EARLY FEATURES OF THE SERVICE OF GOD
[p. 337] EARLY FEATURES OF THE SERVICE OF GOD
JT These verses would help us to see and understand the early features of the service of God. In the passage read in Job, Jehovah Himself is speaking, and evidently refers to mutual feelings and movement among the morning stars occasioned by what He had done; they sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. That would suggest mutual feeling in relation to what is presented to us by God at any given time, and is foundational as to the service of God. Exodus 15 shows that leadership marked the service of God at the beginning, Moses and the children of Israel sang. Any right understanding of the facts relative to the subject in the New Testament will enable us to see how these thoughts appear there, mutual feeling in response being evident in regard to what is being presented by God. The record of the partaking of the Lord’s supper in Matthew and Mark ends up with this thought of mutual feeling; they sang a hymn, evidently they were affected together by what had come before them. Then we have leadership as in Luke 24, the Lord being in the midst of His own, He led them out. We also have the fact that the Spirit leads — “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”, Romans 8:14. I thought we might consider the two scriptures read in the Old Testament with these thoughts in mind so that we might know how to take part in the service of God in the assembly. All that enters into the partaking of the Lord’s supper is more on the mutual side — the leadership of Christ is subsequent — we came together to break bread, Luke says. The experience together promotes mutual feeling, but specially in [p. 338] regard of what is presented, so that love has its place, and it is as those mutually together that we are equal to being led, whether it be by the Lord, or by the Spirit. Exodus 15 is the first introduction of the service of God formally, not as required by Him, but as the outcome of the state of the people. Verse 31 of chapter 14 says, “And Israel saw the great power with which Jehovah had wrought against the Egyptians; and the people feared Jehovah, and believed in Jehovah, and in Moses his bondman. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel”. Exodus 14:31. We have Jehovah and His servant Moses, the one appointed to lead His people, before us, for they were led as a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel” would be the outcome of the state reached at the end of chapter 14, involving their recognition of the leader or, mediator, Moses, God’s bondman. So that in the celebration of the Lord’s supper it is our matter, our doing. We come together to break bread, assemble indeed, and as there is a steady increase of mutual feeling, the Spirit of God having His place with us, a condition is reached suitable for the Lord to come in and have part, a condition in which He Himself serves, He leads.
EG Is the singing and the shouting in Job 38:7 the outcome of Christ coming in as the corner stone?
JT There is a certain ornamentation in what is done. Applied to the assembly it would be that. We have Jehovah asking these questions, “Where wast thou when I founded the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who set the measures thereof — if thou knowest? or who stretched a line upon it? Whereupon were the foundations thereof sunken?” It is a question of what God has done. The heavens are not included, the earth is spoken of. So understanding is in mind: “If thou hast understanding”. It seems as if it is a [p. 339] challenge to us as taking part in the service of God, whether it is with understanding of what is presented to us.
FI Does the singing in Job precede or follow what you read in Exodus 15?
JT I should say it preceded it historically, and indeed in the service; mutual feeling is basic in the service of God.
Ques Does that spring from the appreciation of the love of Christ that everyone would have?
JT Yes, we are affected by what is presented to us, affected together, so it reminds us of the need of eliminating all that would interfere with mutual understanding of what is presented. There is to be power to disallow all that is extraneous to what is presented at the time. God would help us to do this. “I myself with the mind serve God’s law”, Romans 7:25 whatever that law may be, and whatever its particular application. Then there is the renewing of the mind, so that as having our minds in control, each of us can eliminate all that is extraneous and arrive together at the one thing before us. There is much that we could speak of to God in the way of thanksgiving that would be out of place in the assembly. What is immediately presented to us in the Lord’s supper is within certain limits, and we are able to eliminate from our minds all that is not in keeping with that.
Ques Would it involve sensitiveness as to what is working in the affections of others, as we sit down together?
JT That is what I was thinking. Our minds are alike. We are together mutually: we meet together and “the Lord is the maker of them all”. Proverbs 22:2. Normally each believer has arrived at a point where he has control of his mind. Having control of my mind, I do not allow it to be lawless, I do not admit anything unsuitable; that makes way for [p. 340] divine operations.
ADT Does the drinking out of one cup produce mutual feeling?
JT All that is presented to us in the Lord’s supper is calculated to produce mutual feeling, so that we have in this passage in Job the mutual thought, antitypically the morning stars sang together. They would all be affected by what they saw, what Jehovah did before their eyes. The morning stars are symbolical, expressing the mutual side; the sons of God follow; they shout for joy; they are more affected.
