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TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings From Elisha (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 24-Fifteenth Miracle - The Wrath of Man
Other Subjects in this Topic:
FIFTEENTH MIRACLE-THE WRATH OF MAN
Chapter 24
"Then He Said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the
son of Shaphat stand on him this day" (2Ki_6:31). This was the
language of hatred and fury. Refusing to admit that it was his own
impenitence and stubbornness which was the procuring cause of the
terrible straits to which his kingdom was now reduced, Jehoram turned an
evil eye on the prophet and determined to make a scapegoat of him. As
though the man of God was responsible for the famine, Israel's apostate
king took a horrible oath that he should be promptly slain. He was well
acquainted with what had happened in the reign of his parents, when in
answer to the words of Elijah there had been no rain on Samaria (1 Kings
17:1), and he probably considered that his own desperate situation was
due to Elisha's prayers. Though just as Ahab declined to recognize that
the protracted drought was a divine judgment upon his own idolatry, so
his son now ignored the fact that it was his personal sins that had
called down the present expression of divine wrath.
This solemn and awful incident should be viewed in the light of that
divine indictment, "The carnal mind is enmity against God" (Rom_8:7),
and that my reader, is true of your mind and of my mind by nature. You
may not believe it, but He before whose omniscient eye your heart is
open, declares it to be so. You may be quite unconscious of your awful
condition, but that does not alter the fact. If you were better
acquainted with the true God, were aware of His ineffable holiness and
inexorable justice, and realized that it is His hand that smites you when
your body suffers acute pain or when your circumstances are most
distressing, you might find it easier to discover how your heart really
beats toward Him and the ill will you bear Him. True, that fearful
"enmity" does not always manifest itself in the same way or to the same
degree, for in His mercy God often places His restraining hand upon the
wicked and prevents the full outbursts of their hostility and madness.
But when that restraining hand is removed, their case is like that
described in Rev_16:10-11: "They gnawed their tongues for pain,
And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores,
and repented not of their deeds."
And why do we say that Jehoram's conduct on this occasion made manifest
the enmity of the carnal mind against God? Because, while he was unable
to do Jehovah any injury directly, he determined to visit his spite upon
Him indirectly, by maltreating His servant. Ah my reader, there is
important if solemn instruction for us in that. Few people realize the
source from which proceeds the bitterness, the opposition made against,
the cruel treatment meted out to many of the ministers of the gospel. As
the representatives of the holy One, they are a thorn in the side of the
ungodly. Though they do them no harm, but instead desire and seek their
highest good, yet are they detested by those who want to be left alone in
their sins. Nothing recorded in human history more plainly and fearfully
displays the depravity of fallen man and his alienation from God than his
behavior toward the most faithful of His servants-supremely manifested
when the Lord of glory took upon Him the form of a servant and
tabernacled among men. It was just because He made known and revealed the
character of God as none else ever did, that man's hatred of and enmity
against Him was so inveterately and fiercely exhibited.
"But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him" (2 Kings
6:32). This verse also needs to be pondered in the light of other
Scriptures. For example: "Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely,
and shall be quiet from fear of evil" (Pro_1:33). The one who truly
fears the Lord, fears not man; and his heart is preserved from those
trepidations which so much disturb the rest and so often torment the
wicked. No, "he shall not be afraid of evil tidings"; he shall neither
have alarming anticipations of such, nor be dismayed when they actually
arrive. And why not? Because "his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD"
(Psa_112:7). Rumors do not shake him, nor does he quake when they are
authenticated, for he is assured that his "times" are in the hand of the
Lord (Psa_31:15). And therefore is he kept in peace. In the light of all
that is recorded of him, who can doubt that Elisha and his companions had
been on their knees before the throne of grace, and now calmly awaited
events. That is the holy privilege of the saints in times of acutest
stress and distress: to "rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him"
(Psa_37:7).
"And the king sent a man from before him." This man was dispatched
quickly ahead of Jehoram, either to announce his awful decision or to put
it into actual execution. Had the king paused to reflect, he should have
realized that it was one thing to form such a determination, but quite
another to carry it out. Had not Ben-hadad, only a short time previously,
sent a "great host" not only of footmen, but of "horses and chariots"
against this servant of the Lord (2Ki_6:14) only for them to discover
their impotence against him! But when a soul (or a people) has abandoned
the Lord, he is given up to a spirit of madness, so that not only does
God have no place in his thoughts, but he is no longer capable of acting
rationally-rationality and spirituality are closely connected. "But ere
the messenger came to him, he [Elisha] said to the elders, See ye how
this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the
messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not
the sound of his master's feet behind him?" (2Ki_6:32).
