LIFE AS SEEN IN THE MINISTRIES OF ELIJAH AND ELISHA (3)

^[p. 61] LIFE AS SEEN IN THE MINISTRIES OF ELIJAH AND ELISHA (3)

2 Kings 6: 1 - 7; 2 Kings 13: 14 - 25

JT It was remarked previously that the sons of the prophets have a great place in this book; that is, they suggest a generation following a generation owned and used of God. It was remarked that we cannot be sure of them, uncertainty marks them; for instance, in the early part of the book, they seem to know that Elijah was to be taken up, yet when it took place they were surprised, and they persuaded Elisha to allow fifty of their strong men to go and seek Elijah; in this they are infidel, they discredit the ascension. Yet they are under the wing of the prophet in chapter 4; and now they are seen in chapter 6 as taking the initiative, and they persuade Elisha to follow them. But what they proposed only brought out their defectiveness, though they had good intentions. They are working with borrowed things. The application is very evident. Young brothers have excellent intentions, and sometimes they persuade older brethren to follow their lead, but they expose themselves as working with borrowed instruments, not having yet learned to go to the Lord and get things direct from Him. You will have observed this very often.

CCE Very markedly. The truth has to be made one’s own; even when you really have something, it must be made your own practically before it is effective in ministry.

JT We shall see in chapter 13 that instruments employed in the service of God are to be used first against ourselves. The word of God is to be used against oneself, that is, against the flesh, before we use it on others. It is a two-edged sword, and must be used against ourselves. In the meantime, in this chapter, we see the seriousness of using borrowed instruments, and withal, an assumption to lead in a very important matter. It is a question of a dwelling-place. It is right to ^[p. 62] enlarge the dwelling, but in the procedure this defect comes to light. It says, “the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed”.

DM What is the idea of their saying “the place ... is too strait for us”? Was it too narrow?

JT Yes, the suggestion is right. It is enlargement in a good sense that is meant here, because it is at the Jordan, a type which alludes to death. The natural mind does not wish to approach death, it would keep away as far as possible from that, but here the thought is to be near it. Chapter 5 shows how Naaman ridiculed the Jordan as having no cleansing virtue, and recoiled from it. The natural mind, however religious, recoils from that. Death has cleansing virtue. The water and the blood flowed from the side of a dead Christ, implying the termination of the man after the flesh, whom the Lord represented in death. The Jordan, therefore, alluded to as a type in this way, would not be attractive to the natural mind, so this would be a spiritual proposal. The prophet consents to go too. The knowledge of the Jordan and what it means in this book, is important. It comes in in connection with Elijah and Elisha. Both divide the waters. Elisha has it in mind in the cleansing of the leper, and now the sons of the prophets have it in mind. They want to dwell in the neighbourhood of it; but it discloses that even with spiritual intentions, we may be exposed as working with borrowed tools. We may have the order of the assembly and of the meetings and all the symbols of grace, and yet this may ^[p. 63] come to light.

RSB Will you tell us what borrowed tools are?

JT It is a question of using what other servants have said without having made it our own by spiritual appropriation.

RSB At meetings like this we get certain impressions or may read notes, and use them without really making them our own.

JT Quite true. It is right enough to profit by ministry, and use the words if you are in the good of it yourself. The man that borrowed the axe did not, in principle, use the axe on himself. It means that one has to cut down in himself what is of the flesh. The word of God is the instrument. It is a two-edged sword. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. The old man delights in those features of flesh — pride, ambition, and rivalry. All these things may enter into ministry. One may have intelligence and light, and yet there may be rivalry and pride, of which he may be but little conscious. The Word is a searching thing — a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart — a remarkably fine distinction.

FJF He only seemed exercised about the axe when he lost it.

JT That would show that there was a certain amount of honesty with him.

FJF Would it be that in using those tools, the Lord did not give His support? You may find you have a piece of wood in your hand instead of the axe.

JT Just the handle. You will not accomplish much in felling a tree with just the handle of an axe. The start of the process leading to adjustment is that I acknowledge the actual situation.

AWP Ministry as received needs to be held in the power of life in our souls.

