ORIGINAL THOUGHTS DEVELOPED TO COMPLETION
[p. 417] ORIGINAL THOUGHTS DEVELOPED TO COMPLETION
Genesis 2: 1 - 7; Exodus 16: 22 - 31; Exodus 31: 13 - 17
JT These scriptures are intended to be related directly and, taken together, they serve the purpose in mind, that is that we might see certain features of the truth from the beginning; and that whilst we only get in the book of Exodus the last statement that Jehovah was refreshed on the Sabbath day — we only get that in Exodus — it was there, one of the richest things too that was there, before it was disclosed. So that the idea is intended to run down in what we may have to say. No doubt much more was said, whether then or later, that is not disclosed; but the hope is that we shall see, by beginning at certain features of the truth, how terms run down and, where they are seen at the beginning, they give a clue to what is meant in them so that we do not use them wrongly. The divine thought is that everything should be named, known by its name, especially the persons, and there are the Scriptures, but then there are also the things that are found in the first chapter as well as in the second. Their names are given at the outset but they are enlarged later, only the enlargement does not set aside the root principles or ideas. So that if we are to follow on in any line of truth we are to pay attention to the names given so as to have intelligence as to them.
CAM What things were you referring to in the second chapter?
JT In the first and the second. I spoke of the second just now; and another thing to be noted is that in the second chapter we have abstract ideas as to certain things; for instance the fourth verse — “These are the histories of the heavens and the earth, when they were created, in the day that Jehovah Elohim made earth and heavens, and every shrub of the field before it was in the [p. 418] earth, and every herb of the field before it grew”. That is to say we have thoughts purely abstract but the meaning will come out in due time. So that we will not be misled in any further names applied either in the shrub world or the plants; and then man himself is formed, the details of which we do not find in the first chapter. We find it here.
CAM Comparing verse 4 with verse 1 of chapter 2, the expression used in verse 1 is “the heavens and the earth and all their host were finished”. The expression you use as to its being abstract seems to make it all very wonderful. But in the fourth verse it uses the word “histories”. Do you think that there seems to be a need of an ability to put together the fact that they were finished and still they were histories?
JT The word is more clearly stated in the Authorised Version. The word “history” is supposed to clarify it, but the word alludes to origin. The word “histories” carries the idea of the origin of the things mentioned.
RWS While moral conditions might come in to disrupt and dislocate the divine ordering — as the Lord says in that section in Matthew 19, “Moses, in view of your hardheartedness allowed you” — are we coming to the time when things are finalised in the assembly?
JT That is not such a good word. The word ‘completed’ I suppose would be better. So that the word of God is said to be completed. And so here the word “finished” is used in verse 1. “The heavens and earth and all their host were finished”. The Spirit of God is pleased to use another word which implies origin. I think the Authorised Version has “generations”.
TNW The footnote to that word in verse 4 of the New Translation gives it “Lit. ‘generations:’ the word implies ‘origin’”.
CAM Would it set forth the idea that when God [p. 419] originates something it is as good as finished? So that whatever comes in, nothing is going to defeat it.
JT That brings up the whole question of what is called objective truth, or statements, and subjective truth. What God says of a thing may indicate the general thought of it in the objective sense. But the enlargement or development of it may mean more, may require more, and that of course would appear here — “every shrub of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew”. Objectively they were there and in principle they were there; but growth, that is the application of life, the life principle, would bring out something more. This runs down to the whole matter of christianity, as well as Judaism, but especially christianity, the origin of which was in Christ, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men”, John 1: 4.
JTJr Peter uses the word “originator” in connection with the Lord, “The originator of life ye slew”. The footnote says, “One who begins and sets a matter on”.
JT Quite so. That is very important. That word is used four times in scripture, I think.
ANW Are you suggesting the fourth verse really antedates verse 2? The ‘history’ goes back before the ‘finish’ — before it grew. Does that really antedate verse 2?
JT Just so. From God’s side the thing was done, at least as regards the shrubs and plants; but the application of life had to come in. And the same thing applied as to man himself, because he was formed of the dust. It is said “And Jehovah Elohim formed Man, dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life”. That is to say the actual man is formed — the framework, and no doubt flesh too in some sense, but anyway it was there before the breath was there, before the breathing took place.
CAM You remember some years ago there was a very illuminating ministry as to God’s sovereign purpose [p. 420] illustrated in the place that Judah had, and the way that birth and the family of God worked out in Joseph who had the birthright. Those two ideas were put together and they were very interesting. Would these two thoughts in mind here be in any way parallel with that?
