THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST (6)
[p. 106] THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST (6)
Genesis 4:3 - 10; Genesis 21:9; Genesis 37:2 - 24; Genesis 39:19 - 23
JT Having covered in a general way the great subject of the sufferings of Christ, as seen in the New Testament, it seems to be in order that we should look into the Old Testament to see the amplification in detail of all that we have been engaged with. We should begin with Abel, who is the first sufferer mentioned. The Lord Himself refers to him in this way speaking of “the blood of righteous Abel”, (Matthew 22:35).
ANW Would you mind first saying a word for us as to that character of the Lord’s death to secure the church, as seen in Adam’s deep sleep?
JT It is a question if any sufferings are foreshadowed there. It took place before sin came in. The deep sleep of Genesis 2 in itself hardly suggests suffering. What had you in mind?
ANW I wondered whether it might not be seen in the epistle to the Ephesians: “Christ also loved the assembly, and has delivered himself up for it”, (Ephesians 5:25).
JT Yes. Eve being taken out of Adam in such a remarkable way is evidently to call attention to the fact that God would have life of that kind — life out of death. God intended that the life that should enter into eternity should not be what Adam had by God breathing into his nostrils, but a life derived from Christ as having entered into death — that kind of life.
CAM Would the “lower parts of the earth” of Psalm 139 synchronise with the deep sleep?
JT Yes; formation was in view, as Eve was formed — “curiously wrought”. The Psalmist seems to confine his thoughts to that side — what God [p. 107] effected there; that is, the bone was taken and built while Adam slept. It is not the suggestion of the cross, but of a state; that is, Christ in actual death not the suffering side, but the state out of which the life should come.
AP How does John 12 fit in — the grain of wheat falling into the ground?
JT It is a similar thought; not the idea of suffering, but the state that was reached — falling into the ground and dying — a state was reached without which there could be no fruit. How the state is reached is not given in Genesis 2. It is simply that God caused the deep sleep; there is no suggestion of suffering in that.
AP Referring to Abel and the Old Testament saints in a general way, were the features of Christ reflected in them?
JT Yes. Faith was needed for the reflection of what should come out later. Peter says “Concerning which salvation prophets, who have prophesied of the grace towards you, sought out and searched out; searching what, or what manner, of time, the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed out, testifying before of the sufferings which belonged to Christ, and the glories after these”, (1 Peter 1:10,11). Faith laid hold of what should come out in Christ. Hence: “By faith Abel”, and so throughout Hebrews 11.
JS The sufferings were consequent upon sin having come in?
JT Faith is not alluded to until sin came in, because sin contemplates the complete breakdown of what was inaugurated on the principle of sight; faith contemplates another order of things.
AFM So that Abel, knowing the fall had come in, approached God suitably.
JT Yes, Abel’s action would be based on death involving suffering in some way which must have taken place in order to procure the coats of skin for [p. 108] Adam and Eve. He got his light that way, rather than from the deep sleep of his father and the origin of his mother.
ANW The latter was in counsel before sin existed.
JT The light shone as sin came in. Adam no doubt had light, because in naming his wife “Eve” it was implied. But it would not do to make Adam the first in the line of faith; it must be Abel.
JHE Did you say that light was given in the death of the animals in order to supply suitable clothing?
JT Yes. You can understand how Abel would ask his parents about the clothes they wore. Young people do think of clothes, but is it a question of the right kind of clothes, such as Adam and Eve wore, or the fashions of the day? The fashions of the day come by another way, and appeal to the young mind, but the fashions of Abel’s day came in through death. Whether Abel enquired of his parents or not, they would, no doubt, tell him of the clothes God made for them.
CAM The priest who presented the burnt-offering had its skin.
JT The significance of which would be covering. Sufferers in the line of faith were clad in sheep-skins and goat-skins; (Hebrews 11:37). The clothes Adam and Eve wore would be unlike the beautiful skin coats of today. There is usually no idea of death in the minds of those that wear them, for death is put as far away from the natural mind as possible.
AP Would the clothing that Adam and Eve had be suggested in Romans 13:14 — “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ”?
JT Yes. It is Christ as having died that you put on; not Christ as He was, but as having died. Abel brought to God, we are told, the firstlings of [p. 109] his flock; that is, the best, without saying how many — the firstlings of his flock and their fat.
JS Do you couple suffering with sacrifice?
JT Yes; this is clearly the beginning of the great sacrificial order of things that comes out in Exodus and Leviticus.
