THE SIGNS OF THE COVENANTS (2)
[p. 157] THE SIGNS OF THE COVENANTS (2)
Genesis 17: 1 - 13; Genesis 21: 22 - 34
JT We have considered the covenant made with Noah, the sign of which is the rainbow, visible to all universally. Now we have to consider the sign of circumcision, the sign of the covenant made with Abraham and his seed. It is not a universal sign, and it is in the persons in respect of whom the covenant is made; for this sign we have to get the persons. It is obvious that we are on narrower ground, and the relation contemplated is much more intimate, for it is one man in whom God proposes to work out His thoughts who takes it up. Before this transaction with Abraham, there had been much in the way of intercourse with God, but now, after an effort on Abraham’s part which proved utterly futile to accomplish the thoughts of God, there is a new movement with Jehovah, involving His almightiness, and in this movement, “the excellency of the power” 2 Corinthians 4:7 is to be of God. That is the great general truth which runs through the Scriptures involving the resurrection of Christ, and all is to be according to that.
The communications of Jehovah are very formal and personal; He says, “I am the Almighty God”; then, “I will set my covenant between me and thee”; and again, “God talked with him, saying, It is I” — as if God is speaking to him on friendly terms — “behold, my covenant is with thee”; and then, “I will establish my covenant between me and thee”. The relations are to be intimate, God coming down to Abraham and acknowledging what he had been according to his name Abram — “high father”; that there had been moral elevation in him hitherto, since God called him. Then his name is to be changed to “Abraham”, which implies power, not only moral elevation but actual power — the father of a multitude. The sign is to be [p. 158] in the persons, as the apostle Paul says, “we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and boast in Christ Jesus, and do not trust in flesh”, Philippians 3: 3.
FI Could this sign only be entered into by Abraham as stepping out into a path of separation? The bow in the cloud was general, but this is more particular, as you were saying.
JT Yes; and the first covenant has a universal bearing, men get the benefit of it aside from their actual condition or state; the sun and the rain come on the unjust and the just; the just give thanks, but the others get the same rain, the same sunshine. Now we have a man taken up on the principle of separation — “Go out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house”, Genesis 12:1. He is proved for some time and acquires a character in keeping with his name, that is, he is morally elevated, as the word “Abram” would signify.
Ques Does the 6th verse where God speaks of making him “exceedingly fruitful”, take in all that have faith, that living throng? This is the fruitfulness you were speaking of? “Inasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham”, Luke 19:9 is that conveyed in this expression?
JT Yes, certainly. You have to find the people to see the covenant of circumcision, it is on much narrower ground. The gospel of Luke brings out those instances — the daughter of Abraham (Luke 13:16), and the son of Abraham (Luke 19:9) — they had moral qualities. John the baptist said, “God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham”, Luke 3: 8.
Ques You have pressed the thought of the persons in order to have the sign; would you open that up a little?
JT Well, it is said in Romans that Abraham “received the sign of circumcision as seal of the righteousness of faith which he had” (Romans 4: 11) — it is a seal. Then in Colossians, we have it in “the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ”, Colossians 2: 11. Well, how is that to be maintained? How can there be a sign of that kind apart from the Spirit? It is a question of the power of God. The action of the sun — the light — causes the rainbow, but there is more than that in circumcision. It is the actual power of God dealing with the flesh, the fleshly element, “Putting off of the body of the flesh” — the whole thing. It requires the power of God to do that, and that is by the Spirit.
WCG So the true Israel of God are those who are that inwardly, it says, in the heart and in the spirit.
JT Yes, you get that in Romans 2: 29.
Ques Would you say this is conditional, according to verse 1, “Walk before me, and be thou perfect”?
JT Well, that is how Jehovah introduces what is before Him. The sign must be there; the covenant is not effective, there is not really a testimony, unless the sign is there, and for the sign you must have the people. It is no mere theory, it is a question of the persons.
Ques Would there be anything in the fact that Abraham was eighty-six years of age at the end of chapter 16, and now he is ninety-nine? Ishmael would be about thirteen?
