THE BROTHERHOOD ACCORDING TO GOD
[p. 68] THE BROTHERHOOD ACCORDING TO GOD
1 John 1:14-16; Genesis 27:26-29; Genesis 27:38-40; Genesis 36: 31; Genesis 37: 3; Genesis 44: 33, 34; Genesis 45:1, 2; Genesis 45:14,15
The verses I read in John’s epistle call attention to the brethren, and how we know that we have passed from death to life because we love them; and, moreover, that as love has been shown in that He, that is Christ, laid down His life for us, we should lay down our lives for the brethren. These verses form the basis of what I have to say. I have in mind that we should have a clear understanding of the persons referred to, those who are to be loved to the extent that we should lay down our lives for them. It is a right enquiry, Who are they? Whence are they? Where are they? Whither are they bound? If they are so important as to deserve such love, firstly, on the part of God in Christ, and, secondly, on the part of each christian, they surely deserve the most careful consideration and enquiry, so that we may be sure as to them, who they are and whence they are, what they are and where they are, whither they are bound, and what is their outlook. This epistle treats of its subjects radically, I may say, abstractly, and I have read the passages in Genesis so as to develop, by the help of the Spirit, the answer to these questions. The Lord enquired as to what men said about Him, as to who they said He was, and to this enquiry there was an answer forthcoming by revelation through Peter. But this answer was also confirmed by the teaching of Scripture, for revelation by God, whether in great or small measure, must always be in keeping with Scripture, Scripture being one whole! Every part of the divine unfolding agrees with all the other parts, and is confirmed, too, by the others; so that the announcement of Peter that the Lord was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” was fully in keeping with Scripture. So what John alludes to here, implying a very great family or set of persons supremely great, must find confirmation in Scripture; and the book of Genesis is peculiarly calculated to answer the questions I have mentioned. Jacob represents the family viewed as the brotherhood. That is, his history as a whole, notwithstanding deviations and shortcomings, sets out the state of brotherhood according to God. Whereas Esau’s history, taken as a whole, represents a state of brotherhood that is the mere profession of brotherhood, which is not according to God, although he had the place of brother, and was blessed, too, in that relation. The two lines are marked off strikingly in these two men, and by the Spirit’s help I hope in the first place to delineate briefly the features of brotherhood which are not according to God.
I remarked that Esau was blessed in that relation, and I allude to Hebrews 11: 20 which says, “Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come”. He blessed them both. The allusion spiritually, I apprehend, is to the profession of christianity in both cases, both the blessing of Jacob, which comes first, and the blessing of Esau. It is important, I think, to the understanding of the subject to bear these brief remarks in mind. An examination and a comparison of the two blessings will reveal the accuracy of what I remark, that Isaac represents Christ as the heavenly man, and that the blessing is very profuse, and, in a certain sense, indiscriminate. It is, of course, based on professed belief, but, in result, while blessing was accorded from heaven at Pentecost on the principle of faith in those who received it, yet in due course many came into it who did not have faith, but had the position of brethren in an outward way. There are many today who are in that position; they are blessed [p. 70] unquestionably, and although the accompanying evidences of the family are not there, they are nevertheless blessed. They are delivered from the darkness of heathendom; they are in the light of the revelation of God outwardly, involving “the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28: 19). This is of immense moment, and is in keeping with the profuse grace, the abundant grace, of this dispensation. All is in keeping with the wonderful patience of God, to the end that He might be known and that what He is might continue to shine here, notwithstanding the very mixed results; such results, indeed, that the genuine is almost obscured by the unreal, although the genuine exists, as I hope to show.
