THE HOLY SPIRIT IN RELATION TO THE TYPES OF THE ASSEMBLY (2)
[p. 286] THE HOLY SPIRIT IN RELATION TO THE TYPES OF THE ASSEMBLY (2)
Genesis 24:1-27; Genesis 24:61 - 67
JT The brethren will bear in mind that we are considering the assembly as presented in the types in the Old Testament, especially having regard to the fact that the Spirit is seen in them. We had Genesis 2 this forenoon, and the Spirit was dwelt on in a somewhat extended way, principally under the figure of water, and in our present type we have the Spirit also, but typified in the man, that is, Abraham’s servant, the chief servant of his house. We also have the Spirit in the wells. There are two wells mentioned in this chapter, and we may say the camels also represent the power of the Spirit in this chapter, because it is a question of the power by which we are carried as of the assembly. So we have Abraham’s servant as a type of the Spirit and then the two wells and the camels. I think the brethren will see the importance of enlarging on the truth of the Spirit in the types, because the Spirit is so absolutely essential to the assembly’s formation, and to her maintenance and movements, her journey to Christ. Rebecca, as we shall see, indicates in her own person the place of the assembly, as already formed before the servant found her. She belonged to the family of Abraham. There is no question of family in Genesis 2. Now it is a question of family links; the sister before you have the bride. Sarah’s family and Abraham’s father’s family furnish not only types of Christ, but also of the assembly, and the sisterhood. The idea of sisterhood must precede the idea of the bride. Therefore, it is a question of finding a sister first, one who is of the lineage of Abraham. So the servant in giving thanks says, “Blessed be Jehovah. God of my master Abraham, who has not withdrawn his loving-kindness and his faithfulness from my [p. 287] master; I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master’s brethren”. It is inclusive of brothers and sisters.
ABP Is the parenthesis in chapter 22 verse 23 a definite link with our chapter, “and Bethuel begot Rebecca”, in relation to what you are saying? The sisterhood being established, the Spirit of God now has the assembly in view, leading on to chapter 24?
JT I think that is important and helpful, because she was there. As soon as you have a risen Christ as in chapter 22, indeed, a heavenly Christ, then we have Rebecca’s genealogy beginning with “It came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham”. There would have been light in that for Abraham so that in chapter 24 he was not acting in the dark. He had light that Rebecca existed. There is no question about it, but still it was for the servant to find her, and he was to find her in a simple way, by the graces that she manifested, and he found her by her own confession as to her parentage.
CH In Canticles the sister is put before the spouse. “I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse”.
JT That bears on it. It is found more than once in the Canticles, and, of course, it bears on all marriages. You must have the sister or the brother, before you can have the engagement or the marriage — the wife or the husband.
What Abraham required was, “I will make thee swear by Jehovah, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that thou take not a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am dwelling; but thou shalt go to my land and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac. And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land: must I, then, bring thy son again in any case to the land from which thou hast removed? And Abraham said to [p. 288] him, Beware that thou bring not my son thither again. Jehovah the God of the heavens, who took me out of my father’s house, and out of the land of my nativity, and who has spoken to me, and who has sworn to me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land — he will send his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife for my son thence”, Genesis 24: 3 - 7. This ought to be noted, that we are now in the presence of the heavens and the earth, “Thou shalt go to my land and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac”.