JT He had had opportunity to see what Ishmael was. The Lord allows us to see the character of the flesh, that part of history is extended from Sinai to Christ. Ishmael was thirteen years in Abraham’s house, proving what that product was; but after you have the thing portrayed in such an extended way, Romans 7 is to deliver you from it. The product in Abraham’s house for these years would prepare him for this chapter — Genesis 17. It was the divine education, but he said, “O that Ishmael might live before thee”! Genesis 17:18 That shows he had not learnt his lesson; it waited for [p. 160] chapter 21 to bring out what Ishmael was, typically, a persecutor of Christ. Now Abraham is ninety-nine, that is, he is more amenable to the instruction of this chapter. If faith is operative, the older we become the more amenable we are to divine lessons; your strength is waning, and you are more ready for the lesson of this chapter — “that the excellency of the power may be of God”, 2 Corinthians 4: 7.
Ques Would this covenant have specially in view fruit for God?
JT That is what it says — “I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee”. Nations and kings, against the dark background of those nations that sprang from Seba, and the kings Nimrod represents; Genesis 10: 6 - 11. These nations and kings run on as of the Nimrod character, whereas God is to have nations of His own, kings according to Himself.
AEL That is confirmed in verse 16 — in the promise to Sarah.
JT Yes, it is a wholly right seed that is in mind, not a mixture. Chapter 16 is a degenerate seed, but God has in mind a wholly right seed.
FI Do you connect the Spirit with the sign of the covenant?
JT Yes, it can only be by the Spirit. It is a question of the power of God and not the flesh. “We are the circumcision”, the apostle says, “who worship by the Spirit of God” Philippians 3:3. The Jews worshipped Him in a fleshly way, and christendom has adopted that way, so it has a very definite bearing today upon the service of God, and how to worship God and carry on His service. Therefore the importance of having the persons with whom the sign is.
HB-t You were speaking of “wholly a right seed”, Jeremiah 2: 21. Is that what Malachi refers to when he says, “He sought a seed of God”? chapter [p. 161] 2: 15.
JT Yes, Abraham and Sarah represented that parentage.
HB-t Was he looking backward there in Malachi or forward?
JT He says, Judah “hath married the daughter of a strange god” Malachi 2:11; you cannot get a seed of God in that way. God says, “I hate putting away” Malachi 2:16. They are to consider their spirits, the relations are to be right. Malachi takes up, very briefly, the great results of Israel under the law. It was not that the mind of God was not clear, it was clear, as we see in this chapter, but the material He had to deal with was impossible. Abraham and Sarah represented the parentage, so that much is made of Sarah in the epistle to the Galatians.
Ques Has Malachi in mind the birth of Christ?
JT It would culminate there no doubt. The parentage in Genesis 16 brought in a mixed seed, and that is what christendom has become — the father is of God, but the mother not, the Hagar principle marks christendom. That is what this chapter stresses — parentage.
Rem You are only really among the people of God as having the sign in your flesh, so that the power of God is available, there is the excellency of the power of God there, 2 Corinthians 4.
JT That is right. It works out in the worship of God and in the levitical service too, in the preaching, in the ministry — the excellency of the power is of God. But it is not a mere theory, you want to see the persons, and to look for the sign in them. It brings out what God has in mind in the great physical state of things, the heavens and the earth; that these being established, God is developing His testimony in one person and in his seed, so that henceforth you get certain persons. Who are they? Who is this Abraham? Who is Isaac? Who is Jacob? Who are the twelve patriarchs? These are the ones God has in mind, so that when you come to Christ, it is a question of the value of persons. In [p. 162] regard of Abraham the king of Sodom says, “Give me the persons” Genesis 14:21. No, Abraham says, I want the persons; you can have the goods. Abraham had entered the conflict to secure the persons. The goods all belong to the great scene indicated in chapter 9 under the blessing of heaven, with all that brings in — commodities of all kinds which enter into the commerce of the world; but persons are in view according to Abraham’s selection. God has selected persons, and when the Lord Jesus came, the thought of persons became accentuated. He left 120 persons, the names are here “the crowd of names” (Acts 1: 15); there is a crowd, but every person is there distinguished by his name. That is the idea; circumcision is a sign of a people in relation to God, and you must get persons to get a sign of that covenant. Every individual christian, therefore, becomes of great importance, for he has the sign.
Rem In the beginning of Galatians, the apostle says he conferred not with flesh and blood — he sought out, as it were, spiritual persons.
JT Yes, he went up to Jerusalem to see Peter. He went all that way to see one man, and he says, “I remained with him fifteen days” Galatians 1:18. What a person Peter was! What a sign of the circumcision would be there!
Ques Have you in mind that the sign was not to be seen in the Galatians generally?