JS So that Adam and Eve were clothed as a result of suffering and sacrifice; Abel followed this.
JT That is the thought. As the required and voluntary offerings were made at the tabernacle or temple, the court would be a regular shambles; a constant stream of blood flowed. Naturally we do not like that, but the divine thought was sacrifice, that death should be in evidence; testimony to the judgment of God marked the whole scene. Cain did not consider that, nor think there was anything wanting in the offering he brought.
GMcP Why do you emphasise the sufferings of Christ rather than His death?
JT Because “the sufferings of Christ” is our subject. Abel was killed, but by the hand of his brother, who rose up against him. There would be that awful feeling of a murderous attack, which would involve suffering, before the actual death. Cain rose up against him when they were in the field.
AP With regard to the verse, “He shall crush thy head” (Genesis 3:15), does it not give the idea of a man coming in? Faith would look for him.
JT Quite. I have no doubt that is why Eve called Cain “a man” when he was born. “I have acquired a man with Jehovah”, (chapter 4:1). She undoubtedly took up the thought of the previous chapter — that her seed would bruise the head of the serpent.
However much Abel understood instinctively, the features of Christ were beginning to show themselves in him. I think that Cain failed Eve; she said, “I have acquired a man with Jehovah” (not from
[p. 110] but with, meaning that God helped her); she linked Cain with the promised seed, undoubtedly. She is the first person, as far as Scripture records, to name the name of Jehovah, and she connects Him with Cain. But in the time which elapsed between the births of the two children, she changed her judgment of him. Eve had “acquired” Cain, as though he were of great importance, but the next child was regarded as just a breath — a vanity. It was undoubtedly the result of a judgment based on what Cain was; the parents at the time of Abel’s birth would have come to a truer understanding of their own state.
AFM You would connect Eve’s name — “life” — with Abel, not with Cain?
JT The life line is in Abel; so that Seth comes in instead of Abel in chapter 5, and the life line is in Seth. According to Genesis 4:25, Eve evidently had the mind of God in naming Seth. “God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain has slain him”. It is another seed, not “son” or “man”.
Then Seth calls his son Enosh, that is, “man as weak, mortal”. “Then people began to call on the name of Jehovah”. Light thus broke in for man.
CAM In naming Enosh, Seth seemed to have the same kind of intuition that Eve had, that man was a passing creature.
JT That is right. It should be noted with regard to Abel that he was just a passing breath — transitory.
JS In naming Cain, was Eve still acting on the line of sight?
JT I think so; there may have been some light in her soul, but her words as to Cain were not spoken in faith.
AP Did not the Jews expect things to be set up here in the flesh when the Lord Jesus was here? It is much like Eve’s naming of [p. 111] Cain.
JT Very much. This only brings Abel into clearer light. He saw that things must be on a new basis, that of sacrifice through death, and so he offers “the firstlings of his flock and of their fat”.
JS The features of Christ are thus developed through suffering, as we see right through Genesis.
JT Yes. The mind immediately goes to the man that is identified with these offerings. He saw that there must be a new line, a new world really, which Cain did not see. He did not accept God’s judgment on man, showing he “was born according to flesh” merely, and hence had no divine instincts. “He that was born according to flesh persecuted him that was born according to Spirit”, (Galatians 4:29). Abel was, in principle, born according to the Spirit, he had spiritual instincts, and hence understood what was suitable to God. “Cain was of the wicked one”, (1 John 3:12).
JTJr Persecution thus marked the whole way down “from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zacharias”, which the Lord alludes to; (Matthew 23:35).
JT Yes. Abel is the first martyr. The Lord calls attention to the blood of righteous Abel.
WB-w It would seem that Abel profited by the accumulated light of his parents.
JT Yes. He begins the life line, God, as it were, basing everything on righteousness. Sin having come in, life must be based on righteousness.
AFM Do you think that as Abel brought these offerings to Jehovah, they had a formative effect upon him, so that he would not only see Christ there objectively, but that his walk was to be according to what they expressed?
JT Quite so. Indeed, divine formation was already there, for the Lord calls him “righteous”, and John says his works were righteous. The offerer is merged in [p. 112] his offering.
AP He was ready to go the same way as his offering.
JT Quite. He saw that that was the only way, and God honoured him in it. He was accepted. Besides, as slain by his brother he was a type of Christ, who suffered death at the hands of His brethren, who hated Him.
JS Sin, having come in, developed in this way.
JT That form of sin — hatred of a brother — is seen fully in the Jews as they put Christ to death.