You will see by comparison that Jacob secured his blessing on the principle of faith, though in discreditable circumstances; but he secured the blessing, and it is marked by gift, his father saying as he drew near, and as he kissed his son, “The smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed”. That is, a subjective state is indicated. There was a work, as we call it, subjectively. The smell of a blessed field alludes not to what is superficial, but to what is potentially rich, and which will bear the fruits desired; that is, the brotherhood according to God. The smell was there, which by the Spirit, as we may say, Isaac smelt; and the blessing to Jacob is on the principle of gift according to what God is. As the Lord Jesus says, “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things to be in his hand” (John 3: 35). He gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him. Things are on the principle of gift, and in abundance. Then the Lord proceeds in John 4: 10 to speak of “the gift of God”. Things are on the principle of gift. Genesis 27: 28 is the gift; then verse 29 suggests an administrative position: “Let peoples serve thee, And races bow down to thee. Be lord [p. 71] over thy brethren, And let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee. Cursed be they that curse thee, And blessed be they that bless thee”. I touch on that so that we may see the contrast, as I wish to proceed to delineate briefly the false brotherhood set forth in Esau which has its counterpart, beloved, today. I am not speaking of persons as such, or unchristianising any, but it is a question of character, whether it be in a real christian, or in one who is an unbeliever. It is the same thing and it is a question as to what assumes to be the brotherhood, but is not that which is in accord with the divine thought.
What we find with the blessing of Esau is that he is said to have his dwelling “of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above”. That is the simple statement of the fact that Esau would have a rich place as a dwelling, which is abundantly answered to in the position that all nominal christians have at the present time. Their dwelling is not in heathendom; it is in the very fatness of the earth, where the Spirit of God is, where the light of heaven shines from the face of Jesus, and where the Holy Spirit operates among the saints. They have that place outwardly. It is further stated: “By thy sword shalt thou live, And thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass when thou rovest about, That thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck”. This verse has also a remarkable counterpart at the present time in the general brotherhood. There was respect at the outset for divine ordering and sovereign choice represented in Jacob, so that Jacob ruled and the brotherly element according to God prevailed, but not for long. So it says, “When thou rovest about, Thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck”. That is the history of christendom. Although at the outset the brotherly element according to God prevailed, in time there was a [p. 72] breaking loose from divine settings and orderings, and independent movements came into evidence, suggested by the rendering, “When thou rovest about”. ‘Dominion’, indeed, has been acquired; and so we have the vast hierarchy of christendom today, professing to be a brotherhood. It is, however, but the result of a roving about, of independency, so that the yoke of Jacob as representing the true brotherhood has been broken, and Esau prevails outwardly.
To my mind, dear brethren, these are very evident facts as entering into our own dispensation. It is true Esau is said to be blessed, — and he was blessed; indeed it is a blessing that anyone should be in the area where the light of God shines, and the light of heaven shines; where, too, the dew of heaven comes down, and where is the fatness of the earth. That is a blessing to anyone. Then, on the other hand, we see the independency, that which is natural, showing itself. “When thou rovest about” began to show itself when men took it into their minds in the history of christianity to do as they willed, to rove about, cutting themselves loose from divine orderings and limitations, giving up, as we may say, “the commandments of the Lord”, (1 Corinthians 14: 37). They broke away, as it says, “Thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck;” and it continues.