JT You set us thinking now; we will have to go back on that.
CAM I just wondered whether it would be right to think of this matter of purpose in God’s mind in bringing these things on to the scene in the actual development and working out of the thing.
JT That is much clearer, the working out of the thing which involves life. That is very illuminating. Again it may be said that what is in mind is to get at the ideal or primary thoughts in all these scriptures, and see how they run down; and to use them rightly in ministry, because ministry ought to take character from the beginning. We should see that what we are dealing with is really carried down intelligently in the terms we are using.
AR You mean from Acts 2 and Ephesians particularly? I suppose that is the beginning of things, is it not in christianity?
JT That is good; in Acts 1 and 2. Acts 2 is the base really of all that we get later; because the Lord had come in; Luke brings Him in as to the things which Jesus began to do and to teach. Therefore the teaching would work up from the roots of things. The root must be there, and the teaching would enlarge on it and bring out the meaning of it so that we have intelligent terms, proper terminology, in ministry, that the terms really apply to any given ministry.
AR Is that why it says “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” and so on?
JT Just so. They were steadfast in it.
CN In the latter part of verse 5 it says, “Jehovah Elohim had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there [p. 421] was no man to till the ground”, that is connected with these shrubs and other things. You spoke of the necessity of life.
JT Yes, it says “Jehovah Elohim planted a garden in Eden eastward”. That planting and that garden must bring out these shrubs. Of course we cannot spend much time, just to get an idea or two. We must go on now to the other two passages, only to get the thought that would help us in ministry and conversation with one another — ministry that we have, right terminology, right words in the ministry, that the brethren will be formed by them.
APT “I have much people in this city”. Would that link on with what you have said? The Lord could see the end from the beginning as to what would transpire in Corinth.
JT That comes up as soon as we touch on the Corinthian epistles. There were eighteen months of ministry through Paul himself in the city of Corinth. What terminology must have been used, and all to give understanding to the persons who had to be formed by it.
RWS In Jotham’s parable “the thorn-bush said to the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, come, put confidence in my shadow”, Judges 9: 15. The truth is a thorn-bush has no shadow.
JT That is good. It had no shadow.
DP Is it within the power of the creature to originate anything?
JT It does not seem so. The Creator is the Author of everything, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. It does not seem as if we ought to bring in the creature thought in what we are now dealing with. There may be what is called a creation in what people do with their own hands, but primarily the idea of creation is with God.
FNW You were alluding to the abstract idea in chapter 2. In chapter 1 it is the herb producing seed.
[p. 422] Does that indicate that it must flow from the abstract thought?
JT Just so. As we were remarking in verse 8, “And Jehovah Elohim planted a garden in Eden eastward, and there put Man whom he had formed. And out of the ground Jehovah Elohim made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food”. Now we come to life. God does it. He “made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; and the tree of life, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. That is the setting, but it is as to the vegetable kingdom, Adam being the very centre of it to use it. But God is behind it all. God is using it. It is the great operative region in which He is moving.
ABP Would it be right to say the Lord had this in mind when He said “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up?” Matthew 15: 13.
JT Just so. They would hardly be creations of God but, I suppose, the plantings of the devil, because the devil can imitate. He sowed the darnel which is an imitation of wheat. We know the devil can do this, the creative idea is not really there.
SF Would planting “in the mountain of thine inheritance” follow on with this?
JT Quite so. That is a very good thought.
ANW Is the epistle to the Ephesians built up on this basis, the finish at the outset and the working up to it by ministry in the latter part?
JT That is good, but there is so much which precedes that as regards Israel, both past and future, what even follows on christianity, so much that Ephesians does not touch at all because it really only touches what belongs to christianity. The gospels go over the wall; they touch on the millennial world, and that has to be kept in mind as to what God may do. But Ephesians only deals with christianity [p. 423] properly.
JAP Nathanael illustrates the value of a man known by the Lord. He says ‘He saw him before Philip called him’. Is that the idea of being formed, like the abstract idea?
JT Quite so. The Lord saw him before Philip called him. He says, “Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee”, John 1: 48. But then he was moving, and that is a good point to bring in here, especially in John, because it enters into the idea of life. Nathanael is moving. He was stationary before but “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him, Behold one truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile”. He is seen following. Now we are speaking of life, that Nathanael is not a witness of it until he follows Jesus, until he is seen moving, and moving under some good motive; and that is apparent now, and the Lord designates him “one truly an Israelite in whom there is no guile”. So that there is fruit already there in a negative way, that guile was not active.
