MANHOOD
[p. 192] MANHOOD
1 Corinthians 14: 20, 21; Ephesians 4: 7 - 16
I desire to say a word about manhood, the divine thought being that God should surround Himself with men, with families no doubt, but with men, for it is said as the heavenly city comes down from God out of heaven, that “the tabernacle of God is with men”, Revelation 21:3. So that God’s thought for us now is that we should be men; although we have to begin as babes we are not to remain babes, for there is nothing said as to babes in that world. God has men before Him.
So in coming to the New Testament what is presented is a Man. The saints in the Old Testament times could not be men in the sense in which I am speaking, except in a typical way. I have no doubt that Jacob, in a typical way, arrived at manhood in the wrestling with the angel. He had strength, and he received a name which indicated manhood, his name being changed from Jacob to Israel, for “as a prince hast thou prevailed, and hast power with God and with men”, Genesis 32: 28. So we find that Jacob, in his interview immediately after with Esau, has tender sympathies that belong to manhood. These are expressed to those who come under his care. Esau proposes that Jacob should accompany him. No! Jacob says, the children are young and tender, and the flocks too. We do well to take that in. We have to take account of the weakest. I may go on in my own soul with God, but I cannot leave the weakest behind. Jacob had had to do with God alone, the children were not there, the cattle were not there, they had all gone over the brook; they had gone on ahead; but a Man wrestled with Jacob until the break of day. God would have to say to him, and weaken him, but Jacob’s weakness was his strength,
[p. 193] for immediately afterwards he takes account of the weak ones of the flock. So the stronger I am spiritually the more I shall be content to wait. I shall not lose anything by waiting, for I cannot lose anything if I am with God, but I can be content to wait for the weak ones. Esau said, “Let us take our journey, and go on, and I will go before thee”. Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and the suckling sheep and kine are with me; and if they should overdrive them only one day, all the flock would die”, Genesis 33: 12, 13. There must be no overdriving in the things of God. As regards my own progress, let no one stop me. As the apostle says to the Galatians, “who has stopped you?” Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well. Let no one interfere with my spiritual progress, but if there be children, young and tender, what about them? Is my agility to become their death? We all understand what kind of man Esau was, a man of the field, an athlete, one might say. His pace would be too much for the little ones, and so the man who had just wrestled with God thought for the little ones and the flocks.
Now these are the exercises of a man, for Jacob had become that, and he took account of the little ones, and thus those who are with God today, those who are developed into manhood, will take account of the little ones, for the weakest amongst us must necessarily retard our outward progress. We have to tarry, “Tarry ye one for another”. We all know how in the world those who have the care of the young and the sick must have patience. When we come to the New Testament, we come to manhood. Saints in the Old Testament could not possibly arrive at manhood, being kept under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the Father. They were kept there. It was a matter of God’s appointment. They, under the old covenant, could not be perfect, for the law made nothing perfect, not even a David [p. 194] or an Isaiah. They without us could not be made perfect. We must come first; those who form the assembly must have the first place.
So when you come to the gospels what is presented to you, what the soul finds, is manhood. The Lord is presented to us in the perfection of manhood. He looks up into heaven and the Spirit of God comes down in the form of a dove, and the voice from heaven says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. Then we are told, that He is “led” (Luke 4: 1), or “carried up” (Matthew 4: 1), by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil: Mark 1: 12 says, “the Spirit driveth him”. He does not go there, but is carried, reminding us that true manhood according to God does not take up evil unless the Holy Spirit leads him to it. The Lord is carried into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, but then He returns from the wilderness “in the power of the Spirit of God”. He returned and came unto Nazareth, “where he was brought up”. He is now in full levitical manhood, and He takes up His levitical work. The book of the scriptures is handed to Him, and He sets before us an example of levitical perfection in that He finds the scripture that fitted the position He occupied. He was there to announce the gospel. It was to be announced in Him, in full levitical manhood, and He finds the place and announces that “this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears”, Luke 4:21. There is the perfection of levitical manhood in Christ. He is presented to us as a Model, and so one would seek to lead to this, that we may apprehend Christ as He is presented in the gospels, for directly one arrives at manhood one finds oneself in the gospels. The epistles set us free, so to speak, to go to the gospels. When they treat of the Old Testament, they employ it generally in the way of relief, that our souls should be relieved; whereas the gospels, in the main, especially as the Lord uses [p. 195] them, present the Old Testament as it speaks of Christ. How do you read the Old Testament? A young believer is likely to read it in the light of the epistles; a mature believer will read it in the light of the gospels, because it presents Christ. Do you read the Old Testament thus? It says the Lord began at Moses; that is, the Pentateuch, including Genesis; He began there and in all the prophets “He interpreted ... the things concerning himself” Luke 24:27; you have there an inexhaustible mine and storehouse for your soul.
