THE HOLY SPIRIT HOVERING, DESCENDING
AND DWELLING
J.R. I must say I was impressed this morning when someone made reference to the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters. It says this very early in the Bible, in the second verse; obviously some evil power had operated, and the state was not that in which it was created. We know that ages must have elapsed between verses 1 and 2 of Genesis 1: “And the earth was waste and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters”. Now that we know the Spirit of God as having come and indwelling us, we can perhaps look upon this verse certainly more intelligently than for instance Old Testament saints. The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters, and He was in the knowledge of what was about to take place. No doubt divine feelings entered into it, the expression of divine feelings operating, no doubt anticipating what was about to come in divine intervention. I just wondered about this verse and whether we could get a little help in conversing about it. The Spirit of God is identified very early in the Scriptures.
J.McK. I cannot say much about it, but there is something to enquire and get help about.
J.R. We might enquire why the Spirit of God is identified so early in the Scriptures, and so active in a certain sense, in a feeling, sensitive and anticipative way, underlying divine operations which we have in this chapter, which were really operations in recovery. It is divine intervention, and the Spirit of God hovering is God intervening and bringing order out of chaos.
J.McK. The impression I have is that the Spirit could see what was there. The scripture which comes to mind is in Romans 16, “the mystery, as to which silence has been kept in the times of the ages”, v 25. I wondered if there might be some connection with this in the idea of mystery?
J.R. Yes, that is helpful. There are a number of times when the mystery is mentioned. It says that silence has been kept in the times of the ages; it was “hidden throughout the ages in God” (Eph 3: 9); I think that helps our enquiry, that the Spirit of God was in the secret of all that was in the divine mind, and hovering—you might say affectionately—with a view to all that coming to pass. We are all enquiring into this together, but I think there might be something in this, that we might appreciate the Spirit of God, who—according to Romans 8—dwells in us.
J.McK. I thought it was helpful in the outline in our brother’s part this morning, that then there was a chaotic scene; but now He has gone on and the Spirit is dwelling in a sphere in which God is resting.
J.R. That is fine; He is hovering anticipatively, is he not? It is the same word, I understand, in Deuteronomy 32: 11: “As the eagle stirreth up its nest, Hovereth over its young”. Well, the eagle hovereth over its young, seeing what is potential in the young and anticipating something developing; something happening, maturity coming in. “As the eagle stirreth up its nest, Hovereth over its young”; there is affection in it, intense interest. If we only realised the intense interest of the Spirit of God in each one of us, it would help us: the active interest of the Spirit of God in each one of us, with a view to our coming into all the wealth that He is able to give us the enjoyment of. We enjoy things, and experience things, by the Spirit. We have to lay hold of certain blessings by faith, but then the enjoyment of them is in the Spirit; and He would hover—to use this expression—with a view to us coming into the fulness of the wealth of what He would cause us to enjoy. It is all in Christ of course: Mr Raven taught that every divine blessing is firstly in the mind of God, secondly established in Christ, and thirdly enjoyed by the Spirit.
S.McC. I am following. I think it is interesting that, immediately after verse 2, where the Spirit of God is hovering over the face of the waters, we should get verse 3: “God said, let there be light”. Then for centuries, these things went together all through the Old Testament: the Spirit was hovering; actually, looking for Christ. “And God said, Let there be light. And there was light”—that was when Christ came in: “And God said, Let there be light”.
J.R. That is very fine, because there was physical chaos in verse 2, but moral chaos came in in chapter 3: it is a more serious condition even than the physical one and requires the working out morally of good and evil, does it not? What you say is very suggestive, as to the Spirit of God hovering throughout the whole of the Old Testament, anticipating the coming in of Christ.
J.McK. So in chapter 8 of Genesis, the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot and it returned to Noah into the ark. Is that what is being said being carried out figuratively in the dove? The conditions on the earth were not yet ready for the reception of the Spirit.
J.R. Yes quite so, no dwelling place. It says that he sent out the raven, but he sent the dove “from him”, and then the dove returned “to him”; “and he put forth his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ark”, Gen 8: 9. There was a kind of affinity between Noah and the dove, which there was not between Noah and the raven. It suggests this intense interest, and affection, and sympathetic affinity. The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters in full sympathy and affinity with divine objectives, divine purpose.
J.McK. What you said as to divine feelings, I can recall Mr James Taylor saying that divine feelings were expressed in the Spirit of God hovering; and how conditions might be found for Him to dwell in.