Now the swearing is in regard to the lineage — not qualities yet, but lineage, and moreover that Isaac is not to be taken out of Canaan, meaning it is a heavenly matter. But when the servant goes, he, as it were, is free, free to act wisely and intelligently. We are told the servant took ten camels. Abraham did not tell him to do that. He is the chief servant of his house, and he arose and went to Mesopotamia. And he said, “Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, meet me, I pray thee, [p. 289] with thy blessing this day, and deal kindly with my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water”, (verses 12, 13). The position is that the servant is free, and is over all that Abraham has, and he is to act in his own intelligence. Abraham has to do with the lineage side of the matter but the rest is left with the servant. So now it widens out to the ministry of the Spirit. The servant takes ten camels, which is a matter of carrying power, and then he prays. There is the recognition of carrying power and prayer, and so he says to Jehovah, “Jehovah, God of my master”. He calls Abraham his master, yet, but later he calls Isaac his master. He is wholly for the will of Abraham, and this corresponds to the position of the Holy Spirit. Then he prays, “And he said, Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, meet me, I pray thee, with thy blessing this day, and deal kindly with my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. And let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, be she whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and hereby I shall know that thou hast dealt kindly with my master”. He has now made his prayer. He has put the camels where they should be, not only at the well, but kneeling. That is the attitude, and he makes a prayer, and now it is a question of what God is going to do. It is not a legal matter. The position of the ministry is not on legal grounds. It is in intelligent liberty. The result is that, of course, you get qualities. He refers to qualities. “And let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels think also”. You see it is a question now of the graces which are in her. He does not ask Jehovah to bring this particular woman by naming her father. It is the person with the necessary qualities who was wanted. Ministry brings out qualities.
FNW In Matthew 13 the qualities are sought by Christ Himself, the treasure in the field and the beautiful pearl.
JT Well, that is good. Excellence is really the point in values, and, of course, that corresponds here. It is this kind of a person. He might have said, ‘Let the daughter of Bethuel come’; or ‘Let Laban’s sister come’. He does not say a word in prayer about her family. It is a question of qualities. In the book of Acts you get qualities brought out in persons as soon as Peter’s address was finished. There were three thousand converts, and a beautiful character marked [p. 290] them.
SMcC This morning you were referring to the epistle to the Ephesians in connection with Eve. Does Rebecca give us another Ephesian view of the assembly?
JT She is the assembly and the bride of a heavenly man. Christ in heaven, only as here in testimony, I think; the point is testimony with Rebecca. She is taken into Sarah’s tent. Eve is the great prime thought of the assembly — what goes through now abstractly in a sinless state; Eve is that. The assembly according to that type fully corresponds with Christ eternally. But I think Rebecca is the assembly, as the bride, and the fulness of the heavenly man, but here on earth now where the testimony is needed.
WB-w Referring to the first paragraph again and the conversation between Abraham and the servant about this great matter, does that, as bringing out the intercourse between the Father and the Spirit as to the assembly, refer to what took place before time, or since time began?
JT Well, I think it is something like what the Lord Himself said about the Spirit. He proceeds from the Father. “Who goes forth from with the Father”. The preposition there means He is beside Him and knows exactly the Father’s thoughts. Of course, personally He would know everything, but in view of His service, it is a question of the Father’s thoughts. He proceeds from being with the Father.
WB-w Does the arrangement about this matter take place in time?
JT I would connect it with that, the Holy Spirit coming out from heaven. He came “from with the Father”. This would be what the Lord had in mind. The Lord’s ministry has in mind the economy. It is the position the Spirit takes up in relation to Christ’s manhood even before the Spirit came to [p. 291] earth.
WB-w So the economy is in mind in this chapter.
JT It is the economy surely, including all that was eternally purposed.
SMcC We have records of the Lord praying in the gospels. Would it be right to think or speak of the Holy Spirit praying or is that outside of spiritual terms?
JT Well, the Spirit makes intercession for the saints with groanings which cannot be uttered, but if He does pray, it would be through us. The Spirit’s ministry is through us, the saints, through the apostles, and others. Whatever we have in that way, is what takes place, by the Spirit as in us — in the assembly.
WB-w At the first the man stooped and bowed down before Jehovah. In the authorised version it is worship. Do you think the Spirit worships?
JT Well, it is not good to analyse too much like that. It is wonderful, however, how loyal the attitude of the Spirit is. As He hears He speaks. It works out in those whom He uses.
WB-w Paul says, “We ... worship by the Spirit of God”. Is that right?
JT That is instrumental. I would not like to put it that the Holy Spirit worships. He works through us. He has not become incarnate. He intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
JHE What would the camels represent?
