RESPONSIVENESS

A.J.E.Welch

Job 38: 1-7; Genesis 24: 64-67

We have fittingly begun this occasion with a note of praise. We may well begin every occasion with such a note, but it confirms the concern to bring up this question of responsiveness, quickness and spontaneity of response. The assembly, above every other family of the redeemed, is the great vessel of response; not only specifically in what we speak of as the service of God, the prime occasion of the week, but at any time. The affectionate intelligence which rightly has its place in the assembly is constantly to find expression Godward, is constantly to manifest itself in intense interest in everything that God may disclose Himself to be doing at any time. The Father, and the Son, and the Spirit, I believe, would count on the sympathetic, intelligent concern of the assembly for everything that They may do. If we get some grasp of this, the divine operations become so deeply interesting, and yet the interest is to promote the depth of feeling sympathy with what the blessed God is doing for Himself and His own satisfaction. I wonder if we have, in these closing moments, yet touched the living interest in divine activities which the Spirit of God would promote amongst us, alert and watchful for every touch of God's work, alert and watchful for every distinctive divine movement, whatever its character, that at every point God may have those who love Him and enter in the deepest sympathy into what He is doing, and whose voices are in liberty lifted in praise, thanksgiving, prayer maybe, as to what is proceeding. I believe the Spirit of God would produce in these closing moments of the testimony, intelligent, deep feeling as to everything that comes from God; what He may intimate as to His own glory especially governing us peculiarly in the service of praise, but His every activity for blessing and fruit for Himself. We hear of persons recovered, as we speak; we rejoice. God has something for Himself in that. If we see possibilities for recovery, we rejoice and we pray, because we understand what the operation of recovering power and the fruits of it mean to God. How He would draw out our sympathetic, alert interest at this present time! How, in consequence, every occasion of our gathering is to be marked by readiness. What will the Spirit of God bring into this meeting? If we are privileged to assemble tomorrow, what will He bring in through our enquiry together? A sense of readiness, and alertness to hear His voice and discern His movements would mean that we lose no time. It would mean that there is a certain efficiency in the use of time as we assemble, as time of being assembled is peculiarly fruitful time and we would seek to be available that it may be used for the maximum result for the heart of God.

So this remarkable appeal of Jehovah to Job raises the question whether Job has understanding - a salutary question as to what we are saying: "Declare, if thou hast understanding. Who set the measures thereof - if thou knowest?" There are things, dear brethren, that we should know. There is that in which instruction has been furnished richly from God. The question comes, do we know things? Have we an intelligent appreciation, by the Spirit, of what has been committed to the saints? "If thou knowest". It is as if the Spirit of God would say to Job, Just how far, in spite of all the speaking, have you progressed in what really relates to God Himself? Do we know anything of this? Then we have this remarkable d is closure: "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy". What an answer! It goes back, I suppose, to a reference to some angelic company, if we take it as a literal reference. From whence did this answer spring? Think of such an answer being furnished as the creatorial power of God came into expression. "The morning stars sang together". Not only is the feature of response there, but it is response in unison - together; a fine thing, dear brethren, when we can move in this happy, spontaneous unison, in answer to some display of divine power. It tests us, perhaps, as to just how, by the Spirit, we are close to one another in taking on divine thoughts and answering to them. The morning stars sang together. Why should that thought be brought in, save as to bring out the divine feelings about this matter? And where will those feelings find their distinctive answer? Instruction would lead us to say that God would seek an answer such as this supremely in the assembly, the great vessel of response. And the sons - "all the sons of God shouted for joy"; all of them. That is to say that none was outside of this harmonious chorus of response. You see how the feature of energy and spontaneity comes into things. We see it here and we see it in Rebecca in her spring from the camel; energetic, spontaneous movement in reference to a display of divine glory. This is what the Spirit of God would promote, that on the one hand we be watchful and on the other hand that we be quick to furnish the intelligent, affectionate answer that God Himself would seek to some fresh manifestation of Himself and His own activities to our hearts.

Well now this company, I suppose, would be very largely spectators of what was taking place. It is a question of what they discerned to be happening and the answer that was produced in them. When we come to Rebecca we have something far deeper because she is personally involved in the most intimate sense in what is proceeding. It is a very great matter to be sustained in the sense of this; but as God is active in our time it is not just a question of being spectators of what He does, because we are immediately, intimately and necessarily involved in what He is doing. The assembly is in view in this time of the Spirit. What place have we given in our minds and affections to Christ and to the assembly? You feel you discern the feelings of a man like Paul when he says, at a particular juncture, "I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly", Eph 5: 32.

In Genesis 24 what a history this was of which we read the culmination! How Rebecca had shone at each point of it, even to the point at which the servant is amazed at what he sees. You may say, What a lesson! We read through this history (I suppose we have read it and spoken of it often); but do we read it in detachment from what it really conveys and its immediate, real bearing upon us? Have we any spring such as Rebecca had? Is it as we seek Christ that the spring comes into view? I believe there is this spring increasingly. I am not suggesting any lack in this respect but rather to strengthen and stimulate the positive side of this matter. She sprang from the camel; it is the immediateness of her response as she saw the one for whom she was secured, to be in the bond of union with him, to be alone for this glorious Man that he is in type; that is to say, Jesus Himself. Do we involve ourselves in that, dear brethren? If we speak of the assembly, are we involving ourselves, in our own minds, in what the assembly really is, because it is to appear in our time in reality of life and power in persons, that the assembly in that sense is locatable, something that the Spirit of God can, in a certain degree, call attention to, vitally found in persons in localities. Impressions of the Lord's day remain still, what God worked out in those places to which we referred. The assembly was there. It was not yet clothed with the full instruction as to what is involved in it, which came in through Paul in the chapters later, but the assembly was there. We thank God that though we do not claim to be it - far be the thought - but we can locate the assembly in this city: Let us, therefore, be concerned about the responsive side which in all its sensitiveness and attractiveness to heaven belongs in the assembly, that every fresh movement yields something responsively in praise, that every fresh touch of divine glory produces immediate stimulation so that things proceed with spring. What a wonderful feature that is, when things in the assembly proceed with spring, which is normal and which the Spirit of God would sustain in the features of life appearing among the saints. What a history this was! How ready Rebecca was to follow the man. "I will go", she said (v 58). That is to say, she is ready to leave every element of natural influence that would detain her; she is ready to go, in principle, all the way with this man. Sometimes - I say it for myself, feelingly - we are slow to leave the matters that may have occupied us during the day; but can we not say, as an occasion like this arrives, I will go? That is to say, we will move with the Spirit, we will move in view of Christ having His portion, we will move in view of the true qualities of this vessel coming vitally into evidence for the delight of His heart and the satisfaction of the heart of God.

Well, this feature is one that often appears in Scripture, the side of responsiveness directly to God Himself, the side of intense sympathy with His own thoughts; but I believe the Spirit of God will bring it out in peculiar depth in these closing moments and will give us to have part in that. May He do so, for His Name's sake.

LONDON

25 May 1976