“JEHOVAH SHALL BE THINE EVERLASTING LIGHT”

W. M. Patterson

Isaiah 60: 18 (from “but thou”)—20 (to “light”)

The psalm we looked at last Wednesday evening brought in the thought of Jehovah being the fountain of life—“For with thee is the fountain of life—in thy light shall we see light” (Psalm 36: 9). The passage referred to in the preceding word (Genesis 1) also brings out these two principles. You get the general principle of light introduced in the first day, and then the thought of life being brought in on the third day, and then light introduced again on the fourth day as a principle of rule—the great light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. So what is in mind in light is that there should be this great principle of rule.

This chapter that we have read is a very distinctive one, and in the first verse there is this question of “thy light”, “Arise, shine! for thy light is come”—so that there would be divine light that is particular to the time in which we are, divine light particular to the time of the Spirit, the time when God is securing for Himself a people. He is securing for Himself the assembly, a vessel that is to be used in the divine praise. But I wondered for myself about this question of divine light and how it bears on us, how it bears on what is collective, and how it bears on us individually; and as to whether this principle of rule really enters into our understanding of divine light.

You think of what is contained in Scripture; think of divine truths contained there; divine principles set out; the truth of God there in Scripture. There are many persons who have come in on the line of faith, but who really do not have the light of the assembly, the light of what God is doing at the present time in His operations in relation to the earth, and we would have to ask—Why is that so? Why should that be, when you think of all that we have been brought into, the truth indwelling us, and this the result of the operations of the Spirit? You could read the Scriptures and it not be effective in your soul, because what is needed is the divine service and operation of the Spirit, illuminating the page of Scripture and bringing the light to bear on our souls in view of there being some effect and some transformation, some formation in our souls according to that light.

Our brother has spoken of the principle of life, and you feel how light is essential to that—light and its operation bringing about life. I wondered about these two things that are spoken of here; there is a question of Jehovah being my light, my everlasting light, “and thy God thy glory”. Now, am I in the place where that is the ruling principle. Is that the kind of principle that governs the position we find ourselves in? Is that not the kind of principle that is to operate among the people of God? Well, surely it is—but then there are certain features, certain characteristics that come out, and I wondered if this would be for our encouragement (and for our comfort too) to see that there are these great positive features. “Thy walls Salvation”—think of the local assembly, think of the local company and what would mark it this principle of the wall.

That means that there is here in a company of persons who are governed by the light the principle of the truth being maintained, and maintained at all cost too, so that there are persons who are set for the defence of the testimony. On Lord’s day morning a brother referred in thanksgiving to our brethren in South Africa, and we have to think of that, that there are persons who are maintaining divine principles in that country, and they are on this line of being set for the defence of the truth. So think of that; there is a wall; there is a protective position where persons are set for the maintenance of it, and these persons are together. That is the principle in Nehemiah, is it not, that they shared it together, that persons worked alongside one another in relation to the truth. That is so, at the present time, that we are together in a universal sense. The enemy would seek to come in on the line of what is divisive, but think of persons being set together for the defence of the testimony.

Then these walls bring about an area where salvation is known; so that would remind us of the ministry of Mr. Taylor, truth that had to be contended for—that there is salvation in the assembly. You might say, Salvation from what? Well, certainly from the apostate teaching that proceeds in Christendom. You think of persons who take a place in Christendom, how they are departing from the truth, and how they use the newspapers and other media to publish things that are on this line of corrupting the truth; and yet in the assembly there is salvation from that—an area where the truth is stated, the truth loved and cherished, divine light loved and cherished. And then salvation from the world, salvation from the principles of the world. You find that among the saints, these great positive features, and how encouraging it is to be able to trace them, and to identify them. Then to be able to say that love is a mark of the company where divine light is the leading principle and “thy gates Praise”.

The gates, of course, speak of administration, and you think of what the assembly is as a vessel that has an administration. As I understand it administration is largely linked with the provision of food—the great line of supply. So that in our comings together you can see that the principle of the gate is there, things done in order. Think of the orderliness that relates to the assembly, things done in a comely way, the truth brought out, food for the saints, food for souls, instruction for those who are young. Think of these things proceeding in relation to the gates—“and thy gates Praise”.

The result of that, beloved, is that there is response to divine Persons. ‘There is a distinctive feature that marks a company where divine light is known and cherished—there is something that is for the divine heart. You may have spoken yourself to persons in system, who are in the enjoyment of salvation and who read the Scripture’s and seek divine help in relation to them—but who have no feelings in relation to this principle of praise, this principle of what is for the divine affections. So the truth of the service of God has come down to us, has been developed in our time. So, as I say, there is light, “Thy light has come”—light that is particular to the present time; and that light relates to this matter of the assembly and to what is for the divine affections, and then, too, to all that has been developed amongst us as to the service of God and its order and its privilege.

May we be encouraged, beloved, to take account of these things in what is only a small company. Think of the quality that is here, and think of the effect of divine light, and then the atmosphere where there is salvation, and where there is praise. May we be encouraged in it, and affected more by it too, for His name’s sake.

Word in meeting for ministry, Glasgow
6 December 1983