READINGS ON 2 KINGS (8) (SUMMARY)
READINGS ON 2 KINGS (8) (SUMMARY)
JT In order to see the bearing of this chapter and those following, we should note that chapters 11 and 12 bring priesthood and kingship into evidence, persons coming before us who were, in the main, suitable for the work of God, for God generally uses persons suitable for the work He appoints them. Whereas here you have persons who are said to do evil in the sight of Jehovah, and yet God uses them, so that He raised up a saviour for Israel (see verse 5) and the saving was through Joash and Jeroboam the son of Joash (chapter 14: 23 - 27). It is said that Joash did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and yet we are told that three times did he beat the king of Syria, and recovered the cities of Israel, and it was indicated to him how he was to do it. In regard to Jeroboam, his son, we are told that he warred and recovered for Israel that which had belonged to Judah in Damascus and in Hamath (chapter 14: 28). So that we see that, while on the one hand, God carried on His work through capable persons in keeping with that work, yet, on the other hand, He uses persons not characteristically marked by suitability, the question here being sympathy with His people as in verses 4 and 23 of chapter 13, and verses 26 and 27 of chapter 14. So He acts sovereignly.
Rem The suitable servants really do the most important work, and are near to God, as the priests and prophets; the others carry on work which is more distant.
JT These scriptures illustrate what we have in the history of Christianity. Reliable men were in the upper room in Acts 1, and the Holy Spirit came upon [p. 395] them, and they were ready for work, recognised as skilled men. Peter stands up with the eleven, and the work is perfect as far as it goes. The names of the apostles are seen in the heavenly city, as well as the work, as if to indicate they were in keeping with the work. But in Christendom you find other men, neither skilled nor even morally qualified. This is constant today in the sphere of profession, but God is sovereign, and on account of His compassion and covenant (verse 23) He uses such persons; we cannot say nay to what they are doing, though we are not called upon to submit to it. God has revived the thought of qualification for service, priesthood and moral authority, and it is in that connection the testimony lies; at the same time we must make room for the exercise of His sovereignty using whom He will in compassion for His people.
Rem So in verse 4 He hearkens to Jehoahaz.
JT It brings out a principle in relation to which God would help us. Elijah, Elisha, Jehoiada and Joash, son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, are men that God can commit Himself to in service, but in this section we find He is using men not suitable. So we have to see what He is doing.
Ques Are we to understand the circumstances in each case? Israel, Judah and Syria present different sets of circumstances.
JT If we take Hazael, for example, the Syrian leader, he is anointed according to Jehovah’s own word, yet he is against Israel, and he was evidently going too far. He was anointed to carry out the punitive work of God, see verse 3, but we must see that we do not follow the punitive side too far.
Rem We read in chapter 5 that by Naaman God “had given deliverance to Syria; and he was a mighty man of valour, but a leper”.
JT We wonder why all this was written, taking it literally, but in the light of current events, we take [p. 396] account of the divine standpoint, of what God is doing by whomsoever He will, and if the person He is using goes too far, He calls a halt, so to speak, as in the latter part of chapter 13.
Ques Does this show that we should take note of public events?
JT Whatever bears on the testimony is a matter of concern to us, the point in relation to them is how they affect the saints. Jehovah hearkened to Jehoahaz, therefore we can see how God might help the Church of England or the Presbyterians, for instance, not as a system but in certain circumstances; though they do not conform to the truth themselves. He is thinking of His people in relation to the covenant. In a letter relating to the disestablishment of the Church of Ireland, J.N.D. said what should be done. The man he wrote to was not right but he was a believer and was doing something. It was no question of fellowship, but a question of God and how far He would go with His people, for He never gives them up, “He who is not against us is for us”, or on our part. Many may be with us in this sense in the preaching of the gospel, and we with them as far as we can. Then “He that is not with me is against me”. We are thus taxed as to our discernment. So you get Elijah and Elisha mentioned in relation to Israel, yet the national religion was set up by Jeroboam who was idolatrous. In spite of this God did not forsake them.
Ques Would this have a bearing on the powers that be?
JT They are God’s ministers to us for good; that is another thing. We pray for them, too. We might ask ourselves the question, Do we pray for them? Take those men who preach in system, do we pray for them? We ought to do so, as God considers for anything which is done for Him.
Rem This would be in our [p. 397] households.
JT Yes, in the assembly we pray in connection with assembly interests.
Referring again to 2 Kings, chapters 11 and 12 help as to what is suitable to God. Joash’s work as king was directed to the repairing of the house, and then you have the priest, and all that they do is good. God can thus commit Himself to them. In chapter 13 the men are not equal to the work, yet they are used, and one prays, though he did evil, and God hears. In His governmental dealings too God comes in and listens to our prayers, though what He does judicially may for a while act against us. “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis ...”; then in Laodicea, the Lord would give counsel; both show what we are speaking of.
Ques Who would the saviour be in verse 5?
JT Joash might seem to be the one. He comes down to Elisha; he is moving in the right direction. You might say he is going to be the saviour, if you are looking out for such.
Rem Even if he does not shoot all the arrows?
