THE RESULT OF A SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
[p. 193] THE RESULT OF A SPIRITUAL EXERCISE
Hebrews 11:5; Jude 14; Psalm 133; Psalm 134; Psalm 135:19 - 21
I have chosen Enoch as showing the result of a spiritual exercise. It says that he was the seventh from Adam, and what is seen in him, as being the seventh from Adam, is that he pleased God.
A spiritual exercise is the result of light established in the soul. There had been an apostasy in the line of Cain. The result of the fall of Adam and Eve, as we see it in the fourth chapter of Genesis, presents a very dark picture of pride, lust and violence. But a son was born to Seth; and Seth, in naming his son, indicated that he accepted the judgment of God upon man as the consequence of sin. He had light. In other words, he gave his son the name of Enosh, which means ‘Mortal man’. He had not been deceived by the longevity of the men of his time. He recognised that his descendants must die; and after that it is said, “Then people began to call on the name of Jehovah” Genesis 4:26. Light had been brought in. It had come by means of Seth; and in consequence others were enlightened. We see therefore how light spreads; it spreads from one to another. In Cain’s line, the name of men was considered as having importance; and it is always so with those who live far from God. Cain built a city and gave it the name of his son. But light having been brought in, “people began to call on the name of Jehovah” (Genesis 4:26); and in that light, Adam is, so to speak, restored. We have therefore the line of Adam, passing through Seth, and in that line Enoch is the seventh — “the seventh from Adam”. It covered a long period of years; but in each of Adam’s descendants, including Adam himself [p. 194] and Seth, the light which the name of Enosh involves is found to be confirmed: each of them died. Men were not to be deceived by the fact that they lived a long time; the judgment of God is sure, and by that judgment He confirms the light that He has given to His people, however aged they might be (some of them reached nearly a thousand years). The testimony is that they died, and that testimony was so to say imposed upon men. But Enoch is the seventh. His name means that he was disciplined. He did not make light of the governmental ways of God. He observed them, and when a son was born to him, he walked with God for three hundred years. What a life his was, beloved! A life that covered three centuries! Every day, during those three centuries, we may say he walked with God. During those years, those three hundred years, his faith was increasing; his vision was becoming clearer; he prophesied, and in his prophesy he was occupied with the holy myriads. He was accustomed to having to do with ungodly myriads. Nobody could undertake to compute the population of that time. The antediluvian world must have been very populous, but there were myriads who were not holy. It was a wicked generation; there were heroes in those days, men of renown, giants. Thus, the earth was corrupt before God. Valiant men led their fellow men without regard to the rights of God. They were therefore unholy myriads; and this disciplined man, this man who walked with God, had to prove the terrible character of the corruption. He had to enter into the thoughts of God with regard to it, but Jude says that he saw the Lord coming with His “holy myriads”, and it is these myriads who are going to deal with the unholy myriads. As to communion with the men of this earth, there was little or indeed none at all, for, as we see later, the men of faith in Genesis had to walk alone. So walked Noah, and Abraham, and Isaac.
[p. 195] and Jacob, and Joseph. These men learned to walk alone with God; but we see in this great prototype of what was to follow, that he pleased God.
So, dear brethren, he is a type of those who would follow him in the path of spiritual exercise flowing from light given. In the days in which we live great light has been given; a spiritual exercise has come to light and has continued; and, thank God, it has greatly spread. But if this exercise is of God, it must correspond with the beginning of the dispensation, for God never gives up any of His thoughts. If He did not find in the garden of Eden an Adam with whom He could walk, He nevertheless found an Enoch. And as the dispensation began with the brethren, so also it will close with the brethren. Such is the divine way.
I referred to Psalm 133. This psalm has its place at the end of a spiritual exercise. It is the last but one of the Songs of Degrees. The Songs of Degrees are evidently the product of spiritual exercises; they follow in a suitable order, not only numerically, but also as to their contents. They express the exercises of the earthly people of God in a day to come, as a consequence of light given. They begin at Psalm 120 and finish at Psalm 134. I cannot undertake to go into these psalms in detail; but they express one by one the exercises of the people of God, in a coming day, from the place of their captivity to the sphere of divine blessing and purpose. The ministry of John is intended particularly to cover the present days; that is why in his writings the idea of the family is developed. There is nothing more precious in the Scriptures than the thought of the family; it is a primary idea, and what is primary, for God, is eternal. Therefore in the gospel of John we find the Father’s house. We are going to be received eternally into the Father’s house — a place prepared for us. So, in chapter 20, the brethren are presented: “Go to my brethren” John 20:17. He who describes them as such is He who ascends into the heavens. You see that the thought of brethren is connected with the ascension, even in the passages to which I have referred. The culminating point of ascension is the place of the brethren, so that in John 20 the Lord sends the message as the One who ascends to the Father: “Go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God” John 20:17. That is, so to speak, the great terminus of John’s ministry, and on that platform — the platform of brethren, as one may call it — is developed at the present moment, as will be developed in the future, all that relates to God. Every feature of the service of God is developed, as well as the thought of the family; that is an eternal thought; still it is seen here, in the sphere of testimony which is a means used to attain a certain end. It is there that God finds sympathy with all His thoughts. We are not therefore merely to rest in these blessed affections which we appreciate; if we do not see that the family is the means by which, at the present time, God develops His purpose, we shall fail to lay hold of His thoughts.
