READING 3
READING 3
WJH The instruction that this scripture affords might help us all to be definitely committed to continuance in the service of God, and to be warned as to certain dangers we are exposed to, especially after the death of a leader, for God had removed Gideon, one who had signally helped His people. A great danger arose after Gideon’s death, and, in some sense, this danger exists after any leader is removed. The death of a servant of God, who has been recognised as having had influence and leadership, is not infrequently followed by desires on the part of others to secure the place he had, whereas the Lord often intends His people generally or locally to work things out mutually, at least for a time, before He raises up any distinctive leader.
EJ Would you say the same kind of thing occurred when Adonijah usurped the throne?
WJH Quite so. He said, “I will be king”; whereas God had His eye on Solomon. Later on in Judges we find another judge is raised up, but for the moment we have the seventy sons of Gideon, brought up under Gideon’s influence, partaking of his character; and matters amongst Israel are to be taken up and worked out mutually through them. The Lord sometimes orders a period in which mutuality is the outstanding thing of the moment, without any prominent leadership evident.
FC So that when a leader is taken, what often happens is that what he represented is divided up and carried on as set forth in the seventy.
WJH Often that is the Lord’s way; gift and teaching are distributed, affording a mutual basis for development: whereas there is something in our hearts which, if not judged, says, “I will be king.” Gideon is gone, and it is a question of these seventy. Who will take up the leadership, the rule?
AH We need to watch that the flesh is not active in that way, and to wait patiently for the Lord to indicate.
WJH Quite so.
FC Does it fit in with the end of Timothy? At the end of Judges 8, when the people had gone and followed the Baals again, evidently Gideon’s lead was soon forgotten. In the end of Timothy things were to be committed to others, there was nothing outstanding in that way.
WJH Previously there had been Paul, and then Timothy as his delegate; but the final issue is “faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” “Others” is a very mutual word, is it not?
AH Would you say the thought of mutuality is general now amongst the saints?
WJH Of course, one recognises there is leadership, and the Lord has raised up those who outstandingly give a lead; but, particularly in localities, I believe the situation is largely that of mutually working things out, like the day of the seventy sons of Gideon.
JM Do you mean that the mutual side of things is the safest?
WJH Well, it is evident that the Lord brings about an extension of His work by the mutual development of the things of God locally. It is remarkable how much greater is the blessing where things are developed mutually than where there is only one outstanding gift. I think you will find generally that there is much spiritual prosperity where things are developed mutually. Hence the Lord orders that outstanding gifts are not local, but are set in the assembly viewed universally.
JM Is the state of the people to blame here, because there was no kindness shown to the house of Gideon?
WJH That is right; the root is in the state of the people giving an opportunity for such a man as Abimelech to rise.
WK Would you say he does not display any feature of a true leader according to God in that he destroys these sons of Gideon? The spirit of destruction is not according to God.
WJH The Captain of our salvation was made perfect through suffering. If anyone aspires to leadership, let him look at the Model, “perfect through sufferings”; I think no one secures right influence amongst the saints who does not suffer.
JTh We read of one who loved to have the pre-eminence, do we not?
WJH Yes, he was a New Testament Abimelech. The opportunity to develop ambition arose from special affinities with some; and I believe that this is a matter which needs to be guarded against by every one of us, by not having special friendships. Abimelech had those who were his own flesh and blood in a more narrow sense than the seventy, and he operated through them.
FW The maintaining of spiritual links promotes that which is mutual, whereas links that are on a narrow line and pertain to what is natural (I do not mean necessarily flesh and blood, but affinities), tend to bring in destruction.
WJH And provide ground for the development of ambition. We have to beware of that, because it will lead to intense cruelty and damage to all concerned.
FW Abimelech represents that principle, and would you say Jotham represents the opposite principle?
WJH I am sure that is right. His parable discloses that he had something very different in his mind.
FW Before you go on to the parable, I was thinking of the place Jotham went to to utter it, Mount Gerizim. He was of the tribe of Manasseh, which is one of the tribes, who were to be on Mount Gerizim to bless the people. So that what Jotham proposes really has blessing in view.
WJH That is interesting. As with Jacob when he blessed his sons, he told them the truth as to themselves, as well as what God had in mind. For instance, he said, “Dan is... an adder in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels.” You might say, Where is the blessing of Dan? But it consisted in disclosing to Dan the thing he must guard against, because of what Jacob saw in him.
