THE WORD OF GOD
[p. 457] THE WORD OF GOD
2 Timothy 4: 1; Genesis 15: 1 - 21
The passage in 2 Timothy is particularly in mind for this meeting. Paul saying to Timothy, “Preach the word”. On the boards, outside the doors of the meeting rooms, usually the gospel is announced, which is quite right, but “the word” at the present time is really more accurate than “the gospel”; for the importance of preaching the word, that is, the word of God, cannot be over-emphasised.
I have selected Abraham for enlargement of this thought, because he is the one to whom the word is first said to have been spoken, that is the word of God. It is mentioned twice in the chapter, which I hope the brethren will take notice of, and see why it is so, why the matter appears just in this way so early in the history of Abraham, that the word of God should be spoken to him first; not that it was not spoken to others, but as to actual words used, it was spoken to him first. All that is in the chapter is to enlarge on the thought, and to show too how the thought is to be set out basically and enlarged on, and how it is prophetic in a great measure, and yet future; so that, as I said, I am free to take up Abraham as the subject, in the main.
While I began with Timothy, I want to go on to Abraham. He has a great place in Scripture, a unique place, and this should be of great concern, and, in measure, of enjoyment because he is our father. You will understand that I am speaking spiritually, and fully recognising that God is our Father. He was Abraham’s Father too; but God is pleased to take up Abraham and use him in a fatherly sense, knowing too, that he will instruct us, as his children, as children in a sort of provisional way, but still called his children. With a view to that,
[p. 458] I would point out, and will amplify later, that we belong to the New Testament. Genesis particularly enlarges on the generations of certain persons, certain distinguished persons, beginning with Adam, even enlarging on the creation itself; earth’s resources of vegetation and the like, are all attributed to creation. We read of the histories, or generations, of the heavens and the earth, when they were created.
Now I mention that, because it may be overlooked by us, and it is the function of ministry to do all possible to instruct the saints, until we all arrive at the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God; and we have not yet arrived at that in any great measure, brethren. Though I have not been here much, I can only speak from my general knowledge of the gatherings universally, in saying that in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, as to the full-grown man, we have not advanced very much; whereas Ephesians has in mind that we should be no longer babes. Every one of us has been a babe, or if he has not, he will be a babe spiritually; but then Ephesians is aiming at much more than that, the full grown man, and that we should be no longer babes. It is not to discredit our having been babes, but to make it clear that we should be no longer babes. Many are content with the stage they have reached in the truth, but growth is the principal thought in mind, the growth of the saints, and so, as I said, Abraham, the most distinguished man in Genesis, is taken up in a most remarkable way. Mention is made of generations, such as of Adam, Noah, Isaac, and Jacob, but not of Abraham.
In saying that I would in no sense convey to anybody that Abraham is not the most distinguished man in Genesis, for I believe he is, and yet he is left out of the records of generations, he is not mentioned. I believe, dear brethren, that he is just in that sense exempted, as we all are. We are all exempted from [p. 459] any earthly status or relations, as christians. To accustom ourselves to earthly relations or distinctions, even in the smallest way, is a discredit to us, it is a blemish; and yet we are all apt to do it in our business affairs, and in the smallest matters, or whatever else we may be in, we are apt to take on distinction. To do so, is really to take on a blemish, because we are a heavenly people, and there are no generations given in that sense in heaven. Each one has his own status there, those who have part in the resurrection from among the dead are equal to angels, we are told, and neither marry, nor are given in marriage. They are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. This was the answer to the Sadducees in Luke 20: 35, 36.
I just mention these things that we may lay hold of our heavenly calling. We are a heavenly people, and we do not need these natural distinctions; we are above them, we are superior to them, or ought to be, and so it was with Abraham. God distinguished him in the very fact that his generations are not given, whereas his sons’ are. His two sons are Isaac and Ishmael, both their generations are given, but not Abraham’s; as if God were to put His hand on him, and say, ‘I have a greater dignity for you’. This is a great thing that I am dealing with, and that is, that we are heavenly, and so it is that in the New Testament. Abraham is brought before us. The eighth chapter of John is, you might say, a chapter of the deepest enmity to Christ. The man in John 9 finds touches of the glory of Christ, the glory of the Son of God; perhaps he did not know it fully, but he had beautiful touches, and among them were his sufferings at the hands of the Jews. In chapter 8 the Lord says, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad”. That is His answer to the deep enmity of the Jews. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad”. It was a lovely thing to think of [p. 460] Abraham, in those early days of the history of the saints, rejoicing to see Christ’s day; he was beforehand in seeing Christ’s day, and he rejoiced in it.
