COMMITTAL

John Mitchell

Exodus 21: 1-6; Ruth 1: 15-19 ("until they came to Bethlehem"); Acts 15: 36-41

I want, dear brethren, to say a word about our committals. I think the closing days would call for renewed committal on the part of every one of us, and from a certain standpoint the only consideration in such a committal is the consideration of love. In the passage in Exodus, as well as in that in Ruth, there is in fact an invitation to the person concerned to go back, or to go away, to go free, but in the face of such an invitation there is a committal on the part of the Hebrew bondman and on the part of Ruth that is really a committal in love; that is, there were no other calculations or considerations. There was no mixed motive, there was no question of something else attracting them except the attractiveness in love to whatsoever the persons were. That is what will stand, that kind of committal that knows no other calculation but that of love. Though thankful for what there is in the way of committal, anything else is a danger because if there are mixed motives, mixed considerations in our committal, other things having the real pull with us, that can, as we see in the verses in the Acts, end in disaster. I believe the Lord would raise with us at this time, as with the one who speaks, the question of the purity and the calculations of love, and whether that alone is entering into our committals to the Lord and to the testimony.

There was no question in regard to the Hebrew bondman. He had a right at that time to go free. Today we hear a great deal about man's rights, and particularly man's rights in liberty and in freedom; great societies are set up and there is great expenditure of effort, time and money in relation to setting persons free, as it is said. But over against that, what we see in the Lord Jesus is a Man in the committal of love saying "I will not go free". On the mount of transfiguration the Lord could have gone back to the glory, something that those of us who are a little older used to hear a good deal about in our younger days. But you see there the true Hebrew bondman coming out. He says "I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go free". For him there was no other calculation but that of love. He loved his master, his wife and his children. In relation to the Lord Jesus that would be His love for His God, His love for the assembly and His love for the saints severally; He loved every one of us. So in this committal we have a standard of love that is exceedingly high. It has been seen in the Lord Jesus Himself, the One who truly did not go out free. What it meant for Him as He set His face to go to Jerusalem, as He came down from that mount! Enoch is typically the life of Jesus up to the mount of transfiguration, and that ends in his translation: "he was not for God took him", Gen 5: 24. A similar thing is said of Noah: "perfect amongst his generations. Noah walked with God", Gen 6: 9. But Noah is the life of Christ from the mount of transfiguration to the cross, and Noah in type went through death, and that likewise is what you get in the Hebrew bondman. His committal was a committal to that, and as the word is, "and that the death of the cross". What a death was the death of Jesus! These are basic matters, matters that we need to contemplate and which should never be far from our considerations. They are matters that enter into the moral fibre of the saints and into our committals in these times in which we are. They would enter into our relationships with Christ, our relationships in the testimony and our relationships with the brethren, and would develop a moral steadfastness among the saints, that no matter what may come in to deflect, what powers, what forces, what attractions, there will be that steadfastness morally in going through in the testimony.

This bondman says "I will not go free". It also says "But if the bondman shall say distinctly". There was no question about the distinctness, and there was an unequivocal committal, on the part of the Lord Jesus. There were no indistinct things. There are times when things are a bit indistinct and they cause a good deal of concern among the saints, but time generally shows what matters are. I would encourage the brethren that we should be clear and unequivocal in our committals to Christ. He was, if I may reverently say, clear and unequivocal in His committals to us. There was no indistinctness about it; He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem knowing what was before Him and all that it involved. What His committal in love involved for Himself, what sufferings, what sorrow, what pressure upon His spirit! yet, according to the type, He said distinctly, I will not go free. Now the question as to ourselves is whether that character of committal is with us, or whether there are any other calculations entering into our committals to the testimony - and there may be so me. Some may say, I am there because my family is there. Well, in a certain sense you are thankful for the salvation at least for the meantime that that involves. But as difficulties come will that hold you? Maybe your family will come under some pressure. What is going to govern you then? I appeal to each of us that our committals should be purely the calculations of love for Christ. Then we will not so easily change. His love is unchanging, it never alters, it never diminishes. It is not like ours - as the hymn writer says 'Our love is ofttimes low'. His is always the same towards His saints and He would look for that steadfast character of committal among ourselves. I think we can see it among the saints; thank God we can see it among some of the younger brethren! You can go to fellowship meetings and there are those that you see there time after time. What is inward with such the Lord knows, but at any rate the e is some evidence that there is the kind of steadfastness of committal that knows no other consideration or calculation except that of love.