JT If he were spiritual he would go to five or six. If God indicates He is going to give a saviour, you would look round for him, to see if you can find anyone like him. It is wonderful how people do know, though they may not be walking according to that knowledge. So here Joash weeps over the prophet. You may be sure God is going to use him. Complete deliverance was in mind from the divine side. God is sorry for His people, and gives them a little relief; that is going on all the time. So here Joash is directed to take bow and arrows, and the prophetic hand is on his, the prophet’s power enters into that part. It is the arrow of Jehovah’s deliverance from the Syrians. But in verse 18 Joash is told to “take the arrows”: note the article; it would refer to all of them. “And”, it says, “he smote thrice and stayed”. That was very sorrowful; thrice [p. 398] was a good deal, but the arrows were all there, why not use them? The more you use, the more the victories later.
Rem We are often content with relief from pressure.
JT Yes. A brother thinks he would like to be an evangelist, and he considers things from that point of view, whereas God may use him to go all the way and be an assembly man. You may only move according to what you have in your mind to accomplish; you may be a good preacher, but God wants you to be an assembly man. The power of God in resurrection is suggested in this incident (2 Kings 13: 17); the east speaks of this — there is no limit to it. But then I must be affected too. What you do to the enemy, you must also do to yourself. All the arrows are available, so you go as far as you can, that is on the ground. It is like the repenting sinner in Luke, the principle in Luke is you keep on repenting. One feels how constantly one needs to judge oneself. Luke 15 in this way signifies an attitude of soul, “There is joy before the angels of God for one repenting sinner”. This has to go on, as things are always coming up that one did not see before.
Rem Explicit instructions are not always given. God leaves us to our own initiative.
JT The first arrow was one of Jehovah’s deliverance. That is the general thought; there is no limit to the power of God as under divine direction, “Thou shalt smite the Syrians ... till thou hast consumed them”. That is a big matter, it requires I must judge myself to be available for it. So Joash is left to himself as to what to do; all the arrows are in his hand. What we find is he limits himself. Why so, when the power is unlimited? A brother in service ought not to impose limits if the power is unlimited. Then the next thing is my measure.
In Romans 12 we have “As God has dealt to each a measure of faith”, and the apostle says in 2 Corinthians 10, “Now we will not boast out of measure, but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach to you also”. It is a question of what we are equal to, so it is a matter of faith. We want to keep ourselves open for the full use of the power that is there, according to our measure.
Rem So a servant would take account of this if asked to give an address.
JT Yes — your own measure. Brethren might make a mistake. “To reach to you also”, the apostle says; so if brethren ask you to give an address, your measure should reach to them. I should not like to ask a brother to give an address if he did not touch my conscience.
Ques What do you mean as to imposing limitations on ourselves?
JT Why not enlarge? I can tell surely if I am reaching someone; I can tell by their faces; so I feel I can do it again. God used two Midianites to encourage Gideon. You are made conscious, if giving an address, that you are helping someone, that you are reaching to them. As Peter spoke in Acts 2, the people were pricked in their hearts.
Ques What were Timothy’s qualifications?
JT He was a man of God, and a man of God is ready to do anything that furthers the work of God. Paul used Timothy to represent himself, “Who shall put you in mind of my ways as they are in Christ”. He is a man ready to do anything that needed to be done; he preached the Son of God at Corinth (2 Corinthians 1: 19).
One of the greatest lessons to learn is how to use those arrows, they are all available against oneself. It is remarkable how this incident brings out the service of Elisha carried on to the last moment, and [p. 400] even after he died! He is not bemoaning his illness, but speaking of the Syrians and deliverance. There is one man with whom God is wholly identified; he is carrying on to the end, and then he dies; and after he dies, a man is raised up who was cast into his sepulchre and came into contact with his bones. It is a remarkable occurrence. It looks like an accident, but it is to bring out the testimony of Christ, whether in death or life. As dead, Elisha raises up a man; as alive he is teaching people how to serve. Elisha is Christ, alive or dead, dimly known, we might say. The king of Israel knows the prophet well enough to weep. I think we can view it as the death of Christ applied. It might be in a church where the ‘sacrament’ is partaken of, and light comes in from God. The Lord’s supper is used all round us and not rightly named, yet sometimes a ray of light touches a man’s soul, and he lives, and may come into fellowship! This man might come into fellowship, so to speak! What a man he would be, although not of much account publicly: it just says, “They were burying a man”, but where would you get a man like this? It reminds one of Lazarus, for of him it says, “By reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus”.
Ques What is to be learned from the bands of the Moabites?
JT You get the bands of the Syrians earlier. Bread and water broke up that band! Here it is life. A band speaks of party spirit, you get these bands wherever death is not accepted. People are sure to cling together in bands, but resurrection takes you out of all that. The Moabites would never overcome this man. What a promiscuous condition there is in christendom as suggested in this chapter! Here a dead Christ is in view, and God is going to do something with this man; all has to be viewed in the light of this remarkable occurrence. This man went down in the midst of commonplace circumstances,
[p. 401] God would show what He can do even in such circumstances. The truth of Christ’s death is all around us, and some one gets the good of it. This man is cast into Elisha’s grave, but God acts and you have a living man in result. This is going on all the time, amid irregular circumstances, no priest, and the king doing evil; yet this takes place.