J.R. Quite so. There is depth in it; there is depth in the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters. And the depth that was referred to in the Spirit of God awaiting anticipatively, sympathetically, the coming in of Christ in the beginning of the gospels, where He is spoken of as a dove. As we read in Luke 4, it says “the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove upon him”. The Spirit of God was not sent there; He descended, it was His own volition; it was affinity, this expression of affinity and divine feelings. And intense interest manifested itself in the Holy Spirit descending “in a bodily form as a dove upon him”. The activity of the Holy Spirit, and the Father’s voice; there is a wonderful affinity there—oneness, the oneness of divine interest.
S.McC. It is very interesting that the affinity that exists between the Persons of the Trinity was seen at the moment of the incarnation of Christ.
J.R. Is this the first time that we have the Trinity—with Jesus here in Manhood? I mean the Trinity expressed: Jesus here in Manhood, the Spirit descending, and the Father’s voice. It is a wonderful moment, is it not? We know of course that the Trinity always existed, but this is the opening up of it. It is a wonderful matter to consider.
J.McK. Reference has been made to Peter’s word, as to Cornelius and those who were hearing the word: “the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were hearing the word”, Acts 10: 44.
J.R. Has it not been likened to the father falling upon the neck of the younger son, in Luke 15? Again it shows the affinity, the father falling upon the neck of the younger son; and the Spirit falling upon those who were hearing the word.
J.McK. I was only going to remark that it was the Spirit’s own intervention, which helped us to see that there was divine Person; He is not always seen in a place of subjection. It was remarked that we cannot limit Christ to the place of a bondman; and in the same way, we cannot limit the place the Spirit has taken; He is free to act at any time.
J.R. Sovereignty belongs to each of the Persons of the Godhead. Hebrews refers to “distributions of the Holy Spirit, according to his will” (chap 2: 4); it is the sovereignty of the Spirit. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit delight in sovereignty, each One; but here the Holy Spirit is not presented as sent, it is His own volition, you might say His own spontaneous movement.
G.T. I was thinking of the perfect order of man, that he could descend upon a man, without any reserve.
J.R. That is right, come as a dove. When he was sent at Pentecost, He came as tongues of fire, but here there was complacency—as a dove; everything was complacent in Jesus as a Man here. He was a Man of another order.
G.T. Yes, an order that was suitable.
J.R. Yes, it is interesting too that it is at the moment when the Lord identifies Himself with the godly remnant in baptism. It is at that moment that the Spirit descends, and the Father’s voice is heard. I do not know what is to be said about that, but it says, “all the people having been baptised, and Jesus having been baptised and praying”.
S.McC. I think it brings in the pleasure of God with Christ, and His identification with the remnant; the peculiar pleasure of the Father and the Spirit.
J.R. So you think you might say that the Holy Spirit was feelingly anticipating all that would come out of this remnant, the potential that was there, the possibilities that were there? Everything was of course in Christ, but those he was identified with. The assembly came to light as a result. In the early Acts, it was a remnant; the assembly was initiated by a remnant of the Jews.
W.S.C. Simeon says, “a light for revelation of the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel”, Luke 2: 22. I am wondering if what is seen in Jesus is not the answer to the creation—the light, the sun and the moon, the fruit-bearing trees—everything is seen in Him?
J.R. That is right—light and life; vegetable life, and then life in the waters and in the air—contrary elements—life expressed there, swarming with life. And then of course man, the great objective of God.
W.S.C. Is that the meaning of “the beginning of the creation of God”, Rev 3: 14?
J.R. I suppose it is, it is remarkable expression. Of course, you can understand the Lord being the beginning of new creation, but I think it refers too to the beginning of creation. He was in mind from the very beginning: “all things have been created by him and for him”, Col 1: 16. In a sense, He was the beginning.
J.McK. It is very encouraging to see what came from heaven; scientists would tell you that the earth evolved itself, but at the incoming of Christ, the angel, speaking first to Zacharias said, “I am Gabriel, who stand before God” (Luke 1: 9); but coming to Mary, the angel Gabriel was “sent of God”. I think there is an interesting connection and what comes from God, but in the way of His purpose, it is a matter of what is sent. The angel standing before Zechariah is indicative of God’s dealings with Israel by the angels; now we have it by the Holy Spirit.
J.R. Quite so.
J.McK. So these feelings that you are speaking about, I think we should be more ourselves in the gain of them, because we have the Spirit dwelling with us.
