THE DIVINE LEGALITY OF OUR POSITION
[p. 98] THE DIVINE LEGALITY OF OUR POSITION
Matthew 3:13 - 17; 2 Timothy 2: 19 - 22
JT These scriptures are suggested only as initial. Others are in mind, the intent being that we might consider evidences of the legality, the divine legality, of our position in these last days. Matthew carries that thought in view of the assembly and in view of remnant times, too, so that the assembly should not be lost sight of; so that there should be the moral evidence of its identity; and the genealogy or generation of Jesus Christ in this gospel is intended to show the legality of His claims as appearing in Israel. The gospel, of course, was written long after the Lord went to heaven, and it had christianity in mind. You have forty-two generations, “wholly a right seed”, showing how the seed in the royal line came down incontestably. It was not written, of course, for earthly people, but for exercised and honest souls, so that they might be assured that the ground on which they then stood was of God.
The line runs down to Joseph, husband of Mary, as we are told, of whom was born Jesus, and Joseph was a righteous man. And then Jesus was righteous and the ground He took was to fulfil all righteousness. That was the ground He took and the setting of it is in the announcement from heaven of its delight in that Man. So that righteousness is the keynote of the position and the second letter to Timothy shows that it is also the keynote today of our position. The foundation of God stands, having a seal on it that the Lord knows those that are His and that everyone that names the name of the Lord is to depart from iniquity. The Old Testament furnishes remarkable illustrations of this principle of establishing legality to what is of God; what is current and professedly [p. 99] of God. As for instance in the days of Jephthah in the book of Judges, the Ammonites disputed certain territory held by Israel. Jephthah showed it was held by Israel legally, given to them by God as the result of the conquest of an enemy devoted to destruction. And in the days of Ezra, a search was made and showed that the building of the temple was a legal action and brought to light that Cyrus had ordered the building of the house, so that those who wrought at it were able to proceed with confidence.
PL Would the title deeds which were put into the earthen vessel in Jeremiah’s day be in accord with that?
JT I think that is right. Those that were open and those that were sealed. Perhaps you will tell us a little more about them?
PL Faith’s confidence in the faithfulness of God.
JT It is a very important point to keep clear before us, for many are not too sure. It is important to be on sure ground, using the word ‘legality’ in a more or less metaphorical sense. The position is divinely legal, of God, having in it inherently its own title deeds.
AMH Is it your thought that we would have more power in testimony if we were more firmly established on divinely given ground?
JT Some move along with others who are sure the path is right, but perhaps they do not have their own feet on the foundation of God.
EBMcR Joseph, although he was the son of David, got assurance from God by the angel in the dream.
JT That is good. There was a moral link. Not only was he in the line, but he was a righteous man. He could say, as Peter did in regard to the sheet, “it came even to me”, a very great fact. The generation given reached down to Joseph, but then he had the accompanying moral element in him,
[p. 100] namely, that he was a righteous man and faced a difficult position; he knew what to do, following on the word from the angel. It says, in chapter 1: 20, “While he pondered on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream”, so that he had the conscious assurance of things, being a righteous man. We shall not come into divine assurance now by angelic means, but by the Spirit and only as we are righteous. Righteousness is the moral basis.
JCS And being in touch with heaven, receiving divine communications.
JT God recognises righteousness. He is, as it were, bound to it.
JCS Would the acceptance of the legal position save us from being governed by what might be natural?
JT We do not need to have recourse to any human expediencies as knowing our ground. Heaven recognises righteousness, and aside from it heaven will not be pleased, nor will there be any assurance.
WW It would lead to much greater liberty amongst us if it were so.
JT We would have more power in speaking to our brethren. You are on a sure footing if you have the seal. It is a sort of inherent feature of the foundation.
