"MY DELIGHT IS IN HER"
“MY DELIGHT IS IN HER”
JT In this chapter we have, I think, the collective side. Jerusalem stands for it in the Old Testament. We have been dwelling on Zion, which, as I understand it, refers to a principle; but Jerusalem presents the people formed into a city. Zion, however, is sometimes referred to as the city, but for us, it represents a divine principle. Zion refers to the sovereignty of God, as we have been saying.
RSS I have no doubt that is right, but does it not also stand for protection, and has it not a special place in connection with the kingdom? I think the first mention of it in Scripture is as a “stronghold;” 2 Samuel 5:7.
JT I think protection is connected with the city. “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; we have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks”. That is Isaiah 26. Chapter 25 is the celebration of Zion: “in this mountain” will the Lord do this and that.
RSS What do you think is the connection in what I was speaking of; the stronghold of Zion?
JT Zion is the mountain indicating a divine principle. “Ye are come to mount Zion”: it is in contrast to Sinai.
Rem Does it set forth the throne of grace?
JT It is the principle of sovereign mercy: God acting for the working out of His own designs after Israel had utterly failed. The stronghold was in Zion; Zion was not the stronghold; it was in Zion. The stronghold was evidently of human construction; it was formed on it.
RSS Zion is then connected with the sovereign mercy of God in contrast to Sinai. We are not come to mount Sinai, but to mount [p. 474] Zion.
JT Yes, and in that scripture, Hebrews 12, you have the city presented separately, “and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem;”so you see the city is distinguished from the mount.
EZ Does not Zion refer to Christ as a mercy seat?
JT Well, I think so; only Zion Being a mountain is a centre, or seat of power. The point in Zion is that God chose it; and this meant that He was acting sovereignly for the accomplishment of His counsels, ignoring that which, having failed, had an official place on the ground of the flesh. Joseph had the firstborn’s place, but he was rejected (Psalm 78), and you will find that man has always quarrelled with that. “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed”, but then God says, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion”, Psalm 2. God’s sovereignty is seen in that. God does what He pleases when He pleases and where He pleases, and man’s activity is shut out altogether. When God acts thus it is for blessing. David secured mount Zion, and then blessing for the people followed, 2 Samuel 6:19. This is seen also in Psalm 132 and Psalm 133. The blessing is commanded in Zion; “there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore”.
RSS Is the thought of Christ risen connected with it?
JT I think that is what it is. Man has to come to that point, and it is disastrous for him to quarrel with it.
AFM Mount Zion shows how God comes in after the breakdown of the people.
JT When Saul was anointed, Samuel called attention to “the hill of God”, that there was a garrison of the Philistines there; 1 Samuel 10: 5.
[p. 475] In faith he took account of a certain hill as belonging to God. David laid hold of that in principle also, that God had a hill; and I have no doubt Zion answers to that, and David, as anointed, repairs to Zion and takes the city. I am not prepared to say that the hill that Samuel thought of was Zion, but it is that in principle. If Saul had been with God he would have felt that the hill of God should not be in the enemy’s hands. And later on we see that it is from that centre that the administration goes out. There is nothing wiser on the part of man than to submit, for it is the point of blessing. “There the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore”.
It may be well for us to be reminded here that it is not exactly to find out what this book teaches that we are considering it, but to get thoughts applicable to ourselves now. There are certain lines of thought on the surface, and the chapters following chapter 42 develop the controversy between God and idolatry; the instruction in it is to set you free from idolatry. God, having Christ, proposes to delete the principles of idolatry from man’s heart. In chapter 51, a people are appealed to whofollow righteousness; then there is the appeal; “Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O, Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, O, Jerusalem”, chapter 52: 1. Here we have the collective side, but for this, man must be delivered from idolatry and lawlessness; chapter 51 shows that this had taken place. I do not know anything more important than to see, that God, having found the Servant in Christ, He undertook to accomplish it.
The remainder of the book, from chapter 49 onwards, gives the magnificent disclosure of God’s designs in Jerusalem, leading up to new creation in the last two chapters. The counsels of God with regard to Zion are to be accomplished, and you get that in [p. 476] this chapter.
CA And having been accomplished, blessing flows out.
JT “Awake, O, arm of the Lord”, Isaiah 51: 9. Faith recognises the power of God: that is a great point reached; it is brought to pass in Christ. “Awake, put on strength, O, arm of the Lord”; that is verse 9, and in verse 17 you find “Stand up, O, Jerusalem”; and in chapter 52, “Put on strength, O, Zion, put on thy beautiful garments, O, Jerusalem”. Now I think you see there how the collective thought is reached: faith discerns the arm of the Lord, and calls upon it, and then faith turns to Jerusalem and says, “Awake”. Not only was the arm of the Lord strong, but she, (the city) had strength now. The arm of the Lord is an objective thought, but if you are called upon to awake and rise up from the dust that is subjective. Faith, being present, you are enabled to loose from your moorings. You will notice there are three “Awakes” in chapter 51 and 52; verses 9 and 17 of chapter 51 and chapter 52: 1.
