THINGS THAT ARE DOUBLED
[p. 194] THINGS THAT ARE DOUBLED
Genesis 41:32; Genesis 41:50 - 52
I have read just these brief passages on account of the references to double; double occurrences and double fruitfulness. I have selected Joseph to bring out the significance of the references to these words. They suggest or foreshadow or mark the history of Joseph. Other references in his history of a similar kind being available; and they point, as the sequel shows, to a man of affairs, a man of great things; things that could be doubled and, for that matter, tripled. We all know how the crops brought forth bountifully in handfuls in his day, so that he became great; prophetically announced, but he became great actually, and he marked the import of times in the history of the world; for, indeed, he was a world man; not a man of the world; far otherwise, but a man who had to do with the world and affected it very much for good. Indeed his name, the name he acquired, or rather which was conferred upon him implied according to the facts we have, “Saviour or sustainer of the life of the world”, Genesis 41:45. So that we have much scope for our subject involved in the word ‘double’. I should insert here that as the world moved on after the deluge many things happened; it was a time of many things happening without any definiteness to them, although a few men regarded it in that light; a few, and outwardly unimportant, but really very important. They inaugurated certain things that were to be guides afterwards, and Joseph was among those men that had part in the history of the world in that sense. It was a provisional time in the history of the world, meaning that it was not ordered politically very particularly. Politics began to take form in it, but things were very irregular and [p. 195] intended to be. Withal, those few that were especially noted, some of them called prophets, made impressions in the course of things, and these impressions were to grow and to last. Hence, all others, as it were, were lost in the general position. How many myriads there were, who can tell, but still certain things were being built up that were to continue and others were to come in and take part in them, and as I said, among these was Joseph coming out in Genesis as a youth; but marked off already, even then. Even in his infancy he began to make impressions just as John the baptist did before he was an infant, before he was born. That is how God works and, at the same time, He is not committing Himself to anything formally, but things are happening that He is taking note of and giving them place. They are to shine in the coming world.
And so, Joseph, as I said, is one of these and he comes into prominence in Egypt. His life really was spent, we may say, in Egypt. From the time he was a young man his life was spent in Egypt. He died when he was one hundred and ten years of age. He was a family man. God was working on those lines, taking note of family men, and Joseph came into note here. He came into note in the prison. Such was he, that adverse circumstances could not drown nor overwhelm nor cause him in any way to be out of the mind of God or out of the mind of the people of God, however few they were. He had buoyancy and spiritual persistency, so that his mark was made according to God. He nourished all the time. God made him to prosper throughout, we might say; even when he seemed to be in the most adverse circumstances he prospered. I need not reflect on that, that we are living in such times, and yet those who are of God are prospering. This chapter is a marked chapter from Joseph. Something occurs, not in ordinary people or an ordinary person, but [p. 196] in the leading monarch, the leading man of the day. I think God is helping us to keep an eye on things and persons whom God is affecting even although they may not know Him, like Cyrus, because His people are to come before great men. That is His thought; not mean men but great men; great men in man’s idea even.
And so, certain things happened; a certain thing indeed happened, and it brings out this word ‘double’ that I am speaking of. It was a remarkable occurrence. There were really two occurrences in the dream. It was a dream. There were no threats in regard to the non-revelation of it such as there were in later days in Daniel’s time. Pharaoh was monarch and he takes a hint from an ordinary man in his house; the butler of his house. He says to him one day when this matter of Joseph came up, “I remember mine offences this day”, Genesis 41:9. He should have been reminded of Joseph every day really, for Joseph gave him a sign, an indication how he could recall or remind himself of Joseph, but he did not. He forgot him. But still this notable day in Pharaoh’s history came and the butler was reminded of his faults. It is very wholesome when we are reminded of our faults if we have not been accustomed to remind ourselves of them and judge them before God and before the brethren, too. But he was reminded of his faults this very day, and he is ready to tell Pharaoh about Joseph. He was the man Pharaoh needed. Pharaoh sent for Joseph, so that the matter was brought out. What was it? It was a double matter, like the Lord’s supper; a double matter, like many other things. There were two dreams really. He had an awaking in the middle of them which made them two; not two dreams at once, but one dream at a time; and Joseph explained to Pharaoh that the dream was one.