JT These scriptures bring out what it is to be in the power of life. The leading feature in Elisha’s ministry is the power of life.

RSB ^[p. 64] If a crisis comes up among the saints there is often a turning up of authorities, and you may be confirmed either way.

JT Yes, you may get confirmed either way if you are seeking confirmation of your own view. If your eye is single you will be helped to distinguish what is of God in reading ministry. In Jeremiah’s time (Jeremiah 26), certain persons wanted to put him to death and they referred to precedents, but the judgment of Hezekiah — manifestly right — was by some put on the same level as that of Jehoiakim — manifestly wrong. You are sure to receive confirmation for your point of view if this is only what you desire. It requires spirituality to use ministry, just as it requires spirituality to read the Bible. Things must be viewed in their context, whether in the Bible or in books like the Synopsis. You can prove almost anything from the Bible. If you have not a single eye you will ignore contexts. If there is light in me I discern what is meant. I am balanced and sober. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them”, Isaiah 8: 20.

CCE Every protestant sect founds its doctrines on Scripture, but yet they are contradictory.

RSB We often use what this or that brother says as helps. I was wondering whether these are borrowed things.

JT Well, all you can do is to use these as helps, they cannot be regarded as final. One can get help from writers, but the Scriptures alone can be used as final.

FJF Would testimony include what spiritual men are saying at the time?

JT Well, it is whatever God has given us. That is the idea of testimony, and nothing can be final, save that which is inspired.

JF I was wondering why the law and testimony come together.

JT The idea of the law is that it is imperative, you cannot evade the law with impunity. The testimony is a ^[p. 65] wider and more spiritual thought. You have the law and the prophets and the psalms. The law conveys the idea of what is binding. The judge sits and hears the case, it is his business to make the law clear. The jury has the responsibility of the verdict. The testimony is rendered, and the judge has to sift the evidence and make clear the law governing the matter. You get the law of Moses, the law of the house; whatever it be, there is a law governing it. I believe that is what is meant in all the Scriptures. The priest’s business now is to make that law clear. We may say, Mr Darby says this or that, but that cannot be final. It is helpful but the law is in the Scriptures; compare Psalm 119. Coming back to our scriptures, the lesson is especially for young brothers. Here it is a proposal by the young men, and the old brother consents to go with them. They are respectful to him. He says, “I will go”. Now let their proposal work out. He goes with them at their request. The Lord allows these things to happen. Sometimes energy amongst the young is held in check by the old asserting too much authority. In Revelation 4 the elders lead, they have the mind of God, they have thrones and crowns, but in chapter 5 it is the living creatures, referring to energy. Elder brethren asserting too much authority may hinder spiritual energy. The young men are strong, and the word of God abides in them. The point here is that Elisha allows them to have scope. They are allowed to make the proposal, and Elisha accedes. They go to the Jordan and cut down the trees, and one, as felling a beam using an axe, reveals the underlying state. This is not to say that there should not be proposals from the younger brothers, but they should be careful of the underlying state.

DM In Rehoboam’s time the younger men gave advice leading to the cleavage of Israel.

JT Yes. Rehoboam first consulted the older brethren, but did not accept their advice. The old men had stood before Solomon, but he consulted the young ^[p. 66] men. It says they had been brought up with him, and they stood before him. The advice they gave him led to disaster. Water will not rise above its own level, and Rehoboam is the level of that situation. Therefore, for advice go to the older brothers normally, for they have had experience. “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning”. The assemblies are composed of men, women, and children, but old brothers and young brothers particularly. In John’s grading of the families he has not a word to say to the old save that they knew Him that was from the beginning. The young men are in danger of the world, and the little children are in danger of the antichrist. So the young brothers are normally to take counsel from the older ones.

FJF Would this have any application in the formation of a new meeting?

JT Well, I think it is very like that. It denotes enlargement. The place is too narrow. The feeling often arises that meetings are too large. Fifty ought to be the regulating number in the assembly, as in Luke. Mark gives fifties and hundreds, but a hundred is too large, fifty is better. The suggestion here is enlargement. It may happen that the young propose a hiving-off because they are not quite comfortable where they are. They sometimes want to be by themselves, but here they do not want to get rid of Elisha, they are so far commendable.