Then it says "and he shall be his bondman for ever" - for ever; that is, there is no drawing back. The writer to the Hebrews says that God has no pleasure in him who draws back, but he adds "But we are not drawers back", Heb 10: 39. I would like to encourage the brethren that there should be no drawing back; it says here that he shall be his bondman for ever. Of course in regard to the Lord Jesus personally we have to read into this, as we have been taught, the extension in Aaron with his garments of glory and adornment. His service now is not exactly the bondman's service except of course that He is committed to serve, and He has served His saints well throughout the dispensation, throughout all the ups and downs of the testimony, throughout all the failures that have marked us. Who has served like Jesus? And He serves us still. Thank God for His service to us, His service as the great High Priest, the One who is in the presence of God. There is another delightful thought in that; God honours this character of service, He clothes it with a heavenly glory that is proper to it. Such glory is being worked out in this present scene. Paul speaks in Acts 20 of the way that he had served the saints, and there is a great need of that, dear brethren. There always is a need of service among the saints, that character of service that knows no calculation except that of love, that is not looking in any sense for recognition or anything of that description but serves out of genuine and devoted love for Christ and therefore love for His saints. Paul exemplifies that character of service as he serves among the Ephesians and he brings it out there: "these hands" - think of the way he had served them there, think of his tears. And God clothes that - worked out as I say in circumstances of pressure, lowly circumstances here with a heavenly glory appropriate to it. There is a connection with what we get later on in Aaron the high priest and the way in which he is brought in and clothed with these garments. God can clothe what is pleasurable to Himself with the very best thoughts. What is intended is that God's glory is to be expressed here, and I think it can be expressed in the way of this committal to the Lord Himself and to His saints, not necessarily what we speak of as levitical service, but service. Stephanas was a servant; he and his house did just what was needed to be done (see 1 Cor 16: 15), and there is always a lot to be done among the brethren, but persons to do it are always in short supply. There is always more to be done than there are those to do it, and therefore the great encouragement is that we should commit ourselves, as it says of Timothy who would care with genuine feeling how the saints get on (see Phil 2: 22). May we be encouraged along this line.

In Ruth it is a question of our committals to the testimony. You may say that the Lord is the testimony and that is true, but it is the Lord Jesus characteristically among His saints. Again there is nothing in Naomi that attracted Ruth on the natural line; everything on that line would have encouraged Ruth to go back, and Naomi does not invite her to go with her. There is no invitation; indeed the invitation is to go back. Naomi realised what the future meant for that young woman. She realised that on the line of nature there was no future whatsoever. These are sobering considerations, dear brethren, and yet they are the calculations of love, and I believe they have been manifested in measure amongst the saints in these times. One often thinks of the practical matter of the number of young sisters in relation to the number of young brothers. These are matters that we should feel keenly, and be sympathetic with our young people about, and with the character of committal that is prepared to take up a position where, according to the line of nature, there appears to be no such future as might be desired. Yet there was that which was attractive in Naomi. It is the widowed character of the assembly. It is the line of what is poor, of what is outwardly of no account in this world. It is the line of which there is nothing except what is of God, what is of Christ Himself. Yet despite there being no encouragement Ruth comes out like the Hebrew bondman in the distinctiveness of her speech. She says "Do not intreat me to leave thee, to return from following after thee" "Do not intreat me" - as much as to say my mind is clear, my committal is quite distinct, there is nothing that is going to turn me aside. Then she goes on to say, "for whither thou goest I will go... thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God; where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried". "There will I be buried" - there is no doubt typically that Ruth had an outlook beyond the grave. She had an outlook on the great unseen world of things; therefore the seen character of things had no appeal whatsoever to her. What a challenge that is to every one of us! She was attracted to what could be witnessed to in testimony, what she saw there, what may be outwardly small and poor and weak, but in that she saw a great and glorious unseen system of things to which she was going to be connected, and that involved that she was going to be with it and committed to it as long as she was here, and indeed right on, as she says, even to her death and her burial.

The brethren know we have sorrowed over some burials in the last week or two. How wonderful it is nevertheless to think of the victory, to think of the fact that, as you look into an open grave, Christ has been there! What feelings this brings into our spirits, and to know that He went there for me and He went there for you; and as you contemplate that He has invaded that domain it brings a sense of victory into your soul and brings on to view the order of things which is on the other side of death into which we can enter in spirit and taste something of at the present time. Would that we were more attracted to that order and not to the order of things that is here! On the external side there is not much to link on with in the saints. A person who is not devoted to Christ would see nothing in the position at all. Thank God for those who have seen something in it and who have committed themselves to it! May these committals be firm, may they be steadfast, may they be strengthened and may they hold us as the days go on and as they may get more difficult; may they hold us in what is pleasurable to Christ.

