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MARCH 12TH, 1941

BELOVED BROTHER, — ... It was very cheering, and a cause of deep thanksgiving, to know that the dear brethren in have been preserved from personal injury during the heavy raids which have taken place. I thank God for His mercy to them and thousands of others.

In the case you refer to it seems to be a question of waiting until the brother referred to is really free in his own spirit to take up again his privileges and responsibilities as of the assembly. I have noted that, in relation to the cleansing of the healed leper in Leviticus 14, the exercises of the first nine verses have to be gone through before he is presented before Jehovah at the entrance of the tent of meeting. When he is to be so presented it is the man himself who takes two he-lambs, etc. That is, on the eighth day he moves in his own exercises and brings his own gifts.

The exercises of the seven days precede this. I think we ^[p. 289] should gather that the leper outside the camp is a continual subject of interest. He would never be forgotten, for the presence of his “tent” in the camp would be the abiding evidence that his normal place was there, and the moment would be awaited with continual expectancy when it could be discerned that Jehovah had healed him. As soon as this was reported the priest would inspect him, and it would be confirmed that the sore of leprosy was healed. From that time the process of cleansing began, and went on until on the eighth day the healed leper took up exercises himself which had direct reference to the tent of meeting.

I think we rightly look for a repentant one to come to this point in his exercises. It cannot always be hurried. The exercises of verses 8 and 9 are serious ones, and they have to be gone through before the healed leper is really qualified to have to say to “the tent of meeting”. There ought to be priestly discernment as to how far the cleansing process has gone. Has it reached the stage when the person can come as an offerer to “the tent of meeting”? Is he really free in his own spirit to do so? If he is, he will surely indicate this to the brethren. There is probably some reason for the brother you speak of holding back. Priestly discernment may be needed to find out what it is. It may be he needs some kind of spiritual help to bring him to the “eighth day”. This is an exercise and a service for the brethren.

Our withdrawing from one who has sinned is not at all with the idea of having done with him, but with a view to his being saved for the assembly through godly sorrow working repentance to salvation. When it is known that this has come about by the working of God in his soul those that are spiritual are under responsibility to ascertain that it is really so. This being confirmed restorative activities can go on. Grace and encouragement can be shown; the repentant one can be assured of the love of the brethren. But I think it is rightly a matter for his own exercise as to when he feels free to take up again his relations with “the tent of meeting”. It is well for one to wait until he is really free in his own spirit to take things up again. Of course spiritual persons can help him in this direction, and the saints can show that they no longer hold against him his wrongdoing. Christ is represented to him in the attitude of the brethren. This helps to deepen ^[p. 290] self-judgment, and it also tends to liberate the man to take up for himself exercises in relation to “the tent of meeting”.

With much love in the Lord to your dear wife and yourself,

Yours affectionately in Him,

March 12th, 1941.

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