FJF I was wondering about the application. I suppose it is necessary, if there is a hiving-off, that there must be exercise as to what material is available.

JT We must not be bankrupt to start with. You cannot start a business without capital, if you desire prosperity, speaking figuratively. Starting a meeting with borrowed things will not do at all, you cannot expect any prosperity on that line. Not only numbers, but spiritual ^[p. 67] wealth is needed. But if there be simplicity and singleness of eye, the Lord makes a little go a long way.

CCE Although the axe was borrowed, yet the man used it to advantage. Verse 5 says “as one was felling a beam”.

JT It says “as one was felling a beam”. He was doing it, but the axe head fell off; this revealed the underlying state.

HT What is the meaning of the casting of the stick into the water?

JT That is Elisha’s act. The man of God says, “Where fell it?” and he cut down a stick and cast it in and caused the iron to swim. As we had yesterday, Elisha’s act was to cast in the meal. He does not ask any of them to cut down the stick, he does it himself, which shows that he must have had some weapon, and there is no disaster in the action of the man of God. The man of God does not do anything with borrowed tools. It is to bring in the divine side. God comes in to overrule our failures, and to bring in greater things.

HT Is there the cutting of the stick in our day?

JT The casting in of the stick into the water is Christ entering into death vicariously, and the power of Christ in resurrection. We are raised “through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead”, Colossians 2: 12. We are brought up by the virtue of Christ having entered into it; we are brought up in power. The Lord says, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”. That is the idea — dead but living; the word “living” is not the same as being raised. The word “living” signifies health and energy, and enjoyment too. Here there is energy — the axe head swam, showing life having power over death. You are not afraid of death. Paul was ready to face death. He does not deprecate it, for he says, “I die daily”. No one can serve God unless he understands it is life from ^[p. 68] the dead.

RSB Would you make anything of the fact that he was able to tell the prophet where it fell?

JT There is something of God in the man. He acknowledges that it was borrowed and he knows where it fell. He is an exercised man. This brother is now set up in life, he has gone through the thing, and has learnt by it. The man can go on in energy. He is superior to death. He is now to be identified with the swimming iron.

RSB It is a good thing to look back over our experiences, and be exercised as to where things went wrong.

JT Exactly. The word is “iron” — to bring out the idea of weight. It is not merely that it floated, but it is marked by energy. The Lord and Peter walking on the water denotes energy, and the ability to go on in spite of death. They are not just standing on the water, but walking, showing superiority to death. This is important, especially when it is a question of building.

RSB He took it to him. Now it was not borrowed any more.

JT Spiritually that is what is meant, it is the man himself, he is identified with it. There was not a piece of iron in the whole universe like this. It says in John 12: “where was the dead man Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from among the dead”. That is how the Spirit of God puts it. We never hear of Lazarus saying a word. See what a piece of iron it was! People would come hundreds of miles to see an axe head that swims! It is a testimony to the power of life. It is not what I say, but what I am. Paul says, God delivered us from so great a death. That is the setting of 2 Corinthians, it is the product of a man come up from the grave.

FVR The man of God was able and ready to help, and to redeem the position.

JT The chapter brings that out — where God comes in at the critical time and gives deliverance.

JF It is wonderful that the man of God knew what to do in the crisis.

^[p. 69] JT That always comes out. If we are dependent on God, we can be sure that God will come in at the appropriate time, as with David. He waited on the Lord. His mighty men did great exploits, and in connection with them we get: “Jehovah wrought a great deliverance”.

N.de L.M. Is that what you get in the next chapter read?

JT Yes, that is the final word as to Elisha. It says, “Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof”. That is what Elisha said himself at the beginning of his ministry. The king of Israel is reminding him of what marked his ministry.