JT Quite so. They were going back to the old thing, the letter which killeth, but the Spirit gave life. Persons who are alive spiritually, who recognise the Spirit of God, and disallow the flesh, these are the persons in whom the sign is; so the testimony becomes very narrow, because such persons are very few.
Ques Why should the sign be made on the eighth day?
JT Eight symbolises a new thing. God takes up [p. 163] the seed of Abraham from infancy; it is a new order of man.
Ques Is Titus a sample in Galatians 2? Paul takes Titus with him, and it says, “neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised” Galatians 2:3.
JT Yes. Paul virtually said to them at Jerusalem, This is what God is securing from the gentiles. Can you improve on that? To bring in literal circumcision there would be folly, nor did they insist on it, they did not go so far as that. Titus was a beautiful representation of the work of God among the nations.
Ques Is that the idea of the seed?
JT Exactly.
Rem We can take account today of people who display that in their service to God they attach no importance whatever to the flesh, that marks out the people you suggest?
JT Yes, that is the idea. The sign is comparatively private, you have to find it, but it exists. If you can find people who worship God by the Spirit — that is, they make room for the Spirit in their worship, and in their service, their preaching — and have no confidence in the flesh, then the “excellency of the power” is of God. So that Paul says, “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” 1 Corinthians 2:2. “That the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us”. 2 Corinthians 4:7 Paul said, “To write the same things to you, to me is not irksome, and for you safe”, Philippians 3: 1. The difficulties among the people of God arise from the lack of this sign in them; the enemy attacks and gets an advantage; if they had this sign he would not get an advantage — “for you safe”.
JT Yes. A year ago we were speaking of the sign set up by unburied bones in the land of Canaan. There is a sign put beside them, and wherever the sign is the saints bury them. I mean, that is laid upon us, according [p. 164] to Ezekiel. There is quite an army of buriers in Ezekiel 39. But this is another sign; this sign of circumcision is the power of God, persons with the sign are marked by that power.
WCG We have to come to it that the purposes of God in their present application can only be worked out in such persons.
JT That is it; you may as well come to it. You may have ten thousand instructors, as the apostle says there are those — but only one father. That is what brings in one like Timotheus.
WCG God said, “I will be their God”.
JT The God of the heavens and the earth exalted the nations, but think of God seeking out a people that He wishes to be in relationship with — “I will be their God” — “Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah”, Psalm 33: 12.
Rem Every bit of the reproach of Egypt is gone from those people.
JT Exactly. That is what comes out in Joshua, the reproach is rolled away. I think this is very practical, for it helps us in finding the people whom God owns practically — they have a sign. In Timothy we are exhorted to “pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart”, 2 Timothy 2: 22. This sign goes with that, they recognise the Spirit.
Ques Did I understand that this sign is only found practically where separation is maintained?
JT It goes with that. Abraham had already testified to the truth of separation. This goes a little further than that, while including it, in that it implies power; things are being done that God approves where this sign is found — a very great matter.
Ques Is it the separation that leaves room, for God to carry on His operations with these people?
JT Quite so. He has them for Himself. “Walk before me”, He says. That means they are not walking in the world’s ways and fashions, they are not considering what men think of them, they are walking before God.
Ques Do you mean that, to be in line with the testimony, the power of God is necessary — that faith alone is not enough?
JT No. Faith is light for us, you know what to do, but then you want power to do it. You may have light and resort to human resources, as Abraham did. There was the fruit of that in the thirteen-year-old boy who persecuted Christ, typically. The work of God is to be carried on by the power of God.
Rem It appears there is the possibility of being in the separate position, and yet not possessing the sign.
JT That is an important suggestion. Our position may be right and yet we may be without power; the power must be there if there is to be anything done. How important it is to find people through whom things are being done that God approves.
Rem The Spirit is a seal or sign that the power of God is with the person.
JT That is what is meant, it is a question of the Spirit of God. If the flesh is unjudged, we are relying on human methods and means, He is just simply ignored and nothing is being done for God, there will be no results for God. This chapter contemplates results for God; chapter 16 contemplates certain results, but not such as God approved.
Ques Is it right to say that the power is in the cutting off, and that can only take place under the power of the Spirit?
JT Exactly. “Circumcised ... in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ”, Colossians 2: 11.
Ques Would Abraham failing on his face suggest a state in view of having the power of God?
