FRESHNESS
[p. 225] FRESHNESS
I have in mind, dear brethren, to speak a word about freshness. Whilst God in the creation preserves the element of continual freshness, staleness and old age marks all human institutions — not to say anything of the evil. In the creation around, especially the vegetable kingdom at this time of the year, we see freshness, delightful to the eye, and intended by God to be so. Sameness marks heavenly bodies, sameness and regularity, but there is a continuous freshness on the earth, and this was so intended. As we are constituted naturally we need it, and so it is a divine provision. The first mention of it is the green grass.
In the animal realm as well as in the vegetable, we have freshness — in young creatures constantly coming in; and so, as applied to the believer in a spiritual sense, it is to mark him at the beginning; the flesh of the believer, however worn out in its natural relations, becomes fresh as a child, and the divine intent is that it should not be otherwise, but that it should continue fresh.
To this end, oil is used as a figure in Scripture, for however surely the light of Christ may appear to come into our souls in the gospel, however our countenances may be changed, the light by itself will fail us; we shall grow old if relying on it alone. As in the types, Miriam, who sang as Israel crossed the sea, died in the wilderness. This fact has a typical meaning: the Holy Spirit had not been recognised. She died before that time when Israel sang unto the well. It is one thing to sing to Jehovah as light comes into the soul — and a beautiful thing too, everyone should — but it is another to sing unto the well; “sing ye unto it”, (Numbers 21:17). We have to understand that Miriam is just a type of one phase of the believer’s history. The light by which she sang at the banks of the Red Sea did not carry her into Canaan; if we are to go into Canaan, we are to go in, not as people worn out with the cares of the desert; no, we are to go in in the energy of life, of freshness, for naught else is suitable there. You may say. There was old corn there. True, but it is a mistake to assume that it was old in the sense in which I am now speaking of the word. It means there was plenty of corn; there is no famine there; there is some to carry over. It was “store corn”.
The bride of Christ — in which we all have our part — after a thousand years of benign service towards this earth comes down from heaven new. She is not old after a thousand years. She is said to be the “new Jerusalem”. She is still a bride, and there is not a mark in her of staleness or wrinkle or old age, but the opposite. We have to understand these things, dear brethren. It is in the power of the Spirit that this freshness is preserved. It is in the power of the Spirit that we enter Canaan. I do not mean that we are translated to heaven by Him. We are translated to heaven by the Lord Jesus Himself coming for us. The Holy Spirit gives us present entrance into our heavenly portion, and maintains us in the freshness that is proper to the assembly so that the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and “the Lord himself, with an assembling shout, with archangel’s voice and with trump of God, shall descend from heaven; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we, the living who remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we shall be always with the Lord”, (1 Thessalonians 4:16 - 17). That is the prospect. It is an act of the Lord’s, but in which the Holy Spirit will have His part, and it is in His power that we shall be in heaven eternally. Let us then become acquainted with the Spirit.
I am afraid there is very little acquaintance with the [p. 227] Spirit. There is much theoretic knowledge, but the Holy Spirit is a real Person here upon the earth — our Paraclete; that is to say. He is beside us here. We read of the comfort of the Spirit, the fellowship of the Spirit, the voice of the Spirit, the love of the Spirit. Let no believer be oblivious to these things. They are great facts to be understood and realised. The Holy Spirit is a living divine Person, leading the assembly to meet the Lord. All the heavenly stateliness, answering to what is in Christ, which the Spirit can give, is to be seen in her. So that, dear brethren, freshness is a question of the Spirit; as the psalmist says, being “anointed with fresh oil”. There is the living water within and the anointing without, so that the freshness of the child, with which we begin, is maintained right through, and it appears, as I said, in the assembly as it comes down from heaven, the “new Jerusalem”.
Now, I want to connect that thought with food, such as the man brings from Baal-shalishah. This passage comes in at the close of a most remarkable chapter in the second book of Kings. A chapter that every young believer, and of course all of us, should study in relation to the work of God as depicted in the three great constructive letters of Paul — Romans, Colossians and Ephesians; there are corrective epistles, but these are the great constructive ones, and the believer will be woefully wanting and impoverished who does not look into them and compare himself with them and see how he is progressing according to them. They are, as it were, the barometer of God, and they have to be looked into if we are to keep pace with them, and as I said, if we do not we are stunted, and hence unfit for assembly service.