TEH Is that the thought of seed? It is a matter of nurture and development which is in the assembly in view of fulness.
JT That is just so, because we want to get at names, and names of things that are positive — positively of God, that will develop later. We have already alluded to Ephesians but must go wider for the roots found in Genesis.
RWS It says later on in chapter 2 of Genesis, “And out of the ground Jehovah Elohim had formed every animal of the field and all fowl of the heavens, and brought them to Man, to see what he would call them”. I was thinking of God just waiting on Adam to see what he would call them, “and whatever Man called each living soul, that was its name”. Is that the matter of origin going through?
JT That is a fine suggestion because we are now touching on not simply mere thoughts of origin but of [p. 424] specialties, because what God had in mind in Adam was a specialty. He formed the creatures and He would bring them to Adam to see what Adam would name them, as if God’s mind is now active in the thing. What a pleasure it would be to Him to see what Adam would call them. The development now is on a higher level, as if God’s own mind is considered and He is thinking of Adam, because he is the greatest creature so far, and of the qualities there were and how they were to be developed. And then the question of woman comes up and God would indicate that He has further thoughts. The actual person is new. God had another thought to bring out and another word by which to determine it, and that enters into what we are saying, the question of words that are being used in ministry, and how prolific they are too in important suggestions. And so what we are saying about Adam helps us as to how God’s own mind is active and how specialities come into view almost immediately as God’s mind is active. Now we have gone beyond the creational side; just as in the end of Luke we have one feature of christianity, but then there were other thoughts, second thoughts, and in Acts 1 the second treatise is to bring out these thoughts.
JS Do you regard rain as a second thought, a fuller thought?
JT Quite so. It is essential to the whole matter.
RS Would you say a word as to “living soul”. Here it seems to be an outcome of life.
JT It says here “Jehovah Elohim formed Man”. The brethren will do well to note the word “Man”, written with a capital, meaning “the Adam”, so as to get in mind what is in God’s mind, a great creature and his greatness is coming into evidence, especially now as he has a double, a woman, “Jehovah Elohim formed Man, dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Man became a living soul”. Now you have the word ‘soul’ in your mind. That [p. 425] is a word to be followed, because it is not exactly the same as the word ‘spirit’ although they are synonyms sometimes, but the word ‘soul’ has to do with the lower affections. It is what God would look for immediately as needed, the compassionate affections, not so much on the higher level as the word “love” would denote. It is simply what is there in the sense of compassion — what is needed now in Adam and Eve.
AR Is that why you get the river in chapter 2 of Genesis — the lower affections — and in John 7 too in that sense.
JT That is good.
EAL In verses 7 and 8 there is the word “formed” twice — a double emphasis put on it. Would that be God’s own word in connection with man without deifying him?
JT The highest order of creation is outside of Deity. Man is always the highest order, but outside of Deity, except when we come to the Person of the Lord Jesus. He is God, before He became Man He is God, and did not cease to be God when He became a Man.
EAL The vegetable kingdom is not referred to as being formed.
JT You have growth which is a great word in the vegetable idea.
FHL Would the apostle have this line in mind in writing to the Romans, “But we do know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to purpose. Because whom he has foreknown, he has also predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son”, Romans 8: 28, 29. You were speaking of the thoughts of God in relation to these meetings.
JT Please enlarge on that.
FHL I was thinking of what was prior to actual history, the abstract thought in the mind of God, and the completion of the thought in relation to those who [p. 426] would be conformed to the image of His Son, and those whom He has glorified.
JT Just so, “We do know that all things work together for good to those who love God”, therefore we are now in the realm of love for God, so that the great development of life is implied in that.
JTJr Would it be suggested also in the form of teaching. The Romans obeyed from the heart the form of teaching, which would be the ministry.
JT Quite so.
JTJr In Romans 6 they obeyed from the heart, which would allude to the working out of life in us. The form of teaching would come through the ministers.
JT Quite so, that they persevered in the apostles’ teaching. We must add the authoritative side. Of course it was in Adam too, but when we come to Christ we get it too. But the abstract idea is authoritative, the thing must be so. The idea of commandment must be there or we cannot have christianity, and formation, which is largely by authority.
Rem In 1 Corinthians 3 we get Paul planting and Apollos watering but God giving the increase.
JT Quite so, but we are on the line of ministry because we are dealing with apostolic service. Ministry must take form in right words, right terminology, otherwise we become dwarfed in our make-up, in our formation.
Rem Peter speaks of the living and abiding word of God entering into birth.