CA That comes in by way of a cry: it is the cry of the Spirit.
JT It has the same force, in principle, as the midnight cry, “Behold the Bridegroom”. Faith sees that Jerusalem is in the dust and calls upon her to awake. The arm of the Lord has been revealed in Christ to faith; Isaiah 53: 1. Faith here sees that, and calls upon the arm of the Lord to act, and turns to Jerusalem, saying, “Awake”.
ARS In Romans we get “knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep”.
JT That is the principle. Saints are likely, to get sleepy; that is, the senses are dulled by occupation with things on the earth. But when there is an awakening it is a great thing to recognise the power that we have. It is one thing to have the Spirit and another thing to prove His power by using [p. 477] it.
Ques What is the strength?
JT It is the Spirit. What is said of Israel is, “I have borne you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself”; then it is said in this book, “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles”. The strength of God is imparted to you. At Pentecost, the remnant of Israel put on the strength of Jehovah, as we see in Acts.
Rem “Be strong in the Lord and; in the power of his might”.
JT Yes, put it to the test, and thus you find how real it is. When Jerusalem recognises the power imparted to her, she will then “put on strength”. Jerusalem is made to correspond to the arm of the Lord; and following this, those who announce the gospel are alluded to in the most touching manner; chapter 52: 7. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who bringeth good tidings”.
AFM Christ had been justified earlier; chapter 50: 8. I was thinking of the Spirit being here in connection with Christ up there; Acts 2.
JT Jerusalem (or the remnant) established in faith is in connection with the Messiah — God justified Him by the gift of the Spirit. In the issue between Christ and Israel, God must be the Arbiter; He would decide where right was. The Lord said in spirit, “he is near that justifieth me”. God justified Christ in raising Him from among the dead; but there was more than this, He was not seen as risen by the world, but His disciples remained, and they were seen as having received the Holy Spirit from Christ glorified. The Lord said that when He should come He would bring demonstration to the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. The Spirit brought the demonstration of righteousness into the world. The gift of the Spirit to the disciples, the followers of Jesus, was God’s way of demonstrating [p. 478] that He had decided for Christ. Christ was put to death for the testimony, and it remained for God to show whether He had justified Christ or not. Israel assumed that they were doing service in putting Christ to death. The Lord said that when the Spirit should come. He would bring demonstration to the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
Rem The Spirit brought these things into evidence.
LTF Justified in the Spirit in Timothy, is that the same?
JT I think it is; it is a testimony to God’s estimate of Christ, whom the world slew.
AFM It is the standing proof of what God has done in Christ.
JT Yes, and so Peter in Acts 2 gives an explanation of what had taken place, and he says “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ”; being exalted, He had received of the Father the promise of the Spirit, and had shed forth that which they saw and heard.
WB Israel did not accept that at that time.
JT But it was a very great overture on the part of God to Israel; it was as though God said, ‘I have made a decision in regard to Christ, and if you bow to that decision you will get the good of what is in Christ, what He is now administering’.
WB Will Israel accept that justification in the future?
JT They will accept it on the day of atonement; the awakening will take place at the feast of trumpets. Israel had slept, but now God calls on Israel-to put on strength: in principle it was there at Pentecost.
Ques Was that the power of the kingdom?
JT The power of the Spirit was there. The “arm of the Lord” is seen in the resurrection of Christ: “Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine”, Psalm 78:65. The “arm of the Lord” is seen in raising Christ from the dead; that same strength is now available for us, as it will be for Israel in the future.
RSS Referring to the feast of trumpets, it occurred in the seventh month, “On the first day of the month shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets”, Leviticus 23: 24; then it says, “On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement”.
JT The feast of tabernacles follows. It is necessary, not only to recognise strength, but to put it on. God is thinking of what is going to represent Him; it came out in Christ, and now it is to characterise the saints.
JS Is this seen at Pentecost?
JT It is seen at Pentecost, and when you come to chapter 60, you have an additional thought, and that is, “Arise, shine for thy light is come”.
AFM Awake first, rise up next.
JT Yes, and you arise in order to shine. “Arise, shine, for thy light is come”.
BTF Is that the testimony of the church now?
JT It is it in principle. “Arise, shine for ... the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee”, refers to God’s face being turned toward Israel. All this was there at Pentecost, but the nation did not answer to it. But it will do so in a future day. God was loath to give up the Jews: but He will revert to them and then the day of Israel’s mourning shall be over. In chapter 60 the days of mourning are contemplated as ended. Chapter 62 indicates the great place Israel is to have in relation to Jehovah.
Rem The Gentiles are in view.
JT They come in subordinately to the Jew.
ARS Would the man at the beautiful gate of the temple be an example of one who puts on strength?
JT [p. 480] Yes, chapter 60 is marvellous as showing the great issue of the controversy, and how God established mount Zion and Jerusalem. In Psalm 48 we learn that Zion is the joy of the whole earth.
