CALAMITY

^[p. 275] CALAMITY

1 Chronicles 7: 20 - 27; Mark 9: 16 - 29

The brethren will have observed that I called attention to the better translation in the first scripture read, and that calamity in the house of Ephraim is mentioned, evil is calamity, and vice versa, but the word ‘evil’ has a moral meaning, whereas ‘calamity’ may not be blameworthy, especially in the household alluded to. I have read of calamitous conditions in these two houses. In Mark 9 it is a matter of lunacy (though not called it in Mark, but in Matthew, but I need not comment on it), a most sorrowful matter for any house. But I proceed now, and as I have read, the first is death by murder; not an uncommon thing alas just now for human life is so cheap; it is nothing more in some peoples’ eyes than that of an animal; but it was not so in Ephraim’s house. He is one of the sons of Joseph, who was favoured as being beloved by his father, Israel, Genesis 37: 3. So we have to look for much in the history of Joseph of instruction and interest; it is a love matter, and as most know the history implies sovereignty, peculiar sovereignty on the part of God. So it is that when Joseph came to Jacob he brought in his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim; they were born in Egypt, but Jacob claimed them as his sons, meaning that they were to be elevated to full tribal status. Scripture always provides its reasons and explanations for what is done, so when Joseph came to his father, it is because he heard that his father was sick; and when a man of distinction is sick, like Elisha in 2 Kings 13, it is serious; sick men in the service of God may die; therefore God has His own reasons. Jacob went down to Egypt and stayed there seventeen years; then he becomes sick in view of death, and Joseph is told of it. He was a great man in Egypt now, but he was not ^[p. 276] greater than his father; he could not be, Jacob was greater than Joseph in every way. So he is determined to elevate Ephraim above Manasseh, and we must learn not to quarrel with the sovereign rights of God, which are always, and must be, right. The whole universe depends on this; and so Joseph had to learn it. He thought his word was everything in Egypt, and even challenged his father’s word. Fancy challenging the word of such a great man as that! It says, “it was evil in his eyes”, Genesis 48: 17. I mention this to warn us as to the rights of God in our service, or whatever it be, and the rights of our fellow-men, and the rights of our brethren too, for God has given us all rights; not that we are to assert our rights; Paul never asserted his rights; he could have done, but he refrained. He said it was ordered of the Lord that the one who preached the gospel should live of the gospel, “but I have used none of these things”, 1 Corinthians 9: 15. He preferred to be free, and not to stand on his rights. It may be that someone here is not in fellowship, and you are now washing your robes; you have a right to the fellowship. There is no such thing as to be received into fellowship; it is a right; you may say you are not fit, but if you wash your robes, you have the great celestial privilege; you “have right to the tree of life”, and to go in by the gates into the city, Revelation 22: 14.

As I was saying of Joseph and Ephraim, the man had an open divergence of opinion with his father, even to saying, “Not so, my father”, but Jacob says, “I know, my son, I know”. He is the elder, says Joseph, “this is the firstborn”; but his father says, “I know”, and it is so, the older ones know more; and if they are at all sincere the older ones are safer than the younger. Esau says to Isaac, “Hast thou then but one blessing, my father?” — Genesis 27: 38, but God the Father, and Christ, and the Spirit have more ^[p. 277] than one. See where we are, and what we have, dear brethren!

Years had gone by, and Jacob had died, and Joseph had died, and Ephraim had his sons born, and they had stolen cattle, the cause of all the calamity, and the young men were murdered for it. They may possibly have wronged them. So Ephraim mourns for his sons, as every Christian father should over the loss of sons. How much need there has been of late of feeling fathers and mothers, and brothers and sisters, in connection with the calamities that have taken place. Maybe some may have calamitous conditions in their houses, even lunacy, a terrible disease, which Matthew alludes to, the assembly gospel. Many here can speak feelingly of it, and how we need to be comforted and prayed for; “The fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power” — James 5: 16. “Brethren, pray for us” says Paul, 1 Thessalonians 5: 25; he knew what their prayers would effect. Keep on praying when calamity exists. There is much of it, and much that is unspoken; the calamities of the saints; what there may have been, and what yet remains; for it is a feeling time, and it behoves us to be prayerful that God may come in, that He may bring about conditions, either faith or fruitfulness, in the households of the brethren. And so we have other children born to Ephraim; it is God’s way, for He has the power of life. Life is to be seen in our households now, if moral death once existed there. Physical death of course God alone can replace in that way. John, the beloved disciple, fell at the Lord’s feet as dead. He had never seen the Lord in judicial garments before; he “turned back to see the voice” — Revelation 1: 12, as if it were personified, and so it may be; and he saw “one like the Son of man, clothed with a garment reaching to the feet”, in the midst of the assemblies, in the role of ^[p. 278] a judge, and he fell at His feet as dead. The Lord felt it, as He saw His beloved disciple thus; but, as I said before, it is a means of recovery or replacement; and if calamity comes the remedy is in the hands of the Lord, and He says, “Fear not”. If there is any household where there is calamity, let us learn not to fear; He says, “I am the first and the last, and the living one”, I know all about the matter of death; “and be not afraid of those who kill the body”, however cruel they may be; we have seen it; so Satan is called in Revelation 20: 2, “the dragon, the ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan” which means he is the destroyer; but the Lord is the Author or “originator of life”, as Peter calls Him in Acts 3: 15, Him they slew, and put Him in a grave, but they could do no more; so it is a question of what can happen in resurrection, and He says, “I am the first and the last, and the living one: and I became dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of ages”, He is supreme; it is only a question of what He wishes; He may allow things to go on in suffering, as with Paul to “fill up that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ in my flesh, for his body, which is the assembly”, Colossians 1: 24; the sufferings must be complete, and so it will be.