The chapter is specially marked by the idea of “the man of God”. Indeed it finds, I believe, more place in this book than in the whole of Scripture besides, and nearly all the references are to this servant of God, Elisha. The title ‘man of God’ is scarcely found in the [p. 228] New Testament, but we must not conclude that the New Testament does not contemplate men of God, nor that there are any fewer in our dispensation than of old. On the contrary, the types forecast what there is today. There are only two passages that directly mention such, as far as I know, in the New Testament, one being in the first epistle to Timothy and the other in the second epistle to Timothy. In the first the designation is applied to Timothy, showing that he was one, and in the second it is in the abstract, “the man of God”, showing that the apostle contemplated that there would be men of God. Thank God we know of them; we know there have been, are, and will be men of God. “The man of God” is to be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, (2 Timothy 3:17). He is a man who in everything considers for God; who maintains at all cost the rights of God and the things of God; without him we need not look for much in a practical way.
I have no doubt that in this chapter the idea is more a principle, although, of course, seen in a person. It is a principle that comes into the believer’s circumstances, a principle that is ever insistent as to what is due to God, and will not be satisfied unless the rights of God are recognised. So we find in this chapter a widow who is in need — a well-known figure — typically a person who, as not using the Holy Spirit, is unable to meet his moral obligations; there are many such. She comes into contact with the man of God, and he directs her what to do. It is a question, I would say to the young people, of recognising that you yourself are an institution. The widow and her sons are one idea, and the believer viewed in this way fits in with Romans. The believer, after he knows righteousness is ready in regard of God to reckon himself dead to sin and alive in Christ Jesus, “alive to God”, that is the idea; but he finds himself in chapter 7 in sore straits because of certain occupants in the house so to speak,
[p. 229] and he learns by the process of introspection, how to make an analysis of himself — a most important matter. He thus gradually arrives at a definite sense of responsibility. “I myself with the mind serve God’s law”, Romans 7:25. He is on his feet now; he knows where he is, and the evil elements inside are put in their places. That, dear brethren, is what you get in the early part of this chapter; the idea of shutting the door, having to do with God secretly in yourself. It is your own affair; it is your own instruction — between you and God. It is imperative that we all should understand this feature of the truth. We shall thus see that we can live by the Spirit, and by Him discharge all our moral obligations. Every vessel is filled, as if the believer were to say. There is no room for anything but the Spirit. It is a source of weakness with us that we do provide for other things, but here every vessel is filled with the oil. It is a secret thing, and through the process indicated, one acquires the means of livelihood spiritually and pays his debts also.
Then follows the well-known woman called the Shunammite. In her we have a continuation of the thought; the man of God continues to come into your circumstances. Is this kind of man to come in or not? Well, he passes by her house. What is he occupied in? He is a man of affairs. What is he passing by for? Did you ever stop to think? He is not going to a place of amusement, nor is he occupying himself with holidays; he is concerned about God. This woman constrained him to eat bread. “And so it was, that as oft as he passed by he turned in thither to eat bread”, 2 Kings 4:8. Let every one here question himself as to how much place the man of God has with him.
Presently she speaks to her husband; this is the first mention of the Shunammite’s husband, and the references to her husband throughout the chapter denote that she was weak in regard, to headship. He is an old man, and hence weak, but that applies to her [p. 230] in a spiritual sense. We cannot apply these things to Christ. However, she recognises him, and she says to her husband, “Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us continually. Let us make, I pray thee, a small upper chamber with walls”(2 Kings 4:9,10). Did it ever occur to you that there are in this world holy men, looking after the rights of God? What room do you give them? He had been eating bread with her, but now, “this is a holy man of God”, she says, “Let us make ... a small upper chamber with walls”(2 Kings 4:9,10) for him. The Authorised Version reads ‘on the wall’, but apparently it is ‘with walls’ — a very significant matter, for what is of God should not be exposed in the believer’s house. It is a chamber with walls. I wonder how many of us have chambers with walls in our institutions! These are spiritual matters. It is a question of at least one chamber in the house secured against evil. The whole institution is to be secured, but it is well to begin with one chamber. “If Christ be in you”: I believe it leads on to that. “If Christ be in you ... the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness”, (Romans 8:10). That is the way the truth develops.
