RETURN TO LIFE
[p. 108] RETURN TO LIFE
1 Samuel 30:11 - 35; 2 Kings 4:17 - 37; Genesis 45:21 - 28
The Spirit of God would have us prove the necessity of a living state amongst the saints. Many have light, and in certain circumstances they enjoy the light, but are not truly living. Then there are others who, after having had light, fall into a state of moral death; such are alluded to in Ephesians 5:14, “Wake up, thou that sleepest, and arise up from among the dead”. Then there are still others in whom God has commenced a work, but who remain in a state of indecision. I would like to make use of these passages to illustrate these three conditions.
In the first passage read, a young man is referred to who had been associated with the world in opposition to God and His people. He says he is an Egyptian young man, servant of an Amalekite, at war with the people of God. Perhaps amongst my hearers are some young people like that; under the influence of others, serving the flesh; attacking the Cherethites who were serving God. The Amalekites also attacked what belonged to Judah; and Judah speaks of what God gives sovereignly to His people. Doubtless this young man did not personally hate either the Cherethites or Judah, but he represents one who is under the influence of the world and the flesh; he is under the power of the enemy and so speaks evil of God’s people and of His sovereign choice. It then states that they attacked the south of Caleb. Now Caleb represents the saints as heavenly; as a young man he was not satisfied with the wilderness, nor did his thoughts return to Egypt, but he was determined to enter upon his heavenly part, and now the Amalekite army, of which this young Egyptian formed part, had attacked his territory. Why attack God’s people who are taking possession of their heavenly [p. 109] inheritance? Why do children of christian families criticise their parents, or their brother and sisters who are not worldly? One sometimes sees this; they do not like to hear heavenly things spoken of; they do not like meetings such as this, and complain about them; that is what this young man did, but he fell sick. Thank God for that illness! He was tired of life. Perhaps there is someone here this afternoon who is beginning to see that there are other things that matter, and beginning to make a difference between the service of God, and the service of the enemy. Beloved brethren, it is our responsibility in each local gathering to seek out such young people. They are perhaps tired of serving the world, so let us be watchful to discover those with such symptoms.
Now David’s men found this young Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. It is not said that David found him, it is the privilege of the saints to find such young men or women and bring them to Christ. They brought him to David; that seems to suggest that they were going to pray for him, commending him to the Lord. But it is noticeable that David did nothing to help this man in any direct way, showing what the saints can do in such circumstances. We are told, that they “gave him bread and he ate, and they gave him water to drink”; the saints provide such with whatever they need for strength. Jesus said as to Himself, “The bread of God is he who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world”, John 6:33. It is a matter for us to see if we have such bread which could be eaten by a young man like that; it was bread, and he ate. What a victory when a young person gains some thought of Christ. Then it says “they gave him water to drink”; that is to say, something satisfying, for the world could satisfy him no longer. How good to have “water to drink” when one is thirsty.
Then they “gave him a piece of fig-cake and two raisin-cakes, and he ate”. Notice that he ate what was [p. 110] given him, and besides water to drink, he was given a piece of fig-cake — not separate figs — speaking of what the saints have in unity and holy love. When such holy unity is manifested amongst us, it is attractive to the young. Figs are particularly sweet, and here they are mingled together, “a cake of figs”. You will recall the parable in Judges 9, when the trees asked the fig-tree to reign over them, it refused saying, “Should I leave my sweetness?” The fig-tree continued to bear sweet fruit. Young people love what is sweet, and they need it too. It says of this young man that “his spirit came again to him”. How important it is to have such young people amongst us, in our meetings; young people who have been brought to live under the influence of Christ, and who have received carefully chosen food. They come to life, and instead of serving the enemy, they are able to fight him. Through this meal the young man is brought back to life, and comes under David’s orders, instead of remaining with the Amalekites, governed by carnal tastes. He is no longer under the authority of Satan, but in principle he is under the direct influence of the Lord Jesus, fighting the good fight.
The second passage read is well known, often being used, very justly, to illustrate the gospel preaching. It should be noticed here that the child was given to his mother without her asking for him. If you will allow it, I will speak of this woman as a figure of a local assembly. She was a wealthy woman; a local gathering like Valence can be spiritually wealthy. She was rich, but she thought of the man of God; that is, of Christ, in type; she spoke of him to her husband, and they built a room for him. This room was occupied only by Elisha; the prophet did not simply live in the house with this woman and her husband. This signifies how Christ may have a place in a believer’s house, but not the entire place. The feminine side dominates, it is a question more of the woman than her husband. Things should be in order in the assembly, so we should see [p. 111] that Christ has His due place. That is what the husband represents here; he had little influence in his house, and if the husband has little influence, it implies that the woman has too much; local gatherings should watch that.
The child is promised, and given; that is to say, there is an addition to the assembly; then the child dies. One day, he went out to his father who was harvesting in the fields. It appears that the father had authority there, although he had little in the house, and the child said, “My head, my head!” His intellect had developed abnormally, in an unbalanced way; the trouble was in his head, and his father could do nothing for him. That does not mean that the Lord can do nothing, but the father was powerless; the state of things existing in the house did not allow the father to have the place due to him, so he sent the child to his mother — what a poor state of things! — but neither was she able to do anything. If that continues the meeting will die out; the child died at noon; he died at the very time he should have been most energetic.
