"WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DO"

“WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DO”

1 Chronicles 12: 32; 2 Kings 7:1; 2 Kings 7:3-10; 2 Kings 7:16

I have been thinking, dear brethren, of “what Israel ought to do”. This problem ever faces the people of God. What ought to be done in regard to this world’s affairs is a problem facing many persons, many governments, many corporations, businesses of various kinds — what ought to be done. We have come to a time bordering on what the prophetic word portrays: “men’s hearts failing them for fear”. It is a time when we can almost hear the rolling and the roaring of the waves spoken of in the prophetic word. In the midst of all this, it is a matter of supreme importance “what Israel ought to do”, for Israel exists. From the time that name was given to a man under great pressure, the idea has continued and shows itself in a time of pressure. At no time in the history of Jacob did he realize pressure more than on that memorable night at Peniel. But enlargement, as the psalmist says, became his. That well-known verse, “In pressure thou hast enlarged me” (Psalm 4: 1), was verified. He became ennobled by Him who alone can ennoble; that is God; and he obtained the necessary income to sustain his ennoblement. And from that day to this, the idea of the Israel of God subsists and will subsist. It has yet to go through its severest pressure, for we are drawing near to the time when that supreme experience will be gone through by the Israel of God. The book of the Psalms, written by many authors in varied circumstances and covering a long period of years, is intended to help the Israel of God as needed. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in Spirit, had part in ^[p. 368] these Psalms. He knows well what Israel will have to endure. Indeed, He has in His own words portrayed that time of pressure, the like of which men have not yet experienced, but He will go through it in Spirit with His own and carry them through. These are very elementary thoughts for all of us present who understand the prophetic word, but they have a practical bearing, for the Israel of God exists now. James wrote to “the twelve tribes which are in the dispersion”, and Paul said, “our whole twelve tribes serving God incessantly day and night”. And we also say, Our twelve tribes — for it is no question of numbers, but of quality. And so in this passage in Chronicles there are only two hundred persons mentioned from the tribe of Issachar. It was a largish tribe. Others came forward in numbers on this occasion; the twelve tribes are mentioned; indeed you might say fourteen, for we have Ephraim and the two half tribes of Manasseh, and Levi, as well as all the others. So that the Israel of God is represented in the chapter, all moving in principle, toward Christ. That is the test. There is no movement of value save that which is in relation to Christ. And this chapter portrays a great movement of the tribes beginning at the south, and moving up to the north, including the priestly tribe in military service, not Levi, but the Levites. That is to say, the refined of the refined are there. The Levite, in this section, sets out the thought of refinement, corresponding with the epistle to the Philippians, which speaks of that which is “more excellent”. There are the “excellent” and the “more excellent” among the people of God. And so here, the Levites are in the movement, and this drift was towards Hebron where, in type, the Messiah was to be anointed the second time. It was a great day and the tribes turned out in military array. Amongst them are these Issacharites, without any great numbers or military pretence.

