DIVINE IMPRESSIONS RECEIVED AND THE REACTION THEREFROM
[p. 514] DIVINE IMPRESSIONS RECEIVED AND THE REACTION THEREFROM
Genesis 26: 24, 25; Genesis 28: 10 - 22; Joshua 5: 13 - 15; 1 Kings 3: 5 - 15
I have in mind to speak about divine impressions that are received and the reaction therefrom. A series of meetings of this character affords to God opportunities and conditions in which He can operate. They afford family conditions which He has designed and created and in which He has part. Life with God eternally is family life.
I speak now of the conditions that family life affords for divine operations, particularly in the nature of appearings. Meetings after meetings of this kind link on to what one might call glory: “From glory to glory”. God is the God of glory. Stephen calls attention to Abraham, the first of the patriarchs. The God of glory appears to him, then to Isaac, later to Jacob, later to Moses, then to Joshua, and later to Solomon.
I refer to Stephen particularly. He says, “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham” (Acts 7: 2). We are not told this in Genesis but Stephen’s remark throws light on the whole book of Genesis. To an eye like Stephen’s the God of glory is written on this book. He is seen appearing to a man living in Mesopotamia whom He tells to leave his country, his kindred, and his father’s house. What is the reaction? Again He appears to Abraham and tells him that He will bless him. What is the reaction? What is the reaction of this meeting in this city and near-by towns? There is to be a reaction in all the assembly. It is for all of us. Divine impressions are intended to abide. The work of God stands; it is indestructible.
We have the advantage of these appearings, the very thing, not the example only. The Spirit of God [p. 515] takes up all these things so that the right reaction of these meetings may be experienced. “All these things happened to them as types, and have been written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come” (1 Corinthians 10: 11). The glory of God came to Abraham. What of these three days? God would have us value them aright. Everything dedicated is kept in the treasury by the storekeepers and doorkeepers so that nothing is lost.
The reaction with Abraham was that he came into the land of Canaan. The great question for us at the end of these meetings is, ‘Do I come into it?’ Abraham definitely came into the land and after that there was another period in which he was confirmed in what he had come into. He built an altar after the second appearing, not after the first. Things are progressive. The altar indicates a sacrifice; it is thus most touching to be reminded of the great sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Let us take it in. Have I an altar? Have I anything to put on it?
Isaac follows and he also builds an altar. He was in Beer-sheba after well digging, an important occupation. We are not fresh if we have not the use of these wells. Beer-sheba means the well of the oath and there is freshness there. God acted quickly and appeared to him the same night that he arrived in Beer-sheba. We are going to disperse tonight; the principle is camping and decamping. What is going to happen in the removal and in the travelling? The ark has a resting place. What are you carrying away from this encampment to the next? Are you scaring away the fowls, all evil, as Abraham did? Abraham is the father of all believers and God says, “I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham’s sake”. The fathers are in mind but He says, “I am with thee”. It is by shallowness and carelessness that we miss the blessing but He says, “I am with thee, and will bless thee”. That is His attitude. Isaac built an altar there at Beer-sheba. Often localities are blessed by God, this city or that city, so God sees to it that Jacob later comes to Beer-sheba and has to do with God there. All this sets out experience in the covenant of God; He says, “I am Jehovah, the God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac”. The mention of Isaac which God adds to this blessing refers typically to Christ risen from the dead. The young are apt to think of self. Do not rely on it. In Genesis 26: 25 we are told that Isaac “built an altar there, and called upon the name of Jehovah”. He pitched his tent and there his servants dug a well, the well of the oath. You must see that the Spirit is in you. Judge yourself. “Lean not unto thine own intelligence” (Proverbs 3: 5). You are dead in Christ. To be calling on the name of Jehovah is to be in a happy consolidated position.
I go on to Jacob. He had an appearing but it is called a dream. God took that way with him as He did with Solomon. None the less it was a real matter; God was there. God does not dream but He may say something to us in the visions of the night, so we do well to keep our minds free. The Lord appeared above the top of the ladder and Jacob was at the bottom; angels were ascending and descending on it. In verse 16 you see that Jacob awakened out of his sleep. So he has to go back to his normal place. You have to go back to the place where there are things that may defile. Do not put yourself in the way of them; “Keep thyself pure” (1 Timothy 5: 22). “Youthful lusts flee” (2 Timothy 2: 22). I cannot keep from evil if I allow any form of it in my house. Jacob says, “How dreadful is this place!” But he quickly reacts towards what is right and says, “This is none other but the house of God”. That is victory. So he “rose [p. 517] early in the morning, and took the stone that he had made his pillow, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on the top of it. And he called the name of that place Beth-el”. The final reaction is at this point, at the most important place in this scripture; it is named because of a right reaction: ‘This is the house of God’, and he anoints the stone; it is no longer a dreadful place. We do not have to with literal stones, but we have to deal similarly with thoughts that form us for time and eternity, that give us permanent enjoyment.
I go on to Joshua briefly. He was near Jericho, the seat of the enemy’s power, and “he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man before him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him, and said to him: Art thou for us, or for our enemies?” The use of the words ‘us’ and ‘our enemies’ indicated that Joshua was in a somewhat low condition. We quickly look around for supporters if we are in an issue. Do not support any side in a matter. This man with the drawn sword is not going to support a side. He says, “No; for as captain of the army of Jehovah am I now come”. In principle we do not make the Lord’s people our adversaries: I have no issue but Christ, no one else. Then it says, “Joshua fell upon his face to the earth, and worshipped, and said to him, What saith my lord unto his servant?” All impressions from God are to return to Him: if a reaction is right it will be toward God. God is to be enriched as a result of His gracious ministry, and thus Joshua is changed to a worshipper. This Man is Christ Himself as Captain of the army of Jehovah. He came to test them, to see where they were, whether they were thinking of God or of their own side. Now is the time for the Captain to take charge; we have to learn that everything is in His hands, and that [p. 518] He is watching all the time, and is coming to take charge.
Right will stand so that when the Lord comes in, Joshua reacts in a fine way: “What saith my lord unto his servant?” The Captain of Jehovah’s army answered, “Loose thy sandal from off thy foot: for the place whereon thou standest is holy”. You may be clever in presenting your side but it must be on holy ground. The beautiful thing is that Joshua reacted to the truth and recognised the holiness of the Person.
Finally I would call attention to Solomon’s reaction in 1 Kings 3. The account in Chronicles does not give so much credit to Solomon as this does. Here it says, “Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah”. It does not say that in Chronicles; there it is: “Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen ... And the king made silver and gold in Jerusalem as stones” (2 Chronicles 1: 14, 15). You might go back to your good business, but that is not a good reaction. God is pleased with Solomon’s answer to “Ask what I shall give thee”, and He says in effect, ‘I will do more for you’. The reaction to this is that Solomon is so impressed that he stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah and offered. He stands before the ark which typifies Christ come down in love. Christ is to dwell in our hearts by faith; it is a question of the love of Christ and the operation of faith: “being rooted and founded in love” (Ephesians 3: 17). Solomon is there and the ark of the covenant is there. As the angel said to Mary, “He shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Highest” (Luke 1: 32). Solomon offered up burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, suggestive of fellowship. If we retain what we get now we shall be equal to the next occasion,
[p. 519] if our conduct is equal to it. Solomon is equal to it, so that when the women come to him with the child, he can tell whose it is. He stood before the ark. So it is important in all difficulties with us that none are lost and that all are saved in life.