THE THRONE OF GRACE (2)
[p. 120] THE THRONE OF GRACE (2)
JT The brethren will bear in mind that we are not taking up the gospel of Luke but the throne of grace as the subject. What is in mind now is to show that as the narrative proceeds we have favourable conditions and therefore we have to bring in the Spirit and His work, particularly to see how the Spirit appears in relation to that throne, in relation to grace, otherwise there would be no result. The chapter brings out results from the gospel. They are seen in the persons who are brought forward, especially the centurion, and then the widow of Nain, and then the woman of the city who was a sinner, of whom it is said, “she loved much”. So that while we are touched by the comparative barrenness of the gospel service of the present time yet this chapter would show that there are results and that these results are brought about by the Spirit, the Spirit being here on earth in relation to the throne of grace.
SWP Is the Spirit here producing a subjective work contemporary with God’s movements?
JT In this section there are good relations with the Jews. Actual antagonism, or pure negligence, or opposition to the Lord as in chapter 4, are not seen, but we have something going on in the section which is favourable to the Jews, and something going on in the woman as a sure witness that the dispensation is fruitful. Our gatherings are to have fruitfulness; there is fruitfulness and we are to expect it.
LES Would there be a link in Luke with what is said by the prophet Zechariah referring to the day of small things; “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts”, Zechariah 4:6. And then there is the thought of the headstone, and the shoutings, “Grace, grace unto it!” Zechariah 4:[p. 121] 7.
JT That helps us as to the possibilities, for we are not working for nothing; grace is not in vain. The work of the Lord goes on, and it is not in vain, so that Zerubbabel would be the responsible or governing side in that he would set up the corner stone; that is, the faithfulness of the Lord would come in there. That something would be done according to the divine mind is clear; the designed and certain sequel of that enters into what we have in the chapter.
CCT This is the thought of doing. This morning we had the thought of the Lord beginning to say; at the opening of this chapter we have the Lord completing His words.
JT That is something that we should contemplate. It would involve the importance of what the Lord had said in the interval between chapters 4 and 7, because the teaching of the Lord must run parallel with the preaching. The Lord’s sayings would fill out what would be expected in certain circumstances of the dispensation.
LES What is the difference between preaching and teaching?
JT Well, preaching is a gift and it is a gift involving power, peculiar power. While we are considering that point, there is also the charm of the Preacher, that is of the Lord Himself. Luke is particularly the preaching gospel. And then the teaching which also involves gift goes with that. That includes the opening up of the minds of the brethren as alluded to already, “Then he opened their understanding to understand the scriptures, and said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise from among the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations beginning at Jerusalem”, (Luke 24:45 - 47). The operations of grace to save come out in preaching. The [p. 122] Lord also said that the Spirit should guide us into the truth. As the truth has its way these men are able to meet conditions; that is, the servants, who are teaching.
CCT Would teaching help to bring us into what we are brought to in the preaching?
JT Just so. The teaching is the working out of things in the mind. The preacher, I think, suggests the power that applies the truth of the gospel in the way of grace, the preaching of grace, but the teaching is to open it up in detail and give the why and wherefore of it. If we had nothing but preaching we would have poor intelligence and no instruction; there may be conversions but the mind is defective. Preaching is sometimes called announcing or proclaiming. Sometimes you have such words that strike the mind, affecting it in the sense of wonder, by things that are wonderful. But teaching is more sober and gives the answers to the questions of the mind.
LES Where you feel you have no gift in the preaching in a locality how would you proceed in regard to the gospel?
JT I would say, Preach the word; that is to say, the mind of God, the announcing in that sense. Let us see how the matter is found in 2 Timothy 4:1, “I testify before God and Christ Jesus, who is about to judge living and dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, proclaim the word; be urgent in season and out of season, convict, rebuke, encourage, with all longsuffering and doctrine”. I think I would work on those lines if we have no one that can preach as having gift. It is a matter of the knowledge of the word of God. If we are Christians at all we have some knowledge.
HB “Do the work of an evangelist”, (2 Timothy 4:5).
JT Showing that the actual gift of evangelisation is not contemplated and yet the work can go on without it.
CCT “How beautiful the feet of them that announce glad tidings of peace”, (Romans 10:15). Is that the same line in connection with the preaching?
