TREASURE BROUGHT OUT
John Speirs
Luke 10: 30-35
Luke 15: 20-24
Genesis 24: 53 (to “Rebecca”)
Matthew 13: 52
I am impressed, beloved brethren, about what God is willing to expend on the believer. What treasures, what vast resources God has, but He is not selfish; He does not keep them to Himself He is willing to expend; He is willing to expend liberally, and skilfully too. Some persons in the world have vast material wealth, but do not know how to use it properly. God knows exactly how to use His vast resources, and He is willing to expend them on you, a believer in the Lord Jesus.
I read in this passage in Luke 10 of one who had terrible need, a poor man who was in a half-dead state: “But a certain Samaritan journeying came to him, and seeing him, was moved with compassion”. God's willingness to expend on us has its source in His love. It is interesting to note that the Samaritan in this chapter and the father in Luke 15 were both moved with compassion; it shows God's consideration for us in all our need. Perhaps you have known what it is to have been in a half-dead state. Perhaps you have known what it is to be far from God and robbed, as the world would rob you, of all your dignity and anything that you might have; but this man, “a certain Samaritan”, who is a type of the Lord Jesus, is moved with compassion. He saw him. Others saw him too, but it does not say they were moved with compassion. Not only does he take him to the inn and take care of him but it says, “And on the morrow as he left, taking out two denarii”. I thought that could be likened to the Lord Jesus bringing out just what was needed at that moment from His resource in skill, in care and in love for one that was in dire need. “Taking out” - it was within His possession; it was under His hand and He brought it out. The Lord Jesus knows exactly what your need is and He is willing to bring out what would sustain you. The two denarii were brought out in view of sustenance in the inn until he came again; how the Lord Jesus in His boundless grace provides for believers in this scene where He is not! He has not yet come back: “I will render to thee on my coming back”. He will come back. How blessed it will be when He returns, but in the meantime, He has made full provision in the inn. Much has been said as to what these two denarii might represent. I cannot expand on that, but the impre He returns. He has committed it into the Holy Spirit's hand to administer, “whatsoever thou shalt expend more”. Think of that: there will be no lack in divine support until the Lord Jesus comes again. My exercise is that I might value the Spirit’s expenditure and stay in the inn, stay where this wealth is being expended. That is where we will be supported, where we will be protected. If we wander from the inn, we might fall into the hands of robbers again. Stay in the place where God is expending. It would be for us the place where the assembly is known and valued. God is expending in skill and in love so that the testimony might be preserved until the Lord comes again.
I read in Luke 15. The father was moved with compassion. The younger son became a repentant sinner. That is what the parable in this chapter speaks about, different aspects of it but the one parable. The part we read speaks of the father being moved with compassion. The younger son was coming back in repentance. In type, God the Father said to His bondmen, “Bring out the best robe”. Here is something He has under His hand; here is something that He desires to give to His son. If the son is going to be suited for His presence, if he is going to have a part in the liberty and rejoicing of the house, he must be properly attired. When God looks upon the believer He sees the Lord Jesus; that gives Him delight. That is what the best robe is like. If you are clothed in that, you are clothed in Christ, and God sees that and it delights Him. That is proper to His house; it has its origin there. He does not send someone out for it; it seems to be within the house. It is in His treasury, you might say, and He brings it out. He brings it out with skill and with love because He knows that is just what is needed, and He gives it to His son lovingly. He does not hold anything back. He does not hold any grudges against this young man; He does not say 'Why should I give you my best robe?’. No, “But the father said to his bondmen, Bring out the best robe”. Nothing would stop the Father in His desire in clothing us in Christ. What a value God places on us: He “put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet”. Others can say better than I can what these things represent, but God is willing to expend from His treasure so that the believer might be suited to His presence. We might not feel we are really worthy to be there, but God desires that you might feel free in His presence. We have been set free, not only by the truth but by the Son (John 8: 32, 36), that we might be there in holy liberty in God's presence, not only for our pleasure but for God's own pleasure, God's delight. “And they began to make merry”; it must suggest the Father’s joy, speaking reverently. The whole house was a place of holy celebration, “And they began to make merry”.
In Genesis 24 we have in the servant a type of the Holy Spirit, and it says that he “brought forth silver articles, and gold articles, and clothing, and he gave them to Rebecca”. It says earlier in the chapter that Abraham’s servant “ruled over all that he had”, v 2, and it says too, “now all the treasure of his master was under his hand”, v 10. Thus, the Holy Spirit has access to the full divine treasury; He knows just what should be brought out at any time. It is not here provision to meet a need or lack; this is adornment. The Holy Spirit knows perfectly what is suited to Christ’s own heart. This is not suitability exactly for God's house; this is suitability for Isaac, who represents to us the Lord Jesus as the heavenly Man. The Holy Spirit brings out heavenly treasure at the present time, so that those who are believers in the Lord Jesus and have the Holy Spirit, who thus belong to the assembly, are suitably adorned. How does He do that? Perhaps it is in a meeting like this, perhaps in a reading meeting, perhaps when we are speaking one with another and we share what we have learned of Jesus, our impressions of Him. The Holy Spirit would do that. Think of what the Lord Jesus says about the Holy Spirit in John's gospel; He says He “will bring to your remembrance all the things which I have said to you” (chap 14: 26), then further on, “He shall glorify me”, chap 16: 14. Think of that: the Holy Spirit would always do that. He would bring out of the divine treasure to glorify the true Isaac. When he saw Rebecca, Isaac would have recognised these gold articles and silver articles, he would recognise the clothing. He would say, 'That is out of my father's treasure, and there is someone who values it, there is someone who is suited to wear it'. She has moral suitability; that was established earlier in the chapter and, beloved, how privileged we are to be in a place where there are believers who have the Holy Spirit and to whom God will provide everything that is needed so that Christ’s heart may be satisfied. Let us value it more.
I read in Matthew because I think this householder with a treasure is to be a figure of ourselves, of a believer. How do we accumulate spiritual treasure? I suppose it must involve cultivating a living and sustained daily communion with the Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit and with God the Father, frequenting Their presence. These are the blessed divine Persons who have that treasure and are willing to bring out of it for your blessing and for their glory; stay near to them. Ask the Spirit to add to your spiritual treasury. “Every scribe discipled to the kingdom of the heavens is like a man that is a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old”. Do you have a treasury? If you do not have a treasury you cannot bring anything out of it. There might be a time when you need spiritual resource to help someone. Like the good Samaritan, you might be called upon to bring out from that resource to support someone who is in need. You might also be able to bring out something that would dignify one of your brethren and make them suitable for God's presence. You might do something that would facilitate the service of the Holy Spirit, in bringing Christ attractively before another believer in the Spirit's power so that there may be something fresh in them for Christ's delight.
I feel the test of what has been said, that we might have a spiritual treasure with things new and things old in it. Do not rely only on what is old. Do not just rest on impressions you received many years ago. Of course, they can be expanded and added to, but desire to get something fresh, get it into your treasury, and you never know when the Spirit might prompt you to bring it out so that there may be more glory for God.
May the Lord bless the word.
Word in meeting for ministry, Grangemouth
12th July 2016