The king of Israel has the right thought, and Elisha put his hands upon the king’s hands in shooting, and he shot. It is an objective thought — what God has wrought in Christ. One arrow is shot. But then he says, “Take the arrows ... Smite upon the ground”. This is to bring out where we are in our service. In using objective truth we may be very effective, but then what effect is it having upon ourselves? Are the Syrians going to be overthrown entirely? Success now depends on yourself. The ground represents the subjective side of things, we plough the ground and sow and harrow it. It is a question of how far we are meaning to go with ourselves, once or twice, or five or six times? If five or six times, it would be effective; the victory would be complete. What is left to myself in this sense is a very important lesson: am I to go all the way?

RSB Is this a question of self-judgment in ministry?

JT Exactly. It is left to yourself. If I do not deal with myself I shall not be successful. One is to have no confidence in oneself at all. God helps us by discipline.

AWP “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine”, 1 Timothy 4: 16. The line we are on should be applied to ourselves.

JT So the apostle Paul says, “But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest ... when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway”, 1 Corinthians 9: 27. That is the principle.

CCE One finds that practically in every bit of service one undertakes.

JT You are to turn to the Lord; if you have a desire to serve, you must judge what your motive is. You do not think of yourself, but of Christ.

RSB The question of motive is most important.

JT The most spiritual man, even Paul, was exposed to the influence of fleshly motives — “lest I should be exalted above measure”. He must never have the thought in his mind that nobody has been in the third heaven before. The flesh profits nothing. The Lord says, “without me ye can do nothing”.

CCE Where there is success in public, there is scourging in private.

JT “I buffet my body”. God does it, too, in discipline. Paul took the thing on himself. He bore about in his body the dying of Jesus.

JF Is that what is meant by “death worketh in us, but life in you”?

JT The discipline would allow the light to shine. Our body undisciplined would obscure the light.

RSB I used to wonder why the prophet did not tell him to smite six times. Now I see.

JT It is not that God does not help us, but He leaves it to ourselves to bring out where we are. We must find out for ourselves. The king was not equal to the thing, so he never consumed the Syrians.

The final thought is a dead Elisha. This incident, of which we have been speaking, is a sick Elisha, but now it is a dead Elisha. That is, the idea of Christ going the full length — into death itself.

A band of people coming in, the Moabites, signifies ^[p. 71] the world in its social status. The world is brought in by our association with cultured persons and unspiritual christians, by our considering social status and by brethren attending social functions. This is disastrous. It was a “band”. Cultured people are recognised by saints on equal terms.

GH To go back to verse 19. It seems strange that Elisha was wroth so close to his end.

JT He knew the spiritual meaning of the king’s failure, that it would prevent the overthrow of the enemy. The prophet understood that it was a serious matter.

HJR The Moabites had no sympathy with the body being buried.

JT No, they prevented it. They did not want burial; no Moabite accepts death. Of course, I am speaking of death spiritually, as in Romans 6. They represent worldly christians, or refined unconverted people; they may be relatives or unspiritual christians. If there is any burying going on, it is not in their presence; they want to keep death as far as possible from them. The burial was prevented, but the man was let down on the bones of Elisha. He stood on his feet. What a picture that is of the power of God in death! It says, “he revived, and stood up on his feet”.

AWP Is this a Colossian picture?

JT Yes; I think that is the thought. Indeed the sixth chapter has to do with Colossians, too. This is a very remarkable type, for the man stands on his feet; he is in balance, as risen from the dead. This man overcame the Colossian snare. It is the full thought of what we have been dealing with in chapter 6. A man revived — it is not only that I am risen by faith in Colossians, but I am quickened. That is, I have faith in God’s power to raise me, but quickening is an actual thing by the Spirit, and that is what is seen in this man. He revived; he is a spiritual man, a man out of death in figure.

AWP Self-judgment is one thing, but is life reached through ^[p. 72] burial?

JT That is what the apostle says, speaking of the gospel which he preached “that Christ died for our sins ... and that he was buried”. He did not lie in death, save vicariously, and He was buried vicariously. The burial is part of the vicarious work of Christ. It would be derogatory to Christ to think He would die, save vicariously.

Rem The man now represents Elisha.

JT You have a living, balanced man now. He is standing on his feet.

HT Did he go beyond Lazarus?

JT He corresponds with Lazarus. The man here is standing on his feet, as it were, ready to do something.