Now, that is why, with other things, I have read Genesis 15, which I am calling Abraham’s chapter, supremely. It is after certain other things had happened. It is after chapter 14; that is the chapter in which Melchizedek met him, and blessed him. Melchizedek blessed him, for he was greater than Abraham. It is quite right to make comparisons in these personalities. I do not mean the Deity, but persons who are distinguished by coming to the Lord Jesus; and Melchizedek was a type of the Lord Jesus; he was assimilated to Him, to the Son of God. It is said of him, “Without father, without mother, without genealogy; having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but assimilated to the Son of God, abides a priest continually”. That is to present Christ to us, the real Melchizedek. He appears before this chapter, in which we are told that “the word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision”. I think that it is the first time we get a vision in Scripture; the word came to him in a vision after a certain period, and God said, “Fear not. Abram; I am thy shield, thy exceeding great reward”. That is how Abraham is met, when the word is presented to him, and what I have in my mind is to encourage and interest everybody here, in the word of God, because of the light it always carries with it, the knowledge of God. It is a question of the word of God, and the word of God is really God Himself, no less than that. It is “living and operative, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and penetrating to the division of soul and spirit, both of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is not a creature unapparent before him; but all things are naked and laid bare to his eyes, with whom we have to do”. Hebrews 4: 12, 13. You may see there how the idea of [p. 461] the word of God brings in God Himself; it is a question of God Himself and the word of God. Therefore, it is of supreme importance to us, especially in order to instruct our young people, so that they think of the word of God above the school books, and the teachers; above the principles of scientific men. Think of the word of God, it is God Himself, but it comes down to us, and it illuminates our souls and sets us in liberty, security, and assurance before Him. Hence the preachers are enjoined to preach the word, to preach the gospel, of course, but the gospel is the word; if it be anything, it must be the word of God. It is synonymous with the thing itself. The scripture I quoted, Hebrews 4: 12, 13, runs on to God Himself; it is God Himself with whom we have to do.
Having said all that, I proceed to show how Abraham was taken up at this point, because it is early in his history, it is before the birth of Isaac and before the birth of Ishmael. God is bent on instructing Abraham, and Abraham was bent on being instructed, for he says to God, “How shall I know?”. Are there any young people here who want to know things? How are you going to know things? It would take a good while to enlarge on the amount of knowledge that we have, but the means of knowledge that we have is the Holy Spirit, and this is one of the greatest thoughts that the Scriptures afford us, that the Holy Spirit is here to instruct the saints, so that we be no longer babes, for the assembly is not made up of babes, it is made up of grown men, not women, but men. It is made up of men, or persons who are converted, and who have the Holy Spirit, and understand the truth. The assembly is viewed also as a feminine thought, dear brethren, and God has His own way of changing the feminine idea from man and woman. The Scripture says, “There is no Jew nor Greek; there is no bondman nor freeman; there is no male and female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus”. There are several things we know, and amongst them is, that there is no male and female in Christ Jesus. That is one of the things said in the epistle to the Galatians, and the epistle to the Galatians is Scripture. I know many questions will be asked; whether I could answer them is another thing, but I can quote Scripture, and this is according to the Authorised Version and the New Translation. The New Translation has the priority now, and it is quite right that it should have. The Authorised Version is entitled to its place in the public service. The New Translation is authorised from heaven; I have no hesitation in saying that. It is relied upon; our souls are to be built up in the fine distinctions it contains, so that we should be intelligent in everything. Abraham is intelligent; the Scriptures are full of him. The Lord Jesus speaks of a very distinguished man and says, “He also is a son of Abraham”; not a child but a son; and He speaks of a woman as “a daughter of Abraham”. There are many other qualities besides intelligence that I could cite as exemplified in Abraham, but what I have in mind is to enlarge on the thought of the word of God; and that is what this chapter contains, the word of God. The word of Jehovah came to Abraham in a vision. It says twice, “the word of the Lord”; and he acquires many other features that I could mention, but Abraham says, “How shall I know?”. I would like to hear all the young people here tonight ask God that question.
