PERSONS GOVERNED BY THE TRUTH OF THE MOMENT
[p. 380] PERSONS GOVERNED BY THE TRUTH OF THE MOMENT
Matthew 20:29 - 34; Matthew 21:1 - 16; Acts 9:32 - 40
JT These verses in Matthew 20 show that the blind men were governed by the particular truth at the moment in confessing the Lord as the Son of David; and chapter 21 shows how the thought is carried on in the crowds. In verse 9 the crowds who followed cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David”. Then the children in the temple, in verse 15, were crying, “Hosanna to the Son of David”. There is no evidence that there was any collaboration between these persons, but they all strike the same note; and it conveyed the truth governing the time, having expression even in children, and suggesting the need of keeping them in mind in ministry of the truth. God is working, and they will respond as the elders do.
Then in the Acts we have the corresponding thought in regard to the ministers, as subject and walking in the Spirit and moving in the light as God gives it. The testimony is about to take the form of administration in localities; so Aeneas was to make his bed for himself, which thought is enlarged in the subsequent ministry of Paul. And then we have the thought that there should be living conditions in localities. That is what I had in mind; what have you to say to that, Mr. Coates?
CAC Was it in your mind that there is some particular truth which would govern the position at any time?
JT Exactly. The Lord about to enter the city of the great King is owned, as it were, instinctively; for these blind men could not have had much instruction as to Him as the Son of David. And then the [p. 381] multitude take up that note, and the children, as if it were a flowing current.
Ques It this the practical result of the first verse in this gospel, “Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, Son of David”? Matthew 1:1.
JT That is very good. Matthew mentions two blind men; Mark and Luke only mention one. It would be to stress the thought of the testimony, which is in keeping with Matthew’s line. The Lord accredits the line of truth as confessed by these two witnesses.
CAC Is there an application of the Son of David to us particularly?
JT I think so. The Spirit of God refers to David in the prophets, and in the book of Revelation He introduces David. It seems to me that David’s ministry enters into the last days in the sense of the service of God. The Revelation would contemplate him as having a place in relation to the thing in the most refined way. He says, “I am the root and offspring of David”. Revelation 22:16. As if in our day the reference would be understood. Why should it be said to the assembly? It is that Paul’s economy is in mind. The things of God are developed in localities, but in unity; for the seven assemblies are addressed, and the Lord evidently, in saying, “I am the root and offspring of David” Revelation 22:16, refers to the intelligent at the end. And in relation to the remnant of Israel He will also serve as David, not as Solomon but as David. In the later chapters of the book of Ezekiel we have David as king and as the prince and as the shepherd; so it seems as if David has a great place in the assembly in the sense of the feature of Christ which he represents; the Lord says, “I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come”. Revelation 22:16,17. The Lord is appealing to a high note at the end; that would [p. 382] be understood.
CAC It seems to me very important that we should get the divine thought in that presentation. Would it be that Christ as David is, in one sense, greater than what He is as Solomon?
JT That is what I understand. The New Testament would bring that out very strikingly. Solomon is somewhat discounted in the New Testament, while David is greatly stressed; which I think would mean that we have in our dispensation the highest thoughts of God developed in what David stood for. The Lord speaks to the assembly as having his key, and as being the Root and Offspring of David. The saints of the assembly have come to an understanding of Him in that sense.
Ques Does Paul’s remark to Timothy, “Remember Jesus Christ raised from among the dead, of the seed of David” 2 Timothy 2:8 fit in with this?
JT That conveys the thought; it is in the last days. It is strikingly presented in the prophets as to the last days of Israel, and in the Revelation as to the last days of the assembly. The Root of David is John’s gospel, and the Offspring of David is Matthew.
Ques Would that suggest the full scope of the truth?
JT Quite so. The Root of David would be John’s gospel, because that is where Christ is seen as the Son of God. The Lord addressing the assembly in that way suggests that there is an understanding of what it is, so that the Spirit and the bride say, “Come”. The highest possible intelligence enters into that word “Come”, when the Holy Spirit and the bride say it at once. There is hardly a more intelligent expression in Scripture than that.
Ques Would that be to take up His kingly position?
