INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
[p. 459] INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
Genesis 21:14 - 21; 1 Kings 19:1 - 8; John 1:47 - 51
I have in mind to speak about individual responsibility. These passages are selected because they speak of this, and persons are mentioned in relation to certain shrubs or trees. What may appear to be incidental or of no practical moment in the divine narrative is very often in itself instructive, and so each of the growths mentioned in these passages has its own meaning.
That in connection with Hagar is a wilderness shrub, for she is in the wilderness. That spoken of in connection with Elijah is likewise a wilderness product, a broom-bush, a juniper tree. He also is in the wilderness. That with which the Lord connects Nathanael is a growth in the land of promise; at least it is so regarded. The fig tree is spoken of in Jotham’s parable, as you will remember, as personified, giving an account of why it would not leave its function. It yielded sweetness. It was, as personified, regarded as consciously profitable, and would not leave its service to reign or wave over the trees. It is also spoken of as yielding its fruit in the land of promise visited by the spies, and its fruit was brought down as a witness to the profitable productiveness of the land of promise.
Hagar is ostensibly of the household of faith, now expelled from it under discipline, as many have been, and yet not forsaken of God. Discipline in the assembly does not imply that the persons disciplined are forsaken of God. If they are really His, He never withdraws His eye from them. The grossest case, that recorded in 1 Corinthians 5, is to be delivered “to Satan for destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus”. 1 Corinthians 5:5 His spirit was valuable, (indeed our spirits represent ourselves in one [p. 460] sense) and God has in mind that his spirit should be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. It was saved earlier, indeed generally it is so, for God does not intend His children disciplined to depart out of this world under a cloud. Some have to, for the wise government of God may require that, because they have been too much loved, too much indulged, to admit of recovery here. John says, ‘I do not say that such an one should be prayed for’, and again Paul says, “Many among you are weak and infirm, and a good many are fallen asleep”, 1 Corinthians 11:30. Their course had continued so long and so inexcusably that the wise government of God required that they should depart under discipline. It is very humbling, but God makes no mistakes and acts in perfect wisdom in all these cases.
Hagar was a member ostensibly of the household of faith, but she was an insubordinate person who despised her mistress. She fled from her mistress and was found by the Angel by a well (Genesis 16:7), a most suggestive thought, alluding figuratively to the Jews who in their insubordination disregarded the authority of Christ, although the Spirit was there available to them. So the well is there for Hagar. She could give no account of herself save that she was fleeing from her mistress. It was her own will. She despised her mistress, but she returned without giving much evidence of subjection. So that now she is expelled, she and her offspring Ishmael. She was a mother whose son despised Christ. Ishmael mocked Isaac; that is, he mocked when Isaac was made much of. The spirit of Ishmael may lie dormant in us until Christ is made much of. It is said of Michal, David’s wife, that she loved David, but when he made much of Christ and danced before the ark she despised him in her heart, and so it was with Ishmael: he despised Isaac, he mocked him. He was born after the flesh, but being Abraham’s son he was treated by God with the utmost care and consideration.
[p. 461] But I am speaking of his mother. She is sent out from the house of Abraham under discipline with much regret on his part, but he acts under the direction of God and Hagar has to go, never to return. That is a most solemn consideration for any who are disposed to mock when Christ is made much of. Children sometimes move in households of faith, but when Christ is made much of, when He receives His due in the household, they often mock and perhaps do more in the way of disrespect; but Hagar and her son are sent out of the household of faith never to return, and yet God has not given her up. He will do His best for her under those circumstances, and hence He speaks to her through the Angel.
She had cast the child under a shrub, relinquishing her care of him, but he was still an object of divine care, for God would do His best for a son of Abraham, for any one of Abraham’s seed. Hagar relinquished her responsibility, not with any deliberation but out of stress of circumstances. The water in the bottle was gone. From her view there was no hope. She cast her son under a shrub. What could that do for him? How many of the Lord’s people have acted thus in stress of circumstances. They have given way and relinquished their responsibility, and so the voice is, “Lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand”. That is the secret of recovery, the secret of divine intervention, when responsibility in any given state of things is accepted, not relinquished. Anyone abandoning responsibility is good for nothing morally.
Hagar here has not gone into Egypt; she has not returned; she is in the wilderness; she has gone in there herself. Abraham did not tell her to go there. The wilderness in this connection implies that she is still regarding herself as someone out of the world. Many are like that and yet relinquish responsibilities. Wilderness experiences are nothing if we relinquish responsibilities, whatever the appearance. She was [p. 462] wandering in it, as Israel later wandered about for forty years. He was under the discipline of God, but had the hope of the land, but she had no hope in her mind. It is a complete relinquishment of obligation. You are not going as far as taking up with the world in its gross side. Maybe you still hang behind the saints, and come to the meetings to please them; you may read your Bible occasionally; you have not apostatised; you are wandering in the wilderness.