As we proceed we find that Esau hated Jacob, and determined to kill him. He was appeased, for the Spirit of God makes every allowance for Edom, assuming him to be a brother right up to the time when the children of Israel were on the very borders of Canaan hundreds of years later. God is loth, dear brethren, to give up any of His people, even though their profession may not be deep. He maintained the brotherhood of Esau as valid. I want you to note that point, the length of time the brotherhood is valid in the mind of God. It was valid in Esau’s case right up to the period when Israel was about to enter [p. 73] Canaan. Deuteronomy makes a particular provision for the validity of Esau’s brotherhood; and I speak thus so that everybody here may understand that there is nothing arbitrary about God. In everything He is marked by patience and the utmost consideration. So that anyone present here who may be in the position of a brother, and who may have failed in the spirit of a brother, is to be encouraged to see that God recognises the validity of your brotherhood, until you renounce it, until you show by some overt act that you are not at all a brother, that, indeed, you are devoid of the spirit of a brother. So Esau is recognised; in Deuteronomy, he is even allowed a part in the congregation of the Lord. Deuteronomy 23: 7 enjoins that an Edomite is to be respected, “for he is thy brother”. Every provision is made for him: Israel is not to molest his territory, or to interfere with him; he is to pass by him peaceably, which he did. But when you come to the prophets, when the history is lengthened out, dear brethren, the sad fact comes to light that Esau in truth never was a brother. That is to say, the unbrotherly element was there, and though God bore with him for centuries and recognised his validity, giving him every opportunity to recover himself, the time came when God began to use by his prophets the severest terms, the severest denunciations with regard to Edom. A whole prophet’s book, Obadiah, is devoted to the judgment of Edom, so great a place has the unbrotherly element in the divine mind. The Spirit of God speaks about his unrelenting hatred of his brother, his “perpetual hatred” (Ezekiel 35: 5), and it became an abomination to God. Now you understand, dear brethren, that I am not speaking of any person or persons, but I am speaking of the thing that is so delineated in Scripture, beginning at such a source as this, a source indeed which outwardly found a place in the blessing of God, until it should so [p. 74] culminate, until we are told by the last prophet in the Bible, that is Malachi, that God loved Jacob and hated Esau. We are not told that until then. The patience of God is seen in that, before He would pronounce upon the element that was abominable to Him, He waited until the last prophet, Malachi, and then He says, “I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau” (Malachi 1: 2, 3). He might have said it in Genesis 27, for He knew full well what was there; but God awaits developments before He announces His judgments. He is slow to anger, and gives abundant opportunity for recovery, beloved; as the Lord Jesus says, “I gave her space to repent” (Revelation 2: 21). Edom committed itself finally to perpetual hatred, and is to be blotted out for ever. So we see it working out in the Herods of the New Testament, who were Edomites; and we read of one of them in Acts 12, that he was eaten of worms, after having put to death James, the brother of John, and having been minded to put Peter to death also. That is a very sorrowful arraignment, dear brethren, but I am simply giving you the teaching of Scripture with regard to Edom, and as to the bearing of God’s thought of the repudiation of the false brotherhood.
We see from chapter 36 how this element represented in the Edomite brotherhood, moved. We have, indeed, the dukes of Edom given there; they are mentioned simply as an item, as necessary to the history of the testimony: “These are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned a king over the children of Israel”. That is the idea: “I will be king” (1 Kings 1: 5). That element cannot wait. Whether it is in a christian or not, if it is found among the brethren, the people of God, that element must be king. It will not defer the idea of reigning if it can prevent it. That element was found at Corinth, as you will remember; they reigned as kings, but Paul says, “Reigned without us” (1 Corinthians 4: 8); that is, they reigned before the true brethren reigned. The true brotherhood according to God is not in a hurry to reign; they accept the time of suffering first. “If we suffer, we shall also reign” (2 Timothy 2: 12). There is no such thought as that with Edom; it is a question of reigning. So it says, “These ... reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned a king over ... Israel”. There is a great point for us in this, dear brethren. One knows it is in one’s own heart; if one’s natural aspirations are not kept in the place of self-judgment there will be a desire to rule, to take a leading place, to be dominant, to be first. That is what is meant. Esau could not wait; he must be king; he must have his dukes and his kings before any king reigned in Israel. The king who is to reign in Israel is to wait for hundreds of years. The thought is deferred, and Israel waits until its David arrives — in truth, until Christ arrives, for He is the King. That is the idea. It is not the one who says, “I will be king”. No, it is the one who is humbly taking care of his father’s sheep, without any aspirations, who in love tends the flock — that is the one, the king after God’s own heart. But Esau could not wait. So one has to challenge one’s own heart as to whether one is aspiring to dominance among the people of God, or whether one is content to suffer, and not to reign without Paul — indeed, it would be reigning without Christ in a sense, because He is still rejected in this world. He is still the Outcast in this world; but who that loves Him would desire to be anything else but an outcast in keeping with His position, awaiting the time of reigning? as the apostle says, “I would to God ye did reign” meaning to reign in the true sense — “that we also might reign with you;” for there will be reigning, thank God! We are made not only priests, but kings too, which means that we are to reign. But, in the meantime, the answer to that is suffering. The royal [p. 76] colour is purple really, which means suffering. It is the colour which covered the altar of burnt offering (Numbers 4: 13).