J.R. Exactly. I have thought that “I am Gabriel, who stand before God” was Gabriel’s answer to the unbelief of Zacharias. Zacharias was exercising priesthood, in that sense he was standing before God, and he was unbelieving as to the messages that was brought to him. But “the angel answering, said to him, I am Gabriel, who stand before God, and I have been sent to speak to thee, and to bring these glad tidings to thee; and behold, thou shalt be silent”. He seems to be surprised that here was Zacharias, standing before God in his priestly service and unbelieving; and here was Gabriel: “I am Gabriel, who stand before God”.
G.T. Why does it add as to praying: “Jesus having been baptised and praying”?
J.R. Well, you spoke of a man that was here, a perfect man; and in dependence? It was delightful to heaven to see a man in complete dependence: “and praying”, it says, identified with the remnant. He was going to undertake the work of redemption that would release this remnant from all that encumbered them. And he is praying—we find many times in Jesus that Jesus is praying; there is a perfect, dependent, subject Man.
W.H.C. I am very much enjoying what is being said. This thought of hovering I had never heard it discussed that much. It is presented as a deliberate act. Mr James Taylor said in this city once that the Lord could have been at Jerusalem after He broke the bread with the two at Emmaűs; He could have been there instantly, but He waited for them to get there. It was a deliberate act on the part of the Lord. And I like what is being said, as to a deliberate act of the Holy Spirit—he is not flying or diving or standing, but hovering.
J.R. Quite so, I think it is; it is the attitude of deliberating, of waiting—perhaps preparing the ground in a sense, may be; creating an environment?
J.McK. When the Lord Jesus is to be identified, the Holy Spirit descended.
J.R. It says, “the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form”. The “bodily form” would be interesting too—“God gives not the Spirit by measure” (John 3: 34); “in a bodily form” is a remarkable thing.
J.McK. It is complete, full identification.
J.R. Quite so.
W.H.C. It has certain characteristics; a dove is not a crow. Mr James Taylor said that the Lord looked at Peter with a dove’s eye. He might have gone out and killed himself, but Jesus looked at him with a dove’s eye.
J.R. It speaks as to that reference we have made to the dove with Noah that “the dove found no resting-place for the sole of her foot”; now the sole of the foot is very sensitive. The idea of a dove would be sensitiveness; anything inconsistent she would be sensitive to. But it found everything complacent in Jesus here—in a bodily form “as a dove”. It says in another gospel that it abode upon him; the idea is that there was perfect complacency for the Spirit of God.
W.H.C. It is in keeping with the lamb; a lamb is not a predatory beast, it is not dangerous. It shows cleanliness, and so with the dove and it is really without pretension. It is not a bird of prey. It is a similar kind of thing, is it not?
J.R. Yes, you never heard of a lamb causing any damage.
W.H.C. No, nor a dove.
S.McC. It is interesting that the feminine gender is used so much in connection with the Spirit. God is known as Father, but with the Spirit it would emphasise the subjective side of operations in relation to what he is going to produce.
J.R. Quite so. There is the woman in Luke 15; and the dove and the sole of her foot. That is very interesting; it is with a view to a subjective result for the heart of Christ. He would therefore have an affinity with the heart of Christ, His longings. It says, “he found no helpmate, his like”, Gen 2: 20. There were certain longings in His heart, what we might call a vacancy, and longings, in His heart; and it was supplied. So with the eagle hovering over her young; it would be the mother, I suppose, the motherly feature.
S.McC. It would help us currently to understand and appreciate more the place that the Spirit of God has in producing what is subjective in answer to the heart of Christ.
J.R. Yes, that is very important. Is not the presence of the Spirit one of the characteristic features of Christianity? It is a great feature—the Headship of Christ in heaven and the Spirit here
S.McC. That brings out the difference between Christendom and Christianity, because Christianity involves the presence and power of the Spirit. Christendom has not given place to the Spirit; you have the knowledge of the clergyman that comes in. But the Spirit’s presence is to be known in the assembly.
J.R. Exactly, it is the vital thing.
J.McK. Where the rights of Christ are acknowledged, you find that the Spirit is free, and finds a place to rest “the sole of her foot”.
J.R. In John 1, John says, “I beheld the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it abode upon him”, John 1: 32. It is the abiding presence of Jesus here; everything complacent, nothing uncongenial: a resting place for “the sole of her foot”.