JT It was very comely he should do so. We can see how beautiful the relations contemplated are, in Jehovah saying, “It is I”. God is beside Abraham — as it were one person talking to another, God recognising this man according to what he has; now he is to be something more than that, it is to involve great results for God.
Rem After this, in Abraham’s household, if anyone had not been circumcised it would raise a question.
JT It would, therefore the end of the chapter tells us there was no uncircumcised person in his house.
Rem It is important that the sign should be recognised amongst us at the present time in the power and spirit of it.
JT Yes. It is a very interesting and profitable thought that we should look out for persons having this sign; there are not many of them we have to admit, and we want to find them all.
Rem Paul said to some, “Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye had believed?” Acts 19:2 Had they got the sign?
JT That is right, Paul raised that question with the twelve men at Ephesus.
What we read in Genesis 21 confirms all this. It would be profitable to link it with this sign, because of the well that Abraham says the Philistines had taken away. He gave Abimelech cattle, but he set aside seven ewe-lambs. Considering these seven ewe-lambs should help us as to the practical working out of the sign of circumcision; they were to be a sign or witness to Abimelech that Abraham dug that well, he has laid claim to that well. Digging a well is not the same as finding a spring. There are wells you may find. The first wells of water that Israel found at Elim are not said to have been dug. Digging in the wilderness is an advance on that and comes in many years later. It implies that I have the Spirit, and now I am finding out that I can use the Spirit in myself to make a clearance, so that He should be ungrieved.
Ques Would you open up a little the difference between having the Spirit and making use of the [p. 167] Spirit?
JT Well, what we have been saying implies that I am making use of the Spirit — we worship by the Spirit of God. I am to live in the Spirit, according to Galatians, and walk in the Spirit, and by the Spirit await the hope of righteousness; the fruit of the Spirit is given under nine different terms in Galatians 5. In the types, Israel had the Spirit early in their history; the battle of Rephidim was in that connection (Exodus 17); the rock was smitten and the waters flowed, and immediately Amalek attacks, that is, Satan in the flesh, as if he would set aside the great gain of that water for Israel. So Joshua comes in for the first time as a military leader, and victory comes through intercession on high. The Holy Spirit is there recognised in the history of the believer; but you do not get digging until many years after. Digging alludes to the clearing away in myself of what I have discovered to be a hindrance, and what has caused the Spirit to be grieved, so that He is not free in me.
Ques You are referring to Numbers 21?
JT Yes, that is the digging. Digging is by the princes, it is a question of spiritual power in the saints that leads to it.
Ques Does that spiritual power come about by beholding the serpent of brass?
JT Yes, that is the objective thing; the contemplation of sin in the flesh in the brazen serpent, is the truth in an objective sense, but the digging is what I do; it is perhaps not much understood, but that is the truth. Abraham says, these “seven ewe-lambs” are to be “a witness to me that I have dug this well”. Well, what kind of creatures are those seven ewe-lambs? They are not quarrelsome, they are docile; figuratively, they are people you would love to live with. How did that come about? They are not wild asses, like Ishmael; the product of the flesh is that — “a wild-ass of a man” (Genesis 16: 12); he would not be the kind of man you would like to live with, certainly a man like that can [p. 168] be of no help in a meeting. But these seven ewe-lambs, how beautiful they are in their spirits, typically. The captain of the Philistines was relying on his army, but these ewe-lambs are not like that, they are the kind of thing a spiritual man puts forward, they are the “witness to me that I have dug this well”.
Ques Does this contemplate Colossians 3, “Put on therefore as the elect of God ... meekness”? Colossians 3:12 Very good; that is the idea.
Rem “I ... beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ”, 2 Corinthians 10: 1.
JT Yes, it is the product of the Spirit. That is the thing to bring forward before these big men. We have remarked about Titus, what a man he was! Paul also says to the Corinthians, “I have sent to you Timotheus, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in mind of my ways as they are in Christ”, 1 Corinthians 4: 17. That is the idea.
Ques Are they the results of the digging, and hence the fruit of the Spirit?
JT That is the idea, the product of the Spirit.
Rem “When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him”, Proverbs 16: 7. Abraham was walking before God and his heart was perfect, and nothing could stand against that power.