So that we are reminded of the importance of [p. 197] reduction in these matters, especially in ministry. Instead of dividing up sometimes we have to contract, reduce, to get the point. And so Joseph tells Pharaoh that inasmuch as he had a double repetition of the dream, the meaning is that it is certain. That is to say, the interpretation is in the thing that happens. Pharaoh knew there was a repetition of it, a double repetition of it; he did know that, but he did not know the meaning of that. And that is what I am here tonight for, dear brethren, to seek to give some little understanding of things, and there are many things happening. Some of them are more than double, more than triple, but having only one significance, as if God would teach us to reduce and learn the thing well; not to spread out too much. So Joseph says, In that there was a double repetition of it, the meaning is that it is certain. “And as regards the double repetition of the dream to Pharaoh, it is that the thing is established by God, and God will hasten to do it”, Genesis 41:32. Great things are happening, as I need not say, and occasioning great interest and inquiry, but God can reduce them; make them one. The fact is directed or pointed at the brethren. We may be sure of that, however few we are, that they are the ones, and that these great matters — however many they seem to be — the dream is one. God is saying, I am thinking of you. There is, of course, ministry, but nevertheless, the dream that Pharaoh had, not what Joseph had, was one; and God had in His mind that it was one; just one, one idea. It is for us, dear brethren, to inquire, because the explanation of what seems widespread and far beyond human control even is really very small in God’s mind. It is one matter. But then he says there was a double repetition and that was for you. That was what Pharaoh had to know, meaning that the thing was certain; that God was dealing in certainties, not in fancies nor imaginations.
[p. 198] God is dealing in certainties and these certainties all point to the Christian, to the believer, His own which are in the world. The world is dragging along in its own way, but something is going on in relation to some and it is just one matter; and that matter is to be determined by the facts and the occurrences, that is to say, of the dream. There were two dreams, as I said, but they were one. The dream was one. So it is that we shall find out — there can be no doubt about that — we shall find out that the dream is one; that God is going on with one thing and all is converging on that. Nothing can happen save as it affects that.
And so he says to Pharaoh, the double repetition means that the dream is one and that it is going to happen. It refers to seven fat and flourishing years and seven lean ones. It is a world matter. It is a world history, for God is not dealing with small things. He is dealing on a wide platform, and His people are on it or operating in it, and they are being affected. Whatever else may happen, they are being affected. They will stand when others have gone. So the dream was one and, as I said, Joseph’s history is full of this thought, of double; because he is going to be in charge of the fruitfulness. The name of his second boy Ephraim was “double fruitfulness” and things are not left loosely with God. Administration is a great feature with God and He is going to have His administrators or administrator, and that administrator is going to have plenty on hand. So that we are to awake and see what is going on and see to it that we are not short; that the brethren are not short; at least, they should not be. God intends us to be doubly fruitful. You might say, I do not see much sign. That may be. I would readily admit that, but not altogether, because if there be not double in numbers, increase in numbers, there is increase in quality, and that is more important. And [p. 199] I would urge every one, young people anyway, to see to quality. Those who are content with being in the right position outwardly are very apt to leave it or be taken out of it, snatched out of it. We want to be well off. God has the world under Him and He is using it. It is available to His people. Be where they may, God is seeing to it that they are not short. We should not be. This word ‘double’ is going to go down this line, the line of Joseph.
And so, when Jacob would send some of his sons the second time to Egypt, he says, Take a present to the man; a little so-and-so, a little so-and-so, but the very best. This was the lord of all Egypt and these were poor shepherds ostensibly, but they were to take a present to him. He says, you took some down before; take double money with you this time. They might have said of their father Jacob, He is ready to perish. That is what one said about him later on: a perishing Aramaean was our father and he came into Egypt with a few, Deuteronomy 26:5. Well, they prospered enormously. The land was full of them. The devil did his best to minimise them, to reduce them, to drown them in the river — the males. But no. And so it was that Jacob said, Take double money. They say, Well, we have not got much. But have you not? God has much. When Israel left Egypt they came out with great property. You say, Did they have any before? They did. Jacob said he had his wages changed ten times, but still he had something. Here he says to his sons, Take double money with you. I am not now suggesting that we should make much of our salaries, because there are big salaries going about and they are very tempting, but they do not make much of our spirituality. They will reduce our spirituality. But Jacob had passed that time. Joseph had been born in the meantime and the name of Joseph meant that God shall add; not diminish but add. And now Joseph is here.
