READINGS ON HEBREWS (10)
READINGS ON HEBREWS (10)
BTF I suppose the law here would refer to all that was connected with the Mosaic dispensation.
AFM I think so, including the sacrificial service.
BTF While there was a certain foreshadowing in the tables, this includes more than that.
AFM Yes. We get the expression the law was given by Moses in John 1:7; I suppose that would include the whole economy. What would you say is the great point of the chapter?
BTF Verse 19, is that what is in your mind?
AFM Yes, quite; I think the expression at the end of verse 1 helps “those who approach”. The thought of approach to God seems to be the great theme of the chapter; and what the chapter shows is that we either draw near or draw back.
ARS It must have been a great thing to the Hebrew Christians to hear about approach, considering the system under which they had been brought up. We are so much accustomed to hearing of it that we do not appreciate it fully.
AFM Yes, quite so. Under the old economy the high priest himself went in only once a year, showing that the way was not opened up as yet, but now the shadow is superseded by the substance.
CAM If I understand you, God having established the system, He has really got the persons for that system.
AFM I think so. The previous chapter opens up the place. The next thing is to have the people for it; what follows is the encouragement to draw near.
ANW In the exhortation he uses the affectionate term of “brethren”, which is used very seldom [p. 148] in the epistle. The character of the epistle is priestly, but here, “having therefore, brethren”, he says, suggesting that people are before Him.
AFM The thought of brethren here suggests relationship, affection and encouragement.
JEH Mutuality.
AFM Clearly.
DMR In the Jewish service it was always emphasised that sin remained, but in the Christian economy what is emphasised is that sin has gone in virtue of what the Lord has done; and not only so, the Lord having gone in, we have liberty to approach the place from whence all light has come.
AFM The Jew was on a yearly footing with God, but we are on an eternal footing with Him, so it says, “he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified”.
CAM Would you say that the Lord’s language to the woman in John 4, “the Father seeks such as his worshippers”, (John 4:23) is of the same order as our chapter?
AFM That is good; the thought of worship is in keeping with what went before. The old system supposed worshippers, but they had not a clear title in not having a perfect conscience, but now it is a question of once-purged worshippers worshipping in spirit and in truth. “In spirit”, I suppose, would be in contrast with all that was literal and formal in Israel, and “truth” would suggest the full revelation of God in contrast with what was partial under law. So in this chapter, we “Draw near with a true heart”, for the law is said to be written there, and also in the mind (verse 16), the reverse of chapter 8, showing that the affections take the lead, and are responsive now to God.
BTF So that you have this glorious Person saying, “Lo, I come”, supplanting all the forms that had gone before!
AFM Yes, I think the way it is brought in is [p. 149] very striking; we have the four principal offerings mentioned, and after the first two you have the expression: “but thou hast prepared me a body”; so that in His body there was the filling out in life here of that of which the sacrifice and offering were typical. I suppose “sacrifice” would refer to the peace offering, and the “offering” to the meat offering. Then the sin and burnt offerings follow. The first two are typical of His life, the last two of His death so that in effectuating the will of God these precious types were fulfilled.
Rem So that the words, “once for all”, of verse 10, I suppose, would be connected with “Having therefore” in verse 19. In entering there would be no thought of sin; that question is settled once for all.
AFM A perfect conscience meets that. Under the old covenant they had not a perfect conscience because sins were brought to mind. A perfect conscience is one in which sins committed are not recalled, having been put away by this one offering.
ANW That is according to verse 2, “no longer any conscience of sins”, but it does not say that you are not conscious of sin.
AFM What is the difference?
ANW “If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves” (1 John 2), we are conscious of having it; but I do not see how we can worship God if we had any conscience of sins.
AFM The point is to be in the good of that in our souls. It often happens with believers that when some catastrophe comes upon them, or some breakdown occurs, it raises the question in their souls as to their acceptance with God, but with a perfect conscience that could not be, for God has effectually put away our sins by the cross.
ANW So that we get “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7), your conscience rests [p. 150] on that.
WHC Does not this show what God has in contrast with the many offerings under the law?
AFM The words ‘once’ and ‘one’ are striking: “The worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins”; the purging is not repeated. “By one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified”. It is the one great offering in contrast with the many; and has its application to the worshippers.
