DIVINE LEADING
[p. 269] DIVINE LEADING
Acts 12: 6 -12; Luke 24: 50,51; Romans 8:14
I am thinking of divine leading, wishing to group the subject under three heads, indicated in these scriptures: angelic leading; the leading of the Lord; and the leading of the Spirit. Leading has ever marked God’s dealings with His people, particularly as taking them out of the world, out of Egypt. It was not only that He led them out of the land of Egypt, that was the delivering side of His service. He intended to lead them through the wilderness; He would show how He would lead them through not withstanding all the vicissitudes and variety of wilderness conditions. And then He would lead them into the land: there was the leading out, when He “took them by the hand”, (Jeremiah 31:32), and then there was the leading in, which was by attraction — by the ark. Between these two there was the leading connected with the tabernacle. God would show in that what He was to the people in those extraordinary circumstances; the book of Numbers impresses us with the fact that they were guided by the cloud on the tabernacle; whether it abode for a day or a month or a year, they remained until it moved. But then, God says later that He sent before them Moses and Aaron and Miriam, (Micah 6:4); that brings the idea down to persons, each of whom had a history, and each of whom was known to Israel; they were not strangers. They were sent before the people, which is the true idea of leading. A leader goes before, hence He sent before them Moses and Aaron and Miriam; there was in that leadership thus divine authority in Moses, purity and priestly feeling in Aaron, and a prophetic influence, and withal musical, in Miriam. So that there was a combination in the three calculated to induce following, they were worthy leaders. But they were but types of what we have; we have all these features, only in a greatly accentuated way, in Christ who [p. 270] is marked by them in the fullest possible manner; especially in the feelings of affection and in musical attractiveness, music being intended to draw out our best feelings so that we are drawn along. The idea, therefore, was that He sent these three before, they were before, they could be seen. There was divine leading in known persons.
Now I wish to gather up what I have to say, first under the head of angelic service; and I have taken Peter in these circumstances in (Acts 12) as illustrative of the limiting of divine ministry in the history of the church. What has marked the history of the church in that way is the limiting or hindering of spiritual ministry. This incident occurred during “the days of unleavened bread”, showing that the very worst action against God and against His ministers may take place at the time of legal religious observances. How far away Herod and the leaders in Jerusalem were from the true idea of the feast of unleavened bread! It was at that time that Herod laid hands on James, the brother of John, and slew him, and seeing that it pleased the Jews, that is to say, the murder of God’s servant pleased them, he proceeded further to take Peter also. All this is a striking illustration of the conditions that prevail today, dear brethren — the outward observance of things with divine names without the least correspondence to them in those who observe them. And then he proceeded to take Peter, and imprisoned him, hoping to bring him forth. Peter was asleep “between two soldiers, bound with two chains”. I refer to him, as I said, as illustrative of the restriction of the ministry, and how God worked angelically to release it, so that we have free ministry now — thank God! One of the greatest things that God has recovered for us is the free ministry of the Spirit. Peter was asleep in the prison. I do not refer to him in any disparaging way at all; I am simply using the circumstance to illustrate what came about in the history of the assembly. Ministry had [p. 271] to come through certain channels and this virtually implied the complete quenching of true spiritual ministry. So that God resorted to angelic service to release the ministry. One wrote — as many of you know — a remarkable paper entitled, “The Notion of a Clergyman, Dispensationally the sin against the Holy Ghost”. Not that any individual was guilty of that sin, that was not the point, but that there was such a thing, a definite prolonged action against the Spirit, finally limiting the ministry; and God began to intervene angelically, that is to say, by providential happenings. I am speaking of what is known to many of us, not to be historical, but just to name certain facts from which we are all benefiting now. God intervened through providential means which would take a long time to record, but in one way and another, during the period of more than a century, certain happenings broke down the carriers that were raised up against the ministry of the Spirit of God, and men began to speak freely. Many of them were imprisoned, others suffered death, but by one means or another God brought about the releasing of the ministry. And so here, “Lo, an angel of the Lord came there, and a light shone in the prison”, verse 7. Now, these prisons in which the ministry had been kept could not be entirely shut against God. “The word of God”, as the apostle says, “is not bound”, (2 Timothy 2:9). God will always find a way of getting in; it may be through the most humble persons, or by placing such in a position where they can speak a word where it tells. Thus the angel of the Lord came to Peter; he reached Peter in spite of the guards, soldiers, or chains, or the iron door; the angel got in, and a light — the light of heaven — shone there. None of us would have got out of the prisons in which we were held were it not that light shone into them. The angel takes account of what was in the prison, that a real servant of God was there asleep. It says “first, Simon who is called Peter”, (Matthew 10:2); that is, he had the leading place among the [p. 272] servants of God, but he was asleep. And the angel of the Lord smote him “on the side”, a well known thought to all those who love Jesus. However affected by human limitations, that thought of the side of Jesus is not lost on those who know Him. It is the testimony of the love of Christ in His death brought to bear forcibly — not