GOD SPEAKING DIRECTLY
J.A.Petersen
Job 38: 1-4; Revelation 2: 1-6
It is in mind, not so much to dwell on the extent of the divine speaking, but to show from the Scriptures that at times God is the direct speaker to men; and the Lord Himself along with the Spirit, is the direct speaker to the assemblies.
There came a time in Job's history when God Himself spoke. It is of importance in our relations with divine Persons to note that there is a time when They speak to us directly, without, I may say, using the preacher or the prophet. I think all of us have known what it is to say, the Lord spoke to me. The Lord Jesus Himself came into this world as a hearer not only to speak but as one who heard. A the prophet tells us: "he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the instructed", also "that I should know how to succour by a word him that is weary", Isa 50: 4. That is said of the Lord Jesus; and again it says, "ears hast thou prepared me", Ps 40: 6. He came as a hearer as well as a speaker. That is an important feature in the assembly - hearing. We are told in Acts 11: 22 that "the report concerning them reached the ears of the assembly" - the ears. The assembly has ability to hear. Time fails to add, but we could say also that the assembly at times speaks. It does not teach, but it does speak (see Matt 18: 17).
I just wanted to dwell for a moment on this point that there comes a time in God's ways with men when He Himself speaks directly. In the beginning of Genesis we get that Jehovah Elohim came down in the cool of the day to speak with Adam, but, alas, Adam was ashamed. The voice of Jehovah Elohim, it says, was heard in the cool of the day. It is a serious thing to be in an area where God is speaking and not to be able to respond because of your unjudged sins or your state of soul. That is how it was; God was wishing to commune with men but He found no response. It tells us in the prophet; "I sought for a man ... but I found none", Ezek 22: 30. And again, Isaiah 63: 5, "I looked, and there was none to help". But the Lord Jesus came as a hearer and that is a wonderful thing. He says: "all things which I have heard of my Father", John 15: 15. That is a wonderful thing to contemplate, how the Lord Jesus was here in that way. I am afraid that sometimes we speak before we hear aright. May we learn to be hearers because God may wish to speak to us directly without using someone and may just elect to speak to you, or each of us, directly. That happens in the glad tidings; God has spoken to us. The great speaking of this dispensation is unique: "God ... has spoken to us in ... Son", Heb 1: 1. There it is the great dignity of the speaking in this present time; if I may say, in that sense, a greater speaking in our dispensation than ever before.
Now in this passage read God is speaking to Job, for no servant or preacher could say to Job: "Where wast thou when I founded the earth?". No servant or prophet could say that, nor could a man say that to another man; only God could say that He founded the earth. Just think of that speaking, beloved! God speaks to us. He has made us, He has redeemed us. "For the redemption of their soul is costly", Ps 49: 8. These are the things that God has done, and when He speaks there is no speaking like His speaking. The voice of the Son of God will be heard soon by those who have departed to be with Christ - a wonderful thing! That voice will be heard by the departed saints and they will arise. That is one of the lights we get in Job 14: 15; he says, "Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee". That is a wonderful thing that those who have died in Christ will hear that voice.
In the meantime, "my sheep hear my voice". The Lord Jesus has a direct relationship with the assembly. He can speak Himself without using any servant, and that is seen, I think, in the book of Revelation. In chapter 1 it says, firstly, "John to the seven assemblies which are in Asia". But then Christ speaks directly to the assemblies in chapter 2; the message is direct from Him. It is a wonderful thing when we can say in a reading meeting, or in the ministry meeting, that the Lord spoke to us tonight. He spoke directly to the assembly in Ephesus. I do not go fully into what was said, but He says "I know thy works and thy labour"; and who would know it like Him? No brother would know the works of the assembly as He knows them. He died for it and He knows our works and our labour. He knows what can be commended; He knows, also, what can be called attention to and needs to be judged by us. The Lord Jesus does that Himself. It is not to make little of prophets and teachers, and the like, but it is to bring out the Lord's direct speaking. The apostle Paul was converted through the direct speaking of the Son of God. Mr Darby said that he was converted through reading the Scriptures. That was a direct voice of God to our brother. Most of us would have to say we received help through the preachers, but in Paul's case the Lord took special charge of his matters as He may with any one of us. As to the assemblies in their localities, the last word to them is really that of the Lord Jesus. And "he that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies": is that not lovely? - the blessed unity that there is in divine speaking to the end that we may be assured. I think the Spirit joining His voice in the addresses to the seven assemblies means that there is a subjective response from the brethren to the voice of the Lord Jesus. May we prove it for His Name's sake.
