DIVINE ACTIVITIES

Genesis 24: 15-21, 26, 27; Luke 22: 7-13; John 4: 21-24

W.D. These passages refer to divine activities. It is a very important matter to understand their continuing character. The present time is marked by intense activity on the part of the Trinity. This is not just to provide us with subjects for ministry but to help us as to the level of our activities in the coming week, that they may correspond in character with the activities of the Godhead. We touched this morning the thought of capacity, and the assembly as the vessel with the greatest capacity to praise and respond to God. That capacity is formed as the result of the activities of divine Persons in the present dispensation. The scriptures read (I should like the brethren to bear in mind the background in each one) show the activities of divine Persons, and also the disclosure of certain secrets in relation to those activities, as if They were active to bring something hitherto unknown before the persons who were the subjects of Their service. In Luke we find the Lord concerned that there should be this guest-chamber where He would eat the passover with His disciples and where the passover was to be prepared. This is a character of activity which finds much correspondence at the present time. The great pattern remains; when the Lord rose from the dead, the first day of the week was for Him a day of the greatest activity. From early morn until late at night, according to John 20, He was unceasing in His activity. There was the disclosure of secrets, hitherto unknown, which entered into the formation of the capacity of this wondrous vessel the assembly.

A.A.B. The activities of divine Persons are to be understood by us and then activity is to mark us in the way of response. We had a touch this morning as to the things that were hidden and have now been made manifest, and the result is glory to God. There is an answer.

W.D. The greatest capacity of the assembly is seen at the end of Ephesians 3. The capacity is so great that Paul ends that ascription by saying "To him be glory in the assembly in Christ Jesus unto all generations of the age of ages". The formation through the activities of the Trinity has been such that there is that answer.

A.A.B. Even the suggestion of the large upper room furnished would carry some significance, would it not?

W.D. It would be a reminder to us of the level of the activity at the present time. Much activity takes place in the world; it is a restless age - it seems to be almost a sign of the apostasy. But here we have activity on the level of an upper room furnished, which would be some allusion, I think, to the assembly as a sphere where the holy secrets that are in the Lord's heart can be disclosed; and they can be disclosed in no other environment.

J.M. Would those who were found together in the upper room in Acts 1 be attracted by those secrets? Would that be the result of what the Lord says here?

W.D. The crowd of names is mentioned there. It has often been pointed out that the Spirit's comment is not on the number of persons but "the crowd of names", as if there had been something distinctive formed in each. No doubt it was the result of the Lord's activities and ministry during the three and a half years in which He had been present amongst His own, showing that there is a great positive result reached in activities of this character.

J.M. They would all be persons of capacity, would they not? Mr Taylor sen referred to Mary the mother of Jesus, what she would be able to tell the saints.

W.D. That should make us responsive to the gatherings of God's people. Even whilst we are sitting in a meeting the formative process is going on. The very fact that we are in an environment where certain holy things are being spoken of, and spoken of at the level of the upper room, has in itself a formative effect. Even with the children, something is being formed in an environment of this character.

C.S. It says "A man will meet you". Is that divine activity?

W.D. "Carrying an earthen pitcher of water"; we should find that man. It is important to bear in mind that the Spirit of God does not stand related only to that part of the service in which we minister praise to Him. All the time on the Lord's day, from the time we get up in the morning, even while we are sitting together around the emblems, the Spirit is serving us. An expression was used some years ago: the Spirit's augmentary service. It is perhaps not used so much now but it is one of the treasures in the spiritual realm that should not be discarded.

D.S. Why is this against a background where there is a satanic movement in progress?

W.D. It shows that the enemy is against the disclosure of these divine secrets. They are so attractive that, once they are entered into by the persons to whom the Lord imparts the knowledge of them, Satan's power is really broken. There is something attractive about what the Lord discloses as a result of His activities and it is really the principle upon which we would encourage our young people to break bread, that they feel drawn into an environment that is so attractive and they hear things there in relation to the Lord and His work and His Person that they hear in no other environment.

J.S. What is the difference between what is publicly declared in the declaration of God and this secret side that is revealed to persons? It says in John "the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him", John 1: 18.

W.D. While it is public it is only of value to those persons who apprehend it. In the Lord's ministry here upon earth, and His going into death and His resurrection, there has been a public testimony borne to the way God has come out, but it has only been of benefit to those who have been affected by that testimony.

J.S. In revelation are divine Persons moving sovereignly from Their own side, taking up persons and revealing certain things that relate to the inward secret longings of God Himself?

W.D. The principle of revelation enters into all our lives. You are justified in regarding the fresh touches the Lord gives you at the Supper under His headship as having the character in principle of revelation.