yet in the Lord’s supper, it was a question of an effective reminder by an angel of the love of Christ in His death; and the angel said: “Rise up quickly ... and follow me”. “Cast thine upper garment about thee”, verse 8. I have no doubt the garments have a spiritual meaning; and the sandals were to be bound on, for it was a matter of a journey; it was a long distance morally between that prison and the objective that the angel had in mind: the objective that corresponds with the side of Christ — a sphere where the love of Christ is, where love is amongst the saints — there was a long journey morally between these two points. Thousands have taken that journey, God having come in, in His own providential way, in their circumstances, smiting them on the side, as it were, so that they move and take their garments and bind on their sandals, and follow the angel. It is a question of angelic leading. But such leading is for a man who is still asleep; anyway, he was not awake to what was going on. There are thousands like that today, real people of God, but you talk to them and they seem to be in their sleep; they are not sure of what is going on. But there is something going on, and they do things in a sort of instinctive way. Peter does everything he is told to do; that is an important matter. We must not ignore any circumstance that God brings about. What I may do myself is another matter, but there is what God brings about, and He is ever active in relation to His people, and what He does is done with purpose. God would not lift His finger without a purpose. So they pass on through a first and second guard. One might speak about these guards, what they were ecclesiastically in the history of [p. 273] the dispensation, but time would not suffice. The angel passes them and Peter passes them. What barriers have to be passed for the releasement of the ministry; what suffering has had to be endured! We little think of what it has cost others that we should have what we have today. What lives! What suffering! — that these guards should be passed. Then they come to the outer gate, which was of iron, the greatest barrier of all, apparently, but it led straight into the city. That would be the last stronghold of the enemy, if by any means he could keep the ministry at least within bounds, the first and second guards passed. It may set forth the great hierarchical influence variously exercised; for when things got loose and independent systems were formed, the enemy would be satisfied to keep the ministry even in those independent systems; and even to allow liberty to go into the open air provided there is no entrance into the city, that is to say, into the divine thought in Christ and the church. God has His thought, and this iron gate led right in there. But the gate was shut, and what happens is that it opens of itself, a marvellous evidence of that unseen hand which we can always reckon upon — the unseen hand of almighty power — to open every gate and every door; as the Lord says: “I have set before thee an opened door”, (Revelation 3:8). It was opened, it was the hand of God that opened it, and no one can shut it. He says: I have set it before thee. It was here before Peter, and yet he was going out in a state of semi consciousness, he did not know quite what was happening, but he was moving; and so the instincts of the believer lead him to move as directed. “They went down one street”; now they are on known ground. A street is a marked thing, it has a name, numbers, and so on, there is definite guidance there; it is spoken of as “one street”; it is well to keep there. And now the angel left him; that is to say, angelic service leads to that point, it leads you where there is definite guidance for spiritual
[p. 274] intelligence. Then Peter comes to himself. It is a fine experience when you wake out of slumber, and in the midst of providential dealings, angelic services, in which you are not quite sure what is happening, to find yourself on known spiritual territory. It says “when Peter was come to himself”. Now what did he do? He came to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark, and there was prayer going on there. It did not prove just the great objective the angel had in mind in smiting the side of Peter, for prayer in unbelief is not the prayer that corresponds with that; the death of Christ was a reality, and here they were praying for Peter’s release and they did not believe it when it happened. So that, dear brethren, we have not yet reached, in the recovery, in the release of the ministry, the great divine objective; it requires the Lord, the definite leading, of the Lord, to take us there. It is a question now as to whether there is subjection to the Lord. Many might be satisfied with such a prayer meeting, such a place where people are praying without apparent limitations, but it does not quite correspond, many are detained and misled by finding such places. I am speaking, you see, beloved, not exactly in any disparaging way of these circumstances, but rather using them in regard of what has happened, or is happening, so that we might have what we have — a free ministry of the Spirit. You must not be detained by appearances, they may have their prayer meetings and Bible readings and preachings; in fact, they may be very energetic in their service; but is there faith behind all these things? Are they marked by faith and sincerity? I examine this prayer meeting. I am just released by angelic ministry, and I knock at the door, and they will not let me in. You see, I must enquire as to all these things, it is a question of leading, I must reach the great divine objective, I must not be deterred. Peter did not go in to stay; the only one who would have let him in primarily was a girl, Rhoda. As a matter of fact, she was a sufferer — a [p. 275] remnant, we may say. She came under reproach because she steadfastly affirmed that it was Peter’s voice. Well, that is not the place for me; if Rhoda is persecuted there, I must go somewhere else. Peter went somewhere else. I do not speak of what was there historically, but I am speaking of it illustratively, as I am entitled to do, because of the presence of these features. Peter’s continued knocking typifies the insistent assertion of divine authority, which marks the present moment.