One more word as to 1 Chronicles 7; Ephraim’s wife bore him a son, “and he called his name Beriah, for he was born when calamity was in his house”; his name means “calamity”; it is prophetic; “Beriah” would always remind him of the sorrow that had come into his house; as he grew up, and as he looked at him, he would never forget it; and shall we ever forget our Beriahs over these last six years. God may change the calamity, for He can do it; and so it was, he not only had this son, but he also had a daughter, Sheerah, a builder, like Ruth and like Rachel and Leah, the builders of the house of Israel — Ruth 4: 11.

^[p. 279] And is it not so? Building is going on, and if it be sisters, let them build the assembly; it is the great time for this, the gospel and the assembly; Christ and the assembly, it is all a question of building. Then, as I remarked, we have the sons, ending up with Nun the father of Joshua. Think of the possibility of a Joshua in the time of calamity, in the times of Israel; his name pointed on to the Lord Jesus, and at a time of calamity, all pointing on to Christ; every calamity is answered in Christ.

I now turn to the New Testament to show how this situation arose after a time of great blessing, of greatness and glory. Just for a moment think of what God can do. The Lord Jesus came down from the mount of Transfiguration to die. And “Elias with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus”, they conversed with Him about His death; it was calamity, in a certain sense, it was His exodus really out of the world; “that through death he might annul him who has the might of death, that is, the devil”, Hebrews 2: 14. Let it never be forgotten!

So we have in our scripture (verse 16), “And he asked them, What do ye question with them about? And one of the crowd answered him, Teacher, I brought to thee my son, who has a dumb spirit; and wheresoever it seizes him it tears him, and he foams and gnashes his teeth, and he is withering away. And I spoke to thy disciples, that they might cast him out, and they could not”. Now listen to the Lord’s answer (verse 19), “O unbelieving generation! how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him to me”. Now I have already spoken of this terrible malady, lunacy; it was “mine only child”, according to Luke’s account (Luke 9: 38), born in his house; how real it was, and hence the deep feelings expressed by the poor father at this calamitous thing in the house. The father says again,

“^[p. 280] From childhood; and often it has cast him both into fire and into waters that it might destroy him: but if thou couldst do anything, be moved ^[p. 281] with pity on us, and help us” — verse 22; and now, dear brethren, we are faced with something we cannot overcome, that we had better accept. No one, no doctors, can do anything; we must bow to the fact, that is the beginning of things, to bow to the Lord, and say it is the will of God; we can do nothing, He can do everything. That is what Paul had to learn in Romans 7; he says there — verse 18 — “I know”; and if anyone has calamity that is the point; we are all helpless in these calamities. “O unbelieving generation”! what a word! Are there any here without faith? It says “without faith it is impossible to please him”, Hebrews 11: 6. So they bring him to Him, and notice, dear brethren, the word, “O unbelieving generation”, is in answer “to them”, it is not fixed on one person, it spreads around. “Bring him to me”, heaven and earth are before us now; we are dealing with great facts, for God is God, and the assembly is the assembly, and Christ is Christ, and the Spirit is the Spirit; but “bring him to me” is the word. Let us see what happens. The devil does his worst — verse 20; that is the devil’s way, to scare us, and banish faith from us; but it is the time of faith; the time of getting things done by heaven. Then the Lord says to the father (he is the one to get at, the one primarily affected), “How long a time is it that it has been like this with him? And he said, From childhood; and often it has cast him both into fire and into waters that it might destroy him”, verses 21 and 22. The devil is the destroyer (his name means that according to Revelation 9: 11), and Peter says, “Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour” — 1 Peter 5: 8. The father says — verse 22, “but if thou couldst do anything, be moved with pity on us, and help us”. He uses the plural, and no doubt includes his wife; and the local brethren too, whoever it may be. You cannot use too large an “us” if it is God helping souls; “if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things” — 1 John 3:20. “Help us”, is the plea, and the New Translation is more accurate, for it is a faith time, and the Lord is putting it to us that “all things are possible to him that believes”. The father then cries out, “I believe, help mine unbelief”. Will the Lord ever turn a deaf ear to such an appeal? No “cure”, however renowned, will do for this, it is for faith only, “all things are possible to him that believes”. And Jesus sees the people running together, and crowds always interfere, and He intervenes. So James says, “and the prayer of faith shall heal the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be one who has committed sins, it shall be forgiven him” — James 5: 15. So here, the Lord says, “thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him”; He names it. And again the demon rends him, but the victory is won; he looks like dead, but no! like Jairus little daughter, and Eutychus in Acts 20, “his life is in him”. So Jesus took “him by the hand, lifted him up, and he arose”. The Lord is not rebuking, but the truth, the plain facts have to be faced; and faith, let us have recourse to it then. May God bless the word.