In Romans 8, it brings in that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Three times, it speaks about dwelling: verse 9—“if indeed God’s Spirit dwell in you”; and then in verse 11, “if the Spirit of him that has raised up Jesus from among the dead dwell in you, he that has raised up Christ from among the dead shall quicken your mortal bodies also on account of his Spirit which dwells in you”. It is the possibility of the believer providing dwelling conditions for the Spirit.
S.McC. Is the fact of the worship of God being linked to the Spirit an important thing to pay attention to: “For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God” (Phil 3: 3), or worship God by the Spirit? The Spirit is the power, is He not? It brings in that there is a subjective side to the service of God that we need to pay attention to.
J.R. I am sure that is right. The Spirit is the One of the Trinity who has come to be active in us. The Lord Jesus is with us mediately; that is, He is personally absent, but the Spirit is with us immediately, dwelling in our bodies—“ye are the temple of God, and … the Spirit of God dwells in you”, 1 Cor 3: 16. He has come so near. Much depends on what kind of conditions we provide for Him to dwell in. What you refer to comes out here: “But Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness”—led in the power of the Spirit. It is a mark of the dependent Man, the Man who was praying: the Spirit descended upon Him, and he is led in the power of that same Spirit in the wilderness forty days. And then He “returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee” (v 14), after having defeated the enemy in His perfection. The enemy could not find any inroad: “the ruler of the world comes, and in me he has nothing”, John 14: 30. He had no way of inroad to the Lord here. We know of course that he has a way of inroad to us; we know that too well.
J.McK. As to the Spirit coming in the Acts where it sat upon them, it says, “there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house”, Acts 2: 2. I am getting a distinct sense in my mind of divine purpose and the counsel of God; and that the Spirit is vital for the fulfilment of everything that God had in His mind, not only for the blessing of the saints but a place for divine Persons to dwell.
J.R. I think that is very important; so that, when we respond to the Spirit as we did this morning, the service of God would not be complete without some response to the Spirit. We are responding to Him, not only because of what He accomplishes for us, and the debt we owe Him, but what he produces for the divine pleasure. We therefore by expression reflect something of the Lord’s appreciation of the Spirit, and the Father’s appreciation. We come into line with the appreciation of the father and the Son, which is a great thing for God.
S.McC. So we have this remarkable, tender expression as to the Father and the Spirit: “whereby we cry, Abba, Father”, by the Spirit.
J.R. Exactly; “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God”. That is the normal activity of the Spirit. You think of the Spirit constantly bearing witness with our spirits; it is very intimate. There is no intermediary there; it is the immediate operation of the Spirit, assuring our hearts.
G.T. There is something mysterious in what has been referred to in the Acts: “there came suddenly a sound out of heaven as of a violent impetuous blowing”. And there are those born of the Spirit, it says that “the wind blows where it will” (John 3: 8), He is hovering. I was reading about the parted tongues, where it says “parted tongues, as of fire, and it sat upon each one of them”; Mr James Taylor said that was not the tongues but the Spirit that sat on each one of them.
J.R. And this is the inauguration of Christianity; the Spirit coming as sent according to the divine arrangement in the Economy. When the Lord Jesus was here, he was the sent One, he speaks of Himself in that way as the sent One of the Father. In the present arrangement of the divine Economy, the Spirit is the sent One. He was sent at Pentecost, and He is still here; He has not returned. Therefore, if as believers we receive the Spirit, it is as the Spirit is here in believers here; rather than from heaven. So, as he receives the Spirit, he is linked with other believers who have the Spirit in the vital link of life.
G.T. So Jesus Himself said “It is profitable for you that I go away” (John 16: 17); because both the Father and the Son are engaged in sending the Spirit, which is the wonderful way in which divine Persons are one. It is a beautiful thing to think about. Peter on another occasion questioned what the Lord said about His death, but the Lord says, “it is profitable for you that I go”.
J.R. The presence of the Spirit depends on the absence of Christ; and the more we feel the absence of Christ, the more we will be able to realise the presence of the Spirit. If we do not feel the absence of Christ, we will not be able to realise the presence of the Spirit. The two go together, you could not have the one without the other. We are better off with the Spirit here than they were when they had the Lord here. That may be difficult to accept, but it is what the Lord says, and it is the truth. It is the present arrangement in the divine Economy; and it the best for our progress in spiritual things.
W.H.C. So He says, “It is profitable for you that I go away”.