WK Referring to special links we might form, the Corinthians had special leaders, “I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas...”, and then they were reigning as kings.
WJH Quite so, and prepared to discredit and reject Paul who represented the Lord. So that one would think of the many young men here as potentially for the Lord’s service, and it would help them to see the danger of developing special friendships amongst the saints. It does much harm, both to the person himself and those involved, and ultimately caters for ambition.
EJ Does the matter of leadership rest entirely with God? Even Samuel failed to recognise the true leader and who was to be anointed.
WJH it is a position that is in God’s hands; but in the meantime there are the seventy sons of Gideon available to promote something of Gideon’s characteristics in the saints.
JC Would you say that Gideon was specially raised up by God in a crisis?
WJH Quite so, and when any crisis is met we revert to mutuality, that is the idea of the seventy. Not one of them aspired to be king. Gideon had said, “I will not rule over you; neither shall my son rule over you.” He brought up his sons to accept that attitude, and there is no evidence that any of the seventy aspired to be king; they were quite willing to go contributing their quota for the good of the saints.
FW Do you suggest that these seventy sons represent the idea of a spiritual generation that had been brought up under certain nurture?
WJH That is the thought. They were men who were prepared to follow in Gideon’s steps, none aspiring to be king.
Ques Would you say the thought of brethren and the family of God would maintain one in mutuality?
WJH The household of God is a great protection from special connections and friendships. If we understand the household of God we will not make room in our activities, in our affections, for a special class of friends with whom we keep peculiarly in touch.
AH Does not the truth of the body mean that mutuality exists?
WJH The truth of the body is a similar thought to what is developed in Jotham’s parable.
AH The Colossian position is “love... to all the saints.”
FW Is there implied any idea of moving back to what was more historical than moving forward on the line of the Spirit, because Shechem is the place to which Abraham first came when he left Mesopotamia. It seemed to be the beginning of things. This matter has Shechem in view. I wondered whether there was a tendency to go back to what was known in the past, and a refusal to move on according to the new generation.
WJH I think that is important, for there is no doubt what tests us greatly is a fresh movement of the work of God. We would naturally like to stay in the one place as in restful conditions, but there is a movement forward, it is the mind of God to have things on a mutual basis, so that for the moment there is no other judge raised up.
FW That would have been a movement forward.
WJH Quite so.
JM Moses said, “would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets.”
WJH He would love to see the prophetic feature developed mutually amongst the saints. He had no idea as Abimelech had of arbitrary control of the brethren.
JM Would we gather from this that the mind of God is that the features seen in Gideon are to be extended over a larger number?
WJH Mutuality would check the ambition of Abimelech, and he takes steps to dispose of the seventy, even to killing them all on one stone.
Now perhaps we could look at Jotham as over against Abimelech. He unfolds his parable as disclosing what he, as his true son, had derived from Gideon.
WK What is there in the fact that he was the youngest son, and that he hid himself?
WJH It shows how the features of Gideon are still preserved by the overruling of the Lord. He is the youngest son, and he is hidden — he is not moved by ambition.
Jotham speaks of the trees, having his eye on the state of the people as looking for a king. The Lord intends us, as set together here in a city, to take things up together and work them out, each contributing his part, and if we promote someone to be king, in order to dispose of our exercises, or solve our problems, we open the door to the ambitions of the flesh. But what Jotham has in mind is that in this husbandry that exists, all trees proper to the husbandry will keep their place and continue in what is committed to them. The apostle introduces the thought of the saints in Corinth being God’s husbandry as well as His building — a great thought, as applied to an assembly in a city. It is general, but nevertheless it is also local; here in Brisbane God has a husbandry where plants of His planting are growing to yield certain results for Him.
JM Abimelech’s suggestion that one man reign over them seemed to be plausible; but we see the mind of the Spirit set forth in Jotham’s parable.
WJH Quite so. What a conception for every brother and sister here to take into their hearts, that according to the divine thought, they are trees of some particular character planted in God’s husbandry.
FW Each to fulfil his own function.
WJH That is it. When God plants a garden, His thought is to put in all kinds of serviceable trees, both for beauty and usefulness.
FW So that although leadership seems a necessity amongst the saints, and we would thank God for it, yet it is not an objective for the assembly. At the present time the objective for the assembly is mutuality and all together answering to the mind of the Lord.
