THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN THE MAN OF FAITH
MEETINGS IN BEAUVOISIN
4th-5th NOVEMBER 1954
(THURSDAY AND FRIDAY)
Reading 1
Genesis 28: 10-22; 32: 22; 35: 9-15
A.J.G. My desire is to consider the history of Jacob.
While we have in Abraham the thought of father, in Isaac that of son, Jacob allows us to consider the works of the Spirit seen in a man. The history of Jacob is very important; it is developed from chapter 25 to the end of the book, the length of this development shows the importance of the life of Jacob. In figure, this history corresponds to the present period which commenced at Pentecost and which will come to an end at the coming of the Lord. The history of Jacob is very important because it shows us the work of the Spirit, this work having two characteristics. On the one hand, the Holy Spirit is forming the saints so that God should be seen in them, and on the other hand He is forming them so that they should be able to bring a response to God.
Two lines are to be grasped: in Christ, God has been perfectly expressed, but Christ is also a model of manhood seen according to God and responding to the Father’s desires. The Holy Spirit pursues His work in accord with these two thoughts in the great vessel in which God will be manifested in eternity and in which also He is served in worship. We need to pay great attention to the work of the Spirit in us.
Through the whole period of the life of Jacob, divine operations with him have for their end that he should come to be in moral accord with God, learning to refuse the flesh and to submit himself to the Holy Spirit. From the beginning of his history, a work was wrought in Jacob, “his hand took hold of Esau’s heel” before his birth, showing that God was working with him and manifested certain spiritual instincts which characterised the way in which the first man is set aside. God thus presents a principle to be grasped at the beginning, that is to say, that the first man is set aside. The Spirit has come from Christ in glory, God has introduced a Man for his pleasure, the work of God displaces what the first man is so that Christ should be introduced. From his youth, Jacob had the features that pleased God: “Jacob was a homely man, dwelling in tents”, while “Esau became a man skilled in hunting, a man of the field”.
God takes pleasure in young ones who have simple tastes and who are content to go on with the saints. In Hebrews 11, Abraham dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob is characterised by the features of a pilgrim and so influenced his son and grandson. It is very important to benefit from the influence of spiritual saints and if God has given us believing parents, it is a great advantage which we must recognise.
In chapter 28, Isaac commanded Jacob not to take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan. Jacob obeyed; and there is instruction there for us. Then God took Jacob in hand and led him to the thought of the house of God. Jacob began thus with this thought of the house of God; and then in chapter 35 he returns there.
Ques. What is suggested in the times that passed between these two moments in the life of Jacob?
A.J.G. God has in mind to lead him there. We are the house of God, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. God has formed His dwelling in us. We do not realise all at once the importance of the fact that God dwells in us; Jacob had to come to this point.
Ques. What does this word of Jacob mean, “How dreadful is this place!”?
A.J.G. God had spoken in blessing. He had not condemned Jacob. His thought was to bless unconditionally. Jacob’s first impression is “How dreadful is this place!” for God made him feel how unsuitable he was in the flesh. We all have to learn that and to appreciate the death of Christ and the reception of the Holy Spirit.
Ques. What does the ladder suggest?
A.J.G. Jehovah was above upon it, there is a thought of teaching, God expressed the great interest that He had in Jacob, the angels ascending and descending. They were available for Jacob’s protection and support. The epistle to the Hebrews presents the angels as being “ministering spirits, sent out for service on account of those who shall inherit salvation”, which shows the importance of the saints to God on account of what God has formed in them.
Rem. “Henceforth ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man”.
A.J.G. It is to be noted that the great point is the Son of man; it is not the angels that have a pre-eminent place, the first place is that of the Son of man.
After having received this impression, Jacob goes on for twenty years without being very impressed. Fourteen years later, he had said to Laban in chapter 30: 30, “now, when shall I also provide for my house?” He thought of his own house and not the house of God. After six more years, in chapter 31: 13, God appeared to him again and says to him: “I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, where thou vowedst a vow to me. Now arise”.
Later, at the beginning of chapter 35, God says to him, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar unto the God that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother”. So God leads him back to the place where he had had the experiences of chapter 28. In this chapter 28: 22, Jacob had made a vow: “this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house”, but these words had no effect for twenty years. How serious it is to squander twenty years: the coming of the Lord is near, let us not lose our time!
Rem. The first impressions remained even though over-ruled by his own interest. It is very testing to be the house of God.
A.J.G. We are it when we are together, but also at every moment of our individual lives, and our conduct must be what suits the house of God. The apostle Paul desired that Timothy should know how to conduct himself in God’s house, which is an important thought. God has rights over His house, it must be governed by the light.
God says to Jacob: “go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar”. Jacob then calls upon all those with him to put away “the strange gods”, to purify themselves and change their garments: these are the movements that are suitable in God’s house. And then the terror of God was on all the cities that were around them “and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob”. This is very encouraging. God is for us when we begin to move in obedience to the truth. Jacob came to Bethel and built an altar there; God appeared to him again and blessed him, calling his name Israel, while reminding him of the name of Jacob, which suggests that we always have to remember that we are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. Jacob sets up a pillar and pours a drink offering on it, he acts with the desire to please God and in submission to His will. The pillar witnesses the point to which Jacob had come, consecrating thus the thought of God’s pleasure. The oil of the drink offering refers to the recognition of the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a great point to which it is necessary to come, it is the point which ends this part of Jacob’s history, the setting aside of what is of the flesh and the desire to go on with the Spirit in a way that pleases God, being governed by the impression that we are God’s house. Jacob commits his house; this is very important: God holds the head of each house responsible for all that happens in the house. The young must remember that the father is responsible. God had to act in judgment with Eli who had not restrained his sons. Eli had failed in moral power over his sons and that was a reproach to him. The heads of houses need to be exercised so that their moral power is developed as that of Jacob, who prevailed according to chapter 32. This power will accrue in each of us if we recognise the truth as to ourselves, and if we grasp the Spirit.
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