HOW VESSELS IN ACCORD WITH GOD’S MIND ARE PRODUCED
J. B. Ikin
Zechariah 6: 12, 13; John 3: 35, 36; 4: 1–30; Romans 12: 1, 2; 2 Timothy 2: 19–22
It was in mind to speak of how vessels in accord with God’s mind are produced. The Lord is perfectly capable of bringing this about in you and me. Then there is our side in what we are able to do in love for Him in the short time left before He comes. The passage in Zechariah is an interesting one. He and Haggai were two prophets and used of God to reawaken the people in the revival that we read of in Ezra. They moved them to secure a return to what was for God in Jerusalem. It had in a certain sense always been there because Daniel had his windows open towards Jerusalem. How like the present day in which we are. If we are honest, we have to admit we repeatedly need reviving within the revival itself. This was so with the people we read of here, and Zechariah was used of God to bring His word to bear upon them so that they should change their priorities. They were tending to settle down in their own dwellings rather than consider firstly what was due to God. He draws attention to a wonderful Person—undoubtedly Christ. It can be no other, the One whose name is the Branch. How touching this reference to Him growing up from His own place. Our brother was reminding us of Hymn 30—
‘Holy vessel of God’s pleasure
In His service day by day;
Nothing but His will Thy measure
All along that suff’ring way’.
How we see in Him One perfectly pleasing to God. He came to do His will, growing up from His own place—unlike you and me who need to learn God’s will. There was a wonderful demonstration of One perfectly carrying out the
will of God in His own place. He was in Nazareth—a place of reproach where every one knew Him and was able to observe Him, take account of His occupation, what He did and how He walked. What a holy vessel of God’s pleasure! Think of how wonderfully He carried out what was due to God as a boy of twelve. How sobering when looking at what I was doing when twelve years old in the light of what He was occupied with at that age—it was His Father’s business. What a lesson for the parents of Jesus when thinking He was in their company to then find Him so occupied. Every detail of His life was before the Father’s eye and He says of Him “in whom I have found my delight”, Matthew 3: 17. Think of what it was for the Father in those thirty wonderful years prior to His public ministry, that fresh communion every morning, moment by moment, day by day.
The passage we read goes on to say, “and he shall build the temple of Jehovah”. Think of what is established in Him, in His own body. It says, “even he shall build the temple of Jehovah”—the prophet being caught up in wonderment as referring to One outside of himself. What is He building? He is building something very glorious that is coming out in the day of display having God’s glory; that is the assembly where the praises of God are established in vessels like you and me. In Ezra, we read that the vessels are brought back to the house. Think of how God in His wonderful sovereign ways looked upon you and me as elect vessels to Himself as those He is able to glorify because of what He is in Himself, what He is able to do in Christ, “even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne”. Think of how the Lord Jesus is going to reign, in His own right. He is going to be Priest upon His throne. Everything is going to be set in order publicly, every knee bowing to Him. That is where He is at God’s right hand, a nail fastened in a sure place. It says, “the counsel of peace shall be between them both”—the Father and the Son working things out together. The Son came into manhood perfecting all things to God’s glory and is now at His right hand on high. Everything is established in Christ to God’s glory and to His perfect satisfaction.
I read from John because you see there the Father loves the Son and has given all things to be in His hand. What perfectly capable hands He has! The Father indeed put all that He treasured in the hands of One who was qualified to handle them. The Father’s love is demonstrated in Him. Have you come into God’s kingdom—the kingdom of the Son of His love? The way morally for you and for me is to become as little children. As coming in we prove the Father’s love and His might and how all is put into the hand of the Son in such an effective way. This is clearly seen in this woman in chapter 4. There were many vessels but John chooses this vessel to write about because she became a great vessel very quickly as in the Lord’s capable hands. It shows what the Lord is able to do. I might meet this woman in the street and think I would not waste a tract on her—it would not be worth speaking with her about the gospel. Not so with the Lord Jesus. He has met a wretch like me, he has given Himself for me! Paul says that of himself. Each of us, as valuing the perfect work of the Lord Jesus has to own we are vessels of mercy, just like this woman. Think of how it was a prerogative of the Lord Jesus that He should use time for her blessing. He is prepared to do that for each one of us.
We see Him here sitting just as He was at the fountain. He was inwardly exactly as He said He was, as having grown up in His own place. He was available to this woman. What does He do? He takes the initiative and asks her questions. I trust you are a believer. As such you will find as you trace your history back that His work begins with a question—a probing of your conscience. The preacher has a task to do and that is to reach the conscience. The Lord Jesus says, “Give me to drink” and He waits for an answer and goes step by step through a moral process until He secures a living response. “The woman says to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep”. Think of the Lord in His patience hearing this woman tell Him that the well is deep. He knew how deep the well was! He felt how deep it was. He knew what it was for her to go day by day and lower the pot into the well to try to satisfy her needs. The answer is that the pot is not needed and that you become the vessel. Have you received the Holy Spirit? Have you proved His ability to fill you and cause you to drink? That is an active thing, to drink of the Spirit and quench your thirst—a thirst for Christ. “The water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life”. Let Him take over your vessel so that there is a change according to what God is bringing about for His own glory.
