THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION MARKED BY MANHOOD
[p. 340] THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION MARKED BY MANHOOD
Luke 23:34; Luke 23:39 - 41; Luke 23:47; Ezekiel 47:6,7; Ezekiel 47:12
In reading these scriptures I have in mind to speak about the present dispensation, and to bring out its salient features, especially at the beginning. It was inaugurated in suffering, it was perpetuated in suffering as at the outset, and if it is to end as it began, it must be maintained in the same way, that is, in suffering — in those who accept suffering, as it is said in 2 Timothy 1, “but suffer evil along with the glad tidings, according to the power of God” 2 Timothy 1:8. Indeed, what we are called upon to follow in that epistle, namely, “righteousness, faith, love, peace” (2 Timothy 2:22), taken as a whole, implies the maintenance of the dispensation according to that which marked it at the beginning.
You will observe that righteousness is placed first, the other things follow; and I would like to show, by the Lord’s help, that Luke emphasises that feature in presenting to us the sufferings of Christ; and in presenting it he brings out the great moral supremacy over the sufferings of Christ as man. Luke alone presents to us this petition of Christ to His Father on the cross; “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. He alone, too, presents the recognition of His righteousness, first by the thief, and then by the centurion. None of the other evangelists speak of the conversion of the thief, nor do any of them put on record the centurion’s estimate of Christ as a righteous man, so we can readily see that Luke by the Holy Spirit is concerned about righteousness in thus presenting Christ. He is also emphasising the moral greatness of Christ as man; when the women of Jerusalem bewailed Him,
Luke records that He said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep over me, but weep over yourselves and over your children” (Luke 23:28); that was Christ rising infinitely above all the sufferings occasioned by His testimony here.
Matthew and Mark put the centurion’s comment on record as saying, “Truly this man was Son of God” (Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39), for surely His sonship shone out in the power of His voice in that solemn moment, as we read, “Jesus, having again cried with a loud voice” (Matthew 27:50), indicating that He was indeed the Son of God; and this necessarily enters into the dispensation, for He is “marked out Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by resurrection of the dead” Romans 1:4. Sonship is recognised by the centurion in the power that belongs to that Person, and he exclaims, “Truly this man was the Son of God” Matthew 27:54. Luke, however, says of the centurion that when he saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “In very deed this man was just”.
I want to dwell upon the greatness of Christ in asking forgiveness for His murderers, and to show from Ezekiel how the present dispensation, viewed in fructifying life and power, was marked by men. You will observe that the “trees” are represented as growing on the one side and on the other side on the bank of the river. I hope to show from Acts how these trees may be taken to symbolise men. Trees in Scripture are types of men standing out in individual prominence, and Scripture warrants the use of the type, as for instance, the tree of life, which refers to Christ. Then the Lord Himself is elsewhere symbolised by a tree — “He shall grow up before him as a tender sapling” (Isaiah 53:2): again, in Matthew 15, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up” Matthew 15:13. These scriptures show that trees are employed as symbols of men standing out, as I have said, in individual prominence. In our chapter the [p. 342] trees are viewed as on the banks of the mighty stream of spiritual power and grace which marks this dispensation. It began with suffering, for you will remember how, according to the chapter in Ezekiel, the river flows down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar, thus alluding to the atoning sufferings of Christ.