JT That is the general idea. His coming for us is not so much spoken of. In Matthew we get, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh”; Matthew 25:6.
[p. 383] it would have in mind that He would take up His rights here; and of course from the depths of our hearts we say it. As time goes on it is more and more evident that it is needed.
CAC I suppose David would suggest the accomplishment of the whole will of God.
JT Were you thinking of Psalm 89?
CAC Yes. Would this aspect of the truth lead to the establishment of God’s will in the assembly?
JT I should think that would be the effect of it. It seems to me the Lord is helping us in meetings such as these when the Spirit of God brings these things before us. The Lord is putting in His claim for the young. One notices that all over the world. It is remarkable the number of very young people that seem to respond to the testimony. The Lord is putting in His claim that they should be for the will of God. So that we cannot belittle them, if God is working in their hearts.
Ques Why should such a thought come from these two blind men?
JT I think they are a figure of Israel, but not as representing the teachers of Israel; they are not of that class. Nicodemus would hardly say this, or if he did it would be as having read and known something of the prophets; but these men speak instinctively. However much we may know, if God is not working, there is no permanent result at all, but where God is working it does not fall to the ground; it is carried forward.
In the next chapter the crowd carry on the thought, and finally the children in the temple. And there the Lord Himself refers to the Psalms, and in verse 5 there is a reference to what Zechariah said, “Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek, and mounted upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass”.
[p. 384] Ques Would that suggest the importance of taking account of the prophetic word amongst us?
JT I think so. In the early days when the revival began, the prophetic word was the great theme. We are impressed with the much ministry on prophecy in early days. Now the Lord is calling attention to it again but more in the sense of its being brought to our consciences. Of course it always had that effect, but particularly now.
I think it is very interesting that Matthew gives us these remarkable incidents, these two men, and the ass and the colt, and then the multitude bearing testimony, and finally the children. It is a remarkable development. The Lord is bringing the truth down to the young, and calling them, as if He were saying, Even if I do come it is not that I have not material to go on with. Some seem to think that the use of young men and women means that the Lord is coming soon. I think it means that He has material to go on with. Rachel’s wail for her children is very striking, governing the whole book in a way. Rachel would mean Israel; she says, Because they are not, but Matthew means to convey the thought that there will be children. The children and young people used to be rather minimised in their importance, but it seems to me that the Lord is working particularly in them now; and I think Matthew has that in mind, because he goes on to say that their angels do always behold the face of their Father in the heavens. So let us not despise one of these little ones.
There was an attack on them here, and they will suffer now.
Ques Does the Lord stress the quality of what is produced?
JT Quite so, because they are saying this in the temple. And the priests here want to attack Christ. They were indignant and said to Him, “Hearest thou what these say?”
[p. 385] He had heard them. Nobody attacks the blind men, or the crowds, but the priests here attack the children for saying that. It seems to me that that fact brings out the importance of their testimony, and how the Lord hears it Himself, and He defends them: “Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”
CAC There seems to be a fuller result in the children than in the others, “perfected praise”; you could hardly surpass that. Would you look for a greater result in those brought up in connection with the testimony; they have not been corrupted by evil associations? Should there be a result for God specially in such?
JT It is really the best potential material that one can get. I am very impressed with what I see, that the Lord is putting in His claim to young people, and this passage shows that in even young children there was ability to take up the current note of the Spirit.
- R. The children were in the temple.
JT That roused the ire of the priests. We ought not to be afraid to hear the little ones take part in the assembly, though of course there is what is seemly.
- R. Is there a beautiful type of this in Samuel?
JT It is an example of what we are speaking of, one who grew.
Ques Why does this follow the Lord exercising authority?
JT It is in a group of circumstances. These scriptures depict a scene of great thoughts. Brethren will observe the prepositions in the beginning of chapter 21. That would indicate objectives to be reached in the section. We are of little account unless we have definite objectives before us. And this is a scene of great thoughts. Jerusalem is the [p. 386] great objective; they drew near to Jerusalem. Then we have Bethphage, another objective; then the mount of Olives. Then with these objectives in mind how is the testimony to reach them, not only how am I to reach them, but how is the testimony to be carried through intact. And that is what I think is in mind in the ass and the colt: there are two of them, so that the testimony is carried through.