JT They recognised that power was there. “Abimelech, and Phichol the captain of his host, spoke to Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest”. What a testimony! The king with his military leader beside him, is coming to see that the power of God is better than what he had; and that is the testimony in face of all these big men round us. Get the biggest of them and bring him into a meeting where the Spirit has place, what could he do? He could not do anything; he could outside, but not where the Spirit of God is. So they say to Abraham, We see God is with you and [p. 169] He is with you in all you are doing; you are doing things by the power of God.
Rem The disciples at the beginning of the Acts represented the Lord Jesus.
JT Yes, that is amongst themselves; and if anyone came in and saw what they were doing, it would be observed that all was by the Spirit.
Rem It is a wonderful thing to present these seven ewe-lambs to the Philistines. “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty ...”, 2 Corinthians 10: 4.
JT Yes. I believe Titus and Timothy were both representative of that Spirit, they were Paul’s children in the faith.
Abraham could not raise so many men as Abimelech had, but he had three hundred and eighteen trained servants born in his house, they were his house; that is the kind of military that are in view — the household of faith.
HB Of Timothy Paul says, “See that he may be with you without fear”, 1 Corinthians 16: 10. Is that the ewe-lamb character?
JT Yes. He would not fight his way, but wait his opportunity.
HB I would like a little more help as to the digging. Is it making definite room inwardly for the Holy Spirit, not merely the refusal of the features of the flesh?
JT That is what is meant. They dug the well with their staves — I take it that would allude to experience, that I have tested out the flesh and am resolved not to use it again; experience precedes the digging. Abraham had experience of Ishmael, and his resolve was not to resort to that principle again. Digging is strenuous work, it involves exercise; and the experience that you get in earlier life helps you. You would say, I have tried man’s method before and it has been futile, I will not use it again. I got up last night and I was dependent on the Lord and I never had such [p. 170] liberty. I did not have much to say, but I had liberty, I had power in what I was saying. At another time I committed a thing to memory and I gave it out, but I did not have power; I will not do that again. Such experience precedes digging.
Ques What is the thought in the law-giver?
JT The law-giver regulates you. The princes dug the well at the direction of the law-giver; Numbers 21: 18.
Rem You would not rely on past help, but seek present help.
JT That enters into it too. Many struggle on in their service, in their spiritual experience, their worship, and in the part they take in the assembly: they do not see how futile are their efforts. The princes were men of experience.
AEL How do the foes Sihon and Og come in?
JT I suppose Og was a big man; that is probably the last thing we get rid of, our own self-importance. Even if I do use the Holy Spirit and have power in my ministry, I may not get rid of Og. I may think that, after all I am a big man, bigger than ever if I have been helped by God. I have to learn that myself and my bigness is Og.
Rem This well being Abraham’s well, would be a source of refreshment to others.
JT Yes, that is what is meant spiritually. He approaches the subject at once, it says, “Abimelech ... spoke to Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest”. And he goes on to say, “swear to me here by God that thou wilt not deal deceitfully with me, nor with my son, nor with my grandson ... . And Abraham said, I will swear”. Then it says, “And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away”. That is what he had uppermost in his mind. You can see the link between this passage and chapter 17.
Ques What do you make of the tree or the grove he planted? Is that the thought of fruitfulness again?
JT “Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the Lord, the everlasting God”. I think he there formally commits himself, for it is a question of his worship now, the grove alludes to his worship. He is calling on the name of the Eternal God. He can well afford to make a covenant with the support of such a God. Abimelech wanted it to extend to his son, and grandson — it did not go beyond that. But Abraham would say, I can well afford to make a covenant, for I am calling on the name of the Eternal God — His are eternal relationships. I think it brings us on to those who worship by the Spirit of God. Abraham began as a worshipper, he began with an altar, now he has this grove and calls on the name of the Eternal God; it is an eternal thing we are brought into.
Rem There is no way of escape from idolatry but entering on this ground of worship.
JT Quite so. Whilst God graciously comes down near to you, as He does here in saying to Abraham. “It is I”, yet faith recognises His greatness, He is the Eternal God. This is the first reference to the Eternal God. Abraham is in liberty now, not in fear; God would have us to be without fear.
Ques I would like help in regard to the activities of the Spirit. You have referred to those in whom the Spirit is grieved. Would this include believers who having the Spirit, are not yet separated to the truth that is in the mind of God? I take it it is possible to have the Spirit, and yet not be led by Him.
