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9

Judah was one who went to Joseph and told him how he had

become surety for Benjamin. He was willing to accept

responsibility. He says, “Let thy servant stay, I pray thee,

instead of the lad a bondman”, or, virtually, let me go to prison

instead of Benjamin. That was Judah’s feature. The man who

is to have influence and to claim things for God is the one who

is prepared to go to prison for his brother. The prophet looks

for a lion but he sees a Lamb. The lamb suffers without its

voice being heard (see Isaiah 53). “He opened not his mouth”.

The Lord suffered without uttering a word. The measure in

which you will be bold as a lion is the measure in which you

can suffer. The One who went to the cross suffered untold

suffering, suffered even to death, was the Lamb, and the Lamb

is the One who will recover things for God and influence with

kingly power.

In chapter 8 another exercise is presented. An angel is seen at

the golden altar burning incense. Incense in the Old

Testament days was not public; the anointing oil was public.

Incense speaks of Christ and also of the saints as maintained

in the features of Christ before God, as we may see in the

Epistle to the Colossians; the anointing oil is seen in antitype

in Luke and Corinthians. The incense went up to God in the

holy place—it was not public. Incense is connected with

prayer. The Lord is going to take up things for God and He

offers the incense with the prayers of all saints upon the earth.

How necessary is prayer. Epaphras laboured fervently in

prayer. Have you prayed about matters? We may well do so

as we think of the conditions of things. Do you pray for your

local brethren? All the names of the tribes were on the onyx

stones on the shoulders of the high priest and each name was

on its particular stone on the breastplate; and the priest went

in to God with these names on his heart and offers incense.

Paul says—“I would have you know what combat I have for

you”. Have you left such exercises to the brothers, dear sister?

Is it not the sisters’ concern too? And you, young brothers,

have you left it to the old brothers? We must not do that. We