JT Born again you mean. Quite so. It is a question of formation of persons, and if there is a defect in the birth there will be a defect all through. So that we need to see to it that the children are born aright; that is to say, the new birth must be in relation to right teaching.
DM In regard to ministry does Ephesians 4 fit into what you are saying, “with a view to the work of the [p. 427] ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ”. Is that what ministry has in mind?
JT Quite so. The passage runs right into that, the edifying of the body. If the thing is not right at the start you will have difficulties. The gifts in Ephesians 4 are intended to avoid any difficulties in the formation.
AR Forgiveness of sins does not go far enough, does it?
JT A certain class of people use the term ‘born again’ but in their minds they are thinking of full christianity in that, but full christianity is not in the simple term ‘born again’. There is more than that needed.
CAM In connection with the preaching of the gospel, it is a great exercise with us that we do not have a succession of addresses to christians every Lord’s day. Should we not be concerned that we really reach men as such? Sometimes we listen Lord’s day after Lord’s day to an address that you have to be quite an advanced christian to understand what is being said. It does not deprive the gospel message of its spirituality to make it intelligible to men as such.
JT Just so, and if persons coming into the truth are to be developed rightly we must present the truth so that it is intelligible, so that on their side they will understand that God has given them minds and that they should be used rightly, “We have the mind of Christ” and should use it rightly. We ought not to have much difficulty if the speaking is accurate, if the young ones, the persons who are listening and learning, have the mind of Christ and understand that and use it, so that we carry away with us what is said and ruminate over it and grow in the truth.
RWS They were young christians in Thessalonica when Paul writes the second letter to them. Were they not properly formed believers as coming into the testimony through Paul’s preaching? Evidently something happened that they were shaken in mind.
JT Paul’s preaching at Thessalonica is in chapter 17 of the Acts, “He went in among them, and on three sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, opening and laying down that the Christ must have suffered and risen up from among the dead, and that this is the Christ, Jesus whom I announce to you”. That is, he opened up and laid down. You are coming to the affirmation of the thing, and the confirmation of the thing, in laying down the truth, so that the saints know what is meant, and that is what is understood in the 17th chapter of Acts at Thessalonica. Another thing is the Bereans come in immediately in that section. They come in, brethren who want to know what is said and whether it is so, so that they inquire daily to see if these things were so.
JAP They only had Moses and the prophets and the Psalms.
JT Quite so. They did not have the New Testament.
APT “We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the law”, John 1: 45.
JT You are questioning whether Moses is made enough of in Paul’s gospel.
APT He is made quite a little of in John. The Lord spoke of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness, so that we must understand the scriptures and look into them.
JT Just so, “Ye search the scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have life eternal, and they it is which bear witness concerning me”, John 5: 39.
APT I was thinking of whether this would enter into your mind; in Mark He is referring to the marriage matter and says it was not so from the beginning; as to whether we look enough into Genesis and Exodus to help us in relation to the terminology and all that enters into it.
JT [p. 429] Quite so.
ANW Does the apostle have that in mind when he says to Timothy, “Have an outline of sound words?”
JT Quite so.
ETP Is that seen in the prefacing remarks of the writer in Hebrews, “God having spoken in many parts and in many ways formerly to the fathers in the prophets, at the end of these days has spoken to us in the person of the Son” — that there is a finish?
JT What has been said fits in with that, that is the “sound words”, and then the cutting in a straight line, which would I suppose stress accuracy in the light of that.