The world has become a wilderness for christians, that is for those who belong to heaven. They belong to the land of promise. In going out of Egypt we have a definite end in view, for we are going into the land of promise. The wilderness comes in between; it is what the world has become to us. We accept that this world is a wilderness, for that is the divine thought, but Hagar had no such thought as that. She had left the land of promise, the household of faith. She was expelled from it, and yet retains her place in the wilderness, but she is wandering in it, has relinquished obligation and cast her son under a shrub, and there he is, a bow-shot away. Distance has come in already. Affection is given up. She cast her son under a shrub a bow-shot away from her.
Well, the Angel speaks to her. That is my first point. “Lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand”. What encouragement there is to do this, for it says “God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is”. You have cast him away under the shrub. You have sat down in despair and wept. There is no virtue at all in that, whereas God has heard the voice of the lad. He represents her responsibility, and God is hearing the voice of the lad where he is, and now the word to her is, “Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation”. The blessed God [p. 463] has an ear to hear the voice of distress. He hears the voice of the lad under the shrub where Hagar has put him. Hagar has abandoned him, but God has not abandoned him. Now He says, “Hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation”.
I am speaking of responsibility, so that I might encourage someone perhaps who is disposed to relinquish it and throw up his hands as if all were over, whereas God would indicate to you now that all is not over. He is still active in grace, even with such persons as Hagar and Ishmael, both of whom in the sequel are found to be opposed to His interests, but now the Angel says, “God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is”. He is worth taking into your hand; he is of value; he belongs to Abraham. As God said earlier, “Because he is thy seed”. Genesis 21:13. His ultimate history has not yet taken place. God is dealing with him in the light of Abraham. He belongs ostensibly to Abraham, and God will do His best for him, and He does. He says, “I will make him a great nation”, but my point is not to enlarge upon Ishmael’s ultimate history, but the importance, dear friends, of maintaining the sense of obligation whatever it may be. God acts with us as we accept it. “Lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand”. God is going to do something for him, and He does, for Ishmael begat twelve princes, but what is said of him here is that he carries on in the wilderness, as it were. He represents those who have relations with the true brethren. He dwelt in the presence of his brethren, but in spite of God’s favour he drifted towards Egypt. That however is not the point I would stress. The point is the acceptance of responsibility. As we accept responsibility, instead of relinquishing it, God is with us in every detail. What Ishmael became is in spite of the grace of God and because of what he was basically. He was born after the flesh, but nevertheless God is favourable to him as related to Abraham.
[p. 464] Well, now, this character of the wilderness is especially in one’s mind, but Hagar is wandering in it, never to go into the land again as far as we know. In the wilderness without the land of promise as an object means nothing really. Her drift is towards Egypt. However much we may cleave to the right side, clinging to the brethren externally (”He shall dwell before the face of all his brethren”, Genesis 16:12), that is nothing really, unless one has the land in view. There is no purpose whatever in coming out of Egypt unless we have the land in view. I am speaking of it now because we are apt to cling to the idea of the wilderness without any prospect or desire for the land of promise. “He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt”. She had no thought at all of the land. I urge this point, because unless the land of promise is in our minds the wilderness is of no moral worth.
The next point is in the history of Elijah. You will observe in this chapter that Elijah has failed. He was a great servant of God, one of the greatest; Hagar was not that; Ishmael was not that. They are used tonight to show the importance of maintaining responsibility and how God works with us accordingly, but here is a person, engaged in the service of God and engaged in it most successfully, who now has fled from the scene of victory. Very solemn, very pathetic: he flees at the threat of a woman. The man that stood before hundreds of men and overcame them, God supporting him, now flees at the threat of a woman, Jezebel. You may say, ‘Good reason, too’, but why did he have good reason? The God that had maintained him before the prophets of Baal, and enabled him to overcome them and slay them, could still support him in the presence of Jezebel; but we are told that he fled for his life. Is his life more than the testimony of God? He goes into the wilderness, but he first goes to Beer-sheba.
[p. 465] That is another point to notice. Hagar did not go there. She went to the wilderness adjacent to it, but Elijah goes to Beer-sheba. His heart is full of fear of the woman who made a threat against his life, and he fled for his life, but the Lord says, “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it”, Matthew 16:25. Elijah is a great servant and is one of the most distinguished men mentioned in the Old Testament, as we all know. When with Moses he appeared on the mount of transfiguration what a distinction he had! He had light in his soul, whereas Hagar had none. God illumined her through His Angel, but she fled in darkness and confusion with no definite object at all, and yet they are the objects of God’s care. Elijah understood something of Beer-sheba. It meant the faithfulness of God. That is what I would urge on everyone here. God is faithful. Elijah understood it, but failed to accept it in its fulness. He “will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able to bear”, 1 Corinthians 10:13. Elijah was full of fear as to Jezebel instead of having a heart full of confidence in God, but still he flees to Beer-sheba. Jacob had gone that way before him, and then God appeared to Jacob, and said, “I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac”, Genesis 28:13. Isaac is the Yea and Amen of every promise of God.