WHC The one offering has accomplished this for us — it has perfected those who believe; and as sanctified we have boldness to enter the holiest.
AFM Clearly.
OS It is very beautiful and simple the blessedness that my past history, and that of every believer, is wiped out forever. If my past history is gone, I become a consecrated one, and have boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
AMcN Would you say that at the beginning of the chapter we have emphasised the perfection of the sacrifice; and in the middle of it what the sacrifice has done, in that it has perfected forever them that are sanctified? It has opened up a way into the very presence of God. And then in the latter part, would you say that it is the moral characteristics that attach to the one who is in the good of it?
AFM I think the first eighteen verses are brought in to clear the ground. God has cleared the ground from His own side, that it might be cleared from our side; every hindrance is therefore removed in view of drawing near. The writer seeks to establish the saints in what has been effected; that being in the good of the covenant, there might be a qualified company to draw near. The words, “assembling of ourselves”, are found in the second section of the chapter; I think they are very suggestive as coming in there, involving a people who are intelligent in the knowledge of God, and who are responsive to [p. 151] God; they assemble themselves. The highest part of that privilege would be to draw near, as the companions of Christ, into the presence of God; “having a great Priest over the house of God, let us approach”, that is the encouragement. So that the ground is cleared, and the company is now qualified by what has been presented, to draw near.
AMcN It is a momentous thing for us that the way is clear; in the olden time they had not the right sacrifice, but now Christ has once appeared, and made the sacrifice, which is so perfect that it has opened up the way into the presence of God.
JEH Do you attach importance to the expression, “assembling of ourselves together”? Do I understand that you lay emphasis on it as being characteristic of Christianity, in contrast with things under the Mosaic system?
AFM Yes; that expression, and similar ones, are full of interest. In Acts 20 for instance, it says, “being assembled to break bread” Acts 20:7; the same idea is found in 1 Corinthians 11, “When ye come together in assembly”, (1 Corinthians 11:18) suggesting intelligence and assembly training. You may have a number of believers congregated, but with no intelligence it might be simply confusion; but as assembled together, there is the suggestion of intelligence as to the order of God’s house, and response to God who dwells there.
ANW A bell would not be necessary to remind us under such conditions, there is intelligence.
JEH In that connection, is the thought of the trumpets at all connected with Christianity?
ANW That is not normal, is it? It is like the sounding of the alarm in 1 Corinthians 5.
JEH You get the two, do you not, the trumpet blowing and the alarm?
AFM Their purpose was twofold: to call together the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. There were other instructions regarding them,
[p. 152] but I think they were largely for special summons. See Numbers 10. The breaking of bread is hardly that. I think the Lord’s supper itself is rallying; it rallies us as an assembled company.
JEH What would correspond now with the sounding of the alarm?
AFM I suppose when some difficulty arises among the saints, it would necessitate an alarm 1 Corinthians 5 would illustrate that, but when there is a new movement, produced by the Spirit, it is like the camps setting forward, when the alarm is blown. You will remember, too, that in Numbers 9 there were instructions regarding the cloud; when it rose from the tent Israel journeyed; but some might not see it move, not being alert; the spiritual [priests] would see it (Numbers 2:33, 34), and they blew the trumpets; then, of course, all heard, and moved in accordance with the requirement of the moment.
AMcN Would there be a sound of the trumpet in, “so much the more, as ye see the day approaching?”
AFM Would that not refer to the Lord’s return, and be an incentive to our getting together?
WHC Was there not a danger of Christians forsaking the assembling of themselves together? They were under great persecution and if they were to continue there must be the assembling of themselves.
AFM Yes. They faced persecution and material loss in the exercise of assembling themselves together (verse 32 - 34).
OS Would you say a word on “Let us draw near”, “Let us hold fast”, and “Let us consider one another”.
AFM I think they are, in a way, linked together. “Let us draw near” refers to the holiest — to the inside, we are encouraged to do this; it qualifies for the assembling of ourselves together. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope”, this has in view the outside; it is our position as in fellowship,
[p. 153] and as being set together for the testimony. “Let us consider one another” there is mutuality in this, and the way it comes out is that we provoke one another “to love and to good works”, that is the kind of provoking to be engaged in.
OS Then we should have a company pleasurable to God.
