THE PRESENT DISPENSATION AS SET FORTH IN JACOB AND JOSEPH (2)
[p. 121] THE PRESENT DISPENSATION AS SET FORTH IN JACOB AND JOSEPH (2)
Genesis 32: 22 - 32; Genesis 33: 1 - 7
JT It is thought that in these two passages we shall see the spiritual side developing in Jacob’s history; first in chapter 32 where he is found alone, as it says, “Jacob remained alone; and a man wrestled with him until the rising of the dawn. And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the joint of his thigh; and the joint of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the dawn ariseth. And he said, I will not let thee go except thou bless me. And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall not henceforth be called Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast wrestled with God, and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked and said. Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, How is it that thou askest after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel — For I have seen God face to face, and my life has been preserved. And as he passed over Peniel, the sun rose upon him; and he limped upon his hip. Therefore the children of Israel do not eat of the sinew that is over the joint of the thigh, to this day; because he touched the joint of Jacob’s thigh — the sinew” Genesis 32:24 - 32.
That is one thought; and then in the next chapter we have reference to a peculiar development of spiritual feeling and thought in that Jacob places Joseph before Rachel. It will be noticed that the different wives and children were caused to pass before Esau, Jacob arranging the order of approach, as it says. “Leah also, with her children, drew near, and they bowed. And lastly Joseph drew near, and Rachel, and they bowed” Genesis 33:7. That is to say Joseph is [p. 122] put before his mother, as if to remind us of Christ typically, how He has precedence, being anointed with the oil of gladness above His companions. These are the thoughts that it is hoped we shall be able to enlarge on a little. Another thing is that Genesis 32:1 says, “Jacob went on his way; and the angels of God met him”. That is to say, as he is proceeding on his way the angels are attending on him. We have already alluded to angelic service, and it is thought that this has been somewhat eclipsed in our minds as a provision for us in all circumstances; as it says in Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out for service on account of those who shall inherit salvation?”. They are all sent out for ministering, but it is for those who are heirs of salvation.
SMcC In chapter 48 where Jacob shines so well he speaks of the Angel who redeemed him, showing how the matter stood out in his soul.
JT In that sense the word “Angel” would undoubtedly signify representation before God. “Their angels in the heavens continually behold the face of my Father who is in the heavens”, Matthew 18: 10.
LES Would the passage in Hosea 12 link on with this as to the Angel and the wrestling with God? Would there be the suggestion of the blessed service of the Spirit in His link of intimacy with us?
JT You are speaking of the Spirit as seen in the Angel? Great stress is being laid in recent times on the Spirit’s activities and services, and chapter 24 of this book affords the greatest instruction as to this. Undoubtedly the Spirit is in mind there, as He is typically in certain passages in the New Testament; for instance, “The master of the house” in Luke 22. Many such references pointing to unnamed persons, humble in their service but yet wonderfully useful and serviceable, would seem to suggest the [p. 123] Holy Spirit, whose service goes on continually, especially since the revival that we have part in. So Jacob’s service is extended right up to the end of Genesis, and the Spirit’s service to us, which has continued in a wonderful way, is seen especially in the continuance of the Lord’s supper. So now chapter 32 gives us the continuance of Jacob’s work and journeying, and then the prayer that he makes, a remarkable illustration of his dependence. He says, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Jehovah, who saidst unto me: Return into thy country and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good — I am too small for all the loving-kindness and all the faithfulness that thou hast shewn unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two troops. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will certainly deal well with thee, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude”, Genesis 32:9 - 12.
Then in Genesis 32: 22 - 24, “He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of the Jabbok; and he took them and led them over the river, and led over what he had. And Jacob remained alone”. That is the conclusive thought in the passage. But Genesis 32:1 says “Jacob went on his way; and the angels of God met him”: that was in view of Esau’s threats. And so it is said that “when Jacob saw them he said, This is the camp of God. And he called the name of that place Mahanaim” Genesis 32:2. The name signifies ‘two camps’ I understand; showing the great interest of heaven in Jacob at this moment, and not only the interest but the power available to him — two camps of angels. Then comes his prayer expressing his dependence on God, and then he takes [p. 124] care of his family, and finally he is left alone. “Jacob remained alone; and a man wrestled with him until the rising of the dawn” Genesis 32:24. He recognises God in the Man, so that he is brought face to face with God and is allowed to prevail; and so his name is changed. But he is disabled, as we had it this morning, and we are all more or less disabled; but still it is to make way for God, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us, that God may carry on. He will carry on with us, but He will give us to understand that the excellency of the power is not of us but of Him, that we can count on this.
