THE REMNANT
[p. 74] THE REMNANT
Isaiah 7:2-15; Isaiah 7:21; Isaiah 9:6
I have been encouraged to turn to Isaiah, and to these chapters, as indicating how the truth is developed in a remnant of God’s people. And when I refer to a remnant I do not mean a part — a fragment; it is not in this way that the idea is treated in Scripture. In principle, it embraces the whole, for it contains the substance. According to chapter 6 the ‘trunk’ — a figure taken from the terebinth — remains, although felled (verse 13). And thus in the remnant is said to be the “holy seed”; that which is of God in the nature of a seed for productiveness is there, the “holy seed” is said to be the trunk of it. And so chapter 7 takes up the thought and follows it through the immediately succeeding chapters. In chapter 9 there is the recognition of Christ as on their side: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given”
What I wish to emphasise is the development of the truth as involving headship, and the patience of God. Some of us take little account of the patience of God in His dealings with us. We are moved at times by ministry, but we overlook what it has cost God to provide it. Whatever comes to us in the way of ministry, refreshment and edification, is from God. He is constantly taking account of our needs, not only the current needs, but coming ones. So that in view of the continuance of the testimony here, God is now preparing for it. In making this provision He selects His own vessels, and in due course His selection comes to light. We may quarrel with it; this is inevitable if the flesh works, but in result we shall see that God’s selection is wise. And so, in dealing with the remnant here He approaches [p. 75] those responsible, but He approaches them for their encouragement; “the house of David” is mentioned. True enough Ahaz was of the lineage of David, but I think there is more than that in the reference. God was still standing by that house. “It was told the house of David” that there was a confederacy against him, and he was moved as the trees of the forest are moved by the wind. It is well indeed to take account of evil; it is not wise to ignore it, especially a confederacy. A confederacy is the most potent of all opposition to God; organised opposition is the most serious. And so you find in the gospel of Matthew, which is calculated to meet this, in support of the testimony in the assembly, that the Lord deals with twos. Indeed, this number is employed on the side of evil as well as of good. The evil is met by the good on its own ground. Thus we have “two of you” — two of the assembly — as over against two demoniacs, two blind men, etc.
Here the prophet is indicating patience and that, dear brethren, is what I wish to emphasise — the patience of God; how He will not pass over those responsible; He would treat them with the utmost kindness, giving them all due credit. Ahaz is of the house of David, and his heart is moved; he has no means of meeting the confederacy, which proves that he had not been accustomed to rely on the power of God; but God would assure him of His interest in him. How often it is that we are unable to cope with the confederacy through which the enemy would attack us! Therefore the word is, “Fear not” I want to show that the secret of that lay in Ahaz understanding the headship of these confederacies, for all must turn on this ultimately. “For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin ... and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son” verses 8,9. What kind of heads were these? Attention is called [p. 76] to the persons, and these must be compared with Christ, who is our Head. It is one Head, not two or more.
What you get in the epistle to the Corinthians is the development of wisdom. The way out, in every difficulty, is by wisdom. Now, Corinthians does not give you headship fully, it leads you up to it, I mean collectively. It teaches that Christ is made that unto us: “Who has been made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness, and holiness, and redemption”; 1 Corinthians 1:30 but that is objective, that is what He is. He is available to us as wisdom.
But then, as the man must lead, the apostle says, “Christ is the head of every man” 1 Corinthians 11:3. It is an individual matter: before I can arrive at what is collective I have got to know Christ as my own Head. Every brother, therefore, is responsible to come into the apprehension of Christ as his Head. In that fact he has got a certain superiority over his wife — he is her head, for God would put things right in our households. If things are not right in our houses they will not be right in the assembly, and so Christ is Head to the man. It is man there in contrast to woman. He begins to discover the superiority of wisdom in the ruling of his house; his superiority must lie in wisdom, and Christ is become his Head for that. So that, whatever mistakes have been made, there is a way out, or rather I should say, a way back, for it is ever thus, and the retracing of steps is humiliating. It may be, indeed, that things have been done that cannot be undone, and the government of God goes on, but certainly where there has been deflection, wisdom leads us to retrace our steps. It is in the retracing of steps taken in folly that we show we are learning wisdom; it is humiliating, but wholesome.