AFM Sin in the garden was directly against God, but sin here outside of the garden is directed against the neighbour, the brother. These are the two great features of sin that come to light, are they not?
JT That is the way John works it out in his first epistle. He deals with things radically and shows that these two men are the heads of two families, as already noted. So he says the devil sins from the beginning, and this goes right through. Cain, Balaam, and Core are seen as three great leaders in sin. The Lord says, “Ye are of the devil, as your father”, (John 8:44). The Jews as putting Him to death were brothers of Cain. So today, hatred of a brother, as God views it, is murderous.
APT “These are spots in your love-feasts”, (Jude 12); those marked by those three elements — Cain, Balaam, and Core.
FHL If we offer to God, we must be prepared to go the whole way, which implies suffering and death.
JT That is the principle. Thus, Christ having suffered for us we are to arm ourselves with the same mind; (1 Peter 4:1).
CAM Does it not impress you with the marvellous way of God that His end should thus be reached?
JT Yes: “For it became him [that is, God], for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make perfect the leader of their salvation through sufferings”, (Hebrews 2:10). Abel, in principle, is one of the sons. Adam is said to have been “of God”, but he is not led “to glory”. There is no thought of it; whereas the counsels of God require that sons should be led to glory, and led this way — through suffering.
WB-w Is one point in Cain that he does not take the line of suffering?
JT He is quite a respectable worshipper, but he does not bring blood. People generally do not like the thought of blood; they ridicule it.
WB-w We find offerings in the world today that answer to Cain’s.
JT Quite so; it is bringing what I work out myself, ignoring the judgment of God.
JEH Is that why it is called “the way of Cain”?
JT Yes, it is a terrible way, and there are a great many on that way.
ANW John calls Cain’s works “wicked”, even before he slew his brother.
ABP While Cain would slay Abel and shed righteous blood, he did not accept death as a penalty on himself as a child of Adam.
FNP Why does it say that Jehovah looked on Abel and his offering, and upon Cain and upon his offering He did not look?
JT There was no divine complacency in Cain and his offering. God was complacent in Abel, as identified by faith with Christ in his offering. God’s complacency is in us on the ground of sacrifice: “we have been reconciled to God through the death of his Son”, (Romans 5:10).
FHL Is it not possible to make the right offering yet not in the right way? The Lord stood over against the treasury and saw how they cast in.
JT How they did it. Quite so. Here, Cain brought the wrong offering — not that the meat-offering is not right in its place. There is full room [p. 114] for a meat-offering in Leviticus, but it must come in after the blood-offering; that is, God must be appeased first, and no meat-offering can appease Him vicariously. Christ was perfectly delightful to Him as a Man here, but He could not bring us in on that ground at all. “Without blood-shedding there is no remission”, (Hebrews 9:22).
RWS Is there any point in the fact that Abel suffers in the field and Zacharias, of whom the Lord remarks, suffers in connection with the altar? The suffering is getting closer; compare Matthew 23:35.
JT That is suggestive. Zacharias suffered in the religious sphere, between the temple and the altar.
Ques What kind of offering is Abel’s?
JT A burnt-offering. It was a burnt-offering with the fat.
AFM It would suggest that sin had come in; (Leviticus 1:4).
JS I suppose Satan would quickly detect the features of Christ in Abel and hence attack him.
JT Quite so. It is Christ that he is attacking. He always attacks Christ, either personally or as seen in His people.
WGT Did not God anticipate that there would be an attack on Abel? The way in which God spoke to Cain of His offering seems to suggest this.
JT Yes; He would forestall it and save Cain from his awful crime. God is gracious; the passage shows how long-suffering He is. He says, “why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, will not thy countenance look up with confidence?” God, as it were, encourages us to look up. And then He says, “and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door”. It is said by authorities that this word “sin” may also be translated “sin-offering”, in this there may be an allusion to Abel’s offering. It is very affecting that God would forestall the murder by encouraging him to do well. If he did not do well [p. 115] there was a sin-offering at the door, which he could avail himself of and hence could retain his place of dominance. Very often when people do evil they do not avail themselves of the divine provision for restoration, and the sin remaining unjudged, the conscience becomes hardened and they turn definitely to do their own will.
ARS Why did God put a mark on Cain that he should not be slain?