Beloved brethren, let us enjoy to the full brotherly affections. That is only to anticipate eternity; but there are the divine thoughts in testimony. Where is God to seek them, if it is not in His family? He desires that we may have free priestly access. If I am in the family, I am a son; I am in liberty; and I ought to be a priest. The son implies liberty. The priest is watchful as to the reverence that is due to God. The priest requires that every divine thought is conformed to. It is to him that the law is committed. He will have the law; he will insist upon every principle that should govern the house of God; he will have consideration for what is of God; he will be concerned with the maintenance of order;
[p. 197] he will require that all that is public shall be according to God.
I might enlarge on all the details concerning the public service and testimony, and draw attention to the priests who watch over each of those details, as it is spoken of in the prophet Malachi, “And now, ye priests, this commandment is for you” Malachi 2:1. Then He refers to Levi, saying, “My covenant with him was of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared me, and trembled before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and at his mouth they seek the law; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts” Malachi 2:5 - 7. I have referred to the side of the priests, because it depends on that of the family. I do not suppose that we shall have need of it in eternity, for nothing will be lawless, or out of order, or wanting in holiness, but it is necessary here where all these things exist.
According to Psalm 134, you will see how all that I have said is introduced. Psalm 133 is the family, and that psalm is very beautiful. I have rejoiced, dear brethren, in the brotherly affections I have found in this country. It is the anticipation of eternity — the love of the brethren. The Spirit of God compares it here to wonderful things. First, it is “Like the precious oil upon the head”. Affections in the family of God do not originate on earth: they flow from the Head; they come from above. It is not what is at present developed among men: liberty, equality, fraternity. Brethren who dwell together in unity are compared to the oil on the head. Whose head? The head of Christ typified in Aaron. How intimately is the priestly order linked with the family, for the family is connected with the priestly order as having been anointed! So the oil runs down upon the beard [p. 198] and down to the hem of the garments. Then it is compared to “the dew of Hermon”. It is again a matter of something which comes down from above. It is the exact opposite of what is current among men. All that is from above has been honoured. In face of the present state of things God insists on His testimony that brethren dwelling together in unity are like that which comes from above. The Lord said, “Ye are from beneath; I am from above” John 8:23. We are thus depicted by the Spirit of God as resembling these wonderful figures, the blessing of which has been commanded, “for there hath Jehovah commanded the blessing, life for evermore”. Such is the result of divine and sovereign purposes and counsels!
From the following psalm I wish to show you how the service of God depends on that. It speaks of those who, in the nights, stand in the house of Jehovah. It is not exactly a question of family enjoyment, although that thought is there at the bottom. In the enjoyment of those affections we stand “in the nights”. We forgo our comforts in order that the service of God may be maintained in His house during the night. The question arises for us, Do we maintain the service of God during the night? We know how the eyes become heavy during the night. Peter, James and John went to sleep on the mount of Transfiguration, and then also at Gethsemane. “Thus ye have not been able to watch one hour with me?” (Matthew 26:40) the Lord asked them. Family affections are extremely precious and the disciples had enjoyed them at the Supper. But they are now at Gethsemane. Can we watch one hour with the Lord? These things have a voice to us, dear brethren. But what a great favour! We have the privilege of standing in the nights to maintain the service in a priestly way. Nothing is to hinder the service of the house. The darkness thickens more and more, but we still maintain the service.
“[p. 199] Behold, bless Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah, who by night stand in the house of Jehovah. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless Jehovah!”
What we see in Psalm 148 is the maintenance of the divine praise. Our hearts are filled with praise, reading these wonderful psalms. The praise is maintained in an extremely beautiful way. “Praise Jehovah from the heavens; praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens” Psalm 148:1 - 4. You see that, beloved brethren! You see the extent of that which is called upon to praise Him. Is the Psalmist occupied with his own enjoyment? He is so impressed with God that he appeals to the whole creation — heavens and earth — to praise Him. What feeling he had for Jehovah! What a tribute for Jehovah! So, dear brethren, I believe that is what God proposes at the present moment. If John’s ministry is effectual, it leads the family, it leads the brethren into their most exalted relations. The brethren possess the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is free to act, He will produce what the Psalms present to us; that is to say, the service of God will be maintained in the most exalted manner, and I believe the present dispensation will finish thus.
In Psalm 135, those who are responsible are called upon to praise. “House of Israel, bless ye Jehovah; house of Aaron, bless ye Jehovah; House of Levi, bless ye Jehovah; ye that fear Jehovah, bless Jehovah. Blessed be Jehovah out of Zion, who dwelleth at Jerusalem! Hallelujah!”
Who are those who have the Spirit of God? “House of Israel, bless ye Jehovah!” There are thousands of those who possess the Spirit of God who are occupied with earthly things, but the appeal,
[p. 200] the command, is addressed to them all: “Bless Jehovah!”
“House of Aaron, bless ye Jehovah!” These same persons are really priests. All those who have received the Spirit are priests. They belong to the house of Aaron; but do they exercise their priestly functions?
They are called upon to exercise them.
“House of Levi, bless ye Jehovah!” It is a question here of those who are in active service. Many among us, alas! are thinking of the success of their own service. It is good to be exercised that our service may produce fruit, but that is not all. “House of Levi, bless ye Jehovah!”
Then, “Ye that fear Jehovah, bless Jehovah!”
And finally it says, “Blessed be Jehovah out of Zion, who dwelleth at Jerusalem! Hallelujah!”
You see, dear brethren, the marvellous end of an exercise produced by divine light, whether we apply it to our times, or whether we apply it to the remnant of Israel in a day to come. God takes pleasure among the brethren; it is among the brethren that the service is carried on; and the testimony of God is maintained in them.
Address by J.T. at Valence, 13th May, 1926, evening.