The prophet was turned round to view the gates, particularly the gate northward, and the gate that looked eastward, “and behold, waters ran out on the right side” Ezekiel 47:2. He was led that way in order to be impressed with the judgment of God on the one hand, and with the favour of God on the other, for the river flowed from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar, the one indicating the favour of God, and the other the righteousness of God. These features appear at the source, so we see in Luke how the Lord in that solemn hour, as He was crucified, evidenced the former feature — the favour of God: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”; forgiveness was in His heart in spite of their murderous attitude; He asks that God would be favourable toward them. It is in the light of this marvellous request of Christ that the thief is converted. The character of the dispensation is disclosed in this wonderful request of Christ, and it was evidently made in the hearing of the thief. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
What words to fall on the ears of a thief! He had not done what the murderers of Christ were doing; they were worse than thieves, they were murderers, but his opportunity arises when his fellow-thief attacks the Lord. Such is the depravity of the human heart, that even as experiencing such suffering, he would attack the Lord; but the converted thief reproves his companion, saying, “we indeed justly; for we receive the just recompense of what we have done; but this man has done nothing amiss”. The work of God in a man’s soul must be ever in accord with the divine light presented to him, so you see how the work of God in the soul of this man brought him into accord with what was there in Christ; he thus becomes righteous; he is righteous in judging himself: “we indeed justly”, he says, “but this man has done nothing amiss”. The Lord is recognised at the outset of the dispensation as a righteous Man. And so it was also with the centurion, he heard the Lord crying with a loud voice, and having seen what was done, said, “In very deed this man was just”.
Then God takes the issue between Christ and the world and the decision into His own hand, for God is far more concerned about righteousness than we are disposed to think: “Having come, he” (that is, the Spirit) “will bring demonstration to the world, of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” John 16:8. God will not leave it to the decision of the thief and the centurion, but will Himself vindicate His Son, so when the Holy Spirit came from heaven, He brought demonstration to the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. What was the sin? “because they do not believe on me” (John 16:9); and the demonstration of it was brought to the very streets of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit came to the followers of Christ; it was to them that God gave His Spirit, not to the Jews. The Spirit of God tells us that they were all together in one place, and “there appeared to them parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them” (Acts 2:3), showing how the Holy Spirit could discriminate; there was a moral reason, for He did not sit on any one who did not believe. He thus brought in demonstration that the Jews were guilty because they did not believe on Christ, but He also brought in demonstration of righteousness. The thief and the centurion both witnessed to righteousness in Christ; but God witnessed to it also, for Christ’s position in heaven is witnessed to on the ground of [p. 344] righteousness. God would have the world to know it, and He sent the demonstration of it in the Spirit. Righteousness is morally the greatest thing, and the Lord is said to have loved it: “Thou hast loved righteousness and hast hated lawlessness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with oil of gladness above thy companions” Hebrews 1:9. Such is God’s estimate of, and delight in those who have it and practise it, that He would send demonstration of it into the world — righteousness as expressed in His beloved Son.
The river flows out from beneath the altar — the witness of righteousness, and in Ezekiel 47:6 we have the simple statement that the trees were on the bank of the river, not that they grew there. I have no doubt the allusion is to the apostles; they were there, whereas verse 12 refers to trees that grew upon the bank, and that is where we come in. None of us come in on apostolic ground, and whatever men came in after the apostles are growths, the results of the fructifying life and power of this mighty stream of the Holy Spirit; and the fact that He continues here is a guarantee for the production of such men. You will remember how the apostle Paul urges upon the Corinthians to be men; “Brethren, be not children in your minds, but in malice be babes; but in your minds be grown men” 1 Corinthians 14:20. If you wish to know the cause of the scarcity of men in that sense, you may consult that letter of Paul’s to the Corinthians; you will find that they were not concerned as to what is spiritual, they were carnal, babes, and in that sense did not exhibit a testimony to the power of the dispensation.
But I want to show now from the Acts what I conceive to be antitypes of these trees. I refer first to Peter and John, for after Acts 2 attention is directed to individuals. In chapter 2 we read that every day the Lord had brought in additions, such [p. 345] as should be saved, but now beginning at chapter 3, attention is called to individuals who stand out in distinction — men — grown men in their minds. In Ephesians we have the full divine thought as to men; “until we all arrive at the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, at the full-grown man” (Ephesians 4:13); the end in view in all ministry is that the saints should be no longer babes, but full-grown men.