I want just briefly to say a word about the verses read in Acts 15. It is a very sorrowful matter because it shows that even a prominent position in the testimony of itself will not hold us. That is something that we need soberly to consider. Barnabas was a man who had a very good history; there was no question about that. I speak very carefully about a man such as Barnabas. Nevertheless the Spirit of God has recorded this matter, and He has recorded it for our help.

There comes a point in the testimony when the strength of Barnabas's committal to what is Pauline is tested and it does not stand the test, and that is a very serious matter. As others have said, the test in the testimony always surrounds that which is peculiar to Paul. Persons may be prepared to go a certain distance, prepared to commit themselves to certain things, but when you come to the Pauline level of ministry and the detail of it, you find that they are tested, and the sad thing is that quite a number fall away. That has been the history in our times. Every one of us here knows what that is in the practical working of it out, and there has come a test and we have had to commit ourselves to the great truth of the mystery and the working of it out, through Pauline ministry, the great truth of the assembly.

There comes this point when Barnabas defects through natural relationships and influences. What a sad thing that is! John Mark, a young man, found the way testing, and the way is testing. It involves service day by day. It involves that character of committal in the Hebrew bondman: "he shall be his bondman for ever". It involves today, it involves Monday, it involves Tuesday and so on, and then next week if we are left here, for who of us can say what a week or what a day may bring forth, never mind a week? But if we are left here it will be the week after and the week after, and there is a need then to go on steadfastly in what is true, in what is right, in what is of God, in what reflects God in testimony here. John Mark was not equal to that, and not only so, but Barnabas, great man that he was, came under his influence. You might say that you can understand young men turning aside but would that no one in this room turns aside, young or old. Think of the words of the Lord: "Will ye also go away?", John 6: 67. There have been many that have gone away; it is a great sorrow that so many with whom we had links in the testimony have gone away. I trust we carry the sorrow with us all the time. Paul would have felt the defection of Barnabas. He was at one time a son of consolation, and yet when it comes to this test he is not equal to it. The word is that "There arose therefore very warm feeling". I am often struck with that when I read it. It arose between these great men in the testimony - and they were great men. Barnabas was a great man; he had a great place in the testimony, and yet there arose very warm feeling between them. What a sorrowful thing that is! The result is that "they separated from one another; and Barnabas taking Mark sailed away to Cyprus"; not exactly, as we often say, that Barnabas went out of fellowship, but for the moment he had turned aside out of the main line of divine operations; he went away to Cyprus. Later Paul on his journey passed Cyprus on the left hand (see Acts 21: 3).

These are very exercising matters; every one of us should examine our committals and see the basis of them and judge ourselves so that there should be nothing of self or natural feelings or natural relationships or anything else of that character entering in to corrupt or to weaken our committals to the testimony. Paul on the other hand "having chosen Silas went forth"; I think Mr Taylor said he had congenial company. There is great need for congenial company in the ministry. In the next chapter Paul takes up Timothy. I suppose that Silas and Timothy would have been a very great comfort to Paul. I wonder if in these days we could comfort the Lord in the way of our committals, and in the way of being free to be taken up by Him in order that there might be congenial company in the ministry. The result is that the testimony takes a great forward leap. The scientists in these days speak of quantum leaps, that is that things are progressing rather slowly and then suddenly something opens up and there is a great leap forward. That is like this chapter 16 of Acts, and it comes down to our day, the result of congenial company. In these verses you find a certain beauty about what is coming to light in that company. Think of Paul consulting with those that were with him as to the divine direction, as to the way in which they should go. I think there is a great need for the saints to be drawn together in affection, in committal, in devotedness to the furtherance of the testimony in view of there being movement forward. Something that I find exercising - I say it because I have come to it by observation - that where there are prolonged difficulties among the saints there is a tendency for brethren, particularly younger brethren, to be disaffected. Therefore there is a great need of there being unity in the ministry and in the testimony in view of the saints being held together, particularly in regard to the heavenly levels of the truth, so that there might be a clearance of any disaffection that may come in. What a sorrowful thing it is if persons are tending in these days to turn aside! You may see just a little tendency, a little carelessness, a little looseness - a very concerning matter. May we each one of us take it home to ourselves, dear brethren. May we be really concerned that there might be happy and congenial relationships in the ministry, and congenial company in view of the furthering of what is of God, and in view of the saints being protected and held in relation to the most glorious levels of the truth. May the Lord help us on these things for His name's sake.