This position of Joseph is peculiar to Matthew. It is mentioned, of course, in Luke, but is stressed in Matthew as the line comes down to him. He is the great end of the line, being the husband of Mary, of whom is born Jesus. Joseph is representative outwardly of the line of the generation of Jesus Christ and he is righteous and if he is righteous he is ready to sacrifice. He would do what was right, though it was a difficult matter. Righteousness will never take short cuts, it will do what is right.
Rem Righteousness exalteth a city.
JT [p. 101] So that a king shall reign in righteousness and princes rule in judgment. Those coming in in relation to the Lord know how to maintain judgment in the light of His righteous rule. Righteousness is the key. What you see here is that heaven honours a righteous man. An angel of the Lord appeared to him saying, ‘Joseph, son of David’. He is owning his royal relations as belonging to the royal line. It would be incongruous to address him in this way aside from righteousness, nor is there any moral or royal dignity attaching to us aside from righteousness.
JC-S Do you think that if a difficulty arises, pondering would bring in the answer?
JT The pondering is to be noticed. Joseph did nothing hastily. It was the pondering of a righteous man. It was a great delight to heaven and an angel immediately appears to him.
Ques Would you say a righteous man was of great value in the assembly?
JT That is what I thought we might see, it is a question of the assembly. Matthew has the assembly in mind in this wicked world and how it is to act there, and go through.
AMH This man acted in a way legalising the whole position for Israel.
JT Exactly. Who could challenge the generation of Jesus Christ as seen in such a man? Who can challenge the position today if those holding it are righteous?
JC-S Do you think that at this point the legal line is hanging on a very thin thread while Joseph ponders?
JT Outwardly it is generally so, especially in remnant times. There is always enough in remnant times to give the enemy opportunity to act.
WW Does Matthew here indicate that in a difficulty the answer must come from heaven in relation to the [p. 102] assembly?
JT This gospel makes a great deal more of heaven than any other gospel and the assembly is to be representative of heaven. Peter tells us of what happened in Joppa, he says the vessel came even to him. Well, did it find a response in him? Is he to respond to and to be characterised by the vision of the vessel coming even to him? If he carried on in his Jewish narrowness and exclusiveness, then the appearing would be futile as far as he went. But he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. Heaven looks for that, for subjection and obedience.
In what follows much comes out in regard to Christ. It is a wonderful unfolding of His deity, in such a small compass. “All this came to pass that that might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord, through the prophet, saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is, being interpreted, ‘God with us”’. And that really is the sequence of all this. There is not only the recognition of righteousness, but God identifies Himself with righteousness — God with us. Having awakened out of his sleep, Joseph did as the angel enjoined him. He was obedient. What wonderful light, what richness of thought we have here! A righteous man is very rare in this world. Heaven peculiarly values a righteous man, especially in a day of unrighteousness like this.
PL Did God commit himself unreservedly in His conversation with Abraham to save the city for ten of them?
JT Ten righteous men? Quite so.
W W. Does trustworthiness go with righteousness?
JT That is what comes out in the next chapter. Joseph has qualified so that he is now entrusted with the little Child. Even in Egypt he is entrusted with such a treasure by heaven, and that is the idea of the testimony. It works on these lines, of trustworthiness [p. 103] and obedience; and the treasure is the little Child in the second chapter, involving a measure of maturity in the testimony. So that he shines in chapter 2 as a custodian of the testimony of God, and what a great thing that is as developed out of practical righteousness.
JC-S Does practical righteousness mean that we are right in our relations with God, with men, and with one another?
JT Just so. Here it comes out in a man’s relations with his wife. All relations are to be right, including business relations.
Rem Joseph was prepared to accept responsibility.
JT Yes. He maintained the relation into which he had come. He knew how to keep a covenant.
Rem Does it mean that we need to be careful that our relationships are righteous in every sphere?
JT That is the teaching of these chapters, and they are very significant because Matthew has the assembly in mind, particularly at a time when Jewish teachings would disallow the claims of christianity in those early days. This gospel is to establish the rights of Christ. This element of righteousness is most important. Morally we cannot be aside from righteousness and hence it is the leading thought in 2 Timothy 2.
