IT IS WELL WITH THE CHILD

IT IS WELL WITH THE CHILD

(Word at the Burial of a Child)

2 Samuel 12:16 - 23 The brethren, I am sure, will perceive the applicability of this passage to our present circumstances; indeed, nothing is more characteristic of Scripture than its way of taking account of human circumstances, especially circumstances causing grief among God’s people. The Scriptures themselves afford comfort, for the “comfort of the scriptures” (Romans 15:4) is spoken of, and there is comfort at the present time in the passage I read; and help, too, as one hopes, particularly for those most affected. They are in our minds, knowing that they need comfort. The Scriptures will not fail in this respect, nor will the brethren fail. There will be comfort from the Scriptures and from the brethren. Indeed, the Spirit is here for comfort and to help us in our efforts to serve each other at such a time. We have the Lord above touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and the Spirit here who makes intercession with groanings that cannot be uttered. These are operative in the saints, and so this passage enters into the moment, and, in order that it should be qualified, other passages may be introduced.

Our brother has mentioned in prayer one that is appropriate at the moment: a mother bereaved by the death of an only child. It is a touching scripture involving one specially affected; it was the Shunammite mentioned in 2 Kings 4. She had the experience of being bereft of her only child, a son divinely given according to promise; and she knew what to do. That is what is in mind in reading this scripture, that we all might know how to take this solemn situation, and particularly those immediately ^[p. 2] affected; that they should know how to take the sorrow. We are to be taught in these circumstances so as to know how to think and what to do. The Shunammite would go to the man of God. She knew where to go — a most important matter. Our beloved brother and sister, the parents of this dear child who is now lying here dead, undoubtedly have already learned where to go, and have gone there; and as having gone, they will know how to be here at this moment. The Shunammite knew. She knew that all nature was to be barred, and so placed the child on Elisha’s bed. She went to the man of God, and he understood there was deep concern in her heart. We can indeed be thankful for a man of God. Elisha is also a type of Christ, and He knows. He knows what is going on in the hearts of the bereaved. Elisha discerned that the Shunammite was deeply moved — perhaps too deeply affected to make visible expression of it, for there is sorrow that is incapable of visible expression. We know how it applies to the Lord. He sorrowed alone on the cross, and thus He knows what sorrow is. He knows what bereavement is, too, and enters into it with the bereaved ones. So the prophet directs his servant to ask her, “Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she said, It is well” (2 Kings 4:26). That is an answer that has to be studied. The Holy Spirit helps us to do this. The woman kept her thoughts on the man of God. So there is need for the bereaved ones here to keep their thoughts where they should be — on our High Priest above. The Shunammite’s thoughts were on Elisha. She had gone a long way for him and would have him go back with her. If the child was to be raised, he must be where he is.

In the passage read, it is a solemn fact that the child is not raised. The word ‘dead’ is mentioned about eight times, and not without purpose. In ^[p. 3] other similar circumstances, we have the resurrection of the person involved. The child of the Shunammite was to be raised immediately. That was in the purpose of God. The daughter of Jairus was to be raised. The Lord went all the way to raise her at the urgent request of her father. The young man at the gate of Nain was raised. These instances are recorded, all culminating in the desired end; but not in David’s case. So it is solemn, and I read it because it affords instruction, particularly for those directly affected. They need instruction, and they need comfort, and they need to know what to do, and maybe they need to change their attitude. Possibly many of us have not had this idea of change of attitude in such circumstances.

It is a question for us as to what really commands us at such a time — how far nature has sway or how far the Spirit of God has sway, and so David, we are told, besought God for the child, Will he live? But he not only besought God for the child; he fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth. “And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he ate no bread with them” — a suitable attitude in a most solemn time. He is a feeling man, and he had good reason to feel, and he felt rightly; his attitude was perfect. His lying on the earth was perfect while the child lived. “And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, Who knows? perhaps Jehovah will be gracious to me, that the child may live”. He reasoned rightly, as a man of God would. He knew what to do, and he knew how to feel, and God honoured him. God took account of him. Heaven was looking on, as now, for these occasions are not simply to exercise men; they are occasions for heaven.

Heaven is looking on the bereaved — the living. We are all of interest to heaven, but especially the ^[p. 4] bereaved — how they have been, how they are now, and how they are going to be in regard to all this. David is perfect up to this point in his attitude, and he explains his attitude. He says, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, Who knows? perhaps Jehovah will be gracious to me” — not to the child, but to me. At least, that was the great thought, that the child should live. He knew what it involved to be deprived of the child, but he knew God. That is the point — how far our knowledge of God will stand by us at such a time, for we are dealing with Him. So David says, “Who knows? perhaps Jehovah will be gracious to me, that the child may live”. But later he says, “Now he is dead”.

