THE GRACE OF GOD (SUMMARY OF A READING)
THE GRACE OF GOD (SUMMARY OF A READING)
This chapter contains one of the most remarkable settings forth of grace that the Old Testament presents. It serves to bring out that God cannot deny Himself; if we believe not He abides faithful. The whole city of Samaria, from the king downwards, was brought to the point of death, and the only one with whom was salvation had been condemned to death (chapter 6, verse 31). But just then the gospel came to the city by Elisha’s word. What comes out in Elisha as the salvation of God has the whole world in view. If death is on man what is the difference between the Jew and the Gentile? We come to the ground of Romans 5: 12 - 21. It is not a question of law, or of promise to Abraham, but of Adam and of what came in by him. So Samaria here represents the world as under death, but not abandoned by God, for Elisha is there. He is here typical of Christ in His universal headship. God has in mind to bring in life for men. The fine flour and the barley speak of Christ in His perfect humanity and His resurrection. He is morally entitled to be Head as being exempt from sin and death, and He is entitled, too, as having gone into death for men and come out in resurrection. We have to preach Christ in the great place which He holds on God’s part for all men. Adam is not the divinely appointed head for men but Christ. The great question is, will men believe on the [p. 177] divinely appointed Head? Men are like the captain on whose hand the king leaned; they scoff at the glad tidings. The four leprous men represent those who learn they are under death and commit themselves to God. The Syrians here represent those agencies by which God brings home to men that they are under death, that is, under conviction of sin. When men give themselves over to conviction of sin they find that God has dealt with the whole matter. There is nothing to fear, but abundance of spoil. God has acted in His own almighty power with a view to life being brought in for men. Romans 5 shows how He has done it. The reign of death is a challenge to God: has He no remedy? If men would only face the reality of the position they would find there is nothing to fear. Everything that man fears has brought to light what God is in grace, so that through the headship of Christ not an enemy is left in view. We have only to take the spoil, and to let others know about it.