JC-S That is what is alluded to in the firm foundation.
EBMcC It would come in in the thought of Emmanuel, God with us. While it alludes to Christ, is it not a continuation of having God with us?
JT That is the order of the truth. It is taken from a section in Isaiah which contemplates the remnant. Emmanuel as a Babe, God with us. It corresponds with what there is now by the Spirit in any gathering of God’s people where righteousness is manifested.
WW “Lo, I am with you ... unto the end of the world”, Matthew 28: 20.
JT That is the carrying out of this thought. It is the very last statement in this book. It is remarkable how Matthew introduces his treatise by the word ‘book’. The word ‘book’ is the first word in this account of the Lord’s ministry, death and resurrection. It is significant, because the idea of a book is that the record or evidence is there. As the Lord says Himself, “In the roll [or the volume] of the book it is written of me”. Anyone can see it.
WW Would that be like the charter of our position?
JT That is the idea. The record is there.
JC-S Is it that the record can be appealed to at any time in regard to any question?
JT That is the meaning of it spiritually. “Book of the generation of Jesus Christ”, we cannot take it up literally. I suppose it would cover the whole of the treatise here, and confirm what we are saying, that the thing is available. Evidence is available the title-deeds are available — as to the position being divinely according to God, legal.
JC-S Does the Lord coming in in this chapter suggest the seal of these records?
JT I think you have the full thought, as you might expect, before He enters on His service.
“Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness”. Joseph could not say that, still there it is as a standard set up by the Messiah, by Christ, before heaven honours Him, too. An angel appeared to Joseph as a righteous man but now heaven is opened to this Man — to Himself, as if to assure Him of its delight in that word “all righteousness” — fulfilling all righteousness.
EBMcC Then you have the record, too, in chapter 2, concerning Bethlehem of Judaea, written [p. 105] through the prophet, and giving the true account of the Lord coming in.
JT Matthew makes much of quotations from the Old Testament.
AMH Would that help us to see that we use Scripture in connection with what we do and take up?
JT Matthew has a way of speaking in connection with the Old Testament being fulfilled by such and such an action; it is to make the link strong, for the testimony of God is one.
Ques Would you show how the citation of the position by Jephthah bears on this matter of righteousness (Judges 11: 14 - 27)?
JT It is an important side of it because it alludes to an attack that may be made upon us at any time. It illustrates what we are speaking of. It was an attack by the Ammonites on the territory that Israel held from God. Jephthah carefully goes into the matter; he must have had the books of Moses and he knew them. Morally he gained his point and the matter was settled in that he could establish the divine legality of the position. If we establish righteousness God is sure to support us in that position. The matter is really morally settled. He appeals to Jehovah the Judge.
JC-S Would you enlarge on this, “it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness”?
JT “All” is stressed, all righteousness. Righteousness entered into His accepting baptism. Not that He needed it at all, but it was in relation to others; He identified Himself with those who turned to God.
JC-S Giving them a lead on that line.
JT Exactly. In Luke, as all the people were baptised He comes in at the end as if to confirm all they did. If you are moving on right lines the Lord comes in to confirm what is done. Sometimes He comes in before, and sometimes after, [p. 106] in confirmation.
EBMcC The position was disallowed by the Jews. He came from Galilee, not from Jerusalem.
JT Matthew makes a point of Galilee. That is where the Lord saw the disciples after He arose. It is the remnant position, the place of religious reproach.
EBMcC I thought in that way it would set forth our legal position today. It is not official, but it is legal.
JT The fact that we are from Galilee does not cast a shadow on our position. If we are under reproach from the religious leaders of the world, we may be sure we have the mind of God.
PL The passage in 2 Timothy shows how outward circumstances of reproach are bound up with the position.
JT Prison might cast a shadow upon Paul in the minds of some, but he had finished his course and he, too, is concerned about books.