The Lord is introduced to the blind men as Jesus of Nazareth, but they cry out, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David”. The word, ‘Lord’, is used several times in this paragraph. In Mark it is Rabboni, as if to say, When our eyes are opened we will read the ministry, because He is to be our teacher, and we will learn everything that is to be learnt of Him. So what these two blind men say is to be carried forward, and the ass and the colt are used for that purpose: the old brothers and the young brothers are to go forward together in support of the testimony.
Ques Is this a great movement, from Jericho to Jerusalem?
JT The man who went from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among thieves, but that is not here; all is triumphant. There are enemies around to take away what is there, but the testimony goes on to Jerusalem triumphantly, and is celebrated by the children. It is the Lord’s own thought that it is to be carried through by such instrumentality.
Ques Are not the features that mark the children essential? “Except ye be converted, and become as little children”. Matthew 18:3.
JT There is a good deal of that needed. Our gospel meetings ought to have that in mind, that the brethren might be converted. We cannot go on if we do not become like little children; because in that passage they were vying with each other in who should be greatest, and the Lord says, “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter”.
[p. 387] Ques Is it instructive that the word rendered, ‘perfected’ in this quotation from Psalm 8 is rendered ‘established’ in the psalm itself?
JT If a thing is perfected it is morally established.
Ques What does “perfected praise” mean?
JT I think it is the genuine article. We are what we are. In heaven you are not there on sufferance; you are there because of what you are. There are no feelings unsuitable to the place. If praise is perfected it is established.
Ques Have you in mind that God in working has been waiting for this moment?
JT It must have been a joy to the Lord to have it brought up in this setting. He brings in this word from the psalm, “perfected praise”.
Rem We have certain lines of testimony rendered which should greatly affect our praise and be in accordance with it.
JT Our hymns of praise ought to reach the fulness of the truth — our relationship with the Father and with the Son.
Ques Would it be right to say that David’s earlier exercises were the reason of his being so successful?
JT Yes, he was commanded to play, and music seems to characterise him. He is the sweet psalmist. That must have entered into the word ‘perfected’ in the Lord’s mind. It was a sweet note to Him then, because He alludes to the psalm.
Then the other scripture seems to show that in relation to new phases of the truth, those who are serving in the ministry anticipate it. They are equal to it. They are not challenging it, not contending against it. So that in the first instance, in Acts 9, Peter is passing through all quarters; it means that [p. 388] he is moving freely, not centred in Jerusalem. And he finds at Lydda a certain man, Aeneas, who had been eight years paralysed. He tells him, “Jesus, the Christ, heals thee: rise up, and make thy couch for thyself”. I think it anticipates what Paul is about to introduce. Peter is not going to contend with that principle; and I think it is a word for all who minister, that we should be ready for anything, by whomsoever it may come. So this word means that the man who has been paralytic for eight years would now be able to do something in the locality; he is material for the assembly.
Then Tabitha, or Dorcas, is another similar case. She is not paralysed, she is a worker, but working in such a way as to command natural sympathy and praise. It was not exactly spiritual. Much may be done other than what is spiritual. The point is to have spiritual conditions in the assembly.
Ques Would you say why it is Peter?
JT I think it is because he is the minister of the circumcision. And we see in chapter 8 that the apostles remained in Jerusalem when the others had left, but why did they stay there? The Lord had told them, “When they persecute you in this city, flee to the other”. Matthew 10:23. In this chapter we hear of Paul’s conversion, and Peter instinctively moves out. Paul would not yet be able to convey to Peter what his doctrine would be, but Peter must have got it from the Lord instinctively. He is not going to be against what Paul is doing.
Ques Are we to understand that Aeneas and Dorcas are suitable for Paul’s ministry?
JT Yes, for the local company. One has to be able to do things for oneself, not waiting for gifted brethren to come along and put things right.
CAC Is there a possibility of looking to the Lord to do things which He is requiring us to [p. 389] do?
JT I am glad you mention that. Many a time the Lord would say to us, You do it. What your hand finds to do, do it with your might. The man who had been paralytic was in a condition that always looks to other people to do the thing, now he is to do it himself. He is to be a man who can do things in the locality.