JT Carrying power. Ten — the complete number in responsibility, so that at the end of the chapter we shall see that Isaac saw the camels coming. It does not say he saw Rebecca. He moves after the person is properly carried to him typically by the Spirit of God. The Lord is looking for the assembly, which is marked off by being carried thus.
CDeB In Luke 10 the Samaritan put the man on his own beast and carried him to [p. 292] the inn.
JT The same power by which Christ was carried here is what marks off a true assembly person; he is carried by the power of the Spirit in his religious services.
JTJr Is there another view of the Spirit in the angel referred to in verse 7? Abraham says, “He will send his angel before thee”.
JT That would carry us through to the New Testament, where we are told that the angels are ministering to us. The Spirit of God, of course, is supreme in all this, and He is a divine Person, but still the service of angels helps greatly. Their attendance in meetings like this greatly aids us if we have externals in order. Assembly traits are developed on those lines.
AEH Do you always think of the Holy Spirit in His operations and activities and service in connection with the saints, or do you think of Him acting apart from the saints at all?
JT You cannot limit Him and say He cannot do this and that. He is a divine Person, but the mode of His dwelling here is in the saints. That is how He came at Pentecost. How He was in the Old Testament is left rather vague. You can never limit divine Persons. A divine Person is always inscrutable.
AEH Then perhaps the section we are considering in Genesis this afternoon would fit in with chapters 14 to 16 of John’s gospel?
JT Very much, I think.
AR We are linked up with the saints throughout the world by the Holy Spirit; we are all baptised by one Spirit, into one body.
JT Yes, there is something that you cannot define in divine operations, or the divine mode of dwelling here. We are all one by the Spirit, but then, what is the link between us here and saints in other parts of the world? The ocean separates us, but [p. 293] that does not matter in the creation of God. There are certain elements in the very creation that are not affected by distance at all.
AEH Is that a matter of light, or a matter of your sensibilities and feelings and consciousness?
JT I have often felt things that were happening in other parts of the world. How is it? It is the subtle medium through which the Spirit of God acts. You cannot define it. The Lord Jesus comes to us, but you cannot define how it happens.
ANW But is not the whole idea of the one body realised in our spiritual sensibilities?
JT That is true. It is a subjective thought, but the light of it has to be taken into the mind. To have sensibilities intelligently you must have the light, but no one can define it. You cannot define electricity, for example, but how much more limited you are when you have divine Persons operating.
AR So that impressions received at the Lord’s supper in Australia and England, might affect us in a similar way as the day proceeds.
JT “Death works in us, but life in you”, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4: 12. He was a long way off from the Corinthians when he said that.
CHH Would the moral features as seen in Rebecca be the work of God in her, as over against Eve being formed by God?
JT Well, the thoughts are carried forward, only she comes into these traits on family lines, the family of Terah, the family of Abram. It is a question of family formation, not creative formation. She had a personal existence before the servant found her. Eve did not. Eve had no personal existence until the bone was built by Jehovah. This formation has taken place on family lines. She is there already. The servant does not form her. The traits are there and the formation is there. It is a question of the [p. 294] family of God now and the line coming down, what God does in that way.
JHE The outward adornment would be in keeping with what is within.
JT The formation was there. The traits properly assembled and that is what the servant is engaged with. He is not engaged with a literal family line, but what is suitable to Isaac. He prays about traits, about character in the person. That was there already. He did not produce it but he prayed for it. That is the principle from this point of view, our service is accompanied by prayer. You have the ideal and you hold it and you hope and count on God working day and night so that you will see it.
WB-w We find persons suitable for the assembly. We should be continually looking for persons of this kind every day.
JT That is the idea. We are looking for persons of this kind. You pray about it. That is how our local assemblies are to be formed.
HL Is the well the link? He was at the well and it was to that point that Rebecca came.