And so Jehovah says to Isaiah, “Go out ... thou and thy son”; what the previous history of that [p. 77] boy was Scripture does not say, but at this juncture he was such as Isaiah could take with him; he was available for divine use. “Go out now to meet Ahaz, thou and thy son Shear-jashub” — I can see the prophet on his way; “at the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field” — suggestive places! We are in the presence here of divine thoughts, beloved; a prophet of God with a message in his heart from God, on his way to meet the king in the places mentioned. A matter this of little importance to the mere passer-by, an ordinary matter indeed, a man with his son by his side, but an extraordinary matter to faith. I look at that boy, and I look abroad on the position of Judah; I think of the thoughts of God in connection with Jerusalem and the house of David — what a picture! I think of Ahaz; what hope is there in him? I look at that boy; what is his name? Shear-jashub(’). It is not here that there is a remnant, or that there shall be a remnant, but that a remnant shall return — there must be the retracing of steps. Every step taken in folly has to be retraced. Every word spoken in folly has to be undone. Every bit of conduct done in folly has to be owned. A remnant shall return. Am I to be in it? Is there anyone here who has not learned something of retracing steps? Have we all moved out of false positions, false associations? Others are doing it; others will continue to do it. Am I doing it? Am I in the movement? And so I look at the boy, and his name speaks volumes: “A remnant shall return” What about that upper pool and the conduit to it? I am to come into the good of the water; and a ‘fuller’ means that there is to be whitening; compare Mark 9:3. These all have their voice as to what God is doing.
What does Ahaz think about all this? He has got a word from God, “Fear not” He is encouraged [p. 78] of God not to fear. Think of the grace of God in dealing thus with a man like Ahaz! He says to him, “If ye believe not, surely ye shall not be established” verse 9. It must be on the principle of faith; God is appealing to us on that principle. We have part in the returning remnant by faith, and by faith we are established, as of it. God further says to Ahaz, “Ask for thee a sign from Jehovah thy God; ask for it in the deep, or in the height above” verse 11. A sign in the height above, beloved friends! I have no faith in calculations based on historical events; they are no signs, they are not reliable. Look up for the sign in the heights; that is where God begins to act. I look down into the depths, God moved there — what a sign! Need I ask for more? I want to know something about the heavens, what God does there, and what He has done in the depths. Think of Christ in the heart of the earth! But Ahaz says, “I will not ask, and will not tempt Jehovah” What false piety! Many of us are hindered by false piety; it is the flesh, it is the very essence of unbelief. And so Jehovah says to him, “Will ye weary my God?” How much of it there is! By false piety God and the saints are wearied.
And now God says, “Therefore will the Lord himself give you a sign” Beloved brethren, one would wish to emphasise the wonderful grace of God in moving so infinitely above our poor unbelieving hearts. He says, “Therefore will the Lord himself give you a sign”; it is to be a Babe, for in truth we have to begin small in returning; hence the place children have in this section. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and shall bring forth a son, and call his name Immanuel” That is the sign; left to Himself, that is the sign that God gives. Are we content with God’s way? In bringing in a child, is it not to remind me that I am to begin there, if I am to advance into headship? I look at Damascus and Rezin, and I look at Remaliah’s son — political heads; I might write a book about these heads, but what do I know about headship? What do historians know about headship? What do philosophers know about headship? They may pull it down. I might write an essay on Rezin and expose him to the world as a man wanting in political skill or in military prowess, and all the while be utterly devoid of wisdom. One sees books all around, exposing current leaders in this world; the Christian needs them not. The Christian knows what Samaria and Damascus and Rezin and Remaliah’s son stand for; he needs not biographies or histories to instruct him that wisdom is not there. He knows that these heads are truly devoid of wisdom. As it says, “The world by wisdom has not known God” 1 Corinthians 1:21 and “That hidden [wisdom] ... which none of the princes of this age knew, (for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;)” 1 Corinthians 2:7,8 They are wiped out as by a stroke whatever they may have been, politically or philosophically, all are consigned to oblivion as wanting in wisdom, the “hidden wisdom” The believer knows it, and the believer begins as a little child. I have got to learn everything; I have got to begin at the bottom. I know nothing, and can but know nothing spiritually unless I begin as a little child. This babe is to be named Immanuel (God with us). That is a great lesson for the Christian to learn; it is on the positive side — “God with us” It is not yet we with Him, but He with us.
In keeping with what I have been saying, I turn to the verse lower down, “And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep, and it shall come to pass, from the abundance of milk they shall give, [that] he shall eat butter ... and honey” verses 21,22. He says in effect, I see that this wonderful Babe called Immanuel ate butter and honey, and I must have such food. It is [p. 80] a question of food. There can be no development in the things of God — and that specially applies to the young — unless there is proper food; without this I shall never have a spiritual constitution. I begin to see this, and then I say, Where am I going to get the food? for outwardly we are in impoverished circumstances. It is a question of getting proper food; if there is not proper food in our meetings, how can the young get on? And so this man, in the light of the food Immanuel eats, sets about patiently to get it. He nourishes a young cow; he understands that milk comes thus, and butter comes from milk. It is through a process involving care and toil.