PHH What is involved in singing? It comes in many times in Scripture, saints singing, the Lord Jesus singing; what exactly does it have in mind for us in relation to the service of God?
JT It involves a power that God has placed in us, He made man’s mouth, He made the whole vocal system, the most wonderful in the whole creation, the most wonderful piece of work by the Creator. Speaking, of course, is the outcome of calculated balanced thought; singing is more an expression of sentiment and feeling, but proceeding in a musical setting. It affords pleasure, but I think the word denotes celebration, giving expression to our admiration of what God has done in relation to creation, a wonderful thing to see; but in redemption, as in Exodus 15, the people are directly involved; they are benefiting directly from what has happened. It moves us to holy sympathetic feeling, and yet intelligence, because singing involves words and the words convey what is intelligent and intelligible. The Lord sang in the midst of the assembly. Singing may not go as far as praising, but the Lord went as far as praising and singing.
Rem The sisters have an equal part in that.
JT They do; perhaps there is more body in their part.
HP Is the singing in the nature [p. 341] of response?
JT Quite so, admiration of what was seen, what God was doing. It seems to me to be very interesting that God would bring us back to that point. Earlier in the book of Job we are told that the sons of God on two occasions had come up to present themselves before Jehovah, so there is some link there. God takes them back here to certain things that He did Himself. It is very significant He brings in this matter of singing together, singing because of what was there.
AJG Does it suggest that God has always cherished the thought of having His creatures sympathetically responsive to Himself, and being responded to by sons? These thoughts are developed in the particular light in which God is revealed.
JT Quite so, one star differs from another in glory, and each has its name. They would shine, they would be for testimony — lights; they on their part would celebrate their Creator. Antitypically, of course, the stars and the sons would be the same persons; saints viewed in that light to shine as lights in the world. We are affected in testimony, we are not inert or without feeling in our testimony; we admire what there is of God. In sonship it would be the family thought.
WC Would the spirit underlying Romans 16 enter into the way the saints come together? As taking account of each other and the spirit of the salutations one to another, something of the morning star idea would be seen?
JT You mean each person had some distinctive feature that would shine?
WC In the recognition and appreciation of one another, the idea of salutation comes in.
JT A very good suggestion at this point, involving mutual feeling. The stars would be the saints in their testimony, not a family thought, although by [p. 342] extension we can connect the sun, moon and stars as a family. The allusion in Joseph’s dream to the sun, moon and stars, as Jacob understood them, would imply a family, a father, mother and the children, but as set in the heavens the stars are for lights, made also as the sun and the moon, but they are secondary, as the children would be in a family secondary to the parents. They are to shine, however, and in the shining they are feeling as seen in the type, whereas the sons would go further, suggesting the family thought, “shouting”; they are in known relationship.
Ques Is there significance in the fact that the singing is regulated by David? It does not seem to be given a very prominent part in the service of God until his time. Is there anything to be learnt in that?
JT I think there is. I think Exodus is more mutual. Although we have Moses, yet in the building of the tabernacle there is hardly any stress on the graded work of God which would develop into princes. Under David the princely thought is stressed in relation to the house, but in Exodus it is not so; it is the thought of one’s heart prompting him, that is the heave offering, not so much what he has. So that we get in the type of the tabernacle that every person is in his place. The princely thought is not stressed in the giving in Exodus. I believe Exodus lays the basis of what we are saying, although we have leadership in Moses; but under David, we have himself and the princes; there is substance in what they represent. Therefore in coming together in assembly, we are mutual — “we being assembled”, Luke says Acts 20:7; although there were princes there, there was variety, including Paul and Luke himself; that would soon show itself as the service went on, that is as the service proceeds we discover what wealth there is.
Ques Would the morning stars in that way bring out the distinctiveness of each in the testimony [p. 343] as mutually together and merged bodywise in view of the Lord having His place distinctively?
JT You can count so many. The hundred and twenty persons in Acts 1 each had a name, and as the book of Acts proceeds, we find out what is really there. There is a great variety in that company, a variety of formation and glory. It is one of the most interesting subjects, what was in that upper room and what developed, but the names begin — so many persons; what develops brings out the distinctions. It is that that makes way for leadership, because it is not only that the Lord takes part as leading in the assembly — the Spirit too — but the work of God in the persons present enters into the leadership. I do not know whether that is plain, but it ought to be considered. This or that brother may take part, but the work of God must be recognised, mutuality must make room for the work of God in all its phases.
