happened. Then the servant enquires as to her parentage, her family. You get the qualities first and I think that is a great point in regard to persons seeking to walk with us in the truth, in the fellowship, as to whether these moral qualities are in any sense there. If they are there then we may enquire into the family side.
WH Do you think that Boaz took account of the qualities in Ruth?
JT Quite so, that is another example. He had observed her.
Rem It was in the servant’s mind that these qualities should be there, and he knew what to look for, for all [p. 510] the ground is gone over in the earlier part in his prayer to Jehovah.
JT We ought not to pass that over. It is to bring out who the Person is who is searching and operating with us. He really represents the Holy Spirit, but it would be that in the sense in which the Spirit operates through our exercises. So he is very beautiful in the way he accepts the obligation under oath, and in verse 10 it says, “And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; now all the treasure of his master was under his hand; and he arose, and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor. And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water”. That is, where is he to find a person like this? Surely where such services as are needed will be seen. There is the meeting. We would expect persons who seek to walk in the truth of the assembly to attend, at every opportunity, places of drawing water, and as there the service comes out; they know what to do. “He made the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water”. That is where we shall find such a person as this, such as is needed now. It is a question of me and my camels and our need. The water is there and she will be there if she is in this town. It brings out what we should see in persons intended for assembly building, that they qualify in this way; they are here; they attend the places of drawing water. That is a particular service attaching to the assembly, the use of water.
FF So that these qualities would be the result of the gospel being received effectually and in power.
JT That is what I should say. The sovereign work of God underlies them, because chapter 22 shows that Rebecca did exist. God in approaching this world of humanity in view of the assembly approaches humanity where such as is needed is to be found, that is, God approached humanity towards the west for the assembly. He will approach the east presently for other reasons,
[p. 511] but He approached the west. He indicated that that is where she is to be found. The apostle Paul knew that; operating on the principle of the servant of Abraham here he moved westward. In fact he was directed to move westward, directed into Europe. He would understand that the man of Macedonia had allusion to the material needed at that time, but instead of finding the man he found the woman first. God had placed them there in His sovereignty; He is providing for what is needed and Paul went on his search from Jerusalem round about Illyricum. It was a long way from Jerusalem, but it was in search of these qualities.
CSS Is it suggestive that the quality is being tested, the ten camels, the ten shekels and ten days, like Daniel and his companions: “Prove thy servants”(chapter 1:12).
JT Yes, it is a matter of responsibility, not twelve, ten. We do not get twelve till we come to Jacob. It is a matter of the assembly in type, not the earthly side of the position, but the assembly proper, and it is a question of the responsibility of the servant. He is the chief servant of Abraham’s house and he moves on the principle of ten which is responsibility and he is successful in every detail. He will miss nothing. There is power to secure what he needs. It is what is needed under the oath that he is after. It is absolutely imperative.
HW Are you suggesting that one of these moral features would be the readiness to hear what the apostle Paul is saying, attending “to the things spoken by Paul”?
JT Yes, there were others there, and doubtless she would listen to them, but she attended to the words spoken by Paul. The Lord opened her heart for that purpose, showing that the Lord is working with him.
ESH Paul seemed to know where he would find her. He goes on the sabbath day outside the gate by the river where it was the custom for prayer to be.
[p. 512] Should we expect those who are to be suitable material to be at the prayer meeting?
JT I think that is right. We should expect to see them at both the prayer meeting and the place of drawing water.
ESH Sometimes you find there is a neglect of the prayer meeting.
JT Both the Bible readings and the prayer meetings are implied. That is, the well here corresponds somewhat with what is spoken of in Judges 5:11, “the places of drawing water”. That is where assembly material should appear. Whatever is in the place where the well is will come to the well. Hence the man “made the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water, at the time of the evening, when the women came out to draw water”. That is normally what the women would do. It is a subjective idea. There is that instinctive service and where it is current the women are there. It is the subjective side of the assembly. So he causes the camels to kneel down there and the passage goes on in verse 12, “And he said, Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, meet me, I pray thee, with thy blessing this day, and deal kindly with my master Abraham”. That is perfectly beautiful in a moral sense. He has placed himself by the well of water and he tells Jehovah that the women come out there. It is a known thing. If Rebecca did not come she would miss this; she would miss this great favour; but she is there. That is the point, I think, to be noticed as to places where water is available, that I am there and may expect to be taken notice of because I am needed for the assembly.