JT It alludes to the Jews. That mark today is to be seen around us. There are no people like them. Take the Greeks, Romans, or any of those ancient races — you cannot find them today. You may know historically what has come down, but they are not to be found characteristically; whereas, the Jew is characteristically what he was; God has put a mark on him, and nobody can efface it, nor can anyone harm him with impunity, murderer though he be. Some nations have suffered because they have touched him. He comes back at the end; Lemech says, “For I have slain a man for my wound”, (verse 23). He acknowledges his guilt; that is the Jew in the last days.
AFM The slaying of Abel would be implied in the acknowledgment.
ARS So that Cain is a type of the Jew.
CAM Lemech, in speaking of avenging, implies that Cain’s posterity had suffered.
JT He alludes to God’s promise as to Cain in verse 15; the seventy and seven fold avenging would be a reference to what will be inflicted on the Jews’ enemies in the latter days; compare Esther and Matthew 25.
AFM The vengeance shows how the Jew will be protected in the coming day.
ABP How do you explain the last part of verse 7 “unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him”?
JT The allusion is to Abel, I think. Cain was the elder, and under these circumstances Abel would take his place in subjection and be a true brother. “Unto thee shall be his desire” agrees with this — there would be brotherly love. That we are to love each other as brethren and be subject one to another is in keeping with this. What a great thing to have a real brother? — one who is submissive to you, whose desires will be toward you. It seems Jehovah said this as an incentive to Cain to do well.
JS Abel comes in as morally first through his offering.
JT He does; but still he would be a real brother, and honour Cain, as Gideon honoured Ephraim when he said: “What have I done now in comparison with you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?” (Judges 8:2).
ABP So Peter enjoins the younger to submit themselves to the elder.
AFM Would Enoch’s prophecy (Jude 14,15), indicate that others in the life line suffered similarly to Abel?
JT I think so. He saw the Lord coming amidst His holy myriads to execute vengeance; that would show that he felt the state of things then existing.
AFM “Ungodly sinners” had spoken hard things against God, which would cause Enoch and other saints suffering.
JS In developing the testimony on the line of suffering, is it to show us what God can do in sustaining those who suffer?
JT Yes; and His work is of such a character that it stands the test of suffering. That is what God would bring out — what the enduring quality of the divine nature is in sufferings; maintaining its own positive character at the same time.
CAM So that every man that is livingly in the testimony has been baptised for [p. 117] the dead.
JT That is right. In the expression, “bringing many sons to glory”, (Hebrews 2:10) we must include all the Old Testament saints, because they will appear in glory. Enoch and Elijah were translated to heaven without dying. The twenty-four elders in Revelation include all these saints, as well as the assembly. All are brought in through suffering, as Hebrews 11 and 12 show.
WFK It says, “the voice of thy brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground”. Say a word about the voice.
JT It shows how valuable to God a death of this kind is. It is God honouring martyrdom, and particularly in those early times as foreshadowing the sufferings of Christ. Abel’s sufferings and death present a remarkable type of Christ’s sufferings and death.
AFM What was the character of Abel’s voice crying to God from the ground?
JT I think it was that of vengeance, for the blood of the new covenant speaks better things. It is a testimony because vengeance followed here. The Lord says of it, “the voice of thy brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now be thou cursed from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield thee its strength”, (verses 10 - 12). That is the answer, I think, to the cry of Abel’s blood.
AP Does it fit in with Revelation 6:10: “dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth?”
JT It is a similar cry.
WB-w In what way does the blood of the new covenant speak better things than Abel?
JT Abel’s death presents an aspect of Christ’s death, as we have said. The blood of the Lord Jesus has brought down judgment on the Jews. They said,
“[p. 118] His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25); it came on them and is on them now. But then the blood that speaks better things than that of Abel, is not presented as the blood of a murdered Christ but of Christ given in love by God. The blood of the covenant testifies to the love of God, not to the wrath of God.
Rem So that the voice of Abel was vengeance, but the voice of Jesus was forgiveness.
JT That is, viewed from the standpoint of the covenant; but then the covenant does not extend to the Jews until they come in and repent nationally. They have to take their place as being among men now to receive blessing. This can only be in an individual way; nationally they have to repent of the murder of their Messiah collectively before they come into the promised blessing. They will look on Him whom they pierced and wail because of Him; compare Zechariah 12.
WB-w It is the same blood only viewed from a different aspect.
JT It is the same death of Christ, but you may look at it as bringing down the wrath of God and as a testimony of the love of God. That the Jews might come into the gain of the latter aspect, they were regarded as slaying Christ ignorantly, but wrath came on them viewed as slaying Him wilfully, Stephen s death being the evidence of this.