Now I want to bring out from Jacob the brotherhood according to God, and I go back again to his blessing. It is on the principle of gift. This same Jacob later says: “I wait for thy salvation, O Jehovah” (Genesis 49: 18). There is no effort with him to have kings reigning. That is the attitude of soul, that is a feature of the brethren that they are content to wait for the divine appointments, for the unfoldings of the divine calendar. I would commend that word to you, as I have to others — the calendar of God. Everything is there with the utmost accuracy, and all will occur with the utmost precision. It is all there, beloved; therefore there is the need of waiting; and in waiting we show one of the great features of the brethren according to God. So that there is potentiality in this man: his smell is as “the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed”. The crop has not yet come, but it is coming; it is there potentially.
So that we get the thing concisely in Genesis (for Genesis presents the subject in its completeness); and the next point I would touch is in chapter 37, the verse I read coming in after the announcement of Edom’s kings, the long list of dukes corresponding with human pride and glory. Jacob is still a shepherd, and the Spirit of God begins to give us his generations: “These are the generations of Jacob;” and the first one is Joseph. Why Joseph? Why not Reuben? Well, beloved, it is a question of what I am speaking of, it is a question of bringing out the brother; for God is much more concerned about the brother than He is about the king; and He is looking into our hearts now, and telling us that He is looking for the brethren. It is a question of being the brother, not simply the leading brother; that is not the word. The true brother will be a leading brother,
indeed, for he is “born for adversity” (Proverbs 17: 17); he throws himself into the breach and suffers; for that is the idea in leadership, as I hope to show presently in Judah. But Jacob is still a shepherd, and has his generations; but the first one is Joseph. And who is Joseph? Well, he is seventeen years of age; he is the youngest but one, and he is loved of his father. That is a great feature of a brother; he is loved of his father. The Father’s eye is upon him, as it was on Jesus: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight” (Matthew 3: 17). Is that only for Jesus? No one could, of course, be spoken to in that way except Jesus, but you will observe that it does not say. ‘In whom is all my delight’ as we sometimes cite it. The word ‘all’ is not there, for in truth God extends the thought to all the brethren; He finds delight in all. Of course, Jesus is unique; no one could be addressed as He; He is the Firstborn of all the brethren; but then the wide circle of the brethren surrounding Jesus is delightful to the eye of God; He finds delight in them. So we find Joseph mentioned first; and his father loved him. You say, ‘Why did he love him?’ Well, beloved, I will tell you why. Jacob was his father; but he was also the father of Judah, and of Reuben, and of Simeon, and of all the others; but it does not say that he loved any one of them specially. Why does it say it of Joseph? Because he was lovable. Will you deny God the principle of selection? Will you not allow that His eye appreciates what is lovable? Then the question for me is, am I lovable? Does the Father love me? He loved the Thessalonians — young christians as they were. It says of them that they were “the assembly of Thessalonians in God the Father” (1 Thessalonians 1: 1). You see what place they had, dear brethren. I believe the Thessalonians in their youthfulness and freshness as the product of Paul’s labours were delightful to the [p. 78] eye of the Father. They were lovable, and that is why they were “in God the Father”.
