MOTHERLINESS

J.S.Gray

1 Samuel 1: 9-11, 24-28; 1 Kings 3: 23-28; Judges 8: 18, 19 to "sons of my mother".

I seek grace to say a word as to the continuance of the testimony and the motherly feelings which are necessary in view of that. We do not know how long the Lord may continue the testimony; maybe He will come today. How our hearts are waiting for the moment! But until He comes God would continue the testimony, and I think that we are to see what is needed to continue what is for God's pleasure down here, as I believe Hannah in principle could see. She takes up exercise in a secret way, perhaps because of the conditions which existed, but also in spite of the conditions which existed in a public way, the priest sitting upon the seat by the doorpost. Hannah felt things in secret, but along with her feelings she knew what was needed. She was not given to bemoaning conditions without having a judgment of the need. She knew that, if the priesthood was to be maintained according to God, a man child would be needed. If there is to be the continuance of the service of God until the Lord comes, a man child is needed, dear brethren. If there is to be the continuance of the prophetic word, a man child is needed. Men are needed in our day. If there has been failure in priesthood, and if there has been any lack in what is true in bringing in the mind of God, what Hannah represents is the line on which the truth will be maintained. I do not confine what I have in mind to the sisters, although they especially have to do wit h the children amongst us, and I do not have in mind only the young, but the objective of securing a result for God in the saints as we all take up maternal exercises on God's behalf.

So to Hannah the thing was lacking and she was exercised as to bringing it in. She had had reproach publicly but that did not turn her aside from her exercise with God. It says "she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Jehovah, and wept much". Dear brethren, there is always an outlet if there is exercise of soul: there is always an outlet in prayer. How much comes to light as the fruit of prayer and secret exercise with God! Then it says "And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a man child, then I will give him to Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head". She took up unreserved committal to what was needed on God's behalf for the continuance of His service and testimony. Not only does she take it up on her own behalf in that she committed herself, but she commits the child to it too. "I will give him", and then "there shall no razor come upon his head", involving that she took up responsibility that the man child, as given by God, would for her part be preserved in sanctified committal to God's interests and His pleasure. How much need there is for that at the present time! She says, in speaking to God, "O Jehovah of hosts". You might have said to Hannah, Where are the hosts publicly? She had God's view; and we do well to feel the sorrow of brethren who have been lost to the testimony for the moment. But Hannah is saying, I am taking it up for myself, and will undertake for the child too, that there will be committal to all that is needed in view of the continuance of the testimony. Well, beloved, there will be fruit on that line. There will be fruit from the sorrow and the secret exercise. How are things in our localities? You say, We are few, things are not what I would like them to be. Well, bring something in, dear brethren. Let us bring something in through having to do with God. Let us commit ourselves. Let us begin with ourselves and take up this committal before God. The thought of a contract is involved in this, I think, that she gave herself to it without reserve, without recall. Let us take on responsibility, so far as we are able, for the secret exercises which are needed to bring in a man child. Persons are needed. Hannah was a woman. What could she do herself? But then, she saw what the need was, that a man child was needed, and she took the matter up in prayer before God and He answered her. We find that the fruit is seen in that she brings the boy to the house of Jehovah and says "For this boy I prayed; and Jehovah has granted me my petition which I asked of him. And also I have lent him to Jehovah: all the days that he lives, he is lent to Jehovah". And it even affected Eli! "He worshipped Jehovah there". Think of that! Beloved, God is able to secure results in a substantial way in the continuance of His testimony as we take up exercise with Him in secret as to what is needed. What is needed is that the young should be brought in, that a man child should be made available for the testimony, and as we take up - those of us who have households and children - exercise with God as to baptism, and also what involves greater exercise, the maintenance of accord with the truth of baptism in our houses, there will be in principle, as God helps us, the preservation of a man child. So that we Who are parents should have in mind that God 's service is to be continued, and God is able to give what is needed for that.

