“PART OF A ... HONEYCOMB”
E. C. Burr
Luke 24: 41–43; 1 Samuel 14: 29, 30 (to “found”)
We retain, I trust, impressions from the meetings in this city last October, the substance of which I think we shall allow to run out of us only to our loss. My own impression is that the Lord had something to say to His people in those meetings which was intended to be of the very greatest value to them. In fact, although on previous occasions we have had much that has been distinctive as to doctrine, and distinctly helpful to the saints in that regard (for the recapitulation of doctrine is always valuable to the saints, both to keep them in the right way and indeed as food for them, insofar as doctrine sets out and outlines the truth), what the Lord had to say to us is something that relates to what is organic and establishing among the saints, bearing especially on our relations with one another, and in my judgment underlying in a very substantial way the whole of our experience as in fellowship together. I believe that if the Lord says something to us about these things we shall overlook it at our peril.
The thought which our beloved brother brought in at the beginning of ‘communicative associations’ (See ‘Notes and Comments’, J. N. Darby, Vol. 7, p.1), is important in itself and bears on the degree in which we actually communicate with one another in regard to the truth, in regard to impressions of Christ; you might even say the degree to which we are able to feed one another. I know that the word may have another meaning in its strict translation but we should not forget the literal interpretation of the words in English, “of doing good and communicating ... be not forgetful”, Hebrews 13: 16. Brethren will recall too that our brother introduced another word and with it another thought; that was the word ‘social’. (It seems necessary when one uses the word ‘social’ always to say ‘in its right sense’, although the saints should always interpret words in their right sense). I believe there is something to be gained by us all in that regard too.
I have therefore referred especially to Luke 24 with reference to “part of a ... honeycomb”, because as is well known the hive in nature is perhaps the best representation of a social system. Its characteristics are clear—one of its main characteristics is that each is working for the gain of the whole and in relation to a whole, and each is working and serving in order to maintain what is whole in that system.
Another interesting detail is that the honeycomb, which is the next entity, as it were, from the hive, is perfect in itself, made up of regular hexagons, as if they had been measured by the most refined instruments, and each exact. It bears on the perfection of the way in which things are related together in the divine system, if we may transfer the thought; and the honey flows from that. Of course, the hive and the honeycomb have elements which we would not expect to find in the christian circle; that is, it has an element of bees that do not work at all. We would never expect to find that. It also has a queen; you would never expect to find them.
But leaving that aside, the structure itself represents to us, I believe, something in which we can even discern what may represent to us the working of the body, a thing about which we often speak but about which we perhaps know less in practice than we speak of. Let us test ourselves even as to “if one member suffer, all the members suffer” (1 Corinthians 12: 26); I challenge myself as to how much I suffer with anyone who suffers. For instance, a brother who was with us at the week-end is out of work—how much do I suffer with him? Think of those who are sick and ill and old—how much do I suffer with them? Think too of those who rejoice—how much do I rejoice with them? It says, “Rejoice, young man, in thy youth”, Ecclesiastes 11: 9. How much do I rejoice with the youths and with the young sisters? How much am I working out in character the actuality of what is represented in the body?
We do not need to say that the body represents that in which no breakdown is possible—it is that. That is something that remains absolute. There is no possibility of breakdown in the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is here, the one Spirit, and because He is here there is no possibility of breakdown. We might say, Thank God for that! Because it gives us inherently an inward link with that which can never break down. If we look at what relates to responsibility we might excuse anyone who said there was only discouragement, but if we look at what belongs to the Spirit and what is in the Spirit, we are inherently in touch with what cannot break down. That is the key to the establishment and enjoyment of this social structure which the body represents. On the other hand, there is the side of responsibility, and the natural order of things to which I am referring has many lessons for us in relation to responsibility, because the system of things which the hive and the bees represent raises with us the question how far each of us is committed, wholly committed, devoted, and actually applying ourselves, to the working of this great system of things which is intended to be so edifying and comforting and sustaining.
In responsibility we have something to do to see that we are maintaining it, and I think that that would be one reason why the Lord gives us ministry in that regard, to test us as to the working of our responsibility in such a system of things. As I have said already, we may work it out in consideration for one another, consideration for the old, and consideration for those who may be feeble. We pray as we gather, as we have tonight, for those who are not able to be here and they are in our thoughts. We gather them up; in a certain sense we seek to enjoy the occasion with them although they are not here. We have them in our thoughts. Then there are the young and those growing up, those making their way, those at work and those out in the world, at least during the day; the same structure embraces them and we are tested as to how far we are able to embrace one another in this secure system.
That is an impression I have as to it, that it is a secure system, and we are tested as to whether the links we have with one another are as perfect as they are in this natural object to which I am referring. The link of each cell with the next is perfect and, beloved, we are all tested as to whether our links with one another have that quality of perfection. If, for instance, I was next to a different cell from what I am habitually, would my links with that cell be as perfect as they are with those to whom I am customarily attached? or do I find it easier to fit in some areas than others? If I do, I am not a good bee in that sense, because the structure of the honeycomb rests on its regularity. I think that if we reflect on the thought of what is social as related to the christian company we shall find that it bears on the ability we have to sustain relations with one another in a supportive, protective, but productive way, so that all get the gain and all are blessed through it.