That is the point I wish to make in the passage in Genesis 37, and so we get no generations of Jacob, no sons of Jacob formally given until Joseph makes himself known to his brethren; that is, until they all come in some sense under the character of the brotherhood as in Joseph. That is why I read those verses in chapters 44 and 45. I want to show from these passages how the brotherly spirit and character came to light, and how Joseph really represents Jacob in this development; for in truth what I love is myself in a way; I mean the reflection of my own feelings and ideals coming out in another. So in loving Joseph specially, Jacob is centering on that element. It is what he is, really; with all his shortcomings he is truly the brother, and hence God loved him; so that if Jacob loved Joseph, God loved Jacob: “Jacob have I loved”, Jehovah says.
I want to show how this came out. Judah is now putting on brotherly characteristics; that is, he is ready to lay down his life, so to speak, for another. If I am ready to lay down my life for my brother I am certainly ready to lay down a point that is causing distress, however right my view may seem; I am ready at least to submit and wait. If I lay down that which is most to me, as it were, if I lay down my life, I will do all else that is necessary. I will not withhold any consideration for the brethren; and what comes out in Judah is this feature, among other things, that he thought of the effect of things on others. One has spoken of this as regards the Lord Himself. He thought of the effect of an occurrence on others (as in John 11). So if Benjamin does not return to Jacob, what will be the effect on Jacob? Judah is unselfish; his attitude is that of thoughtfulness for others in relation to the effect of an action on others, whether for good or evil. I cannot afford [p. 79] that any action of mine should in its bearing be for the damage of the brethren; and so Judah argues with Joseph that if the lad did not go back, his father would die. We cannot afford to let that happen. I cannot afford it; the spirit of a brother in me will forbid it. “He will die” — think of the disaster of Jacob dying! I am only speaking now as Judah; he says, “When I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us ... he will die”. He says, so to speak, ‘I cannot admit of it; I will lay down my life!’ That is the principle, laying down one’s life for Benjamin and for Jacob as the brother. Now Joseph says, ‘Let every man go out from me, and I will make myself known to them’. Now the brethren have come to light; that is, Jacob has come to light, for he is the source of all this. Now it is taking form in a practical way. Here is one brother ready to lay down his life instead of little Benjamin; for that is what he was, the least among them. It is true he was an overcomer, but that is not the way he is reckoned in this connection; he is called “the lad”, reminding us of the weak brother “for whom Christ has died” (Romans 14: 15). We cannot afford to cause him to suffer. We have to consider the effect of our actions on others.
When that came to light it says that “Joseph could not control himself;” that is, the thing is there, the thing that originated and had its source in God through Jacob is now there manifestly, in the royal tribe, too, in Judah. It is practically there in a concrete way, in a man who is ready to become a slave so that the others should not suffer, so that Benjamin should not suffer, nor Jacob; Judah is ready to lay down his life. Joseph could not control himself; he must make himself known to them, for the brethren have come to light. In answer to the enquiry: ‘Whence are they? Who are they? Where are they?’, here [p. 80] they are, showing themselves. It is useless merely to talk about being brethren; it is a question of these qualities. If I am to find the brethren, I am to find them by these qualities, not by mere profession. Who are they? Whence are they? What are they? Where are they? This is the way you find out. Here they are in Judah, and all is taken account of in the light of Judah; so that Joseph could not control himself, and it says, “No man stood with him when Joseph made himself known to his brethren”. That is, he is owning them now, and if he does so, it is on account of these qualities. I own them; I am glad to be one of them; I am glad to be with them, for God is with them, and they are going through; their destiny is eternal, and they are worth dying for. So Joseph “fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck. And he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him” (verse 15). That is to say the history brings out who the brethren are; and now they are set free to talk with Joseph; every bit of distance is gone, so that they are in liberty in his presence to talk with him. I think, dear brethren, that you have here a suggestion of another trait of the brethren; they are free in the assembly, like the two men with the Lord on the mount of transfiguration (according to Luke’s presentation of it); they talked with Him; they appeared in glory, talking with Jesus. They had liberty in heaven. It is the liberty of sons that we have in His presence, and thus we are able to talk with Him, and that in heaven, as the mount of transfiguration shows.