WW Is the thought that as we move this way, we see things in connection with the assembly? If you are moving along these lines the Spirit of God makes things clear to you.
JT That is the point, and heaven’s owning the Lord here is very significant in the sense that He is assured. Of course He would be assured personally, but the manifestation is for us. The heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and coming upon Him. He was the object of heaven; that was for Himself. Then the voice is, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight”; as we are assured in our own souls, heaven calls our attention to Him.
Ques Have you any special reason for referring to books?
JT It is important that Paul sends for them. He directs Timothy to bring them and the parchments which, he says, “I left behind me in Troas at Carpus’s”. The connection is very remarkable; the connection of Paul’s treasures with Troas, when you think of his presence and long discourse there.
AMH Is not the thought of books important? We do not take some new ground. We go back to what is recorded in Corinthians as establishing our position.
JT Very good. Books would convey the idea of complete or varied testimony. There is a constant appeal to books in the Old Testament; certain books are named. If you are needing confirmation go to these books. What good furnishings from one and another of His servants are available to us on these lines!
You reach the value of them in the library of God. It is not only book, but books; we should know how to use them. Books are authoritative. “I understood by books”, Daniel says.
FW We might be content to rely on books, especially those of us who are brought up in a favoured position.
JT The suggestion in Timothy is the library of God; there is such a thing as that. Travelling gives opportunity for looking into books. No doubt Timothy would bring those books; they were not to be shipped or mailed to Paul, they were to be brought so that the books and the parchments and the cloak would all afford something for Timothy to think of as coming to Paul.
Ques What would the parchments have reference to?
JT They suggest something to write on, possibly further writing. Paul was not giving up those, though he was about to go to be with the Lord, having finished his course.
JC-S How are we to understand the Spirit descending and coming on the Lord Jesus in this connection?
JT It is heaven’s committal. It is the voice of the Father, heaven’s committal; He is owned. His [p. 108] deity, of course, enters into it. You have the Deity here, the three Persons, speaking reverently. These things are written, not only in regard to the Lord Himself, but they refer to what we ourselves are brought into, the link with, and acknowledgment of, heaven. It is a question of moral qualities, heaven finding its delight in what is here.
AMH Have you something similar in the Acts? In the first chapter in connection with right dealing in regard to one of their number; in the second chapter the Spirit filling the house, and in the third the word, “Look on us”, Acts 3: 4.
JT The result of the Lord’s own work is seen in the first chapter during the interval of ten days before the Holy Spirit came. It is seen by itself and in the second chapter heaven owns it. The best sample of it is in Peter and John going up to the temple at the hour of prayer. Peter says, Look on us. There was something there in testimony.
Ques Is the voice from heaven public? You spoke of the dove being personal to the Lord.
JT Well, the voice says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight”. The heavens are first opened to Himself. “He saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him”. The second part is for testimony. If heaven is pleased with us it will call attention to us; that is the principle. What a sight Peter and John must have been to heaven! I think the force of the record in Acts 3 is they went up together. A beautiful bond is between them.
EBMcC “It becometh us to fulfil all righteousness”. The Lord moves on that line with John the baptist.
JT He does; only the latter is not included in heaven’s recognition. John in his gospel gives a beautiful touch about John the baptist, that he saw the Spirit descending on Christ, but heaven does not [p. 109] include John the baptist in its remark. The point is that heaven calls attention to what it is pleased with.
JC-S Why is it in a different order in Luke? It is Himself personally in Luke.
JT It is to make it more personal. Luke has that in mind. The Lord began to be about thirty years of age, it says, as over against old people. But now heaven has got exactly what it sought in testimony.
JC-S Is there any suggestion here that God has anointed and marked off One who is to stand in the relation of King?
JT You get that throughout this gospel. After this He is tested and ascends the mount of legislation, unfolding, as King, the principles of the kingdom. Chapter 4 brings out His answer to the testing in the wilderness, and then His position at Capernaum as residing in a city — another point in regard to our testimony as in the city — light sprang up there, we are told. That is the order of the testimony, light springs up.