The Lord would help us in these things, I believe. When He came in in resurrection to this company He said, “Have ye anything here to eat?” It is a very remarkable thing that they had part of a honeycomb. I know that the scripture bears other interpretations and other applications, but this was a locality. We have been taught from Luke 24: 36, where He came and stood in their midst, that it bears on the locality, and in a locality you could not have the whole honeycomb. It requires all the saints for the whole thing; but they had part of it. As we often say in our localities, we are part of that great whole. They had part of a honeycomb. I do not in any way set aside other applications of this scripture which bear on the weakness of the time, but they had part of a honeycomb, and we might ask ourselves, beloved, if the Lord came in corporeally in London, would we be able to say we gave Him part of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb?
That is to say, we had this blessed social system thoroughly working among us in support and sustaining, protection and production, so that we were here able to offer the Lord something which He was ready to eat before us. The Lord never made any comment, He did not criticise anything that they offered Him. It says, “he took it and ate before them”. We often wonder at the Lord’s grace, but I believe, beloved, that if He finds a system of things like this working, even in a locality, the Lord would take it and eat it before us to show us that He enjoys being in a circle where these things are enjoyed.
I have referred to Jonathan. I scarcely need to remind the brethren of other scriptures relating to honey, some of them careful scriptures, advising us to be careful and warning us, helping us. “Hast thou found honey? Eat so much as is sufficient for thee”, Proverbs 25: 16. That is to say it is something whose place has to be learned. Lower down in the same chapter it says, “It is not good to eat much honey “(verse 27). It goes on to say very interestingly that “to search into weighty matters is itself a weight”. It is a very interesting remark. It is not good to eat too much, and we know that it was not a thing that was to be offered to God. I can understand that; we often apply it in relation to what is naturally sweet, but we do not exactly offer to God our relationships with one another; we offer to God, out of those relationships, things which are affecting for Him, powerful towards Him and yielding something for Him. We keep these scriptures that warn us as to the right place of these things in our minds, but the land into which the children of Israel were going flowed with milk and honey. I believe, as a matter of fact, that if you look up the references to honey you will find that the majority of them are to milk and honey in the land. It shows that this is something that God expected the people to enjoy; indeed, He provided it for them. They would find that when they went there, a land flowing with milk and honey.
As I have said, I believe the hive represents this great social structure in which we have part, and are intended to have part; the honeycomb is in a sense the demonstration of it and the honey is the product of it. Jonathan says, “See, I pray you, that mines eyes are bright, because I tasted a little of this honey”. Beloved brethren, how attractive it becomes! It is the product of these things working blessedly among the brethren, and working positively, working encouragingly and working productively—Oh he only took a little and his eyes were bright!
How much honey can you get on the end of a stick anyway? Not very much, but it says “he put forth the end of his staff which was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright” (1 Samuel 14: 27). Beloved, why should not our eyes become bright? Why should any of us on any occasion be dull? Why should we?
If we are dull, we shall have to go back to the scripture in Genesis on which our beloved brother preached. That is, If thou doest well, will not thy countenance look up with confidence? and if thou doest not well, a sin-offering lies at the door.
But why should our eyes not be bright? I believe that if the blessedness of this system of social relationships—in the Lord, need I say, and reflecting those relationships that are regulated and governed by the power of the Spirit—were among us we would find that our eyes became bright, and that the whole system of things amongst us, the meetings, all that proceeds (we come together very often) on each occasion, reflected the fact that our eyes were bright. Beloved, you could ask yourself and I could ask myself—we all no doubt have a mirror somewhere—Are my eyes bright? And if they are not, why not? If your eyes are not bright, why not? It may be that you need to taste honey—in its right setting. I will allow for all the scriptures that regulate and govern this; we cannot leave any scripture out and none is of a private interpretation, but Jonathan says, “See, I pray you, that mine eyes are bright, because I tasted a little of this honey”. It was the product of that system of things which subsists in nature, subsists instinctively in nature; nobody tells the bees what to do, it subsists instinctively, and it should subsist amongst us instinctively in the power of the Spirit.
Jonathan found its product. The land flowed with it and he dipped the end of his staff in it and he ate it, and his eyes became bright. And while he goes on to say, “How much more, if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies”, I think that what he is trying to communicate to Saul is, If you had only let them all eat this honey what a day this would have been, we would certainly have ravaged the Philistines.
But think of Israel with everyone’s eyes bright! It will not come about, beloved, until the millennium. You will find that in Isaiah, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf be
unstopped” (Isaiah 35: 5). That is the day when all Israel’s eyes will be bright, but, beloved, our eyes may be bright because we are enjoying the blessed productiveness of this system of things in which the Lord has placed us and in which the Spirit is the binding power so that these things may be enjoyed.
I just say this out of desire to communicate to the brethren impressions that I at least have retained from the meetings we had last month and that in the Lord’s grace it might be productive among us.
Word in meeting for ministry, London
14 November 1978