CARRYING, WALKING, RUNNING
James S.Gray
Exodus 19: 4-6; Numbers 21: 16-20; Philippians 3: 12-16
I was thinking of how touching it is that God should speak of carrying His people; "I have borne you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself". This expression links very directly with what our brother referred to in Malachi 3 as to the treasure, what the saints are to God, 'my own possession' (see note to v 17). God has carried us in view of that. Would that our souls could be affected by the expression of divine love that God has been prepared to carry us when we were able for nothing else. The initiative has been with God; He has taken the action from His side in view of our redemption. What a work it was! 'Jesus, the Lord, our night broke through' (hymn 382); there was no initiative with us, it was with God. And now God is saying, I have a claim on you, "I have borne you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself". Let that precious claim come home to our hearts freshly tonight. There is more in mind; God has much more in mind, but He has gone as far as to be prepared to do the whole activity: "I have borne you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself". Will I not then recognise the divine claim in the presence of such affection and such power to carry? God says in one of the prophets, "Even to old age ... I will carry you", Isa 46: 4. How comforting that is! Reference has been made already to the aging of many of our brethren, but that is God's word, "Even to old age ... I will carry you". God is prepared to keep on carrying us: how precious!
God does not expect us only to accept carrying. I think that we should be prepared to begin to walk. Numbers 21 points to that directly. No doubt other scriptures do too, but I think it points to the preparedness to walk, movement in view of possession, movement in the recognition of the blessed Spirit of God. God Himself says, very touchingly, "I it was that taught Ephraim to walk", Hos 11: 3. How precious that is! He did not know how to walk, and so God taught him how to walk, and so as to you and me. I think therefore it would be right to say that, in contrast to carrying, walking would involve intelligence. We need to know how to do it, and how to do it in this context would be in the recognition of the blessed Spirit of God. The divine teaching as to how to walk would involve, as well as other things, that the Holy Spirit is recognised, recognised in how we occupy our time, recognised in what we read, recognised in the way that the direction of our minds makes us set for the eternal things which are of so great value.
I was struck with the fact (and of course there has been teaching about it) that this scripture in Numbers shows that the movements are direct and immediate and straight to the land from the point where the well is recognised. There are others here who could speak from much more experience, but I can say in a simple way that, as soon as one recognises the Holy Spirit's place in any matter, whether it be our personal lives in their various aspects, or our relations together in the assembly and with believers everywhere, it causes us to make progress. We make definite progress if we recognise Him. He is all powerful, and He has infinite wealth to untold to us in the great heavenly inheritance.
Then I thought of the activity on the resurrection day. Think of how urgent the activities were. They began early in the morning and the disciples were running. It may not all have been intelligent, but they began to move quickly when Christ was risen. I think that there may be room with us - I speak for myself - for greater concentration of energy towards the eternal things. What was in all their minds on the resurrection day was that Jesus was risen: "The Lord is indeed risen and has appeared to Simon", Luke 24: 34. And as soon as the women had that precious message "I ascend", it says, "Mary of Magdala comes bringing word to the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her", John 20: 17,18. I bring that forward to connect with the thought, that we might seek to progress in the measure of our activity towards the great divine objective. We have had teaching as to the well and the recognition of the Holy Spirit. "Then Israel sang this song, Rise up, well! sing unto it". I think that would involve that the great breadth and extent of the divine inheritance which was now in view tor the people required in type that the Holy Spirit might be recognised as the only means tor substantial entrance into it.
Then just a touch as to Paul's movements. We might say, 'What more is there to attain, Paul? You are able to speak about your intelligence in the mystery even'. Paul says, "I do not count to have got possession myself ... I pursue". Think of that! He speaks of himself elsewhere as "such a one as Paul the aged", Philem 9. I am not sure whether it was exactly at the same time as this, possibly it was near to it, but here is a man in the fulness of maturity, in the appreciation of the divine inheritance and all that is involved in the way of possession, and he says "I do not count to have got possession myself". He is not only walking now, he is running: "I pursue". How personal it is! Let us be stimulated by the attraction of such a one who has been taken possession of by Christ Jesus, we who are much less formed in divine things, but have these precious truths before us as an objective. Then Holy Spirit would set them before us; and as Paul says, "fix your eyes on those walking thus as you have us tor a model" (v 17). How was Paul a model? He was a model only because of his likeness to Christ. We are to set our minds, fix our eyes on those, as well as fixing our eyes on "Jesus the leader and completer of faith", Heb.12: 2.
