MEASURES

D.L.Stewart

Ruth 3: 15-17; John 2: 5-10; Ephesians 4: 15, 16

The link between these scriptures is in the thought of measure. I would like to draw attention to the way in which God works, not on the public side but in an inward way, and this book of Ruth, and especially Naomi, would speak of what we often refer to as that which is in the body of the saints - a most important matter. In times of crisis we have often spoken of it; we realise that there is something that God has in a secret way which will stand the test. It is His own work, He knows it is there, He has had to do with it by the Spirit, He has wrought in persons inwardly, yet there may be no public demonstration of it. The book of Ruth comes between Judges and the ministry of Samuel, which is really the bringing in of Christ and the establishing of things in a definite way amongst the saints in a time of recovery in which Christ has His place. But between the condition of things in Judges that we are so well acquainted with and Samuel, we have the book of Ruth and an indication of the means by which God operates in view of Christ, in view of His choicest thoughts being made possible; and the way to it seems to be through these women that appear in this part of Scripture. There are Naomi and Ruth, and the women in the last chapter who name the child as worshipper, and there is also Hannah. This is the secret way in which God operates.

Now as to this section read I am thinking of the way that Christ as typified in Boaz is concerned about the nourishing of this feature amongst the saints, this inward subjective feature that is in the body of the saints. He has great things in mind and there is much to be effected. It says "he went into the city" in view of completing the matter there, but he also has in view the nourishing of what Naomi might represent. He says "Bring the cloak ... and he measured six measures of barley". He had in mind the nourishing of the work of God; the way it is nourished is by the supply of what speaks of another Man, a risen Man. If there is to be the working of these things among us, if there is to be the maintenance of the recovery - and I believe the Spirit of God would challenge us as to this - it must be nourished by the features of a Man who has been into death and has been raised from the dead. The glorious matter of the resurrection is the foundation upon which everything relating to God's thoughts is to be reached, and it is that kind of Man whom the saints have to feed upon and not any other kind of man. So Boaz is thinking about the mother-in-law and about this feminine, subjective feature, and he is concerned that it should be nourished, for he said to her: "Go not empty to thy mother-in-law".

In John we again have the way the Lord operates and in this gospel He does not work with what is official. He constantly ignores the official. It says that there were six stone water-vessels standing there. Evidently they represent the permanency of the work of God in the saints, yet they were not being used, they were standing there. They represent what He can take on. Then the matter of purification; how essential that is if this work is to go on in the saints in view of bringing in what is new, and what is called the good wine in this section. How important is the application of the water - no doubt the death of Christ in that aspect which has a purifying effect. We are together in occasions like this in view of purifying. Then I wanted to point out specially the fact that the servants knew. I understand these servants were of the menial type; in fact, in the meaning of the word, there is a reference to those that run on errands. It refers to the insignificant feature of service among the saints; but the servants knew, and the feast-master or the official element did not know; he did not know how the deficiency was to be met. How each one of us would love to be among these servants who know! The mother of Jesus was a little out of touch for a moment, especially as to the timing of things; and she, and we too, have to learn from His word; "mine hour has not yet come". How important that we should be getting things directly from Himself! The servants get the word from Him; and that would raise the question with us as to how near we are to Christ, the Son of God, this glorious Person who is bringing in a new order of things altogether. They had never tasted the like of it in this scene before, the good wine of Christianity, and the Spirit would maintain it for us in the day we are in. It comes in through these vessels that were standing there available, holding two or three measures. The Lord knew the measure of every vessel and He knows the measure of every one of us. I love to think of the servant in Genesis 24. He knew the measure that he had for Rebecca and no doubt the Lord knows the measure that He has for every one of us, and the Spirit is working in view of that measure being available under His hand.

The scripture in Ephesians emphasises again the thought of measure: "according to the working in its measure of each one part". This is the body of course. The working of the body is one of the greatest things in the divine mind, perhaps specially so at the present time when what is distinctive in leadership is not available. There is nothing of human arrangement connected with it and it has no need of natural ability. To the mind of man it would be mysterious; but it works, and the impulses and supply from One who "has ascended up above all the heavens" are transmitted through the joints of supply so that the body is "working for itself" and there is "its self-building up in love". This is the objective in the chapter, and the purpose for which the Lord has given gifts - and we thank God that He has given gifts - but it is in order that the body might operate by itself. It is not a question of what is yet to come but of what is to operate now. This chapter of course covers the great scope of divine operations, but, nevertheless, these things are meant to work wherever the body is represented. The question would be for each one of us as to whether we are filling out our measure "according to the working in its measure of each one part". May the Lord bless His word.

 

LONDON

14 April 1981

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE CHILDREN'S TREASURE

Recently millions of pounds worth of gold treasure was recovered from a ship deep down on the sea-bed. At the same place there are the bodies of men hastened to eternity when their ship was sunk. Who knows how many of these are treasures of the Saviour's as being the bodies of those who have trusted in Him! In life the body of a believer as an earthen vessel is a storehouse for the riches of divine grace. It is the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus that is the treasure.

The Lord Jesus spoke on more than one occasion of the need for us to have treasure in heaven. This must be in our knowledge of Himself and the enjoyment of His love. It is not intended that we should look on heaven as being a long way off although we perhaps do so unintentionally. It is true that God dwells in a heaven altogether beyond our thinking powers. Nevertheless there are scriptural expressions which bring heaven very near to us. They help us to enter with our child-like minds into what is above mere earthly and material things. Jacob, after his well-known dream about the ladder, discovered that he was really at the gate of heaven. Why not go in? However, such knowledge as he then gained of God became a treasure in heaven and his heart came back to it in time.

Centuries later the same Almighty God promised to open the windows of heaven and pour out a great blessing on His obedient people. This is to be enjoyed at this time also because the Holy Spirit has come and has brought the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Not only did the saints in Malachi's time have heavenly blessing and a heavenly book of remembrance written for them but their God said that they would them selves be "unto me a peculiar treasure" - for Himself alone! What a privilege!

The apostle John found a door opened in heaven and an invitation to "Come up here". No doubt this was a special call for a special purpose but heaven is surely open to those whose treasure is there and therefore their hearts too. Is your heart there?

 

J.C.Evershed