"And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto
him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD: what should I wait
for the LORD any longer?" (2Ki_6:33). We confess we do not find it
easy to ascertain the precise force of this verse, not even its
grammatical meaning. The first sentence is clear, for the "while he yet
talked" evidently refers to what Elisha was saying to the elders. The
difficulty is to discover the antecedent of the "And he said." The
nearest is the "him" or Elisha, yet certainly he would not say his
proposed murder ("this evil") was "of the Lord," ordered by Him. The next
is "the messenger," but the prophet had given definite orders that he was
not to be admitted, nor would this agree with what follows in 2 Kings
7:1-2. We therefore regard the second sentence as recording the words of
the king himself, who had followed immediately on the heels of his
messenger, thus the more remote but principal antecedent of 2 Kings
6:30-31; just as we understood "the man whom ye seek" as meaning Jehoram
rather than Elisha (2Ki_6:19).
But what did the king signify by "this evil is of the LORD?" We certainly
do not concur with Henry and Scott that he referred to the siege and
famine, for not only is the grammar of the passage against such a view,
but it is in direct opposition to everything else which is recorded of
this son of Jezebel. He did not believe in Jehovah at all, and therefore
his language must be regarded as that of derision and blasphemy. The
context shows he was in a towering rage, that he regarded Elisha as being
in some way responsible for the present calamity, and that he was
determined to put a sudden end to his life. Fully intending to execute
his murderous design, he now burst in on the prophet and said, "This evil
is of the LORD." Those were the words of contemptuous mockery: you
profess to be a servant of an all-powerful Jehovah; let's see what He can
do for you now-behold me as His executioner if you please. "What should I
wait for the LORD any longer?" Jehovah has no place in my thoughts or
plan; the situation is hopeless, so I shall waste no more time, but slay
you and surrender to Ben-hadad and take my chance.
"Then Elisha said-" The "Then" looks back to all that has been before us
in the last ten verses of 2 Kings 6. "Then" when "all the hosts of Syria"
were besieging Samaria; "then" when there was a great famine and things
had come to such an extreme pass that the people were paying immense
prices for the vilest of offals, and mothers were consuming their own
infants. "Then" when the king of Israel had sworn that the prophet should
be beheaded this very day; "then" when the king in a white heat of
passion entered Elisha's abode to carry out his murderous intention.
"Then"-what? Did the prophet give way to abject despair and break forth
into bitter lamentations of murmuring rebellion? No indeed. Then what?
Did Elisha fling himself at the king's feet and plead with him to spare
his life? Very far from it; such is not the way the ambassadors of the
King of kings conduct themselves in a crisis. Instead, "then Elisha said
[calmly and quietly], Hear ye the word of the Lord." To what import? That
His patience is exhausted, that He will now pour out His wrath and
utterly consume you? No, the very reverse; the last thing they could have
expected him to say.
"Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the LORD, To
morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for [as
little as] a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate
of Samaria" (2Ki_7:1). This brings us to the third area of
consideration.
Third, the Announcement of the Miracle
In view of the next verse, it is quite clear that the prophet addressed
himself to the king and those who had accompanied him. It was as though
he said, I have listened to the derisive and insulting words which you
have spoken of my Master; now hear what He has to say! And what was His
message on this occasion? This: He is about to have mercy upon your
kingdom. He is on the point of working a miracle within the next
twenty-four hours which will entirely reverse the present situation, so
that not only will the Syrians depart, but there shall be provided an
abundant supply of food, which will fully meet the needs of your people,
and that, without a blow being struck or your royal coffers being any the
poorer.
Admire here the remarkable faith of Elisha. "Then." When things were at
their lowest possible ebb, when the situation was desperate beyond words,
when the outlook appeared to be utterly hopeless. Mark the implicit
confidence of the prophet in that dark hour. He had received a message of
good tidings from his Master, and he hesitated not to announce it. Ah,
but put yourself in his place, my reader, and remember that he was "a man
of like passions" with us, and therefore liable to be cast down by an
evil heart of unbelief. It is a great mistake for us to look upon the
prophets as superhuman characters. In this case, as in all parallel ones,
God was pleased to place His treasure in an "earthen vessel," that the
glory might be His. Elisha was just as liable to the attacks of Satan as
we are. For all we know to the contrary and reasoning from the law of
analogy, it is quite likely that the enemy of souls came to him at that
time with his evil suggestions and said, May you not be mistaken in
concluding that you have received such a word as this from the Lord? Nay,
you are mistaken-your own wish is father to the thought. You are deluded
into imagining that such a thing can be.