In contrast to the thought of being carried on the one hand, and of walking and moving directly in urgency, Paul is now exercising all his energy in pursuit of the possession of the heavenly inheritance. As I read it I wondered whether I could say 'I pursue·, "I do not count to have got possession myself; but one thing" - or with me is it more than one thing, is it divided, divided attention? But with Paul it was one thing, "forgetting the things behind, and stretching out", his muscles are in activity in view of possession of the great heavenly inheritance. "I pursue, looking towards the goal, for the prize of the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus". These are exhortations for us. "As many therefore as are perfect, let us be thus minded". I say it to myself, there is room for improvement, there is room for stimulation, if not in others, there is room with me. Let us be thus minded, let us desire to have an appreciation of the great value of the divine carrying and how ready God is to continue carrying. We ought to be prepared to take up responsibility and to walk, to learn to walk, and then to run and to pursue, so that our muscles may be in exercise spiritually in view of reaching the great goal, which in its actuality may be so near. We may sometimes of necessity be occupied with the things behind, but sooner or later we must forget them, and stretch out to the things before. May God help us in view of possession increasingly, for His Name's sake.
LONDON
24 December 1991
SPIRITUAL IMPRESSIONS IN THE FORTY DAYS
Paul Devenish
It is in mind to say a little about the presentation of the Lord's supper in Luke, especially in the light of the spirituality of the forty days. The fact that "he disappeared from them" would emphasise the mysterious and spiritual character of the Lord's movements during this time when He was in His resurrection body, free from the limitations connected with His body of flesh and blood - "being put to death in flesh, but made alive in the Spirit", 1 Pet 3: 18.
In Luke 22 the Supper is introduced formally or officially, the twelve apostles being mentioned: ''when the hour was come, he placed himself at table, and the twelve apostles with him" (v 14). In chapter 24 we see suggestions of the Supper in an informal or family setting. The occasion in the home, and the breaking of bread there, was not the Supper, yet spiritual impressions were carried immediately to the company including no doubt the informal way in which He was with them, taking the place as the house-father. We are to enjoy the affectionate, family character of the Supper. Mr Taylor said this was a great family affair. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries when all the members of the family come together - family affairs. But the Lord's supper is the greatest family affair. We cannot afford to miss this wonderful occasion when Jesus comes.
"And as they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst". "These things" would relate to the way He was personally manifested to them in the breaking of bread. Possibly it was the manner in which He broke the bread that served to open their eyes. In chapter 22 it says, In like manner also the cup (v 20). Everything He did and does is distinctive and the way it is done would have a certain heavenly grace which would bring Jesus before the soul. "And their eyes were opened, and they recognised him". This was really the point of recovery, as I believe it has been with many of us and we trust will be for many others that have lost their way in relation to the truth. Christ Himself must be the centre of our gatherings. How skilfully and attractively He secures the attention of these two erring ones! "Jesus himself drawing nigh" speaks to them of His sufferings and of His glory, and "he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself". He awakens their affections by this personal presentation of Himself. They say, "Was not our heart burning in us as he spoke to us on the way".
I believe this chapter brings forward the personal service of Jesus: "it is I myself". The Lord's presence is not imaginary, nor is He at a distance. He says "Handle me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as ye see me having". He is a real Man. He could be touched, handled. He was seeking to impress them with the reality of His manhood. "He took it" (the part of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb) "and ate before them". He did not partake of the Supper, but here he shares the meal that they provided. He would say to us, Have you anything here to eat? What is available for the Lord? This was something they had in stock. What stock do we have of love that He can enjoy with us mutually?
These impressions which the disciples received during the forty days remain in the assembly as a treasure. None are lost. They are preserved in the hearts of the saints. We should look for a personal manifestation of Jesus. Christianity is no orthodox religion, nor are we to be content with a distant apprehension of the truth. Our meetings are not to be merely a pleasant exchange of information, of terms with which we may be familiar. We have so much light that we could have a letter-perfect occasion without any heart receiving a personal impression of Christ.
If we speak about the truth we see every feature of it beautifully shining in Jesus. "The truth as in Jesus" (Eph 4: 21) would mean that it shines in moral perfection in Him. There is nothing contrary in Him to hinder or obscure the shining. Christianity is not a system of doctrine only; it is surely a wonderful system; (let not the wrong use of the term 'system' spoil for us the beauty of the divine system), but Christianity is Christ. Without the Person it would be meaningless.
In Luke we do not get the detail of the forty days set out. Christ is ready to go to heaven and tarries on the way to express to the disciples features of the truth which are to characterize the dispensation. I believe this chapter would show that the whole dispensation is to be marked by the personal manifestations of Jesus, not so much formally or officially but familywise. This suggestion is to characterise our occasions of gathering. No doubt there is pattern for us in the way He opened up the Scriptures: "And having begun from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself". Notice "all the scriptures": these are to yield impressions of Christ. "Ye search the scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have life eternal, and they it is which bear witness concerning me", John 5: 39.
In verses 46 to 49 Jesus speaks to the disciples about the preaching of the glad tidings. No doubt the promise of the Spirit which they were to await - "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but do ye remain in the city till ye be clothed with power from on high" - was in view of the manifestation of Christ personally by the Spirit in the glad tidings. The means, therefore, of these precious personal manifestations is the presence of the Spirit. Let us therefore have faith in the Spirit who would make these experiences a living reality now.
ORLANDO
February 1992