EK One of the features that marks Rebecca that is alluded to is that she has a pitcher upon her shoulder. Does that suggest that one comes to what is set forth in the wells of water with a capacity to retain and yet preparedness to carry? One was thinking of Ruth, how [p. 513] she could retain what came into her possession and how she could carry it. She carried it home to her mother-in-law.
JT I think the idea of a vessel is important. It is where we carry it, and Ruth comes into that category. She was tested as to her measure, the cloak. That is the final vessel that the barley is placed in. A person is tested as to his measure. Here Rebecca qualifies in that feature; she has the vessel where it should be. “And let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher”. Then it says that she did this. “And she hasted and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him to drink”. The woman of Samaria had a vessel but in her case she qualified in that she left that vessel. That kind of element was needed according to John at the moment, and the Lord was there to get it. She qualified spiritually in that she left her waterpot and went back into the city without it, meaning that she learnt that she was herself to be the vessel, and that is another point that is important in this inquiry, that in the place of drawing water the spiritual side is brought out if there is anything spiritual there. If the material is there the Lord will bring it to light, and it was seen in that she left her waterpot and went back to the city. Here the point is that she had her water vessel, her pitcher, where it ought to be and she gracefully let it down at once on being asked to do so and let it down with suitable reverence, because she says, “Drink, my lord”. There is subjection there, and that is suited to the assembly which is subjected to Christ; not only that she is subject to Him but she is placed in subjection to Him. That is the qualification which comes out here. If we are dealing with prospective material, if there is no subjection there is no hope. Such a one is not exhibiting assembly material at all. It is in subjection and in gracefully responding to the requirements that one [p. 514] qualifies.
NS Is this feature of going further than is requested particularly suitable to the bride as being in the character of God Himself?
JT That is exactly true. God moves beyond. We see in Paul that he was appointed to an office that required that he should deliver the gospel, but he goes beyond that. It is the liberty that is granted to love, to devotedness. And so in Numbers 10 in the ordering of the camp the ark was to be carried by the Kohathites, but love would go further than that. The ark went before to seek out a resting place for Israel, and corresponding to that the Gershonites moved forward ahead of the ordering to prepare a place for the ark as soon as it arrived. They went beyond the prescription. That is to say, in the divine economy, abundant room is made for love. You cannot go too far on that line. Colossians and Ephesians set her where she moves of herself and John sees her coming down from God out of heaven; not sent down but coming down, having the glory of God. She is moving in love. There is no limitation to that.
Ques Is it remarkable that the servant had that in mind? Although she moves beyond the prescription, it is precisely what he expected her to do. In verse 14 it says, “And let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also”.
JT Yes, she went beyond what was needed. You will notice the wording. First of all she calls him ‘Lord’ and she ‘hasted’, “and when she had given him enough to drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have drunk enough”. There is no restriction at all: “And she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water”. Look at this running. It reminds us of Mary Magdalene on the first day of the week. She “ran again to the well to draw water; and she drew for all his camels. And the man was astonished at her”. That is the full thought and more; the thing is there in fulness.
GM In the ten camels is there sufficient and adequate provision for the purpose in hand, with regard to the present-day application of the bringing home of the assembly?
JT They represent the means of bringing her back to Isaac, and that would mean that there was abundant provision. Is that what you had in mind?
GM Yes. I thought you spoke yesterday about being rooted in Him; drawing attention to the fact that Christ was sufficient, and I wondered whether this would keep us to that, that the provision is made from God.
JT Provision is made abundantly, and typically the camels are in Christ. It is specially stated that they belonged to Abraham. They were not ordinary camels; they were particularly his property, so that they represent the provision which the servant makes for taking her back. Of course he needed them too. We read in verses 61 - 63 “And Rebecca arose, and her maids, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man. And 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 toward the beginning of evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were coming”. Not the servant and the bride, but the camels were coming, showing the place they had. It refers to what is in Christ. The whole position is in Christ. There is nothing outside at all, nothing of man.