Now we come to the leading of the Lord, The providential dealings of God are to the end that I should come directly under the leading of the Lord. I have not reached it yet; it may be I have not been accustomed to enquire as to the Lord and where He is, or whether He has anything to say as to my circumstances; perhaps I have not been concerned about that. So I go to Luke; Luke is concerned very largely in his ministry, with public order and the leading of the Lord, corresponding with what we get in 1 Corinthians — “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him recognise the things that I write to you, that it is the Lord’s commandment”, (1 Corinthians 14:37). Now, you see, I have to do, not with Paul, but with the Lord. And Luke would confirm this, that it is a question of the Lord and how He leads; and so it says that He led them out as far as to Bethany (Luke 24:50). It is a calculated action; a leading from one point, from the upper room in Jerusalem, where they were, as far as to Bethany; He led them that far. Now, what I am speaking of, dear brethren, is of the utmost importance if I want to understand leading, that the Lord leads me to anoint; He does so in His own perfect wisdom and His own perfect knowledge of what I need. He will not lead me beyond that. If I am in a bad state and going beyond, going far away to a place like Emmaus, well. He will go there. He will go any distance to get me. He made as if He would go even further,
[p. 276] because He would get them. That was love going to any length to restore souls. But these loved ones here are not astray, they are under the Lord, and He would lead them to a point. Applying this to what I have been saying, it is the further thing, coming nearer to our own times, when the servants of God have been released by the providential dealings of God. They began to come under the Lord, they began to enquire as to whether the Lord had a mind about things, and they found that He had, they loved the Lord. He had said: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me”, (John 14:21), and they were among those who loved Him, and they thought about His commandments, they thought about His will; there was the leading of the Lord. What I am saying may have a direct application to some here; the Lord would lead you. You have been trusting to other things, but now He would take you in hand, so it says: “He led them out”. Providential dealings scarcely lead me clear; He led them out, they are definitely under His leadership, and He led them to a point. You say. What is that point? What is Bethany? Well, Bethany is where love is. The Lord, you see, is concerned about you. You have been in providential circumstances, but He has got better things than that for us, beloved, and He leads us to the place where love is. Could you wish for anything better at such a juncture? It is the gateway of heaven: you will see Him go up from that point. You could scarcely see Him going up from a prayer meeting where faith did not exist. You see, the Lord comes in and out where faith is. And so in (Acts 1) they came back into the city to the upper room, and then we have something about the Lord Jesus coming in and going out amongst them, that was where love was; He came in amongst His own from the time that John baptised until He was received up. (Acts 1:22). You will not get this in a prayer meeting where there is no faith. At Bethany you see where loved ones were, where [p. 277] reciprocal affections were, and there they saw Him go up. I It says: “He lifted up his hands, and blessed them”, (Luke 24:50,51). Think of being in a sphere, led by Him into it, where He blesses, for the conditions were suitable. What I am speaking of I know; I have experienced these things for years — that there is a sphere I where love is, and where Christ is free to bless, and He does bless. He lifts up His hands — one might say that is what He is doing with His hands now; the hands that made the heaven and the earth are employed in the blessing of His people. “He lifted up his hands, and blessed them”. What an incentive to come under the leadership of the Lord, to surrender our wills! We shall, never come to this point unless there be the surrender of the will. Saul said, “What shall I do?” And the Lord said, “Go into the city ...” — that is the same idea — “and it shall be told thee”; and sure enough it was. What did he find in Damascus? He found the love circle. The sure leading and directing of the Lord placed him there, where he got forgiveness and the Spirit, the outcome being that he preached that Jesus was the Son of God. The Lord will ever direct us thus. It says, as He blessed them He was parted from them. It was not His own act — it is not so put — it was the act of heaven, that is to say, heaven is delighted with the scene. The Lord has finished His service on earth. He has led them to a point where love is. He placed it there Himself. How did love get to Bethany? Jesus brought it there. He went into Martha’s house; there was not much in Martha, she complained against the Lord; there was little love there. But there was something in Mary: she was like Rhoda; she was the overcomer in that house, and ultimately love is found in both Mary and Martha and Lazarus: He taught them how to love. We should never know how without Him. He taught them how to love by loving them, by laying down His life for them; and so love was there. When He came to them [p. 278] six days before the passover it was there, and the action of each indicated that it was there. They made Him a supper. Lazarus sat at the table, Martha served, and Mary took the pound of ointment — I need not go over the incident, it is so well known, but the point is that love was there because He had brought it there; and He came because it was there, and what leading could be better for the disciples at that time than that they should be brought there? And heaven was delighted with the scene! As He lifted up His hands and blessed them He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. It is as if Bethany is honoured as the point of exit. His exit from the world is at Jerusalem; it could not be that a prophet should suffer outside — it was the place of suffering. But Bethany was not that. His exit out of the world was at Jerusalem; but His entrance into heaven is from Bethany. There is a link between Bethany and heaven. The Lord leads us to Bethany: He does not take us up yet. What comes in between His return for us to take us up, is the leading of the Spirit. If I come into the circle of love, the Lord leads me there, and He would lead every one of us there; if I surrender my will and place myself in the hand of the Lord, He will lead me to that spot, where intelligent affection for Christ is; and where there is a direct link with heaven. You know the way to go. They had there before their eyes, as I might say, the way to go to heaven, for the Lord Jesus was carried up there, and we shall be carried up, caught up! The way is known, the divine way becomes known, so that we may be familiarised with it in the spot where affection for Christ is; and He would lead all His people there.