When we come to the scripture in Kings the element of life was already there, the child was already there. There had been two, but now one was dead and one was living. May the Lord exercise us, beloved brethren, that there should not be allowed any departure which will cause that which potentially would be for the prosperity of the testimony to be lost. What comes out here, of course, is that the motherly feature is brought to light, through Solomon's wisdom, in the yearning of the woman over her son. So the son has come in now, but how do matters go forward from that point? There is to be, beloved brethren, yearning, yearning in feelings and affections over our young and over every element of life so that all might be held for God. We may feel that the conditions in the world are such that there are allurements in all directions, but I believe that as there is this yearning, as there are true maternal feelings and instincts present, there will be the preservation of life according to God. It says "Then spoke the woman whose was the living child to the king, for her bowels yearned over her son, and she said, Ah, my lord! give her the living child, and in no wise put it to death. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine; divide it". What a spirit! Not the spirit of a mother! Beloved, we can be thankful for every expression of a true maternal spirit among the saints in view of the preservation of the life which there is, and in which we rejoice and which is potentially for the pleasure of God. Let not the murderous spirit of the world have any place with us. That is the spirit which has no regard for life. It is all around. Let us take up exercise that these maternal instincts may be found in us. The Lord would help us as wisdom. The scripture says that He "has been made to us wisdom from God", 1 Cor 1: 30. If there is a problem as to the preservation of life among the young we ought first to be clear in our own minds and judgment, and exercise with God, as to what is needed. Let us see that a man child is needed, and preservation of what is living is needed among the saints. God is looking for it. But as we have a right judgment of the need, the Lord will give us wisdom as to any problem. Let us yearn over the saints, over all the saints; let us take up exercise as to the preservation of life so that what is for God is maintained. Here in Kings I suppose it would issue in what comes to light in the house and is thus to be for the pleasure and service of God. The Lord would exercise us that that should be before us and that nothing which will in any way interfere with spiritual life is allowed. As having a judgment with God of what is needed the maternal spirit would say, If things are not attended to now, how will they be later if the testimony is left here? So it is no wonder that the maternal spirit is the spirit which is productive of life, of what is needed for the service of God, and then is the means of preserving what is spiritually living amongst the saints. There was no doubt, from the answer, as to who was the mother, and it will be manifested, but may it be manifested in results which are according to God, that the maternal feelings and instincts which bring in and preserve life among the people of God are found amongst us.

In Judges I simply touch on this matter from the standpoint of suffering in the testimony. Gideon says "What sort of men were they that ye slew at Tabor?" I think the context here would imply that there is suffering connected with the testimony publicly. Dear brethren, how do we act under pressure? I speak to myself as to my brethren. How do we act when there are sufferings or pressure? What is it that comes out? The product of Gideon's mother is that he had brethren who were like him. "As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king". Oh beloved, God is intent upon forming the saints after Christ. He is to be our ideal. He is to be the One who is before us: His precious maintenance of all that was for God's pleasure in perfection. What kingly features were manifested in Him, especially in suffering! Think of Him taking up the conflict in John 8, what dignity and glory were manifested! The answer of these men, their testimony as to Gideon's brethren was, "As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king. And he said, They were my brethren, the sons of my mother". Now that was the secret, beloved; that was what had brought about the formation which was manifested under pressure and obviously had made an impression upon these men in the sphere of conflict. I would seek simply to draw all our hearts into the exercises which lie behind these things so that Christ should be formed in us; so that not only should there be found amongst us what is after His order in liberty and life and joy in the things of God, but that in our public testimony for God there should be no difference, that there should be, as the fruit of these secret relations with God, the expression of that which, as in Gideon's brethren, resembled the sons of a king. Oh beloved, the saints are dignified in the mind of God, but then we are to come out in expression in the public view, so far as any impression is left upon men, as the product of inward formation and secret exercise with God. We do not, I think, get anything else, or certainly not much more, about Gideon's mother, and it is not that the secret exercises are to be made public, except that the product of it, the result, is seen. The exercises of the saints are largely secret with God, yet their result is seen, and the result I would suggest will be seen in that which is for God on the line of continuance. As with God, we would be exercised that the testimony should continue on the level on which it has been maintained, the divine level. Things have been handed down to us and we are entrusted with the precious things of God in our day. Let us hold them in life. Let us take up the responsibility of the service of God and the prophetic word, the bringing in of God's present mind. Let us take it up in exercise with Him, for though the exercise itself may be secret the results will be seen if they are true, and then in the testimony publicly there will be no denying that, as the Spirit of Christ is manifested by the saints, it is the product of our being with God.

That is all I had to say, beloved brethren. I feel much exercised as to the maintenance of depth in our secret relations with God, brothers and sisters alike, so that what is needed for the testimony, and living conditions and a right spirit publicly, should be maintained for the pleasure and glory of God. May God bless the word.

LONDON

18 June 1977