GM I thought too that there is provision for glory and beauty for the decoration of the bride, not only just the everyday requirements, the material requirements, but that of glory and beauty.
JT That comes in. You refer now to verse 22. That is the next thing; but this matter of the servant [p. 516] being silent is very beautiful. He was astonished at this wonderful work of God. It is a constant miracle. Where genuine material for the assembly comes into evidence, it is a constant miracle. But see to it, under [p. 517] oath so to say, that it is just that, that it is just what is required.
Ques Is it a reminder that God does abundantly above all that we ask or think?
JT That seems to be the way the servant feels. See the effect of it upon him. It says in verse 26, when the matter seems settled in his mind, “And the man stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah, and said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has not withdrawn his loving-kindness and his faithfulness from my master; I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master’s brethren”. That is the next touch. But he is astonished and he is a worshipper; that is, he is genuinely affected by the work of God and so it is that we are brought into such a wonderful work. It is a constant miracle, if we take account of it. Things are coming up constantly, evidencing the work of God, and causing a worshipping spirit in us.
EB So that we today know and enjoy some of these features if we are found searching for assembly material both in regard to ourselves as set forth by the servant and then in Rebecca in regard to those enquiring.
JT You will see what a delightful position it is to be in. How it should preclude all weariness in the service, “knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). We have the assurance that God is operating and that the thing that is needed exists, namely Rebecca, because chapter 22 tells us that she was there. The general idea in the gospel is that the thing sought is there; it is for us to find it and we set out under oath, so to speak, and we move on the principle of the number ten and in the spirit of dependence on God. The issue is sure; the result is certain.
Rem It says, “Before he had ended speaking”.
JT Exactly, that is so.
HW It reminds one a little of Peter preaching in the house of Cornelius; the material was all there on that occasion.
JT That is what I was thinking at the beginning. I think I remarked on Cornelius. At Perth we were speaking of persons coming in who are able to serve, that is, in each juncture or crisis God strengthens the position in the service. But here the point is material for the actual building, for the actual assembly in the feminine sense chiefly. In Acts 10 Cornelius is just the man; his turn has come. Paul is on the scene; Peter knows it; he instinctively knows that the time had come; and so we come to Aeneas and Tabitha at the end of chapter 9, meaning the local idea, local responsibility. “Rise up, and make thy couch for thyself”, that is the kind of man that is needed there. Peter knew it; he makes him a man to make his own bed. That is the idea of a local assembly. Secondly Dorcas is also there making clothes, but now she is made a living soul. That again is a local idea. The next thing is how are the gentiles to come into this? Hence Cornelius. He is the material for the moment, and the Spirit of God gives us a whole long chapter to describe Cornelius and his company and how the Spirit of God seized them, as it were, fell on them, before Peter finished speaking.
HW If this material is not coming to light locally, should it be a matter of concern to us?
JT That is just the point of this reading. It is an exercise here and in every locality where the saints are and I believe what we are speaking of now governs the matter.
HW Your scripture in Genesis would suggest that divine Persons are active on this line and they would draw us into these activities.
JT And so the Lord says to Paul, “I have much people in this city” (Acts 18:10). But where are they? They were [p. 518] not converted yet, but they were there abstractly and so Rebecca was there somewhere, that is intimated in chapter 22; so the servant is on sure ground in his journey, and so Paul is on sure ground in Corinth; he stayed there eighteen months to get those people. The Lord would say the same thing here; He has much people in this city. We know they are there but how can we approach the matter? This servant set out to get her and he got her. It is a question of whether there is sufficient grace on the part of the brethren in approaching souls.
FI It is often the case with us, that we have souls around us but there is too much formality in us in approaching them; whereas if we approached them as this servant approached Rebecca we would receive answers to our questions that would surprise us.
JT Just so. There is really too much formality. We had that matter up some time back. There were no Jews brought into view at Philippi and that was a great advantage to the assembly at Philippi. Our meetings are often tied up with legal requirements, judaism. Petty things are brought in to hold things up.
HW You spoke about the need of grace in the local company in approaching souls. Would that involve desire and an exercise that there should be something for the comfort of Christ here?