The man of God has come right into the midst of her circumstances. She little knew what was to come; but the Lord says, “What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter”(John 13:7). Doubtless this woman did not expect to have a son, but the holy man of God coming into her circumstances meant increase. The institution is not to stop with a woman and an old husband, and both soon to die; that will not do for God. Spiritually we are to live for ever; there is no question of growing old and dying. In Colossians believers are risen with Christ and quickened with Him. The man of God said, “At this appointed time ... thou shalt embrace a son”(2 Kings 4:16).
What a change there is going to be in the institution! It is no longer an old husband and a barren wife, but [p. 231] new life in the house — a son. The son comes — and he dies. You say, What exercises! Yes, beloved brethren, what exercises! That is the order of the day with Christians — exercises and sorrows. It is as we go through these things we are of use to God in His service and testimony. There is no short road to divine results. We have here a living child, and then a dead one, and then a journey to mount Carmel by the Shunammite and her servant, to the man of God. He is the solution of everything. What untold sorrow she had in the loss of that child. Her husband had no means of helping the Shunammite; no doubt he had feeling, but no power of life in him. It all points to the weakness of headship in the house. “Carry him to his mother”,(2 Kings 4:19) the father says. He was taken to his mother and he died at noon. When he should have been at his best, he dies. These are solemn lessons, but it is that he may live according to God, that is, life on a new pattern, and what is the pattern? The man of God is the pattern. He sends his staff, but life is not in the staff. He reaches the house, and the child is on his bed, but life is not there. Spiritually, these are most solemn experiences, but life is in view. The Holy Spirit is gradually leading us on to value the life that is in Christ. The pattern has to be used to show us, so that Elisha has to stretch himself on the child, put his mouth on his mouth, and his eyes on his eyes; and the child waxed warm. And he walks up and down, and stretches himself on him again, and the child sneezed seven times — it is new life. It is a subjective matter. It is life in the power of the Spirit. It is life in relation to the one who stretched himself on him. As quickened together with Christ, we live in His life. It says the child “opened his eyes”; he would now look at everything in a new way. What will his prospects be now? What will the outlook be? The believer, viewed typically here, is on entirely new ground. The mother takes the child and goes out. She now has a child, not on the ground of natural birth,
[p. 232] but as out of death. He is delivered to his mother, and she takes him and goes out. The mother represents the affection and care needed at this juncture. That is the position in this chapter.
Then Elisha comes to Gilgal. That is the next thing, the life we have been considering has to be maintained. Elisha goes to Gilgal; every man of God goes there. It is the place of mortification of the flesh; the flesh has to be dealt with, and that constantly, or the new life will not develop. And then the “great pot” is put on but death comes in through some wild element introduced. This may be through the natural mind working in ministry. There is a danger of speculation in what is ministered — wild gourds gathered out in the field. The great pot is like the fellowship into which we are brought. In principle it belongs to all; that out of which all are to eat, but if there is death in it the man of God is ever ready. He says, “bring meal”. That is, the humanity of the Lord Jesus: not bread, but meal. Something which by its essential power nullifies the poison. It is a great matter to have this meal, dear brethren, for in our fellowship these wild gourds are constantly coming up, but they are dealt with by what we have in the way of meal. The man of God understands. Here it is not a question of cutting off; the evil is rendered null by the meal, by the spirit of Christ, being brought in. We are in the presence of the great pot of pottage, set on under the directions of the man of God; not very refined, but still food. It was a time of famine, and pottage would keep the prophets alive. It was what was available. It suggests an occasion in which we are moving on together, and many things arise and have to be met in power. It is a question of bringing in Christ. There is, of course, judgment, for we have to execute judgment when unjudged sin exists, but this was simply wild gourds brought in, not known by the person who brought them, and therefore it was dealt with in the way mentioned,