We might touch on the 16th chapter of Exodus as to the glory of the sabbath, how it is linked up with the manna in that passage and how the wilderness is brought into that passage, and it is said that Israel was complaining against Moses and Aaron, and Aaron spoke to the people. What comes in now into Exodus is the idea of the wilderness. There was not time to read much but the wilderness comes into the chapter in a very special way and it is said that Israel was murmuring. “And they journeyed from Elim, and the whole assembly of the children of Israel came into the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure out of the land of Egypt. And the whole assembly of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness”, Exodus 16: 1, 2, showing what the influence of the wilderness is and how we are to meet it, and so it is said in the 9th verse, “And Moses spoke to Aaron, Say to all the assembly of the children of Israel, Come near into the presence of Jehovah; for he has heard your murmurings. And it came to pass, when Aaron spoke to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, that they turned toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud”. Before we proceed we might get that touch as to the wilderness that it is a place of testing, but at the same [p. 430] time it is a place in which God shines, in which His glory shines, and especially in the speaking of Aaron, which I suppose would suggest a man. Aaron had a man’s feelings as over against Moses. He would represent the thought of affection in man, as Jehovah said to Moses, “When he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart”. He was a man of affection. And so here Moses says to Aaron, “Say to all the assembly of the children of Israel, Come near into the presence of Jehovah; for he has heard your murmurings. And it came to pass, when Aaron spoke to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, that they turned toward the wilderness, and behold the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud”. So that the wilderness is the place of testing, but it is the place in which God shines, and the manna comes into it, which is a question of Christ Himself come down from heaven to give bread to us. And then the sabbath comes into it, worked out from that, and so, “It came to pass on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one”. That is to say, each person in the house had the same measure of manna. “And all the princes of the assembly came and told Moses. And he said to them, This is what Jehovah has said: Tomorrow is the rest, the holy sabbath, of Jehovah: bake what ye will bake, and cook what ye will cook; and lay up for yourselves all that remains over, to be kept for the morning”. That is, the sabbath has to be kept clear. “And Moses said, Eat it today; for today is sabbath to Jehovah, today ye shall not find it in the field. Six days shall ye gather it; but on the seventh day is sabbath: on it there shall be none. And it came to pass on the seventh day that there went out some from the people to gather it, and they found none. And Jehovah said to Moses, How long do ye refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for Jehovah hath given you the sabbath; therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread for two days.
[p. 431] Abide every man in his place: let no man go from his place on the seventh day. And the people rested on the seventh day”. This brings us to what is particularly in mind, the glory of it, coming in first in Genesis, refreshment that God found on the sabbath, the keeping of the sabbath, that God Himself found refreshment in it; and now we have the second mention in this chapter in connection with the manna, the food that God gives us from heaven; and then the glory shining in the wilderness. So that we have a wonderful setting of things in this chapter by which we may go forward further in the 30th chapter.
AR Is the 16th chapter what Christ was here unofficially? Aaron was not an official priest yet.
JT That is right. He is not constituted an official priest until the 28th chapter, but he is here reflecting Christ in the fact that the glory is seen as Aaron speaks.
AR Does Aaron in some way correspond to the manna?
JT The manna is Christ. Of course it is a question of what the description is. We are told the manna was like coriander-seed. “Manna” means “What is it?” Every time you question it you will get more. There is plenty that will come. The question about it is to enlighten us, and the manna is set before the testimony. It is connected with the testimony of God. These are wonderful thoughts — that is the glory shining in the man’s voice, and then the man himself and the sabbath, and then finally the testimony of God is provided. It is a whole circle of glory.
JH Is there a link between the moisture in the garden and the dew here? The manna was there after the dew had gone up. Does that link up with the moisture in the garden?
JT Quite so. The moisture and then the river in the garden. And then when we come to Exodus we find the twelve wells of water and the seventy palm trees.
[p. 432] But God has already had His refreshment — wonderful thought that God should have refreshment.
JTJr Do you think the glory coming into the cloud would have an answer today in the way He comes in in the ministry, lighting it up? He is in it Himself.
JT Do you mean the ministry meeting and the readings, that they are increasing? Even on a hot day like this they are here so that we may enjoy them. I believe this whole matter runs together, the glory and the refreshment in the ministry. What a part God has in the ministry! Because He has a part in it as well as what we have.
Ques What does the glory of the ministry signify?
JT It is a question of the manna — what Christ is, come down from heaven, “And it came to pass, when Aaron spoke to the whole assembly of the children of Israel, that they turned toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of Jehovah appeared in the cloud”. But it is when Aaron spoke, that it is Aaron’s voice that is in mind, another feature of Christ in the chapter — “Never man spake like this man” (John 7: 46) — how the glory shone there.
SF Would you say something as to the use of the words “hallow” and “holy” — a holy sabbath, and it was hallowed.
JT The word ‘holy’ is not found in Genesis at all. The nearest approach is that God rested on the seventh day, “And God had finished on the seventh day his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it”. That is the only allusion to the thought you are using. But when we come to Exodus it is full of the thought.
SF I suppose “hallow” and “holy” are similar.
JT Quite so, only the hallowing of a day cannot be so essentially. It is hardly the idea of a person but simply God extending the idea of holiness to a day, and that is [p. 433] what our first day of the week is now. It is not a sabbath but is carried through from the idea of sabbath in the Old Testament. It has taken the place of the sabbath on a higher plane.
SF We take up all these thoughts in the Lord Himself. He is our sabbath, is He not?