JT That is what I thought we ought to carry through. The well is the second type of the Holy Spirit here in this chapter and the servant links on with the well and causes the camels to kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of evening when the women came out to draw water. We have to be governed by time in this administration. There are times when it is not wise to bring up these matters. We have to wait on the Spirit. Time must enter into our service from this point of view. Then he prays. He is by the well. He is in the position where you are likely to meet persons like this in this condition. You say, God will bring them to me anywhere, but will He? The servant is governed by intelligence. You get both time and place mentioned very much in the Acts.
[p. 295] Rem Paul had the ideal in his mind in going over from Asia Minor to the continent of Europe. He had it in his mind.
JT Undoubtedly, and you get there time and place. You get a river and you get the place where the women used to meet, where prayer was wont to be made. He was governed by these thoughts.
ANW He is also governed by the disposition of the woman. He is dependent upon her willingness.
JT Well, I think his prayer will bring out what was in his heart. First causing the camels to kneel down. Why is it mentioned? What does it matter whether they are kneeling or standing? It is to bring out the position. It is a time of dependence on God, but then you will not get what you want in a wilderness. You must go where people are, likely ones, such as you want.
AEH Is there an indication of spiritual sensitiveness and sense too in waiting so that the first approach is when she is entirely free from natural influence that might hamper or hinder her?
JT It is the time of the evening when the women came out to draw water. You are not looking for men — you are looking for a woman. If you were looking for a man, you would be concerned about where he went. You take Paul at Corinth, the Lord says to him, “I have much people in this city”. They were men and women. Now Paul would be alert from now on, as to the “much people”. There is a man who lives next door to me. Is he one of them? Is he likely to be one of them? Paul was a tent maker himself. You may be sure he inquired about the workers in the town. A servant will take account of the conditions of the place. The Spirit of God says, “At the time of the evening, when the women came out to draw water”. The Holy Spirit is looking for people who are soberly doing something [p. 296] profitable. You may be sure that the Lord would be looking for that kind of people.
C Was not that why the Lord chose Gideon, because of where he was and what he was doing, threshing wheat by the winepress? The qualities were in the man.
JT Just so. You get it throughout the gospels and throughout the Acts. This is the evening time when the women come out. That is a voice to young people. What do you come out for? The day is over. You have been occupied with something else, maybe school, and now there is a little work to be done in the house. Are you doing it, or are you complaining that you have to do it, and you would rather go out to play tennis, or be standing about the streets. The Holy Spirit is not looking for the likes of you at all. He is looking for someone soberly doing something useful. The work of God is sure to produce that.
WR There is in mind the saints being developed. Rebecca was not only giving drink to the servant, but to the camels also.
JT Well, that is what it is. He says, “Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, meet me, I pray thee, with thy blessings this day, and deal kindly with my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. And let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, be she whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and hereby I shall know that thou hast dealt kindly with my master”. What a beautiful prayer it is for any servant to utter. ‘Let her be the one to be the wife of Isaac’; she was to be that because of the traits she manifests. She not only says, “Drink,
my Lord!” but, “I will draw water for thy camels also”. She is going to be a good wife.
LES Does John 4 bring to light the material from the moral side? The well and the Lord sitting by the well bring much into evidence.
JT That is a good suggestion. He is sitting on the well, being weary with His journey. The woman is there and the Lord asks her for a drink. She did not come up to the mark, because sin was there unjudged. You can never get true response until there is a judgment of sin. There is nothing to judge here in Rebecca.
WGT We might not be prepared to go so far as to give a drink to ten camels.
JT It is a big undertaking to supply ten camels with water. The suggestion is that she is ready for a big job. She is not taking on a small thing.
RT Verse 13 speaks of “the daughters of the men of the city”. Should there not be among us “men of the city” in view of these features that would be pleasurable to Christ?
JT Rebecca is the daughter of a man, Bethuel. “Rebecca came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah the wife of Nahor. Abraham’s brother; and she had her pitcher upon her shoulder”. She came out.
AM Would the thought expressed in Ephesians of God having marked us out according to the good pleasure of His will, come in here?
JT Yes. He has marked us out for sonship.