WW Do you suggest that these things should be worked out in our local companies?
JT That is what is in mind: all righteousness and heaven’s delight taking that on, pleased with it in testimony; then how it answers to the test here in the temptation; and then what there is in a practical way, light springing up. If these circumstances are amongst us there is a living state of things, light and life.
JC-S Thus the position is valid. Who could question it?
JT It is unquestionable.
Rem In chapter 4 the Lord uses the words “It is written” every time.
JT In 2 Timothy we read, “those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart”. It is a moral state of things and you have to know the persons pretty well,
[p. 110] for it is not merely a question of saying they are in fellowship, but it is a question of their hearts, not simply that I am following these things mentioned, but with these people; it means that I am industrious in finding the people that are described here. It is not a great public position; you have to find these people.
JC-S Righteousness is emphasised as coming first.
JT In keeping with what we are saying it is the leading thought, the first thing to think of, especially in our times — remnant times.
JC-S Does it apply to what we might speak of as religious associations and so on?
JT More particularly, only the word “youthful lusts flee” is a suggestion of the continuance of the testimony, that it is not in old people, though, of course, they would be valued. Luke shows that the Lord began with old people, Zacharias, Elizabeth and Simeon and Anna, but it says, “Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old”, Luke 3: 23. That is the divine ideal. In Luke 2 He is seen as a boy of twelve. I think that the Lord is speaking to the young at the present time. It is remarkable how many are coming out, and it is very encouraging, but the testimony requires them to flee youthful lusts.
The word “flee” is remarkable. I think Joseph in Genesis is a great type for all young believers in the testimony: he fled the danger. It is urgent if we are to be in the testimony, because the testimony requires young people if it is to go on.
WW Is that suggested in the word “pursue”? Only young people can pursue.
JT It is an energetic idea. “But youthful lusts flee, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart”. The two words “flee” and “pursue” point to energy, energy negatively and positively in young [p. 111] people.
JC-S Do you think youthful lusts would suggest what is natural in the young man and what he is to provide against? He is to be prepared to flee them.
JT Energy is what is needed. As sure as you dally with evil it will catch you. It is energy that is needed, as seen in Joseph.
JC-S We are told in Romans to make no provision for the flesh, but this goes further than that, does it not?
JT Then there is the pursuit of righteousness. Make that your first point. Whatever the application may be, see that you are right.
Ques Would you help us in balancing the two features, the young and the old?
JT You mean young brothers and old brothers. That is a very important enquiry, and Scripture abounds with help. Beginning with Genesis we find it is an old man’s book; old men are prominent in Genesis, but Joseph represents the youthful side, beginning at seventeen; and the spiritual touch is seen in relation to him at the time of his birth. Jacob says, ‘I must go back to my own country’. At the age of seventeen Joseph is in the testimony. He represents the youthful side and is said to be a fruitful bough by a well whose branches run over the wall. He has got sap and his roots are rightly set. Then in the book of Exodus I think Joshua is the personal type of youthfulness. The first mention of him shows that he is trustworthy; he is entrusted with the formation and leadership of an army. Moses says, “Choose us men”, Exodus 17: 9. It is us. He is to do it for all Israel, not for himself, not as a partisan. Then Joshua is seen later as abiding inside the tabernacle so that he qualifies in the ministerial books to become a leader into the inheritance. Another feature of Exodus is that the youths of Israel are called upon to offer sacrifices; they act as priests. You could not have these things aside from what is [p. 112] mentioned here, the fleeing of youthful lusts. The old man’s side is also seen both in Genesis and in the ministerial books because Moses suggested to Jehovah to set a man over the people and Jehovah selects Joshua, a man who has the Spirit. It is quite apparent that Moses meant that in speaking to Jehovah, and Jehovah directs him to stand before the tent with Joshua; so the old brother and the young brother are there in the presence of God. And Moses has not lost vigour; he wrote a song that very day. Moses does it immediately and well, so that he is not retiring as an old man with no power. It is a question of the will of God. An older brother would be quite content to see any movement going forward in the hands of the young, the old ones quietly giving the young ones room, so David takes Solomon on the throne with himself.