Journeying from Jerusalem to Gaza, down to Ethiopia, the eunuch met Philip the evangelist, not the apostle, and Philip says to him, “Understandest thou what thou readest?”. That is the essential point. If the man is to be saved he should understand, and Philip says, “Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?”, Acts 8: 30, 31. He did not acquire the knowledge at Jerusalem. I do not know [p. 463] whom he had met there, doubtless he met distinguished people, Rabbis and the like, but he left them, not hearing of Jesus. How many have had experiences like that. People go about the world, and like to talk about their travels, and what they have seen and so forth, but the question is, What do they know about Christ? What do they know about Jesus? That is everything. Leave that out and all else is nothing. What of your travels, and all that you have seen and done? That is nothing. You must bring Christ in. The whole matter is a cipher without Christ, and that is just the eunuch’s case. He says, “How can I, except some man should guide me?”. There is plenty to show him. God is carrying out a great work amongst His people. The Lord has saved us from division. Everyone who is lost to us by unbelief and sin, is a reduction, and we do not want reduction in the numbers. God began with a large number, to show what He could do. He might have converted ten thousand, twenty thousand, one hundred thousand, but He did not. He converted enough to show what He could do through the gospel. He converted three thousand at one time. I am only speaking now of instances that are important to know, they should be part of our religious instruction and religious formation, because we are to know of these things. And so Abraham said, “How shall I know?”. That is what he said to Jehovah, and Jehovah told him what he should do in order to know.
I will now endeavour to convey something as to knowledge and how you get it. Abraham was on this ground and he says, “How shall I know?”. God had said, “I am Jehovah who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to possess it. And he said, Lord Jehovah, how shall I know that I shall possess it?”. He wanted to know. He wants to know what he is inheriting. Is there anyone here who does not want to know what he is to [p. 464] inherit from his father? You may have a legacy, and you give up your job, because you have enough, but that is not what is in mind here. It is a question of the inheritance of God, and there is an inheritance for every soul in this room. If we do not know it, then we may know. Scripture is full of how we are to know, and then the next thing is to do something. Well, some may say, I thought the Lord did things, and so He does. Whether it is a matter of history or of present circumstances, you will find something in which God will instruct you; but He will instruct you as to what you are to do. Do not put it on others if God intimates that you are to do it, or nothing will be done, there will be no increase; because heaven and earth must be in accord, and what is to be in accord with heaven is to be in our souls. It is not in the world, in the politicians; it is in converted people. What is to be known, in accord with the mind of heaven, is in persons who are converted. That is what happened with Abraham here. “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness”. That is to say, he was set up in something that he could not, and did not do, but it was on the principle of believing — He believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness; he is said to be in the reckoning of God, God has constituted him righteous.
But then there are other things, and it is a question of the word, as I have been saying. Abraham was to take some things, not buy them; certain creatures were required for this matter of instruction that Abraham needed. So God says to him, “Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon”. The ages of the birds are not given, but the others are given; so it is a question of the age of these creatures. First the heifer, and the thought I had in mind, is that of [p. 465] affection. And then we have the goat, three years old, and a ram; all these three years old; and I would say, beloved brethren, that if we are to advance in the truth, if we are to become Ephesians, this matter of age must come into mind. Heaven would be looking for you, as Abraham had to look for these creatures. We are to understand that he was a large holder of animals. Adam had named the animals; and so undoubtedly the names that Abraham used, and by which his flocks were known, were all known to him, but he would have to go out and get this heifer. He would have to go, or he could send someone, but it had to be done, or Abraham is not going to get anything. Things have to be done, and hence I would say to you young people, see to the things that are to be done. God has done His part. You have to do something, and God knows that you can do it, and He has pleasure in you; He has wrought in you, and He is now looking for your movements. Movement is involved; you have to go out and find this heifer, goat, and ram; you have to go to your flocks. It is a question of mind and intelligence, so as to have part in the service of God on Ephesian ground.
It goes on to say in the tenth verse, “And he took unto him all these”. He was obedient, and that is where a difficulty lies often with young people, there is a lack in obedience. You may think you know better than your father or your elders, but you do not. You have to look out for these creatures; you must have them, you must find them and bring them forth. And so it says, “He took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another, but the birds divided he not”. He had intelligence enough as to what he should do, and should not do, in the matter of the dividing of the birds; it is for each of us to understand. And it says in the next verse, “And when the fowls came [p. 466] down upon the caresses. Abram drove them away”. You understand, I want to speak to the young people, but the old want something too, they need the word preached to them. If you want to preach, preach the word. We all need it. That is the spirit of the whole chapter, the idea of the word of God, and the obligation put on everyone to get these creatures. Abraham did it. The next thing is that the devil is ready to interfere with what you are doing, whatever God is working in, or seeking to accomplish in us. “Satan came also”, Job 1: 6. If anything is being done under divine direction Satan also is there, you will always find it; and so it is, when something happens against you, you do not make headway. You have to see to that, and so it says “when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away”.