WJH Quite so. Gift is to bring all forward to a certain level; so, if Paul planted or Apollos watered, it was only that there might be a growth, in the husbandry, of mature trees yielding either beauty or fruitfulness for God.
Rem The trees of the Lord are full of sap.
WJH They are satisfied — that is the New Translation. That is what Jotham opens up, the trees of the Lord are satisfied. The olive tree says, as it were, I have no thought whatever of moving from my position in this husbandry as yielding honour to God and to men; I have been planted here for this purpose, to honour God and to honour men, that is the service committed to me and I have no intention of leaving it.
AH Is that thought carried out in connection with the body? The eye cannot say to the ear, I have no need of thee.
WJH Quite so; but the eye has not the slightest desire to be the ear, the eye is perfectly satisfied to fill its part in the body without being jealous of the ear, the mouth, the feet, or the hands.
FC To maintain the senses, each must abide in its position, because it goes on to say, “If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing?”
WJH Quite so. Is there jealousy between the eye and the foot? No one ever heard of such a thing. The olive tree does not live for itself, it lives to yield the olive, from whence comes the oil, typical of spiritual dignity, of that which makes man’s face to shine. The olive tree says, I am perfectly satisfied to quietly pursue my service to yield this oil which honours God and man. It is a great thing to see that God has given to every member its own function, so that as discovering what the Lord has particularly fitted us for in regard to His interests, our business is, as satisfied, quietly to pursue that.
WK The olive speaks of “my fatness,” indicating satisfaction.
WJH Yes; think of the dignity of bringing honour to God; that your presence in this city honours God. Do you want anything better than that? Do you want to be king over the trees, to wave over them with your influence, or are you satisfied? Am I satisfied? I am planted here to honour God.
JTh The enemy attempted to turn the Lord from that path.
WJH Yes, in the temptations. His meat was to do the will of Him that sent Him.
JC It says in Corinthians that God has placed the members in the body as it pleased Him. So that everyone has a function to perform in mutuality, and is to recognise that God has put him there to be serviceable to all.
FW Is there a kind of leadership in that the olive tree is first? If the olive tree keeps its place it will help each of the others to keep theirs.
WJH Quite so. We know that in the body there are certain members that seem more conspicuous, but then we do not in any way discredit the lesser members, for they are all important.
EAM Would you say that the olive tree was conscious of the place that God had given it?
WJH That is it, and the trees of the Lord are satisfied. If we are trees of the Lord’s planting in this city, we are satisfied to pursue quietly what God has given us. An olive tree, a spiritual person, not only honours God, but he honours men. That is a great matter. There are some who assume to be spiritual who are constantly murmuring about others. The olive tree does not do that. He honours God first, but he honours man, he dignifies men with the thoughts of God, and he serves them as honouring them. I do not know anything more distasteful than a murmuring spirit amongst the brethren, and certainly it is a most destructive element.
FC What does the fig tree signify?
WJH The fig tree’s business is to bring in the sweetness and the good fruit. As set in the husbandry, its service is to yield something that will bring sweetness from God’s husbandry. Thank God for the fig trees that bring in sweetness amongst the saints.
FC There are occasions when a cake of figs is referred to. It would look as though being brought together in that way, perhaps under pressure, yields food. It is alluded to several times in the Old Testament.
WJH Quite so; indeed the Lord went to Bethany, which means “the house of figs.” How sweet the love that operated in Mary and Martha and Lazarus, love to Him, and love to one another. This sweetness was evidenced first in hospitality — “A certain woman named Martha received him into her house.” The element of hospitality maintained amongst the saints on a spiritual level yields much sweetness and fruit. And this fig tree says, “Should I leave my sweetness... to wave over the trees?”
JM The Lord cursed the fig tree, we read in the Gospels. Does that suggest that He failed to find sweetness among His earthly people?
WJH What He found there was only leaves. He wants more than leaves; He wants fruit.
FW Is this feature seen in the pastoral spirit in the saints?
WJH I think so. We have all known what it is to receive from the fig tree sweetness that is very comforting. The Lord looked round on one occasion on everything in the temple, and He went out to Bethany, as if to say, I will find there what I cannot find here.
AH The opposite to the spirit of criticism is the healing virtue in the fig, Isaiah 38: 21.