JC-S How do you account for such a state in the meeting where you have the young and old in conflict?
JT It is a sorrowful state. The young qualify by fleeing youthful lusts as Joseph, and Joshua and Samuel.
JC-S You mentioned Samuel. It is beautiful to see how he grew up with Eli and there did not appear to be any resentment on the part of Eli, and Samuel is never at any point in conflict with him.
JT God entrusted Samuel with His mind about Eli. Sometimes we might think the young should not be allowed into the counsels of the brethren in the care meeting, but Jehovah saw fit to allow Samuel into His counsels when he was very young.
Rem Youthful lusts are what the flesh is capable of, especially in the young. But are not the old liable to them? This passage concludes with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. That seems to govern the situation.
JT The pure heart.
As we were remarking, you [p. 113] have to know people to find out their hearts. We cannot walk at a distance but must keep near to them to know the state of their hearts. Those of us who have been young know something about youthful lusts. No one needs to go very far to find out what that means if he searches his own history. They may continue to our old age.
EBMcC Does this declare our legal position and would it cover chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew?
JT These chapters on the mount deal with all these things in us; they deal with the roots of all these things.
JC-S Instead of shutting out young men from care meetings, if we appealed to the books we would find it is perfectly legal for them to be there.
JT They are entitled to establish their legality to a position in the care meetings. It is not, of course, that they should take a lead in the counsels among the Lord’s people. Other scriptures provide for the elders. Grey hairs have no value aside from moral qualities; a man is what he is, and he must have moral qualities to give him a standing in the council of God. Joseph was to teach Pharaoh’s senators wisdom, showing how a young man may do that. Calling on the Lord out of a pure heart might describe qualities that may be alluded to. God calls attention to what He is pleased with.
GP Would it be set forth in 1 Timothy 4: 12, “Let no one despise thy youth”?
JT That is your own business. It is for a young man to see that he has moral qualities so that no one can despise his youth.
Rem Matthew speaks of the foundations being on a rock.
JT That is in mind. As regards a pure heart, the Lord includes that in what He says in chapter 5”Blessed the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. These people with whom we are walking will see God,
[p. 114] a very great matter surely. We bring that into our assemblies, seeing God, having pure hearts.
JJJ Is the calling on God an energetic thought?
JT It means that we do not rely on man or on ourselves, we invoke the Lord. In Corinthians we read, “All that in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”, 1 Corinthians 1: 2. The allusion is there to the general profession, but here it is dealing with remnant times and you must become personally acquainted with each believer and find out what is in his heart. It means intimate acquaintance with the brethren.
JM Would you explain how it works out in practice, to see God?
JT It appears in our assembly meeting. The way we come into it corresponds with John 14, John 15, John 16 and John 17. This scripture links on with John 14. The Lord there, having spoken about coming to the disciples, refers to the one who keeps His commandments. “He it is that loves me”, He says, and He will manifest Himself to him. That alludes to the time of the remnant. And thus the question is raised as to how He does that and not to the world and the Lord says, “If any one love me, he will keep my word ... and we will come to him and make our abode with him”, John 14: 23. The Father and the Son come to us if tabernacle conditions exist. I think these verses contemplate tabernacle conditions. We see God. It says in Exodus 24 that they saw the God of Israel. That was necessary in view of the tabernacle. It is in the tabernacle that you see Him. It is where He shines and would love to be seen. “To behold the beauty of Jehovah, and to inquire of him in his temple”, Psalm 27: 4.
WW God’s love is known in the covenant; “They saw God, and ate and drank”, Exodus 24: 11.
JT It is in view of tabernacle conditions, they saw Him up there.