But the meaning of Joseph’s name did not refer to addition to him. It referred to Jacob. When he gave names to his own sons the effect referred to him, referred to Joseph. Double fruitfulness referred to Joseph, but, as I said, Joseph had come in and things were doubled in Jacob’s history; not in Joseph’s history. The point was Jacob would have things doubled to him and he did.
And so, dear brethren, as I said before, we get principles in these men beginning with Abraham particularly, even going back to such as Melchisedec, a mystic sort of man. The world does not give us much help as to what he means or who he was, but the Spirit of God does. And there was Noah. What a man he was! A man not of great property, but a man of great ability to do things. What your hand finds to do, do it with your might. That is Noah. But these men, as I said, made impressions, and above all Joseph — this doubling-up of things. What a man of means he was; he was a man of affairs, he came in early, he came in one day; he came in at noon, meaning that he had great affairs; he had very little time, but he came in at noon. He wished to be with his brethren. The matter was a matter of the brethren. He saw Benjamin and his bowels were moved for him. He was a man of affection. That is the idea. That is the kind of thing that is going on in the world. These men are not many in themselves, but they have quality and they have affections. They are ready to waste even, if it be apparent that they are wasting, to let love have some scope. If a man should give all that he has it would be nothing. Love is everything. Without love I am nothing. These men that are going about now, strutting about this earth — I am not wishing to speak disparagingly of them — what does it mean? Seven thousand names of men were overthrown in one city. Seven thousand names;
[p. 201] that is, great people. They are destroyed in the destruction of the city. How many cities are being destroyed now. It is a very humbling thing to have to say, and a sorrowful thing, too, for our fellow-beings. But there it is. It is a remarkable thing, the destruction of cities and yet it is an era of cities, great cities, big cities, many of them, and now the destruction of them. And still they are there. They are there whom God has His eye on, and they have love. And may I say, double love? Is there any such thing amongst us as twice as much as we used to have? Well, there is the means of it, because in the book of Romans the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us. What a basis for love! If a man were to give all that he has for love, it would be utterly contemned. It is not acquired that way. Love is acquired by the Spirit. It is a scarce commodity outwardly, but still it is there and growing, more and more — that is the thing — double, anyway, like Job’s cattle. He did not have a double number of sons and daughters, but he had a double number of cattle, sheep and the like. And so, I should like to be great as one who had something doubled; something that is of God that is doubled. There is room for it, you may be sure, and if we get the doubling of love we shall get the doubling of the size of the meeting. It is a question of the love, you may be sure. “By this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine, if ye have love amongst yourselves”, John 13:35. That is how it is to be now. Love one for another. No party love. Partisanship is abominable to heaven, to God, and to Christ, and to the Spirit and to all true brethren; baneful. It is love amongst ourselves. Let it be doubled and tripled. There is a means of doing it. The basic thought is there in abundance, but it is the Spirit Himself that is the basis of it, but it is worked out in human hearts. You hardly ever get the love [p. 202] of the Spirit mentioned. It is mentioned, and, of course, I am not saying that He is not God. He is. The Spirit of God is God, but He keeps Himself out of sight and He is telling us that He is making love; that His position is to promote love, and that promotion is in our own hearts, the hearts of Christians. He takes His abode up in our hearts, and it is to cause the love to grow, and that kind of love. Love amongst ourselves. And so, to show you how this matter of doubling happens, Ezekiel had to do with it. It was brought to his attention in a remarkable way. He describes to us in Ezekiel 47 a river that flowed out from the house of God. It flowed eastward and it became a great river; a river that could not be passed over. It began very small, but it grew and it could not be passed over. He could not pass over it or swim over it. It cannot be passed over. That was a matter of light that he got; what you might call objective light about that river. How much he could have said about it! If he were asked to give an address about it, he could have done it well. But he had traversed the river from the ankles up, and he tells us it was a river that could not be passed over. Well, it doubled, and so he went on. He does not say much of what he saw, but he sees much apparently, as if it were a thing to be apprehended abstractly without the concrete thing. A river we will call it; a river that cannot be passed over. Plenty of water in it, but it seems to be more abstract in his mind, though he says, rivers to swim in. But he turned around. He was on this side. He turned around, and that is important. The brethren are running along on one line and doing