AB Would leadership be emphasised in the princely giving in Numbers 7? Would princes lead in giving?
JT That is where princely qualities come out. It is voluntary. Every Israelite could not give what each of those gave, and we must make room for them. I may say I have the same liberty as another, but have I?
AJG Do you mean the Lord’s leadership in the assembly takes place through princes?
JT Certainly; we must make room for Him through them.
Rem Referring to 1 Chronicles 29:6, “The chief fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and the comptrollers of the king’s business, offered willingly”. And verse 8: “They with whom stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of Jehovah”. 1 Chronicles 29:8.
[p. 344] It seems as though all the people were drawn into the matter by that means.
JT Quite so. In the chapters of the book of Ezekiel that treat of the sanctuary and the service of God we have a prince, never called a king in that relation. Sometimes he mingles with the people as one of them and sometimes he is seen alone (see Ezekiel 44:3; Ezekiel 46:8 - 10), but at any time it soon shows itself that he is a prince, not merely official, but able to furnish sacrifices for all the people — a very remarkable thing; every Israelite could not do that.
Rem In Josiah’s time the Spirit of God put them next after the king (2 Chronicles 35:8).
JT Exactly, therefore I think the prince in Ezekiel extends further than Christ Himself. The thought rises up to Christ Himself; He alone could embody it in its fulness, but it is a graded thought and can be seen in others, so that we must make full room for the work of God in our meetings, not merely so many persons breaking bread, but the work of God. There is the idea of numbering the persons in Acts, but that is not all; in Paul’s epistles you hardly get any idea of number — I do not know that you ever get an assembly number — it is a question of the work of God.
PHH Paul seemed to be much more free in presenting his ministry in some assemblies than in others because there was more work of God there.
JT The Corinthians missed a great deal as they did not make room for him. What a prince he was! They did not see that on his first visit; they could not see it. In the second letter he begins to tell them what he had gone through; they did not make room for it. Think of the wealth he had acquired. It was fourteen years before he told them he had been in the third heaven — what princely qualities that [p. 345] would furnish!
ESH Would a portion of Psalm 68 fit in with what you are saying, from verse 24: “They have seen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. The singers went before, the players on stringed instruments after”? Psalm 68:24,25. Is that the same idea?
JT Very good, I am glad you brought that in: that psalm is full of richness.
HP Is it seen in Acts 13, where we first have the assembly functioning among the gentiles? Various names are mentioned, would they suggest princes?
JT Just so. They were in the assembly that was there. The better known they were, the more place, I believe, would be given to them.
Ques Do I gather you are stressing that the mutual state must precede the princely feature coming forward?
JT That is what I understand. It is a very important matter. We begin with so many saints in the meeting; we can count them, the number of the names, and then the thought arises, What is there under each name? We have to make room for what may be there; it is the full work of God that makes room for God.
EG Would five words with the understanding indicate the work of God?
JT It shows how room was made. The understanding in the believer comes in; he knows how to control himself and he does not go beyond his measure. Another may say more. We want to get the wealth there is, whatever there is. Let there be scope for the development of what is there. Mutual feeling affected by what God presents will make room for what is there. That is, there are no rival feelings, no effort to be prominent in the service, but each taking part according to what he is.
Ques Is the leadership definitely in connection with the princes? “And the prince of princes of the Levites was Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest”. Numbers 3:[p. 346] 32.
JT Quite so, he had princes under him. There would be no rival feeling about anyone like that.
Ques It says, “Hezekiah ... gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the house of Jehovah”, 2 Chronicles 29:20. Do you think that makes it a local matter for the time being as we sit down together? Does that make it concrete, the personnel gathered as we sit down?
JT Certainly, each of us ought to have an estimate of the value of brethren. One would seek to know the brethren. We have it also in Scripture — “I know him”. We arrive at it by holy, affectionate observation of what there is in the meeting, and make room for it; it is placed there by God.
PHH When you come to the thought of leadership, particularly as you remark in Exodus, does that mean that the song is going deeper or higher? I was thinking that in Exodus 15 it speaks about singing unto Jehovah, then, “My strength and song is Jah” and then “my God”. There are at least three names by which God is expressed, and “Jah”, I understand, suggests very high ground.
JT Yes. There is a deeper penetration in the title “Jah” than in the use of the title “Jehovah” or “God”, and princely qualities would show themselves, power of discernment, as the service goes on higher and higher. There is not supposed to be a drop, or a reduction of spiritual power; we are to be sustained.
