BABES AS PRESENTED IN SCRIPTURE
J. Renton
Luke 10: 21–24; 1 Peter 2: 1–5; 1 Corinthians 3: 1–3; Hebrews 5: 12–14; 6: 1 (to “growth”) These scriptures speak of babes. The first two refer to babes in the sense of what is commendable, the kind of state the Lord would look for in each one of us. The second two scriptures look at babes as immature and not commendable. This first scripture in Luke 10 is parallel to Matthew 11, at the time of the Lord’s rejection, when He reproaches these localities, Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. He had been ministering in these cities and they had not repented. Although, before the Lord pronounces woe to these localities, He had secured a remnant from them, because Peter and Andrew and Philip all belonged to Bethsaida according to John 1; and there was the centurion of Capernaum who had great faith, of whom the Lord says, “Not even in Israel have I found so great faith”, Matthew 8: 10 and Luke 7: 9.
So the Lord had secured a remnant from these localities just as at the present time the Lord is securing persons in localities. He brings His woe to these places, just as Christendom is doomed for judgment; but before the Lord comes in in judgment He secures persons such as ourselves, unlikely persons. He secures such for Him and for the will of God. Then the Lord sends out these seventy in this same chapter. On their return they seem to be pleased with their service, but the Lord says to them, “Yet in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subjected to you, but rejoice that your names are written in the heavens”, Luke 10: 20. So heaven comes into view from this chapter onwards in the gospel of Luke.
Now what I want to come to is this, “In the same hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit”. He did not rejoice in the fact that these cities were doomed for judgment. History records how these places were devastated by the Roman
power; they were about to fall when the Lord pronounces woe on them, but that did not give the Lord rejoicing. It says of His rejoicing, “in the same hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, I praise thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, that thou hast hid these things from wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes”. The Lord rejoiced in persons being secured for Himself and for the Father. He calls them babes in contrast to the wise and prudent. The big religious men, men of note in His day, just as men of note in our day with their titles, miss all this. The Lord says, “I praise thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth”. The Father is supreme in the divine economy. He is supreme over all the operations, over all the nations. The Father is in this place of supremacy. He is over all, and the Lord recognises Him as that, “Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth”. It calls attention to His supremacy and to His sovereignty. The Father is sovereign in the selections He makes, “thou hast hid these things from wise and prudent”, men of ability, mental capacity, education and all that kind of thing. It does not help in the things of the Lord. It can be a hindrance to be wise and prudent according to men; “thou hast hid these things from wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes”.
Now this is a good state, babes in a right sense, babes who depend on Christ, who have answered to His call, who are simple in their relations with the Lord Jesus and simple in their relations with God. These are the babes who are spoken of here. It is not a state that we have to grow from exactly. As long as we are here we are to have this babe-like attitude which the Lord has so much pleasure in. He praises the Father, having in mind these babes, that is, persons who are simple in their attachment to the Lord Jesus, simple in their relations with the Father in prayer and dependence, and simple in their relations with the Holy Spirit. Such are the babes of the present time, and the Lord delights in these persons. They are the kind of persons for whom He
thanks the Father. You think of the Father’s supremacy, you think of His rights to select and to choose, and He has hid things from certain persons. The things of God are hidden from the intrusion of mere human ability and education. But He says, “hast revealed them to babes—
yea, Father, for thus has it been well-pleasing in thy sight”. This is the Father’s pleasure. It is the Father’s well-pleasing that He selects these persons whom the Lord speaks of as “babes”.
Now we need to be maintained in this attitude of complete dependence; simple in our relations with the Father, simple enough to look to the Spirit for help, and to look to the Lord for His teaching and guidance; such are the babes who are spoken of here. Think of the Father being well-pleased in the babes here, who were the disciples. So we need to be preserved in this state of babes as long as we are here. It is not that we grow from babes to men according to this setting. In other settings we are to grow, but not here, we are to be maintained in this babe attitude, drinking in these things that the Lord speaks about.
