WILLINGNESS TO GO TO CHRIST WHERE HE IS
A. P. Grant
I have been thinking of these two scriptures where Jacob and Rebecca are marked by a willing response. In the tabernacle system there were those who were willing-hearted and those who were wise hearted. Willing-heartedness is the result of our affections being touched by divine Persons, by divine love and grace. Our brother spoke about what was in our hearts. Christ having a place in our hearts and the saints having a place in our hearts. I think that would cause us to be willing-hearted. In these scriptures suggestions are made to Jacob and to Rebecca, suggestions in type from divine Persons, and there is a willing response. Divine Persons delight in a willing response from the saints. We are often reminded of that in the service of God. In Exodus there were the willing-hearted, in view of the tabernacle system being set up for the pleasure of God.
In Genesis 45 Joseph had said to Jacob, “come down to me, tarry not, And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen ... there will I maintain thee”, Genesis 45: 9–11. Jacob had made many journeys but this journey was to see the object of his affection. Joseph was in the heart of Jacob, suggesting the place that Christ was to have in our affections, and this journey involves moving to where He is. How attractive it is! Jacob’s history had been varied but here he is moving
towards Joseph, the object of his affections, “Joseph is still alive”. Our brother has been speaking about the living system of things that we have a part in. What an effect that is to have on our affections; our affections are to be stirred towards Christ and our spirits revived,
“the spirit of Jacob their father revived”. One of the features of God’s work in the saints is that it can be revived; things may come in to hinder it, but God’s work can always be revived in the power of the Spirit. Jacob here is willing. He says, “I will go and see him before I die”.
There is another passage where David suggested to Barzillai that he went with him to be maintained by David in Jerusalem but Barzillai was unwilling to go. He was occupied with things here. He supported David in the wilderness but he was unwilling to go to where David was. Jacob here is an example to us; typically he was willing to find his life where Christ is.
It says in the next chapter that he “took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beer-sheba; and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac”. That is referring to Christ being risen from among the dead. In 1 Peter, where our brother has read, the living hope is connected with Christ raised from among the dead. What a system of life and food there is connected with Him. In Genesis there was a period of famine, and this exercise caused Jacob to go to where Joseph was, to a land of plenty. What encouraged him were the words of Joseph and the waggons that Joseph had sent to carry him, speaking of the power of the Spirit, as the power for transport to take him to the place where Joseph was. What power there is in the Spirit to cause us to enjoy that land where Christ is! Joseph says, “And tell my father of all my glory in Egypt” (Genesis 45: 13), a type of Christ glorified.
In Rebecca there is also a willing response. The servant is a type of the Spirit, “Do not hinder me, seeing Jehovah has prospered my way—send me away, and I will go to my master”.
Rebecca was in sympathy with the Spirit’s mission, the urgency of it. We know that there was the natural element, which is so strong with us, that would hinder, but
Rebecca is ready and willing to go. There is a willing response to the Spirit’s suggestion to go to Isaac. Her heart was attracted to Isaac as the result of the Spirit’s service, the Spirit speaking of Isaac. These two scriptures involve a bond of affection. The servant’s mission was in view of Isaac having a wife, it is not so much a commandment, but it is more the influence of divine affections upon our hearts causing us to be responsive to them. Rebecca is responsive to the Spirit’s suggestion. She said, “I will go”. May our hearts be ready to respond to the Spirit’s word and the Spirit’s promptings in view of the heart of Christ having an answer. We read later that Rebecca became his wife and that Isaac loved Rebecca. What an answer there is in the assembly to the love of Christ! This is an assembly feature, a willing-hearted response to divine Persons. May we be encouraged in this and increase in this feature. There were also those who were wise-hearted, which involves spiritual intelligence.
We see this in Mary of Magdala, one who had great affection for Christ and she was given that great message (John 20: 17). What intelligence she had! She received from the Lord that message for the disciples, “Go to my brethren”. She was one who had great affection for Christ; she was marked by a willing response to Him and this led to the development of spiritual intelligence. May we be encouraged by these thoughts.
Word in meeting for ministry, Dundee
8 November 2005