Dear brethren, we represent many meetings here. What about this painstaking, calculating way of bringing in such food for the saints that they may be built up in constitutions like Christ’s? for that is the idea. Anything different must be rejected. For in heaven we shall all be like Him, constitutionally; otherwise, too, of course, but constitutionally we shall be like Him. It is one of the most important features for those who care for the saints, that the young should be built up constitutionally like Christ. The man nourishes “a young cow and two sheep” so that there is abundance of milk, and everyone partakes of butter and honey. The butter is brought about by a process; the book of Proverbs tells us about that: “For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter” Proverbs 30:33. So that butter, the food of Immanuel, is available; very simple, but very nourishing.
Then we have the honey, which is also the result of great care. It is a mutual thing; butter represents individual exercise. For honey there must be mutual exercise and contribution from everyone in the company. The young produce as the old do. It is a question of production, and wisdom knows how to bring in the mutual element. So that the honey is [p. 81] sweeter than the butter; the mutual products are sweeter. A spiritual address is pleasing, but what can be more delightful than the mutual production? Reciprocal affections, as the saints are together in the unity of the Spirit is what should be specially cultivated. “If then [there be] any comfort in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of [the] Spirit, if any bowels and compassions, fulfil my joy, that ye may think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking one thing” Philippians 2:1,2.
There is much in between the passages I read, too much to deal with now, but it enters into the history of the remnant. You get another child called Maher-shalal-hash-baz (meaning ‘swift for spoil, hasty for prey’ ), a very different child; his name refers to the Assyrian power (chapter 8), but as he reaches “to the neck” he encounters Immanuel. The land is His and the remnant understand this. They are conscious now of support; it is not a babe, it is the active presence of God amongst them; “God is with us” they say (verse 10); they are supported by Him in the presence of the Assyrian and of the confederacy among the mass of the people. God was hiding His face from the apostate nation, but the remnant would have the law and testimony among them: “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait for Jehovah, who hideth his face from the house of Jacob; and I will look for him” Isaiah 8:16,17 And then, “Behold, I and the children that Jehovah hath given me” Isaiah 8:18 Look at that, beloved! being brought under Christ in the relationship of children.
And now they say, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace” chapter 9:6. Their eyes have been opened to the greatness of the Person as thus known, “Unto us a child is born” We come to see what He is on our side: “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder” Now we have the solution of everything; we have One who is capable of headship; Christ is Head over all things to the assembly. We discern the heads of this world, that they are devoid of wisdom; we are now in the full light of Christ as Head according to God. “The government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace” We have come to apprehend Christ in the greatness of His Person.
He is ‘Counsellor’. We take counsel with Him. And He is ‘Wonderful’. The things He does amongst us are truly wonderful! As I was saying yesterday, if we were called upon to give our experiences, what a record we could give! but we hold them as Paul did. He kept it secret for fourteen years that he had been in the third heaven. He did not tell everything out; he was greater inwardly than outwardly. This was in keeping with Christ as typified in the ark of the covenant; He was greater inwardly than He was in His external appearance. The unspiritual man makes a show of what he is and has, but the spiritual man is content that his greatness is hidden. He waits for the time of display; he knows that his life is hid with Christ in God, and he waits for the time “when the Christ is manifested who is our life” when we shall “be manifested with him in glory” Colossians 3:3,4. So that we are not here to tell our experiences; it is not the time for this; but they are nevertheless wonderful. It is said of the angel who visited Manoah and his wife that he “did wondrously” Judges 13:19.
‘Wonderful’ is His name, and this is understood by the remnant. He who is Wonderful has gone up into heaven, but is coming out presently, and we [p. 83] shall have part with Him. And so, as I said, we are greater inwardly than outwardly. The Father works in the inner man; Ephesians 3:16. We read also, “But if indeed our outward man is consumed, yet the inward is renewed day by day” 2 Corinthians 4:16. I am not saying that there is not to be testimony, nor that the life of Jesus is not to be seen in us — in our mortal body, but the inner is the greater: “What we shall be has not yet been manifested; we know that if it is manifested, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” 1 John 3:2.
Then He is the “Mighty God” Jesus is known to us as the Mighty God! what can He not do? What contingency can He not deal with? And He is the “Father of Eternity” Let us worship in our hearts as we think of it — “Father of Eternity” for that is how it reads. The Man with whom we are identified as rejected is the Father of Eternity. Marvellous expression! And He is “Prince of Peace” — the Prince of it! Well, that is what is available; that is what the Lord is as known by His people in remnant times. We are thus prepared for Colossians. It is a question of learning wisdom in Christ; first in our houses and then in the assembly, and being governed by it. Colossians prepares us for the assembly; Christ is Head there of the body, the assembly; in Ephesians He is Head over all things to the assembly. The very greatest things are opened up to us at the present time, but it is a question of beginning small and being subject; learning folly, as in Ahaz, and repudiating it, and learning wisdom as in Christ, and walking in it. May God bless His word!
Pages 84 - 248 — “Standing by the Cross of Jesus”. Great Britain, 1928 (Volume 91).