 

MAIDSTONE

13 December 1980

 

 

 

 

 

THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

D.Andrew Burr

Revelation 1: 9-19; 4: 1, 2 (to "in the heaven")

I have an exercise, beloved brethren, to say a word as to the presence of the Lord amongst us. I suppose that none of us would be here if we did not think the Lord was here: that is a simple truth, but I think it has sober implication. If we gather here on the ground that the Lord is here, that we would be elsewhere if that was where He was, and we would not be here if He was not here, it raises with us a sobering exercise.

I did not read the scripture to imply exactly that the Lord is moving amongst the saints at the present time in the way of judgment in which He was moving here, but this One whom John saw is the same Person who is moving amongst us at the present time. John notes the garments that the Lord was wearing and His girdle - to use a common expression, He was dressed for this occasion, suited to the circumstances in which He was, but I think John had a much more distinct impression of the Person whom he saw than of the particular attire in which He appeared. It is that same Person who moves amongst us now. There was a time at the beginning of the dispensation when there were apostles and when things were maintained in a degree of order by what was apostolic. The prospect of an apostolic visitation was used by Paul and John to bring about a correction of matters that were not right. We do not have apostles now, but we have the Lord. The Lord's presence was known then and the Lord is not deterred by the failure that there is in the professing body but, true to His promise, where there are two or three gathered together, He says "there am I", Matt 18: 20. That is primarily a matter of great joy and comfort to us all, as I believe it was indeed to John when he apprehended the fulness of this manifestation towards him, but it does have a sober side.

The Person presented here as the Son of man has "his head and hair white like white wool, as snow". He is presented not only as the Son of man but as the Ancient of days - a mysterious reference to His Person which we should never forget; it is a glorious and divine Person whose presence is known amongst us. He is the Son of man, but then He is also the Ancient of days. Think of how it refers to it in Daniel 7; in one place it says that the Son of man was brought to the Ancient of days, but later on He is the Ancient of days. So that this Person who is in our midst is God; although the Son of man, nonetheless the glory of His Person is never overlooked, particularly by John. By the Spirit, in the Scripture, when we have a reference to His manhood we have it followed interestingly and in varied ways by a reference to His Person. Here we have an allusion to His being from eternity; He has an eternal and un-commenced existence, but that blessed One is the same One who is known to us as the Son of man.

What I wanted to refer to particularly, however, were the other features that are noted about Him, His eyes, His walk, His voice and His mouth. These are things that are associated with the presence of God amongst us and the presence of the Lord Jesus amongst us. As I say, that is the ground we take and, as it is the ground we take, we have to be prepared to make the circumstances amongst us consistent with the presence of such a One as this. He speaks with the voice of many waters; that is, He speaks with authority. I suppose that if we were truly conscious of His speaking we would be unquestioning as to His authority. Sometimes He speaks very clearly but there appears to be a question as to His authority. When we have a sense of His presence the authority in His voice is unmistakable. John heard a great voice a "voice as the voice of many waters"; that insistent, penetrating, carrying, voice of power that should command our ear. For the Lord, I believe, does speak like this amongst us, not necessarily in correction, but in many ways. His voice is distinctive; it is unlike any other kind of voice, and His voice is to be heard. Then there is the word He speaks: a sharp, two-edged sword. There are other swords spoken about in the Scriptures; there is the sword of Goliath, and it says that there is none like it - the might of death. But then there is this sword, the sharpest of all, as it is said to the Hebrews: "sharper than any two-edged sword", Heb. 4: 12. It is the penetrating effect of the word of the Lord, and it penetrates and divides and discerns amongst us. I think that we also prove that; and we must be prepared for the Lord to speak in such a way.

