THE FATHER’S BONDMEN
A. J. Gaskin
How often we have used this wonderful scripture; how fine it is that they are words that Jesus Himself used when He was here, and how precious they are to our hearts. What I was thinking a little of was this matter of the father’s bondmen. The father set these things on as he saw the son coming from afar; he ran and then he fell on his neck, and covered him with kisses. All these things the bondmen must have been aware of, and were taking notice of; they could see what the father’s affections were like. It is a wonderful thing that the
father has set the matter on, and yet it has to be filled out, and so the bondmen’s service comes in next. The father spoke to his bondmen, and he had the absolute right to speak like that, for they were his bondmen and completely at his disposal, able to follow out whatever the father was saying. I think we ought to recognise that we ourselves are really those bondmen. That would certainly lay a certain responsibility on us as to how the Father’s thoughts and His desires are being carried out for His glory and for our blessing.
I suppose the bondmen might have said, Well, we have been here a good long while, we have been in this house and we have seen this young man. Think of what he has done in the past, how unruly he was, how he was not prepared to be under the father’s direction at all, and what we expected has happened. But they never said a word like that, the bondmen carried out exactly what the father desired. It says, “But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe”. The best robe, or first robe, I suppose we would say is Christ; well that is right enough, but I think it is perhaps the impression that the bondmen have of Christ Himself, and in a way the first robe has a suggestion as to Christ having the first place. How precious that is, our hearts would go out to that! We could understand that He really has the first place, and in that way we should all be affected by this. It says, “the best robe”, or the first robe. Then it says, “clothe him in it”. That is a very challenging thing, beloved; it challenges my heart anyway. It is how we clothe one another. Do we have these thoughts perhaps which come so readily into our hearts and our thoughts? But it says, “clothe him in it”. So we should be concerned that we invest each other with these thoughts of Christ, and not the many things we brood over. We may think back to various things in history, things that can be forgotten and taken away. The saints are very precious in the eyes of the Father. So he says, “clothe him in it”. What a wonderful thing it is to clothe the beloved saints with impressions of Christ Himself.
Then he says, “and a ring on his hand”, not on his finger exactly but on his hand. That hand which was occupied in all kinds of things which were wrong, is now to be used in service, in the father’s service; you may say that hand has been claimed. That is another thing that we should be concerned about, that our hands are really claimed in this way. A living sacrifice, that is the way we should look at our bodies, so that there may be something for the Father’s pleasure. Then the ring I suppose suggests eternal love; when that man looked at that ring day by day he must have been reminded that it is really a proof of the father’s love; he is never to be away from it. So, beloved, we would encourage one another so that we really understand something of what the Father’s love means. I think too, there is something of dignity about that, that ring on his hand, it was a kind of seal of the father’s love, and a seal of the father’s approval. In one way that ring, like Joseph’s ring, gave him authority. I believe the Father would like to entrust the saints, as they come into these things, with the authority which comes from Himself. It was a feature of sonship, when it comes to these sandals, he says,
“and sandals on his feet”. How different these things are from what was there before. He came on that long journey from a distant land, and he comes in and he must have been footsore and weary. They never gave him anything to eat in that land, no one gave him to eat it says; he must have been almost starving when he arrived at his father’s house; yet there is all this provision, indicating that Christ is available for every one. So he has these sandals on his feet. Think of the service of feet washing, what a thing it is that we should be able to encourage and refresh each other. I believe it is a matter of the saints being refreshed.
Then it says, “and bring the fatted calf”. I know it is a type of Christ, not exactly as a sacrifice for sins, but that the saints are able to partake of, something of Christ Himself, something that would encourage and set us
forward. The father says, “let us eat and make merry, for this my son was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found”. What a beautiful thing that is, the Father is rejoicing in these things. God Himself, we might say, is rejoicing in the whole matter, and then He wants the saints to be enjoying it too. Now I believe the father’s bondmen become the companions, and they have this wonderful share in things, “let us eat and make merry”. The happiness in the Father’s house is there, and we are all to enjoy that. Let us not go away tonight with sad faces, but really be joyful in the Father’s house, not only as the Father’s bondmen, but as those who are companions of the Christ.
The little piece at the end is very encouraging. The elder son comes in, and then it says, “as, coming up, he drew night to the house, he heard music and dancing. And having called one of the servants”—I understand the word “servant” really is ‘young man’, for that is what it means; he called the young man, and this young man is prepared to bear testimony, he is a kind of gospel preacher. He knows what he has seen, he is enjoying the thing himself, and then he is able to tell it out to others. On Lord’s day evening sometimes we sit together here and listen to the young men preaching the gospel, and that is a tremendous privilege, and one that we can all enjoy, especially perhaps those who are older. You can enjoy what these young men are saying, conveying real impressions as to Christ, and I believe that was like this young man. He says so briefly and beautifully, “Thy brother is come, and thy father has killed the fatted calf because he has received him safe and well”. What a fine thing that is, to be safe and well. I remember when I was quite young, when you could sit down in the meeting and feel that was the place where you really were safe. I was quite nervous and quite a small boy, but when you were in that position you really felt absolutely safe. I believe that is how the Father would love to have us, safe through the work of Christ, safe in His presence. He does not say a lot, but
speaks of the provision made. Christ is there, everything has been provided, and now the saints are set together in happiness and joy. So may we know what it is to clothe one another in the best robe, the first robe, and do this in such a way that the result is for the Father’s glory and for the blessing of the saints, for His name’s sake.
Word in meeting for ministry, Aberdeen, Scotland, 15 October 1996
EXTRACT
The idea that we should keep before us comes down to the formation of assemblies. Some of us like to have a large company, but in truth unless each of us learns to walk in unity with another we will not be of much use in a large company. We have to learn how to love the brother next to us; how to walk with him. That is how the principle is laid down in Exodus 12. The Spirit of God thinks of the neighbour next to you. You are to love him as yourself.
Scripture says. The neighbour next to you shares the inheritance next to you; that is the bond; we share the land together. Another and I can meet together and the Lord will be with us.
And two of us can pray together and what we ask shall be done unto us of our Father who is in heaven. These facts rob us of excuses for ceasing to meet together—of “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”, Hebrews 10: 25.
Now we see in this passage in Ecclesiastes how the thought works out. There is no loss of labour, no loss of time. Those who love one another will seek to be together, work together, and they will have a good reward, even though the meeting is very small; for according to the principle involved here, they have a good reward for their labour. For God never ceases to furnish recompense to those who suffer in this sense.
J. Taylor (Vol. 51, pp.390, 391)
Edited and Published by J. Strachan, 59 Frederick Street, Dundee, DD3 9DE, Scotland Printed by Crystal Stationery, 22 Western Road, Billericay, Essex CM12 9DZ, (T) (01277) 650661