He does not say what these things are, but they were the things the Lord spoke of, the things that the Lord came to do. The Lord says in chapter 2, “did ye not know that I ought to be occupied in my Father’s business?” (Luke 2: 49). Think of the Lord here in His Father’s business. “These things” related to His Father’s business. Consider the great business God has in hand at the present time, the formation of the kingdom, the formation of the assembly, how great these things are, and it is babes who come into them. It is not persons of human intellect, not the wise and prudent, but babes who come into the good and enjoyment and formation of these wonderful things, “my Father’s business”. The Lord was here in that business, and the Spirit is here in that business, if we can use that word. Did not the servant in Genesis 24, a type of the Spirit, speak about “my business”? He says in Genesis 24, verse 33,
“I will not eat until I have made known my business”. Think of
the Spirit here on business, shall we say, to use that word, it is the very best that God has in mind in “these things”. The Lord’s business, the Father’s business, the Spirit’s business, how great “these things” are, far greater than the things of men. All their science and technology shut out “these things”. So it is the babes who are selected. The simpler we are the better. We become complicated but Christianity is simple, these babes would set that out here.
Then the Lord first of all speaks to the Father, “I praise thee, Father, Lord of the heaven and of the earth, that thou hast hid these things from wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes—yea, Father, for thus has it been well-pleasing in thy sight”. He speaks to the Father first in thanksgiving that He had these babes, if we are in that attitude the Lord will be pleased with us, the Lord in principle will thank the Father for us. Is it not a privilege to be in this kind of state that the Lord will thank the Father for, subjects of divine purpose, selected persons? The Lord would have us in this babe state, simple and drinking in the truth and being representative of Him. So after speaking to the Father, the Lord says, “All things have been delivered to me by my Father”. He speaks to the disciples, He speaks to these babes,
“and no one knows who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son is pleased to reveal him”. You think of what is contained in that verse, the inscrutability of the Son. The Son is not the subject of revelation, the Son in His Person is inscrutable. But the Father is the subject of revelation. He says, “no one knows who the Son is but the Father”; there is something about the Son that we cannot penetrate although we know Him as our Lord Jesus. We are attracted to Him, we become attached to Him in a babe-like attitude, we depend on Him, but in His Person He is inscrutable, “no one knows who the Son is but the Father, and who the Father is but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son is pleased to reveal him”. You think of how the Lord speaks in the
gospel of John about the Father. Over and over again He speaks about the Father. You might say He labours to get the disciples, these babes, to understand the Father, to appreciate the Father. We need to live in communion with the Father’s thoughts as to the Son, and the Son’s thoughts as to the Father; to be with the Father in His appreciation of the Son and to be alongside the Son in His appreciation of the Father. That is open to such babes.
Scientific men in this world, great men of this world do not know anything about it. The greatest things that God’s heart can devise, they know nothing about it, but the babes are such as can be initiated into this wonderful divine order of things. So it says, “And having turned to the disciples privately”, these are the babes, “he said, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see”, great things of revelation. Able men are in darkness as to it all, but believers in this babe attitude are enlightened into these wonderful things. We are privileged to speak about them, and we can speak about them intelligently. We might take it for granted, but just consider what a wonderful thing it is to be together and speak about these wonderful things that occupy divine Persons. They may occupy our minds because we are simple and uncomplicated and not diverted by human intellect and human ability. So He says, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see. For I say to you that many prophets and kings have desired to see the things which ye behold, and did not see them; and to hear the things which ye hear, and did not hear them”. They did not belong to Old Testament times, but we are privileged to enter into the glory and blessedness of these wonderful things that the Lord speaks about here. I would say, “babes” in Luke 10 are in view of coming into the greatness and blessedness of the revelation of God; they are mentioned in Luke 10 in contrast to the wise and prudent.
In 1 Peter the babes are mentioned in contrast to
the things we have to lay aside, and in view of coming into God’s house, what is collective, where we can be together serving God. He says, “Laying aside therefore all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envyings and all evil speakings”, these things have to be laid aside.
These things, malice, guile, hypocrisies, envyings and evil speakings relate to what is collective. Obviously if there is no one available, there is not malice; and if there is no one to deceive there is no sense in guile; but malice, guile, hypocrisies, envyings and evil speakings relate to what could operate with one another; because malice involves other persons, guile involves other persons, hypocrisies involve other persons; hypocrisy means acting a part.