WJH Yes, a little genuine hospitality often heals boils.
Ques Gaius was a good example of hospitality, was he not?
WJH Yes. It is wonderful what a little true brotherly and sisterly intercourse on spiritual lines will do to overcome boils, eruptions from inward corruption. So the fig tree says, I am not going to move from the service the Husbandman has given me.
Then the vine is approached, and answers, “Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave over the trees?” What a suggestion that there is in the divine husbandry, growing here, what is to gladden the heart of God and man. What a contrast to the world of brambles that grieves God. It says of the antediluvian world that it grieved God in His heart as He saw the fruits that were produced in men. But the vine says, I am here to make glad the heart of God.
FW The New Translation renders it “new wine,” as if it were constantly fresh.
WJH Showing it is a living state of things; the husbandry is a living thing. The yield from the vine is first for God, what cheers God, and then what cheers men, instead of sorrow and weeping to our brethren — instead of being pained when they think of one, their hearts are gladdened. Paul could speak to the Philippians of thanking God for every remembrance of them.
JM Do we see in the trees the thought of functioning in a living way, and that is to be maintained now amongst the saints if there is to be mutuality.
WJH That is really the thought, the effectual working of each one, and the Lord helps each to carry out his own part, not aspiring to take someone else’s.
Ques Is there the suggestion that these trees have been cultured by God?
WJH Indeed it says, “The husbandman must labour before partaking of the fruits”; and God is working in every city today, as hitherto. Take the visits of the Lord’s servants in recent time, to these parts, planting, maybe, or watering — all is that the husbandry might be fruitful.
FW And you cannot get on without the element of joy amongst the saints, not only strength, but joy; so Zechariah says, “Corn shall make the young men flourish, and new wine the maidens.”
WJH Do you mean that the subjective side is flourishing amongst the saints by the production of joy? Indeed, I think one can say reverently that God needs it, for He orders that in many of His offerings wine should not be missing; a certain proportion is to be provided in many of them.
AH Did not the Lord speak of that, when He spoke of His peace and His joy remaining with His disciples?
WJH Quite so; indeed it would be a very happy subject to meditate on, to see what is presented in these three trees, in all its excellence in Christ.
CF Does Jotham suggest the son of the true mother, Abimelech was not, and in that way he could not produce fruit for God.
WJH The mother affects us a great deal. We see it in the mention of Timothy’s mother and grandmother, the maternal influence. So the assembly here today is to be a true mother that provides influences that will produce such as Jotham.
What follows is the curse of Jotham. Fire comes out of the bramble and consumes the trees, and fire comes out of the trees and consumes the bramble. It is as certain as anything that ambition allowed and operating through special friendships and affinities will end in conflict and bitterness and hatred between the two sections. It always does; God orders it governmentally.
FW It is remarkable that he should have uttered this curse from Mount Gerizim, which was the mount of blessing. Apparently he had blessing in view. He says, “Hearken unto me, ...that God may hearken unto you.” The way was still open for them to alter their course.
WJH Quite so, if they would hearken. God would hearken to them, and blessing would have flowed from that mountain; but they would not hearken, so the curse came.
FW Would you say why Jotham went to Beer after he had uttered his parable?
WJH Beer means a well; he would retire into the reserves that God has in the Spirit to maintain him.
FW I was thinking of Shechem as referring to the early history of things. He would show he did not disregard God’s ways with His people, but he knew which place to choose when this difficult time arose, in going to Beer, which, as you say, refers to the well — rather than simply standing in an historic spot like Shechem.
WJH The sense that the well is there is a great reserve for faith. “The word that I covenanted with you... and my Spirit, remain among you,” Haggai 2: 5. The word goes back to what was past, but then it says, “The word... and my Spirit, remain among you.” In a time of cruel destruction of God’s interests among His people through jealousy, faith falls back on the well as the power to continue.
JTh It is interesting that he started with the olive tree, speaking of what is spiritual, and he goes to the well, he finishes with it.
WJH The olive tree, no doubt, represents spiritual persons, but the well represents the Spirit Himself, the great source of supply.
One would suggest we recognise the wonderful possibilities here in this city if every brother and sister would quietly pursue their part livingly in divine interests. The potential wealth is more than we realise, provided each takes up and continues his own service, judging ambition, judging the desire for the place of another, but contributing livingly what the Lord has fitted each for.