I touch now on Peter and John, who are singled out. You will remember that when the Lord found Peter he was with Andrew his brother, and when He found John he was in the company of his brother James, but now the Lord takes them out of their natural settings, out of what might hold them naturally. It is important to recognise the sovereignty of the Lord in His choice of His people and in His setting them together. Peter and John are presented as a lovely picture of two brothers in the spiritual sense, taken out of their natural settings — Peter taken from Andrew, and John taken from James — and then set together spiritually, and they are truly together. If you were to analyse the influences which draw saints together in any special way, you would be surprised to find how much of the natural there is, but these men are taken out of their natural settings and are truly set together in a spiritual way. It is a great thing to find “two of you” (Matthew 18:19) at the present time — not two persons in the flesh, not two relatives, not two with the same dispositions naturally, but “two of you” — two of the assembly. The assembly is a spiritual conception in Matthew, and the materials are the result of the Father’s revelation. Peter and John were two who were set together spiritually, and they are found going up together to the temple at the hour of prayer. What a spectacle for heaven to look upon! It was at the ninth hour — the hour of prayer. Not many weeks before this the Lord Jesus had died at that very hour,
[p. 346] and no doubt their thoughts would be going back to that event, and they are found united spiritually as they went up to the temple at the time of the day in which it occurred. I would put it to you to consider the value of prayer under such conditions: “If two of you shall agree on the earth concerning any matter, whatsoever it may be that they shall ask, it shall come to them from my Father who is in the heavens” Matthew 18:19. Mark what it says, “It shall come to them”, and God will see that it does come to them.
I pass on now to the next example of manhood — another of the trees, so to speak, growing on the banks of this great river of grace and power, namely, Barnabas. He is a prince, according to God, and being possessed of land, having sold it, he brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles. He is spoken of in the end of Acts 4 as coming forward in a princely way; he is not mean or small. Sometimes there are those who have no means spiritually, but the book of Deuteronomy provides for such; the poor brother should be taken care of bountifully. No demand is made upon Barnabas; he simply came forward, as of old the princes of Israel came forward, each prince upon his day, and for twelve days the wonderful procedure detailed in Numbers 7 went on, until the twelve great men of Israel had each made his offering. The Holy Spirit spreads it all out before us in that long chapter of eighty-nine verses, so that we might get some idea of what a prince really is. Princes are men of spiritual means — not petty men, and they look at things from the divine side; and so Barnabas is named “son of consolation” (Acts 4:36); he becomes a great binding influence between Jerusalem and the work of God at Antioch. He had the confidence of his brethren and so was sent down by the assembly in Jerusalem to Antioch as fitted to meet the need there. “He was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” Acts 11:24.
[p. 347] Then we come to Stephen; he is a witness to another feature of manhood — his face shone as the face of an angel. There was in him a reflection of what is in heaven. He had no definite appointment save that he was a deacon, but as such he had purchased to himself “a good degree, and much boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” 1 Timothy 3:14. Stephen represents what is within our reach on the line of exercise; it is not a question of appointment; it is a great result reached through devotedness; he becomes a marvellous witness, one who boldly faces the enemies of Christ, and brings in demonstration by the power of the Spirit as to their guilt. He is a great servant, and a martyr. We are of little account unless we are prepared for martyrdom, and Stephen represents manhood which shows itself in martyrdom — a man who can stand up for the truth before the fiercest opposition and suffer for it.
The next one we come to is Philip — another example of most remarkable development in service. The need for servants at the present time is very great; the Lord said to His disciples, “The harvest is great, and the workmen are few; supplicate therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth workmen unto his harvest” Matthew 9:37,38. Philip represents a true servant; he went down to Samaria. Had he been governed by national feeling he would have avoided Samaria, for it was a rival of Jerusalem. He preached Christ there. We have no mention that any special gift for preaching had been given to him before this. You may say, ‘I have no gift for preaching’, but how can you know you have no gift, if you have not even tried to preach? We read that there was great joy in that city; he had preached Christ unto them; one of the best marks in a preacher is that he preaches Christ. I am seeking to point out how the ability for preaching is attained, but in order to find that you have it, you must first preach.