JT Well, it is announcing, but the word ‘preaching’ has more force in itself. The thing called preaching is something more than announcing or setting out facts. Should we look at 1 Timothy 2:5 - 7? “For God is one, and the mediator of God and men one, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony to be rendered in its own times; to which I have been appointed a herald and apostle (I speak the truth, I do not lie,) a teacher of the nations in faith and truth”. I think you get the thing we are speaking of now in what Paul says about himself. There is the revelation of God being one, and the mediator between God and men one, and then by the gift that Paul had, “the testimony to be rendered in its own times; to which I have been appointed a herald and apostle (I speak the truth, I do not lie,) a teacher of the nations in faith and truth” 1 Timothy 2:6,7. I think that the apostle takes account of all that we are speaking of, as to the way, the proclamation or preaching or teaching. The word ‘heralding’ is used here.
SWP Does the teaching show there is a result? I was thinking of Deuteronomy 4:5,6, “See, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as Jehovah my God commanded me, that ye may do so in the land into which ye enter to possess it. And ye shall keep and do them; for that will be your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the peoples that shall hear all these statutes, and say, Verily this great nation is a wise and understanding people”.
JT Well, that is a point in what we are saying too. The prophets are filled with the thought of teaching. For instance, Hosea says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”. Hosea 4:6. And then it says further, “And we shall know, — we [p. 124] shall follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is assured as the morning dawn; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain which watereth the earth”, Hosea 6:3. So that the condition of the people, the intelligence of the people, keeps pace with what they know by preaching. The preaching is powerful and affects them both as to their minds and sentiments or feelings. But then if we do not go on, if we do not keep pace with it in the sense of teaching, we shall not have understanding. So to the Corinthians Paul says, “I speak as to intelligent persons: do ye judge what I say”, 1 Corinthians 10:15. Corinthians is full of that — it is the assembly in its formation; the why and wherefore of things. Hence the Lord’s supper is the very centre of assembly formation and witness. We know what we are eating and why we are eating it.
LES The book of Ecclesiastes having the preaching in view has in mind the matter of the assembly.
JT “The Preacher” is the title of the person who is the author of the book. But he is a former of assemblies as we have often noticed. The preacher would have that in mind, that the persons who are affected by his preaching are formed into assemblies. He would set out suitable words, words of truth, so that they may know why this is so. It is of prime importance with the coming generation. There is always the question of generations coming and going. What should mark the young generation is that youth should be brought up with their elders, not left to themselves. Therefore the idea of youth ministry, preaching or teaching for the young people alone, has not been found fruitful. The elders having the knowledge of the thing would confirm what is taught to the young and therefore things should be carried on on those lines, the elder and the younger together. The youth is then brought up with a knowledge of what is done and why it is done. Hence in the types [p. 125] you have the thought, When your children shall ask you why are these things so, the coming generation asking the going generation. The going generation have the thing in their souls and they communicate it to the youth.
SWP Children should be with their parents in these meetings. Young children are influenced and take things on.
JT I notice how young children who are thoughtful do take account of what is being said. But we have Luke 7 before us. Chapter 4 is necessary to bring out the Person of the Lord Jesus as the Vessel of grace and how He carries on in setting out the gospel, but we get no results; although in His own town, where He was brought up, yet we get no results. In chapter 7 we have results, and of course we must allow for, in relation to chapter 4, the results which follow, through God’s work by the Spirit.
NB Is there a link between grace and sovereignty? Luke says, “And a certain centurion’s bondman who was dear to him was ill and about to die”.
JT Yes, the man was a gentile mingling with the Jews, and of good report among the Jews; there is an element of virtue in that. It is not like the social relations that Christians join in with the neighbours; there is no virtue in that, but the contrary. But here in the relations there is virtue, God has something in the matter.
LES Say something more as to links outside.
JT Take the position now, there are a great number of brethren abroad in the Forces. Persons like the centurion have links with the young brothers, who mingle with these persons in military circumstances. We have to consider whether these circumstances may be conducive to the gospel, and in that way have virtue in them, as compared with ordinary social circumstances in business or among neighbours [p. 126] which may be detrimental to the saints. The great point is what might be conducive, or virtuous in human relations. Whether we are Christians or not, we are human persons; that is, men, women and children. So it is whether these circumstances are conducive to good or bad, whether there is virtue in them or otherwise. This chapter contemplates the military class and persons who are respectable religious people. The question is if in such relations there is much real virtue having a bearing on the gospel. It is important whether we are going to get anything out of them, whether with the young brothers in these circumstances there is anything coming out for the testimony.