A.A.B. Capacity to take in impressions at the Supper would be produced by the workings of divine Persons. What we receive forms us as we go through the week and work it out, and is therefore substantial.

W.D. So the environment is distinctive in Luke; it is a guest-chamber. It is to promote the line of the family in restfulness and the sense that everyone is in perfect freedom; the Lord is amongst us and the Spirit is free.

H.F. We were impressed this morning by the careful way the Spirit served in order that the longings of the Persons of the Godhead whom He served might be answered to.

W.D. We need enlargement as to the Spirit's service at the Supper. When the emblems are going round is your mind inactive or active? If inactive we lose the gain of the secrets that the Lord is seeking to disclose. What I mean by inactive is that you may think there is a hiatus in the proceedings until the emblems go back on the table, whereas, if your mind and affections are active, the Spirit of God would open your heart to a touch from Himself and from the Lord.

A.A.B. When the Lord says "This do in remembrance of me", would it include that? What do we think about when the emblems are going round? If we turn to the Spirit, do you think He would help us in thinking of the One of whom the emblems speak?

W.D. Yes, you take advantage, while the emblems are going round, of the Spirit's augmentary service, so that the deep meaning of the loaf and the cup comes home to your mind. The Spirit would help us too to understand something when the box is going round.

H.F. Has the Spirit been in the preparation: "A large upper room furnished"? Would the furnishings be the saints, prepared, ready for response and sustained by the Spirit?

W.D. For the believer, all his activities on the Lord's day have in view the Lord's supper, when we are together in the guest chamber, listening to the unfolding of divine secrets. You may say, I have the children to get ready. Nevertheless, in our minds, we have the idea of preparation.

J-n.M. It says "follow him into the house". Does that mean that the man with the pitcher of water is active all the time and that you have to keep following him?

W.D. Exactly, and there is a lead given by the Lord which impresses you as being a spiritual touch. Sometimes from the thanksgiving of even the youngest brother you get a spiritual touch.

J.M. You are not only brought into the house but it says, "He will show you a large upper room furnished". Is that the expansion of it?

W.D. A simple thing taken up brings in expansion and increase. In Genesis 24 the secret disclosed to Rebecca was that she was to be the bride of Isaac. What a secret! Hitherto unknown - there was no thought in her mind of this glorious destiny that was to be hers, as the one who was typically the Holy Spirit acted, converging on the moment when He would disclose this blessed secret to Rebecca. His activities are quite remarkable as he takes account of the maiden. It says, "And she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, sip a little water out of thy pitcher". When the truth as to addressing the Spirit was first brought to our attention we used to relate this scripture to the response we gave to the Spirit at the Supper, but it was helpfully pointed out later that this is a wilderness setting. It seems to emphasise the importance in our week-night gatherings not to overlook the opportunities to give the Spirit a sip, because in so doing we will, shall I say, liberate the Spirit to give us a touch at the meeting for ministry on a Tuesday night.

J-n.M. In verse 14 the servant says "that I may drink", but when he addresses the maiden herself he uses the word "sip". She says "Drink, my lord!" Have you any impression as to the difference in the terms used?

W.D. Would it not be some allusion to the undemanding character of Christianity? How the Spirit of God would come into our gatherings and measure what is there, and in His infinite grace take it, giving us to feel that the activities of divine Persons come so near to us.

J-n.M. Would it also involve that she came up to the first requirement, so that the servant wondered?

W.D. Are we giving the Spirit of God cause to wonder continually? When we come together on Tuesday evening do we give the Spirit of God cause to wonder at the area there is for the disclosure of divine secrets, that there are persons whose activities are not related to this world but to God's world?

J-n.M. How would we be aware of that?

W.D. I think we are aware of it in a definite impression that a word is from the Lord.

A.A.B. The maiden is marked by alacrity. The Spirit would have satisfaction in the truth being taken on immediately.

W.D. What the servant took account of was her activity. As the week proceeds are we marked by activity as to the secret line of things? Younger brothers should be exercised to be active on a Tuesday evening; the Spirit of God would take account of that and wonder.

A.A.B. There is great encouragement for the brethren in a young brother giving a word in freshness, and the Spirit too receives something from that.

W.D. The sisters also welcome freshness in the meetings; they look for what is vital, something that imparts a touch to their spirits. Of course an old brother can be fresh, but there is something in what a young man has that is particularly delightful in that way, as Rebecca was here.

J.M. The idea of revealing secrets is connected with the prophet (see Amos 3: 7). Scripture speaks of a young prophet. I was thinking of what was revealed to Samuel as a young man, as to the conditions in Israel at that time.