PL You get the expression in Isaiah, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob” Isaiah 41:14. Would that be God’s power in extreme weakness?
JT It is very expressive of it. The word “worm” is very expressive, but he is not to fear. I would suggest that we are not to fear, we are to be free of the idea; because sometimes we are unduly apprehensive when there is nothing to fear, nothing to be apprehensive about. “Be strong and very courageous”: God loves to see in His people an expression of dependence, but yet of courage in it, that we are not afraid.
SJH Might the being alone and wrestling with God that night involve going over with Him all Jacob’s business matters which had not been too pleasing?
JT Well, there may be that in it; but he is prevailing with God and with men. I mean to say it is the root principle that we are now engaged with, what develops in Jacob at this point. We have already seen him in hard circumstances; under the direction of his father and mother he is in hard circumstances, but God is above him. He is not near him, but He is above him. He is over where Jacob is, and the angels of God are ascending and descending upon the ladder.
SMcC [p. 125] Does all this show us what enters into the foundations of the man that is so distinguished in the end of this book, the fundamental side?
JT I thought that. It came to one’s mind quite recently in connection with the Lord’s supper, how the thought continues, especially from the time of the revival that we have part in; and it is not dying out, it is rather increasing. Not that one would occupy the brethren with any particular thing that distinguishes them, but I believe that Jacob stands for the increase of the dispensation, the increase of the features of it until the end, and that the Lord’s supper is particularly to mark it. It is not to be given up, but is rather to increase in our understanding of it.
PL “They go from strength to strength: each one will appear before God in Zion” Psalm 84:7. Is the service the great climax?
JT Just so. They all appear. It is not in half measures, you mean?
PL Yes, and the accumulative principle, “from strength to strength”.
SMcC Do you mean in regard to the continuance of the service from the time of the revival, that things are not becoming attenuated or weakened, but we have added thoughts in spiritual fulness and freshness?
JT That is exactly what I have in mind, that there are added thoughts, and the matter is increasing. You feel it, not because any certain ones are being used in it, but the thing is there.
CAM Would you say in that connection that this inquiry as to the name, God’s name, really awaited for its answer the coming in of this present dispensation, when the names of divine Persons would be fully recognised? Jacob says, “Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, How is it that thou askest after my name? And he blessed him there” Genesis 32:29. The question arose in my mind as to whether the answer to that question did not await the present time?
JT So that one is reminded of the same question in the history of Samson. The name of the Angel who announced his birth was ‘secret’, but it was there. I think it is well to see how the truth is not scattered, but in the ministry it is intelligently divided and separated so that we might understand. The Lord’s word was, “How do ye not yet understand?” Matthew 15:17. Jacob represents at the end of his life great intelligence, great understanding, even excelling Joseph.
CAM Were you referring to the matter of worship?
JT That is the greatest thought, that he worshipped on the bed’s head. But he did everything that was needed; what he had to do, he did; and then he died. Very, very humbling to Joseph, but very beautiful, that Jacob’s intelligence should shine in the way of putting the younger above the elder, that is to say, Ephraim above Manasseh; and he says, so to speak, Joseph, I know what I am doing. We are apt to discredit persons who are old, but very often they have more intelligence than the younger.
FL Are Jacob’s intelligence and his worship brought together in a concise way in Hebrews 11:21 where it says, “By faith Jacob when dying blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshipped on the top of his staff”?
JT Very good. It reminds us of the great place that worship has with the brethren; not that one, as I was saying before, would make much of the brethren because of what they are, but God is pleased to make much of them because His service is in their minds and they devote definite times to it. On the first day of the week we have the breaking of bread, the reading of the Scriptures, and [p. 127] the preaching of the word, all in regular order, even in small gatherings.