Ques Referring to the princes under Hezekiah, it says they brought certain things without being told to bring them, and as all these matters proceed, it says at the end, “And king Hezekiah and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise to Jehovah with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and bowed their heads and worshipped”. 2 Chronicles 29:[p. 347] 30.
Is that the highest note?
JT To bring David in would be the suggestion of the highest note.
Ques How does the end of 2 Chronicles 5 bear on what you have in mind? The thought of mutuality seems to come out there, then the glory of the Lord comes in.
JT The participants are Levites or priests; it is mutuality, of course, but not as we come together to break bread. The participants are viewed as representing spirituality, not simply so many persons; although we have a hundred and twenty priests they represent spirituality. Leadership is not there, it is the exalted Spiritual state in the assembly that is typified, so that room is made for the glory to come in.
The princely feature of the work of God is in view in David and Solomon; here in Exodus 15 it is the mediator and the people, Moses and the people; it is leadership here.
Ques You mentioned earlier the thought of the leading of the Spirit, besides the leading of the Lord. What had you in mind?
JT We have these initial thoughts in view in Job and Exodus, but we may well look at the New Testament for leadership. When the Lord came in, according to Luke 24:36, things were not right — not that there was not wealth there — and the Lord had to bring in adjustment, and He did: He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures, Moses and the prophets and the psalms. After that the thought of leading comes in; His leading comes in as we are all together, affected by what is presented to us. We come together; that is, so many persons, but there is spiritual wealth as at Troas, and what is presented to us has an effect upon that. Spiritual measure in the saints will be [p. 348] affected by what is presented; they discern and value what is presented; then that makes way; the Lord waits for that. Really that ought to appear in the part relating to the Lord’s supper, because so much is presented to us in it. What follows on the Lord’s supper itself is not the result of what is presented, it is the result of what is there, being led. Each initially would be affected by what is presented. Paul would be affected more than anybody at the Lord’s supper: he would be affected by what the bread and the cup present.
HP Do we learn leadership in the assembly as following the Lord’s supper? What you have been speaking of leads on to Christ as leading in the midst of the assembly.
JT Just what we have been saying. Take the princes that were there at Troas, seven names are mentioned of men that accompanied Paul; these would all understand Paul, and we are told there were many lights in the upper chamber, an allusion also to what was there. There was a very low state in one young man; he was not affected and that is often the case, but where the work of God has taken effect in our souls we would be affected by what is presented to us; no matter how many times we have taken the Lord’s supper, the greater the spiritual formation, the more we would be affected. Those who are shallow in their formation should discern that and accept it, and take part according to that, and make room for what is there in others. What we are dealing with now is the work of God. The assembly is the home of the work of God in persons, the place where rivalry is eliminated; not that we are simply so many brethren, but we are brethren mutually in the way we are affected by what is presented, each in his measure. Here we have in Job the idea of measure. God says, “Who set the measures thereof — if thou knowest?” That is the principle of [p. 349] measure; God is the God of measure. Exodus brings it in. The assembly is where measure has the greatest place, because of the supreme spiritual refinement that belongs to it.
Ques Does leadership through substance in the service of praise to God stand related to the Corinthian position?
JT Yes. The second epistle brings in the thought of measurement. Paul says, “A measure to reach even unto you”. 2 Corinthians 10:13. But what was their measure? — did it reach to him? It did not, they did not know his measure. They had leadership there, but that leadership had diverted from Paul, from the work of God; that often happens. It stands very intimately related to the Corinthian epistles, and the point is, if I find my measure is very small, I am to recognise it. If I recognised it, I would not push myself forward. I may have an intelligent apprehension of things, but the work of God is what one is. If I have a true estimate of my own measure, I recognise that others have a greater measure, and the Lord has put them there because they have it, and room is to be made for them, otherwise God will not get what is due to Him in the gathering.
PL John 12 illustrates that, the substance there becomes available.
JT A good reference — you mean Mary. Mary had the thing. If Judas had known that she was going to speak, that is to say, going to use the ointment, he probably would have interfered with it. Many do. It was after she anointed the Lord that he spoke, and he should not have spoken; he was not qualified. It often happens that the most unqualified brother takes part because others who could do not, and therefore they make room for such a man as that. A long pause makes room for such a voice as that of Judas; not that any brother is a Judas, but he was a person not qualified to speak. Room is [p. 350] made for unspiritual people when the spiritual do not take part.