PLAINFIELD
28 December 1987
CHRIST AND THE OVERCOMER
F.C.Mutton
I have been thinking today, dear brethren - and maybe it has some link with what has been before us - of the direct personal link between the Lord Jesus and the overcomer. The Lord would speak to us, as we have already heard, that we might each of us be strengthened in the circumstance in which we are to be overcomers, to be overcomers at home, at school, at work, wherever we may be, because that character of person - one who overcomes - is directly under the approving gaze of the Lord Jesus. He will give His own direct word of encouragement and help and also the most precious promises. So in verses 7 and 17 of Revelation 2, there are these references to food. What precious promises these are as to food for cheer and strengthening and encouragement, presented directly by the Lord Jesus. "I will give to him to eat of the tree of life". I must say I had thought of this more along the line of your or my having the wonderful privilege of going up to the tree of life and helping ourselves to it, but the Lord Jesus comes into it, "I will give to him to eat". It is as if the Lord Jesus Himself personally conducts, if I may put it this way, the overcomer to the tree of life and introduces him or her to some precious, timely part of its ever-varied and nourishing and attractive fruit. What a promise this is! To an overcomer in a scene of adversity, where there are so many elements and currents that are against him, it is as if the Lord would say, Just come with me and I will lead you afresh to the tree of life and help you to receive and appropriate and enjoy something from it you have never had in the same way before.
Then in verse 17: "to him will I give of the hidden manna". In the Old Testament the manna came down night by night on the dew, but for us it is the Lord's own immediate provision for us. He gives it to those of whom He approves and whose course and outlook and objectives He delights in. Well, dear brethren this is very precious, to be able thus to do with Him personally. The Lord feeds us as we are thus together, but, after all, the appropriation of food, even if received as together, is personal. If I am to be nourished, something has to go on within me. The hidden manna is our hidden, secret, heavenly source of nourishment and comfort.
And then He is going to give us something else: "I will give to him" (this is essentially personal) "a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he that receives it". This is one of the greatest comforts, dear brethren. You may be misunderstood in your path of Christian responsibility but you are not misunderstood above. You are well known there and named there, given a new name. There are quite a lot of people in the Bible who had their names changed, and I think this would be the result of soul history - new birth, conversion, the reception of the Spirit, and obedience to the truth. The Lord says, I am going to put a name on that person that marks my appreciation of the work of God in him. And no one else knows it. I think it means that no one else in that sense can enter into what you enjoy personally with the Lord Jesus. Not that it is a selfish thing, but the Lord delights to have personal links with every single one of us. Each is named and that name indicates the unique work of God. What a wonderful thing this is! I saw in a brother's bookcase today a book, 'A Thousand Famous Names'. I did not have time to look into it, but your name exceeds all those thousand names and their earthly fame. These names you can read of in history cannot compare with this new name or with its eternal character. It is a name divinely written on this stone of white, showing that what is wrought out now in the work of God in you or me is that which in character and preciousness lasts eternally for divine pleasure.
Then there is this wonderful and oft referred to verse in chapter 3 as to what the Lord will make of an overcomer. I think it is one of the most arresting thoughts. The Lord said to His disciples, "I will make you become fishers of men", Mark 1: 17. Are we in the Lord's hand, as being in measure, at least, overcomers, so that He can make something of us? We should think of this. We go to school and college to be made something of, I mean in a right sense. They may make you an engineer or a computer programmer or a management expert. That is all right in its place. But this is infinitely greater, and eternal. And it is ultimately the whole object of our being here, to be made "a pillar in the temple of my God". Now it is lovely to go around and see pillars in the temple. You go into a meeting and see men and women who are pillars, who are devoted, who pray, who are exercised, whose hearts and souls are genuinely concerned as to the testimony and as to the assembly. They are pillars. And that is one of the most wonderful things that can be. May it be before us all. We do not have to wait till we are old. I am quite sure Timothy, though a youth, was a pillar. There is not the slightest doubt about that. May we be useful and commit ourselves to the Lord Jesus so that He can make us a pillar. A pillar is strong, it supports the structure and it is adorned. You only have to look at the description of Solomon's temple (see 1 Kings 7) to see how magnificent and beautiful pillars can be. In this present time the Lord Jesus is working these things out in His own.
Dear brethren, I think we would all surely love to be such material as can be divinely written upon. Who could - at least it is beyond my capacity - unfold the fulness of what this would mean: "I will write upon him the name of my God"? That is that in some way the individual overcomer is representative, or descriptive, of God. Again, it would be like Timothy, "But thou, O man of God", Paul writes to him. That youth had the name of God written upon Him. He was here on God's behalf in relation to God's will, God's people and God's testimony. He was representative too of the assembly, an assembly man; "I will write upon him ... the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem". Well, may we take on this character. Let not the world in any sense be written upon us, or its habits, or its interests. It is lovely to see persons upon whom is written the name of the city of Christ's God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from God. That is, they are heavenly persons, bearing the stamp of heavenly character. The Lord finds great delight in them. May we all be exercised and greatly encouraged to set ourselves for these things, in His Name.
PLAINFIELD
28 December 1987