FNW Wisdom in service is to enter into our local setting. It would help us as to whether the open air preaching would be suitable?
JT Well, that is a matter for levitical instinct and intelligence. Time and place, you know.
Rem There is no weariness spoken of here in connection with the servant, as there is in John 4.
[p. 298] The moral question had to be raised there and that would involve weariness.
JT Quite so. Dealing with the sin question, and bringing home sin to individuals requires great skill. The Lord had that in His mind in all that passed at that well.
WR The secret in finding material is being in the way, “Jehovah has led me to the house of my master’s brethren”, Genesis 24: 27.
JT Yes, it is very interesting to see how she comes out in answer to his prayer. The importance of prayer in this matter. The camels are the power; they are kneeling down, not carrying anybody now. The servant is acting in a priestly way. He is praying. Then the movement of the person. “And let it come to pass, that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink, and who will say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also, be she whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and hereby I shall know that thou hast dealt kindly with my master”. He had not finished speaking when God wrought and there she was.
WGT It is very interesting that God is acting before the speaking is ended. As the prayer meeting is going on God is acting before it is finished.
JT Very beautiful. We have to wait sometimes for answers a long time and it tests us as to whether we do that. In Acts 12 prayer went up and when the answer came they were not sure, they would not believe it. There is no question here of unbelief in the servant’s mind, so that it leads to worship. “And the man stooped, and bowed down before Jehovah, and said, Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham, who has not withdrawn his loving-kindness and his faithfulness from my master; I being in the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master’s brethren”. So we get prayer and praise.
[p. 299] That is how the work goes on in the assembly. We know that heaven is looking on all the time.
WB-w The servant speaks of ‘my business’. “I will not eat until I have made known my business”. Everything must be taken up carefully.
JT We have to look into the section and see, what the servant says to Jehovah, what he says to the maiden — and what she says to him, and what she tells her brother, and then what the brother says to the servant, and the servant speaks long, going over the whole ground, and then we come to the point of decision, whether the maiden is to go or is to stay for ten days, and that brings out a bit of opposition which we did not get in Genesis 2. What we see here are the beautiful qualities. The maiden was very fair and the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Let me, I pray thee, sip a little water out of thy pitcher”. What a remarkable thing, he is running, a servant of Abraham’s house. It reminds us of John 20; we are told that Mary ran, and Peter and John ran. She is so attractive. He said, “Let me, I pray thee, sip a little water out of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord! And she hasted and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him to drink. And when she had given him enough to drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have drunk enough. And she hasted and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water; and she drew for all his camels. And the man was astonished at her, remaining silent, to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not”. I think God would make us wonder what it is, what this woman did. When the Spirit of God picks people, He tells us what they did, what they can do. “The man was astonished at her, remaining silent” (verse 21). The man himself is getting help in his soul, too.
CAM [p. 300] Is the working out of this in a practical way in the Acts, this matter of time and place? Do you see this in the Acts of the Apostles?
JT Yes, I think so. I think that marks the whole course of ministry.
CAM These different passages that come up in the Acts, Cornelius and others, and speaking in a practical way about our business and our locality, there comes a time when there is a recognition of the Spirit, when there is a bringing in of God, when there is an intelligent service in everything that we have to do with. Our lives, speaking in a general way, seem to be so haphazard, but as we give room to the Spirit, there is a sanctity in all that we do.
JT I think that is good. Time and place. We have it actually here. The day of Pentecost was now accomplishing or running its course. That is the time, and the place was Jerusalem. They were all together in one place. They were all there. That is time and place and conditions. The Holy Spirit came in then, and then the next thing is the preaching. What led to the preaching? There is no evidence whatever that Peter hired a hall. I doubt if there was a hall in Jerusalem that would hold the audience he had. He began with what the jesters and mockers had said about the saints.
All the places from whence the persons came are mentioned. The time was the third hour of the day, an extraordinary time from our point of view to start a gospel meeting. These people were interested adversely. He took up the opposition and began there and refers to the time of day. How long it took him to address them, I cannot say, but the result was wonderful. Obviously it was the right time, and great assembly material was secured, and then “the Lord added” them. That is what Christ would recognise as suitable [p. 301] to Himself.