RBP Does David link the thought of worship with God’s name when he says, “According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise”? Psalm 48:10.
JT Just so; and again, “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me” Psalm 50:23. I think God is helping us, not simply in these meetings which we call special meetings, but in all our gatherings. There are about twenty of these meetings every year on this continent, and I believe that heaven is taking great account of them because they give place to the service of God, and young men are allowed to have part in it. On the other hand young men are learning to be subject and to take their place according to the principle of Elihu in the book of Job. They are taking their place as young men, but still they are learning. So that our lesson now is in this chapter, and we shall proceed in certain order to the last chapter of the book; but I believe in this particular chapter we have much that points, basically at least, to spirituality in Jacob.
RWS This twenty-year postponement is very encouraging for those of us who may have lost time. Now he is facing matters and becoming spiritual.
JT You refer to lost time, and we are likely to lose much, especially young men if they make much of industrialism and family life and all that. We have got to see how important the testimony of God is, that is, His service, what is for Him. Jacob at the end worshipped God on the top of his staff. The question is, too, as to how much the sisters enter into this. They do not of course speak audibly in the assembly, for Paul says, “Let your women be silent in the assemblies” 1 Corinthians 14:34; but at the same time they have part in the service. They are priests unto God, and it is a question of how they exercise their [p. 128] priesthood.
RRT Would this chapter indicate that Jacob is progressing in this matter? It says, “thou hast wrestled with God, and with men, and hast prevailed” Genesis 32:28. Does “hast prevailed” indicate that he has reached a definite point now in his soul as progressing in his spiritual exercises?
JT I would think so, and that God is pleased with the man. In verse 9 he prays to God in a very humble and simple way; but now when he is left alone he meets with this angel — or this Man — because he is called a Man, not an angel, showing that the human side is brought into it.
HB The scripture this morning was in relation to the night season, and so is this one. How does that fit in with what is before us? Does it help in the development of spirituality with us?
JT Well, the seasons are to be accounted for; we go back to Noah for them, I mean to say for the permanency of the order of God, that there is not to be again a flood, a deluge; the order of God is established, and the seasons come into it so that while the earth remains seedtime and harvest, summer and winter, day and night, cold and heat do not cease. What God has ordained remains, that is to say we are in a fixed position in that sense, so that the service can go on; and the question is whether it is going on, and I believe it is.
SJH You remarked this morning, but did not develop it, that the sun was setting as Jacob took the stone to lie down; but here the sun rose upon him.
JT It is the bright side of things. It is what God has under His hand and can use. So if it be a question of the bright side of things, God has that; and if it be night, then God has night, too.
HNB What is involved in the change of name?
JT It is a question of what belongs to God, of the rights that belong to God. He has a right to change people’s names, and He changes Jacob’s [p. 129] name here. God has rights in love, that He can use in love, whether to distinguish us or otherwise.
SW What brings about this spiritual state that is being developed in Jacob? Would it be hearing the specific call of God to get out of the circumstances and affiliations that were holding him and go back to Bethel?
JT That comes up later, in chapter 35, but this is the order of his journey. In Genesis 32:1 “Jacob went on his way; and the angels of God met him”; God is approving of the way he is on and these particular circumstances are to bring out his spirituality, that he is capable of being spiritual; he is capable of seeing what promotes spirituality.
JWW Does he set out in that way the capability of doing things for himself now? In chapter 28 he wanted God to do things for him in a rather confused way.
JT Yes, and he made vows, resolutions, which is good in a way, but here it is the ability to take on suggestions of spirituality. Then in the next chapter there is the continuation of it in the recognition of Joseph, for the time has come to bring Joseph in. If we go back in the history to when Rachel bore Joseph, Jacob said to his father-in-law, “Send me away”, as if something had happened in his life when Joseph was born. Much intervened to interfere with his intention to return, but still the resolution to go was with him after Joseph was born. That is, Joseph has come into the picture so to speak, and he is not to leave it until the end of the book. Whether the Lord will enable us to understand the meaning of Joseph in it all is another matter, but the fact is that he does not leave the position until the end of the book.
