EXPANSION OF HEART
J. T. Brown
2 Corinthians 6: 11–13; Joshua 14: 6, 7; Psalm 84: 5
Our brother finished his word by trusting that there may be some encouragement to our hearts from what he has had to say. I can truthfully say that what he has said has encouraged my heart; sometimes the prophetic word does that. I believe one of the reasons we have these prophetic meetings week by week is not only that we might be convicted but that we might be encouraged. It may be that there are some in this room tonight who need to be encouraged, and I believe that a prophetic word as it comes to us would encourage the heart of every one of us. I have read here in 2 Corinthians 6 about Paul’s heart; Paul had an expanded heart and I believe, as we allow the truth to have sway with us, our hearts will be expanded. He says here, “Our mouth is opened to you, Corinthians, our heart is expanded”. When here the Lord said, “For of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”, Matthew 12: 34. I think that was so of Paul. There was an abundance in his heart, a man whose heart was filled with all that there was in the purpose of God for men. His heart was filled with the infinitude of divine grace and the greatness of divine blessings; truly his heart was expanded. You think of the way in which he came, think of the personal transaction that he had with the Lord Jesus, how very quickly his heart was expanded as it was filled with Christ. I believe the prophetic word comes to us in order that our hearts may be filled with Christ.
So he says, “Our mouth is opened to you. Corinthians, our heart is expanded”; then he says,
“Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your affections”. He speaks straightly to them. He had to be very straight with them in the first epistle but the beloved apostle, in the way he speaks to them, helps
them to face the moral issue, and here in the second epistle he is bringing in this word of encouragement. He says, “Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your affections”
but then he makes an appeal, “I speak as to children, let your heart also expand itself”. He is just about to delineate the exercises as to separation, “Be not diversely yoked with unbelievers”, and these exercises were very real, they were very testing. It was a very powerful word which Paul had to bring before them, but before he brings these exercises as to separation he says, “let your heart also expand itself”. I believe as we go through these exercises with expanded hearts we will find that Christ comes into them. Going on to chapter 7 he says, “Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear” (1 Corinthians 7: 1). I believe that the beloved apostle would encourage them to clear the ground in order that their hearts may be ready to receive the blessings which God would confer upon them.
I have read in the book of Joshua—I believe Joshua and Caleb were examples of persons who had expanded hearts. Their hearts were able to take in the scope of the land, the scope of the inheritance, and they were able to describe it. As a result of their own personal experience with God I believe they were able to describe the land, which they had seen forty-five years previously, and yet had a place in their affections. The other ten men may have had a distorted view of the land because it was not in their hearts, but here Caleb and Joshua had the land in their hearts. They had some sense of the greatness of the divine inheritance. They had a great sense of what God had in mind for the whole twelve tribes to go into and enjoy, “a very, very good land”, Numbers 14: 7. Now our inheritance is before us, beloved, and my desire tonight for myself, as for my brethren, is that our heavenly inheritance should have a place in our affections. Our hearts should be stirred up to receive the fulness of divine blessing and all that God
has in mind for us. So Caleb says, “Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of Jehovah sent me from Kadesh-barnea to search out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my heart”. You think of that bunch of grapes carried by two upon a pole, an evidence of the beneficence of the divine supply, typical of the greatness, the richness, the wealth of what there is in the heart of God for us to enjoy. Beloved, how great, how glorious it is. Let us, with an expanded heart, get a view of what God has in mind for us.
In Psalm 84 it speaks of “they, in whose heart are the highways”. I believe the highways relate to the way into the inheritance. The highways have been outlined for us I think in the ministries of the recovery. Think of the way in which Mr. Darby in his ministry described the greatness of the inheritance. Then Mr. Raven, Mr. Stoney and Mr. Taylor in their ministries, how great these ministries are! I believe that the divine intention is that these great highways of the truth should have a place in our affections in order that the inheritance itself, what belongs to the purpose of God, may have a greater place in our affections. I believe if the highways are in our hearts and the inheritance is in our hearts we will be able for the exercises which come later in this psalm, as “Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a wellspring” (Psalm 84: 6). I believe as we have the inheritance in our hearts, we are able to go through these exercises of pressure and difficulty, seeing God’s end in them, what God’s great objective is, and work towards it. Let us take these great highways, therefore, beloved brethren, with the view to reaching the divine objective, that is, that Christ should be enshrined in our affections, and that we should enter into our heavenly inheritance, enter into the fulness of divine blessing. How wonderfully God has blessed us in Christ, every blessing is secured in that blessed and glorious Man. It is ours to enjoy; let us go in and take possession of that great and glorious inheritance for our blessing and for God’s glory. For His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Grangemouth
4 November 2003