JT Yes. Paul is set out as a leader and standard for us next to Christ. How concerned he was lest anyone should be damaged, lest the work of God should be impeded in any person. If God is working we should work on the line of grace and not put any unnecessary obstacles in the way.
HJM It is very remarkable the way in which the Lord addressed the woman at the well of Samaria — “Give me to drink” (John 4:7). The servant addresses this young woman at the well in the same way.
JT The Lord would disarm her of any fear. In approaching her He placed Himself in the position of [p. 519] asking from her a drink of water. That would release her from any fear of Him. He was gracious and lowly in His attitude.
EK Might I ask, would you view it as an obstacle, such as you have referred to, if two brothers went in company to visit a young sister in a semi-official manner? We have been accustomed in the past to such things being done.
JT Do you mean that two brothers would go to her and put questions to her that they should not expect her to answer?
EK What I meant was that we are finding help from the Lord, I believe, so that when souls express a desire to identify themselves with us and the movement is not unexpected, the brethren would move in a way that would encourage and not intimidate. That was just what was in mind.
JT Well, the point is, is she, or he, manifesting qualifications? The person is attending the meetings; she moves in and out of the brethren’s houses, under our eyes, and we see her day in and day out. Has she qualified under our eyes? A formal visit may not be necessary. I believe we make things far too cumbersome, not that I would say it should not be so, if the case is not clear, but if the sister has moved in and out under our eyes for, say, a year, and she is qualifying all the time, well there it is. There are hundreds of witnesses to it. It is hardly necessary for two brothers to visit her. I am suggesting that, not that I am saying anything against it if it is done in a gracious way, but the idea of Rebecca here is that she qualifies before the eyes of Abraham’s servant and all he questions her about is her parentage, the family side.
CSS Would you say that it is encouraging when persons do qualify; there is an outflow to God, as a result, of homage and worship to Him?
JT Just so. We all know this sister, we have known her for years, we have no question about her [p. 520] if we know her in that way. How many visits do you think each one of the three thousand in Jerusalem had by two brothers? I do not think they had any.
HV You frequently mention the thought of needed material.
JT Yes. We should notice the other features here. See how beautifully she acts; she lets down her pitcher, and calls the servant Lord. How reverential and subject she is. She is ready to do anything. She runs to supply water for him and his camels. What does the man say? He is astonished at her. Where is the need of sending two brothers to her?
EWC She commends herself.
JT The commendation is outstanding.
Rem Do you think if we knew more of movement under the sense of approval and subjection we would be able to place our hands on that which would be delightful to divine Persons as moving in subjection?
JT Yes. If you take for instance Peter, or Simon the son of Jonas according to John’s view, the Lord names him at once; He names him as He sees him and in the same chapter He names Nathanael as He sees him coming to Him. Well that is the thing; it is the person’s movements. The primary thought of naming is in the naming of the animals by Adam. There is no idea of anyone else besides Adam; there is only Adam there to do it. One brother ought to be able to name the evidence of life. The animals pass before him one after another, the lion, the cow, the sheep, the goat, that is the idea. God said, That is right; it is not to be changed. That is the way with assembly material. If the thing is named spiritually that is what it is.
HW There are certain moral features marking the clean and unclean animals which would guide the people of God in their selection.
JT Exactly. But you can see in the gospels how the Lord named things and persons, particularly in the case of Nathanael. He sat under the fig tree; he [p. 521] spoke somewhat reproachfully to Philip about Christ, that was the state he was in, and yet the man had something there, so Philip says, “Come and see” (John 1:47). That is making everything of Nathanael and the thing to be seen is secondary. He is asked to come and see what there is, that is, what there is in this town among the brethren, but while he is coming, he is under observation. That is the principle. He thinks that he is the first thought but in truth he becomes secondary, for after all, if he is coming to see what there is, he is going to be part of it if God is working with him, and he is just an item in it. The Lord sees him coming. Before he says anything about Christ, Christ says something about him; He names him.
NKMcL The same thing takes place when the Lord speaks to Ananias about Saul of Tarsus. “Rise up and go into the street which is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas one by name Saul, he is of Tarsus: for, behold, he is praying, and has seen in a vision a man by name Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he should see” (Acts 9:11,12). Is the same principle coming out there?