JWB In Acts 16 there is reference made to midnight with Paul and Silas, and again there is [p. 130] reference to midnight in Acts 20. Would it suggest what is coming out in connection with the service at the darkest time?
JT There are various references of that kind, especially in Matthew 25 where the virgins are alluded to. And then in Philippi, of which you spoke; see the experience that Paul and Silas had! What men it was making them! How at midnight they were able to sing praises to God and the prisoners were listening to them; not that they were forced to, but their ears were attentive. So we are causing people to notice what we are doing, that we are serving God, that we have intelligence as to the service. The conversion of the jailer is surely an immense thing in its bearing upon the service of God, and especially at that time in Paul’s history; because Paul’s history then was peculiarly notable in what he was doing, what God was doing through him, and what he was suffering. That is the point in our readings today, the suffering side; and it is seen in what Paul and Silas were enduring.
ASB Earlier in chapter 32, the references to the dawn are not exactly relative to Jacob personally; but in Genesis 32:31 it says, “the sun rose upon him”.
JT Very good. But at the moment our brother is bringing up something about midnight. How much experience have we of it spiritually? Then there is what may happen to some particular one of us, that the sun is shining on him, that God is distinguishing him. Now who is there of that kind amongst us?
SMcC In regard to what continues and goes through, you have before alluded to the two lines in Jacob: one in relation to God, and the other in relation to Joseph, typical of Christ. Is the beginning of the line in relation to Joseph, which culminates in the end of Genesis now coming into [p. 131] view?
JT That is just what I was thinking. His birth is mentioned earlier, and that when Rachel bore him Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away”. He wants to go back to Canaan where his father is; he wants to move in that relation. Isaac has a great place in the earlier chapters, but Joseph comes in here; and in chapter 33 Jacob is noticing Joseph so much that he puts him before his mother. This matter of the Lord’s supper, and the ministry on the Lord’s day — that is, the Bible readings we usually have and then the preaching — well, how much of this is going on, and what results are accruing to us? All this works out in these chapters. That is to say it is a question now of Joseph in chapter 33; he is coming into view and we are to find out what he means, because the history that God gives of Joseph is most remarkable, Every child, you might say, knows it, but then, what do we know? What do we know about Joseph, the firstborn of his mother, the boy of seventeen years, and the man at thirty years of age when he stands before Pharaoh and then becomes lord of all Egypt? You can see what there is for us. Then finally Jacob himself excels Joseph. What are we to learn from that? “I know it”, he says to Joseph, “I know it, my son” Genesis 48:19. Joseph thought he knew better than Jacob, but he did not. So that we are coming to persons of value, to values in persons, and we must compare Joseph and Jacob. Both were brought before Pharaoh, and Jacob gives an account of his days; but Joseph had his own place with Pharaoh.
VCL Does not the history of which Jacob speaks to Laban in chapter 31 qualify him as a man of substance? He says, “In the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes” Genesis 31:40. So that when it says in Genesis 32:31, “The sun rose upon him”, that other history is in [p. 132] the background.
JT Just so; so that we must go back to the beginning of things. It is very important in an inquiry such as we are engaged in now to be able to go back to beginnings of subjects, to see where they fit in. We want particularly to see where Joseph fits in and why he is mentioned before his mother: that is, God is bringing Christ in, in type, so that He might be in our minds.
RRT There is a reversal of the position in Genesis 33:2 and 7. In verse 2 it says, “and Rachel and Joseph hindmost”; then in verse 7, “And lastly Joseph drew near, and Rachel”. You are emphasising the thought that Joseph must come first, so that Joseph in verse 7 is coming into his rightful place; Christ is getting His rightful place.
JT Quite so. It should help us to see how, in the ministry, Christ comes into view. There ought to be grace in our ministry and in our services, and distinctions. And so the point that one would endeavour to clarify is the place that Christ acquires in all this. Our brother’s comment on the midnights helps in view of it, and then this shining on Jacob, as the sun rises on him. We shall see the great place that Joseph acquires personally in the history of the world, that is, the history of Egypt; because it is a question now, not of Christ in relation to Israel, but of Christ among the gentiles. It is Colossians, ‘Christ among the gentiles’; that is the position now.