JT That is right. Abraham is making everything of the Spirit. This great man, Abimelech, recognised that God was with him, as men will by-and-by, when ten men “shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you”, Zechariah 8: 23. There will be evidence that God is operating there. Abraham is doing things, and Abimelech says, “God is with thee in all that thou doest”: then Abraham immediately brings up the question of the well, indicating that the secret of all this is the Spirit. He says, “I have dug this well”, that is, I have endeavoured to make room for the Spirit, and you can see that I have done it by this well, but you are trying to baulk me. “Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water that Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away”. They were frustrating this great principle of operating by the Spirit.
Ques Was Paul reproving Peter as mentioned in the epistle to the Galatians because the well of water had been taken away?
JT That is the thought. So now Abraham gave him cattle, it says, and both of them made a covenant, and Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by them selves. The result is to be seen by itself, it is the product of the Spirit, and is to be seen by itself detached from all else. And Abimelech said, “What mean these seven ewe-lambs, these which thou hast set by themselves?” He notices this, and Abraham says, “That thou take the seven ewe-lambs of my hand, that they may be a witness to me that I have dug this well”. Abraham has these seven ewe-lambs prominently in his mind in all this, they represent the great product of the Spirit, and are the witness that he dug the well.
HB You spoke of persons. Do these seven ewe-lambs represent such characteristically?
JT Quite so. You might say, it is Christ. He says, for instance, to the leper, “Go, and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them”, Luke 5: 14. They never saw a leper like that, one cleansed by Christ.
Ques Is that seen in the Israel of God, at the end of Galatians?
JT That is the idea.
Ques Does the last verse of this chapter show that [p. 173] it is possible to live in the land of the Philistines, surrounded by them, and yet be free in this way?
JT That is what I thought. Abraham is sojourning there without fear and carrying on his worship of the Eternal God.
Rem In chapter 20 Abraham received cattle from Abimelech, now he is the giver.
JT Yes, see how superior he is. It is the Spirit of God that makes us superior to this world — nothing else.
Ques Is there a link with Peter and John in Acts 3 where they say “Look on us”?
JT Yes. They were a beautiful sight — God’s best, as you might say — going up to the temple at the hour of prayer.
AM Do we see the seven ewe-lambs in Acts 11, where Peter draws attention to himself and the six men who went with him? They of the circumcision contended with Peter after being with Cornelius, and he points to the six men who were with him as a proof of the service he had rendered.
JT I think that is a good example. “Ye which are spiritual, restore” (Galatians 6: 1); they are the only trustworthy persons to visit one needing recovery.
Ques After Abimelech and Phichol return Abraham sets up a grove and calls on the name of Jehovah, the Eternal God. The spirit that is seen in them would be out of place in the service of God?
JT Those men would have been in the way in the service, but they have these seven ewe-lambs for a testimony to them. One great point in these last days, whatever the results may be, is that God has a testimony, and He will be able to say to them by and by, “Thou knewest all this” Daniel 5:22. We want the well open, we want that to continue. God is helping us to continue on the line of the Spirit in order to keep things open; the flesh is not to be allowed to baulk the action of the Spirit.
[p. 174] Rem In the next chapter we see how these things are tested — God would test Abraham.
JT Yes, and He would bring him into greater things through the test; it is progress all the way through, and the exercise for us today is to keep the well open. We are resolved, by the Lord’s help, to keep the flesh out, to allow room for the blessed activities of the Spirit; these meetings are all for this purpose, so that the blessed activities of the Spirit might proceed.
Ques In regard to the meetings for ministry, which have been revived in these days, would they form an occasion for the power of God to be seen amongst us?
JT I think they do. Meetings like this, and all meetings in which the Spirit is free, correspond with this. It is of the greatest importance that we should keep before us that there is to be room for the Spirit. “Grieve not the holy Spirit of God”, Ephesians 4: 30. “Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings” — 1 Thessalonians 5: 19 - 20 — make room for the flow of the water.
Ques Were they keeping the well open in the Acts by ministering to the Lord and fasting?
JT Quite so — they worshipped by the Spirit of God.
Rem “Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever”, Ecclesiastes 3: 14. He is the Eternal God — there is something to rest on.
JT Yes, quite so. There is a landmark here, both in Beer-sheba and in the Eternal God: the faithfulness of God and the perpetuity that would enter into eternal relations. It is no matter of time now, we are entering on eternal relations. Moses takes it up later, he speaks to God in this way — “From eternity to eternity thou art God!” Psalm 90: 2.