CAM I suppose the remnant will put these two things together, when they afflict their souls.
JT They will. On the first day of the seventh month is the memorial of blowing of trumpets; and the tenth day of the seventh month the day of atonement. The feast of trumpets implies their awakening and that they afflict their souls — they repent, and come in for the good of atonement; that is, the blood of the covenant.
AP The two go together, the blood on the door [p. 119] post in Egypt keeps out the destroying angel, and it corresponds to the blood of the covenant in Exodus 24.
APT It is said that “Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother”. Is there any suggestion of suffering in that aspect?
JT Without doubt, Cain’s hostile attitude would be there. I was thinking of what a feeling there must be before a crime. The Lord entered into and felt all that fully when He instituted His supper and His murderers were all around Him outside.
JS He could say, “They hated me without a cause”, (John 15:25). There was nothing there to call forth this feeling.
JT Indeed, that would be prefigured in Joseph. His brethren hated him without cause. They hated Joseph because he was loved. There is no real cause for hatred in that. Isaac also, one born after the Spirit, was persecuted by one born after the flesh. There was nothing in Isaac to draw out persecution or suffering, for a babe is delightful normally, so that the idea of “without a cause” is there, as bringing out the capability of the flesh, that without a cause it persecutes Christ.
AFM Isaac also suffered later, as a sacrifice upon the altar by Abraham; (Genesis 22).
JT What feelings he must have had as bound on the altar!
TH The Lord Jesus suffered from His most familiar friend. He must have felt it keenly!
JT The Lord’s life was one of almost continuous suffering. The consciousness of what was there in Judas must have occasioned Him constant pain. He calls him “a devil”, (John 6:70) that is, an accuser.
WGT We read that “neither did his brethren believe on him”, (John 7:5). I was thinking that it fits in with the suggestion of Joseph and his brethren.
JT [p. 120] Yes. His relatives said at one time “He is out of his mind”, (Mark 3:21).
RDG In Micah 7:6 it says: “a man’s enemies are the men of his own household”; and in Matthew 10:36, “And they of his household shall be a man’s enemies”. That would set forth the sufferings of Christ as you are now speaking of them.
JT That is an important feature. You can see that right through, particularly in Genesis. It appears in Cain, Ishmael, Esau, and Joseph’s brethren. It is persecution from one’s nearest relatives.
CAM Would it be emphasised in Edom in a particular way?
JT Yes, Edom represents this character of persecution down to Malachi’s ministry.
WB-w Were you suggesting the idea of the false brother coming out in Edom?
JT Yes. It is also developed in the New Testament. Paul says, “it was on account of the false brethren brought in surreptitiously, who came in surreptitiously to spy out our liberty”, (Galatians 2:4).
JT We cannot speak at length about Joseph on this occasion, but he links on with the Lord’s statement, “They hated me without cause”. Possibly the first thing to consider is this, he was loved by his father, who made him a vest of many colours, and thus honoured him. He is a type of Christ as loved of the Father and honoured. Joseph’s father loved him but his brethren hated him, and could not speak with friendliness to him, and yet he had done nothing against them.
ARS He is a type of Christ in incarnation; not as some would have us believe in absolute Deity.
JT Quite so. He is a type of Christ in incarnation, loved by his father, and honoured by the gift-vest of many colours; these facts alone bring out the hatred of his brethren, and the next thing is that he is hated because of his testimony — concerning his dreams. They called him “this dreamer”, derisively, but the title was true and meant that he was a witness, he testified to the resurrection of Christ “Behold we were binding sheaves in the fields, and lo, my sheaf rose up, and remained standing; and behold, your sheaves came round about and bowed down to my sheaf”. That is typically the resurrection of Christ. He remains standing. Then of the next dream he says, “behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me”. That is Christ in ascension. He is hated all the more for that, and even Jacob in this instance is somewhat against him, showing the more heavenly our testimony, the greater will be the opposition. Even those that are spiritual may oppose us as witnessing to such a line of truth.
JS Is this testimony prophetic?
JT Yes; it is Christ in resurrection and in ascension; One who is supreme.
AFM Was not this testimony actually fulfilled later in the life of Joseph?
JT Quite so. His brethren bowed down to him, and his father, too, we might say. You can see how indicative it is of Christ. What other sheaf but His could rise up and stand as others bow down!
AFM It says: “behold, your sheaves came round about and bowed down to my sheaf”.
JT How gladly we do that as we know and love Him! The type contemplates Israel converted, standing round about and bowing down.