So the Lord says to the Jews, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me”, John 5:39. Let the Old Testament have its place with us. It testifies of the Lord. Thus, too, it is quite right to read the Old Testament in regard to the needs of one’s soul. The apostle says in Timothy, “All scripture ... is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”, 2 Timothy 3:16. You ask, Is the first chapter of 1 Chronicles profitable, all that list of names? Yes, that is profitable; it is divinely inspired. A brother once wrote to me referring to the New Testament as “where only we get Christian doctrine”, as if the Old Testament has nothing to say to Christian doctrine. We need doctrine, because the affections are set up in their proper course by doctrine. And reproof, do we not need reproof? Is it not profitable for correction? Yes, profitable for correction. And is it profitable for instruction in righteousness? Yes, profitable for that too that the man of God may be “throughly furnished”, that he might be perfect, according to God. What exercises me is the poverty of one’s service when one thinks of others who have served, and it is a wholesome exercise to compare yourself in your service with others. The word is “Remember your leaders who have spoken to you the word of God; and considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith”, Hebrews 13: 7. It is a wholesome thing to take account thus of those who have ministered to us the word of God. What humbles us helps us. The Old Testament is given us that the man of God might be furnished, fully furnished, unto every good work. That is what the Old Testament is for in regard to the building up of our souls.
Then there is the other side, “they are they which testify of me”. The eunuch reads Isaiah 53. He is reading about a Man, and he says to Philip, “Of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself or of some other?” Acts 8:34 And Philip began at that scripture and “preached unto him Jesus”; Jesus! The Man. He read the scripture, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter”, and was as a lamb dumb before his shearer. What a word for that Ethiopian! What a word, what a consolation for that man. It says in the Psalms, “I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs”, Psalm 38: 14. What a word in regard to our difficulties. And so John says, in referring to that same scripture, “these things said Esaias because he saw his glory and spoke of him”, John 12:41. Isaiah spoke of Jesus, for “the spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus”, Revelation 19:10. Then let us read the prophets in the light of all that. Isaiah saw His glory. He spoke of it. He spoke of the glory of Christ. So with Abraham, I take these two instances. The Lord says, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad”, John 8:56. He saw Messiah. I have no doubt he saw it on the day that Isaac was weaned. He made a great feast for Isaac; Isaac was everything on that occasion, foreshadowing the time when the true Isaac shall fill this place, when all shall revere Him. These instances illustrate what the Lord had before Him.
The Lord, in speaking to the two going to Emmaus, expounds the Old Testament as testifying to Himself.
[p. 197] The gospels alone present the Man fully. So when the epistles have done their work in the soul, one appreciates the gospels. Thus true manhood in the believer is nourished and maintained. It says, “Brethren ... in your minds be grown men”, 1 Corinthians 14:20. In your minds. “In malice be babes”. Malice is a terrible thing and it crops up, one of the things which is innate in the human heart. So at Corinth the apostle speaks of the old leaven of malice and wickedness. “As regards malice be babes, but as regards knowledge be grown men”, not merely men. If the epistles have served their purpose in removing the grave clothes from us, where do we go? You remember how the Lord said, “Loose him”. That is the service the epistles render. “Loose him, and let him go”, John 11:44. If I go to Romans I get the word of righteousness. Romans is to set me free from that state. It sets my soul in exercise so that I become practically righteous all the rest of my days. Love in Romans is said to be the fulfilling of the law. Romans teaches us “that the righteous requirement of the law should be fulfilled in us, who do not walk after flesh but after Spirit”, Romans 8:4. Hence it sets my soul in exercise as to the claims of God and what I owe to the brethren, so that I cease to be a babe, and have my senses exercised to discern between good and evil. Why is it we cannot see the simplest things at times? Because our senses are not exercised to discern between good and evil. If I discern between good and evil, then I forsake the evil and cleave to the good.