^[p. 369] There were one hundred and twenty thousand from the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites and of the half tribe of Manasseh who joined this noble throng, but Issachar had just two hundred. These are the ones, dear brethren, with whom I wish to engage you. They are very much like Gideon’s three hundred mighty men. They were the refined of the refined, the result of a gradual reduction from thirty-two thousand to three hundred. And so Issachar’s two hundred are men like that, and it says that they had understanding of the times; not to know what the nations of the world ought to do, but what Israel ought to do. It is not that we are not sympathetic with the nations. We are; we pray for those that are in authority that they may be guided; and God does guide them. But these two hundred men were occupied with what Israel ought to do. Israel is a people that have a spiritual origin and history, and the name Israel was given of God. They have a spiritual destiny, and particularly the Israel of God, of whom the apostle speaks, saying, “Peace upon ... the Israel of God”, Galatians 6: 16. The Israel of God, as walking by the rule of new creation, are blessed with peace, and these two hundred Issacharites represent the wisdom that is to mark these people. But it is no question of numbers as to them. There are numbers in the chapter, for it would seem that well over three hundred thousand came to Hebron to transfer the kingdom to David. That is to say, royal power is in their hands, publicly, now. David had been recognized as king by Judah for seven years in Hebron, a spiritual setting. Now these hosts have come to turn over the kingdom of Israel to David — not simply by the power of the sword, but by moral power. It is not only a question of military power, but of moral right. The kingdom is to be put in hands that can use it according to God, and these two hundred Issacharites are in the ^[p. 370] midst of the throng. They surge toward David at Hebron. They are few in number, like the five barley loaves and two small fishes of which Philip said, “But this, what is it for so many?” John 6: 9. But these men have understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do. Such people are very rare. Of them alone is this said in all Scripture. It is not that the others are to be disparaged, but the distinction of the Issacharites is unique. They have understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. Therefore, in this vast assemblage at Hebron they would be sought out. “All their brethren were at their bidding”, it says. We are not told how many brethren they had; if you have wisdom, it is for all the brethren — the whole church. The question is if brethren are at the bidding of those who have wisdom. God gives wisdom. “For to one, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom”, 1 Corinthians 12: 8. But to get the gain of this, it must be “at their bidding”. That is to say, the Lord selects those to whom He gives wisdom. Some may say he is only one of the Issacharites. But he is more than that. Any one of these two hundred would far exceed in value any ordinary Israelite, and any true person would value them and seek them out. Deborah is an illustration. She had understanding of the times and Israel came to her. She did not go to them; they came to her. So that we have to learn to distinguish, and to value, and to regard what is more excellent — what God gives. We are thankful to get the good of it. However many their brethren may have been, they were all at the bidding of these two hundred who knew what Israel ought to do. So that if I have gift from God, I hold it for all Israel (and every christian belongs to Israel) for there is great stress publicly and it is a question now of what Israel ought to do. Any uncertain one in that vast throng might go to one of that two hundred and he could tell him what ^[p. 371] Israel ought to do. I feel that we are not sufficiently collective in our thoughts. It is not a question of what I ought to do, but what Israel ought to do. And we are not to do it in any mere personal or official way, but for Israel’s sake. The Lord Jesus died for Israel. Israel is worth serving, therefore, and if we are told what Israel ought to do, we do it.

Well, I want to show, in a very practical way, from the passage in 2 Kings how this works out. It is not very complimentary to imply that one’s audience belongs to the same class as these four leprous men. But they were not any worse, in one sense, than the king in Samaria of whom Elisha said, “This son of a murderer has sent to take away my head”. These four men were not any worse off than those inside the gates. They were better off, for they had the advantage that they knew they were lepers and they were in the position proper to lepers, for they were outside the gate. “Simon the leper” was in Bethany and the Lord Jesus was in his house and was entertained there, and evidently entertained very well. He was called Simon the leper. I do not say that the leprosy was operative; indeed, I would say that it was not. Sin does not work in christians, characteristically, but it is there and anyone who denies it is deceiving himself. But these four leprous men were outside the gate, where they should be, but I want to show how this Issacharite principle worked out in them in a practical way. It may work out in the most unintelligent of us, for there are grades of intelligence, as it says, “Set those to judge who are little esteemed”, 1 Corinthians 6: 4. But the first thing is to look around and see how things are spiritually. How many of us do look around and see what can be done? We may be in a plight, spiritually. A most extraordinary state of things may exist. The situation is extraordinary. The famine was in the city and the enemy outside, and here are four lepers and they begin to look ^[p. 372] around. They reason intuitively. You will understand what I mean. It is not a question of gift, or of an intelligent brother telling you what to do. It is a question of the work of God beginning to move in our souls. And that is the thing for which to make room. It says that the prodigal “came to himself”. Well, these men speak about going into the city, but they say, “We shall die there”. That part of the environment may be left. It is a settled matter. It is a great matter in determining things to narrow down the field of inquiry. So that as I look abroad on the religious system. I say, Well, that is a settled matter; denominationalism is not of God, and not of the Spirit. That was settled two thousand years ago, I cannot go there! Well now, here are four isolated men with no ecclesiastical ideas attaching to them. But they say, “If we abide here, we shall die”. We cannot stay where we are. And so they have settled that matter. They cannot stay in that isolated position or they will die. If there is anyone here clinging to an isolated position, listen to this word: You will die! Well, there is only one other thing left in this matter of inquiry. The matter is narrowed down to the camp of the Syrians: “If they save us alive, we shall live; and if they put us to death, we shall but die”. They would lose nothing. You may say that it is a very poor way of arriving at the truth, but it is a very sure way. They decided to take that course. There was one door of hope open, and it looked rather hopeless, but they took that way and as they began to move, God moved, and as God begins to move the things are settled. God has great facility for making a noise. God made the Syrians to hear a noise of a great host. Think of that wonderful noise from heaven on the day of Pentecost! I would like to have heard it — “as of a violent impetuous blowing, and filled all the house”. A divine noise is to be noted. Something is going to ^[p. 373] happen after it. But as these lepers moved toward the camp of the Syrians, God caused a noise to be heard. You can understand how God would cause that noise to be heard by every Syrian in that camp. And they fled. And when the four lepers arrived in the camp of the Syrians there were no enemies there. And so it is with us. Where we thought there were enemies, we find no one — no enemies. That is the meaning of it. But there were horses there, and there were asses there, and they were tied. That is to say, there was the means of service all ready for them. And so you will find that where the Lord is working with us, there are horses and asses tied; but there is more than that. There are tents full of wealth.