J.R. “It is profitable for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you”. We have the presence of the Spirit because of the Lord’s absence; that has been the arrangement of the divine Economy since Pentecost in Acts 2. The Spirit is here as sent; He is sent of the Godhead in the present time. We need to be intelligent as to the present arrangement in the divine Economy. It is in view of securing the assembly. I sometimes wonder why the time of the Spirit has been so long: for nearly two thousand years, this has been the arrangement of the divine Economy; it is the longest of all the dispensations that we know—why should it be? It is because of the greatness of the capacity of the vessel that is being formed. That capacity will be seen in the world to come; and it will be for the heart of Christ and for the pleasure of God for eternity. It has taken two thousand years to form it because of the greatness of the capacity of the vessel. We perhaps little realise the capacity of the vessel, the assembly.
S.McC. Exactly; that is why the assembly’s place is the greatest of all the families in the universe; because she has the Spirit, and the Spirit has been forming her, capacitating her for the glory—the glory of God, “having the glory of God”, Rev 21: 10.
J.R. Exactly: “having the glory of God”. That is what is being absorbed now; the glory of God is being absorbed now through the service of the Spirit. It will be manifested in the world to come, “having the glory of God”.
J.McK. Then we have the Spirit’s service in Ephesians 2: “we have … access by one Spirit to the Father” (v 18); and then we “are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit”, v 22. The Spirit’s service is vital to the Father and to Christ, in order for them to find an answer to their own hearts.
J.R. Exactly: God dwells in a habitation here by the Spirit, and that is composed of believers who have the Spirit in the broadest sense. Whether every believer realises that he forms part of the habitation of God would be another matter; and whether we who do realise that we form the habitation in the Spirit are really concerned to provide habitable conditions for Him is another matter. We can see it abstractly, but then it is meant to affect us, and this matter of dwelling is important.
Rem. I am thinking of what you are saying about dwelling conditions.
J.R. I am sure that is right, quite so. It is a question of what conditions we individually provide in our bodies for the Spirit; how we arrange our affairs—because we are responsible. The Spirit will not do anything for us. It says here, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. But before it says that, it says, “if, by the Spirit, ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live”, as if in the practical working out of it, there is a need of negation of the deeds of the body. As far as I can see, that verse seems to hang together: “if, by the Spirit, ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live: for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. There has to be the negation, and the refusal, and the repudiation of certain activities so that the Spirit may be free to lead us. And we have power by the Spirit to negate and repudiate these things. The Spirit will not do it for us, and we cannot do it in our own power; it is a question of learning how to use the Spirit to negate the deeds of the body, so that we are led by the Spirit of God.
J.McK. In Ephesians 5, the apostle writes, “And be not drunk with wine, in which is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting with your heart to the Lord;” (v 18, 19), the Spirit is the motive power.
J.R. That is right: “filled with the Spirit” is a very testing expression, that is, there is no room for anything else. And really that is normal Christianity; we think of it as something extraordinary that we will never attain while are are here, but really that is normal Christianity. It was at the beginning at Pentecost, and the Ephesians are exhorted to be filled with the Spirit.
J.McK. It says of Stephen that he was “full of the Holy Spirit”, Acts 6: 5. That is how he was sustained.
J.R. Very good, and when it says that, it says, “be not drunk with wine”; it is the negation of certain influences. It is important that we learn by the Spirit to refuse things, and so the positive works in us.
J.McK. It was what you were saying, that brought this to mind, that we put things off that hinder the Spirit in His service; as was remarked, this is Christianity not Christendom. I feel now for myself—I am sure we all do—the need as a result of this meeting together to consider more, to contemplate more what the Spirit is in this dispensation for the glory of God and the help of the saints.
J.R. That is right, and the intention of God in the present arrangement of the Economy is that we should become spiritual persons. Eventually, the assembly will be a spiritual vessel; there will be nothing naturally. It will be a thoroughly spiritual vessel, and that is why the Spirit of God is given to us, that that may result. It will be so in the end; we will not have bodies of flesh and blood. In the world to come there will be a flesh and blood condition here, not a perfect condition on the earth; but the assembly will be entirely spiritual; no longer flesh and blood, no longer what is natural, it will be a thoroughly spiritual vessel. And it is the divine purpose that we should become spiritual now.
G.T. I was thinking of what it says at the end: “the Spirit and the bride say, Come” (Rev 22: 17); there is something formed, there is unison.
J.R. There is an affinity: “the Spirit and the bride say, Come”; it is one voice. That is the great result. I think there is a great need for all of us to appreciate the present divine arrangements and the Spirit on our side; the Spirit is immediately available to us. It is by the Spirit that we are linked with Christ in heaven. Faith links us with Christ in heaven; but then experimentally, and in life, it is the Spirit that links us with Christ in heaven.