SMcC You would say that one of the things particularly marking the closing days, especially in relation to the Lord’s supper, is the distinguishing of Christ, the way that He has been drawn attention to and given a place in the beginning of the assembly service?
JT I think that is a great point; it is what comes out in ministry, and in all our various meetings.
[p. 133] You see how Christ shines. What has happened? Well, Christ has been made much of.
RWS When He calls attention to Himself so tenderly in Revelation 22:16, saying, “I am the root and offspring of David, the bright and morning star”, immediately the Spirit comes into it — the effect of the Lord’s own touching service in such an appealing way. I was thinking of how the Spirit and the bride say, “Come”.
JT So that we have the Spirit and the bride, she who has the nearest place to Deity. The bride is seen as having the nearest place to Deity. She is a creature, but she has the nearest place to Deity, so far as I see. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come” Revelation 22:17, they say the same thing, showing how in the ministry of the truth the Spirit is acquiring a greater place than He has had. He is acquiring this place and we want to enlarge on it; only we want to be careful that we do not entrench on divine rights. The assembly is, after all, a creature; she is not divine.
SMcC In all the teaching we have been considering, and are now considering in chapters 32 and 33, nothing is said formally in type as to the Spirit. Yet you would say He is behind and underlying all that is transpiring, would you not?
JT I would indeed. The mind is peculiarly impressed with the place the Spirit has in the first chapter of the Bible, how He comes in immediately. The Spirit was hovering over the face of the waters. And then in another passage, “By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens”, Job 26:13; and again, “My Spirit shall not always strive with Man” Genesis 6:3. Then again, why should Noah bring out the idea of the dove? And why should the account of the Spirit as a dove be seen in John’s gospel and in Luke’s gospel, as pointing to the Spirit’s relations to Christ? I am saying these things so that the minds of the [p. 134] brethren might be arrested as to the greatness of the Spirit, and as to whether this greatness has not been somewhat neglected; because after all the Spirit is the Spirit of God. He is God Himself. When we speak to God in worship or in prayer we speak to the Spirit too; I mean to say where the three Persons are involved we speak to the Spirit as well as to the other two divine Persons.
SMcC The passage in Romans 11:36 would necessarily involve the Spirit in the way you are speaking of Him, would it not? “For of him, and through him, and for him are all things: to him be glory for ever”.
JT Quite so. One would like to hear more as to what has come into the minds of the brethren about the place the Spirit has that He has not had before, one of the things that has been brought up is that there is so little said of addressing the Spirit in the Scriptures, whereas the Old Testament says quite a lot about it. It speaks, for instance, about Abraham’s servant, the greatest in his house, who is a type of the Spirit of God; he speaks to Rebecca and she speaks to him. Then in the prophets we have several references to the Spirit, He Himself speaking to certain ones; and again, the song in Numbers 21:17, “Spring up, O well; sing ye unto it”. That is typically a direct word to the Spirit.
FKC In Ezekiel 37:9 the prophet was to speak to the wind saying, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain”.
JT The word “wind” or “breath” there is typical of the Spirit of course, and it is spoken to. The difficulty that is still advanced by some is that the Spirit is never spoken to, whereas He is spoken to.
LES The Spirit speaks in Revelation 14:13 as to those that die in the Lord. It says, “Yea, saith the Spirit”, as if He would link Himself with the end of our days as to the conflict.
JT Quite so, “for their works follow with them”. So that we must not neglect or despise the works of the saints, for the Spirit says that about them.
SJH The servant says to Rebecca in Genesis 24:17, “Let me, I pray thee, sip a little water out of thy pitcher”. What is involved in that? I was wondering about the Holy Spirit personally in that way, saying, “Let me … sip”. Do you think that in the service we should consider for the Holy Spirit that He may get His portion?
JT Quite so; “Give me, I pray thee, to drink”, he says, and the word ‘sip’ is used, as if he would ask her to serve him in a small way; but she serves in a very great way, because the amount of water that ten camels can use is very considerable. But she is equal to that; she can use her pitcher for that purpose, she knows how to use it. It points to the working ability, the power, that is available in the saints here on earth today.