You will say, What can I do? The birds can fly in the air, they can swoop down on the ocean. What wings they have! What can I do now? I cannot scare them away. I could not get so high up as they. Therefore, what I am saying to you is what you may think impossible, but the impossible has to be done, and the real difficulty is that you are not doing it, and not progressing in the truth. But Abram progressed, he saw to it that the birds were scared away, and if they are scared away they are not damaging your soul. It does not say they came back, but he scared them away; that is, he did his part. Then it goes on to say, “And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram”. God is coming in again to say something. Abraham has done his part, he has provided the creatures and the birds, and then he has scared away the wicked birds, the devices of the devil that are about in all directions. Young people are being devoured by them. “Your adversary the [p. 467] devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. Unless there is watchfulness he will succeed. But he did not succeed with Abraham, hence Jehovah says to him, “Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years”. Now there is a lot of history ahead. In Abraham’s case it is a prophetic matter; four hundred years of future history is ahead, and Abraham is to be intelligent as to it all.
And so it goes on, “And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge, and afterwards shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace”. That is to say, as we apply it to ourselves, this matter of inheritance and future greatness and glory, that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2: 9), is a certainty, and a thing to be known and seen and felt. “God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God”. You see what is open to us, even a measure of understanding of future prophetic history, because we are going to be raised with Abraham. God said to Abraham, “Thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age”. Let us not forget burial, it has something to do with redemption. Christ died and was buried; that is what Scripture says. We are to be buried if we die; we are not to be strewn in the desert; we are to have a burial; the saints will do it, as they did to Stephen. We are of the same family as Stephen was, and devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him; showing there was affection for Stephen in the face of the wickedness of the Jews.
Abraham was to die and would be buried, but then there are four hundred years to go before the promise [p. 468] is secured, but Abraham is to know it is secured. It is as secure as if it had happened. “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces”. We have to see that what God has been saying to Abraham refers to power; it is not simply future events to be realised sometime in the distant future, but there is power already available, actual power. A deep sleep fell upon Abram, a great darkness fell upon him, but then something happens. In the verse read, we are told, “when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces”. A smoking furnace would mean that there is some substance; smoke arises from substance. We know that in steamers, and railway trains that use coal, there must be substance in coal, or it would not burn. But what is in mind here is that there is a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp; smoking refers to substance, and the light is the result of that. It is a question of redemption, and that is the secret of the knowledge that Abraham was to have, and did have. So the Lord says to the Sadducees, “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God”, Matthew 22: 29. How much erring of that kind there is, and how great an increase towards apostasy! Apostasy is not very far off; there are many antichrists and the great apostasy is imminent.
So Abraham is brought into the light of power. That power is available to us, and the Scriptures are the very basis of it all. As to actual detail we must know the Scriptures. Every scripture is inspired of God and is profitable, for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness; every scripture is given for that. Are we using them? Perhaps you are not, and if you are not, you are not intelligent, you are not growing in intelligence, but Abraham [p. 469] was. And so he got more than he requested; at least he never thought of this, that we should look back on his history to be instructed as to the resurrection and the power of God. “I am the God of Abraham”. How beautiful that was! The Lord understood that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, and he saw it and was glad. The Lord knew that before He told the Jews about it, but He did tell the Jews, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day”. He was gladdened by the sight. And so the Lord says of Abraham: God is not the God of the dead but of the living; all believers live to Him. It is a question of faith, for life is the outcome of faith. God is the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob.
And so the thought here is to bring out the word of God, how it was presented to Abraham first, and undoubtedly marked his whole life, and reaches up to the present time. Abraham was the subject of the work of God, and subject to the light of God, and God was his God. He was the God of Isaac and Jacob, and so He is our God on the same principle as He was Abraham’s. We believe God, and it is counted to us as righteousness, and so we are subjects of the work of God, and it is in mind to illuminate our souls, to bring us up in the truth, that we should be a witness to Christ at this closing moment, not days or years, but moments, because the end is so very near. God is preparing, and making every one of us ready for the very great event of which the apostle speaks, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout”. That is a clear evidence of His power, and as I said, our chapter finishes, “in the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates”. The whole matter is settled on the principle of covenant between God and Abraham.