[p. 348] Philip no doubt realised that he could do nothing, but the preaching of Christ implies that He can do everything, for He was anointed to effect all for God. All the preaching is by Christ; He “preached the glad tidings of peace to you who were afar off, and the glad tidings of peace to those who were nigh” (Ephesians 2:17); it is all done by Christ Himself: “Whether Christ should suffer; whether he ... should announce light both to the people and to the nations” Acts 26:23. This feature of manhood on the banks of the river, so to speak, attained a great result in Samaria, and there was divine recognition of it, for when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent down Peter and John. Then Philip is recognised by heaven — through the angel. The angel represents the providence of God; another sphere of service is opened up to him.
As there is a disposition to serve, God in His providence makes way for you; it is not always necessary to leave your secular employment, for in the providence of God your employment may be the means of placing you where you can serve effectively. Here it is the divine recognition of Philip in a providential way, and although you cannot always know God by providence, yet it is evident here that the providence of God is concerned with the preaching. God may thus send you to some place where you would not naturally go; thus we need to be careful not to allow our natural feelings to act. Paul says, “if I announce the glad tidings, I have nothing to boast of; for a necessity is laid upon me; for it is woe to me if I should not announce the glad tidings. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with an administration” 1 Corinthians 9:16,17.
So Philip goes to the desert; there was nothing there to attract one governed by the flesh; and as the Ethiopian passes, the Holy Spirit says to Philip,
“Approach and join this chariot” Acts 8:29. It is a great thing to be spoken to by the Spirit of God; later, Philip was caught away by the Spirit; he is entirely under the control of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit honours Philip by calling him “the evangelist” Acts 21:8. This feature of manhood as expressed in Philip is greatly needed at the present time, and he is an encouragement to all who would come forward to preach. The Holy Spirit will direct you, and you will be duly honoured, as Philip was. He is said to have had four daughters who prophesied — showing that his influence in his house was good.
I finish now by referring to Paul, who specially comes into our present subject, for he towers above all the others. He comes before us in Acts 9, and in him we see that feature of manhood brought to light which is connected with a change in the ways of God; for when Paul appears, new movements of God are seen. Stephen and Philip came forward voluntarily, but now the Lord takes a direct hand in providing servants. We must always look for this — direct movement from the Lord Himself; when you see those in responsibility lagging behind, you may depend upon it that the Lord will Himself take matters in hand; He must be ever in control, so here (Acts 9) He converts and sends out a great preacher. He speaks from heaven and converts Saul of Tarsus and makes him the mightiest of His vessels of grace; Paul could say, “His grace which was towards me, has not been vain; but I have laboured more abundantly than they all” 1 Corinthians 15:10. This is manhood in a peculiar connection — manhood brought in by the Lord as changing the whole state of affairs. Saul began by prayer, “What shall I do, Lord?” Acts 22:10. It is a question now of what the Lord is going to do, and He sends Saul to the assembly: “rise up and enter into the city” Acts 9:6. The Lord even goes before to prepare the brethren to receive him, for He [p. 350] tells Ananias to arise and go to Saul, and his introduction is, “Behold, he is praying” Acts 9:11. It was that kind of manhood, such as marked the Lord Jesus Himself; for prayer is expressive of one in entire dependence upon God.
Well, brethren, that is all I have to say; my thought is that this wonderful dispensation that we have been speaking about has been inaugurated in suffering, in Christ; it is to be continued in suffering, and it is to end in suffering. If it is to end in suffering, it must be suffering in men. The men I have spoken of were all marked by suffering, and so it should be in our time. Remember what the apostle said to Timothy, “Take thy share in suffering” (2 Timothy 2:3), and “but suffer evil along with the glad tidings, according to the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8), and exhibit that spirit of forgiveness which is based on righteousness, and which was so perfectly expressed by the Lord Himself when He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
Pages 351 - 595 — “The Work and the Workmen”. Readings and Addresses, 1927 (Volume 89).