This morning I enjoyed afresh to see what God’s economy is – what is the divine economy! In the Bible we see several mentions of “the economy of God”, which phrase is sometimes translated as the “dispensation of God”, “the stewardship of God”, or “God’s dispensation“. Here is what 1 Timothy 1:4 says,
Nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.
What is the economy of God? The divine economy is God’s household administrative arrangement, the divine dispensation – to dispense Himself into His children so that He may have a household, the church, to express Himself.
The word ECONOMY is the anglicized form of the Greek word oikonomia, which is composed of two words – oikos (meaning house) and nomos (meaning law). Hence, oikonomia refers to the house arrangement, the household management or administration.
Especially in the old times, the big households had a lot of people, servants, riches, food, lands, etc – and there was a certain person, the Oikonomos, who took care of all the needs of the people in the household: he was responsible that everyone would be taken care of, everyone would be fed and supplied.
Even more, there was a “plan” or “an arrangement” for every household, that took care of everyone in that household – all the needs were met! This word, oikonomia, denotes the management and distribution of the wealth of a rich household.
In the Old Testament we have Joseph, for instance, who was the administrator of Pharaoh’s house, which was so rich that it could supply not only Egypt but also other nations. There was the need of some arrangement and administration in order to distribute the riches of Pharaoh’s house in a proper way.
The Economy of God is God’s Household Administration
Our Father God has a great house with vast stores of the unsearchable riches of Christ. All that God is and has is expressed in the Son – Christ is the embodiment of all the riches of God.
And we all, the believers, are God’s house – this great house needs some administration, some management, to dispense all these riches into God’s people for the producing of the church as the corporate expression and home of the Triune God.
Christ is the “Oikonomos” taking care of God’s economy and accomplishing it, and He is dispensing all the riches of what the Triune God is into us! God’s economy, therefore, is His household administration to dispense Himself in Christ into His chosen people so that He may have a house, a household, where He can express Himself, which household is the church, the Body of Christ!
Hallelujah, today in the church life we enjoy God’s economy, His dispensing, every day! All we need to do is to come to the Lord in His Word through the exercise of our mingled spirit, and we enjoy the riches of what the Triune God is to all those in His house!
As we enjoy this Rich Christ, we become God’s expression, the fullness of Christ, the church! We are included in God’s economy and we enjoy the dispensing of the Triune God in Christ as the Spirit to become His expression on the earth!
[enjoyment from The Conclusion of the New Testament, by bro. Witness Lee]. Read more about God’s Economy via the dedicated website – God’s Economy. Read this article also in Spanish via, La economía de Dios es la administración de Dios para Su casa, Su familia, con el propósito de impartir todas Sus riquezas a nosotros.
Thank You, Lord, for Your economy! Thank You for Your dispensing! Keep us receiving and enjoying Your dispensing every day, so that we may become Your corporate expression! Keep dispensing Yourself into our whole being, Lord, to make us Your fullness in a corporate way! Lord, we want to cooperate with Your economy by receiving all that You are dispensing – make us such good receivers! Dispense all that You are into us and gain what You are after – the corporate expression of Christ! Gain Your expression in us, Lord, through Your fine, daily, normal dispensing of all Your riches into us!