AFM The three foregoing thoughts are lovely links in the chain to that end.
BTF It is very remarkable how the Spirit takes account of us, there is one sacrifice and one witness so that there might be boldness.
AFM Yes; that is good. We were saying that the opening verses were introduced in order that the ground might be cleared. The ground is cleared from the divine side and now from our side, so that there might be no hindrance to our drawing near. It is wonderful the consideration God has for us in view of this, because He would not have anything less in Christianity than He had under the old system. He had His worshippers then, but they worshipped with limitations. Now all is changed, and the whole sphere is opened up so that we may draw near with confidence “with a true heart in full assurance of faith”. One was thinking of Luke’s gospel for a moment. Both Matthew and Mark speak of the veil being “rent in twain”, at the crucifixion, but in Luke it says that it was “rent in the midst” (Luke 23:45); suggesting that the way has been opened right into the very presence of God! The same thing is found in our scripture, and there is every encouragement for us to draw near.
ARS Did the prodigal know anything about this when he went in after he got the robe and the ring; did he get as far as this, do you think?
AFM I think so; he was in every way fitted to be there. He was kissed and invested with the robe, the ring and the sandals outside; then there was the [p. 154] fatted calf and the merrymaking inside; but there is no mention of his going in; he was really a part of the thing by being invested. What we are speaking about, I think, runs parallel with Luke 15; the point is that we might be here for the Father’s pleasure. It is in the light of God revealed that our chapter has to be considered.
CAM I was going to say that our going in with true hearts depends upon God’s heart being revealed. The first part of the chapter, you said, was to clear the way; in other words, we can say that it was necessary for God’s heart to be made known before we could go in with true hearts.
AFM It involves the Father running out to meet the prodigal, kissing and clothing him, so that he might be perfectly at home before His face.
Rem I was thinking that if God has opened up the way for us, it is that we might enter in with boldness.
AFM “Having therefore ... boldness for entering into the holy of holies”; there is nothing to fear; nothing beyond it and nothing holier; it is the immediate presence of God. The ark of the covenant and the mercy seat are there; and it is our privilege to contemplate Christ in relation to these; this qualifies us for companionship with Him.
Ques Is the thought of Father connected with the holiest?
AFM I do not think you get the Father in Hebrews in the sense of which we are speaking. It is more God, but then it is God revealed, and coming closely to Father, which is a term of relationship. It is put very beautifully in John 4: “The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth. ... God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth”, John 4:23,24. The two names of Father and God are here brought very closely together by the Lord in speaking [p. 155] of worship.
BTF It is striking that we draw near first and contemplate afterwards. I do not think it is exactly drawing near and assembling, although that is quite true. The thought is you are in the good of the holiest and then you assemble.
AFM That is the order, no doubt. It is those who draw near who have qualified to assemble, because they are intelligent in respect to God revealed in Christ.
BTF An instance that we all know is Mary at the feet of the Lord. Now you would think that such a soul as Mary engaged with the Lord, drinking in His words, would be the first one to assemble, as it were.
AFM That is right, and so you find her with her pound of ointment, and she is before the Lord in the spirit of worship in John 12. That is how it works out. We learn the thing individually, and then we are able to take it up collectively. I think the young amongst us would learn a great deal from observation. They see the thing in a concrete way in their elder brethren, and it enables them to understand and enter into it, according to their measure of growth.
WB-w You referred to the ground being cleared from God’s side and then from our side; what do you mean by being cleared from our side?
AFM I think that what God would do would be to make us as clear in our souls about the effectualness of Christ’s work as He Himself is clear. Where this is present there is a corresponding answer to it in my conscience and heart.
WB-w You have priesthood in mind as qualifying us to enter, have you not? Is that involved in it?
AFM I think so. When it is a question of approach to God, it must be under the leadership of Christ; so it says, “having a great Priest over the house of God, let us approach”. It is only as under the hand of the great Priest that we can [p. 156] do it.
ANW We are encouraged to approach by studying God’s method of advance to us. I think verse 10 deserves a little attention, “he taketh away the first that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ”. Will you say a word on that? I think attention should be drawn to it.
AFM The offering of the body of Jesus Christ would be His own voluntary act, I judge. The word ‘offering’ occurs several times in the chapter, in this instance it would be that of the offering Priest. He was both Offerer and Victim, and we get the blessed result here “By the which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”. That is the ground of our being set apart for God.