Well now, I want to show that these four lepers had in them what every one of us has; that is selfishness. “They went into one tent, and ate and drank, and carried thence silver and gold, and garments, and went and hid it; and they came again, and entered into another tent”. Look at them! They were not moving in the power of the Spirit of God when they were doing that! Selfishness is not of God, and yet it is liable to spring up in the most spiritual. I mean to say, beloved, that leprosy is there. When the test comes it shows itself. There was selfishness. But they judged it. That is a fine feature of every true christian — he walks in self-judgment! I would to God that every one of us here could say what they say. Listen to what they say, “We are not doing right”. That is, they were judging the leprosy. “This day is a day of good tidings”, they say, “and we hold our peace”. The point is, how is it in regard to the king’s household? I am not thinking now of the king that was in Samaria, but of what he represents, “We are not doing right” if we are living to ourselves. We are not with God if we have light and are not using it. These men were in ^[p. 374] the midst of plenty and they were selfish, and they say, “We are not doing right; this day is a day of good tidings”. The word “good tidings” is a fine word. Think of it in the mouth of a christian! When I judge the leprosy, God takes me on, and it is a day of good tidings. And so they say, “Let us go and tell the king’s household”. That means that we tell all christians. And so they went and called to the porters. They were observant of order and that is sure to mark godly persons. There is to be respect of order. We are to do violence to no one, “And the porters cried it and told it to the king’s house within”. I dwell on this wonderful position, and how the divine nature, in figure, was operating in them and bringing them into the position of evangelists who carried glad tidings to meet the greatest possible need. There was no pretence about it, no force, no disregard of order, and it got to the ears of the king. And thus I want to show how the intuitive movements of a christian, working in him, conform exactly with the word of God. It is a great discovery to find that, in moving intuitively in certain exercises, you are moving exactly in accord with the word of God. Every movement in my soul that is in keeping with the divine nature leads to conformity with the word of God. These four lepers were moving in keeping with the word of God, for the prophet had said there should be plenty of food in the gates of Samaria at a certain time. And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken. I cannot conceive of anything more comforting, or more encouraging, than that the work of God should go on in such despicable people, such outcasts; and that it should conform exactly with the word of God. It is a matter of knowing what Israel ought to do. And that includes every true christian, even though he may be unintelligent, for he has divine instincts and he will come into conformity with the word of God. What ^[p. 375] happened in the gate of Samaria was according to “the word of Jehovah”. Let us recognise and follow divine instincts in our souls, and act according to the word of God.