REACHING THE DIVINE END
G. W. Brown
Genesis 49: 1, 17, 18; John 17: 12, 13 (to “thee”); 2 Timothy 4: 1, 6
It says in Genesis 49: 28, “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them; and he blessed them—every one according to his blessing he blessed them”. Jacob is a father and he is blessing his sons, I suppose it would be right to say, in love (such becomes a father, and fatherly affection), but also with prophetic power. We have been speaking about prophecy and what is prophetic. There is no doubt that this father blessed his sons as a father, and a father should be able to bless, but he blesses with prophetic power. What it must have meant to Jacob to go back all these years, as he begins with Reuben and what Reuben had done, and then goes on to Simeon and Levi, remembering what they had done. So he goes on, and at the end it says this is the blessing with which he blessed them. With his knowledge of God and formation in himself in the mind of God, the truth as from God, he blesses them. It seems as if it must have been somewhat of a burden to him because in the midst of it he turns aside from addressing his sons, to address God. “I wait for thy salvation, O Jehovah”.
We should all bear in mind that there have been other fathers, maybe our own natural fathers in many cases, in the spirit of blessing and yet withal with a measure of prophetic power, who have gone over their history, and our histories, in the light of what is suitable to God, and have known something of the burden of carrying these things; but they have found their resource in it all in the prospect of God’s salvation. Maybe some of you younger brethren have more time left than others of us who are here. I would commend this to you, that there are those who are in the secret of God’s mind, who bear affection for you, but bear also the charge as to what is pleasing to the Lord and what is pleasing to God, and think of you and pray for you in affection, but having regard for what is due to Christ and what is due to the Father. I would make an appeal on this line that your history may not become an occasion of burden to such as may be spiritual fathers and who carry things for God and are sustained in so doing as Jacob was when he burst out, turning from them to God, “I wait for thy salvation”—‘I need Your help’.
I have read about the Son of God in John 17, for that is who is the theme in this chapter. It begins, as we so often delight in it, “These things Jesus spoke, and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father …”. The Son of God is bringing before the Father those that He had with Him. How much He can say of them that is positive! All, we would now say, of course, is due to His own precious sacrifice of Himself, and to what has succeeded that in the coming of the Spirit, giving them power to answer to the truth. When He was here He kept them, He guarded them. It is a wonderful thing that He had kept those men, one of whom in the inscrutability of divine wisdom was the son of perdition. Perhaps we learn something about that in our times and our own history. Not that there was another—there was just one who was the son of perdition.
But the Son’s time here is coming to its end, and He is bringing His own before His Father. How much He is able to say of them; how much He is able to look forward to their being with Him where He is. That is anticipated—where He was, no doubt, in His spirit, but where He is now actually, and He anticipates their being with Him where He is to behold His glory which the Father had given to Him, that unique glory that is His as having accomplished all the Father’s will. But in the midst of it He says, “And now I come to thee”. How glorious it is!—a Man speaking to God the Father and saying “I come to thee”. All the Father’s will accomplished (in anticipation), His eternal purpose and pleasure secured, and persons who were the fruit of that work—we might say a sample—brought forward as He speaks to the Father. ‘Here they are—these are a sample’, because He can also speak of “those who believe on me through their word” (John 17: 20). How wide that is! How blessed it is that, in spite of all our failures as the sons of Jacob, that which God had in mind He is going to have. Thank God, He is having it already in some measure. May He have it more! Do not let the younger brethren put it off, because there is no time to lose. May He have it in all of us for the rest of our time.
Paul, in the last scripture, is finishing in spiritual vigour. Possibly anticipating imminent martyrdom, he is confident in God and Christ Jesus, “who is about to judge living and dead”, and in His appearing and His kingdom. Evidently not expecting to remain much longer, these things are in Paul’s mind and heart. As to himself he says, “I am already being poured out”. Such was the little time he had left. He was being poured out. How good it would be if you and I could be a little more on that line of being poured out. We know how much we are addicted to self-pleasing, and self-consideration, but Paul’s last days were spent like this—“already being poured out”. He is looking forward. “Henceforth”, he says, “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”. Well, we should be among such, beloved brethren. May it be so, until He comes, for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Grangemouth
16 May 1975