JT Quite so. But in some of the gospels it is the day after sabbath. In John’s gospel it is the first day of the week. The idea of sabbath is submerged. The higher thing is the first day of the week. John says, “I became in the Spirit on the Lord’s day”, Revelation 1: 10.
FHL In Acts 16 Paul and his company went to the river side.
JT Very good; a place where prayer was wont to be made. You feel how appropriate it was in Philippi that there should be such a holy state of things by the river side, and Paul coming in to establish it. So that Philippi is in a certain sense on a higher level than Ephesus.
But the thought was to run through to the 31st chapter to show how the link is carried down as to the sabbath. So that it is said in the 16th verse, “And the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations — it is an everlasting covenant. It shall be a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed” — one of the most remarkable passages we can get. “And was refreshed” — a fact not spoken of at all in the beginning. It was there but now it is spoken, spoken by Moses.
CAM It is remarkable that there is such potentiality in what God does that a spiritual person such as Moses coming on the scene adds to it. So the writer to the Hebrews gives it a wonderful meaning, so that it seems to suggest eternity in some sense.
JT Quite so. “There remains then a sabbatism to the people of God”, Hebrews 4: 9. I suppose that will be our eternal portion.
CAM Really if we increase in spirituality, these things that seem to be so simple on the face of them can be enlarged to be infinite.
JT Quite so. And in the 8th chapter of Genesis God says in His heart, “I will no more henceforth curse the ground on account of Man”. He did not speak it openly, it was in His heart. How precious that is as to many other things that were there, such as the ministry, what had been in the heart of God, a reserve kept there in the wilderness!
CAM Ministry might at first glance seem to be simple, but if you bring spirituality into it the thing develops as if it were a living page.
JTJr Do you think that God was looking for refreshment now in His people, having finished speaking at the end of the chapter? He is now looking for refreshment for Himself in regard to His people.
JT If we are rightly engaged in what is happening, the increase in these meetings, if we are rightly engaged in what we see — that the increase indicates spirituality in the brethren — it must be something to God. You cannot conceive of these meetings happening at all if there was not something for God. They are on the principle of the peace-offerings. The Lord says twice in John 20, “Peace be to you”. It means that God has part in what is proceeding, “And the doors shut where the disciples were, through fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in the midst, and says to them, Peace be to you”, and all that followed. God was having His part in that too.
CN In John 5 the Lord says, “My Father worketh hitherto and I work”. Would that fit in with the thought of what God found after the completion of the seven days?
JT Quite so. God’s mind has been enlarged in [p. 435] the divine realm — steady enlargement until the Holy Spirit came down and He gives a fulness to it that is infinite. The great result of all these matters is worked out in the presence of the Spirit of God here.
ABP Is that typified in the beginning of the chapter, that there was certain work performed in gold, silver and copper. In chapter 31, referring to Bezaleel, there were basic elements in the creation now being formed and expanded.
JT Quite so. When you come to the 35th chapter you find great increase on that whole point in connection with the sabbath. “And Moses collected all the assembly of the children of Israel, and said to them, These are the things which Jehovah has commanded, to do them. Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you a holy day, a sabbath of rest to Jehovah: whoever does work on it shall be put to death. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings upon the sabbath day. And Moses spoke to all the assembly of the children of Israel, saying, This is the word which Jehovah has commanded, saying, Take from among you a heave-offering to Jehovah, every one whose heart is willing, let him bring it. Jehovah’s heave-offering — gold, and silver, and copper, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and byssus, and goats’ hair, and rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and acacia-wood, and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the incense of fragrant drugs; and onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate. And all who are wise-hearted among you shall come and make all that Jehovah has commanded: the tabernacle, its tent, and its covering, its clasps, and its boards, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; the ark, and its staves; the mercy-seat, and the veil of separation; the table and its staves, and all its utensils, and the shewbread; and the lampstand for the light, and its utensils, and its lamps, and the oil for the light; and the altar of incense, and its [p. 436] staves; and the anointing-oil, and the incense of fragrant drugs”. So that the fulness of Israel’s wealth is available now as God is in the presence of the sabbath and the dedication of the people for the building of the tabernacle. It is a wonderful opening up in Exodus in connection with Genesis 1 and 2.
ABP Would it link on with the thought of God’s inheritance in the saints in Ephesians?
JT Just so — what He has in us.
WWM In Psalm 90, the prayer of Moses, one of his words is, “So teach us to number our days, that we may acquire a wise heart”. It is a wise heart that has these things.
JT Yes indeed — everyone who is wise-hearted.