JS That will come to pass in the day to come.
JT It will; Israel is viewed here administratively, and then the sun and moon and the eleven stars bow down to Christ.
ARS Jacob did not appreciate this, but rebuked him; still it says he “kept the saying”.
JT [p. 122] There is hope for a brother like that. There is hope for a man that observes a saying, although he may oppose it at first.
WGT Mary “kept all these things in her heart”. Although she understood not what the Lord said in the temple; (Luke 2:51).
FHL What is the thought of the sheaf, does it suggest a combination, a plural idea?
JT Connecting it with Leviticus 23, the children of Israel were to cut down a sheaf and wave it before Jehovah. That would mean that Christ died and was waved before God as risen. That was after the passover, and then at the feast of weeks or pentecost that followed, Israel was brought in, in the two loaves that were baked. In the type of the sheaf there was no need of baking, but He was cut down in death. I think the sheaf means the Lord cut down in death, and raised in power. Inherent power is indicated in Joseph’s sheaf rising up and remaining standing. It says, for He has life in Himself; and He says, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”, (John 2:19). That testimony will come out by and by for Israel and they will bow down to Him. Of course, now, every converted person does this.
The next dream is not so much a question of the host of heaven, but Israel viewed in a position of administration, the sun, the moon, and the stars.
AFM This is fulfilled in Revelation 12.
JT Yes, the woman is clothed with the sun, the moon is under her feet, upon her head a crown of twelve stars.
JS So the sun, moon, and stars would suggest rule and administration in the world to come?
JT That is the idea. It is Israel’s place in the world to come, and all is subservient to Christ; all bow down to Him.
JTJr His brethren say, “we will see what becomes of his dreams”.
JT [p. 123] That is similar to the way they jeered at Christ on the cross — “Let the Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross”, (Mark 15:32).
CAM In Revelation there are the sun and moon and twelve stars.
JT Israel will be complete then by Joseph taking his place as a tribe, but the Man-child is over all. He is to rule the nations with a rod of iron. Things in heaven and on earth will be truly subject to Christ.
AP What do the sun, moon, and stars represent?
JT It is an allusion to supreme government which is in the hands of Israel, but subservient to Christ.
APT His father says, “Shall we indeed come, I and thy mother and thy brethren, to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” His brethren envy him, but his father kept the saying. I suppose he was getting help.
JT That is what I was remarking. A brother like Jacob may be opposed to some heavenly line of thought at first, but if he takes the ground of considering the matter he is not allowing his will in it. That was Jacob’s salvation; the others allowed their wills and adverse feelings to govern them.
AFM The apostle said, “Think of what I say, for the Lord will give thee understanding in all things”, (2 Timothy 2:7).
JT If I allow my will to work, there is no hope for me, but if amenable to any little bit of light I may receive, even though I do not understand it, there is salvation for me.
AP With regard to Israel, it says: “Who is she that looketh forth as the dawn, Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, Terrible as troops with banners?” (Song of Songs 6:10).
[p. 124] JT That is Israel.
WGT What about the coat of many colours?
JT It is a symbol of the varied glories of Christ.
JS His distinctive glories.
JT The glories conferred by the Father — “the glory which thou hast given me”, (John 17:22). There are the inherent and the conferred glories.
ANW Then it says, “His brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren”. These varied colours would indicate the father’s love for him.
A.B.P. Would it be like:
“All the Father’s counsels claiming
Equal honours to the Son”? (14:4).
JT That is really the highest thought of it; they are inherent glories. “The glory which I had along with thee before the world was”, (John 17:5), is inherent glory; it belongs to Deity; but then the “glory which thou hast given me” is conferred, in which we can share.
JS Then there would be acquired glories.
APT In John 1, Nathaniel calls the Lord “Son of God” and “King of Israel”, and then the Lord says, “Thou shalt see greater things than these”, (verse 50). I was wondering whether that would fit in here as to what the Father does. The passage further says, “Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man”, (verse 51). Does not that allude to these varied glories?
JT The angels begin with Him; they ascend first. If they had descended first I should call them conferred glories, but they began with Him, which I think refers to His deity — “God has been manifested in flesh, has been justified in the Spirit, has appeared to angels”, (1 Timothy 3:16). It is the testimony to His deity that they began with Him.
CAM “He inherits a name more excellent than they”, (Hebrews 1:4), is a very remarkable expression.
JT We shall have to start with this chapter in Genesis at our next reading, the Lord permitting. Joseph is one of the greatest types of Christ as a sufferer.