Ques They are certain conditions in view of approach, are they not?
AFM You mean, “sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water”. The reference here is to the consecration of the priests; they were washed and sprinkled with blood and Aaron was anointed, although the anointing is not found just here. “The heart sprinkled from a wicked conscience”, would set one free to approach God in holy liberty; no sense of condemnation there; and then the body washed with pure water would suggest our removal subjectively; not only our sins removed, as in the early part of the chapter, but the man. The body washed has reference, I think, to our apprehension of the death of Christ, in which man as after the flesh has been entirely removed from the eye of God; so that it is a new order of man that enters and draws near.
JEH Do you connect it with baptism?
AFM That would be the figure of it. We may be baptised and not be practically in the good of what [p. 157] it prefigures; the body washed in pure water is in view of approach.
CAM Would you say we get an illustration of it in the woman of Samaria, in John 4; her heart was changed from an untrue to a true one? The Lord said to her, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that says to thee, give me to drink” John 4:10; that, do you not think, suggests the fact that the Lord Jesus, having become Man, embodied everything in the way of God coming out; and her going in depended upon the understanding of that?
AFM I think the illustration is good.
CAM What lay behind it was the thought of our being “sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ” by the will of God.
AFM Apart from the body of Jesus Christ being offered, the living water could not be given, nor worship be possible.
ARS Is it not remarkable in connection with this “body of Jesus Christ” that in Romans 12 we are exhorted to present our bodies a living sacrifice?
AFM Yes, “that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God”, (Romans 12:2) so that there is to be correspondence in us with Christ really; only this offering of His body involves the clearing of the ground for God to approach man and man to approach God.
ANW What do you think about verse 7? It is striking that the Psalm from which it is taken is not quoted fully. The Psalm reads, “I delight to do thy will”, Psalm 40:8. When it is a question of clearing the ground, and dealing with our sinful condition. He omits the thought of delight, it is a matter of purpose of heart.
DMR I was thinking that verse 10 goes with verses 21 to 25. It is on the basis of our will being displaced and submissive to the will [p. 158] of God.
AFM Of course, the being sanctified here is on God’s side. I think it is a perfect thing.
ANW It is by the will of God, and by the work of Jesus; you cannot improve on that.
DMR If we are submissive to God’s will we are in a right state to come together. It would then be an object lesson to the young ones — this assembling of ourselves together. One is convinced that if this exhortation is heeded, fellowship will become so attractive to the young that they will desire to have part in it.
AFM No doubt.
WHC Do you not think that we are viewed here as of the house, and as such the way is opened for God to be worshipped; we are worshippers, having boldness to approach?
AFM We have a great privilege. It says, “having a great Priest over the house of God, let us approach”. The abundance of the house has been put within our reach, and the house of God is the gate of heaven. The house is on earth, so that we enter it here, and there are no limitations as to how far we might reach — even to heaven itself!
BTF There may be those who are in soul trouble, the enemy may occupy feeble souls with their sins; so we have the witness here unchangeable. ‘We change, He changes not’, (349:4). “Their sins and their lawlessnesses I will never remember any more”; that witness cannot be changed.
AFM Quite; I suppose it is the Spirit of God witnessing by the holy Scriptures. He makes, by a present application, the scripture cited living in my soul. It is not just the letter of it, but by giving it a living effect in me. The Holy Spirit bears witness that our sins and iniquities are remembered no more.
BTF Some poor, troubled soul might find help here, and be enabled to say, Well, what God says is [p. 159] true, it cannot be changed, and God would use that to make it a living witness to him.
AFM I believe that once it has become living in the soul it is positive and abides. “Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever”, Ecclesiastes 3:14. We could all go back to the time when forgiveness of sins was witnessed by the Holy Spirit to us; the question is therefore settled for ever.
BTF Say how you understand the force of the words, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering”.
AFM It is, “the confession of the hope”. The point is we have gone in; now we come out in the confession of that which hope cherishes and patiently awaits. It is embodied in the expression found in verse 25 the confession “the day drawing near” is public; we are to hold it fast without wavering, and the Spirit would encourage and support us on that line.
AJD The testimony is referred to here; and the teaching having been made good in our souls so that we can freely draw near.