Elijah leaves his servant at Beer-sheba. We think more of others than ourselves in such dangers. Why should he leave him there? Well, it was in order that he might enjoy the promises, whereas Elijah was not enjoying them. It was for him to rest in the faithfulness of God. Elijah was not doing that. He went deliberately a day’s journey into the wilderness. It is the same wilderness in which Hagar wandered, but instead of a shrub Elijah sits under a juniper and goes to sleep there. It must have helped him in some way, for sleep is good in weariness. Sleep banishes [p. 466] our sorrows; at least it may, but we do not hear of any dreams in this sleep of Elijah’s. He awoke, and at his head was a cake baked and a cruse of water. Hagar met with mercy, too, but think of the mercy here — a rest and sleep, and “a cake, baked on hot stones”, as it should read, by the angel of God. There they were, with the cruse of water at his head, and the angel touched him. How beautiful all this is, dear brethren. It is not a Hagar now, but a great servant of God; but servants, alas, however great they are, are capable of failing. How solemn this is, but God never gives up and never undervalues His servants even although they do fail. He values them.
Elijah made a day’s journey deliberately into the wilderness, and sat; he did not cast himself down, but he says to Jehovah, “O Lord, take away my life” — a poor speech. Would it not have been better had he suffered the loss of his life by the hand of Jezebel than by the hand of Jehovah? You say, ‘I would rather die by the hand of Jehovah’, but dying by the hand of Jehovah is not a martyr’s death. If I die under the discipline of God, that is not a martyr’s death. If I wish to die, I should desire the death of a martyr for Christ. However, Elijah declared his mind, but instead of taking away his life, as he asked, God sets this cake freshly baked at his head, a full breakfast ready for him as he awoke. He lies down again and gets a second rest. This is all very beautiful, bringing out what God gives to His servants, those who love Him and serve him, although they fail.
Elijah still retains his responsibility. He is very jealous, he says, for Jehovah, and no doubt his jealousy for Jehovah would lead him to trust Him, for if he is concerned about Jehovah’s interests God is concerned about him, making him two breakfasts. Elijah is not throwing in his responsibilities, and God values that, and I would urge all servants never to [p. 467] relinquish responsibility, depressed though you may be. It is a very grievous thing to see a servant depressed or oppressed, but never relinquish responsibility, for God values that.
The angel touched him a second time. It is a divine touch; there is no other like it, and he says, “Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee”. Divine compassion is now apparent; he ate again, “and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights”. What food it was! How God made it to last! We cannot explain the material that is used, but it is God’s, and the point is, dear brethren, that inasmuch as responsibility was there, God would have His servant to go the full length of what was in his mind, the full distance. He was to go to the limit, so that God might have the opportunity of speaking to his soul. He has left the juniper tree behind, and he took that journey. He was taken in divine strength. You ask, ‘Divine strength, for him in unfaithfulness?’ Yes, God would strengthen him to go the whole course, to go back to Horeb and resign the commission which he had carried out so acceptably.
God says, ‘I will accept your resignation’, but He does not say that to him under the juniper tree. He would let him go the whole length of his unbelief. That is most solemn. Elijah reaches Horeb the mount of God, and enters into a cave. God says, as it were, ‘Now I have got My servant where I can speak to him, where he will understand what I say’. Horeb was intelligible to Elijah, but it would have been nothing to Hagar. The law had not been given, but I am speaking of principles. It would have been nothing to her. She, indeed, in type represents mount Sinai in Arabia, that is the great system that persecutes Christ, but mount Horeb is the mount of God, the same range of mountains but it is grace. Mount Horeb is the covenant mountain, and Elijah [p. 468] would understand, as every christian understands, that God allows you to go the full limit of the course you have entered upon.
Then we have a whirlwind, a terrible sound of power, but Jehovah was not in that. He is not going to speak to you on those lines, but is giving you to understand the power He has. What could Jezebel do in the presence of a whirlwind or an earthquake? I am speaking to people here who understand to some extent what an earthquake is. What could anyone do to overcome it or check it in any way? It is the power of God, but the Lord was not in that. Then there is the fire, the most irresistible thing of all, “but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice ... . What doest thou here, Elijah?” God would cause us to tell the whole truth, and what was the truth? He said he was jealous for Jehovah. A journey to Horeb is nothing in itself unless it is undertaken in faith. Will I only go that far?