What I was particularly impressed with was His walk and His look. It is evident from His address to Ephesus that He is not simply standing among the candlesticks, but it says He walks "in the midst of the seven golden lamps". That is His characteristic disposition amongst us. He says to John that "the seven lamps are seven assemblies", so there should be no mistake about it; that is, that the Lord's presence is known in our localities. It is known here and it is known everywhere in them. The Lord is walking about amongst the saints. And as He walks about He takes account of things with "his eyes as a flame of fire". He takes account of what He finds, of what is in localities; of the personnel in localities and of the relationships between localities. Nothing escapes His eye - nothing. And everything that comes under His eye comes also under His appraisal. Of course it should be for our encouragement, because not one thing that is good escapes His notice. He says to Ephesus "I know thy works and thy labour, and thine endurance". He had seen, too, the way in which they took up matters of exercise amongst them: "thou hast tried them who say that themselves are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars". Then He takes account, too, of the personnel. He is not only looking at those upon whom His judgment falls but looking upon everyone. "Thou hast a few names" He says to Sardis. And He says to those in Thyatira, "the rest... as many as have not this doctrine"; He notices them. Everyone comes under His scrutiny; those who can be commended He commends, but others He also speaks of directly. He does not name any individuals, except for one martyr, but nevertheless individuals are clearly under His eye. He refers to 'those' in various places, "those who say that they themselves are Jews" (chap 2: 9) and "those who hold the doctrine of Balaam" (chap 2: 14); these are things that He notices as He moves about amongst the saints. He notices also the relationships between localities and He looks for them to be in order. Sadly, in some degree, they are not in order, and the Lord notices that; He sees the facts and He sees the reason, and He sees the exercise that is amongst the saints, and He is ready with His word; the matter is His. It is He who walks among the seven golden lamps and it is His eye that sees; and nothing that we might bring to bear upon any matter compares with the two-edged sword that goes out of His mouth. What a comfort it is that we can leave these matters to the Lord! He takes account of them, they have not escaped His notice since the day of their inception, and they do not escape His notice now; and the Lord is taking account of them as He moves in the midst of seven golden lamps. I do not think He is threatening now to take a lamp out of its place, that is in the background, but He is looking for things to be according to and consistent with His presence.

Then He looks at localities; I find that a great comfort, that He looks at this locality. I believe that we can say very simply that there is much that is pleasing to Him. It is a comfort also that He takes account of every exercise that we carry. There are varied exercises but the Lord takes account of them with His eyes.as a flame of fire. Nothing is hidden from Him; He takes account of every matter. He takes account of the way in which exercises are carried, whether they are carried in mutuality and brotherly confidence. He takes account of the spirit in which things are carried, and of our desire that things might be pleasing to Him. If there were any lack of such a desire, or of a spirit of brotherliness or mutuality, He would see that too. He takes account of our relationships with one another; He sees if they are normal, He sees if they are not normal; and if they are not normal He sees why they are not normal. He sees how we are with our local brethren, He sees how we are with other brethren, He sees if we are consistent or if there is any discrepancy. No doubt the brethren see these things as well, but the Lord sees as He moves about in the midst of the seven golden lamps. It is a sobering matter to be reminded of this. Is every matter consistent and rightly established and rightly based amongst us? Is there a desire with us to make way for this One in His movements in majesty and in glory in our midst?

The effect that this had on John was very sober. I suppose, speaking very simply, it was something of a shock to him to see the Lord whom he knew like this, but the Lord laid His right hand upon him. The Lord would give us strength and courage as He moves amongst us, as He finds those who are serving in the kingdom and patience in Jesus; He takes account of us and His desire is that we might be strengthened by the assurance of His presence and of His observation of every matter and of the way that every matter is in His control - the seven stars are in His hand. Nothing is out of His hands and He would have us assured of it.

I read in chapter 4 because that is a different setting in which His presence is known. It is the same voice, the same Person, not now moving judicially amongst the assemblies but speaking from heaven, calling John to have his place in that sphere of things above where Jesus is. What a blessed thing that is! I believe the Lord would bring the atmosphere of this place amongst us as He moves amongst us, that we might find that, although He appraises every matter judicially, His prime concern is with the spiritual enjoyment and prosperity of the saints. It is the same voice that he heard in chapter 1 that he hears now saying "Come up here, and I will shew thee the things which must take place". John was removed from the scene of judgment in which things amongst the nations were going to be resolved - not taken away while there were matters of exercise still to be worked out in the assemblies - but, as the scene of judgment moves to the sphere of the nations, John's place is found alongside Christ in glory. As Mr Darby said and Mr Taylor so often quoted:

'And see! the Spirit's power

Has ope'd the heavenly door,

Has brought us to that favoured hour

When toil shall all be o'er' (hymn 74 ).

I find great comfort in this scripture; it was the same voice, the same impelling, penetrating, carrying, powerful voice that had first called John's attention to the Lord as He moved amongst the assemblies in review of everything amongst them; and it is that same blessed One who would call him to have a place in the sphere of things where He is at home, and where our eternal place is assured. May our hearts be more directed to these things. My desire is that the saints may be set free from burden, as seeing that every matter is in the Lord's hands, and that we might find that our portion is to be with Him in the sphere of things where He would have us with Himself.

LONDON

17 February 1981