AFM This should encourage us in regard to approach to God, because we can always qualify for a higher tone of worship. It is rather striking, we have no definition of worship, for it is too wonderful to be described; but we have here what would encourage us on that line, the drawing-near, with that end in view.
ARS It is a very good thing to ask ourselves how much we know about what we have been talking of, both individually and experimentally.
AFM After all, it is not a question of our coming together to get an explanation, or a correct setting forth, of Scripture; the point is to get our consciences exercised, and to get some word from the Lord for the moment to help us on our way. The Lord would speak to us tonight, giving to us a message for the present time; so that movement of [p. 160] soul and our exercises being met by the Lord will issue in worship. I am sure the Lord would encourage and help us toward this blessed end.
Ques Would you say we can always draw near but we cannot always worship?
AFM I think the effect of drawing near is that we worship. The golden censer in the Holiest is a suggestion of that (chapter 9:4). We have the privilege not only of drawing near but of contemplating the One who is there; and as contemplating Him, we worship.
JEH Why do you suppose that the writer was not free to lead up to the thought of worship? He said there were certain things he wanted to tell them, but they were dull of hearing. Do you think it was necessary to bring them up to the point of approach first?
AFM I think he returns to his subject at the end of chapter 6. The point in chapter 5 was, saluted of God as High Priest according to the order of Melchisedec, concerning whom we have much to say. Then he returns to his theme in chapter 7, having cleared the difficulty of hearing in chapter 6. But in chapter 2 you have the highest point of the epistle, “for both he that sanctifies and those sanctified are all of one; for which cause”, (Hebrews 2:11) etc. Verses 11 - 13 present the highest point; in this chapter it is reached.
JEH That really would involve worship.
AFM From chapters 2 to 10 you have the education of the soul in view of it. It was necessary that they should know about this wonderful Priest; and then about the love of God, so as to be morally fitted to enter the sphere that has been opened up to us in the resurrection and ascension of Christ.
CAM It seems that this book is written like the Psalms; the end described first, and then the experience by which it [p. 161] is reached.
ANW We are delivered to worship, are we not? As you were saying, if we can draw near enough we would worship; it would result spontaneously, would it not?
AFM Yes. We are let go to serve God.
WHC These believers had been accustomed to the house of God in Jerusalem; but the writer brings before them that these things are moral and spiritual.
AFM In chapter 3 it says, “whose house are we” Hebrews 3:6; in contrast to the material thing in Jerusalem; and they are encouraged in this chapter to approach; “having a great Priest over the house of God, let us approach”; so that we can, in His company, go in. It suggests the saints, as together, being the house of God. The point of privilege is as together; “let us approach” opens up all the privileges that belong to Christianity proper; what has been opened up by Christ, having gone into the presence of God, “entered .. - into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us”, Hebrews 9:24.
JEH It speaks of the way being a new and living one, why living? I can quite see the force of the word ‘new’.
AFM It is in contrast to what obtained in the former system. It is living because that blessed Man is living, who has gone in.
BTF Does it not suggest His death?
AFM Yes. “By the blood of Jesus”. There could be no entering apart from the death of Jesus. The blood carried into the holiest once a year suggested that man was to be there; our great Priest has gone in, and we follow as led by Him.
AMcN It is by a living Person that we go in, is it not?
AFM Yes.
AJD In contrast to the dead way?
AFM Yes, old and dead.
OS In the Old Testament the fire, the judgment,
[p. 162] consumed the sacrifice, but in the New Testament Christ, the Sacrifice, has consumed the fire, He is risen, and therefore all is new.
ANW It would seem that “the body of Jesus Christ” would be more God’s side, whilst “the blood of Jesus” strikingly enough would be more our side, would you agree with that?
AFM I think “the body of Jesus Christ” includes the blood.
ANW Quite, but if the body is offered, the whole ground is cleared; it is the blood of Jesus that washed away our sins.
WB-w Do you think that the blood of Jesus covers things from our side, in a priestly way?
ANW We are emboldened to follow where the blood has gone. It seems that we cannot take in the fulness of “the body of Jesus Christ”, but we are encouraged to go where the blood has gone.
AFM “The offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” is brought in here to show the absoluteness of our sanctification.