However, there is need to take account of a very salutary element in a local gathering; that is, a real knowledge of the man of God. The husband says, “Why wilt thou go to him today? it is neither new moon nor sabbath”. Why should he speak of the sabbath when his son was dead? Should we wait until there is a special meeting like this in order to bring a child back to life? Should we not take up the matter immediately? This woman decides she will not allow herself to be dissuaded by her husband and has an ass saddled to enable her to reach the man of God. In such circumstances we must not be wrongly advised. The husband’s suggestions are inspired by what is found in general around us; religious duties are only performed on certain feast days, new moon or sabbath; but faith says, ‘It must be today, and only the man of God can meet the situation’. She knows where he is and goes to find him immediately. He is on mount Carmel, the place [p. 112] of victory, and we should get the spirit of this, dear brethren, in order to meet such a situation where a young person dies spiritually. She found the man of God and is resolved not to leave him until he arrives at the house. She had already placed the child on the prophet’s bed; he had to be placed, in type, where the Lord lay. The child must be raised with Christ, must be brought under His quickening influence, and he will come out from his grave. It is said that we are “buried with him in baptism, in which ye have been also raised with him through faith of the working of God ... and you ... he has quickened together with him”, Colossians 2:12,13. This child is placed, so to speak, where the Lord lay; his mother put him on the prophet’s bed.
Elisha is a type of Christ, although as a man he was marked by weakness, which we must not forget for one moment. He sent Gehazi with his staff, which represents his experience, but one may be as old as Methuselah and yet be quite incapable of awaking a child in this state. Experience is not enough, it is a matter of life, and of the power of God. Elisha therefore came himself and went up to the room; the staff had had no effect whatever, the child still had not revived. It is useless for elderly brothers or sisters to come and say ineffectual things, for it is a question of life; the kingdom of God is in power, and the excellence of the power must be of God. The death of Christ is necessary, and the power by which He was raised from among the dead. Elisha therefore “went in and shut the door upon them both, and prayed to Jehovah”. There you are, dear brethren, that is what he did first; he closed the door, remaining alone with the child. The dead child is identified with Christ, for if he is to be raised, it is by the power of Christ, and then his progress will be normal. So Elisha “went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands”. This young [p. 113] man must become like Christ, he must breathe, see, and walk like Christ; what a beautiful picture of the work of Christ. Then it is a matter of discernment, as to how the young are getting on; “the flesh of the child grew warm”; a change is taking place, the young person is now beginning to get nearer to the brethren to find some warmth, he is no longer as cold as death.
It then says that the prophet “returned, and walked in the house to and fro” as if to show that all this was the result of the state existing in the house. Death had been caused by what was happening inside the house; it is not a matter only of the young person, but of the influence found amongst the saints. Perhaps there were bad books in the house, for the prophet “walked in the house”. The Lord Jesus is seen as walking in the midst of seven golden lamps; He visits every locality, and nothing escapes Him, and if something of this kind exists He will show us its cause. The prophet himself “walked in the house to and fro; and went up and bent over him”; first he lay on the child, then he bent over him, and finally “the lad sneezed seven times, and the lad opened his eyes”. If there is some young person here in this state, Christ, represented here by Elisha, is very near to you, to serve you in love. What affection the prophet shows in bending over the child; this should be seen amongst the brethren, an older brother or sister going to a young man or woman and bending over them in love.
He sneezed seven times and opened his eyes. What a wonderful thing to have opened eyes, and opened on Christ! and beloved brethren, that is what the young should be able to see in us! He sneezed seven times; his lungs were getting strong, he was alive. Then the prophet said to Gehazi, “Call this Shunammite”; she represents the local meeting. He said to her, “Take up thy son. And she came and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and she took up her son and went out”. Applying this scene spiritually, what a [p. 114] change there was in the house! This woman is touched, she takes up her son and goes out.
In the last passage read, Jacob is an old man, representative here of a believer who has become marked by weakness; in verse 26, “his heart fainted, for he did not believe them”. This passage, as I understand it, refers to young brothers growing in the truth, but whose conduct has not been such as has inspired confidence in them by others; time is needed to overcome such lack of confidence. Jacob’s sons had deceived him, and their behaviour to Joseph was cruel toward their father. If such conditions exist between young and old brethren, time is needed for it to be set right. These young men had a marvellous message for their father, and we can say too to our aged brethren that the Lord is giving us marvellous ministry; but if the older ones have no confidence in us, they will not believe us. Jacob’s “heart fainted, for he did not believe them”. It is a great matter to inspire confidence in our ministry, dear brethren; so we read that “they spoke to him all the words of Joseph, which he had spoken to them”. They did not speak of their own thoughts, but they carried the message from Joseph. Is there a believer whose heart would not be touched by the word of Christ? They spoke to him all the words of Joseph. Is your heart hardened? the Lord’s message is for you, it is for the elder brothers and sisters here; you must wake up from your spiritual lethargy, in order to be marked by life and to take part with your brethren in the meeting wholeheartedly.
“He saw the waggons that Joseph had sent to carry him”. When Christ’s word finds a way into your heart you begin to see things; you will see the strength which is able to carry you to the end. These are important things. Joseph had sent the waggons to carry Jacob, and when he saw them, “the spirit of Jacob their father revived”. It is touching to see that his spirit revived when he received what corresponds to the ministry [p. 115] the Lord is giving today, in power, and when he saw the Lord’s provision to carry him to the end. “And Israel said, It is enough: Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die”. It results in movement towards Christ. What a glorious result! May the Lord bless the word.