HB We hear of them being approved by those over them.
JT That is the general testimony that the young brothers in the Forces commend themselves to their officers.
JGV This centurion has some idea of authority.
JT What kind of a man is he? He is exceptional. “Not even in Israel have I found so great faith” — something that is in humanity that God can use, because that is the way the Lord takes it on. First of all, in verse 4, the Jews give a good account of this centurion, “he loves our nation”. Luke says, “And a certain centurion’s bondman who was dear to him was ill and about to die”. He was a bondman dear to his master — another point to note. “And having heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, begging him that he might come and save his bondman. But they, being come to Jesus, besought him diligently, saying, He is worthy to whom thou shouldest grant this, for he loves our nation, and himself has built the synagogue for us. And Jesus went with them”. That is to say, from the divine side, there is virtue in this. Such is commended to the Lord’s own attention. “And Jesus went with [p. 127] them. But already, when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent to him friends”. It does not say he sent the military, but his own personal friends, “saying to him, Lord, do not trouble thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. Wherefore neither did I count myself worthy to come to thee. But say by a word and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having under myself soldiers, and I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my bondman, Do this, and he does it. And Jesus hearing this wondered at him, and turning to the crowd following him said, I say to you, Not even in Israel have I found so great faith”. Well now, that is a wonderful fact. You might say some are interested today to some extent, and consequently we can count on some result from it.
LES Do you not think that in dealing with men we should seek to discern some evidence of the work of God in them?
JT That is something to have our eyes open for. Not only at the Sunday evening preachings and the Bible readings, but at all times, for the fact is that the work of God is going on all the time while the Spirit is here.
SWP The bondman is about to die; he is dying. The Lord is looking for affection. The centurion loves his bondman and the widowed mother loves her son, and the Lord sees that.
JT It is a wonderful scene, and it expresses the dispensation we are dealing with; that love is there in whatever measure it may be; there is evidence of the work of God, which is indispensable to what will happen. For something will happen for God. We are not looking at the Lord Jesus now, in these verses, but at the work of God. The centurion’s bondman, and his military men, and the man himself, and other [p. 128] elements seen here in persons, all bring into evidence what God is doing by the Spirit. It is the Spirit operative in man, and if we do not get them in the gospel, there will be no assembly; but if we do, then the fruit is formed in the assembly.
ABM The preaching in the room would be in view of bringing to light the work of God.
JT Look at this scene — the Lord exclaiming: “Not even in Israel have I found so great faith”. The Lord saw that in that man. He is not referring to what He is doing, but what the Spirit is doing. How many are brought into it! The friends of the centurion, for instance. Who are these? “And they who had been sent returning to the house found the bondman, who was ill, in good health”. Why did the centurion not let the Lord come to the house? Is it to bring out the magnitude of the Spirit’s work in this centurion that he describes the position so perfectly? His own position under authority corresponds with the Lord’s position. These friends of his are sent to the Lord. “Lord, do not trouble thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof. Wherefore neither did I count myself worthy to come to thee. But say by a word and my servant shall be healed. For I also” (the ‘I’ is emphatic), “am a man placed under authority, having under myself soldiers, and I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another. Come, and he comes; and to my bondman, Do this, and he does it”. That is the story. Well, now what is the effect on the Lord? The Lord says, ‘It is wonderful!’ Think of the Lord Jesus saying that! It is not His own work He is talking about, but He is talking of what happened in the centurion, which is the Spirit’s work.
Ques When he says, “I also am a man placed under authority”, had he not seen something in the Lord in regard of His [p. 129] power?
JT He must have seen something and what affects the Lord is that the man can say that. The Lord Jesus is a lone Man, not a military man, or a man of society, but this centurion is able to see He is under authority, a delegate from heaven. The man is there representing the Roman empire and its authority over the soldiers, so the Lord Jesus has come down from heaven having authority. Outwardly he saw a Man like himself. The Lord is greatly impressed by what he said and we are to look for something like that in men brought to the truth. Can we not look for something like this to happen? I think we can.