EAL When Rebecca says, “my lord”, I think you have said that that is a worshipful use of the word ‘lord’, that she means it in the sense of worship?
JT I would think so. She carried on a conversation with him, too.
SJH It is guarded here in Genesis 32:29 that when Jacob asks the Man His name He says, “How is it that thou askest after my name?” Would Jacob be going a little too far in that?
JT There is a guard there as to the liberty we may take with divine Persons. We should be very careful not to exceed the liberty that is given to us.
LES Would the word in Exodus 23:21 as to the Angel protect the position, where we are told, “My name is in him”?
JT That comes very near to the idea of the Spirit, whereas we might think it was just [p. 136] an angel.
RHS Would you say a word as to 2 Corinthians 13:14 where it says “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all”?
JT I think the word “communion” there points to a divine Person being active in the sense of the fellowship; it is stressed there that the fellowship is of the Spirit, and that it is to be with the brethren. Of course, we speak of fellowship with one another, but there it is peculiarly that the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is to be with the brethren.
CAM Referring to what you were saying about Numbers 21, do I understand it that in the expression of emotion Godward in a poetic way, we should have each of the divine Persons definitely in our minds?
JT Quite so; it says, “To us there is one God, the Father … and one Lord, Jesus Christ” 1 Corinthians 8:6. That is very definite as to divine Persons. Then elsewhere we get the Spirit alluded to, too, so that the three divine Persons are formally spoken to.
CAM One great matter that seems to have been gained by us all is that the Holy Spirit personally is much more definitely in our minds.
JT I think the ground has been laid for it in our conversations and in our services in such a meeting as this; and that greatly helps in the use of the phraseology that brings in the Spirit personally to be addressed, and to be worshipped, and to be prayed to.
CAM Jacob had raised the question, “Tell me, I pray thee, thy name” Genesis 32:29; but he seems to answer it himself in a sense when he says, “For I have seen God face to face” Genesis 32:30. Is it not a fact that in using the name “God”, it has become more wonderful to us; since the stressing of the Person of the Spirit, all three divine Persons being included on occasions [p. 137] when that title is used?
JT Quite so; I think that helps.
LES Would the word of Paul in 2 Timothy 1:14 help as to the distinctive place the Spirit has in the ministry? He says, “Keep, by the Holy Spirit which dwells in us, the good deposit entrusted”. Would that suggest addressing the Spirit in relation to the whole scope of the testimony?
JT Quite so, in a holy way. The injunction is, “Be ye holy, for I am holy” 1 Peter 1:16; the thought of holiness is required so that we might not become in any way guilty of lightness in referring to the Spirit, but have our minds impregnated with holiness.
PL So that we are only to be trusted in addressing Him thus in relation to the place we give Him in our souls. A good deal of question has been raised as to when we should address the Spirit, but do you not think the question of who addresses Him would he a more searching one?
JT Quite so, whether there is holiness enough as a background for it.
RWS Should we not also have more joy as we know the Spirit better? The woman in finding the piece of silver in Luke 15:9 says, “Rejoice with me”.
JT Undoubtedly that allusion is to the Spirit. She searches the house to find the lost piece, and then she asks the neighbours to rejoice with her, for “I have found the piece which I had lost” Luke 15:9. Undoubtedly that is a question of the Spirit in His search for what is lost.
JS Would you connect this with the word to the seven assemblies, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies”? Revelation 2:29.
JT Quite so.
PL Would you include the thought of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 20:8 where we have, “But when the evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the workmen and pay them their wages”? Is not the Lord the householder there, and does not the steward suggest the Holy Spirit?
JT I would say that. And confirmatory of all we are saying, the baptismal formula in the last chapter of Matthew, is to the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. It is one Name that we baptise to; the baptismal formula implies that They are all included in the Name.
AHP Would the innkeeper of Luke 10:35 be another type of the Spirit? It says, “And on the morrow as he left, taking out two denarii he gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him”. I wondered if the innkeeper would suggest the idea that we are cared for by the Spirit?
JT Quite so, I believe that is right.