This brings about a desire with this woman. She says, “Sir, give me this water”. But first the Lord has to deal with what she was morally. In a very few words He explains all that was found in her life and she sees it and acknowledges it. The awful secrets of her history are exposed, not for all to see, but by the One who came to deliver her from it, the One who came to die for her, the One who was made sin that she should be freed from all that distressed her.
She came to realise she was a vessel of mercy, saved from all that she had done, to be to Another. She finds her place as one who sees the Lord had something for her to do. One was to speak of Him in her own capacity, and the other that she should become a worshipper.
That is why we are left here, for the testimony and for the service of God. She speaks of Him to others to say, Yes, I am a vessel of mercy, and appeals to those who knew her and to those she knew and asks them this question, “Is not he the Christ?” She looks for an answer. How attractively she puts it as saying, “Come, see a man who told me all things I had ever done”, John 4: 29. She had not really left His side. She was in His presence and enjoying His company. How good it is to have brethren we can meet and draw out experience and acknowledgment of Him as the Christ.
In the other two passages read we see God’s resources so that we may carry out our own responsibilities in the short time that may be left to us. Romans takes us back to the true basics of what is essential in our lives—the gospel and the dealing with our sins. Has everyone here had their sins forgiven? Have you acknowledged you are a sinner? God listens to the repenting sinner. It is delightful to heaven that there are repenting sinners. Think of the man in Luke’s gospel who says, “O God, have compassion on me, the sinner”, Luke 18: 13.
He went home justified as a result of his repentance and putting his faith and trust in the Saviour. Romans takes us step by step, not only dealing with the relief from what we have been, but on to becoming a possessor of our own vessels. In chapter 12, Paul exhorts us to present our own bodies. You cannot present something unless you possess it. In Thessalonians, he speaks of each possessing his own vessel in sanctification and honour. In sin, we are captive to another, to lust and pride, not possessing our own vessels. There are those in the gospels who are possessed by demons.
Romans teaches us to become possessors. It is not trying to reform and make a little better of ourselves. Chapter 7 shows us clearly that this is hopeless. You cannot reform the flesh. I have to be delivered from that which is hateful to God. I must judge it at the cross and find in Christ that He is not only my Saviour but also my Deliverer. I am sure most of us know the truth of these things but each of us has to deal with God to prove this for himself or herself.
You will then prove how vitally important this is in your own history. In chapter 8, we see how the Holy Spirit is available to fill our vessels. By Him we find resource to put to death the deeds of the body, like David taking hold of the sword of Goliath and cutting off his head completely. At the end of chapter 8 we prove the love of God for us in every circumstance.
You say you do not know my circumstances. No, I do not, but God does, and you will prove day by day how God’s love is towards you. In Romans 12 there is this return to Him, Paul beseeching us “to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your intelligent service”. I find that very searching. The resource is from God’s side and proved by the accepting of His will. The Lord Jesus came to do His will, but you and I as failing creatures need to learn His will and prove that it is acceptable to us. How wonderful to prove the will of God, that it is far better. The woman left her water-pot and proved that God’s will for her was far better. His will has in view our blessing as seen in Ephesians and that we should come into the enjoyment of it through this moral process.
In Timothy, we see that in conditions of public breakdown, what is pure and acceptable to God is brought to light. God does not tolerate mixture in His presence. In this great house there is mixture in vessels to honour and vessels to dishonour. But the firm foundation of God stands. We have a nail that is fastened in a sure place and there is another firm thing here—the firm foundation of God, “the Lord knows those that are his”. How wonderful to accept that the Lord knows those that are His, thousands, millions of believers. We can trust Him that in His hands He is able to bring about a perfect answer to the glory of God. The other side is, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity”. That is my side and in affection for Him I am to prove that, but it is going to cost me something. It does not cost me very much to stand here and speak about this scripture, nor does it cost you very much to sit in your seat and hear this scripture read and contemplate its significance. But it will cost you to carry it out. In the house last night we were speaking about the history of our parents and our grandparents—what it cost them to name the name of the Lord and become a vessel to honour. It cost them to tread a pathway that meant reproach and suffering. That cost is known to God and built into the vessels of weight.
Naming His name is a public thing, where I say I love Him so much I am going to purify myself for Him. It is an individual exercise. You have to do it yourself but in doing so you will prove God’s help. Ezra and his men in recovering the vessels back to their true place were exposed to criticism and danger but God preserved them. As you stand firm and name the name of the Lord publicly, you will find He will help you. The result is you become available to him. A vessel is for pouring out and for use by its owner. God owns us—we are bought at such a price as vessels of mercy. The Lord is able to use these separated vessels for His own purpose for every good work. There is a great work going on in variety that is producing wonderful results soon to be displayed in God’s presence. May each of us know what it is to be a vessel, hanging on Him alone and to prove the value of being a vessel in His hands for His name’s sake.
Address at Dundee
23 October 2004