LES The possibilities in what exists around us are very large.
JT I believe we may expect in a small way what corresponds to what has accrued from the gospel testimony in all these happenings.
JK People are impressed by the way things are done rather than by the words: the man in 1 Corinthians 14 saw that things were to be done in a certain way.
JT It says there, “And thus, falling upon his face, he will do homage to God, reporting that God is indeed amongst you” 1 Corinthians 14:25. I think we may see something like that.
HB The Lord entered into Capernaum, we are told in the commencement of this chapter. Are we to look therefore in preaching and visiting for the work of God to come to light?
JT A man under exercise should see how things are done, and as affected he will contribute something. If we get anything like that we are encouraged to go on, for God is in it.
AH The work of God in the centurion was brought to light by the bondman’s sickness.
JT Just so. It is remarkable that it is a military man, and that he loved his servant. The idea of love [p. 130] is almost foreign to that relationship in society, but not in this man’s case. He was exercising his authority in love. “Love is of God, and every one that loves has been begotten of God, and knows God”, (1 John 4:7).
Ques Is there anything in the centurion in Acts 10, by way of correspondence?
JT There is great correspondence; the pious soldier is remarkable there. This man or his servants in Luke 7 are not said to be pious. But still there is a great correspondence and they are centurions in both cases. The details and reports we get are remarkable as to how the young brethren are able to speak to officers and those above them. Most affecting are the things that come to light.
Rem It also says, “He loves our nation”, would that indicate the work of God?
JT Yes. Compare that with what has happened in Europe in the last five or six years. You could hardly say there was a good reason for the antagonism to the Jews. Here the man loves the Jews. Any one that loves the Jews in this sense, shows the work of God, that love is of God.
JWD What would you say of Lydia as a seller of purple?
JT Well, she was a merchant. One has often thought of persons engaged in merchandising. One has thought of Rachel; she was a shepherdess. There are the five men that Joseph selected to bring into the presence of Pharaoh; he insists that they should specify the kind of business they were engaged in; they were shepherds. Oh, one might say, the king of Egypt will not care much for shepherds, better try and say they can do gardening or farming, but no, Joseph insists that that is their occupation. He knows Pharaoh is going to say something about their occupation, and he does and then Pharaoh says,
[p. 131] I have got cattle and I would like some to care for my cattle. Persons who are Christians are commendable because of their occupation. We need not be ashamed of it, even if it brings us into reproach. There is nothing to be ashamed of in what is of God. This matter of occupation is important. What kind of occupation do you follow? Lydia was a seller of purple — I suppose the word refers to a kind of dyed stuff.
JWD It must have been a difficult business — you would not sell much purple save to the very rich. Yet it is remarkable how Paul links himself on with her. “Let each abide in that calling in which he has been called”, (1 Corinthians 7:20).
JT Is it worth while going into another calling? Is it worth while for a Christian who is going in for heavenly things? Abide in what you have with God. Why move away from my occupation? Suppose you want to become a doctor, it takes from four to six years to become a doctor. Why change your occupation as long as you can go on with God in it? It is a question of time. There is no time to spare as going on with what you have with God.
CCT Satisfied with your present circumstances.
JT We have no time for anything much, because so much is to be done with God and His things.
JK Is it not notable that, when the centurion sends to the Lord begging Him to come and save his bondman, it is those who are sent who speak of his worthiness? He has no thought of it himself, he is begging the Lord to come.
JT It looks as if the whole scene is intended to convey that it is not hardness as in Nazareth, but that there is the work of God coming in. There was not in Nazareth but there is here. This passage was selected because it gives such a remarkable outlook of the results of the gospel. These are to be attributed [p. 132] to the work of God by the Spirit not the throne of grace, but the work of God by the Spirit. In the assembly itself is the testimony to the throne of grace; we see there that grace is greater than any difficulty, so that it can exist even although the difficulties are existing, too. This woman of the city who was a sinner was a difficult case, but grace was greater than the difficulty.
Ques Is she born again? Is there new birth there?
JT That is the point. There is something going on that no one knows, but we are supposed to know these things. As we see them here, Luke puts them down and we are to name them. That is, the centurion is born again — the mighty work of God was there, and we are to notice it.