There is no sense in acting a part if there is nobody to see us acting a part. Envyings relate to other persons, and evil speakings also. So these things have to be definitely laid aside. Then he says, “as newborn babes desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word”. The earnest desire of newborn babes is one thing. They are not complicated by other things, they have a simple eye, “desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word”. That is what we need to have, this earnest desire, this one objective to be here for the will of God, to be occupied with Christ, to “desire earnestly the pure mental milk of the word, that by it ye may grow up to salvation”. This refers to newborn babes in view of growth, and we have to begin this way and be maintained this way. We have all seen a newborn babe desiring earnestly. It knows how to make a noise if that desire is not satisfied. So it is this earnestness and reality and single objective that is commended here. We are to lay aside things that would hinder and complicate and have this earnest desire for “the pure mental milk of the word” in view of growth, “that by it ye may grow up to salvation, if indeed ye have tasted that the Lord is good”. I am sure we have tasted that the Lord is good.
Then it says, “To whom coming, a living stone”, that is the Lord Jesus, “a living stone, cast away indeed as
worthless by men”. He has been rejected, “but with God chosen, precious”. That no doubt refers to the present position of Christ, selected as the Firstborn from among the dead and exalted. Then we, “as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood”.
This is in view of having right relations with one another so there is what corresponds with the house, and “a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. This is in view of a company, a number of persons being together. It is babehood as being not only individually in relation to the revelation of God, but in view of being together.
I have no doubt that if every believer on the face of the earth answered to this scripture here in 1 Peter 2, we would all be together; if all desired earnestly the pure mental milk of the word, we would all be together. It is the complications that come in, the prejudices and preferences, that hinder the collective answer and collective response to God. So there is affinity between the “living stone” of verse 4 and the “living stones” of verse 5. The “living stone” of verse 4 is Christ, and the “living stones” in verse 5 are believers such as ourselves, and so we are “being built up a spiritual house”. God’s house is here on earth, indwelt by the Holy Spirit. It is a spiritual house, not a material house, not built of bricks and mortar or stones, but “a spiritual house, a holy priesthood”, that is, persons engaged in God’s service,
“to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. What a privilege it is to have part in a service like this! We have part in this and we know what this is. Our desire would be to be in it with more reality, with more consciousness, with more simplicity in view of growth. The work of God in the believer has only one objective, only one desire. The work of God is not complicated; it is what we are by nature and by the flesh that hinders the progress of the work of God.
So in 1 Corinthians, just to touch on these negative references briefly, we have babes in a sense that was not commendable. Paul says, “And I, brethren, have not
been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ”. That is, they were babes in Christ, they were believers, but they had not made much progress, they had remained in the babe state, although they were of course quite young believers, possibly maybe two years converted. Paul had been among them for eighteen months and had instructed them. I have no doubt he had left them in a good state as the opening verses of the first chapter indicate. He says, “I thank my God always about you, in respect of the grace of God given to you in Christ Jesus; that in everything ye have been enriched in him, in all word of doctrine, and all knowledge, according as the testimony of the Christ has been confirmed in you ... “, 1 Corinthians 1: 4, 5. That is how they were when Paul left them. I cannot imagine Paul being with them eighteen months and leaving them in a state of confusion; but it is how the enemy operates, that instead of making progress, instead of growth, they were still babes in Christ. What hindered was the flesh, I “have not been able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly; as to babes in Christ. I have given you milk to drink, not meat, for ye have not yet been able, nor indeed are ye yet able; for ye are yet carnal”. We need to overcome the flesh and fleshly interests and fleshly desires if we are going to leave this babe state according to this setting. It was a reproach to these believers that they were babes in Christ, all they could take was milk. Now milk, of course, is suited to the babe state. It does not take much of the digestive system to operate to take milk, it is what is easily assimilated, it is what suits the immature babe condition. Paul was ready to give them that, and had given them that, but he would rather have seen them with some growth, so that they would be able to take what he calls meat, which needs to be digested.