AJG Referring again to the leading of the Spirit, do I gather that you said this is connected with what there is in the souls of the saints? Would that be as following on a lead given by the Lord through a prince?
JT Just so. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. Romans 8:14. They are marked off, I think, by the part they take in the assembly, by their spirituality. These brothers ought to be allowed full scope, because the Lord is going to come in through such; they make room for Him. These brothers are led by the Spirit of God, not by their own promptings. The promptings of the Spirit of God make room for Him. It is in that way that we get the leadership. Of course the Spirit makes room for the leadership of Christ; the sons become manifest as they are moving in spiritual power.
Rem We can count on the Lord — I speak reverently — to do His part, to present what is most calculated to affect us in the service of God. The more substance one has, the more one can respond.
JT Quite so. It is most affecting: that which is presented in the assembly is intended to affect us. How often we have been in assembly and partaken of the Lord’s supper, and yet our keenness of appreciation does not diminish, it is as fresh as ever; so mutuality arising from appreciation of what is presented is in mind. We are all affected together by what is presented.
WC In alluding to what is presented, are you referring to the loaf and the cup, and the activities of the Lord on that occasion?
JT Yes.
Rem In the Acts He presented Himself living. That would be in view of testimony and yet in view also of the service of God.
JT [p. 351] Very good. Why is that word used? It is not simply that He was there, that He presented Himself, but that it was as living. How He is appreciated as He presents Himself! Things are narrowed down to what tends to produce the best results.
Ques Would you look for emphasis to be laid on something particular on each occasion?
JT Quite so. I believe no one would be more affected than Paul, although he had been in the third heaven. The Lord gains and each of us gains, by making room for what there is, including sisters as well as brothers.
Ques Would Luke 24, the Lord speaking from the Scriptures, suggest a word of power given to recover the saints to this leadership?
JT That is another thing. If brothers such as Timotheus had said anything at Troas, I am sure Paul would have listened to it very attentively.
Rem John turned to see the voice.
JT Yes, what was presented to him. Then we are told what he saw. Applying that to the Lord’s supper, you are limited to that, what you see. It ought to affect us supremely.
PL Moses turned aside to behold the wondrous sight, deeply affected.
JT Yes. When Jehovah saw he turned aside, He called him by name. That is the thought, we are affected by what is presented. As was remarked, the Acts begins with the thought of the Lord presenting Himself living. He wanted them to see Him in that way: it is not exactly the Lord’s supper, but He wanted them to see Him in a particular way; it conveys the idea we are speaking of.
Ques It is striking that Moses, David and Solomon all seem to set out just what the Lord did at that time, and each passage is preceded by the thought of assembling, Moses in Exodus, David in [p. 352] the end of 1 Chronicles, Solomon in the end of 2 Chronicles 5. Do you think that would answer?
JT Very good. The people were assembled to a position where the best was seen, and a lead given.
Ques In the end of 2 Corinthians the apostle speaks of the authority the Lord had given him. Does he see an increase in their stature?
JT 2 Corinthians indicates that. The first letter brought in a better state. He had much more scope amongst them when he visited Corinth again. First and second Corinthians have in mind to bring about tabernacle conditions in a local company. “So also is the Christ” 1 Corinthians 12:12 — the anointed vessel, not Christ personally, but what marks the saints normally. In Corinthians he brings in the anointing so that it should mark them. “He that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God”. 2 Corinthians 1:21. He would thus get in amongst them as much as possible, be one of them, and thus they would recognise his stature; he had a measure reaching to them. What was their measure? They were measuring themselves with themselves and reaching no end at all. God had brought in the greatest measure with Paul, and he was there amongst them, but did they value the quality, the wealth that was there?
PL Would the weighing of the vessels in Ezra’s day bear upon this, the appreciation of what is available?
JT Quite so.
Ques Have you in mind that the general principle of democracy in the world may creep in in a spiritual sense to hinder our recognition of the work of God in each other, and so prevent the best being obtainable in the service of God?
JT It is affecting the brethren considerably, and what we are saying is to correct that influence, because God has made differences. Star differs from star in glory, and this is introduced in Corinthians in [p. 353] view of that very thing. We have to think of ourselves soberly. The Lord would exercise us as to measure. God has dealt to each a measure of faith. I am there knowing my measure, and with a desire for the appreciation of the measures of others, greater measures. I believe the position at Troas implies that there were great measures, as well as very small measures there. Eutychus would set forth a small measure, but room would be made for greater ones.