RWS Would it be right to apply that to the sensitive feelings of holy joy that the Spirit has when He sees the results of His work?
JT Well, I think wonderment goes into divine operations. The Lord’s name is called Wonderful. It is because of what He does. The man in Judges 13 did wondrously and I suppose the work of God brings it out and the work in the Acts exhibits all this. We ought to be wondering, I am sure, because we are in the day of small things, but still, wonderful things are happening and we ought to wonder when we see them, the proper effect that God looks for in us.
WW She was seen in her occupation, drawing water, and Lydia, in Acts 16, was a seller of purple.
JT I think that is good. The occupation. Peter was a fisherman, and he was staying in the house of Simon the tanner. It was the kind of thing that was needed at that juncture. Death must take place before you can have tanning. The truth of the assembly from the Pauline side is developed in the Acts in connection with occupation.
WR There is no minimum of age in this. The Lord at twelve years was occupied with the Father’s business.
JT Just so.
SMcC The matter of drawing for the camels is important, because sometimes there is a lack of readiness to take on the truth that comes out, and the meetings that enter into the calendar of the week. Do you not think this is a continual feature of the assembly, readiness to take on what might be best for the saints?
JT I think that is good. That enters into what you are saying. How long would it take her? It is a big piece of work she took on, because she carried the [p. 302] pitcher herself.
RRT Would these beautiful features in Rebecca be akin to what the Lord says, “whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and sister and mother”? It is an indication that brings out these features.
JT Very good indeed. The will of God may require very heavy working.
WB-w When the camels drank enough the man took the gold ring and put the adornments upon her.
JT It says, “When the camels had drunk enough”. That was the test. They finished the meeting, that was a full stop. Then it says in verse 22, “And it came to pass when the camels had drunk enough, that the man took a gold ring, of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands, ten shekels weight of gold, and said, Whose daughter art thou?”. Notice; he does not ask about her father and mother until the matter is all finished. How much the idea of readiness to serve enters into the location of assembly material. She did the thing needed and they stopped drinking before she stopped.
LES The work of God as being true to itself would be marked by features of spiritual completion in whatever setting it may be found.
JT Quite so. Spiritual completion. The camels settle that matter here. It must have been a great test to her endurance, because it was a very heavy piece of work. That is another matter that comes into what we are doing. The Lord was weary with His journey.
Ques It would be more than just entertaining a visiting brother, it would involve the work generally, would it not? Many would undertake a bit of work when there is some distinction connected with it, but there was no distinction in drawing water for the camels.
JT Quite so.
[p. 303] Rem You can understand why there was an assembly in Phoebe’s house. She was that kind of a person. “She also has been a helper of many, and of myself”, Romans 16: 2. We should help all the brethren without partiality.
JT Yes, I think the note as to her would indicate that she did what was needed. I refer to the note on Romans 16, verse 1. You can understand how Paul himself commended her to the saints in Rome.
TS It is quite noticeable the occurrence of the word ‘labour’ in Romans 16. It says, “who labour in the Lord” and others, “who has laboured much in the Lord” and also, “Salute Prisca and Aquila” and also some others.
JT You can see there, what we are saying about labouring. How much is to be done by old and young in connection with the assembly and the work as done brings out assembly material. You are a suitable person for the assembly. You can see how the adornment fits. It is not like “a gold ring in a swine’s snout”, Proverbs 11: 22. “And it came to pass when the camels had drunk enough, that the man took a gold ring, of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands, ten shekels weight of gold, and said, Whose daughter art thou?”. I think that ought to be noticed, the ten shekels weight of gold, the ring of half a shekel weight and two bracelets for her hands, as if the hands are specially honoured and then, he says, “Whose daughter art thou?”. As much as to say, that is all that is needed now. The qualities are all there. It is the personal identity now and that is sure to be right, sure to agree. “And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. And she said to him, There is straw, and also much provender with us; also room to lodge”. See how intelligent her answer is.