Well now, the leading of the Spirit, as I may say, begins there. The Lord is parted from them, that is a feature in Luke; they are left here without Him, but left in the place of love; that which never fails — “love never fails”, (1 Corinthians 13:8). And the Holy Spirit comes in; that [p. 279] is to say, the Lord leaves, but the Holy Spirit comes. Pentecost means another divine Person here on earth, taking up the position that had been occupied by Christ; He is “another Comforter”, and now takes the lead. I do not mean to say for a moment that the Lord’s leadership ceases, because it is one feature of the position, angelic leadership is another, the leading of the Spirit is another; but what comes to light is that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”, (Romans 8:14). You see thus how we are advancing. Room has been made for the Spirit; referring to occurrences leading up to our own times, room has been made for the Spirit of God. Not only that there is a free ministry of the Spirit, but it came to light that the saints are sons; that the Lord Jesus accomplished redemption that we might receive sonship, and “because ye are sons, God has sent out the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father”, (Galatians 4:6). “So thou art no longer bondman, but son”. And now, how am I to prove this? You say, ‘I believe that; I accept the statement of Scripture’. But you want more than the statement of Scripture for this. It is not merely a matter of light, but how are people marked off as sons of God? There are those in this world actually who are marked off as the sons of God. How? They are led by the Spirit of God: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. In Galatians it is a matter light first; we are sons of God by faith, it says, so that it belongs to every believer. But how am I marked off as a son of God? “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. What do I know about that? As in the place of love and coming under the leadership of the Spirit of God, I am to be marked off as a son as — one of the sons of God. Now, the Lord has brought this about for us; He has helped us greatly, dear brethren, in regard of sonship, and what it is, how it fits in, not simply with the ways of God — it does fit in [p. 280] with the ways of God in Israel — but it belongs to eternal counsels “He has chosen us in him”, Scripture says, “before the world’s foundation, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love”, (Ephesians 1:4), having marked us out beforehand for adoption sonship. It is for God. So that I take Bethany as a starting point; the Holy Spirit coming in there, taking up such as a Mary, such as a Lazarus, or even such as a Martha. The Holy Spirit came in, not simply in the form of cloven tongues as of fire, but as the Spirit of adoption, as if God were to say, ‘You are My sons, and I want you to be My sons in affection and intelligence; I want you to be completely free from all legality and all fleshly energy. I want you to be holy and without blame before Me in love’. And so the Holy Spirit takes possession, and He acts on us, on our affections, our intelligences, our spirits, so that we might be led in relation to eternal counsels. What I am dealing with now is worked out from (Numbers 21), where the Holy Spirit comes in typically. “That is the well of which Jehovah spoke to Moses, Assemble the people, and I will give them water”, verse 16. What kind of water? It is the water that springs up, not simply that satisfies thirst — there is that in it, too, as the Lord said to the woman, (John 4) but it would spring up, it would act of itself; that is the point in (Numbers 21) — it acts of itself. “The princes digged the well ... by the direction of the lawgiver”, and then they sang, “Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it”; and from that point there is definite leading and movement to the land of promise. That is the point; the Holy Spirit will lead to the land that is the end, the great objective, of all His leadings — to lead us beloved, what an objective to have before the heart! Some of us lately were speaking about the feast of Pentecost; it has time limits, but is as if God were to say to His people, ‘You can remain here with Me as long as you wish. I do not impose any limit on you at all’.
[p. 281] He loves to have us before Him as His sons. It is a question of whether you and I are able to go in and stay; it is a question of spiritual formation, spiritual power and liberty with God. The Holy Spirit leads to that objective, that we might be before God the Father “holy and without blame ... in love”.