Now that is the solemn fact that always comes up in these cases, as it has come up even at this very moment. Our dear ones are taken away, and not only have they fallen asleep in Jesus, but we have as at this moment to say, She is dead; the child is dead. It is a solemn fact for the parents; it was a more solemn fact for David. The word ‘dead’ is used, as I said, many times in the passage. Is not the Spirit of God stressing it through this scripture — the reality of death? But then there is no penalty. “Their angels in the heavens continually behold the face of my Father who is in the heavens” (Matthew 18:10). The Lord Jesus Himself furnishes us with this fact; so, as understanding it, we can leave her. It is well for the child, indeed. We can all say that without any question. It runs through the Scriptures. No doubt many of us can say it feelingly as to the loved ones of each of us who have fallen asleep, that it is well with them. Let us rest in it, therefore. So David says here, “But now he is dead”. We have come to this solemn fact. There is going to be no resurrection now, no immediate relief in that sense. There was in relation to the daughter of Jairus; there was in relation to Lazarus — there was peculiar ^[p. 5] relief for his sisters; there was for the mother of the young man of Nain; there was in relation to the Shunammite’s son. The prophet sends for the mother of the child and delivered to her her son, and she went away — profoundly affected. But there is no such possibility now. Intelligence teaches us that resurrection must be awaited. There are to be more needed results, results in the parents and the grandparents, in all of us — more important immediately than the actual resurrection of the dear child. Her time is coming.

The resurrection is a great future event, a certain future event. That is the hope of our hearts; that there is to be a resurrection of the dead. The Lord speaks of it: “But that the dead rise, even Moses shewed in the section of the bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob; but he is not God of the dead but of the living; for all live for him” (Luke 20:37,38). They are with God; they are in His keeping. As to their bodies, they are in Machpelah, so to speak. It is all a question of time as to that. The event is certain; and so David says here, “But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?” Beautiful intelligence and beautiful resignation! It is a lesson for us all. We are to know how to feel and act at such a time, bringing God into it. So he goes on to say, “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me”; that is to say, the Spirit of God is telling us in this passage to face realities, the realities that are visible to us. David shows by his attitude that he was a victorious man as seen in this passage. It is said in verse 20, “Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing, and entered into the house of Jehovah and worshipped”. Is this not the desired result? Is this not the state we are to be in? Is it well with the child? Better for her than ever it could be here.

^[p. 6] This is a terrible world in which to bring up children. Even for this reason we can say, It is well with the child. There may be circumstances, of course, that we have to leave with those who have to go through them, but it is well with the child. There is no thought of change at all with David; it is a fixed matter. Let us accept this, that what God does is done with accuracy, with purpose, and above all, with love behind it. It is done; it is a finished incident governed by divine love. We are all on the way, as the child was. She has gone to the end; not now to the resurrection. She is awaiting it as we are. However long it will be for her, it will be for us.

But David is not now weeping and mourning. Why should he, if things are well as according to the will of God? For it is a fixed matter with God that the child is not to return, and faith sees that it is a fixed matter — “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me”. That is the suitable attitude of mind. We must accept the fixedness of it, which is God’s will; and so it is said, “he changed his apparel”; that is, he is not a mourner. Not that I am saying a word about the grief in the hearts of the parents — not at all. But why should we deny God His rights? How do we wish to appear before God? If we put on mourning, it is not for God’s eye. God is not looking for that. David, it is said, “changed his apparel”. It had been perhaps mourning, but not now. It is a question of God now. These incidents occasion great history. They are great matters in the history of the persons immediately involved; great matters for all of us. They are education spiritually. We should all learn by them. “He changed his apparel”. We are not going to make any show before men unnecessarily. There may be certain seemliness in mourning, but we have to think of God and what kind of garments He looks for, and what kind of garments are suitable for persons who accept His ^[p. 7] will. David says, He will not come back to me, but I shall go to him. So he has to tread his way, and he resolves to do it, with God, with other apparel. He changed his apparel, “and entered into the house of Jehovah and worshipped”. He is starting well after this great sorrow, this historical matter that has come down the ages.

It is not so much to tell us about the child and the antecedents, but the remarkableness in David, a great saint, in facing such a matter, and knowing what attitude to take up, and how to behave afterwards. He is going to be a worshipper of God. With the child, it is well. David is not going further into this matter. He says, I shall go to him; he is not coming back to me. He had many a sorrow in his house afterwards — terrible ones followed — but this was peculiarly poignant. In the meanwhile, David is not to be a mourner or useless in the service of God, but rather a worshipper, a priest as well as king. I believe his whole outlook was changed. The sorrow had been of immense importance in his history. He became a worshipper perhaps as he had never been before. He has an insight into the future, into the realm, too, of the living.

We have access to that through the precious death of the Lord. He said to one, “To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise”. What a wonderful thing! Paul had a look into it. He does not tell us what he saw, but what he heard, which is more important. This is a hearing time, what God is saying; and as we take these things to heart our spiritual depth and outlook will be greatly enhanced.