W.D. To say, as has been said, that there is nothing in the way of fresh ministry would imply a restriction on the power of the Spirit to bring in what is fresh. It may be that there is no distinctive universal gift, but the activities of the Spirit would bring out something fresh, of which perhaps you can find no record in the written ministry.

J.M. I am sure that is so. It is a slight to the Spirit to say that there is nothing fresh. While everything has been revealed, everything is out, you still get fresh touches by the Spirit.

T.R. How active the servant is when there is a movement on the part of Rebecca. She went down to the well and immediately the servant ran to meet her. The Holy Spirit would lend special help to the young as there is movement towards the well.

W.D. The well speaks of the inexhaustible resources of the Spirit of God. In the small gatherings the brethren find these resources inexhaustible. We are so fearful of falling into the error of pretension that we tend to limit the Spirit of God in His activities, whereas our exercise should be to provide the conditions continually for His unrestricted activities. That is why it is so important at the present time to settle the brethren, not to let local eruptions get out of proportion, either in our thoughts or our conversation. In the face of any local irritation we should keep ministering the truth at its highest level. The truth is the greatest corrective to low conditions, a greater corrective than administration. That is the divine way.

D.S. In John's gospel, where the Lord feeds the multitude, He says "Make the men sit down", chap 6: 10. We all feel challenged at the ministry meeting. The disciples would be little what was available: "What is it for so many?" But under divine control it is more than enough.

W.D. What marked that occasion was that the Lord was immediately active. It persons deliberately restrict the number of meetings they attend (for no good reason) they are putting themselves out of the area of divine activities in the environment in which they are most likely to proceed.

H.F. If there were not such activities and such meetings, how would the piping and the harping and the trumpeting be heard and understood as in 1 Cor 14 (vv 7,8).

W.D. That shows the value of the weekly ministry meeting.

H.F. Mr Taylor sen spoke of Monday night being the meeting for prayer and the answer being given on the following night.

W.W. David prepared material for the building of the temple but he says to Solomon "Thou shalt add to it", 1 Chron 22: 14. Is there not always scope in relation to these things for "adding to it"?

W.D. That is very encouraging. As you look around on the public breakdown you say to yourself, How can it be true that the latter glory of the house is to be greater than the former? But the scripture in Haggai (see chap 2: 9) is obviously a reference to the substantiality of what is reached in the way of formation.

J.S. You spoke at the beginning of the reading of there being greater capacity in our day than at the beginning. Would you say more as to that.

W.D. As the dispensation proceeds, formation is taking place all the time under the activities of divine Persons. The thought at the end of Revelation that "the Spirit and the bride say, Come" (chap 22: 17), that they say it together, is that there is some correspondence formatively to the Spirit's service.

A.A.B. I was thinking of what you said earlier as to the conditions in which divine Persons can operate, the guest-chamber, and here the environment of the well. On our side there has to be correspondence.

W.D. Hannah took account of the growth in Samuel, and we should be able in our children to take account of the growth that is there. Parents have a responsibility to point out to their children that to break bread is a normal thing for a young person. Mr Taylor sen's teaching is that it is a responsibility of the parents to place before their children the importance of these great matters (see N.S. Vol.54, p.240; Vol.78, p.40).

J.M. I am glad you say that, because we have tended to forget that it is normal for the children to come in.

W.D. It is not that you force the children but, as a matter of teaching from the earliest age at which they are able to take in teaching, you instruct them that in a Christian household it is a normal thing for them to break bread.

A.A.B. So that the desire of the children to remember the Lord would be a token of committal to His interests. Perhaps the teaching has been neglected.

D.S-s. If a child said it would like to take the emblems, it might be only a natural thing with the child. What would you look for?

W.D. I am not thinking so much of the child's side; the need for a work of God is absolutely essential. What I am trying to emphasise is the responsibility of the parents not to leave their responsibility aside.

D.S-s. So Christian parents would be exercised to draw their children by way of attraction into Christianity.

W.D. The paternal side is important, but a mother may have to do it. Hannah did it with Samuel.

J.S. Does not the incident of the colt show that the principle of preparation comes into it? No man had ever sat on it but there comes a time when the Lord has need of it. The children are here for the Lord and the time comes when the lord has need of them for the testimony.

W.D. The Lord obviously has need of them.

 

GRANGEMOUTH

19 January 1975

 

Key to initials

A.A.B. A.Brown; W.D. W.Dickson (Edinburgh); H.F. H.Fentiman; J.M. Jas.Munro;
J-n.M. John Munro; T.R. T.Rogerson (Alnwick); D.S. D.Steven (Glasgow);
C.S. C.Spinks; D.S-s D.Spinks; J.S. J.Spinks; W.W. W.Wallace

(all local except where otherwise shown)