well, making a little, but on the old line; on the line of old things, making money. There is nothing new in that at all. Jacob knew that, but he got turned around and saw things differently. I have often spoken about this before, but he looks this way; he turns around and [p. 203] looks this way and there is a double river, another one, much greater than he thought it was. That is important. What a man Ezekiel was! What experience he had now and he tells us about the fruits that were there, and what the river was going to do, going to spread abroad. It is going to go east, he said; not going to the west. It is not like the Mississippi. It is going to the east. It is going to the Dead Sea. It is going to heal the waters. That is the kind of thing. It is a double one. So that you can see how we are getting larger inwardly on those lines; so as to many other things that I could speak of. We see an elder. Well, you say, what does that mean? I thought there were no elders now. But there are. Thank God there are. I see several of them here. And what are they doing? Where are they living? Well, I could tell about them too, where they live. Maybe the gathering is not growing where they live; maybe it is saturated. I am not accusing; I am mentioning facts. We do not want to reach saturation in anything. If the meeting is too large and unusable, divide it and make another. I am saying that by the way, for Paul speaks of elders that rule well. You say, Rule? We are living in a democratic country. Yes. But rule is the order. In spite of the democratic principles, rule is prevailing in this country. Thank God for that. I always thank God for that. It is prevailing now, too. God is not allowing a man to be taken out of His hands for that purpose. He has seen to it that the man He wants is going to stay, however long or short a time. God will have His way. But I am speaking now of an elder. Does he rule well? Paul says, If he does he is worthy of double honour.
So it is for us, dear brethren, if we want good meetings, healthy meetings, ordered meetings, meetings that can be doubled, let us have rule. Let us have this rule and if those who do it are doing it, let them have double honour. Do not be stinted in [p. 204] the honour you pay to the brethren who are serving you well. Of course, not that they are saying that, but there is such a thing as getting degrees. Stephen got a degree. He purchased to himself a good degree. Men purchase honours by money, you know, get titles in certain countries, but that is not how it is to be reached at all. Stephen did not reach it that way. He purchased to himself a good degree as if there was not another — as an individual man. There is not much made of Stephen as to what he did for the brethren; as to his gift, not much. But he represents individual Christianity in a certain sense, which is important. Christianity is never to be understood save in relation to its collective character, but still individual Christianity is a right thing, too. So Paul says, for instance, If you have faith, have it to yourself, Romans 14:22. Now tell me what that means. You say, Well, I would be glad to tell the brethren I have faith, make it known to the brethren. But Paul says, If you have faith, have it to yourself. That is to be understood, that I can get on in a secret way to a certain point on my own account with God. Are there not Enochs today? Is the idea of Enoch given up? Not at all. A great servant of God that is often talked of amongst us, said, Rule will improve the world by one man. You say, Well, I want to get on with the brethren. Of course you do. So do I. But I want to do things for God. If there is nobody else to do it, I want to do what I can for God. So Stephen was like that. He purchased to himself. You say, Why does it not say with others? Scripture does not say that. He purchased to himself a [p. 205] good degree and much boldness in the faith.
Well, am I throwing things out in handfuls as if they did not exist? But they do exist. And it is for each of us to understand the Scripture, make use of it and grow in it and help others. And so it was with Stephen, as I said, he purchased to himself a good degree and much boldness in the faith. So if there is an elder let him rule well. The idea of elders is usually that there are two or more. The appointments for eldership in Paul’s day were in twos or more; appointing elders in every city; not an elder, but elders. But still, if one of them rules well, let him be worthy of double honour. So that we have something to notice — what God is doing in the midst of this irregular, disordered, as we might say, troubled world. God is moving on quietly, systematically, I might say, too, with definiteness. He is reaching an end, and He is seeking to call us into it, every one of us; into what He is doing. “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength”, Isaiah 30:15. And so, if a man is ruling well, just one brother — there may be several elders in the gathering, but he is ruling well, let him be worthy of double honour. I will not go on any further. I am somewhat irregular in what I am saying, but it is important. I hope all will take it to heart, that you will get into line with what Joseph inaugurated in this way. How well off he was! How he led in helping others. How he saved the world. He became the very sustainer of the world by the corn that grew through his means under God. May God bless the word!