JT Quite so. The Lord is describing him to Ananias. I suppose that is what we often need in this service we are speaking of now, the service of passing on people seeking to walk with us, whether they are assembly material. The Lord has to help us and it is gracious of Him. The manner of the reception of Saul indicates that the Lord has to go before to enable us to recognise the work of God. He helps us to do it. If there is a defect in any local company in this matter, it may be that we are not quite equal to the passing or naming of the work of God. If we go to the Lord about it He is ready to adjust that.
Ques Do you mean that there might be some prejudice through what we have heard?
JT That was so with Ananias. He says, ‘Lord I have heard so-and-so about him’, as if the Lord did not know, but the Lord says “Go, for this man is an elect vessel to me”. And he goes.
FI Do you think it would help us in relation to this to take account that heaven is looking on? In Genesis it says that God brought the animals to man to see what he would call them.
JT That is the thought. Heaven is watching our proceedings. The Lord knew what Ananias would think and He went before to make sure that he should not damage this new convert. If Ananias went to see Paul in his first mind he would not represent the Lord at all in the matter, and I believe there is much of that amongst us. In dealing with souls we should represent the Lord in what we do.
WM In the case of a young lad or girl, the son or daughter of a brother who is walking happily with us, there should be no difficulty when the young people desire to walk with us.
JT There need be very little examination. They are going in and out all the time, and if we have not named them already we ought to be ashamed of ourselves, because the evidence of life ought to be named in our minds. I know the person, and when his name is mentioned I am satisfied.
WH Would not the Lord encourage such by dropping a handful of purpose for that one?
JT Just so. Of course we are not ignoring what the young people ought to manifest as seen in Rebecca.
JP Would the giving drink to the ten camels suggest energy perhaps in serving the saints?
JT It was quite a bit of work to give drink to ten camels. A camel contains a lot and she gave them enough. You can be sure the camel would not consider her; he would drink all he needed and she supplied it. It was a big job. That is a test of the young people as to whether they have qualified, whether they are ready to do a service of this [p. 523] kind.
PD How are we to be helped to discern the material that is suitable for the assembly?
JT That is what we are trying to show. The Spirit of God describes what happened and he mentions these qualifications, these traits of this young person, and then as the work is to be done, the way she does it, and what a burdensome thing it is to draw water for ten camels besides Abraham’s servant. She does it well and she shows alacrity. She does not do it slothfully. She made haste to do it.
CSS This is not a cup of cold water, but “until they have drunk enough”.
HW This line of things would encourage us to take up the prayer of Moses, the man of God — “Let thy work appear” (Psalm 90:16). That would help us in our localities to be in line with what God is doing.
JT Very good. We know the work of God is current and we want to see it. God would show it to us. There is much of it which we have not seen.
NS Would you say a little as to the features seen in Lydia on the same line?
JT The Spirit mentions that Paul and his company were staying in that city certain days and on the sabbath day they went outside the gate by the river. It is very much like by the well, for it is one of the suggestions of the prosperity of Philippi that it is a tree planted by a river, and the servants of God recognise the river outside the gate “where it was the custom for prayer to be, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had assembled. And a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard”. Here it is not a question first of all of service but of hearing. She heard, and the Lord opened her heart to attend to the things spoken by Paul. She is the needed element here, to attend to what Paul is saying, not to what anyone else is saying. That is a feature of assembly material. It is a remarkable thing that current opposition [p. 524] tends to belittle Paul, specially in matters peculiar to the assembly, whereas what Paul says is really the test today as to the assembly. The Lord deliberately opened her heart to attend to the things spoken by Paul. You say, Why should she not listen to Silas too? But the Lord had in His mind that at this juncture people needed to listen to what Paul said. It is the Pauline thought here.
HV Was Paul seeking to concentrate their attention on the thought of the assembly? Is that Paul’s line?
JT That is right. That was the burden of his coming into Europe, to secure assembly material, and it is going on still.
CSS It would take in specially the Pauline epistles.
JT Yes, they open it up to us.
CSS Does it work in with the last chapter in this book, the shipwreck?
JT Yes, it does so. The book of Acts gives us the whole history of Paul.