WB-w Qualifying us to go in, but there is more involved in that than we see at first sight. It would involve the instruction of chapters 1 to 15 of Leviticus.
AFM No doubt; those chapters cover a lot of ground.
WB-w Sometimes we look at this scripture as covering Leviticus 16 only, but I think chapters 1 to 15 are to prepare us in a priestly way to approach in chapter 16.
Rem Under the Aaronic order, Aaron was not called a great priest, as our Priest here is.
AFM It is to give dignity and character to the new system which has been opened up; it is in contrast to the order of priesthood that existed under the law.
WB-w We cannot enter apart from a priestly state, would you go [p. 163] with that?
AFM Yes; and hence the point is to see how everything has been brought about on God’s side in order that we might enter. Everything that would hinder having been disposed of, we are qualified to draw near. It is a question of one’s moral apprehension of these things; so that having reached that point, there is the blessed service of Christ to lead us in. Then there are the warnings at the end of the chapter; the point was apostasy. Forsaking the assembling of ourselves together and apostasy are the beginning and end of a course. The first step toward apostasy is taken in that way.
WHC It says in chapter 7 that the Lord did not take hold of angels by the hand; but here it would seem that He would so bring us to the apprehension of what He has wrought, that He would take us by the hand, that we might draw near with Him.
AFM There is every encouragement for us to draw near.
AMcN What you said in relation to the latter part of the chapter would have more to do with our coming out, and our relationship with one another as brethren.
AFM We are to hold fast the confession of our hope, and then to consider one another. There are things in which we would encourage one another in the ordinary walks of life as well as in the meeting.
BTF Would you say a word about provoking one another? I suppose the best way to provoke one another to love and to good works is to display love and good works oneself; and if we are enabled by the Spirit to do that we would provoke others.
AFM There is nothing so provocative as that; it is brought about in the expression of the Spirit of Christ.
AJD What would be the features of those who assemble together?
[p. 164] AFM I think spiritual intelligence and waiting upon the Lord.
Rem I suppose the main features would be intelligence and divine love.
AFM I think so. In 1 Corinthians 14, doing things in the assembly with one’s understanding is emphasised; and in chapter 13 of that epistle the value of love is presented, and we are to follow after it.
ANW To neglect the meeting would be a dangerous custom, would it not?
AFM Indeed! A brother once said he had been in fellowship for forty years, and had never missed one meeting, unless he was positively hindered. I do not know whether we could all say that; I hope we could; but very often we allow small things to hinder us from attending the meetings: We are tired, have a headache, or we have something pressing to do, such as a letter to write, or some business call to make. It is an immense thing to have before us the assembling together of the saints, and not allow anything ordinary to hinder us from being with them.
JEH Would it go with sinning wilfully?
AFM I think neglecting the assembling of ourselves together is like the first step on the road to apostasy. It is very solemn; of course, no true believer would go the whole length of the road.
JEH Forsaking seems to mean giving up, as it were.
ANW If these small things to which you refer are allowed to keep us from the meetings, it may amount to forsaking; for, after all, these are busy days, and you always have something to do.
AFM There was reasonable excuse with these Hebrews, because at the time they attended the meeting their houses might be burnt up, so that they were subjected to a great test; we do not labour under such conditions now.
WHC The passage has in mind those who are the Lord’s, but it is not meant for those who are not.
AFM The writer is dealing with profession, so he says at the end, “If he draw back, my soul does not take pleasure in him. But we are not drawers back to perdition”. He was persuaded concerning them better things, and connected with salvation.
CAM David’s house was burnt up when he went to the wrong meeting, but he recovered it; 1 Samuel 30.
ANW He did not have any increase though, did he?
AFM It says, “David recovered all, and ... This is David’s spoil”, 1 Samuel 30:20. It is remarkable that where there is self-judgment and soul exercise over failure, we get more in recovery than we lost by the failure.
AP You would not neglect the responsibility of the children would you? You would not leave them unprotected at home, while you attended the meeting?
AFM No. David left his sheep with a keeper; 1 Samuel 17: 20.
ARS I am sorry not to have the same record as the brother referred to; it is a very good one.
AFM I think we all need to heed the exhortations at the end of our chapter.
Rem I am glad that you brought these points to our attention, because we have exercise in our local meeting about the young coming into fellowship, who do not attend the meetings on account of college courses, and so on.