Those who are experimentally acquainted with the conflict between faith
and unbelief, who are frequently made to cry out, "Lord, I believe, help
thou mine unbelief," will have little difficulty in following what has
just been said. They who know something from firsthand acquaintance of
the tactics of the devil and the methods of his assaults, will not
consider our remarks farfetched. Rather will they concur that it is more
than likely Elisha was hotly assailed by the adversary at this very time.
Would he not pose too as an angel of light, and preach a little sermon to
the prophet, saying, A holy God is now acting in judgment, righteously
scourging the idolatrous Jehoram, and therefore you must certainly be
mistaken in supposing He is about to act in a way of mercy. At any rate,
exercise prudence, wait awhile longer lest you make a fool of yourself;
it would be cruel to raise false hopes in the starving people! But if so,
Elisha heeded him not, but being strong in faith, he gave glory to God.
It was just such cases as this that the apostle had in mind when he
mentioned the faith of "the prophets" in Heb_11:32.
Ah, my reader, Elisha was assured that what he had received was "the
Word" of Him "that cannot lie," and no matter how much opposed it was to
common sense and to all outward appearances, he firmly took his stand
upon it. The "faith of God's elect" (Tit_1:1) is no fiction but a
glorious reality. It is something more than a beautiful ideal to talk
about and sing of. It is a divine gift, a supernatural principle, which
not only overcomes the world but survives the "fiery trial," yes, issues
therefrom refined. Elisha was not put to confusion. That divine "word,"
though perhaps quite unexpected and contrary to his own anticipations,
was faithfully and literally fulfilled; and remember that this is
recorded for our learning and consolation. We too have in our hands the
Word of truth, but do we have it in our hearts? Are we really relying
upon its promises, no matter how unlikely their accomplishment may seem
to carnal reason? If so, we are resting upon a sure foundation, and we
too shall have our faith vindicated, and God will be glorified through
and by us.
But let us look higher now than Elisha's faith in that divine word to the
One who gave it to him. It was the Lord manifesting Himself as the God of
all grace to those who were utterly unworthy. In their dire extremity the
Lord had mercy upon them and remembered they were the seed of Abraham,
and therefore He would not entirely destroy them. He turned an eye of
pity on the starving city and promised them speedy relief from the awful
famine. How truly wonderful is His mercy! He was saying, "How shall I
give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make
thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned
within me, my repentings are kindled together" (Hos_11:8). But that
mercy rested on a righteous basis; there was a "handful of salt" in
Samaria which preserved it from destruction-the prophet and the elders.
Rightly was Elisha styled by a later king "the chariot of Israel and the
horsemen thereof" (2Ki_13:14), for his presence in their midst was a
better defense than a multitude of infantry and cavalry; a British queen
feared the prayers of Knox far more than any arm of flesh.
And may not what has just been pointed out provide a ray of hope for us
in this, spiritually speaking, dark night? Of old Israel was reminded,
"For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as
the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?" (Deu_4:7).
Has not that been true of Britain the past four centuries as of no other
people? God has shown us favors, granted us privileges, such as no other
nation in the world has enjoyed. And we, like Israel of old, have evilly
required Him and abused His great benefits. For years past His judgments
have been upon us, and like Israel again, we have sadly failed to bow to
His rod and turn from our sins. If God was so reluctant to abandon
Israel, may He not continue to show us mercy, and for the sake of the
little "salt" still left in our midst, spare us from destruction? Time
will tell, but we are not left without hope.
"Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and
said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing
be?" (2Ki_7:2). There was the response that was made to Jehovah's
word through His prophet. Instead of being received with thanksgiving and
tears of gratitude, it met with a contemptuous sneer. The courtier's
language expressed the skepticism of carnal reason. Unbelief dared to
question the divine promise-illustrative of the unregenerate's rejection
of the gospel. This man argued from what he could see: as no possible
relief was visible, he scorned its probability, or rather certainty. "And
he [Elisha] said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt
not eat thereof" (2Ki_7:2). Let it be noted that the prophet wasted
no breath in reasoning with this skeptic. It is not only useless, but
most unbecoming for a servant of the Lord to descend to the level of such
objectors. Instead, he simply affirmed that this man would witness the
miracle but be unable to share in its benefits. God Himself will yet
answer the skeptics of this age, as He did that one, with appropriate
judgment. Such will be the doom of unbelievers: they shall see the
redeemed feasting at the marriage of the Lamb, yet not partake thereof
(Mat_8:11-12).
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