Now consider fellowship. There are different fellowships in the world, but “our fellowship”, the fellowship to which we are called, is the fellowship of God’s Son. He is Son over God’s house. You cannot limit the Son of God to a locality. Paul preached that Jesus is the Son of God. The Son of God is to be over the house of God, Son over God’s [p. 198] house. If I am called to the fellowship of God’s Son it is general fellowship, it includes all the saints. How then can I have fellowship locally if I have not got it generally.
Well now 1 Corinthians helps me as to fellowship. Colossians enables me to enter Canaan, hindrances being taken out of the way. The latter is very much like John 12. The Lord said of Lazarus, “Loose him and let him go”, John 11:44 and then we find him in Bethany; they make the Lord a supper there. Nothing hinders the activity of love in Bethany now, the shadow of the grave is gone, it is no longer there, not a word about that. The position there is almost entirely in keeping with what the saints do. There is no evidence that it was not agreeable to Christ, Martha is not cumbered now, for it is a resurrection scene. The hindrances are all gone. Colossians takes everything out of the way so that the way to heaven is opened up. And now, if I am loosed, where do I go? They were marked at Bethany by keeping with Christ. Martha served and Lazarus was one of those that sat at the table with Christ, and Mary had the ointment. Mark you, she had kept it. It was not a matter of impulse, not something procured that day. She had kept it in view of the Lord’s burial, and she anointed His feet. She knew that those feet were to carry her Lord to the grave; Mary had thought about it. He says, “against the day of my burying hath she kept this”, John 12:7. His burial was very precious in her mind and the Lord felt it. If one is released, where does one go? I apprehend that we go to the gospels, for there we find Christ in the perfect way in which the Holy Spirit presents Him for our affections. I appeal to you as to this, that God would have us to be “grown men”. In Ephesians the apostle presents the ascended Man as giving gifts for the “edifying of the body of Christ”. I love to think of the way the apostle includes all the saints. “Until we all arrive”, he says. In Colossians he says, “whom we preach ... that we may present every man perfect in Christ”, Colossians 1:28. Think of the scope of his ministry. See how the gifts came down from heaven in Ephesians for “the work of the ministry, with a view to the edifying of the body of Christ; until we all arrive”. Notice that it is not “until we are brought”. It does indeed say that “he has raised us up together, and made us to sit down together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus”. That is chapter 2, but I read from chapter 4, “until we all arrive”, that is my movement. Ministry is the presentation of Christ to you; the next move is yours. Ministry presents perfection in Christ. Philippians is the other side to this, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”. He pressed forward. Thus ministry is in order that you and I may move on “until we all arrive”. Arrive at what? “The knowledge of the Son of God”, at the perfect man, because sonship underlies manhood, for if God is to have men for Himself, He is to have us in that relationship. We are to arrive at “the knowledge of the Son of God” by ministry, “at the full-grown man, at the measure of the stature of the fulness of the Christ”.
I do commend to you the simple thought of manhood, for the Lord is seeking to bring this about in us. The babe state exposes us to Antichrist. You will remember that John, in his epistle, says a great deal more to the babes that to the young men or the fathers. He warns them about Antichrist, and babes in Christ are exposed to the influences of men. The Antichrist is yet to come; hence the great need of having our senses exercised. Thus I come back to my text, if one might so speak. “In malice be babes, but in your minds be grown men”.
May God bless the word, and lead us into its practical reality.