We need to develop a digestive system spiritually. We know what it is to have a digestive system physically, but we need a digestive system spiritually, so that we are able not only to hear, but to consider and
get the good of what we hear. There is much made in the Old Testament about the food suited to the people of God. It says in Deuteronomy, “Ye are sons of Jehovah your God”
(Deuteronomy 14: 1), and He tells them what food to eat. One kind of food was the animals that chewed the cud, typical of persons who are able to get the good of what they hear. We need to have this kind of digestive system spiritually operating, so that what comes to us is rightly considered and becomes part of us in the way of formation. Chewing the cud is just that; the truth is so considered that it becomes part of us. It makes for spiritual formation, and that is what these Corinthians lacked; they could take only milk and more milk, but meat was what Paul would have given them. Part of the priests’ food was the jawbone and the maw, according to Deuteronomy 18: 3. These were the parts of the animal that were suitable for the priests’ food. The jawbone would represent that eating, as Paul said, “Think of what I say”, think of what I say, “for the Lord will give thee understanding in all things”, 2 Timothy 2: 7.
The jawbone would involve the eating, and the maw is the stomach, it is the inward working so that formation takes place. That belongs to men, it belongs to the development of this spiritual, shall I say, digestive system, so that we are able to take in what is deeper and what is greater in view of our formation. That is where the Corinthians failed because they were fleshly, they were giving way to the flesh. He says, “whereas there are among you emulation and strife, are ye not carnal, and walk according to man? For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I of Apollos, are ye not men?” They were actually saying they were following local leaders. All that is fleshly, and belongs to this immature babe state that cannot be commended. So what we need is to go on to growth and development and formation in manhood. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14: 20, “Brethren, be not children in your minds”, and that word is, little children, “but in malice be babes; but in your minds be grown men”. He says at the end of the epistle, “Be vigilant; stand fast in the
faith; quit yourselves like men; be strong. Let all things ye do be done in love”, 1 Corinthians 16: 13, 14. Paul exhorts in this epistle that manhood might come to light, that there may be growth in this way.
Now in Hebrews, again the babe state is referred to, and that was because, while they had come so far, they were in danger of turning back. He says about the priesthood of Melchisedec, “Concerning whom we have much to say, and hard to be interpreted in speaking of it, since ye are become dull in hearing”, Hebrews 5: 11. They had apparently not been dull in hearing before, they had listened, they had heard and taken things in, but they had gone back, they had become dull in hearing. That can mark any one of us, instead of going on and making progress, we can stop or go back. “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have again need that one should teach you what are the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. For every one that partakes of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe”. The writer is concerned that they should move from this helpless kind of condition where they have to be continually spoon fed. That does not belong to growth. “For every one that partakes of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe; but solid food belongs to full-grown men, who, on account of habit, have their senses exercised”. This is a matter of having the senses exercised “for distinguishing both good and evil “. So he says,
“Wherefore, leaving the word of the beginning of the Christ”; the beginning is all right but we are not to stay at the beginning, we are to go on; he says, “let us go on to what belongs to full growth”. Certain things belong to full growth and the writer exhorts these persons to “go on to what belongs to full growth, not laying again a foundation”. That is, we are meant to have a right foundation, and having a foundation in our souls, going on to be occupied with what belongs to full growth. If we are occupied with what belongs to full growth we will
come to full growth. That is the full-grown man” having all his senses exercised.
May we all be encouraged to be occupied with what belongs to full growth; not to continue in childish things, in spiritually childish things. We are to be child-like but not childish. There is a difference between being child-like and childish. Child-like is the babe state according to Matthew 11 and Luke 10 and 1 Peter 2; but childish would be like the babes of 1 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 5. May we all desire to go on to full growth, to manhood, in view of being established, being firm and definite in testimony here, and for the pleasure and service of God. May the Lord help each one of us, for His name’s sake.
Address at Warnambool, June 1984
EXTRACT
We get the principle of representation at the outset in Scripture. Image comes before likeness.
God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, but after sin came into the world, likeness must be seen before representation; hence in Genesis 5 we read, “Adam ...
begot a son in his likeness, after his image”. After sin comes in we must have likeness first, because likeness is a moral feature. Before that statement is made, we read that men began to call on the name of the Lord; that agrees with what we are speaking of, that in Christ we have the likeness of God absolutely; it was God Himself, but there was likeness in the moral features, and hence the representation.
J. Taylor (Vol. 89, p.446)
Edited and Published by J. Strachan, 59 Frederick Street, Dundee, DD3 9DE, Scotland Printed by Crystal Stationery, 22 Western Road, Billericay, Essex CM12 9DZ, (T) (01277) 650661