VICTORY

W. Dickson

2 Kings 25: 27–30; Isaiah 37: 21–23, 30–32

It would surely be of the Lord that we continue the line of encouragement which came to us on the first day of the week as to the thought of victory, and the buoyancy that the assurance of victory gives us. It strengthens the heart to think of Paul’s prison epistles, how in them runs a triumphant note and buoyancy of spirit, while all his labours, so to speak, appeared fruitless, all in Asia having turned aside and forsaken him. Yet he is marked by a spirit of victory; in fact, so much so, that in some epistles you get doxologies. A doxology is the outpouring of a triumphant heart.

So one’s thoughts turned to these passages, particularly thinking of the exercises that may enter into young minds and hearts as to how you can possibly speak of victory when all around publicly is defeat. I refer to this passage in 2 Kings as bearing on this public side, because it is really a scriptural presentation of what is existent at the present time, a picture of utter defeat. The king of Judah was head of the two tribes of the house of David with whom God had made an everlasting covenant (2 Samuel 23: 5). Here was Jehoiachin king of Judah in prison, utterly defeated, a captive to the king of Babylon. This Babylonish king lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah. This shows how in type, in the public side of things, there is a sufferance of Christianity, and it is allowed a place in man’s order of things. It is very marked in this country in which we live in the way the State and the Church, so to speak, are with each other. It says, he “lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison; and he spoke kindly to him, and set his seat above the seat of the kings that were with him in Babylon”. In other words, Christianity publicly, despite its defeat in a spiritual sense, lacking the works of power that marked the inauguration when the Spirit came, nevertheless is given a certain prominence. A publicly defeated Christendom is allowed sufferance by the powers that be in this world. A young person may say, Well, is that Christianity? Is that what it has come to? Is that all it will ever be—public defeat and a certain sufferance on the part of what claims power in this world?

That being so, one turned to the passage in Isaiah which relates to the same period in a way, just a comparatively short time elapsing as to the history of it. Sennacherib had assailed the walls of Jerusalem and besieged it, famine conditions existed, and nothing but defeat was facing Hezekiah the offspring of David; but the prophet was there. Should that not encourage us, the value of the prophetic meeting? The prophet Isaiah came to encourage Hezekiah. So we have this occasion in which we can encourage one another with the assurance that, in spite of the public defeat, there are means by which we can carry on in victory. Isaiah says,

“Whereas thou hast prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word which Jehovah hath spoken against him—The virgin-daughter of Zion despiseth thee”. So, beloved brethren, that calls attention to one feature which will enable us to be victorious and that is purity of affection for Christ, “The virgin-daughter of Zion”. The publicly defeated side of things lacks that, it lacks pure affection for Christ. As a matter of fact that is the reason it has come under the power of the world, because it did not retain its pure affection for Christ. But there is something

of virgin character. Where there is pure affection for Christ it can adopt a triumphant attitude, and it says, “the daughter of Jerusalem shaketh her head at thee”.

The daughter of Zion represents the side of sovereign mercy, and assuredly we know something of that. We are where we are tonight through sovereign mercy. We walk in the light through sovereign mercy; a daughter of Zion, but also a daughter of Jerusalem—in other words, there is some understanding of the truth of the assembly. Not every believer that has affection for Christ understands or has knowledge of the truth of the assembly, but what enables the dear brethren to be maintained in victory is that they hold to the truth of the assembly. In the day of public defeat they hold to the truth of the assembly. It says, “shaketh her head at thee”. The whole of Christendom shook in the recovery of the truth one hundred and fifty years ago, as to the Lord’s headship and the body down here. The whole of Christendom shook under the power, the impact, of what the Lord gave through Mr. Darby and others. Then it says, “Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted the voice? Against the Holy One of Israel”. It reminds us of Philadelphia, does it not, “the holy, the true”? The daughter of Jerusalem is a formative, subjective thought, that not only is the light of the assembly known but there is something subjectively that answers to it, and is in victory at the present time. It holds the ground for Christ, the holy One of Israel, in the last days. The presentation of the Lord as “the holy, the true” is to remind us that if we hold fast to these conditions in our souls He will grant us victory over every foe.

Then there is a very interesting part, and this connects with the scripture in 2 Kings. If you

just recall, the king of Judah got a set portion every day, they changed his prison diet and they gave him a daily portion. Beloved brethren, what an existence! dependent upon what the world can give for support. That is why brethren had to take the path of 2 Timothy 2, that they should not depend on the world for support. But here it says, “And this shall be the sign unto thee—there shall be eaten this year such as groweth of itself”. I like to preface what I am going to say on this by recalling what one of the Lord’s servants said. Somebody asked him what would be an evidence that the Lord was with His people, and his answer was, that there was food—a supply of food, not a sufferance from the king every day, not just a portion from the world—no, but food. Thus it says, “And this shall be the sign unto thee—there shall be eaten this year such as groweth of itself”. Now, this first year is a reference to the Lord’s own ministry. It relates to what is recorded for us in the four gospels. O, beloved brethren, you young people, cultivate a love for the gospels, the first year, “such as groweth of itself”; it grows of itself, it came from Christ—the gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, John—what food there is for the hungry soul in the gospels!

“And in the second year that which springeth of the same”; now the second year refers to the ministry of the Spirit which sprang from the Lord’s personal ministry here upon earth (see John chapters 14, 15 and 16). Then there is the ministry of the apostles, including Paul—think of feeding on that, beloved brethren, the second year; you have got the first year, the Lord’s own ministry; then in the second year, what sprang from that, a whole line of spiritual ministry which continues throughout the dispensation. Then it says, “but in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards and eat the fruit thereof”; that is the time we are in. It

is a reference to the present activities of the Spirit bringing forth fresh supplies to meet the need of the time. So there would be the first year, and the second year, and the third year, then the vineyards. Are we not in the vineyards on Lord’s day, beloved brethren? We taste heavenly joys as we share fellowship together. “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward; for out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion they that escape—the zeal of Jehovah of hosts shall do this”. Think of the power to take root downward and bear fruit upward. No sense of defeat there, things are going to go on until the Lord comes, taking root downward and bearing fruit upward because, “the zeal of Jehovah of hosts shall do this”. In other words, it is not just what we seem to do, but the Lord has committed Himself in His love as the Holy and the True to maintain something here on earth for His pleasure. So in the presence of a defeated Christendom there is what is marked by life, energy and power until He comes again. May we carry these thoughts, beloved brethren, and regard it as a great privilege that we have been brought subjectively into the enjoyment of these things. Amen.

Word in meeting for ministry, Bournemouth
17 May 1983