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empty; their hands were full. I would connect this scripture with
others, pointing to the matter of food in the house of God.
The prophet Malachi emphasizes the necessity of bringing
something into the house of God so that there may be food in
it (Malachi 3: 10). The house of God is the house of full
provision; there should be food in the house of God. It is a
house, or an area, of fulness of food for the people of God. I
am thinking too about the Lord Jesus who came to the
disciples in Luke and asked, “Have ye anything here to eat?”
(Luke 24: 41). How good it was that they had something to
give Him; they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and of a
honeycomb. It was a wonderful feature that the Lord found
something in the company of the disciples. But if something is
to be found in the house of God, something must be brought
in. What is in the house of God is largely what is brought in by
the saints. These three men were bringing something.
Perhaps some will say, We have the Spirit of God, and He
gives us all. That is true, of course, but the Spirit of God
requires vessels, and the vessels are to be every one of us,
each a vessel to bring something into the house of God.
It was different when the Lord Jesus was actually here. I think
it is a very touching reference in Luke 22: 35 when He said to
them, “When I sent you without purse and scrip and sandals,
did ye lack anything? And they said, Nothing. He said
therefore to them, But now he that has a purse let him take it,
in like manner also a scrip, and he that has none let him sell
his garment and buy a sword; for I say unto you, that this that
is written must yet be accomplished in me. And he was
reckoned with the lawless; for also the things
concerning me have an end”. Well, beloved brethren, it was
wonderful when the Lord Jesus was here in Person on this
earth. He was personally a resource for the apostles, they
could at any time come to Him and get help, but He says that
now it will be otherwise. Formerly I told you to take no scrip, no
bag, all is in Me, but now, “he that has a purse let him take it,