[p. 233] no one being incriminated. How can we go on otherwise? We shall soon disintegrate altogether unless we understand how to meet these things with what is good, with the power of Christ. If unjudged sin exists, it has to be dealt with, but there is the constant bringing in of these wild gourds, without intention it may be. There is not the slightest suggestion that the man who brought in this meant to poison the others, but the poison was there nevertheless, and had to be dealt with, for a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
At the close of the chapter we have something brought in from another land. Heaven is now in view. I should not like to be one second in this world unless conscious that heaven was pleased with me. Jesus was conscious of this: how delightful to heaven He was! He saw the heavens part asunder, He saw it, and then there was the voice that came out of the heavens: “Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight”, Mark 1:11. Has God any other thought than this for the assembly? No, His thought is that the assembly should be a continuation of Jesus here, that we should be pleasing to heaven. Is the gathering I am connected with pleasing to heaven? There must be one spot on earth pleasing to the eye of God; the green, the freshness of the Spirit in the saints for the eye of God. And this is what comes out here — “a man from Baal-shalishah”. The link is the man of God; here he represents those who conserve things for God, who consider for God; those who can nullify the poison in the great pot. Heaven is pleased with such. The assembly is marked by its relation with heaven, and here there is typically a supply from there; not pottage now, but what is in keeping with heaven: bread of the firstfruits and fresh ears of corn. The barley is a type of Christ, as first-fruits. Barley is not always a type of the Lord; sometimes it represents inferior food, but according to Exodus it is the first-fruits, and it is so alluded to here — “bread of the first-fruits, twenty loaves of barley”.
[p. 234] Shalishah is mentioned elsewhere by itself, but the prefix “Baal” refers to lordship. I look at that pot and see a young man putting wild gourds into it; well, he has not been consulting the Lord; he has been consulting himself, and he has brought in poison. This is a challenge to one’s own heart, because we are all liable to these things. It is a question of the lordship of Christ. “The Lord will give thee understanding in all things”, 2 Timothy 2:7. Why then did this poison come? The Lord had not been consulted, clearly. Now here is a man from a country where the Lord is dominant; very much like the school of Tyrannus in Acts 19 — the school where we learn the things of heaven. The things of God are not optional; they are imperative. You say, You apply that to divine things! Certainly I do. There is nothing more necessary at times than dominance, the dominant One being absolutely good. This man has come from a land where there is authority; he has not brought in poison; he brought twenty loaves of barley, bread of the first-fruits — something that speaks of the Lord Jesus risen from the dead and in heaven. And then we have fresh ears of corn — another feature of Christ. These are alluded to in the meat offering in Leviticus. Here they are not said to be roasted. How precious to have Christ thus brought in! There is no exercise in this, as in the procuring of the wild gourd; this food comes without solicitation. In Matthew you have to go to Galilee to get things, in Luke you stay in the city until you are endued with power from on high. The bounty of heaven comes down. It comes as conditions are suitable. There are certain conditions to which heaven can attach itself, especially so in the assembly in its normal state. The man from Baal-shalishah brought these twenty loaves of barley, bread of the first-fruits, and fresh ears of corn in his sack. He brought these things to the man of God, and what will the man of God do with them? Feed the people. They are for the saints; love will do its best, dear [p. 235] brethren, but how much service is needed to bring the gatherings of the saints into accord with heaven! The food brought did not seem to be enough; the servant thought so, but the man of God said, “Give the people that they may eat; for thus saith Jehovah: They shall eat, and shall have to spare”. There were a hundred men: a goodly number. I suppose a meeting may go to that size and be respected by heaven. There is enough and to spare for this number here. It is a question of the word of God, not simply that there should be One dominant, but “thus saith Jehovah”, verse 43. His word is that there should be plenty of this heavenly food for His people. The line to pursue is that everything is to be regulated by the mind of God. The chapter finishes with the word of Jehovah. “And he set it before them, and they ate and left thereof, according to the word of Jehovah”.