Isaiah 61 comes in as showing what the ministry of Christ was; it was a ministry of grace, and this continues to the present time. The Spirit of the Lord God was upon Him. He was proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord. It was not the day of the Lord, but the year of the Lord, the longest period in the cycle. That is the period we are in. One would not wish to bring the dispensation to a close because of its being the acceptable year.
Rem The Spirit cries, “Even so come Lord Jesus”, Revelation 22.
ANW But what you have to say is, “Let him that is athirst come”.
PHP We often sing Take Thy poor waiting pilgrims home. Is that a selfish thought?
JT It is much greater to be in accord with the mind of God, and in sympathy with Him.
RSS I think that is a great point. Paul could say, “to depart and to be with Christ which is far better”, but what he had before him was to continue here for the sake of the saints.
CA What do you mean by God’s face turning toward Israel?
JT It is not toward Israel now; it is turned toward the Gentiles. Here it is “thy light”. It is Israel’s light; that is the light of the accomplishment of the promises. This was true at Pentecost, and in the period that followed until the death of Stephen, and even after this as to the Jews outside Jerusalem, for all through the Acts they are considered first; but there is now a total eclipse as regards Israel. God’s face is hidden from them, but is toward the Gentiles. Both Paul and John quote Isaiah 6 as showing that the Jews had decided their own [p. 481] judgment in refusing, first, the testimony of Christ, and afterwards that of the Spirit; so that God was justified in turning away from them to the Gentiles; compare John 12 and Acts 28. The glory of God now shines in the face of Jesus for the Gentiles, 2 Corinthians 4.
ARS “Arise, shine”; can we apply that to John 3: 16.
JT Yes, now is the day of salvation; it is the day in which God’s face is towards the Gentiles, and it is for them to receive His salvation. The Spirit of Christ pursued the Jew to every part of the world until their rejection of Christ was final. When Paul went to Rome, he was so under the influence of that Spirit, that instead of sending for the brethren, he sends to the Jews and reasons with them. It was a remarkable testimony.
BTF A believer should be looking for the coming of the Lord.
JT Yes, surely; affection for Christ leads us to look for His coming, which is the proper hope of the church, but at the same time sympathy with God in the dispensation of grace should be cultivated. We are in the “kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ”. You know that evil is here, but you would rather suffer from the evil than miss being in the patience of Christ.
I do riot know anything so irrepressible as the spirit of evangelisation. Acts 8 records a terrible attack of Satan against the church, but the spirit of evangelisation was active in Philip. In that chapter, the man who is formally called an evangelist is given great prominence. “The acceptable year of the Lord” is the period in which God has special pleasure, and so it is lengthened out: it is really the longest of any dispensation. It is longer than the millennium.
AFM The church says “Come”, but at the same time there is the invitation to those in need around to come and take the water of life freely.
JT Sceptical people would discourage you and say “Where is the promise of his coming?” Unbelief is in opposition to God, 2 Peter 3; but faith considers the long suffering of God as salvation, and you are content to suffer in sympathy with Him.
ARS “God is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness”.
JT It is by the sovereignty of God that He has decreed the length of the dispensation.
BTF You were speaking of the spirit of evangelisation being irrepressible; some say that the gospel is being given up.
JT Perhaps it is, but while the Spirit remains here the preaching will go on. Saul made havoc of the church, but in spite of that, evangelisation went on. Philip went to Samaria to the desert, and to Azotus, and all the cities, to Caesarea and preached the gospel. Philip, gauged the message to the audience; to the Samaritans he “preached Christ”; it was necessary that they should submit to that. To the eunuch he preached “Jesus”. The gospel involves the anointed vessel, the Christ; and it also presents the only order of man that is now before God. If you bring in these two thoughts, you will not be popular. Faith in Christ involves separation, and so baptism is necessary to it. Philip went into the water with the eunuch; he accepts death himself.
I have no difficulty in preaching to saints. It is a great pity for small companies of saints to give up preaching, because if the preaching is in the power of the Spirit there will be something to benefit all.
Ques You would preach differently to an audience of saints from what you would to a company of sinners?
[p. 483] JT You would not have to call upon them to repent; you could not say that to Christians. I have heard men say there was no liberty because only Christians were present, but in the gospel there is much for the saints.
RSS Paul was prepared to preach at Rome also. The expression gospel is often used in a very limited way. Those to whom Paul wrote were Christians.
JT You will find that where the collective side is recognised, you have multiplication. In Acts 9 after the persecution was withdrawn, they were edified and multiplied.
AFM Is that the thought in the “barren woman” keeping house, and being “a joyful mother of children”?
JT Yes, if a mother does not know how to keep house, what a disadvantage the children are at; but if the house is in order, God gives children.
BTF What about testimony outside; we preach the word in our rooms, but what about carrying it into the street?
JT That is all right. I think God would bless every effort if made in a lowly spirit. It is “beautiful feet” that are wanted. If you have not “strength” and “beautiful garments”, Isaiah 52: 1, 7, you only discredit what you preach.