G.T. Zechariah said, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith Jehovah of hosts”, Zech 4: 6.
J.R. “The word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, and my Spirit, remain among you” (Hag 2: 5), and that is what we can say now, in spite of all the breakdown, all the failure that has gone on; God would say “my Spirit” remains among you. And everything depends on how much room we give to the Spirit, individually and in our local gatherings.
J.McK. So we can understand as to what God is Himself: “Be ye holy, for I am holy”, 1 Pet 1: 16. These are the conditions which give the Spirit freedom, not only collectively among us, but each individual is to be characterised by the sense that holiness is what God is Himself.
J.R. So that believers are meant to be sanctified vessels; our bodies are to be sanctified vessels and we are meant to be a sanctified company. And that depends upon the Spirit dwelling.
K.A.K. I was thinking a while back when you were speaking of things being carried, and the Spirit hovering, how Elisha desired that a double portion of the spirit of Elijah, the man of God (2 Kings 2: 9); as though he desired to have what was necessary to carry things through, and then he was given the ephod.
J.R. That is good, because in our soul history we need to come to a point where we feel the need of the Spirit; and we will not come to that point until we are committed to the will of God, what is pleasing to God and providing conditions for Him. It is not until we set our face in that direction that we will find that we need the Spirit. The Lord in John’s gospel chapters 14-16 anticipates the coming of the Spirit, and assures them that he will be their Comforter and their help; but when they were found in the beginning of the Acts in the Lord’s absence, then they would feel the need of the Spirit. While they had the Lord with them, they would not exactly feel the same way the need of the Comforter’s presence, but it is in the Lord’s absence. We are left here in the Lord’s absence, and the only think that makes up for the absence of Christ is the presence of the Spirit.
K.A.K. I was just impressed by that section where it speaks of Elisha desiring that; and the result is really for God because you have the continuance of the man of God.
J.R. He was concerned: Elijah was going up – who was going to be left here and in what power could he continue? It was only with a double portion of his spirit; and we live in the time of the double portion. It is the firstborn family that is being formed; it is the time of the double portion. We have the hymn—
The double portion we enjoy
(Hymn 261)
—is that not the present time?
K.A.K. There was a testimony involved too; whether he saw what was transpiring.
J.R. It was whether he saw Elijah being taken up; so the question is whether our objective is Christ in heaven and what is pleasing to Him; and the continuation of the features of that Man down here. And then we see that the only power that is available, the only power that can help us, is the power of the Spirit. It is then that we begin to value the Spirit. If we are just jogging along in an indifferent kind of way, we will not feel any need for the Spirit. It is when we are committed to the path of God’s will, and then the only power for it—even when we have to come to decisions, or in preachings or meetings—the only power to maintain these conditions is the power of the Spirit.
J.McK. So the woman who was a wife of the prophet says, “Thy handmaid has not anything at all in the house but a pot of oil”, 2 Kings 4: 2. She did not know what she had, and I feel that many of us when we were younger did not value what we had in the Spirit, by which we can all cry “Abba Father”.
J.R. It is the possibilities of the Spirit. She did not realise—“not anything at all … but a pot of oil”. She was to gather vessels, and they were all filled, and the oil stayed. There is infinite capacity in the Spirit.
J.McK. She was to fill the vessels.
J.R. the prophet said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt” (v 7), as if the vessels were the means of meeting her obligation; but then there was far more than that—“live thou and thy sons on the rest”; there was abundance to live on. It was not only to fulfil her obligations, not only to fulfil righteousness—there was ample provision for that; but also to live, “thou and thy sons on the rest”. It is all debts clear, all obligations fulfilled; and then life.
K.A.K. He said, “let it not be few” (v 3); that would show what is available for us. We sometimes restrict the scope, but it is the power of what God can do.
J.R. The only limitation was the number of vessels: if there had been twice the number of vessels, they would all have been filled. Whatever they had available was filled, and more if needed.
J.McK. So that in our respective local meetings, if we use what is available, we can all get help.
CHICAGO
9th April 1978
Key to initials - Chicago unless otherwise shown:-
W.H.Chellberg; W.S.Chellberg; K.A.Knauss, Indianapolis; S.McCallum, Villa Grove; J.McKillop; J.Renton, Edinburgh; G.Tickle, Council Bluffs
The record of this meeting does not identify the speakers; and there is uncertainty about some instances
This article and the one following are first published here, lightly edited and not revised by Mr Renton
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