Much could be said about the evidences of divine power and the still small voice, but I am only speaking of the responsibilities that Elijah had accepted. Now God says, ‘I accept your resignation, but I wish you to appoint three others to carry out the service’. God is not giving up, even if I am. Elijah is to appoint Hazael, Jehu and Elisha. All of this comes to pass, and the service of God goes on, and, indeed, Elijah himself is led on by God, such is divine grace. When it is a question of service to those who serve Him well, God is particularly gracious. Do not be depressed but trust, for God is good. “The same yesterday, and today, and forever”, Hebrews 13:8. What He was to Elijah when He first called him! He is the Same now.
Well, I go on to the fig-tree in John’s Gospel. The Lord Himself tells us about this fig-tree under which Nathanael was. Had the Lord not mentioned it, I [p. 469] assume it would not have been mentioned by John. When Philip called Nathanael we hear nothing of the fig-tree. The fig-tree comes into evidence in connection with Nathanael’s interest in Christ. He is now interested in Christ, so that the fig-tree is really brought in here. It is a product of the land. Interest in Christ has the land in mind, and so the Lord says of him, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”. The Lord said that as Nathanael was moving towards Him. He had at first scorned and despised what Philip said to him. Philip says to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”. John 1:45. He says, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see”. John 1:46. Nathanael moved at that word, “Come and see”. There may not be much to see today, but there is something; as he began to move the Lord looked out on him, as it were, and says, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”. An Israelite, not a Jew. A dignified term, in keeping with the fig-tree and with the land of promise. The apostle Paul uses the term, “Israel of God”, Galatians 6:16 in connection with ourselves. We are enjoined as to it: “For in Christ Jesus neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision; but new creation. And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace upon them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God”, Galatians 6:16. Let us take in that word, “the Israel of God”. It belongs to the land of Canaan. We shall not wander in the wilderness as in that light. We go through it definitely having the land in our minds, and so Nathanael says to the Lord, “Whence knowest thou me?”. The Lord says, “Before that Philip called thee”, even before. There is something in that man before the gospel is presented to him. God had him in His mind. “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee”.
[p. 470] The use of the fig-tree in the New Testament unmistakably alludes to Israel. It had to be cursed at the last, but Nathanael was not cursed, he was blessed. A remnant was secured before the fig-tree was cursed, and Nathanael belongs to that, and so today the idea of a remnant helps. The Lord is looking out, and He sees this and that one under the fig-tree. Why under the fig-tree? It means something. It denotes a heavenly growth. The Lord says, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee”, and Nathanael replies, “Thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel”.
You see the difference here, dear brethren. It is one whom God has in mind for blessing, not a failing man, although he spurned the gospel at first regarding the question of Nazareth, but now he is ready for Christ. He is able to name Him. “Thou art the Son of God”, how befitting; “Thou art the King of Israel”. The Lord says, “Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou?” Yes. Well, the Lord says, “Thou shalt see greater things than these”. I would address myself to everyone here. Your presence here indicates that you belong to this class.
The Lord would hold us as having come after Him. We have come to see. Nathanael came to see, and he saw the Son of God. I wonder if we have all understood that. He saw the King of Israel. You can see the difference between him and Hagar, and even between him and Elijah. Nathanael is ready for the greater things. The Lord says, as it were, ‘You will see not only what you have heard spoken of, but greater’. He would encourage him as to greater things, and what a vista of glory opens up in this! The Lord could say to His brethren, so to speak, ‘You are definitely small and even comparatively feeble, but you are engaged with the greatest things’,
[p. 471] and the Lord would say to us, ‘You will see greater things’. It is characteristic of John’s Gospel, its increasing greatness, even in regard to the works of Christ. John would say, “The world itself could not contain the books that should be written”. John 21:25. Think of the greatness of that thought, even unwritten books. It is suggestive of what John has in mind and what he would instil into our hearts this night. You will see greater things. In another statement the Lord says, “Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man”. That is a great thing, but there are greater than that. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”, 1 Corinthians 2:9. These are all available for us now in the Spirit, but as made like Himself in glory what ability we shall have to take in greater things! “Our light affliction”, says Paul, “which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”. 2 Corinthians 4:17. Think of that word, “eternal weight of glory”. Are we to be crushed by it or overwhelmed by it? No. We are prepared for it. We are vessels of mercy fitted for glory, so that we can take in these great things the Lord speaks of here: “Thou shalt see greater things than these”.
Pages 472 - 490 — Two contributions from ‘The Word Proclaimed’ (Preachings Nos. 89 and 92).