JTJr “The gold of that land is good”, comes to light here.
JT Quite so. The encompassing is here in the man, the spiritual power in the man must have greatly augmented what she was doing. A man who had the greatest regard for her in the way he ran to her — all that would encourage her.
WB-w What do you think of the question in verse 23, “Is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge?”
JT Well, I think the idea of the assembly is to bring out the wonderful provision there is down here. Acts 2 brings out what is suitable to Christ. The Lord added to the assembly such as should be saved. There is room there for the remnant of Israel. There are religious organisations around us that do not make room for people — hospitality and all that. In a meeting like this the brethren are very hospitable, but the question is whether that hospitality goes on, whether you want all the brethren to leave after the meeting. The point is to bring out the richness of the place; not only the persons themselves, but the camels. This is to bring out the greatness of the assembly and what it is down here in the place of testimony. It is really beginning in Acts 2. In Paul’s ministry you get it in its full heavenly bearing.
RRT When the Lord was here He found no place to lay His head, but now in the assembly this place is found.
JT That is the point. You take Cornelius. Peter was in the house of Simon the tanner. I do not suppose it was a house you would care to be in naturally, with the smell of tanning, but it is a remarkable touch you get in the end of Acts 9; “many believed on the Lord”. He was thoroughly made known by what happened. “And it became known throughout the whole of Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. And it came to pass that he [p. 305] remained many days in Joppa with a certain Simon, a tanner”. They had sent for Peter, but they did not now speak about Tabitha, nor did Peter stay with any of the relatives of Tabitha. He stayed with one Simon the tanner many days.
CDeB In the end of Acts 10 they begged him to stay at the house of Cornelius.
JT That is how matters come out through Paul; he was sent for — the man at Macedonia says, “Come over ... and help us”. Cornelius sends to this place for Peter, who is evidently at home and while they were preparing food he was on the roof and he became in an ecstasy. The spiritual power, and the wonderful action from heaven comes into Peter’s mind, and the sheet comes down to him. Cornelius sends for him and his neighbours are there. Everything is just as the servant might wish it.
CHH Would you say that the labour of service would be acceptable on the ground of sacrifice?
JT Quite so. What we are having before us now is to bring out what the institution is, what the assembly is, as the bride of Christ here in testimony. He is up there a heavenly Man and she is down here. That is really the point. Isaac is not the heavenly man characteristically in an eternal sense, but in testimony here, and this is his bride. What we are speaking about will not mark eternity. It is what is needed down here in every place where there is a meeting, that there might be this readiness to serve, because it is in these things that we really see there is a marked work of God in the place. It is in these qualities that you see it.
Rem Rebecca herself was greatly concerned later that Jacob should have a proper wife to carry on the assembly side in testimony.
JT Quite so. That is births, deaths, and marriages. They enter into the assembly position of service, and the sister must come first This instruction [p. 306] enters into ordinary engagements and marriages. You must have the sister first, and the brother before you can have an engagement or marriage according to God.
Rem Paul says, “Have we not a right to take round a sister as wife ... ?”. The spiritual side is to govern us.
JT It is a very great question. It is a shame to have to mention this matter of mixed marriages, and also of radios. They are real difficulties among the brethren. What we are dealing with now affects all that. You cannot have proper hospitality, unless the husband and wife are in the Lord. It is the Lord; His authority is owned.
AR When you say one should be a brother or one should be a sister, do you mean in fellowship?
JT In the Lord implies fellowship. I may be a christian, but my associations may not be suitable to fellowship according to God. Ananias and Sapphira were put away although they were undoubtedly christians.
WR Why do you think the servant is so slow in considering this matter if it is right; to know whether Jehovah has made his journey prosperous or not?
JT It is a good thing to meditate a while. Quietness is important even in the greatest success in order to give us balance. He is getting his balance in the presence of God. That is a very important and wholesome matter.