LES We are to discern these things.
JT Luke contemplates that we are to be able to name these things. Grace was seen in the end of the chapter in forgiveness. Two persons are contemplated; one is said to owe five hundred pence and the other fifty. Well, we are able to name the person who is the five hundred pence debtor. If that person is to be forgiven it is grace. Grace must overcome the difficulty. The centurion gave a cause for the Lord to wonder; he spoke of things in such a way that he causes the Lord to wonder, like the servant of Abraham who wondered at what he saw in Rebecca.
JWD Your suggestion is that the difficulties of the brethren in any locality may yield much as the Spirit is recognised.
JT The very thing going on alongside the throne of grace is the work of the Spirit. The work of the Spirit is to be viewed by itself, of course, but it is seen here in the centurion’s conditions, and what surrounded him.
JWD What about the widow of [p. 133] Nain?
JT I should think what is seen there is the circumstances of humanity. We are to have the whole of humanity in mind. The first set of circumstances is connected with the centurion and then the woman also sets out humanity, humanity as bringing out divine compassion — the weakness of humanity, of humanity affected by sorrow. God can be affected by the sorrows of humanity. The facts are, “And it came to pass afterwards he went into a city called Nain, and many of his disciples and a great crowd went with him”. How are they affected now? They were not going with Him at Nazareth, but here they are. “And as he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she a widow, and a very considerable crowd of the city was with her”. Well, now what happens? “And the Lord, seeing her, was moved with compassion for her, and said to her”. This is not the Spirit, it is the Lord Himself. It is a question of divine compassion for humanity in its sorrow. And what sorrow there is now! What has been seen in these recent years is behind nothing that has been seen in humanity. And surely God would call us into it. “And the Lord, seeing her, was moved with compassion for her, and said to her, Weep not; and coming up he touched the bier, and the bearers stopped. And he said, Youth, I say to thee, Wake up. And the [p. 134] dead sat up and began to speak; and he gave him to his mother”. There it is, a marvellous scene. It is God. Not a friend of God, but God in Christ, it is Jesus, God come down into humanity to see it, so close, to see all its sorrow. And see how He is moved by it. Surely it is a wonderful thing to be capable of being moved by such scenes, and see how God can come into them. “And coming up he touched the bier” — He came so close — “and the bearers stopped. And he said, Youth, I say to thee, Wake up. And the dead sat up and began to speak; and he gave him to his mother”. Surely now we have something to affect us. Something that God is doing. There is death in a young person and the mother is a widow; he dies before his mother. There are much people affected by it. It is a question of people being affected by it. God would approve of human beings being affected by such circumstances, and He comes in and gives them deliverance. The dead sat up and spoke. What will he say? What kind of conversation will he carry on? It all shows that the Lord had feelings of manhood in Himself; that is to say man as covering the human race; that kind of being. How God is affected by the sorrow of humanity. Then we have the youth sitting up and speaking because he is told to ‘Wake up’. What will he speak about? What will he read? What kind of conversation will he carry on with the neighbours hereafter? That is the idea Luke has in mind.
SWP In the first instance with the centurion it is “when he was not far from the house” and in this section it is, “as he drew near to the gate of the city”. Not far from the house and near to the gate of the city, would suggest the activities of the Spirit, of the work of God, that grace is moving in the closest concert with divine operations.
JT The whole scene is moving. There is considerable movement on parallel lines, but the result is condensed with the whole scene in mind; that is to say, the young man sat up. “And the dead sat up and began to speak; and he gave him to his mother”. I think that has to be worked out in a sense in the youth amongst the brethren, the coming generation. “He gave him to his mother”. Where are young people to get things? In their parents. “He gave him to his mother”. That is to bring out what was going on, not simply that the young man is made to live, but the family link is re-established.
NB [p. 135] Is the thought of administration in localities, seen in the gates of a city? It says, “As he drew near to the gate of the city”.
JT It was where administration should be, but there was nothing there to meet the situation. The gate is where things are carried on. If there was anything for God at all it should be there, but there was nothing there; it was all in Christ. And everything is there in Christ, and more, because the boy is delivered back to his mother.