Rem “To attend to the things spoken by Paul”. To give it its present day application, it not only represents Paul’s line of things but anything the Lord may be emphasising at the moment.
JT That is the principle I think entering into this. He had opened her heart to attend to something particular. Here it was the things Paul was saying, so that in chapter 20 the discourse at Troas enlarges on this, that before you break bread you should listen to what Paul has to say. If Lydia were at Troas she would be ready. She would say, ‘Do not forget to listen to what Paul says’.
EK Was that what the opposition of the enemy was directed against through this female slave with the spirit of Python, in the way she harassed Paul?
JT Yes, that is the next thing. It is as if Satan is attacking. As Lydia comes into view he is over against her. The Lord is operating in Lydia’s heart to attend [p. 525] to what Paul is saying and Satan is working in this woman to discredit, to turn the edge of the truth.
Ques What is involved in being a seller of purple?
JT Well, she was a seller, she was a woman who did things, she was a person of affairs and she made sales. Purple would be a dye. If we follow out the meaning of it in Scripture it would involve suffering.
Rem It did not prevent her being a worshipper of God.
JT That is the idea I think. The people of Europe are business people, they do things, but that does not prevent us belonging to the assembly and serving in it and listening to what Paul says. She had a house too, she is a housekeeper. That is the next thing. She would have them to come into her house. “And she constrained us”, the apostle says.
GM There is another woman belonging to Thyatira in the second chapter of Revelation who poses as a teacher, Jezebel. Would this show by sharp contrast the difference?
JT Quite so. That is an important thought to bring in here, showing how Satan wrought in the assembly at Thyatira. Lydia listened, it says, “And a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard”. She had ears to hear and the Lord pursued that and opened her heart to hear what Paul was saying. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and heard what He was saying. She had an ear for everything Christ said. Now the point is what He is saying through Paul, this particular vessel? She wants to hear all that he is saying.
JS Do you think it was a very specious attack on the apostle? Satan would attack the very centre of the testimony, as it were, as in the viper on the island. That was a vicious attack.
JT Yes. That is in keeping with what we were saying. The enemy would really discredit Paul. “These men are bondmen of the Most High God, who announce to you the way of salvation” (chapter 16:17). Satan brings in another thing; he brings it in here to nullify the point of what Paul is saying.
Rem Something that sounds all right on the face of it.
JT On the face of it it is quite all right, but the Lord is stressing what Paul is saying and Satan is saying something else. That is a common way of opposing the truth.
WR The subtle entreaties of the relations of Rebecca were calculated to have the same effect upon her.
JT Yes, Laban thought to detain her. That is another thing that comes out here: the place that Laban occupies. He is a sort of neutraliser. He has more to say in the house than his father. It is an irregular state of things. But the servant is prompt and definite and overcomes all that. ‘Let her speak for herself’, he says. Thank God for that! If she is true material for the assembly she will speak for herself and she will make the whole position clear. “I will go”, she says.
FF So that Lydia herself makes the proposal.
JT You mean as to the house.
FF She says, “If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord”. She makes the proposal; “Come into my house and abide there”.
JT Yes, it was “when she had been baptised and her house”. That is, she understood the preliminaries, that she should be marked publicly as separate from this world. Do not ask the servants of God into your household if it is not a baptised household, if you are not fit to receive them. It says, “When she had been baptised and her house, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there”. It is very fine. It is wholly unbecoming to ask servants of the Lord or the saints into one’s house if it is worldly, if it is not characteristically a baptised house.
CSS Something for God now.
JT She understands the force of baptism, as much as to say, Paul will not come into my house if I am not baptised and my house.
JP Do we find in the house of Bethany the dead man Lazarus; that is the place where the Lord was ministered to.
JT Just so. The dead man Lazarus was alive; he had been dead. He was dead as regards this world, as a man is who is baptised. We are baptised unto His death.
NS Would Lydia’s subjection and baptism and beseeching and yet power to constrain be very beautiful features of assembly material?
JT I thought that. She corresponds with Rebecca, only she was a person for a particular phase of the assembly, that of listening to Paul and having one’s house according to the truth.
NS She had power to constrain, although she moves in perfect subjection.
JT Love is always ready to be constrained by love. The Lord was constrained at Emmaus.