JWD In Timothy we get what happens in the last days, “disobedient to parents, ungrateful, profane, without natural affection”, 2 Timothy 3:2. Is this the way grace meets these conditions?
JT Very good. You do feel in moving about amongst the brethren the need for the parents to take on responsibility. How much need there is for the parents to take account of their youths and get them under their influence, “he gave him to his mother”.
CCT “Wake up”. How would that fit in with our children today?
JT Well, “Wake up” means something, only the point is power. The word, “Wake up”, means something as though God has already moved to bring about life. As Paul says of the young man who fell from the window — “his life is in him”. Now in Elijah’s case the son of the mistress of the house died and Elijah asked Jehovah to cause the soul of the boy to come back into him. It had left him. It is God’s way to thoroughly take account of what the matter is. If the soul has left him, it comes back, for God brings it back. And so here the boy wakes up. There is something in him which can be retrieved in that way.
JGV It is evidently right to feel this in a great way, the mother being a widow.
[p. 136] JT Quite so. Who can tell what the Lord felt about the widow being left without her only son? How the Lord felt that! And thus God would create in us right feelings for men, feelings of compassion.
HB It is the dying out of a generation.
JT Yes, there would be nothing left. If she died that would be the end of it.
JK He is called a man first and then a youth. Does he start over again on a new basis?
JT I believe so. The powers today make much of youth. The powers that be will do anything for the children. They do not care anything for the old people. The food is given to the children more than the old people. What is in men’s minds is in God’s mind — the value of the youth.
NB The true spirit of motherhood is seen here.
JT The word here denotes humanity not simply Jews, but men in the abstract. The Lord is affected by the scene, what man has come to through sin. She is not called a Jewish widow, but just a widow, “the only son of his mother, and she a widow”.
ABM The mother is equipped to provide for him. There is nothing said about food. When the Lord raised up the young maiden He told them immediately to give her something to eat. Here the Lord turns the young man over to the mother.
JT I think the suggestion is that the boy was able to provide. He is a youth, a young man. The Lord calls him, “Youth”. A young man like that should be able to provide for himself.
Ques Does the thought in Philippians of fulfilling my joy enter into this matter — the bowels of compassion?
JT I think that is good. The Philippian epistle shows the working out of the life of Christianity. So if it be the women helping the apostle, they are to be looked after.
[p. 137] Rem The only son of his mother. Is there the thought of sonship in that way?
JT Quite so. Only it is what we were saying: he should be able to provide for her. God does not intend humanity to be destitute. Look at the resources of God today, so that humanity is not destitute of food. God comes in in these things and we should see what would come in to help men.
HB This matter of the youth speaking is important. One finds sometimes in meetings a lack of this. Many are not free to speak in their localities, in the various meetings.
JT Yes, you wonder about the dumb brothers. How much there is of that kind of thing in Luke. Zacharias was dumb for a season. So that in Luke 11 the Lord is casting out a demon and it is dumb. “And he was casting out a demon, and it was dumb; and it came to pass, the demon being gone out, the dumb man spoke” Luke 11:14. That is what you mean. Young brothers in the meetings not saying anything and if they do say anything there is not much in it. Not only that we can say something, but what is there in what we say. “I speak as to intelligent persons: do ye judge what I say”, (1 Corinthians 10:15). Because the idea of speaking must enter into the assembly. The Lord stands in the midst of the assembly, and that implies this power of speaking in the assembly.
CCT The man sitting at the feet of Jesus, his mind right, was able to speak rightly. We will not be dumb if we are found at the feet of Jesus.
JT It is very striking that the young man began to speak. The Lord did not tell him to speak, but he began to speak, showing that it was an assembly man that was coming to light. That is a priest, “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and at his mouth they seek the law”, (Malachi 2:7). He is giving the Lord his mouth, so to speak. That reference is to the administrative side of the assembly, not the [p. 138] service side. I am sure the present circumstances are intended for help in that. We are to understand the meaning of the very expression ‘humanity’ as being of God; that order of being, man, was intended to be representing God. “God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, (Genesis 1:26). That was in the mind of God and that involved all these features of humanity. Sin having entered has brought about all this weeping, and what is found in the widow in these circumstances. We are in the midst of such circumstances to a degree beyond anything that has been in the world before, and surely God would affect us from the standpoint of humanity!